Wednesday night in college hoops started out quiet-but it didn’t stay that way for long. By the end of the evening, three ranked teams had taken unexpected tumbles, shaking up the NCAA Tournament picture and raising questions about seeding, momentum, and where these programs stand heading into the heart of February.
Let’s break down the three biggest upsets of the night and what they mean moving forward.
Minnesota 76, No. 10 Michigan State 73
This one raised some eyebrows early. Minnesota came out swinging and built a commanding lead that they managed to protect down the stretch, handing Michigan State a surprising road loss. While the Spartans are still comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field, this one stings-not just because it’s a loss, but because of what it could mean for their seeding.
Right now, this falls under the Quad 1 category, thanks to Minnesota’s NET ranking of 72. But that’s a fragile number. If the Gophers slip even slightly, this could slide into Quad 2 territory, which would make it an even tougher pill to swallow for a Michigan State team with bigger-picture goals.
There are also some distractions off the court, including the growing chatter around Jeremy Fears and the “dirty player” label that’s been floating around. Add in a tough road matchup at Illinois looming on the schedule, and it’s clear the Spartans are entering a critical stretch. If they want to stay in the Big Ten title conversation, they’ll need to regroup-and fast.
Oklahoma State 99, No. 16 BYU 92
This one was a shootout, and despite a monster 36-point performance from AJ Dybantsa, BYU couldn’t keep pace. The Cougars have now dropped four of their last five, and while they’re not in danger of missing the tournament, their seeding is starting to take a hit.
This loss qualifies as Quad 1, which helps soften the blow, but the bigger issue is the lack of a marquee win on BYU’s resume. Right now, they’re hovering around the 5 or 6 seed line. That’s a solid spot-but it’s also a vulnerable one, especially if the slide continues.
The Cougars have a golden opportunity coming up with a matchup against Houston this weekend. Win that, and they’re back in business. Lose it, and they could find themselves outside the AP Top 25 next week-and sliding further down the seed line.
Portland 87, No. 6 Gonzaga 80
Now this was the shocker of the night.
Gonzaga came into this one with a perfect WCC record and national title aspirations-even without leading scorer Braden Huff, who’s averaging 17.8 points per game. But Portland?
The Pilots had lost 47 of their last 49 games against the Zags. And yet, behind a breakout 27-point performance from freshman Joel Foxwell, they pulled off what might be the biggest upset of the season so far.
This is a Quad 3 loss for Gonzaga-and it could get worse. If Portland continues to struggle, this could dip into Quad 4 territory, which would be a major blemish on the Bulldogs’ resume.
The impact? Gonzaga likely drops out of the 1-2 seed conversation, especially given how stacked the top tier of the bracket is shaping up to be.
And the road ahead doesn’t get easier. They’ve still got trips to face Santa Clara and San Francisco, two of the top teams in the WCC.
Big Picture Takeaway
None of these losses are fatal-far from it. All three ranked teams are still in solid position to make the NCAA Tournament.
But nights like this are a reminder of how quickly things can shift in college basketball. One bad loss, one missed opportunity, and suddenly you’re not fighting for a protected seed-you’re fighting to avoid a dangerous matchup in the first weekend of March Madness.
As we head deeper into February, the margin for error shrinks. And for Michigan State, BYU, and Gonzaga, Wednesday night was a wake-up call: No game is a gimme, and every night counts.