Everyone wants to see USC vs UConn, but Trojans must first focus on Baylor

USC needs tunnel vision and an ability to ignore the media’s talk about anything beyond Baylor.

The USC women’s basketball team is in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans are in Portland for a regional which also includes the Connecticut Huskies. UConn is the ultimate powerhouse in women’s college basketball — not this season, but certainly over the past 30 years. The Huskies will be appearing in their 30th straight Sweet 16. They have won 11 national titles in those 30 years and have made 21 Final Four appearances. Geno Auriemma basically owned the sport of women’s college basketball from 2002 through 2016. In that 15-year span, UConn won nine national titles. The Huskies won the national title for a majority of a time period lasting a decade and a half.

This year’s UConn team has been ravaged by a flood of injuries. The Huskies are seeded third and aren’t at full strength. Yet, it’s still UConn. It’s still Geno. Paige Bueckers, an elite player, is still on the roster, giving this team a chance to go to the Final Four. You know that ESPN and a lot of women’s basketball fans want to see USC and JuJu Watkins get their shot at UConn next Monday with the Final Four on the line. That is going to be a talking point in Portland heading into the Sweet 16.

USC has to block out that talk and the distractions which come along with it. The Trojans have to have tunnel vision and focus relentlessly on their next opponent, the Baylor Bears. Baylor comes from a Big 12 Conference which is putting up a fight in this NCAA Tournament. Texas looks strong heading into its own Sweet 16 battle in Portland against Gonzaga on Friday. Iowa State nearly upset Stanford on the road, losing an epic game in overtime this past Sunday in Maples Pavilion. The Big 12 has quality teams. Baylor is one of them. The Bears just beat Virginia Tech on the road to make their way to Portland.

USC-UConn? Nope. Don’t go down that road just yet. People will talk about it, but USC has other things to do before then. The Trojans need to play with great clarity to handle Baylor on Saturday afternoon. The game starts at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time on ESPN.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Donovan Clingan dominates in UConn’s win over Northwestern

Potential Thunder draft prospect Donovan Clingan dominates in UConn’s win over Northwestern.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.

As the NCAA Tournament progresses, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is UConn center Donovan Clingan. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 14 rebounds and eight blocks in 27 minutes in UConn’s 75-58 win over Northwestern in the round of 32 on Sunday.

In his second season, Clingan has been part of a dominant UConn squad that seeks to repeat as national champions. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 12.5 points on 64% shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

At 280 pounds, he has an NBA-ready frame and can give a team a classic rim-running big who can protect the rim. UConn went 31-3 and is No. 1 in the East Region.

The Thunder could envision Clingan adding serious size at center. He could start alongside Holmgren for jumbo lineups or serve as an efficient backup center for OKC.

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Rutgers baseball: The Scarlet Knights drop series finale against UConn

On Sunday, Rutgers baseball (17-7) dropped their series finale against UConn 5-1 after defeating the Huskies on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, Rutgers baseball (17-7) dropped their series finale against UConn (8-13) 5-1 after defeating the Huskies on Friday (3-0) and Saturday (13-6). The Scarlet Knights were riding a seven-game winning streak heading into Sunday’s game.

Rutgers won the series against UConn, taking the first two games of the series.

Pitcher Zack Konstantinovsky got the nod on the mound for the Scarlet Knights, recording his third loss in 2024. Konstantinovsky logged a solid outing, recording six strikeouts throughout his 5.1 innings pitched. In a losing effort, Konstantinovsky allowed seven hits and one earned run. He now holds a 6.48 ERA on the season for the Scarlet Knights.

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At the plate, the Scarlet Knights were held scoreless until the bottom of the eighth inning when catcher Jackson Natili homered to left center to get Rutgers on the board. Natili’s home run was the only offense the Scarlet Knights could produce in Sunday’s loss. Rutgers registered only five hits, striking out four times while leaving four runners on base.

Rutgers freshman first baseman Ty Doucette continued his hitting streak on Sunday as he doubled to left center in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend his hitting streak to eight games.

UConn’s Stephen Quigley recorded a complete game for the Huskies, recording four strikeouts throughout his nine innings pitched. Quigley picked up his first victory in 2024 as he now holds a 3.41 ERA on the season.

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The Scarlet Knights return to action on Tuesday as they host NJIT at Bainton Field.

