Late Night Snacks: Seton Hall upsets No. 6 Villanova, Isaiah Taylor returns

By Jan 4, 2015, 12:22 AM EST
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(This post will be updated throughout the afternoon and evening.)

GAME OF THE DAY: Seton Hall 66, No. 6 Villanova 61 OT

Seton Hall landed their second huge win this week as they handed Villanova their first loss of the season on Saturday. Sterling Gibbs was, again, terrific, finishing with 20 points and four assists, while Khadeen Carrington came off the bench to score 17 important points. Earlier this week, the Pirates beat No. 15 St. John’s in their Big East opener.

Villanova shot 31.0 percent from the floor, 20.8 percent from three and 20-for-35 from the foul line on Saturday. Ryan Arcidiacono and Jayvaughn Pinkston combined to shoot 2-for-16 from the floor. Josh Hart wasn’t much better, finishing just 3-for-13. As much credit as Seton Hall deserves, Villanova’s inability to get anything out of anyone not named Daniel Ochefu — he had 19 points, 24 boards and altered about a dozen shots in the lane — cost them this game.

THE OTHER GAME OF THE DAY: Notre Dame 83, Georgia Tech 76 2OT

Jerian Grant scored 22 points and added six assists as the Fighting Irish rallied from a second half deficit to force overtime against Georgia Tech. Grant made a number of big plays down the stretch, but Notre Dame struggled from the free throw line in crucial moments, which is part of the reason that the Yellow Jackets were able to force the extra periods. Other than free throws, where Notre Dame really had issues was on the defensive glass (they gave up 18 offensive rebounds) and shooting from the perimeter (the Irish were 4-for-19 from three).

Oh, and Jerian Grant threw down the dunk of the year.

BUZZER BEATER OF THE DAY: Utah State hit a game-winning three to beat Boise State.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

No. 20 Ohio State 77, Illinois 61: D’angelo Russell finished with 22 points and four assists, shaking off some early turnover issues as he sparked a huge second half run for the Buckeyes. Russell entered the day shooting just 11-for-47 from the floor against high major competition, but he finished the afternoon 7-for-13 from the floor on Saturday. It was a much-needed win for the Buckeyes, who lost on their home floor to Iowa to open up the Big Ten portion of their schedule.

The Buckeyes got out and pressured man-to-man, creating turnovers and flustering Illinois during their game-changing second half run. It will be interesting to see if Thad Matta goes to that defense more often, as it seemed to infuse some life into OSU.

UConn 63, Florida 59: Ryan Boatright was just 2-for-11 from the floor, but he hit a number of critical free throws down the stretch and finished with six assists as the Huskies erased a 13-point second half deficit to beat Florida on the road. It was a huge win for UConn, who has really struggled throughout much of the non-conference portion of their schedule and who got solid showings from Omar Calhoun and Rodney Purvis, two guys that have not played well this season. But the bigger story may be Florida, who look more and more like an NIT team with each passing loss. The Gators lose to Florida State and UConn but they’re going to be the team to beat Kentucky this year?

No. 18 Oklahoma 73, No. 22 Baylor 63: TaShawn Thomas continues to get more comfortable in the Oklahoma offense, and his teammates are becoming more comfortable with him as well. The Houston transfer scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds on the afternoon as the Sooners beat Baylor in Norman, with Buddy Hield (20 points, ten rebounds) and Isaiah Cousins (19 points, eight rebounds) also being key contributors. Three players accounted for 50 of Baylor’s 63 points, with Johnathan Motley scoring 24 and Taurean Walker-Prince 17, with Kenny Chery and Royce O’Neale combining to score eight points on 2-for-14 shooting.

