Tag: UConn Huskies

UConn mascot Jonathan the Husky finally made it to the Final Four despite flight drama

UConn’s very good boy has made it to Houston.

Fret not, UConn fans and animal lovers: Jonathan the Husky has made it to Houston for the Final Four.

The Huskies are the only team left that has not only made a Final Four, but also won a men’s NCAA title. Connecticut’s last men’s basketball national championship came under Kevin Ollie after an unprecedented run in 2014.

The live mascot of the University of Connecticut — officially named Jonathan the XIV — seemingly wasn’t going to be able to take the trip due to being just a very big boy with lots of fluffy fur. A tweet from the official account of the mascot shared a picture of a very sad Jonathan.

Immediately, the powers that be mobilized. Just three days after the initial tweet, the same account shared a smiling Jonathan aboard a flight to Houston, thanking UConn, the NCAA and Delta for making his pooch dreams come true.

Since arriving in Houston, Jonathan has become a tourist and has taken to the streets to see all the sights.

Congrats on the biggest win of the tournament, UConn. Here’s hoping Jonathan has the absolute most fun.

College Wire Predictions: Who will emerge from the Final Four on Saturday?

Our network editors make their picks for the Final Four.

We could be on the verge of history in the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament this coming Monday. Four teams remain in the hunt to be crowned a national champion, three of which have never taken home the trophy. UConn, on the flip side, has won four national championships.

No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs vs No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

In the early matchup on Saturday, San Diego State and Florida Atlantic will achieve school history by making it to the title game. This is FAU’s second NCAA tournament in school history, they had their first win in March Madness weeks ago when they knocked off Memphis. The Aztecs finally put the Mountain West on the board after going winless in the tournament since Nev.

Who will emerge victorious?

Editor Site Pick
Patrick Conn College Sports Wire San Diego State
Cami Griffin Longhorns Wire San Diego State
Phil Harrison Buckeyes Wire San Diego State
Taylor Jones Auburn Wire Florida Atlantic
AJ Spurr Roll Tide Wire San Diego State
Kevin McGuire Nittany Lions Wire San Diego State
E. Wayne Razorbacks Wire San Diego State
Tyler Nettuno LSU Wire San Diego State

No. 4 Connecticut Huskies vs No. 5 Miami Hurricanes

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

UConn hasn’t played in the Final Four since 2014, the last time they won a national title. Right now, nobody is as hot as the Huskies. They have won every game by double digits. In the Elite Eight, they knocked off a battle-tested Gonzaga team 82-54. Miami has had to make comebacks in the last several games, including falling behind to the Longhorns by 13 in the second half.

Who will win this fight between Power Six programs?

Editor Pick
Patrick UConn
Cami UConn
Phil Miami
Taylor UConn
AJ Miami
Kevin UConn
E. Wayne UConn
Tyler UConn

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What would a CFP field look like if compared to the NCAA men’s Final Four?

Making a CFP field that is reminiscent of this year’s NCAA men’s Final Four.

This year’s Final Four field is a bit different than years past. There are no “Blue Bloods” among the teams competing for the national championship. Unless you consider UConn among the blue-blood squads. If you ask Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga, they definitely are.

The Huskies are the only team that has been on this stage before but it has been nine years since they cut down the nets. San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, and Miami are all vying to win their school’s first title.

How would this relate to the College Football Playoff? The upcoming college football season will be the last time that we see the field of four for the annual tournament to determine the national champions. Starting in 2024 there will be 12 teams competing for the title.

In the spirit of having a unique field of four in the College Football Playoffs, College Sports Wire tried to compare how that field would relate to this year’s NCAA men’s basketball Final Four field.

Ohio State vs. UConn photo gallery

Check out some of the best photos of Ohio State women’s basketball’s upset of No. 2 seed UConn. #GoBucks

Not many gave the Ohio State women’s basketball team a chance against the UConn Huskies, but that didn’t seem to matter to the Buckeyes. They used some relentless defensive pressure to upset the Huskies 73-61 to advance to their first Elite 8 since 1993.

The game was out in Seattle, so we’re sure not many of you were able to attend and snap your own photos of memories of what’s becoming a pretty special run by Ohio State. Don’t worry though, we have you covered thanks to our photographers that made the trip out to the Pacific Northwest.

Here are some of the best high-resolution photos of the Ohio State women’s basketball team’s upset of UConn on Saturday afternoon.

Photos of Ohio State women’s basketball preparing for Sweet 16 matchup vs. UConn

The Ohio State women are getting ready for their Sweet 16 matchup vs. UConn. Check out some of the best photos from Seattle. #GoBucks

The Ohio State women’s basketball team is out in the Pacific Northwest getting ready to do battle with one of the giants of the sport, the UConn Huskies. It’s a Sweet 16 matchup that OSU isn’t expected to win, but that hasn’t mattered for this team this season.

The Buckeyes have the talent, success, and confidence to pull off the upset in Seattle, and if they can make some of the plays we’ve seen from all the weapons on the floor, a berth in the Elite 8 is possible.

