Updated daily - January Players of the Day

February 28, 2025 Player of the Day - Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue Boilermakers

Behind Trey Kaufman-Renn's game-high 29 points, the #20 Purdue Boilermakers snapped a four-game losing streak, taking down UCLA in a Big Ten contest Friday, 76-66.

Playing on their home court at Mackey Arena, the Boilermakers put together a 12-0 run late in the second half, blowing open a close game. Kaufman-Renn scored six points during the burst. When Braden Smith rocked down back-to-back 3-pointers at 2:54 and 2:08, the outcome was essentially decided, with Purdue ahead, 73-60. Smith made six 3-pointers as part of his 23-point production.

Kaufman-Renn, who leads the team in scoring at 19.6 points per game, was a force in the paint, hitting 11 of 15 shots from close range. He added 7 of 10 from the foul line and had three rebounds and three steals. He's scored in double figures in 28 of Purdue's 29 games this season and also leads the Boilermakers in rebounds (6.0).

A 6'9" junior from Sellersburg, Indiana, Kaufman-Renn was part of the Purdue team that was upset in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA tournament by Fairleigh-Dickinson and also last year's Purdue squad that lost in the championship game to UConn.

Friday's result left both teams with 20-9 records. Purdue is fourth in the Big Ten, at 12-6. UCLA is 11-7, in sixth place.

Purdue hosts Rutgers Tuesday (3/4) and closes out the regular season at Illinois on Friday, March 7.

UCLA plays at Northwestern Monday night (3/3) and finishes up at home against USC on Saturday, March 8.

The Big Ten tournament begins Wednesday, March 12.

February 27, 2025 Player of the Day - Alejandro Vasquez, UAB Blazers

One of the teams that may become more prominent in coming days and weeks is the University of Alabama at Birmingham, otherwise known as the UAB Blazers.

With their 80-72 victory at Wichita State Thursday night, the Blazers crept to within one game of Memphis, the leader in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and will be hosting the 18th-ranked Tigers on Sunday, in a game that may determine outright leadership in the conference.

Coming off the bench to match his career-high with 29 points, Alejandro Vasquez hit 11 of 22 shots from the field, was just 1-for-4 on 3-pointers, but went 6-for-6 at the line. He contributed further with two rebounds, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot.

A 6'4" senior from Queens, New York, Vasquez has been a steady performer for the Blazers, tallying in double figures 15 times, including 26 against Charlotte and 27 against Tulsa earlier in the season.

Vasquez played his first two seasons at St. Bonaventure (2019-20, 2020-21), before joining UAB for the 2023-24 season.

UAB's win snapped the Shockers' six-game winning streak and extended their own string of victories to four.

Sunday's showdown with Memphis will be a reprise of the January 26 meeting of the two teams. The Tigers won that contest handily, 100-77. The Blazers are hoping for a better performance on their home hardwood.

UAB won the AAC tournament last season, defeating Temple, 85-69, in the final. Thy lost in the first round of the national tournament to San Diego State, 69-65. They've won 12 of their last 14, are 19-9 overall and are tied with North Texas at 12-3 for second place in the conference. Memphis leads at 13-2.

February 26, 2025 Player of the Day - Otega Oweh, Kentucky Wildcats

Otega Oweh scored Kentucky's final 18 points - including the game-winner with six seconds left - and finished with a career-high 28 as the Wildcats survived a serious challenge Wednesday night at Oklahoma, 83-82.

Oweh was 12-for-21 from the field with one 3-pointer. He made 3 of 5 from the charity line and snatched six rebounds.

A 6'4" junior from Newark, New Jersey, Oweh played his first two seasons for the Sooners. The partisan fans booed him loudly whenever he had the ball throughout the game, but to no avail. Oweh arguably had the best game of his college career.

Averaging 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, Oweh has scored in double figures in 27 of 28 games this season. He leads Kentucky in scoring and steals and is second in rebounds. He is 11th in scoring in the SEC and 6th in shooting percentage at 48.9%.

The 17th-ranked Wildcats are 8-7 in conference play and 19-9 overall. They have seven wins over ranked opponents including an early season, non-conference win over Duke, 77-72. Back at full strength with the return of Lamont Butler and Jaxon Robinson, they are emerging as a contender for the national championship.

Oklahoma remains on the NCAA bubble with a 4-11 mark in the SEC and a 17-11 record overall. Wednesday's loss was their sixth in their last seven games.

The Wildcats host #1 Auburn while Oklahoma hopes to pick up another win when they travel to Ole Miss. Both games are Saturday, March 1.

February 25, 2025 Player of the Day - Silas Demary Jr., Georgia Bulldogs

Tuesday's college hoops produced a couple of notable upsets, as Oklahoma State knocked off #9 Iowa State, 74-68, and Georgia was a rude host to visiting Florida, smacking down the #2-ranked Gators, 88-83.

Will Richard poured in 30 points for Florida, but it was Silas Demary Jr.'s deft ball-handling, floor generalship and timely scoring that ultimately produced the winning edge.

Demary scored 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including 4 of 6 3-pointers. He went 3-for-4 from the foul line, adding three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.

A 6'5" sophomore guard from Raleigh, North Carolina, Demary scored in double figures for a fifth straight game and averages 12.5 per outing. He was part of the SEC All-Freshman team in 2023-24.

The Bulldogs executed nearly flawlessly to start the game, opening up a 26-point lead (39-13) with just under eight minutes left in the first half when Demary hit his third three pointer of the half. Georgia led at the break, 51-35, as the Bulldogs began turning the ball over.

