Friday, February 28, 2014

More of everything

Player news:

Louisville's Sara Hammond sets her standards high, while her senior teammates have shaken up Cardinal basketball.

Kentucky's do-everything Kastine Evans is the team's leader on and off the court.

Michaela Mabrey fills her role for the #2 Irish three-mendously.

Vanderbilt sophomore Heather Bowe will miss the remainder of the season due to a violation of the school's academic policy.

No rest, no problem for Oklahoma State's Tiffany Bias.

UTEP's Kayla Thornton will miss the game at Rice due to her concussion.

UConn's Stefanie Dolson is hoping for a dance-off with President Obama this summer.

Team news:

West Virginia is right at home in the Big 12.

Coach C. Vivian Stringer says negotiations for her contract extension at Rutgers are in the final stages.

A regular-season title is no help in Colorado State's bid for the NCAA Tournament.

UMaine is doing well one year after their bus crashed.

Tonight's results:

Tennessee-Chattanooga downed Elon, 69-55, for their 38th consecutive home win.

Pac-12 third place Oregon State throttled Arizona, 78-48.

Colorado routed UCLA, 62-42.

Oregon upset #20 Arizona State, 98-90.

Full scoreboard.

WNBA CBA still awaiting final signatures two weeks later

Two weeks after the Women’s National Basketball Players Association and the Women’s National Basketball Association announced that they’d formed a Collective Bargaining Agreement, it has yet to be finalized. Both sides estimated last week that it will be another seven to 10 days.

The WNBA declined comment on the agreement, including what is holding it up from completion, past what President Laurel Richie said upon announcement. At that time she acknowledged that the two sides had reached an agreement, and that it had yet to be finalized.

WNBPA president Tamika Catchings said the new agreement is ready for final signatures and is "a done deal." She said player needs have been met through the new CBA.

“As a union, we are satisfied with the deal,” Catchings said. “In the negotiation process, there are things from both sides that you fight for - some you win, and some you lose. But, I think after looking at this deal, we found a consistent medium that will be good for both sides.”

Once the agreement is signed, teams can acquire players and make trades. This is particularly significant due to one of the key points of the new agreement: teams will be allowed to have 12 players on a roster, instead of 11.

Last season the roster limit severely affected some teams when players became injured, causing some to sign free agents while athletes rehabilitated. Having rosters back up to 12 players should provide more roster stability, Catchings said.

“The most significant issue for the players was getting the 12th player added back to the rosters,” Catchings said. “It provides a better quality of play for all. And of course, it adds another 12 jobs across the league.”

The new CBA also designates salary cap changes in that 2013 figures are maintained. The salary guarantee will be $869,000, with a maximum of $913,000. The guarantee and salary cap will increase by two percent each year under the six-year agreement. Maximum annual increases in individual multi-year deals will increase correspondingly by two percent.

The third main change in the new CBA is around revenue sharing. Under the new agreement, if regular season average team ticket revenue exceeds a target amount or threshold, players will receive a percentage of the amount over the target.

Under the old CBA, the threshold was $2.7 million, and the player share was ten percent.

“As these numbers do not provide for a meaningful revenue sharing program for players, we sought to achieve more realistic benchmarks to allow players to not only share in revenues sooner, but also receive a meaningful share once the benchmark is met,” Catchings said.

The threshold has been reduced from $2.7 million to $2 million, and the players share increases to 15% as follows:
 
o   From $2 - $2.5, players share in the overage would be 15%.
o   $2.5 & above, the share would be 20%.
· The threshold grows by CPI + 1.  Traditionally annual ticket price increases are greater than CPI.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Who's got next? The freshmen and sophomores

The future is in good hands for now:

It can be argued that this is one of the top freshmen classes in history, with a total of 60 freshmen and sophomores ranked in the top 250 players in scoring this season, with 16 of those being freshmen. In 2012-13, there were nine freshmen ranked in the top 250 in scoring.

SUPER SOPHOMORES

NAME SCHOOL POINTS PER GAME

Kelsey Minato Army 21.7
Jillian Alleyne Oregon 21.4
Shereesha Richards Albany 20.8
Ashley Luke Western Illinois 20.1
Jada Payne East Carolina 19.3
Breanna Stewart Connecticut 19.3
Emani White Nicholls State 19.2
Brittany Crain UC Riverside 18.9
Jewell Loyd Notre Dame 18.7
Aundrea Gamble Arkansas State 18.6

FABULOUS FRESHMEN

NAME SCHOOL POINTS PER GAME

Chrishae Rowe Oregon 21.8
Kelsey Plum Washington 20.8
Raven Bankston Delaware State 20.4
Malia Tate-DeFreitas Hampton 18.9
Sara Dickey Evansville 18.3
Kaela Davis Georgia Tech 18.3
Diamond DeShields North Carolina 17.7
Jasmine Nwajei Wagner 17.7
Kaylah Keys High Point 17.6
Jessica Jackson Arkansas 16.6

Naismith Trophy semifinalists named

Semifinalists for the 2014 Women's Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T are:

Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut
Bria Hartley, Connecticut
Jewell Loyd, Notre Dame
Maggie Lucas, Penn State
Kayla McBride, Notre Dame
Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford
Shoni Schimmel, Louisville
Odyssey Sims, Baylor
Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
Alyssa Thomas, Maryland

Clinchers and milestones

Outright:

#22 Gonzaga topped Saint Mary's, 75-65, to claim their tenth straight WCC title.

#4 South Carolina downed Georgia, 67-56, to claim their first SEC title.

Milestones:

In #17 Texas A&M's 77-54 rout of Arkansas, Jordan Jones scored 19 points, gathered 10 rebounds and had 10 assists for the winners. This was the 16th NCAA Division I player to get a triple-double this season. Until......

#18 Cal beat Washington State in overtime, 75-68. Bear forward Reshanda Gray had a career-high 43 points, and guard Brittany Boyd had the NCAA's 17th triple-double of the season with 13 points, 11 assists and 14 rebounds.

Amazing.

More results:

#10 Tennessee surged past LSU, 72-67.

#12 Kentucky needed an overtime to take down Mississippi State, 81-74.

Auburn rallied from 17 down to beat Alabama in double overtime, 70-65.

Green Bay defeated Wright State in overtime, 79-72.

#16 Nebraska held off Illinois, 72-65.

#25 Iowa bested Ohio State, 65-61.

Florida topped Vanderbilt, 73-68.

Full scoreboard.

More college news:

University of Washington freshman Kelsey Plum has been out front for the Huskies this season, putting up ridiculous numbers.

Perseverance has Kentucky freshman Linnae Harper poised for a breakout.

Duke announced via twitter that Chloe Wells is out indefinitely from senior activities.

Chloe Wells is no longer with Duke?

