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Hoops holiday
VCU, George Mason shine in national spotlight. Plus: Marquette wins OT thriller in other Monday results, while Arizona's a unanimous No. 1, USC may get a freshman back this week, and we show off our first bracket projection.
Mike Miller
January 20, 2026
Good morning.
We’re sending positive thoughts to Kansas coach Bill Self, who was “under the weather earlier [Monday] and, out of an abundance of caution, was taken to LMH Health where he received IV fluids. He is feeling better but did not accompany the team to Boulder,” per a release from the school. The Jayhawks play Colorado tonight.
Let's get to the rest of Monday’s news.
1. George Mason, VCU shine on a hoops-filled day
The Atlantic 10 delivered a pair of good games on MLK Day.
Riley Allenspach scored 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds to help seal George Mason’s 69-64 win over George Washington. It marked the ninth-straight victory for the Patriots (18-1, 6-0 in A-10), who trailed by double digits early on, but led at halftime and controlled most of the second half.
“It’s great for our rivalry, it’s great for our league,” coach Tony Skinn said of being prominently featured on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “We got an opportunity and we capitalized on it.”
George Washington (12-7, 3-3) had its chances late, too. Rafael Castro missed a layup with a minute left that would’ve given GW a 1-point lead, then Tyrone Marshall threw away a sideline in-bounds pass with 13.3 seconds left with GW only trailing by 3.
That leaves George Mason ahead of Saint Louis and Dayton in the league standings by one game.
A couple wins back is VCU, which held off St. Joe’s, 79-72.
The Rams (13-6, 4-2) had trouble stopping Derek Simpson, who led all scorers with 27 points, and were frequently greeted inside by big man Justice Ajogbor.
But they sported some impressive defense of their own, holding St. Joe’s without a field goal over a long stretch. And they got big gams off the bench from junior Michael Belle (a career-high 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting and Terrence Hill Jr. (13 points and eight assists) outscored the Hawks (11-8, 3-3) 19-13 over the final five minutes.
Coach Phil Martelli Jr. was asked afterward about his ties to St. Joe’s (his dad, Phil Sr., coached there for 24 seasons; Phil Jr. served on the staff for one season), and he gave an answer worth listening to about the St. Joe’s court and the Martelli name.
2. James sparks Marquette’s OT thriller + more results
It’s fitting that yet another freshman had yet another monster day this season.
