Saturday's slate of basketball games was one to remember. UCLA knocked off No. 1 Kentucky to highlight the madness. And there was plenty more memorable action to take in. Here are 10 takeaways from a fun day of hoops:
1. UCLA is Final Four material
The Bruins advanced to 9-0 with a 97-92 win over No. 1 Kentucky. And they did so on the road, where the Wildcats have been nearly unbeatable. They did so even without their best player, Lonzo Ball, having a big day on offense. But he did make some valuable contributions.
UCLA is so much more than just a one-man show. Freshman T.J. Leaf added 17 points, Isaac Hamilton had 19 points, and of most note: Aaron Holliday is a talented reserve who can run the show in the second unit. The Bruins are deep, and they downed the No. 1 team in the country in a pretty difficult place to play. Color me impressed.
2. Duke is finally getting healthy ... kind of
The Blue Devils played Maine on Saturday. It was not a close game, 94-55. But they had two of their top freshmen return from injuries. Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden both made their season debuts and combined for 17 points.
Both ended up getting a good, old-fashioned case of the cramps, which is to be expected from players who haven't participated all year. But they both provided some depth and quality play, including this highlight from Tatum.
Overall they weren't particularly memorable performances. Having them back on the floor, though, is obviously good news for Duke. And bad news for anyone playing the Blue Devils soon.
3. Baylor would be the No. 1 overall seed if the NCAA Tournament started today
The Bears are 7-0 and notched their third top 10 win Saturday, ousting Xavier 76-61 in Waco. The Bears are not messing around.
Miami transfer Manu Lecomte continued his surge as the starting point guard, dropping 24 points to lead the way. He makes the Bears go. They've been the most impressive team perhaps the entire year. They are No. 11 in CBS Sports top 25 (and one) rankings. With their early season resume, though, I'd expect they will move up considerably.
4. Gonzaga competing with UCLA as the best team out West
Speaking of impressive resumes, Gonzaga is quietly 8-0. They have just as much of a case for a No. 1 ranking as Baylor does after toppling No. 16 Arizona 69-62 on Saturday. The Zags have three wins over KenPom top-30 teams and are riding the hand of big man Przemek Karnowski, who had a season-high 18 points. Arizona is short-handed due to some unfortunate luck with injuries, but Gonzaga's win is impressive nonetheless. This may be Mark Few's most complete team.
5. Kentucky's shooting woes doomed them
The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season to UCLA for a second straight year. They shot just 33 percent from 3-point range and 41 percent from the field. They won the turnover battle 18 to 9 but couldn't get their shots to fall. The shots they've made all season didn't fall against UCLA. They started slow and never really find the groove they've been in this season.
Kentucky has been rolling this season, albeit against lesser competition. And its first big test didn't go well. UCLA is good, so it deserves credit for the win, but the Bruins have a ways to go and must figure out their shooting.
6. Don't forget about Josh Hart
Reigning national champion Villanova will finally get the love it deserves. The Wildcats have been in the shadows all season behind Duke and Kentucky, but an 88-57 domination of Saint Joseph's on Saturday should be just what the doctor ordered to put them over the top. They are playing like the team that we saw in the NCAA Tournament, with a more productive Josh Hart helping lead the way.
Hart became the first Villanova player to record a triple-double in three decades. What he's doing is truly remarkable and could move him into player of the year conversations if he continues at this pace.
7. Melo Trimble saves Maryland
The Terrapins probably deserved to lose at home to Oklahoma State, yet Trimble did just enough to push his team past the Pokes. An 80-percent foul shooter, Trimble hit two freebies with 9.4 seconds to go to give Maryland its final 71-70 margin. OSU stud sophomore point guard Jawun Evans' second-chance shot did not get off in time (even though it went in) and so Maryland moves to 8-1. The Terps are finally starting to make a little noise here, and Trimble is the catalyst.
Maryland ended the game on a 23-10 run after trailing by 12 points midway through the second half. The Terrapins had a lot of trouble with their offense but managed to get Oklahoma State into foul trouble. Their ball-screen D improved in the second half, too, and that was humongous in keeping Evans under control.
Trimble's 13 points led his team. Evans had 16. It was a good matchup between two of the best combo/point guards in America -- but Maryland really needed this game. Oklahoma State is 6-2.
8. Oklahoma needs to require drama as a general education class
The Sooners traveled to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. They got rolled, 90-70, but we did get a beautiful highlight. And it had absolutely nothing to do with live play.
Khadeem Lattin's attempt to draw a foul went poorly. It's a flop to end all flops, and a solid reason that the Sooners need to require drama and acting in their education for the athletes.
9. West Virginia somehow wins at Virginia, snaps a streak dating back to 1957
The Mountaineers not only notched a win over a top 10 team, but they did it against Virginia. After dismissing Austin Nichols just weeks ago, the Cavaliers struggled to find their rhythm offensively. And West Virginia finished on an 11-2 run to win the game 66-57. No. 25 West Virginia will almost certainly be moving up in the polls this week after another gritty performance.
The loss for Virginia snapped an impressive streak of 24 consecutive wins at home. It is the first win for West Virginia over an AP top 10 team in a nonconference road game since 1957. Bob Huggins' middle name, unofficially, is Wizard.
10. Unbeaten Creighton won again and has turned into the most underrated team in America
The Bluejays, who fittingly rank No. 10 in the AP poll, stayed hot with an 82-70 win over Akron. Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster and the transfer market has revived the program, and they're flourishing at 8-0. The previously mentioned Foster finished with 27 points, and four players finished in double digits. They have a ton of offensive weapons all over the floor. Must-see stuff, and in fact, Creighton looks like it could match up with the likes of North Carolina, Indiana and UCLA on offense. Great movement all over the floor. The Big East race will be terrific when league play comes around.
-- Matt Norlander contributed to this post