🚨 Quick Hit: Aj Dybantsa (43), Kingston Flemings (42), and Keaton Wagler (46) dropped 40+ points on the same day (1/24) for the first time ever in D1 history.

🧩 FT Pop Quiz: Which team owns the #1 net rating over their last 16 games?

A. Detroit Pistons
B. Oklahoma City Thunder
C. Charlotte Hornets
D. Cleveland Cavaliers

Meme of the Week → Dusty May aura farming on the road vs rivals 😂:

FT Pop Quiz Answer → C. Charlotte Hornets

Grizzlies Ship Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah Jazz → The Memphis Grizzlies sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah in a blockbuster deal, officially signaling a rebuild. Utah pairs JJJ with Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George, giving the Jazz a legit young core with size, shooting, and defensive upside. Memphis loads up on picks and flexibility — a clear pivot toward the future.

NBA All-Star Reserves Drop → The league revealed its East and West reserves, headlined by Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Scottie Barnes, and Jalen Duren. A mix of superstars and first-timers made the cut — but fans immediately started debating snubs, especially among guards in the West.

Unranked UCF Stuns Texas Tech → The UCF Knights knocked off #11 Texas Tech Red Raiders to secure their second ranked upset of the season.

Down Goes Purdue → Unranked Indiana Hoosiers took down #12 Purdue for their first Quad-1 win of the season.

Paul George Suspended 25 Games → Paul George has been hit with a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy — a massive blow to Philadelphia 76ers as the playoff race tightens.

Majority of people point to OKC when talking young teams — and rightfully so. But outside the Thunder, Charlotte might be the most intriguing under-25 group in the league. Most young teams are still figuring out how to win. The Hornets look like they’re finally turning that corner. They have the 7th-youngest roster in the NBA (24.6 average age), yet they’re playing some of the best basketball in the league right now.

Over their last 16 games, Charlotte owns the #1 net rating, #1 offense, and #3 defense — plus a seven-game win streak (their longest in 20 years). When LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate all start, they’re 13–1 with a +10 net rating, and LaMelo carries a +12.2 on/off. Brandon Miller is ascending too — 22.1 PPG in January on 43% from three and 92% from the line. Add Knueppel’s rookie breakout and you’ve got four guys hovering near 20 a night — crazy numbers for a team this young.

Injuries slowed them early, but they’re now just a couple games out of real playoff positioning. Charlotte also owns its own first-round pick this year — likely late lottery to late teens — prime range to grab a center, their biggest need. Pair that with extra future picks and one of the league’s lowest payrolls, and suddenly the Hornets have real flexibility.

Back in Volume 1, I said Charlotte could surprise people if the pieces clicked — this stretch feels like the beginning of that. This team is young, cost-controlled, and deep with perimeter talent. And now they’re starting to win. It looks like the early stages of something real forming in the Queen City.

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The Kansas Jayhawks didn’t start this season as a headline team outside of Darryn Peterson noise. They opened ranked #19, dropped an early game to North Carolina, then got hit with injuries — including losing their best player, Darryn Peterson. Most teams fold there, but Kansas didn’t. They competed without him, losing to Duke by 12, UConn by 5, and beating Tennessee short-handed on the road. Even the UCF loss came right as Peterson was returning — and UCF has since proven they’re one of those dangerous Big 12 teams. Now that he’s back, Kansas is rolling.

They’re on an 8-game win streak, highlighted by an 84–63 blowout of #7 Iowa State. They followed it with a gritty BYU win, then went on the road and beat #13 Texas Tech in one of the toughest environments in the league. Peterson shot just 5-for-14 that night — but when it mattered most, he drilled two clutch threes that didn’t touch rim. Cold all game, clutch in winning time. That tells you everything about his ceiling — and why he’s being talked about as the #1 pick in the draft.

Kansas sits at #12 on KenPom with a top-10 defense and the third-hardest strength of schedule in the country. Translation: they’ve been playing real competition all year, often without their star — and they’re still right outside the top-10. Getting Peterson back flips their offense completely. Tre White gives them efficient buckets, Flory Bidunga anchors the paint, Melvin Council carried them while Peterson was out, and Bryson Tiller is emerging as a true stretch forward. That’s a group that can compete with anyone. Right now Kansas is projected as a 4-seed, but they look closer to a 3 — and climbing.

Next up, undefeated Arizona comes into Allen Fieldhouse (2/9). If Kansas takes that one, the rest of the country will catch up fast. They learned how to win without their star — and now they’ve got him back, right as everything is starting to click.

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NBA STOCK WATCH

📈 Rising:

📉 Falling:

NCAA STOCK WATCH

📈 Rising:

📉 Falling:

NBA

NCAA

New York has been rolling — six straight wins, top-6 net rating over their last 10, and a top-3 defense in that stretch. Madison Square Garden has been tough this year, and the Knicks deserve credit for how they’ve been winning lately. But this sets up like a Denver response game.

The Nuggets just dropped one to OKC, yet still kept it close despite Jamal Murray struggling. Now Nikola Jokic is fully back, the defense has quietly picked up, and Denver’s offense should find cleaner looks. The Knicks have owned this matchup recently (5-1 the last 6 meetings), but Denver doesn’t care about road environments — they lead the league in road wins (19-7). With Jokic stabilizing everything and Murray due for a bounce-back, this is the game where Denver flips the trend, even in the Garden.

🎯 Full Timeout Pick: Nuggets

Houston comes in playing elite two-way basketball — top-10 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency — while BYU is trying to bounce back after consecutive losses to ranked opponents. The Cougars have shown they can win ugly or outscore you, and that versatility travels. This one comes down to depth and defense.

BYU leans heavily on its top scorers, but production drops fast when elite pressure shows up. We saw it against TCU: AJ Dybantsa got his, but the rest of the lineup struggled to create. Houston brings real size inside, multiple perimeter defenders, and more scoring options. Emmanuel Sharp and Kingston Fleming headline the offense, Milos Uzan has found his rhythm again, and Joseph Tugler along with Chris Cenac Jr. anchor the paint. BYU’s thin bench and lack of interior depth make this a tough matchup. Home court helps — but Houston’s ability to control the glass and force tough shots gives them the edge.

🎯 Full Timeout Pick: Houston

That’s Volume 8.
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