The final Saturday of men’s college basketball in January featured some tremendous matchups, and it lived up to the anticipation. Fans were treated to a double-overtime thriller between No. 7 Houston and No. 12 Kansas, along with a low-scoring defensive battle between No. 1 Auburn and No. 6 Tennessee.
We’re here to break it all down following an exciting Saturday of hoops.
Evaluating the Men’s College Basketball Top 10 After a Wild Saturday
Nine of the top-10 teams were in action on Saturday, except for No. 10 Marquette, which defeated Villanova by 13 points on Friday night.
While none of the teams listed below are in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament—they’ve built too strong of a résumé this late in the season—we’ll evaluate each top-10 team that played Saturday. Here’s what happened in their game and what it means for their title hopes, conference race, and overall outlook as March approaches.
We begin with a team that may not stay in the top-10 for long.
No. 9 – Kentucky Wildcats (14-5, 3-3 SEC)
What happened?
- L (69-74) at Vanderbilt Commodores
The Wildcats led 69-68 with 1:58 remaining, but the Commodores closed the game on a 6-0 run, sealing the upset and sparking a court-storming celebration. Guard Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 21 points, but second-leading scorer LeMont Butler struggled, finishing with just six points, six turnovers, and fouling out in the final minute.
What it means:
It’s not a back-breaking loss, despite Vanderbilt’s celebration. The Commodores are an improved team and should enter next week’s AP Top 25. However, Kentucky’s .500 SEC record is a concern. The conference is loaded, and back-to-back losses, including last Saturday’s 102-97 defeat to Alabama, spell trouble with No. 6 Tennessee up next. The Wildcats are now 10th in the SEC.
No. 8 – Michigan State Spartans (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten)
What happened?
- W (81-74) at Rutgers Scarlett Knights
The Spartans led by three at halftime before extending the lead to double digits for most of the second half. Surprisingly, Michigan State’s starting lineup scored just 31 points, while the bench erupted for 50 points. Freshman guard Jase Richardson led the way with 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
What it means:
With this win and losses by teams ahead of them, Michigan State enters the conversation for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The lack of starting lineup production is concerning, but the bench’s dominance is reassuring. The Spartans haven’t faced a major test in Big Ten play yet, and won’t for a few weeks. They’ll need to continue handling business to keep their stock rising.
No. 7 – Houston Cougars (16-3, 8-0 Big 12)
What happened?
- W (92-86 OT) at Kansas Jayhawks
Calling this a Houston escape would be an understatement. Down six points with 18 seconds left, Emanuel Sharp hit a three-pointer, followed by a Kansas turnover and a game-tying three from Mylik Wilson to send the game into double overtime. The Cougars dominated from there, outscoring Kansas 13-7 in the final period. J’Wan Roberts led Houston with 24 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
What it means:
A win is a win — and according to the NET Rankings, an extremely impressive win at that. This was Houston’s first Quad 1 win of the season after previously being 0-3. The victory keeps them undefeated in Big 12 play, sitting atop the conference standings. Roberts has emerged as a go-to player, scoring 20-plus points in three of his last four games. This win proves Houston can compete with elite teams—a crucial sign as March approaches.
No. 6 – Tennessee Volunteers (17-3, 4-3 SEC)
What happened?
- L (53-51) at Auburn Tigers
The Volunteers fell in a gritty, defensive showdown to the top-ranked Tigers. Lead guard Zakai Zeigler was the primary playmaker, but he struggled from the field, shooting 4-for-15.
What it means:
This loss doesn’t hurt Tennessee much. However, their 4-3 SEC record is raising questions after their perfect 13-0 non-conference run. That said, they went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team on the road, a sign that they’ll be fine. The Volunteers are a physical, defensive-minded team, boasting a 6-3 Quad 1 record. Next week is pivotal, with matchups against No. 9 Kentucky and No. 5 Florida looming.
No. 5 – Florida Gators (18-2, 5-2 SEC)
What happened?
- W (89-59) vs. Georgia Bulldogs
The Gators dominated, with five players scoring at least 13 points. Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin led the way with 17 points each.
What it means:
They took care of business. After escaping with a 1-point win over the South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday, who remain winless in the SEC, the Gators put any idea of an upset to bed on Saturday afternoon by building a 25-point lead at the half.