No. 3 Virginia 89, Miami 80 (2OT): The Cavaliers won one of five games to go at least two overtimes on Saturday, and at the half it didn’t look as if extra time would be needed to determine the outcome. The reigning ACC champions, who prior to Saturday were 0-6 at Miami, led 38-20 at the intermission and looked to be firmly in control. But Angel Rodriguez (25 points, seven assists) began making plays for the Hurricanes and stretch four Omar Sherman (13 points, six rebounds) hurt Virginia in multiple “pick and pop” situations to turn things around. Three Rodriguez free throws after being fouled by Justin Anderson with nine tenths of a second remaining forced overtime, with Anderson redeeming himself by knocking down a three to force a second overtime. London Perrantes was excellent for Virginia, scoring a career-high 26 points with Malcolm Brodgon limited to just eight.

STARRED

1. Farad Cobb, Cincinnati: Cobb game the Bearcats a scoring spark off the bench, finishing with 18 points as Cincinnati knocked off SMU in their American opener. It was the first game Cincinnati has played since finding out that Mick Cronin will be out for the year.

2. Billy Garrett Jr., DePaul: Garrett finished with 15 points, 10 assists and five boards as the Blue Demons moved to 2-0 in the Big East with a 71-68 win over Xavier.

STRUGGLED

1. Isaiah Taylor, Texas: Taylor finished with just eight points and five turnovers while shooting 2-for-10 from the floor as No. 11 Texas beat Texas Tech in their Big 12 opener. It was Taylor’s first game back from a wrist injury, and while he was rusty offensively, he did play very well defensively.

2. Marcus Foster, Kansas State: Kansas State has really struggled this season, losing again on Saturday, 61-47 at Oklahoma State. Foster went scoreless, taking just four shots after coming off the bench as head coach Bruce Weber tried to make a point to his star. He spent much of the game sulking on the bench, even when the Wildcats were up early.

3. Michigan’s guards: Caris LeVert, Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin combined to shoot 6-for-29 from the floor as the Wolverines blew an eight-point halftime lead in a 74-61 loss at Purdue.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25

  • Melo Trimble had 20 points and Dez Wells and Jake Layman combined for 24 as No. 12 Maryland got passed a scrappy Minnesota team in College Park, 70-58.
  • Despite 31 points from D’Angelo Harrison No. 15 St. John’s dropped its second straight, 73-69 to Butler. Kellen Dunham led the Bulldogs with 28.
  • Jahlil Okafor led four Blue Devils in double figures with 28 points and eight rebounds as No. 2 Duke took care of Boston College, 85-62.
  • Despite not having point guard Juwan Staten, who was sick, No. 17 West Virginia handed TCU its first loss of the season. Gary Browne led a balanced effort for the Mountaineers in their 78-67 win, scoring 16 points.
  • Five players scored in double figures, led by Joshua Smith (15 points), as No. 25 Georgetown beat Creighton 76-61 in Washington, D.C.
  • Duane Notice scored 15 points and Ty Johnson and Sindarius Thornwell added 13 apiece as South Carolina beat No. 9 Iowa State 64-60 in Brooklyn. The Cyclones shot 1-for-18 from three on the night.
  • No. 24 Colorado State became the third team to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, with New Mexico beating the Rams 66-53. Craig Neal’s Lobos scored 42 of their 66 points in the paint.
  • Kevin Pangos and Przemek Karnowski scored 21 points apiece as No. 7 Gonzaga won 87-75 at Portland. The Bulldogs are now 3-0 in the WCC, with all three wins coming on the road.
  • Justin Jackson scored 13 points and Kennedy Meeks added 12 to go along with 12 rebounds as No. 19 North Carolina won 74-50 at Clemson.

NOTABLES

  • Justin Bibbs has 22 points and 11 boards to help Virginia Tech erase a 19-point halftime deficit, but a three at the buzzer fell short and the Hokies lost to Syracuse, 68-66. Trevor Cooney had 18 to lead the Orange.
  • Trevor Lacey bounced back from a rough night in an ugly loss against Cincinnati with 19 points as N.C. State smacked around Pitt.
  • Juan Anderson led four players in double-figures with 18 points as Marquette knocked off Providence in Milwaukee.
  • Kevin Larsen continued his excellent run of play, going for 15 points, nine boards and five assists in a 64-60 win over St. Joseph’s in their Atlantic 10 opener.
  • Arkansas blew out Utah Valley State, which wasn’t notable for anything other than this dunk.
  • Hassan Martin had 15 points to lead four players in double-figures as Rhode Island went into Saint Louis and knocked off the Billikens 65-53.
  • Vanderbilt survived Yale in a thriller in double-overtime, 79-74.
  • Rutgers picked up its first conference win as a member of the Big Ten, beating Penn State 50-46.
  • Joseph Young scored 27 points to lead Oregon to a 71-59 home win over rival Oregon State in the Pac-12 opener for both.
  • Davidson beat Richmond 81-67 in its first conference game as a member of the Atlantic 10, with Jack Gibbs scoring 32 points to lead the way.
  • Marvelle Harris scored 25 points to lead Fresno State to a 59-57 win over San Diego State. The Bulldogs led by as much as 18, but managed to get the win despite the Aztecs going on a 17-0 second half run. The loss ends San Diego State’s 47-game win streak against teams from the State of California.
  • The nation’s leader in triple-doubles this season: BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth. Collinsworth accounted for 12 points, 12 rebounds and ten assists in the Cougars’ blowout win at San Francisco.

Charlotte head coach Ron Sanchez resigns after winning CBI title

Associated PressJun 7, 2023, 1:39 PM EDT
Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ron Sanchez resigned as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers.

Sanchez took over the 49ers on March 19, 2018, inheriting a team coming off a 6-23 campaign. In five years Charlotte went 72-78 under Sanchez, highlighted by winning the College Basketball Invitational championship this past season, the Niners’ first post-season tournament title in school history.

The 22 wins this past season are the most for Charlotte since 2001.

“Ron took over a proud but struggling program and carefully rebuilt it into a 22-game winner. He has led with class, dignity and devotion to our young men,” Charlotte director of athletics Mike Hill said. “His decision to step down from Charlotte was a difficult one for him and everyone associated with our program. We wish him and his family every happiness.”

Hill said the team has already begun a national search for a replacement.

“This is a bittersweet day for me and my family as I step down to pursue other opportunities,” said Sanchez, who came the 49ers after working as an assistant coach at Virginia under Tony Bennett. “It has been a tremendous privilege to lead the 49ers basketball program over the past five years and I want to thank Niner Nation for its support. I will be forever grateful to my staff, players and the university.”

Marquette extends Shaka Smart’s contract through 2029-30 season

Associated PressJun 6, 2023, 9:55 PM EDT
marquette smart
Adam Cairns/USA TODAY NETWORK
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MILWAUKEE — Marquette coach Shaka Smart has received a contract extension after leading the Golden Eagles to their first outright regular-season championship and tournament title in the Big East.

Smart’s contract now runs through the 2029-30 season. This is the first extension Smart has received since signing a six-year deal when he took over as Marquette’s coach in 2021.

Marquette didn’t release financial terms of Smart’s deal.

“In a very short period of time, Shaka and his staff have done a tremendous job of establishing a winning culture, both on and off the court,” athletic director Bill Scholl said in a statement. “Shaka’s vision for the program is focused on extended, sustainable success. The individuals who interact with the team on a daily basis are able to observe frequent examples of growth and the excitement around the program is contagious.”

Marquette has gone 48-20 in Smart’s two seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament each of those years.

The Golden Eagles went 29-7 and won the Big East’s regular-season and tournament championships last season after the league’s coaches had picked them to finish ninth out of 11 teams. Marquette’s season ended with a 69-60 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32.

Purdue’s Edey returning to school at NBA draft deadline; Kentucky’s Tshiebwe stays in

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 11:17 AM EDT
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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Purdue’s Zach Edey decided it was the right call to go back to school instead of staying in the NBA draft. His predecessor as national player of the year, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, is sticking with his pro pursuit.

And Connecticut’s reign as NCAA champion will begin with multiple starters having left for the NBA draft and one returning after flirting with doing the same.

The 7-foot-4 Edey and UConn guard Tristen Newton were among the notable names to announce that they were withdrawing from the draft, the NCAA’s deadline for players who declared as early entrants to pull out and retain their college eligibility.

Edey’s decision came in social media posts from both the center and the Boilermakers program that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament behind Edey, The Associated Press men’s national player of the year.

But Tshiebwe announced late in the afternoon that he would remain in the draft after a college career that included being named the AP national player of the year in 2022.

For the current champions, Newton (10.1 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds) is returning after being one of four Huskies to declare for the draft after a run to UConn’s fifth national championship in early April. He scored a game-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds in the victory over San Diego State in the title game.

The others were Final Four Most Outstanding Player Adama Sanogo, wing Jordan Hawkins and versatile guard Andre Jackson Jr. Sanogo (17.8 points) and Hawkins (16.3) have made it clear they have closed the door on their college careers, while team spokesman Phil Chardis said that Jackson (6.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists) would remain in the draft.

The Huskies have 247sports’ No. 3-ranked recruiting class for next year to restock the roster, led by McDonald’s All-American point guard Stephon Castle.

The NBA’s withdrawal deadline is June 12, but is moot when it comes to college players returning to school due to the NCAA’s earlier timeline to retain playing eligibility.

STAYING IN SCHOOL

TREY ALEXANDER: Creighton gets back a 6-4 guard who averaged 13.6 points and shot 41% from 3-point range in his first full season as a starter.

ADEM BONA: The 6-foot-10 forward and Pac-12 freshman of the year is returning to UCLA after starting 32 games as a rookie and averaging 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks – with coach Mick Cronin praising his toughness for “competing through multiple injuries for as long as he could” in a statement Wednesday.

EDEY: He averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists while shooting 60.7% from the field. His presence alone helps Purdue be a factor in the Big Ten race.

JOSIAH-JORDAN JAMES: The 6-6 guard went through the NBA G League Combine and had workouts with multiple teams before opting to return to Tennessee for a fifth season alongside teammate Santiago Vescovi.

JUDAH MINTZ: The 6-3 freshman averaged 16.3 points and 4.6 assists for Syracuse, ranking third among Division I freshmen in scoring behind only Alabama’s Brandon Miller and Lamar’s Nate Calmese.

OWLS’ RETURNEES: Florida Atlantic got good news after its surprise Final Four run with the return leading scorers Johnell Davis (13.8) and Alijah Martin (13.4). ESPN first reported their decisions, while Martin later posted a social media statement.

TERRENCE SHANNON JR.: Illinois got a big boost with Shannon announcing his night in a social media post. The 6-6 guard is returning for a fifth college season after averaging 17.2 points.

SPARTANS’ RETURNEES: Michigan State announced that guards Jaden Akins and A.J. Hoggard have withdrawn from the NBA draft. Standout guard Tyson Walker had previously withdrawn in April, setting up Tom Izzo to have five of his top scorers back.

GOING PRO

KOBE BROWN: Missouri’s 6-8 swingman opted against returning for a fifth college season after being an AP first-team all-Southeastern Conference pick averaging 15.8 points last season.

JAYLEN CLARK: The third-year UCLA guard averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while leading the Pac-12 with 2.6 steals en route to being named Naismith national defensive player of the year. Cronin called him a winner with strong intangibles who made UCLA “a better program because he chose to be a Bruin.”

BRICE SENSABAUGH: The Ohio State freshman averaged 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 31 games before missing his final two in the Big Ten Tournament due to a knee injury. He’s a potential first-round prospect.

TSHIEBWE: The 6-9, 260-pound forward is a tough interior presence who led the country in rebounds for two straight seasons (15.1 in 2022, 13.7 in 2023) while racking up 48 double-doubles. But he faces an uncertain next stop and is projected at best as a second-round prospect.

North Carolina transfer Caleb Love commits to Arizona

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 10:59 AM EDT
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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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
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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.