Penn State, Utah reach NIT championship
Tony Carr scored 21 points, Shep Garner added 18 while breaking a school record for career 3-pointers and Penn State routed Mississippi State (25-12), 75-60, Tuesday night in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York. The fourth-seeded Nittany Lions (25-13) will play No. 2 Utah for the championship Thursdaynight at MSG.
After the score was tied 9-9, Penn State ended the first quarter on a 9-2 run. From there, the Nittany Lions opened the second with a 19-0 spurt capped by Garner’s 3 off an assist from Carr to make it 37-11. Penn State was up, 4223, at halftime and led by as manyas 27.
Second-seeded Utah (23-11) outlasted Western Kentucky (27-11) down the stretch for a 69-64 victory in the first semifinal. Justin Bibbins scored 19 points for the Utes, who advanced to the championship forthe third time.
All-America team
The Associated Press AllAmerica team has three freshmen on the first team for the first time in its 70year history. Oklahoma’s Trae Young, Deandre Ayton of Arizona and Duke’s Marvin Bagley III were named first-teamers Tuesday on the AP All-America team. They were joined by Villanova’s Jalen Brunson and Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham on the team selected by the same 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly AP Top 25. The All-America first team has had two freshmen three times: John Wall and Demarcus Cousins in 2010; Michael Beasley and Kevin Love in 2008; Kevin Durant and Greg Oden in 2007. Young led the NCAA in scoring and assists in his lone season in Norman.
Louisville
Louisville found its new men’s coach, tapping Xavier’s Chris Mack to guide the program back to national contention after a turbulent season in which the Cardinals and former coach Rick Pitino were linked to a federal investigation and eventually missed the NCAA tournament. Mack’s name surfaced as Louisville’s choice in recent days. He will become Louisville’s third coach in a year following Pitino’s firing in October and Padgett’s promotion from second-year assistant. The school parted ways with Padgett a week ago after the Cardinals quarterfinal exit from the NIT.
Elsewhere
Final Four-bound Kansas, Michigan State and UCLA headline what will be another strong field at the 2019 Maui Invitational. The field also will include BYU, Dayton, Georgia, Virginia Tech and host Chaminade.