Men's College Basketball

One of the top point guards in the Class of 2025 decommitted from Kentucky on Thursday.

Per ESPN's Jonathan Givony, 4-star point guard prospect Acaden Lewis, who committed to the Wildcats in November, no longer plans to join Mark Pope's squad next season.

"I will always be grateful to Coach Pope and the entire Kentucky staff for believing in me," Lewis said in a statement sent to ESPN. "It is clear Kentucky is a special place with an amazing fanbase, but as I reflect on what is best for my future, I have decided to re-open my recruitment. This was an incredibly difficult decision, but after a lot of discussion with my family and people I trust, I feel this is necessary. This is not in any way a reflection of any negative feelings towards Coach Pope and Kentucky. I appreciate your understanding and am excited for what the future holds."

Lewis, a product of Sidwell Friends School in Maryland, is considered to be the No. 30 player in the nation and the No. 5 point guard by 247Sports Composite. He holds offers from nearly every top program, Duke, North Carolina and UConn among those schools.

While Kentucky lost Lewis, the Wildcats have already had a productive offseason after losing in the Sweet 16 to rival Tennessee. So far, Pope has landed center Jayden Quaintance from Arizona State, guard Jaland Lowe, Alabama forward Mouhamed Dioubate, and Tulane forward Kam Williams.

Kentucky also has a pair of 5-star freshman joining the team next year in shooting guard Jasper Johnson and center Malachi Moreno.

AJ Dybantsa will have a solid running mate next season.

BYU reported landed former 5-star guard Robert Wright in the transfer portal on Thursday, according to Joe Tipton of On3, leaving Baylor after averaging 11.5 points and 4.2 assists per game as a freshman.

Wright won't come cheap, with Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 reporting his NIL package is worth $3 million. Other previous reports had the figure at $3.5 million.

BYU fans have plenty to be excited about heading into the 2025-26 season.

The Cougars landed the No. 2 player in the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings, when they brought aboard Dybantsa. His addition, alongside the commitments of 4-star center Xavion Staton and 4-star power forward Chamberlain Burgess, has BYU at No. 11 in the 2025 recruiting class rankings.

There have also been losses for these Cougars.

Dallin Hall is departing the school for Virginia and Egor Demin is off to the NBA, with both decisions necessitating the need to bring aboard a guard like Wright. Forward Kanon Catchings is also transferring away from BYU, while portal targets like Silas Demary Jr. (Georgia) and Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) chose other schools. And seniors Trevin Knell, Fousseyni Traore, Mawot Mag and Trey Stewart are graduating.

Excitement nonetheless remains high, and for good reason.

BYU is coming off a fantastic 2024-25 season after going 26-10 and reaching the Sweet 16, where the Cougars lost to Alabama. They were led by forward Richie Saunders (16.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 43.2 percent from three), who should combine with Dybantsa and Wright to give the Cougars a formidable core group next season.

Obviously, adding a player like Dybantsa—who could potentially be the top overall pick at the 2026 NBA draft—basically guaranteed a successful offseason for the Cougars. But bringing aboard a player like Wright is another fantastic addition for BYU as it looks to claim a Big 12 title and make another deep run at next season's NCAA tournament.

Arizona added even more talent to its already impressive 2025 recruiting class on Wednesday.

During an episode of SportsCenter, 5-star guard Brayden Burries announced that he has committed to the Wildcats. Burries joins an incoming freshman class that includes fellow 5-star prospect Koa Peat and Bryce James, the younger son of the legendary LeBron James.

Burries is ranked as the No. 2 combo guard and No. 11 overall player in the 2025 class by 247Sports' composite. He chose to attend Arizona over offers from USC, Tennessee, Oregon, Alabama and others.

"Arizona was the best fit for me and my family," Burries told ESPN's Paul Biancardi. "It’s a basketball school."

Burries is coming off a stellar senior season for Eleanor Roosevelt High School in San Bernardino, California, in which he played 35 games and averaged 29.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals, per MaxPreps. He was selected to the 2025 McDonald's All American Game and produced six points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal in 15 minutes of action.

247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein described Burries as "a big-bodied scoring guard and three-level threat" who can excel while playing both backcourt positions.

"While he is focused primarily on scoring, Burries possesses soft hands, solid floor vision, and a reliable enough handle to have some on/off ball versatility," Finkelstein stated. "He is also an excellent rebounding guard. Defensively, he is fully engaged, physical, and competitive, if not ultra-quick."

Arizona is coming off a 24-13 finish to the 2024-25 season. The Wildcats lost to Duke in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament and will lose star senior guard Caleb Love to the NBA draft.

The arrivals of Burries, Peat, James and the rest of the 2025 recruiting class should help Arizona reclaim its place among the elite teams across the NCAA.

Texas Tech forward JT Toppin announced Wednesday he's returning to the Red Raiders for the 2025-26 season.

According to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, Toppin "is expected to be paid" approximately $4 million through NIL agreements during the 2025-26 season.

Toppin averaged 18.2 points on 55.4 percent shooting along with 9.4 rebounds this season. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected the sophomore to go 28th in his most recent 2025 NBA mock draft.

"Scouts admire JT Toppin's ability to consistently produce and work hard to earn paint buckets," Wasserman wrote. "He scored 20-plus points in each of Texas Tech's three NCAA tournament games, using his signature one-two punch of physicality and one-handed touch.

