‘Nothing true’: Porter Moser shoots down DePaul rumors

Porter Moser responds to rumors of his departure at the end of the season from Oklahoma.

In year three under [autotag]Porter Moser[/autotag], it is looking like things are starting to click for the Oklahoma Sooners. They have found themselves back in the top 25 after a week out of it.

They’ve also set themselves up perfectly for a [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag] berth. That would be the first NCAA Tournament appearance since [autotag]Lon Kruger[/autotag]’s final season in Norman.

But just as things have started to look up, rumors started to swirl last week that this could be Moser’s final season in Norman. The school that could pull him away was DePaul.

On the surface, that move doesn’t make a lot of sense. DePaul is 3-20 on the season this year. But if you dig a little deeper, it actually makes a lot of sense. DePaul is in Chicago, IL, which is an area Moser knows very well, coming from Loyola Chicago. It’s also a Catholic university which is something that has been reported to mean a lot to Moser.

Moser was asked about these rumors during his media availability on Monday. “I haven’t talked to anybody,” Moser said. “Not even thinking about anything. I’m just absolutely not even engaging in anything like that, 100%. I’m so excited about where we are at with the team. This is everything we’ve tried to build for, is being in this position. Same comment as last year, all rumors, all mill-fodder. Nothing true.”

Whether you think he’s the guy for the job or not, Moser has started to show signs of success. This was a rebuild that was going to take time and he’s made real progress in year three. At the end of the day, having continuity is never a bad thing either.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Michigan State Women’s basketball beats DePaul by 38-points

Michigan State Women’s basketball beats DePaul by 38-points

It was a good night at the office for the now 6 and 1 Michigan State Women’s basketball team. The Spartans were able to take down the DePaul Blue Demons by 38 on the road. MSU won 102 to 64.

The Spartans were led by Moira Joiner, who dropped 26 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 2 assists. DeeDee Hagemann and Julia Ayrault each added 17 points towards the victory.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

Nick Ongenda in OKC for presumed Thunder pre-draft visit

Nick Ongenda averaged 4.4 blocks last season. He could be an option at No. 50.

The 2023 NBA draft is roughly a week away, which means draft prospects are touring the country and meeting with teams.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking at possibly adding two rookies to their roster. They own the No. 12 and No. 50 picks in the draft.

Undrafted free agency could also be an avenue used by the Thunder to collect rookie talent. One possibility using that route is DePaul center Nick Ongenda, who is in OKC for a presumed draft workout for the Thunder, per his Instagram story.

The 22-year-old spent four college seasons at DePaul. In eight games last season, he averaged 12.5 points on 46.6% shooting, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 blocks. He missed most of the season while recovering from a wrist injury.

Ongenda could be an option in undrafted free agency — or if the Thunder like him enough, they could select him with their No. 50 pick.

The 2023 NBA draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 22. A full list of prospects who’ve met with the Thunder can be read here.

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DePaul upset Seton Hall on a stunning buzzer-beating block in Big East tournament

Seton Hall is going home and the refs got the call right

It’s hard to know which is the bigger upset in the men’s Big East tournament on Wednesday night.

No. 10 seed DePaul shocking No. 7 Seton Hall (-5.5) or a referee crew making the correct, game-deciding call as time expired in Madison Square Garden.

The Blue Demons (3-17 in the Big East this year) picked up their fifth ever victory in the conference tournament with a 66-65 win that ended with DePaul’s Nick Ongenda sprinting to the hoop from halfcourt to make a game-winning block on Femi Odukale.

Officials initially signaled for goaltending on the play —a wild moment in itself — but the refs reversed the call following very quick review. And it was absolutely the right move since the ball was still on its way up and not over the cylinder.

But how the game got to this point is just as dramatic.

DePaul had numerous chances to tie or take the lead with less than a minute remaining and couldn’t capitalize on any of them.

The very next play after the jump ball:

Seton Hall would hit two free throws after the foul to extend the lead to four only for DePaul to hit a layup with six seconds remaining right after.

That’s when it all fell apart for the Pirates.

Jalen Terry stole the ball from Odukale and was fouled shooting a three-pointer with four seconds left. He hit all three shots from the foul line to set up Ongenda’s block.

“I knew it was a block,” Ongenda told the FS1 broadcast. “I knew it. That’s what I do. I block everything.”

He’s not joking. The senior finished with four rejections on the night. None bigger than the play he made as time expired. Legendary broadcaster Bill Raftery was on the call and said he’d never seen a game end like this one.

Only in March.

Max Strus on his DII start, path to the NBA through the Boston Celtics and more

When he was a member of the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat reserve shooting guard Max Strus made a strong connection with interim head coach Joe Mazzulla.

When he was a member of the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat shooting guard Max Strus made a strong connection with interim head coach Joe Mazzulla while the latter was an assistant for Boston. Both Mazzulla and Strus started college playing at a Division II school, giving them a common point of reference, Strus told the Celtics Wire in an interview last month.

The former Celtic recently sat down with host Sean Daley of the “Fansided” podcast to talk about his path through the NCAA, why colleges slept on recruiting him, his path to the NBA, facing the Celtics in the postseason and much more.

To hear more about what got the former DePaul player to the league he is thriving in, and how his game has been shaped by each of his stops in the league, take a look at the clip embedded below to hear it all in full.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Fighting Irish Wire mourns the loss of ESPN reporter Jeff Dickerson

We are deeply saddened by the loss of a great sports reporter and even better human being.

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While we at Fighting Irish Wire are here to cover Notre Dame athletics, every sports journalist feels like family to us. It doesn’t matter what team they cover or who they work for. In the end, we all are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

That’s why we were devastated to learn of the passing of ESPN reporter Jeff Dickerson from colon cancer at the age of 44. Publicly, Dickerson was best known for covering the Chicago Bears for the outlet. For those who worked with him or had a chance to know him, he was an all-around good guy who made everyone feel like they mattered to him. That alone makes this news tough to take, but even sadder is that Caitlin, his wife, lost her own battle with cancer two years ago, meaning Parker, his 11-year-old son, now has lost both parents to cancer.

While I never worked with Dickerson professionally, I did meet him on one memorable occasion. While pursuing my master’s at DePaul, he came to speak to my online sports reporting class, which was taught by Adam Rittenberg, his ESPN colleague. That course featured many prominent guest speakers, but Dickerson easily was the best because of his graciousness, enthusiasm and the obvious vibe that he was happy to be there. If he had talked long into the night, it’s doubtful many in that room would have complained.

Keep the Dickerson family in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. This was one individual who deserved a much better end to his story, but as we know all too well, cancer is a disease that does not discriminate. He will be missed terribly, and that hole never will be filled in this life.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Aneesah Morrow and Ta’Niya Latson have reached ‘must-watch’ territory

Get caught up on the latest in women’s college hoops with the Heat Check

Women’s Hoops Heat Check is back with Cole Huff and Mitchell Northam. Part 1: Standout Players

Cole: Aneesah Morrow, DePaul

Look, you are worthy of praise whenever you crack 40 points in any level of basketball, whether in a Boys & Girls Club league, an AAU tournament, or college and professional ball — 40 points means you were feelin’ it. And Aneesah Morrow was certainly feelin’ it last Saturday when she dropped 45 big ones against Northeastern. On top of that, she pulled down 13 boards and registered five steals en route to a DePaul win.

And while this is undoubtedly a massive performance, the bigger picture is that nights like these are becoming regular. Maybe not 45-point outings. However, the steals and 30-plus-point double-doubles are — it was Morrow’s third of the season and the fourth time this year she’s reached five steals in a game. With that, she’s played her way into National Player of the Year status, though she did suffer a knee injury that forced her to exit early and miss most of DePaul’s win over Howard on Monday.

Nevertheless, take note of the do-it-all sophomore forward if you haven’t already. You’ll want to lock in on Morrow each time she takes the basketball court.

Mitch: Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State

There were a lot of reasons to doubt Florida State this season. The Seminoles were going through a coaching transition, as Sue Semrau stepped away for good to hand the reins off to Brooke Wyckoff. Three of FSU’s top players last season – Morgan Jones, River Baldwin and Sammie Puisis – transferred to other schools. In the offseason, FSU didn’t really reload, and entered the year with just 10 rostered players.

But one player that the Seminoles did add was Ta’Niya Latson – a freshman from Miami who was named Florida’s Miss Basketball. It seemed apparent that Latson would get plenty of opportunities to play and shine, but could she carry the Seminoles to a winning record?

So far, she’s doing that and so much more. Florida State is 10-1 and Latson has been voted ACC Rookie of the Week for five straight weeks – that’s every week so far this season. She’s one of the five top scorers in the nation, averaging 25.5 points per game. Latson has scored double digit points in every collegiate game she’s played in so far, and most recently poured in 34 points on 19 shots in a win over Texas Southern.

And get this: Since the beginning of the HerHoopStats era in 2009, Latson is the only freshman to average at least 24 points per game while shooting better than 49% from the floor. And we’ve had a lot of great rookies in women’s college basketball in that time, from Elena Delle Donne to Chennedy Carter. Latson is doing something that none of them ever did, and we should be talking more about it.

Latson will get the chance on Sunday to impress on national TV: FSU plays against UConn on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.

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Sooners offer in-state star Kaden Cooper as Porter Moser lays down roots in Oklahoma

2023 small forward Kaden Cooper receives an offer from the Oklahoma Sooners.

Last year, Porter Moser was about immediate upgrades and getting guys in that he knew could play in his first season as the Oklahoma Sooners’ head basketball coach. While they failed to secure an NCAA Tournament bid, the foundation was slowly beginning to be laid for his time in Norman. Moser has spent minimal time dwelling on the past and is on the recruiting trail to add to his program.

On his and his staff’s recruiting journey, they have a strong focus in-state as they try to monopolize the state’s best hoopers from going across state lines to play at other schools. The latest offer goes to G/F Kaden Cooper of Ada, Oklahoma. Cooper is a 2023 three-star who projects best as a small forward for college. He holds offers from Oklahoma State, Elon, DePaul, Oral Roberts, SMU, Texas, and others.

Cooper is one of the leaders on team Trae Young, Oklahoma’s only Adidas sponsored team on The Circuit. Over the last weekend in March, Cooper and Top 25-star Ja’Kobe Walter led Team Trae Young to a weekend sweep.

Cooper excels in transition but spoke this weekend on his need to continue to evolve as a shot-maker. That would be a welcomed trait to add to the program and music to the ears of Sooners fans’ who grew frustrated at times with the lack of high-level shot makers on the first edition of Porter Moser’s team.

Cooper hardly has a leading team, but Oklahoma will likely shoot up the leader boards for his services. The Sooners will look to apply its pressure on Cooper over the spring and summer and put itself in a prime position to land the aggressive in-state wing.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

DePaul vs St. John’s College Basketball Prediction, Game Preview

DePaul vs St. John’s prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Wednesday.

DePaul vs St. John’s prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Wednesday, March 9


DePaul vs St. John’s How To Watch

Date: Wednesday, March 9
Game Time: 7:00 ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
How To Watch: FS1
Record: DePaul (15-15), St. John’s (16-14)
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Today’s Best Bet to Lock in Now

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All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

DePaul vs St. John’s Game Preview, Big East Tournament


Why DePaul Will Win

The Blue Demons haven’t been bad over the last few weeks, and that includes a win over St. John’s.

It’s too late to get into the NCAA Tournament without a Big East championship, but they’re scoring in bunches, the shooting has been great, and it’s all started with lots and lots of big plays from the defense.

St. John’s might come up with steals, but it gives up way too many points, DePaul is scoring from three, on the free throw line, and on the move as it’s all working, and …

– Latest Polls AP | Coaches

Why St. John’s Will Win

St. John’s is about to crank up the offense even more in New York.

It’s not like it didn’t play well in the loss to DePaul – it scored 94 points – but DePaul was on.

This is the Big East’s best scoring attack, and like DePaul lately, a lot of this comes from generating steals and takeaways. This is a high risk, high reward team that can’t stop anyone in a half court battle, but …

Top 25 Game Previews, Predictions

DePaul vs St. John’s: What’s Going To Happen

You want to get into another high-scoring firefight, DePaul? Let’s go.

St. John’s might have lost in Chicago a few weeks ago, but it won 89-84 at home in early January when it went off from three.

If you like killer defenses, this isn’t for you, but enjoy a whole ton of threes and a whole lot of momentum swings before the Red Storm finally pull away.

DePaul vs St. John’s Prediction, Lines

St. John’s 86, DePaul 80
Line: St. John’s -5, o/u: 154
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3

CFN Latest NFL Mock Draft: Post-Combine

Must See Rating: 3

5: King Otto
1: Lost City

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Notre Dame women’s basketball outlasts DePaul

Notre Dame women’s basketball got their best win of the year to date just before their Christmas break.

CHICAGO  — The No. 20/17 Notre Dame women’s basketball squad (11-2) won the track meet against the No. 1 offense in the country (RV/RV) in DePaul (11-3), outpacing the Blue Demons by the score of 91-86.

The victory marked Notre Dame’s first NET top-50 win of the year and evened the series in Chicago against DePaul at 11-11.

Maya Dodson achieved a career high career 28 points, including 10 straight in crunch time late in the fourth quarter. Maddy Westbeld supplied a season high 22 points, while Olivia Miles netted 20 points. It marked the first time the Irish had three 20-point scorers since Jessica Shepard (30), Jackie Young (21), Brianna Turner (20) vs Louisville on March 10, 2019.

The stat of the game goes to Notre Dame’s rebounding and second-chance points – both of which they dominated. The Irish owned a 24-5 offensive rebounding advantage, which translated to 29-1 second-chance points. Overall, the Irish owned a 51-26 rebounding advantage.

Next – How It Happened…