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 — 10 games, ,10 starts, 9.7 points, 45.4 FG%, 37.8 3P%, 58.8 FT%, 3.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.4 turnovers
Team record: 10–0, 2–0 Big Ten; Rank: No. 2
Monday: No. 2 Michigan 101, (at) Maryland 83 — Started; 34 minutes, 12 points, 5–9 FG, 2–3 3FG, 1 rebound, 10 assists, 1 foul, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, +15
Next game — 4 p.m. Sunday vs. La Salle, Peacock
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 8.1 points, 43.8 FG%, 43.5 3P%, 81.3 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Team record: 11–1
Sunday: Mississippi State 87, Southern Miss 64 — Started; 33 minutes, 12 points, 5–10 FG, 2–5 3FG, 2–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 foul, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal
Wednesday: Mississippi State 105, Alabama State 57 — Started; 22:43, 8 points, 3–6 FG, 2–4 3FG, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, team-high +47
Next game — noon Saturday at La Salle, ESPN+
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 10 games, 2.5 points, 45.5 FG%, 1–2 3FG, 66.7 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals
Team record: 6–4
Monday: Oklahoma State 90, Tulsa 58 — 18 minutes, career-high, team-high 14 points, 3–6 FG (FG total career-high), 1–2 3FG (first career 3-pointer), 7–8 FT (career-high for makes and attempts), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, -9
Next game — 11 a.m. Thursday vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, ESPN+
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — In rotation as reserve
Season statistics — 10 games, 3 starts, 11.5 points, 46.6 FG%, 34.1 3P%, 85.7 FT%, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 7–3, 1–0 Big East; Rank: No. 22
Tuesday: No. 22 St. John’s 79, DePaul 66 — Started; 14 minutes, 10 points, 4–7 FG, 2–3 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, +2
Next game — 12:30 Saturday vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, CBS
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 11.0 points, 55.9 FG%, 1–10 3FG, 71.1 FT%, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
Team record: 11–1; Rank: No. 12
Sunday: No. 12 Kentucky 77, Belmont 69 — Started, 18:38, 5 points, 2–4 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–2 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block, +8
Next game — 6:30 Friday vs. Wright State
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 13.0 points, 67.4 FG%, 3–6 3FG, 69.0 FT%, 7.2 rebounds
Team record: 8–4
Wednesday: N.C. State 108, Texas Southern 72 — Started; 16:30, 7 points, 3–4 FG, 1–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, +15
Next game — 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Ole Miss in Greensboro, ESPN
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 — 11 games, 11 starts, 14.4 points, 49.5 FG%, 44.0 3P%, 83.3 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Team record: 11–0: Rank: No. 13
Wednesday: No. 13 Vanderbilt 77, (at) Memphis 70, OT — Started; 36:46, 8 points, 3–11 FG, 2–10 3FG, 4 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +12
Next game — 1 p.m. Sunday at Wake Forest, The CW
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 10 games, 4 starts, 7.2 points, 38.3 FG%, 17.6 3P%, 75.0 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steal
Team record: 5–6, 0–1 ACC
Wednesday: SMU 57, Coppin State 49 — Started; 26 minutes, 11 points, 3–7 FG, 1–3 3FG, 4–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 3 turnovers
Next game — 6 p.m. Friday at Sam Houston, ESPN+
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 — 11 games, 1.8 points, 44.4 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 2–4 FT, 1.9 rebounds, seven assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals
Team record: 6–6
Monday: Samford 106, Bryant 51 — 13 minutes, career-high 8 points, 3–6 FG (ties for most FGs in career), 2–4 3FG (first two 3-pointers of his career), 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 assist, 1 block
Next game — 1 p.m. Friday vs. Reinhardt, ESPN+
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 11 games, 11 starts, 22.6 points, 52.2 FG%, 40.7 3P%, 81.7 FT%, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists
Team record: 6–5, 1–1 Big Ten
Wednesday: Minnesota 89, Texas Southern 53 —Started; 37 minutes, 38 points, 11–19 FG, 8–12 3FG, 8–11 FT, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 4 steals, +37
Next game — 6 p.m. Sunday vs. Campbell, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Competing for starting minutes at center
Season statistics — 11 games, 1 start, 9.5 points, 60.0 FG%, 26.7 3P%, 77.3 FT%, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks
Team record: 11–0: Rank: No. 13
Wednesday: No. 13 Vanderbilt 77, (at) Memphis 70, OT — Didn’t start; 25:30, 14 points, 2–4 FG, 10–14 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, drew 10 fouls, 1 turnover, 2 steals, +12
Next game — 1 p.m. Sunday at Wake Forest, The CW
Photo via @GopherMBB
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