What’s up hoop fans, and welcome to another Full Timeout. 2025 was a good year, and I’m hoping 2026 is even better. As far as hoops go, college basketball has entered conference play, and with the NBA trade deadline approaching, teams are starting to lock in their rosters and gear up for championship runs.

Christmas Day hoops lived up to the hype — and the Spurs apparently have the Oklahoma City Thunder’s number. San Antonio has beaten OKC three times this season, and they might’ve done something mentally. Over their last 12 games, the Thunder are just 6–6 and have now dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season, losing to the Suns (108–105) and getting blown out by the Hornets (124–97).

Meme of the Week → Tennessee fans… I tried to warn you. This clip of Darius Acuff pretty much sums up what Nate Ament and the Vols are dealing with right now:

Trae Young Requests a Trade → The Hawks have started 0–6 since Trae returned from injury, and it appears Atlanta is ready to move in a new direction. With Jalen Johnson emerging as a cornerstone, the franchise may be handing him the keys and preparing for a major shakeup in the East.

Nuggets Beat 76ers Without Their Entire Starting Five → Denver went into Philly short-handed — no starters, no excuses — and still walked out with a road win (125-124). One of the most impressive victories of the NBA season so far and a reminder of how well-coached and resilient this Nuggets team really is.

Virginia Tech Stuns #21 Virginia in Triple Overtime → ACC Conference play delivered immediate action as the Hokies handed Virginia just their second loss of the season (95-85) in a triple-OT thriller. Rivalry game, home crowd, season-defining energy — Virginia Tech is really back!

College Chaos Weekend → Saturday brought full-blown madness across college hoops. SMU stunned #12 North Carolina 97–83 at home behind a monster performance from Boopie Miller (27 points, 12 assists), putting the Mustangs firmly on the national radar. UCF followed with a gritty home win over #17 Kansas as the Jayhawks continue to find their footing, while Missouri added to Florida’s early-season concerns by upsetting the #22 Gators — with backcourt inconsistency starting to become a real storyline.

From Pros to College: James Naji Commits to Baylor → In one of the most unique storylines of the year, James Naji — drafted 31st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft — has committed to Baylor. An NBA-to-NCAA move is rare, and it adds another intriguing wrinkle to an already fascinating college season.

Piggybacking off the Nuggets’ incredible win Monday night, this team is super fun to watch and, in my opinion, has the best chance to win it all. Before I even begin to speak on how dominant Nikola Jokic has been this season, I want to start with the depth of this team — and why it matters.

As you saw against the 76ers, the Nuggets have guys who can step up offensively. Fourth-year pro Peyton Watson is currently balling in his contract year, averaging career highs (11.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.5 APG). He’s due for a bag and is going to earn one this offseason. Signing Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas this past summer gave the Nuggets two huge scoring sparks off the bench, along with a much-needed backup big for when Joker goes to the bench. Getting Bruce Brown back was also a smart play, given his veteran minimum contract and his ability to be that savvy veteran every team needs. Not to mention, they have other solid role players who can pop off on any night — as we just saw — which becomes extremely important come playoff time.

As for the starters, Aaron Gordon picked up right where he left off last year (18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 53.3 FG%, 43.1 3P%). Jamal Murray is also putting up career highs (25.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.2 APG, 44.7 3P%), and Cameron Johnson has been the steady glue guy they needed. I know there’s chatter about him not scoring as much as people would hope, but that’s not what the Nuggets needed. Cam provides two huge positives to this team: spacing and defense — two things Michael Porter Jr. did not consistently provide. MPJ is balling in his current ball-dominant role, but Denver already has enough scoring with Gordon, Murray, and Jokic.

Speaking of Nikola Jokic, he’s arguably having the best season of his career (29.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 11.0 APG, 60.5 FG%, 43.5 3P%), and sadly, he might not be rewarded for it due to the 65-game minimum rule.

With OKC struggling to put away the Spurs and then getting waxed by the Charlotte Hornets at home, the narrative grows even louder. No doubt OKC deserves to be among the current championship favorites, but when you analyze the landscape and zoom out, the Nuggets should be the true #1. The only real knock is their team defense hasn’t been great (NET #21), and Jokic can look like a cone at times. But defense is a metric that can shift drastically with effort — and there’s no better time for effort than the NBA Playoffs.

The Nuggets took OKC to seven games last year and arguably had the best chance to beat them. This year, they’re back dominating again, led by Jokic — and this supporting cast is the best he’s ever had.

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Nebraska is undefeated for a reason. They defend at a high level, they’re disciplined, and they’ve earned every bit of national respect they’re getting right now. Sitting at #10 in the country with quality wins over Illinois and Michigan State isn’t an accident. But when you zoom in, there are some real holes in this roster — especially on offense.

This Nebraska team doesn’t get to the free-throw line and they don’t crash the glass. Their offensive free-throw rate ranks 290th nationally, and their offensive rebounding percentage sits at 284th. That’s a dangerous combination for an undefeated team, because it means they rely heavily on shot-making instead of pressure. If the threes aren’t falling, there’s no easy offense to fall back on.

Most of their scoring comes from two bigs who carry the load night after night. Outside of that, the guard play is shaky. Jamarques Lawrence can show up in big moments, but Nebraska doesn’t consistently create advantages from the perimeter. They’re not beating teams with downhill guards or second-chance points — they’re beating teams by executing and defending.

Defensively, they’re legit. Nebraska ranks 17th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, they don’t foul, and they force teams to earn everything. But offense wins in March, and Nebraska’s offensive profile leaves very little margin for error.

That’s why a matchup with a team like Indiana this Saturday (1/10) is interesting. Indiana has real size and guards who can score. If you slow down one of Nebraska’s bigs and make the guards beat you, Nebraska suddenly looks very beatable. They’re undefeated — but they’re not bulletproof. This is a very good team, but it’s also a team walking a tightrope.

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🏀 NBA STOCK WATCH

📈 Rising:

📉 Falling:

🎓 NCAA STOCK WATCH

📈 Rising:

📉 Falling:

🏀 NBA

🎓 NCAA

The Crimson Tide take on the undefeated Commodores in a matchup featuring two elite offenses. Both teams rank top-5 in offensive rating per KenPom, with Alabama at #2 and Vanderbilt at #4. The difference in this game will come down to defense and rebounding.

Alabama is currently ranked #286 nationally in opponent offensive rebounding percentage (33.9%). They give up a lot of second-chance opportunities, which can be costly against teams with size that consistently crash the glass. We saw that play out against Purdue, where Alabama lost the rebounding battle 52–28, ultimately costing them the game. But in this matchup, Vanderbilt doesn’t really fit that mold. Almost all of Vanderbilt’s “big” players are listed at 6’7” — which, by the way, I’m tired of hearing that.

There are also some injury factors to monitor. Duke Miles and Devin McGlockton are listed as probable for Vanderbilt, while Aiden Sherrell and Davion Hannah are listed as questionable/doubtful for Alabama. That potentially means missing interior size for Alabama and, on the flip side, a hit to Vanderbilt’s scoring punch with Miles being their leading scorer.

This game has upset written all over it — and with Alabama getting key players back from injury, this offense feels ready to take off. The Crimson Tide are desperate for another statement win, and there’s no better way to do that than knocking off #14 Vanderbilt, staying undefeated in conference play, and planting their flag as the best team in the SEC.

🎯 Full Timeout Pick: Alabama

This one has all the ingredients for a banger. The Knicks head to Phoenix for a Friday night matchup against a Suns team that’s quietly been hooping. Both squads come into this one hungry — and for very different reasons.

New York is searching for answers right now. After getting punched in the mouth by Detroit and dropping a tough one to Philly, this road stretch feels like a turning point. This is the type of game where you lock in for real. Jalen Brunson has been solid, but the Knicks need cleaner offense late and more consistency from their secondary scorers if they want to steal one on the road.

Phoenix, on the other hand, is trending in the right direction. The Suns are 7–3 in their last 10 and just knocked off OKC in a tight one, showing they can win high-level games when it matters. This will be their first game back home after a 2-game road stretch, and protecting home court feels important as they continue to climb the West standings. Not to mention Jalen Green is expected to return after missing significant time (hamstring).

What makes this matchup fun is the contrast. The Knicks want to slow things down, control tempo, and grind it out. The Suns are comfortable playing fast, spacing the floor, and letting their stars cook. New York is on a 4-game losing streak and before they face the Suns they play the Clippers at home tonight. I’m expecting them to break the streak, protect home-court, and start this 4-game road stretch off right.

🎯 Full Timeout Pick: Knicks

Catch you at the next one,