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Basketball Hall of Fame to London

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LONDON – (Staff Report from Official News release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame updated the teams for the Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase, a college basketball double-header that will be held at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday, December 4, 2022. The event will mark the first college basketball game ever played at THE O2. Originally scheduled for December 6, 2020 but postponed for concerns for the COVID-19 pandemic, the revamped event will be headlined by the University of Kentucky vs. University of Michigan at 6:00pm London time/1:00pm (ET), with Marist College vs. University of Maine leading the festivities off at 3:30pm London time/10:30am (ET).

“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate the game on a global scale and we couldn’t be more excited to host four Division I men’s teams in London this December,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We were disappointed to postpone our event in 2020, but could not be more excited to get the inaugural games underway soon. The O2 is a beautiful, world-class venue and we expect many U.S.-based fans will make the trip to enjoy its amenities and support their teams abroad. We’re also looking forward to showcasing collegiate hoops to the local fans and growing the appreciation for basketball at all levels worldwide.”

“We are honoured to be hosting the Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase at The O2 this December,” Gael Caselli, VP of Sports, AEG Europe commented. “Fans from around the world will come to celebrate basketball and enjoy the excitement and experience of college basketball in our world class venue for the very first time, as we look forward to welcoming teams from Kentucky, Michigan, Marist and Maine as part of this inaugural event.” AEG is the parent company of The O2.

The Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase is one event in the Hall of Fame’s series of collegiate events, which continues to grow in an effort to celebrate the game outside the museum walls. Tickets for the Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase will go on-sale to the general public on Friday, March 4, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. London time/4:00 a.m. Eastern Time via AXS.com and The O2 arena box office.

Friars Clinch Big East Season Title

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News release) – Providence defeated Creighton 72-51 Saturday to capture its first BIG EAST regular-season championship.  The Friars (24-3, 14-2 BIG EAST) held a comfortable lead throughout most of the game and cruised to the finish line. A.J. Reeves made 7-of-10 from 3-point range and finished with a game-high 23 points. The Bluejays (19-9, 11-6 BE) had their six-game winning streak come to an end. Ryan Kalkbrenner had 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

Marquette solidified its fifth-place standing with a 64-56 win over visiting Butler at a sold-out Fiserv Forum. The Golden Eagles (18-10, 10-7 BE) trailed most of the game, but overcame the Bulldogs (13-17, 6-13 BE) in the final five minutes. Darryl Morsell led Marquette with 16 points. Justin Lewis scored all 12 of his points in the second half. Butler’s Bryce Nze notched his second straight double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Seton Hall is 6-2 in February after winning 82-66 at Xavier. Jared Rhoden poured in a career-high 30 points and grabbed six rebounds. Tray Jackson was 6-of-6 from the floor, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range, for 17 points. The Pirates (18-9, 9-8 BE) had 17 points off turnovers to only four for the Musketeers (17-11, 7-10 BE). Xavier’s Colby Jones shined with 20 points, 10 boards and four assists.

Today’s schedule has two games. Connecticut plays at Georgetown at noon ET on CBS. The Huskies beat the Hoyas 96-73 on Jan. 25. They are 11-5 in the league standings and alone in third place after Creighton’s loss. Also, St. John’s plays at DePaul at 5 p.m. on FS1. The Johnnies won the first meeting 89-84 on Jan. 5. They are 7-9 in league play and in seventh place, a half-game ahead of Xavier. The Blue Demons are coming off a 68-65 victory at Georgetown.

Providence Defeats Xavier in Triple-OT

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PROVIDENCE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – it’s been a wild week in the BIG EAST and it’s only Friday morning.

On Wednesday, Providence and Xavier played three overtimes before the Friars prevailed 99-92 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

With the win, the Friars (23-3, 13-2 BIG EAST) are one victory away from clinching their first BIG EAST regular-season title. PC was led by Jared Bynum’s 27 points. A.J. Reeves added 16. The Friars held a 14-5 edge in 3-point baskets. Adam Kunkel had a team-high 20 points for Xavier (17-10, 7-9 BE). Paul Scruggs scored 13 of his 19 points in the overtimes.

Creighton has a six-game winning streak after an 81-78 victory at St. John’s. Ryan Hawkins led the charge with 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Bluejays (19-8, 11-5 BE), but the team lost freshman guard Ryan Nembhard, who suffered a broken wrist in the game. The team has announced that he will miss the remainder of the season. Montez Mathis was the top scorer for St. John’s (15-12, 7-9 BE) with 15 points.

Seton Hall used a 20-2 run in the second half to surge to a 56-40 lead against Butler. The Bulldogs responded with a 20-2 rally before the Pirates (17-9, 8-8) prevailed in a 66-60 victory. Jared Rhoden led a balanced Seton Hall scoring effort with 17 points. Tyrese Samuel added 15. Bo Hodges had a game-high 25 points and seven rebounds for Butler (13-16, 6-12 BE).

Big East: UConn Big Win Over ‘Nova

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HARTFORD – (Staff report from official News Release) – In a back-and-forth Top-25 showdown, No. 21 Connecticut and R.J. Cole came up clutch on both ends of the court, first knocking down a contested layup with 5.9 ticks left to give the Huskies a 70-69 advantage over eighth-ranked Villanova. Defensively, Cole forced a turnover with 1.1 seconds left to seal the 71-69 home win.

Early in the contest, UConn took a 33-32 lead on a layup by Adama Sonogo to close out the opening half. Just 2:38 into the second frame, the Huskies took the largest lead of the game, 43-36, on a pair of Isaiah Whaley free throws. After Villanova clawed back to take a four-point lead with 46 seconds remaining in regulation, UConn tallied the final six points of the contest to secure the top-10 win in front of a sold-out XL Center.

Sanogo led the Huskies (20-7, 11-5 BIG EAST) with 20 points and two blocks, while Whaley (13 points) and Cole (12 points) also reached double figures. Collin Gillespie led the Wildcats (21-7, 14-4 BE) with 17 points, while Brandon Slater added 15.

Tonight’s schedule includes three games. At 6:30 p.m. ET, Creighton and St. John’s put their multiple game winning streaks to the test, when the Red Storm host the Bluejays at Carnesecca Arena on FS1. Entering the game with five straight wins, Creighton sits a half-game back on the Huskies in fourth at 10-5. Meanwhile, St. John’s sits in a three-way tie for sixth place with Xavier and Seton Hall at 7-8 in league play.

At 7 p.m. on CBSSN, BIG EAST leader Providence welcomes the Musketeers to the Dunkin Donuts Center. Ranked 11th in Monday’s AP Poll, the Friars enter the game with a 12-2 conference mark and 14-1 record at home. Xavier will look to bounce back from back-to-back losses against St. John’s and UConn and return to .500 in league play.

Rounding out the night, Seton Hall faces Butler at the Prudential Center at 8:30 p.m. on FS1. The Pirates enter the contest with a 16-9 (7-8 BE) overall record, while boasting a 10-2 mark at the Prudential Center this season. The Bulldogs enter the game with a 13-15 (6-11 BE) record.

Big East Standings Tighten-Up

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NEWARK – A three-game Saturday resulted in a three-way tie for sixth place with Villanova and Connecticut inching up in the standings.

UConn moved into sole possession of third place with a 72-61 victory over Xavier. The No. 24 Huskies (19-7, 10-5 BIG EAST) built a 44-27 halftime edge before holding off a rally by the Musketeers (17-9, 7-8 BE). R.J. Cole, Tyler Polley and Adama Sanogo combined for 47 points for UConn. Sanogo also grabbed nine rebounds. Adam Kunkel came off the bench to score a team-high 15 points.

Seton Hall put together a 30-21 halftime lead against DePaul but had to come back to win 66-64. The Pirates (16-9, 7-8 BE) fell behind 57-52 after the Blue Demons (12-14, 3-13 BE) rallied with a 9-0 run. In the last 4:49, neither team led by more than two points. Jared Rhoden carried Seton Hall with 18 points and 18 rebounds. The rebound total matches the highest by a league player this season. DePaul’s Javon Freeman-Liberty scored 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half. His twisting shot in the lane spilled out as the buzzer sounded.

Xavier, St. John’s and Seton Hall are all 7-8 in league play and tied for sixth place.

Villanova led 32-22 at the break against Georgetown but could not get comfortable in the second half of its 74-66 victory. Justin Moore scored 15 of his team-high 19 points in the second half for the Wildcats (21-6, 14-3 BE) who moved closer to first-place Providence (11-2 BE). Donald Carey helped the Hoyas (6-20, 0-15 BE) with a game-high 24 points, which included five 3-pointers. Dante Harris added 16 points.

FS1 will telecast two key games on Sunday’s schedule. Providence at Butler at 1 p.m. (ET0 followed by Marquette at Creighton at 3 p.m. (ET).

Basketball Hall of Fame Names Finalists

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CLEVELAND – (Staff Report from Official News release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame named six extraordinary players, four longtime coaches and one top-of-class referee as finalists from the North American and Women’s committees to be considered for election in 2022.

This year’s list includes two first-time finalists: two-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili and five-time WNBA All-Star, three-time WNBA Champion, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsay Whalen.

Previous finalists included again this year for consideration are longtime NBA referee Hugh Evans, five-time NBA champion and five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection Michael Cooper, five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, consensus National Collegiate Player of the Year Marques Johnson, two-time NCAA National Coach of the Year Bob Huggins, the NBA’s sixth-winningest coach of all-time George Karl, the all-time winningest high school coach, Leta Andrews, four-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Swin Cash, and NCAA national champion and WNBA Coach of the Year Marianne Stanley.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be named a Finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame and we’re elated to recognize the achievements by these outstanding men and women who have left a lasting impact on the game of basketball,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “A heart-felt congratulations goes out to the finalists and their families and we very much look forward to revealing the Class of 2022 at the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans this April.”

The entire Class of 2022 will be announced in New Orleans, on April 2 at the NCAA Men’s Final Four at 12:00 PM ET as part of the Hall of Fame Class Announcement. Enshrinees from the Direct Elect Committees are also recognized at the NCAA Men’s Final Four and include Early African-American Pioneers, International, Contributors, Veterans and the new Women Veterans. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Class of 2022 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass., the Birthplace of Basketball, on September 9-10, 2022.

North American Committee Finalists:
HUGH EVANS [Referee] – Evans served as an NBA Official for 28 consecutive years (1973-2001), tallying over 1,900 regular season games, 170 playoff games, 35 NBA Finals games and four NBA All-Star Games. Following his on-court officiating career, Evans worked as the NBA Assistant Supervisor of Officials (2001-03). He is a recipient of the Each One Teach One Community Service Award and is enshrined in the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame as well as the North Carolina A&T Hall of Fame.

MANU GINOBILI [Player] – Ginobili is a two-time NBA All-Star (2005, 2011) and four-time NBA Champion with the San Antonio Spurs (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014). Over his 16-year NBA career, all with the Spurs, the Argentine guard amassed 14,043 points, 4,001 assists, 3,697 rebounds and 1,392 steals and was honored with the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2008, as well as twice being named to the All-NBA Third Team (2008, 2011). On the international stage, Ginobili helped deliver the first and only Gold Medal in the country’s basketball history at the 2004 Olympics, as well as the bronze at the 2008 games. He joins Bill Bradley as the only two players to have won a EuroLeague title (2001), an NBA championship and an Olympic Gold Medal.

MICHAEL COOPER [Player] – Cooper is a five-time NBA Champion with the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) and is best known for his defensive contributions to an offensively gifted team. He earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors five times (1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988) and was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. In 1986, he collected the J. Walter Kennedy Citizen Award for outstanding service in his community. He played one season for Virtus Roma, where he received the Italian All-Star Game MVP in 1991. As a collegiate athlete at the University of New Mexico, Cooper was named a USBWA First Team All-American.

TIM HARDAWAY [Player] – A 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist, Hardaway played 13 NBA seasons scoring a total of 15,373 points while averaging more than 20 points per game for four consecutive seasons. He is the 1990 recipient of the Jack McMahon Award for most inspirational player and a 1997 All-NBA First Team selection. He currently ranks 18th in NBA history with 7,095 career assists. The Chicago native was a member of the men’s basketball team at the University of Texas at El Paso (1985-1989) and is known for making his signature move – the “UTEP Two-step” – famous in 1989, the same year he was named WAC Player of the Year.

MARQUES JOHNSON [Player] – Johnson is a five-time NBA All-Star (1979-81, 1983, 1986) and a member of the 1978 NBA All-Rookie First Team and the 1979 All-NBA First Team. He was also named the NBA Comeback Player of the Year in 1986. In 11 NBA seasons, he averaged 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. As a student-athlete at UCLA under the direction of Hall of Famer John Wooden, Johnson was a member of an NCAA national championship team (1975). In 1977, he was named Pac-8 Player of the Year and the consensus National Collegiate Player of the Year. Johnson has been inducted into the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2013).

BOB HUGGINS [Coach] – Huggins has been coaching in the collegiate ranks for 45 years, including the last 15 as the head coach at West Virginia University. Over the course of his career, Huggins has led his teams to 25 NCAA Tournament berths, including nine appearances in the Sweet Sixteen (1992, 1993, 1996, 200, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018), four trips to the Elite Eight (1992, 1993, 1996, 2010), and two appearances in the NCAA Final Four (1992, 2010). In 16 years as the head coach at the University of Cincinnati (1989-2005), Huggins led the Bearcats to eight Conference USA regular season championships (1996-2002, 2004), four Conference USA Tournament championships (1996, 1998, 2002, 2004), was a three-time Conference USA Coach of the Year (1998-2000) and was honored as the Conference USA Coach of the Decade in 2005. On the national level, he a was tabbed as the Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 2000 and the ESPN.com National Coach of the Year in 2002.

GEORGE KARL [Coach] – Karl spent 27 seasons as a head coach in the NBA, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-1986), Golden State Warriors (1986-88), Seattle Supersonics (1992-1998), Milwaukee Bucks (1998-2003), Denver Nuggets (2005-2013) and Sacramento Kings (2015-2016). During his career, he guided five different franchises to a total of 22 playoff appearances, led the Supersonics to the NBA Finals (1996), was named the NBA Coach of the Year (2013), and was called upon to be an All-Star Game head coach four times (1994, 1996, 1998, 2010). Karl owns a lifetime coaching record of 1,175-824 (.588), ranking sixth all-time in NBA career wins and posted 12 seasons of 50+ victories and three seasons of 60-plus.

Women’s Committee Finalists:
LETA ANDREWS [Coach] – Coaching in the high school ranks across Texas for 51 years (1962-2014), Andrews posted a lifetime 1,416-351 (.801) record, making her the winningest high school coach of all-time, male or female. She guided her teams to 16 state Final Four appearances, including a state title with Calaleen High School in 1990. Among her many honors, Andrews was named the Walt Disney Teacher/Coach of the Year in 1993, served as the head coach for the Gatorade All-America Game West Team in 2009 and the McDonald’s All-America Game West Team in 2004. In 2007, she was named the National High School Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association and was the recipient of the inaugural Morgan Wooten Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame. She is a member of numerous Hall of Fames across the country, including the National Federation of State High School Hall of Fame (2011), Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2010), Texas Sports Hall of Fame (2008) and the High School Basketball Hall of Fame (1995).

SWIN CASH [Player] – Cash is a four-time WNBA All-Star (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011) and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2012). A true champion, she was a member of three WNBA championship teams during her 15-year career with the Detroit Shock (2003, 2006) and Seattle Storm (2010) as well as two NCAA National Championships at the University of Connecticut (2000, 2002) and a Gold Medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championships. Cash was recognized as one of the 20 best WNBA players of all time in 2016 as she twice named WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2009, 2011) and twice received All-WNBA Second Team (2003-2004) honors. During her collegiate career, she was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and received Kodak First Team All-America honors in 2002 after UConn won their third national title in program history after finishing the season a perfect 39-0. In 2021, Cash was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

MARIANNE STANLEY [Coach] – Coaching in the collegiate and professional ranks for a combined 45 years, Stanley currently serves as the head coach of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. In 22 years as a college coach with Old Dominion (1977-1987), Penn (1987-1989), USC (1989-1993), Stanford (1995-1996) and Cal (1995-1996), Stanley compiled a 416-222 (.652) record, including a NCAA National Championship in 1985, three Final Four appearances (1983, 1985, 1996) and back-to-back AIAW National Titles (1979-1980). She has accumulated numerous Coach of the Year honors, including AIAW National Coach of the Year (1979), Virginia Coach of the Year (1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985), Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year (1984, 1985), Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year (1993) and WNBA Coach of the Year (2002). On the national team level, she helped lead the United States to a Goodwill Games Gold Medal (1983) and FIBA World Championship Gold Medal (1986). Stanley has been enshrined in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2002) and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2010).

LINDSAY WHALEN [Player] – Whalen is a five-time WNBA All-Star (2006, 2011, 2013-2015), three-time WNBA Champion (2011, 2013, 2015) and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2012, 2016). After averaging 11.5 points and 4.9 assists over 15 seasons in the WNBA, she was named to the WNBA First Team three times (2008, 2011, 2013) and was recognized as one of the 20 best WNBA players of all time in 2016. Whalen ranks third all-time in assists (2,345) and led the league in total assists five times (2007, 2011-2015) and assists per game on three occasions (2008, 2011, 2012). During her collegiate career at University of Minnesota, Whalen led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA Final Four in 2004 and was twice named a finalist for the Naismith Award (2003, 2004) and Wade Trophy (2003, 2004). She also received numerous accolades for her on-court performance, including being named to the Kodak/WBCA All-America Team (2003-2004), USBWA All-America Team (2002-2004), AP Second Team All-America Team (2003-2004) and the All-Big Ten First Team (2002-2004).Whalen currently serves as the head coach of the women’s basketball program at her alma mater.

Minton Named Bunn Award Winner

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CLEVELAND – (Staff Report from official News Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame named Reggie Minton as the winner of the 2022 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. Minton, a longtime military officer, men’s basketball coach and former executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Minton will be honored at the Hall of Fame Tip Off Celebration and Awards Gala during Enshrinement Weekend in September.

The Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees in 1973 and is the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-1964, the award honors coaches, players and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional and/or the international game.

“The Basketball Hall of Fame honored to recognize Reggie Minton as the recipient of this year’s Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “Mr. Minton embodies what it means to be a person of integrity and character. From his time honorably serving our country to the passion and knowledge he brought to the gym as a coach, he left a wonderful impact on everyone who he came into contact with. We look forward to honoring his legacy in Springfield this September.”

A native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Minton was an all-state selection at Bridgeport Central High School and was a collegiate standout at the College of Wooster. Following his graduation, he honorably served more than 20 years in the United States Air Force.

After concluding his military career, Minton turned to coaching where he was the head coach at Dartmouth (1983-1984) and the Air Force Academy (1984-2000), where his 16 years still stand as the longest coaching tenure in school history.

Minton joined the NABC staff as the associate executive director in 2000 and was elevated to deputy executive director in 2004. During his time with the NABC, he focused on issues that impacted college basketball and its coaches, legislative actions, and other matters pertaining to the NCAA. He was also the association’s liaison in its partnership with the American Cancer Society in the Coaches vs. Cancer program, which has raised over $100 million since its inception. Throughout his career, Minton was active with USA Basketball, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees and the NIT selection committee. He also served on several NCAA committees, including a term as chair of the rules committee and a consultant to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Issues Committee.

Minton will be honored with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hall of Fame Tip Off Celebration during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend September 9-10, 2022

Frazier, Voepel, Ebersol to be Honored at Basketball Hall of Fame

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CLEVELAND – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame named Basketball Hall-of-Famer and New York Knicks television analyst Walt Frazier, women’s college and professional basketball writer Mechelle Voepel and NBC Network Executive Dick Ebersol as winners of the Curt Gowdy Media Award for 2022.

The Curt Gowdy Media Award is named in honor of the late Curt Gowdy, a legendary sports broadcaster and former Hall of Fame Board member and President. This prestigious award is presented to members of the print, electronic and transformative media whose efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.

Frazier, Voepel and Ebersol will be acknowledged for their contributions to basketball media during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend on September 9-10, 2022.

Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award Winner – Walt Frazier
With the same unmistakable combination of style, grace, and flair that marked his Hall of Fame playing career, Walt “Clyde” Frazier has won an entirely new generation of fans with his acclaimed work as one of the game’s premier broadcast analysts.

For more than three decades, Frazier’s tenure as analyst for his former team, the New York Knicks – first on radio and now on television – has been marked by his unique vocabulary and unmatched basketball wisdom. Working alongside three of the game’s longtime signature voices, Jim Karvellas, Marv Albert and Mike Breen, Frazier has entertained, educated and enlightened thousands of fans in the world’s greatest basketball city, many of whom are too young to remember his playing days but who idolize him in much the same way.

Frazier’s personal involvement does not end at the final buzzer. He is one of the many faces of the franchise and uses his popularity and fame for notable causes, including the importance of education. Active in the Garden of Dreams Foundation’s charity efforts, he founded the Walt Frazier Youth Foundation in 1996.

As a broadcaster, he has come to symbolize Knicks basketball in much the same fashion as he did as a player four decades ago. Frazier connects generations through his work behind the mic and off the court.

Curt Gowdy Print Media Award Winner – Mechelle Voepel
Mechelle Voepel joined ESPN.com in 1996 as a women’s college and pro basketball writer, and since has also covered additional college sports. She has spent her entire career covering the sport of women’s college basketball and has attended more than 20 straight Women’s Basketball Final Fours.

Voepel is considered an authority on the women’s game, both collegiate and professional. She has dedicated her career to telling the story and stories of women’s basketball. Voepel covered her first women’s basketball game at the University of Missouri in 1984 and graduated from Mizzou with a degree in journalism in 1987. Her first job was in Jackson, Tenn., and she’s also worked as an editor and writer at newspapers in Columbia, Mo.; Newport News, Va.; and Kansas City, Mo.

Born in Los Angeles, she grew up 40 miles north of St. Louis and is a lifelong Cardinals baseball fan still basking in amazement over the 2011 World Series title. She has covered both the Summer and Winter Olympics, the Women’s World Cup soccer tournament and several professional golf major tournaments.

Curt Gowdy Transformative Media Award Winner – Dick Ebersol
Dick Ebersol’s long and storied career as a television executive may best be remembered for his groundbreaking work with NBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games. In all, Ebersol produced 19 Olympic Games telecasts, including the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that featured the Dream Team, the USA men’s gold-medal winning team that ushered in a new era of basketball. Ebersol helped transform coverage of the Olympic Games by exploring the personal stories of the athletes, coaches and other figures in order to bring the human side of sport to light. His storytelling approach became his calling card and translated well across all sports.

As president and later chairman of NBC Sports, Ebersol conceived NBA on NBC, an unprecedented league-network relationship starting in 1990. NBA on NBC included the annual All-Star Game on Sunday evening, as well as regular season and playoff coverage that presented double and triple-headers broadcast during the early rounds. During this time, the NBA enjoyed tremendous growth and a surge in popularity thanks in part to Ebersol’s commitment to production, programming and promotion.

Under Ebersol, NBA on NBC featured talents like Marv Albert, Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Fratello, and Bill Walton. Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals still ranks as the highest rated and most watched game on record, and Michael Jordan’s return from his first retirement was seen in more than 10 million homes.

NBC’s partnership with the NBA over 12 seasons included the studio shows NBA Showtime and Inside Stuff and the airing of WNBA inaugural regular season and playoff games. In 1996, after delivering the NBA Finals, World Series, Super Bowl, and the Summer Olympics to NBC, The Sporting News named Ebersol “The Most Powerful Person in Sports.” He is the recipient of the 2008 Sports Lifetime Achievement Award.

Previous Curt Gowdy Media Award Winners:

Year – Print/Electronic/Transformative/Insight
1990 – Dick Herbert/Curt Gowdy
1991 – Dave Dorr/Marty Glickman
1992 – Sam Goldaper/Chick Hearn
1993 – Leonard Lewin/Johnny Most
1994 – Leonard Koppett/Cawood Ledford
1995 – Bob Hammel/Dick Enberg
1996 – Bob Hentzen/Billy Packer
1997 – Bob Ryan/Marv Albert
1998 – Larry Donald & Dick Weiss/Dick Vitale
1999 – Smith Barrier/Bob Costas
2000 – Dave Kindred/Hubie Brown
2001 – Curry Kirkpatrick/Dick Stockton
2002 – Jim O’Connell/Jim Nantz
2003 – Sid Hartman/Hot Rod Hundley
2004 – Phil Jasner/Max Falkenstien
2005 – Jack McCallum/Bill Campbell
2006 – Mark Heisler/Bill Raftery
2007 – Malcolm Moran/Al McCoy
2008 – David DuPree/Bob Wolff
2009 – Peter Vecsey/Doug Collins
2010 – Jackie MacMullan/Joe Tait
2011 – Alexander Wolff/Jim Durham
2012 – Sam Smith/Bill Schonely
2013 – John Feinstein/Eddie Doucette
2014 – Joe Gilmartin/John Andariese
2015 – Rich Clarkson/Woody Durham
2016 – David Aldridge/Jay Bilas
2017 – Harvey Araton/Craig Sager
2018 – Andy Bernstein/Doris Burke
2019 – Marc Stein/Ralph Lawler
2020 – Michael Wilbon/Mike Breen/Inside the NBA/Jim Gray
2021 – Mel Greenberg/Mike Gorman/George Kalinsky

Big East: Xavier Holds-Off UConn

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CINCINNATI – Xavier took a 34-31 lead on a 3-pointer by Nate Johnson to end the first half, then repelled numerous UConn comeback attempts to win 74-68 at a sold-out Cintas Center on Friday night.

Jack Nunge led the 25th-ranked Musketeers (17-7, 7-6 BIG EAST) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Johnson added 17 points. R.J. Cole tallied 22 points and Tyrese Martin added 18 points for the No. 24 Huskies (16-7, 7-5 BE).

Today’s schedule includes four games. At noon ET, Creighton aims to stay above .500 in the league standings when it plays at Georgetown on FS1. The Bluejays are 6-5 in league play after Tuesday’s 54-52 win against Butler.

Seton Hall meets No. 15 Villanova at Wells Fargo Center at 1 p.m. on FOX. The Pirates have won three straight games to improve to 6-6 in the standings. The Wildcats are second with an 11-3 mark.

No. 18 Marquette stays on the road when it travels to Butler at 4:30 p.m. on FS1. The Golden Eagles, who are in fourth place at 8-5, dropped an 80-72 decision at UConn on Tuesday. The Bulldogs are 4-9.

After Marquette-Butler, the FS1 coverage continues with DePaul at No. 11 Providence at 6:30 p.m. The Blue Demons have won two in a row and are 3-9. The Friars lead the league with a 10-1 record and are 13-0 overall at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center this season.

Big East Weekly Honors to Bynum

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NEW YORK – Providence guard Jared Bynum has been selected BIG EAST Player of the Week and Creighton guard Trey Alexander has been chosen BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. Bynum led the Friars to a pair of wins, while Alexander’s Bluejays were 1-1.

BIG EAST Player of the Week

Jared Bynum, Providence, G, Jr. – Bynum put on a spectacular performance in a 71-52 win at Georgetown and helped push the Friars to an 86-82 victory at St. John’s. Against the Hoyas, Bynum scored 27 of his career-high 32 points in the second half. He shot 7-of-8 from 3-point range and grabbed five steals. At St. John’s, he was 4-of-5 from the beyond the arc and finished with 19 points and four assists.

BIG EAST Freshman of the Week

Trey Alexander, Creighton, G, Fr. – In a 1-1 week, Alexander averaged 10.0 points and 3.5 rebounds. He scored all 11 of his points after halftime in a 59-55 win at Connecticut. He made 5-of-6 free throws in the final minutes to help secure the victory. Alexander had nine points in a 74-55 loss at Seton Hall. He takes Freshman honors for the second time in the last three weeks.

BIG EAST Honor Roll

Courvoisier McCauley, DePaul, G, Sr. – Scored a career-high 21 points in a win at Xavier (69-65). Shot 8-of-12 from the field and had five rebounds.

Tyler Kolek, Marquette, G, So. – Posted 18 points, six assists and two steals in a victory against Villanova (83-73).

Posh Alexander, St. John’s, G, So. – Averaged 17.0 points, 7.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals in a 2-1 week. Shot 57.5 percent from the field and had a 3.3 assist/turnover ratio.

Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall, G, So. – With wins against Georgetown (70-63) and Creighton (74-55), averaged 13.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds.

Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, R-So. – Had 24 points and 12 rebounds in a win versus UConn (85-74). Averaged 14.0 points and 9.0 boards in a 1-1 week.