CBS Sports makes big changes to Top 25 and 1 after 7 ranked teams lost on Saturday
The sand is running low in college basketball’s hourglass. With the regular season all but over, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish updated his Top 25 and 1 Rankings.
While a few programs have solidified themselves at the top of the totem pole, many are still battling for a sliver of recognition. This weekend, fans witnessed these battles in droves, with seven ranked teams suffering losses. Four of those losses were against unranked opponents.
Now, CBS Sports dished out rewards for the victors in its latest Top 25 and 1 Rankings.
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue doesn’t stop. The Boilermakers have been a buzzsaw this season for any team unlucky enough to run into them. On Tuesday, Purdue added another stripe to its win column with a 77-71 triumph over No. 12 Illinois.
In the win, Zach Edey was fantastic, as usual. The All-American center tallied 28 points and eight rebounds to boost Purdue to become the first team in 17 years to win consecutive outright Big Ten regular-season championships.
2. UConn Huskies
After falling to Creighton on Feb. 20, UConn won its final four games of the regular season. On Wednesday, the Huskies secured a pivotal 74-67 victory against No. 8 Marquette. It was UConn’s first win over a ranked opponent in over a decade.
UConn kept the good times rolling on Saturday with a comfortable 14-point victory over Providence. Every member of UConn’s starting five scored double figures in the win. Alex Karaban led the way with a team-high 16 points.
3. Houston Cougars
Houston solidified its résumé for March in the final month of the regular season, downing three top-15 opponents in the country. On Saturday, the Cougars pounced on No. 7 Kansas in devastating 76-46 fashion.
In the win, Houston forced 18 turnovers, converting the Jayhawks’ mistakes into a generous 30 points. With the victory, Houston claimed the Big 12 regular-season title in its first season in the conference.
4. North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina concluded its regular season in the most satisfying way possible. On Saturday, the Tar Heels knocked off archrival No. 9 Duke to secure the program’s first outright ACC regular-season title in seven years and complete a season sweep over the Blue Devils.
Tar Heels guard Cormac Ryan exploded for a game-high 31 points while shooting a stunning 6-8 from 3-point range. UNC didn’t hesitate to rub the victory in Duke fans’ faces, waving goodbye to the opposing fanbase after the game.
5. Tennessee Volunteers
On Wednesday, Tennessee reeled in its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title in six years. Only three days later, the Volunteers fell in heartbreaking fashion to No. 15 Kentucky on Senior Day in Thompson-Boling Arena.
In the loss, Dalton Knecht was still spectacular, erupting for 40 points on 14-29 shooting. However, Knecht’s hot hand wasn’t contagious. Senior guard Santiago Vescovi uncharacteristically went 0-3 from downtown in the defeat.
6. Iowa State Cyclones
Just three days after defeating No. 20 BYU, Iowa State fell 65-58 to Kansas State. The Cyclones looked lethargic in the loss, recording less points off turnovers, second-chance points, fast-break points and offensive rebounds than the Wildcats.
“They were more physical. They were the more aggressive team,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “And they did a better job in some of the areas we take pride in, in terms of rebounding and being physical. Credit to them for doing that today.”
7. Creighton Bluejays
It wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t have to be. On Saturday, Creighton concluded its regular season with a grueling 69-67 win over Villanova. Junior guard Trey Alexander hit a fadeaway jumper with 0.2 seconds left to give the Bluejays a victory.
Alexander wasn’t the only one who stepped up for Creighton in the key triumph. Baylor Scheierman led the team with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Ryan Kalkbrenner followed closely behind with 14 points of his own.
8. Arizona Wildcats
It’s been a rollercoaster season for Arizona. The team’s 78-65 loss to USC on Saturday was no exception. Arizona’s 65-point output was the lowest of its season. After the game, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd attempted to look at the silver lining of the loss.
“We’re thankful. These guys had a great regular season,” Lloyd said. “To win a Pac-12 regular season championship is nothing to be taken lightly. Obviously, we wanted to play better today and we didn’t, but maybe we were given a gift by ‘SC, we can really learn from this. So that’s going to be our focus.”
9. Baylor Bears
Baylor couldn’t escape the weekend without suffering an upset loss. On Saturday, the Bears dropped their final regular season game in double-digit fashion to Texas Tech, ending their three-game win streak.
Baylor couldn’t find a rhythm from deep in the loss, shooting a poor 5-21 (23.8%) from beyond the arc. Baylor never gave up. After trailing by 13 points at halftime, rattled off a 16-4 run to take a lead with 7:25 left in the game. Nonetheless, the Bears couldn’t hold on and will now be the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.
10. Marquette Golden Eagles
It’s been a painful week for Marquette. After losing All-American guard Tyler Kolek to injury, Marquette dropped two straight games against No. 12 Creighton and No. 2 UConn. On Saturday, Marquette recovered its confidence with a triumph over Xavier.
In the win, Kam Jones exploded for a game-high 30 points, five rebounds and nine assists while shooting 12-17 from the field. He is averaging 26 points per game in the last six games for the Golden Eagles. Now, the team will look to make a run in March as Kolek works toward a quick recovery.
11. Utah State
12. Duke
13. Auburn
14. BYU
15. Kansas
16. Illinois
17. Kentucky
18. Dayton
19. Nevada
20. South Carolina
21. Alabama
22. Gonzaga
23. Washington State
24. Boise State
25. Texas Tech
26. FAU