Late Night Snacks: UMass wins at the buzzer again

By Rob DausterNov 16, 2012, 3:05 AM EST

Games of the Day

1. UMass 77, Providence 75: For the second time in three days, UMass came away with a solid win at the buzzer. On Tuesday, it was a three from Sampson Carter with one second left to beat Harvard. On Thursday, it was a last second tip-in from Terrell Vinson that locked things up for the Minutemen in the first round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. UMass head coach Derek Kellogg will take the wins, but I don’t think he would mind if UMass started collecting them in more dominating fashion. “I’m going to turn 80 before I turn 40 with these last second wins,” he told ESPN after the game.

2. Villanova 89, Purdue 81 OT: It was a back and forth affair in the semifinals of the 2KSports Classic at Madison Square Garden. Purdue put a 24-8 run on the Wildcats to erase a double digit deficit in the second half, but Villanova answered by outscoring Purdue 9-2 in the final minute of regulation to force the extra period. Purdue may have been hosed, however. A questionable Flagrant Foul called on DJ Byrd, which happened to be his fifth, game Nova two shots and the ball when they were down four with 43.8 seconds left.

3. Southern Miss 62, Georgia 60 OT: Georgia dug themselves a major hole early on, but managed to force overtime, where the Golden Eagles won the game on a breakaway layup from Dwayne Davis with 31 seconds left. It’s Georgia’s second loss this week to a team outside the BCS conferences; they lost to Youngstown State at home on Monday.

Important Outcomes

1. Illinois State 86, Drexel 84 OT: The Redbirds are looking more and more like a team that will be capable of sticking their nose in with Northern Iowa and Wichita State as a competitor to Creighton in the Missouri Valley, handing Drexel their second overtime loss in as many games. Jackie Carmichael followed up a 27 point performance in the opener with 21 on Thursday.

2. St. Mary’s 67, Utah State 58: Matthew Dellavedova and Stephen Holt combined to score 37 points as the Gaels went into the Spectrum and knocked off the Aggies. USU got just seven points from Preston Medlin on 3-11 shooting, but it was promising to see big man Jarrad Shaw go for 17 points and 15 boards.

3. No. 12 Arizona 72, UTEP 51: The Wildcats were impressive in knocking off a solid UTEP team at home. Mark Lyons went for 17, but the numbers to keep an eye on are Sean Miller’s three freshmen bigs — Grant Jerrett, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski — who combined for 24 points and 18 boards, nine of which came on the offensive end.

Starred

1. Pierre Jackson, Baylor, and Ryan Anderson, Boston College: Jackson had another terrific outing for the Bears, posting 31 points on 10-15 shooting to go along with seven assists, but the name to know coming out of this game is BC’s Ryan Anderson. He had 25 points and six boards against Baylor’s talented front line and looked like an all-ACC caliber performer. He may be able to make the Eagles relevant in the ACC this season.

2. Ben McLemore, Kansas: The final score of the Jayhawk’s 69-55 win over Chattanooga is deceiving; they were down eight at the half and needed a 27-4 run in the second half to pull away. But the important note to take out of this game is that Ben McLemore had 25 points, just a game after Bill Self essentially said that No. 7 Kansas needs him to learn how to be a star. His two dunks sparked the run. Oh, and he dislocated his finger twice in the second half.

3. Jordan Adams and Norman Powell, UCLA: A game after struggling to hold off UC-Irvine in overtime, the Bruins looked the part of being the No. 13 team in the country. They beat James Madison 100-70 and were up 63-29 at the half, so there’s plenty of love to go around, but Adams and Powell were the names to note. They combined for 52 points on 17-24 shooting and 8-11 from three. It was the third straight game that Adams went for 20, the first Bruin to do that since 2007. If Shabazz Muhammad doesn’t get cleared, than maybe UCLA will still have some scoring pop on the wing.

Struggled

1. Auburn: They lost 79-59 to Murray State, and the score doesn’t quite indicate the whipping the Tigers took. They were down 36-11 at one point.

2. Lorenzo Brown, NC State: The Wolfpack beat Penn State 72-55, but Brown was just 1-10 from the floor.

3. DePaul: Losing to Gardner-Webb at home by 12 is not something a Big East school should be doing.

Three Facts

1. Jud Dillard is good: There is a lot of star power in the OVC — Isaiah Canaan, Robert Covington, Kerron Johnson — so no one would blame you if you’ve never heard of Tennessee Tech’s Jud Dillard. You might want to remember the name, however. He had 34 points and 12 boards in a win over Coastal Carolina and is averaging 29.5 points and 10.5 boards this season.

2. Trevor Mbakwe hasn’t done much: Mbakwe has come off the bench three times this year. He’s yet to play more than 15 minutes in a game this season and has three game totals of 15 points and 12 boards. Oh, and Minnesota is 3-0 with every win coming by at least 26 points.

3a. JP Olukemi might be done for the year: After going through a long process to be given an extra semester of eligibility, Oklahoma State’s Olukemi crumpled in a heap after his knee buckled in an overtime win against Akron. It looked really, really bad.

3b. Larry Drew is actually good?: It’s three games into the season and he has 25 assists and just five turnovers. That’s, dare I say it, Kendall Marshall-like.

Other notable finals

– Nebraska 50, Valpo 48

– Colorado 67, Dayton 57

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.

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.

George Washington adopts new name ‘Revolutionaries’ to replace ‘Colonials’

Associated PressMay 24, 2023, 7:12 PM EDT

Getty Images

WASHINGTON — George Washington University’s sports teams will now be known as the Revolutionaries, the school announced.

Revolutionaries replaces Colonials, which had been GW’s name since 1926. Officials made the decision last year to drop the old name after determining it no longer unified the community.

GW said 8,000 different names were suggested and 47,000 points of feedback made during the 12-month process. Revolutionaries won out over the other final choices of Ambassadors, Blue Fog and Sentinels.

“I am very grateful for the active engagement of our community throughout the development of the new moniker,” president Mark S. Wrighton said. “This process was truly driven by our students, faculty, staff and alumni, and the result is a moniker that broadly reflects our community – and our distinguished and distinguishable GW spirit.”

George the mascot will stay and a new logo developed soon for the Revolutionaries name that takes effect for the 2023-24 school year. The university is part of the Atlantic 10 Conference.