Saturday’s Things to Know: Indiana, UNC get huge road wins; Chris Clemons climbs the NCAA record book

By Scott PhillipsFeb 2, 2019, 10:09 PM EST

Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

PLAYERS OF THE DAY: Chris Clemons, Campbell
Dropping 39 points in a Campbell win (for the second time this week), Clemons continued his torrid hot streak against Longwood. Going 10-for-18 from three-point range, Clemons had it going from the perimeter on Saturday.
But most importantly, Clemons is continuing to climb the college basketball all-time scoring board at a rapid rate. Thanks to the back-to-back 39-point performances this week the 5-foot-9 senior guard passed Larry Bird and Tyler Hansbrough on Saturday. He’s up to 2,875 career points. Elvin Hayes is in striking distance now — as are a number of high-profile college legends.
Clemons doesn’t play for a high-major program on a lot of nationally-televised games. But the nation’s leading scorer is having a special senior season. He’s now given himself a legitimate chance to chase more legends as the Fighting Camels attempt to make the NCAA tournament out of the Big South.

TEAM OF THE DAY: Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana might have saved its season following an overtime road win over No. 6 Michigan State. With senior forward Juwan Morgan going down with a shoulder injury midway through the first half, things weren’t looking very good for the Hoosiers to end their seven-game losing streak.

But a balanced offense, 20 offensive rebounds, and some incredible toughness, helped lead Indiana to a huge win. While the Hoosiers still have work to do to get themselves off of the bubble and into the NCAA tournament’s Field of 68, they now own top-notch wins over Louisville, Marquette and on the road at Michigan State.

The Big Ten is brutally deep and Indiana has plenty of teams to beat before they can feel comfortable. But this is the type of win that could completely change everything as Indiana had the look of a team that continued to fight despite everything going wrong.

ONIONS OF THE DAY: Antonio Williams, Kent State

Desperation heaves rarely end up working out but it ended up going well for Kent State junior guard Antonio Williams. On a blown play with time winding down, trailing Ball State on the road in overtime, Williams worked his pivot foot so he faced the basket and chucked a ball off the backboard. Then Williams worked his way through traffic to catch the ball himself and finish for the game-winning bucket.

Kent State ended up with the 83-80 MAC road win as Williams will be remembered for his unique go-ahead score.

Antonio Williams off the backboard to HIMSELF for the WIN! 🔥 #MACtion @KentStMBB pic.twitter.com/Pd7o0WXHGM

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) February 2, 2019

SATURDAY WAS A GOOD DAY FOR …

North Carolina: Earning the day’s second biggest win was No. 9 North Carolina in a tough and solid revenge road win at No. 15 Louisville. After falling to the Cardinals earlier this season in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels turned things around in the second game thanks to its defensive intensity and offensive rebounding.

North Carolina didn’t shoot the ball well from three-point range (just like the first loss) but overcame the perimeter woes thanks to pounding the offensive glass, hard-nosed defense and balanced scoring from four spots. If North Carolina can continue to defend at that level over 40 minutes while getting normal offense then they’ll be a fascinating team to follow in the ACC race.

Kansas: After a two-game losing streak and a week full of questions about the Big 12 race, the Jayhawks responded on Saturday with a convincing blowout home win over No. 16 Texas Tech. The No. 11 Jayhawks received another stellar performance from All-American candidate and forward Dedric Lawson (25 points, 10 rebounds) while Devon Dotson (20 points) made plays on both ends of the floor. Saturday’s win was a reminder of why Kansas is still the Big 12 front runner until another gaffe.

Duke’s Zion Williamson: Continuing a recent hot streak, the freshman and Player of the Year frontrunner had some more highlight-reel plays to go along with 29 points, six rebounds, five steals and two blocks as No. 2 Duke cruised past St. John’s for a non-conference win. Williamson continued a six-game streak of at least 22 points as he’s been looking more dominant as the ACC schedule has gone along.

UTSA’s Keaton Wallace: Remember the name of this sophomore guard. Dropping 45 points in an overtime win over Marshall, Wallace became the second straight UTSA player to score at least 45 points in a game. Teammate Jhivvan Jackson dropped 46 points in a loss to Western Kentucky. As for Wallace, he’s compiled some impressive performances in recent games as the Roadrunners have one of the best one-two scoring punches in all of college hoops.

SATURDAY WAS A BAD DAY FOR …

Big East bubble teams: It was a tough day for bubble teams in general, but especially in the Big East, as multiple teams went down with a loss. In a battle of bubble teams between Butler and Seton Hall, the Bulldogs came out on top with a two-point win — while also being the only Big East bubble team to have a positive day. The Pirates certainly didn’t benefit from the loss to Butler while St. John’s lost to No. 1 Duke on the road and Providence fell at DePaul. Overall, not the kind of day the Big East was looking for, as many of their bubble teams are starting to lose momentum.

N.C. State’s offense: The Wolfpack had a day to forget on Saturday afternoon as they only mustered 24 points (!!!) in a blowout loss to No. 12 Virginia Tech. It wasn’t the lowest point total for a top-25 team in the shot-clock era. Shooting only 9-for-54 from the floor (16 percent) and 2-for-28 (seven percent) from three-point range, N.C. State started an abysmal 1-for-17 to set the tone from the start. A week after knocking down the game-winning buzzer-beater against Clemson, sophomore guard Braxton Beverly was 0-for-12 from the floor and 0-for-9 from the three-point line. Certainly one to forget for the Wolfpack.

Michigan State free throws: Credit certainly goes to Indiana for the huge win in East Lansing. But Michigan State did the Hoosiers plenty of favors by only going 8-for-22 from the free-throw line. Nick Ward was particularly brutal from the line, going 1-for-9 in the game, as the Spartans could have closed this game out with a few more makes at the charity stripe.

Nebraska: Losing for the fifth consecutive time, Nebraska fell to Illinois for an ugly Big Ten road loss. The Huskers are in a freefall after a promising start to the season as they’re not faring well following the loss of Isaac Copeland for the season. Things don’t get much easier for Nebraska as they have to face Maryland and Nebraska over the next two games.

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.”