Atlantic 10 releases schedule, Dayton to visit VCU on February 28

By Raphielle JohnsonAug 27, 2014, 9:15 PM EDT

The Atlantic 10, which had six teams reach the NCAA tournament last season, released its full schedule on Wednesday and there are a number of quality games on the slate. Dayton, which reached the Elite Eight last year, and VCU are expected to be two of the teams battling it out for conference supremacy in 2014-15 and they’re scheduled to meet just once.

That game will be played on February 28 in Richmond, and the contest should have a major impact on the Atlantic 10 race. Conference play tips off with six games on Saturday, January 3 with three of those contests scheduled to be broadcast on NBC Sports Network. Among those games is Davidson’s inaugural game as an Atlantic 10 member, with Bob McKillop’s Wildcats hosting Dayton. The other games to be played on that day are Dayton hosting Duquesne and Rhode Island visiting reigning regular season champion Saint Louis.

Some other conference games that will be interesting to watch are:

– VCU at Rhode Island, January 13: URI’s received some attention this offseason, with the expectation being that Dan Hurley’s team will take a step forward in 2014-15. We’ll learn some things about E.C. Matthews and company when VCU visits the Ryan Center.

– Dayton at Massachusetts, January 29: The Minutemen lost Chaz Williams but they return some key pieces from last season, and West Virginia transfer Jabarie Hinds is now eligible to play. The combination of their style of play and Dayton’s depth should make for a good contest in Amherst.

– VCU at George Washington, February 14: There are some good college basketball matchups scheduled for Valentine’s Day and this is one of them. Mike Lonergan’s building a good program at George Washington, and the Colonials should be among the contenders in the Atlantic 10 this season.

– Saint Louis at Duquesne, February 25: The Billikens will have to replace a very successful senior class, a group that included Jordair Jett and Dwayne Evans Jr. Can Jim Crews keep the momentum going? That’s one of the big questions hovering over the A-10 this offseason. This game will include a Duquesne team led by guards Micah Mason and Derrick Colter.

– La Salle at Saint Joseph’s, March 4: Both teams took some key personnel hits at the end of last season, but it doesn’t get much better than a battle between Big 5 rivals (not sure which of their two meetings will count in the Big 5 standings). And by this point in the season, Saint Joseph’s sophomore DeAndre Bembry could be regarded as one of the best players in the conference.

The NBC Sports Network Atlantic 10 schedule (conference games):

January 3: Duquesne at Dayton, 1:00 p.m.
January 3: Rhode Island at Saint Louis, 3:00 p.m.
January 3: Richmond at Davidson, 5:00 p.m.

January 8: George Mason at Richmond, 7:00 p.m.

January 10: George Washington at La Salle, 12:30 p.m.

January 17: Saint Louis at Dayton, 12:30 p.m.
January 17: Rhode Island at Massachusetts, 2:30 p.m.
January 17: George Mason at George Washington, 4:30 p.m.

January 18: Saint Joseph’s at St. Bonaventure, 2:30 p.m.

January 22: George Washington at Fordham, 7:00 p.m.

January 31: Davidson at Saint Joseph’s, 12:30 p.m.

February 5: Richmond at La Salle, 6:30 p.m.

February 7: VCU at St. Bonaventure, 2:00 p.m.
February 7: Saint Louis at Fordham, 4:00 p.m.

February 8: Rhode Island at Richmond, 2:30 p.m.

February 14: St. Bonaventure at Dayton, 12:30 p.m.

February 15: Saint Joseph’s at Fordham, 2:30 p.m.

February 21: Dayton at Duquesne, 2:00 p.m.

February 22: La Salle at Saint Louis, 2:30 p.m.

February 28: Rhode Island at La Salle, 12:30 p.m.

March 7: Massachusetts at George Washington, 3:30 p.m.
March 7: George Mason at VCU, 5:30 p.m.

NBC Sports Network will also air the second round and quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament, which runs from March 11-15 and will once again be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Follow @raphiellej

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.