The Morning Mix

By Troy MachirJan 2, 2013, 8:00 AM EST

Well folks, 2013 has certainly started off on the bizarre foot. We witnessed something last night that I am certain I have never witnessed at the Division-I level. At the high school level and below, sure. But never at the collegiate level. Thank you Big East referees, for making sure we learn something new every day.

Lets hit the links.

Wednesday’s Top Games:
6:00 p.m. – Eastern Michigan @ Kentucky
6:00 p.m. – Providence @ No.4 Louisville
6:30 p.m. – Nebraska @ No. 8 Ohio State
7:00 p.m. – UPenn @ No. 17 Butler
7:00 p.m. – Rutgers @ No. 7 Syracuse
7:00 p.m. – No. 1 Duke vs. Davidson
8:00 p.m. – St. John’s @ Villanova
8:00 p.m. – Indiana State @ Northern Iowa
8:00 p.m. – No. 16 Creighton @ Illinois State
8:00 p.m. – Wyoming @ SMU
8:30 p.m. – No.11 Illinois @ Purdue
9:00 p.m. – LaSalle @ Miami (Fl.)
10:00 p.m. – San Francisco @ Santa Clara
10:00 p.m. – Cal State Bakersfield @ No. 19 San Diego State

Read of the Day:
Here’s the statement from the officials in charge of the Marquette vs. UConn game, which ended in controversial fashion. You just can’t have a good controversy without some Karl Hess. Read it. (Connecticut Post)

Jeremy Lunbladt of ESPN Stats & Info provides the information about the top ten likeliest coaches to join the 900 wins club. Read it. (ESPN)

Top Stories:
Referees allow UConn to go to the wrong basket in overtime:In a game that featured a furious rally in the final 10 seconds to force overtime, the only thing that anyone is going to be talking about after Marquette’s 82-76 win over UConn in the Big East opener for both teams is a mistake that cost UConn a bucket at the start of the extra period.

Late Night Snacks: Marquette outlasted UConn in overtime, but UConn got two points taken from them. Greg Gantt of Florida Atlantic had a big night oo.

Bruce Ellington back to hoops after beating Michigan in Outback Bowl: The Gamecock’s top point guard scored the winning touchdown for the football team on Tuesday afternoon against Michigan in the Outback bowl. Now that football season is over, he will join Frank Martin’s squad as they begin SEC play.

CBT Monthly Awards: Arizona earns accolades, everybody enjoyed Butler vs. Indiana: The College Basketball Talk writers get together to discuss which teams and players excelled in the month of December. Nobody is surprised to see Michigan at No. 2 and everybody is on the Kansas bandwagon.

Hoops Housekeeping
– Louisville’s Chane Behanen is doubtful for tonight’s game against Providence because of the flu. (Courier-Journal)

– Seton Hall reserve guard Freddie Jones has decided to transfer, leaving Kevin Willard with just eight scholarship players heading in to Big East play. (New Jersey Hoops Haven)

– Former-Seton Hall forward Herb Pope arrested for allegedly pulling gun in bar. (CBS Local Pittsburgh)

– Former-Arizona guard Marcus Williams failed a drug test in China and in doing so is the first doping case in the 17 year history of the Chinese Basketball Association. Can’t make this type of stuff up. (AZ Desert Swarm)

– 6-foot-11 California-native Kameron Rooks announced via Twitter yesterday that he has committed to the Cal Bears and Mike Montgomery (Cal Golden Blogs)

Observations & Insight:
– The Utah vs. Arizona State game features the “Battle of the Bachynskis” as ASU’s seven-foot senior Jordan Bachynski goes up against Utah’s seven-foot sophomore Dallin Bachynski. (Arizona Republic)

– Using a lot of stats that I can’t comprehend, Ken Pomeroy determines the conference winners for all 32 leagues (KenPom Blog)

– Parrish and Goodman compile their new Player of the Year top-ten list, no movement at the top. (Eye on College Basketball)

– Jeff Borzello updates us on his Freshman of the Year rankings. Bennett, Smart and McLemore are still at the top. (Eye on College Basketball)

– Duke sits atop the ACC power rankings with North Carolina State in at number two with Maryland rounding out the top-3. (Fox Sports Carolina)

– Matt Norlander has some solid suggestions for college hoops new years resolutions. The Rick Majerus Classic is a must. (Eye on College Basketball)

– An excellent-read from Glen Logan on what JohN Calipari needs to do to get Alex Poythress to reinvent himself. (A Sea of Blue)

– Arizona senior Kevin Parrom isn’t on the court when the game begins, but is almost always out there when it counts. (Arizona Daily Star)

– You probably didn’t notice, but Maryland has now won 12 straight games since losing to Kentucky by three in the season opener. The Terps will be ranked before the season’s end. (CSN Washington)

– I know some of you out there are itching for the Big Sky power rankings. (Big Sky Basketball)

– Ten predictions that may come true in 2013. (Scout.com)

Do you like the new Morning Mix? Hate it? Have a suggestion or want something featured? Troy Machir will take all your praise, insults and inquiries via Twitter (@TroyMachir)

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.