As Ohio State prepares for the matchup, it has been through shootarounds, pregame press conferences, and walkthroughs all pointing toward the game that is set to tip on Saturday.

Here are some of the best photos of the Ohio State women out in Seattle going through all the pregame responsibilities.

Ohio State men’s hockey vs. Harvard in the NCAA Tournament: How to watch, stream the game

Ohio State has a tough task ahead as they prepare to take on perennial power UConn. #GoBucks

The Ohio State men’s hockey team received an at-large bid to the NCAA men’s hockey tournament, and it all gets started on Friday vs. Harvard. The Buckeyes received a No. 3 seed in the pod of four teams and were paired in the same bracket as the No. 2 overall seed (No. 1 in the pod), Quinnipiac.

The weather is starting to warm up outside with the start of spring, but that just means it’s playoff hockey time in the NCAA, and the Buckeyes will be trying to buck the trend and upset the field.

If you’re interested in catching all of the action and rooting on the scarlet and gray, we have all the information you need to find and watch the game Friday afternoon.

Basic info

When: Friday, March 24, at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Total Mortgage Arena (Bridgeport, Connecticut)

How to watch/stream/listen:

Broadcast: ESPNU

Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

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Ohio State women’s basketball vs. UConn: How to watch, stream the game

Ohio State has a tough task ahead as they prepare to take on perennial power UConn. #GoBucks

After a thrilling win over North Carolina, the Ohio State women’s basketball team is in the Sweet 16.

Now OSU takes on its toughest test of the season: perennial power UConn. Geno Auriemma has turned the Huskies into the gold standard in women’s basketball. The teams have met six times; Connecticut has won all of them.

This go around will not be any easier. Auriemma has an injury-plagued UConn prepped for another title run. Kevin McGuff, on the other hand, is trying to get Ohio State to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993 when Buckeye legend Katie Smith led OSU to a national runner-up finish. The Huskies have been to 29 straight Sweet 16s. To say the Buckeyes have a tough road ahead would be an understatement.

Here’s how to catch all the action on Saturday afternoon.

Basic info

When: Saturday, March 25, at 4 p.m. EDT

Where: Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle, Washington)

How to watch/stream/listen:

Broadcast: ABC

Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

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Fans think the NCAA tried to sabotage UConn by booking the team in a terrible Las Vegas hotel

The NCAA is such a mess.

From a college athlete’s perspective, one of the great parts of advancing in the NCAA tournament is having the chance to stay in increasingly nicer hotels. Each weekend — all the way to the Final Four — the accommodations get more and more luxurious.

That is unless you’re the UConn Huskies, apparently.

According to CTinsider.com, the Huskies had to switch hotels ahead of the Sweet 16 and (possibly) Elite Eight in Las Vegas due to poor conditions. The NCAA takes the lead on hotel assignments for the tournament, and it had UConn staying at the Luxor Hotel — an MGM property that opened 30 years ago and is notorious for having issues.

Meanwhile, Arkansas — UConn’s opponent in the Sweet 16 — was booked at the newer, five-star Vdara Hotel & Spa.

UConn was able to switch hotels and didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, via CTinsider:

“It’s not something we want to make a big deal out of,” athletic director David Benedict said. “Everything worked out fine.”

Either way, this wasn’t a great look for the NCAA. UConn traveled across the country, and instead of being able to relax at the hotel, the team had to pack up and find a new place to stay.

College basketball fans were accusing the NCAA of trying to sabotage UConn after hearing the news. Of all the hotels in Las Vegas to choose, there was no reason to pick the Luxor.

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4 potential first-round upsets for the NCAA men’s tournament, including 1 in each region

Let’s put a few teams on upset alert.

The odds of getting a perfect bracket in the NCAA tournament are so long that it’s practically impossible to do.

One of the things that makes it so hard is predicting all of the inevitable upsets. We know they’re going to happen. Oddsmakers know it too — there will always be Cinderellas. We just don’t know which teams fit the glass slipper yet.

So, let me preface everything to follow by saying, I don’t know either. Now that that’s out the way, these are my best bets for a first-round upset in each region. Please note, if the spread wasn’t at least more than a single bucket, I didn’t consider the game for an upset, regardless of seeds.

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Women’s College Basketball Vibe Check: Cameron Brink is awesome, Maryland is thriving

Straight up not having a good time: UConn.

The women’s college basketball season is winding down. The final Top 16 reveal by the NCAA committee is this Thursday, and conference tournaments start next week. Time flies, right? Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were making jokes about Jeff Walz’s slide and lamenting the absence of Sedona Prince?

We’ve done Heat Checks on women’s college basketball earlier this season, where we raved about Georgia Amoore and Angel Reese, and complained about midday games and the loss of Tamari Key.

And now, we’re returning with a VIBE CHECK, an unscientific and unserious ranking of all things in women’s college basketball.

Let’s dive in and assess who is thriving and who is having a bad time.