By R.L. Bynum
Caleb Love came through in the clutch against a ranked team for the second time this season for No. 3 Arizona.
The senior guard scored a team-high 17 points, split a pair of free-throw attempts with 24.6 seconds left and made a key late steal as the Wildcats beat No. 21 Michigan State 74–68 on Thursday in Palm Desert, Calif.
Michigan State inbounded a pass down four points with 12 seconds left, but Love stole the ball and threw it ahead to K.J. Lewis for a dunk to put the game away for Arizona (6–0).
His big game comes nearly two weeks after hitting four clutch late free throws and scoring 11 points in the Wildcats’ 78–73 victory at Duke.
Love was 7 of 20 from the floor and 2 of 9 from 3-point range, but one of his 3-pointers with 0.8 of a second left in the first half gave Arizona a 40–30 halftime lead. He dished out four assists against two turnovers and had one steal in a team-high 37 minutes.
Puff Johnson came a point away from his career high with 15 points in Penn State’s 89–51 loss Thursday in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Fla.
In only his third game of the season, he was 5 of 8 from the floor, scored a 3-pointer and pulled down four rebounds for the Nittany Lions (4–1) in their first loss of the season.
D’Marco Dunn contributed five points and a rebound in eight minutes.
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Penn State faces Butler at 1:30 Friday in a losers’ bracket game.
After playing in only three of Texas Tech’s first four games for 13 total minutes, Kerwin Walton was on the court for 15 minutes Thursday, including in crunch time, in the Red Raiders’ 72–70 win over Northern Iowa in a losers’ bracket game at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Walton, who played two scoreless minutes in Texas Tech’s 85–69 first-round loss to Villanova, hit a 3-pointer with 6:28 left for his only points to pull the Red Raiders within three points against Northern Iowa. They rallied and led by four with 2:52 remaining before holding on for the victory.
Texas Tech (4–1) faces Thursday night’s Michigan-Stanford winner at 6 p.m. Friday for fifth place.
Tyler Nickel collected 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in Virginia Tech’s 82–75 win over Boise State in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Fla. The Hokies (4–1) face Iowa State in the semifinals at 5:30 Friday (ESPN2).
It was Nickel’s second consecutive 14-point game after missing a game with an illness.
In Minnesota’s 86–67 home win Tuesday over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Dawson Garcia had 19 points, nine rebounds and two assists for the Gophers (4–1).
On Tuesday night, Justin McKoy collected 11 points and seven rebounds in Hawaii’s 70–61 home victory over Northern Arizona as the Rainbow Warriors moved to 3–0.
Will Shaver played five scoreless minutes, missing his only shot, in UAB’s 58–57 Tuesday night win at Middle Tennessee.
In the Battle 4 Atlantis women’s championship game on Monday night, No. 24 Ole Miss beat Michigan 60–49. Kennedy Todd-Williams had eight points and four rebounds.
Destiny Adams contributed nine points and four rebounds in Rutgers’ 78–54 Monday home loss to Fairfield, dropping the Scarlett Knights to 3–3.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 10.2 points, 41.9 FG%, 37.3 3P%, 71.1 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists
Team record: 31–3; Rank: No. 3
Friday: 71–67 win vs. Ohio State in Big Ten tournament quarterfinals — Started; 36 minutes, 15 points, 3–9 FG, 1–5 3FG, 8–10 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 7 assists, 4 turnovers, 3 steals
Saturday: 68–65 win vs. No. 23 Wisconsin in Big Ten tournament semifinals — Started; 21 minutes, 15 points, 6–13 FG, 3–5 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 assist, 2 turnovers
Sunday: 80–72 loss vs. No. 18 Purdue in Big Ten tournament final — Started; 38 minutes, 10 points, 4–12 FG, 1–5 3FG, 1–2 FT, 1 rebound, 10 assists, 2 fouls, 2 turnovers, 1 block, -9
Next game — 7:30 p.m. Thursday vs. No. 16 seed: The winner of the First Four game between UMBC and Howard in as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region in Buffalo
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
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 over
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
Thursday: 76–73 loss to North Texas in American tournament — Didn’t play
Season over
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter, sharing time in a point-guard-by-committee mix
Season statistics — 33 games, 19 starts, 9.6 points, 41.3 FG%, 35.4 3P%, 89.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 28–6; Rank: No. 13
Thursday in Big East quarterfinals: 85–72 win vs. Providence — Didn’t start; 19 minutes, 14 points, 4–11 FG, 2–3 3FG, 4–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover
Friday in Big East semifinals: 78–68 win vs. Seton Hall — Didn’t start; 13 minutes, 4 points, 1–4 FG, 0–2 3FG, 2–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 steal
Saturday in Big East final: 72–52 win vs. No. 6 UConn — Didn’t start; 15 minutes, 3 points, 1–3 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–2 FT, 1 foul, 2 turnovers
Next game — 7:10 Friday vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa as No. 5 seed in the East Regional in San Diego, CBS
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 21–12
Season statistics — 9 games, 1 start, 2.3 points, 33.3 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 6–9 FT, 1.1 rebounds
Thursday in Big Ten tournament: 72–69 win over Iowa — Didn’t play because of a foot injury
Friday in Big Ten tournament quarterfinals: 71–67 loss to No. 3 Michigan — 2 minutes, no statistics
Next game — 12:15 p.m. Thursday vs. No. 9 TCU as No. 8 seed in the East Regional in Greenville, S.C., CBS
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 25 games, 25 starts, 11.2 points, 52.1 FG%, 2–13 3FG, 67.9 FT%, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Team record: 23–10; Rank: No. 17
Next game — Saturday vs. No. 12 James Madison in Morgantown, W.Va., as the No. 5 seed in the Fort Worth 3 Regional
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 33 games, 33 starts, 13.9 points, ACC-leading 67.6 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 73.9 FT%, 7.2 rebounds
Team record: 20–13
Wednesday: 98–88 win vs. Pittsburgh in second round of the ACC tournament — Started; 32 minutes, 18 points, 5–6 FG, 8–8 FT, 5 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 block
Thursday: 81–74 loss vs. No. 10 Virginia in quarterfinals of ACC tournament — Started; 37 minutes, 14 points, 3–9 FG, 8–8 FT, 10 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 turnover, 3 blocks, 2 steals
Next game — 9:10 Tuesday vs. Texas in a First Four matchup of No. 11 seeds in Dayton, truTV; win advances Pack to a 7:25 p.m. Thursday game against No. 6 BYU, TBS
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 13.5 points, 45.1 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 86.8 FT%, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 26–8: Rank: No. 22
Friday in SEC tournament quarterfinals: 75–68 win vs. Tennessee — Started; 26:55, 8 points, 2–9 FG, 2–8 3FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 block, -7
Saturday in SEC tournament semifinals: 91–74 win vs. No. 4 Florida — Started; 28:11, 7 points, 3–10 FG, 1–6 3FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, +18
Sunday in SEC tournament final: 86–75 loss vs. No. 17 Arkansas — Started; 32:35, 19 points, 7–12 FG, 5–7 3FG, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, -1
Next game — Thursday vs. No. 12 McNeese State as No. 5 seed in the South Regional in Oklahoma City
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
Suffered a season-ending left foot injury.
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 over
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
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
Wednesday: 72–67 loss to Rutgers in second round of the Big Ten tournament — Started; 40 minutes, 24 points, 9–13 FG, 3–7 3FG, 3–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 fouls, 1 assist, 3 turnovers
Season over
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 34 games, 9 starts, 9.1 points, 55.4 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 74.1 FT%, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 25–7; Rank: No. 22
Friday in SEC tournament quarterfinals: 75–68 win vs. Tennessee — Didn’t start; 21:48, 7 points, 1–4 FG, 0–1 3FG, 5–6 FT, 7 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Saturday in SEC tournament semifinals: 91–74 win vs. No. 4 Florida — Didn’t start; 25:50, 17 points, 6–8 FG, 1–1 3FG, 4–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 assist, 1 block, +8
Sunday in SEC tournament final: 86–75 loss vs. No. 17 Arkansas — Didn’t start; 21:27, 8 points, 3–9 FG, 0–1 3FG, 2–2 FT, 7 rebounds, -15
Next game — First Four Thursday vs. No. 12 McNeese State as No. 5 seed in the South Regional in Oklahoma City
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