The Mountain West Connection roundup covers several hot topics: Oregon State’s JaMarcus Shephard publicly opposes the proposed Group of Six playoff despite a guaranteed CFP spot, while Wyoming fights to reach the Mountain West title game by needing a win over UNLV. Gonzaga launches its basketball season with a win over Purdue, and Boise State’s QB Maddux Madsen is listed as day‑to‑day after a minor injury. Colorado State’s coach outlines defensive expectations, and Rasean Jones earns dual Player‑of‑Week honors. The post also teases Week 9 analysis and a fan survey on New Mexico’s ranking.
Georgia Bulldogs are approaching the final third of their 2026 regular season with a 2‑week gap before the only remaining rival, Georgia Tech. The SEC’s initial playoff rankings drop tonight, and the Bulldogs sit at #2 in both the AP poll and likely the CFP, behind Miami. Defensive standouts Chris Cole (SEC Defensive Player of the Week) and Gabe Harris (Defensive Lineman of the Week) helped shut down the former No. 4 SEC offense. Coach Kirby Smart fielded questions on injuries, confirming Dwight Phillips is “fine” and Ellis Robinson looks good. Meanwhile, men’s basketball opens with a 78‑62 win over NC Central and women’s basketball dominates West Georgia 92‑53. The post‑season picture tightens as the Bulldogs head into the final stretch.
Freshman Deron Rippey electrified Duke’s game against Army on Nov. 2, 2026 with a jaw‑dropping dunk after chasing down a missed shot. The 6‑3 rookie, who earlier shot 9‑12 versus Tennessee, showcased raw athleticism that left Army’s Drew Timmons and Tate Laczkowski visibly stunned. The play, highlighted in a viral video shared by Duke Men’s Basketball, underscores Rippey’s emerging elite talent at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Illinois faces Penn Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on FS1, with FoxONE streaming. The Illini (1‑0, 28‑9 last season, Final Four loss) under Brad Underwood host Fran McCaffery’s Quakers (0‑0, 18‑12 last season). Illinois leads the series 7‑0, including a 105‑70 NCAA Tournament win on March 19, 2026, highlighted by freshman David Mirkovic’s 29 points and 17 rebounds. Penn is without top scorer Ethan Roberts (concussion). No odds are listed.
For the first time in six games, Gonzaga was on the winning side of a matchup with Purdue, and they largely dictated the game's terms during a season-opening win. How did the Zags finally beat the Boilers?
Monday night marked opening night for college basketball, and at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex, the UMass Lowell
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ASU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams opened the season with victories on Monday, and a handful of players already stand out. Freshman guard Averie Lower exploded for five 3‑pointers, matching last season’s team average on her own, while sophomore point guard Joel Foxwell contributed 15 points, five assists and solid free‑throw shooting in a 40‑minute debut. Veteran big El Carrera sparked the women’s side, scoring five of the first seven team points. The men’s squad, despite shaky 3‑point shooting, impressed with a 21‑of‑26 free‑throw performance. Coach Randy Bennett faces early rotation decisions as depth and stamina become crucial for upcoming Big 12 play.
Forward Paulius Murauskas finished with a team-high 21 points to lead Arizona State to a season-opening win against Eastern Tennessee State.
UCLA M. Basketball Postgame - vs. Arizona (Nov. 2, 2026)
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Caitlin Clark surprises the Iowa women’s basketball team with a giveaway of her custom Nike Caitlin 1 sneakers—black‑and‑gold, tiger‑hawk logo‑embellished shoes—after donating her $90,000 MrBeast prize to her foundation. The locker‑room unboxing video, posted by Iowa Women’s Basketball, precedes a season‑opening win against Ohio State. The article highlights Clark’s record‑breaking 3,951 points, three‑time All‑American honors, and back‑to‑back national‑final appearances, noting this is her second shoe donation this week after a high‑school team in Zionsville, Indiana. Clark also promotes her new children’s book, “EXTRAordinary!,” with upcoming TV appearances on Good Morning America and The Tonight Show.
Arizona fell 84-75 to UCLA in the season opener at T‑Mobile Arena, marking coach Tommy Lloyd's first opening‑night loss since 2003 and the Wildcats' first opener defeat since 2006. Lloyd stayed calm, blaming early‑season offensive rust and UCLA's strong defense and rebounding, and said the loss can be a catalyst for improvement. He highlighted Motiejus Krivas' double‑team challenges and a costly late turnover. Ivan Kharchenkov, who set a career‑high with 38 points, was praised as a "warrior" who kept Arizona in contention with big threes. Both coaches stress learning from the game as the long season begins.
Nikola Dzepina scored a career-high 27 points, LeJuan Watts had 22 points, and Washington defeated Colgate 90-76 in its season-opener Monday night at Alaska Airlines Arena.
LOS ANGELES — The No. 21 USC Men's Basketball team routed the Milwaukee Panthers 95-63 on Nov. 2 at the Galen Center.
LSU women’s basketball opened the 2026 season with a historic 129-35 rout of Southeastern Louisiana, the program’s biggest win ever. Coach Kim Mulkey brushed off critics of the non‑conference schedule, saying she won’t apologize for building the game in Louisiana and that the dominant performance proves her strategy works. ZaKiyah Johnson led the Tigers with a 33‑point, 13‑rebound double‑double, while six players scored double figures, the team shot 50% from three and grabbed 51 rebounds. After a 2023 national title and an Elite Eight run in 2024, Mulkey’s squad looks poised for another championship run.
Stanford Men's Basketball: Eastern Washington Postgame Press Conference (11/2/2026)
Porter Moser’s Oklahoma Sooners open the 2026‑27 season with a shocking 68‑64 home loss to 28.5‑point underdogs East Texas A&M, marking the second‑largest point‑spread upset in Division I history. Favored by 28.5 points, Oklahoma trailed 34‑25 at halftime and couldn’t recover, despite Pop Isaacs’ 15 points and Derrion Reid’s 14‑point, 10‑rebound effort. The defeat eclipses the 2022 Eastern Illinois‑Iowa upset (+30.5). Oklahoma now aims to rebound when it hosts Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 6.
The University of South Florida basketball programs started the 2026-27 season with two impressive victories Monday night. Both
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Nevada’s men’s basketball blasts Robert Morris 86‑49 in its 2026‑27 season opener, giving retiring head coach Steve Alford a triumphant final home game. Elijah Price tops the box score with 19 points as the Wolf Pack rolls out 12 players in a dominant performance. Post‑game remarks from Alford, Price and Styles Phipps are available for fans who want insight into the team’s early momentum.
BYU’s offense was as good as advertised in a 94-83 win over Ohio State that included 60 points in the second half and 78 points in the final 27 minutes. Below are some of my thoughts and takeaways from the game and BYU moving forward.
Highlights: Stanford Men's Basketball vs. Eastern Washington (11/2/2026)
HARTFORD – The No. 4 UConn men's basketball team (1-0) opened the 2026-27 regular season with an 86-46 win over Gardner-Webb (0-1) on Monday night in the season opener at a sold-out PeoplesBank Arena. Braylon Mullins led all scorers with 20 points, one of four Huskies to finish in double-figures in the balanced triumph.
NORMAN -- Oklahoma fell at East Texas A&M, 68-64, Monday evening at Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners dropped the season opener for just the second time in the past 24 seasons, while also seeing their 30-game non-conference home win streak come to an end.
UCLA is now 7-1 in season openers under HC Mick Cronin.
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Trent Perry scored a team-high 21 points and was 11-for-11 at the free throw line.
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Stanford defeated Eastern Washington 74-65 as head coach Kyle Smith picked up his 300th career win.