Florida continued to press and cause turnovers, eventually taking the lead at 79-78 with 1:28 remaining. Georgia, however, was not to be denied, outscoring the Gators, 10-4, to close out the contest, Demary sealing the victory with a pair of free throws with five seconds left.

The Bulldogs have improved over last season when they reached the semi-finals of the NIT, losing to Seton Hall, 84-67. They are 17-11 overall, but just 5-10 in SEC play. However, thy have an early-season non-conference win over St. John's in their resume, plus wins over Kentucky and Oklahoma. Ten of their 11 losses have come against nationally-ranked opponents, nine of them within the conference.

Florida fell to 24-4 and 11-4 in the conference, leaving them 2.5 games behind #1 Auburn(13-1, 25-2) in the SEC. The Gators hope to regroup at home vs. #12 Texas A&M Saturday before visiting #6 Alabama next Wednesday (3/5). They close out th regular season at home with Mississippi on March 8.

The Bulldogs play next at Texas on Saturday and close out the regular season at South Carolina (3/4) and home for Vanderbilt (3/8).

They'll likely need to win two of those games and maybe a couple in the SEC tournament to make it to the national tourney.

February 24, 2025 Player of the Day - Bryson Dawkins, Houston Christian Huskies

At 12-17 and 9-9 in conference play, Houston Christian would have to win the Southland tournament in order to make it to the national stage, but if they do, you can bet that Bryson Dawkins will be a major factor.

Dawkins, a 6'2" guard from Dothan, Alabama, scored a career-high 41 points as the Huskies routed Stephen F. Austin Monday night, 72-56.

Dawkins was on target, making 16 of 22 from the field, including 5-for-11 from beyond the arc. He could have scored more had he practiced his free throws, making just 4 of 11 from the line, though he did achieve his first double-double with 10 rebounds.

Dawkins transferred to Houston Christian after a year at North Alabama (2022-23) and a year off. He's averaging 15.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and has scored in double figures 22 times this season.

The McNeese Cowboys are likely to get the automatic bid out of the Southland conference. Having already sewn up the regular season title with a 17-1 mark, they are odds-on to win the upcoming conference tourney.

The win snapped a four game losing streak by Houston Christian. Their next game is at Northwestern State Saturday (3/1).

Stephen F. Austin fell to 7-11 in the conference and 14-15 overall. They host Nicholls Saturday.

February 23, 2025 Player of the Day - Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's Red Storm

St. John's absolutely owns Madison Square Garden. And forward Zuby Ejiofor owns the paint against the best of the Big East.

The Red Storm won their ninth straight home game against Big East opponents on Sunday, taking down reigning national champion UConn, 89-75, and are 17-0 at MSG this season.

Ejiofor and teammate Kadary Richmond each scored game-high 18 points. Ejiofor dominated in the lane, grabbing nine rebounds, giving six assists, making two steals and blocking three shots. Efficient as ever, Ejiofor was 5-for-6 from the field and knocked down 8 of 9 free throws.

A 6'9" junior from Garland, Texas, Ejiofor transferred from Kansas after the 2022-23 season. After a solid first season with the Red Storm, Ejiofor was named team captain for the current season. Averaging 14.0 points and 8.1 rebounds, using his superior height and 240 pounds to out-muscle opponents, Ejiofor has evolved into a formidable interior force on both ends of the floor.

The Red Storm improved to 24-4 overall and 15-2 in conference play, pulling away from the field by 2 1/2 games over second place Creighton (12-4) with just three games to play.

St. John's plays at Butler Wednesday, then finishes its home schedule on Saturday March 1 against Seton Hall. They close out the regular season at #16 Marquette.

UConn dropped to 10-6 in the conference and is 18-9 overall. They host Georgetown Wednesday.

St. John's will almost certainly be the top seed in the Big East Tournament beginning March 12, with all games on their home court at the Garden.

February 22, 2025 Player of the Day - Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Volunteers

Chaz Lanier was absolutely in the zone Saturday, leading the #6 Tennessee Volunteers to a 77-69 Lanier, a transfer from North Florida, was 10-for-18 overall and sizzled from beyond the arc, nailing 8 of 13 3-pointers. The 6'4" senior guard from Nashville helped out on the defensive end, hauling down five rebounds.

Lanier has scored in double figures in all but two of Tennessee's games this season. His 30 on Saturday topped his previous high of 29, made in a 76-52 January 4 rout of Arkansas, the Vols' SEC opener.

Tennessee has won two straight and five of their last six, including wins over #15 Missouri and #2 Florida. The sole loss was a 75-64 defeat at Kentucky.

The game was hotly contested, with both teams leading at multiple points. Each squad went to the foul line 20 times and made 18. The Aggies out-rebounded Tennessee and had 30 points in the paint to the Vols' 18, but failed at the arc, making only 5 of 30 3-pointers (16.7%).

Tennessee improved to 22-5 and 9-5 in the SEC. They play next at LSU Tuesday night. The Aggies (20-7, 9-5) host Vanderbilt on Wednesday.

February 21, 2025 Player of the Day - Eric Dixon, Villanova Wildcats

Despite their record (16-12, 9-8), Villanova remains a dangerous team, especially as conference tournaments and the Big Dance approach.

The Wildcats proved just how dangerous they could be Friday night, taking down visiting #16 Marquette, 81-66.

Eric Dixon pumped in a 3-pointer right off the opening tip and the Wildcats quickly expanded their lead to 8-0, extending their lead to 13 points at the break, keeping the Golden Eagles at bay the entire game. The Wildcats led by as much as 23 points in the second half, as Dixon led them with 23 points on 7-for-17 shooting, including 3-for-5 on 3-pointers and 6-for-7 from the line.

