Tag: Selection Sunday

These college basketball stars are playing in 2024 March Madness after hitting the transfer portal

Caleb Love, Hunter Dickinson and Harrison Ingram are familiar names in fresh places.

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments, and concerns in this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Bryan Kalbrosky.

Now that we’ve reached March Madness, it’s a great time to look at the impact of the transfer portal in NCAA men’s college basketball.

Although it’s undeniable that roster continuity matters when it comes to constructing a championship contender, it’s also imperative for a modern team to successfully manage the portal as well.

Before the season began, we knew that many big names were transferring to new programs. With postseason play right around the corner, though, we can finally see which players have settled in as the best fits in their new homes.

Here are some notable names who made the tournament last season, changed schools and have made the tournament again:

  1. Shahada Wells (TCU → McNeese State)
  2. Walter Clayton Jr. (Iona → Florida)
  3. Max Abmas (Oral Roberts → Texas)
  4. Keshad Johnson (San Diego State → Arizona)
  5. Steven Ashworth (Utah State → Creighton)

A few other names that fit this category include Great Osobor (Utah State), Darrion Williams (Texas Tech), Kadin Shedrick (Texas) and DJ Horne (NC State).

Additionally, there are some fascinating players who did not make the tournament last season. These are some transfers who will have a chance to carve their place in history on their new teams in this tournament:

  1. Dalton Knecht (Northern Colorado → Tennessee)
  2. Cam Spencer (Rutgers → UConn)
  3. Caleb Love (North Carolina → Arizona)
  4. Hunter Dickinson (Michigan → Kansas)
  5. Harrison Ingram  (Stanford → North Carolina)

Other players like this include Tyrese Samuel (Florida), Keshon Gilbert (Iowa State), Isaac Jones (Washington State) and Grant Nelson (Alabama).

It’s an exciting time for these players who can show the world who they’ve become at their new

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

 Prospects with NBA range

Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

March Madness gives college basketball players an opportunity to turn themselves into legends.

One way that many of these athletes are able to do that is with 3-point shooting and in the modern game, those around the NCAA are continuing to shoot the ball from farther and farther. Both men’s and women’s college basketball players shoot from the international 3-point line, which is 22 feet and 1.75 inches.

We were given access to the database at CBB Analytics, which tracks how many field goals players have made from at least 25 feet away from the basket. For comparison, it is also beyond the NBA distance, which is 23 feet and 9 inches at the top of the key.

This list highlights those who are both regularly (and accurately) shooting from at least more than few feet behind the NCAA’s 3-point line. Here are 20 players in March Madness with incredible shooting range.

Shootaround

Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Images

— HoopsHype’s aggregate mock draft: Zaccharie Risacher, Nikola Topic, Cody Williams, and Reed Sheppard are rising

— Mics caught LeBron James saying the funniest 6-word NSFW reaction to the Lakers-Warriors malfunctioning shot clock

— The Magic posted (and deleted) a suggestive Gradey Dick jersey swap post-game photo

— Kelly Oubre Jr. reacts to Sixers bringing in Kai Jones on a 10-day

March Madness: Where is the men’s Final Four being played in 2024?

Here’s where the Final Four is this year.

The Final Four is the pinnacle of sports. It’s the climax of arguably the greatest tournament in sports. This is what March Madness boils down to —these games matter most.

Since these are the games that matter most, hosting them matters a lot, too. Like the Super Bowl, it’s a big deal when a city books the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. It brings so many people into town. It generates so much business. It also gives your city an unforgettable moment.

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

This year the host city is Phoenix, Arizona. The games will be played at State Farm Stadium on April 6 and April 8 according to the NCAA’s schedule.

Phoenix has hosted the Final Four before. The last time it happened was in 2017, when North Carolina, Gonzaga, Oregon, and South Carolina advanced to the final.

UNC beat Gonzaga 71-65 in the championship game to win its sixth NCAA championship and its last one under Roy Williams.

Might that be a good omen for Hubert Davis and UNC this year? We’ll just have to find out.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

Caitlin Clark and Iowa’s path in the NCAA Tournament won’t be an easy one, but it could be legendary

We could be getting a national championship rematch between LSU and Iowa…in a regional final game. That’s insane.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

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:

— Here’s Charles Curtis with the first four out and the last four in the men’s tournament

— Mitchell Northam has winners and losers from the women’s bracket here

— Here’s Blake Schuster with winners and losers from the men’s bracket here

— Andrew Joseph has tournament snubs 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.

To be honest, I’m not completely sure Iowa will make it out. Here’s USA Today’s Nancy Armour with on Iowa’s path.

“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.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize

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

John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino yells out instructions in the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates at UBS Arena
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.

A running hook with the left hand over Nikola Jokic’s extended arm?!? I mean, come on, y’all. This is unreal.

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

— Here’s the schedule for the first round of the men’s tournament from Charles Curtis.

— Blake Schuster has a compelling reason why you should keep picking against Purple teams this March.

— Here’s Mitchell Northam with three pretty big snubs for the women’s tournament.

— Ben Fawkes has the best bets on the tournament for you here.

