By: Spencer McCraw

The Good: UConn wins the Phil Knight Invitational 

The Huskies came, they saw, and they conquered the entirety of the Phil Knight Invitational field this past week in Portland. 

In their first game they faced off against Oregon, and the game was never close for the Ducks, with the Huskies taking a 83-59 victory. It was the Tristen Newton show, as the senior guard went for 23 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. UConn’s stifling defense was an X-factor in the game, as they were able to record nine steals and seven blocks, while also holding the Ducks to under 50% from the field.  

The second round matchup was a tough test against no. 18 Alabama, but the Huskies dominated, winning 82-67. Center Adama Sanogo was a presence down low, going for 25 points and two blocks. Once again, the Huskies were able to hold their opponent under 50% shooting from the field, showing how important defense is to Dan Hurley and this team. 

In the championship for the PK Invitational, UConn faced off against a hot Iowa State team and ultimately stomped their dreams away, winning 71-53. Guard Andre Jackson was phenomenal, finishing with 10 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Rebounding and defense were points of emphasis for the Huskies, as they outrebounded the Cyclones 48-19 and prevented Iowa State from scoring the final four minutes of the game. 

Dan Hurley has the Huskies sitting at 8-0 – their best start since the 2013-14 season. What else happened that season? Oh right, UConn won it all. We’ll keep an eye on Storrs, Connecticut to see if the Huskies can repeat history. UConn is back Thursday night when they face off against Oklahoma State. 

The Bad: Butler goes 1-2 in the Battle 4 Atlantis 

Butler took a trip down to the Bahamas for the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, and it looked like the Bulldogs spent a little too much time soaking up the sun and not enough in the gym. 

Their first game against no. 22 Tennessee was downright ugly. The Bulldogs kept it close in the first half, and then the Volunteers offense came to life, proving to be too much for the Bulldogs in a 71-45 thrashing. Turnovers were a problem for Butler – who gave 23 away to the Vols over the course of the game. Butler also had only one player score in double digits, as guard Jayden Taylor went for 18. 

Thursday saw the Bulldogs scrape out a narrow victory over BYU, 75-70. They were able to bring their turnovers down to only 16, and the scoring was much more well rounded, as four players scored at least 14 points. 

Their third and final game in the Bahamas was a revenge game for center Manny Bates, as he faced his old squad, NC State. Butler tied the game 20-20 with seven minutes to go in the first half, and then the Wolfpack caught fire, never surrendering their lead for the rest of the game. What really hurt Butler in this game was the fact that their bench did not score a single point all game, something Thad Matta will definitely have to address before their next game against Kansas State on Wednesday. 

The Ugly: Villanova goes 0-3 in the Phil Knight Invitational 

It’s never been more evident of how impactful Jay Wright really was. Without him, the Wildcats are falling and falling fast. The ‘Cats traveled to Portland for the Phil Knight Invitational this week, and to say it was ugly would honestly be an understatement.

They opened up play against Iowa State and kept it close for much of the contest, ultimately losing 81-79. This was probably the best game for the ‘Cats all week, as they lost a close game to the eventual tournament runner-ups. Guard Caleb Daniels did all he could to keep ‘Nova in the game, scoring 25 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing seven rebounds. 

The second game for the ‘Cats was one in which Villanova fans were caught dreaming of days in January when they will hopefully have their two best players – Cam Whitmore and Justin Moore – back. The Portland Pilots pulled ahead at the end of the first half and rode that momentum for the rest of the game, ultimately defeating the Wildcats by a score of 83-71. A good thing about the game for the ‘Cats, though, was the emergence of the freshman not named Cam Whitmore. Guards Mark Armstrong and Brendan Hausen each saw a massive increase in the minutes, and they both took advantage of it. 

The last place game of the PK Invitational was held between Villanova and Oregon, and the Ducks pulled ahead at the end, winning 74-67. At their media day, Coach Neptune said that Hausen is “one of the best shooters we’ve ever had at Villanova.” Hausen proved his coach right in this game, going an efficient five for eight from beyond the arc. We’ll see if they can turn it around on Saturday when Villanova hosts Oklahoma at the Wells Fargo Center.