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It's rare that we get to see an elite point guard matchup in the Final Four like we'll see when Michigan's Trey Burke and Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams meet on Saturday.

This will be just the second time since assists became an official stat in 1983-84 that two players who averaged at least 12 points and six assists per game for the season will meet in the Final Four.

The other meeting was North Carolina's Raymond Felton against Illinois' Deron Williams in the 2005 National Championship.

Offense

Carter-Williams ranks third in the country in assists per game this season, while Burke is 12th. Both account for about 40 percent of their teammates’ field goals while they’re on the court.

Although Carter-Williams averages more assists, Burke has the edge in most other offensive categories. Burke averages more points per game, shoots a higher field-goal and 3-point percentage and turns the ball over less often.

Burke also has the higher offensive rating (an estimate of points produced per 100 possessions) this season. Burke produces about 124 points per 100 possessions, while Carter-Williams produces 106.

Pick-and-Roll

Burke excels in the pick-and-roll. He averages more than one point per play on pick-and-roll plays including passes. More than a third (237 of 696) of his points are from pick-and-roll plays and he's shooting 44 percent on those plays.

Plus, Burke has created 251 points for teammates on pick-and-roll plays. Fifty-five percent of his pick-and-roll passes go to spot-up shooters (his teammates shoot 43 percent on those attempts), 35 percent go to players rolling to the basket, and 10 percent go to cutters.

What's more, Burke's teammates are shooting 49 percent and averaging 1.1 points per play when he passes them the ball on pick-and-roll plays.

Contrary to Burke, only 15 percent of Carter-Williams' points (70 of 472) come from pick-and-roll plays. Carter-Williams averages just 0.6 points per play when he creates plays for himself on pick-and-rolls, and he shoots 37 percent on those plays.

Defense

Carter-Williams has the edge defensively. He averages nearly three steals per game and has a better defensive rating. He also allows just 87 points per 100 possessions, the second-best defensive rating among Power 6 point guards (only Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart is better).

Burke and Carter-Williams are both solid on-ball defenders. Burke holds opponents to 36 percent shooting and 0.75 points per play in on the ball situations, while Carter-Williams holds opponents to 32 percent shooting and 0.79 points per play.

So who is the more valuable point guard overall? For that we turn to win shares and player efficiency rating. Win shares are an estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to his offense and defense. Player efficiency rating is the overall rating of a player's per-minute statistical production.

The answer is Burke. He has the edge in win shares and player efficiency rating this season.

After Thursday's two-point loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament, it appears that the Baylor Bears will not make the NCAA Tournament this year. They fell to 4-9 in their last 13 games and are just four games above .500 overall.

Baylor ranks just 68th in the RPI, the organizational tool used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, and are no longer on Joe Lunardi's bubble.

But taking a deeper look at the entirety of Baylor’s résumé – the Bears probably deserve strong consideration for the NCAA Tournament.

Competitive Against Very Good Competition
Baylor has played 13 games against the current BPI Top 50, so it makes sense that their record wouldn’t be as strong as those who have played weaker schedules.

Though the Bears are only 2-11 in those games, they were only outscored by 3.9 PPG – barely more than one possession per game. With seven of those games away from home, their BPI vs Top 50 works out to a very respectable 70.4.

High-Quality Losses
Baylor is weighed down by two bad losses, both in the first month of the season to teams outside the BPI Top 100: (144) College of Charleston and (140) Northwestern.

Both came by only four points, and the Charleston loss is de-weighted in BPI because the Bears were missing Brady Heslip.

But Baylor's other losses were against top competition, often with the Bears a play away from changing the result.

They had two chances at tying three-pointers in the last few seconds vs Oklahoma, lost on a shot with 0.2 seconds left in overtime at Oklahoma State, lost in heartbreaking fashion vs Kansas State, and came a Pierre Jackson three-pointer away from winning Thursday night.

Two Great Wins
It's not all near-misses for the Bears. In addition to a nine-point win at Kentucky with Nerlens Noel back in December, Baylor beat Oklahoma State by 10 and Kansas by 23.