— And Prince Grimes has a potential Cinderella for you from each region of the men’s bracket here.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading TMW today. We appreciate you. Have a fantastic week! Let’s chat again tomorrow. Peace. We out.

-Sykes ✌️

Tom Crean nailed it with his impassioned rant against teams declining NIT invitations

“Give your players and coaches a chance to keep coaching and playing.”

In an era of college sports defined by movement in the pursuit of money — whether that’s players and coaches changing teams, teams changing conferences or conferences changing tv partners — it’s always nice to have a reminder that some people are still in it for the love of the sport.

It was hard to feel that way Sunday after seeing teams snubbed from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament decide to also opt out of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), thus ending their seasons. Whatever their reasons, it was just another example of the sport itself not being enough reason to play, an idea that’s sadly been normalized so much that I never considered the potential benefits of a tournament that didn’t crown a national champion.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

As far as I had always been concerned, the NIT was nothing more than an acronym for “Not In Tournament,” and the teams involved were playing games that didn’t matter. Then, I heard ESPN analyst and former coach Tom Crean’s impassioned rant against the declined invitations, and he convinced me on one point.

“Give your players and coaches a chance to keep coaching and playing, and don’t short change,” Crean said. “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.”

Give your players and coaches a chance to keep coaching and playing. That’s a powerful line, because there will come a time when those players and coaches won’t be able to play and coach again, and all they’ll have is the memories of when they could. That’s especially the case for seniors who maybe went into Selection Sunday hoping for one last game, only for their teams to never show up on the big bracket.

Of course, these declined invitations don’t all happen in a vacuum. Every team’s situation is different, and some may have had valid reasons for opting out. The transfer portal opening Monday complicates things too. And I’m not going to sit here and act like I’ll miss a bunch of teams I wasn’t going to watch anyway. But that shouldn’t be the impetus for teams wanting to play.

The NIT may not carry the same prestige as it once did, but it does provide graduates a final chance to play. It gives underclassmen another development opportunity. It gives players and coaches more exposure. It’s not completely useless. It only seems that way when teams like St. John’s, Pittsburgh and Indiana decide it’s not worth their time. And that’s unfortunate, because for a lot of the student-athletes and coaches, it may be their last time.

The 2024 NCAA women’s tournament printable bracket: Get in on March Madness fun

Get your bracket for the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament!

March Madness season is officially here!

We now know the full 68-team list that is headed to college basketball’s premier tournament, which means it’s time to fill out your March Madness brackets! The first round of the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament begins on March 22, so there’s not much longer until the action begins.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

If you’re looking to fill out a bracket of your own, here’s a printable blank one — courtesy USA TODAY — for you to use as you see fit! You can download the blank PDF file here.

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

Selection Sunday 2024 announcers: Who’s on ESPN’s broadcast of the women’s March Madness bracket reveal?

Here’s who’s on the ESPN broadcast.

It’s March Madness time! WOOHOO!

That’s right, the 2024 women’s NCAA tournament bracket reveal is coming, with every team, region and seeding unveiled on Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. It’s always a fun time to see teams celebrating making it to the Big Dance.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

And if you’re here, you’re probably wondering: who are those folks you’re seeing revealing the teams on Sunday?

Fear not. You’ve come to the right place for that info.

Elle Duncan will be hosting, and she’ll be joined by Rebecca Lobo, Carolyn Peck, Andraya Carter and Charlie Creme.

There you have it! Enjoy the Selection Sunday show!

Villanova misses the men’s tournament in back-to-back seasons

It’s another Villanova-less Selection Sunday

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.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize

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.

 

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.

Villanova wasn’t even among the first four out.

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).

The CBS Selection Sunday broadcast sent heartfelt well wishes to an absent Greg Gumbel

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.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

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.

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

The 2024 NCAA men’s tournament bracket: Get in on March Madness fun

Get your bracket for the 2024 NCAA men’s tournament!

Happy March Madness season, everyone!

Selection Sunday has officially come and gone, which means March Madness is set to begin in full in just a few days. We now know all of the 68 teams set to take the field ahead of the first round on March 21 and 22 so now it’s time to fill out those ever-important March Madness brackets!

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

If you’re looking to fill out one of your own, here’s a printable blank bracket — courtesy of USA TODAY — for you to use as you see fit! You can download the blank PDF file here.

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

Alabama basketball’s NCAA Tournament seed and opponent revealed

See where and who Alabama will play in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Alabama basketball’s run in the SEC Conference Tournament was very short, losing in the quarterfinals to Florida. Now, the Crimson Tide will look to make a deep run in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

On Selection Sunday, Nate Oats and his team found out they will be a No. 4 seed in the West Region. In the Round of 64, Alabama will face No. 13 seed Charleston in Spokane, Washington on Friday.

The winner between Alabama and Charleston will face the victor of No. 5 Saint Mary’s and No. 12 Grand Canyon.

The Crimson Tide enters the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 21-11 and an in-conference record of 13-5. The team’s recent struggles for have largely been attributable to the stark lack of defense, a narrative that was around at the beginning of the season could be the reason for the season’s conclusion.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball as the 2024 NCAA Tournament gets started.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM.