Many teams took time off for the holidays, but there were still some major games involving top-25 teams, including a much-anticipated top-five matchup.
Bluegrass State showdown
The top-ranked Wildcats passed their toughest test of the season with a 58-50 road victory against in-state rival and No. 4 Louisville. Although the matchup of top-five teams was built up as Kentucky’s toughest test on its road to a perfect season, the young Wildcats stayed poised down the stretch to pull out the defensive struggle in front of a raucous Cardinal crowd.
The unanimous top-team in the country once again relied on its two greatest strengths—defense and length—to pull away after Louisville had kept the deficit within five for the first twelve minutes of the second half. Kentucky held their rival to a putrid 26-percent shooting from the floor as well as the Cardinals went just 3-of-14 from beyond the arc. However, on an afternoon in which the Wildcats held a 46-33 edge in rebounding, it was timely offensive rebounds by big men Karl Towns Jr. and Trey Lyles that carried the team to victory.
With the victory, No. 1 Kentucky (13-0) will begin conference play in the SEC—which has no teams ranked in the top-25 except the Wildcats—with its perfect season still intact. After suffering their first loss of the season, Louisville fell to No. 5 in this week's top 25 after being ranked fourth last week.
Boost for the Blue Devils
Very few took note when the Blue Devils captured the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic title in November—with the tournament’s field consisting of Temple, UNLV and Stanford. But after this past week of action, Duke’s overlooked title may be painted in a brand new light come March.
Monday, previously 7-4 Temple stunned the college basketball world with a 77-52 rout of then-No. 10 Kansas. The Big 12 powerhouse was overwhelmed by an incredible shooting performance, with the Owls shooting 58.3 percent from the field, including a 69-percent mark in the second half. The loss dropped the Jayhawks to No. 13 in this week’s poll and may have sparked a struggling Temple squad right before the start of league play in the American Athletic Conference.
A pair of upsets Tuesday similarly bolstered the Blue Devils's resume. Previously third-ranked Arizona fell victim to a pesky UNLV squad in a 71-67 loss in the raucous Thomas and Mack Center. The win ended the Wildcats' regular-season nonconference win streak at 39 games and Arizona’s recent stretch of success in close finishes. Key performances from Christian Wood and Rashad Vaughn—24 and 21 points, respectively—carried the Rebels to a much-needed victory over a ranked opponent. With the loss, the Wildcats fell to No. 8 in this week’s rankings after their first loss.
Earlier Tuesday, ninth-ranked Texas struggled to close out a tough Stanford squad in a 74-71 home loss. The Cardinal used Anthony Brown’s 25-point performance and the clutch shooting of senior Chasson Randle to beat one of the top teams in the Big 12. The loss dropped the Longhorns to No. 11 in this week’s rankings with conference play on the horizon in the new year.
Duke stayed put at No. 2 this week and will finally get back in action Monday night against Toledo after an 11-day hiatus.
Struggles for the Shockers
A year ago, Wichita State entered the NCAA tournament as a dangerous number-one seed riding a 34-game win streak with a roster filled with veterans coming off a trip to the Final Four. But don’t confuse this year’s Shockers squad with the years past. After suffering a tough one-point overtime loss to then-No. 25 Utah earlier this month, No. 11 Wichita State was dealt its second loss of the season by George Washington in the Diamond Head Classic. The Shockers were fortunate to squeak by with a one-point win against Hawaii in the semifinals of the tournament and the loss in the title game dropped the team to No. 16 in this week’s poll.
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