Only four other teams have multiple double-digit wins against BPI Top-20 opponents: Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, and Pittsburgh.

The blowout win over Kansas rated a 99.7 on the Game BPI scale, making it the fifth-best single-game performance by any team this season. To put the 23-point win in perspective, Kansas’ other four losses came by a combined 21 points.

Putting It All Together
It’s not just BPI -- which has Baylor 44th -- that rates the Bears highly. Ken Pomeroy’s well-respected system had Baylor ranked 40th entering Saturday's games.

KenPom’s “Luck” statistic looks at the deviation between the team’s actual record and their expected record based on offensive and defensive efficiency. Based on that, Baylor has been the 4th-unluckiest team in Division I this year.

The Bears will learn their fate tomorrow on Selection Sunday. If they're bound for the NIT, the numbers say it's by the slimmest of margins.

A glance at several matchups tonight as conference tournaments continue:

Maryland vs Duke (ESPN2, 7 ET)

The Duke Blue Devils will need to be ready near the basket tonight, as Maryland is the third-best rebounding team in the nation, averaging 40.9 per game. Maryland also averages 35.8 PPG in the paint, fourth-most among Power Six Conference schools.

On the other side, Duke's starters are averaging 68.2 PPG, second-most in the nation. Off the bench, the Blue Devils are getting only 10.6 PPG, which is 327th (out of 347 teams) in Division I. Duke also takes care of the basketball, turning the ball over on 15.9% of its possessions this season, the lowest percentage in the ACC and eighth lowest in the nation.

Iowa State vs Kansas (ESPNU, 7:30 ET)

Iowa State scores 37.1% of its points from three-point range, eight-highest in the nation. The Cyclones lead the nation in three-point field goals made (316) and are second in attempts (845). Iowa State also averages a Big 12-best 79.8 points per game.

The Cyclones are one of four teams in the nation that average at least 110 points per 100 possessions while playing at a pace of at least 70 possessions per game.

Iowa State might have trouble scoring, however, as Kansas leads the nation in opponents’ field goal percentage at 35.9%. It might be especially difficult down low, considering Jeff Withey has 127 blocks this season, second-most in the nation. All but 12 of Withey’s blocks have been kept inbounds (91%), with Kansas recovering 95. The Jayhawks have scored 86 points off those 95 blocks.

Florida State vs North Carolina (ESPN2, 9 ET)

Florida State is shooting a league-best 74.3% from the free throw line in ACC play, and gets a league-high 22.6% of its points at the charity stripe during ACC play. The transition game will be key for North Carolina; the Tar Heels are averaging 18.3 transition points per game in their 22 wins and 10.9 in their nine losses.

Prior to North Carolina's first meeting with Duke, the school switched to a four-guard lineup. Since that time, the Tar Heels have lost only twice and seen their opponents score just over two points fewer per game. Switching to the four-guard lineup has also helped in transition defense. In the first 23 games of the season, UNC allowed 13.5 transition PPG, but since making the switch, they are allowing 8.9 per game.

Michigan and Michigan State met as top-10 teams on Sunday for just the second time in history. The first time was earlier season, less than a month ago when the Spartans beat up on Big Blue, winning 75-52 in East Lansing.

In that game, Michigan State held the Wolverines to a season-low 52 points on 39.6 percent shooting. Michigan managed to score just 22 points in the paint, the team's second-lowest total on the season.

But Sunday was an entirely different story. Check out Michigan's shot chart from the 58-57 win:


Winning without a three
That's right, the Wolverines managed to win despite shooting 0-12 from 3-point range. It had been a remarkable run for Michigan of 453 straight games with at least one made 3-pointer. The last time the team didn't make a shot from beyond the arc was a February 1999 loss to Northwestern.

But on Sunday, Michigan scraped by with a one-point win. The last time the school won a game without a 3-pointer was February 1, 1995 against Wisconsin.

Just how long ago was that?

• It had been 333 wins and 588 total games for Michigan since it last won a game without a made three.

• Two members of the Fab Five were on that Michigan team, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Jackson led the Wolverines with 22 points and Steve Fisher was still the school's head coach.

