SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Dawn Staley says conversations with recruits have changed over the past few years, with finances becoming a top point of discussion, especially with players in the transfer portal. The South Carolina coach said Sunday that in the past, she would emphasize getting a college degree when she spoke to potential transfers and recruits. Now, she says money comes up quickly in the conversation, even if it's not the first thing she wants to talk about. Staley says there's no reason to continue talking to players who want more money than the school can pay.
CHICAGO (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg scored 27 points, Elliot Cadeau had 10 assists and Michigan rolled into the Final Four by overwhelming Tennessee for a 95-62 victory in the NCAA Tournament. Morez Johnson Jr. added 12 points as top-seeded Michigan posted its 11th victory this season by at least 30 points. Aday Mara had 11 points and blocked two shots in the Midwest Region final. Making the most of its size and athleticism on both sides of the court, Michigan advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2018 and ninth time overall. Next up is a national semifinal against Arizona on Saturday.
CHICAGO (AP) — Tennessee will have to wait at least another season for its first trip to a Final Four after getting pounded by Yaxel Lendeborg and top-seeded Michigan 95-62 in the Midwest Region final. It was the third straight year the Volunteers lost in the Elite Eight. Tennessee got knocked down in the first half, with Michigan reeling off 21 consecutive points and turning the game into a romp. The Vols missed 10 straight shots and went more than six minutes without scoring. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 21 points. The only other Vols player to score in double figures was Felix Okpara with 10 points.
LONDON (AP) — Irish rugby player Neff Giwa has never played American football. That will change soon because Giwa, who is 6 feet, 7 1/2 inches tall and weighs 295 pounds, has committed to play at South Carolina as an offensive lineman. The 20-year-old who is also Nigerian selected the Gamecocks over offers from Miami, North Carolina, SMU, Tennessee and Texas. Giwa showed interest in football only a few months ago and linked up with American recruiter Brandon Collier in Germany. Collier brought Giwa on a recent tour of U.S. colleges. A video clip of one of Giwa's workouts piqued the interest of several schools.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Dawn Staley and South Carolina are mainstays in the Final Four while TCU is looking to reach March Madness’ biggest stage for the first time. The two teams will play Monday night in the Sacramento 4 Regional with a trip to the women's national semifinals on the line. The winner will earn a trip to the Final Four in Phoenix to face undefeated UConn on Friday. The Gamecocks have been to the Final Four in six of the past eight seasons and won three national championships during that stretch. Staley has been at the helm for all of them, including the undefeated 2023-24 season.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Texas women's basketball team is chasing its first national championship in 40 years with the architect of that title watching from behind the bench. Jody Conradt coached the Longhorns to a 34-0 season in 1986, when they beat Cheryl Miller and Southern California for the school's only title. Rori Harmon and her fellow Longhorns players feel the presence of Conradt. They say the 84-year-old doesn't use her voice often but doesn't really have to. Top-seeded Texas plays Michigan on Monday night with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Michigan is a contender now, taking on Texas in the only women's NCAA Tournament regional final matching the top two seeds. The Wolverines are in their second Elite Eight and face top-seeded Texas in the Fort Worth Regional 3 final on Monday night. The Longhorns are in their third Elite Eight in a row and last year went to their first Final Four since 2003. Wolverines coach Kim Barnes Arico asked her players to bring in quotes that resonate with them. The one that has stood out is they had to be a contender before they can be a champion.
