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NBC Sports
11-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
The improbable story of how Central Arkansas arrived at its first-ever NCAA men's golf regional
The most improbable team in this year's NCAA regionals? Central Arkansas makes a compelling case. The Bears will compete as the 13th seed starting Monday at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nevada, after recently capturing the program's first Atlantic Sun Conference title. It's a remarkable feat considering this team, even with 13 players on the roster, had zero returning rounds from last season and then saw its coach, Jay Rees, unexpectedly retire after the fall semester. Since Rees' retirement, Central Arkansas, which began the spring ranked outside the top 200 in Division I, has been led by 24-year-old Josh Turnock, a Bears alum turned graduate assistant who had just completed his M.B.A. program last December. 'It's a weird situation to be in,' Turnock said. 'I told the guys in our first team meeting of the spring that this isn't normal. Most of them are freshmen, so they only had Jay for one semester, and now they get a guy who is likely only going to be here for one semester. I told them to do the best they could with the situation that we were given and to just work hard. No one was expecting much from us, so we really did have nothing to lose… 'I still can't believe this happened.' Turnock, a native of Manchester, England, played four years at Central Arkansas before graduating in 2022. He then applied for a 12-month work visa and spent a year working for a company that helps international athletes find college scholarships. He returned to school prior to last season to pursue his M.B.A., and he'd been applying for jobs when Rees announced his retirement because of family health reasons. The logical replacement was Turnock, that is until he accepted a job offer to be a business intelligence analyst. But the offer was rescinded just a few hours later because of a mistake by the hiring department. After that happened, Central Arkansas' director of athletics, Matt Whiting, offered Turnock the interim head coaching position. 'I happy that he waited around and was still happy to offer me the coaching role,' said Turnock, who was assisted at a few events this spring by the school's head of IT. Turnock's squad, which features players representing 10 different countries, soon turned shock into motivation, and upon starting the spring semester, proceeded to post top-5s in five of six tournaments after zero in the fall. Leading the charge were two low-level transfers, New Mexico Junior College's Kalle Svederman of Sweden and Austrian Noah Blaickner of Park University, an NAIA program in Gilbert, Arizona, who combined for seven top-10s, including two wins, one apiece. Blaickner, who only played once in the fall but markedly improved his short game during the winter months, added a runner-up at conference. The pair remain the only players on the roster ranked inside the top 500 nationally. As a team, Central Arkansas was ranked No. 172 in the country, good enough for only the ninth seed, heading into the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. 'We were just waiting for the week where all five guys played well at the same time,' Turnock said, 'and that's what happened.' On the eve of the conference championship, held at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Georgia, Turnock told his guys, 'No one's thinking about us, but after tomorrow they will.' The Bears responded by shooting 17 under in the first round and grabbing an eight-shot lead. They followed it up in 7 under and were four clear of the field through 36 holes. 'That last day was trying to hold on basically,' Turnock said. 'They were nervous, but none of them were scared, and they always believed they could win it.' The Bears ending up holding off Stetson by a single shot to capture the program's first conference title of any kind since it won the 1972 AIC Championship and advance to their first-ever NCAA regional. Central Arkansas has already posted the head-coaching position and is expected to name a full-time replacement by the end of May. Turnock, who has had more interviews for jobs in his degree field this spring, doesn't expect to be coaching after this season, though he said he's still not totally decided. With the transfer portal, the futures of the players are uncertain as well. One thing is for sure, though. 'This is probably going to be the biggest tournament these guys have played in,' Turnock said of regionals. Expectations will be even lower for the Bears. But once again, they'll have everything to gain.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Atlanta Dream 2025 WNBA Season Preview
[Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 WNBA Preview print magazine. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.] The Atlanta Dream, after a hasty exit from the 2024 WNBA playoffs, course-corrected in a massive way. But how the changes come together will be one of the more intriguing storylines of 2025. Advertisement After finishing 2024 with a 15-25 mark — good enough to make the playoffs primarily due to the utter collapse of the Chicago Sky — the Dream were swept by the New York Liberty and quickly determined that their offense simply wasn't good enough. Out went head coach Tanisha Wright, and in came offensive guru Karl Smesko, head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University, as Atlanta set about building a roster capable of better than an offensive rating of 99.0, 11th in the WNBA last season. Smesko's offenses at FGCU routinely ranked among the best in the country, with his Eagles making the Atlantic Sun Conference title FGCU's personal property, punctuating multiple seasons with first-round NCAA Tournament upsets of their opponents. More WNBA team previews: Aces | Fever | Liberty | Lynx | Mercury | Mystics | Sky | Sparks | Storm | Sun | Valkyries | Wings Advertisement Smesko's schemes eschew the midrange jump shot to a degree never seen in the WNBA before — though the same can be said of Los Angeles' new head coach Lynne Roberts, another test case for an analytics-central approach to offense — all of which makes the subsequent acquisitions in free agency a bit of an irregular fit. Brittney Griner, shown speaking to the media in Phoenix on Sept. 26, 2024, embarks on a new era in her career with the Atlanta Dream this Chavez / Arizona Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Frontcourt It's a brand new interior in Atlanta. Gone is Tina Charles, who parlayed a renaissance season with the Dream in 2024 into a contract with the Connecticut Sun. Her frequent partner in the paint, Naz Hillmon, returns but is likely facing a dramatically reduced role. That's what happens when a team goes out and acquires Brittney Griner, the 6-foot-9 future Hall of Fame center, who moved to Atlanta after 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, as well as Brionna Jones, the three-time All-Star big who is expected to slot into the 4-position for the Dream. Advertisement That's where things start to get complicated. Smesko is known for his emphasis on shots at the rim or beyond the arc. Neither Griner nor Jones is a threat from deep, and while Jones does quite a bit of her finishing at the rim, Griner has become increasingly reliant on short and medium-distance jumpers as she's aged. For example, Griner took nearly 23% of her shots outside of 10 feet but inside the 3-point line in 2024. In Smesko's final season with FGCU? His whole team took 1.6% of their shots from that distance, per CBB Analytics. There's a lot of talent here, to be clear. Griner remains an elite offensive weapon — second in true shooting percentage in 2024 — and a strong shot-blocker, if not quite the defensive force of her younger days. Jones is an inherent mismatch against any smaller 4s and has repeatedly reinvented herself during her time in the league. But much of the league is actively wondering if it is possible to win a title anymore without playing a true five-out style. Hiring Smesko would appear to be a nod to this reality. But when Jones and Griner are on the floor together, which appears to be the plan, Atlanta is playing maximum three-out. Atlanta Dream forward Rhyne Howard drives past New York Liberty forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton during Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at Barclays Center on Sept. 24, Cruz-Imagn Images Backcourt Once again, the Dream may have as talented a trio of wings and guards as any team in the WNBA. The question is: How often will that group — point guard Jordin Canada, shooting guard Allisha Gray and small forward Rhyne Howard — get to play together? Advertisement Last season, grouped for the first time after general manager Dan Padover traded for Gray before the 2023 season and then acquired Canada in February 2024, the trio posted a net rating of 11.0, which is on par with the 11.7 registered by the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty. But that came in only 420 minutes over 16 games, thanks to Howard's ankle injury, sustained just after Canada returned from a hand injury that cost her most of the season's first half. Exactly how much of their offensive struggles came from schematic decisions made by Wright and how much from playing with less than their expected firepower may be an unanswerable question. A fully healthy Canada is one of the most dynamic two-way point guards in the league, though it would certainly help if her accuracy from deep were closer to the 33% she put up in Los Angeles in 2023 than the 28% in Atlanta in 2024. Howard, entering her fourth season, is capable of taking over games but simply needs to get the ball in better spots on the floor — and too often, Atlanta opponents could focus the lion's share of their defensive efforts on her. She still has yet to reach 40% from the field in a full season in the WNBA, almost unfathomable for a player with her talent. If Smesko accomplishes that alone, it will be a clear sign of success. Gray, meanwhile, simply needs to repeat her past two seasons with the Dream. She's efficient from the field; she can defend anyone 1-3; and she is finally starting to receive the recognition she deserved from the moment she joined the Dallas Wings back in 2017, finally earning All-Star honors each of the past two seasons. And no one had a better weekend in Phoenix than Gray, who became the first player in league history to win both the skills competition and the 3-point contest. Advertisement The depth in the backcourt is significant as well, with Maya Caldwell set to fill in as needed and Nia Coffey serving as reliable support for Howard at the 3. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough may be another solid option, having played 22.1 minutes across 40 games last year in Washington, where she finished third in the Sixth Woman of the Year voting. Karl Smesko, shown directing his Florida Gulf Coast team at practice on Sept. 25, 2023, brings 26 years of collegiate coaching experience to his professional Hinebaugh / Naples Daily News / USA TODAY Final Analysis With Griner and Howard in the post, this Dream team has the potential for the best frontcourt in the league. And they have the benefit of a solid balance from their guard rotation, so you can't just spend your time battling in the lane. It will be interesting to see how Smesko adjusts to coaching in the professional ranks, but he has been a proven winner throughout his lengthy career at FGCU. He will also have support from his former assistant Chelsea Lyles, who led the Eagles back to the NCAA Tournament this year in his absence. Advertisement With Smesko at the helm, this team should be quick and aggressive, shooting often and likely at a high pace. Plus, the Dream have a lot of players with championship experience who should be able to help the newcomers develop throughout the season. Beyond the Arc Packing the House: The good news? The Atlanta Dream announced on Jan. 22 that they'd sold out their season tickets for the second year in a row. The bad news? They finished 12th in WNBA attendance, the consequence of playing home games at the league's smallest venue, the Gateway Center Arena (capacity: 3,500). Ownership knows it needs to find someplace more appropriate. The Dream will be playing their home opener vs. the Indiana Fever at State Farm Arena, home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. Dreaming of a New Mascot: Despite all of the team's additions this winter, the Dream are still without a mascot. Star, the team's former mascot, retired in 2020, and despite promises — 'I have been grooming my replacement for a while now and you will NOT be disappointed,' Star wrote in his retirement note — the Dream remain without a mascot for the fifth consecutive season. Advertisement Atlanta to Canada: The Atlanta Dream will head north of the border for the third WNBA Canada Game on Aug. 15. The game will take place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will be the league's first regular-season game outside of the United States. The Dream actually participated in the WNBA's first preseason game in Europe back in 2011, defeating the Great Britain Women's National Team in Manchester, England. Draft Recap 2. Te-Hina Paopao, G, 5-9, South Carolina 3. Taylor Thierry, G/F, 6-1, Ohio State Analysis: New head coach Karl Smesko likes his team to move fast and shoot a lot, a mission that should serve the Dream's second-round pick, Te-Hina Paopao, well. Although her stats dropped a little bit on a loaded South Carolina squad, Paopao proved to be one of the nation's top sharpshooters during the 2024 NCAA championship campaign, shooting 46.8% from beyond the arc with 87 made 3-pointers. Taylor Thierry is another highly efficient shooter, shooting nearly 60% in college with a career-high 62.5% as a sophomore. She also developed into one of the Big Ten's best defenders, leading the conference with 77 steals this past season. Both of these players will likely be earning minutes off the bench. Advertisement More WNBA team previews: Aces | Fever | Liberty | Lynx | Mercury | Mystics | Sky | Sparks | Storm | Sun | Valkyries | Wings Related: Athlon Sports 2025 WNBA Preview Magazine Available Now Related: Caitlin Clark Is Rested, Ready to Be Her Best After Offseason Recharge
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Atlantic Sun champion Lipscomb hires Kevin Carroll as men's head basketball coach to replace Lennie Acuff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Atlantic Sun Conference champion Lipscomb has hired Kevin Carroll as its men's basketball head coach. Carroll returns to Lipscomb after leading nearby Division II Trevecca Nazarene University to record-breaking success the last two years, including the most wins in program history and the school's first-ever South Region Poll ranking. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Bisons from 2019 to 2023, helping recruit and develop multiple all-conference players. Advertisement 'We are thrilled to welcome Kevin back to Lipscomb,' Lipscomb athletic director Philip Hutcheson Hutcheson said in a statement. 'Kevin is an elite basketball mind. More importantly, he embodies the values of Lipscomb University and is gifted at building meaningful relationships with young people as evidenced by the deep connections he maintains with former and current players.' Carroll replaces Lennie Acuff, who left to take the head coaching job at Samford. Acuff spent six seasons as head coach at Lipscomb, guiding the Bisons to their second NCAA Tournament appearance this past season with a 25-10 record overall record and a 14-4 mark in the Atlantic Sun. Lipscomb beat North Alabama to win the conference championship. The Bisons had three straight 20-win seasons under Acuff, who compiled a 110-82 record overall at Lipscomb. 'I have a tremendous amount of respect for the people who have come before me and the level of success that has been reached,' Carroll said. 'My staff and I will work tirelessly to maintain the standard that everyone has come to expect while shining a light on one of the top Christian universities in the country. I can't wait to get started … Horns Up!'
