Late Night Snacks: Introing a Marshall Henderson shot-tracker

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Games of the Day

UTEP 91, Oregon 84 3OT: Triple OT is always exciting, right? Sadly, there were no buzzer-beaters at the end of any of the four periods. The biggest shot of the game came from Konner Tucker, who hit a three to put UTEP up five in the final minute of the third OT. This is a huge loss for Oregon, who entered the game 9-1 on the season. The Ducks had their eyes sets on a potential at-large bid this season, but this loss won’t help that cause. And hey, Tim Floyd, for all that’s wrong with him, will always be a good ball coach.

Illinois State 74, Dayton 73: Illinois State picked up a huge road win on Wednesday night, hanging on to beat a good Dayton team. But the Redbirds caught a couple of breaks. For starters, Dayton’s star point guard Kevin Dillard left the game with 4:29 remaining due to back spasms. Dillard had helped to erase ISU’s double-digit first half lead. Up three with 40 seconds left, the Redbirds ran a dreadful out of bounds play that led directly to a Dayton layup. On the ensuing possession, ISU’s Johnny Hill missed a front end, giving Dayton a chance to win. The Flyers missed a three and then missed a decent look at the buzzer off of the offensive rebound.

Important Outcomes

Wisconsin-Green Bay 49, Marquette 47: Marquette needs Todd Mayo back. They simply don’t have enough scoring pop on their perimeter without him. How bad are things in Milwaukee right now? Green Bay had lost seven of their last eight coming in, and they beat the Golden Eagles despite playing with their second leading scorer and rebounder Brennan Cougill.

Canisius 72, Temple 62: This is a bad loss for Temple, especially considering they played at home, but it’s not a crushing blow. Canisius is actually pretty good this season. They hung with Syracuse for 25 minutes on Saturday, and they have a pretty good guard in former Rhody Ram Billy Baron.

No. 11 Cincinnati 60, Xavier 45: More than anything, it was good to see this rivalry get played without a hitch in an environment that had the potential to be combustible. We wrote more here.

Texas 85, No. 23 North Carolina 67: This is a nice win for Texas, but it came with an asterisk as they lost Myck Kabongo for the season. But this loss is troubling for UNC. We wrote more here.

Starred

Jesse Morgan, UMass: Morgan popped off for 35 points on 7-10 shooting from three in the Minutemen’s win over Ohio.

Jackie Carmichael, Illinois State: Carmichael, who is shooting up draft boards, had 25 points and 12 boards in a win over Dayton.

Kendall Williams, New Mexico: Williams was terrific, finishing with 24 points as New Mexico beat in-state rivals New Mexico State for the second time in five days.

Anthony Bennett, UNLV: Bennett had 20 points, 12 boards and three blocks as the Rebels knocked off a good Northern Iowa team. Bennett is a freak, and he’s the reason Mike Moser may be out of a job.

Struggled

Clemson: The Tigers were 17-53 from the floor, 4-21 from three and committed 18 turnovers in route to a 23 point loss to Coastal Carolina. It’s the second straight year the Chanticleers have beaten the Tigers.

Kenny Boynton, Florida: Was last year’s non-conference play a fluke for Boynton? He shot 46.7% from three in those 15 games. The rest of his career he’s a 31.9% three-point shooter. A 1-7 performance from three — where all he took where three-pointers — dropped his percentage to 28.6% this season. He’s 3-27 over the last four games. Yuck. At least Florida blew out SE Louisiana.

Marshall Plumlee, Duke: After making his long-awaited Duke debut, Plumlee last all of two minutes before spraining his foot.

The Rest of the Top 25

– No. 5 Louisville 79, FIU 55
– No. 6 Indiana 93, Mount St. Mary’s 54
– No. 14 Gonzaga 74, Campbell 52
– No. 17 Creighton 71, Tulsa 54
– No. 22 Notre Dame 85, Kennesaw State 57
– No. 24 Oklahoma State 69, UT-Arlington 44

Other Notable Scores

– Pitt 71, Delaware State 43
– Charlotte 68, Radford 52
– Belmont 76, South Dakota 49
– Alabama 66, Texas Tech 62
– Murray State 61, Arkansas 54
– Colorado State 78, UC-Bakersfield
– West Virgnia 76, Oakland 71
– St. Mary’s 74, Pacific 46

Marshall Henderson Shot-Tracker: (For those that are wondering, the reason we are tracking Marshall Henderson’s shots is that he’s the most prolific three-point shooter in america. Not by percentage standards; he’s averaging double-figures in long range bombs attempted per game. #ShootMoreMarshall)

Henderson finished with 18 points in a 73-70 win over Loyola Marymount, but he had a relatively quiet night by his standards. Henderson was 4-9 from beyond the arc and 5-13 from the floor overall, meaning that he’s now averaging 11.3 threes attempted per game. On the season Henderson has now taken 102 threes — while hitting 35.3% of them — and just 23 shots from inside the arc. #ShootMoreMarshall

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

Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK
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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

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
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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

kansas mccullar
Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports
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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

clemson pj hall
Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports
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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’

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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.