NCAAB Notebook: Altman secures 700th win with upset over UCLA

It sounds crazy to say, but we’re just two months away from the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Games start taking on added significance, and this week features plenty of chances for teams to make statements for the tournament committee to consider. Here’s a look at news from around the country!

Altman’s Milestone Win Comes In Upset Over UCLA

Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman reached a lofty goal Thursday, and he did so at a very convenient time. His squad went to Los Angeles to take on No. 3 UCLA, and the Ducks prevailed in overtime, 84-81. The win was the 700th Division I victory for Altman, who served as the head coach at Marshall, Kansas State, and Creighton before becoming the bench boss at Oregon prior to the 2010-11 season.

Two Other Top 25 Teams Go Down

One of the most notable games of Thursday’s slate featured No. 13 Wisconsin hosting No. 16 Ohio State. The homestanding Badgers jumped out to a 40-27 lead at the half, and Ohio State could get no closer than seven points behind the rest of the way. Wisconsin prevailed by a 78-68 margin, and in doing so, the Badgers recorded their sixth straight win and evened the season series with Ohio State.

In addition, a late rally from No. 20 Seton Hall wasn’t enough to avoid a stinging road loss to Big East foe DePaul. The Blue Demons came out swinging, scoring 18 of the game’s first 24 points and building a 17-point halftime lead. DePaul led by 11 points with 2:19 to play, but the Pirates came roaring back to cut the gap to two points with 15 seconds remaining. Four free throws by Jalen Terry, though, helped ice the 96-92 win.

Big Ten Takes Center Stage Friday

A pair of top-25 teams from one of the country’s power conferences will be in action. No. 7 Purdue will host Nebraska, the lone team in the league without a victory in conference play.

The Cornhuskers’ most recent loss came to No. 25 Illinois, and they’ll complete the Big Ten doubleheader with a home tilt against the reeling Michigan Wolverines, who have dropped three of their last four contests.

Can Baylor Bounce Back?

When we last saw the No. 1 Baylor Bears, they were on the receiving end of a 65-62 loss, their first of the season. Texas Tech used a late 8-0 run to build a cushion, one that survived despite Baylor having a chance to tie the game at the buzzer. The reigning national champions are now 15-1 on the season, and they’ll look to rebound (figuratively and literally) Saturday, when they host Oklahoma State in Waco.