NCAAB – THE SPORTS ROOM

Amazon’s best-selling item is Kentucky’s secret weapon

Will Sutton — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 09:33:47 +0000

A random anecdote from the Kentucky men’s basketball team during March Madness has sent a cereal brand’s stock skyrocketing.

3rd-seeded Kentucky punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 on Sunday by beating 6th-seeded Illinois 84-75 in their NCAA Tournament second-round matchup at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. After they took a 6-5 lead in the opening minutes, the Wildcats never trailed in the contest.

At the team’s news conference following the game, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope said one of his players was fueled by an English cereal called Weetabix. Before Sunday’s game, Pope pushed English-born Kentucky center Amari Williams to share how Kentucky workers located boxes of the English cereal for Williams.

The whole-grain cereal’s sales soared on Amazon after Kentucky’s story went viral on social media. Weetabix became the best-selling cereal on the site in just one day.

Like the “Secret Stuff” from the movie “Space Jam,” Weetabix seemed to fuel Williams in the contest. He recorded 10 rebounds and 3 blocks while serving as Kentucky’s defensive anchor.

There’s a reason Wheaties became known for putting top-performing athletes on the cover of their cereal boxes. While fans can’t throw a football or swing a bat as well as their favorite players, they can at least eat the same breakfast as them. Big Blue Nation wanted to get a taste of what Williams was having.

An ESPN analyst Josh Pastner is hired as a head coach of a college basketball team

Will Sutton — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 09:29:55 +0000

ESPN basketball analyst Josh Pastner is back in the coaching world.

Pastner is being hired by UNLV as their next head coach. He is getting a 5-year deal and set to be introduced to the media on Wednesday, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.

Pastner is a name that should be very familiar for college basketball fans. The 47-year-old played for Arizona from 1996-2000. They won the national championship in 1997 and had five NBA players on the roster that season.

Pastner became an assistant coach at Arizona after his playing career ended and served in that capacity from 2002-2008. He then left to assist John Calipari at Memphis from 2008-2009 and replaced Calipari after Calipari left for Kentucky.

Pastner had initial success at Memphis and finished first in Conference USA in his third and fourth seasons. His Tigers went 31-5 in 2012-2013, including a 16-0 mark in conference play. Memphis made the NCAA Tournament four times under Pastner and went 167-73 (.696) overall during his tenure.

After his time at Memphis, Pastner coached Georgia Tech for seven seasons. His teams went 109–114 (.489) and only made the NCAA Tournament once.

Pastner has done media work since being fired by Georgia Tech. He has worked for NBC Sports, CBS Sports Network and ESPN.

UNLV is replacing Kevin Kruger, who went 75–54 over four seasons and 40-34 in conference play. The Runnin’ Rebels did not make the NCAA Tournament in any of Kruger’s four years, so they will be looking to Pastner to change that.

Cooper Flagg’s eye injury during the Baylor game

Will Sutton — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 09:30:59 +0000

Those who watched Duke’s win over Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday may have been wondering what happened with Cooper Flagg.

Flagg scored 18 points with 9 rebounds and 6 assists in the Blue Devils’ 89-66 win over the Bears in their East Region game at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. But the ACC Freshman of the Year also dealt with a puffy eye after he got hit in the face with some incidental contact while going for a rebound four minutes into the game. He looked like a boxer who had been punched in the eye and was struggling to keep it open.

CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson gave a report on the status of Flagg. She said he was actually bleeding above his eye.

Flagg was able to shake off the eye injury and was shooting well in the game. He went 5/11 from the field and 7/9 from the free throw line. Here was the lone 3-pointer he made.

Flagg scored 14 points in Duke’s first-round win over Mount St. Mary’s. He’s averaging 18.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season.

Before scoring the game-winning shot, Derik Queen of Maryland sent a five-word offensive message

Will Sutton — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 07:45:00 +0000

Derik Queen was taking the final shot for Maryland on Sunday at all costs.

