Leftovers from Feast Week

One of the underrated parts of Thanksgiving is that there is always too much, so everyone has to take some leftovers with them. Some people get pie, others leftover turkey for sandwiches, while the lucky ones get a full to-go plate.

So what did your favorite team take home from Feast Week?

Duke Blue Devils: Confidence. In a year where some people called it the best Maui field ever (I disagree vehemently, because let's be honest, UCLA was there), Duke played tough and earned a few well-fought wins. Most writers thought Duke to be on a 2nd tier this season, but with UNC's loss and Duke's tournament win, Duke is definitely on the rise. Coach K isn't the all-time wins leader for nothing, and his team played harder and smarter than everyone else, as usual. Austin Rivers had a few holes revealed in his game, but Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly stepped their games up to compensate.

North Carolina Tar Heels: Humility. It's not easy going wire-to-wire as the poll leader, in fact it's darn near impossible (obligatory thank god this isn't college football quip). They seem to have avoided a Harrison Barnes injury scare, so this loss should be good for them. Roy Williams has plenty of weapons at his disposal, so talent is definitely not the issue. Perhaps shot selection is? Making more foul shots would help too.

Connecticut Huskies: Ryan Boatright. Anyone who watched the Florida State game could see why UConn was awaiting Boatright's eligibility with bated breath. He adds much needed depth and energy at guard for Connecticut, who had really only Napier and Lamb (plus walk-on Brendan Allen) at that spot previously. Many in Connecticut are saying if only he had had a 5-game suspension...

Saint Louis Billikens: Relevance. Saint Louis really had a filling week, chowing down on major conference competition. They beat 4 major conference teams (including 2 in KenPom's top 50) en route to the 76 Classic Championship (and yes, I just had to google how to spell Billikens). They are the beautiful team that forces turnovers but doesn't give it up themselves. In fact, they remind me a lot of the Fredette BYU teams: get a field goal advantage, hit a large volume of 3-pointers, don't crash the offensive boards, protect the paint, win 30 games. Well Rick Majerus has them on that path anyways. P.S. Any time Rick Majerus is mentioned I am contractually obligated to link to this clip.

Syracuse Orangemen: Uncertainty. Despite the Bernie Fine mess, Syracuse won the NIT Season Tip-Off. However, with news that Fine has been fired, questions surround Boeheim's future. He may not be fired, but there is a cloud surrounding the team now. The team itself is a bit uncertain as well. They did not play particularly good offense in the tournament, but their defense was very good. They also have a bit of an identity crisis because their vocal leader, Scoop Jardine, is being supplanted by younger, more talented players. Jardine is only averaging 18 minutes a game so far on the year. The clouds could break and the team could have a great season (they are still undefeated and in the top 5 after all), but right now things are very grey.

Missouri Tigers: A press embargo? How can a team this good not be talked about? They just absolutely demolished Notre Dame (with Abromaitis) and a really good Cal team to win the CBE Classic. Frank Haith hit the absolute jackpot by leaving the Miami mess before it all went down and inheriting this much talent at Mizzou. Marcus Denmon and Kim English are both averaging 15+ points, 5+ rebounds, 1+ steals, 55% FG shooting, and 44% 3-point shooting on the year.