A shot to the Temple

This weekend marked a historic two-day stretch for the AP No. 1 and No. 2 teams — and not in a good way! If it is any consolation for Houston and Kansas, at least the rest of the Top 10 struggled too.

How might these losses affect NCAA Tournament seeding?Tune into the Field of 68's bracketology show to find out! Fielding the 68 returns TODAY and airs Mondays and Fridays at 5 pm ET. You can look forward to hearing from hosts Greg Waddell, Jim Root and Ky McKeon, alongside bracketologists Lukas Harkins, Rocco Miller, Andy Bottoms and Brad Watchel.

Anyway, let's talk about some of those upsets.

1. Houston's home heartbreak gives way to new No. 1

Of the top teams to topple, none came as more of a surprise than Houston (18-2, 6-1 in AAC). The Coogs entered their Sunday bout with Temple as the consensus No. 1 team, winners of nine in a row and a 19-point favorite.

But none of that mattered. The Owls (12-9, 6-2) matched the Coogs' physicality from the start and came out on top, 56-55.

Temple coach Aaron McKie's game plan worked swimmingly. Temple started by limiting one of Houston's biggest strengths: Offensive rebounding. In a collective effort to neutralize the Cougars on the glass, the Owls allowed them to grab just 30 percent of their misses — eight percentage points off their season average.

Additionally, Temple closed off driving lanes and frustrated Marcus Sasser, Jamal Shead, Tramon Mark and Jarace Walker. The quartet combined for a paltry 13-of-48 (27 percent) from the field. Thanks to its defense, Temple didn't even need to do anything special on the other end; it simply made smart passes (assisted on 78.6 percent of its baskets), got to the charity stripe and made its free throws (20-of-22.) 

The same could not be said for Houston, which missed 10 of its 21 freebies — a backbreaker in a one-point game. It's the sixth loss by a top-ranked team at home to an unranked team in the last four years.

Nevertheless, Coogs fans shouldn't feel too hung up on the loss, though Houston's number of close wins is slightly alarming. (On New Year's Eve, UCF took the Cougars to the brink in the Fertitta Center. Eleven days later, lowly South Florida did the same.) Still, the predictive metrics haven't wavered on Houston — it remains No. 1 on KenPom, Bart Torvik and EvanMiya.

But that'll change in the AP Poll, and with good reason — because there's a certain team in Tuscaloosa that hasn't been pushed since mid-December.

Seriously. Take a look at Alabama's recent wins:

For those mathematically challenged, that's an average margin victory of 20.8 points across the Tide's eight-game winning streak. Moreover, three of those triumphs came against "Tier A" competition, per KenPom's metrics.

Contrast that to Purdue, which was recently tested by Maryland (in a 58-55 home win on Sunday) and Michigan State (in a 64-63 road win last week). The Boilermakers are still playing great ball, but the choice for No. 1 is clear.

There is so much to like about this Alabama squad. It has an all-league-level rim protector in Charles Bediako, a switchable defensive weapon in Noah Clowney, and a deep backcourt equipped with a table-setter (Jaden Bradley) and a bucket-getter (Mark Sears.) 

Oh yeah, and a National Player of the Year contender in Brandon Miller.

'Bama will be favored in every contest until its Feb. 15 tilt with Tennessee. Don't overthink this, AP voters.

2. Gonzaga zags disaster, but questions remain

Although it happened around midnight on the east coast — and on the seldom-watched WCC Network — we couldn't let Gonzaga's blunder against Loyola Marymount go unnoticed. After toying with its prey for the past couple of weeks, the prey finally fought back last Thursday night.

So, after losing as a 16.5-point favorite and witnessing a quintet of impressive streaks end, surely Gonzaga would take its anger out on its next hapless opponent?

Not quite.

In Saturday's road matchup with Pacific, the Zags allowed their foe to play them evenly in the first half. The Tigers used eight 3-pointers and 10 points from Oklahoma State transfer Keylan Boone to score 47 in the opening period, matching Gonzaga's output.

Five minutes into the second half, Gonzaga opened up a 12-point lead, but Pacific rallied and cut the deficit to three on multiple occasions. Drew Timme answered every counter, scoring 24 after the intermission and a career-high 38 points. But it wasn't until the 3:49 mark that the Zags pulled away for good after a Julian Strawther triple. 

