Tag: Kansas State Wildcats

LSU men’s basketball lands first transfer portal commitment from Kansas State’s Cam Carter

The Tigers have landed their first commitment from the transfer portal this offseason.

After the conclusion of Year 2 under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], which saw the Tigers’ season end in the first round of the NIT against North Texas, LSU has landed its first men’s basketball transfer portal commitment of the cycle.

On Friday, Kansas State guard [autotag]Cam Carter[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Tigers, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. Carter finished his high school career in Virginia, but he’s a native of Donaldsonvile, Louisiana.

He’ll be making his return to the SEC after spending one year at Mississippi State before he spent the last two years in Manhattan, Kansas, with the Wildcats.

Carter was a rotational player with the Bulldogs but started all 70 games he appeared in at Kansas State. He averaged 14.6 points, five rebounds and 2.5 assists this season.

It’s a major pickup for the Tigers, which are set to lose both [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] as well as possibly [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag] from the backcourt.

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PHOTOS: CU Buffs women’s basketball snags Sweet 16 berth with win over Kansas State

Relive Colorado’s emphatic NCAA Tournament victory at Kansas State

For the second straight season, head coach JR Payne and the Colorado Buffaloes are headed to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Sweet 16.

The fifth-seeded Buffs punched their ticket to Albany by upsetting the fourth-seeded Kansas State Wildcats on their home court Sunday afternoon, 63-50.

Colorado backup point guard Tameiya Sadler played hero in front of a sold-out Bramlage Coliseum crowd, scoring 10 critical points in the second half. Fellow veteran Maddie Nolan also came up clutch early with three huge 3-pointers.

The Buffs will face either West Virginia or Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the Sweet 16 later this week.

Check out the best pictures from Colorado’s March Madness win over K-State:

Despite rough week, Oklahoma remains in D1Baseball’s Top 25

Oklahoma remains in D1Baseball’s Top 25 despite bad week on the diamond.

Last week was challenging for an Oklahoma team that had begun to find its way. The Sooners posted a 1-3 record, and the lone win was a combined no-hitter Friday night against West Virginia courtesy of juniors [autotag]Braden Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Reid Hensley[/autotag].

Outside of that, it was a drag for Skip Johnson’s ball team. D1Baseball didn’t hold it against Oklahoma too much, though. Despite their three losses, the Sooners remained in the Top 25 at exactly No. 25 in the latest poll.

Arkansas remains the cream of the crop, coming in at No. 1. Oregon State is number two, while Clemson moved from four to three. Former Big 12 foe Texas A&M is No. 4, while Tennessee vaults from eighth to fifth.

The Big 12 only has one other representative in this week’s poll, as Kansas State has joined the mix at No. 23. TCU, previously No. 18, dropped out after a 2-2 week.

Oklahoma will have the chance to pick itself up off the mat this week as it returns to action Tuesday at home against in-state foe Oral Roberts. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be seen via SoonerVision on ESPN+. After that, the Sooners host a Thursday-Saturday series with Lamar.

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March Madness: Second-round strategy for the $2.5K USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool

Win $2.5K in the Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool: Second-round picks and predictions

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The 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament moves to the 2nd round, paring down from 64 teams to just 32. The madness has been a little less crazy than the men’s tournament, but we’ve had some craziness. In fact, out of 3,750 entries, only 2,371 remain alive heading into the Round of 32.

We had just one major upset, as No. 6 seed Louisville was dismissed by No. 11 seed Middle Tennessee. That was the only lower seed to win outright in the 1st round, however.

My 1st-round column picks, Virginia Tech, Colorado and NC State each advanced. In Friday’s action, the Hokies pounded Marshall 92-49, while Colorado got the job done in a high-scoring affair, winning 86-72 over Drake. Then on Saturday, the Wolfpack rolled 14-seed Chattanooga, 64-45.

As an employee, I’m not eligible to win, but there’s no rule against me helping you win $2.5K.

Here is my strategy of how to win the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament Survivor Pool.

A rules reminder: Remaining entries are required to pick 2 teams to win outright in the 2nd round — no spread involved. Once you pick a team, it can’t be used again, similar to an NFL survivor pool.

After the 2nd round, the rules require 1 pick per round — 1 in the Sweet 16, 1 in the Elite 8, 1 in the Final Four and then picking the winner of the National Championship Game — if you still have an eligible team to select.

Along with not being able to choose the same team twice, the other tricky rule is that points are earned equal to your winning teams’ seeds. At this point, there are still a lot of points available in the 2nd round and beyond.

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Second-round picks

PICK 1: KANSAS STATE WILDCATS (26-7)

Who they play: Colorado Buffaloes (23-9)

When: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Where: Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Kan.

The 4th-seeded Wildcats are looking to protect their home court against the 5th-seeded Buffaloes.

Kansas State, No. 16 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, went 16-1 at home this season. The only setback came against fellow NCAA Tournament team Iowa State in a Big 12 tilt Feb. 28. K-State advance to the 2nd round by powering past 13th-seeded Portland 78-65 Friday.

Colorado is No. 17 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, right behind K-State. It polished off 12th-seeded Drake 86-72 in the 1st round Friday at Bramlage. The Buffaloes were a rather ordinary 7-4 in 11 road games this season.

The Wildcats lean upon C Ayoka Lee to get the job done on offense. She went for 21 points against Portland, while G Gabby Gregory scored a game-high 22 points. K-State is very efficient from the field, especially inside the paint, and they were very good in the assist-to-turnover ratio department this season. Plus, K-State relies upon a suffocating defense, using a tenacious style to get into the face of opposing shooters on a constant basis.

The Buffaloes made instant headlines upsetting defending champion LSU to open the season. Colorado scores the basketball frequently, with C Aaronette Vonleh leading the charge at 14.2 points per game. Like K-State, Colorado is strong in the assist-to-turnover department. As you would expect in a 4 vs. 5 game, this will be a tight one with the Wildcats expected to protect its home floor.

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

PICK 2: INDIANA HOOSIERS (25-5)

Who they play: Oklahoma Sooners (23-9)

When: Monday, 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Where: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Ind.

The 4th-seed Hoosiers had to face the 13th-seeded Fairfield Stags in the opening round. Fairfield entered 31-1, with its single loss coming in November at Vanderbilt by just 3 points. The Stags entered on a 29-game win streak. The Hoosiers weren’t impressed.

Indiana routed Fairfield 89-56 Saturday, shooting an impressive 50.8% (31-for-61) from the field, while going 77.3% (17-for-22) from the free-throw line. IU was dominant in rebounding, too, racking up 45 boards, to just 29 for the smallish Stags of the MAAC.

The 5th-seeded Sooners escaped No. 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast with a 73-70 win. F Skylar Vann led the way for Oklahoma, tallying a game-high 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting, while adding 3 boards, an assist, a steal and a blocked shot in 34 minutes.

OU was able to hit 44.6% (25-for-56) from the field, while struggling from behind the 3-point line at 33.3% (6-for-18). Oklahoma was also outrebounded 35-34, while turning it over 13 times. It will need to clean things up if it wants to continue its season. Indiana looked awfully tough against Fairfield, and it’s the play on its home court.

All right. Let’s get these 2 wins, rack up a few points and then make sure to check back before Round 3 for our next winning picks.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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Game preview: Colorado to face host Kansas State in the round of 32

The Colorado women are one win away from getting back to the Sweet 16

Last season, the Colorado women’s basketball team upset Duke in a No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed second-round matchup, knocking the host Blue Devils out of the NCAA Tournament. On Sunday, the Buffs will try to beat another host team, as No. 5 seed Colorado (23-9) will face off against the No. 4 seed Kansas State Wildcats (26-7) in Manhattan.

In their first-round matchup on Friday, the Wildcats dispatched Portland State, 78-65, with senior guard Gabby Gregory leading the team with 22 points. Kansas State is 16-1 on its home court this season. The Wildcats’ only loss came against the Iowa State Cyclones in late February.

Colorado beat Drake, 86-72, on Friday evening to open its March Madness run. Aaronette Vonleh and Jaylyn Sherrod combined for 34 points.

Sunday’s round of 32 game will feature a premiere matchup in the paint as Vonleh will battle Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee. Both players lead their respective teams in scoring. Vonleh averages 14.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while Lee averages 20.1 points and 8.5 boards.

Following CU’s first-round win over Drake, Buffs head coach JR Payne was asked about preparing for Kansas State:

“Lots of film, lots of rest tonight for the girls,” Payne said. “This is a Pac-12 schedule we’re playing this weekend — Friday-Sunday. We’re used to the rhythm of it. I think our team will do a great job of resting. Tomorrow morning, we wake up (and) the scout (report) is already done. (We’ll) start teaching our team the scout. What’s important? What does it look like? What does it feel like?”

Colorado and Kansas State will tip off at noon MT on ESPN.

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Sooners are latest school to offer 2025 CB Graceson Littleton

Recruiting profile for 2025 three-star CB Graceson Littleton.