"Florida's bigs did make life tough for Toppin inside, and it did raise some questions about the translatability of his style of scoring at 6'9". Some of the push shots he typically hits just didn't fall, however, and a pair of pick-and-pop threes highlighted some capable shooting range."

Considering he was projected as a possible first-round pick, many in Lubbock, Texas, might've thought they'd seen the last of Toppin. Instead, he's seemingly another example of how the NIL has shifted the paradigm.

Securing Toppin's return is big for head coach Grant McCasland after junior forward Darrion Williams reportedly entered the transfer portal and chose to explore his NBA options. Williams was the team's second-leading scorer (15.1 points) and rebounder (5.5 boards).

McCasland has utilized the portal to great effect. Toppin, Williams and Chance McMillian all started their college careers elsewhere before moving to Texas Tech.

The transfer portal will be invaluable toward building a roster good enough to make a deep NCAA tournament run again, and having Toppin is a great start.

Asa Newell is going to the NBA after spending one season at Georgia.

Excel Sports Management, which represents Newell, told ESPN's Jonathan Givony that the 19-year-old is entering the 2025 NBA draft.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Newell as the No. 12 prospect in the 2025 class, with Jalen Smith, Brandon Clarke and Jonathan Isaac cited as his pro comparisons.

Newell was the standout member of Georgia's 2024 recruiting class. He was a 5-star prospect and No. 16 overall player in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Bulldogs made the NCAA tournament this season for the first time since 2014-15. In their 89-68 loss to Gonzaga in the first round, Newell put together a good game with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Newell led the team in scoring (15.4 points per game) on 54.3 percent shooting and 6.9 rebounds per game. His 3.3 offensive rebounds per game ranked 22nd in the nation.

Wasserman noted Newell should "draw widespread interest" from NBA teams in the draft because everyone is coveting "a 6'11" big with shooting potential, defensive switchability and outstanding touch around the key."

In Wasserman's most recent mock posted on Tuesday, Newell was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 14th pick.

"Newell ultimately gives off safe-pick vibes with his 6'11" size and movement, consistent production, defensive tools and reliable touch whenever he gets it in the paint. He will make plays from off the ball within a set," Wasserman wrote.

The Hawks definitely need a player like Newell, especially after trading De'Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February. He would boost their defense and could be a finisher in the pick-and-roll game with a point guard like Trae Young.

Newell only made 29.2 percent of his three-pointers on 89 total attempts last season, but his 74.8 percent success rate from the free-throw line suggests there's more upside for him as an outside shooter.

The 2025 college basketball recruiting class is chock full of talented prospects, but Kansas is getting the cream of the crop.

247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein announced Wednesday that Jayhawks commit Darryn Peterson will finish as the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2025 over BYU signee AJ Dybantsa and Duke commit Cam Boozer.

Finkelstein noted that Dybantsa previously "held the No. 1 ranking from the moment he joined the 2025 class after he reclassified up from 2026." Peterson began his senior season ranked as the No. 3 overall player behind Dybantsa and Boozer, but he jumped Boozer in a rankings update before claiming the top spot in the final rankings.

Peterson began to assert himself as the No. 1 prospect when he led Prolific Prep to road victories over Dybantsa's Utah Prep and Boozer's Columbus High School (Miami). Peterson also had strong showings at the McDonald's All American Game, where he shared MVP honors with Boozer, and the Chipotle Nationals. While it was Boozer who led Columbus to their latest championship at Chipotle, Peterson did enough to impress evaluators.

"The No. 1 ranking is not based on who had the best senior season, it's based on the prospect that we believe has the best long-term future," Finkelstein wrote. "At this point, that is now Peterson."

Peterson showed improvements in his shooting, but he's at his best when he's using his athleticism to aggressively attack the rim. He's also a strong defender who can play multiple positions and make an impact on both ends of the floor.

"Put it all together, and you now have an incredibly versatile guard who can score, make plays, and change the game in numerous other ways," Finkelstein added. "Most of all, though, you have an elite natural talent who is clearly committed to maximizing his potential and consequently ascending at the most rapid rate."

In a showdown that featured no shortage of drama, this year's men's college basketball national championship game drew plenty of viewers.

Monday's national title bout between Florida and Houston drew 18.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched title game since 2019. The game peaked at 21.1 million viewers and was up 22 percent from last year.

The Final Four itself also saw an increase in viewership from recent years, averaging 16.4 million viewers across the three games.

Monday's championship game was one of the more exciting contests of the last few years. Florida managed to rally from a double-digit second-half deficit to make things interesting down the stretch. Houston led heading into the final minute, but the Gators took the lead on a pair of free throws before extending it to a two-point lead with just 20 seconds left.

The Cougars had a chance to tie or take the lead, but Emanuel Sharp turned it over as the clock ran out.

It was the third championship in Florida history and its first since the team won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.

The last two championship games weren't nearly as dramatic as UConn downed San Diego and Purdue by double-digits in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

The Final Four this year was, for the first time since 2008, all No. 1 seeds. While we didn't get to see any major Cinderella runs this year, it made for some exciting matchups. Florida downed Auburn 79-73 in their Final Four bout, while Houston snuck past Duke 70-67 to advance to the championship.

Part of the magic of March Madness is seeing lower-seeded teams make deep runs, but the all-chalk Final Four was clearly a hit.