Love has good all-around game, scores 1,500th career point as No. 3 Arizona rolls

By R.L. Bynum

In the afterglow of hitting the big free throws to help Arizona win at Duke on Friday night, Caleb Love had a good all-around game and passed the 1,500-point plateau Monday for the Wildcats, who jumped nine spots to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 poll.

He took only six shots in 26 minutes, but had nine points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and only one turnover as the Wildcats rolled to a 97–59 home victory over Southern. It was Love’s 14th career game with at least six rebounds and his 31st with at least five assists.

Love, who scored 1,476 points in three seasons at Carolina, has 1,509 career points.

Love hit a 3-pointer on a four-point play with 18:43 left as Arizona turned the game into a blowout after some shaky early minutes.

Arizona led 72–35 with 11:18 remaining when Love and the rest of the starters were taken out of the game. Eleven Wildcats played after only eight got into their 78–73 win at Duke.


After combining for 30 points in two Rutgers victories to start the season, Destiny Adams had four points, eight rebounds, two blocks, three steals and six turnovers before fouling out in the Scarlet Knights’ 76–56 Sunday home loss to Auburn.

Staying out of foul trouble was a recurring issue for Adams at Carolina, where she fouled out five times and had four fouls in 12 other games. She had four fouls in the opening-game win over Monmouth and one in the victory over Wagner.


Neither Kerwin Walton nor Will Shaver played in their teams’ games on Sunday.


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Walton, who had three points in eight minutes in Texas Tech’s opening-game 73–46 win over Texas A&M-Commerce, didn’t play in Sunday’s 56–42 home win over San Jose State.

After not playing in UAB’s opener, Shaver had three points in 14 minutes in the Blazers’ 64–61 loss Friday to Clemson in the Asheville Championship and was on the floor at the end of the game. But he didn’t play in Sunday’s 66–63 loss to Maryland in Asheville.


Puff Johnson still hasn’t made his Penn State debut as he recovers from an undisclosed injury, but Coach Mike Rhoades said he practiced Sunday and will play Johnson when he’s 100%.

The Nittany Lions (2–0) are at home at 7 p.m. Tuesday against St. Francis (Pa.) in a game that airs on Big Ten Network. D’Marco Dunn has started both games and is averaging six points.


Justin McKoy finally makes his Hawaii debut Tuesday night (1 a.m. ET), as the Rainbow Warriors face Hawaii Hilo in their season opener.


Roster situation Starter
Season statistics — 38 games, 38 starts, 10.2 points, 41.6 FG%, 37.7 3P%, 69.4 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists
Team record: 35–3; Rank: No. 3
Friday: 90–77 win Midwest Regional Sweet 16 in Chicago vs. No. 18 Alabama — Started; 33:37, 17 points, 6–14 FG, 3–8 3FG, 2–5 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block, +15
Sunday: 95–62 win Midwest Regional final in Chicago vs. No. 23 Tennessee — Started; 34:20, 8 points, 3–7 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, 10 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +30
Next game — 8:49 p.m. Saturday vs. No. 2 Arizona at Final Four in Indianapolis, TBS


Roster situation Starter
Season statistics — 30 games, 30 starts, 8.7 points, 38.3 FG%, 37.1 3P%, 84.6 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 18–13
Season ended with SEC tournament loss


RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)

Roster situation One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.3 points, 43.6 FG%, 4–10 3FG, 69.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 8 blocks, 12 steals
Team record: 19–12
Season ended with loss in American Conference tournament


Roster situation Starter, sharing time in a point-guard-by-committee mix
Season statistics — 36 games, 19 starts, 9.4 points, 40.9 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 90.0 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 30–7; Rank: No. 13
Friday: 80–75 loss in East Regional Sweet 16 in Washington vs. No. 1 Duke — Didn’t start; 16 minutes, 5 points, 2–8 FG, 1–7 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists
Season ended with loss to Duke


Roster situation Reserve
Team record: 21–13
Season statistics — 9 games, 1 start, 2.3 points, 33.3 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 6–9 FT, 1.1 rebounds
Season ended with first-round NCAA tournament loss to TCU


Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)

Roster situation Starting forward
Season statistics — 28 games, 28 starts, 11.4 points, 51.2 FG%, 2–15 3FG, 69.8 FT%, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Team record: 25–11; Rank: No. 17
Saturday: 76–54 loss in Fort Worth Regional 1 Sweet 16 vs. No. 3 Texas — Started; 31:31, 10 points, 2–8 FG, 0–1 3FG, 6–6 FT, 9 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, -17
Season ended with loss to Texas


Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)

Roster situation Starting center
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 13.6 points, ACC-leading 66.8 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 73.3 FT%, 7.1 rebounds
Team record: 20–14
Season ended with NCAA First Four loss to Texas


Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)

Roster situation Starting forward
Season statistics — 36 games, 36 starts, 13.5 points, 44.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 84.7 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 27–9: Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament


Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)

Season statistics — 20 games, 12 starts, 9.6 points, 39.9 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 9–21, 2–16 ACC
Season ended with left foot injury in February


Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)

Roster situation Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.6 points, 47.6 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 59.3 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 17 blocks, 7 steals
Team record: 18–14
Season ended with loss in Southern Conference tournament


Roster situation Starter
Season statistics — 31 games, 32 starts, team-leading 19.6 points, 50.0 FG%, 42.2 3P%, 82.6 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Team record: 15–17
Next game — 10:30 Wednesday at College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas vs. Baylor, FS1 (first game since March 11)


Roster situation Backup center
Season statistics — 36 games, 9 starts, 8.9 points, 56.3 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 74.1 FT%, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 27–9; Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament

Photo via @ArizonaMBB

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