New SI freshman rankings are live! We lead with the numbers that prove this is the best freshman class of the one-and-done era. Also why Keaton Wagler cracks the top two, Nate Ament’s recent surge and a mid-major standout in the MVC to watch: www.si.com/college-bask...

Last year’s Darryn Peterson vs. AJ Dybantsa battle swung many undecideds Peterson’s way. This year’s made the answer obvious. Even with his cramping woes, Darryn Peterson is the clear choice at the top of a loaded 2026 draft: www.si.com/college-bask...

Darryn Peterson.

Bill Self going with Flory to guard AJ Dybantsa is an interesting wrinkle. No shot attempts from AJ in the first four minutes. Peterson with seven early for the Jayhawks. Entertaining start!

Darryn Peterson vs AJ Dybantsa tips in 10 minutes. In case you missed their last matchup… it was electric. Fireworks to come today. youtu.be/vPhvzCoVMLw?...

Second straight second-half comeback for Seton Hall. Pirates hold serve in a much-needed one against Marquette. Three major road opportunities for Q1 wins in their next four. Incredible bounceback year in South Orange continues.

Road to the NCAAT for Virginia Tech gets a lot tougher after today. Every Q1 opportunity on their schedule in February/March is on the road. Probably will need to steal a couple to get in. Had opportunities today: They'll rue so many good looks missed from three.

Breaking my Bluesky absence to share my annual 1-365 national college hoops rankings, a labor of love (and maybe torture) few others would take on. Your early guide to college hoops in 2025-26: www.si.com/college-bask...

Fantastic write-up of Houston's beautiful game-winning inbounds play against Purdue last night from @ksweeneycbb.bsky.social www.si.com/inside-houst...

As I first reported on Twitter (down currently), Penn has parted ways with Steve Donahue after back-to-back 7th-place Ivy finishes, source told @sportsillustrated.bsky.social. Donahue was 131-130 in nine seasons there. Arguably the best job in the Ivy League.

Louisiana is parting ways with longtime head coach Bob Marlin, per release. Marlin had been at UL since 2010. Off to a 3-9 start this year. Assistant Derrick Zimmerman will be the interim. Coaches have been angling for this one behind the scenes for months already, if not longer.

🚨 Midseason Portal Rankings 🚨 A check-in on the 10 best/most impactful transfers in college basketball thus far, plus five mid-majors that struck gold with under-the-radar adds. 1. Chaz Lanier 2. PJ Haggerty 3. Adou Thiero Full top 10 and more: www.si.com/college-bask...

I’ll double this up… The KenPom daily ratings archive dates back to the 2011-12 season. Auburn’s net efficiency rating of 35.00 on December 15 is the highest any team has been at this point in the season… by far. The next-best efficiency rating on this date: 31.40.

When Overtime Elite came onto the scene, some expected more flash than substance. 3+ years later, the league is one of the top hoops incubators in the world... and just getting started. "We try... to make it a place that has literally no weaknesses.” www.si.com/basketball/p...

Cooper Flagg comes in at No. 1 in my updated 2025 draft big board, but plenty of movement below him. Check in on where I have Rutgers' star freshmen, the *other* Duke guys and more key names worth tracking: www.si.com/nba/nba-draft-big-board-cooper-flagg-duke-baylor-rutgers

All told, I think 2-2 for Duke against Auburn, Arizona, Kentucky and Kansas is pretty impressive... and the only reason it doesn't feel like that is that they easily could be 4-0.

The Isaiah Evans Game

North Carolina started from as good a place as anyone this spring with what they were bringing back in the backcourt and the two five-stars incoming. Just a massive whiff all spring that is translating onto the court now. 3:30 away from a 4-4 start in Chapel Hill.

Entertaining first half between UConn and Baylor. UConn still getting killed at the rim defensively (20 Baylor paint points,+ eight FTs) but looked better later in the half keeping drivers at bay. Getting the threes they want on the other end. Big 20 mins ahead for both teams.

lol Dan Hurley is a crazy person

The hijinks of early NET rankings… Syracuse lost by 26 to Tennessee last night and still climbed 18 spots overnight, from 178 to 160.

The ACC is now 0-9 against the SEC to start today’s ACC/SEC challenge. And this isn’t just poor matchups… ACC teams are just 2-7 against the spread. League is now 1-21 in games against the SEC as we wait on a final result between Kentucky and Clemson. Disastrous.

