What’s going on in early season college basketball?
Anarchy.
Top-ranked Kentucky, which just defeated Michigan State last week in the Champions Classic at the Garden, entered last night’s home game against Evansville as a 25-point favorite.
Final score: Evansville 67, Kentucky 64. This one was a shocker, one of the biggest upsets in recent college basketball history. Evansville, coached by former Kentucky star Walter McCarty, was picked to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley pre-season coaches’ poll following a 11-21 season in McCarty’s first season.
But this was a shocker and it was Evansville’s first win over a No. 1 team.
Kentucky’s last loss as a No. 1 team came Dec. 3, 2016 against UCLA. John Calipari is now 110-43 against unranked opponents and 46-2 against unranked opponents when his team is No. 1.
“I feel great about it,’’ McCarty, who won an NCAA title at Kentucky in 1996, said. “First of all, thank you John for allowing us to come here and play this game. They showed us awesome hospitality. It was an awesome opportunity.
“Our guys really worked hard. We were engaged. We knew if we were the more connected team for 40 minutes how good we were, and we just believed and trusted each other and made plays for each other. Guys came out and gave their all. This is big win for our program and for our community. It was awesome.’
Senior guard K.J. Riley from the Bronx had 18 points and 4 rebounds in the win while junior guard Sam Cunliffe, a transfer from Arizona State, went for 17 points and 6 rebounds. Cunliffe hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win. Kentucky freshman Tyrese Maxey missed a deep three pointer at the buzzer.
Evansville shot 38.3 percent from the floor. Kentucky shot 37 percent. Sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley led the Cats with 16 points on 5 of 12 shooting.
“Walter and his team deserved to win,’’ Calipari said. “They were tougher and executed better.’’
Kentucky had won 52 consecutive games against unraked opponents at home.
