UConn Hailed by Twitter for 'Best Basketball of the Season' in Win vs. Arkansas
Mar 24, 2023
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 23: Alex Karaban #11 of the Connecticut Huskies reacts after a score during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 23, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The No. 4 UConn Huskies are going back to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2013-14 following an 88-65 win over the No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday night in the Sweet 16.
It was a dominant outing for the Huskies, who entered halftime with a 46-29 lead over the Razorbacks before tacking on another 42 points in the second half to seal out the victory.
UConn was paced by sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins, who finished with 24 points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Junior forward Adama Sanogo also notched 18 points, eight rebounds, one assist and two blocks, and two other players finished with double digits in scoring.
After going 13-7 in Big East action and being eliminated by Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament, there were questions about how UConn would perform in the NCAA tournament.
It's safe to say the Huskies have silenced any doubters, and college basketball fans on Twitter believe UConn played its best basketball of the season on Thursday night:
UConn is playing its best basketball of the season tonight.
This reminds me of the run Kemba and UConn went on. Nuts!
UConn started off the season with quality wins & undefeated. Then stumbled a bit in conference. However, they’ve turned it back up in this tournament. The Huskies were once the #1 team in the country, too.
UConn's run to a national title with Kemba Walker occurred during the 2010-11 season. While the Huskies went 9-9 in conference action that year, they turned up the heat in the NCAA tournament en route to a championship.
UConn will face either No. 2 UCLA or No. 3 Gonzaga in the Elite Eight. The last time the Huskies made it this far in the NCAA tournament they won a national championship, which came in 2014.
UConn is looking to make the Final Four for just the sixth time in program history and win its fifth-ever title, which would be tied with Duke and Indiana for the fourth-most all-time. UCLA has won the most NCAA titles with 11, last winning it all in 1995.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
UConn Men's Basketball Team Switches Hotels in Las Vegas Due to Poor Conditions
Mar 23, 2023
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 11: The Connecticut Huskies logo on pair of short during the Big East Basketball Tournament - Semifinals against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The UConn men's basketball team was greeted with a rude welcome when they arrived at their Las Vegas hotel for Thursday's Sweet 16 matchup against Arkansas in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
CT Insider's David Borges reports that when the players arrived to their rooms, they were subjected to "dirt, vomit ... and worse." Borges noted that this occurred at the Luxor Hotel.
The fourth-seeded Huskies were moved to "a nearby, high-level hotel" after the situation was disclosed to the NCAA, which handles booking hotels for each team in the tournament.
For their part, the UConn players and did not let the incident faze them ahead of their matchup against the eighth-seeded Razorbacks. The team went out for dinner together on Tuesday night after practice, and there weren't many other plans beyond that during their stay in Las Vegas.
"It's not something we want to make a big deal out of," athletic director David Benedict said. "Everything worked out fine."
UConn reached this point thanks to back-to-back double-digit wins over No. 13 Iona and No. 5 St. Mary's in the first two rounds of the tournament. It's the first time the Huskies have advanced to the Sweet 16 since winning the national championship in 2014. The team is primed to make the most out of its opportunity this weekend.
"Playing at UConn, it's just you deal with a lot more pressure and criticism and like immediate meltdowns on social when you lose," head coach Dan Hurley said after Sunday's win over St. Mary's. "I think in the first and even second round of tournaments, it's more of a burden to play at UConn than it is an advantage. ... Obviously, now you get to the Sweet 16, you can really just kind of go out and just let it rip."
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
Mike Brey in USF Basketball HC Talks After 23 Seasons at Notre Dame
Mar 20, 2023
SOUTH BEND, IN - MARCH 01: Head coach Mike Brey of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is seen during the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Joyce Center on March 1, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Mike Brey might not be on the market for long.
The former and longtime Notre Dame men's basketball head coach is a candidate to be hired by South Florida to serve as their head coach, USF athletic director Michael Kelly confirmed to Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Just spoke to USF AD Michael Kelly. He said former Notre Dame coach Mike Brey is a candidate and has interviewed for the USF basketball job, but there’s only been discussions. There’s been no offer and nothing has been formalized.
Russ Wood of Rivals previously reported Monday that Brey is expected to be hired by the school.
Brey and Notre Dame announced in January that he planed to step down from his post as the program's head coach at the end of the 2022-23 season. He later made it clear that he wasn't done coaching, however.
Big news out of Notre Dame.
Mike Brey tells me that he is not retiring.
“Definitely not done coaching.” - Brey
Great to hear from one of the best guys in the business.
