We have spent most of the 2025-26 basketball season talking about this uber-talented freshman class, debating who will go No. 1 in the next NBA Draft. Another player entered the chat Saturday.
Illinois rookie Keaton Wagler scored a whopping 46 points as the No. 11 Illini upset No. 4 Purdue 88-82 on the Boilermakers’ home floor. It is the most points ever scored by a visiting player at Mackey Arena, and the most in a power conference game since then-freshman Trae Young scored 48 for Oklahoma on Jan. 20, 2018, in an 83-81 overtime loss to Oklahoma State.
Wagler may have the best story in college hoops. The No. 261 player in the 2025 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite ranking, he had just one other high-major offer out of high school (Minnesota). Now, he’s on track to be a lottery pick.
PTS: 46FG: 13-173PT: 9-11
Relive every basket from @IlliniMBB star Keaton Wagler’s @bigten freshman record 4️⃣6️⃣-point performance 👇 pic.twitter.com/dNcila5QJc
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 24, 2026
Saturday, he was nothing short of spectacular, connecting on 13-of-17 field goals, including 9-of-11 3-point attempts. He also went 11-of-13 from the line and dished four assists in just 39 minutes. Only one other Illinois player scored in double figures (David Mirkovic, with 12).
Is Wagler the most incorrectly evaluated prospect in the modern era of college basketball? It certainly seems like it, but by all means, make your case for others in the comments section.
What’s even crazier is that he wasn’t the only freshman to score 40 points Saturday. Kingston Flemings had 42 in No. 6 Houston’s 90-86 loss at No. 12 Texas Tech (more on that game below) while BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, the favorite to go No. 1 in the draft, exploded for 43 points, setting a school freshman record.
“IT’S AJ MANIA!” AJ Dybantsa can’t be stopped 😱 @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/TjRtMX7ZDl
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 25, 2026
If you are just now tuning into college hoops in anticipation of the NCAA Tournament, know this: March is going to be dominated by the new guys, and it’s going to be really, really fun.
Elsewhere Saturday, Rick Pitino notched his 900th victory (kinda) by defeating his son, No. 2 UConn survived an overtime scare from Villanova and another former G League player returned to college hoops. Here are some other noteworthy games and performances that caught our eye.
Texas Tech out-punches Houston
Billed as arguably the best game of the day, the hype for this rematch was palpable. Both teams have been playing tremendously well: Houston’s only loss came back on Nov. 25, while the Red Raiders’ only defeat since Dec. 13 was on the road against these Cougars. Both teams possess true All-American-caliber talents and outstanding coaches.
Yet the game somehow exceeded expectations. The first half was a shootout, with JT Toppin carving up the usually stingy Houston interior defense and the Red Raiders’ shooters knocking down 10 3-pointers. For the Cougars, superstar rookie Kingston Flemings exploded for 22 points and four assists, proving to be utterly unstoppable off the bounce with his sudden changes of speed.
Add it all up, and the hosting Red Raiders held a 55-49 edge at the break. According to ESPN Research and Jeff Borzello, TTU’s 55-point outburst was the most points that a Kelvin Sampson-coached Houston team has ever surrendered in the first half.
The defenses showed up more in the second half, but it was still Toppin’s paint dominance, Texas Tech’s shot making and Flemings’ brilliance that shone brightest. Donovan Atwell buried a couple of key shots late down the stretch, and Houston could not quite overcome the potent Red Raiders’ offense.
Flemings is a special driver of the basketball – a walking paint touch today against TTU https://t.co/8GNfOnf7DV pic.twitter.com/5CZICrcJyg
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) January 25, 2026
Texas Tech’s trajectory looks eerily close to last year’s. After some shaky non-conference results (though no bad losses this year), the Red Raiders found their groove in league play, eventually climbing all the way to a No. 3 seed and nearly making the Final Four. They already looked to be about a No. 4 seed before Saturday’s massive victory, so the Red Raiders could end up right in the same neighborhood as last year.
