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Sox Take Two of Three from O’s

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Wire Service Accounts) – After taking two of three from the visiting Baltimore Orioles on this 2023 season opening series, the Boston Red Sox know scoring nine runs in every game is satisfying — though not sustainable.

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“We’re probably not going to average nine runs a game all year long,” Kiké Hernández said after collecting two of the team’s 14 hits in a 9-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. “But I do believe that’s what we’re capable of.”

Coming off a last-place finish in 2022 and predicted to finish at the bottom of the AL East again this season, the Red Sox opened by beating Baltimore two out of three — scoring nine runs in each game. They are the third team in baseball history to score at least nine in three straight games to start a season, joining Cincinnati’s 1976 Big Red Machine and the ’78 Milwaukee Brewers known as “Bambi’s Bombers.”

One day after amassing four hits, including a walk-off homer, Adam Duvall had three more hits — two doubles and a two-run single to break a fifth-inning tie. The free agent outfielder collected his sixth extra-base hit of the season, becoming the first player in franchise history with six in his first three games with the team.

“We all knew that he was going to love Fenway Park, he’s going to love the Green Monster being that close,” Hernández said. “He drives in runs; that’s what he does. And when he hits the ball he hits it very hard. So so far, that’s been great.”

Tanner Houck (1-0) lasted five innings – the longest outing for a Red Sox starter this season — giving up three runs, five hits and a walk while striking out five. Hernández hit a solo homer, and Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo each had two of Boston’s 14 hits.

Duvall played the first 10 years of his career in the NL before signing with Boston this offseason. But he already knew he liked Fenway Park, batting .407 with six homers and 12 RBI in six interleague games.

“He has done damage in this stadium before, and we’ve seen it,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “But to do it with us means a lot. And to see that wall 81 times — hopefully plus — I think there’s a comfort level for him.”

After falling behind by six runs in each of the first two games, Boston led 3-0 after three innings. The Orioles tied it in the fifth with home runs by Adam Frazier and Cedric Mullins, but the Red Sox came back with three in the bottom half.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | April 2nd

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – There are two days on our calendar that bring hope and optimism wrapped-up in a ball. First is New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day which comes with a ball that falls so gradually in Times Square as hundreds of thousands, maybe millions count down the final ten seconds of the year. Resolutions are made, but rarely kept as the New Year rolls in. Couples kiss and wish each other “Happy New Year” with hopes for a great year ahead. It’s a wonderful day.

Then, there’s Opening Day in Major League Baseball. Nothing brings hope like the first crack of the bat, the sound of the umpire or some promo winner screaming, “Play Ball,” or the sights and smells of the ballpark, the beautiful green grass of Fenway Park and 29 other ballparks across the USA and Toronto, Canada – all the envy of any homeowner and weekend gardener.

We experienced Opening Day at Fenway this week, complete with pregame ceremonies with F-16 jet fighter fly-over, a giant-sized American flags, a roster full of brand new Red Sox players along with a pitching crew that needs to make some resolutions of their own.

While Opening Day for the Red Sox resulted in the Big “L” there was excitement in the chilly New England air as the game went right down to the last at bat. The second game of the season brought on sheer joy of loyal fandom for the Sox faithful who hung-on to witness a game-winning home run by OF Adam Duvall, lined right into the first row of the Green Monster seats. It came after oft-injured SP Chris Sale spotted the Baltimore Orioles a 7-1 lead after three innings, so the hope of MLB’s Opening Day can go only so far in New England. Sox fans will have to judge their team on one and only one criteria this season: They won’t give up.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The topic of gender equality and the lack thereof surfaced during last year’s NCAA Final Four basketball tournaments for Men and Women. It is a topic that new NCAA President and former Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker must address in much deeper and efficiency than his predecessors. This week sports commentator Bomani Jones nailed it with his op-ed video that best explains the situation. It’s provided here for your viewing and 2023 education via HBO’s YouTube: CLICK HERE.

This season, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes have made as big a statement as possible in the women’s Final Four. They’ll take on LSU at 3:30pm (ET) on ABC Sports and ESPN+ with Iowa favored by 3.5 points. Tune in for a treat.

PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2023 MLB SEASON: It’s only two games into the 2023 Baseball season and my sample size is personally witnessing two games between the visiting Baltimore Orioles against the Boston Red Sox at our downtown bandbox known as Fenway Park.

Opening Day saw the Orioles defeat Boston, 10-9, and Game 2 – Saturday, April 1 – saw Boston come back from that disastrous Sale start (allowed seven runs in three innings, including three Home Runs) but the Sox won the game in grand fashion as described above, an entertaining 9-8 victory.

The 18-18 runs produced/allowed ratio is a quick snapshot, but it might be revealing for what might come in the early month(s) of the season.

It seems the new MLB “Pitch Clock” might have a side effect – call it a severe reaction if you’d like. The lack of time for a pitcher – with runners on base – to:

  • Receive the ball
  • Step to the pitching mound/rubber
  • Make eye contact with the catcher
  • Adjust his grip on the baseball
  • Check the runner on base
  • Re-establish his pitching stance and prepare to throw a pitch (giving or getting a sign)
  • Get into his wind-up before a clock violation

All of the mechanics for each pitch give the pitcher little time to truly focus on the business at hand: Eye and aim for the desired location of his upcoming pitch. The time restraints force the pitcher – at times – to simply hurl the ball much more quickly than he would’ve done a year ago.

This should result in much higher scoring games.

That said, athletes are very quick to adjust and Major League pitchers will gradually adjust to the new rules, maybe in another two weeks – maybe two months – of regular season, so there’s no cause for alarm or panic for those who call themselves traditionalists or like to bet the “under.”

Here’s a quick and personal look at what the MLB Standings might look like, come October 1, 2023:

AL EAST

Toronto Blue Jays
New York Yankees
Baltimore Orioles
Tampa Bay Rays
Boston Red Sox

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland Guardians
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals
Detroit Tigers

AL WEST

Houston Astros
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
LA Angels
Oakland A’s

NL EAST

Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Markins
Washington Nationals

NL CENTRAL

St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates

NL WEST

Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies

World Series: The Houston Astros to defend their title with a 4-games-to-2 series win over the San Diego Padres.

STRAT-O-MATIC: When the folks at the Strat-O-Matic game company on Long Island crunched their numbers and played out their own games, they came up with some 2023 Baseball Predictions they promoted as their own.

Strat’s simulation tabbed the Cleveland Indians with an MLB-best 111 wins to earn the AL No. 1 seed, with the NY Yankees at No. 2 and Houston (with 101 wins each).

In the NL, the San Diego Padres’ 100 wins led the circuit, with the Atlanta Braves (96) and St. Louis (94) as the other NL division winners.

The Strat-O-Matic Postseason ended with the New York Yankees topping the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-games-to-2 to win the MLB title.

Other predictions included:

  • NY Yankees Aaron Judge to earn AL MVP honors with 52 home runs, 132 RBI and .313 batting average.
  • The American League Cy Young Award winner was predicted to be Shane Bieber of Cleveland (20-6, 2.80 ERA, 228K).
  • St. Louis’ Nolan Arenado was promised to excel with a .293 average, 46 home runs and 116 RBI to earn the National League MVP honor.
  • Strat Says Yu Darvish of San Diego might claim the NL Cy Young Award with his predicted total of a 17-4 record, 2.55 ERA and 221 strikeouts

Strat-O-Matic has an interesting back story as the company and its games were invented by then-11-year-old Hal Richman in his bedroom in Great Neck, N.Y. in 1948 as a result of his frustration with the statistical randomness of other baseball board games. He discovered that the statistical predictability of dice would give his game the realism he craved. Over the next decade, he perfected the game at summer camp and then as a student at Bucknell University. After producing All-Star sets in 1961 and ‘62, he parlayed a $5,000 loan from his father (and made a deal that if it didn’t work out he would work for his father’s insurance company) into the original 1962 Strat-O-Matic Baseball season game. Needless to say, Hal never had to take a job with his father.

The Company publishes baseball, football, basketball and hockey games to play both on and off-line and they’re capable of going low to the mobile screen. “Strat-O” games are known throughout the sports community for their statistical realism and accuracy.

YouTube player

 

SHINING MOMENTS FOR 37+ YEARS: Why does the (basketball only) retirement of a guy the vast majority of the general public doesn’t know and hasn’t met strike such an emotional chord? Simply stated, it’s the time well spent. The time CBS Sportscaster Jim Nantz has dedicated to the game of college basketball. The time we – the viewers – have enjoyed spending with him. The time that flies by and adds up to make us all count the years and face our own mortality. The time shared. The time we’re amazed by the efforts of Nantz and the players he covers. Nantz is the face of a thousand people working behind the scenes and directly alongside and behind him who create every broadcast.

It’s not easy doing live remote sports television. It’s impossible to explain why. It’s difficult to explain because the networks producing the major sports in North America make it look so damn easy. It’s not. It’s hard and the games – the EVENTS – are unpredictable and move quickly.

Some look at the most visible signs of the broadcast. The announce table – with the Final Four, it’s been Nantz anchoring for the rsolid former Dukie turned USA Basketball guru Grant Hill and the irreplaceable and greatest of ‘em all, Bill Raftery, the former Seton Hall coach turned broadcaster who remains one of the few, great characters of the sporting world. As Raft ages, we age with him, but he does so and somehow remains “cooler” than anyone in the building. The secret is that Nantz knows exactly how to cue Raft up and exactly when to stay the hell out of the way.

Nantz knows when to praise the game winning shot, often with a single word. He knows when to stay silent and let the work of those thousand people – all behind the lenses of 60 cameras (16 used to be the norm). The great people at Sports Video Group (MUST READ) can give you the “inside stuff” on what goes on behind the scenes. But, the human element is the key to a good broadcast morphing into greatness. Actor-director and so many of us default to calling it – STORY TELLING – but I contend that it is much, much more.

It’s research. It’s knowledge and perspective. It’s relationships and knowing who to speak with and when to drop in a tidbit of information from that source right into the broadcast at the perfect time, a tidbit to be heard by 20+ million people. In that case, the factoid better be accurate. Nantz perfects it by way of building such solid relationships – culled over those 37+ years so his sources are impeccable. Nantz delivers.

For those of us who’ve had the pleasure of working with Jim Nantz over many, many years, he’s been the consummate professional. When Nantz would oversee a Basketball Hall of Fame press conference, it would flow like the Danube River – strong and steady. Just hearing his voice made it a big time event or announcement.

The good news? We’ll still have Nantz visiting our living/TV rooms come this week at The Masters golf tournament- A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER, his patented catch phrase first uttered in 1986 when Nantz was 26 years old and shooting promos and vignettes for CBS’ legendary golf producer Frank Chirkinian.

What’s a TL Sunday Sports Notebook without a story from an insider’s view to close it out for the week?

Knowing Jim Nantz as a local sports television guy who covered the Utah Jazz for KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, this observer was quite surprised when bumping into Nantz and then-CBS Sports Executive Producer Ted Shaker as they entered a 52nd Street restaurant back in 1985.

Together with colleague Brian McIntyre, our eyes were wide open but we kept our mouths shut at the sign that Nantz was being courted to join CBS and then – over time – be groomed to be the replacement for the face of CBS Sports in the ‘80s, Brent Musburger.

It wasn’t an immediate changeover, as Musburger remained as the lead anchor for CBS Sports until the 1990 Final Four. Nantz told the story in a 2015 conference call for sports television reporters:

Nantz said at the time, “Musburger was CBS Sports.”

“He called the NBA Finals, he hosted the Masters, he was hosting the NFL Today and did play-by-play on both college football and basketball,” Nantz said. “It was shocking. For people who weren’t around at that time, it was just unimaginable. It was front-page news in every newspaper in America.”

“The semifinal games were on March 31 that year and we had our broadcast and then there was an obligation for CBS Sports that Brent, Billy [Packer] and I had to attend after the doubleheader,” Nantz said. “It was at the Petroleum Club in Denver and we talked about what we had just seen and what we expected on Monday night. We went to that and then the three of us went out to dinner.

“We walked back to the hotel and Brent’s assistant met him at the door and said he needed to talk to him right away. We all said good night and we said we’d see each other on Sunday.

“At about 8 o’clock Sunday morning, I got a call from Ted Shaker, our executive producer, and he told me what had come down overnight. Brent had walked in and was told that CBS wasn’t going to renew his contract. My first thought was that this was April 1st, and this was some really dumb April Fool’s joke. And that’s what a lot of people thought.”

Nantz said at the time that CBS wanted him to do a short, live commentary after that Monday night championship game – a 103-73 UNLV win over Duke.

“They wanted me to deliver a commentary to express appreciation to Brent for his remarkable career at CBS,” Nantz said. “And at the time, it was a very difficult thing for me. I looked up to Brent and still do and had such deep respect for him and I had to sum up his career in about a minute-and-a-half commentary and then go back to Brent, standing on the court, for his last word.

“It was very difficult to do and there was a very empty feeling leaving the arena that night for all of us.”

That one moment was the transition for Jim Nantz to do the Final Four until tomorrow – Monday, April 3, 2023. There will be a shining moment for the NCAA Men’s Final Four, but this year, it will come as tears well in our eyes.

TL

 

 

Preview: Valero Texas Open

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SAN ANTONIO – This week, 18 players in the 144 player field competed at last week’s World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, including Valero Texas Open defending champion J.J. Spaun, who advanced to the Round of 16 down the block in Austin.

The others:

  1. Christiaan Bezuidenhout
  2. Ryan Fox
  3. Chris Kirk
  4. Alex Noren
  5. Sepp Straka
  6. Corey Conners
  7. Ben Griffin
  8. Matt Kuchar
  9. Andrew Putnam
  10. Nick Taylor
  11. Cam Davis
  12. Tyrrell Hatton
  13. Hideki Matsuyama
  14. Davis Riley
  15. Rickie Fowler
  16. Si Woo Kim
  17. Taylor Montgomery
  18. J.J. Spaun
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The only way for any of the 133 players in the field that are not currently eligible to get in to next week’s Masters Tournament is with a Valero Texas Open victory.

Most recently, Matt Wallace earned his first PGA TOUR victory in his 80th career start at the Corales Puntacana Championship. Prior to his win, Wallace’s best result on Tour was third-place, which he accomplished twice, including most recently at the 2021 Valero Texas Open (solo-third). The other was a T-3 at the 2019 PGA Championship).

Tyrrell Hatton is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking and is making his tournament debut. Hatton has three top-10s in seven starts this season, highlighted by a runner-up at THE PLAYERS Championship (others: T6/WM Phoenix Open, T4/Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard).

Land of Hope & Dreams

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – There are two days on our calendar that bring hope and optimism wrapped-up in a ball. First is New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day which comes with a ball that falls so gradually in Times Square as hundreds of thousands, maybe millions count down the final ten seconds of the year. Resolutions are made, but rarely kept as the New Year rolls in. Couples kiss and wish each other “Happy New Year” with hopes for a great year ahead. It’s a wonderful day.

Then, there’s Opening Day in Major League Baseball. Nothing brings hope like the first crack of the bat, the sound of the umpire or some promo winner screaming, “Play Ball,” or the sights and smells of the ballpark, the beautiful green grass of Fenway Park and 29 other ballparks across the USA and Toronto, Canada – all the envy of any homeowner and weekend gardener.

We experienced Opening Day at Fenway this week, complete with pregame ceremonies with F-16 jet fighter fly-over, a giant-sized American flags, a roster full of brand new Red Sox players along with a pitching crew that needs to make some resolutions of their own.

While Opening Day for the Red Sox resulted in the Big “L” there was excitement in the chilly New England air as the game went right down to the last at bat. The second game of the season brought on sheer joy of loyal fandom for the Sox faithful who hung-on to witness a game-winning home run by OF Adam Duvall, lined right into the first row of the Green Monster seats. It came after oft-injured SP Chris Sale spotted the Baltimore Orioles a 7-1 lead after three innings, so the hope of MLB’s Opening Day can go only so far in New England. Sox fans will have to judge their team on one and only one criteria this season: They won’t give up.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | March 26th

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By TERRY LYONS

NEW YORK – This week had so much potential, so much promise, so much Spring in the air and Daylight in the evenings. It was the first week of Daylight Savings time, the first week of Spring and the week of the Sweet 16 in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. But instead of promise and possibilities, the week ended with a thud, a couple kicks in the teeth and gut, a few grimaces and the Hurricanes and Aztecs bumping off a pair of No. 1 NCAA Men’s College basketball teams and – most seriously – the loss our our Captain.

Former NY Knicks great Willis Reed died Tuesday at age 80, after complications from congestive heart illness of which he’d been treated at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.

Reed, the talent, brawn and inspiration behind the late 1960s New York Knickerbockers, along with guard Walt Frazier and a complementary group of unselfish but all-star level role players led the Knicks to NBA titles in 1969-70 and 1972-73. Reed matched-up against many of the best centers to ever play the game, and at an undersized 6-foot-9, often out-muscled, out-rebounded, out-scored and out-played his rivals.

At the time of his greatest of days and nights, Reed might face an opponent’s center such as:

  • Boston’s Bill Russell
  • LA Lakers’ Wilt Chamberlain
  • Baltimore’s Wes Unseld
  • Golden State/San Francisco’s Nate Thurmond
  • Cincinnati’s Jerry Lucas
  • Detroit and Atlanta’s Walt Bellamy
  • San Diego’s Elvin Hayes
  • Milwaukee’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  • In later years, Boston’s Dave Cowens and Detroit’s Bob Lanier

The list marched on in a golden age of NBA powerful centers and equally talented and strong power forwards, like Bill Bridges, Paul Silas, Truck Robinson, GeorgeMcGinnis, Spencer Haywood, Sidney Wicks, and Gus Johnson, among many others. Reed would be needed to help out Dave DeBusschere on defense. There was never a night off to rest. Load management would simply be a commercial flight to the next city – first flight outbound – and a schedule that posed the next opponent, one tougher than the next, often on back-to-backs, three games in four nights.

Reed, a second round pick of the Knicks in the 1964 NBA Draft (the 8th overall selection after two territorial picks were made to start the draft off), fought those battles at a young age of 22. In scuffles that were a regular occurrence in the NBA in those days, he was known to clear out teams, benches and chase opponents back to their locker rooms.

Reed did it all.

One of the most memorable moments in sports history, never mind New York sports history were the final three games of the Knicks’ first-ever NBA title in 1970. Reed severely injured his knee and leg in Game 5 of the NBA Championship series at Madison Square Garden, but somehow his teammates managed to go on, hold on and win without him. DeBusschere, undersized forward Dave Stallworth, and back-up center, benchwarmer and MSG fave Nate Bowman held on for life against Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor to somehow manage a 107-100 win at The Garden. That fifth game came after two consecutive overtime games.

The wounded Knicks flew to Los Angeles only to be trounced by Chamberlain and the Lakers, 135-113, as Wilt scored seemingly at will, and finished with 45 points and 27 rebounds.

The Game 7 stories are of legendary status. We’ll let ABC Sports commentator JackTwyman take it from here with his iconic, “I think we see Willis coming out,” said Twyman to play-by-play man Chris Schenkel.

The lift provided by Reed’s willingness to have his knee and thigh shot-up with painkillers lifted his teammates to new levels of confidence while raising the then-brand new iconic roof of The Garden to new heights.

Reed hit his first two field goal attempts with his patented left-handed jump shot. In doing so, Knicks guard Walt Frazier took it from there, scoring 36 points with 19 assists to take a very one-sided 113-99 victory for New York’s first NBA title,

Reed led the Knicks to the NBA title in 1973, the last championship the NYK franchise has earned. He went on to coaching and executive positions in NY, New Jersey and asst. coaching positions at various places in the Association. He earned his stripes as a volunteer assistant for St. John’s and Lou Carnesseca in the ‘80s.

All the while, Reed exuded his classy ways and his love for the game while getting nothing but RESPECT in return everywhere he went. In New York, he will forever remain sports royalty up there with the Babe Ruths, Lou Gehrigs, Joe DiMaggios, Tom Seavers, Jerry Koosmans, Joe Namaths, Julius Ervings and a list of dozens of others, including his 1969-70 to 1973 teammates – especially Walt “Clyde” Frazier.

Of those, it is Willis Reed who deserves to have a statue bronzed and placed in the front entrance of Madison Square Garden. His likeness will stand there for eternity.

FUSSING AND FIGHTIN’ MY FRIENDS: Before the devastating news of Willis Reed’s death, the big story on the streets and sports pages of New York was the hiring of Rick Pitino by the St. John’s University Red Storm. After leaving a trail of bread crumbs and recruiting violations from sea to shining sea and beyond to Greece and the EuroLeague, Pitino was thrown a North American life rafter when he was hired at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY.

“Life is very short, and there’s no time

For fussing and fighting, my friend

I have always thought that it’s a crime

So, I will ask you once again

Try to see it my way

Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.”

(Lennon/McCartney – The Beatles)

As he’s done consistently in his past, Pitino won at Iona and he was scooped-up by the desperate Johnnies who have dismissed more coaches than Liz Taylor tossed away husbands.

Many reacted to Pitino’s hiring with joy and the anticipation of a packed Madison Square Garden and St. John’s returning to Top 10 status in the college polls. Others thought of recruiting violations with strippers entertaining players on campus poles.

It took the words of 98-year old wiseman and former St. John’s head coach, Louie Carnesecca to put the hiring of Pitino into proper perspective and to frame his sordid past in the right place:

“His coaching ability is beyond reproach. No matter where he’s coached in college, he’s had great success,” said Carnesecca to Ian O’Connor of the New York Post. “He works like a son of a gun, and all the credentials are there. I think we have a wonderful head coach.”

Regarding his past?

“It’s very simple,” Carnesecca said. “That’s why we have confessions.”

When you boil it all down, “All we are saying, is give Pitino a chance.”

BE THERE: The great Foundation to be Named Later, run by Paul Epstein for his brother, Theo, is once again planning “Hot Stove, Cool Music.” Instead of its mid-winter date, the charity will gather musicians, former players and fans on April 15th at City Winery Boston. Remember, not that long ago, as a young and talented GM, Theo Epstein brought titles to both the Red Sox and then the Chicago Cubs. Suffice to say, they work miracles.

LAX LIFE: With its teams battling for berths and positioning in the NLL Playoffs during the remaining weeks of the regular season, “The March to May” is on in the National Lacrosse League. Every matchup down the stretch will influence the eight-team NLL Playoffs that begin May 5-7. In a quirky set-up, the 2023 NLL Playoffs format features the top four teams from the East Conference and top three from the West Conference, plus a “wild card” entry with the best record between the fourth-place team in the West standings and the fifth-place finisher in the East. This “wild card” will play in the West Conference side of the bracket as the No. 4 seed. The first round of the NLL Playoffs will be single elimination, while the East and West Conference Finals and NLL Finals will each be a best-of-three series. See you on Memorial Day, along with the annual gem of the college sports calendar, the NCAA LAX Final Four to be staged May 27 & 29 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. … Boston-area lacrosse fans can circle their calendars for 2024 and 2025 when Gillette Stadium in Foxboro hosts the NCAA men’s lacrosse Final Four.

MLB OPENING DAY: From the BIG EAST to the NCAAs to Opening Day in MajorLeague Baseball (this Thursday, March 30), it’s a great time of year in the sports world. in pro golf, the PGA Tour will progress from this week’s World Golf Championship Match play to the first Major of the season when The Masters tees-it-up at Augusta National April 6-9. While they’re all great sporting events, there’s nothing like the sounds of Baseball. PLAY BALL! … The crack of the bat … and the 7th Inning Stretch.

As Spring Training comes to a close, MLB rosters will be whittled down and teams will head north from Florida or Arizona to open the season in home towns throughout the league. The Boston Red Sox open this Thursday with a home game against the Baltimore Orioles (March 30 – 2pm). MLB places an off day on Friday, just in case of a rain-out washing away the Opener. … This Thursday, the forecast is calling for sunny/clear skies with temperatures a seasonal 44-degrees. … Sam Adams Brewery has already broken out “Sam Summer Ale” and its 26.2 is not far behind as the annual Patriots’ Day and the 127th running of the Boston Marathon captures the vibes of the City on Monday, April 17. The Red Sox play their traditional 11:10am start that same day against the LA Angels.

BUZZWORDS OF THE WEEK: Sports Illustrated had its “Sign of the Apocalpse,”originated by the great Jack McCallum. Instead, “While We’re Young (Ideas)” is going to pass along “Buzzwords of the Week” … This week’s winner? ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips who on Saturday said that he “will meet with his league’s men’s basketball coaches and athletic directors as soon as the season ends to discuss ways to be more ‘proactive and aggressive’ in changing the narrative surrounding the conference.” This year’s NCAA Tournament saw the ACC receive only five bids which to Phillips and those inside the league was a “big disappointment.” Phillips said the ACC has to “portray ourselves in a different way” to the NCAA Selection Committee. … WWYI will counter with a reply of equal “Buzzword” value with a reminder to Phillips that ACC basketball is a “Zero Sum Game” and there’s a defined number of wins and losses every season. Padding ACC men’s basketball schedules isn’t the answer. Winning out of conference games is the answer. That comes with good players on every ACC team.

TIDBITS: The NHL is experiencing its share of negative publicity as the league rolled out “Pride Nights.” The league experienced considerable pushback from a number of players who chose to opt-out of the promotion to reach and better recognize the LGBTQ+ community in each NHL city/market.

Here’s Bryan Burke’s take on the situation via Canada’s SportsNet:

 

“It’s about saying this community is valuable and important and we want to honor them.” Brian Burke joined Ron MacLean to discuss Pride Nights across the NHL and supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
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MORE TIDBITS: Former New England Patriots wide receiver Nelson Agholor is signing a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, multiple outlets reported. The $3.25 million deal for the 29-year-old free agent is worth up to $6.25 million with incentives. Agholor caught 31 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (seven starts) with the Patriots last season. Agholor began his career with Philadelphia (2015-19) and played with the Las Vegas Raiders (2020). … National Football League team owners expect to “take no formal actions” regarding a sale of the Washington Commanders nor will they address Commanders’ team owner Dan Snyder‘s status during the NFL’s annual meeting which began today. … The family of former North Carolina and serviceable NBA big man Eric Montross said he has begun treatments for cancer. Montross’s family issued a statement through the school on Saturday noting the 51-year-old’s recent diagnosis, though it didn’t specify the nature of the cancer.

CANX SUX: On the topic of cancer, prayers are out to a Boston Celtics colleague. The well known, well loved Veep of PR was diagnosed in July 2021 with glioblastoma brain cancer. After she responded positively within a clinical trial and new treatment, a recent scan showed “a lot more tumor growth.” … The entire Boston sports world continues to show tremendous support. Prayers and financial support.

DEACON BLUES: This brings us to the close of the March 26th While We’re Young (Ideas) column of March 26th. The sun shining, the NCAAs on TV and ready to crown the final pair of Regional Champions to qualify for the men’s Finals Four to be played in Houston, April 1 and 3. (Let’s keep the HOUSTON, we have a roaring cliche to a minimum, please). It’s not a happy ending.

Our neighbor’s wonderful dog, Deacon, passed away Monday after a brief illness and terrible cancer diagnosis. The cancer was aggressive and inoperable. We were so sad to hear the report as Deacon was our puppy’s first friend and playmate. Deacon was the best dog on our block and everyone just loved him.

Here’s a beautifully edited video and it goes out to Deacon in Dog Heaven:

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook & Column, written by Terry Lyons. Each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city newsstand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips. TL’s Sunday Sports Notes is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk.

Sox Slumping but Ready to head North

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FT. MYERS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Red Sox (14-12-4; .560) currently rank 5th in the Grapefruit League. The Sox are 5-12-1 in their last 17 games following a 14-game unbeaten streak (11-0- 3), including wins over Northeastern University and Puerto Rico at the start of Spring Training. Prior to this year, the longest spring training unbeaten streak for the Red Sox against any opponents was 12 games (11-0-1 in 1949).

Fans hold a sign outside of Fenway Park to honor the Marathon bombing victims

Sox first baseman Triston Casas ranks in the top 5 among qualified Grapefruit League players in AVG (2nd, .346), OBP (T-5th, .396), SLG (2nd, .615), OPS (3rd, 1.040), hits (T-5th, 18), and runs scored (T-4th, 11).

Sox oft-injured SP, Chris Sale, made the start on Sunday and threw 5.0 innings of ball, allowing five hits and two earned runs. Sale struck out three and walked two batters.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | M☘️rch 17th

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Bono brought in March Madness & St. Patrick’s Day 2023 (photo by T. Peter Lyons)

BOSTON – As Michael Jordan might say, excuse the paraphrasing, there’s no “i” in March Madness, but there is an “i” in upset win!

That’s the case in the just concluded First Round of the 2023 Men’s Basketball Championship, held in gyms all over the country this past Thursday and Friday, two of the best sports days of the year.

First let’s review the Maddest of the Madness:

  • No. 13 Furman upset No. 4 Virginia, 68-67, in the South Region
  • No. 15 Princeton upset No. 2 Arizona, 59-55, in the South Region
  • No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson upset No. 1 Purdue, 63-58, in the East Region

Most of the top seeds made it through the First Round of play unscathed, including Midwest Regional No. 1 Houston and West Regional top seed Kansas, who was joined in victory by No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Gonzaga, and No. 4 UConn in the college basketball version of the bracket of death.

Meanwhile, Houston “only” has to contend with No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Xavierand No. 4 Indiana making most pundits “pencil-in” the Cougars for a home court date at the Final Four (April 1 &3).

In the South, previously mentioned No. 2 Arizona is out, along with No. 4 Virginia, who was upset by Furman, leaving No. 1 seeded Alabama an easier path to join Houston in the Space City.

With Purdue packing its bags, the East is set up nicely for No. 2 Marquetteor No. 3 Kansas State – two tough teams to beat – but the real winner amongst the losers (Purdue and Memphis) could’ve been Duke, the No. 5 seed, who entered the tournament as one of the hottest team in the land with nine straight wins, including an impressive performance to take the ACC Tournament.

Duke was this columnists pick to take it all. That looked good until they ran into a more physical Tennessee Volunteer team on Saturday. The Vols forced Duke turnovers and outplayed the Blue Devils, instilling their will and instilling some facial stitches while they were at it. Duke left the building needing to place cold steaks and cucumbers on their bloody eyes and puffed-up cheeks.

Sparing you the Sweet 16 picks by this columnist, the “Elite Eight” of the bracket always attempting to be “better than most,” included the following picks:

South

  • Alabama vs Creighton

East

  • Duke (wrong) vs Marquette

On the other side of the world, err, bracket:

Midwest

  • Houston vs Xavier

West

  • Kansas vs Gonzaga

Advancing to the Final Four?

  • South – Alabama
  • East – Duke (wrong)

vs.

  • Midwest – Houston
  • West – Gonzaga

No great shakes there, as picking No. 1s Alabama and Houston is the chalk of all chalk in this tournament, but those two schools had the clearest paths evident to all as the brackets were revealed last (Selection) Sunday.

The more difficult predictions will come right now.

Final Four

  • Duke (wrong) to defeat Alabama
  • Houston to defeat Gonzaga

And, the winner of the National Championship on April 3, 2023

  • The Duke Blue Devils – (very wrong)

Why did I like Duke to possibly take it all?

One January 7, your faithful reporter and bonafide Boston College observer saw the Blue Devils squeak by the Eagles, 65-64, here in Boston at Conte Forum. While that score might be construed as a weakness of the Blue Devils, the indication was Duke won on the road in the ACC and defeated a Boston College team playing at its best. BC played hard and competed, but Duke won.

Much credit belonged to “new” head coach Jon Scheyer, who took over for coach Mike Krzyzewski and has risen to the challenge much the same way Jake Clemons filled the void of the great Clarence “Big Man” Clemons of the E Street Band back in 2012. Scheyer is not K, Jake was not the “Big Man” but the band carried on while Duke finds itself running much of the same X and O’s utilized by Coach K.

Duke knocked-off Oral Roberts 74-51 in the First Round on Thursday and is primed for a Saturday afternoon match-up vs. SEC power (24-10) Tennessee. For the Blue Devils, center Kyle Filipowski leads a well-balanced team with (15.1 ppg; 9.0 rpg).

Saturday, Duke ran into a brick wall of Volunteers. Tennessee defeated the Dukies, 65-52, manhandling the younger team and leading on the scoreboard and intimidation meter all the way from the 3:48 mark of the first half (22-21).

With Duke out, the door is now wide open for both No. 4 Tennessee, No. 3 Kansas State or No. 2 Marquette, winner of the BIG EAST regular season and tournament crown. Much like Duke’s Scheyer, Marquette’s Shaka Smartmanages his team well and orchestrates the team “W” rather than impress the scouts, media and regular season polls/rankings.

While writing on deadline as the Vols eliminated Duke and paved their way to Madison Square Garden and the East regional final, the other team that might crack the Final Four field is Gonzaga.

The ‘Zags won the West Coast Conference, are very well coached and prepared for March by coach Mark Few and are among the teams peaking at the right time of year.

You can see what that did for the Duke Blue Devils.

MARCH SADNESS: Sincere best wishes and a “Get Well Soon” for Kansas head coach Bill Self, who is recovering from a serious heart procedure performed last weekend. While the school attempted to play it down while honoring Self’s rights as a patient, the news came out, and it was reported Self had two stents placed in his arteries and is still being monitored while sidelined. Former St. John’s coach Norm Roberts is at the helm in Self’s absence.

The educated guess is that Iona head coach Rick Pitino will become St. John’s head coach this week now that his Iona Gaels were eliminated from the NCAAs. The speculation ran rampant at Madison Square Garden for a couple days after St. John’s unceremoniously dumped coach Mike Anderson after his dismal Big East season but close call loss to Marquette in the tournament quarterfinals. Putting 1+1 together, St. John’s had two coaches working the tournament in Roberts and Pitino. They were just working for other schools.

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: Major League Baseball’s attempt at a World Cup style tournament has seen its ups and downs since first pitch on Monday, March 7 in Tokyo and Taichung. The crowds supporting Japan at Tokyo Dome have been magnificent. Similarly, the fans of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba Panama and Venezuela have shown their support at WBC games based in Arizona and Miami.

SADDEST DAY ON THE DIAMOND: The worst possible crisis for the WBC surfaced on Wednesday, March 15, when Puerto Rico celebrated its 5-2 quarterfinal win over the Dominican Republic – a huge Caribbean baseball-centric rivalry. After the game, with fans and family members enjoying the Puerto Rico victory, ace reliever Edwin Diaz was jumping around with a group of teammates when he destroyed his patella tendon and collapsed to the turf in extreme pain as his teammates looked on, helpless and in a panic. Diaz’ brother, Alexis and 36,000 fans sobbed at the sight. A day later, the injury was confirmed and the WBC, Puerto Rico, and the New York Mets 2023 season fell apart.

Mets Twitter lit up, cursing the WBC and calling it a meaningless preseason moneymaker that Major League Baseball team owners should boycott in fear of injuries to its major league players, all scattered throughout the WBC rosters and all proudly representing their countries in the tourney.

The backlash is understandable, but many of the MLB players would not have made the majors were it not for the formative years playing for their respective national teams on homeland turf. Also, as some fans pointed out, LA Dodgers’ infielder Gavin Lux blew out his knee and will miss significant time with the Dodgers. Diaz is expected to miss the entire 2023 season.

Looking across sports, the careers of Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki(Germany), Tony Parker (France) and a number of his French countrymen – just to name a few – took major steps forward by gaining experience and confidence from leading their national teams in the Olympic Games, Worlds, and their qualifiers.

The feeling here is to let the players play, especially if they REALLY want to represent their homelands in a tournament that – like the Worlds – just doesn’t resonate in the USA the way it does elsewhere. There are far too many Americans who claim USA Patriotism but fail to put their fandom where their mouth is when it comes time to support Team USA. They waive the USA flag at rallies, shout Constitutional Law from the highest mountain, but never show their red, white and blue at a World sporting tournament in just about every sport. I guess patriotism has different meanings to different people and that’s okay, maybe?

TIDBITS: As a grizzled veteran of St. Patrick’s Day, mostly observing New York’s grand St. Patrick’s Day parade from 15 floors above Fifth Avenue with the namesake Cathedral just yards away, it was always challenging but enjoyable.

Challenging was the ‘80s when a morning commute to the Fifth Avenue subway stop (E and F trains) would stand witness to teenagers already wasted and nauseous before they even made it up the long escalator ride to street level.

Enjoyable was to see the police, fire fighters, bands and all sorts of the Irish society march up Fifth Avenue, all following a green line painted in the center of one of the world’s most famous streets. The drums, the bagpipes, a “Danny Boy” or two brought smiles to the onlookers, decked out in green. Everyone was Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.

In Boston? St. Patrick’s Day lasts for four days! Let us count the ways and days:

  1. St. Patrick’s Day eve
  2. St. Patrick’s Day itself (this year on a Friday, no less)
  3. St. Patrick’s Day Saturday (celebrated with Bar Crawls and live music, the Hockey East Tournament Finals, the NCAA’s March Madness, live music at night, the Boston Celtics playing on TV (always on the road because of previously mentioned college hockey tournament).
  4. St. Patrick’s Day Sunday – complete with a morning breakfast when the local and state politicians take time to “roast” each other in good faith and spirit, followed by the Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade, staged at 1pm in South Boston. The event originated in 1737.

 

Are You Ready for Some Ready Light?

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Are you “Ready” for a new sports drink?

Ready, a fast growing sports nutrition company with co-owners of All-Pro NFL linebacker Aaron Donald and former NBA champion and MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, is launching a light version of Ready Sports Drink, its advanced and science-based line of performance products designed to optimize hydration replenishment and energy production.

Ready Light Sports Drink features the same essential elements to replenish fluid and electrolytes and boost energy based on the latest in sports nutrition and performance science, but with only 20 calories. That includes:

• A scientifically formulated blend of super fruits and B-vitamins
• Super fruit carbohydrates infused from real food sources, resulting in NO added sugar
• An ideal and proprietary electrolyte blend that more accurately mirrors what athletes lose in competition

“We’ve received great feedback with our initial launch of Ready Sports Drink last year with its improved sports-hydration fueling, so we took the next logical step with this lower calorie option that still features super fruit carbohydrates and the ideal electrolyte blend without any added sugar,” said Pat Cavanaugh, Ready Founder and CEO.

Ready Light will be available initially in 16.9 oz. sizes with four (4) flavors—Classic Lemonade, Mango Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade and Watermelon Lemonade. More flavors will be added later in the year. Ready Light will be available at major regional grocery chains including Publix, Food Lion and Giant Eagle.

Kicking off  this month, the Ready Light “Lean and Clean” Mobile Tour highlighted its newest best-in-class sports drink introduction into the marketplace. The tour hits the road with an eye-catching Ready Light branded super van and will tour multiple states with product sampling and giveaways including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The tour will stop at numerous colleges and universities and Ready Sports Drink retailers including Walmart, Dollar Tree, Publix, Food Lion and Giant Eagle.

The tour will host over 100 sampling events during its mid-March through mid-May schedule. The stops will include samplings of Ready Light Sports Drink as well as other Ready products including regular Ready Sports Drink and Ready Protein Bars. The activation mobile will stage games and activities to complement the sampling events.

“We wanted to make a splash and have fun introducing our light version of Ready Sports Drink,” noted Cavanaugh. “Our vehicle is definitely going to turn heads and we expect to have a good time supporting our retailers, interacting with the public, and sampling our new Ready Light Sports Drink which is already creating a buzz.”

Wrestling: Taking It to the Streets

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NEWARK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) Beat the Streets (New York) and USA Wrestling will stage its annual wrestling competition, Final X, presented by Tezos, on Saturday, June 10 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.  Final X will determine the 2023 U.S. Senior World Teams in all three Olympic disciplines: men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. There will be 30 weight classes contested, 10 in each Olympic discipline.

The top two U.S. athletes in each weight class will compete in a best-of-three series in Final X to determine who will wrestle at the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. The medalists and the fifth-place wrestler in each weight at the 2023 Senior World Championships will qualify the United States for their weight class at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

This will be the first time that Final X will be held in one location, as previous Final X competitions were held in either two or three cities. It will also be the first time Final X will be contested on three mats. It is the second time Final X will be hosted in New Jersey, as Final X Rutgers was held in 2019 in Piscataway.

“USA Wrestling will provide the nation’s greatest athletes with the stage to compete for the right to represent Team USA at the 2023 Senior World Championships, as well as an opportunity to qualify our nation for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “Final X will once again be intense and exciting, as our elite men and women wrestlers put it all on the line in Prudential Center, a world-class facility. Make plans to join us in Newark,” 

The event is the second consecutive year that Final X will serve as the Beat the Streets Annual Benefit. In 2022, BTSNY hosted Final X New York at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This year’s event will be the 13th BTSNY Annual Benefit.

Session times will be 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time, with the Beat the Streets after party to immediately follow. Ticket information for Final X will be available on Ticketmaster at a later date, while tickets for the BTSNY Annual Benefit after party can be purchased at btsny.org.

“This event is our largest fundraiser of the year and will support 75 percent of our annual expenses, so we can continue to make a lifelong impact on the 2,500 boys and girls in New York City that rely on us. We are looking forward to hosting this event at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, a state filled with rich wrestling traditions. We have no doubt this year’s event will add to that tradition and provide exciting moments for some of the World’s greatest men and women athletes who are looking to earn a spot on Team USA at the 2023 World Championships,” added Bender.

USBWA Names All-District Teams

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official USBWA News Release) – The United States Basketball Writers Association named its 2022-23 Men’s All-District Teams, based on voting from the membership of the national press membership. The USBWA has selected All-District teams since the 1956-57 season, its founding year.

For each of the nine geographic districts, ten players are selected, along with a player and coach of the year. Two schools – Houston (Marcus Sasser and coach Kelvin Sampson) and Purdue (Zach Edey and coach Matt Painter) – earned both the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.

Twenty-three Division I conferences are represented among the 90 players honored by the USBWA with the Big Ten and SEC leading all conferences with 11 All-District players. The Big 12 has 10 selections featuring three Baylor teammates.

Fourteen other schools – UConn, Gonzaga, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, NC State, New Mexico, Providence, Saint Mary’s, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah State and Utah Valley – also have teammates named and honored by the USBWA.

The USBWA will release its 2022-23 men’s and women’s All-America teams later this week.

Following are the complete 2022-23 USBWA All-District honors:

DISTRICT I
Maine, Vt., N.H., R.I., Mass., Conn.
Player of the Year: Adama Sanogo, UConn
Coach of the Year: Ed Cooley, Providence

All-District Team
Devin Carter, Providence
Sherif Gross-Bullock, Bryant
Jordan Hawkins, UConn
Bryce Hopkins, Providence
Chris Ledlum, Harvard
Kino Lilly Jr., Brown
Jordan Minor, Merrimack
Dylan Penn, Vermont
Quinten Post, Boston College
Adama Sanogo, UConn

DISTRICT II
N.Y., N.J., Del., D.C., Pa., W. Va.
Player of the Year: Jalen Pickett, Penn State
Coach of the Year: Jeff Capel, Pitt

All-District Team
Walter Clayton Jr., Iona
Jordan Dingle, Penn
Eric Dixon, Villanova
Aaron Estrada, Hofstra
Taevion Kinsey, Marshall
Jameer Nelson Jr., Delaware
Clifford Omoruyi, Rutgers
Jalen Pickett, Penn State
Joel Soriano, St. John’s
Erik Stevenson, West Virginia

DISTRICT III
Va., N.C., S.C., Md.
Player of the Year: Tyree Appleby, Wake Forest
Coach of the Year: Pat Kelsey, College of Charleston

All-District Team
Tyree Appleby, Wake Forest
Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Reece Beekman, Virginia
Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Jarkel Joiner, NC State
Darius McGhee, Liberty
Hunter Tyson, Clemson
Drew Pember, UNC Asheville
Terquavion Smith, NC State
Jahmir Young, Maryland

DISTRICT IV
Ky., Tenn., Miss., Ala., Ga., Fla.
Player of the Year: Brandon Miller, Alabama
Coach of the Year: Dusty May, Florida Atlantic

All-District Team
Johni Broome, Auburn
Colin Castleton, Florida
Kendric Davis, Memphis
Brandon Miller, Alabama
Liam Robbins, Vanderbilt
Tolu Smith, Mississippi State
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee
Isaiah Wong, Miami
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

Embed from Getty Images

DISTRICT V
Ohio, Ind., Ill., Mich., Minn., Wis.
Player of the Year: Zach Edey, Purdue
Coach of the Year: Matt Painter, Purdue

All-District Team
Souley Boum, Xavier
Boo Buie, Northwestern
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy
Zach Edey, Purdue
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
Tyson Walker, Michigan State

DISTRICT VI
Iowa, Mo., Kan., Okla., Neb., N.D., S.D.
Player of the Year: Jalen Wilson, Kansas
Coach of the Year: Jerome Tang, Kansas State

All-District Team
Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
Kobe Brown, Missouri
Tucker DeVries, Drake
Gradey Dick, Kansas
Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Kris Murray, Iowa
Grant Nelson, North Dakota State
Markquis Newell, Kansas State
Jalen Wilson, Kansas

DISTRICT VII
Texas, Ark., La.
Player of the Year: Marcus Sasser, Houston
Coach of the Year: Kelvin Sampson, Houston

All-District Team
Marcus Carr, Texas
Ricky Council IV, Arkansas
L.J. Cryer, Baylor
Adam Flagler, Baylor
Keyonte George, Baylor
Mike Miles, TCU
Quincy Olivari, Rice
Marcus Sasser, Houston
Jamal Shead, Houston
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M

DISTRICT VIII
Wyo., Utah, Idaho, N.M., Colo., Nev., Mont.
Player of the Year: Steven Ashworth, Utah State
Coach of the Year: Mark Madsen, Utah Valley

All-District Team
Steven Ashworth, Utah State
Aziz Bandaogo, Utah Valley
RaeQuan Battle, Montana State
Le’Tre Darthard, Utah Valley
E.J. Harkless, UNLV
Taylor Funk, Utah State
Jaelen House, New Mexico
Dillon Jones, Weber State
Dalton Knecht, Northern Colorado
Jamal Mashburn Jr., New Mexico

DISTRICT IX
Calif., Ore., Wash., Hawaii, Ariz., Alaska
Player of the Year: Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Coach of the Year: Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s

All-District Team
Tyger Campbell, UCLA
Boogie Ellis, USC
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Logan Johnson, Saint Mary’s
Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary’s
Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara
Cam Shelton, Loyola Marymount
Julian Strawther, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona

Selections by conference: Big Ten 11, SEC 11, Big 12 10, ACC 9, Big East 9, West Coast 6, Mountain West 5, Pac-12 4, American Athletic 3, Big Sky 3, Ivy League 3, America East 2, Colonial 2, Summit League 2, WAC 2, ASUN 1, Big South 1, Conference USA 1, Horizon League 1, Metro Atlantic Athletic 1, Missouri Valley 1, Northeast 1, Sun Belt 1.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.