Most appealing game (according to FanMatchTM): Florida State vs. Saint Joseph’s. The Seminoles’ offensive ways continue and after a 73-66 [65 poss] win over the Hawks, FSU’s offense officially ranks better than its defense. Over a full season, this has only happened once in Leonard Hamilton’s previous ten years in Tallahassee.
Major upsets (<15% win probability): Illinois-Chicago (13%) pulled off the kind of victory that makes one question the unexpected nature of it. The Flames torched Mercer in the Paradise Jam by a score of 62-36. However, in their respective conference’s preseason polls, Mercer was picked to win the Atlantic Sun and UIC was picked for second-to-last in the Horizon, so it’s more than just my computer that sees this outcome, let alone the score, as unusual.
Crazy comebacks (<3% win probability): It was a night of comebacks across the country, but the only one that qualifies here took place in Hempstead, New York. South Dakota State faced a five-point deficit to Marshall with 20 seconds remaining. Consecutive three-pointers sandwiched around a missed one-and-one from Chris Martin gave the Jackrabbits the improbable victory (2.3%).
Unbeatens remaining: 89 (14 fewer than yesterday). Belated congratulations to Saint Peter’s (3-0), who continued its inevitable assault on ’76 Indiana with a 68-64 [67] win over Cornell on Friday night. Notably, Peacocks’ senior Blaise Ffrench, after 1,100 minutes as a D-I point guard made his first three-pointer, and later, his second. Special times are brewing in Jersey City.
Winless teams remaining: 44 (11 fewer than yesterday).
Other notable events: Both Iowa and Pitt narrowly avoided being the victims of major upsets. The Hawkeyes dug a 23-point deficit to Gardner-Webb in the first half, falling behind 38-15. They would outscore the Bulldogs 50-18 the rest of the way to win 65-56 [67]. Pitt trailed Oakland by as many as 18 in the second half and still by seven with 1:07 to go, but were able to force overtime when James Robinson picked Duke Mondy’s pocket and sunk the free throws that resulted from the subsequent foul. The Panthers prevailed 72-62 [68], avoiding what would have been the upset of the season thus far, and are now free to obsess over Wednesday’s showdown with Michigan. But that wasn’t all! Montana erased a 15-point deficit over the final 13 minutes to win at Idaho 66-63 [64]. Washington and Seton Hall both gave away commanding positions before the Huskies prevailed in overtime, 84-73 [74]
Today’s top game: Belmont is on its way to Anchorage, but first they take on Chasson Randle and Stanford in Maples Pavilion at 9 ET. This is the time the Bruins justify the computers. I can feel it.