Tuesday, December 29, 2015

A taste of what's to come

Today's results:

#25 DePaul escaped Marquette, 91-86.

Big East Conference play has begun, and Seton Hall downed Providence, 64-54, while St. John's put away Creighton, 66-55.

North Carolina edged New Hampshire, 65-60.

Vanderbilt whooped New Mexico State, 71-45.

Arizona staved off George Mason, 68-60.

Princeton thrashed Marist, 77-44.

Xavier outlasted Georgetown, 59-54.

Washington and Washington State will battle at 8 p.m. Pacific.

All scores.

More conference play begins tomorrow.

Team news:

South Florida is quickly becoming a power in women's basketball.

Player news:


Wake Forest has added Italian forward Elisa Penna to their roster. She is eligible to play immediately.

USA Today top 25 coaches poll

Like the AP poll, not a lot of movement this week, due to the holiday break, in the USA Today top 25 coaches poll:

1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Maryland
6. Texas
7. Kentucky
8. Mississippi State
9. Ohio State
10. Oregon State
11. Stanford
12. Duke
13. Florida State
14. Texas A&M
15. Northwestern
16. Tennessee
17. South Florida
18. California
19. Oklahoma
20. Miami-Florida
21. Arizona State
22. Michigan State
23. Seton Hall
24. DePaul
25. Iowa

Monday, December 28, 2015

Hitting the ground running

Almost-upsets:

#3 Notre Dame edged #10 Oregon State, 62-61.

#1 UConn survived #6 Maryland, 83-73.

Other results:

Hampton upended Wake Forest, 47-42.

George Washington bested Illinois, 70-57.

Samford eclipsed LSU, 47-44.

All scores.

Player news:

Katelynn Flaherty is lighting it up at Michigan.

AP top 25 poll: no drop outs

AP top 25 poll for the week:

1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Texas
5. Baylor
6. Maryland
7. Kentucky
8. Mississippi State
9. Ohio State
10. Oregon State
11. Stanford
12. Duke
13. Tennessee
14. Northwestern
15. Florida State
16. Texas A&M
17. Arizona State
18. Oklahoma
19. California
20. South Florida
21. UCLA
22. Miami
23. Missouri
24. Michigan State
25. DePaul

Coach's chair: Joe McKeown, Northwestern University

In this week's coach's chair is Northwestern University's Joe McKeown, who has has a stunningly successful career record.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

ESPN's mid-major rankings

Do you agree with the bi-weekly top 10?:

1. Green Bay
2. South Dakota State
3. St. Mary's
4. Dayton
5. Florida Gulf Coast
6. Gonzaga
7. Duquesne
8. Princeton
9. South Dakota
10. Army

Some oddities in the last night of games before break

Eastern Michigan came from 16 points behind to edge Michigan, 64-63.

San Diego upended BYU, 78-65.

Santa Clara topped St. Mary's, 73-67.

Pacific downed San Francisco, 70-57.

Also:

Georgia routed Cincinnati, 60-42. They are 11-1.

Gonzaga held off Loyola Marymount, 66-59. Shelby Cheslek broke the Bulldog program record for blocks, swatting her 177th.

All scores.

Team news:

The Oregon State Beavers are facing adversity with Sydney Wiese's injury.

Player news:

Foreign players are bolstering college hoops.

Former Kentucky guard Morgan Rich has transferred to Oklahoma.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Preconference play winding down

In the dad vs. daughter match up of Erica McCall and Greg McCall, it was #12 Stanford over Cal State Bakersfield, 83-41.

All scores.

Player news:

Duke junior Oderah Chidom is regaining confidence after injury.

UConn freshmen Napheesha Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson are shining in starting roles.

Coach news:

Coach Kelly Graves can save Oregon hoops.

Pepperdine and former coach Ryan Weisenberg are being sued for sexual discrimination.

USA Basketball news:


A'ja Wilson is the 2015 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.

International news:

The Olympics are still in Australian Marianna Tolo's grasp after knee reconstruction.

