UGA MBB
Weiszer ABH: Five key focal points for Georgia basketball down the stretch of the season
“It is an abysmal 350th in conference play nationally in defending on two-point shots at 56.7 percent, last in the SEC and fourth worst among Power Conference schools, according to BartTorvik.
The Bulldogs also have struggled shooting inside the 3-point arc, ranking 239th in the nation in all games on two-pointers.”
https://www.onlineathens.com/story/...ike-white-silas-demary-blue-cain/72529463007/
2024/2025
Joson Sanon’s visit this weekend has been cancelled and will be re-scheduled
His final 10 posted today: Arizona, Boston College, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Overtime Elite, and Providence.
Asa Newell
Zagoria Forbes: How A Classic LeBron James-Carmelo Anthony Game Inspired A Showcase Featuring Cooper Flagg
“More than 20 years later, Doyle is now promoting another huge high school showcase at Hofstra University on Long Island this weekend. This one features Duke-bound forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2024 and the projected top pick in 2025, and his Montverde Academy (FL) team ranked No. 1 in the nation against Baylor commit V.J. Edgecombe and Long Island Lutheran, the No. 2 team in the nation. according to ESPN…”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamza...e-inspired-a-showcase-featuring-cooper-flagg/
SEC Basketball
Rocco Miller: Mike McMahon vs. Todd Golden, Round 4 from Gainesville.
1) Murray State beats San Francisco in classic OT thriller- 1st Rnd NCAAT game, 2022
2) Florida win at LSU, 67-56 in Jan '23
3) Florida home win over LSU, 79-67 in March '23
Golden seeks a 3-1 edge in the series.
Mississippi
Tennessee
Knoxville News Sentinel: Rick Barnes: Buzz Williams timeout in Tennessee basketball vs. Texas A&M can't happen
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/spor...ee-basketball-texas-am-pat-adams/72545415007/
NCAA Basketball
Dellenger Yahoo Sports: With college sports at key juncture, what does the future of the NCAA tournament and CFP look like?
“NCAA tournament and CFP future
Over the last three weeks, at two separate meetings, high-ranking college leaders took the initial step in exploring significant change to both the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and the College Football Playoff.
In a meeting in Washington D.C. on Jan. 25, commissioners of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and, yes, even the Pac-12 opened dialogue with Baker about their wish to examine NCAA tournament expansion. Separately, in a meeting of the CFP Management Committee in Dallas on Feb. 5, Big Ten and SEC leaders opened dialogue with the other eight FBS commissioners and Notre Dame on their intent to see the CFP’s revenue-distribution model and voting structure change.
While the power leagues together team up to push the NCAA to grow the basketball tournament, the two richest leagues are joining forces to modify its football counterpart.
The basketball tournament is the NCAA’s largest and most vital revenue stream, keeping afloat the organization itself as well as helping subsidize hundreds of small-college athletic departments. As part of a tournament television deal with CBS and Turner running through 2032, the NCAA distributes annually around $700 million to its schools, both in base amounts and in units earned through advancing in the event.
The five major football conferences, plus basketball power Big East, normally earn most of the more than $200 million worth of incentive units for wins in the tournament. For instance, those six conferences were responsible for winning around 70% of the available units last year.
However, discussions between the commissioners and NCAA go beyond the topic of revenue and also include the growing wish for more access in the form of at-large spots. In the meeting with Baker, commissioners were transparent about their desire for more access in a 68-team field that includes 32 automatic qualifying spots — 27 of which go to non-power leagues.
“I want to see the best teams competing for a national championship, no different than (the Big Ten and SEC) want to see in football,” Yormark said. “I’m not sure that is currently happening.”
How to expand the tournament is a lingering question, Yormark and Phillips acknowledge.
Do you eliminate automatic qualifying spots to small-conference champions? That move is sure to backfire politically at a time when congressional help is sought.
Do you simply add more at-large spots to the field? That complicates an already crammed schedule.
And if you expand the men’s event, wouldn’t the women’s tournament need expansion, too?
