The seeded matchups were certainly the focal point of an entertaining Week 5 of hoops. Along with many arranged confrontations, heated rivalry games took place, some of which ended in gruesome endings. And to top it all off, we got our first look at Bronny James in a college basketball game, which had an outcome that no one expected.
Long Beach State spoils Bronny James’ debut, USC loses upset in overtime
Hearing that USC will play at Long Beach State on Sunday afternoon may not be too exciting, but hearing that Bronny James will take the court certainly is. This debut has been long overdue and long overdue, but perhaps the most exciting part about it is that James was stepping on the court in the first place. This is because in July, James suffered a heart attack that could have ended his career. However, the event did not end his career, and he was scheduled to return against Beach on Sunday.
James had four points, two assists, three rebounds, two steals and one block in 17 minutes. Unfortunately for James and the rest of the USC Trojans, that first game didn’t go as planned. The Trojans took an early lead and held it for most of the second half, but LBSU hung tough and fought their way back in the end. Marcus Tsohonis led the Beach offense, scoring 28 points off the bench as Long Beach State beat USC 84-79 in overtime.
No. 15 Miami and No. 21 Texas A&M were relegated, both losing to very strong unranked clubs.
During a busy NFL Sunday, two very tough matchups took place in college hoops. First, Colorado takes on Miami at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This was a close first half, but in the second half the Buffaloes took control and took control of the game. Tristan Da Silva and KJ Simpson led the Buffs in scoring with 21 and 20, respectively. These performances were key in the second half, as Colorado handed Miami its second loss of the season, 90-63.
Later Sunday, Memphis makes a trip to College Station to take on Texas A&M. The Aggies were favored, but the Tigers had a very strong chance to pull off the upset. And they pulled off the upset they did as Memphis dominated the second half en route to a huge victory. David Jones scored 29 points and Jahvon Quinerly scored 24 points, as they played a starring role in this match and led their team to defeat the Aggies 81-75. It was the third loss for Texas A&M, which suddenly found itself outside the top 25 after being firmly in it just a few weeks ago.
No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 13 Colorado State and No. 14 BYU all lose at the hands of underdogs
In a season full of surprises, three more games came on Saturday. First, BYU faced Utah in a major rivalry game. BYU came into the game undefeated and riding high, but the Utes came in to crash the party and defeat the Cougars. Gabe Madsen led Utah with 17 points, many of which were crucial buckets that led to the upset win. This loss was the first for the Cougars, who still looked in good shape heading into Big 12 play, as this one was close, 73-69.
Colorado State next faced Saint Mary’s in a game that was important for both teams, but for different reasons. CSU entered the game undefeated and firmly in the top 25, while St. Louis entered the game undefeated and firmly in the top 25. Mary’s has five losses to its name, and needed a big win to turn its season around. A big win is exactly what the Gaels achieved when they took down the Rams in a close game. Augustas Marciulionis was the star player for St. Louis. Mary’s, scoring 18 goals leading to the big win. This was the Rams’ first loss this season, and the score was 64-61.
The last of the West seeded teams to land was Gonzaga, which faced Washington on the road late Saturday night. This could be considered a rivalry of sorts, as it is an in-state clash with rival fans in the Seattle area. This event was close from start to finish, giving fans a very exciting viewing. Keon Brooks Jr. scored 17 goals and led the Huskies to an upset win at home. This gave the Zags their second loss of the season, but their first to an unranked opponent. This was certainly a good one, ending with a final score of 78-73 for UW.
No. 1 Arizona and No. 17 Tennessee each earned big wins in their two seeded games on Saturday
To start off a hoops-filled Saturday, Illinois met Tennessee State in the Vols’ home arena. This game had a lot of intrigue as a ranked match, and it certainly lived up to the hype. The score was close throughout the match, with several key players giving good performances. Quincy Guerrier and Terrence Shannon each had 22 points for the Illini and Dalton Knecht had 21 for the Volunteers. While Guerrier and Shannon both had great games, the Illini fell short as the Vols played very well down the stretch. Tennessee used this strong second half to win the battle at home 86-79.
The second seeding game of the day featured Wisconsin traveling to Tucson to take on Arizona. It was never particularly close, as the Wildcats took the lead from start to finish. Billy Larson scored 21 points and Caleb Love scored 20 points to lead their team to victory in front of a raucous crowd at the McCallie Center. This win may have cemented the Wildcats as a serious title contender and silenced any doubters they may have had. As for the Badgers, this was their third loss of the season, but a pretty respectable one considering it was to a No. 1 team on the road. The final score will be 98-73 in favor of U of A.
Tyler Kulek puts on a show as No. 8 Marquette dominates No. 12 Texas
Wednesday featured a very tough matchup as part of the Big12/Big East battle: Texas vs. Marquette from Milwaukee. This game was supposed to be close, but for the vast majority of the game the Golden Eagles had solid control. Tyler Kulek had an incredible game, scoring 28 points in a game that many will point to when trying to claim National Player of the Year honors. Max Abbas also had a great performance, scoring 25 points of his own but in a losing effort. This game showed why Marquette is a top 10 team in the polls, and rightly so, because beating the No. 12 team in the country 86-65 would turn heads.
No. 20 Illinois beats No. 11 FAU, No. 5 UConn beats No. 9 UNC in stacked Jimmy V Classic
The Jimmy V Classic is not only a great cause for charity, but it is also an opportunity for some of the best teams in the country to compete on the field. The event began with Illinois facing off against FAU. The Illini put on an offensive display, with Marcus Domask and Terrence Shannon Jr. both scoring. 33 points. These were two great performances, but the Illini as a whole put on an offensive clinic to defeat the Owls. FAU also had a good offensive game, but they were unable to keep up with Illinois as the game ended 98-89 in favor of the Illini.
The second game of the Jimmy V Classic included UConn and North Carolina, two of the biggest franchises in the sport. Being a match between the top 10 teams also made this match more tempting to watch, especially with the talent on the floor. This game lived up to the hype as it ended up being a very solid game. UConn got good performances from Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban who had 23 and 18 points, respectively. RJ Davis had a game-high 26 points, but for UNC’s losing side. This was close in the first half, but in the second half UConn pulled away and held the lead all the way, winning 87-76 over the Tar Heels.
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Week 5 of college basketball brought us a thrilling lineup of intense ranked matchups, heated rivalry games and surprising upsets that had fans on the edge of their seats. From nail-biting finishes to standout performances, the week was packed with exciting moments that left a lasting impression. With so much excitement on the court, it’s clear that this season is shaping up to be one for the books. Let’s dive into the highlights and recaps of the action-packed Week 5 of college hoops.