The first week of the season has concluded, but it wasn’t without some head-turning storylines. From Top 25 matchups to breakout stat lines to shocking upsets, we really were gifted an amazing week of hoops. Here is a recap of all the biggest noteworthy events from the first tip on Monday afternoon to the final buzzer Sunday night.
Collier, Ellis shine and No. 21 USC defeats Kansas State in Vegas
The first game of note was a clash between No. 21 USC and Kansas State on Monday night from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a game that ended with USC pulling away with the victory. Isaiah Collier, the top recruit in the 2023 class, was sensational and put up 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting. He may have been outshined, though, as fifth-year point guard Boogie Ellis had a game-leading 24 complemented by five assists. This was a tight affair up until about halftime, after which the Trojans pulled away and pulled out the win 82-69.
James Madison goes into East Lansing and shocks fourth-ranked Michigan State
In what was supposed to be a rout in favor of the Spartans, James Madison walked into the Breslin Center and defeated Tom Izzo’s club in overtime. The Dukes got ahead early, but Michigan State battled back and made it a very close game throughout the second half. Michigan State’s Tyson Walker led all scorers with 35 points, notably without making a 3. This wasn’t enough in the end, though, as other Spartans Malik Hall and Jaden Akins were disappointing and could not get it done in the clutch. James Madison, on the other hand, was amazing and was led by T.J. Bickerstaff and Terrence Edwards, both with over 20 points. This one ended with a thrilling overtime period, one that James Madison was slightly better in, leading to the Dukes coming out with the dub, 79-76.
Ja’Kobe Walter scores 28 as No. 20 Baylor comes back to defeat Auburn in Sioux Falls
What a game it was for freshman Ja’Kobe Walter as he scored a game-high 28 points and practically took over in the closing minutes of the second half on Tuesday night against Auburn. He wasn’t the only star in the matchup as Auburn’s Aden Holloway had 19 points and six assists. Bruce Pearl’s bunch played solid and had the lead throughout the game. Auburn may have been ahead, but Baylor executed a great comeback and was amazing down the stretch. This proved why the Bears were ranked in the preseason despite losing their top scorers. Auburn played well up until the buzzer sounded, but the Bears were better in the final minutes, leading to a Baylor win 88-82.
No. 12 Arizona and No. 2 Duke battle it out in Cameron, finishing with a Wildcat win
High profile on-campus games like this are hard to find early in the season, much less the first week of the season, which is why this game had the potential to be special. And special it was as this matchup lived up to the hype and then some. This one was close from tip to buzzer with Arizona having a slight lead for most of the game. Duke never relented, though, and kept it close and took the lead a few times late in the game. Keshad Johnson led Arizona with 14 points, closely followed by the rest of the starting five who all scored in double figures. On the other hand, All-America hopeful Kyle Filipowski carried Duke, tallying 25 points and seven rebounds. The Wildcats’ late scoring eventually sealed the victory, as they made six clutch free throws to clinch the win 78-73.
Thriller in Durham complemented by two Big Ten/SEC battles
During and after the amazing game between the Wildcats and Blue Devils on Friday night, two other matchups lived up to the hype. Two great games took place on Big Ten campuses with SEC clubs visiting as favorites. These games featured No. 16 Texas A&M traveling to Ohio State and No. 9 Tennessee making the trek up to Wisconsin. These two games had similar starts, but different endings as only one game was close up until the finish: the battle between the Aggies and Buckeyes, a game that had no team pull away until the final minute. That team was Texas A&M as Wade Taylor and company were great in clutch time and came away with the win 73-66. The other matchup was close early, but not as much late as Tennessee showed why it is a top 10 AP Poll team and the SEC favorite. Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht was sensational, scoring 24 and leading the Volunteers to a 80-70 victory.
Upsets aplenty as some high-majors go down in unexpected results
There was no shortage of upsets during the weekend with a few Power Six clubs losing to teams some had not even heard of before. While Michigan State going down was the most notable, some other shockers took place during the opening weekend of the season. First, on Friday night, Louisville lost to Chattanooga 81-71 in a game that the Mocs dominated. This result has some fans calling for the firing of second-year head coach Kenny Payne, who had an abysmal season last year. Another ACC team was upset, this time Notre Dame on Saturday. Western Carolina tripped up the Irish, 71-61. West Virginia was also upset during the weekend losing to Monmouth 73-65 on Friday night. This loss showcased why losing coach Bob Higgins might mean a season to forget for the Mountaineers. Maryland had it worst of all, being upset twice, once to Davidson on Friday 64-61, and again by UAB 66-63. The final major upset of the weekend was a No. 23 St. Mary’s loss to Weber State on Sunday night. This game went final 61-57 and knocked the Gaels out of the Top 25. All these losses showed that no team should overlook their opponent, no matter how much they are favored and that college basketball continues to be a haven for unpredictability.
Elms' Essentials: Rivalry Week
Elms' Essentials: Week 13
