College basketball predictions: Virginia, TCU and more surprise teams
1 year, 1 month ago

College basketball predictions: Virginia, TCU and more surprise teams

New York Times  

Preseason rankings are fun, but with so much player movement in the transfer portal era, men’s college basketball is harder than ever to predict. — Brendan Quinn GO DEEPER Preseason Mid-Major Top 10: FAU, Saint Mary's and Boise State lead the way St. John’s Maybe you’ve heard of this Rick Pitino fellow? In came Jordan Dingle, the nation’s second-leading scorer and the Ivy League Player of the Year; Nahiem Alleyne, a reserve on UConn’s title team last season but a key shooter at Virginia Tech before that; Daniss Jenkins, Pitino’s second-leading scorer at Iona; Chris Ledlum, who decommitted from Tennessee to join St. John’s; and Simeon Wilcher, a four-star freshman who was initially headed to North Carolina. Penny’s portal plundering has yielded former Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly, former Florida State combo guard Caleb Mills and Jordan Brown, a crafty 6-11 center who won the Lou Henson Award as mid-major player of the year for Louisiana last season. GO DEEPER Big Ten preview: Two top five teams, and the elephant in the room Pikiell is revamping his team’s offensive identity, it seems, with a focus on greater speed and improved 3-point shooting efficiency.

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History of this topic

Who’s playing where? A cheat sheet on college sports realignment
1 week, 5 days ago

Who’s playing where? A cheat sheet on college sports realignment

Associated Press  

Scores of schools have changed conference affiliation over the past century, but the pace has quickened as schools search for more stability and more revenue in the college athletics arms race. 2024 : Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest. 2023 : …

USC men’s basketball out to defy expectations in Year 1 of Eric Musselman era
1 month, 2 weeks ago

USC men’s basketball out to defy expectations in Year 1 of Eric Musselman era

LA Times  

Eric Musselman is not one for sugarcoating. The new USC basketball coach knew what he was inheriting when he took the reins of an underperforming program last spring. “We want our guys to understand what those areas of concern are, and how do we combat that by being honest about who we are.” Musselman, well into his third decade as …

College Football: A Cheat Sheet on Conference Realignments
1 month, 3 weeks ago

College Football: A Cheat Sheet on Conference Realignments

Associated Press  

A dozen schools have changed conference affiliations in the past year, impacting the landscape of college athletics. The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences have seen significant changes, with the Pac-12 acquiring two teams and the Mountain West losing one. The Big Ten, ACC, and SEC conferences have also experienced changes, with several schools switching conferences.

South Carolina Soars High in Women's College Basketball Preseason Rankings
1 month, 3 weeks ago

South Carolina Soars High in Women's College Basketball Preseason Rankings

Associated Press  

South Carolina is poised to make a run at the NCAA Final Four this season, aiming to repeat their 2023 national championship success. The Gamecocks, led by Dawn Staley, boast a strong and experienced team with a high chance of returning to the Final Four. However, they face challenges from teams like UConn, USC, and Texas, who are also looking …

Kansas tops AP Top 25 preseason men's basketball poll ahead of Alabama, defending champion UConn
2 months, 1 week ago

Kansas tops AP Top 25 preseason men's basketball poll ahead of Alabama, defending champion UConn

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Kansas was picked first in …

Who’s playing where? A cheat sheet on college football realignment
3 months, 1 week ago

Who’s playing where? A cheat sheet on college football realignment

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! 2024 : Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest. 2023 : Florida International, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, UTEP, …

Previews and predictions for NCAA men's final four
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Previews and predictions for NCAA men's final four

NPR  

Previews and predictions for NCAA men's final four MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: The NCAA basketball tournament is heading into its last weekend. Last night on the show, we previewed the women's Final Four matchups. KATZ: Well, first of all, if memory serves, I think your son's bracket is still alive, because we talked about UConn and Purdue. Alabama has never …

Big men are rolling for Purdue, NC State and UConn. Now they’ve got their teams in the Final Four
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Big men are rolling for Purdue, NC State and UConn. Now they’ve got their teams in the Final Four

Associated Press  

GLENDALE, Ariz. — DJ Burns Jr. isn’t interested in spending a lot of time catching the ball on the perimeter and trying to show off a shimmying crossover dribble before chucking 3-pointers for North Carolina State. That powered the 11th-seeded Wolfpack’s run through the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and on to the program’s first Final Four appearance since the “Cardiac …

Final Four serves up the usual menu of fun stories -- and UConn looks to snuff out all of them
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Final Four serves up the usual menu of fun stories -- and UConn looks to snuff out all of them

Associated Press  

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Final Four this week delivers the last entry in college basketball’s heartwarming yearbook, an annual assortment of legendary longshots, coaches looking for hugs and magic oozing from every corner of the bracket. —Alabama, which plays UConn on Saturday, is in the program’s first Final Four after a complete rebuild of a roster that was supposed to …

March Madness: Fabulous freshmen set to dazzle on big stage as NCAA Tournament arrives
9 months ago

March Madness: Fabulous freshmen set to dazzle on big stage as NCAA Tournament arrives

Associated Press  

There is no doubt this has been the season of Caitlin Clark, the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader from Iowa whose excellence has filled arenas and thrilled fans. Right alongside, though, is a group of flashy, talented newcomers elbowing their way onto the court shouting, “We’ve got next!” Throughout the country, first-year stars like JuJu Watkins of Southern California, Hannah Hidalgo …

Who will make a Final Four run in March Madness? Our experts make their picks
9 months ago

Who will make a Final Four run in March Madness? Our experts make their picks

New York Times  

Follow live coverage of South Carolina, NC State and Iowa, UConn in women’s Final Four today Who’s in your Final Four? GO DEEPER NCAA Tournament bracket picks: CJ Moore picks UConn over Purdue for the title Dana O'Neil Region Team East UConn West North Carolina South Kentucky Midwest Purdue Runner-up UConn Champion Purdue There’s a reason no one has repeated …

Everything to know about the women’s NCAA Tournament: Final Four contenders, Cinderellas and more
9 months ago

Everything to know about the women’s NCAA Tournament: Final Four contenders, Cinderellas and more

New York Times  

After a season full of historic performances, thrilling finishes and record-breaking television viewership, the 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament field is set. Though the Stanford Cardinal won the conference’s regular-season title, the Trojans won the conference tournament, clinching a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. USC’s storied history includes consecutive NCAA Tournament championships in 1983 and 1984, …

Top 10 shuffle in women’s AP Top 25 as Stanford and Iowa move up behind No. 1 South Carolina
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Top 10 shuffle in women’s AP Top 25 as Stanford and Iowa move up behind No. 1 South Carolina

Associated Press  

Stanford and Iowa jumped up behind top-ranked South Carolina in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll as the top 10 got a shuffle on the eve of conference tournaments and Fairfield cracked the rankings for the first time in school history. MORE ON THE STAGS Fairfield became the fourth team from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to earn …

College basketball power rankings: UConn and Purdue lead our tiers of contenders
10 months, 1 week ago

College basketball power rankings: UConn and Purdue lead our tiers of contenders

New York Times  

We say this with about as little confidence as possible, and it almost feels like we ought to whisper it, but here goes: Maybe a pecking order is finally beginning to take shape within this off-the-rails college basketball season? Dan Hurley’s undaunted team has won 13 in a row overall and six straight Big East road games — in a …

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Who’s fourth No. 1 seed? And hello, Virginia
10 months, 2 weeks ago

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Who’s fourth No. 1 seed? And hello, Virginia

New York Times  

The full NCAA Tournament bracket has been released with UConn leading the way as No. Team A Team B Team C Team D NET 4 5 10 12 KenPom 6 5 8 13 BPI 3 7 9 14 KPI 6 2 5 9 SOR 12 4 9 7 Noncon SOS 9 17 29 43 Road 3-3 4-2 5-1 2-4 Q1 …

UConn, Purdue and North Carolina stay atop AP Top 25; South Carolina joins for first time since 2017
10 months, 2 weeks ago

UConn, Purdue and North Carolina stay atop AP Top 25; South Carolina joins for first time since 2017

Associated Press  

Reigning national champion Connecticut, Purdue and North Carolina remained atop The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the third consecutive week, while South Carolina cracked the rankings for the first time in nearly seven years. The top of the poll remained set after a big week that included four top-10 matchups over the weekend, with Purdue winning …

