Tag: 2022 NCAA Tournament

RJ Davis says UNC’s 2022 Title Game loss to Kansas was “heartbreaking”

Two-and-a-half years later, RJ Davis says UNC’s loss to Kansas in the 2022 National Championship still stings.

When the North Carolina Tar Heels face the Kansas Jayhawks at 8 p.m. Friday in one of the college basketball season’s most highly-anticipated, non-conference matchups, there’s no doubt UNC will have some strong feelings – most notably the craving for revenge.

After holding a 15-point halftime lead, North Carolina lost to Kansas in the 2022 National Championship game. The Tar Heels later had a brief lead under two minutes, thanks to Brady Manek, but the Jayhawks quickly reclaimed their advantage and broke millions of hearts.

There’s still one holdover from that 2022 UNC squad – and he still feels the heartbreak: RJ Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year.

“Just to be that close, it was definitely heartbreaking for me,” Davis told TarHeelIllustrated’s Andrew Jones. “A lot of emotions I can remember from that game. I remember looking up at the clock and then watching it hit zero and the buzzer going off. It took a while for the tears to come, but they ended up going right down my face, in terms of a lot of the hard work that we put into it: as a team throughout that year and how we changed that whole year around. It was a tremendous feeling. But to end up short like that was heartbreaking.”

Davis was on that squad with the likes of Manek, Armando Bacot and Leaky Black, to name a few guys. North Carolina almost didn’t make it out of the first weekend, as Baylor rallied from a 20-point deficit itself, but lost in overtime.

The Tar Heels will enter Friday’s matchup with a shorter, younger squad than they had in 2022. Friday will be a true test for how good UNC is, as it faces the country’s top-ranked program.

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Re-visiting the 2022 NCAA Championship ahead of UNC-Kansas rematch

UNC and Kansas face off Friday in a rematch of the 2022 NCAA Championship. How’d that matchup two years ago turn out?

The North Carolina Tar Heels weren’t even supposed to be in the 2022 NCAA Championship game.

Throughout the regular season, UNC showed it struggled on the road against good competition. Playing in the NCAA Tournament, you’re away from home base the whole time – unless you’re hosting, like Creighton in Omaha.

Somehow, North Carolina ended up in the title game and played Kansas. The Tar Heels enjoyed a massive, 15-point halftime advantage, but that turned into a 3-point deficit and a 72-69 defeat.

On Friday, Nov. 8, UNC and Kansas will rematch in one of the college basketball season’s most highly-anticipated matchups.

Today, we’re here to re-visit that massive letdown. We know no lead is safe in college basketball, but when you’re as talented as UNC, what came in the second half was shocking.

After falling behind 7-0 early, then weathering a couple of early Jayhawk storms, the first half was all North Carolina.

The Tar Heels and Kansas found themselves tied at 22, then UNC embarked on a 16-0 run to give it the needed breathing room. Brady Manek, Armando Bacot and RJ Davis engineered this run, scoring all points during it.

Not even a minute out of halftime, Jayhawks center David McCormack slammed down a thunderous dunk that changed everything. Kansas kept chipping away, eventually taking the lead (53-50) on a Remy Martin 3-pointer at the 10:23 mark.

North Carolina wouldn’t lead again until just under two minutes remained, when Brady Manek tipped in a missed shot. 20 seconds later, McCormack gave the Jayhawks a lead they never relinquies.

Did the Tar Heels expend all their energy beating Duke in the Final Four? Was Kansas simply the better team (the answer is yes)?

Regardless, that 2022 title game left a sour taste in UNC’s mouth. Friday night is a perfect chance at revenge.

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Transfer Portal: How Alabama’s portal additions fit in with the Tide

A closer look at Alabama football’s transfer portal additions!

Like it or not, the transfer portal has consumed college athletics. The portal seems to be in a constant state of disorder and confusion and this chaos has turned into the new normal for all of those involved.

Even for a program with deep roots and consistent excellence like Nick Saban has built at Alabama, the transfer portal does not discriminate and it has had its effects on the Crimson Tide.

Since the end of the 2022 regular season, Alabama has had a total of 16 scholarship players enter the portal. On the flip side, the Crimson Tide has brought in a total of five players from out of the portal.

With all of the roster turnover, I thought it would be a good time to quickly go over each addition that Alabama has made this offseason from the transfer portal!

Enjoy!

Notre Dame can’t complete fourth-quarter comeback at NC State

Being atop the ACC alone will have to wait.

Notre Dame undoubtedly had its visit to NC State circled on this year’s schedule. After all, the Wolfpack knocked the Irish out of the 2022 NCAA Tournament with a thrilling come-from-behind victory. Revenge had to have been on the Irish’s mind. That revenge will have to wait for another time as the Wolfpack held off a late Irish run and won 69-65.

The Irish (17-3, 8-2), who were unable to move into first outright in the ACC after Duke’s loss earlier in the day, got off to a good start with 20 first-quarter points. After that, the Wolfpack (16-5, 6-4) mostly controlled the direction of the next two quarters, leading by as much as 16. Having already lost [autotag]Dara Mabrey[/autotag] for the season and with [autotag]Lauren Ebo[/autotag] also injured, things looked grim for the Irish.

The fourth quarter saw the Irish work their way back on both ends as they cut the deficit to three with 11 unanswered points. They eventually got within two but just couldn’t get any closer despite opportunities to do so. Facing what turned out to be the final score in the last half-minute, they weren’t able to shake the Wolfpack’s defense and took too long developing a play that would give them a decent look. Even when they did get a couple of 3-pointers off, neither fell, and that was that.

Diamond Johnson led all scorers with 20 points and also led the Wolfpack with eight rebounds. Once the conference’s leading 3-point shooter this season, she made a game-high four shots from beyond the arc. Complimenting her was Mimi Collins and her 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

The Irish wasted an incredible game from [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag], who had 19 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] also dished out five assists to go with 13 points, six boards and three steals. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] scored 11 despite shooting 3 of 12 from the field, but it was a rough day for the Irish’s backcourt as she and Miles committed five turnovers each. [autotag]Cassandre Prosper[/autotag] also had 11 points coming off the bench.

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Watch: Jon Rothstein lists Notre Dame 40th on preseason countdown

Happy with this ranking, Irish fans?

At the time of this writing, we have exactly 40 days until the college basketball season begins. That mean CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein has been counting down what he believes are the top programs in the country this season. Rothstein started at 45, so he’s fairly early in the countdown. Still, Irish fans will be pleased to hear that their team has claimed the 40th spot:

When you consider where the Irish were at the start of last season, this is quite the leap forward. Just swap out Blake Wesley for J.J. Starling, and you really do have pretty much the same team that made it to last year’s NCAA Tournament. The returning core of Nate Laszewski, Dane Goodwin and Cormac Ryan is getting a lot more respect than it previously did, and it undoubtedly is because of Mike Brey’s coaching that they’ve taken such giant steps. Here’s hoping those players can ascend even higher this year.

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Notre Dame to play Maryland in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Looking forward to this matchup?

Notre Dame will welcome Maryland to Purcell Pavilion this upcoming season for the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It should be one of the better matchups in this year’s iteration as both programs are coming off Sweet 16 appearances. The Irish have the slimmest of leads in the all-time series, 5-4. The teams last met during a 92-victory in the 2014 edition of this event.

The Irish have a 7-1 all-time record in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. A win in this game, which will be played Dec. 1, would make the Terrapins the second program they’ve beaten twice in this event alongside Iowa. The other Big Ten opponents to fall to the Irish are Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

While this game is worth looking forward to, it will be far from the all-time series’ highest stakes. Twice, the Irish have downed the Terrapins in the NCAA Tournament. The first time happened in the 2012 regional finals, and the second during the 2014 national semifinals.

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Report: Shawn Stiffler hired as Notre Dame baseball coach

Like the hire?College World Series

With Link Jarrett moving within the ACC to Florida State, Notre Dame needed a new coach to build upon its College World Series berth. Less than three weeks after the end of the 2022 season, the Irish appear to have found their man. According to Matt Fortuna of The Athletic, VCU coach [autotag]Shawn Stiffler[/autotag] has been tabbed as the Irish’s next coach.

Stiffler just completed his 10th season as Rams coach, accumulating a 352-207 record during that time, including a 42-20 record in 2022. Stiffler has led the Rams to the Atlantic 10 Tournament title and the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two years and in 2015. They also won the regular-season title in 2019, and Stiffler was named the conference’ coach of the year.

During Stiffler’s tenure, the Rams produced four All-Americans, five Freshman All-Americans and 43 all-conference players. Here’s hoping that success will carry over against the arguably tougher competition that will come with this new job.

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The future is bright for LSU baseball with Jay Johnson

The Tigers are primed to return to the top of the sport in the coming years.

That was a wild ride.

It’s hard to think of a better way to sum up LSU baseball in its first year under coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag]. The Hattiesburg Regional was just one weekend, but it represented what LSU was in 2021.

They were a fun team capable of providing fireworks and winning any game. They were also a group that could never find consistency.

Despite offensive superstars like [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Berry[/autotag], LSU just did not have the run prevention to back it up.

Pitching and defense were spotty from the start to the finish this year and LSU. They were weaknesses that were revealed once again in Hattiesburg as LSU dropped that crucial Game 7.

Despite all that, it’s hard not to be optimistic about where this program is headed.

Johnson checked a lot of boxes in his first year. He led a team that showed fight and never quit. He had to find ways to manage a pitching staff that rarely gave length and, to be frank, was overmatched at times.

On top of that, Johnson and staff killed it on the recruiting trail and are slated to bring in the top class in the country.

LSU is always going to have talent. In 2021, a transition year, Johnson managed to sign a top 10 class. In 2020, LSU’s class was ranked in the top five.

The Tigers will have big-time firepower at the plate again next year. A couple of sluggers are likely headed off to the MLB, but Crews will be back along with [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag].

The lineup depth could even be improved with more production from the bottom half.

It would be unfair for LSU to magically solve their pitching woes in one year. Pitching is something that takes time to develop, but the Tigers should be improved.

There will be a natural progression of guys already on the staff, and plenty of talent will be coming in. LSU could also be active in the transfer portal.

There’s good reason to have confidence in Johnson’s ability to figure it out. He’s proven himself to be a coach that does just that.

It’s been a while since LSU has been to Omaha, and the Tigers will have to wait at least one more year. But going forward, they have positioned themselves to be a power in the sport.

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Oklahoma Sooners defeat No. 14 Florida Gators to advance to the Regional Finals

The Sooners are one win away from the NCAA Super Regionals after a 9-4 win against the no. 14 Florida Gators

When the Sooners were sent off to Gainesville, a matchup against the hosting Gators was all but a given if a trip to Omaha was the goal.

The Gator-friendly crowd didn’t matter. The Sooners lived by the long ball and took down the No. 14 Gators 9-4. The Sooners are now one win away from Super Regionals and three wins away from the program’s first College World Series berth since 2010.

Since OU hasn’t lost a game in Regionals yet, whoever they play in the final will have to beat them twice. After a well-earned day off on Sunday, Oklahoma will play the winner of Central Michigan and Florida on Monday.

After falling behind early 2-0, the Sooners smashed four home runs. Peyton Graham and Blake Robertson both went yard and Jimmy Crooks did it twice.

The Gators just had no answer for Crooks, he got a double to go along with those home runs for three hits on the evening.

David “Sandman” Sandlin did what he needed to to get the Sooners the win. After allowing two home runs in the second inning, he buckled down and didn’t allow another run until the sixth. Sandlin finished the night with three earned runs and six strikeouts in six innings pitched.

The Gators put one more run on the board against OU’s bullpen, but that’s it.

If the Sooners can win this Regional, a very foreboding opponent could be waiting for them. The No. 4 Virginia Tech Hokies haven’t had much issue moving through their Regional thus far.

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How to watch baseball’s Auburn Regional

Here is how you can watch the Tigers kick off their NCAA campaign on Friday:

Postseason baseball is here, and the Auburn Tigers will be playing ball on their home diamond.

Auburn was awarded an NCAA regional, and as such, it will host three teams in a double-elimination format at Plainsman Park. The Tigers’ first opponent will be Southeastern Louisiana, representing the Southland Conference.

It’s very possible the Lions won’t drop the game to Auburn without a fight. Southeastern Louisiana was crowned the Southland champions after defeating McNeese and have posted a 21-12 record so far in 2022. The Lions were also known for taking down the at-the-time No. 1 team in the nation, the Ole Miss Rebels, 5-1 at home in late March. The Tigers will have to be sure not to let Southeastern Louisiana catch them by surprise in the first game of the regional.

Auburn, meanwhile, have been properly preparing for this initial matchup. The Tigers announced that pitcher Trace Bright will start on the mound this Friday and will surely be benefitting from being able to practice and prepare at home in Auburn. The Tigers are so far 22-9 on the season and will be seeking redemption after a one-and-done appearance in the SEC Tournament.

Here is the full format for the Auburn Regional this weekend:

Full schedule for the Auburn Regional

Friday, June 3

Game 1: No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 Florida State at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2

Game 2: No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 4 Southeastern Louisiana at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+

Saturday, June 4

Game 3: Loser of UCLA/Florida State vs. loser of Auburn/Southeastern Louisiana, Time/Program TBD

Game 4: Winner of UCLA/Florida State vs. winner of Auburn/Southeastern Louisiana, Time/Program TBD

Sunday, June 5

Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs loser of Game 4, Time/Program TBD

Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs winner of Game 5, Time/Program TBD

Monday, June 6

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