Inside College Hoops

Road Red Storm Stay Perfect

By Robert LaStella

St. John’s experienced ups and downs during their non-conference slate, but they have bounced back during Big East play, and SJU picked up a pivotal win at Villanova on Saturday night. 

It was a back-and-forth affair early on, as the home crowd fueled Villanova and St. John’s carried just a 36-35 lead into the intermission. They quickly changed that during the second half, scoring on 12 of their first 13 possessions and ultimately going on to knock off the Wildcats 86-79 on their home court. 

The Red Storm came out of the break with a jolt of energy during the second half, and while Villanova did their best to combat that with runs of their own, they were never able to complete the comeback. While the offense helped extend their lead and keep the Wildcats at bay, according to St. John’s guard Bryce Hopkins, the offense came as a result of their defense. 

“I feel like it's a testament to our defense and our preparation and practice. I feel like once we really got into our press and we were applying pressure and making them speed up and play fast, that led to some of their turnovers. It allowed us to get out in transition. And I feel like, when we play in transition with all the guys we have and all the talent that we have on this team, it's very hard to stop us in transition,” Hopkins said. 

Ian Jackson, Bryce Hopkins, and HC Rick Pitino meet with the media during postgame. Photo by Ivetta Abramyan.

It was a diverse scoring effort for the Red Storm, as they got 20 points from Hopkins, 18 from Ian Jackson, and 17 from Zuby Ejiofor. At times, Villanova was able to slow down the St. John’s offense, which led to runs that cut the deficit. However, the fact that all three Red Storm stars were scoring at a high level was too much for the Wildcats to overcome. 

It wasn’t a perfect scoring night for the Red Storm, as they struggled with inconsistencies from the free-throw line and from beyond the arc; however, they didn’t let those moments overcome them. Instead, they played through their struggles, turning them into fuel that fueled defensive intensity on the other end of the court. 

Rick Pitino has seen it all during his career, and tonight, he left his team with a simple message, ‘Don’t play not to lose, play to win,’ and they responded to his message, turning offense into defense no matter the outcome of the shot. 

“I think anytime you score, you play better defense. It's what I kept telling them about missed free throws. I said, Look, we've been here before, and we've lost the lead because you get down about a missed free throw. So let's learn from that. Let's get our stops. I kept telling them, don't play, not to lose. Play to win. Keep attacking. Don't play, not to lose. When you're on the road, if you have a fear of them coming back, they get their run, and they win the game. So it was a great win,” Pitino said. 

St. John’s was able to knock off the Wildcats in the end; however, that wasn’t without a valiant effort from Villanova late in the second half, which saw the Red Storm’s lead cut back to within single digits. Tyler Perkins dropped 23 points on 7-12 shooting, and Devin Askew came off the bench with 21 points, and their scoring effort was almost enough to bring Villanova back into this game, but they fell just short. 

Villanova was able to catch fire at times, finishing 11-26 from beyond the arc, yet they were outscored in the paint 42-22, and their inconsistent offense wasn’t enough to outpace St. John’s. 

Although the Wildcats were able to cut their deficit to 5 with under 2 minutes to play, St. John’s was able to stop their run and hold them off down the stretch. According to St. John’s guard Ian Jackson, his squad was able to hold off the Wildcats by staying together and not panicking. 

“I think it was just us, just staying together, you know, not panicking. Understand that basketball is a game of runs. You know, (they’ve) got to make it now. They got to make their runs; they were due for one, so just staying together, understanding what we got to do, to take away what they want to do, and just staying poised,” Jackson said. 

St. John’s has overcome its 4-loss non-conference slate by starting Big East play 6-1 and taking sole possession of second place in the conference, now trailing UConn by a game and a half. 

While it hasn’t been perfect, the Red Storm are now finding their groove and will look to continue that throughout the remaining portion of the conference slate. Obviously, finding a way to replicate their success is paramount, although Pitino isn’t necessarily worried about a spot in the standings, or even the win, rather he’s focused on his squad doing the little things right. 

“I look at the way we're playing. I really think that when you could win these road games like this, to play that tenacious, to battle a crowd, not giving missed free throws, and that was my message. I said, miss your free throws, unless we play bad defense, doesn't bother me. I said, they're all good free throws. They look like they're going in, don't worry about it. And we did some really good things. So second place is okay, but more important is that we're playing, if we keep going like this and playing better basketball. Your fruits come with that type of labor. When you put in the work that these guys put in every single day. I know you have been repetitive, as it's one of my favorite teams that I've coached; one guy's better than the other. You know, it's, I can't say which guy has the best attitude, because I'd have to name 13 guys,” Pitino said. 

Pitino and the Red Storm will look to keep the strong play rolling, as they will host Seton Hall for a 7 PM EST battle on Tuesday.

MAAC Monday Monopoly Concludes at Fairfield After Jam-Packed Day

By Pete Janny

The MAAC gave us a fun Monday with its revised conference calendar adding a third game to the December slate. And no mid-major scene was bustling more than Connecticut, which hosted three of the five MAAC games on Monday. 

Fairfield’s Leo D. Mahoney Arena is an absolute gem. Arguably the nicest arena in traditional one-bid league CBB. What a treat.

Merrimack (7-7, 3-0 MAAC) and Quinnipiac (10-4, 3-0) each picked up wins over Sacred Heart (5-9, 1-2 MAAC) and Marist (8-4, 2-1 MAAC), respectively, before Saint Peter’s (6-5, 3-0 MAAC) concluded the trio of Nutmeg State games with a win over Fairfield (8-6, 0-3 MAAC). 

In the nightcap, Saint Peter’s overcame a four-point halftime deficit to stun a Fairfield team that was held to three bench points. The Peacocks were able to pull out the win behind 17 points and 7 rebounds from Bryce Eaton, and 14 points and 8 rebounds from Brent Bland. Additionally, Zaakir Williamson used his length around the rim to post a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Saint Peter’s were at their best during a late 9-0 run that saw Bland take advantage of the Fairfield defense off the dribble. His explosive and-one lay-up plus the free throw gave the Peacocks a five-point cushion with 2:41 left. All told, Bland was responsible for 7 of the 9 points during the run.

Despite subpar metrics, Saint Peter’s plays with a chip on their shoulder and is beginning to open some eyes with their 3-0 start. Bashir Mason finds ways to squeeze out of every ounce of intensity led by the guards. At 292 in KenPom, and still eight slots behind Fairfield, Saint Peter’s has its work cut out for them if they want to make any kind of run in Atlantic City. After failing to qualify for MAAC Tournament last year, the Peacocks look to be in position to fix that this year especially with the bottom teams in the league really struggling.

Meanwhile, the goodwill that Fairfield was able to build after recent wins over Central Connecticut and Monmouth has been wiped away by an 0-3 start to MAAC play. The pressure is ramping up fast for Chris Casey and Co. 

In the MAAC, crazier things have happened than an unheralded team securing the league’s auto bid. Remember this: Saint Peter’s and Mount St. Mary’s were the last two champions and both came on out of nowhere to cut down the nets in Atlantic City. 

As the dead of winter in the northeast carries on, the race in the MAAC is only heating up. For now, Quinnipiac, Merrimack, and Saint Peter’s can like where they are. 

Xaivian Lee: The Florida Journey

By Robert Lastella

An adjustment period was needed for Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee, but now he has begun to find his groove towards the end of non-conference play. 

Through the first five games of the season, Lee failed to shoot better than 40% from the field or 30% from beyond the arc; however, that has started to change. 

Over his last four games, he has done that twice, including arguably his best performance of the year in the Orange Bowl Classic victory over George Washington. Lee finished with a season-high 24 points on 54% shooting from the field and 50% shooting from beyond the arc (4-8), also adding six rebounds and four assists. 

Lee was able to impact the game in a variety of ways, cashing in from deep at a 50% rate for the first time this season, while also attacking the rim and drawing fouls, notching a season high 10 free throw attempts. 

The shooting slump to start the season tested Lee’s confidence, but he hasn’t let the struggles overcome him, and over the past few games, he has started to break out of his early-season cold streak. 

“I always try to keep my confidence high, but you know, whatever's going on, it's definitely tested the past couple of weeks, but I just let them fly, trust in my work and my teammates, and whatever happens, happens,” Lee said. 

Lee was a big addition for Todd Golden this offseason, and he was expected to play a major role in replacing the departed scoring from the national champion team a year ago. In 2024, while at Princeton, Lee earned first-team all-Ivy honors, averaging 16.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 5.5 APG, while shooting 43% from the field and 36% from three.

It hasn’t been that level of success consistently yet for Lee, who is shooting 29.1% from the field and 23.6% from beyond the arc. Over his last four games, he has been on an upward trend. 

There is no blueprint for jumping up from an Ivy League team to the defending National champions, especially when the non-conference slate doesn’t provide many “tune-up” games early on to help acclimate to a new environment. 

According to Lee, right off the bat, he has noticed a faster pace of play than what he was used to in the Ivy League, and he has tried to adjust for that with a high level of effort.

“So far, just, you know, we play a really good team every single night, and you have to bring your A-game; when you don't, you need to have effort every single night in and out, and you've got to win games…definitely a lot more athletic, faster pace of play,” Lee said. 

Lee heating up over the last four games is a major positive for the Gators; they walked away with wins in only two of those games. In the two losses, Lee struggled, and there wasn’t enough offense around him to make up for it, while in the wins, he was the only Gator with 20 or more points. 

While Lee’s success will play a major role in the Gators title defense aspirations, for this squad to truly have a shot at their goals, they will need everyone around Lee to heat up as well. This year, the Gators are shooting just 26.8% from beyond the arc as a team, with a majority of their points coming on the interior from Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon. 

The three-point shot is a major part of the Gators’ offense, and Lee doesn’t think his team will change its game plan to move away from it; rather, he believes they will break out of their slump, and the offense will come together piece by piece. 

“I don't think we're ever going to turn down the open ones. I think as a team, we have so many strengths, and obviously, shooting hasn't been one so far, but I think we know we're all capable of making shots. Especially us guards, we've been shooting really poorly, but things are only going to get better from here. I think we're all gonna make a lot more shots in the future, and I think we're on our floor as a team, honestly, because we can only control what we can control, and I think when the other stuff starts to come together, we will be very dangerous,” Lee said. 

The Gators will have three tune-up games to close out their non-conference slate, facing off against Saint Francis, Colgate, and Dartmouth, before heading to Missouri to open up SEC play on January 3rd. The next three games will be crucial, as they will be the final opportunity for this team to gel before having to put it all together in the grit and grind of conference play.

Following the Orange Bowl MVP Award, Xaivian Lee is now on this exclusive Trading Card from Topps.

UMass Victory Thickens The MAC Plot

By Robert Lastella

It has been an up-and-down season for UMass so far; however, on Saturday afternoon, they picked up their most important win of the season and arguably the biggest victory in Frank Martin’s UMass tenure. 

It was a back-and-forth affair for a majority of the game, with FSU leading 47-43 at the half; however, in the final stanza the MinuteMen took over and never looked back. 

Both sides were shooting above 50% from the field at the half, with a majority of the offense coming from beyond the arc, but in the second half, that changed. After just 14 points in the paint during the first half, UMass chipped in 34 in the second half, using a boost of physicality to knock off UMass 103-95.

Daniel Hankins-Sanford and K’jei Parker led the way with 24 apiece for the Minutemen; however, it was Leonardo Bettiol who was the major difference maker in the second half. Bettiol scored 20 points on the day, with 16 of them coming in the second half, and 12 of those first 16 coming within the first eight minutes to completely flip the momentum in favor of UMass.

FSU dealt with an inconsistent offense at times, and while UMass adjusted, the Seminoles were stuck in the mud, finishing 29.3% from beyond the arc, which stymied their offense. Robert McCray V finished with a team-high 21 points for FSU, also adding 8 rebounds and 11 assists.

UMass now sits at 8-3 on the year, picking up back-to-back wins over ACC opponents in Boston College and now FSU. Florida State falls to 5-5, and they have now dropped 4 in a row dating back to November 28th. 

Below are three takeaways from the Minutemen's victory. 

UMass shows they can score in a variety of ways 

One of the biggest difference makers in this game was UMass switching its offensive gameplan from 3-point heavy in the first frame to attacking the paint in the second half. 

While FSU stuck to its 3-point barrage, UMass figured out how to expose the inconsistencies in the Seminole defense, and it helped them pull away in the second half. Although FSU was struggling from 3, getting into a back-and-forth battle with the Seminoles from beyond the arc wasn’t going to be a winning strategy, so Frank Martin and the Minute Men adjusted.

