By Paul Casey Gotham
It is that time again. Let’s hear from you readers. We had another week of stellar performances. Pick the ONE (1), UNE, UNO from February 7-13th that stands out to you, and tell us a story.
Duke’s Nolan Smith grabs my POTW.
The senior guard saved his best for when his team needed it the most. Down 14 at half to the North Carolina Tar Heels, Smith led the rally on the hardwood of Cameron Indoor Stadium. Smith scored 22 of his career-high 34 points in the second stanza as the Blue Devils beat the Tar Heels 79-73. The senior captain hit 13-of-23 from the floor including 3-of-6 from behind the arc as Duke improved to 9-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 22-2 overall. Smith hit 5-of-7 from the free throw line and handed out three assists.
The output was Smith’s third 30-point game of the year and fifth consecutive of 20 or more.
Who gets your POTW?
Same sport, but different team and player for my nomination.
Wisconsin and specifically Jordan Taylor ended Ohio State’s run as the only remaining undefeated team on Saturday. Wisconsin found themselves in a huge hole in the second half, but the Badgers only needed about 13 minutes to shatter the Buckeyes’ dreams of an undefeated season.
Taylor scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, rallying Wisconsin from a 15-point deficit to beat No. 1 Ohio State 71-67. He scored 8 straight points during the key stretch.