ESPN shakes up BPI after numerous ranked teams fall Saturday ahead of March Madness

ESPN shook up its BPI Top 25 rankings as we got through a wild Saturday with movement in the top 10 and ranked teams getting picked off throughout the weekend!

Saturday’s results certainly sent the top 25 in the BPI for a loop though. This is just a precursor to March Madness coming shortly!

So without further ado, let’s dive into ESPN’s latest BPI. We’ll start at No. 1 of the top 25.

1. Duke

Duke stayed at the top of the BPI with a 77-51 win over Virginia, which was borderline top 10 in the AP Poll. But this game was all Blue Devils.

Isaiah Evans led the way with 19 points, three assists and one steal. Cameron Boozer added 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the win.

2. Michigan

The Wolverines improved to 27-2 on the season with an 84-70 win over Illinois on the road. They stayed right at No. 2 in the BPI rankings.

Morez Johnson had a double-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and one assist. Aday Mara added 19 points, five rebounds and two assists in the win.

3. Arizona

Arizona dominated Kansas on Saturday at home, beating the Jayhawks 84-61. With that, the Wildcats remained at No. 3 in the BPI.

Brayden Burries led the way with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Motiejus Krivas put up 13 points, 10 rebounds and an assist.

4. Houston

Houston didn’t play around on Saturday as the Cougars blasted Colorado in Big 12 play, 102-62. To stay in the top four of the BPI, Houston built up a 55-29 lead at halftime.

Milos Uzan led the way with 26 points, one rebound and six assists in the win. Chris Cenac added 12 points, three rebounds and one assist.

5. Florida

Florida dominated in SEC play by blowing out Arkansas 111-77 at home. They round out the top five of the BPI.

Thomas Haugh had 22 points, five rebounds and two assists in the win. Alex Condon contributed 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. 

6. Illinois

Illinois didn’t move in the BPI this week but had a tough loss to Michigan, 84-70, at home. The Fighting Illini are now 22-7 on the year.

Keaton Wagler had himself a night, putting up 23 points, four rebounds and three assists. Kylan Boswell added 15 points, one rebound and two assists.

7. Gonzaga (+1)

Finally, some movement in the BPI rankings! Gonzaga moved up despite a loss too! Saint Mary’s made a massive jump down below, but the Bulldogs were stunned.

Now 28-3, Gonzaga needs to bounce back in a hurry since their schedule has mostly done them no favors. Graham Ike had 17 points, four rebounds and one assist in the 70-59 loss.

8. Iowa State (-1)

Another ranked team fell as the Cyclones lost to Texas Tech 82-73. Iowa State also dropped a spot in the BPI.

Joshua Jefferson had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in the loss. Milan Momcilovic added 20 points and two rebounds.

9. Purdue

Purdue is back in action on Sunday against Ohio State but they’re coming off a brutally close loss to Michigan State, 76-74, at home. Thursday’s result didn’t drop the Boilermakers in the BPI though.

Braden Smith had 12 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in the loss. Jack Benter added 11 points and three rebounds.

10. UConn (+1)

UConn moved into the top 10 of the BPI by scraping by Seton Hall. On Saturday, the Huskies beat the Pirates 71-67.

In the win, Alex Karaban put up 23 points, three rebounds and two assists. Solo Ball added 14 points, one rebound and two assists in the victory.

ESPN BPI Top 25 updated after ranked teams fall

11. Louisville (-1)
12. Tennessee
13. Michigan State
14. Alabama (+2)
15. Nebraska (+3)
16. Vanderbilt (-2)
17. Texas Tech (+3)
18. St. John’s (-3)
19. Kansas
20. BYU (-3)
21. Kentucky (+1)
22. Arkansas (-1)
23. Virginia
24. Saint Louis
25. Saint Mary’s (+11)