Tag: Virginia Tech Hokies

UNC one of seven ACC hoops teams in NET Top 60

Seven ACC hoops teams are in the Top 60 of the latest NET rankings. Can you guess where the Tar Heels sit?

Saturday is going to be a day full of highly-anticipated, marquee college basketball matchups that carry massive implications.

Several games to watch include a ranked Big 12 battle between Houston and Baylor, a significantly-improved Wake squad hosting eight-ranked Duke in a battle that could determine the ACC’s first-place team, Alabama and Kentucky battling between ranked SEC teams and – the one we hope you’re watching the closest – 10th-ranked North Carolina traveling to UVA, where it hasn’t won in over a decade.

We’ll talk more about the Tar Heels in a second, but let’s not discount the fact that – despite UNC and Duke being the only two ranked ACC teams, seven conference programs are Top-60 in the latest NET rankings.

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That’s right – North Carolina leads the way at 10th, despite its recent hot-and-cold stretch. Duke is rightfully close to the Tar Heels at 12th, Clemson stands at 26th, Wake Forest jumped 10 spots to 27th, UVA sits at 48th, Virginia Tech rose 10 spots to 52nd after its huge win over UVA, while Pitt rounded out the ACC’s share of Top-60 teams at 58th.

There’s still two weeks left in the regular season and the ACC Tournament, which could drastically change these team’s NCAA Tournament outlook, but all seven being in the Top-60 of NET means there’s likely to be several ACC teams in the Big Dance.

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Duke women’s basketball drops close game to Virginia Tech

The Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team fell to the No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies Thursday night. Here’s the breakdown on how the game went.

The Duke women’s basketball team had their three-game winning streak snapped in a narrow loss to No. 13 Virginia Tech on Thursday night.

The Duke Blue Devils (16-8, 8-5 ACC) fell to the Hokies (21-4, 12-2 ACC) 61-56 in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Blue Devils guard Ashlon Jackson led the team in scoring with 18 points on 5-11 shooting. She also affected the game defensively with two steals and two blocks.

The Blue Devils’ upset attempt got off to a solid start as they kept it a three-point game at halftime, trailing 30-27. The two sides continued to trade the lead as each team led on 12 occasions and were tied 11 times.

Duke guard Reigan Richardson also helped keep them in contention, and she finished the game with 11 points on 5-14 shooting.

The Blue Devils defense pestered the Hokies all game long as they finished with nine steals and six blocks as a team.

Virginia Tech and Duke entered the fourth quarter tied at 42 points apiece, but the Blue Devils’ stifling defense eventually started to show cracks.

Duke had no answer for Hokies center Elizabeth Kitley. Kitley finished the game with 34 points on 13-17 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds to complete the double-double.

Kitley dominated the fourth quarter when she scored 11 of her points to give the Hokies a lead they’d never give up for the rest of the game. She also grabbed five boards in the final quarter, three of which were offensive rebounds.

Duke trailed 56-53 late in the game but missed three shots to try and tie it. Virginia Tech guard Georgia Moore made the Blue Devils pay and drilled a 3-pointer. Duke was forced to foul late and ultimately fell on the road.

Duke’s defense kept it close all game but a poor shooting night kept them from pulling off the upset. The Blue Devils shot just 36.5% from the field as a team and 27.8% from beyond the arc. Duke also struggled to stay consistent from the charity stripe as the team finished 65% from the free throw line.

The Blue Devils will return home for their next game against the No. 17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Sooners pick up Rivals futurecast for 2026 quarterback Dereon Coleman

The Oklahoma Sooners received a Rivals Futurecast for 2026 QB Dereon Coleman.

When Jeff Lebby took over the offense for the Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venables made it abundantly clear Lincoln Riley’s previous strategy of taking a quarterback every other year would no longer fly. Since then, the Sooners have replenished the quarterback cupboard with talent every year. At least two new quarterbacks joined the program via the high school ranks or transfer portal each year.

