One wacky Wednesday

Early Wednesday evening, it became clear that we were in for an unpredictable night of college basketball. Duke got pummeled, Baylor lost at home, and Auburn, UConn, and others lost as road favorites. Additionally, we'll survey the mid-season Wooden Watch list, which dropped yesterday.

Let's get to the news.

1. It got wacky in Waco

No. 19 Baylor produced one of the wilder results of the night, blowing a big lead at home to No. 12 TCU.

The Bears led by 17 points after a scorching-hot first half, but the Horned Frogs chipped away and gave themselves a chance in the final possession. Chuck O’Bannon's go-ahead jumper gave TCU the lead, and Xavier Cork finished the job, swatting away Keyonte George’s potential game-winning layup in the final seconds. Looks like the Frogs' football team isn't the only team capable of remarkable comebacks.

But even before the final sequence, TCU guard Mike Miles turned in a banner night. He scored 33 points, 15 of which came in the first 6:30 of the second half, and accounted for all but two of the Horned Frogs' points. His speed was remarkable; he'd take an outlet pass and repeatedly beat every player down the court — no small feat against a quick defense like Baylor.

TCU (13-1, 3-0 in Big 12) has won 11 straight since its only loss against Northwestern State (*gulps*), but it is potent when it has its entire lineup (Miles has missed three games with injuries, while Damion Baugh served a 6-game suspension). If you adjust Bart Torvik's rankings to mid-November, the Horned Frogs jump from 26th to ninth.

Miles and Baugh, along with reliable post pieces like Emanuel Miller and Eddie Lampkin put TCU in position to potentially win the Big 12 — though shooting remains a concern. The Frogs hit just 3 of their 14 attempts from beyond the arc against Baylor.

As for Baylor (10-4, 0-2), it has lost two straight and will host Kansas State on Saturday. Former assistant Jerome Tang in Waco just days after his team dropped 116 points on Texas? It could get even wackier.

2. Can Duke exorcise its demons?

It's time to take a look at Duke.

N.C. State ran the No. 16 Blue Devils (11-4, 2-2 in ACC) off the court on Wednesday night, opening up a 15-0 lead, before hitting the accelerator all the way to the end for an 84-60 victory. The Duke guards looked completely overmatched by Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner, who combined for 45 points as the Wolfpack (12-4, 2-3) earned their best win of the season.

The Blue Devils' issues are pretty cut and dry — key 5-star freshmen aren’t performing like 5-stars:

• Tyrese Proctor: 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 38 percent shooting, 23 percent from three.

• Dereck Lively II: 4.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks.

• Dariq Whitehead: 7.6 points, 38% shooting, 27 percent from three.

That trio was expected to play like All-ACC caliber players off the rip, but Kyle Filipowski (13.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg) is the only one coming close. Time is ticking for the freshmen to figure it out, too.

Beyond the rookies, NC State exposed the veteran members of Duke's backcourt. Junior Jeremy Roach is inconsistent, shooting 37 percent from the floor and 33 percent from deep. Sophomore Jaylen Blakes scored 17 a piece against Wake Forest and Florida State but registered just two points (and three turnovers) against the Pack. If Roach, Blakes and Proctor endure off nights, Duke's shot creation goes by the wayside.

The Blue Devils meet Boston College in Chestnut Hill this weekend, where they'll likely be double-digit favorites. If they are going to win a road game (they haven't yet this season), this is the time, given the stark talent gap between the two teams.

3. Other Wednesday results

Two wacky results, so what about the rest? We'll get to them — first we have to highlight the other impressive win of the night.

Providence 73, UConn 61RANK THE FRIARS! This sure didn't seem like luck. Providence (13-3, 5-0 in Big East) has put the transfer pieces together, as budding stars Bryce Hopkins and Devin Carter have their squad in the Big East title discussion. Hopkins scored 27 on 6-of-12 shooting, and Noah Locke scored 17, hitting three timely triples. For No. 4 UConn (14-2, 3-2 in Big East), shooting 5-of-22 from deep and 10-of-19 from the line isn’t a winning formula. It'll look to end a two-game skid Saturday against Creighton.

