21 Clemson and Virginia Tech, Both on Two-Game Losing Dtreaks, Set to Collide

A Wednesday ACC showdown in Blacksburg, Va., will see No. 21 Clemson and Virginia Tech aiming to recover from disappointing performances at the start of the new year.

Clemson (11-3, 1-2) had an impressive start to the season, only to falter in the second half during a loss at Miami and struggled to score in a 65-55 defeat against then-No. 8 North Carolina. The Tigers’ 3-point shooting was a dismal 1 for 18 and went scoreless in the final five minutes against the Tar Heels.

Coach Brad Brownell commented, “You can’t win the game when you go 1 for 18. There’s just no way to overcome that. I thought we did a decent job of defending. If you were to tell me we held them to 65 points, I certainly would have taken that.” Clemson’s top two scorers, PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III, combined for a 5-for-23 shooting, including 0 for 9 from three.

Hall, averaging 19.5 points per game, struggled with 3-pointers and fouled out in each of the last two losses. “He knows that we need him,” Brownell said. “You’re going to have one or two fouls just because of the nature of the position, but you can’t have the silly ones.” Girard, known for his 3-point shooting, failed to connect on a 3-pointer for the first time in a long time.

On the other side, the Hokies (9-5, 1-2) are coming back home after two ACC road losses. Following a 23-point loss at Wake Forest, the Hokies suffered a 77-74 defeat at Florida State. The Seminoles clinched the victory with two free throws by Primo Spears.

“We did everything but win the game,” Hokies head coach Mike Young said. “We gave ourselves a shot. Proud of our bunch hanging in there and fighting all the way to the end.”

Virginia Tech led at halftime but was outscored 50-44 in the second half by Florida State. Sean Pedulla led the Hokies with 26 points, while Hunter Cattoor, the school’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, added 19 points.

Clemson has dominated the recent matchups, winning three of the last four games, including a two-game sweep of Virginia Tech last season.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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