Iowa State point guard Tamin Lipsey, the senior who grew up near campus in Ames, is now part of something that had never been done by the Cyclones. “Watching all those teams growing up and just realizing that I have a chance right now to make a footprint for Iowa State, and just the community of Ames and all of that, I never take for granted.” Lipsey scored 24 points, overcoming some early foul trouble that kept him on the bench for nearly eight minutes in the first half.
No. 1 Arizona remains unbeaten with 101-76 win over Kansas State
Arizona (15-0, 2-0 Big 12) is off to its best start since winning the first 21 games of the 2013-14 season. Arizona won by at least 18 points for the 10th consecutive game, matching a mark Michigan had earlier this season that tied for the longest such run since 2003-04. Burries had his fifth 20-point game and matched his career high by going 12 for 16 from the field while adding nine rebounds.
No. 11 Vanderbilt remains undefeated with 96-90 win over No. 13 Alabama
Tyler Tanner scored 23 of his career-high 29 points in the second half and No. 11 Vanderbilt remained undefeated by beating 13th-ranked Alabama 96-90 on Wednesday night. The Commodores (15-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) extended their best start since winning 16 straight games to open the 2007-08 season. This is only the second time in the program's 124-year history that Vanderbilt has won its first 15.
Godfrey’s 17 points and Clemson’s strong defense lead to 74-70 win over No. 24 SMU
RJ Godfrey scored 17 points and Clemson held down No. 24 SMU in a 74-70 victory Wednesday night. The Tigers (13-3) have started 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for a second consecutive season. SMU (12-3, 1-1) came in averaging 91.5 points per game — tops in the ACC and 14th nationally — but couldn't crack Clemson's defense until late in the game.
Karl-Anthony Towns' big fourth quarter keys Knicks' win over Clippers: 'The way he played tonight, it’s what we needed'
Just 48 hours ago, the Knicks were demolished by the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, extending their season-long losing streak to four games.
While most of the Knicks players simply didn't show up to play in Detroit, a spotlight was focused on Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Knicks' big man scored just six points on 1 of 4 shooting with one rebound and one assist. He turned the ball over six times and was a minus-27 on the floor in Monday's loss. It was a dreadful showing and he looked lost. So much so that he told the NY Post afterward that the reason for his poor performance was adjusting to head coach Mike Brown's new system.
Well, what a difference two days make.
The Knicks snapped their losing streak with an impressive 123-111 win over the red-hot Clippers on Wednesday night, and Towns was a huge part of the victory.
With the game still close in the fourth quarter, Towns took over offensively, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the final frame. He also came down with four rebounds to help the Knicks separate themselves from Los Angeles.
"We needed it," Jalen Brunson said of Towns' performance after the game. "Helped us increase our lead and it was big-time play from him. We all have to have each other’s backs. The way he played tonight, it’s what we needed."
Towns' comments after Detroit about his performance garnered questions about what was different for him and why he found success against the Clippers.
The big man said that he's just trying to impact the game in a winning way, and that's what his goal is.
"I said it last year, I say it this year, any time I touch the ball, I’m trying to be aggressive, whether that’s making a play for myself or my teammates," Towns said. "I want to impact winning every single day."
For Towns in the fourth quarter, he pointed to his increased aggressiveness as the catalyst for his performance.
"I made some shots, didn’t make a lot of them, but I think tonight shows aggression wins," Towns explained. "Not letting go because some shots aren’t going in, stay very aggressive in any opportunity that I got. At the end of the day, it worked out for our team. Those plays, miss or make, I'm glad they impacted winning and put us in a better spot."
"He’s an explosive scorer. Starting with me, I got to continue to find ways to help him, like I have to help the rest of the team," Brown said of Towns. "What I like about tonight is, he’s an All-Star, great level player and those types of players impact the game.
"He can score with the best, so we know eventually he’s going to get going in that area, but what I like about it, he was impactful defensively -- 11 rebounds, seven assists, the nine points definitely helped and he helped us create that separation by doing that. But I don’t want to belittle the fact that he did what All-Stars do, what great players do. He found other ways throughout the course of the ballgame to continue to help our team win. That’s fantastic to see because he’s more than capable with as good as he is."
Entering Wednesday, Towns is averaging 21.5 points, on 47 percent shooting and 11.5 rebounds. All three categories are down from last season when he was voted All-NBA Third Team and to his fifth All-Star Game. However, the second-year Knick is more worried about winning and getting New York to the NBA Finals for the first time in almost three decades.
And while there's still a lot of season left, Towns and the Knicks hope Wednesday's win leads to more as they head West for a four-game road trip.
