UGA MBB
UGASports.com: Auburn too much for Bulldogs
https://uga.rivals.com/news/auburn-too-much-for-bulldogs
Weiszer ABH: Auburn routs Georgia basketball. 5-star signee Asa Newell: 'Next year will be different'
“With 11:37 to go in the first half during a media timeout, the public address announcer told the crowd: Please welcome one of the highest ranked recruits in Georgia basketball history.”
“Asa Newell 2024 5 star signee,” the scoreboard graphic said as he clapped sheepishly when he was shown on the video.
Newell took his seat In the far corner behind the Bulldogs bench seven rows up a few minutes into the game.
The 6-foot-10, 215-pound Montverde Academy power forward is among the stars for a powerhouse team that travels for games all over the country.
“It’s my first game ever at UGA,” Newell, who spent part of his childhood in Athens, told the Athens Banner-Herald at halftime. “I went when I was younger, but since I’ve been committed.”
Newell spoke at halftime with Georgia down 45-34.
He was asked the thoughts on his future team.
“We’ve got an exciting team," he said. "Next year’s going to be a lot different and I feel like everyone’s going to do a great job.”
“I’m a rim protector, I change shots,” Newell said. “I can extend on the 3-point line. I can guard multiple positions. On the offensive side, I’m a pick and pop threat, a pick and roll threat. I drive close outs really well and I attack the rim
Newell said he planned to hang out with his brother, Bulldog walk-on Jaden Newell, after the game.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” he said. “The student section is getting really into it. The fans are loud. I can’t wait for next year to get on campus.”
Georgia coach Mike White said "it was nice to see," Newell. "Just visited with him very briefly. We had some other guys in as well. It's a great environment for recruits to be here and experience."
Montgomery Advertiser: Career performance for Chad Baker-Mazara helps Auburn basketball to road win at Georgia
https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.co...ia-chad-baker-mazara-bruce-pearl/72629790007/
Alabama.com: How three players who didn’t play D1 basketball last season helped No. 14 Auburn beat Georgia
“Come Saturday night, however, Auburn’s trio of new faces found themselves inside Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum, where their efforts were going to be needed as No. 14 Auburn was set to get its first taste of life without its fifth-year senior forward and the winningest player in program history in Jaylin Williams.
Williams, who is averaging 13 points per game for the Tigers, traveled to Athens on Saturday but was still sidelined with the knee injury he suffered in Auburn’s loss to Kentucky on Feb. 17.
And against the Bulldogs, it was up to Baker-Mazara and Johnson — two players who were playing JUCO- and Division II-level basketball this time last year — to replace the production of Williams in the paint, while if there were ever a moment for Holloway to find his shooting stride again, Saturday night would be an opportune time.
For Johnson, Saturday’s starting nod made for his first Division I start of his career. And by half time, Johnson was already flirting with a double-digit scoring effort as he logged nine first-half points on a 4-for-4 shooting effort that included a made 3-pointer.
Johnson finished his night having played 26 minutes and tallying 16 points — a career high for him in SEC play.
“Chaney was terrific defensively. Offensively, he was calm. He got that ball inside, and he took it close,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said postgame. “I’m happy for Chaney, because he’s one of the hardest workers that we’ve ever had. To come in and play 26 minutes and not even miss a beat...”
Meanwhile, Baker-Mazara’s start was the first in an Auburn uniform and just the 14th of his Division I career after he logged 13 starts in his freshman season, which he spent at Duquesne.
By the break, Baker-Mazara had recorded 18 points — the most in a half by any Auburn player this season.
Come the second half of play, Baker-Mazara’s scoring slowed as other players on Auburn’s roster started to find their rhythm. By the final whistle, Baker-Mazara had tallied 25 points — a Division I career-high for the junior, who dedicated his performance to a former high school coach of his, Danny Brix, who suddenly died at the age of 30 on Wednesday.
“Chad Baker-Mazara was the best player on the floor,” Pearl said.
