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Top 25 Recap: No. 6 Florida defeats No. 1 Auburn 90-81 in Auburn

No. 6 Florida (NCAAB)

Walter Clayton Jr. returned from injury and scored 19 points with nine assists to help No. 6 Florida beat No. 1 Auburn 90-81 on Saturday. Alex Condon added 17 points and 10 rebounds for Florida (20-3, 7-3 Southeastern Conference), who had previously upset No. 1 Tennessee on January 7. Thomas Haugh scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Will Richard contributed 12 points as the Gators ended Auburn’s 14-game winning streak and their 15-game streak in the SEC, which had started last year.

Florida led by as many as 21 points in the second half, securing their first road win over a No. 1-ranked team after eight attempts. While Clayton’s return was a big boost, the Gators also managed without second-leading scorer Alijah Martin (15.3 points per game), who was out with a hip injury.

Miles Kelly scored 22 points and Johni Broome added 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists for Auburn (21-2, 9-1). Tahaad Pettiford had 14 points and Chaney Johnson added 13 for the Tigers, who had a 31-25 lead at halftime before Florida took control.

Clemson 77, No. 2 Duke 71

Viktor Lakhin scored 22 points, and Chase Hunter made a key basket in the last minute to help Clemson beat Duke 77-71 in Clemson, S.C., ending Duke’s 16-game winning streak. Hunter also made four free throws in the final 15 seconds, finishing with 14 points. Jaeden Zackery and Ian Schieffelin each scored 12 points. Clemson (19-5, 11-2) moved within a game of first-place Duke.

Tyrese Proctor scored 23 points, Cooper Flagg added 14 points with 18 points in the last 6:05, and Kon Knueppel scored 14 for Duke (20-3, 12-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). Duke had hoped to become the new No. 1 team after top-ranked Auburn lost earlier in the day to No. 6 Florida.

No. 3 Alabama 85, Arkansas 81

Grant Nelson and Chris Youngblood scored 15 points each to help Alabama defeat Arkansas 85-81 in Southeastern Conference play at Fayetteville, Ark. Mouhamed Dioubate scored 14 points, and Mark Sears added 11, as Alabama (20-3, 9-1 SEC) moved into a tie for first place in the SEC standings with Auburn. Alabama has won six straight games and 14 of its last 15.

Zvonimir Ivisic had a career-high 27 points and seven rebounds for Arkansas (14-9, 3-7), who saw their two-game winning streak end. Adou Thiero scored 22 points, and Johnell Davis added 13 points.

No. 4 Tennessee 70, Oklahoma 52

Chaz Lanier scored 21 points to lead Tennessee to a 70-52 win over Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. Zakai Zeigler added 17 points and nine assists for Tennessee (20-4, 6-4 Southeastern Conference). Tennessee shot 60.4 percent from the field and made their first six 3-pointers. The Volunteers also scored 36 points in the paint.

Jalon Moore scored 12 points, and Brycen Goodine added nine for Oklahoma (16-7, 3-7), who lost their second consecutive game.

No. 5 Houston 69, Colorado 59

J’Wan Roberts scored 20 points, and LJ Cryer and Terrance Arceneaux each added 15 points to lead Houston to a 69-59 win over Colorado in Boulder, Colo. Milos Uzan contributed 12 points for Houston (19-4, 11-1 Big 12), which has won 15 of its last 16 games. Julian Hammond III was the only Colorado player to score in double figures, with 22 points.

No. 5 Houston and Colorado

The Buffaloes (9-14, 0-12) have lost 12 straight games for the first time since the end of the 2008-09 season and are close to matching their worst start to a conference schedule.

No. 8 Iowa State 82, TCU 52

Curtis Jones scored 24 points as No. 8 Iowa State defeated TCU 82-52 in Ames, Iowa. Milan Momcilovic scored 14 points in his return from injury, Dishon Jackson also added 14 points, and Joshua Jefferson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Iowa State (18-5, 8-4). The Cyclones ended a three-game losing streak.

Vasean Allette and Trazarien White scored nine points each to lead TCU (12-11, 5-7), while Ernest Udeh Jr. had eight points.

No. 9 Michigan State 86, Oregon 74

Jase Richardson scored 29 points, including 18 in the second half, to lead Michigan State to an 86-74 win over Oregon. Michigan State (19-4, 10-2 Big Ten) overcame a 14-point halftime deficit by scoring 12 unanswered points to start the second half. Jaxon Kohler added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Tre Holloman scored 13 points.

