By R.L. Bynum
Elliot Cadeau’s outstanding floor game led to another blowout Michigan win on a night that Ven-Allen Lubin’s big numbers weren’t enough for N.C. State and Ian Jackson had a quiet night in another St. John’s loss.
After only dishing out one assist in each of the previous four games, Cadeau had 13 assists against only two turnovers Wednesday night as the unbeaten No. 7 Wolverines rolled to a 101–61 victory over No. 12 Gonzaga in the final of the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas to win $1 million.
The beat down was against a Gonzaga team that entered the game No. 1 in KenPom’s rankings. It was the largest victory margin over a ranked team in program history and the first time since the AP poll began in the 1948–49 season that a team has won consecutive games over ranked teams by at least 30 points. The Wolverines crushed No. 21 Auburn 102–72 on Wednesday.
Appropriately, Cadeau held the trophy, which looks like a basketball, as the team posed for photos on the court after the game (top photo).
Cadeau scored five points on 2 of 6 shooting, including 1 of 4 from 3-point range, but the playmaking he contributed was more than enough for the 7–0 Wolverines.
Cadeau’s transition layup gave Michigan an early 13–3 lead.
The 13 assists were one short of his career-high of 14 on Nov. 3 in a 121–78 home win over Oakland. His high during his two seasons at Carolina was 13 last season on Jan. 21 in the 67–66 loss at Wake Forest.
Like with Carolina last season, Lubin went 1–2 at the Maui Invitational, but played a much bigger role.
Lubin just missed a double-double with 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists in No. 23 N.C. State’s 102–97 loss to Texas in the fifth-place game. In 37½ minutes, he was 10 of 14 from the floor and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line.
As likely an unranked team, the Wolfpack (5–2) visits No. 21 Auburn at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN) in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge.
That’s the same Auburn team that knocked off St. John’s 85–74 in a consolation game at the Players Era Championship on Wednesday after the Red Storm (4–3) blew an 11-point second-half lead.
For the sixth consecutive game, Jackson came off the bench. He played only 15 minutes, tied with the opener for the fewest this season. He contributed seven points on 3 of 5 shooting (0 of 2 on 3-point attempts) with three rebounds and three turnovers.
In other games on Wednesday:
— Tyler Nickel scored five points, and Jalen Washington had two points and six rebounds as unbeaten Vanderbilt (6–0) beat Western Kentucky 83–78 in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Commodores face VCU at 11 a.m. Thursday (ESPN).
— Paulina Paris collected eight points, three rebounds and three assists as SMU (2–5) ended a five-game losing streak with an 84–61 victory over Winthrop in the consolation game of the Music City Classic in Nashville. Paris has come off the bench for the last four games after starting SMU’s first three games.
On Thursday, Cade Tyson and Minnesota (4–2) play Stanford in the first round of the four-team Acrisure Series at 9:30 (CBS Sports Network).