Commissioners describe Baker as “understanding” and “receptive” to their points, paving the way for future modifications.
“We talked with President Baker specifically about the basketball tournament and that we do expect and want a holistic review of the tournament,” said Phillips, whose league has won more basketball titles (8) in the last 22 years than any other conference. “As it relates to value and contribution, I think we all believe that’s important and should be considered.”
In many ways, the CFP situation is a microcosm of the debate transpiring around the NCAA tournament. It involves fewer leagues (10), more money ($1.3 billion annually) and a different dynamic (the Power Two vs. the other eight)…”
https://sports.yahoo.com/with-colle...a-tournament-and-cfp-look-like-164559682.html
The Athletic: This men’s college basketball season feels wide open. What’s really going on?
“Ken Pomeroy — the creator of advanced statistics site KenPom.com — analyzes the college basketball landscape for a living. And his takeaway, watching this season so far?
“It’s probably, compared to the last 25 years, maybe a little more wide open than average,” Pomeroy says. “Last year seemed like it was the pinnacle of parity, and I think we’re not quite as wide open as we were last year.”…
The quality of coaching is one, unquantifiable as it is.
“There’s no dominant teams, because if you look at the dominant, blue-blood programs, there’s really only one of them that has a high-level coach right now. It’s Kansas,” says one high-major coach, granted anonymity so he could speak freely about his colleagues. “That’s why there’s so much parity — because there’s so much room for everybody else, like us, that doesn’t have near the resources.”…
“With the COVID year, there are older players — more experienced players — out there, and then with the freedom of movement in terms of the transfer rules, that talent is more efficiently dispersed among teams,” Pomeroy says. “So a person who would have been the seventh man on a top-10 team is now the fourth man on the 25th-best team or whatever, so that kind of bunches things up.”…
Data supports that sentiment, too. Basketball statistician Will Warren recently addressed the dispersion of talent on his Substack — statsbywill — by analyzing Pomeroy’s rankings for the last 27 years. Warren wanted to see if the best teams in the nation every season — both the truly elite, like the top five, and the broader 50 best — are, on average, getting more or less dominant. Are the days of teams entering the NCAA Tournament with only one or two losses (or none, like 2021 Gonzaga) over?
His findings were fascinating … and basically identical for both groups. Warren found that KenPom’s top-5 teams on Feb. 1 — in order: Houston, Purdue, Connecticut, Arizona, and Auburn — had just the 17th-best adjusted efficiency margin of the last 27 years. (Last year’s top 5 ranked 25th out of 27, and 2022’s group — the first season after those rule changes — was 16th.) That suggests there are fewer truly elite teams today, but rather a small grouping of very good ones. On the flip side, Warren discovered that KenPom’s teams ranked 26-50 this season are the seventh-strongest in adjusted efficiency margin in the last 27 years. What that means is that the teams barely outside the AP poll are, on average, better and more capable than usual.
That’s a pretty accurate picture of modern-day college basketball, no? Teams at the top aren’t as overwhelming as they used to be, and teams in the middle are more competitive than ever.
Voila: parity.
As one NBA scout, who was granted anonymity in exchange for his candor, put it: “All these teams are susceptible — and we see it.”…
On the flip side, of the 10 youngest high-major teams in America, only Duke — which starts one senior, three sophomores, and one freshman — is expected to make the NCAA Tournament.
“Age is king,” says the NBA scout.
Last season, Alabama coach Nate Oats led his team to the No. 1 overall seed by starting three freshmen; he now starts four seniors. “Guys who are 22, 23, 24 years old,” Oats says, “can probably produce in the college game at the same level as some of these McDonald’s All-Americans who are freshmen.”
With players staying in college longer than ever — and the NCAA suspending restrictions on two-time transfers after being sued in federal court in December — acquiring experienced talent is paramount. Oats points to three of the SEC’s leading scorers as proof. Mark Sears, Alabama’s point guard, is in his second season in Tuscaloosa after transferring from Ohio. Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht — arguably the best transfer in America this season — came to Knoxville by way of junior college and two seasons at Northern Colorado. Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves, 23, played three seasons at Illinois State.
