Howard’s 32 points lead No. 10 Marquette past Butler 76-58

Associated PressJan 30, 2019, 11:13 PM EST

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

INDIANAPOLIS — Markus Howard impressed Butler with his uncanny ability to make contested shots Wednesday night.

The high-scoring junior was more thrilled to see the way his teammates played defense.

While Howard delivered the scoring punch No. 10 Marquette needed in a rare 76-58 victory at Butler, the Golden Eagles scrambled around and shut down the Bulldogs’ shooters.

It’s been a long time coming.

“We got together in the summer and said if we want to do things we think we can, we’ve really got to lock in on the defensive end,” Howard said after scoring 32 points and grabbing five rebounds. “They have really great shooters and can all keep you on your toes. But I felt like we did a really good job. We were able to recover, get into our gaps.”

The result: Marquette (19-3, 8-1 Big East) won its eighth in a row, snapped a five-game skid in the series and won its first game at Hinkle Fieldhouse since the 1989-90 season.

Those numbers weren’t lost on Howard, one of the nation’s top scorers. And when things didn’t start well, he took over.

He shot 9 of 17 in the first half, matching Butler’s team field goal total, and wound up 14 of 23. And he wasn’t just the catalyst; he was the stopper on a night when teammate Sam Hauser finished with 19 points and five rebounds.

Howard’s first-half flurry staked Marquette to a 34-25 halftime lead. And when Butler used an 11-0 run midway through the second half to cut the deficit to eight, Howard answered two free throws and scored six points in the decisive 10-0 spurt that helped the Golden Eagles rebuild a 61-51 lead with 7:07 to go.

“Markus Howard right now is the best player in our league and he showed it,” Butler coach LaVall Jordan said. “We challenged our players to make it tough and he made the tough ones.”

Butler never seriously challenged again on a brutally cold day that forced the cancellation of classes but not the game.

Kamar Baldwin led the Bulldogs with 16 points while Paul Jorgensen and Sean McDermott each scored 10. Butler (12-10, 3-6) lost its third in a row.

And Marquette knew exactly why — the defensive effort.

“We’re far from a perfect defensive team,” coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “But our guys know that we have to be committed at that end of the floor.”

BIG PICTURE

Marquette: The Golden Eagles look as good as advertised. Howard can score from seemingly any spot on the floor and the defense held the Bulldogs to their lowest scoring total since Dec. 29 — in a venue where they were averaging 80.1 points per game.

Butler: The Bulldogs are reeling. Since going toe-to-toe with defending national champion Villanova last week, Butler has turned in two lackluster performances. There’s still time to get it fixed, but Jordan needs to find answers fast.

COOLING DOWN

With the temperature hovering around 3 degrees when the doors opened 90 minutes before tip-off and the wind chill already reading minus-17 before the sun set, athletic department officials put heaters at each gate and instructed security guards to expedite the screening process.

Not many people stayed away. The announced attendance was 8,292.

“We have a lot of appreciation for the fans who braved cold weather to show up and support us,” Jordan said. “We didn’t give as much effort to them as they gave to us.”

STAT PACK

Marquette: Howard had the 13th 30-point game of his career and moved up three spots to No. 11 on the school’s career scoring list. … Sacar Anim had 14 points and Joey Hauser grabbed eight rebounds. … The Golden Eagles were 8 of 16 on 3-pointers while limiting Butler to 6 of 26 beyond the arc.

Butler: Nate Fowler finished with seven points and six rebounds. … The Bulldogs committed eight turnovers in the first half and finished with 12. … Butler is 9-3 at home this season. … The Bulldogs honored the late Andrew Smith, who played on their two Final Four teams — once when Wojciechowski was with Duke — by raising awareness for bone marrow donations. They played a video message from former coach Brad Stevens and let Smith’s widow, Samantha, speak during a timeout. Wojciechowski called it a “first-class” move.

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.”

Clemson leading scorer Hall withdraws from NBA draft, returns to Tigers

Associated PressMay 25, 2023, 9:15 PM EDT

Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports

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.