Big 12 Basketball

Former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr has committed to Kansas, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Charania reported Arkansas, Illinois and Texas were also in the mix before he decided on the Jayhawks.

Storr averaged 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds for the Badgers in 2023-24 after having transferred in from St. John's.

The 6'7" wing stepped up big for Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament. He put up 22.5 points per game as the Badgers reached the final, losing to Illinois.

It was a different story in the Big Dance as he shot 5-of-14 for 13 points in an upset at the hands of 12th-seeded James Madison.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie and CJ Moore ranked Storr as the No. 16 player in the portal.

"Any team in need of someone who can get a reasonable look at the basket should absolutely recruit Storr," Vecenie wrote in his scouting report. "But it would benefit him, as well, if that team also has multiple options so that he can slot nicely into a role as a finisher."

Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. is moving on after exhausting his eligibility and freshman guard Johnny Furphy officially declared for the draft Tuesday, though he's leaving the door open for a return to college.

By pursuing Storr out of the portal, head coach Bill Self may have been tipping his hand regarding whether he expects Furphy to stay in Lawrence.

Douglas County, Kansas, prosecutors have filed a motion to seek the dismissal of a felony rape case against ex-Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris without prejudice, citing insufficient evidence.

"We dismissed the case because we do not intend to proceed with it," Douglas County public information officer Cheryl Cadue said, per Shreyas Laddha and Bill Lukitsch of the Kansas City Star. The District Attorney's Office did not provide further comment.

The KC Star added that prosecutors could refile charges in the future with the case being dismissed without prejudice, as there is no statute of limitations on rape charges in the state of Kansas.

Per the Associated Press, Morris was charged with one felony count of rape after a criminal complaint alleged that he sexually assaulted an 18-year-old on Aug. 26 in McCarthy Hall, home to the men's basketball team plus other male residents.

He was charged on Sept. 29 and subsequently dismissed from the program.

After news of the dropped charges broke Tuesday, Morris released this statement on Instagram:

"For about two years we have stayed silent waiting for justice to run its course, but also trusting that the truth would come to light; which is that I am not guilty of the horrible allegations made against me. It has been a path of trials, sorrow, and despair; but also one in which I was able to grow and become wiser to discern who I invite into my life. Today, I close a horrible chapter in my life and now I look into my future with hope and with more desire to be who I was destined to be. I am moving forward with God and my family by side."

Morris was a 5-star recruit (and No. 16 prospect overall) in the 247Sports' composite class of 2022 men's basketball rankings and a McDonald's All-American as well. The Dallas native chose to attend Texas for 2022-23.

Prior to the season, Morris was arrested and charged in June 2022 with a Class A misdemeanor for assault causing bodily injury to a family member, per Brian Davis of the Austin-American Statesman. The charge was in regards to an alleged incident involving his ex-girlfriend, who said he physically assaulted her after she wanted to break up with him.

The Kansas City Star provided more information on the conclusion of that charge:

"Morris initially received a Class A misdemeanor assault charge and was set to appear for a jury trial on October 2, 2023. But the trial was canceled on Sept. 14, when Morris entered a nolo contendere (no contest) plea to a Class C charge and was ordered to pay a fine of $362."

Morris played with Texas in 2022-23, averaging 4.6 points in 11.8 minutes per game for the Big 12 tournament champions. He transferred to Kansas in April 2023.

Kansas is already taking steps toward bouncing back from its NCAA men's tournament second-round loss to Gonzaga.

Michael Swain of 247Sports reported the Jayhawks landed Florida guard Riley Kugel through the transfer portal on Sunday. Kugel was a 4-star prospect in the class of 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and played the last two seasons for the Gators as a rotational part of their backcourt.

Kugel, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, can help Kansas replace Kevin McCullar after the star departed through graduation.

The guard averaged 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from deep in 2023-24 for Florida. The efficiency was an issue, although Swain noted it improved when the Gators moved him out of the starting lineup and to the bench.

He shot 40.7 percent from the field off the bench after shooting just 38 percent as a starter.

It is too early to tell exactly what Kansas will look like in 2024-25 thanks to the transfer portal and potential NBA decisions, but expectations are always sky-high for the program. It was just two seasons ago that head coach Bill Self was cutting down the nets as the 2022 national champions.

However, Kansas didn't win the Big 12 regular season or tournament title this past season.

They were a No. 4 seed in the Big Dance and lost in the second round in blowout fashion to Gonzaga. It was the Jayhawks' second consecutive second-round loss, with the 2023 one coming as a No. 1 seed against No. 8 seed Arkansas.

Perhaps the addition of Kugel will help the program bounce back after two early exits.

Former five-star recruit forward Omaha Biliew plans to enter the transfer portal after one season with Iowa State, according to The Athletic's Tobias Bass.

Biliew was the No. 13 recruit of the 2023 basketball class, according to 247Sports.

He made 20 appearances off the bench for Iowa State his freshman season, averaging 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in fewer than eight minutes per game.

Other Iowa State reserve players Kayden Fish, Jackson Paveletzke and Jelani Hamilton also plan to enter the transfer portal, per Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register.

The 6-foot-8 forward was the first five-star prospect to commit to Iowa State since at least 2007, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi.

At the time, Biliew also held offers from Nebraska, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Western Kentucky, Kentucky, Memphis, Morehead State, South Dakota State and TCU, according to 247Sports, as well as the G-League Ignite, per Borzello and Biancardi.

The decision to commit to Iowa State hinged in part on his desire to play in his home state, Biliew told Borzello and Biancardi.

Biliew previously played at Waukee High School in Waukee, Iowa, where he helped lead his team to the state championship his sophomore year on a court located a 45-minute drive from Iowa State.

Although Biliew averaged more than 22 points and almost 10 rebounds per game his final season of high school basketball, he was never able to find similar success at Iowa State.

After he was held to 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while averaging 15 minutes on the court in his first five outings with the Cyclones, Biliew's playing time dropped precipitously. He only played more than 10 minutes in a game twice more that season.

His best outing came on Nov. 19 in his fourth outing with Iowa State, when he recorded 14 points and three rebounds in a 55-point blowout win over Grambling.

Tucker DeVries, who played alongside Biliew at Waukee, entered the transfer portal to leave Drake for West Virginia last week in the footsteps of his father Darian DeVries, who left the head coaching position at Drake to coach at West Virginia a week prior.

Given their high school connection, all eyes will be on Biliew in the transfer portal to see if he follows DeVries to Morgantown.

Duke is heading to the Elite Eight after dropping top-seeded Houston in the Sweet 16 Friday night 54-51.

The No. 4 Blue Devils used a big game from forward Kyle Filipowski, who had 16 points and nine rebounds, to advance past the No. 1 Cougars. Jeremy Roach also put up a respectable 14 points for Duke and had a clutch basket to give the Blue Devils a cushion in the final minutes.

Houston took a big loss early in the game, losing star guard Jamal Shead in the first half after he suffered a "badly sprained ankle. Shead, a senior, has been a leader for the Cougars all season, scoring 21 points in Houston's overtime win over Texas A&M in the Round of 32.

With Shead out of the game, Houston still put forth a strong effort. Ultimately, the Cougars didn't have enough to outlast Duke with their star out of the contest.

Now Duke will get a date with ACC rival No. 11 NC State, which has had a magical run through the ACC and NCAA tournament to reach the Elite Eight. The Wolfpack upset No. 2 Marquette in the Sweet 16 to advance, and they'll be looking for another upset on Sunday.

Houston is heading to the Sweet 16 for the fifth consecutive NCAA tournament.

The No. 1 Cougars held off No. 9 Texas A&M 100-95 Sunday night in an overtime thriller to advance to the second weekend, where they will take on No. 4 Duke. The Blue Devils beat No. 12 James Madison in the Round of 32.

It was a win-by-committee game for Houston, which had four players in double figures on the night. Sophomore guard Emmanuel Sharp led the way with 30 points, L.J. Cryer put up 20, Jamal Shead had 21 and J'Wan Roberts scored 13.

Houston went into the break with a 36-28 lead and Texas A&M managed to keep things close for most of the second half. The Cougars started to pull away with minutes left, but a late surge from the Aggies made things more interesting in the final minute. Texas A&M made a miraculous comeback and sent the game into overtime with a buzzer-beating three from Andersson Garcia.

With four of its starters fouled out by the end of overtime, Houston still managed to escape and avoid the upset.

After the overtime game, fans were hyped to see another exciting March Madness matchup.

Now Houston will get to catch its breath for a moment but will then prepare for what will be a tough matchup against the Blue Devils.

Duke handled James Madison easily on Sunday, but Houston will be a tough challenge. The Cougars have been one of the most dominant teams in college basketball this year and they're not looking to let up against the five-time national champions.

The Blue Devils are looking to reach the Final Four for the first time since Mike Krzyzewski retired, and they'll have to get through a top seed to do it. The Cougars are looking for their first national championship in program history, and Duke will be a big test.

If the matchup between Duke and Houston is half as exciting as Sunday's game, it should be a good one.

The Clemson Tigers impressed fans with a 72-64 upset of No. 3 Baylor in the Round of 32 on Sunday.

Baylor guard Ja'Kobe Walter, ranked No. 15 in the 2024 NBA Mock Draft by Jonathan Wasserman for Bleacher Report, recorded 20 points but shot 5-for-11 on free throws in the loss.

The dominance by Clemson's offense started early. The Tigers grabbed the first basket of the game and maintained the lead all the way through the first half.

By halftime, Clemson held a double-digit lead even with PJ Hall and Ian Schieffelin periodically sidelined due to foul trouble.

Baylor's struggles continued into the second half as the Bears traded baskets back and forth with the Tigers.

The Bears leaned heavily on Walter and senior guard RayJ Dennis down the stretch. The two recorded almost 75 percent of Baylor's points in the loss.

Baylor rallied late in the game to come within two points of Clemson.

Walter was granted a pair of free throws with the chance to tie the score in the final minute. He missed both, allowing Clemson to cling to the early lead.

The result was a surprising early exit for the Bears, who have become a perennial NCAA tournament success story as one of four programs with at least one tournament win in the past five seasons.

The Tigers meanwhile continue to rebound from a 21-point loss to Boston College in their first game of the ACC Tournament. Senior guard Chase Hunter led the team with 20 points in the victory.

Clemson is now bound for the fifth Sweet 16 appearance in program history, and second since 2018, with a contest against No. 2 Arizona looming.

West Virginia hired Darian DeVries as the school's next men's basketball coach on Sunday, with the two sides agreeing to a five-year deal.

DeVries has served as the head men's basketball coach at Drake since 2018.

ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported the deal was being finalized.

Three-year Drake starting guard Tucker DeVries is expected to join his father in West Virginia, according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68.

DeVries, winner of back-to-back MVC Player of the Year awards, recorded 21.6 points per game for the Bulldogs this season. That average is more than five points higher than any player currently on West Virginia's roster.

The Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and made the NCAA tournament in each of the past two seasons under DeVries' leadership.

DeVries will take the place of interim head coach Josh Eilert, who replaced former head coach Bob Huggins last June.

The Mountaineers decided to move on from Eilert after West Virginia finished the 2023-24 with a 9-23 overall record, their first campaign with fewer than 10 wins since 2002.

West Virginia will hope DeVries and his son can lead their program through a similar turnaround as what they recently helped orchestrate in Des Moines.

Prior to hiring DeVries, the Bulldogs had not recorded a 20-win season since 2008, and had never before recorded back-to-back 20-victory campaigns.

After DeVries joined the program in 2018, Drake went on to record six straight 20-win seasons. The team's 28 wins in 2023-24 tied for an all-time program high.

DeVries will now be expected to take West Virginia back to the NCAA tournament. The team earned nine bids during Huggins' tenure from 2007 to 2018, including a trip to the national semifinal.

Prior to taking the helm at Drake, DeVries served as an assistant coach at Creighton for 17 seasons. DeVries worked for both Dana Altman and Greg McDermott as the Bluejays made 11 trips to the NCAA tournament.

Negotiations over DeVries' next contract will likely include a buyout of his deal with Drake. The head coach signed an eight-year extension with Drake in 2021, which ran through the 2028-29 season.

Other head coaching candidates considered by West Virginia included Mark Byington of James Madison and Niko Medved of Colorado State, according to Greg Carey of West Virginia MetroNews. Medved also had Drake connections, having coached there for one season prior to DeVries' tenure.

The Iowa State Cyclones are hot in March.

After winning the Big-12 conference championship and crushing South Dakota State in the opening round, the second-seeded Cyclones continued the momentum to cruise to a 62-51 second round victory over Washington State.

The win allowed Iowa State to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the last three seasons. The win came despite Washington State getting out to an early lead and the team's being tied at 27 at halftime.

Tamin Lipsey led the Cyclones with 15 points while also adding five rebounds and four assists. Curtis Jones had 12 points, three rebounds and three assists off of the bench and Milan Momcilovic and Keshon Gilbert each had 10 points.

Fans took to social media to celebrate the accomplishment and the Cyclones tenacious style of play.

The win sets up a game against the winner of Duquesne and Illinois. The Cyclones did not face either team in the regular season. The Cyclones are 3-12 all-time against the Fighting Illini, with the last matchup coming in 2018. The Cyclones have never faced Duquesne in program history.

Kansas has been eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the Round of 32 for a second straight season.

The No. 4 Jayhawks fell to No. 5 Gonzaga 89-68 Saturday, and head coach Bill Self told reporters after the game that he had already had his sights set on next season well before March Madness got underway.

"For the last month, I've been thinking about next season to be honest," he said.

Kansas went into halftime with the lead, but the second half was all Gonzaga as the Bulldogs pulled away. Gonzaga went on a 15-0 run early in the second half and didn't look back to advance to its ninth straight Sweet 16.

Self said fatigue got the best of his team as they watched their season come to an end, per Fox Sports' Bryan Fischer.

"My guys were gassed," Self said after the game.

It was another disappointing ending for Kansas after the Jayhawks won the national championship just two seasons ago. Kansas was not its dominant self this season, finishing sixth in the Big 12 and earning their lowest seed since 2019.

The Jayhawks snuck past No. 13 Samford 93-89 on Thursday, but the Zags were too much for them in the second round.

Injuries played a major part in Kansas' early exit. The Jayhawks were without leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. after the guard suffered an injury toward the end of the regular season. Kansas was lacking the spark that McCullar likely would have provided had he been healthy.

Now, Self and the Jayhawks begin preparation for what they hope will be a bounce-back season in 2024.