For the First Time Ever…Wild College Basketball Results Yesterday
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In what is clearly one of those seasons where any number of college basketball teams has the potential to cut down the nets in April, yesterday gave us historic results that prove just that. For the first time ever, each of the top six ranked teams in the Associated Press poll lost on the same day. And with #9 Texas Tech losing as well, to TCU, it marked seven teams in the top ten that went down on the same day…another first-time feat. Not only are these wild results shocking, but also very exciting because it proves that so many different teams may be the ones that end up winning the National Championship as we prepare for the month of March.
Gonzaga was the #1 ranked team heading into yesterday and had to travel their nemesis Saint Mary’s. They headed back to Washington with a ten-point loss, scoring a measly 57 points. This one is shocking simply because Gonzaga is so good. Saint Mary’s is definitely no slouch, actually ranked #23 in the nation with a 24-6 record, but they shouldn’t beat Gonzaga. They shouldn’t even come within ten points of beating this Gonzaga team, to be honest. As respectable as the Gaels are, the results should’ve been similar to the last matchup between the two schools, which was a 16-point Bulldog win. But it's funny because every season it seems like Saint Mary’s is the one who always trips up Gonzaga in their weak WCC Conference, no matter how good either team is.
The Arizona Wildcats, who really have come back onto the college basketball scene this year after many down years (especially for that program) was the second-ranked team coming into yesterday. They also had a road matchup, with their results maybe more shocking than Gonzaga’s. The Colorado Buffaloes handed them a big-time 16-point loss, sending the Wildcats and their fans back to Arizona scratching their heads. Arizona has been dominant this year, with only three losses (after yesterday). Now, Colorado can’t be considered a bad team, but they can’t be considered a good one either. With a 19-10 overall record and 11-8 record in the Pac-12, they shouldn’t have been a real threat to the #2 ranked team in the country.
David Zalubowski/AP
#3 Auburn also went on the road to take on their conference foe Tennessee for the first time this season. Now, this one was a good game between two good teams. The Volunteers are 21-7 on the season and ranked #17 in the country, with some big wins such as beating Arizona and Kentucky. With their win yesterday against the #3 ranked Tigers, they have some really huge wins heading into March Madness season that will surely boost their resume. This game could have went either way and I’m still very high on Auburn this year. They’ve got so much talent and seem to play very well together. That’s the sign of a well-coached team. But still, this loss wasn’t that that surprising.
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In keeping up with the theme, #4 Purdue hit the road to take on Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans yesterday. Purdue is very, very good this year and can just as easily win the national championship as any other team, but their loss yesterday wasn’t surprising in the least. First of all, it was a close game in which either team could’ve walked out victorious. It was just a hard fought game all around between two good teams. Secondly, and more importantly, any loss to Michigan State, especially at this point in the season, should never be surprising. The Spartans can sometimes look pretty rough early in the season, but you can always bet that Tom Izzo has his team ready to compete in the latter part of the season. There’s a reason why he tied Bob Knight in all-time victories with his win yesterday.
Next up to go down was #5 Kansas. They were also on the road, having to go into the hostile Baylor environment. Now, this is the first game I’ve gotten to in this article where either team has the potential to be national champions in April. You can make the argument that Kansas is better than Baylor, just as you can make the argument that Baylor is better than Kansas. But both teams are among the best in the country. If I had to bet in the upcoming tourney though, I’d bet on the Baylor Bears all day before I would a Bill Self-coached Kansas team who always seems to underwhelm in March.
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And last of the top six teams to lose was the Kentucky Wildcats, who have really made a serious charge this season after beginning ranked a lot lower. Early in the season, I don’t think they could have been considered serious contenders, but now that is certainly not the case. The problem yesterday was they ran into a really good Arkansas team in a very loud and hostile environment. As I watched the ending of this game, it was pretty amazing how loud and crazy the fans were. Even though the Razorbacks are viewed as a second-tier top team, ranked #18 in the country, I believe they certainly have the ability to win the national championship. If it wasn’t for a rough stretch in late-December through early-January where they lost five of six games, they would easily be a top five team. Since that rough stretch ended, they have won 13 of 14 games, including yesterday’s impressive win over Kentucky. Though still technically considered an upset, it wasn’t surprising in the least.
Seeing so many top teams go down in the same day is a sign that wild things are going to happen once the NCAA Tournament begins in a few weeks. We always see plenty of craziness throughout March, but some years there is more parity across the college basketball landscape and I believe that is the case this season. It’s why for the first time in history, seven Top 10 teams lost on the same day and it’s why March Madness this year will be A LOT of fun to watch.
Garett