Streaks snapped

It has been the type of season where teams go from No. 1 to unranked, from unranked to No. 1, and where programs that casual fans can't locate on a map end up in the Top 25. It's a year where DePaul beats Villanova and K-State beats Kansas. But no matter what, at least we know that Gonzaga isn't going to lose at home to a West Coast Conference team, right?

Maybe not.

1. Gonzaga goes down to Loyola Marymount

Perhaps we should have seen this coming. No. 6 Gonzaga had been shaky the last few weeks, coming off three consecutive away games where they trailed by double-digits. But that's the road. You expect that in conference play. It's a different story at the Kennel, where, entering Thursday, Gonzaga had won 75 consecutive games.

Then there's Loyola Marymount, which hasn't beaten Gonzaga in Spokane since 1991. But by halftime, it looked like it would be LMU's night.

In the second half, LMU guard Cam Shelton took charge. While the team's offense was breaking down, the senior made several tough step-back shots to build a seven-point lead with three minutes remaining. The Zags did their thing, and a Drew Timme free throw gave them the lead with 41 seconds left. Didn't last.

Shelton finished with a game-high 27 points, including the game-winner in the 68-67 victory. Gonzaga wasn't able to respond on the last possession of the game. LMU (14-7, 4-3 in WCC) entered as 16.5-point underdogs. But that doesn't fully capture the win. Gonzaga had:

• 25 straight wins over LMU

• 83 consecutive wins over unranked teams

• 75 straight home wins

• 117 straight WCC wins over teams not named BYU or Saint Mary's

• Never lost to a non-Quad 1 opponent since the NET was introduced

All streaks eventually come to an end, and it's impressive that Gonzaga (16-4, 5-1) accomplished all of this. But the Zags aren't what they've been the previous three seasons.

“The home streak is over,” Zags coach Mark Few said. “It was going to end sometime and it ended in a tough, hard-fought battle. Our guys battled back and had a shot to keep it going. [...] I don’t think anybody is going to touch that (streak) for quite some time.”

There are plenty of other issues, such as Timme's inconsistent supporting cast. After playing the hero against BYU, Julian Strawther was just 1-of-8 from the field for six points on the night. More importantly, the defensive issues continue to show, something Few has hinted at multiple times this season.

So Gonzaga is good but flawed — like dozens of other Final Four contenders. If Timme cannot carry the Bulldogs against WCC foes, that could foreshadow some struggles in the NCAA Tournament.

2. Welcome to the TJD show

Indiana was bruised (two starters remain out), battered (just one win in January) and in need of some good vibes heading into Thursday's game at Illinois. Before they beat Wisconsin (without Tyler Wahl) last Saturday, I even said they needed a "players-only meeting" to get it together.

Maybe the Hoosiers took my advice. They it to Illinois in Champaign with an 80-65 win, behind forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. He dropped 35 points on the Illini, making 15-of-19 shots, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots.

One thing to note was that Illinois coach Brad Underwood elected to single-cover Jackson-Davis and not double at any point. He had his reasons.

Illinois (13-6, 4-4 in Big Ten) has two capable centers in Coleman Hawkins and Dain Dainja. Letting TJD get his makes sense, especially because everyone but Jalen Hood-Schifino has struggled lately. But to make no adjustments was a misstep by the Illini coaching staff.

If you took the Wisconsin win with a grain of salt, you have to give credit to Indiana (12-6, 3-4) for going on the road and beating an Illinois squad that had won four straight. If this is a sign of things to come from Jackson-Davis, Indiana could return to the Big Ten title conversation.

Other results from the night:

Purdue 61, Minnesota 39Zach Edey had just 12 points, but that matched Minnesota's total number of points in the first half. Braden Smith led all scorers with 19 points as the Boilermakers (18-1, 7-1 in Big Ten) now lead the conference by two games.

Michigan State 70, Rutgers 57The No. 23 Scarlet Knights tried to keep pace with Michigan State (13-6, 5-3 in Big Ten) on the road but shot just 34 percent and 2-of-17 from deep. Big man Clifford Omoruyi notched 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Knights (13-6, 5-3). The backcourt for the Spartans had another good game, led by 16 points and seven assists from AJ Hoggard.

