LATE NIGHT SNACKS: No. 6 Xavier hangs on, No. 17 Miami rebounds

By Raphielle JohnsonFeb 3, 2016, 10:05 PM EST

AP Photo/Alan Diaz

GAME OF THE NIGHT: Illinois 110, Rutgers 101 (3OT)

Somehow a game matching two of the Big Ten’s worst teams produced 211 points and three overtime periods. The Fighting Illini picked up a much-needed win as Malcolm Hill tallied 34 points (7-for-19 FG), 14 rebounds and six assists with Jalen Coleman-Lands adding 26 points and Maverick Morgan 20. Corey Sanders, whose off-balance three forced a second overtime, finished with 39 points (14-for-33 FG), 12 rebounds and eight assists in a losing effort.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

No. 17 Miami 79, Notre Dame 70: Jim Larrañaga’s Hurricanes rebounded from a disappointing effort at NC State Saturday with a win over the Fighting Irish in Coral Gables. Five players scored in double figures for Miami, with Anthony Lawrence (18 points) and Ja’Quan Newton (12) combining to score 30 points off the bench. As a team Miami shot 56.4 percent from the field, which helped make up for the fact that Notre Dame scored 46 points in the paint and rebounded 43.6 percent of its missed shots. Bonzie Colson scored 17 points off the bench to lead Notre Dame offensively.

No. 4 Maryland 70, Nebraska 65: It wasn’t pretty, but Maryland made the plays it needed to make late as they won in Lincoln. Maryland’s size advantage was key, as the Terrapins blocked 13 shots with freshman Diamond Stone responsible for eight of them. Stone, who also had 16 points and ten rebounds, fell two blocks short of his first triple-double, and Melo Trimble scored a team-high 20 points. Just as key for Maryland: Jared Nickens, who has struggled mightily in Big Ten play, scored 11 points and shot 4-for-7 from the field (3-for-6 3PT). He may be a role player, but Nickens’ ability to hit perimeter shots will be important for Maryland given their ability to get points in the paint.

BUBBLE BANTER: What should we make of the Atlantic 10?

STARRED

Malcolm Brodgon, Virginia: In a game in which many of the players struggled offensively, Brogdon scored 27 points (shooting 7-for-10 from the field) in the Cavaliers’ win over Boston College.

Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure: Adams got off to a slow start, but once he got rolling Saint Joseph’s had no answer for the sophomore guard. Adams scored 31 points and dished out seven assists in the Bonnies’ 83-73 win in Philadelphia.

Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall: 21 points, six rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals in the Pirates’ 79-62 win over Marquette.

STRUGGLED

Eli Carter, Boston College: Virginia devoted much of its attention to the senior guard, resulting in Carter scoring seven points on 2-for-10 shooting.

Justin Edwards, Kansas State: Edwards scored two points in a loss at No. 7 Kansas, shooting 1-for-9 from the field.

Charles Callison and Que Johnson, Washington State: Callison and Johnson combined to shoot 5-for-25 from the field in Washington State’s loss to Arizona.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25

No. 3 Villanova retained possession of first place in the Big East, as they beat Creighton 83-58 at The Pavilion. Kris Jenkins scored 22 points and Jalen Brunson 16, as the Wildcats once again played without starting center Daniel Ochefu (concussion).
Jarrod Uthoff scored 14 points and Peter Jok and Anthony Clemmons added 12 apiece as No. 5 Iowa took care of Penn State, 73-49. The Hawkeyes are now 9-1 in Big Ten play, tied for first with No. 22 Indiana.
No. 6 Xavier had a tougher battle on its hands than many expected, but the Musketeers managed to beat St. John’s 90-83 in Cincinnati. Myles Davis led five Xavier players in double figures with 16 points, and Trevon Bluiett added 15 points along with 13 boards.
No. 7 Kansas took care of in-state rival Kansas State, beating the Wildcats 77-59 in Lawrence. Perry Ellis scored 19 points and Devonte’ Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk added ten apiece for the Jayhawks.
No. 9 Virginia picked up its fifth straight win, as they beat Boston College 61-47 in Charlottesville. Malcolm Brogdon scored 27 points and grabbed six boards, with 17 of those points coming in the first half.
No. 21 Wichita State won its 12th straight game, beating Southern Illinois 76-55. Shaquille Morris scored 13 points and Fred VanVleet finished with 12 points, 11 assists and five steals. Now 11-0 in conference play, the Shockers have a four-game lead with seven games remaining.
Ryan Anderson scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 12 boards to lead No. 23 Arizona to a 79-64 win at Washington State. The Wildcats limited the Cougars to 34.9 percent shooting and scored 17 points off of 17 Washington State turnovers.

OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS

As mentioned above, Jaylen Adams produced 31 points and seven assists in St. Bonaventure’s win at Saint Joseph’s. Mark Schmidt’s Bonnies are now 6-3 in Atlantic 10 play, tied with George Washington for fourth place.
Florida avoided a major letdown after their win over West Virginia, beating Arkansas 87-83 in Gainesville. Dorian Finney-Smith led five Gators in double figures with 22 points while also grabbing nine rebounds.
VCU moved to 9-0 in A-10 play with an 88-70 win over La Salle in Philadelphia. Melvin Johnson, who’s closing in on the school’s career three-pointers mark, put up 30 points in the win.
Stony Brook moved to 9-0 in America East play with a 76-51 home win over Binghamton. Lucas Woodhouse scored 14 points and Jameel Warney 13 to go along with a team-high ten rebounds.
UNC Asheville remained in sole possession of first in the Big South, as they took care of Charleston Southern 63-55. The Bulldogs are now a game up in the loss column on High Point, Winthrop and Coastal Carolina, with High Point losing at home to Gardner-Webb 79-74.
American handed Bucknell its second loss in Patriot League play, beating the Bison 69-55 in the nation’s capital. Bucknell still holds a two-game lead atop the Patriot League at 9-2, with Navy in second at 7-4.
Seton Hall took care of business in a game they couldn’t afford to drop, beating Marquette 79-62 in Newark. Kevin Willard’s Pirates shot 50 percent from the field and 20 of their 29 made field goals were assisted.
UC Irvine picked up a 78-72 overtime win at Cal Poly to remain atop the Big West standings. Mamadou Ndiaye and Luke Nelson scored 21 points apiece for the Anteaters, who put together an impressive play to force overtime.
Dejoute Murray racked up 34 points, 11 rebounds and six assists before fouling out in overtime as Washington beat Arizona State 95-83 in Seattle. Due to foul trouble the Sun Devils finished the game with five available scholarship players.

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.