Oregon (16-8, 5-8) struggled in the second half, missing all eight 3-point attempts and shooting just 6-of-24 in the second half. Jackson Shelstad led the Ducks with 22 points.

No. 10 Texas 67, No. 15 Missouri 64

Wade Taylor IV made a 3-point shot with 2.1 seconds left to help Texas win 67-64 against Missouri in Southeastern Conference play in Columbia, Mo. Pharrel Payne led Texas A&M (18-5, 7-3 SEC) with 20 points, and Taylor added 15 points. Henry Coleman III grabbed 16 rebounds. Tamar Bates scored 16 points for Missouri (17-6, 6-4), whose 15-game home winning streak ended. Jacob Crews scored 14 points off the bench, and Mark Mitchell added 12 points. Texas A&M held Missouri to 5-for-21 shooting from 3-point range and blocked six shots.

Creighton 77, No. 11 Marquette 67

Steven Ashworth scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers as Creighton won 77-67 against Marquette in Omaha, Neb. Creighton (18-6, 11-2 Big East) broke the school record for consecutive Big East wins with the victory. Ashworth made 7 of 11 shots, including 6 of 9 from beyond the arc. Preseason Big East Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner added 19 points. Marquette (18-6, 9-4) lost its third straight game, despite 27 points from Kam Jones and 22 points from David Joplin.

No. 14 Kentucky 80, South Carolina 57

Otega Oweh scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, helping No. 14 Kentucky beat South Carolina 80-57 in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky (16-7, 5-5 SEC) bounced back from two losses to Arkansas and No. 25 Ole Miss. Brandon Garrison added a season-high 15 points, and Koby Brea had 10 points and a career-high six assists. Kentucky’s bench scored 39 points. South Carolina (10-13, 0-10) remained winless in SEC play. Collin Murray-Boyles led the Gamecocks with 14 points and eight rebounds.

Kansas State 81, No. 16 Kansas 73

David N’Guessan scored 20 points, and Kansas State won 81-73 against Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State (12-11, 6-6 Big 12) has won five straight games, including three against ranked teams.

Dug McDaniel added 15 points and 11 assists, while Max Jones and Coleman Hawkins each scored 12 points. Kansas (16-7, 7-5) was led by Hunter Dickinson with 21 points. Zeke Mayo added 15 points, and KJ Adams had 13 points.

No. 21 Wisconsin 74, Iowa 63

John Tonje scored a game-high 22 points, leading No. 21 Wisconsin to a 74-63 win against Iowa in Iowa City. Tonje scored seven straight points late in the second half to help Wisconsin (19-5, 9-4 Big Ten) overcome a one-point deficit.

Iowa State players celebrates after scoring

John Blackwell added 19 points. Iowa (13-10, 4-8) struggled with shooting, making just 24 of 63 attempts from the field. Pryce Sandfort scored 14 points, and Josh Dix added 13 points.

No. 22 Mississippi State 76, Georgia 75

Josh Hubbard scored 16 points, and KeShawn Murphy added 14 points to help Mississippi State beat Georgia 76-75. Hubbard made 7 of 14 shots and reached his 1,000th career point. Murphy grabbed eight rebounds. Michael Nwoko scored 11 points, and Riley Kugel contributed 10 points. Silas Demary Jr. scored 23 points, and Asa Newell had 16 points for Georgia (16-8, 4-7).

No. 23 Illinois 95, Minnesota 74

Will Riley scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Illinois defeated Minnesota 95-74 in Minneapolis. Kasparas Jakucionis added 24 points, and Tomislav Ivisic recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds for Illinois (16-8, 8-6 Big Ten). Lu’Cye Patterson led Minnesota (12-12, 4-9) with 24 points.

No. 24 Michigan 70, Indiana 67

Danny Wolf scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Michigan to a 70-67 win over Indiana in Bloomington, Ind. Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson each added 18 points for Michigan (18-5, 10-2 Big Ten). Malik Reneau scored 16 points, and Mackenzie Mgbako had 15 points for Indiana (14-10, 5-8), who lost their fifth straight game.