“This is not controversial stuff,” Oats says. “Four of our five starters came in as transfers. So we’re able to compete with some of the traditional blue bloods who recruited a bunch of McDonald’s All-Americans, because transfers can compete at a pretty similar level, because they’re older and more physically mature.”
That also doesn’t factor in the quality of freshmen in today’s game. Per basketball statistician Evan Miyakawa, only 14 of the top-200 players in his individual efficiency rankings are freshmen, the fewest of at least the last decade. (Comparatively, 112 of his top 200 are seniors.)
“Everybody’s recruiting top-50 guys,” says Gonzaga coach Mark Few. “Well, they’re still 18, and they’re going against 23-year-olds.”…
https://theathletic.com/5270083/202...-upsets-parity-ncaa-tournament-2024-recruits/
Rocco Miller: Head Coaches in the projected field under the age of 40.
- David Riley, Eastern Washington (35)
- Jon Scheyer, Duke (36)
- Preston Spradlin, Morehead State (37)
- Takayo Siddle, UNC Wilmington (37)
- Todd Golden, Florida (38)
- Chris Mudge, Sam Houston (39)
Connecticut
NJ.com: UConn’s Dan Hurley doesn’t care if Huskies are projected No. 1 seed in NCAAs, says Big East doesn’t get enough respect
“The Big East in general, [whether it’s] the lack of Power-5 football or what have you, the Big East doesn’t get enough respect, enough attention for the great games and we should have way more teams in this NCAA Tournament because the league is as good as any league in the country,” Hurley added.
https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/02/u...-says-big-east-doesnt-get-enough-respect.html
Houston
The Athletic: How Houston basketball has made a smooth transition to life in the Big 12
https://theathletic.com/5270903/202...12-kelvin-sampson/?source=user_shared_article
Iowa State
Kansas
Borzello ESPN: Via @ESPNStatsInfo: Kansas' 29-point loss to Texas Tech tonight matches the program's largest loss against an unranked opponent in the AP poll era. The other 29-point loss came in 1950 against Kentucky.
Miami
Texas Tech
Sean Paul: Dominant win for Texas Tech. Really came impressed by the Red Raiders defense, limiting Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams all night. Just dominated the paint on defense and drilled 10 triples on offense.
Darrion Williams led the way with 30 points and 11 boards.
If Tech keeps this level of defense with an elite offense, it’ll be a TOUGH out in March
I respect how Grant McCasland is fully-embracing the offensive identity of this team. It’s not like Tech doesn’t try defensively, but the upside is limited without Devan Cambridge. Now, Tech uses Kerwin Walton — one of the sport’s top shooters and the team is ELITE on offense
Washington State
Norlander CBS Sports: Court Report: Myles Rice beat cancer and is guiding Washington State to its first NCAA Tournament since 2008
“Rice is coming off his third straight Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor after scoring 21 points and snagging a career-high nine rebounds in a 62-56 win at Oregon. He's the only freshman at a high-major program leading his team in scoring (15.6 ppg), assists (3.8 assists) and steals (1.8).
"It's an honor to be able to share my story," Rice said.
What a story it is.
This is Rice's third year of college but his first season on the court. A three-star prospect out of Covington, Georgia, Rice was a COVID-era recruit. Most programs who offered Rice a scholarship never saw him play in person. Washington State was the only school from a high-major conference to give Rice an offer — and it was 2,000 miles and three time zones away.
The staff took a chance on him, so Rice believed he should take that same chance on them. That was enough. In the late summer of 2020, Rice committed.
It would be more than three years before he played for the Cougars.
Rice redshirted for his 2021-22 freshman season due in part to portal additions and veteran experience. How often is someone willing to play 2,000 miles from home and sit out his first college season?
"I kind of pushed back a little bit because I didn't want to accept it in that moment of time," Rice said. "But as time went on, I kind of changed my mindset."
