NCAA

New Mexico State University suspended Mike Peake from its basketball team as an investigation into a fatal shooting that took place in the early hours of Nov. 19 continues.

“Mike is suspended from our basketball team until the completion of the university’s investigation and the investigation of the proper authorities,” New Mexico State athletic director Mario Moccia told reporters. “When those investigations will be complete, I can’t say.”

Police say Peake shot and killed 19-year-old Brandon Travis on the University of New Mexico campus after Travis and three others allegedly lured Peake to campus to attack him. Peake suffered a leg injury in the shooting and underwent multiple surgeries.

"Through investigation, agents later learned that Travis had conspired with a 17-year-old female and two of Travis's male friends, all UNM students, to lure the 21-year-old victim to UNM campus and assault him," New Mexico State police said in a statement.

Further investigation showed Peake skipped curfew in Albuquerque ahead of the Aggies' game against the Lobos to meet up with the 17-year-old female on the New Mexico campus, where he was met by the girl, Travis and two other male assailants. According to the police report, one man hit Peake with a baseball bat and another shot at Peake while he was running away at which point Peake shot back, striking Travis four times.

The planned attack was revenge for a fight that began weeks prior at a New Mexico vs. New Mexico State football game. Jonathan Smith and the unnamed girl have been charged with crimes related to the attack.

According to police, Peake was seen on video meeting teammates Issa Muhammad, Marcelus Avery and Anthony Roy following the shooting and putting items into the trunk of a car. Head coach Greg Heiar and assistant coach Dominque Taylor are regularly mentioned in the police report as being uncooperative in the subsequent police investigation.

The report says police received resistance from the players and coaching staff for weeks regarding the investigation as they attempted to recover the weapon used to shoot Travis, along with Peak's tablet and cell phone.

“I emphasized to Coach Taylor how important it was to recover the gun and other items that were placed in the trunk,” state police agent David Esquibel wrote. “I asked him to let me know if he finds out any information about the Camaro, the gun or other items and he said he would.”

Police eventually found Taylor in possession of the weapon wrapped in a towel. They have also recovered Peake's tablet and cell phone as the investigation continues.

There has been no word on what potential criminal charges could be pursued.

The game at New Mexico and the scheduled Dec. 3 rematch between the teams in Las Cruces, New Mexico were both canceled.

The University of Virginia granted football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry posthumous degrees Tuesday. All three players were killed in an on-campus shooting in November.

According to ESPN's Andrea Adelson, University of Virginia Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs Rachel Most was the catalyst behind requesting that the players be honored with degrees.

Chandler, Davis and Perry were shot and killed on a charter bus on Nov. 13 after returning from a class trip to Washington, D.C.

Virginia student and former UVA football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who was also on the trip, is alleged to have shot and killed the players. Two other Virginia students, Marlee Morgan and Cavaliers running back Mike Hollins, were also injured in the shooting.

Jones has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, as well as two counts of malicious wounding.

Chandler was a junior wide receiver from Huntersville, North Carolina, who transferred from Wisconsin. He had two catches for 28 yards for the Badgers in 2020 and was exclusively a special teams player in 2021.

Davis was also a junior wide receiver who hailed from Dorchester, South Carolina. He had 20 receptions for 515 yards and five touchdowns for the Cavs in 2020 and followed that up with 16 grabs for 371 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Perry was a junior linebacker from Miami, Florida, and had seven tackles this season. Back in 2020, Perry returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown against Abilene Christian.

The Virginia football team finished 3-7 this season after cancelling its final two scheduled games against Coastal Carolina and Virginia Tech in the wake of the shooting.

The LSU Tigers are getting one of their top offensive weapons back for the 2023 season.

Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte announced he will return to the program next season, adding he will "lock in and focus on the main goal of any LSU Tiger: winning a national championship."

This is somewhat of a welcome surprise for LSU, considering Boutte was a potential first-round pick had he decided to enter the 2023 NFL draft. B/R's NFL Scouting Department listed him as the No. 31 overall player and No. 6 wide receiver in its most recent big board.

However, B/R's Derrik Klassen highlighted that there is room to improve:

"Drops that plagued him early in the season have waned as the year went on, but they haven't disappeared. Moreover, Boutte transitioned to play more from the slot this year, which is a somewhat concerning—or at least curious—move for a player who previously made his mark working outside the numbers.

