It’s been a busy last 24 hours in college basketball, here’s what you may have missed.
It’s been an incredibly busy last 24 hours in college athletics and especially college basketball. While coaching searches and hires have grabbed the headlines. After a busy Wednesday that saw nearly a double-digit amount of head coaching jobs be fulfilled, Thursday was filled with press conferences, assistant coaching hires, and more.
Because of all that, quite a few notable pieces of news have gone under the radar. From transfer portal additions, to potential NBA rule changes, and awards. There’s been a lot that has happened over the last day – here’s just a select few updates.
The first storyline that flied under the radar is that FAU head coach Dusty May isn’t planning on leaving Boca Raton anytime soon. The former Indiana assistant according to Matt Noralnder of CBS Sports, is expected to sign a long-term contract with FAU that would keep him in Boca Raton for the foreseeable future.
In his fifth season with the Owls, May has led the program to a 35-3 overall record including an 18-2 record in Conference-USA play. The Owls entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed in the East Region and have made a Cinderella run to the Final Four defeating Memphis, Farleigh Dickinson, Tennessee, and Kansas State in the process. During the last few weeks multiple schools have shown interest in May but with the Owls deep run have eventually ended up looking elsewhere.
Shaka Smart earns his first national coaching award.
Marquette men’s head basketball coach Skaha Smart has been named the USBWA Henry Iba Coach of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday. It’s the first time that the 45-year old head coach has won a national coaching award in his career.
Smart led Marquette to a 29-7 record this season including 17-3 in conference play, leading to a conference regular season and conference tournament championships as well as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The 29-7 record matches the best of his career as he also went 29-7 with the VCU Rams in the 2011-12 season.
The Golden Eagles in this year’s NCAA Tournament won their first game against Vermont in the Round of 64 78-61 before falling to Michigan State 69-60 in the Round of 32.
It’s the second award Smart has won this year for his coaching efforts, he also won the Big East Coach of the Year award.
In his 14 years as a head coach, Smart has now made the NCAA Tournament in 10 of 13 possible years. This includes each of the last three as he also made the 2020-2021 NCAA Tournament when he was with the Texas Longhorns.
For his career, Smart is 320-162 including 48-20 now at Marquette through his two seasons.
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Oklahoma lands in the Top 6 for 2024 four-star forward Sir Mohammed, a 6-6 wing out of Charlotte, NC.
In the wake of a disappointing season without a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Sooners trudge forward as they attempt to pick up the pieces and figure out how to get back into March Madness.
They have secured their commitments for the class of 2023 with four-star prospects [autotag]Kaden Cooper[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacolb Cole[/autotag] signed and sealed as Sooners.
The next step for Oklahoma is recruiting consistently at a high level, which will start with building off the efforts of the class of 2023 and taking them onto the recruiting trail for 2024. One 2024 prospect is already firmly in tune with the Oklahoma coaching staff.
2024 four-star small forward [autotag]Sir Mohammed[/autotag] dropped his top six, featuring the Sooners among teams like Virginia Tech, Marquette, Villanova, and Penn State. Mohammed is an explosive athlete at 6-6 with a nice touch on his jumper. He plays for a loaded Myers Park High School squad in North Carolina with several other major basketball prospects.
2024 four-star small forward Sir Mohammed has named his top six schools: Marquette, Oklahoma, Penn State, Stanford, Villanova, and Virginia Tech.
Sir also has roots in Oklahoma as his father, Nazr Mohammed, was an Oklahoma City Thunder team member who made it to the NBA Finals in 2012.
Mohammed would join Kaden Cooper in adding a different caliber of athlete than the ones on Oklahoma’s roster. It would also help the team transition into the SEC, where rigid, athletic wings are abundant.
Checking in on the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll ahead of Power Five conference tournaments.
For the third straight week, the Houston Cougars remain the country’s top-ranked team in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The Cougars received 29 of 31 first-place votes in the latest poll.
UCLA comes in behind Houston at No. 2, with Purdue, Kansas, and Alabama rounding out the top five. The Bruins and Boilermakers both moved up two spots from No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, while the Jayhawks and Crimson Tide fell in this week’s ranking from No. 3 and No. 2.
Also coming in within the top 10 are Marquette, Texas, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Baylor.
This week’s biggest mover was the Duke Blue Devils, moving up nine spots from being unranked to No. 21 after wins over North Carolina State and North Carolina. Connecticut had the second biggest move up the rankings this week, moving from No. 18 to inside the top-15 at No. 14.
This week’s biggest losers are Tennessee and Providence. Tennessee fell five spots from No. 14 to No. 19, while Providence fell from No. 20 to outside the top-25; they’re currently the first team out of the top-25.
A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
Providence 30; Maryland 26; Florida Atlantic 25; Iowa State 24; Missouri 18; Oral Roberts 14; Michigan St. 14; Toledo 11; Pittsburgh 10; NC State 9; West Virginia 6; Utah St. 5; Virginia Tech 3; Iowa 3; Vanderbilt 2; Boise St. 1.
Lewis was named the Big East Most Improved Player after averaging 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals.
Marquette sophomore Justin Lewis on Wednesday announced that he will remain in the 2022 NBA draft and forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility after two years with the Golden Eagles.
Lewis, who was named the Big East Most Improved Player, averaged 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 32 games. His 18.2 points per game during conference play was third among all players while he was first in field goals (128).
The 6-foot-7 forward emerged as one of the standouts from the draft combine last month in Chicago, Illinois. He posted the fourth-highest standing vertical leap (32.5 inches) and the sixth-fastest shuttle run (3.02 seconds). He also measured in with a 7-foot-2.5 wingspan.
Lewis is currently projected to be an early second-round pick after a strong pre-draft process. He will have the opportunity to continue to improve his stock by participating in private workouts and interviews with teams ahead of the draft on June 23.
Underclassmen have until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday to withdraw from the draft and return to school.
It’s the opening round of the NCAA Tournament and Marquette is getting blown out. Does that sound familiar? Feeling a bit of deja vu?
The No. 9 Golden Eagles quickly put to bed any notion that they were ready to turn the page on their recent NCAA Tourney shortcomings and return to the prime Marquette basketball years. The North Carolina Tar Heels (-3) led Marquette by 28 at halftime and built its lead to 35 points before eventually handing the Big East squad a 95-63 beatdown — Marquette’s third-straight first-round loss of at least 19 points.
What did we expect would happen? Well, my college basketball knowledge (and slight Big East bias) told me that Marquette should be able to handle a solid UNC team coming from a down ACC. Or perhaps the memories of Shaka Smart and his 2011 Final Four VCU team that ran through my mind in the lead-up to this game, which made Marquette a fine pick.
But the reality was that the Golden Eagles more closely resembled their end-of-season selves (4-6 in their last 10 games) than the 15-6 team that they were to begin the year, beating teams like Villanova (twice) and Illinois.
We should have seen this coming.
Nevertheless, Marquette’s NCAA Tournament woes continue while first-year head coach Hubert Davis gets his first NCAA Tournament win and the Tar Heels move on to the second for a date with the defending champion Baylor Bears.
The No. 8 seed North Carolina Tar Heels (24-9) and the No. 9 seed Marquette Golden Eagles (19-12) will meet in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 4:30 PM. North Carolina is favored by three points in the matchup. Here’s …
The No. 8 seed North Carolina Tar Heels (24-9) and the No. 9 seed Marquette Golden Eagles (19-12) will meet in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 4:30 PM. North Carolina is favored by three points in the matchup. Here’s everything you need to know about this 8-9 matchup when filling out your brackets.
North Carolina is 17-16-1 against the spread this season compared to Marquette’s 16-14-1 ATS record. A total of 19 out of the Tar Heels’ 34 games this season have hit the over, and 15 of the Golden Eagles’ 31 games have gone over. The two teams score 151.9 points per game combined, 0.1 less than this matchup’s total. Over the past 10 contests, North Carolina has a 7-3-0 record against the spread while going 8-2 overall. Marquette has gone 3-6-1 against the spread and 5-5 overall in its last 10 matches.
Here is what you need to get ready for Thursday’s college basketball action.
Marquette at North Carolina odds, spread and lines
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The 77.5 points per game the Tar Heels put up are 6.6 more points than the Golden Eagles give up (70.9).
When North Carolina totals more than 70.9 points, it is 13-8-1 against the spread and 19-4 overall.
When Marquette allows fewer than 77.5 points, it is 15-8 against the spread and 19-4 overall.
The Golden Eagles’ 74.4 points per game are only 2.7 more points than the 71.7 the Tar Heels give up.
Marquette has put together an 11-8-1 ATS record and a 15-5 overall record in games it scores more than 71.7 points.
North Carolina has an ATS record of 11-5 and a 16-0 record overall when its opponents score fewer than 74.4 points.
The Tar Heels have totaled 191 more points than their opponents this season (5.8 per game on average), and the Golden Eagles have scored 109 more points than their opponents (3.5 per game).
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Auburn men’s golf head coach Nick Clinard announced Friday the hiring of new assistant coach Chris Williams.
Auburn men’s golf head coach Nick Clinard announced Friday the hiring of new assistant coach Chris Williams.
Williams previously served as assistant coach at Marquette University from 2019-2021. There he oversaw the development of the the program’s career scoring average leader, Hunter Eichhorn. Eichhorn was named the Big East’s Player of the Year as well as PING All-American. Williams also made huge strides for the Golden Eagles on the recruiting trail by signing a pair of top-60 nationally ranked recruits.
Collegiately Williams played for the University of Washington where he was a four-time All-American from 2009-2013. Williams led the Huskies in scoring from 2010-2013 after six tournament victories and 28 top-10 finishes.
After finishing ninth overall in the NCAA Championship Williams earned the title of PAC-10 Freshman of the Year and won the Mickelson Award which is delegated to the nation’s top freshman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtO9S6gxqyQ
As a junior he finished first in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for which he received the Mark H. McCormick Medal presented on behalf of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. Williams’ tenure in the top spot of the ranking spanned 46 weeks before he began his senior season.
As a senior Williams received the Ben Hogan Award which the NCAA bestows annually to college golf’s best performer.
In 2011 Williams golfed for Team USA in the Walker Cup and Palmer Cup. The following year he participated once again in the Palmer Cup as well as the World Amateur and in 2013 he competed in Copa De American.
ARDMORE, PA – JUNE 12: Amateur Chris Williams of the United States htis a tee shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club on June 12, 2013 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Williams began his professional career in 2013 with contests in Canada’s Mackenzie Tour and Latin America’s PGA Tour. His 2013 top amateur appearance in the U.S. Open was his second as Williams’ first came two years before after he secured a spot with a win in a sectional qualifying event.
Coach Clinard was elated to welcome Williams to Auburn saying,
“I’m super excited to have Chris join us in our Auburn family. His pedigree from a golf standpoint speaks for itself as the former No. 1 amateur in the world and a participant in the 2011 Walker Cup. Playing professionally and being in that limelight will bring a lot to our team and to recruiting as well. He’s got a great eye for talent and he knows how to develop young people. He will be a tremendous asset to our program and our quest to win championships.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAu34srBhAQ
Williams feels “blessed” to be at Auburn and detailed his excitement and vision for his future with the program,
“I want to thank Coach Clinard and Auburn University for giving me the opportunity and taking a chance on me. I feel extremely blessed to be welcomed into the Auburn family and the culture that has been established. I’m very excited to be part of the successful golf program at Auburn and continue on the success that Coach Clinard has had during his tenure. I’m committed to helping the program continue to move in the right direction. I’m eager to invest in the student-athletes, help them reach their potential on and off the course and start competing for and winning national championships.”
Welcome to The Plains Coach Williams, and War Eagle!
Former Oklahoma forward Kur Kuath announced on Monday he will be transferring to Marquette.
A strange offseason for a former Sooner has now found it’s resolution, as former Oklahoma forward Kur Kuath announced on Monday that he will be transferring to the Marquette Golden Eagles for the 2021-22 season.
Kuath told reporters back during the season that he intended to pursue a professional career at year’s end and seemed to be following up on that statement by declaring for the NBA draft last week. But, while doing so, he also entered the transfer portal and, evidently, has changed his mind and opted for another year of college basketball.
Kuath had a bit of an up and down season a year ago for the Sooners, seeing his minutes fluctuate throughout the year between being a starter and a bench player. His presence on the defensive end was where he was most effective, frequently disrupting the lane and blocking shots.
Losing at the buzzer stings, it doesn’t matter how much is at stake. Wisconsin’s 67-65 defeat against rival Marquette was a loss that hurts more than most early-season setbacks. A final five seconds filled with two critical mistakes – D’Mitrik Trice …
Losing at the buzzer stings, it doesn’t matter how much is at stake. Wisconsin’s 67-65 defeat against rival Marquette was a loss that hurts more than most early-season setbacks.
A final five seconds filled with two critical mistakes — D’Mitrik Trice attempting to draw a charge on a play that was always going to be a block and Micah Potter being pushed off his spot by Justin Lewis — resulted in a buzzer-beating win for the Golden Eagles on a tip-in by Lewis.
Even in the midst of an ugly loss, there were still positives. Freshman guard Johnny Davis looked up to the task offensively and Trice made a pair of clutch offensive plays in the final minute. Here are five takeaways from a heartbreaking defeat in Milwaukee:
