Many of the stat leaders aren't the "biggies," whether individual or team:
Points Per Game »
Through games of February 27, 2015
RANK NAME TEAM PPG
1 Jasmine Nwajei Wagner 24.5
2 Kelsey Mitchell Ohio St. 24.4
3 Damika Martinez Iona 23.9
4 Brittany Crain UC Riverside 23.2
5 Kelsey Plum Washington 23.1
6 Lizzy Wendell Drake 22.8
7 Alexa Hayward Saint Francis (PA) 22.7
8 Kelsey Minato Army 22.4
9 Tay'Ler Mingo Wright St. 22.4
10 Ashia Jones UT Martin 22.4
Rebounds Per Game »
Through games of February 27, 2015
RANK NAME TEAM RPG
1 Vicky McIntyre Oral Roberts 15.4
2 Jillian Alleyne Oregon 15.2
3 Ruvanna Campbell Ill.-Chicago 14.3
4 Joy Adams Iona 12.7
5 Jonquel Jones George Washington 12.6
6 Amanda Zahui B. Minnesota 12.4
7 Aerial Powers Michigan St. 11.9
8 Paulina Zaveckaite North Florida 11.9
9 Breanna Rucker Bryant 11.8
10 Alisia Jenkins South Fla. 11.6
Scoring Offense »
Through games of February 27, 2015
RANK TEAM PPG
1 UConn 89.4
2 DePaul 87.7
3 Sacramento St. 83.8
4 Notre Dame 83.1
5 Maryland 81.3
6 Baylor 81.1
7 Ohio St. 80.6
8 Iowa 79.4
9 South Dakota 79.2
10 Quinnipiac 78.7
Scoring Defense »
Through games of February 27, 2015
RANK TEAM OPP PPG
1 UConn 47.3
2 Wichita St. 50.2
3 UALR 50.3
4 Chattanooga 50.6
5 Presbyterian 51.3
6 Princeton 51.4
7 Army 52.3
8 Maine 52.7
9 South Carolina 52.8
10 Georgia 53.4
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Things are getting interesting
Upset:
Iowa State upended #3 Baylor, 76-71. It's the second straight loss for the Bears.
More results:
#7 Oregon Stste clinched the Pac 12 title in beating #24 Cal, 73-55. The Beavers end Stanford's long reign as conference champs.
#14 Princeton stopped Brown, 79-67. They are 27-0 and one win shy of the Ivy League record for best program start.
Illinois downed Michigan, 72-60, and earned a bye for the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Kansas surprised Oklahoma, 65-58.
Michigan State edged Purdue, 61-56.
Washington topped UCLA, 74-61.
Sacramento State set a school scoring record in their 123-77 thrashing of Portland State.
Gonzaga ran away from BYU, 73-66.
Washington State bested USC, 68-62.
Long Beach State defeated Cal State Fullerton, 69-62.
TCU routed Kansas State, 67-47.
Georgia Tech prevailed over Wake Forest, 67-60.
Oklahoma State outlasted Texas Tech, 47-44.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
UConn center Kiah Stokes has two tough guys in her corner.
Team news:
Maryland is taking its shot at a perfect Big Ten debut.
Rebuilding Alabama and Auburn share youth, and last place in the SEC.
Coaching news:
Tennessee coach Holly Warlick slipped on the ice Wednesday and broke her wrist.
Iowa State upended #3 Baylor, 76-71. It's the second straight loss for the Bears.
More results:
#7 Oregon Stste clinched the Pac 12 title in beating #24 Cal, 73-55. The Beavers end Stanford's long reign as conference champs.
#14 Princeton stopped Brown, 79-67. They are 27-0 and one win shy of the Ivy League record for best program start.
Illinois downed Michigan, 72-60, and earned a bye for the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Kansas surprised Oklahoma, 65-58.
Michigan State edged Purdue, 61-56.
Washington topped UCLA, 74-61.
Sacramento State set a school scoring record in their 123-77 thrashing of Portland State.
Gonzaga ran away from BYU, 73-66.
Washington State bested USC, 68-62.
Long Beach State defeated Cal State Fullerton, 69-62.
TCU routed Kansas State, 67-47.
Georgia Tech prevailed over Wake Forest, 67-60.
Oklahoma State outlasted Texas Tech, 47-44.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
UConn center Kiah Stokes has two tough guys in her corner.
Team news:
Maryland is taking its shot at a perfect Big Ten debut.
Rebuilding Alabama and Auburn share youth, and last place in the SEC.
Coaching news:
Tennessee coach Holly Warlick slipped on the ice Wednesday and broke her wrist.
Friday, February 27, 2015
It's almost that time again already
Today's results:
#10 Arizona State avoided an upset by slipping by Utah, 46-42.
It looks like #14 Princeton might get through the regular season without a loss. They routed Yale, 67-49. Coach Courtney Banghart set the school all-time wins record in the process.
Seton Hall put away Xavier, 77-60.
St. John's ousted Butler, 60-49.
UTEP rallied past Louisiana Tech, 88-75.
Full scoreboard.
The Pac 12 regular season ends this weekend, as in other conferences. I still can't believe it's almost that time again already.
Player news:
Middle Tennessee senior Cheyenne Parker has been dismissed for repeated violations of athletic department policy.
Texas A&M junior guard Jordan Jones will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL sustained in last night's game against Missouri.
Blake Dietrick leads undefeated Princeton.
Oklahoma's Gabbi Ortiz and her father have a very deep bond.
Promise Amukamara has fulfilled her mission at Arizona State.
Rutgers senior Christa Evans plans to pay it forward once her college career is over.
UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis has found fame, family and friendship.
Iowa State's Nikki Moody: one for the record.
Coaching news:
Louisiana Tech is pinning their hopes on a new Summitt.
Pat Summitt:
Is doing well, son Tyler Summitt says.
WNBA news:
Examining the legacy of Tamika Catchings.
#10 Arizona State avoided an upset by slipping by Utah, 46-42.
It looks like #14 Princeton might get through the regular season without a loss. They routed Yale, 67-49. Coach Courtney Banghart set the school all-time wins record in the process.
Seton Hall put away Xavier, 77-60.
St. John's ousted Butler, 60-49.
UTEP rallied past Louisiana Tech, 88-75.
Full scoreboard.
The Pac 12 regular season ends this weekend, as in other conferences. I still can't believe it's almost that time again already.
Player news:
Middle Tennessee senior Cheyenne Parker has been dismissed for repeated violations of athletic department policy.
Texas A&M junior guard Jordan Jones will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL sustained in last night's game against Missouri.
Blake Dietrick leads undefeated Princeton.
Oklahoma's Gabbi Ortiz and her father have a very deep bond.
Promise Amukamara has fulfilled her mission at Arizona State.
Rutgers senior Christa Evans plans to pay it forward once her college career is over.
UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis has found fame, family and friendship.
Iowa State's Nikki Moody: one for the record.
Coaching news:
Louisiana Tech is pinning their hopes on a new Summitt.
Pat Summitt:
Is doing well, son Tyler Summitt says.
WNBA news:
Examining the legacy of Tamika Catchings.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Women's Basketball Team
You've got to have at least a 3.85 GPA to be on this team. Four members have a 4.0:
First Team:
Amanda Corral, Northern Illinois University
Ashley Rininger, Liberty University
Jen Dumiak, American University
Taryn Wicijowski, University of Utah
Ashley Luke, Western Illinois University
Second Team:
Cierra Burdick, University of Tennessee
Averee Fields, West Virginia University
Megan Waytashek, South Dakota State University
Ruth Hamblin, Oregon State University
Breanna Stewart, University of Connecticut
Third Team:
Nicole Elmblad, University of Michigan
Samantha Logic, University of Iowa
Ally Disterhoft, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Williams, Duke University
Michelle Miller, Princeton University
First Team:
Amanda Corral, Northern Illinois University
Ashley Rininger, Liberty University
Jen Dumiak, American University
Taryn Wicijowski, University of Utah
Ashley Luke, Western Illinois University
Second Team:
Cierra Burdick, University of Tennessee
Averee Fields, West Virginia University
Megan Waytashek, South Dakota State University
Ruth Hamblin, Oregon State University
Breanna Stewart, University of Connecticut
Third Team:
Nicole Elmblad, University of Michigan
Samantha Logic, University of Iowa
Ally Disterhoft, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Williams, Duke University
Michelle Miller, Princeton University
Deep coaching questions
Coaching questions:
Should Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer have made $1.6 million last year?
Is the end coming for Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson?
Player news:
Kelsey Moos is ASU's hustle player.
Oregon senior Megan Carpenter is feeling "bittersweet" emotions at the end of her tenure.
Ole Miss' seniors are relentless in the face of adversity.
Nikki Moody became Iowa State's go-to player after conflicts with coach Bill Fennelly.
Team news:
Are the Lady Vols slipping off the national stage?
WNBA news:
Tamika Catchings just signed the final two-year contract of her pro career.
Soon-to-be Spark Jennifer Hamson is preparing for life in the WNBA.
Epiphanny Prince is returning to her Brooklyn roots.
Today's WNBA transactions:
Team Player Transaction
Connecticut Kayla Pedersen Contract Signed
Indiana Tamika Catchings Contract Signed
Los Angeles Alana Beard Contract Signed
Tulsa Jessica Kuster Contract Signed
High school news:
Two married Mississippi high school coaches vowed never to play each other's teams again.
Should Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer have made $1.6 million last year?
Is the end coming for Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson?
Player news:
Kelsey Moos is ASU's hustle player.
Oregon senior Megan Carpenter is feeling "bittersweet" emotions at the end of her tenure.
Ole Miss' seniors are relentless in the face of adversity.
Nikki Moody became Iowa State's go-to player after conflicts with coach Bill Fennelly.
Team news:
Are the Lady Vols slipping off the national stage?
WNBA news:
Tamika Catchings just signed the final two-year contract of her pro career.
Soon-to-be Spark Jennifer Hamson is preparing for life in the WNBA.
Epiphanny Prince is returning to her Brooklyn roots.
Today's WNBA transactions:
Team Player Transaction
Connecticut Kayla Pedersen Contract Signed
Indiana Tamika Catchings Contract Signed
Los Angeles Alana Beard Contract Signed
Tulsa Jessica Kuster Contract Signed
High school news:
Two married Mississippi high school coaches vowed never to play each other's teams again.
More upheaval
My my my my my......
#19 Stanford upset #7 Oregon State, 69-58. That snapped the Beaver's 21 home game winning streak.
Missouri edged #12 Texas A&M, 70-69. (I can visualize Gary Blair in the press conference shaking his head)
Georgia Tech took down #16 Duke, 71-62.
#25 Northwestern whooped #20 Rutgers, 80-60.
Close games:
#13 Kentucky survived Arkansas, 56-51.
#15 North Carolina slipped past Virginia, 72-70.
#17 Iowa held off Wisconsin, 78-74.
#23 Syracuse stopped Clemson, 60-55.
Ole Miss thrilled fans by beating LSU, 58-57.
Wake Forest snuffed out Miami, 60-59.
BYU escaped Portland, 65-63.
I think some teams are just tired this time of year.
Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw says February is a grind.
More results:
San Diego defeated Gonzaga, 75-62.
Hawaii squeaked by Long Beach State, 47-46. The Wahine have seized the Big West title.
Washington downed USC, 60-48.
UCLA took down WSU, 74-69.
#2 South Carolina routed #11 Mississippi State, 69-50, to clinch a share of the SEC title.
All scores.
#19 Stanford upset #7 Oregon State, 69-58. That snapped the Beaver's 21 home game winning streak.
Missouri edged #12 Texas A&M, 70-69. (I can visualize Gary Blair in the press conference shaking his head)
Georgia Tech took down #16 Duke, 71-62.
#25 Northwestern whooped #20 Rutgers, 80-60.
Close games:
#13 Kentucky survived Arkansas, 56-51.
#15 North Carolina slipped past Virginia, 72-70.
#17 Iowa held off Wisconsin, 78-74.
#23 Syracuse stopped Clemson, 60-55.
Ole Miss thrilled fans by beating LSU, 58-57.
Wake Forest snuffed out Miami, 60-59.
BYU escaped Portland, 65-63.
I think some teams are just tired this time of year.
Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw says February is a grind.
More results:
San Diego defeated Gonzaga, 75-62.
Hawaii squeaked by Long Beach State, 47-46. The Wahine have seized the Big West title.
Washington downed USC, 60-48.
UCLA took down WSU, 74-69.
#2 South Carolina routed #11 Mississippi State, 69-50, to clinch a share of the SEC title.
All scores.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Oklahoma snaps Baylor's winning streak
Oklahoma upended #3 Baylor, 68-64, ending their winning streak at 25 games.
Wow.
More results:
Michigan State held off Illinois, 67-65.
Kansas State used a second-half run to down Kansas, 55-48.
Texas routed Oklahoma State, 59-42.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
For Washington's Kelsey Plum, her dad and dog are the key to her free throw success.
Teammate Jazmine Davis lifts the Huskies with leadership and selflessness.
Louisville's Shawnta' Dyer is grateful for a healthy season.
South Carolina's Aleighsa Welch gets an assist from her mom.
Madison Cable is getting it done night in and night out for the Irish.
Team news:
Maryland has senior-sophomore synergy.
South Carolina is the model for rising Mississippi State.
Arizona State's preseason snub has fueled their rise.
Kentucky is trying to keep the faith through limitations.
Ohio State is playing for a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. They look outside the roster for practice competition.
Marist is looking for health and growth against St. Peter's.
Conference news:
Where things stand in the Big Ten. Teams are racing to claim seeds.
Oregon State is in position for the passing of the torch in the Pac 12.
Pro news:
Cappie Pondexter's true colors were revealed this week playing in Australia's WNBL.
Wow.
More results:
Michigan State held off Illinois, 67-65.
Kansas State used a second-half run to down Kansas, 55-48.
Texas routed Oklahoma State, 59-42.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
For Washington's Kelsey Plum, her dad and dog are the key to her free throw success.
Teammate Jazmine Davis lifts the Huskies with leadership and selflessness.
Louisville's Shawnta' Dyer is grateful for a healthy season.
South Carolina's Aleighsa Welch gets an assist from her mom.
Madison Cable is getting it done night in and night out for the Irish.
Team news:
Maryland has senior-sophomore synergy.
South Carolina is the model for rising Mississippi State.
Arizona State's preseason snub has fueled their rise.
Kentucky is trying to keep the faith through limitations.
Ohio State is playing for a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. They look outside the roster for practice competition.
Marist is looking for health and growth against St. Peter's.
Conference news:
Where things stand in the Big Ten. Teams are racing to claim seeds.
Oregon State is in position for the passing of the torch in the Pac 12.
Pro news:
Cappie Pondexter's true colors were revealed this week playing in Australia's WNBL.
Diverse news plate
Player news:
Notre Dame's Jewell Loyd does it all. Teammate Taya Reimer is taking and making shots.
Texas has added walk-on Emily Johnson.
Team news:
South Carolina is thriving in the spotlight.
A tougher Lady Vols team is better fortified for postseason play. Tennessee is looking to block out their rebounding problem.
NC State is the NCAA's team of the week.
Coaching news:
North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell has won the Bob Bradley Spirit and Courage Award from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association for her successful battle with leukemia last year.
Virginia assistant coaches Kim and Cory McNeill were not originally a package deal.
Lauren Hill:
Mount St. Joseph held their team banquet in the hospital, so teammate Lauren Hill could attend. She received a Courage Award from the state of Ohio.
Lady Vol name controversy:
Tennessee Athletic Director Dave Hart is campaigning to combat criticism over the Lady Vols name change.
High school news:
The WBCA All-America Team has been named, and Mater Dei's Katie Lou Samuelson is the player of the year.
Notre Dame's Jewell Loyd does it all. Teammate Taya Reimer is taking and making shots.
Texas has added walk-on Emily Johnson.
Team news:
South Carolina is thriving in the spotlight.
A tougher Lady Vols team is better fortified for postseason play. Tennessee is looking to block out their rebounding problem.
NC State is the NCAA's team of the week.
Coaching news:
North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell has won the Bob Bradley Spirit and Courage Award from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association for her successful battle with leukemia last year.
Virginia assistant coaches Kim and Cory McNeill were not originally a package deal.
Lauren Hill:
Mount St. Joseph held their team banquet in the hospital, so teammate Lauren Hill could attend. She received a Courage Award from the state of Ohio.
Lady Vol name controversy:
Tennessee Athletic Director Dave Hart is campaigning to combat criticism over the Lady Vols name change.
High school news:
The WBCA All-America Team has been named, and Mater Dei's Katie Lou Samuelson is the player of the year.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Sources say Connecticut will once again host WNBA All-Star game
Connecticut will supposedly host this year's WNBA All-Star game again.
Today's transactions:
Atlanta Roneeka Hodges Contract Signed
Atlanta Nadia Colhado Contract Signed
Atlanta Sequioa Holmes Contract Signed
Atlanta Ify Ibekwe Contract Signed
Today's transactions:
Atlanta Roneeka Hodges Contract Signed
Atlanta Nadia Colhado Contract Signed
Atlanta Sequioa Holmes Contract Signed
Atlanta Ify Ibekwe Contract Signed
Nebraska wins the latest Big Ten battle with Minnesota
Today's results:
Nebraska trounced Minnesota, 74-50.
Michigan pummeled Purdue, 81-50.
Iowa State downed Texas Tech, 59-47.
TCU topped West Virginia, 73-63.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Iowa State's Nikki Moody makes headlines on and off the court.
Brianna Turner is able to turn it on for Notre Dame.
Sophomore forward Sophie Brunner does it all for Arizona State.
Team news:
At Iowa, it all boils down to chemistry.
The guards of Cal and Stanford pace Bay Area women's hoops.
Nebraska and Minnesota are near locks for the NCAA Tournament.
Coaching news:
Despite their 1-25 record, coach Barb Smith will return for Illinois State.
Wade Trophy watch list:
Five players have been added.
High school news:
The five Naismith Award finalists have been named: Napheesa Collier, Te'a Cooper, Asia Durr, Lashann Higgs and Katie Lou Samuelson.
Nebraska trounced Minnesota, 74-50.
Michigan pummeled Purdue, 81-50.
Iowa State downed Texas Tech, 59-47.
TCU topped West Virginia, 73-63.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Iowa State's Nikki Moody makes headlines on and off the court.
Brianna Turner is able to turn it on for Notre Dame.
Sophomore forward Sophie Brunner does it all for Arizona State.
Team news:
At Iowa, it all boils down to chemistry.
The guards of Cal and Stanford pace Bay Area women's hoops.
Nebraska and Minnesota are near locks for the NCAA Tournament.
Coaching news:
Despite their 1-25 record, coach Barb Smith will return for Illinois State.
Wade Trophy watch list:
Five players have been added.
High school news:
The five Naismith Award finalists have been named: Napheesa Collier, Te'a Cooper, Asia Durr, Lashann Higgs and Katie Lou Samuelson.
Big changes in USA Today top 25 poll
Lots of rising and falling in this week's USA Today top 25 poll:
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Oregon State
8. Florida State
9. Louisville
10. Arizona State
11. North Carolina
12. Texas A&M
13. Mississippi State
14. Princeton
15. Kentucky
16. Iowa
17. Duke
18. Rutgers
19. Chattanooga
20. Stanford
21. George Washington
22. Florida Gulf Coast
23. Nebraska
24. Texas
25. Seton Hall
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Oregon State
8. Florida State
9. Louisville
10. Arizona State
11. North Carolina
12. Texas A&M
13. Mississippi State
14. Princeton
15. Kentucky
16. Iowa
17. Duke
18. Rutgers
19. Chattanooga
20. Stanford
21. George Washington
22. Florida Gulf Coast
23. Nebraska
24. Texas
25. Seton Hall
ESPNW high school top 25 rankings
The bi-weekly high school top 25:
1. Mater Dei
2. Neumann-Goretti
3. Blackman
4. St. Mary's
5. Hopkins
6. Eastview
7. Bedford North Lawrence
8. Whitney Young
9. Paul VI
10. Country Day School
11. Long Beach Polytechnic
12. Elizabethtown
13. Gonzaga Prep School
14. Columbus North
15. Myers Park
16. Heritage Christian
17. Lawrence North
18. Cypress Woods
19. Parkview
20. Dillard
21. Lakota West
22. Vista Ridge
23. New Hope Christian Academy
24. La Vega
25. Northside
1. Mater Dei
2. Neumann-Goretti
3. Blackman
4. St. Mary's
5. Hopkins
6. Eastview
7. Bedford North Lawrence
8. Whitney Young
9. Paul VI
10. Country Day School
11. Long Beach Polytechnic
12. Elizabethtown
13. Gonzaga Prep School
14. Columbus North
15. Myers Park
16. Heritage Christian
17. Lawrence North
18. Cypress Woods
19. Parkview
20. Dillard
21. Lakota West
22. Vista Ridge
23. New Hope Christian Academy
24. La Vega
25. Northside
Monday, February 23, 2015
Kentucky loses three straight; new SEC leader
One upset tonight:
Ole Miss surprised #13 Kentucky, 67-59. It was the third straight loss for the Wildcats.
More results:
#2 South Carolina edged #6 Tennessee, 71-66, and now lead in SEC standings.
#5 Maryland is at 19 in a row after whooping Penn State, 65-34.
#4 Notre Dame routed Louisville, 68-52.
#18 Chattanooga survived Mercer, 56-51.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Amanda Zahui B.'s dominance for Minnesota has been years in the making. Scary thought: she says she can do better.
Elizabeth Williams continues to be the silver lining for Duke.
Courtney Boys is making a comeback for wright State.
Kelly Hughes is lighting it up at Boston College.
NCAA Tournament:
How geography effects the bracket.
High school news:
Tennessee team Riverdale High School was booted from postseason play Saturday night for playing to lose.
Ole Miss surprised #13 Kentucky, 67-59. It was the third straight loss for the Wildcats.
More results:
#2 South Carolina edged #6 Tennessee, 71-66, and now lead in SEC standings.
#5 Maryland is at 19 in a row after whooping Penn State, 65-34.
#4 Notre Dame routed Louisville, 68-52.
#18 Chattanooga survived Mercer, 56-51.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Amanda Zahui B.'s dominance for Minnesota has been years in the making. Scary thought: she says she can do better.
Elizabeth Williams continues to be the silver lining for Duke.
Courtney Boys is making a comeback for wright State.
Kelly Hughes is lighting it up at Boston College.
NCAA Tournament:
How geography effects the bracket.
High school news:
Tennessee team Riverdale High School was booted from postseason play Saturday night for playing to lose.
Contracts being signed
Lots of WNBA transactions today:
Atlanta Erika De Souza Contract Signed
Chicago Allie Quigley Contract Signed
Connecticut Alyssia Brewer Contract Signed
Los Angeles Jennifer Hamson Contract Signed
Seattle Abby Bishop Contract Signed
Seattle Alysha Clark Contract Signed
Seattle Meighan Simmons Contract Signed
Washington Quanitra Hollingsworth Traded to Seattle
Allie Quigley's deal was multi-year.
And the Sparks took a chance drafting two-sport athlete Jennifer Hamson last year, which paid off. I hope she has bulked up some.
Atlanta Erika De Souza Contract Signed
Chicago Allie Quigley Contract Signed
Connecticut Alyssia Brewer Contract Signed
Los Angeles Jennifer Hamson Contract Signed
Seattle Abby Bishop Contract Signed
Seattle Alysha Clark Contract Signed
Seattle Meighan Simmons Contract Signed
Washington Quanitra Hollingsworth Traded to Seattle
Allie Quigley's deal was multi-year.
And the Sparks took a chance drafting two-sport athlete Jennifer Hamson last year, which paid off. I hope she has bulked up some.
Nancy Lieberman Award finalists named
Nancy Lieberman Award finalists:
Niya Johnson - Baylor
Brianna Kiesel - Pittsburg
Almesha Jones - Morehead St.
Angela Mickens - James Madison
Samantha Logic - Iowa
Syessence Davis - Rutgers
Nikki Moody - Iowa St.
Sydney Wiese - Oregon St.
Brittany Boyd - California
Moriah Jefferson - Uconn
Lindsay Allen - Notre Dame
Natasha Cloud - St. Joseph's
Kelsey Mitchell - Ohio St.
Damika Martinez - Iona
Tay'ler Mingo - Wright St
Niya Johnson - Baylor
Brianna Kiesel - Pittsburg
Almesha Jones - Morehead St.
Angela Mickens - James Madison
Samantha Logic - Iowa
Syessence Davis - Rutgers
Nikki Moody - Iowa St.
Sydney Wiese - Oregon St.
Brittany Boyd - California
Moriah Jefferson - Uconn
Lindsay Allen - Notre Dame
Natasha Cloud - St. Joseph's
Kelsey Mitchell - Ohio St.
Damika Martinez - Iona
Tay'ler Mingo - Wright St
Breaking off with so much news
Player news:
In the Department of Duh, Amanda Zahui B. is ESPNW's player of the week.
The real Diamond DeShields.
Peyton Little has become an on-court leader for Oklahoma.
Austin Peay's Tiasha Gray is having a season for the ages.
The transformation of South Carolina point guard Khadijah Sessions is complete.
Freshman Kia Nurse has been a constant for UConn this season.
Team news:
Senior leadership is more important than ever at Tennessee in Isabelle Harrison's absence.
A regular-season Mountain West title won't help Colorado State.
Coaching news:
Princeton coach Courtney Banghart, on and off the court.
Pro news:
The Storm have acquired Quanitra Hollingsworth from the Mystics, and their 20th overall pick, in exchange for their 15th pick.
Apparently former Sparks point guard Lindsey Harding has become a naturalized citizen of Belarus.
It wouldn't be a Shock if Tulsa drafted UConn forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.
In the Department of Duh, Amanda Zahui B. is ESPNW's player of the week.
The real Diamond DeShields.
Peyton Little has become an on-court leader for Oklahoma.
Austin Peay's Tiasha Gray is having a season for the ages.
The transformation of South Carolina point guard Khadijah Sessions is complete.
Freshman Kia Nurse has been a constant for UConn this season.
Team news:
Senior leadership is more important than ever at Tennessee in Isabelle Harrison's absence.
A regular-season Mountain West title won't help Colorado State.
Coaching news:
Princeton coach Courtney Banghart, on and off the court.
Pro news:
The Storm have acquired Quanitra Hollingsworth from the Mystics, and their 20th overall pick, in exchange for their 15th pick.
Apparently former Sparks point guard Lindsey Harding has become a naturalized citizen of Belarus.
It wouldn't be a Shock if Tulsa drafted UConn forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.
Cal, Northwestern return to AP top 25 poll; Nebraska, James Madison drop out
This week's AP top 25 poll:
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Oregon State
8. Louisville
9. Florida State
10. Arizona State
11. Mississippi State
12. Texas A&M
13. Kentucky
14. Princeton
15. North Carolina
16. Duke
17. Iowa
18. Chattanooga
19. Stanford
20. Rutgers
21. Florida Gulf Coast
22. George Washington
23. Syracuse
24. California
25. Northwestern
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Oregon State
8. Louisville
9. Florida State
10. Arizona State
11. Mississippi State
12. Texas A&M
13. Kentucky
14. Princeton
15. North Carolina
16. Duke
17. Iowa
18. Chattanooga
19. Stanford
20. Rutgers
21. Florida Gulf Coast
22. George Washington
23. Syracuse
24. California
25. Northwestern
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Contemplating high school rankings
After a coach made a comment to me recently, I went back and looked up the national high school class rankings. After players graduate and go to their colleges, it's easy to forget where they stood going in. But here they are...take a look:
Class of 2014.
Class of 2013.
Class of 2012.
Class of 2011.
How many players lived up to their ranking? How many didn't?
For those that didn't, is it that the rankings are faulty, or that they didn't adjust to the college game?
Just thinking.
Class of 2014.
Class of 2013.
Class of 2012.
Class of 2011.
How many players lived up to their ranking? How many didn't?
For those that didn't, is it that the rankings are faulty, or that they didn't adjust to the college game?
Just thinking.
Pac 12 teams racing toward an unforeseen finish
Pac 12 teams racing toward an unforeseen finish.
Who would have thought we would see standings like this, with one more week to go.....
Oregon St 15-1 25-2
Arizona St 13-3 24-4
California 12-4 20-7
Stanford 12-4 20-8
Washington 9-7 20-8
USC 7-9 15-12
UCLA 7-9 11-16
Washington St 6-10 15-12
Colorado 5-11 12-15
Oregon 5-11 12-15
Utah 3-13 9-18
Arizona 2-14 9-18
When preseason predictions were like this:
1. STANFORD (7) 116
2. CALIFORNIA (3) 111
3. OREGON STATE (2) 105
4. UCLA 84
5. WASHINGTON 72
6. USC 65
7. ARIZONA STATE 64
8. WASHINGTON STATE 56
9. OREGON 48
10. COLORADO 31
11. UTAH 28
12. ARIZONA 12
But I don't know about you....I didn't think those preseason predictions were right in the first place.
Here are some notes from watching the Arizona schools play UCLA this weekend:
- I love ASU point guard Elisha Davis' style. She's 5-foot-3 and is a complete boss on the court, with the hand gestures and everything. She also has a sense of humor. During one play she ran for the ball save and ended up going halfway over the courtside seats next to me. She pulled herself off of the women she'd fallen on, and then bent down and smoothed her hair before running back on to the court. The apology was accepted.
- The Bruins are getting better. They're playing hard and are taking more risks in the game. It looks like their confidence is improving along with their play, too. Today's win was a great mental boost for them, as they had a lot of fun on the court. They're going to be very good soon. Jordin Canada's behind-the-back assist was the coolest thing I've seen in three weeks.
Who would have thought we would see standings like this, with one more week to go.....
Oregon St 15-1 25-2
Arizona St 13-3 24-4
California 12-4 20-7
Stanford 12-4 20-8
Washington 9-7 20-8
USC 7-9 15-12
UCLA 7-9 11-16
Washington St 6-10 15-12
Colorado 5-11 12-15
Oregon 5-11 12-15
Utah 3-13 9-18
Arizona 2-14 9-18
When preseason predictions were like this:
1. STANFORD (7) 116
2. CALIFORNIA (3) 111
3. OREGON STATE (2) 105
4. UCLA 84
5. WASHINGTON 72
6. USC 65
7. ARIZONA STATE 64
8. WASHINGTON STATE 56
9. OREGON 48
10. COLORADO 31
11. UTAH 28
12. ARIZONA 12
But I don't know about you....I didn't think those preseason predictions were right in the first place.
Here are some notes from watching the Arizona schools play UCLA this weekend:
- I love ASU point guard Elisha Davis' style. She's 5-foot-3 and is a complete boss on the court, with the hand gestures and everything. She also has a sense of humor. During one play she ran for the ball save and ended up going halfway over the courtside seats next to me. She pulled herself off of the women she'd fallen on, and then bent down and smoothed her hair before running back on to the court. The apology was accepted.
- The Bruins are getting better. They're playing hard and are taking more risks in the game. It looks like their confidence is improving along with their play, too. Today's win was a great mental boost for them, as they had a lot of fun on the court. They're going to be very good soon. Jordin Canada's behind-the-back assist was the coolest thing I've seen in three weeks.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Down they go
Upset day:
NC State used 12 three-point shots to upend #10 Duke, 72-59.
Cal upset #18 Stanford, 63-53. The Cardinal beat the Bears Friday.
Michigan State toppled #19 Rutgers, 60-50. Prayers up for Scarlet Knight center Rachel Hollivay, who left the game with a left knee injury.
Hofstra took down #23 James Madison, 63-62.
Almost-upsets:
#12 Arizona State outlasted USC in double-overtime, 76-73.
#14 Mississippi State escaped Alabama, 57-55.
#17 North Carolina held on to edge Miami, 66-65.
More results...lots of close games today:
#7 Oregon State put away Utah, 52-42. The Beavers have clinched at least a share of the Pac 12 title.
Seton Hall slipped by Villanova, 64-62.
Northwestern beat Wisconsin in overtime, 86-83.
Washington crushed Washington State, 83-43. WSU had beat them Friday night.
Missouri got past Vanderbilt, 54-51.
Old Dominion sneaked by Louisiana Tech, 72-71.
Arkansas ran past LSU, 63-41.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Ka-Deidre Simmons' persistence is paying off for Seton Hall.
Minnesota guard Shayne Mullaney is making moves.
Cal Poly's Ariana Elegado has regained her shooting touch.
Davionna Holmes aims to make the most of her opportunity at MIssouri.
Team news:
How South Carolina attracts such a diverse fan base. The fans are most definitely coming.
Ball State is using a more versatile approach.
Coaching news:
One-on-one with Baylor coach Kim Mulkey.
Big Monday:
#2 South Carolina faces #6 Tennessee. The SEC title is on the line.
High school:
Ron Artest/Metta World Peace is coaching high school girls hoops.
NC State used 12 three-point shots to upend #10 Duke, 72-59.
Cal upset #18 Stanford, 63-53. The Cardinal beat the Bears Friday.
Michigan State toppled #19 Rutgers, 60-50. Prayers up for Scarlet Knight center Rachel Hollivay, who left the game with a left knee injury.
Hofstra took down #23 James Madison, 63-62.
Almost-upsets:
#12 Arizona State outlasted USC in double-overtime, 76-73.
#14 Mississippi State escaped Alabama, 57-55.
#17 North Carolina held on to edge Miami, 66-65.
More results...lots of close games today:
#7 Oregon State put away Utah, 52-42. The Beavers have clinched at least a share of the Pac 12 title.
Seton Hall slipped by Villanova, 64-62.
Northwestern beat Wisconsin in overtime, 86-83.
Washington crushed Washington State, 83-43. WSU had beat them Friday night.
Missouri got past Vanderbilt, 54-51.
Old Dominion sneaked by Louisiana Tech, 72-71.
Arkansas ran past LSU, 63-41.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Ka-Deidre Simmons' persistence is paying off for Seton Hall.
Minnesota guard Shayne Mullaney is making moves.
Cal Poly's Ariana Elegado has regained her shooting touch.
Davionna Holmes aims to make the most of her opportunity at MIssouri.
Team news:
How South Carolina attracts such a diverse fan base. The fans are most definitely coming.
Ball State is using a more versatile approach.
Coaching news:
One-on-one with Baylor coach Kim Mulkey.
Big Monday:
#2 South Carolina faces #6 Tennessee. The SEC title is on the line.
High school:
Ron Artest/Metta World Peace is coaching high school girls hoops.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Zahui B. does it again: 27 points, 27 rebounds
Amanda Zahui B. threw down her second mega-performance of the week, with 27 points and 27 rebounds to lead Minnesota over Michigan in two overtimes, 91-88.
Just, wow.
More (shocking) results:
Ohio State upset #13 Iowa, 100-82.
A last-second shot sent West Virginia over Iowa State, 54-52.
Illinois stunned Purdue, 47-46.
Pacific blitzed WCC leader Gonzaga, 71-59.
Troy knocked off UALR, 65-62. They have won five straight.
Santa Barbara earned their first win of the season by beating Fullerton, 48-39.
#20 Chattanooga held off Samford, 56-49.
#21 Nebraska survived Indiana, 67-64.
#16 Princeton is 25-0 after whooping Harvard, 78-57.
Sac State toppled North Dakota, 64-62.
San Diego snagged a crucial victory over BYU, 69-59.
Texas edged Texas Tech, 62-59.
Oklahoma State slipped by Kansas, 80-76.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Iona's Damika Martinez became the MAAC's all-time scoring leader last night, notching 2,468 career points.
Jordan Adams is shining for USC.
Team news:
South Carolina's three big freshmen have blended in and helped elevate the team.
This is Northwestern's best team in two decades.
Alabama players had to walk two miles to their hotel last night when their bus couldn't drive down an icy interstate. What?
Coaching news:
Amanda Levens, one of two of coach Charli Turner Thorne's associate head coaches at Arizona State, is not looking for a head-coaching job.
WNBA and pro news:
Penny Taylor injured her ankle in WNBL play today.
Just, wow.
More (shocking) results:
Ohio State upset #13 Iowa, 100-82.
A last-second shot sent West Virginia over Iowa State, 54-52.
Illinois stunned Purdue, 47-46.
Pacific blitzed WCC leader Gonzaga, 71-59.
Troy knocked off UALR, 65-62. They have won five straight.
Santa Barbara earned their first win of the season by beating Fullerton, 48-39.
#20 Chattanooga held off Samford, 56-49.
#21 Nebraska survived Indiana, 67-64.
#16 Princeton is 25-0 after whooping Harvard, 78-57.
Sac State toppled North Dakota, 64-62.
San Diego snagged a crucial victory over BYU, 69-59.
Texas edged Texas Tech, 62-59.
Oklahoma State slipped by Kansas, 80-76.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Iona's Damika Martinez became the MAAC's all-time scoring leader last night, notching 2,468 career points.
Jordan Adams is shining for USC.
Team news:
South Carolina's three big freshmen have blended in and helped elevate the team.
This is Northwestern's best team in two decades.
Alabama players had to walk two miles to their hotel last night when their bus couldn't drive down an icy interstate. What?
Coaching news:
Amanda Levens, one of two of coach Charli Turner Thorne's associate head coaches at Arizona State, is not looking for a head-coaching job.
WNBA and pro news:
Penny Taylor injured her ankle in WNBL play today.
Friday, February 20, 2015
The Mercury's offseason major earthquake
Some ado is being made of the changes the Los Angeles Sparks have made so far this winter. A more apt team example for sweeping change is the Phoenix Mercury, who have signed seven players and announced that their marquee athlete won't set foot on the court this summer. Not to mention that their point guard was signed by Los Angeles.
Here's another goody, to go along with the rumor I've heard that Penny Taylor won't play in Phoenix this year, either:
The 33-year-old star is no certainty to return to Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. Nor is she certain to ever play again in the WNBL, although she hasn't ruled them out either.
All Taylor is focused on is taking the Rangers as far as they can go. And, considering they have beaten the other top-four sides, they could do something special.
It's one thing to gut a losing team, but to "rebuild" a team that looked trophy-worthy at midseason? Crazy.
Here's another goody, to go along with the rumor I've heard that Penny Taylor won't play in Phoenix this year, either:
The 33-year-old star is no certainty to return to Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. Nor is she certain to ever play again in the WNBL, although she hasn't ruled them out either.
All Taylor is focused on is taking the Rangers as far as they can go. And, considering they have beaten the other top-four sides, they could do something special.
It's one thing to gut a losing team, but to "rebuild" a team that looked trophy-worthy at midseason? Crazy.
Healthy helping of hoops news
Today's results:
#16 Princeton is still unbeaten, at 24-0, after thrashing Dartmouth, 70-31.
#7 Oregon State left Colorado behind, 66-44.
St. John's pushed past Villanova, 56-51.
DePaul slipped by Creighton, 78-76, on the strength of Brittany Hrynko's 33 points.
Utah survived Oregon, 66-64.
Washington State downed Washington, 83-72.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Cal senior leaders Reshanda Gray and Brittany Boyd are gearing up for their last run with the Bears.
Kentucky's Linnae Harper is working to break free of cold shooting.
T'Keyah Williams and Candace Parson have been sister through it all at Tennessee Tech.
Oklahoma freshman Gabi Ortiz and her father share a unique bond through basketball.
Family bonds run deep for UConn's Morgan Tuck.
Team news:
Oregon State is playing with increased confidence. They are happy to provide assists.
Summer conditioning is paying off for Minnesota.
Tennessee is taking a step in the right direction without Isabelle Harrison.
In their last two games, UConn hasn't sent an opponent to the free throw line for the first time in program history.
Coaching news:
Coach Suzie McConnell-Serio is guiding Pitt's remarkable turnaround.
Nebraska coach Connie Yori is passionate about getting her seniors to the Tournament.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is a 24/7 media star.
Irish coach Muffet McGraw has helped make Notre Dame a basketball power house.
Kent State coach Danielle O'Banion:
...is fighting back against cancer.
#16 Princeton is still unbeaten, at 24-0, after thrashing Dartmouth, 70-31.
#7 Oregon State left Colorado behind, 66-44.
St. John's pushed past Villanova, 56-51.
DePaul slipped by Creighton, 78-76, on the strength of Brittany Hrynko's 33 points.
Utah survived Oregon, 66-64.
Washington State downed Washington, 83-72.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Cal senior leaders Reshanda Gray and Brittany Boyd are gearing up for their last run with the Bears.
Kentucky's Linnae Harper is working to break free of cold shooting.
T'Keyah Williams and Candace Parson have been sister through it all at Tennessee Tech.
Oklahoma freshman Gabi Ortiz and her father share a unique bond through basketball.
Family bonds run deep for UConn's Morgan Tuck.
Team news:
Oregon State is playing with increased confidence. They are happy to provide assists.
Summer conditioning is paying off for Minnesota.
Tennessee is taking a step in the right direction without Isabelle Harrison.
In their last two games, UConn hasn't sent an opponent to the free throw line for the first time in program history.
Coaching news:
Coach Suzie McConnell-Serio is guiding Pitt's remarkable turnaround.
Nebraska coach Connie Yori is passionate about getting her seniors to the Tournament.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is a 24/7 media star.
Irish coach Muffet McGraw has helped make Notre Dame a basketball power house.
Kent State coach Danielle O'Banion:
...is fighting back against cancer.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Never without at least one upset
Upset:
#15 Texas A&M rolled by #11 Kentucky, 81-69.
More results:
#5 Maryland downed Wisconsin, 81-70, and clinched a share of the Big Ten Championship.
#4 Notre Dame topped Georgia Tech, 71-61.
#6 Tennessee dominated Alabama, 77-56.
Pitt came back to beat Virginia in overtime, 68-63.
NC State edged Miami on a last-second three-pointer, 68-65.
Vanderbilt escaped Florida in overtime, 76-75.
#2 South Carolina routed Arkansas, 73-56.
Ole Miss got by Auburn, 51-46.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Army's Kelsey Minato makes West Point one of the top teams in the Patriot League.
Coaching news:
The WBCA has given Iowa State coach Lisa Bluder the 2015 Carol Eckman Award: "presented annually to an active WBCA member coach who exemplifies Eckman's spirit, integrity and character through sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose."
Play 4 Kay:
West Virginia senior forward Averee Fields has learned courage from breast cancer survivors.
SEC:
Injuries are wreaking havoc on teams in the conference.
Big Ten:
....is mulling "a year of readiness," i.e. making freshmen ineligible.
#15 Texas A&M rolled by #11 Kentucky, 81-69.
More results:
#5 Maryland downed Wisconsin, 81-70, and clinched a share of the Big Ten Championship.
#4 Notre Dame topped Georgia Tech, 71-61.
#6 Tennessee dominated Alabama, 77-56.
Pitt came back to beat Virginia in overtime, 68-63.
NC State edged Miami on a last-second three-pointer, 68-65.
Vanderbilt escaped Florida in overtime, 76-75.
#2 South Carolina routed Arkansas, 73-56.
Ole Miss got by Auburn, 51-46.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Army's Kelsey Minato makes West Point one of the top teams in the Patriot League.
Coaching news:
The WBCA has given Iowa State coach Lisa Bluder the 2015 Carol Eckman Award: "presented annually to an active WBCA member coach who exemplifies Eckman's spirit, integrity and character through sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose."
Play 4 Kay:
West Virginia senior forward Averee Fields has learned courage from breast cancer survivors.
SEC:
Injuries are wreaking havoc on teams in the conference.
Big Ten:
....is mulling "a year of readiness," i.e. making freshmen ineligible.
WNBA signings keep trickling in
Updated transactions:
February 19, 2015
Team Player Transaction
Chicago Jessica Breland Contract Signed
Los Angeles Elina Babkina Contract Signed
February 18, 2015
Team Player Transaction
Los Angeles Ana Dabovic Contract Signed
Washington Quanitra Hollingsworth Contract Signed
Breland release.
She relishes the chance to get settled with the Sky.
Dabovic release.
February 19, 2015
Team Player Transaction
Chicago Jessica Breland Contract Signed
Los Angeles Elina Babkina Contract Signed
February 18, 2015
Team Player Transaction
Los Angeles Ana Dabovic Contract Signed
Washington Quanitra Hollingsworth Contract Signed
Breland release.
She relishes the chance to get settled with the Sky.
Dabovic release.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
As the basketball world swirls
Massive happenings......
Upset:
Northwestern toppled #21 Nebraska, 59-51.
More results:
#3 Baylor held off Texas Tech, 67-60, and claims at least a share of the Big 12 title.
Oklahoma State got by West Virginia, 52-46.
Michigan routed Indiana, 68-52.
Texas thumped Kansas State, 76-58.
#18 Stanford defeated Cal, 59-47.
Full scoreboard.
Team news:
Oregon State is confident going into the final stretch of the regular season.
Kentucky is pushing to get the front court back on track.