Thus, Gonzaga escaped with a 99-90 win, but its fans felt a little queasy afterward. What to make of this team?

Despite Timme's brilliance, the Bulldogs' defense can make them vulnerable against almost any opponent. If their defensive efficiency (89th nationally) stands, it will be their lowest mark since 2006. They struggle to contain dribble penetration and miss perimeter rotations, giving up open shots.

Now, the Zags can still overwhelm the vast majority of the WCC with their blazing offense —  three players (with a minimum of 50 attempts) are shooting over 40 percent from 3, and Timme has upped his usage while maintaining his stellar efficiency. But there is a team about 900 miles south in Moraga, Calif., ready to come for Gonzaga's throne.

The Saint Mary Gaels have quietly stacked nine straight wins, posting a sterling 7-0 conference record in the process. And they have looked especially imposing in the new year — Saint Mary's has won its past five games by an average of 24.2 points.

Contrasting Gonzaga, SMC puts its challengers in a stranglehold on the defensive end. The Gaels excel at forcing their opposition into tough shots and limiting possessions with their top-ranked defensive rebounding. In addition, they are creating turnovers at a higher rate than any other team in Randy Bennett's tenure. Couple the impregnable defense with a burgeoning star in freshman guard Aidan Mahoney, and you might just have the new WCC favorites.

Feb. 4th can't get here soon enough.

3. Keys to the Carr

Resiliency seems to be a recurring theme for Texas' basketball players.

A year after floundering under the spotlight of preseason expectations, the Longhorns raced out to a No. 2 ranking in the first month of the season. You know what happened next. Their coach Chris Beard was suspended and subsequently fired following an arrest on felony domestic violence charges.

In the aftermath, Texas stayed afloat and won the games it was supposed to, even though it wasn't always pretty. But in early January, a 116-103 home drubbing at the hands of Kansas State raised questions about the Horns.

However, Marcus Carr helped keep the team from spiraling. The super-senior is in the middle of his best season yet, shooting above 40 percent from the field (45.7) and 36 percent from 3 (40.5) for the first time in his career. This weekend marked the latest example.

At West Virginia on Saturday, Carr scored just four points in the opening period — but his second basket, which came at the first-half buzzer, sparked a second-half takeover. With 19 points after the intermission, including Texas' final eight, the guard propelled the Longhorns to a 69-61 victory in Morgantown. 

Carr's shot selection has improved exponentially. Throughout the season, he has played in the flow of the offense, relied less on isolation and fine-tuned his ability to work off another dynamic guard in Tyrese Hunter. Rodney Terry echoed as much after the game. 

"Second half he just came out, all year long Marcus has kind of let the game come to him. He really didn’t have to come out and force it. We had some great reads to start the half and he got a couple really good looks. Once he sees that basketball go through the basket, it opens up a lot for him. It really creates a whole different way of carrying himself on that end of the floor."

Carr also has developed into a lethal catch-and-shoot threat. Thus far, 78.7 percent of his 3-point makes have been assisted, compared to 63.8 percent last season.

So how far can Carr take this Texas team?

Heading into the weekend, Kansas sat at the top of the Big 12 totem pole, and it looked like it wouldn't relinquish its position anytime soon. But then TCU came to town and handed the Jayhawks their second straight loss. (And it wasn't just a loss, mind you.) Iowa State also dropped a tough one at Oklahoma State, opening the door for Texas to slide into a three-way tie for the league's second spot. (Kansas State sits alone at No. 1.)

If Carr continues his trajectory, and the Longhorns maintain their offensive output, he could contend for Big 12 Player of the Year and earn his team a conference title.

4. Arizona bears down on the Bruins, and other notable games

For two weeks straight, the Sunday Scaries came to Tuscon a day early. On Jan. 7, Arizona got thumped by Washington State at home. Seven days later, it went on the road and suffered a blowout loss at the hands of Oregon. 

Finally, though, Arizona ended a Saturday on a high note. In a 58-52 win over UCLA, the Cats turned in their best defensive effort of the season, holding the Bruins to .79 points per possession (by far their lowest mark of the season.) The contest put Arizona back in the Pac-12 title hunt and proved that it isn't a one-trick pony that can only win by playing up-tempo.

