Virginia starred in the ultimate redemption story last season, rolling to a national championship a year after being the first top seed to get knocked off by a No. 16.

Seven long months later, college basketball is finally back.

The 2019-20 season charges out of the starting blocks with a blueblood doubleheader this week and a nonconference slate full of must-see games.

To get you ready, we’ve got a rundown of the top teams, players and early-season matchups in what figures to be another wild ride.

TOP TEAMS

Michigan State. Even with shooting guard Joshua Langford’s foot injury, the Spartans are loaded and aiming for another Final Four run under Tom Izzo.

Kentucky. Coach Cal has another top-10 recruiting class and some veterans to go with the newcomers. Another deep March run could be coming.

Kansas. The Jayhawks were charged with major NCAA violations before the season started. If they’re allowed to play in the NCAA Tournament, they could charge through bracket with what may be coach Bill Self’s deepest roster since the 2008 title team.

Duke. Zion, R.J. and Cam are gone, but the Blue Devils may be deeper and more balanced. They also have Tre Jones back.

Louisville. The Cardinals could go from scandal to title in two short years under Chris Mack. They’re that good.

Maryland. Deep, talented, mature. These Terps are built for a deep March run.

TOP PLAYERS

Cassius Winston, Michigan State. Usually isn’t the tallest or most athletic player on the floor. Almost always the best player on the floor.

Markus Howard, Marquette. Lit up defenses with a variety of stepback 3s and crafty drives as a junior. Expect even more now that he decided to come back.

Jordan Nwora, Louisville. Scores in bunches, knocks down 3s, backs down smaller players in the paint, rebounds, snatches steals. Yeah, the 6-foot-8 junior can do it all.

Myles Powell, Seton Hall. Emerged as a star last season. Figure on the trajectory continuing upward.

James Wiseman, Memphis. The 7-1 freshman has been projected as the No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA draft. Until then, expect him to dominate college hoops.

Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida. The grad transfer from Virginia Tech was a huge get for the Gators.

MID-MAJOR MONSTERS

Utah State. Coach Craig Smith has quickly built a juggernaut in Logan. Keep an eye on volume-scoring guard Sam Merrill.

Saint Mary’s. Randy Bennett has nearly everyone back from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, led by high-scoring guard Jordan Ford.

Virginia Commonwealth. Like lockdown defense? The Rams are for you.

Davidson. Jon Axel Gudmundsson and Kellan Grady are going to make the Wildcats fun to watch, possibly create a buzz not seen near Charlotte since Steph Curry tore through the NCAA Tournament.

Vermont. Dominating Anthony Lamb could lead the Catamounts deep into the NCAA bracket.

FABULOUS FRESHMEN

Cole Anthony, North Carolina. The son of former NBA player Greg Anthony will slide right into Coby White’s point guard spot — and possibly do it better.

Vernon Carey Jr., Duke. Another son of a professional athlete — his father was an NFL offensive lineman — the 6-10, 275-pound Carey is an intimidating presence inside.

Nico Mannion, Arizona. The heady pass-first point guard will be a big reason if the Wildcats get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing out last year.

Isaiah Stewart, Washington. Broad shouldered, can fly and will bully opponents in the paint.

Anthony Edwards, Georgia. Superbly athletic, can shoot off the dribble, get to the rim, drain stepbacks.

MUST-SEE NONCONFERENCE GAMES

Michigan State vs. Kentucky, Nov. 5, New York. No. 1 against No. 2 in Madison Square Garden? Yes, please.

Kansas vs. Duke, Nov. 5, New York. No. 3 vs. No. 4 at the Garden will make for one hard-to-top doubleheader.

No. 8 Gonzaga at No. 21 Arizona, Dec. 14. McKale Center is going to be rockin’ when two of the West’s best teams meet.

No. 4 Duke at No. 1 Michigan State, Dec. 3. Blueblood showdown, Izzo vs. Coach K, talent bursting at the seams. Going to be a fun night in East Lansing.

No. 17 Utah State at No. 20 Saint Mary’s, Nov. 29. Marquee game of the mid-major schedules.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chiefs rewind after 26-23 win over the Vikings on Sunday.

 

ATLANTA – Kansas senior Udoka Azubuike and sophomore Devon Dotson have been named to the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Basketball Player of the Year players to watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday.

