Jimmy V Men’s Classic guide: Breaking down BYU, UConn wins

The theme of the 2025 Jimmy V Men’s Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday was close games. In the first matchup of the night, No. 10 BYU mounted a 22-point comeback — the program’s largest ever — to defeat Clemson 67-64 on a buzzer 3-pointer from Robert Wright III.

In the nightcap, No. 5 UConn avenged last year’s tournament defeat at the hands of No. 18 Florida, winning 77-73.

ESPN breaks down what the night’s games mean for all four teams.

Jump to BYU-Clemson takeaways

What the win means for UConn: Tarris Reed Jr. and five-star freshman Braylon Mullins were both available for Dan Hurley’s team for just the second time this season. Reed was a key factor against Florida’s talented frontcourt, and Mullins provided a solid effort that was impacted by foul trouble.

They weren’t alone. Alex Karaban made clutch shots down the stretch. Solo Ball (19 points) was the offensive catalyst. Plus, Malachi Smith (nine assists, one turnover) helped UConn fight back after the Gators took the lead in the second half.

Overall, eight UConn players scored at least five points in the win. At full strength — Reed and Mullins missed the 71-67 home loss to Arizona on Nov. 19 — UConn is undefeated. If the Huskies can stay healthy, a third national title in four years certainly seems possible.

What the loss means for Florida: The Gators rallied in the second half before the same out-of-sync basketball that has plagued the program this season returned. Xaivian Lee, who had his best game of the season, airballed a deep, unnecessary 3-pointer in the final minutes of a close game. Then, with 9.4 seconds to play in a three-point game, Florida committed a five-second violation after forcing a turnover. And the team made just 27% of its 3-point attempts overall. There are still more questions than answers for the reigning national champions. — Myron Medcalf

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BYU comes back from its largest 2nd-half deficit ever to win at the buzzer

Robert Wright III’s shot somehow goes in, and BYU completes the largest second-half comeback in BYU history.

What the win means for BYU: That was an incredible finish for BYU, with Robert Wright III‘s game-winning 3-pointer — but it didn’t start that way for the Cougars. At halftime on Tuesday, they were down for the fifth time in nine games this season. Even before Clemson took a 43-22 edge at the break, the Cougars had been having a problem with slow starts.

And then, AJ Dybantsa (28 points) happened. By the time his team took a 58-56 lead — after being down 22 points early in the second half — the freshman sensation had scored or assisted on 30 of BYU’s 36 second-half points, per ESPN Research. He fueled a remarkable comeback.

In a season already full of incredible moments, Dybantsa’s second-half effort was arguably the most impressive individual half. That said, the Cougars can’t assume they can rally like that against good teams in the future.

What the loss means for Clemson: Brad Brownell may have a squad this season that can earn him a third NCAA tournament berth in a row. The Tigers surrendered 169 points combined in losses to Alabama and Georgetown this season, but held BYU — a top-five offensive unit — to just 22 points in the first half. They can build on that moving forward, despite this loss. — Medcalf