As Oklahoma heads into the 2024 season, it legitimately has three scholarship quarterbacks. Jackson Arnold leads the way for 2023, but the Sooners welcome two quarterbacks from the 2024 recruiting class: four-star [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag]. [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] is already committed to 2025, and the Sooners are pivoting to 2026.

This winter, they’ve offered a couple of the top quarterbacks in the cycle: Jared Curtis and Faizon Brandon. Joining the list of signal callers the Sooners have offered in 2026 is Dereon Coleman out of Orlando, Florida. That Oklahoma offer has seemingly moved the needle for Coleman so much that OUInsider’s and Rivals recruiting analyst Parker Thune issued a futurecast favoring the Sooners Thursday evening.

Coleman is a smaller quarterback prospect, standing at six feet. He throws a nice tight spiral and showcases some arm strength, ripping passes over the middle of the field. He also showed the ability to buy time with his athleticism while simultaneously looking down the field to make plays with his arm.

Coleman is a solid prospect, and it will behoove many not to sleep on him as he continues to grow and improve. He isn’t rated for the 2026 cycle, but with Oklahoma, Arkansas, SMU, Ole Miss and Nebraska in pursuit, it’s only a matter of time until he receives an evaluation from the recruiting services.

Dereon Coleman’s Recruiting Profile

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LSU women’s basketball remains No. 7 in AP Top 25 despite Virginia Tech win

A top-10 win wasn’t enough to boost LSU in the polls this week.

LSU only played one game last week, but it was certainly a good win.

The Tigers got their first marquee win of the season, dominating No. 9 Virginia Tech to win 82-64 in a top-10 showdown. They looked much better in that game than they did in the season-opening loss to Colorado, but it wasn’t enough to see a bump in the AP Top 25 this week.

LSU remains at No. 7 in this week’s AP Poll, though they no longer share that spot with Colorado, which now has a loss on its resume to NC State suffered back on Nov. 25 and fell to No. 8.

However, the Tigers were jumped by Texas this week, so they’ll be holding serve as they move down the stretch in non-conference play, which features five winnable games before SEC contests begin.

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Reactions as Angel Reese, LSU knocks off Virginia Tech to earn top-10 win

The Tigers passed their first major test since the season-opening loss to Colorado.

LSU started its year off with a dud in Las Vegas against Colorado, but coach Kim Mulkey’s team passed its first major test since on Thursday night, beating No. 9 Virginia Tech 82-64 to move to 8-1 on the season.

With the victory, Mulkey has now reached 700 total wins in her career.

Angel Reese made her return to the court after missing the last four contests. She was a major part of the win, recording 19 points and nine rebounds. [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] led the team with 20 points, while [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] had a 19-point, 15-rebound double-double.

Here’s how the internet reacted to LSU’s statement win.

Five takeaways from LSU women’s basketball’s win over Virginia Tech

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s top-10 win over Virginia Tech.

In front of a packed PMAC, LSU women’s basketball picked up a massive nonconference win on Thursday night.

Hosting No. 9 Virginia Tech, LSU got its first real test since losing the season opener to Colorado, and the Tigers passed it with flying colors.

It was a rematch of last year’s Final Four, with many of the same players on the court.

The story entering the night was [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] making her return after she had been out for undisclosed reasons.

LSU now gets some time off, not back in action until Dec. 10. But first, here are five takeaways from LSU’s big win.

Instant Analysis: LSU makes a statement in win against No. 9 Virginia Tech in Angel Reese’s return

Angel Reese’s return helped lead LSU to an 18-point win over a top-10 opponent.

The No. 7 LSU women’s basketball team made a statement at home on Thursday night, taking down No. 9 Virginia Tech to move to 8-1 on the young season as coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] earned her 700th career win.

The Tigers had a very sloppy start offensively and had more turnovers (seven) than made field goals (four) in the first quarter. The Hokies led by as much as nine in the opening frame, but LSU quickly turned the tables.

Coach Kim Mulkey’s team outscored Virginia Tech 22-9 in the second quarter, shooting 50% for the period as VT missed its final seven field goals of the half and recorded none in the final 4:50.