The 3-point shot has taken over basketball across all levels, according to Martin. The game is still won and lost in the paint, and that was evident on Saturday.

“I'm not saying the three-point shot has no value. That's not what I'm saying. But the game is still won and lost in the paint. You have to defend the paint. You've got to score in the paint. That's how you collapse defenses,” Martin said.

The Seminoles’ defense did collapse on the interior, especially early on in the second half, as Bettiol was able to probe the interior without much resistance, and it began to change the game. 

Bettiol was held to just 4 points during the first half, and he was able to flip the switch entirely during the second half, giving UMass a boost of physicality that they didn’t have an answer for. 

During the halftime break, Martin implored Bettiol to be more aggressive, and he responded to the call, finishing with his third 20-point performance of the season. 

“I was not happy with Leo at halftime. I told him, late in the first half, you know, I said, Leo, I'm spending all my energies, like, on these freshmen, because they're not being aggressive, and all the old guys are actually helping us, except you. Are you going to help us and give him credit?” Martin said. 

Bettiol’s aggressiveness provided UMass with a different way to attack the FSU defense, and after depending on the three-point shot too much during the first half, he helped shift the tide.

“The way we prepared to try and attack their half-court, pressing, trapping, denying defense wasn't working, so we had to change the way we tried to attack it in the second half, and I thought we were much better in the second half,” Martin said.

From an opponent’s perspective, the Minutemen’s ability to switch their offensive gameplan entirely was frustrating, according to FSU Head Coach Luke Loucks, who noted the difficulty of when you can't guard the paint or perimeter and they attack both.

Florida State HC Luke Loucks had a lot of respect for how UMass attacked.

“It presents a lot of challenges. When you can't guard the perimeter and guard the paint. That's not ideal. They do a good job with their shooting, especially number 24 and number five, both of whom are knock-down shooters. But then those, those two, two guys in the middle, you know, number one, especially, they're workers. They're workers,” Loucks said.

Transition defense limits open looks for FSU

While the UMass offense shifting to the paint opened things up for their offense, the UMass defense limiting FSU from beyond the arc limited their offense heavily. 

FSU finished just 12-41 from beyond the arc (29%), and while they attacked the paint themselves at times, their over-reliance on shooting from behind the arc ultimately hurt them. 

The Seminoles play at the 6th fastest pace in the country, averaging just 14.3 seconds per possession and they are also 6th in 3PA/FGA, averaging 53.3% of their points from beyond the arc. With that being the case, UMass limiting them to 3 put them in a rough position that they weren’t able to recover from. 

FSU was a drastic difference from Boston College, which UMass played on Wednesday, as they play at the 284th slowest pace. That was no issue for UMass, which ran with FSU in transition and limited their open looks from beyond the three-point line.

According to Martin, he believed he may have put his team at a disadvantage playing two teams with drastically different styles in a short amount of time, but they found a way to 

“When I say I scheduled our team into a difficult moment, that's what I'm talking about… We had to practice at 7 am yesterday to catch a Noon flight to come here to play a team on one day of practice that plays the polar opposite of our Boston College, from pace to defense,” Martin said.

“When you're coaching 10, you guys. It's really hard to understand, like, how to coach them through their minds as far as strategy goes. But instead of complaining and saying to them, like, you know, Hey, man, this is gonna be hard. That's not who I am. I told them, I said, Yo, I probably scheduled us into a difficult moment. I want to find out who we are. How are we going to answer the bell?”

Minutemen finding their Rhythm

The year got off to a bit of an unfortunate start for the Minutemen, who dropped their season-opening matchup to Marshall and then later lost consecutive matchups against Charleston and Green Bay. They have responded to those back-to-back losses with a 5-game win streak, including back-to-back wins over power conference opponents.

Umass has figured out a diverse offense, with an ability to hurt teams from beyond the arc and in the paint. Defensively, they are one of the top teams in the country at defending the perimeter, allowing teams to shoot only 26.6% which is 7th in the nation.

With UMass set to begin MAC play for the first time ever this season, a strong non-conference slate was extremely important to this team finding its mojo before playing against an entirely new slate of opponents.

They put their season back on track with this 5 game win streak, and especially over these last two games, picking up arguably the two biggest wins of Frank Martin’s entire tenure.

Daniel Hankins-Sanford is in his third year with UMass, and he believes this team has grown immensely since their back-to-back losses in November, starting with their ability to respond to coaching.

“I feel like we have grown a lot, people are understanding what coach Frank wants from us, and just learning how to help the team in the best way that they can. Our bench is helping us a lot more. The energy is positive. Everybody bought into what we are trying to do, and it’s paying off for us,” Hankins-Sanford said.

Marching Illini Conquer Nashville

By Robert Lastella

The 14th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini were on a bridge over troubled water in the first half on Saturday against 13th-ranked Tennessee, but by the end of the game, they were able to dream the impossible dream. 

It was a back-and-forth affair for the majority of Saturday’s Music City Madness matchup, but the Illini used a 10-2 late run to pull away from the Vols, ultimately going on to win 75-62. 

The Illini used a team effort throughout this game. Particularly down the stretch, as during that aforementioned 10-2 run, four different players scored for the Illini. Four Illini also finished in double figures overall, as Tomislav Ivisic and Keaton Wagler each finished with 16 points, Kylan Boswell added 15, and David Mirkovic chipped in 10. 

Illinois had lost two consecutive matchups against ranked opponents heading into this game, but according to Brad Underwood, this team showed growth that they didn’t show in their losses to UConn and Alabama. 

“I thought that we'd grown in a week. I was very pleased to see our sustainability. I thought defensively, our first shot defense was really solid. We knew they were one of the tough offensive rebounding teams, but the guy here to my left (Wagler) had eight rebounds, and we did a good job of helping Tomi and our frontcourt guys on the glass,” Underwood said. 

Illinois now sits at 7-2 on the year, and they are currently not scheduled to face a ranked opponent until January 24th when they take on Purdue. This was an important win for the Illini, as it could provide a momentum booster to close out the non-conference slate and into Big-10 play. 

Below are three takeaways from the Illini’s win over the Volunteers. 

Keaton Wagler, an Underrated Freshman 

The conversation around the top freshman in college basketball has been dominated by those mocked to be lottery picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. Although Keaton Wagler hasn’t gotten that level of attention yet, through 9 games this season, he has proved to be a dependable option for Underwood and the Illini. 

Wagler has now scored in double figures in 6 out of 9 games so far this season, averaging 13.5 points per game and 5.3 rebounds, while shooting 42% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc. 

Against Tennessee, Wagler hit three triples in the second half, and each one proved to be a momentum booster for the Illini. While the scoring was important, Wagler’s 8 rebounds were arguably the difference maker, as while Illinois struggled on the glass at times, Wagler did not, and his effort eventually permeated throughout the team as a whole.

It was also a career high in three-point attempts for Wagler, who finished 4 of 11 from beyond the arc. It was an aggressive approach on both ends of the court for Wagler, who played like a poised veteran for the Illini rather than an inexperienced freshman. 

According to Underwood, Wagler’s ability to make an impact right away has a lot to do with his IQ and communication skills on the court. 

“You know, I think his IQ is understanding. I think he believes in his guys. I throw Kylan a big kudos. He talks to him a lot. He helps him a lot, and I think it's one of the things that's helped ease him, but he just plays. The environment doesn't bother him,” Underwood said. 

“It's just a matter of his getting comfortable. We didn't talk one second about shooting threes, but that's what he does, and we needed him to be more aggressive and more assertive. But, you know, the most impressive thing is, is no turnovers, and that's almost every single day. I mean, he just takes care of the ball, and he's a very, very mature decision maker, and that's usually not the case for freshmen.” 

Illini Frontcourt makes Big Impact from Beyond the Arc 

During the first half, at times, it seemed like there may have been a lid on the basket from beyond the arc for Illinois. By the second half, the Illini broke through from three behind a concerted team effort to make the extra pass. 

Tomislav Ivisic fist pumps after burying one of his two triples vs. the Vols. (Photo Courtesy of Illinois Athletics)

Illinois assisted on nine of their 14 made field goals during the second half and their ability to move the ball opened up the floodgates for the Ivisic Brothers. Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic combined to shoot four of eight from three, combining with Wagler for 8 of the Illini’s 11 threes overall. 

After assisting on only five of 14 made field goals in the first half, Illinois was able to improve upon that in the second half, and it unlocked the offense as a whole. When the Illini bigs can be a consistent threat from beyond the arc, it causes havoc for opposing defenses, as we saw during the second half tonight. 

When the offense stalled during the first half, it could have been easy for Illinois to let that carry over into the second half; however, they didn’t. After the game, Wagler mentioned that the team made it a point of emphasis to move the ball better during the second half, and it paid off. 

“I think that we knew that they were a really good defensive team and that we wouldn’t be able to just come off the first ball screen to the first action and get a shot, we knew that we have to move the ball, get the extra pass to get open shots and get the offensive rebound if they didn’t fall,” Wagler said. 

Illini Defensive Lockdown of Gillespie and Ament

It wasn’t a pretty night for Tennessee Volunteer stars Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Gillespie and Ament were the top two scorers, respectively, for the Vols; however, the duo combined to finish 10 of 34 from the field with 5 turnovers. 

The physicality that the Illini were enacting in the paint prevented Ament from finishing at the rim. They also defended without fouling, which led to some less-than-desirable possessions for Ament when he attacked the basket. 

As for Gillespie, he did start to heat up early in the second half; however, he eventually cooled off and wasn’t able to provide scoring in bunches like he is known for. Gillespie is a high-volume shooter, and the Illini made a concerted effort to defend his shots on the perimeter, and it worked. 

While the offense was rocky at times, especially in the first half, the defense never trailed off, consistently pressuring Ament and Gillespie, which led to some cold streaks for the Vols offense. Eventually, the cold streaks caught up to the Vols and the Illini offense was able to finish the job. 

After the game, Underwood described his defense as tremendous, noting that his team's defensive energy impressed him more than the offense's efficiency in the second half. 

“The defense is tremendous, I mean, they've got one guy in double figures, and we know he's a high-volume shooting guy. Takes a lot of shots for them. I think we had one sequence in the first half where they scored five points back to back, three and two after we scored. And that was kind of the only sequence I didn't feel very comfortable with. But anytime you do that against a Rick Barnes’ team, you should feel pretty good,” Underwood said.

Tigers Get Tourney Tested?

By Robert Lastella

Clemson vs West Virginia felt like every bit of an NCAA tournament matchup, and in the end, it was the Tigers who picked up a major momentum-boosting win. 

West Virginia set the tone early on with their overbearing physicality and slow pace of play, eventually jumping out to a double-digit lead early in the second half. Clemson was never phased, slowly chipping away, until Carter Welling broke through late and gave the Tigers everything they needed en route to a 70-67 victory. 

There wasn’t an overly dominating performance from any Tiger; rather, Clemson finished with 5 players in double figures, with Jestin Porter and RJ Godfrey leading the way with 14 apiece. Defensively, the Tigers weren’t perfect; however, when they needed stops late, they were able to get them. 

The Tigers were able to get it done in a gritty performance against a talented West Virginia team, which is an encouraging sign heading into the challenging portion of their non-conference slate. 

Here are three takeaways from the Tigers’ win. 

Carter Welling takes over 

It was a relatively quiet performance for Carter Welling for the majority of the game, but over the final 3 minutes of the game, he practically single-handedly won Clemson the game. 

WVU led by 5 going into the final media timeout with 3:59 to play, and out of that timeout, Welling was unleashed. On the second Clemson possession out of the timeout, Welling hit a triple that brought the deficit down to one possession, 63-61, with 3:11 to play. Less than a minute later, Welling hit another one to give Clemson a 64-63 lead with 2:13 remaining. 

He wasn’t done there, as with 1:22 to play, he added on 2 more to extend their lead to 66-63 with 1:22 to play. He then went to the free throw line twice over the final minute and hit 3 out of 4 free throws, icing the game for the Tigers. 

Welling scored 11 of the final 12 points for Clemson, giving the Tigers a jolt of life when they desperately needed one late. 

Head Coach Brad Brownell explained the late-game surge from Welling was in large part due to good decisions made by his top three ball handlers. 

