Tag: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi coach Royce Chadwick might have helped USC going into second round of NCAA Tournament

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi coach Royce Chadwick might have helped USC and Lindsay Gottlieb. We’ll explain.

The USC Trojans easily defeated the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders and coach Royce Chadwick in the first round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday. An 87-55 win in which USC led 21-2 late in the first quarter would qualify as an easy win. Yet, while the overall game was relatively manageable and the Trojans were never in real danger of losing, it’s not as though the full 40-minute performance was smooth and clean.

USC was very ragged and sloppy in the second quarter and portions of the third. The Trojans, who grabbed a 19-point lead before the end of the first quarter, watched their lead get chopped down to nine points at one point before extending their advantage. A&M-CC was still competitive in this game midway through the third quarter before JuJu Watkins and the Trojans created significant separation. It really was a good effort from the No. 16 seed, which put up a far better fight than the score indicated.

We’re here to praise A&M-CC and Royce Chadwick for their effort, but there is a second purpose to this article: USC has plenty to work on coming out of the A&M-CC game. The Trojans were sloppy in ways which could bite them if they aren’t sharper in future rounds, beginning with Monday against Kansas.

Royce Chadwick’s main tactical achievement against USC was to fluster the Trojans with a zone defense which became a hard, aggressive halfcourt zone trap at times. McKenzie Forbes and other USC players froze on a few occasions against those hard traps, committing turnovers and not rotating the ball quickly when doubled or pressured.

One thing USC coaches have stressed all season was making sure players are prepared for different defensive looks. JuJu Watkins has been exposed to all sorts of defensive configurations. Stanford’s defense against JuJu in the Pac-12 Tournament final was something USC’s coaches said they had never seen before. Exposure to different tactics is something USC’s coaches really value in teaching and adjusting. Yet, there were times on Saturday against A&M-CC that USC seemed like it had never faced a halfcourt zone trap. That could be just the thing to make USC smarter and sharper against Kansas and for the remainder of the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans can’t afford to give away a game with careless turnovers and any other kinds of mistakes.

Thank you, Royce Chadwick, for that reminder.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Notre Dame wins over teams at least eight games above .500 since 2018

The Irish haven’t had many recent wins like the one against Virginia.

In a season that figures to have few true highlights, Notre Dame had one Saturday. Virginia entered Purcell Pavilion with a 10-2 record and having received votes in the most recent Top 25 poll. That didn’t matter to the young Irish because they crushed the Cavaliers, 76-54. If anyone tells you they saw that coming, they’re lying.

This wasn’t only an upset against a quality program and Micah Shrewsberry’s first ACC win. It represented a rarity for Notre Dame in recent years. The Cavaliers’ record coming into this game meant they were eight games above .500. Since the Irish last made consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 2015 to 2017, they have beaten opponents who were at least eight games above .500 coming in only seven times.

So forgive the Irish if they go a little over the top in celebrating this latest such instance. This doesn’t happen to them very much these days, so they definitely are cause for celebration every time. Here are the most recent of these occurrences:

Howard men, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women capture 2023 PGA Works Collegiate Championship titles

Howard, only in its third year of existence, won the tournament for the second straight year, shooting 25-under 835 to win by 57 shots.

Everett Whiten Jr. could do no wrong.

He fired a final-round 8-under 64 at Shoal Creek in Alabama to help Howard win the 2023 PGA Works Collegiate Championship men’s team title. Howard, only in its third year of existence, won the tournament for the second straight year, shooting 25-under 835 to win by 57 shots.

“I feel like if you prepare properly and you execute by trusting the process, things like this can happen,” Howard coach Sam Puryear said. “This is a byproduct of a lot of hard work, a lot of personal belief, a lot of sacrifice. We had a quick two-day turnaround from our conference championship, so there was a lot on everybody’s plate, but it worked out in our favor.”

Whiten’s teammate, Greg Oden Jr., won low medalist honors the previous two years, but Whiten took the crown this year at 14 under. Oden shot 5 under.

In the men’s individual competition, Louisville senior C.M. Mixon birdied the final hole to avoid a three-man playoff and helped him win the title, shooting 2 under.

On the women’s side, it was Texas A&M Corpus-Christi taking home the title, winning by 30 shots at Bent Brook Golf Course for its third consecutive team championship. Junior Lucie Charbonnier won the individual title with a 3-under 68 final round to finish 1 under for the championship, two shots ahead of freshman teammate Lucia Ramirez (1 over) and senior Maria Beltran (3 over). It is Charbonnier’s second consecutive PWCC title.

“I wanted to beat my teammate. She’s just a freshman and I wanted to have (the championship) back,” Charbonnier said. “I told her we’ll just have to play the best and the best wins. If I would have finished second behind her I still would have been happy.”

North Carolina Wilmington senior Phu Khine was disappointed that she couldn’t defend her first PWCC title last year. After winning in 2021, Khine had a labrum injury in her shoulder and could not play in 2022.

She returned this year and stayed within striking distance during the first two rounds. She followed the same formula in the final round, staying steady on the back nine at Shoal Creek to shoot even par.

While she did that, Alabama State’s Allycia Gan struggled, making bogeys on 11, 12 and 13 before a triple bogey on 14 sank her chances. That meant Khine’s 3-over 218 was good enough to win over Charlotte’s Kaiyuree Moodley (4 over) and Gan (7 over).

“It means a lot to me to win in general,” Khine said, “but to win the PGA WORKS, it’s for minorities and giving us the opportunity to get these people together in this event. It’s a great honor for me.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islander is actually the coolest mascot of all time

Izzy the Islander is simply the coolest dude who has ever lived.

A few days ago, my esteemed colleague Charles Curtis issued his definitive rankings of all the mascots competing in this year’s NCAA tournament. While I generally endorse Charles’ thoughtful rankings, it’s becoming clear on the first full day of action in this year’s edition of March Madness that there’s a new king of the mascots: Izzy the Islander.

You’re forgiven if you’re not familiar with Izzy, the mascot of the 16-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders — not only because of the small offshore school he represents but also because he’s only existed in his current form for less than a year. In May 2022, Izzy was given a makeover after his previous design was deemed culturally insensitive. Now, rather than being a caricature of Pacific Islander culture, Izzy is simply the coolest dude who has ever lived.

There has simply never been a mascot this chill. He’s the kind of dude that makes you want to kick back and watch some MTV2 in the common room. The kind of guy who makes a fro-yo run at 8:45 p.m. on a weeknight. The kind of bro who, when you accidentally scratch his car playing Ultimate Frisbee, says, “No worries, man.”

He will, however, absolutely steal your girl.

Cheers to the coolest mascot in the NCAA tournament, Izzy the Islander. Let’s catch up once all this is over, Izzy. I’ve got a six-pack of High Lifes with your name on ’em.

How to watch Alabama vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in first round of NCAA Tournament

How to watch Alabama vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first round of the NCAA Tournament!

The NCAA Tournament has officially arrived and the top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide are set to hit the hardwood and take on the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the round of 64 from Birmingham.

With the Crimson Tide playing in the state of Alabama, this neutral site venue is a defacto home court for the Tide and the crowd is sure to favor Alabama heavily.

The Islanders find themselves matched up with the Crimson Tide after defeating SE Missouri State on Tuesday night in the first four in Dayton.

Alabama is obviously heavily favored and will look to freshman star Brandon Miller to lead them past the Islanders and into the round of 32.

Here is how you can catch all the action between Alabama and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi!

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3003″ ]

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3006″ ]

Betting guide for the 2023 NCAA men’s tournament First Four games

Best bets for the NCAA men’s tournament First Four games.

The NCAA men’s field of 68 is finally set, which means it’s time to start filling out brackets beginning with the First Four games.

In the South Region, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is playing Southeast Missouri St. for a chance to play 1-seed Alabama in the first round. The other 16-seed First Four game is between Texas Southern and Fairleigh Dickinson in the East, where Purdue is the 1 seed.

The 11-seed First Four games are between Mississippi State and Pittsburgh in the Midwest and Arizona State and Nevada in the West.

Bettors don’t just want to know who’s moving on, they want to know the best ways to make money. So below is my best bet for each matchup, and I also included my best guess for who will move on.

College Performers of the Week powered by Rapsodo: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women’s golf

The Islanders defender their PGA Works title by 14 shots.

[mm-video type=video id=01g2ntdb8b38shjj356n playlist_id=none player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g2ntdb8b38shjj356n/01g2ntdb8b38shjj356n-131f246034d3dd65e0e4b7bd794e4457.jpg]

It was a good week to be an Islander.

The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi women swept both our team and individual honors this week for their efforts at the PGA Works Collegiate Championship.

The Islanders defended their PGA Works title by 14 shots over Delaware State thanks to all five players finishing T-13 or better on the individual leaderboard, including four placing inside the top 10. Sophomore Lucie Charbonnier led the way by claiming the individual title at 13 over by just one shot over Delaware State’s Anna Ferreyra-Heit for her first career win.

The Islanders took both the team and individual titles in the same tournament for the first time in program history.

Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

College Performers of the Week powered by Rapsodo: Lucie Charbonnier, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Charbonnier’s PGA Works title was the first win of her college career.

[mm-video type=video id=01g2ntdb8b38shjj356n playlist_id=none player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g2ntdb8b38shjj356n/01g2ntdb8b38shjj356n-131f246034d3dd65e0e4b7bd794e4457.jpg]

The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi women swept both our team and individual honors this week for their efforts at the PGA Works Collegiate Championship, but nobody was better than Lucie Charbonnier.

The sophomore led the way for the Islanders by claiming the individual title at 13 over by just one shot over Delaware State’s Anna Ferreyra-Heit for her first career collegiate win. Texas A&M – Corpus Christi defended their PGA Works title by 14 shots over Delaware State with all five players finishing T-13 or better on the individual leaderboard, including four placing inside the top 10.

It was the first time in program history the Islanders took both the team and individual titles in the same tournament.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs SE Louisiana Prediction, Game Preview: Southland Championship

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs SE Louisiana prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Saturday in the Southland Championship.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs SE Louisiana prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Saturday, March 12

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs SE Louisiana Game Preview, Southland Championship How To Watch

Date: Saturday, March 12
Game Time: 9:30 ET
Venue: Leonard E Merrell Center, Katy, TX
How To Watch: ESPN2
Record: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (22-11), SE Louisiana (19-13)
– Sign up and live stream college basketball on ESPN+

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Notre Dame has to battle to beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

The Irish got a battle some probably didn’t expect.

Notre Dame needed more than the effort it might have thought it needed to beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The matinee, which served as the final game before ACC play begins in earnest, could have spelled disaster if the Irish hadn’t realized what they were up against before it was too late. Instead, they’ll be happy to go into the holidays with an 83-73 win.

With a Trey Wertz injury shortening Mike Brey’s rotation to six players, the Irish (6-5) initially looked like they were on their way to giving the Islanders (10-3) a highlight of their season. They trailed by as much as nine in the first half, and a victory still was uncertain even as they battled back to take a five-point halftime lead.

Though the Islanders never regained the lead in the second half, they only had a two-point deficit with 6:45 to go. It took a 13-4 Irish run after that to finally put this game on ice.

Five of the Irish’s six players scored in double figures. Dane Goodwin led his team in scoring again with a game-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers. Blake Wesley scored 15 and tripled his previous assists high by recording nine. The Irish got 14 points apiece from Paul Atkinson Jr. and Cormac Ryan. Prentiss Hubb rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11.

The Irish also shot 13 of 14 from the free-throw line.