Dixon, who leads the nation in scoring at 22.9 per game, was right on his average, adding five boards and a pair of assists. The 6'8" senior from Willow Grove, Pennsylvania has tallied in double figures every game this season.

Villanova's win reversed an 87-74 victory over the Wildcats by the Golden Eagles on their home court back on January 24.

The Wildcats play at Seton Hall Wednesday and finish up their Big East schedule against Butler (Mar. 1) and at Georgetown (Mar. 4).

Marquette, losers of four of their last six, hosts Providence Tuesday.

February 20, 2025 Player of the Day - Rodney Rice, Maryland Terrapins

Just 2:14 into Maryland's game against visiting USC Thursday night, Rodney Rice ripped a 3-pointer, putting the Terrapins up 11-0. #20 Maryland never looked back, leading start to finish for an 88-71 victory over the Trojans.

Rice, who led all scorers with 22 points, went 2-for-6 from beyond the arc and was 6-for-12 overall. He was a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line and had four rebounds and two assists. All five Maryland starters finished in double figures. Freshman Derik Queen had his usual double-double with 13 points and 17 boards.

A 6'4" sophomore from Clinton, Maryland, Rice is averaging 13.7 points per game this season, his first as a Terp after transferring from Virginia Tech. The Terrapins are one of a handful of division-I teams with five scorers in double figures.

The Terrapins shot 49% from the field and made 18 of 21 free throws. Dominating the paint, the Terps out-rebounded the Trojans, 41-26. Maryland has won 13 straight at home and are 16-1 at the XFinity Center at College Park this season.

The win moved Maryland into a tie with Purdue for fourth place in the Big Ten at 11-5 and improved their season to 21-6. The top four teams receive a double bye for the conference tournament. Maryland lost to Purdue, 83-78, earlier in the season.

With no game scheduled for the weekend, the Terrapins have plenty of time to prepare for #14 Michigan State. The Spartans visit on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

USC fell to 14-12 and 6-9 in the conference. Their next encounter is Sunday at Rutgers.

February 19, 2025 Player of the Day - Mark Mitchell, Missouri Tigers

Wednesday's SEC highlight game was on the mark, or, on the "Marks" as the case may be as the Crimson Tide's Mark Sears scored a game-high 35 points, and Missouri's Mark Mitchell threw down 31 in a winning home effort for the #15 Tigers, as they downed #4 Alabama, 110-98.

Missouri jumpd out to an early 12-0 lead and never looked back. Alabama came within six points of the Tigers' lead in the second half but could never quite close the gap. Sears kept the Tide in the game with one of his best showings of the season, but Mitchell continually answered with buckets in the post, going 11-for-15 from the field, with one 3-pointer and an 8-for-12 effort from the line.

A 6'9" junior from Kansas City, Mitchell added three rebounds and three assists as he notched a career high with his 31 points, topping his previous best of 25 from a week ago in an 82-58 win over Oklahoma.

Mitchell spent his first two seasons at Duke. His transfer to Missouri has given the Tigers a viable inside game and a much improved performance along with sixth-year senior Caleb Grill, a 6'3" guard who transferred from Iowa State after the 2022-23 season, but was out most of the year due to injury. Grill added 25 points in the win over Alabama.

Mitchell is Missouri's leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. The Tigers moved up to 9-4 in the conference and 20-6 overall. Last season, Missouri was a lowly 8-24, finishing out the regular season with 19 straight losses, an 0-18 record in the SEC.

The Tigers have won three straight and won't face another ranked opponent until their season finale against Kentucky, March 8. They hit the hardwood at Arkansas, Saturday, Feb. 22.

Alabama (21-5, 10-3) finds itself tied with Florida in second place in the SEC, two games back of Auburn (12-1). Wednesday's loss was Alabama's second straight. They were downed by Auburn, 94-85, this past Saturday. The Tide will be working against the flow down the stretch. Wednesday's contest was the second of seven straight games against ranked opponents. Alabama hosts #17 Kentucky Saturday, and closes out the regular season against #21 Mississippi State, at #6 Tennessee, hosting #2 Florida, and at #1 Auburn.

February 18, 2025 Player of the Day - Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State Bulldogs

Josh Hubbard scored a game-high 25 points and #7 Texas A&M found out the hard way that winning on the road is a tough proposition in the heady SEC, as they were routed, 70-54, at Mississippi State Tuesday night.

Hubbard went 6-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-6 from 3-point range, adding 10 of 11 free throws, four assists and four steals.

The Bulldogs led most of the game, outscoring the Aggies 40-23 in the second half after trailing, 31-30 at the break. Mississippi State pressured the Aggies throughout, recording an incredible 17 steals while holding their opponents to 36% shooting.

Hubbard, a 5'11" sophomore from Madison, MS, has scored in double figures in all but one of the Bulldogs' 26 games this season, averaging 17.4 points per contest. Hubbard is sixth in scoring in the SEC but easily could be third or fourth. There are seven players scoring between 17.2 and 17.8 points per game in the conference.

Tre Johnson of Texas leads the SEC at 19.8, followed by Auburn's Johni Broome at 18.1.

The 21st-ranked Bulldogs improved to 19-7 and 7-6 in conference play. Texas A&M fell to 20-6 with a 9-4 mark in the SEC. #1 Auburn leads the SEC at 11-1.

Mississippi State has a pair of road games upcoming, at Oklahoma on Saturday and at #4 Alabama next Tuesday. The Aggies saw a five-game win streak ended with the road loss and host Tennessee Saturday.

