The weekend in college hoops

Houston held off Auburn in a controversial finish, AJ Dybantsa wasn't enough vs. UConn, Georgetown's making noise among big East teams, Arizona won a rivalry game, and more results. Plus: It was a BUSY recruiting weekend.

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Samuel Lance
November 17, 2025

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We enjoyed that weekend of college hoops so much, we decided everyone should read about it.

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1. Houston holds off Auburn

Foul or no foul? That was the controversy surrounding Houston’s narrow 73-72 win Sunday against Auburn in Birmingham. And it took multiple stops by Houston to even get there.

Steven Pearl believed there should have been a whistle and was furious with the officials, but nevertheless, Houston’s defense prevails. We’ve seen that story before.

But one we haven’t seen with the Cougars? Freshmen leading the way. Kingston Flemings (22-5-7) and Chris Cenac (18 points, 9 rebounds) were both sensational.

“I’m glad we won. But I don’t know if I’d feel any differently about this team if we lost,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Auburn has a good team. They’re gonna get a lot better. So will we.”

That’s the key. Houston (4-0) has the perfect mix of returners and bonafide NBA talent. It’s why Sampson’s group is once again perceived as a title favorite.

For Auburn (3-1), it doesn’t seem like the program will be taking much of a dip with a new Pearl in charge. Keyshawn Hall and Tahaad Pettiford can go get you a bucket anytime (they combined for 35 points on Sunday). That’ll work out most nights for Auburn.

2. AJ Dybantsa as the No. 1 pick?

Just when it seemed UConn might back in dynastic form — crushing a quality opponent — BYU freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa had other plans.

After a first half with just four points and two turnovers, the forward flipped a switch in the second frame, scoring 21 points. He finished with 25 on 8-of-14 shooting, with six rebounds.

And it almost was enough. BYU sophomore guard Rob Wright tripped with a chance to tie, and the turnover effectively ended the game as UConn won, 86-84.

The Massachusetts native’s homecoming impressed UConn coach Dan Hurley and showed everyone why Dybantsa could be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. “That's as high a level of shot-making as you're going to see in college basketball,” Hurley said postgame. “He had the whole bag going tonight."

BYU (3-1) played without guard Kennard Davis and center Keiba Keita missed most of the game due to an injury.

As for UConn (4-0), the Huskies are once again showing they’re a team capable of cutting down the nets. Hurley said it was positive to see UConn could get the game to the point of a potential blowout. The Huskies just need to deliver the knockout punch next time.

3. Georgetown carrying the Big East?

The Big East’s just 3-10 this season against power conference foes. Only UConn and St. John’s sit inside KenPom’s top 40, and outside of those two, few teams look NCAA Tournament worthy.

Except for Georgetown.

Ed Cooley’s bunch now owns two of the league’s three P5 wins after Saturday’s 79-74 victory over Clemson. KJ Lewis (26 points, 5 steals) and Malik Mack (16 points, 7 assists) looked like a duo capable of carrying the offense in big moments, and the defense was sturdy.

Georgetown is 4–0 for the first time since 2017–18, which made The After Dark crew wonder if the Hoyas are for real.

The short answer? It depends on your definition of “for real.” Is Georgetown ready to push for a Big East title? Probably not. But Cooley has a roster that gives 110% every possession and gets up underneath you defensively. The Hoyas have a clear identity.

It’s early, but right now, Georgetown looks to be the league’s best hope at a third bid.

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4. Duke rolls, Arizona survives + more results

The rest of the weekend slate was electric. Here’s the other notable results and everything else you may have missed from a busy weekend:

No. 2 Purdue 97, Akron 79: Matt Painter grabbed his 500th career win, and Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff each had double-doubles.

No. 4 Duke 100, Indiana State 62: Cameron Boozer was sensational: 35 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals. Nobody’s had a stat line like that since Carmelo Anthony.

No. 5 Arizona 69, No. 15 UCLA 65: Senior guard Jaden Bradley scored 11 of Arizona’s last 16 points, but senior wing Anthony Dell'Orso was the story with 20 points and four triples. The Wildcats (4-0) grabbed this victory over UCLA (3-1) with its 5-star frosh Koa Peat and Brayden Burries scoring just 12 points on 14 shots.

No. 6 Michigan 67, TCU 63: The Wolverines are 3-0 but have not looked good. TCU (2-2) lost a buy game on opening night, and it took Michigan to the wire. Turnovers are a Michigan concern. It had 22 vs. TCU and is at 20% for the season.

No. 9 Kentucky 99, Eastern Illinois 53: This result wasn’t concerning, but coach Mark Pope’s postgame remarks were because he wishes he was “further ahead” with his team. Jaland Lowe also reaggravated his shoulder injury and is weighing options on treatment.

No. 10 Florida 82, Miami 68: The Gators’ frontcourt dominated with Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon combining for 52 points and 27 rebounds. Guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee were just 13 points on 3/17 FG.

No. 12 Louisville 106, Ohio 81: Six Cards ended up in double-figures, and the starting guard group of Mikel Brown, Ryan Conwell, and Isaac McKneeley combined for 56 points and 12 triples.

No. 14 Illinois 84, Colgate 65: International sensation David Mirkovic continues to impress. His 27 points and 21 rebounds was the first 20-20 game for Illinois (4-0) since 1972.