• Trey Burke, who had the steal and the winning basket Sunday, was 2½ years old when the 1995 game was played.

• And a funny aside - Ted Valentine, who was one of the officials for Sunday's game, was also an official for that 1995 game.

Getting it done in the paint
With that poor 3-point shooting, Michigan couldn't have won without doing a ton of damage in the paint. The Wolverines put up 44 points in the paint, tied for their most in any game over the last two seasons. It was also the most paint points Michigan State allowed in a game over the last two seasons.

All in all, 76 percent of Michigan's points came in the paint Sunday, the highest rate by any Big Six conference team in a single game over the last two seasons.

Big Blue have now scored at least 44 paint points three times in their last 15 games. Entering Sunday, Michigan was averaging 32.9 paint points per game during conference play, most in the Big Ten and tied for the fifth among Big Six conference teams.

The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils hit the road for the second time this season to take on the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday (ESPN, 7 ET).

The Blue Devils are 16-1 this season, but lost their only previous road game against North Carolina State on January 12.

Miami is ranked for the first time since January 2010, when the Hurricanes reached No. 23 in the AP poll after starting the season 15-1.

Key to the game
Duke is shooting 42.2 percent on three-pointers this season, best in the ACC and fourth in the nation. The Blue Devils have won 77 straight games when making at least 44 percent of their shots from behind the arc.

The last time Duke shot better than 40 percent from three-point range for an entire season was in 1991-92, when it won its second of back-to-back national championships.

The Hurricanes are holding their opponents to 31.1 percent on three-point shots and have held five of their last six opponents under 40 percent from long range.

Despite Miami's solid defense against the three-point shot, the Hurricanes give up a large percentage of their points from beyond the arc. Miami’s opponents have scored 33.0 percent of their points on three-pointers, which is the second-highest percentage in the conference.

Take care of the ball
Duke and Miami are the best two teams in the ACC at taking care of the basketball. They are the only two conference members to turn the ball over on less than 17 percent of their possessions.

The Hurricanes’ ball control could limit Duke’s easy baskets. The Blue Devils lead the ACC with 19.1 points per game off turnovers. Miami allows a league-low 9.6 points per game off turnovers.

Catch me if you can
Duke leads the ACC in points per game (19.2) and field goal percentage (43.1) on catch-and-shoot jump shots this season.

In the Blue Devils’ lone loss, they went cold on those shots, scoring just 12 points on 36.4 percent shooting in catch-and-shoot situations against the Wolfpack.

Duke struggled on those shots, despite being left unguarded on nine of its 11 catch-and-shoot attempts.

Seth Curry is shooting 47.9 percent on catch-and-shoot plays, fifth best in the ACC. He’s even better when guarded, making an ACC-best 53.7 percent of his contested catch-and-shoot attempts.

As good as the Blue Devils are on catch-and-shoot offense, they are just as good on the defensive end. Duke limits its opponents to 8.5 points per game and 26.7 percent shooting in such situations. Both figures lead the ACC.

Final Four pedigree?
Duke is allowing 88.4 points per 100 possessions this season, on pace for the team's best defensive efficiency since the 1997-98 season.

The Blue Devils have held their opponents to 92 or fewer points per 100 possessions four times in the last 15 seasons. They’ve made it to the Sweet 16 each time and played for the championship twice, winning the 2001 title.

Last season, the Blue Devils allowed 99.7 points per 100 possessions, fourth-worst in the ACC.

Player of the Night – Ben McLemore, Kansas

Ben McLemore scored 33 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, to give Kansas a 97-89 overtime win over Iowa State. He fell just two points shy of Danny Manning’s freshman scoring record set in 1985. McLemore finished 6-for-6 from 3-point range, matching Rex Walters’ school record for 3s in a game without a miss.

Stat Sheet Stuffer – Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State

Highlighted by an off-the-backboard dunk, Jamaal Franklin finished with 20 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in the Aztecs’ 65-62 win over Fresno State. Over the past 10 seasons, the only other players to equal that line are North Texas’ Tony Mitchell and Oakland’s Keith Benson. The last player on a ranked team to do it? Seton Hall’s Eddie Griffin in 2000.

