Michigan, Kansas go down as run continues

NEW YORK: There goes another one, and another one.
No. 3 Michigan, fifth-ranked Kansas and No. 11 Louisville all lost on Saturday, continuing a perilous stretch for the Top 25.
The Wolverines became the third top-three team to fall this week when Ben Brust hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with less than 40 seconds left in overtime, leading Wisconsin to a 65-62 victory. Brust also tied the game at the end of regulation with a heave from just inside halfcourt.
That’s just the way it has gone lately for the top of the poll.
No. 2 Florida lost at Arkansas on Tuesday night, and No. 1 Indiana dropped a 74-72 decision at Illinois on Thursday. This should be the sixth straight week with a different No. 1 in The Associated Press’ Top 25, which would be the second-longest streak since the first AP poll in 1949.
The Jayhawks have dropped three straight games for the first time in eight years after they lost 72-66 at Oklahoma.
“It hasn’t been a good week for us by any stretch, but let’s be real,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We were ranked No. 2 in the country seven days ago, and you don’t go from being a good team to a bad team overnight.
“We’ve had a couple of bad outings, but we’re still a good team.”
The current string of No. 1 swapping is the longest since 1994, when Arkansas, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA and Duke alternated at the top seven straight weeks — the longest streak since Saint Louis debuted as No. 1 in the initial AP poll.
But it isn’t just the teams at the top that are having trouble. Top 25 teams all over the country are getting knocked off by unranked opponents.
According to STATS LLC, Top 25 teams lost to unranked teams 36 times from Jan. 17 to Feb. 6 this season, most in at least 17 years.
In South Bend, Indiana, Cameron Biedscheid scored on a layup with 1:19 left in the fifth overtime, and Eric Atkins and Pat Connaugton added free throws in the final 19 seconds as No. 25 Notre Dame overcame an eight-point deficit in regulation to beat No. 11 Louisville 104-101 Saturday night.
Russ Smith had a chance to tie it, but his 3-point attempt missed before Notre Dame students flooded the court to celebrate. It marked the sixth time in the last eight meetings that a game between the Fighting Irish (19-5, 7-4 Big East) and the Cardinals (19-5, 7-4) went into overtime.
Both teams missed crucial free throws in the final minute. Atkins missed two with 37 seconds left and Montrezi Harrell did the same for Louisville with 24 seconds left.
Jerian Grant, who fouled out with 1:57 left in the first overtime, led the Irish with 19 points.
Chane Behanan had 30 points and 15 rebounds for Louisville.