#college-basketball

#college-basketball

Over the course of USC' s undefeated start, with its star freshman still out, its leading scorer nursing an ailing shoulder and one of its best defenders down because of an injured hip, coach Eric Musselman still managed to make the best of his ravaged roster. USC had won eight straight, sweeping its nonconference slate and winning its Big Ten opener at Oregon. It swept through the Maui Invitational, beating three real teams in the process.

Alone in Santa Clara's practice gym, Thierry Darlan reaches up and grabs onto the bottom of the net with two left fingers. He crosses his left leg over the right and stands with right hand on hip, looking comfortable and beaming as he ponders all he has endured to reach this very place. A place where he feels at home, across the world from family but with people who have provided that same comfort and support.

LAS VEGAS -- Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 22 points and made all six of his free throws in the final 35 seconds to lift No. 17 Tennessee to a 76-73 victory over No. 3 Houston in the Players Era Championship on Tuesday. Jaylen Carey added 13 points for the Volunteers (7-0) and Bishop Boswell scored 10, including two free throws with 25 seconds left. Kingston Flemings led Houston (6-1) with 25 points, and Milos Uzan had 17.

It was a thrilling first week of men's college basketball, complete with upsets and superstar performances -- especially by freshmen? No. 13 Arizona quickly challenged preseason expectations with a win over No. 3-ranked and defending champ Florida on opening night. Then, No. 25 North Carolina tipped off the weekend with a statement win over No. 19 Kansas on Friday, followed by a high-tempo showdown between No. 5 St. John's and No. 15 Alabama on Saturday,

In an era when college basketball teams are increasingly reliant on the transfer portal to recruit more experienced players -- and less interested in stockpiling one-and-done recruits, with the expectation of Duke -- having raw talent with pro upside on a roster still matters. Last season's national title team at Florida featured first-round 2025 NBA Draft pick Walter Clayton Jr., two second-rounders (Alijah Martin and Will Richard) and two more projected 2026 first-rounders ( Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh).

Freshman Cam Ward had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Coen Carr scored 15 points and had seven rebounds and No. 22 Michigan State beat No. 14 Arkansas 69-66 on Saturday night in a matchup of Hall of Fame coaches. The Spartans (2-0) grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and converted them into 18 points, a staple of Tom Izzo's program for 31 seasons.

Charging out of the second half with rousing energy and edge changed everything, both for Friday night's game and in validating Hubert Davis' retooling of the roster after the Tar Heels barely made last year's NCAA tournament. By the end, the 25th-ranked Tar Heels had rolled to an 87-74 win against the 19th-ranked Jayhawks behind contributions from a star freshman, a transfer-portal big man and a returning senior who took on the toughest defensive assignment against Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson.

LAS VEGAS -- Freshman Koa Peat scored 30 points to lead No. 13 Arizona to a 93-87 win over third-ranked and defending national champion Florida in the Hall of Fame Series on Monday night. Peat was impressive in his college debut, shooting 11-of-18 from the floor and adding 7 rebounds and 5 assists. He was fouled making a defensive rebound with 14.2 seconds left and hit his two ensuing free throws to seal the victory in both teams' season opener.

Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell announced Sunday that she has dismissed senior guard Ruby Whitehorn from the eighth-ranked Lady Vols, saying it was her responsibility to protect the program's high standards. "In light of recent events, Ruby has been unable to reflect those standards, and I have made the difficult decision to dismiss her from our team," Caldwell said in a statement. "I love Ruby and will always be rooting for her, but my priority is to uphold the respected reputation of the Lady Vols."

Loyola-Chicago men's basketball players will wear a patch on their jerseys this season to honor Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved, longtime chaplain who died earlier this month. Loyola announced its plans Tuesday in a social media post that included the caption, "Our biggest fan will be with us all season long." Our biggest fan will be with us all season long 💛🐺🏀 pic.twitter.com/YZ1tZfUSwL- Loyola Men's Basketball (@RamblersMBB) October 29, 2025

At Madison Square Garden, the lights were bright and the energy was real as No. 5 St. John's took the floor against No. 7 Michigan in an exhibition that felt far more like a March showdown than a preseason tune-up. This game absolutely lived up to its hype, with both teams exchanging blows for all 45 minutes, but Michigan came out victorious with a 9694 overtime win. Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Who is most likely to battle for those rights is more apparent in the major conferences. Duke's Cameron Boozer and NC State's Darrion Williams are candidates in the ACC. Donovan Dent, the UCLA star who transferred from New Mexico, could push Purdue's Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn in the Big Ten. Kentucky's Otega Oweh and Florida's Alex Condon lead a crowded field of candidates for individual honors in the SEC.

Given the increasing lack of continuity in college basketball, projecting the first-year impact of newcomers is more difficult than ever. Freshmen have always been volatile, but that's especially true now that they are four to five years younger than many of the upperclassmen they are up against. And though transfers are perceived to be more of a sure thing, there is no guarantee their production will carry over from one program to the next.

Sportsbooks flagged dozens of suspicious bets made by gamblers repeatedly wagering against the same small-conference teams in at least 11 men's college basketball games over six weeks last season, documents obtained by ESPN show. As the NCAA and federal authorities investigate alleged point-shaving in college basketball, the documents reveal new details about the behavior of an alleged gambling syndicate and the games suspected members targeted between Dec. 1, 2024, and mid-January 2025. ESPN obtained the documents in a public records request.