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Tag: Men's college basketball

  • Muntu scores 22, Tennessee Tech takes down Bethel (TN) 101-69

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    COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Brandon Muntu’s 22 points helped Tennessee Tech defeat Bethel (TN) 101-69 on Saturday.

    Muntu added five rebounds for the Golden Eagles (5-6). Dani Pounds scored 15 points and added seven rebounds. C.J. McPherson had 12 points and went 4 of 8 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range).

    The Wildcats were led in scoring by Alonzo Rhodes Jr., who finished with 10 points. Bethel also got 10 points and six steals from Joe Wimberly, and Isiah Darden had eight points.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Penn State puts home win streak on the line against No. 9 Michigan State

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    Michigan State Spartans (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) at Penn State Nittany Lions (8-2, 0-1 Big Ten)

    University Park, Pennsylvania; Saturday, 12 p.m. EST

    BOTTOM LINE: Penn State hosts No. 9 Michigan State looking to extend its three-game home winning streak.

    The Nittany Lions are 6-0 on their home court. Penn State averages 8.8 turnovers per game and is 7-0 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents.

    The Spartans play their first true road game after going 8-1 to start the season. Michigan State is fourth in the Big Ten with 19.1 assists per game led by Jeremy Fears Jr. averaging 9.7.

    Penn State’s average of 7.0 made 3-pointers per game this season is just 0.1 fewer made shots on average than the 7.1 per game Michigan State gives up. Michigan State averages 6.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.3 fewer made shots on average than the 9.1 per game Penn State allows.

    The Nittany Lions and Spartans match up Saturday for the first time in Big Ten play this season.

    TOP PERFORMERS: Kayden Mingo is shooting 49.2% and averaging 15.4 points for the Nittany Lions. Dominick Stewart is averaging 1.6 made 3-pointers.

    Jaxon Kohler is scoring 14.2 points per game and averaging 9.6 rebounds for the Spartans. Fears is averaging 11.6 points.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Seaman’s 25 lead Cal State Fullerton past Bethesda 116-66

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    Landon Seaman scored 25 points, Jefferson Monegro added 21, and the Cal State Fullerton Titans defeated the Bethesda Flames 116-66

    FULLERTON, Calif. — Landon Seaman scored 25 points, Jefferson Monegro added 21, and Cal State Fullerton beat the Bethesda Flames 116-66 on Wednesday night.

    Seaman shot 10 of 12 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line for the Titans (4-7). Jefferson Monegro made 5 for 9 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 10 of 12 from the free-throw line and finished with five rebounds and seven assists. Joshua Ward had 17 points and shot 7 for 9, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc.

    Kenji Cooper led the Flames in scoring, finishing with 18 points and seven rebounds. Bethesda also got 15 points from Miles Sulka. Cameron Durr finished with 10 points.

    Bethesda is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Arizona takes No. 1 in AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll, Iowa State up to No. 4, Gonzaga into top 10

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    Arizona took over the top spot in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday, a reward for a perfect start to the season that includes a quartet of wins against ranked foes, including a lopsided victory over Auburn last weekend.

    Purdue, which had spent the past three weeks at No. 1, slid to sixth following its 81-58 home loss to Iowa State and the entire poll got a shakeup as only two teams remained in the same spots from last week.

    The Wildcats received 33 of 60 first-place votes from a national media panel to claim No. 1 for the first time since Dec. 11, 2023, and only the third time since the 2013-14 season. They edged No. 2 Michigan, which earned 19 first-place votes, thanks in part to wins over Florida, UConn and UCLA, along with their 97-68 romp over the then-No. 20 Tigers on Saturday night.

    “Obviously it’s nothing you shy away from,” Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd said of being No. 1. “You know, you’re at Arizona. The big stage. It’s part of being at a program like this. But we have bigger things on our mind.”

    The Wolverines also moved up one spot for their best ranking since March 2021. Duke claimed six first-place votes and moved up to No. 3. And the Cyclones parlayed their big win in West Lafayette, Indiana, into a six-spot climb to No. 4 and a first-place vote. Iowa State has never been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll era, which began with the 1948-49 season.

    “They stole our spirit,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose team tied a record for largest margin of defeat at home as the nation’s No. 1 team. “Our reason for having a high frustration level was them. They’re damn good. They took us to the woodshed.”

    UConn remained ahead of Purdue at No. 5 after beating Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse last week.

    Houston was seventh, Gonzaga climbed three spots to eighth, Michigan State was ninth and BYU rounded the top 10 following a week of high-profile matchups across college basketball.

    Louisville dropped five spots to No. 11 after losing to Arkansas. Alabama remained at No. 12, followed by Illinois, North Carolina and Vanderbilt, the only unbeaten team left in the SEC and one of just eight left in Division I men’s basketball.

    Texas Tech was next, followed by the Razorbacks, who jumped eight spots after also beating Fresno State last week. Florida fell to No. 18 following its 67-66 loss to the Blue Devils, while Kansas moved up to No. 19 and Tennessee finished out the top 20.

    The last five in the poll were Auburn, St. John’s, Nebraska, Virginia and UCLA.

    The No. 23 Huskers are 9-0 for only the third time in school history, and they have won 13 straight dating to last season, the third-longest run in school history. The ranking is their best since they were 21st the second week of the 2014-15 season.

    Rising and falling

    Arkansas was No. 14 in the preseason poll, nearly dropped out entirely, but made a big jump this week back to No. 17 following its two wins. Iowa State’s climb to No. 4 has been a steady one since it was ranked 16th in the preseason poll.

    Tennessee tumbled seven spots to No. 20 this week following losses to Syracuse and Illinois. Purdue and Louisville each fell five spots.

    In and out

    Nebraska and Virginia both made their poll debuts, replacing Indiana and USC. The Cavaliers did not receive a single vote last week but earned enough to join the rankings at No. 24. UCLA also returned to the rankings while Kentucky dropped out.

    Conference watch

    The Big 12, Big Ten and SEC lead the way with six ranked teams apiece, but the Big 12 has the nation’s No. 1 team. It also has four in the top 10, while the Big Ten has three and the SEC none. The ACC has four ranked teams, the Big East two and the West Coast one.

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    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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  • Fairleigh Dickinson visits Fordham, aims to stop road skid

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    Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (2-7) at Fordham Rams (6-4)

    New York; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

    BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rams -13.5; over/under is 143.5

    BOTTOM LINE: Fairleigh Dickinson travels to Fordham looking to end its five-game road slide.

    The Rams are 4-2 in home games. Fordham is fourth in the A-10 with 16.7 assists per game led by Christian Henry averaging 5.3.

    The Knights have gone 0-5 away from home. Fairleigh Dickinson is 2-5 in games decided by 10 points or more.

    Fordham is shooting 46.4% from the field this season, 1.1 percentage points lower than the 47.5% Fairleigh Dickinson allows to opponents. Fairleigh Dickinson averages 9.0 more points per game (73.3) than Fordham gives up to opponents (64.3).

    TOP PERFORMERS: Dejour Reaves is shooting 46.8% and averaging 15.8 points for the Rams. Marcus Greene is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers.

    Eric Parnell is scoring 11.1 points per game and averaging 2.6 rebounds for the Knights. Cyril Martynov is averaging 10.8 points and 6.1 rebounds.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Green’s 21, Thames’ game-winner lead Saint Louis past Santa Clara, 71-70

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    PALM DESERT, Calif. — Trey Green led Saint Louis with 21 points and Kellen Thames hit the game-winning layup with eight seconds left as the Billikens knocked off Santa Clara 71-70 on Thursday night at the Acrisure Invitational.

    Green went 7 of 14 from the field (6 for 13 from 3-point range) for the Billikens (6-0). Dion Brown added 13 points while shooting 5 of 9 from the field and 3 for 4 from the free-throw line and had five rebounds and three steals. Thames finished 5 of 5 from the floor to finish with 11 points. It was the sixth win in a row for the Billikens.

    The Broncos (6-1) were led in scoring by Elijah Mahi, who finished with 18 points and seven rebounds. Allen Graves added 13 points and three steals for Santa Clara. Christian Hammond also had 11 points. The loss broke the Broncos’ six-game winning streak.

    Green scored 12 points in the first half and Saint Louis went into the break trailing 35-31. Brown led Saint Louis with 13 points in the second half. Saint Louis outscored Santa Clara by five points over the final half.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Texas beats No. 23 N.C. State 102-97 to claim 5th place at the Maui Invitational

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    LAHAINA, Hawaii — Jordan Pope scored 28 points and Texas held on to beat No. 23 N.C. State 102-97 on Wednesday night to claim fifth place at the Maui Invitational.

    The Longhorns (6-2) led by as many as 15 points late in the first half, then withstood a second-half rally by the Wolfpack (5-2).

    All but one of Pope’s field goals came from 3-point distance. He made five 3-pointers and had 17 points by halftime and finished 7-for-13 shooting on 3s in the game.

    Texas shot 50% (16 of 32) on 3-pointers, 55.8% (29 of 52) from the field and 84.8% (28 of 33) on free throws.

    Chendall Weaver had 17 points and eight rebounds, Dailyn Swain added 14 points, six rebounds and seven assists, and Matas Vokietaitis scored 13 points. Simeon Wilcher added 12 points and Camden Heide 11 for the Longhorns.

    Quadir Copeland had 28 points and six assists, Ven-Allen Lubin finished with a season-high 23 points and nine rebounds, and Paul McNeil Jr. scored 20 points for the Wolfpack. Darrion Williams finished with 10 points before fouling out late.

    Texas capped a 15-7 first-half run with a Swain dunk to take a 45-30 lead with 1:33 until halftime.

    The Longhorns led 47-37 at the break, but N.C. State stormed back to take a 71-70 lead on a layup by Alyn Breed with 7:51 to play.

    N.C. State outscored Texas in the paint 46-20.

    The Longhorns held a 24-7 advantage in fast-break points.

    The Wolfpack shot 53.1% (34 of 64) from the field, including 47.4% (9 of 19) on 3-pointers, and 71.4% (20 of 28) at line.

    North Carolina State: At Auburn on Wednesday.

    Texas: Host Virginia on Wednesday.

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    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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  • Chris Bell, Dai Dai Ames lead California past No. 18 UCLA 80-72 in Empire Classic championship game

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    Chris Bell had 22 points and six rebounds and was named Most Outstanding Player, Dai Dai Ames hit two late 3-pointers on the way to 14 points, and California beat No. 18 UCLA 80-72 in the Empire Classic championship game

    SAN FRANCISCO — Chris Bell had 22 points and six rebounds and was named Most Outstanding Player, Dai Dai Ames hit two late 3-pointers on the way to 14 points, and California beat No. 18 UCLA 80-72 on Tuesday night in the Empire Classic championship game.

    Justin Pippen added 13 points with his former NBA star father Scottie in the stands as the Golden Bears earned their first win against a top-25 opponent since beating 21st-ranked Colorado 76-62 at home in Haas Pavilion on Feb. 27, 2020.

    Trent Perry scored 19 points and Eric Dailey Jr. added 17, but UCLA cost itself by shooting just 13 for 23 on free throws in a matchup of the longtime Pac-12 Conference opponents.

    Bell reached double figures for the sixth straight game with a third 20-point performance to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career. His baseline 3-pointer with 14:43 remaining put Cal up 49-46 then he converted a pair of free throws the next time down.

    Perry’s three-point play with 1:59 before halftime put the Bruins up 40-33 before Pippen answered with a 3 from the top moments later. The game was played at Chase Center, home of the NBA Golden State Warriors.

    Cal (6-1) had lost 12 of the previous 13 meetings with the Bruins going back to January 2017.

    Skyy Clark was held to seven points and limited because of foul trouble.

    The Bruins have an extended break before playing their Big Ten opener at Washington on Dec. 3 to begin a December schedule with six West Coast opponents.

    Cal returns to action Dec. 2 at home against Utah.

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    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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  • Almodovar’s 29 lead Southeast Missouri State past Cal Poly 84-68

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    FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Luke Almodovar had a career-high 29 points in Southeast Missouri State’s 84-68 victory over Cal Poly on Tuesday.

    Almodovar had five rebounds for the Redhawks (2-4). Braxton Stacker scored 18 points and added six assists. BJ Ward shot 3 for 10 and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points.

    Cayden Ward finished with 15 points for the Mustangs (3-5). Hamad Mousa added 14 points for Cal Poly.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Arizona jumps to No. 2 behind Purdue in AP Top 25, Alabama into top 10; Kansas falls out of rankings

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    Purdue remained at No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, while Arizona jumped to No. 2 to continue its opening-month rise after another impressive win against a ranked opponent.

    The Boilermakers (6-0) earned 46 of 61 first-place votes in Monday’s poll to remain at the top after beating then-No. 15 Texas Tech by 30 to win the Baha Mar Championship in the Bahamas.

    The Wildcats (5-0) earned 11 first-place votes to jump two spots. That came after last week’s win at then-No. 3 UConn, part of run that began with a victory over reigning NCAA champion Florida in Las Vegas and a win against a ranked UCLA team in Los Angeles.

    Arizona was ranked No. 13 in the preseason AP Top 25, but jumped to No. 5 after the Florida win before inching up to No. 4 last week.

    The top tier

    Houston, which spent a week at No. 1 earlier this month, slid a spot to No. 3 to make room for the Wildcats, while Duke and UConn rounded out the top five.

    Louisville, Michigan, Alabama, BYU and Florida rounded out the top 10, with the Crimson Tide rising from No. 11 after its win against then-No. 8 Illinois in Chicago.

    Rising

    No. 11 Michigan State had the week’s biggest jump, climbing six spots after beating Kentucky in the Champions Classic.

    No. 17 Tennessee climbed three spots, while No. 16 North Carolina and No. 23 N.C. State each rose two spots.

    In all, 11 teams moved up from last week’s poll.

    Sliding

    Kentucky’s 17-point loss to the Spartans triggered the week’s biggest fall of seven spots to No. 19, while the 13th-ranked Illini and 20th-ranked Red Raiders each tumbled five spots.

    In all, six teams fell from last week’s poll.

    Status quo

    Six teams stayed locked in last week’s position, including five of the top 10 teams and No. 14 St. John’s.

    Comings and goings

    No. 24 Vanderbilt and No. 25 Indiana were the new additions to the poll, replacing Wisconsin (No. 23 last week) and Kansas (24th).

    The Commodores spent one week at No. 24 last season, which before Monday stood as the only AP Top 25 ranking for the program since December 2015.

    It is the second straight year the Jayhawks, who lost to Duke in the Champions Classic last week, have fallen out of the poll at least once. Before last season, Kansas had been ranked in every poll but one — missing one week during the 2020-21 season played amid the COVID-19 pandemic — dating to the 2009-10 season.

    Conference watch

    The Southeastern Conference didn’t have a team ranked higher than eighth, yet posted the biggest overall haul of any conference with seven ranked teams, including No. 21 Auburn and No. 22 Arkansas.

    The Big Ten was next with six AP Top 25 teams, followed by the Big 12 with five, the Atlantic Coast Conference with four, the Big East with two and the West Coast Conference with one.

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    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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  • Iowa Hawkeyes and the Ole Miss Rebels play in Palm Desert, California

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    Ole Miss Rebels (5-0) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0)

    Palm Desert, California; Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. EST

    BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawkeyes -2.5; over/under is 146.5

    BOTTOM LINE: Iowa faces Ole Miss in Palm Desert, California.

    The Hawkeyes are 5-0 in non-conference play. Iowa ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 20.2 assists per game led by Bennett Stirtz averaging 6.2.

    The Rebels are 5-0 in non-conference play. Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC allowing 65.0 points while holding opponents to 39.2% shooting.

    Iowa makes 57.6% of its shots from the field this season, which is 18.4 percentage points higher than Ole Miss has allowed to its opponents (39.2%). Ole Miss averages 8.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.0 more made shots on average than the 6.4 per game Iowa allows.

    TOP PERFORMERS: Stirtz is shooting 57.4% and averaging 17.6 points for the Hawkeyes. Alvaro Folgueiras is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers.

    Ilias Kamardine averages 2.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Rebels, scoring 15.8 points while shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc. AJ Storr is averaging 14.4 points.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Glass scores 26 off the bench, Washington State takes down DII Chaminade 90-85

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    LAHAINA, Hawaii — Reserve Aaron Glass scored 17 of 26 points in the second half and Washington State beat Division II-member Chaminade 90-85 on Monday.

    Glass shot 8 for 15 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line for the Cougars (3-3). Rihards Vavers scored 25 points and added six rebounds. Eemeli Yalaho shot 3 of 5 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points, while adding nine rebounds.

    Kent King led the way for the Silverswords with 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Nathan Medina added 15 points and four steals for Chaminade. Brandon Haddock also recorded 14 points and three steals.

    Chaminade led 52-41 at halftime.

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  • Tyler’s 13 help Wofford down Division-II Erskine 81-57

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    SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Jayden Tyler had 13 points in Wofford’s 81-57 victory against Division-II Erskine on Friday night.

    Tyler shot 4 for 7 from beyond the arc and 1 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Terriers (4-2). Brian Sumpter added 11 points while finishing 5 of 5 from the floor while they also had nine rebounds. Callum Richard had 10 points and shot 5 of 6 from the field.

    Ruben Salazar finished with 12 points and two steals for the Flying Fleet. Dorien Johnson added 10 points for Erskine. Noah Castaneda also had six points.

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  • Army visits Marist following Everson’s 24-point outing

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    Army Black Knights (1-4) at Marist Red Foxes (2-2)

    Poughkeepsie, New York; Friday, 7 p.m. EST

    BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Foxes -15.5; over/under is 130.5

    BOTTOM LINE: Army visits Marist after Jorn Everson scored 24 points in Army’s 86-73 loss to the Cornell Big Red.

    Marist finished 20-10 overall a season ago while going 11-4 at home. The Red Foxes shot 44.1% from the field and 31.5% from 3-point range last season.

    The Black Knights are 0-2 on the road. Army allows 81.4 points to opponents and has been outscored by 14.8 points per game.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Purdue Fort Wayne visits Saint Louis after McCottry’s 20-point outing

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    Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (2-4) at Saint Louis Billikens (4-0)

    St. Louis; Friday, 8 p.m. EST

    BOTTOM LINE: Saint Louis faces Purdue Fort Wayne after Amari McCottry scored 20 points in Saint Louis’ 78-64 victory against the Grand Canyon Antelopes.

    Saint Louis finished 14-3 at home last season while going 19-15 overall. The Billikens averaged 11.1 points off of turnovers, 8.4 second-chance points and 9.4 bench points last season.

    The Mastodons have gone 0-4 away from home. Purdue Fort Wayne ranks sixth in the Horizon League with 21.8 defensive rebounds per game led by Ebrahim Kaba averaging 4.2.

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  • Charleston (SC) and Drake to meet in cross-conference matchup

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    Drake Bulldogs (2-2) at Charleston (SC) Cougars (2-2)

    Charleston, South Carolina; Monday, 7 p.m. EST

    BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cougars -5.5; over/under is 147.5

    BOTTOM LINE: Charleston (SC) takes on Drake in non-conference action.

    Charleston (SC) went 24-9 overall last season while going 13-2 at home. The Cougars allowed opponents to score 73.8 points per game and shoot 43.7% from the field last season.

    Drake finished 9-1 on the road and 31-4 overall last season. The Bulldogs averaged 13.5 assists per game on 24.2 made field goals last season.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • The world’s tallest teenager becomes the tallest player in college basketball history

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Todd Golden had people yelling at him at halftime Thursday night to get 7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux in the game.

    Golden relented with 2:09 to play — and made history in the process — after chants of “We Want Ollie” swept through the O’Connell Center.

    Rioux became the tallest person to ever play college basketball when he made his debut in a 104-64 victory over North Florida. Rioux, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Canada and the world’s tallest teenager, drew so much attention from the Ospreys that he didn’t even touch the ball.

    “It felt great,” Rioux said. “The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported me. I’m very grateful.”

    When asked about making history, Rioux quipped: “It’s another day, I guess.”

    Rioux made everyone in attendance smile. Even North Florida forward Trey Cady smirked when he measured himself against Rioux. Cady was giving up more than a foot in the matchup.

    “There’s people yelling at me at halftime about playing him,” Golden said. “I’m like, ‘Listen, it will happen. The time will come.’”

    Rioux is 2 inches (5 centimeters) taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 3 inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley. He already owned a spot in the Guinness record book when he signed with Florida in 2024.

    Golden gave Rioux the option of playing sparingly last season or taking a redshirt season and working on his game. Rioux chose the latter. Nonetheless, he was a walking viral video, from riding his bike on campus, to ducking under every doorway, to cutting down nets while standing flat-footed during Florida’s NCAA Tournament run.

    “He’s put in a lot of great work,” Golden said. “To his credit, he’s kept a great attitude without getting a lot of reward in terms of playing time and opportunity.”

    Golden had made it clear that Rioux would only play late in blowouts, the result of having all four frontcourt players returning. But Olivier doubled down on wanting to be at Florida and welcomed the challenge of playing against Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, and Micah Handlogten in practice and behind them in games.

