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March Madness: Friday Recaps

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ST. LOUIS – (Wire Service Report) – Otega Oweh rescued Kentucky with a buzzer-beating 35-footer off the glass to force overtime, then the seventh-seeded Wildcats owned the extra session to escape with an 89-84 win over No. 10 Santa Clara in Midwest Region first-round action on Friday afternoon.

Santa Clara forward Allen Graves hit what looked to be a game-winning 3-pointer when he connected from the right wing with 2.4 seconds left, but Oweh took the inbounds pass and pulled up just in time to send the game to overtime. He then made all four of his free-throw attempts in the extra session when Kentucky outscored Santa Clara 16-11.

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Oweh finished with a career-high 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and Mouhamed Dioubate had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Wildcats (22-13), who shot 50.8% to win a rollercoaster game which featured 20 lead changes and 12 ties.

Elijah Mahi led the Broncos (26-9) with 20 points in the program’s first NCAA Tournament game in 30 years. Graves added 17 points and seven rebounds.

No. 2 Iowa State 108, No. 15 Tennessee State 74

The Cyclones dominated the final 38 minutes of action, blowing out the Tigers in St. Louis despite losing All-American forward Justin Jefferson to a knee injury.

Iowa State advanced to play No. 7 Kentucky in the second round on Sunday. Head coach T.J. Otzelberger said X-rays were negative and that Jefferson would be re-evaluated on Saturday before determining his game status against the Wildcats.

Freshman Killyan Toure had 25 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, Nate Heise scored 22 points and Milan Momcilovic added 17 for Iowa State, which forced 16 turnovers. Aaron Nkrumah led Tennessee State (23-10) with 21 points. Antoine Lorick III added 20 points and eight rebounds.

No. 3 Virginia 82, No. 14 Wright State 73

Jacari White scored a season-high 26 points and hit the go-ahead floater off the glass with 4:07 to play as the Cavaliers survived a tough test from the Raiders in Philadelphia.

White made 6 of 8 from 3-point range, Sam Lewis scored 12 points, Malik Thomas added 11 and Thijs De Ridder had 10 for Virginia (30-5), which used a late 11-0 run to create some distance and secure its first NCAA Tournament win since winning the 2019 national championship.

Michael Imariagbe had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Wright State (23-12). Solomon Callaghan added 18 points and combined with Imariagbe to shoot 9 for 15 from behind the arc. The Raiders made 13 3-pointers, the most Virginia has allowed this season.

No. 4 Alabama 90, No. 13 Hofstra 70

Labaron Philon Jr. took over by scoring 21 of his game-high 29 points in the second half as the Crimson Tide shrugged off an early 10-point deficit to handle the Pride during first-round play in Tampa, Fla.

Philon, who sported a bandage on his cut chin in the second half, made 10 of 18 shots and added eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. The Crimson Tide (24-9) played without No. 2 scorer Aden Holloway, who was suspended for first-degree felony marijuana possession, but Aiden Sherrill stepped forward with 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Taylor Bol Bowen added 15 points while Amari Allen and Latrell Wrightsell contributed 11 points apiece.

Hofstra (24-11) built a 28-18 lead in hopes of extending its seven-game winning streak, but Alabama recovered to take a 37-35 edge by halftime. Preston Edmead paced the Pride with 24 points, four rebounds and four assists. Cruz Davis had 14 points and six assists while German Plotnikov scored 12 points.

No. 5 Texas Tech 91, No. 12 Akron 71

Jaylen Petty scored 24 points to lead five Red Raiders in double figures as they pulled away late for a win over the 12th-seeded Zips in Tampa, Fla.

Petty made 9 of 14 shots, helming a sensational shooting performance that saw No. 5 Texas Tech (23-10) make a season-best 64.2% of its shots to snap a three-game skid and win its NCAA Tournament opener for the sixth time in its last seven appearances. The Red Raiders face Alabama on Sunday.

Amani Lyles (26 points) and Shammah Scott (20 points) were the only two players in double figures for Akron (29-6), which had a 10-game winning streak snapped and fell to 0-8 in the NCAA Tournament. The Zips entered the day ranked 21st nationally in 3-point accuracy at 37.9%, but they made just 5 of 19 from long range (26.3%).

