12/13 – College Hoops Week in Review: Missouri is team excitement

By Rob DausterDec 13, 2010, 10:44 AM EST

Game of the Week: Missouri 85, Vanderbilt 82 OT

The Tigers play one of the most exciting brands of basketball in the country. It’s only fitting that seemingly every time they are on TV, they play a barnburner. Just one week removed from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Georgetown, the Tigers welcomed Vanderbilt into Mizzou Arena on Wednesday.

And Wednesday ended up being all about Marcus Denmon. As we wrote about on Thursday, Denmon’s cousin was shot last Friday and passed away on Tuesday afteroon. Playing with a heavy heart, Denmon struggled through tears and finished the first half with two points on 1-6 shooting. In the second half, however, Denmon caught fire. He sparked an 11-4 Tiger run that gave Mizzou a 59-58 lead after Vandy opened their biggest lead of the game.

The teams would trade baskets the rest of the way, with Ricardo Ratliffe hitting one of two free throws with seven seconds left to force overtime. In the extra period, Vandy jumped out to an early lead before Denmon drilled a contested, 25 footer that put the Tigers back ahead. Vandy retook the lead before Michael Dixon scored with 34 seconds left to tie the game at 82. Then this happened:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUPqMpUtzZ0]

Denmon stole a Brad Tinsely pass and went the other way for an and-one layup with 5.8 seconds left. Tinsely would miss a three at the buzzer that would have tied it.

Stats of the Weird: There weren’t a lot great games this past week. In fact, I found myself saying “well, that was pretty anticlimatic” a lot more than “Holy Jeez, what a freakin’ finish!!!” In honor of college basketball’s weird week, we give to you some of the weirdest numbers pulled from a box score.

Marshall Moses: For the second time this season, a player had a perfect game when taking more than 11 field goals. This time is was Oklahoma State forward Marshall Moses, who went 12-12 from the field, hitting his only three pointer, in a 71-54 win over Tulsa. He was 6-7 from the free throw line, missing his last free throw attempt with 8:39 left. Apparently, Moses doesn’t care much about perfect basketball games. The three he hit? It came with 1:55 left in the game. Moses, a senior, hadn’t attempted a three since his sophomore season (he went 0-2). He hadn’t made one since he was a freshman (2-6).
Syracuse obliterates Colgate: This one was ugly. The Orange jumped out to leads of 12-0 and 34-4 before taking a 46-8 lead into the half. The Orange went up 60 (81-21) and took their biggest lead at 94-31. 17 players saw action for the Orange. With the win, Syracuse moved from 18th to 10th in Kenpom’s rankings. Their offensive efficiency went from 26th to 22nd. Their defensive efficiency? 26th to 12th.
Hartford Hawks: On Wednesday night, Hartford was on the wrong end of the best comeback of the season. Sacred Heart, down 51-31 with just 8:17 left on the clock, went on a 25-4 run to end the game. The clincher? Hartford turned the ball over with three seconds left, then intentionally fouled Stan Dulaire with 0.2 seconds left as he was streaking in for a layup. Dulaire hit one of two. Game over.Saturday’s loss may have been even worse. Hartford held Monmouth scoreless for the first 12:25 of the game. Hartford was up 15-0 at that point Monmouth didn’t hit a field goal until the 5:38 mark of the first half, which cut the lead to 20-5. At the half, Monmouth was just 5-28 from the field, but they only trailed 30-17. In the second half, Monmouth caught fire, eventually tying the game at 44 with 8:35 left. The game would go two overtimes, and in the second OT, Monmouth took control, winning 78-74. So Hartford lost two games this week. One, they lead 51-31 with 8:17 left. The other, they held a team scoreless for the first 12:25 of the game. Yuck.
Eastern Kentucky: The Colonels opened up a 22-13 lead on Minnesota with 6:51 left in the first half on Saturday afternoon on a three from Justin Stommes. That would be the last bit of scoring EKU did for a long time. The Gophers would score 12 straight points to take a 25-22 lead, and after Stommes hit a three with six seconds left to tie the game at 25, Maverick Ahanmisi hit a half court buzzer beater to put the Gophers ahead 28-25 at the break. It the second half, Minnesota’s defense clamped down even tighter. EKU didn’t score until a dunk from Stommes with 10:06 left in the half.Minnesota, by then, had opened up a 43-25 with a 30-3 run over the span of 17 minutes. That also included a stretch of over five minutes where Minnesota didn’t score. A Devoe Joseph three put the Gophers ahead 39-25 with 15:47 left in the game, and it wasn’t until Colton Iverson scored off of an offensive rebound with 10:37 left that the scoreboard changed.

