• October 16, 2024
Men's NCAA Tournament Final Four schedule set

Men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four schedule set

[ad_1] With NC State taking yet another step in its glass Cinderella slipper Sunday night, the 2024 men’s NCAA Tournament is officially whittled down to four teams. The Final Four will take place on Saturday, April 6. NC State will face Purdue in the first game of the day, with tipoff scheduled for 6:09 p.m.…

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Cam Spencer lights UConn's fire

Cam Spencer lights UConn’s fire

[ad_1] STORRS, Conn. — When Cam Spencer visited Connecticut last spring, he got the usual treatment. Photoshoot. Pitches on branding and NIL. The fluff, UConn coach Dan Hurley calls it. Spencer goes out of his way to avoid what others seek. He’s not on social media. His interests are minimal. And Hurley could see Spencer…

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Sweet 16 breakdowns and predictions: Is an Iowa-LSU rematch in store for the Elite Eight?

Sweet 16 breakdowns and predictions: Is an Iowa-LSU rematch in store for the Elite Eight?

[ad_1] The Sweet 16 field is set — mostly as we expected it but with some twists. The left side of the bracket (Albany 1 and Portland 4 regions) includes every No. 1 through No. 4 seed, while the right side (Albany 2 and Portland 3 regions) low seeds include a No. 5 and a…

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The Athletic

Dandy dozen: The 12 teams that can win the men’s NCAA Tournament

[ad_1] We don’t have many rules of thumb —what with only four total thumbs between us — for picking an NCAA Tournament bracket. But there’s one we believe in wholeheartedly: Don’t overthink it. To that end, there’s something simple to keep in mind (yet again) when choosing your Final Four and national champion. After Connecticut…

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The Athletic

What do March Madness stars listen to before tip-off? 13 players and coaches share their mixtapes

[ad_1] As college basketball players head to NCAA Tournament arenas on their team buses, many will slip on headphones, zone out to a song and absorb the vibes. Coaches also sometimes take a small moment from poring over last-minute scouting reports to escape to a melody filtering through their airpods. These soundtracks, perhaps subconsciously, serve…

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The Athletic

The Joker Effect: Playmaking centers have revolutionized college basketball offenses

[ad_1] When Fred Hoiberg left a front-office job with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010 to coach Iowa State, he was ahead of his time chasing transfers to build a roster. Hoiberg was also ahead of the curve when he landed his biggest transfer prize: Royce White. White was built like an NFL tight end —…

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Women's March Madness bracket prep: Strengths, weaknesses for all 68 teams, outlooks and more

Women’s March Madness bracket prep: Strengths, weaknesses for all 68 teams, outlooks and more

[ad_1] After five months of regular-season and conference tournament action, we have finally reached the best stretch of the year. It’s March Madness, and it’s setting up to be yet another eventful NCAA Tournament. At 32-0, South Carolina seems like the easy pick to make it to the championship game, but we thought that last…

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NCAA Tournament bracket picks: CJ Moore picks UConn over Purdue for the title

NCAA Tournament bracket picks: CJ Moore picks UConn over Purdue for the title

[ad_1] (Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.) Since Florida repeated as national champs in 2007, no defending champion has advanced past the Sweet 16. That ends this year.   Connecticut…

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The Athletic

Why March Madness belongs to the women: Star players, big ratings make it tourney to watch

[ad_1] There’s always a sign. Last spring, I first noticed something special was happening when I couldn’t walk half a block in Dallas without running into large packs of Iowa or South Carolina fans. There were also my guy friends back home who, for the first time, were planning their weekend around the women’s NCAA…

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The Athletic

Intensity, alter egos and ‘Benjamin Button’: Dan Hurley’s quest to become king of two in a row

[ad_1] STORRS, Conn. — It is 1 p.m. on a dismal January afternoon and, aside from a few managers, Gampel Pavilion is empty. The Connecticut players have finished reviewing film but have yet to shuffle in from the practice facility across the street. Dan Hurley stands a few steps behind halfcourt. He’s wearing gray sweats,…

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