College basketball power rankings: 3 SEC teams are here, none of them Kentucky
10 months, 3 weeks ago

College basketball power rankings: 3 SEC teams are here, none of them Kentucky

New York Times  

Read The Athletic’s latest college basketball power rankings. For the season, LJ Cryer has been Houston’s highest-usage player, but amidst a mini-slump — he’s only shooting 37.5 percent the last five games — Shead has had to assume a larger scoring role. Kansas Last week: 7 We’re not gonna ding Kansas too hard for losing at Iowa State on Saturday …

UConn, Purdue, UNC lead our midseason college basketball national title picks
10 months, 4 weeks ago

UConn, Purdue, UNC lead our midseason college basketball national title picks

New York Times  

It’s rare in life that you get a do-over. Jon Scheyer’s team has finally rounded into form after a rough first month of the season, but Duke’s lack of size, its dependence on shooting well, and a few injury concerns have given me pause. With a roster boasting championship experience and a standout player like Newton, a likely All-America candidate, …

College basketball viewers’ guide: Crucial tests in Big 12, Big East and SEC races
10 months, 4 weeks ago

College basketball viewers’ guide: Crucial tests in Big 12, Big East and SEC races

New York Times  

As January winds to a close, a few potential Cinderellas are coming into focus. FAU, still hovering in the Top 25 after last year’s surprise run to the Final Four, remains an elite offense under head coach Dusty May and led by junior guard Johnell Davis. 13 Wisconsin, Friday, 8 p.m., FS1 Michigan State continues to be one of college …

College basketball midseason catch-up: Contenders, Cinderellas, the bubble and more
11 months ago

College basketball midseason catch-up: Contenders, Cinderellas, the bubble and more

New York Times  

We’ve hit the midway point of the college basketball season, and it feels like we’re on our way to a highly entertaining NCAA Tournament. One of these six will win the national title Purdue: Zach Edey is putting up almost identical counting numbers as last year, and he’s been more efficient. GO DEEPER How Oso Ighodaro became the linchpin for …

South Carolina, UCLA, NC State lead the way again as top 10 teams in women’s AP Top 25 unchanged
1 year ago

South Carolina, UCLA, NC State lead the way again as top 10 teams in women’s AP Top 25 unchanged

Associated Press  

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has found a way for her team to avoid early season upsets despite losing all five starters from last year’s Final Four squad. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday, receiving all 36 first-place votes from a national media panel. And we’re just in December.” UCLA, North Carolina State, Iowa …

College basketball rankings: Tennessee, Oklahoma and Clemson are on the way up
1 year ago

College basketball rankings: Tennessee, Oklahoma and Clemson are on the way up

New York Times  

Read The Athletic’s latest college basketball rankings. Arizona had the highest points per possession against Wisconsin’s defense in Saturday’s 98-73 win of any Badgers opponent over the last six seasons. They attempt 15.3 unguarded catch-and-shoot jumpers per game, which is the most in college basketball, and they’re shooting 34.6 percent on those attempts, per Synergy. He’s averaging 29.6 points per …

College basketball rankings: Alabama, UCLA, Iowa State among 5 newcomers
1 year, 1 month ago

College basketball rankings: Alabama, UCLA, Iowa State among 5 newcomers

New York Times  

Read The Athletic’s latest college basketball rankings. Tennessee In the first month over the last four seasons, only one team has scored over a point per possession against Tennessee’s defense. Kansas Dajuan Harris Jr. scored a combined two points in KU’s first two games then went for 23 on Tuesday against Kentucky. Kentucky One perk of John Calipari’s new souped-up, …

ACC football preview 2023: Can anyone threaten Florida State and Clemson?
1 year, 4 months ago

ACC football preview 2023: Can anyone threaten Florida State and Clemson?

