It was another highly anticipated weekend of hoops, which featured top teams squaring off with one another.
The clash at the country’s capital highlights this weekend’s winners and losers.
Winner: Duke Blue Devils
All eyes were on the late-February nonconference showdown between No. 3 Duke and No. 1 Michigan in Washington, D.C. In a back-and-forth battle, the Blue Devils outlasted the Wolverines 68-63.
Forward Cameron Boozer added to his Wooden Award case, totaling 18 points and 10 rebounds. However, Duke’s defense was the story, as the Wolverines shot 6-of-25 from 3-point range, and guard Elliot Cadeau went 1-for-8 from the field. Center Aday Mara struggled with early foul trouble, helping the Blue Devils win the rebounding battle.
The victory proves HC Jon Scheyer’s squad is ready for March, and Duke will likely be a No. 1 seed for the second straight year.
Loser: Kansas Jayhawks
The drama between guard Darryn Peterson and No. 8 Kansas finally caught up to the Jayhawks, who were embarrassed by Cincinnati 84-68. Due to Peterson’s injuries and tendency to sub himself out of games, the chemistry isn’t the same when he’s on the court.
Kansas had no answer for Bearcats center Moustapha Thiam, who scored a career-high 28 points. The Jayhawks connected on only 22% of their 3-point attempts, well below their season average of 35.8%.
