No. 12 St. John’s will look to extend three important streaks and strengthen its lead in the Big East when it takes on No. 11 Marquette on Tuesday evening in New York.
The Red Storm (19-3, 10-1 Big East) are on an eight-game winning streak, including seven consecutive wins at Madison Square Garden, and they’ve won all 14 home games this season.
St. John’s moved into first place in the Big East on Saturday after a 68-66 win over Providence, combined with Marquette’s 77-69 loss to No. 25 UConn.
Marquette (18-4, 9-2), tied for second place with Creighton (16-6, 9-2), will face the Bluejays on Saturday.
Kadary Richmond led St. John’s with a season-high 24 points, hitting the game-winning jumper with three seconds left against Providence.
“It felt very good. The coaches, my teammates, they believed in me to give me the ball at the end of the game,” Richmond said, according to the New York Post. “We executed the play, and I made a big-time shot.”
Richmond has been in great form recently, going 10-for-14 from the field against Providence, making him 30-for-45 in the last four games.
“I think he’s playing really good basketball. We were going to win it or lose it with Kadary’s shot or his pass,” Red Storm coach Rick Pitino said. “He made a terrific shot. He was shooting the ball well all game. I’m really, really happy for him.”
No. 25 UConn and No. 9 Marquette
RJ Luis added 19 points and eight rebounds, helping St. John’s win its eighth straight Big East game, their longest league winning streak since February 1992.
Luis (17.5), Zuby Ejiofor (14.4), and Richmond (11.9) are all averaging double-digit points for St. John’s. Ejiofor leads the team with 8.1 rebounds, while Richmond leads in assists (4.8) and steals (2.0).
While St. John’s has been improving, Marquette faced a setback on Saturday.
Kam Jones scored 22 points, and Chase Ross added 19, but the rest of the team struggled, making only 9 of 30 shots against UConn. Marquette also fell behind by 22 points in the first half.
“Defensively, it was a roller coaster for us,” Ross said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We had great stretches, and we had other stretches where we could have done better. So I feel like if we just negate negative stretches, we’ll be fine.”
Marquette head coach Shaka Smart believes it’s more complicated than that.
“We have to have an understanding that beating Marquette is a quality win, and there’s a level of desperation that the other teams have when they play us,” Smart said. “Whether that’s UConn, Butler, Villanova, it doesn’t matter.
“We talk about that a lot. Acceptance only works 100 percent. So if you 75 percent accept that, it ain’t going to work.”
Jones leads Marquette in points (19) and assists (6.2), while David Joplin contributes 14.5 points and a team-high 5.2 rebounds per game.
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis drives to the basket during the first half against the Ohio State
Will Riley scored 24 points, and freshman Morez Johnson Jr. contributed 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds as No. 18 Illinois overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Ohio State 87-79 on Sunday in Champaign, Illinois.
Kylan Boswell added 14 points, and Tomislav Ivisic, returning from illness, had 12 points for Illinois (15-7, 7-5 Big Ten). This victory came after the Illini had lost four of their last six games.
Devin Royal led Ohio State (13-9, 5-6) with 29 points, including 19 in the first half, and Bruce Thornton scored 22. Ohio State’s three-game winning streak was snapped with the loss.
The Buckeyes extended their six-point halftime lead to as much as 52-41 with 15:53 left on a 3-pointer from Thornton. However, Illinois fought back and tied the game 56-56 on a Riley 3-pointer with 11:22 remaining. Riley scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half.
Illinois took its first lead at 70-68 with 6:04 left after a layup and free throw by Boswell. The Illini then went on a 15-0 run, making it 78-68 with 2:45 remaining. Ohio State never got closer than six points after that.
No. 18 Illinois and Ohio State (NCAAB)
The Illini had struggled in two of their last three games without Ivisic, the 7-foot-1 sophomore center, who had been out with mononucleosis. Ivisic made an impact early in this game. Ohio State had a 14-13 lead when Ivisic hit a 3-pointer from several feet beyond the arc. He followed that with a dunk, drawing a foul and completing the 3-point play to tie the game at 16-16.
Royal helped Ohio State build a 42-36 lead at halftime, making 8 of 12 shots, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Ohio State shot 54.5% from beyond the arc in the first half, while Illinois struggled, going just 3 of 15 from 3-point range.
The first half featured six lead changes and three ties. Illinois went on a 10-0 run early, only for Ohio State to answer with a 10-0 run of its own to lead 29-23. Illinois then had another 10-0 run, capped by a Boswell 3-pointer, to go up 35-34 before Ohio State finished the half on an 8-1 run.
Pittsburgh and Virginia are looking to bounce back after tough losses as they face each other on Monday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game.
The Panthers (14-7, 5-5 ACC) lost 76-74 at Wake Forest on Saturday, ending their two-game win streak, while the Cavaliers (10-12, 3-8) were defeated 75-74 at home by Virginia Tech, missing a chance to get back to .500.
Pitt led by five points early in the second half against Wake Forest, but the game came down to free throws. Both teams were perfect at the line, with the Panthers going 20-of-20 and the Demon Deacons 20-of-22, including six free throws in the final 22 seconds to secure the win.
Damian Dunn led Pitt with a season-high 24 points, while Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett combined for 30 points but struggled, shooting just 8-for-26 from the field.
“We had missed shots right at the rim we didn’t make,” said Panthers coach Jeff Capel. “Whether it was layups, pull-ups — things like that, we have to make those. If we take a shot, we can’t give up a layup in transition … we had some opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize.”
Virginia also had a chance to win on Saturday after trailing by as many as 13 points to Virginia Tech.
Isaac McKneely led the Cavaliers with 19 points. Andrew Rohde added 12 off the bench, but his contested shot at the buzzer rolled off the rim.
Houston Cougars and West Virginia Mountaineers
“We fought back all the way, had a chance to win it,” McKneely said. “So you just gotta live with the result at that point. But I was proud of the way we fought back.”
McKneely leads Virginia with 13.3 points per game and is shooting 42.3% from 3-point range. Lowe (17.4) and Leggett (16.5) provide scoring for the Panthers.
Virginia leads the all-time series 19-6, but Pitt has won the last two matchups, including a 74-63 win last season in Charlottesville, Va.
The Panthers are 10-2 at home this season, while the Cavaliers earned their only road win of the season on Jan. 29 at Miami.
Dug McDaniel scored 20 points on 8-for-17 shooting as Kansas State stunned No. 3 Iowa State with an 80-61 win in a Big 12 Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon in Ames, Iowa.
Coleman Hawkins finished with 17 points and seven rebounds for Kansas State (10-11, 4-6), which won its third game in a row. Brendan Hausen scored 15 points and Max Jones chipped in 12.
Tamin Lipsey scored 20 points to lead Iowa State (17-4, 7-3), which lost on its home court for the first time since Feb. 27, 2023. The Cyclones had won their previous 29 home games, which marked the second-longest active streak in the nation.
Kansas State shot 44.8 percent (26-of-58) from the field and 50 percent (10-of-20) from beyond the arc. Iowa State shot 36.5 percent (19-of-52) overall and 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from 3-point range.
No. 1 Auburn 92, No. 23 Ole Miss 82
Johni Broome totaled 20 points and 12 rebounds for his 13th double-double this season, and the top-ranked Tigers stayed perfect in the SEC with a win over the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.
Chad Baker-Mazara scored 18 points, while Denver Jones and Miles Kelly had 16 and 15, respectively, as Auburn (20-1, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) beat Ole Miss for the seventh straight time. Dylan Cardwell produced 10 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and two steals as the Tigers won their 13th consecutive game and moved to 5-0 on the road in conference play.
The Rebels (16-6, 5-4) got a strong showing from leading scorer Sean Pedulla, who had a season-high 29 points plus five rebounds and three steals. Matthew Murrell had 17 points. Jaemyn Brakefield collected 12 and five boards.
No. 2 Duke 87, North Carolina 70
Freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel made memorable debuts in the Tobacco Road rivalry as the Blue Devils used a dominant first half to clobber the visiting Tar Heels in Durham, N.C.
Flagg racked up 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals for Duke (19-2, 11-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which extended the longest active winning streak in the country to 15 games. Meanwhile, Knueppel scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and added five rebounds and five assists.
RJ Davis and Drake Powell each scored 12 points and Seth Trimble netted 10 for North Carolina (13-10, 6-5), which lost for the fourth time in five outings. Duke snapped a two-game losing streak in the series.
No. 4 Alabama 90, Georgia 69
Grant Nelson had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks as one of five scorers in double figures, leading the Crimson Tide to a rout of the Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
In winning their fifth straight game, the Crimson Tide (19-3, 8-1 SEC) shot 52.6 percent from the field, including an 11-of-26 showing on 3-pointers, despite committing 20 turnovers. Mark Sears had a game-high 20 points to go with six assists and five rebounds. Chris Youngblood and Aden Holloway scored 10 apiece.
Asa Newell totaled 16 points, seven rebounds, and five steals for Georgia (15-7, 3-6). RJ Godfrey had 10 points, but the slumping squad fell to 1-5 in its past six outings.
No. 8 Tennessee 64, No. 5 Florida 44
Chaz Lanier made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points as the Volunteers toppled the Gators in a Southeastern Conference showdown in Knoxville, Tenn.
Jordan Gainey added 16 points and three steals as Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) controlled the second half while avenging a horrific 30-point road loss to Florida on Jan. 7. The Volunteers prevailed without star Zakai Zeigler (knee) and Igor Milicic Jr. (flu-like symptoms). They used just seven players but quickly took over in the second half, outscoring the Gators 40-23.
Tennessee (NCAAB)
Walter Clayton Jr. had 10 points but was just 3-of-13 shooting for Florida (18-3, 5-3), which had a three-game winning streak halted. The Gators scored their fewest points of the season, making just 24.5 percent (13 of 53) of their field goal attempts, including a measly 14.8 percent (4 of 27) from behind the arc.
No. 22 Texas Tech 82, No. 6 Houston 81 (OT)
Chance McMillian hit a pair of free throws with 14 seconds to play as the short-handed Red Raiders outlasted the host Cougars in overtime in a Big 12 Conference slugfest.
McMillian led all scorers with 23 points, while Elijah Hawkins added 17 points for Texas Tech, with Kerwin Walton scoring 14, Darrion Williams 13, and Christian Anderson 10.
The Cougars had their 13-game winning streak snapped along with their nation-leading 33-game home winning streak and 19-game Big 12 victory run. LJ Cryer led Houston (17-4, 9-1) with 22 points while J’wan Roberts finished with 18 and Milos Uzan 10.
Southern California 70, No. 7 Michigan State 64
Desmond Claude scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Trojans to an upset win over the Spartans in Los Angeles.
Wesley Yates scored 15 points and Chibuzo Agbo added 14 for USC (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten), which never trailed and has won four of its last six games. Neither team shot the ball well as both sides knocked down 24-of-57 shots from the floor (42.1 percent).
The Spartans (18-3, 9-1) suffered their first Big Ten loss of the season, snapping a 13-game winning streak. Jeremy Fears scored 12 points and Jaden Akins had 11 in defeat for Michigan State, which saw 10 different players score.
No. 25 UConn 77, No. 9 Marquette 69
Solo Ball had 25 points and Alex Karaban added 15 as the Huskies held off a second-half rally by the Golden Eagles in the Big East matchup in Milwaukee.
Samson Johnson added 13 points for UConn (16-6, 8-3 Big East), which shot 59.5 percent from the field, including 12 of 19 from 3-point range. Ball hit 7 of 11 shots, including 7 of 9 beyond the arc.
Kam Jones had 22 points and Chase Ross added 19 for Marquette (18-4, 9-2), which trailed by as many as 22 points in the first half. The Golden Eagles lost for just the second time in 13 home games.
Baylor 81, No. 11 Kansas 70
Freshman guard Robert Wright III scored a career-high 24 points to lead the short-handed Bears to an upset over the Jayhawks in Waco, Texas.
VJ Edgecombe scored 14 points but didn’t return after he went to the locker room with what was reported as a lower-body injury with 14:38 left in the game. Norchad Omier had a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
Jalen Celestine added 12 points and shot 4 of 8 from 3-point range for the Bears (14-7, 6-4 Big 12), who trailed by 19 at the half but outscored the Jayhawks 60-30 in the second half. Hunter Dickinson led Kansas (15-6, 6-4) with 20 points. Dajuan Harris Jr. scored 12 points and dished out eight assists in his return from an ankle injury.
Arkansas 89, No. 12 Kentucky 79
With a thunderous mix of cheers and boos, fans of Kentucky greeted former Wildcats coach John Calipari in his first game at Rupp Arena since taking over as the head coach at Arkansas.
Calipari walked away a winner as former Kentucky player Adou Thiero collected 21 points and eight rebounds in the Razorbacks’ win in Lexington, Ky. Calipari guided Kentucky to a national championship, four Final Four appearances, and a 410-123 record in 15 seasons.
Johnell Davis scored 18 points and former Wildcat D.J. Wagner poured in all 17 of his points in the second half and finished with eight assists for Arkansas (13-8, 2-6 SEC). Amari Williams collected 22 points and 11 rebounds and Jaxson Robinson added 20 points for the Wildcats (15-6, 4-4), who lost for the third time in their last four games.
No. 13 Texas A&M 76, South Carolina 72
Wade Taylor IV hit seven 3-pointers in scoring 25 points to lead the Aggies to a grind-it-out win over the Gamecocks in a Southeastern Conference clash in Columbia, S.C. Texas A&M (17-5, 6-3 SEC) led by a baker’s dozen just over one minute into the second half before South Carolina rallied, with the Gamecocks clawing within three points, 73-70, on a layup by Murray-Boyles with 10 seconds left. But the Aggies clinched the victory with Manny Obaseki and Henry Coleman III combining for three free throws in the final seven seconds. Coleman finished with 12 points for Texas A&M, which has won four of its past five games.
Texas Tech and Red Raiders
Murray-Boyles led South Carolina (10-12, 0-9) with 22 points, while Jamarii Thomas scored 15 and Zachary Davis and Morris Ugusuk had 12 apiece.
No. 20 Missouri 88, No. 14 Mississippi State 61
Caleb Grill scored 20 points in 22 minutes off the bench to lead the Tigers to an upset of the Bulldogs on Saturday in Starkville, Miss.
Tamar Bates added 14 points and Josh Gray had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Missouri (17-4, 6-2 Southeastern Conference). The Tigers made 15 of 32 shots (46.9 percent) from 3-point range, with seven different players hitting shots from beyond the arc. Grill led the way with 6-for-11 shooting from distance. Overall, Missouri shot 55 percent from the floor and got points from 11 of the 13 players it deployed.
Josh Hubbard scored 24 points and KeShawn Murphy had 16 points and nine rebounds for Mississippi State (16-6, 4-5 SEC). The Bulldogs shot just 36.4 percent from the floor and missed 18 of 26 shots from 3-point range.
No. 15 St. John’s 68, Providence 66
Kadary Richmond hit a free-throw line jumper with 3 seconds left as the Red Storm held off a strong second-half rally by the Friars on Saturday in New York.
Along with 24 points overall, Richmond also had eight rebounds and eight assists for St. John’s, who are winners of eight straight games and are 14-0 at home. RJ Luis Jr. scored 19 points and had eight rebounds and Zuby Ejiofor chipped in 13 points for the Red Storm (19-3, 10-1 Big East).
Jabri Abdur-Rahim hit 8 of his 11 3-point shots and led Providence with 27 points off the bench. Jayden Pierre added 11 points for the Friars (11-11, 5-6). St. John’s built a 19-point second-half lead, then withstood a 32-13 Providence run.
No. 17 Wisconsin 75, Northwestern 69
John Tonje had 27 points and reserve Carter Gilmore added a career-high 15 as the Badgers overcame a sluggish first half to get a Big Ten victory over the Wildcats in Evanston, Ill.
Max Klesmit added 11 points and Nolan Winter 10 for Wisconsin (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten), which avoided a third consecutive road loss.
Jalen Leach had 23 points, Nick Martinelli 15, and Ty Berry 14 for Northwestern (12-10, 3-8). Brooks Barnhizer (foot) of the Wildcats sat out, and coach Chris Collins announced after the game that Barnhizer will miss the rest of the season.
Georgia Tech 77, No. 21 Louisville 70
Lance Terry scored a game-high 23 points, helping lead the Yellow Jackets to a victory over the visiting Cardinals in Atlantic Coast Conference play in Atlanta.
Naithan George added 15 points and nine assists, while Baye Ndongo collected 12 points and 11 rebounds as Georgia Tech (10-12, 4-7 ACC) rallied from a 13-point deficit for its first win over a ranked team this season. Javian McCollum had 12 points and Duncan Powell — Georgia Tech’s only reserve — chipped in 11.
Louisville (16-6, 9-2) was led by Terrence Edwards Jr.’s 22 points and Chucky Hepburn’s 17. J’Vonne Hadley scored 16, Aboubacar Traore had 10 and James Scott collected a team-high 11 rebounds for the Cardinals, who had their 10-game winning streak snapped.
Oklahoma 97, No. 24 Vanderbilt 67
Freshman guard Jeremiah Fears responded from Tuesday’s scoreless performance at Texas A&M with a team-high 21 points as the Sooners blew out the Commodores in Norman, Okla.
The Sooners (16-5, 3-5 Southeastern Conference) took their first lead just under two minutes into the second half as part of a 23-0 run to take a 59-42 advantage with 13:24 left in regulation. Fears, who was 0-for-5 from the field in the 75-68 loss on Tuesday, was 8-for-12 on Saturday. Jalon Moore scored 19 points and Dayton Forsythe 14.
Devin McGlockton (game-high 22 points) and Jason Edwards (21) led the Commodores (16-5, 4-4) in scoring but had little help.
Solo Ball scored 25 points and Alex Karaban added 15 as No. 25 UConn held off a strong second-half push from No. 9 Marquette, winning 77-69 in a Big East matchup on Saturday night in Milwaukee.
Samson Johnson chipped in 13 points for UConn (16-6, 8-3 Big East), who shot an impressive 59.5 percent from the field, including 12-of-19 from 3-point range. Ball made 7 of 11 shots, hitting 7 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Kam Jones scored 22 points and Chase Ross contributed 19 for Marquette (18-4, 9-2 Big East), which trailed by as much as 22 points in the first half. This was only their second home loss in 13 games.
Marquette made a run in the second half, cutting the lead to 66-59 after Jones’ layup with 5:47 left.
Stevie Mitchell stole the ball and scored a breakaway layup to make it 69-63 with 2:50 to go, but Ball responded with a 3-pointer, putting UConn up 75-66 with 1:48 remaining.
UConn allowed Marquette to stay in it by missing the front end of two bonus free throws. David Joplin’s deep 3-pointer pulled Marquette to 75-69 with 38 seconds left.
No. 5 Marquette and No. 11 Wisconsin
Ball then made two free throws to push the lead back to 77-69, and Marquette missed its last six shots, preventing any further comeback.
Marquette forced 25 turnovers, including 11 steals, but struggled from long range, making just 7 of 22 3-pointers and 12 of 22 free throws.
Marquette ended the first half with a 9-point run, trimming UConn’s lead to 42-29 at the break. UConn opened the second half strong, but Marquette answered with a 6-point run to cut the deficit to single digits.
The Huskies responded with an 8-3 run, extending their lead to 52-38 on a 3-pointer by Ball.
UConn dominated most of the first half, taking a 42-20 lead on two free throws by Karaban with 2:27 left.
Ross sparked a 9-point run for Marquette, hitting two 3-pointers, including a buzzer-beater, bringing the Golden Eagles within 42-29 at halftime.
Jones and Ross each had 12 points in the first half on 8-of-13 shooting, while the rest of the Marquette team went 0-for-12.
UConn jumped out to a 19-9 lead as Marquette struggled, hitting just 3 of its first 14 shots, including 0-for-6 from beyond the arc.
In a game full of loud cheers and boos, fans at Rupp Arena greeted former Kentucky coach John Calipari as he returned to Lexington for the first time since becoming Arkansas’ head coach.
Calipari left as the victor, as Adou Thiero, a former Kentucky player, scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Razorbacks win 89-79.
Johnell Davis scored 18 points, and D.J. Wagner, another former Wildcat, scored all 17 of his points in the second half while also dishing out eight assists. Zvonimir Ivisic hit four 3-pointers, finishing with 14 points. Former Kentucky recruit Karter Knox added 10 points for the Razorbacks (13-8, 2-6 SEC), who handed Calipari a satisfying win over the team he had coached for 15 seasons.
“They were fearless. Hard game to win in this building. I’ve been here,” said Calipari, who led Kentucky to a national championship, four Final Fours, and a 410-123 record.
Amari Williams scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Jaxson Robinson added 20 points for Kentucky (15-6, 4-4), who lost their third game in the last four.
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Ansley Almonor contributed 12 points for Kentucky, who started hot, making their first six shots and taking an 18-12 lead. But Arkansas kept answering back. After falling behind 30-25 in the first half, the Razorbacks went on a nine-point run, sparked by two baskets from Thiero and capped by a 3-pointer from Davis, taking a 34-30 lead.
Kentucky regained the lead, but 3-pointers by Trevon Brazile and Knox put Arkansas ahead 46-45 at halftime. The Razorbacks would never trail again.
In the second half, Wagner hit a 3-pointer and followed with a reverse layup. When Ivisic nailed a triple, it capped an eight-point run and pushed Arkansas’ lead to 58-47.
From that point, every time Kentucky made a run, Arkansas answered with key plays from Thiero and Wagner.
Despite their struggles this season, the Razorbacks shot 55.2 percent from the field and made 13 of 25 (52 percent) from beyond the arc.
Lucas Taylor scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, helping Syracuse overcome its road struggles in a 75-66 win against Cal on Saturday in Berkeley, California.
J.J. Starling added 18 points for Syracuse (10-12, 4-7 ACC), who had been 1-8 on the road but played much better to break a three-game losing streak.
Jeremiah Wilkinson and Jovan Blacksher Jr. each scored 20 points to lead Cal (11-11, 4-7), who has now lost two straight. Rytis Petraitis contributed 13 points.
Blacksher’s jumper early in the second half ended a field goal drought for Cal, which had gone without a basket since Blacksher’s 3-pointer at the 5:17 mark of the first half. That shot had brought Cal within 26-17.
Cal played its fourth consecutive game without leading scorer Andrej Stojakovic, who is out with a hip injury.
Syracuse falls 77-73 to Pitt in crucial ACC matchup, marking their 6th conference loss
Syracuse’s leading rebounder, Mady Sissoko, returned after missing Wednesday’s loss to SMU due to a concussion but didn’t score and grabbed six rebounds.
Cal trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half but cut the lead to 43-36 with 16:20 left, following an 11-0 run sparked by Wilkinson’s 3-pointer.
The Golden Bears were down 58-51 with 6:47 left after a 3-pointer from Blacksher, and they got as close as 67-61 with 1:14 remaining, thanks to a layup by Blacksher.
This was the first meeting between Syracuse and Cal since 2014, when Cal won 73-59 in the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Syracuse jumped out to an early lead, thanks to a 9-0 run where Starling scored two layups, and Elijah Moore added a 3-pointer to finish the stretch.
Cal started slow, hitting only 1 of their first 6 shots, missing 4 of 5 from behind the arc, before Wilkinson made a jumper for the first points.
Chris Bell helped Syracuse expand its lead, hitting a jumper with 9:51 left, followed by a 3-pointer less than a minute later to make it 23-10.
Syracuse led 40-23 at halftime, with Cal shooting just 17.4 percent (4-of-23). Syracuse shot 48.4 percent (15-of-31) in the first half, including Starling’s 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining.
Duke’s freshmen shined on Saturday, delivering a strong performance that quickly took the excitement out of the rivalry with North Carolina.
The game, which was expected to be a dramatic renewal of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry, turned into a one-sided affair with second-ranked Duke dominating early. By halftime, it was clear the Blue Devils were in control, and they went on to win 87-70.
This result highlighted Duke’s impressive potential, while also showing the struggles that UNC faces as they try to stay on track for an NCAA Tournament spot.
“I think it just shows when we come locked in and ready, and we stick to our game plan, what we can do,” said Duke’s standout freshman, Cooper Flagg.
Flagg, who is considered a top NBA draft prospect, and fellow freshman Kon Knueppel led the charge for Duke. Knueppel scored a game-high 22 points, while Flagg added 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and two blocks. Neither player appeared nervous in their first Duke-UNC game. By the time the game began, it was clear Duke was already in control.
“We whupped us, they kicked us — straight and back, right from the jump,” UNC guard Seth Trimble said bluntly.
Duke (19-2, 11-0 ACC) made an early statement with a 16-0 run in the first seven minutes. Shortly after, they put together an 11-0 run, taking a 40-13 lead. The Blue Devils were up by 32 points midway through the second half.
There was no chance for a memorable moment like Austin Rivers’ buzzer-beater for Duke in 2012 or the more recent drama of coaching changes at both schools. In 2022, UNC stunned Duke in the Final Four, ending Coach K’s career with a victory, and they’ve had some success in recent years, including a win in the first meeting of the 2023 season.
But on Saturday, there was no such drama. Duke’s offensive efficiency and defensive pressure forced UNC to take difficult shots and make mistakes. The Blue Devils played with intensity and focus, outclassing the Tar Heels in every way.
Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg after the game
“We just kept talking about: our edge, our focus. And these guys had it,” said Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, reflecting on the team’s preparation and energy.
Duke’s performance was a complete team effort. Flagg displayed his playmaking ability by finding open teammates after drawing double teams. Knueppel was sharp from the outside and also drove to the basket. Tyrese Proctor, who had been struggling in recent games, scored 17 points. Duke’s defense was tight, with 23 deflections, a season-high according to Scheyer.
“It feels awesome to get a big-time win like this and do it at home in front of the fans,” said Knueppel, who is from Milwaukee and had studied up on the rivalry for his first taste of it.
For North Carolina (13-10, 6-5), it was another tough loss. The final seven minutes of the game were mainly about trying to make the score more respectable. In the first half, UNC had more turnovers (nine) than field goals (eight).
UNC, which started the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25, has now lost four of its last five games. Their only win in that stretch came in overtime against Boston College, which entered the weekend with just one ACC victory. With a poor nonconference record, the Tar Heels are running out of opportunities to improve their NCAA resume.
Despite the setback, UNC head coach Hubert Davis remained hopeful.
“Yes we’re discouraged, but we’re going to move forward,” Davis said. “We’re going to get back up, move forward and continue to get better, and try to become the team that I think we all know we can be.”
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule watches from the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game
The Nebraska spring game, a major event for both attendance and revenue in college football, is likely to be canceled in the future due to coach Matt Rhule’s concerns about other teams targeting his players.