So says swishappeal:

Wells' absence from senior night activities is not merely explained by her injury status: fellow senior Chelsea Gray suffered a season-ending knee injury on January 12 and is participating in senior night, making Wells' absence all the more conspicuous.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Pac-12 to feature Tara VanDerveer documentary next month

Legendary Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer will be the subject of a documentary on the Pac-12 Networks next month:

And now, during this milestone season, her 28th on the Farm, Pac-12 Networks is bringing college basketball fans behind the scenes, in the huddles and onto the bench with a 30-minute documentary entitled Tara VanDerveer: Life in a Season.......

The special, which captures Stanford’s journey over the last five months, including VanDerveer’s 900th career win against Florida Gulf Coast, will debut Monday, March 17 at 8:00 p.m. PT, immediately following ‘Pac-12 Sports Report: Women’s Basketball Selection Special.’

ESPN's mid-major rankings: a new number one

James Madison claims the top spot in this week's top 15 mid-major rankings:

1. James Madison
2. Gonzaga
3. Bowling Green
4. Dayton
5. Chattanooga
6. Middle Tennessee State
7. Marist
8. Central Michigan
9. BYU
10. Wright State
11. Iona
12. Albany
13. Green Bay
14. Pacific
15. Saint Joseph's

A grip of college news, and bit of WNBA, too

Tonight's upset:

Iowa State rolled over #15 Oklahoma State, 86-69.

More results:

Marquette rallied to beat St. John's, 74-61.

Western Michigan upended Eastern Michigan, 81-72.

Tulane held off Tulsa, 65-61.

St. Bonaventure took a crucial one over George Washington, 74-64.

Full scoreboard.

Player news:

A simple approach worked best for Nebraska's Jordan Hooper.

The Pac-12 rebound record of Oregon's Jillian Alleyne has been retracted.

Jasmine Hines is surging for Michigan State.

Seniors Sidney Goins and Jordyn Courier developed a special bond at Southern Illinois.

Michigan junior guard Shannon Smith is finding her rhythm.

The basketball life of Clemson's Nikki Dixon.

Two Army players are loving the military/basketball life.

BYU's Jennifer Hamson is returning to volleyball.

Colorado's Arielle Roberson blogs.

Team news:

Coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina are proving the doubters wrong.

North Carolina: finding their fit.

Oregon State is bubbling around the Big Dance. The Beavers are playing their best basketball right now.

WNBA:

Brittney Griner's memoir, "In My Skin" will hit shelves April 8.

San Antonio coach Dan Hughes is preparing for the draft lottery.

Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne will be honored at Lyme Research Alliance Gala in April.

Retired Sparks forward Lisa Leslie balances family and fame.

WBCA All-American game won't be played, but team is named

I don't know if anyone else noticed that there was no WBCA game on the NCAA Final Four schedule when it first came out, but I did. Turns out, the game is cancelled due to lack of sponsorship to offset rising costs:

The WBCA also announced that the WBCA High School All-America Game will not be played this year. Declining sponsorship revenue and the rising cost of operating the game was going to make it necessary for the WBCA to fund the game by redirecting money from services the association’s membership rate more highly. With the suspension of the game the WBCA decided to name 10 rather than 20 players as High School All-Americans to be consistent with the Coaches’ All-America teams in the collegiate divisions.

Here's the team:

Name School Hometown Signed

Ariel Atkins, Duncanville High School Duncanville, TX Texas
Sierra Calhoun, Christ the King High School Brooklyn, NY Duke
Jordin Canada, Winward School Los Angeles, CA UCLA
Gabby Green, Saint Mary’s College High School Oakland, CA California
Alexis Jennings, Sparkman High School Madison, AL Kentucky
Alexa Middleton, Riverdale High School Murfreesboro, TN Tennessee
Kelsey Mitchell, Princeton High School Cincinnati, OH Ohio State
Brianna Turner, Manvel High School Pearland, TX Notre Dame
Jatarie White, Providence Day School Charlotte, NC South Carolina
A’ja Wilson, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School Hopkins, SC Undeclared

Wilson is the player of the year.

Dawn Staley named 2014 U18 coach

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley will coach the U18 team this summer at the FIBA Americas Championship. Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico and Louisville coach Jeff Walz will be assistant coaches.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

High school top 25 rankings: getting serious

Check out all the happenings with the nation's top high school teams:

1. Mater Dei
2. Duncanville
3. Blackman
4. Incarnate Word Academy
5. Windward
6. Long Beach Polytechnic
7. Regis Jesuit
8. New Hope Christian Academy
9. Lawrence North
10. Myers Park
11. Bedford North Lawrence
12. St. Mary's
13. Etiwanda
14. Rock Bridge
15. Whitney Young
16. Manvel
17. Riverdale Baptist
18. M.X. Shabazz
19. Southwest Dekalb
20. Salmen
21. Christ the King
22. Sierra Canyon
23. Salesian
24. Nazareth
25. Neumann-Goretti

Interesting storylines

After a talk with alumni Skylar Diggins, Kayla McBride stepped up.

Carrying the Lady Vols is wearing on redshirt freshman Draya Carter
.

Ruth Hamblin is standing tall at Oregon State (written by yours truly).

Don't underestimate young Green Bay.

At UTEP, Kristine Vitola is flourishing in her fifth year, while Kayla Thornton still isn't cleared to play after suffering a concussion.

Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer's accomplishments will be celebrated by the New Jersey Senate.

A day in the life of Meredith Mitchell, Georgia's director of operations.

Coach Linda Lappe wants Colorado growing and learning til the end.

Their off-court bond is helping fuel the Navy's success.

Tonight's results:

Full scoreboard.

USA Today top 25 poll

USA Today top 25.....Vanderbilt out, Middle Tennessee in:

1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. Louisville
4. Stanford
5. Baylor
6. South Carolina
7. Maryland
8. Duke
9. Tennessee
10. West Virginia
11. North Carolina
12. Penn State
13. Nebraska
14. Oklahoma State
15. Kentucky
16. Texas A&M
17. North Carolina State
18. California
19. Purdue
20. Gonzaga
21. Dayton
22. Arizona State
23. LSU
24. Iowa State
25. Middle Tennessee State

Monday, February 24, 2014

Lieberman Award finalists named

The finalist nominees for the Nancy Lieberman Award for the nation's top point guard have been named:

Odyssey Sims - Baylor University

Jerica Coley - Florida International University

Yashira Delgado - Florida State University

Damika Martinez - Iona College

Ashley Deary - Northwestern University

Tiffany Bias - Oklahoma State University

Fantasia Hilliard - Sacramento State University

Amber Orrange - Stanford University

Natasha Cloud - St. Joseph's University

Joanna Harden - Troy University

Brittany Boyd - University of California, Berkeley

Bria Hartley - University of Connecticut

Moriah Jefferson - University of Connecticut

Samantha Logic - University of Iowa

Valencia McFarland - University of Mississippi

Lindsay Allen - University of Notre Dame

Jamierra Faulkner - University of Southern Mississippi

Heather Butler - University of Tennessee at Martin

Jennifer Newsome - University of Tennessee at Martin

Andola Dortch - University of Toledo

Jennifer Schlott - Utah State University

Dequesha McClanahan - Winthrop University

Duke loses another player for the season

Duke point guard Alexis Jones tore her ACL in yesterday's game, and will miss the rest of the season.
Now, Duke is pretty much screwed.

