Week Two of the college basketball season had even more excitement than the first with a thrilling Champions Classic, marquee matchups, big upsets and an early game of the year candidate that provided the play of the week.
For the recap on all of that and more, check out our weekly rankings, players of the week and the clip of an unreal finish in Charleston on Friday night.
1. UConn (3-0)
UConn’s schedule will heat up soon, but the Huskies are taking care of their severely outmatched competition until then. Three lopsided wins have them 3-0 and looking poised for another run at a national championship.
2. Kansas (4-0)
The Jayhawks rode the momentum from a win over North Carolina into a monumental milestone for Bill Self, who became the all-time leader in wins at Kansas with a victory in the Champions Classic over Michigan State.
3. Auburn (3-0)
You can’t beat Houston every week but an accomplishment like that deserves a relaxing follow-up week, which the Tigers enjoyed in their lone game of the week against Kent State.
4. Gonzaga (3-0)
The same can be said for Gonzaga who were more than deserving of some rest after dismantling Baylor last week and defeating another high-major team in Arizona State with a great second half.
5. Purdue (4-0)
With Zach Edey gone and 7’3 freshman Daniel Jacobsen out for the season, Purdue needed to find a way to win a big game without a giant center being the biggest reason why and it proved to be no issue as the Boilermakers took down No. 2 Alabama at Mackey Arena. A huge win for Matt Painter who is looking to continue his team’s dominance in a new era without Edey.
6. Kentucky (3-0)
Fans were anxious to see what life without John Calipari would be like and Mark Pope has not disappointed so far. He came up with a program-electrifying win in his first big game as the Wildcats took down Duke in a thrilling nightcap at the Champions Classic. They’re rewarded with a sizeable jump in our power rankings.
7. Duke (3-1)
I think the Blue Devils can probably get over losing just nine weeks into the season against a great team, but the ending might create some angst within the fanbase. Cooper Flagg struggled mightily in clutch situations and his two turnovers in the final seconds sealed his team’s fate.
8. Alabama (3-1)
There’s no shame in losing at Mackey Arena, especially this early in the season, but the Tide do endure a slight drop in the rankings because of it. Defense is always going to be the chief concern with this group and surrendering 87 points is solid evidence of that fact.
9. Houston (2-1)
The Cougars bounced back from a loss to Auburn with a typical defensive performance, allowing just 45 points to Louisiana in a big win on Wednesday. That defense can right a lot of wrong and keep Houston in any game against any team, making them a legitimate contender in March.
10. North Carolina (2-1)
UNC shook off a disappointing loss to Kansas with its most complete performance of the early season in a 107-55 shellacking of American on Friday night. The Tar Heels will lean on a talented and experienced backcourt headlined by returning All-American RJ Davis.
11. Indiana (3-0)
The Hoosiers stayed hot with their biggest win of the season by taking down South Carolina 87-71 at Assembly Hall on Saturday. Mike Woodson has things clicking early on with a test at the Battle 4 Atlantis coming up next week.
12. Tennessee (4-0)
There’s a lot of new faces for Tennessee this season but one of the most familiar in the sport in Zakai Zeigler has the Volunteers off to a 4-0 start. The 5’9 point guard should be one of the top players in the SEC as he tries to lead his team to another Elite Eight.
13. Iowa State (2-0)
The season hasn’t really started yet for Iowa State and won’t this coming week either with just one game against IUI. The following week with matchups against Auburn and Marquette is when things will start to heat up but until then we still don’t know too much about this Cyclones team.
14. Wisconsin (4-0)
One of the big shockers this week was Wisconsin’s upset over No. 9 Arizona, although it was the way it pulled it off that was the most surprising. The Badgers relied on an offensive explosion of 103 points to take down the Wildcats and enter the national spotlight.
15. Rutgers (3-0)
The Scarlet Knights are another Big Ten team who had an excellent week, but it was less about individual results and more about long-term goals. Ace Bailey made his Rutgers debut and looked sharp with 17 points in a 17-point win over Monmouth.
16. Marquette (4-0)
College Park was left distraught as Kam Jones took over late to help the Golden Eagles avoid the upset against Maryland. Jones’ ascension and the development of several other returning role players will be crucial in keeping Marquette at the top of the Big East this season.
Next 5: Baylor, Creighton, UCF, Texas A&M, Florida
Players of the Week:
John Tonje, Wisconsin Badgers
It appears it’s time for America to learn the name John Tonje. The sixth-year transfer scored just 21 points in eight games last season for Missouri and is averaging more than that with Wisconsin this season at 23.5 points per game. A 41-point outburst against Arizona helped raise that average and take down the top 10 Wildcats.
Trey Kaufman-Renn, No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers
Kaufman-Renn has been a breakout each of the last two seasons for the Boilermakers and this might be the year for the 6’9 junior. He was sensational in Purdue’s statement victory over Alabama with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Boilermakers. He’s averaging 18 points through four games this season and could be an All-American if he keeps this up.
Ante Brzovic, Charleston Cougars
In a game that wasn’t on many people’s radars, Charleston won a double-overtime thriller 119-116 over FAU and Brzovic was the hero with a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to knock off the Owls. The game-winner was part of a 39-point effort for the 6’10 lefty who is a name to monitor at the mid-major ranks this season.
Andrew Carr, No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky needed a spark late against Duke to pull off the upset and Carr was the one who provided it for the Wildcats. The senior converted a pair of and-ones in the final four minutes and was the emotional leader throughout the night. He also scored a team-high 17 points and made two of his three triples.
Maxime Raynaud, Stanford Cardinal
The 7’1 Frenchman is off to a terrific start in his senior season with four consecutive double-doubles, including a 33-point, 14-rebound performance on Sunday against UC Davis. Raynaud is an interesting under the radar prospect to watch this season.
Play of the Week
Ante Brzovic wasn’t just one of the players of the week but also provided the play of the week with his buzzer-beater against FAU that sent his home crowd into a frenzy. Between the clutch bucket and a great call from the broadcasting team, this clip has it all and could be the final play in one of the games of the year in college basketball.
https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/42417319
Video Credit: ESPN
