Category Archives: college basketball

BrackEYEtestology: Ranking the First 11 Teams in the Tourney

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Each March, the NCAA Tournament introduces college basketball fans to a new group of mid-major champions who earned automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments. This blog article will evaluate the visual “eye test” qualities of each mid-major team that secured a place in the 2026 Men’s College Basketball Tournament bracket, focusing on those who punched their ticket prior to Gonzaga.

While Gonzaga appears on this conference outline, the program is widely regarded as a national power despite competing in a traditionally weaker conference structure. The goal of this article is to provide quick-hit visual scouting impressions of these mid-major qualifiers.

BY MATTY D.

Tennessee State Jumps Off the Page when Comparing Hype to the Eye Test

One of the first teams to punch their tickets to the 2026 Men’s College Basketball Tournament could be one of the most dangerous and dramatic upset candidates in the entire tourney. If you like riding underdogs on your bracket, you may enjoy how this team’s entry will be old news by the time Selection Sunday gets sorted out.

Guard Aaron Nkrumah absolutely jumps off the page. Or, should I say, he jumps off the TV screen with athleticism. The bouncy 6-6 senior scored 14 points in the championship win against Morehead State, but it was actually noteworthy that the Tigers enjoyed five players scoring in the teens during that game. This is on par with how Tennessee State has been finishing up its regular season. Since losing its last time this season to Morehead State, the Tigers have been beating teams by an average of 18 points, including two lopsided wins of 27 and 26 points against SIUE and Morehead State, respectively.

If you needed any more reasons to like Tennessee State as a sleeper team, consider its head coach. This past summer, former 4-year starting Duke point guard Nolan Smith was announced at the Tigers head coach. This, after serving as an assistant with Memphis and Louisville.

Rookie head coach Nolan Smith was nominated as a finalist for one of the best mid-major coaches in America.

Tennessee State’s announcement of the Nolan news put it in context the best:

“Smith spent his entire playing career at Duke under Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski, widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. That experience helped shape Smith’s foundation as a tactician, motivator, and leader.”

Seniority “On Brand” as UNI Finds the Field Once Again

In this age of NIL, it’s hard to find examples of seniority thriving in college basketball.

Yet, there’s a perfect example of hard work paying off in the Missouri Valley Conference. The University of Northern Iowa is led by 4-year senior guard Trey Campbell, who also led an Iowa high school team to a state championship.

Of course, it wouldn’t be “on brand” to say that UNI is a one man show. Campbell leads the team with 13 points per game, but has four other teammates averaging around double digits.

Northern Iowa also has seniority when it comes to its long tenured head coach. Ben Jacobson has been at the helm for the Panthers since 2006.

Furman Finds Itself As Another Fiesty 6 Seed to Fight Its Way Into the Tournament

Ironically, both the Furman Paladins and that Northern Iowa Panthers teams are making it into the tournament as former 6 seeds in their own conferences.

Furman is a well-put-together roster with capable athletes everywhere. Led by a true freshman in Alex Wilkins, he has brothers Cooper and Cole Bowser attacking the rim at his side.

Not only do UNI and Furman share similarities as 6 seeds to win their conference championship, but they also squared off earlier this season in non-conference play.

Former Syracuse Fan Favorite Fanning the Flames of Upstate New York Revival

If you live in New York, you might be happy to hear that three of the first 11 teams to make the NCAA Tournament are from the Empire State. Upstate New York may have been hopeful of a rejuvenation of Syracuse basketball with Carmelo Anthony’s son playing for the orange and blue.

However, it’s another former Syracuse Orange player who is making a splash.

Syracuse cult hero Gerry McNamara, aka “G-Mac” has led another Upstate New York program to prominence. You’ll remember Gerry McNamara as the starting point guard on the 2001 Syracuse Orange championship team. Now, the Siena Saints of the capital region will return to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with McNamara as their head coach.

Siena Saints head coach Gerry McNamara courtesy SienaSaints.com Potographer Josh Miller

True to the script of how the universe is unfolding as it should, McNamara’s Saints are led by another gritty undersized under-recruited combo guard from Upstate New York. Gavin Doty of Fulton, NY is averaging 18 points for the Saints in his sophomore season. Siena was dominating Merrimack in the MAC Championship game in the first half before they had to fend off a more serious run.

