Tag: College Basketball

Zach Edey, Purdue reach first March Madness Final Four since 1980

DETROIT — Purdue big man Zach Edey went for a career-high 40 points along with 16 rebounds and one big block Sunday to muscle the Boilermakers into the program’s first Final Four since 1980 with a 72-66 victory over Tennessee.

The 7-foot-4 center willed his way to a win in a back-and-forth thriller between the country’s top two players, edging out Tennessee’s All-American, Dalton Knecht, who finished with 37 points.

Fittingly for this showdown, Edey swatted away Knecht’s layup as the Northern Colorado transfer drove to the basket while trailing by five with 33 seconds left, putting an end to the Vols’ desperate comeback hopes.

Zach Edey #15 and Fletcher Loyer #2 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena. Getty Images
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) shoots the ball defended by Tennessee Volunteers forward J.P. Estrella (13) in the first half. Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) reacts after a three-point basket during the second half of an Elite Eight college basketball game against Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. AP

Top-seeded Purdue (33-4) set aside last year’s grand disappointment — a first-round loss as a No. 1 seed — to book the trip to Glendale, Arizona.

On Saturday, the Boilermakers will play either Duke or North Carolina State in the national semifinals.

This was a scrapfest of a game played in front of an ear-splitting crowd packed with Purdue fans who made their way up from Indiana.

They were looking for history, and they got it — along with the game ball that Fletcher Loyer chucked about 20 rows into the stands when the buzzer went off.

With the school’s 87-year-old former coach, Gene Keady, sitting in the stands, this game at times looked like a dusty ol’ throwback.

Purdue fed the ball into Edey in the post, and though the grabby, swatty UT defense made some inroads — even blocking two of his shots — foul trouble piled up and Edey wore them down, but just barely.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) battles Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler (5) for the ball in the first half during the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional at Little Caesars Arena. Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer (2) reacts after a three-point basket during the second half. AP

He finished 13 of 21 from the floor and lived at the foul line, where he went 14 for 22.

Tennessee (27-9) was seeking its first Final Four, and Vols coach Rick Barnes was denied the second trip there of his 38-year career.

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Who is Jack Gohlke? Oakland guard led March Madness upset vs. Kentucky

Jack Gohlke wasn’t a household name before the tipoff between Oakland and Kentucky on Thursday, but he certainly was by the time the final buzzer sounded. 

Gohlke, a senior, hit 10 3-pointers and finished the night with 32 points in Oakland’s 80-76 upset over Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, making the graduate guard an instant hero. 

“He had no conscience. We talked all week, just go shoot it baby, you’re the best,” Golden Grizzlies head coach Greg Kampe told CBS Sports after the win. “And he’s the best and he proved it to the world tonight.”

Jack Gohlke celebrates after hitting a 3-point shot during the second half of Oakland’s 80-76 upset win over Kentucky. AP

The 6-foot-3 guard, who hails from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, which is also the hometown of NFL stars J.J. and T.J. Watt, essentially willed his team to a lead after the first half when he hit seven of his 3-pointers and recorded 21 of 32 points. 

“I mean it’s just something I’ve worked so hard for my whole career, and coach just instills confidence in me,” Gohlke said. “Gives me the freedom to go out there and play. Influence the game in a positive way and I’m just having fun.” 

Gohlke’s performance and the shocking upset over one of the best college basketball programs on the sport’s biggest stage are far from where Gohlke started his college career. 

Five years ago, Gohlke redshirted his freshman year at Division II Hillsdale College. 

In total, he spent four playing seasons at the private Christian school in Hillsdale, Michigan and helped the Chargers reach the Elite Eight in the Division II tournament in 2022 — the program’s first-ever trip there — and averaged 14.2 points per game 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in 2022-23. 

Gohlke shot 40 percent from 3-point range in his final season at Hillsdale. 

This year — his first since transferring to Oakland — he played a big part in helping the Golden Grizzlies to capture the Horizon League regular season and tournament championships, averaging 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds. 

In a bio on Gohlke’s player page for the Golden Grizzlies, he lists the actor he would want to play him in a movie as Bradley Cooper. 