No. 25 Ole Miss 72, LSU 70

Dre Davis tipped in a missed shot just before the buzzer to help Ole Miss beat LSU 72-70 in Baton Rouge, La. Ole Miss (18-6, 7-4) made a comeback after trailing 70-59 with 3:15 left. They scored the last 13 points of the game. Jaemyn Brakefield hit a crucial 3-pointer with 44.6 seconds left to tie the game. Carter led LSU (12-11, 1-9) with 16 points, but LSU lost their sixth straight game.

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Top freshmen shine as Rutgers faces No. 18 Maryland in College Park

Rutgers and Illinois

If you’re looking to meet an NBA scout this weekend, head to College Park, Md.

That’s where over 30 recruiters are expected to be when Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, and Rutgers visit star freshman Derik Queen and No. 18 Maryland on Sunday afternoon.

All three players are expected to be first-round picks in this summer’s NBA draft. Guards Bailey and Harper are both top-five prospects, while Queen is projected to be selected later in the first round by a team needing a top-tier big man.

The Scarlet Knights have leaned on their two standout freshmen throughout a mixed season.

Bailey leads the team with 20.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, while Harper leads Rutgers with 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Harper also averages 19.1 points per game, the second-highest on the team, with no other player scoring more than 7.2 points per game.

Despite Bailey and Harper’s strong performances, Rutgers (12-11, 5-7 Big Ten) has struggled to get consistent wins in its effort to return to the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64 for the first time in four years.

The Scarlet Knights have only had back-to-back wins twice since starting the season 4-0, and Harper’s struggles with the flu and an ankle injury in January didn’t help.

However, Rutgers has shown it can be dangerous when both Harper and Bailey are healthy.

Harper returned from a two-game absence to score 28 points, grab six rebounds, dish out five assists, and steal four balls, while Bailey added 18 points and 11 rebounds in the Scarlet Knights’ 82-73 victory over No. 23 Illinois on Wednesday.

This was Rutgers’ first win against a ranked team this season and strengthened the chemistry between its two star players.

“It opens a lot for me,” Bailey said about having Harper back. “I don’t have to worry about two or three people trying to box me out at the same time because they have to worry about D-Harp attacking. … And that opens up a lot more for our teammates.”

Maryland and No. 17 Wisconsin

Another win over a ranked opponent on Sunday could end the Terrapins’ brief stay in the Top 25.

Maryland (17-6, 7-5) moved into the rankings for the first time in nearly two years after winning six of seven games, but they followed that up with a 73-70 loss at Ohio State, after blowing a 17-point lead on Thursday.

Queen, who leads the team with 15 points per game, attempted just seven shots from the field and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, while fellow big man Julian Reese (14.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg) contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

Maryland struggled to contain the Buckeyes’ guards.

The Terrapins did well limiting John Mobley Jr. to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting, but allowed Micah Parrish to score 13 on 5-of-9 shooting. Bruce Thornton did the most damage, hitting 11 of 18 shots, including the game-winning 3-pointer, finishing with a game-high 31 points.

Thornton’s strong performance could be concerning for Maryland with the upcoming matchup against Harper and Bailey, but the Terrapins aren’t too worried about defending a team’s top backcourt players.

“I thought we did a really good job for the most part (defending Thornton),” said Maryland coach Kevin Willard. “Even when he made a couple of tough twos, we were OK with that. … I thought our defense at the end was really good. We switched out. We covered everything.”

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No. 5 Houston looks to prevent Colorado from securing its first Big 12 win in their upcoming game in Houston

No. 5 Houston and Colorado

By February, teams are aiming for a big win to boost their NCAA Tournament chances. The Colorado Buffaloes, however, are just looking for a win.

Colorado has lost 11 games in a row and hasn’t won a conference game since returning to the Big 12. Their next challenge is hosting No. 5 Houston on Saturday afternoon in Boulder, Colo.

This losing streak is the longest for Colorado to begin a conference season since they went 0-14 in the Big 8 in 1985-86. The latest loss was at Utah on Wednesday night, where they fell 72-59 after trailing by 12 points at halftime and coming up short in their second-half comeback attempt.

The Buffaloes (9-13, 0-11 Big 12) have lost five of their last six games by more than 10 points, and the schedule remains tough. After facing Houston, Colorado will travel to No. 16 Kansas and No. 8 Iowa State. They have three more ranked teams to play in their last six games, making it harder to escape the bottom of the standings.