NBC Sports
15-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Atlantic Sun champion Lipscomb hires Kevin Carroll as men's head basketball coach to replace Lennie Acuff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Atlantic Sun Conference champion Lipscomb has hired Kevin Carroll as its men's basketball head coach. Carroll returns to Lipscomb after leading nearby Division II Trevecca Nazarene University to record-breaking success the last two years, including the most wins in program history and the school's first-ever South Region Poll ranking. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Bisons from 2019 to 2023, helping recruit and develop multiple all-conference players. 'We are thrilled to welcome Kevin back to Lipscomb,' Lipscomb athletic director Philip Hutcheson Hutcheson said in a statement. 'Kevin is an elite basketball mind. More importantly, he embodies the values of Lipscomb University and is gifted at building meaningful relationships with young people as evidenced by the deep connections he maintains with former and current players.' Carroll replaces Lennie Acuff, who left to take the head coaching job at Samford. Acuff spent six seasons as head coach at Lipscomb, guiding the Bisons to their second NCAA Tournament appearance this past season with a 25-10 record overall record and a 14-4 mark in the Atlantic Sun. Lipscomb beat North Alabama to win the conference championship. The Bisons had three straight 20-win seasons under Acuff, who compiled a 110-82 record overall at Lipscomb. 'I have a tremendous amount of respect for the people who have come before me and the level of success that has been reached,' Carroll said. 'My staff and I will work tirelessly to maintain the standard that everyone has come to expect while shining a light on one of the top Christian universities in the country. I can't wait to get started … Horns Up!'
NBC Sports
15-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Atlantic Sun champion Lipscomb hires Carroll as men's head basketball coach to replace Acuff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Atlantic Sun Conference champion Lipscomb has hired Kevin Carroll as its men's basketball head coach. Carroll returns to Lipscomb after leading nearby Division II Trevecca Nazarene University to record-breaking success the last two years, including the most wins in program history and the school's first-ever South Region Poll ranking. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Bisons from 2019 to 2023, helping recruit and develop multiple all-conference players. 'We are thrilled to welcome Kevin back to Lipscomb,' Lipscomb athletic director Philip Hutcheson Hutcheson said in a statement Tuesday. 'Kevin is an elite basketball mind. More importantly, he embodies the values of Lipscomb University and is gifted at building meaningful relationships with young people as evidenced by the deep connections he maintains with former and current players.' Carroll replaces Lennie Acuff, who left to take the head coaching job at Samford. Acuff spent six seasons as head coach at Lipscomb, guiding the Bisons to their second NCAA Tournament appearance this past season with a 25-10 record overall record and a 14-4 mark in the Atlantic Sun. Lipscomb beat North Alabama to win the conference championship. The Bisons had three straight 20-win seasons under Acuff, who compiled a 110-82 record overall at Lipscomb. 'I have a tremendous amount of respect for the people who have come before me and the level of success that has been reached,' Carroll said. 'My staff and I will work tirelessly to maintain the standard that everyone has come to expect while shining a light on one of the top Christian universities in the country. I can't wait to get started … Horns Up!'
