College Basketball

Sep. 24—It’s not exactly a changing of the guard(s). All-Mountain West-caliber Donovan Dent is back in the saddle, of course, and leading this season’s UNM Lobo men’s basketball team. But when two three-year starting, all-conference Lobo guards in Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. — each of whom scored more than 1,000 points in their UNM playing careers — are …

Baylor star Jared Butler claims he wasn’t aware of the score as the Bears opened Monday night’s NCAA Tournament championship game in ferocious fashion. However, he didn’t really need to take a glance to know that things were going exceedingly well against undefeated Gonzaga. “I knew at some point we were up big because we were scoring and they weren’t …

In Pat Kelsey’s grand vision, the Louisville men’s basketball rebuild he started in March will culminate in a tribute to the late Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum. “When the time’s right and I feel like the revival is complete,” Kelsey told Crum’s wife, Susan, during a Sept. 17 event at the Frazier History Museum, “I’m going to call you …

The Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team filled in the gaps on its 2024-25 schedule, which was released in full Tuesday night. Incoming freshman Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is the headliner for a revamped roster that includes 10 new players in the third season under head coach Jon Scheyer. Coming off an …

Two spots have been filled; 13 remain. Alabama basketball’s 2025 recruiting class is already ranked No. 4 according to On3’s industry rankings. Four-star commits Amari Allen and London Jemison have sworn themselves to the returning Final Four squad with a “Roll Tide.” A number of recruits on the radar could push the Crimson Tide’s incoming class of prospects to No. …

Rick Barnes opened his 10th preseason as the Tennessee basketball coach Tuesday as the Vols held their first official practice. The Vols have five new players with four transfers and six returners as they prepare to open the season against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 4. Here are three notes about the Vols: Igor Milicic Jr. can play all five spots for …

PISCATAWAY – Here’s a sign of how much interest there is in Rutgers basketball for the 2024-25 season: They ran out of seating in the media area for Tuesday’s practice. More than 30 reporters and scouts turned out for the program’s annual media day. Here are five observations, with much more to come. FIVE OBSERVATIONS 1. The big two looked …

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a play against North Carolina during the second half of the NCAA tournament West Region second round at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Michigan State basketball is back! Kind of. The Spartans opened up fall practices on Tuesday for the 2024-25 basketball season and Tom Izzo spoke …

. The North Carolina Tar Heels are still seeking their first commitment in the 2025 recruiting class and this week they will have the chance to land a big target of theirs. Four-star combo guard Derek Dixon is set to make his decision on Friday afternoon, ending his recruitment and making his college selection. This recruitment has picked up steam …

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team will open its 2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference schedule Dec. 7 at North Carolina, tipping at 2 p.m. Eastern time on the ACC Network, the conference office announced Monday afternoon. The ACC announced the entire slate of games for the opening weekend Dec. 7-8, including tip time and television coverage, as well as …

The University of Rhode Island will start the Atlantic 10 portion of its men’s basketball schedule with a New Year’s Eve trip to face the reigning league tournament champions. The Rams will spend the last day of 2024 taking on Duquesne, the surprise winners of an automatic NCAA Tournament berth in the spring. It was the first time dancing for …

Ashlyn Watkins COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said nothing has changed with the status of suspended forward Ashlyn Watkins and she’s unsure when or if her player would be available for the season. Watkins is a 6-foot-3 junior from Columbia who was arrested Aug. 31 and charged with first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping. “Nothing’s moved yet,” …

Mark Few The Pac-12 is adding Utah State as its seventh member and is in discussions with basketball powerhouse Gonzaga to join the rebuilding conference in 2026, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. In a whirlwind day of maneuvering by three leagues, Utah State and UNLV of the Mountain West became prime targets for the …

When Steve Goers closes his eyes, he can still see Joe Tulley. But he’s not pulling up for a jumper. He is running in the streets. “He would run with the basketball beneath his arm in our neighborhood, going from his house to a nearby court to play. Not just once,” said Goers, a longtime Boylan coach whose 881 wins …

Greenfield Central’s Braylon Mullins during a scrimmage against Lawrence North at the Notre Dame Team Camp at Rolfs Athletics Hall on Thursday, June 13, 2024, in South Bend. Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels took a big step forward in the recruitment of a five-star shooting guard in the 2025 class. Just a few weeks after Braylon Mullins …

Jan 3, 2015; Clemson, SC, USA; A general view of the court prior to the game between the Clemson Tigers and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Littlejohn Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports If you’re really looking forward to seeing the Clemson Tigers square off against the Kentucky Wildcats as part of this year’s SEC/ACC Challenge, you …

Sep. 23—Joining the newly rebuilt Pac-12 conference would almost certainly bring more revenue to Gonzaga University athletics, but quantifying just how much is easier said than done. The challenge lies in the West Coast Conference and the private university being historically tight-lipped about its financials, including the conference’s current media rights agreement and changes made to its disbursement model in …

LEXINGTON — It’s a new coach. But it’s the same narrative for Kentucky basketball. The Wildcats are aiming for their first Final Four appearance since 2015. Once there, they hope to win their ninth national title — and their first since 2012. To achieve one, or both, of those goals, UK will have to do that under the guidance of a first-year coach: Mark Pope, a member of …

Sep. 23—So many questions. But so much to like. Early word surfaced on social media on Monday — and later backtracked — that Gonzaga would soon join whatever shape the newest iteration of the Pacific-12 Conference assumes. Of course, that doesn’t mean what it once would — with basketball rivalry games against Arizona, UCLA and Washington assured every season — …

Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis (4) shoots against Alabama Crimson Tide forward Grant Nelson (2) in the second half in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports If the North Carolina Tar Heels want to prove they’ll remain …

The NCAA men’s college basketball season is near and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats will be on display in their first exhibition with Ohio State in about three weeks. The CareSource Exhibition Game for Mental Health featuring the Bearcats and Buckeyes will be the first meeting between the schools since the beginning of the 2019 season. Preseason, CBS basketball insider …

The NCAA men’s college basketball season is near and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats will be on display in their first exhibition with Ohio State in about three weeks. The CareSource Exhibition Game for Mental Health featuring the Bearcats and Buckeyes will be the first meeting between the schools since the beginning of the 2019 season. Preseason, CBS basketball insider …

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure to have his pacemaker replaced, the athletic department announced. Hoiberg, 51, was born with an abnormal aortic valve and had surgeries in 2005 and 2015. His heart condition was discovered during a life insurance physical and brought an end to his NBA playing career. …

WEST LAFAYETTE − Purdue basketball practice began on Monday with a new crop of Boilermakers running up and down Gene Keady Court. The man whose name is emblazoned on the hardwood inside Mackey Arena was not there. Last week, Keady suffered a minor stroke and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Last week, Coach Keady suffered a small stroke …

WEST LAFAYETTE − Purdue basketball practice began Monday with a new crop of Boilermakers running up and down Gene Keady Court. The man whose name is emblazoned on the hardwood inside Mackey Arena was not there. Last week, Keady suffered a minor stroke and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. More: Gene Keady’s Purdue never made Final Four. But in many ways, this …