Maryland 64, Michigan 58The last time these two teams faced one another, Michigan (10-8, 4-3 in Big Ten) won in a rout. Instead, Maryland (12-6, 3-4) was the one that threw the first punch and outlasted the Wolverines, despite 19 points from Hunter Dickinson. Jahmir Young, who has been playing at an all-league level, had 26 points to lead all scorers.

College of Charleston 69, Monmouth 55The score may not show it, but the No. 18 Cougars were down at halftime against a team that is 1-18 on the season. The ranked team probably was asleep for longer than they should be, but at least Reyne Smith woke up and dropped 27 points for Charleston.

Northern Kentucky 57, Cleveland State 56In a battle of two of the Horizon League's top teams, the Norse got 19 points and a game-winner from Marques Warrick.

Northern Kentucky (12-8, 7-2) is now in a three-way tie atop the league, while Cleveland State (11-9, 6-3) is a game back.

UCLA 74, Arizona State 62The Sun Devils (15-4, 6-2 in Pac-12) had a halftime lead at home and a chance to knock off the No. 5 team. But UCLA (17-2, 8-0) had other plans, quickly retaking the lead in the first few minutes of the second period and outscoring ASU 44-27 the rest of the way. Tyger Campbell (22 points) and David Singleton (21) spearheaded the effort.

Arizona 81, USC 66This is the Wildcats team we saw most of the season. No. 11 Arizona (16-3, 5-3 in Pac-12) had five players in double figures and covered the spread for just the second time in the past eight games.

Washington 75, Colorado 72Colorado (11-9, 3-6 in Pac-12) lost as a home favorite. Par for the course in what remains a completely bizarre season from the Buffs. Keion Brooks (25 points) did his job in helping Washington (12-8, 4-5) pick up the road win.

Middle Tennessee 62, Charlotte 58While FAU is clear in front of Conference USA, second place is up for grabs. Middle Tennessee (12-7, 5-3 in CUSA) got the needed home win over Charlotte (12-7, 3-5), led by Camryn Weston with 14 points.

North Florida 95, Queens 90In the highest-scoring game of the night, North Florida (8-11, 3-4 in ASUN) got 35 points and 10 rebounds from forward Carter Hendricksen, who shot 7-of-10 from deep. AJ McKee had an outstanding game for Queens (13-7, 3-4), leading them with 28 points.

Oakland 83, IUPUI 77 (OT)After winning five straight games in league play, Oakland (8-12, 6-3 in Horizon) nearly lost to the winless Jaguars, needing a 3-pointer to force overtime on the road. Star guard Jalen Moore had 27 points, spoiling Vince Brady's 23 points for IUPUI (3-17, 0-9).

Memphis 88, Wichita State 78Offense continues to be the strength for Memphis (14-5, 4-2 in AAC), led by 29 points and 15 rebounds from Deandre Williams, while Kendric Davis chipped in with 20 points and five assists. It was a slight setback for Wichita State (9-9, 2-4), who had been playing more competitively in the league.

James Madison 89, Troy 87 (OT)Buzzer-beaters at the end of regulation and in overtime went the way of James Madison (13-7, 4-3 in Sun Belt), who are now one game behind for 1st place in the Sun Belt. Vado Morse had 25 points and the game-winner for the Dukes, while Troy (12-8, 4-3) is now tied for second.

Sam Houston State 76, Stephen F. Austin 71After a blazing start to the season, Sam Houston State (14-5, 4-3 in WAC) was in danger of falling out of the WAC title chase completely. But they got an essential home win over SFA (13-7, 5-2) to stay in the middle, still three games behind unbeaten Seattle.

UC-Irvine 76, Hawaii 68After losing to UC-Santa Barbara earlier in the week, UC-Irvine (14-6, 7-1 in Big West) is back in first place after an important home win over Hawaii (14-5, 5-2). DJ Davis led all scorers with 18 points to pace the Anteaters.

Stanford 67, Oregon State 46There is one fewer winless team in conference play, as Stanford (6-12, 1-7 Pac 12) beat Oregon (7-12, 1-7). Guard Michael Jones had 18 points.

Southern Utah 111, New Mexico State 76In a matchup of biggest surprise vs. massive disappointment, Southern Utah (14-6, 6-1 in WAC) dominated the Aggies, thanks to 18 points from Tevian Jones. New Mexico State, who in the past decade has gone unbeaten in WAC play several times, is now 7-12 and 0-7 in the WAC.

