Latest news with #CentralArkansas
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 But the offer was rescinded just a few hours later because of a mistake by the hiring department.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.
USA Today
03-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball 2025 transfer portal departure, commitment tracker
Wisconsin basketball 2025 transfer portal departure, commitment tracker Although the NCAA Tournament Final Four and national title game are still to be played, the college basketball transfer cycle is in full swing. The 2025 window opened on March 24, immediately following the tournament's second round. It will remain open until April 22. Players have until that date to enter their names. Once in, there is no time limit on committing to a new program. Wisconsin has major needs to address this transfer cycle. The program said goodbye to a large senior class after the 2024-25 season, including star wing John Tonje, starters Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl, and key bench contributors Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee. It returns John Blackwell and Nolan Winter to lead the lineup, with starting spots at combo guard, wing and forward all up for grabs. The program is already trending for several top transfer targets. We have live updates on those pursuits here. With several Wisconsin players already gone to the portal and commitments imminent, here is an up-to-date tracker of the program's finalized transfer activity. (Last update: April 3) OUT: Freshman point guard Daniel Freitag 2024-25 Stats: 29 total minutes, two points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal Freitag's departure is the most notable of the three. He joined the program as its top recruit in the class of 2024 with the long-term expectation of filling Chucky Hepburn's shoes at point guard. The Minneapolis, Minnesota, native appeared in just 14 games as a true freshman, mostly in the final minutes of decisive wins. He enters the portal with three years of eligibility remaining, likely looking for a guaranteed role and playing time. Here is more on the impact of Freitag's transfer decision. OUT: Junior guard Camren Hunter 2024-25 Stats: 23 total minutes, three points, five rebounds, one assist Hunter transferred to Wisconsin last offseason after three seasons at Central Arkansas. Unlike fellow transfers John Tonje and Xavier Amos, he was unable to crack the Badgers' regular rotation. He and Freitag played similar roles off the bench in late-game situations. Hunter transferred back to Central Arkansas this week, where he previously averaged a combined 15.5 points, five rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in two seasons as a major contributor (2021-23). OUT: Junior forward Chris Hodges 2024-25 Stats: 15 total minutes, one point, one steal Hodges entered the portal after four seasons with the Badgers. He was a reserve throughout that time, seeing just 30, 21 and 15 total minutes of playing time as a redshirt freshman, sophomore and junior, respectively. His exit opens a fourth roster spot that Gard and his staff will look to fill with an experienced transfer. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
24-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to watch Central Arkansas vs. Abilene Christian in women's NIT basketball: Time, TV channel, streaming March 24
How to watch Central Arkansas vs. Abilene Christian in women's NIT basketball: Time, TV channel, streaming March 24 The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears (23-9) aim to continue a three-game home winning run when hosting the Abilene Christian Wildcats (21-12) on March 24, 2025. Last time out, Central Arkansas lost 68-51 to FGCU on Saturday. Abilene Christian enters this matchup on the heels of an 86-59 victory against Northwestern State on Thursday. In the losing effort, Leah Mafua led Central Arkansas with 17 points. Erin Woodson recorded 21 points for Abilene Christian. Central Arkansas vs. Abilene Christian TV channel Location: Farris Center in Conway, Arkansas Farris Center in Conway, Arkansas Date: Monday, March 24, 2025 Monday, March 24, 2025 Time: 7:30 p.m. ET What time is Central Arkansas vs. Abilene Christian basketball today? Central Arkansas and Abilene Christian hit the court at 7:30 p.m. ET. Watch women's college basketball with Fubo Central Arkansas' offense has been worse over its last 10 games, scoring 68.2 points a contest compared to the 69.2 it has averaged this year. While Abilene Christian is posting 71.5 points per game in 2024-25, it has fallen short of that over its previous 10 games, producing 69.4 points per contest. Central Arkansas Sugar Bears basketball schedule Abilene Christian Wildcats basketball schedule Watch women's college basketball with Fubo
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Central Arkansas and Abilene Christian play in NIT matchup
Abilene Christian Wildcats (21-12, 9-8 WAC) at Central Arkansas Sugar Bears (23-9, 17-4 ASUN) Conway, Arkansas; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Central Arkansas takes on Abilene Christian in the National Invitation Tournament. The Sugar Bears are 17-4 against ASUN opponents and 6-5 in non-conference play. Central Arkansas is eighth in the ASUN with 12.4 assists per game led by Bree Stephens averaging 2.6. The Wildcats are 9-8 in WAC play. Abilene Christian averages 71.5 points while outscoring opponents by 10.0 points per game. Central Arkansas' average of 7.7 made 3-pointers per game this season is just 0.8 more made shots on average than the 6.9 per game Abilene Christian allows. Abilene Christian averages 7.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 6.8 per game Central Arkansas allows. TOP PERFORMERS: Elizabeth Abiara is averaging 6.3 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Sugar Bears. Stephens is averaging 1.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games. Emma Troxell averages 1.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Wildcats, scoring 11.1 points while shooting 34.0% from beyond the arc. Meredith Mayes is shooting 55.8% and averaging 13.8 points over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Sugar Bears: 7-3, averaging 68.2 points, 32.6 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 6.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 65.0 points per game. Wildcats: 7-3, averaging 69.4 points, 30.1 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 9.2 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 42.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 61.9 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Associated Press
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Central Arkansas and Abilene Christian play in NIT matchup
Abilene Christian Wildcats (21-12, 9-8 WAC) at Central Arkansas Sugar Bears (23-9, 17-4 ASUN) Conway, Arkansas; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Central Arkansas plays Abilene Christian in the National Invitation Tournament. The Sugar Bears have gone 17-4 against ASUN opponents, with a 6-5 record in non-conference play. Central Arkansas is sixth in the ASUN with 9.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Elizabeth Abiara averaging 3.1. The Wildcats are 9-8 in WAC play. Abilene Christian is eighth in the WAC with 20.9 defensive rebounds per game led by Bella Earle averaging 5.0. Central Arkansas scores 69.2 points, 7.7 more per game than the 61.5 Abilene Christian gives up. Abilene Christian averages 7.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 6.8 per game Central Arkansas gives up. TOP PERFORMERS: Jade Upshaw is averaging 15 points for the Sugar Bears. Bree Stephens is averaging 1.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games. Earle is averaging 14.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.4 steals for the Wildcats. Meredith Mayes is averaging 13.8 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Sugar Bears: 7-3, averaging 68.2 points, 32.6 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 6.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 65.0 points per game. Wildcats: 7-3, averaging 69.4 points, 30.1 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 9.2 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 42.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 61.9 points. ___
