By R.L. Bynum
After playing only 55 minutes in Texas Tech’s first six games, Kerwin Walton played 28 on Wednesday night and took full advantage with the best shooting night of his career.
Walton came off the bench to score 22 points and six 3-pointers, both career-highs, in the Red Raiders’ 87–58 home victory over Omaha. They are off to a 6–2 start under first-year coach Grant McCasland.
“I’ve been trying to be the best ‘three and D’ kind of guy I can,” said Walton, whose previous best scoring game at Texas Tech was 17 points last season on Jan. 29 in a 76–68 win at LSU. “Coach has been telling me that he knows I’m a good scorer.
“Right now, he just wants to see me play defense and prove to him and myself that I belong out there and that I can play hard and play smart,” said Walton after the 17th double-figure scoring game of his career. “So, my main focus is just playing to the best to my ability and knowing what I can do, and then just playing off of that.”
Walton eclipsed his previous highs of 19 points and five 3-pointers in his freshman season at Carolina in a 99–54 home victory over Louisville on Feb. 20, 2021. Walton was 6 of 7 from 3-point range and had three rebounds and a steal for a 22.2 game score. On the season, he’s shooting 52.4% from the floor and 60% from 3-point range.
“Kerwin’s hung in there,” McCasland said. “He’s practiced really hard, he’s been competitive, and he’s listening, and he’s gotten better defensively and rebounding. He came up with some rebounds tonight. We weren’t very good at defensive rebounding, but Kerwin ended up with three in 27 minutes. We need our guards to lead some rebounding. It feels like that’s when we’ll be great, that’s the teams we’ve had. Kerwin’s rebounded better and played defense, so that’s why he’s played.”
Walton made all four first-half 3-point attempts and had 12 points as Texas Tech led 42–22 at halftime.
It was only the sixth time in 94 career games that he’s played at least 28 minutes. His career-high is 31 minutes when he scored six points for UNC in the 93–84 loss to Purdue in Uncasville, Conn., on Nov. 20, 2021.
During a key first-half stretch, Texas Tech made 6 of 7 3-pointers, including four from Walton to take a 31–12 lead with 8:06 left in the first half.
Destiny Adams registered her third double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and added four assists, two steals and a block in Rutgers’ 98–67 home victory Tuesday over La Salle for a 17.2 game score.
It hasn’t gone well of late for Puff Johnson and D’Marco Dunn at Penn State.
Both went scoreless on Wednesday night as the Nittany Lions lost their Big Ten opener at Maryland 81–75 in overtime for their fifth consecutive defeat after starting the season 4–0.
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Johnson started and was 0 for 4 from the field, missing both 3-point attempts in 14 minutes with four rebounds. Dunn played one minute off the bench with one rebound and no shots.
Dawson Garcia, who had 36 points in his previous outing, left Minnesota’s 76–65 victory in its Big Ten opener against Nebraska in the first half with a left ankle injury. He was scoreless and took no shots with two rebounds in seven minutes.
Garcia got injured when he landed awkardly in the opening minutes of the game. He returnedtwice, attempting to play, and it appears that it isn’t a long-term injury.
“Knock on wood; it’s nothing significant,” Minnesota coach Ben Johnson said. “We all feel for him.”
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 31 games, 31 starts, 9.9 points, 42.4 FG%, 37.8 3P%, 70.5 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.4 turnovers
Team record: 29–2, 19–1 Big Ten (clinched regular-season title); Rank: No. 3
Thursday: 71–68 win at Iowa — Started; 30:24, 11 points, 1–3 FG, 9–11 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 9 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, +12
Sunday: 90–80 win vs. No. 8 Michigan State — Started; 33 minutes, 2 points, 1–5 FG, 0–2 3FG, 2 assists, 2 fouls, 3 turnovers, 2 blocks, +2
Next game — noon Friday in quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament in Chicago as No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 Ohio State, No. 9 Iowa, No. 16 Oregon or No. 17 Maryland
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
Wednesday: 86–68 loss to Florida in first round of the SEC tournament — Started; 19:37, 3 points, 1–5 FG, 1–4 3FG, 1 foul, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, -9
Next game — Awaits possible postseason berth
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: 19–11, 11–7 American
Wednesday: 53–41 win at UTSA — 10 minutes, 1 point, 0–1 FG, 1–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 turnovers, 1 steal
Saturday: 76–61 loss vs. East Carolina — 11 minutes, 4 points, 2–3 FG, 0–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 1 steal
