February is supposed to be the prelude to the madness, the month where the crazy conference championship races and unpredictable upsets give us that first taste of what America’s best postseason is going to be like. Instead, February 2015 has been ... I don’t want to say lame, but certainly more predictable than we’re used to.
Upsets, memorable moments and great stories remind us that March is coming
The glory and the madness of March is right around the corner, and Tuesday’s college hoops slate was a great reminder of everything we can expect to experience.
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time since 1993, the top seven teams in the Associated Press Top 25 poll have remained in exactly the same places for six consecutive weeks. The No. 8 team? Kansas has been in that spot for four straight weeks.
All that is certain to change a week from now after a Tuesday night that finally provided the college hoops world with the entertainment it expects this time of year. There were upsets, there were great finishes and there some terrific stories.
Here are five ways how Tuesday gave us a preview of all the wonderful things coming our way over the next month:
1. Great Stories
In one of the better stories of the season so far, NC State freshman forward Abdul Malik-Abu revealed on Instagram Tuesday night that last year he had attended the wedding of Chapel Hill shooting victims Deah Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salha, and promised them wins over North Carolina and Duke as a present.
On the day of the shooting earlier this month, which resulted in the deaths of the newly married couple as well as Abu-Salha’s sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, Malik-Abu posted the following:
When I heard the news I was in disbelief I couldn’t quite understand how this was possible. I couldn’t wrap my head around the thought of you and your beautiful wife no longer being alive. you supported me before you met me and showed unconditional love when you did. always excited and happy, always willing to joke around about how the season would go. For the short time I’ve known you, you blessed me with the opportunity to attend your wedding a wedding I see as my first real wedding. We didn’t grow up together but when I heard the news I was hurt like I’ve known you my whole life. I just wanna say thank you to you your wife and family for the support and making North Carolina feel like home. Rest in peace brother and sisters may Allah bless all three of you with the highest heaven. I know you’ll always and forever be a NC State supporter. Rest easy my dude.
It seems that UNC win was even more special for a lot of people associated with NC State basketball than any outsider could have imagined.
2. Crazy Statistics
Tuesday night was the 296th home game North Carolina has played under the direction of Roy Williams, and the first time the Tar Heels scored fewer than 20 points in a half. In the 423 total games Williams has coached at UNC, the Heels have only scored fewer than 20 points in a half one other time, the first half of their 2012 Maui Invitational loss to Butler.
3. Fantastic Postgame Moments
There might not be a better moment this whole season than Bo Ryan stumbling into the middle of Mark Turgeon’s postgame press conference like a lost tourist, and then telling him he needs to go ahead and get started because the team has a plane to catch.
The best part about this whole thing might be imagining the Wisconsin team plane taking off and leaving Bo Ryan stranded in Maryland, left to survive on nothing but BWI Cinnabons and 22 oz Miller Lites for the next 48 hours while the rest of the Badgers prepare for Michigan State.
4. Major Upsets
NC State over North Carolina was surprising, but the Heels were the lowest ranked of the three top 25 teams that were upset on Tuesday.
Syracuse may be re-thinking its self-imposed postseason ban after going on the road and stunning No. 9 Notre Dame to notch its second top-12 victory in less than a week. At the time of the decision, the Orange seemed like something of a longshot to even make the tournament, but they’re now 9-6 in the ACC and would almost certainly be comfortably in the field of 68 if they were eligible. The situation left Jim Boeheim remarking Wednesday morning that he wishes he could take the punishment himself and let the kids enjoy the experience of playing in the dance.
Wisconsin also tasted defeat for the first time since mid-January, although its defeat was a bit more understandable, coming on the road and at the hands of No. 14 Maryland. Even though their fans stormed the court, the Terp players didn’t seem all that surprised by the win, because hey, Frank Kaminsky is not God.
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5. Awkward In-Game Moments
You come at Huggy Bear with a question he can answer in three words, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.
We didn't even get to Jonathan Holmes' ugly ejection, Billy Donovan hilariously yanking Chris Walker immediately after the big man attempted a three or Villanova's dominating performance against a fellow top 25 squad. All three tidbits warrant some extended attention, but such is life when there's so much happening in such a small window. That's the beauty of this time of the year, and a sign of all the glory that is headed our way over the next few weeks.
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