“It’s for sure getting more challenging because we’re playing a lot of good teams now,” said Colorado forward Andrej Jakimovski. “We know our record; we don’t deserve that record. We are better than that. We just all want to win. Our chemistry, our togetherness, it’s not going to change throughout the season no matter what.”

Jakimovski (10.0 points per game) is one of only two Buffaloes averaging double figures in scoring. Julian Hammond III leads the team with 13.3 points per game, and Trevor Baskin is third with 8.8 per game.

No. 4 Tennessee (NCAAB)

Baskin is also the team’s leading rebounder with 5.6 rebounds per game.

Houston (18-4, 10-1) is not a strong rebounding team but is the toughest team to score against. The Cougars allow just 56.9 points per game, leading Division I, and have held seven of their 11 conference opponents under 60 points.

On offense, Houston averages 76.0 points per game, led by L.J. Cryer’s 14.3 points per game. Emanuel Sharp (12.5) and J’Wan Roberts (11.4) are the other Cougars in double digits, with Milos Uzan close at 9.9 points per game.

Houston’s only Big 12 loss came against Texas Tech on February 1, an 82-81 overtime defeat at home. The Cougars bounced back with a 72-63 win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday and will play three of their next four games on the road.

After facing Colorado, Houston will host Baylor before traveling to No. 20 Arizona and Arizona State, finishing six games in 18 days.

“Everybody in the league gets to it, I’m not complaining, I’m just making sure that people are aware of what the Big 12’s going through when they decided to go to a 20-game schedule,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. “The difference between a 20-game schedule and an 18-game schedule is a bye week. There is no bye week.

“You’ve got 10 grueling weeks with two games a week. And your two games a week is not the same for everybody, it depends on where you’re playing.”

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No. 16 Kansas defeats No. 8 Iowa State in a crucial Big 12 matchup for both teams in Lawrence

Flory Bidunga and Keshon Gilbert in the 2nd half

Kansas had just turned the ball over in the first half against Iowa State on Monday night when the ball popped loose along the sideline. Jayhawks guard Dajuan Harris Jr. made a huge hustle play.

With a perfect baseball slide, Harris managed to grab the ball and, while on the ground, tossed it to teammate Hunter Dickinson. Dickinson quickly passed it to David Coit, who then sent a pass from midcourt to KJ Adams. Adams caught the ball, jumped, and dunked it, causing the Allen Fieldhouse crowd to erupt.

This play highlighted a key fact about Kansas at this point in the season: they were playing with a sense of urgency.

Zeke Mayo scored 17 points, and Dickinson added 14 points and nine rebounds as No. 16 Kansas beat No. 8 Iowa State 69-52. But it was their defense, which nearly shut down Iowa State’s powerful backcourt, and their hustle on both sides of the ball that kept Kansas in the race for the Big 12 title.

Kansas (16-6) is now tied with Iowa State (17-5) at 7-4 in the Big 12, 2 1/2 games behind Houston and Arizona.

“We talked about a mindset of just, you know, how much can we trust each other? And how much do we enjoy playing with each other?” said Kansas coach Bill Self. “I don’t think the emphasis was defense. I think the emphasis was, ‘If our head is right and we play with freedom, we can look pretty good at times,’ and that is what happened tonight.”

Kansas held Iowa State to just 3-for-21 shooting from beyond the 3-point line. And even though the Cyclones only turned the ball over seven times, almost every turnover—like the alley-oop dunk by Adams—led to fast-break points.

Dishon Jackson and Hunter Dickinson in the 2nd half

“There’s probably not a place or a team or a program that does a better job than what Kansas does in transition,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “If you have a turnover and how they turn it into points — we had very few turnovers but you feel like every one that we had turned into a layup or a dunk at the other end.”

Kansas, who had blown a 19-point halftime lead at Baylor last weekend, thrived when they were under pressure, while Iowa State lost their third straight game. The Cyclones were missing forward Milan Momcilovic, who is recovering from an injury to his non-shooting hand.

Momcilovic warmed up before the game and might be back soon.

“He continues to do the things he needs,” Otzelberger said. “I do think he’ll be back in the next few weeks. But it’s a day-to-day situation. Today was the first step for him, feel what it feels like to go through the game warmup. But we’ll see. I don’t want to rush him back. I want it to be on the timeline that’s on his best interest and whenever that is he’ll be ready to go.”

Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert, and Joshua Jefferson were each held to 11 points by Kansas, but they needed a lot of shots to get there. The trio shot 13-of-42 from the field and just 2-of-14 from three-point range.

Meanwhile, leading scorer Curtis Jones was limited to seven points on 3-of-11 shooting.

“It sucks for sure. Losing is not ideal,” Jones said. “But I mean, we did some things well. We got 17 offensive rebounds, only had seven turnovers. It’s just really shots weren’t falling. We clean up free throws, make a couple 3s, it’s a different game.”

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Cooper Flagg and Duke basketball are setting a historic assist pace, closing in on a 73-year-old record for assists in Durham, NC

Cooper Flagg-Duke Basketball

Duke basketball doesn’t have a traditional point guard like Bobby Hurley, Dick Groat, Jay Williams, or Tyus Jones, but the team is still finding success with its unique approach.

This season, Duke (19-2, 11-0 ACC) is on track to achieve the best assist rate in 73 years. The Blue Devils are assisting on 60.9% of their baskets, which is close to the program’s best mark of 66.1% set in the 1951-52 season with Groat leading the way.

For context, the 1991-92 season with Hurley had a 58.9% assist rate, and the 2000-01 national championship team, with Williams at point guard, finished with a 57.6% assist rate.

So, how are the Blue Devils making this work without a classic point guard? Coach Jon Scheyer attributes it to “modern basketball” and multiple ball handlers. He’s praised his players for their unselfishness, often passing up good shots for better ones.

Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg (NCAA)

Freshman Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, has become a key playmaker for Duke, averaging 4.2 assists per game and leading the team with 89 assists. Scheyer has said, “Cooper really is a point guard in a lot of ways for us.”

But Flagg isn’t the only one contributing. Duke has five other players with at least 20 total assists, including Sion James, Kon Knueppel, and Tyrese Proctor, who are all averaging multiple assists per game. Scheyer highlights how having players with a great feel for the game, who can pass, handle the ball, and shoot, makes Duke a more dynamic team.

In short, Duke might not have a traditional point guard, but it has plenty of playmakers, and that’s working well for them this season.

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West Virginia dominates early, easily beats Cincinnati

West Virginia and Cincinnati

Javon Small scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half, and Joseph Yesufu added 16 to help West Virginia defeat Cincinnati 63-50 on Sunday afternoon in Big 12 action in Cincinnati.

Small, the conference’s leading scorer at 19.0 points per game, hit 4 of 7 from 3-point range for West Virginia (14-7, 5-5 Big 12), which shot 49.0 percent from the field to end a three-game losing streak.

Day Day Thomas led Cincinnati (12-9, 2-8) with 10 points in their fourth consecutive loss. After a 10-1 start and a No. 14 ranking, the Bearcats have now lost 8 of their last 10 games.

With both teams struggling on three-game losing streaks, West Virginia came out more focused and executed better.

The Mountaineers went on a 14-2 run midway through the first half, taking a 25-13 lead with 8:16 left in the half.

West Virginia capitalized on nine turnovers by Cincinnati in the first half, turning them into 10 points.

Houston Cougars and West Virginia Mountaineers

Yesufu closed out a strong first half for West Virginia with a wide-open 3-pointer just before halftime, giving the Mountaineers a 40-25 lead.

Cincinnati briefly cut the lead to 45-33 after two free throws from Rayvon Griffith at the 14:03 mark, but West Virginia responded with a 14-4 run, including two 3-pointers from Yesufu, to extend the lead to 59-37 with 7:47 remaining.

Cincinnati committed 14 turnovers in total after entering the game with four straight games of single-digit turnovers. West Virginia had 13 turnovers, leading to 13 points for Cincinnati.

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No. 19 Memphis holds off Rice for its fifth consecutive victory in Houston

No. 19 Memphis and Rice

PJ Haggerty led the way with 26 points and eight rebounds, and No. 19 Memphis held off Rice 86-83 in an American Athletic Conference game on Sunday in Houston.

Tyrese Hunter added 19 points and five assists for the Tigers (18-4, 8-1), giving them a one-game lead over North Texas and UAB in the conference standings. PJ Carter, coming off the bench, hit 5 of 7 three-pointers to score 19 points, helping Memphis shoot 55 percent from the field, including 11 of 21 from beyond the arc.