USA Today top 25 coaches poll

TAMU up, DePaul down, Seton Hall in this week's USA Today top 25 coaches poll:

1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Maryland
6. Texas
7. Kentucky
8. Mississippi State
9. Oregon State
10. Ohio State
11. Stanford
12. Duke
13. Florida State
14. Texas A&M
15. Northwestern
16. Tennessee
17. South Florida
18. California
19. Oklahoma
20. Miami
21. Arizona State
22. Michigan State
23. DePaul
24. Seton Hall
25. Iowa

Monday, December 21, 2015

Epic game

Preconference game of the year so far:

Did you catch that? Cal pulled one out over UCLA in two overtimes, 108-104.

Just epic.

Upsets:

Loyola Chicago toppled #17 DePaul, 88-75.

#22 Arizona State upended #10 Florida State, 68-56.

Almost-upsets:

#8 Mississippi State survived SMU, 72-70.

More results:

Florida got past NC State, 79-72. The Gators are now 11-1.

South Dakota State downed Bowling Green, 58-45.

Nebraska hung in to best Arkansas State, 79-71.

Purdue routed Maine, 56-33.

Arizona thrashed Gardner-Webb, 79-60. It was a career night for Taryn Griffey.

FGCU dominated Western Michigan, 60-42.

#11 Oregon State rebounded from their loss Saturday to smash Cal Poly, 80-43.

#4 Baylor beat James Madison, 77-63.

#1 Connecticut stomped LSU, 86-40, despite the absence of Breanna Stewart, who was sitting out with an ankle injury.

All scores.

Team news:

Texas looks to rebuild their legacy.

Player news:

Oregon State guard Sydney Wiese is injured, and didn't play today.

Coach news:

At 11-0, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is setting specific goals for her team.

Sheryl Swoopes:

.....is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame nominee.

WNBA news:

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve on "how to live a cool life."

Many changes in this week's AP top 25 poll

St. John's out, Missouri in, and lots of jostling in this week's AP top 25 poll:

1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Texas
6. Maryland
7. Kentucky
8. Mississippi State
9. Ohio State
10. Florida State
11. Oregon State
12. Stanford
13. Duke
14. Tennessee
15. Northwestern
16. Texas A&M
17. DePaul
18. Oklahoma
19. UCLA
20. South Florida
21. California
22. Arizona State
23. Miami
24. Michigan State
25. Missouri

The latest Division I RPI rankings

The list:

1. UConn
2. Stanford
3. Notre Dame
4. Southern California
5. Kentucky
6. Tennessee
7. Georgia
8. Duke
9. BYU
10. Baylor

Interesting stuff.

Full game-day prelude

65 games today, with some interesting match ups.

Team news:

The "no-quit nine" has flipped the script for Kentucky.

Player news:

Evelyn Akhator helps complete Kentucky.

UConn's Kia Nurse is making the most of her winter break.

Coach news:

UConn coach Geno Auriemma talks tough scheduling.

WNBA news:

Outsports has named Indiana Fever guard Layshia Clarendon their female hero of the year.

USA Basketball:

Coach and player offseason updates.

Coach's chair: Jeff Judkins, BYU

I've been enjoying my interviews with some of the game's best coaches, asking them questions particular to their lives and coaching experiences. Talking with BYU coach Jeff Judkins was enlightening because he played for the NBA back in the day.......when both he and I feel like it was the real NBA. His feelings about that league are my feelings: it isn't the same.

Even more than that, I appreciate the way coach Judkins went into women's basketball and never left. He loves it. Check it out.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Beyond the games

Team news:

Navy is learning to adjust.

Player news:

Notre Dame's Brianna Turner is making progress and may soon return from injury.

An attitude adjustment has paid big dividends for Kentucky's Alexis Jennings.

Bigger and better, Allie Havers is giving Nebraska force inside.

Duke's Rebecca Greenwell is a Kentucky fan in a Blue Devil jersey.

Duke junior forward Kendall Cooper will miss the remainder of the season. She'll be eligible to return next fall.

Zoe Beard-Fails has worked her way into a bigger role for Colorado.

Coach news:

Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell is recovering quickly after knee surgery this week.

For Old Dominion coach Karen Barefoot, the program's 1,000-win milestone this week was especially meaningful.

With TeeTee Starks out for the season, Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly seeks point guard depth.

Tulane coach Lisa Stockton seeks consistency.

Down they go

#14 Tennessee handed #7 Oregon State their first loss of the season, 53-50. And what a game it was, with the Lady Vols mounting a huge lead by halftime, to see the Beavers make a run in the third quarter that continued until the final buzzer sounded. Amazing game from both teams.

Yes, Tennessee can finish and yes, Oregon State will be back and better than ever, as they are motivated by losses.

#16 DePaul took down #12 Northwestern, 77-64.

Duquesne routed #25 St. John's, 76-57.

Cal State Bakersfield edged Cal Poly, 57-52, for their second season win.

Knocking on upset's door:

#4 Baylor 88, #23 Miami 81.

#9 Mississippi State 65, FGCU 60.

Iowa 60, Bradley 53.

More results:

Green Bay 58, South Dakota State 57.

#21 Arizona State 90, Marquette 80.

SMU 58, Arizona 46. It was the Wildcats' second loss of the season.

Rutgers 69, LSU 57.

Wyoming got by Montana State in overtime, 75-69.

All scores.

Tomorrow's featured matchups:

#18 Texas A&M at #17 Oklahoma

#13 Duke at #8 Kentucky

Princeton at Dayton

James Madison at West Virginia

Washington State at Kansas

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

The drama

Today's results:

#15 Stanford beat #14 Tennessee, 69-55. That loud continuous scream you hear are Lady Vols having a complete nuclear meltdown.

#2 South Carolina whooped Hampton, 86-48.

New Mexico pounded Minnesota, 72-53.

#5 Texas routed Canisius, 92-62.

#9 Mississippi State bested Southern Miss, 78-65.

#19 UCLA throttled UC Irvine, 83-48.

Tulane slipped by Ole Miss, 61-59.

All scores.

Team news:

Vancouver, B.C. will host a Division I showcase in November, 2017.

Will UConn's dominance end anytime soon? Not anytime this season.

UMaine is putting up good numbers.

Player news:

Senior forward/center Liz Brenner is leading undefeated Oregon.

Wisconsin transfer Avyanna Young is eager to return to form after sitting out last year.

Leticia Romero has found her home away from home at Florida State.

Q&A with Michigan sophomore Katelynn Flaherty.

Southern Illinois freshman Tiajaney Hawkins will take a medical redshirt this season, to get surgery on her shoulder.

Coach news:

Sheryl Swoopes has transitioned from superstar to head coach of Loyola Chicago.

WNBA news:

Some former NBA player named Gilbert Arenas made some insults about the WNBA and its players today. The WNBA and several players fired back on his ignorant ass.

The end.

Curt Miller to be named Connecticut Sun coach, sources say

Former college coach Curt Miller, who spent this past summer as Los Angeles Sparks assistant coach, will reportedly be named Connecticut Sun head coach tomorrow.

Other WNBA news:

Indiana Fever point guard Briann January is promoting women's basketball in India.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

High school rankings begin

ESPN's top 25, week one:

1. St. Mary's
2. Paul VI
3. Mater Dei
4. Duncanville
5. Neumann-Goretti
6. National Christian Academy
7. Riverdale Baptist
8. Chaminade College Prep Schoo
9. Hopkins
10. Lakota West
11. Homestead
12. Columbus North
13. Heritage Christian
14. Blackman
15. Centennial
16. Ribault
17. Montini
18. Konawaena
19. Good Counsel
20. Christ the King
21. Elizabethtown
22. St. Francis
23. Riverdale
24. Long Beach Polytechnic
25. Providence Day School

Nike Tournament of Champions:

Nike TOC tips off next week, and undefeated Wesleyan of Georgia will be there.

More high school news:

Mesa Ridge Colorado star center Kylee Shook is shaking up the prep scene.

