Around the Top 25: College Basketball
The ball has been tipped and the 2022-23 college basketball season is underway.
No.14 TCU survived against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Drew Timme shines as No. 2 Gonzaga blows out North Florida and Marcus Sasser’s return leads No. 3 University of Houston over Northern Colorado.
Let’s dive in as the journey toward March begins.
No. 14 TCU survives against Arkansas-Pine Bluff
24 of the top 25 ranked teams won their opening game by at least ten points. The one team that didn’t is No. 14 TCU.
In a game everyone expected to be a dominating performance by the Horned Frogs, it was closer than anyone could have predicted.
Led by great ball movement and excellent shooting, including 11 three-pointers in the first half, the Golden Lions were up by as much as twenty points at one point before TCU closed the gap to an 11-point halftime deficit.
In the second half, the Horned Frogs came to life. Led by 15 second-half points from Senior forward Emanuel Miller, they stormed back, including a 19-4 run at a point.
Trejon Ware put up a shot from the baseline at the buzzer that could have won it for the Golden Lions, but his attempt rimmed out and TCU managed to avoid the upset with a 73-72 victory.
TCU will look for a less stressful game in a non-conference matchup against Lamar.
Timme Shines in No. 2 Gonzaga's blowout win
Gonzaga’s pursuit for the first national championship in program history got off to a great start on Monday when it defeated North Florida 104-63, extending the home winning streak to 68 games.
The Ospreys kept it close for the first four minutes, even taking a 10-8 lead after Carter Hendricksen hit a three. Then the Bulldogs turned it on.
Gonzaga went on a 26-0 run holding North Florida scoreless for over eight minutes before Hendricksen hit a layup.
All-American Drew Timme was excellent, scoring 22 points while being a menace defensively, creating three steals.
Chattanooga transfer Malachi Smith played 30 minutes in his debut for the Bulldogs dropping 15 points while shooting 70% from the field.
Next up for Gonzaga is the Peraton Armed Forces Classic on Friday, where the Zags will face off against Michigan State.
Marcus Sasser Leads the No. 3 University of Houston over Northern Colorado
After a toe injury prematurely ended Marcus Sasser’s 2021-22 junior season and he entered the draft, it seemed Sasser had played his last game in a Cougars uniform. Then in a surprising twist, Sasser undeclared from the NBA draft and returned for his senior season.
On Monday, his 21-point performance led the Cougars to an 83-36 over the Bears. Sasser shot an astounding 50% from behind the arc and contributed defensively with four steals.
Sasser’s backcourt partner, Jamal Shead, was just as impressive, falling one assist and one point short of a double-double.
The highest-rated recruit in program history, five-star forward Jarace Walker, made his debut for the squad and struggled, shooting 3/14 from the field for eight points, but he dominated on the glass with 12 rebounds.
Next up for the Cougars is the Veterans Classic on Friday, where they will take on Saint Joseph.
Ben Palillo is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email bgp5079@psu.edu.
