Week 1 is in the books, and somewhat as expected, the Top 25 won all of their games.
The top team in the NCAA, the North Carolina Tar Heels, opened the season aboard the USS Carl Vinson against a mediocre Michigan State University. The final, a 67-55 UNC victory, reflected the huge difference in talent each program currently contains.
The remainder of the Top 25 teams all came out with a victory, with two exceptions: Vanderbilt and UCLA. There were a couple close games – looking at you Duke, with your 77-76 win over Belmont – but in the end, the “better” teams came out on top.
Some quick notes after Week 1:
- UCLA (formerly #17), lost to Loyola Marymount, 69-58. After taking a one point lead into halftime, Loyola came out gunning in the second half, outscoring the Bruins by 10 to cruise to an easy win. UCLA is no longer in the Top 25.
- Vanderbilt (formerly #7, currently #18) lost on Sunday to Cleveland State. The reigning Horizon League champions put on a show for the Vandy home crowd, easily beating the high-expectations Vandy team, 71-58.
- Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski tied the NCAA record for coaching wins, currently held by Bobby Knight, with his 902nd win on Saturday night against Presbyterian. If Duke can win against Michigan State on Wednesday night at Madison Square Gardens, Coach K will stand alone as the best coach to ever grace the NCAA benches. I may be a UNC Blue Blood, through and through, but you have to respect greatness.
Interesting games, Week 2:
- Kansas (12) vs Kentucky (2), Tuesday night, 9PM EST: In what should be a great test for the Kansas Jayhawks, the Kentucky Wildcats begin their season in tough, looking to avenge their Final Four loss to Connecticut.
- Florida (7) vs Ohio State (3), Tuesday night, 8PM EST: Speaking of avenging losses, Ohio State looks to slap the SEC back into submission after their top team, Kentucky, knocked the Buckeyes out of the tournament last March.
- Duke (6) vs Michigan State, Tuesday night, 7PM EST: Although Michigan State started the season with a loss to UNC, they are still receiving votes for entry into the Top 25. A win over the sixth-ranked Duke would go a long way to gaining them more votes. If Duke comes out on top, Coach K will stand alone.
A good start to the season, but the best is yet to come.
… and that’s the last word.
