ESPN announced its extensive college basketball broadcasting team for the upcoming season, and some prominent faces are returning to the network. Headlining that group is LaPhonso Ellis, who was part of ESPN’s wide-ranging layoffs in the summer of 2023 but is now returning. Ellis originally joined ESPN in 2009 as a college basketball analyst, calling games and working in the …
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2026-27 Atlantic 10 Men’s Preview: Is a return to 3 bids on the horizon?
The Atlantic 10 Conference returned to multi-bid status last season when both VCU and Saint Louis booked tickets to March Madness. As the Billikens danced into the First Round and decimated Georgia, and the Rams outwitted North Carolina in overtime, the A10 took center stage. With VCU and Saint Louis both welcoming back plenty of talent, and a plethora of …
Read More »Seton Hall basketball 2026-27: Reasons to hope and mope, must-see games, prediction
Shaheen Holloway has used the phrase “intriguing pieces” a couple of times this preseason to describe his Seton Hall basketball team. That seems fair. His mix of high-major veterans, including a core of guys with substantial Big East experience, and players who thrived at lower levels contains some promise – and some peril. Virtually starting over from a 21-win squad …
Read More »Maryland men’s basketball’s talented freshman class could be the difference-maker this season
After previewing Maryland men’s basketball’s frontcourt and backcourt, Testudo Times now turns to a preview of the freshmen class. Be on the lookout for our preseason predictions in the coming days. Amidst Maryland’s disastrous 2025-26 season, many fans looked to head coach Buzz Williams’ recruiting efforts for a glimmer of hope for better days. Williams provided Terps fans with a …
Read More »Zoom Diallo struggled in the exhibition season, but Mark Pope is keeping the faith
The Kentucky Wildcats barely pulled off the win against the UCF Knights inside Rupp Arena, going 3-0 in their exhibition slate. With a full new roster, it is no shock the Cats have struggled to get rolling. However, it’s been somewhat shocking to see the backcourt struggle in these first three games. Advertisement As the game came down to the …
Read More »An American pope, a text and a wild idea: How college basketball ended up in Rome
The first American pope was elected. Inside Fox Sports, a college basketball producer had an idea: Let’s go to Rome. “Hey, I got something important to talk to you about,” a text from Steve Scheer, one of Fox’s top college basketball producers, read to Fox Sports Executive Vice President Jordan Bazant. Advertisement Bazant admitted he didn’t think much of the …
Read More »Projected starting lineup and rotation for the new-look UNC Tar Heels
North Carolina made a big splash this offseason, hiring Mike Malone to be the new head coach in Chapel Hill. Malone comes from coaching in the NBA for over twenty seasons, including winning the 2023 NBA Championship while coaching the Denver Nuggets. Malone assembled an almost entirely new roster. Jarin Stevenson was the only returner who had a large role …
Read More »Tom Izzo: Michigan State basketball must improve on-court talking
EAST LANSING – Defend, rebound and run. Those are cardinal tenets of Tom Izzo’s basketball philosophy. The unspoken fourth element the Hall of Fame coach demands from his Michigan State basketball players is communication. About which he had plenty to say with the first real game looming – starting with getting his guys to stop being so quiet. Advertisement “That …
Read More »Arkansas Basketball’s Interior Defense Remains a Major Question
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -Arkansas basketball has plenty of athleticism and offensive potential entering the 2026-27 season. The Razorbacks’ biggest question might be whether their frontcourt can consistently keep opposing big men from taking advantage of the same interior space Arkansas wants to exploit offensively. Advertisement The concern surfaced during Wednesday’s 93-81 exhibition victory over Memphis. Arkansas forced turnovers, ran the floor …
Read More »Asa Montgomery: What Duke’s Newest Addition Brings to Table
Jon Scheyer and the Duke basketball program have added another big-time talent. On Wednesday, Duke landed a commitment from 2027 5-star forward Asa Montgomery, the No. 8 overall player and No. 3 small forward in the 2027 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports 2027 Composite Rankings. The 6’7″ forward joins 5-star wing Kager Knueppel and Australian point guard Luke Paul …
Read More »Illinois Basketball 2026-27 Scouting Report: Stefan Vaaks
In the days leading up to Illinois’ Nov. 2 regular-season opener at Champaign’s State Farm Center, Illinois on SI will share a scouting report for each Illini player on the team’s official 2026-27 roster. Today, we shine a light on guard Stefan Vaaks. Find our scouting reports of other Illinois players as they’re added below. Stefan Vaaks | Guard | …
Read More »Key Quotes From Matt Painter Ahead of Purdue’s Opener vs. No. 15 Gonzaga
The exhibition season is in the books and now Purdue turns its attention to its first game of the season. On Monday, the Boilermakers will play No. 15 Gonzaga in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas. It’s an opportunity for this year’s team to open a new season with a marquee victory. On Thursday, just two days after …
Read More »Arizona’s RJ Godfrey suffers another eligibility setback ahead of UCLA opener