February 17, 2025 Player of the Day - Tobe Awaka, Arizona Wildcats

Coming off a pair of losses - at Kansas State, 73-70, 2/11; vs. Houston, 62-58, 2/15 - the Arizona Wildcats got back on the winning track Monday night with a 74-67 victory at Baylor, re-affirming their designation as a nationally-ranked Top 25 team.

Four Wildcat starters finished in double figures, led by Tobe Awaka, who notched his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds, four of them on the offensive boards. Awaka was an efficient 6-for-9 from the field and made good on his two free throw attempts.

Awaka is a 6'8" junior forward from Hyde Park, New York, who spent his first two college seasons at Tennessee, transferring to Arizona and providing a strong inside presence for the current campaign.

Despite last week's two losses, Arizona remained in the Top 25, though they were downgraded by voters from 13th to 19th in the poll released Monday.

The Wildcats are 18-8 overall, but 12-3 in the Big 12, a game and a half behind conference-leading #5 Houston (13-1, 21-4). Arizona's season got off to a very rocky start, going 4-5, including losses to Duke, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, UCLA, and even their first conference encounter, an 83-76 letdown against West Virginia.

Since then, however, the Wildcats went on a significant tear, winning 13 of 14 before last week's setbacks, the one loss a 70-54 defeat at Texas Tech which they later avenged, downing the Red Raiders 82-73, on their home court. They also reversed the prior loss to West Virginia, going on the road to squelch the Mountaineers, 75-56.

The Wildcats have just five regular season games remaining, next hosting BYU on Saturday, Feb. 22. Baylor, firmly in bubble territory regarding the NCAA tourney at 16-10 (8-7) also plays Sunday, at Colorado.

February 16, 2025 Player of the Day - R.J. Luis, St. John's Red Storm

When the AP Top 25 is updated Monday, expect the St. John's Red Storm (22-4, 13-2) to remain at #9 or even move up a spot or two. (oops, sorry, dropped a spot to #10 - FR)

After having their 10-game winning streak broken at Villanova Wednesday in a 73-71 loss, Rick Pitino's troops returned home to defeat #24 Crieghton, 79-73, improving their lead in the Big East to two games over the Bluejays (18-8, 11-4) in the process.

St. John's was led by 6'7" junior, R.J. Luis Jr., who poured in 23 points, equaling the game high with Creighton's Steven Ashworth. Lewis recorded his eighth double-double of the season, hauling down 14 rebounds, adding five assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

Teammate Kadary Richmond added 19 points. Zuby Ejiofor scored 18 for the Red Storm.

Luis Jr. was 6-for-17 from the field, including 1 of 2 3-pointers. He made 10 of 13 from the foul line. His 14 boards were a season high for the Miami native.

The season winding down, St. John's has just five games left and appear to have the regular season title within reach. They travel to DePaul Wednesday, and host UConn Sunday, Feb. 23, at Madison Square Garden.

Creighton's loss was their second straight. UConn dropped them, 70-66, this past Tuesday. They host Georgetown next, on Sunday.

February 15, 2025 Player of the Day - John Tonje, Wisconsin Badgers

19 of the Top 25 teams were in action Saturday.

In the biggest game of the week, #1 Auburn visited Tuscaloosa to deliver a 94-85 beatdown on #2 Alabama. Upsets included Utah topping visiting #17 Kansas, 74-67, Texas putting out the un-welcome mat for #15 Kentucky in a 82-78 Longhorn victory, and #16 Wisconsin being an unwelcome guest at #7 Purdue, the Badgers knocking over the Boilermakers, 94-84

Purdue took a 37-36 edge into halftime, but John Tonje led a second half Badger surge, scoring 22 of his game-high 32 points after the break.

Tonje was 10-for-15 overall, 4-for-9 on 3-pointers and added 8 of 9 from the charity stripe, kicking in six rebounds and three assists. The 6'5" guard from Omaha, Nebraska upped his season scoring average to 19.2, tied for fourth in the Big Ten with Minnesota's Dawson Garcia.

While Purdue did well enough, shooting 52% for the game, the Badgers lit it up at a rate of 61.5%, scoring on 32 of 52 attempts, including 12 of 30 from beyond the arc.

Wisconsin improved to 20-5 and 10-4 in the conference. Purdue slipped to 19-7. They are in third place in the conference, at 11-4, trailing Michigan State (11-3) by a half game and a full game behind Michigan, the conference leader, at 11-2.

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, Wisconsin, winners of four straight, hosts Illinois, while Purdue travels to play Michigan State.

February 14, 2025 Player of the Day - Bez Mbeng, Yale Bulldogs

Yale remained undefeated in Ivy League play, but they had to earn it Friday night, when visiting Penn - winners of just two of eight Ivy League contests and 6-15 overall - left in all on the floor in a 72-71 Bulldog victory.

Penn's Sam Brown led all scorers with 23 points, but Isaac Celiscar spoiled the Quakers' chance at an upset with the winning layup with eight seconds left in the game.

Bez Mbeng kept the Bulldogs in the fight throughout, scoring 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Mbeng's 3-pointers were the only ones made by Yale. The rest of the squad was 0-for-11 from downtown. Meanwhile, Penn had better success, hitting 11 of 30 3-point shots, keeping them in the game after trailing 37-32 at the break. Yale led by as many as 12 points, but the Quakers refused to go away, eventually taking the lead late in the affair.

Mbeng contributed four rebounds and a pair of assists, which was just barely enough, as the Quakers out-rebounded Yale, 38-32, and had 20 assists to Yale's 12. A 6'4" senior from Potomac, Maryland, Mbeng leads the Bulldogs in Assists (5.7) and steals (1.9) per game. Friday's effort improved his scoring average to 12.6.

