By R.L. Bynum
Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel had the best night of his career, and Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau produced another outstanding floor game. Both teams extended their unbeaten streaks to 10 on a night when Ven-Allen Lubin’s double-double wasn’t enough for N.C. State to upset No. 19 Kansas.
Nickel scored 30 points and eight 3-pointers, both career-highs, to lead the No. 15 Commodores (10–0) to an 83–72 home win Saturday over Central Arkansas. He was 10 of 17 from the floor and 8 of 15 from beyond the arc. Cadeau collected 12 points, 10 assists and only three turnovers as the No. 2 Wolverines (10–0) moved to 2–0 in the Big Ten with a 101–83 victory at Maryland. Lubin collected 16 points and 11 rebounds in the Wolfpack’s 77–76 overtime home loss to the Jayhawks.
The Commodores needed Nickel’s big game to fend off an unexpected challenge from a Central Arkansas team that Carolina crushed 94–54 in its season opener.
“I just felt good from the start,” said Nickel, whose previous best scoring game was 23 points twice (vs. Clemson for Virginia Tech on Jan. 10, 2024, and against Seton Hall for Vanderbilt on Nov. 22, 2024). “My teammates kept finding me in good spots, and once I saw a couple go in, I knew I had to stay aggressive.”
Nickel’s hot hand fueled Vanderbilt’s fast start, as he scored the Commodores’ first 14 points. He hadn’t scored more than 20 points in a game this season, but had 19 by halftime.
“I’ve been working on staying confident and letting it fly when I have space,” said Nickel, whose best previous 3-pointers output was seven for Vanderbilt at Texas A&M last season on Feb. 26. “Coach always tells me to trust my shot, and tonight I did that.”
Nickel hit back-to-back 3s midway through the second half to stop a Central Arkansas run and push Vanderbilt’s lead back into double digits.
“Those were big moments,” said Nickel, who played his freshman season at UNC, his sophomore season at Virginia Tech and is in his second season at Vanderbilt. “I just wanted to make plays to help us win.”
Jalen Washington, who added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, said Nickel’s shooting changed the game.
“When Tyler gets going like that, it opens everything up,” said Washington, who was teammates with Nickel at Carolina during the 2022–23 season. “They had to chase him all over the floor, and that gave the rest of us space to attack. He was locked in.”
Washington also praised Nickel’s confidence.
“He’s a guy who works on his shot every day,” Washington said. “So when he gets hot, we just keep feeding him. It’s fun to play with someone who can score like that.”
For Cadeau, it was his second double-double of the season and fourth of his career, orchestrating yet another efficient Wolverines offensive night.
“It all starts with defense for us,” Cadeau said. “That’s our identity, and I feel like we get confidence through that. We get offensive confidence through stops. So, once we started putting stops together, I felt like we started making shots.”
Michigan had to rally from a nine-point second-half deficit, with the Wolverines taking their first lead after halftime on a Cadeau 3-pointer with 14:42 left in the game.
Lubin, who also had two assists and two blocks, recorded his fourth double-double of the season and 13th of his career after only having two last season at Carolina.
Even with the loss, Lubin said that the Wolfpack (7–4) proved how good they are.
“I think even though we didn’t get the results we wanted, I feel like we showed ourselves that we can compete with anybody,” Lubin said.
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State got burned when Melvin Council Jr. broke out for 36 points and nine 3-pointers for Kansas.
“The scouting report said to sag off him a little bit,” said Lubin of Council, who had only scored five 3-pointers all season before Saturday. “Coach [Will Wade] just saw that he wasn’t a really good 3-point shooter. So, we kind of wanted to dare him to take those shots. They would be good for us. Once he started knocking them down, we had to make some adjustments to at least step a little bit outside, contain, and contest the shots. But he was able to knock them down.”
Ian Jackson had 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and five turnovers starting at point guard for the first time since the season opener, as host No. 22 St. John’s (6–3) rolled to a 91–64 victory Saturday over Iona at Madison Square Garden.
Jackson cut away his thick locks for the first time since seventh grade before the game.
“I don’t care if you have hair down to your ankles, you just have to be able to see,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said of his guard’s new look. “Ian is a really good basketball player, and he could go from good to great in a short period of time because his willingness to learn, grow, get better. Everything about him spells greatness down the road.”
In games on Sunday:
— Cade Tyson’s Minnesota team (5–5, 1–1 Big Ten) hosts Texas Southern at 1 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
— Tray Crisp’s Mississippi State team (9–1) hosts Southern Miss at 2 p.m.
— Teonni Key’s No. 15 Kentucky team (10–1) is at home against Belmont at 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
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 — 20 games, 13 starts, 10.8 points, 44.4 FG%, 36.4 3P%, 89.5 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 15–5, 8–1 Big East; Rank: No. 25
Saturday: 88–83 win at Xavier — Started; 26 minutes, 16 points, 6–11 FG, 3–5 3FG, 1–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers
Next game — 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Butler, Peacock, NBCSN
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: 10–10, 3–6 Big Ten
Saturday: 76–57 loss vs. No. 7 Nebraska — Started; 30 minutes, 12 points, 5–9 FG, 2–4 3FG, 0–1 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 1 turnover
Next game — 9 p.m. Wednesday at Wisconsin, Big Ten Network
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 vucommodores.com
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