Saint Mary's 73, Pepperdine 44After Gonzaga's loss, Saint Mary's (17-4, 6-0 in WCC) is now all alone in first place. Logan Johnson had 17 points for the Gaels who limited the firepower of Pepperdine (7-13, 0-6), holding it to a season-low 44 points.

Santa Clara 83, BYU 76Despite 24 points off the bench from Rudi Williams, BYU (14-8, 4-3 in WCC) couldn't steal one on the road. The Broncos (16-5, 4-2) had no problem scoring, shooting 49 percent from the field; Carlos Stewart and Keshawn Justice both went for 20-plus points.

3. End of an era: Notre Dame's Mike Brey to retire

There are a number of coaches in college basketball on "retirement watch." The ACC alone has three long-time coaches who are 70-plus years old: Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Jim Larrañaga (Miami) and Leonard Hamilton (Florida State), who could have decisions to make in the near future.

But here's one that wasn't on most anyone's radar.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being Jay Wright, this is a six in terms of how surprising it was. Brey has been at Notre Dame since 2000, winning 481 games in 22 seasons. He has made the NCAA Tournament 13 times (and twice more during five years at Delaware) and notched back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2015 and 2016. He's had zero controversies and is one of the sport's most respected leaders.

But maybe this shouldn't have been a shock. The Fighting Irish have been to just one Big Dance since 2017 and have had a pair of losing seasons. At 9-10 this season, and 1-6 in ACC play, the odds are good that this won't be a winning year either. And with five of the top six players with no eligibility left, it's probably the right time that Brey steps aside and allows his future replacement to rebuild their roster.

“That Mike (Brey) is the winningest coach in the 119-year history of Notre Dame men’s basketball speaks to his skill as a teacher of the game. His even greater legacy, however, lies in his achievements as an educator and mentor of the young men who played for him. In that sense, he represents this University as well as any coach I have worked with during my time at Notre Dame. And for that reason, I look forward to working with Mike to define his future role within Notre Dame Athletics," said Notre Dame vice president and athletic director Jack Swarbrick in a release.

Take a minute to appreciate Brey's tenure. Notre Dame operates at a different standard academically, which limits it somewhat in recruiting. And in the transfer portal era where rosters constantly change, the Irish, along with schools such as Vanderbilt, Stanford, Davidson, and Northwestern, are not able to get whomever they want to reload a roster.

Notre Dame is a good job, but not coveted. It's a football school with academic standards. Whoever they get will have to recruit at the ACC level and develop and keep players around for three to four years.

Not only did Coach Brey make Notre Dame a nationally-relevant program, but he successfully transitioned from the Big East to the ACC without taking a step back like Pittsburgh, Louisville and Syracuse did. Whoever follows Brey will have plenty of pressure to succeed.

4. Tyler Burton goes for an A-10 POY moment

DaRon Holmes's performance quieted the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year conversation. But after VCU's comeback vs the Flyers last Friday, it is now a topic among A-10 folk, especially with the logjam atop the standings.

Dayton, VCU and Saint Louis are all 5-1. Each has its own POY candidate: Holmes, VCU's Ace Baldwin and Saint Louis guard Yuri Collins, who leads the country in assists. But just below them is the Richmond Spiders, 4-2 in league play, with its own star in Tyler Burton. Burton ranks second in the league with 19.6 ppg and is tied for fourth with 7.8 rpg.

The 6-7 forward flirted with the NBA Draft last year but returned to a team that replaced the other four starters. But instead of rebuilding, the Spiders are in contention for a double-bye in the conference tournament. Burton has put up the stats and is second in KenPom's all-league ranks behind Holmes.

What Burton needs is a signature moment.

That could change tonight, as Richmond hosts VCU. The Rams are always a quality defense and have plenty to throw at Burton. After what they did to disrupt Holmes last week, expect no less against a cross-town rival.

