What Happened Yesterday

While there was only one game, it was one of the most bizarre games in college basketball history. That’s not exaggeration.

Let’s set the scene.

Alabama and Minnesota, two top 25 teams, met in the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn. Ironically, it was the second day of that tournament but the first day of it actually being played in the Barclays Center due to the NIT Tip-Off being there Friday night. So the tournament started at the Steinberg Wellness Center in Brooklyn before moving into the venue it was named after on Saturday. Also, the game was only available via a Facebook stream. We should have known things were going to get weird.

It was a pretty normal game until about midway through the second half, when a big shouting match broke out. It turned to some shoving and the entirety of Alabama’s bench was ejected for leaving the bench area. Seven players. Gone.

No big deal, right? The Crimson Tide would have to play with five guys and no substitutions for the final 11 minutes. Not ideal, but not the worst thing in the world.

One minute into this, Dazon Ingram picked up his fifth foul and fouled out of the game. Alabama had to play with just four players for the final ten minutes.

Less than a minute later, John Petty went down with some sort of leg injury and had to be helped off the court. ALABAMA HAD THREE PLAYERS FOR THE REST OF THE GAME!

The craziest thing? They almost won! Minnesota won 89-84, but Alabama was down by 13 when Petty got hurt. It was a three-point game with 90 seconds to play! Collin Sexton had 40 points and almost singlehandedly brought the Tide back.

Today’s Schedule

A good amount of games are going down on this fine Sunday.

The headliner, of course, is Duke-Florida out in the PK80. The Blue Devils and Gators could very well meet again in the Elite Eight somewhere or even in San Antonio later this season. Getting this kind of matchup this early in the season is like an early Christmas present.

That’s not all, though: Robert Williams, D.J. Hogg and the Texas A&M Aggies take a trek to Los Angeles to face the USC Trojans. Bennie Boatwright, Chimezie Metu and Jordan McLaughlin will be there waiting for the Ags, who have looked like the best team in the SEC so far this season. This is a sneaky good matchup, that unfortunately will be televised on a network nobody gets.

The Missouri Tigers look to wrap their run in the Advocare Invitational on Sunday night against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Tigers and Mountaineers have both looked impressive in Kissimmee, and both will seek the tournament title in this matchup. A win for Mizzou could mean one step closer to being ranked in the Top 25.

Meanwhile, the Arkansas Razorbacks wrap up their stay in the PK80 against the UConn Huskies. This is a consolation game, as Arkansas and UConn lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels and Michigan State Spartans on Friday.

The Georgia Bulldogs finish their stint in the Wooden Legacy against the Saint Mary’s Gaels. This, too, is a consolation game, as UGA lost to the San Diego State Aztecs while the Gaels took a bewildering loss to the Washington State Cougars.

Finally, Kentucky hosts UIC and Mississippi State welcomes Jacksonville State.