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Basketball Hall Elects 16 New Members

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SPRINGFIELD – A day after its COVID-19 delayed 2020 induction ceremony, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 16 honorees for the Class of 2021 which will be enshrined on Saturday, September 11, 2021 in ceremonies at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun resort hotel and arena.

The 2021 honorees class includes nine voted in from the North American and Women’s committees, including the ninth-winningest coach in NBA history Rick Adelman, two-time NBA champion and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, NBA Finals MVP with the Boston Celtics and 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, the first Black NBA head coach Bill Russell, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Champion Ben Wallace, five-time NBA All-Star and NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Webber, two-time NCAA national champion Villanova Wildcats coach Jay Wright, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith and seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson of Australia.

Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected seven direct-elect enshrinees, including the first President of the WNBA and current BIG East Commissioner Val Ackerman, NBA coach Cotton Fitzsimmons and basketball guru Howard Garfinkel from the Contributor Committee, Clarence “Fats” Jenkins from the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Croatia’s Toni Kukoc from the International Committee, Bob Dandridge from the Veterans Committee and Pearl Moore from the Women’s Veterans Committee.

“For the first time in our history, we’ll enshrine two Classes in one calendar year,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2021 Enshrinement festivities will begin at Mohegan Sun on Friday, September 10 with the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. The Class of 2021 and returning Hall of Famers will then journey to Springfield, Mass. for the annual celebratory events taking place at the newly renovated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and MassMutual Center on September 11

While We’re Young (Ideas) – Our Sunday Sports Notebook on the IVY League

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The IVY League led the way back in March 2020. Hopefully, the Presidents of the IVY League schools knew something back then and know something once again. Something more than the rest of us because the IVY League is coming back for Fall Football.

“Given the current steady decline of Covid-19 infections in this country, and the broad availability and uptake of vaccinations, we are optimistic that our campuses will be back to something close to normal by this fall, including in-person learning with students in residence,” the Council of presidents said in their statement. “And this includes our expectation for the resumption of regular competitive schedules for Ivy League athletics across all sports beginning in fall 2021.

 

Here in the Greater Boston area, Harvard announced its plans in March to have invite all undergraduates back to campus to live and attend in-person classes for the 2021 fall semester. University President Lawrence S. Bacowalso wrote to affiliates this week that Harvard will require all undergraduates living on campus in the fall to get inoculated against the coronavirus.

While most major football conferences returned to some on-field activity last fall, the schools in the IVY League sat on the sidelines. As time passed, most Division I conferences permitted conference play for the Winter 2020-21 and Spring 2021 seasons. A handful of Ivy League schools permitted teams to hold local scrimmages this spring, but Ivy League teams were unable to compete against one another.

Specifics for various school graduations and other large gatherings are being scrutinized at campuses all across America, and pro sports are gradually increasing the percentage of capacity allowing fans to watch their favorite teams. The Ivy League decision, for some reason or another, forecasts better times ahead.

Here’s hoping Harvard visits Yale for “The Game,” this coming November and a significant crowd assembles at the 64,000+ capacity Yale Bowl. One thing is for sure, whatever the percentage of capacity is allowed to watch the football game inside, there will be an equal or larger number of alum assembled in the parking lots, tailgating away and reminiscing about “Glory Days” of the past.

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Boston College Signs with New Balance

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Source: Official Joint News Release) – Boston College athletics signed a 10-year agreement with Boston-based New Balance Athletics to become the Official Footwear and Apparel Provider for the Eagles. The deal will begin on June 1, 2021.

The largest financial footwear and apparel agreement in Boston College athletics history gives New Balance the right to provide uniforms, apparel, and footwear for 30 of BC’s 31 varsity sports. The partnership will also include the opportunity for Boston College student-athletes to be part of an annual internship program at New Balance.

“This partnership will be an absolute game-changer for Boston College athletics and our student-athletes,” said William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Pat Kraft. “This is not just a historic deal in terms of the financial value and amount of apparel for our department. The opportunities for our student-athletes to assist in product design and development of the footwear and apparel they will actually wear and compete in will be transformational.”

As New Balance looks to continue its growth with New Balance Basketball, a key element in this partnership focuses on the innovation and investment in the men’s and women’s basketball programs. New Balance will work closely with both programs to aid in design and product enhancements and is dedicated to their success both on and off the court.

“This progressive collaboration joins two world-class Boston-based teams with strong synergies at our core and enables a broad spectrum of initiatives that will drive innovation, performance and creativity,” says Ray Hilvert, Vice President of Global Team Sports at New Balance. “Boston College athletics is known for its historic commitment to excellence and we look forward to working with Pat Kraft, Father Leahy and the entire Boston College team to build a strong and dynamic relationship that benefits student-athletes and our shared communities.”

The partnership will grant several BC teams access to the new state-of-the-art TRACK@New Balance that is currently under construction. The new sports complex at Boston Landing will feature a 200-meter hydraulically banked track, seating for more than 5,000 spectators, and facilities for training, events, and recovery.

Officially licensed Boston College apparel will be available online this summer on BCEagles.com and New Balance.com in addition to both New Balance Boston retail locations and the Boston College Bookstore.

Boston College cited its longstanding appreciation for New Balance’s history and corporate mission as factors in its decision to seek the agreement. Since 1972, when the company was purchased by Jim Davis, New Balance has grown from six employees manufacturing 30 pairs of shoes per day in a single location to a global brand with more than 7,000 associates worldwide and global annual sales of $3.3 billion in 2020.

Headquartered in Boston, New Balance owns and operates four factories in New England and one in the United Kingdom, and New Balance Foundation– established by Jim and Anne Davis in 1981–has donated more than $110 million in total grants to non-profit organizations to develop high-impact, long-term, sustainable initiatives that enrich the lives of children, their families and their communities.

UMass Takes Its First Frozen Four Title

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PITTSBURGH – The University of Massachusetts soundly defeated St. Cloud State of Minnesota, 5-0, in Saturday night’s men’s ice hockey national championship. For the UMass Minutemen, it’s was their first Frozen Four title win in program history.

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The scoring started a little over seven minutes into the first period when Aaron Bohlinger found himself on a 2-on-0 and cashed in to make it 1-0 UMass. With 1:04 left in the first 20 minutes, Reed Lebster tapped one past St. Cloud G David Hrenak to give UMass a 2-0 lead entering the first intermission.

With St. Cloud State on the power play five minutes into the second frame, Phil Lagunov dangled around Nick Perbix to score a shorthanded goal. Matt Kessel added a power play goal in the back half of the second period to make it 4-0.

UMass’ Bobby Trivigno made it 5-0 when he sniped one past David Hrenak early in the third period.

UMass was on a mission to improve one slot heading into the 2021-21 season. The Minutemen finished as 2019 championship runner-ups (2020 playoff was cancelled). They closed out the 2020-21 regular season winning the program’s first-ever Hockey East title and advanced to the championship game after an overtime thriller in the Frozen Four semifinals against Minnesota Duluth,

UMass goaltender Filip Linberg made 25 saves to earn the shut-out.

 

 

USBWA Honor Iowa’s Luke Garza

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Garza Wins Oscar Robertson Award as NCAA Player of Year

INDIANAPOLIS – (Source Official USBWA press release) – Iowa center Luka Garza, a unanimous All-America selection and the nation’s leader in total points and field goals made, has been named the winner of the 2020-21 Oscar Robertson Trophy as the National Player of the Year in voting by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. The senior from Washington, D.C., was honored in a virtual presentation in conjunction with the men’s Final Four in Indianapolis.

The 6-11, 265-pounder is a two-time First Team USBWA All-American after leading the nation in total points (747), field goals made (281), 30-point games (8) and 20-point games (22). He is fifth nationally in free throw attempts (199), 10th in free throw makes (141) and tied for 11th in double-doubles (13). His 747 points extended the single-season school record he set last season.

Garza earned the Trophy over two other finalists, junior guard Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois and senior forward Corey Kispert of Gonzaga.

Iowa ranked consistently among the top 10 teams in the national polls throughout the 2020-21 season behind Garza, the District VI Player of the Year who repeated as the Big Ten’s Player of the Year, becoming only the third player in conference history to win the award in consecutive seasons. The Hawkeyes closed at 22-9, falling to Oregon 95-80 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite 36 points from Garza, who tied a 65-year-old school record for points in an NCAA Tournament game on 14-of-20 shooting from the field with three three-pointers.

Iowa’s career scoring leader and only its second USBWA All-American (Jarrod Uthof in 2015-16), Garza is the school’s first Oscar Robertson Trophy winner and the first from the Big Ten since Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky in the 2014-15 season. He is the eighth player and the ninth overall honoree from the Big Ten. Following a 15-year hiatus between 1995-2009, the Big Ten has now claimed four of the last 12 awards.

Garza was a unanimous All-American as determined by the four major awarding organizations: the USBWA, Associated Press, NABC and The Sporting News.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy is voted on by the entire membership of the association, which consists of more than 900 journalists. It is the nation’s oldest award. “The Big O” won the USBWA’s first two national player of the year awards in 1959 and 1960 and was the consensus national player of the year as a sophomore in 1958, the year before USBWA started giving its player of the year award. The USBWA renamed the award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season.

US Basketball Writers Honor Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Official News Release from the USBWA) – Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham, a freshman who electrified the Big 12 Conference and led the Cowboys’ late-season surge to their first NCAA Tournament win since 2009, was named winner of the 2020-21 Wayman Tisdale Award, honoring the National Freshman Player of the Year based on voting by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

The lone freshman on USBWA’s 2020-21 All-America first team, Cunningham led the Big 12 in scoring at 20.2 points per game and was a nine-time recipient of the Big 12 Player and/or Newcomer of the Week honor, the most by any player this season and the most in school history. A USBWA All-District VI selection, he is just the fourth Big 12 player to sweep the conference’s player of the year and freshman of the year awards and was the second-highest-scoring freshman nationally.

Cunningham won the Tisdale Award over three other finalists, all fellow USBWA All-Americans: Michigan center Hunter Dickinson, USC forward Evan Mobley and Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs. He is the fifth Big 12 player to win the Wayman Tisdale Award and the 22nd USBWA All-American from OSU, its first since Jawun Evans in 2017.

The award is based on regular-season performance. But Cunningham helped take the fourth-seeded Cowboys into the NCAA’s second round, falling Sunday night to Oregon State 80-70 to finish at 21-9 on the season. His 24 points against Oregon State playing all 40 minutes included four three-pointers. He scored 15 points in OSU’s first-round win over Liberty, including nine straight in the final minutes of its 69-60 win. He finished the season averaging 20.1 points on 43.8 percent shooting, with 62 three-pointers on 40.0 percent shooting outside the arc, 6.2 rebounds per game, 132 free throws made on 84.6 percent accuracy, and a team-high 94 assists and 43 steals.

Cunningham is Oklahoma State’s first USBWA All-American since Marcus Smart in the 2012-13. He joins a trio of previous USBWA National Freshman of the Year Award winners – Smart (2013), Texas’ Kevin Durant (2007) and Kansas State’s Michael Beasley (2008) – in an exclusive group of players to also be chosen as the Big 12 Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season. He became OSU’s all-time leading freshman scorer during the NCAA Tournament finishing with 544 points, only the program’s third player to score 500 points in a season. Should Cunningham declare his eligibility, he is expected to be among the top picks in the 2021 NBA Draft.

The Wayman Tisdale Award is voted on by the entire membership of the association. The USBWA has chosen a national freshman of the year award since the 1988-89 season. It was named the Wayman Tisdale Award in the 2010-11 season in honor of the late three-time USBWA All-American at Oklahoma and the first freshman to receive first-team All-America honors from the USBWA.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season

 

Big East’s Villanova & Creighton Advance to NCAA Sweet 16

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Official News Release from BIG EAST) – Villanova and Creighton, the BIG EAST’s top two teams in the regular season, have advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Championship. The Wildcats, who were ranked 18th in last week’s Associated Press poll, will meet Baylor, the top seed in the South Region, on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. ET. The Bluejays, No. 19 by AP, also meet a No. 1 seed, Gonzaga in a West Region semifinal at 2:10 p.m.

Gonzaga is ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, while Baylor is No. 3.

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Wildcat/Bluejay Similarities: Besides being ranked consecutively at 18th (Villanova) and 19th (Creighton) in the AP poll, both teams are No. 5 seeds in their respective regions and will battle the top seeds next. The venue for both teams this weekend will be the same, Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. Both contests will be telecast on CBS. Villanova and Creighton each knocked off No. 12 seeds in the first round and No. 13 seeds in the second round.

Villanova and Creighton shared the BIG EAST regular-season title last year and both were locks for the 2020 NCAA Tournament, if it had been played.

NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

SOUTH REGION
First Round – March 19
No. 5 Villanova 73, No. 12 Winthrop 63

Second Round – March 21
No. 5 Villanova 84, No. 13 North Texas 61

Regional Semifinals – March 27
No. 5 Villanova vs. No. 1 Baylor – CBS 5:15

WEST REGION
First Round – March 20
No. 5 Creighton 63, No. 12 UCSB 62

Second Round – March 22
No. 5 Creighton 72, No. 13 Ohio 58

Regional Semifinals – March 28
No. 5 Creighton vs. No. 1 Gonzaga – CBS 2:10

EAST REGION
First Round – March 20
No. 5 Colorado 96, No. 12 Georgetown 73
No. 10 Maryland 63, No. 7 Connecticut 54

Four BIG EAST Teams Go Dancing

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NEW YORK – (Official News Release) Villanova, Creighton, UConn and Georgetown earned NCAA bids.  Villanova, the regular season champion, and runner-up Creighton both are No. 5 seeds.  UConn is a No. 7 seed and Georgetown, the BIG EAST Tournament winner, is a No. 12.

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NO. 8 SEED GEORGETOWN GRABS BIG EAST TOURNEY CROWN

The eighth-seeded Georgetown Hoyas were the surprise winners of the The BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden.  After dispatching No. 9 seed Marquette 68-49 in the first round, the Hoyas edged top-seeded Villanova 72-71 in the quarterfinals.  In the semifinals, coach Patrick Ewing’s team beat No. 5 seed Seton Hall 66-58.  In the finals, the Hoyas handled second-seeded Creighton 73-48.  Georgetown became only the second team in league history to knock off the No. 1 and No. 2 seed in the same year.

BIG EAST HAS AVERAGED MORE THAN FIVE NCAA BIDS PER SEASON

Prior to the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament, the BIG EAST received a total of 32 NCAA Tournament invitations, averaging 5.3 per season in the previous six seasons of its basketball-centric alignment (2014-19),  Villanova won the national championship in 2018 and 2016. In 2017, the BIG EAST had seven NCAA Tournament participants.

UCONN REJOINED BIG EAST FOR 2020-21

Connecticut rejoined the BIG EAST as a full member for the 2020-21 academic year.  One of seven original members of the conference, Connecticut competed as a BIG EAST school for the first 34 years of the Conference’s existence, beginning in 1979-80 and continuing through 2012-13.

SEVERAL BIG EAST TEAMS WERE POISED FOR POSTSEASON IN ‘20

Before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled, several BIG EAST teams appeared primed for NCAA invitations. Most national bracketologists had six or seven league teams headed to the NCAAs. The BIG EAST was the top rated conference in the NET.

VILLANOVA HAS THE TOP EIGHT-YEAR LEAGUE RECORD

In the eight seasons since conference realignment, Villanova has the best record in conference play with a 114-27 (.808) mark.  The Wildcats have won or shared seven of the eight regular-season titles.  Xavier won outright in 2017-18.

 

CONFERENCE Records (2013-21)

Overall        Pct.

Villanova            114-27        .808

Connecticut         11-6          .647

Xavier                  80-59         .575

Creighton            83-63         .568

Providence          79-66         .545

Seton Hall           76-69         .524

Butler                  72-74         .493

Marquette          68-77         .469

Georgetown        58-84         .409

St. John’s             55-90         .379

DePaul                30-111        .213

2021 Boston College Football Schedule

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CHESTNUT HILL, MASS – (Official News Release) – Boston College and the Atlantic Coast Conference announced the 2021 football schedule. The BC Eagles play six home games at Alumni Stadium, including the first game of the season versus Colgate on Saturday, Sept. 4.

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Second-year head coach Jeff Hafley won more games than any other first-year Power Five coach a season ago as the Eagles bring back 19 starters in 2021.

The Eagles return 10 starters on offense, led by junior quarterback Phil Jurkovec and All-ACC wide receiver Zay Flowers. BC’s entire offensive line returns, including All-ACC selections Alec Lindstrom, Ben Petrula, Zion Johnsonand Tyler Vrabel up front.

