SEC Basketball

The second year of the SEC/ACC Challenge tipped off on Tuesday night with an exciting slate of matchups.

Over the past year, both conferences have added more teams, meaning more intriguing matchups. The first 10 games were played on Tuesday and six more will follow on Wednesday.

The annual event gives teams from both conferences the chance to boost their resume and get some good competition under the wing before conference play starts in just over a month.

The SEC dominated the first day of play, winning nine of 10 games on Tuesday to clinch the challenge. The ACC's only win was also the biggest upset of the day as Clemson toppled No. 4 Kentucky.

Here is a look at the schedule and results from Tuesday's slate.

Tuesday's Schedule and Scores

• Georgia def. Notre Dame, 69-48
• Arkansas def. Miami, 76-73
• Missouri def. Cal, 98-93
• No. 3 Tennessee def. Syracuse, 96-70
• South Carolina def. Boston College, 73-51
• No. 21 Oklahoma def. Georgia Tech, 76-61
• No. 22 Texas A&M def. Wake Forest, 57-44
• No. 23 Ole Miss def. Louisville, 86-63
• LSU def. Florida State, 85-75
• Clemson def. No. 4 Kentucky, 70-66

Arkansas def. Miami, 76-73

John Calipari picked up his best win since leaving Kentucky for Arkansas over the offseason.

A back-and-forth game saw the Razorbacks take a late lead against Miami as freshman guard Boogie Fland hit a three with less than two minutes to play. The Hurricanes had a chance to tie it up at the last second, but their shot attempt fell a few feet short.

Fland continued his outstanding first season in Fayetteville as he dropped a team-high 18 points and six assists.

DJ Wagner, who followed Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas, added 14 and FAU transfer Johnell Davis put up 12.

Miami guard Nijel Peck had a season-high 22 points while Matthew Cleveland added 15 off the bench, but it wasn't quite enough to take down the Razorbacks.

No. 3 Tennessee def. Syracuse, 96-70

Tennessee debuted as the No. 1 team in the NCAA's first net rankings earlier this week, and they certainly looked like the best team in the country on Tuesday.

Chaz Lanier, a super senior transfer from North Florida, continued what has been a phenomenal season for him. He matched his season high with 26 points to lead the way for the Vols.

Igor Milicic Jr. notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards while star point guard Zakai Zeigler had 11 points, eight assists and four steals.

Syracuse freshman Elijah Moore had 24 points off the bench, but it was an otherwise forgetful night from the Orange as they shot a lousy 31.6 percent from deep.

The win helped the Vols improve to 8-0 for the first time in 24 years. They'll get the chance to face another ACC opponent next week when they take on Miami in the Jimmy V Classic.

Clemson def. No. 4 Kentucky, 70-66

The ACC walked away with just one win on the first day of the challenge, but it was one of the biggest of the night.

The unranked Tigers knocked off one of the top teams in the country behind Chauncey Wiggins' 12 points, Jaeden Zachary's 11 points and a monster night from Ian Schieffelin, who had 11 points along with 20 rebounds.

Clemson and Kentucky went back and forth all night until the Tigers built a bit of a cushion heading into the final minutes. The Wildcats cut the lead to two points with just over two seconds to play, but Clemson put the game away at the line as fans stormed the court.

Clemson, which reached the Elite Eight a year ago, suffered a fluke loss to Boise State earlier this year but has been otherwise perfect. The Tigers proved they're capable of another deep tournament run on Tuesday when they knocked off a top-ranked team.

Four-star cornerback Kade Phillips has re-committed to Texas.

Phillips, who had previously committed to Texas before flipping to LSU in August, has flipped back to Texas, per On3's Hayes Fawcett.

The Longhorns appeared to react to the announcement on X:

Phillips is ranked as the No. 6 cornerback in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. He was previously committed to Texas from July 6 to August 18.

"I'm very happy with my decision," Phillips told Horns247's Jordan Scruggs in a text about his Texas commitment. "I feel like it's the best overall fit for me."

Phillips added that Texas' work with Jahdae Barron, who was named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football following his fifth season with the team, was another reason he decided to flip.

Phillips could officially commit to the Longhorns as soon as Wednesday when the Early Signing Period opens for three days.

This time around, Phillips is on track to commit as a cornerback. He had originally committed to Texas as a safety before flipping to LSU as a corner.

Phillips originally told On3's Chad Simmons that his recruitment was over after committing to the Tigers in August.

"LSU has been on me ever since they first offered me," Phillips told Simmons in August. "It was a little while once I committed to Texas with them still texting and calling me almost every day."

