Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Late Afternoon Snacks: Heslip returns, Cashmere is clutch

Baylor v Kentucky

LEXINGTON, KY - DECEMBER 01: Pierre Jackson #55 of the Baylor Bears dribbles the ball during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on December 1, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Getty Images

It’s Saturday, and we have a full slate. You’re bound to get hungry somewhere between the Pregame Shootaround and the Late Night Snack (who can eat an actual meal at a time like this?), so we’re going to re-rack the day with some Late Afternoon Snacks right here, right now.

Important Results

Baylor 64, No. 8 Kentucky 55 - Sans Brady Heslip, Baylor dropped a home game to Charleston. With him, the Bears waltzed into Rupp Arena and pounded the uber-talented Wildcats in a stunning showing. Heslip only had ten points, but the threat of his hot hand had to help, as all five starters appeared to be more in synch and managed a balanced scoring effort. Nerlens Noel had an impressive 18 boards in the losing effort, and the Wildcats confirmed the early season trope laid on them: ridiculously talented, not very disciplined, but absolutely a dangerous team when they get it together.

No. 17 Cincinnati 58, Alabama 56 - It took a last second jumper from Cashmere Wright to keep the Bearcats undefeated. They struggled in a slow-paced game with a tough Alabama team that seemed primed for a big road win. Les Duex Trevors played iron-man minutes for the Tide, with Lacey scoring 16 and Releford chipping in 12, but Cincy pulled through with 13 apiece from JaQuon Parker and Sean Kilpatrick, and a crucial 10 points from Titus Rubles. At least something went right for the Big East this week.

No. 5 Louisville 69, Illinois State 66 - It was almost an awful, no good, very bad day for the Commonwealth as a whole (though schadenfreude would have kept both fanbases warm) as Louisville came within a bare smidgen of losing to Illinois State of the MVC at KFC Yum! (Is it a good idea to let KFC name your arena when you have a bird as a mascot? Discuss). ISU’s Jackie Carmichael ran riot inside as Gorgui Dieng continued to nurse a bad hand, but the backcourt duo of Peyton Siva (20 points) and Russ Smith (24) gave the Cards just enough to salvage the win.

Games of the Evening

No. 23 San Diego State vs. UCLA, 10:00 pm ET - SDSU is a soaring mid-major, UCLA is a blue blood trapped in a downward spiral. Both have good players, so let’s show up and see how the script plays out.

Detroit at Pitt, 7:00 pm ET - Highly-recruited Ray McCallum, Jr. went to Detroit to play for his father. Highly-recruited Trey Zeigler went to Central Michigan to play for his. Three years later, McCallum has been to the NCAA tournament and is averaging over 20 points per game, still at Detroit. After Ernie Zeigler was fired, Trey found himself at Pitt, where he’s a backup averaging just 6.3 ppg. They may not spend much time on the floor together, but their opposing fates converge in a game between two postseason contenders tonight.

Eric Angevine is the editor of Storming the Floor. He tweets @stfhoops.