College Basketball

LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball will be tested Friday against UNC in a way the Jayhawks weren’t Monday, in their season opener at home against Howard. No. 1 Kansas (1-0) will be going up against a No. 10 North Carolina (1-0) team that will arrive in Lawrence with a much more talented roster. Jayhawks head coach Bill Self told reporters postgame that …

North Carolina basketball and Kansas meet again Friday (7 p.m., ESPN2) in a top-10 matchup between the bluest of bluebloods. The ninth-ranked Tar Heels (1-0) will play the top-ranked Jayhawks (1-0) at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence for the first time since 1960. UNC and Kansas have combined for more than 4,700 wins, 37 Final Four appearances and 10 NCAA championships. …

Eastern Kentucky Colonels (1-0) at East Tennessee State Buccaneers (1-0) Johnson City, Tennessee; Friday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Eastern Kentucky takes on East Tennessee State after George Kimble III scored 23 points in Eastern Kentucky’s 98-69 victory over the Alice Lloyd Eagles. East Tennessee State went 19-16 overall last season while going 10-4 at home. The Buccaneers averaged 71.5 …

Missouri basketball’s 2024-25 season-opener finished the same way as the 19 games that came before, but the signs of a brighter future were there. Mizzou lost 83-75 to Memphis on Monday at FedEx Forum to open its new campaign, and Dennis Gates’ team now has a 20-game losing streak dating back to last season. There were plenty of familiar low …

HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) — Chase Johnston’s 31 points led High Point over Coppin State 93-51 on Wednesday night. Johnston shot 11 for 13, including 9 for 11 from beyond the arc for the Panthers (1-0). Kezza Giffa scored 16 points while shooting 3 for 7 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 8 of 11 from the free-throw line …

FAYETTEVILLE — John Calipari wanted to coach a more physical, defensive-minded team this year with Arkansas basketball, ditching some of the fragilities that cost him over the final chapters at Kentucky. The Razorbacks have only played one regular season game in the Calipari era, but they’re off to a strong start in providing their new head coach with what he’s …

STORRS, Conn. — Alex Karaban had 20 points, seven assists, seven blocks and six rebounds as No. 3 UConn opened the season with a 92-56 win over Sacred Heart on Wednesday night. Liam McNeeley added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies, seeking their third consecutive NCAA championship. Solo Ball scored 16. Tarris Reed Jr. finished with 15 points …

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Freshman standout Dylan Harper scored 20 points in his highly anticipated debut to lead No. 25 Rutgers to a 75-52 win over Wagner on Wednesday night in the season-opener for both schools. Harper, a combo guard, is considered one of the top freshmen in the country and together with fellow first-year forward Ace Bailey, a major reason …

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Big East preseason player of the year Ryan Kalkbrenner scored a career-high 49 points and 15th-ranked Creighton needed just about every one of them in a season-opening 99-86 win over UT-Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday night. Creighton, a Sweet 16 team three of the last four seasons, couldn’t shake off the Vaqueros of the Southland Conference …

OMAHA, Neb. — It turns out the Big East’s three-time defensive player of the year can play a little offense, too. Make that a lot of offense. Ryan Kalkbrenner turned in the performance of the young college basketball season Wednesday night, scoring 49 points in No. 15 Creighton’s 99-86 victory over UT-Rio Grande Valley. He made a school-record 20 field …

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Max Mackinnon scored 20 points as Portland beat Lewis & Clark 83-70 on Wednesday night to begin the season. Mackinnon also contributed six rebounds and five assists for the Pilots. Austin Rapp added 15 points while shooting 6 for 9, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc while he also had nine rebounds. Vincent Delano …

Creighton snuck out a tight win thanks to a historic outing from Ryan Kalkbrenner on Wednesday night. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) Ryan Kalkbrenner single-handedly saved the Bluejays in their season opener on Wednesday night. Kalkbrenner dropped a career-high 49 points to lift No. 15 Creighton past UT-Rio Grande Valley 99-86 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. He finished just two …

CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) — Artese Stapleton scored 17 points as Eastern Illinois beat Earlham 97-61 on Wednesday night. Stapleton added eight assists for the Panthers (1-1). Kooper Jacobi added 16 points while going 5 of 12 from the floor, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and 4 for 4 from the line while he also had 11 rebounds and …

LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Aubin Gateretse scored 24 points and Utah State won its season opener 101-46 over Alcorn State on Wednesday night. Tucker Anderson scored 12 points, shooting 4 for 12, including 2 for 9 from beyond the arc for the Aggies. Ian Martinez shot 3 of 5 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and …

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Stefan Todorovic scored 25 points as Pepperdine beat Western Illinois 77-64 on Wednesday night. Todorovic added five rebounds for the Waves (1-0). Moe Odum scored 18 points and added eight assists. Zion Bethea went 6 of 9 from the field (3 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 15 points. Sean Smith finished with 18 …

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — O’Mar Stanley’s 15 points helped Boise State defeat Oakland 87-43 on Wednesday night. Stanley also added eight rebounds for the Broncos in their season opener. Andrew Meadow scored 15 points and added five rebounds and three steals. Tyson Degenhart finished 6 of 13 from the field to finish with 13 points. The Golden Grizzlies (1-1) were …

Creighton snuck out a tight win thanks to a historic outing from Ryan Kalkbrenner on Wednesday night. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) Ryan Kalkbrenner single-handedly saved the Bluejays in their season opener on Wednesday night. Kalkbrenner dropped a career-high 49 points to lift No. 15 Creighton past UT-Rio Grande Valley at 99-86 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. He finished just …

Creighton snuck out a tight win thanks to a historic outing from Ryan Kalkbrenner on Wednesday night. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) Ryan Kalkbrenner single-handedly saved the Blue Jays in their season opener on Wednesday night. Kalkbrenner dropped a career-high 49 points to lift No. 15 Creighton past UT-Rio Grande Valley at 99-86 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. He finished …

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dawson Garcia scored 30 points and Minnesota defeated Oral Roberts 80-57 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both. A three-point play by Josh Jones got the Golden Eagles within single digits — 38-29 — for the first time since early in the first half but Garcia and Parker Fox scored five points each to help …

BLOOMINGTON — It wasn’t always pretty, but IU basketball closed out a 80-61 win over SIU-Edwardsville to open the season at Assembly Hall on Wednesday night. Sophomore forward MacKenzie Mgbako hit his fourth 3-pointer with 5:44 left to give IU a 20-point lead for the first time. Mgbako, who had a career-high 31 points, was one of four Hoosiers in double-digits alongside Malik …

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — John Calipari won his debut as Arkansas coach when the 16th-ranked Razorbacks held off a second-half rally by Lipscomb and pulled away for a 76-60 victory Wednesday night. Freshman guard Boogie Fland scored 17 points and Florida Atlantic transfer Johnell Davis added 15 for Arkansas. Calipari, who left Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky after last season, had …

On a picture-perfect night in Fayetteville, the Arkansas basketball team (1-0) defeated the Lipscomb Bisons (0-1), 76-60, in front of a sparse crowd inside Bud Walton Arena. After a shaky start to start the game, the Hoop Hogs dialed up the defensive pressure and let their work in transition do the talking to close the first half with a 39-28 …

STORRS – Alex Karaban directed the reigning back-to-back national champion UConn men’s basketball team as it opened the 2024-25 season with a 92-56 win over Sacred Heart in Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday. There was a sold-out crowd on hand as the Huskies unveiled their second national championship banner in as many years about a half hour before tip-off. The ceremony, …

PISCATAWAY – Let the record show that the first standing ovation of the 2024-25 Rutgers basketball season was for a freshman – and not who you would have thought. Lathan Sommerville, whose arrival on the banks has unfolded in the shadow of fellow rookies and McDonald’s All-Americans Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, delivered a scintillating performance off the bench to …

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – (AP) — Freshman standout Dylan Harper scored 20 points in his highly anticipated debut to lead No. 25 Rutgers to a 75-52 win over Wagner on Wednesday night in the season-opener for both schools. Harper, a combo guard, is considered one of the top freshmen in the country and together with fellow first-year forward Ace Bailey, a …