Dietz’s Debrief is a weekly column dedicated to the ever changing college basketball landscape. There will be weekly updates to recap the games of the week, upcoming matchups and bracket implications for March Madness.
This week packed a punch with some of the best college basketball action of the season. The top three remain the same as last week with Arizona, UConn and Michigan all solidifying themselves as top contenders and dangerous teams.
Games of the Week:
The Arizona Wildcats went into BYU on Monday night beating the Cougars led by star Freshman forward AJ Dybansta. ALT: Freshman forward AJ Dybansta led the Arizona Wildcats to 86-83 victory over the BYU Cougars on Monday night. This Arizona team is looking like the best team head coach Tommy Lloyd has had in his tenure with the Wildcats as they are still undefeated and are the current favorites to win the national championship.
After looking a little rocky in their past few matchups, the Wolverines reminded the nation of what they are capable of, beating undefeated Nebraska in a top-five matchup. Led by sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. and freshman guard Trey Mckenny, Michigan was able to overcome adversity — losing early in the game and coming out with the win. They followed up that impressive win with another ranked win on the road against rival Michigan State. It was the first win for Michigan over its rivals since the 2022-23 season.
John Calipari’s Arkansas, ranked 15th overall, continued its momentum with a strong conference win over Oklahoma University. Freshman guard Dariuss Acuff has been amazing this season and is another talented guard that Calipari has developed. He put up 21 points and nine assists in the win.
The Duke Blue Devils have flown quietly under the radar this season, but have looked good behind star freshman forward Cameron Boozer and sophomore guard Isaiah Evans who can shoot the lights out. Don’t count out Duke just yet, because this is another very talented team under coach John Scheyer with wins over Louisville and Virginia Tech improving to 20-1 on the season.
The UCF Golden Knights shocked everyone on Saturday morning by beating Texas Tech who has looked especially good over the last few weeks, most notably beating Houston who is 19-2 on the season. Senior guard Themus Fulks is one of the most underrated players in the country, and when paired with a lengthy and athletic UCF team, this team is dangerous. Despite Texas Tech junior forward JT Toppin scoring 27 points, it ultimately wasn’t enough to beat the Golden Knights and will look to regroup heading into their next game.
Notable Upcoming Games:
Tomorrow, sophomore guard Labaron Philon and Alabama take on sophomore guard Boogie Fland and Florida in a ranked SEC matchup. The Gators haven’t quite been as good as its championship team last year, but they are starting to pick up momentum with senior guard Xaivian Lee pairing nicely with Fland in the backcourt.
Kansas University, led by All-American freshman guard Darryn Peterson, will head to Lubbock to take on the Red Raiders in what will be a crucial test for the Jayhawks. When Peterson is on the floor, Kansas is a completely different team, and there is no stopping him when he has the ball in his hands.
The last highlightable game before Tuesday is Illinois versus Nebraska which will be an amazing Big Ten matchup. Nebraska will look to get revenge after its first loss of the season and Illinois will look to continue its momentum after beating Purdue.
Bracket Implications:
The Indiana Hoosiers are currently listed as the last team in the field according to college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi, so the Hoosiers will have to keep winning if they want to stay in the field.
The USC Trojans have been fighting to keep their tournament chances alive. They will have to also win their remaining nine games and keep it close with the top teams if they want to squeak into the field.
The college basketball season is heating up, and we are officially only one month away from March. All of the remaining games are crucial for many teams’s tournament chances and it will be interesting to see how the field shakes out.