But if Burton goes for 20-plus points in a win on national television, the senior forward should receive plenty of attention going forward. It's quite a nice weekend appetizer. (7 pm ET, ESPN2)

Other key games to watch on Friday:

Ball State at Kent State: Preseason MAC favorite Kent State (15-3, 5-0 in MAC) has delivered, while Ball State (13-5, 4-1) was an afterthought. But the Cardinals have already surpassed last season's win total and have one of the best bigs in the league in Payton Sparks (13.1 ppg and 8.3 rpg). If the Flash can't win at home, we'll have a tie for first place in the standings. (6:30 pm ET, CBSSN)

Iona at Manhattan: Despite the recent injuries, Iona (12-6, 5-2 in MAAC) remains just one game back of Siena in the standings. Manhattan (6-10, 4-3) has been much more competitive than expected, despite its entire roster changing before the start of the season. A win over Rick Pitino would be a massive statement by the Jaspers coaching staff. (7 pm ET, ESPN+)

Villanova at St. John's: After a win at home over UConn, St. John's (13-6, 3-5 in Big East) seems to have some life. Conversely, Villanova (9-10, 3-5) has recent losses to Butler and DePaul and barely beat Georgetown. If there was ever a time for the Red Storm to beat the Wildcats, this would be it at home. (7 pm ET, FS1)

Sacred Heart at Fairleigh Dickinson: The Northeast Conference feels wide open this season, but right now, Fairleigh (12-8, 5-0) is in first place. Sacred Heart (10-10, 3-2) is in third but can get to one game back with a road win. They'll have to slow down Demetre Roberts, one of the best guards in the league at 17.0 ppg and 4.1 apg. (7 pm ET, Check Local Listings)

Toledo at Buffalo: While Kent State vs Ball State is the better game on paper among the MAC action, the second game of the doubleheader is just as important. It's a battle of 3-2 teams in the standings as Toledo (12-6 MAC) looks to keep pace with Kent State at the top while Buffalo (9-9) seems to have found its footing after a rough non-conference. Both teams will be rooting for Ball State to win the first matchup.

5. Chris Holtmann on the hot seat? Let's all just relax.

Losing streaks happen, no matter the team. But sometimes it's who you lose to. For example, Ohio State has lost five straight games, most recently at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are no longer a pushover, but it's still Nebraska. Perception would have to significantly change for a basketball-proud program to accept a loss to them.

But Ohio State (10-8 overall, 2-5 in the Big Ten) can't seem to close out games (including a defeat to Minnesota, which is 1-6 in league play) — the definition of a rough stretch. And Buckeyes fans aren't happy. This is a team that was a bucket away from beating No. 1 Purdue on Jan. 5. And now?

Look, Thad Matta would still have the job today had health issues not come up. And there was no guarantee that Holtmann would keep the program at a Top 25 level, let alone make the NCAA Tournament every season while developing players who enter the NBA Draft ahead of schedule (looks around for Malaki Branham).

For perspective, Ohio State is still a projected NCAA Tournament in most brackets. They have a NET ranking of 28, along with four Quad 1 and 2 wins. Also, Nebraska has a ranking in the top 100 (wow) so that win technically isn't bad on paper.

So let's calm down, Ohio State fans. Coaches at Stanford, Georgetown, Cal and Georgia Tech are on the hot seat. The Buckeyes would beat those teams by 15 points. You have a good coach who has already landed some nice accomplishments. That being said, if they lose No. 6 at home against Iowa on Saturday, then expect the frustration to boil.

Stay up late and watch college hoops' most underrated program

After surviving Colorado State on the road, preseason favorite San Diego State remains tied for first place in the Mountain West standings. Also in first place is Boise State, who are 15-4 (5-1) overall. After losing to South Dakota State to start the season, the Broncos have put themselves not only in league contention but also in the at-large conversation, with a top-20 NET ranking and seven Quad 2 victories.

After winning the most games in both league play (15) and overall (27) in program history last season, Boise State was expected to take a slight step back at least. They lost arguably their two best players in Abu Kigab and Emmanuel Akot from a year ago, who were important on both sides of the ball.

Yet the Broncos haven't skipped a beat, with four players scoring at least 12 ppg this season in a balanced effort. Sophomore Tyson Degenhart leads them with 13.6 ppg, while Texas Tech transfer Chibuzo and Agbo has provided the team with that athletic and versatile forward on both ends that makes them so imposing on defense. And Max Rice has been a breakout player in his senior year, averaging a career-high 13.1 ppg on 43 percent 3-point shooting.

Max's father, head coach Leon Rice has been the definition of "consistent." Since 2010 when he was hired to lead the program, Boise State has had at least 20 wins 10 times, while having double-digit Mountain West wins in 8 of the past 9 years. That includes a trio of NCAA Tournament appearances, making it last year as well. Coach Rice was awarded a five-year contract extension last offseason and the former Gonzaga assistant has proven to be worth every penny.