Hear the AFTER DARK crew further break it down:

Other games of note

UConn 86, Butler 56Think UConn exorcised some demons? The Huskies (16-5, 5-5 in Big East) overmatched the Bulldogs (11-10, 3-7) from the jump, racing to a 22-point lead in the game's opening 20 minutes. Adama Sanogo looked like the dominant force we saw earlier in the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds. 

Baylor 62, Oklahoma 60Make it four straight Big 12 wins for Baylor (14-5, 4-3), even with an off-night for Keyonte George. In a vintage effort, Baylor flustered Oklahoma (11-8, 2-5) with its defense, holding Grant Sherfield to just eight points on 3-of-10 from the field (and zero free-throw attempts.)

Indiana 82, Michigan State 62The Hoosiers (13-6, 4-4 in Big Ten) won their third straight game by double digits. The streak has coincided with Trayce Jackson-Davis' superhuman play; the senior is averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds and 4.3 blocks over that stretch. Michigan State (13-7, 5-4), meanwhile, has dropped three of its past four games. Such is life in the Big Ten.

Ohio State 93, Iowa 77Take a deep breath, Buckeyes fans. Your team's losing streak is finally over. Ohio State (11-8, 3-5 in Big Ten) got back in the win column in a resounding fashion. Behind Brice Sensabaugh's 27 points, it averaged 1.31 points per possession and sent Iowa (12-7, 4-4) packing. 

Duke 68, Miami 66Jeremy Roach returned from a toe injury to score 14 points and log four assists in the Blue Devils' (14-5, 5-3 in ACC) home victory. Isaiah Wong turned in an uncharacteristically poor performance for the 'Canes (15-4, 6-3), who have lost three of their past five.

Kentucky 76, Texas A&M 67Is Kentucky back? Rob Dauster thinks so. As for me? Well, I'm still in wait-and-see mode. Though it was nice to see John Calipari give extended minutes to the CJ Fredrick-Antonio Reeves perimeter tandem. The Cats moved to 13-6 (4-3 in SEC) while handing the Aggies (13-6, 5-1) their first conference loss.

Florida State 71, Pittsburgh 64Oh, Pitt. Why must you do this to your fan base? There are good people invested in your program! Despite 20 points from Jamarius Burton, the Panthers (13-7, 6-3 in ACC) couldn't overcome a cold afternoon from 3. Don't look now, but Florida State (7-13) has quietly accumulated five conference wins.

Wyoming 58, Colorado State 57Colorado State (10-11, 2-6 in MWC) fell behind by 14 at the half but used a 15-0 run after the intermission to capture the lead. However, a couple of bad breaks at the end, including a questionable foul call on the Rams' Jalen Lake, allowed Wyoming (6-13, 1-6) to win the game at the free throw line.

New Mexico 81, Boise State 79Going back to Friday night, Morris Udeze's game-winner edged Boise State (15-5, 5-2 in MWC) in overtime, pushing the Lobos to 18-2 (5-2).

Long Beach State 112, UC San Diego 110How about some Big West drama? Long Beach State (10-10, 4-4) narrowly defeated UC San Diego (7-13, 2-6) in not one, not two, but three overtimes. A four-point-in-seven-seconds made the difference for the Beach.

Murray State 82, Indiana State 73Once viewed as the Mo Valley favorites, the Sycamores (13-8, 6-4) have now dropped four games in a row. Murray State (11-9, 6-4) has underwhelmed preseason expectations, but perhaps this was the jolt the Racers needed.

Belmont 78, Bradley 76The Bruins (15-6, 8-2 in MVC) are tied atop the conference after a thrilling road. Ben Sheppard scored a team-high 23 points, including the game-winner with 3.3 seconds left, snapping a 17-game home win streak for the Braves (13-8, 6-4).

UMass Lowell 98, Bryant 79Step aside, Vermont. This year, the America East runs through Lowell, Mass. The River Hawks (17-4, 5-2) are off to their best start in conference play since moving to D-I. For Bryant (13-7, 4-3), however, its move to the America East hasn't gone as smoothly as planned.

5. A "mondo" record broken, plus UNC's formula for success

Entering the weekend, Armando Bacot was 17 boards short of breaking the UNC career rebounding record — one held by Tyler Hansbrough since he graduated in 2009.

So, at Friday's press conference, Bacot called his shot.