    “I talked to the guys at halftime when we’re up 24 and I expressed to them the importance of getting off to a really good start so we can get some of the younger guys and some of the guys from down on the bench an opportunity to play and to get some rip,” Golden said. “Obviously the game was in our control and thought it would be a good opportunity to get him out there and get his first college experience, and I think he was pretty excited.

    “It was pretty neat for him to finally see the floor.”

    Fans delivered the loudest ovation of the game — second only to Florida unveiling its championship banner during pregame introductions — when Golden motioned to Rioux at the end of the bench. Rioux pulled off his long-sleeved T-shirt and hustled to the scorer’s table to check in.

    Teammates and coaches celebrated wildly, and fans screamed every time the ball got near Rioux. He’ll have to wait until his next outing to actually touch it.

    “So much fun,” Handlogten said. “When he was checking into the game, I kind of stopped him and I was like, ’Play with confidence. You’ve worked your butt off for two years now to get to this spot. Now’s your moment. This is your time to shine.

    “To see him out there running up and down the court with a little smile on his face, it was really good to see.”

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    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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  • Lands’ 21 points lead Middle Tennessee over Milligan 100-51

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    MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Kamari Lands scored 21 points to help Middle Tennessee defeat Milligan 100-51 on Wednesday.

    Lands went 9 of 12 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) for the Blue Raiders (1-0). Jahvin Carter scored 12 points while shooting 5 for 10, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc and added eight assists and four steals. Chris Loofe had 10 points and shot 3 of 6 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line.

    The Buffs were led by Liviu Anton, who recorded 12 points. Milligan also got 11 points from Elijah Bredwood.

    Middle Tennessee took the lead with 18:37 left in the first half and did not trail again. Lands led his team in scoring with 13 points in the first half to help put them up 48-26 at the break. Middle Tennessee extended its lead to 74-37 during the second half, fueled by a 21-2 scoring run. Carter scored a team-high 10 points in the second half.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Miami (OH) hosts Old Dominion to open season

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    Old Dominion Monarchs at Miami (OH) RedHawks

    Oxford, Ohio; Monday, 7 p.m. EST

    BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: RedHawks -7; over/under is 149

    BOTTOM LINE: Miami (OH) hosts Old Dominion in the season opener.

    Miami (OH) went 15-1 at home a season ago while going 25-9 overall. The RedHawks averaged 80.6 points per game last season, 30.8 in the paint, 17.1 off of turnovers and 10.5 on fast breaks.

    Old Dominion finished 5-7 on the road and 15-20 overall last season. The Monarchs averaged 5.5 steals, 3.4 blocks and 10.9 turnovers per game last season.

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    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • NCAA delays rule change permitting college athletes to bet on professional sports

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    The NCAA is delaying a rule change that will allow athletes and athletic department staff members to bet on professional sports.

    The Division I Board voted Tuesday to delay the effective date of the sports betting legislative change, moving it from Nov. 1 to Nov. 22, one day after the close of a membership rescission period.

    A rarely used rule allows 30 days for each Division I school to vote to rescind a proposal if it is adopted by less than 75% of the Division I cabinet. The original vote to approve betting was under that threshold earlier this month.

    SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey sent a note to NCAA President Charlie Baker on Saturday expressing concerns about the rule change.

    Even if the rule on betting on professional sports changes, that doesn’t change the NCAA rule forbidding athletes from betting on college sports. The NCAA also prohibits sharing information about college competitions with bettors.

    This comes less than a week after an NBA coach and player were arrested in a takedown of two sprawling gambling operations that authorities said leaked inside information about NBA athletes. Heat guard Terry Rozier was accused of exploiting private information about players to win bets on NBA games.

    Despite the change, the NCAA emphasized that it doesn’t endorse betting on sports, particularly for student-athletes.

    Baker anticipated the rule change would be passed when he talked with the media recently at a Big East Conference roundtable on the future of college basketball.

    “This change recognizes the realities of today’s sports environment without compromising our commitment to protecting the integrity of college competition or the well-being of student-athletes,” said Roberta Page, athletic director at Slippery Rock and chair of the Division II Management Council.

    The change comes as NCAA enforcement caseloads involving sports betting violations have increased in recent years. Last month, the NCAA banned three men’s college basketball players for sports betting, saying they had bet on their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State and were able to share thousands of dollars in payouts.

    “We run the largest integrity program in the world on sports betting across all the various games,” Baker said. “Sadly, we discovered some student-athletes involved with some problematic activity.”

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    AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

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