Player of the Week: Ramone Moore, Temple

Moore may very well be the most important player on the Temple roster. Juan Fernandez is a capable point guard and facilitator, but he’s not a big time creator. Neither is Lavoy Allen, a big man with the tools to dominate but the aggressiveness of a housecat. That leaves Moore, an athletic 6’4″ off-guard that has becomes Temple’s go-to guy early in the season. Coming off of a 16 point performance in a de facto road game against Maryland, Moore exploded for 30 points against Georgetown in Philly. He was slashing to the rim, he was getting out in transition, and he was turning Temple’s defense into points. The Owls need a go-to scorer if the are going to live up to their expectations of being the A-10’s best team. Moore should be that guy.

The All-they-were-good-too team:

G: Charles Jenkins, Hofstra: The Pride only went 1-1 this week, but it was hardly Jenkin’s fault. He averaged 36.0 ppg in two games, scoring 40 (31 in the second half) in an overtime win over Binghamton.
G: Scott Christopherson, Iowa State: Christopherson has led the way for the Cyclones surprising 8-2 start. He’s averaging 16.5 ppg on the season and put up 19.7 ppg in a 3-0 week. It was headlined by a 30 points performance against Iowa.
F: Marshon Brooks, Providence: Providence lost to BC by two this week, but the Friars won their other two games, improving to 10-2 on the season. In those three games, Brooks averaged 31.3 ppg and 8.7 rpg.
F: Scotty Hopson, Tennessee: Hopson had 27 points in a dominating win for Tennessee over Pitt.
C: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State: Sully had 40 points and 13 boards, shooting 12-17 from the field and 16-23 from the line against Oakland on Wednedsay. Ohio State scored 75 points as a team in their 11 point win.
Bench: Bruce Ellington, South Carolina; Kenny Lawson, Creighton; Marshall Moses, Oklahoma State; Demetri McCamey, Illinois; Marcus Denmon, Missouri; Rick Jackson, Syracuse

Co-Teams of the Week: The Syracuse Orange and the Tennessee Volunteers

Michigan State is reeling right now. This is not the team that we expected to see this season, and this is likely not the same team that we will see come March. That said, Syracuse still manhandled the Spartans. They dominated the Spartans in the paint, led by 17 points and 16 boards from Rick Jackson, and completely took Michigan State out of what they wanted to do offensively. Syracuse is far from a finished product and still has a number of worrisome red flags — like, for example, how much they struggle shooting from the perimeter and whether or not Scoop Jardine or Kris Joseph will become a star. But one thing that is certain is that the Orange are just as good on the defensive end as they were last season. Just ask Colgate.

The question of whether or not Syracuse is the best team in the Big East is one that must be asked now. Why? Because on Saturday, Tennessee finished their sweep of the Big East’s preseason favorites by absolutely dominating Pitt in what was essentially a road game. Tennessee was up 61-40 at one point. Melvin Goins shut down Ashton Gibbs, Scotty Hopson played like a lottery pick, and the Vols competed with the Panthers formidable front line by outrebounding Pitt. Just how good can Tennessee be this year? Well, its safe to say at this point that they are likely the best team in the SEC, and with impressive wins over Pitt and Villanova, this group should move into the top five this week.

