Purdue and Houston's historic upsets are more mind-boggling than you think
Hold on to your seats, college basketball fans. The top two teams in the country just went down, and it happened in historic fashion.
In case you missed it, a lot happened on Tuesday. The Purdue Boilermaker’s seven-game win streak and No.1 ranking seemingly went up in smoke behind an absolutely gutsy effort from the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Nebraska shot what felt like hundreds of 3-point shots (it was actually 14 shots on 61 percent shooting — WOW) and went on a gnarly 14-2 run in the second half that unraveled anything Purdue tried to do after.
What’s more, it was the second time this season that Purdue has lost when being the top team in the country and the first time that starting forward Trey-Kaufman-Renn was held scoreless. WOOF.
GO BIG RED!@HuskerMBB stuns No. 1 Purdue, for its first win over a No. 1 since 1982, and the fans storm the floor. pic.twitter.com/mw8hnXXZ8P
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 10, 2024
If that wasn’t enough, remember in December when we told you that some undefeated teams were still left? Not anymore.
The No.2 ranked Houston Cougars were also upset.
NO MORE UNDEFEATED TEAMS IN D-I COLLEGE BASKETBALL@CycloneMBB upsets No. 2 Houston and hands the Cougars' first loss of the season. Iowa State is 10-0 at home.
: @espn pic.twitter.com/YClH0f2E5v
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) January 10, 2024
The Iowa State men’s basketball team came to play. They forced 12 turnovers in the first half and, by halftime, were up 10 points. Houston came roaring back in the second half and managed to trim away at the scoreboard, gaining its first lead with just under four minutes to play.
But, OH, BOY. A massive and silky fadeaway bucket and clutch free throws from Iowa State freshman Milan Momcilovic sealed the game. Amazingly, that was Iowa State’s seventh win against top-10 teams within the last two years.
Additionally, per ESPN Stats & Information, it was the first time since February 6, 2016, that the top-two teams in men’s college basketball lost to unranked opponents on the same day and only the third time that it happened within the last 40 years. WHEW.
It's only the THIRD time in the last 40 years that No. 1 and No. 2 lost to unranked opponents on the same day pic.twitter.com/EBOLitRFw0
— ESPN (@espn) January 10, 2024