CBB weekend winners, losers: Iowa State makes emphatic statement

The Wildcats offense seemingly had a lid on the rim, shooting 27% from the field. Kentucky’s defense failed to contain forwards Graham Ike and Braden Huff, who combined for 48 of the Bulldogs’ points.

The Wildcats fall to a shocking 5-4 record, and they are struggling to find an identity. They’d better solve things quickly, as matchups against No. 22 Indiana and No. 23 St. John’s loom.

Winner: Duke Blue Devils

Saturday’s other top-10 showdown pitted No. 4 Duke against No. 7 Michigan State. Despite trailing most of the contest, the Blue Devils grabbed a late lead on their way to a 66-60 win. It’s Duke’s third straight victory over a top-25 team.

Star Cameron Boozer fouled out in the final seconds, but still led all scorers with 18 points. Head coach Jon Scheyer and crew clearly haven’t skipped a beat since last year’s Final Four loss, as Duke has built one of the more impressive résumés through the first few weeks of the season.

Loser: Tennessee Volunteers

Ever since its upset over Houston, No. 13 Tennessee has dropped three straight contests, the latest coming at the hands of No. 14 Illinois.

The Volunteers offense has been nonexistent, failing to top 62 points in two straight games. Highly anticipated recruit Nate Ament hasn’t panned out, and things don’t get easier as Tennessee meets No. 6 Louisville on Tuesday.

So far, the SEC is struggling to even get close to replicating last season’s success.

Winner: Northern Colorado forward Ring Nyeri

South Dakota and Northern Colorado played a close, back-and-forth battle, taking overtime to decide a winner. But sophomore Ring Nyeri left no doubt about which team came out on top in the end.

Loser: Miscommunication

Florida A&M and NSAC member Barber-Scotia College were scheduled to face off in the inaugural HBCU Hoops Invitational on Friday evening. However, an inexplicable misunderstanding between the two programs resulted in a cancellation.

The Rattlers claimed Barber-Scotia “forfeited” the game, but Barber-Scotia later said the team was in Orlando and ready to play. As a replacement, Florida A&M held a 45-minute team scrimmage.

No matter the level of play, this type of miscommunication is inexcusable.