3 ranked college basketball teams on upset alert this week

No. 3 Arizona Wildcats (vs. No. 21 Michigan State 11/23)

One of the season's marquee non-conference matchups has taken a bit of a hit thanks to two early losses for the Spartans, including the aforementioned James Madison defeat. That loss, alongside a defeat against Duke in the Champions Classic last week, has seen Michigan State fall from No. 4 all the way to No. 21 ahead of their Thanksgiving showdown with Arizona in Las Vegas.

The Wildcats have already made their mark on the season with an upset win over the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 10, signifying that they are the team to beat in the Pac-12 this season. That victory helped springboard Arizona into the Top 3 of the AP poll and they look like they belong there after thrashing their next three opponents at home.

Even though the Las Vegas site will bring more Arizona fans to the contest than Michigan State fans, it is a true neutral site matchup against a Tom Izzo coached team, which is already fraught with peril. The Spartans have played much better since the loss to James Madison and Izzo's team is a deep and talented bunch that will defend hard.

Going into this game with anything less than their best effort will leave the Wildcats vulnerable to getting picked off by the Spartans. A loss to Michigan State wouldn't be a bad one but it is certainly in the realm of possibility given the preseason expectations placed on them.