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Duke leans on Cameron Boozer, and he leans on Arkansas in 80-71 win

Sports / Basketball /

CHICAGO — There had not yet been a night when Duke had to lean on Cameron Boozer, to ask him to be the star he is supposed to be. Most games, he’s played fewer than 30 minutes, still scoring more than 20 points in three of those, but generally idling as the Blue Devils cruise.

Then came Thursday against Arkansas, when no one else seemed to ...Read more

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No. 9 BYU swats away Miami at ESPN Events Invitational

Sports / Basketball /

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Miami men’s basketball coach Jai Lucas admitted following his team’s 72-62 loss to Brigham Young at Thursday’s ESPN Events Invitational that he had never seen quite a shot-blocking exhibition like the one BYU’s Keba Keita put on.

The athletic 6-foot-8 Keita, a native of Bamkako, Mali, swatted seven Miami shots...Read more

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TCU stuns No. 10 Florida in Rady Children's Invitational

Sports / Basketball /

TCU men’s basketball pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the college basketball season by taking down the defending national champion and No. 10-ranked Florida, 84-80, on Thanksgiving in the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego.

Brock Harding lifted TCU (4-2) to the massive win by knocking down a clutch bucket with 48 seconds left ...Read more

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Michigan State feasts in paint for Thanksgiving win over North Carolina

Sports / Basketball /

FORT MYERS, Fla. — A “schedule from hell” has yet to burn Michigan State’s men’s basketball team.

First came Arkansas, which fell at Breslin Center. Then Kentucky, at Madison Square Garden last week, which fell in a blowout. Thanksgiving at the Fort Myers Tip-Off brought all Michigan State could eat in North Carolina. And yet the ...Read more

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Oklahoma college basketball player dies after head injury during game

Sports / Basketball /

A junior college basketball player in Oklahoma has died after suffering a head injury during a game last weekend, his school announced.

Ethan Dietz, a 20-year-old sophomore at Connors State College, was pronounced dead Tuesday after suffering the injury on Nov. 22, the school said in a Facebook post.

“Ethan exemplified what it means to be a ...Read more

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Steph Curry's off night, early exit too much as Warriors fall to Rockets

Sports / Basketball /

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors had six players in double figures but still fell to the Houston Rockets 104-100 on Wednesday evening at Chase Center as Steph Curry suffered a poor shooting night and left the floor limping late in the fourth quarter.

Curry scored 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting, committed six turnovers and headed to the locker room...Read more

NC State can't stop Texas in final Maui game. What we learned from the loss

Sports / Basketball /

Texas is not known for its long ball, but that’s what it used to defeat N.C. State in the fifth-place matchup to close the Maui Invitational on Wednesday night.

The Wolfpack fell to the Longhorns, 102-97, to go 1-2 in the Thanksgiving week tournament in Hawaii.

“Just not good enough on any facet. I didn’t have us prepared like we ...Read more

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Timberwolves stay within reach of Thunder until late in 113-105 loss

Sports / Basketball /

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Timberwolves wanted to put their two most painful losses in the rearview mirror Wednesday night. Only problem was the one-loss Oklahoma City Thunder awaited them in the teams’ first matchup since the Western Conference finals.

The Wolves gave the defending champions more than most teams have given them this season, but ...Read more

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No. 7 Michigan streamrolls No. 12 Gonzaga to win Players Era title

Sports / Basketball /

LAS VEGAS — The Wolverines delivered a TKO in the first two rounds of the Players Era to reach the title fight.

All that stood in No. 7 Michigan’s way of a tournament trophy and an additional $1 million NIL compensation was No. 12 Gonzaga.

But what was expected to be a heavyweight bout turned into another one-sided smackdown as Michigan ...Read more

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Herro steps up again as Heat win streak reaches 6 with 106-103 NBA Cup win over Bucks

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — Nothing about the Miami Heat’s first 17 games was about hero ball, with an equal-opportunity approach fueling unexpected early-season success.

The past two games, however, have been a different story, with Herro ball both needed and impactful.

Leading the Heat in scoring for the second time in as many appearances since returning ...Read more

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Takeaways from Kansas' wild Players Era hoops victory over Tennessee

Sports / Basketball /

Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball player Elmarko Jackson is rarely mentioned by name on social media.

The redshirt-sophomore guard had struggled in his return to the court this season after missing all of last year with a torn patellar tendon.

It had gotten to the point where some Jayhawks fans, perhaps worried the struggling KU guard could ...Read more

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Kentucky kids stuff the stat sheet in John Pelphrey's UK basketball homecoming

Sports / Basketball /

LEXINGTON, Ky. — With one of the “Unforgettables” on the opposing sideline Wednesday night and the other three in attendance, a couple of kids from Kentucky had career nights for the Wildcats in Rupp Arena.

Trent Noah and Malachi Moreno were among the big contributors in UK’s 104-54 victory over Tennessee Tech, the Cats’ final tuneup ...Read more

Kristian Winfield: Knicks keep NBA Cup chances alive with 129-101 rout of Hornets

Sports / Basketball /

Las Vegas, is that you?

The Knicks made easy work of the Charlotte Hornets in a 129-101 rout at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday. The victory improved New York’s record to 2-1 in the NBA Cup, putting them in position for a three-way tie depending on the outcome of the in-season tournament matchup between the Miami Heat and...Read more

Pistons' winning streak ends in NBA Cup loss to Celtics

Sports / Basketball /

BOSTON — Nearly every fan inside TD Garden was on their feet at the 9:23 mark of the fourth quarter. At the time, the Boston Celtics had all the momentum with a five-point lead as Hugo González approached the foul line. But amid the chaos, Cade Cunningham rallied his teammates to help them regain their composure.

Cunningham's message helped...Read more

Warriors send Kuminga, Melton to Santa Cruz as they rehab knee injuries

Sports / Basketball /

De’Anthony Melton’s season debut for the Warriors could be coming soon as the team assigned him to its G League affiliate in Santa Cruz on Wednesday along with Jonathan Kuminga and Gui Santos.

Melton is rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered last November while with the Warriors. He was traded to the Nets after the injury but returned over the ...Read more

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Lakers takeaways: What the Lakers are looking for as LeBron James rounds into form

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic set the tone with 24 points in the first quarter. LeBron James picked up the baton with 18 over the next two quarters. Austin Reaves put the finishing touches on the Lakers' 135-118 win over the Clippers on Tuesday by scoring 18 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers' Big Three each starred in their solo ...Read more

Donovan Dent injured in UCLA's troubling loss to Cal

Sports / Basketball /

SAN FRANCISCO — Maybe it’s time to worry.

Some uneven play from UCLA over the season’s first few weeks could be shrugged off as a team filled with new players finding its footing.

But there was no reasonable explanation for what happened Tuesday night.

Playing a former Pac-12 rival in a matchup that should have stirred some intensity, ...Read more

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Takeaways from Kansas State's road loss against Indiana

Sports / Basketball /

Jerome Tang wanted to challenge the Kansas State men’s basketball team in its first true road game of the season, so he scheduled a trip to historic Assembly Hall for a matchup with Indiana.

A challenge is exactly what the Wildcats got on Tuesday in Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana played at a higher level than any other opponent K-State has seen ...Read more

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Michigan rides dominant first half to blowout win over Auburn in Vegas

Sports / Basketball /

LAS VEGAS — The Wolverines wanted it all.

A shot at a bigger NIL payday and a tournament title. Revenge for last season’s Sweet 16 loss. Their first win over a ranked opponent this season.

No. 7 Michigan got it all against No. 21 Auburn by riding a dominant first half to a 102-72 blowout win at the Players Era on Tuesday at Michelob Ultra ...Read more

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Mark Story: In a time of personal trial, John Pelphrey relishes return to Rupp Arena

Sports / Basketball /

LEXINGTON, Ky. — When Mark Pope and John Pelphrey crossed paths at a charitable event last summer, the current Kentucky coach asked the former UK forward if he wanted to bring his Tennessee Tech team to Rupp Arena this season to face the Wildcats.

Given that there may be no mortal walking the earth who loves Rupp Arena more than Pelphrey, the...Read more