College Basketball

[ad_1] March Madness is just a month away, but UCF is already under pressure. The Knights faced a tough 91-87 defeat at No. 11 Kansas on Tuesday, a game that felt like a Sweet 16 matchup as Johnny Dawkins‘ team tried to play the role of Cinderella. From now on, every game holds NCAA Tournament implications for UCF (13-7, 4-5 …

[ad_1] Jan. 31—Illinois shot 23.8 percent from three-point range in Thursday’s loss at Nebraska. A percentage that started off rough (3 of 18 shooting in the first half) and bottomed out in overtime (zero makes on eight attempts). Was it the Illini’s worst shooting game of the season? No. In fact, it was just the sixth worth. Topping that particular …

[ad_1] RELATED: Michigan State basketball at USC tipoff: Matchup analysis and a prediction Ben Johnson could feel it. Feel the difference. The connectedness. The intensity. The buy-in. No, not that Ben Johnson. This was the other Ben Johnson, the coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and he was talking about what it was like to stand on the court against …

[ad_1] Former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian helped lead the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a season-defining home victory over No. 18 Illinois on Thursday. The Cornhuskers entered the matchup on a six-game losing streak, the latest result a 28-point defeat at the hands of the Wisconsin Badgers. The team ended its losing skid emphatically with an 80-74 overtime triumph over the Fighting …

[ad_1] UCLA guard Skyy Clark, left, knocks the ball out of Oregon forward Brandon Angel on Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. Another sluggish start, followed by long stretches of empty possessions on offense, followed by a forgettable night for one of its star players, concluded with Oregon dropping a second straight game for the first time this …

[ad_1] LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Illinois flipped its roster after making a run to the Elite Eight, and coach Brad Underwood knew there would be highs and lows navigating the season with the second-youngest team in the Power Four. The 18th-ranked Illini (14-7, 6-4 Big Ten) have hit a rough patch. Their 80-74 overtime loss at Nebraska on Thursday night …

[ad_1] Jan. 31—MCHENRY — Paw Paw gave second-ranked Southern everything it could handle for three-plus quarters, but the Pirates ran out of steam. Despite an enrollment of around 70 students and just six players in its rotation, Paw Paw found itself within five points of Southern with six minutes to play. But Southern eventually found another gear to turn back …

[ad_1] A few constant themes explain Wisconsin basketball’s current standing near the top of the Big Ten: 16-5 overall, 6-4 in conference play, No. 17 in KenPom and No. 19 in the NCAA NET Ranking. The most significant factors are the team’s heightened pace and dedication to three-point shooting, the emergence of star wing John Tonje, the year-to-year improvement of …

[ad_1] New Mexico State (12-9, 5-3 Conference USA) held off a late Middle Tennessee (14-7, 5-3) rally to snatch a 61-57 road win on Thursday evening. The victory snapped the Aggies’ three-game losing streak and moves them into a four-way tie for second place in CUSA with the Blue Raiders, UTEP and Liberty. NM State held a 59-48 lead with …

[ad_1] Now more than ever, the Big 12 crown is up for grabs. After dominating conference play, No. 11-ranked Kansas State (19-2, 7-1 Big 12) suffered a 63-53 road loss to Colorado on Saturday. The Wildcats were without Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Ayoka Lee, who’s out indefinitely with a fractured foot. Kansas State should still be feared …

[ad_1] USC’s Desmond Glaude, a transfer from Xavier, had 34 points in the Trojans’ win at Illinois. • What: Michigan State at USC • When: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday • Where: Galen Center, Los Angeles • TV/Radio: Streaming on Peacock/Spartan Sports Network radio, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM; SiriusXM Ch. 195 (MSU broadcast), 372 (USC broadcast) • Records/Rankings: MSU is …

[ad_1] KENT — The Wagon Wheel rivalry between Akron and Kent State is being reignited for the first time this season, but the stakes could not be more different for the Golden Flashes basketball teams. When the women’s team takes on the Zips at 1 p.m. Saturday at the M.A.C. Center, the Flashes will be looking to continue a trend …

[ad_1] Around the state of Kentucky this week, the water cooler speculation has centered almost entirely on the reception John Calipari will receive Saturday night when he walks into Rupp Arena wearing the Arkansas Razorbacks logo. Nearly 10 months after one of the most awkward sports divorces in recent memory — one that has, to this point, worked out far …

[ad_1] We begin this edition of the Starting Five with a disclaimer. We are not the NCAA. As such, we do not have to go through umpteen committees to change/invoke a rule. We’re therefore going to utilize a ‘one game per conference’ policy in this week’s preview of the top five games to watch in men’s college basketball. No, we’re …

[ad_1] Losses in three of four games has Tennessee slipping to the No. 3 seed in the latest USA TODAY Sports edition of Bracketology. The Volunteers lost two in a row, against Auburn and Kentucky, by a combined seven points last week. Prior to that, they fell to Vanderbilt on Jan. 18 before rebounding to beat Mississippi State. One the …

[ad_1] LEXINGTON — It’s nothing for Kentucky basketball to knock down 10 3-pointers in a game. Or to reach that tally efficiently. The Wildcats lead the SEC in 3-pointers made per game at 10.2. They’re also tops in the league in percentage at 37.4. They surpassed both those figures Tuesday at Tennessee, sinking 12 triples in a 78-73 win in Knoxville, …

[ad_1] Louisville basketball just capped off its first undefeated January since 2009, when it earned the NCAA Tournament’s top overall seed. If Pat Kelsey’s No. 22 Cardinals (16-5, 9-1 ACC) can notch their 11th consecutive win this weekend, it’ll be the program’s longest streak since an 11-0 start to the 2014-15 season; when, as a No. 4 seed, it reached …

[ad_1] BOWLING GREEN — The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers fought fire with fire on Thursday night. Facing one of the nation’s best defensive teams, WKU turned the tables on visiting UTEP and upended the Miners 78-74 in E.A. Diddle Arena — continuing their overall dominance of a proud program that won the 1966 NCAA Championship when they were known as Texas …

[ad_1] The No. 25 UConn men’s basketball team is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 1 when the Huskies travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to meet No. 9 Marquette in a Big East Conference battle. Marquette improved to 9-1 in league play with a 78-69 win over Butler on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles continue to own a share of first place …

[ad_1] Can Mizzou get over the Hump? No. 21/20 Missouri basketball will play No. 13/14 Mississippi State at noon Saturday in Starkville, Mississippi. MU has lost eight straight games at Humphrey Coliseum, with its last win coming in 2013. The Tigers (16-4, 5-2 SEC) are currently third place in the SEC standings but are in the midst of one of …

[ad_1] CHAPEL HILL — UNC basketball’s RJ Davis has a 2022 feeling about the 2024 Tar Heels. Ahead of his fifth – and final – game against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Tar Heels’ fifth-year guard is experiencing a season similar to his sophomore year in Chapel Hill. UNC (13-9, 6-4 ACC), which has lost three of its last …

[ad_1] Mercer Bears (11-11, 4-5 SoCon) at Chattanooga Mocs (14-8, 6-3 SoCon) Chattanooga, Tennessee; Saturday, 2 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Chattanooga takes on Mercer after Honor Huff scored 25 points in Chattanooga’s 84-60 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts. The Mocs are 8-3 on their home court. Chattanooga is 1-1 in games decided by 3 points or fewer. The Bears …

[ad_1] Northern Kentucky Norse (8-15, 5-7 Horizon) at Wright State Raiders (5-17, 3-9 Horizon) Fairborn, Ohio; Saturday, 2 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Northern Kentucky takes on Wright State in Horizon action Saturday. The Raiders are 5-5 in home games. Wright State is 2-8 when it wins the turnover battle and averages 15.8 turnovers per game. The Norse have gone 5-7 …

[ad_1] The slumping Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team has returned from a two-game stay in Mountain time and must now face Mountaineers from Morgantown, West Virginia Sunday (2 p.m.) at Fifth Third Arena. Under new coach Darian DeVries, West Virginia is on a three-game losing streak, having just hosted No. 6 Houston. The Bearcats are back from high altitude with low …

[ad_1] HONOLULU (AP) — Tyler McGhie scored 24 points and UC San Diego pulled away in the second half to beat Hawaii 74-63 on Thursday night. McGhie made 8 of 17 shots with three 3-pointers and 5 of 6 free throws for the Tritons (18-4, 8-2 Big West Conference), who trailed 34-33 at halftime before upping their win streak to …