On defense, BC welcomes back seven starters and 10 players that started multiple games a season ago including All-ACC defensive back Josh DeBerry.

The 2021 season begins at Alumni Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 4 versus Colgate. It is the first meeting between the two schools.

Following the season opener at home, BC hits the road for a two-week stretch at Massachusetts on Sept. 11 and at Temple on Sept. 18.

The Eagles play in Amherst against the Minutemen for the first time since 1982. BC has won 10 straight in the series and is 22-5 all-time against UMass, including a 9-2 record away from home.

Old Big East foes reunite in Philadelphia as the Eagles play their first game at Lincoln Financial Field since 2004 on Sept. 18. The Eagles last played the Owls in 2018 and came away with a 45-35 victory in Chestnut Hill. All-time, BC is 29-7-2 against Temple, including a 10-4-1 mark in Philadelphia.

BC and Missouri meet for the first time on Sept. 25 as the two schools begin a home-and-home series. The Eagles return the visit to Missouri on Sept, 14, 2024. Missouri is the first SEC team to play at Alumni Stadium since Tennessee on Oct. 31, 1987.

In meetings that date back to 1937, Boston College is 13-19-1 all-time against the Southeastern Conference. The last time the Eagles faced an SEC opponent was in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31, 2008 against Vanderbilt.

ACC play begins on Saturday, Oct. 2 as BC visits defending ACC champion Clemson for the third consecutive season. Last season, BC lost 34-28 at No. 1 Clemson as the Tigers rallied from a 28-13 deficit. In a series that began in 1940, Boston College and Clemson meet for the 31st time with Clemson leading the series 19-9-2. For the 14th time, Boston College and Clemson play for the O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy after the BC Gridiron Club established the award in 2008.

Following a week off, BC hosts NC State on Saturday, Oct. 16 as the two division foes square off for the first time since the Eagles’ 45-24 victory over the Wolfpack in 2019. All-time, BC is 10-7 against the Wolfpack, including a 7-3 record at Alumni Stadium.

Another two-game road swing follows as the Eagles travel to Louisville on October 23 and visit Syracuse for the third straight season on October 30.

Last season, BC captured a 34-27 victory over the Cardinals at Alumni Stadium. In 13 all-time meetings, Louisville leads the series 7-6, but BC has won three of the previous four games.

Boston College won 16-13 inside the Carrier Dome last season. Syracuse leads the all-time series 32-22, including a 20-9 advantage in Syracuse. BC has won three straight games in the Carrier Dome for the first time in series history.

The only Friday night game of the season features an old rival as Virginia Tech travels to Chestnut Hill on November 5. The Hokies defeated BC last season in Blacksburg as they lead the all-time series 19-10. The last time Virginia Tech played at Alumni Stadium, BC opened the 2019 season with a 35-28 victory.

The final road game of the year features BC’s first trip to Georgia Tech since 2007 as the Eagles and Yellow Jackets meet for the second straight season. In 2020, BC rolled to a 48-27 win at home over Georgia Tech. The Eagles are 3-7 all-time against the Yellow Jackets, including a 2-3 mark in Atlanta.

Boston College closes out the regular season with two home games as Florida State comes to the Heights on November 20 and Wake Forest visits on November 27. The Eagles did not play either division opponent last season.

FSU leads the all-time series 13-5 while the Eagles hold a 14-11-2 series lead against the Demon Deacons.

Season tickets will go on sale for the 2021 season starting on Thursday, Feb. 4 on BCEagles.com or by calling 617-552-4622 (GOBC). Kickoff times and broadcast information will be announced at a later date.

2021 Boston College Football Schedule
Sat., Sept. 4                  Colgate
Sat., Sept. 11                at Massachusetts
Sat., Sept. 18                at Temple
Sat., Sept. 25                Missouri
Sat., Oct. 2                    at Clemson*
Sat., Oct. 16                  NC State*
Sat., Oct. 23                  at Louisville*
Sat., Oct. 30                  at Syracuse*
Fri., Nov. 5                    Virginia Tech*
Sat., Nov. 13                  at Georgia Tech*
Sat., Nov. 20                 Florida State*
Sat., Nov. 27                 Wake Forest*

*Denotes ACC game | Home games at Alumni Stadium in bold