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March Madness

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | April 7

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on Sox Opening Day | + HoopHall

There’s NOTHING like Opening Day at Fenway Park (DSD file photo)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – This coming Tuesday at 2pm, the city of Boston will – pretty much – shut down when the Red Sox play the Baltimore Orioles in the Sox (home) Opening Day match-up. The game will come after Boston completes a 12-game road trip to begin their season.

The Red Sox will return to Fenway with a winning record but minus their shortstop and No. 3 hitter, Trevor Story, who left Friday’s game against the LA Angels with a dislocated left shoulder. Story was placed on the 10-day DL on Saturday after MRI tests confirmed the injury, suffered when Story dove to field a Mike Trout grounder.

Story, 31, started each of the Red Sox’ first eight games, going 7-for-31 (.226) with four RBI and three walks. The Te Sox.exas native has batted .265 (892-for-3,368) with 177 home runs and 124 stolen bases in 890 career games with the Colorado Rockies (2016-21) and Red Sox (2022-24).

Taking a step back to analyze the 2024 Major League Baseball season, there’s no better way than to turn the keys over to the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball announce team who recently previewed the season in a special media conference call. Participating were play-by-play commentator Karl Ravech, analyst and five-time World Series champion David Cone and popular ESPN analyst Eduardo Pérez.

First, opinions on the Red Sox:

“As a Needham, Mass kid growing up in Boston and knowing how impactful ’04 was and given the success of the Celtics and Bruins and of course the Patriots, the Red Sox have had an opportunity to stay relevant relative to those other teams,” said Ravech to get the call rolling. “For some reason here, this season in particular, they have chosen to stand pat while other teams in the division seemingly have moved past them and the Yankees with what they’ve done and the success that the Orioles and their youth. It would tax me to remember a season, and I am 59 now, going into it where the level of optimism was so low regarding their chances,” added Ravech.

“On the other side of that, to his great credit, (Sox Manager) Alex Cora and the players inside that clubhouse will take the — well, you’ll see – approach. “Let us play it out and see where it goes. But it’s been a very, very interesting play given they brought Craig Breslow in there, and you figure every time there’s a change like that, the purse strings will be let out a little bit. That seems to not have happened.

“It’s a hard one to look at and think that they’re going to finish better than last place. That’s an odd way to go into a summer in New England,” said Ravech.

Perez jumped in: “The one thing about the Red Sox is we’re not used to seeing such a young team on the field. Trevor Story is the oldest position player out there right now at 31 years of age. Everyone else just seems to be 28 or younger.

“Ceddanne Rafaela is going to be an interesting young player to watch. I think you look at first baseman Tristan Casas with the second half of the season that he had last year. I expect him to continue to grow from that and to be that type of impact player at first base.

But it’s going to come down to their defense. You look at their infield, will Devers be able to continue to play at a high level. We know that he can do it offensively. He needs to make those routine plays at third, and then that way you have Story and Rafael Devers on that left side of the infield.

But it’s just a younger team. Even when it comes to the pitching, it’s younger, as well.

Only two guys on the roster 31 years of age or older. I think that’s going to play. But at the same time, it could be a long season for Boston considering that division, the way it’s set up.

But I don’t put anything past Alex Cora. I don’t. Last year I thought it was one of his best years of managing, and look where they finished. It didn’t really impact their standings, yet I thought he managed last year as well as anyone could have managed a team like that in a situation like that.”

What does David Cone think?

“I completely agree with Eduardo,” said Cone. “I think quietly the Red Sox – under the radar – have a good young nucleus brewing there. I think (injured 2B) Vaughn Grissom is going to be a big deal for them. we’ll see how he pans out in Boston to kind of fit into that young nucleus.

“Casas is for real at first base. He’s going to continue to get better. I think he’s a monster. He’s had another good spring. I think he’s poised for a big year.

“Obviously their outfield in Jarren Duran if he can take another big step, and as Eduardo said, Ceddanne Rafaela, what kind of talent he has, if he can take the next step.

“But quietly they have a good position player nucleus,” added Cone. “The pitching side, a little different. Brayan Bello is good. He was kind of anchor the rotation, and the extension they signed him to is a big deal, but losing Giolito was a huge blow for them. They need some veteran presence in that rotation and Giolito was a big blow.

Pitching is going to be tough for them this year, but on the position player side they have a good nucleus potentially brewing.”

Perez believes Manager Alex Cora is the key to the Sox.

“(Alex) loves the fact that his outfield is a lot more athletic with Rafaela at center, Duran at right, and also you have Tyler O’Neill, who’s a Gold Glover in left field in a shorter left field at bat. If he can come into the guy that was a couple years ago in St. Louis, you have a very dynamic outfield at least that can run it back in a way. You’ll be able to get some outs out of that. And then with a young core, as I said earlier, I think it’ll play.

“Alex makes everybody better,” said Perez. “I remember (former Reds Manager) Sparky Anderson one time telling me at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, if you can get the players to get to the ballpark and get to the ballpark to perform, leaving their homes and leaving their families and wanting to be at the ballpark, Alex has that knack.

“He’s got that ability of wanting to get there and being able to see not only him but see the entire core nucleus of the team. That’s a gift. That’s a gift that he has and players love playing for him.

“I think that that’s going to play this year, especially with the young core of guys that they have, and I think the Red Sox fans will enjoy the athleticism that they’re going to provide this year compared to the last couple years as long as they stay healthy.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The 2023-24 college basketball season is coming to a close and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced their inductees and honorees.

The gigantic Class of 2024 was announced as the basketball world convened in Phoenix for the Men’s Final Four.

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – Class of 2024

North American Committee (in alphabetical order): Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Bo Ryan, Charles Smith

Women’s Committee: Seimone Augustus

Men’s Veteran Committee: Dick Barnett

Women’s Veteran Committee: Harley Redin

International Committee: Michele Timms

Contributors Committee: Doug Collins, Herb Simon, Jerry West

The best players in the collegiate game were recognized on Saturday. Here’s the scoop:

“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate the best in the game at every level, both men and women,” said John L. Doleva, President of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “The student-athletes who receive our Starting Five Awards are a true reflection of the Hall of Famers for whom the awards are named, both in terms of their character and abilities on the court. We are honored to recognize this remarkable group of people, and we know they will continue to achieve success wherever they go. We honor their accomplishments today and name them the Men’s and Women’s 2024 Naismith Starting Five.”

2024 Men’s Naismith Starting Five:

  • Tristen Newton (UConn) – Bob Cousy (Point Guard) Award
  • RJ Davis (North Carolina) – Jerry West (Shooting Guard) Award
  • Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) – Julius Erving (Small Forward) Award
  • Jaedon LeDee (San Diego State) – Karl Malone (Power Forward) Award
  • Zach Edey (Purdue) – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Center) Award

2024 Women’s Naismith Starting Five:

  • Caitlin Clark (Iowa) – Nancy Lieberman (Point Guard) Award (Three-time winner)
  • JuJu Watkins (USC) – Anne Meyers Drysdale (Shooting Guard) Award
  • Madison Booker (Texas) – Cheryl Miller (Small Forward) Award
  • Kiki Iriafen (Stanford) – Katrina McClain (Power Forward) Award
  • Cameron Brink (Stanford) – Lisa Leslie (Center) Award

“To be a three-time recipient of the Nancy Lieberman Award is truly humbling. Being selected as this season’s honoree is special with the number of talented and skilled point guards across the country. One of the pioneers in our sport, I would not be where I am today without Nancy,” said Caitlin Clark, the ‘22, ‘23 and ‘24 Nancy Lieberman Award Winner.