It sounds like Texas similarly didn't give up on Phillips even after his August flip. According to Scruggs, cornerbacks coach Terry Joseph began driving the Longhorns' recruitment efforts since then, which could have contributed to Phillips' decision.

247Sports analyst Hudson Standish compared Phillips to Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum while describing him as a "high upside defensive back who offers positional flexibility and owns one of the best track and field profiles in the 2025 recruiting cycle."

Phillips holds a personal best 200-meter dash record of 21.50 seconds recorded during the 2024 outdoor track season.

He will now contribute his speed to a Texas defense also adding five-star safety Jonah Williams and four-star edge rusher Lance Jackson from the Class of 2025.

The addition of Phillips bumped Texas to rank fourth to only Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State for the strongest 2025 recruiting class in the nation, per 247Sports.

A tale of two halves may be a cliche phrase, but sometimes it is accurate.

Monday's game between No. 4 Auburn and No. 5 Iowa State was one of those times.

The Tigers men's basketball team defeated the Cyclones 83-81 in Monday's quarterfinals showdown at the 2024 Maui Invitational. Iowa State had a 49-33 halftime lead, but Auburn came charging back and outscored the Big 12 team 50-32 after intermission.

Johni Broome's putback after an offensive rebound in the final second proved to be the difference, and Iowa State's desperation heave did not fall.

Broome proved to be the hero at the end, which was fitting since he led the way during the comeback. He posted 21 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks while controlling the glass and anchoring the interior defense.

It was far from a one-man show, though, as five Tigers finished in double figures.

Chad Baker-Mazara found his touch from deep on his way to 18 points, while Tahaad Pettiford provided a spark off the bench with 14 points. That helped counter Keshon Gilbert, who spearheaded the effort for Iowa State with 23 points while going 8-of-10 from the field.

However, Gilbert's turnover in the final seconds gave Auburn its final possession, which it turned into the game-winning basket.

While this was a quarterfinals game in the tournament, neither team will go home. Rather, Iowa State now heads to the loser's side of the bracket, while Auburn will head to the winner's side. The Tigers face the winner of the game between North Carolina and Dayton, while the Cyclones will face the loser.

Iowa State wasn't the only notable team to lose in Monday's Maui Invitational action.

Back-to-back reigning national champions UConn lost to Memphis in overtime in the day's first game, meaning there won't be a highly anticipated championship match featuring the Huskies and perhaps Auburn.

Instead, it may be a Tigers showdown if Memphis and Auburn continue to win.

College basketball fans will have to wait one more season to see the world's tallest teenager in action.

Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 freshman for Florida, is planning to redshirt this season, Gators head coach Todd Golden said Thursday, via the Associated Press. Rioux would use one of his four collegiate seasons had he played in just one game this year.

While Golden said the plan right now is to redshirt Rioux, he hinted that burning his redshirt is possible.

"I should have made that clear (before)," Golden said. "Honestly, it's put him in a tough situation. He's sitting over there at the end of games and everybody's yelling at him and trying to get him out there. They just hadn't understood that that was our potential plan for him.

"So that's where we're at at this moment. I'm not saying that's 100 percent going to be the plan. We'll continue to talk to him and see if he changes what he wants to do. But as of right now, that's the plan that we're going to have with him as we move forward."

Rioux, originally from Quebec, Canada, was considered to be a 3-star prospect coming out of high school, per 247Sports Composite. He played high school basketball at IMG Academy before committing to Florida.

The 18-year-old earned a Guinness World Record in 2021 for being the tallest teenager in the world. Once he makes his debut for the Gators, he will be college basketball's tallest player ever. The previous tallest players were Kenny George, who played at UNC Asheville from 2006 to 2008, and Mike Lanier, who played at Hardin-Simmons and UCLA from 1988 to 1993. Both stood at 7-foot-7.

As they await Rioux's debut, the Gators will look to put together a good season following last season's first-round NCAA Tournament exit. Florida is 3-0 through its first few games and has a meeting with Florida State on Friday.

Meleek Thomas, a 5-star recruit from Overtime Elite high school, has committed to the University of Arkansas, joining head coach John Calipari, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The 6'3" shooting guard is ranked in the top 10 of the 2025 class by 247Sports composite rankings. He also received offers from Alabama, Kansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan, and several other schools.

Adam Finkelstein, director of scouting, praised Thomas' natural talent and noted how he stands out among the top prospects in the 2025 class.

"He's extremely confident and assertive, playing with a high-volume scoring mentality," Finkelstein said. "He's a tough shot-taker and maker, with the versatility to shoot off the dribble, with range, create space for step-backs, or make runners in a crowded lane."

Calipari has made it clear for years that Thomas was a top recruiting priority—a commitment Thomas took into account when making his decision, according to Connor Goodson of Hawg Sports.

"He's been consistent coming to see me since eighth, ninth grade. When a coach of that caliber is coming to see you very young it's like, 'Pay attention to that,'" Thomas said, per Goodson. "His track record says it all. I'm always trying to keep up with his players and who he sends to the league, but it's just like he has more and more every year."

Until then, Thomas will continue to make waves in his senior season with Overtime Elite.

The Auburn men's basketball team is set to face the Houston Cougars in an early-season showdown on Saturday, but the SEC team reportedly encountered some trouble getting to Texas for the contest.

Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 reported Friday that the team's flight returned home after about 45 minutes because of "horseplay between players on the flight that could have escalated into a fight."

Goodman noted the expectation is the Tigers will still fly to Houston later Friday on a different flight.

It's safe to say this surely wasn't what the team had in mind when it posted "liftoff" as players were boarding the flight:

Saturday's game is expected to be one of the best on the nonconference slate this season. Houston is No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25, while Auburn is No. 11 and looking to earn a critical win away from home that could resonate on Selection Sunday.

The Cougars started with a convincing 57-point win over Jackson State in their opener, while the Tigers cruised in a 51-point victory in their first game against Vermont. Even against overmatched competition, the blowouts hinted at how much talent is available on each side in a season that should feature plenty of wins.

Saturday has the chance to be a measuring-stick contest for both teams, but this adds another storyline ahead of tip-off.

It is slated to start at 9:30 p.m. ET, but a late arrival the night before could alter the Tigers' overall schedule ahead of the game.

Houston is essentially the home team in this one, but it is not an on-campus game. Instead, the two teams will face each other in the Toyota Center, which is the home of the NBA's Houston Rockets.

Four-star point guard recruit Acaden Lewis has committed to Kentucky, he announced on Saturday in a livestream with On3.

Lewis is ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 5 point guard in the Class of 2025, according to On3 Industry Rankings.

He chose to join the Wildcats over offers from other programs including Duke, UConn, UNC, Syracuse, Michigan, Tennessee, Auburn, Georgetown and UVA, per On3's Joe Tipton.

Lewis is currently a senior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. He said he will wear No. 55 at Kentucky in honor of former NBA guard Jason Williams, per Tipton.

Lewis told ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi that he had made the decision to join Kentucky in part because he would have the opportunity to "play a priority role early as their point guards are all leaving" after players like Rob Dillingham left for the 2024 NBA draft.

"I love the system they run, it's fast-paced and allows guards to make reads and run the team, and allows freedom while still having rules," Lewis told ESPN.

Lewis' commitment marks the latest recruiting success for Mark Pope, and could potentially help Kentucky compete with other programs including the back-to-back defending national champions at UConn and the No. 1 recruiting class headlined by Cooper Flagg at Duke.

Pope has also received commitments from two other four-star players in shooting guard Jasper Johnson and center Malachi Moreno to mark three top-30 prospects heading into Kentucky's 2025 class.

The Wildcats are also reportedly in the running for five-star power forward Caleb Wilson, who is ranked as the No. 6 overall recruit in the Class of 2025 by On3.

After committing to Kentucky in September, Johnson made a public pitch for Wilson to join the Wildcats:

Wilson then brought Lewis into the conversation:

Now Lewis has pledged to join the Wildcats, which Pope could be hoping will prove to be the difference in a recruiting battle for Wilson.

Wilson's other top choices are UNC, Auburn, Duke, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, UCF, USC, Oregon, Arkansas, Ohio State, and Alabama. He is expected to make a decision before 2025, per KSR's Zack Geoghegan.

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina women's basketball team will head into this season's NCAA title defense with a No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 preseason basketball poll.

Here are the complete results of the poll released Tuesday:

1. South Carolina
2. UConn
3. USC
4. Texas
5. UCLA
6. Notre Dame
7. LSU
8. Iowa State
9. North Carolina State
10. Oklahoma
11. Duke
12. Baylor
13. Kansas State
14. Ohio State
15. North Carolina
16. West Virginia
17. Louisville
18. Maryland
19. Florida State
20. Ole Miss
21. Creighton
22. Kentucky
23. Nebraska
24. Alabama
25. Indiana

Other schools that received multiple votes for a place on the top 25 list were Iowa, TCU, Utah, Illinois, Stanford, Michigan State, Gonzaga, Vanderbilt, South Dakota State, Miami, Tennessee, Fairfield, Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech, per the AP.

