Pac-12 tournament preview and postseason awards

By Rob DausterMar 12, 2019, 4:00 PM EDT

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

POSTSEASON AWARDS

PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jaylen Nowell, Washington

Nowell is the best player on the best team in the conference. He leads the Huskies in scoring (16.3 ppg) and assists (3.1 apg) and is the first player since Brandon Roy to with the league’s Player of the Year award, and perhaps the most telling part of this is that Nowell ended out his teammate Matisse Thybulle for the award. Both, frankly, have been terrific, but where Nowell is the guys that ignites Washington’s scoring, Thybulle is their best defensive weapon and the biggest reason their zone is so effective.

PAC-12 COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike Hopkins, Washington

Hop has done a good job with Washington this year, one that does not look as good at the end of the season as it did two weeks ago. That’s when they lost at Cal, the worst team in the Pac-12, and before they lost at home to Oregon in the season finale. But here’s the thing — they had already clinched the Pac-12 regular season title before those games tipped off. In a year where the conference was a dumpster fire, Washington was a beacon of consistency. That’s enough to get you a Coach of the Year award.

FIRST TEAM ALL-PAC-12

JAYLEN NOWELL, Washington
MATISSE THYBULLE, Washington
KZ OKPALA, Stanford
ZYLAN CHEATHAM, Arizona State
TRES TINKLE, Oregon State

SECOND TEAM ALL-PAC-12

MCKINLEY WRIGHT, Colorado
LUGUENTZ DORT, Arizona State
SEDRICK BAREFIELD, Utah
BENNIE BOATWRIGHT, USC
ROBERT FRANKS, Washington State

PAC-12 TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

WHEN: March 13-16
WHERE: Las Vegas
FINAL: March 16, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

(All odds are courtesy of DraftKings SportsBook)

FAVORITE: Washington (+300)

In-so-much as there is a favorite in this conference, it is the Huskies. They won the league by two full games and that’s despite going 2-2 in the final four. They have the best player in the conference in Jaylen Nowell, the best defender in Matisse Thybulle and arguably the best low post scorer in Noah Dickerson. Their zone flusters teams, and in a year where nothing in the league makes sense, Washington had wrapped up the conference regular season title by February 28th.

In a conference where nothing makes any sense, Washington makes … some?

SLEEPER: Oregon (+400)

The books are agreeing with me here, as Oregon is the No. 6 seed yet they have the same odds to win the Pac-12 tournament as ARIZONA STATE (+400), the No. 2 seed. What makes the Ducks interesting is that they are the best defensive team in the conference this side of Washington, they have a point guard in Payton Pritchard that has played in a Final Four and they are slotted in the bracket where a second round game would come against UTAH (+750), who they beat on the road. They’ve also won four straight heading into March, with two of those wins coming against Arizona State and at Washington. This team is hot.

BEST VALUE: Colorado (+650)

Honestly, I think that Washington is probably the best value here. There isn’t another conference in the country where you can bet on the conference champion and the favorite to cut down the nets and get 3:1 on it. I probably would not bet on the Ducks, seeing as they have to win four games in four days and are getting paid off at the same price as Arizona State to win three games in three days. I would not bet Arizona State either, for that matter.

The team that actually interests me is Colorado. They have won eight of their last ten games this season, and their 1-2 punch of McKinley Wright and Tyler Bey is as dangerous as anyone in the league. They would get Oregon State in the quarters and Washington in the semis, which isn’t ideal, but that’s baked into the odds.

BUBBLE DWELLERS

ARIZONA STATE (NET: 67, SOS: 71): So here’s the thing about Arizona State — they have three good wins that don’t look as good as they did three months ago thanks to Kansas (20) coming back to earth. They have 11 Q1 and Q2 wins and an 11-5 mark in those games, but they also have two Q3 losses and two hideous Q4 losses. They have some room to work with right now, but if they lose to either UCLA (118) or Stanford (106), that would be a fifth loss against a Q3 or Q4 team. If a few other teams on the bubble make a run and a few Bid Thieves strike, things could turn on Bobby Hurley. My guess: They’re back in the play-in game.

WHAT ELSE IS ON THE LINE?

Pride, man.

If Arizona State loses in the first round of the tournament, there is a very real chance that this could end up being a one-bid league.

Think about that.

The Pac-12.

A one-bid league.

That’s mortifying.

PREDICTION

I’m going to stick with my guy and say that Oregon beats Washington for the second straight time to give the Pac-12 their second bid to the tournament.

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.