College Basketball

Creighton, UNC among teams showing signs of road weariness

Published Dec. 5, 2022 12:00 a.m. ET

Scheduling is taking a toll.

And that's fine if coaches accept that this is the result of travel and taking on high-level non-conference matchups that bleed into December conference games.

Expanded conferences with 20-game schedules means December conference games are here to stay.

But think about what happened last week. Teams that played in tournaments, especially in Portland, had to then go on the road for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and a number of them lost.

Michigan State beat Portland on Sunday and then lost at Notre Dame on Wednesday. The Spartans then came home only to lose to Northwestern on Sunday.

North Carolina lost in four overtimes to Alabama on Sunday and then lost at Indiana on Wednesday.

Purdue won but struggled against a Florida State team that is sliding.

Gonzaga beat Xavier on Sunday only to then go to South Dakota later in the week and lose to Baylor.

Creighton played in Maui the previous week, reaching the final against Arizona. Then it went to Texas and lost there, before coming home and being stunned by rival Nebraska for a third-straight defeat.

Michigan lost at home to Virginia, then went to London and lost to Kentucky.

These aren't excuses, and I'm glad these teams are willing to challenge themselves early in the season. That gives the selection committee the data they need to truly evaluate them. But don't be surprised if the Big Ten teams aren't upset about the Big Ten-ACC Challenge going away. Having to wedge in a high-profile game against the ACC in between a tournament and the start of conference play is no small thing.

The ACC and SEC will take over those Tuesday and Wednesday nights the week after Thanksgiving in 2023 and beyond. The Big Ten will probably take a year off from creating a challenge, but don't be surprised if it looks at one with the Big 12. There is one more season of the Gavitt Games with the Big East since the schedule got pushed back a season due to COVID.

Player of the year chase: Everyone is chasing Zach Edey. The Purdue junior center is having as dominating a season as any player we've seen lately. He's a double-double machine averaging 22.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. He had 31 and 22 in a Sunday win over Minnesota.

Shaka Smart's comeback: The Marquette Golden Eagles are playing the Shaka way, notching a convincing home win over Baylor. They nearly were able to back that up with a home win over Wisconsin. But the Golden Eagles are clearly going to be a player in the chase for a bid out of the Big East.

Nick Smith Jr.'s return: The most heralded freshman in the country finally made his debut for Arkansas. He didn't disappoint after a brief five minutes against Troy, scoring 16 and dishing out five assists in a win over San Jose State. Smith's addition to the Hogs is a difference maker for a Final Four candidate. Smith and Alabama's Brandon Miller will be a tight race for SEC freshman of the year.

The Xfinity and the RAC: I did sideline for Big Ten Network for Illinois at Maryland and Indiana at Rutgers over the weekend. The atmospheres were off the charts. The Xfinity Center is back. Kevin Willard has the Terps undefeated and in the Big Ten chase. The students were 6,000-strong and the house was rocking. The RAC, now known as Jersey Mike's, was bursting at the seams for the Indiana game. Having those two arenas packed and a difficult road swing make the Big Ten even stronger now and going forward.

Syracuse's bounceback: The Orange were dreadful in a road loss at Illinois, but a road win at Notre Dame should send a strong message that Syracuse isn't going to go quietly this season.

Yuri Collins: The Saint Louis point guard is absolutely dropping dimes everywhere. He's averaging 11.9 assists a game and had 20 in a win over Tennessee State.

Heading in the wrong direction: The absence of Graham Ike has knocked Wyoming completely sideways. They have lost four in a row, five of six and will now have to win the Mountain West tournament to get a bid.

The new blood in the Mountain West: UNLV, New Mexico and Utah State are all undefeated. Kevin Kruger, Richard Pitino and Ryan Odom have infused new blood in these respective programs, and they all are putting themselves in a position to pursue a bid.

Saint Mary's: The Gaels have upgraded their schedule, but they are digging themselves a huge hole. Saint Mary's has lost three in a row — Washington and Houston on neutral courts and at home to New Mexico.

GG Jackson II: Jackson was a heralded recruit when he signed with South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been erratic, but Jackson has been consistent. Jackson scored 22 in an overtime win against Georgetown and is averaging 17 PPG.

Buy in on …: Miami, Arizona State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Missouri and Rutgers. All of these teams had significant wins last week and are on the rise.

Quick hits

North Carolina: banged up and weary from travel.

Michigan State: Still needs to get healthy.

Gonzaga: Could use beating up on some low-level teams.

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Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on the Big Ten Network, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.