Tiger King

Maybe Missouri belongs in the AP Top 25, after all. It's clear that New Mexico does. Let's dive into all of that and much more from Wednesday. 

1. Mizzou's moment

Missouri's 9-0 start didn't gain many believers in the polls or movement in the metrics. And when Kansas beat the Tigers by 28 points on Dec. 10, the doubt seemed validated. 

But after a resounding win over then No. 16 Illinois, and an impressive 89-75 victory against No. 19 Kentucky on Wednesday night, both of which saw senior Kobe Brown top 30 points, well, there's only one way to view the naysayers.

The Tigers (12-1) asserted themselves early and often against the Wildcats. They took off after made shots, consistently pushing the ball for transition baskets. And it also worked for good looks in its halfcourt offense, as they hit on 49 percent of their attempts and 40 percent from deep. Brown (30 points on 10-of-18 shooting) led the way, but three other Tigers also topped 12 points. 

Two things are true: Missouri played a cupcake non-conference schedule, and Missouri is also good. It is a tribute to new coach Dennis Gates, who filled the roster with players who have bought into a fast-paced, pressing style. They can shoot and play a five-out offense instead of deploying a traditional big man. Gates’ teams at Cleveland State were known for toughness and defense, and if any offensive production came about, it was a bonus. Now? Missouri boasts the second-most efficient offense in the country per KenPom (behind only Arizona). It'll certainly be a factor in the SEC.

On the other side — are we sure Kentucky is good? The Wildcats are 8-4. Their best win is against Michigan on a neutral court. Result-based metrics, like the NCAA’s net rankings, have them 40th (just ahead of Illinois, oddly enough). That feels about right. 

The only players who consistently contribute are Oscar Tshiebwe and Cason Wallace. The reigning national POY, Tshiebwe, scored 23 points and grabbed 19 boards, while Wallace scored 19 points and drilled five 3-pointers. Those two alone will not cut it.

Coach John Calipari continues to mix and match the rotation. Nine players got time vs. Mizzou, including Adou Thiero, who played a season-high 17 minutes. Cal acknowledged that he needed to "tweak some things" on offense, but now that we're into SEC play, the urgency to find the right lineup mix will only become more and more urgent.

And where does the squad end up? The Field of 68 AFTER DARK crew has some thoughts.

2. Unbeatens win again, SEC battles and more from Wednesday

UConn 74, Villanova 66Ho hum, just another win for the second-ranked Huskies (14-0, 3-0 in Big East), who got a push from Villanova (7-6, 1-1) but pulled away for its first single-digit victory of the season. Despite Adama Sanogo scoring a season-low seven points, UConn still handled Nova. Jordan Hawkins scored a team-high 22 points on 6-of-14 shooting. UConn remains college basketball's best team despite its ranking in the AP poll.

New Mexico 88, Colorado State 69Sometimes, even Vegas can be wildly wrong. New Mexico was just a 5.5-point favorite at home against Colorado State. The No. 22 Lobos (13-0, 1-0 in MWC) ensured this was never a game, leading by ten after five minutes. Jaelen House scored 26 points, and Jamal Mashburn Jr. added 19, as the Rams (8-6, 0-1) couldn't contain either on defense. New Mexico is off to its best start since 1967-68. 

Tennessee 63, Ole Miss 59This one wasn't pretty. Ole Miss (8-5, 0-1 in SEC) led at halftime but went ice cold in the second half as the Vols (11-2, 1-0) leaned on their smothering defense — because the offense was mostly MIA. Santiago Vescovi led the No. 7 Vols with 22 points, hitting 8-of-14 field goals. Finding his rhythm would be a welcome sight for Tennessee — Vescovi was only shooting 34 percent from the field and 32 percent from deep entering the game.

LSU 61, Arkansas 58Similar to Missouri, LSU (12-1, 1-0 in SEC) played a relatively light non-conference schedule. However, the Tigers finally have a big win under their belt after outlasting No. 9 Arkansas (11-2, 0-1) in Baton Rouge. Trae Hannibal scored 19 points, and Derek Fountain tallied a double-double in LSU’s tight win. The AFTER DARK crew explains what went wrong for the Hogs, who were playing without Nick Smith again.

Xavier 84, St John’s 79The No. 22 Musketeers (11-3, 3-0 in Big East) got off to a fast start, scoring 27 points in the first seven minutes and mostly cruised in this one. St John’s (11-3, 1-2) finally enforced its full-court pressure in the second half and only trailed by seven with just under five minutes left but could not get over the hump. Jack Nunge led Xavier with 23 points on 10-13 shooting.

Auburn 61, Florida 58Auburn (11-2. 1-0 in SEC) held serve at home despite another rough shooting performance from beyond the arc (3-of-14 from three). Johni Broome (14) and Jaylin Williams (13) combined for 27. Florida (7-6, 0-1) somehow shot worse (3-of-19 from three) and only got six points from Collin Castleton. Considering it could not shoot and its best player struggled, it is a miracle Florida had a chance to win in the final seconds. 

Alabama 78, Mississippi State 67If anyone wondered if No. 21 Mississippi State (11-2, 0-1 in SEC) could score when Tolu Smith isn’t on, the answer is no. The Bulldogs' top-scorer only had five points on 1-of-7 shooting, and only three players scored in double-figures, led by 11 from DJ Jeffries and Keyshawn Murphy. No. 8 Alabama (11-2, 1-0) got another dominant Brandon Miller performance: 19 points and 11 boards. It's Bama's fourth win over a Top 25 opponent this season.