The Wildcats rode a rare 3-point barrage in the first half to overwhelm the underdog Sharks and roll to an easy first-round win in San Diego.

Arizona (33-2) came into the postseason averaging 5.9 3-pointers per game, but Tommy Lloyd’s team eclipsed that average before the final media timeout in first half as the Wildcats hit 6 of 9 from beyond the arc. Brayden Burries hit four 3-pointers in the first half en route to a game-high 18 points. Koa Peat added 15 points while Ivan Kharchenkov posted 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Long Island (24-11) shot well from deep in its own right, with Mason Porter-Brown (15 points) and Jamal Fuller (11 points) combining to knock down five 3-pointers by intermission, and six of the team’s eight for the contest. However, the Sharks’ struggles to contain the Wildcats on the interior proved insurmountable. Arizona scored 50 points in the paint, a portion of which came off the Wildcats’ 22 second-chance points. The bigger Arizona lineup dominated the glass, 52-31, with 16 on the offensive end.

No. 9 Utah State 86, No. 8 Villanova 76

MJ Collins Jr. scored seven of his 20 points in the final three minutes as the Aggies outscored the Wildcats 15-3 down the stretch to rally for the first-round win in San Diego.

Mason Falslev, the Mountain West Player of the Year, delivered 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Utah State (29-6), which will face top-seeded Arizona on Sunday. Adlan Elamin added 13 points and seven rebounds while Drake Allen contributed 11 points, six assists and three steals.

Bryce Lindsay paced all scorers with 25 points for Villanova (24-9), which built a 10-point lead early in the second half. Duke Brennan and Tyler Perkins added 15 points apiece. The Wildcats took their last lead, 73-71, with 6:04 to play on Lindsay’s sixth and final 3-pointer.

Utah State responded with a 9-0 run keyed by two Collins’ layups, then he delivered a breakaway dunk that made it 84-74 with 1:13 to go.

–Field Level Media

McGrady Takes Next Step to Build OBL

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ORLANDO – OBL (Ones Basketball League) announced the re-envisioning of its premier 1×1 basketball league founded by basketball Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Tracy McGrady and now backed by a multi-million dollar growth capital investment by Next Gen Sports. “OBL: Battle of the Cities” will take an expanded version of the original OBL, with elite one-on-one athletes bringing their own vision, culture and prestige tied to the city in which they were raised, played basketball or now call home. Each city-based team will have a three man roster, comprised of players who best reflect the tradition and basketball culture of the city the team represents, hand selected by the Owners/GMs. “OBL: Battle of the Cities” will take place over multiple weeks in Orlando, Florida, where McGrady was raised playing 1×1 himself, from May 15 to June 30, with teams competing for the swagger, pride, and identity of every city represented.

Potential participants can still submit information at https://oblhoops.com/

“The way we’re building this version of OBL, it’s not just about skill, it’s about toughness, personality and authenticity. Every team and every player is bringing their own story and their own energy to the game,” McGrady said. “We’re also looking forward to the legends stepping in to help shape these teams.

“We’ve got some of the most respected voices in basketball, media and entertainment getting involved and people who really understand the culture of the game. Together we’re building something that goes way beyond just one-on-one basketball.”

In addition to McGrady’s leadership, each city-based team will be led by their celebrity team owner/GM who will select the very best 1×1 hoopers to represent each city.

The cities and coaches include:

  1. Team Orlando – Vince Carter, NBA Hall of Famer
  2. Team Washington, DC – Quinn Cook, two-time NBA Champion
  3. Team Miami – Tim Hardaway Sr., five-time NBA All-Star
  4. Team New York – Jadakiss, recording star and basketball insider
  5. Team Chicago – Larenz Tate, actor, film producer, basketball aficionado
  6. Team Raleigh – John Wall, five-time NBA All-Star
  7. Team Atlanta – Stay Tuned
  8. Team Baltimore – Stay Tuned

“We are honored, humbled and couldn’t be more proud to be able to work with McGrady and the roster of new team owners and GMs to bring the OBL to unforeseen heights,”  said Heath Freeman, Managing Partner, Next Gen Sports, and Chairman of OBL.

OBL will host a multi-week season where eight initial cities will field teams featuring hoopers who fit the criteria of embodying the heart and essence of their respective cities, bringing a unique and dynamic aspect to their representation. Cities battle for pride and prize, each sending out one player at a time in 1-on-1 matchups. Thrilling, quick games that keep audiences on the edge of their seat. The production will feature intense game-play, as well as a deeper look into player backgrounds and real individual stories centering on highlighting players’ talent and authenticity.

Early March Madness’ Madness

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – “Hello A.I. my new friend. I’ve come to chat gpt with you again. Because of visions so creepy, with premonitions gained while I was sleeping. And, the vision that was planted in Naismith’s brain, no longer remains. On my Road to Indianapolis.”

With all this talk about A.I. – I figured it was time to go to the well, and call up A.I. himself. I had a question, and I needed The Answer.

WWYI: “A.I. – what would you like me to call you? Just “A or AI, Mr. I?”

A.I. – “You can call me Allen.”

WWYI: “Oh, okay, I once knew a guy by the name of Allen, and everyone called him “A.I.” or “Bubba Chuck,” or “The Answer.”

A.I. – “I know the guy, but can you stop screwing around and let’s get on with it. What do you want to know?”

WWYI: “Alright already.”

Here we go:

WWYI: “Can you explain the thoughts and logic behind the 2026 NCAA Selection Sunday process and why St. John’s remained at the exact same No. 5 seed that they were on Wednesday morning, even after beating the living daylights out of UConn twice in the same game?”

A.I. – The general reaction to St. John’s receiving a No. 5 seed has been a mix of surprise, frustration from fans and local media, and strategic analysis from bracketologists. Despite winning their second consecutive Big East Championship with a 20-point blowout of UConn, the Red Storm did not see the significant seed jump many expected.

WWYI: “Tell me more, please.”

A.I. – There’s quite a lot to go over. Let’s break it down into different pods of thought and information.

First, the “Disrespect” Theory

Fans and local media have characterized the No. 5 seed as a “disgrace” and “criminal bias,” particularly because St. John’s: Dominated the Big East: They won both the regular-season and conference tournament titles for the second consecutive year.

Beat the Best: They (St John’s) soundly defeated No. 2-seeded UConn twice this season, including a 20-point blowout in the Big East championship.

Rankings Discrepancy: The Red Storm were ranked No. 13 in the final AP Poll, yet were seeded lower than teams like Nebraska and Gonzaga, who they outperformed in several metrics.

The Committee’s Mumbo-Jumbo: Selection committee chairman Keith Gill defended the decision by citing the team’s non-conference performances. Despite their late-season surge (winning 19 of their last 20), their early-season résumé was lacking, including:

Top-Tier Losses: St. John’s went 0-4 against elite non-conference opponents, losing to Iowa State, Alabama, Kentucky, and Auburn.

Quadrant 1 Struggles: They finished with a relatively pedestrian 5-5 record in Quad 1 games. By comparison, teams seeded No. 3 or No. 4 generally had more “depth and quality” in their marquee wins.

Selection Committee’s “Full Body of Work” Argument: The selection committee chair doubled-down, noting that while the win over UConn was “big,” the team’s non-conference schedule lacked the “depth and quality” of teams seeded higher. St. John’s finished just 5-5 in Quadrant 1 games, with losses to Iowa State, Alabama, Kentucky, and Auburn weighing down their resume.

Continuing the “We Got Screwed” Rants: Many analysts and fans felt the No. 5 seed was too low for a team that has won 19 of its last 20 games and features the unanimous Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year, Zuby Ejiofor. Some bracket projections had them as high as a No. 2 or No. 3 seed prior to the reveal.

WWYI: “If we accept all of those explanations and follow that logic, then why did No. 18 ranked Purdue Boilermakers go from the depths of the Top 25 (AP and Coaches Polls) to a #2 seed in the West? While they did win the BIG Ten tournament, they had recent losses to Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State?”

AI – That does not compute. Re-boot, re-boot, re-boot!

WWYI: “So sorry, I’ll get back to regular questioning. How did St. John’s and coach Rick Pitino react to all of this?”

The P, P&P Theory: Rick Pitino’s Perspective: Pitino’s reaction was a mix of realism and motivation. He admitted that while his staff hoped for a No. 4 seed, he personally expected a No. 5. Rick Pitino’s Pragmatism: Coach Rick Pitino expressed that traveling to San Diego for the first round was “not ideal,” but maintained a focused “deal with it” attitude. He has publicly emphasized that his team has “out of hibernation” and is playing its best basketball at the right time.

Pitino noted he has reached Final Fours before after starting on the West Coast and added, that if they survive the first round, they would likely face Kansas, whose fans would travel “heavy” and would likely “pack the house,” leaving St. John’s with only a “few hundred people” in support.

Nightmare vs. Dream Scenarios: St. John’s must beware as “Danger Lurks,” as The No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchup is a notorious “upset” slot. Facing a tough Northern Iowa team in the first round is seen as a potential trap.

The Opportunity: Some analysts believe St. John’s is actually the “best” No. 5 seed and a nightmare matchup for potential high-seed opponents like Duke or Kansas later in the bracket because of their physical, defensive style.

Strategic Analysis as The Giant Slayer: Interestingly, some analysts—including those from Duke-affiliated forums – view St. John’s as a “nightmare” No. 5 seed.

The Matchup: Because they play a physical, defensive style similar to UConn, they are seen as a team that could potentially upset any higher seed in the Sweet 16.

Don’t you think Pitino will jump on these points to motivate his team?

WWYI: “Wait, who is asking the questions, here.”

The Danger Zone: Conversely, expert “bracketologists” warned of the “upset alert” against Northern Iowa, a senior-led team that shoots well from the perimeter and rarely turns the ball over—the exact profile that often takes down aggressive, pressing teams.

WWYI: “I have an idea. Maybe they should focus one game at a time, instead of looking at the entire region? Keep the focus on:

Northern Iowa No. 12 San Diego, CA Friday, March 20 @ 7:10 PM EDT

A.I. – “It’s amazing how quickly you humans can learn. Can you get me a gig in The White House? Maybe the Department of War? Or, as Speaker of the House? Or, maybe just the Atlanta Hawks’ promotions office?”

Editor’s Note: Apologies to Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel at the top of this missive.

 

WNBA Reaches New Deal

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NEW YORK – The WNBA and its Players’ Union reached a verbal deal for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement after 2:00am Wednesday to move forward with a pact that will redefine the economic and governing rules of the WNBA going forward. The agreement, WNBA legend Breanna Stewart said, will be “transformational” for the league and its players.

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Though there is an agreement in place, it still must be formalized into a term sheet and approved by the players and the league’s board of governors. The details of the agreement are still not known. Player salaries will be tied to league revenue for the first time, average player compensation will be more than half a million dollars, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said, and the agreement will also improve on family planning and parental leave benefits.

Despite deadlines and saber-rattling that the league could have the start of its season impacted, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that training camp and the regular season will start on time. Opening night is scheduled for May 8.

In the coming weeks, the league must still conduct an expansion draft for new teams in Toronto and Portland and open the free agency period, where over 80% of the league’s players are currently eligible.

Next Steps for Ratification
The agreement is currently “in principle.” Over the next few days, lawyers will finalize the formal term sheet, which will then be put to a vote by the players and must be approved by the WNBA Board of Governors. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike both expressed immense pride in the deal, calling it a “win-win” that redefines the professional standard for the league.

-Wire Service Report

Howard Hangs on for Historic Win

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DAYTON – Ose Okojie scored 16 of his team-leading 23 points in the first half and Bryce Harris added 19 points and 14 rebounds as Howard held off a furious rally by UMBC 86-83 on Tuesday in an NCAA Tournament First Four contest.

As the shot clock was expiring, Harris hit a clutch turnaround jumper with 12.7 seconds left to give Howard (24-10) a four-point lead. The Bison held on to advance as the No. 16 seed and oppose No. 1 seed Michigan in a Midwest Region first-round game Thursday in Buffalo.

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“We talk about how important it is for them to have a chance to get to an NCAA Tournament and win games. It’s a box that we checked,” Howard coach Kenneth Blakeney said of Howard’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win in five tries. “We talked about that before the game. We’ve never won a game. We’ve done a lot of things in our program, but let’s check off the box of winning an NCAA game today.”

Harris gathered the team together on the court after the win and spoke about the history they made.

“Bryce’s speech was just like, we did it,” Okojie said. “We made history with these guys. And it wasn’t just me. It wasn’t just the starting five. It was 1 to 16. The energy they gave up is the (credit to the) coaching staff.”

The Bison, who qualified for the 68-team field by capturing the MEAC tournament title, extended their season-best win streak to nine games.

“I think our guys’ resiliency and being battle tested in our tournament and some of our games this year, it was a very familiar place for us,” Blakeney added. “I’m just so happy for our university, our players. We talk about this moment, these moments when we present our university to our young men.”

Jah’Likai King had 19 and DJ Armstrong Jr. added 17 for the Retrievers (24-9), who had their program-record 12-game win streak snapped. The Retrievers, tournament champions of the America East, were making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since their historic 2018 upset of No. 1 seed Virginia.

Caden Diggs added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench for UMBC. Armstrong’s 30-foot 3-point attempt was off the mark to the right as time expired.

Howard led by double figures for most of the second half, but Diggs converted two free throws with 53.8 seconds left to draw UMBC within 83-78. After the Bison’s Cam Gillus came up short on the front end of a 1-and-1 with 52.9 seconds left, Armstrong drained a long 3-pointer with 43.4 seconds left to cap a 9-0 run, and UMBC was within 83-81.

“In the second half, I think you got to see what UMBC does all the time where we didn’t foul and we really guarded, played good offense, and we made it a game,” Retrievers coach Jim Ferry said. “It was a very exciting game to watch, but I’m so proud of my guys because I saw it in warmups and I don’t really want to say it, I thought those guys were flying around on Howard and we were kind of (passive). But then we fought through it and fought through it which is what we’ve done all year and made it into a fantastic basketball game.”

After UMBC opened with the game’s first four points, Howard scored the next nine points to take an early lead. The Bison used an 8-0 surge to take a 19-11 advantage on a layup by Okojie.

Trailing 21-13, the Retrievers went on a 9-3 spurt to draw within 24-22 on a King layup. UMBC cut the gap to 31-30 before Howard answered with a 12-0 run that gave them their biggest first-half lead after a pair of free throws from Alex Cotton.

Cougar Downing’s layup with two seconds left in the half sent UMBC into halftime down 49-41.

–Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media

Texas Advances Past NC State

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DAYTON – Texas guard Tramon Mark capped his team-leading 17-point effort by sinking a pull-up jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining, lifting Texas past North Carolina State 68-66 in an NCAA Tournament First Four thriller on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio.

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Matas Vokietaitis had 15 points while Chendall Weaver had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Texas (19-14), which advances as the No. 11 seed in the West Region to face No. 6 BYU on Thursday in Portland, Oregon.

Dailyn Swain (13 points, eight rebounds) blocked a potential 3-pointer at the buzzer to preserve the game for the Longhorns.

The two teams faced off at the Maui Invitational in November, and Texas won that meeting 102-97.

“Today it was very slow and very different,” Texas coach Sean Miller said of the game’s tempo. “One thing about the tournament, it can bring some anxiety and probably (to) both teams. I just thought like we missed a few easy shots, and we weren’t who we’ve been all season on offense but thrilled we were able to win.”

Tre Holloman converted a three-point play with 1:48 remaining to draw NC State within 62-56. After a pair of Swain free throws, Paul McNeil Jr. drained a deep 3-pointer from the left baseline to bring NC State within 64-59 with 1:30 remaining. Another McNeil 3-point heave from the opposite baseline with 1:06 left cut Texas’ lead to 64-62.

Mark’s turnaround in the lane with 36.8 seconds remaining put the Longhorns up 66-62 before Darrion Willams answered with a trey to make it 66-65 Texas with 29.4 seconds left. Swain was double-teamed in the corner after receiving the inbounds pass and lost it out of bounds with 20.3 seconds to go.

Holloman drove to the basket and was fouled and given two free throws with 18.3 seconds left. He missed the first but hit the second for a 66-66 tie, and setting the stage for Mark’s game-winner.

“I got a great look,” Mark said. “I looked at the clock, and I just sized them up and got a great look at the rim. I practice those shots every day, so just got a great look at it.”

It was the second straight First Four for Swain and Miller. In the 2025 First Four, the two of them helped Xavier beat Texas on the same court and advance to the field of 64, where the Musketeers lost to Illinois.

Williams had 21 points and Quadir Copeland added 16 points and eight rebounds for NC State (20-14), which ends its season losing eight of the final 10 games.

“Disappointing end to a pretty disappointing season for us, the way I look at it,” NC State coach Will Wade said. “We haven’t been very good in close games. We hadn’t earned the right to win in close games, and our season ended very similar to the reason we’re sitting in Dayton.

“You are who you are in pressure moments, and we tried to mask some stuff and we couldn’t do it. That’s why we’re here, and that’s why we’re heading home.”

Texas dominated most of the game on the boards, outrebounding NC State 45-33. The Wolfpack took advantage of an eight-minute Texas field-goal drought to close the first half down just 30-29 after trailing by 10.

–By Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media

St. John’s Says: “This is OUR City”

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) –  St. John’s senior Zuby Ejiofor totaled 18 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks and three steals as top-seeded Johnnies started quickly, never let up and earned a 72-52 victory over second-seeded UConn on Saturday night to win the Big East tournament title.

Projected to be a fifth seed in the NCAA Tournament by many bracketologists, the Red Storm (28-6) won their fifth conference tournament title and achieved the feat in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history.

St. John’s, ranked No. 13 in the nation, also became the first school to go back-to-back as Big East tournament champions since Villanova won three straight from 2017-19.

The Red Storm won for the 19th time in 20 games since a six-point home loss to Providence on Jan. 3. Their lone loss in that span was a 72-40 thrashing by UConn in Hartford on Feb. 25.

Ejiofor, voted the tournament’s most outstanding player, made 7-of-11 shots and hit a pair of 3s on Saturday. He finished one shy of his career high for blocks set Dec. 6 against Ole Miss and matched in the next game on Dec. 13 against Iona.

Bryce Hopkins also scored 18 and Oziyah Sellers contributed 14 for the Red Storm, who scored the game’s first 10 points. St. John’s scored the first nine points in a quarterfinal win over Providence on Thursday and the first eight in the semifinal win over Seton Hall on Friday.

The Red Storm shot 48.2% from the field (27 of 56) and scored 24 points off turnovers.

No. 6 UConn (29-5) was unable to win its ninth conference title and ended the game by getting outscored 13-3 and missing its last 13 field-goal attempts over the final eight minutes.

Tarris Reed Jr. led the Huskies with 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting but was constantly bottled up by Ejiofor in the paint. Reed was UConn’s lone double-figure scorer as the Huskies shot a season-worst 33.9% (19 of 56), missed 16 of 19 3s and committed 17 turnovers.

Leading scorer Solo Ball was held to three points on 1-of-7 shooting while Alex Karaban finished with seven and Silas Demary Jr. had six.

After a basket by Erik Reibe made it a nine-point game with 9:58 left in the first half, the Red Storm ripped off an 11-3 run that featured dunks by Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell for a 36-19 lead with 4:37 left before taking a 40-27 lead by halftime.

St. John’s held an 18-point lead on a basket by Sellers less than two minutes into the second half, and UConn scored the next nine points, getting within 47-38 on a layup by Reed with 15:08 left. The Huskies kept charging back and Reed’s short jumper cut the lead to 49-42 and prompted a timeout.

UConn sliced the lead to nine on a basket by Malachi Smith with 8:03 left. St John’s answered by getting six straight points from Darling, a jumper by Sellers and a layup by Hopkins for a 69-49 lead with 3:26 left to essentially clinch matters.

–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

The Battle for The Big East ’26

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NEW YORK – (staff and Wire Service Report) – Throughout the season, it seemed inevitable that Big East heavyweights St. John’s and UConn would meet to decide the conference tournament championship.

On Saturday night, the highly anticipated encounter will occur at what will be a packed Madison Square Garden when top-seeded St. John’s (27-6) and second-seeded UConn (29-4) square off for the third time this season.

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St. John’s forced 15 turnovers and saw Zuby Ejiofor total 21 points and 10 rebounds in an 81-72 home win over the Huskies on Feb. 6.

The Huskies rolled to a 72-40 win in Hartford on Feb. 25, when the Red Storm missed their final 24 shots and did not get a basket for the final 17 1/2 minutes.

“I just think both programs have really pushed each other the whole year,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said Friday. “We’re a 29-win team, they’re a 27-win team. Two of the best teams in the country.

UConn is ranked sixth in the nation and St. John’s is 13th.

“Obviously it’s going to be a death match for the Big East championship, but also, you know, both of us have really delivered for this league in a year where this league needs a game like this tomorrow night that everyone that’s a basketball fan’s going to be dialed into,” Hurley said. “So, yeah, it’s exciting. You knew there was going to be a third round, and here we are.”

St. John’s, which has won five games in a row, is attempting to win consecutive titles for the first time in school history. The Red Storm reached the championship game in back-to-back seasons in 1985 and 1986 and split title games with UConn in 1999 and 2000.

St. John’s is attempting to win its fifth title in seven tries and second since 2000 after earning an 82-66 victory over Creighton last year.

The only starter from the 2025 title game is Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year. He has 41 total points in the Red Storm’s tournament victories over Providence and Seton Hall. On Friday, in a 78-68 semifinal win over pesky Seton Hall, Ejiofor scored 20 points in a game in which St. John’s never trailed and led by as many as 19.

“We’re playing for a championship,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said. “We played for the regular season as if our life was on the line. We’re going to play tomorrow as if our life is on the line. Then we’ll worry about the (NCAA) tournament.”

The Red Storm advanced by getting key contributions from Joson Sanon, Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins. Sanon scored 15 off the bench, while Mitchell and Hopkins finished with 13 apiece and combined for 13 rebounds.

“For us new guys who weren’t part of the team last year, we want it just as bad, and we have the same type of chip on our shoulder, like we’re defending it like if we won it last year with them,” Mitchell said. “So it’s just about coming together, staying as one, going out there to compete for 40 minutes.”

UConn is in the title game for the second time in three seasons. The Huskies are 8-3 in their previous trips to the championship game and tied with Georgetown for the most conference titles in Big East history.

The Huskies ended the regular season with a dismal 68-62 loss at Marquette last Saturday but responded nicely with double-digit wins over Xavier and Georgetown while never trailing in either game.

UConn followed its 93-68 victory over the Musketeers by keeping Georgetown at bay in a 67-51 victory Friday night.

The Huskies scored their most points this season in a regulation conference win on Thursday and saw big games from Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. On Friday, UConn got a huge performance from Braylon Mullins to offset quiet showings from Ball and Reed.

Mullins scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half. For the game, he was 8-of-17 shooting and took all four of UConn’s free throws. Mullins finished four shy of his career high and made 12 of 26 shots from the floor in his first two tournament games after a 4-of-15 outing at Marquette.

“I’m so grateful to be in the position, and I think we’re all grateful to be going into the Big East championship game,” Mullins said. “Being a freshman, there’s nowhere else I would want to be.”

–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

UConn Knocks Off Georgetown

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Connecticut’s Braylon Mullins scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half as second-seeded UConn never trailed and kept 11th-seeded Georgetown at bay throughout a 67-51 victory in the Big East semifinals on Friday night.

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The sixth-ranked Huskies (29-4) advanced to the title game and will face top-seeded St. John’s after the Red Storm earned a 78-68 win over No. 4 seed Seton Hall in the first semifinal. UConn is attempting to win its ninth Big East tournament title and second in three seasons.

The Hoyas (16-18) saw their magic run out after reaching the semifinals. Georgetown missed a chance at playing for its first title since making a surprise run as the eighth seed in 2021.

Mullins notched his third 20-point game of his freshman season and finished three points shy of his career high set Feb. 18 against Creighton. The guard made 8 of 17 and hit three foul shots on a night when the Huskies only attempted four free throws.

