Jeff BorzelloFeb 19, 2026, 09:15 AM ETClose Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Follow on XMultiple Authors
play0:33Dusty May praises Michigan’s depth after win at PurdueDusty May marvels at how many players can contribute on a game-to-game basis after Michigan takes down Purdue on the road.
play1:18No. 6 Iowa State outlasts No. 2 Houston in a thrillerIowa State beats Houston in a thrilling game, led by Joshua Jefferson and Nate Heise.
play2:20Alex Condon says Gators’ unselfish stars are the keyAfter No. 12 UF extends its winning streak to six with the help of Condon’s double-double against South Carolina, he explains how the success is rooted in being “unselfish.”
play1:18Darius Acuff Jr. tallies career-high 49 points in Arkansas’ double-overtime lossDarius Acuff Jr.’s career high of 49 points isn’t enough to lift Arkansas over Alabama in double overtime.
play0:23Peter Suder’s and-1 helps keep Miami (OH) undefeatedPeter Suder draws the and-1 and secures a win over UMass to continue the RedHawks’ undefeated season.
Michigan’s win over Purdue solidifies No. 1 ranking (1:15)Jeff Borzello breaks down No. 1 Michigan’s win over No. 7 Purdue on Tuesday. (1:15)
Dusty May praises Michigan’s depth after win at PurdueDusty May marvels at how many players can contribute on a game-to-game basis after Michigan takes down Purdue on the road.
Dusty May marvels at how many players can contribute on a game-to-game basis after Michigan takes down Purdue on the road.
No. 6 Iowa State outlasts No. 2 Houston in a thrillerIowa State beats Houston in a thrilling game, led by Joshua Jefferson and Nate Heise.
Alex Condon says Gators’ unselfish stars are the keyAfter No. 12 UF extends its winning streak to six with the help of Condon’s double-double against South Carolina, he explains how the success is rooted in being “unselfish.”
After No. 12 UF extends its winning streak to six with the help of Condon’s double-double against South Carolina, he explains how the success is rooted in being “unselfish.”
Darius Acuff Jr. tallies career-high 49 points in Arkansas’ double-overtime lossDarius Acuff Jr.’s career high of 49 points isn’t enough to lift Arkansas over Alabama in double overtime.
Darius Acuff Jr.’s career high of 49 points isn’t enough to lift Arkansas over Alabama in double overtime.
Peter Suder’s and-1 helps keep Miami (OH) undefeatedPeter Suder draws the and-1 and secures a win over UMass to continue the RedHawks’ undefeated season.
Peter Suder draws the and-1 and secures a win over UMass to continue the RedHawks’ undefeated season.
Michigan vs. Duke on Saturday has been circled on calendars of men’s college hoops diehards since it was announced in June. With both teams ranked in the preseason top 10, it was always going to be one of the most anticipated nonconference games of the season — especially because it was scheduled in February, offering a marquee respite from the meat and potatoes of conference games.
But thanks to Arizona and UConn losing two games apiece over the past couple of weeks, this game is now more than just two potential Final Four contenders stepping out of league play to face off on a neutral court.
The winner will likely be No. 1 next week — and more importantly, could be the overall No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.
Dusty May praises Michigan’s depth after win at Purdue
Iowa State beats Houston in a thrilling game, led by Joshua Jefferson and Nate Heise.
Alex Condon says Gators’ unselfish stars are the key
Darius Acuff Jr. tallies career-high 49 points in Arkansas’ double-overtime loss
Peter Suder’s and-1 helps keep Miami (OH) undefeated
Just when it looked like Duke was relying too heavily on Cameron Boozer to produce offense late in games, the Blue Devils’ supporting cast has come to life. Isaiah Evans, after averaging 13.1 points over a seven-game stretch, has now scored 21 points in two of his past three games and is averaging 19.7 points during that span. And Cayden Boozer has emerged as a consistent threat off the bench, scoring 12 points in back-to-back wins over Clemson and Syracuse. He has also dished out seven assists and a pair of 3s in those two games.
Iowa State is coming off something of a statement week. The Cyclones blew out Kansas on Saturday, snapping the Jayhawks’ eight-game winning streak, then knocked off Houston on Monday night in the final minutes with huge shots from reserves Jamarion Batemon and Nate Heise. Beating the Cougars while having an off scoring night from Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic might provide as much optimism as anything coming out of the win. The stats to note: Iowa State turned it over just three times, and Houston didn’t score a single point off a turnover.
