No. 1 prospect RJ Barrett commits to Duke

Over the course of the last six months, Duke has become the single-greatest recruiting force in the basketball world.

For the fourth time since August and the fifth time since May, the Blue Devils have landed a commitment from a player that is considered to be the best player at their position in their class: Trevon Duval, Marvin Bagley III, Tre Jones, Cameron Reddish and, as of Friday evening, R.J. Barrett.

Barrett is a 6-foot-6 wing from Canada that was the best player at the U19 World Cup this summer, leading the Canadians to a gold medal with a performance that included a 38-point, 13-rebound and six-assist outburst against the Americans in the semifinals.

Barrett is considered by many to be the top recruit in the Class of 2018, although he may not even be the best wing prospect that Duke is bringing into the fold next season. Reddish may end up being the best NBA player in the Class of 2018. Duke is going to have to find some size somewhere, particularly if the trio of Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter and Marques Bolden all head to the NBA after the season, but even if they do, the perimeter talent on the Blue Devil roster next year will be undeniable.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) — The Bearcats made their new digs feel just like the old ones in the most important way: They kept up that home-court winning streak.

Cane Broome scored 17 points during his debut as Cincinnati’s point guard, and the 12th-ranked Bearcats pulled away to a 107-77 victory over Savannah State on Friday that showed they need a lot of work in other areas.

Asked if he was happy with his team’s opener, coach Mick Cronin referred to the turnovers as his answer.

“Umm, not a whole lot,” Cronin said. “Our attitude’s great. Guys are trying. Twenty turnovers — that will drive a coach nuts. I told them the year is too long, I can’t lose it on the first game. I can’t go to the Maalox that early.”

The Bearcats showcased the offensive depth that brought them their highest AP preseason ranking since 1999-2000. Gary Clark — one of three returning starters — had 13 points and 11 rebounds in their first game on their temporary home court.

The Bearcats drew 6,610 fans to BB&T Arena at Northern Kentucky University, a half-hour drive from their on-campus arena that’s under renovation for the season. Cincinnati has won its last 27 home games overall after going 18-0 at Fifth Third Arena last season.

Broome sat out last season after transferring from Sacred Heart. He started the game and had four assists and six turnovers in Cincinnati’s highest-scoring opener since a 108-73 victory over Austin Peay in 1994.

Austin Dasent scored 14 for Savannah State, which led the nation in 3-pointers last season but couldn’t make enough down the stretch. The Tigers trailed 69-62 with 12 minutes to go, but missed 14 of their final 17 shots from beyond the arc.

“With a team like that, nobody’s safe,” said Jacob Evans III, who led Cincinnati with 19 points. “We’ve seen games like that. We wanted to play out basketball, not turn it over.”

Cincinnati responded with a 17-3 spurt that put it away.

“We had shots we were able to make, but at the end of the day, it was their size and strength,” Savannah State coach Horace Broadnax said. “They were able to create that stretch there, and then it left us scrambling again.”

BIG PICTURE

Savannah State: The Tigers led the nation in 3-pointers last season, making 13.5 per game. They were 13 of 44 overall beyond the arc.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats showed their balance on offense, but had issues on defense. They allowed 40 points in a wide-open first half, with both teams finding open shots. Overall, Cincinnati dominated the boards 65-32, including 25 offensive rebounds.

CUMBERLAND LIMITED

Guard Jarron Cumberland was 4 of 11 for 10 points in 24 minutes. Cronin said he missed practice the last two days with a slightly sprained ankle.

COLD START

Tigers guard Dexter McClanahan was named to the preseason Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference second team. He was only 3 of 11 from the field for 11 points. He averaged 16.4 points last season.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

Cronin on Clark, who became the 51st Cincinnati player to reach 1,000 career points: “He’s one of greatest kids you’ll ever coach. He’ll do some goofy stuff and drive you nuts at times, but I’m glad he’s a Bearcat. Guys like Gary Clark, you can’t help but root for them. I can only hope the good Lord thinks I’m half as good a person as Gary Clark.”

UP NEXT

Savannah State hosts East Tennessee State on Monday night.

Cincinnati hosts Western Carolina on Monday night, the second of three straight home games before the Cayman Islands Classic.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Manu Lecomte scored 22 points, including six of Baylor’s 12 3-pointers, leading six players in double figures as the No. 24 Bears opened the season with a 107-66 win over Central Arkansas on Friday.

Lecomte, the Belgium-born senior point guard, made his four 3s in the first 9 1/2 minutes as the Bears took a 27-12 lead. Baylor never trailed after his long-range shot made it 10-8.

Terry Maston had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., the returning 7-footer, scored 17 and had nine rebounds for Baylor. Nuni Omot, King McClure and true freshman Tristan Clark each scored 15 points.

Baylor made it to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, when former Miami transfer Lecomte was the Big 12’s top newcomer.

Jordan Howard scored 22 and Mathieu Kambahas 12 points for Central Arkansas in the first meeting ever between the two teams both nicknamed the Bears.