Champlain Valley Union has set a Vermont girls basketball record with 75 consecutive wins.

Upsets, records, transfers and polls

Upset:

South Dakota State took down #18 DePaul, 88-79.

More results:

#7 Oregon State routed Cal State Bakersfield, 75-51.

Memphis edged Central Michigan, 64-61. The Chippewas have dropped four straight.

Oregon is 9-0 after a 95-81 decision over UC Riverside.

#11 Florida State pounded Mercer, 79-36.

#12 Northwestern smashed Alcorn State, 91-47.

#20 South Florida at Northern Colorado was cancelled, due to snow.

All scores.

Team news:

Old Dominion's win over Howard tonight is the 1,000th for the program, making them only the fourth Division I school in history to reach that mark.

UConn is ready for a nice December break.

Player news:

Connecticut freshman De'Janae Boykin will transfer.

Cartaesha Macklin is quietly ripping apart the SIU record book.

Iowa State's Bridget Carleton is finding her way after recovering from a concussion.

Leah Fechko - a leader has emerged for young St. Francis.

National Championship news:

National Championship play dates and times have been announced for Division I, II and III.

More top 25 polls for the week:

Division II

Division III

USA Today top 25 coaches poll

Syracuse out, Seton Hall in:

1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Maryland
6. Texas
7. Oregon State
8. Kentucky
9. Mississippi State
10. Florida State
11. Duke
12. Ohio State
13, Northwestern
14. Stanford
15. DePaul
16. Tennessee
17. Oklahoma
18. Texas A&M
19. South Florida
20 California
21. Miami
22. Michigan State
23. Arizona State
24. Iowa
25. Seton Hall

Monday, December 14, 2015

400

Tonight's results:

#21 Arizona State's 60-29 rout of Hartford gave coach Charli Turner Thorne her 400th career win.

Oklahoma State beat North Carolina, 77-67.

All scores.

Tomorrow's big match ups include #18 DePaul at 8-2 South Dakota State, and 6-3 Mercer at #11 Florida State.

Team news:

Louisville needs more from their freshman class.

Wake Forest shattered an attendance record yesterday.

Player news:

Swish Appeal broke the news last night, but today it's official: Linnae Harper has transferred to Ohio State.

Oregon State freshman Taylor Kalmer is learning quickly.

The torch is being passed to Kahleah Copper at Rutgers.

Iowa State freshman TeeTee Starks will have knee surgery tomorrow to repair torn cartilage, and will forego the season.

Coach news:

A tight-knit coaching staff contributes to a team's success.

High school news:

Former hoops greats Nikki Teasley and Cathy Parson are now both coaching high school basketball.....and are occasionally going head-to-head.

AP top 25 poll

Syracuse out, St. John's, Miami in:

1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Texas
6. Maryland
7. Oregon State
8. Kentucky
9. Mississippi State
10. Ohio State
11. Florida State
12. Duke
13. Northwestern
14. Tennessee
15. Stanford
16. DePaul
17. Oklahoma
18. Texas A&M
19. UCLA
20. South Florida
21. Arizona State
22. California
23. Miami
24. Michigan State
25. St. John's

Coach's chair: Joni Taylor, University of Georgia

Here's yet another one I fell in coach love with: Joni Taylor, University of Georgia.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Great performances

#3 Baylor's Niya Johnson tallied a school-record 19 assists in the team's 105-46 thrashing of McNeese State. The Bears are 10-0.

Alaina Coates delivered a triple-double for #2 South Carolina in their 86-37 romp over Winthrop. She had 29 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks. The Gamecocks are 9-0.

Sophomore Victoria Vivians lead #9 Mississippi State over Louisiana Tech, 93-63, with 36 points. That included seven three-point shots.

#5 Texas 77, #14 Stanford 69......Empress Davenport had a personal-best 23 points for the Longhorns, who are 8-0.

#20 UCLA 86, Michigan 77......Nirra Fields lead the Bruins with 22 points and Monique Billings added a career-high 20, plus 11 boards.

#21 South Florida 61, Chattanooga 33......Alisia Jenkins set a career rebounds school record for the Bulls.

