By R.L. Bynum
Dawson Garcia poured in 29 points in a high-scoring Minnesota loss, while Caleb Love and Dontrez Styles both scored 16 in mid-week games.
Garcia was 12 of 23 from the floor with scored a pair of 3-pointers in the Gophers’ 105–97 loss Wednesday at Illinois. It was his third game with more than 25 points this season, and the 12 field goals tied his season-high. He has scored at least 20 points eight times in Big Ten play.
The Gophers (17–11, 8–9 Big Ten) fell to eighth in the Big Ten.
Next up for Minnesota is Penn State (14–15, 8–10) at home at 3:15 on Saturday (Big Ten Network). Puff Johnson scored nine points and D’Marco Dunn four points in the Nittany Lions’ 90–81 Tuesday loss at Iowa.
Love, a solid candidate to be the Pac-12 Player of the Year, was 4 of 8 from 3-point range and had eight rebounds and five assists in No. 6 Arizona’s 85–67 victory Wednesday at Arizona State.
The Wildcats (22–6, 13–4 Pac-12) have a half-game lead atop the Pac-12 over No. 19 Washington State and most bracket projections have them as a No. 1 seed.
Dontrez Styles’ 16-point game, with three 3-pointers, seven rebounds and two assists, came in Georgetown’s 75–47 Tuesday loss at Villanova. The Hoyas (9–19, 2–15 Big East) are next-to-last in the Big East, with their only league wins against DePaul (3–25, 0–17).
Kennedy Todd-Williams had 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists Monday, her fifth consecutive double-figure-scoring game, as Ole Miss rolled to a 75–45 victory at Kentucky. The Rebels (21–7, 11–4 SEC) are third in the SEC, four games back of No. 1 South Carolina and a game back of No. 9 LSU.
Kerwin Walton had six points and two 3-pointers in Texas Tech’s 81–69 Tuesday home loss to Texas. The Red Raiders (19–9, 8–7 Big 12) are fifth in the Big 12.
Tyler Nickel was 1 of 7 from the floor and had three points and three rebounds Tuesday in Virginia Tech’s 84–71 loss at Syracuse. Nickel followed up his 14-point game at UNC on Feb. 17 with 13 against Virginia on Feb. 19, but has combined for three points in the last two games for the Hokies (15–13, 7–10).
Will Shaver had one point and a block in six minutes Wednesday in UAB’s 74–66 home loss to Wichita State.
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 — 20 games, 20 starts, 10.1 points, 43.7 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 67.9 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.7 turnovers
Team record: 19–1, 7–1 Big Ten; Rank: No. 3
Tuesday: 75–72 win at No. 7 Nebraska — Started; 32:55, 7 points, 2–8 FG, 2–6 3FG, 1–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 fouls, 8 turnovers, 2 steals, +9
Next game — 8 p.m. Friday at No. 7 Michigan State, Fox
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 8.8 points, 40.3 FG%, 38.4 3P%, 85.7 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Team record: 15–6, 2–5 SEC
Sunday: 85–78 loss at No. 24 Alabama — Started; 27 minutes, 11 points, 2–7 FG, 1–6 3FG, 6–6 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 turnovers
Next game — 5:30 Thursday at No. 15 Tennessee
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 20 games, 2.2 points, 47.6 FG%, 2–5 3FG, 75.9 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 8 blocks, 6 steals
Team record: 14–6, 6–2 American
Tuesday: 77–48 win vs. Florida Atlantic — 16 minutes, 6 points, 1–2 FG, 0–1 3FG, 4–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 assists, 1 block
Next game — 3 p.m. Saturday vs. Memphis, 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 — 21 games, 14 starts, 11.1 points, 44.4 FG%, 37.2 3P%, 90.7 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 16–5, 9–1 Big East; Rank: No. 25
Wednesday: 92–70 win vs. Butler — Started; 25 minutes, team-high 18 points, 5–11 FG, 3–6 3FG, 5–5 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 3 assists, 1 turnover, +19
Next game — 8 p.m. Tuesday at DePaul, Peacock
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 14–6, 6–4 Big Ten
Season statistics — 2 games, 18 minutes, 2 points, 1–3 FG, 0–1 FT, 3 rebounds
Friday: 74–62 loss at No. 3 Michigan — 5 minutes, 1 foul, -9
Monday: 84–78 win vs. Penn State — 13 minutes, 2 points, 1–3 FG, 0–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 turnover
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday at Wisconsin, Fox
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. 18
Thursday: 69–58 loss at No. 17 Tennessee and Saturday: 72–67 loss vs. No. 23 Georgia— Missed both games recovering from a dislocated elbow
Next game — 2 p.m. Sunday 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 — 21 games, 21 starts, 13.6 points, 68.5 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 72.7 FT%, 7.0 rebounds
Team record: 15–6, 6–2 ACC
Tuesday: 88–68 win vs. Syracuse — Started; 26:14, 18 points, 8–8 FG, 2–2 FT, 9 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists, +9
Next game — 3:45 Saturday at Wake Forest, The CW
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 — 21 games, 21 starts, 17.5 points, 51.4 FG%, 45.8 3P%, 83.9 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 18–3, 5–3 SEC: Rank: No. 18
Tuesday: 80–55 win vs. Kentucky — Started, 28:20, 19 points, 7–14 FG, 2–6 3FG, 3–3 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 2 steals, 1 block, +14
Next game — 8:30 Saturday at Ole Miss, SEC Network
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: 88–78 loss at Wofford — 4 minutes, 0–1 FG, 1 foul, 1 assist
Saturday: 75–64 win vs. Chattanooga — 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: 10–11, 3–7 Big Ten
Wednesday: 67–63 loss at Wisconsin — Missed game with an ankle injury suffered in last Saturday’s loss to Nebraska
Next game — 2 p.m. Sunday at Penn State, NBCSN and Peacock
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 21 games, 2 starts, 9.1 points, 57.7 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 72.5 FT%, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Team record: 18–3, 5–3 SEC: Rank: No. 18
Tuesday: 80–55 win vs. Kentucky — Started; 16:45, 0 points, 0–5 FG, 0–1 3FG, 9 rebounds, 5 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 block, +11
Next game — 8:30 Saturday at Ole Miss, SEC Network
Photo via @GopherMBB
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