CBB weekend winners, losers: Thankful for Feast Week

It’s an untimely loss for Ohio State, which has showdowns against No. 13 Illinois and No. 16 North Carolina on the horizon.

Winner: TCU Horned Frogs

It was only two weeks ago that TCU was in the “loser” column thanks to a lackluster start to the season. During Feast Week, though, it seems head coach Jamie Dixon finally had his squad clicking on all cylinders.

In the Rady Children’s Invitational, the Horned Frogs upset No. 10 Florida before claiming the tournament title by defeating Wisconsin on Friday. TCU shot 57 percent from beyond the arc, and each starter scored at least 11 points against the Badgers. The Horned Frogs had no problem scoring off the bench, either, as guard Jace Posey dropped 21 points on the Gators.

Winner: Stanford guard Benny Gealer

Saint Louis led by as many as 13 points in the second half of the Acrisure Invitational Championship. However, Stanford stormed back to cut the lead to two with four seconds remaining.

After a tough offensive rebound by Cardinals center AJ Rohosy, guard Benny Gealer drained an improbable fadeaway three to secure Stanford’s comeback win.

Loser: Snowstorms

Well, it’s that time of year. Snow typically provides electric and fun games on the football field, but when it comes to basketball, it robs fans and players of precious games.

Northern Illinois was set to host Bellarmine on Saturday, but because of a winter storm sweeping through DeKalb, Illinois, the matchup was canceled. The Huskies still held an open practice, but nothing can replace important nonconference matchups.

Don’t be surprised if more teams encounter scheduling issues as the calendar turns to December.

Winner: Gaining clarity

With so many key nonconference games in the books, the college basketball picture is becoming a little clearer.

No. 7 Michigan looks to be the real deal after emphatic victories over No. 21 Auburn and No. 12 Gonzaga in the Players Era Festival. On the other hand, teams such as Florida and St. John’s are struggling to replicate last season’s success.

The road is long, but the contenders are beginning to separate from the pretenders.