Scorer of the Night – Cleanthony Early, Wichita State

Cleanthony Early dropped a career-high 39 points to lift Wichita State to an 82-76 win over Southern Illinois. It’s the most points for a Shocker since the great Xavier McDaniel scored 43 against Bradley in 1985.

Bench Player of the Night – Briante Weber, VCU

It’s not often that the most impactful bench player of the night is someone who didn’t make a field goal, but Briante Weber continues to make a difference with his defense. He finished with nine steals in VCU’s 74-62 win over Dayton. Earlier this season, he had 10 steals off the bench against Florida Gulf Coast. Despite playing just 22 minutes per game, Weber leads the nation in steals (3.7 SPG). His 6.6 steals per 40 minutes would be the most since Alabama A&M’s Desmond Cambridge (7.5) in 2002.

Ugly Stat of the Night – UAB Blazers

UAB went 0-for-23 from 3-point range in a 64-48 loss to UCF. That snapped a streak of 517 straight games with a 3-pointer. The 23 misses without a make is just three shy of the record set by Northwestern State last season against Sam Houston State.

Player of the Night – Jerrelle Benimon, Towson

Jerrelle Benimon’s career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds led Towson, a team that went 1-31 last season, to a win over Vermont, the preseason favorite in the America East. The transfer from Georgetown will face his old team on Saturday. The Tigers snapped a 27-game road losing streak, picking up their first win since December 2010 at La Salle.

Stat Sheet Stuffer – Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary’s

Matthew Dellavedova scored 31 points and added seven assists, as the Gaels beat Drake 88-73. He’s just the third West Coast Conference player with 30 points and seven assists against a Division I team in the past 15 years (Manny Quezada and Dan Dickau). Not all of his numbers were great though. Dellavedova also committed nine turnovers, the most for any Saint Mary’s player in at least 15 years.

Bench Player of the Night – Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga

Kevin Pangos was the hero of Gonzaga’s 71-69 win over Washington State, but Kelly Olynyk kept them in it. He scored a career-high 22 points, all coming in the second half. He went 10-for-12 from the field after halftime, and accounted for half of Gonzaga’s second-half points. At 9-0, Gonzaga is off to its best start since joining Division I.

Freshman of the Night – Jahii Carson, Arizona State

Jahii Carson scored 20 points and added five rebounds and six assists, as the Sun Devils beat Hartford 71-63. He’s just the sixth freshman with a 20-5-5 game this season. Carson currently ranks fourth among freshmen in scoring (18.3 ppg) and sixth in assists (5.3). Those averages stack up nicely to one of the greatest seasons for a Pac-12 freshman point guard. Terrell Brandon averaged 17.9 ppg and 6.0 apg for Oregon in 1989-90.

Ugly Stat of the Night - Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee failed to score 40 points for a second straight game, falling to Virginia 46-38. It’s the first time the Vols have been held under 40 in consecutive games since February 1946. It’s also the first time since 1943 that Tennessee has lost back-to-back games while failing to score 40.

Player of the Night – Adrien Coleman, Bethune-Cookman

Adrien Coleman, a transfer from Nebraska, went off for 29 points and eight rebounds as the Wildcats beat Stetson 86-63. But it was Coleman’s efficient shooting that made this special, giving Bethune-Cookman its highest team field-goal percentage in 12 years. Coleman went 13-14 from the field, a 92.9 field-goal percentage. It’s been four years since a Division I player attempted at least 14 shots and posted a higher field-goal percentage (Stephen F. Austin’s Matt Kingsley).

Stat Sheet Stuffer - Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State

Jamaal Franklin put up 18 points, 15 rebounds and four assists, as the Aztecs beat Texas Southern 74-62. He joins Mason Plumlee as the only players averaging 19 and 10 this season. More specifically, Franklin is averaging 19.9 ppg, 10.7 rpg and 3.0 apg. The last two players to maintain a 19-10-3 average over the course of a season were David West (2002-03 Xavier) and Tim Duncan (1996-97 Wake Forest).