More news:

Notre Dame's Jewell Loyd is ESPN's player of the week.

ESPN analyzes eight teams it feels are on the bubble.

The longtime friendship of Diamond DeShields and Allisha Gray continues at North Carolina.

South Carolina spotlight: teammates.

Tonight's results:

#16 Nebraska upset #8 Penn State, 94-74.

Full scoreboard.

AP top 25: Middle Tennessee and Iowa in

In this week's AP top 25 poll, LSU and St. John's drop out, and Middle Tennessee and Iowa drop in:

1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. Louisville
4. South Carolina
5. Stanford
6. Baylor
7. Duke
8. Penn State
9. Maryland
10. Tennessee
11. West Virginia
12. Kentucky
13. North Carolina State
14. North Carolina
15. Oklahoma State
16. Nebraska
17. Texas A&M
18. California
19. Purdue
20. Arizona State
21. Michigan State
22. Gonzaga
23. Middle Tennessee State
24. Rutgers
25. Iowa

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Winding down

Somehow, there is only one more week of the regular season left before conference tournaments begin. How did this happen?

Today's results:

#2 Notre Dame put away #7 Duke, 81-70, and clinched the ACC title.

#3 Louisville topped #25 Rutgers, 73-58.

#4 South Carolina dusted Florida, 69-55.

#5 Stanford powered past UCLA, 65-56.

#8 Maryland trounced Georgia Tech, 79-62.

#10 Tennessee downed Missouri, 56-50.

Virginia Tech upset #11 North Carolina, 50-47.

#12 Oklahoma State slipped by Texas Tech, 63-62.

#14 North Carolina State edged Virginia, 68-66.

#15 Kentucky bounced #16 Texas A&M, 83-74.

#18 California beat USC, 76-67.

Arkansas upset #19 LSU, 57-53.

#20 Arizona State rolled over Utah, 60-40.

#21 Purdue ran away from Wisconsin, 72-54.

Creighton upset #22 St. John's, 65-62.

Alabama beat Vanderbilt in Nashville for the first time in program history, 66-62.

Oregon State routed Washington, 77-57.

Ohio State defeated Northwestern, 71-62.

Auburn downed Georgia, 67-59.

Colorado came back to defeat Arizona, 61-56.

Washington State used a strong second half to take down Oregon, 108-88.

Full scoreboard.

More news:

Kentucky freshman Makayla Epps is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after surviving a serious car accident in December.

Penn State's Maggie Lucas is proud of the team's freshmen.

Head injuries are keeping women out of the game

As if the prevalence of ACL injuries wasn't enough, check out this thought-provoking piece about UCLA's Lauren Holiday, who's had six head injuries in her two years as a Bruin:

Holiday thinks she has suffered at least six head injuries. Her coach and a member of the UCLA sports information staff, sitting nearby, help fill in some of the blanks.

She sustained her two most recent concussions late last year, including a season-ending injury against crosstown rival USC in December. Knocked off balance by a screen, she was kneed in the head by an opposing player as she fell toward the floor.

Almost immediately, Holiday says, she saw a flash of red lights and knew it was bad. She had seen those lights for the first time about 13 months earlier, the result of another collision.

After that, she had persevered through a long, hard journey back to competition. Yet there she was once more, a crumpled heap on the floor.

She knew right away she was in for a setback, but didn't realize that she once again would be sidelined indefinitely.

Holiday's college career is an embodiment of statistics that don't get much publicity. Sports concussions and their damaging effects have been in the news in recent years, but often the attention has been focused on football. Their impact in women's sports hasn't generated nearly as many headlines.

Women who play basketball and soccer at the high school and college levels are far more likely to sustain a concussion than their male counterparts, according to a 2013 study by the American Academy of Neurology. In high school basketball, they are more than five times as likely — .60 in 1,000 games compared to .11 for males. In college, the ratio is nearly two to one.

Studies have also shown that each concussion increases the risk of another, and multiple injuries increase the risk of prolonged symptoms.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Where has all the player development gone? Part II

Earlier this week I began visiting an issue that knowledgeable coaches and others have been discussing for the last few years - one that has become increasingly a problem: the lack of development of young basketball players.

Indeed, there are fewer experienced coaches available to impart knowledge to youth, for a variety of reasons. But an even bigger issue is that the ancient art of skill development seems to have given way to the quest for college scholarships.

Zina Jones coaches basketball at Hawthorne Middle School in Southern California, and has been a Los Angeles City Section referee for many years. She characterized modern-day youth basketball as a quick fix.

"It used to be where young people were groomed and developed to become great players, but now it's more like, 'Can you play? OK, you're on a team,'" Jones said.

Longtime LA-area basketball trainer Sherrise Smith said kids are pushed to play as many games as possible so they can be seen by college coaches. The time they used to use for skill development is now playing time.

"In the off-season when your (high school) team isn't in the playoffs, why are you not working on individual development?" Smith said. "It's because you or your coach wants to be in a spring league. Then you're in a summer league."

"Kids are constantly being coached to win games instead of developing as players. That's why people like me stay employed, is to supplement what young people aren't getting in practices."

The result of this "coach to win" approach is that more and more young players seem to lack fundamental skills: layups, screens, proper footwork. Another LA-area basketball trainer, Wayne Slappy, said fundamentals aren't media driven.

"There's a correlation between what a player is taught and what you see on the court," Slappy said. "The game is much more than tricks, but it's the tricks that you see on the news highlights. That's what it seems like people are into, but that's not what wins games. Real basketball is not like a pick-up game."

Both Jones and Smith also pointed to the increasing lack of opportunities in big cities for girls to practice their craft.

"There are no more open gyms, mostly due to budget cuts," Smith said. "So unless girls want to go out and play with boys, there are very few opportunities to just go play."

Another reason for the decline in the quality of LA city basketball is tied to education: many parents are sending their kids to private schools, or school districts outside the city.

"The educational aspect is very important to parents, who don't want to sacrifice one for the other anymore," Slappy said.

The result of the lack of development and participation can be seen in the scores: two nights ago was the first round of section and city section playoffs, and there were many incredibly-lopsided scores.

"There was one game the other night that was 89-4 - 55-0 at halftime," Jones said. "You never used to see that."

