Good Break/Bad Break

After a nice five-day break, let's run through some teams that had good Thanksgiving breaks and some teams that didn't.

Good Break
Syracuse -- The Orange ran through Florida, Kansas and Virginia last week to reach the 6-0 mark. Those are some quality wins from a team that never used to play anyone in the nonconference schedule. I think Jonny Flynn and company are ready for Big East action, don't you?

Gonzaga -- The Bulldogs got a lot of deserved national love for their win against Tennessee last night. But the Zags also destroyed Maryland and topped Oklahoma State last week, prompting the coaches voting in the Coaches Poll to put Gonzaga in the Top 5.

North Carolina -- Does it really surprise you? If it does, you are crazier than Rosie O'Donnell. The Heels crushed Notre Dame, 102-87, and rolled past UNC-Asheville (real shocker, right?).

Oklahoma -- Blake Griffin beat -- er, sorry -- the Sooners beat UAB and former No. 10 Purdue, in my Game of the Break, at Madison Square Garden. Icing on the cake -- the Coaches Poll dropped Oklahoma into its sixth slot.

Bad Break
Louisville -- Paving the way for Pitt to claim the No. 3 spot in both polls, the Cardinals were pummeled in their own nest. Sure, sure, Louisville will recover, but this is a tough loss to swallow when you have that much talent.

Michigan State -- Losing to Maryland is bad. Getting clubbed by Maryland? Even worse. And that's all I have to say about that.

Marquette -- Dayton has the Big East's number, I guess. The Flyers are 3-0 over the past season and a quarter against BEast teams, with wins against Louisville and Pitt last year, and now No. 15 Marquette this year. But the Golden Eagles are on notice -- Dayton proved that slowing them down is the path to beating them, and Big East teams can slow down anyone. Buzz Williams and his crew have to prepare for challenges like this from much more talented teams in the future.

Providence -- The Friars have done nothing but disappoint their loyal but hopeful fans with their dismal start to the 08-09 season. PC is 4-3, but losses against both Baylor and Saint Mary's show that Keno Davis's bunch has a lot of work to do before Big East play -- and the regularly solid competition that comes with it -- commences.

Siena -- After their shocking 83-62 upset of fourth-seeded Vanderbilt in last year's Tournament, the Saints were considered a hot new pick to make the mid-major leap to national prominence. Almost nine months later, Siena is fading -- fast. The Saints showed up in Orlando with high hopes for a win, and maybe even an upset. Instead, Fran McCaffery's bunch returns to upstate New York winless, and certainly thankful for three upcoming games against Loyola (Md.), Albany and Marist.