Tag: Joe Toussaint

No. 11 Oklahoma loses hotly contested Big 12 class against No. 20 Texas Tech 85-84

Oklahoma’s free throw woes and inability to hold a lead haunt them as they lose a close game to Texas tech 85-84.

There are no days off for Big 12 basketball. Even the worst teams in the league will push any team to the brink. Saturday was just another day in the Big 12 as No. 11 Oklahoma and  No. 20 Texas Tech played a barn burner of a game in Norman, Oklahoma.

Unfortunately, the effort wasn’t enough for the Sooners, as Texas Tech outlasted them 85-84.

Texas Tech started strong, racing out to a 17-9 lead in the first half, forcing Porter Moser to call a timeout to settle his troops. The Sooners responded with a 12-0 run with much better defense and more fluidity offensively. From that point to halftime, the teams went back and forth. The Sooners went into the half with a one-point lead at 34-33, a carbon copy of what happened earlier in the week when they hosted their Red River rivals, Texas.

Oklahoma had a 22-17 rebound advantage into the break, led by Rivaldo Soares’ seven rebounds, which accompanied nine first-half points. Foul trouble, a common theme for Oklahoma in the first half of this season, persisted, as Sam Godwin, [autotag]Javian McCollum[/autotag], and Le’Tre Darthard all had two fouls.

The first 10 minutes saw both teams continue to trade blows. [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag], who, along with McCollum and Otega Oweh, shot a combined 3 for 16, came out from the locker room ready to ball. Uzan scored eight early points after the break, matching Texas Tech’s Chance McMillian’s eight. McMillian would have his best game as he posted 27 points.

With the game tied at 55, five straight points by Oweh, capped by a steal and dunk, helped spark a 13-4 Oklahoma run that had them up 68-59 with 7:30 left in the game. Texas Tech, led by McMillian, Pop Issacs, and West Virginia transfer Joe Toussiant, fought back to tie the game at 73 apiece.

Despite the Sooners fumbling the lead, they had their chance to tie the game and force overtime after Toussaint missed the second of two free throws with 17 seconds left to keep the score at 83-81. Uzan’s’ shot was too strong and clanged off the rim, allowing Isaacs to grab the board, hit free throws, and close the door on Oklahoma’s chances.

Texas Tech made more shots down the stretch and was significantly better at the free throw line, going 16 of 19 at the charity stripe to Olahoma’s 15 of 244 as Tech iced the game late.

Oklahoma was led in points by [autotag]Rivaldo Soares[/autotag] off the bench, who had 19 points and a team-leading ten rebounds. Oweh, Uzan, and Godwin also finished in double figures scoring.

OU (15-5, 3-4) will take their show on the road to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on Jerome Tang and his Kansas State Wildcats Tuesday night.

Texas Tech (16-3, 5-1) will go to Fort Worth to take on the TCU Horned Frogs. 

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Former Iowa Hawkeye guard finds latest Big 12 landing spot

Former Iowa guard Joe Toussaint found his latest Big 12 landing spot, transferring from West Virginia to Texas Tech.

Joe Toussaint is back on the move. The former Iowa Hawkeyes guard announced his decision to join Texas Tech over fellow finalists Kansas State and Pitt.

“I definitely see myself flourishing in the role that I will have (at Texas Tech),” Toussaint told On3. “I believe I can make this team a NCAA tournament team. I believe the coaching staff has crazy confidence and faith in me, and I will always bet on myself.”

Toussaint heads to West Texas following one season at West Virginia where he averaged 9.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The 6-foot, 190 pound guard shot 37.4% from the floor, 32.7% from 3-point range and 78.7% from the free throw line.

Now, he joins first-year head coach Grant McCasland with the Red Raiders.

He joins a Texas Tech team that will feature plenty of fresh faces. In addition to Toussaint, McCasland and the Red Raiders have brought in Grand Canyon guard Chance McMillian, Arizona State guard Devan Cambridge, Arizona State forward Warren Washington, Nevada forward Darrion Williams and Georgia forward KyeRon Lindsay.

