College Basketball

The college basketball, sportscasting industry and the Duke University basketball community were left in shock following the sudden, tragic death of Chris Spatola on September 21, 2026. He was 47. The former Duke staffer, Army veteran, and longtime ESPN college basketball analyst is most recognizable as the son-in-law of legendary former Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski. As news of …

Former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his family are dealing with tragedy, as his son-in-law Chris Spatola passed away unexpectedly on Monday. Spatola was married to Coach K’s daughter, Jaime, and they had three children. Spatola was born on Jan. 7, 1979, and was 47. Spatola Had a Long History in College Basketball, Even Coaching at Duke Many Duke …

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Myron Medcalf predicted the floor and ceiling for 13 mid-major programs, including the Tigers. Medcalf predicts a floor of 15 wins and a ceiling of 19 wins for Penny Hardaway’s team. Like previous years, it’s hard to predict what Memphis will look like this season after Hardaway replaced 13 players from last year’s team. The Tigers added …

Xavier head coach Richard Pitino spent much of his first season building. He had to build relationships, a staff, a roster and an understanding of what he wanted the Musketeers to become. One year later, as Xavier opened fall practice on Monday, Sept. 21 at Cintas Center, the second-year head coach no longer feels like he’s starting from scratch. Advertisement …

The start of the college basketball season has almost arrived. In October, Purdue will play three exhibition games to prepare for the 2026-27 campaign. Then, in November, the Boilermakers travel to Las Vegas to play Gonzaga in the season opener. Purdue officially begins practice for the upcoming season on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a new era in West Lafayette. …

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd has never been one to schedule a bunch of cupcakes in the non-conference slate in order to bolster the NET rankings heading into Big 12 play. While many of his colleagues do exactly that, Lloyd borrowed from his old boss, Mark Few at Gonzaga, consistently demonstrating a willingness to play anyone, anytime, and anywhere. That’s …

Wisconsin basketball’s 2026-27 schedule was finalized with the release of the Big Ten conference slate in mid-September. The Badgers’ official out-of-conference schedule was finalized in early August, and we’ve already known about the Badgers’ clash with Auburn for months now. But with the season a little over a month away, Wisconsin has cemented a tip-off time for one of its …

It’s actually how you’re supposed to do it. Without any true preseason games like NFL teams get, why wouldn’t you play North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky to start the season? Indiana (3-0) rolled through those three without breaking the slightest sweat, but it hasn’t been battle-tested in any way other than what it has seen in its own practices. …

The Illini basketball schedule is fully released, and Brad Underwood was not shy about scheduling some of the hardest opponents in the country. Illinois will face some of the best teams in the nation, traveling to Texas Tech and Duke while also playing other top teams like Michigan State and UConn. Illinois should once again have one of the toughest …

Very sad news for the Duke Basketball family and community as Mike Krzyzewski’s son-in-law, Chris Spatola, died suddenly Monday night. He was just 47. Married to Jamie Krzyzewski Spatola, Chris, like Coach K, graduated from West Point, where he also played on the basketball team. Advertisement He was on the Duke staff from 2007 to 2012, and from there went …

After making its first Final Four appearance in 21 years, Illinois enters the 2026-27 season with expectations that are significantly higher than they were a year ago. The Illini return five rotation players from last season’s team while adding a strong recruiting class and an impact transfer, giving Brad Underwood a roster capable of competing with some of the best …

Chris Spatola, a former college basketball coach, ESPN analyst, and public speaker, died unexpectedly. He was 47. ESPN announced Spatola’s death on Tuesday, Sept. 22. “There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola,” the Krzyzewski Family said in a statement (relayed by Jason Evans of the Duke Basketball Roundup). “Chris served …

ESPN college basketball analyst and former Duke assistant coach Chris Spatola died unexpectedly on Monday, the network announced.  He was 47. Specifics of his death are not known. “Chris Spatola brought a unique perspective to ESPN’s college basketball coverage, shaped by his experiences as a student-athlete, Army veteran, coach and broadcaster,” ESPN said in a statement. “He was thoughtful, prepared …

A staple of ESPN’s men’s college basketball coverage has passed away unexpectedly. Chris Spatola, a veteran college basketball analyst for both ESPN and SiriusXM for over a decade, passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. Advertisement Spatola was a four-year starter for Army during his collegiate playing career from 1998 to 2002. Upon graduation, he served in the U.S. Army before …

The athletic department at Syracuse has seen multiple changes in 2026. The most high profile change involved the hiring of Bryan Blair as the school’s newest athletic director in March. Blair has continued to find ways to leave an imprint on the school early in his tenure, whether that be via his Orange Alliance initiative or his reimagining of a …

We have an official complete schedule for the Spartans’ men’s basketball team. While nearly all of the games have already been previously announced or reported, the official Michigan State men’s basketball schedule for the 2026-27 season was released on Tuesday. The schedule consists of three exhibition games, 12 non-conference matchups and 20 conference games. Advertisement The first exhibition game will …

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats added a new superstar this offseason after Otega Oweh left for the NBA. That superstar is former Iowa State Cyclone Milan Momcilovic. Last season for the Cyclones, he averaged 16.9 points per game to lead the team. The most impressive part about his game is the three-point shooting. Last year, Momcilovic shot 48.7% from …

Lisa Fortier and the Gonzaga women’s basketball program already had one of the deepest, highest continuity rosters in the country, but that didn’t stop them from welcoming back a familiar face. Ines Bettencourt, who played a key role for the Zags the past two seasons, is officially back on the roster after she was granted a TRO in the state …

In the Mark Pope system, shooting the three-ball is very important, so the Wildcats’ head coach added a very important piece to the 2026-27 Kentucky roster. That important piece was Milan Momcilovic, who was the best shooter in college basketball last season. During the 2025-26 season, Momcilovic played for the Iowa State Cyclones and put up insane numbers, leading the …

David Mirković does not need to prove that he belongs at Illinois. He already did that during his freshman season. The Montenegro native arrived in Champaign with plenty of intrigue, but by the end of the 2025-26 season, Mirković had established himself as one of the most important players on Illinois’ roster. He started 36 of 37 games, averaged 13.3 …

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team was prepared to look a lot different during the 2026-27 season than it did when the 2025-26 campaign came to a close. Iowa State was preparing for life after their Big 3 of Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic. Lipsey and Jefferson were beginning their NBA careers, while Momcilovic withdrew from the …

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – When it comes to the roster Arkansas coach John Calipari has assembled, there is no doubt from anyone that he has the talent to put a dangerous team on the court. What he does have are some questions about how they get there because even though there’s talent, this is a team full of new faces and …

After starting the season 1-2, Kansas football has an important two weeks to regroup and make adjustments before returning to the field against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 3. The Jayhawks have shown flashes during the first three games, but their 24-17 loss to Arizona State in London exposed several areas that need to improve. With a bye week ahead, head …

The Michigan State 2026-27 basketball schedule has officially dropped, and it is a doozy. Tom Izzo held nothing back when it came to scheduling a gauntlet for his team, but that is nothing out of the norm for Izzo. The Spartans consistently play a challenging non-conference schedule to prepare for the bigger task at hand: the Big Ten schedule. Advertisement …

Lady Vols basketball is heading to Fort Myers, Florida, for Thanksgiving weekend this season, completing its nonconference schedule for the 2026-27 season. Florida Gulf Coast, Creighton and Houston are also in the field for the Coconut Hoops Tournament, which will be played at Alico Arena on FGCU’s campus. Tennessee will open the tournament against FGCU on Nov. 27 at 6:30 …