ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
January 15.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · January 15PAINT
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 71.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Oklahoma State61 | #1 Baylor54 | On the road · Ferrell Center · Waco, TX |
| 1951 | Detroit Mercy70 | #1 Bradley65 | On the road |
| 2013 | Wisconsin64 | #2 Indiana59 | On the road · Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall · Bloomington, IN |
| 1989 | Pittsburgh99 | #3 Oklahoma91 | At home |
| 1983 | Boston College68 | #3 St. John's (NY)64 | At home |
| 2020 | Alabama83 | #4 Auburn64 | At home · Coleman Coliseum · Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 2022 | Oregon79 | #5 Southern California69 | On the road · Galen Center · Los Angeles, CA |
| 2000 | St. John's (NY)82 | #5 Connecticut77 | On the road |
| 1973 | Colorado81 | #5 Missouri79 | On the road · OT |
| 2023 | St. John's (NY)85 | #6 Connecticut74 | On the road · XL Center · Hartford, CT |
| 1990 | Connecticut70 | #6 Syracuse59 | At home |
| 1983 | Auburn75 | #6 Kentucky67 | On the road · Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center · Lexington, KY |
| 1954 | Notre Dame83 | #6 Holy Cross61 | At home · Boston Garden, Boston, MA |
| 2004 | Southern California99 | #7 Arizona90 | At home · Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena · Los Angeles, CA |
ON THIS DAY · January 15PAINT
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 48.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | #2 Kentucky96 | #3 Vanderbilt83 | At home |
| 2005 | #4 Wake Forest95 | #3 North Carolina82 | At home · LJVM Coliseum · Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2002 | #4 Kansas79 | #6 Oklahoma State61 | On the road · Gallagher-Iba Arena · Stillwater, OK |
| 2025 | #2 Iowa State74 | #9 Kansas57 | At home · Hilton Coliseum · Ames, IA |
| 1990 | #3 Michigan74 | #8 Illinois70 | On the road · Assembly Hall · Champaign, IL |
| 1972 | #3 North Carolina85 | #8 Virginia79 | On the road · University Hall · Charlottesville, VA |
| 2012 | #5 Ohio State80 | #7 Indiana63 | At home · Schottenstein Center · Columbus, OH |
| 2019 | #4 Virginia81 | #9 Virginia Tech59 | At home · John Paul Jones Arena · Charlottesville, VA |
| 1983 | #11 North Carolina101 | #2 Virginia95 | On the road · University Hall · Charlottesville, VA |
| 2018 | #12 Kansas71 | #2 West Virginia66 | On the road · WVU Coliseum · Morgantown, WV |
ON THIS DAY · January 15PAINT
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | #20 NC State58 | #6 North Carolina57 | 1 pt |
| 2011 | #14 Texas A&M91 | #15 Missouri89 | 2 pts |
| 1989 | #9 Louisville67 | #19 Georgia Tech65 | 2 pts |
| 1987 | #16 Oklahoma76 | #20 Kansas74 | 2 pts |
| 1977 | #7 Wake Forest84 | #17 Clemson82 | 2 pts |
ON THIS DAY · January 15PAINT
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Virginia106 | #8 North Carolina83 | 23 pts |
| 2019 | #4 Virginia81 | #9 Virginia Tech59 | 22 pts |
| 1954 | Notre Dame83 | #6 Holy Cross61 | 22 pts |
| 2020 | Alabama83 | #4 Auburn64 | 19 pts |
| 2002 | #4 Kansas79 | #6 Oklahoma State61 | 18 pts |
ON THIS DAY · January 15PAINT
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased, measured from play-by-play. Earliest on file: 2006.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | UTEP80 | UTSA77 | Trailed by 24 |
| 2022 | Boston College70 | Clemson68 | Trailed by 23 |
| 2022 | James Madison95 | William & Mary91 | Trailed by 23 |
| 2025 | Chattanooga83 | Wofford81 | Trailed by 20 |
| 2022 | East Carolina72 | Memphis71 | Trailed by 19 |
ON THIS DAY · January 15PAINT
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | #4 Nevada-Las Vegas129 | Portland State114 | 243 total pts |
| 2025 | Massachusetts120 | Fordham118 | 238 total pts |
| 2025 | Purdue Fort Wayne120 | Wright State113 | 233 total pts |
| 1986 | Middle Tennessee132 | Alabama State101 | 233 total pts |
| 1972 | #13 Louisiana134 | West Texas A&M94 | 228 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · January 15PAINT
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | #4 Syracuse67 | #25 Cincinnati52 | 24,338 fans |
| 2011 | #13 Kentucky82 | Louisiana State44 | 24,330 fans |
| 2013 | Kentucky75 | Tennessee65 | 24,033 fans |
| 2020 | Syracuse76 | Boston College50 | 21,645 fans |
| 2011 | #18 Louisville71 | Marquette70 | 21,485 fans |
ON THIS DAY · January 15PAINT
Big nights
The highest-scoring individual games on this date.
| Season | Player | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Darius McGhee | Liberty vs. Florida Gulf Coast | 48 pts · 2 reb · 2 ast · 8 threes |
| 2025 | Rahsool Diggins | Massachusetts vs. Fordham | 46 pts · 6 reb · 4 ast · 8 threes |
| 2016 | A.J. English | Iona vs. Monmouth | 45 pts · 2 reb · 3 ast · 6 threes |
| 2000 | Will Solomon | Clemson vs. Virginia | 43 pts · 9 reb · 3 ast · 8 threes |
| 2022 | Teddy Allen | New Mexico State vs. Abilene Christian | 41 pts · 7 reb · 2 ast · 6 threes |