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Myron Medcalf
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Myron Medcalf
ESPN Workers Author
- Covers school basketball
- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Graduate of Minnesota State College, Mankato
A number of Authors
With greater than 40 days till the Remaining 4, males’s school basketball followers got a preview of potential nationwide semifinal matchups in Indianapolis.
The highest 4 groups within the newest AP ballot headline a loaded Saturday slate, with No. 2 Houston internet hosting No. 4 Arizona, and No. 1 Michigan and No. 3 Duke dueling it out in Washington, D.C. (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Cougars’ second-half comeback bid fell brief as they misplaced the primary recreation of the powerhouse doubleheader to the Wildcats 73-66. What did the outcome train us concerning the two contenders? ESPN’s Myron Medcalf breaks it down.
What we realized about Arizona
We realized that the Wildcats can nonetheless beat any group in America — they proved as a lot in one of many sport’s most hostile environments towards one among its finest groups.
They’d been practically flawless till final week, struggling their first losses of the season at Kansas then to Texas Tech on JT Toppin’s 31 factors. However that is it. They’ve in any other case been one of many nation’s most constant contenders for 4 months. Extra importantly, they’ve excelled within the essential moments that outline a season, like this one.
Their protection was glorious within the second half as Houston struggled to attain. The Cougars did not make a area objective for practically eight minutes within the second half, their longest scoring drought of the season. Jaden Bradley made huge photographs down the stretch to complete with 17 factors whereas Ivan Kharchenkov added 16 and Anthony Dell’Orso had 22 off the bench. The Wildcats’ 3-point struggles (25% on Saturday) imply they do not have a knockout blow of their arsenal, although, so that they failed to increase the lead by greater than 10 factors. — Medcalf
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Jaden Bradley units up Anthony Dell’Orso with candy dish for Arizona
Jaden Bradley units up Anthony Dell’Orso with a candy dish for Arizona vs. No. 2 Houston.
What we realized about Houston
This was the kind of battle Kelvin Sampson’s Houston groups appear to get pleasure from, however the query that has seemingly plagued them for years stays: How will they overcome the scoring droughts that hang-out them?
Houston went with out a level between 12:11 and 4:32 within the second half towards Arizona. And whereas the Wildcats’ protection performed a big function in that drought, the Cougars cannot count on to chop down the nets in April if they cannot get a bucket once they want one. They had been additionally outscored 21-9 within the final 11 minutes of their 70-67 loss at Iowa State on Monday.
Have they got the offensive output to commerce punches with the perfect groups in America? The NCAA match is set by playmakers and stars, and the Cougars have them, however their lack of ability to beat a pair of ugly stretches in back-to-back video games is regarding. This week’s losses counsel that until star freshman Kingston Flemings can create photographs in clutch moments, they could be weak to extra droughts on the most crucial juncture of the season. — Medcalf
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