Breakfast of Champions: The Holiday Break Edition

Hope everyone out there is finally starting to shake off that New Year's Eve hangover. With mostly everyone returning to work today, we conclude the holiday hoops season. The bad news? You've just maxed out your latest credit card on Christmas presents and are 10 to 15 pounds overweight. The good news? No more interrupted weeks of college basketball and the start of conference play. So sit back, join Golds, take out a debt consolidation loan and get ready for three months of non-stop college basketball.

Game of the Break

Memphis 85 Georgetown 71

Our lone Top 5 match-up of the early season takes the nod over a few worthy upsets. The Tigers looked championship-worthy in this one and defensive looked downright scary against the Hoyas, forcing repeated turnovers midway through the second-half. Derrick Rose played his best game for the Tigers with 18 points and six assists and Mr Underrated Chris Douglas Roberts added 24. Throw in the win over Zona this weekend and the Tigers could be looking at a realistic shot at going unbeaten. As for the Hoyas, they continue to remain in the Top 10 on reputation alone, with their best win of the season coming against Old Dominion.

Also Intriguing

Wisconsin 67 Texas 66

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't even realize how many key players the Badgers had back. Brian Butch, despite being one of the streakiest players in college basketball, can still go off 21 and 11 like he did in the win at Austin. Along with Butch, you have reliable role players Michael Flowers (who won this game with a three) and Marcus Landry, along with super sophomores Trevon Hughes (who didn't even play) and Jason Bohannon. Very, very overlooked squad by everyone. If they can dictate the pace like they did in Austin, this is the clear cut third best team in the Big Ten.

Dayton 80 Pittsburgh 55

Of course, this is what happens once I start to praise the Panthers. I've held out on praising Pitt until the gritty victory over Duke. Since then, Mike Cook blew out his ACL, Levance Fields broke his foot and may miss the rest of the regular season and the Panthers got their asses handed to them at Dayton. Take note, Wisconsin fans.


Butler 57 Southern Illinois 55

We only semi-kid when we refer to AJ Graves as the "ugly Steve Nash" because that 35 foot game winner in Carbondale just shows you why I would have Graves in the top 5 players I would want to take the final shot with the game on the line.


Upsets of The Break


American 67 Maryland 59

Small, private school with 5,000 students and no basketball history to speak travels a few miles to whip up on it's blue-blooded ACC neighbor with 10,000 times more resources, name recognition and money. Textbook upset, my friends. And that's not just because I was in attendance.

Close.....

San Diego 81 Kentucky 72

Oakland 68 Oregon 62

Tennessee State 60 Illinois 58


Other Scores

Michigan State 78 Texas 72

Ole Miss 85 Clemson 82

Tennessee 85 Xavier 75

Tennessee 82 Gonzaga 72

San Diego State 79 Sam Houston State 78 (OT)

Saint Joseph's 74 Siena 68

Oklahoma 88 West Virginia 82 (OT)

Illinois State 80 Creighton 67

Rhode Island 85 Georgia Southern 80



Winners of the Break

Wisconsin - Looking like 3rd best team in B10 after win in Austin
Memphis - Undefeated season anyone?
Ole Miss - Quality win vs Clemson
Tennessee - Finally hitting its stride with wins at Xavier and Gonzaga

Losers of the Break

Texas - May want to avoid any B10 teams come March
Louisville - Loss to Cincy may kill any at-large hopes
Kentucky - Horrible enough that a loss to third best team out of the WCC wasn't shocking
Miami (FL) - Blew golden opportunity to head into ACC play unbeaten.