The college basketball season is just seven days old, and there have already been several major notable upsets — which sent both Tennessee and Villanova falling hard in the first Associated Press poll of the season.
Here’s everything you missed in Week 1 of the season.
Tennessee falls to Colorado in brutal showing
Tennessee looked bad on Sunday afternoon.
The Volunteers, who opened the season at No. 11 in the country, were the highest-ranked team to lose so far this season after their 78-66 loss to Colorado.
That loss was brutal, too, especially considering the Buffaloes were coming off a loss themselves to Grambling State just two days before. KJ Simpson had a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds for Colorado, which held Tennessee to an awful 25.4% from the field. The Buffaloes flew ahead in the second half early and just never looked back.
“We definitely didn’t come into the game with the right mindset,” said guard Josiah-Jordan James, who led Tennessee with 15 points off the bench, via The Associated Press. “This is a good lesson for us. It’s a long basketball season. Of course I’m disappointed and upset that we lost, but I’m also excited just to see how this team responds.”
Tennessee dropped to No. 22 in Monday’s latest poll. The Volunteers will take on Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday.
Villanova drops second game in Kyle Neptune era
Though they made it out of their season-opener unscathed, Kyle Neptune’s second game leading the Wildcats didn’t go over too well.
Temple stunned Villanova, which opened the season at No. 16, on Friday with a tight 68-64 win that sparked a pair of court storms in Philadelphia. It marked the Owls’ first win over Villanova in 10 years.
Though the early loss isn’t a great start, the Wildcats are still without Justin Moore, who is out with an Achilles injury, and Cam Whitmore, who is out with a thumb injury. They should get significantly better as the year goes on despite the initial setback.
Villanova dropped out of the rankings completely after its loss, though it received 96 votes — which makes it the third team outside the top 25. The Wildcats will host Delaware State on Monday before traveling to Michigan State on Friday.
Oregon out after loss to UC Irvine
A massive 15-2 run right before halftime proved to be too much for Dana Altman’s squad in Oregon.
UC Irvine pulled off a wild 69-56 upset win over the Ducks on Friday night in Eugene. The Anteaters led nearly the entire way as star DJ Davis dropped 24 points with six 3-pointers. Oregon shot just 32.7% from the field, went a combined 4-of-21 from behind the arc and had only two players score in double figures.
“We got beat in every facet of the game,” Altman said, via The Oregonian. “Hustle, toughness. We’ve had a number of practices that resembled that … A poor mental effort. We didn’t compete. I wish I had something positive to say, but really disappointed. The guys are disappointed. I’m disappointed. Got punched right from the start.”
After entering at No. 21, the Ducks have dropped out of the rankings completely. They’ll host Montana State on Tuesday before a battle with No. 3 Houston next Sunday.
Full AP Top 25
The full AP Top 25 poll from Monday, Nov. 14:
1. North Carolina (2-0)
2. Gonzaga (2-0)
3. Houston (2-0)
4. Kentucky (2-0)
5. Baylor (2-0)
6. Kansas (2-0)
7. Duke (2-0)
8. UCLA (2-0)
9. Arkansas (2-0)
10. Creighton (2-0)
11. Texas (2-0)
12. Indiana (2-0)
13. Auburn (2-0)
14. Arizona (2-0)
15. TCU (2-0)
16. Virginia (2-0)
17. San Diego State (2-0)
18. Alabama (2-0)
19. Illinois (2-0)
20. Michigan (2-0)
21. Dayton (2-0)
22. Tennessee (1-1)
23. Texas Tech (2-0)
24. Texas A&M (2-0)
25. UConn (2-0)
Others receiving votes: Michigan State 119, Purdue 104, Villanova 96, Miami 61, Saint Louis 47, Xavier 44, Ohio State 36, Oregon 36, Iowa 36, Memphis 20, Virginia Tech 13, Colorado 11, Arizona State 9, Toledo 8, Rutgers 8, Saint Mary’s 7, Florida 5, UC Irvine 4, Grambling State 4, Seton Hall 3, Penn State 1