No. 19 Gonzaga 77, Arizona State 65: Graham Ike (20 points, 9 rebounds), Tyon Grant-Foster (14 and, 13) were too much for Arizona State (2-1). Zags are 4-0 with three wins vs. P5 opponents.

No. 21 Arkansas 79, Samford 75: Arkansas’ 12-0 run gave it a 68-54 lead with 7:08 remaining, but Samford did make it close. John Calipari passed Dean Smith on the all-time wins list with 880th career victory.

No. 25 Kansas 76, Princeton 57: The Tigers (2-2) were within two early in the second half, but Kansas put them away. The Jayhawks (3-1) were once again without star freshman Darryn Peterson, and will be for “at least the immediate future.” 

Maryland 89, Marquette 82: Diggy Coit (19 points) and Darius Adams (16 points) gave Maryland (3-1) a win in Buzz Williams’ return to Milwaukee. Maryland’s Pharrell Payne was stretchered off and went to the hospital after a scary fall.

USC 87, Illinois State 67: Guard Rodney Rice, who’s never recorded a double-double in his career, dropped 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the second triple-double in USC history.

Ohio State 64, Notre Dame 63: Senior center Christoph Tilly’s layup won it for Ohio State (4-0).

Nebraska 105, Oklahoma 99: Forwards Pryce Sandfort and Rienk Mast combined for 54 points and nine triples as Nebraska (4-0) rallied from a 16-point deficit. Oklahoma (2-2) has work to do.

SMU 87, Butler 85: Senior guard Jaron Pierre’s reverse layup won the game for SMU (4-0) in the final seconds. Boopie Miller had 23 points and 12 assists.

Georgia 92, Georgia Tech 87: Guards Jeremiah Wilkinson and Blue Cain each had 18 points in a rivalry win. Georgia (4-0) is up to No. 34 on KenPom.

UCF 86, Texas A&M 74: Senior forward Jordan Burks (21 points) led UCF (3-1). Texas A&M (2-2) might be in for a tough first year under Bucky McMillan.

Northwestern 81, DePaul 79: Senior forward Nick Martinelli (24 points) hit two free throws with three seconds remaining to give Northwestern (4-0) the win at DePaul (2-2).

Iowa 81, Xavier 62: Bennett Stirtz hasn’t skipped a beat moving up yet another level — 21-8-3 to lead Iowa (3-0). Xavier (2-2) has now been blown out by Iowa and Santa Clara and won by a total of nine points in two buy games.

Washington 81, Washington State 69: Guards Wesley Yates and Zoom Diallo combined for 46 points to beat their in-state rival.

Baylor 94, Tarleton State 81: Baylor guard Cam Carr threw down one of the wildest dunks of the season while Tarleton’s Dior Johnson dropped 42 points.

Virginia 104, Marshall 78: The Cavaliers (4-0) scored 61 first half points — the most in a half for a Virginia team since 2007.

UNLV 92, Memphis 78: Josh Pastner picked up a big win in his Memphis return. Guards Howie Fleming Jr. and Issac Williamson had 25 points apiece for UNLV (2-2).

UAB 91, High Point 74: So much for Jeff Goodman’s prediction that High Point would run the table.

Minnesota 72, Green Bay 65: In a wild final minute, Green Bay tied the game, and Minnesota hit its ensuring heave, but was just after the buzzer. The Gophers dominated the overtime frame.

SIUE 61, Drake 59: Brian Barone got a HUGE road win, continuing to build off SIUE’s first NCAA Tournament last season. Senior wing Ring Malith hit the game winner.

UMBC 71, Wagner 70: UMBC senior guard DJ Armstrong Jr. hit the buzzer-beater, his second in as many games.

5. Five notable commitments from the weekend

Several classes are starting to take shape during the 2026 early signing period. Five power programs added members to their respective classes this weekend, with four of the players ranking in On3’s top 30.

  • Cam Williams (Duke) — The 6-11 forward has as high an upside as anyone in this class. Williams can handle the ball, protect the rim and knock down shots from the perimeter.

  • Maximo Adams (UNC) — Adams was one of the EYBL’s top players. He was a walking double-double and has a mature game. He’s also the younger brother of Arizona State forward Marcus Adams.

  • Ethan Taylor (Michigan State) — A physically imposing 7-foot, 245-pound product. He’s a great rebounder and can finish with his back to the basket, but he’s still raw.

  • Miles Sadler (West Virginia) — There may not be a craftier finisher in high school basketball. He’s just 5-10, but is one of the best scoring guards. He’s WVU’s highest ranked recruit in the modern era.

  • Coleman Elkins (Texas) — An Austin native, the 6-10, 230-pound center averaged 15 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a junior.

Tall order

Phil Martelli’s VCU Rams (2-1) travel to Raleigh to take on Will Wade and NC State (3-0). So far, Wade’s group has led the country in 2-point FG% and ranks second in effective FG%. Can VCU halt the Wolfpack’s early season momentum and secure his first huge win? (7 p.m. ET on ACC Network)

Other games to watch (all times ET)

  • Drake (2-2) at Charleston (2-2), 7 p.m. (FloCollege)

  • SIU Edwardsville (3-1) at Wisconsin (3-0), 8 p.m. (BTN)

  • Oregon State (3-0) at Oregon (3-0), 10 p.m. (FS1)

Hot takes, top performances

Which players stood out over the weekend, and which teams impressed? The After Dark crew weighed in.

Links as you dive into season 2 of Landman.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected].