Oooh. Ahhhh. What else to say about the statistical fireworks show that men's college basketball put on over the weekend? Many of them served as reminders of how — two months from Selection Sunday — this season’s themes are starting to come into focus.
So really, could anyone expect...
Yeah, Cooper Flagg’s legend is growing at Duke, but 42 points in one game — the most ever by a freshman in ACC history?
Since Flagg turned 18 in late December, he’s been averaging 24.4 points per game and shooting 63 percent from the field. He has done that damage and not taken more than 14 shots in each game, while anchoring one of the best defenses in America. Not an ounce of his pre-season hype so far has gone unfulfilled. Meanwhile, the 14-2 Blue Devils keep counting on the freshman kids and haven’t lost a game since before Thanksgiving.
Louisville getting its sixth victory in a row to go 5-1 in the ACC and make a reasonable argument that it is Duke’s main conference threat?
That would have been hard to predict. The Cardinals were 5-35 in the ACC the past two years.
RANKINGS: AP Top 25 Poll | NET rankings
Houston going into Kansas State — or anywhere in the Big 12 where the road is so perilous — and winning by 30?
This is what happens when the No. 10 Cougars can match good shooting with their deadly defense. Scary, huh? “Whatever they’re ranked,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said, “it’s way too low.”
Kansas showing up in Cincinnati and winning 54-40, the fewest points the Jayhawks had allowed on the road since 1963?
Apparently Kansas intends to reassert itself with defense, giving up 48, 55 and 40 points in its past three games. The 88 total points allowed in consecutive road matchups are the fewest for the Jayhawks since 1951.
The nation’s longest winning streak living in Ames, Iowa?
Yep, Iowa State at 11 in a row, and ranked No. 2 in the AP poll for the first time in school history. The Cyclones hadn’t even been as high as last week’s No. 3 since 1956-57. Here's another unusual number: guard Curtis Jones is the leading scorer with a 17.3 average and has topped 20 points six times this season. He comes off the bench.
A PACKED SATURDAY SLATE: Cooper Flagg drops record 42 points in Duke win, No. 3 Iowa State escapes
Michigan is 5-0 in the Big Ten, a year after going 3-17?
The Wolverines are thriving after their first swing through USC and UCLA, beating them by 11 and 19 points respectively, and then coming home to whip Washington by 16. Yes, Michigan is enjoying having the Pac-12 guys in the Big Ten. This keeps up, storming through the league with two 7-footers in the lineup, and coach Dusty May will be on the short list for the national coach of the year discussion.
Purdue’s offense handing out 32 assists?
Those were the most in a game for the Boilermakers in more than 27 years and part of a 104-68 crushing of Nebraska. Purdue just marked off its fifth consecutive win by at least 18 points, four against Big Ten opponents. The Boilermakers, making 19 three-pointers on Sunday, are on a roll.
Kentucky beating its fourth top-15 opponent of the season, the most by anyone in the nation?
This time it was then-No. 14. Mississippi State, and the fourth time that six Wildcats have scored in double figures in a game. What coach Mark Pope has done with a new roster and new style in Lexington has been extraordinary.
The entire Auburn nation holding its breath until the MRI came back on forward Johni Broome’s left ankle?
No surgery needed, hoping to come back before too long. Exhale, Tigers, exhale. And enjoy being No. 1 for only the second time in school history. Also, coach Bruce Pearl remains the only coach in SEC history to get two programs to the top of the polls. He led Tennessee there too.
ANDY KATZ RANKNGS: Auburn, Iowa State and Duke top the latest men's basketball Power 37 rankings
New Mexico's 6-0 in the Mountain West for its best conference start in 47 years? St. John’s 5-1 in the Big East for its best start since 2001?
The Pitino boys — son Richard and father Rick — are doing swell. Imagine them meeting in March.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin miffed at Big Ten officials after his first dose of calls on the road in an 18-point loss at Maryland?
He got himself ejected and said he was 'tired' of being treated like the conference newcomers. That didn’t seem to bother USC when the Trojans barged into Illinois and knocked off the Illini, or Oregon as the Ducks crunch-timed their way through Ohio State and Penn State by one and two points. If Cronin wants to share some road misery stories, he should chat with Oklahoma coach Porter Moser, whose Sooners lost 72-62 at Georgia. The Bulldogs shot 37 free throws. Oklahoma shot nine.
All the woes for the basketball holy land of Indiana?
Butler’s nine-game losing streak is the longest in the nation among the power conferences. Notre Dame has dropped four in a row and nine of 12, and the karma's so bad that the Irish were beaten the other day by North Carolina’s four-point play in the final seconds. Indiana added the 25-point whipping at Iowa to go to with its other shellackings by 17, 16 and 18 points, which is why the masses are so restless about a 13-4 team. The alarm is how much this is starting to sound like last season, when the Hoosiers lost by 21 and 20 to Purdue, 20 to Connecticut, 28 to Auburn, and 27 in the last game to Nebraska.
Good thing for the state is that Purdue is surging.
William & Mary the last unbeaten in league play in the Coastal Athletic Association?
That is worth mentioning because there are only four original NCAA members who have never made their way into the NCAA tournament, and the Tribe are one of them.
FATHER, LEADER, BLUEJAY: Steven Ashworth guides Creighton to a win in famous Hinkle Fieldhouse
Utah State advancing to 16-1, best record in the nation?
It has been built in unusual ways. The Aggies have trailed at halftime in seven games and are 7-0. They have been out-rebounded six times and are 5-1.
Of course, when it comes to fiery numbers over the weekend, it would be impossible to top Pitt women's basketball. It’s not just that they came from 32 points behind to beat SMU, it’s that they came back to win by 13 points. It is hard to pick the more stunning line from the box score.
The 28-0 third period for Pitt.
The 2-for-28 shooting in the second half for SMU.
Pitt missing its first 10 shots and 20 of its first 23, but winning by double digits.
SMU scoring 32 points in the first quarter, but 10 in the entire second half.
Anyway, the men produced a load of remarkable and telling numbers this past weekend, but only the women of Pitt had a performance that will be used from sea to shining sea. Coaches trying to encourage their way-behind teams at halftime will know just whom to mention.
