Top-25 College Basketball Game Capsules

Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Andrew Harrison had 16 points to lead a balanced Kentucky attack and the top-ranked Wildcats opened a season of sky- high expectations with an 85-45 trouncing of Grand Canyon at Rupp Arena. With three starters and several other key contributors returning from last season’s national runner-up squad, plus a typical loaded class of incoming recruits, the Wildcats entered 2014-15 as a heavy favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. They did little to temper the hype on Friday against an overmatched Grand Canyon team in only its second year as a Division I program. Heralded freshman Trey Lyles put up 14 in just 17 minutes in his debut, while Willie Cauley-Stein chipped in 12 points and four blocks in the rout. Dakari Johnson added a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds for Kentucky (1-0), which finished the night with an overwhelming 51-21 advantage on the glass. Royce Woolridge paced the Antelopes (0-1) with 15 points and Daniel Alexander had 10 in the loss.

Final Score: (2) Arizona 78, Mount St. Mary’s 55

Tucson, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) – Brandon Ashley had 21 points, Rondae Hollis- Jefferson scored 15 and No. 2 Arizona opened its season with a 78-55 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Friday night. Kaleb Tarczewski added 10 points for the Wildcats (1-0), who came within one win of making the Final Four last season. Kristijan Krajina had 13 points to lead Mount St. Mary’s (0-1) and Byron Ashe scored 12.

Final Score: (3) Wisconsin 62, Northern Kentucky 31

Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) – Frank Kaminsky posted 16 points and 11 rebounds and third-ranked Wisconsin put forth a smothering defensive display to roll to a 62-31 season-opening rout of Northern Kentucky. After receiving rings for last season’s Final Four appearance during a celebratory pregame ceremony, the Badgers were all business after the opening tip. Wisconsin held the undermanned Norse to a paltry 26.4 percent shooting effort and tied the fewest points allowed in a game in Bo Ryan’s 14-year tenure as head coach. No Northern Kentucky (0-1) player scored in double figures, with Daniel Camps leading the Norse with eight points. Sam Dekker added 15 points and Nigel Hayes pulled down 10 rebounds for Wisconsin (1-0), which returns four starters from the 2013-14 West Regional championship squad and received the highest preseason national ranking in program history.

Final Score: (4) Duke 113, Presbyterian 44

Durham, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Last year the hype surrounded Jabari Parker. This season it’s Jahlil Okafor. But Duke also has some other talented freshmen to complement him. The top-ranked recruit in the country, Okafor, had 19 points, six rebounds and four assists in his NCAA debut and the fourth- ranked Blue Devils routed Presbyterian, 113-44, in the opening round of the Choaches vs. Cancer Classic. Guard Tyus Jones and forward Justise Winslow, both consensus top-20 recruits, each netted 15 points apiece, with the former adding seven assists for Duke (1-0), which was upset by 15th-seeded Mercer in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament. DeSean Murray posted 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals for the Big South’s Blue Hose (0-1), who went 6-26 a year ago.

Final Score: (5) Kansas 69, UC Santa Barbara 59

Lawrence, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – Perry Ellis had 13 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in the fifth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks’ 69-59 season-opening win over the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. Kansas went 25-10 in 2013-14 and won its unprecedented 10th straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title. However, a 60-57 loss to Stanford in the third round of the NCAA Tournament left a bitter taste in the mouth of a squad which had won at least 30 games in each of the previous four seasons. Devonte Graham had 14 points off the bench for the Jayhawks (1-0), who won their 42nd straight season opener at Allen Fieldhouse.

Final Score: (6) North Carolina 76, NC Central 60

Chapel Hill, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Brice Johnson had 12 points and eight rebounds as No. 6 North Carolina rolled to a 76-60 win over NC Central in the opener for both schools on Friday. Kennedy Meeks posted 10 points and nine rebounds and J.P. Tokoto added 10 points for the Tar Heels (1-0), who lost to Iowa State in the third round of the NCAA Tournament last spring.

