Ten Thoughts: Anthony Davis Edition

1. Maybe I should take a step back before I weigh in, but Anthony Davis' performance tonight against Florida was one of the more remarkable defensive displays I've ever witnessed. The fact that Davis did it against a Top 10 team just adds to his performance's significance. I have to admit that I was surprised that Davis only had 4 blocks. (Only in the world of Anthony Davis can we talk about only 4 blocks.) Nevertheless, he seemed to be all over the floor, altered seemingly countless shots, and discouraged shots from even being taken when he wasn't altering them. Florida appeared to be demoralized before the first half was even over, and that was due, in large part, to Davis' presence.

2. About a week ago, I ranked the Player of the Year candidates in the following order: Jared Sullinger, Thomas Robinson, and Anthony Davis. I also pointed out that the gap between Sullinger at 1 and Davis at 3 was negligible. Well, Davis moves to the top of the list after his performance tonight.

3. Basketball is alive and well in the Bluegrass state. Kentucky has won 16 straight and is the country's number one team. Murray State is undefeated. Louisville, on a five-game winning streak of its own, appears to be back from the dead after manhandling Connecticut on Monday.

4. Wichita State center Garrett Stutz made his first appearance on RBP on Sunday, as his photo was featured in the weekly Top 25 post. If you haven't seen him play, you're missing out. He's a mobile 7-footer with a nice touch who shoots 82% from the charity stripe. After watching the Shockers beat Indiana State on Saturday, I'm convinced Wichita State is a team that could make a run in March.

5. I may need to revise my Coach of the Year list to include Mike Brey. After losing 3 of their top 5 players to graduation, the Fighting Irish were projected to finish in the bottom half of the Big East. Then, fifth-year senior Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame's most talented player and an All-Big East candidate, was lost for the season due to a torn ACL. Not surprisingly, the Irish struggled in the non-conference and entered Big East play with an 8-5 record that included neutral court losses to Georgia and Maryland. The Irish have been on a tear ever since, compiling a 7-3 record in Big East play, which includes wins over Louisville, Syracuse, Connecticut, and Marquette. The Irish are legitimately in the conversation for hottest team in the country and on the cusp of being ranked in the Top 25. At some point, I will learn to stop doubting Mike Brey and his mock turtlenecks.

6. Maybe we all wrote Pittsburgh off too soon. Prior to junior point guard Travon Woodall going down with a groin strain and abdominal tear, the Panthers were 6-1 and rated 17th in the country. By the time he made his return against Louisville on January 21, Pitt had fallen to 11-8 and were 0-6 in Big East play. While they loss to Louisville, the Panthers have since reeled off a 4-game winning streak that includes wins over Georgetown and West Virginia. Pitt has a favorable Big East schedule remaining, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jamie Dixon has his squad on the bubble come Selection Sunday.

7. Anyone else surprised how much better Syracuse is when Fab Melo is in the lineup? Jim Boeheim's team legitimately goes 10 deep, but Syracuse has no one that can replace Melo in the middle of its 2-3 zone. The sophomore's shot-blocking is a huge part of the Orange's success. Syracuse remains undefeated with Melo on the floor.

8. Xavier's 8-0 start seems like a distant memory. Since the brawl in the Crosstown Shootout against rival Cincinnati, Xavier is 7-8. The Musketeers have lost to Oral Roberts, Long Beach State, Hawaii, Southern Illinois, LaSalle, Dayton, Saint Louis, and Memphis. Their most impressive win during that time is probably a home victory over 15-9 St. Joseph's.

9. Illinois clearly has trouble focusing after big wins. After beating then fifth-ranked Ohio State on January 10, the Fighting Illini lost their following game at lowly Penn State. Three weeks later Bruce Weber's squad topped then-tenth ranked Michigan State and followed that up with a home loss to a mediocre Northwestern team this past Sunday. Unfortunately for the Illini faithful, underachieving has become a hallmark of Weber's tenure.

10. Congrats to the Evansville Purple Aces for their victory over 15th-ranked Creighton tonight. If I ever move back to western Kentucky/southern Indiana, you can bet I will be purchasing season tickets and enjoying Missouri Valley Conference basketball in the Ford Center. (I should also note that I will be eating Turoni's pizza on a nightly basis and taking my lunches at the Gerst Haus in the fall/winter and Tin Fish in the spring/summer.) Oh, and Creighton doesn't know how to play defense.