WATCH: PJ Hall, Chase Hunter and Joe Girard talk Selection Sunday

Here’s everything Hall, Hunter, and senior Joe Girard told reporters on Selection Sunday.

Clemson had to wait a while before seeing its name appear on screen during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.

Enough of a wait to give seniors PJ Hall and Chase Hunter a bit of anxiety, it seems.

Clemson (21-11 overall) had nothing to worry about in the end, but it took until the reveal of the final region — the West Region, where No. 6 seed Clemson will face No. 11 New Mexico Friday — before the Tigers learned their fate and where they’d be playing.

The Tigers will face the Lobos (26-9) in a scheduled 3:15 p.m. EDT tipoff. The game will be televised on truTV. New Mexico won the Mountain West Tournament to secure an automatic bid to the Dance.

“Me and Chase had PTSD, man,” Hall said Sunday. “I’m sitting there like, ‘There’s no way.’ But yeah, right before, (Hunter said) ‘I hope we’re not in the first (regional announced) for a little bit of buildup. But I didn’t want that much buildup. It’s exciting. Special stuff.”

Here’s everything Hall, Hunter, and senior Joe Girard said after Clemson learned where and when they’d be playing.

These college basketball stars are playing in 2024 March Madness after hitting the transfer portal

Caleb Love, Hunter Dickinson and Harrison Ingram are familiar names in fresh places.

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments, and concerns in this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Bryan Kalbrosky.

Now that we’ve reached March Madness, it’s a great time to look at the impact of the transfer portal in NCAA men’s college basketball.

Although it’s undeniable that roster continuity matters when it comes to constructing a championship contender, it’s also imperative for a modern team to successfully manage the portal as well.

Before the season began, we knew that many big names were transferring to new programs. With postseason play right around the corner, though, we can finally see which players have settled in as the best fits in their new homes.

Here are some notable names who made the tournament last season, changed schools and have made the tournament again:

  1. Shahada Wells (TCU → McNeese State)
  2. Walter Clayton Jr. (Iona → Florida)
  3. Max Abmas (Oral Roberts → Texas)
  4. Keshad Johnson (San Diego State → Arizona)
  5. Steven Ashworth (Utah State → Creighton)

A few other names that fit this category include Great Osobor (Utah State), Darrion Williams (Texas Tech), Kadin Shedrick (Texas) and DJ Horne (NC State).

Additionally, there are some fascinating players who did not make the tournament last season. These are some transfers who will have a chance to carve their place in history on their new teams in this tournament:

  1. Dalton Knecht (Northern Colorado → Tennessee)
  2. Cam Spencer (Rutgers → UConn)
  3. Caleb Love (North Carolina → Arizona)
  4. Hunter Dickinson (Michigan → Kansas)
  5. Harrison Ingram  (Stanford → North Carolina)

Other players like this include Tyrese Samuel (Florida), Keshon Gilbert (Iowa State), Isaac Jones (Washington State) and Grant Nelson (Alabama).

It’s an exciting time for these players who can show the world who they’ve become at their new

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

 Prospects with NBA range

Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

March Madness gives college basketball players an opportunity to turn themselves into legends.

One way that many of these athletes are able to do that is with 3-point shooting and in the modern game, those around the NCAA are continuing to shoot the ball from farther and farther. Both men’s and women’s college basketball players shoot from the international 3-point line, which is 22 feet and 1.75 inches.

We were given access to the database at CBB Analytics, which tracks how many field goals players have made from at least 25 feet away from the basket. For comparison, it is also beyond the NBA distance, which is 23 feet and 9 inches at the top of the key.

This list highlights those who are both regularly (and accurately) shooting from at least more than few feet behind the NCAA’s 3-point line. Here are 20 players in March Madness with incredible shooting range.

Shootaround

Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Images

HoopsHype’s aggregate mock draft: Zaccharie Risacher, Nikola Topic, Cody Williams, and Reed Sheppard are rising

— Mics caught LeBron James saying the funniest 6-word NSFW reaction to the Lakers-Warriors malfunctioning shot clock

— The Magic posted (and deleted) a suggestive Gradey Dick jersey swap post-game photo

— Kelly Oubre Jr. reacts to Sixers bringing in Kai Jones on a 10-day

March Madness: Where is the men’s Final Four being played in 2024?

Here’s where the Final Four is this year.

The Final Four is the pinnacle of sports. It’s the climax of arguably the greatest tournament in sports. This is what March Madness boils down to —these games matter most.

Since these are the games that matter most, hosting them matters a lot, too. Like the Super Bowl, it’s a big deal when a city books the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. It brings so many people into town. It generates so much business. It also gives your city an unforgettable moment.