#25 Michigan State 82, Oakland 62......Jasmine Hines put up a career-high 21 points for the Spartans.

#8 Kentucky 68, Middle Tennessee 52......the Wildcats are 9-0.

#12 Northwestern 81, Loyola Chicago 72......those Wildcats are 9-0 as well.

More results:

USC pounded Long Beach State, 69-43. The Trojans are 8-0.

St. John's stomped UCF, 70-42.

Elon edged NC State, 69-66.

Purdue handled Ball State, 73-63.

Louisville topped IUPUI, 70-61.

James Madison hammered Richmond, 73-47.

George Washington took down Villanova, 78-70.

Tulsa defeated UALR, 74-63.

All scores.

One of the numerous interesting things about this season so far is that many teams that have been traditionally solid are struggling: Louisville, Chattanooga, North Carolina, Middle Tennessee State, UALR, Penn State, just to name a few.

Connecticut and South Carolina in the Final Four this year seems a foregone conclusion. The other two spots? Wide open.

Team news:

Ohio State assistant coach Mark Mitchell and players Shayla Cooper and Chelsea Mitchell were suspended for today's game against North Carolina AT&T for "conduct detrimental to the team."

Player news:

Moriah Mack is set to return for New Mexico State.

Freshman Hallie Thome is finding her role at Michigan.

Freshman guard Riley Rose has left Missouri State.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Team records starting to show who's boss

Today's upsets:

#18 DePaul upended #15 Texas A&M, 80-66.

#24 Arizona State bested #19 Syracuse, 61-54, though I don't consider that a true upset.

Almost-upset:

#22 Cal is stayin' alive: 87-80 over Nebraska in overtime.

More results:

Missouri edged Colorado , 79-75. Mizzou is now 10-0 for the first time in school history.

Oregon crushed Portland, 93-52, sinking 13 three-point shots in the process. The Ducks are 8-0.

Alabama defeated Georgetown, 78-66. The Crimson Tide are 8-1.

Princeton took care of Pitt, 61-47. The Tigers are 8-1.

Illinois slipped by Central Michigan, 74-69. The Illini are 7-1.

St. Bonaventure beat Penn State, 70-60. The Bonnies are 8-2.

St. Mary's topped Washington State, 75-71. Both teams are now 8-2.

BYU put out Utah's fire, 73-59. It was the second loss of the season for the Utes.

Santa Clara downed Texas Tech, 75-70. It was the second loss of the season for Tech.

South Dakota State escaped Creighton, 53-51.

Marist routed 0-9 Boston University, 73-54.

All scores.

Team news:

Texas is ramping up efforts to improve attendance.

Is offense Kentucky's new calling card?

Player news:

Taya Reimer has left Notre Dame for the balance of the season for personal reasons. Her teammate Madison Cable is doing all things big and little for the Irish.

Jonquel Jones is elevating her game for George Washington.

Purdue's Hayden Hamby maintains a perimeter presence.

Kentucky freshman Maci Morris is improving her overall game.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Contemplation in scores

#8 Kentucky is still going strong after several player departures: they beat Louisville, 72-54.

Florida and Arizona may have got hot just in time to save some jobs.

The Gators routed Wisconsin, 91-75, and the 'Cats took care of Louisiana Tech, 77-67.

BYU ruined Weber State's great start by trouncing them, 68-51.

Arkansas finally found someone they could beat: Oral Roberts, 65-50.

All scores.

Tomorrow is highlighted by:

#1 Connecticut at #11 Florida State

#16 Tennessee at Wichita State

#23 Iowa at Iowa State

Gonzaga at Dayton

Cancer fundraiser; looming match up

Team news:

Coastal Carolina raised funds earlier this week for freshman DJ Williams, who is battling cancer.

Maryland is coming together, says coach Brenda Frese.

There are new signs of hope for Notre Dame in an injury-plagued season.

Missouri is generating more steals and fast break chances this season.

New Mexico is thriving with more speed.

UNCW is focusing on defense.

Player news:

Oregon State's Jamie Weisner is in an offensive groove.

UConn's Kia Nurse is off to a slow start in her sophomore season.

Tennessee-Wichita State match up tomorrow:

#16 Tennessee wants to reverse their tailspin in this road game.

The tradition will test Wichita State.

The Lady Vols are hoping to tilt their free throw balance.

Tennessee is headed down the wrong road, one columnist says.

Shockers coach Jody Adams supports Tennessee coach Holly Warlick.

Lady Vol alumni saw the team off.

Pro news:

Texas star Nneka Enemkpali has turned her Nigerian parents into fans.

USA Basketball:

The U19 team is USA Basketball's team of the year.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Naismith Trophy early season watch list

Lindsay Allen Notre Dame Junior G Atlantic Coast
Jillian Alleyne Oregon Junior F Pac 12
Ameryst Alston Ohio State Senior G Big Ten
Rachel Banham Minnesota Senior G Big Ten
Imani Boyette Texas Senior C Big 12
Adut Bulgak Florida State Senior C Atlantic Coast
Jordin Canada UCLA Sophomore G Pac 12
Alaina Coates South Carolina Junior C SEC
Nia Coffey Northwestern Junior F Big Ten
Kahleah Copper Rutgers Senior G/F Big Ten
Nina Davis Baylor Junior F Big 12
Amber Deane Dayton Junior G Atlantic 10
Kim Demmings Wright State Senior G Horizon
Diamond DeShields Tennessee Sophomore G SEC
Makayla Epps Kentucky Junior G SEC
Bashaara Graves Tennessee Senior F SEC
Rebecca Greenwell Duke Sophomore G Atlantic Coast
Ruth Hamblin Oregon State Senior C Pac 12
Aliyyah Handford St John's Senior G Big East
Bria Holmes West Virginia Senior G Big 12
Moriah Jefferson Connecticut Senior G American Athletic
Chanise Jenkins DePaul Senior G Big East
Niya Johnson Baylor Senior G Big 12
Jonquel Jones George Washington Senior F Atlantic 10
Brionna Jones Maryland Junior C Big Ten
Brittney Martin Oklahoma State Senior F Big 12
Tiffany Mitchell South Carolina Senior G SEC
Kelsey Mitchell Ohio State Sophomore G Big Ten
Adrienne Motley Miami Junior G Atlantic Coast
Kelsey Plum Washington Junior G Pac 12
Aerial Powers Michigan State Junior F Big Ten
Courtney Range California Junior F Pac 12
Shereesha Richards Albany Senior F America East
Tabatha Richardson-Smith Seton Hall Senior G Big East
Leticia Romero Florida State Junior G Atlantic Coast
Jessica Shepard Nebraska Freshman F Big Ten
Azura' Stevens Duke Sophomore F Atlantic Coast
Breanna Stewart Connecticut Senior F American Athletic
Rachel Theriot Nebraska Senior G Big Ten
Lili Thompson Stanford Junior G Pac 12
Morgan Tuck Connecticut Junior F American Athletic
Brianna Turner Notre Dame Sophomore F Atlantic Coast
Victoria Vivians Mississippi State Sophomore G SEC
Courtney Walker Texas A&M Senior G SEC
Shatori Walker – Kimbrough Maryland Junior G Big Ten
Jamie Weisner Oregon State Senior G Pac 12
Sydney Wiese Oregon State Junior G Pac 12
Courtney Williams South Florida Senior G American Athletic
Courtney Williams Texas A&M Senior F SEC
A'Ja Wilson South Carolina Sophomore F SEC

List link

Caution: wide load (of news)

Today's results:

#3 Notre Dame held off #18 DePaul, 95-90.

South Dakota State outlasted Northern Iowa in two overtimes, 89-86.

Seton Hall downed Fordham, 66-54.

Utah defeated Creighton 74-58.

St. John's topped Yale, 69-56.

All scores.

Team news:

ESPN's mid-major top ten.

Tamika Catchings addressed the Lady Vols yesterday.

