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NCAA Basketball

BIG EAST Tip-Off: Butler v. Providence

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – Putting records aside, Butler and Providence produced candidates for Game of the Year in the Big East when both regular-season meetings were decided in double overtime.

Those wins were highlights of disappointing seasons for both schools, and the third encounter is Wednesday when eighth-seeded Butler opposes ninth-seeded Providence in the opening round of the Big East tournament.

“Get ready for a double-overtime game,” embattled Providence coach Kim English said. “I hope we’re healthy. Every game in this league, you’re playing against one of the best coaches in the country.”

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The winner will advance to a noon game on Thursday against top-seeded St. John’s.

The teams are meeting in this game for the second straight season. Last year, Butler ended Providence’s season with a 75-69 victory before falling to St. John’s in what became its first 20-loss campaign since 1989-90.

Butler (16-15) opened its conference schedule with a 113-110 victory over Providence on Dec. 13 when Michael Ajayi totaled 28 points and 15 rebounds and Finley Bizjack scored 26.

Both players produced strong offensive showings throughout the campaign, as Bizjack averaged 17.1 points and Ajayi finished his first season in the league at 16.3 and 11.1 rebounds per game. Still, it was not enough as the Bulldogs dropped 11 of their next 14 conference games until ending the season with three wins in their last five, including an 81-71 win at DePaul on Saturday.

Bizjack scored 19 while Ajayi had his 18th double-double with 14 and 11 boards in a game the Bulldogs led by as many as 29 thanks to a 28-6 run to start the second half.

“Michael’s been tremendous,” Butler coach Thad Matta said about Ajayi. “He’s been asked to do a lot of different (things), and it’s made him a better player. There (have) been so many things that we’ve had to go through, and he just keeps playing, keeps going.”

Providence (14-17) is concluding consecutive losing seasons for the first time since three campaigns from 2009-12.

Jaylin Sellers rang up 36 points when Providence earned a 97-87 home win over Butler on Feb. 4 after it lost nine of its first 11 conference games. Sellers averaged a Big East-best 18.1 points during the regular season and has scored at least 20 in seven of his past nine games.

Sellers scored 21 when the regular season ended with an 80-79 loss at Georgetown on Saturday, as the Friars committed a season-worst 22 turnovers. It marked their sixth loss by five points or fewer this season, and the ninth time they allowed opponents to shoot at least 50%.

–Field Level Media

BIG EAST Preview: Xavier’s Shakey “D”

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – In his first season coaching in the Big East, young Richard Pitino often praised the scoring prowess of Tre Carroll and lamented Xavier’s shaky defense. After four straight NCAA tournament appearances, Marquette could not compensate for the departures from last season’s roster and is finishing a disappointing season.

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For the second straight season, the Musketeers and Marquette Golden Eagles get together in the Big East tournament, but Wednesday’s opening-round contest is one without an NCAA berth on the line.

Last season, the schools met in the four-five matchup in the quarterfinals won by the Golden Eagles. But this year is drastically different since Marquette is seventh and Xavier is 10th, with the winner facing second-seeded UConn on Thursday.

Xavier (14-17) earned its lowest seed in the tournament and is on the verge of its second losing campaign in three seasons. The Musketeers allowed 80 points in 17 games and lost 14 of those contests, including Saturday’s 91-78 loss at Villanova.

Xavier allowed 56.5% shooting in its regular-season finale, the 12th time it allowed at least 50%. Xavier also allowed 13 3s and 24 assists and its defense negated a 21-point showing from Jovan Milicevic.

“We guard nobody. We just guard nobody,” Pitino said. “We just hope they miss. I love our guys. They’re trying.”

After transferring from Florida Atlantic, Carroll averaged 18 points and was second in the Big East behind Providence’s Jaylin Sellers. Carroll missed a chance to win the scoring title by sitting out Saturday with a right hip injury sustained during last week’s nine-point loss to Seton Hall.

Carroll, who was named to the All-Big East first team, is day-to-day. If he sits, Isaiah Walker would likely get the start after scoring 10 points Saturday.

Following the departures of Kam Jones, David Joplin and Stevie Mitchell, Marquette (12-19) is finishing its third losing season as a Big East member though it heads into the tournament with three wins in its past four games.

The Golden Eagles allowed less than 70 points in each of their final four games and earned a 68-62 victory over fourth-ranked UConn on Saturday, when they allowed 35.6% shooting and forced 16 turnovers in the final regular-season game for Ben Gold and Chase Ross.

“It’s been a year that, at times, we’ve been good on one end and not as good on the other end,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. “You got to put them both together if you want to win in March.”

Nigel James Jr. scored 19 on Saturday and had three 30-point games in his freshman season, including 30 points in Marquette’s 96-88 loss at Xavier on Feb. 14.

–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

BIG EAST PREVIEW: No Moral Victories

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – DePaul captivated many in Madison Square Garden when it threatened Villanova before taking a 1-point loss in the 2023 Big East tournament and did the same last year when it took Creighton to double overtime in a quarterfinals loss.

DePaul accomplished more than moral victories this season, as proven by earning the sixth seed in this year’s tournament heading into Wednesday night’s first-round game against 11th-seeded Georgetown in New York City.

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The teams split their regular-season series as DePaul earned a 56-50 road win on Jan. 6, then Georgetown got even with a 70-61 win on Jan. 28 in Chicago. The winner of this rubber match earns a quarterfinal date with third-seeded Villanova on Thursday.

The Blue Demons (16-15) finished over .500 for the first time since 2018-19. They also earned their highest Big East tournament seed since joining the league in 2005.

Despite the improvement, the Blue Demons capped their regular season with double-digit home losses against Villanova and Butler that prompted a players-only meeting. Presumably, much of the discussion revolved around offense as they did not score more than 72 points any of in their final 13 games.

C.J. Gunn averages 13.3 points this season, but he shot 34 of 106 (32.1%) over his final nine games. Layden Blocker, who scored 25 in last year’s tournament game against Creighton, averages 10.9 points this year while shooting 36% from the field. That includes two 1-of-11 showings in the last five games.

Senior big man NJ Benson finished by averaging 11.7 points and 7.6 rebounds. He had six double-doubles and ended the regular season with 24 points against Butler.

“There’s always excitement going into the conference tournament,” said DePaul coach Chris Holtmann. “Our guys are a pretty resilient group, and they’ve got a good way about them right now. They were disappointed they didn’t get the five seed and the bye. Being the six seed, I think they feel good about that.”

Georgetown’s second season under coach Ed Cooley ended with a 71-67 loss to DePaul in the opening round last year. The Hoyas (14-17) were picked sixth in the preseason poll, but finished under .500 for the fourth time in five seasons.

Georgetown lost seven straight before eking out an 80-79 victory over Providence on Saturday.

Georgetown lost 11 of 17 conference games by single digits, including a two-point loss to UConn on Jan. 17 and a three-point loss at St. John’s on March 3.

In Saturday’s win, 7-foot-1 senior Vince Iwuchukwu led the Hoyas with a career-high 25 points while Kayvaun Mulready added 12 after leading the team in scoring the previous two games.

“This game was clearly indicative, and we were fortunate today just to get a win, the win that we needed,” Cooley said. “Looking forward to going to New York and facing DePaul.”

The Hoyas are playing their fourth game since losing leading scorer KJ Lewis (14.9 ppg) to an ankle injury. They hope to see Malik Mack produce a similar showing to his 7-of-13 performance against St. John’s.

–Field Level Media

BIG EAST: Announces Four Awards

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The BIG EAST Conference announced the winners of four individual awards for the 2025-26 men’s basketball season. The league’s head coaches make their selections and they are not permitted to vote for their own players.

Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s has been named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. A pair of Villanova players captured two awards – Tyler Perkins has been tabbed BIG EAST Most Improved Player, while Devin Askew has been chosen for the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award. Creighton’s Josh Dix has been named the winner of the BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award.

Ejiofor has been recognized nationally as a member of the Naismith Men’s College Defensive Player of the Year Late-Season team. An All-BIG EAST First Team selection, he has blocked 61 shots and his 1.97 blocks per game average ranks him 27th in the country. In BIG EAST play, Ejiofor ranks third in the conference, registering 1.75 blocks per outing. He has also tallied 36 steals and is one of only two players nationally to tally at least 30 steals and 60 blocked shots in the 2025-26 regular season. Earlier this season, Ejiofor blocked 20 shots over a three-game span from Dec. 6-16. He is the only player in the country to block at least 20 shots over a three-game stretch this season and is the first BIG EAST player to have 20 swats over three games since the 2013-14 campaign.

Perkins has been a key contributor in Villanova’s turnaround season, leading the Wildcats in scoring – and ranking eighth in the BIG EAST – at 15.2 points per game in conference play. The 6-4 guard is also averaging 6.2 rebounds per game. Year-over-year, the junior has seen his overall scoring average jump by 7.4 points, while seeing marked improvements in his field goal and 3-point percentages. In BIG EAST play, Perkins is scoring better than 10 points per game, ranking 10th in the league in 3-pointers per game (1.89). He was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team.

Askew has been one of the top reserve players in the country this season for Villanova. The 6-5 guard is averaging 10.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 23 minutes per game in league play, coming off the bench in 19 BIG EAST contests before earning the start on Senior Day against Xavier on March 7. Askew is one of four power conference reserves to average double figures off the bench (min. one start or fewer). He has scored in double figures in 13 games and has made multiple 3-pointers on 16 occasions. Askew has made 63 3-pointers on the season, connecting at a 42.3% clip from beyond the arc.

Throughout his first season in Omaha, Creighton senior guard Josh Dix has demonstrated incredible strength and resilience. In early February, on the morning of a gameday at Georgetown, Dix found out that he lost his mother Kelly to breast cancer. Through 31 games, the 6-6 guard has averaged a team-best 12.7 points to go with 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Dix has leaned on many people, including teammates, during this trying time. “I couldn’t do it alone,” Dix said. “My family, my teammates, my coaches, they all stick by my side. I try not to be alone; I try to be around people who want to see you do well.”

The BIG EAST will announce the remaining individual awards: BIG EAST Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete on Wednesday, March 11, in a press conference at 1:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. The BIG EAST Media Award will also be presented.

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BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s

BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Tyler Perkins, Villanova

BIG EAST Sixth Man Award
Devin Askew, Villanova

BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Josh Dix, Creighton

Ejiofor Heads All-Big East Teams

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor was a unanimous first team selection as the conference has announced the All-BIG EAST First, Second and Third Teams, All-Freshman Team, and the inaugural All-Defensive Team. The league’s head coaches select the all-conference squads and were not permitted to select their own players.

Ejiofor is a repeat selection on the All-BIG EAST First Team, which features an unprecedented three players from the same school – UConn’s Silas Demary Jr., Alex Karaban, and Tarris Reed Jr. The other first team selections are Michael Ajayi of Butler and Tre Carroll of Xavier.

The BIG EAST Player of the Year will come from the All-BIG EAST First Team. The conference will announce Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year on March 11, at Madison Square Garden at 1:30 p.m. ET. Other league individual awards, including BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man Award and Sportsmanship Award will be announced Monday, March 9, at Noon ET.

Ejiofor – the league’s preseason Player of the Year – represents regular season champion St. John’s. He leads the Red Storm – and ranks in the top 10 in BIG EAST play – in four statistical categories: scoring (17.0), rebounding (7.0), assists (4.0), and blocked shots (1.8). He made 56.0% (112-200) of his shot attempts and posted 2.00:1 assist/turnover ratio in league games.

The trio of Huskies marks the first time in league history that three players from the same team were named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. Demary leads the BIG EAST in assists (7.3) and is sixth in steals (1.6), while scoring at a 12.2 points per game clip in league play. Karaban was an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection a season ago. The senior forward is averaging 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and just under a block and a steal per game in conference play. On Feb. 14, he became the all-time winningest player in UConn history. Reed leads the league and ranks among the top 15 nationally – in field goal percentage, making 63.5% (115-181) of his shot attempts, averaging 13.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game in league action.

Ajayi finished the regular season ranked sixth in the BIG EAST in scoring (16.3) and first in rebounding (10.5) in conference play. Overall on the season, Ajayi has recorded 17 double doubles – eighth-most nationally.

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Carroll averaged 18.6 points per outing in league play, connecting on better than 52% of his shot attempts. He posted 20 or more points in 10 BIG EAST games this season. The 6-8 forward also averaged 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks in conference play.

The All-BIG EAST Second Team features some of the top guards in the league. UConn’s Solo Ball makes his second straight appearance on the second team, followed by BIG EAST scoring leader Jaylin Sellers of Providence. Additionally, St. John’s guard/forward Bryce Hopkins, Seton Hall’s Budd Clark made the list, followed by Villanova freshman Acaden Lewis.

The All-BIG EAST Third Team has six players due to a tie in the balloting, including a pair of Villanova standouts in Duke Brennan and Tyler Perkins. They are joined by Butler’s Finley Bizjack, Georgetown’s KJ Lewis, Marquette freshman Nigel James Jr., and Dillon Mitchell from St. John’s.

The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year will come from the All-Freshman Team. Four of the five honorees were unanimous selections – UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Marquette’s Nigel James Jr., Providence’s Stefan Vaaks, and Villanova’s Acaden Lewis. Along with Providence’s Jamier Jones, the five All-Freshman honorees accounted for all but two of the Freshman of the Week honors this season.

This season marks the inaugural BIG EAST All-Defensive Team, headlined by unanimous selection Zuby Ejiofor of St. John’s. Joining him is teammate Dillon Mitchell, Seton Hall’s Budd Clark, Silas Demary Jr. of UConn, and Chase Ross of Marquette.

2025-26 BIG EAST All-Conference Teams

All-BIG EAST First Team
Michael Ajayi, Butler
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Alex Karaban, UConn
Tarris Reed Jr., UConn
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s *
Tre Carroll, Xavier

All-BIG EAST Second Team
Solo Ball, UConn
Jaylin Sellers, Providence
Bryce Hopkins, St. John’s
Budd Clark, Seton Hall
Acaden Lewis, Villanova

All-BIG EAST Third Team
Finley Bizjack, Butler
KJ Lewis, Georgetown
Nigel James Jr., Marquette
Dillon Mitchell, St. John’s
Duke Brennan, Villanova
Tyler Perkins, Villanova

All-Freshman Team
Braylon Mullins, UConn *
Nigel James Jr., Marquette *
Jamier Jones, Providence
Stefan Vaaks, Providence *
Acaden Lewis, Villanova *

All-Defensive Team
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s *
Budd Clark, Seton Hall
Dillon Mitchell, St. John’s
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Chase Ross, Marquette

*Unanimous Selection

Ejiofor, James Take Last Big East Weekly Honors

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NEW YORK  – (Staff Report from Official News Release0 – Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s and Nigel James Jr. from Marquette earned the final BIG EAST Weekly honors of the 2025-26 regular season.  Ejiofor averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game in a 2-0 week for the Red Storm, which captured its second consecutive BIG EAST regular season title on Friday night.  James averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals in a pair of wins for the Golden Eagles this past week.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s, F, Sr.
Ejiofor averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals, while connecting on 72.0% (18-25) of his shot attempts in a 2-0 week for St. John’s.  On March 3, in his final regular season appearance at Madison Square Garden, Ejiofor finished with 23 points, seven boards, five assists, two steals, and two blocked shots in 32 minutes of action in a win over Georgetown.  Last time out, Ejiofor led the Red Storm with 21 points in 23 minutes of play as they locked up the regular season title with a win at Seton Hall.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Nigel James Jr., Marquette, G, Fr.
James averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in a 2-0 week for Marquette.  At Providence on March 4, James tallied 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 29 minutes.  Last time out in a home win over UConn, James finished with 19 points, two boards, seven assists, and two steals.  This marks the fifth time James has earned freshman weekly honors from the BIG EAST this season.
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Michael Ajayi, Butler, F, Gr.
Ajayi averaged 20.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in a 1-1 week for Butler.  He posted two double doubles on the week, beginning with 26 points and 13 boards against Creighton on March 4.  The graduate student made 11-of-19 shots from the floor to go with three assists.  Last time out at DePaul, Ajayi finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Nik Graves, Creighton, G, Sr. 
Graves posted an impressive stat line in the Bluejays’ lone game of the week – a win at Butler on March 4.  The 6-2 guard finished with 14 points, 13 assists, and six steals in 36 minutes of play.  Since the 1996-97 season, only 11 players have achieved that stat line in a regulation game against a Division I opponent.
Kayvaun Mulready, Georgetown, G, So. 
Mulready averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals in a 1-1 week for Georgetown.  He poured in a career-best 20 points, making 4-of-8 3-pointers, to go with seven boards and two assists at St. John’s on March 3.  Last time out, the sophomore guard tallied 12 points to go with seven assists and five steals in a home win over Providence.
Adrien Stevens, Marquette, G, Fr.
Stevens posted 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 3.5 steals in a pair of wins for Marquette this past week.  He had a career-best 21 points at Providence, connecting on 5-of-8 from the perimeter while recording four rebounds, and four steals.  Last time out against UConn, Stevens tallied 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Duke Brennan, Villanova, F, Gr.
Brennan averaged a double double, posting 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in a pair of wins for Villanova this last week.  The 6-10 forward connected on 76.2% of his attempts from the floor.  At DePaul on March 4, Brennan had 15 points, 12 boards, and two assists.  Last time out against Xavier, he tallied 20 points, 13 rebounds and two assists.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | March 1

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – March is upon us. Madness awaits, as we’re about two weeks away from one of those great sports days of the year – “Selection Sunday.”

The regular season champions will be crowned, then the various Conference Tournaments will be staged, providing us with non-stop college basketball coverage from March 4 to 15. The Sun Belt tips-off on March 3, and the Horizon League jump-starts the full schedule on March 4, followed right away by the Atlantic Sun, the Big South, the Summit, the MAAC, the Northeast and Ohio Valley Conferences. Soon to follow are the America East, the CAA, Missouri Valley, the Southern Conference (SoCon) and then we’re off to the races with the Big Boy conferences, including the ACC (Charlotte, NC), and the BIG EAST from March 11-14 at Madison Square Garden (Digital Sports Desk to be on-site once again).

By the time the Atlantic 10, Big Ten, the IVY, and the SEC conclude on March 15, we’ll be ready for the brackets.

Let’s take a quick look at the Top 16 seeds as it stands on the day we put February in the rear-view window.

  1. Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Iowa State
  2. Houston, Florida, UConn, Purdue
  3. Gonzaga, Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State
  4. Virginia, Kansas, St. John’s, Texas Tech

In the remaining group, certainly North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, BYU, Louisville and the likes of undefeated Miami (Ohio), all deserve mention and attention.

Duke’s impressive 77-51 victory over Virginia on Saturday clinched at least a tie for the Blue Devils as Atlantic Coast Conference champions. Barring an upset in the ACC tourney, Duke is very likely to ride the No. 1 overall seed into the NCAA men’s Basketball Tournament which tips off with the First Four on March 17-18. The full tournament tips on March 19-20. The Final Four is scheduled for April 4-6 in Indianapolis.

While there are no secrets in college basketball, especially on March 1st, the teams that are peaking seem to be Duke, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee – all SEC schools with the exception of mighty Duke.

While St. John’s ran off 13 in a row, their one-side loss to UConn this past Wednesday put some doubt into the Red Storm’s path in March. Only a St. John’s run-of-the-table through the BIG EAST final on March 14 will keep the Storm in that Top 16 listed above. A single loss will drop them to the dreaded No. 5 vs No. 12 slot come bracketology time. Even if a No. 5 is successful in the opener, that No. 4 seed (the likes of Alabama) would await.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The NBA on NBC (and Peacock Network) will be going retro this Tuesday. It should be fun. Here’s what NBC had to say in its corporate news release: “Legendary sports broadcasters Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike “Czar of the Telestrator” Fratello, Jim Gray, Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo return to NBC Sports in a special edition “throwback” Coast 2 Coast Tuesday broadcast on Tuesday, March 3 (from) Philadelphia, when Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visit Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers. The game, which will be called by Costas, Collins and Fratello alongside courtside reporter Gray, tips off at 8:00pm ET on NBC and Peacock. NBA Showtime precedes the game broadcast at 7:00pm ET on Peacock and will feature Storm as studio host and Thomas and Carlesimo as studio analysts.

“Costas, Collins, Fratello, Gray, Storm, Thomas and Carlesimo all served as NBA on NBC Sports commentators and analysts during the 1990s and early 2000s. Costas, Gray and Fratello, who was dubbed “Czar of the Telestrator” by Marv Albert, are Emmy Award winning sports broadcasters.”

All fine and good except – where’s Marv and Peter Vecsey (and maybe even Pat Riley,and a memorial tribute to the late Bob Ferry)?

Understandably, Albert might not be up to a full broadcast, but his voice-over to start the year was tremendous, so maybe they can work him in with a voice-over tease to the game?

When Marv’s introduction aired at the start of this season as the league welcomed back NBC Sports back to the family, I teared-up. No shame. Albert called the glory years for the New York Knickerbockers on MSG Network long before it was MSG Network (it frequently aired on WOR-TV 9 in New York. His contributions to NBA broadcasting are impossible to measure.

But, then again, so was Vecsey’s.

Peter Vecsey brought hard news and serious courtside and studio analysis to the NBA broadcasts. While the league might not’ve been ready for such scrutiny in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, by the time the NBA on NBC debuted and Vecsey led “The Insiders,” the league actually needed some tough love, while the fans dove into the news, trades, transactions and inner workings of the teams, league and player issues.

At that point in time, there was no one to rival Vecsey in terms of breaking news and notes.

When asked if he was contacted by NBC brass to join the fray this Tuesday, Vecsey replied, “Nope.”

SOUL SEARCHING: I was happy to watch the new docu-series on the American Basketball Association (ABA). A quick estimate is that the first 100 professional basketball games I witnessed in person were all ABA games at a combination of the Island Garden in Hempstead and the (then) brand news, spanking Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.

Tickets went for $3.00 and the basketball was great.

The “Doc”-series dove deep into the usual themes of Spencer Haywood, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Ozzie and Daniel Silna – the owners of the Spirits of St. Louis, and EllieBrown, wife of John Y. Brown who owned the Kentucky Colonels.

The talent in the ABA was tremendous, especially if you focus on league all-stars like Erving, David Thompson, Artis Gilmore and Dan Issel, among many, many others. However, the documentary continually painted the NBA as a talentless league of 1950s jump-shooters.

Sure, Dr. J had style, but the documentary overlooked the fact that Walt “Clyde” Frazier was setting the standards of 1970s cool. The doc would show an amazing clip of Dr. J soaring to the hoop but then make a comparison to black and white footage of the NBA. Not once did they show Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, JoJo White, Jerry West or Elgin Baylor.

Yes, the ABA had the Floridians and a dance team, but let’s not forget “Dancin’ Harry”of Baltimore fame (then NYC when Monroe was traded to the Knicks).

Thus, “Soul Power” made many a factual mistake (at the worst) or the production was completely disingenuous (at best). I thought there was no reason for the slight of the NBA. Just tell the ABA story straight and it would’ve been great.

With the fact, Erving and Common were the executive producers, they should’ve known that and controlled it in production. Instead, it came across as a B-minus production, maybe two-stars. Watch it, but do NOT expect to learn a thing.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: I don’t like to get “political” in this column very often, but in making an exception today, I’ll ask one simple question: “Have you EVER seen one guy screw up two gold medal winning ice hockey teams?” … It’s incredible. … CoryAlexander did an incredibly nice job as expert analyst alongside Dave O’Brien (soon to return to Fenway Park). Alexander is a regular ESPN/ACC Network analyst who previously played for Virginia and served as an analyst for the Virginia radio network. Meanwhile, Molly McGrath did her usual A-level courtside reporting job.

FOLLOWING UP: To follow-up on an item from last week’s salute to the wonderful Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and the men’s ice hockey tournament, it must be known that a flip of the channels – from college basketball to the NHL on ABC Saturday afternoon – the Pittsburgh Penguins visited Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers and the first nine names I heard from the play-by-play man, Sean McDonough, was? … You guessed it … Zibanejad … Zibanejad … Zibanejad. Yes, Mika Zibanejad was all over the ice for the Rangers, including a non-stop 3×3 overtime period before the NHL rules called for a “spin the bottle” contest (shoot-out) to determine a winner.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: According to multiple media reports on Thursday, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks announced plans to honor Magic City — which they called “the city’s iconic cultural institution.” However, together with the Gold Club, Magic City is best known as “one of Atlanta’s ’s most famous strip clubs.” The promotion will come during a March 16 home game against the Orlando Magic at State Farm Arena. The pro basketball club believes no dancers will take part in the festivities.

While the team tried to spin the promotion to be all about Magic City’s chicken wings, the truth of the matter is that an NBA team just cannot turn aside 50% of its audience by putting its female fans in an awkward position.

The shoot-yourself-in-the-foot promo reminded this columnist of the early days of the NLL Boston Blazers lacrosse team when three “scantily clad” women gave “Scorch,” the Blazers’ mascot a lap dance on the field of play during halftime. The promotion went downhill from there, and the Blazers were in crisis communications mode faster than you could say Mayor Menino.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP II: A sequel? The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers game Friday night was delayed for nearly 18 minutes in the third quarter by a blaring “horn” after a power surge caused the overhead scoreboard to malfunction. During a timeout with the Pistons leading 65-64 in their exciting 122-119 overtime victory, the horn sounded to signal the teams to return to the floor. However, it kept blasting away despite frantic work from clock operators, technicians, and arena workers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The teams returned to their respective benches for a few minutes and were eventually told to go back on the floor to warm up. After 13 minutes, the staff shut down the entire overhead scoreboard and the horn stopped, as loud “Bronx” cheers erupted from the stands. From that point onward, the Pistons’ home scoring crew used a manual airhorn when needed. The NBA game officials brought Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson to midcourt for a brief discussion, before announcing the game would resume without the main scoreboard. However, moments after the game got back underway, the scoreboard came back on and all was well.

Wake / BC Ready for Snowed Out Game

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Not much has gone well for Boston College in the second half of the season. The Eagles are 2-12 since the calendar flipped to 2026.

They will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they face Wake Forest on Wednesday evening in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The game originally was scheduled for Tuesday before it was moved due to inclement weather.

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Boston College (9-18, 2-12 ACC) is at the bottom of the conference in several offensive categories, including scoring (67.7 points per game), field goal percentage (40.8) and 3-point field goals (30.3%). The Eagles shot 33.3% from the field (23 of 69) during Saturday’s 94-70 loss to SMU, getting outscored 54-34 after halftime.

“I thought their zone at the start of the second half stymied us,” Boston College head coach Earl Grant said. “We usually get excited when we see a zone, but we didn’t (against SMU). … We didn’t probe it good enough.”

Boston College’s Donald Hand Jr. (leg) did not play against SMU, missing his third straight contest. Hand has averaged 13.8 points, second on the team behind Fred Payne (15.4).

Wake Forest (14-13, 5-9) is coming off an 82-63 setback Saturday at Virginia Tech which snapped a three-game winning streak. Juke Harris led Wake Forest with 16 points in the loss. He has scored in double figures in all 27 games this season and is the No. 3 scorer in the ACC (21.1 points).

The Demon Deacons rank last among ACC teams in rebounding (32.8 per game).

“I thought we were doing a good job rebounding the ball on the glass,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said. “Then I think they got four offensive rebounds in the last three possessions of the first half. They kind of smelled blood in the water, and then they got 13 offensive rebounds. They had great balance and six guys in double figures in scoring. I thought they came up with the majority of the 50-50 balls that led to easy baskets.”

Eight of Boston College’s nine victories this season have come at home. Wake Forest is 2-5 on the road.

–Field Level Media

Duke Beats Michigan; Top 20 Round-Up

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WASH DC – (Wire Service Report) – Duke’s Cameron Boozer scored 18 points and No. 3 Duke held on to beat No. 1 Michigan 68-63 in a much-anticipated non-conference showdown Saturday night.

The Duke victory will likely vault them to the No. 1 ranking in the country.

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Isaiah Evans racked up 14 points, Caleb Foster provided 12 points and Patrick Ngongba II turned in 11 points for Duke (25-2). Boozer grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, part of the Blue Devils 13-rebound advantage on the boards (41-28), and also distributed a game-high seven assists.

Yaxel Lendeborg posted 16 of his 21 points in the first half for Michigan (25-2), which had an 11-game win streak snapped. Morez Johnson Jr. finished with 13 points and Aday Mara notched 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting through foul trouble, but the Wolverines ended at 40% from the field, including 6-for-25 from 3-point range (24%).

Earlier in the day, the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s bracket preview listed Michigan and Duke, respectively, as the top two overall seeds. Attendance was announced at 20,537, making it the largest turnout for a neutral-site game this season.

No. 4 Arizona 73, No. 2 Houston 66

Reserve Anthony Dell’Orso matched his season high of 22 points to lead the Wildcats, handing the Cougars their first home loss of the season and second since they joined the Big 12 in 2023-24.

Arizona (25-2, 12-2 Big 12) took sole possession of the conference lead with the win over Houston (23-4, 11-3), which has lost two straight after a six-game winning streak.

Jaden Bradley had 17 points and four assists for the Wildcats, while Ivan Kharchenkov added 16 points and nine rebounds. Kingston Flemings led Houston with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

No. 5 UConn 73, Villanova 63

Alex Karaban scored eight of his 12 points in the second half as the Huskies posted a win over the Wildcats in Philadelphia.

All five starters scored between nine and 12 points for the Huskies (25-3, 15-2 Big East), who bounced back nicely from a 91-84 loss to Creighton. Tarris Reed Jr. was 5-of-5 from the field for 11 points, while Braylon Mullins pitched in 10 points.

Tyler Perkins scored 15 points to pace the Wildcats (21-6, 12-4), who had won six straight games since losing to UConn last month. Matt Hodge chipped in with 13 points for the Wildcats, while Acaden Lewis scored 11 points — all in the first half.

No. 23 BYU 79, No. 6 Iowa State 69

AJ Dybantsa recorded 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Cougars to an upset of the Cyclones in Provo, Utah.

Kennard Davis Jr. scored 17 points for the Cougars (20-7, 8-6 Big 12), who improved to 11-2 at home. Mihailo Boskovic added a career-best 13 points for BYU.

Tamin Lipsey scored 19 points and Jamarion Batemon added 14 off the bench for Iowa State (23-4, 10-4), which was coming off consecutive Top-10 wins over then-No. 9 Kansas and No. 2 Houston.

Cincinnati 84, No. 8 Kansas 68

Moustapha Thiam collected 28 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bearcats over the Jayhawks in a Big 12 Conference showdown in Lawrence, Kan.

Baba Miller contributed 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Jalen Celestine added 14 points and eight boards for Cincinnati (15-12, 7-7 Big 12).

Flory Bidunga led Kansas (20-7, 10-4) with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds but couldn’t prevent the Jayhawks from taking their most lopsided loss to an unranked team in Bill Self’s 23-year coaching tenure.

No. 9 Nebraska 87, Penn State 64

Pryce Sandfort scored a career-high 33 points and the Cornhuskers got back on track with a win over the Nittany Lions in Big Ten play in Lincoln, Neb.

Sandfort was 11-of-17 from the field, making a career-best 8 of 14 threes to add to the school record for 3s in a season with 98. Braden Frager had 15 points and Sam Hoiberg added 11 points and a career-high 10 assists for the Cornhuskers (23-4, 12-4 Big Ten), who earlier Saturday were projected as a No. 3 seed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

The Nittany Lions (11-17, 2-15) got 13 points apiece from Kayden Mingo and Ivan Juric, with Juric adding 10 rebounds. The Nittany Lions shot 42.1% but made only 4 of 20 3-pointers, taking their ninth double-digit loss in conference play.

UCLA 95, No. 10 Illinois 94 (OT)

Donovan Dent drove the length of court for the game-winning layup with no time remaining to give the Bruins an electric overtime victory over the Illini in Los Angeles.

Dent had 14 points and a career-high 15 assists in helping the Bruins (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) halt a two-game slide. Eric Dailey Jr. scored 20 points before fouling out for UCLA. Tyler Bilodeau scored 18 points, Trent Perry had 17 and Xavier Booker tallied 16 on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench for UCLA. Skyy Clark had 10 points.

Keaton Wagler had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Tomislav Ivisic scored 16 points for the Illini (22-6, 13-4), who lost for the third time in their past five games. Ben Humrichous had 15 on five 3-point baskets off the bench for Illinois. Kylan Boswell added 13 points and backup Zvonimir Ivisic had 11.

No. 11 Gonzaga 71, Pacific 62

Graham Ike scored 20 points to break a school record as the Bulldogs held off the pesky Tigers in Spokane, Wash.

Davis Fogle added 18 points off the bench, Emmanuel Innocenti scored 13 and reserve Tyon Grant-Foster had 10 for the Bulldogs (27-2, 15-1). Ike scored 20 or more points for a ninth consecutive game, eclipsing the mark of eight set by both Adam Morrison and Derek Raivio in 2006.

Justin Rochelin and Elias Ralph scored 12 points apiece for Pacific (17-13, 8-9). TJ Wainwright added 10 while Rochelin grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

No. 12 Florida 94, Ole Miss 75

Alex Condon scored 24 points as the Gators won their seventh consecutive game by defeating the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.

Thomas Haugh added 20, and Xaivian Lee collected 11 points and 10 assists. Florida (21-6, 12-2 Southeastern Conference) won for the 12th time in 13 games, shooting 57.1% from the floor and holding a 39-24 rebounding edge.

Malik Dia scored 24 points and Ilias Kamardine added 14 to lead Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11), which lost its ninth consecutive game.

No. 13 Texas Tech 100, Kansas State 72

Donovan Atwell scored 21 of his game-high 26 points in the first half as the Red Raiders overcame a Tuesday loss and a season-ending injury to star forward JT Toppin to dust the Wildcats in Lubbock, Texas.

Christian Anderson added 21 points and nine assists for Texas Tech (20-7, 10-4 Big 12), while LeJuan Watts hit for 19 points. Luke Bamgboye contributed 12 as the Red Raiders shot 54.8% from the field, including 13-of-28 (46.4%) from 3-point range.

PJ Haggerty scored 17 points for the Wildcats (11-16, 2-12) and Nate Johnson added 15 but it wasn’t nearly enough to earn Kansas state a second straight win under interim coach Matthew Driscoll. He took over last Sunday after the university fired coach Jerome Tang for criticizing players after a recent loss to Cincinnati.

No. 14 Virginia 86, Miami 83

Chance Mallory made three free throws with 3.6 seconds left and the Cavaliers extended their winning streak to eight with a win over the Hurricanes in Charlottesville, Va.

Reserve Jacari White led six players in double figures with 17 points for Virginia (24-3, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), which improved to 13-1 at home.

Sam Lewis had 15 points, De Ridder scored 14, Mallory and Johann Grunloh each tallied 12 and Malik Thomas had 10 points for Virginia. Tre Donaldson and Shelton Henderson led Miami (21-6, 10-4) with 18 points apiece.

No. 16 North Carolina 77, Syracuse 64

Henri Veesaar scored 19 points in his return to the lineup the Tar Heels notched a road win over the Orange.

North Carolina (21-6, 9-5 ACC) improved to 2-1 since star freshman Caleb Wilson fractured his hand. The team’s first two games without Wilson coincided with a two-game absence by Veesaar (lower-body injury and illness), but the center returned in this one to shoot 9 of 13 from the field to go with three blocks.

Syracuse (15-13, 6-9) had only two double-digit scorers — JJ Starling with 22 points and Tyler Betsey with 10.

No. 17 St. John’s 81, Creighton 52

Dylan Darling scored 17 points as the Red Storm extended their winning streak to 13 with a wire-to-wire victory over the Bluejays in New York.

St. John’s (22-5, 15-1 Big East) moved a game ahead of UConn for the conference lead. St. John’s is on its longest winning streak since 1985. The Red Storm also are also on a 13-game winning streak in conference games.

Bryce Hopkins notched a double-double for the second straight game by collecting 15 and 10 rebounds. Fedor Zugic led Creighton with nine points.

Tennessee 69, No. 19 Vanderbilt 65

The Volunteers, behind 17 points from Ja’Kobi Gillespie and 13 from Nate Ament, scored a road upset of the Commodores in SEC play before a sellout crowd in Nashville.

The Volunteers (20-7, 10-4) shot 43.1% from the floor and outrebounded the smaller Commodores 39-30 in winning their fourth consecutive game and handing Vanderbilt its second straight loss. Ament’s contested, mid-range jumper with 54 seconds left gave Tennessee the lead for good, and Gillespie canned two free-throw attempts in the final 13.2 seconds.

Tyler Tanner led Vanderbilt with 16 points, and the Vols held Tyler Nickel — who entered the game averaging 14.7 points — to three.

No. 20 Arkansas 94, Missouri 86

Billy Richmond III scored 21 points, Darius Acuff Jr. added 20 and the Razorbacks overcame an early eight-point deficit for a victory over the Tigers in Fayetteville, Ark.

Reserve Malique Ewin had 16 points and eight rebounds while Meleek Thomas had 14 points and eight rebounds for Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC).

Mark Mitchell scored 26 points, Trent Pierce had 22 and Shawn Phillips Jr. added 11 points for Missouri (18-9, 8-6), which had won four of five.

No. 21 Louisville 87, Georgia Tech 70

After a rough loss at SMU earlier this week, the Cardinals scorched the Yellow Jackets in a wire-to-wire home victory.

Mikel Brown Jr. scored 19 points, including three made 3-pointers, to lead Louisville(20-7, 9-5 ACC). J’Vonne Hadley had 17 points, Ryan Conwell scored 15 points and four assists and Isaac McKneely added 14.

Georgia Tech (11-17, 2-13) dropped its ninth straight. Baye Ndongo led the way for the Yellow Jackets with 17 points and a game-high seven rebounds.

No. 25 Alabama 90, LSU 83

Aden Holloway had 17 points and four assists while Aiden Sherrell posted his second straight double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Crimson Tide defeated the Tigers in Baton Rouge, La.

Amari Allen added 16 points and six rebounds for the Crimson Tide (20-7, 10-4 SEC), who won their sixth straight game. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line and scored 14 points off the bench, while London Jemison contributed 12 points and six rebounds.

Marquel Sutton, who came in averaging 18 points in his last three outings, had 21 points for the second consecutive game to lead the Tigers (14-13, 2-12), who dropped their fifth straight to fall to 1-6 at home in SEC play.

–Field Level Media

Seton Hall Tops Butler

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official news Release) – The Hall’s AJ Staton-McCray scored a team-high 19 points as the Seton Hall Pirates captured a 63-56 win at Butler.  The win was the Pirates’ fifth true victory of the season.
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Seton Hall 63, Butler 56 – Box Score
Of Note:
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Looking Ahead: The BIG EAST returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 17 when Villanova heads to Xavier.  Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on FS1.