Arizona forward RJ Godfrey took a big swing at trying to get eligible for Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats before Monday’s season opener, but unfortunately he picked up another loss in the courts. On Wednesday Godfrey withdrew from the lawsuit filed under his name in Georgia, after oral hearings in that case were scheduled for Jan. 12 – way too …
Read More »Villanova’s Rome Opener Could Make History
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 20: Acaden Lewis #55 of the Villanova Wildcats dribbles the ball defended by Adlan Elamin #35 of the Utah State Aggies during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 20, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean …
Read More »Healthy Vols sharpen defense as Lundblade’s return stands out
Tennessee men’s basketball hit the practice floor inside Pratt Pavilion Thursday, just five days away from the season opener against Wofford at Food City Center. The Vols are coming along, and a lot of time was spent on defensive reps. One point of emphasis was playing through screens. “Good guards don’t get screened,” was a phrase I heard loud and …
Read More »Gonzaga’s Chauncey Wiggins suffers another eligibility setback ahead of Purdue opener
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Chauncey Wiggins made a bold decision to withdraw from his current eligibility lawsuit and try to latch onto a case in Waco, TX, which would have given him eligibility through mid-December. The decision didn’t pay off, however, as Texas Judge Ryan Luna denied the temporary restraining order for all the players who attempted to jump in from …
Read More »Iowa State Has To Find Capable Joshua Jefferson Replacement
The Iowa Stat Cyclones have to replace two star players in their men’s basketball lineup this season: forwards Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson. Replicating their level of production is going to be virtually impossible for a single player to do. Momcilovic had arguably the best 3-point shooting season in men’s college basketball history, while Jefferson was a do-it-all performer on …
Read More »Five November Games That Will Reveal Whether Virginia Tech Hoops Has Fixed Its Weaknesses
BLACKSBURG – For Virginia Tech men’s basketball, November will be about more than simply getting off to a winning start. After another season that left the Hokies searching for answers, head coach Mike Young enters the 2026-27 campaign with an opportunity to establish whether his program has addressed the inconsistencies that have prevented Virginia Tech from returning to the NCAA …
Read More »Five Takeaways from Mizzou’s 90-81 exhibition loss at UNLV
Mizzou Basketball lost their exhibition game against UNLV on Thursday night. The game didn’t count, so as much as I’m not going to talk up their win over Kansas State, I’m not going to talk down this loss to UNLV. Winning always feel better than losing, regardless of whether the game counts or not. But it looked like Dennis Gates …
Read More »Live blog of Mizzou basketball’s exhibition game against UNLV
FINAL: UNLV 90, MIZ 81 A costly turnover immediately followed by a monster poster from Tyrin Jones on Nicholas Randall and a Sebastian Mack 3-pointer puts Missouri to bed. Tigers were outrebounded 44-31 in the contest. Crowe led the Tigers with 25 points on 6-for-18 shooting. Bryant and Davis were the only other Tigers in double figures, each scoring 10. …
Read More »Randy Bennett in for a rude awakening with ASU basketball, per media
Arizona State basketball is expected to struggle in Randy Bennett’s first year as head coach. The Big 12 media says so. In the Monster Energy Big 12 Men’s Basketball Media Preseason Poll, Big 12 media members picked the Sun Devils to rank just 12th out of 16 in the conference for the 2026-27 season. Advertisement This comes after a season …
Read More »Virginia Tech Basketball’s Biggest Preseason Concern And How The Hokies Can Fix It
There’s no use in bloating it up here: It’s end-of-game execution. That proved to be Virginia Tech’s bane in the 2025-26 season, resulting in nine single-digit losses – including four by one possession and three by a single point. Like the period entering last campaign, the Hokies’ roster has seen a dramatic overhaul; only five of the 15 players on …
Read More »Rick Barnes Sees Progress, but Tennessee Is Still Missing Its Edge
Tennessee is starting to look more like a basketball team. Now Rick Barnes wants the Volunteers to play with some bite. After a preseason that exposed the challenges of blending 13 new players, Barnes saw encouraging progress during Tennessee’s scrimmage against Davidson. The ball movement improved, the shot selection sharpened and the effort gave the coaching staff something to build …
Read More »DeWayne Brown II Shares Rick Barnes’ Message Tennessee Basketball Must Take to Heart
Tennessee will have nights when shots refuse to fall. Rick Barnes wants his team to have another way to win.For DeWayne Brown II, that message stood out while discussing the Volunteers’ preseason work against Xavier and Duke. Tennessee is still building chemistry. But its defense needs to provide a foundation as the regular season approaches.Brown pointed to a problem the …
Read More »Illinois basketball game-by-game prediction of the 2026-27 season
The start of the 2026-27 Illinois basketball season is just days away, and we could be in for a special year. Illinois is coming off a Final Four run that filled the veins of Illini fans with hope and promise for the future. Advertisement That future is here. The likes of Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell are gone. Illinois’ next …
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