Toussaint elected to leave West Virginia following former head coach Bob Huggins’ resignation following his DUI arrest. Former Mountaineer Tre Mitchell also transferred to Kentucky.

Of course, Toussaint appeared in 98 games and started 41 during his three-year stay in Iowa City. He tallied 471 points, 279 assists, 160 rebounds and 111 steals while with the Hawkeyes.

Iowa has added its own pair out of the transfer portal, bringing aboard Belmont transfer Even Brauns and Valparaiso transfer Ben Krikke. Krikke was just tabbed as one of 247Sports’ top Big Ten transfers.

The 6-foot-9, 220 pound big led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. He was even better than that mark in league play, scoring on average 21.0 points per game.

The Edmonton, Alberta, product also averaged 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. Krikke shot 55% from the field and 80% from the free throw line.

Meanwhile, Brauns played in 92 games during his three-year Belmont career, including starting 31 contests and 30 of 31 games last season. Brauns averaged 7.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 assists per game in 21.2 minutes of average floor time last year with the Bruins.

A 6-foot-9, 240 pound center, he shot 58.3% from the floor, which was tops on Belmont. Brauns registered double-figure scoring in 10 contests last season and had double-figure boards in five games.

The Hawkeyes made their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament last season and finished with an overall mark of 19-14.

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Alabama MBB reaches out to West Virginia guard transfer Joe Toussaint

The Alabama coaching staff has reached out to West Virginia guard transfer Joe Toussaint. Touissant began his college career at Iowa before transferring to West Virginia.

The Alabama coaching staff has reached out to West Virginia transfer Joe Toussaint.

Toussaint spent three seasons at Iowa before transferring to West Virginia. During his time at Iowa, Toussaint averaged 4.8 points per game, 1.6 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game. He shot 40.4% from the field and 27.7% from three.

At West Virginia, Toussaint was one of the key players on the Mountaineers bench rotation. He averaged 9.4 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game, and 2.6 assists per game. Toussaint shot 37.4% from the field and 32.7% from three.

With Alabama losing Jahvon Quinerly to the transfer portal on Sunday, the Alabama coaching staff is evaluating the transfer portal for possible replacements. Toussaint makes a lot of sense given the fact that he adds guard depth and can provide much-needed experience. His recruitment will be one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program.

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Connor McCaffery announces return to Iowa Hawkeyes

After sharing the Chris Street Award with teammate Keegan Murray, Connor McCaffery announced his intention to return to Iowa.

After a series of departures to the 2022 NBA draft, graduation and the transfer portal, the Iowa men’s basketball team got some good news. Redshirt senior guard [autotag]Connor McCaffery[/autotag] announced his intentions to return to the Hawkeyes and make use of his sixth season of eligibility.

After being named co-winner of the Chris Street Award alongside teammate [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] at Iowa’s team awards ceremony, McCaffery grabbed the mic and delivered a message.

“Last night, I sat down thinking of what I was going to say for my senior speech. So, then I thought, ‘You know what? I’ll wait to do it next year,'” McCaffery said.

McCaffery averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 assists per game this past season for Iowa. The 6-foot-5 guard connected on 33.8% of his 3-point tries and dished out three or more assists in 11 contests during the 2021-22 season. McCaffery had a big month of February where he made 12-of-19 3-pointers.

In fact, he knocked down 11-of-15 in the final four games of the month at Ohio State, versus Michigan State, at Nebraska and versus Northwestern. That Northwestern performance on Feb. 28 included McCaffery’s season-high 17 points and a career-best five 3-pointers.

With McCaffery’s decision to return, the outlook for the Hawkeyes in 2022-23 is a little clearer. Connor’s younger brother and one of Iowa’s best players returns in Patrick McCaffery. Patrick averaged 10.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game this past season. Guards Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort and Ahron Ulis are all returning. Forward Filip Rebraca is as well. Perkins, Sandfort and Ulis averaged 7.4, 5.0 and 3.1 points per game, respectively. Rebraca added 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

The Hawkeyes are still waiting on sophomore forward [autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag]’s final decision. After averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, Murray announced on April 14 that he would be testing the 2022 NBA draft waters.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to play the game I love every day and to wear the Black and Gold. My focus is being able to grow as a player in every way possible. The opportunity to get feedback and experience working out for NBA teams will help me become the best player I can possibly be and take my game to the next level. I have big plans for next year and this experience will help me do that. I appreciate everyone’s support,” Murray said.

Murray didn’t sign with an agent, so he’s maintained his collegiate eligibility if he chooses to return to Iowa. Underclassmen have until June 1 to either remain or remove their names from the draft and the expectation is that Murray will indeed return to Iowa City.

Of course, guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag]’s college eligibility has expired and Kris’ twin brother, Keegan Murray, announced that he would be entering the 2022 NBA draft where he’s regarded as a likely lottery pick. Beyond that, three players have transferred out. Guard Joe Toussaint is transferring to West Virginia and guard Austin Ash and forward Josh Ogundele announced they aren’t returning either.

Iowa signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] out of the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard Josh Dix from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Hawkeyes are in the running for Utah Valley transfer center [autotag]Fardaws Aimaq[/autotag] as well. Aimaq averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game last season while shooting 43.5% from 3-point range. He included Iowa in his top five along with Gonzaga, Texas, Texas Tech and Washington.

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Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg

Class of 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg received an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa and head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] aren’t wasting any time letting class of 2025 small forward [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] know how much they like his game. The Hawkeyes offered the 6-foot-8, 195 pound wing from Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine.

It’s obviously very early in the 2025 cycle and Flagg just finished up his freshman season. As a result, there aren’t really any player recruiting rankings to look at yet. Still, the Iowa offer and recent interest from Michigan and UCLA shows the power-five ability coaching staffs feel Flagg possesses.

247Sports national basketball recruiting analyst Dushawn London wrote a get-to-know piece on Flagg back in January.

Class of 2025 forward Cooper Flagg has emerged as a player to keep on the radar. Flagg plays his high school ball at Nokomis Regional School in Newport Maine. At 6-foot-7 Flagg brings a lot of versatility and length on both sides of the ball and is already off to a hot start to his high school career.

“The biggest takeaway so far is playing against the better people in the area,” he said. “Going through middle school there wasn’t really much competition but now it’s the maximum competition around the area.” – London, 247Sports.

London noted that Flagg will also play AAU for Maine United. After the Hawkeyes offered, UCLA extended an offer to Flagg two days later. According to 247Sports, Flagg also holds offers from Bryant and Albany.

Iowa men’s basketball is set to look different in the 2022-23 season. That’s guaranteed after the departures of standout sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] to the 2022 NBA draft and longtime sharpshooter [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag].

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery will also be looking to replace transfer portal defections in guard Austin Ash, guard Joe Toussaint and forward Josh Ogundele. The Hawkeyes signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star Brewster Academy point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] and three-star Abraham Lincoln High School shooting guard [autotag]Josh Dix[/autotag].

Projecting forward, Iowa has a commitment from four-star, class of 2023 power forward [autotag]Owen Freeman[/autotag] of Bradley-Bourbonnais High School in Bradley, Ill.

Here’s a look at Flagg’s game courtesy of SLAM.

Former Iowa Hawkeyes guard Joe Toussaint heading to West Virginia

Former Iowa guard Joe Toussaint announced that he’s transferring to West Virginia to play for Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers.

It will be a different looking Iowa men’s basketball team next season. That much was assured by longtime sharpshooter Jordan Bohannon’s eligibility coming to a close. Bohannon, who recently won the college 3-point contest, leaves Iowa City as both the Hawkeyes and the Big Ten’s most accomplished 3-point shooter.

Bohannon knocked down 455 3-pointers over the course of his Hawkeye career. Sophomore forward Keegan Murray also announced his decision to enter the 2022 NBA draft. Murray is thought of as a potential NBA lottery pick. USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt projected Murray to be selected by the Portland Trailblazers with the No. 6 pick in the upcoming draft. It goes without saying then that Iowa is losing a lot of production with those two players out of the picture.

That fact was exacerbated by the losses of three players to the transfer portal: guard Austin Ash, guard Joe Toussaint and forward Josh Ogundele. After revealing his decision to enter the transfer portal on March 29, Toussaint announced his landing spot on Monday.

Toussaint is headed to West Virginia to play for longtime head men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins in the Big 12. The 6-foot, 190 pound guard would have two years of eligibility remaining if he chooses to make use of the extra year granted for players whose careers were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bronx, N.Y., product averaged a team-best 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season. Toussaint finished last year with 114 assists and 51 steals while averaging 4.3 points per game in 17.4 minutes of average floor time. Now, he heads to a program in Morgantown, W.Va., that has a penchant for creating havoc and forcing opponents into turnovers.

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Iowa Hawkeyes ranked No. 16 in 247Sports’ way-too-early top 23 for 2023

247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty ranked Iowa No. 16 in his way-too-early top 23 teams for 2023.

After a 26-10 season that included a Big Ten Tournament title, Iowa enters the offseason set to replace a superstar and the Big Ten’s all-time 3-pointers made leader. Sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] recently announced his intention to enter the 2022 NBA draft and sixth-year senior guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag] has exhausted his eligibility.

Murray ranked fourth nationally and led all power-five players in scoring average with 23.5 points per game. He also finished with the nation’s most total points with 822. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native finished second in the Big Ten with his 8.7 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Bohannon finished his Hawkeye career with 455 made 3-pointers, which is the most in both Iowa program history and among all Big Ten players.

Iowa has also seen three defections into the transfer portal. Redshirt senior guard Austin Ash, junior guard Joe Toussaint and sophomore forward Josh Ogundele all announced their decisions to enter the transfer portal. Toussaint had the biggest impact on last season for the Hawkeyes, averaging 4.3 points, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Ash averaged 2.9 points per game while playing an average of 4.4 minutes per contest. Ogundele averaged 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.2 minutes per game.

While Iowa is certainly replacing star power and a steady hand in Toussaint, at least one national writer thinks highly of the Hawkeyes entering next season. 247Sports national college basketball writer Kevin Flaherty included Iowa in his way-too-early top 23 rankings for 2023. Flaherty ranked Iowa No. 16 and shared why he feels the Hawkeyes will still be a force in the 2022-23 season.

OK, so Keegan Murray is gone. But Kris Murray was a pretty salty option off the bench this year, and he’ll join forces with Patrick McCaffery, Tony Perkins and Payton Sandfort to field a team that should once again be among the Big Ten’s best. With Filip Rebraca announcing his return for his extra season of eligibility, Iowa returns five of its top eight from the Hawkeyes’ lineup in the Big Ten Tournament title game win over Purdue. – Flaherty, 247Sports.

The continued growth of [autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag] will be one of the biggest keys for Iowa next season. Murray averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in just 17.9 minutes of floor time on average. Patrick McCaffery averaged 10.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season. Murray shot 38.7% from 3-point range and McCaffery shot 33% from deep. That’s a talented pair to build around and Iowa will likely look to add some players out of the transfer portal as well.

According to 247Sports, the Hawkeyes signed a pair of three-star guards in the 2022 signing class in point guard Dasonte Bowen out of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and shooting guard Josh Dix from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

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Iowa ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s NCAA Tournament pain index

ESPN ranked Iowa No. 4 in its NCAA Tournament pain index.

Unfortunately, Iowa has been no stranger to NCAA Tournament heartbreak. The latest edition came in the Hawkeyes’ first-round matchup in the Midwest region against the 12th-seeded Richmond Spiders in a 67-63 loss on March 17.

Richmond guard Jacob Gilyard knocked down 4-of-7 3-pointers and scored 24 points to lead the Spiders’ upset win. Richmond forwards Tyler Burton and Nathan Cayo added 18 and 15 points, respectively. Iowa entered March Madness having won the Big Ten tournament title over Purdue and the Hawkeyes were being talked about as one of the teams that could unseat No. 1 seed Kansas in the Midwest region.

Instead, Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray’s 21 points and nine rebounds weren’t enough to push the Hawkeyes past the Spiders. Iowa sophomore forward Patrick McCaffery connected on four 3-point tries and added 18 points, but the Hawkeyes didn’t have another double-figure scorer outside of those two.

As a result, Iowa’s dubious streak of having not reached a Sweet 16 since 1999 continued. Ahead of Monday night’s national championship game, ESPN put together its NCAA Tournament pain index and Iowa ranked No. 4 among teams who have been eliminated.

Iowa fans who haven’t seen a trip to the second weekend since 1999 never come in arrogant about the Hawkeyes’ chances in the NCAA tournament, but had to be a bit more hopeful than usual entering a first-round matchup with Richmond. After all, this team had been playing some of the best basketball in the country as the event began, including a thrilling run to the Big Ten tournament championship, with an All-American and future lottery pick in Keegan Murray leading the way. Maybe, just maybe …

But Richmond was another conference tourney champ looking to keep the good times rolling, and it rode Jacob Gilyard (24 points, 6 assists) and some uncharacteristically poor Hawkeyes offense (including 6-of-29 from 3) to a classic 12-over-5 upset. – ESPN.

Given how the Hawkeyes were playing entering the NCAA Tournament and the type of season that Keegan Murray had, there’s plenty of sting with this latest March Madness exit. The fact that it comes on the heels of Iowa having lost as a No. 2 seed with the national player of the year in Luka Garza to Oregon in the tournament’s second round last year only adds to the frustration.

If it’s any solace, Iowa actually wasn’t the Big Ten team ranked the highest on the pain index. That distinction was awarded to Purdue, who lost in the Sweet 16 to cinderella Saint Peter’s. Thanks to the Peacocks’ 67-64 win over Purdue in the Sweet 16, Saint Peter’s became the first No. 15 seed to ever advance to the Elite Eight. Then, Saint Peter’s was promptly routed by North Carolina, 69-49. That can’t make Boilermaker fans feel any better.

Another victim of Saint Peter’s, the Kentucky Wildcats, checked in at No. 2 on ESPN’s pain index. Duke took home the ultimate pain index crown, though. According to this ESPN list, nothing stings more than losing to an archrival in the Final Four. The fact that the Tar Heels ended legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career with a loss in his final home game and then sent he and his team packing in the Final Four created quite the cocktail of misery for Duke fans.

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Iowa guard Joe Toussaint announces decision to enter NCAA transfer portal

Iowa point guard Joe Toussaint announced his intentions to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Iowa junior point guard Joe Toussaint announced his decision to enter the NCAA’s transfer portal. The Bronx, N.Y., product averaged 4.3 points per game on 42.3 percent field goal shooting with Iowa during the 2021-22 season.

Toussaint also averaged 3.2 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. The 6-foot, 190 pound guard from Cardinal Hayes High School shot 83.9 percent from the free throw line this past season as well.

Toussaint scored in double-figures for Iowa twice last season. He registered 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting against Alabama State on Nov. 18 and 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting at Virginia on Nov. 29 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

“After much consideration and thought, I have decided to put my name in the transfer portal to pursue an expanded role at another institution. I am thankful to my teammates, coaches, and fans for a memorable three years. Winning a Big Ten championship and building lifelong relationships during my time in Iowa City is something I will always cherish,” Toussaint wrote in his transfer announcement.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery thanked Toussaint for his time with the Hawkeyes and his role this past season in helping bring the program’s third Big Ten Tournament title back to Iowa City.

