By R.L. Bynum
The sensational seasons for two former UNC backcourt teammates continue as Caleb Love keeps matching or topping RJ Davis and vice versa. Meanwhile, Destiny Adams finished her first season at Rutgers with a record-breaking effort.
Two nights after Davis helped the Tar Heels earn at least a share of the ACC regular-season title, Love helped No. 6 Arizona clinch the Pac-12 regular-season title outright in the last season of the conference.
Love, the favorite to be the Pac-12 Player of the Year just as Davis is for ACC Player of the Year, had 17 points, two 3-pointers, three rebounds and two assists as the Wildcats rolled to an 88–65 victory Thursday night at UCLA.
Arizona will be the top seed for the final Pac-12 tournament, playing a quarterfinal game at 3 p.m. Thursday in Las Vegas. The Wildcats earned the regular-season title outright, thanks to Washington upsetting No. 18 Washington State 74–68 on Thursday.
“We’re going to celebrate this for probably tonight and a little bit tomorrow,” Love said on Thursday. “But we came here to get the sweep.”
Arizona (24–6, 15–4 Pac-12) will earn the sweep he’s talking about (two wins in Los Angeles) with a victory against Southern Cal on Saturday night.
“I rushed my first two shots, and then I just had to settle into the game to see what they were giving me,” Love said.
The Bruins had won five in a row at Pauley Pavilion against Arizona and hung tough early, but Love scored the first 12 points during a 29–12 Wildcats run to take a 44–27 halftime lead.
Love’s 3-pointer from in front Arizona bench with 16:22 left pushed Arizona’s lead to 55–33.
Adams scored 31 points and pulled down a career-high 24 rebounds in Rutgers’ season-ending 77–69 loss to Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten tournament in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Adams broke the tournament single-game rebounds record, in addition to dishing out three assists and registering a block and a steal. She broke the record of another former UNC player, Stephanie Mavunga, who set the previous mark for Ohio State in 2018 with 21 rebounds in a win over Minnesota.
Adams’ 31 points set a school record for the tournament, but Rutgers finished the season 8–24.
Justin McKoy collected 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists Wednesday in Hawaii’s 72–70 home win over Cal State, Northridge. His senior night game for the Rainbow Warriors (18–13, 10–9 Big West) is at midnight (ET) Saturday against CSU Bakersfield.
In Virginia Tech’s 80–64 Tuesday win at Louisville, Tyler Nickel scored 13 points and three 3-pointers after combining for three points in the previous three games for the Hokies (17–13, 9–10 ACC).
Dontrez Styles collected 13 points and eight rebounds Tuesday in Georgetown’s 71–58 home loss to Providence. The Hoyas (9–21, 2–17 Big East) finish the regular season with a road game against St. John’s at noon on Saturday (Fox).
Dawson Garcia registered his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds Wednesday in Minnesota’s 70–58 home loss to Indiana. The Gophers (18–12, 9–10 Big Ten) finish the regular season Saturday at 9 p.m. at Northwestern (Big Ten Network).
Kerwin Walton had four points and three rebounds in Texas Tech’s 75–58 Tuesday win at Oklahoma State. His senior night game for the Red Raiders (21–9, 10–7 Big 12) is Saturday night against No. 11 Baylor.
Will Shaver played two scoreless minutes in UAB’s 100–72 win Thursday at Temple.
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 — 11 games, 2.6 points, 50.0 FG%, 1–2 3FG, 69.6 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals
Team record: 7–4
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
Thursday: Tulsa 67, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 43 — 14 minutes, 4 points, 1–1 FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 1 block
Next game — 2:45 Sunday at Florida
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 @ArizonaMBB
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