College Basketball

[ad_1] BOSTON – The candid moment made its way around social media. Illinois basketball coach Brad Underwood, cracking open a can of Coca-Cola, uttered what every member of the Illini faithful felt in their souls at that moment. “Ooh,” Underwood sighed, “that sucked.” Agreed, coach. Illinois didn’t just run into the best team in college basketball. Illinois ran into the …

[ad_1] Alabama basketball made history on Saturday night. The 4 seed Crimson Tide defeated 6 seed Clemson 89-82 in the Elite Eight to advance to their first Final Four in program history. REQUIRED READING: Alabama basketball cashes ticket to Final Four with win over Clemson Alabama, with its nation-leading offense, made 16 3-pointers on the night while shooting over 44% …

[ad_1] LOS ANGELES — Alabama freshman Jarin Stevenson was sitting in a classroom as a junior at Seaforth High School in Pittsboro, North Carolina, around this time last year. Months later, he decided to speed up his timeline as a college basketball player by reclassifying to join the Crimson Tide for the 2023-24 season. Stevenson had to grow up fast …

[ad_1] LOS ANGELES — The unlikely hero of Alabama men’s basketball’s all-time biggest win should still be a senior in high school right now. Jarin Stevenson only took extra classes to graduate a year early because the Crimson Tide had players leave for the NBA at his position. Alabama wouldn’t be making its first-ever Final Four appearance next week if …

[ad_1] Who is going to play in the Final Four? We know half the field: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 Alabama. The second March Madness semifinal game will be determined Sunday. The winner of the Tennessee vs. Purdue Elite Eight matchup on Sunday will get a Final Four berth. So will the No. 4 Duke vs. No. 11 NC State …

[ad_1] Alabama basketball is headed to its first Final Four in program history after beating Clemson in the Elite Eight on Saturday night, and Crimson Tide play-by-play commentator Chris Stewart delivered an electric radio call as the moment happened. Stewart, who has survived a slew of recent health scares, had the honor of calling Alabama’s Final Four moment, which will …

[ad_1] Mark Sears was so far outside the 3-point line, his heels were no more than a couple inches from the edge of the March Madness logo at center court. Was the Alabama basketball star point guard 25 feet from the basket? Maybe 26? He didn’t care. And coach Nate Oats didn’t either. Sears was feeling it, after all, and …

[ad_1] The Elite Eight is here, as the final two March Madness teams will punch their tickets to the Final Four in Phoenix on Sunday. Tennessee, Purdue, NC State and Duke are all vying for a spot in the Final Four on Easter Sunday. MORE: Watch select NCAA Tournament games live with Fubo (free trial) The run by 11 seed …

[ad_1] At least for Saturday night, Alabama is a basketball school. A program’s first Final Four is a momentous occasion in its history regardless of size, and it means something a little different in Tuscaloosa. So significant was Alabama’s win over Clemson, it continued the conversion of Charles Barkley from his Auburn alma mater, eliciting an emphatic “Roll Tide!” from …

[ad_1] The first matchup of the 2024 Final Four is set as No. 1 overall seed UConn will take on No. 4 seed Alabama on Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will be a historic moment for the Crimson Tide, who are making their first-ever Final Four appearance. But they will have their hands full …

[ad_1] LOS ANGELES — Mark Sears made seven 3-pointers and Alabama recovered from its early long-distance shooting woes with 16 3s to beat Clemson 89-82 on Saturday night, sending the Crimson Tide to the Final Four for the first time. The Tide (25-11) will face defending national champion UConn in Glendale, Arizona, next Saturday. Alabama knocked off top-seeded North Carolina …

[ad_1] The 2024 NCAA Tournament’s second week of competition concludes Sunday with the final two games of the Elite Eight closing out the contenders for the Final Four next weekend. What was once a 68-team field at the start of the Big Dance is down to six with one more haircut to go before the national championship is decided. Action …

[ad_1] LOS ANGELES — Clemson basketball failed to reach its first Final Four in program history, losing 89-82 Saturday in the Elite Eight to No. 4 seed Alabama at Crypto.com Arena. The sixth-seeded Tigers’ (24-12) historic March Madness run came to end as the Crimson Tide (25-11) went nuclear from 3-point range. Alabama will face the winner No. 1 Connecticut …

[ad_1] Alabama pulled away from Clemson late on Saturday night to secure its first ever trip to the Final Four. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES — Clemson’s best NCAA tournament run, thanks to another unlikely source, has come to an end. Alabama, behind a career night from freshman Jarin Stevenson, pushed ahead and claimed an 89-82 win in their Elite …

[ad_1] PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Paige Bueckers scored 24 points to lead third-seeded UConn and its injury-depleted roster back to the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a 53-45 victory over No. 7 seed Duke on Saturday night. A year after having to watch March Madness while sidelined by a knee injury, Bueckers was again the best player …

[ad_1] PORTLAND, Ore. — Freshman All-American JuJu Watkins drove the length of the floor for a go-ahead three-point play with 3:13 left and finished with 30 points, leading top-seeded Southern California past Baylor 74-70 on Saturday and into the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994. Watkins scored nine straight points for the Trojans …

[ad_1] BOSTON — Defending national champion UConn powered its way back into the Final Four behind a 30-0 run led by Donovan Clingan, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Huskies crushed Illinois 77-52 on Saturday night. It was a March Madness record 10th straight double-digit victory for the Huskies, who cruised to their fifth national title …

[ad_1] DALLAS — The best basketball conference during the 2023-24 college basketball regular season was objectively not the Atlantic Coast Conference. But the best showing by any conference during the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament, by virtually any measure, belongs to the ACC. The beleaguered league — which had four teams with below .500 records in the regular season and seven teams …

[ad_1] Clemson basketball’s PJ Hall was an in-state product and a highly-ranked recruit when he started his college career at Littlejohn Coliseum in 2020. Four years later, Hall has matched all expectations — and them some. Hall is Clemson’s leading scorer and the centerpiece of the Tigers’ run to the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Here’s what to know …

[ad_1] BOSTON — Seldom in this sport, in this beloved, bold, beautiful bracket of a tournament, have we seen a team this ferocious. This laughably dominant. And rarely have we ever watched a regional final go from seemingly competitive to a blowout like what happened Saturday night in Boston. For nearly 20 minutes, Illinois was fooled into thinking it had …

[ad_1] The first two weekends of the 2024 NCAA Tournament have provided plenty of thrills, unexpected results and high-level competition. It’s an event that rarely falls short in those categories, so it’s fitting that the last two regional finals on Sunday feature a nice balance of everything the tournament has to offer.  First will be the Midwest Regional final from …

[ad_1] DETROIT — Tom Izzo fawned over the Purdue basketball program and the job Matt Painter has done constructing a consistent winner. Michigan State had just fought back but, like every other opponent that visited Mackey Arena this season, couldn’t get the better of the Boilermakers. More: Zach Edey is staying on the court: ‘It’s amazing someone of that size …

[ad_1] No. 2 seed Tennessee (27-8, 14-4 SEC) will play No. 2 seed Purdue (32-4, 17-3 Big Ten) Sunday in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Tipoff between the Vols and Boilermakers is slated for 2:20 p.m. EDT and CBS will televise the contest. Sunday marks the seventh all time meeting between …

[ad_1] “I feel it. I was a Purdue basketball player, and a Purdue fan, then I was a Purdue assistant coach, now I’m the Purdue head coach. Everyone feels it. No different than rooting for the Cubs. You just want it. That’s your passion.” Purdue’s head coach Matt Painter was on full display on Saturday, talking Purdue, spending pages of …

[ad_1] Alabama basketball is back in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. The No. 4 Crimson Tide is set to play No. 6 Clemson in Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday. Alabama coach Nate Oats, point guard Mark Sears and forward Grant Nelson will be trying to take the Tide to …