Tag: NCAAB

5 sports to watch before the Super Bowl, including a lot of women’s college hoops

If you want all the sports on Super Bowl Sunday, we’ve got you covered.

It’s officially Super Bowl Sunday. But just because the Super Bowl is the biggest American sporting event on the calendar doesn’t mean it’s the only event on Super Bowl Sunday.

In fact, there are several other sports you can tune into before the 2025 Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Whether you’re entertaining guests before the big game, looking for alternative options to the many Super Bowl pregame shows or just trying to kill time on your couch with some non-football sports, we’ve got you covered.

SUPER BOWL 2025: 5 reasons why the Super Bowl should be on a Saturday

Super Bowl 59 between the Chiefs and Eagles kicks off in New Orleans at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox. Here’s a look at what sports you can watch before the 2025 Super Bowl.

Golf: WM Phoenix Open

1 p.m. ET on Golf Channel, 3 p.m. ET on CBS

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 07: Max Homa of the United States walks off the 16th green during the second round of the WM Phoenix Open 2025 at TPC Scottsdale on February 07, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

NBA: 3 games

Hornets vs. Pistons, 1 p.m. ET, League Pass

Raptors vs. Rockets, 2 p.m. ET, League Pass

76ers vs. Bucks, 2 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+

Jan 29, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

NHL: 2 games

Utah Hockey Club vs. Capitals, 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Lightning vs. Canadiens, 1 p.m. ET, NHL Network

Mar 20, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: IMAGN-715168 ORIG FILE ID: 20240320_ads_si2_096.JPG

Men’s college basketball: 8 games

Rutgers vs. No. 18 Maryland, noon ET, Big Ten Network

George Washington vs. St. Bonaventure, noon ET, USA Network

Xavier vs. Villanova, noon ET, FS1

Temple vs. No. 17 Memphis, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Arizona State vs. Oklahoma State, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Wichita State vs. South Florida, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Massachusetts vs. La Salle, 2 p.m. ET, USA Network

Ohio State vs. Nebraska, 2 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

Nov 19, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard DeShawn Harris-Smith (5) drives to the basket against Canisius Golden Griffins guard Paul McMillan IV (34) during the second half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Women’s college basketball: 40 games

No. 5 UConn vs. Providence, noon ET, CBS Sports Network

Virginia Tech vs. Virginia, noon ET, ACC Network

Stanford vs. Louisville, noon ET, ESPN2

Arkansas vs. Georgia, noon ET, SEC Network

Loyola Chicago vs. Saint Joseph’s, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Indiana State vs. Southern Illinois, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+

UNC Wilmington vs. Drexel, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Purdue vs. Rutgers, 1 p.m. ET, B1G+

Elon vs. Towson, 1 p.m. ET

No. 2 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Texas, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN

Nov 17, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) shoots over East Carolina Lady Pirates forward Amiya Joyner (23) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

No. 21 Cal vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, 2 p.m. ET, ACC Network

Miami vs. No. 10 Duke, 2 p.m. ET, ACC Extra

No. 13 North Carolina vs. Clemson, 2 p.m. ET, ACC Extra

No. 14 NC State vs. No. 22 Florida State, 2 p.m. ET, The CW Network

No. 17 Georgia Tech vs. Boston College, 2 p.m. ET, ACC Extra

Michigan vs. No. 20 Michigan State, 2 p.m. ET, FS1

No. 23 Alabama vs. Mississippi State, 2 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Richmond vs. Duquesne, 2 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Tulane vs. North Texas, 2 p.m. ET, ESPNU/ESPN+

Murray State vs. Valparaiso, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Belmont vs. UIC, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Marquette vs. Butler, 2 p.m. ET, FloHoops

DePaul vs. Georgetown, 2 p.m. ET, FloHoops

Wake Forest vs. Syracuse, 2 p.m. ET, ACC Extra

Delaware vs. Hofstra, 2 p.m. ET, FloHoops

Northeastern vs. Charleston, 2 p.m. ET, FloHoops

Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 2 p.m. ET, FloHoops

Penn State vs. Northwestern, 2 p.m. ET, B1G+

William & Mary vs. Hampton, 2 p.m. ET, FloHoops

Colgate vs. Loyola Maryland, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Illinois State vs. Northern Iowa, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Evansville vs. Missouri State, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Bradley vs. Drake, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Pitt vs. SMU, 3 p.m. ET, ACC Extra

Indiana vs. Minnesota, 3 p.m. ET, B1G+

No. 1 UCLA vs. Oregon, 4 p.m. ET, B1G+

No. 19 Tennessee vs. No. 6 LSU, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+

No. 16 Maryland vs. Washington, 4 p.m. ET, B1G+

Illinois vs. Wisconsin, 4 p.m. ET, B1G+

Missouri vs. Texas A&M, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network

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John Calipari got loudly booed in his Kentucky return with Arkansas

John Calipari got his boos during his return to Kentucky.

Arkansas men’s basketball coach John Calipari made his anticipated return to Rupp Arena on Saturday night as he faced his old team Kentucky on the road.

As expected, Calipari got very loud boos from Big Blue Nation as he took the court for the evening’s big game. Like, a lot of boos.

To be fair, there was a spattering of applause for Calipari, who is one of the most successful coaches in Wildcats history. It made sense for at least a couple of Kentucky fans to give Coach Cal his immediate due in his return.

However, he was still the enemy on Saturday night, and Kentucky fans gave him a shower of boos that you could hear a mile away.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN. 

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Fran Fraschilla’s genuine shock at Kansas blowing a historic lead spoke volumes

Yikes.

No. 11 Kansas men’s basketball seemingly had Baylor on the ropes until it blew the biggest lead in program history (21 points) on Saturday while on the road.

ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla was in genuine shock to see the Jayhawks falter in such a major way after having such a commanding lead, and his reaction probably spoke for many at home watching this bizarre collapse.

“This is unbelievable!” Fraschilla exclaimed on the broadcast to partner Jon Sciambi, as it really was unbelievable to see Kansas falter down the stretch in such epic fashion.

The Jayhawks have such an established history of excellence, but Saturday’s game will most likely be quickly forgotten by Kansas fans for plenty of reasons. It was a rough one.

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Should Kentucky fans boo or cheer for John Calipari in his return to Rupp Arena? Why not both!

To boo or not to boo, that is the question.

Kentucky men’s basketball fans have a difficult decision ahead of them on Saturday evening when former coach John Calipari makes his grand return to Rupp Arena with Arkansas.

To boo or not to boo, that is the question.

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to cheer the Wildcat years of Cal’s outrageous fortune or to take arms against the sea of troubles of his departure and by opposing jeer him. To boo—to root, no more.

Calipari’s anticipated return to Lexington should bring plenty of mixed emotions for Kentucky fans, and the question of whether to ceremoniously boo Calipari or give him his flowers has been making the rounds in Big Blue Nation.

Calipari said he expects to get booed during his first game back as the coach of another team and doesn’t seem too bothered by it.

“You get booed,” Calipari said, via Hogs Plus. “I’ve done this so long… I tell you, I got bazooka holes in my body. So when you shoot arrows, it doesn’t even hit skin. It just goes through one of those bazooka holes.”

New Kentucky coach Mark Pope gave Calipari plenty of love on his radio show but also left the door open for all kinds of Kentucky feelings at Calipari’s return.

“It’s a little bit of a complicated relationship right now because he’s coaching the other team,” Pope said, adding that he knows Rupp Arena will be an emotional place to be on Saturday.

“It’s also a competition, right? So it’s just going to be what it is. But I have a ton of love for Cal, and I’m grateful for what he did here at Kentucky.”

There seems to be a very clear answer to this question. Like that kid in the Ovaltine commercial said, why can’t it be both?

Calipari is probably going to have a moment during the game where attention is brought to him on the jumbotron, and Kentucky fans will give him a standing ovation. That’s just common practice when a former player or coach returns to the arena they once occupied. Calipari will most likely get that.

On the other end, Calipari seems very prepared for the boos that he’ll get when he arrives. And he should be! Booing your old coach is just part of the territory, particularly when you’re such a big personality as Calipari is. He’s going to take those boos in stride; Wildcat fans should go wild with them.

At the end of the day, both Kentucky and Arkansas will want to leave the arena that night with a win. That’s the main concern for both of these programs. Whether or not Calipari gets booed shouldn’t really matter, but … c’mon now, he absolutely should… but he should also get cheers!

Pope is right; it’s just complicated right now. However, Kentucky fans shouldn’t have to necessarily choose what emotion they show. Booing and cheering will rightfully mix in the air at Rupp on Saturday, but getting one over on the old coach on the basketball court should be the main priority.

As long as somebody buys Coach Cal one of those famous ice cream cones for old time’s sake, all will be well.

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Pelicans select Ace Bailey in latest 2025 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report

Ace Bailey could potentially replace Brandon Ingram.

This was not a good season for the New Orleans Pelicans, but the good news is that it could get better with some luck in the 2025 NBA Draft lottery.

After all of the compounded injuries and disappointing performances on the court, the Pelicans have lost a ton of games this season. As such, however, it may lead to an exciting young player to add their core.

