INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Those who believe college sports is losing its heart — being overtaken by money  —are not all wrong.  But the shot by UConn's Braylon Mullins that filled out the bracket for the Final Four reminded everyone that there’s some magic left in those nets. Quite a lot of it, in fact. The teams open practice at Lucas Oil Stadium in preparation for Saturday's games. The Huskies will play Illinois and Michigan will face Arizona, with the winners heading to Monday night's final.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self is returning for a 24th season with the Jayhawks. The program released a statement Wednesday. That confirmed his return to a program where he has won 21 regular-season conference championships, reached four Final Fours and won two national championships. The Jayhawks fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They lost on a buzzer-beater to St. John's and fellow Hall of Famer Rick Pitino. Health has been an issue for Self in recent years. He had two stents inserted in 2023 and two more last year. He made a precautionary hospital trip earlier this year.
UNDATED (AP) — When UConn makes it past the opening weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the Huskies are almost impossible to stop. UConn has won 18 straight tournament games in the Sweet 16 or later on the way to winning four titles since 2011. That's the longest winning streak in those rounds since the Sweet 16 started in 1975 after the tournament expanded to 32 teams. The only team ever to win more consecutive games in the regional semifinal or later was John Wooden's UCLA dynasty with 38 straight from 1964-74.
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA Division I Cabinet will consider proposed changes to pre-enrollment eligibility rules, including one that would bar athletes who have entered a professional sports draft from competing in college after two high-profile cases in basketball this season. The Academics and Eligibility Committee proposed the changes and the Cabinet could take action within weeks. The new rules, if approved, would be effective for athletes entering college this fall. The draft proposal comes after two basketball players, Alabama’s Charles Bediako and Baylor’s James Nnaji, played college basketball after entering the NBA draft.
UNDATED (AP) — There was a time when Immaculata, Queens College, Wayland Baptist and Delta State were among the powerhouse programs of women’s basketball, much like UConn and South Carolina are today. During the early years of the women's basketball poll those schools dominated the now dissolved Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. But after the NCAA took over the sport in 1982, the game professionalized and competitive advantages shifted to big schools with seemingly unlimited budgets. Pioneering programs stand in the shadows as money has reshaped the game. While they have been unable to sustain the dynasty-level success that shaped women’s hoops in the 1970s, the pride that fueled their championship runs remains.
