MATT PAINTER

Zach Edey scored 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting as No. 5 Purdue fought off Florida State 79-69 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

North Carolina had been No. 1 all season, but the Tar Heels lost to Iowa State and Alabama at the Phil Knight Invitational to cede the top spot to Houston.

For the first time since Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler roamed the hardwood for Phi Slama Jama, Houston is ranked No. 1.

Houston is the No. 1 team in the AP men's college basketball poll.

The Sweet 16 at the East region features one game between UCLA and North Carolina and another between Purdue and underdog Saint Peter’s.

Purdue held on to defeat Texas on Sunday night to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019

Jaden Ivey made a critical 3-pointer with 1:01 left and finished with 18 points, and Purdue finally got past Texas coach Chris Beard in March.

Last season’s NCAA Tournament ultimately unfolded in familiar fashion.

Chucky Hepburn tried to keep a straight face as the freshman insisted he knew his game-winning 3-pointer was accurate as soon as he took the shot. Hepburn banked in a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to give No. 10 Wisconsin a 70-67 victory over No. 8 Purdue on Tuesday night that clinched the Badgers a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. “I knew we were about to be Big Ten champs after I released it,” Hepburn said before breaking out a grin.

Jaden Ivey hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left and No. 6 Purdue fended off a late charge from No. 16 Ohio State for an 81-78 victory.

Rob Phinisee scored a season-high 17 points in the first half and then made the decisive 3-pointer with 16.5 seconds left to send Indiana past No. 4 Purdue 68-65.

Sasha Stefanovic scored 22 points, including a go-ahead 3 at the start of double overtime that sent No. 4 Purdue over No. 17 Illinois 96-88.

Purdue is No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time.

Purdue's biggest men came up large in a huge early season game. Zach Edey scored 21 points and No. 6 Purdue overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to beat No. 5 Villanova 80-74 on Sunday and win the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. The team's other post, 6-10 Trevion Williams, added nine points and four boards for the Boilermakers (5-0), who dominated underneath, outscoring the Wildcats 38-18 in the paint and outrebounding them 38-26.

Sasha Stefanovic made 5 of 6 3-pointers and finished with 23 points to lead No. 7 Purdue past Bellarmine 96-67.

7 Michigan relied on a staunch defense to beat Purdue 70-53 on Friday night. Purdue made its first two 3s in the second half and cut the deficit to 42-32 with 14:58 to play. But the Wolverines answered with six straight points. Purdue: While the Boilermakers had been the Big Ten's hottest team, they sputtered without Stefanovic on the perimeter. ... Livers has had six straight games in double figures.

Ohio State forward Kyle Young (25) shoots over Purdue forward Trevion Williams (50) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. – Trevion Williams scored 16 points and came close to a triple-double, leading Purdue past No. 20 Ohio State 67-60 on Wednesday night. Ohio State closed to 65-59 when Washington made a 3 with 2:50 left. Ohio State and Purdue finally got to square off — 279 days after their originally scheduled game was canceled.

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, the seating area at Bankers Life Fieldhouse is viewed in Indianapolis after the Big Ten Conference announced that remainder of the men's NCAA college basketball games tournament was canceled. Indianapolis city leaders want the college basketball world to know it is open for business. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)INDIANAPOLIS – With the coronavirus pandemic already forcing changes for college basketball, a bubble may be brewing in Indianapolis. Indiana Sports Corp. released a 16-page proposal Friday that calls for turning the city convention center's exhibition halls and meeting rooms into basketball courts and locker rooms. ___For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25

“Probably the worst beating I’ve taken as a coach,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. But Purdue bottled up Michigan State at every turn and eventually the Spartans buckled. Michigan State never recovered despite trimming the deficit to 37-20 at halftime and 39-27 early in the second half. The real danger is it could become a guide for how other opponents can beat Michigan State. Purdue: The Boilermakers' usually strong defense might have been at its best against the Spartans.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – Purdue coach Matt Painter packed his lineup with more scoring punch Wednesday night. 5 Virginia with a 69-40 rout in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Purdue: The Boilermakers appear to be hitting their stride just in time for the start of conference play. ... Virginia had won seven straight road games dating to last season and their previous five in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Purdue: The Boilermakers had lost five straight at Mackey Arena against top-five teams from other conferences.