After debuting last season with just a handful of teams, the NIL-driven Players Era Festival has expanded to an 18-team field, which includes several of the top teams, including Alabama, Tennessee, Houston,

Houston wins a nail-biter against Syracuse, Gonzaga upsets Bama, Gracie Merkle has another big game, Iowa State won a close one and more from Monday's college basketball action.

A day after landing the No. big man in Arafan Diané, Kelvin Sampson added a top point  guard in Ikenna Alozie.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as College Basketball AP Top 25: Arizona Jumps Houston, UConn Amid Undefeated Start. The Arizona Wildcats are on a tear to begin the 2025 college basketball season, and they’re being rewarded because of it.

Kelvin Sampson had a problem with the huge disparity in free throw attempts between his Houston Cougars and the Tennessee Volunteers

Translation: Sampson knows, once again, that he has a team capable of winning a third straight Big 12 title and, perhaps, a first national championship. The culture at Houston is just so strong, and perhaps the best example of such came in those final 15 seconds against Auburn.

The Big 12 Conference has remained the top conference in college basketball and that trend seems let to continue into several marquee matchups.

Once a benchwarmer, Bishop Boswell became Tennessee’s difference-maker on defense, boosting the Vols’ Final Four outlook.