Capitol One Academic All-American Team's named

The Capitol One Academic All-American Division I Team includes:

Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford University
Amanda Hyde, Indiana University-Purdue Fort Wayne
Rachel Tecca, University of Akron
Kody Burke, North Carolina State
Eilise O'Connor, University of Missouri-Kansas City

Second Team:

Heather Butler, UT Martin
Ebony Rowe, Middle Tennessee State University
Alyssa Charlston, Idaho
Alli Williams, Saint Francis
Nicole Elmbald, Michigan

Third Team:

Hallie Christofferson, Iowa State
Jerica Coley, Florida International
Ifunanya Mora, Incarnate Word
Haley Peters, Duke University
Ashley Luke, Western Illinois

Thursday, February 20, 2014

A bit from here and there

College news:

"It's complicated": Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell and guard Jennifer O'Neill are figuring each other out.

Carolyn DeHoff has resigned as North Dakota State's coach.

Diamond DeShields has kicked up her game a notch for the Tar Heels.

Last night West Virginia players wore special shooting shirts and socks to support team manager SeLarra Armstrong, who has Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Michigan State forward Annalise Pickrel is driven in her final season.

Dara Taylor is becoming a scorer for Penn State in her senior season.

Tonight's results:

Only one upset: Georgia over #19 LSU, 71-67.

#4 South Carolina set a school mark for wins in their rout of #15 Kentucky, 81-58.

#11 North Carolina pulled it out against Virginia, 80-74.

Missouri bested Floria, 81-76.

Full scoreboard.

High school news:

#1 recruit A'ja Wilson is unfazed as her high school season wears down and her college choice looks.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Can you feel it? March is coming

Tonight's results:

#13 West Virginia creamed #12 Oklahoma State
, 77-45.

Shoni Schimmel reached the 2,000-point career mark in #3 Louisville's thumping of Houston, 81-62.

Oklahoma slipped by Texas, 64-63.

VCU routed St. Bonaventure, 74-57.

Bowling Green downed Central Michigan, 67-55. The Falcons are now 22-3.

Michigan topped Indiana
, 70-58.

Full scoreboard.

The news keeps pouring

Business:

An NCAA format change allows South Carolina to host a regional in the future.

Former San Diego State coach Beth Burns has filed a lawsuit against the University for unlawful firing.

Team news:

Coach Dawn Staley has South Carolina poised for an SEC title.

Routines and rituals have become tradition for Gonzaga.

Colorado's athletic director has laid out goals for the basketball team through 2017.

Depth has aided the success of Texas.

Player news:

Tennessee senior guard Meighan Simmons is hitting her stride in her final stretch as a Lady Vol.

Highly-touted Rutgers freshman Tyler Scaife translated summer prep into success. Her dad helped her sharpen her basketball chops.

Nebraska's Rachel Theriot has maxed out her minutes at point guard.

High school news:

Bombshell at highly-ranked Homewood-Flossmoor: the coach and entire team has been suspended and disqualified from the Illinois state playoffs.

Hope for more diversity in coaching ranks

Cincinnati coach Jamelle Elliott is part of a hopeful change in the racial makeup of coaches.

More college news:

A selfless approach has been the key to Colorado State's success.

Marist is readying for an MAAC Tournament push.

Lack of rebounding means losses for Ohio State.

Senior guard Tricia Liston is leading the way for Duke.

Fresno State's goals remain, even with their Mountain West Conference title hopes fading. Colorado State might take that honor.

DePauw is shying away from talking about their 58-game winning streak.

Oregon's Danielle Love plays with her heart
.

Former Tennessee athletic director Joan Cronan is the mayor of Rocky Top.

WNBA:

A nice lift for the Sky's Elena Delle Donne.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Where has all the player development gone? Part I

High school basketball in Los Angeles isn't as fun anymore.

Even just a few years ago there were great rivalries and there was amazing competition around the city. Tournaments were showcases for high-octane play. Now, formerly great teams barely have personnel. It's not the same, and it bums me out.

Part of the reason can be found in this piece, about a Valley school hiring an 18-year-old man to be their boy's volleyball coach:

Around Southern California, finding coaches in a variety of sports has become increasingly difficult. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, lots of schools are no longer allowing sports teams to use sixth period as part of their practice time, causing some teachers to say no thanks to coaching duties because they don't want to spend extended time after school for little pay. That means finding walk-ons, and young, untested recent high school graduates are getting early head coach opportunities. That can be good and bad.

The good is some of them could develop into outstanding coaches. The bad is they have little experience and could make big mistakes. In the old days, before becoming a head coach, candidates spent time coaching lower-level teams or serving as an assistant. They were mentored. Now, schools are more than willing to give a chance to the youngest of the young, especially when the stipend is a mere $2,311.


So the younger coaches care, but do they have experience and knowledge to teach needed playing and life skills to young people? No. And the result of that is the breed of basketball players we see now, on both the girls and boys side: sorely lacking in fundamentals.

I am interviewing a pro player who is trying to do something about this phenomenon. I'll be bringing that to you later this week.

Mount Rushmore

Last night on my twitter, I posed the question: who would be on your Mount Rushmore of women's basketball?

I got a lot of replies, and I retweeted them all. A couple people surprised me by naming Candace Parker and Maya Moore. I then clarified the concept of Mount Rushmore: founders and pioneers. Parker and Moore are too new on the scene to be in that category.

I have three on my Mount Rushmore:

Cheryl Miller
Sheryl Swoopes
Lisa Leslie

I can't decide if the last spot should go to Teresa Edwards or Lynette Woodard.

As for my coach's Mount Rushmore, Pat Summitt is most obviously there. But after that, I honestly can't decide.

This will take a while.

People, teams and pros in the news

People in the news:

Nebraska coach Connie Yori says she's feeling better after collapsing Sunday. She will coach the Husker's next game Thursday.

Vanderbilt freshman Rebekah Dahlman continues a family legacy on the hardwood.

Senior point guard Kellii Willingham drives UTEP.

Junior forward Cyesha Goree has stuck in Michigan's player rotation.

Virginia guard Breyana Mason: beware of the quiet ones.

Teams in the news:

Duke's bench crew is playing an important role this season.

Oregon State is finding success on their home court.

Colorado is struggling to find their lost momentum.

West Virginia has the right stuff.

Missouri is on the prowl, facing adversity.

Consistency in their lineup is working for Florida.

Tonight's results:

Georgetown upset #22 St. John's, 60-57.

Full scoreboard.

WNBA:

Shock guard Skylar Diggins is featured in Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue.

The Sky's May 13 preseason game will be at the University of Delaware - a homecoming for forward Elena Delle Donne.