 

Rutgers baseball: Saturday win over UConn gives Scarlet Knights the series

On Saturday, Rutgers baseball (17-6) captured their fifth series victory when the Scarlet Knights defeated UConn (8-12) 10-3. 

On Saturday, Rutgers baseball (17-6) captured their fifth series victory when the Scarlet Knights defeated UConn (8-12) 13-6. After defeating UConn 3-0 on Friday, Rutgers followed their Game 1 victory with another dominant performance on Saturday.

Game One

Rutgers pitcher Justin Sinibaldi stole the show for the Scarlet Knights when he registered a complete game shutout against the Huskies. Sinibaldi recorded nine scoreless innings, logging nine strikeouts. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound lefty pitcher allowed four hits, giving up one walk. The Bridgewater, New Jersey native registered his fourth victory in 2024 when Rutgers defeated UConn 3-0.

At the plate, the Scarlet Knights scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning as they secured their 16th victory of the year. Rutgers third baseman Tony Santa Maria, first baseman Ty Doucette, and left fielder Johnny Volpe provided the firepower for the Scarlet Knights in game one.

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Santa Maria grabbed the lead for the Scarlet Knights with a solo home run to right field, giving Rutgers a 1-0 lead. Doucette continued the momentum with a single back up the middle to extend Rutgers’ lead to 2-0.  Volpe recorded Rutgers’ final run with a safety squeeze bunt that scored Pete Durocher and secured the Scarlet Knights’  3-0 victory over the Huskies.

Game 2

Rutgers followed their game one victory with a 13-5 win over UConn on Saturday. Rutgers’ game-two victory gave the Scarlet Knights their fifth series win in 2024. Rutgers recorded 14 hits in game two, producing 13 runs.

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Rutgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when second baseman Cameron Love and center fielder RJ Johnson Jr registered two doubles, scoring two runs. Right fielder Trevor Cohen followed the two doubles by Love and Johnson Jr with a two-run home run giving Rutgers a 4-0 lead.

The Huskies got on the board in the top of the third inning with a two-run home run, but the Scarlet Knights added two runs in the bottom of the frame when catcher Jackson Natili blasted a home run to keep their four-run lead.

Rutgers added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth inning giving the Scarlet Knights a 8-2 lead, but the Huskies cut the lead to five with an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning.

Rutgers added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving the Scarlet Knights a 10-3 lead. After two runs by UConn in the top of the eighth inning, the Scarlet Knights bounced back with three more runs in the bottom of the frame, giving RU a 13-5 lead.

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UConn added a run in the top of the ninth inning, but the Scarlet Knights ended the Huskies’ comeback, capturing the 13-6 victory. Pitcher Christian Coppola picked up his fourth victory in 2024, recording six strikeouts, two walks, five hits, and three earned runs in 5.2 innings pitched.

Rutgers returns to action on Sunday when they host UConn in the series finale.

 

Potential Thunder draft prospect Donovan Clingan leads UConn past Stetson in dominant win

Potential Thunder draft prospect Donovan Clingan leads UConn past Stetson in dominant win.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to go to OKC than the latter.

As the NCAA Tournament progresses, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national eyes for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is UConn center Donovan Clingan. He finished with 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes in No. 1 UConn’s 91-52 win over No. 16 Stetson in the Round of 64 on Friday.

In his second season, Clingan has been part of a dominant UConn squad that seeks to repeat as national champions. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 12.5 points on 64% shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

At 280 pounds, he has an NBA-ready frame and can give a team a classic rim-running big who can protect the rim. UConn went 31-3 and is No. 1 in the East Region.

The Thunder could hope to add Clingan to add some serious size at their center spot. He could start alongside Holmgren for jumbo lineups or serve as an efficient backup center for OKC.

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Spurs select UConn forward with pick No. 7 in recent NBA Mock Draft

In a recent NBA Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs are projected to pick UConn forward Stephon Castle.

The San Antonio Spurs have a big opportunity to improve their roster around Victor Wembanyama this summer. Obviously, free agency will be a big part of that, but perhaps even more important is who they choose to select in the 2024 NBA Draft. They could have a pair of top-10 selections to work with.

The Spurs’ pick is likely to fall in the top three, but they could also end up with the Toronto Raptors’ pick. That selection is top-six protected, but the Raptors are currently projected to have the seventh-overall pick in the draft. San Antonio could have a chance to bring in two top-10 players this summer.

In a recent NBA Mock Draft from No Ceilings, the Spurs are projected to pick UConn forward Stephon Castle with the seventh pick.

