Sources: The Royal Palm Invitational --- a new early season tournament in college basketball --- will debut in Dubai in November of 2026. Multiple power conference teams are expected to be involved.

Sources: Hubert Davis will not return as North Carolina's head coach.

For the first time in 42 and a half years, I am SPEECHLESS.

Key buyout numbers for North Carolina's head coaching search: Florida's Todd Golden: $16 million Arizona's Tommy Lloyd: $11 million Alabama's Nate Oats: $10 million on 4/1 Michigan's Dusty May: $7.5 million Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger: $4 million

Sources: LSU will officially part ways with Matt McMahon today and hire NC State's Will Wade as its next head basketball coach. Wade was previously the head coach of the Tigers from 2017-22.

The NCAA has released the first NET rankings of the 2025-26 season. t.co/PgkWvmQO91

Sources: LSU is working to hire McNeese's Heath Schroyer as a Senior Administrator. The Tigers' head coaching job is not open, but LSU President Wade Rousse & Schroyer both previously hired NC State's Will Wade at McNeese & are on the verge of bringing him back to Baton Rouge.

NEWS: Matchups for the 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge are set, per sources. Ark @ UNC AU @ Clem Duke @ UF BC @ UGA Wake @ LSU Pitt @ Mizz SU @ OU OleMiss @ VT SC@NCSt FSU @ Tenn Texas @ Lville Bama @ Miami UK @ UVA GT @ MissSt Stanford @ A&M Vandy @ ND bit.ly/4vtkiUL

Sources: Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen has committed to Florida. The 6-5 guard --- who was an integral part of the Gators' run to the 2025 national title --- averaged 13.5 PPG last season and will now be reunited with Todd Golden in Gainesville.

Sources: South Florida's Bryan Hodgson is finalizing a deal to be the next head coach at Providence. Rhode Island is officially shark infested waters.

Jaxon Kohler tells me that he will explore a return to college for a fifth year and is receiving interest from the following programs: Kansas Kentucky BYU Kohler averaged 12.5 PPG and 8.9 RPG last season at Michigan State. A return to East Lansing is also possible.

Source: Amir Khan — who rose to prominence as a student manager during McNeese’s run to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament — will be a part of Will Wade’s staff at LSU in a similar role.

The four Big Ten teams from the West Coast --- Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC --- are a combined 6-19 in Big Ten games this season outside of the Pacific Time Zone. None of these four programs will ever win a Big Ten regular season title.

UPDATE: Billy Richmond has just switched course and will return to Arkansas next season, per his agent Bill Duffy of WME.

My man --- I think you had a few too many mimosas at brunch! USA is playing Serbia right in the title game in Istanbul. Belgium didn't even participate in the event.

"Remember when is the lowest form of conversation." - Tony Soprano

NEWS: Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the USC Men’s Basketball program, per release.

Duke’s Caleb Foster (foot) has an “outside chance” to play in Friday’s Sweet 16 game against St. John’s, per Jon Scheyer. Has not played since 3/7. Averages 8.5 PPG. Significant news for the Blue Devils.

Source: Arkansas' Billy Richmond is staying in the 2026 NBA Draft.

NEWS: Duke and Illinois will start a home-and-home series on November 17th in Durham, according to a source. Return game in Champaign on December 4th, 2027. bit.ly/49wda1f