The primary full week of convention play throughout school basketball has produced a sequence of stunning outcomes that recommend we’re in retailer for a tumultuous battle earlier than somebody cuts down the nets in Arizona on April 8.
The mayhem started Tuesday evening when No. 1 Purdue and No. 2 Houston every misplaced in street video games in opposition to unranked groups. It continued Wednesday, when No. 3 Kansas and No. 5 Tennessee additionally fell on the street in opposition to unranked groups. No. 4 UConn survived the mayhem with an 80-75 win at Xavier however not with out trailing within the second half in opposition to the mediocre Musketeers.
It was the primary time 4 top-five groups have misplaced to unranked opponents in a two-day span, in accordance with CBS Sports activities Analysis.
Powerful two days
Outcomes Tuesday and Wednesday of the top-five groups within the AP High 25.
| 1 | Purdue | Misplaced TUE at Nebraska 88-72 |
| 2 | Houston | Misplaced TUE at Iowa State 57-53 |
| 3 | Kansas | Misplaced WED at UCF 65-60 |
| 4 | UConn | Gained WED at Xavier 80-75 |
| 5 | Tennessee | Misplaced WED at Mississippi State 77-72 |
Collectively, the run of outcomes illustrates an absence of dominance among the many supposed prime groups within the sport and opens the door for not too long ago downtrodden manufacturers corresponding to Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina to reclaim their place atop the faculty basketball hierarchy.
The No. 6 Wildcats have received six straight and are off to a 2-0 begin within the SEC. The No. 7 Tar Heels have received 4 straight video games, with double-digit victories in opposition to No. 9 Oklahoma, Pitt and No. 21 Clemson amongst them. Duke has received seven straight and seems to be hitting its stride.
Not one of the three survived previous the primary weekend of the NCAA Event final season, and North Carolina did not even make the 68-team discipline. With Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski and counterpart Roy Williams every retiring in recent times and Kentucky coach John Calipari struggling to keep up his former greatness, the blue bloods have been lacking from the social gathering.
Kentucky started final season at No. 4 however shortly fell out of the highest 10 and by no means returned. North Carolina started the 2022-23 marketing campaign at No. 1 however left the ballot for good by Jan. 2 throughout a colossally disappointing season. Duke started coach Jon Scheyer’s first season as coach at No. 7 however was out of the highest 10 for good by Nov. 28.
However there’s a superb opportunity that, come Monday, all three will probably be within the prime 10 concurrently for the primary time since final November. Duke performs Georgia Tech on Saturday, North Carolina hosts Syracuse and Kentucky is at Texas A&M.
After all, if the final two days have taught us something it is that nobody is protected this season in school basketball.
Mississippi State entered Wednesday evening’s sport in opposition to the No. 5 Volunteers second amongst these within the “receiving votes” class of the AP ballot and at a good No. 34 within the NET. However the Bulldogs didn’t have a Quad 1 win. That modified as Josh Hubbard and Tolu Smith III mixed for 48 factors to steer Mississippi State to a 77-72 win over the SEC’s top-ranked crew.
It was this system’s first win over a top-5 foe since 2002 and underscored simply how open the SEC race is that this season. Second-year coach Chris Jans held issues collectively in the course of the season’s first two months whereas Smith, an All-SEC heart, was out injured. Now that he is again and that Hubbard has emerged as among the finest freshmen within the nation, the Bulldogs have proven they’re for actual.
Kansas goes down
Kansas led 35-19 within the first half in opposition to UCF and seemingly started to imagine every little thing it could have heard in regards to the Golden Knights. After struggling to a 32-40 mark in league play throughout their final 4 seasons as members of the AAC, UCF was purported to change into a punching bag for the Huge 12 this season amid football-driven realignment.
It performed the function to perfection in a 77-52 loss at Kansas State on Saturday earlier than rising to the second of its first-ever Huge 12 dwelling sport and successful 65-60. UCF has by no means defeated an opponent with a better spot within the polls than the No. 3 rating the Jayhawks introduced into the matchup. The Knights dominated within the second half, holding Kansas to 31.8% capturing and asserting themselves with a 14-6 within the paint. Jaylin Sellers led UCF with 18 factors whereas Darius Johnson added 17.
Purdue’s drawback
The frequent theme in Purdue’s two losses is enjoying on the street in opposition to opponents which can be capturing nicely from 3-point vary. In Purdue’s 88-72 Tuesday evening loss at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers hit 14 of 23 makes an attempt past the arc. In a Dec. 1 loss at Northwestern, the Wildcats made 10 of 20 photographs from deep.
No different opponent has made 50% of its 3-pointers in opposition to the Boilermakers this season. It is no coincidence Purdue received each different sport. Even with these two video games on the ledger, Purdue nonetheless ranks a good 77th nationally in 3-point capturing protection at 30.7%. Purdue should not be completely absolved of blame for struggling on the street in opposition to Northwestern and Nebraska. However the Boilermakers’ losses may be chalked as much as enjoying inside hostile environments in opposition to opponents capturing abnormally nicely from 3-point vary. That is the price of doing enterprise in school basketball.
Houston learns about Hilton Magic
Houston began its Huge 12 tenure with an 89-55 throttling of West Virginia on Saturday earlier than getting its first style of Hilton Magic on Tuesday in a 57-53 loss inside Iowa State’s notoriously hostile Hilton Coliseum. Star guards LJ Cryer and Jamal Shead suffered by an off capturing evening, and the Cyclones definitely had one thing to do with it.
Iowa State entered at 11-3 and well-rated by superior analytics metrics. But it surely wanted some kind of tangible validation after enjoying the nation’s No. 343 ranked nonconference schedule, per KenPom. Beating Houston definitely counts as validation.