In a shocking turn of events, the top two teams in college basketball suffered upsets at the hands of unranked opponents on Tuesday. No. 1 Purdue fell to Nebraska 88-72, while No. 2 Houston lost to Iowa State 57-53.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, it was the first time since Feb. 6, 2016, that the top two teams in the AP men’s college basketball poll lost to unranked opponents on the same day, and only the eighth time in the poll’s history.
Purdue, riding a seven-game winning streak, was unable to keep up with Nebraska, which shot an impressive 14-for-23 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Houston, who had been unbeaten until this game, fell to Iowa State in a hard-fought battle.
The losses by Purdue (14-2) and Houston (14-1) open the door for No. 3 Kansas (13-1) to return to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll. Kansas, which received two first-place votes in this week’s poll, will have the opportunity to reclaim the top spot with upcoming games against UCF and No. 9 Oklahoma.
The shocking turn of events in college basketball on Tuesday has created an opportunity for the Kansas Jayhawks to reclaim their No. 1 ranking, while both Purdue and Houston will be looking to bounce back from their unexpected defeats.