“We put RJ down low and Carter up top. And obviously, we can roll those guys and do a lot of different things with him. Dillon, we had the ball and were making some good decisions. And, you know, we just, we kind of went to a lot of middle of the floor ball screen stuff in the second half, and that was better for us. And obviously, it centers around those three guys. They made a lot of good decisions. Got a couple of timely shots from butter and JP, and so it's just a good team win,” Brownell said.”

Welling has been the Tigers’ leading scorer so far this season, averaging 11.4 points per game. If he can improve on that as the season goes on with spurts like he had tonight, Clemson will only become better as a team. 

Tigers overcame a quiet night from Ace Buckner 

Freshman guard Ace Buckner has been the Tigers’ second leading scorer on the season, averaging 11 points per game on 50% shooting from the field. Over the last three games, however, he has been held under double figures, and against West Virginia, he scored a season low two points on 1-of-4 shooting. 

Bumps in the road for a freshman will happen; the key is overcoming them, both as a player and as a team. Against West Virginia, Clemson had Buckner’s back, finding other ways to generate scoring. That is important, not only for the team, but also for Buckner, as his confidence can remain high knowing he can continue to play within the system and not try to force shots. 

Porter and Godfrey each had 14 points, while Dillon Hunter and Welling each added 13. It was the veterans who got the job done tonight for Clemson, but the Tigers can’t rely on only them as the season goes on. 

Clemson will be at their best when Buckner is at his best, but to be able to defeat a team like West Virginia when he has a quiet night is a testament to their overall depth. 

Brownell believes his young players will grow from a game like tonight, as the veterans on his squad gave them a reason to have hope. 

“When you have a new group, this many new players, we have a lot of young players, six freshmen, and so, you know, they're getting knocked on their heels a little bit. We have to have the older guys who step up and make plays and make sure our guys believe. And these are the kind of ones that help, help your team grow,” Brownell said. 

Clemson becomes battle-tested

Clemson has now taken on two power conference teams in Georgetown and West Virginia, in the first three weeks of the season. Although things did not go their way on the road against the Hoyas, they were able to bounce back and defeat a potential tournament team on a neutral court. 

The ACC is going to be improved this season. The Tigers taking non-conference swings like this only benefits them ahead of what could be a challenging conference slate. It also gives them a taste of adversity and how to overcome it, something that is unteachable until it happens. 

This is a Clemson squad that has a mix of young and veteran contributors, so the early-season experience is a necessity to ensure that this squad is gelling at the right time.

Their ability to weather the storm against a stingy opponent like West Virginia is encouraging, and if they can win a game like this when they aren’t at their best, there is potential for Clemson to make serious noise in the ACC this year. 

A win like this after a close loss to Georgetown is important, according to Brownell, as when a team can find a way to come out on top amidst adversity, it can be one of the most important wins of them all. 

“You know, I thought we played a really good 20 minutes against Georgetown and didn't come out of halftime well, and they kind of smacked us, but then we battled back and had a chance late to get that game up there, but to finish one off, I think, is, you know, is really meaningful. We probably played better in more stretches of the game at Georgetown, but our team found a way tonight. And sometimes those are, you know, more important wins for your team long term, that your team just finds a way,” Brownell said.

An Aggie Statement In Charleston

By Robert Lastlla

A clear statement was made with Utah State’s opening performance with its win over Tulane in Game One of the Shriners Children’s Classic in Charleston on Friday. 

In a back-and-forth affair between the Aggies and Green Wave early on, the two teams went into the locker room tied at 40, as a barrage of triples from Tulane counteracted a strong half in the paint from Utah State. 

The second half was an entirely different story, as the Aggies outscored Tulane 56-35 behind 68% from the field and 71% shooting from three. On the defensive end, Utah State forced 13 Tulane turnovers, which they converted into 24 points off turnovers. The Aggies also finished with 22 fast-break points, turning defensive stops into points on the other end quickly, which Tulane had no answer for at times. 

While as a team the Aggies overcame their first half shooting struggles from beyond the arc, amped up the defensive pressure, and got out in transition, the personal efforts of Mason Falslev and MJ Collins were the difference makers. 

The duo combined to shoot 72% from the field, with Falslev finishing with a game-high 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals, while Collins added 21 points and 5 assists. The Aggies have yet to have a game where both Falslev and Collins were performing at this high a level, and the second half was a glimpse of what they are capable of when both are in rhythm. 

It was a valiant effort for Tulane in the first half, but their overreliance on triples and lack of consistent defense came back to bite them in the second half. Rowan Brumbaugh finished with 19 points and Asher Woods notched 16 as the Green Wave’s top two scorers, but as a whole, the offense lacked rhythm at times. 

Below are three takeaways from game one of the Lowcountry Bracket. 

Mason Falslev Breaks out of Slump 

Mason Falslev came into Friday afternoon’s game shooting 35% from the field over his last two games, but he broke out of that in a big way against Tulane. 

Last season, Falslev had only two games where he shot better than 70% from the field on 10 or more attempts. Friday’s game saw him achieve that feat just 5 games into the season, which could serve as a confidence booster as the Aggies look to build on a 5-0 start. 

Falslev’s offensive output was impressive, but his defensive effort of 7 rebounds and 4 steals had a major impact as well. 

According to Collins, it was a major point of emphasis coming out of the locker room to force Tulane to turn the ball over, and Falslev was a big part of it.

“It's a huge advantage for us, because we are much more athletic than we were last year. So we try to, basically, you know, that's our calling card, turning the other team over, you know, getting out running and, of course, like getting easy buckets off of that. So, you know, that was our focal point coming out of the half,” Collins said. 

Collins was excelling just as much as Falslev was; however, this wasn’t the first game this season where he dominated, but for Falslev, it was. This is Falslev’s third year in the program, and he is a player that the Aggies needed to get going, as Collins believes he and Falslev can be the best one-two punch in the nation. 

“I feel like we have the best one-two punch in the nation. You know, I'm happy for him (Falslev). I'm glad he got it going. You know, he's been struggling a little bit. So, you know, I love that he found it going tonight, and hopefully he can lead it to Saturday, I mean, Sunday, and the rest of our season,” Collins said. 

Jerrod Calhoun knows his team doesn’t have the budget of some of the top-tier programs in the country, but they were able to fundraise well and bring back Falslev for his junior season. With Utah State paying Falslev like a top player in the Mountain West Conference, the Aggies needed him to perform as such, and Friday, he answered the call. 

There was no concern on Calhoun’s end that Falslev wouldn’t eventually break out of his mini-slump, and what he showed on Friday is exactly why Utah State paid him as they did. 

“There's a reason our fan base stepped up and kept him in the Cash Valley, hopefully for, you know, the remainder of his career. I never lost faith in him. I mean, it's an early season, if you'll remember, last year he did the same thing. He came out of the gate, struggled, and then he went to the MTE and put on a show. So he's off to a good start, and so are some of his teammates, but, yeah. I mean, we fully expect him to fill up the stat sheet every night,” Calhoun said. 

Aggies show they can adjust on the Fly 

Early on in this game, things were not going the way of the Aggies. At the half, Utah State was just two of nine from beyond the arc with 8 turnovers, while on the defensive end, they were allowing Tulane to shoot 41% from beyond the arc. 

That began to turn towards the end of the first half, as the Aggies were able to hold Tulane without a point over the final 3:06, closing the half on a 6-0 run. 

They were able to keep that going through halftime, as within the first 10 minutes of the second half, Utah State held Tulane without a point for over a minute three separate times. The inconsistency of Tulane’s offense not only fired up Utah State defensively, but they were able to use that to find their footing offensively as well.

Utah State’s Drake Allen did not miss a shot, had eight assists, and three steals vs. Tulane. The seemingly perfect floor general for this USU roster.

After streaky shooting from Utah State kept Tulane in the game in the first half, the Aggies found their shot and their defensive intensity, and the Green Wave had no answer. 

Utah State adjusted on the fly, and it led to a dominant second half, and according to Calhoun, that is the biggest key to college basketball. 

“I mean, I think that's the biggest key to college basketball, right? Some teams have paid these kids millions and millions of dollars, right? And it doesn't matter how much money you have, you've got to go through it to build a team. That's what we're doing right now. We're building a team.” 

“We're understanding how to win with each other, how to play with each other, on both sides of the ball, right? We're trusting each other more. Identities, you know, are starting to show a little bit here. Another game where we out-rebound the team by 15, we're getting those freshmen in Adlan and Elija Perryman are getting some really meaningful minutes. And I think we're just scratching the surface,” Calhoun said. 

Aggies building a resume 

We are just five games into Utah State’s season; however, they are building a resume that, if things continue to go their way, could prove beneficial come the end of the season. 

In the Aggies’ second game of the season, they knocked off A-10 preseason favorites VCU 80-77, and since then, they have knocked off every opponent by double figures. 

They have now picked up wins over two of the top Mid-Major conferences in the American and A-10, and they will have two more opportunities against the AC, with USF and Charlotte still on the non-conference slate. 

Every coach will take their season one game at a time; however, one can’t help but notice that between advanced metrics and multiple non-conference wins over respectable opponents, the Aggies are building a solid resume. 

According to Calhoun, his team is in a good position at this point in the early season, but they will continue to put value into each possession as they look to improve as the season moves on. 

"I think it's an interesting time to be in college basketball. Our numbers are great. It's early in the season. You know, hopefully by the time we leave this tournament, we're a top 40 team, top 30-something team. I really talk to our guys about how every possession is measured. You have to play well on both sides. That's why we were a little upset with those two threes at the end.” 

“But, yeah, I think you're spot on, right? I mean, the reality of it is, it's getting harder and harder for everybody to make the NCAA Tournament, especially a team like us that spent probably a

third of what most of these teams have spent. So we want to be the most disciplined, the most connected, and we're starting to get there," Calhoun said.

Dybantsa's Dynamic Debut Provides BYU Stepping Stone Victory

By Robert Lastella

AJ Dybantsa was one of the most sought-after recruits this past offseason, and on Monday night in his debut for BYU against Villanova, he proved the hype was real. 

Photo by Christian Proscia

Dybantsa dropped 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists, putting up 13 points in the second half, as BYU held on to defeat Villanova 71-66. It was a quiet 21 points for Dybantsa, but when Villanova needed a bucket, Dybantsa was able to go and get them one. 

He also showed his ability as a distributor, as well as his physicality as a rebounder, doing a little bit of everything in his collegiate debut. On the first offensive possession for BYU, Dybantsa set the tone with a lob to Keba Keita that gave BYU fans an early jolt of excitement, which permeated throughout the game. 

When Villanova drew even with 5:16 to play in the second half, it was Dybantsa who had the response that BYU needed. The Cougars went on an 8-2 run after Villanova tied it, and six of those points came from Dybantsa, as he attacked the paint with success. 

It could have been easy for a freshman to be tentative in his debut, but Dybantsa wasn’t, and his poise is what impressed BYU Head Coach Kevin Young the most. 

“I just thought down the stretch, we put the ball in his hands. He made plays, his first game to be able to have the poise to do that. I thought that was impressive. He finally got his butt in there and got some offensive rebounds too, which I was happy to see," Young said 

Villanova fought back from a ten-point deficit at the half behind 19 second-half points from Bryce Lindsay, who had 22 points overall. Although Lindsay did his best to will Villanova to a victory, the BYU defense stepped up late, limiting his opportunities and forcing him to the free-throw line. 

Photo by Christian Proscia

BYU won the turnover battle 11-4 overall on the day. Between their peskiness in the passing lanes and overall physicality, they found a way to counteract Villanova's strong second half and their own offensive inconsistencies outside of Dybantsa. 

It wasn’t a perfect effort on either end of the court; however, Young credits his squad for getting the stops on the defensive end when they needed them. 

Photo by Christian Proscia

“We were imploring these guys to just lock in and get stops. I thought Moo Davis really, really stepped up defensively. I thought all these guys did, obviously, Lindsay really got going, so we didn't do a good enough job on him. But I thought we just found a way to find enough stops there. I think that says a lot about our group,” Young said. 

There were inconsistencies for BYU on both ends of the court. On the offensive end, Richie Saunders and Rob Wright joined Dybantsa in double figures with 15 and 14, respectively, but both shot under 35% from the field. And on the defensive end, as Young mentioned, they failed to slow down Lindsay, and he nearly willed Villanova to victory on his own.

BYU didn’t let those struggles impact them, as offensively Dybantsa took over when they needed him to, while defensively, they were able to get key stops down the stretch that helped them rebuild their lead. 

Having a superstar-caliber player like Dybantsa can be the difference maker between winning and losing. At times, BYU looked like a team that had lost numerous key contributors during the offseason and was still finding its footing, but those bumps in the road didn’t matter in the end. 