Unlike other teams with poor records, the Pelicans are in a position in which they could potentially contend again soon once healthy. They already have a very solid core that includes several players capable of winning now. Perhaps they can add to that with an early pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Here is more from Jonathan Wasserman about the fit of a star Rutgers freshman (via Bleacher Report):

“Ace Bailey has looked much better lately attacking the rim and using his height and touch to finish around the basket. His float game has been a reliable weapon as well. More driving and less settling for tough jumpers will help eliminate any hesitation from NBA teams over Bailey’s style of play and general outlook.

Mixing up his offense more has led to some outstanding scoring efficiency as of late. It’s difficult to have a cleaner game than 30 points on two missed shots.

Bailey has also been noticeably more disruptive defensively using his length to get deflections and block shots.

Meanwhile, he continues to sell himself as a special shotmaker with four made threes in four of his last seven games.”

Bailey would provide a potential replacement for Brandon Ingram if the forward decides to walk via free agency.

The 6-foot-10 freshman is one of the best midrange shooters we have evaluated as a prospect, even if the game is trending away from long 2-pointers as a valuable shot.

He struggled to provide a positive impact to begin his collegiate career. During his first 10 games in the NCAA, his box plus-minus (0.1) was dangerously low.

Even by his 13th game of the season earlier this month, his BPM (2.1) would still have ranked lower while in college than any other top-5 pick since 2008-09. In fact, among those picked No. 12 or earlier, Bailey would have finished ahead of only Ziaire Williams.

As noted by Wasserman, however, Bailey has picked it up a bit lately and the numbers reflect as much. He has increased his BPM all the way up to 4.9 and that is a far more respectable output. (For comparison, that is the exact same box plus-minus former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards had while at Georgia.)

Here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win, where Bailey goes to the Toronto Raptors.

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Omaha men’s basketball asks fans to bring trash cans to game in weirdest promotion ever

Who doesn’t love taking in some mid-major basketball with their finest trash receptacle?

The University of Nebraska Omaha men’s basketball team has built an odd tradition for the 2024-2025 season. When the the Mavericks win, associate head coach Kyan Brown beats the crap out of a trash can.

It’s something that’s happened often for one of Division I’s biggest turnaround stories. The Mavs hadn’t had a winning season since 2019, but a 7-0 run through conference play has them atop the Summit League and staring down what could be the program’s first invite to March Madness.

So they’re expanding their weird tradition. And making it weirder.

When Omaha hosts Denver University Saturday, ushers and officials will allow fans to bring their own trash cans to Baxter Arena — where they can fill them to the brim with popcorn for only $5.

Omaha Athletics announced Tuesday a one-time promotion for fans who attend the men’s basketball game at Baxter Arena on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. CT vs. Denver –– Bring Your Own Garbage Can.

After each Omaha men’s basketball win, associate head coach Kyan Brown kicks, hits or throws a trash can in the locker room, a celebration that has taken the college basketball world by storm during the Mavericks’ historic winning streak as Omaha sits in first place in the Summit League.

Fans will be permitted to bring one (1) five-gallon (5) or smaller plastic trash can (no lids permitted) to use as a popcorn container for the Feb. 1 game. SAVOR… Omaha, the exclusive concessionaire of Baxter Arena, will be providing bags of popcorn to fill up garbage cans at the Nineteen 08 concession stand for $5.

Granted, a five gallon trash can is more akin to a receptacle you’d put in the bathroom rather than the kitchen, but that’s still a big pile of popcorn for just five bucks. Fans should get the chance to scarf their trash-adjacent snacks against the backdrop of a win, too; the Mavericks handled the Pioneers 80-62 in Denver earlier this season.

So while the game may not be great and the popcorn will, at the very least, have a bit of a Rubbermaid infusion to it, this remains a great way to get folks interested in Summit League basketball. After all, it’s been four years since Oral Roberts danced its way to the Sweet 16. If you’re looking for a Cinderella to root for this spring, the team that beats up trash cans and then fills them up with popcorn is a great place to start.

The NCAA finally moved up the March Madness championship start time, but it’s still way too late

The NCAA’s war on East Coast national championship game viewers continues despite an earlier start time.

Everyone loves March Madness. The upsets, buzzer-beaters and Cinderella stories captivate fans year after year.

But there’s one element of the NCAA tournament that most viewers, particularly those who live on the East Coast, aren’t fans of, and that’s just how absurdly late the national championship game finally tips off. The usual tip-off time for the title matchup is 9:20 p.m. ET, but this year, the NCAA has heard the fans’ complaints and opted to change it.

Now, the championship game will begin at… 8:50 p.m.

Oh, no.

While a start time pushed back 30 minutes is certainly better than what we had previously, it’s still just way too late, especially on a Monday night.

Look, I understand the need to make the game accessible across all time zones. For example, a 7 p.m. ET tip would leave many on the West Coast still at work when the contest began.

But my goodness, NCAA: Would an 8 p.m. start time be too much to ask for when it’s a championship game on a Monday night?

Vanderbilt’s year of upsets is costing the school lots of money for fans storming the field of play

These court storms are getting expensive for Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt’s recent streak of athletic upsets is costing the school more than energy in the celebrations.

Saturday’s 74-69 men’s basketball upset of the No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats led to Commodore fans storming the court at Memorial Gymnasium, the second time that’s happened this month after last Saturday’s upset over Tennessee.

This is the third time Vandy fans have stormed the field of play during this athletic calendar year, the first coming after last fall’s stunning football win over a top-ranked Alabama team.

Well, CBS Sports’ David Cobb and Front Office Sports’ Alex Schiffer calculated that Vanderbilt has racked up $850,000 in fines this year for the three crowd storms because of, per Schiffer, how conference rules function for crowd storm violations.

The first crowd storm in the fall cost Vandy $100,000. The second bumped up the fine to $250,000. Saturday’s will cost the school a whopping $500,000. All fines are paid to the losing school, meaning Kentucky made $500,000 for its troubles.

While the school’s athletic department might enjoy not shelling out any more money for court storming, new Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington sure doesn’t seem to mind seeing this kind of fan enthusiasm.

“There’s big picture things I wanted to happen around here and at one point I want to be where we’re not surprised, that we don’t feel like the underdog in the in these games,” Byington said after Saturday’s upset win, via The Tennessean‘s Aria Gerson.

“And we’re going into them knowing that that our program is good and we expect to win. We’re not there yet. So let the fans enjoy it. We’ve got to start a GoFundMe page or something to pay fines. We’ll figure it out.”

You heard it, Vandy fans. Keep those court storms coming!

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A former Georgetown men’s basketball player is one of this year’s Oscar nominees

One of this year’s Oscar nominees played basketball at Georgetown.

Thursday morning’s 97th Oscar nominations featured a former Georgetown men’s basketball player.

Nickel Boys co-writer and director RaMell Ross saw his film recognized in Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay this year. Ross earned a nomination in the latter category for his script with Joslyn Barnes.

Thursday brought Ross his second-ever Oscar nomination, as he was previously recognized as a nominee in Best Documentary Feature for his 2018 debut Hale County This Morning, This Evening.

Before rising to prominence as a filmmaker, Ross played guard/forward for the Georgetown men’s basketball team from 2000-05.

Ross played high school basketball at Lake Braddock, where his Georgetown athletics page said he became a McDonald’s All-American honorable mention.

Now, he’s a bona fide auteur responsible for one of the best films of the decade so far in Nickel Boys and a two-time Oscar nominee.

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Stanford’s Jaylen Blakes says he ‘still has Duke blood’ in him after hitting wild game-winner at North Carolina

Jaylen Blakes might wear Stanford red, but deep down, he’s still a Blue Devil.

The transfer portal has made movement in college athletics a whole lot easier, but some things always stick with players even after they’ve found new teams. Seemingly, if someone started their career at North Carolina, they’ll always hate Duke – and vice versa.

Jaylen Blakes reminded everyone that was true on Saturday in the Smith Center when the guard hit a game-winning shot for Stanford to pull off an upset road win over North Carolina, further damaging the Tar Heels’ already-questionable NCAA Tournament resume.

Blakes, you might remember, started his college basketball career at Duke, where he played three seasons for Blue Devils. He was a reserve on Mike Krzyzewski’s final team – you know, the one that lost to UNC in Coach K’s final home game, and then fell to the Tar Heels in the first-ever Final Four meeting between the two teams.

On Saturday with the clock winding down, Blakes finally got his revenge. The senior Cardinal guard drove in, created space between himself and a defender, and swished a mid-range fadeaway with 0.9 seconds to play. Stanford won, 72-71.

After the game, Blakes told reporters:

“I would be lying to you if I didn’t think about having this moment the night before the game. I was in my hotel room thinking about Austin Rivers’ (2012 game-winning) shot. I was thinking I would have a moment like that… I still have Duke blood in me, so it’s still GTHC.”

For the uninitiated, GTHC is shorthand for “Go To Hell Carolina.”

Blakes finished with 20 points and seven assists in the victory that put Stanford above .500 in ACC play.

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