“The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore,” Rhule said at his midwinter news conference on Saturday. “It’s just an absolute free open common market. I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world and have people watch our guys and say, ‘He looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.’”
The spring game has been a long-standing tradition at Nebraska. Last year, it attracted 60,452 fans to Memorial Stadium, ranking fourth in the nation behind Ohio State, Alabama, and Penn State. The event was also televised on the Big Ten Network.
“I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that,” Rhule explained. “To go out and bring in a bunch of new players and showcase them for all the other schools to watch doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”
Six Nebraska players entered the transfer portal the week after last year’s spring game.
The spring transfer portal period ends on April 25 this year, just a day before Nebraska’s spring practice ends. However, players can still switch schools without entering the portal, like Wisconsin safety Xavier Lucas did when he moved to Miami.
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Rhule said he’s more concerned about exposing his players to other schools than worrying about injuries that can occur in a spring game. Last year, receiver Demitrius Bell and cornerback Blye Hill got hurt during the spring game and missed the season. Rhule confirmed that live tackling would still take place in spring practice scrimmages.
“Guys are being compensated now, and you’re putting money behind some people, a whole other set of parameters,” Rhule said. “Yet at the same time you have to get good. Honestly, to me, it’s about protecting the roster and protecting through that portal period.”
When asked if a spring game with a scrimmage format would be held to conclude spring practice, Rhule replied, “I don’t know that yet, but I’ll be honest with you, I highly doubt it.”
He did express a desire to “show off” his players in some way. Athletic director Troy Dannen mentioned on his radio show last week that an event, possibly involving football and other fall sports, would take place on April 26.
Markus Burton and Notre Dame are looking to extend their hot streak when they face Miami on Saturday in Coral Gables, Fla.
The Fighting Irish (10-10, 4-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) are coming off a 71-68 home win against Georgia Tech on Tuesday, where Burton scored a game-high 26 points. He made 9 of 17 shots from the field, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Burton has been playing well after missing all of December due to a right knee injury. He is averaging 20.4 points per game this season, but in the past three games, he has been scoring 25 points per game.
“He’s fun to coach, because he has great energy and he gives off great energy to his teammates,” Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry said. “He’s learning how people are guarding him, what the situation is, what it calls for, and you can see him start to read the game, start to read defenses, set himself up, setting his teammates up, and he’s doing it all efficiently right now.”
Notre Dame has won three of its last four games and is starting a stretch of five games against ACC teams with losing records.
Georgia Tech (NCAAB)
Miami (4-17, 0-10) lost 82-71 to Virginia at home on Wednesday, keeping them winless in the conference. Matthew Cleveland led the Hurricanes with 27 points, making 10 of 17 shots from the field, but he missed all four of his 3-point attempts.
“Obviously, a very disappointing loss for us,” Miami interim coach Bill Courtney said. “Same problem for us on the defensive end we’ve had several times, couldn’t get key stops. We scored enough to win the game against a very good defensive team.”
While the Fighting Irish may be eyeing their next games, Shrewsberry is focused on keeping his players grounded.
“I told our guys after we won (Tuesday), our next game on Saturday is our Super Bowl,” he said. “Every single game is for us, whatever is right in front of us, I think we have to focus on that. I think we can be a good team, but we’re still a young team.”
Brad Underwood speaks to the refee in the 1st half
Illinois made changes to its roster after reaching the Elite Eight, and coach Brad Underwood understood that the season would have its ups and downs with such a young team, the second-youngest in the Power Four.
The 18th-ranked Illini (14-7, 6-4 Big Ten) have hit a rough patch. Their 80-74 overtime loss to Nebraska on Thursday night marked their fourth defeat in six games.
They started the season with a 12-3 record, with losses to No. 8 Alabama and a last-second buzzer-beater loss to No. 1 Tennessee. Three weeks ago, they were ranked No. 13, and Underwood believed his team had the potential for another deep postseason run.
“It’s frustrating for me,” he said after the loss to Nebraska, “because I know where we can be and what we were getting to.”
The Illini have played three straight games without their 7-foot-1 sophomore center, Tomislav Ivisic, who is out indefinitely with mononucleosis. Ivisic is the team’s second-leading scorer with 13 points per game and the top rebounder with 8.5 rebounds per game. In his place, 6-9, 255-pound Morez Johnson Jr. has been starting.
“It’s big for sure,” said sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn about Ivisic’s absence. “Tomi is a great player. He’s one of our starting guys, one of our best players for sure. That’s not an excuse. We have to have the next-man-up mentality.”
Freshman point guard Kasparas Jakucionis missed two games earlier this month due to a left wrist injury. He’s the leading scorer with 15.9 points per game and the best 3-point shooter on the team at 37.5%.