Syracuse and Princeton received one vote each.

This marks the first time in 25 years that Stanford has not been ranked among the top 25 in the preseason poll, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. The Cardinal's drop follows the retirement of longtime head coach Tara VanDerveer in April.

Also for the first time in 25 years, No. 24 Alabama has qualified for a top-25 spot in the preseason rankings after consecutive NCAA Tournament bids, Feinberg noted.

The recent expansion of the SEC to include No. 4 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma makes the conference the most heavily represented in the poll with seven top-25 programs, followed by six ACC teams and six Big Ten teams.

South Carolina received the vast majority of 30 first-place votes with 27. The remainder were split between UConn (two first-place votes) and USC (one first-place vote).

The Gamecocks have been ranked No. 1 in four of the past five preseason polls, Feinberg noted. Last season they missed out on the spot only to go on to win the national championship.

UConn earned the No. 2 spot to mark the program's 30th straight top-10 preseason poll ranking, per Feinberg.

Three top-25 programs saw significant changes by more than 10 spots in the poll since the end of last season, including risers Np. 8 Iowa State and Oklahoma. Both programs are returning most of their top scorers from last season, and Iowa State has now earned top-ten AP rankings in football, men's basketball and women's basketball.

Indiana meanwhile plummeted 13 spots to No. 25 since losing star forward Mackenzie Holmes to the 2024 WNBA draft.

The NCAA women's basketball season begins Nov. 4.

Those boos from the Kentucky faithful when Rick Pitino returned to college basketball to coach archrival Louisville?

A thing of the past.

Pitino returned to Rupp Arena in familiar Wildcats colors Friday as part of Big Blue Madness ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. He addressed the crowd in what was clearly an emotional moment for him and was met with raucous applause.

The former Kentucky coach led the Wildcats from the 1989-90 season through the 1996-97 one. His 1995-96 team won the national title and just so happened to feature current Kentucky head coach Mark Pope.

"I am so happy to be back," Pitino said Friday (h/t Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader). "I said before I pack it in, in coaching, I want to go back to Camelot for one more time. And there's no way I can return better. This is one of the best nights I've had in a long time, because I visit all my players. I visit the fans that made me happy for every single day for eight years."

He also didn't hesitate to praise the Wildcats current coach and his former player.

"And now we get to root for a gentleman that—there have been a lot of great coaches here, a lot of great ones—but we get to root for someone that that name Kentucky is what he's all about," he said.

"It's not about Pope. You'll never hear him say. The most selfless, humble young man I've ever coached in my lifetime. One of the great, great examples of what Kentucky basketball is all about. Mark Pope is going to lead you to greatness, in every sense of the word."

Pitino is a Kentucky legend thanks to his eight seasons of coaching that also included three Final Four appearances, two SEC regular-season crowns and five SEC tournament titles. He eventually left to coach the Boston Celtics, but it was his return to college basketball that didn't sit well with Kentucky fans for many years.

After all, he returned to coach Louisville and was met with boos when his Cardinals teams played at Rupp Arena.

There was no booing Friday, and he is clearly back in the fanbase's good graces as the Pope era begins.

As head coach John Calipari ushers in a new era at Arkansas, the team will have a fresh look for the 2024-25 season.

The Razorbacks revealed on Wednesday that the court at Bud Walton Arena has been refurbished to look brand new and will feature an updated center court logo:

Arkansas director of athletics Hunter Yurachek announced last week that the school was looking to raise an additional $500,000 to pair with a $500,000 donation before implementing the team's famed "Slobbering Hog" logo. He announced on Wednesday that a late six-figure donation allowed the school to reach its goal, and the logo was added to the court to fulfill the promise.

After spending 15 seasons as Kentucky head coach and leading the team to the 2012 national championship, four Final Four appearances and six SEC tournament and regular-season titles, Calipari departed to take the helm at Arkansas following the 2023-24 campaign.

"This is a dream job. It was my dream job," Calipari said upon leaving Kentucky, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello. "Anybody in our profession looks at the University of Kentucky in basketball and said, that is the bluest of blue. The last few weeks, we've come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice. And the fans need to hear another voice. We've loved it here, but we think it's time for us to step away. And step away completely from the program."

Calipari, who is replacing Eric Musselman following his departure for USC, added three transfers from Kentucky, three recruits he originally signed while at Kentucky, and a pair of high-impact transfers to rebuild the Arkansas roster.

The Razorbacks will play a pair of charity exhibition games against Kansas and TCU on Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, respectively, before opening the 2024-25 season against Lipscomb on Nov. 6.