Final Score: (7) Florida 68, William & Mary 45

Gainesville, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Dorian Finney-Smith hurt his left wrist but returned to score 15 points, as the seventh-ranked Florida Gators cruised past the William & Mary Tribe, 68-45, in the season opener for both teams. Junior shooting guard Michael Frazier II is the lone returning starter from a 2013-14 Florida team that went 36-3 and swept both the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles by going undefeated in the league en route to the Final Four.

Final Score: (8) Louisville 81, Minnesota 68

Aguadilla, PR (SportsNetwork.com) – Montrezl Harrell helped Rick Pitino get the best of his son again. Harrell had a career-high 30 points to go with seven rebounds as No. 8 Louisville defeated Minnesota 81-68 in the third annual Armed Forces Classic on Friday night. The lone other meeting between the Pitinos came in 2012, the younger Richard Pitino’s only year at Florida International. Louisville won that encounter 79-55. Terry Rozier posted 18 points, six boards, four assists and four steals, while Chris Jones added 13 points and three steals for the Cardinals (1-0), who lost to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season. Andre Hollins netted 22 points to lead Minnesota (0-1), which won the NIT last season.

Final Score: (9) Virginia 79, James Madison 51

Harrisonburg, VA (SportsNetwork.com) – Justin Anderson went 4-for-5 from 3- point range in an 18-point effort as ninth-ranked Virginia tipped off its 2014-15 season with an easy 79-51 win over James Madison. Anthony Gill added 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and Malcolm Brogdon had 14 for the defending ACC champion Cavaliers (1-0), who were on the mark in all facets in a solid debut.

Final Score: (10) Texas 85, North Dakota State 50

Austin, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Isaiah Taylor finished with a game-high 18 points as 10th-ranked Texas defeated North Dakota State, 85-50, in the 2K Sports Classic on Friday. Myles Turner scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, Jonathan Holmes had 15 points and six rebounds and Cameron Ridley and Javan Felix each scored nine points apiece for the Longhorns (1-0), who won their 13th straight season opener.

Final Score: (11) Wichita State 71, New Mexico State 54

Wichita, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – Tekele Cotton supplied 17 points with five rebounds and three steals to lead No. 11 Wichita State to a 71-54 win over New Mexico State on Friday. Cotton, the reigning Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Year, looks to be a focal point for a Shockers (1-0) team that looks to make it back to the NCAA Tournament after an exceptional season.

Final Score: (12) Villanova 77, Lehigh 66

Allentown, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Dylan Ennis scored 19 points and dished out five assists, as 12th-ranked Villanova pulled away late in the second half for a 77-66 victory against Lehigh in the season opener for both teams. The game took place at the PPL Center, the home of the American Hockey League’s Philadelphia Phantoms. This was the first college basketball contest played at the arena, which opened in September.

Final Score: (13) Gonzaga 104, Sacramento State 58

Spokane, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – Kyle Wiltjer had 18 points to pace five Gonzaga players in double figures as the 13th-ranked Bulldogs opened their season with a 104-58 blowout of Sacramento State. Kevin Pangos supplied 16 points, Domantas Sabonis had 14 points and eight rebounds and Byron Wesley totaled 12 points, seven boards and four steals for Gonzaga (1-0), which posted a 29-7 overall record last season.

Final Score: (14) Iowa State 93, Oakland 82

Ames, IA (SportsNetwork.com) – Georges Niang scored a career-high 30 points to power the 14th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones to a 93-82 win over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the season opener for both teams. Niang, who became the 31st player in school history to reach 1,000 career points, added nine rebounds and five assists.

Final Score: (15) VCU 85, Tennessee 69

Annapolis, MD (SportsNetwork.com) – Melvin Johnson scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half, Treveon Graham contributed a double-double and the 15th- ranked VCU Rams opened the season with an 85-69 win over the Tennessee Volunteers at the U.S. Naval Academy. Graham finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Rams (1-0), who were upset by Stephen F. Austin in their NCAA tournament opener last season.

