1. Kansas’ biggest loss came before the Texas game this weekend, as sophomore Thomas Robinson’s mother, 37, died of an apparent heart attack Friday night, the Associated Press reports.
2. West Virginia reserve forward Dan Jennings decided that the middle of the game would be a good time to walk away from the team, as the sophomore left the bench during the Mountaineers’ game against South Florida, according to the Associated Press. Coach Bob Huggins was none too pleased.
3. Indiana might need to finish the season without Verdell Jones III, averaging 12.9 points per game, after the sophomore went down with inflammation in his right knee, the Associated Press reports.
4. CBSSports.com’s Gary Parrish heaps some praise on Pittsburgh’s Gary McGhee and Vanderbilt’s Festus Ezeli, who managed to evolve into legitimately dominant centers after receiving little attention as high school recruits.
5. If you can’t get enough of the crazy suits that TNT sideline reporter Craig Seder wears during NBA games, you’ll get to see more of them during this year’s NCAA Tournament. SI.com’s Richard Deitsch outlines other coverage details for the CBS/TNT/TBS/TruTV coverage of the NCAA Tournament.
6. And who knows which teams will be working through that conglomerate’s March/April coverage, writes ESPN.com blogger Eamonn Brennan, who points out that we lack a clear-cut favorite to cut down the nets this season.
7. With plenty of snark, SI.com’s Michael Rosenberg highlights some of the potential recruiting violations that could arise now that ESPN and Texas have an agreement to launch a Longhorns-only network — which will reportedly show high school football games.

1/21
• East Tennessee State 68, Lipscomb 67

1/22

• Texas 74, Kansas 63
• Ohio State 73, Illinois 68
• Purdue 86, Michigan State 76
• Villanova 83, Syracuse 72
• Providence 72, Louisville 67
• Cincinnati 53, St. John’s 51
• Notre Dame 80, Marquette 75
• Connecticut 72, Tennessee 61
• Vanderbilt 89, Saint Mary’s 70
• Texas A&M 64, Kansas State 56
• Baylor 76, Oklahoma State 57
• BYU 94, Colorado State 85
• Florida State 67, Boston College 51
• Memphis 76, UAB 73 OT
• VCU 59, Old Dominion 50
• George Mason 75, James Madison 73
• Xavier 88, Temple 77
• Richmond 84, Massachusetts 68
• Kentucky 67, South Carolina 58
• Wichita State 93, Indiana State 83 OT
• San Francisco 96, Gonzaga 91 OT

1/23

• Belmont 72, East Tennessee State 62

Michael Protos updates player ratings for the SEC and hints that Mississippi State might soon be ready for another late-season surge. Protos also releases the Big 12’s latest player ratings, with some curious observations in Lawrence.

1/24
• Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
• Furman at Wofford
• Texas Southern at Mississippi Valley State

1/25

• Purdue at Ohio State
• Connecticut at Marquette
• Florida at Georgia
• Richmond at Dayton

1/26

• San Diego State at BYU
• Texas at Oklahoma State
• West Virginia at Louisville
• St. John’s at Georgetown

1/27:

• Michigan at Michigan State
• Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga
• Boston College at Duke
• UCLA at Arizona
• Hofstra at VCU

No one had won on Kansas’ home court since Texas A&M snuck past the 2007 Jayhawks. That means Saturday’s loss is the first one that a four-year senior has witnessed while at Kansas. The Jayhawks’ run is a credit to the students, alumni and fans who make the field house one of the most imposing venues in the country. It’s also a testament of the stability and quality that coach Bill Self has forged in Lawrence.

With Kansas officially off the list, Duke now claims the longest active home winning streak. The Blue Devils have rattled off 30 straight victories at Cameron Indoor Stadium since North Carolina won there in February 2009. Many media personalities already believe that Duke has the best home court advantage in hoops.

However, a couple other teams on the short list of active home winning streaks highlight the rabid support that teams outside the power conferences receive. Utah State and its 26 straight home wins rank right behind Kentucky’s 28 wins. And VCU isn’t far behind, at No. 4 with 20 straight home wins. The Aggies and Rams have a formidable advantage in Logan and Richmond, respectively, and their success rightfully scares away major conference opponents when it comes time to build a schedule for the upcoming season.

From the smallest gym to the biggest arena, hundreds or thousands of screaming fans can boost their team. When paired with well-coached, talented players, a home court advantage becomes a very real phenomenon — requiring the type of relentless resolve and persistent execution that Texas showed for a road team to win.