Why the Big 12 is stronger than the ACC
The Big 12 is powerful at the top (Kansas, Baylor) and could conceivably get all 10 teams into the NCAA tournament while the ACC's weakest teams hurt its depth.
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Defending champ Villanova returns to No. 1
Reigning national champion Villanova is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll for the second time in school history.
UNC point guard Berry sprains ankle in victory
North Carolina point guard Joel Berry II sprained his left ankle in the Tar Heels' 95-50 victory over Radford on Sunday.
Eastern Kentucky player charged with rape
Authorities say Eastern Kentucky's Jaylen Babb-Harrison, a redshirt senior guard, has been arrested and charged with first-degree rape.
South Carolina suspends Thornwell indefinitely
Guard Sindarius Thornwell, who was averaging 18.7 points in South Carolina's 7-0 start, was suspended indefinitely for violating athletic department policy.
Duke freshmen Tatum, Bolden debut vs. Maine
Duke freshmen Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden made their college debuts Saturday night against Maine.
Maine protests HB2 with rainbow shirts vs. Duke
Maine will wear special warm-up shirts before its Saturday game against No. 5 Duke as a way to protest North Carolina's controversial law known as HB2.
Will John Calipari land a top-10 prospect in 2017 and other Class of 2017 questions
John Calipari continues to pursue top-10 prospects, plus other unanswered recruiting questions in the 2017 class.
College hoops Power Rankings: It's your turn, Villanova
Duke had its shot. Indiana had its shot. Step right up, Villanova. The first month of the season has been marked by volatility. Any chances things settle down?
Remember John Saunders during Jimmy V Week
The late John Saunders had a strong bond to Jim Valvano and the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Dickie V will be thinking about Saunders at the Jimmy V Classic this week.
North Carolina cruises past Radford (0:44)
Behind the bracket: Don't get too carried away with Indiana -- yet
Indiana beat North Carolina, after beating Kansas. Surely, the Hoosiers will jump to a top line on Joe Lunardi's latest bracket? Nope. Certainly a No. 2 seed then? Sorry.
Dickie V's weekly awards: UCLA makes a statement
UCLA went into Rupp Arena and knocked off No. 1 Kentucky. So, yes, that got Dickie V's attention as he handed out his weekly awards.
UCLA has look of a national title contender in win over Kentucky
UCLA proved Saturday that its 8-0 start was no fluke by getting balanced scoring and using physical play to knock off No. 1 Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
Bruins prove they can win big games when Lonzo Ball struggles
Lonzo Ball wasn't at his best Saturday against No. 1 Kentucky, but No. 11 UCLA was still able to find a way to beat an elite team.
Isola praises the Ball family (1:02)
Who will win Pac-12's 2017 recruiting race?
Next year's Pac-12 will see an influx of talent. UCLA, Arizona and Washington each have a top-five recruiting classes, but each has remaining targets.
Frank Mason's layup is so ridiculous it even impresses Frank Mason (0:37)
Press Virginia is even tougher than it sounds
West Virginia turns the tables on defensive-minded Virginia, handing the Cavaliers their first nonconference home loss since 2013.
Bracketology: The quick rise of Baylor basketball
Remember way, way back on Nov. 3 -- a whole four weeks ago -- when Baylor debuted as a No. 8 seed? Well, things have changed -- in a hurry. The Bears have made a big move.
NC State's Smith posterizes defender with tomahawk slam (0:20)
Wisconsin's Iverson sneaks backdoor for alley-oop (0:19)
Indiana adds North Carolina to its list of Assembly Hall prize wins
Assembly Hall was electric Wednesday night during the Hoosiers' win over the third-ranked Tar Heels. Such nights are becoming a trend in Bloomington.
Jones hits McSwain with the half-court alley-oop for Indiana (0:16)
Purdue's gentle giant playing for sister who has epilepsy
At 7-foot-2 Purdue's Isaac Haas didn't always fit in and didn't dominate the college game right away. But now he's flourishing, and his 16-year-old sister, who has epilepsy, gives him motivation.
How freedom of movement is fueling college basketball's scoring binge
Players, especially guards, are turning in 30-point games at an increased clip so far this season, and that doesn't surprise coaches, who point to one factor behind the scoring surge.
Squeaky clean: UK scrubs facilities to fight cold
After a bug hit members of John Calipari's staff during the team's trip to the Bahamas on Monday, Kentucky has distributed hand sanitizer and cleaned facilities to keep Wildcats players healthy.
Virginia rallies to beat Ohio State (1:07)
Veteran trio delivers for Duke, as it waits for star freshmen to get healthy
With three of its promising rookies out again, Duke relied on the leadership of Matt Jones, Grayson Allen and Amile Jefferson to beat Michigan State.
Wisconsin's Ethan Happ proves his worth in win over Syracuse
Ethan Happ's effort on Tuesday showed that Wisconsin has a post presence it can lean on, to go with veteran leaders Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig.
Freshman Focus: NC State's Smith is the best freshman you've never heard of
Dennis Smith Jr. wasn't in the recruiting rankings because of a knee injury. And his big numbers so far this season have gone largely unnoticed. But NBA personnel are taking notice.
Big East touting quality over quantity
Butler's win at Utah makes the Big East's top four teams -- Villanova, Xavier, Creighton and the Bulldogs -- a combined 25-0 this season.
