ROTHSTEIN 45. TOP 10: 1. Florida 2. Duke 3. Illinois 4. UConn 5. Michigan State 6. Arizona 7. Virginia 8. Texas 9. Kansas 10. Louisville CC: @247Sports, @CBSSportsCBB. bit.ly/4elmpnq

INSIDE COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOW. Preseason All-Americans for the 2026-27 college basketball season. bit.ly/4lmjETP (Apple) bit.ly/443aDt9 (Spotify) bit.ly/3UNPEZu (YouTube)

TODAY'S NOTABLE EXHIBITION GAMES: UCF at Kentucky Memphis at Arkansas UIC at Illinois Presbyterian at Clemson Wheeling at West Virginia Mercyhurst at Louisville

Only 4 days until the 2026-27 college basketball season officially begins…..#countdown

"Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears." - Marcus Aurelius

“The action is the juice.” - Tom Sizemore as Michael Cheritto in Heat, circa 1995

"Every day is a gift." - Art Loveley

"Stay hungry, Stay humble"

GRAB YOUR NITROGLYCERIN PILLS.

Colben Landrew. Buy Stock Now.

UConn/Purdue Observations: 1. The Huskies may have another weapon as a backup center in Stanford transfer Oskar Giltay (12 points, 4 rebounds). 2. Nik Khamenia has made a seamless transition to PF. 3. Purdue's interior offense looks non-existent.

Surgical performance by UConn against Purdue. Huskies' bench tallied 29 points. Dan Hurley's squad has played in mid-February form during three October exhibitions. Boilers have a long ways to go before Monday's opener against Gonzaga.

Eian Elmer. Glue Guy.

This is ONLY October.

Oklahoma State’s Jordan Burks (undisclosed) and Luka Bogavac (undisclosed) are both warming up for tonight’s exhibition game at Wisconsin and are considered game-time decisions, per a school spokesman. Both DNP in the Cowboys’ last exhibition game.

Jai Lucas tells me that Miami plans to use Shelton Henderson more on the ball in spurts this season. The 6-6 sophomore averaged 16.5 PPG, 7 RPG, and 4 APG in two NCAA Tournament games last March. The Canes open the 2026-27 season on Monday against Florida in Tampa.

Jake Diebler tells me that this is the deepest team that he's had thus far at Ohio State and the Buckeyes could start the season with a 10-man rotation. Diebler also said 6-9 F Lee Aaliya is a name to monitor in Columbus.

The NCAA has selected the following seven cities as finalists to host the Men's Final Four from 2032-36, per release. Denver Houston Indianapolis Kansas City Las Vegas Nashville New Orleans

Ben McCollum tells me that Isaia Howard has been Iowa's most improved player since the end of last season and that the Hawkeyes are looking at three options --- Howard, Kael Combs, and Ty'Reek Coleman --- at PG post-Bennett Stirtz.

Brad Brownell tells me that Clemson is preparing for the 2026-27 season with the thought that Carter Welling (knee) will be OUT for all of non-conference play. The 6-11 Welling averaged 10.2 PPG and 5.4 RPG last season and suffered a torn ACL on March 11th in the ACC Tournament.