SMU has the second-most losses in school history. Can they recover?
Player news:
Nebraska's Rachel Theriot will miss the rest of the season.
Iona's Damika Martinez is approaching the MAAC all-time career points mark.
Ashlee Guay is breaking records and hearts at the same time at CSUN.
Taylor Berry is stepping into a larger role at Santa Clara.
Coaching news:
Coach Sherri Murrell has been fired at Portland State.
Q&A with Indiana coach Teri Moren.
Upset:
Northwestern toppled #21 Nebraska, 59-51.
More results:
#3 Baylor held off Texas Tech, 67-60, and claims at least a share of the Big 12 title.
Oklahoma State got by West Virginia, 52-46.
Michigan routed Indiana, 68-52.
Texas thumped Kansas State, 76-58.
#18 Stanford defeated Cal, 59-47.
Full scoreboard.
Team news:
Oregon State is confident going into the final stretch of the regular season.
Kentucky is pushing to get the front court back on track.
SMU has the second-most losses in school history. Can they recover?
Player news:
Nebraska's Rachel Theriot will miss the rest of the season.
Iona's Damika Martinez is approaching the MAAC all-time career points mark.
Ashlee Guay is breaking records and hearts at the same time at CSUN.
Taylor Berry is stepping into a larger role at Santa Clara.
Coaching news:
Coach Sherri Murrell has been fired at Portland State.
Q&A with Indiana coach Teri Moren.
Unbeaten Princeton heads up mid-major poll
ESPN's bi-weekly mid-major poll:
1. Princeton
2. Chattanooga
3. Florida Gulf Coast
4. James Madison
5. Green Bay
6. George Washington
7. Gonzaga
8. Dayton
9. Western Kentucky
10. Quinnipiac
11. Wichita State
12. UALR
13. Drake
14. Middle Tennessee State
15. American
1. Princeton
2. Chattanooga
3. Florida Gulf Coast
4. James Madison
5. Green Bay
6. George Washington
7. Gonzaga
8. Dayton
9. Western Kentucky
10. Quinnipiac
11. Wichita State
12. UALR
13. Drake
14. Middle Tennessee State
15. American
West Virginia gets probation for recruiting violations
.....including those that occurred in women's basketball.
Player news:
Washington's Katie Collier overcame cancer and and ACL tear to play basketball.
Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell is the immediate future of basketball.
Anne Pedersen is right at home at LSU.
Tierney Pfirman is providing a boost off the bench for Maryland.
Hallie Sample represents toughness for Nebraska.
Check out Amanda Zahui B.'s record-setting night last night for Minnesota.
Team news:
Ranked for the first time, Florida Gulf Coast faces new challenges.
Maryland is on the fast track to Big Ten perfection.
Coaching news:
The fire still burns for Green Bay coach Kevin Borseth, as he approaches win 600.
Player news:
Washington's Katie Collier overcame cancer and and ACL tear to play basketball.
Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell is the immediate future of basketball.
Anne Pedersen is right at home at LSU.
Tierney Pfirman is providing a boost off the bench for Maryland.
Hallie Sample represents toughness for Nebraska.
Check out Amanda Zahui B.'s record-setting night last night for Minnesota.
Team news:
Ranked for the first time, Florida Gulf Coast faces new challenges.
Maryland is on the fast track to Big Ten perfection.
Coaching news:
The fire still burns for Green Bay coach Kevin Borseth, as he approaches win 600.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Amanda Zahui B. takes control for Minnesota
Minnesota upset #13 Iowa, 93-80, lead by a phenomenal Amanda Zahui B. performance:
Officially, it was “Amanda Zahui B. Community Night” at Williams Arena on Tuesday.
The Gophers sophomore was honored before the game for having set the Minnesota career blocked-shot record earlier this year. And she was slated for an autograph session after the game......
The 6-5 sophomore from Sweden set career highs with 39 points and a program- and Big Ten-record 29 rebounds. She attempted 31 field goals, blocked four shots, and, for good measure, even made a three-pointer.
Alright Zahui B., we see you.
More results:
Ohio State blew out Purdue, 92-60.
Iowa State staved off Oklahoma in overtime, 84-76.
#19 Rutgers routed Illinois, 80-56.
TCU outlasted Kansas, 73-67.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Cyesha Goree's foul trouble is hurting Michigan's chances of a strong finish.
Team news:
An exclusive look at Coppin State's game last night against Delaware State.
Rutgers is Tournament-bound, but will they get any home games?
Gonzaga is one win away from the West Coast Conference title.
WNBA news:
The deal for Epiphanny Prince is part of the Liberty's youth movement.
Prince now plans to finish her degree at Rutgers.
The Sparks have signed Serbian guard Ana Dabovic.
Officially, it was “Amanda Zahui B. Community Night” at Williams Arena on Tuesday.
The Gophers sophomore was honored before the game for having set the Minnesota career blocked-shot record earlier this year. And she was slated for an autograph session after the game......
The 6-5 sophomore from Sweden set career highs with 39 points and a program- and Big Ten-record 29 rebounds. She attempted 31 field goals, blocked four shots, and, for good measure, even made a three-pointer.
Alright Zahui B., we see you.
More results:
Ohio State blew out Purdue, 92-60.
Iowa State staved off Oklahoma in overtime, 84-76.
#19 Rutgers routed Illinois, 80-56.
TCU outlasted Kansas, 73-67.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Cyesha Goree's foul trouble is hurting Michigan's chances of a strong finish.
Team news:
An exclusive look at Coppin State's game last night against Delaware State.
Rutgers is Tournament-bound, but will they get any home games?
Gonzaga is one win away from the West Coast Conference title.
WNBA news:
The deal for Epiphanny Prince is part of the Liberty's youth movement.
Prince now plans to finish her degree at Rutgers.
The Sparks have signed Serbian guard Ana Dabovic.
Lots of changes in USA Today top 25 poll
This week's USA Today top 25 coaches poll:
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Louisville
8. Oregon State
9. Florida State
10. Kentucky
11. Iowa
12. Duke
13. Arizona State
14. North Carolina
15. Texas A&M
16. Mississippi State
17. Princeton
18. Rutgers
19. Stanford
20. Nebraska
21. James Madison
22. Chattanooga
23. George Washington
24. Florida Gulf Coast
25. Texas
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Louisville
8. Oregon State
9. Florida State
10. Kentucky
11. Iowa
12. Duke
13. Arizona State
14. North Carolina
15. Texas A&M
16. Mississippi State
17. Princeton
18. Rutgers
19. Stanford
20. Nebraska
21. James Madison
22. Chattanooga
23. George Washington
24. Florida Gulf Coast
25. Texas
Monday, February 16, 2015
Looking ahead to Wednesday's Bay Area showdown
#5 Maryland rallied to survive Michigan State, 75-69.
#4 Notre Dame handled #10 Duke, 63-50.
Boston College edged NC State in overtime, 64-59.
Full scoreboard.
Wednesday night is Cal vs. Stanford:
Both teams have a lot at stake, as they are tied for second place in the Pac 12.
Team news:
Oregon State, first in the Pac 12, has no time to relax.
Is this the week the Gophers can punch tickets?
Player news:
Carlie Wagner is easing the pain of the Rachel Banham loss for Minnesota.
BYU guard Lexi Eaton is playing her best basketball right now.
Ohio State freshman Alexa Hart is elevating her game in the weight room.
#4 Notre Dame handled #10 Duke, 63-50.
Boston College edged NC State in overtime, 64-59.
Full scoreboard.
Wednesday night is Cal vs. Stanford:
Both teams have a lot at stake, as they are tied for second place in the Pac 12.
Team news:
Oregon State, first in the Pac 12, has no time to relax.
Is this the week the Gophers can punch tickets?
Player news:
Carlie Wagner is easing the pain of the Rachel Banham loss for Minnesota.
BYU guard Lexi Eaton is playing her best basketball right now.
Ohio State freshman Alexa Hart is elevating her game in the weight room.
Lady Vols' legacy threatned by lawsuits and a name change.
"Save the Lady Vols" makes me sad.
Player news:
UConn guard Moriah Jefferson is ESPNW's player of the week.
Laurin Mincy has become a leader for Maryland.
Late-bloomer Morgan Bailey is leading BYU's NCAA Tournament push.
Wisconsin guard Tessa Cichy relishes her starting role.
Ineligible Livingstone leading scorer Kyra Crosby is seeking reinstatement. The team has had to forfeit 18 games.
Team news:
When does Connecticut face a challenge? Practice.
Coaching news:
A former Notre Dame standout and her husband have given the University a $5 million coaching endowment.
Bonus:
These Georgetown grannies can play.
Player news:
UConn guard Moriah Jefferson is ESPNW's player of the week.
Laurin Mincy has become a leader for Maryland.
Late-bloomer Morgan Bailey is leading BYU's NCAA Tournament push.
Wisconsin guard Tessa Cichy relishes her starting role.
Ineligible Livingstone leading scorer Kyra Crosby is seeking reinstatement. The team has had to forfeit 18 games.
Team news:
When does Connecticut face a challenge? Practice.
Coaching news:
A former Notre Dame standout and her husband have given the University a $5 million coaching endowment.
Bonus:
These Georgetown grannies can play.
Sky and Liberty exchange Prince and Pondexter
The Chicago Sky and New York Liberty have traded guards Epiphanny Prince and Cappie Pondexter:
The New York Liberty acquired Prince from the Chicago Sky for Cappie Pondexter in a blockbuster trade Monday. Prince was born and raised in New York City and is thrilled for the chance to play at Madison Square Garden.......
Prince isn't the only one going home. Pondexter, who averaged a career-low 13.2 points last season, was raised in Chicago. The 32-year-old guard came to the Liberty in a trade in 2010.
Poetic, ain't it?
Transactions from Thursday:
Team Player Transaction
Chicago Tamera Young Contract Signed
Connecticut Chelsea Gray Contract Signed
Connecticut Danielle McCray Contract Signed
Los Angeles Erin Phillips Contract Signed
The New York Liberty acquired Prince from the Chicago Sky for Cappie Pondexter in a blockbuster trade Monday. Prince was born and raised in New York City and is thrilled for the chance to play at Madison Square Garden.......
Prince isn't the only one going home. Pondexter, who averaged a career-low 13.2 points last season, was raised in Chicago. The 32-year-old guard came to the Liberty in a trade in 2010.
Poetic, ain't it?
Transactions from Thursday:
Team Player Transaction
Chicago Tamera Young Contract Signed
Connecticut Chelsea Gray Contract Signed
Connecticut Danielle McCray Contract Signed
Los Angeles Erin Phillips Contract Signed
UConn #1 again; two drop out of AP poll
Predictably, UConn takes over the first-place spot in this week's AP top 25 poll. Georgia and South Florida drop out, and Florida Gulf Coast and James Madison drop in:
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Oregon State
8. Louisville
9. Florida State
10. Duke
11. Kentucky
12. Arizona State
13. Iowa
14. Mississippi State
15. Texas A&M
16. Princeton
17. North Carolina
18. Stanford
19. Rutgers
20. Chattanooga
21. Nebraska
22. Florida Gulf Coast
23. James Madison
24. George Washington
25. Syracuse
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Oregon State
8. Louisville
9. Florida State
10. Duke
11. Kentucky
12. Arizona State
13. Iowa
14. Mississippi State
15. Texas A&M
16. Princeton
17. North Carolina
18. Stanford
19. Rutgers
20. Chattanooga
21. Nebraska
22. Florida Gulf Coast
23. James Madison
24. George Washington
25. Syracuse
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Some tripping down the stretch
Today's upset:
East Carolina edged #25 South Florida, 65-64.
More results:
#1 South Carolina smashed Vanderbilt, 89-59.
#7 Florida State vaulted past Virginia, 65-56.
#8 Oregon State thumped Arizona, 73-48.
#9 Louisville put away #17 North Carolina, 75-66.
#6 Tennessee halted #10 Kentucky, 72-58. Lady Vol center Isabelle Harrison was injured in the win, and had to be carried off the floor. It looked to be a right knee injury. It was Ariel Massengale who pulled Tennessee through adversity.
#12 Arizona State routed Oregon, 72-52.
#13 Mississippi State dispatched of Florida, 75-62.
#19 Stanford dismissed UCLA, 68-50.
#22 Nebraska snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating Wisconsin, 70-63.
#23 Syracuse surged to out do Virginia Tech, 59-51.
Texas Tech escaped with a 74-68 overtime win over Kansas State.
Marquette stunned Seton Hall, 73-70.
USC prevailed over Cal, 65-54.
Washington took care of Colorado, 79-67.
DePaul pounded St. John's, 82-55.
Miami came back to beat Georgia Tech, 64-59.
Minnesota topped Penn State, 85-77.
Pitt dominated Wake Forest, 65-41.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Emily Cady is steering Nebraska through rough waters. But.....coach Connie Yori wants Cady to be more aggressive.
Jillian Alleyne is still a glass act for the Oregon Ducks.
ASU's freshmen await their turn.
Team news:
Oregon keeps rolling on.
Coaching news:
Princeton coach Courtney Banghart keeps winning.
East Carolina edged #25 South Florida, 65-64.
More results:
#1 South Carolina smashed Vanderbilt, 89-59.
#7 Florida State vaulted past Virginia, 65-56.
#8 Oregon State thumped Arizona, 73-48.
#9 Louisville put away #17 North Carolina, 75-66.
#6 Tennessee halted #10 Kentucky, 72-58. Lady Vol center Isabelle Harrison was injured in the win, and had to be carried off the floor. It looked to be a right knee injury. It was Ariel Massengale who pulled Tennessee through adversity.
#12 Arizona State routed Oregon, 72-52.
#13 Mississippi State dispatched of Florida, 75-62.
#19 Stanford dismissed UCLA, 68-50.
#22 Nebraska snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating Wisconsin, 70-63.
#23 Syracuse surged to out do Virginia Tech, 59-51.
Texas Tech escaped with a 74-68 overtime win over Kansas State.
Marquette stunned Seton Hall, 73-70.
USC prevailed over Cal, 65-54.
Washington took care of Colorado, 79-67.
DePaul pounded St. John's, 82-55.
Miami came back to beat Georgia Tech, 64-59.
Minnesota topped Penn State, 85-77.
Pitt dominated Wake Forest, 65-41.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Emily Cady is steering Nebraska through rough waters. But.....coach Connie Yori wants Cady to be more aggressive.
Jillian Alleyne is still a glass act for the Oregon Ducks.
ASU's freshmen await their turn.
Team news:
Oregon keeps rolling on.
Coaching news:
Princeton coach Courtney Banghart keeps winning.
Contemplating the bottom-record teams
Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 4-18
Coppin State, 4-18
Northeastern, 4-18
Bradley, 4-19
Charleston, 4-19
Georgia Southern, 4-19
Chicago State, 4-19
Kent State, 4-19
Loyola (Ill), 4-19
Miami (OH), 4-19
Saint Francis (PA), 4-20
South Alabama, 4-20
Georgetown, 4-21
Portland, 4-21
Binghamton, 4-22
Loyola Marymount, 4-22
New Orleans, 3-18
Florida International, 3-20
Mississippi Valley State, 3-20
North Texas, 3-20
Howard, 3-21
Portland State, 3-21
Saint Peter's, 3-21
Longwood, 3-23
Manhattan, 2-21
Air Force, 2-23
Illinois State, 1-22
Cal State Santa Barbara, 0-23
I'm not blaming, but thinking how difficult it must be as an athlete on such a losing team. Contemplating what I'd to to keep myself motivated.
Coppin State, 4-18
Northeastern, 4-18
Bradley, 4-19
Charleston, 4-19
Georgia Southern, 4-19
Chicago State, 4-19
Kent State, 4-19
Loyola (Ill), 4-19
Miami (OH), 4-19
Saint Francis (PA), 4-20
South Alabama, 4-20
Georgetown, 4-21
Portland, 4-21
Binghamton, 4-22
Loyola Marymount, 4-22
New Orleans, 3-18
Florida International, 3-20
Mississippi Valley State, 3-20
North Texas, 3-20
Howard, 3-21
Portland State, 3-21
Saint Peter's, 3-21
Longwood, 3-23
Manhattan, 2-21
Air Force, 2-23
Illinois State, 1-22
Cal State Santa Barbara, 0-23
I'm not blaming, but thinking how difficult it must be as an athlete on such a losing team. Contemplating what I'd to to keep myself motivated.
College crowd size depends on record
Bill Plaschke, an LA Times sports columnist, asserts in a piece today that UCLA's Pauley Pavilion has "lost its buzz" since a remodel three years ago:
But the initial sight lingered. The perception is reality. In its third season, like a highly touted young slugger who can't hit the curveball, renovated Pauley Pavilion is scuffling.
"We're not overly enthusiastic about the attendance we're seeing," acknowledged Dan Guerrero, UCLA's athletic director. "We need to continue to work to get people to come enjoy our team."
The crowds have been indeed small, with an average of barely 7,000 fans in an arena nearly twice that size. The noise level is generally low, except when fans are cheering for an opponent to miss consecutive free throws in the second half, thus earning them the coveted free yogurt.
Fact check: UCLA men's attendance (as of today) averages 8,260 for fourth in the conference. UCLA women's crowds average 2,146, for sixth place.
Pac 12 women's attendance
ASU 2,867
OSU 2,728
Stanford 2,573
Washington 2,287
Oregon 2,255
UCLA 2,146
California 2,142
Arizona 1,953
Colorado 1,772
USC 1,473
WSU 1,461
Utah 1,286
Pac 12 men's attendance
Arizona 11,363
Utah 11,234
Colorado 9,730
UCLA 8,260
California 8,059
Washington 7,614
ASU 7,220
Oregon 7,065
OSU 6,898
Stanford 6,292
USC 6,150
WSU 6,028
Attendance figures roughly correlate to team record.
Women's standings.
Men's standings.
Check out women's 2012-2013 attendance and compare it to today's:
ATTENDANCE
Team | HOME GAMES Avg | AWAY GAMES Avg | NEUT GAMES Avg | ALL GAMES Avg |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona | 13-18791 1445 | 14-28974 2070 | 3-3209 1070 | 30-50974 1699 |
Arizona State | 15-23821 1588 | 12-20395 1700 | 4-203 51 | 31-44419 1433 |
California | 16-39691 2481 | 13-30675 2360 | 7-32396 4628 | 36-102762 2854 |
Colorado | 18-58695 3261 | 12-14845 1237 | 2-11604 5802 | 32-85144 2661 |
Oregon | 16-25204 1575 | 12-26045 2170 | 3-7349 2450 | 31-58598 1890 |
Oregon State | 15-17965 1198 | 10-20461 2046 | 6-992 165 | 31-39418 1272 |
Stanford | 15-64259 4284 | 15-54576 3638 | 6-10079 1680 | 36-128914 3581 |
UCLA | 15-29864 1991 | 12-20458 1705 | 7-13856 1979 | 34-64178 1888 |
USC | 17-14451 850 | 12-24814 2068 | 2-0 0 | 31-39265 1267 |
Utah | 18-14853 825 | 17-23279 1369 | 2-6269 3134 | 37-44401 1200 |
Washington | 16-30742 1921 | 15-19896 1326 | 2-10117 5058 | 33-60755 1841 |
Washington State | 13-12817 986 | 15-32288 2153 | 3-0 0 | 31-45105 1455 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals | 187-351153 1878 | 159-316706 1992 | 47-96074 2044 | 393-763933 1944
UCLA's has gone up, along with their record. Ditto ASU and OSU. It's no magic why attendance figures go up and down.
Crowd size helps, but it need not be the life blood of a team. Women have always played in largely-empty arenas, but they play with passion and purpose. Hopefully athletes remember why they play the game.
But the initial sight lingered. The perception is reality. In its third season, like a highly touted young slugger who can't hit the curveball, renovated Pauley Pavilion is scuffling.
"We're not overly enthusiastic about the attendance we're seeing," acknowledged Dan Guerrero, UCLA's athletic director. "We need to continue to work to get people to come enjoy our team."
The crowds have been indeed small, with an average of barely 7,000 fans in an arena nearly twice that size. The noise level is generally low, except when fans are cheering for an opponent to miss consecutive free throws in the second half, thus earning them the coveted free yogurt.
Fact check: UCLA men's attendance (as of today) averages 8,260 for fourth in the conference. UCLA women's crowds average 2,146, for sixth place.
Pac 12 women's attendance
ASU 2,867
OSU 2,728
Stanford 2,573
Washington 2,287
Oregon 2,255
UCLA 2,146
California 2,142
Arizona 1,953
Colorado 1,772
USC 1,473
WSU 1,461
Utah 1,286
Pac 12 men's attendance
Arizona 11,363
Utah 11,234
Colorado 9,730
UCLA 8,260
California 8,059
Washington 7,614
ASU 7,220
Oregon 7,065
OSU 6,898
Stanford 6,292
USC 6,150
WSU 6,028
Attendance figures roughly correlate to team record.
Women's standings.
Men's standings.
Check out women's 2012-2013 attendance and compare it to today's:
ATTENDANCE
Team | HOME GAMES Avg | AWAY GAMES Avg | NEUT GAMES Avg | ALL GAMES Avg |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona | 13-18791 1445 | 14-28974 2070 | 3-3209 1070 | 30-50974 1699 |
Arizona State | 15-23821 1588 | 12-20395 1700 | 4-203 51 | 31-44419 1433 |
California | 16-39691 2481 | 13-30675 2360 | 7-32396 4628 | 36-102762 2854 |
Colorado | 18-58695 3261 | 12-14845 1237 | 2-11604 5802 | 32-85144 2661 |
Oregon | 16-25204 1575 | 12-26045 2170 | 3-7349 2450 | 31-58598 1890 |
Oregon State | 15-17965 1198 | 10-20461 2046 | 6-992 165 | 31-39418 1272 |
Stanford | 15-64259 4284 | 15-54576 3638 | 6-10079 1680 | 36-128914 3581 |
UCLA | 15-29864 1991 | 12-20458 1705 | 7-13856 1979 | 34-64178 1888 |
USC | 17-14451 850 | 12-24814 2068 | 2-0 0 | 31-39265 1267 |
Utah | 18-14853 825 | 17-23279 1369 | 2-6269 3134 | 37-44401 1200 |
Washington | 16-30742 1921 | 15-19896 1326 | 2-10117 5058 | 33-60755 1841 |
Washington State | 13-12817 986 | 15-32288 2153 | 3-0 0 | 31-45105 1455 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals | 187-351153 1878 | 159-316706 1992 | 47-96074 2044 | 393-763933 1944
UCLA's has gone up, along with their record. Ditto ASU and OSU. It's no magic why attendance figures go up and down.
Crowd size helps, but it need not be the life blood of a team. Women have always played in largely-empty arenas, but they play with passion and purpose. Hopefully athletes remember why they play the game.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Heading into the final stretch
#16 Princeton edged Yale, 56-50, to remain unbeaten.
#2 Connecticut pummeled Tulane, 87-39.
Northwestern rallied furiously to beat Michigan, 63-62.
Cal Poly slipped past Long Beach State in overtime, 58-57.
Hawaii nipped Cal State Fullerton, 54-53, to take their ninth straight game.
Western Kentucky is 21-4 after taking Marshall, 74-60.
Green Bay routed Milwaukee, 79-62, to go 20-4.
Oklahoma humbled TCU, 77-54.
Illinois defeated Ohio State, 66-55.
Pacific took care of BYU, 86-82.
Oklahoma State handled Iowa State, 60-48.
Texas downed Kansas, 73-64.
CSUN whipped winless UCSB, 60-21.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
ESPN's Charlie Creme picks nine players fans should know.
With her great play of late, Kentucky guard Makayla Epps is losing her self-doubt.
Shae Kelley's choice to go to Minnesota may take them to the NCAA Tourney.
Alex Harris is back and making her presence felt for Penn State.
Team news:
Oregon State controls its destiny.
Michigan is looking to turn the season around in their final stretch.
Ohio State is aiming for a strong finish and an NCAA bid.
Iowa is celebrating small victories as big wins pile up.
#2 Connecticut pummeled Tulane, 87-39.
Northwestern rallied furiously to beat Michigan, 63-62.
Cal Poly slipped past Long Beach State in overtime, 58-57.
Hawaii nipped Cal State Fullerton, 54-53, to take their ninth straight game.
Western Kentucky is 21-4 after taking Marshall, 74-60.
Green Bay routed Milwaukee, 79-62, to go 20-4.
Oklahoma humbled TCU, 77-54.
Illinois defeated Ohio State, 66-55.
Pacific took care of BYU, 86-82.
Oklahoma State handled Iowa State, 60-48.
Texas downed Kansas, 73-64.
CSUN whipped winless UCSB, 60-21.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
ESPN's Charlie Creme picks nine players fans should know.
With her great play of late, Kentucky guard Makayla Epps is losing her self-doubt.
Shae Kelley's choice to go to Minnesota may take them to the NCAA Tourney.
Alex Harris is back and making her presence felt for Penn State.
Team news:
Oregon State controls its destiny.
Michigan is looking to turn the season around in their final stretch.
Ohio State is aiming for a strong finish and an NCAA bid.
Iowa is celebrating small victories as big wins pile up.
Waiting for 113 games to be played
Team news:
Ohio State is aiming for a strong finish.
Iowa State is searching for defensive consistency.
Coaching news:
Coach Suzie McConnell-Serio is turning around Pitt faster than expected.
Coach Lisa Stone is building up St. Louis, brick by brick.
Professional news:
Lisa Leslie is among the 2015 Basketball Hall of Fame nominees.
The Phoenix Mercury General Manager says the team isn't taking the year off just because Diana Taurasi isn't playing.
Seattle Storm coach Jenny Boucek says the franchise will welcome Lauren Jackson back in any capacity.
Skylar Diggins, Shoni Schimmel and Tina Charles were among the players in last night's NBA all-star weekend game.
Elena Delle Donne had a hectic day at the events yesterday.
Ohio State is aiming for a strong finish.
Iowa State is searching for defensive consistency.
Coaching news:
Coach Suzie McConnell-Serio is turning around Pitt faster than expected.
Coach Lisa Stone is building up St. Louis, brick by brick.
Professional news:
Lisa Leslie is among the 2015 Basketball Hall of Fame nominees.
The Phoenix Mercury General Manager says the team isn't taking the year off just because Diana Taurasi isn't playing.
Seattle Storm coach Jenny Boucek says the franchise will welcome Lauren Jackson back in any capacity.
Skylar Diggins, Shoni Schimmel and Tina Charles were among the players in last night's NBA all-star weekend game.
Elena Delle Donne had a hectic day at the events yesterday.
Mo'Ne Davis schools Kevin Hart in all-star game
In last night's NBA weekend all-star game, Little League star Mo'Ne Davis pulled a spin move on comedian Kevin Hart.
Ball don't lie: spin cycle.
The 13-year-old said it was "pretty cool."
Ball don't lie: spin cycle.
The 13-year-old said it was "pretty cool."
Friday, February 13, 2015
Wiese sets an OSU record; Princeton still a perfect 22-0
Top 25 match ups:
#8 Oregon State downed #12 Arizona State, 70-64. Beaver guard Sydney Wiese set a school record for three-point shots, with 180 in two years.
#16 Princeton is still perfect (22-0) after roughing up Brown, 86-58.
#19 Stanford topped USC, 79-60.
More results:
Seton Hall edged DePaul on a last-second shot, 81-80.
Utah beat Washington, 69-61 (what?).
Xavier rallied to beat Georgetown, 60-55.
St. John's defeated Marquette, 64-52.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Princeton forward Alex Wheatley is "lights out" both on and off the court.
Oregon State's Gabby Hanson plays a key role for the Beavers.
Coaching news:
Q&A with Maryland coach Brenda Frese.
Conference news:
The Pac 12 has cleared the way for Arizona State to host the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor is the only ranked team in the Big 12.
#8 Oregon State downed #12 Arizona State, 70-64. Beaver guard Sydney Wiese set a school record for three-point shots, with 180 in two years.
#16 Princeton is still perfect (22-0) after roughing up Brown, 86-58.
#19 Stanford topped USC, 79-60.
More results:
Seton Hall edged DePaul on a last-second shot, 81-80.
Utah beat Washington, 69-61 (what?).
Xavier rallied to beat Georgetown, 60-55.
St. John's defeated Marquette, 64-52.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Princeton forward Alex Wheatley is "lights out" both on and off the court.
Oregon State's Gabby Hanson plays a key role for the Beavers.
Coaching news:
Q&A with Maryland coach Brenda Frese.
Conference news:
The Pac 12 has cleared the way for Arizona State to host the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor is the only ranked team in the Big 12.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
More upendings than usual
Upsets:
#17 North Carolina rallied past #7 Florida State, 71-63.
Miami upended #23 Syracuse, 85-71.
Florida edged #24 Georgia, 51-48.
More results:
#10 Kentucky slipped past #13 Mississippi State in two overtimes, 92-90. Makayla Epps had a career-high 42 points for the Wildcats, including the buzzer-beater.
#1 South Carolina rebounded to smash LSU, 86-62.
#15 Texas A&M held off Arkansas, 59-55.
NC State squeaked by Georgia Tech, 65-64.
Cal beat UCLA, 70-64.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Erica Ogwumike has signed with Pepperdine, and will join sister Olivia there. Their big sisters, Nneka and Chiney, played together at Stanford.
Team news:
The road to redemption continues for Oklahoma State.
Coaching news:
How basketball legend Cheryl Miller found her way to coaching at Langston University.
Coach Kelly Graves is keeping Oregon on track in his first year at the helm.
#17 North Carolina rallied past #7 Florida State, 71-63.
Miami upended #23 Syracuse, 85-71.
Florida edged #24 Georgia, 51-48.
More results:
#10 Kentucky slipped past #13 Mississippi State in two overtimes, 92-90. Makayla Epps had a career-high 42 points for the Wildcats, including the buzzer-beater.
#1 South Carolina rebounded to smash LSU, 86-62.
#15 Texas A&M held off Arkansas, 59-55.
NC State squeaked by Georgia Tech, 65-64.
Cal beat UCLA, 70-64.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Erica Ogwumike has signed with Pepperdine, and will join sister Olivia there. Their big sisters, Nneka and Chiney, played together at Stanford.
Team news:
The road to redemption continues for Oklahoma State.
Coaching news:
How basketball legend Cheryl Miller found her way to coaching at Langston University.
Coach Kelly Graves is keeping Oregon on track in his first year at the helm.
Late-season Wooden Award watch list
The Wooden Award late-season 20:
Jillian Alleyne 6-3 JR F Oregon Pac-12
Brittany Boyd 5-9 SR G California Pac-12
Nina Davis 5-11 SO F Baylor Big 12
Alisha Gray 6-0 SO G North Carolina ACC
Reshanda Gray 6-3 SR F California Pac-12
Dearica Hamby 6-3 SR F Wake Forest ACC
Isabelle Harrison 6-3 SR C Tennessee SEC
Brittany Hrynko 5-8 SR G DePaul Big East
Moriah Jefferson 5-7 JR G Connecticut The American
Samantha Logic 5-9 SR G Iowa Big Ten
Jewell Loyd 5-10 JR G Notre Dame ACC
Kelsey Mitchell 5-8 FR G Ohio State Big Ten
Tiffany Mitchell 5-9 JR G South Carolina SEC
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis 5-11 SR F Connecticut The American
Kelsey Plum 5-8 SO G Washington Pac-12
Breanna Stewart 6-4 JR F Connecticut The American
Brianna Turner 6-3 FR F Notre Dame ACC
Elizabeth Williams 6-3 SR C/F Duke ACC
A’ja Wilson 6-5 FR G/F South Carolina SEC
Amanda Zahui B. 6-5 SO C Minnesota Big Ten
Jillian Alleyne 6-3 JR F Oregon Pac-12
Brittany Boyd 5-9 SR G California Pac-12
Nina Davis 5-11 SO F Baylor Big 12
Alisha Gray 6-0 SO G North Carolina ACC
Reshanda Gray 6-3 SR F California Pac-12
Dearica Hamby 6-3 SR F Wake Forest ACC
Isabelle Harrison 6-3 SR C Tennessee SEC
Brittany Hrynko 5-8 SR G DePaul Big East
Moriah Jefferson 5-7 JR G Connecticut The American
Samantha Logic 5-9 SR G Iowa Big Ten
Jewell Loyd 5-10 JR G Notre Dame ACC
Kelsey Mitchell 5-8 FR G Ohio State Big Ten
Tiffany Mitchell 5-9 JR G South Carolina SEC
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis 5-11 SR F Connecticut The American
Kelsey Plum 5-8 SO G Washington Pac-12
Breanna Stewart 6-4 JR F Connecticut The American
Brianna Turner 6-3 FR F Notre Dame ACC
Elizabeth Williams 6-3 SR C/F Duke ACC
A’ja Wilson 6-5 FR G/F South Carolina SEC
Amanda Zahui B. 6-5 SO C Minnesota Big Ten
Senior CLASS Award finalists narrowed to 10
The finalist list for the Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes both athletic and academic achievements of student athletes, has been narrowed to 10:
Name Position School
Sunejiro Agbuke Post Baylor University
Nneka Enemkpali Forward Texas
Isabelle Harrison Center Tennessee
Alexa Hayward Guard Saint Francis University
Jamie Kaplan Point Guard Tulane
Samantha Logic Point Guard University of Iowa
Amber Orrange Guard Stanford University
Megan Rogowski Guard DePaul University
Kiah Stokes Center University of Connecticut
Elizabeth Williams Forward/Center Duke University
Player news:
Oregon State star guard Sydney Wiese is wise about her future.
Khaalia Hillsman may be the key for Texas A&M.
