The Morning Mix

By Troy MachirJan 3, 2013, 8:00 AM EST

Your Thursday edition of The Morning Mix is being brought to you by all 11 of Troy Daniels’ 3-pointers last night. Yup, that’s right, VCU’s Troy Daniels hit 11 of his 20 3-point attempts. Dude was feeling it.

Also from last night, Jim Boeheim won the 903rd game of his career, surpassing Bobby Knight on the all-time list.

Lets hit the links.

Thursday’s Top Games:
7:00 p.m. – No. 2 Michigan @ Northwestern
7:00 p.m. – Northeastern @ George Mason (NBC Sports Network)
7:00 p.m. – Fairfield @ Canisius
8:00 p.m. – Colorado @ No. 3 Arizona
8:00 p.m. – Belmont @ Jacksonville State
8:30 p.m. – Penn State @ Wisconsin
9:00 p.m. – Loyola Marymount @ BYU
9:00 p.m. – No. 10 Gonzaga @ Pepperdine
10:00 p.m. – Stanford @ USC
11:00 p.m. – Cal @ UCLA

Read of the Day:
Luke Winn’s weekly power rankings. Get some. (Sports Illustrated)

Read of the Day:
The line separating motivation from “going to far” is getting blurred, according to college coaches. From Brendan Prunty of the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Read it. (New Jersey Star-Ledger)

Read of the Day:
Jon Gasaway on Arizona’s untapped potential and efficiency. It’s a great-read. Read it. (ESPN Insider)

Read of the Day:
Dana O’Neil hits a home run with her column on Jim Boeheim surpassing Bobby Knight on the all-time wins list. It’s never been about Jim, so obviously, his career is about much more than just a number. Read it. (ESPN)

Top Stories:
No. 11 Illinois falls in their Big Ten opener at Purdue: Winning on the road is not easy, and Purdue shut down an Illinois team not built to win on the road. Big Ten teams now have a blueprint on how to stop the Illini.

Episode 4 of the CBT Podcast: Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports joins the show this week to remind us how some of the conferences stack up heading in to the regular season. He does lots of talking. Troy does very little. It turned out to be the right choice. Give a listen to the best 30 minutes in college hoops.

Troy Daniels hits 11 threes in a game, has taken 15 twos this year? VCU’s Troy Daniels hit 11 3-pointers last night in the Rams 109-58 drubbing of East Tennessee State. In the last three games Daniels has shot 27-49 from beyond the arc. He has taken only 15 2-point field goals all season. AWESOME.

Trevis Simpson injured his ankle in the most bizarre way possible: Trevis Simpson is the best player on UNC-Greensboro. He’s also a freak athlete with rim-rocking capabilities. But the way he injured his ankle is just kinda bizarre. Automatic doors? Really?

Pac-12 Conference Catchup: Arizona is the favorite to win the Pac-12, and unless UCLA can make vast improvements (Which they just may), the gap between Arizona and the rest in the west is huge.

Conference Catchup for the CAA: Remember when the CAA was a three-bid league? Well, not anymore. The once-strong mid-major league is now being carried by George Mason. This was supposed to be Drexel’s year, but the Dragons have struggled, and the league now looks like it’s Mason or bust.

Jim Boeheim passes Knight for 2nd on career wins list: Syracuse defeated Rutgers 78-53 to give Jim Boeheim his 903rd career win, surpassing Bobby Knight on the all-time wins list.

West Coast Conference Catchup: Gonzaga looks to be the favorites again, but the race for second looks to be very close. BYU, Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara are all right there, and San Francisco has been a huge surprise.

Brad Stevens says he has ‘no shot’ at 900 wins: The 36-year old Butler head coach could get his 150th career win on Wednesday, and at his current pace, could get to the 900-wins plateau before sixty. But the youthful Bulldogs head coach said there is “no chance” of that happening.

Hoops Housekeeping
– Class of 2014 forward Leron Black has de-commited from Baylor and has reopened his recruitment. (Memphis Commercial-Appeal)

– Bradley center Will Egolf was charged with felony drug count and was released on bail yesterday (Peoria Journal-Star)

– Former-UCLA center Josh Smith has decided to transfer and will be eligible to play starting in January of 2014. (Eye on College Basketball)

Observations & Insight:
– Troy Daniels is just one of the many reasons why Jay Bilas has VCU as his top underrated team in the country. (ESPN Insider)

– Paul Biancardi ranks his top ten under-the-radar freshman, including shot-blocking phenom Chris Obekpa and Wisconsin slasher Sam Dekkar. (ESPN Insider)

– Memphis and Tennessee will face off on Friday for the last time, as the two schools are ending their non-conference series. It’s a shame too. But apparently Memphis wants to play Louisville and that’s it. (Memphis Commercial-Appeal)

– Conference-USA is a mess. If you want to read a conference rest about C-USA, here it is. But I’m warning you, it’s ugly. (Eye on College Basketball)

– Ken Pomeroy released his standings for the kPOY award, or KenPom Player of the Year Award. As you can imagine, there are a lot of statistics involved. (KenPom Blog)

– This is now the third straight week we’ve said this, but it does worth repeating: Boston College is not nearly as bad as we thought they would be. (Hoopville)

– Mason Plumlee had a bad game last night against Davidson. But his bad games are better than most players good games, which is a scary thought for the ACC. (The Sporting News)

– 13 things to watch out for in the Pac-12 in 2013 (PacHoops.com)

Odds & Ends:
– Troy Daniels of VCU almost broke Twitter last night. (Around The Horns)

– They aren’t joking around when they say Butler’s Blue II is the most media-savvy mascot in the country. (WISH-TV8)

– An excellent op-ed about Myck Kabongo, the media and the NCAA. Really good stuff. (Burnt Orange Nation)

Picture of the Day:
This is the best. Ever. (Around The Horns)

Dunk(s) of the Day:
I’m not big on high school dunks, but this is just silly. Ain’t nothing “high school” about that. (College Basketball Talk)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ah4Z7LadZx0]

Video(s) of the Day:
VCU’s Troy Daniels hit 11 3-pointers last night against East Tennessee State. Here is video of all 11. (H/T @VCUHorns)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C5Y1n8Auxc&feature=youtu.be]

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.