SATURDAY’S SNACKS: No. 2 Kansas, No. 5 Virginia win

By Scott Phillips and Raphielle JohnsonJan 2, 2016, 4:24 PM EST

Associated Press

GAME OF THE DAY: No. 19 West Virginia 87, Kansas State 83 (2OT)

If this game was any indicator of things to come, the Big 12 regular season is going to be ridiculous once again. The Mountaineers held on for the road win in the Octagon of Doom as Jaysean Paige had 25 points and seven rebounds. More on this one here.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

No. 2 Kansas 102, No. 23 Baylor 74: Two days before their showdown with No. 2 Oklahoma the Jayhawks made a major statement in their Big 12 opener, blowing out Baylor in Lawrence. The favorites to win the Big 12 (again), the Jayhawks showed why they’ll likely be the top team in the national rankings Monday.

No. 3 Oklahoma 87, No. 11 Iowa State 83: The Cyclones led for much of the game but were unable to hang on in Norman. Lon Kruger’s Sooners remain undefeated ahead of their showdown with Kansas Monday night, and they have a senior guard who struggled in their last game in Isaiah Cousins to thank for it.

No. 6 Xavier 88, No. 9 Butler 69: Convincing Big East home win for the Musketeers, who played without talented freshman Edmond Sumner. CBT’s Rob Dauster has more on why this bounce-back win was so important for Xavier.

Texas Tech 82, Texas 74: Everyone keeps asking if Tubby Smith’s Red Raiders are for real and this was one of their better wins of the season. Texas Tech is now 11-1 as Devaugntah Williams had 23 points and was 13-for-13 from the free-throw line.

STARRED

Bucknell’s Chris Hass: Hass was incredible in the Bison’s win at Army-West Point, scoring 40 points. He scored 32 on 11-for-11 shooting from the field in the first half.

Wisconsin’s Zak Showalter: The Badgers defeated Rutgers for a Big Ten home win as the sophomore guard was 8-for-8 from the field for 21 points on the afternoon. Showalter was 4-for-4 from 3-point range.

LSU’s Ben Simmons: Simmons went off in the Tigers’ win at Vanderbilt, scoring 36 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

STRUGGLED

Texas players not named Isaiah Taylor: The Longhorns lost to Texas Tech as Taylor (35 points, six assists) didn’t get much help from his teammates. The rest of the Texas roster was 14-for-38 (36 percent) from the field and 2-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Syracuse’s Michael Gbinije: Gbinije struggled with the matchup with Miami’s Angel Rodriguez, shooting 3-for-14 from the field (ten points) and committing eight turnovers in the 64-51 loss.

Temple’s perimeter shooting: After performing well offensively in a win at No. 22 Cincinnati earlier in the week, the Owls struggled in a blowout loss to Houston. Temple shot 3-for-23 from beyond the arc on the day.

OTHER TOP 25 RESULTS

No. 1 Michigan State rebounded from its loss at Iowa with a 69-61 win at Minnesota. Bryn Forbes scored 20 points to lead the way for the Spartans, who competed with greater intensity than they did Tuesday night.
Melo Trimble scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out eight assists to lead No. 4 Maryland to a 72-59 win at Northwestern.
No. 5 Virginia began its quest for another finish atop the ACC regular season standings with a 77-66 win over Notre Dame in Charlottesville. Malcolm Brogdon scored 24 points and Anthony Gill 21 for Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers.
It was a tight game for about 35 minutes and then No. 7 North Carolina used some late runs to knock off Georgia Tech. Brice Johnson had 16 points, 11 rebounds and Joel Berry had 19 points and some key late buckets.
No. 10 Kentucky rolled past Ole Miss in its SEC opener 83-61. Tyler Ulis scored 20 points and Jamal Murray 18 for the 11-2 Wildcats.
Kris Dunn tallied 26 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals as No. 12 Providence beat St. John’s 83-65. Ben Bentil added 20 points and nine rebounds.
JaQuan Newton hit two key three-pointers in the second half as No. 13 Miami beat Syracuse, 64-51. Sheldon McClellan led the Hurricanes offensively with 22 points on the afternoon.
Expect to see Iowa in the polls come Monday. After beating No. 1 Michigan State earlier in the week the Hawkeyes won at No. 14 Purdue, erasing a 17-point halftime deficit to win 70-63.
Brandon Ingram compiled 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one poster dunk as No. 15 Duke won 81-64 at Boston College. In total four Blue Devils scored in double figures.
No. 16 Villanova moved to 2-0 in Big East play with an 85-71 win at Creighton. Josh Hart scored 25 points and Daniel Ochefu added 19 and seven boards for the Wildcats.
No. 17 SMU moved to 13-0 with a comfortable home win over USF. The Mustangs did it without guard Keith Frazier, who missed the game for personal reasons.
Jalen Jones scored 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 20 Texas A&M to a 92-69 win over Arkansas in the SEC opener for both.
No. 22 Cincinnati rebounded from its home loss to Temple earlier in the week with a 76-57 win over Tulsa. All ten Bearcats who played in the game scored, with Farad Cobb (21 points) being the lone player in double figures.
No. 24 South Carolina moved to 13-0 on the season with a ten-point win over Memphis. Sindarius Thornwell led three in double figures with 18 points.

NOTABLE RESULTS

To begin the day, Seton Hall held off DePaul for a home Big East win as Isaiah Whitehead had 18 points, nine assists.
Playing without senior guard Caris LeVert, Michigan got hot in the first half and ran past Penn State. Mark Donnal had 16 points and eight rebounds to continue a strong recent stretch of play.
Houston moved to 2-0 in the American and 12-2 overall with a blowout road win at Temple. Rob Gray Jr. had 23 points and six assists in the win.
Clemson followed up its College Football Playoff win with a home basketball win over Florida State as Jordan Roper had 23 points.
Alabama, Clemson’s opponent in the College Football Playoff next week, also found success on the hardwood with an easy win over Norfolk State. Retin Obasohan had 23 points.
In the Bruce Pearl Bowl, Auburn outlasted Tennessee as Kareem Canty had 20 points.
Georgetown moved to 2-0 in Big East play with an 80-70 win over Marquette that wasn’t as close as the final margin would lead one to believe. Marcus Derrickson led the way with 16 points and six rebounds.
DeAndre Bembry hit a big shot in the game’s final minute to give Saint Joseph’s a close win at Richmond in the A-10 opener for two teams hoping to contend for the league title.
Also winning their A-10 openers were Dayton and Rhode Island, with the Flyers limiting Duquesne to 33.8 percent shooting and URI blowing out Saint Louis.
LSU won its SEC opener at Vanderbilt, beating the Commodores 90-82 in Nashville. Ben Simmons had 36 points and 14 rebounds.
In a matchup of the two teams expected to compete for the SWAC crown, Texas Southern blew out Southern 88-66.
UT-Arlington moved to 11-2 on the season with a 92-72 win over Georgia Southern. Scott Cross’ team scored 50 points in the second half to pull away at home, and Kevin Hervey finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
Florida beat Georgia 77-63 in Gaineville, with KeVaughn leading five Gators in double figures with 18 points.
St. Bonaventure took care of Davidson, beating the Wildcats 97-85 in Olean. Jaylen Adams led five Bonnies in double figures with 30 points.
UConn held off Tulane in New Orleans, beating the Green Wave by a final score of 75-67. Rodney Purvis scored 20 points and Daniel Hamilton added 19 and nine rebounds.
Gonzaga came back from 17 down in the second half to win 102-94 at San Francisco. Domas Sabonis went for 35 and 14 rebounds and Kyle Wlitjer added 30 for the Bulldogs.

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.

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.”