Teams deserving a shout out:

South Carolina: Believe it or not, the Gamecocks appear to be the best team in the state of South Carolina. That wasn’t exactly expected with Devan Downey graduating and Wofford and Clemson fielding tournament caliber teams. But Bruce Ellington, a freshman point guard for Darrin Horn’s club, has been terrific early in the season, averaging 13.9 ppg and 4.1 apg while shooting 44.4% from the floor is Downey’s stead. South Carolina is now 7-1 on the season.
Texas A&M: The Aggies are putting together a nice tournament resume here in the non-conference season. They had already beaten Temple before knocking off Washington at home on Saturday afternoon. The Aggies, who are known for their defensive effort, have a balanced attack on the offensive end. Khris Middleton is their leading scorer at 14.0 ppg, but after him, five of the other seven Aggies in Mark Turgeon’s rotation average between 7.0 ppg and 10.9 ppg.
Boston College: The Eagles have continued to play great basketball. After knocking off Providence on Tuesday, the Eagles kicked off conference play by stealing a road game against Maryland. They knocked down 13 3’s, including one from Corey Raji with 34 seconds left to break a 75-all tie.
The Atlantic 10: We’ve questioned the A-10 this season quite a bit in this space, but when credit is due, it must be given. The league has shown signs of life in the last week. There was Temple’s win over Georgetown, Richmond beating both Arizona State (last Sunday, but still) and VCU, Xavier knocked off Butler, and even Dayton (74-71 to Old Dominion) and Duquesne (64-61 to West Virginia) had competitive losses. This league isn’t as good as it was last season — mainly because they don’t have a team like Xavier that is a national power — but it appears as if it will get multiple bids again this year.

Steve Lavin clearly has something going at St. John’s. You cannot recruit the was he has recruited and not has a promising future. But that future certainly isn’t now, not after the Johnnies lost to St. Bonaventure at home then went to Fordham and blew a 21 point second half lead. I had high hopes for this squad. They are an experienced bunch that plays as hard as anyone in the country, but experience is only worth something if you’ve experienced winning. If you haven’t, it could end up being a negative.

The Johnnies are the only hyped preseason team to stumble out of the gates. Gonzaga, a preseason top 15 team that was picked by Adrian Branch to be the national champ this season, is not 4-4 on the year after an embarrassing loss to Washington State was followed up by a loss to Notre Dame. There are a multitude of issues with this team, but they all stem from one thing — losing Matt Bouldin. There is no leader on the Zags right now. They have no offensive facilitator. When they are struggling, they have no one that is going to demand the ball and will a quality shot out of their next possession. They don’t have someone that can go one-on-one at the end of the clock and create a shot for someone, be it himself or a teammate. Steven Gray is a slasher and a scorer, but he’s not a leader. Demetri Goodson simply isn’t that good. And Elias Harris is still working his way back from an achilles injury.

Speaking of Washington State, is it possible that they are the best team in the Pac-10 right now? Well, probably not. I’m not going to read into Washington’s loss at Texas A&M too much — on the road, by one point, good team — and once Lorenzo Romar realizes that he team is at their best when he reins in (or sits) Isaiah Thomas, Washington will win games.

But that shouldn’t take away from the start that Wazzu has had. If anything, they look like the Pac-10’s best chance at getting a second team into the tournament. Klay Thompson and Faisal Aden are as dangerous of a perimeter duo as you will find out west, Reggie Moore is finally back from injury, and DeAngelo Casto anchors an underrated front line. That said, their rise up the Pac-10 ladder has as much to do with the rest of the league’s struggles as their own successes. Arizona got drilled by BYU on Saturday. Cal lost at home to Southern Miss. USC’s win over Texas doesn’t over shadow losses to TCU, Bradley, or Rider.

Matchups of the Week: Its finals week at many schools across the country, so the pickins are slim until the weekend.

12/18 – 2:00 pm: South Carolina @ Ohio State
12/18 – 2:00 pm: Arkansas vs. Texas A&M
12/18 – 2:00 pm: Cleveland State @ West Virginia
12/18 – 3:30 pm: Kansas State vs. Florida
12/18 – 4:00 pm: Texas vs. UNC
12/18 – 4:30 pm: Gonzaga vs. Baylor
12/18 – 5:00 pm: Richmond vs. Georgia Tech
12/18 – 8:00 pm: Virginia Tech vs. Mississippi State
12/18 – 11:00 pm: Florida State @ Loyola Marymount
12/19 – 4:45 pm: Arizona @ NC State

North Carolina transfer Caleb Love commits to Arizona

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 10:59 AM EDT

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Caleb Love is now headed to Arizona.

