While most people are focusing on the big game this weekend, it is important to remember that college basketball is still happening. In fact, we are in what could be considered the most exciting part of the regular season. This is the time of year when teams start to rise to the top and others stall out. We have crested the hill and are on a one way collision course to the conference tournaments and eventually the big dance. For some, it is the most wonderful time of the year.
My nieces play their last regular season games tonight. Luckily they are at home, so we get to watch them through the magic of the Internet. It could be a tough game for the varsity team. It is their local rival and nerves could get the better of them. Hopefully that isn't the case. After that, it is on to the HS tournament and the unforgiving one and done format.
Monday started the week off with a bang. Four games were supposed to be played, only three of them ended up happening. Two of those three games were upset victories. Perhaps this was a bit of foreshadowing for the rest of the week.
Unranked Virginia took down #7 Duke by one point. Additionally, #20 Texas beat #8 Kansas by three points. Look at that, 7 and 8 already displaced. There could be a lot of movement in the rankings this week!
Illinois and Purdue postponed their game.
Tuesday brought us nine top 25 games. Illinois and Purdue move their game to this day and while it was close at first, Purdue dropped the hammer and came away with a convincing win over Illinois. #24 UConn took out #18 Marquette in the first upset of the day.
We knew it was going to happen, but #1 Auburn finally fell. Surprisingly(?) it was unranked Arkansas that took them out. It needed to go to overtime to happen though and the Razorbacks shut the door with a four point victory.
Much to my disappointment, #14 Wisconsin bested #17 Michigan State at Michigan State. At least it wasn't an upset, so hopefully it shouldn't impact their ranking too poorly, but I can't say I am not annoyed.
MSU has a habit of falling apart at certain points in the season. Sometimes it is as soon as the tournament starts. Others it is a little earlier. Sometimes, it is right at the beginning. Thankfully they still have time to get things together and hopefully make a long run into the national tournament.
Their schedule doesn't get any easier to close out the season though, so they are going to have to work for it.
The only other upset on Tuesday happened at the hands of unranked Santa Clara. They beat #22 Saint Mary's to grab the upset.
Wednesday gave us six games with four of those six being upsets. Unranked Rutgers came off their beat down of Michigan State and handed #16 Ohio State a two point loss. Unranked Seton Hall beat #25 Xavier showing just how volatile the Big East continues to be.
SMU (also unranked) beat # 6 Houston, and unranked Oklahoma beat #9 Texas Tech. That is a lot of movement in the top 10 this week, all at the hands of unranked teams. Baylor should move back up in the rankings a bit and Gonzaga should move back into that #1 spot.
Finally, on Thursday we saw another six games. Duke rebounded from their loss and took out Clemson. Gonzaga had a commanding victory that should cement their spot at #1.
The only upset on Thursday ended up being a huge one. Unranked Michigan beat #3 Purdue by a pretty healthy margin. Over 20 points to be exact. I can't say that I am happy about this. This is probably going to move Michigan into the top 25 and this is quite possibly the worst time of them to be gaining momentum and Michigan State to be lagging behind.
I am going to be pretty annoyed if U of M enters the tournament seeded higher than Michigan State. MSU needs to earn it though, I don't debate that.
Only one game is being played tonight and then we have a lot of action on Saturday before we head into Superbowl Sunday and see only three top 25 games. Check back on Monday for my recap of all the action!