“We want to thank Joe Toussaint for being an integral part of multiple NCAA Tournament teams and a Big Ten championship team. He brought great effort and character to our program. He will be great wherever he goes, and we wish him the very best moving forward,” McCaffery said in a statement.

Over the course of his three years at Iowa, Toussaint played in 98 games, made 41 starts, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

According to 247Sports, Toussaint was rated as a three-star point guard and the No. 6 player from the state of New York in the 2019 class when he signed with Iowa out of high school.

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Iowa’s Keegan Murray, Jordan Bohannon preview first round NCAA Tournament matchup versus Richmond

Iowa star Keegan Murray previewed the challenge that the Richmond Spiders present in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.

After winning nine of their past 10 games, Iowa (26-9, 12-8 Big Ten) enters the NCAA Tournament with all sorts of momentum. That stretch included four wins in four days to capture the program’s third Big Ten Tournament championship after a 75-66 win over Purdue.

Now, the Hawkeyes are gearing up to tip off as the No. 5 seed in the Midwest region against 12th-seeded Richmond. Richmond also won its conference tournament championship, upsetting Davidson in the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game, 64-62.

Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray met with reporters ahead of the Hawkeyes’ first round matchup to preview what type of challenge Richmond will bring to the table inside of KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.

“Yeah, I think they’re a really experienced team. They have a lot of seniors on their team, so that helps them a lot going into March, but they’re a team that plays really well together. They share the ball really well. They have a couple good players, and I feel like their team is really, their experience helps a lot, and that’s what you need and that’s how they made their run in their tournament as a six seed. So, yeah, for us it’s full hands on deck because we know that they’re a really good team,” Murray said.

Richmond brings a wealth of experience to the table. The Spiders’ starting five features a sixth-year player in forward Grant Golden and a pair of fifth-year players in guard Jacob Gilyard and forward Nathan Cayo. Nick Sherod is another sixth-year Richmond guard that comes off the bench for the Spiders.

Iowa redshirt senior guard Jordan Bohannon appreciates the Spiders’ experience and knows that’s a big part of what makes Richmond dangerous.

“I have to give a lot of credit to this Richmond team. They have a lot of those guys that brought all these guys back and decided they wanted to do something special this year, and they’re one of the most experienced teams, very skilled. They’re really tough to guard. I can’t say enough good things about that,” Bohannon said.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery can’t say enough positive things about Richmond either. He noted that Richmond’s players returning is similar to Bohannon’s return for the Hawkeyes. It’s all about why a player chose to return and make use of the COVID eligibility year to come back.

“I think it says a lot about Chris (Mooney) and how he’s built that program. I will say this. I wish I could come back for a sixth year. It’s something that I think was strange at first for the guy. I remember talking to Jordan about it in the beginning, you know, because he had graduated and he had in his mind kind of moved on. We had senior night and celebrated senior night. Wait a minute, I can come back. How great would that be?

“I think the important thing for him—and I’m sure it’s the same for the Richmond guys—okay, if we’re coming back, we’re coming back for a reason, and I think that’s what we saw. Two teams that won the tournament championship and get to play in this tournament, so I’m happy for all of them,” McCaffery said.

To put Richmond’s experience in perspective, the Spiders’ Gilyard and Golden have both eclipsed the 2,000 career points mark, while Cayo and Sherod have each eclipsed 1,350 career points. Burton is right on the doorstep of being a career 1,000-point scorer with 984 points thus far in his career.

McCaffery was asked if he’d seen a team with that type of experience and scoring balance.

“No, I don’t remember any. There may have been. We did play a number of teams this year that had a lot of seniors. You’re seeing that more and more. Seven of your top nine, eight of your top ten are either red shirt juniors, which makes them four-year players or beyond, but I think the point that you’re making is these guys were all incredibly productive 1,000 point scorers, so that gives them a lot of weapons, and I think that that has been proven, especially when they come down the stretch,” McCaffery said.

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