College Basketball

In a slugfest with Omaha-Nebraska on Saturday afternoon, the Gophers needed something — anything — to turn the tide late. Their best player stepped into the breach. Dawson Garcia scored on an offensive rebound, added a key free throw and forced a turnover in the final 2 minutes as Minnesota held off the Mavericks, 68-64, in a stop-and-start game at …

LEXINGTON — When Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope looks at Bucknell’s roster, one thing is immediately clear: The Bison are a veteran bunch. Bucknell’s starting lineup features three seniors (Elvin Edmonds IV, Josh Bascoe and Ian Motta) and two juniors (Ruot Bijiek and Noah Williamson). But it’s not just that the Bison are experienced, Pope said. It’s that these are homegrown players, not transfer …

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MARCH 09: Natalie Potts #22 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers shoots the ball while Shyanne Sellers #0 of the Maryland Terrapins defends in the Semifinal Round of the Big Ten Tournament at Target Center on March 09, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) The No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers dealt with a big Saturday surprise when it …

LOUISVILLE, Ky. − Zakai Zeigler let it fly with Tennessee basketball’s once gargantuan lead shriveling at Louisville. Zeigler’s 3-pointer from the oversized centercourt logo was pure. UT’s nine-point lead returned to 12 then got back to 22 as the Vols took a flamethrower to Louisville’s comeback dreams. The Vols bullied Louisville, throwing defense and backbreaking 3-pointers in a 77-55 win …

The stage was set for Pat Kelsey’s first signature win at the helm of Louisville basketball. It’ll have to wait. Kelsey’s new-look Cardinals (1-1) had a raucous crowd of 16,976 behind them Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center but couldn’t meet the moment against No. 12 Tennessee (2-0). The Volunteers never trailed and led by as many as 26 points …

“Tennessee?” Pat Kelsey said, taken aback. The first-year Louisville men’s basketball coach scrunched up his face, raised his eyebrows and gritted his teeth. “Game 2?” Cardinals athletics director Josh Heird and assistant coach Brian Kloman had just pitched Kelsey a top-15 matchup against Rick Barnes’ stalwart Volunteers for the second game of the 2024-25 season. Before Saturday, U of L …

MANHATTAN — Kansas State basketball faces Cleveland State from the Horizon League in an afternoon game Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum while the football team is idle. The Wildcats (1-0) are coming off a workmanlike 89-65 victory at home against New Orleans on Tuesday, a game in which they trailed by 10 points midway through the first half but took control …

Nov 8, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV (4) dribbles the ball against East Texas A&M Lions forward KC Ugwuakazi (21) at Reed Arena. The Aggies defeated the Lions 87-55. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images No. 13 Texas A&M (1-1) made the most of its bounce-back opportunity against newly named East Texas A&M on …

LAS VEGAS — The Memphis basketball team will try to reverse what has become a trend when it tips off against UNLV on Saturday. In the Tigers’ second exhibition game against Alabama, they trailed by 20 points at halftime. In the season opener on Monday, Penny Hardaway’s team was behind by 10 at the break against Missouri. “I think (in) …

SOUTH ORANGE – The last time Seton Hall basketball played in Walsh Gym, in March, the place rocked for two hours as the Pirates rolled into the NIT semifinals. On Saturday, the crowd that filled the old bandbox left in stunned silence. A comedy of errors in the closing seconds led to a 57-56 loss on buzzer-beating floater by Fordham’s …

Nov 9, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Cade Phillips (12) shoots against Louisville Cardinals forward Noah Waterman (93) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images No. 12 Tennessee (2-0) defeated Louisville (1-1), 77-55, Saturday at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. The …

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler each scored 19 points and No. 12 Tennessee held Louisville to 27% shooting in a 77-55 rout on Saturday. The Volunteers (2-0), who shot 57%, outrebounded the Cardinals 40-26 (28 defensively) and outscored them 40-10 in the paint in the first meeting between the schools since 2018. Tennessee led 10-0 after …

