By R.L. Bynum
Tyler Nickel and Jalen Washington both scored in double figures in a Vanderbilt victory, while Cade Tyson scored 19 points in a Minnesota loss.
Undefeated Vanderbilt (7–0) advanced to the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game with an 89–74 victory Thursday over VCU. The Commodores face St. Mary’s in the final at 1 p.m. (ESPN2).
Washington had his best game as a Commodore, tying his season-high with 11 points, making all five shots and pulling down a season-high eight rebounds, with a career-high-tying four assists and a block. For the sixth time in seven games, he came off the bench.
Nickel contributed 16 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Tyson scored 12 of his 19 points in the first half, pulled down three rebounds and had two assists as Minnesota fell to 4–3 with a 72–68 loss to Stanford in the first round of the Acrisure Series tournament in Palm Desert, Calif. The Gophers meet Santa Clara in the consolation game at 9:30 Friday night (truTV).
After scoring four 3-pointers in the season opener and three in two games, he has only had one 3-pointer in each of the last two games, combining to go 1 for 6. Tyson went to the free-throw line 44 times in the first four games (making 35), but has only 22 attempts in the last three games (making 18).
On Friday, Tulsa (5–1) suffered its first loss, 75–59 to Kent State in the first round of the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship, with RyLee Grays scoring three points with two rebounds for Tulsa
Also on Friday, Teonni Key’s No. 16 Kentucky team (7–1) meets Morgan State at 5:30 p.m. in the consolation game of the Puerto Rico Tournament.
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, 8.9 points, 44.6 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 78.3 FT%, 1.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 14–3, 1–2 SEC
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
Thursday: No. 23 Tennessee 90, Mississippi State 80 — Started; 31 minutes, 9 points, 3–6 FG, 1–4 3FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls, 3 turnovers, -14
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: 15–2, 2–1 SEC; Rank: No. 6
Sunday: No. 6 Kentucky 74, Missouri 52 — Started; 22:10, 5 points, 2–6 FG, 1–2 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, +10
Thursday: (at) Alabama 64, No. 6 Kentucky 51 — Missed game recovering from dislocated elbow
Next game — 4 p.m. Saturday vs. No. 5 Oklahoma, 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 — 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 — 15 games, 15 starts, 14.7 points, 52.8 FG%, 48.2 3P%, 78.3 FT%, 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Team record: 15–0, 2–0 SEC: Rank: No. 11
Wednesday: No. 11 Vanderbilt 96, No. 13 Alabama 90— Started; 26:50, 12 points, 4–8 FG, 1–4 3FG, 3–4 Ft, 1 rebound, 4 fouls, 1 assist, 1 block, +1
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday vs. LSU, SEC Network
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 — 14 games, 2.6 points, 50.0 FG%, 37.5 3P%, 50.0 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 12 assists, 6 blocks, 2 steals
Team record: 9–7, 2–1 Southern Conference
Wednesday: Samford 82, Western Carolina 77 — 21 minutes (tied career-high), career-high 11 points, 4–7 FG (4 FGs career-high), 1–1 3FG, 2–2 FT (2 FTs ties career-high), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 fouls, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +7
Next game — 4:30 Saturday at Chattanooga
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 — 15 games, 1 start, 10.1 points, 60.8 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 76.9 FT%, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Team record: 15–0, 2–0 SEC: Rank: No. 11
Wednesday: No. 11 Vanderbilt 96, No. 13 Alabama 90— Didn’t start; 9 points, 1–4 FG, 7–10 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 turnover, 2 blocks, +5
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday vs. LSU, SEC Network
Photo via @VandyMBB
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