Recruiting Florida is nothing new for Oklahoma. It has been recruiting the Sunshine State regularly for a while. It has been successful in bringing in multiple contributors and starters from the state. In recent years, Florida has treated the Sooners well.

One area of Florida that has been very generous to the Sooners is the Tampa area. Oklahoma landed commits from that area in its last two recruiting classes. Is it potentially looking for a third commit in as many classes? Its latest scholarship offer went to Graceson Littleton. Littleton is a 2025 cornerback prospect at Wharton High School in Tampa.

247Sports has him listed as a three-star on its rankings. He’s not rated on any of the other sites. He has excellent foot speed and is listed at 6 feet.

Graceson Littleton’s Recruiting Profile

HUDL

How to watch, key players for No. 24 Oklahoma Women’s Basketball vs. TCU Horned Frogs

The top ranked Big 12 women’s team, the Oklahoma Sooners, are back in action at home vs the TCU Horned Frogs and this is how you can watch.

There is a new team atop the Big 12 women’s basketball standings as the Oklahoma Sooners have surpassed the [autotag]Kansas State Wildcats[/autotag]. The Sooners currently sit at 15-6 (9-1) and have found themselves back in the top 25.

The job Jennie Baranczyk has done is nothing short of remarkable. It was just a few weeks ago this team wasn’t even in the bracketology field but is now a top-25 team once again. Now they are set to take on the [autotag]TCU Horned Frogs[/autotag] back at home.

TCU is 15-6 (2-8, two games were forfeits due to a shortage of players but doesn’t affect their overall record) and sits tied for last in the Big 12. So, let’s take a look at how you can watch the upcoming game for the Sooners.

Jalon Moore’s evolution is pivotal to remainder of Sooners season

Jalon Moore has morphed into Oklahoma’s most important and consistent player.

Last year was a disaster of a season for No. 23 Oklahoma. They were abysmal, inconsistent, flawed, and simply not a good basketball team. Porter Moser knew things had to change, and in college basketball, for better or worse, your team can change entirely over months due to the NCAA transfer portal.

As players from last year’s team departed for professional opportunities, sought fresh starts elsewhere, or committed themselves to the Crimson and Cream, Oklahoma had holes to fill.

The most pressing needs were for athleticism, shooting, and playmaking. And so, Porter Moser and his staff attacked the portal with the desperation of a team down five points with under a minute left.

They pressed the portal hard and landed many players who filled their needs.

Javian McCollum came in with plenty of buzz as a sleeper NBA draft selection should he have a big year in Norman after transferring from Siena. He’s on his way to doing just that.

Le’Tre Darthard was a valuable member of a Utah Valley team that played postseason basketball last year. John Hugley IV transferred from Pittsburgh looking to reclaim the form that landed him on an All-ACC team.

Rivaldo Soares was looking for a more prominent role than he had at Oregon State. Jalon Moore started 15 games for Georgia Tech last year, where he averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. He was a part of their rotation, but it always felt like he had more to give.

College basketball media even believed it. The pressure was off of him, too. In Norman, he’d get a fresh start, an expanded role, and thus the opportunity to flourish.

Moore has done just that, and Tuesday night’s performance against Kansas State culminated in a season’s worth of growth for Moore.

Against the Wildcats, Moore had a career-high 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting with nine rebounds. He was pivotal in the first half and equally impactful in the second, especially when Kansas State pushed to tighten things up.

He plays hard every game, even when he shoots poorly, and his motor doesn’t stop. His length allows him to guard positions 1-4 without real trouble. His performance earned him KenPom Game MVP, highlighting his efficiency and positive contributions to his team’s win.

Oklahoma is far from out of the woods, though. A massive road game against UCF is on tap for Saturday. The Knights have already knocked off Texas and Kansas at home. The Sooners need this game, and for them to win, they’ll need more of Moore.

Moore has been the constant, while Otega Oweh, Milos Uzan, and Javian McCollum have been inconsistent from game to game. The steady stream of high energy and winning plays Moore makes nightly could be the essential piece Oklahoma needs to weather the slide they’ve been in and elevate their play as we inch closer to March.

He won’t end up on any All-Big 12 teams because his numbers won’t reflect that, but there’s been no player more valuable to Oklahoma’s success this season than Jalon Moore.

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Sooners end two game skid with 20-point win over Kansas State

The Oklahoma Sooners ended their two-game losing streak with an 20-point win over the Kansas State Wildcats.

The Oklahoma Sooners bounced back from a rough week at home to earn another road win in Big 12 play with a 73-53 win over the Kansas State Wildcats.

Oklahoma scored the first eight points of the game, with Jalon Moore leading the way with five points in the early going. The Sooners defense held Kansas State to just three points over the first 10 minutes and OU was able to build an 11-point lead on the backs of a strong start from Moore and a rebound game for Javian McCollum.

The Sooners were in complete control of the game throughout the first half, limiting the Wildcats to 23.1% shooting and just 19 points. Despite more free throw struggles, the Sooners held a 16-point advantage at the break.

In the first half, Moore was 6 of 7 from the floor for 15 points and McCollum had eight points on 3 of 5 shooting. The Sooners shot 50% from the field and 37.5% from three as a team.

In the second half, the Sooners never let it get close. Even as Kansas State started hitting shots, Oklahoma was able to keep them at arm’s length, never letting the lead get closer than seven points.

After Tylor Perry made two free throws to cut the Sooners margin to its smallest since the five-minute mark of the first half, Oklahoma went on a 22 to 9 run to close the game with the 20-point road win.

Moore finished the night with 23 points on 8 of 11 from the field. He was also 2 of 3 from three-point range to lead the Sooners. Moore also recorded nine rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass.

McCollum, who’d struggled in the Sooners losses to Texas and Texas Tech, came back with a strong performance in the win. He was 6 of 13 from the floor and 9 of 10 from the free throw line in his 21-point performance.

Sam Godwin was the only other Sooners’ starter in double-figures, chipping in 11 points on 4 of 6 shooting. Godwin also was big on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end. Rivaldo Soares led the Sooners reserve unit with 10 points off the bench.

It was a pivotal win for the Sooners, who had lost four of their last six coming into the game. The Sooners to improve to 16-5 (4-4, Big 12) on the season. Kansas State falls to 14-7 and 4-4 in Big 12 play.

Now they set their sites on a UCF squad that beat the Kansas Jayhawks in Orlando just a few weeks ago. Oklahoma next takes the floor at UCF on Saturday.

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In the midst of a rough patch, No. 23 Oklahoma finds itself in desperation mode

With losses in four of their last six games, Oklahoma is in must-win mode as another week in the Big 12 unfolds.

The covered wagons are treading a bumpy road. After starting the season blistering hot and cruising through nonconference play with one blemish on their record to the now No. 3 team in the country, No. 23 Oklahoma has lost four of its last six games.

The new AP Poll dropped on Monday, and the Sooners are in a bit of a free fall. They had the most significant drop of any team in the top 25, dropping 12 spots. Saturday, they lost at home to the 15th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. The game before that, they lost another home game to their Red River rivals, the Texas Longhorns. In both games, the Sooners were winning at halftime.

And yet, somehow, the Sooners came away with nothing to show for it in either game.

Troubling times are upon Porter Moser’s basketball team. Oklahoma’s losses this season have all been to teams near locks to make the NCAA Tournament. Or, at least, they are a few more wins away from solidifying themselves as one of those teams.

There’s no shame in losing to good basketball teams, but Oklahoma had two monster opportunities at home to firmly cement themselves as an NCAA team and came up empty-handed. And now, with his squad marred in a slump and on the precipice of falling out of the top 25, the Sooners are staring down two massive road games against teams capable of beating them. Jerome Tang and Kansas State ended last year in the Elite Eight. They lost some significant contributors from that team but went into the transfer portal to get some excellent replacements.

Kansas State will be ready to play tonight in Manhattan, Kansas. If the Sooners are to come out on top with a win, Oklahoma needs to play a complete 40 minutes. Faster starts from their trio of starting guards, Javian McCollum, Otega Oweh, and Milos Uzan, would be a welcome sight.

After tonight’s affair in the Little Apple, Oklahoma will rest before traveling to Orlando, Florida, where the UCF Knights will be waiting for them. UCF has proven to be a pesky addition to the nation’s best basketball conference, with two of their three conference wins coming at home against two teams Oklahoma hasn’t beaten themselves. One of which was Kansas.

In short, UCF is not to be handled lightly, especially when they are playing on the home court.

Both of Oklahoma’s opponents this week are fringe NCAA  tournament teams with opportunities to use Oklahoma as an opportunity to help improve their resumes. Conversely, for Oklahoma, two losses could make things a little sweaty regarding the Sooners’ tournament chances.

This week is about toughness, execution, and playing complete games. Something that has plagued Oklahoma in the back-to-back losses they’ve suffered.

For Porter Moser, this week feels like the tipping point in a season that started with immense promise. You either steady the ride or watch this covered wagon spin out of control. The choice is in Oklahoma’s hands.

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