Men’s college basketball delivered a stunner on Saturday afternoon when No. 2 Michigan was upended at home, 91-88, by unranked Wisconsin in a thrilling offensive showcase for both teams.
The Wolverines, who entered the weekend as analytic darlings with an otherworldly margin of victory so far this season, couldn’t survive a second consecutive close game after nearly falling at Penn State earlier in the week — perhaps setting off some alarm bells for a team that had begun generating discussion about finishing the year undefeated.
What did it take to finally fell Michigan? The visiting Badgers needed to shoot 50% from the floor and a staggering 15-for-33 clip (45%) from beyond the arc to spoil the Wolverines’ magical start to the campaign. And on Tuesday night, when No. 2 Iowa State became the second undefeated team to stumble in the span of a few days, the victors — Kansas — had sizzled from the floor (51%) and 3-point range (12-for-24) in an 84-63 romp.
The losses for Michigan and Iowa State leave just three undefeated men’s teams in the power conferences: Arizona, Vanderbilt and Nebraska. Our first men’s college basketball spotlight examines how long each of those undefeated squads will remain unblemished:
Arizona (16-0, 3-0 Big 12)
Ivan Kharchenkov #8 and Koa Peat #10 of the Arizona Wildcats react during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
Rankings: No. 1 in AP Poll; No. 2 on KenPom; No. 2 on EvanMiya.com; No. 2 on T-Rank
What makes this team great: The Wildcats are one of the most well-balanced squads in the country, ranking among the top four nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency under fifth-year head coach Tommy Lloyd, whose international recruiting pipeline is blending seamlessly with blue-chip high school talent.
Arizona has seven players averaging at least 8.8 points per game this season, led by stud freshmen Koa Peat (14.8 points) and Brayden Burries (14.6 points), both of whom were five-star prospects. A hulking front line anchored by starting center Motiejus Krivas (7-foot-2, 260 pounds); backup Tobe Awaka (6-foot-8, 255 pounds) and Peat (6-foot-8, 235 pounds) is as physically imposing as any in college basketball. That trio is a big reason why the Wildcats rank third nationally in offensive rebound rate and ninth nationally in 2-point defense at 43.9%.
Arizona has won 11 straight games by double figures dating back to a 71-67 road victory over then-No. 3 UConn on Nov. 19, though the Huskies were missing two starters due to injury. But with five wins over ranked opponents and counting, there’s no question the Wildcats are in pole position for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and should be viewed as legitimate national championship contenders.
When could this team potentially stumble: A relatively favorable opening stretch in Big 12 play means Arizona, which is already 3-0 against league foes, will only face one ranked opponent between now and a mid-February matchup with No. 15 Texas Tech. It’s a stark contrast from the Wildcats’ finishing kick that should include at least five top-25 matchups in approximately three weeks to end the regular season.
For now, though, all eyes will be on a Jan. 26 trip to No. 11 BYU, a team led by potential top-overall NBA Draft pick A.J. Dybantsa (22.9 points per game). The Cougars have won 12 in a row since falling to then-No. 3 UConn on a neutral floor in mid-November.
[WOMEN’S HOOPS SPOTLIGHT: LSU, Texas Lead SEC’s Dominant Season]
Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-0 SEC)
Tyler Tanner #3 of the Vanderbilt Commodores reacts to a foul in the second half against LSU. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images)
Rankings: No. 10 in AP Poll; No. 5 on KenPom; No. 7 on EvanMiya.com; No. 3 on T-Rank
What makes this team great: Few people around the college basketball world, if any, predicted such a remarkable surge at Vanderbilt in the second season under head coach Mark Byington, formerly of James Madison. The Commodores, who lost to Saint Mary’s in the opening round of last year’s NCAA tournament, were picked 11th in the Preseason SEC Poll and did not have a single player selected to the three preseason all-conference teams. But here sits undefeated Vanderbilt in mid-January, rubbing elbows with the sport’s elite thanks to an offense that ranks fifth nationally and a defense that ranks 11th — which makes the Commodores one of only five teams in the country to land among the top 12 in both categories.
Vanderbilt has five players averaging at least 10.1 points per game this season and two averaging north of 17 per game in guards Duke Miles and Tyler Tanner. The former is a well-traveled veteran with previous stops at Troy, High Point and Oklahoma, while the latter — a sophomore — has blossomed into one of the best point guards in the country by chipping in 5.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals in addition to his team-best scoring average of 17.3 points, up from 5.7 points per game last season. Overall, the Commodores rank eighth nationally in scoring at 93 points per game, fifth among power-conference teams.
When could this team potentially stumble: As impressive as Vanderbilt has been — and the underlying metrics suggest this team can hang with just about anyone — the quality of opposition still leaves something to be desired. The Commodores only have one victory against a ranked opponent this season (then-No. 13 Alabama) and were hardly challenged in a non-conference schedule that included the likes of Lipscomb, Eastern Kentucky, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas Southern, Western Kentucky and Central Arkansas.
A two-game stretch against No. 19 Florida (home) on Jan. 17 and No. 17 Arkansas on Jan. 20 could pose problems for Vandy with both opponents among the top 30 in overall efficiency and a handful of future NBA prospects between them.
[MEN’S BRACKET: Nebraska Rises, Michigan Falls in New Projection]
Nebraska (17-0, 6-0 Big Ten)
Rienk Mast #51 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers is defended by Wildens Leveque #10 and Solomon Washington #13 of the Texas A&M Aggies. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Rankings: No. 8 in AP Poll; No. 15 on KenPom; No. 15 on EvanMiya.com; No. 16 on T-Rank
What makes this team great: For the Cornhuskers, everything starts with 24-year-old power forward Rienk Mast, a seventh-year senior who spent four years at Bradley before transferring to Nebraska ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. A native of the Netherlands, where he has represented the senior Dutch national team in international competition, Mast is now averaging a career-high 15.5 points to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He’s made at least five 3-pointers on three separate occasions, headlined by a 6-for-13 effort from beyond the arc in an upset of then-No. 9 Michigan State earlier this month.
Head coach Fred Hoiberg, who guided his team to victory in last year’s College Basketball Crown, has surrounded Mast with an excellent transfer crop that includes former Iowa guard Pryce Sandfort (16.4 points per game) and former Rhode Island guard Jamarques Lawrence (10.2 points per game), who poured in 27 points during a gritty road win at Indiana over the weekend.
Nebraska, which did not have a single player picked for the Preseason All-Big Ten Team, is now 7-0 in games decided by 10 points or fewer after finishing 8-9 in that category last season. The Cornhuskers feel like a lock to reach the NCAA tournament for just the third time since 1998 and the ninth time in program history.
When could this team potentially stumble: Analytically speaking, Nebraska has the worst profile of the remaining unbeaten teams in this week’s AP Poll. The Cornhuskers rank 28th nationally in offensive efficiency with several warning signs buried beneath that number: They’re 108th in 3-point shooting percentage (35.2%), 285th in offensive rebounding percentage and 310th in free-throw rate. Prior to Tuesday night’s blowout of Oregon, Hoiberg’s team had won its previous three games by 11 combined points.
It certainly feels like Nebraska is flirting with danger, which makes a road trip to Northwestern on Jan. 17 quite interesting. Though the Wildcats are just 8-8 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten, they pushed then-No. 12 Michigan State to the brink at the Breslin Center last week. Beyond that, a trip to No. 4 Michigan on Jan. 27 looms.
Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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