Gamers Period Day 1 Roundup: Evaluation, High Performers and Extra!

LAS VEGAS – The second annual Gamers Period Competition is being held on the Strip this “Feast Week” and it’s even larger and higher than it was final season. The 2025 area doubled to 16 groups from 8 groups final season, and the sector encompasses a handful of groups you could possibly doubtlessly see make a deep run in addition to a handful of gamers you’ll quickly see on an NBA ground. 

The primary day of the occasion already introduced a couple of action-packed finishes, some assertion performances and loads of different intriguing outcomes. So with out additional ado, listed here are the scores, high performers and extra from Day 1.

Recreation 1: No. 17 Tennessee 85, Rutgers 60

High Performer: Jakobi Gillespie (TENN) | 32 factors, 4 assists, three rebounds

It didn’t take lengthy for a crew to make a press release at this 12 months’s event. Within the opening sport of the day, Tennessee’s Jakobi Gillespie recorded the very best scoring complete of the day, as he and the Volunteers clocked what was arguably probably the most spectacular crew efficiency of the complete day.

Gillespie made 11-of-21 makes an attempt from the sector total and 6-of-10 from 3-point vary, as Tennessee led by as many as 36 factors en path to the 25-point win. Along with Gillespie’s sizzling hand, freshman Nate Ament added 20 factors for the Vols within the win.

Recreation 2: Baylor 81, Creighton 74

High Performer: Cameron Carr (BAY) | 21 factors, 9 rebounds, three assists, two blocks

Cameron Carr and the Baylor Bears continued their unbeaten begin with their most spectacular win of the season to date, downing a Creighton squad that has made six consecutive NCAA tournaments enjoying in an at all times aggressive Huge East. Carr made 7-of-16 makes an attempt from the sector and hit 7-of-8 from the free throw line. 

Baylor’s win was the primary of 4 for the Huge 12 on the primary day of the Gamers Period festivities, making fairly a compelling case that it might supercede the SEC because the premier convention within the sport this 12 months.

Coach Invoice Self has seen quite a lot of progress from Flory Bidunga at @KUHoops, he tells @NabilKarimTV 📈 pic.twitter.com/OfS7Sp1z7i

— TNT Sports activities U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) November 24, 2025

Recreation 3: No. 24 Kansas 71, Notre Dame 61

High Performer: Flory Bidunga (KAN) | 18 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks

Flory Bidunga might not have put up a 32-piece like Gillespie did for Tennessee a couple of hours earlier, however the Jayhawks’ rising sophomore massive man arguably registered the perfect all-around efficiency of the day. Bidunga stuffed the stat sheet on each ends of the ground in a decisive win for the No. 24 crew within the nation with out their high NBA draft prospect, Darryn Peterson. 

Bidunga made 8-of-15 area targets for the sport and went 2-of-3 from the charity stripe to push Kansas to a 4-2 report total after early losses to UNC and Duke. 

Kansas is about to tackle Syracuse in a rematch of the 2003 Nationwide Championship sport on Tuesday. If Monday was any indication, Carmelo Anthony can be in attendance to look at his son, Kiyan, try and do the Jayhawks the best way his father did over 20 years in the past at this level.

Recreation 4: No. 16 Iowa State 83, No. 14 St. John’s 82

High Performer: Milan Momcilovic (ISU) | 23 factors, three rebounds, one help

St. John’s don Rick Pitino is the one coach within the area you’d assume to know his method round Las Vegas. And I’m not speaking about following a map. Sadly for him, Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic registered a efficiency that made any previous expertise Pitino has on this metropolis moot.

The Wisconsin-born junior Momcilovic made 7-of-13 makes an attempt from the sector, together with 5-of-9 from 3-point vary, as he tallied his second 20-plus level sport of the season. An underrated storyline on this sport was the return of former UNLV coach TJ Otzelberger to Las Vegas after he left a bitter style within the metropolis’s mouth upon his departure to Iowa State in 2021. 

Since someway parlaying a slightly disappointing stint at UNLV right into a legitimately engaging Energy 5 job, Otzelberger has emerged as among the best coaches in school basketball and the Cyclones are among the many extra constant packages within the nation since he’s been capable of implement his system.

Recreation 5: No. 2 Houston 78, Syracuse 74

High Performer: Milos Uzan and Emmanuel Sharp | 26 factors every

There gained’t be many collegiate basketball video games on any degree this season the place a pair of scorers carry the load for a crew the best way Las Vegas native Milos Uzan and Emmanuel Sharp carried the scoring load on Monday. 

In entrance of one of many biggest scorers to ever grace the sport in Carmelo Anthony, the duo made a mixed 14-of-36 area purpose makes an attempt and scored 67% of the Cougs’ factors in a sport that surprisingly ended up going to additional time. 

On the Syracuse facet of issues, Carmelo was fairly actually teaching and giving defensive alerts to the gamers forward of the sport’s pivotal possessions that allowed Syracuse to pressure additional time on the finish of regulation. It was to the purpose the place Syracuse’s gamers had been seeking to Melo for alerts and phrases of recommendation earlier than seeking to coach Adrian Autry on the sideline.

Both method, Monday was nearly as good as Syracuse has appeared in a very long time, so possibly they need to simply preserve listening to Melo.

Milos Uzan & Emanuel Sharp scored 26 factors EACH to assist Houston survive OT towards Syracuse 🙌 pic.twitter.com/X5nXa4SaDq

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) November 25, 2025

Recreation 6: Auburn 84, Oregon 73

High Performer: Tahaad Pettiford (AUB) | 24 factors, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

In a wierd coincidence or maybe an avoidance of an curiosity battle, Bruce Pearl was caught watching Gonzaga vs. Alabama at MGM Grand whereas his son Steven and his former Auburn Tigers crew had been down the highway at Michelob Extremely Area taking up Dana Altman’s at all times harmful Oregon Geese. 

Returning sixth-man-turned-starter Tahaad Pettiford was the Tigers’ greatest performer on Monday, making 9-of-18 makes an attempt from the sector to steer all scorers within the win. It’s the primary time Pettiford has reached the 20-point mark this season after a begin that’s been a bit slower than anticipated.

Recreation 7: No. 12 Gonzaga 95, No. 8 Alabama 85

High Performer: Graham Ike (GONZ) | 21 factors, 11 rebounds, three assists

Prematurely of Monday’s opening evening, the matchup between Gonzaga and Alabama was the proverbial fundamental occasion, so to talk, whereas the opposite top-tier matchups fell secondary. The sport definitely gained’t be the topic of any documentaries, however it was an entertaining contest that noticed Gonzaga draw back late resulting from their measurement and shot-making benefits.

Gonzaga acquired 21 factors apiece from seniors Graham Ike and Tyon Grant-Foster, however Ike will get the High Performer honor resulting from the truth that he registered a double-double, and since he was extra constant all through everything of the sport.

Recreation 8: Michigan 94, San Diego State 54

High Performer: Yaxel Lendeborg (MICH) | 15 factors, six rebounds, 4 assists

Michigan’s beginning lineup delivered a efficiency so environment friendly and so balanced that there wasn’t actually a house run decide for the highest performer. Six Wolverines scored in double-figures and 10 totally different gamers scored in any respect within the 40-point thrashing of a San Diego State program that’s only some seasons faraway from making it to the Closing 4.

The Mountain West continues to get its tooth kicked on this 12 months, towards each the nation’s greatest groups like Michigan and among the nation’s worst.

Recreation 9: Maryland 74, UNLV 67

High Performer: Pharrell Payne (UMD) | 20 factors, eight rebounds

Only a few weeks faraway from taking an extremely scary fall after a slam dunk towards Marquette, Pharrell Payne continued to look similar to his common self with probably the most environment friendly 20-plus level efficiency of the evening.

Payne made 7-of-8 makes an attempt from the sector to push Maryland to a 10-point second-half benefit that allowed them to beat a three-point halftime deficit after UNLV had their quantity defensively within the first half.

Payne additionally reached a major milestone on Monday, scoring his 1,000th profession level early within the second half.