The Morning Mix

By Troy MachirFeb 4, 2013, 8:00 AM EST

Anybody else watch The PuppyBowl last night? It was great. No power outages, no bad commercials, no holding penalties, no Ray Lewis bible verses. Just puppies. And kittens. And baby pigs. Like I said, it was great. But I’m sure you had fun too.

Let’s hit the links.

Monday’s Top games:
7:00 p.m. – Notre Dame @ No. 6 Syracuse
7:00 p.m. – Oklahoma @ Iowa State
7:00 p.m. – George Mason @ Old Dominion (NBC Sports)
9:00 p.m. – Seton Hall @ Pittsburgh
9:00 p.m. – Texas @ West Virginia

Read of the Day:
John Feinstein on how Northern Illinois head coach Mark Montgomery has found positives in the wake of the Huskies’ 4-point first half performance against Eastern Michigan. Read it. (Washington Post)

Top Stories:
Should we be concerned No. 2 Kansas losing to Oklahoma State? For the first time in 33 games, the Kansas Jayhawks walked off the court at Allen Fieldhouse on the wrong side of the ledger, falling to Oklahoma State 85-80. But With how strong Kansas has been all season, how concerned should we really be about their loss on Saturday.

Cody Zeller, the nation’s best role player, lifts Indiana to 1st in Big Ten: Cody Zeller entered the season as the most heralded player in the country. Although he’s had a fine season, he hasn’t been his team’s best player. But when the Hoosiers to make big plays, Zeller is the guy they go to.

Report: Sun Belt may raid SoCon to add two new members: Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson sent out an email containing a new map of the Sun Belt Conference that included both Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. This is pretty interesting stuff.

Air Force moves into 2nd place in MWC by beating No. 22 San Diego State: Michael Lyons finished with 20 points, five boards and four assists as Air Force held serve on their home floor, knocking off No. 22 San Diego State 70-67. The win is the fifth in a row for the Falcons, and puts them in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West.

No. 14 Miami outlasts No. 19 NC State with a tip-in at the buzzer: Reggie Johnson tipped-in a missed runner from Shane Larkin with 0.8 seconds left to give No. 14 Miami a 78-77 win over No. 19 NC State in Raleigh on Saturday afternoon. NC State played great for 37 minutes, but struggled to execute down the stretch without guard Lorenzo Brown, who did not play due to injury.

No. 15 Wichita State loses second straight conference game, falls to Northern Iowa: Four days after falling to a pesky Indiana State team, the Shockers lost on the road to unranked Northern Iowa, 57-52. Carl Hall was the lone bright spot for Wichita State Saturday, going 8-of-13 from the field for 20 points and five rebounds.

No Dominic Artis makes Oregon worst ball-handling nationally? Having missed a win over Washington and losses in the Bay Area to Stanford and now Cal, The Ducks fall to 1-2 without the services of freshman point guard Dominic Artis. In those three games, the Ducks have committed 65 turnovers and rank 286th in the nation in turnover percentage, giving the ball away on 22.6% of their possessions.

Keith Dambrot’s Akron Zips nation’s hottest team with 13 straight wins: Heading in to the weekend, the Kansas Jayhawks had the nation’s longest active winning streak, having won 18 straight. But with the loss to Oklahoma State at home, the red-hot Akron Zips become the new leaders, having won 13 in a row, including a 8-72 win over reigning MAC champions Ohio.

No. 4 Florida continues their SEC domination with win over Ole Miss: Marshall Henderson had one of his best games of the season, and Ole Miss still came up 14 points short against Florida. The Gators are not beating SEC teams. They are destroying them. It is hard to see this team losing a conference game this season.

VIDEO: Eastern Kentucky’s Marcus Lewis alley-oop is Saturday’s best dunk: College hoops fans were treated to an excellent Saturday on the hardwood. The top play from a fully loaded slate of games came from Eastern Kentucky’s Marcus Lewis, who torched one defender before posterizing another.

Hoops Housekeeping:
– Three days after being suspended for a violation of team rules, Evansville junior swingman Jordan Jahr has been kicked off the Purple Aces basketball team. He will complete the spring semester as the university. (ESPN)

– St. John’s guard Jamal Branch sprained his knee on Saturday against Georgetown after Nate Lubick fell on top of it while going for a loose ball underneath the basketball. Branch is expected to miss the next few games. (Rumble in the Garden)

– Jermaine Lawrence, a 5-star forward in the class of 2013 committed to Cincinnati on Sunday. (Sporting News)

– The pairings for the final installment of ESPN BracketBusters will be announced later today. (Courier-Press)

Observations & Insight:
– In his latest “Fast Break” column, Seth Davis has good things to say about Nerlens Noel, Julian Gamble, Marcus Smart and Georgia State freshman R.J. Hunter. (Sports Illustrated)

– Henderson praises Florida defense, Gators praise Henderson’s scoring. Not exactly what I expected from post-game in Gainesville. (Sporting News)

– Myron Medcalf provides his observations from a full Saturday of college hoops. (ESPN)

– Gary Parrish asks a very good question: What ACC team is going to stop Miami? (Eye on College Basketball)

– After watching the Michigan take Indiana to the wire on Saturday night, Dana O’Neil is positive the Hoosiers and Wolverines are the top two teams in the nation. (ESPN)

– Jimmy Burch has a interesting and reasonable explanation as to why he thinks the Big-XII is not done with expansion. (Dallas Star-Telegram)

– John Gasaway thinks that turnover issues could plague Indiana down the road. (ESPN Insider)

– Does Kansas have a point guard? Bill Self doesn’t think his team does. (Sporting News)

– A Bryce Cotton jumper sends Villanova on a two-game losing streak following their back-to-back wins over Syracuse and Louisville. (Friar Basketball)

– Come Selection Sunday, which is less than 1,000 hours away, there may not be a more difficult team to analyze than Xavier. But are they ready for March Madness? It doesn’t look like it. (Roundball Direct)

– Illinois is looking to make major renovations to Assembly Hall and are reaching out to everyone for donations. (Champagne Room)

– Decked out in all pink, the Creighton Bluejays beat Bradley and took position at atop the Missouri Valley Conference. (The Dagger)

– Kevin Parrom was ejected from Arizona’s game on Saturday night again Washington State for intentionally elbowing DeVonte Lacy in the head. (Arizona Daily Star)

– Velton Jones was a game time decision for Robert Morris heading into their NEC Championship game rematch against LIU-Brooklyn on Saturday. The star guard battled through a shoulder injury and hit the game-winning shot with 15 seconds left to revenge last season’s loss for the Colonials. (Pittsburgh Sports Report)

Video(s) of the Day:
Go to the :18sec.mark to see a guy play the air-bongos on Jay Bilas’ head. (Bacon Sports)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unSrKNqAYmg&w=560&h=315%5D

Video(s) of the Day:
Did Nerlens Noel trip a Texas A&M player on purpose? Noel isn’t the type of player that typically does something like that, but it kinda sorta looks like he’s trying to trip him. Will we ever find out? Who knows?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx8oOm7jiBI&w=560&h=315%5D

Dunk(s) of the Day:
You know if was a good weekend when a a dunk like this wasn’t the best of the lot. (Big Sky BBall)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_ERlUdff7E&w=560&h=315%5D

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.