No. 2 Alabama stumbles again versus Texas A&M
Wade Taylor IV scored a career-high 28 points to fuel No. 24 Texas A&M to a 67-61 win over No. 2 Alabama on Saturday in College Station, Texas.
Taylor made five free throws in the final three minutes, including two big ones after Andersson Garcia’s steal with the Aggies (23-8, 15-3 SEC) nursing a 61-59 lead.
Tyrece Radford, who had 21 points, canned all four of his attempts from the charity stripe in the final 15 seconds to seal the Aggies’ fifth straight win overall against Alabama.
The Aggies made all but one of their 28 free throws (96.4 percent).
In losing for the seventh time in nine games at College Station, the Crimson Tide (26-5, 16-2) got 19 points and 10 rebounds from Brandon Miller before the freshman star fouled out in the last two minutes.
The top two seeds in the SEC tournament, Alabama and Texas A&M will receive double-byes and not play until Friday.
No. 6 Marquette 96, St. John’s 94: Kam Jones scored 23 points and Big East player of the year candidate Tyler Kolek collected 18 points and 10
Aassists for host Marquette. The Golden Eagles (25-6, 17-3 Big East) also received 14 points from Stevie Mitchell. Dylan AddaeWusu scored 25 points to lead St. John’s (17-14, 7-13).
Iowa State 73, No. 7 Baylor 58: Jaren Holmes had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Tre King recorded 13 points and seven rebounds to lead Iowa State to an upset on the road. Gabe Kalscheur scored 12 points as the Cyclones (18-12, 9-9 Big 12) snapped a fourgame losing streak and won for just the third time in 11 contests. Iowa State beat the Bears by 15 points for the second time this season. Adam Flagler scored 20 points and LJ Cryer added 13 for Baylor (22-9, 11-7).
Auburn 79, No. 12 Tennessee 70: Wendell Green Jr. scored 24 points and Johni Broome added 17 as host Auburn posted a résumé-enhancing victory. Green scored seven points in the final 1:37 of the game as the Tigers (20-11, 10-8 SEC) finished on a 17-7 run to spoil Tennessee’s opportunity to clinch a double-bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament. The loss for the Volunteers (22-9, 11-7) opened the way for Missouri and/or Vanderbilt to move into the No. 4 spot depending
AAthe results of their games Saturday night.
No. 13 Virginia 75, Louisville 69: In the final home game of his college career, Jayden Gardner scored 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting to help propel Virginia (23-6, 15-5 ACC), which won a share of the league title and clinched the No. 2 seed in next week’s ACC tournament. Mike James topped Louisville (4-27, 2-18) with 24 points.
Seton Hall 82, No. 20 Providence 58: Dre Davis scored a career-high 24 points for visiting Seton Hall in the final regularseason game for each team. Davis made 9 of his
AA10 field-goal attempts, including each of his four 3-pointers. Seton Hall moved to 17-14 and 10-10 in the Big East. Providence is 21-10, 13-7. Seton Hall was without point guard Kadary Richmond (back) and forward Tray Jackson (sprained ankle).
No. 23 Kentucky 88, Arkansas 79: Antonio Reeves was the differencemaker for visiting Kentucky, scoring a careerhigh 37 points. Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe was involved in two altercations in the first half and spent much of the second half in foul trouble, but he managed 12 points and 13 rebounds. Kentucky finished
Acontinue to grow.”
NELSON, COHEN MISS PRACTICE
The Hurricanes started their spring practices without perhaps their top two offensive linemen, although one will be back Tuesday for their next practice.
Guard Javion Cohen was spending the weekend in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine to attend a symposium intended for highly regarded underclassmen. He’s expected back on the field next week.
Tackle Zion Nelson, however, is still dealing with an injury after he missed nearly all of last season. Nelson, who will now be a redshirt junior, played in only one game last year after undergoing knee surgery last offseason and suffering a setback after his lone early-season the regular season 21-10, and 12-6 in the SEC. Arkansas fell to 19-12, 8-10.
WONG A FINALIST
Purdue center Zach Edey, reigning winner Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky and the University of Miami’s Isaiah Wong were among the 15 finalists named for the Wooden Award as the best men’s college basketball player.
The 7-foot-4 Edey averages 22.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game for the fifth-ranked Boilermakers.
Tshiebwe, 6-foot-9, is averaging 16.5 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the Wildcats, down from his totals when he won the award last season (17.4, 15.2 and 1.8).
Wong, a 6-foot-4 guard, is averaging 16.2 points,
4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
A notable omission from the list of finalists is Alabama freshman forward Brandon Miller, who averages 19.6 points and 8.0 rebounds but is embroiled in an off-court controversy. Last month, police said Miller delivered a gun to former teammate Darius Miles prior to a fatal shooting Jan. 15.
The other finalists: Armando Bacot, North Carolina; Antoine Davis, Detroit appearance
“He’s doing well. He’s on the mend and right now doctors prefer that he continue to heal up until we get to a point where he can really, really go,” Cristobal said. “We’re going to be patient with him. He feels good about it. Doctors feel good about it, so we’ll stay the course.”
With its two-star offensive linemen missing, Miami’s first offensive line group lined up, from left to right, as Jalen Rivers, Laurance Seymore, Matt Lee, Anez Cooper and Chris Washington. Freshmen offensive linemen Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola, both five-star tackles in the 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2023, lined up as the tackles in the second group.
THIS AND THAT
ATight end Kahlil Brantley
APPLES AND ORANGES
Cristobal was asked where his players are in terms of learning the new offense and defense.
“Football’s football,” Cristobal said. “Sometimes it’s called an apple, sometimes oranges. I think for Day One, you’re probably where you feel you should be.
“... They’ve done well. They’ve attacked it, and we’ve got to stay on it.
The best thing we can be is very real, and for Miami to make steps to keep getting better and work toward what we want to be, the stuff that we do is very hard. And when it doesn’t go exactly well, you keep coming. And when it gets harder, you just keep coming, and eventually, it’ll pop.
“We’re in that mode right now. So far, so
Mercy; Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana; Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA; Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State; Mike Miles Jr., TCU; Kris Murray, Iowa; Jalen Pickett, Penn State; Marcus Sasser, Houston; Drew Timme, Gonzaga; Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona; and Jalen Wilson, Kansas.
UM WOMEN OUSTED
The University of Miami headed home this weekend after a 68-42 loss Friday to eighth-ranked Virginia Tech in an ACC tournament quarterfinal in Greensboro, N.C.
Miami trailed 20-5 after one quarter and never recovered.
“Just a very, very immature, poorly played first quarter by us,” coach Katie Meier said, pointing to rushed shots.
Virginia Tech improved to 25-4, 14-4 in the ACC. Miami fell to 19-12, 11-7.
Meier brushed aside a postgame question about whether UM deserves a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
“That should not even be in doubt,” she said. “... [W]e’re sitting at 19 wins in the nation’s best conference, and we had 11 ACC wins. And in my lifetime 11 ACC wins is — we’re not even on the bubble in my opinion. We’re in.”
entered the transfer portal, announcing his decision on Twitter a few hours before practice began. Cameron McCormick, a transfer from Oregon, was the first tight end in drills, as fellow tight end Elijah Arroyo was missing from practice.
Defensive linemen Akheem Mesidor and Leonard Taylor III are both dealing with injuries. Mesidor should be back by the midpoint of the spring, Cristobal said, and Taylor will miss the entire spring. Corey Flagg Jr. is dealing with a foot injury, although he was on the field for at least part of practice Saturday, lining up next to fellow linebacker Wesley Bissainthe.
Safety James Williams is also sidelined after undergoing surgery late last season.
QB Peyton Matocha is no longer on the roster.
AAAgood.”
Offensive tackle Jalen Rivers, who is practicing at left tackle instead of his usual left guard spot, not only seemed thrilled at the new, fast-moving offense, but also with Saturday’s practice as a whole.
“Every first practice, especially this first spring practice, everybody is amped-up, excited,” said Rivers, entering his fourth year. “We’re trying to move forward, better ourselves from last year. This whole offseason, our winter program was to come in spring with a new energy, new positive team building to get to our common goal. This first day everybody was happy to be out here.”
Susan Miller Degnan: 305-376-3366, @smillerdegnan