"We weren’t at our best today, but we did enough to win," he said. "At points in the game, we did a good job of getting a run and we didn’t let them stop the bleeding. We got to better than we were tonight. I have to be better. This is a good start before heading on the road trip to stop the bleeding of four losses in a row...now we have to build off of it.
"Teams understand now that we are coming in with a little momentum, and they are going to try and stop that. We have to do a better job of out-executing them and out-hustling them. It's up to us."
The Knicks head to Phoenix to start their West Coast trip against the Suns on Friday.
No. 4 UConn rallies past Providence late for 103-98 victory in overtime
Braylon Mullins scored eight of his career-high 24 points in overtime and fourth-ranked UConn rallied past Providence 103-98 on Wednesday night for its 11th consecutive victory.
No. 15 Arkansas uses balanced scoring to beat Mississippi 94-87 in SEC matchup
Brazile scored 18 points, Billy Richmond III and Meleek Thomas added 13 points apiece, and Karter Knox scored 10 in the balanced Arkansas performance. Ole Miss was led by Ilias Kamardine and Malik Dia with 16 points apiece. AJ Storr scored 12 points, Eduardo Klafke had 11 in the second half and Patton Pinkins added 10.
Malik Thomas scores 20 and No. 23 Virginia moves to 9-0 at home with 84-60 win over Cal
Malik Thomas scored 20 points and No. 23 Virginia beat California 84-60 in its Atlantic Coast Conference home opener Wednesday night, scoring at least 80 points for the 14th time in 15 games this season. Johann Grunloh, Thijs De Ridder, Sam Lewis and Ugonna Onyenso each added 12 for the Cavaliers (13-2, 2-1), who assisted on 23 of 30 baskets and dominated the glass with 45-26 edge in rebounding. Virginia has won two straight since a triple-overtime loss at rival Virginia Tech on New Year's Eve.
Saunders scores career-high 31 points as No. 9 BYU routs Arizona State 104-76
BYU outscored Arizona State 31-16 in fast-break points and blocked 10 shots. Anthony Johnson scored 24 points while Massamba Diop had 22 points and nine rebounds to pace the Sun Devils (9-6, 0-2), who dropped their fourth game in a row. The Cougars wasted no time imposing their will on both ends of the court.
Braden Smith overcomes foul trouble by scoring 23 and leading No. 5 Purdue past Washington 81-73
Braden Smith finished with 23 points and seven assists and made two late free throws to help No. 5 Purdue fend off Washington's late rally for an 81-73 victory Wednesday night. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Boilermakers won their fifth in a row and matched a school-best start at 14-1 (4-0 Big Ten) for the ninth time in program history. It came on a night Purdue honored Smith, an Associated Press preseason All-American guard, before the national anthem by presenting the Big Ten's new career assists leader with a framed poster.
Nets fall to Magic in OT, 104-103, on Paolo Banchero's buzzer-beater
NEW YORK (AP) — Paolo Banchero banked in a three-pointer from the top of the key at the overtime buzzer to give the Orlando Magic a 104-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Two nights after falling at lowly Washington, the Magic beat the Nets for the eighth straight time to improve to 21-17.
Banchero scored 30 points to lead Orlando. Wendell Carter Jr. added 20, Tristan da Silva had 14 and Noah Penda 13.
In overtime, Egor Demin made a three-pointer with 1:07 left to give Brooklyn a 100-99 lead. Carter put Orlando back in front on a dunk with 16 seconds remaining. Demin countered with another three with 3.6 seconds left to make it 103-101, and Banchero ended it with the 26-footer that banked in.
After Brooklyn pulled to 91-90 in regulation on Noah Clowney’s jumper, da Silva scored on a dunk for Orlando with 17 seconds left. Demin hit a three-pointer with six seconds to go to tie it, and Banchero missed a 30-footer at the buzzer.
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 34 points and Demin had 18. The Nets were coming off a home victory over Denver on Sunday. They are 11-13.
Up next
Magic: Host Philadelphia on Friday night.
Nets: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
No. 3 Iowa State sets school record with 15-0 start after 70-60 win over Baylor
Joshua Jefferson had 19 points and 17 rebounds as No. 3 Iowa State won its 15th consecutive game to start the season, 70-60 over Baylor on Wednesday night. Tamin Lipsey scored 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting after early foul trouble, and Killyan Toure had 12 for the Cyclones (15-0, 2-0 Big 12). Iowa State’s 15-0 start and 15-game winning streak are both school records, surpassing the 14-0 start by the 2013-14 team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Hawks reportedly trade Trae Young to Wizards: trade details and fantasy fallout
In recent days and weeks, the rumblings surrounding Trae Young's future in Atlanta grew too loud to ignore. Having appeared in just ten games this season due to injury, the point guard's production slipped, and the Hawks failed to string together wins when Young was on the floor.
