2025 College Basketball Crown highlights: Johnson’s “moon-ball” lifts UCF into semifinals

The first-ever College Basketball Crown continues on Thursday with the final two quarterfinal games.

First up was an all-Big 12 matchup between UCF and Cincinnati.

Next up on FS1 is another fun showdown. Eric Dixon andVillanova are facing off against Desmond Claude and USC in what could be a high-scoring battle.

[Related: From Eric Dixon’s record night to Kevin Willard’s arrival, all eyes on Villanova]

On Wednesday night, the other half of the bracket was set when Boise State and Nebraska advanced to the semifinals.

The winning team of each quarterfinal matchup takes home $50K, with a chance to earn more in the next round. The semifinals will be Saturday, followed by the championship game, all of which will air on FOX.

Here are the highlights from Thursday!

During a tight second-half, UCF’s Darius Johnson created space for his jumpers and thus created space between the Knights and Bearcats on the scoreboard. He hit a side-step jump-shot from the right elbow, then a pull-up 3-pointer from the right wing and then a step-back triple from the left wing as he dropped eight consecutive points late in the second half.

As Johnson heated up, the announcers raved about his unique “moon-ball” shooting form, which he launches from his chest, into the sky, before it falls into the basket.

Johnson finished with a game-high 31 points and seven assists.

The Knights were also given a momentum lift when Benny Williams rose for a put-back dunk late in the game.

Villanova vs. USC

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