School basketball winners and losers: Council carries Kansas over NC State

Through the last minutes of regulation of Kansas‘ sport vs. NC State on Saturday, Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson — the projected No. 1 total decide within the 2026 NBA Draft — checked out of the sport twice. Peterson, who returned final weekend towards Missouri after lacking his crew’s earlier seven video games as a consequence of a hamstring harm, appeared to reaggravate the harm.

“I believe he was getting tight,” Kansas coach Invoice Self mentioned postgame. “I have never talked to the physician but or the coach, however he mentioned he wanted to come back out.”

Even with out Peterson down the stretch, Kansas walked away with a dramatic 77-76 time beyond regulation upset win over NC State on Saturday, in probably the greatest video games of the 2025-26 season to date. The hero for Kansas was Melvin Council Jr., who scored a career-high 36 factors and knocked down 9 3-pointers.

One of many greatest questions coming into the season for the Jayhawks was how they’d carry out within the non-Peterson minutes. With out Peterson within the lineup, Kansas went 5-2, with the lone losses coming towards Duke and UConn. Council offered the precise spark Kansas wanted to drag off a win.

Relying on how critical the harm is, Kansas might need to climate the storm as soon as once more with out its star freshman.

Within the Large Ten, one of many tales of the school basketball season is brewing. Nebraska improved to 11-0 for the primary time in program historical past after recording an 83-80 upset win over No. 13 Illinois. Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence knocked down a 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining to offer No. 23 Nebraska its first ranked win of the season.

Listed here are the most important winners and losers of Saturday’s faculty basketball slate.

Winner: Council has his second for Kansas

Final season, Council linked on simply 29.9% of his 3-pointers on slightly below 4 makes an attempt per sport. Coming into the weekend, the Kansas guard was taking pictures 18.5% from past the arc — the worst proportion of his faculty profession to date. Nevertheless, that did not matter towards NC State. With Peterson out, Council took over down the stretch and helped Kansas pull off the upset over NC State. Each time Kansas wanted a bucket, Council was the man. The Jayhawks are going to want that form of manufacturing if Peterson misses prolonged time. — Cameron Salerno

Loser: Divine intervention kills Penn State

Michigan State guard Divine Ugochukwu scored a career-high 23 factors to assist rally the No. 9 Spartans again from a 9-point deficit to beat Penn State 76-72. The sophomore Miami switch scored 18 within the second half alone, together with 5 within the last minute. Ugochukwu drilled all 4 of his 3-point makes an attempt within the second half, together with two that gave Michigan State the lead. With out Divine’s intervention, the Spartans could have ended up on the flawed facet of an upset. — David Cobb

Winner: Rick Pitino takes down former crew

Corridor of Fame coach Rick Pitino led his No. 22 St. John’s Crimson Storm to a 91-64 win over his former crew, the Iona Gaels, inside Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday. Pitino led Iona from 2021-2023 earlier than leaving for the St. John’s gig within the Large East, and whereas he did not precisely name off the canine within the blowout, he was gracious in victory postgame talking of his former employer.

“Iona’s received a very good crew,” Pitino mentioned, noting the college helped “rejuvenate” his teaching profession.. “Iona’s such a particular place with nice custom. I owe them a lot. We will play this sport yearly that I am the coach.” 

The win was a tune-up for the Johnnies as they start convention play at residence Tuesday vs. DePaul. — Kyle Boone

Yr 1 of the Luke Loucks period at his alma mater received off to a improbable begin. FSU started the season by profitable 5 of its first six video games, with the lone loss coming towards reigning nationwide champion Florida by two factors. Since defeating Cal State Bakersfield final month, FSU has misplaced 4 consecutive video games, together with a 103-95 loss to UMass. The Seminoles had been a double-digit favourite over the Minutemen. With ACC play starting on the finish of the month towards North Carolina, the Seminoles have some stuff to wash up. — Salerno

Loser: Creighton’s freefall continues

Dropping star heart Ryan Kalkbrenner after 5 seasons was all the time going to require Creighton to recalibrate. However life within the post-Kalkbrenner period is proving much more tough than anticipated, as Saturday’s 83-76 residence loss to Kansas State dropped the Bluejays to 5-5. Creighton practically erased a 20-point deficit behind a powerful second half efficiency from junior ahead Isaac Traudt, who scored 15 of his team-high 18 factors after the break. However a late 6-0 run from the Wildcats ensured that Creighton’s depressing begin to the season continued. The Bluejays want to seek out some options quick if they’ll preserve their streak of 5 straight NCAA Event appearances alive.  — Cobb