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

This year the host city is Phoenix, Arizona. The games will be played at State Farm Stadium on April 6 and April 8 according to the NCAA’s schedule.

Phoenix has hosted the Final Four before. The last time it happened was in 2017, when North Carolina, Gonzaga, Oregon, and South Carolina advanced to the final.

UNC beat Gonzaga 71-65 in the championship game to win its sixth NCAA championship and its last one under Roy Williams.

Might that be a good omen for Hubert Davis and UNC this year? We’ll just have to find out.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

Let Warren Buffet’s old $1 billion offer for a perfect March Madness bracket remind you how impossible that is

Remember: A perfect bracket is impossible.

We haven’t heard in years if Warren Buffett is still offering his Berkshire Hathaway employees $1 billion or $1 million a year for life or whatever the reward is for filling out a perfect March Madness (and hey, his beloved Creighton is in it again this year!).

But here’s what we do know: this is your annual reminder that a perfect bracket is imposssible.

Oh, sure. It COULD happen. But you know the odds, right? If you choose with some knowledge, it’s 1 in 120 billion. Heck, getting even the first round perfect is ridiculously rare.

So don’t worry so much if your bracket gets busted by the time the first games are over on Thursday.

Here’s why Terry Francona is spending the start of baseball season following the Arizona Wildcats in March Madness

There’s people who like Arizona basketball, and, then, there’s Terry Francona.

Terry Francona, the former manager of the Cleveland Guardians and two other historic MLB franchises, is a known baseball savant to many people. However, Francona is a major hoops head, and it’s why you’ll likely find him in the stands during the Arizona Wildcats’ NCAA tournament run.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

Francona lives just 10 minutes away from McKale Memorial Center in Tuscon and has attended every Arizona Wildcats home game but one this season as he eases into retirement. He’s what most consider a superfan and is a member of the athletic department’s Hall of Fame. And it’s clear to see he’s enjoying it all.

Look at what he told Zach Buchanan of Defector about getting enjoying a title run from the outside:

“Winning the World Series is incredible, but it’s also your job. About 10 minutes later, I’m like, ‘What’s next?’ Francona says. “If we win here, I’ll go to a parade on my own.”

“I’m a fan, man,” he says. “It’s different, and it’s OK. [Expletive], I love watching them play.”

You’re likely to see Francona sitting close to the court during the NCAA tournament whenever the Wildcats are playing. He doesn’t let anything stop him from seeing his team, including a mountain of health issues like hip and circulation problems that have lasted for decades. He’ll likely be there when they take on Long Beach State on Thursday during the first round of the NCAA tournament and wherever the team goes next.

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

UConn back at No. 1 in AP, Coaches Top 25 polls

UConn is back in the top spot in both the new AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll and USA TODAY Sports coaches poll. The Huskies defeated Marquette Saturday night at Madison Square Garden to clinch the Big East Tournament. They also won the …

UConn is back in the top spot in both the new AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll and USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.

The Huskies defeated Marquette Saturday night at Madison Square Garden to clinch the Big East Tournament. They also won the regular season conference championship and head into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 overall seed at 31-3 overall.

UConn is hoping to become the first men’s basketball program to repeat as tournament champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007.

Houston (30-4) fell to No. 2 after being blown out, 69-41, by Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game Saturday night. Iowa State’s win propelled the Cyclones (27-7) to No. 4. They moved up three spots in the AP poll and four spots in the coaches poll.

Purdue (29-4) remained at No. 3 in both polls, and North Carolina (27-7) came in at No. 5. Houston, Purdue, and North Carolina were awarded the other No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament by the selection committee Sunday.

Tennessee (24-8) dropped one spot to No. 6 after suffering a 17-point loss to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament last week. Auburn (27-7), which won the SEC Tournament Sunday, climbed five spots in both polls to No. 7.

Marquette (25-9), Arizona (25-8), and Big Ten Tournament champion Illinois (26-8) rounded out the top 10 in both polls.

Duke (24-8) was the only ACC team ranked in the top 25 other than North Carolina. The Blue Devils checked in at No. 13 in the AP poll and No. 14 in the coaches poll.

Clemson (21-11) received no votes for consideration in either poll after its loss in the ACC Tournament to Boston College. The Tigers were awarded an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed and will play No. 11 seed New Mexico Friday at 2:15 p.m. EDT at Memphis’ FedExForum. The game will be televised by truTV.

The 1 women’s team from 2023’s Elite Eight that didn’t make this year’s tournament

Only one women’s team from last year’s Elite Eight missed this year’s tournament.

The 2024 women’s NCAA tournament field is set, and there are plenty of returning teams from last year’s Elite Eight.

Seven teams in total returned to contend for a national title this year, including Iowa, LSU, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Louisville and Maryland.

However, one team didn’t make the cut and opted not to participate in the WBIT this season, and that’s Miami.

Our Mitchell Northam named Miami as one of the three major snubs on the women’s side this year, a team that made it to the Elite Eight as a nine-seed last March.

The team lost to LSU in that tournament, who went on to win the national title.

Everything Brad Brownell said on Selection Sunday

Here’s everything Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after the Tigers were awarded an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Brad Brownell called it a “great day for Clemson basketball.”

That was after the Tigers were chosen as a No. 6 seed by the selection committee for this year’s NCAA Tournament .

It’s the 14th time in school history that Clemson will head to the Dance. The last time the Tigers appeared in the NCAA Tournament, in 2021, they fell in the first round to Rutgers in a No. 10 vs. 7 seed matchup.

Clemson’s last win in the tournament was in 2018. They defeated New Mexico State and Auburn before falling to Kansas in the Sweet 16.

Now, after a 21-11 season that included wins over North Carolina, Alabama, and other teams with impressive tournament résumés, the Tigers will face Mountain West Tournament champion New Mexico (26-9) at FedExForum in Memphis Friday.

The game is scheduled for a 3:10 p.m. EDT tipoff and will be televised by truTV. It will be Clemson’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance with Brownell as coach.

Here’s everything Brownell said on Selection Sunday after Clemson’s at-large bid was announced.

Lip-readers think LSU’s Hailey Van Lith trolled Louisville (her former team) during Selection Sunday

Some internet sleuths think they uncovered what Hailey Van Lith said about her former team.

LSU is going to have a TIME playing the Albany 2 region. It’s pretty brutal. Still, that doesn’t mean they can’t poke fun at anybody else’s NCAA tournament matchups. Senior Guard Hailey Van Lith saw who her previous team, the Louisville Cardinals, was playing on Sunday, and lip-readers think they know what she said about Louisville’s upcoming journey.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

Hailey Van Lith is not afraid to express her feelings. At the beginning of the season, she told nearby cameras that “everybody gets free smoke.” So, it’s not shocking that the LSU transfer, who joined the Lady Tigers in the offseason after three seasons with the Louisville Cardinals, had thoughts about her former team’s NCAA tournament schedule.

As the Selection Sunday reveal happened, cameras caught Van Lith chatting it up with head coach Kim Mulkey and Angel Reese. Lip-readers think she was speaking about Lousiville’s first-round matchup with Middle Tennessee and told Mulkey and Reese, “Middle Tennessee is gonna whoop their [expletive.]”

(Warning: NSFW language.)

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

Tom Crean nailed it with his impassioned rant against teams declining NIT invitations

“Give your players and coaches a chance to keep coaching and playing.”

In an era of college sports defined by movement in the pursuit of money — whether that’s players and coaches changing teams, teams changing conferences or conferences changing tv partners — it’s always nice to have a reminder that some people are still in it for the love of the sport.

It was hard to feel that way Sunday after seeing teams snubbed from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament decide to also opt out of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), thus ending their seasons. Whatever their reasons, it was just another example of the sport itself not being enough reason to play, an idea that’s sadly been normalized so much that I never considered the potential benefits of a tournament that didn’t crown a national champion.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

As far as I had always been concerned, the NIT was nothing more than an acronym for “Not In Tournament,” and the teams involved were playing games that didn’t matter. Then, I heard ESPN analyst and former coach Tom Crean’s impassioned rant against the declined invitations, and he convinced me on one point.

“Give your players and coaches a chance to keep coaching and playing, and don’t short change,” Crean said. “If a guy doesn’t want to play, go sit down. If a coach doesn’t want to coach, go recruit. But there’s gotta be enough people to put five, six, seven people on the floor and go play. Makes absolutely zero sense to me.”

Give your players and coaches a chance to keep coaching and playing. That’s a powerful line, because there will come a time when those players and coaches won’t be able to play and coach again, and all they’ll have is the memories of when they could. That’s especially the case for seniors who maybe went into Selection Sunday hoping for one last game, only for their teams to never show up on the big bracket.

Of course, these declined invitations don’t all happen in a vacuum. Every team’s situation is different, and some may have had valid reasons for opting out. The transfer portal opening Monday complicates things too. And I’m not going to sit here and act like I’ll miss a bunch of teams I wasn’t going to watch anyway. But that shouldn’t be the impetus for teams wanting to play.

The NIT may not carry the same prestige as it once did, but it does provide graduates a final chance to play. It gives underclassmen another development opportunity. It gives players and coaches more exposure. It’s not completely useless. It only seems that way when teams like St. John’s, Pittsburgh and Indiana decide it’s not worth their time. And that’s unfortunate, because for a lot of the student-athletes and coaches, it may be their last time.