Thanksgiving lends itself to excess, and there was a buffet of options available on the basketball court this week – in all honesty, too much to consume if you had holiday obligations over the past few days.
It’s hard to know how much to read into these early tournaments when they take place oceans away during what most Americans consider to be vacation time instead of prime basketball-viewing season. One of the most shocking results of the week took place in Cancun between two teams (Green Bay and Washington State) who play in the northernmost areas of the U.S., more than 3,000 miles away from the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
But the basketball happened, and the results mean something now, even if the wins and losses won’t matter as much when March rolls around. So here’s our best attempt to digest the numerous developments of the past week with the inaugural ACC-SEC Challenge on deck.
Dropped out: North Carolina, Oklahoma
Almost famous: Duke, Oklahoma, UNLV, Alabama
The Gamecocks, who are once again the comfortable choice for the top team in the rankings, just posted the highest win margin of the Dawn Staley era. They beat Mississippi Valley State by 82 points while holding the Devilettes to six or fewer points in all four quarters. For all the deserved plaudits about…
