Timmy Allen, Tyson Walker headline college basketball Saturday standouts
Another Saturday, another hearty college basketball entrée.
We've arrived at the last weekend before March ball kicks into gear, and this Saturday's slate was a splendid sample size of the fireworks to come.
Teams are making their final preparations for the March gauntlet, and several individual players are morphing into top form as the biggest stretch of their season awaits.
These are the superb performances that stood out from the Saturday's showcase.
No. 4 Purdue knows a thing or two about game-winning shots. Unfortunately for the Boilermakers though, they've been on the wrong end of multiple decisive shots this season. Saturday's game against Michigan State was another instance of that.
The Spartans didn't have a singular outstanding scoring performance on the stat sheet, but it was their group efficiency that kept them neck-and-neck with Purdue for the majority of the outing. And in the closing stretch, it was a bench contributor who ultimately propelled the team over the hump.
Junior guard Walker had an ordinary performance by his general standards. He put up eight points in 19 minutes off the bench (he averages 8.1 PPG), but his efforts in the final minute were beyond extraordinary. Walker called his own number on his team's final possession, and once he got an isolation situation, Walker fired off a 3-ball following a hesitation dribble, which splashed home with a second left to seal his squad's 68-65 win.
There was no way that Notae was going to be stopped Saturday afternoon. Upsets have been a persistent theme in college basketball as March inches closer, and Arkansas added its own underdog victory to its registry with a 75-73 win over No. 6 Kentucky.
Arkansas' JD Notae throws down a vicious slam
Notae was the team's offensive centerpiece all day, scoring 18 points in the first half and 12 in the second as he helped airlift his Razorbacks to victory.
Notae was more than a scorer though, and when double-teams swarmed in his direction, he became a playmaker, dishing out eight assists. The win vaulted Arkansas to a 12-4 conference record, which tied it with Kentucky for the conference's second spot.
The Longhorns have been plowing through their competition as of late, and their latest victory over West Virginia was their eighth in 11 games. But it didn't come with ease.
Texas escaped WVU Coliseum with a one-point edge, capped with a cleverly-orchestrated missed free throw by forward Allen. The wayward shot forced the Mountaineers into a full-court heave with a second left that missed the mark.
While Allen's missed free throw represented the conclusive play, his heroics carried his troupe throughout the game. Allen was nearly unconscious from the floor, going 7-for-9 from the field and 14-for-16 from the line on the way to 26 points. He added 10 boards and three assists in the 36-minute show. The figures represented season-highs in both points and FTs made.
The 7-foot Blue Devils center was on fire in Duke's 97-72 victory over Syracuse. Williams went 11-of-14 for 28 points and was near perfect at the free-throw line, going 6-for-7. He added 12 rebounds and three blocks.
Duke opened things up by taking a 14-0 lead, as Syracuse struggled to find its first basket. The Blue Devils' lead quickly turned to double digits, with lots of help from Williams & Co.
