UNDATED (AP) — Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd helped UConn to an undefeated season heading into March Madness. The pair became the first teammates in six years to make The Associated Press All-America team. It’s the 10th time that teammates have made the first team, seven of those involving UConn players. The last pair to achieve the feat was Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard in 2020. Strong and Fudd were joined by Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Texas’ Madison Booker. Strong was a unanimous choice from the 31-member national media panel that chooses the AP Top 25 each week.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona State women’s basketball coach Molly Miller did not travel to Iowa with her team for its NCAA Tournament game due to an illness. School officials say they are hopeful Miller will be able to rejoin the Sun Devils in time for their First Four game against Virginia on Thursday in Iowa City. Associate head coach Stephanie Norman, who coached 18 years at Louisville, will handle most of the onsite preparations while Miller is out. Arizona State is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, Miller’s first season. She led Grand Canyon to its first NCAA Tournament in 2025 before moving across town to Arizona State.
UNDATED (AP) — College basketball teams are continuing to lean more and more on the 3-point shot. That comes in the 40th season since the 3-pointer was fully integrated into the sport. Division I teams took an average of nearly 40% of their shots from 3-point range this season. Now many of those teams are in March Madness. The challenge now is finding the right balance in taking and making those shots when the season is on the line.
UNDATED (AP) — Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd’s NCAA Tournament experiences have run the gamut at his previous schools. Boyd reached the Final Four with Florida Atlantic in 2023, endured an overtime loss in the round of 64 with the Owls a year later and then lost in the First Four with San Diego State last season. This era of the transfer portal has enabled plenty of players to get a taste of March Madness at multiple schools.
UNDATED (AP) — Houston’s LJ Cryer fell just short last year in his bid to become the first men’s basketball player to win an NCAA Tournament at two different schools. LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley now is trying to accomplish the feat on the women’s side. Fulwiley was part of South Carolina’s 2024 national championship team and its runner-up squad last year before switching schools. LSU (27-5) is the No. 2 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region and hosts Jacksonville (24-8) in a first-round game Sunday.
UNDATED (AP) — Duke is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, but could be missing two key players due to foot injuries. Point guard Caleb Foster is not likely to play until the Final Four, if the Blue Devils get there, but big man Patrick Ngongba II may be close to returning. The Blue Devils aren't the only team missing key players in March Madness. No. 20 Texas Tech will be without All-American big man J.T. Toppin due to a torn ACL. BYU sharpshooter Richie Saunders also is out with a torn ACL. North Carolina will be without stellar freshman Caleb Wilson due to a broke thumb suffered in practice. Michigan is also missing a key player in backup point guard L.J. Cason due to a torn ACL.
UNDATED (AP) — Duke forward Cameron Boozer is a unanimous first-team All-American in college basketball in voting released by The Associated Press. He was joined on the first team by fellow freshmen AJ Dybantsa of BYU and Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg and JT Toppin of Texas Tech. Braden Smith of Purdue headlined the second team after he was a first-team choice last season and an honorable mention pick in 2023-24. Graham Ike of Gonzaga was a third-team pick after he was honorable mention two years ago. Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries gave Arizona two honorable mention picks this season.
UNDATED (AP) — Teams coming off long runs in their league tournaments have a short window to regroup ahead of March Madness. Bigger conferences after waves of expansion have led to longer runs through league tournaments on the eve of the NCAA Tournament. Now it's common to see teams having to play four games in four days in conference tournaments. Then they have a few days for players to recover and recharge ahead of the NCAAs. Big Ten champion Purdue faces that challenge after playing four games in four days to win that title.