Florida remained entrenched in the conversation for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but it doesn’t get any easier moving forward. Matchups with the No. 6 Volunteers, likely-to-be-ranked Commodores, No. 1 Auburn Tigers, and No. 14 Mississippi State Bulldogs come in the next two weeks. Their performance in that stretch could go a long way toward determining their seed in the NCAA Tournament field.
No. 4 – Alabama Crimson Tide (17-3, 6-1 SEC)
What happened?
- W (80-73) vs. LSU Tigers
After a halftime tie, Alabama pulled away. However, the biggest storyline was preseason All-American Mark Sears getting benched after a scoreless first half. Aden Holloway led with 19 points off the bench.
What it means:
The win is a positive — the rather controversial benching of the team’s best player in Mark Sears, named First-Team All-SEC a season ago, is not. Following the game, head coach Nate Oats stated that he played the guys who gave them the best chance to win. For whatever reason, Sears was not one of them. Alabama was supposed to win this game, and they did, taking care of business at home against the 14th-place team in the SEC.
But if the disconnect between Oats and Sears continues, it could spell danger for a team with national championship aspirations.
No. 3 – Iowa State Cyclones (17-2, 7-1 Big 12)
What happened?
- W (76-61) at Arizona State Sun Devils
The Cyclones seemed to be in trouble early, falling behind by seven at halftime before rallying back and taking the lead for good with just over five minutes remaining in the game. Iowa State finished the game on a 17-3 run, tightening their defense and finally building a lead. Leading-scorer guard Curtis Jones again led the way for the Cyclones, finishing with a season-high 33 points.
What it means:
Iowa State remains in pole position to earn No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with continued success. Their non-conference loss was by two points to No. 1 Auburn, and while a slip-up against the West Virginia Mountaineers on the road gave the Cyclones their lone conference loss so far, that’s all the negatives on the season.
A 5-2 Quad 1 record is more than solid. Jones’s insertion into the starting lineup has given him the ability to make a full impact on the game; against the Sun Devils, he played all 40 minutes. Combine his ability to get hot over an extended period of time and the Cyclone’s stingy defense, and Iowa State is looking dangerous heading into the stretch run of the season.
No. 2 – Duke Blue Devils (17-2, 9-0 ACC)
What happened?
- W (63-56) @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The Blue Devils jumped to a 13-point lead at halftime before the Demon Deacons, powered by their raucous student section, rallied back, taking a six-point lead of their own with under 10 minutes left. Duke took that punch and came back with another of their own, outscoring Wake Forest 24-11 in the game’s final 10 minutes. Freshman sensation Cooper Flagg led the way, stuffing the stat sheet with 24 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
What it means:
In an extremely tough environment, an impressive victory on the road should give confidence to this young core of Blue Devils. Led by Flagg and fellow freshman and second-leading scorer Kon Knueppel, Duke has emerged as one of the title favorites in college basketball. A win against a potential challenger in the ACC is a huge deal.
Flagg’s continued dominance matched with Knueppel’s shooting ability (three three-pointers against Wake Forest) should lead to the Blue Devils being named a 1-seed in in the Tournament, barring a complete collapse.
No. 1 – Auburn Tigers (18-1, 6-0 SEC)
What happened?
- W (53-51) vs. Tennessee Volunteers
As mentioned, it was an ugly, grind-it-out type of game between the Tigers and the Volunteers on Saturday night. ESPN‘s College Gameday was on site for this top-10 matchup, and it didn’t disappoint. John Broome, Auburn’s do-it-all forward and National Player of the Year candidate came off the bench after dealing with an ankle injury that sidelined him for the last two games.
He dominated, scoring 16 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking four shots.
What it means:
Auburn stays at the top — even with a loss, the Tigers would have likely stayed ranked in the No. 1 ranking. At this point, ranked wins are further adding to the confidence of head coach Bruce Pearl’s squad that they can win the whole thing in March. The Tigers are an astounding 11-1 against Quad 1 opponents, including seven wins against ranked opponents, a program record.
Similar to Duke, barring a crumble down the stretch, Auburn will be in a good position to claim a 1-seed and make a run in the NCAA Tournament behind the star power of Broome.
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