By R.L. Bynum
Caleb Love is the last former Carolina player still playing in the postseason after Kennedy Todd-Williams and Ole Miss lost on Monday. Love is one win away from possibly facing the Tar Heels in the West Regional final.
Love’s No. 6 Wildcats (27–8) will take on Clemson at 7:09 p.m. Thursday night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. With the win, Arizona will face the winner of the UNC-Alabama game on Saturday, two years after hitting an iconic 3-pointer for Carolina to beat Duke in the Final Four.
“I think it’s a big stage,” Love said. “You want to play in these moments, these big-time games. I dreamed of this as a kid, watching March Madness, wanted to be on the stage and I think I rise to the occasion. Whatever I can do to get the team to win, scoring, rebounding, play-making, whatever I’ve got to do. Defense. That’s what I’m going to try to do.”
Love registered a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds in Arizona’s 85–65 first-round win Thursday in Salt Lake City over Long Beach State, with five assists and two steals. Love scored three of Arizona’s 12 3-pointers, which was a school record for an NCAA game.
In Arizona’s 78–68 second-round victory over Dayton, he scored 19 points, five assists, three rebounds, a block, and a steal. Love made five of the Wildcats’ first 10 baskets and scored 13 points 12 minutes into the game.
“I knew he was going to play good,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said of Love. “I knew he had the look. It’s a rough patch for these guys. Caleb’s been through a lot in his career. You hit a rough patch where you start getting accolades and honors and start thinking about things. I knew he had to play through a little bit. I knew today he was going to play good. There was no way he wasn’t going to play good in this game.”
Host Notre Dame eliminated Ole Miss on Monday with a 71–56 victory after Todd-Williams shared the team high with 15 points, her 10th consecutive game scoring in double figures. She added four rebounds, three steals and two assists.
“I think it was just about executing on both ends, getting stops,” Todd-Williams said. “I don’t think we did a good job at getting stops to help with our offense. It’s just something that we have to be better at.”
It was the second consecutive season that Todd-Williams’ season ended with a second-round loss on the home court of a Midwest team after UNC lost at Ohio State last season.
Todd-Williams said at the postgame press conference that she intends to return to Ole Miss next season.
Todd-Williams noted before Monday’s game that the SEC’s play is different than the ACC.
“It’s about the physicality,” she said. “The physicality was super different. It’s just about being a dog out there and just being the tougher team.”
In the first round on Saturday, Todd-Williams collected 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals in a 67–55 Ole Miss victory over Marquette in South Bend, Ind.
Todd-Williams explained why she transferred to Ole Miss.
“I really want to go to the next level, and my vision and myself and this program align with Coach Yo,” Todd-Williams said of Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. “I just really wanted to get better and go further than we did last year, so it was a growth effort for me to just be better than what I was before, and just the commitment that I had to this team and to the coaches and stuff, I just really wanted to be better for the team.”
Two other transfers played in the NCAA tournament and lost in the first round: Texas Tech’s Kerwin Walton and UAB’s Will Shaver.
Walton had nine points and five rebounds but four fouls in 20 minutes of the Red Raiders’ 80–67 first-round loss in Pittsburgh to N.C. State as Texas Tech finished 23–11.
“I remember playing these guys a few times the first couple years at Carolina,” Walton said before the game. “It’s always been animosity between the two schools. But it’s a whole new environment for me, different feeling.”
Shaver had one point in four minutes in UAB’s 69–65 first-round loss in Spokane, Wash., on Friday to San Diego State, with the Blazers finishing 23–12.
Two transfers played in the NIT and lost in the second round: Minnesota’s Dawson Garcia and Virginia Tech’s Tyler Nickel.
Garcia scored 25 points in the Gophers’ 73–72 Tuesday win at Butler. But in Minnesota’s 76–54 loss Sunday at Indiana State, Garcia had six points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. He got in foul trouble, finishing with four fouls in both games as Minnesota finished 19–15.
Nickel had three points in the Hokies’ 74–58 Tuesday home win over Richmond and six points in Saturday’s 71–73 loss at Ohio State. Virginia Tech finished 19–15.
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 @ArizonaMBB
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