The South Carolina Gamecocks have passed their early tests.

Kentucky has overcome player departures for a fast start.

Troy leads the nation in scoring.

Louisville is not standing pat.

Weber State is off to its best-ever start.

Missouri is looking for an historic start.

Player news:

A life on the move has molded UCLA's Nirra Fields.

UConn's Morgan Tuck has a goal to be an All-American. Tuck may be overshadowed, but coach Geno Auriemma appreciates her.

Janee Thompson is becoming Kentucky's big shot.

Q&A with Michigan junior Seira Thompson.

Kayla Steward is beginning to shine at Eastern Illinois.

Colorado is looking for Haley Smith to become a vocal leader.

Senior leaders are showing the way at Lehigh.

Coach news:

Leave Tennessee coach Holly Warlick alone, one columnist says.

Times have changed since NC State athletics director Debbie Yow was a coach.

Minnesota coach Marlene Stollings has reimbursed the school for a makeover they bought for her prior to her introductory news conference last year.

The evolution of Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw.

Pro news:

The WNBA is progressing in its search for a new president.

I wonder if they're waiting for a new president to begin marketing the league. Arrrrrggghhhhh

Liberty guard Epiphanny Prince tore her ACL playing in Russia and underwent surgery today.

Evie Goldstein has resigned as director of the WNBA player's union.

WNBA announces rules changes

Rule changes on tap for the 2016 WNBA season:

- Option to advance the ball after a timeout
- An away-from-the-play foul in the last two minutes will result in one free throw by any player in the game and possession
- The throw-in from the frontcourt during the last two minutes of the fourth period and last two minutes of overtime may be thrown into the backcourt
- If a team has committed three or fewer team fouls during the first eight minutes of any regulation period, or two or fewer team fouls during the first three minutes of any overtime period, the team will be penalized beginning with the second team foul in the last two minutes
- Instant-replay reviews of a two- or three-point shot attempt will be conducted immediately upon a successful basket when the clock stops in the last two minutes of the fourth period or last two minutes of any overtime period

Georgia's Marjorie Butler redefining "student-athlete"

Double-major while playing a major college sport? Georgia point guard Marjorie Butler says "check."

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Some teams continuing their runs

Today's results:

Georgia picked up their eighth straight win by crushing Furman, 77-39.

Washington State downed Gonzaga, 55-48. The Cougars are 8-1.

Penn State routed Youngstown State, 68-51.

San Francisco routing Long Beach State at this hour.

All scores.

Team news:

Oregon State leads the nation in rebounding margin.

Sports psychology keeps Louisville "above the line."

At 3-4, Colorado is searching for a winning identity.

Player news:

Minnesota will honor new school points record holder Rachel Banham Saturday.

UCF's Aliyah Gregory will brighten Christmas at domestic violence shelters with a toy drive.

Tori Schickel is Butler's silent assassin.

Nebraska's Kyndal Clark is happy to be playing and confident her shooting will improve.

Iowa State freshman Meredith Burkhall has found her stride the last two games.

The "homecoming game" of UConn's Breanna Stewart will be at Colgate.

Coach news:

Associate head coach Mark Campbell's tireless approach is helping the Oregon Ducks turn a corner.

Texas Tech has signed coach Candi Whitaker to a contract extension through 2020.

USA Today top 25 shake up

Like the AP poll yesterday, this week's USA Today top 25 coaches poll has a lot of changes...Seton Hall is out and Miami-Florida is in:

1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Maryland
6. Texas
7. Oregon State
8. Kentucky
9. Florida State
10. Mississippi State
11. Duke
12. Stanford
13. Ohio State
14. Northwestern
15. Tennessee
16. Texas A&M
17. DePaul
18. Oklahoma
19. Iowa
20. South Florida
21. California
22. Miami-Florida
23. Michigan State
24. Arizona State
25. Syracuse

Monday, December 7, 2015

Wrapping up Monday

Team news:

Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico wants her team to be the hardest-working squad in America.

Player news:

Dayton senior Kelley Austria has torn her ACL and is out for the season.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough has improved her shot for Maryland.