All of Yale's starters finished in double figures. Celiscar scored nine off the bench, including the game-winner.

Yale is 8-0 in the Ivy and 15-6 overall.

Yale hosts Princeton (16-7, 5-3) while Penn heads to Brown (11-10, 3-5) on Saturday.

February 13, 2025 Player of the Day - Derik Queen, Maryland Terrapins

Dropped to #25 in the current AP poll, the Maryland Terrapins didn't waste any time getting back to winning as they visited Nebraska (16-9, 6-8) Thursday night, finishing the first half with a 10-5 run to take a 42-35 lead at the break and holding off the Cornhuskers throughout the second half for an 83-75 win.

Maryland led by as many as 11 points in the second stanza. Derik Queen was once again the leading scorer for the Terps, throwing down a game-high 24 points while grabbing 11 rebounds for another double-double.

Front court mate, Julian Reese also double-doubled, with 13 points and 12 boards. Both big men were efficient in the lane, Queen hitting 9 of 11 shots while Reese went 5-for-6, mostly in the paint. Queen knocked down all six of his free throws. Reese was 3-for-6 from the line. All five starters for Maryland finished in double figures.

The Terrapins improved to 19-6 and 9-5 in the conference and may be looking ahead to putting some pressure on Michigan (leading at 11-2) and Michigan State (10-3) as they play both down the Big Ten regular season stretch. They host Michigan State on Wednesday, February 26 and are at Michigan on March 5th.

First, the Terps host Iowa, and then USC, on Sunday and Thursday (Feb. 20), respectively. Nebraska plays at Northwestern Sunday.

February 12, 2025 Player of the Day - J.T. Toppin, Texas Tech Red Raiders

With little fanfare, Texas Tech (19-5, 10-3) has moved all the way up to #12 in the AP poll.

The Red Raiders appeared for the first time in in the January 27 poll, at #22. On Saturday, February 1, they won their sixth straight, an 82-81 win at Big 12-leading Houston and the following Monday, AP pollsters bumped the Red Raiders all the way up to #13. Despite an 82-73 loss at Arizona last Saturday, they still managed to move up a notch to their current position.

Much of the team's success has been due to the play of sophomore J.T. Toppin, who leads Texas Tech in scoring (16.5) and rebounding (8.9). Wednesday night, in the Red Raiders' double overtime win over Arizona State, Toppin went off for a career-high 41 points, hitting 17 of 22 from the field, including 6-for-11 from 3-point territory. He added three steals, a pair of blocks and 15 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season.

A Dallas native, Toppin spent a year at New Mexico before transferring to Texas Tech for the current campaign. Toppin (6'9", 225) was instrumental in New Mexico's post-season surge, culminating in a 68-61 win over San Diego State in the Mountain West Championship with 13 points and 11 boards. Their ticket to the Big Dance assured, the Lobos were ousted in the first round by Clemson.

Texas Tech is third in the Big 12, their 10-3 mark trailing Arizona (11-2) and Houston (12-1).

The Red Raiders play next at Oklahoma State (12-12, 4-9), while Arizona State hopes to end a four-game losing streak at home against TCU (13-11, 6-7).

February 11, 2025 Player of the Day - Liam McNeeley, UConn Huskies

There was no shortage of Top 25 action on Tuesday night, with 15 teams hitting the hardwood, including three head-to-head contests.

Of those, two upsets:
#20 Michigan 75, #7 Purdue 73
#15 Kentucky 75, #4 Tennessee 64
and one on form:
#3 Florida 81, #22 Mississippi State 68

Elsewhere #1 Auburn and #2 Alabama were road warriors in wins over Vanderbilt and Texas, respectively. #8 Texas A&M dispatched Georgia, 69-53. At home, #10 Iowa State downed UCF, 77-65, but #13 Arizona was brought back to earth by Kansas State, 73-70.

Possibly most significant, being that these teams routinely trade wins and losses, was defending national champion UConn going on the road to defeat #24 Creighton, 70-66, behind a career-high 38 points from freshman Liam McNeeley, who notched a double-double with 10 rebounds.

McNeeley was deadly from all parts of the court, htting 5 of 10 3-pointers while going 12-for-22 overall and adding 9 of 10 from the foul line.

It was McNeeley's fourth double-double, and second straight, after scoring 18 with 11 boards in last week's 68-62 loss at Big East-leading St. John's (12-1, 21-3)

The 6'7" forward from Richardson, Texas leads the Huskies with 15.4 points per game and is second in rebounds at 6.4.

UConn trailed at the break, 37-29, but rallied for 41 second half points to record the win, putting them at 17-7 overall and 9-4 in the Big East. Creighton dropped to 18-7, 11-3 in conference play.

Winners of three of their last four, the Huskies head to Seton Hall on Saturday, Feb. 15, while Creighton has a big task before them Sunday when they travel to play #9 St. John's.

February 10, 2025 Player of the Day - Viktor Lakhin, Clemson Tigers

Viktor Lakhin scored 20 first half points as the Clemson Tigers roared to a 49-33 halftime lead over visiting North Carolina en route to their eighth win in their last nine games and 20th overall with a convincing 85-65 win.

Lakhin was 8-for-11 from the field including 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes. Playing sparingly in the second half, Lahkin only scored two more, finishing with a game-high 22 points on shooting of 9-for-16, with 6 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Chase Hunter and Jaeden Zackery picked up the slack, scoring 19 and 16, respectively. Clemson led by as many as 26 points as they pulled away in the second half. They made 12 of 25 3-pointers and out-rebounded the Tar Heels, 41-28.