Lonzo Ball has NBA personnel raving, UCLA soaring
UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball has eased the uncertainty around the program -- and grabbed the NBA's attention -- while turning the Bruins' games into must-see TV.
College hoops Power Rankings: So about Indiana being No. 1 last week ...
Twenty-four hours after jumping from No. 14 to No. 1, the Hoosiers lost to Fort Wayne. Now it's back outside the top 10 for Indiana. The new No. 1? It's not as easy as you'd think.
Don't let these ACC-Big Ten Challenge games fly under your radar (1:41)
Fan aggressively screams at opponent during free throws (0:26)
Same defense, same problems for Virginia opponents
Tony Bennett has Virginia's defense pointed in the right direction once again after winning the Emerald Coast Classic.
Ray Smith's career ended before it started
Arizona's Ray Smith, once a top-30 prospect, retired a few weeks ago. He's only 19. But after a third ACL injury, he opted to walk away and start the next part of his life. And he's OK with that.
Tar Heels already look like a finished -- and fearsome -- product
The early returns for No. 4 North Carolina are very positive. Buoyed by Kennedy Meeks (15 points, 16 rebounds), the Tar Heels breezed past Wisconsin.
To play or not to play? What's best for injured Duke freshman Harry Giles?
Since a third knee surgery, Duke forward Harry Giles hasn't seen the floor. He wants to play, and the Blue Devils want him to play. What's in his best interest if he wants an NBA future?
North Carolina's Justin Jackson out to eliminate soft reputation
Justin Jackson was a top-10 recruit in the 2014 class, but the hype hasn't materialized. Is this the season he reaches his potential for the Tar Heels?
Now
Fran Fraschilla @franfraschilla
Watched Rice's 6-2 Marcus Evans get 27 at Tex.Tech. Reminds me of AA candidate, Melo Trimble. Drives hard & shooting better.
One Nación
The Spanish guard for Culver-Stockton Francesc Iturria hit 11 from beyond the arc the team converted 21 threes, a program record. 'Spanish Curry' sets his school's record with 11 threes in loss
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN
Brown's Steven Spieth, the younger brother of Jordan, has been phenomenal this season. Senior averaging 18.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.8 apg.
Andy Katz @ESPNAndyKatz
Courtside: @UNC_Basketball @BoilerBall @BaylorMBB all should enjoy the comments and answers on today's show: es.pn/2haFttP
Seth Greenberg @SethOnHoops
They might be trying to find their defensive identity but @BoilerBall Coach Painter likes his team. #Courtside es.pn/2g1bqEs
Seth Greenberg @SethOnHoops
Courtside @UNC_Basketball Coach Roy @BUDREW @BoilerBall @CoachPainter and a look at this weekend. es.pn/2haFttP
ESPN College BBall @ESPNCBB
New AP Top 10: 1. Villanova 2. UCLA 3. Kansas 4. Baylor 5. Duke 6. Kentucky 7. North Carolina 8. Gonzaga 9. Indiana 10. Creighton
Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Writer
From ESPN Stats and Info: this is the first time since 1994 that Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA are all ranked in the AP top 10.
Andy Katz ESPN Senior Writer
UNC's Roy Williams joined us on Courtside podcast today and he said he's not real positive on Joel Berry (sprained left ankle) playing against Davidson. Will know more in next 24 hours. Meanwhile, he said Theo Pinson (fracture in right foot) is at six-week mark of his recovery and expects another 2-4 weeks for his rehab.
Seth Greenberg @SethOnHoops
Interesting and informative Courtside today with Roy Williams, Matt Painter and @BUDREW will be up shortly @UNC_Basketball @BoilerBall
Jeff Goodman ESPN Insider
DeAndre Ayton, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2017, told ESPN he went home to the Bahamas to get his visa renewed. Was back home in Nassau for a little more than two weeks. Said he expects to return to Hillcrest Academy in Phoenix tomorrow -- and also said he will play college ball at Arizona.
Fran Fraschilla @franfraschilla
After spanking good Ark. State team tonight, at very least, @TCUBasketball will be getting Top 25 votes on Sun. night. Ready for TCU-SMU Wed
Seth Greenberg @SethOnHoops
This is Mark Few's most complete team. I would say I told you that weeks ago but then I would sound like a guru which I am not.
Seth Greenberg @SethOnHoops
The @Big12Conference is athletic & well coached. Should @KUHoops has won12 championship but that does not diminish the quality of the league
ESPN Stats and Information
Luke Kennard's 35 points against Maine tonight are the most by a Duke player in one game since Ryan Kelly scored 36 in 2013 against Miami.
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN
Is this score accurate? Northwestern 54, DePaul 18 at the half. That's not good for Dave Leitao.
Fran Fraschilla @franfraschilla
Sorry. Honoring KU great today, Jerod Haase. Consider it a one time thing.😉 twitter.com/bennyheis/stat…
Fran Fraschilla @franfraschilla
Nice job by former Maine asst @ZakBoisvert to find ilker Er at San Jac JC. 6-6 Jr has 20 at half at Duke. Turkish kid.
ESPN Stats and Information
Xavier entered the game against Baylor allowing 22.9 paint points per game, fewest in the Big East. The Bears punished the Musketeers with 38 points from the paint, helped by 77 percent shooting from down low in the second half.
ESPN Stats and Information
After trailing by three points at halftime, Baylor took over in the paint in the second half, outscoring Xavier 20-4 down low. Baylor finished the game 19-of-26 in the paint, including 10-of-13 in the second half.