Late night snacks: Shabazz and Chaminade make the headlines

By David HartenNov 20, 2012, 2:33 AM EST

The first day of Maui and we had to classic moments from a tournament that always delivers a few. Shabazz Muhammad makes his UCLA debut in Brooklyn, and all the stats you can shake a stat sheet at. Here’s your daily recap.

Games of the Night

Chaminade 86, Texas 63 – This one takes it. Division II Chaminade takes down mighty Texas in a game that they controlled from the beginning. A 32-point night from De’Andre Haskins propelled the Silverswords. Great night for the hosts of the Maui Invitational.

New Mexico 66, UConn 60 – It’s a statement game for New Mexico, who has been buried under San Diego State and UNLV in terms of headlines in the Mountain West Conference this preseason. They hit all 21 of their free throws and Kendall Williams had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in the win to give the Lobos the Paradise Jam title.

Butler 72, Marquette 71 – It was more about the shot than the game. Junior Cadougan missed the second of two free throws, Butler’s Khyle Marshall rebounded and got it to Rotnei Clarke, who weaved his way down the court and launched a running 30-footer as the buzzer sounded that dropped and gave Butler the win. Great way to start the Maui Invitational.

Georgetown 78, UCLA 70 – Retuuuurn of Shabazz (get it?). Yea, well, anyway, Shabazz Muhammad made his collegiate debut to the tune of 15 points in the Bruins first loss of the season. He was sporadic, he was indecisive, he was a freshman in his first game of the season. He’ll be fine. It’s just good to have him on the court.

St. Louis 70, Texas A&M 49 – With all the buzzer-beaters, upsets and debuting superstars, this game was lost. The Billikens, playing in their first game since hearing the news that coach Rick Majerus would retire after taking a leave of absence from coaching for the season, ran the Aggies off the court. Dwayne Evans had 21 points for St. Louis, who shot 51-percent from the field (25-for-49).

Starred

Rotnei Clarke, Butler – It’s all about the shot. Despite a 7-for-21 shooting night, Clarke shook it off and hit a running 30-footer at the buzzer to give the Bulldogs the win over the Golden Eagles. The line itself was vintage Clarke, who never saw a shot he didn’t like. One great shot can make up for a night of bad ones.

De’Andre Haskins, Chaminade – A special shoutout to the Division II boys in this one. A former Division I player at Valparaiso, Haskins went for 32 points in the Silverswords stunner over Texas. The guy played like he deserved to be back in the high ranks and showed absolutely no fear on the court.

Kendrick Perry, Youngstown State – The Horizon League Player of the Year candidate furthered his case, pouring in 34 points on 13-of-25 shooting and eight boards in 83-80 loss to North Dakota State. The loss doesn’t make the production any less impressive, considering Perry does so much for the Penguins. He’s incredibly legit.

Bilal Dixon, Towson – The opponent is what kept Dixon from getting the “stuffing the stat sheet” honor, but nonetheless, 10 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks in 79-40 victory over Cincinnati Christian isn’t a bad day at work.

Tony Mitchell, North Texas – Looks like the Mean Green are starting to come out of their earlier funk — including a loss to Division II Alabama-Huntsville. Franklin dropping 21 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists in 80-66 win over IUPUI. Franklin’s starting to post the consistent numbers everyone thought he would from the beginning this season.

Struggled

USC – Blame it on Hawaii? From beginning to end, the Trojans just didn’t show up in a 94-64 loss to Illinois in the nightcap of the Maui Invitational. The Trojans shot 42-percent overall (22-for-50), but hit just three threes and never seemed to find a rhythm at all. The reward for losing? A date with the recently-upset Texas Longhorns on Tuesday.

Elston Turner, Texas A&M – He led the Aggies with 16 points but went 5-for-12 to get it and committed four turnovers. He’s the leader and clear-cut best player on a team that got housed by St. Louis 70-49. They’ll need better overall games from him.

Arsalan Kazemi, Oregon – The transfer from Rice learned he was eligible this season a matter of weeks ago, I’ll admit, but he hasn’t had the best start to the season in a situation he asked for. The senior went 1-for-5 for two points in 24 minutes in a 67-45 victory over Jacksonville State. To his credit, he did have eight rebounds and five steals. But he’s a scorer and the Ducks will need points from him down the road.

Stuffing the stat sheet

Travis McKie, Wake Forest – The Demon Deacons beat Mercer 74-71 tonight behind McKie’s 23 points, 15 rebounds, three steals in 37 minutes. He was also 11-for-14 from the free throw line. The junior is averaging 13.3 points and eight rebounds so far this season. He’ll need more games like that for the Deacs to make a return to any postseason tournament.

Fanbases that can take a breath

New Mexico – There’s been a number of question marks in the post for the Lobos. None of that seems to matter now. After a comeback win in Marathon Madness a week ago, the Lobos earned the Paradise Jam title with the victory over UConn. Big man Alex Kirk had 10 points and four rebounds while the guards hit the boards too, with Hugh Greenwood ripping down seven rebounds to go along with 12 points. They were a perfect 21-for-21 from the free throw line and four starters finished in double figures. New Mexico looks good early.

Fanbases that can take a seat

Texas – I’ve said it enough tonight. The Longhorns lost to Chaminade 86-73 and it didn’t even seem as close as the score. Texas has a lot of work to do to get better and as long as Myck Kabongo is out, it’s not going to make the work any easier.

David Harten is the editor of The Backboard Chronicles. You can follow him on Twitter at @David_Harten.

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.