Keisei Tominaga has unreal rage. On Thursday, he casually nailed a one-handed shot from half-court — BACKWARD.
We’re totally here for shooters with incredible range. (We made a list here on the men’s side and even here on the women’s side.) Still, Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Keisei Tominaga casually hitting ginormous shots is so darn impressive and something you must see to believe.
Nebraska was practicing for its upcoming first-round matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies during Thursday’s practice when something magical happened. The cameras were rolling when Tominaga placed himself at half-court, turned around and heaved a one-handed shot backward. Afterward, he walked off like it was no big deal.
Duquesne’s season should have ended weeks ago, but Keith Dambrot won’t be riding off into the sunset just yet.
The Duquesne Dukes men’s basketball team has been winning so much that head coach Keith Dambrot, who announced his retirement earlier this week, jokingly credited his team for not letting him get to retirement life sooner.
Duquesne has been playing some good basketball. They’re on a roll, and since February 28, they have won nine games straight. That winning streak includes an upset win over BYU during Thursday’s first round of NCAA tournament play. The win is actually really special because head coach Keith Dambrot had previously never won an NCAA Division I tournament game.
After the matchup, Hambrot was asked how his team’s clutch play helped them meet the moment. Hambrot joked that his team won’t let him retire.
"They just don't want me to retire I guess! I'm trying to get to the promised land and they're making me keep coaching!"
Ted Valentine was barred from working the last two NCAA tournaments.
When the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament gets underway this week, it will mark the return of referee Ted Valentine after he served a two-year ban from calling tournament games.
Valentine was originally sent home from the 2021 NCAA tournament, which was held entirely in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas as a precaution due to COVID-19 after the postseason had been canceled the prior year, following contact tracing.
He was banned from the tournament because he didn’t leave the bubble when asked to, remaining at the hotel in hopes that he would test again and be allowed to officiate the Sweet 16.
Valentine did ultimately leave a few days later, but his reinstatement appeals had been denied the prior two seasons.
Referee Ted Valentine will work the NCAA tournament this season for the first time since 2019, source told @TheFieldOf68.
Valentine was one of the officials that was sent home after contact tracing in 2021, and was not allowed to work the last 2 NCAA tourneys by the NCAA due to…
As analyst Jeff Goodman notes above, it will be Valentine’s first tournament since 2019 as the 2020 tournament was canceled, and he tested positive before officiating any games in 2021.
How hard is it to get tossed from a men’s college basketball game?
No one wants to see ejections in sports, especially on a stage like the NCAA tournament.
But they happen from time to time, even with the stakes as high as they are during March Madness. Given that fact, what exactly does it take to get ejected from a men’s college basketball game?
Well, there are a few ways, not including a typical foul-out. The simplest, however, is to draw a flagrant 2 foul. Even more severe than a flagrant 1, flagrant 2s require an added level of harshness or brutality, and if called, they result in an automatic ejection for an offender.
As of 2023-24, accumulating three flagrant 1 fouls in a game will also result in your ejection.
There are other ways, though. If a player or coach is assessed with two Class A or three Class B technical fouls (or a combination of three between the two) they will be ejected. Class A technical fouls deal with unsportsmanlike conduct (think vulgar language) while Class B technical fouls aren’t directly unsportsmanlike (think hanging on the rim for too long or flopping).
Further, fighting results in an automatic ejection for all players and a one-game suspension for first offenders. On a second offense, it’s a season-long suspension. In the event of a fight, only head coaches are permitted to enter the court.
If any bench players or personnel do so, it results in an automatic ejection.
Hopefully, we don’t see any brawls during the tournament, but ejections happen. If it happens while your team is making its March Madness run, at least now you’ll know why.
There’s people who like Arizona basketball, and, then, there’s Terry Francona.
Terry Francona, the former manager of the Cleveland Guardians and two other historic MLB franchises, is a known baseball savant to many people. However, Francona is a major hoops head, and it’s why you’ll likely find him in the stands during the Arizona Wildcats’ NCAA tournament run.
Francona lives just 10 minutes away from McKale Memorial Center in Tuscon and has attended every Arizona Wildcats home game but one this season as he eases into retirement. He’s what most consider a superfan and is a member of the athletic department’s Hall of Fame. And it’s clear to see he’s enjoying it all.
“Winning the World Series is incredible, but it’s also your job. About 10 minutes later, I’m like, ‘What’s next?’ Francona says. “If we win here, I’ll go to a parade on my own.”
“I’m a fan, man,” he says. “It’s different, and it’s OK. [Expletive], I love watching them play.”
You’re likely to see Francona sitting close to the court during the NCAA tournament whenever the Wildcats are playing. He doesn’t let anything stop him from seeing his team, including a mountain of health issues like hip and circulation problems that have lasted for decades. He’ll likely be there when they take on Long Beach State on Thursday during the first round of the NCAA tournament and wherever the team goes next.
Gooood morning, Winners! Happy Monday! Thanks for locking in with the Morning Win today. We appreciate you here.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year again. March Madness is here! Mid-day basketball, folks! I love it. It takes me back to my high school days when nearly every teacher would roll out that TV and turn the games on mute so we could all watch and skip out on a day of classwork.
Our FTW team did a fantastic job covering everything on Selection Sunday. You should take a beat and read more here:
There’s lots to digest there. For me, the biggest reveal on Sunday was just how stacked the Albany Region is in the women’s tournament. That’s where Iowa and Caitlin Clark are seeded and it won’t be a cakewalk.
“There’s a potential Sweet 16 matchup with Kansas State, which Iowa has already played twice this season, losing at home and winning on a neutral court. A rematch of last year’s national title game against LSU looms in the regional final. If it’s not Angel Reese and the Tigers, then it likely will be second-seeded UCLA, which is battle tested after the bruising Pac-12 season.”
Folks, that’s a potential national championship rematch … in a regional final. That’s if LSU can make it there as a No. 3 seed. I get why Kim Mulkey is upset about LSU’s ranking. That’s a tough spot for a talented team.
All eyes will be glued on Iowa for obvious reasons. This is a moment for that team. It’s the moment for Clark. Everyone has debated where she ranks all-time in college basketball and whether she has any true claim to being considered the greatest of all time. I don’t have a definitive answer. I don’t think anyone does. We probably never will. The debate is too subjective.
But I’ll tell you what. If Iowa can make it to another final out of that region unscathed? That’s definitely going to add to Clark’s resume. Especially if it results in a championship.
I can’t wait to watch this all unfold.
Skipping the NIT is wack
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Nobody has ever been excited about playing in the NIT. I understand that. It’s the consolation prize for a mediocre season.
But, man. I’m sorry. Declining an invitation to the NIT is so wack to me. Seven men’s teams, including St. John’s and Rick Pitino, did just that after missing out on the NCAA tournament.
This is a selfish decision for coaches and programs. They skip the NIT because their programs are supposed to be too good for it. They’re above playing in it. They don’t participate to keep it off the school’s resume. It’s a blemish.
But they’re actually depriving their athletes of another opportunity to play basketball. And some of them will never play again, as Tom Crean so astutely points out here:
“Give your players and coaches a chance to keep coaching and playing, and don’t short change. If a guy doesn’t want to play, go sit down. If a coach doesn’t want to coach, go recruit. But there’s gotta be enough people to put five, six, seven people on the floor and go play. Makes absolutely zero sense to me.”
The NIT is an opportunity for someone. Vanity isn’t a good enough reason to deprive anyone of that. These teams and their coaches need to get over themselves.
An incredible shot
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Obviously, with it being Selection Sunday and all, plenty went on the back burner yesterday in the sports world.
But this Kyrie Irving game-winning shot managed to break through and rightfully so. Because, fam. This is one of the toughest shots I think I’ve ever seen in my life.
This is why nobody wants to see the Mavericks in the playoffs. One second, you’re dealing with Luka Doncic in the pick-and-roll, doing whatever he wants. Then he swings the ball to the perimeter and you’re dealing with that.
Good luck, Western Conference.
Quick hits: Lock in on March Madness … The key to a successful bracket … and more
“I think we should all never mention that word again because I think it’s fraudulent.”
Rick Pitino’s highly underwhelming season with the St. John’s men’s basketball team unraveled even more on Sunday when the team was not selected to participate in the 2024 NCAA tournament. Afterward, Pitino ripped the NCAA’s NET rankings system, which evaluates a team’s resume throughout the season.
St. John’s men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino is still not having fun. Just weeks ago, he went on an unhinged rant about his team after a disappointing loss. He left no stone unturned when finding words to express his displeasure. Pitino eventually apologized for his behavior, but old habits die hard.
After St. John’s failed to qualify for the 2024 NCAA tournament, Pitino panned the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) ranking system that the selection committee utilizes to help determine who should be eligible.
Rick Pitino calls NCAA's NET rankings system "fraudulent" in explaining why St. John's wasn't selected to the 2024 NCAA Tournament pic.twitter.com/JtFiALEjZc
Following Selection Sunday, he shared his thoughts on the NET system:
“I think we should all never mention that word again because I think it’s fraudulent…We tried to play a tough schedule. We tried to do things the right way, and we didn’t get in.
I never make excuses. I respect the committee for what they do. They give their time. They give their energy to it. They didn’t think that we measured up to their standards, and we’ll take it very positively like men and move forward. We’re not gonna gripe [or] say we got screwed. None of that helps. Bitterness does not help. I’ve had enough bitterness in my life to last a lifetime.”
Per Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, St. John’s has declined to play in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), a postseason tournament for teams that did not qualify for the NCAA tournament.
St. John's has told the NIT not to invite them to the tournament, per the school.
The post-Jay Wright era at Villanova has gotten off to a rocky start under head coach Kyle Neptune and things did not get much better on Selection Sunday.
For the second consecutive season, the Wildcats will not participate in the NCAA men’s tournament.
Wright’s tenure started in 2001-02 with three consecutive trips to the NIT before he got his program back to the NCAA tournament, so Neptune isn’t completely off track yet, however this is the first time the Wildcats have missed out on an opportunity to play for a championship in back-to-back seasons since then.
Five of the Kenpom top 40 were left out.
St. John’s – 25 Wake Forest – 31 Villanova – 35 Cincinnati – 37 Pitt – 40
The three-time NCAA champions were among the most notable names on a particularly strong bubble this year, which kept the Wildcats’ tournament dreams on edge over the last two months. While early season victories over No. 14 North Carolina, Texas Tech, Maryland and No. 12 Creighton bolstered the Wildcats’ resume, the team really struggled against ranked opponents, going 2-5 with two losses each to Marquette, UConn and St. John’s.
One year after going 17-17 (10-10 Big East) with a first round exit in the 2023 NIT, Neptune’s second year on the job didn’t yield much better results as the program went 18-15 (10-10 Big East).
Greg Gumbel’s colleagues made sure to remind him during Selection Sunday.
Greg Gumbel was not part of this year’s Selection Sunday, but his colleagues made sure that viewers understood his impact on the broadcast. They sent him well wishes while he steps away to deal with some family health challenges.
Seeing Greg Gumbel on Selection Sunday is a nostalgic tradition for many college basketball fans. Yet, when 68 teams were revealed on Sunday for the 2024 NCAA tournament, Gumbel was not present with his CBS colleagues. Per The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, Gumbel stepped away to tackle some family health issues. Ernie Johnson is expected to get more screen time with Gumbel out.
Still, Gumbel’s counterparts made sure to let him know that they were thinking about him with some heartfelt well wishes about how much he means to them and how they look forward to seeing him in 2025.
CBS begins the NCAA Tournament Selection Show with the crew sending their best wishes to Greg Gumbel.
“My dad worked six days a week, prayed on the seventh.”
Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers won the SEC Championship on Sunday, but their gritty victory wasn’t what had him in tears. Pearl was deeply missing his biggest supporter — his dad — who passed away in August 2023.
The Auburn men’s basketball team completed one heck on an SEC Tournament on Sunday. While they didn’t have to play a top-ranked team like Tennessee or Kentucky, they did manage to take down No. 5 (South Carolina) and No. 9 (Mississippi State) before taking down the No. 6 Florida Gators.
Auburn does not have a true standout star on its roster. Still, the team has things that definitely help, like the ability to win isolation match-ups, superb defense and quality depth at nearly every position. A perfect combination of those things helped them, and head coach Bruce Pearl, win the SEC Tournament. But, all Pearl could think about as the clock was winding down was his dad.
"I lost my dad in August. He was my biggest fan. … I wish he was here." 🧡@MartySmithESPN spoke with an emotional Bruce Pearl after Auburn's SEC title win. pic.twitter.com/DJZKD9nH3u
Marty Smith of ESPN asked Pearl what moved him to tears. Here’s what he shared with viewers as he choked back tears during his interview:
“I lost my dad in August. He was my biggest fan…for me, I gotta thank my father…that’s why I’m so emotional. I wish he was here.
He worked hard. My dad worked six days a week, prayed on the seventh. We didn’t have a lot, but we had enough. I thought my dad was the best. So, I wish every kid had that, and that’s one of the reasons why I am hard on these guys. My dad held me to a high standard, and that’s why I hold these guys to a high standard.”