New York Times  

Editor’s note: ACC presidents have voted to add Stanford, Cal and SMU It’s no secret that Florida State, Clemson and a few other schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference aren’t happy they’re about to fall behind in the race for TV dollars. Read all of our conference previews: American | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12| MAC | Mountain …

2024 men’s college basketball national title odds: Duke, UConn, Kentucky early co-favorites
1 year, 8 months ago

2024 men’s college basketball national title odds: Duke, UConn, Kentucky early co-favorites

New York Times  

Connecticut just won its fifth national title since 1999 and already the Huskies are among the favorites to win the title in 2024. 2024 men’s college basketball national title odds All odds from BetMGM. Team Odds Duke +1200 Connecticut +1200 Kentucky +1200 Kansas +1600 Alabama +1600 Arizona +1800 Purdue +1800 Houston +1800 Kentucky had the worst season of the eight …

March Madness came early in topsy-turvy college hoops season
1 year, 8 months ago

March Madness came early in topsy-turvy college hoops season

Associated Press  

HOUSTON — Everything seemed set for a college basketball season marked by the familiar — right up until the season, anyway. That marks only the second time since the tournament’s expansion to 64 teams in 1985 that three teams went from unranked in the preseason to reaching the Final Four, the other coming in 2006 with eventual champion Florida, LSU …

Houston back at No. 1 as Northwestern makes AP Top 25 debut
1 year, 10 months ago

Houston back at No. 1 as Northwestern makes AP Top 25 debut

Associated Press  

Houston returned to No. 1 in the AP men’s college basketball poll on Monday for the third time this season, while Northwestern and Texas A&M barged into the rankings after each had a pair of impressive wins last week. We’ve developed a really good program here,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, referring to his veteran leaders that went to a …

Purdue a unanimous No. 1 in AP Top 25; Vols up to No. 2
1 year, 10 months ago

Purdue a unanimous No. 1 in AP Top 25; Vols up to No. 2

Associated Press  

Purdue became this season’s first unanimous No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday after wins over Michigan and Michigan State last week as chaos ensued behind the Boilermakers among other ranked teams. “It doesn’t have any effect on SEC standings, which is the only good thing to come out of this,” Alabama coach Nate …

College basketball rankings: Illinois is out, Miami is in. And hello, New Mexico!
1 year, 11 months ago

College basketball rankings: Illinois is out, Miami is in. And hello, New Mexico!

New York Times  

Merry Day After Christmas! Dropped out: Illinois, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State Almost Famous: Auburn, Boise State, Creighton, Maryland, Penn State, Providence, Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, UAB, Utah State, West Virginia Notes on the votes • Due to the light slate, my top eight teams remained in the same order from last week. • I was actually a little …

College basketball roundtable: Experts on the season after one month
2 years ago

College basketball roundtable: Experts on the season after one month

New York Times  

— The Athletic’s Seth Davis, Brian Hamilton, Eamonn Brennan, Brendan Quinn and Brendan Marks contributed to this story. Speaking of which, last season marked Virginia’s least efficient defense since Bennett’s second season; this year, then, was a test of sorts. A bit more evidence of this team’s primacy on the road would be great — but it looks like a …

College basketball top 25: Michigan State, Texas and Illinois rise
2 years, 1 month ago

College basketball top 25: Michigan State, Texas and Illinois rise

New York Times  

We sure had plenty to chew on last week, and especially over the weekend. The team went 4-0 while Self was serving his self-imposed suspension, thanks largely to the brilliance of 6-8 junior forward Jalen Wilson, who had back-to-back career-highs last week against Duke and Southern Utah. • Indiana got a terrific win at Xavier, 81-79, on Friday night.. Trayce …

College basketball picks: Baylor-Virginia, UCLA-Illinois, Indiana-Xavier and more
2 years, 1 month ago

College basketball picks: Baylor-Virginia, UCLA-Illinois, Indiana-Xavier and more

New York Times  

A year ago, I agreed to a bit of larky college basketball gambling prognostication against the spread. We feel pretty confident suggesting Scott Drew’s latest Baylor blend, comprising the usual balance of developed veterans and incredible freshman talent is among the best three or four teams in college hoops. The Cavaliers — who were atypically just OK on both sides …

AP Top 25: No. 1 UGA leads unchanged top 5; Ducks, UCLA slip
2 years, 1 month ago

AP Top 25: No. 1 UGA leads unchanged top 5; Ducks, UCLA slip

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. 1 Georgia led an unchanged …

College basketball experts predict: Who will be the national player of the year?
2 years, 1 month ago

College basketball experts predict: Who will be the national player of the year?

