NCAAF

• UConn 27, UMass 10
  • Yes, it was against UMass, one of the FBS’s worst teams, but the fact that UConn was a 15-point favorite is a testament to the growth of the program under Jim Mora. Even better, the Huskies covered in this contest.
• Washington 24, Oregon State 21
  • It wasn’t his best game last night, but Michael Penix is a big reason why Washington is 7-2. Penix was typically a bit inconsistent with Indiana, but he’s become one of the Pac-12’s top signal-callers this season, as he leads the nation with 3,232 passing yards. Washington isn’t eliminated in the Pac-12 race, either, as it gets to face off with Oregon next week, although that game is in Eugene.

NBA

• Cavaliers 112, Pistons 88
  • The Cavaliers, sans their two best players, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, still appeared to be a respectable team last night, which is a far cry from last season. In particular, guys like Kevin Love (21 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists) and Evan Mobley (eight blocks) stepped up. Mobley continues to prove to be the gem of the 2021 Draft.
• Pacers 101, Heat 99
  • I mentioned Mobley as the gem of the 2021 Draft, and there’s an outside chance Bennedict Mathurin will be the 2022 Draft’s gem. Mathurin is averaging 20.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG off the bench in this young season. Indiana seems to have a bright future, and it should look even better if the team acquires solid assets for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner.
• Knicks 106, 76ers 104
  • I’m not saying Doc Rivers’ seat should be hot, but perhaps it should be a bit warm. At 4-6, Philadelphia has underwhelmed, and that’s even with a breakout season by Tyrese Maxey, who dropped 31 points last night. The team’s bench needs some work, as it’s very possible Matisse Thybulle simply won’t work out as an NBA rotation player.
• Nets 128, Wizards 86
  • It had to be good for Nets fans to witness this performance. Kevin Durant is still probably one of the world’s five best players, and he got some help yesterday from Royce O’Neale and Nic Claxton.
  • I’m a bit perplexed by the season Bradley Beal is having to this point. Beal took 23.0 shots per game in 2021, but two years later, he’s down to just 15.8 attempts this season. Wes Unseld Jr. needs to get his best player more looks.
• Celtics 123, Bulls 119
  • What an interesting game. Jayson Tatum and DeMar DeRozan combined for 42 free throw attempts, an astonishing total. Even despite going 8-23 yesterday, Tatum is having an awesome season, posting far and away a career best in PER at 27.69. Tatum’s previous high water mark was 21.87.
• Grizzlies 130, Hornets 99
  • In a game without LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, and Gordon Hayward, this game went about as expected for Charlotte. The team should probably give Mark Williams some NBA looks, as the playoffs seem out of the question this season.
• Clippers 113, Spurs 106
  • If Kawhi Leonard is going to continue to miss time, the Clippers need the version of Paul George that showed up last night to be more consistent. George went for 32 points in this game on just 16 shots.
  • The 2020 Draft wasn’t exactly good, but I’m sure a few teams in the top 10 are kicking themselves for not drafting Devin Vassell. After shooting 12-16 for 29 points in this contest, Vassell upped his scoring average to 21.6, which is an excellent number, even for a Spurs team that’s been quite liberal in distributing minutes to its younger players.
• Mavericks 111, Raptors 110
  • I could state this after every Mavericks game, but Luka Doncic is special. 35 points on just 15 field goal attempts for Dallas’ star in this tilt. The Raptors play some intense defense, so it certainly wasn’t an easy 35, either.
• Pelicans 114, Warriors 105
  • Eight games in, it feels like New Orleans will have a pretty easy time securing one of the West’s top six seeds. Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and CJ McCollum are an excellent trio, and Herb Jones, Larry Nance Jr., and Trey Murphy all do a nice job of surrounding that threesome with solid play as well.
  • The Warriors are playing the long game, but I’m not sure a 3-7 club has the luxury of resting players, as the Warriors did last night. Jordan Poole, who went 5-18 last night, has been a bit of a disappointment since signing a massive contract extension.
• Bucks 115, Timberwolves 102
  • The Bucks are basically a machine. At 8-0, Milwaukee has done a nice job of playing big, giving minutes to both Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis at the same time. Also, MarJon Beauchamp has faired pretty well in limited rotational minutes for the league’s best team.
  • It’s not yet time to press the panic button in Minnesota, but early returns on the blockbuster Rudy Gobert trade haven’t been great. The fit between Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns has been clunky, and D’Angelo Russell may not be the right guy to lead this team at point guard. Russell shot a ghostly 3-15 yesterday. At least Anthony Edwards has played well, but his PER is conspicuously low at just 14.59.
• Trail Blazers 108, Suns 106
  • The Trail Blazers, now 6-2, are back. The team has never been a contender in the Damian Lillard era, but this team is pretty solid, as Jerami Grant has been a snug fit for the club. Also, it seems like Portland nailed the Shaedon Sharpe pick, creating a potentially deadly backcourt down the road with Lillard, Anfernee Simons, and Sharpe.
• Jazz 130, Lakers 116
  • There’s been some fairly significant slippage in LeBron James’ game this season. The former ultra star went just 7-19 last night with 17 points. At the very least, early returns on Russell Westbrook coming off the bench have been good.