The Stage is Set
So this is what everyone was talking about. So this is what everyone was hyping up. In the words of one Jon Rothstein, this was "palpable buzz". At the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Uncasville, CT, 4 teams would play in the Naismith bracket and only 1 team would be deemed champions of this prestigious tournament.
The lights were shining bright as fans were rushing to get into line, get checked by security, and head into the venue. As an annual Black Friday shopper, nothing was more comparable than the lines to enter into the Mohegan Sun arena where this tournament was held.
After a 10 point victory by #1 Duke over Penn State, Cincinnati and Rhode Island may have been mentally preparing solely for their upcoming heavyweight fight in just under an hour's time but there were some facts that could not be escaped. The winner of the game between the Bearcats from Ohio and the Rams from Rhode Island would be given the opportunity to take down the nation's #1 basketball team. Even without a win over Duke, the winning team would reap the vast benefits in their RPI, strength of schedule, and KenPom ratings simply by facing the Blue Devils. I would also be amiss to not mention that the winner would be facing a Duke team with an injured Grayson Allen, the consensus pre-season Player of the Year favorite and a team without the services of the #1 recruit in the 2016 class, Harry Giles, as well as injured 5-star recruits Jayson Tatum and Marquise Bolden. Now was the time to strike.
