NCAAB: Louisville’s defense is legit, and other lessons learned

It’s getting colder, but the basketball action is heating up across America. Here’s what we learned in college basketball as the calendar turned from November to December.

Louisville’s defense is legit

The top-ranked team in America may retain that title for a long time. In their first test since they were crowned No. 1, the Louisville Cardinals stifled Michigan, the hottest team in America at the time.

Michigan rose to No. 4 in the country after it scored 79.9 points per game in victories over Iowa State, North Carolina and Gonzaga in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Four days later they scored 43 points at Louisville. The Wolverines were in a tough spot on a quick turnaround, but the Cardinals’ defensive effort deserves a significant portion of the credit. Currently ranked third in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive efficiency ratings, if they aren’t knocking down shots from the perimeter, Chris Mack’s team will beat you with defense.

Gonzaga still owns the West Coast

Many people (including me) were saying Washington or Arizona could become the next top team on the West Coast. Last week Gonzaga put its foot down and reminded America why it is the best college basketball team west of the Rockies.

Playing arguably its most difficult non-conference game of the season, a road trip to Washington also served as Gonzaga’s best résumé builder for the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs didn’t shoot the ball particularly well (28.6% from three-point range) or get a big game from Killian Tillie (15 points, five rebounds), but they took care of the ball down the stretch to take care of business. The Huskies cut the lead to two points with 2:40 to play, but Ryan Woolridge responded with a bucket, followed by a Quade Green turnover and another Woolridge layup, and eventually Gonzaga pulled away for a 83-76 win.

Like Gonzaga, Arizona had a chance to make a statement win on the road. The Wildcats did not travel as well. With so many eyes in Waco on the Big 12 Championship Game in Dallas, the Bears’ basketball team did what the football team could not—win. The Wildcats fell 63-58 and proved they can’t do much if Nico Mannion isn’t firing on all cylinders. The freshman point guard was just 3-of-14 from the field and committed three turnovers to five assists. It won’t be the last game Sean Miller sweats out on the sideline this season.

What’s wrong with Virginia?

This column is supposed to be dedicated to what we learned about college basketball in the last week. I am more fascinated by the wildly different results Virginia posted.

On Wednesday, Tony Bennett’s team got housed, 69-40, at Purdue. The game was never close. On Sunday the Cavaliers defeated No. 7 North Carolina 56-47. The Cavaliers lost to an unranked team by almost 30, then beat a top 10 team four days later.

Something isn’t adding up, and it’s on the offensive end. Bennett teams are always going to play great defense out of the pack line. What made last year’s national championship team different was its ability to score. This year’s unit ranks 125th in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency rating, compared to last year’s team that finished in the top five. The Cavaliers' top-ranked defense will make them competitors in almost every game this season, but they cannot make another deep run, unless their offense starts knocking down shots.

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