College basketball entered 2018 with no unbeatens as the final three - Villanova, Arizona State, TCU - all lost on Saturday in the first full weekend of conference play. The schedule is now ramping up in the new year, but there are plenty of happenings off the court as well. Here are all the latest news and rumors you need to know:
Clemson the favorite to land Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson (Spartanburg, SC) is the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2018 recruiting class and said on his USA Today blog that he will be making his college decision "soon."
It appears to be a race between Clemson and Kentucky for his services, and the Tigers are actually thought to be the favorite, according to Ben Roberts of Lexington Herald-Leader.
We’ve been hearing that the decision could actually come in the next couple of weeks, and it’s worth noting that Williamson’s team has a game set to be televised by ESPN on Jan. 13. We’ve also been told that local option Clemson is the team to beat heading into the new year.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder has also taken official visits to Duke and North Carolina.
NEXT READ: College Hoops Power Rankings: Oklahoma Takes No. 1 Spot As Top Teams Tested In Conference Play
USC suspends Chimezie Metu
The USC Trojans have suspended forward Chimezie Metu for a half and stripped him of his captaincy for punching an opponent in the groin, the school announced.
USC junior forward Chimezie Metu has been ordered by Trojan head coach Andy Enfield to sit out the first half of USC's next game, surrender his captaincy and issue a letter of apology as a result of Metu's ejection from Sunday's (Dec. 31) game against Washington State.
In his letter sent to Skaggs, Metu apologized to the player, WSU coach Ernie Kent and the Cougar basketball family, as well as to his USC teammates and fans and his family. He acknowledged his inappropriate action, saying "a lack of judgment for a split second led to an action that I immediately regretted and had no business committing in the first place. I understand there is no place in the game of basketball for such an unsportsmanlike action."
Here is the play where Metu was called for the flagrant foul:
WHAT ON EARTH????? pic.twitter.com/AOLy4cqNSI
— The Final Horn (@thefinalhornpod) January 1, 2018
Metu is averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season. USC's next game is Thursday against Cal.
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Ball brothers to make debut for Lithuanian team on Jan. 9, will play "a lot"
Former UCLA player LiAngelo Ball and this brother, LaMelo, are set to make their debuts for their Lithuanian team Prienu Vytautas on Jan. 9 and will both play "a lot," head coach Virginijus Seskus told ESPN.
"They are young, but I can promise that they will play a lot and I hope we will help them to get better and they will help us to win more games," Seskus said. "We are waiting for them. Don't worry, they will play!"
LiAngelo pulled out of school without ever playing a game for the Bruins following the shoplifting arrests of him and two other teammates in China.
LaMelo, who was pulled out of Chino Hills High School by their father, LaVar, was ranked as the No. 15 player in the 2019 recruiting class, according to the 247sports Composite.
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