Georgia Tech 76, Miami 70Things went completely bonkers in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets (8-6, 1-3 in ACC), picked to finish last in the ACC preseason poll, led most of the game until No. 12 Miami (13-2, 4-1) took a 6-point lead with 4:50 left. Order restored, right? Nope. GT outscored the Canes 10-0 to complete the shocker. It got a dazzling outing from Lance Terry, who scored 24 points, while Miami’s Isaiah Wong went just 1-of-11 from the field.

Northwestern 73, Illinois 60Who thought Illinois (9-5) would start the Big Ten season 0-3? Well, that’s the reality. Illinois is making mistakes uncharacteristic of an experienced team — like its 15 turnovers and 29 fouls (the latter of which allowed the Wildcats to attempt 40 (!) free throws.) Meanwhile, Northwestern (11-3) is 2-1 in the Big Ten for just the second time in 17 seasons.

Georgia 76, Auburn 64Quite the way for the Bulldogs (11-3, 1-0 in SEC) to begin conference play. If the guard duo of Terry Roberts (26 points) and Kario Oquendo (17 points) can dominate teams as they did against No. 22 Auburn (11-3, 1-1), Georgia could get on the bubble. Auburn’s shooting struggles continued, as they went 6-of-21 from deep; the Tigers are shooting 29 percent from 3 this season.

Iowa State 63, Oklahoma 60: Someone left the Grill on high. Caleb Grill was sizzling hot in Norman, dropping 20 points, including the go-ahead triple with 25 seconds left. It wasn't exactly what T.J. Otzelburger had in mind — the Cyclones blew a 17-point lead — but No. 25 Iowa State (11-2, 2-0 in Big 12) has now beaten Baylor, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Oklahoma (9-5, 0-2) could have won despite leading-scorer Grant Sherfield's four-point outing (1-of-7 from the field.)

Michigan 79, Penn State 69The Wolverines (9-5, 3-0 in Big Ten) found a sense of urgency after losing to Central Michigan last week, beating Maryland and Penn State (11-4, 2-2) by double figures. The most encouraging sign for Michigan is Hunter Dickinson, who has scored 49 points during the winning streak. The Wolverines are sitting in first place with Wisconsin atop the Big Ten.

Arkansas 74, Missouri 68No. 20 Missouri (12-2, 1-1 in SEC) cemented its place as a legitimate SEC team, leading by 15 with 2:58 left in the first half. However, Ricky Council IV went off after the break, finishing with 25 points and seven rebounds as the No. 13 Razorbacks pulled away at home. The best story from the game is seldom-used freshman Joseph Pinion spurring the comeback, scoring 13 on 3-of-6 shooting from deep.

Charleston 92, North Carolina A&T, 79The College of Charleston (14-1, 2-0 in CAA) looked tremendous in its first game as a ranked team in 20 years. Dalton Bolon scored 20 points in the win. If Charleston wants to make the NCAA Tournament, it needs to avoid losses to most CAA teams (it can maybe endure a slip-up against UNCW, Towson or Hofstra.) NC A&T lost, but phenomenal guard Kam Woods dropped 30 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Villanova 73, Georgetown 57The Hoyas (5-11, 0-5 in Big East) have now lost 25 consecutive Big East games, the longest such streak in conference history. Villanova (8-7, 2-2) pulled away after being tied at halftime behind Caleb Daniels' 20 points.

Clemson 68, Virginia Tech 65The Tigers (12-3, 4-0 in ACC) are off to their best conference start in 24 years, getting 13 points from PJ Hall and Hunter Tyson in a thrilling road win. The Hokies (11-4, 1-3) had a chance but Sean Pedulla's 3-pointer was well short at the buzzer.

Dayton 76, Saint Joseph's 56Don't look now, but the Flyers (11-5, 3-0 in A-10) are rounding into form after their sixth straight win, all of which have been double digits. Daron Holmes led Dayton with 20 points, while the Hawks (6-8, 0-2) dropped their second in a row.

St. Bonaventure 73, George Mason 69Daryl Banks' 3-pointer with 46 seconds remaining helped the Bonnies (8-7, 2-0 in A-10) stay unbeaten in the A-10. He finished with a game-high 27, including 6-of-11 from deep. George Mason (9-6, 1-1) got 21 points from Victor Bailey Jr.