NUGGETS AND TIDBITS: While the focus of the basketball-loving world turned to NCAA March Madness (for both men’s and women’s games), the NBA takes a side step in what is known as the dog days of the season, but each game day is as important as can be as the NBA Playoffs loom closer and closer. … The regular season ends on April 14. The (SoFi) Play-In Tournament goes from April 16-19 and then the full round of NBA Playoffs begin on April 20. … Here are some other key dates for the NBA:

  • May 6-7 (possible move-up to May 4-5) – Conference SemiFinals
  • May 12 – NBA Draft Lottery (Chicago)
  • May 12-19 – NBA Draft Combine
  • May 21-22 (possible move-up to May 19-20) – Conference Finals
  • June 6 – 23 – NBA Finals
  • June 26-27 – NBA Draft
  • July 12-22 – NBA Summer League
  • July 27 – August 10 – Men’s Basketball at the Paris Olympic Games
  • July 28 – August 11 – Women’s Basketball at the Paris Olympic Games

BIG NUMBERS: With all the well deserved hype and attention focused on women’s basketball this season, it might sound trite to say that the 2024 Women’s Final Four might go down as the most important event in the history of women’s sports. Many might cite the 1973 Battle of the Sexes Super Match between tennis Hall of Famers Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs as the most important milestone for women in sports. Back in ‘73, the 29-year old King dashed the 55-year old former Wimbledon and U.S. Championship (now US Open) title holder in straight sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-3) to earn a $100,000 ‘winner-take-all’ prize.

While that tennis challenge was a one-time gimmick, and a well orchestrated gimmick at that, the overall impact was minimal. The fact was that women’s tennis was well on its way to the upper echelon of sports because of the likes of King, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong and the incredibly popular Chris Evert. By 1975, one of the greatest rivalries in sports history was created when Martina Navratilova and Evert began a 14-year run of Grand Slam tournament battles which captured the attention of a truly global audience.

This year, the impact and all-around skills of Caitlin Clark brought millions of fans and curious television viewers to plug into the sport of women’s hoops.

The question remains: Can Clark bring those fans with her when she joins the WNBA this summer? The WNBA has been around since 1997 and it’s enjoyed success over the years, joining tennis and the LPGA golf circuit as highly engaging sports properties. But, can Clark keep the incredible momentum flowing and bring millions of fans to the TV screen for the pro game and, maybe, the Summer Olympics?

Clark is not on the current USAWNT roster but can be added by USA Basketball at any time. Clark has participated before, winning MVP honors while representing the USA at the 2021 U-19 World Championship.

SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE: While all the hype of college hoops and the all-time great TV ratings brought on by Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes team, the NBA can still state the claim to be supreme in the area of player social media popularity. Take a look:

When USA Basketball was planning the season long tour for the 1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team (coming on the amazing success and global popularity of the incredible ‘92 USA Basketball Dream Team, the NBA marketing team working on behalf of USA Basketball was looking for a catchy team moniker for the USA Women.

Ahem, yours truly stepped in and suggested the “Supreme Team,” with thoughts that we could clear some great Motown tunes of Diana Ross and The Supremes and just run with it. No dice. The idea was shot down by the ultra-conservative muckety-mucks (Thanks Tara) as being a bit too much and risking embarrassment if the USA Women fell short. Well, as we know the USA Women went (8-0) in the ‘96 Atlanta Olympic Games, winning the gold and being tagged as the greatest team in women’s sports history. Combining the Olympics with the tune-up tour the national team took part in leading into the ‘96 Games, the club went 95-0.

Beyond Supreme.

ESPN blew it, too, as they tagged their 30-for-30 documentary, “Dream On,” a great son by Aerosmith, but it was about an aging star – halfway through life or further – knowing the fact the good Lord would soon take the man in the mirror away.

The USA BASKETBALL “Supreme Team” would’ve lived on in infamy.

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: There’s always been something about the Chicago Cubs that this columnist admires. Long before first setting foot in Wrigley Field on an off-day of an NBA Playoff series, and later partying with friends on a Rooftop in Right Field, I watched the Cubs and Mets do battle for the National League pennant. I truly admired Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Fergy Jenkins, among others, but wasn’t too fond of manager Leo Durocher until someone at Shea Stadium tossed a “Black Cat” in his path right in front of the visiting dugout at Shea and the Mets outlasted the Cubs to clinch a place in the 1969 World Series.

Like the Metsies, Red Sox, the Cubbies were the Lonesome Losers, the Lovable Losers, the Frustrating as Hell Losers. We loved them all the same.

Folk singer and songwriter in Chicago’s own Steve Goodman wrote about his love for the Cubs in a sad and terribly introspective song as he stared down a terminal Leukemia diagnosis. This song was his memorial tribute:

This song was Steve Goodman’s claim to well-deserved fame as a legend in Chicago:

It’s performed by the great Arlo Guthrie.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook and news column written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand 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.

Shannon Leads Ilini to Elite 8

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BOSTON – Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. poured in 29 points and third-seeded Illini held off a second-half rally to earn a 72-69 victory over second-seeded Iowa State on Thursday night in a battle of East Region teams in the Sweet 16.

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The Fighting Illini will face top-seeded UConn in the Elite Eight on Saturday. The Huskies beat San Diego State earlier Thursday.

After trailing by nine with just under 14 minutes left in the game, the Cyclones (29-8) found themselves within 56-54 following a Curtis Jones 3-pointer with 5:27 to go.

Shannon and Luke Goode prevented Iowa State from moving in front by sandwiching Tre King’s layup with a pair of triples, making it 62-56 in favor of Illinois (29-8).

The Cyclones trailed by at least three the rest of the way, and Shannon’s steal and slam with 22 seconds to play clinched the victory.

Shannon is now 7-0 against Iowa State dating back to his Texas Tech days. He was with the Red Raiders for three seasons (2019-22).

Coleman Hawkins chipped in 12 points and six rebounds for the Fighting Illini, who outshot Iowa State 42.1 percent to 39.7 percent from the field.

Jones paced Iowa State with 26 points. Keshon Gilbert supplied 14, and King had 12 to go along with seven boards.

Gilbert lit a spark under the Cyclones, scoring eight points in the opening 3:38 of the second half to cut Iowa State’s deficit to 41-37.

It didn’t take long for Illinois to push the lead to nine, doing so when Shannon drove for a layup less than three minutes later to make it 48-39.

Then the Fighting Illini faced some adversity in the form of foul trouble for Shannon, who picked up his fourth personal with 11:17 to go. Shannon went to the bench, and Iowa State capitalized on his departure, using a 11-5 spurt to get within 56-54.

Illinois scored the first eight points of the game and later led 16-6, taking advantage of Iowa State’s 2-for-12 start from the field. But Jones got the Cyclones on track, knocking down a 3-pointer before converting a three-point play to make it a four-point game.

The Fighting Illini’s advantage grew to 24-12 with 6:31 left in the first half before Illinois took a 36-26 lead into the break.

–Nick Galle, Field Level Media

Sweet 16: San Diego St vs UConn

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – San Diego State didn’t have to wait long for another shot at the University of Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament. Less than a year after falling to the Huskies in the national championship game, the Aztecs will have a chance to redeem themselves tonight when the East Region teams collide in the Sweet 16.

Fifth-seeded San Diego State (26-10) seemed eager to set up a rematch with the defending national champions, putting together an 85-57 drubbing of No. 13 seed Yale on Sunday in the second round of the tourney.

Jaedon LeDee poured in a game-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with nine rebounds for the Aztecs, while Darrion Trammell added 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Trammell, who was on the San Diego State squad that came up just short of a title in 2023, believes the Aztecs now have what it takes to get past UConn (33-3) this time around.

“We’re just excited to get another crack at (the Huskies),” Trammell said. “Obviously they won a national championship last year, but I feel like we were right there. Just to get another chance at it, I think we’re up for the opportunity.

“We have the team to do it.”

However, Huskies coach Dan Hurley doesn’t think any team is capable of dethroning UConn.

“We are bulletproof,” Hurley said following the Huskies’ 75-58 victory over ninth-seeded Northwestern on Sunday. “Elite offense, elite defense.

“Didn’t love the offensive rebounding today and didn’t love the second-half defensive rebounding but, again, 20 assists, seven turnovers. … It’s tough to lose when you have that level of quality.”

Top-seeded UConn got 20 points and 10 assists from Tristen Newton against the Wildcats, while Donovan Clingan also recorded a double-double (14 points, 14 rebounds). The Huskies went just 3-for-22 from beyond the arc (13.6 percent) but still managed to shoot 53.7 percent from the field.

Even with that success, UConn doesn’t have all the odds in its favor, as no defending champion has reached the Elite Eight since Florida did so in 2007.

Hurley is determined to change that.

“We’ve been confident the whole year. I think last season changed how heavy we feel going into these games,” Hurley said. “Obviously you’re nervous and you know the history of NCAA champions not being able to get out of the first weekend.

“But we’re different.”

What the Huskies do have working for them on Thursday is a venue within driving distance of the UConn campus.

Boston’s TD Garden is about 90 minutes away from Storrs, Conn. With what is bound to be a primarily hostile crowd, San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher is hoping his guys stay loose.

“This is the time of year to be fearless and don’t worry about making a mistake. Play your best,” Dutcher said. “And we have experience in the tournament and I think some of that experience showed over the last two games.”

The Aztecs are playing in back-to-back Sweet 16s for the first time in program history. Prior to last season, the Huskies hadn’t reached the Sweet 16 since 2014, but they have twice made three straight (1994-96 and 2002-04).

Newton is one of five UConn players with a scoring average in double figures, posting a team-high 15.3 points per game. Cam Spencer (14.4 ppg) and Alex Karaban (13.7) trail close behind.

Clingan averages 12.8 points and a team-best 7.4 boards.

LeDee leads San Diego State with 21.5 points per contest. The Aztecs’ next best scorer is Reese Waters at 9.8 points per game.

The Huskies are seeking their 13th Elite Eight appearance, while San Diego State is looking for its second.

–Nick Galle, Field Level Media

March Madness: Saturday Recap

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – DJ Burns Jr. had six points and one crucial assist in overtime and No. 11 seed North Carolina State outlasted No. 14 Oakland 79-73 on Saturday to secure an improbable Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region.

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Burns finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists for the Wolfpack (24-14), who won their seventh straight postseason game between the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Michael O’Connell had 12 points and a season-high eight assists, and DJ Horne, Casey Morsell and Mohamed Diarra each supplied 11 points.

Oakland (24-12) clawed back in the final minutes of regulation before its underdog story ended with an 11-1 NC State run in overtime. Trey Townsend scored 24 of his 30 points after halftime and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Jack Gohlke, Oakland’s first-round hero who made 10 3-pointers against Kentucky, went 6-for-17 from deep Saturday to finish with 22 points and eight rebounds for the Golden Grizzlies.

West Region

No. 1 North Carolina 85, No. 9 Michigan State 69

RJ Davis scored 20 points and the Tar Heels shrugged off a slow start and a couple of shaky moments to defeat the Spartans in Charlotte.

Armando Bacot added 18 points and seven rebounds and Harrison Ingram had 17 points as the Tar Heels delighted a partisan crowd and were sent off to the West Coast with momentum after two games in their home state.

North Carolina (29-7) goes on to face Alabama or Grand Canyon in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night in Los Angeles. Tyson Walker scored 24 points Malik Hall added 17 for Michigan State (20-15), which began the season ranked No. 4 in the country.

No. 2 Arizona 78, No. 7 Dayton 68

Caleb Love scored 19 points and the Wildcats earned a Sweet 16 spot with a victory over the Flyers in Salt Lake City.

Pelle Larsson had 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Keshad Johnson recorded 13 points and seven rebounds for Arizona (27-8). Jaden Bradley added 12 points, three steals and three blocked shots.

Daron Holmes II had 23 points, 11 rebounds and three steals for Dayton (25-8).

Midwest Region

No. 2 Tennessee 62, No. 7 Texas 58

Dalton Knecht churned out 18 points to help Volunteers coach Rick Barnes defeat his former Longhorns in Charlotte.

Knecht, who provided seven of his team’s final 15 points, clinched the outcome by sinking both ends of a 1-and-1 with 3.8 seconds to play. Tennessee (26-8) won despite shooting just 33.8 percent for the game and will face No. 3 Creighton on Friday.

Reserve Chendall Weaver and Tyrese Hunter both had 13 points to lead Texas (21-13), which is coached by former Barnes assistant Rodney Terry. The Longhorns shot 36.4 percent.

No. 3 Creighton 86, No. 11 Oregon 73 (2 OT)

Steven Ashworth scored 21 points and ignited the game-winning, 15-point run to propel the Bluejays past the Ducks in Pittsburgh.

Trey Alexander tallied 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Ryan Kalkbrenner had 19 points, 14 boards and five blocks for Creighton (25-9). The Blue Jays escaped a tough second half and will play No. 2 seed Tennessee in the Sweet 16.

Oregon’s two-man wrecking crew of Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante ran out of gas in the second overtime. Couisnard finished with 32 points and eight rebounds, and Dante racked up a career-high 28 points and 20 rebounds for the Ducks (24-12).

No. 5 Gonzaga 89, No. 4. Kansas 68

Anton Watson scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and the Bulldogs delivered a massive second-half knockout punch in routing the Jayhawks in Salt Lake City.

Nolan Hickman had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting as Gonzaga reached its ninth consecutive Sweet 16. The Bulldogs blew the game open with a 32-4 burst over a 12-plus minute stretch of the second half.

Hunter Dickinson scored 15 points and KJ Adams Jr. and Dajuan Harris Jr. added 10 points apiece for the Jayhawks (23-11). Harris added 11 assists, and Kansas again played without All-American Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee). Gonzaga will face either No. 1 Purdue or No. 8 Utah State in the Sweet 16.

East Region

No. 2 Iowa State 67, No. 7 Washington State 56

Tamin Lipsey scored 15 points and the Cyclones reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons with a victory over the Cougars in Omaha, Neb.

Curtis Jones added 14 points for Iowa State, which won for the ninth time in its past 10 games. Keshon Gilbert and Milan Momcilovic added 10 points apiece.

Jaylen Wells scored 20 points for Washington State. Myles Rice added 13 points.

No. 3 Illinois 89, No. 11 Duquesne 63

Terrence Shannon Jr. scored a game-high 30 points and Marcus Domask added 22 to help the Fighting Illini cruise past the Dukes in Omaha, Neb., and into the Sweet 16.

Illinois (28-8) advanced to face No. 8 Iowa State in Boston on Thursday. It’s the Illini’s first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2005.

Saturday marked the final game for Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot, who is retiring at season’s end. Dambrot guided the 11th-seeded Dukes to an Atlantic 10 tournament championship to clinch the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 1977. Jimmy Clark III paced Duquesne with 14 points, and Fousseyni Drame followed with 13.

–Field Level Media

WHALE of a Game for YALE

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SPOKANE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Yale’s John Poulakidas sank six 3-pointers and scored 28 points and Samson Aletan made a key blocked shot in the final seconds as 13th-seeded Bulldogs notched a 78-76 upset of fourth-seeded Auburn on Friday afternoon in an East Region first-round game.

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August Mahoney scored 14 points and Danny Wolf had 13 for the Bulldogs (23-9), who overcame a 10-point, second-half deficit to improve to 2-7 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. Upstart Yale will face No. 5 seed San Diego State in Sunday’s second round with the winner headed to Boston for the Regional final.

“I don’t know if that’s the best win in Yale basketball history, but I will tell you that’s the best basketball team we’ve beaten in Yale basketball history as far as I’m concerned,” Bulldogs coach James Jones said.

Johni Broome recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Tigers (27-8). Denver Jones added 17 points and Jaylin Williams had 13 for Auburn. K.D. Johnson had a chance to win it at the buzzer with a 3-pointer, but his shot bounced off the rim.

East Region

No. 1 UConn 91, No. 16 Stetson 52

Donovan Clingan scored 12 of his 19 points in the first half for the top-seeded Huskies, who began the defense of their national championship with a wire-to-wire win over the Hatters in an East Region first-round game in New York.

Cam Spencer had 15 points, including 13 in the first half, for UConn (32-3), which will oppose No. 9 Northwestern in a second-round game Sunday. Stephon Castle (14 points), Tristen Newton (13 points, eight assists) and Alex Karaban (12 points) all scored in double figures for the Huskies.

Stephan Swenson scored a game-high 20 points and Jalen Blackmon had 14 points and eight rebounds for Stetson (22-13), which made its first NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference.

No. 5 San Diego State 69, No. 12 UAB 65

Jaedon LeDee recorded 32 points and eight rebounds to lead the Aztecs to a victory over the Blazers in East Region first-round play at Spokane, Wash.

Lamont Butler added 15 points and four steals for the San Diego State (25-10), which is looking for another deep run after losing to UConn in last season’s NCAA title game.

Efrem “Butta” Johnson made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points for UAB (23-12). However, Johnson missed a tying 3-point attempt with eight seconds remaining before Reese Waters split two free throws with 3.5 seconds left to seal it for San Diego State.

No. 9 Northwestern 77, No. 8 Florida Atlantic 65 (OT)

Ryan Langborg scored 12 points in overtime for the Wildcats, who squandered a nine-point second-half lead before recovering to beat the Owls in an East Region first-round game in New York.

Brooks Barnhizer forced overtime by hitting a floater with nine seconds left for Northwestern (22-11).

Vladislav Goldin scored 19 points for Florida Atlantic (25-9), which returned every player who had remaining eligibility from last year’s Final Four team. Johnell Davis had 18 points.

West Region

No. 3 Baylor 92, No. 14 Colgate 67

Four players scored in double figures and the Bears canned 16 of 30 3-point attempts to dispatch the 14th-seeded Raiders in an NCAA Tournament West Region first round game in Memphis.

Jalen Bridges scored a game-high 23 points for Baylor (24-10), which advanced to the second round Sunday against Clemson. Ja’Kobe Walter added 19, while Jayden Nunn tallied 15 and RayJ Dennis contributed 10 points plus nine assists.

Keegan Records paced Colgate (25-10), which won 17 of 18 prior to this one, with 14 points. Sam Thomson added 11, and Patriot League Player of the Year Braeden Smith scored 10.

No. 4 Alabama 109, No. 13 Charleston 96

Mark Sears poured in 30 points, and the nation’s top-scoring team was in high gear as the Crimson Tide rolled over the Cougars in Spokane, Wash.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr. made 5 of 6 3-point attempts while adding 17 points for Alabama (22-11), which entered the contest averaging 90.8 points per game and set a school mark for most points in an NCAA Tournament game. Alabama will face No. 12 Grand Canyon in Sunday’s second round.

Ben Burnham scored 19 points for Charleston (27-8), which had its 12-game winning streak halted. Frankie Policelli added 15 points.

No. 12 Grand Canyon 75, No. 5 Saint Mary’s 66

Tyon Grant-Foster recorded 22 points and seven rebounds and the Lopes beat the Gaels at Spokane, Wash., to win an NCAA Tournament game for the first time.

Ray Harrison added 17 points and six assists for Grand Canyon (30-4), which is making its third appearance in March Madness.

Mitchell Saxen had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Aidan Mahaney scored 13 points but shot just 5 of 21 from the field for Saint Mary’s (26-8).

No. 6 Clemson 77, No. 11 New Mexico 56

The Tigers got a game-high 21 points from Chase Hunter and led by as many as 23 points in the second half of a rout of the Lobos at Memphis.

First-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick PJ Hall scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half for Clemson (22-11).

Jaelen House scored 12 points for the Lobos (26-10) before fouling out with 6:27 remaining in the game. Nelly Joseph worked hard inside for 14 points and 12 rebounds but New Mexico never found any sort of rhythm, connecting on just 29.7 percent of its field-goal attempts and going 3 of 23 on 3-point shots.

South Region

No. 1 Houston 86, No. 16 Longwood 46

It didn’t take long for the Cougars to announce their presence with authority, and once they did, they were well on their way to a blowout of the Lancers in Memphis.

The result sets up a rematch Sunday in the second round against ninth-seeded Texas A&M, which beat Nebraska 98-83 earlier in the day. Houston held off the Aggies 70-66 on Dec. 16.

L.J. Cryer finished with 17 points, going 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, Jamal Shead finished with 11 points and nine assists and Damian Dunn added 17 points off the bench for Houston (31-4). Johnathan Massie scored 10 points off the bench to pace Longwood (21-14).

No. 2 Marquette 87, No. 15 Western Kentucky 69

Tyler Kolek returned from a three-week absence and fell just four rebounds shy of a triple-double to help the Golden Eagles pull away in the second half for a win over the Hilltoppers.

Kolek, who finished with 18 points, 11 assists and six rebounds, showed no ill effects from an oblique injury sustained on Feb. 28. Kolek hit two long threes on his first two shot attempts and scored 10 points in the opening seven minutes, helping Marquette (26-9) build a 26-17 lead. The Golden Eagles advance to a second-round matchup on Sunday vs. No. 10 seed Colorado.

For the Hilltoppers (22-12), Tyrone Marshall Jr. scored 17 of his team-leading 21 in the first half while teammate Don McHenry was the only other player in double figures with 11 points.

No. 4 Duke 64, No. 13 Vermont 47

Mark Mitchell and Jared McCain scored 15 points apiece to lead four Blue Devils players in double figures as Duke pulled away in the second half to beat the Catamounts.

Duke (25-8) will play James Madison in a second-round game on Sunday. The Blue Devils, who were knocked out by Tennessee in the second round last season, haven’t missed the Sweet 16 in consecutive tournaments since 2007-08.

Jeremy Roach scored 14 points and Tyrese Proctor added 13 for Duke. Kyle Filipowski, who was averaging 17.1 points per contest, was held to three points and just one field goal attempt but pulled down 12 rebounds. Shamir Bogues scored 18 points for Vermont (28-7), which won the America East for the third straight season.

No. 12 James Madison 72, No. 5 Wisconsin 61

Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 14 points for the Dukes, who never trailed as they upset the Badgers in a first-round matchup in New York.

James Madison (32-3) extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 14 games. T.J. Bickerstaff and Julien Wooden scored 12 points apiece, while Michael Green III added 11 points for the Dukes, who advanced beyond the first round for the first time since 1983.

Max Klesmit scored all 18 of his points while hitting five 3-pointers in the second half for Wisconsin (22-14).

No. 10 Colorado 102, No. 7 Florida 100

KJ Simpson capped a wild second half with a baseline jumper that hit the rim five times before rattling in with one second left, lifting the Buffaloes to a dramatic win over the Gators in Indianapolis.

Simpson finished with a team-leading 23 points while Eddie Lampkin Jr. added 21 for Colorado (26-10).

Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. scored a game-high 33 points and hit the backboard on a desperation miss at the final buzzer. The Gators (24-12) ended their season in heartbreak after erasing a 13-point deficit in the final 4:28.

No. 9 Texas A&M 98, No. 8 Nebraska 83

The Aggies converted 13 3-pointers and enjoyed a comfortable win over the Cornhuskers.

Wade Taylor IV bombed in 7 of 10 attempts from deep and scored 25 points for the Aggies (21-14). Manny Obaseki added 22 points, while Tyrece Radford stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Brice Williams scored 24 points to pace the Cornhuskers (23-11), who were making their first NCAA tourney appearance in 10 years. Keisei Tominaga added 21 points.

Midwest Region

No. 1 Purdue 78, Grambling State 50

All-American Zach Edey scored 30 points, grabbed 21 rebounds and blocked three shots to power the Boilermakers to a rout of the Tigers in Indianapolis.

The Boilermakers (30-4) pulled away at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half to atone for last year’s shocking first-round loss to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson in Columbus, Ohio. Purdue will play No. 8 Utah State on Sunday in a second-round contest, again before a heavily partisan crowd inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Tra’Michael Moton had 21 points and Kintavious Dozier scored 16 to lead Grambling (21-15), which made it difficult for the first 18 minutes, trailing just 31-27 before Purdue scored the final five points of the first half.

No. 8 Utah State 88, No. 9 TCU 72

Isaac Johnson scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half to lead the Aggies past the Horned Frogs, breaking their 10-game NCAA Tournament losing streak.

Ian Martinez added a game-high 21 points, while Darius Brown II chipped in with 10 points and 10 assists for Utah State (28-6).

JaKobe Coles had 19 points while Emanuel Miller added 13 points and 11 rebounds for TCU (21-13), which jumped out to leads of 16-8 and 18-10 but couldn’t hold on.

–Field Level Media

Oakland YAYS

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Oakland University was so far off the map before Thursday that casual fans of the NCAA Tournament needed reminding the school is in Michigan — not California.

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The Golden Grizzlies received the No. 14 seed in the South Region, knocked off third-seeded Kentucky and became the latest small school to enter the March Madness pantheon.

“This changed everything,” coach Greg Kampe said Thursday. “There’s nobody in the country that doesn’t know what Oakland basketball is.”

Either Oakland or No. 11 seed North Carolina State will extend a stunning run to the Sweet 16 when they face off in the second round of the tournament Saturday.

Kampe has led Oakland (24-11) for 40 seasons, far longer than the school has competed at the Division I level. The Golden Grizzlies’ 80-76 upset of Kentucky marked the first time the program won a game in the Round of 64.

Jack Gohlke knocked down 10 of 20 3-point shots, becoming the fifth player in NCAA Tournament history to make double-digit 3s in a game. He scored 32 points, and Trey Townsend added 17 points and 12 rebounds after he posted up and made a turnaround jumper over 7-footer Ugonna Onyenso in the final minutes.

“It’s such a great thing to see our fanbase travel,” said Townsend, who averages 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists. “We wanted Pittsburgh (or) Indianapolis because we knew they would travel if they could drive … Seeing them out there, my parents are here, my dad is right back there. To win with them here was a special thing for sure and we’re definitely not done yet.”

One question for Saturday’s game against the Wolfpack (23-14) is how the Golden Grizzlies will match up against NC State’s DJ Burns Jr., all 6-foot-9, 275 pounds of him.

Burns has been on a heater for NC State, which won five games in five days to storm through the ACC tournament before beating No. 6 Texas Tech 80-67 on Thursday. Burns has shot 24-of-34 for 55 points over his past three games.

“He was a local star for a whole year and now everybody in the national media is starting to understand that,” NC State coach Kevin Keatts said. “I mean, he’s just fun. He scores and he gets beat up all the time. And he’s almost gotta play through contact. But it is so fun to watch him.

“And you know, I consider him a closer for us. We put him in the game, and he closes the game.”

While four Wolfpack players have done the majority of the scoring this year — DJ Horne (16.9 ppg), Burns (12.5), Jayden Taylor (11.6) and Casey Morsell (11.4) — contributions are coming from up and down the bench.

Both Ben Middlebrooks (21 points) and Mohamed Diarra (17) put up career-high totals against Texas Tech, and Michael O’Connell scored in double figures in all five games of the ACC tournament before dishing six assists Thursday.

NC State and Oakland likely can appreciate one another’s paths to the Round of 32. Both teams, of course, are hungry for more.

“The whole thing down the stretch has been, once we knew we had won a ring, the whole banter in the locker room has been, what’s it going to say on that ring, right?” Kampe said. “What’s it going to say on that ring: just Horizon League champ? NCAA? Sweet 16? Final Four? I’ve put that thought in their mind, and they’ve really battled for it, and they understand that their life got changed (Thursday), but it could get changed a hell of a lot more if we keep this thing going.”

– Field Level Media

Final Four: A Game for the Ages

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FINAL FOUR SATURDAY – Here’s the way it went down:

5:00pm – It was time to tune-in to the Final Four pre-game show on TBS and the production crew from CBS/Turner queued-up a tear-jerker of a sit down with Duke’s retiring Coach Mike Krzyzewski. It was an interesting setting as Coach K, call him Mike, was seated in an empty Cameron Indoor Center watching tape of memorable games, highlights intertwined with comments from past players and his immediate family.

It was quite moving to see the coaching life of Coach K flash before his eyes, misty with tears for all the right reasons.

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This Coach K tribute piece is special 🙏 (via @MarchMadnessMBB)

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April 2nd 2022

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5:39pm – The greatest 30 minutes in sports begins at The Superdome in New Orleans as the students and alum of all four schools ALL believe they can win the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The excitement in the building is like none-other in American sports. Charles Barkley led the cheers and inducted a few students to his new institution of higher learning, CHUCK U.

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Chuck 😂 (via @ShotByLu)

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April 3rd 2022

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5:59pm – It was a classy idea to pay tribute to Carolina, Duke, Kansas and Villanova with one student athlete representing each of the competing schools to start the night off, but it resulted in a non-memorable rendition of the USA National Anthem. Next.

6:00pm – Commercials, commercials, commercials.

6:09pm – The ball is tipped.

8:30pm – The Kansas Jayhawks complete a wire-to-wire victory over the Villanova Wildcats, 81-65. Villanova cut the lead to six points (64-58 with 6:10 left) after trailing by as many as 19 points. Villanova sorely missed its 6-0 senior guard Justin Moore who tore his Achilles’ in the team’s elite eight game against Houston.

8:49pm – The second game of NCAA Final Four Saturday tips-off as one of the most anticipated college basketball games of all-time. Amazingly, never before have Tobacco Road rivals Duke and North Carolina met in the NCAA Tournament.

9:43pm – Halftime of the Duke vs Carolina game with the Blue Devils leading, 37-34, over the Tar Heels. Paulo Banchero led Duke with 10 points and six rebounds while Carolina’s R.J. Davis scored 14 points with four rebounds and two assists. Carolina led by four points during the first half while Duke’s largest lead was six.

10:01pm – Halftime concludes as the usual deadline of 10:00pm is staring the TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook/While We’re Young Ideas column dead-on. The decision is made to file a full running column of Game 2 of Final Four Saturday.

10:04pm – The combinations of Ernie Johnson Jr., Clark Kellogg, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley make up the best studio/pre-game and post-game crew in college sports. If only they could add Jay Bilas to the mix. … On the game coverage, Jim Nantz, Grant Hill and former coach Bill Rafteryworked their magic all tournament long and it was no different on Saturday.

Remember, Nantz will head-off to Augusta after Monday night’s game in one of the “tougher” stretches of sports reporting, going from a monumental Final Four in New Orleans to a quick skip over to Augusta, Georgia and The Masters.

10:08pm – Carolina goes out to an 11-0 run to force Duke’s Coach K to call a time-out with the score 45-41 with 16:21 remaining in regulation. Carolina’s Caleb Love scored eight of the 11 points during the run, including two 3-point FGs.

10:12pm – Jim Nantz points out that a Kansas vs Carolina final on Monday would be an “All Roy Williams” match-up, noting Williams coached Kansas before he concluded his illustrious, Hall-of-Fame college coaching career at UNC.

10:14pm – Commercials, commercials, commercials when an automatic TV time-out stops the action with 14:53 remaining and the score 47-44, UNC.

10:21pm – Duke strikes back and goes on a 10-2 run and the intensity of the national semifinal hits a new level. The teams traded six consecutive possessions where fGs were made, including two Carolina three-balls. Duke took a time-out with the score 55-all. Duke would run out of time-outs down the stretch and it would hurt.

10:45pm – Carolina’s Armando Bacot injures his ankle and limps off court with the assistance of the team trainer. He departed the game with 10 points and 19 rebounds, then miraculously returned only a minute later and immediately upped his totals to 11 points and 21 rebounds, eight of them off the offensive boards.

An official TV timeout was taken with the score 67-67 with 3:32 remaining.

10:54pm – A Duke time-out with 1:18 remaining in regulation comes after a clutch Wendall Moore, Jr. three-pointer to put the Blue Devils ahead by one, and make the score, 74-73, Duke. It marked the 17th lead change of the game.

10:57pm – Armando Bacot fouled out with 11 points and 21 rebounds, but 3-for-10 FG shooting.

10:59pm – Carolina’s Caleb Love drills a clutch 3-pointer with :28 seconds remaining immediately after Duke’s Mark Williams missed a pair of free throws. The three made the score 78-74 and put Carolina in control.

11:00pm – Duke’s Trevor Keels split a pair of free throws, making the score 79-77 UNC. Duke finished the game and their season going 12-for-20 from the line.

Duke was forced to foul and Carolina’s Caleb Love made two free throws to give his team an 81-77 lead with only :08 seconds left. Love finished with 28 points to lead the Tar Heels.

11:05pm – Duke’s Keels missed an off-balance three-pointer with :05 seconds remaining and UNC’s R.J. Davis grabbed the game-ending rebound to secure an 81-77 victory and a date to meet Kansas for the National Championship this Monday night.

Without a doubt, this game lived-up to the hype and expectations for a Duke vs North Carolina Final Four match-up.

The UNC victory ended Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career much the same way the Tar Heels spoiled Coach K’s final game at Cameron Indoor Center.

BIG EAST: Villanova Reppin’ Again

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SAN ANTONIO – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – For the third time since 2016, Villanova will play in the Final Four. The Wildcats became the NCAA South Region champions after a 50-44 victory over Houston this past Saturday in Texas. Villanova forward Jermaine Samuels was named the South Region Most Outstanding Player. Coach Jay Wright’s second-seeded team defeated Michigan 63-55 in the regional semifinals.

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Villanova will meet Kansas in the national semifinals this Saturday. On their way to the NCAA crown in 2018, the Wildcats beat the Jayhawks 95-79 in the same round. Villanova got off to a 22-4 start en route to the victory. Back in 2016, Villanova beat Kansas 64-59 in the South Region final.

Overall, BIG EAST teams own a 12-6 record in national semifinal contests not including when a BIG EAST team faced another league squad in 1985 and 1987. Villanova is 3-1, winning in 1985, 2016 and 2018 while losing in 2009.

Villanova will be without All-Big East guard Justin Moore in their Final Four lineup. Moore fell to the floor with a non-contact leg injury late in Saturday’s Elite Eight win over Houston. On Sunday, he was diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon. Villanova announced that he’s scheduled for surgery this week and will be sidelined indefinitely.

USBWA Names All-American Teams

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INDIANAPOLIS – Three repeat selections joined three first team selections from the Big Ten, including its top scorer, a pair of teammates from top-ranked Gonzaga and the country’s leading rebounder to make up the 2021-22 U.S. Basketball Writers Association Men’s All-America Team. The 15-man team includes two of the country’s top shooters, the third-leading scorer, seven players who were their conference players of the year and four players who were USBWA district players of the year.

The USBWA has named a men’s All-America Team since its inaugural season of 1956-57. Since the 2017-18 season, the USBWA has expanded the team to honor 15 players on three teams, regardless of position. For the first time, the USBWA has also recognized players with honorable mention. The All-America Team is selected by the USBWA board after voting from the entire membership and the honor is based on performance during the regular season and conference tournaments.

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn, a 7-0 junior center from Kingston, Jamaica, is on the first team following a second-team selection last year and is the only player in the nation averaging at least 20 points (21.1) and 10 rebounds (10.6) per game, and is the sole player in the national top 20 in those categories. He’s the first Big Ten player since 2004 to average at least 21 points and 10 rebounds and is third in the nation with 11 games of at least 20-10.

Oscar Tshiebwe is Kentucky’s first USBWA All-American since forward PJ Washington in 2019 and the Wildcats’ first on the first team since forward Willie Cauley-Stein in 2015. The 6-9 junior forward from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the USBWA District IV Player of the Year and is the nation’s leading rebounder at 15.1 per game; he is also the team’s leading scorer with 17.0 points per game and could become the first Division I player to average at least 15 points and 15 rebounds per game since Drake’s Lewis Lloyd and Alcorn State’s Larry Smith (1979-80), and the first major-conference player to average 16 points and 15 rebounds in a season since Bill Walton at UCLA in 1972-73. No Kentucky player has averaged as much as 16 points and 15 rebounds since Bob Burrow (19.1 and 17.7) in 1954-55.

Tshiebwe is also a force on defense as the only major conference player averaging at least 1.6 blocked shots and 1.6 steals per game.

Keegan Murray’s accolades go beyond his 23.6 points per game, which are fourth nationally and lead all players from the major conferences. Iowa’s 6-8 sophomore forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has a 55.5 percent shooting accuracy that is 32nd nationally and his 2.0 blocks per game are 45th. Murray is the only player nationally to be averaging 23 points, eight rebounds and two blocks heading into the postseason. He has 10 double-doubles. Murray gives Iowa a first-team All-American in three consecutive seasons following center Luka Garza in 2020 and ’21.

Johnny Davis, a 6-5 sophomore guard/forward from LaCrosse, Wis., is the District V Player of the Year as well as the same in the Big Ten. The Wisconsin sophomore is averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game and has scored 30 or more points in three games, two of them against ranked opponents. He has five double-doubles.

Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji, a 6-5 guard from Kansas City, Mo., is the USBWA District VI and Big 12 Player of the Year. He is 25th nationally in scoring at 19.7 points per game. The four-year starter for KU was second in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage (40.5%, 31st nationally) and in three-point field goals made per game (2.8, 42nd nationally). He has made a three-pointer in 53 consecutive games, a KU record, heading into the postseason and is 18th on the KU career scoring list with 1,570 points.

This is the 30th time for teammates to be on the USBWA All-America team, and there are a pair of pairs this season with Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme from Gonzaga, the top seed in the West Regional, matching Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith from Auburn.

Drew Timme of Gonzaga, also a second-teamer last year, is the USBWA District IX and West Coast Conference Player of the Year after leading the WCC in scoring in conference games at 18.5 ppg, and second among all games at 17.5. His 58.8 percent accuracy is 14th nationally. Teammate Chet Holmgren, on the third team, is fourth in the nation in blocks (104) and leads the WCC with 9.6 rebounds per game. The 7-0 freshman has more blocks (104) than missed shots from the field (98) so far this season. Gonzaga has had a USBWA All-American in four of the last five seasons, including three a season ago when it reached the national championship game.

Auburn’s Jabari Smith, a second-teamer, was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year and teammate Walker Kessler earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Kessler, on the third team, enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 shot-blocker in the country averaging 4.5 blocks per game and the only NCAA Division I player with two triple-doubles. The Tigers pair are the first Auburn players to earn USBWA All-America nods since Chris Porter in 1999.

Finishing off the second team are Duke forward Paolo Banchero, the ACC Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection; Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, a first team All-Big Ten selection; and second-ranked Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin, the Pac-12’s Player of the Year.

Villanova guard Collin Gillespie, a third repeat USBWA All-American who repeats on the third unit this season, was the District II and Big East Player of the Year. He headlines the third team, joining Holmgren and Kessler. Also on the third team are James Akinjo, an All-Big 12 guard on the East Regional’s top seed Baylor and Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell, a first team All-Big Ten selection and the Buckeyes’ first All-American since 2018.

Five other standout players received honorable mention from the USBWA: Armando Bacot, North Carolina; Johnny Juzang, UCLA; JD Notae, Arkansas; David Roddy, Colorado State; and Alondes Williams, Wake Forest.

Following is the complete 2021-22 USBWA All-America Team:

2021-22 USBWA MEN’S ALL-AMERICA TEAM

First Team
G Ochai Agbaji, Kansas (6-5, 215, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.)
C Kofi Cockburn, Illinois (7-0, 285, Jr., Kingston, Jamaica)
G/F Johnny Davis, Wisconsin (6-5, 194, So., LaCrosse, Wis.)
F Keegan Murray, Iowa (6-8, 225, So., Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
F Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (6-9, 255, Jr., Lubumbashi, Congo)

Second Team
F Paolo Banchero, Duke (6-10, 250, Fr., Seattle, Wash.)
G Jaden Ivey, Purdue (6-4, 195, So., South Bend, Ind.)
G Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona (6-6, 210, So., Montreal, Quebec)
F Jabari Smith, Auburn (6-10, 220, Fr., Fayetteville, Ga.)
F Drew Timme, Gonzaga (6-10, 235, Jr., Richardson, Texas)

Third Team
G James Akinjo, Baylor (6-1, 190, Sr., Oakland, Calif.)
G Collin Gillespie, Villanova (6-3, 195, Gr., Huntingdon Valley, Pa.)
F Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga (7-0, 195, Fr., Minneapolis, Minn.)
F/C Walker Kessler, Auburn (7-1, 245, So., Newnan, Ga.)
F E.J. Liddell, Ohio State (6-7, 240, Jr., Belleville, Ill.)

Honorable mention: Armando Bacot, North Carolina; Johnny Juzang, UCLA; JD Notae, Arkansas; David Roddy, Colorado State; Alondes Williams, Wake Forest.

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.

College Hoops Fans, It’s Christmas Day

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“When it’s not always raining there’ll be days like this
When there’s no one complaining there’ll be days like this
When everything falls into place like the flick of a switch
Well my mama told me there’ll be days like this.”

  • Van Morrison, Days Like This
YouTube player

 

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – If you aren’t paying attention to the sports calendar, a day like this might slip right on by. There are plenty of examples for great and underrated days in sports. One, The Breeders’ Cup, just passed by – seven World Series games in one day of horse racing – gone.

A few others?

  • The Army vs Navy Game
  • NCAA Tournament Thursday
  • NFL Championship Sunday (Monday is the MLK, Jr holiday, too)
  • Patriots’ Day in Boston (Boston Marathon in the morning and running all day; The Sox at 11am at Fenway)
  • Iron Bowl – Auburn vs Alabama in NCAAF (November 27 this season)
  • El Clásico – Real Madrid vs Barcelona (Every time they play)

We’ll take you through Opening Evening/Night for College Basketball 2021-22. (All times Eastern Standard):

4:30pm – The broadcast begins with some Bad News with some Good News. The Bad: FS-1 starts its broadcast and our minds immediately think, “John Tesh wants his song back,” as Roundball Rock, the NBA on NBC intro theme, seems SO out of place as has been the case with FOX/FS-1 coverage of the BIG EAST. The Good: The wonderful and familiar voice of Bill Raftery rises from the TV’s speakers like the smell of fine wine or aged single malt Scotch – as in Raftery’s favorite phrase – “Just One More.” Raftery is such a great asset for college hoops and seemingly every fan looks forward to listening to “Raft” all the way until March Madness.

“ONIONS!”

4:31pm – By the time everyone looks up, Villanova is up 7-0 on Mount St. Mary’s or is it Mt. Saint Mary’s. One thing is for sure, it’s NOT St. Mary’s.

4:42pm – Raftery gives us the very first “ball screen” reference of the new season.

4:50pm – A break in the action and the endless stream of Insurance ads allows time to check the TV schedule for the rest of the evening. There are dozens of games, but these stand out and will be included in this running story as the night goes on with an obvious BIG EAST theme.

  • 6pm – Akron at Ohio State … a little early in the season to give Akron 16.5 points, eh?
  • 6:30pm – Central Connecticut at UConn … They’re Back, if you dare drive to Storrs.
  • 6:45pm – (The alphabet games begin with … IUPUI at Butler (That is Indiana University Purdue U Indianapolis)
  • 7pm – BIG BOY Game No. 1 – Kansas vs Michigan State in Game 1 of Champions Classic at The Garden
  • 7:30pm – Alpha 2 … UMBC at UMass (University of Maryland – Baltimore County for you alphabet fans)
  • 8pm – More alpha … UAPB at Creighton … University of Arkansas Pine Bluff! Be there.
  • 8:30pm – A tough one: SIUE (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville) at Marquette
  • 9pm – The various ‘college networks all tip-off vs each other with a TV remote challenge:
    • Houston Baptist at Texas (Longhorn Network)
    • Louisiana Tech at Alabama (SEC Network)
    • Navy at Virginia (ACC Network)
  • 9:30pm – BIG BOY Game 2 with Duke vs Kentucky at MSG
  • 10pm – Longwood at Iowa (Big Ten Network) – might be with Ernie, Chuck, Kenny and Shaq by then?

5:25 pm – Villanova heads to the lockers with a halftime lead, 45-21, over Mount St. Mary’s. “All ‘Nova,” they say. Collin Gillespie, a 6-3 senior guard for Villanova QBs the team while scoring seven points. From Kyle Lowry to Scottie Reynolds to Ryan Arcidiacono to Donte DiVincenzo to Jalen Brunson, Villanova recruits solid point guards and two position guards with the best of them. Nova Coach Jay Wright recruits to his system and it works, year-after-year.

5:35pm – A quick check of the entire NCAAB scoreboard shows that Manhattan defeated Manhattanville, 99-42, meaning Manhattanville is in for a very long season. Also, when looking at the Columbia at Fordham pregame, the odds show the Fordham Rams favored by 9.5 over Columbia U, an IVY League school on the sidelines since March 2020.

5:41pm – One game in and I can’t believe I’m looking forward to the Akron vs Ohio State game.

5:45pm – FS-1 having “technical problems” and Bill Raftery is pressed into solo play-by-play and commentator action before Jimmy Jackson joins the broadcast from FOX Sports Studios. Play-x-Play man Aaron Goldsmith does not return.

 

Editor’s Note: (This will be updated many times tonight, no more than 30 minutes between updates ideally).

5:50pm – During another lengthy FS-1 timeout, it allowed time to check the Mississippi Valley State at St. John’s pregame notes. A stop on ESPN dot com also showed fans are selling tickets online from $3 to $68. The problem? The $3 seats were better located than the $68 seats.

5:55pm – Bill Raftery informs us – with the score 65-40 – that “the next 10 minutes are important for The Mount.” They taught Raft that line at Nielsen TV Ratings school.

6pm – It’s off to the Akron at Ohio State game. We are soon reminded that Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and Nate Thurmond once played ball at Ohio State but LeBron James grew-up and played high school ball in Akron, Ohio.  Score? 8-6, Akron early.

For some reason, it bothers me that Ohio State has a big map of Ohio on their court, copying Indiana. Shouldn’t Ohio have the rights to the map? It’s not like Indiana State has a map of Terre Haute.

6:17pm – It has become apparent that college basketball will be played this season in front of fans and indoors, of course. Not a mask will be seen or worn by students (and fans) in the stands, all packed-in like sardines and screaming their brains out. That leads to the very obvious prediction that there will be COVID+ outbreaks in college hoops this season. … If the Ottawa Senators (of the NHL) can have five guys break-out with COVID+ with some pretty serious NHL protocols, including the glass and boards as a barrier for the team benches, then college hoops – with the crowd on top of the players and benches could be in big trouble. Good Luck.

6:22pm – It also looks as though College Basketball coaches will dress down, much like their NBA counterparts. Gotta wonder if Rick Pitino, head coach of Iona, will wear cuff links with his sweats?

6:24pm – Technical difficulties will be the buzzword for Opening Tip-Off night of College Hoops 2021-22. ESPN2 lost video for only a few seconds and switched to remote side-by-side of the announce team, sitting in their home studios. What the COVID pandemic taught the networks is that they can save money and NOT send their broadcasters to the games. Airfare, hotel accommodations, meals and per diem all saved by networks. The fans lose as it’s not like you’re getting any discount on ESPN channels for the less than in-depth coverage with commentators staring at TV monitors instead of getting the first-hand knowledge, interactions, experiences and insights from courtside on-site. Boo.

6:30pm – ESPN breaks away at the 8:00 minute mark with Ohio State leading Akron, 20-17. (Reminder: The line was Akron +16.5). Now, it’s decision time. Do we watch five more ESPN2 commercials or do we flip for tip of the Central Connecticuit vs UConn game? With Villanova winning, 91-51, ‘Nova’s Justin Moore leading the team in scoring with an impressive opening-eve 27, it’s time to head back to FS-1.

6:33pm – The ball is tipped at Gampel Pavillion in beautiful Storrs. Full house. The Huskies are described as “an NBA team disguised as a UConn team,” by former NBA and UConn player Donny Marshall, a better than average TV commentator. He’s right, as UConn opens up a 15-5 lead at the first break (15:43 left in 1st Half).

6:55pm – It’s time for the alphabet game portion of the night to begin as IUPUI and Butler give it a run at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.  Quick thought: Wouldn’t it be cool if the PxP guy said Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis instead of IUPUI every time down the court?  One problem. It’s four minutes into the first half and IUPUI has yet to score. (But they trail by only three points).

7pm – It’s time to head to the Varsity game and it’s great to see Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas do their pregame stand-up for Michigan State vs Kansas from courtside at Madison Square Garden with Holly Rowe adding to the broadcast from courtside, too. Bilas is the best in the business, as he notes “the energy (in The Garden) is amazing.” Pretty good for neutral court. No anti-COVID+ masks at MSG either, by the way.

7:16pm – ESPN wastes NO TIME with a classy video taped message montage and best wishes salute to Hall-of-Fame basketball contributor Dick Vitale who is battling lymphoma with a weekly chemotherapy sessions. Vitale has put so much time, effort and money behind the ESPN-led “V Foundation” in memory of Coach Jimmy Valvano, it’s now time for everyone in the college and worldwide basketball community to stand-up to support Dickie V. Donate $ HERE.

7:23pm – A break in the action of the Michigan State vs Kansas game allows some time to look at the Bracketology work on ESPN.com and predictions for the March Brackets and NCAA Tournament teams.  It’s a LONG way off and very difficult to predict in November, but here’s a look-see. Digital Sports Desk will do a bracket for While We’re Young (Ideas) either this weekend or next. See Joe Lunardi‘s first crack at it HERE.

