Utah and Saint Mary’s will face off in search for form and rhythm

Amidst two recent losses at the Charleston Classic, Utah is confident that it has identified enough positive elements to progress as they enter a new phase of nonconference matches.

Deion Sanders and Colorado suffer setbacks with top recruits. On Monday night, the Utes will strive to return to victory as they travel to Moraga, Calif., to compete against a Saint Mary’s team seeking to establish its performance.Utah (3-2) has not played since experiencing a 91-82 defeat against St. John’s on Nov. 19.

The team encountered difficulties in defense, allowing the Red Storm to achieve a 53 percent field goal rate and hit 13 of 26 3-point attempts. Despite this, Branden Carlson displayed an impressive individual performance, scoring 22 points and securing eight rebounds, consequently earning all-tournament recognition.

The 7-foot player has been averaging 19.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, along with guard Gabe Madsen (14.2 ppg, 5.4 rebounds), forming one of the prominent inside-outside pairs in the Pac-12 Conference.

“It’s a lengthy and demanding season,” Utah coach Craig Smith mentioned. “The essential factor is to remain open to guidance and be receptive while advancing constantly.”

Meanwhile, the Gaels (3-3) have transitioned from being ranked No. 23 at the commencement of the season to a team that recently balanced its record with an 89-55 convincing win against Davidson. Saint Mary’s faced three consecutive losses after commencing with a 2-0 record, getting defeated by Weber State and enduring comprehensive losses to San Diego State and Xavier at a tournament in Las Vegas.

However, their triumph over Davidson saw a resurgence in their performance, with four players achieving double-digit scores, led by Alex Ducas with 23 points, including 7 of 11 successful 3-pointers. There were uncertainties about Ducas’ return after averaging 12.5 ppg and maintaining a 41.4 percent 3-pointer success rate last season.

“He was our prime acquisition at the conclusion of last season,” affirmed Gaels coach Randy Bennett. “That prevented us from resorting to transfers.”

Utah leads the series 15-3. The Utes emerged victorious in their most recent encounter, with a 67-58 overtime win on March 21, 2018 in the NIT quarterfinals at Moraga.

  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