Saturday’s Snacks: No. 4 Duke rebounds to beat No. 2 Virginia, and No. 8 Notre Dame falls

By Scott PhillipsJan 31, 2015, 7:10 PM EST

GAME OF THE DAY: No. 4 Duke 69, No. 2 Virginia 63

It’s been a busy week for the Duke basketball program. First there was Mike Krzyzewski’s 1,000th career win on Sunday, followed by a loss at No. 8 Notre Dame on Wednesday and the dismissal of Rasheed Sulaimon on Thursday. Saturday night, the Blue Devils erased an 11-point second half deficit to hand the previously undefeated Cavaliers their first loss of the season. Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones made huge shots down the stretch, with Jones’ dagger of a three shutting the door with 9.9 seconds remaining. Jones scored 17 points, with Cook and Justise Winslow adding 15 apiece and Jahlil Okafor ten. Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 to lead the way for Virginia but it wasn’t enough, as Duke became the first team to shoot better than 50% against the Cavaliers this season. .

BUZZER-BEATER OF THE NIGHT: If you haven’t seen Trevor Lacey’s buzzer-beater to give N.C. State a road win at Georgia Tech, I suggest you check it out.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

1. Pitt 76, No. 8 Notre Dame 72

Earlier this week, Pitt fell on the road to Virginia Tech and Notre Dame beat Duke. So, naturally, the No. 8 Fighting Irish lost to the Panthers on the road on Saturday as the ACC continued its crazy conference season. Notre Dame had a tough time getting stops in the second half and James Robinson’s go-ahead runner with 12 seconds left gave Pitt the huge win. Robinson had his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 assists while Jamel Artis chipped in 20 points and eight rebounds.

2. No. 10 Louisville 78, No. 13 North Carolina 68 (OT)

When the Tar Heels led by 18 with 17:51 left in regulation the game was in their favor, as Roy Williams’ team defended well and kept the Cardinals out of the open floor. But Rick Pitino’s team kept fighting, ramping things up on both ends of the floor and eventually forcing overtime. From there it was all Louisville, with Terry Rozier rebounding from a slow start to score 22 points and grab ten rebounds with Montrezl Harrell adding 22 points of his own along with 15 rebounds. Marcus Paige, who left the game in the second half after rolling his ankle (he did return), scored 15 to lead the way for UNC but their foul shooting (11-for-20; minus-16 in points from the foul line) opened the door for a Louisville comeback.

3. No. 1 Kentucky 70, Alabama 55

With Virginia losing there’s just one undefeated team left in college basketball, with that team being the Kentucky Wildcats. UK took care of Alabama in Lexington, with Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns leading four double digit scorers with 12 points apiece. The Crimson Tide shot 4-for-16 from three and finished the game with four assists and 13 turnovers. If there’s a negative to take from this game for Kentucky it would be rebounding, as Alabama posted an offensive rebounding percentage of 42.9%. Kentucky’s Trey Lyles missed the game due to illness.

STARRED

1. Saint Joseph’s Deandre Bembry

The Hawks trailed by 13 at the half against Davidson and made a major second-half rally for a nice home win in the Atlantic 10. Bembry was the catalyst, as he went for 21 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists.

2. Illinois’ Malcolm Hill

Hill drove and made a go-ahead layup with a little over four seconds left to give Illinois a Big Ten home win over Penn State. Hill scored 27 and picked up the slack as Rayvonte Rice and Aaron Cosby were suspended before the game.

3. Drexel guard Damion Lee

Lee tallied 32 points on 10-for-14 shooting, 13 rebounds and three assists in the Dragons’ 85-76 win over UNCW.

4. USC Upstate’s Ty Greene

In USC Upstate’s 79-74 win at North Florida, Greene scored 39 points (13-for-19 FG, 8-for-11 3PT) to go along with four rebounds and three steals. UNF entered the game 6-0 in Atlantic Sun play.

STRUGGLED

1. Auburn’s Trayvon Reed

The freshman big man was ejected from the Tigers’ loss to Tennessee as he committed a silly technical foul after not lining up properly during a free throw. Reed only played three minutes and was also assessed a flagrant foul before being ejected. Reed on Saturday was like the basketball version of a hockey goon.

2. Creighton

Saturday was a bad day for the Bluejays, who lost 67-40 to Georgetown in Omaha. Greg McDermott’s team shot 20.8% (11-for-53) from the field.