UCF 64, East Carolina 61CJ Kelly dropped 30 points as the Knights (11-4, 2-1 in AAC) rebounded from its loss to Houston with a strong second half against the Pirates (10-6, 1-2).

UNC Wilmington 81, Elon 66Trazarien White scored 26 points and the Seahawks (13-3, 3-0 in CAA) won its 12 straight game, behind only league rival Charleston for the nation's longest streak. They'll play each other Wednesday; circle that date on your calendar.

Southern Illinois 53, Drake 49The Salukis (12-4, 4-1 in MVC) got 21 points from Marcus Domask as they won their seventh straight game and stayed right on Indiana State's heels in the Mo Valley. DJ Wilkins led the Bulldogs (11-5, 2-3) with 14 points.

4. Poking holes in the midseason Wooden Award list

We’re officially at the midseason point of the college basketball season, which means it’s time to cut the Wooden Award list to 25 players. The updated list dropped on Wednesday:

• Armando Bacot, North Carolina

• Marcus Carr, Texas

• Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy

• Kendric Davis, Memphis

• Gradey Dick, Kansas

• Hunter Dickinson, Michigan

• Zach Edey, Purdue

• Kyle Filipowski, Duke

• Adam Flagler, Baylor

• Keyonte George, Baylor

• Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana

• Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA

• Caleb Love, North Carolina

• Mike Miles Jr., TCU

• Brandon Miller, Alabama

• Kris Murray, Iowa

• Adama Sanogo, Connecticut

• Marcus Sasser, Houston

• Terquavion Smith, N.C. State

• Drew Timme, Gonzaga

• Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky

• Ažuolas Tubelis, Arizona

• Jordan Walker, UAB

• Jalen Wilson, Kansas

• Isaiah Wong, Miami (FL)

So, a couple gripes.

Where is Oumar Ballo? He's averaging 17 points, nine rebounds, shoots 71 percent and is one of the driving forces behind one of the game's best teams. Could remove Filipowski for him.

What more does Jalen Pickett need to do? The Nittany Lions star is shining as a super-senior, averaging 16.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.5 dimes. Moreover, Pickett is seventh on KenPom's Player of the Year list, yet he's not a top-25 player according to this release. Feels like a miss.

5. What to make of the Mountain West

Let's talk about the Mountain West, which once again sits as the best non-power conference.

It currently has six teams among kenpom's top 80 and did have the nation's last unbeaten tea in New Mexico. And while San Diego State was the heavy favorite to win the league before the season, Nevada (13-3, 3-0 in MWC) and Utah State (13-2, 2-0) should challenge for that crown.

San Diego State (11-4, 2-0) has won four straight, but Matt Bradley has been inconsistent and JaeDon LeDee's development seems to have stalled. Still, they remain the favorites thanks to their elite defense.

New Mexico (14-1, 2-1) was rolling before falling short to Fresno State on Tuesday. The Lobos' trio of Jamal Mashburn Jr. (17.5 points), Jaelen House (17.0 points, 5.0 assists) and Morris Udeze (15.9 points, 7.6 rebounds) makes them a serious conference contender. The Quad 3 loss to Fresno State will sting if New Mexico needs an at-large NCAA Tournament bid and can't afford any further setbacks to the bottom half of the league.

Also, outside the top two, keep an eye on Utah State. The Aggies couldn’t have hoped for a better transition from Craig Smith, who took USU to NCAA Tournaments in all three years of his tenure, to Ryan Odom, who has Utah State in the same conversation in his second season in Logan.

The Mountain West is in a position to snag multiple NCAA Tournament bids, but the upper-tier teams like SDSU, New Mexico and Utah State have to avoid Q3/Q4 losses to keep the multi-bid hopes alive.

These Blazers never slow down

UAB's off to a fast start, winning 12 games before Jan. 1 for just the fourth time in program history, and not since Gene Bartow was on the sideline. Few teams are more fun. The Blazers play fast, shoot 3s and have one of the nation's most explosive backcourts in Jelly Walker and Eric Gaines. That's heady stuff for coach Andy Kennedy, who's already won 61 games in Birmingham — and he's only halfway through Year 3! He paused just long enough for our Four Questions.