LSU claimed a 35-29 lead at halftime with [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] leading the way as she nearly totaled a double-double in the first half with 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Tigers would only continue to stretch that lead in the second half, in which they shot 61.3% and led by as much as 22.

Morrow finished with a 19-point, 15-rebound double-double, while [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] led the way offensively with 20 points. In her return to the court, [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] nearly also recorded a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds.

Her return had a major impact as LSU dominated the boards, outrebounding Virginia Tech 43-29. The Tigers played a much cleaner game in the final 20 minutes and only had four turnovers in the second half.

LSU has passed its last major non-conference test, and it will likely be moving back up in the rankings with the win. Mulkey’s team will next take the court on Dec. 10 when it hosts Louisiana.

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How to watch No. 7 LSU women’s basketball host No. 9 Virginia Tech in ACC/SEC Challenge on Thursday night

The Tigers are looking to add a massive win to their resume as Kim Mulkey looks to collect her 700th career victory.

After missing the opportunity for a ranked win in the season-opening loss to Colorado, coach Kim Mulkey’s LSU women’s basketball team will have a colossal opportunity at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Thursday night.

The No. 7-ranked Tigers host No. 9 Virginia Tech in the ACC/SEC Challenge in what will be a rematch of last season’s Final Four matchup, which LSU won. The Hokies are led by eighth-year coach Kenny Brooks, and they’re 5-1 with the only loss so far on the campaign coming by four points against No. 4 Iowa, who LSU beat in the national title game last season.

Here’s everything you need to know as Mulkey looks to collect the 700th win of her career in a nationally televised top-10 matchup.

NEW: Angel Reese to play for LSU against No. 9 Virginia Tech on Thursday night

The Tigers will get a massive boost heading into a top-10 matchup.

LSU has a massive opportunity on Thursday to add a top-10 win to its resume when it hosts No. 9 Virginia Tech, and coach Kim Mulkey’s No. 7-ranked team will get a massive boost heading into that contest.

Star forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], who has been away from the team for the last four games for undisclosed reasons, will play against the Hokies on Thursday. Mulkey announced Reese’s return in her press conference on Wednesday.

Reese was one of the best players in the entire country last season, leading LSU to its first national title in program history. The Tigers went 4-0 in her absence, but after a tight win over Virginia, they’ll need her back as they host a very talented Virginia Tech team.

LSU will look to make up for a loss to Colorado to begin the season with a statement win at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Thursday night.

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2023 ESPN Events Invitational: Full college basketball tournament schedule and results

Here is your updated schedule for the ESPN Events Invitational with updated matchups beginning today.

Penn State men’s basketball will ramp up the level of difficulty in non-conference play by participating in this year’s ESPN Events Invitational in Florida. The Nittany Lions are one of eight programs participating in this year’s event over the Thanksgiving weekend, and they will help get things started in the first game with a rematch with Texas A&M on Thursday afternoon.

Penn State bounced the Aggies in the first round of last season’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but a lot has happened with Penn State’s program since that meeting. Penn State went through a coaching change and a good amount of roster turnover as well. The Aggies continued to build and will arrive in Florida with a top-15 ranking in the basketball polls. A bit of revenge will be on the mind for Texas A&M in the first game of this week’s ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State could also match up with one of last season’s Final Four teams, FAU, or the former program coached by Mike Rhoades, VCU. This could make for a fun weekend for Penn State.

Penn State is making its second appearance in the ESPN Events Invitational, but the last trip did not go well. Penn State went 0-3 in the 2007 tournament with losses to South Carolina, Rider, and UCF. That year’s tournament was won by NC State with a one-point victory over Villanova. The last Big Ten team to win the tournament was Maryland in 2019. It is the only year a Big Ten school has won the tournament. The Big Ten has been represented in 13 of the 16 events.

Here is a full schedule of this year’s ESPN Events Invitational, with TV and stream information and approximate starting times for each game. This tracker will be updated with final scores, photos, and updated matchups as the tournament unfolds, so be sure to bookmark this post for future reference.