Bubble Banter: All of today’s bubble action in one place

By Rob DausterMar 14, 2019, 6:56 PM EDT

AP Photo/Doug McSchooler

Throughout the day, we will be tracking how every result impacts the teams currently sitting on the bubble. You can find our most recent bracket projection right here. This story will be updated throughout the afternoon and evening.

WINNERS

OHIO STATE (NET: 55, SOS: 55): The Buckeyes picked up a win that they desperately needed, knocking off Indiana in the second round of the Big Ten tournament and avoiding a loss in what was billed as a play-out game. The Buckeyes are 4-9 against Q1 and 9-12 against Q2, but it is worth noting that their best win is at Cincinnati (27) and that it is their only win over a team in the top 40. They also lost to Illinois (105) at home. I don’t think the Buckeyes are safe just yet, but Chris Holtmann can sleep a little easier tonight with this win than he would have otherwise.

FLORIDA (NET: 33, SOS: 40): Florida picked up a win in the second round of the SEC tournament over Arkansas, which is good because the Gators really need to add to their resume. Personally, I am probably lower on Florida than the rest of the industry. They have a terrific win at LSU (14), but that’s really their only Q1 win worth writing home about. They won at Alabama (59), they won at Arkansas (63), they beat Ole Miss at home (36), but none of those wins really move the needle. The kicker is Florida is just 3-11 against Q1 and 7-12 against Q1 and Q2 with two Q3 home losses. They’ve played a ridiculous schedule. They’ve landed one win of note. That should matter.

ALABAMA (NET: 59, SOS: 23): The Crimson Tide are the one true bubble team that picked up an important win on Thursday, as they knocked off Ole Miss in the second round of the SEC tournament. It’s their third Q1 win of the season, bumping them up to 10-12 in Q1 and Q2 games. They do have a pair of bad losses — Texas A&M (79) and Georgia State (127) at home — but a win over Kentucky in Tuscaloosa is going to go a long way. I still think they are going to want to get a win over those Wildcats in the quarterfinals on Friday to actually feel comfortable, but there is no question that Avery Johnson’s team took a step closer to dancing today.

UTAH STATE (NET: 30, SOS: 101): I guess Utah State wanted to make it interesting. That’s why they decided to trail New Mexico for the majority of the second half. Eventually, they outlasted the Lobos, they won their quarterfinal game and advanced to play Fresno State (82) in the Mountain West semis. At this point, with two Q1 wins, a 4-5 mark against the top two quadrants and just one bad loss — Fresno State (82) at home by one — I think the Aggies are in.

ARIZONA STATE (NET: 67, SOS: 71): Arizona State picked up a win over UCLA in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament, keeping their hopes of an at-large bid alive. I still think they need to win one more game. Wins over Kansas (20), Mississippi State (22) and Utah State (30) are not enough to make up for the fact that the Sun Devils have two Q3 and two Q4 losses. No other bubble team is close to that.

XAVIER (NET: 70, SOS: 50): The Musketeers moved another step closer to the cut-line with a win over Creighton (54) in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, but there is still a lot of work for this group to do. Their best win is against Villanova (25) at home, and that is their only win over a top 50 opponent. They are 18-14 on the season and have a pair of Q3 losses to boot. I think they need to beat Villanova in the semifinals, and even that might not end up being enough.

MINNESOTA (NET: 56, SOS: 38): With a win over Penn State (49) in the second round of the Big Ten tournament, I think the Golden Gophers punched their ticket. I can’t see a loss to Purdue (12) in the quarterfinals changing anything, and I think there is enough of a gap between them and the teams of the cut-line that they don’t have anything more to worry about.

SETON HALL (NET: 62, SOS: 34): Seton Hall is in. If they lost to Georgetown (78) on Thursday night, and a bunch of other weird stuff happened across the college hoops landscape, there was a chance that they could have missed out. They won. They’re in.

LOSERS

INDIANA (NET: 51, SOS: 49): Indiana lost what amounted to something of a play-out game in the second round of the Big Ten tournament on Thursday, losing to Ohio State in a game where the Buckeyes never really lost control. It puts the Hoosiers in a really tough spot. They have played much better over the last two weeks, but this is still a team that lost 12 out of 13 at one point. They do have some really impressive wins — a sweep of Michigan State (8), Wisconsin (15), Louisville (21), Marquette (29), at Penn State (49) — but with 15 losses on the season, they are going to have to hope that St. Mary’s is the final bid thief and that the rest of the bubble loses out. They are the cut-line.

ST. JOHN’S (NET: 64, SOS: 80): St. John’s is not as comfortably in the tournament as you might think that they are. After losing to Marquette by 32 points on Thursday night, the Johnnies are now 5-7 against Q1 opponents with 10 wins in Q1 and Q2 competition. But the only top 25 win that they have on the season came at home against Villanova (25). They swept Marquette (29) during the regular season, but VCU (31) on a neutral and won at Creighton (53), but they also have a pair of Q3 home losses — DePaul (102) and Georgetown (79). I think there are a few teams between them and the cut-line as it currently stands, but if a couple more bubble teams pick up wins and the likes of Nevada, VCU and Buffalo lose in their league tournament, this could become a real problem.

TEXAS (NET: 38, SOS: 6): Thursday night was a worst case scenario for the Longhorns. Not only did they lose to Kansas in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament, but they lost Jaxson Hayes to what appeared to be a pretty serious knee injury. I think that this might be the weirdest profile that I have ever seen. Texas is 16-16 on the season, but there’s a real argument to be made that they have a good enough profile to get a bid. They have five Q1 wins — including North Carolina (7) on a neutral, at Kansas State (24) and Purdue (12), Kansas (20) and Iowa State (23) at home. They have nine Q1 and Q2 wins and just one loss outside the top two quadrants. They played one of the toughest schedules in all of college basketball. In a year with a week bubble, that might have been enough if they weren’t currently sitting at .500.

N.C. STATE (NET: 32, SOS: 207): The Wolfpack did the bare minimum to keep themselves in the bubble conversation by beating Clemson (35) on Wednesday. They now have three Q1 wins to their name and a 9-9 mark against Q1 and Q2. The problem? They played the single worst non-conference schedule in college basketball this season, and they have a pair of Q3 losses to their name. It’s going to be tight, and I have a feeling that this is going to be a situation where the committee punishes the Wolfpack for how poor their non-conference schedule is.

CREIGHTON (NET: 54, SOS: 14): Creighton has a stronger profile that you probably realize, enough so that losing to Xavier (70) on a neutral court is probably their worst loss of the season. They’ve also won at Marquette (29) and beaten Clemson (35) on a neutral. That is probably not going to be enough, however, as their 17-14 record with no bad losses just doesn’t have enough top end wins to justify a spot.

TCU (NET: 48, SOS: 42): The Horned Frogs held a lead for most of their quarterfinal game against No. 15 Kansas State on Thursday afternoon, but it was all for naught. The Wildcats pulled away in the end and TCU is now in an unenviable situation. They are 20-13 on the season with three Q1 wins and a 9-13 record against Q1 and Q2 with a sweep of Iowa State (23) and a win at Texas (38) highlighting their resume. Will that end up being enough? For what it’s worth, TCU was one of the last four byes heading into today, meaning our latest projection did not even have TCU in a play-in game.

GEORGETOWN (NET: 78, SOS: 79): The Hoyas are done. They needed to beat Seton Hall to have a chance and they couldn’t even keep it close.

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.”