Q: You're in your third season at UAB. The progression — you guys won 22 games your first season, last year you won 27 and went to the NCAA Tournament — has been strong, and I know that you're hoping to have a bigger year this season. What's been the driver of that now that you're in Year 3?

Andy Kennedy: I guess technically it is Year 3, but I look at it and think COVID was just so bizarre — we didn't have a lot of coaching changes, things were strange — that it's hard to view that as a typical Year 1. Even though we went 22-7 and it was a fine year, it was so bizarre, I don't even really count it. So last year was our first year where we could actually recruit and do some things. And we had a, we had a year that ended well with us capturing the conference tournament. And then obviously there were some big expectations heading into this year. We were bringing back six of our top nine producers and four of our top six. But then we added a lot of guys from the portal and we're just now getting to where we need to be and approach our daily business in order to have a chance to be successful. And I'm hopeful that our team is starting to understand that path.

Q: I know the portal offers new challenges, but integrating a new player who's had years of experience in other systems into what you're trying to do is probably the biggest challenge the public doesn't think about enough.

Andy Kennedy: Take Jelly Walker for instance. I am Jelly's fourth coach. He was with [Kevin] Willard at Seton Hall, he transferred and sat out under [Mike] Dunleavy at Tulane. Then he had Ron Hunter [at Tulane] and then me. And we've got Javian Davis. He started at Alabama with Avery Johnson, then got Nate [Oats], then Ben Howland [at Miss State]. It's all just different. It takes a while to get guys to trust and understand that 'hey, this is the way we have to do it.'

Q: Here's where you can stump for Conference USA for people who don't realize just how good the league is. It's currently 10th in KenPom. There are four teams in the top 77 of the NCAA's NET rankings. It's the best the league's been in nearly a decade — glad they waited until you got here to be this good.

Andy Kennedy: It's the strongest it's been since either '14 or '15, in its current affiliation. With present teams included, it's as you said, the strongest in number of quality teams, top to bottom. And you know, this league hasn't had at-large bids. And I think there are a number of teams — ourselves being one, FAU, who we play on Thursday — as two who have an opportunity to grab an at-large.

Q: Even better for those of us who like to watch the Blazers, you guys play fast, too. You've never been a slow-it-down coach, but this year ... is there any way we can get you to play Alabama? That game might hit 300 total points. Maybe you're in a basketball state?

Andy Kennedy: (Laughs). I don't know if we'll ever get there, but we do have some good, quality basketball in this state. I think [Alabama's] the most talented team in the SEC.

For us, this year is a different level. We're actually third in average possession length on KenPom and I think we're 11th in adjusted tempo overall. And you know as well as I do that you really control tempo with your offense. And we've always tried to play fast because I felt like it gave us the best chance to win based on personnel. We're not overly tall or physical, so we need to play fast.

UAB plays at Florida Atlantic tonight at 7 pm ET on ESPN+.

Purdue looks to bounce-back

The Boilermakers were playing with fire for the last three weeks and they finally got burned on Monday, as Rutgers pulled off the stunning upset in West Lafayette. Can Zach Edey and the Boilermakers bounce back in Columbus against No. 24 Ohio State — or will Brice Sensabaugh and co. hand Purdue its second loss of the week?

Other games to watch (All times ET)

• UAB (12-2), at FAU (12-1), 7 pm (ESPN+)

• Southern Miss (13-2) at Louisiana (10-4), 8 pm (ESPN+)

• Indiana (10-3) at Iowa (8-6), 9 pm (FS1)

Arizona's heating up

How have the Wildcats gotten off to another fast start under coach Tommy Lloyd? He joins Bear Down Ballers with AJ Bramlett to discuss the program and the sweet, sweet retro threads from '97 that Arizona wore last weekend.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 on YouTube and click here to subscribe to Bear Down Ballers.

Links as you wonder what Gio Reyna's parents were thinking.

• Texas A&M earned a rare pre-game technical on Wednesday, all because it left jerseys at the team hotel.

• Yves Missi, a 5-star prospect in the class of 2024, will head to Baylor.

• Virginia added Georgetown transfer Dante Harris, who'll play starting with the 2023-24 season.

• The investigation into Chris Beard's alleged domestic violence charge remains under review.

• Utah State will retire Jaycee Carroll's jersey on Feb. 18.

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