The number of programs out west that compare to Boise State's success in the past decade is not many. Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, BYU, Arizona, UCLA, Oregon, and New Mexico State come to mind, but most of those programs either feast on weaker competition or have vastly superior resources to operate.

What Rice and the Broncos are doing isn't getting enough attention on a national level, but they have a chance to make a statement tonight when they face New Mexico in a battle of the top teams in the Mountain West (11 pm ET, FS1). If the Aztecs lose this weekend at Air Force, then the Broncos could be alone in first place.

UCLA looks to lock up Pac-12 regular season title

With all due respect to Bobby Hurley and Arizona State, the two best teams in the Pac-12 are Arizona and UCLA. But the Wildcats have surprisingly struggled a bit in league play, losing to Washington State, Oregon, and Utah. Meanwhile, the Bruins are 17-2 overall and 8-0 in the league. If Arizona (16-3, 5-3) can't find a way to win at home this weekend, the regular season title race may already be over. (2pm ET ABC)

The other games to watch this weekend (All times ET)

SATURDAY

• Miami (15-3, 6-2 ACC) at Duke (13-5, 4-3), Noon (ESPN)

• College of Charleston (20-1, 8-0 CAA) at Northeastern (8-10, 4-3), Noon (Check Local Listing)

• TCU (14-4, 3-3 Big 12) at Kansas (16-2, 5-1), 1 pm (CBS)

• Virginia (14-3, 6-2 ACC) at Wake Forest (14-5, 6-2), 2 pm (ESPNU)

• Texas Tech (10-8, 0-6 Big 12) at Kansas State (16-2, 5-1), 2 pm (ESPN2)

• Texas A&M (13-5, 5-0 SEC) at Kentucky (12-6, 3-3), 2 pm (FOX)

• Tennessee (15-3, 5-1 SEC) at LSU (12-6, 1-5), 4 pm (ESPN)

• Marquette (15-5, 7-2 Big East) at Seton Hall (12-8, 5-4), 4 pm (CBSSN)

• Baylor (13-5, 3-3 Big 12) at Oklahoma (11-7, 2-4), 4 pm (ESPN2)

• NC State (15-4, 5-3 ACC) at UNC (13-6, 5-3), 5 pm (ACC Network)

• Alabama (16-2, 6-0 SEC) at Missouri (14-4, 3-3), 6 pm (SEC Network)

• Texas (15-3, 4-2 Big 12) at West Virginia (11-7, 1-5), 6 pm (ESPN)

• Florida Atlantic (18-1, 8-0 CUSA) at UTEP (11-8, 4-4), 9 pm (ESPN+)

• USC (13-6, 5-3 Pac-12) at Arizona State (15-4, 6-2), 10 pm (ESPNU)

• Gonzaga (16-4, 5-1 WCC) at Pacific (10-11, 3-3),10 pm (Check Local Listings)

SUNDAY

• Butler (11-9, 3-6 Big East) at UConn (15-5, 4-5), Noon (FOX)

• Maryland (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten) at Purdue, 1 (FS1)

• Memphis (14-5, 4-2 AAC) at Cincinnati (14-6, 5-2), 1 pm (ESPN2)

• Temple (11-9, 5-2 AAC) at Houston (18-1, 6-0), 3 pm (ESPN)

• Bryant (13-6, 4-2 AEC) at UMass-Lowell (16-4, 4-2), 1 pm (ESPN+)

The State of the A-10

We already discussed what's at stake for Tyler Burton and Richmond tonight against VCU, but what about the rest of the Atlantic 10? We had former UMass coach Matt McCall stop by the A-10 Insider with Rob Dauster to discuss the ins and outs, who's stood out thus far, who's struggled, and what's next.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 on YouTube and click here subscribe to the Atlantic 10 Insider podcast.

Links as you decide which NFL playoffs game you can skip in favor of college hoops.

• Nebraska forward Juwan Gary will miss the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. He'd started the first 17 games for the Huskers.

• The COVID delayed Iowa-Northwestern game has been rescheduled for Jan 31 at 9 pm ET.

• Oscar Tshiebwe, Drew Timme among midseason Oscar Robertson Award contenders.

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