Rice got better over the course of eight months and was progressing toward being a big contributor for the 2022-23 season. Then, in the summer of 2022 while visiting his dad's side of the family in South Carolina, one of Rice's relatives noticed swelling on Rice's neck. He thought it was a result of excessive weightlifting or stress from basketball training. The swelling didn't subside, so soon enough Rice had it examined in Atlanta. Doctors there ordered a biopsy for the swelling when Rice returned to Pullman.
It was Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Washington State's athletic trainer broke the news to Rice on Sept. 12, 2022 — his mother Tamara's birthday. Rice wanted to resist this new reality. He cried. He called his mom reluctantly, not wanting to spoil her day.
"When you get cancer, you're gonna think one of two things, either the good or the bad," Rice said.
His parents kept him in the good. He didn't know how to handle it, but he knew how to lean on Mom and Dad, even from afar. Tamara Rice moved to Pullman. Thankfully, the cancer was treatable, detected early (Stage 1) and a full recovery was a realistic objective from the outset. But it also meant Rice would sit a second straight season.
The most important message from the doctors: time heals all.
Rice underwent twice-a-month chemotherapy treatments from October 2022 through March 2023, with each round lasting nearly five hours. The first few trips zapped him; he was sleeping as much as 15 hours a day. By his second month, Rice was developing a bond with the doctors and nurses. Instead of watching movies or TV shows, he held hours-long conversations. They became a secondary family for Myles.
"We were able to just create a nice little nice little bond," he said. "I'm just beyond grateful that I was here with this community, with this coaching staff, with my teammates and having my family by my side through everything."
Even as he went through treatments, Rice couldn't help himself from sneaking into the gym and getting up shots. He couldn't even hide it from the coaching staff.
"It was probably not the best idea at the time, but I gotta say, I love the game so much. I was trying to sneak into the gym any moment that I could," Rice said.
He also didn't miss class. Mom wasn't having any of that. It was nothing but As and Bs for Rice — and a GPA that's still cruising above 3.0.
On March 9, 2023, Rice made the short drive over the Idaho border for his final chemotherapy treatment. Less than three months later, on June 1, as he enjoyed an afternoon on the golf course with his father Joel, he got the call.
The cancer was officially in remission.
The best was yet to come — beyond everyone's expectations. Rice was outstanding all summer and into the preseason. But to be in contention for Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and lifting Washington State to rarely seen heights amounts to one of the most shocking 2024 plot twists in American sports.
"I just want to give a shout out to all my teammates, my coaches, they believe in me so much, you know, that even sometimes when I might have a little bit of doubt, they remind me that we believe in you," Rice said.
Going through a cancer battle built Rice into a better competitor, but talk to him and you'll see he's not hardened by the experience. His personality isn't cut from redemption narratives or defined in serious tones. Rice exudes joy, humor, appreciation. His plight made him a more confident person — and that's why he's one of the best first-year players in college basketball.
"I just truly believe that I'm one of those ones that was supposed to go through that," Rice said. "That's truly a blessing from God and he puts us in situations that we may not be ready for. We are ready for it, but we might not see it in our minds, but in the grand scheme of things, we're always prepared for it."
Rice has had some epic moments over the past three months, including a 35-point, eight-assist, four-steal outburst at Stanford on Jan. 18 that validated his greatness for this team. Mom was there to see that one.
"I always love playing in front of her," he said. "She's my rock to everything that I do."
Rice's favorite moment of the season was his first game, the season-opening 84-59 win over Idaho. Rice started, played 29 minutes and scored 13 points. Playing in front of his family and the Pullman community, he felt truly fulfilled for the first time in a long time. For as good as that day was, there's a chance for a full-circle moment that could top it next month.
On March 7, when Washington State wraps its regular season at home vs. Washington, the plan is to have just about every doctor and nurse who treated Myles on hand to see him play in person for the first time.
How will he prepare for that emotional day? The same way he's prepared for every day since he got that phone call on Sept. 12, 2022.
