The No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks are scorching hot, a hypothesis that wasn't farfetched before Monday night but was even less so afterward. Kansas earned its fifth-straight win by topping the No. 24 Baylor Bears, 78-68, in Big 12 action Monday, the fourth win in that span over a team in the Associated Press Top 25.
NCAA scores roundup: White-hot Kansas tops Baylor with near-perfect free-throw shooting
Kansas is the opposite of Ohio State, and let’s not talk about Villanova.
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Jayhawks (14-4, 5-0) were 26 of 29 from the foul line, including Andrew Wiggins' 10-of-12 performance. Wiggins finished with 17 points despite shooting 3 of 7.
Kansas’ four losses feel like they happened a long time ago -- three were in a two-week span from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, and the fourth was Jan. 5 against San Diego State, so I guess most were a long time ago -- because of how dominant the Jayhawks have been since. They’ve dominated not by huge margins of victory but by asserting mature control over tight games against quality opponents.
In Kansas’ five-game win streak to start Big 12 play, all five were against teams in KenPom.com’s top 50. Baylor (13-5, 1-4) was 13 of 27 from three-point range Monday, but its reliance on the deep shot was too much to overcome. The Bears only made 12 two-pointers, and went down after pinning their hopes on the lower-percentage outside shots.
Brady Heslip came off the bench for Baylor and led all scorers with 19 points.
Creighton Bluejays 96, No. 4 Villanova Wildcats 68
Give the No. 4 Wildcats credit for not escaping through trap doors in their home floor after Creighton hit each of its first nine attempts from three, but don’t give them credit for much else. In fact, don’t think about Villanova; you’re done thinking about Villanova. You have finished thinking about Villanova right ... now.
This was all about Creighton. As a team, the Bluejays hit 21 threes Monday. Ethan Wragge made his first eight threes (all in the first half) and finished 9 of 14 from deep.
Read more on Creighton’s night from SB Nation’s Scott Coleman, while I implore you to not think about Villanova. Focus on the good. Creighton was the good.
Nebraska Cornhuskers 68, No. 17 Ohio State Buckeyes 62
Ohio State is the opposite of Kansas, now having lost its fourth game in a row. Monday’s was a particularly grotesque road loss to Nebraska in which the Buckeyes’ only field goals in the final six minutes were, except for a layup with 5:55 to play, desperation shots in the final minute with the game already decided.
The win was Nebraska’s first over a team in the Top 25 since January 2012, but perhaps more importantly, it ended a five-game losing streak that began with a 31-point loss to ... Ohio State. The Cornhuskers earned their first Big Ten win in Pinnacle Bank Arena, where they’re now 8-1.
More from SB Nation College Basketball
See More:
