Late Night Snacks: No. 13 Kansas beats UNLV, No. 21 Washington falls at Stanford

By Jan 5, 2015, 12:35 AM EST
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GAME OF THE DAY: Indiana State 79, Evansville 75, OT

Evansville looked like a legitimate threat in the Valley after knocking off Northern Iowa earlier in the week, but they went on the road and dropped a tough one to Indiana State. The Sycamores got a monster outing from senior big man Jake Kitchell, as he went for 21 points and 11 rebounds. Kitchell had only scored in double figures twice before Sunday and only had one game with double-digit rebounds. The Purple Aces struggled to convert from the free-throw line in overtime as and Jaylon Moore missed four free throws with under two minutes left for Evansville. Indiana State winning as an under .500 team proves that winning on the road in the Valley is never easy.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

1. No. 13 Kansas 76, UNLV 61

The Jayhawks erased a four-point halftime deficit, playing better on both ends of the floor in taking care of a young UNLV team at Allen Fieldhouse. Frank Mason III led five Jayhawks in double figures with 18 points to go along with seven assists (two turnovers) and four rebounds. Kansas shot 60 percent from the field in the second half, scoring nearly 1.4 points per possession, and they also limited UNLV to 34.5% shooting from the field in the game’s final 20 minutes. Cody Doolin and Christian Wood scored 12 apiece to lead the way for the Runnin’ Rebels.

2. No. 8 Arizona 73, Arizona State 49: Sean Miller changed up his starting lineup on Sunday night, moving Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Elliot Pitts into a starting role over Stanley Johnson and Gabe York. The result? A blowout win over the Sun Devils, with Johnson, Hollis-Jefferson and Brandon Ashley leading the way with 13 points apiece.

3. Old Dominion 61, Charlotte 54

The Monarchs moved to 12-1 as they won their Conference USA opener on the road. Despite an off-day from Trey Freeman (5-for-14 shooting, 14 points), Old Dominion had a balanced effort on the offensive end and held the 49ers to 6-for-17 shooting from the 3-point line.

4. Colorado 86, USC 65

Colorado has been a bit of an early-season disappointment but they shot 55 percent from the field to pick up an easy home Pac-12 win over USC. The Buffaloes are now 2-0 in league play and have some momentum going into a huge stretch which features back-to-back-to-back road games at Utah, Arizona and Arizona State. Askia Booker paced Colorado with 18 points while Dustin Thomas and Xavier Johnson each had 17 points.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25

  • No. 4 Wisconsin his 12 threes in a 23-point win at Northwestern.
  • No. 10 Utah rolled to a 71-39 win over UCLA, with their defense limiting the Bruins to 28.8% shooting from the field. One UCLA player who can’t wait to get home: Bryce Alford, who shot 2-for-26 from the field in losses at Colorado and Utah.
  • No. 16 Wichita State put four players in double-figures, led by 15 from Ron Baker, as the Shockers knocked off Illinois State, 70-62.
  • No. 23 Northern Iowa rebounded from its loss at Evansville, beating Loyola (IL) 67-58 in Cedar Falls. Jeremy Morgan led the way for the Panthers with 18 points.
  • Stanford completed a home sweep of the Washington school late Sunday with a 68-60 overtime win over No. 21 Washington. Chasson Randle, whose layup in the final seconds of regulation forced overtime, led all scorers with 24 points and Anthony Brown added 16 for the Cardinal. Washington has now lost three in a row and is off to an 0-2 start to conference play.

STARRED

1. Chris Jones, Louisville: 22 points, 10 assists and three steals in a win at Wake Forest. It mattered so much I wrote about it here.

2. Juwan Howard Jr., Detroit

The senior had 26 points, six assists and five rebounds in a Horizon League win over Milwaukee. The remarkably consistent forward has scored in double figures in 15 of 16 games this season for the Titans.

3. Jaylen Bond and Will Cummings, Temple

In an afternoon in which Quenten DeCosey and Jesse Morgan combined to shoot 6-for-23, Bond and Cummings remained productive and efficient as they each went for 21 points in a win over UCF. Bond also added 14 rebounds in the AAC win and the Owls appear to have many different scoring options that can step up when others are having an off night.

4. Adrian Diaz, Florida International

The Golden Panthers earned a win over Florida Atlantic in their C-USA opener as the senior big man had 27 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.

STRUGGLED

1. Bryce Alford, UCLA

Alford once again struggled from the field in UCLA’s 71-39 loss at Utah, shooting 0-for-10 from the field and going scoreless. Alford, UCLA’s leading scorer, shot 2-for-26 in losses to Colorado and Utah.

2. David Kravish, Cal: After scoring a career-high 21 points against No. 21 Washington, Kravish had six points and was 2-for-9 from the floor in a home loss to Washington State. Cal lost to Bakersfield on Dec. 28th as well, two results that will be much-discussed on Selection Sunday.

NOTABLES

  • After taking a leave of absence in late November, Fordham sophomore Jon Severe returned against VCU and scored nine points off the bench. VCU won the game 75-58, with Treveon Graham and Briante Weber scoring 14 points apiece.
  • Tulsa earned an AAC win over Houston as James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison each scored 18 points.
  • A double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds from forward Shane Richards helped Manhattan top Canisius.
  • David Laury had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead Iona past Siena.
  • After missing out on a win at Stanford, Washington State managed to split the Bay Area road trip with a 69-66 win at Cal. The Cougars snapped an 18-game conference road losing streak with the win, and sophomore Josh Hawkinson tallied another double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

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.

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
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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
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Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports
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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
clemson pj hall
Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports
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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.

George Washington adopts new name ‘Revolutionaries’ to replace ‘Colonials’

Associated PressMay 24, 2023, 7:12 PM EDT
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WASHINGTON — George Washington University’s sports teams will now be known as the Revolutionaries, the school announced.

Revolutionaries replaces Colonials, which had been GW’s name since 1926. Officials made the decision last year to drop the old name after determining it no longer unified the community.

GW said 8,000 different names were suggested and 47,000 points of feedback made during the 12-month process. Revolutionaries won out over the other final choices of Ambassadors, Blue Fog and Sentinels.

“I am very grateful for the active engagement of our community throughout the development of the new moniker,” president Mark S. Wrighton said. “This process was truly driven by our students, faculty, staff and alumni, and the result is a moniker that broadly reflects our community – and our distinguished and distinguishable GW spirit.”

George the mascot will stay and a new logo developed soon for the Revolutionaries name that takes effect for the 2023-24 school year. The university is part of the Atlantic 10 Conference.