Will Riley, another freshman, got the flu and didn’t play much in a 91-70 loss to Maryland last week.
Morez Johnson Jr. reacts in the 2nd half
“I don’t know when we’ll get whole again,” Underwood said. “Tomi is a big piece of what we do, and Morez was becoming that. We have the No. 1 defense in the country when those two are on the floor together.”
With Ivisic and Johnson out, the team has struggled offensively. They’ve shot 25% on 3-pointers (48 of 190) and averaged 13 turnovers in their last six games.
Underwood said many of the turnovers are inexcusable because they come from players ignoring scouting reports and making poor passes. In the Nebraska game, several passes were thrown directly into the defense.
“Grow up. Grow up,” Underwood said, raising his voice. “I would like to have an explanation. We had four scouting report (turnovers) where we told our guys you’re not going to throw the baseline pass, and we continually tried to do that. Tonight was very uncharacteristic of us from a scouting report standpoint, making those turnovers. You’re not going to beat anybody doing that.”
Thursday marked the beginning of a stretch where the Illini play three of their next four games on the road over 10 days. They’ll host Ohio State on Sunday, then travel to Rutgers and Minnesota, both of whom are under .500 in Big Ten play.
“I feel like with this team, we’re going to go on our little slumps,” Riley said. “We’re very young. I feel like we’re getting more consistent as the days go. We’re onto the next game. We’re going to come out with high intensity, high effort.”
Iowa State showed its resilience in a tough game that felt like a wrestling match, making key plays down the stretch to take a three-point lead with just 20 seconds remaining. However, they ended up with an overtime loss when Arizona’s Caleb Love hit a long shot from beyond half court to force overtime.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger commented on the unlikely shot, saying, “I don’t know what the odds are of that shot going in, but probably not real high,” after the Cyclones’ 86-75 loss.
It has taken a monumental effort for anyone to defeat Iowa State this season. Before the loss to Arizona, the Cyclones (17-3, 7-2 Big 12) matched their best start in program history, a feat achieved by the 1994-95 team. Iowa State had reached its highest-ever ranking at No. 2 earlier this season and only dropped one place after losing to West Virginia on January 18.
The Cyclones are ranked No. 7 in the NET rankings and No. 5 in KenPom metrics. Their impressive resume includes wins over No. 9 Marquette, then-No. 25 Baylor, No. 22 Texas Tech, and No. 11 Kansas. Iowa State’s only losses were by two points to top-ranked Auburn at the Maui Invitational, at West Virginia without Milan Momcilovic (hand injury), and after Love’s game-tying shot.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd praised the team, saying, “A really good team, nothing but respect.” The Cyclones have a deep roster with talent at every position. They’ve made the NCAA Tournament in each of Otzelberger’s first three seasons, advancing to the Sweet 16 last year.
This year, they returned three starters and added two key transfers: 6-foot-9 forward Joshua Jefferson from Saint Mary’s and 6-11, 274-pound center Dishon Jackson from Charlotte.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger watches from the bench in the 2nd half
Jefferson provides versatility, averaging 12.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, while Jackson adds muscle, scoring, rebounding, and protecting the rim. Momcilovic, who shoots 44% from beyond the arc, has recently had his cast removed after his hand injury.
The guard trio of Curtis Jones, Tamin Lipsey, and Keshon Gilbert have been standout players. Gilbert is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game, with 4.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds. Lipsey averages 10.4 points, 2.9 assists, and leads the team with 45 steals.
Jones has been dynamic, averaging a team-high 18.1 points per game. The 6-4 senior is versatile, scoring from the perimeter, in the lane, and finishing at the rim. He is also known for his strong defense, often locking down opponents’ top perimeter scorers. Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley commented after Jones scored 33 points in a 76-61 win, saying, “He was playing a different game than everyone else was today.”
Iowa State’s success is built on a complete team effort. The Cyclones have five players averaging double-digit points and are ranked No. 13 in KenPom’s offensive efficiency. They average 84.2 points per game, tying for 11th nationally.
Defensively, Iowa State holds teams to 67 points per game and ranks 10th in the nation with 9.9 steals per game. They are sixth in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings.
The Cyclones are known for their ability to finish strong. They came back from a 13-point deficit to beat rival Iowa 89-80, did the same to defeat Texas Tech in overtime, and closed out a win against Arizona State with a 19-3 run.
Coach Otzelberger explained, “We focus on our identity and doing what we do. That’s part of our DNA.”
Iowa State’s well-rounded play has left opponents struggling to find ways to defeat them, with little success.