Distributor of the Night – Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse

The nation’s assists leader continues to hand them out at a furious pace. Michael Carter-Williams had 11 assists to go with his 11 points, as Syracuse made easy work of Eastern Michigan. Six games into the season, he’s already exceeded his assists total from 2011-12. If Carter-Williams keeps this up, he could be the first Big East player to lead the nation in assists-per-game since Mark Jackson in 1986.

Long-Distance Shooter of the Night – Ray Gallegos, Nebraska

Coming off a redshirt year, Ray Gallegos has looked like a different player in 2012-13. On Monday, he scored 20 points for the second consecutive game to lead Nebraska over USC. That included a career-high six 3s. Gallegos already has more points this season (98) than he did in either of his first two seasons in Lincoln. Picked by many to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten, Nebraska stands at 6-1 with other wins over Wake Forest, Valparaiso and Tulane.

Freshman of the Night – Jordan Reed, Binghamton

Jordan Reed scored 26 points and added 10 rebounds, but Binghamton came up short against Monmouth. Reed was one point shy of Ben Dickinson’s school record for points by a freshman since joining Division I. At 18.7 ppg, Reed is third nationally among freshmen and tops among freshmen guards. He joins Longwood’s Michael Kessens as the only freshmen averaging a double-double.

Player of the Weekend – Erick Green, Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech is 7-0 for the first time in 30 years, as the Hokies handed Oklahoma State its first loss of the season on Saturday. Green scored a career-high 28 points, including the first 10 of the second half.

He’s the first Hokies player to score 20 in seven straight games to start the season since Bimbo Coles did it in nine straight in 1989-90. Green currently ranks third in the nation at 24.9 points per game.

Stat Sheet Stuffer – Alan Williams, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
Williams did his best Michael Olowokandi impersonation, posting career highs with 29 points and 17 rebounds, as the Gauchos upset Santa Clara 83-80 in overtime on the road.

He’s the first Big West player to reach those totals since Olowokandi in 1998. Williams’ 17 rebounds are the most by a UCSB player since Josh Merrill’s 18 in 1996.

Freshman of the Weekend – Semaj Christon, Xavier Musketeers
Playing in his sixth career game, Christon walked into Mackey Arena and scored a career-high 25 points, as Xavier beat Purdue 63-57. It’s the most points for a Xavier freshman since Stanley Burrell in 2004-05.

Bench Star – Desmond Simmons, Washington Huskies
Simmons came off the bench to score 14 points and haul in 18 rebounds (both career highs), as Washington eked by Cal State Fullerton 74-72. It was the most rebounds for a Husky since Jon Brockman in 2009, and the most off the bench for any Pac-12 player in at least the past 15 years.

Ignoring Senior Nights where starters briefly sat, the last major-conference player with at least 14 points and 18 rebounds off the bench was South Carolina’s Tony Kitchings in 2001.

Ugly Stat Line of the Weekend – Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky shot just 29.6 percent in its 64-55 loss to Baylor on Saturday. That’s the Wildcats’ lowest field-goal percentage in over six years (2006 at Kansas). Kentucky’s 0.73 points per possession were its fewest since a 2008 game against Vanderbilt.

Kyle Wiltjer (1-for-11) had the worst shooting game by a Wildcat with at least 11 attempts since Gerald Fitch went 1-for-13 in 2004. Nerlens Noel (3-for-14) had more misses on Saturday than Anthony Davis had in his first six games combined last season.

Player of the Month – Mason Plumlee, Duke Blue Devils
Plumlee was the key to Duke’s 7-0 start, which included three wins over top-five schools. He averaged 19.9 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game during the month. There’s a long season ahead, but it’s worth nothing that only Tim Duncan (twice) and Ralph Sampson averaged 19 and 11 in the ACC over the previous 30 years.

Plumlee’s month included multiple 20-point, 17-rebound efforts. Over the last 15 years, the only other major conference players to do that before the end of November were Michael Beasley and Blake Griffin.

