Providence Looks to Halt No. 1 UConn’s Winning Streak

UConn Men's Basketball Head Coach Dan Hurley speaks to the media after the Huskies 99-56 win over the Xavier Musketeers

On Wednesday, New England’s long-standing rivalry in the Big East Conference resumes as No. 1 Connecticut hosts Providence in Hartford for their first showdown of the season.

Both teams come off notable wins last weekend. UConn (18-2, 8-1 Big East) triumphed over Xavier 99-56, marking their eighth consecutive win, while Providence (14-6, 5-4) secured an 84-76 victory against Georgetown, spoiling former Friars coach Ed Cooley’s return to his hometown.

The Huskies matched a program record with 17 3-pointers and achieved a season-high of 28 assists in their recent win, delivering the largest victory margin in a Big East game this season.

“Obviously (that was) one of our best performances. Both ends of the court, backboard, the depth was there,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “It was great to rise to the moment and put forth our best effort in front of a bunch of champions today.”

Tristen Newton led the Huskies with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting during the game, which honored their 2004 national championship team.

Additionally, Donovan Clingan, in his first start since sustaining a foot injury on Dec. 20, provided a significant contribution, scoring 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting, along with eight rebounds and two blocks.

Providence, currently on a three-game winning streak following four consecutive losses, experienced a significant victory against Cooley and the Hoyas. Devon Carter, recruited by Cooley, put up 11 of his game-high 29 points in the final 1:53 to secure the win.

“(Saturday’s) game obviously meant a lot — I still don’t think they’d want us to go 1-29 or 1-30,” Providence coach Kim English said. “It was a game we needed outside of all the extracurriculars, all the fan stuff” surrounding the return of the Friars’ coach for the past 12 seasons.

Carter’s performance has notably improved since Bryce Hopkins‘ season-ending injury on Jan. 3, with at least 25 points in four of the team’s six full games and recording double-doubles.

The junior also went for four rebounds, four steals, two assists and two blocks against Georgetown, contributing to a defense that trails only UConn among Big East teams in opponents’ field-goal percentage.

“Devin Carter has been one of my favorite players that I’ve gotten to coach,” English said. “He’s just a throwback that’s going to find a way to have a long career in the NBA just because he’s so tough and so smart and naturally gifted.”

Against the Hoyas, Josh Oduro contributed 22 points and Ticket Gaines became the third Friar to score in double figures with 14.

The teams split two regular-season meetings in 2022-23, with each side winning at home before the Huskies secured a victory against Providence in the Big East quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden.

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    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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