Kentucky women's basketball coach Kenny Brooks announces the program will skip recruiting the 2027 class, citing the new five‑year eligibility rule that lets every current player return next season. Instead, the staff shifts focus to the 2028 class while relying on a deep roster that includes freshman Emily McDonald (No. 21 class of 2026), transfer Ajša Sivka, and potential record‑breaker Asia Boone. Brooks says the move provides continuity and flexibility, though it hinges on players staying healthy and performing. The strategy could set a precedent if it pays off.
In DBR Podcast #866, titled "The Stats Game!", hosts Sam Klein and Scott Rich dive into their annual Duke men’s basketball predictions. They forecast season leaders in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, estimate 10‑5‑5 games, potential 100‑point outings, and project the team’s win total. The episode also features a live DBR Podcast Bingo segment and teaser clips on YouTube and social media. Listeners get a fun, data‑driven look ahead at the Blue Devils’ 2026‑27 campaign.
Virginia Tech women’s basketball faces a major blow as 6‑ft‑3 guard/forward Lauren Hurst will miss the 2026‑27 season after knee surgery. Hurst, a top‑50 recruit who transferred from Tennessee where she posted 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 24 games, was expected to make a big impact for coach Megan Duffy’s incoming class. Despite the loss, Duffy says the Hokies are healthy overall and will open the season next Monday at Cassell Coliseum against NC Central.
The neutral-site Hall of Fame series matchup tips off at 1 p.m. PT and will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.
Gonzaga sophomore center Massamba Diop (7‑1, 35) makes the 2027 Kareem Abdul‑Jabbar Center of the Year preseason watchlist. The Senegal native posted 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game as a true freshman, ranking 29th nationally in blocks. Diop’s versatile defense and pick‑and‑roll offense complement Gonzaga’s frontcourt, which also includes Julius Erving Award candidate Davis Fogle and Karl Malone Award nominee Braden Huff. The announcement came on Oct. 30, 2026, ahead of the upcoming college season.
Illinois opens the regular season on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. CT at State Farm Center against Detroit Mercy.
Rutgers women’s basketball dominate Division II Caldwell 104‑49 in a preseason exhibition on Oct. 31, 2026. The Knights jump to a 32‑13 first‑quarter lead and finish 52‑24 at halftime, shooting 53.1% overall and 50% from three‑point range (33 threes). Chikae Desdunes tops the scoreboard with 17 points; Jaylah Lampley and Tara Daye each post double‑doubles (14‑10 and 16‑10) and pull 10 rebounds each. Rutgers out‑rebound Caldwell by 21, add 12 more assists and commit 14 fewer turnovers, giving the squad a chance to gel before the regular season opener against LIU on Nov. 2.
Northwestern opens the Carla Berube era with a dominant 71-39 win over Division II Lewis, sparked by a 17‑0 first‑quarter run and stifling defense. Casey Harter leads the Wildcats with 24 points, while Lily Carmody adds 15 and Camdyn Nelson posts a near triple‑double (10 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds). The ‘Cats force Lewis into a 9:49 scoring drought, out‑scoring them 11‑0 on fast breaks and 14‑3 off turnovers, and finish the game up by 32. Northwestern’s next test comes against UW‑Milwaukee on Nov. 3.
Washington center Tilda Trygger has been named to the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award Preseason Watchlist.
Five-star recruit Demarcus Henry, the No. 2 senior in the 2027 class and a $1.2 M NIL prospect, commits to North Carolina over Arkansas, Louisville and Kentucky. During his Chapel Hill visit, head coach Michael Malone set up a surprise phone call with Michael Jordan, who praised Henry's game and said he wants to see him in Carolina blue—an experience Henry calls "crazy" and unforgettable. Henry, a 6‑foot‑7 small forward from AZ Compass Prep, averaged 19.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 52% shooting on the Nike EYBL circuit and helped USA Basketball win silver at the 2026 FIBA U18 AmeriCup. His home‑state ties and Jordan's endorsement mark UNC’s biggest recruiting win since 2019.
Louisville transfer Sananda Fru lands on the Kareem Abdul‑Jabbar Award preseason watch list, marking a surprise nod for Marquette’s center position. Fru posted 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds in 22 minutes per game last season and led the ACC with a .765 two‑point shooting rate, plus top‑30 offensive rebound and top‑75 block percentages. The list pits him against 19 other top centers, with Marquette facing several watch‑list opponents—including Creighton and Villanova—in the early schedule. Marquette opens the season at the Fiserv Forum against Mercyhurst on Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
Kentucky’s reported Everestian high-balling of Henry wouldn’t go over well with Arkansas’ basketball coach.
John Calipari often gets the “Godfather” label, but it appears one of the Hogs’ recruiting rivals dished out a truly irresistible offer.
