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Monday’s Top 25 slate featured unbeaten teams staying hot, huge offensive outputs, and a few closer-than-expected finishes. No. 1 Arizona continued its flawless start, Purdue lit up Kent State behind a perfect shooting night from Jack Benter, and Alabama set a new season high for 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Houston leaned on defense to hold off Middle Tennessee and extend its winning streak. With most teams finishing up nonconference play, sharp bettors should be tracking tempo shifts, injury updates, and depth rotations as conference matchups begin.
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Philadelphia 76ers
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San Antonio Spurs
Open
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Mar 03, 2026 20:10 EST
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+5.50 -106
Spread
-5.50 -114
o+231.50-110
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+188
Moneyline
-227
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Top Takeaways
- Arizona finishes nonconference perfect: The Wildcats moved to 13-0 with three players posting double-doubles. They open Big 12 play Saturday at Utah.
- Houston forces mistakes to survive scare: The Cougars were +24 in points off turnovers to escape Middle Tennessee despite a cold shooting night.
- Purdue’s bench explodes: Jack Benter went 6-for-6 from deep to lead a 101-point outburst in West Lafayette.
- Alabama sets season-high in 3-pointers: The Tide drilled 22 threes and had eight players hit at least one from deep.
- Michigan State rallies late: After trailing by 11 in the first half, the Spartans dropped 66 second-half points to roll past Cornell.
- Arkansas, Illinois, Florida all handle business: All three covered and finished nonconference play strong.
Full Game Recaps
Monday’s college hoops slate gave bettors a final look at how ranked teams are shaping up ahead of conference play. Arizona and Michigan kept things businesslike with wire-to-wire blowouts. Purdue and Alabama caught fire from deep. Houston and Michigan State had to grind for theirs. Whether it was turnover gaps, bench production, or three-point variance, every game had something for bettors to note. Here’s what mattered.
No. 8 Houston 69, Middle Tennessee 60
Kingston Flemings scored 15 points and dished five assists as Houston won its sixth straight but had to grind to get there. JoJo Tugler added 13 points, and the Cougars forced 19 turnovers, converting them into 30 points.
Middle Tennessee cut the lead to one in the second half, but Houston’s pressure held. Kamari Lands led the Blue Raiders with 18 points and four threes.
No. 1 Arizona 99, South Dakota State 71
Koa Peat (19 pts, 14 rebs), Motiejus Krivas (13 pts, 11 rebs, 6 blocks), and Jaden Bradley (13 pts, 10 asts) all posted double-doubles as Arizona rolled. The Wildcats improved to 13-0, their best start since the 2013–14 season.
Kalen Garry led the Jackrabbits with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, but SDSU’s three-game losing streak continued. Arizona opens Big 12 play Saturday.
No. 2 Michigan 112, McNeese 71
Morez Johnson Jr. matched a career-high with 24 points and pulled down 11 boards. Yaxel Lendeborg added 16, and Michigan shot over 60% from the field in a rout.
McNeese got 15 from Garwey Dual, but trailed by 27 at half. The Wolverines moved to 12-0 with the win.
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No. 3 Iowa State 89, Houston Christian 61
Joshua Jefferson led Iowa State with 23 points, eight rebounds, and five assists as the Cyclones stayed unbeaten. Blake Buchanan added 16 and 11 boards, and ISU moved to 13-0 for just the second time ever.
Demari Williams had 19 for Houston Christian, which has now dropped four straight.
No. 5 Purdue 101, Kent State 60
Jack Benter shot a perfect 6-for-6 from deep and scored 20 off the bench as Purdue cruised. Fletcher Loyer added 19, and Trey Kaufman-Renn had a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Kent State struggled from deep and never led. Purdue is now 12-1 and continues to flex elite depth.
No. 9 Michigan State 114, Cornell 97
Jeremy Fears Jr. put up a career-high 21 points and dished 11 assists to lead a second-half surge. Coen Carr added 19 and the Spartans dropped 66 points after halftime to erase an 11-point deficit.
Cornell’s Cooper Noard had 19, but the Big Red faded late. Michigan State improves to 12-1.
No. 11 Vanderbilt 96, New Haven 53
Tyler Tanner scored 23 and Jalen Washington added a career-high 21 as Vanderbilt rolled despite missing multiple key players. Frankie Collins remained out and Duke Miles sat due to illness.
New Haven managed just two 3-pointers and shot under 40% overall. Vanderbilt ends nonconference play at 13-0.
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No. 14 Alabama 102, Yale 78
Aden Holloway led with 26 points and hit 5-of-10 from three as Alabama sank a season-high 22 triples. Eight players hit at least one, and the Crimson Tide won their seventh in eight games.
Nick Townsend paced Yale with 18 points, but the Bulldogs couldn’t keep up with Bama’s spacing and pace.
No. 18 Arkansas 103, James Madison 74
Meleek Thomas hit six threes and dropped a career-high 28 points. Darius Acuff Jr. added 17 and D.J. Wagner had 14 in an explosive Razorbacks effort.
Bradley Douglas led James Madison with 19, but the Dukes couldn’t slow Arkansas, who completed a perfect home nonconference slate.
No. 20 Illinois 90, Southern 55
Jake Davis scored 15 and Keaton Wagler posted a 10-assist double-double as Illinois rolled. Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic both reached double figures in a well-rounded showing.
Southern’s fifth straight loss came with 23 turnovers and just 40% shooting. Illinois never trailed.
No. 22 Florida 94, Dartmouth 72
Alex Condon had 17 points and nine rebounds, and the Gators closed nonconference play with their fourth straight win. Rueben Chinyelu posted a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Dartmouth trailed by double digits early and never recovered. Kareem Thomas and Jackson Munro had 15 apiece in the loss.
No. 23 Georgia 89, Long Island 74
“Smurf” Millender led Georgia off the bench with 14 points and six assists. The Bulldogs outscored LIU 48-30 in the second half to erase an 11-point deficit.
Greg Gordon scored 20 and Jamal Fuller added 18 for Long Island, but Georgia’s depth wore them down.
No. 25 Iowa 90, UMass Lowell 62
Bennett Stirtz scored 22 with eight assists, and Iowa shot 58% from the floor in a wire-to-wire win. Cam Manyawu and Alvaro Folgueiras chipped in 14 each.
Angel Montas Jr. had 23 on 10-of-12 shooting for Lowell, but his team was outscored by 17 in the second half.
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