Purdue, Duke, Kentucky – NCAA Favorites and Other Upsets That Shook Up the College Basketball

The NCAA favorites recently were trumped by underdog teams which sparked a debate among critics. The major question was whether better-ranked teams were actually performing to their merit and whether lower-positioned teams had the power to turn the tides.

Amid all the chatter are this week’s upsets that have once again instilled hope in teams and coaches that when luck favors, then all the tactics and strategies will pay off, and the little guys will bask again in sunlight. Here’re 10 twists from the ongoing season.

1. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Mississippi State Bulldogs 67-59

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets upset the Mississippi State Bulldogs by a decent margin of 67-59. The Jackets took an unassailable lead in the first half of 39-26 from which the Bulldogs couldn’t recover in the next one.

The Yellow Jackets guard Miles Kelly potted a game-high of 22 points with 12 rebounds. His double-double propelled his team to decimate the No. 21 ranked team. Overall, it was a swoon-worthy performance by the underdogs.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide vs Clemson Tigers 77-85

The Alabama Crimson Tide were ranked 23 when they fell to the Clemson Tigers by an embarrassing margin of 77-85 at the Coleman Coliseum arena. The Tigers maintained their lead in both the halves, defeating the Crimson Tide by a close margin of 33-32 and 52-45.

The Tigers forward PJ Hall potted a team high of 21 points with 8 rebounds whereas their guards Joseph Girard III and Chase Hunter besotted 16 and 15 points respectively. Overall, a decent performance from the Tigers helped them upset the Alabama.

3. Villanova Wildcats vs St. Joseph’s Hawks 65-78

The Villanova Wildcats were upended by the St. Joseph’s Hawks by an honorable margin of 65-78 at the Pavilion. A respectable score of 35-43 outfoxed the Wildcats in both the halves and 30-35. 

At the center of the Hawks’ victory stood their guard Erik Reynolds II who smoked 24 points that day. The Hawks hence comprehensively beat the Wildcats that day.

4. Virginia vs Texas A&M 59-47

The University of Virginia faced their first ranked opponent of the season when they locked horns with the Texas A&M. The Virignia stunned the Texas in a low scoring match by a good margin of 59-47.

Read More: With Kansas Stumbling Out, Can Purdue Maintain Number 1 NCAA Status?

The Virginia showed a complete team play with their guard Andrew Rohde scoring 13 points and forwards Ryan Dunn and Groves with guard Reece Beekman totted 12 points each.

5. Arkansas Razorbacks vs Duke Blue Devils 80-75

The Arkansas Razorbacks trumped the then No. 7 ranked Duke Blue Devils by a narrow margin of 80-75. The Razorbacks edged past the Blue Devils by a 33-32 in first half extending their lead further ahead in the second.

Their players Khalif Battle and Trevon Brazile stood out since they throttled 21 and 19 points respectively. Brazile also grabbed 11 rebounds thus scoring a double-double. 

6. Northwestern Wildcats vs Purdue Boilermakers 92-88

The Northwestern Wildcats outdid the Purdue Boilermakers which came as a surprise since the Purdue had won the Maui Invitational recently and grabbed the top spot in the basketball rankings. However, the Wildcats showed no mercy, cruising to a 92-88 victory.

The Purdue tried their best to put up a fight and they did albeit it was a close match. Their center Zach Edey potted a game high of 35 points with 14 rebounds. It was Edey who stood up as usual as the rest of the team failed to keep up with the Wildcats. For the Northwestern, a notable performance came from their guard Boo Buie who soused 31 points.

7. Wisconsin Badgers vs Marquette Golden Eagles 75-64

The Wisconsin Badgers snubbed the then No. 3 ranked Marquette Golden Eagles by a convincing margin of 75-64. They dropped 46 points in the first half in comparison to a lousy 33 by the Golden Eagles. The Marquette tried to recover in the second half and almost did but could not outdo their rivals in the overall score.

For the Badgers, their guard Max Klesmit and forward Steven Crowl stood out, smashing 21 and 16 points respectively. Crowl also nabbed a game-high 8 rebounds, showing his offensive and defensive skills in equal measure.

8. Villanova Wildcats vs Drexel Dragons 55-57

The No. 18 Wildcats were stumped by the Drexel Dragons by a close margin of 55-57. While the Wildcats relied much on their center Eric Dixon who justified his importance by scoring 21 points, it was however the Dragons that showed a complete team performance.

Their guards Amari Williams and Luke House provided the impetus for victory, scoring 12 and 11 points respectively. They were supported by Justin Moore, Lamar Oden Jr. and Yame Butler who contributed 7 points each. The Dragons showed how collectivism stands above individuality at times in the game of basketball.

9. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Duke Blue Devils 72-68

The Yellow Jackets gave their second upset of the week as the Blue Devils received their second. The match was close enough such that the second half had a tie, albeit it was the first half in which the Yellow Jackets outclassed the Blue Devils by a 35-31 margin.

The Georgia forward Baye Ndongo thrashed 21 points whereas their guard Miles again stood out with 16 points and 7 rebounds. The game could have gone either way, but a little more effort was what swung it in the Georgia’s favor.

10. Kentucky Wildcats vs UNC Wilmington 73-80

The Kentucky Wildcats squared off against the UNC Wilmington at the Rupp Arena and were severely wounded by a margin of 73-80. The Wildcats won the second half whereas the UNC’s heroics of the first half considerably damaged the Kentucky.

Trazarien White smoked a double-double potting 27 points and 10 rebounds. The Kentucky were visibly upset by the result since they had entered the game as the No. 12 ranked team.

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NCAA College basketball is a basket of surprises and no one knows which team’s preparation might pay off when the day comes.