A quarter-century after his lone national title, Tom Izzo comes up short again in March Madness
ATLANTA — Tom Izzo pounded the scorers' table in frustration.
He cusped his hands behind his head, struggling to figure out some way for his Michigan State team to make a few baskets in the NCAA Tournament's South Region final.
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USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
'He was wonderful to coach': Nate Oats believes Clifford Omoruyi can flourish in the NBA
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He ranked fourth in the country in blocked shots (93) and was the first player with at least eight blocks in multiple conference games since 1999-00. "Just being Nigerian, you've got to push yourself to be better," Omoruyi told Rookie Wire of his energetic playing style. "Everybody is trying to win and chase their dreams, so if I don't do it, someone is going to do it. It is just better if I push myself to do it." Fresh off a tremendous season, Omoruyi entered the transfer portal and was viewed as one of the top available interior defenders. He eventually chose the Crimson Tide over the likes of Georgetown, Kansas State and North Carolina, among other programs. Omoruyi helped Alabama advance to the Elite Eight for the second straight year, averaging 7.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 37 appearances. He registered two double-doubles and ranked ninth in the country in 2-point field goal percentage (73.9). The 23-year-old finished in double figures 13 times this past season, including a season-high 17 points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks on March 21 in a win over Robert Morris in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. "The best thing he does is protect the rim and rebound, and you've got to have that to win," Alabama head coach Nate Oats told Rookie Wire. "We are the only school in the country that has made the last two Elite Eights, so he helped us have a really successful year. We competed for an SEC championship, and the SEC was the best conference in the history of college basketball this year, and we were one of the top teams. He helped us with all of that." Omoruyi stepped into a starting role at Alabama, averaging 19.2 minutes per game, a decrease from 26.9 minutes per game the previous season. Oats and the team used a more pro-style approach designed to maximize their personnel, including Omoruyi. Because of their depth, Omoruyi wasn't required to log 30-plus minutes a night. By keeping him mostly in the 18-24 range, Omoruyi was able to continue to make high-energy plays by chasing loose balls, crashing the glass and protecting the paint. Omoruyi adjusted well to how the Crimson Tide operated on offense by serving as a consistent lob threat, with his athleticism and 7-foot, 6 1/4-inch wingspan. He put pressure on the rim as a roller in pick-and-roll situations and expanded his offensive game by handling the ball more. "He definitely wasn't used to playing at the pace we did, but I think he picked that up as it went on," Oats said. "He was used to getting the ball a lot more in the post, coming from Rutgers. He had no complaints ever about scoring less. He was really just a team guy and did whatever we needed him to." Omoruyi is now focused on proving himself, with team workouts and interviews ramping up before the draft on June 25-26 in Brooklyn, New York. 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USA Today
39 minutes ago
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MSU beats out Boise State, OK State for 3-star DL Christopher Knauls Jr. commitment
MSU beats out Boise State, OK State for 3-star DL Christopher Knauls Jr. commitment It's been a Sunday funday for the Spartans on the recruiting trail. Michigan State football has picked up a second commitment on Sunday afternoon, with three-star defensive lineman Christopher Knauls Jr. announcing he'll become a Spartan. The commitment to Michigan State from Knauls comes after his official visit to the school this past weekend. Knauls is a three-star prospect from Frisco, Texas, and holds a recruiting rating of 86.26 in 247Sports' composite system. He ranks as the No. 105 defensive lineman in 247Sports' composite rankings. Michigan State beat out a number of big-time schools for Knauls' commitment. According to 247Sports, Knauls held offers from more than 20 schools, with some of the more notable programs being Boise State, Colorado, California, Oklahoma State, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Indiana, Syracuse, Texas Tech, Utah, UNLV and Tulane. Knauls is the ninth commitment in the Spartans' 2026 class. He is the fourth prospect to commit to Michigan State this week, and fifth player since this month started. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Spartans land commitment from 3-star DB Eliyjah Caldwell-Hardy of Jacksonville, Fla.
Michigan State picked up its second defensive back commitment of the weekend on Sunday afternoon. Eliyjah Caldwell-Hardy of Jacksonville, Fla. announced his commitment to Michigan State on Sunday. Caldwell-Hardy's commitment to the Spartans came following his official visit to Michigan State this weekend. Advertisement Caldwell-Hardy is a three-star defensive back prospect in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. He holds a recruiting rating of 86 on 247Sports, and is ranked as the No. 115 safety prospect in the class. Caldwell-Hardy held offers from 10 schools, according to 247Sports. UCLA, Florida Atlantic, Navy, Tulane and Middle Tennessee State were the most notable of his offers. He was expected to take an official visit to Florida Atlantic next week. Caldwell-Hardy is the eighth commitment for the Spartans in the 2026 class. He is the third future Spartan to join the class this week, with Brayden Thomas and KJ Deriso also committing to Michigan State earlier this week. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5. This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU lands commitment from 3-star Eliyjah Caldwell-Hardy of Jacksonville, Fla.
