UNDATED (AP) — No. 2 Ohio State has an uncertain quarterback situation without the injured Julian Sayin as the Buckeyes prepare to visit Southern California in the Big Ten's biggest game of the week. USC is attempting to bounce back from a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin that dropped the Trojans out of the Top 25. Other notable Big Ten matchups have No. 25 Wisconsin heading to Iowa, Minnesota going to No. 4 Indiana and Chip Kelly returning to Oregon as No. 20 Northwestern's offensive coordinator.
UNDATED (AP) — A Kentucky Court of Appeals judge has denied the NCAA's request for emergency relief, allowing 30 college athletes to remain eligible as the basketball season is about to begin. The athletes, including Missouri's Mark Mitchell and LSU's Skyy Clark, received a temporary injunction on October 16. This allows them to compete while the NCAA appeals a ruling related to the new five-for-five eligibility model. Kentucky judge Sara Walter Combs said in her ruling that the NCAA failed to prove imminent harm from the injunction. The ruling also affects football players who will continue to compete for their teams.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea will return for his final year of collegiate eligibility in 2027. His marketing agency announced the deal on social media. Colandrea ranks third in the Big Ten in total offense, averaging 272 total yards a game heading into Saturday’s home contest against Washington. The St. Petersburg, Florida, native spent last season at UNLV after two years at Virginia. Colandrea has completed 62.6% of his passes for 1,570 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. He is second on the team in rushing with 334 yards and four scores.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Malick Kordel transferred from national champion Michigan and helped Minnesota meet its goal of getting bigger this season. The 7-foot-2 Kordel appeared in 14 games for the Wolverines while playing behind three big men who went in the first 12 picks in the NBA draft earlier this year. Kordel started playing handball at age 6 while growing up in Germany and had to find another activity when gym access was cut off during the pandemic. He went outside for basketball instead and found Giannis Antetokounmpo as a natural role model while the Milwaukee Bucks were making their NBA title run.
UNDATED (AP) — The eligibility chaos playing out in lawsuits and courthouses all over the country has reached the basketball season. The first Division I men's and women's basketball games start Sunday. Yet that comes as legal cases tied to eligiblity inch their way through the court system. Many cases are centered on the NCAA's adoption of an age-based model giving athletes a fifth year going forward. Others deal with athletes returning to college after signing with professional teams. The cases have created volatility with players still waiting to be cleared or facing hearings that could change their status abruptly during the season.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins is returning to college basketball after missing last season due to an ACL tear. The star guard, who averaged 25.6 points in her first two seasons for Southern California, joins a talented team aiming for their first national championship since 1984. Watkins will play alongside Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson, who averaged 17.9 points last season. The Trojans open the season Monday in Las Vegas against UNLV. Their schedule includes games against top-ranked South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Duke. Associate head coach Beth Burns says the team is ready to face tough challenges.
UNDATED (AP) — Duke coach Jon Scheyer’s frank message made an impression on John Blackwell when the former Wisconsin guard entered the transfer portal. Blackell said Scheyer didn't sugarcoat things and noted that “we're going to push you every single day.” Blackwell scored 1,505 points in three seasons at Wisconsin to rank 11th on the Badgers’ career scoring list. He averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last season while helping Wisconsin go 24-11. Blackwell heads our list of men's college basketball transfers who should make a major impact this season.
UNDATED (AP) — Once again it was a busy year in the transfer portal with Stanford, Iowa State and Tennessee losing most of their rosters. Their losses were others gains as nearly 1,600 players entered the portal this past year. Audi Crooks, Addy Brown, Liv McGill are three players that will make immediate impacts this season for their new teams.
