The New York University men's basketball team opened its 2025-26 season by hosting the NYU Tip-Off Classic on Friday, November 7, at the John A. Paulson Center in Manhattan,

The new-look Violets, a squad featuring 12 newcomers and a new head coach, did not disappoint in their season debut, recording an 87-49 victory over the College at Old Westbury.   

NYU, last season's NCAA Division III National Championship Runner-Ups, never trailed in Friday's contest.

Carnegie Johnson, playing his first game for the Violets, opened the scoring with a three-pointer. And, after the Panthers knotted it up at 3-3, a 12-0 Violet run gave them the lead for good.

"It feels good to get that first win at NYU," said Head Coach Waleed Farid. "It was good to play against another team, letting our guys get their competitive juices out."   

NYU led by as many as 17 points before settling for a 41-26 halftime lead.

The Violets' surge continued in the second half, as they opened with a 14-2 streak and took a 55-28 lead.

The advantage grew to as many as 39 points in the final minutes.

"I thought we did a really good job of getting great shots," Farid explained. "They didn't all go in, but we played unselfishly and we made the plays we needed to make to keep the game in our control." 

Bryan Moussako, one of the team's returners, led the Violets with 17 points as five players reached double-digits. 

"First game of the season and I'm glad we got the win," Moussako said. "I got to make my first start and I was a little nervous, but we got the job done and that's all that matters."  

Johnson finished with 13 points, while Darren Rubin, Henry Bickford and Jonathan Sigurdsson each had 10.

After missing last season due to injury, Quinn Clark returned and contributed eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. 

The Violets return to action on Sunday, November 9, when they host St. Joseph's College of Maine at 2:00pm back at the Paulson Center for the final game of the NYU Tip-Off Classic.