At one point during the second half, Georgia had trimmed its deficit significantly as the Bulldogs pulled within three points. And considering Auburn was on the road, a momentum swing such as that could’ve quickly become costly for the Tigers.
But Baker-Mazara was having no part of that and pulled Auburn together during a second-half timeout as he “rallied the troops” and “calmed them down,” Pearl said.
After Baker-Mazara helped the Tigers pull themselves up by the bootstraps, Auburn once again started to separate itself from Georgia — a feat that was largely made possible by timely 3-pointers from Holloway, who made his first start in eight games on Saturday night.
“We started Aden Holloway just to kinda see if we could get him going,” Pearl said of the lineup change.
Mission accomplished.
Holloway hit his first of five three balls with six minutes to play in the first half, finally putting an end to his shooting slump, which hadn’t seen him make a single shot from beyond the arc since Feb. 7 against Alabama.
Holloway then went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc in the second half, giving him five made three pointers in one game for the first time since his 24-point effort against Indiana on Dec. 9.
“He kept his attitude, really, pretty good, considering the lack of success he’s had,” Pearl said of Holloway. “It speaks a lot to his character. He stayed in it. He stayed in it. If we can get him to be in a situation where he’s feeling better about himself, that’s a real positive thing.”
And on Saturday night in Athens, it all came together as a one player who spent last season playing in the JUCO ranks, one player who spent last season playing Division II basketball and another player who was still in high school last year finished as Auburn’s three leading scorers as they helped offset the loss of Williams en route to the Tigers’ 97-76 win over the Bulldogs.
“Coming in without Jaylin Williams, we knew we had to change things up. Put three new starters in the lineup tonight,” Pearl said. “We made a bunch of changes. Tonight, they paid off.”
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball...-season-helped-no-14-auburn-beat-georgia.html
Bruce Pearl
"It was a great win for us," Pearl said. "Georgia has been playing really well. Mike (White) has still got them playing really hard and there was a big prize on our head."
Coming in without Jaylin Williams, we had to change some things up," Pearl said. "So, we put three different guys in the starting lineup. Starting Chad Baker-Mazara — Chad Baker-Mazara was the best player on the floor tonight. He was certainly the best player on the floor tonight. Trusted him with the ball in his hands as a playmaker. Obviously, he makes shots, gets fouls, makes free throws. He shot seven of the 16 free throws that we had tonight. Made them all."
"We started Aden Holloway, just to see if we could kinda get him going," Pearl said. "Two things on that: One, nobody is harder on himself than Aden. Aden is one of the best freshman point guards in the country. He is. When he hasn't played well, hasn't shot it well, for a bunch of games — that could have a young man lose his confidence. You spend time on social media, and you're disappointing lots of people. Nobody's more disappointed than Aden."
"But, to his credit, he has stayed in the gym. He's kept his attitude, really, pretty good, considering the lack of success he's had. But the team was still having success without him, and he was OK. It speaks a lot to his character. He stayed in it. He stayed in it. If we can get him to be in a situation where he's feeling better about himself, that's a real positive thing."
"We really respect Mike's ability as an offensive coach," Pearl said. "We just didn't want to guard a lot of the good man-to-man offense that Georgia has. We're just not going to guard it. You can't guard it, or it's hard to guard. The zone helped keep them off balance."