Carter made two crucial free throws with 4.2 seconds left to give Memphis a three-point lead. Rice was called for a five-second violation on the inbounds pass, but the Owls forced a turnover on Memphis’ next pass. However, Carter blocked a last-second shot as time ran out.

Rice (11-11, 2-7) had three players score in double figures, led by Trae Broadnax with 19 points and six assists. Jacob Dar added 17 points and eight rebounds, including a three-pointer with 11.7 seconds remaining to pull Rice within 82-81. Alem Huseinovic finished with 13 points.

No. 19 Memphis and Tulane

The Owls came within one point at 60-59 with 10:52 to go after a 3-pointer by Denver Anglin, assisted by Broadnax. However, Memphis responded with a 9-2 run, capped by a three from Hunter, for a 69-61 lead at 8:02. The Tigers were ahead by as many as 11 points late, holding off Rice’s late rally.

Rice shot 45.2 percent from the field, making 10 of 25 from three, and scored 23 points off 16 Memphis turnovers.

Carter’s three-pointer at 12:50 gave Memphis a 21-10 lead in the first half, but Rice fought back to briefly take a 29-28 lead. Memphis regained control and went into halftime with a 44-39 lead.

Memphis entered the game on a four-game win streak, while Rice had lost six straight, four of them by a combined 16 points.

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No. 3 Iowa State and No. 11 Kansas look to bounce back after tough losses as they prepare for upcoming games

No. 11 Kansas (NCAAB)

Two highly ranked teams are looking to break out of their recent struggles. One will come out on top when No. 3 Iowa State faces No. 11 Kansas in a Big 12 Conference showdown Monday night in Lawrence, Kansas.

Iowa State (17-4, 7-3 Big 12) is looking to recover after back-to-back losses to Arizona on the road and Kansas State at home. The Cyclones have dropped three of their last five games after starting the season with 15 wins in their first 16 games.

Kansas (15-6, 6-4) is coming off a tough loss to Baylor, where they made history for the wrong reasons. The Jayhawks lost a 21-point lead and fell 81-70, marking their second loss in the last three games.

Kansas head coach Bill Self didn’t criticize his team much after the collapse. He kept quiet, understanding that Monday’s game against Iowa State is a chance for his players to prove their previous performance was a fluke.

“I really didn’t say much,” Self said. “I don’t think in situations like that there’s really a lot to be said. Any type of pick-’em-up talk isn’t going to be heard. And there’s no reason to get on anybody (with intense criticism).”

Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger is also hoping to see a better performance from his team. The Cyclones just suffered an 80-61 loss at home, their first home defeat in almost two years.

No. 6 Iowa State and Jackson State

“It certainly wasn’t an effort that we’re proud of at all,” Otzelberger said about the Kansas State loss. “Definitely different than our standard (in terms of) what we expect and what we’ve demonstrated through the first 20 games…”

“I think it starts with self-accountability. You have to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘How did I help on the glass? How did I help make people miss? How did I help guard the ball?’ And if you first start with that and you’re doing a great job of that yourself, it puts you in a position where you can challenge your teammates and others to do the same thing.”

Kansas is led by Hunter Dickinson, who is averaging 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds, shooting 52.6 percent from the field. Zeke Mayo adds 15.0 points per game, while Dajuan Harris Jr. (9.8) and KJ Adams Jr. (8.3) round out the top four scorers.

For Iowa State, Curtis Jones leads with 17.9 points per game and shoots 37.8 percent from three-point range. Keshon Gilbert follows with 15.2 points and a team-high 4.5 assists per game. Joshua Jefferson chips in 12.9 points per game and leads with 8.0 rebounds, while Tamin Lipsey adds 10.8 points per game.

This will be the 260th meeting between the two teams, with Kansas leading the series 190-69. However, Iowa State has won the last two matchups.

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In Chicago, DePaul shot exceptionally well to hand Seton Hall its seventh consecutive loss with a dominant performance

DePaul and Seton Hall

N.J. Benson recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and CJ Gunn added 16 points to help DePaul beat struggling Seton Hall 74-57 on Sunday in Chicago.

Seton Hall (6-16, 1-10 Big East) suffered its seventh consecutive loss, shooting just 35 percent compared to DePaul’s 55.3 percent. Isaiah Rivera (14 points) and Jacob Meyer (11 points) also contributed in double figures for DePaul (11-12, 2-10).

