Thursday’s college basketball exhibition slate was small, but it still delivered a useful early look at three programs with plenty of attention around them: Duke, LSU and Alabama.
The night’s biggest blowout came in Durham, where Duke rolled past Belmont 102-62 behind a huge showing from Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. The 17-year-old five-star freshman big man finished with a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds, and he was a problem for Belmont inside from start to finish. Dame Sarr also scored 19, while John Blackwell added 17 for the Blue Devils.
Top-5 freshman prospect Cameron Williams was held to just 13 minutes. Coach Jon Scheyer said Williams is working his way back from a flu that has caused him to lose around 15 pounds over the last month.
Belmont, meanwhile, is entering a new era with Evan Bradds in his first season as head coach, and there wasn’t much that went right for the Bruins. Matthew Zobrist was the one bright spot, finishing as Belmont’s only double-digit scorer with 11 points. He averaged just 1.5 points per game as a freshman at Bradley, but this performance suggested a much bigger role could be coming as a sophomore.
LSU found a way to win on the road despite a stripped-down roster, edging McNeese State 63-60 with only seven players available and essentially operating with a five-man rotation. Michigan State transfer Divine Ugochukwu led the Tigers with 18 points, and Michael Ruzic made a strong first impression after being cleared by the NCAA the same day, posting 11 points and 16 rebounds.
LSU was missing several notable players because of eligibility issues: RJ Luis, Skyy Clark, Brice Dessert and Saliou Niang.
McNeese stayed close even while shooting just 35% from the field. Larry Johnson, the returning All-Southland guard, led the Cowboys with 22 points and was their only player in double figures. The game didn’t settle the question of who will emerge as the second scoring option, but McNeese still looked like a Southland favorite.
Alabama had the night’s highest-scoring output, taking down Furman 111-93 even without Aden Holloway, who is serving a five-game suspension. The Crimson Tide still looked sharp offensively, with six players finishing in double figures. Amari Allen led the way with 19 points, while freshmen Tarris Bouie and Qayden Samuels added 18 and 17, respectively.
Cole Cloer, the former top-100 wing from NC State, chipped in 14 points and made his first four three-point attempts.
Furman also had some offense to point to despite losing both of its stars from last season to the SEC. Marcus Kell, who averaged 13.6 points per game at Western Carolina, scored 22 to lead all players, and Abijah Franklin added 21. Franklin, who averaged 4.4 points per game as a freshman for Furman, could be in line to step into the role of Alex Wilkins as the Paladins’ next lead guard.
In Other News...
LSU Could Get Caught In The SECs Next Transfer Fight
Lane Kiffin has already made it clear where he stands on the SECs latest transfer debate, and the LSU coach is not enthusiastic about the idea of making players sit out a year when they move from one league school to another. The proposal under discussion would amount to a year-in-residency mandate, part of the conferences broader self-governance push, and it has quickly become one of the more divisive issues on the table as SEC presidents prepare to meet and talk it through.
For LSU, the stakes go beyond the policy itself. Kiffins public criticism reflects a bigger concern around competitive balance, since a rule like that could make it harder for SEC programs to add familiar transfers while potentially sending players to other conferences instead. The discussion is still in motion, but if the league moves forward, it could reshape how LSU and the rest of the SEC navigate the transfer market. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Finally Broke Through At Kentucky But One Issue Still Looms
LSUs simulated trip to Kentucky turned into a much-needed response, as the Tigers erased a 10-point halftime deficit and came away with a 20-13 win. The defense steadied after the break and kept Kentucky off the board in the second half, while Caden Durham provided the decisive fourth-quarter touchdown to finish off a game that had started with the Tigers on their heels.
Sam Leavitts stat line showed both the promise and the problem. He completed 28 of 39 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown, but the three interceptions kept LSU from making the game feel comfortable for long stretches. The comeback was encouraging, and the result mattered, but the turnover issue still sits there as the main thing to clean up moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Peterson Just Gave LSU Fans Another Reason To Celebrate
LSUs proud defensive tradition got another nod this week when the Southeastern Conference unveiled its 2026 Football Legends Class, and Patrick Peterson was among the names to be honored. For Tiger fans, it is a familiar reminder of how dominant Peterson was in Baton Rouge from 2008 to 2010, when he piled up major awards and finished his college run as one of the most decorated corners in school history.
Petersons LSU rsum still carries plenty of weight because what he became after leaving campus only added to the legend. He went on to a 13-season NFL career and earned multiple Pro Bowl selections, giving the Tigers another marquee figure to celebrate as the SEC prepares to recognize its latest group of greats. [Read more 🡒]