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 — 14 games, 14 starts, 9.6 points, 43.8 FG%, 42.1 3P%, 62.1 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.4 turnovers
Team record: 14–0, 4–0 Big Ten; Rank: No. 2
Tuesday: No. 2 Michigan 74, (at) Penn State 72 — Started; 27:29, 9 points, 3–8 FG, 1–5 3FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, +3
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday vs. Wisconsin, CBS
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 15 games, 15 starts, 8.7 points, 41.5 FG%, 39.1 3P%, 78.3 FT%, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Team record: 14–2, 1–1 SEC
Thursday: Mississippi State 75, Auburn 53 — Started; 32 minutes, team-high 17 points, 6–10 FG, 3–7 3FG, 2–3 FT, 2 fouls, 3 assists, 3 turnovers
Sunday: (at) No. 8 Oklahoma 95, Mississippi State 43 — Started; 28:39, 7 points, 2–11 FG, 1–5 3FG, 2–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, -39
Next game — 7:30 Thursday vs. No. 23 Tennessee
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 14 games, 2.1 points, 42.9 FG%, 1–3 3FG, 69.6 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 6 blocks, 4 steals
Team record: 10–4, 2–0 American
Tuesday: Tulsa 76, (at) Tulane 73 — 6 minutes, 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, +/- of 0
Next game — 7:30 Friday vs. Temple, 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 — 15 games, 8 starts, 11.1 points, 43.4 FG%, 35.6 3P%, 90.3 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 10–5, 3–1 Big East
Tuesday: Providence 77, St. John’s 71 — Started; 22 minutes, 7 points, 2–8 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2–3 FT, 1 rebound, 3 fouls, 1 turnover, 3 steals
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday at Creighton, FS1
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: 15–1, 2–0 SEC; Rank: No. 6
Thursday: No. 6 Kentucky 80, (at) No. 5 LSU 78 — Started; 38:58, 17 points, 8–14 FG, 0–2 3FG, 1–1 FT, team-high 16 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, +1
Thursday: No. 6 Kentucky 74, Missouri 52 — Started; 22:10, 5 points, 2–6 FG, 1–2 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, +10
Next game — 7 p.m. Thursday at Alabama
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 16 games, 16 starts, 12.3 points, 66.1 FG%, 3–8 3FG, 69.4 FT%, 6.8 rebounds
Team record: 11–5, 2–1 ACC
Saturday: Virginia 76, N.C. State 61 — Started; 29:43, 7 points, 2–6 FG, 0–1 3FG, 3–4 FT, 5 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 turnovers, -10
Tuesday: N.C. State 79, Boston College 71 — Started; 23:38, 7 points, 3–5 FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls, 1 assist, 1 block, -1
Next game — noon Saturday at Florida State, ACC Network
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 — 14 games, 14 starts, 14.9 points, 53.0 FG%, 49.1 3P%, 78.9 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Team record: 14–0, 1–0 SEC: Rank: No. 11
Saturday: No. 11 Vanderbilt 83, (at) South Carolina 71 — Started; 28:01, 16 points, 6–10 FG, 4–7 3FG, 0–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover, +8
Next game — 9 p.m. Wednesday vs. Alabama, ESPN2
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 15 games, 9 starts, 11.0 points, 42.3 FG%, 27.1 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 7–9, 0–4 ACC
Tuesday: (at) No. 13 Louisville 91, SMU 58 — Started; 33:14, 20 points, 8–15 FG, 4–7 3FG, 0–1 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, -29
Sunday: Georgia Tech 67, SMU 59 — Started; 37:01, 12 points, 5–10 FG, 0–2 3FG, 2–4 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, 4 assists, 6 turnovers, 2 steals, -3
Next game — 6 p.m. Sunday at N.C. State, ACC Network
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 — 13 games, 2.0 points, 47.8 FG%, 28.6 3P%, 2–6 FT, 2.3 rebounds, 12 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals
Team record: 8–7, 1–1 Southern Conference
Thursday: Samford 78, (at) VMI 58 — 3 minutes, 2 points, 1–1 FG, 0–1 FT, 1 rebound, 2 fouls, 2 turnovers
Saturday: (at) UNCG 89, Samford 82 — Didn’t play
Next game — 7 p.m. Wednesday at Western Carolina, ESPN+
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 15 games, 15 starts, 21.7 points, 52.2 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 81.6 FT%, 5.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 10–5, 3–1 Big Ten
Tuesday: Minnesota 70, No. 19 Iowa 67 —Started; 32:24, 16 points, 5–12 FG, 2–5 3FG, 4–6 FT, 5 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assits, 2 steals, +/- of 0
Next game — 8:30 Friday vs. USC, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 14 games, 1 start, 10.1 points, 62.7 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 78.2 FT%, 5.31 rebounds
Team record: 14–0, 1–0 SEC: Rank: No. 11
Saturday: No. 11 Vanderbilt 83, (at) South Carolina 71 — Didn’t start; 19:35, 10 points, 3–5 FG, 4–5 FT, 8 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, +3
Next game — 9 p.m. Wednesday vs. Alabama, ESPN2
Photo via @umichbball
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