Now up on the No. 1 chopping lock — Arizona. How long will the Wildcats stay safe there? If the past weekend showed anything in college basketball, it’s that nobody is safe. Neither the big names nor the small.
Not three of the top four ranked teams in last week’s Associated Press Top 25.
Not Purdue, facing its kryptonite in Northwestern, losing to the Wildcats for the second consecutive season while ranked No. 1. Never mind the Boilermakers scored 88 points and outrebounded Northwestern 52-27. Purdue had been 53-0 in its last 53 games when hitting 80, and had never lost a game in its history when outrebounding the opponent by 25. Now they have, 92-88 in overtime.
MORE: Northwestern forces 17 turnovers, Buie drops 31 points to defeat No. 1 Purdue in overtime
Not Marquette, even when ranked No. 3 for its highest spot in 46 years. The Golden Eagles lost for the third consecutive time to neighbor Wisconsin.
MORE: Wisconsin men’s basketball stuns No. 3 Marquette
Not No. 4 Connecticut. The Huskies’ extraordinary 24-game winning streak by double digits against nonconference opponents survived a championship run through the 2023 NCAA Tournament, but not a trip to Lawrence, Kan.
No. 7 Duke wasn’t safe on the road, losing its ACC opener for the first time in six years, 72-68 at Georgia Tech. That was just after a defeat at Arkansas.
No. 12 Kentucky wasn’t safe where the Wildcats nearly always are, in their old Kentucky home. They were shocked 80-73 by UNC Wilmington which had been 1-39 against ranked opponents and 0-29 on the road, until the Seahawks showed up in Rupp Arena.
No. 18 Villanova was about as safe as bugs taking on a windshield in the Philadelphia Big 5 competition, which it had once controlled with an iron hand. The Wildcats went 0-3 and could not shoot 40 percent against Drexel or Saint Joseph’s or Penn, nor did they lead any of the three in the second half. Drexel had been 1-18 all-time against Villanova and had not beaten a ranked team in 13 years.
Florida State wasn’t safe with any lead. Three days after squandering a 17-point advantage and losing to Georgia, the Seminoles were up 14 on North Carolina, but then were blown away by a 22-0 Tar Heels run. North Carolina went from 14 down to 14 up in under 13 minutes of the second half.
Michigan wasn’t safe against Oregon, but the Wolverines have grown accustomed to nausea at the very sight of the Ducks. Oregon won 86-83 on a three-pointer by freshman Jackson Shelstad…
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