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There was a full week of faculty basketball video games, which implies it’s past time to overreact.
Listed here are the three largest winners and losers from the game’s opening week.
The Wildcats received the primary highlight sport of the 2205-26 season with their 93-87 conquer reigning nationwide champion Florida on opening night time. Toss in the truth that freshman ahead Koa Peat possible gave essentially the most spectacular particular person efficiency of the week (30 factors, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals), and yeah, it isn’t laborious to justify Arizona being right here.
There was perhaps a gentle hangover on Friday for Tommy Lloyd’s workforce, which led Utah Tech by simply seven factors at halftime earlier than rolling to a 93-67 victory. Peat scored 18 factors within the win regardless of trying simply seven discipline objectives.
Arizona was picked fourth within the Large 12 preseason media ballot, but when week one is any indication, the Cats are way more of a risk to Houston’s throne than most thought getting into the 12 months.
After blasting Central Arkansas by 40 on opening night time, the Tar Heels made an early assertion on Friday night time with an emphatic 87-74 win over visiting Kansas.
Whereas many of the hype getting into the showdown surrounded KU tremendous freshman Darryn Peterson, it was UNC’s personal McDonald’s All-American, Caleb Wilson, who stole the present. The absurdly proficient 6’10” ahead scored 24 factors to associate with 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals as he added his title to the checklist of youngsters who’ve outlined the primary days of the 2025-26 season.
After the sport, Wilson acknowledged that that matchup with Peterson was private for him.
It’s no secret that it is a make-or-break season for Hubert Davis in Chapel Hill. Notching a press release victory this early within the season is reassuring, however it means nothing if the Tar Heels aren’t in a position to construct on it over the following few weeks of non-conference play.
Carolina could have a chance to do exactly that in a three-game stretch on the finish of November/starting of December once they’ll face Michigan State, Kentucky and Georgetown in succession.
Whereas Arizona might have had the splashiest week one win due to the added highlight that opening night time brings, it was the Crimson Tide who scored possible the week’s most impactful victory.
Various school basketball writers projected through the offseason that Nate Oats’ program would possibly take a slight step backwards in 2025-26. As an alternative, Alabama waltzed into Madison Sq. Backyard on the season’s first Saturday and took down Rick Pitino and No. 5 St. John’s in a wildly entertaining sport the place the Tide have been fairly clearly the superior facet.
Labaron Philon made an early assertion to the school basketball world by trying unguardable for 2 hours and ending with 25 factors on 10-of-17 taking pictures. Backcourt mate Aden Holloway was rock strong as properly, and added 21.
St. John’s can be advantageous. Pitino groups all the time appear to hit their stride proper across the begin of convention play, which implies a real highway win over the Johnnies ought to age like a advantageous wine for Alabama.
Is it unfair to knock a workforce for dropping on the highway to a prime 25 opponent within the first week of the season? Maybe, however November inventory reviews aren’t about equity. They’re about … properly, vibes, principally. Similar to the School Soccer Playoff rankings.
Fears that poor exterior taking pictures and erratic guard play might as soon as once more hang-out John Calipari got gas on this one. The Razorbacks related on simply 7-of-28 pictures from past the arc, and freshman guard Darius Acuff struggled with decision-making, notably when it got here to shot choice and a essential foul of Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears on a three-point try.
The items are there for the Razorbacks, however they merely couldn’t discover a technique to get it carried out when the stakes have been the best, which was a narrative that largely outlined Calipari’s first season in Fayetteville.
The Bruins seemed wildly inconsistent in a pair of nearer than that they had any enterprise being wins over Jap Washington (80-74) and Pepperdine (74-63). Regardless of that, head coach Mick Cronin didn’t appear to be bothered in any respect by the workforce’s play and was adamant that the preseason No. 10 workforce within the nation can be simply advantageous.
Simply kidding, he stated he wished to fireside himself after the season’s first sport.
It’s fairly obvious that UCLA is struggling a bit to regulate to life with Donovan Dent, the score-first level guard who thrives when he has free reign to do his factor in transition. The Bruins possible will be simply advantageous when all is claimed and carried out, however week one was not overly comforting for followers desperately ready for this system to get again to the promised land.
I don’t care how a lot they beat Merrimack by in sport two, you possibly can’t commit maybe the worst foul we’re going to see all season and go to additional time with Bethune-Cookman and keep away from discovering your self on this checklist.
Possibly Steven Pearl is the appropriate man for the job and the Tigers are going to maintain rolling identical to they’d have if his dad had remained the pinnacle coach. Sport one actually supplied some causes to consider that won’t be the case.
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