By R.L. Bynum
Justin McKoy’s best game of his career wasn’t enough to carry Hawaii on Thursday night.
McKoy scored 22 points and six 3-pointers (both career-highs) but took only one shot in the second half (a 3-point attempt he made) as the Rainbow Warriors lost 79–71 at Long Beach State.
The point total topped his previous career-best of 18 on Jan. 4 at Cal State Bakersfield, and his 3-pointers total was double his previous best of three (three times earlier this season.)
Hawaii (10–8, 2–4 Big West) couldn’t overcome 75% shooting from Long Beach State, which built a 17-point halftime lead.
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Dawson Garcia collected 22 points and nine rebounds in Minnesota’s 76–66 Thursday loss at Michigan State as Coach Tom Izzo earned his 698th victory.
The Gophers (12–6, 3–4 Big Ten) were playing without guard Elijah Hawkins (ankle injury), who leads the Big Ten in assists.
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. 13
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 the second round of the ACC tournament in Charlotte as No. 7 seed against No. 15 Pittsburgh, ESPN2
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. 22
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. 22
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 @HawaiiMBB
