Feast Week Recap

Driving back to Knoxville on Sunday evening, the feelings of routine and reality returned to me--yeah, sure, no more stuffing, cranberry sauce, or turkey (miss me with any sort of casserole, though); but more notably, no more insane tournament moments or daytime basketball until March.

But while we mourn the passing of Feast Week, we must also rejoice in the quality basketball it provided us. (I believe Dr. Seuss once said "Don't smile because it's over, cry because it happened"...or something like that). Purdue and Virginia Tech kicked off the madness on Sunday with a back and forth championship game in the Charleston Classic. Then Maui provided us with a couple of thrillers--Xavier vs. Auburn in an ugly overtime game, Gonzaga shaking off a feisty Arizona squad, and then a day later, squaring off in a classic against Duke that evoked the "THIS FEELS LIKE A FINAL FOUR GAME" cliches. But with good reason though, as the game was just as bananas as advertised. The Battle 4 Atlantis didn't deliver the Florida-Wisconsin rematch that I wanted; BUT we did get Brady Manek vs. Ethan Happ in the battle of the fundamental white guys (Brad Davison jokes last week, Ethan Happ jokes this week). The NIT Tip-Off also featured a marquee matchup between two more Final Four hopefuls in Tennessee and Kansas that was entertaining until the very end. Unfortunately, I was unable to watch any of the Advocare Invitational aka the Pyramid Scheme Playoff; but it gets a shout out here since Villanova righted the ship, and because I wanted to make a pyramid scheme joke. 

...and the Las Vegas Invitational happened, too. 

But a few teams pulled off statement wins, with some players asserting themselves into the limelight.  Here's my "All-Feast Week Team," with the catch being that they can't be players who make the national headlines on a regular basis (so RJ Barrett, Carsen Edwards, Kyle Guy, Rui Hachimura, Ethan Happ, Markus Howard, Dedric Lawson, Nassir Little, Luke Maye, Tremont Waters, Grant Williams, and Zion Williamson are all ineligible). 

All-Feast Week Pseudo-Breakout Team

DeAndre Hunter - F, Virginia

The 6'8" wing is already a household name among NBA Nerds, as most mock draft sites penned him as a first-rounder last spring. However, after announcing his return to school, the college basketball media didn't really herald him with much fanfare. I don't think I saw a single major publication put him on a preseason All-American First Team. But Hunter singlehandedly makes the Hoos fun to watch. Yes, I know you're skeptical. But he blankets whoever he guards--it's like he's a soothsayer the way that he predicts where his man will go (and then consistently beats him there). He poured in 20 points and 9 rebounds against Wisconsin, which is basically like putting up 40 and 20 when you play for Virginia.

Jaxson Hayes - F, Texas

I had never heard of the Longhorn freshman until he robbed Luke Maye of his soul in the first round of the Las Vegas Invitational. In addition to providing suffocating defense, he notched 15 points and 9 boards against the Heels. 

Brandon Clarke - F/C, Gonzaga

Hachimura played a near flawless game against Duke in the Maui Invitational Final; but Clarke's defense neutralized the above-the-rim games of RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson (6 blocks in the win). But Clarke proved he's not just a defensive stopper; he shot 7-10 against the Blue Devils, finishing with 17 points.

Coby White - PG, North Carolina
My man. Just watch the highlights. He also called his and his team's performance "soft" after the Texas loss (love seeing this fire in a freshman). His play from the week caused Chapel Hill beat reporter Ross Martin to wonder if White is the Heels' best player. (He is).

Nickeil Alexander-Walker - G, Virginia Tech
I love that we can call this dude "NAW." The sophomore from Canada tested the NBA draft process before ultimately deciding to return to Blacksburg--and after an up-and-down freshman year, he has proved to be a perfect fit for Buzz Williams' four guard lineup. Although Justin Robinson still serves as the primary option for the Hokies, Alexander-Walker's bucket-getting skillset perfectly complements his backcourt partner. He scored 20 against Northeastern and 25 against Purdue in the Charleston Classic Finals (both wins).