College basketball scores, winners and losers: SEC beyond dominant, UConn blows lead to crush Big East hopes

The SEC was at the center of the college basketball universe Saturday, which began when the NCAA revealed its top 16 seeds. Auburn, Alabama, and Florida were on the No. 1 seed line, and six of the top 10 teams on the seed list came from the SEC.

While Selection Sunday is just over four weeks away, Auburn made its case as the No. 1 overall seed with a 94-85 win over No. 2 Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. The matchup between Auburn and Alabama marked the first time the top two ranked teams from the SEC played each other.

While the highest-profile game was taking place in the state of Alabama, other games across the country took place that are certain to shape the other power conference title races. No. 6 Houston defeated No. 13 Arizona 62-58 to strengthen its lead at the top of the Big 12. 

Meanwhile, in the Big Ten, No. 7 Purdue lost at home to No. 16 Wisconsin 94-84. The Boilermakers entered the week at the top of the conference standings, but losses to Michigan and Wisconsin could alter the Big Ten title race heading into the home stretch of the regular season.

Winner: SEC gets five of top six seeds in early reveal

Missouri and Ole Miss were left out of the top-16, despite the fact that both have strong resumes. But don’t feel sorry for the SEC. The league got five of the top six spots in the bracket preview, with Tennessee and Texas A&M landing on the No. 2 seed line behind projected No. 1 seeds Auburn, Alabama and Florida. No other conference had more than one representative among the top eight. With Kentucky’s spot as a projected No. 3 seed, the SEC ended up with six of the 16. The Big 12 is in great shape, too, with five of the top 16. Meanwhile, the Big Ten landed three teams while the ACC and Big East had just one each. — David Cobb

Loser: No mention of Memphis

When selection committee chair Bubba Cunningham mentioned a couple of teams that were tough to exclude from the top 16, he named Michigan State and Marquette. But he didn’t mention Memphis, which is No. 14 in the AP poll. That leaves the Tigers – owners of an unorthodox resume – left to ponder where they stand. The Tigers are 10-2 across Quads 1 and 2 and 5-2 in Quad 1 but are clearly being dinged for a pair of Quad 3 losses. Given the poor caliber of AAC opposition, there will be little Memphis can do to make the case for a top-four seed as Selection Sunday approaches. — Cobb

Winner: Auburn will remain No. 1 on Monday

The game of the year in college basketball lived up to the hype. Auburn exited with a dramatic 94-85 win over its in-state rival to take control of the SEC title race. There was a debate last week (from voters) on who the No. 1 team in the country was. After Auburn knocked off No. 2 Alabama, the Tigers will likely be the unanimous top-ranked team in the polls on Monday. This is one of the biggest wins in the history of Auburn basketball. — Cameron Salerno

Loser: Purdue loses ground in Big Ten title race

Purdue’s chances of winning the Big Ten regular-season title for the third consecutive season took a drastic hit on Saturday following a 94-84 loss to Wisconsin at Mackey Arena. The Badgers went into Mackey Arena and upset the Boilermakers behind a standout performance from John Tonje. Purdue had a chance to separate themselves from the rest of the pack this week, but losses to Michigan and Wisconsin could hurt its chances of winning the regular season title. — Salerno

Winner: Kansas gets benefit of the doubt

The Kansas resume was surely a tricky one for the committee to evaluate, as the Jayhawks entered at No. 11 in the NET but with a handful of uncompetitive losses Quad 1 losses and a Quad 2 home loss against West Virginia. But KU’s inclusion in the bracket preview as a projected No. 4 seed shows that what happens in November can make a huge impact on a team’s seeding. The Jayhawks picked up neutral-site victories over Duke and Michigan State in non conference play, and those early marquee victories clearly helped insulate Kansas from its inconsistencies in Big 12 play. — Cobb

Loser: UConn blows late lead vs. Seton Hall

With 59 seconds remaining in overtime, UConn led Seton Hall 68-63. The Pirates closed the final minute of overtime on a 6-0 run, which included a game-winning layup by Scotty Middleton with three seconds left to secure an upset 69-68 win over the two-time reigning defending champions. After losing two conference games last season, UConn has already lost five. With just six regular season games remaining, the Huskies are three games back of first place in the conference standings and a regular season title is looking increasingly unlikely. — Salerno

Winner: Houston takes control in Big 12 title race

No. 6 Houston increased its lead atop the Big 12 standings with a 62-58 win over No. 13 Arizona Saturday at the McKale Center. The Cougars entered the weekend with a 1.0 game lead over Arizona for first place in the Big 12 and exited Tucson, Arizona, with a two-game advantage and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Wildcats. Houston is in the driver’s seat to win the Big 12 regular season title for the second consecutive season. — Salerno

Houston handles Arizona with late surge on the road that puts No. 6 Cougars in control of Big 12 race

Cameron Salerno

Loser: Georgia is sliding in SEC play

Georgia’s NCAA Tournament hopes took a hit on Saturday following an 87-74 loss to Missouri at home. The Bulldogs were outscored 49-33 in the second half and appear to be heading toward the NIT. Georgia got off to a 12-1 start to the season but has since lost nine of its last 13 games. Furthermore, Georgia’s wins in SEC play have come against Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina and LSU. With games coming up against Auburn and Florida in the coming days, things might get worse before they get better. — Salerno

Winner: Texas A&M, Tennessee avoid the trap

Texas A&M fell behind 8-0 early to Arkansas, and Tennessee trailed Vanderbilt by 16 late in the first half. A home loss against an unranked foe for either would have been embarrassing in the immediate aftermath of the bracket preview. However, both projected No. 2 seeds got it together to escape with victories against their bubblicious opponents. Tennessee senior point guard Zakai Zeigler scored all 22 of his points in the second half as the Volunteers rallied to avoid a season sweep against the Commodores. Wade Taylor IV led A&M with 18 points and nine assists as the Aggies won their fifth straight. — Cobb

Winner: Colorado wins first Big 12 game

Year 1 as a member of the Big 12 has been rocky for Colorado. One year removed from winning their first NCAA Tournament game since 2021, the Buffaloes began Big 12 play 0-13. Their fortunes finally swung Saturday. Colorado outscored UCF 38-27 in the second half for a 76-63 win. Washington State transfer Andrej Jakimovski scored a team-high 15 points in the win. — Salerno