Villanova Head Coach Kevin Willard is familiar with a talent like Dybantsa’s, as while at Maryland last year, he coached Derik Queen, who was selected 13th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. After the game, Willard compared Dybantsa to an unnamed player he had last year, saying that he’s the real deal. 

Photo by Christian Proscia

“I had one of those last year. They're fun. When you have a talented freshman like that, you know, first or second pick in the draft, which I know, he is. I said to the media before, he's one of the best high school players I've seen come out in a long time. He’s got great size, great length. He's much tougher for a kid his age. So he's the real deal,” Willard said. 

If BYU wants to achieve its goals this season, it will need more consistent scoring outside of Dybantsa. Still, Dybantsa showing he can take over a game in different ways in his first game is encouraging and should have BYU feeling confident moving forward.


Takeaways: Arizona beats Florida, Koa Peat is Unbelievable

By Robert Lastella

The defending national champion Florida Gators went into their Monday night season-opening matchup looking to pick up where they left off; however, it was the Arizona Wildcats and their freshman sensation Koa Peat who stole the show. 

It was a breakout performance for Peat, who finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists en route to a 93-87 Wildcats victory. 

Florida jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first ten minutes of the game, but Arizona stayed poised and eventually came back and retook the lead with 3:21 to play in the first half. They never gave that lead back, leaning on their star freshman in Peat and veteran leader Jaden Bradley, who finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and three assists. 

The Gators shot just 25.9% from beyond the arc on the day, and their struggles from three forced them to attack inside. Overall, they were led by Thomas Haugh, who finished with 27 points and 4 rebounds, including 16 of his 27 in the second half. 

Photo by Christian Proscia

After one game, Arizona sits at 1-0, with a ton of potential moving forward following Koa Peat's breakout performance. As for Florida, while things may seem gloomy after a shooting slump and season-opening loss, there is hope moving forward in the fact that they fought until the end with Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee struggling from the field. 

Here are three takeaways from Arizona’s strong debut and Florida’s first taste of adversity since walking away as national champions a season ago. 

Koa Peat’s coming out Party 

A coming-out party it was indeed for Peat, who became the first player since 2002 to finish with 30 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals in their collegiate debut (H/T Matt Norlander, CBS Sports). 

When Arizona went into the first half under-12 media timeout trailing 26-16, Peat had made just one shot from the field. As the Wildcats began to fight back and eventually take the lead, Peat’s usage increased, finishing with a game-high 13 points at halftime, before dominating in the second half. 

Peat had three separate scenarios in the second half in which he scored consecutive baskets for Arizona, including back-to-back dunks, igniting the Wildcats. Anytime Florida looked to get a spark of their own, Peat was ready with a response, it seemed. There was no tentativeness from Peat, as he outplayed preseason All-American Alex Condon for nearly the entire game, especially in the crucial second half.

A Peat performance like that, in general, is impressive, but when you include the element that it was a debut game, it is a nearly unheard-of feat for Peat. After the game, when speaking about Peat’s performance, Tommy Lloyd mentioned that “nobody really knew about him,” and while that may have been true before, that is far from the case now.

“Koa, it was a coming-out party for him, so to speak. You know, everyone's known about him, but no one's really, really studied him and watched him, you know, and he's a special player,” Lloyd said. 

“Just the way he came out in that atmosphere, he went against the first team All-American, and that kid's a heck of a player. And Koa, obviously, more than held his own.” 

Although Koa Peat is just a Freshman, he has had a lengthy career playing for Team USA, including most recently this past summer for Team USA’s Gold Medal-winning U19 team, where he was coached by Lloyd. That experience, which Peat spoke on after the game, played a large role in his ability to make an impact right away for Arizona. 

"I think it really helped me this summer, especially playing with Coach Lloyd. He ran some of the same sets at USA, so coming to U of A in the fall, it was pretty easy to adapt to those,” Peat said. 

If Peat can continue to produce at a level like this consistently, Arizona could be a team we see make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, if not further.

Photo by Christian Proscia

Jaden Bradley IS a Top 20 Point Guard in the country

In Tommy Lloyd’s opening statement after the game, he expounded upon Bradley not being named to the Bob Cousy Award watchlist, noting that “If there’s any way this guy’s not one of the top two or three point guards in the country, I mean, I’ve been doing this for a while, and then they don’t make them much better than this. He was amazing today.” 

And while exactly where Bradley falls on the list of top point guards in the country is debatable, his status as a premier guard in the country is not, and he showed why on Monday night. 

Photo by Christian Proscia

Bradley was crucial for the Wildcats down the stretch, both as a distributor and a scorer. Both Peat and Bradley finished with a team-high five assists on the day, leaning on each other when Arizona needed a bucket. 

When Peat slowed down briefly in the second half, Bradley stepped up as a scorer, going on an 11-6 run on his own from the 5:08 mark to the 1:41 mark in the final frame. 

Bradley did it all for the Wildcats on Monday night, and after the game, he noted that even when the team went down, they never panicked and just took what the Gators’ defense was giving them. 

“We just knew Florida was a great team, so we tried not to panic when we got down. We trusted in each other, trusted in the system, two-three ball screens, and we just took what they gave us. Whether it was a pocket pass, a layup, and we just trusted each other. And we ended up getting that lead,” Bradley said. 

A point guard is usually judged on how well they distribute the ball, and while that is certainly an important aspect to their job, the overall goal is to be a catalyst for the offense in any means necessary. Bradley did exactly that on Monday, as he distributed when needed, but he also wasn’t afraid to get a bucket on his own. 

Bradley’s confidence to do it all for the Wildcats is a reflection of his experience, and similar to Peat, if he continues to play at a level like what we saw against Florida, that would go a long way in helping Arizona make a deep tournament run. 


Todd Golden is not concerned with Boogie Fland & Xavian Lee’s struggles. You shouldn’t be either

A season-opening loss following a national championship is never how a team wants to start, but this isn’t the exact same Gators squad that defeated Houston in the title game last year. 

Photo by Christian Proscia

This Gators team is still finding its footing, and that was evident on Monday night with star transfer guards Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland struggling at times. The duo combined to finish eight of 26 from the field with 25 total points, failing to generate consistent offense. 

Fland was not as score-dominant as he was during a lot of his playing time last season at Arkansas, as he attempted fewer than 10 shots from the field, something he did only twice during the regular season last year. 

There were flashes of what we saw last season at Princeton from Lee, who finished with 14 points; however, the streakiness that plagued him at times last year came back to hurt him again tonight. Lee shot just 29.4% from the field, and although he had shooting struggles at times last year, he only shot under 30% three times. 

Between Fland’s lack of aggressiveness and Lee’s shooting slump, the Gators’ offense was stymied at times tonight against Arizona. Despite the lack of offense from both players, Gators Head Coach Todd Golden is not concerned about it moving forward. 

“Boogie didn't have a turnover tonight. I thought he did a good job on offense and taking care of the ball, and putting us into some good spots. We did not finish at the rim very well. I think that was our biggest issue from our backcourt. We got in there, and Krivas is big. Awaka is big. Koa is pretty strong, like we just got in there a little off balance sometimes, and took some tough shots,” Golden said. 

“But you know, I think Xavian Lee is going to be much better than five-for-17 on most nights. Boogie is going to hit a shot or two that he missed tonight, so I'm not concerned about it moving forward.”

It is a long season, and one night of struggles is no reason to hit the panic button. Nevertheless, the Gators do need Lee and Fland to perform at their best if they want to have a chance to defend their title, so it will be paramount that they find their rhythm over the next few games.

Bright Vegas Lights for Gators, Cats, BYU, and Nova Nation

By Robert Lastella

The 2025-2026 college basketball season is almost upon us. The Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas is sure to create some early-season fireworks right away. 

In game one from MGM Grand Arena, Florida takes on Arizona at 4 PM PST, as Todd Golden and the Gators look to defend their national championship, while Arizona seeks an early-season statement win entering year 5 under Tommy Lloyd. 

Directly following game one, Villanova will take on BYU in a game that will feature numerous storylines on both sides. Villanova will be playing their first game under new Head Coach Kevin Willard, and a win in game one, against a team like BYU, would give early hope to those around the program that Willard was the right choice. 

As for BYU, the Cougars head into this game with a talented and experienced roster, led by freshman phenom forward AJ Dybantsa and senior guard Richie Saunders. The mix of overall talent and veteran leadership will make BYU a tough matchup for a lot of teams this season. But, it will be something to monitor how the offense flows in game one with a superstar that will command the ball like Dybantsa and a veteran like Saunders. 

Neither of these matchups has a clear-cut winner on paper, which could mean we are in store for some high-level hoops right out the gate from lovely Las Vegas. Below are four things to keep an eye on in Las Vegas on Monday night.

Who takes over as Florida’s go-to guy?

Although Florida ended last season as national champions, the offseason saw the roster undergo a major overhaul following the departure of some key players. 

Guards Walter Clayton Jr, Alijah Martin, and Will Richard all graduated, while guard Denzel Aberdeen transferred to Kentucky and forward Sam Alexis departed to Indiana. That group of players accounted for a combined 58.4 points per game last season, which means there are a lot of points that need to be accounted for this upcoming season. 

The departures hurt, however, UF was just as active in replacing lost talent this offseason. The Gators brought in guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee through the transfer portal, as well as adding a freshman guard in CJ Ingram. 

Fland and Lee both have a chance to be major contributors for UF this season. The duo averaged a combined 30.4 PPG last season, and if they are able to put up similar production this season, that would go a long way in helping UF replace lost scoring. 

Lee is the key to the UF offense continuing to perform at a high level. His 36.8 assist rate (per KenPom) was 19th in the country last season and would have been good for second overall in the SEC, trailing only Zakai Ziegler of Tennessee.

His balance of setting up his teammates, while also having the ability to score it himself, makes Lee a tough guard for opponents, and if he excels this season, the UF offense should excel right along with him. 

Fland struggled with consistency from the field last season; however, he was able to battle through adversity and contribute to Arkansas’s tournament run. In his first year at UF, it will be something to monitor if he is less ball-dominant than in 2024, as his 30.6 assist rate was good for 59th in the nation, and alongside Lee could give UF a really diverse guard duo. 

Outside of UF’s guard play, forwards Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon are back this season, and both are looking to build off their strong seasons from a year ago. Both Haugh and Condon can battle opponents down low and hurt them from deep, and if Lee and Fland can facilitate, Haugh or Condon will be on the receiving end more times than not. 

Between Lee, Fland, Haugh, and Condon, UF has a plethora of talent at multiple positions, which gives them multiple options for a “go-to-guy.” In game one, expect everyone to get involved, as the Gators look to figure out what works best against a potential tournament team in Arizona right off the bat.

Will Freshman make an immediate impact for Arizona?

In a similar fashion to Florida, Arizona underwent a massive overhaul of its roster this offseason following numerous graduates and transfers. 

Caleb Love and Carter Bryant graduated, while Henri Veesaar and KJ Lewis each entered the transfer portal. 3 out of the top 4 scorers from a year ago for the Wildcats have departed, leaving Jaden Bradley as the only player remaining who averaged double figures. 

Tommy Lloyd brought in seven freshmen this offseason to help replace that lost scoring, including guards Bryce James and Brayden Burries, as well as forwards Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov, Sidi Gueye, and Dwayne Aristode. 

Burries and Peat were both 5-star recruits, and the #1 player in California and Arizona, respectively, while Kharchenkov comes over from Germany, where he brings 7 years of Euro league experience to Arizona. 

Gueye was one of the top international big men available this past offseason, coming over from Real Madrid. He’s a versatile player able to play both inside and out and he also has a strong defensive presence. 

According to 247 Sports, Arizona's recruiting class received the second highest composite ranking, trailing only Duke.

It may take some time for Burries, Peat, Gueye and James to develop; however, for Arizona to be successful they are going to need Kharchenkov to perform at a Euro League level at a minimum. 

His three level scoring ability gives him a chance to make an impact right away for Arizona. On the defensive side of things, he is not the fastest, but his physicality and large frame should help him find success defensively in certain matchups. 

Some of Arizona’s young stars may take some time to get into a groove, but if Kharchenkov is able to perform right away, the Wildcats may be a pesky team to face early in the season. 

 

BYU vS. Villanova - What to Expect from BYU

Kevin Young took over at BYU in 2024, and with Young came his pro-style offense that was a big part of BYU’s trip to the Sweet 16. Although it was a successful campaign, a Sweet 16 loss wasn’t the end goal. With an influx of NIL, Young was able to retain his top three scorers with remaining eligibility, as well as being in a haul of new talent, including projected lottery pick AJ Dybantsa and Baylor transfer Robert Wright III. 

