NCAA Basketball: Kentucky is back, LSU is coming, and more weekly takeaways
By Brian Rauf
Kentucky is back and LSU is becoming a force in the SEC of NCAA Basketball. We break down those takeaways and more from the past week in this new Rauf Report.
The uncertain nature of college basketball is one of the things that makes the sport so great, and this week provided several exciting upsets.
Six teams ranked in the top 10 lost (No. 8 Texas Tech lost twice) and the final two undefeated teams suffered their first losses of the season on Saturday.
Michigan, a team many thought was on their way to being No. 1 after Duke was upset by Syracuse on Monday, went into the Kohl Center and fell to Wisconsin thanks to an off shooting night. It’s a team the Wolverines have traditionally struggled against as head coach John Beilein is just 5-17 in his career against the Badgers.
That left Virginia as the nation’s final undefeated team, yet that lasted all of a few hours. UVA lost to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium thanks to outstanding performances from R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson.
With so much upheaval at the top of the polls, what will the top 25 look like come Monday? Tennessee was the only top-four team that didn’t lose this week but only beat a mediocre Alabama team by three. Duke proved their worth (again) with that win over UVA. And should Virginia really be punished for losing by two on the road? A case could also be made for Michigan State and Gonzaga.
Those six teams combine to make up the clear top-tier of the sport, but even they are vulnerable when it comes to the pitfalls of conference play.
What else did we learn this week? Find out the eight biggest takeaways from the past seven days in this week’s Rauf Report.