3. Colorado’s Xavier Johnson

The junior forward had a tough go of it in the Buffaloes’ 72-59 loss at UCLA, going 0-for-7 from the field and failing to score.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25

Wisconsin earned a road win at Iowa as the No. 5 Badgers had 24 points and nine rebounds from Player of the Year candidate Frank Kaminsky.
Kansas jumped all over in-state rival Kansas State in the first half and never looked back as Perry Ellis had 16 points and 12 rebounds. The 9th-ranked Jayhawks moved to 7-1 in the Big 12 with the win.
It was tight for a half, but No. 15 Iowa State pulled away from TCU for an 83-66 home win. Georges Niang finished with 23 points and eight rebounds.
After only leading by six at the break, No. 17 West Virginia pulled away in the second half for an easy win over Texas Tech. Devin Williams led the Mountaineers with 18 points and eight rebounds.
No. 14 VCU suffered its first conference loss, 64-55 to Richmond, but the bigger loss was senior point guard Briante Weber. Weber will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee.
Defense was a big key for No. 21 Georgetown as they held Creighton without a field goal for 17 minutes in a road Big East win.
Seth Tuttle scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 18 Northern Iowa to a 70-54 win over No. 12 Wichita State. The two teams are now tied atop the Missouri Valley standings.
Kenny Chery accounted for 23 points, five assists and four rebounds, and Royce O’Neale added 20, eight rebounds and five assists as No. 20 Baylor rolled to an 83-60 win over No. 19 Texas.
No. 24 Oklahoma made things a bit more interesting than they needed to be down the stretch at Oklahoma State, but the Sooners managed to remain in front and win 64-56. Jordan Woodard led four starters in double figures with 17 points.
No. 3 Gonzaga took care of business at home, beat Memphis 82-64 with Przemek Karnowski scoring 17 to lead four players in double figures.

NOTABLES

Tulsa moved to 9-0 in the American with an overtime win over feisty South Florida. Junior forward Rashad Smith led the Golden Hurricane with 21 points.
Florida escaped with a controversial win over Arkansas as Michael Frazier was fouled with 1.9 seconds left and made both free throws for the one-point win.
Sterling Gibbs netted 22 points as Seton Hall defeated Xavier for a Big East home win. In his first game back from injury, Isaiah Whitehead had 19 points.
Tennessee cheered the return of former head coach Bruce Pearl and then cheered even more when the Volunteers beat Pearl’s Auburn team 71-63. Armani Moore had 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead Tennessee.
St. John’s held off Providence at home as Sir’Dominic Pointer had 20 points, including a sweet buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first half.
Temple held off Tulane for an American home win as Quenton DeCosey finished with a team-high 17 points.
A surprising win for Cleveland State over Green Bay in the Horizon League as Trey Lewis had 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Despite 25 points and 20 rebounds from Jordan Mickey, LSU lost on the road to Mississippi State.
Rhode Island is now in sole possession of second place in the Atlantic 10 after beating George Washington, 59-55. The Rams may be young but they don’t lack for talent, led by sophomores Hassan Martin (15 points, ten rebounds) and E.C. Matthews (ten points, four rebounds) and freshman Jared Terrell (17 points, six steals).
Texas A&M is a team to keep an eye on with regards to at-large bids in the SEC. Billy Kennedy’s team has now won six straight, as they beat Vanderbilt 69-58 in College Station.
South Dakota State moved to 8-2 in the Summit League with a 69-39 win over Denver, limiting the Pioneers to 12-for-36 shooting with 16 turnovers.
Wyoming and San Diego State remain tied atop the Mountain West standings, with both winning comfortably at home. The Cowboys took out Nevada, with the Aztecs beating Utah State by 20.
Washington State beat Stanford 89-88 in Pullman, with DaVonte’ Lacy scoring 25 points and Josh Hawkinson posting another double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Wazzu shot 55.3% from the field, and they won despite Chasson Randle scoring 33 points.
Murray State moved to 9-0 in OVC play with a 65-62 win over UT-Martin.
Stephen Austin is now 8-0 in Southland play after beating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 61-51. Brad Underwood is the fifth-fastest head coach to 50 wins in Division I history.
Texas Southern moved into a tie for first place in the SWAC with an 80-65 win over Alabama State, which entered the game 7-0 in conference play.
In a matchup of two one-loss teams in Big Sky play, Sacramento State defended their home court in beating Montana 70-69 on a Dylan Garrity three with six seconds remaining. The Hornets are now 9-1 in Big Sky games.

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Charlotte head coach Ron Sanchez resigns after winning CBI title

Associated PressJun 7, 2023, 1:39 PM EDT

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

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

Adam Cairns/USA TODAY NETWORK

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

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

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.