"Just enjoy the moments as they come," Rice said.”
https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/court-report-myles-rice-beat-cancer-and-is-guiding-washington-state-to-its-first-ncaa-tournament-since-2008/
NBA
Minnesota
Weiszer ABH: Five key focal points for Georgia basketball down the stretch of the season
“It is an abysmal 350th in conference play nationally in defending on two-point shots at 56.7 percent, last in the SEC and fourth worst among Power Conference schools, according to BartTorvik.
The Bulldogs also have struggled shooting inside the 3-point arc, ranking 239th in the nation in all games on two-pointers.”
https://www.onlineathens.com/story/...ike-white-silas-demary-blue-cain/72529463007/
2024/2025
Joson Sanon’s visit this weekend has been cancelled and will be re-scheduled
His final 10 posted today: Arizona, Boston College, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Overtime Elite, and Providence.
Asa Newell
Zagoria Forbes: How A Classic LeBron James-Carmelo Anthony Game Inspired A Showcase Featuring Cooper Flagg
“More than 20 years later, Doyle is now promoting another huge high school showcase at Hofstra University on Long Island this weekend. This one features Duke-bound forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2024 and the projected top pick in 2025, and his Montverde Academy (FL) team ranked No. 1 in the nation against Baylor commit V.J. Edgecombe and Long Island Lutheran, the No. 2 team in the nation. according to ESPN…”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamza...e-inspired-a-showcase-featuring-cooper-flagg/
SEC Basketball
Rocco Miller: Mike McMahon vs. Todd Golden, Round 4 from Gainesville.
1) Murray State beats San Francisco in classic OT thriller- 1st Rnd NCAAT game, 2022
2) Florida win at LSU, 67-56 in Jan '23
3) Florida home win over LSU, 79-67 in March '23
Golden seeks a 3-1 edge in the series.
Mississippi
Tennessee
Knoxville News Sentinel: Rick Barnes: Buzz Williams timeout in Tennessee basketball vs. Texas A&M can't happen
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/spor...ee-basketball-texas-am-pat-adams/72545415007/
NCAA Basketball
Dellenger Yahoo Sports: With college sports at key juncture, what does the future of the NCAA tournament and CFP look like?
“NCAA tournament and CFP future
Over the last three weeks, at two separate meetings, high-ranking college leaders took the initial step in exploring significant change to both the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and the College Football Playoff.
In a meeting in Washington D.C. on Jan. 25, commissioners of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and, yes, even the Pac-12 opened dialogue with Baker about their wish to examine NCAA tournament expansion. Separately, in a meeting of the CFP Management Committee in Dallas on Feb. 5, Big Ten and SEC leaders opened dialogue with the other eight FBS commissioners and Notre Dame on their intent to see the CFP’s revenue-distribution model and voting structure change.
While the power leagues together team up to push the NCAA to grow the basketball tournament, the two richest leagues are joining forces to modify its football counterpart.
The basketball tournament is the NCAA’s largest and most vital revenue stream, keeping afloat the organization itself as well as helping subsidize hundreds of small-college athletic departments. As part of a tournament television deal with CBS and Turner running through 2032, the NCAA distributes annually around $700 million to its schools, both in base amounts and in units earned through advancing in the event.
The five major football conferences, plus basketball power Big East, normally earn most of the more than $200 million worth of incentive units for wins in the tournament. For instance, those six conferences were responsible for winning around 70% of the available units last year.
However, discussions between the commissioners and NCAA go beyond the topic of revenue and also include the growing wish for more access in the form of at-large spots. In the meeting with Baker, commissioners were transparent about their desire for more access in a 68-team field that includes 32 automatic qualifying spots — 27 of which go to non-power leagues.
“I want to see the best teams competing for a national championship, no different than (the Big Ten and SEC) want to see in football,” Yormark said. “I’m not sure that is currently happening.”
How to expand the tournament is a lingering question, Yormark and Phillips acknowledge.
Do you eliminate automatic qualifying spots to small-conference champions? That move is sure to backfire politically at a time when congressional help is sought.
Do you simply add more at-large spots to the field? That complicates an already crammed schedule.
And if you expand the men’s event, wouldn’t the women’s tournament need expansion, too?
Commissioners describe Baker as “understanding” and “receptive” to their points, paving the way for future modifications.
“We talked with President Baker specifically about the basketball tournament and that we do expect and want a holistic review of the tournament,” said Phillips, whose league has won more basketball titles (8) in the last 22 years than any other conference. “As it relates to value and contribution, I think we all believe that’s important and should be considered.”
In many ways, the CFP situation is a microcosm of the debate transpiring around the NCAA tournament. It involves fewer leagues (10), more money ($1.3 billion annually) and a different dynamic (the Power Two vs. the other eight)…”
https://sports.yahoo.com/with-colle...a-tournament-and-cfp-look-like-164559682.html
The Athletic: This men’s college basketball season feels wide open. What’s really going on?
“Ken Pomeroy — the creator of advanced statistics site KenPom.com — analyzes the college basketball landscape for a living. And his takeaway, watching this season so far?
“It’s probably, compared to the last 25 years, maybe a little more wide open than average,” Pomeroy says. “Last year seemed like it was the pinnacle of parity, and I think we’re not quite as wide open as we were last year.”…
The quality of coaching is one, unquantifiable as it is.
“There’s no dominant teams, because if you look at the dominant, blue-blood programs, there’s really only one of them that has a high-level coach right now. It’s Kansas,” says one high-major coach, granted anonymity so he could speak freely about his colleagues. “That’s why there’s so much parity — because there’s so much room for everybody else, like us, that doesn’t have near the resources.”…
“With the COVID year, there are older players — more experienced players — out there, and then with the freedom of movement in terms of the transfer rules, that talent is more efficiently dispersed among teams,” Pomeroy says. “So a person who would have been the seventh man on a top-10 team is now the fourth man on the 25th-best team or whatever, so that kind of bunches things up.”…
Data supports that sentiment, too. Basketball statistician Will Warren recently addressed the dispersion of talent on his Substack — statsbywill — by analyzing Pomeroy’s rankings for the last 27 years. Warren wanted to see if the best teams in the nation every season — both the truly elite, like the top five, and the broader 50 best — are, on average, getting more or less dominant. Are the days of teams entering the NCAA Tournament with only one or two losses (or none, like 2021 Gonzaga) over?
His findings were fascinating … and basically identical for both groups. Warren found that KenPom’s top-5 teams on Feb. 1 — in order: Houston, Purdue, Connecticut, Arizona, and Auburn — had just the 17th-best adjusted efficiency margin of the last 27 years. (Last year’s top 5 ranked 25th out of 27, and 2022’s group — the first season after those rule changes — was 16th.) That suggests there are fewer truly elite teams today, but rather a small grouping of very good ones. On the flip side, Warren discovered that KenPom’s teams ranked 26-50 this season are the seventh-strongest in adjusted efficiency margin in the last 27 years. What that means is that the teams barely outside the AP poll are, on average, better and more capable than usual.
That’s a pretty accurate picture of modern-day college basketball, no? Teams at the top aren’t as overwhelming as they used to be, and teams in the middle are more competitive than ever.
Voila: parity.
As one NBA scout, who was granted anonymity in exchange for his candor, put it: “All these teams are susceptible — and we see it.”…
On the flip side, of the 10 youngest high-major teams in America, only Duke — which starts one senior, three sophomores, and one freshman — is expected to make the NCAA Tournament.
“Age is king,” says the NBA scout.
Last season, Alabama coach Nate Oats led his team to the No. 1 overall seed by starting three freshmen; he now starts four seniors. “Guys who are 22, 23, 24 years old,” Oats says, “can probably produce in the college game at the same level as some of these McDonald’s All-Americans who are freshmen.”
With players staying in college longer than ever — and the NCAA suspending restrictions on two-time transfers after being sued in federal court in December — acquiring experienced talent is paramount. Oats points to three of the SEC’s leading scorers as proof. Mark Sears, Alabama’s point guard, is in his second season in Tuscaloosa after transferring from Ohio. Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht — arguably the best transfer in America this season — came to Knoxville by way of junior college and two seasons at Northern Colorado. Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves, 23, played three seasons at Illinois State.
“This is not controversial stuff,” Oats says. “Four of our five starters came in as transfers. So we’re able to compete with some of the traditional blue bloods who recruited a bunch of McDonald’s All-Americans, because transfers can compete at a pretty similar level, because they’re older and more physically mature.”
That also doesn’t factor in the quality of freshmen in today’s game. Per basketball statistician Evan Miyakawa, only 14 of the top-200 players in his individual efficiency rankings are freshmen, the fewest of at least the last decade. (Comparatively, 112 of his top 200 are seniors.)
“Everybody’s recruiting top-50 guys,” says Gonzaga coach Mark Few. “Well, they’re still 18, and they’re going against 23-year-olds.”…
https://theathletic.com/5270083/202...-upsets-parity-ncaa-tournament-2024-recruits/
Rocco Miller: Head Coaches in the projected field under the age of 40.
- David Riley, Eastern Washington (35)
- Jon Scheyer, Duke (36)
- Preston Spradlin, Morehead State (37)
- Takayo Siddle, UNC Wilmington (37)
- Todd Golden, Florida (38)
- Chris Mudge, Sam Houston (39)
Connecticut
NJ.com: UConn’s Dan Hurley doesn’t care if Huskies are projected No. 1 seed in NCAAs, says Big East doesn’t get enough respect
“The Big East in general, [whether it’s] the lack of Power-5 football or what have you, the Big East doesn’t get enough respect, enough attention for the great games and we should have way more teams in this NCAA Tournament because the league is as good as any league in the country,” Hurley added.
https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/02/u...-says-big-east-doesnt-get-enough-respect.html
Houston
The Athletic: How Houston basketball has made a smooth transition to life in the Big 12
https://theathletic.com/5270903/202...12-kelvin-sampson/?source=user_shared_article
Iowa State
Kansas
Borzello ESPN: Via @ESPNStatsInfo: Kansas' 29-point loss to Texas Tech tonight matches the program's largest loss against an unranked opponent in the AP poll era. The other 29-point loss came in 1950 against Kentucky.
Miami
Texas Tech
Sean Paul: Dominant win for Texas Tech. Really came impressed by the Red Raiders defense, limiting Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams all night. Just dominated the paint on defense and drilled 10 triples on offense.
Darrion Williams led the way with 30 points and 11 boards.
If Tech keeps this level of defense with an elite offense, it’ll be a TOUGH out in March
I respect how Grant McCasland is fully-embracing the offensive identity of this team. It’s not like Tech doesn’t try defensively, but the upside is limited without Devan Cambridge. Now, Tech uses Kerwin Walton — one of the sport’s top shooters and the team is ELITE on offense
Washington State
Norlander CBS Sports: Court Report: Myles Rice beat cancer and is guiding Washington State to its first NCAA Tournament since 2008
“Rice is coming off his third straight Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor after scoring 21 points and snagging a career-high nine rebounds in a 62-56 win at Oregon. He's the only freshman at a high-major program leading his team in scoring (15.6 ppg), assists (3.8 assists) and steals (1.8).
"It's an honor to be able to share my story," Rice said.
What a story it is.
This is Rice's third year of college but his first season on the court. A three-star prospect out of Covington, Georgia, Rice was a COVID-era recruit. Most programs who offered Rice a scholarship never saw him play in person. Washington State was the only school from a high-major conference to give Rice an offer — and it was 2,000 miles and three time zones away.
The staff took a chance on him, so Rice believed he should take that same chance on them. That was enough. In the late summer of 2020, Rice committed.
It would be more than three years before he played for the Cougars.
Rice redshirted for his 2021-22 freshman season due in part to portal additions and veteran experience. How often is someone willing to play 2,000 miles from home and sit out his first college season?
"I kind of pushed back a little bit because I didn't want to accept it in that moment of time," Rice said. "But as time went on, I kind of changed my mindset."