Isaiah Coleman led all scorers with 18 points for Seton Hall. David Tubek scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds, while Prince Aligbe also added eight points.

Seton Hall’s backcourt was depleted as starting guards Dylan Addae-Wusu (ankle) and Chaunce Jenkins (knee) missed the game due to injuries.

DePaul led by as many as 22 points in the second half, and the margin proved important when Seton Hall’s defense forced turnovers on five straight DePaul possessions, cutting the lead to 13 with 8:22 remaining.

An Aligbe dunk broke a scoring drought for Seton Hall midway through the second half. Meyer responded with a pull-up 3-pointer, and DePaul finished 9-for-22 from beyond the arc. Rivera led with a 4-for-6 shooting performance from deep.

No. 10 Purdue (NCAAB)

Layden Blocker contributed seven points, seven rebounds, and seven assists for DePaul.

DePaul started strong, scoring the first 12 points of the game, with Conor Enright (five points) and Gunn (four points) leading the charge. Seton Hall missed its first seven shots but managed to get on the board with a Tubek three-pointer at the 14:42 mark.

Seton Hall never led in the game but managed to cut the halftime deficit to three after improving to 11-for-21 shooting in the first half. However, DePaul ended the half strong, hitting four of their last five shots to lead 38-29 at the break.

Coleman led all scorers with nine points at halftime.

DePaul forward David Skogman missed his second consecutive game due to a foot injury.

Gunn has now scored in double figures for eight straight games. Seton Hall leads the all-time series with DePaul 26-11.

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Nebraska knocks off No. 16 Oregon 77-71 in Eugene for another ranked win

Nebraska and No. 16 Oregon

Brice Williams scored 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and handed out six assists, helping Nebraska lead for most of the game in their 77-71 upset victory over No. 16 Oregon on Sunday night in Eugene, Ore. The Cornhuskers (14-8, 4-7) won their second straight game after a six-game losing streak. Juwan Gary added 23 points, and Rollie Worster contributed 11 points for Nebraska.

For Oregon (16-7, 5-6), Jackson Shelstad scored 16 points, and Brandon Angel added 15. The Ducks lost their third straight game and their fourth in the last five. TJ Bamba had 13 points and four steals.

Nebraska controlled most of the game, leading for 38 minutes. This win came just days after their 80-74 overtime victory against No. 18 Illinois on Thursday. The Cornhuskers shot 51% from the field, though they struggled from 3-point range, making only 4 of 23 attempts. Oregon shot 40% from the field but was also ineffective from deep, hitting just 5 of 20 shots from behind the arc.

Nebraska extended its lead to 52-41 with 10:18 left in the game after baskets from Gary, Andrew Morgan, and Williams. Oregon fought back, with Shelstad hitting two 3-pointers to make it 58-53 with 6:04 remaining. But Nebraska responded with a 3-pointer from Gary and two free throws by Williams to push the lead back to 10 with 4:16 to go.

Nebraska and No. 16 Oregon

Oregon made one last push and cut the deficit to 70-66 on Bamba’s 3-point play with 56.2 seconds left. However, Gary and Williams each made two free throws to seal the win and give Nebraska an eight-point lead with 38.9 seconds remaining.

Williams helped Nebraska take a 34-28 lead into halftime, scoring 12 points in the first half. Bamba led Oregon with nine points in the half. Nebraska quickly jumped to a 12-4 lead just 6 1/2 minutes into the game, then extended it to 23-14 after Gary’s basket at 7:44 remaining.

After Bamba converted a three-point play, Nebraska went on a 9-0 run, capped by Williams’ dunk, to make it 32-17 with 4:53 left. Oregon closed the gap with an 11-0 run, ending with Jadrian Tracey’s 3-pointer with 1:29 remaining in the half.

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Top 25 roundup: Nebraska upsets No. 16 Oregon in Lincoln

Nebraska and No. 16 Oregon

Brice Williams scored 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out six assists, leading Nebraska to a 77-71 upset win over No. 16 Oregon on Sunday evening in Eugene, Ore. The Cornhuskers (14-8, 4-7 Big Ten) were in control for most of the game, earning their second consecutive win after a six-game losing streak. Juwan Gary contributed 23 points, while Rollie Worster added 11 points.