San Jose State 75, UNLV 72 OTThe Spartans (10-4, 1-0 in MWC) earned their best win yet in the Tim Miles era, getting 15 points from Omari Moore in a thrilling win at home. It's also the first time they have a winning record in the Mountain West. Elijah Harkless led UNLV (11-2, 0-1) with 20 points.

Nevada 74, Boise State 72The Mountain West will be fascinating this season. The Wolf Pack (11-3, 1-0 in MWC) got a last-second layup from Kenan Blackshear to beat the Broncos (10-4, 0-1) in both team's conference openers. Blackshear finished with 20 points. With seven teams in kenpom's Top 100, expect some attrition along the way.

Dayton 69, Duquesne 57The Flyers (9-5, 1-0 in A-10) have won four in a row, getting 22 points from Daron Holmes in their A-10 opener against the Dukes (10-4, 0-1). Dayton's offense still isn't clicking while point guard Malachi Smith remains out, but the defense was solid, forcing 14 turnovers and holding leading scorer Dae Dae Grant to just 8 points.

Davidson 57, Fordham 43The Rams (12-2, 0-1 in A-10) lost for the first time since Nov. 11, as Davidson (8-5, 1-0) packed its defense for an impressive road win. The Wildcats held Fordham to just 14 points in the first half and 25 percent shooting for the game. Reed Bailey and Desmond Watson both finished with 15 points.

Belmont 63, Bradley 60The Bruins (9-3, 2-1 in MVC) have acclimated to the Mo Valley, upsetting Bradley (9-5, 2-1) after a furious double-digit rally. Freshman sensation Cade Tyson missed the game but veteran Drew Friberg scored 21 points and nailed six 3s in Tyson’s absence. Belmont has the goods to compete in the Valley.

3. North Carolina got its floor leader of the future

North Carolina and top-shelf guards go together like spaghetti and meatballs. This time, coach Hubert Davis reeled in Elliot Cadeau, a class of 2024 point guard from Link Academy (Mo.), beating out Louisville, Texas, Syracuse, Texas Tech and Kansas.

Caleb Love and RJ Davis are both juniors, meaning the court will almost certainly belong to Cadeau when he steps on campus in 2024.

Cadeau is 6-1, 165 pounds, and could grow before arriving in Chapel Hill. But his game is already there. He's lightning-quick with the ball, has a sweet pull-up jumper and is an explosive athlete with a 44-inch vertical. His ceiling is insanely high — guys like Cadeau don't come around too often. 

Cadeau told 247sports: “I chose North Carolina because they’re a winning program and I would be surrounded by elite players when I get there.” He's right thus far. He'll join top-50 forward Drake Powell in North Carolina’s 2024 class, sure to grow as we get closer to the 2024-25 season.

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Water hazard

The winter storm that swept through the U.S. last week and disrupted games and travel continues to affect college hoops.

This is the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. The freezing temperatures caused a rupture in a water coil, resulting in water covering the court. They'll now repair the floor and have the Trojans play on a temporary court for the rest of the season.

Today's men's and women's doubleheader against UT Martin was moved to Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, but that won't be an option for every home game.

Will Iowa bounce back?

Iowa (8-4), Nebraska (7-6)

While zero ranked teams play on Thursday, it’s a good chance to see if Iowa (8-4, 0-1 in Big Ten) can rebound from last week's horrific loss to Eastern Illinois. Yet even with Kris Murray and Connor McCaffrey likely returning, winning road games in the Big Ten is difficult. And Nebraska isn’t a complete pushover this season. The Huskers (7-6, 0-2) beat Creighton and took No. 1 Purdue to overtime. To pull off the upset, veterans like Derrick Walker and Sam Greisel have to perform at a high level. (7 pm ET, Big Ten Network)

Other games to watch (all times ET)

• Providence (10-3) at Butler (8-5), 6:30 pm (FS1)

• North Texas (10-2), Florida Atlantic (11-1), 8 pm (ESPN+)

• Marshall (11-2), Appalachian State (7-6), 7 pm (ESPN+)

• Hawaii (9-3), UC Davis (7-5), 11:59 pm

Can any Big 12 team catch Kansas?

Don't look now, but the reigning champs have won five straight (all by double digits), are No. 4 in the AP poll, and No. 5 in both kenpom and barttorvik. Could Kansas (11-1) once again be the best team in the Big 12 despite losing six key players from last year's squad?

Rob Dauster, Terrence Oglesby and John Fanta debate is Baylor, Texas or anyone else in the Big 12 can take the conference crown.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 on YouTube here and subscribe here to the DTF podcast.

Links as you try figuring out how this Waffle House employee did this. 

• Kentucky hires former guard Tyler Ulis as a "student assistant"

• Weather issues canceled Alcorn State's trip to play Minnesota.

• UConn and North Carolina listed as participants in the 2023 Jimmy V Classic. Other two teams TBD.

•  Christmas day college hoops is good for the game: Creighton and DePaul's ratings paced every NBA Christmas game expect Bucks and Celtics.

• Starting Northern Iowa wing Nate Heise will miss the remainder of the season.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected].