NCAA Basketball: Three of top four teams downed on crazy night of hoops
Three of the top four teams in NCAA basketball were knocked off on Tuesday evening.
In the Busting Brackets Daily Wrap-Up, we go through the major games of the day with a few short summaries and articles to keep you up to date on the recent news in the college basketball world. This covers the biggest games of yesterday and today, as well as looking at major news stories from across the nation.
Related Story: Where does the Pac 12 race stand?
We also go through each game of key importance in our “Games to Watch” section, which includes a Game of the Day and a Bubble Battle.
Here we go:
I don’t think the following statement comes as a surprise to anyone: Caleb Swanigan was outstanding in this win by Purdue. He registered 25 points and 17 rebounds in a dominating performance, knocking off Michigan State. Miles Bridges added 33 (!) points for MSU, but it wasn’t enough to stop Biggie and Co.
When sitting on the bubble, it is not a good idea to lose by 55 points. Louisville shot nearly 60 percent from the field. Michael Young was the only Panther to reach double figures with 12, while five Cardinals accomplished that feat.
West Virginia was looking for a big win, and it doesn’t get much bigger than this one. The Mountaineers used 27 points from Esa Ahmad to carry them to victory and turned Kansas over 13 times. For Kansas, Josh Jackson added 22 points before fouling out in 34 minutes.
London Perrantes added 22 for the Cavaliers in a vital ACC win. Bonzie Colson of Notre Dame was great as usual with 20 points but was held to just three rebounds, which is well below his season average. V.J. Beachem really struggled to get things going for the Irish, as he finished just 1-of-10 from the field.
For a more in-depth look at this game, Carmine Carcieri has you covered here.
In this Bubble Battle, Iowa State pulled away late in a close game. Matt Thomas poured in 25 for the Cyclones in the win as the team shot 46.2 percent from the field. Kansas State, on the other hand, shot just 40.0 percent and were led by 15 points from Wesley Iwundu.
Games to Watch on Wednesday, January 25th:
Texas Tech Red Raiders @ No. 5 Baylor Bears, 8:00 p.m. ET: It is very difficult to win on the road in college hoops, and Texas Tech is looking to do just that to add another high-quality win to their resume.
No. 11 Butler Bulldogs @ Seton Hall Pirates, 8:30 p.m. ET: Butler has struggled early in their past few games while Seton Hall is very tough to play on the road. Can Butler add another road win, or will Seton Hall add another win to their potential tournament resume.
No. 8 UCLA Bruins @ USC Trojans, 11:00 p.m. ET: Like Butler, UCLA is entering a hostile environment. The Trojans are hungry for a win to return to the top 25, and this could do it, even if it is at home.
Best of Yesterday from Busting Brackets:
NCAA Basketball: Mid-season selection show a positive for the sport: On February 11th, the selection committee for March Madness will be announcing the top four seeds as of that day from each region (top 16 in total). Carmine Carcieri has the details.
Next: Conference battles shake up our top 25
That ends today’s Daily Wrap-Up. Tune in tomorrow for another edition and have a great day!