The North Carolina transfer tweeted, less than a month after decommitting from Michigan, that he will play next season with the Wildcats.

“Caleb is a tremendously talented guard who has significant experience playing college basketball at a high level,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said in a statement. “We look forward to helping Caleb grow his game at Arizona. And as we near the completion of the roster for the upcoming season, we feel great about how everything has come together. Now it’s time for the real work to start.”

A 6-foot-4 guard, Love averaged 14.6 points and 3.3 assists in three seasons at North Carolina. He averaged 17.6 points in seven NCAA Tournament games, helping lead the Tar Heels to the 2022 national championship game.

Love entered the transfer portal after leading North Carolina with 73 3-pointers as a junior and initially committed to Michigan. He decommitted from the Wolverines earlier this month, reportedly due to an admissions issue involving academic credits.

Love narrowed his transfer targets to three schools before choosing to play at Arizona over Gonzaga and Texas.

Love will likely start on a team that will have dynamic perimeter players, including Pelle Larsson, Kylan Boswell and Alabama transfer Jaden Bradley.

Biden celebrates LSU women’s and UConn men’s basketball teams at separate White House events

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 11:56 PM EDT

Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK

WASHINGTON – All of the past drama and sore feelings associated with Louisiana State’s invitation to the White House were seemingly forgotten or set aside Friday as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the championship women’s basketball team to the mansion with smiles, hugs and lavish praise all around.

The visit had once appeared in jeopardy after Jill Biden suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. But none of that was mentioned as both Bidens heralded the players for their performance and the way they have helped advance women’s sports.

“Folks, we witnessed history,” the president said. “In this team, we saw hope, we saw pride and we saw purpose. It matters.”

The ceremony was halted for about 10 minutes after forward Sa’Myah Smith appeared to collapse as she and her teammates stood behind Biden. A wheelchair was brought in and coach Kim Mulkey assured the audience that Smith was fine.

LSU said in a statement that Smith felt overheated, nauseous and thought she might faint. She was evaluated by LSU and White House medical staff and was later able to rejoin the team. “She is feeling well, in good spirits, and will undergo further evaluation once back in Baton Rouge,” the LSU statement said.

Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, Biden said, more than half of all college students are women, and there are now 10 times more female athletes in college and high school. He said most sports stories are still about men, and that that needs to change.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs and activities.

“Folks, we need to support women sports, not just during the championship run but during the entire year,” President Biden said.

After the Tigers beat Iowa for the NCAA title in April in a game the first lady attended, she caused an uproar by suggesting that the Hawkeyes also come to the White House.

LSU star Angel Reese called the idea “A JOKE” and said she would prefer to visit with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, instead. The LSU team largely is Black, while Iowa’s top player, Caitlin Clark, is white, as are most of her teammates.

Nothing came of Jill Biden’s idea and the White House only invited the Tigers. Reese ultimately said she would not skip the White House visit. She and co-captain Emily Ward presented team jerseys bearing the number “46” to Biden and the first lady. Hugs were exchanged.

Jill Biden also lavished praise on the team, saying the players showed “what it means to be a champion.”

“In this room, I see the absolute best of the best,” she said, adding that watching them play was “pure magic.”

“Every basket was pure joy and I kept thinking about how far women’s sports have come,” the first lady added, noting that she grew up before Title IX was passed. “We’ve made so much progress and we still have so much more work to do.”

The president added that “the way in which women’s sports has come along is just incredible. It’s really neat to see, since I’ve got four granddaughters.”

After Smith was helped to a wheelchair, Mulkey told the audience the player was OK.

“As you can see, we leave our mark where we go,” Mulkey joked. “Sa’Myah is fine. She’s kind of, right now, embarrassed.”

