High-Scoring Florida, Michigan Meet in Jumpman Invitational

Walter Clayton Jr 28 Points vs Pitt | November 22, 2023

Two high-powered offenses will be on show when Florida and Michigan meet Tuesday in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.

Florida comes in averaging 82.3 points per game, while Michigan is scoring 82.2. The last time the schools had such potent attacks, they both nearly won national titles.

The 1999-00 Billy Donovan coached Gators averaged 83.8 points per game and lost 89-76 in the 2000 NCAA final to Michigan State.

Michigan’s 1992-93 team scored 81.9 per contest when current coach Juwan Howard was a player in the Wolverines’ famed “Fab Five” that lost the 1993 final to North Carolina, 77-71.

Florida (7-3) struggled to a 70-65 neutral-court win over East Carolina on Thursday.

“I think as our program continues to mature, these are the types of wins that build character,” Florida coach Todd Golden said after the game. “They build trust. They build belief.”

But Michigan (6-5) cruised to an 83-66 win Saturday over visiting Eastern Michigan in Howard’s first game back as head coach after mid-September heart surgery.

Michigan is led by point guard Dug McDaniel at 17.9 points per game, while forward Olivier Nkamhoua averages 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Terrance Williams II (11.2 ppg) and Nimari Burnett (10.2 ppg) are inside-outside threats.

“That’s just the unselfishness of this group,” Howard said after five players scored in double figures against Eastern Michigan. “Just showed the guys are really sharing the basketball.’

The Gators get 16.5 points per game from guard Walter Clayton Jr. (22-of-60 on 3-pointers). Tyrese Samuel (13.9 ppg), Zyon Pullin (12.7 ppg) and Riley Kugel (12.4 ppg) round out the Florida attack.

The game could be decided in the paint. Florida is top-five in the nation with 16.7 offensive rebounds and the Gators get 26.7 foul shots per game, both advantages over Michigan’s per-game averages of 11.4 offensive rebounds and 19.2 free-throw attempts.

Michigan leads the series between the two schools 3-1 since 1988. The schools have met three times in the NCAA Tournament — all Michigan wins — the latest a 64-49 Michigan victory in the tournament’s second round in 2019.

  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.

    Continue Reading
  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.

    Continue Reading
  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.

    Continue Reading