John Fanta
University basketball issuer and journalist
With solely 4 weeks remaining as much as the choice on Sunday, college basketball has delivered the most effective weekend of the common season that now we have seen up to now, entitled by the primary reckon rendering n. 1 towards n. 2 in sport in 4 years.
Last week we stored Auburn Like the most effective group within the nation just because the tigers nonetheless owned the most effective curriculum in America, even after a lack of dwelling towards a seed n. 1 projected, FloridaAnd they might afford to have a day when issues didn’t go for his or her path.
This week, Bruce Pearl’s group confirmed that our rankings have been right, since high-level tigers flexed their muscle groups in Tuscalosa on Saturday with a victory of 94-85 Alabama. How did Auburn checked the sport? With a protection that took away the 3-point line, holding the Crimson tide at 5 out of 26 fired from past the arch and containing Mark Sears on the A All-American Guard at solely 4 out of 17 from the ground.
(To discover out extra: Auburn maintains the crown n. 1 with a whole victory at n. 2 Alabama)
Jhows Broome from Auburn continued his nationwide candidacy of the yr with 19 factors, 14 rebounds and 6 assists, whereas Denver Jones scored 16 factors, Miles Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara every had 15 factors and two extra have been in double determine. Alabama may by no means acquire traction from the defensive half and for a superb motive. When Auburn is making 12 triples with 40% taking pictures and a boy like Chaney Johnson is hitting constant elbow, it’s added solely to the ability of the offense charged with Broome. He actually set the tone for the victory, one who confirmed as a result of it might take lots for Auburn to lose his place as the primary general seed within the NCAA match.
Here are 4 different takeaways of a wild Saturday in college basketball:
Houston He joined the large 12 within the 2023-24 season. The Cougars are as an alternative of driving to win the title of the common season for a second consecutive yr and are 27-2 within the final 29 conferences of the common season after a highway victory of 62-58 Arizona. The Wildcats entered 58-4 on Saturday on the McKale Center, relationship again to the start of the 2021-22 season. Lj Cryer hit two 3S clutches when the cougars remained behind 48-45 with seven minutes left and Milos Uzan scored 19 factors, exhibiting why Houston can break down the nets this April in San Antonio. Kelvin Sampson has a group that defends himself as at all times this system, in addition to a expertise much more pictures.
Tom Izzo is the brand new King Big Ten Wins. The Hall of Famer has handed Bob Knight for the victories of probably the most Big Ten convention sport from a coach head within the historical past of the League, acquiring his 354th victory with a victory of 79-65 on the Illinois on Fox Primetime Hoops. The Spartans stored the illins with out rating within the 8:29 finals. For a mirrored image of the historical past of Izzo, learn this stunning tax letter from our Bill Raftery.
What do you say Wisconsin! Greg Gard has reinvented his offensive scheme and is repaying enormously. Wisconsin went to 12-2 within the final 14 video games with a 94-84 a victory Purdue Saturday behind the 32 factors of John Tonje and Max Klesmit who delivered 17 years in the past, Wisconsin had one hundred and fortieth place in effectivity finally offensive and misplaced the NCAA match. Quick development to this yr and the badger are in sixth place within the nation. They marked the protection of Purdue, with the good Badger guards who exploited them within the lane and actually getting every part they needed at will. It was a particularly spectacular highway victory for a group of the primary 4 within the Big Ten rating. Wisconsin is an actual darkish horse to succeed in Eight Eight, if not an additional step ahead.
Kansas AND Uconn They have been relatively disappointing this season. The Jayhawks are 5-5 within the final 10 video games and 3-6 in True Road Contests after a lack of 74-67 within the Utah who left Bill Self’s group at 8-6 within the championship. In the primary 20 years of self in Kansas, his groups misplaced six video games in simply two seasons. The Jayhawks have now executed it within the back-to-back campaigns. Hunter Dickinson’s period didn’t make the overview.
And then there may be Uconn, who has 9-5 within the Big East and appears virtually executed within the race of the title of the common season of the convention after a unprecedented surprising defeat of 69-68 on the Seton Hall on Saturday. The Huskies have been driving from seven with 36 seconds left within the regulation, then 5 with a minute left within the extraordinary. The room had received solely a sport since December 5, however on Saturday he introduced a miraculous and received, courtesy of Scotty Middleton.
For Uconn, it’s a brutal lack of quad 3 that hurts the match curriculum. The Huskies may very nicely be in a sport for 8-9. There is a kind of reward for the 1 seeds in that area.
Mike Decourccy had Smu, Arkansa, State of San Diego AND Byu Like his final 4 groups to enter the match in his newest forecasts on the band, which is launched each Tuesday and Friday on FoxSports.com. The decoourcry had Wake Forest Like certainly one of his first 4 groups exterior the match, however one may suppose that the Mustangs and Demon Deacons can be reversed after Steve Forbes’ group received in Dallas. Sdsu put Boise State within the defensive blender, overcoming the broncos 64-47, whereas Byu dominated the state of Kansas. While the Arkansas went wanting Texas a & m, Texas -A different of the primary 4 Decourccy teams-the high 20 categorized eradicated Kentucky Behind 58 factors mixed by three Johnson and Tramon Mark. The bubble could be very fluid on this interval of the yr, however the massive winners on Saturdays have been Wake Forest, Texas and Byu.
Having mentioned that, here is my up to date high 25!
1. Auburn (23-2)
2. Florida (22-3)
3. Duke (22-3)
4. Alabama (21-4)
5. Houston (21-4)
6. Texas a & m (20-5)
7. Tennessee (21-5)
8. Iowa State (20-5)
9. Wisconsin (20-5)
10. Texas Tech (20-5)
11. San Giovanni (22-4)
12. Michigan (20-5)
13. State of Michigan (20-5)
14. Purdue (19-7)
15. Marquette (19-6)
16. Missouri (19-6)
17. Arizona (17-8)
18. Clemson (21-5)
19. Kentucky (17-8)
20. Memphis (21-5)
21. Maryland (20-6)
22. State of Mississippi (18-7)
23. Louisville (20-6)
24. New Mexico (22-4)
25. Santa Maria (23-4)
John Fanta is a National College basketball station and author for Fox Sports. He covers sport in quite a lot of capability, from name video games on FS1 to function the primary host on the Big East digital community to offer feedback on the sphere of 68 media networks. Follow him to @John_fanta.
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