SEC Basketball
Alabama.com: Are Alabama basketball’s defensive issues fixable? ‘Some of it, I don’t know’
Kentucky
Lexington Herald Leader: For one shining Saturday, this inconsistent Kentucky basketball team was simply brilliant
https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/john-clay/article285847231.html
Tennessee
Knoxville News: Tennessee basketball pounds Texas A&M, tied for first place in SEC
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/spor...tball-score-texas-am-rick-barnes/72640898007/
College Basketball
BYU
Deseret News: Analysis: BYU’s defense fails to travel for the second straight Saturday as Cougars lose to hot-shooting Kansas State
Colorado State
Colorodoan: Colorado State basketball’s road problems persist in loss at UNLV
https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sp...problems-persist-in-loss-at-unlv/72718070007/
Houston
Michigan State
Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball's sense of urgency raised vs. Ohio State after latest home loss
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...o-state-preview-tom-izzo-big-ten/72729670007/
Missouri State
Springfield News Leader: Missouri State basketball clinches losing season in MVC play with loss at Belmont
North Carolina
Raleigh News & Observer: UNC basketball finds a way at Virginia — and ending the losing streak was only part of it
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article285883256.html
Oklahoma
The Oklahoman: OU basketball stuns OSU to end Bedlam in OT on Javian McCollum's 3-pointer at buzzer
Oklahoma State
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma State basketball misses own storybook ending in Bedlam overtime loss to Sooners
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spo...ss-to-oklahoma-sooners-ou-big-12/72732275007/
Seton Hall
Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball handles Butler as guards star, moving closer to NCAA Tournament bid
https://www.app.com/story/sports/co...-guards-star-closing-in-on-ncaas/72708564007/
Vermont
Sean Paul: The Vermont Catamounts. What else can you say that hasn’t been said about John Becker’s success in Burlington? This man is a MACHINE. Vermont beats a very good Bryant squad, and is now 13-1 in America East play — leading the league by 2.5 games.
Becker is one of the sport’s best coaches. He’s doing awesome stuff.
TJ Long scored 20 in the win over Bryant, a huge factor in UVM’s offensive attack.
UGASports.com: Auburn too much for Bulldogs
https://uga.rivals.com/news/auburn-too-much-for-bulldogs
Weiszer ABH: Auburn routs Georgia basketball. 5-star signee Asa Newell: 'Next year will be different'
“With 11:37 to go in the first half during a media timeout, the public address announcer told the crowd: Please welcome one of the highest ranked recruits in Georgia basketball history.”
“Asa Newell 2024 5 star signee,” the scoreboard graphic said as he clapped sheepishly when he was shown on the video.
Newell took his seat In the far corner behind the Bulldogs bench seven rows up a few minutes into the game.
The 6-foot-10, 215-pound Montverde Academy power forward is among the stars for a powerhouse team that travels for games all over the country.
“It’s my first game ever at UGA,” Newell, who spent part of his childhood in Athens, told the Athens Banner-Herald at halftime. “I went when I was younger, but since I’ve been committed.”
Newell spoke at halftime with Georgia down 45-34.
He was asked the thoughts on his future team.
“We’ve got an exciting team," he said. "Next year’s going to be a lot different and I feel like everyone’s going to do a great job.”
“I’m a rim protector, I change shots,” Newell said. “I can extend on the 3-point line. I can guard multiple positions. On the offensive side, I’m a pick and pop threat, a pick and roll threat. I drive close outs really well and I attack the rim
Newell said he planned to hang out with his brother, Bulldog walk-on Jaden Newell, after the game.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” he said. “The student section is getting really into it. The fans are loud. I can’t wait for next year to get on campus.”
Georgia coach Mike White said "it was nice to see," Newell. "Just visited with him very briefly. We had some other guys in as well. It's a great environment for recruits to be here and experience."
Auburn routs Georgia basketball. 5-star signee Asa Newell: 'Next year will be different'
The present continues to be rough for UGA basketball which was crushed by Auburn Saturday night. The future was watching in Athens in 5-star Asa Newell.
www.onlineathens.com
Montgomery Advertiser: Career performance for Chad Baker-Mazara helps Auburn basketball to road win at Georgia
https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.co...ia-chad-baker-mazara-bruce-pearl/72629790007/
Alabama.com: How three players who didn’t play D1 basketball last season helped No. 14 Auburn beat Georgia
“Come Saturday night, however, Auburn’s trio of new faces found themselves inside Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum, where their efforts were going to be needed as No. 14 Auburn was set to get its first taste of life without its fifth-year senior forward and the winningest player in program history in Jaylin Williams.
