College Hoop Roundup: UCLA Trio Home, Faces Punishment

Los Angeles — Three UCLA basketball players detained in China on suspicion of shoplifting returned home, where they may be disciplined by the school as a result of the international scandal.

Freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley arrived at Los Angeles International Airport late Tuesday afternoon after a 12-hour flight from Shanghai. They ignored reporters’ shouted questions while making their way through a horde of media outside and getting into a van that took off from the departure level.

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said the matter “has been resolved to the satisfaction of the Chinese authorities.”

The players were detained in Hangzhou for questioning following allegations of shoplifting last week before the 23rd-ranked Bruins beat Georgia Tech in their season-opening game in Shanghai as part of the Pac-12 China game. The rest of the UCLA team returned home last Saturday.

A person with knowledge of the Pac-12’s decision said any discipline involving the trio would be up to UCLA. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the conference doesn’t plan any sanctions.

UCLA chancellor Gene Block said the school is weighing its options.

“I want to be clear that we take seriously any violations of the law,” he said in a statement. “In this particular case, both Athletics and the Office of Student Conduct will review this incident and guide any action with respect to the involved students. Such proceedings are confidential, which limits the specific information that can be shared.”

There was no immediate word on the trio’s status for the team’s home opener tonight against Central Arkansas.

The school said the three players, along with coach Steve Alford and athletic director Dan Guerrero, will make their first public comments about the matter at a campus news conference today but won’t take questions.

Ball, Hill and Riley were expected to have an immediate impact as part of UCLA’s highly touted recruiting class. Instead, they are being talked about solely for their actions off the court.

Ball, a guard whose brother Lonzo is a rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaged 33.8 points as a high school senior.

The elder Ball played one season in Westwood and left early for the NBA draft.

Top 25 Men

No. 1 Duke 88No. 2 Michigan St. 81

Chicago — Grayson Allen — Duke’s lone senior — scored a career-high 37 points, freshman Trevon Duval had 17 points and 10 assists, and the top-ranked Blue Devils beat No. 2 Michigan State in the Champions Classic.

On a court full of some college basketball’s brightest stars, Allen stepped up whenever his team needed a big play. The Blue Devils (3-0) lost Marvin Bagley III to an eye injury midway through the first half, but Allen made five 3-pointers and scored 21 points in the second half to help make up for the missing freshman phenom.

No. 5 Villanova 113Nicholls 77

Philadelphia — Mikal Bridges set career highs with 23 points and four blocks, and No. 5 Villanova swatted away a school-record 13 shots in a rout of Nicholls.

Women’s Top 25

No. 3 Baylor 86Central Arkansas 55

Waco, Texas — Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown both had double-doubles and Baylor’s other three starters also scored in double figures as the No. 3 Lady Bears beat Central Arkansas.

Natalie Chou added 11 points with all three of her 3-pointers coming at key times for the Lady Bears (3-0), who opened the season with three wins in five days.

No. 5 Louisville 90Toledo 55

Louisville, Ky. — Jazmine Jones and Myisha Hines-Allen scored 17 points each to lead Louisville to a victory over Toledo in a preseason women’s NIT quarterfinal game.

No. 6 Notre Dame 78Western Kentucky 65

Bowling Green, Ky. — Jessica Shepard posted 19 points and 12 rebounds, powering Notre Dame to a win at Western Kentucky.

Shepard transferred to Notre Dame this past summer from Nebraska and was granted an NCAA waiver Nov. 1 for immediate eligibility. She averaged 18.6 points and 9.8 rebounds last year as a sophomore at Nebraska.