Jayhawks park star freshman for tourney opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas suspended star freshman Josh Jackson for the opening game of the Big 12 Tournament Wednesday after he backed into a parked car and fled the scene, the latest in a string of distracting legal troubles for the top-ranked Jayhawks.
Jackson will miss today’s quarterfinal against eighth-seeded TCU or No. 9 seed Oklahoma, but coach Bill Self said he would be eligible to play in the semifinals if the Jayhawks advance.
“You don’t ever want to minimize it, or maximize it, but he made a mistake by backing into someone’s car. I think that’s probably been done many times in a parking lot,” Self said after practice at the Sprint Center. “Then he compounded it by not being responsible at that moment.”
Jackson received three traffic citations for the Feb. 2 incident, and Self said the allBig 12 forward has taken care of the legal fallout. But Jackson didn’t tell Self about any of it until this week. Combined with more legal trouble earlier this season, that may have been the final straw.
“To me it was a pretty easy decision,” Self said. “If it was a singular event, I obviously would not have (suspended Jackson). He handled it. He did what he was supposed to do afterward. But he should have left his information there, even if he’s never had any experience. And he should have notified us. So based on some other we’ve dealt with, it was something I felt we had to do.”
Jackson, a likely NBA lottery pick, also faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal damage to property after he allegedly kicked the car of a female student in December. He issued a statement shortly after he was charged, apologizing and saying he had “offered to pay for any damage that I directly caused.” His arraignment is scheduled for April 12.
On Monday, Jackson was voted the AP’s newcomer of the year in the Big 12 and joined teammate Frank Mason III on the All-Big 12 first team. Jackson is also a Wooden and Naismith award finalist.
Louisiana-Monroe 73 Arkansas State 70
NEW ORLEANS — Nick Coppola scored 14 of his 15 points in the second half and overtime and 12th-seeded Louisiana-Monroe upset No. 5 seed Arkansas State in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament.
Sam Alabakis added 14 points and Marvin Jean-Pierre 12 for the Warhawks (8-24), who
will play No. 4 seed Texas State in a quarterfinal Friday.
Alabakis and Jean-Pierre opened overtime with baskets and Marcus Washington added six points in a 10-2 run to take control. Coppola made two free throws with six seconds left after the Red Wolves got within three.
Arkansas State had a chance to win in regulation but Rashad Lindsey missed a three-pointer and Deven Simms a tip-in. Donte Thomas scored 22 points to lead the Red Wolves (20-12), who swept the regular-season series from ULM, which won only two conference games.
ULM scored the first nine points of the second half to tie it but the Red Wolves retook the lead and held it until Jean-Pierre hit a jumper with four minutes left for a one-point lead.
The Red Wolves missed 12 of 22 free throws.
No. 14 Duke 79 Clemson 72
NEW YORK — Luke Kennard made two clutch jumpers in the final 2:04 to help No. 14 Duke thwart a rally by Clemson and advance to the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
The fifth-seeded Blue Devils (24-8) play fourth-seeded and No. 8 Louisville today at Barclays Center.
Kennard took a while to find his shot but finished with 20 points. Freshmen Jayson Tatum and Frank Jackson each scored 20 and picked up the slack while Kennard was cold.
Jaron Blossomgame led Clemson (17-15) with 19 points and eight rebounds.
No. 4 Gonzaga 74 No. 19 Saint Mary’s 56
LAS VEGAS — Nigel Williams-Goss scored 22 points, Przemek Karnowski added
15 and No. 4 Gonzaga won its fifth straight West Coast Conference tournament title by beating No. 19 Saint Mary’s Tuesday night.
Gonzaga (32-1) was not particularly sharp in the WCC semifinals, beating Santa Clara by nine to reach the title game for the
20th-straight season.
The Zags got their mojo back in a dazzling first half against Saint Mary’s, then had to hold on after a shaky start to the second.
Gonzaga shot 50 percent and had a 38-22 advantage inside, staking claim to a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Saint Mary’s (28-4) fought back after an ugly first half, but couldn’t overcome a
21-point deficit for its third loss to the Zags this season.
Calvin Hermanson had 14 points and Jock Landale 10 for the Gaels, who must wait out selection Sunday for the second-straight season.