Williams, who is averaging 13 points per game for the Tigers, traveled to Athens on Saturday but was still sidelined with the knee injury he suffered in Auburn’s loss to Kentucky on Feb. 17.
And against the Bulldogs, it was up to Baker-Mazara and Johnson — two players who were playing JUCO- and Division II-level basketball this time last year — to replace the production of Williams in the paint, while if there were ever a moment for Holloway to find his shooting stride again, Saturday night would be an opportune time.
For Johnson, Saturday’s starting nod made for his first Division I start of his career. And by half time, Johnson was already flirting with a double-digit scoring effort as he logged nine first-half points on a 4-for-4 shooting effort that included a made 3-pointer.
Johnson finished his night having played 26 minutes and tallying 16 points — a career high for him in SEC play.
“Chaney was terrific defensively. Offensively, he was calm. He got that ball inside, and he took it close,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said postgame. “I’m happy for Chaney, because he’s one of the hardest workers that we’ve ever had. To come in and play 26 minutes and not even miss a beat...”
Meanwhile, Baker-Mazara’s start was the first in an Auburn uniform and just the 14th of his Division I career after he logged 13 starts in his freshman season, which he spent at Duquesne.
By the break, Baker-Mazara had recorded 18 points — the most in a half by any Auburn player this season.
Come the second half of play, Baker-Mazara’s scoring slowed as other players on Auburn’s roster started to find their rhythm. By the final whistle, Baker-Mazara had tallied 25 points — a Division I career-high for the junior, who dedicated his performance to a former high school coach of his, Danny Brix, who suddenly died at the age of 30 on Wednesday.
“Chad Baker-Mazara was the best player on the floor,” Pearl said.
At one point during the second half, Georgia had trimmed its deficit significantly as the Bulldogs pulled within three points. And considering Auburn was on the road, a momentum swing such as that could’ve quickly become costly for the Tigers.
But Baker-Mazara was having no part of that and pulled Auburn together during a second-half timeout as he “rallied the troops” and “calmed them down,” Pearl said.
After Baker-Mazara helped the Tigers pull themselves up by the bootstraps, Auburn once again started to separate itself from Georgia — a feat that was largely made possible by timely 3-pointers from Holloway, who made his first start in eight games on Saturday night.
“We started Aden Holloway just to kinda see if we could get him going,” Pearl said of the lineup change.
Mission accomplished.
Holloway hit his first of five three balls with six minutes to play in the first half, finally putting an end to his shooting slump, which hadn’t seen him make a single shot from beyond the arc since Feb. 7 against Alabama.
Holloway then went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc in the second half, giving him five made three pointers in one game for the first time since his 24-point effort against Indiana on Dec. 9.
“He kept his attitude, really, pretty good, considering the lack of success he’s had,” Pearl said of Holloway. “It speaks a lot to his character. He stayed in it. He stayed in it. If we can get him to be in a situation where he’s feeling better about himself, that’s a real positive thing.”
And on Saturday night in Athens, it all came together as a one player who spent last season playing in the JUCO ranks, one player who spent last season playing Division II basketball and another player who was still in high school last year finished as Auburn’s three leading scorers as they helped offset the loss of Williams en route to the Tigers’ 97-76 win over the Bulldogs.
“Coming in without Jaylin Williams, we knew we had to change things up. Put three new starters in the lineup tonight,” Pearl said. “We made a bunch of changes. Tonight, they paid off.”
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball...-season-helped-no-14-auburn-beat-georgia.html
Bruce Pearl
"It was a great win for us," Pearl said. "Georgia has been playing really well. Mike (White) has still got them playing really hard and there was a big prize on our head."
Coming in without Jaylin Williams, we had to change some things up," Pearl said. "So, we put three different guys in the starting lineup. Starting Chad Baker-Mazara — Chad Baker-Mazara was the best player on the floor tonight. He was certainly the best player on the floor tonight. Trusted him with the ball in his hands as a playmaker. Obviously, he makes shots, gets fouls, makes free throws. He shot seven of the 16 free throws that we had tonight. Made them all."