What Else You Should Know about the First 10 Teams to Make March Madness 2026

As the bracket continues to take shape, six additional mid-major champions who punched their tickets before Gonzaga deserve at least a quick closing nod. Queens (N.C.) arrives from the ASUN with one of the nation’s most aggressive transition attacks, routinely pushing tempo behind dynamic guard play. High Point leaned on a prolific perimeter scoring profile during its Big South title run, spacing the floor with multiple double-figure shooters. Wright State brings a physically imposing interior presence that has powered one of the Horizon League’s most efficient paint-scoring units. Long Island surged late with disruptive on-ball pressure that fueled a top-tier steal rate in Northeast Conference play. And North Dakota State, long respected for disciplined execution, once again showcased a methodical half-court offense that finished near the top of the Summit League in shooting efficiency — a reminder that even in a tournament defined by chaos, structure and shot-making still travel well when the lights get brightest. Hofstra returns to March Madness with a reputation for elite ball security, consistently ranking among conference leaders in assist-to-turnover efficiency.

Suspect Spreads Saturday Spots Two Major Snubs

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Two of America’s most overlooked teams within the AP Top 25 are totally being disrespected by this weekend’s odds for NCAA Men’s College Basketball games. That’s where we begin this Saturday’s rundown of suspect spreads.

BY MATTY D.

UVA “Flat Better than” other NCAA Tournament Teams

Will Wade understands it. The rest of us college basketball fans better get with the picture, too.

Virginia is steamrolling teams.

The Cavaliers’ dominant win against a bubble NC State team last weekend was noteworthy. It wasn’t much of a game. Virginia put on an offensive clinic with everyone getting a turn. The 23-year-old “freshman” from Belgium, Thijs De Ridder got to the rim with ease. De Ridder is averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds this season.

He and his Cav teammates blocked 11 shots in the game, many in the opening moments.

Head Coach Ryan Odom already had his “one shining moment” when his UMBC Retrievers became the first-ever team to beat a 1 seed as a 16 seed (in 2021). Despite breaking their hearts in that fashion, UVA actually decided to hire Odom as their next head coach after the long tenure of Tony Bennett had come to a conclusion. In a coincidental turn of events, no one is really giving UVA a shot right now, either. On the heels of their dominant performance against the Wolfpack, the Cavaliers will face Duke as a 10.5 point underdog (according to DraftKings).

Darius Acuff and Arkansas Overlooked

The Florida Gators have been playing good basketball of late, but they have zero business being a 10 point favorite against Arkansas on Saturday. Arkansas carries a 20th overall ranking.

The Razorbacks look at times like a Final Four contender. Point guard Darius Acuff Jr. is among the tier of freshman following the top 5 NBA lottery pick freshmen who you hear all about. However, this kid has as high of a ceiling as the others. Texas A&M was challenging Arkansas this past week, before Acuff put on a street-ball styled flurry of plays that just reminded the Aggies who they’re dealing with.

This matchup against the Gators on Saturday might be a classic example of strengths against weaknesses, and vice versa. Florida guards have seemed to settle in after transferring into those positions this year, but it will be Florida’s front court that will have the advantage in this game.

Conversely, the Arkansas guards including Acuff Jr., Dejuan Wagner Jr., and Billy Richomond III will be a lot of athleticism for the Gator guards to have to handle.

USC Nebraska a Litmus Test Game for Both Basketball Teams

We don’t really know if USC is a tournament team and we don’t really know if Nebraska really deserves to be in this 2 or 3 seed discussion. Sure, they went undefeated for the better portion of 3 months. Still, it seems like we’re left waiting for the other shoe to drop with Nebraska.

Nebraska went undefeated until getting beat by Michigan for the first time on January 27th. In the month that followed, Nebraska hasn’t been terribly impressive. They won 3 or their last 4 games, but none of them against ranked teams. They lost their last game against a ranked opponent when they played Purdue, although they came storming back from a huge deficit in that game. It just looks like teams have figured Nebraska. Nebraska and Vanderbilt both look similar at this juncture. Their stocks were skyrocketing in December or January, but are now plateauing if not coming back down to earth.

As for USC, Chad Baker-Mazara returned from the injury report two games ago, but the Trojans have struggled in that pair. They just got routed by UCLA, which has not exactly been firing on all cylinders this season.

Injury Report: Injuries to Monitor before Filling Out Your March Madness 2026 Bracket

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Here are some injuries for you to monitor before filling out your bracket for March Madness 2026.

The end of the regular season is seeing its share of season ending injuries to stars, but there are plenty more injury statuses to keep an eye on. Even if these players have returned, its worth noting how they and their team have performed in the closing month of the season before the Madness begins.