Dybantsa is expected to be one of the best freshmen, if not the overall best player, in college basketball this season; however, if BYU is going to build on their sweet 16 run from a year ago, senior guard Richie Saunders will be a big part of that. 

Saunders is coming off a junior season in which he averaged 16.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.6 APG and had the 3rd highest offensive rating percentage in the Big 12 (127.8), per Ken Pom. He proved himself as one of the most efficient scoring guards in the Big 12, and there is a chance he builds on that this season with a deeper supporting cast alongside him. 

As for Dybantsa, he is a prolific scorer who can create shots from a variety of spots on the court. His 6’9 frame, combined with his scoring ability, makes him a tough match for opponents as he is able to consistently convert contested looks. 

With two prolific scorers in Saunders and Dybantsa, the key to the offense excelling will be Baylor transfer Robert Wright III running the offense efficiently. Wright played in 35 games last season for Baylor, averaging 11.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 4.2 APG. His 25.4 assist rate was good for 10th in the Big 12, and if he is able to improve on that this season, that would bode well for the BYU offense.

What can Devin Askew and Acaden Lewis do for Villanova?

Kevin Willard set the college basketball world into a frenzy when he made the move from Maryland to Villanova this past offseason. Since then, he has quietly been rebuilding Villanova’s roster, with guards Devin Askew and Acaden Lewis set to play big roles for the Wildcats.

Askew transferred to Villanova this past offseason from Long Beach State, where last season he averaged 18.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 4.5 APG. Askew improved as an overall playmaker last year, charting a career high in both points and assists per game, and if he is able to build on that this season, that would go a long way in helping the Villanova offense gel in year one under Willard. 

Jeff Neilburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Sunday that Askew would be available for Monday’s season opener after originally being expected to miss the game as he recovered from a knee injury. Although he is expected to play, Neilburg mentioned that he may be on a minutes restriction. 

With Askew still recovering from his knee injury, this opens an opportunity for freshman Acaden Lewis to show what he is capable of right away. Lewis was the 31st-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, and he has the talent to make an impact right away on the Villanova offense. 

His ability as both a passer and scorer will help make up for the loss of Askew and give Willard an early idea of how big a role Lewis will be able to handle as a Freshman. 

It will also be important to monitor how Lewis and Askew play together, as if they work well as a duo, that could create a tough matchup for an opposing backcourt.

Robbie will have live coverage from Vegas all day today, check him out @RLastellaReport

A Day with the Golden Bears

By Rocco Miller

Where has the time gone? That is the question I kept asking myself during the short 15-minute drive from Oakland to Berkeley.

The feeling of yesterday is on replay in my mind, while reminiscing on Mark Madsen’s opening day press conference in Berkeley. A time of excitement and relief for the Cal community.

You have to remember, Cal Basketball had six rugged seasons under Wyking Jones (2) and Mark Fox (4), who ultimately went a combined 22-92 in Pac-12 regular season games.

When Madsen came in, he was fresh off a 28-win Utah Valley season and a top 65 final ranking, which is easily the highest-performing campaign in UVU’s D1 history.

The excitement surrounding the press conference was distinctly memorable for locals. The Stanford legend, Madsen, is being hired by rivals, Cal. Madsen had fun with the press conference, starting it off with references to his last appearance in Haas Pavilion as a player, which ended in a rivalry-scuffle and Stanford’s 57-55 rockfight road win.

This certainly felt like a heist as Madsen’s alma mater struggled through eight seasons under Jerod Haase without breaking through to the postseason.

Year 1 was a huge step forward. Attracting talented players in the portal was a new concept in Berkeley, and Madsen got two big ones in Jaylon Tyson and Fardaws Aimaq. The squad won nine Pac-12 games, which was a tremendous step forward from the bogged-down Jones/Fox eras.

He hired great recruiters, which remains a staple as we approach year three. He talked about making this a player’s program. Hard work is a staple of Madsen’s mantra, outworking other teams.

Quickly after being hired, Madsen and the Cal athletic department were faced with the very real challenge of finding a new league. The collapse of the Pac-12 was essentially happening concurrently behind the scenes as Madsen was being hired.

By September 1st of that first summer, Cal was officially contracted to join the ACC. The dynamics of the job, travel, and direct competition changed in an instant.

Last season in the ACC was a trying one, finishing at 14-19 overall with a 6-12 conference season. A deeper look under the hood tells us a brighter, Madsen-tough story. Down the stretch, Cal fought Notre Dame in a crushing 4OT loss in South Bend. Then, they headed directly to the conference tournament in Charlotte. No excuses, they showed up and went to 2OTs again, this time beating Virginia Tech. The Bears lost a tight battle with rival Stanford the next day.

One thing was clear entering the offseason: Madsen’s program has no interest in laying down or making excuses. The practice that I recently attended painted a similar story.

Practice Summary

The new-look Bears had one of the most physical practices I have seen in quite some time. Madsen told me that they are trying to throw every scenario at the guys as possible and “Track everything.”

The majority of the practice was a live scrimmage session with varying levels of ball pressure. Full court traps, 3/4 court traps, half-court, etc. It was clearly instructed on both sides to be disruptive. After all, Cal finished 175th in the nation in defensive efficiency and 14th in the ACC for league-only defense. It’s a clear area of emphasis.

In my eyes, it worked. The long live session was mostly disruptive. The media would call it a “rockfight.” On the flip side, neither offense had any flow; there was some organic chippiness on the floor, and overall, I think it was a healthy step in the Madsen-toughness progression of the program.

The teams were broken up with the White team consisting primarily of John Camden, Semetri Carr, Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut/Mantas Kocanas swapping at the five, Justin Pippen, and Jovani Ruff. The Blue team was led by Dai Dai Ames and DJ Campbell, along with Chris Bell, Lee Dort, Nolan Dorsey, and Sammie Yeanay.

Mark “Mad Dog” Madsen overlooks his Bears at Haas Pavilion.

Player Observations

Dai Dai Ames - Likely the most important player on the roster. Mr. Ames comes into the year with a remarkable reputation as a shooter, going near-40% from deep last year and over 58% from inside the arc on double the attempts in conference play. He impressed me more with court awareness, always in the right position defensively and within offensive sets.

Nolan Dorsey - Madsen specifically took some time to tell me that Dorsey is the ultimate workhorse, and although he may not have as much skill as Madsen himself, he embodies the work ethic. Cal teammates were noticeably disturbed by Dorsey’s relentless defensive energy during the long live period. Dorsey was the fastest Bear in a timed Mile, running it in under 4:30. Dorsey was playing with a missing tooth, which I believe was lost in a previous practice. The Campbell transfer could be a big emotional and defensive boost to this team’s ability to win on the margins.

Semetri Carr - Tons of poise for a freshman. Demonstrated floor-general comfort at this level. Played some big-time games in high school. Interesting piece for backcourt depth. Really great personality as well.

Chris Bell - Played a lot like what I remembered from Syracuse games. Mr. Bell gives Cal a different look and dynamic to score off the wing. I was quickly reminded that he was the 3rd-best three-point shooter in ACC league games last year at 44.3% on 79 attempts.

John Camden - Fluid playmaker, projected starter. Kept his teammates involved even when shots didn’t fall. Another dynamic sniper, making 43% of his threes at Delaware last season, and at 6-8, 220 has clear looks typically from downtown. As noted earlier, this practice contained a ton of trapping and on-ball defense, which led to more paint-touching shot attempts. Would’ve loved to see more perimeter action involving Camden, Bell, and others. However, that is certainly in the cards for regular game flow.

Lee Dort - Physical, didn’t back down from any situation or any teammate. Emotionally set the tone at times. Needs to keep working on finishing his paint touches. Rebounding was excellent, mostly one-and-done type boards defensively.

Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut - Clearly still developing, but I came away impressed with his work ethic and commitment to improvement. Has elite rim protection potential. He worked hard and rarely sat out during the live period. One of the first players in the gym as well.

Justin Pippen - Another projected starter. Pippen struggled to get minutes at Michigan. He has a great opportunity ahead of him in Berkeley to play a considerable amount. He is lengthy and causes problems for the opposing offense, and moves with great fluidity.

D.J. Campbell - Makes getting downhill look simple, very impressive off the dribble. Sometimes gets into “ISO mode” too often, especially late in the shot clock. Played really hard overall, and demonstrated that he’s been with Madsen for over a year. Getting D.J. to play more off the ball could help the team and his own game as time goes on.

Montas Kocanas - Much like last year at FAU, Montas is still learning the American College Hoops game. He could be highly valuable once it all clicks for him. His size is outstanding. Still seemed a little slow with concepts and play calls. Would love to see him develop. Still very young.

Jovanni Ruff - Another good-looking Freshman who has a chance to play. Has a college-ready body to play the two or the three. I can envision him being a versatile defender as well. Really like what the future holds here.

Injured

Rytis Petraitis - Rytis was still a couple of weeks away from returning (Shoulder). As you may know, he has a tremendous personality and took some time to chat with me. He likes this Cal roster a lot and believes a lot of the new pieces are upgrades. He spent a good 45 minutes after practice doing shooting drills and appears to be right on track for a return.

Milos Ilic - Figures to be the first big man off the bench once healthy. Ilic was rehabbing from a Quad injury, I believe. He also should be back within weeks or even days. He spent a long time on the exercise bike courtside during the live period.

Summary

It does not take a genius to evaluate this 2026 version of Cal’s basketball roster and see the improved outside shooting. However, if you went to this practice, you would’ve came away with a much different feeling. Intensity, physicality, ball-pressure, and togetherness were the main themes on this fine day.

The Bears finished dead-last in three-point shooting and 17th of 18 in three-point% defense in ACC play a year ago. Glaring holes from yesteryear have been filled. Madsen preaches accountability and toughness. In the much-improved ACC, Cal has pieces to build a case to be one of the major darkhorses of the conference. They will need to come together as a group and win on the margins, which is precisely the plan.

SOURCES: 12 Teams and Two additional events are set for Orlando

ESPN Orlando Adds 4-Team Event

Multiple sources confirmed with The Bracketeer that Charlotte, Furman, Illinois State, and Richmond will headline an additional Orlando ESPN Event field next season. These teams will play a two-game, four-team bracket while at Disney World.

There is no timetable for an official announcement. Official matchups are also TBD. Dates are expected to be the week of Thanksgiving in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

ESPN Orlando Adds 8-Team Event

Multiple sources confirmed with The Bracketeer that Bradley, Liberty, Princeton, Rhode Island, Temple, Towson, UC San Diego, and Vermont will headline an additional Orlando ESPN Event field next season. These teams will play a three-game, eight-team bracket while at Disney World.

There is no timetable for an official announcement. Official matchups are also TBD. Dates are expected to be the week of Thanksgiving in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

It has already been reported that BYU, Dayton, Georgetown, and Miami will headline the primary field of the 2025 ESPN Events Invitational, which is played later in the week on November 27th and 28th.

UC Riverside: A Uniquely Complex Head Coaching Search

By Rocco Miller

The best five-year period of UC Riverside Basketball in its 25-year history as a D1 member is now in the rearview mirror. The Highlanders have achieved unprecedented success since 2020 under the guidance of Mike Magpayo, who went 89-63 overall and had a 53-32 Big West record. Magpayo, of course, accepted the well-deserved move up the coaching ranks to Fordham University back on March 30th.

The man who hired Magpayo, Wesley Mallette (UCR’s Athletics Director), was left with the brutal responsibility to decide who would succeed UCR’s most successful coach in its D1 history.

The program is now in the crosshairs of building on a lot of success and potentially losing all campus funding (again) as it seeks its next head coach. Sources have indicated that the school has heavy concerns about changing funds for the UC system within the current fiscal year. More on that later.

Trusted industry sources have informed The Bracketeer that this coaching search has been trimmed down to four candidates out of a pool of over 200 people who reached out to UCR with interest. After all, the Big West Conference is coming off of its best season in 20 years as a league, and the league is expanding next year by adding UCR’s crosstown rivals, California Baptist.

The state of affairs at UC Riverside is anything but normal. Despite all of the Men’s Basketball success, and other athletic turnarounds at the school with Women’s Basketball and recently Softball as easy examples, the department and upper campus are facing financial pitfalls once again.

To refresh your memory, UC Riverside’s 2020-21 season was played with a surplus of uncertainty. UCR navigated the COVID pandemic to somehow pull off a 22-game basketball schedule (rarely high in the UC system that year with the restrictions), going on to a 14-8 record, which included landmark wins over Washington and Top-60 ranked UC Santa Barbara (eventual 12-seed in the NCAAT). The school’s athletic department was going through its depths of stress as well.

In August 2020, the athletic programs at UCR came into question when university officials listed the elimination of all sports as a possibility.

HC Mike Magpayo said at the time, “I just can’t imagine a relevant university without athletics, so I’ve got to put a lot of faith that it’s going to get done and be fine. I don’t know, though.”

AD Wesley Mallette’s thoughts during that early time of pressure to cut athletics were, “Your true value in any organization is how quickly you can get to a solution and a solution that works for people in a positive way. Learning those lessons in corporate America is so valuable because when you move into the world of college sports, you have to apply those principles to create more efficient operations within your organization.”

Overcoming incredible obstacles, Mike Magpayo and UC Riverside Men’s Basketball worked its way out of a near-impossible scenario beginning with the 2020-21 season.

Five years later, AD Wesley Mallette is forced to make another difficult decision. The question that many industry sources have repeated back to me is, how much say will Mallette have in the final decision?

It is a valid question when you review the finalists.

THE FINALISTS

Gus Argenal, Current Head Coach at Cal State San Bernardino - Gus is right there in Riverside’s sister city of San Bernardino. Argenal’s name likely sounds familiar because he had great success as one of Eric Musselman’s trusted assistants at both Arkansas and Nevada. During that period, Argenal was a key part of seven NCAA Tournament teams, reaching the 2022 Elite Eight with the Razorbacks and two Sweet 16s. He has spent the past two years at CSUSB, guiding the D2 Coyotes to an impressive run back to the D2 Final Four in 2023-24 in his first season. An amazing achievement on the heels of Andy Newman leaving for Cal State Northridge the year prior, which left Argenal the tall task of reloading the roster.. Argenal continued his success at CSUSB by getting back to the 2025 D2 NCAAT, before exiting in the Round of 32.

Justin Downer, Current Head Coach at Point Loma Nazarene - Justin is the next in a great run of head coaches coming from the uber-successful PLNU program. He guided the Sea Lions to a PacWest Title (15-5) in his first season as Head Coach in 2023-24. This season, he led them to even higher heights, with an 18-2 PacWest record, and a trip to the Regional Final in the D2 NCAA Tournament.

Skye Ettin, UC Santa Barbara Assistant Coach - Ettin has been a promising young phenom in the industry for a while now. He has spent the past two seasons at UC Santa Barbara and understands the landscape of the much-improved Big West. Before that, Ettin was a key member of Princeton’s coaching staff, and the Tigers had a superb 82-29 Ivy League record during his six years there. Ettin was named one of the Silver Waves Media Rising Stars in the coaching industry during Final Four Week.

Byron Scott, NBA Legend and former L.A. Lakers Head Coach - The wildcard selection belongs with Mr. Scott. Byron is a finalist for the primary reason of fundraising, according to sources. He last coached a team in 2016, a historically rough time for the Lakers, and has not coached since. Which certainly makes the concept of hiring Byron at UCR a bit berserk. Byron’s reputation as an LA community member and well-liked figure in Los Angeles is very strong. And the opportunity to bring money to UCR’s futile athletics problems has him still firmly in the mix to get hired here. One additional problem may be that Los Angeles proper and the Inland Empire, where UC Riverside is located, are very different places and demographics. Yes, everyone loves the Lakers, but Riverside has a separate culture, and it’s not exactly close to downtown LA. Uncertainty persists if Scott’s presence at UCR would move any needles for the program.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Perhaps the most vital element of this hire is what is happening as it pertains to funding for athletics stemming from the powers that be within UC Riverside campus leadership. At the end of this process, funding for athletics might be the most important factor. Potential near-term changes within Athletics funding once again could be an issue in UC Riverside’s future.

The hard work that has gone into this program and the consistent level of recent program success would prefer no part of that previous paragraph. The D1 College basketball business and recent instant Big West winning stories at Cal State Northridge under Andy Newman and Cal Poly’s Mike DeGeorge further suggest that a coach from the D2 ranks makes a lot of sense for UC Riverside to continue winning at a successful rate by delpoying a similar decisioning model during this hiring cycle that its peers CSUN and Cal Poly did.

Mallette’s track record, especially when looking at all sports in addition to hiring and extending Magpayo, suggests that he will lean toward a program builder and a hard worker. I believe both of the D2 candidates (Argenal and Downer) and Ettin fit the model and are in an ideal spot career-wise to take this natural next step to lead the Highlanders. All three are equally as hungry to accept the position, from what I can tell.

On March 14, the Department of Education announced investigations into more than 50 universities over race-based admissions and scholarship programs. Days before, it sent letters to more than 60 institutions warning them about enforcement actions. The UC schools are expected to be a part of this issue, even if they are not the main focus. The frustrating element is that it is out of Athletics’ control.

A new Head Coach announcement could come as early as Tuesday, per sources. In one of the more interesting searches of the 2025 carousel, it will be important to remember the circumstances at UC Riverside before hiring judgments are made, especially if Byron Scott is the eventual choice. One could surmise, Scott gives UCR the best chance to raise money for athletics and generate fundraising avenues to support and ideally stabilize UCR athletics. One could also surmise, this idea of hiring a former NBA man from the distant past is only a band-aid solution - What about wins and losses?

We will have answers soon, I believe.

Familiar Friend in Final Four

By Robert Lastella
Robert Lastella will be providing ongoing coverage from San Antonio this week. Be sure to stay connected with Robert at @RLastellaReport on X/Twitter.

The Final Four can be overwhelming for some players, between playing in a massive football stadium, the crowd that comes with that, and the looming notion that if you lose, your season is over. There is a lot of pressure that comes with playing on the biggest of stages. But for FAU G Alijah Martin, this stage isn’t new to him, as he was a major contributor for FAU in their magical run to the final four just two seasons ago, and his experience could be pivotal for this Gators squad. 

Martin is the first guard to start on two different Final Four teams in the tournament's current format, and between his on-the-court contributions and leadership off the court, there is an argument to be had that he is one of the most valuable portal additions in its short history. There isn’t much you can do to teach experience and not only has Martin played in the Final Four before, he lost in heartbreaking fashion one game before the National Championship with a squad who defied expectations to get there, so it is safe to say that he was hungry to get back and change the narrative. 

Narrative aside, Martin’s impact on this squad has proven fruitful throughout this season, and according to Florida Coach Todd Golden, he’s elevated everyone around him in the process. 

“Yeah, he's done it for us all year, to be honest (Lead). From the moment he got to campus in the summer, we knew that his experience and his mentality and the way he approached workouts and practice would really help this group. 

I think he's raised the bar for Walt and Will also, coming in, having that Final Four experience. Walt and Will have great experience, but they haven't made it to this grand stage yet. Alijah had a lot of respect from our locker room because of that. Adding him, Rueben and Sam in that class, that's really completed that group, and his leadership is a big part of that,” Golden said. 

Walter Clayton Jr. and Martin have been the leading scorers all season long for UF, with Clayton averaging 18.1 PPG and 4.2 APG, while Martin is right behind him with 14.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG., and the two former mid-major stars have had no issue adjusting to the SEC. Although Golden and UF can’t be credited with the development of their two starting guards, getting them together in the same backcourt has allowed them to excel both on a personal level and as a team. 

Experienced guards can take you far in March, and UF is an example of that, as they have executed the transfer portal flawlessly in finding two talented guards and combining them with an equally talented supporting cast, something that even teams with a greater NIL pool than Florida were unable to do. Martin is the most experienced of UF’s transfer pieces; however, according to Clayton, he came to UF with the idea that he had to prove himself to his teammates. Although that is not true (of course), it made those around him respect him even more. 

“He has been here before, so he is very calm, cool, and collected at all times; he just knows how to say the right things at the right moments. It has been an all year thing for Alijah, ever since he has got here he has been in the gym working, he felt like he had to earn our respect, but from day one we have respected him, he is a great voice and leader, our coaches and us players couldn’t ask for a better leader,” Clayton said. 

Walter Clayton, Jr. continues to be counted on in the most critical moments Florida has faced. Not only has he passed the test, but he has established himself as the catalyst in the clutch.

Martin has stepped into a leadership role with this Gators squad, but he was the same type of leader when he led FAU to their first Final Four in school history, with that “calm and cool” mantra Clayton described of him emulating the approach of his former coach, Dusty May. While some players thrive on being boisterous, Martin succeeds staying mainly in the shadows and it has helped him lead by example. 

The leadership approach is a bit different this time around for Martin, who notes being a number one seed this year vs being an underdog while at FAU has changed things a little bit, but it has led to the same result in terms of success for his team. 

“At FAU, we were not respected as much, which led to us sneaking up on teams, but here at Florida we are the top dog. It shows you how strong mentally we are to get over that hump because teams are coming out and giving us their best and we’re still coming out victorious,” Martin said. 

Martin and the Gators will look to come out victorious two more times in the next three days, and if they are able to do that, Martin’s revenge arc from his devastating loss in the Final Four will be completed just two years later.

It Takes a Village at Auburn

By Robert Lastella
Robert Lastella provided ongoing coverage from Atlanta and will be with Auburn this week in San Antonio. Be sure to stay connected with Robert at @RLastellaReport on X/Twitter.

If you ask Dylan Cardwell about Johni Broome’s three-pointer that he hit coming out of the locker room post-injury to stick the dagger in Tom Izzo and Michigan State, he’ll tell you that he deserves an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary. But that triple that Broome hit is a microcosm of this Auburn season, as with a double figure lead in the second half Broome went to the locker room with an injury to his right arm and at that point it could have been very easy for the Tigers to collapse, but as they’ve done all year they weathered the storm until he returned, never surrendering their lead and punching their ticket to the Final Four. 

The expectations this season for Auburn have been increasing as the year went along, and by the time the Tigers were named a one seed for the NCAA tournament, the expectation was that Auburn would compete for a national championship, and with that hanging in the balance on Sunday night, they never faltered. The age-old question about when a team has a mix of portal pieces, returners, and freshman is whether they will gel or not, and on Sunday night, Auburn showed their connectivity. 

When Johni Broome went down last night, the remaining 6 rotation players for Auburn stepped up and the combination of retained talent, portal pieces and freshman came together and willed Auburn to victory, something Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl believes is just a culmination of putting the right pieces together that are able to step up when needed. 

“I think that both are important. There's such a foundation in this team, with Dylan Cardwell and Chris Moore, who have been there for four to five years. 

Johni has been there three years. I think that one of the things that they talked about yesterday was, I told these guys, look, I'm going to bring in good guys. So you bring in Chaney Johnson, you bring in Denver Jones, you bring in Chad Baker-Mazara, and it tells the guys that are left, he did bring in good guys and guys that were willing to make sacrifices and want to try to become a great team. 

Johni Broome’s impact on the 2024-25 College Hoops season, could not have been incapsulated better than it was in the Elite Eight vs. Michigan State.

We'll continue to recruit really good high school players that want to be coached and developed, and we'll continue to jump in the portal and get guys that want to be an Auburn man and play the way we play,” Pearl said. 

Two players with different paths stepped up to defend the paint when Broome went down, as Cardwell has spent five seasons at Auburn, while Johnson transferred in two years ago from Alabama Huntsville. It didn’t matter where they came from or that they weren’t scoring in double figures; their job was to match Michigan State’s physicality and maintain the lead that they had built prior to Broome’s injury, and they did. 

If Auburn let Michigan State get on a run and flip the script on who was dominating the paint, that very well could have allowed them to come back yesterday, but they didn’t, and it’s a testament to their culture that they stepped into their roles and excelled while their star was sidelined. If you ask Dylan Cardwell, the reason they held onto that lead, however was just simply their dog mentality.

“We them boys, we them dogs, for me, it was just cool to just see how we all bought in. We all stepped up, Chaney made some big layups, we needed it,” Cardwell said. 

Auburn is now just 2 wins away from winning its first National Championship game in school history, and they are the only remaining team in the field to have never played in the championship game before. Even in his post-game presser yesterday, Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl called AU a football school while also noting that they can be an everything school, and a national championship win could change the narrative on the Plains. 