One of many greatest collapses of the 2025 NCAA Event featured Arkansas squandering a 16-point result in Texas Tech within the Candy 16. The Crimson Raiders went on to win in dramatic trend, which noticed Yr 1 of the John Calipari period at Arkansas finish sourly. Simply over eight months later, Arkansas received revenge with a 93-86 win over Texas Tech behind a monster efficiency from veteran large man Trevon Brazile. Arkansas now has ranked wins on the season over Louisville and Texas Tech. — Salerno

Loser: Windfall on flawed facet of thriller

If Saturday’s conflict between Butler and Windfall was any indication, life within the Large East goes to be rugged. Within the first league battle of the season, the Bulldogs outlasted the Friars 113-110 in double time beyond regulation. The sport featured a whopping 30 lead adjustments, and neither squad ever led by greater than eight. Ultimately, Butler’s Finley Bizjack scored 12 of his 26 factors after regulation to steer the Bulldogs by way of a frenzied end. Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers mixed to attain 58 for Windfall in a crushing defeat to start league play. — Cobb

Winner: Louisville goes nuts vs. Memphis

No. 11 Louisville took mercy on Memphis within the second half of a 99-73 win by slowing down the barrage of 3-pointers that it used to construct an insurmountable lead. Over a span of lower than 5 minutes late within the half, the Playing cards drilled seven in a row from past the arc to increase an 8-point result in 20. By the tip of the primary half, Louisville was 12 of twenty-two from deep and on tempo to shatter the college report of twenty-two made 3-pointers. However the Playing cards tried simply 5 3-pointers over the ultimate 11 minutes to complete 18 of 35. It marked simply the third time in program historical past and first time since 2008-09 that Louisville hit 18 or extra 3-pointers in a sport whereas taking pictures higher than 50% from past the arc. The variability in contributors stood out, as six completely different Louisville gamers made no less than two apiece. Amongst them was reserve large Kasean Pryor. Although he entered simply 1 of seven from deep on the season, Pryor hit three triples in a span of simply over two minutes late within the first half. Even go makes an attempt had been getting in for the Cardinals, who improved to 9-1 forward of Tuesday’s journey to Tennessee. — Cobb

Winner: Lawrence is the hero in Nebraska’s historic win

Probably the greatest endings of the day in faculty basketball got here in Champaign, Illinois, when No. 23 Nebraska used a game-winning 3-pointer by Lawrence to remain unbeaten. Lawrence’s shot with 0.2 seconds remaining gave his crew an 83-80 win over No. 13 Illinois. The Cornhuskers are actually 11-0 for the primary time in program historical past and 2-0 towards Large Ten competitors. The win over the Combating Illini was Nebraska’s first victory over a ranked opponent to date.  — Salerno

Winner: Florida shakes off skid vs. George Washington

The defending nationwide champion Florida Gators snapped a two-game shedding skid with a confidence-boosting 80-70 win over George Washington in Dawn, Florida. Florida had misplaced three of its final 4 video games and was 5-4 getting into the day, however towards the Revolutionaries they largely managed the sport all through.

That was due partially to a second-half taking pictures showcase by which Florida shot 66.7% from the sector and constructed a lead by as many as 20 factors. Switch guard Xaivian Lee led all scorers with 24 factors in that effort, and ahead Alex Condon led the crew with seven assists and 9 rebounds. — Boone

Winner: Oscar Cluff posts good taking pictures day in Purdue win

Purdue heart Oscar Cluff took 13 pictures within the Boilermakers’ 79-59 residence win over Marquette – 9 from the sector and 4 from the charity stripe – and completed the sport with zero misses. Sure: Zero. 

His bonkers last stat line: 9 of 9 taking pictures from the sector, 4 of 4 from the free throw line, 11 rebounds, two steals, two blocks. He led all scorers with 22 factors.

If that feels historic that is as a result of it’s. It tied for essentially the most factors in Purdue historical past on 100% taking pictures effectivity with Caleb Swanigan, who additionally had 22 factors in a 2016 sport vs. NJIT. Much more unbelievable is he did all that harm enjoying simply 23 whole minutes – fourth-most on his personal crew within the win. — Boone

Winner: Basketball Bedlam goes to the Sooners

Convention realignment ended the Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State soccer sequence. Fortunately, the basketball packages are carrying the torch on, although the Sooners are the one ones having fun with it as of late. Oklahoma locked up its fourth straight victory within the rivalry sequence by racing previous the Cowboys for an 85-76 win behind a barrage of 13 made 3-pointers. Xzayvier Brown led the best way with 21 factors because the Sooners picked up their third win over a high-major opponent. At 7-3, Oklahoma is a good distance from final 12 months’s 13-0 begin. — Cobb