The weekend in college hoops

Good morning! It was quite the college hoops weekend. Unless you were a Kentucky, Purdue or Missouri fan.

Seeking impartial news? Meet 1440.

Every day, 3.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a brief 5-minute email. Enjoy an impartial news experience.

Join for free today!

1. Arizona, Iowa State make case as sport’s best

The two best teams in college basketball may just reside in the Big 12 conference.

After a statement 97-68 win over No. 20 Auburn on Saturday, No. 2 Arizona (8-0) earned its fourth win over a ranked team in eight games. It’ll almost certainly will be ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll today. Not that coach Tommy Lloyd’s too concerned about that.

“It’s nothing you shy away from. You’re at Arizona. You know you’re going to be on the big stage,” he said Saturday, also noting that Michigan, UConn, Duke and Michigan State have looked great this season. “But we have bigger things on our mind.”

Then you have No. 10 Iowa State, which has climbed to No. 2 on KenPom after and handing Purdue the largest home loss ever by an AP No. 1 team, 81-58.

So, are these the two best teams in the country? You could certainly make the case.

Arizona has the best wins of anyone: Florida-UCLA-UConn-Auburn. They have Jaden Bradley, a closer and one of the best point guards in the sport, Koa Peat, a top-10 NBA Draft pick, and the positional size and athleticism to give opposing offenses fits. The Wildcats are for real.

But Iowa State (9-0) isn’t far behind, if at all. It has an experienced, elite defensive point guard in Tamin Lipsey, and an All-American forward in Joshua Jefferson. It has an elite scoring wing in Milan Momcilovic, a defensive menace and NBA-caliber freshman guard in Killyan Toure. We know coach TJ Otzelberger focuses on defense, but this team can score. The Cyclones have it all, and it’s why Rob Dauster believes they’re true title contenders.

Duke, Michigan and UConn would be in the same tier for me as well, but if you argued Arizona-Iowa State as the two best teams in the country, I wouldn’t push back.

Another note: The Big 12 is going to be a gauntlet this season. Arizona, Iowa State, Houston, BYU, Texas Tech, Kansas is a hell of a top six, and the projected bottom of the league has been fantastic.

2. Darryn Peterson is back!

Kansas fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The star of the Jayhawks is back.

Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.