College basketball can be nothing if not polarizing for fans of the sport who tend to have strong opinions, but there are two things almost everyone can agree upon: coaches wandering their way onto the court has to go, and fast, and court storming -- if it is allowed to continue -- must be done with caution and with the safety of players in mind.
Thus why the past week in college hoops, the discourse around the sport was atypically noisy.
Once again, coaches ambled onto the court and caused distractions, and once again -- as has been the case many times over the years -- court storming became a hot-button issue after fans made contact with both Iowa star Caitlin Clark and Memphis' David Jones in separate incidents.
Those two topics headline the third edition of our College Basketball's Best of the Week series, which in this space will get some more shine and context surrounding the controversies. There were plenty of other stories that received lesser attention that will get more oxygen in this space as well.
Let's get to it.
Bozos of the Week: Court stormers
An Ohio State fan who stormed the court and collided with Clark after the Buckeyes took down Iowa on Sunday was the headline of the sport over the weekend -- no surprise given Clark's stardom. Clark could be seen jogging off the court, only to be blindsided by an oblivious fan apparently trying to take in the moment with her phone.
A Tulane fan's brush with Memphis star David Jones got less attention but appeared to be far more egregious in nature. On video, it appears a Tulane fan pushed Jones after storming the court, triggering an investigation from the school into the incident.
I've long thought that court storming is one of the most special moments college hoops can offer for its fans in big wins and upsets, but this week was a shining example of why the NCAA should seriously consider banning it outright. One or two bad apples show that, while most can do it safely, a select few may ruin the celebration for the rest.
Photo of the Week: Blake Hinson braves the Crazies
Pitt's senior forward Blake Hinson had a legendary performance Saturday in a win over Duke inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, hitting all seven of his 3-point attempts and finishing with 24 points in the upset. Hinson then stepped to the scorer's table and taunted the Cameron Crazies, earning countless middle fingers and generating in the process one of the most iconic photos of the season.
Laugh of the Week: Texas coach Rodney Terry
Texas' holier-than-thou attitude and demand for respect is not new, but by golly, it is the content gift that just keeps on giving.
The latest example came when Terry, whose team fell on the road to UCF, complained after Knights players threw the "Horns Down" just before the postgame handshake line. Terry called the gesture "classless" and lectured UCF for how it handled the win.
"We don't jump up and down and act like we won a national championship [after a win]," said Terry.
Well, guess what Terry did on Saturday when his Texas team downed Baylor at the horn? You guessed it ....
No issue at all with the celebration and living in the moment, but come on, man. Let's not lecture college kids who aren't even your own players. It comes off as tone-deaf, and frequently -- as it did within a week! -- it comes back to bite ya. Thanks for the laugh!
Ouchie of the Week: Bronny bonks his head
USC freshman Bronny James, the eldest son of Lakers star LeBron James, has been a consistent producer for an inconsistent USC team this season. But he caught my attention this week for another reason. Against Arizona State on Saturday (in an eventual 82-67 loss), James trotted back to the locker room, gave the sign above him a tap and accidentally bonked his brain back a few notches. OUCH.
Dunk of the Week: WVU's Noah Farrakhan throws down
West Virginia senior Noah Farrakhan, a 6-foot-1 guard, is the winner of the Dunk of the Week after throwing down the hammer on 6-foot-10, 275-pound Oklahoma center John Hugley.
Yes, it is every bit as impressive as it sounds. Just watch.
Best of the rest
Reprimands aplenty
The SEC this week issued a reprimand to Alabama coach Nate Oats after he pushed a Missouri player during last Tuesday's game. Oats apologized for the incident. The ACC shortly thereafter issued its own reprimand against NC State's DJ Horne for flipping the double birds at an official late in a game against Wake Forest. Horne also apologized.
"Big Z" splashes 3s, himself in debut
In the middle of a 13-point, five-rebound, two-assist debut vs. Georgia on Saturday in which he splashed three of his four 3-point attempts, Kentucky big man Zvonimir Ivišić also -- hilariously -- managed to splash himself.
Ivišić showed off his rookie chops by trying and failing to hydrate himself during a timeout in which he squirted himself before finding his mouth. The brief look around before wiping his face off says it all.
Dayton victim of coaches on court
Lasy Tuesday, Saint Louis coach Travis Ford stumbled onto the court on the road vs. Dayton ...
... and then on Saturday, Rhode Island coach Archie Miller -- a former Dayton coach -- did the same vs. the Flyers.
Egregious behavior, and neither were given technicals. Incidental or not, this keeps happening. It should be a point of emphasis for officials moving forward to work this entirely out of the game.