Cards not at full strength, but 20+ point drubbings in Pat Kelsey’s first two big home games isn’t ideal as he looks to re-inject some energy into this Louisville program. Ole Miss rolling tonight at the Yum! Center.

After years of explosive offenses, odd to see a Steve Forbes team be so offensively-challenged. Wake stuck on 44 with three minutes to go on the road at Texas A&M. Good news? Wake’s early win over Michigan is aging quite nicely.

Providence using Bryce Hopkins as a small-ball 5 tonight in his season debut feels as noteworthy as his 16 points, 5 boards and 4 assists. Friars bounce back in a BIG way from Atlantis and blow out BYU.

Grading what your concern level should be for five highly-ranked preseason teams who flopped during Feast Week: www.si.com/college-bask...

Reminder that this is a particularly massive game for Indiana given how it sets up their schedule for the rest of the week. Lose this game, and IU likely gets WVU and Davidson Thursday/Friday. More likely than not they’d exit non-conference play without a Q1 win.

Indiana just playing from so far behind analytically against modern offenses like Louisville. Hoosiers took 12 non-rim twos in first half, Louisville just 3. Indiana’s shooting has been cold, but you make life so much harder for yourself with a shot diet like that.

What an epic game. Maui always delivers. Sucks for a technical to be such a pivotal point in the game, but also not sure the refs had any other choice after how Hurley reacted there. Incredible win for Memphis… and UConn’s got some stuff to fix.

UConn getting 29 combined points in half from Tarris Reed and Jaylin Stewart and still being tied with Memphis is something

Quite the start to the Ben McCollum era at Drake. Bulldogs look every bit the part of a team that can push Bradley in the MVC.

There are a lot of really productive transfers out there, but not sure anyone has been more important to their team than John Tonje at Wisconsin. Another 30+ point night tonight. Has made up for AJ Storr’s departure and more in Madison.

Early yet, but the Ace Bailey homecoming game at Kennesaw (particularly timed right before Vegas) is looking like a pretty big self-inflicted wound for Rutgers.

Georgia takes a big early step towards the NCAA tournament with a neutral court win against St. John’s. Bulldogs have the size and physicality to grind out games and good enough guards to go score it. Great chance to be 12-1 heading into SEC play in January.

Of all the basketball games ever played, Georgia vs St John’s is certainly one of them

Harvard vs. Yale ✅

Ball Up Top! youtu.be/h3U7zgyVDC8?...

Our SI crew:

Mark Byington’s Vanderbilt Commodores at 5-0. Heck of a win over a very good Nevada team to get into the winner’s bracket in Charleston.

OMG JEREMY ROACH

UConn is getting ready to head to Maui and @ksweeneycbb.bsky.social joins us to preview the match ups and path for UConn to claim the title. Tune in! www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSXB...

Robert Morris (or Morris Robert) having a bit of an identity crisis tonight.

Had Ben McCollum wanted a job, he’d have had one multiple years ago. He’s been very selective and something of a mystery man in at least a half-dozen searches before finally deciding Drake was the one he wanted.

Illinois going to need *something* from the Boswell/DGL/White trio to compete in these high-level games. Some of this is just a nuclear shooting Nelson day, but way too much pressure on Kasparas and Riley right now on the ball.

Illinois/Alabama is a League Pass college basketball game if there ever was one.

Shaping up to be a tough year in Blacksburg for Mike Young and Virginia Tech. Hokies lose a buy game tonight against Jacksonville U after getting worked over the weekend by Penn State. Next four are against high-majors. Could be the Hokies’ first sub-.500 season since 2015.

Kam Jones has long been something of a forgotten man at Marquette. There's no ignoring him now. On a historic night for the Golden Eagles' unquestioned alpha, who's on his way to All-America honors... and maybe more. www.si.com/college-bask...

BANG

Kam Jones has long been something of a forgotten man at Marquette. There's no ignoring him now. On a historic night for the Golden Eagles' unquestioned alpha, who's on his way to All-America honors... and maybe more. www.si.com/college-bask...

That may be the dagger sequence for Marquette to finally pull away from Purdue. This has been a heck of a showing from Shaka’s bunch. Elite defensive effort… especially from Ross and Mitchell in the backcourt.