BIG PICTURE

Central Arkansas: Howard entered the season already as the school’s career leader for 3-pointers made. He added three more in the opener of his senior season, pushing his career total to 276, already 70 more than the previous mark. He is one of 12 letterwinners back from last season for the Southland Conference Bears.

Baylor: All five Baylor starters were among the double-figure scorers. The much bigger Bears outrebounded UCA 42-21 and dominated inside, outscoring the visiting Bears 46-28 in the paint.

UP NEXT

Central Arkansas plays its home opener Sunday against the University of the Ozarks on Sunday before heading west to face UCLA.

Baylor plays its second of three home games in eight days on Monday night, when Texas A&M Corpus Christi travels to Waco.

Oklahoma State announced on Friday that they will be holding Jeffrey Carroll out of competition pending a review of the program.

Carroll averaged 17.5 points last season and was one of the lone bright spots for the Cowboys entering this year. Mike Boynton’s team will also be without Davon Dillard and Zack Dawson tonight against Pepperdine.

Carroll was not named in the FBI’s complaint, but it was not difficult to connect the dots and assume that he was the player that former assistant coach Lamont Evans was allegedly bribed to steer to financial advisors. Carroll joins Collin Sexton of Alabama and Danjel Purifoy and Austin Wiley of Auburn as players that are officially being held out of competition due to the FBI probe into corruption in college basketball.

Arizona announced on Friday afternoon that assistant coach Mark Phelps and senior Keanu Pinder will be suspended from the program.

Phelps has been suspended for five days without pay for a violation of NCAA rules. He will miss games against Northern Arizona and UMBC. Pinder will missed Friday’s game against NAU.

Arizona made clear in their release that Phelps was not suspended due to the FBI investigation.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Jim Boeheim has pretty much experienced everything during his long coaching tenure at Syracuse — Big East titles, Final Fours, a national championship, NCAA investigations and Hall of Fame induction.

And yet, as he begins season No. 42 at his alma mater, Boeheim is about to experience something new. The toddler he once brought to shoot at a toy basket during a preseason media day will be on the opposing team when the Orange open their season against Cornell on Friday night.

Oldest son Jimmy Boeheim is a freshman forward for the Big Red.

“I just want him to play well,” Boeheim said. “That’s all I care about. I just want him to be ready. I’ll try not to think about it. I’m pretty much just worried about my team.”

At least there seems to be a happy medium. Wife Juli will stroll into the Carrier Dome wearing a shirt made specifically for the occasion. It has Boeheim vs. Boeheim on the front, Big Red down one sleeve and Orange down the other, and “I can’t lose” inscribed on the back.

“I’m kind of pinching myself, very excited,” she said. “Syracuse is supposed to win and should win and always has won in this game, so we don’t want that to change. I know I’m going to be a nervous wreck.

“We want Jimmy to play well and Syracuse to win.”

For Jimmy Boeheim, it’ll be the realization of a lifelong goal.

“It’s the beginning of my collegiate career. It’s something I’ve dreamed about my whole life,” he said. “Going home adds to it, I guess, but I’ve never let nerves get to me too much.”

It’s the start of the final chapter of the Boeheim era at Syracuse, and it certainly promises to be unique. Cornell is always on the schedule and next year Boeheim will become the college coach of his younger son, Buddy, a guard who already has accepted an offer to play for his dad .

“It’s his dream come true. I keep reminding myself that,” Juli said of their youngest son. “I am very happy and we feel so blessed for the situation, even though I know it will have its moments.”

No surprise there. The kid bleeds Orange like nobody else.

“He’d cry his eyes out for two and three hours after a loss,” said Juli, who used to cart her sons to the downtown YMCA on Saturday mornings in the dead of winter when they were toddlers so they could learn the nuances of the game their dad had long since mastered. “Jimmy cried, too, when we lost, but he could handle it better.”

Boeheim will turn 73 later this month, which means he’ll be nearing his 78th birthday when Buddy finishes college. That is not a concern for Boeheim, who continues a workout regimen during the season that includes two sessions of Pilates weekly.

“I think you should never make anything about age in this country. I don’t know why we ever did,” Boeheim said. “If anything, I think I’m more motivated now than I was when I was younger.

“Obviously, I’m not going to coach forever, but you want to do the best you can, and we’re going to try to do it.”

The Orange won both of their preseason games but struggled early in each against Division II foes before rallying and winning handily. Cornell represents a step up from those exhibitions.

Syracuse assistant coach Gerry McNamara, a star as a freshman on Boeheim’s 2003 national championship team, figures he knows exactly what will unfold at tipoff on Friday night because the script will never change, no matter who is on the opposing bench.

“I think it’s going to be a little bit mixed, the sense of pride hoping he (Jimmy) does well, just not too well to beat us,” McNamara said. “Coach is who he is. At the end of the day, he wants to win, and that, above all else, is going to overpower anything.”

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