An emerging force in the paint and from the outside, Lakhin, a 6'11" senior from Anapa, Russia scored 22 points in Saturday's 77-71 win over then-#2 Duke. He's averaging 10.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. After three years at Cincinnati, Lakhin transferred to Clemson for the 2024-25 season.

Clemson (20-6) took sole possession of second place in the ACC at 12-2. Duke leads at 11-1, Louisville is third, 11-2; Wake Forest follows, fourth, at 10-3.

The Tar Heels are struggling to remain relevant in the ACC race and are clearly on the NCAA tournament bubble with a 14-11 record and 7-6 mark in the conference after Monday's defeat.

On Saturday, Feb. 15, Clemson plays at Florida State while the Tar Heels travel to Syracuse.

February 9, 2025 Player of the Day - Derik Queen, Maryland Terrapins

Sunday, while most people may have been getting ready for the Super Bowl, freshman Derik Queen was leading #18 Maryland to a 90-81 victory over Rutgers with his seventh double-double of the season.

Queen, a Maryland homegrown 6'10" center from Baltimore, scored a career-high 29 points on 9-for-16 shooting, adding 11 of 13 from the foul line. Queen also grabbed 15 rebounds and assisted on five of his teammates' buckets.

From his very first game on November 4, a 22-point, 20-rebound performance in a 79-49 romp over the Manhattan Jaspers, the Terrapins knew that had somebody special joining their ranks. Queen leads the Terps in scoring at 15.5 points per game and is second to fellow frontman, Julian Reese, in rebounding, averaging 8.5 to Reese's 9.0.

Maryland's win upped their season totals to 18-6 and 8-5 in the Big Ten. The Terrapins may not catch conference-leader Purdue (11-2), but they served notice they will be a tough out in the Big Ten tournament in early March and the national tourney after that.

The Terrapins got back on the winning track after a tough, 73-70, loss at Ohio State and have won five of the last six.

The loss left the Scarlet Knights at 12-12 and 5-8 in the conference. Rutgers hosts Iowa on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The Terrapins play at Nebraska on Wednesday.

February 8, 2025 Player of the Day - Jase Richardson, Michigan State Spartans

In his first game as a starter, freshman Jase Richardson showed why he was such a sought-after recruit, throwing down18 of a career-high 29 points in the second half, helping #9 Michigan State overcome a 14-point deficit at the break and storm back for an 86-74 win over Oregon.

The win was also significant, as coach Tom Izzo's 353rd Big Ten victory tied legendary Indiana head coach Bobby Knight's record for career wins in the conference. Knight, who passed away in 2023, coached the Hoosiers from 1971 to 2000.

Richardson, a 6'3" guard from Denver, Colorado, playing in place of Jeremy Fears, who was out due to illness, was sensational in his 35 minutes of floor time, making 9 of 13 from the field including 3 of 6 3-pointers and an 8-for-9 effort from the foul line. He added five rebounds an assist and one steal while playing solidly on both ends of the floor.

Despite coming off the bench in every game prior to Saturday's, Richardson is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.2 points and 22 minutes per outing. Not a single Spartan, who go 10-deep, is averaging more than 26 minutes per game (leading scorer Jaden Akins, 13.4 points per game).

Michigan State snapped a two-game losing streak (USC, UCLA) but remain unbeaten at home in conference play. The Ducks lost their fifth straight, falling to 16-8, and 5-8 in the Big Ten. Four of the five recent losses have been on the road, though the Ducks dropped a 77-71 decision to Nebraska at home last week.

The Spartans improved to 19-4 overall and trail the Purdue Boilermakers by a half game in the conference, at 10-2. Purdue (19-5, 11-2) defeated USC, 90-72, Friday night. The two top Big Ten squads meet for the only time during the regular season on Tuesday, February 18, in the Breslin Center at Michigan State.

Coach Izzo will try to break the career Big Ten wins tie with Knight when his Spartans host, ironically, Indiana, Tuesday night. Also on Tuesday, Oregon will look to break their losing streak when they play host to Northwestern.

There's likely to be some major changes atop the AP Top 25 come Monday, as both #1 Auburn and #2 Duke lost on Saturday. The Tigers dropped a 90-81 decision to Florida while the Blue Devils fell, 77-71, at Clemson.

February 7, 2025 Player of the Day - Ian Martinez, Utah State Aggies

The Mountain West conference doesn't get much national attention, but it shouldn't be ignored. After all, it was San Diego State that lost to UConn in the NCAA Tournament final in 2022-23 and were taken out by the Huskies again last season in the Sweet 16.

Utah State has made it to the big dance the last four years and they're on track for a fifth straight appearance after improving to 21-3 with an 89-81 victory at Fresno State.

Led by the Aggies' leading scorer Ian Martinez's 30 points, the Aggies upped their conference record to 11-2, a half game behind New Mexico (11-1), leaders of the MWC.

Martinez led the game's scoring, going 10-for-14 from the field and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. He also canned all seven of his free throws, ripped down eight boards and had three assists, two blocks and a steal in 35 minutes of playing time.

A fifth-year senior from Heredia, Costa Rica, Martinez began his college career at Utah in 2020-21, then spent two years at Maryland before transferring to Utah State following the 2022-23 season. He averaged 13.3 points per game last season and is at 17.0 in the current campaign.

Scoring in double figures every game this season, Martinez finished just two points short of his season-high 32, which he threw down in a November non-conference win over Montana. He's the fifth-leading scorer conference-wide and is third in three-pointers per game, averaging 2.3.