A few members of Congress and Biden aides past and present with Louisiana roots dropped what they were doing to attend the East Room event, including White House budget director Shalanda Young. Young is in the thick of negotiations with House Republicans to reach a deal by the middle of next week to stave off what would be a globally calamitous U.S. financial default if the U.S. can no longer borrow the money it needs to pay its bills.

The president, who wore a necktie in the shade of LSU’s purple, said Young, who grew up in Baton Rouge, told him, “I’m leaving the talks to be here.” Rep. Garret Graves, one of the House GOP negotiators, also attended.

Biden closed sports Friday by changing to a blue tie and welcoming the UConn’s men’s championship team for its own celebration. The Huskies won their fifth national title by defeating San Diego State, 76-59, in April.

“Congratulations to the whole UConn nation,” he said.

Marquette’s Prosper says he will stay in draft rather than returning to school

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 7:08 PM EDT

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

MILWAUKEE — Olivier-Maxence Prosper announced he is keeping his name under NBA draft consideration rather than returning to Marquette.

The 6-foot-8 forward announced his decision.

“Thank you Marquette nation, my coaches, my teammates and support staff for embracing me from day one,” Prosper said in an Instagram post. “My time at Marquette has been incredible. With that being said, I will remain in the 2023 NBA Draft. I’m excited for what comes next. On to the next chapter…”

Prosper had announced last month he was entering the draft. He still could have returned to school and maintained his college eligibility by withdrawing from the draft by May 31. Prosper’s announcement indicates he instead is going ahead with his plans to turn pro.

Prosper averaged 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds last season while helping Marquette go 29-7 and win the Big East’s regular-season and tournament titles. Marquette’s season ended with a 69-60 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32.

He played two seasons at Marquette after transferring from Clemson, where he spent one season.

Kansas’ Kevin McCullar Jr. returning for last season of eligibility

Associated PressMay 25, 2023, 9:18 PM EDT

Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports

Kevin McCullar Jr. said that he will return to Kansas for his final year of eligibility, likely rounding out a roster that could make the Jayhawks the preseason No. 1 next season.

McCullar transferred from Texas Tech to Kansas for last season, when he started 33 of 34 games and averaged 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. He was also among the nation’s leaders in steals, and along with being selected to the Big 12’s all-defensive team, the 6-foot-6 forward was a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

“To be able to play in front of the best fans in the country; to play for the best coach in the nation, I truly believe we have the pieces to hang another banner in the Phog,” McCullar said in announcing his return.

Along with McCullar, the Jayhawks return starters Dajuan Harris Jr. and K.J. Adams from a team that went 28–8, won the Big 12 regular-season title and was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to Arkansas in the second round.

Perhaps more importantly, the Jayhawks landed Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, widely considered the best player in the portal, to anchor a lineup that was missing a true big man. They also grabbed former five-star prospect Arterio Morris, who left Texas, and Towson’s Nick Timberlake, who emerged last season as one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.

The Jayhawks also have an elite recruiting class arriving that is headlined by five-star recruit Elmarko Jackson.

McCullar declared for the draft but, after getting feedback from scouts, decided to return. He was a redshirt senior last season, but he has another year of eligibility because part of his career was played during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a big day for Kansas basketball,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “Kevin is not only a terrific player but a terrific teammate. He fit in so well in year one and we’re excited about what he’ll do with our program from a leadership standpoint.”

Clemson leading scorer Hall withdraws from NBA draft, returns to Tigers

Associated PressMay 25, 2023, 9:15 PM EDT

Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson leading scorer PJ Hall is returning to college after withdrawing from the NBA draft on Thursday.

The 6-foot-10 forward took part in the NBA combine and posted his decision to put off the pros on social media.

Hall led the Tigers with 15.3 points per game this past season. He also led the Tigers with 37 blocks, along with 5.7 rebounds. Hall helped Clemson finish third in the Atlantic Coast Conference while posting a program-record 14 league wins.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell said Hall gained experience from going through the NBA’s combine that will help the team next season. “I’m counting on him and others to help lead a very talented group,” he said.

Hall was named to the all-ACC third team last season as the Tigers went 23-10.