No doubt about No. 1

Good morning! That was quite a night of hoops. We only had 30 games, but it seems like all of them mattered. So let’s dig in.

1. Michigan makes statement with win at Purdue

Michigan’s first game as the top team in the AP poll was pretty much the same as the rest of its season: Dominant.

No. 1 Michigan handled No. 7 Purdue, 91-80, on Tuesday night in West Lafayette in a game where the Wolverines led by as many as 20. It also marked Purdue’s third home loss this season, which is the most since 2019-20. That’s notable for the Boilers, who entered the season ranked No. 1.

Michigan dominated the paint on both ends. It shot 17-of-34 from inside the arc (50%) and held Purdue to 19-of-43 (44%) from 2. Throw in Michigan’s 13-of-23 performance beyond the arc and Purdue couldn’t keep up.

The battle of the bigs was a win for Michigan (25-1, 15-1 in Big Ten). Morez Johnson and Aday Mara each recorded double-doubles, with each of them grabbing 11 rebounds. Mara held Purdue center Oscar Cluff to four points on four shots. And they were content to let Trey KaufmannRenn play one-on-one basketball. He scored 27 points, but it took 26 shots.

Michigan coach Dusty May went into detail about how the vets, such as Morez Johnson and Elliott Cadeau, have helped develop their bench. LJ Cason (13 points) and Trey McKenney (13 points).

"When LJ Cason is going head-to-head with Elliot Cadeau every day, and there's an intent, and there's purpose, he's going to get better," May said. "When our young bigs are battling Morez (Johnson), that prepares you to battle TKR.”

Purdue (21-5, 11-4) just didn't get enough production from its guards. Braden Smith finished with 20 points, but shot 4-of-13. CJ Cox went 1-of-4 from the field, and Fletcher Loyer scored 11 points. On nights when Michigan hits 13 3s, the opposing guards have to match that production.

Michigan now leads the Big Ten by three games with four to play — a regular-season title would be its first since 2021 — but it’ll get another test first when it plays Duke in Washington DC on Saturday.

2. NC State wallops UNC, claims bragging rights

North Carolina didn't have its two best players on Tuesday night. And NC State showed it.

The Wolfpack crushed No. 16 UNC, 82-58, in a game that wasn’t close from the start. UNC trailed by six points five minutes into the game — and never got any closer.

The Heels (20-6, 8-5 in ACC) played without Caleb Wilson (left hand) and Henri Veesaar (hamstring) and struggled to get anything rolling offensively. They scored just 0.90 points per possession and went a brutal 5-for-33 (18%) from downtown. Frontcourt players Jarin Stevenson and Zayden High each scored 13 points.

You could tell NC State (19-8, 10-4) wanted this one. It had lost two straight games and was coming off a heartbreaking home loss to Miami. That didn’t show on Tuesday.

Quadir Copeland scored 20 points, and added six rebounds and seven assists. Ven-Allen Lubin went for 12 points and six rebounds. Both said afterward that this game meant something beyond the box score.

Lubin wore a bedazzled belt, which was a nod to UNC. Copeland told Wilson to “lace up next time.”

"They were talking about a lot about North Carolina schools this, North Carolina schools that,” Copeland said. “So it's crazy how fast the tables turn. We can dance with our belt too for them."

The Wolfpack had their offense rolling all game. They shot 50% on 2s and 40% from downtown, good for 1.28 ppp. Freshman Matt Able had a good game off the bench with 19 against UNC.

Next, the Wolfpack has to head to Virginia to play a team that beat them by 15 in its building last month.

3. Saint Louis’ 18-game win streak snapped

Only three teams were unbeaten in conference play entering Tuesday: Saint Louis, Miami (Ohio), and Liberty. That number’s down to two.

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