By R.L. Bynum
Caleb Love continues to be the leading scorer on a balanced Arizona attack, and the unbeaten No. 2 Wildcats will likely be No. 1 when the new AP Top 25 poll comes out on Monday.
Love had 14 points and two 3-pointers, with season-highs of eight rebounds (one short of his career-high) and three steals, with three assists and a block in Arizona’s 82–55 romp over Colgate.
It wouldn’t be Love’s first time playing on a No. 1 team. He was on last season’s UNC team that was No. 1 for three weeks. No. 1 Purdue lost Friday 92–88 in overtime at unranked Northwestern, and No. 3 Marquette lost 75–64 Saturday at unranked Wisconsin, opening up the likelihood of Arizona being voted the top-ranked team.
Love, averaging 13.3 points per game, had two 3-pointers and 10 points as Arizona (7–0) only led 35–30 at halftime. Arizona held Colgate (4–4) to one field goal in the first eight minutes of the second half to balloon the lead to 22 points and coasted from there.
Dontrez Styles rebounded from a tough game in a close Wednesday win to put up good numbers in a tough Georgetown loss on Saturday.
Styles had a season-low six points and six rebounds in the Hoyas’ 69–67 Wednesday home victory over Merrimack. In Saturday’s 84–83 home loss to TCU, he had 18 points, three 3-pointers, six rebounds, a steal and a block for the 5–3 Hoyas.
TCU won it on Emanuel Miller’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer shot while falling down from the right wing.
Rutgers’ women snapped a three-game losing streak with a pair of wins, with Destiny Adams putting up good numbers in both games.
Adams scored 19 points for her sixth double-digit scoring game of the season in an 82–48 Wednesday victory over Delaware State. Adams also had six rebounds, two blocks and two steals for a 17.7 game score.
On Saturday, Adams collected 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals and a block as Rutgers (5–5) returned to .500 with a 69–48 home victory over Lafayette.
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota’s leading scorer at 18.3 points per game, had 15 points, six rebounds and three blocks in the Gophers’ 97–64 Thursday home win over New Orleans. Minnesota is 5–2 heading into its 6:30 Sunday Big Ten opener at Ohio State (Big Ten Network).
Justin McKoy collected 11 points and five rebounds in Hawaii’s 79–66 Thursday loss to Utah in Salt Lake City for the Rainbow Warriors’ first loss in six games this season.
Puff Johnson got his first Penn State start in the Nittany Lions’ 76–67 home loss to Bucknell. In 29 minutes, he had four points, six assists and a steal. D’Marco Dunn played 10 scoreless minutes off the bench with one rebound.
It was a rough week for the No. 19 Ole Miss women’s team and senior Kennedy Todd-Williams. She had four points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in Wednesday’s 64–58 home loss to No. 22 Louisville. She came off the bench for the first time on Saturday, contributing three points and a block in 18 minutes of the Rebels’ 61–59 home loss to Southern Miss.
Todd-Williams is averaging 6.4 points per game, shooting 29.7% from the floor and 3 of 19 from 3-point range.
UAB fell to 4–4 with a pair of home losses. Will Shaver didn’t play in UAB’s 81–60 home Tuesday win over McNeese State, then played three scoreless minutes with one rebound in Friday’s 85–82 defeat against Southern Miss.
Tyler Nickel was scoreless, missing all five shots, and had a rebound in Virginia Tech’s 74–57 Wednesday loss at Auburn.