The next day, the Tar Heel big man bested Hansbrough's mark and then some. He notched a 23-point, 18-rebound performance and spurred North Carolina past NC State, 80-69. Bacot's first words as he left the Dean Dome court and entered the locker room?

"I told y'all I was gonna get it."

Behind Bacot, the Tar Heels found a formula that dispersed the Wolfpack: Attacking the basket and baiting their opponent into fouls. (This plan aligned perfectly with UNC's strengths while exploiting NC State's weakness.) In addition to the big man's heroics, RJ Davis attempted (and made) a career-high 14 free throws.

"We knew they foul a lot coming into the game. So it was more about not settling for jump shots and 3s and just attacking the paint, whether that was through posts or penetration," Davis told me. "I think we did a good job of getting the ball into the paint and we were able to knock down our free throws with confidence."

For UNC, playing through Bacot and Davis is the way forward. Those two have the Heels in a five-way tie for third in the ACC at 6-3.

NC State fell to 5-4 in conference play, but it still sits firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture. However, the most pressing concern for the Wolfpack is the availability of Terquavion Smith, who suffered a scary fall after a hard foul from UNC's Leaky Black around the mid-point of the second half. Smith lay on the floor for about 10 minutes, tended to by medical professionals before a stretcher transported him off the court.

Thankfully, NC State released a statement yesterday, sharing that Smith's X-rays were negative and listing him as day-to-day.

Regarding the rest of the ACC, Clemson and Virginia took care of business over the weekend, remaining first and second in the league, respectively. But as Carolina gels and Duke gets healthier, don't be surprised to see that gap continue to narrow.

Team of the week: Kansas State Wildcats

Another week, another set of impressive wins for K-State. After beating archrival Kansas for the first time since 2019, the Wildcats knocked off Texas Tech, 68-58. Markquis Nowell put together another eye-popping stat line, logging 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Player of the week: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana

May I point you back to the game recaps to remind you of TJD's dominant play? As his college profile grows, so do his NBA prospects.

Weekend warrior: Maleeck Harden-Hayes, UNC Wilmington

College of Charleston isn't the only CAA team worthy of your attention. Wilmington is its biggest challenger, thanks in part to the breakout of Maleeck Harden-Hayes. The senior wing, who transferred in from North Dakota State, scored 31 points (5-of-7 from 3, 10-of-10 from FT) and grabbed seven boards in a 62-51 win at Stony Brook on Saturday.

At long last, a Big Monday

If the Monday slates have seemed light to you, you're not the only one. Well, that is changing in a big way tonight. Kansas travels to Waco to take on a resurgent Baylor squad — not exactly what the Jayhawks want coming off of their second-worst home loss under Bill Self. Dajuan Harris will have his hands full with Keyonte George. However, Kansas can pose some matchup issues of their own with Jalen Wilson. Few forwards in the country can guard him right now. (9 pm ET, ESPN)

Other games to watch

• Duke (14-5, 5-3 in ACC), at Virginia Tech (11-8, 1-7), 7 pm, ESPN

• Wisconsin (12-5, 4-3 in Big Ten), at Northwestern (12-5, 3-3), 6:30 pm, Big Ten Network

• New Mexico (18-2, 5-2 in MWC), at Nevada (15-5, 5-2), 9 pm, CBS Sports Network

• Norfolk State (13-6, 3-1 in MEAC), at Morgan State (10-9, 3-1), 7:30, ESPNU

Defense is the difference

Purdue is 19-1 overall and at 8-1 in the Big Ten, had a commanding lead in the conference. Once again, it's got an incredibly efficient offense, but if there's a reason this season's Boliermaker team can win it all, it's not just Zach Edey. As Terrence Oglesby explains on AFTER DARK, it's the defense.

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Links to click as you resist the Big Tinned Fish propaganda:

• Northwestern's adjusting its schedule this week. It'll now play Wisconsin tonight at 6:30 pm ET, and it'll be at Nebraska on Wednesday.

• Iowa State landed 2024 4-star wing Dwayne Pierce.

• Frank Martin is keeping receipts of UMass critics.

• Drew Timme is doing the same for Gonzaga naysayers (I might make his list after this week.)

• Texas Tech is 0-9 against teams ranked in the top 140 of the NET.

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