With the college football season in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to turn Lato’s Lens onto the next best thing happening right now: college basketball.
Being a student in the mecca of college basketball makes me pay closer attention to the sport as March approaches. The top ten shuffles virtually every week, and I can’t help but keep a close eye on it as the chaos unfolds.
There’s currently about a month left in the regular season. This means that it’s crunch time for several teams as they make a push to reach the greatest tournament in sports, with shocking results happening each week. So, without further ado, here are college basketball’s best upsets and top performers from the last week, along with three upcoming matchups to keep an eye on.
Greatest Upsets
Monday, Feb. 9: No. 9 Kansas 82, No. 1 Arizona 78
Down goes number one.
In a clash of Big 12 foes, the ninth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks snatched a signature 82–78 conference victory against the previously undefeated Arizona Wildcats in front of a packed Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.
The Jayhawks played without star freshman guard Darryn Peterson due to flu-like symptoms. Peterson has averaged 20.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists so far this season. Despite the loss of their teammate, center Flory Bidunga stepped up, accounting for 23 points and 10 rebounds in the contest. Senior guard Melvin Council Jr. chipped in with another 23 points, including three key free throws to seal the win in the final minute.
Saturday, Feb. 7: No. 14 North Carolina 71, No. 4 Duke 68
With the score knotted at 68–68, UNC guard Seth Trimble knocked down a game-winning three-pointer to stun No. 4 Duke in the final seconds, prompting fans to storm the court.
The Tar Heels trailed their archrivals by 13 points heading into the second half and never held a lead until Trimble’s late-game heroics. This marks UNC’s first victory over Duke since the 2023–24 season, when the Tar Heels swept the Blue Devils in the regular season.
Caleb Wilson, who played all 40 minutes, led the team with 23 points, four rebounds and two assists. Trimble finished with 16 points, two rebounds and four assists, while center Henri Veesaar chipped in with a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Tuesday, Feb. 10: Miami 75, No. 11 North Carolina 66
Welp, so much for that momentum.
Just days after upsetting Duke in the greatest rivalry in college basketball, North Carolina fell victim to a winner’s hangover, falling to Miami by a score of 75–66.
The Hurricanes’ defense dominated the Tar Heels, holding their top three scorers to just 27 total points and forcing 11 turnovers. Offensively, senior forward and Indiana transfer Malik Reneau led the charge for Miami, recording 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in his double-double. He’s currently averaging 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
In my opinion, the Hurricanes are a sleeper team come tournament time and will find themselves in the rankings soon.
Top Performers
Robert Wright III, guard (BYU), drilled 30 points and added four rebounds and two assists in No. 22 BYU’s 99–94 victory over Baylor. This was a homecoming game for Wright, as he transferred from Baylor to BYU this season.
Zuby Ejiofor, center (St. John’s), recorded a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in the No. 22 Johnnies’ 91–82 upset victory over previously second-ranked UConn.
Mikel Brown Jr., guard (Louisville), set a new ACC freshman record for most points in a game by scoring 45 points, including 10 three-pointers, in the No. 22 Cardinals’ 118–77 wallop of NC State.
Graham Ike, center (Gonzaga), scored 35 points and snatched seven rebounds in No. 12 Gonzaga’s 83–53 defeat of unranked Washington State.
Must-See Matchups
Saturday, Feb. 14, noon: No. 20 Clemson at No. 4 Duke
Despite their upset loss to UNC, the No. 4 Blue Devils bounced back Tuesday with a 70–54 win over Pittsburgh. However, Clemson rides into this matchup on a four-game win streak (pending a game against unranked Virginia Tech tonight), making this a must-watch ACC contest.
Saturday, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m.: No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 1 Arizona
Stakes are high as the No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders travel to Tucson for an attempt to dethrone the now top-ranked Arizona Wildcats for their second loss in a row. Texas Tech junior guard JT Toppin is averaging a double-double per game (21.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and two assists), while Big 12 Freshman of the Year candidate Brayden Burries is averaging 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists for Arizona. Keep an eye out for these two in this Big 12 cinematic masterpiece.
Monday, Feb. 16, 9:00 p.m.: No. 5 Iowa State at No. 3 Houston
The Big 12 is gifting us so many incredible games over the next week, including this top five gem between No. 5 Iowa State and No. 3 Houston. Both teams are virtually even, having dominated Big 12 play thus far as they head into the final weeks of the regular season. This matchup will give us a preview of how the two teams stack up going into the Big 12 Conference Tournament, especially with how even the conference looks now.