Texas Tech heats up, topples No. 6 Kansas
LUBBOCK, Texas – Darrion Williams scored a career-high 30 points on 12-of-12 shooting, including four of Texas Tech’s 10 3-pointers, and the Red Raiders never trailed in a 79-50 win over sixth-ranked Kansas on Monday night.
Williams, a sophomore transfer from Nevada, also had 11 rebounds. He hit a 3 on the first shot of the game by the Red Raiders (18-6, 7-4 Big 12), who were 8 of 12 from long range over the first 13 minutes while jumping ahead 27-14.
It was a frustrating night for Kansas (19-6, 7-5), which played its second game in a row without Big 12 leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr., while guard Dajuan Harris wasn’t at full strength after rolling his left ankle late in a 64-61 home win over 12th-ranked Baylor two days earlier.
Jayhawks coach Bill Self was ejected with 5:49 remaining after getting two technical fouls while expressing his displeasure about an offensive foul against Hunter Dickinson.
Pop Isaacs made all four free throws after Self left the court for a 63-43 lead.
Warren Washington had 11 points for Tech. Nicolas Timberlake and Johnny Furphy each had 13 points for Kansas. Harris finished with seven points on 2-of-8 shooting, while Dickinson was limited to five points while missing 10 of his 12 shots.
McCullar, who averages 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, is in his second season with the Jayhawks. He started 49 of his 78 games while part of two NCAA Tournament teams in his three seasons at Texas Tech from 2019-22.
Texas Tech made its first three 3s, and was up 12-4 on Joe Toussaint’s shot four minutes into the game. Kansas got even with eight consecutive points after a timeout, but that was the game’s only tie. The Red Raiders went ahead to stay on back-to-back 3s by Kerwin Walton and Isaacs.
NO. 9 DUKE 77, WAKE FOREST 69
DURHAM, N.C. – Mark Mitchell scored 23 points while star big man Kyle Filipowski posted his first double-double in nearly three weeks as Duke fought off Wake Forest.
Filipowski had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils (19-5, 10-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who repeatedly answered pushes by the Demon Deacons (16-8, 8-5) that kept them hanging around within two possessions or so for much of the second half. But they never could overtake the Blue Devils, who led for the final 17 1/2 minutes but still had a fight on their hands to the final moments.
Wake Forest was chasing its first win in Cameron Indoor Stadium since January 1997 during star big man Tim Duncan’s senior season.
The Demon Deacons had multiple chances to pull to within a possession in the second half, but Damari Monsanto missed a 3-pointer with his team down five followed by another one after the Demon Deacons had rebounded his first miss.
Moments later, after Mitchell’s free throw pushed the margin to 75-69, Monsanto missed one more 3 from the top. Mitchell rebounded the ball and ultimately pushed ahead in transition for a clinching dunk for the final margin.
Hunter Sallis scored 22 points for the Demon Deacons, who got off to a brutal shooting start and had starter Efton Reid III limited by foul trouble.
Indiana State enters AP poll
Indiana State’s balanced scoring, free-flowing offense and its goggle-wearing big man have the program off to one of its best starts in years.
Now the Sycamores have something that hasn’t happened since Larry Bird played in Terre Haute: a spot in the AP Top 25.
Riding a nine-game winning streak, Indiana State debuted at No. 23 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll Monday, the Sycamores’ first ranking since reaching No. 1 in 1978-79.
“It’s a group that the community can really wrap their arms around and I think they have. That’s just great to see,” Indiana State coach Josh Schertz told reporters recently. “I know Terre Haute. They love basketball. I know there’s a great history and tradition, from Larry Bird to John Wooden to Clarence Walker.”
Connecticut and Purdue kept the top two spots in the AP Top 25. The defending national champion Huskies received 45 first-place votes from a 61-person media panel and the Boilermakers had 16.
Schertz took over the Indiana State program during the pandemic, inheriting a depleted roster with no chance to get players to visit campus. Schertz cobbled together a team that won 11 games his first season and the Sycamores improved to 23-13 last season.
Indiana State (22-3) has been on a roll in Schertz’s third season, winning all 11 home games while taking a two-game lead over Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference at 11-1. The Sycamores have five players scoring in double figures, led by dynamic 5-foot-10 guard Isaiah Swope’s 17.7 points per game. Big man Robbie Avila has become a fan favorite with his goggles, averaging 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Indiana State is fifth nationally in scoring at 85.6 points per game, ninth in 3-point percentage (39%) and is No. 1 in adjusted field goal percentage, according to KenPom. The combination has the Sycamores eyeing their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2011.
“Our goal is we want to get to the NCAA Tournament and advance,” Schertz said. “You never want to put ceilings on yourself. You want to get to the tournament and win games and go as far as you can. You saw what happened last year with Florida Atlantic and San Diego State playing in the Final Four – there’s nothing outside of your reach.”
Connecticut, Purdue lead coaches poll
An eventful week in men’s basketball produced the usual level of expected changes in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, but the top two teams appear to be separating themselves from the rest of the field.
Connecticut and Purdue once again monopolize the No.-1 votes after a week of dominating performances. The defending champion Huskies retain the top spot with 24 of 32 firsts, and the second-ranked Boilermakers claim the other eight. Houston climbs back up to the No. 3 position.
The voting was tightly bunched with just 12 poll points separating the next four spots. Red-hot Marquette vaults three positions to No. 4 as North Carolina slips to fifth thanks to a midweek loss to Clemson. Arizona moves up two places to No. 6 ahead of Kansas, which drops from fourth to seventh.
Duke, Tennessee and Iowa State round out the top 10, with No. 11 South Carolina knocking on the door thanks to a nine-place jump. No. 20 Kentucky and No. 21 Wisconsin are moving in the opposite direction. The Badgers have lost four in a row and fall 12 positions, while the Wildcats drop five slots following a third consecutive home loss.
Indiana State joins the poll at No. 24, the first ranking for the Sycamores since their historic 1979 season. Saint Mary’s reenters the poll at No. 19. Oklahoma moves back in, tying for 21st with Wisconsin, and No. 23 Virginia and No. 25 Colorado State also regain positions in the rankings.
Among the week’s five dropouts are three Mountain West contenders, Utah State, San Diego State and New Mexico. Florida Atlantic and Texas Tech also fall out.