The school has played in the National championship game once before, losing in 2019 to Virginia, who ended up defeating Texas Tech in the National Championship game that year, so this year is an opportunity to make history for Pearl and co, but they will have a tall task in the red-hot Florida Gators standing between them and destiny. This team has a special factor to it, according to veteran guard Denver Jones, and that is their camaraderie, which has allowed everyone to accept their role and head into the Final Four could be one of their biggest strengths. 

Denver Jones’ transition to Auburn over the past two seasons has been remarkable. Coming in after two seasons at FIU, Jones has been a highly productive player and adds a relentless attack of the basket with the threat of a highly efficient true shooting percentage from anywhere on the court.

“Honestly, we got a lot of great guys. Man, that's just a testament to our coaches, just recruiting. Man, started recruiting some great guys, like Miles, I was a transfer of me, shady, Chad, turtle. We recruited some great guys, man, we molded together a championship team. Like I feel like our camaraderie just came just from us hanging out a lot of Bible studies, just us hanging around, doing team stuff and playing the game, talking smack to each other and doing everything that you would do with your brothers,” Jones said. 

Auburn will look to put that camaraderie to the test against Florida in the Final Four on Saturday night, a battle between two of the best teams in the SEC and country as a whole, with the winner getting a spot in the National Championship and the loser falling just short of their dreams.

SOUTH Region: Izzo vs. Pearl, Can a Player Like Frankie Fidler be the X Factor?

By Robert Lastella
Robert Lastella will be providing ongoing coverage from Atlanta this week. Be sure to stay connected with Robert at @RLastellaReport on X/Twitter.

The Elite Eight is upon us, and the South regional features a matchup between two storied coaches in Bruce Pearl, his Auburn Tigers, Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans. These two coaches have matched up in the Elite Eight once before, facing off in 2010 when Pearl was the headman of Tennessee and Izzo’s Spartans came out on top in a squeaker, using late free throws to defeat the Volunteers 70-69. 

It is tough to draw parallels between a matchup from 15 years ago and the two current squads these veteran coaches have. However, Izzo remembers the game quite well, and there are a few things he thinks are similar between his current squad and the one that knocked off Pearl’s Volunteers in 2010. The biggest being free throws, which, according to Izzo, won his team the game in 2010 and could play a role on Sunday evening once again. 

“I think he's got different players. I've got different players. I think he probably coaches a little differently. I probably coach a little differently. 

I don't know if there's a lot you can get out of it except what you just said. Free throws are going to be important. It's one of our Special Teams’ things. We kind of dipped for a little while. In the last couple of games, we're shooting better from the line again. Last night there's no question it helped win us the game. 

All of those special teams things, out of bounds plays, free throws, free throw blockouts, they matter. I think they mattered back then. We had a couple of big plays that I remember, and they matter now. So those things are the same,” Izzo said. 

As Izzo mentioned, the free throws have improved vastly for MSU in the last few games, but so has their ability to get there, as in each of the Spartans past 3 games they have nearly doubled up their opponent in total attempts, something that Ole Miss Coach Chris Beard credited as a reason MSU was able to pull ahead in the sweet 16. 

Michigan State has seen an increase in aggressiveness to get to the charity stripe more often as of late and according to Izzo, Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler has been the driving force behind that up-tick in free throws, doing a solid job at getting to the line since early in the season and lately, his teammates have followed his lead. 

“I think it's something we talked about this summer and fall. I think in my program we've done a good job of that over the years. We haven't got to the line. 

I think Frankie Fidler helped us a little bit early. He was a guy that got to the line a lot. These guys picked up on some of that. There were a lot of times when people made more free throws than we have shot, and now there are times that we have made more free throws than other people have even shot.

So it's helped us. We said we had to be a good free-throw shooting team for most of the year. We were in the 80s. These guys have done a great, great job of getting fouled and then converting those free throws,” Izzo said. 

Fidler has served a valuable bench role for MSU this season, averaging 7 PPG and 3.3 RPG and finding a way to make an impact on this Spartans squad despite only playing 16 minutes a game. This offseason, Izzo made it clear to Fidler that he wanted somebody that can make an impact by getting to the free throw line and that is exactly what Fidler did. 

Frankie Fidler was the ultimate dynamo in the Summit League, but it took him a while to get comfortable at the Big Ten level.

“In the recruiting process before coming here Coach stressed how he wanted a guy that can get to the line and he stressed how well he thought I would do at that. When I came to the team I wanted to be aggressive, I wanted to try to get to the line as much as I can and help my teammates figure out ways to get fouled as well,” Fidler said. 

Although Fidler has jumped into his new role without issue, that role he took on this season was one that was much smaller than he had when he was the star at Omaha the 3 previous years. While at Omaha Fidler played at least 25 minutes per game, averaged double figures, and started 91/94 games across 3 seasons, compared to only starting 7 out of 36 games this season and averaging less than double figures for the first time in his career. 

It was difficult to adjust at first, Fidler mentioned; however, as the season went on, he adjusted, and now in what he describes as “win or go home time,” he is willing to do whatever is needed if it means success for the Spartans. 

“I think early on, I was struggling more with adapting to it. But, you know, now, after past month or so, I'm fully committed to the role I have right now. And, you know, it's win-or-go-home time. So anything that this team needs from me, I'm willing to give,” Fidler said. 

Fidler has served his role quite well for the Spartans, but overall, they’re led by their starting guards, including 4-year MSU veteran Jaden Akins, who’s scored double figures in each of the first 3 rounds of the NCAA tournament. Although Akins is one of the scoring leaders on this team, even he’s noticed the impact that Fidler has made, he mentions that Fidler will be ready for his shining moment Tonight. 

“He’s done a great job, you know, just accepting his role and is working hard. And, you know, sometimes he wasn't playing as much as he wanted to, but he stayed in the gym, stayed ready. And I feel like, in a tournament, at a crucial time, he will show that he's ready to play,” Akins said. 

Fidler, Akins, and the rest of the Spartans will look to show the world they are ready to play, as they will face off against Auburn at 5:05 PM EST with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

Organizational Success - The Dusty May Way at Michigan

By Robert Lastella
Robert Lastella will be providing ongoing coverage from Atlanta this week. Be sure to stay connected with Robert at @RLastellaReport on X/Twitter.

A new head coach, completely flipped roster and fresh off a disastrous season usually aren’t a recipe for success in college basketball, in fact it’s a stigma that it’s normal for coaches in their first year with a program to struggle, however for Dusty May and Michigan, struggling wasn’t in the cards in year one.

After Michigan limped to an 8-24 season last year, things were looking gloomy in Ann Arbor, but on March 23rd May was announced as the new head coach of the Wolverines, less than a month later he recruited a brand new roster and now in March he has his squad in the Sweet 16. 

Dusty May built an all-star organization in 2024-25. From Staff to Players, it has all been remarkably impressive.

It wasn’t just May who helped this Michigan squad come together, his lead assistant Kyle Church, director of player development Drew Williamson, DOBO KT Harrell and special assistant Brandon Gilbert all came over with him from FAU, while Akeem Miskdeen who was previously an assistant at FAU rejoined May after a few seasons at Georgia. In terms of newcomers to the staff, there were only two, former Oklahoma State head Coach Mike Boynton and former Saint Mary’s assistant Justin Joyner, there was a reason why May picked carefully with his staff. 

The staff was something May had a bit more control over, having brought 4 assistants with him and only needing two major additions in Boynton and Joyner; however, although May only added 2 new assistants, he made sure they both possessed a certain quality. That quality is simply being a good person, and it’s the same quality May looked for when recruiting 11 new players, and it’s what he believes helped him find success right away. 

“We try to intentionally choose like-minded people, and like-minded people typically gravitate towards those who are like them. I’ve said this in recruiting, actually in the last couple days in Zooms, that A-holes don’t like us, and we don’t like them. So we just naturally go after guys who have a lot of character and are great people and are guys that we want around our families and have lifetime relationships with. It’s just kind of happened, I don’t want to say unintentionally, because it’s just the fabric of who we are. For whatever reason, we find guys that are like-minded, and we’re all on the same page, knowing what we all need for each other,” May said. 

As for those 11 players, heading into the season it’s never a guarantee that the roster you put together, especially with an entire new coaching staff and 10 new players gels on the court, however after battling through some brief bumps in the road, this Michigan squad is operating at an extremely high level. After getting walloped by Michigan State to close out the season, winning the big 10 tournament seemed like a reach for the Wolverines, however, they breezed through it, defeating Purdue by nearly 20 in the quarterfinals before pulling out a close victory against Maryland in the semi-finals and Wisconsin in the championship. 

The new pieces on this roster have came together, with FAU Transfer Vlad Goldin leading the way with a career year, putting up 18.6 PPG and 7 RPG, also shooting a 34% clip from beyond the arc and combined with Yale transfer Danny Wolf who’s averaging 13 PPG and 9.8 RPG, the Wolverines have one of the most dominating front courts in the nation. The guard play has been inconsistent at times for Michigan; however, at this point in the season, Tre Donaldson, Roddy Gayle and Nimari Burnett all have come into their own, with Donaldson and Gayle both averaging double figures during the tournament. 

This entirely new roster has put it all together down the stretch to not only just win the Big 10 tournament but advance to the Sweet 16 a year after one of the worst seasons in decades in Ann Arbor, which begs the question, how did they do it? Well, according to Goldin, it’s been a process since day one, and this squad never gave up. 

“It’s been happening all season, it doesn’t just happen in one day. It’s like a routine, day by day, and getting better and better. Then one day you look back and you see that it’s clicking, but it’s been a long process,” Goldin said. 

Michigan will face off against Auburn in the 9:39 nightcap from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and if they and Michigan State both advance to the Elite 8, they will face off on Sunday with a spot in the final four on the line. It’s crazy to think that Dusty May has been in a final four more recently than Tom Izzo, but the former FAU coach was there just 2 years ago and in his first season in Ann Arbor, if he were to knock off their arch rivals to earn a trip to San Antonio, he would be a legend in the city forever. 

But May and his squad aren’t looking ahead at Michigan State and the chance to make history; rather, their focus is on knocking off Auburn, a team that many looked at as the favorite to win it all heading into the tournament. It’s because of narratives like that and where everyone on this squad came from that May believes his Wolverines head into this game with a chip on their shoulder, and after surrendering the regular season title and losing that edge, it’s back in full force here in March. 

“When you look at where we all came from, none of us were in the McDonald’s All-American Game, none of us were in the up and coming coaches lost. It’s probably just who we are that we have a chip on our shoulder. Maybe because of our positioning, we lost that chip, but anytime we don’t win a Championship, I’m going to look back and think I should have done this differently,” May said. 

The Wolverines will look to use that chip to knock off Auburn, but even if they fail, the job that May has done in just year one in Ann Arbor is one that will be looked back on with great admiration, and advancing to the Elite 8 would make it even more special.

SOUTH Region: The Young Stars

By Robert Lastella
Robert Lastella will be providing ongoing coverage from Atlanta this week, be sure to stay connected with Robert at @RLastellaReport on X/Twitter.

Freshmen who contribute at the high major level are starting to become a thing of the past in College Basketball. Whether it’s extra years of eligibility, NIL payments to more experienced players, there are many things keeping freshmen from contributing right away in today's changing landscape.

But for veteran coaches Tom Izzo and Bruce Pearl, although they’ve each attacked the transfer portal, both have freshmen playing big roles in Jase Richardson and Tahaad Pettiford. Both Richardson and Pettiford came into the season expecting to get some kind of playing time, however, both excelled in early on and have seen their roles expand as the season went on. 

If contributing freshmen continue to be phased out like we’ve been seeing over the past few years, situations like Richardson and Pettiford excelling and earning more playing time will stop as well because they won’t have the chance that Izzo and Pearl gave their freshman guards. If you ask Izzo, even he thought Richardson may struggle against older veteran guards, however he got a shot early in the season against Kansas, showed Izzo what he’s made of and the rest was history. 

“I'd say early on I thought that, and then we played Kansas in this building. I realized that the moments aren't too big for them. 

Now, I think he's got good pedigree, you know. Not only his dad and his mom played and she coached. It's kind of -- but I had to learn that too. You don't just see that in recruiting, you learn that. 

But if there's one thing I will say, somebody asked me last week he didn't shoot it as well. Was he nervous? No, the kid is confident, not cocky. He's got an unbelievable demeanor to him, and he has gotten better in a lot of different areas. But he's also been damn good when he came. 

I think the way he was raised, the moments aren't too big. I never -- after the Kansas game here -- that was only the second game of the season. It wasn't like -- we lost. But I started realizing then this kid -- like some kids are so cocky that they don't get moved by the moment. He's not cocky. He's just confident in what he can do. 