Next game — 1 p.m. Thursday in American tournament in Birmingham, Ala., as the No. 4 seed vs. the winner of Wednesday’s game between No. 6 UTSA and the winner of Tuesday’s game between No. 7 Temple and No. 10 Tulane
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 — 30 games, 19 starts, 9.8 points, 41.9 FG%, 35.8 3P%, 90.0 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 25–6, 18–2 Big East; Rank: No. 18
Friday: 72–65 win at Seton Hall — Didn’t start; 3 minutes, 3 fouls, 1 assist, 1 turnover
Next game — noon Thursday in the quarterfinal of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden vs. winner of Wednesday’s game between No. 8 Butler and No. 9 Providence, Peacock, NBCSN
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 20–11, 12–8 Big Ten
Season statistics — 8 games, 1 start, 2.6 points, 33.3 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 6–9 FT, 1.3 rebounds
Wednesday: 94–62 at Penn State and Saturday: Ohio State 91, Indiana 78 — Didn’t play because of a foot injury
Next game — noon Thursday in the third round of Big Ten tournament in Chicago as No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 Iowa, No. 16 Oregon or No. 17 Maryland
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
Wednesday: 94–64 win vs. Arkansas in first round of SEC tournament — Started; 22:28, 12 points, 5–5 FG, 2–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 assist, 1 turnover, +31
Thursday: 76–61 win vs. Georgia in second round of SEC tournament — Started; 34:10, 14 points, 6–10 FG, 2–4 FT, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 turnovers, 1 block, +13
Friday: 87–64 loss vs. No. 3 South Carolina in quarterfinals of the SEC tournament — Started; 24:45, 13 points, 5–12 FG, 1–1 3FG, 2–2 FT, 8 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, -23
Next game — Awaits Selection Sunday for NCAA tournament berth
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 31 games, 31 starts, 13.7 points, ACC-leading 68.4 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 70.6 FT%, 7.1 rebounds
Team record: 19–12, 10–8 ACC
Monday: 93–64 loss vs. No. 1 Duke — Started; season-low 12 minutes, 6 points (ties season-low), 3–4 FG, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 turnover
Saturday: 86–84 loss vs. Stanford — Started; 34:08, team-high 17 points, 6–8 FG, 5–8 FT, 11 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 turnover, +8
Next game — noon Wednesday in second round of the ACC tournament in Charlotte as No. 7 seed against either No. 15 Pittsburgh No. 10 or Stanford, ESPN or ESPN 2
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 31 games, 31 starts, 13.7 points, 45.7 FG%, 40.2 3P%, 86.3 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 24–7, 11–7 SEC: Rank: No. 24
Tuesday: 89–86 OT win at Ole Miss — Started; 33:39, 9 points, 2–9 FG, 1–7 3FG, 4–4 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 block, -1
Saturday: 86–82 win at Tennessee — Started; 29:13, 7 points, 2–3 FG, 1–2 3FG, 2–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 turnovers, 2 steals, -2
Next game — 3:30 Friday in quarterfinals of the SEC tournament in Nashville as No. 4 seed vs. Wednesday’s first-round game between the No. 11 seed and No. 14 South Carolina, ESPN
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, 11–7 Southern Conference
Saturday: 86–81 loss vs. Furman in first round of the Southern Conference tournament in Asheville — 10 minutes, 2 points, 0–1 FG, 2–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Season likely over
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 29 games, 29 starts, team-leading 19.7 points, 49.4 FG%, 42.9 3P%, 81.9 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Team record: 15–16, 8–12 Big Ten
Wednesday: 77–47 loss at Indiana — Started; 38 minutes, 21 points, 7–14 FG, 3–4 3FG, 4–4 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 turnovers
Saturday: 67–66 win vs. Northwestern — Started; 40 minutes, 15 points, 5–11 FG, 0–3 3FG, 5–5 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 2 turnovers, +1
Next game — 9 p.m. Wednesday in the second round of the Big Ten tournament in Chicago as No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed Rutgers, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 31 games, 9 starts, 9.0 points, 56.4 FG%, 29.0 3P%, 72.1 FT%, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 24–7, 11–7 SEC: Rank: No. 24
Tuesday: 89–86 OT win at Ole Miss — Didn’t start; 16:21, 7 points, 3–7 FG, 1–1 3FG, 3 rebounds, 5 fouls, 1 assist, 1 turnover, -4
Saturday: 86–82 win at Tennessee — Didn’t start; 23:37, 7 points, 3–7 FG, 1–2 FT, 8 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, +1
Next game — 3:30 Friday in quarterfinals of the SEC tournament in Nashville as No. 4 seed vs. Wednesday’s first-round game between the No. 11 seed and No. 14 South Carolina, ESPN
Photo via @TexasTechMBB
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