SATURDAY’S SNACKS: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Kansas get comeback wins

By Raphielle JohnsonJan 30, 2016, 4:45 PM EST

AP Photo/Sam Craft

GAME OF THE DAY: No. 4 Kansas 90, No. 20 Kentucky 84 (OT)

The Wildcats held an eight-point lead just over six minutes into the second half, but Kansas mounted a rally sparked by Wayne Selden Jr. The junior finished with a career-high 33 points as the Jayhawks won their 35th consecutive home game in spite of some bad foul shooting. And in that comeback, we were reminded of the key to Kansas’ Big 12 and national title hopes.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

No. 1 Oklahoma 77, LSU 75: The Tigers missed out on a valuable opportunity for a major non-conference win, as Isaiah Cousins’ hit a 15-footer with 3.8 seconds remaining to give the Sooners the win. Buddy Hield scored 21 of his 32 in the second half for Oklahoma, strengthening his case for national Player of the Year honors. Tim Quarterman led LSU with 18 points and Ben Simmons added 14, nine and five assists, but their mistakes once up 14 opened the door for an Oklahoma comeback.

Florida 88, No. 9 West Virginia 71: The Gators picked up a quality non-conference win, as they jumped the Mountaineers from the start in Gainesville. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 24 points and KeVaughn Allen 19, and Florida finished the game with fewer turnovers (14) than the Mountaineers (17). West Virginia missed the suspended Jonathan Holton, but there’s no denying the fact that they were outplayed.

No. 11 Virginia 63, No. 16 Louisville 47: The Cavaliers picked up their second ACC road win of the season, limiting Louisville to a season-low 47 points. Anthony Gill and Malcolm Brogdon scored 13 points apiece to lead the way for the Cavaliers, who shot 57.8 percent from the field. And for a team that has struggled with slow starts this season, Saturday represents a step forward for Virginia.

No. 5 Texas A&M 72, No. 14 Iowa State 62: The Aggies outscored the Cyclones 16-4 over the final 4:03 to pick up the win in College Station, remaining undefeated at home as a result. Danuel House scored 20 points, Tyler Davis 15 and Jalen Jones 13 (and 14 rebounds) to lead the way for Texas A&M, which rebounded from a loss at Arkansas earlier in the week.

STARRED

Henry Ellenson, Marquette: The star freshman big man had his biggest game of the season, going for 32 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in an important Big East win for Marquette over Butler. Ellenson was 14-for-16 from the free-throw line and 8-for-14 from the floor and had a key steal in the game’s final minutes.

A.J. Hammons, Purdue: Hammons scored a career-high 32 points, shooting 14-for-17 from the field, and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Boilermakers’ win over Nebraska.

Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas: A career-high 33 points on 12-for-20 shooting in the Jayhawks’ overtime win over No. 20 Kentucky.

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma: Hield scored 32 points, with 21 of them coming in the second half, as the Sooners erased a 14-point second half deficit to beat LSU 77-75.

STRUGGLED

Trey Lewis and Damion Lee, Louisville: Everyone struggled for the Cardinals to be fair. But the grad transfers combined for ten points on 3-for-13 shooting and six turnovers in their loss to Virginia.

Luke Kornet, Vanderbilt: Kornet shot 1-for-7 from the field, scoring five points, in the Commodores’ loss at Texas.

Cleon Roberts, La Salle: Roberts scored five points on 1-for-11 shooting from the field in a 59-44 loss at Dayton.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25

No. 2 North Carolina remained undefeated in the ACC with an 89-62 win over Boston College. Brice Johnson (17 points, 11 rebounds) posted another double-double and Joel Berry II and Marcus Paige combined to score 25 points as the Tar Heels shot 53.8 percent from the field.
Trevon Bluiett led five in double figures with 15 points as No. 7 Xavier beat DePaul, 86-65. The Musketeers received 42 points from their bench in the win.
No. 10 Providence picked up a road win, holding off Georgetown 73-69. Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil combined to score 52 points, tallying 26 apiece, with Bentil also grabbing nine rebounds. This is a tough loss for the Hoyas, who have a lot of work to do if they’re to reach the NCAA tournament.
No. 13 SMU took care of Memphis in Dallas, winning 80-68. Nic Moore led four Mustangs with 22 points while also dishing out three assists.
Cat Barber scored 30 points as NC State beat No. 15 Miami, 85-69. However the problem for Miami wasn’t their guard play, but rather how ineffective their big men were.
No. 17 Baylor scored 51 second-half points, erasing a three-point halftime deficit to beat Georgia 83-73. Rico Gathers Sr. led five Bears in double figures with 17 points while also grabbing nine rebounds.
Gabe York scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds as No. 18 Arizona rebounded from its loss Thursday night with an 80-63 win over Oregon State.
No. 19 Indiana made the plays it needed to make down the stretch as it survived a challenge from Minnesota, 74-68. Thomas Bryant shot 11-for-13 from the field, scoring 23 points, while also grabbing eight rebounds in the win.
No. 21 Purdue took advantage of a significant edge in the post in their 89-74 win over Nebraska. A.J. Hammons went for 32 and 11, and Isaac Haas added 13 points for the Boilermakers.

OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS

To kick off the Big 12/SEC Challenge, Texas knocked off Vanderbilt at home as Kerwin Roach had 15 points.
Syracuse was able to hold off Georgia Tech for an ACC home win as Michael Gbinije had 16 points.
Zak Irvin had 20 points and Derrick Walton Jr. added 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as Michigan beat Penn State in the Big Ten.
In the ACC, Florida State knocked off Clemson at home as freshman Dwayne Bacon had 21 points and six rebounds.
UAB moved to 18-4 overall and 8-1 in Conference USA play with a controversial 81-78 win at Marshall. The Blazers received 43 points off the bench from William Lee, Nick Norton and Dirk Williams.
Stony Brook moved to 8-0 in America East with a 72-61 win at Vermont. Jameel Warney went for 23 points and ten boards, and Ahmad Walker added 16, ten and five assists for the Seawolves.
USC remained undefeated at home with a 98-88 win over Washington. The Huskies’ loss means that No. 23 Oregon can claim sole possession of first in the Pac-12 with a win at Arizona State Sunday.
Stephen F. Austin, which had some struggles in non-conference play, is now 8-0 in the Southland after winning 66-61 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Thomas Walkup led the way with 17 points and six rebounds.
Wagner jumped out to a 22-point halftime lead on its way to a 73-63 win at Mount St. Mary’s. This result combined with Fairleigh Dickinson’s 88-85 win at LIU Brooklyn means that there’s a three-way tie atop the NEC (Wagner, FDU and The Mount are all 7-3).
North Florida moved to 7-0 in the Atlantic Sun with an 82-76 win over FGCU. Beau Beech went off for 27 points and eight rebounds for the Ospreys, who haven’t lost since December 30 at VCU.
Utah completed a home sweep of the Bay Area schools with a 96-74 win over Stanford. Jakob Poeltl scored 23 and grabbed seven caroms, leading five Runnin’ Utes in double figures.
New Mexico grabbed sole possession of second place in the Mountain West with an 88-83 win at Boise State. Elijah Brown scored 30 points and Tim Williams 21 for the Lobos, who are now 6-2 in the Mountain West.
Rhode Island scored just 19 first half points, and that hole proved to be too deep for the Rams to climb out of in their 64-55 loss to Saint Joseph’s. DeAndre Bembry and Isaiah Miles combined to score 32 of the Hawks’ points.
Monmouth remained in sole possession of first place in the MAAC with a 73-57 win over Saint Peter’s. Justin Robinson scored 18 points and Collin Stewart 17 for the 9-2 Hawks.
Gonzaga rolled to an 86-48 win over San Francisco, as Kyle Wiltjer, Domantas Sabonis and Silas Melson scored 15 points apiece.
Seton Hall went on the road and beat Creighton, 75-65. Isaiah Whitehead scored 22 points and dished out six assists for the Pirates, who like the Bluejays are in need of quality wins as they look to get to the NCAA tournament.
San Diego State maintained its two-game lead atop the Mountain West with a 67-52 win at UNLV, their seventh straight over the Runnin’ Rebels. Trey Kell led a balanced attack with 14 points, and the Aztecs limited UNLV to 36.7 percent shooting.
Grand Canyon’s 12-game win streak came to an end, as they lost 59-57 at home to Seattle. The Antelopes are now tied with New Mexico State atop the WAC, with the Aggies blowing out UT Rio Grande Valley Saturday night.
UCSB handed UC Irvine its first loss in Big West play, beating the Anteaters 76-60. Michael Bryson scored 18 for the Gauchos, who avenged a home loss to UC Irvine two weeks ago.
BYU avenged a loss at Pepperdine by beating the Waves 88-77 in Provo. In the win Kyle Collinsworth (24 points, ten rebounds) became the school’s all-time leading rebounder.
Calvin Hermanson scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds as Saint Mary’s hung on to win 68-65 at Pacific. The Gaels, now 9-1 in the WCC, remain atop the conference with Gonzaga at 9-2.
Even with UC Irvine’s loss they remain tied for first in the Big West in the loss column, as Long Beach State took care of Hawai’i 78-64 in Honolulu. Nick Faust went off for the 49ers, finishing with 28 points and 14 rebounds.

NCAA tweaks rules on block/charge calls in men’s basketball

Associated PressJun 8, 2023, 9:14 PM EDT

Jordan Prather/USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA is tweaking how block/charge calls are made in men’s basketball.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved rule changes on Thursday that require a defender to be in position to draw a charge at the time the offensive player plants a foot to go airborne for a shot. If the defender arrives after the player has planted a foot, officials have been instructed to call a block when there’s contact.

Defenders had to be in position to draw a charge before the offensive player went airborne under previous rules.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee members made the proposal after NCAA members complained that too many charges were being called on those types of plays.

The panel also approved reviews of basket interference calls during the next media timeout – if the official called it on the floor – a shot clock reset to 20 seconds on an offensive rebound that hits the rim, and players being allowed to wear any number between 0 and 99.

A timeout also will be granted to an airborne player with possession of the ball, and non-student bench personnel will be allowed to serve as peacekeepers on the floor if an altercation occurs.

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.