Jayhawks face another difficult task as they prepare for Baylor
RALEIGH, N.C. — Kansas didn’t get long to savor a win at Kentucky, not with another top-five matchup looming to headline this week’s schedule for AP Top 25 teams.
The third-ranked Jayhawks host No. 2 Baylor tonight, topping a heavy schedule of games matching two ranked teams. Each of the major conferences has at least one, though the Baylor-Kansas game is the only one featuring two top-10 teams.
It comes four days after Kansas beat the Wildcats 79-73 at Rupp Arena when those teams were ranked No. 2 and No. 4, respectively.
“It’s not very often you get to host a top-five team at home. We were able to do that last year in an epic game,” Kansas coach Bill Self said, referring to the Jayhawks’ triple-overtime win against Oklahoma. “I’m sure this one will be hotly contested as well.”
Baylor (20-1) was ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history before losing at West Virginia on Jan. 10. Kansas (19-2) suffered its own loss at West Virginia last week to snap an 18-game winning streak.
RISING CATS: If not for Baylor-Kansas, the biggest game to watch this week might have been No. 5 Arizona visiting No. 13 Oregon on Saturday.
The Wildcats (20-2) are surging with 14 straight wins and recently got Allonzo Trier — an athletic 6-foot-5 guard who returned for his sophomore season instead of entering the NBA draft — back from a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs that sidelined him for the first 19 games.
The preseason Pac-12 favorite Ducks (19-3), who reached last year’s NCAA Elite Eight, had won a schoolrecord 17 straight games before losing at Colorado over the weekend.
Top 25 men
(7) WEST VIRGINIA 85, IOWA STATE 72: In Ames, Iowa, Nathan Adrian scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Mountaineers (18-4, 6-3 Big 12) overwhelmed the Cyclones (13-8, 5-4).
Tarik Phillip had 15 points for West Virginia, which hit 10 3s and forced 16 turnovers in winning its third road game in league play.
(8) KENTUCKY 90, GEORGIA 81 (OT): In Lexington, Ky., Malik Monk made two 3-pointers and scored eight of 37 points in overtime, and Bam Adebayo and Dominique Hawkins added baskets to help the Wildcats (18-4, 8-1 SEC) outlast the Bulldogs (13-9, 4-5) and end a two-game losing streak.
Kentucky appeared headed to its third straight loss until Monk’s jumper with 8 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 76 and brought the crowd to its feet. Hawkins’ desperation heave from midcourt bounced off the rim as the horn sounded. (10) WISCONSIN 57, ILLINOIS 43: In Champaign, Ill., Ethan Happ scored 14 points and led the way as the Badgers
(19-3, 8-1 Big Ten) whipped the Illini (13-10, 3-7).
Wisconsin started the game with a 16-2 run and never trailed.
(12) NORTH CAROLINA 80, PITT 78: In Chapel Hill, N.C., Justin Jackson scored 20 points and the Tar Heels (20-4, 8-2 ACC) held on to beat the Panthers (12-10, 1-8).
(22) CREIGHTON 76, (16) BUTLER 67: In Indianapolis, Justin Patton, Khyri Thomas and Marcus Foster all scored 15 points as the Blue Jays (20-3, 7-3 Big East) made 13 3-pointers and ran away from the Bulldogs (18-5, 7-4).
(17) MARYLAND 77, OHIO STATE 71: In Columbus, Ohio, Justin Jackson had 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Terrapins (20-2, 8-1 Big Ten) held off the Buckeyes (13-10, 3-7). MWC BOISE STATE 79, COLORADO STATE 76 : In Fort Collins, Colo., sophomore guard Paris Austin scored 25 points and made six free throws in the final 26 seconds as the Broncos (14-7, 7-3) held off the Rams (14-9, 6-4). Austin was 10 of 10 at the foul line. J.D. Paige had 20 points and five assists for CSU.