For Oregon (16-6, 5-6), Jackson Shelstad scored 16 points, and Brandon Angel contributed 15. TJ Bamba chipped in 13 points and four steals, but the Ducks lost their third straight game and their fourth in the last five. Nebraska led for 38:01, securing their second straight upset of a ranked team after beating No. 18 Illinois 80-74 in overtime on Thursday.

In Champaign, Ill., No. 18 Illinois (15-7, 7-5 Big Ten) came back from an 11-point deficit in the second half to defeat Ohio State 87-79. Will Riley led Illinois with 24 points, while freshman Morez Johnson Jr. had 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Kylan Boswell added 14 points, and Tomislav Ivisic returned from a three-game absence to score 12 points. The Fighting Illini had been struggling, losing four of their last six games.

No. 12 St. John (NCAAB)

For Ohio State (13-9, 5-6), Devin Royal scored 29 points, with 19 coming in the first half, and Bruce Thornton added 22 points. The Buckeyes saw their three-game winning streak end with the loss.

In Memphis, No. 19 Memphis (18-4, 8-1 American Athletic Conference) held on for an 86-83 victory over Rice in Houston. PJ Haggerty led Memphis with 26 points and eight rebounds, and Tyrese Hunter added 19 points and five assists.

Memphis took a one-game lead in the conference over North Texas and UAB. PJ Carter sealed the win by making two free throws with 4.2 seconds left. The Owls (11-11, 2-7) had a chance to tie but couldn’t convert on a final shot attempt, with Carter blocking a desperation shot as time expired.

Rice’s Trae Broadnax led the Owls with 19 points and six assists.

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Trey Kaufman-Renn and No. 10 Purdue set sights on Iowa in West Lafayette

No. 10 Purdue (NCAAB)

The newly expanded Big Ten Conference has continued to bring tough challenges for veteran coaches like Fran McCaffery of Iowa.

“I’d say in many ways it’s as tough as it’s ever been,” McCaffery said. “Whether we have 12 teams, 14 teams, 16, 18 — they’re all really good teams. It’s not like you can ever look at anybody and say, ‘That’s an easy win’. Because it’s not. Every team has really good players, and every team has a really good coach.”

Iowa (13-8, 4-6) faces another tough test as it hosts No. 10 Purdue (17-5, 9-2) on Tuesday evening in Iowa City, Iowa.

Purdue is on a roll, having won nine of its last 10 games, including a hard-fought 81-76 victory over Indiana on Friday night. This will be Purdue’s first road game since January 18, when they defeated then-No. 13 Oregon.

Purdue’s offense is led by Trey Kaufman-Renn, who is averaging 18.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Kaufman-Renn is shooting 60.4 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range.

Braden Smith, who averages 15.8 points and leads the team with 8.8 assists, will look to keep his strong performance going after scoring 24 points in back-to-back games.

Fletcher Loyer, another key player for Purdue, averages 14 points per game and is shooting 46.3 percent from three-point range.

Purdue coach Matt Painter has noticed other players stepping up as well. One of them is freshman guard Gicarri Harris, who scored nine points in 22 minutes against Indiana.

No. 12 St. John (NCAAB)

“He’s always made plays at the end of games, whether it’s AAU or (high school),” Painter said. “He’s always a guy that has wanted the basketball and made plays. You can see how he’s starting to get more comfortable out there on both ends of the court.”

Iowa’s leading scorer is Owen Freeman, who is averaging 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Payton Sandfort (16 ppg), Josh Dix (13.3), and Drew Thelwell (10.7) are the other players in double digits for Iowa.

Freeman is coming off a 14-point, eight-rebound game in Iowa’s recent 82-65 loss to Ohio State on Monday. He played 23 minutes, less than his usual 26.4 minutes, and should be well-rested for the Purdue game.

“He got a little winded because he was running the floor hard, he was posting hard,” McCaffery said. “They really made him work. I probably would have put him back in with seven minutes to go or something like that if the game was a little bit closer. I wanted to give those other guys some momentum going. I just left those guys out there.”

This will be the 176th meeting between Purdue and Iowa. Purdue leads the all-time series 97-78, including wins of 87-68 and 84-70 last season.

Iowa is hoping to secure its first win over a ranked opponent since February 17 of last season when it defeated No. 20 Wisconsin in overtime.