A quiet December week for college basketball featured just one top-25 matchup and no marquee games on the schedule for the holiday weekend.
Louisville wins battle for Bluegrass bragging rights
The then-No. 10 Cardinals welcomed sixth-ranked Kentucky to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., Wednesday night in a primetime matchup between two of the biggest rivals in college sports. The Cardinals showed why they belong in the conversation of the nation's top teams, outlasting the Wildcats 73-70 to pick up their 11th win of the season.
Louisville head coach Rick Pitino’s squad was aggressive on offense all game, attacking the Kentucky defense instead of settling for jumpers. The Cardinals were also spectacular on the defensive end, holding the talented Wildcats to just 39.7 percent shooting from the floor and a 22.7 percent clip from 3-point range.
With Quentin Snider scoring a career-high 22 points, including an important driving layup with 1:46 remaining, and Jaylen Johnson and Donovan Mitchell combining for several clutch baskets, the Cardinals were able to pick up a signature win against their in-state rivals in a game that featured 10 ties and nine lead changes. The team also got a major contribution from forward Deng Adel, who scored a career-high 18 points. The win moved Louisville up to No. 6 in the latest AP poll, with Kentucky dropping to No. 8.
The road doesn’t get easier for the Cardinals, as they will face No. 12 Virginia and No. 16 Indiana on the road this week. The Wildcats will open up SEC play in a matchup on the road against Ole Miss.
USC stays undefeated
The No. 23 Trojans opened up the week with a 12-point victory against Cornell before picking up victories against Missouri State and Wyoming in the Las Vegas Classic.
Led by guards Elijah Stewart and Jordan McLaughlin, USC narrowly remained unbeaten after escaping in overtime 94-92 against the Cowboys in the finals of the Las Vegas Classic. The Trojans—one of the nation's last six remaining unbeaten teams—took care of business against inferior opponents to solidify their place in the AP poll, and their winning efforts have allowed them to rise one spot to No. 22 in this week's rankings.
Clemson upsets in-state rival
Clemson took a six-game winning streak on the road to Colonial Life Arena Wednesday night to face previously unbeaten and No. 22 South Carolina. Preseason All-ACC forward Jaron Blossomgane had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Tigers to a narrow 62-60 victory in a thrilling game that neither team ever led by more than four points. The win marked the first time Clemson defeated a ranked nonconference opponent on the road in program history.
South Carolina’s P.J. Dozier scored a career-high 26 points for the Gamecocks, but missed a possible game-winning 3-point attempt just before the buzzer. The sophomore has scored at least 20 points in his past five games and set a career best for the second straight game in the matchup versus Clemson. The loss dropped the Gamecocks out of the top 25.
What’s coming up?
No. 5 Duke returns to action in its first conference game of the season Saturday afternoon at Virginia Tech, which is knocking on the door of the AP poll, in one of several notable matchups this week.
Virginia visits Louisville and No. 2 UCLA visits No. 21 Oregon Wednesday night to open up conference play. The Ducks will face a quick turnaround against undefeated USC Friday night in a highly-anticipated PAC-12 matchup. Top-ranked Villanova will face its toughest test of the year to date when it opens conference play Saturday afternoon on the road against No. 10 Creighton in a matchup of undefeated Big East teams. Saturday’s slate also features quality matchups between ACC foes, with No. 24 Notre Dame visiting Pittsburgh and Virginia hosting No. 20 Florida State.
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