Wednesday night’s exhibition slate gave college hoops fans a little bit of everything: a dominant defensive showing in New York, a grind-it-out road win for Florida State, a narrow LSU victory despite a razor-thin rotation, and a strong individual effort in a losing cause for Northern Kentucky.
Northern Kentucky fell 83-79 to UT-Martin, and while the game didn’t come with a full stat sheet or a TV broadcast, one performance still stood out. Eric Acker, the La Salle transfer, poured in 24 points for the Norse. After Northern Kentucky lost a lot of talent this offseason, Acker’s emergence as a lead guard would be a major lift for its Horizon League outlook.
At St. John’s, the Storm looked sharp in an 81-52 win over Drexel, with several newly eligible players making their presence felt.
Babacar Sane paced the group with 17 points and eight rebounds, and he knocked down 3 of 4 shots from beyond the arc. Quinn Ellis didn’t score a field goal, but the point guard still found ways to contribute with six rebounds and assists.
The defensive end told the bigger story, though: Drexel shot below 26% from the floor and finished 3-for-24 from three.
Florida State had to work harder for its 82-71 win at Auburn, but the Seminoles found a way even while hitting just 33% of their shots. The difference was at the line, where FSU buried 34 free throws.
Freshman center Marcis Ponder turned in the night’s most eye-catching stat line with 13 points and 21 rebounds, including 15 boards in the first half alone. Kameron Taylor, the North Carolina A&T transfer, also looked every bit the part, leading Florida State with 19 points.
Auburn’s second-half collapse helped swing that one. The Tigers gave up 50 points after halftime, and on offense Kevin Overton and Tahaad Pettiford combined for 30 points but needed 33 shots to get there. South Alabama transfer Adam Olsen was one of the few positives for Auburn, scoring 11 points and drilling three three-pointers off the bench.
LSU closed the night with an 85-81 win over UCF, and the Tigers did it while using just six players in what was essentially a five-man rotation. Donovan Dent came close to a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists.
Abdi Bashir Jr. answered a rough outing against McNeese State with a team-high 26 points and made 6 of 12 threes. Michael Ruzic kept working inside and finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
In Other News...
UCF Showed Promise But One Late Issue Still Looks Costly
UCF got a useful early test Monday night in Baton Rouge, pushing LSU deep into the closing moments before falling 85-81 in an exhibition game at Maravich Assembly Center. Dior Johnson led the Knights with 18 points, and the effort suggested there is real scoring punch in the group as it settles in ahead of the season.
Still, the final minute showed how thin the margin can be against a team with LSUs shot-making. The Tigers leaned on Abdi Bashirs 26 points and got just enough down the stretch to escape, leaving UCF with encouraging signs to build on and one late-game problem that could linger if it shows up again when the games count. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Showed Enough At LSU To Spark One Big Debate
UCF left Baton Rouge with an 85-81 exhibition loss to LSU, but the result did not feel like the whole story. The Knights spent much of the night trading punches in a game with multiple lead changes, and several players turned in strong showings that gave the staff plenty to sort through before the games start counting.
Dior Johnson was at the center of it, leading UCF with 18 points in a performance that hinted at how dangerous this group can look when it finds a rhythm. The Knights still have one more preseason test at Kentucky on Oct. 28 before opening the regular season Nov. 2 against Florida Gulf Coast, and the bigger question now is how much of what they showed in an exhibition setting can carry over once the calendar flips. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys New-Look Roster Gets An Early Test Arizona Fans Should Watch
Kentuckys revamped roster is about to get a useful early reading before the games start to count. The Wildcats will work through three exhibition games at Rupp Arena, giving the staff a chance to see how the pieces fit against Little Rock and Texas Tech before the tune-up most relevant to UCF, a team that can use the matchup to gauge where it stands against high-major talent.
For Central Florida, the trip serves as a clean measuring stick in the final week of October, with a chance to face a Kentucky group still sorting out roles and rhythm. Fans looking to keep tabs on the Knights last exhibition before the regular season will be able to follow along on SEC Network, with the Wildcats then turning quickly to their opener Nov. 3 against Manhattan at Rupp Arena. [Read more 🡒]