Hey Joe? St. John’s is a “last four in,” eh? See you in Dayton!

7:35pm – At the three HOUR mark for this column and the College Basketball season is well underway across this nation. With the three hour mark came the first bathroom break of the evening and, with that, I broke out my favorite book, the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook – a must for these early season games. I plugged this in a Sunday Sports Notebook but, it’s worth another plug to purchase it HERE. Spring for the Spiral bound version and the digital edition for travel and easy storage as a PDF on your computer or IUPUIPad.

7:45pm – As the games play, a thought comes and I can’t say it’s the first season that this thought has come along. When you see the likes of Kansas and Michigan State competing against each other at The Garden, it’s very apparent that they are playing at an entirely different level than the rest of the pack. With 2:59 left in the first half, Kansas leads Michigan State, 32-31.

Meanwhile, ESPN is promoting its halftime show and the next rankings of the NCAA Football Top 25. ESPN’s Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit are at The Garden for the upcoming halftime show, previewing the 9pm EST reveal of the CFP rankings. Everyone likes Georgia, many like undefeated Oklahoma, but after that?

Back to College Hoops. Amazing! Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will accept an award from Champions Classic, and its sponsor, State Farm. Of course, Coach K has been a $tate Farm guy forever. Talking heads are debating whether Coach K (five NCAA titles) or John Wooden (10 NCAA titles) is the best college basketball coach of all time.

Duke’s Coach K starts the 2021-22 season, announced to be his last, with a career record of  1,170–361. Wooden went 664–162 in his basketball coaching career, although there were fewer games played overall and the NCAA Tournament was limited to 16 teams when the Wizard of Westwood coached at UCLA.

8pm – ESPN is going full throttle as Rece Davis is joined by LaPhonzo Ellis and Seth Greenberg on the set (on MSG’s floor). You can’t help but wonder why ESPN gets its college coverage so finely tuned while its NBA coverage struggles annually, outside of key play-by-play man Mike Breen.

8:10pm – A quick flip back to ESPN2 and a tune-in at Columbus, Ohio shows Akron going up by a point (66-65) after 6-8 sophomore forward Ali Ali hit a three-point FG and converted the free throw after he was fouled on the play. With 0:06 remaining, Ohio State’s 6-8 sophomore forward Zed Key took a feed from Malachi Branham and scored the game-winner with less than 0:01 on the clock. The win marked the first “barn-burner” and “buzzer-beater” of the new college hoops season. As noted above, Akron and its (+16.5) covered quite easily, but lost a heart-breaker.

8:35pm – Kansas’ 6-5 senior guard Ochai Agbaji drains a three-pointer to make it 61-50 Jayhawks. It continues to look as though the teams at The Garden are playing a different sport than the rank and file early season games elsewhere in college hoops.

8:50pm – With Kansas in control, there’s time to start surfing a few of the other games. The first three clicks were greeted by more insurance commercials, but a stop at New England’s NESN+ brought about the UMBC at UMass game, a close 48-44 affair with 10:55 left. With a tip from the announce team, we see UMBC is 3-20 from three-point range while UMass is 0-10 from downtown. Note to NCAA Basketball: It might be time to bag the three-point shot. (Kansas won 87-74).

9:00pm – In other A-10-related action, St. Bonnies is drilling Siena (22-10 in second half) and Davidson is up by 27 over Delaware. Meanwhile, out in Western Massachusetts, the Minute People finally hit a “3” and were leading 54-46 when the channel surfing headed to the various Sports Nets.

9:01pm – FS1, aka the BIG EAST Network, went to split screen for Fairfield at Providence and Niagara at Xavier.  On FS2, Marquette was holding a slim lead over Southern Illinois -Edwardsville. Long way to go. Coach Shaka Smart is in his first year at Marquette and brought a few of his Texas recruits along with him. By the way, NYC soccer fans might note, the “Special Assistant to the Head Coach” at Marquette is Nevada Smith.

9:05pm – A look at the ACC Network put forth an early Upset Alert 🚨 as Navy led No. 25 Virginia 5-0. The lead floated out to sea seconds later and Virginia led 7-5 when it was time to look elsewhere. Remember, colleges play an exhibition or two but there’s no “real” preseason games. It is evident tonight. Navy would prevail 66-58 for the ONLY upset of the first night for the Top 25 teams. Virginia is sure to drop out of that elite group.

9:15pm – Bonus programming! A look at the YES Network from New York showed a Southern U. vs Louisville billboard but the fans of college hoops were being treated to Oklahoma hosting Northwestern State (that of Natchitoches, Louisiana). OK was up 45-33 upon tune-in and we noted 6-8, 275 lbs center Larry Owens along with two players from Athens, (Greece, not Georgia), one from Tbilisi, (Country of and not State of Georgia), and one player from Israel. Can you imagine the culture shock upon arriving from Athens to Natchitoches? And, just how did that happen? NWSU head coach Mike McConathy is in his 23rd year, so go figure?

Meanwhile, in between games at The Garden, ESPN has turned it back over to the College Football Playoff rankings.

9:25pm – The College Game Day crew (football) finally gets around to the Top 10. They reveal in reverse order and here ya go, ICYMI.

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Oregon
  4. Ohio State
  5. Cincinnati
  6. Michigan
  7. Michigan State
  8. Oklahoma
  9. Notre Dame
  10. Oklahoma State

The CFP Show had some serious arguing over rankings that don’t mean a thing on November 9th.

9:32pm – When in doubt, back to the BIG EAST as Creighton and Arkansas Pine Bluff are battling it out (63-57 upon tune-in time with 12:42 left in the 2nd half). Arkansas Pine Bluff led 47-38 at the half but a little 29-7 run did that lead in. Creighton is very tough at home and any BIG EAST team to go on the road to Omaha and come back with a “W” is fortunate.

9:37pm – The FS1 producers switched to a live look-in for the end of the Niagara at Xavier game as Niagara missed a shot down the stretch that could’ve put the pressure on Xavier in a big way. X ended up winning 63-60 after Marcus Hammond hit a full court heave-ho for three at the buzzer. Xavier was favored by 17 points.

9:45pm – Yes, it was time to check in at TNT where Milwaukee was leading Philadelphia, 118-109,

9:50pm – It’s time to settle in for the final game of the night, with all due respect to that Longwood vs Iowa game on the Big Ten Network. No. 9 Duke and No. 10 Kentucky playing in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden (18,132) is “the” way to put an exclamation point on the first night of the NCAA Basketball Season.

ESPN is making it clear the entire season will be a tribute to Coach K, and rightfully so. Coming out of a break, ESPN rolled old photos and footage of Coach K at Army and getting a couple important victories – including No. 1,000 at The Garden against St. John’s, by the way.

Speaking of St. John’s, they drilled Mississippi Valley State, 119-61.

10:10pm – ESPN catches a very incognito Bruce Springsteen amongst the crowd at MSG. The Boss was  joining his daughter, Jessica, a 2014 Duke grad and 2020-21 USA Equestrian team silver medalist at the Tokyo Games.

10:13pm – Game score going back and forth between Duke and UK as the first half develops into a decent game, albeit somewhat physical.

10:25pm – The refs give each team a talking to, as the game got “chippy” and there was some jawing. Duke led 29-25 with 4:00 remaining in the 1st half.

10:40pm – At the half, Duke led 39-35 as the Kentucky team and head coach John Caliperi headed to the lockers. Coach Cal said on the TV interview with Holly Rowe, “we almost lost two exhibition games.”

11:00pm – Kentucky comes out hot in the 2nd half and it becomes quite apparent that this game is likely to go down to the wire.

11:10pm – Direct TV: Serena v. Wonder Woman; Serena …Wonder Woman.

11:12pm – Players, competing at high speed and rate, are cramping up a sign of not being in “game shape” as of yet.

11:45pm – Duke’s young team, despite four players cramping-up, close-out the Kentucky Wildcats, 79-71. Freshman Trevor Keels led the way for the Blue Devils with 25 points. Duke’s 6-10 freshman forward Paulo Banchero added 25 points.

Later in the night: Both Gonzaga and UCLA both won big over their opponents. The Zags taking Dixie State (Utah, by the way), 97-63 and UCLA – who Jay Bilas touted as the No. 1 team in the country – defeated Cal-Bakersfield, 95-58.