Mar 31, 2019; Kansas City, MO, United States; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl reacts against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the championship game of the midwest regional of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-401082 ORIG FILE ID: 20190331_jel_ba4_055.jpg The Auburn basketball team’s flight to Houston for …

Get ready to find out what men’s college basketball means in Middle America. It’s different when you roll through flyover country. Big 12 basketball hysteria puts to shame anything the Pac-12 could reliably generate. Cincinnati? West Virginia? Iowa State? … Kansas?! Arizona and Arizona State fans have no idea what they’re in for as they enter their first season in …

Nov 8, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) drives the ball against Arkansas State Red Wolves guard Terrance Ford Jr. (11) during the second half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images Friday night in Tuscaloosa brought about the second game of the 2024-25 season for the Alabama Crimson Tide, as the program hosted …

Can Pat Kelsey score his first signature win as Louisville basketball’s head coach in Week 1 of the 2024-25 season? We’ll find out today, when the Cardinals (1-0) host No. 12 Tennessee (1-0) for the first installment of a home-and-home series at what should be a raucous KFC Yum! Center. Tipoff is scheduled for noon. “Coach (Skip) Prosser used to …

Indiana football has a potential date with history with a victory on Saturday. The No. 10 Hoosiers (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) can clinch its first 10-win season in program history with a win over Big Ten foe and defending national champion Michigan. Indiana is off to the best start in its program’s history under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers …

OTTUMWA — How would the 11th-ranked Indian Hills basketball team respond to their first loss of the season? The Warriors responded with a balanced effort on Friday night to pull away from Pratt on the opening night of the RV & Powersports Classic. Abdoulaye Fall, Tayshawn Bridges and Quinton Perkins II each scored 10 points to pace Indina Hills in …

LAWRENCE, KANSAS – NOVEMBER 08: Head coach Hubert Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on November 08, 2024 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) North Carolina suffered its first loss of the season against Kansas, the No. 1 team in the nation, …

Big men sort themselves after Jacobsen injury Will Berg led Purdue’s centers in minutes and rebounds after an early injury to freshman Daniel Jacobsen. (Photo by Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images) It only took 60 seconds for Purdue’s Friday tune-up against North Kentucky University to turn interesting, at least as close to interesting as it usually gets in early November. A member …

LOUISVILLE, Ky. − Darlinstone Dubar will not play for Tennessee basketball at Louisville on Saturday. Dubar, a senior transfer from Hofstra, is out due to a personal matter but is with the team. The No. 12 Vols (1-0) have 10 active scholarship players against the Cardinals (1-0) with Dubar sidelined. Sophomore forward J.P. Estrella is playing through an ankle injury …

Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) guards the ball during the game against Houston Christian at the Moody Center on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 in Austin. Freshman guard Tre Johnson led No. 19 Texas to a decisive 90-59 victory over Houston Christian on Friday night at Moody Center. The crowd of 10,993 witnessed the Longhorns secure their 1,900th all-time victory …

Keeshawn Kellman had a game-high 18 points as Florida Gulf Coast University dropped a 67-51 decision at TCU Friday night in Fort Worth, Texas. “We did a good job responding when we got down early and kept competing,” said FGCU head coach Pat Chambers. “Our defense was good. We just have to clean some things up and continue the process …

Nov. 9—HENDERSON, Nevada — Here are some extra notes, quotes, stats, videos and whatever else I managed to empty out of the old notebook after Friday’s 72-64 UNM Lobos win over No. 22 UCLA in the Las Vegas Hoopfest. He said it… “We weren’t ready for the intensity of this game.” — UCLA coach Mick Cronin Turning defense in offense… …

Nov. 9—HENDERSON, Nevada — Donovan Dent could have been the point guard at UCLA. Friday night, the Bruins sure wish he was. The Lobos junior point guard — the former Mr. California high school star who UCLA chose not to offer a scholarship to three years ago — had 17 points, eight assists and almost single-handedly disrupted the Bruins high-pressure, …