UNC’s Caleb Wilson Out With Broken Hand

The headline of the college basketball injury landscape is Caleb Wilson’s broken hand. UNC star Caleb Wilson suffered a broken in late January, but has shared on social media how he looks forward to playing again at Chapel Hill. Because Wilson is a no-doubt NBA lottery pick, many people were speculating that he’ll never return to a UNC powder blue uniform again.

Wilson never made it back to the court to finish his freshman season, despite trying. He broke his hand again during practice while building up to game shape in early March.

Darius Acuff Ankle Acting Out to Start March

The Arkansas point guard was starting to get national player of the year consideration, led by some in the coaching community. ESPN reporter Pete Thamel reported that the star freshman’s ankle injury would keep him out for the season finale against the Missouri Tigers.

Losing to the 20th ranked Razorbacks certainly got Texas Head Coach Sean Miller’s attention. He called Acuff Jr. the best point guard he’d seen in 40 years.

BYU’s Richie Saunders Ruled Out for Season with ACL Tear

The headline of an injury-plagued second half of the college basketball season was this sad news. BYU sharpshooter Richie Saunders suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Saunders was a veteran leader for the Cougars, averaging around 18.8 points per game while shooting nearly 49% from the field and about 37.6% from three this season.

His absence was felt both on the scoreboard. The guard tore his ACL on Feb. 14. The Cougars were 19–6 at the time, but have gone just 2–4 in the games since the injury, dropping five of their last seven overall and sliding out of the AP Top 25. A key moment was when BYU visited Cincinnati to begin March and lose what could be a defacto playoff game if The Big 12 gets only one bubble team into the tournament.

Since Saunders went down, AJ Dybantsa has taken on an even larger scoring burden. His production has climbed from 24.4 points per game before the injury to 27.2 afterward, but the added volume has come with lower efficiency, as his field-goal percentage has dropped from 53.6% to 46.6% over the last five games.

Illinois Injury Shuffle: Boswell Returns, Stojakovic Now Sidelined

It was guard off the IL, one guard remaining on the IL for Illinois. After an extended absence from the lineup, Kylan Boswell returned to the lineup for a convincing win at home against Indiana, giving the Illini a much-needed jolt of experience and steadiness. However, Andrej Stojakovic has been now nursing an ankle injury of his own, and Illinois suddenly finds itself toggling between getting healthier and losing another key contributor.

For readers tracking bloodlines across the sport, check out our companion link following the growing list of sons of NBA players now in college hoops.

Gonzaga’s Braden Huff Injury Could Loom Larger Than Expected

Braden Huff was emerging as one of those classic Gonzaga program players who evolves from a skinny modest contributor to a major force down low. His verstality as a stretch 4 has been noticeably missing since his 4–8 week absence began a few weeks ago with a knee injury. However, as his timetable stalls and the postseason competition intensifies, this injury could become more consequential as the weeks go by.

Arizona’s Koa Peat Avoids Reported Injury List But Still Worth Monitoring

Koa Peat missed a few games in February, but Arizona did just fine without him. I’m not saying that Arizona doesn’t need him. I’m saying that Arizona is a national championship contender, even if a star goes down. They are 8 players deep, easily.

Fun Fact: One of Lebron James’ sons are on the team, but he can’t even get playing time with how talented the Wildcats are.

Click here to see a full roster of sons of NBA players in college hoops.

Kansas Star Darren Paterson: Injury Mystery or Draft Countdown?

There’s been some confusion surrounding KU basketball star Darren Paterson’s status this season. Right now, it remains unclear whether he is doing college basketball part time before cashing in his NBA Lottery ticket, or whether he has a tangible injury that we should be monitoring. Kansas has not provided a fully transparent update, and that ambiguity has fueled speculation at the worst possible time of year. A Kansas Jayhawks loss at Arizona State has the questions more about team chemistry than it does Paterson’s health status. The Jayhawks also lost at home to Cincinnati when Paterson played his most minutes of the season.

Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance Remains Sidelined With Knee Injury

Jayden Quaintance has missed an extended stretch of games for Kentucky while dealing with a knee injury, and his status remains one of the most important health questions for the Wildcats entering the heart of the postseason. The former Arizona State transfer brings rare athleticism and size to Kentucky’s frontcourt, making his absence especially noticeable in matchups against bigger opponents. Reports in mid-February indicated that the length of the injury has also begun to impact outside perceptions of his season and availability. Until Quaintance is cleared to return, Kentucky’s rotation continues to operate without one of its most physically dynamic interior pieces.

Vanderbilt’s Depth Tested as February Wears On

Vanderbilt’s backcourt and frontcourt have been thin in February and the Commodores record has suffered as a result. Duke Miles and Frankie Collins health statuses are worth monitoring, because Vanderbilt simply doesn’t have the margin for error that deeper SEC contenders enjoy down the stretch. Vanderbilt lost three straight games (Texas, Florida, Arkansas) in February while Frankie Collins was out of the lineup. Despite gaining their starting guards back, Vanderbilt suffered enough losses in 2026 to where they found themselves on the tournament bubble.

USC’s Engine: Chad Baker-Mazara Shut Down

We don’t know if feelings got injured or if a body part got injured, but USC shut down Chad Baker-Mazara to start March. The program announced that he is no longer on the team. He was tthe engine that made the Trojans go. After transferring from Auburn, Baker-Mazara has emerged as USC’s most consistent offensive force, providing scoring, shot creation, and leadership in late-game moments.

Nebraska Monitoring Multiple Questionable Rotation Pieces

Nebraska has several rotation players currently appearing on the injury board, including forward Lawrence Curtis, forward Uros Jarusevicius, and forward Harv Burt, all listed as questionable with undisclosed issues. The most statistically meaningful absence, however, is guard CJ Essegian, who remains out with an ankle injury after providing one of Nebraska’s better perimeter scoring options earlier in the year. Essegian averaged roughly 10 points per game last season and has been a career 40 percent three-point shooter at the college level, making him the most proven offensive contributor among this group as Nebraska pushes toward March.

Teams Currently Carrying Completely Clean Injury Reports

Some of America’s top programs currently show completely free injury reports, giving them a major advantage as the season tightens:

  • UCONN
  • Florida
  • Arkansas
  • Wisconsin
  • Virginia
  • Louisville

Who is good in college basketball this year? The Answer is still TBD January of 2026

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The college basketball landscape is wide open as the calendar turns to 2026 and these teams outside of the top 5 have built a compelling tournament resume.

BY MATTY D.

Utah State Looking Like the Aztecs in Terms of Mountain West Dominance

College basketball fans like myself, who have been watching for the past 20-30 years, just assume that the San Diego State Aztecs are going to dominate the Mountain West and then represent the conference honorably in March. This year, there’s a different wrinkle to that picture. Utah State is not only winning, but they are dominating. This weekend they went into Boise State and beat the shit out of a Broncos team that actually just took those same Aztecs into triple overtime. And so they’re good. However, it wasn’t a contest when Utah State visited Boise a few days later.

Watch the first half highlights from this game. The Aggies came out angry and athletic, a deadly.combo.

AJ Storr and a talented Ole Miss orchestra of guards playing in harmony after discord

AJ Storr and his coach Chris Beard went viral to start the season because of their uncomfortable moment at the postgame podium. When you’re a player like Storr who has literally played for four college programs, it’s easy for basketball fans to critque you for your lack of coommitment to basketball’s fundamentals. But Storr’s play at times this season, justified that jeering.

This weekend, Storr had his best game in store.

He scored 26 on a highly efficient night. He shot 50% from the field, 4-6 from 3PT, and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line.

This could be a turning point to the season to where Ole Miss starts cooking.

Iowa exposed inside on big win by the Baltic built Illinois basketball team

Illinois didn’t just beat Iowa. They physically exposed them.

This was not a game decided by hot shooting or clever sets. This was decided by mass, leverage, and a level of interior strength that Iowa simply did not have answers for. From the opening possessions, Illinois lived in the paint, and Iowa absorbed it. By halftime, Illinois had already dropped 24 points in the paint.

That production came straight from the Balkan Five. Tomislav Ivišić, Zvonimir Ivišić, Andrej Stojaković, Mihailo Petrović, and David Mirković brought a level of size and physical comfort that Iowa could not match. These are adult frames. These are players who are used to contact. And they played like it.

When Illinois rolls that group out, it doesn’t look like a college lineup. It looks like a EuroLeague frontcourt wandered into the Big Ten.

Kylan Boswell was the steady hand that made all of it work. He played 38 minutes, scored 17 points, hit timely shots, and more importantly, kept the offense organized. He didn’t over-dribble. He didn’t force. He consistently got Illinois into their actions and delivered the ball where it needed to go. In a game built on physical advantage, that kind of point guard control is everything. Iowa never disrupted him, and Illinois never lost rhythm.

Stojaković is especially interesting in this group, not just because of his strength, but because of his bloodlines. As Peja Stojaković’s son, he connects Illinois to this growing wave of sons of NBA players currently impacting college basketball (click here for the full article).

Illinois is not just international. They are grown.

NCAAB Best Betting Future Values for College Basketball Futures in 2026

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Now that the NFL season is over, it’s time to get serious about which teams I would invest in as future values for the 2025-2026 Men’s College Basketball season and March Madness. Here are some teams that I would consider for a low risk, high-reward payoff in the futures market.

BY MATTY D.

For example, I had a ticket for Oregon to win a national football title at 8-1 before the night began. After the Miami Hurricanes beat the odds-on favorite for a national title, the Ohio State Buckeyes, that same ticket became 6-1 (theoretically increasing in value 25%).

Volatile Kentucky Futures Worth Monitoring for Low Risk High Reward Payoff

Even by Kentucky standards, this college basketball season has been very dramatic. There have been big highs and low lows. Head coach Mark Pope was a champion as a player with the 1996 Kentucky team. Yet, after a so-so start to the 2025-2026, some Kentucky fans were calling for his job. After high profile back-to-back wins against Indiana and St. John’s to finish 2025, it was the consecutive losses to Alabama and Missouri to start 2026 that got Wildcats fans twisted.

Kentucky’s futures value to win a national championship has fluctuated anywhere from the 40-1 territory to sitting around 100-1 in mid February (according to DraftKings NCAAB futures market).

Kentucky’s volatile future value can also be contributed to the health status of key players.

Starting point guard Jaland Lowe is out for the season with a shoulder injury and super athletic big man (and Arizona State transfer) Jayden Quaintance has been missing a slew of games with a knee injury. The Wildcats had won 8 of 9 games without Quaintance is a nice run in mid-January to mid-February before getting dominated by a bigger Florida bunch.

The Lexington Herald Leader was reporting in mid-February how Quaintance’s draft stock was decreasing due to his extended absence with that knee injury. If he made a triumphant return to the lineup in March, that would be a major boost to the stock of a program that we know has a high ceiling.

Kentucky’s season has not been all about inconsistency. Combo guard Otega Oweh has been the model of consistency. He has shown an ability to shoulder the load and lead this Cats bunch.

Over that 8-of-9 run, Oweh regularly posted 20-plus points while contributing across the stat sheet — mixing efficient shooting with rebounds, assists, and timely defensive plays that helped stabilize Kentucky’s offense when other key pieces were banged up. His scoring spurts against Ohio State, Tennessee, and Arkansas weren’t just box-score padding; they shifted momentum in games where Kentucky needed a go-to option, and his willingness to shoulder that responsibility underscored the Wildcats’ potential when their stars are firing on all cylinders. That blend of production and poise from Oweh during their best stretch this season crystallizes just how high this Kentucky roster can rise when roles are clear and confidence is high.

https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/kentucky-wildcats/injuries

Looking for even longer odds chances to snag a crazy underdog pick for March Madness 2026?
Click here to see more of my favorite futures values and underdogs for a NCAAB Championship.

Nebraska Cornhuskers Harvesting the Best Tourney Resume No one is Talking About

Even as Nebraska knocked off top 10 ranked Michigan State in dramatic fashion in a January 2nd home game, the oddsmakers kept disrespecting the Huskers. Nebraska stood as a 20-1 long-shot to make a Final Four on FanDuel, despite having one of America’s best (and still undefeated) records.

Joe Lunardi’s December 30th bracketology had them as a 4 seed in the West Region, but Monday’s AP Top 25 voting might have them as the 4th best ranked team in the nation.

It’s hard to believe that head coach Fred Hoiberg is already in his seventh season as head man at Nebraska, after his “mayoral” status at the Hilton Coliseum with Iowa State. However, his family legacy is continuing in Lincoln this season in legendary fashion. He is coaching his son to an undefeated start of the season (well into 2026) overseeing a program that his grandfather coached for 9 seasons starting in the 1950s. This team is loaded with storylines that any TV producer at CBS Sports would salivate over during March Madness. It could be time that you put a shekel on the huskers.

Nebraska maxed out at a value around 25-1 to win the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. At Valentine’s Day where the week saw a dramatic overtime loss to Purdue and a beat-down of Northwestern, I still love this team as a future value of 10-1 to reach a Final Four.

Utah State 200-1 to win the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship

Utah State delivered one of the more eye-opening results of February by dominating Memphis in a rare non-conference matchup of potential bubble teams, Utah State and the Memphis Tigers on Valentine’s Day. Even with that kind of résumé-defining performance on a national stage, the Aggies’ futures value has remained hovering around 200-1 to win a championship, the type of number that suggests the market still hasn’t fully caught up to how solid this group really is.

Someone is coming out of the Mountain West grandfathered in as the annual 7 through 11 seed, and this veteran laden bunch is as good a bet as any to win a few games.

Before conference play, Utah State Aggies quietly built a strong résumé for bettors seeking high-quality future value picks. The Aggies paired legitimate wins over programs like VCU and Tulane with dominant blowouts of Davidson, Charlotte, and Colorado State, showing both floor and ceiling. That blend of NET-relevant victories and decisive margins signaled a team undervalued nationally entering league play.

College Basketball Eye Test Notebook Logging a Spreadsheet of values 2025-2026

Arizona and Iowa are also two teams whose odds I am watching closely. Listed below is a simple chart comparing NCAAB Futures on two major Sportsbooks in December of 2025.

Iowa left the circle of trust on Valentine’s Day after being dominated by Purdue. They also struggled mightily against a bigger Illinois team in early January, exposing their lack of size.

College Basketball Game Previews Weekend before Christmas

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The conference schedules are starting nationwide and college basketball teams have a better idea of how much work their tournament resumes need. Here are some highlights going into the games for the Saturday before Christmas.

BY MATTY D.

Kentucky Wildcats vs St. John’s Red Storm — Volatility Meets a Potential Energy Shift

The Kentucky Wildcats have been one of the hardest teams in the country to pin down so far, and that unpredictability is exactly what makes this spot fascinating. Getting overwhelmed by Gonzaga followed by a confidence-boosting win over Indiana illustrates a team still searching for its identity, but also one capable of sharp course correction. The biggest storyline hovering over this matchup is the possible debut of Jayden Quaintance, the Arizona State transfer whose arrival alone signals a shift in Kentucky’s ceiling. Video circulating of him exiting the team bus ahead of the St. John’s game hints that his first appearance this season could be imminent. If Quaintance is active, his athleticism, rebounding range, and defensive activity give Kentucky a game-changing element down low—exactly the kind of jolt that stabilizes a team still oscillating between extremes. This is less about one result and more about whether Kentucky starts to look structurally tougher and more connected.

Jayden Quaintance exits bus for St Johns game video courtesy BleedBlueCasy on Twitter

North Carolina Tar Heels vs Ohio State Buckeyes — The Market Undersells the Home Edge

The North Carolina Tar Heels feel undervalued laying only a short number at home against Ohio State Buckeyes. This is a classic situation where perception hasn’t quite caught up to reality. North Carolina has shown a steadiness and physical maturity that doesn’t always pop in headline results but consistently shows up over forty minutes, especially in Chapel Hill. Freshman phenom Caleb Wilson has been the model of consistency, scoring 20 points exactly for the past three consecutive games.

Ohio State has talent and can score in stretches, but the Tar Heels’ ability to control tempo, defend in space, and leverage their home environment creates separation that isn’t always reflected in a tight spread. This feels like a game where North Carolina’s cumulative advantages—experience, structure, and crowd energy—matter more than individual shot-making runs.

Memphis Tigers vs Mississippi State Bulldogs — Two Programs Crossing Paths at a Fork in the Road

Timing is everything in college basketball, and the matchup between the Memphis Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs comes at a revealing moment for both programs. Mississippi State appears to be riding momentum after a meaningful win over Utah, a result that could serve as a confidence anchor as the season sharpens. It could also be an important resume bullet to score a tournament berth.

Memphis, on the other hand, is recalibrating after a loss to Vanderbilt Commodores, a team whose national ranking has validated that result as more than a stumble. Memphis looked like a super athletic scoring machine at times, but also an undisciplined train-wreck at others. In the middle of the first half, they looked dead. Memphis went on a scoring run around the mid-point of the game for a scoring comeback, but ultimately lost in overtime at home. This game reads like a directional check: Mississippi State trending upward with defensive buy-in and toughness, while Memphis searches for consistency after a setback that exposed some fault lines. When teams meet at these crossroads, the side with clarity and momentum often dictates the terms—and right now, Mississippi State looks closer to knowing exactly who it is.

College Basketball Games to Watch for 2025 College Football Conference Championship Weekend

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Although conference championship crowns are being captured this weekend, these are some pivotal college basketball matchups to watch closely as the non-conference schedule winds down.

PICKS BY MATTY D.

Michigan State hosts Duke as Sparty Sees Itself as Surprise +1.5 Underdog

I feel like I’ve seen this movie before. You have a darling blue blood who has all of the nation’s highest rated recruits sprinkled with some long tenured program guards who just know how to play basketball. Duke comes straight out of central casting for that one. Enter Tom Izzo’s bunch. They look more like a defensive line group, with perhaps a few black and blue eyes to match. This Motley Cru normally mucks up the action with physical play.

Michigan State finds itself as a surprising 30-1 underdog to win the National Championship at this point, after its already excelled in the non-conference session throughout November.

Give me the Spartans to win outright, but I’ll take the 1 1/2 points if they’re giving it.

Either way, this will be a very interesting test for Duke super freshman Cameron Boozer (among this incredible list of sons of NBA stars currently playing collect basketball) as he has so far cruised to 30 plus point games against major programs. He has made it look easy doing it.

Overlooked Mid-major pick of the college basketball weekend

Not many people nationally are talking about the big upset win that Bowling Green scored at K-State this week. It was an impressive performance from the three point line and specifically for senior Sam Towns who dropped 17 points in the first half.

This, despite K-State having one of the nation’s highest paid players in Memphis transfer PJ Haggerty.

I don’t see a let down from Bowling Green here in this spot as they are spotting Utah Valley a casual 1 1/2 points, according to DraftKings line as of one hour before tip nationwide.

Ole Miss Coach Chris Beard blasting player in passive-aggressive postgame presser goes viral

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The messy optics for an Ole Miss coach this week wasn’t reserved only for the football coach, but for the head basketball coach whose viral moment is also making headlines days later. Coach Chris Beard was none-to-happy with his senior point guard, AJ Storr, after a loss to the Miami Hurricanes Tuesday night. It showed. For anyone with eyes on this press-conference, you could see the tension with the bad body language in plain sight. But is Chris Beard really the coach who the college basketball universe wants to grant carte-blanch holier than thou status to?

AN EDITORIAL BY MATTY D.

Pissed Chris Beard Ole Miss Presser Goes Viral

It’s now roughly 48 hours after the post game press conference, but this moment has obviously struck a nerve with college basketball fans. Beard, a coach who lost his job at Texas after being accused of domestic violence, accused his players of lacking effort. Storr, a senior transfer who is playing for his fourth school (after St. John’s, Kansas, and Wisconsin), was asked in the post-game press conference if anything can be done when the team lacks effort. His response was that, “no, you can’t really do too much (about it).”

That’s when coach Chris Beard interrupted and said, “Yeah we can play different players.”

Ole Miss beat reporter Sam Hutchens had a front row seat for the awkward exchange.

Storr played 16 minutes in the first half and just 8 minutes in the second half. He went 2 for 9 from the field, including two missed layups to start the game.

One day later, a Reddit thread about that moment generated more than 130 comments. Most people blame the player who has been bouncing to a new school (literally) every season.

That video posted by beat writer Hutchens was viewed more than 23,000 times on Twitter in two days.

AJ Storr shows accountability and credits teammates seconds before viral moment

After opening remarks from Chris Beard, Storr takes accountability in saying that the team needs to do better collectively and that the guards (himself included) should have done a better job getting the ball into the post on offense. He also credited the good play of bench players who compensated for a lack of effort. Storr said that the second group came in off the bench, gave a spark, and some energy.

For his part, Chris Beard clearly targeted AJ Storr with his post-game comments. He called out “starters” who had a plus/minus of “minus 21.” That was Storr’s plus/minus stat for the game.

Coaches have long used the media as a megaphone to deliver messages to their locker rooms, but Beard’s approach revives the debate about how effective — or even how wise — that tactic really is. Calling out a player’s brutal plus/minus without using his name, and without addressing him directly at the podium, lands in that murky space between motivational strategy and passive-aggressive PR. Some will argue that it’s a calculated move meant to spark urgency and accountability. Others will question whether it unnecessarily exposes a young player while sidestepping a more straightforward, in-house conversation. Either way, moments like this always force a bigger discussion: where is the line between coaching through the media and simply sending the wrong message altogether?

