Lots of holiday week action on the hardwood…
**No. 2 UConn beat No. 19 Wisconsin, 76-57, to win the Paradise Jam in the first ever meeting between the schools. Jerome Dyson led the Huskies with 21 points and 3 steals, former Rice standout Kemba Walker continued to excel by notching 12 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals and Jeff Adrien added 14 points and 8 boards.
Junior Hasheem Thabeet was named the tournament Most Valuable Player after a dominating defensive performance over the three games. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by Dyson, Walker, Jack McClinton of Miami, Trevon Hughes of Wisconsin and Jeremy Wise of Southern Mississippi.
**No. 22 Miami, which recently got a commitment from Walker’s old Rice teammate Durand Scott, destroyed San Diego, 80-45, in the consolation game behind Brian Asbury’s 14 points and 5 rebounds and Jimmy Graham’s 11 points and 13 rebounds.
**Senior Danny Green scored a career-high 26 points as No. 1 North Carolina, again playing without Tyler Hansbrough, rolled over Chaminade 115-70 at the Maui Invitational. Hansbrough missed three weeks of practice and the first two games of the season with a stress reaction in his right shin. The reigning player of the year wasn’t expected to play all three games in the three-day tournament.
**Tory Jackson had 21 points and 6 assists and fellow guard Kyle McAlarney added 18 points, all on 3-pointers, as No. 8 Notre Dame rolled over Indiana 88-50 in the first round of the Maui Invitational.
The Fighting Irish (3-0) will face No. 6 Texas in the semifinals today.
**A.J. Abrams had 17 points as the Longhorns routed St. Joseph’s 68-50 in Maui.
**Paul Harris had 18 points and 11 rebounds and Jonny Flynn scored 18 points as Syracuse downed No. 17 Florida in a battle of recent former NCAA champs at the CBE Classic in Kansas City.
Syracuse (4-0) shot 51 percent from the field and had 19 assists on 31 field goals, taking control with a big run early in the second half. Andy Rautins (pictured) hit five 3-pointers and had 15 points.
**The Orange will face Kansas in Tuesday’s final after Cole Aldrich had a career-high 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked six shots, helping No. 22 Kansas rout Washington 73-54.
*Stephen Curry continued to look NBA-ready by pouring in 39 points as No. 24 Davidson beat Florida Atlantic 76-60.