"Stack those potential concerns on top of Boutte's less explosive play this season, and it's hard to justify giving him a first-round grade despite how naturally talented he is."

There is no doubting Boutte's talent after he arrived at LSU as a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 overall wide receiver in the class of 2020, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He wasted no time making an immediate impact with 735 receiving yards as a freshman and nine touchdown catches in just six games as a sophomore, but his numbers took a hit this year.

He posted 538 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in 11 games for the SEC West leaders. To Boutte's credit, he was at his best in important moments this season with 115 receiving yards in a win over Florida and 107 yards and a touchdown in the SEC Championship Game loss to Georgia, but there was plenty of inconsistency along the way.

Perhaps steadier play to go with his talent level could bolster his status ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Houston remained the No. 1 team in the men's college basketball Associated Press poll after improving to 8-0, although upsets around the country led to more movement in the Top 25.

Arizona, Baylor and Creighton were among the Top 10 teams from last week that suffered losses, with nonconference battles giving other squads a chance to prove themselves.

Here are the latest rankings heading into Week 5 of the 2022-23 season.

AP Poll

1. Houston

2. Texas

3. Virginia

4. Purdue

5. UConn

6. Kansas

7. Tennessee

8. Alabama

9. Arkansas

10. Arizona

11. Auburn

12. Baylor

13. Maryland

14. Indiana

15. Duke

16. Kentucky

17. Illinois

18. Gonzaga

19. UCLA

20. Iowa State

21. Creighton

22. San Diego State

23. Mississippi State

24. TCU

25. Ohio State

Houston moved up to the top spot last week and impressed in its first game, blowing out Norfolk State:

The Cougars had more trouble with Saint Mary's later in the week, but their defense came through during a 53-48 victory.

Texas was even more impressive while earning a 72-67 win over Creighton, holding the Bluejays to 4-of-27 shooting from three-point range.

It was part of a rough week for Creighton, which also suffered a home loss to Nebraska to fall from No. 7 in last week's poll to No. 21 this week.

Arizona also dropped from fourth to 10th after its first loss of the year, an 81-66 road defeat against Utah. Kerr Kriisa went 1-of-9 from the field, missing all five of his three-point attempts, and the other Wildcats couldn't generate enough offense in the loss.

Baylor suffered a disappointing blowout loss to Marquette, falling 96-70, although the Bears redeemed themselves with a 64-63 win over Gonzaga later in the week.

No team has fallen more than North Carolina, which spent the first few weeks at No. 1 in the AP poll. The Tar Heels extended their losing streak to four games with road losses against Indiana and Virginia Tech. Armando Bacot wasn't available in the latest defeat, but the performances have still been disappointing for a team with high expectations.

UNC is now unranked just two weeks after topping the poll.

Indiana, meanwhile, suffered a 63-48 loss to Rutgers in its next game after beating North Carolina.

It leaves a lot of uncertainty as conference play gets started, although Virginia and Purdue are among those that added to their resumes with strong wins to remain undefeated.

Connecticut is up to No. 5 after improving to 9-0 on the season, while 8-0 Maryland is now 13th in the country.

The upcoming week features several more quality matchups, including Houston's toughest test of the season so far against Alabama. Texas will take on Illinois in New York, while Arizona and Indiana will battle in Las Vegas.

The college football transfer portal will feature several big names as top players look to get a fresh start in 2023.

Former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is among the long list of veteran passers hoping to change teams this offseason, with Drew Pyne, Kedon Slovis, Devin Leary and others already registering significant experience at the college level.

Here are the biggest names already in the transfer portal.

• DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson
• Drew Pyne, QB, Notre Dame
  
• Kedon Slovis, QB, Pittsburgh
  
• Devin Leary, QB, North Carolina State
• Hudson Card, QB, Texas
• Graham Mertz, QB, Wisconsin
• Mason Cobb, LB, Oklahoma State
• Brennan Armstrong, QB, Virginia
• Jeff Sims, QB, Georgia Tech
• Fentrell Cypress II, CB, Virginia
• Dasan McCullough, LB, Indiana
• Denver Harris, CB, Texas A&M
  
• Javion Cohen, OG, Alabama
• JQ Hardaway, CB, Cincinnati
• Haynes King, QB, Texas A&M
• Hank Bachmeier, QB, Boise State
• Theo Wease, WR, Oklahoma
  
• Dorian Singer, WR, Arizona
• L.J. Johnson, RB, Texas A&M
• Justin Flowe, LB, Oregon
• Spencer Sanders, QB, Oklahoma (per, Chris Hummer of 247Sports.com)

The number of big-name quarterbacks will especially create a ripple effect throughout college football, depending on where they land. We have seen several elite players make an impact after changing teams in recent years, including USC star Caleb Williams after transferring from Oklahoma.

Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield all won the Heisman Trophy with their second college teams, while Jalen Hurts and Justin Fields also had huge seasons after transferring.

Uiagalelei will try to be next in line as a former 5-star recruit who was considered the No. 1 quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports composite rankings. Despite some up-and-down play for Clemson, he still threw 22 touchdown passes this year and has plenty of upside in a new location.

Leary also should be highly sought-after in the transfer portal.

The North Carolina State quarterback had 35 touchdowns with only five interceptions in 2021, although his 2022 season was cut short due to a torn pectoral. If he returns to full strength, he could be a difference-maker in 2023.

Notre Dame's Drew Pyne has experience leading an elite team and could be an instant starter for a championship contender next season.

Other high-upside players could be seeking a fresh start after falling behind on the depth chart at their previous spots, including Hudson Card. The former 4-star recruit couldn't pass Quinn Ewers at Texas, but he could be a starter for a lot of teams at the FBS level.

Kedon Slovis will move to a third team after struggling the past few years with USC and Pittsburgh, but with 68 career touchdown passes, there will be options in the transfer portal.

North Carolina State quarterback Devin Leary will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

Leary suffered a torn pectoral in October and was ruled out for the rest of the season, but Thamel reported he is expected to be cleared to throw by March. It could put him on track to compete in spring football for his new team, while likely being fully healthy by the start of the 2023 season.

The New Jersey native had 62 career touchdown passes across four seasons with the Wolfpack.

Leary came to North Carolina State as a 4-star recruit in 2018, redshirting his first season before earning a starting job as a freshman in 2019. He was in and out of the lineup the next two years, although he truly broke out in 2021 when he totaled 3,433 passing yards with 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

The Wolfpack went 9-3 that year while Leary was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

After entering 2022 as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Leary threw 11 touchdown passes with four interceptions in six games before suffering his injury.

North Carolina State went 5-1 in Leary's starts but had just a 3-3 record without him.

MJ Morris could enter 2023 as the starter for NC State after impressing during his brief opportunity this season, throwing seven touchdown passes with one interception, while Ben Finley could also compete for the job.

Leary should have no shortage of suitors around the country as a proven quarterback with significant experience against top competition. The 23-year-old should be an immediate starter wherever he lands, potentially getting a chance to improve his stock for the 2024 NFL draft.

The Washington Huskies will get another year of Michael Penix Jr. under center.

Penix announced Sunday that he has decided to forgo the 2023 NFL draft and return to Washington for his senior season. He said it was "one of the hardest decisions" of his life, before closing his post by saying that he believes the team will reach new heights next year.

The 2022 season was Penix's first with Washington. He spent the first four years of his college career at Indiana, where he was plagued by injuries, including a torn ACL in 2018 and 2020. He never appeared in more than six games in a season with the Hoosiers, posting a 12-5 record.

It wasn't until this year that Penix broke out as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.

The 22-year-old leads college football with 4,354 passing yards and 362.8 passing yards per game. In addition, Penix has completed 66 percent of his passes and tossed 29 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Led by Penix, the No. 12 Huskies finished the regular season 10-2. They are set to face the No. 21 Texas Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29.

Penix's draft stock rose significantly this season, and he was expected to be a Day 2 pick at the latest had he decided to declare for the draft. Now that he's returning to Washington, he'll get to improve his draft stock even more.

With Penix's decision to return to Washington, the focus will be shifted to wide receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan, who both could declare for the 2023 draft.

Odunze put together his best season this year, catching 70 passes for 1,088 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. He also rushed for six yards and a score. McMillan also had a career year, catching 71 passes for 1,040 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games.

If both receivers return to Washington in 2023, the Huskies could make some serious noise in the Pac-12.