CBS Sports releases Top 25 and 1 after five ranked teams lost on Saturday
There’s only one regular-season weekend left in college basketball, and things aren’t slowing down anytime soon. On Sunday, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish updated his Top 25 and 1 Rankings to reflect a wild week of hoops.
Saturday was particularly action-packed. Five ranked teams fell yesterday, including two teams in the top 10 of the AP Top 25. Parrish’s rankings adjusted for the stunning losses and jaw-dropping victories alike.
Without further ado, let’s hop into Parrish’s latest Top 25 and 1 Rankings, starting with a familiar No. 1 team.
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue didn’t fall victim to any fluke upsets this weekend. The Boilermakers defeated Michigan State 80-74 to secure a share of their second-straight Big Ten regular-season championship.
In the win, Zach Edey showed off his typical talents, exploding for 32 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 9-15 from the field. Sophomore guard Braden Smith added 23 points, as well. Smith shot a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc in his dynamic effort.
2. UConn Huskies
Before last Tuesday, UConn had not lost since Dec. 20. No. 15 Creighton reminded the Huskies how it feels to be on the wrong side of a lopsided showdown. In the 85-66 loss, UConn only connected on a season-low 3-16 attempts from beyond the arc.
UConn didn’t allow its misery to multiply. Last Saturday, the Huskies ran away with a comfortable 78-54 win over Villanova. In the win, Tristen Newton notched his fourth career triple-double with 10 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. After a week off, UConn will look to score revenge against Seton Hall on Sunday.
3. Houston Cougars
The Cougars can’t stop winning. On Saturday, the team picked up its seventh win in a row, narrowly defeating Oklahoma 87-85. In no surprise, Jamal Shead was the hero in the nail-biting finish. The senior guard drained a six-foot fadeaway with only .4 seconds left on the clock to give Houston the win.
While Shead was the Cougars’ saving grace, LJ Cryer led the pack. In the win, Cryer tallied a team-high 23 points while shooting 9-17 from the field and 5-9 from 3-point range. J’Wan Roberts added 20 points of his own.
4. Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee fans had a lot to smile about this week. On Wednesday, the Volunteers knocked off No. 11 Auburn in a 92-84 shootout. The Volunteers were red-hot from deep in the outing, connecting on 9-17 from downtown.
Tennessee wasn’t satisfied with one ranked win. The team followed up the victory with a triumph over No. 14 Alabama on Saturday. The win gave Tennessee sole possession of the No. 1 spot in the SEC standings.
5. Iowa State Cyclones
On Saturday, Iowa State kept the good times rolling with a comfortable 60-52 win over UCF. It wasn’t always easy. With three minutes left in the game, the teams were tied at 50 points. Nonetheless, a whirlwind 11-0 run gave the Cyclones the W.
“We call it winning time,” Tre King said after the game. “Something we practice in practice every day is the last four minutes. Regardless of whether we are up or down or having a good shooting night or a bad shooting night because that’s the name of the game because at that time anything can happen. We pride ourselves on continuing to get stops those last four minutes.”
6. North Carolina Tar Heels
The Smith Center was buzzing with excitement as North Carolina downed NC State 79-70 on Saturday. Duke only trails UNC by one loss in the ACC standings. With only two games left in their regular season, the Tar Heels are now one step closer to securing the ACC regular season title.
Harrison Ingram was pivotal in the victory, collecting a team-high 22 points. Armando Bacot and RJ Davis recorded a combined 27 points and 14 rebounds. North Carolina has now won four straight against ACC foes.
7. Arizona Wildcats
Arizona didn’t rise three spots in Parrish’s rankings this week by accident. Since falling to Washington State on Feb. 22, the Wildcats have won every game by double-digits. Most recently, Arizona handed Oregon a 20-point loss on Saturday.
“If somebody told me before the game that you’re going to shoot 52% from the field and 30% from 3, score 83 points, I would have felt pretty good,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “But they beat us in every facet.”
8. Creighton Bluejays
The Bluejays soared past their competition this week. On Wednesday, the team handily defeated a gritty Seton Hall squad 85-64. The win was an obvious sign of growth. In Creighton’s first meeting against Seton Hall this season, the Bluejays needed three overtimes to eliminate the Pirates.
Creighton rode its momentum into Saturday, stunning No. 4 Marquette 89-75. In Marquette’s defense, the team was without All-American Tyler Kolek and forward Oso Ighodaro. Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman tallied an insane 26 points and 16 rebounds in the win.
9. Baylor Bears
The Baylor Bears aren’t in hibernation this winter. On Saturday, the team boasted an 82-74 victory over No. 7 Kansas. It’s the first time this season Kansas has suffered consecutive losses. RayJ Dennis led the charge for Baylor, recording a team-high 19 points and 10 assists.
Jayden Nunn trailed closely behind, scoring 18 points on efficent 7-8 shooting from the floor. The Bears have only improved against top competition this season. They have won 13 of their last 18 meetings against top 10 teams.
10. Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette isn’t taking its 89-75 loss against Creighton to heart. With two of its top talents out, the Golden Eagles were unable to overcome the odds and knock the Bluejays out of the sky. However, Marquette head coach Shaka Smart hasn’t lost faith in his team.
“Certainly, looking at it from their standpoint, their program, that’s how you want a senior day to go for your seniors and departing guys,” Smart said. “I think from our standpoint, really proud of our guys’ fight, connectivity, energy, resilience, stamina, belief.”
11. Kansas
12. Auburn
13. Utah State
14. Duke
15. San Diego State
16. Illinois
17. BYU
18. Kentucky
19. Alabama
20. Dayton
21. Washington State
22. South Carolina
23. Gonzaga
24. Boise State
25. Nevada
26. Florida