Kerwin Walton had three points, one steal and one block in nine minutes Thursday in Texas Tech’s 103–95 loss at Butler as the Red Raiders fell to 5–2
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting point guard ahead of sophomore L.J. Cason
Season statistics — 19 games, 19 starts, 10.3 points, 45.1 FG%, 41.6 3P%, 68.6 FT%, 2.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.4 turnovers
Team record: 18–1, 8–1 Big Ten; Rank: No. 3
Friday: No. 3 Michigan 74, Ohio State 62 — Started; 25 minutes, Big Ten season-low 6 points, 2–4 FG, 2–3 3FG, 3 fouls, 8 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, +7
Next game — 7 p.m. Tuesday vs. No. 7 Nebraska, Peacock
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 19 games, 19 starts, 8.6 points, 40.9 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 82.8 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Team record: 15–5, 2–4 SEC
Sunday, Jan. 18: (at) Mississippi State 71, No. 7 Kentucky 59 — Started; 32:18, 16 points, 5–8 FG, 4–5 3FG (4 is season-high), 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, +14
Next game — 3 p.m. Sunday at No. 21 Alabama
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 19 games, 2.0 points, 47.4 FG%, 2–4 3FG, 72.0 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 7 blocks, 5 steals
Team record: 13–6, 5–2 American
Friday: Tulsa 57, (at) North Texas 53 — 7 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 1 steal
Next game — 6:30 Tuesday vs. Florida Atlantic, ESPN+
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 — 20 games, 13 starts, 10.8 points, 44.4 FG%, 36.4 3P%, 89.5 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 15–5, 8–1 Big East
Saturday: St. John’s 88, (at) Xavier 83 — Started; 26 minutes, 16 points, 6–11 FG, 3–5 3FG, 1–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers
Next game — 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Butler, Peacock, NBCSN
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 13–6, 5–4 Big Ten
Friday: (at) No. 3 Michigan 74, Ohio State 62 — 5 minutes, 1 foul, -9
Next game — 7 p.m. Monday vs. Penn State, FS1
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 14 games, 14 starts, 11.0 points, 54.9 FG%, 1–12 3FG, 70.7 FT%, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Team record: 17–5, 4–4 SEC; Rank: No. 11
Thursday: (at) No. 17 Tennessee 60, No. 11 Kentucky 58 and Saturday: Georgia 72, Kentucky 67 — Missed both games recovering from a dislocated elbow
Next game — 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, at Arkansas, SEC Network
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 13.4 points, 66.9 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 72.0 FT%, 6.9 rebounds
Team record: 14–6, 5–2 ACC
Saturday: N.C. State 81, (at) Pittsburgh 72 — Started; 32:00, 17 points, 5–8 FG, 0–1 3FG, 7–8 FT, 12 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block, +3
Next game — 7 p.m. Thursday vs. Syracuse, ESPNU
Plays UNC —7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, ESPN or ESPN2
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 14.7 points, 51.5 FG%, 46.3 3P%, 82.1 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Team record: 17–3, 4–3 SEC: Rank: No. 15
Saturday: No. 15 Vanderbilt 88, (at) Mississippi State 56 — Started; 27:57, 13 points, 5–10 FG, 3–8 3FG, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 3 steals, team-high +37
Next game — 9 p.m. Tuesday vs. Kentucky, ESPN
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 18 games, 11 starts, 9.7 points, 40.2 FG%, 23.2 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 8–13, 1–8 ACC
Thursday: Florida State 73, SMU 51 — Started; 20:25, 4 points, 2–7 FG, 0–4 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 assists, 2 steals, +1
Sunday: Miami 75, SMU 66 — Didn’t start; 10:52, 0–2 FG, 4 fouls, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 steal, -7
Next game — 7 p.m. Thursday at Clemson, ACCN Extra
Plays UNC — 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Carmichael Arena, ACCN
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 19 games, 2.8 points, 48.8 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 53.3 FT%, 2.2 rebounds, 13 assists, 8 blocks, 3 steals
Team record: 10–11, 3–5 Southern Conference
Wednesday: (at) Wofford 88, Samford 78 — 4 minutes, 0–1 FG, 1 foul, 1 assist
Saturday: Samford 75, Chattanooga 64 — 8 minutes, 2 points, 1–2 FG, 0–3 FT, 1 rebound, 2 fouls
Next game — 5 p.m. Thursday at Furman, CBSSN
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 20.1 points, 50.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 80.1 FT%, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Team record: 10–10, 3–6 Big Ten
Saturday: No. 7 Nebraska 76, Minnesota 57 — Started; 30 minutes, 12 points, 5–9 FG, 2–4 3FG, 0–1 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover
Next game — 9 p.m. Wednesday at Wisconsin, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 20 games, 1 start, 9.6 points, 60.4 FG%, 26.1 3P%, 72.5 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Team record: 17–3, 4–3 SEC: Rank: No. 15
Saturday: No. 15 Vanderbilt 88, (at) Mississippi State 56 — Didn’t start; 19:40, 8 points, 4–6 FG, 0–1 3FG, 8 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 4 blocks, +22
Next game — 9 p.m. Tuesday vs. Kentucky, ESPN
Photo via @ArizonaMBB
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