John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
College basketball fans got a taste of March on the first day of February.
Saturday brought some wild results across the country, with 11 AP-ranked teams losing, eight of the top 15 falling and a trio of top-10 teams — Iowa State, Houston and Marquette — all losing at home.
In the middle of conference play across America, there are certain matchups (and coaches) that can cause problems for teams, which can lead to eyebrow-raising results. Just look at Kansas State beating Iowa State, 80-61, as the Wildcats handed the Cyclones a shocking Quad 3 home defeat.
Then there’s Houston, which entered Saturday night on a 13-game winning streak and had been 23-1 in its previous 24 games in the Big 12. The Red Raiders overcame forward JT Toppin and coach Grant McCasland getting ejected and beat the Cougars 82-81 in overtime behind senior guard Chance McMillan’s free throws down the stretch. Marquette was down by 22 at home against a Liam McNeeley-less UConn team, which rolled to a statement win — one that drops the Golden Eagles out of my top 10 and showed that if you make Kam Jones work for what he gets, you can beat them.
The absurdity of this sport can be seen in so many ways, like Tennessee losing to Kentucky and then following it up by missing Zakai Zeigler and Igor Milicic and still taking a previously top-five Florida team to the woodshed in a 20-point win. It can be seen with Kentucky then unraveling on Saturday night as John Calipari walked into Rupp Arena and had the last laugh. How about Missouri walking into Starkville and beating Mississippi State by 27? Yes, there were some final scores that provided some real surprises on Saturday.
No. 25 UConn Huskies vs. No. 9 Marquette Golden Eagles Highlights
Tom Izzo’s pursuit of Bob Knight’s Big Ten wins record won’t get broken in Los Angeles, as Michigan State took a 70-64 defeat to USC. And then there’s Kansas, which suffered its biggest collapse in the history of the program by losing a 21-point lead to Baylor, allowing 60 points in the second half and falling to 6-4 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks have been a very inconsistent team and could finish outside the top three in the league for the first time in over four decades.
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That said, let’s get to our Top 25!
1. Auburn (20-1)
The Tigers beat Ole Miss on Saturday behind double-doubles from Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell, along with 18 from Chad Baker-Mazara. They’re 20-1 on the season and haven’t lost in the best league in America, the SEC.
2. Duke (19-2)
The Blue Devils drilled UNC, 87-70, on Saturday behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. Flagg had 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks, while Knueppel poured in 22-5-5. They might not lose an ACC game.
3. Alabama (19-3)
The Crimson Tide thwarted Georgia on Saturday behind 20 points from Mark Sears and 11 total triples. I still love this team’s ceiling and offensive versatility.
4. Tennessee (18-4)
The Vols might have lost at home to Kentucky, but their response to missing Zeigler and Milicic was so impressive that I’m not removing them from my top five after a resounding win over Florida.
5. Purdue (17-5)
The Boilermakers have the best point guard in America in Braden Smith, and Trey Kaufman-Renn was the hero in Friday’s win over Indiana.
6. Texas Tech (17-4)
The Red Raiders are in the top 10 in KenPom and Torvik with an offense that’s really dynamic. Winning at Houston and being 17-4? That’s how you make a big splash and get rewarded!
7. Houston (17-4)
Saturday was a heartbreaker for the Cougars, but they had won 13 straight games. That said, Milos Uzan struggled from the floor and Emanuel Sharp is playing hurt right now.
8. Iowa State (17-4)
While I came away encouraged by the double-overtime game at Arizona, Saturday was a bad loss by the Cyclones. I’m keeping them in the top 10 because I believe they will respond and are one of America’s best 10 squads.
9. Missouri (17-4)
The Tigers have won five of their past six games, with a victory at Florida coupled with wins over Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
10. Florida (18-3)
The Gators shot 25% from the floor and 15% from downtown in Saturday’s loss. Walter Clayton and Alijah Martin just could not find it. That said, the Gators drilled Tennessee in Gainesville. I’m keeping them in this spot.
11. St. John’s (19-3)
12. Michigan State (18-3)
13. Texas A&M (17-5)
14. Memphis (18-4)
15. Marquette (18-4)
16. Kentucky (15-6)
17. Arizona (15-6)
18. Clemson (18-4)
19. Kansas (15-6)
20. UConn (16-6)
21. Maryland (17-5)
22. Saint Mary’s (20-3)
23. Michigan (16-5)
24. Creighton (16-6)
25. Illinois (15-7)
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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