“The San Antonio Spurs desperately need shooting, which Stephon Castle unfortunately won’t provide,” wrote Tyler Metcalf. “Luckily, their first pick in Reed Sheppard does. What Castle does offer, though, is high-level competency in every other facet of the game. Currently, Castle ranks in at least the 74th percentile in handoffs, pick-and-roll scoring, pick-and-roll including passes, and transition scoring, per Synergy. Coming out of high school, Castle was a point guard, so he’s very familiar with running the show. What this season has shown us, though, is that Castle is more than capable of playing a complementary role. Additionally, it’s proven that Castle is also a fantastic defender. When Castle is on the court, UConn’s defensive rating is 91, which ranks fourth. When he’s off the court, it jumps to 98.6, which ranks 47th. With the Spurs, Castle can fill in the gaps around Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and Reed Sheppard. While Castle will need to figure out his jumper in some form or fashion, the mechanics are far from broken. As he figures that out, though, he can provide defensive versatility, connective playmaking, a high basketball IQ, and a ton of potential to grow into an even more versatile player.”

In this mock, the Spurs would have already selected Reed Sheppard out of Kentucky with the third pick, so adding Castle’s defense would make sense.

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Wisconsin Basketball: Statistical history of No. 5 vs. No. 12 seeds in the NCAA Tournament

Is Wisconsin on upset alert against James Madison?

The 12-seed vs. 5-seed matchup has emerged as one of the more interesting March Madness matchups since the tournament expanded in 1985.

There have been 12 upsets in No. 12 vs No. 5 games since 2014. The most recent arrived in 2022 when New Mexico State defeated UConn 70-63.

Wisconsin enters this year’s tournament as a No. 5 seed with a first-round matchup against James Madison. Although the Badgers are favored by 5.5 points, the history behind 12-5 matches in March Madness cannot be understated. 

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In 2019, the Badgers dropped their opening game of the tournament to No. 12 Oregon 72-54. The same year, future NBA All-Star Ja Morant dropped a triple-double for 12-seeded Murray State en route to a 83-64 victory over 5-seed Marquette.

Here is a quick overview of all the essentials you need to know for the iconic 12-5 matchup. It doesn’t mean great things for the Badgers.

Facts:

  • Since 1985, 12-seeds have defeated 5-seeds 53 times. Ahead of 2024’s tournament, the lower seed boasted a 53-99 mark (34.87 win percentage) 
  • In 32 of the last 38 years, the 12-seed stole at least one first round game.
  • Other 12-5 games featuring Wisconsin:
    • 2009: Wisconsin defeats No. 5 Florida State 61-59
    • 2013: Ole Miss defeats No. 5 Wisconsin 57-46

All-time seed-seed records: first round

  • 1 vs. 16: 150-2
  • 2 vs. 15: 141-11
  • 3 vs. 14: 130-22
  • 4 vs. 13: 120-32
  • 6 vs. 11: 94-58
  • 7 vs. 10: 92-59
  • 8 vs 9: 74-78

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March Madness: NCAA Tournament East Region odds, picks and predictions

Looking at March Madness futures odds to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament East Region, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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March Madness tips off Thursday, and the East Region bracket is absolutely loaded.

Below, we look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament East Region futures odds and and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

The East includes last year’s champs, the UConn Huskies (31-3); they’re the No. 1 seed. For Connecticut to get through this region, it will have to get past this season’s title teams from the Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC in Iowa State (27-7), Illinois (26-8), and Auburn (27-7), respectively. The Huskies (KenPom No. 1), Tigers (No. 4) and Cyclones (No. 5) represent 3/5ths of the top 5 on KenPom’s rankings.

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East Region futures odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 1:25 p.m. ET.

1 seed: UConn +110 (bet $100 to win $110)

2 seed: Iowa State +440 (bet $100 to win $440)

3 seed: Illinois +800 (bet $100 to win $800)

4 seed: Auburn +500 (bet $100 to win $500)

5 seed: San Diego State +2100 (bet $100 to win $2,100)

6 seed: BYU +1400 (bet $100 to win $1,400)

7 seed: Washington State +3400 (bet $100 to win $3,400)

8 seed: FAU +2900 (bet $100 to win $2,900)

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9 seed: Northwestern +5500 (bet $100 to win $5,500)

10 seed: Drake +4200 (bet $100 to win $4,200)

11 seed: Duquesne +13000 (bet $100 to win $13,000)

12 seed: UAB +13000 (bet $100 to win $13,000)

13 seed: Yale +11000 (bet $100 to win $11,000)

14 seed: Morehead State +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

15 seed: South Dakota State +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

16 seed: Stetson +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

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East Region expert pick and prediction

Iowa State (+440)

Putting all the key betting factors together and weighing in the prices, the Cyclones come out with a lot of value. The champions of this year’s toughest league are elite at the defensive end and usually maintain key edges in turnovers, rebounding and free-throw frequency.

The analysis of the East includes some slight fading of No. 1 UConn, heavier fading of No. 3 Illinois and a bit of extra potential for an upset in No. 4 Auburn’s path.

Top 25: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

East Region contenders

AUBURN (+500)

The Tigers rank in KenPom’s top 10 in both offensive (10th) and defensive (4th) efficiency. The defense (including what AU does along the perimeter) and overall court skills should help Auburn avoid a misstep in what could be an interesting 1st-round game against Yale.

If the bracket plays out with AU playing UConn or Iowa State, consider that coach Bruce Pearl owns an 8-4 record against the spread when lined as an underdog.

San Diego State (+2100)

The Aztecs (24-10) are just 6-4 over their last 10 games, but they have the defense (39% field-goal accuracy allowed over those 10 games) and court skills to make for profit leverage at this price point. San Diego State sports a veteran lineup, and it gets its 1st 2 potential games in its own time zone (games in Spokane).

The futures market had shorter overall futures odds on SDSU a couple weeks ago. The Aztecs’ Jaedon LeDee is a power forward with possible late 1st-round NBA talent, and he’s a likely match-up problem for most teams San Diego State would play.

East Region long shots

Drake (+4200)

The Bulldogs (28-6) come out of the Missouri Valley Conference, a league that has often done damage from underdog slots in recent years’ brackets. Drake won the MVC Tournament and is 10-1 in its last 11 games.

DU hits from distance (36.5% from 3-point range) and takes great care of the ball. The Bulldogs are a top-notch defensive rebounding team. They have a 6-1 record in neutral-site games, and that includes a Dec. 9 rout of West No. 10 seed Nevada.

Morehead State (+25000)

Morehead State is a slow-tempo squad trending the right way at the defensive end, and that’s a dangerous combination. The Eagles often win the 3-point shooting battle, and they should be considered a live wire against 1st-round opponent Illinois and either team they might play in the 2nd round (BYU, Duquesne).

Both Drake and Morehead State are in the bottom half of the East Region bracket. Making the plays in tandem has merit.

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Wisconsin avoids stacked East Region in NCAA Tournament

Wisconsin avoided being placed in the East Region, which this year has four major conference tournament champs

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team is a 5 seed in the South Region of the NCAA tournament, facing 12th-seeded James Madison in the Round of 64 on Friday.

Notably, Wisconsin avoided being placed in the East Region, which this year has four major conference tournament champs.

The defending national champion UConn Huskies are the No. 1 seed in the region and the top overall seed in the tournament. They’re coming off a 73-57 win over Marquette on Saturday to win the Big East Tournament.

Iowa State, which beat Houston, 69-41, in the Big 12 Tournament championship game Saturday, is the No. 2 seed in the East Region. While No. 3 seed Illinois (Big Ten winner) and No. 4 seed Auburn (SEC winner) round out the top four.

Also of note from the region, UConn, No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic were in the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Houston.

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Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo named Wooden Award finalist

The freshman is part of an elite class of players this season.

While far from the most prolific women’s basketball player this season, Notre Dame’s [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] still has been incredible. From the moment she stepped on the court in the season opener against South Carolina in Paris, there have been few games in which she hasn’t had a real impact. Now, she’s been rewarded by being named one of 15 finalists for the Wooden Award, which is given to the national player of the year.

Hidalgo entered Sunday’s ACC Tournament championship game averaging with the nation’s third-best scoring average at 23.4 points a game and as the nations steals leader at 4.7 a game. She has reached double figures scoring in every game, and the only time she didn’t record at least one steal was in the Irish’s win over UConn, the highlight of their NCAA Tournament resume.

While it will be tough to make a case for anyone other than Iowa’s Caitlin Clark to win this award, Hidalgo becoming a finalist as a freshman in an achievement on its own. Hopefully, this is only the first time she has this honor.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89