Rice got better over the course of eight months and was progressing toward being a big contributor for the 2022-23 season. Then, in the summer of 2022 while visiting his dad's side of the family in South Carolina, one of Rice's relatives noticed swelling on Rice's neck. He thought it was a result of excessive weightlifting or stress from basketball training. The swelling didn't subside, so soon enough Rice had it examined in Atlanta. Doctors there ordered a biopsy for the swelling when Rice returned to Pullman.
It was Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Washington State's athletic trainer broke the news to Rice on Sept. 12, 2022 — his mother Tamara's birthday. Rice wanted to resist this new reality. He cried. He called his mom reluctantly, not wanting to spoil her day.
"When you get cancer, you're gonna think one of two things, either the good or the bad," Rice said.
His parents kept him in the good. He didn't know how to handle it, but he knew how to lean on Mom and Dad, even from afar. Tamara Rice moved to Pullman. Thankfully, the cancer was treatable, detected early (Stage 1) and a full recovery was a realistic objective from the outset. But it also meant Rice would sit a second straight season.
The most important message from the doctors: time heals all.
Rice underwent twice-a-month chemotherapy treatments from October 2022 through March 2023, with each round lasting nearly five hours. The first few trips zapped him; he was sleeping as much as 15 hours a day. By his second month, Rice was developing a bond with the doctors and nurses. Instead of watching movies or TV shows, he held hours-long conversations. They became a secondary family for Myles.
"We were able to just create a nice little nice little bond," he said. "I'm just beyond grateful that I was here with this community, with this coaching staff, with my teammates and having my family by my side through everything."
Even as he went through treatments, Rice couldn't help himself from sneaking into the gym and getting up shots. He couldn't even hide it from the coaching staff.
"It was probably not the best idea at the time, but I gotta say, I love the game so much. I was trying to sneak into the gym any moment that I could," Rice said.
He also didn't miss class. Mom wasn't having any of that. It was nothing but As and Bs for Rice — and a GPA that's still cruising above 3.0.
On March 9, 2023, Rice made the short drive over the Idaho border for his final chemotherapy treatment. Less than three months later, on June 1, as he enjoyed an afternoon on the golf course with his father Joel, he got the call.
The cancer was officially in remission.
The best was yet to come — beyond everyone's expectations. Rice was outstanding all summer and into the preseason. But to be in contention for Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and lifting Washington State to rarely seen heights amounts to one of the most shocking 2024 plot twists in American sports.
"I just want to give a shout out to all my teammates, my coaches, they believe in me so much, you know, that even sometimes when I might have a little bit of doubt, they remind me that we believe in you," Rice said.
Going through a cancer battle built Rice into a better competitor, but talk to him and you'll see he's not hardened by the experience. His personality isn't cut from redemption narratives or defined in serious tones. Rice exudes joy, humor, appreciation. His plight made him a more confident person — and that's why he's one of the best first-year players in college basketball.
"I just truly believe that I'm one of those ones that was supposed to go through that," Rice said. "That's truly a blessing from God and he puts us in situations that we may not be ready for. We are ready for it, but we might not see it in our minds, but in the grand scheme of things, we're always prepared for it."
Rice has had some epic moments over the past three months, including a 35-point, eight-assist, four-steal outburst at Stanford on Jan. 18 that validated his greatness for this team. Mom was there to see that one.
"I always love playing in front of her," he said. "She's my rock to everything that I do."
Rice's favorite moment of the season was his first game, the season-opening 84-59 win over Idaho. Rice started, played 29 minutes and scored 13 points. Playing in front of his family and the Pullman community, he felt truly fulfilled for the first time in a long time. For as good as that day was, there's a chance for a full-circle moment that could top it next month.
On March 7, when Washington State wraps its regular season at home vs. Washington, the plan is to have just about every doctor and nurse who treated Myles on hand to see him play in person for the first time.
How will he prepare for that emotional day? The same way he's prepared for every day since he got that phone call on Sept. 12, 2022.
"Just enjoy the moments as they come," Rice said.”
https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/court-report-myles-rice-beat-cancer-and-is-guiding-washington-state-to-its-first-ncaa-tournament-since-2008/
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