A new No. 1?

Good morning! Was I the only one who woke up refreshed and delighted after a pair of high-level game between four elite teams?

Let’s get to it.

Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!

1. Arizona makes its case to be No. 1

Purdue and Houston have already been atop the AP poll this season.

Arizona may make it three on Monday.

The No. 4 Wildcats logged an impressive 71-67 win at No. 3 UConn on Wednesday night, making it the third team in AP poll history with multiple wins over top-three opponents in its first five games of the season. It had already beaten then-No. 3 Florida, plus a win over No. 15 UCLA on Friday. (I also like this factoid that only ‘21 Gonzaga and ‘02 Arizona had done.)

Throw in a victory IN Storrs? Not sure it gets much better than that.

It looked like Arizona (5-0) could pull away for a comfortable win. UConn was playing without big man Tarris Reed, who sat with an ankle injury. (He’s day-to-day.) That meant Zona dominated inside, finishing with 42 points in the paint and 16 second-chance points on by grabbing 43% of its misses. Koa Peat (16 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks) was terrific, while Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka combined for 15 points and 21 rebounds.

"We also got a good [break] today with Reed out today,” Lloyd said. “We're not going to say that doesn't change things — we know that changes things."

Equally important was senior guard Jaden Bradley, who scored a team-high 21 points on 13 shots. But, just like against Florida, he closed out the win with big buckets.

Arizona isn’t atop the computer rankings. It’s 6th at KenPom, 7th at EvanMiya and 8th at Torvik. But the AP poll is usually a reflection of the moment. And at this moment, Arizona’s got the goods. (They are No. 1 in WAB.)

Not that Wednesday should reflect poorly on UConn (4-1). The Huskies adjusted as best they could without Reed, their leading scorer (20) and rebounder (9.3). Arizona pushed them off the 3-point line when possible and funneled them into the lane for mid-range floaters or short jumpers.

Guard Silas Demary Jr. (13 points) was effective, but limited in the second half due to foul trouble. That, coupled with Reed’s absence, will haunt Dan Hurley for a while.

“We blew a f—— chance to beat one of the best teams,” he said.

"We got punked. It's going to be a bad film session coming out of here. There was a street fight going on in the paint ... you can't stand on the outside when your buddies are in the fight."

2. That ‘Bama win over Illinois? Awesome hoops

The only thing wrong with Alabama’s 90-86 win over No. 8 Illinois? It didn’t go to overtime.

Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.