"We started Aden Holloway, just to see if we could kinda get him going," Pearl said. "Two things on that: One, nobody is harder on himself than Aden. Aden is one of the best freshman point guards in the country. He is. When he hasn't played well, hasn't shot it well, for a bunch of games — that could have a young man lose his confidence. You spend time on social media, and you're disappointing lots of people. Nobody's more disappointed than Aden."
"But, to his credit, he has stayed in the gym. He's kept his attitude, really, pretty good, considering the lack of success he's had. But the team was still having success without him, and he was OK. It speaks a lot to his character. He stayed in it. He stayed in it. If we can get him to be in a situation where he's feeling better about himself, that's a real positive thing."
"We really respect Mike's ability as an offensive coach," Pearl said. "We just didn't want to guard a lot of the good man-to-man offense that Georgia has. We're just not going to guard it. You can't guard it, or it's hard to guard. The zone helped keep them off balance."
SEC Basketball
Alabama.com: Are Alabama basketball’s defensive issues fixable? ‘Some of it, I don’t know’
Are Alabama basketball’s defensive issues fixable? ‘Some of it, I don’t know’
Can Alabama's defense improve late in the season?
www.al.com
Kentucky
Lexington Herald Leader: For one shining Saturday, this inconsistent Kentucky basketball team was simply brilliant
https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/john-clay/article285847231.html
Tennessee
Knoxville News: Tennessee basketball pounds Texas A&M, tied for first place in SEC
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/spor...tball-score-texas-am-rick-barnes/72640898007/
College Basketball
BYU
Deseret News: Analysis: BYU’s defense fails to travel for the second straight Saturday as Cougars lose to hot-shooting Kansas State
BYU basketball: Cougars’ defense fails to travel for second-straight Saturday, BYU loses to hot-shooting Kansas State in Big 12 clash
BYU shoots just 19% from 3-point range, allows KSU to shoot 56% and falls to 7-7 in Big 12 play, 19-8 overall
www.deseret.com
Colorado State
Colorodoan: Colorado State basketball’s road problems persist in loss at UNLV
https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sp...problems-persist-in-loss-at-unlv/72718070007/
Houston
Michigan State
Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball's sense of urgency raised vs. Ohio State after latest home loss
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...o-state-preview-tom-izzo-big-ten/72729670007/
Missouri State
Springfield News Leader: Missouri State basketball clinches losing season in MVC play with loss at Belmont
Missouri State basketball clinches losing season in MVC play with loss at Belmont
Missouri State hadn't had a losing season in league play since Paul Lusk's final year as head coach. He was fired after Arch Madness.
www.news-leader.com
North Carolina
Raleigh News & Observer: UNC basketball finds a way at Virginia — and ending the losing streak was only part of it
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article285883256.html
Oklahoma
The Oklahoman: OU basketball stuns OSU to end Bedlam in OT on Javian McCollum's 3-pointer at buzzer
OU basketball stuns OSU to end Bedlam in OT on Javian McCollum's 3-pointer at buzzer
OU defeated Oklahoma State 84-82 in overtime Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in the final regular-season Bedlam game as conference foes.
www.oklahoman.com
Oklahoma State
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma State basketball misses own storybook ending in Bedlam overtime loss to Sooners
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spo...ss-to-oklahoma-sooners-ou-big-12/72732275007/
Seton Hall
Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball handles Butler as guards star, moving closer to NCAA Tournament bid
https://www.app.com/story/sports/co...-guards-star-closing-in-on-ncaas/72708564007/
Vermont
Sean Paul: The Vermont Catamounts. What else can you say that hasn’t been said about John Becker’s success in Burlington? This man is a MACHINE. Vermont beats a very good Bryant squad, and is now 13-1 in America East play — leading the league by 2.5 games.
Becker is one of the sport’s best coaches. He’s doing awesome stuff.
TJ Long scored 20 in the win over Bryant, a huge factor in UVM’s offensive attack.
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