A total of 50 student-athletes comprise the players to watch list.

Azubuike and Dotson have received numerous preseason honors heading into the 2019-20 season. On Oct. 22, the Associated Press listed the KU duo as receiving votes when it announced its preseason All-America men’s basketball team. A total of 21 players were recognized in the preseason announcement, voted on by a 65-member media panel. Kansas was the only school with two players listed.

On Oct. 16, Azubuike was named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and Preseason All-Big 12 by the conference coaches. He was also named one of 20 on the Kareen Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year watch list. Dotson joined Azubuike on the five-member Preseason All-Big 12 team and was one of 20 on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year watch list.

Azubuike played in nine games in 2018-19 before an injury sidelined him for the season. The 7-foot-0, 270-pound center from Delta, Nigeria, averaged 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 70.5 percent from the field last season. As a sophomore in leading Kansas to the 2018 Final Four, Azubuike led the nation with a 77.0 field goal percentage, which ranks second-best for a season in NCAA history and set the KU and Big 12 single-season records. He averaged 13.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while being named an All-Big 12 Third Team selection. Azubuike is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection.

As a freshman, Dotson (6-foot-2, 185) started every game for Kansas in 2018-19 and ranked 12th in the Big 12 in scoring at 12.3 points per game. The Charlotte, N.C., guard was a member of the 2019 All-Big 12 Third Team and the league’s all-freshman team. Dotson also ranked sixth in the conference in assists (3.5), 11th in field goal percentage (48.2), tied for ninth in steals (1.4) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6). He averaged 15.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in leading KU to the Big 12 Tournament title game and was named to the event’s all-tournament team.

2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watch List

NAME/POS./SCHOOL (listed alphabetical)
Bryce Aiken, F, Harvard
Cole Anthony, G, North Carolina
Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas
Kamar Baldwin, G, Butler
Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky
Kerry Blackshear Jr., F, Florida
Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
Yoeli Childs, F, BYU
Tristan Clark, F, Baylor
Anthony Cowan Jr., G, Maryland
Jarron Cumberland, G, Cincinnati
Mamadi Diakite, F, Virginia
Alpha Diallo, G, Providence
Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois
Devon Dotson, G, Kansas
Anthony Edwards, G, Georgia
Jordan Ford, G, St. Mary’s
Kellan Grady, G, Davidson
Jon Axel Gudmundsson, G, Davidson
Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky
Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
Markus Howard, G, Marquette
Markell Johnson, G, NC State
Tre Jones, G, Duke
Anthony Lamb, F, Vermont
Kira Lewis Jr., G, Alabama
Nico Mannion, G, Arizona
Naji Marshall, F, Xavier
Tyrese Maxey, G, Kentucky
Skylar Mays, G, LSU
Sam Merrill, G, Utah State
John Mooney, F, Notre Dame
Andrew Nembhard, G, Florida
Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville
Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State
Myles Powell, G, Seton Hall
Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon
Zavier Simpson, G, Michigan
Jalen Smith, F, Maryland
Lamar Stevens, F, Penn State
Isaiah Stewart, F, Washington
Killian Tillie, F, Gonzaga
Xavier Tillman, F, Michigan State
Tres Tinkle, F, Oregon State
Obi Toppin, F, Dayton
Breein Tyree, G, Ole Miss
Kaleb Wesson, F, Ohio State
Cassius Winston, G, Michigan State
James Wiseman, C, Memphis
McKinley Wright IV, G, Colorado

—kuathletics.com—

Friday Morning Sports Report from KWBW Radio

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker matched a career long with a 54-yard field goal to tie the game in the fourth quarter, then drilled a 44-yarder as time expired to give the Chiefs a heart-stopping 26-23 victory over the Vikings on Sunday. The first person to greet Butker in celebration was Patrick Mahomes, who missed his second straight game with a knee injury. Matt Moore started in his place and threw for 275 yards and a score.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — After knocking off then-No. 5 Oklahoma in a game far more lopsided than the 48-41 final score, Kansas State romped to a 38-10 victory over rival Kansas on Saturday. And that score also was not indicative of the way the Wildcats manhandled their neighbors just down Interstate 70. It served notice to the Big 12, and perhaps the nation, that new coach Chris Klieman’s team is on the rise.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have declined their half of Alex Gordon’s $23 million mutual option for 2020, allowing the outfielder to become a free agent. Gordon had exercised his part of the option. He will receive a $4 million buyout, completing a $72 million, four-year contract. A three-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner, Gordon helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series for their first title since 1985. He batted .266 this year with 13 homers and 76 RBIs for the rebuilding Royals.

UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard turned in his fourth 200-yard rushing performance of the season, and it came against an unlikely opponent. Hubbard carried 20 times for 223 yards and became the first player to go for 200 against TCU since Gary Patterson took over as head coach in 2000. His 178.2 yards per game put him on pace to run for 2,317 in 13 games, assuming the Cowboys don’t play in the Big 12 championship game. That would be the highest total by a player since 2014.

National Headlines

BALTIMORE (AP) _ Lamar Jackson ran for 61 yards and two touchdowns and was 17 of 23 passing for 163 yards and a score as the Baltimore Ravens handed New England its first loss of the season, 37-20. Baltimore built a 17-0 lead, but the Pats drew within 23-20 before Jackson threw a five-yard TD pass to Nick Boyle just six seconds into the fourth quarter and scored on a one-yard keeper to ice the victory. The NFL’s leading rushing attack amassed 210 yards on the ground, led by 115 yards from Mark Ingram.

CARSON, Calif. (AP) _ Melvin Gordon scored two touchdowns, Michael Badgley kicked four field goals and the Los Angeles Chargers ended the Green Bay Packers’ four-game winning streak, 26-11. Gordon finished with 80 yards and Austin Ekeler added 70 as the Chargers rushed for a season-high 159 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry under new offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. Aaron Rodgers was 23 of 35 for just 161 yards and a late TD for the 7-2 Packers.

SEATTLE (AP) _ Russell Wilson’s fifth touchdown pass of the afternoon sealed the Seattle Seahawks’ 40-34 triumph against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime. Wilson hit Jacob Hollister on a 10-yard touchdown on the opening possession of OT to tie his career high for TD throws in a game and finish 29 of 43 for 378 yards. Jameis Winston engineered a scoring drive in the final minute of regulation and passed for 335 yards and two touchdowns before Tampa Bay dropped to 2-6. Seattle is 7-2.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) _ The Buffalo Bills are off to their best start since 1993 at 6-2 following a 24-9 win over the Washington Redskins. Rookie Devin Singletary had 95 yards rushing and a 2-yard touchdown to help Buffalo spoil Dwayne Haskins’ first NFL start. Josh Allen threw for a touchdown, ran for another and was 14 of 20 for 160 yards through the air as the Bills dropped the Redskins to 1-8.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State has fired Willie Taggart, one day after the Seminoles lost to Miami and fell closer to missing a bowl game for the second consecutive season. Taggart was 9-12 in parts of two seasons at Florida State. The school says Odell Haggins has been asked to take over as interim coach.

UNDATED (AP) — Navy has moved into The Associated Press college football poll at No. 25 to give the American Athletic Conference four ranked teams. That’s more than all but the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference. With nine ranked teams off this weekend, there was little movement throughout the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank. Georgia jumped two spots to No. 6 after beating Florida in the biggest game. LSU is No. 1 for a second consecutive week and Alabama is No. 2.

Sunday Scores

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Houston 26 Jacksonville 3
Final Philadelphia 22 Chicago 14
Final Kansas City 26 Minnesota 23
Final Buffalo 24 Washington 9
Final Pittsburgh 26 Indianapolis 24
Final Miami 26 N-Y Jets 18
Final Carolina 30 Tennessee 20
Final OT Seattle 40 Tampa Bay 34
Final Oakland 31 Detroit 24
Final Denver 24 Cleveland 19
Final L.A. Chargers 26 Green Bay 11
Final Baltimore 37 New England 20
Mon N-Y Giants 7:15 p.m. (CST)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Indiana 108 Chicago 95
Final Miami 129 Houston 100
Final Sacramento 113 New York 92
Final L.A. Lakers 103 San Antonio 96
Final Dallas 131 Cleveland 111
Final L.A. Clippers 105 Utah 94

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 2, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

