Latest news with #BigEastChampionships
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UConn men's, women's teams to compete in Hall of Fame Exhibition games at Mohegan Sun Arena
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (WTNH) — The UConn men's and women's basketball teams will compete against the Boston College Eagles on Oct. 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena as a part of the second annual Basketball Hall of Fame Exhibition Event. For the women's team, it will be their first action since winning their 12th National Championship in April. The men's team competed in the preseason event last year, defeating the University of Rhode Island Rams 102-75. The UConn women's basketball team has won the last five Big East Championships, all hosted at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. Paige Bueckers returns to Connecticut hoping to get her first win as a pro Both teams are returning players from last year's seasons, including Alex Karaban and Solo Ball for the men and Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong for the women. 'We had a great experience playing in the Hall of Fame Exhibition game last year,' said UConn men's basketball Head Coach Dan Hurley. 'It's an honor to be asked back and even more special to be competing alongside our championship women's program. The Hall of Fame always puts on top-notch events, and it's an exciting opportunity to take on a quality opponent and give our fans an early look at this year's team.' Tickets will go on sale on Ticketmaster on Aug. 1 and at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office on Aug, 2. 'We're excited to participate in another Basketball Hall of Fame event this year,' said UConn women's basketball Head Coach Geno Auriemma. 'It'll be a great day for UConn fans to see both the men's and women's programs at Mohegan Sun to kick off the 2025-26 season.' More information can be found at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I want guys who want to win.' How Richard Pitino plans to build Xavier basketball roster
While the NIL and transfer portal permits college basketball rosters to be built in a matter of weeks, new Xavier head coach Richard Pitino isn't rushing the process. It's not lost on Pitino that he doesn't have enough players for a game at the moment. After his former New Mexico Lobos' forward Filip Borovicanin committed Tuesday night, Xavier had three scholarship players on its roster. Advertisement That was until Thursday, when forward Lassina Traore, who missed all of last season because of injury, entered the transfer portal. "It's very challenging to build a whole roster," Pitino said. "It's way more do-able now in the current landscape than ever before. We're gonna be very patient. Not just a band-aid, not just a quick-fix." The roster construction process takes time, no matter how fast things move during the college basketball offseason as players flood into the portal searching for a new opportunity. Pitino and his staff have a certain type of recruit in mind with the portal in full swing, and how to find them. "You gotta ask the right questions. You gotta really get to know them because it's certainly becoming more transactional," Pitino said. "Although it's changed, I want guys who want to win, and they're coming here because they're gonna give their heart and soul to that. Advertisement "You gotta figure out that piece. You really have to do your homework. Everyone is doing that right now." 'It just fits you.': Why Rick Pitino encouraged his son to become Xavier's next head coach While it's rare for college basketball players to stay at one program, Pitino is still aiming at keeping players at Xavier. Could there be one-year Musketeers as early as next season? Sure, simply because there are a ton of scholarships still on the table. However, Xavier could be targeting players with multiple years of eligibility remaining that they can keep and develop. "Retention is going to be very important for us," Pitino said. "I think it's very important that my staff has clarity of what exactly I'm looking for. The goal is to win. The goal is to win championships." Advertisement 'This community deserves a winner.': The Richard Pitino era begins at Xavier University 'It's a fun way to play.' With the transfer portal commonly revolving around which program gives out the biggest paycheck, Pitino's style of play is an easy recruiting pitch. New Mexico ranked No. 7 in the country in tempo, according to KenPom, and Pitino is bringing his up-tempo approach to Cintas Center. Pace, conditioning and stamina will highlight Xavier next season, an approach Pitino got from Gonzaga and veteran head coach Mark Few. Richard Pitino on taking Xavier job: "Very fortunate to have tasted success at New Mexico. I love the taste of it. My goal is Big East Championships. If you win the Big East Championship, you're gonna get a good seed in the NCAA Tournament." "It's not very hard to sell a vision that we don't want to run a bunch of set plays and walk the ball up the court," Pitino said. "They gotta push through when they get tired. We have to practice it every single day. It's hard, but it's a fun way to play." Advertisement Defensively, Pitino's teams cause chaos. It's a style inspired by watching one of Kelvin Sampson's practices at Houston on his way back from recruiting in Beaumont, Texas, along with several years under the tutelage of his father, Rick Pitino. "We want disruption. We want you extremely uncomfortable," Pitino said. New Mexico was No. 23 in defensive efficiency in 2024 and No. 19 last season. Pitino's Lobos were No. 51 in turnover percentage and top 35 in the country in steals and blocks. Who is Xavier targeting in the transfer portal? Pitino and his staff were active in the transfer portal in the week between agreeing to terms to become Xavier's next coach and Tuesday's introduction. Advertisement Valparaiso guard All Wright, the MVC Freshman of the Year was on a visit to Xavier Tuesday along with Virginia forward Anthony Robinson, who played sparingly as a freshman for the Cavaliers. Xavier was linked to Summit League Player of the Year Marquel Sutton (Omaha), who just wrapped up a visit with Kansas State. Omaha transfer Marquel Sutton (10) averaged 18.9 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Mavericks last season. Xavier also reached out to Brian Moore Jr., who won Lou Henson Award as the nation's top mid-major player this season at Norfolk State and will have several suitors. Jamichael Stillwell listed Xavier in his final six schools along with Oklahoma, West Virginia, UCF, Memphis and Virginia. As a junior at Milwaukee, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged a double-double at 13 points and 10.7 rebounds (No. 7 in the nation) per game. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'The goal is to win.' How Richard Pitino plans to build Xavier roster
