One day after it was reported by Yahoo Sports that LSU head coach Will Wade was overheard on federal wiretaps discussing a recruiting “offer” with FBI defendant Christian Dawkins, LSU athletic director Joe Alleva announced that the coach has been suspended indefinitely.
Assistant coach Tony Benford will serve as interim head coach as the school works through its investigation of the recent report.
“All of us at LSU share the obligation to protect the integrity of the institution, as such we have suspended Head Coach Will Wade indefinitely until such time as we can ensure full compliance with the NCAA, as well as institutional policies and standards,” Alleva said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
During his taped conversation with Dawkins, Wade was quoted as referring to a recruiting process as the “Smart thing.” It isn’t explicitly stated in the conversation, but it could appear that this is in reference to then-recruit and current LSU freshman guard Javonte Smart. LSU has not announced anything regarding Smart’s status for Saturday’s regular season finale against Vanderbilt.
Wade issued a statement to the New Orleans Times-Picayune in which he stated that the reports surrounding his suspension “do not begin to tell the full story. I understand the University had to take action before all the facts are in, but I would ask everyone to withhold their judgment until the record is complete.”
Wade is the second coach to be sanctioned by his school in the aftermath of the latest Yahoo Sports report, with TCU assistant Corey Barker having been placed on administrative leave. Per the report Barker was one of two assistants to be offered a bribe worth $6,000, with the other being Creighton assistant Preston Murphy.
Dawkins and former adidas grassroots executive Merl Code Jr. were sentenced to six months in prison earlier this week, with former adidas executive James Gatto receiving a nine-month sentence. All three defendants have filed appeals of their respective sentences.
Like this:
LikeLoading...
Bubble Banter: It’s the final weekend of the regular seeason
There is now just under a month left in conference play, so it is time for us to go all-in on the “who’s-in-who’s-out” discussion. Bubble Banter has never been more important!
Some quick housekeeping before we dive into it:
This page will be updated throughout the weekend, so be sure to check back on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the games get played.
We’ll update them best that we can, but the NET rankings will be accurate through Friday morning.
If you see something we missed, if you have an issue with a team we left out or if you want to congratulate us on a job well done, drop a comment below or hit us up here: @RobDauster and @phillipshoops.
The cut-off we will be using this year for teams that are “on the bubble” is the No. 9 seed line. If your favorite team is seeded as a No. 9 or better in our most recent bracket, they will not be discussed below. This does not mean that those teams are locks, but it means they need to do something dumb before they are in danger of missing out on the tournament.
On Thursday, our Dave Ommen released an updated bracket, and these eight teams were placed in an 8-9 game: Wofford, Baylor, St. John’s, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Ohio State, Auburn and N.C. State.
Onto the weekend’s action.
FRIDAY
MINNESOTA (NET: 54, SOS: 49) at No. 24 Maryland, Fri. 7:00 p.m. (FS1)
Saint Joseph’s at VCU (NET: 32, SOS: 42), Fri. 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
BELMONT (NET: 45, SOS: 234) vs. OVC Semifinal, Fri. 8:00 p.m. (ESPNU) MURRAY STATE (NET: 50, SOS: 258) vs. OVC Semifinal, Fri. 10:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
SATURDAY
No. 23 Villanova at SETON HALL (NET: 63, SOS: 36), Sat. 12:00 p.m. (FOX)
Syracuse at CLEMSON (NET: 40, SOS: 34), Sat. 12:00 p.m. BUTLER (NET: 59, SOS: 20) at Providence, Sat. 12:00 p.m. TCU (NET: 52, SOS: 26) at TEXAS (NET: 35, SOS: 7), Sat. 12:00 p.m. (ESPN2) FLORIDA (NET: 34, SOS: 50) at No. 6 Kentucky, Sat. 2:00 p.m. (CBS) N.C. STATE (NET: 31, SOS: 212) at Boston College, Sat. 2:00 p.m. (ACCNET) GEORGETOWN (NET: 72, SOS: 88) at No. 16 Marquette, Sat. 2:30 p.m. (FOX) No. 25 UCF (NET: 29, SOS: 53) at TEMPLE (NET: 57, SOS: 86), Sat. 4:00 p.m. (ESPN2) ARIZONA STATE (NET: 68, SOS: 75) at Arizona, Sat. 4:00 p.m. ST. JOHN’S (NET: 61, SOS: 71) at Xavier, Sat. 5:00 p.m. (FOX) OKLAHOMA (NET: 38, SOS: 19) at No. 18 Kansas State, Sat. 6:00 p.m. (ESPN2) ALABAMA (NET: 55, SOS: 21) at Arkansas, Sat. 6:00 p.m. (SECN)
DePaul at CREIGHTON (NET: 48, SOS: 13), Sat. 8:00 p.m. (FS1)
UNC GREENSBORO (NET: 58, SOS: 142) at SoCon Quarterfinal, Sat. 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
OVC Title Game (Belmont, Murray State), Sat. 8:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
Mercer at FURMAN (NET: 44, SOS: 205), Sat. 8:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
SUNDAY
Rutgers at INDIANA (NET: 56, SOS: 25), Sun. 12:00 p.m. (BTN)
No. 21 Wisconsin at OHIO STATE (NET: 43, SOS: 54), Sun. 4:30 p.m. (CBS)
Atlantic Sun Title Game (Lipscomb), Sun. 3:00 p.m. (ESPN)
SoCon Semifinals (Wofford), Sun. 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
SoCon Semifinals (UNC Greensboro, Furman), Sun. 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Zion Williamson remains doubtful for regular season finale
No. 4 Duke’s first meeting with No. 3 North Carolina was headlined by the knee injury suffered by Zion Williamson just 33 seconds into the game, and with the star freshman out of the game the Blue Devils were unable to control the Tar Heels in the paint.
Williamson hasn’t played since, and on Friday Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said that the star freshman is considered to be doubtful for the rematch with the Tar Heels. A final decision on Williamson’s status for the game will be made after Duke’s pregame shoot-around Saturday morning.
Krzyzewski on Zion: "Yesterday was a big day for him because he didnt think before he moved… We'll have our shootaround in the morning and then give final word after that. It'll be known by 11 a.m. .. Roy isn't going to be up all night wondering."
Duke has won three of the four games it has played since the first meeting with North Carolina, an 88-72 Tar Heel victory in which Roy Williams’ team scored 62 points in the paint. That area will have a significant impact on Saturday’s rematch, whether Williamson plays or not. While freshmen RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones remain the headliners for the Blue Devils, how well Marques Bolden and Javin DeLaurier play against the likes of Luke Maye and Garrison Brooks is worth watching Saturday night as well.
Bolden, who accounted for just two rebounds and two blocked shots in the loss to North Carolina, has scored in double figures in two of Duke’s last four games. That includes a 15-point, 10-rebound, two-steal effort in Duke’s March 2 win over Miami. Also Jack White, who went through a brutal cold spell in which he missed 29 straight three-point attempts, has shot a combined 5-for-8 from distance in Duke’s last two games.
ACC tournament seeding will also be on the line Saturday, as Duke can be either the one (with a win and a Virginia loss to Louisville), two or three-seed in Charlotte. If Williamson can return Saturday, that would give Duke a boost. But after Tuesday’s win over Wake Forest, there was more optimism regarding the freshman’s availability for the ACC tournament than for the matchup with North Carolina.
“I don’t think he’ll be ready for Saturday. I have to be careful not to push this,” Krzyzewski said.
“I want to give him a chance to get in game shape. I would be surprised if he wasn’t ready by the ACC Tournament. Hopefully we’ll play some games there, not just one, and get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”
Philly lifer Dunphy set to say coaching goodbye to Temple
PHILADELPHIA — Fran Dunphy has a book about Tiger Woods on his night table and piles of books in his office at Temple that are mostly unread.
With the Owls on the brink of securing an NCAA Tournament bid, Dunphy’s in-season page turners are mostly scouting reports.
“When I wake up at night, I’m looking at film,” Dunphy said.
It’s the kind of late, late show that’s nearing the final credits.
Dunphy is set to step down at the end of the season — and with the Owls at 22-8, March Madness could prolong that final bow — and call it a career on one of the great runs in Philadelphia basketball history.
Up next for the 70-year-old Dunphy, the home finale Saturday against No. 25 UCF and a chance for the Owls to knock off one more Top 25 team and send him out of Philly a winner.
Dunphy’s arc has touched nearly every Big 5 school in some way — from distinguished tenures on the bench at Penn and at Temple, to scholarly stops at Villanova and La Salle. He’ll turn the program over next season to former Temple and Philadelphia 76ers star Aaron McKie.
And then?
“I would love to represent Temple in any way they see fit,” he said.
Dunphy has lasted almost 50 years without a sniff of scandal and perhaps a collection of as many good guy awards (including the 2018 Dean Smith Award for charity work and community service) as conference championships. As his coaching career ticks down to the final seconds, Dunphy has been loath to boast about his accomplishments, even as this season has turned into a farewell tour that earned him standing ovations at hated city rivals Villanova and Saint Joseph’s. He called the celebrations “understandingly uncomfortable” and would “just assume crawl underneath the bleachers” rather than have the game come to a pause just for his brief wave of acknowledgment to a generous crowd.
Dunphy has waved off much of the tributes Temple had planned for Saturday and asked for the focus to stay on seniors such as star Shizz Alston Jr.
“I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought that this is going to be my last game,” Dunphy said.
Plenty of Dunphy fans — from former players to famous coaches — have shown their respect though a series of testimonials posted on Temple’s website.
— “You’ve always been a coach’s coach and I tell people all the time that you are the most genuine person in our profession.” — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
— “I consider you to be my ‘brother.’ To stand beside you has been an extreme pleasure and unsurpassed honor.” — Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli.
— “All your success on the court are obvious. But more important, I believe, is the way you conducted yourself and the reaction that other people had toward you.” — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
Dunphy (579-323) is not necessarily retiring from coaching — or retiring, period. He will continue to teach his “Management, Theory & Practice: From the Locker Room to the Board Room” class at Temple’s business school and may expand the course to the spring semester. Some of his contemporaries moved on after leaving their long-time schools (like Princeton’s Pete Carril to the NBA or UConn’s Jim Calhoun to a D-III program), and Dunphy won’t rule another coaching gig, though it would take a heck of a job to leave Philadelphia.
“You would be foolish if you said never to anything. Who knows? Right now, it’s not a plan that I have,” he said.
Dunphy is ingrained in the Philly hoops fabric like few others in the city’s storied history. He played basketball at Philly high schools and went to games at the Palestra as a kid. He was co-captain under Tom Gola at La Salle, earned a Master’s degree at Villanova, won four Ivy League titles in 17 seasons at Penn and has lived in the same home since 1984.
He’s been at home — with or without his bushy mustache — on North Broad since he replaced the often-controversial and outspoken Hall of Fame coach John Chaney at Temple in 2006.
Dunphy led Temple to some of its biggest upsets in program history, including wins over No. 3 Villanova in 2009, No. 5 Duke in 2012, No. 3 Syracuse in 2012, No. 10 Kansas in 2014 and No. 8 SMU in 2016.
“It’s the faces you remember,” more than the scores, Dunphy said.
The lone blemish on Dunphy’s career is his lack of success in the NCAA Tournament. The Owls have won only two games in the tournament under Dunphy and the Quakers, out of the Ivy League, had one win in his 10 trips to the tournament.
“Would have loved more success in the postseason, no question,” Dunphy said.
Dunphy still had two years left on his contract and when word spread at the Final Four of Temple’s transition plan, it was before he had time to tell his family or his team. The headlines that hit Philly (“Replacing Fran Dunphy another wrong decision by Temple”) fueled speculation that Temple pushed out Dunphy before he left on his own terms.
“I think the timing of this has been great, to be honest with you,” Dunphy said. “We sat down, we had great talks about how we’re going to do this thing. I’m very much at peace with how this whole thing has been handled. I’m grateful to Temple and I’m happy for Aaron McKie and the new chapter in his life.”
McKie takes over at a program that has had remarkable consistency on the bench. He’ll become just the fifth coach at Temple since 1952. The Owls haven’t played in a Final Four since 1958 and they haven’t reached the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 since 2001.
But the Owls have continued to matter, even in the American Athletic Conference, and won plenty of big games because of the Big 5 lifer on the bench.
“I’ve been celebrated enough by being given this opportunity to coach college basketball in Philadelphia,” Dunphy said. “No one’s been more fortunate than me. That’s how I feel about my life.”
Best Bets: Previewing Duke-North Carolina, Michigan-Michigan State, Saturday’s slate
Here is everything you need to know when betting the biggest games this weekend.
As always, this is coming out before the Vegas lines for Saturday’s games, so we are using projections from KenPom, Torvik and Haslametrics to walk through how the game will play out.
No. 4 DUKE at No. 3 NORTH CAROLINA, Sat. 6:00 p.m. (ESPN)
KENPOM PROJECTION: North Carolina 84, Duke 83
TORVIK PROJECTION: North Carolina 87, Duke 85
HASLAMETRICS PROJECTION: North Carolina 87, Duke 85
This game is going to be one that is difficult to project because we don’t have an absolute answer on Zion Williamson’s status as of this writing. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski hinted at the idea that he would not be playing after their 71-70 miracle win over Wake Forest in Cameron on Tuesday night, so I would guess that he will likely be out.
I also have no feel for what the line or the total is going to end up being because there is no way that Vegas is going to rely on the projections for this one. Put another way, if the line opens at North Carolina (-2), I will bet everything I own including the dog on the Tar Heels.
Remember, this is a North Carolina team that went into Cameron and beat the Blue Devils by 16 points when Zion Williamson wasn’t playing. This time, they will be playing at home with a chance to land a sweep over their archrivals with a share of the ACC title — or, if Virginia loses to Louisville earlier in the day, the outright ACC title — on the line.
PICKS: We have talked plenty about just how much Williamson’s absence affects Duke, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. Without him, they lose rim protection. They lose their best rebounder. They lose the guy that forces live-ball turnovers and pick-six layups. They lose the guy that they can put on Luke Maye and know that they’ll have him neutralized.
But beyond that, they lose a guy that can score in transition and a guy that can get them easy buckets on the offensive glass. North Carolina isn’t exactly known for being a defensive powerhouse, but they are 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency this season and Duke, as we know, can struggle to score when they are forced into the halfcourt and their shots aren’t falling.
Put another way, there is no chance that I am going to be on the Duke side of this bet. The question is just how high the line needs to be before I think the Tar Heels lose value, and for me, it’s probably right around (-9). I also want no part of betting the under here, but I would probably only consider the over if the total opens around the mid-150s.
HASLAMETRICS PROJECTION: Michigan State 70, Michigan 64
A rivalry game between two top ten teams with a Big Ten regular season title on the line. That sounds like a great way to end the final Saturday of the college hoops regular season.
The first time these two teams got together, Michigan State was playing just their second game after Nick Ward fractured a bone in his hand. We don’t have a definitive answer on Ward either way, and there was some speculation earlier this week that he might be ready to go, but for now I am going to operate with the mindset that he is not playing. The same can be said about Charles Matthews.
When these two teams squared off just 13 days ago, Michigan State changed the way that the defend ball-screens to tailor their defense to Michigan’s personnel: They went way under every ball-screen that Zavier Simpson was involved and, when it was Jon Teske setting those screens, they switch 1-to-5. The Wolverines haven’t played since Sunday, meaning that John Beilein will have had a full week to figure out a way to attack that defense.
I also think that it’s important to note that Zavier Simpson is as competitive as anyone in the country, and that he is not going to be happy about just how badly Cassius Winston cooked him when they played. Winston had 27 points and eight assists, and of the 57 possessions that Michigan State had before the Wolverines started fouling, 36 were a result of Winston ball-screens and another nine were run through Winston. He shoulders a massive load offensively, and Simpson is going to be the guy tasked with stopping him.
PICKS: This will likely be a stay-away from me, depending on what the lines opens at. I don’t want to bet on Michigan on the road, but I also don’t want to bet on Michigan State sweeping their archrival without three of their top seven or eight players. I fully expect this game to be close, so if the line gets to, say, Michigan (+5.5), I’ll buy the Wolverines.
HASLAMETRICS PROJECTION: Texas Tech 72, Iowa State 67
These are two teams trending in very, very different directions.
Texas Tech has won eight in a row and ten of their last 11. They are currently tied for first in the Big 12 title race with Kansas State, and a win on Saturday afternoon would guarantee at least a share of — and possibly the outright — Big 12 regular season title. Iowa State, on the other hand, has lost two in a row and five of their last seven. They were blown out at Texas and at West Virginia in the last six days and they have lost three games in Hilton Coliseum this season.
The Red Raiders lost at home against the Cyclones earlier this year, but that was a different time and place for both of these teams. Texas Tech has been the best shooting team in the country over the course of the last six weeks, vaulting themselves from outside the top 100 in adjusted offensive efficiency into the top 40. Iowa State, on the other hand, may or may not have had a fight in practice that may or may not have resulted in Marial Shayok possibly breaking a toe by kicking a door. He did not play against WVU. On Wednesday night, Talen Horton-Tucker and Michael Jacobson had a bit of a shoving match on the court in the second half.
It’s a mess in Ames right now.
PICKS: I’m going to be very interested to see where this line opens. up. The average of the projections is about Texas Tech (-2.5), and while this game is going to be played in Ames, I think that number will climb. Considering that the Red Raiders have won three straight road games by an average of 15 points and that they will be playing with the Big 12 title on the line, I’d probably take Tech up to about (-8). There’s only one side that I want to be on in this game.
OKLAHOMA at No. 18 KANSAS STATE, Sat. 6:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
KENPOM PROJECTION: Kansas State 65, Oklahoma 59
TORVIK PROJECTION: Kansas State 66, Oklahoma 60
HASLAMETRICS PROJECTION: Kansas State 66, Oklahoma 61
The first thing to note here is that Kansas State is going to know what they are playing for. If Texas Tech wins, they will be playing for a share of the Big 12 title. If Texas Tech loses, they get to be the first team not named Kansas to win an outright Big 12 title since Oklahoma State in 2004. Either way, there is a ton of motivation here for K-State.
I also think it is worth noting that Oklahoma more or less punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament with a win over Kansas on Tuesday night. Now they are turning around and playing on the road against a team that beat them by 13 points in Norman.
PICKS: Oklahoma has finished the season strong after losing five straight in the middle of Big 12 play. They’ve won four of their last five games, and while their defense has regressed to the mean a little bit, they are still better on that end of the floor than they are offensively. I think they can make it interesting, and I think that brings the over into play.
But the best bet here is, I think, Kansas State (-5.5) or so. I’ll be a little bit worried if the line climbs past (-7.5) because, like I said, I can see Oklahoma hanging with the Wildcats.
That said, this game will be played on Senior Night in Bramlage Coliseum, which has been known as the Octagon of Doom. They will be playing for the right to either be co-Big 12 champs or outright Big 12 champs in the first year that Kansas has not one the league in 14 years. To get a sense of what that rivalry means to Kansas State, the Wildcat fans stormed the floor after beating Kansas earlier this year despite the fact that they were in first place in the Big 12 at the time.
That building will be rocking on Saturday.
No. 5 TENNESSEE at AUBURN, Sat. 12:00 p.m. (ESPN)
KENPOM PROJECTION: Tennessee 76, Auburn 75
TORVIK PROJECTION: Tennessee 77, Auburn 76
HASLAMETRICS PROJECTION: Tennessee 77, Auburn 75
Do you trust Tennessee’s defense? In the last two games, the Vols have put together their best two defensive performances of the season. They held Kentucky to 52 points and Mississippi State to 54 points. They’ve forced 17 turnovers in each of the last two games and held them to a combined 31 percent shooting from the floor and 25.7 percent shooting from three. Auburn, as we know, shoots a ton of threes, and the two biggest weaknesses the Vols have had defensively this season have been the defensive glass and running opponents off of the three-point line.
And that brings me to a larger point: The status of Austin Wiley. Wiley is a guy that might be able to play the role that Reid Travis did for Kentucky the first time the Vols and the Wildcats played, someone that can keep Tennessee from sealing in the paint and force Grant Williams out of the lane. He’s missed the last three games and has say eight of the last 14 in SEC play. There are only two high-major programs — Arkansas and Washington — that are worse on the defensive glass that Auburn, and Tennessee does have some guys that can create second chance points.
PICKS: Auburn is going to have a lot to play for here — they really don’t have many great wins — but I have a hard time seeing Tennessee losing. The Vols will be playing for an SEC title, and while LSU plays after them, the Tigers are playing Vanderbilt (0-17 in the SEC) at home. The Vols have to win, and rolling the way they are rolling, I can’t see them losing.
And the more I think about it, the more I like the under … despite the fact that I said the opposite on the podcast. (Whoops.) Tennessee’s defense is playing much better and so much of what Auburn does offensively comes off of their ability to force turnovers. They lead the nation in defensive turnover rate. Tennessee is 23rd nationally in offensive turnover rate.
No. 23 VILLANOVA at SETON HALL, Sat. 12:00 p.m. (FOX)
KENPOM PROJECTION: Villanova 70, Seton Hall 68
TORVIK PROJECTION: Villanova 70, Seton Hall 68
HASLAMETRICS PROJECTION: Villanova 70, Seton Hall 68
Seton Hall more or less punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament on Wednesday night with a come-from-behind win over Marquette, and while they’ll still have something to play for — better seeding in the NCAA and Big East tournaments, senior night, etc. — Villanova will have a lot more on the line. The Wildcats are playing for the outright Big East regular season title. Win and they get it.
PICKS: I am probably staying away from this game. I have no interest in betting against Villanova to win a championship of any sort. I also have no interest in betting on Villanova to win on the road when they have lost their last four games on the road.
Houston picked off SMU on Thursday night, but Cincinnati could not fulfill their side of the bargain. The Bearcats lost at UCF, which means that the Cougars now hold a one game lead on Cincinnati. Instead of a game that is being played for the outright AAC regular season title, Cincinnati is hoping to earn a share of the crown.
PICKS: When it comes down to it, in a game like that, I tend to lean towards the home team. Unless Houston is getting three or four points, I’ll probably end up on Cincinnati.
FLORIDA at No. 6 KENTUCKY, Sat. 2:00 p.m. (CBS)
KENPOM PROJECTION: Kentucky 68, Florida 58
TORVIK PROJECTION: Kentucky 67, Florida 59
HASLAMETRICS PROJECTION: Kentucky 68, Florida 56
The is a must-win game for Florida, who has found a way to lose close quite a bit this season. They are 17-13, but thanks to the fact that they haven’t lost a game by more than 14 since Nov. 6th, they are still 30th in KenPom and 32nd in the NET.
PICKS: That is more or less where I am at with this game. Kentucky has struggled in the last weeks. Florida has lost two in a row, both at home, but they almost always play teams close.
Thursday’s Things To Know: Fall family reunion, Clemons passes McBuckets and ASun title game set
There wasn’t a ton of action across the country of major significance Thursday – that’s what happens when the Pac-12 becomes an afterthought – but there was some notable moments that you need to know. Get caught up:
TACKO FALL’S MOTHER SEES HER SON PLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME
A lot of good things happened Thursday for UCF. The Knights took a big step forward in solidifying their NCAA tournament resume as they earned a second top-25 win of the season – a program first – by beating No. 19 Cincinnati, 58-55, on senior night.
The best thing, though, was the reunion between UCF senior star Tacko Fall and his mother after the pair had been separated for seven years.
“She never saw me play before,” Tacko told reporters. “We haven’t been together in so long.
“It felt like a dream.”
Tacko hadn’t seen his mother, Marianne, since he left his native Senegal to pursue basketball.
“I left my home in Senegal seven years ago to learn to play basketball, to get an education and to make a better life for me, my mom and my family,” Tacko said, per the Orlando Sentinel. “I’m just so glad she’s able to see me play at UCF, so she will know now that it’s all been worth it.”
On the heals of last week’s win over No. 8 Houston, it’s hard to imagine a better few days for UCF and its 7-foot-6 senior, who came to the United States to escape poverty.
“There were times when I went to school hungry and other times when the electricity got cut off,” he said, “but my mom worked all different jobs to keep us going. I owe her so much for all the sacrifices she made for us. The final sacrifice was letting me come to America.”
Now Fall will likely finish his career with an NCAA tournament appearance, with his mother having seen him live out his dream after a seven-year separation.
“It was like the day he was born when I held him in my arms,” Marianne said. “I can’t describe the joy of seeing my son play for the first time.”
(AP Photo/Willie J. Allen Jr.)
CHRIS CLEMONS PASSES DOUG MCDERMOTT ON SCORING LIST
Playing at Campbell doesn’t provide a major platform or spot light from Chris Clemons, so his numbers will have to do the talking.
The senior star moved up to fourth place on the NCAA’s all-time scoring list after scoring 34 points in a win over Hampton, edging past Doug McDermott and Alphonso Ford with 3,170 points.
He’s now just behind Lionel Simmons (3,217), Freeman Williams (3,249) and Pete Maravich (3,667).
Not bad for a guy who shoots free throws like this.
He finished with 34. And for the uninitiated … make it seem like you’ve watched the guy that might be the second leading scorer in Division I history play. pic.twitter.com/2e2y8zHl3k
We’re a few days away from conference tournament ramping up to high gear, but we’ve already got our first championship matchup set.
Liberty and Lipscomb will meet Sunday to determine the ASun title after Liberty topped North Florida (63-71) and Lipscomb throttled NJIT (78-55) in the semis Thursday.
The ASun has the first title matchup, but won’t be the first conference to get a team an autobid as the OVC finals will be played Saturday night.
