College basketball: Men's hoops sees new No. 1 and continued dominance
West Lafayette, Indiana - After big wins over Hofstra and Nebraska last week, the unbeaten Purdue Boilermakers have soared to the top as the nation's best college basketball team for the second time in program history.
Purdue's road win at Nebraska last Saturday wasn't pretty, but a win is a win!
The Boilmakers were held below one point per possession for the first time this season, while their offensive leader Zach Edey scored a season-low of 11 points.
Luckily, freshman Fletcher Loyer, who was named the second-best Purdue scorer, stepped up to lead the Boilmakers with 22 points, marking his sixth straight game scoring double figures.
After last season's No. 1 ranking was short-lived, Purdue will look to maintain its undefeated streak this season as it faces Davidson on Saturday.
Like the Boilmakers, UConn is also continuing to make big statements on the hardwood floor.
The No. 3 Huskies are currently the only 11-0 team in the country, with all 11 wins by double-digits.
UConn's resume is headlined by a 15-point neutral-court win over Alabama – who took down former No. 1 Houston over the weekend – as well as big wins over Iowa State and Oregon.
Alabama thrashes Houston out from the nation's top spot
Alabama has a thing when it comes to facing top-ranked teams.
The Crimson Tide is only the second team in AP poll history to beat two No. 1-ranked teams before the new year with Duke being the first in 1965-66.
Alabama opened the season with a stunning upset over former No. 1 UNC, and again took down another former No. 1 with Houston on Saturday.
More impressively, the Crimson Tide came back from a 15 point deficit in the second half, and did so without its leading scorer, Brandon Miller, who failed to make a single score from the field all night.
While Miller and senior Jahvon Quinerly have previously led Alabama's offense, it was freshmen Noah Clowney and Jaden Bradley who made the biggest impact on the court.
Clowney finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, and one assist, while Bradley finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Alabama's next test will be a home game against Memphis on Tuesday at 9 PM EST and a road game against Gonzaga on Saturday at 1PM EST.
Cover photo: Stacy Revere / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP