Faculty basketball winners and losers: Blue bloods UNC, Kentucky, Kansas go down

The primary weekend of 2026 noticed most faculty basketball groups play their first or second convention sport of the season. Whereas No. 6 Duke survived a scare towards Florida State throughout a 91-87 win on the highway, different blue bloods weren’t as lucky.

Kentucky dropped to 9-5 on the season and commenced SEC play with a 89-74 loss to No. 14 Alabama on the highway. Final yr, the Wildcats opened convention play with an announcement win over (eventual) nationwide champion Florida in top-of-the-line video games of the season. The Wildcats have been driving a four-game win streak earlier than falling to the Crimson Tide. 

Within the Massive 12, No. 17 Kansas noticed star freshman Darryn Peterson return to the lineup towards UCF. Nevertheless, Peterson logged simply 5 minutes within the second half and his group was on the mistaken aspect of an 81-75 loss to the Knights. Virtually two years in the past to the day the Knights upset the Jayhawks of their first convention win as a member of the Massive 12.

No. 12 North Carolina has been enjoying like top-of-the-line groups in faculty basketball currently, however fell flat in its first convention loss to SMU. The 97-83 setback to the Mustangs snapped a seven-game successful streak courting again to a win over Kentucky within the ACC/SEC Problem. 

Listed below are the remainder of the winners and losers from the weekend. 

Loser: One other gradual begin dooms Kentucky

Sluggish begins sunk Kentucky in early-season losses to Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina and Gonzaga. And a gradual begin Saturday (shock!) at Alabama to open its SEC slate – through which it trailed by as many as 21 factors within the first half (!!) – once more doomed the Wildcats in an 89-74 defeat. 

It was a serious step again for Kentucky after it closed out the 2025 calendar yr with 4 consecutive wins and appeared to be trending up, with two of these wins coming towards St. John’s and Indiana. The Wildcats merely by no means discovered their groove on this one, and regardless of a late push, the sport’s consequence was by no means unsure. 

Troubling for UK (along with the loss, which isn’t all that worrying in a vacuum) is the way in which through which it succumbed to the Tide. It misplaced the rebounding battle to a Bama group that has been comfortable on the boards a lot of the season and let Bama assert itself in exactly the way in which it wished to: by letting Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway dictate the phrases and choose them other than 3-point vary. That is top-of-the-scouting-report priorities Kentucky ought to’ve had a greater plan for. As an alternative it is again to the drafting board after a humbling defeat. — Kyle Boone

Winner: Windfall rallies to stun St. John’s

Stefan Vaaks erupted for 15 of his 16 factors within the second half to spark Windfall to a doubtlessly season-turning win over St. John’s. The once-slumping Friars trailed 15-3 earlier than they may blink and at one level trailed by as many as 13 factors. They needed to survive an unbelievable 33-point, 15-rebound Zuby Ejiofor efficiency. And but, Windfall surged off the mat to erase a 10-point deficit within the closing seven minutes of regulation. — Isaac Trotter

Winner: Arkansas’ Acuff shines in SEC debut 

Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff turned in a memorable SEC debut, scoring a career-high 29 factors to guide the No. 18 Razorbacks to an 86-75 win over No. 19 Tennessee. Acuff produced Arkansas’ first seven factors, scored an enormous bucket simply earlier than halftime after which popped off for 19 within the second half. Within the course of, he completely outplayed Tennessee’s Nate Ament, who was the one SEC freshman to complete forward of Acuff within the closing 247Sports recruiting rankings. 

Acuff has but to attain fewer than 16 factors towards a high-major opponent and is trying like an early contender for SEC Participant of the Yr. A yr in the past, the Razorbacks needed to grapple with unmet expectations and accidents surrounding freshman guard Boogie Fland. This time, coach John Calipari seems to have hit the lottery. — David Cobb

Loser: Peterson returns, however Kansas falls to UCF

The excellent news: Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson is again. The dangerous? Kansas was on the mistaken aspect of an upset loss to UCF. Peterson appeared unbelievable within the first half towards the Knights and scored 23 factors earlier than halftime. Nevertheless, Peterson logged simply 5 complete minutes within the second half and scored simply three factors. Peterson subbed out across the 10-minute mark and didn’t return for the remainder of the sport. The ceiling of Kansas’ roster with out Peterson is considerably decrease. — Cameron Salerno

UCF upsets No. 17 Kansas in return of Jayhawks star freshman Darrryn Peterson from hamstring damage

Cameron Salerno

Loser: UNC protection collapses in ugly highway loss to SMU

North Carolina entered the weekend with the second-best protection amongst ACC applications, permitting 96.6 factors per 100 possessions, per KenPom knowledge. It left the day looking for solutions in an space it has in any other case been sensible in after surrendering a season-high 97 factors in a 97-83 defeat to SMU.