Record Pts Pv
1. LSU (17) 8-0 1479 1
2. Alabama (21) 8-0 1472 2
3. Ohio St. (17) 8-0 1467 3
4. Clemson (7) 9-0 1406 4
5. Penn St. 8-0 1306 5
6. Georgia 7-1 1196 8
7. Oregon 8-1 1180 7
8. Utah 8-1 1090 9
9. Oklahoma 7-1 1045 10
10. Florida 7-2 938 6
11. Baylor 8-0 909 12
12. Auburn 7-2 901 11
13. Minnesota 8-0 831 13
14. Michigan 7-2 780 14
15. Notre Dame 6-2 571 16
16. Wisconsin 6-2 558 18
17. Cincinnati 7-1 527 17
18. Iowa 6-2 491 19
19. Memphis 8-1 448 24
20. Kansas St. 6-2 364 22
21. Boise St. 7-1 310 21
22. Wake Forest 7-1 296 23
23. SMU 8-1 250 15
24. San Diego St. 7-1 87 25
25. Navy 7-1 83 NR

Others receiving votes: UCF 52, Texas 37, Indiana 27, Texas A&M 19, Oklahoma St. 11, Louisiana Tech 7, Appalachian St. 5, Washington 2, Pittsburgh 2, North Dakota St. 1, Iowa St. 1, Virginia 1.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker matched a career long with a 54-yard field goal to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, then drilled a 44-yarder as time expired to give the Kansas City Chiefs a thrilling 26-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The first person to greet Butker in celebration? Patrick Mahomes, the reigning league MVP, who missed his second consecutive game as he recovers from a dislocated kneecap.

Mahomes looked just fine rushing onto the field to party.

Matt Moore started in his place and threw for 275 yards and a touchdown without a pick, and he made the crucial plays when they mattered. Moore hit favorite target Tyreek Hill to convert a crucial third down and set up the tying field goal, then hit him again to make the winner more manageable.

Hill finished with six catches for 140 yards for the Chiefs (6-3), including a spectacular TD grab, while Damien Williams ran for 125 yards — most of it on a 91-yard touchdown run.

Kirk Cousins threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns for the Vikings (6-3), though he struggled to deal with the Chiefs’ blitzes late in the game. Dalvin Cook was held to 71 yards rushing while top wide receiver Stefon Diggs had a single catch for four yards.

The win also snapped the Chiefs’ three-game skid at Arrowhead Stadium.

They largely controlled the first half, building a 10-7 lead with the ball in the closing minutes. But they proceeded to go three-and-out, the Vikings marched downfield for a tying field goal, then got the ball back when Mecole Hardman fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half .

Suddenly, it was the Vikings who had taken control.

They needed just five plays to punch it into the end zone, despite a holding penalty setting them back. Amir Abdullah finished it with a 17-yard catch in which nobody was within 10 yards of him.

Hardman hurt the Chiefs again by failing to call a fair catch on a punt downed at their 3. But that flub was rendered irrelevant when Williams took a handoff, found a gaping hole on the left side of the line and made the only safety in front of him miss on a 91-yard touchdown run .

Minnesota answered in the seesaw affair.

Leaning heavily on Cook, the league’s leading rusher, the Vikings marched 75 yards without facing third down until the final play. That’s when Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph from 3 yards out for the score, taking advantage of a Kansas City defense with just 10 players on the field.

After trading punts, the Chiefs put together another drive. Moore hit Hill to convert a key third down, and Butker matched his career long with a 54-yard field goal with 2:30 to go.

It was a monumental kick — and he had another coming a couple minutes later.

MR. JONES

Chiefs DT Chris Jones, back after missing three games to a groin injury, wreaked havoc at the line of scrimmage. He was instrumental in holding Cook in check, harassed Cousins all game and forced an incompletion that led to the Vikings’ final punt of regulation.

INJURIES

Vikings: WR Adam Thielen left late in the first quarter after aggravating a hamstring injury that first occurred against Detroit and kept him out last week against Washington.

Chiefs: Along with Mahomes, the Chiefs were missing starting LT Eric Fisher (groin), RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (ankle), CB Kendall Fuller (thumb) and DEs Frank Clark (neck) and Alex Okafor (ankle).

UP NEXT

Minnesota visits the Cowboys next Sunday night.

Kansas City visits the Titans next Sunday.

Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Oklahoma City 115 New Orleans 104
Final Detroit 113 Brooklyn 109
Final Denver 91 Orlando 87
Final Phoenix 114 Memphis 105
Final Milwaukee 115 Toronto 105
Final Minnesota 131 Washington 109
Final Charlotte 93 Golden State 87
Final Philadelphia 129 Portland 128
___

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final OT Edmonton 2 Pittsburgh 1
Final N-Y Rangers 2 Nashville 1
Final Boston 5 Ottawa 2
Final N-Y Islanders 1 Buffalo 0
Final New Jersey 5 Carolina 3
Final Calgary 3 Columbus 0
Final Dallas 4 Montreal 1
Final Florida 4 Detroit 0
Final SO Toronto 4 Philadelphia 3
Final OT St. Louis 4 Minnesota 3
Final Arizona 3 Colorado 0
Final Vancouver 5 San Jose 2
Final OT Winnipeg 4 Vegas 3
Final OT Los Angeles 4 Chicago 3
___

TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (23)Wake Forest 44 NC State 10
Final (14)Michigan 38 Maryland 7
Final (16)Notre Dame 21 Virginia Tech 20
Final (22)Kansas St. 38 Kansas 10
Final (8)Georgia 24 (6)Florida 17
Final (4)Clemson 59 Wofford 14
Final (9)Utah 33 Washington 28
Final (17)Cincinnati 46 East Carolina 43
Final (11)Auburn 20 Mississippi 14
Final (24)Memphis 54 (15)SMU 48
Final (7)Oregon 56 Southern Cal 24
Final (21)Boise St. 52 San Jose St. 42

TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE

___

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Chicago at Indiana 5 p.m.
Houston at Miami 6 p.m.
Sacramento at New York 6 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at San Antonio 7 p.m.
Dallas at Cleveland 7:30 p.m.
Utah at L.A. Clippers 9 p.m.
___

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Calgary at Washington 7 p.m.
Chicago at Anaheim 8 p.m.
___

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Houston at Jacksonville 9:30 a.m.
Chicago at Philadelphia 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Kansas City 1 p.m.
Washington at Buffalo 1 p.m.
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh 1 p.m.
N-Y Jets at Miami 1 p.m.
Tennessee at Carolina 1 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Seattle 4:05 p.m.
Detroit at Oakland 4:05 p.m.
Cleveland at Denver 4:25 p.m.
Green Bay at L.A. Chargers 4:25 p.m.
New England at Baltimore 8:20 p.m.

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

Sophomore Abby Ogle reached the 20-point plateau for the first time in her career to lead the No. 9-ranked Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team to its 19th-consecutive season-opening victory on Saturday Night at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons held the Washburn University Junior Varsity to 17.3 percent shooting in a 65-34 victory over the Ichabods.

The Dragons haven’t lost on opening day since 2000 and move to 2-0 all-time against the Washburn JV. Hutchinson is 38-8 all-time in season openers.

Ogle scored a career-high 21 points on 9 of 18 shooting to lead the Blue Dragons. Ogle added five rebounds, five assists and five steals to her overall performance. She reached 100 steals for her career, playing in her 38th career game.

Defensively, the Blue Dragons dominated Washburn, holding the Ichabods to just one point in the first quarter. Washburn didn’t hit its first field goal until the 8:21 mark in the second quarter on a Daphne Williams 3-pointer.

Overall, Washburn was 9 of 52 shooting overall, hitting 4 of 22 from 3-point range. The Ichabods committed 27 turnovers.

The Blue Dragon offense started a bit slowly, making 5 of 17 shots in the opening quarter. The Dragons shot 47,6 percent the rest of the way. Hutchinson led 11-1 after one quarter and 25-12 at halftime, but broke the game open with a 23-9 third quarter as Hutch shot 60 percent (9 of 15) in the period.

Sophomore Makayla Vannett hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. Sophomore Lauryn Mapusua tied a career-high two 3-pointers to finish with nine points. Gelicia Cooper had six points.

Hutchinson shot 42.4 percent (25 of 59), going 5 of 24 from 3-point distance and 10 of 17 from the foul line. The Dragons out-rebounded 45-29. Sophomore Brooklyn Bethem had 13 rebounds in her Blue Dragon debut.

The Blue Dragons had 16 steals, in addition to Ogle, Sasha Francis had four and Vannett had three steals.

Hutchinson will play host to Western Nebraska and NEO in the Blue Dragon Classic next Friday and Saturday in the Sports Arena.