usatsi-22120012-1.jpg
USATSI

The Big 12 entered a massive Saturday of college basketball with six of the top-16 teams in the NET and started the day on an unmistakably positive note with No. 19 Texas beating LSU and No. 2 Kansas winning at Indiana. For a conference that has stood out as the best in the sport over the last several seasons, it looked like a banner day may be in store for the league.

Then came Saturday's most surprising score. Michigan State, which entered the day at 4-5, took down No. 6 Baylor 88-64, handing the Bears their first loss. That final score actually provided a generous interpretation of what occurred. The Spartans led 45-15 in the first half and never let Baylor any closer than 20 points in the second half as they dominated their previously unbeaten Big 12 foe in confounding fashion.

One game won't change the Big 12's status as the best conference in college basketball, but it provides some food for thought as the heart of conference play approaches. With Ohio State taking down UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic and No. 3 Purdue edging No. 1 Arizona, the Big Ten went 7-2 and made out reasonably well from a seismic Saturday of action, despite the Hoosiers' loss to the Jayhawks.

It was a busy day full of consequential results, and we charted the top winners and losers from around the country.

Winner: Kentucky's freshmen grow up in win over UNC

Kentucky freshman center Aaron Bradshaw missed the first seven games due to a foot injury and the former five-star recruit drew his first start in the No. 14 Wildcats' 87-83 win over No. 9 North Carolina. Bradshaw drained a game-sealing free throw with 5 seconds remaining to help give the Wildcats their biggest win of the season. Kentucky closed the game with four freshmen on the floor (Bradshaw, D.J. Wagner, Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham), signaling the trust coach John Calipari has for his newcomers. The four freshmen closers and Justin Edwards combined to score 62 of Kentucky's 87 points. With Kentucky's offensive philosophy shifting to emphasize 3-point shooting, it may be the perfect recipe for the Wildcats to make a run come March. Nonetheless, Saturday was certainly a building block and valuable experience for Kentucky's young players. - Cameron Salerno

Loser: Baylor feels Michigan State's wrath

No. 6 Baylor ended up on the wrong side of Michigan State's pent-up frustration as the Spartans eviscerated the Bears 88-64 behind a scorching hot shooting performance. The season began in nightmare fashion for coach Tom Izzo's club with a home loss to James Madison, and it didn't get much better from there as Michigan State entered Saturday at just 4-5. But against Baylor, the Spartans showed why they were ranked No. 4 in the preseason. It was 45-17 at halftime, and Baylor never got closer than 20 in the second half as Michigan State finally picked up a win to be proud of in its final non conference game against a power conference opponent. – David Cobb 

Winner: Kansas roars back to win at Indiana

No. 2 Kansas won at Indiana for the first time in program history, besting the Hoosiers 75-71 after trailing 50-37 early in the second half. The Jayhawks never looked bothered by the electric atmosphere inside Assembly Hall as they played their first road game of the season. Behind the seasoned quartet of Dajuan Harris, Kevin McCullar Jr., KJ Adams and Hunter Dickinson, KU is now 10-1. With games against Yale and Wichita State up next, there's a great chance the Jayhawks will be 12-1 for the start of Big 12 play on Jan. 6. – Cobb

Loser: Arizona lets Purdue's guards get hot

No. 1 Arizona suffered its first loss, falling 92-84 to Arizona as the Wildcats let two players not named Zach Edey have their way offensively. Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined for 53 points, relegating Edey to the No. 3 scorer on his own team. Caleb Love and Keshad Johnson also combined for 53 for the Wildcats, but they couldn't overcome a 15-point second half deficit as Purdue staked its claim to return to No. 1 in the rankings. - Cobb