We have clearly met a new moment for what accountability looks like and feels like in the NIL era of player movement. AJ Storr is making a reported $1.5M this year to play basketball at Ole Miss.

One thing is true, bench player Zach Day‘s stock certainly went up this week.

Feast Week Debrief – College Basketball 2025 Recap

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The college basketball regular season is very irregular, so it behooves fans who hope to pick the (nearly) perfect bracket to pay attention to what happened around the holidays. Feast Week during Thanksgiving is one of the most important weeks. That’s because teams with Final Four aspirations are building up their “non-conference resume.” Later, the conference schedule gets clogged with league opponents in January and February.

BY MATTY D.

My family laughs at me because I am so locked in during Feast Week, paying attention to who is performing well on a neutral floor. That irregular schedule for college hoops starts with a flurry of very important measuring stick games between teams who don’t naturally play each other. January can be more low-key as a bad loss in conference could be excused. However, in February and especially early March, bubble teams need to win every game to solidify their resume for a tournament birth. And, even the teams ranked in the top 10 want wins so that they can lock up 1 and 2 seeds. Here are some of the teams that looked like 1 or 2 seeds this Feast Week.

Looking Like 1 or 2 Seed NCAA Tournament Teams in November

This college basketball season started with an eye-opening performance by Arizona. More specifically, it was a coming out party for freshman Koa Peat, who dominated a game against Florida. However, as the Gators no longer look like a top 10 team and that Wildcats victory fades into our memory, a new red hot team is jumping onto the radar.

Can Wolverines Continue to Dominate College Basketball?

For a brief moment there during the Feast Week festivities, Gonzaga looked like they would be proclaimed the people’s champion and front-runner for the 2026 Championship. The newer “Players Era” Championship feast week tournament has become all the rage. The stock for traditional tournaments such as The Battle for Atlantis and The Mauii Invitational has lost value. In the Players Era semifinals, Gonzaga put a hurting on the always-tough defensive unit that is San Diego State. They looked like a very veteran team that could possibly sail to an unblemished non-conference record and then an even more comfortable conference schedule in the West Coast Conference.

However, then Michigan happened. Gonzaga played Michigan in the championship game and it was never even close. Michigan won by 40 points, Trey McKenney scored 17, and Yexel Lendeborg was named tournament MVP for his blossoming play.

Lendeborg, a native of Puerto Rico, has had an interesting pathway to Division 1 success. He not only played the last two seasons in relative obscurity at UAB, but he also barely knew that he’d be a college athlete during his major life adjustment over high school. Watch a special report by News 11 in Yuma, Arizona, where Lendeborg played junior college basketball.

Another Team in Michigan Carries an Undefeated Record into December

Michigan State was another notable program to pass on the tournament format during Feast Week. They and Duke continued rolling in their own paths. The Spartans continue to be fueled by the nation’s best dunker, Coen Carr and the steady hand of point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. A showcase game between Michigan State and UNC saw the experience and athleticism of the Spartans outpace the sometimes sensational play of UNC super freshman Caleb Wilson.

Houston Out-bullied by the Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee’s win over Houston wasn’t just a notch on the Vols’ non-conference belt — it was a toughness test, and they passed it in the final possessions. In a game defined by defensive clamps and half-court grit, it was Tennessee that made the firmer cuts, secured the harder rebounds, and executed the cleaner possessions when it mattered most. Houston rarely gets out-muscled in winning time, but the Vols did just enough of the dirty work to finish the job and earn one of November’s most meaningful victories. Ja’Kobi Gillespie proved that he was one of the best point guards in the nation (exemplified by how he carried himself in a postgame interview that has since gone viral) and Jaylen Carey was just a men amongst boys down low.

Best Hair in College Basketball Nominees for the 2025-2026 NCAAB Season

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With as much college basketball as we watch, we start to admire more than just the pure skill on the basketball court, such as the style and shape that some players sport for their hairdos.

And when I say we, I am referring to the collective college basketball chatter that we engage with on Twitter, blogs, and other social media. Below are some cool hair cuts to keep an eye on towards March Madness for the prom night of all red carpet moments.

Distinguished Gray Hair Makes its way into college hoops

NIL may be keeping more players in the NCAA ranks for longer, but this Eastern Washington transfer has been distinguished in gray for the entirety of his college career. Steele Venters has some Blue Steel looks with his distinguished gray highlights.

Here are some other NCAAB hair styles people are talking about on Twitter

Here’s the good, the bad, the ugly when it comes to haircuts the college basketball Twitterverse is talking about.