USA Today top 25 sees much movement

A lot of shifting in this week's USA Today top 25 poll. Plus Wichita State is out and Iowa State is in:

1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. Louisville
4. Stanford
5. Baylor
6. South Carolina
7. Duke
8. North Carolina
9. Maryland
10. Tennessee
11. Penn State
12. Oklahoma State
13. Texas A&M
14. West Virginia
15. Kentucky
16. North Carolina State
17. Nebraska
18. LSU
19. California
20. Gonzaga
21. Purdue
22. Dayton
23. Iowa State
24. Arizona State
25. Vanderbilt

High school rankings: bracing for the playoffs

This week's top 25 high school teams, as they get ready for state playoffs:

1. Mater Dei
2. Duncanville
3. Blackman
4. Incarnate Word Academy
5. Windward
6. Long Beach Polytechnic
7. Regis Jesuit
8. New Hope Christian Academy
9. Homewood-Flossmoor
10. Lawrence North
11. Myers Park
12. Bedford North Lawrence
13. St. Mary's
14. Etiwanda
15. Rock Bridge
16. Whitney Young
17. Manvel
18. Riverdale Baptist
19. M.X. Shabazz
20. Southwest Dekalb
21. Saint Mary's College
22. Salmen
23. Christ the King
24. Sierra Canyon
25. Nazareth

Monday, February 17, 2014

AP top 25 poll

In this week's AP top 25, UConn is still a unanimous #1, Louisville moves to third, North Carolina to 11th, Arizona State down to 20th, Duke, North Carolina and Gonzaga are each down four, Cal is up four, and Vanderbilt is out while Rutgers is in:

1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. Louisville
4. South Carolina
5. Stanford
6. Baylor
7. Duke
8. Maryland
9. Penn State
10. Tennessee
11. North Carolina
12. Oklahoma State
13. West Virginia
14. North Carolina State
15. Kentucky
16. Texas A&M
17. Nebraska
18. California
19. LSU
20. Arizona State
21. Purdue
22. St. John's
23. Michigan State
24. Gonzaga
25. Rutgers

Contemplating the gap

Is this where the drop off starts?

#7 Duke routed #8 Maryland, 84-63.

Maybe not, because:

#2 Notre Dame defeated Georgia Tech by much less: 87-72.

More results:

UCLA went off on Oregon, 103-83.

The Duck's Jillian Alleyne became the Pac-12 and UO's single-season rebounds leader in the loss.

Full scoreboard.

Connie Yori update:

Nebraska coach Connie Yori's collapse yesterday was caused by an infection and dehydration.

More college news:

The versatility of Haley Peters makes her a key part of Duke's success.

Kentucky guard Jennifer O'Neill is learning not to over think things.

UConn has dwindling ranks, but ESPN says four should be enough.

Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant is confident her squad is ready for their last games.

Connie Yori "doing well" and resting after collapsing

Nebraska coach Connie Yori is doing well and resting after collapsing during yesterday's game:

LINCOLN, Neb. -- A Nebraska athletic department official says women's basketball coach Connie Yori is resting at home after collapsing during the second half of the 21st-ranked Cornhuskers' game against Indiana.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Parity again

My father and I were discussing college hoops today. He said there's more excitement on the women's side because there is so much parity, which parlays into upsets. (Unlike the men's side, which still tends to see the same teams winning year after year, we agreed).

Sometimes those upsets are of your favorite teams, but that's the way it is.

Today's upsets:

#18 Kentucky rallied past #8 Tennessee, 75-71. It was the Wildcats' first victory at Thompson-Boling Arena in 29 years.

#17 North Carolina upended #10 North Carolina State, 89-82. Freshman Diamond DeShields lead the Heels with 38 points.

Mississippi State shocked #16 Vanderbilt, 64-62. It was the second consecutive loss for the 'Dores.

#22 Cal topped #15 Arizona State, 74-63.

Close ones:

#13 West Virginia held off TCU, 61-57.

#23 Purdue nipped Iowa, 74-73.

Washington State held on to beat Colorado, 80-77.

The University of Washington squeezed past Utah, 67-66.

Miami got by Florida State, 76-73.

More results:

#12 Oklahoma State rolled past Oklahoma, 73-57. The Sooners are in danger of not making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.

Oregon State came up big against USC, 58-48.

#11 Penn State surged past Wisconsin, 78-68.

Michigan hung on to defeat Illinois, 70-63.

Full scoreboard.

Nikki McCray:

South Carolina assistant coach Nikki McCray discusses her breast cancer diagnosis and how her life has been impacted by it.

ESPN's player of the week:

.....is North Carolina freshman Diamond DeShields.

NCAA 2015 Final Four logo:

The NCAA unveiled the logo for next year's Final Four, in Tampa Bay.

More college news:

Oklahoma leading scorer Aaryn Ellenberg was injured in today's loss to Oklahoma State. Her status is unknown.

Duke: moving forward.

Nebraska coach Connie Yori collapses on sidelines during game

Husker coach Connie Yori collapsed during today's game against Indiana. She walked off the court under her own power, and was taken to a hospital and released.

#21 Nebraska rallied to down the Hoosiers, 76-61.

Assistant coach Sunny Smallwood calmed the Huskers during the crisis.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

More broken records

BYU upset #20 Gonzaga, 62-52.

Pacific beat Loyola Marymount, 102-95. Lion senior guard broke Hazel Ramirez broke the school single-season assist record.

Multiple records fell in Cal State Northridge's 78-54 defeat of UC Santa Barbara.

St. Bonaventure rallied from 22 points down to stun Duquesne, 63-62.

San Diego held off Portland, 59-52.

Marquette downed Xavier, 75-54.

#24 St. John's dropped Villanova, 69-56.

Minnesota routed Northwestern, 82-64.

Full, 124-game scoreboard.

More college news:

South Florida coach Jose Fernandez might miss his team's match up with #1 UConn tomorrow, after being hospitalized last week.

Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer is using their "Play 4 Kay" game as a teaching point for her team.

Postseason chances are getting slimmer for Ohio State.

Texas Tech is keeping their fighting spirit up.

WNBA and WNBPA reach deal on a new CBA

Finally - the WNBA and WNBPA have reached a deal on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement:

The league and its players' union reached a labor agreement Saturday on a six-year deal. It replaces the agreement that expired Sept. 30, a few weeks before the Minnesota Lynx won their second WNBA title in three seasons.

The maximum team roster size will increase by one to 12 under the deal, which must be drafted into a formal collective bargaining agreement in the next few weeks.

"The WNBA and WNBPA are pleased to announce an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement," WNBA President Laurel Richie told The Associated Press. "Over the next week to 10 days, we will be working together to complete the written agreement."......

Among the changes:

-Owners will be able to increase fines and penalties associated with overseas play when players can't fulfill WNBA obligations.

-Smaller annual increases in the salary cap than called for in the previous deal.

-An improved revenue sharing program for the players.


Trades can begin again, even before the final paperwork is signed, which is a good thing: teams are way behind in scouting their teams.

More league news:

Elena Delle Donne is adjusting to her role as the face of the WNBA.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Pac-12 thoughts

Tonight's results have brought pondering:

#6 Stanford smashed #15 Arizona State, 61-35.

Increased parity in the game doesn't mean there still won't be an azz whoopin or two at times.

#22 Cal rolled by Arizona, 65-49.

Bear junior forward Reshanda Gray is the team's leading scorer and rebounder, doubling her production from last year. Why hasn't she been put on some of the "watch lists"? She needs to be there.

Oregon State thumped UCLA, 70-54. The Beavers are 16-9, and coach Scott Rueck continues to build a heckuva program.

Washington downed Colorado, 87-80.

The Huskies are on the rise, and I can't think of another team in Division I that has fallen farther than the Buffs. They began the season ranked 12th; now they're 14-10.

USC topped Oregon, 88-78.

USC only broke away the last two minutes of the game - that's mental toughness.

Oregon coach Paul Westhead better give his apartment manager (he only lives in Eugene a few months of the year) his notice pretty soon.

Washington State dropped Utah, 83-73.

More results:

Princeton beat Brown, 81-70.

Marist went big in their 100-81 win over Quinnipiac.

Delaware defeated Charleston, 85-71.

Full scoreboard.

Both heavy and fun stuff

Heavy college news:

UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis will be out three to six weeks with mononucleosis. This leaves the Huskies with only eight healthy players.

Shatyra Hawkes has been dismissed from Xavier for violating athletic department rules.

Lighter news:

Tyaunna Marshall crossed the 2,000-point career mark in Georgia Tech's win over Virginia tonight. Last week she broke the school scoring record; she's the 24th player in the ACC to notch that achievement.

Playing for Nikki McCray:

The entire South Carolina program has rallied around assistant coach Nikki McCray since her breast cancer diagnosis in November.

WNBA:

Tamika Catchings, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins competed in tonight's NBA All-Star celebrity game.

Delle Donne, Diggins, Swin Cash and Becky Hammon will compete tomorrow night in a shooting contest.

Catchings speaks: basketball and beyond.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Final Four will move to Friday-Sunday in 2017

The Final Four will switch back to its former Friday-Sunday game schedule in 2017.

Close games, career nights and conference breakdowns

Some close ones tonight:

#10 North Carolina needed an overtime to put away Clemson, 69-63.

#13 West Virginia escaped Oklahoma, 76-75.

#14 Texas A&M survived Georgia in overtime, 78-73.

One upset:

Auburn pulled off a rare win over #16 Vanderbilt, 68-62.

Other notable results:

#2 Notre Dame's 82-61 trouncing of Boston College puts them at 24-0 - the best start in program history.

In #18 Kentucky's 108-78 rout of Ole Miss, the Rebels Tia Faleru had 31 points and 16 rebounds.

Wake Forest slipped by Virginia Tech, 65-64.

In the process of Florida State downing Syracuse, Seminole Natasha Howard put up a school record 40 points.

#11 Penn State topped Indiana, 71-63.

Full scoreboard.

More college news:

More "breaking down the conferences" from the NCAA.

Notre Dame senior Natalie Achonwa's competitive spirit has again made the Irish one of the nation's best teams.

Lunchtime quickies

Nebraska players are logging plenty of minutes.

South Carolina continues to impress
.

Kim Robertson is making an impact for her mother/coach Kim Mulkey at Baylor in her senior season.

Texas A&M is in good shape, but they're not done yet.

DePaul's sophomores are full of character and personality.

ESPN's mid-major top 15

The list:

1. Gonzaga
2. James Madison
3. Chattanooga
4. Bowling Green
5. Dayton
6. Middle Tennessee
7. Central Michigan
8. Wichita State
9. Green Bay
10. Marist
11. Fordham
12. BYU
13. Iona
14. Saint Mary's
15. St. Bonaventure

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Big business

New scholarship rules for wealthier conferences on the horizon? :

A seven-member steering committee with the NCAA's Division I Board of Directors is working to provide wealthier conferences with "a range" of autonomy -- namely the freedom to provide athletes the full cost of scholarships -- and hopes to have a new structure in place by August, said the board's chair, Wake Forest president Nathan Hatch.

Rutgers is paying an $11.5 million exit fee to leave the ACC and join the Big Ten.

The winter storm moving through the South this week has caused schedule changes.

Naismith Trophy: Midseason 30

The list:

Natalie Achonwa, Notre Dame
Rachel Banham, Minnesota
Tiffany Bias, Oklahoma State
Brittany Boyd, California
Hallie Christofferson, Iowa State
Jerica Coley, Florida International
Diamond DeShields, North Carolina
Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut
Aaryn Ellenberg, Oklahoma
Christina Foggie, Vanderbilt
Markeisha Gatling, North Carolina State
Bria Hartley, Connecticut
Jordan Hooper, Nebraska
Natasha Howard, Florida State
Tricia Liston, Duke
Jewell Loyd, Notre Dame
Maggie Lucas, Penn State
Tyaunna Marshall, Georgia Tech
Kayla McBride, Notre Dame
Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut
Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford
Theresa Plaisance, LSU
Ebony Rowe, Middle Tennessee
Shoni Schimmel, Louisville
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Odyssey Sims, Baylor
Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
Alyssa Thomas, Maryland
Elizabeth Williams, Duke

Sparks name assistant coaches; Lauren Jackson out for 2014 season

Coaching veterans Gail Goestenkors and Gary Kloppenberg have been named assistants to Sparks coach Carol Ross.

Following her surgeries Monday, Storm veteran forward will miss the 2014 WNBA season - her second year in a row.

Finalists for the Senior CLASS Award named

Finalists:

Women’s Basketball 2013-14 Finalists

Name Position School

Heather Butler Guard UT Martin
Hallie Christofferson Forward Iowa State
Jerica Coley Guard FIU
Stefanie Dolson Center Connecticut
Jordan Hooper Forward Nebraska
Natasha Howard Forward Florida State
Maggie Lucas Guard Penn State
Chiney Ogwumike Forward Stanford
Haley Peters Forward Duke
Odyssey Sims Guard Baylor

More on Betty Jaynes

The life and career of Betty Jaynes.

Mel Greenberg's tribute, part one, and part two.

More news:

North Carolina freshman Diamond DeShields is the NCAA player of the week.

Last night's win over Houston was coach Vivian Stringer's 400th at Rutgers.

Freshman guard Sparkle Taylor has grown to take a key role on the court for UTEP.

It's a balancing act for Liberty's Katelyn Adams.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

High school top 25 rankings: few changes this week

Power rankings:

1. Mater Dei
2. Duncanville
3. Blackman
4. Incarnate Word Academy
5. Windward
6. Long Beach Polytechnic
7. Regis Jesuit
8. New Hope Christian Academy
9. Homewood-Flossmoor
10. Lawrence North
11. Myers Park
12. Bedford North Lawrence
13. St. Mary's
14. Etiwanda
15. Rock Bridge
16. Riverdale
17. Whitney Young
18. Manvel
19. Riverdale Baptist
20. M.X. Shabazz
21. Southwest Dekalb
22. Saint Mary's College
23. Joliet Catholic Academy
24. Sierra Canyon
25. Salmen

Jockeying for position

The race for the number one seeds is in effect.

More college news:

The scoring success of Georgia Tech's Tyaunna Marshall wasn't necessarily expected.

Duke redshirt Becca Greenwell is learning from some great players while she's sitting out.

San Francisco Dons: teacher Jennifer Azzi.

Chalk talk with Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli.

WNBA:

Lauren Jackson's open letter to Storm fans about her surgeries this week.

Dream general manager Angela Taylor interview, part II.

WBCA/Allstate 2014 Good Works Team announced

WBCA/Allstate 2014 Good Works Team:

INDIANAPOLIS - Feb. 11, 2014 - The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Allstate Insurance Company today announced the 20 men's and women's college basketball student-athletes named to the 2014 Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams®. In its second year, this preeminent community service honor recognizes college basketball players who have made a commitment to improving their communities and the lives of others.

The Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® are each comprised of 10 student-athletes; five from the NCAA® Division I and five from NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA. A total of 117 NABC nominees and 84 WBCA nominees were submitted by sports information directors across the nation on behalf of their colleges and universities. The final team rosters were chosen by prestigious voting panels comprised of former coaches, student-athletes and media members.


NCAA Division I

Name Class Position School Hometown

Kastine Evans Senior Guard Kentucky Salem, Conn.
Alyssa Englert Senior Guard Hartford Dansville, N.Y.
NeTanya Jones Senior Center McNeese State Oakdale, La.
Courtney Moses Senior Guard Purdue Sweetser, Ind.
Shayla Bivins Senior Center Georgia Institute of Technology Jacksonville, Fla.

NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA

Name Class Position School Hometown

Jasmine Brewer Senior Guard Loyola (New Orleans) Houston, Texas
Amy Loya Senior Guard Union (NY) Bethel, Conn.
Michel’le St. Pierre Senior Guard Worcester State Seekonk, Mass.
Alexandra Wilkinson Senior Forward Minnesota State (Mankato) Blue Mounds, Wis.
Alexa Baltes Senior Guard Illinois Wesleyan St. Charles, Ill.

A lot of changes in USA Today top 25 poll

North Carolina State, Texas A&M and West Virginia each up four; Kentucky and Arizona State down five; Iowa State and Middle Tennessee out; Wichita State and Dayton in.

The list:

1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. Louisville
4. Baylor
5. Stanford
6. South Carolina
7. Duke
8. Tennessee
9. Maryland
10. North Carolina
11. Penn State
12. Oklahoma State
13. North Carolina State
14. Texas A&M
15. Gonzaga
16. West Virginia
17. LSU
18. Kentucky
19. Nebraska
20. Vanderbilt
21. Arizona State
22. California
23. Purdue
24. Wichita State
25. Dayton

Monday, February 10, 2014

An upset (of course), and so much more

So #17 North Carolina upset #3 Duke, 89-78. Freshman Diamond DeShields lead the Heels with 30 points. She also pointedly yawned at the usual crazed Duke fans. (Is this kid really a freshman?). Check the photos on ESPN's site.

#8 Tennessee stomped #16 Vanderbilt, 81-53.

Full scoreboard.

More college news:

South Florida coach Jose Fernandez is in the hospital after suffering an allergic reaction to medication.

UConn forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis suffered an elbow injury in yesterday's trouncing of Louisville.

Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike blogs that disappointment can be a blessing.

As the season winds down, Michigan is struggling with inconsistency and inexperience.

Catching up with Louisville senior Asia Taylor.

Freshman Isis Thorpe is a fine surprise for VCU.

Kara Lawson breaks it down:

Teams in trouble, and the state of rivalries.

Wade Watch list adds ten names:

Joining the preseason list of 25 Wade Watch hopefuls are Tiffany Bias of Oklahoma State, Hallie Christofferson of Iowa State, Christina Foggie of Vanderbilt, Markeisha Gatling of N.C. State, Dearica Hamby of Wake Forest, Natasha Howard of Florida State, Alexis Jones of Duke, Tricia Liston of Duke, Jewell Loyd of Notre Dame, and Tiffany Mitchell of South Carolina.

Sad news:

Longtime WBCA director Betty Jaynes has passed away.

Los Angeles Sparks:

Nothing wrong with a little Magic.

WNBA:

Storm forward/center Lauren Jackson has undergone surgery on her knee and Achilles tendon, putting her WNBA season in doubt.

Great interview with Atlanta Dream GM Angela Taylor.

AP top 25 sees changes, with more to come

Stanford and Arizona State tumble in this week's AP top 25, after their weekend losses. Expect Duke to do the same after tonight's upset by North Carolina. Middle Tennessee out, St. John's in:

1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. Duke
4. Louisville
5. South Carolina
6. Stanford
7. Baylor
8. Tennessee
9. Maryland
10. North Carolina State
11. Penn State
12. Oklahoma State
13. West Virginia
14. Texas A&M
15. Arizona State
16. Vanderbilt
17. North Carolina
18. Kentucky
19. LSU
20. Gonzaga
21. Nebraska
22. Cal
23. Purdue
24. St. John's
25. Michigan State

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Georgia Tech's Tyaunna Marshall is ESPN's player of the week

Deservedly so:

In the process, Marshall became Georgia Tech's all-time leading scorer and is now just 20 points from the 2,000-point career mark. Even better, the two points that broke the program's previous record were two free throws that gave Georgia Tech its three-point cushion with 4.2 seconds left.

On Sunday, the Yellow Jackets found themselves down nine with eight minutes left at Miami, in danger of erasing all the good that the North Carolina win had meant. Marshall took the lead again, scoring six points in a 14-0 run. She then proceeded to score Georgia Tech's final three points in the 89-87 come-from-behind win, the Yellow Jackets' third straight victory and third consecutive road win, another key NCAA tournament marker.


Yellow Jackets coach MaChelle Joseph tweeted this picture the other night, after Marshall broke the record. That's one of the most touching photos of the season.

Upset City, episode #39

The upset of the day belongs to the University of Washington, who downed #3 Stanford, 87-82. Incredibly, the win snapped the Cardinal's 62-game conference road winning streak, and was the first time since 1990 that the Huskies beat a top five opponent.

Then there was the matter of Arizona not just upending #11 Arizona State, but routing them, 68-49.

Florida took down #15 Kentucky, 86-80.

#19 Texas A&M got the best of #16 LSU, 72-67.

So what's up?

I suspect some teams are getting tired late in the season. It happens.

More results:

#14 North Carolina State got by Virginia Tech in overtime, 72-71.

#23 Cal pounded WSU, 87-70. Bear junior forward Reshanda Gray (one of LA's very, very finest) notched her 1,000th career point.

#1 UConn is still unbeaten after pounding #4 Louisville, 81-64.

Georgia Tech squeezed past Miami, 89-87.

Texas surged past Iowa State, 71-64.

Wake Forest edged Pitt, 74-70.

Oklahoma defeated Kansas, 81-71.

Minnesota outlasted Illinois, 66-61.

In #2 Notre Dame's roll over Syracuse, Irish coach Muffet McGraw tied the late Kay Yow for 11th place in career wins, with 737.

Full scoreboard.

More news:

This is where Oklahoma State's Tiffany Bias gets all her toughness.

Florida's Lily Svete bounces back.

Big Monday:

#5 Duke will host #13 North Carolina, and #8 Tennessee will host #19 Vanderbilt.

Chantelle Anderson, Michelle Snow, Lindsay Harding and Erlana Larkins will be involved in twitter smack talk.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

College results, news, and more on the Sparks

Much of the contentious game action today happened in West coast conferences:

Cal Poly survived Hawaii, 62-60. Molly Schlemer hit 1,001 career points in the process.

Pacific downed Saint Mary's, 88-71. It was the Gaels' first home loss of the season.

Oregon State knocked off formerly-ranked Colorado, 75-63.

UC Irvine took down UC Davis in overtime, 79-73.

USC beat UCLA, 68-54, and sweep the season series.

Other notable results:

A Rachel Hollivay buzzer-beater lifted Rutgers past SMU, 65-64.

Butler edged Marquette, 74-70.

Indiana topped Wisconsin, 76-69.

IUPUI defeated South Dakota State, 76-66, and ended three of their winning streaks in the process.

St. John's dominated Providence, 85-65. Five players scored in double figures.

Southern Utah routed Sacramento State, 93-74, sweeping the season series.

St. Bonaventure cruised past UMass, 88-66.

Full scoreboard.

More news:

Odyssey Sims' winning has been key for four years at Baylor.

The Bears are still striving and succeeding post-Brittney Griner.

Kentucky freshman Makayla Epps has got her groove back.

Freshman forward Mehryn Kraker is vital to Green Bay's offense.

Richmond is maintaining focus and resolve as their roster dwindles.

Michigan State's Becca Mills is working to stay out of foul trouble.

WNBA:

New Sparks owner Magic Johnson says the team will turn a profit under the ownership.

But some are skeptical.

Friday, February 7, 2014

College player of the year race wide open

Good point - the college player of the year race is wide open, when you've got candidates like these:

Kayla McBride
Chiney Ogwumike
Odyssey Sims
Alyssa Thomas
Breanna Stewart

Tonight's results:

#3 Stanford held off Washington State, 77-69.

#23 Cal and Washington are still battling at this hour.

Utah at Oregon and Colorado at Oregon State have been postponed due to snow.

Full scoreboard.

More college news:

At Gonzaga, a thankful Haiden Palmer is giving back.

Under coach Karen Aston, Texas is back on track.

Kayla Thorton is closing in on some milestones at UTEP.

WNBA:

Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne has been named a Special Olympics Global Ambassador.

Mystics coach Mike Thibault's thoughts on new Sparks owner Magic Johnson.

WBCA "so you want to be a coach" class

"So You Want to Be a Coach":

ATLANTA (February 6, 2014) - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) is pleased to announce the class for the 12th annual WBCA "So You Want To Be A Coach" program. Each member will participate in the three-day workshop held April 4-6 in conjunction with the WBCA National Convention in Nashville.

The objectives of the "So" program are to increase the understanding and application of skills necessary to secure coaching positions in women's basketball, increase the understanding and awareness of competencies necessary for success in coaching, introduce female basketball players to coaches and administrators, raise awareness of the existing talent pool of female basketball players who have a passion and interest in coaching the game of women's basketball.


The list:

Kyra Aloizos, Binghamton University
Amanda Hyde, Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne
Lauren Avant, Rhodes College
Ariana Jackson, East Carolina University
Shawn Barczynski, Albright College
Daniell Jackson, George Washington University
Shayla Bivins, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Misha Jackson, Emory University
Jaterra Bonds, University of Florida
Meredith Kelley, Bates College
Rachele Burns, University of Maine
Jeanne Kenney, Louisiana State University
Danielle Callahan, Boston University
Victoria Lipscome, Oakland University
Selena Castillo, Emory University
Megan Lueck, University of Minnesota- Duluth
Kimee Chandler, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Alyssa Marschner, Drake University
Christine Clark, Harvard University
Claire Mattox, Washington College
Lauren Clarke, Brown University
Ti'Asia McGeorge, American University
Haley D'Angelo, Iona College
Maiya Michel, University of Denver
Ashleigh Edwards, North Greenville University
Jessica Moore, Campbell University
Stephanie Edwards, Jacksonville University
Jasmine Motton, Georgetown University
Jonae Ervin, California Polytechnic State University
Amanda Parris, Anderson University (S.C.)
Kastine Evans, University of Kentucky
Hana Potter, Washington State University
Stephanie Glynn, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Emma Purfeerst, Carleton College
Jessica Green, Christian Brothers University
Shelby Romine, Bucknell University
Kayla Griffin, California Polytechnic State University
Margaret Serratelli, Holy Family University
Margeaux Gupilan, University of Buffalo
Taylor Ward, Columbia-Barnard College
Kelsey Harris, Elon University
Meghin Williams, University of Nebraska
Raven Harris, University of Maryland- Baltimore County
Skylar Williams, Bethany College
Jazmin Hill, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Whitney Williams, Oklahoma State University
Kelsey Hogan, University of New Hampshire
Ashley Wilson, University of Colorado
Hailey Houser, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Lauren Wolfinger, University of Colorado- Colorado Springs

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Upsets, milestones and winter weather

Tonight's results, which of course include some upsets:

Iowa took down #9 Penn State, 73-70.

Georgia Tech upended #13 North Carolina, 94-91. It was quite the night for Yellow Jacket Tyaunna Marshall, who put up 32 points and broke the school's career scoring record in the process. Congratulations to her.

Freshman Siera Thompson lead Michigan over Northwestern, 70-68, with a career-high 25 points.

#6 South Carolina found an extra gear to get past Mississippi State, 71-64.

#14 North Carolina State held off Wake Forest, 74-69.

Arkansas topped Florida, 55-49.

Sacramento State beat Northern Arizona, 99-91.

Full scoreboard.

Winter weather:

Snow has fallen on the West coast, and some games in the Pac-12 will be postponed tomorrow and/or this weekend. Stay tuned.

More news:

NCAA.com breaks down the conferences.

WNBA:

All you wanted to know about Magic Johnson and his purchase of the LA Sparks.