Winner: Dylan Disu gives Texas another depth piece

No. 19 Texas received a major boost to its rotation Saturday when star forward Dylan Disu returned to the lineup. Disu started 36 games last season for the Longhorns and earned Most Valuable Player honors at the Big 12 Tournament last season. After missing the first nine games with a foot injury, Disu came off the bench and scored 17 points with five assists and four rebounds in 20 minutes during the 96-85 win over LSU. Disu should continue to see his minutes increase once he's fully back in game shape. – Salerno

Loser: UCLA's rebuild taking longer than expected 

UCLA is in the midst of a massive retool to its roster after losing veterans Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell, David Singleton and Jaylen Clark. The transition to life without those established veterans hasn't been kind to coach Mick Cronin. Saturday's 67-60 loss to Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic marked the Bruins fourth loss in their last six games after a 3-0 start. Despite the lackluster start, there have been bright spots, such as the play of freshman guard Sebastian Mack and what they showed in stretches during the Maui Invitational last month. Still, it's going to take a massive turnaround to make it past the first weekend of March Madness for the fourth consecutive season. — Salerno

Winner: Houston passes biggest test yet

Houston passed its toughest test yet by thwarting a late rally from Texas A&M for a 70-66 victory at the Toyota Center. The Cougars improved to 11-0 with the win and showed they could handle a team with comparable athleticism after beginning the season with a relatively light schedule. The Aggies rallied from a 21-point deficit to tie the game at 63 with 1:30 remaining. But Houston kept its cool. If the Cougars can beat Texas State and Penn to close December, they'll enter their inaugural Big 12 campaign at 13-0 when they host West Virginia to open league play on Jan. 6. – Cobb

Winner: Memphis adds another quality win to resume

It's been an interesting season for Penny Hardaway's program through the first seven weeks. Memphis earned its third Top 25 win of the season with a 79-77 victory at home against previously unbeaten Clemson. Memphis was coming off an upset win over Texas A&M on the road and has won three consecutive games after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Villanova and Ole Miss. The Tigers next challenge will be at home against Virginia on Tuesday. – Salerno

Loser: Alabama's nonconference struggles mount

Alabama point guard Mark Sears launched a heave from just inside of half-court that went halfway down before rimming out as time expired. If he'd made it, the Crimson Tide would have take No. 8 Creighton to overtime. Instead, the miss finished off an 85-82 loss that dropped Alabama to 6-4. The four teams Alabama has lost to are a combined 36-6, but that doesn't erase the frustration of a disappointing start. On the heels of a breakthrough season in which the Crimson Tide won the SEC's regular season and tournament tiles and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, a step back was to be expected. There's no Brandon Miller on this team. But the Crimson Tide have the nation's No. 1 ranked offense at KenPom and just one victory over a power conference team (Oregon) to show for it. – Cobb

Winner: UTA's Russell reps second-time transfers

When a U.S. District Court judge issued a ruling against the NCAA in court this week that let second-time transfers become eligible, it marked an early Christmas present for dozens of players around the country. Texas-Arlington guard Phillip Russell was one who benefitted from the ruling, and he wasted no time making an impact as he scored a game-high 28 points in his debut as the Mavericks beat Air Force 76-73. Russell previously played for Saint Louis and Southeast Missouri State but was ineligible for the first several games of the season before the court decision. UT Arlington was predicted to finish eighth in the WAC preseason poll, but Russell could be the type of difference-maker who pushes the Mavericks beyond those meager expectations. - Cobb

Winner: Terrence Hargrove Jr. goes nuts for Saint Louis

With 30 seconds remaining, Saint Louis trailed Louisiana Tech 70-64 and Terrence Hargrove Jr. had two points. By game's end, Hargrove had 13 points and the Billikens had a 75-74 victory. Hargrove began his heroic finish with a 3-point play on a vicious dunk. Then came a layup and two 3-pointers. His second trey came as time expired and lifted the Billikens to victory. The senior forward had only attempted one shot in the second half before going off with the game on the line. Making the Saint Louis rally all the more remarkable was the fact Louisiana Tech, even in a losing effort. became the first team since 2009 to finish without a turnover.