DAILY DISH: Brandon Paul goes for 43, Illinois upsets Ohio State

By: Kels Dayton

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  Illinois guard Brandon Paul lit the Buckeyes up for 43 points in one of the great individual performances of the young season. (AP Photo)

  Illinois came up with a huge signature win Tuesday night, getting 43 points from Brandon Paul and downing No. 5 Ohio State, 79-74. Paul was unbelievable, shooting 11-for-15 from the field and 8-for-10 from three-point range. The 6-4 junior also knocked down 13 of 15 free throws, and nailed an impossible corner three with under a minute to play to seal it. His performance was arguably the best of the year for any player thus far this season, and it came from a guy who was averaging just 12 points per game coming into the contest.

• Providence mauled No. 15 Louisville, 90-59 Tuesday in probably the most shocking conference result of the season. The Friars kicked Louisville up and down the court, as sophomores Bryce Cotton and Kadeem Batts both went for 27 points. The two combined to shoot 15-for-20 from the field and 19-for-22 from the free throw line. If Cotton and Batts can play like that, the Friars have a bright future under first-year coach Ed Cooley. Louisville, on the other hand, was dreadful, allowing the Friars to shoot 52 percent from the floor. The Cardinals have lost four of five, and fall to 1-3 in the Big East.

• Baylor escaped Manhattan with a 75-73 win over Kansas State, improving to 16-0 for the first time in school history. Perry Jones III led the Bears with 17 points and 8 rebounds, and Quincy Acy came up with a huge defensive play to thwart the Wildcats’ chances of pulling the upset by knocking away an inbounds pass with 3.9 seconds to go. The win is huge for Baylor, which proved it can win in a tough road environment and setting the stage for a Big Monday showdown next week at Kansas.