From theater to court, Vanderbilt's Minta Spears thrives on the big stage.

Anna Wilson - sister of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell - has signed with Stanford.

Cynthia Hernandez is playing 3,000 miles from home at Rutgers.

St. Bonaventure defeated James Madison, 56-45, which was the only thing unusual in today's scores.

Pro news:

Tamika Catchings on the WNBA, equal pay in sports and giving back on and off the court.

Here is the team Australia has named for a test event for next year's Olympic Games.

Upsets, lack of signees a cause of concern for Tennessee?

ESPN says yes.

Some fans have been calling for coach Holly Warlick's head for a long time.

Others say she should be given time to rebuild the program.

What do you think?

Lots of movement in this week's AP top 25 poll

This week's AP top 25 poll is interesting.......Duke moved up after losing, while Arizona State dropped like a stone? Iowa in and Seton Hall out:

1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Maryland
6. Texas
7. Oregon State
8. Kentucky
9. Mississippi State
10. Ohio State
11. Florida State
12. Northwestern
13. Duke
14. Stanford
15. Texas A&M
16. Tennessee
17. Oklahoma
18. DePaul
19. Syracuse
20. UCLA
21. South Florida
22. California
23. Iowa
24. Arizona State
25. Michigan State

Coach's chair: Jose Fernandez, University of South Florida

USF coach Jose Fernandez is in this week's Coach's chair.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Upendings and personal records

Upsets:

Virginia Tech stunned #8 Tennessee, 53-47. It was the Lady Vols' lowest point total in program history.

(All the Tennessee fans are tripping)

Georgia took down #22 Seton Hall, 70-52.

More (fascinating) results:

#2 South Carolina defeated #14 Duke, 66-55. Tiffany Mitchell had a career-high 28 points for the Gamecocks.

What a score: #18 Cal 117, Sacramento State 99. Cal set a school scoring record, and freshman Kristine Anigwe had a career-high 43 points.

Purdue outlasted Dayton, 61-58, giving coach Sharon Versyp her 200th win.

#21 Oklahoma pulled out a last-second win over Washington, 71-68.

Nebraska slipped by Creighton, 65-63.

Princeton beat Michigan, 74-57.

#6 Texas took care of Arkansas-Little Rock, 66-56.

St. John's put away Kansas, 86-71.

Rutgers routed Arkansas, 60-40.

George Washington rallied to down Memphis, 68-62.

Long Beach State trounced Colorado, 59-42.

Washington State topped San Diego, 78-72.

All scores.

Team news:

The Oregon Ducks remain undefeated.

Player news:

Lindsay Stockton will face her sister at Gonzaga.

Notre Dame's Jersey girl is a freshman with game.

Ohio State's reluctant spectator Kianna Holland is eager to play.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Kent State “#VictorGame” will honor cancer survivors

Kent State coach Danielle O'Banion, a lymphoma survivor, and her team will host a "#VictorGame" Saturday to celebrate cancer survivors.

Much going on

Upset:

Now it's Louisville doing the upsetting: they did it to #19 Michigan State, 85-78.

More results:

Not officially an upset but yes: Boston College 58, Purdue 56.

And another such case: Florida Gulf Coast 64, George Washington 60.

#7 Oregon State prevailed over Marquette, 65-58.

Virginia Tech slipped by Penn State, 64-59.

All scores, though as I post, Gonzaga and Wyoming are entering OT, knotted at 51. Several other good games still in progress, including Washington State vs. Boise State, St. Mary's vs. UC Davis and BYU vs. Hawaii set to kick off in moments.

Saturday's Notre Dame vs. UConn match up:

History of a great rivalry.

Team news:

All of the top teams have already been challenged this season.

Plenty of contenders have emerged.

"Average" is still pretty good for Notre Dame.

FGCU is still confident long-term.

Player news:

Old Dominion's Jennie Sims and Ije Ajembra have been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.

Coach news:

Ryun Williams is brewing a special team at Colorado State.

Ann Myers Drysdale Award watch list:

Great players here.