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No. 2 Houston enters Thursday’s matchup against Rider riding a 4-0 start, but the Cougars are coming off their first real test of the season—a 73-72 win over then-ranked Auburn that required late defensive execution. For a team often defined by structure, physicality and depth, Houston’s narrow escape highlighted both its evolving identity and the impact of two breakout freshmen: Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. Flemings continues to outperform all preseason expectations. The freshman point guard scored a career-best 22 points in the Auburn win while adding seven assists and five rebounds. He enters this matchup averaging 17.3 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting an extraordinary 69.2 percent from the floor (27-of-39). For a player only months

No. 20 Tennessee returns home on Thursday night to host in-state foe Tennessee State, but the Volunteers enter shorthanded as they continue navigating key injuries early in their season. Tennessee’s 4-0 start remains intact, yet the roster is now down to nine scholarship players following the knee injury suffered by J.P. Estrella in Monday’s 91-66 win over Rice. Estrella, Tennessee’s top bench scorer at 14 points per game on 69.2 percent shooting, will be out two to three weeks with a bone bruise. His absence, combined with the multi-week loss of guard Cameron Carr due to a thumb injury, leaves the Volunteers thin but still highly capable. The Volunteers compensated impressively against Rice with a strong interior performance from Felix

Texas Tech enters the Baha Mar Championship in search of sustained rhythm after a productive early stretch that included four games in eleven days. The 15th-ranked Red Raiders sit at 3-1, their lone loss coming against Illinois, a contest that revealed both their offensive ceiling and defensive vulnerabilities. They now face a Wake Forest squad with a similar trajectory: three home wins surrounding a single setback, and an aggressive, high-tempo style that contrasts sharply with Texas Tech’s structured attack. The Red Raiders rebounded from their Illinois loss with a convincing performance against Milwaukee, fueled by improved shot-selection, early-ball movement, and decisive three-point execution. Grant McCasland emphasized the importance of the Bahamas trip, citing the competitive field and the value of

The Indiana Hoosiers (4-0) will look to build on a solid start to the season when they host the Lindenwood Lions (2-3) on Thursday evening in Bloomington. Indiana has begun the campaign with wins but has also flagged a few issues they want to correct, particularly on offense and defensive consistency. The Lions, meanwhile, are still in search of consistency and squad identity as they navigate a non-conference stretch. Indiana most recently eked out a 69-61 home victory over Incarnate Word despite poor shooting from the field (30 of 53), dismal three-point efficiency (5 of 24) and shaky free-throw execution (18 of 26). Indiana forward Tucker DeVries described it as a learning moment: “I think at the end of the