Lato’s Lens: Biggest Upsets, Top Performances and Must-See Matchups in Men’s College Basketball

This week’s AP Top 25 rankings came with some huge surprises. While UConn left the rankings for the first time in two years, other teams have stepped up, making strong cases as some of the best in college basketball. Conferences like the Big 12 and the SEC have routinely hosted several upsets, resulting in an ultra-competitive, entertaining landscape for all to watch. Without further ado, here are some of the biggest upsets, top performances and must-see matchups for this week in men’s college basketball. 

Biggest Upsets 

Clemson 77, No. 2 Duke 71 

Down goes number two! In front of a rowdy home crowd, the unranked Clemson Tigers shocked the nation by snapping the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils 16-game winning streak. The Tigers’ defense played phenomenally, holding Duke star guard, Cooper Flagg, at bay for a good portion of the game. It was center Viktor Lakhin who had a night of his own for the Tigers, shooting 9-16 from the field with a total of 22 points. With the win, Clemson moved into the 23^rd spot in the rankings, while Duke fell to No. 3. 

Creighton 77, No. 11 Marquette 67 

Big East basketball is as ruthless as ever. On Friday night, the unranked Creighton Bluejays took the conference by storm in a comfortable home win over No. 11 Marquette. Bluejays guard Steven Ashworth continued his successful senior campaign with a solid 22 points and seven assists. This was Marquette’s third loss in a row after losing to UConn and St. Johns previously. The Golden Eagles really need to lock-in for the final stretch of the season if they want a higher seed come tournament time. 

No. 6 Florida 90, No. 1 Auburn 81 

After being down early, the No. 6 Florida Gators rallied back with the help of Walter Clayton Jr’s 19 points to stun the top-ranked Auburn Tigers at their home court. Winning an away game in the SEC is extremely tough, and defeating Auburn at their place is a statement win for this Florida Gators team. With that being said, Auburn still remains the No. 1 team in the current AP Top 25 poll, which can easily change after a matchup with their archrival No. 2 Alabama this weekend. 

Top Performances 

Bruce Thornton, Ohio State 

The unranked Ohio State Buckeyes have sneakily been having a solid 2024-25 campaign thus far, which includes a 73-70 upset win over No. 18 Maryland last Thursday. With seven seconds remaining in the game, star guard Bruce Thornton drained the game winning three to take the lead over the Terrapins. Thornton, who recorded 31 points, five boards and five assists, had added much offensive firepower to the Buckeyes’ offense this season, wreaking havoc on Big 10 defenses. 

Kintavious Dozier, Grambling 

Oftentimes, players who don’t compete in big-time conferences like the Big 10, Big East and SEC often go unnoticed, while serious talent has arisen from mid-major and smaller conferences to the NBA on multiple occasions. For instance, in last week’s game between Grambling State and Alabama State, two small mid-major programs, Grambling senior guard Kintavious Dozier recorded a season-high 30 points. Not to mention, 21 of those 30 points came from beyond the three-point line, showcasing the kind of talent that some mid-major and smaller schools have to offer. 

Braden Smith, Purdue 

In a 90-81 Purdue Boilermaker win over Big 10 rival Iowa, Braden Smith showcased why he’s one of the best scorers in the conference. Smith shot an impressive 73.3% from the field, scoring 31 points, grabbing six rebounds and a solid four assists. Smith is currently averaging 16.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.8 going into a critical matchup against star center Danny Wolf and the Michigan Wolverines. 

Must-See Matchups 

No. 1 Auburn at No. 2 Alabama: Saturday at 4 p.m. 

This game has so much hype behind it for several reasons. For one, it’s AP No. 1 versus No. 2. This is also a matchup consisting of two teams who have lit up the scoreboard nearly every game this season. Auburn’s Johni Broome and Alabama’s Mark Sears are potential national player of the year candidates who have been nothing but incredible thus far, posting insane stat lines every game. The Alabama-Auburn rivalry is perhaps one of collegiate athletics’ greatest rivalries, in which much of the bad blood comes between the in-state foes. The intensity of this game will be off the charts and the winner will likely claim college basketball’s number one ranking. 

No. 22 Mississippi State at No. 19 Ole Miss: Saturday at 6 p.m. 

Another SEC heavyweight battle between two heated in-state rivals? You thought right! Though both teams haven’t traditionally been known for their prowess in the college basketball world, No. 22 Mississippi State and No. 19 Ole Miss have certainly solidified themselves as two of the conference’s best. Mississippi State sophomore guard Josh Hubbard is having a terrific season, putting up 17.5 points, 3.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds a game. His counterpart, Ole Miss guard Sean Pedulla, has also been producing for the Rebels, averaging 15 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists a night. The whole state of Mississippi should be on the edge of their seats for this one. 

No. 6 Houston at No. 13 Arizona: Saturday at 2 p.m. 

After struggling earlier in the season, the No. 13 Arizona Wildcats have catapulted themselves up the rankings after a slew of impressive ranked and in-conference victories. Houston, however, has had quite the season of their own, hoisting a 20-4 record. What’s intriguing about No. 6 Houston is that three of their four losses have come at the mercy of ranked teams and one from unranked San Diego State, proving that the Cougars are very susceptible of losing to strong competition. This should certainly be an interesting Big 12 battle to watch.

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