SMU transformed 1.426 factors per possession within the win – a shocking 142.6 factors per 100 possession tempo – and located little resistance in its third consecutive outing of 97 or extra factors. The Mustangs completed 14 of 27 from 3-point vary, had 23 assists to solely seven turnovers and by no means trailed within the second half. — Boone

Winner: Texas Tech is flying excessive offensively

With premier perimeter marksmen Likelihood McMillian (43.3% on 5.3 makes an attempt) and Kerwin Walton (39.6% on 4.3 makes an attempt) departing from a group that ranked within the prime 50 nationally in made 3-pointers per sport (10) and proportion (36.7%), Tech wanted some employed weapons. It discovered them within the type of UNC Greensboro switch Donovan Atwell, freshman Jaylen Petty and Santa Clara switch Tyeree Bryan. The trio mixed to go 12 of 23 from deep in a 102-80 win over Oklahoma State. 

The Crimson Raiders tied a season-high with 17 made 3-pointers towards the Cowboys as 4 TTU gamers drilled 3+ treys apiece. Once you encompass an inside star like JT Toppin with that kind of taking pictures, you get an elite offensive group. That is what Texas Tech (11-3, 1-0 Massive 12) is on their option to turning into after an uneven begin to the season. Toppin led the way in which with 23 factors and 14 rebounds, which left Oklahoma State with no alternative however to choose its poison defensively. — Cobb

Loser: Pitt veers towards all-time low

An 80-46 win over Penn State on Dec. 21 despatched Pitt into Christmas on a excessive word after a rocky begin that included house losses to Quinnipiac and Hofstra. However any hope of the Panthers sustaining that momentum dissipated in a 73-68 loss to Clemson on Saturday. The Panthers are actually (7-8, 0-2 ACC) and careening towards irrelevance as soon as once more.

This program received 20+ video games in consecutive seasons again in 2023 and 2024, ending 26-14 within the ACC throughout that span underneath eighth-year coach Jeff Capel. The Panthers even reached the second spherical of the 2023 NCAA Match and signed a robust freshman class that yr, which featured top-100 guards Bub Carrington and Jaland Lowe. However Carrington turned out to be a one-and-done star, and Lowe transferred to Kentucky after final season. With extra expertise heading out than coming in, this wrestle was all-too predictable. — Cobb

Winner: Villanova is perhaps second finest in Massive East

UConn is the king of the Massive East for now, however Villanova appears to be like solidified to be No. 2 after bettering to 3-0 within the league with an 85-67 highway win over Butler. Steadiness is every thing for Kevin Willard’s group. All 5 starters (Academe Lewis, Matt Hodge, Bryce Lindsay, Tyler Perkins and Duke Brennan) cracked double figures. With lone losses to BYU (superb!) and Michigan (confirmed superb!), Villanova appears to be like primed to rise above St. John’s, Seton Corridor and the remainder to be UConn’s stiffest challenger.  — Trotter

Loser: NC State‘s 3-point protection goes MIA

NC State’s 3-point protection had been flirting with catastrophe for giant chunks of time this season, and Saturday turned out to be judgment day. Coming into the day, the Wolfpack had allowed 9.5 unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s per sport. That ranked 291st nationally. Virginia capitalized on these clear appears to be like from the leap. Sam Lewis and Malik Thomas mixed for seven triples within the first half alone of UVA’s runaway 76-61 victory over NC State. Virginia totaled 13 triples and improved to 12-2 general and 1-1 in ACC play. — Trotter

Winner: Georgia off to traditionally nice begin

On a day through which protection was elective (however, largely, nonexistent) it ought to come as no shock that No. 23 Georgia – which has the highest-scoring offense in faculty basketball – got here by down the stretch by counting on its offense in a 104-100 time beyond regulation win over Auburn.

The Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 12-8 within the additional interval, which included two made 3-pointers and two made free throws within the closing 110 seconds to seal the win. UGA completed the day 11 of 29 from 3-point vary and 25 of 35 from the free-throw line.

The win moved UGA to 13-1 on the season, marking its second-best begin in program historical past and finest begin to a season since 1931.  — Boone