College Basketball: What We Learned This Weekend

Just on the cusp of March, everyone knew this was going to be a big weekend; teams could make a statement, teams could get off the bubble, and teams could get back into the tournament discussion. Well, the weekend definitely didn't upset. Here are some big points from the College Basketball weekend and how it could affect the rest of the season for teams.

Purdue Fails to Score Without Robbie Hummel

Many experts were questioning the Boilermakers coming into their game today against conference foe Michigan State.  Most questions were being centered around the ability of Purdue to score the basketball. Those who had the questions were indeed correct as Purdue only scored a mere 44 points, losing to the Spartans 53-44 on the road.

Needless to say, Purdue could have used Hummel's 16 points per game in this one. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens in a couple of weeks when the NCAA Tournament begins and Matt Painter's team takes the floor.

Tennessee Will Show Up for Big Games

After the Vols' win against number two Kentucky on Saturday, Bruce Pearl's team has proved that they can play against some of the best teams in the country, as they are the first team to beat the No. 1 team and No. 2 team in the same season in awhile.

What is more surprising is that the Vols only hit two three-pointers all day, while they shot 22 for the game. They could have won by about ten if the shots would have been falling.

Not only that, after quickly falling behind by four to start the game, Tennessee went on an 18-0 that put them up by 14. I liked that the quick dunks by DeMarcus Cousins didn't seem to effect the play and mental standpoint for the team.

Another great signature win for the Tennessee Volunteers. This team can compete with anyone come March, as they have shown throughout the year.

The Atlantic-10 Conference is a Very Serious Conference

The Atlantic-10 has brought us some of the best and most interesting teams this season, and some could go deep into the tournament.

Rhode Island has struggled as of late, ultimately playing themselves out of a spot in the tournament. Many have them as one of the first four teams out, but they can still play with the best teams in the tournament. If they can have a good upcoming week and beat UMass and Charlotte, the Rams could solidify a spot in the big dance.

And Sunday, I witnessed one of the best games I've seen in awhile: Richmond at Xavier. These two teams, along with Temple, are battling for the top spot in the conference, and you could tell with the atmosphere at the Cintas Center on Sunday afternoon.

While Xavier pulled out a double-overtime win in a classic game, Richmond has nothing to hang their heads about. In my opinion, they could be the most dangerous team heading into the tournament.

Notre Dame Can Win Without Harangody; Georgetown Still Has Questions

Another day, another game without Luke Harangody for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. However, Mike Brey's squad keeps winning, and ultimately putting themselves back into the tournament discussion.

With wins against Big East powers Georgetown and Pitt in the last couple of games without Harangody, the team has proved they can play without the reigning Big East Player of the Year.

Can they make the tournament at this point? Big games against UConn and Marquette will determine that later this week.

On the other side of Saturday's matchup, the Georgetown Hoyas suffered another loss in conference play, dropping them to 9-7 in the conference and 19-8 overall. John Thompson's team continues the pattern of win one and lose one.

The Hoyas are becoming a huge question mark in the basketball world as March is coming in. Can they fix things? Possibly, but it will have to be fast. 

Syracuse Shows They Can Take Top Spot in the Polls

In what was supposed to one of the greatest games of recent memory, the Syracuse Orange made short work of Jay Wright's Villanova team with a 95-77 win in New York on Saturday night.

The record crowd saw a stingy Orange defense, that along with a sharp-shooting Andy Rautins, were big factors in the win. This is just another top team that Jim Boeheim's squad has defeated this season, and when the poll comes out on Monday, 'Cuse should be atop the list.

They have shown they are capable of being the best teams in the country and have beaten the likes of Cornell, North Carolina (which was big at the time), Georgetown, and West Virginia, and then adding the Villanova Wildcats to the list.

It was a Dome-ination Saturday night, and when Monday rolls around, teams like Kentucky and Kansas will be looking up at the Orange.

What a great weekend to head into March Madness! You can feel it in the air that March is here, and the true season is soon to begin. It's going to be a very interesting month ahead of us.