Tag: ncaa basketball

Men’s basketball lands UCLA transfer Berke Buyuktuncel

 Berke Buyuktuncel, a power forward from UCLA, officially committed to Nebraska.

The Huskers landed another player in the transfer portal. Berke Buyuktuncel, a power forward from UCLA, officially committed to Nebraska. This is the Huskers’ sixth transfer of the offseason.

The 6-foot, 9-inch power forward played in 26 games during one season with the Bruins. Buyuktuncel averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game and shot 38.5 % from the field, 29.7% from 3-point range, and 62.8% from the free-throw line.

Prior to UCLA, Buyuktuncel represented Turkey on the international stage, including the FIBA U18 European Championship in 2022, during which he averaged 12.3 points, 7.4 boards, 2.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

In the summer of 2023, Buyuktuncel helped Turkey finish in third place at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. In Turkey’s 84-70 win over the United States, Buyuktuncel scored 19 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals.

The Huskers lost two key forwards, Josiah Allick to graduation and Rienk Mast to knee surgery. Buyuktuncel joins Nebraska’s frontcourt, which includes North Dakota State transfer Andrew Morgan and Washington transfer Braxton Meah, each helping fill the void.

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All-American guard returns to Badgers men’s basketball opponent

All-American guard returns to Badgers men’s basketball opponent

Caleb Love, one of the nation’s best college basketball players, announced Wednesday that he is returning to Arizona for the 2024-2025 season.

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team will square off with him and the Wildcats in the regular season opener on Friday, November 15, at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin faced Arizona last season, dropping the contest 98-73 in Tucson and Love compiled 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in the game.

Love was nearly a member of the Big Ten ahead of this past season, announcing that he was transferring to Michigan, but he ultimately ended up with the Wildcats instead.

Greg Gard’s squad in Madison will be undergoing some significant reorganizing as both primary guards Chucky Hepburn (Louisville) and AJ Storr (Kansas) transferred this offseason while senior forward Tyler Wahl graduated.

John Blackwell and Kamari McGee stand out as two returning players that could see significant workload increases while the team also added guard Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas), forward Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois) and wing John Tonje (Missouri).

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Fans shared their favorite Bill Walton broadcast moments after news of his death

What are some of your favorite Bill Walton memories?

News broke on Monday afternoon that former UCLA and NBA star Bill Walton passed away at 71 years of age. The Hall of Fame center battled cancer before succumbing to his illness, per the NBA.

Walton, a two-time NCAA champion and two-time NBA champion, had an illustrious basketball career that saw him win Naismith College Player of the Year three times and play 10 seasons in the pros.

Immediately, odes and tributes started pouring in for the iconic and eccentric basketball player and broadcaster.

Over the years, Walton became known for his hilarious — and generally off-topic — comments while calling games and doing radio spots, and fans quickly took to social media and shared their favorite Walton highlights.

It was a lovely way to remember the spontaneous and life-loving man.

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Former Texas A&M men’s basketball player becomes back-to-back national champion at UConn

Hassan Diarra officially hit the individual jackpot by parlaying a spot on the Aggies bench into becoming a back-to-back national champion.

On Monday night in Arizona, a former Texas A&M men’s basketball player officially hit the individual jackpot by parlaying a spot on the Aggies bench into becoming a back-to-back national champion.

After two seasons in College Station, guard Hassan Diarra entered the transfer portal in 2022 and eventually chose the University of Connecticut as his next home. Choosing to play for Dan Hurley and the Huskies was ultimately a wise one as Diarra won his second consecutive title earlier this week.

In 13 minutes of action, Diarra tallied 9 points on 4-of-6 field goal attempts and 1-of-2 from 3-point range with 2 rebounds. In a battle of top seeds, UConn beat Purdue 75-60.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being in his fourth collegiate season, Diarra has the option to return to school for one more year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears very likely that he joins his peer, women’s hoops star Paige Bueckers, in coming back for one more year with the Huskies.

Diarra’s most memorable moment in Aggieland came during the 2022 SEC Tournament second round when he hit an overtime game-winner against Florida.

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What Clemson, Alabama and Tennessee all have in common

NCAA Basketball: The Clemson Tigers finished the 2023-24 season ranked No. 15 in the final USA TODAY Sports Top 25 men’s basketball poll. The Tigers joined Alabama and Tennessee in some rare company with that ranking.

With the final men’s college basketball polls tallied for the 2023-24 season, Clemson is in some rather unique company among the three major men’s college sports.

Clemson finished at No. 14 in the final AP poll and No. 15 in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, both released Tuesday, April 9.

It is Clemson’s highest finish in the AP poll since 1997; the Tigers also finished 14th that year.

The Tigers’ run to the Elite Eight ended with the team finishing 24-12 overall. Among ACC teams, Clemson finished behind only North Carolina (29-8) and Final Four participants Duke (27-9) and NC State (26-15) in the polls.

National champion UConn finished its season 37-3 overall after a resounding 75-60 victory over Purdue on Monday night. UConn became the first school to repeat as national champions in men’s basketball since Florida in 2006 and 2007.

Clemson’s final ranking in the men’s basketball polls puts the Tigers in some pretty elite company.

As longtime Clemson Sports Information Director and broadcaster Tim Bourret noted in a social media post to X (formerly Twitter), only Clemson, Alabama, and Tennessee finished the 2023-24 seasons ranked in the final top 25 polls in both football and basketball — while currently ranked in the top 25 in baseball.

Clemson ranked No. 20 in the final AP and coaches football polls after last season’s Gator Bowl victory over Kentucky; Alabama was No. 5 with Tennessee at No. 17.

The Tigers are currently ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll. Tennessee is No. 4 in the poll while Alabama is No. 17.

Where Clemson ranks in way-too-early men’s college basketball Top 25 for 2024-25

NCAA Basketball: The Clemson Tigers placed in the top 15 of USA TODAY Sports’ way-too-early rankings for the 2024-25 men’s basketball season.

It’s been less than 24 hours since UConn was crowned as national champions for the second straight year after a resounding 75-60 win over Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Who knows what the college basketball landscape will look like in a few weeks, let alone in a few months? The transfer portal changes by the day, if not by the hour. See: Arizona’s Oumar Ballo, Wisconsin’s AJ Storr and Florida Atlantic’s Johnell Davis, just to name a few.

The coaching carousel has also yet to stop after former Kentucky coach John Calipari took the college sports world by storm when he bolted the Bluegrass State for SEC rival Arkansas.

There’s also players that could turn pro, as well as those that could opt in for a fifth college season by using their COVID-19 waiver. That includes Clemson’s PJ Hall and Chase Hunter.

Lots of (basket)balls are still up in the air, but that never stops sports minds from thinking far in advance. To that end, USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, and Eddie Timanus have put together their way-too-early Top 25 rankings for the 2024-25 college basketball season.

In those rankings, Clemson checks in at No. 13 following the team’s run to the Elite Eight. The Tigers had their best season to date under coach Brad Brownell, beating New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona to reach the West Regional final of the NCAA Tournament against Alabama.

Per Myerberg, Smith and Timanus:

“A repeat of the Tigers’ journey to the Elite Eight will be a challenge, but a number of the key players could be back if they choose to use their extra year. That group includes standout postman P.J. Hall, as well as guard Chase Hunter and reserve forward Jack Clark. Joseph Girard III is gone, but Ian Schieffelin, voted the ACC’s most improved player in 2023-24, is also slated to return.”

Clark recently entered the transfer portal but could opt to return to Clemson if he doesn’t find a better fit to his liking.

The Tigers’ non-conference schedule is a long way from being set, but their ACC schedule was announced in late February. Clemson will host Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and conference newcomers Cal and Stanford at Littlejohn Coliseum in 2024-25.

The Tigers will travel to NC State, Virginia, Miami, Louisville, Pitt, Boston College, and SMU for road games. They’ll also face three schools at both home and away: Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

Did you know Caitlin Clark is a big Tar Heels fan?

Did you know Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark grew up a huge UNC basketball fan?

All the attention in the college basketball world is on Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, who’s amongst the best to ever don a college uniform.

Clark has been balling out since her elementary school days in Des Moines, Iowa, but this season has undoubtedly been her best. Not only did she break Kelsey Plum’s NCAA Division-I women’s scoring record, but she now holds the NCAA Division-I all-time scoring record after later passing Pistol Pete Maravich,

As a result of her All-Star level play this year, which includes a college-leading 31.7 points per game, Clark’s Hawkeyes are in the Final Four for the second-straight season. Iowa will be playing for its first national title on Sunday, April 7, holding off a late charge from UConn Friday to advance.

Though Clark is an  Iowa basketball legend, did you know she actually grew up a UNC fan?

We can credit this to two Tar Heel legends: Mia Hamm, arguably the greatest women’s soccer player our National Team has ever seen and Harrison Barnes, who grew up approximately 40 minutes north of Clark in Ames.

“I was a big Harrison Barnes fan growing up, but I was also big Mia Hamm fan, too,” Clark said in a Tar Heel Tribune article. “Harrison Barnes was like ‘it’ in the state of Iowa.”

This sentence for the Tar Heel tribune article shows you how much Clark truly loved North Carolina: She had her mom repaint her entire room Carolina blue and navy blue. She had Carolina stuff all over her room.

As much as she loves UNC, was there ever a shot she’d don the Tar Heel Blue herself?

“I didn’t really want to go there and play women’s basketball, but I loved their men’s basketball and their soccer because I grew up playing soccer,” Clark said. “So, yeah, I was a big North Carolina basketball fan growing up.”

Just imagine if Clark chose UNC. Can you imagine how much more of a basketball school it’d be?

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Joe Girard’s heartfelt message to Clemson fans

Clemson Basketball: Few players in the history of Clemson basketball left more of an impact in just one season than senior guard Joe Girard did.

Few players in the history of Clemson basketball left more of an impact in just one season than Joe Girard did.

The Glens Falls, N.Y. native, who transferred to Clemson from Syracuse after legendary coach Jim Boeheim announced his retirement last year, helped lead the Tigers to only their second all-time Elite Eight appearance — and first since 1980.

With his decision to transfer to Clemson, Girard gave the Tigers not only an instant scoring threat; he lended a certain layer of credibility to the program.

Girard averaged 15 points per game for Clemson and played in all 36 contests this season. He had a 25-point night in the Tigers’ ACC opener at Pitt and had nine games with 20 or more points, including a season-high 26 against Boston College on January 13.

Girard scored 19 points in the Tigers’ 89-82 loss to Alabama on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Girard took to social media to issue a special heartfelt message to Clemson fans.

“Clemson family,

“I just wanted to give you all a big thank you! Although I was only here for a year, you guys gave me a home away from home.

“To Coach Brownell & staff, the managers, and my incredible teammates, thank you for giving me another historic run in March Madness capped off with an Elite 8!

“The decision to transfer here was everything I wanted and more.

“I’m proud to be able to call myself a Clemson Tiger for life. Tiger Pride! -JG3 Out”

NC State’s Final Four run continues recent stretch of ACC dominance in NCAA Tournament

The Atlantic Coast Conference has found success in the Final Four with the latest run from NC State.

It’s going to be weird watching the Final Four with no UNC in it, but we’ll be fine.

Thursday’s loss to Alabama was certainly heartbreaking, but there’s no denying that what North Carolina did was special. The Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament entirely last year, came back with a majority of the same players and won their first, outright ACC Regular Season Title since 2016.

Right now, college basketball’s attention (UNC fans, too) has turned to rival NC State.

The Wolfpack wouldn’t be playing in the Final Four if it weren’t for Michael O’Connell’s game-tying, buzzer-beating shot in the ACC Tournament Semifinal against UVA. Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneely bricked the front end of a one-and-one, NC State pushed it up court, then O’Connell drained an insane attempt.

The Wolfpack later won that game in overtime, downed North Carolina in the ACC Championship and now sport a 9-game winning streak. They’ll be playing the Zach Edey-led Purdue Boilermakers in the Final Four on Saturday, April 6 at 6:09 p.m. ET

With NC State’s win over Duke, it became the fifth different ACC program to reach a Final Four in the past five NCAA Men’s Tournaments.

Please excuse sports blogger Danny Neckel’s typo in the post. He even has some fun with it in the comment thread.

Miami represented the ACC last year, making its first Final Four appearance in school history. UNC and Duke, two of the conference’s premier programs, did the same in 2022. No ACC program made the Final Four in 2021, COVID cancelled the 2020 Big Dance, while UVA won it all in 2019.

I rarely root for NC State, but how can you not fall in love with them when they’re led by DJ Burns, who has unofficially become America’s Sweetheart?

The Wolfpack’s bruising, Shaq-esque center already has two 20-point games in the NCAA Tournament, including a 29-point explosion on Easter against Duke. When Burns isn’t terrorizing opponents on the court, he’s smiling and acting as NC State’s fun-loving, big-hearted hero.

Will the Wolfpack be able to continue their Cinderella run against Purdue?

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Now that UNC’s out, who do you cheer for in the Big Dance?

With UNC recently gone from the NCAA Tournament, who should you be rooting for in the Elite 8?

With no more UNC in the NCAA Tournament, I don’t blame you if you don’t want to watch any more games.

It’s weird watching arguably the most-followed postseason tournament across all sports, only to not see your favorite team in it.

North Carolina faltered down the stretch on Thursday, March 28, allowing Grant Nelson to take over and lead Alabama to an 89-87 upset win. RJ Davis shot 4-of-20 from the field, the Tar Heels’ defense played horribly and Jae’Lyn Withers took a questionable shot late – with UNC having a 1-point lead and plenty of time on the shot clock.

The Elite 8 is all set now: UConn-Illinois, Purdue-Tennessee, Alabama-Clemson and Duke-NC State.

You read that right – THREE ACC teams.

If you’re still interested in watching the Big Dance (I know I will be), but are wondering who to cheer for, we have a couple recommendations for you. Our top one – ANYONE BUT DUKE.

UConn, which is looking to be the first repeat champion since Florida in 2006-2007, has a super-deep, talented roster led by Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingen and Cam Spencer. I like the Huskies a lot, who’ve blown out their first three opponents by an average of 29 points.

Illinois has made fairly easy work of its opponents, but barely squeaked by 2-seed Iowa State (72-69) in the Sweet 16.

If you don’t know about Purdue, they have Zach Edey clogging the paint. Unlike last year, when the Boilermakers suffered complete embarrassment by becoming the second 1-seed to lose to a 16-seed, they have more pieces around Edey.

Tennessee is one of the most exciting offenses to watch, led by SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht. The Vols can beat you with their deep guard rotation, then kick it down low to Jonas Aidoo (who can also make threes).

I will not be cheering for Alabama, but the Crimson Tide advancing further would mean beating UNC is no joke. Alabama also has Mark Sears, Aaron Estrada and Rylan Griffen scoring in double-digits.

This Clemson team reminds me a LOT of last year’s UConn squad – started out the year hot, hit a rough patch, then playing its best basketball in the NCAA Tournament. If the Tigers don’t beat you down low with PJ Hall or Ian Schieffelin, they’ll make you pay from outside with Joe Girard or Chase Hunter.

I know I’m not supposed to cheer for NC State, but how can you not love DJ Burns? The big man is leading the Wolfpack’s torrid stretch of eight consecutive victories – which started in the ACC Tournament and included the championship over North Carolina,

Burns has reached double-digits in seven of NC State’s last eight games, plus he’s near-impossible to stop down low. He reminds me a lot of a shorter, lighter Shaq.

Duke is led by Kyle Filipowski, public enemy number one in Chapel Hill, The Blue Devils have the talent to win it all, with all five starters averaging at least 10 points, but they’re young and not very deep.

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