Category: NCAA Basketball

Fletcher Loyer opened his final college season by scoring a career high 30 points and preseason All-American Braden Smith added 11 assists as Purdue protected its first preseason No. 1 ranking with a rousing 82-51 season-opening rout over Evansville on Tuesday night. Smith scored just six points but passed former Illinois star Bruce Douglas for third on the Big Ten’s career assists list. Smith increased his total to 769, four more than Douglas.

Cameron Boozer was scoreless in the first half but took the game over in the second half as Duke avoided the upset from Texas.

Christian Anderson had career highs with 34 points and 11 assists, leading No. 10 Texas Tech to a 98-60 victory over Lindenwood on Tuesday night as the Red Raiders extended their nonconference home winning streak to 39 games. Texas Tech, which has the highest preseason ranking in school history coming off the program's third Elite Eight appearance, was without preseason Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin and LeJuan Watts, a Washington State transfer who is the preseason newcomer of the year. Toppin and Watts were listed with lower-body injuries, as were two more transfers in Josiah Moseley (Villanova) and Luke Bamgboye (Virginia Commonwealth).

Dick Vitale got the all clear from doctors last month to return to ESPN after numerous cancer battles.

Dick Vitale had a heartfelt moment on Nov. 4, choking up as ESPN played a tribute video for the legendary broadcaster:

Collin Chandler scored a career-high 15 points to lead No. 9 Kentucky to a 77-51 win over Nicholls on Tuesday night in a season opener for both teams. Otega Oweh, the preseason Southeastern Conference player of the year, scored nine of his 13 points in the second half for Kentucky. Freshman Jasper Johnson added 11 points and Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen scored 10.

He was the Boilermakers’ leading scorer and rebounder last season with averages of 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Dent, a heralded transfer from New Mexico, had a memorable performance in his Southern California homecoming.

Many NBA analysts have one of these two young stars pegged as the No. 1 prospect for next year’s draft.

Purdue is ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll for the first time.

Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa sat behind tables about 20 feet apart inside the T-Mobile Center, the site of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament, a couple of weeks ago, dutifully answering questions about their upcoming freshman seasons. Peterson and Dybantsa had been ranked Nos. 1A and 1B among prep basketball players for years, their paths seemingly always intertwined.

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: