Scores
Fri, Mar 21, Big Dance scores
Iowa State 82, Lipscomb 55 box. A #14 challenging a #3 and it was pretty much over after 20 minutes with the score 40-24. Joshua (St. Mary's) Jefferson stuffed the stat sheet via 10 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots. ISU shot 58%.
St. Mary's 59, Vanderbilt 56 box. Vandy led 29-22 after 20 minutes and the Gaels trailed until a tied game at the 8:03 point of the second half. The Moraga crew finally took the lead with 6:54 remining on an Auggie Marciulionis jumper. After Mitchell Saxen made a free throw to make it 59-56 St. Mary's with 27 seconds remaining, the Commodores missed a pair of three-point attempts, the first with 13 seconds left and the second at the .02 mark. Jordan Ross shot well, leading in scoring with 15 points, in assists with three and blocks with three. Luke (Piedmont High) Barrett provided a 12 point, 10 rebound double-double but frosh backcourter Mikey Lewis shot 0-7. In fact, Coach Randy Bennett's bench scored just two points.
UConn 67, Oklahoma 59 box. Aidan (Campolindo High/St. Mary's) Mahaney's season-long struggle continues with just three points on 1-5 overall shooting in 13 minutes of play.
Sat, Mar 22, Big Dance scores
Texas Tech 77, Drake 64 box. Darrion (Capital Christian High) Williams exploded for 28 points and added six rebounds, five assists and two steals for the victors. TT took down a Drake team which sported a 31-3 record entering the game.
Sun, Mar 23, Big Dance score
Alabama 80, St. Mary's 66 box. Bama led 42-29 at the half and led 52% to 34% with overall shooting. Explosive Tide guard Mark Sears was defended well—just 12 points on 5-15 overall shooting. St. Mary had three players finish in double figures scoring but Alabama enjoyed six in that category. Gael Mitchell Saxen scored 15 points and brought down five boards but Paulius Murauskas remained in his slump with just seven points, playing only 17 minutes.
Florida 77, UConn 75 box. Aiden (Campolindo High/St. Mary's) Mahaney scored four points in eight minutes of action. It's hard to imagine he'll be playing in The Nutmeg State next season.
Mississippi 91, Iowa State 78 box. Joshua (St. Mary's) Jefferson scored 16 points and grabbed a team high right boards for ISU while teammate Dishon (St. Patrick-St. Vincent High/Washington State/Charlotte) Jackson finished with nine and five in just 17 minutes.
Sun, Mar 23 NIT scores
Loyola Chicago 77, San Francisco 76 box. Despite 36 points from Malik Thomas, the Dons couldn't quite own the lead at the end. Thomas buried a trey at the 1:17 mark to put host USF up by one but LC got a bucket with 56 seconds left and neither team scored afterwards. Thomas missed a couple of shots, the second with one second remaining so San Francisco at least twice got the ball in the right hands when it was needed. Coach Chris Gerlufson's squad was down four players due to injuries/suspension.
Kent State 77, Stanford 75 box. Maxime Raynaud posted a fine line of 22 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots but went 2-2 at the foul line and the Cardinal needs more of him at the charity stripe. Raynaud went 8-18 overall, 4-4 from long distance.
UAB 88, Santa Clara 84 box. The host Broncos out-shot their opponent 45.8% to 43.3% but lost out at the foul line 19-26 to 9-14. SC won the battle of the boards 45-34 and committed only 11 turnovers but to just a minuscule four for UAB.
Incarnate Word 92, Manhattan 85 box. Dylan (Healdsburg High) Hayman led IW with 25 points and added seven rebounds plus four assists. He shot 11-18, 0-2 and 3-3 respectively.
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News Bits
ArDarius Grayson: "Committed !!!"
The 6-foot-1 Grayson attends Oakland Tech and plays for Team Lilliard in AAU. He'll be pairing up with 6-foot-6 shooting guard Anthony Moore out of Lincoln High-Stockton who has also committed.
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Jayden Fakhouri: "I am proud to announce I’m officially a Cal Lutheran Kingsman. Thank you to all the coaches at Cal Lu for believing in me and letting me continue to play the game that I love!"
Fakhouri stands 6-foot-7 and attends the Venture Academy in Stockton.
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Sam Kayser: "NEWS: Louisiana Tech guard Al Green is entering the transfer portal, he told LeagueRDY. Green began his career at San Diego City College before playing this past season at Louisiana Tech. A knockdown shooter who will have 2 years of eligibility left. Averaged 10.2PPG, 2.3RPG and 1APG last season. Shot 42.1% from 3."
Green is a Franklin High grad. Get him back to NorCal. Could certainly see him at UC Davis, Sacramento State, Pacific and SJSU.
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Landon Seaman: "After a great conversation with coach Taylor, I’m extremely blessed to receive a D1 offer from Cal State Fullerton!"
Hed's a 6-foot-9 transfer from Will C. Wood High and Menlo College. Seaman is transferring because his coach left the program. With his last name, Cal Maritime should be a cinch
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Blake Bastani: "Some highlights from my sophomore year New Hampton Hoops. Shot 51% from college three point line. Excited for huge summer and spring with Jalen Green Elite..."
The 6-foot-5 Bastani went the New Hampshire prep school route this year but he's coming back home for this spring and summer. He earned a 3.5 grade point average back east.
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6-foot-4 Kaden (Antelope High) Henderson is a Concordia Irvine D2 grad transfer who just received on offer from Cal State Fullerton and has taken an unofficial there.
His stats this season: Pts: 17.8, Reb: 4.3, Assist: 2.7, Stl: 1.3
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Bricen Buciak: "Blessed to receive an offer from San Francisco State University."
Buciak is a 6-foot-5 sophomore out of Christopher High and attending Gavilan College.
- 19.6 PPG (led Coast-South / #16 in State)
- 6.3 RPG
- 46% FG
- 38% 3FG (on 7 3FGAs/game)
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Jayson Matthews: "Blessed to receive an offer from Evergreen State! Super blessed and thankful for the opportunity."
The 5-foot-10 Matthews is out of Grant High, Bethune-Cookman and now College of the Sequoias. He earned an All Defensive First Team honor this season. Evergreen State is located in Olympia, Washington.
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Aziz Hantous: "I’m thankful to say that I have received an offer from San Francisco State. A big thank you to the coaching staff !"
The 6-foot-8 Hantous attends Merritt College, performs as a wing but is versatile, especially defensively.
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"From walk-on to March Madness, St. Mary’s senior Luke Barrett is ‘everything we’re about’"
This was a gifted article so I'm gifting it forward (and hope the link works)
Takai Hardy: "6'7 F Transfer from University of Idaho (D1)(Sophomore)
Cell: 707-816-8454 Email: Tmh42004@gmail.com."
He may have to go down to D2 to receive significant playing time and there is nothing wrong about doing so.
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