By R.L. Bynum
The impressive performances keep coming for Elliot Cadeau, and No. 2 Michigan continues to bludgeon every opponent.
Cadeau scored 18 points (one off his career-high) and a career-high four 3-pointers in 24 minutes Tuesday night as the host 9–0 Wolverines overwhelmed Villanova 89–61.
It was the Wolverines’ sixth consecutive win by at least 25 points and the fourth straight game they led by at least 20 points in the first half.
“I just think confidence from the people around me is just feeding into me,” Cadeau said. “Coaches want me to shoot every time I’m open, and my players want me to shoot every time I’m open. That just gave me confidence.”
Michigan’s last five wins have come by a combined 179 points, an average win margin of 35.8 points. Three have come against power conference schools, including blowouts of No. 21 Auburn (102–72) and No. 8 Gonzaga (101–61) in Las Vegas.
Cadeau collected seven points and three assists in the first 5½ minutes. He was outscoring Villanova by himself, 10–9, when the Wolverines went ahead 24–9 on his 3-pointer with 12:17 left in the first half. His third 3-pointer of the first half with 10 seconds left gave Michigan a 53–23 halftime lead.
“The best part of Elliot, other than his defensive tenacity — and he’s becoming a real irritant on that side of the ball — is his basketball IQ,” Michigan coach Dusty May said.
Cadeau’s career high was 19 points on Feb. 10, 2024, at Miami, and he also scored 18 on Nov. 15, 2024, at home against American. His highest 3-point total for UNC was three, which he scored on Nov. 4, 2024, against Elon and March 14, 2025, in the ACC tournament against Duke. He scored three 3-pointers this season on Nov. 24 in a 94–54 victory in Las Vegas over San Diego State.
Cadeau had two steals, four assists and four turnovers, only the third time in nine games that his assist total didn’t exceed his turnover total.
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In Sunday games involving former UNC players:
— Mississippi State guard Tray Crisp had 11 points, three 3-pointers, 2 assists and a steal as the Bulldogs (9–1) cruised to an 89–59 victory over Charlotte.
— Kentucky forward Teonni Key contributed 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals as the No. 17 Wildcats (10–1) rolled to an 82–56 victory over Central Michigan.
— Guard Paulina Paris came off the bench for eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals as host SMU (4–6) lost its ACC opener 78–69 to Syracuse. The Mustangs host Coppin State at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday (ACC Network Extra).
— RyLee Grays had two points and two rebounds in five minutes as Tulsa (6–3) lost 73–60 at Creighton.
— Will Shaver played two scoreless minutes as host Samford (5–6) beat Cornell 93–90.
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A week after Cade Tyson’s Minnesota team (5–5, 1–1 Big Ten) upset then-No. 22 (but now unranked) Indiana 73–44, the Gophers lost at No. 6 Purdue 85–47 on Wednesday.
Tyson scored 15 points, missing all four 3-point attempts, with four rebounds and four assists. It was only Tyson’s second game this season without a 3-pointer and was his second-lowest scoring output (14 in the 77–65 loss on Nov. 22 at San Francisco.)
Also on Wednesday, Ven-Allen Lubin’s N.C. State team (7–3) rolled to an 84–45 home win over Liberty. Lubin tied for the team-high with 13 points and pulled down six rebounds.
In games on Saturday:
— N.C. State becomes the third Triangle team to face Kansas, hosting the No. 19 Jayhawks at 5:30 p.m. (ESPN). Kansas lost 87–74 at UNC on Nov. 7 and 78–55 to Duke at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 18.
— No. 15 Vanderbilt (9–0), with Tyler Nickel and Jalen Washington, plays its first game in 10 days, hosting Central Arkansas at 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
— Cadeau and Michigan visit Maryland (6–4) at 8 p.m. (Fox)
— Ian Jackson and No. 23 St. John’s (5–3) hosts Iona at 8 p.m. (TNT)
At 1 p.m. Sunday, Cade Tyson and Minnesota (5–5) plays host to Texas Southern.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 38 games, 38 starts, 10.2 points, 41.6 FG%, 37.7 3P%, 69.4 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists
Team record: 35–3; Rank: No. 3
Friday: 90–77 win Midwest Regional Sweet 16 in Chicago vs. No. 18 Alabama — Started; 33:37, 17 points, 6–14 FG, 3–8 3FG, 2–5 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block, +15
Sunday: 95–62 win Midwest Regional final in Chicago vs. No. 23 Tennessee — Started; 34:20, 8 points, 3–7 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, 10 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +30
Next game — 8:49 p.m. Saturday vs. No. 2 Arizona at Final Four in Indianapolis, TBS
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 30 games, 30 starts, 8.7 points, 38.3 FG%, 37.1 3P%, 84.6 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 18–13
Season ended with SEC tournament loss
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.3 points, 43.6 FG%, 4–10 3FG, 69.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 8 blocks, 12 steals
Team record: 19–12
Season ended with loss in American Conference tournament
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 — 36 games, 19 starts, 9.4 points, 40.9 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 90.0 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 30–7; Rank: No. 13
Friday: 80–75 loss in East Regional Sweet 16 in Washington vs. No. 1 Duke — Didn’t start; 16 minutes, 5 points, 2–8 FG, 1–7 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists
Season ended with loss to Duke
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 21–13
Season statistics — 9 games, 1 start, 2.3 points, 33.3 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 6–9 FT, 1.1 rebounds
Season ended with first-round NCAA tournament loss to TCU
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 28 games, 28 starts, 11.4 points, 51.2 FG%, 2–15 3FG, 69.8 FT%, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Team record: 25–11; Rank: No. 17
Saturday: 76–54 loss in Fort Worth Regional 1 Sweet 16 vs. No. 3 Texas — Started; 31:31, 10 points, 2–8 FG, 0–1 3FG, 6–6 FT, 9 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, -17
Season ended with loss to Texas
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 13.6 points, ACC-leading 66.8 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 73.3 FT%, 7.1 rebounds
Team record: 20–14
Season ended with NCAA First Four loss to Texas
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 36 games, 36 starts, 13.5 points, 44.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 84.7 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 27–9: Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Season statistics — 20 games, 12 starts, 9.6 points, 39.9 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 9–21, 2–16 ACC
Season ended with left foot injury in February
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.6 points, 47.6 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 59.3 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 17 blocks, 7 steals
Team record: 18–14
Season ended with loss in Southern Conference tournament
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 31 games, 32 starts, team-leading 19.6 points, 50.0 FG%, 42.2 3P%, 82.6 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Team record: 15–17
Next game — 10:30 Wednesday at College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas vs. Baylor, FS1 (first game since March 11)
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 36 games, 9 starts, 8.9 points, 56.3 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 74.1 FT%, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 27–9; Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament
Photo via @umichbball
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