Losing by 3 at Iowa State after leading by 10 deep into the second half obviously hurts, but it shouldn’t change the NCAA tournament perception of this team. What could be potentially concerning, however, is how the offense got completely bogged down late. The Cougars, who lead the Big 12 in turnover rate, forced just three Iowa State giveaways, meaning they had to play almost entirely in the half court. And after shooting the ball so well from the perimeter for most of the game, they went just 2-for-11 from 3 in the final 14 minutes. Last season, when shots weren’t falling, they could still go to J’Wan Roberts on the block for points. They don’t have that type of interior consistency this season. This team will go as far as its guards go.
For most of the season, UConn had an elite defense, which made up for an offense that could disappear for stretches due to perimeter shots not falling consistently. But it was working: The Huskies lost just one of their first 23 games. Recently, though, that formula has flipped. The Huskies are shooting far better from 3 — but their defense has fallen off a cliff. They had their worst defensive performance of the season in Wednesday’s stunning loss to Creighton, allowing 1.21 points per possession. UConn has allowed at least 1.15 points per possession in four straight games, a number it allowed just once in the 23 games before this stretch.
Wednesday was the first time coach Brad Underwood has had his complete allotment of players since Jan. 17 — and a full-strength Illinois team looked as dangerous as any in the country. The Fighting Illini scored 101 points on the road at USC, with seven players scoring in double figures. Kylan Boswell, who missed seven games because of a fractured hand, returned for the past two games and averaged 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the wins. Meanwhile, Andrej Stojakovic missed two games because of a high ankle sprain and didn’t start against the Trojans. But he came off the bench and posted 22 points in just 17 minutes, going 6-for-7 from the field.
Alex Condon might be playing his best basketball of the season at the right time. The Australia native entered the season with All-American expectations after withdrawing his name from the NBA draft last spring. Then his outside shot disappeared, and he hasn’t as effective on the offensive glass. But Condon is starting to make more of an impact. He went for 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in Tuesday’s win over South Carolina, his second time hitting the 20-point mark this month. He’s averaging 15.0 points and 58% shooting in February, after putting up 11.6 points on 42.5% shooting in January.
Purdue’s defense fell off a cliff against Michigan on Tuesday, with the Boilermakers’ worst tendencies coming to light again. In losses this season, they’ve allowed opponents to shoot 46% from 3-point range, which ranks 362nd in the country (Michigan went 13-for-23 from beyond the arc). In Purdue’s wins, opponents are shooting only 29.9% from the perimeter. Even more concerning are the splits of Purdue’s role players. Fletcher Loyer, who badly missed a couple of momentum-swinging 3s against Michigan, is averaging 15.0 points in wins and 11.0 in losses. Oscar Cluff, who had just four points against the Wolverines, is putting up 11.2 points in wins and 6.2 in losses.
Kansas’ eight-game winning streak came to an end at Iowa State on Saturday, with Darryn Peterson having arguably his worst game of the season: 10 points, 3-for-10 from the field, three turnovers. But the Jayhawks bounced back to win at Oklahoma State on Wednesday, and Peterson bounced back for another virtuoso effort — when he was on the floor, at least. The projected No. 1 draft pick had 23 points and shot 7-for-12 from the field and 6-for-10 from 3 in just 18 minutes. Peterson played just three minutes in the second half after appearing to signal for a substitution and never returning.
It looks like the point guard pendulum has swung entirely back toward Mario Saint-Supery in Gonzaga’s backcourt. Braeden Smith started the first four games of the season, before Saint-Supery took over for the next nine. Smith then regained the starting job in late December and held it until Wednesday’s game against San Francisco. The writing had been on the wall, as Saint-Supery had played more minutes than Smith in four of Gonzaga’s past five games, despite coming off the bench — including a 33-7 split in Saint-Supery’s favor in Saturday’s win over Santa Clara. On Wednesday, the preference was clear: Saint-Supery played 33 minutes, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Smith came off the bench for just two minutes.
It sounds unfathomable, but Michigan State’s win over UCLA on Tuesday was the Spartans’ first win in regulation since Jan. 24. It also extended the productive play of Coen Carr and Jordan Scott. Carr had 16 points against the Bruins, including two 3-pointers, and has now scored in double figures in seven of his past eight games after going three straight without scoring more than eight. Meanwhile, Scott went for 11 points, his fifth straight game in double figures after doing it just once all season prior to this stretch. On the other end of the floor, Tom Izzo will have to hope Tuesday’s defensive effort (holding UCLA to 0.90 points per possession) is more indicative of his team’s future defensive performances than the previous five games, in which the Spartans allowed at least 1.10 points per possession.