Category: NCAA Basketball

Boise State men's basketball, which was picked third in the Mountain West, was stunned in its season opener, falling to Division II Hawaii Pacific

It was a busy day in women's college basketball, with Baylor's upset of Duke leading the way.

USC remains focused on competing for a national title, but it does so without the pressure of lofty expectations tied to injured star JuJu Watkins.

Are freshmen Cameron and Cayden Boozer related to Duke basketball legend Carlos Boozer? Here's what to know as the Blue Devils start their season:

Freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa took over the game in BYU's win over Villanova as he is expected to lead the Cougars to major success.

So much for the widely held belief that Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer are a cut above the rest of this year’s freshman class. Arizona’s Koa Peat made a strong opening statement Monday night that the Big Three should be at least a Big Four.

Senior guard Donovan Dent had 21 points and nine assists in his UCLA debut to lead the No. 12 Bruins to an 80-74 victory over Eastern Washington in a season opener Monday night. Tyler Bilodeau scored 19 points for the Bruins, who opened a 15-point lead midway through the second half before the Eagles of the Big Sky Conference made it close in the final minutes. Dent, a heralded transfer from New Mexico, had a memorable performance in his Southern California homecoming.

Freshman AJ Dybantsa had 21 points and six rebounds and eighth-ranked BYU defeated Villanova 71-66 Monday night in the Hall of Fame Series and season-opener for both teams. Richie Saunders added 15 points and seven rebounds and Robert Wright III scored 14 points for the Cougars, who spoiled the regular-season debut of new Villanova coach Kevin Willard. The victory extended BYU’s regular-season win streak to nine games, its longest since 2019-20.

Jacob Cofie finishes with 23 points and 10 rebounds and Ezra Ausar scores 21 points to help power USC men's basketball to a 94-64 victory over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Freshman Koa Peat scored 30 points to lead No. 13 Arizona to a 93-87 win over third-ranked and defending national champion Florida in the Hall of Fame Series on Monday night. Peat was impressive in his college debut, shooting 11 of 18 from the floor and adding seven rebounds and five assists. Ivan Kharchenkov shook off an injury late in the first half that sent him to the locker room and finished with 12 points for the Wildcats.

It took two years for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino to restore New York City pride and a winning tradition at St. John's. Pitino and the fifth-ranked Red Storm got off to a fast start in their season opener Monday night, overwhelming Quinnipiac from the outset in a 108-74 rout at Carnesecca Arena. “The one thing that stood out from an ultra-positive standpoint was our mentality going into the game," Pitino said.

Taliah Scott scored 12 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter to lead No. Baylor past No. Duke 58-52 in the women's college basketball season opener in Paris on Monday.

Khani Rooths scored 20 points to lead No. 11 Louisville to a 104-45 rout of South Carolina State in the season opener for both teams on Monday night. Rooths, a sophomore and one of the few returning players for the Cardinals in coach Pat Kelsey's second season, posted a career-high in points on 8-of-12 shooting and tied his personal best with seven rebounds. Isaac McKneely, a senior guard who transferred from Virginia, scored a dozen of his 17 points in the first half.

Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson made his presence felt in an abbreviated stint against Green Bay in the teams' season opener. Peterson, a potential No. 1 pick in next summer's NBA draft, scored 21 points in 22 minutes in his debut for the No. 19 Jayhawks in a 94-51 win over Green Bay on Monday night. “That was literally the easiest 21 points in 21 minutes of action,” Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb said.

Tyon Grant-Foster scored 15 points and Graham Ike added 13 points and 11 rebounds, as No. 21 Gonzaga opened the season with a 98-43 victory over Texas Southern 98-43 on Monday night. Braden Huff added 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting to help the Bulldogs win their 22nd consecutive regular-season opener and their 36th straight home opener. Jaylen Wysinger and Duane Posey scored eight points apiece to top the Tigers, who never led after going up 10-8 early on a three-point play by Cameron Patterson.