Leading Scorer of the Month – C.J. McCollum, Lehigh Mountain Hawks
Topping 30 points on three occasions, McCollum averaged 26.3 points per game to lead the nation in November.

If history is any indication, McCollum could be lottery-bound this June. That’s where the past five players to lead the nation in scoring in November were eventually selected.

Defensive Player of the Month – Jeff Withey, Kansas Jayhawks
Withey averaged 5.7 blocks in November, the most blocks per game by a player in November since Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado in 2008. Withey alone had twice as many blocks (40) as Kansas’s opponents combined (20).

Could Withey average 10 points and five blocks this season? The last major conference players to do that were Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning in 1991-92.

Freshman of the Month – Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State Cowboys
Smart led the Cowboys to a 5-0 November, averaging 13.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 5.8 APG. Just how complete is Smart’s game? The last freshman to reach all three of those averages in November was Dwyane Wade in 2001.

Free Throw Shooter of the Month – Jordan Adams, UCLA Bruins
Adams was the bright spot in a forgettable month for the Bruins, and he did a big part of his damage from the line. The freshman went 35-36 (97.2 percent) on free throws. Having made his last 33, Adams stands 10 shy of Darren Collison’s school record.

3-Point Shooter of the Month – Ryan Sypkens, UC Davis Aggies
The Aggies senior averaged 5.3 3-point field goals per game, the most for a player in November since Rotnei Clarke in 2009 for Arkansas. Sypkens also made 63.6 percent of his attempts, the highest for any player with at least 20 attempts.

Rebounder of the Month – Jamelle Hagins, Delaware Fightin Blue Hens
Hagins led the nation in rebounds per 40 minutes and ranked second in defensive rebounding percentage. His 23 rebounds against Lafayette were the most for a Division I player in November since 2009.

Distributor of the Month – Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse Orange
Carter-Williams tallied 46 assists in five games to lead the nation at 9.2 APG. That’s the most assists-per-game in November for a Big East point guard (min. three games) since Omar Cook’s 10.0 in 2000.

Player of the Night – Jack Cooley
Cooley notched his third straight double-double in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s 64-50 win over the Kentucky Wildcats. The Irish improved to 4-31 against ranked Kentucky squads.

Going up against one of the five tallest teams in the country, Cooley led all players with 11 rebounds. That includes six offensive boards, which led to eight second-chance points.

Freshman of the Night – Michael Frazier II
Frazier broke out in the Florida Gators' 82-49 drubbing of the Marquette Golden Eagles. The freshman scored 12 of his career-high 17 points in the first half. He came into the game averaging just 3.4 points per game.

It was the most points for a Florida freshman off the bench since Erving Walker in 2009.

Scorer of the Night – T.J. Price
Price was the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers' only player in double figures in a 65-54 road win over the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. The sophomore finished with a career-high 30 points, as the rest of the starting lineup combined for only 16. Price accounted for 11 of his team’s first 13 points.

Ugly Stat Line Part I – Seton Hall
The Seton Hall Pirates committed 26 turnovers in a 72-67 loss to the LSU Tigers. That’s the most turnovers in a game for the Pirates since 2001, and the most LSU has forced since 2003.

Ugliest of all is when the bulk of those turnovers occurred. Seton Hall led 48-34 before committing 17 turnovers in the final 16 minutes of the game. That includes one stretch of four turnovers in a minute.

Ugly Stat Line Part II – Marquette
Marquette never led in its 82-49 loss to Florida. The Golden Eagles were held below 50 points for the first time since 2007. It was Marquette’s worst non-conference loss since a 33-point blowout by the Kansas Jayhawks in 2003.

Player of the Night – Mason Plumlee
Plumlee scored 21 points and tied a career-high with 17 rebounds as the Duke Blue Devils came back to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes, 73-68. It’s his second 20-17 game of the season. Over the last 15 years, the only other major conference players with multiple 20-17 efforts before the end of November were Michael Beasley and Blake Griffin.

Over the past four seasons, the only other player with a 20-17 game against a top-five opponent was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist last season against Louisville. The last Duke player with a 20-17 game against a ranked opponent was Shelden Williams in 2004.

Scorer of the Night – Derrick Marks
Marks poured in a career-high 35 points, including 28 in the second half, as the Boise State Broncos upset the Creighton Bluejays, 83-70. During one stretch, he scored 18 straight points for the Broncos.

Creighton had won 42 straight home games in November, a streak that dated back to 1989. This was Boise State’s first road win over a ranked non-conference foe in school history.

Distributor of the Night – Larry Drew II
The UCLA Bruins needed some good news after a pair of transfers and an upset loss to Cal Poly. Drew helped deliver with 13 assists in an 82-56 win against the Cal State Northridge Matadors.

It’s the most assists in a game by a Bruin since Darren Collison had 15 in 2007. Drew fell three assists shy of Earl Watson’s school record set in 2000.

Stat Sheet Stuffer – Jamelle Hagins
The Delaware Fightin Blue Hens fell short of the Lafayette Leopards, 63-60, but Hagins finished with an eye-popping 18 points, 23 rebounds and five blocks. Over the past 15 seasons, only four other players have reached all three of those totals in a game: Cincinnati’s Kenyon Martin (1999), New Mexico State’s Chris Jackson (2003), Louisiana Tech’s Paul Millsap (2006) and Rider’s Jason Thompson (2008).

Freshman of the Night – Olivier Hanlan
Wednesday’s best performance by a freshman was probably Rasheed Sulaimon’s 17 points for Duke. But Hanlan had a more interesting game.

Hanlan went 15-19 from the line on his way to 22 points, as the Boston College Eagles beat the Penn State Nittany Lions, 73-61. That’s the most free throws for an ACC freshman in at least the past 15 years. The second-youngest power conference team, BC’s top six scorers are freshmen or sophomores.

Player of the Night – Trey Burke
Burke notched his first career double-double with 18 points and 11 assists in Michigan’s 79-72 win over NC State. Throw in zero turnovers, and Burke’s night looks even more impressive.

He’s the first player with at least 18 points and 10 assists in a zero turnover game against a ranked opponent since Marquette’s Travis Diener against Arizona in 2003.

Freshman of the Night – Nik Stauskas
Stauskas was on the receiving end of Burke’s generosity. The freshman chipped in 20 points off the bench for Michigan. That’s the most points by a Michigan reserve since Stu Douglass in 2009.

Stauskas joins Purdue’s A.J. Hammons as the only Big Ten freshmen to score 20 points off the bench this season.

Scorer of the Night - Omar Strong
Coming into the game averaging 8.7 ppg, Strong’s career-high 39 points were almost enough to lift Texas Southern over Colorado, but the Buffalos prevailed 85-80 in double overtime.

Strong went 9-for-21 from 3-point range. That’s the most 3s attempted against a ranked team in at least the past 15 seasons. The last player to hit nine 3s and score 39 points against a ranked foe was Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks in his 54-point game against Tennessee in 2009.

Stat Sheet Stuffer – Jordan Hulls
Hulls had 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in Indiana’s 83-59 dismantling of North Carolina. He’s just the third Hoosier in the past 15 seasons to reach all three of those totals in a game, joining Earl Calloway and Tom Coverdale (twice).

In all seven games this season, Hulls has hit at least three 3s, while connecting on at least half of his attempts from long distance.

Breakout Performance of the Night – Andre Almeida
At 6-11, 314 pounds, it’s tough to imagine Almeida staying under the radar. After Tuesday’s performance, the Brazilian will be noticed for more than just his size.

Almeida finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in Nebraska’s 79-63 win at Wake Forest. The last Big Ten player with a 20-10 game in which he shot 90 percent from the field was Iowa’s Cyrus Tate in 2009. Before that it was Raymar Morgan and Greg Oden.

(No. 3 Michigan hosts No. 18 North Carolina State, Tuesday at 7:30 ET on ESPN.)

The Michigan Wolverines are playing like a legitimate Final Four contender, their impressive play a result of two key factors: efficient offense and much-improved rebounding.

