Isaiah Coleman, Seton Hall Push Past Monmouth

Isaiah Coleman 17 Points vs Monmouth | December 12, 2023

Isaiah Coleman scored a career-high 17 points to go along with two steals and two blocked shots to lift host Seton Hall past Monmouth 70-61 on Tuesday in Newark, N.J.

Al-Amir Dawes scored 12 points and Jaden Bediako added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Pirates (6-4). Seton Hall improved to 15-0 all-time against Monmouth.

Xander Rice led the Hawks (5-5) with 20 points and five steals while Jack Collins added 12 points, nine rebounds and four steals.

Monmouth cut the deficit to 66-61 with 49.3 seconds left when Rice scored through a foul. However, Rice was unable to complete the potential three-point play. Coleman’s fast-break dunk clinched the result.

Coleman, a freshman, made two free throws with 8:06 remaining for a 56-49 Seton Hall advantage. Collins backed down in the post and scored on Monmouth’s next trip to close within five.

Rice had a chance to get within two with 4:50 left but missed a wide-open layup.

Bediako threw down a dunk with 3:18 to go for a 62-55 Seton Hall advantage.

Monmouth led 12-10 before the Pirates went on a 17-0 run. The Hawks failed to score for 7:08.

Seton Hall went ahead 32-17 when Jaquan Sanders hit a triple with 4:49 left. Nikita Konstantynovskyi then hit a tough jump hook in the lane on Monmouth’s next possession.

When Collins dropped in a 3-pointer with 37 seconds to go, the Hawks trailed 37-27. But the Pirates made seven of their final nine shots and led 40-29 at halftime.

Jakari Spence, who made the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in Monmouth’s 74-71 win over Northern Illinois last Saturday, knocked down a 15-foot jumper as time expired at halftime.

Kadary Richmond completed a difficult driving layup with 17:52 left in the second half for a 42-29 Seton Hall advantage.

The Hawks then tightened defensively and closed within 47-44 when Rice made two 3-pointers 48 seconds apart.

Amaan Sandhu scored all eight of his points for Monmouth in the second half. His bucket followed by Gabe Spinelli‘s free throws at 10:43 brought the Hawks within 50-48 before Seton Hall started to pull away.

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    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

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

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    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

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    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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