While the NBA has roughly a third of its league actively tanking, and All-Star-level players sitting out fourth quarters in games that are supposed to matter, college basketball is flourishing right now.
Basically every day is great.
Last Friday, we got that incredible scene at Madison Square Garden when St. John’s topped UConn. One day later, we got Seth Trimble’s game-winner in North Carolina’s victory over Duke and Jeremy Fear’s 26-point, 15-assist effort in Michigan State’s win over Illinois. On Sunday, we watched football. But then, on Monday, we got Kansas over top-ranked Arizona at Allen Fieldhouse. And then, on Tuesday, we had four — FOUR! — top-15 teams lose.
Put simply, it was another awesome night.
The wildest game was probably Purdue’s 80-77 victory at Nebraska that featured the Boilermakers squandering a 22-point lead in regulation before winning in overtime. That win pushed Purdue to No. 8 in Wednesday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Michigan remains No. 1 for the second straight day.
Purdue jumping from No. 12 to No. 8 caused Gonzaga and Michigan State to both be pushed down one spot each, no fault of their own. Next up for the Boilermakers is Saturday’s game at Iowa, the school that would probably be No. 27 right now if this were the Top 25 And 2.
Have you been paying attention to Iowa?
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Isaac Trotter
The Hawkeyes, under first-year coach Ben McCollum, have won five straight heading into Wednesday’s contest at Maryland. They’re 18-5 on the season, meaning McCollum is now 39-9 as a Division I head coach after taking the Drake job in advance of last season following a 15-year run at Division II Northwest Missouri State that was highlighted by four national championships. If McCollum gets that DI record to 41-9 with two wins this week, rest assured, the Hawkeyes will be safely in the Top 25 And 1 come Sunday morning.
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