Jack Gohlke shoots over Antonio Reeves during Oakland’s upset win over Kentucky. Getty Images
Jack Gohlke celebrates after Oakland’s upset victory over Kentucky. AP

If Oakland can keep its run going when it faces the winner of Texas Tech-North Carolina State, Hollywood may very well come calling. 

But Gohlke wanted to make one thing clear before he left the court on Thursday. 

“We’re not a Cinderella.”

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Rick Pitino concerned for NCAA, St. John’s in NIL era

Rick Pitino sounded the alarm for the future of college basketball, and St. John’s in particular, after Saturday’s loss to No. 1 Connecticut, raising concerns about how difficult it is now in the Name, Image & Likeness and transfer portal era to build a program. 

In discussing the state of the Johnnies after their fifth loss in six games, he went off on a tangent about the future. 

“It’s our first year. Every first year I’ve had, I’ve never had a great team. But I will tell you, I am worried about it,” Pitino said after the 77-64 setback. “It’s very tough to build. So many football coaches are getting out, so many basketball coaches are getting out. It’s tough to build a program.

“You have to really innovate, get creative and understand these rules right now — or lack of rules.” 

Upon taking over for Mike Anderson last March, Pitino remade the roster, keeping only Joel Soriano and Drissa Traore. He brought in five fifth-year players who will need to be replaced this offseason. 

“It’s a very difficult time in college basketball because it’s free agency and now I think what’s going to happen is [the NCAA is] going to say everybody can transfer,” Pitino said. “If they don’t like it, they’re going to take them to court. I think the NCAA enforcement staff should be disbanded, not because I dislike them, but they’re of no value at all.


St. John’s coach Rick Pitino spoke on how tough it is to build a college basketball program. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“The enforcement staff needs to go away. We need to stop all the hypocrisy of NIL. Need to stop it because they can’t stop it. Whether I’m for or against it, it doesn’t matter. 

“For us, we can’t really build programs and culture because everybody leaves. We did it with five fifth-year guys. They’re all going to leave and we need to replace them with new free agents.” 

Saturday’s game was a sellout, St. John’s first since beating Villanova on Feb. 17, 2019.

Connecticut was without standout forward Alex Karaban (ankle).

St. John’s 3-point shooting continues to underwhelm.

It sank 4 of 14 attempts Saturday and has made 27.7 percent from long distance over the last six games. 

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St. John’s Joel Soriano vows better performance

Joel Soriano didn’t like what he saw of himself on film.

“Lack of energy, low motor, no intensity,” St. John’s center said. “No grit, no fight.”

Soriano has not been at his best of late and really struggled in Tuesday’s blowout loss at Seton Hall, managing just six points and four rebounds in 18 minutes along with a minus-31 rating.

“I am going to be better tomorrow,” the Johnnies’ leading scorer and rebounder promised. “I’m coming with a better mindset. … Just come out of the gate with a lot of energy, high intensity. Just be a dog, that’s one thing I want to see from myself tomorrow.”

Coach Rick Pitino, who wasn’t on the sideline for the game because of a bout with COVID-19, said he feels Soriano has received too much blame when things go wrong for St. John’s and too much credit when it does.


Joel Soriano said he saw “lack of energy” from himself during St.John’s game against Seton Hall. Robert Sabo for NY Post

He was far from the only Johnnie to struggle against Seton Hall.

“I think Joel’s getting too much of this,” said Pitino, who will return on Saturday against No. 17 Marquette.

“I can look at [Chris] Ledlum and say it even more so than Joel. Ledlum’s got to bring it more, [Jordan] Dingle’s got to bring it more. Nahiem [Alleyne’s] got to do it. They all got to do it. My point being, Joel doesn’t deserve all the praise he’s been getting for all of his double-doubles, and he shouldn’t be getting [all the criticism] for the Seton Hall game. He didn’t play well, but everybody else didn’t play well.”

Pitino spent a good portion of the press conference harping on the need for all of his players to give the daily effort he sees from starting point guard Daniss Jenkins and reserve forward Zuby Ejiofor.

Those two are constants in how hard they play in practice and games.

“If they want to be a great basketball team down the road come March, then they all have to play like Daniss and Zuby,” Pitino said. “I don’t want Joel to take the brunt of our loss, because it was all of them.”

St. John’s will be without Dingle due to COVID-19.


St. John’s guard Jordan Dingle (3) drives to the net during the first half against the Butler at Carnesecca Arena, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Corey Sipkinfor the NY POST

The graduate transfer from Penn, who missed the Seton Hall game, is still not feeling well.

Pitino said he is unsure if the guard will be back for Wednesday’s game against Villanova.

Assistant coaches Van Macon, Ricky Johns and Taliek Brown will also be out because of the virus.

Sophomore Cruz Davis is back with the team, but St. John’s is planning to get a medical redshirt for the Iona transfer.

Davis suffered a broken left hand early in the season and it never fully recovered.

He still has numbness in his fingers on the left hand. Davis has only appeared in four games.

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LSU’s Angel Reese has highest women’s college basketball NIL value

Angel Reese has officially become the face of women’s college basketball.

After leading LSU to a national championship victory over Caitlyn Clark and Iowa — and the ensuing media hubub — the star forward saw her NIL valuation skyrocket to $1.3 million, according to On3 Sports.

She’s now the highest valued player in women’s college basketball and third highest among all female college athletes, only behind gymnasts Olivia Dunne and Sunisa Lee.

She is also ranked No. 13 on On3’s NIL 100 list, ranking ahead of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Before her team’s title run in the NCAA Tournament this year, Reese was at $371,000 in NIL valuation.

Fast forward a month and the “Bayou Barbie” tripled her social media following to 3.6 million as well as gaining $480,000 in NIL value.


Reese transferred to LSU from Maryland after the 2021-22 season
NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Her title game antics — giving Clark the John Cena “You can’t see me” hand gesture — helped raise her exposure, as the continued conversation about brash, unapologetic ways.

She quickly capitalized, selling merchandise on her website and getting NIL deals with Calvin Klein, Bose and Coach.

“All year I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said after adding NCAA champion to her resume. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing.


Reese went viral for using the “You can’t see me” gesture during the national championship game.
Jonathan Mailhes/CSM/Shutterstock

“So this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you. That’s (who) I did it for tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. It was bigger than me.”

Reese, who is only a sophomore and will play collegiate ball for at least one more year, averaged 23 points and 15.4 rebounds this past season.

As soon as the confetti rained onto the court at after the championship game, Reese knew exactly what her future held.

“The price just went up,” Reese exclaimed.

She wasn’t wrong.

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UConn tops San Diego State to win 2023 national championship

HOUSTON – This wasn’t a national championship game. It was a coronation.

It was another one-sided NCAA Tournament game in which Connecticut and its opponent didn’t look like they belonged on the same court for extended stretches.

Another contest in which the Huskies always had an answer.

Another 40 minutes that made you wonder how UConn was a No. 4 seed and not a No. 1, and how it looked so mediocre during a January swoon in which it lost six times in eight games. 


Connecticut center Donovan Clingan (32) celebrates after scoring against San Diego State during the first half of the national championship game on Monday.
AP

Connecticut guard Jordan Hawkins drives to the basket against San Diego State during the second half of the men’s national championship.
AP

Really, Monday night was apropos of this tournament: It was Dan Hurley’s Huskies and everyone else.

Connecticut was dominant for 30 minutes, then made plays in the clutch to hold off dogged No. 5 San Diego State to win its fifth national championship and first since 2014, 76-59, at NRG Stadium.

It won each game of the tournament by double figures, joining select company of elite teams.

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Chris Russo’s son a grad assistant on UConn’s staff

Christopher (Mad Dog) Russo is going to be rooting for UConn to win the men’s national championship over San Diego State — and he has a very good reason for it.

His son, Tim, is a second-year graduate assistant on Danny Hurley’s UConn staff. 

“I’m completely into it,” Russo told The Post over text.

Russo and his wife Jeanne were in Houston for UConn’s win over Miami on Saturday.

Russo will not be at Monday’s championship game because he is having commissioner Rob Manfred on his MLB Network show, “High Heat.”

“Plus, sitting around for two days is annoying,” Russo said.

As for Tim, whom Russo has spoken about on-air since he was a toddler, he has always wanted to be a coach.