Add in the continued emergence of Jalen Johnson, and offseason addition Nickeil Alexander-Walker exceeding the expectations of many, and the writing was on the wall. On Wednesday night, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Young was traded to the Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
BREAKING: The Atlanta Hawks are trading four-time NBA All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/WIf8rhrRFu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 8, 2026
Atlanta receives some salary-cap relief, as McCollum will be an unrestricted free agent in June, and he and Kispert can provide shooting around Johnson, who appears to be the Hawks' new cornerstone. Let's look at this trade and how it affects the fantasy values of the players involved and their new teams.
Washington receives: Trae Young
When healthy and playing at his best, Young can be a highly valuable fantasy player, especially in eight-cat formats. However, in the short term, it's fair to question what the Wizards' plans are for the franchise's new point guard. Young has missed Atlanta's last five games with a quad injury. Was the injury the only reason why he sat? Or did the trade speculation and desire to avoid aggravating anything have a role? It would clearly be in Washington's best interest to exercise caution with Young, not only for his health but also for the potential impact on the 2026 NBA Draft.
Washington's first-round pick is top-8 protected; if it falls outside of that range, it will go to the Knicks. And at this stage in the franchise's rebuild, adding another elite talent in what is a loaded 2026 draft class would be good business. With that in mind, would the Wizards consider shutting Young down, as Toronto did with Brandon Ingram last season? We'll see.
Young's fantasy value, once he gets on the court, should be fine. How he and Alex Sarr mesh in the two-man game is something to watch, and Young's presence may also benefit wings Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson. That said, Bub Carrington may be in a challenging spot, even if he were (for some reason) to start alongside Young. Bub's value may receive a short-term boost if Young isn't immediately ready to play, but dynasty league managers who have him rostered can't be thrilled with Wednesday's development.
With McCollum and Kispert now out of the picture, the clock begins to tick on Khris Middleton. Like CJ, the experience and wisdom he brings to the locker room can't be overstated. But, if the Wizards can acquire future draft capital in exchange for Middleton at (or before) the February trade deadline, one has to assume that they'll make the move. He still isn't playing back-to-backs, and the time off may increase if he's in Washington after the deadline. One would hope that some of the availability concerns would subside if Middleton is moved to a team with playoff ambitions.
Atlanta receives: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert
The Hawks' decision to move Young boosts the fantasy values of two players in the immediate aftermath of the move: Johnson and Alexander-Walker. Johnson has become a triple-double threat this season, offering first-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Even with McCollum joining the fold, the ball is going to be in his hands plenty. As for Alexander-Walker, he should continue to serve as the starting point guard. Despite playing well enough to merit being rostered in most leagues, NAW is still available in more than half of Yahoo! leagues. Look for that to change, beginning Thursday morning.
Dyson Daniels may receive a slight boost to his fantasy value because of the additional playmaking opportunities, but he's unlikely to benefit at the level that Johnson and Alexander-Walker should. Post players Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porziņģis will be intriguing to watch, as both have been quality fantasy options (when healthy, in the case of the latter). No Young in the lineup did not result in a sharp decrease in their scoring opportunities, thanks mainly to Johnson's improved playmaking.
The players who may be at most significant risk of a drop in fantasy value may be those who are rostered in less than 20 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Zaccharie Risacher should remain a starter, but Atlanta's bench improved with the addition of McCollum. With Risacher already offering limited fantasy value, the second unit's increased strength may result in fewer minutes for him. Luke Kennard and Vit Krejčí are also in challenging spots, and they already brought limited fantasy value to the table.
It had become clear that Atlanta needed to make a change, having underwhelmed after entering the season with expectations of competing in the East. McCollum and Kispert may not move the needle immediately, but moving on from Young's contract should make for an interesting summer.
Strong, Fudd star as top-ranked UConn rolls past St. John’s for 32nd consecutive victory
IOWA STATE 63 CINCINNATI (AP) — Mya Perry scored 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, 4 of 6 from 3-point range, to help Cincinnati beat Iowa State for the Bearcats' first win over a ranked team in nearly 15 years. The Bearcats, who are 1-4 against Iowa State, beat a Top-25 opponent for the first time since a 65-62 win over then-No. Marquette on Feb. 28, 2011.
No. 13 TCU women score last 9 points to beat Oklahoma State 69-61
Olivia Miles scored 20 points, and No. TCU scored the last nine points to beat Oklahoma State 69-61 on Wednesday night. Marta Suarez scored six of her 11 points and Maddie Scherr added all six of her points with a pair of 3s in the final period as TCU shot 64%, and held Oklahoma State scoreless for the final seven minutes.