Silas DeMary Jr. added 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists. DeMary was UConn’s leading rebounder and helped the Huskies to a 34-25 edge on the glass

The big performance by Mullins offset quiet nights from Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. Ball and Karaban finished with seven points apiece while Reed was held to six points and seven rebounds after getting a double-double in Thursday’s 25-point rout of Xavier.

The Huskies shot 47.5% and made 8 of 25 3s after eking a pair of close wins over the Hoyas during the regular season.

Vince Iwuchukwu led Georgetown with 11 points, but Julius Halaifonua was unable to follow up his first career double-double in Thursday’s 14-point win over Villanova. Halaifonua was held to 10 points and did not get a rebound while sitting for over 11 minutes after getting his third foul early in the second half.

The Hoyas shot 38% and were 2 of 16 from 3-point range. Georgetown also was 9-for-18 on layups

After scoring the game’s first seven points, the Huskies took a 24-14 lead with 6:48 remaining in the first half when Karaban’s backdoor layup followed a powerful dunk by Reed. Mullins scored UConn’s last eight points by hitting three jumpers and a reverse layup in the final 4:16 and the Huskies held a 32-21 lead at halftime.

Mullins and DeMary hit 3s on consecutive possessions for a 41-27 lead less than four minutes into the second. A 3 by Caleb Williams moved Georgetown within 48-40 with 8:54 left and UConn never let the lead slip any closer.

The Huskies clinched it when Mullins found Erik Reibe for a dunk that made it 57-44 with 5:28 left and took a 15-point lead on a basket by Karaban with 3:02 left.

–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

St. John’s Stakes Claim to Big East Finale

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NEW YORK  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Zuby Ejiofor of St. John’s, scored 20 points as top-seeded Johnnies took control in the second half and fended off a late comeback attempt in its 78-68 victory over fourth-seeded Seton Hall on Friday in the Big East tournament semifinals. The 13th-ranked Red Storm (27-6) advanced to Saturday’s title game and will face second-seed UConn.  St John’s advanced to the title game in consecutive seasons for the third time in school history and first time since losing to UConn in 1999 and beating the Huskies in the following season.

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After being swept by the Red Storm in three matchups, the Pirates (21-12) will wait until Sunday’s selection show to find out if they will make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team for the first time since 2022. Seton Hall entered the game with a NET rating of 53 but fell to 1-6 in Quad One games.

Ejiofor finished 8-of-14 shooting after scoring 21 in Thursday’s 13-point win over Providence. He had a pair of dunks along with four layups for his fourth straight 20-point showing and 11th overall.

Reserve Joson Sanon added 15 and hit three 3-pointers as the Red Storm beat Seton Hall for the sixth straight time. Dillon Mitchell added 13 on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with six rebounds and five assists while Bryce Hopkins chipped in 13 and a team-leading seven rebounds.

The Red Storm shot 52.1% from the field and made 24 of 30 free-throw attempts (80%). St. John’s operated mostly inside the paint as it tied a season low by attempting 12 3-pointers.

Budd Clark led the Pirates with 17 points but shot 6 of 18 with 11 assists and also committed four of Seton Hall’s 12 turnovers. Jacob Dar added 13 points while Mike Williams III and Najai Hines contributed 10 apiece for the Pirates, who trailed by 19 twice in the second half and cut the lead to six before St. John’s secured the win.

The Pirates shot 41.5%, misfired on 15 of 20 3-point tries and were unable to reach the championship game for the first time since 2019.

The Red Storm scored the game’s first eight points, with Ejiofor’s baseline dunk prompting a Seton Hall timeout with 17:06 left. Seton Hall hung around and trailed 38-30 by halftime.

The Red Storm took its second 19-point lead when Ruben Prey hit a free throw with 9:56 left.

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Seton Hall attempted a comeback, ripping off seven straight points to get within 55-43 following a layup by Hines with 7:42 left. The Pirates kept rallying and A.J. Staton-McCray hit an open corner 3 with 4:41 left to slice the deficit to 62-56.

Ejiofor broke free for a layup on the next possession and St. John’s sank five free throws over the next two minutes to extend the lead to 69-56 before finishing it off.

– By Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media