I was amazed. I haven't had many kids like him in that respect, to be honest with you,” Izzo said, 

Richardson, son of MSU legend and former NBA player Jason Richardson, has come into his own in his freshman season under Izzo, averaging 11.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2 APG and earning a starting role in February. The high flying guard has a solid mix of athleticism, playmaking and shooting ability and if his success continues, he’s on a fast track to continuing the Richardson family legacy in the NBA. 

Izzo has seen it all in his 3 decades as the head man of the Spartans and a talented freshman who needs an opportunity to shine was a normal thing to capitalize on just a few years ago and although Izzo has adapted to the new ways of college basketball, a talent like Richardson was

too good to pass up on. Izzo has given it his all coaching Richardson and this years Spartans and although Richardson says there was a little bit of difficulty early on, hard work and good coaching have allowed him to excel. 

“I think when I first came in, there was a little bit of difficulty. But I was going against these guys every day, so it was kind of getting me better every single day. As the season progressed, I felt like defensively I kept getting better and just kept working,” Richardson said. 

As for Auburn’s freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford, it’s a similar path to success this season, as despite the Tigers having a litany of veteran guards on this squad, the highly touted freshman recruit has fit comfortably into his 6th man role and without his contributions the Tigers wouldn’t be where they are today. The Jersey City native has started just one game this season and his unselfish approach has not only allowed him to earn a role on this squad, but also excel in it and turn into one of the best freshman guards in the country. 

On the season, Pettiford is Auburn’s 4th leading scorer, averaging 11.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 2.9 assists per game and he has starred during the tournament, putting up 16 points against Alabama State and 23 in round 2 against Creighton to help the Tigers punch their ticket to the sweet 16. According to Pearl, Pettiford came to college with a chip on his shoulder and because of his willingness to do whatever’s needed, he’s experienced no issue playing as a freshman. 

“Tahaad, he comes from a great family, and he's got great high school coaching and great AAU coaching. His dad has handled him as good as any father could. He always played him up. He always played him against older kids. And Tahaad was always the smallest guy on the playground. He was always the littlest guy out there. 

So therefore, he had so much to overcome, yet he might have been the best player out there. Tahaad was somewhat overlooked. He was ranked 25th, 26th coming out of high school. There aren't 25 high school freshmen in college this year that are better than Tahaad Pettiford. But he's got a chip on his shoulder. He's a little guy, and every time he goes out there to prove it. 

I was wrong about Tahaad. I thought Tahaad would come in and be a scoring guard. Don't worry about running the team. Don't worry about being a point guard. Just come out and bang shots, guard a little bit, make stuff happen, just do what you do. 

Instead, I recognized that, wow, he actually can handle the team. He can break pressure. He can close games. He can be a scoring point guard. So he's exceeded my expectations as far as being able to play point guard rather than just being a scoring guard. 

He had very little drop up-and-down as a freshman. He was very, very consistent. Maybe at the end of the regular season, very beginning of the SEC Tournament, he may not have shot it as well for a couple games, and then he lived in the gym since then. Obviously he had a phenomenal weekend in Lexington to help us advance,” Pearl said.

Pearl has spoken out against the transfer portal multiple times, mentioning that it teaches kids to “flee, not fight” and Pettiford is an example of someone fighting, as someone with his talent and a chip on his shoulder could have easily chosen to redshirt after not earning a starting role, but he chose to fight and it worked out. Both Pettiford and Richardson’s stories could cease to exist in a few years if the transfer portal continues to run rampant as it is now, but with coaches like Izzo and Pearl, they’re not going to change that part of their recruiting. 

Pearl’s coaching is exactly why Pettiford has been able to excel and having a coach that still believes in what freshm

an can do has instilled confidence into the young guard. 

“Confidence (has allowed me to succeed), knowing that my guys have my back and the trust that coach has in me, just knowing that on the floor has added more confidence (to my game),” Pettiford said. 

Should these two talented freshmen and their respective squads win on Friday, they will matchup against each other on Sunday with a spot in the final four on the line and according to Richardson, this isn’t the first time that him and Pettiford would have faced off. 

“I've been playing against Tahaad since middle school. We've been around, playing the circuits, and I know him pretty well,” Richardson said. 

We shall see what the two talented Freshman have in store under the lights from Atlanta on Friday evening, but one thing is for certain and that is confidence won’t be an issue for either once the ball is tipped.

PREVIEW: McNeese's Next Test, Purdue

The Bayou Bandits of McNeese are a win away from becoming this year's Cinderella squad in the NCAA tournament, but winning is just the way of life since Will Wade came to town. The Cowboys have lost just one time since December 14th, as they ran through an extremely physical Southland Conference with just one loss, and on Saturday against Purdue, they will look to continue their winning ways. 

It was all Cowboys in Thursday’s Round of 64 victory over Clemson, as McNeese never trailed after the 15-minute mark in the first half, exuding confidence in a statement win over a power conference opponent. Purdue faced another dominant Mid-Major in High Point who was on a 14-game win streak heading into their Round of 64 win on Thursday, and they found a way to extinguish the Panthers’ winning ways, so McNeese will have their work cut out for them on Saturday afternoon. 

Although McNeese dominated for the entire first half against Clemson and led nearly the entire way, the reason the Cowboys were able to perform at such a high level according to Head Coach Will Wade was because he and his staff worked to keep the team level-headed. 

“I try to turn some of our wins into losses just to keep our guys on edge. So we try to turn some of those into losses and make our guys feel like we lost even though we won, because you can't accept in winning what you wouldn't accept in losing. So the same mistakes you get furious at and when you lose you have to get furious at when you win too, or you're not going to have the team that you need. And so I think winning is a byproduct of what you do and your preparation. I think that's the sort of stuff we lean on, is the structure of how to win, not really the winning part of it. Because reality is, you know, some of the games we've won are not going to have any bearing on the Purdue game. Purdue's a different breed of cattle from what we've been, you know, from what we've been winning for the most part. So, you know, it's not going to have the same bearing, but you do get some confidence from it,” Wade said. 

Admittedly, the wins have resulted in a boatload of confidence for this McNeese squad and although they are underdogs heading into this matchup with Purdue, they aren’t going to view it that way. The Cowboys head into this matchup even-keeled, as if they view it differently than any other matchup, it would take them out of their normal routine. 

The routine that McNeese has developed so far this season has led to a lot of wins, however, it has also led to the success of players like Christian Shumate, Brandon Murray, and Sincere Parker, as Murray and Parker transferred in without issue and Shumate remained after Wade came on board and has improved in both years being coached by him. 

Murray has been a part of NCAA tournament teams before, having made the big dance as a freshman with LSU in ‘21-‘22, however, he’s also been a part of teams who didn’t make the big dance, and the difference in this McNeese squad according to him is the Cowboys grit.

“I can just say about this team and this program, honestly, it's just grit, playing in the Southland, doing this every week for the past couple months, it's been gritty if you know how that league is,

it’s physical. So playing games like that has got us prepared, honestly that’s what's been going on for the past 2 years,” Murray said. 

Despite handling Clemson without issue for the most part, there is no sense of ease around this McNeese program, as Purdue is looking to dominate them the same way they did High Point. Purdue has experienced the epitome of brutality quite recently, having been a one seed in 2023 and getting knocked out in the first round by FDU, so losing to another mid-major in the early rounds is not something Painter and co want to have happen again. 

Will Wade is aware of what Purdue has gone through, however, he’s also aware of the strides they have made since that loss, including a run to the NCAA tournament just a season ago. That run from Purdue showed resilience, as after a loss like they suffered a season earlier, it would be easy to continue a downward trend a year later, but they didn’t and that is why according to Will Wade, his team will have to throw some curveballs at the Boilermakers in hopes to knock them off their game. 

“If you throw Matt Painter and Purdue fastballs the entire game, they're gonna hit some grand slams. They're too good, too good of a staff, too good of players, too good of a team. So you've got to throw some change-ups, some curves. So we have got a few things, but we watched a bunch of film. It's a lot of stuff they've seen this year, we just got to kind of have the greatest hits of some of the stuff that maybe worked against them this year, but they'll be prepared, they're very, very well coached,” Wade said. 

McNeese will look to keep the ball rolling and fire some curveballs at Purdue. Tip-off is coming soon!

Two Coaching Icons Meet in Providence

By Robert Lastella

The matchup many have been waiting for since the NCAA tournament bracket was released will happen today in Providence. Rick Pitino and Saint John's will face off against John Calipari and Arkansas at 2:40 PM. On Saturday, 1740 career wins will stand on the sidelines of Amica Mutual Pavilion, with the side that gets that to 1741 punching their ticket to the Sweet 16. 

Calipari and Pitino have accomplished a lot in their own right, however, a Round of 32 loss for either would be failing to meet expectations so it is safe to say there is a lot at stake in this matchup. Arkansas has battled back from an 0-5 start in SEC play and Saint John’s win over Omaha in the round of 64 was their first tournament win since 2000 and neither side wants to see their efforts to get here go by the wayside. 

As for the two coaches, they have crossed paths many times, with their most heated crossover being when Calipari was the head coach of Kentucky and Pitino was at Louisville, two schools where it is practically required for the two coaches not to like each other. According to Pitino, despite the two coaching against each other at the two biggest basketball schools in Kentucky, there really isn’t much of a rivalry and he notes the game on Saturday is between players, not coaches. 

“I don’t go against coaches, we go against teams, he doesn’t have to worry about me, my jump shot’s long gone. He's got to prepare for our team. We've got to prepare for his players. He's preparing for our players. John and I don't play one-on-one,” Pitino said. 

As for the matchup itself, Arkansas will have to find a way to exploit Saint John’s staunch defense, with veteran guard Johnell Davis figuring to play a big role coming off an 18-point performance against Kansas in round one. As for SJU, coming off a barrage of 14 threes against Omaha they will look to find their shot early in this one, while also establishing their tough defense to slow down Davis and the Razorbacks. 

Arkansas has battled back from being out of the NCAA tournament conversation at points this season, enacting multiple player-only meetings which helped break them out of their slump and now with veteran players and a hall-of-fame coach, they have a serious chance to make a run in the tournament, but they will have a tall task in Saint John’s. The good news for the Razorbacks is between Jonas Aidoo and Johnell Davis, they have 2 leaders who have been in battles like this before and they will need to rely on their leadership to get past Saint John’s in this one. 

These two coaches have battled many times before and although the teams may be different, there are traits that a coach can carry from team to team and Calipari sees that with Pitino and his Saint John’s team. When speaking with the media prior to the Round of 32 matchups, Calipari described many things about Pitino-led teams, but the one thing that stands out is that all his squads play hard and SJU is no different. 

“They’re a team that’s going to be prepared. They're going to play hard, they're going to play rough, it's going to be bump and grind. You're not getting a free layup without getting bumped. I mean, that's his team. He's not pressing as much where he'd go, 2-2-1,1-2-2-1-2-1-1, he's doing mostly, man, sometimes he'll trap. But what you find out the second-half numbers are ridiculous. So they're wearing you down like you're in combat, and eventually, if you're not used to it, hopefully we understand that. We talk to the kids about it, but they're good. He's done a great job with his team. That's why they're a two-seed. That's why we were a 10 seed. Their guard plays and people say, they don't shoot it. Are you ready? In the last five games, their percentage is better than ours from the three. So then you gotta say, you really don't shoot it. Those are numbers that are real. So they offensive rebound like crazy. If they get 18 offensive rebounds and make 10 threes, they beat anybody in the country,” Calipari said. 

The Razorbacks have dealt with injuries all season long, with Boogie Fland and Johnell Davis battling back from hand & wrist injuries and currently Adou Thiero is dealing with a knee injury that could potentially keep him out of the round of 32 games. Although Saint John’s hasn’t dealt with injuries to many of their top scorers, they have lost Brady Dunlap and Jaiden Glover, 2 key role players to injury. 

Fatigue and injury happen to everyone at this time of the year and according to Pitino, the injuries haven’t slowed down Arkansas, in fact, they’re playing some of the best basketball of the season right now. 

“We don't have Brady Dunlap, we don't have Jaden Glover, three players out for the season. So we're pretty banged up as well, but they're playing great basketball out of the last seven games right now, and they played a great game last night, a great game in a lot of different areas,” Pitino said. 

The battle of two of the most storied coaches in the sport will take place Saturday at 2:40 PM from Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island and the winner will punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 next weekend and join Rocco in San Francisco.

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