How can you not love college basketball? The first week of the new season did not disappoint one bit. We saw East Texas A&M knock off Oklahoma on opening day, then Valparaiso delivered what could end up being one of the best games of the season with a double-overtime victory over Purdue. In a time when the power gap between the top of the college basketball world and the rest of the pack widens, it gave hope that there can still be battles worth fighting for.
Looking at other games, Saint Louis picked up a key win over Missouri 90-84 that will help boost their resume. If you missed it, South Dakota State picked up a win over Kansas State 68-66.
Even in the non-wins, we saw close games. UCF and Florida Gulf Coast went to overtime where UCF pulled off a one-point win. South Florida nearly took down DePaul, Long Beach State lost by just three to Utah, Chattanooga lost by just four to Penn State, and so many more close games. In total, there were eleven games where a mid-major program lost by ten or fewer points to a power conference opponent.
While the wins are up, the numbers are ultimately similar to those from last season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at our first Heat Check Report of the season to see who’s heating up, who’s on fire, and who’s cooling down through the first week!