As they get healthier, their ceiling could be even higher. Villanova transfer Josiah Moseley finally debuted Saturday, contributing six points and six rebounds in just 10 minutes, and shot-blocking center Luke Bamgboye is close to a return.
Houston, meanwhile, is still in great shape to land a high seed in March. The Cougars are now chasing Arizona for the Big 12 title, with a Feb. 21 meeting versus the Wildcats looming large. This defensive performance was far outside the norm, to the point of being a total aberration, and Houston remains a national title contender despite suffering its first road loss since Feb. 3, 2024. — Jim Root
Unranked Auburn dispatches defending champs
First-year Auburn coach Steven Pearl got one of the biggest wins of his head coaching career as the unranked Tigers held on to beat defending champ and No. 16 Florida 76-67 in Gainesville, Auburn’s first win there since Feb. 10, 1996. Florida had won 27 of the previous 33 meetings.
Four Tigers scored in double figures, led by Keyshawn Hall’s 24, as Auburn built an 18-point lead early in the second half, then hung on for dear life as Florida tied it with 9:07 to play. Auburn held Florida to 37 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3. The Gators also hit just 16 of their 27 free throws (59 percent). — Lindsay Schnell
UNC topples Virginia
Until Saturday, UNC’s ACC road trips had been futile. Losses at SMU, Stanford and Cal were varying degrees of disappointing, so heading to Charlottesville to battle a red-hot Virginia squad seemed ominous.
It started that way, too, with the Tar Heels falling behind by as many as 16 points in the first half. Their recently-maligned defense could not get stops against Virginia’s tremendous spacing, and the Hoos controlled the glass en route to a 43-34 halftime lead.
UNC came out scorching to start the second stanza, though, scoring on 14 of its first 18 possessions to seize a 67-62 advantage. The game seesawed back and forth from there, but the Heels ultimately landed the most significant blows down the stretch — including an 11-1 run with fewer than five minutes remaining. The Heels prevailed, 85-80, to claim their biggest win of the season.
Freshman phenom Caleb Wilson was his usual brilliant self, tallying 20 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots. His massive bucket in the final minute staved off a late Virginia charge as he forced his way toward the lane and finished with a deft touch off the glass.
CALEB WILSON IN THE CLUTCH ‼️@UNC_Basketball gets the road W against No. 14 Virginia 👏 pic.twitter.com/sFYypM6VnQ
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 24, 2026
But the real hero was Jarin Stevenson and his 17 efficient points off the bench. The Alabama transfer hit big shot after big shot as the Heels roared back in the second half, allowing Hubert Davis to play a jumbo lineup without losing out on spacing offensively. Seth Trimble also had a strong performance that included zero turnovers. UNC only coughed it up four times in the entire game.
Virginia wasted another big game from Belgian forward Thijs de Ridder (20 points, eight rebounds), and the Hoos will lament their cold shooting (8-of-27 from beyond the arc, 29.6 percent). Their outlook remains bright, especially after thrashing UNC on the glass, 44-28.
UNC avoided falling below .500 in ACC play and now gets a week off before going to Georgia Tech next Saturday. Virginia heads on the road to face two of the ACC’s weaker squads: Notre Dame (Tuesday) and Boston College (Saturday). — Root
Former G Leaguer Charles Bediako scores 13, but Tennessee upsets Alabama
The addition of a former pro to its roster did not help No. 17 Alabama avoid an upset at the hands of unranked Tennessee, as Nate Ament went off for a career-high 29 points in the Vols’ 79-73 road win.
Former G Leaguer Charles Bediako, who previously starred for the Tide back in 2022-23, returned to college hoops after playing three seasons in the NBA’s developmental league, tallying 13 points for Alabama in the loss. His unique eligibility case is the latest to provoke outrage across the sport.
