Elliot Cadeau, one of the highest-rated point guards in the Class of 2024, committed to the University of North Carolina on Wednesday.

Cadeau is a junior from New Jersey who attends Link Academy in Branson, Mo. Before settling on the Tar Heels, the 6-footer considered offers from Louisville, Texas, Kansas, Texas Tech and Syracuse. His only official visits were to Louisville, Texas Tech and North Carolina.

He told ESPN, “When I think about UNC, I see a winning culture and I want to be a part of it.”

ESPN ranks Cadeau as the No. 2 point guard and the No. 11 overall prospect in his class. 247 Sports lists him as the No. 1 point guard and the No. 8 overall recruit.

Cadeau told ESPN of the Tar Heels’ coach, “Hubert Davis has been recruiting me for a long time. He has made me a priority, and that means a lot to me. He said I would have a chance to start. Coach Davis is a genuine guy.”

Now that he has picked his destination, Cadeau next must decide if he will reclassify to the Class of 2023, which would allow him to play for the Tar Heels next fall.

North Carolina (9-4, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) re-entered the AP Top 25 this week at No. 25 after beating Ohio State and Michigan in its past two games. The Tar Heels have won four in a row as they resume ACC play on Friday at Pitt.

–Field Level Media

Playing its first game as a ranked team since March 2014, No. 22 New Mexico looked the part Wednesday night, getting five 3-pointers and a game-high 26 points from Jaelen House in an 88-69 whipping of Colorado State in Albuquerque, N.M.

Jamal Mashburn, Jr. added 19 points for the Lobos (13-0, 1-0 Mountain West) and KJ Jenkins hit for 11 in the conference opener for both teams. Morris Udeze chipped in a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double as New Mexico hit 15 of 25 3-pointers and earned a 28-6 advantage in fast-break points.

John Tonje and Patrick Cartier each scored 16 points for the Rams (8-6, 0-1) and Isaiah Rivera added 12. But leading scorer Isaiah Stevens made just 4 of 15 shots and finished with just 10 points, eight under his average, while committing five of his team’s 14 turnovers that the Lobos cashed in for 19 points.

New Mexico earned most of its nonconference wins against a light schedule, although it did play impressively when facing quality opposition. The Lobos won at Saint Mary’s, beat San Francisco on a neutral floor and stopped Iona at home in a much-ballyhooed matchup of father and son on the sideline as New Mexico coach Richard Pitino sent his father, Rick, home with a loss.

It didn’t take long to see that Colorado State would be in trouble in this one. New Mexico entered the game shooting just 33 percent from 3-point land but drilled 10 of its first 14 en route to a 44-22 lead less than 16 minutes into the game.

House led the onslaught by canning all four of his 3-pointers in the half on his way to a 16-point half. The Lobos struck a nice balance of perimeter shots and rim attacks, making 11 first-half 3-point attempts and earning an 11-1 advantage in free-throw attempts as they established a 49-24 cushion at the break.

A 12-3 burst enabled the Rams to close within 52-36 early in the second half but they never truly threatened New Mexico after that.

–Field Level Media

Jack Nunge totaled 23 points and 12 rebounds as No. 22 Xavier built a big lead and held on for an 84-79 victory over host St. John’s Wednesday night in New York to extend its winning streak to seven games.

Xavier (11-3, 3-0) is off to its fourth 3-0 start since becoming a Big East member and lived up to its billing as the conference’s top offense while leading for the final 35:20 thanks to an early 16-0 run before sweating out the final minutes.

Nunge scored 12 points in Xavier’s dominant opening half but none during the early run. He made his first five shots and finished 10 of 14 overall after a 0-of-5 showing last week against Seton Hall.

Nunge posted his third double-double and helped Xavier outrebound the Red Storm 48-36 and score 48 points in the paint.

Souley Boum added 17 and six assists while Zach Freemantle contributed 14 and nine boards as Xavier shot 45.7 percent.

David Jones collected 19 and 10 rebounds for the Red Storm (11-3, 1-2) who faltered in their second game against a ranked opponent. Joel Soriano added 14 but was held without a double-double for the third time.

Montez Mathis chipped in 14 and Posh Alexander finished with 11 as the Red Storm shot 43.1 percent and missed 17 layups.

After a two-handed dunk by Jones gave St John’s a 12-11 lead with 15:38 remaining, Xavier ripped off nine straight points in 82 seconds and Nunge’s layup forced Red Storm to call a timeout after being unable to take one on the previous possession.

Following the timeout Jerome Hunter dunked, Cesare Edwards hit a layup and Boum hit a 3-pointer for a 27-12 edge with 12:59 remaining.

Nunge made his fifth straight field goal when his 3 banked off the glass for a 42-26 lead with 4:54 left and Xavier held a 48-37 lead by halftime.
Nunge’s hook shot in the lane opened a 67-49 lead with about 10 minutes left.

St John’s finally made a push in the final six-plus minutes, getting within 73-66 on a 3 by Jones with 5:38 left.

–Field Level Media

Trae Hannibal scored a season-best 19 points to lead LSU to a 60-57 victory over No. 9 Arkansas on Wednesday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams at Baton Rouge, La.

Derek Fountain recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (12-1, 1-0 SEC), who notched their seventh consecutive victory.

Davonte Davis scored 16 points for the Razorbacks (11-2, 0-1), who had a seven-game winning streak of their own halted. Jordan Walsh had 13 points and nine rebounds and Ricky Council IV also scored 13 points with six rebounds.

LSU was able to hold on in a frantic finish.

A basket by Hannibal gave LSU a 56-53 with 1:12 remaining but Davis drained a jumper to bring Arkansas within one with 56.7 seconds left.

Hannibal scored on a layup with 32.9 seconds to go but Anthony Black scored on a put-back with 21.1 seconds remaining as the Razorbacks again pulled within one.

Makhi Mitchell blocked Fountain’s shot with 8.5 seconds left and Arkansas had a chance to take the lead. But Council turned the ball over before LSU’s Adam Miller was fouled, and Miller made two free throws to give the Tigers a three-point lead with 1.8 seconds to go.

Walsh’s midcourt shot caromed off the rim as time expired.

LSU made 40.3 percent of its attempts and was 4 of 17 from behind the arc.

Arkansas shot 36.9 percent from the field, but shot just 16 percent (4 of 25) from 3-point range.

Davis made Arkansas’ first 3-pointer of the game (on attempt No. 14) to tie the score at 24 with 18:30 remaining.

Walsh and Council each made 3-pointers during an 8-2 push as the Razorbacks took a 40-34 lead with 10:21 left.

LSU responded with a 10-2 burst — capped by back-to-back baskets by Derek Fountain — to take a 44-42 lead with 7:06 left.

Arkansas moved back ahead at 51-49 on two free throws by Mitchell with 3:46 left in the game. Hannibal’s layup tied the score with 2:53 remaining.

A three-point play by Fountain gave LSU a 54-52 lead with 2:28 left

LSU led 24-19 at the break despite making just 10 of 34 shots (29.4 percent).

But Arkansas was worse at 27.3 percent (9 of 33) and missed all 13 3-point attempts before intermission.

–Field Level Media