College Hoops Roundup: Meltdowns, Comebacks, and Holiday Sweaters
The holiday season in college basketball often brings a little extra drama-tight finishes, emotional sidelines, and yes, even some ugly sweaters. But this weekend delivered more than just festive chaos.
From a sideline outburst that crossed the line to a top-three team coughing up a massive lead, Saturday’s slate had a bit of everything. Let’s break it all down.
Ed Cooley’s Outburst Overshadows Georgetown’s Collapse
Georgetown had a chance. Four free throws in the final five seconds.
Make just one or two, and the Hoyas are walking out of the Cintas Center with a gritty early conference win. Instead, they missed all four.
And not just missed-one of them looked like it belonged in a blooper reel, not a Big East game.
Despite the unraveling at the line, Georgetown still had a shot to force overtime. Malik Mack got a clean look from deep, but it didn’t fall. That’s when things went from frustrating to unacceptable.
After the final horn, Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley-visibly irate-tossed a water bottle into the stands. The bottle struck a child sitting in his mother’s lap. That child, it turns out, is a relative of Georgetown center Vince Iwuchukwu.
Cooley addressed the incident immediately in his postgame press conference.
“First and foremost, I have to apologize to the Iwuchukwu family,” Cooley said. “Really frustrated, realized I threw my water bottle, and it hit [him] and his mom.
Definitely out of character to be so frustrated, but really that’s not called for. I’ll call them and make amends to that.
Just totally out of character, frustration. So I apologize to the fans, our players, the university.
Totally, totally out of character for me to be that way.”
This isn’t the first time Cooley has let his emotions spill over at Xavier’s Cintas Center. A year ago, he was caught on camera confronting a fan after a loss. Now, one year later, another emotional moment-this time with real consequences.
On Sunday, Georgetown announced that Cooley has been suspended for the team’s next game against Coppin State.
Duke Melts Down at Madison Square Garden
For 30 minutes, Duke looked every bit the No. 3 team in the country. They were rolling at Madison Square Garden, up double digits on No.
19 Texas Tech, and seemingly in full control. By the first media timeout of the second half, the Blue Devils had stretched their lead to 17.
It felt like a statement win in the making.
But then Christian Anderson happened.
The Red Raiders guard took over late, scoring 21 of Texas Tech’s final 31 points-including 10 straight at one point-to claw his team all the way back. With the game tied in the final seconds, Anderson stepped to the line and calmly knocked down the game-winner, finishing with 27 points in a stunning 82-81 win.
It’s Duke’s first loss of the season, and it didn’t come out of nowhere. The Blue Devils had flirted with danger before, blowing double-digit leads against Florida and Arkansas. This time, they didn’t escape.
Purdue Dominates Auburn in Statement Win
Purdue didn’t just beat Auburn-they dismantled them.
Trey Kaufman-Renn poured in 18 points, Braden Smith dished out a season-high 14 assists, and the Boilermakers led by 14 at the break before cruising to an 88-60 blowout. It was a wire-to-wire performance that showcased Purdue’s offensive balance and defensive discipline.
Auburn head coach Steven Pearl didn’t sugarcoat things afterward, but he also didn’t sound discouraged.
“We’ve battle-tested our guys,” Pearl said. “At this point, I don’t think we’re going to play anyone better the rest of the year than what we’ve already seen.
I’m encouraged. I know fans may not want to hear that right now, and I don’t really care.
But I’m encouraged and I’m bought in. Everything this team is setting out to do is still attainable.”
That’s a coach keeping the big picture in mind, even after a 28-point loss.
Houston Shoots the Lights Out Against Arkansas
In a neutral-site matchup that brought back some old Southwest Conference vibes, Houston came out firing-and never let up. The Cougars knocked down 11 of 25 from beyond the arc and controlled the game from start to finish in a 94-85 win over Arkansas.
Darius Acuff led the way with 27 points, while Arkansas struggled to find rhythm outside of him. Trevon Brazile managed just five points in 21 minutes, and the Razorbacks’ four-game win streak came to a screeching halt.
John Calipari’s squad had no answer for Houston’s perimeter shooting or their pace in transition. The Cougars looked sharp, efficient, and dangerous-exactly what you want to see in December from a team with deep March aspirations.
Holiday Spirit on the Sidelines: Izzo and Kampe Keep the Tradition Alive
Not everything this weekend was about missed free throws and blown leads. In a bit of light-hearted tradition, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Oakland’s Greg Kampe brought their annual ugly sweater game to the sideline once again.
This year? Matching, personalized holiday sweaters.
The two longtime coaching friends have made this a staple of their December matchup, and it’s become one of the more charming traditions in college hoops. A reminder that even in the heat of competition, there’s still room for a little fun.
Final Word
From emotional outbursts to epic comebacks, Saturday delivered a full slate of college basketball drama. Georgetown will have to regroup after a loss that ended in controversy, while Duke is left wondering how they let another big lead slip away.
Purdue and Houston, meanwhile, look like teams ready to make deep runs. And somewhere amid it all, two veteran coaches reminded us that sometimes, it’s okay to laugh-especially when you’re wearing a sweater that would make your grandma proud.
December hoops are heating up, and if this weekend was any indication, we’re in for a wild ride as conference play looms.