Center Cheyenne Parker is peaking at the right time for Middle Tennessee State.
Nebraska coach Connie Yori hopes Emily Cady seizes the lead as the Huskers try to fill a void.
West Virginia's Averee Fields is fulfilling her potential this season.
Thanks to ice, Kentucky's Jelleah Sidney is gearing up for the home stretch.
Team news:
With Gabby Hanson's return, Oregon State is back to full strength (yikes!)
A higher seed may keep Nebraska from hosting the NCAA Tournament.
Coaching news:
It's time to give Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne her due.
Name Position School
Sunejiro Agbuke Post Baylor University
Nneka Enemkpali Forward Texas
Isabelle Harrison Center Tennessee
Alexa Hayward Guard Saint Francis University
Jamie Kaplan Point Guard Tulane
Samantha Logic Point Guard University of Iowa
Amber Orrange Guard Stanford University
Megan Rogowski Guard DePaul University
Kiah Stokes Center University of Connecticut
Elizabeth Williams Forward/Center Duke University
Player news:
Oregon State star guard Sydney Wiese is wise about her future.
Khaalia Hillsman may be the key for Texas A&M.
Center Cheyenne Parker is peaking at the right time for Middle Tennessee State.
Nebraska coach Connie Yori hopes Emily Cady seizes the lead as the Huskers try to fill a void.
West Virginia's Averee Fields is fulfilling her potential this season.
Thanks to ice, Kentucky's Jelleah Sidney is gearing up for the home stretch.
Team news:
With Gabby Hanson's return, Oregon State is back to full strength (yikes!)
A higher seed may keep Nebraska from hosting the NCAA Tournament.
Coaching news:
It's time to give Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne her due.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
The rundown
Upset:
St. Louis routed #20 George Washington, 79-61.
More results:
Oklahoma State downed Texas, 66-60.
Northwestern rumbled past Purdue in overtime, 73-65.
Michigan State topped Penn State, 74-67.
Minnesota defeated Wisconsin, 93-82.
Texas Tech beat Iowa State, 71-58.
Kansas State cruised by TCU, 93-79.
Indiana throttled Illinois, 85-58.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Sophomore forward Caelynn Manning-Allen is a rising star at Kansas.
Former Minnesota guard Grace Coughlin has transferred to North Dakota.
WNBA news:
The Sparks have signed guard Erin Phillips, and the Sky have signed Tamera Young to a multi-year contract extension.
St. Louis routed #20 George Washington, 79-61.
More results:
Oklahoma State downed Texas, 66-60.
Northwestern rumbled past Purdue in overtime, 73-65.
Michigan State topped Penn State, 74-67.
Minnesota defeated Wisconsin, 93-82.
Texas Tech beat Iowa State, 71-58.
Kansas State cruised by TCU, 93-79.
Indiana throttled Illinois, 85-58.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Sophomore forward Caelynn Manning-Allen is a rising star at Kansas.
Former Minnesota guard Grace Coughlin has transferred to North Dakota.
WNBA news:
The Sparks have signed guard Erin Phillips, and the Sky have signed Tamera Young to a multi-year contract extension.
NCAA's "if the season ended today" top 20 seeds
The NCAA women's selection committee announced its top 20 seeds, if the season were to end today. The four number-one seeds are UConn, South Carolina, Notre Dame and Tennessee. Here's the rationale:
“There were several reasons for [Wednesday's] unprecedented announcement,” said Dru Hancock, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and senior associate commissioner at the Big 12 Conference. “It’s important to keep in mind that [Wednesday's] announcement has no bearing on the final bracket, but we were able to identify those institutions that are a possible top-20 seed so that they can begin preparations to host first- and second-round play, while also building momentum towards the upcoming championship.”
The 20 seeds:
Team Conference Record
Arizona State, Pac-12 21-3
Baylor, Big 12 22-1
California, Pac-12 18-5
Duke, Atlantic Coast 18-6
Florida State, Atlantic Coast 22-2
George Washington, Atlantic 10 21-2
Iowa, Big Ten 19-4
Kentucky, Southeastern 18-5
Louisville, Atlantic Coast 20-3
Maryland, Big Ten 22-2
North Carolina, Atlantic Coast 19-5
Notre Dame, Atlantic Coast 23-2
Oklahoma, Big 12 15-7
Oregon State, Pac-12 21-2
South Carolina, Southeastern 22-1
Stanford, Pac-12 17-7
Tennessee, Southeastern 20-3
Texas A&M, Southeastern 18-6
UConn, American Athletic 23-1
Washington, Pac-12 18-6
Five teams - 25 percent of the seeds - are from the Pac 12.
Noting the number of unranked teams on the list.
“There were several reasons for [Wednesday's] unprecedented announcement,” said Dru Hancock, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and senior associate commissioner at the Big 12 Conference. “It’s important to keep in mind that [Wednesday's] announcement has no bearing on the final bracket, but we were able to identify those institutions that are a possible top-20 seed so that they can begin preparations to host first- and second-round play, while also building momentum towards the upcoming championship.”
The 20 seeds:
Team Conference Record
Arizona State, Pac-12 21-3
Baylor, Big 12 22-1
California, Pac-12 18-5
Duke, Atlantic Coast 18-6
Florida State, Atlantic Coast 22-2
George Washington, Atlantic 10 21-2
Iowa, Big Ten 19-4
Kentucky, Southeastern 18-5
Louisville, Atlantic Coast 20-3
Maryland, Big Ten 22-2
North Carolina, Atlantic Coast 19-5
Notre Dame, Atlantic Coast 23-2
Oklahoma, Big 12 15-7
Oregon State, Pac-12 21-2
South Carolina, Southeastern 22-1
Stanford, Pac-12 17-7
Tennessee, Southeastern 20-3
Texas A&M, Southeastern 18-6
UConn, American Athletic 23-1
Washington, Pac-12 18-6
Five teams - 25 percent of the seeds - are from the Pac 12.
Noting the number of unranked teams on the list.
Naismith Award midseason watch list
The Naismith candidate list has been trimmed to 30:
Brittany Boyd California Sr. G Pac-12
Lexie Brown Maryland Soph. G Big Ten
Adut Bulgak Florida State Jr. C ACC
Kaela Davis Georgia Tech Soph. G ACC
Nina Davis Baylor Soph. F Big 12
Blake Dietrick Princeton Sr. G Ivy
Allisha Gray North Carolina Soph. G ACC
Reshanda Gray California Sr. F Pac-12
Precious Hall James Madison Jr. G Colonial Athletic
Isabelle Harrison Tennessee Sr. C SEC
Brittany Hrynko DePaul Sr. G Big East
Moriah Jefferson Connecticut Jr. G American Athletic
Jonquel Jones George Washington Jr. F Atlantic 10
Samantha Logic Iowa Sr. G Big Ten
Jewell Loyd Notre Dame Jr. G ACC
Kelsey Mitchell Ohio State Fr. G Big Ten
Tiffany Mitchell South Carolina Jr. G SEC
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis Connecticut Sr. F American Athletic
Amber Orrange Stanford Sr. G Pac-12
Kelsey Plum Washington Soph. G Pac-12
Tyler Scaife Rutgers Soph. G Big Ten
Ka-Deidre Simmons Seton Hall Grad. Student G Big East
Breanna Stewart Connecticut Jr. F American Athletic
Brianna Turner Notre Dame Fr. F ACC
Courtney Walker Texas A&M Jr. G SEC
Aleighsa Welch South Carolina Sr. F SEC
Sydney Wiese Oregon State Soph. G Pac-12
Courtney Williams South Florida Jr. G American Athletic
Elizabeth Williams Duke Sr. C/F ACC
A'ja Wilson South Carolina Fr. G/F SEC
Brittany Boyd California Sr. G Pac-12
Lexie Brown Maryland Soph. G Big Ten
Adut Bulgak Florida State Jr. C ACC
Kaela Davis Georgia Tech Soph. G ACC
Nina Davis Baylor Soph. F Big 12
Blake Dietrick Princeton Sr. G Ivy
Allisha Gray North Carolina Soph. G ACC
Reshanda Gray California Sr. F Pac-12
Precious Hall James Madison Jr. G Colonial Athletic
Isabelle Harrison Tennessee Sr. C SEC
Brittany Hrynko DePaul Sr. G Big East
Moriah Jefferson Connecticut Jr. G American Athletic
Jonquel Jones George Washington Jr. F Atlantic 10
Samantha Logic Iowa Sr. G Big Ten
Jewell Loyd Notre Dame Jr. G ACC
Kelsey Mitchell Ohio State Fr. G Big Ten
Tiffany Mitchell South Carolina Jr. G SEC
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis Connecticut Sr. F American Athletic
Amber Orrange Stanford Sr. G Pac-12
Kelsey Plum Washington Soph. G Pac-12
Tyler Scaife Rutgers Soph. G Big Ten
Ka-Deidre Simmons Seton Hall Grad. Student G Big East
Breanna Stewart Connecticut Jr. F American Athletic
Brianna Turner Notre Dame Fr. F ACC
Courtney Walker Texas A&M Jr. G SEC
Aleighsa Welch South Carolina Sr. F SEC
Sydney Wiese Oregon State Soph. G Pac-12
Courtney Williams South Florida Jr. G American Athletic
Elizabeth Williams Duke Sr. C/F ACC
A'ja Wilson South Carolina Fr. G/F SEC
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Endless storylines
Some close games tonight:
Ohio State slipped past Michigan, 77-73.
West Virginia survived Kansas, 59-56.
No upsets:
#5 Maryland topped #18 Rutgers, 80-69. The Terps have won 16 straight.
#25 South Florida routed SMU, 72-51.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Support from Kentucky teammates and fans is brightening Janee Thompson's recovery.
Isabelle Harrison's turnaround is fueling Tennessee's success.
Senior guard Chante Miles is leading the charge at Cal State Fullerton.
Minnesota Gopher Amanda Zahui B is earning a place among the nation's greats.
Duke sophomore Kendall Cooper is stepping up in Oderah Chidom's absence.
Purdue's Bridget Perry is playing catch up.
A new and improved Nikki Moody is helping Iowa State.
Team news:
The Pac 12 is pulling from an international pool.
Last weekend's win over Stanford doesn't change much for Arizona.
There's no rest for the winning at Iowa.
Florida is working on shot selection, as the season winds down.
Nebraska is suffering from Rachel Theriot's absence.
Ohio State slipped past Michigan, 77-73.
West Virginia survived Kansas, 59-56.
No upsets:
#5 Maryland topped #18 Rutgers, 80-69. The Terps have won 16 straight.
#25 South Florida routed SMU, 72-51.
Full scoreboard.
Player news:
Support from Kentucky teammates and fans is brightening Janee Thompson's recovery.
Isabelle Harrison's turnaround is fueling Tennessee's success.
Senior guard Chante Miles is leading the charge at Cal State Fullerton.
Minnesota Gopher Amanda Zahui B is earning a place among the nation's greats.
Duke sophomore Kendall Cooper is stepping up in Oderah Chidom's absence.
Purdue's Bridget Perry is playing catch up.
A new and improved Nikki Moody is helping Iowa State.
Team news:
The Pac 12 is pulling from an international pool.
Last weekend's win over Stanford doesn't change much for Arizona.
There's no rest for the winning at Iowa.
Florida is working on shot selection, as the season winds down.
Nebraska is suffering from Rachel Theriot's absence.