Yessir, my boy Iman Shumpert hit the game-winner with a second left from about 17 feet, as Georgia Tech upset #4 Wake Forest, 76-74, for their first win in ACC play. He hit a jumper from the same area to tie the game at 74, as well. It was the Demon Deacons' first game since beating #1 Duke on Wednesday. Interestingly, their first and only other loss this season came immediately after beating then-#1 North Carolina.
The game was a matchup of brothers, as each team flaunted their own Aminu. Freshman Al-Farouq Aminu, of Wake Forest, had 17 points, 11 boards, and 5 steals, while his older brother, senior, Alade Aminu, had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks for G-Tech. The Yellow Jackets were led by Gani Lawal's 25 and 10 boards.
Keep An Eye On......
- Xavier - The Musketeers, of the Atlantic 10, have been strong NCAA Tournament contenders on a regular basis over the past few year with two Elite Eight trips since '04, including one last year. But every year, maybe because of their conference, they fall under the radar. The Musketeers beat topped UMASS Saturday, 82-80, to improve to 19-2 on the season. Derrick Brown and B.J. Raymond had 23 and 22, respectively, to lead the Musketeers to their 10th straight W. They're well coached by Sean Miller and led by experienced guards who've been in adverse, pressure situations before, particularly Brown, Raymond, and C.J. Anderson. Combine that with athleticism and talent, and you've got yourself a team capable of making a nice run in the tournament.
- Gonzaga - The #25 Bulldogs don't need an introduction. They've shown their ability to play with the big names for years now. Expectations were through the roof to start this season, but losing 4 of 5 in December, curbed all that enthusiasm. Saturday, they took care of San Diego, 64-47, behind Austin Daye's 17. After being written off by many, the Zags have come back to win 8 straight since their December skid, including games over #18 St. Mary's and Portland - their most dangerous conference foes. Some think this is the most talented Gonzaga ever, and supplied with the pieces to make a Final Four run. Without question, they're one of the most balanced teams in the country, with strong guards - Jeremy Pargo, Matt Bouldin, and Micah Downs - and solid bigs - Daye and Josh Heytvelt. A Final Four appearance may be a stretch, but certainly not out of reach if the Bulldogs are clicking on all cylinders entering the tournament.
- Memphis - Much like Gonzaga, we know what Memphis can do. Yet, bumps in the road earlier this season gave plenty of reason to be skeptical about the Tigers. Losing 3 of 5, all to ranked opponents, in December, and looking terrible in the process raised speculation that this Memphis team could be too young, too immature, or too unskilled and overly reliant on sheer athletic ability, to match the success they've had in recent years. However, since then, they've righted the ship, winning 12 straight, including victories against UAB, and at Tennessee and have worked their way back into the Top 25. The #19 Tigers stayed hot Saturday, beating Houston, 83-68. They're definitely not as good as Memphis teams in the past three or four years, and don't shoot it well from the outside, but the right draw in the Tournament could allow the Tigers to make some noise.
- Butler - A lot of the credit here has to go to Todd Lickliter, the former Butler head coach, who put the program on the map after a Sweet Sixteen run in the '07 Tournament. Since Lickliter's departure prior to the '07-'08 season, new coach, Brad Stevens has come in without missing a beat. The #13 Bulldogs are off to a 19-1 start, and amidst an 11 game winning streak. Teams with strong systems, such as the Bulldogs, always perform well in the tournament and have the confidence in the system, the coach, and themselves, to put them in positions to compete with, and beat ANYBODY. Most importantly, the Bulldogs are having great success despite being young; Butler's led by sophomore forward Matt Howard, and freshmen, Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack. Hell, even the coach Brad Stevens is just 32. The Butler program is definitely here to stay.
Needless to say, all of these teams are in first place in their respective conferences.
Top 25 Scores From Around The Nation...1/31/09
Providence 61, #2 UCONN 94
#22 Notre Dame 80, #3 Pitt 93
#4 Wake Forest 74, Georgia Tech 76
#5 Oklahoma 78, Iowa St. 68
#6 North Carolina 93, N.C. St. 76
West Va. 63, #7 Louisville 69
#23 Georgetown 82, #8 Marquette 94
UMASS 80, #10 Xavier 82
Kansas St. 85, #12 Texas 81
Washington 84, #14 Arizona St. 71
Stanford 63, #16 UCLA 97
Michigan 49, #17 Purdue 67
#18 St. Mary's 66, Portland 84
Houston 68, #19 Memphis 83
San Diego 47, #25 Gonzaga 64
Also, big ups to Evan Turner from Ohio St. who led the Buckeyes to a 93-81 win over Indiana in Bloomington by doing what he does best: filling up the stat sheet. ET finished with 29 points, 10 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block in 39 minutes of action.
Via: ESPN
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