NCAAB Notebook: Indiana stuns #13 Ohio State

COVID-19 has ravaged much of the sports world of late, and college basketball hasn’t been spared the pandemic’s wrath. It’s a crazy world, with plenty of cancellations and teams just trying to work through it as conference play begins to heat up. Let’s take a look around the country, shall we?

NCAA Institutes New COVID-19 Guidelines

There have been dozens of games cancelled due to the effects of COVID-19, and we simply don’t have the space to list them all. Of note, though, is the NCAA moving to change its definition of “fully vaccinated” athletes on the heels of pandemic surges from coast to coast. In short, any athlete who has received a booster shot is now considered fully vaccinated, as are any who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within two months, the Pfizer vaccine within five months, or the Moderna vaccine within six months. Those who have been infected within 90 days also fall under this umbrella, and quarantine and isolation guidelines were also changed to reflect new guidance from the CDC.

Indiana Upsets #13 Ohio State

Heading onto the hardwood (and thank goodness for that), Thursday’s action saw the 13th-ranked Buckeyes fall to Indiana in Bloomington. Ohio State came in 9-2 on the season and was down just three at the half, but fell victim to a prolonged scoreless stretch after halftime. The Hoosiers outscored the visitors 34-21 over the final 20 minutes of play to ensure the team’s biggest win of the 2021-22 campaign to date.

Indiana will be in action Sunday at home against Minnesota, while Ohio State will look to rebound Sunday afternoon against Northwestern.

Top-10 West Coast Teams Hold Serve

Two of the PAC-12’s premier programs stayed on course Thursday night. #5 UCLA returned from a hiatus of nearly four weeks with a 96-78 win over Long Beach State at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins turned the ball over just seven times in 30 minutes, and Jules Bernard poured in 22 points to pace the home team.

Meanwhile, #7 USC stayed undefeated with a 77-63 victory over conference foe Cal. The Trojan offense was in fine form Thursday night, shooting better than 53% from the floor, and USC put the game away with a 16-5 run in the game’s final minutes.

Big Conference Clashes Headline Weekend Slate

Some of the biggest games of the weekend feature the top teams in the country. #1 Baylor will put its perfect record on the line Saturday, when it faces 10-1 TCU, one of the most surprising teams in the Big 12.

Elsewhere on Saturday, #2 Duke hosts 12-3 Miami, #6 Kansas travels to #25 Texas Tech, and #18 Tennessee goes to Baton Rouge to take on #21 LSU.