4th-seeded Maryland trailed 12th-seeded Colorado State 71-70 with 3.7 seconds left in their second-round NCAA Tournament matchup at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash. With a potential upset looming, Queen stepped up for the Terrapins.

Queen received the sideline inbound at the top of the key and quickly made his move toward the basket. The Maryland freshman banked in a fallaway shot over Rams senior Ethan Morton just as time expired. The Terrapins won 72-71.

Here’s an even better angle of Queen’s dagger.

During his postgame interview, Maryland head coach Kevin Willard shared Queen’s profane message in the Terrapins’ huddle moments before the play. Willard made sure to clean it up for the viewers watching at home.

“I asked everybody,” Willard told the interviewer. “I said, ‘Who wants the ball?’ And [Derik Queen] said, ‘Give me the MF ball.’”

Queen scored a game-high 17 points on 7/12 shooting from the floor to power his team to the Sweet 16. The freshman phenom is expected to be a lottery pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA draft if he were to leave school early. But even if Queen ends up playing just one season at Maryland, the man’s name will forever be etched in program history.

After defeating Gonzaga, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson made a sophisticated maneuver

Will Sutton — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 08:45:57 +0000

Houston men’s basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson was all class Saturday after his team beat Gonzaga.

The top-seeded Cougars outlasted the 8th-seeded Bulldogs 81-76 in their second-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan. Despite coming into the contest as heavy underdogs, Gonzaga gave their opponents all they could handle.

Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle drained two clutch free throws to get Gonzaga within one point with 21 seconds left. After Houston made two free throws on the other end, Battle had a chance to tie the game with a three. But the Gonzaga senior was swallowed up by Houston’s defense and failed to get a proper shot off.

Battle was in tears after the final buzzer sounded. Sampson made sure to give his opponent a shoulder to cry on. The 69-year-old head coach came over to comfort Battle, who had his face fully buried in his jersey. The two then shared an emotional embrace.

During his postgame interview, Sampson had nothing but praise for Gonzaga and his coaching counterpart Mark Few.

“Let’s stop and congratulate Mark Few and Gonzaga for a while,” Sampson said. “What they’ve accomplished has been such a shining light for basketball programs and basketball coaches for a long, long time. There’s nobody I respect more than Mark Few, and there’s not a basketball program I respect more than Gonzaga.”

Battle led his team with 17 points on 5/16 shooting in the final game of his NCAA career.

Four of Gonzaga’s top five scorers, including Battle, are seniors. Only top scorer Graham Ike has a remaining year of eligibility left. The Bulldogs will have a completely revamped rotation next season.

But given Few’s track record, it’s a safe bet that Gonzaga will make the NCAA Tournament again in 2026. Since Few took the reins in 1999, the Bulldogs have never failed to make it to March Madness.

You will never see a more outrageous bench celebration than the one that St. John’s player had

Will Sutton — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 04:22:28 +0000

The first round of the NCAA Tournament has already featured a number of exciting moments, but there may have been nothing crazier than one of the bench celebrations we saw from a St. John’s player.

As many expected, 2-seed St. John’s advanced to the round of 32 with an easy 83-53 win over 15-seed Omaha on Thursday. While the Red Storm came out a bit sluggish and did not pull away until the second half, there was certainly plenty of enthusiasm from their bench.

Sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher drained a three-pointer to put St. John’s up 28-23 with about five minutes remaining in the first half. One of Wilcher’s teammates celebrated the shot by dropping into the prone position and acting like he was a sniper.

Some people may have felt the sniper celebration was over the top, but that is the type of energy an NCAA Tournament team wants to see from the bench.

Many have predicted that St. John’s will make it to the Final Four. You can see why with bench antics like that and some of the fervor Rick Pitino has shown this season.

Famous sports author John Feinstein dies suddenly at 68

Will Sutton — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 05:55:25 +0000

John Feinstein, who is a famous sports writer and author, died on Thursday at the age of 68. His death was unexpected and left many stunned.

The Washington Post reports that Feinstein died at his brother’s home in McLean, Virginia. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Longtime college basketball writer Dick Weiss was left in shock by the news. He said he had recently spoken with Feinstein and was planning to see him on Sunday.

“I kept hoping this wasn’t true. but legendary sportswriter and one of my closest friends John Feinstein has died suddenly. distinguished career at Washington Post, 45 books including Season on the Brink, A Good Walk Spoiled and my favorite children’s book of all time, Last Shot. best I ever read. I’m still in shock. just spoke with him. he was supposed to stay with us Sunday night before speaking at the Coaches v Cancer breakfast at the Palestra,” Weiss wrote on X.

Feinstein attended Duke University and was a proud alum. He became a night police beat reporter for The Washington Post in 1977 and soon went into sportswriting. It was in the realm of sports writing and reporting where Feinstein achieved prominence.

Feinstein was a prolific writer and wrote 44 books. His 1986 book “A Season on the Brink” was about him spending the 1985-1986 season with the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team, and gave an inside look at prominent sports figure Bobby Knight.

Feinstein’s most frequent topic for books were college basketball and golf, though he also wrote a book about the Army-Navy football rivalry, and one about a season he spent with the Baltimore Ravens, among others.

In addition to writing for The Washington Post, Feinstein also wrote for the Sporting News and Golf Digest. He served as a radio host at CBS Sports Radio, and was a popular guest on numerous radio shows, including “The Jim Rome Show,” where he frequently served as a fill-in host.

John Calipari & The Chicken Man: A Deep Dive into the Most Shocking Coaching Move in NCAA History

Sudakshina Das — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 05:35:48 +0000

College basketball fans are in for a treat this May with the debut of “Calipari & The Chicken Man,” featuring John Calipari, an original documentary that promises a deep dive into one of the most contentious coaching decisions in recent NCAA history. The documentary’s official Twitter account, @Tr1ce_H1gh, confirmed the news with a cryptic post hinting at the drama to come:

“Billionaire chicken royalty, secret meetings, & one of the game’s most iconic coaches moving to a rival school…
“Calipari & The Chicken Man” is an original documentary that takes a DEEP dive into one of the most shocking coaching moves in NCAA history.
Releasing May 2024”

Billionaire chicken royalty, secret meetings, & one of the game’s most iconic coaches moving to a rival school…
“Calipari & The Chicken Man” is an original documentary that takes a DEEP dive into one of the most shocking coaching moves in NCAA history.
Releasing May 2024🍿 pic.twitter.com/oEFP8TUH5r

— Trice High (@Tr1ce_H1gh) April 22, 2024

John Calipari’s Shocking Departure

The documentary’s title clearly references John Calipari, a legendary college basketball coach known for his success at programs like Kentucky. However, the specific “shocking coaching move” remains shrouded in mystery.

In all likelihood, the documentary will focus on Calipari’s recent departure from a prominent coaching position, possibly a move to a rival school. The “billionaire chicken royalty” mentioned in the tweet likely refers to John Tyson, the billionaire heir to the Tyson Foods fortune and a passionate Arkansas Razorbacks fan.

Rumors have swirled around Calipari’s potential move to Arkansas, fueled by his friendship with John Tyson. The documentary seems poised to explore these rumors and delve into the behind-the-scenes negotiations and factors that may have influenced Calipari’s decision.

College basketball is known for its dramatic coaching changes, and “Calipari & The Chicken Man” promises to explore the complex factors that contribute to these moves. The documentary could shed light on the influence of boosters, athletic department pressure, and the ever-growing role of money in college athletics.

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Rickea Jackson: A Rising Star Joins the Los Angeles Sparks

Sudakshina Das — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 17:57:41 +0000

A time of hope and dreams coming true was the 2024 WNBA Draft. When the Los Angeles Sparks selected Rickea Jackson as the No. 4 overall choice, the former Tennessee Lady Vols star’s dream came true. Fans are giddy with anticipation across the country as she gets ready to don the Sparks uniform.

A tweet by Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) announced the Los Angeles Sparks’ selection of Rickea Jackson from the University of Tennessee with the fourth overall pick: “The Los Angeles Sparks select Rickea Jackson from Tennessee with the fourth overall pick in the #WNBADraft @SportingTrib.”

Rickea Jackson’s Impressive Pedigree

Rickea Jackson established herself as a force to be reckoned with during her collegiate career at Tennessee. Known for her versatility, she can play both inside and out, showcasing a well-rounded skillset that includes powerful post moves, a reliable mid-range jump shot, and the ability to attack the basket with explosiveness. Her arrival in Los Angeles bolsters the Sparks’ frontcourt and adds a dynamic offensive threat.

The Los Angeles Sparks haven’t reached the playoffs since 2020. The selection of Rickea Jackson signals a clear intent to retool and rejuvenate the team. Her talent and potential offer hope for a return to contention in the coming seasons.

Jackson’s ability to play multiple positions makes her a valuable asset for the Sparks. She can seamlessly fit into the team’s existing system, potentially playing alongside veterans like Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker. Her scoring prowess and rebounding ability will provide a much-needed boost to the Sparks’ offense and defense.

The addition of Rickea Jackson injects a dose of excitement into the Sparks’ organization and their fanbase. Her potential, combined with the talent of existing players, suggests a bright future for the team. Fans can expect a more competitive Sparks squad in the coming seasons.

Rickea Jackson’s arrival in Los Angeles extends beyond the basketball court. As a role model for young girls, she has the potential to inspire a new generation of basketball enthusiasts in Los Angeles and beyond.

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WNBA Draft: Who is Indiana Fever’s Other Pick Celeste Taylor?

Sudakshina Das — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 17:49:44 +0000

Celeste Taylor, a rising star in women’s basketball, has made headlines and won hearts with her incredible journey. Taylor’s journey from her Baltimore upbringing to the WNBA limelight is one of tenacity, fervor, and resolve.

A tweet by the team (@IndianaFever) perfectly captured the moment: “Celeste Taylor turning a dream into reality ❤️.”

This message highlights the excitement surrounding the selection of Celeste Taylor, a defensive stalwart from Ohio State University, with the 15th pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Celeste Taylor’s reputation precedes her. Throughout her collegiate career at Texas, Duke, and finally Ohio State, she established herself as one of the most dominant defenders in the NCAA. Her exceptional size (6’4″), wingspan, and instincts make her a formidable presence in the paint. During her senior year at Ohio State, she led the nation in blocks, averaging a staggering 3.7 blocks per game. This defensive prowess earned her the nickname “The Blockness Monster.”

While defense is her calling card, Taylor’s skillset extends beyond swatting shots. She’s a capable rebounder and possesses a developing offensive repertoire that includes a solid mid-range jump shot and the ability to finish around the rim. With continued development, she has the potential to become a more well-rounded contributor on the offensive end.

The Indiana Fever haven’t been known for their defensive prowess in recent seasons. The selection of Celeste Taylor directly addresses this weakness. Her presence in the paint instantly upgrades the Fever’s defense, providing a much-needed rim protector and a defensive anchor.

Building a Contender: Celeste Taylor as a Foundation Piece

The Fever’s selection of Celeste Taylor signifies a new chapter for the franchise. With a young core of talented players like Taylor, the Fever have the potential to build a contender in the coming seasons. Their fans can expect a more defensively sound team with a renewed focus on protecting the rim.

Celeste Taylor’s arrival in Indiana goes beyond wins and losses. As a role model for young athletes, especially young girls, she has the potential to inspire a new generation of defensive specialists. Her work ethic, dedication, and defensive dominance can serve as a source of motivation for aspiring players.

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