The college basketball season is starting to gain steam, as Week 3 provided some intriguing data points for us to consider with a look at the nation's best teams. The Champions Classic provided at least one stunning result, while the country got to see an elite non-conference showdown in Storrs on Wednesday as Arizona added another elite win to its ledger with a true road victory at UConn.
How high will the Wildcats go as a result of their win? Read on for a look at the projected AP Top 25 after Week 3 with some more detailed analysis of the week's biggest games to follow.
Projected AP Top 25 after Arizona wins at UConn
1. Purdue Boilermakers
2. Arizona Wildcats
3. Houston Cougars
4. Duke Blue Devils
5. Louisville Cardinals
6. UCONN Huskies
7. Michigan Wolverines
8. BYU Cougars
9. Gonzaga Bulldogs
10. Alabama Crimson Tide
11. Michigan State Spartans
12. Illinois Fighting Illini
13. Florida Gators
14. St. John's Red Storm
15. Iowa State Cyclones
16. North Carolina Tar Heels
17. UCLA Bruins
18. Texas Tech Red Raiders
19. Kentucky Wildcats
20. Tennessee Volunteers
21. Arkansas Razorbacks
22. Auburn Tigers
23. NC State Wolfpack
24. Indiana Hoosiers
25. Vanderbilt Commodores
Michigan State smokes Kentucky at The Champions Classic
Talent is often a key factor in winning basketball games, but putting together a talented group of newcomers early in the season is often a bumpy process. Kentucky learned that lesson the hard way this week at the Champions Classic, where they were cooked by an experienced Michigan State group 83-66 in a performance that should raise alarm bells with the Wildcats' lack of cohesion.
The Spartans, who shouldn't be mistaken for a perimeter juggernaut, went 11-of-22 from beyond the arc while winning the rebounding battle by 14, combining sizzle with the steak as they completely outclassed Kentucky. While the Wildcats were missing a few key players, including injured center Jayden Quaintance, the effort level they displayed against Michigan State is a big cause for concern that Kentucky's ceiling may be far lower than we thought.
Kansas struggles to score again without Darryn Peterson
NBA scouts were undoubtedly disappointed to see Peterson, Kansas' star freshman, miss the Champions Classic with a lingering hamstring injury. The absence of Peterson meant the Jayhawks had a very hard time putting the ball in the basket against Duke, losing 78-66 while going just 4-of-21 from beyond the arc.
The good news for Kansas is that Flory Bidunga put up a good game against the Blue Devils, racking up 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting while grabbing six rebounds. Bidunga should be a good running mate for Peterson, who will miss this week's Players Era Festival with the hamstring issue, once the freshman is able to get back on the floor.
Arizona shows grit with road win at UConn
College basketball needs more elite home-and-homes to make their schedule stand out in November, and the Arizona-UConn series is a great example of that. With the Huskies scheduling this game in Storrs, fans got to witness a Sweet 16 caliber game in November with a rowdy atmosphere, making the Wildcats' 71-67 road win even more impressive as it came in a hostile environment.
Arizona absolutely bullied UConn on their own floor, winning the rebounding battle by 20 and getting to the line 25 times, hitting 19 foul shots in a game that was decided by just four points. The victory was the Wildcats' third of the season against ranked competition, which is a huge carrot for their resume after only five games, and should push them past Houston into the No. 2 slot in the polls on Monday.
Alabama wins a shootout in Chicago
Another coach who understands the assignment of tough non-conference scheduling is Alabama's Nate Oats, who loads his slate with challenging games to get his guys ready for the rigors of March. While Wednesday's trip to the United Center will go down in the books as a neutral-site affair, the Crimson Tide essentially played a road game against Illinois and emerged with another impressive victory by surviving a 90-86 shootout against the Fighting Illini.
Free throw shooting proved to be the difference as Illinois missed nine foul shots in a tight game, with Andrej Stojakovic (the son of former NBA great Peja) missing three by himself late in the second half. Pairing this win with a victory over St. John's at Madison Square Garden gives Alabama two huge statements to start the year and has them well-prepared for the challenge of dueling with an elite Gonzaga squad at the Player's Era Festival this week.