Through the remaining minutes of regulation of Kansas‘ recreation vs. NC State on Saturday, Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson — the projected No. 1 general choose within the 2026 NBA Draft — checked out of the sport twice. Peterson, who returned final weekend towards Missouri after lacking his group’s earlier seven video games attributable to a hamstring damage, appeared to reaggravate the damage.
“I feel 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 additional time upset win over NC State on Saturday, in among the best 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 might 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 supplied the precise spark Kansas wanted to tug off a win.
School basketball rankings: No. 5 UConn strikes to 10-1, finishes nonconference slate with win over Texas
Gary Parrish
Relying on how severe the damage is, Kansas may should climate the storm as soon as once more with out its star freshman.
Within the Huge 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 provide 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: Kentucky exhibits indicators of life
Kentucky formally has a pulse for the primary time this season after using a ruthless defensive and rebounding effort to a desperately wanted 72-60 win over Indiana. The win was UK’s first towards an opponent within the high 200 of the NET after the Wildcats began 0-4 towards high-major opponents. Kentucky’s offensive points nonetheless should be solved, however Saturday’s win over IU gave your complete state an opportunity to exhale.
In his return after lacking 5 video games with an ankle sprain, Mo Dioubate set the tone with 14 factors and 12 rebounds, together with seven offensive rebounds that spurred the Wildcats to an 18-6 edge in second-chance factors. UK restricted the Hoosiers to simply 27.3% taking pictures within the second half and used a 23-6 edge in factors off turnovers to construct its lead. The Wildcats nonetheless have an extended approach to go, however this was an essential first step. – David Cobb
Winner: Council has his second for Kansas
Final season, Council linked on simply 29.9% of his 3-pointers on just below 4 makes an attempt per recreation. Coming into the weekend, the Kansas guard was taking pictures 18.5% from past the arc — the worst share 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 type 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 remaining 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 improper facet of an upset. — Cobb
Winner: Gonzaga vs. UCLA lives as much as the hype
Gonzaga vs. UCLA has turn into among the best rivalries in faculty basketball. Each time the West Coast foes face off — whether or not or not it’s at dwelling, a impartial web site, and/or the NCAA Event — faculty basketball followers can count on a banger of a recreation. Regardless of some individuals being asleep on the East Coast by the point this recreation tipped off on Saturday evening, followers who did keep up have been handled to a different epic showdown.
Outdoors of the blowout loss to Michigan final month, Gonzaga has been enjoying like a top-five group. The No. 8 Bulldogs picked up an 82-72 win over No. 25 UCLA, which marked their fourth win over a ranked opponent this season. Gonzaga now has wins over Creighton, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky and UCLA.
Winner: Rick Pitino takes down former group
Corridor of Fame coach Rick Pitino led his No. 22 St. John’s Purple Storm to a 91-64 win over his former group, 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 Huge 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 bought a very good group,” 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’ll play this recreation yearly that I am the coach.”
The win was a tune-up for the Johnnies as they start convention play at dwelling Tuesday vs. DePaul. — Kyle Boone
Loser: West Virginia squanders a giant lead
West Virginia regarded primed to earn the primary massive win of coach Ross Hodge’s tenure because it constructed a 16-point second-half lead towards border foe Ohio State. However the Buckeyes regained their footing and dealt the Mountaineers a devastating blow by rising with an 89-88 double-overtime win. A deep forged of characters made vital contributions for Ohio State, however star guard Bruce Thornton was the hero ultimately. His bodily drive and rating with 3.3 seconds left in double-overtime proved to be the sport winner.
Loser: Florida State meets match vs. UMass
Yr 1 of the Luke Loucks period at his alma mater bought off to a incredible begin. FSU started the season by successful 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 have 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 scrub up. — Salerno
Loser: Creighton’s freefall continues
Shedding 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 dwelling 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 search out some options quick if they’ll hold 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 Purple Raiders went on to win in dramatic style, which noticed Yr 1 of the John Calipari period at Arkansas finish sourly. Simply over eight months later, Arkansas bought revenge with a 93-86 win over Texas Tech behind a monster efficiency from veteran massive man Trevon Brazile. Arkansas now has ranked wins on the season over Louisville and Texas Tech. — Salerno
Loser: Windfall on improper facet of thriller
If Saturday’s conflict between Butler and Windfall was any indication, life within the Huge East goes to be rugged. Within the first league battle of the season, the Bulldogs outlasted the Friars 113-110 in double additional time. The sport featured a whopping 30 lead modifications, and neither squad ever led by greater than eight. In the long run, Butler’s Finley Bizjack scored 12 of his 26 factors after regulation to steer the Bulldogs via 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 file 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 recreation whereas taking pictures higher than 50% from past the arc.
The range in contributors stood out, as six totally different Louisville gamers made a minimum of two apiece. Amongst them was reserve massive 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 move makes an attempt have been getting into 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
Among the finest 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 group an 83-80 win over No. 13 Illinois. The Cornhuskers at the moment are 11-0 for the primary time in program historical past and 2-0 towards Huge Ten competitors. The win over the Preventing 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 dropping 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 coming into the day, however towards the Revolutionaries they largely managed the sport all through.
That was due partly to a second-half taking pictures showcase through which Florida shot 66.7% from the sphere 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 group with seven assists and 9 rebounds. — Boone
Winner: Oscar Cluff posts good taking pictures day in Purdue win
Purdue heart Oscar Cluff took 13 photographs within the Boilermakers’ 79-59 dwelling win over Marquette – 9 from the sphere and 4 from the charity stripe – and completed the sport with zero misses. Sure: Zero.
His bonkers remaining stat line: 9 of 9 taking pictures from the sphere, 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 probably the most factors in Purdue historical past on 100% taking pictures effectivity with Caleb Swanigan, who additionally had 22 factors in a 2016 recreation vs. NJIT. Much more unimaginable is he did all that injury enjoying simply 23 whole minutes – fourth-most on his personal group within the win. — Boone
Winner: Basketball Bedlam goes to the Sooners
Convention realignment ended the Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State soccer sequence. Fortunately, the basketball applications 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 way in which 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