The Aggies' next game is at home against Colorado State, Tuesday, February 11. Fresno State is at Nevada Monday night.

February 6, 2025 Player of the Day - Bruce Thornton, Ohio State Buckeyes

There have been a good number of memorable individual performances - and there are sure to be more ahead - this season in college hoops, but few will compare to the show Bruce Thornton put on Thursday night when the Ohio State Buckeyes hosted the Maryland Terrapins.

Thornton started slowly but finished strong, socring 31 points, banking in a 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds left to give Ohio State the win.

After missing his first four shots, Thornton finally got on the board with a pair od free throws with 4.:56 left in the first half. After that, Maryland scored six straight points, upping their lead to 17 points, at 39-22, with 3:30 left. Thornton then scored eight straight for Ohio State, and assisted on John Mobley Jr.'s layup 24 seconds before halftime, to cut Maryland's lead to just nine points at the break, 41-32.

Thornton was 3-for-7 in the first half, scoring 10 points on three layups and four made free throws, all in the last five minutes of the half, but, he was just getting warmed up.

In the second half, Thornton scored 21 of the Buckeye's 41 second half points as Ohio State kept working on Maryland's lead. The Terrapins had an 11-point edge on a pair of Rodney Rice free throws with 7:15 left in the game at 61-50.

That's when Thornton went to work. In the final seven minutes of the game, he was simply unstoppable, scoring 17 of Ohio State's last 23 points, culminating in a banked-in 3-pointer from the right wing that put the Buckeyes ahead for good with 7.4 seconds left. Final: Ohio State 73 Maryland 70.

Thornton finished with a game-high 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting, including 2-for-4 on 3-pointers. He was 7-for-8 from the foul line, adding five rebounds, six assists, three steals and a blocked shot, playing the full 40 minutes. Thornton fell two points short of his personal best. He poured in 33 points earlier this season in a 103-83 non-conference victory over Indiana State.

Thornton leads the Buckeyes in scoring (17.7 points per game) and assists (4.3).

The 6'2" junior from Fairburn, Georgia had the game of his life, and the Buckeyes improved to an even 6-6 in the Big Ten and 14-9 overall. #18 Maryland had won four straight heading into Thursday night's contest, but dropped to 7-5 in the conference and 17-6 overall. Both teams are likely to make NCAA tournament field.

The Buckeyes have now won four of their last five and hope to keep the momentum going when they travel to Nebraska Sunday while Maryland heads back to College Park to host Rutgers.

February 5, 2025 Player of the Day - Igor Milicic Jr., Tennesse Volunteers

#4 Tennessee had its hands full with visiting Missouri Wednesday night, but prevailed, 85-81, thanks to 57 second half points and 21 points apiece from Igor Milicic Jr. and Zakai Zeigler.

Both Milicic and Zeigler missed the Vols' previous game - a 64-44 win over Florida - but returned to lead Tennessee to its 19th win against just four losses. The Volunteers are 6-4 in conference play. Missouri dropped to 17-5 and 6-3 in the SEC.

Zeigler was 5-for-9 from the field, hitting all four of his 3-point attempts and 7 of 7 from the foul line. He added a game-high eight assists and snatched three rebounds.

Milicic was 8-for-10 overall and made 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, pitching in five assists, two steals and four blocked shots. His 10 rebounds gave the 6'10" senior from Rovinj, Croatia, his fourth double-double of the season.

Milicic began his college career at Virginia (2021-22), then spent two seasons at Charlotte before transferring to Tennessee for the current season.

The Volunteers were 10-for-15 on 3-pointers, had 21 assists and out-rebounded the #15th-ranked Tigers, 38-30.

Missouri is home Saturday against Texas A&M while the Vols head to Oklahoma.

February 4, 2025 Player of the Day - Braden Smith, Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue sparkplug Braden Smith was at it again, scoring 31 points to lead #7 Purdue to a 90-81 road win at Iowa.

Smith is emerging as a dangerous scorer along with his usual playmaking. He only had four assists on the night, but went 11-for-15 from the field, making five of seven from 3-point land and hitting the defensive boards for six rebounds.

Tied at the half, 36-all, the Boilermakers opened things up in the second half with an early 17-5 run hitting five three-pointers. Iowa pulled to within three points late in the contest, but Trey Kaufman-Renn, who had 25 points, hit a pair of free throws and added a three-point play to put the game out of reach, the Boilermakers knocking down five more free throws in the final minute.

Both teams shot just over 50%, but Purdue was 12-for-25 from beyond the arc and out-rebounded the Hawkeyes, 33-26. Purdue also frequented the foul line more often, making 18 of 23. Iowa only converted 10 of 16 freebies.

Smith is second on the team in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game. Kaufman-Renn leads Purdue at 18.7. Smith averages 8.4 assists per game, which leads the Big Ten.

Purdue improved to 10-2 in Big Ten action, and is 18-5 overall. The lead 9-2 Michigan State by 1/2-game. Michigan is 8-2.

Iowa fell to 4-7 in the conference and 13-9 overall. They have lost five of their last six and host #21 Wisconsin on Saturday. The Boilermakers, winners of three straight and 10 of their last 11, greet visiting USC on Friday, Feb. 7.

February 3, 2025 Player of the Day - Zeke Mayo, Kansas Jayhawks

There was only one significant game on Monday, but it was a big one, as the Kansas Jayhawks took on the visiting Iowa State Cyclones in a Big 12 showdown between ranked opponents.

