By R.L. Bynum
Destiny Adams, Kerwin Walton and Caleb Love all had big games Wednesday night and led their teams in scoring, but only Love did so in a victory.
With Phoenix Suns start Kevin Durant watching from the front row, Love scored 20 points and tied his season-high with five 3-pointers as No. 12 Arizona rebounded from a loss to Washington State with a convincing 82–67 home victory over Southern Cal.
It was Love’s ninth game and third in a row with at least 20 points this season for the Wildcats (13–4, 4–2 Pac-12). He was 7 of 16 from the floor, 5 of 12 from 3-point ranges and dished out five assists. He also had five 3-pointers last weekend in a loss at Washington State.
Coming off a 33-point game three days earlier, Destiny Adams poured in 26 points and pulled down six rebounds, but her Rutgers team remained winless in Big Ten play after a 96–68 road loss to Illinois.
Adams has scored at least 20 points in three of the last five games and had double-digit points in the last five. She has scored at least 10 points 15 times and led the Scarlet Knights (6–14, 0–7 Big Ten) in scoring six times.
Walton scored 18 points and six 3-pointers, but No. 25 Texas Tech suffered its first Big 12 loss, falling on the road against No. 2 Houston 77–54. The Red Raiders (14–3, 3–1 Big 12) debuted in the AP poll this week.
The six 3-pointers matched his career-high, which he also scored on Dec. 6 against Omaha. His best perimeter game for UNC was five 3-pointers on Feb. 20, 2021, against Louisville.
It was the second time this season that Walton has led Texas Tech in scoring. He was 6 of 11 from the floor, 6 of 9 from 3-point range and had three rebounds for the Red Raiders (14–3, 3–1 Big 12).
Tyler Nickel scored eight points and two 3-pointers with four rebounds in Virginia Tech’s 65–57 loss at Virginia. The Hokies (10–7, 2–4 ACC) visit N.C. State at noon Saturday (The CW).
Penn State earned a big 87–83 home win Tuesday over No. 11 Wisconsin. Neither D’Marco Dunn nor Puff Johnson started for the Nittany Lions (9–9, 3–4 Big Ten). Dunn had five points in 12 minutes and Johnson was scoreless in eight minutes.
Will Shaver didn’t play in UAB’s 83–69 home win Wednesday over Tulane.
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Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 29 games, 29 starts, 10.1 points, 43.1 FG%, 38.4 3P%, 68.9 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.3 turnovers
Team record: 27–2, 17–2 Big Ten (clinched regular-season title); Rank: No. 3
Tuesday: 77–67 win vs. Minnesota — Started; 31:19, 15 points, 6–10 FG, 3–7 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 fouls, 5 assists, 1 turnover, +12
Friday: 84–70 win at No. 10 Illinois — Started; 26:36 minutes, 7 points, 3–9 FG, 0–3 3FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 fouls, 1 steal, +6
Next game — 8 p.m. Thursday at Iowa, Peacock
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 29 games, 29 starts, 8.9 points, 38.8 FG%, 37.4 3P%, 84.6 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 18–12, 5–11 SEC
Thursday: 68–64 loss at Texas A&M — Started; 37 minutes, 12 points, 3–7 FG, 3–6 3FG, 3–4 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 steal
Sunday: 72–63 loss vs. No. 6 LSU — Started; 35:29, 6 points, 1–8 FG, 0–5 3FG, 4–6 FT, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 3 steals, -6
Next game — 1:30 Wednesday, in first-round game in SEC tournament at Greenville, S.C., as No. 13 seed vs. No. 12 Florida, SEC Network
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 28 games, 2.0 points, 42.9 FG%, 4–10 3FG, 75.9 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 11 assists, 8 blocks, 10 steals
Team record: 18–10, 10–6 American
Tuesday: 65–46 win vs. Tulane — 3 minutes, no statistics
Saturday: 105–65 loss at Rice — 8 minutes, 2 points, 1–2 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal
Next game — 7:30 Wednesday at UTSA, 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 — 29 games, 19 starts, 10.2 points, 41.9 FG%, 35.83P%, 90.0 8 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 24–6, 17–2 Big East; Rank: No. 18
Saturday: 72–69 win vs. Georgetown — Didn’t start; 12 minutes, 3 points, 1–5 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 steal
Next game — 9 p.m. Friday at Seton Hall, FS1
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 18–11, 10–8 Big Ten
Season statistics — 8 games, 1 start, 2.6 points, 33.3 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 6–9 FT, 1.3 rebounds
Wednesday: 74–57 loss at Iowa — Didn’t start; 11 minutes, 0–3 FG, 3 rebounds
Sunday: 82–74 win vs. No. 8 Purdue — Didn’t play
Next game — 7:30 Wednesday at Penn State, Peacock
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 22 games, 22 starts, 11.0 points, 51.1 FG%, 1–12 3FG, 67.1 FT%, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 21–9, 8–8 SEC; Rank: No. 17
Thursday: 63–56 win at Auburn — Started; 33:37, 11 points, 4–7 FG, 3–4 FT, 9 rebounds, 2 fouls, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 block, +/- of 0
Sunday: 60–56 loss vs. No. 3 South Carolina — Started; 30:47, 6 points, 3–13 FG, 7 rebounds 1 foul, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 block, -5
Next game — 11 a.m. Wednesday, in first-round game in SEC tournament at Greenville, S.C., as No. 9 seed vs. No. 16 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 — 30 games, 30 starts, 13.6 points, ACC-leading 68.2 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 71.2 FT%, 7.0 rebounds
Team record: 19–11, 10–7 ACC
Tuesday: 90–61 loss at No. 11 Virginia — Started; 33:35, 11 points, 4–10 FG, 3–5 FT, 7 rebounds, 3 fouls, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 2 blocks, team-low -32
Saturday: 96–90 OT loss at Notre Dame — Started; 38:57, team-high 24 points, 8–10 FG, 8–9 FT, 10 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 block, -9
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
Next game — 2:15 Saturday vs. Stanford, The CW
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 30 games, 30 starts, 13.9 points, 45.5 FG%, 40.1 3P%, 85.7 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 23–7, 10–7 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
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday at Tennessee, 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 — 29 games, 2.7 points, 48.4 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 56.0 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 15 blocks, 6 steals
Team record: 18–13, 11–7 Southern Conference
Thursday: 80–61 win vs. VMI — 7 minutes, 0–1 FG, 0–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 foul
Saturday: 87–78 win vs. UNCG — 15 minutes, 2 points, 1–2 FG, 0–1 3FG, career-high 9 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 1 block, 2 steals
Next game — 6 p.m. Saturday in Southern Conference tournament quarterfinals in Asheville as No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 Furman, ESPN+
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 28 games, 28 starts, team-leading 19.6 points, 49.4 FG%, 42.1 3P%, 81.4 FT%, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Team record: 14–15, 7–11 Big Ten
Tuesday: 77–67 loss at No. 3 Michigan — Started; 40:00, 20 points, 6–13 FG, 5–10 3FG, 3–3 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 assist, 1 block, -10
Saturday: 78–73 win vs. UCLA — Started; 37 minutes, 21 points, 8–12 FG, 3–5 3FG, 2–3 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 1 block, 1 steal
Next game — 6:30 Wednesday at Indiana, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 30 games, 9 starts, 9.0 points, 57.0 FG%, 29.0 3P%, 72.5 FT%, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 23–7, 10–7 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
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday at Tennessee, ESPN
Photo via @ArizonaMBB