Final Score: (16) San Diego State 79, CS Northridge 58

San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Aqeel Quinn scored 15 points to help No. 16 San Diego State to a 79-58 win over Cal State Northridge in the season opener for both teams on Friday. Winston Shepard netted 14 points, JJ O’Brien tallied 13 and reigning Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year, Dwayne Polee II, added 11 for the Aztecs (1-0), who extended their winning streak to 49 straight against unranked, non-conference teams.

Final Score: (17) Connecticut 66, Bryant 53

Storrs, CT (SportsNetwork.com) – Defending national champion UConn trailed early in the second half, but rallied to avoid a major upset. Ryan Boatright had 24 points, eight rebounds and four steals in the 17th-ranked Connecticut Huskies’ 66-53 season-opening win over the Bryant Bulldogs. UConn won its fourth national title last year in the program’s first season back from a postseason ban. The team finished 32-8 overall, which included impressive wins over Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Florida and Kentucky en route to the title. But the Huskies lost guard Shabazz Napier and forward DeAndre Daniels in the offseason. Amida Brimah and Sam Cassell Jr. added 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Huskies (1-0).

Final Score: (18) Michigan State 64, Navy 59

Annapolis, MD (SportsNetwork.com) – Michigan State’s decision to open its season on the road against Navy almost backfired, but the 18th-ranked Spartans held off the Midshipmen and escaped Alumni Hall with a 64-59 win on Friday. The Veterans Classic was competitive throughout despite the Midshipmen being picked by many pundits to finish last in the Patriot League. Travis Trice connected on five 3-pointers en route to a 25-point night for the Spartans (1-0), who are tying to fill the void left by star seniors Gary Harris, Adreian Payne and Keith Appling.

Final Score: (20) Ohio State 92, UMass-Lowell 55

Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – D’Angelo Russell had 16 points and six assists to lead 20th-ranked Ohio State to a 92-55 victory over UMass-Lowell in the season opener for both schools. Sam Thompson and Marc Loving had 14 points apiece and Anthony Lee added 13 for the Buckeyes (1-0), who finished last season with a 25-10 mark.

Final Score: (22) SMU 93, Lamar 54

Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Ben Moore had a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds to power No. 22 SMU to a 93-54 season-opening victory over Lamar on Friday. Yanick Moreira finished with 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks, Cannen Cunningham had 15 points and Keith Frazier finished with 11 points for the Mustangs (1-0), who lost to Minnesota in the NIT championship game after barely missing the NCAA Tournament last season with a 27-10 record, including a 12-6 mark in conference play.

Final Score: (23) Syracuse 89, Kennesaw State 42

Syracuse, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Rakeem Christmas scored 21 points, B.J. Johnson added 19 and No. 23 Syracuse started its season with an easy 89-42 victory over Kennesaw State in the opening game of the 2K Sports Classic. Chris McCullough and Tyler Roberson each recorded double-doubles for Syracuse, while freshman Kaleb Joseph handed out six assists to go with four points and five rebounds in his debut. The Orange (1-0) won their first 25 games last season and climbed to No. 1 in the AP poll. They collapsed in late February and March, however, and were given an early exit in the NCAA Tournament by Dayton.

Final Score: (25) Harvard 73, MIT 52

Cambridge, MA (SportsNetwork.com) – Siyani Chambers and Wesley Saunders both scored 15 points to lead No. 25 Harvard to a 73-52 victory over MIT in the season opener for both teams. Chambers was a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range and Saunders added nine rebounds and six assists for Harvard (1-0), which is the first Ivy League program to begin the season ranked since 1974-75.

Final Score: (25) Utah 90, Ball State 72

Salt Lake City, UT (SportsNetwork.com) – Brandon Taylor scored 19 points and No. 25 Utah pulled away down the stretch for a season-opening 90-72 win over Ball State on Friday night. Jordan Loveridge and Jakob Poeltl added 18 points apiece for the Utes (1-0), who shot better than 61 percent in the second half to turn a five-point game into a blowout.

Categorized in: NCAA Basketball