While the game offered star power and an intriguing story line - both teams were coming off losses and were dropped lower in the Top 25 rankings released earlier in the day - it quickly became apparent that the Jayhawks had Iowa State's number, racing out to an early double-digit lead and taking a 35-19 advantage into the half, eventually cruising to a 69-52 victory.

Kansas kept Iowa State on the perimeter, switching on defense, holding the Cyclones to just 30% shooting for the full 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, Zeke Mayo was knocking down shots, leading all scorers with 17 points. Mayo was 6-for-13 overall, but a deadly 5-for-6 from 3-point range. Mayo scored in double figures for the sixth time in his last seven games.

The 6'4" transfer from San Diego State is averaging 15.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season, making 45% of his shots overall and 39.4% from outside the 3-point line.

Mayo was also busy on the defensive end, crashing the boards for eight rebounds.

The loss was the third straight for Iowa State, following last week's defeats at Arizona, 86-75, and a humbling, 80-61, setback against Kansas State.

The Cyclones will try to get back on the winning track when they host TCU on Saturday, Feb. 8. Kansas also plays Saturday, at Kansas State.

Both teams are 7-4 in Big 12 standings, chasing co-leaders, Houston and Arizona, each at 8-1. Texas Tech is in third place, with an 8-2 record.

February 2, 2025 Player of the Day - Brice Williams, Nebraska Cornhuskers

Brice Williams scored 28 points Sunday, helping lift Nebraska to a 77-71 upset win at #16 Oregon.

Williams, a 6'7" senior out of Huntersville, North Carolina, made 10 of 18 shots from the field, including a pair of three-pointers. Going 6-for-7 from the foul line, Williams also grabbed seven rebounds and doled out six assists.

Averaging 19 points per outing, Williams is fourth in the Big Ten in scoring, behind Rutgers' Ace Bailey (20.2), Minnesota's Dawson Garcia (20.1), and Nick Marinelli (19.4) of Northwestern. Williams has scored in double figures in all but two games this season. He is in his second season with Nebraska after transferring from Charlotte, where he played three seasons and was named second team All-Conference USA in the 2022-23 season. Earlier this season, he was named Diamond Head Classic MVP and is a three-time National Player of the Week.

The Cornhuskers, who lost six straight Big Ten match-ups, notched their second straight conference victory. They defeated Illinois, 80-74, on Thursday, Jan. 30. and are now 4-7 in conference play, and 14-8 overall.

Nebraska looks for three in a row when they host 11-10 Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 5th.

Oregon fell to 5-6 in the conference and 16-6 overall. The loss was their third straight after falling to Minnesota, 77-69, and UCLA, 78-52. Next up for the Ducks are road games at Michigan (Feb. 5) and Michigan State (Saturday, Feb. 8).

February 1, 2025 Player of the Day - Kadary Richmond, St. John's Red Storm

Kadary Richmond nailed a six-foot jumper in the lane with three seconds left to lift #15 St. John's over the visiting Providence Friars, 68-66, sending the Red Storm to its eighth straight win and a gaudy 19-3 record.

Richmond was 10-for-14 from the field and 2-for-2 beyond the arc, adding two free throws for a team-high 24 points. He also dished out 8 assists, grabbed 8 rebounds and made three steals. R.J. Lewis Jr. added 19 points and eight boards for St. John's.

Averaging 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists, Richmond, a 6'6" grad student who arrived at St. John's this season after three years at Seton Hall, is one of the players that has guided the Red Storm to the pinnacle of the Big East conference under head coach Rick Pitino. Richmond, from Brooklyn, NY, began his collegiate career at Syracuse in 2020-21.

Other than Richmond and Lewis, who were a combined 17-for-28 from the field, the rest of the Red Storm squad suffered, going 9-for-40 overall against a swarming Providence defensive effort that clawed back from a 19-point deficit at the midpoint of the second half. St. John's shot just 38% (26-68) for the game.

Providence had fewer field goal attempts (24-56), and shot 43%, led by Jabri Abdur-Rahim, who made eight 3-pointers and led all scorers with 27 points.

St John's improved to 10-1 in conference play. Providence dropped to 11-11 and 5-6 in the Big East. The Red Storm hosts Marquette on Tuesday, Feb. 4. UConn upended the 9th-ranked Golden Eagles, 77-69, Saturday.

Creighton (19-6, 9-2) visits the Friars on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The Blue Jays are coming off a 62-60 road win at Villanova.

January 31, 2025 Player of the Day - Kino Lilly Jr., Brown Bears

Brown University won its second straight Ivy League road game, downing Penn Friday night, 88-79, as Kino Lilly Jr. lit it up from outside, banging home 8 of 9 3-pointers to lead all scorers with a career-high 34 points.

Overall, the Bears were better off shooting from beyond the arc, going 15-24 from outside (62.5%) and 14-32 within. Alexander Lesburt Jr. knocked down five of seven from 3-point range and scored 19 points, helping Brown pull away late.

Lilly Jr., a 6-foot senior guard from Glen Dale, Maryland, leads the 10-8 Bears in scoring and is on track to be named First Team All-Ivy for a third straight season. In his freshman year, 2021-22, he was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year. He's scored in double figures in all but two games this season, as he did in 2023-24, putting down double digits in 28 of 30 contests.

Earlier this season, Lilly became the career leader in 3-pointers at Brown. With Friday's tally, he has 402 and counting. He led the Ivy league in scoring in 2023-24, and is leading it again in 2024-25.

The Bears improved to 10-8 overall and 2-3 in the Ivy League. They play at Princeton Saturday, Feb. 1. Yale leads the Ivy league with a 5-0 mark.