Late Night Snacks: Recapping the tournament’s first REAL day

By Rob DausterMar 22, 2013, 2:26 AM EDT

PLAYER OF THE DAY: Andrew Smith, Butler

Smith finished with 14 points and 16 boards in the Bulldog’s win over No. 11 seed Bucknell. He also hit a three midway through the second half that not only was Butler’s first on the afternoon (they were 0-14 from distance up to that point) but also helped stem the tide of a Bucknell run that had erased Butler’s double-digit lead.

But that wasn’t Smith’s most important contribution. Mike Muscala, the 6-foot-11 center for the Bison who just so happens to be a potential first round draft pick, finished with just nine points and 10 boards on 4-17 shooting, stymied by the defense of Smith and the rest of the Butler front line. That’s why the Bulldogs were able to win a tournament game on an afternoon where they, frankly, shot the ball horrendously from the floor.

Who else was good?:

Derrick Nix, Michigan State: The biggest player on arguably the biggest team in the tournament played like it, going for 23 points and 15 boards in a win over No. 14 seed Valparaiso.
Malcolm Armstead, Wichita State: Armstead finished with 22 points and five assists and helped hold Tray Woodall to 1-12 shooting and five turnovers as the Shockers beat No. 8 seed Pitt 73-55.
Dwayne Evans, St. Louis: Evans led the way with 24 points and six boards as the Billikens beat No. 13 seed New Mexico State.
Dorian Green, Colorado State: Green scored 17 of his 26 points in the first half as the Rams ran past Missouri.
Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway, Jr, Michigan: The Wolverines put No. 13 seed South Dakota State away easily on Thursday despite the fact that Trey Burke was 2-12 from the floor. GR3 and Hardaway finished with 42 points combined, shooting 16-21 from the field and 8-10 from three.

TEAM OF THE DAY: Harvard Crimson

You have got to feel good for the Crimson at this point. After losing their two best players in the preseason to an academic scandal, Harvard backed their way into the NCAA tournament when Princeton surprisingly lost a pair of games on the road on the final weekend of Ivy League play. But they managed to earn a 14 seed, and then pulled off a stunning upset of No. 3 seed New Mexico in the opening round of the tournament.

The Lobos were projected as a team that could make a run to the Final Four. They had the size to take advantage of Harvard’s smaller front line. They had the talent and the resume for most bracket analysts to simply look past that first round games. And Harvard still managed to beat Steve Alford’s team to pick up the first NCAA tournament win in the history of the program.

Who else was impressive?:

Oregon: I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Oregon. The No. 12 seed Ducks dominated a good Oklahoma State team from start to finish and made everyone realize just how silly their seeding truly was. The most important note? Dominic Artis finished with 13 points in 17 minutes, easily the best game he’s played since he returned from a foot injury. He had some explosive and confident moves in the mix.
Southern: I know they lost, but hats off to the Jaguars for giving No. 1 seed Gonzaga everything they could handle.

GAME OF THE DAY: Marquette 59, Davidson 58

This one is going to sting for a while:

[youtube=http://youtu.be/IL4kH5ATauU]

FIVE THOUGHTS:

1) So the Pac-12 is good again?: Two No. 12 seeds (Oregon and Cal) knocked off No. 5 seeds. No. 6 seed Arizona beat the trendy upset pick, No. 11 seed Belmont, in decisive fashion. That puts the Pac-12 at 3-0 in this year’s tournament with two very winnable games for No. 6 seed UCLA and No. 10 seed Colorado tomorrow. After being the laughing stock of college basketball for a couple of years, that has to feel good, especially when the Mountain West is now 1-3 in the tournament, with the two best teams heading how already.

2) Defining performance?: The defining moment of the first day of the NCAA tournament was probably Harvard’s win over New Mexico, but Davidson’s collapse and Marquette’s game-winner are definitely in the mix. But who had the defining performance? When the Player of the Day wins for the work he did on the defensive end, that should tell you something.

3) Sad to see seniors leave: What makes it worse is when they leave after a terrible performance. Matthew Dellavedova was not himself as Memphis stormed over St. Mary’s. Tray Woodall played one of the worst games of his career in Pitt’s loss to Wichita State. Both were in tears after the game.

4) Shaka’s ruthless: He was playing the team of the first guy to give him a DI job. Up 40 with eight minutes left, he was still pressing. Havoc never sleeps.

5) More excitement tomorrow?: Today turned out to be kind of a dud, but it seems like that happens with one day of the round of 64 every year. Where will the crazy come from on Friday?

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.

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.