JBL | The Quadaily 25, 2028 Season (Day 124): The Penultimate Regular Season Issue
Due to time, we won't be doing a full Quad today. We will do one bigger one tomorrow. Here is a quick bit before we give you the 25.
Duke replaces Indiana, who had been atop the polls since Day 29. They are the only two teams to be atop the polls all season. That happened when Indiana fell at Michigan, while Duke has won 12 in a row, their most recent victory being a convincing 67-55 takedown of Pitt on the road.
There is an incredible showdown on Day 126, as Kentucky (who holds a one-game lead in the SEC) goes to Missouri, with the SEC title on the line (both teams are 17-2 in conference). Our early pick rides with the home team. Brandon Dampier (who should be the unanimous pick for National Player of the Year) should lead the Tigers to their first SEC regular season title, and one very few would have seen coming at that, by seeing off Kentucky. We'll say, Missouri by 3, perhaps 72-69.
Connecticut, meanwhile, rose up to the challenge of winning the Big East regular season championship outright, defeating Villanova on the road, 79-71. This was a rather fantastic win for the Huskies, considering that star Jack Dawkins fouled out with 7:37 left, and UConn up 65-53. It was the other much-heralded additions to the team that got UConn to the finish line. Corban Vance made several big plays, including a pair of key free throws that iced it. Alex Attia hit a big three when it appared Villanova was primed to go on a big run.
And, when they did cut the game to three, 70-67 with 1:54 left, it was Darrion Fountain who hit a big bucket, and got a massive offensive rebound that led to Vance's free throws with :22 left.
Villanova's Tre Faulkner had 24, and made several huge plays to get the Wildcats on the cusp of overtaking UConn. Their time is coming, as they will be a justifably fashionable pick to win the national title next season. But this was UConn's day, and this their (regular) season in the Big East.
UNLV took down New Mexico, putting themselves in possible position to win the Mountain West regular season title. The Runnin Rebels have felt severely disrespected all year by bracketologists who had them on the outside looking in for a couple of brackets at various times this season. They can now point to this 60-57 win, along with their win over San Diego State earlier in the year, and ranking in the AP as reasons why they cannot be denied.
They shouldn't feel too comfortable yet. The notion that they could still be left out is still possible...it is said that the conference may only get the two teams who get to the conference title game into the tournament. Nobody in the conference has a distinctive OOC victory this season (the best win could be SDSU's win over Creighton).
So, UNLV should feel good about their win. They could feel confident going into the conference tournament. They should not feel comfortable about their chances. Not yet.
The Quadaily 25, 2028 Season
Day 124
1. Duke (27-4, 2)
2. Kansas (25-4, 3)
3. Missouri (28-4, 4)
4. Indiana (27-3, 1)
5. Kentucky (28-2, 5)
6. North Carolina (28-6, 7)
7. Connecticut (27-5, 8)
8. Colorado (26-5, 9)
9. Illinois (25-5, 6)
10. Virginia (26-5, 10)
11. NC State (25-5, 11)
12. Southern Cal (25-6, 12)
13. Maryland (21-8, 16)
14. Florida (22-7, 13)
15. Villanova (22-8, 14)
16. Washington (24-7, 15)
17. Memphis (26-5, 17)
18. Utah (23-7, 18)
19. Gonzaga (25-3, 19)
20. San Diego State (27-3, 20)
21. UNLV (25-5, 21)
22. Stanford (22-9, 22)
23. Ohio State (23-8, 24)
24. St. Joe's (24-4, NR)
25. Georgetown (22-9, 23)
Next: Pitt, Arizona, Drexel, Dayton, Illinois State
Dropped Out: Pitt (25)