Paulius Murauskas headlines an Arizona State transfer portal class looking to bounce back from a 13th place finish in the Big 12 last season.
Wisconsin won't have to worry about Baboucarr Ann and that's great news.
Mid-Major Madness breaks down the Pac-12’s first season after its major remodel, noting that most of the conference’s members are new additions like Boise State, Utah State and Texas State. The author compares the shift to the Big East’s 2013 overhaul, highlighting that while the new schools have yet to win titles, their KenPom metrics already place the revamped Pac-12 ahead of the Mountain West (average 89.8 vs. 146.6). Gonzaga remains the top program, but three teams rank in the top 50, suggesting a strong competitive balance. Recruiting buzz is growing, with top‑75 prospects listing the new Pac‑12 schools, and the league’s “Pac‑12 after dark” branding rolls out nationwide.
LOS ANGELES — After an offseason of roster turnover, exhibition games and positive buzz for the No. 21 USC Men's Basketball team, the most anticipated season in the Eric Musselman era will begin this Monday, Nov. 2 in the Galen Center against Milwaukee.
The UConn Huskies ensured that head coach Dan Hurley would remain on the sidelines at least through the 2031-32 season after agreeing to a contract extension on Friday. The new two-year deal ensures that Hurley remains one of the highest-paid head coaches in college basketball. Following the initial report in the morning, the program made […]
The post Dan Hurley breaks silence after signing 2-year extension with UConn appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Week 9 Open Thread invites fans to discuss the day's college football slate. Friday night features Baylor at UCF in the lone Power‑5 matchup after UCF’s win over BYY. Saturday early sees Texas Tech vs Arizona and Wisconsin at Iowa, with SMU needing a road win at Syracuse. Saturday midday pits 5‑2 Florida (#17) against #3 Georgia in Atlanta, while BYU rebounds from its loss and Oregon hosts Northwestern. Saturday evening offers Texas vs Mississippi State, USC vs Ohio State, and Miami at UNC. The thread serves as a hub for all these matchups.
Three-star defensive tackle Dennis Glenn Jr. decommits from Rutgers after announcing his commitment on June 7 and reversing it on Oct. 29. The 6‑foot‑1, 285‑lb South Carolina prospect, who also plays basketball and runs track at Boiling Springs High, had chosen Rutgers over offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia, NC State, Northwestern, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Glenn cites uncertainty about the Rutgers coaching staff’s future as the deciding factor. His decommitment marks the fourth loss for Rutgers’ 2027 class, joining Connor Winn, Zion Vilma and Josiah Sturdivant.
With Mason Falslev returning and Dallin Hall joining the backcourt, Utah State basketball has experience and toughness heading into its Pac-12 debut.
Arizona Wildcats open the 2026-27 men’s basketball season on Oct. 28 in Las Vegas against UCLA, ranked No. 5 in the preseason AP Top 25 and favored to repeat as Big 12 champions. After a Final Four run—the program’s first in 25 years—coach Tommy Lloyd aims for another deep run, targeting five Final Four appearances in ten years. Fans are optimistic, noting the Wildcats have made the NCAA Tournament in each of Lloyd’s five seasons and reached the Sweet 16 four times, with odds of +1600 to win it all per FanDuel.
The Game Haus outlines its 2026 college basketball conference champion forecasts as the season looms, highlighting key picks such as Duke winning the ACC, Arizona taking the Big 12, UConn the Big East, Illinois the Big Ten, and Gonzaga the Pac‑12. The list spans every Division I league, from Vermont in America East to Santa Clara in the West Coast, offering a quick reference for fans tracking which teams must win their tournaments to secure NCAA bids.
Ohio State previews junior center Ivan Njegovan ahead of the 2026‑27 season, which opens Nov. 2 against BYU in Salt Lake City. The 7‑ft‑2, 260‑lb Croatian logged 30 games last year, averaging 2.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 12 blocks, with a career‑high 15 points vs. Mount St. Mary’s. Previously, he posted 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in Croatia’s premier league and shined for the U20 national team, tallying 15 points and 16 rebounds against Bulgaria. Expected to back up Josh Ojianwuna, Njegovan could see starter minutes early as Ojianwuna eases back after a two‑year layoff, providing 8‑10 minutes of size and rebounding off the bench.
Northwestern women’s basketball opens its season with an exhibition against Lewis on Friday night at Welsh‑Ryan Arena, 7 p.m. CST. New head coach Carla Berube, fresh off a 147‑29 run and five Ivy titles at Princeton, makes her debut as the Wildcats aim to break a streak of sub‑10‑win seasons before the regular season starts Nov. 3 versus Milwaukee. The game streams on Big Ten+ and is also on Northwestern Athletics’ YouTube channel; no injury report is listed.