Chris Russo and his wife Jeanne with their son, UConn graduate assistant Tim Russo.
Chris Russo

Chris Russo and his wife Jeanne with friend Doug Smith and Tim Russo’s friend Ryan McAleer at the Final Four on Saturday.
Chris Russo

He went to Division II Tampa, where he worked his way up from mopping floors as a manager to watching film with the coaches.

Tim graduated in May 2021 with a sports management degree and will receive his masters from UConn.  

Now, he is part of Hurley’s staff in the national championship game.


Tim Russo with Jim Nantz at the Final Four.
Chris Russo

The funny thing is Tim doesn’t even have the most famous father among those on the Huskies sideline.

UConn assistant coach Luke Murray is the son of actor Bill Murray.

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Hawkeyes will win national title

Iowa shocked the college basketball world when it halted South Carolina’s undefeated run to clinch a spot in Sunday’s national championship game.

And it’s hard to imagine betting against the Hawkeyes in the final.

Caitlin Clark was brilliant in Friday’s 77-73 semifinal win over the top-seeded Gamecocks, scoring or assisting on 75 percent of Iowa’s points to spark the team’s first win in the Final Four.

That’s nothing new for the Wooden Award winner, who ranks third in scoring (27.7 PPG) and first in assists (8.6 APG) across the entire season.

She’s upped those totals in the tournament, averaging 32.2 points and 10.4 assists en route to five Hawkeyes wins — with the first four coming by an average of 21 points.

That includes back-to-back 41-point efforts for Clark against two of the best teams in the country.

LSU deserves credit for its path to the title game, too, but Kim Mulkey’s group simply hasn’t been as dominant nor as battle-tested to this point.

The Tigers faced just two ranked opponents before the NCAA Tournament, which included a 24-point loss to the very South Carolina team that Iowa beat on Friday.

They also nearly lost to Utah in the Sweet 16 and trailed Virginia Tech by nine in the fourth quarter before rallying to set up Sunday’s showdown.

Betting on College Basketball?

LSU will have a size advantage in the final, but Iowa was the smaller team against South Carolina, too.

It didn’t matter with Clark’s sheer brilliance on display, and I’d expect a similar showing in this one.

The play: Iowa -3.5.

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UConn rips Miami, will face San Diego State in NCAA final

HOUSTON — It’s now been five games of this. Five games of routs. Five games of blowouts. Five games in which Connecticut hasn’t broken a sweat, five games in which the opposition has looked like it didn’t belong on the same court.

It was more of the same Saturday night.

Fifth-seeded Miami, coming off impressive wins over No. 1 Houston and second-seeded Texas, was overwhelmed.

It was never really in the game over the final 30 minutes, as the fourth-seeded Huskies cruised to a 72-59 national semifinal victory and booked a title game meeting with No. 5 San Diego State Monday night.

This run is starting to become reminiscent of Villanova’s title in 2018, when the Wildcats won their six tournament games by an average of 17.6 points.

In five games, Connecticut is winning by 20.6 points per contest.

It entered the Final Four the overwhelming favorite, and it certainly looked the part in the nightcap.


UConn players on the bench celebrate during their 72-59 Final Four win over Miami.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Adama Sanogo continued his fantastic tournament, producing 21 points and 10 rebounds, and when Miami converged on him, UConn made them pay from the perimeter, hitting nine 3-pointers.

Undersized and too thin up from, the Hurricanes had no answer inside, out-rebounded by nine and outscored in the paint, 38-24.

Their three-headed guard monster of Isaiah Wong, Jordan Miller and Nijel Pack were held in check.

They scored 34 points on an inefficient 30 shots. Miami was held to a season-low 59 points.

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Miami rallies by Texas to reach Final Four

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Miami joins Florida Atlantic, UConn and San Diego State in Final Four.

The No. 5 Hurricanes rallied from 13 points down in the second half to beat No. 4 Texas 88-81 in the Elite Eight on Sunday.


Wooga Poplar of the Miami Hurricanes reacts as he dunks the ball during the second half on Sunday.
Getty Images

This will mark the first time the Final Four will have no team seeded better than No. 4 in it.

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