Tag: Jon Rothstein

Report: N’Faly Dante’s appeal is denied, ending his college career

The NCAA has officially ended N’Faly Dante’s college basketball career by denying his appeal for an extra year of eligibility.

It was a long shot, but the Ducks were hoping for a miracle anyway.

According to CBS reporter Jon Rothstein, the NCAA has denied N’Faly Dante’s appeal for a sixth season of college basketball. His original case for an extra season was denied late last month, but now with all of his options exhausted, Dante’s college basketball career is now over.

He was looking for an injury hardship waiver since he played in just 12 games in 2019-20 and only six more in 2020-21. Oregon was hopeful since similar cases around the country were upheld, but Dante wasn’t as fortunate.

It would have been a huge boost for the 2024-25 Oregon Ducks basketball team to retain Dante for one more season as they would have been Final Four possibilities with the 7-foot center in the lineup. He had a career season last year as he averaged 17 points a game and 9.2 rebounds.

Dana Altman will lead what is still a very talented squad next season in their first year as a member in the Big Ten Conference.

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MSU included in CBB analyst Jon Rothstein’s updated rankings

College basketball analyst Jon Rothstein has MSU as a fringe top 25 team entering the 2024-25 season

College basketball analyst and insider Jon Rothstein has Michigan State as a fringe top 25 team entering the 2024-25 season.

Rothstein released his updated “Rothstein 45” rankings this past week, and to no surprise, the Spartans were included. He had Michigan State at No. 27 in the rankings.

From the Big Ten, Rothstein had the following teams ahead of the Spartans: Purdue (No. 9), Indiana (No. 15), UCLA (No. 16), Ohio State (No. 19) and Oregon (No. 24).

Click on the post below to see the complete rankings from Rothstein:

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 Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

Notre Dame’s Markus Burton to withdraw from NBA draft

Everyone knew he was coming back, but still.

There never was any serious doubt that ACC Rookie of the Year and Notre Dame guard Markus Burton would return to school. When he announced that he was declaring for the NBA draft, he made it clear that it was little more than figuring out where he stood among the players about to turn pro. Not receiving an invite to the draft combine answered that question.

Accordingly, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports is reporting that Burton personally told him that he’s heading back to the Irish:

So with that, the Irish officially can move forward with the team they have for the 2024-25 season, and Burton will be at its epicenter. The goal in Micah Shrewsberry’s second year in charge is to build on his first season.

Make no mistake about the fact that something is being built in South Bend. It probably will be a few years before we really can start to expect any truly good teams, but Burton can be the face for all that hopefully is to come for the Irish.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Photos taken during tour of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Yes, this is a USC-themed gallery on a Notre Dame site.

No, you didn’t accidentally go to Trojans Wire. This very much is Fighting Irish Wire. And yes, this is a gallery of photos from a tour of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum I took three weeks ago.

I know what you’re thinking, and yeah, this probably doesn’t belong on a Notre Dame site. But in order to better understand the cherished rivalry between Notre Dame and USC, it sometimes helps to learn more about the legendary stadium in which the Trojans play.

The Trojans have been there for 100 years now and will continue to be there after we’re gone. No knock against Notre Dame Stadium obviously, but there simply is more history involved at the iconic Los Angeles venue.

Taking this tour was part of a weeklong sojourn my wife and I took to Southern California, and it was one thing she really wanted to do. The tour group consisted of us and one gentleman from Scotland. Neither he nor the tour guide took notice of the [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] T-shirt from Jon Rothstein that I wore. If anyone had recognized it though, major props to them.

So without further ado, here are various views of the field, club levels, historical markers, and even Will Ferrell’s private suite. You’ll also see [autotag]Knute Rockne[/autotag] and [autotag]Frank Leahy[/autotag] make appearances. Enjoy these images even if they might be difficult for you to stomach:

J.R. Konieczny to return from foot injury for Notre Dame’s home finale

J.R. Konieczny had soreness in his right foot and missed Notre Dame’s victory over Wake Forest.

[autotag]J.R. Konieczny[/autotag] had soreness in his right foot and missed Notre Dame’s victory over Wake Forest. It was the first time this season he hadn’t appeared in a game. However, that appeared to only be a brief absence as Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports has tweeted the following ahead of the Irish’s home finale Saturday:

Obviously, it is unknown how much action Konieczny will see against Clemson. He hasn’t played more than 18 minutes over his past five games, none of which he started. He started his previous five games before that and shot 14 of 52 from the field during that stretch (26.9%). Since then, he’s shot a more respectable 11 of 23 (47.8%).

Fighting Irish Wire will be on hand to cover the men’s basketball team’s final home game this season as well as the women’s team’s sold-out home finale Sunday against Louisville. Both teams have being playing well lately, so now is a good time to catch them.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame’s Julian Roper II cleared for all basketball activities

That’s definitely a relief.

Notre Dame’s 2023-24 roster was brought together practically on the fly. As soon as he was hired, [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] had to string together a group of transfers and his 2023 Penn State recruiting class.

One transfer, [autotag]Julian Roper II[/autotag] from Northwestern, was coming off an ankle injury. Fortunately, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports is reporting that that’s no longer a concern:

Roper’s injury kept him from participating in the final month and a half of the Wildcats’ surprising run to the NCAA Tournament, only the second berth in that program’s history. He undoubtedly is looking for a new start after last season ended in disappointment. Most importantly, he’ll be available to start the new season.

The Irish will get their first look at opposing competition when they participate in a secret scrimmage Sunday at Xavier. They’ll play an exhibition Nov. 1 against Hanover, and the season starts when they welcome Niagara to Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 6.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Report: Big Ten considering limited conference basketball tournament after expansion

Report: Big Ten considering limited conference basketball tournament after expansion

Here’s something that won’t matter for another year and a half. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported earlier today that the Big Ten is moving towards restricting its conference tournament to 14-15 teams once the conference expands to 18 during the 2024-25 season.

Put in other words: The Big Ten is expanding to 18 schools for the 2024 football season and 2024-25 basketball season. Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC are joining the conference, if you’ve been living under a rock for the last two years.

At that point, the Big Ten is moving towards restricting its end-of-season basketball tournament to only 14-15 teams, as it is currently formatted. That would leave 3-4 schools out of the tournament, depending on the regular season standings.

This may not be decided on for some time, and again won’t affect the sport for a year and a half. But with UCLA (No. 32 in KenPom), USC (No. 30), Washington (No. 59) and Oregon (No. 51) joining, there is sure to be continued separation between the top of the conference and the bottom.

That separation should make this decision easy, as a 18-team tournament would be a bit excessive before the NCAA Tournament begins. Rothstein’s reported solution that makes a ton of sense as we enter into the new world of the Big Ten.

Kebba Njie to make Notre Dame debut against Maryland Eastern Shore

Good news for the Irish.

Notre Dame was missing some of its height during its first four games, which it split. That issue will be resolved beginning Wednesday against Maryland Eastern Shore. [autotag]Kebba Njie[/autotag], the 6-foot-10 forward who transferred from Penn State after [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] was hired from there, has recovered from his injury and will play according CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein:

Shrewsberry alluded to this possibility when he met with the media Tuesday:

“He did a bunch of rehab stuff (in New York). He’s practiced with us the last couple of days. Barring any setbacks, we hope to have him here (Wednesday) and beyond. We do need him. We need his voice. We need his rebounding, his ability to get us easy baskets in the paint.

He settles us a little bit. His presence defensively, he’s probably our most important defensive piece. We’ll put him in a bubble the next couple days and hope nobody bumps into him.”

Well, he’s healthy enough to play now. That’s good news for everybody.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein ranks Texas A&M Basketball in the Top 15 of his ‘Rothstein 45’

Ahead of Texas A&M’s 2023-2024 college basketball season, CBS Sport’s Jon Rothstein personally ranks the Aggies in his Top 15 team rankings.

Even though Texas A&M’s 2023 football season hasn’t delivered on its hefty preseason promises, have no fear because the 2023-2024 college basketball season is right around the corner. Head coach Buzz Williams’ 15th-ranked squad is ready to take on the challenges ahead and meet their preseason expectations.

On paper, the Aggies return four out of five starters from last season, headlined by preseason SEC Player of the Year, junior point guard Wade Taylor. Filling out the backcourt, senior do-it-all guard Tyrece “Boots” Radford brings a wealth of skill and experience to the table. In contrast, the starting forward tandem of senior duo Henry Coleman and Julius Marble is as formidable as it gets in near the basket.

From a depth perspective, guards Manny Obaseki, Hayden Hefner, and freshman sharpshooter Bryce Lindsay can heat up on offense at any moment, while fan-favorite forward Andersson Garcia, who quite literally saved the Aggies in several games last season due to his elite defensive skillset. Oh, and while current Dallas Maverick Dexter Dennis is the only departed 2022 starter, transfer portal additions Eli Lawrence and Jace Carter will likely fill his small forward spot as we advance.

On Tuesday, CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein continued his “Rothstein 45” rankings countdown, and coming in at No. 13, Texas A&M’s hot finish in the 2022 regular at least has Rothstein mightily intrigued:

“No. 13 in the Rothstein 45, the Texas A&M Aggies, and the Buzz is palpable in College Station, and that’s for good reason. Buzz Williams and Texas A&M return the highes percentage among SEC teams, and this year’s rendition of the Aggies should be Williams’ best since he arrived in College Station from Virgina Tech. The backbone of the best team’s Williams has coached in his career has been veteran guard play; we saw it at Marquette with Junior Cadougan, we saw it at Virgina Tech with Justin Robinson. Wade Taylor IV is next in line to take that baton, and he is very much an SEC Player of the Year candidate in 2023-2024.” 

After reportedly defeating Baylor in a closed scrimmage, the hype has continued to escalate. If Rothstein is as excited about Texas A&M as much of the Aggie fan base, that’s surely a positive sign.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

College Basketball’s Insider Jon Rothstein ranks Rutgers basketball No. 43

Jon Rothstein, host of the College Hoops Today podcast, ranks the Scarlet Knights No. 43 in Rothstein’s 45 rankings.

Monday will mark six weeks until Rutgers basketball opens the season against Princeton Jon Rothstein, host of the College Hoops Today podcast, ranks the 2023-24 Scarlet Knights No. 43 in his ‘Rothstein 45.’

Rothstein, a CBS Sports analyst, breaks down Rutgers basketball as head coach Steve Pikiell and the Scarlet Knights prepare for the 2023-24 season.

ROTHSTEIN 45

The college basketball analyst believes Pikiell has built a contender for the NCAA Tournament in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers has an All-American returning to their center position, with Cliff Omoruyi returning for the 2023-24 season. Omoruyi played and started in all 34 games last year, leading the team with 13.2 points and 9.6 rebounds.

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Also, Pikiell has a few newcomers on his roster, headlined by top 50 freshman guard Gavin Griffiths and UMass transfer guard Noah Fernandez. Fernandez averaged a team-leading 13.4 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 11 games last season while playing at UMass.

Griffiths and Fernandez will play alongside sophomore guard Derek Simpson, who averaged 7.1 points per game last year.

Rutgers senior forward Aundre Hyatt will return to the Scarlet Knights, electing to play his last year of eligibility. Also, forward Mawot Mag will return for the 2023-24 season after his season-ending ACL injury last year. Mag is a six-foot-seven wing and is one of the most athletic players on the Scarlet Knights’ roster.

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