The Fighting Irish went just 11-21 in 2022-23 and missed the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the past six years (though no tourney was held in the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Brey, 64, did lead the program to 13 tournament berths in his 23 years, finishing with a 483–280 record at the school. Under his watch, Notre Dame reached the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
If South Florida does bring him aboard, he'll be a major upgrade. The Bulls have had four straight losing seasons, only had one winning record under previous head coach Brian Gregory during his six-year tenure and have only posted one winning season in the past 11 seasons.
Gregory was just 79-107 during his run, and South Florida hasn't reached the NCAA tournament since the 2011-12 campaign.
Brey would bring experience and stability to a Bulls' program that hasn't had much success, and would be a major hire for the school. Notre Dame remains in limbo, meanwhile, as a successor for Brey has yet to be announced.
Houston's Marcus Sasser Reportedly In Line to Start vs. Auburn After Groin Injury
Mar 18, 2023
Houston guard Marcus Sasser brings the ball up duirng the first half of the team's first-round college basketball game against Northern Kentucky in the men's NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Houston Cougars star guard Marcus Sasser, who has been dealing with a groin injury, is good to start without restrictions for his team's second-round matchup against Auburn in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Saturday, per Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
Houston’s Marcus Sasser (groin) will start and will not have any minute restrictions today against Auburn, source told @stadium. Sasser could have come back in first round game, but Houston coaching staff held him out.
Sasser suffered the groin injury last Saturday in the AAC tournament semifinals. He did not play in his team's championship game loss to Memphis but returned for its first-round victory in the NCAA tournament against Northern Kentucky.
However, Sasser left and did not return after 14 minutes of play when he appeared to aggravate the injury.
Sasser, who was named the AAC's Player of the Year, told reporters Friday that he was committed to playing the second-round matchup.
"I'm 100 percent playing tomorrow," Sasser said. "I've been doing a lot of treatment and stretching and massages and things like that to get ready."
Sasser averages 16.7 points per game.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
Houston HC Kelvin Sampson Defends Marcus Sasser Playing vs. NKU Amid Groin Injury
Mar 17, 2023
Houston guard Marcus Sasser brings the ball up duirng the first half of the team's first-round college basketball game against Northern Kentucky in the men's NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
After Marcus Sasser was removed from Houston's 63-52 win over Northern Kentucky in the NCAA tournament, head coach Kelvin Sampson defended playing the star guard even though he came into the game with a groin injury.
Speaking to reporters following the game, Sampson said Sasser and the team's trainer felt he was healthy enough to play.
"I've been with Marcus for four years," Sampson explained. "I trust Marcus and I trust our trainer. I leave those decisions up to them. Marcus knows his body better than anyone in this room, including me. So I would have been fine if Marcus had decided not to play tonight, but he wanted to give it a try because he thought he was at a high enough percentage out of 100 that he could go."
Sasser originally injured his groin in the first half of Houston's AAC tournament semifinal win over Cincinnati on March 11. The injury occurred when he slipped on the court while dribbling the ball.
Sampson said after that game the team's medical staff was still evaluating Sasser, but he wanted to "err on the side of holding him out" of the AAC title game against Memphis. The senior guard sat out that contest, a 75-65 loss for the Cougars.
Despite the loss, Houston still earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Sasser didn't practice with the team until Wednesday. He was officially listed as a game-time decision against Northern Kentucky.
Sasser was in the starting lineup and played 14 minutes before being pulled from the game. He finished with five points and two rebounds. The AAC Player of the Year said afterward there is "definitely" a chance he can play in Saturday's game against Auburn.
Marcus Sasser says he re-aggravated his strained groin and when asked if it’s reality he could play Saturday he said “Yes, definitely.” pic.twitter.com/8qr52MKi10
Houston struggled against the No. 16 seed Norse before closing the game on an 8-2 run to avoid the massive upset. Sixty-three points was the team's fifth-lowest scoring output in a game all season.
Sasser leads the Cougars in scoring average (16.7 points per game) and is shooting 38.2 percent from three-point range. The team shot 25 percent from behind the arc against Northern Kentucky.
Houston earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 1982-83 season. Its 32 wins are tied for the second-most in school history.
The Cougars and Tigers will play in the second round of the NCAA tournament at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Kelvin Sampson Headlines 2023 Men's College Coach of the Year Late-Season Contenders
Feb 17, 2023
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - DECEMBER 17: Head coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars calls a play in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on December 17, 2022 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson is among the 15 candidates being considered for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year award.
Sampson has had Houston ranked in the top five of the Associated Press Top 25 poll all season. His team spent four weeks atop the poll earlier this season and currently sits at No. 2 amid a six-game winning streak.
Nate Oats' Alabama squad moved to the top spot in the AP poll this week. He is also on the watch list for the award with the Crimson Tide on pace for one of the best seasons in school history.
Here are all 15 coaches cited by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on the late-season watch list for the Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year:
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Nate Oats, Alabama
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's
Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh
Chris Collins, Northwestern
Mick Cronin, UCLA
Dennis Gates, Missouri
Pat Kelsey, College of Charleston
Dusty May, Florida Atlantic
Sean Miller, Xavier
T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
Matt Painter, Purdue
Shaka Smart, Marquette
Jerome Tang, Kansas State
Rodney Terry, Texas
One thing that stands out about the watch list is the near-certainty that there will be a first-time winner of the Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year award.
None of the candidates cited by the Atlanta Tipoff Club has ever won previously. The head coaches for each of the top four teams in the current AP Top 25 are on the watch list (Sampson; Oats; Matt Painter, Purdue; Mick Cronin, UCLA).
In his fourth season at Alabama, Oats has turned the program into a powerhouse and a top contender for the national title. This is the first season the Crimson Tide has been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll since January 2003.
Alabama will likely lose that spot in the poll next week coming off a 68-59 loss at No. 10 Tennessee on Wednesday.
The Cougars are the most-likely team to move into the No. 1 spot. They have rebounded nicely since their Jan. 22 loss to Temple. This is their third winning streak of at least six games this season.
Sampson has Houston six wins away from its second consecutive 30-win season. The last time that happened was during the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons when Hakeem Olajuwon played for the team.
The Boilermakers' recent struggles could cost Painter a shot at the award. They have dropped three of their last four games after starting the season 23-1, though they still sit atop the Big Ten standings.
Purdue plays three of its final four regular-season games at home, including a showdown against No. 14 Indiana on Feb. 25.
Cronin has UCLA trending in the right direction since back-to-back road losses at Arizona and USC last month. The Bruins have won five straight and don't play a ranked opponent until No. 8 Arizona in the regular-season finale on March 4.
One potential spoiler in this group is Northwestern's Chris Collins. The Wildcats will almost certainly make the AP Top 25 next week for the first time this season. They are 19-7 overall and are coming off back-to-back wins over No. 1 Purdue and No. 14 Indiana.
Collins has Northwestern one victory away from its first 20-win season since 2016-17. That was also the last time the program made the NCAA tournament.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club will announce the 10 semifinalists on March 9. The group will be whittled down to four on March 20, with the winner being announced on April 2 at the Naismith Awards Brunch during the Final Four in Houston.
No. 1 Houston Upset by Temple; Owls' 1st Win over Top-Ranked Team Since 2000
Jan 22, 2023
Temple's Damian Dunn, left, celebrates as Houston's Jamal Shead, right, reacts at the end an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, in Houston. Temple won 56-55. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The No. 1-ranked Houston Cougars were riding a nine-game win streak into Sunday's matchup against the Temple Owls, but it came to a screeching halt with a 56-55 loss in front of their home fans at Ferttita Center.
For the Owls, this marks the program's first win over a top-ranked team since 2000.
Sunday's contest was a gritty battle that saw both teams shoot under 35 percent from the field. The Cougars were doomed by their ineptitude at the free-throw line, as they connected on 11 of their 21 attempts while the Owls converted 20 of 22.
Sophomore guard Damian Dunn led Temple with 16 points off the bench. He was fouled with 1:06 left in the second half and went 1-of-2 from the line to break a 55-55 tie.
The Cougars had a couple of shots to take the lead in the final seconds, but Owls senior forward Kur Jongkuch came up with a huge block out of bounds on Jamal Shead's layup attempt. Houston maintained possession with 1.3 seconds left, but Tramon Mark's tip-in attempt was off-target as time expired.
This is Houston's first loss in conference play, but they still lead the AAC with a 6-1 conference record and 18-2 overall. Temple (12-9) is right behind the Cougars at 6-2 in conference play. The Owls are now 2-0 against ranked opponents, as they took down then-No. 16 Villanova in November.
Temple will look to build on the momentum from Sunday when it hosts South Florida (9-11, 2-5) on Wednesday, while Houston will try to get back on track that same day in a road matchup against UCF (13-6, 4-3).
No. 2 UConn Upset by No. 22 Xavier 83-73
Dec 31, 2022
CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 31: Jordan Hawkins #24 of the Connecticut Huskies dribbles the ball while being guarded by Jack Nunge #24 of the Xavier Musketeers in the first half at the Cintas Center on December 31, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Connecticut is unbeaten no more.
The second-ranked Huskies suffered their first defeat of the 2022-23 men's college basketball season Saturday, losing 83-73 to No. 22 Xavier at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
Zach Freemantle led the way for the Musketeers with a double-double (16 points and 11 rebounds), while Jack Nunge and Colby Jones dropped 15 and 16 points, respectively. Jerome Hunter came off the bench to score 15 as well, including a 9-of-9 effort from the charity stripe.
UConn led 42-41 at halftime but found itself having to play from behind for much of the second half. Andre Jackson Jr. tied the game at 71-71 with 4:10 remaining, and a steal by Jordan Hawkins gave the Huskies a chance to go ahead.
However, an offensive foul on Hawkins immediately ceded possession back to Xavier, and the Musketeers capitalized with a layup by Jones. They didn't look back from there as their defense suffocated UConn.
The Huskies went 11-of-31 from the field and 5-of-18 from beyond the arc in the second half.
Xavier had five different players finish in double-digits and scored 40 points in the paint, 18 off turnovers. UConn took and missed six straight threes in the final 90 seconds.
Jackson had a season-high 14 points and flirted with a triple-double, totaling 10 rebounds and eight assists. The junior guard struggled to find his shot, though, missing eight of his 12 three-point attempts.
Xavier also outscored UConn 40-28 in the paint despite Huskies star Adama Sanogo pouring in a game-high 18 points.
It's too early to call this a season-defining victory for the Musketeers, but it's a sign of the progress the program has already made in head coach Sean Miller's first season back. A statement win was inevitable.
Love/hate Sean Miller all you want given his sketchy past, but dude can seriously coach. Xavier isn't the staunchest defensive team, but if flows beautifully on the offensive end. Experience, too, is invaluable.
Sean Miller spent his year in between Arizona and Xavier studying different offensive schemes (Gonzaga, Arizona under Tommy Lloyd, Purdue) to become a better offensive coach --- it's working.
Xavier is on pace to average more PPG than any other team that Miller has ever coached. https://t.co/0vnQjUw0B2
At PK85, Xavier showed lots of flashes. Musketeers competed with Duke and had a late lead on Gonzaga. You could feel things coming together. They’ve steadily gotten better, and today, Sean Miller got a big-time contribution from Jerome Hunter off the bench. What a win for X.
Xavier and Connecticut will meet again on Jan. 25 in Storrs. That was already looking like a juicy matchup with the Musketeers positioning themselves as perhaps the stiffest competition to the Huskies for the Big East regular-season title.
Following Saturday, the stakes for that contest have only increased.
4-Star SF Prospect JJ Taylor Commits to Memphis over Kentucky, Arkansas
Nov 6, 2022
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway calls to his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee Tech, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)
Four-star forward JJ Taylor announced his commitment to Memphis on Saturday.
Ranked 63rd in 247Sports' composite rankings, he chose the Tigers over schools including Kentucky, Arkansas, Duke and Kansas.
Taylor transferred to Kanye West's Donda Academy before his junior season along with other stars such as Zion Cruz, Robert Dillingham, Jahki Howard and Jalen Hooks.
"It’s very important for me to be that player, to live up to it,” Taylor told reporters of his national status. “It means something. There is some pressure that comes with that, and I know and expect people to come at me. But I am ready for it and want that. I have to keep working to maintain it, live up to it, to represent Chicago. I know I’m being watched.”
Taylor transferred to San Ysidro (California) High School for his senior year after Donda Academy shut down in the wake of Ye's antisemitic statements.
He has joined Mikey Williams, a 5-star prospect who also committed to Memphis on Saturday.
4-Star Guard Prospect Mikey Williams Commits to Memphis over G League
Nov 6, 2022
Top-rated prospect Mikey Williams announced Saturday he will play for Memphis at the next level, per Clayton Collier of ABC 24 Memphis.
Williams will be joined by four-star JJ Taylor, who also announced his commitment to play for the Tigers on Saturday.
Williams, a combo guard, is considered a 4-star recruit and rated the No. 22 overall player in the 2023 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Williams has also gained plenty of attention for his social media presence, with millions of followers on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. The prep star was the first high school player ever to earn a sneaker deal with a global footwear company when he signed with Puma, per Nick DePaula of ESPN.
"His talent on the court and his ability to connect with young athletes and fans alike will help drive hoops culture forward and inspire the next generation of athletes," Adam Petrick, global director of brand and marketing at Puma, said in a statement.
Williams' on-court play should not be overlooked as an elite scorer who can attack the basket or make shots from the perimeter. The 6'2" guard has turned heads nationally since his freshman season:
It got the attention of all the top programs in the country, although he kept his options open during the recruiting process.
Williams ended up selecting Memphis as he tries to put himself on track to playing in the NBA.
The school can help prepare him for the NBA as he looks to reach expectations as a top draft pick. In the meantime, he should be a high-level contributor as soon as he steps on to campus and likely a go-to offensive option during his freshman season.