Tennessee had a scare midway through the second half when forward Jaylen Carey went down hard on the baseline and sat for a few minutes holding his left knee. He managed to walk off the court and was ruled questionable for the remainder of the game. UT coach Rick Barnes said afterward that he thought Carey hyperextended it. — Schnell
Bill Self returns after A-fib episode
Kansas head coach Bill Self returned to the sideline for the Jayhawks’ game against Kansas State days after being admitted to the hospital and missing KU’s game at Colorado. “I feel good. I had an A-fib episode, which I didn’t know I actually had, so that was good to find that out,” he told Fox Sports before the game.
KU, again missing star freshman Darryn Peterson, put together a sluggish first half, leading just 37-35 at the break. But the Jayhawks outscored the Wildcats 49-27 in the second half to win 86-62 as five players reached double figures. — Schnell
“I do feel good. I feel good. I had an A-fib episode, which I didn’t know I actually had, so that was good to find that out.”@PhonzLovesHoops with @KUHoops HC Bill Self pregame to discuss how he’s feeling following his recent medical scare. pic.twitter.com/HrDp4FbZfX
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 25, 2026
Nebraska: 20-0
On the road at Minnesota, the first half looked dicey for undefeated Nebraska. Shorthanded and in a challenging opposing environment, the Huskers struggled to generate their typical offensive rhythm and trailed 36-30 at the break. Minnesota had already picked off Iowa and Indiana at the Barn, and the Gophers had their sights set on their biggest win yet.
The absence of Nebraska’s highly efficient sixth man spark plug, Braden Frager, forced the rest of the rotation to play slightly different roles. For a team whose best attribute is its near-perfect role allocation and symphonic offensive movement, Frager’s absence seemed to disrupt the usual flow.
But in the second half, Pryce Sandfort caught fire, going for 20 points after the break, connecting on four triples and dicing up the Gophers’ defense with well-timed off-ball cuts. Nebraska’s defense also tightened the screws, limiting the Gophers to 21 points in the second half.
The Huskers seemed down and out at Indiana before erasing a 16-point second-half deficit. They blew out Northwestern on the road, have beaten both Illinois (in Champaign) and Michigan State, and blasted Wisconsin by 30.
Nebraska’s reward for that sustained run of outstanding play? A visit to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan, the No. 3 team in the AP poll and KenPom’s top-ranked team. Another road victory would likely vault the Huskers into the top three themselves, along with the inside track to a No. 1 seed come Selection Sunday. Opportunity knocks, and for 20 games now, Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers have answered. — Root
You gotta see this dunk
Jeremy Fears scored 17 points and handed out a career-high 17 assists as No. 10 Michigan State smoked Maryland 91-48. His alley-oop to Coen Carr late in the second half nearly brought down the house. — Schnell
We have liftoff! ✈️
Coen Carr soars for the @MSU_Basketball transition alley-oop.
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/ADTM1TE6ie
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 24, 2026
Missouri’s double buzzer beater
Though not one of the headliners on the day, Missouri’s dramatic home win over Oklahoma featured some remarkable heroics from the home squad — and serious heartbreak for the visitors. It started at the end of regulation, when Trent Pierce hit a deep trail 3 to force an extra period.
TRENT PIERCE SENDS US TO OVERTIME!!!!@trentpierce22 // #MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/TJuEgL75RV
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) January 24, 2026
Cue the “always foul up 3” crowd. Though, in Oklahoma’s defense, it did not seem like the Tigers were going to get off a decent look.
After a slog in overtime, Oklahoma took a two-point lead with 4.8 seconds left. Without a timeout, Missouri was scrambling before Mark Mitchell took control.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Two buzzers for the price of one@Mark_mitchell25 // #MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/ShIntNM3Gc
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) January 24, 2026
The victory keeps the Tigers squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, fighting for a berth through the rest of SEC play. On the other hand, the hard-luck Sooners fell to 1-6 in SEC play and will need an extended winning streak to reenter the postseason picture. — Root
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