A lot of seasons come to an end this weekend.
Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. But the first round of mid-major conference slates come to a screeching halt before next week begins, and with it the beginning of the end of the 2022-23 season. Even before Selection Sunday, the first pilgrims will begin trickling into the transfer portal and at least a few coaches with disappointing seasons in the rearview will get their walking papers. It is time to cherish these special moments.
As always, the weekend starts at 7 p.m. ET on Friday; it is both my privilege and grave disappointment to report that for the first time all season, we have zero Happy Hour games this week.
Must Watch (Times ET)
No. 15 Saint Mary’s at No. 12 Gonzaga, 10 p.m., Saturday (ESPN)
Oh, you had plans Saturday night? Cancel them and watch the most important WCC game since… the last time Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga played, probably.
Y’all might remember that one? Overtime in Moraga, Mitchell Saxen double-double, Aidan Mahaney briefly turned into God, and not even Dr. Drew Timme could save the ‘Zags? It was a good time. Malachi Smith even showed flashes of being what we thought he could become for Gonzaga.
This regular-season finale in the Kennel promises more of the same. We already saw what a properly pissed-off Gonzaga could do to avenge a loss—Loyola Marymount was still riding high off its win in Spokane when the Bulldogs visited Gersten Pavilion two weeks ago and dropped an entire house on the Lions in a 43-point win. Mahaney and Saint Mary’s are too good for that—the Gaels haven’t suffered a double-digit loss since last season’s NCAA Tournament—but oooh child, a matchup where Saint Mary’s comes for Gonzaga’s throne, in their house, while the Bulldogs seek vengeance against the Gaels for slights real and imagined? Sign us all the way up for that. We’ll even give you our email.
(We won’t, but you can still find us on Twitter @CWilson225 whether we like it or not.)
Saint Mary’s ranks ahead of Gonzaga in KenPom’s overall rankings and especially in adjusted defense; where the Gaels shine (or at least dominate) is in a grindingly slow tempo that ranks 359th in Division I. Saint Mary’s averages 62.2 possessions per game; Gonzaga posts an NCAA-leading 122.2 points per 100 possessions. The Gaels aren’t letting them get within hollering distance of 100 possessions unless this goes into like four overtimes (this would be awesome).
One more time, because it’s awesome. Aidan Mahaney is that dude.
Honorable mentions: Clemson-North Carolina State (12 p.m., Saturday, ACCNX); Texas-Baylor (2 p.m., Saturday, ESPN); Indiana-Purdue (7:30 p.m., Saturday, FOX)
Must Monitor (Times ET)
Furman at Samford (2 p.m., Saturday, CBS Sports Network)
The Southern Conference regular season title is decided here.
Well, sort of—Samford won a share of the title Wednesday night by beating Chattanooga. They can take the outright crown from the Paladins with a win Saturday afternoon in Birmingham, likely to be easier said than done since Furman took the first meeting this season in a 91-84 overtime affair in Greenville after Jalen Slawson made a late three to bring forth extra basketball.
Both teams score lots of points (both top-35 nationally in points per game), shoot tons of threes (both top-30 in three-point attempts per game) and refuse to stop other teams from hitting from deep (both worse than 200th nationally in three-point field goal defense). Look for turnovers to be a difference—Furman protects the ball like their lives depend on it, with a 1.56 assist-to-turnover ratio that ranks seventh nationally. Samford… does not do that quite so well (0.92 A/TO ratio, good for 277th).
This is what this game looked like in Birmingham last year. There’s more on the line this year. Get down, Birmingham.
Honorable Mention: Arizona State-Arizona (2 p.m., Saturday, CBS); UC Irvine-Hawaii (10 p.m., Saturday, ESPN2); Drake-Bradley (4 p.m., Sunday, ESPN2)
Must Avoid (Times ET)
No. 20 Providence at Georgetown (12:30 p.m., Sunday, FOX)
Patrick Ewing is probably getting fired this year, which isn’t the real news; the real news was that Georgetown completed the required mental gymnastics last offseason to keep running him out there as the steward of the only program that matters to Georgetown.
It’s going really well. Most of the positive Georgetown mentions the last few days are due to Mac McClung.
This is, to be clear, Good and Neat, because McClung is the best press Georgetown has gotten possibly since Ewing was a player and definitely since that fluky conference title they backed butt-first into a few years ago.
Anyhow. This game will be butt, even if there’s a 75 percent chance Providence makes it a one-possession game with 90 seconds left just because that’s what Providence does. Homefield released a Providence collection this week; while this is certainly not #sponcon, I recommend anyone of discernment and taste cop a piece from the collection.
Honorable Mention: VMI-Western Carolina (4 p.m., Saturday, ESPN+); UC Davis-Cal Poly (6 p.m., Saturday, ESPN+); UCF-Tulsa (5 p.m., Sunday, ESPNU)