New York Times  

This year’s national player of the year race is shaping up as one that’s much different from what we’ve seen in many years, if not decades. On one hand, last season’s consensus player of the year, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, is back in school. Player Team Votes Drew Timme Gonzaga 8 Oscar Tshiebwe Kentucky 7 Armando Bacot North Carolina 1 Jaime …

ACC men’s basketball preview: UNC on top, but Duke, Virginia and Miami lurk
2 years, 1 month ago

ACC men’s basketball preview: UNC on top, but Duke, Virginia and Miami lurk

New York Times  

Say what you will about the Atlantic Coast Conference last season — plenty already has been — but good luck snickering at any league with the nation’s No. Duke: With Whitehead and Dereck Lively II — the nation’s top two freshmen — currently out with injuries, plus a new head coach, we might not see the best version of Duke …

Who’s women’s basketball Coach of the Year? The Athletic women’s basketball experts’ predictions
2 years, 1 month ago

Who’s women’s basketball Coach of the Year? The Athletic women’s basketball experts’ predictions

New York Times  

Nobody is arguing against one hard fact heading into the 2022-23 season: South Carolina will be tough to dethrone. They’ll be joined by nine newcomers — two freshmen and seven transfers, including Myah Taylor who led the SEC in assists last season for Mississippi State and landed on the Nancy Lieberman Award preseason watch list. McPhee-McCuin has just enough talent …

North Carolina No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25 men’s basketball
2 years, 2 months ago

North Carolina No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25 men’s basketball

Associated Press  

North Carolina surprised just about everyone last year when a talented team led by first-year coach Hubert Davis parlayed a No. “Last year,” Davis said, “the outside noise didn’t think we had a chance. Houston has its highest preseason ranking since 1983, when the third of the Cougars’ Phi Slama Jama teams reached its second consecutive title game. “It’s an …

Purdue back near Big Ten top? Portal makes predictions tough
2 years, 2 months ago

Purdue back near Big Ten top? Portal makes predictions tough

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — The Purdue Boilermakers are coming off a 29-win season in which they were ranked in the AP top 10 from wire to wire, including the No. Still, they finished one game shy of first place in the conference, lost to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament final and were upset by upstart St. Peter’s in the Sweet 16. …

Duke, Arizona agree to basketball series for 2023 and 2024
2 years, 5 months ago

Duke, Arizona agree to basketball series for 2023 and 2024

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! DURHAM, N.C. — Duke and Arizona have agreed to a home-and-home men’s basketball series for 2023 and 2024. The first meeting comes in November 2023 with the Wildcats visiting the Blue Devils’ famously hostile Cameron Indoor Stadium. In statements, new Duke coach Jon Scheyer and …

AP All-America team includes milestone for Kentucky’s Howard
2 years, 9 months ago

AP All-America team includes milestone for Kentucky’s Howard

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Rhyne Howard has joined an exclusive group by becoming a three-time Associated Press All-American. The Kentucky senior became the ninth player in women’s basketball history to earn first-team honors three times, getting a spot on the team announced Wednesday. I was glad I was able to accomplish that.” Howard was joined on the first team by South …

Gonzaga’s bid for a perfect season moves on to Final Four
3 years, 8 months ago

Gonzaga’s bid for a perfect season moves on to Final Four

Associated Press  

INDIANAPOLIS — Gonzaga’s countdown to perfection has ticked to two. An 85-56 dismantling of Southern California in the Elite Eight stretched their win streak to 34 games over two seasons and put them back in the Final Four for the second time in the past four NCAA Tournaments. In two years at Westwood, he’s added a level of toughness that’s …

College basketball picks: Villanova-Boston College, Memphis-Saint Mary’s and more
4 years ago

College basketball picks: Villanova-Boston College, Memphis-Saint Mary’s and more

New York Times  

Betcha thought we’d never get here, right? The Gaels, on the other hand, must replace 72 percent of their scoring from last season, including senior guard Jordan Ford’s 21.9 points per game. This has the potential to be Bob Huggins’ best team in Morgantown since his 2010 Final Four squad, but his Mountaineers are starting with a formidable opponent in …

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