The Wolverines are among the most efficient offenses this season, averaging 124.5 points per 100 possessions. That’s the fourth-highest in the country.

Only Indiana, Ohio State and Pittsburgh have been more efficient.

Michigan’s offense has been so prolific because the Wolverines are adding a lot of easy baskets in transition. Twenty-five percent of their points have come in transition, and they’re shooting 70 percent on those plays.

The Wolverines have done so playing at a higher pace than they ever have under head coach John Beilein, averaging 65 possessions per 40 minutes this season, three more than last season.

With a faster pace and more transition opportunities, the Wolverines have to rely less on executing in the half-court.

When they do have to execute in the half-court, the Wolverines have been terrific against man-to-man defenses. In fact, they have the most efficient man offense in the country, averaging more than a point per play and shooting 54 percent.

Beilein’s Offense Getting Better & Better
Michigan’s man offense has been so efficient because the Wolverines are getting to the basket more and settling for four fewer jump shots per game than they did last season.

After averaging 97 points per 100 possessions in Beilein’s first season on campus, which ranked in the bottom third of the country, the Wolverines are playing a much faster game and their offensive efficiency has improved each of the last three seasons as noted in the chart on the right.

Improved Rebounding
Michigan ranked outside the top 200 in rebound percentage in each of Beilein’s first five seasons, but is grabbing 57 percent of the available rebounds this season. That’s the 24th-highest percentage in the country.

One reason for the improvement is the boost the Wolverines are getting from their freshmen.

Mitch McGary ranks fifth nationally in offensive rebound percentage and 40th in defensive rebound percentage.

He and Glenn Robinson III are the team’s best two rebounders per 40 minutes of Wolverines with at least 25 minutes this season.

McGary averages 17.3 rebounds per 40 minutes, second-most in the country among players with at least 60 minutes (Maryland’s Charles Mitchell averages 17.5).

The Wolverines have already passed their first two major tests against Pittsburgh and Kansas State. If they can pass their one against North Carolina State on Tuesday, then there’s a great chance the Wolverines will enter Big Ten play undefeated.

Player of the Weekend: Elias Harris
After leading Gonzaga over Oklahoma on Friday, Harris put up 24 points on 9-for-11 from the field against Davidson on Sunday to capture the Old Spice Classic title. Harris added 10 rebounds and two blocks. In two career games against Davidson, Harris is averaging 25.5 points per game on 80 percent shooting.

Freshman of the Weekend: Jahii Carson
The Sun Devils fell short against Doug McDermott and Creighton 87-73, but Carson did just about everything he could to keep them in it on Saturday.

He became just the fourth Arizona State freshman to score 30 in a game. It’s the first time a Sun Devil freshman scored 30 points away from Tempe.

Carson is also the first freshman from a power six conference to score 30 points this season. A top 50 recruit in the Class of 2011, Carson was ineligible last season.

Stat Sheet Stuffer: Stan Okoye
Okoye went off for 30 points and 16 rebounds as VMI defeated Elon 90-81 on Saturday. He’s the first player with a 30-15 game in Division I this season. Okoye also added four assists, three steals and two blocks.

He’s the first to reach those levels in all five categories since Georgetown’s Michael Sweetney in 2003. Before that, you’d have to go back to Virginia Tech’s Ace Custis in 1996.

Comeback of the Weekend: Cal Poly
UCLA blew an 18-point lead in the second half to lose to Cal Poly 70-68.

Over the final 12 minutes of the game, the Mustangs outscored the Bruins 37-17, going 6-for-11 from 3-point range. Cal Poly scored more points in those final 12 minutes (37) than it did in the game’s first 28 minutes (33).

It’s the Mustangs first ever win against UCLA (1-5), and ties the highest-ranked opponent they’ve ever defeated.

Breakout Performance of the Weekend: Kyan Anderson
After averaging just 8.2 points per game in the first six games of the season, Anderson dropped a career-high 35 points in TCU’s 76-73 win over UAB. It stands as the most points by a Big 12 player so far this season. It’s also the most by a TCU player since Kevin Langford put up 36 in 2009.