Category: NCAA Basketball

Braden Frager scored 15 points off the bench and No. Nebraska held off a late rally by Ohio State to win 72-69 on Monday night. Rienk Mast added 12 points while Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort each had 11 as the Cornhuskers (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten) extended the best start in school history.

Coen Carr scored 18 points and Jaxon Kohler added 16 on perfect shooting to lead No. 12 Michigan State to an 80-51 blowout against Southern California on Monday night. Jeremy Fears Jr. had 15 points and seven assists for the Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten), who took control with a 27-6 run early in the game and led by at least 20 for much of the second half. Kohler made all six of his field goal attempts, including a trio of 3-pointers, and sank his only free throw.

Michigan State basketball score: Coen Carr and Jaxon Kohler combined for 34 points in the Spartans' rout of USC at Breslin Center on Monday, Jan. 5.

Tariq Francis made 10 of 16 from the field, hit 10 of 11 from the free-throw line, and scored 30 points to help Rutgers beat Oregon 88-85 in overtime on Monday night. Darren Buchanan Jr. hit a corner 3-pointer and threw down a two-hand dunk before Francis made a jumper that capped a 7-1 spurt and gave Rutgers (8-7, 1-3 Big Ten) an 87-82 lead with 1:09 to play. Buchanan, Jamichael Davis and Lino Mark each scored 13 points for the Scarlet Knights.

Defending national champion Florida shot its way out of the AP Top 25. It was Florida’s fifth loss — one more than it had last season — and was the team’s latest display of lackluster shooting and less-than-ideal playmaking. The Gators (9-5, 0-1 SEC) failed to hit double-digit 3-pointers for the 12th time in 14 games and shot a paltry 26% from behind the arc in a 76-74 loss to the Tigers.

An overtime win over Auburn in its Southeastern Conference opening game showed No. 23 Georgia’s high-scoring offense is no fluke.

“Yaxel is day to day,” Michigan basketball coach Dusty May said of star with Yaxel Lendeborg, who has a calf strain. “He’s feeling much better.”

The one-point difference kept the first poll of 2026 from becoming the second ever with a tie for No. 1; Oregon State and Virginia shared the top spot on Jan. 26, 1981.

Also, Nebraska looks legitimate for the first time in forever.

Here's an updated look at the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 on Jan. 5 of the men's college basketball season:

Michigan and Arizona continue to lead the first USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll of the 2026 calendar year.

Eight teams were upset over the past two weeks of games, including five to unranked opponents, so we have some movement in the AP poll.

Graham Ike scored 16 points as No. 7 Gonzaga overcame early shooting trouble to beat Loyola Marymount 82-47 on Sunday night for its ninth consecutive victory. Mario Saint-Supery added 13 points and Jalen Warley 12 points for Gonzaga (16-1, 4-0 West Coast Conference), which was coming off an 80-72 overtime win over Seattle on Friday night, and had a slow start against the Lions. Rodney Brown scored 11 points to lead Loyola Marymount (10-7, 1-3), which defeated Gonzaga in Spokane during the 2022-23 season.

Graham Ike scored 16 points as No. 7 Gonzaga overcame early shooting trouble to beat Loyola Marymount 82-47 on Sunday night for its ninth consecutive victory. Mario Saint-Supery added 13 points and Jalen Warley 12 points for Gonzaga (16-1, 4-0 West Coast Conference), which was coming off an 80-72 overtime win over Seattle on Friday night, and had a slow start against the Lions. Rodney Brown scored 11 points to lead Loyola Marymount (10-7, 1-3), which defeated Gonzaga in Spokane during the 2022-23 season.

Solo Ball scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half and Tarris Reed Jr. finished with 13 points and nine rebounds as No. 4 UConn rolled to a 73-57 win over visiting Marquette on Sunday to extend its winning streak to 10 games.