ADAMA SANOGO

College basketball is loaded with talented big men across the country, but who is the best of the best? Andy Katz separates the top bigs into tiers.

Joel Soriano scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as St. John’s beat No. 6 UConn 85-74 to win in Hartford for the first time since 1988.

Zach Freemantle scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Colby Jones also scored 16, helping No. 22 Xavier hand No. 2 UConn its first loss, 83-73.

Purdue maintained its grasp on No. 1 in the AP men’s college basketball poll on Monday, receiving 40 of the 60 first-place votes from a national media panel after knocking off Davidson in its only game last week.

What teams have surprised so far? Which players have impressed the most? Find out in our early season report card from Andy Katz and John Fanta.

Freshman Donovan Clingan had a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 5 UConn over Long Island University 114-61.

Texas vs. Creighton is one of several great matchups this week in college basketball. Andy Katz and John Fanta break it down.

Teddy Allen scored 37 points and New Mexico State won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time almost three decades, upsetting fifth-seeded Connecticut 70-63 to become the second No. 12 seed to advance out of the first round.

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Former UConn star James Bouknight of the Charlotte Hornets was tossed from his courtside side by a game official in the second half as the No. 24 Huskies held off Xavier 72-61.

Adama Sanogo scored 20 points and No. 24 UConn opened the season with a 99-48 rout of in-state rival Central Connecticut.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK – The most accurate shooting team in the Big East was having a hard time buying a bucket. The second-seeded Bluejays (20-7) will play eighth-seeded Georgetown Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in their third Big East final since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season. They came in shooting 48.7% to lead the Big East. Creighton will look for its first Big East Tournament championship a little more than a week after McDermott was suspended by the school for making racially insensitive remarks to his team. Creighton: Zegarowski struggled to find his groove most of the game against Cole and UConn's tough perimeter defense.

Posh Alexander scored 18 points to lead five players in double figures and the Red Storm came from behind to upset No. The Red Storm chipped away and Alexander tied the game at 59 with a pair of free throws. A 3-pointer by Earlington gave the Red Storm their first lead, 64-62, with just over four minutes left. BIG PICTURESt. John's: The Red Storm's defense, which had been forcing an average of 18 turnovers a game, got 18 on Monday. UP NEXTSt. John's: The Red Storm do not have another game scheduled until Jan. 27, when they visit DePaul.