Latest news with #MauiInvitational
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Louisville basketball, Cincinnati reportedly finalizing neutral-site series. What to know
Louisville basketball is reportedly adding another longtime rival to its 2025-26 schedule. The Cardinals and Cincinnati are finalizing an agreement to play a two-year, neutral-site series beginning this season, according to a report Friday from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports on X, formerly Twitter. Advertisement This year's game, per Rothstein, will be played at Heritage Bank Center in downtown Cincinnati. UC called the arena home for more than a decade after it opened in 1975. In 2026-27, the teams will play at Freedom Hall, U of L's old stomping grounds of 54 years. The last time the Cards took the court there before moving to the KFC Yum! Center was March 7, 2010, when they upset top-ranked Syracuse, 78-68. Louisville has played Cincinnati 100 times, more than any opponent in its 111-year history. But they haven't met on the court since the 2022 Maui Invitational — the Bearcats won, 81-62. Before that? You have to go all the way back to 2014, when both teams were members of the American Athletic Conference. Advertisement The Cards hold a 56-44 lead in the all-time series with UC, which dates back to 1921. This year's game will be a homecoming for coach Pat Kelsey, who grew up in Cincinnati and both played and coached at Xavier. Cincinnati is coming off a 19-16 finish in 2024-25, which was coach Wes Miller's fourth season at the helm. Having missed out on the NCAA Tournament, the Bearcats participated in the inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. They lost to UCF in the second round. As of Friday, Louisville had confirmed three games on its 2025-26 nonconference schedule: U of L has also reportedly agreed to play cross-state rival Indiana on Dec. 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Advertisement Before Rothstein's report on the Cincinnati series, Louisville athletics director Josh Heird said during a Friday appearance on WLCL 93.9-FM that the Cards won't play St. John's and former coach Rick Pitino at Madison Square Garden this season. Pitino told reporters at the Final Four in April that the schools were in negotiations to make that happen. Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@ and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball schedule 2025-26: UofL, Cincinnati add series
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Alex Karaban Returns to UConn for Senior Season After Tough Year
UConn forward Alex Karaban celebrates after their win against Oklahoma in the first round of the ... More NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Alex Karaban's first two college seasons couldn't have been scripted much better. The 6-foot-8 forward started all but one game as a freshman and sophomore and helped the University of Connecticut win back-to-back NCAA men's basketball tournament championships in 2023 and 2024. Still, Karaban didn't have the same success last season, as the Huskies finished third in the Big East Conference's regular season and lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to eventual national champion Florida. Karaban will now have an opportunity to close out his college career on a happier note. On Tuesday, he pulled out of the NBA draft and announced he would return to UConn for his senior season. 'I pride myself on accepting challenges and holding myself to the highest standard,' Karaban wrote on X. 'Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from a chance to make that right!' Karaban's return will make UConn among the favorites to win the national title and solidify his place among the program's all-time greats. If he can replicate what he's done the past three seasons, Karaban should become UConn's all-time leader in games played (he needs to appear in 33 games to surpass Shabazz Napier) and 3-pointers made (he needs 62 to surpass Rashad Anderson) and in the top 10 in career points. He is currently second all-time among UConn players with a 57.4% effective field goal percentage, only trailing Emeka Okafor (59.0%). Karaban averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, both career-highs and third on the team, but he shot a career-low 43.8% from the field and 34.7% on 3-pointers. After playing the previous year with future NBA draft selections Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer, averaging 13.3 points and shooting 49.5% from the field, Karaban struggled at times last season with a bigger role and with defenses aimed at stopping him. UConn was also inconsistent. The Huskies were No. 3 in the preseason Associated Press poll, but they lost three games in three days in November at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii to fall to No. 25. UConn then won eight consecutive games and rose to No. 9 in the poll, but the Huskies were unranked for the season's final month even though they finished 14-6 in the Big East. They lost in the semifinals of the Big East tournament. And in the NCAA tournament, they led Florida by six points midway through the second half and tied it with less than two minutes remaining before the Gators pulled off the 77-75 victory. Besides Karaban, the Huskies will also have back guard Solo Ball, who was second on the team in scoring (14.4 points per game) and shot 41.4% on 6.8 3-point attempts per game. Tarris Reed Jr., a 6-foot-10 center, is also returning. He led the team with 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game and averaged 9.6 points in just 19.9 minutes per game while shooting 67% from the field. Forwards Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross will be back for their junior seasons, too. UConn has added two transfers who should make immediate impacts, too, in Silas Demary Jr. (Georgia) and Malachi Smith (Dayton). Demary, a 6-foot-5 point guard, averaged 13.5 points as a sophomore last season. He is a big guard and two-way player in the mold of Newton, who was a first team All-American in 2024. Smith, a 6-foot guard, is much shorter than Demary, but he can also play point guard. He is coming off of a productive season (10.4 points and 5.3 assists per game) after only playing one game in 2023-24 due to a knee injury. UConn will also have two talented freshmen in 6-foot-5 guard Braylon Mullins and 7-foot center Eric Reibe, who are No. 15 and No. 28, respectively, in the high school class of 2025, per the 247Sports Composite. Mullins was the top player in Indiana this past season, averaging 32.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game while shooting 47.6% on 3-pointers. Mullins is the second UConn recruit in as many seasons to be named a McDonald's high school All-American, joining Liam McNeeley, a 6-foot-7 wing who averaged a team-high 14.5 points last season and recently declared for the NBA draft. McNeeley is ranked 15th in ESPN's list of top draft prospects. Reibe, meanwhile, grew up in Germany and Switzerland and played the past two years at the Bullis School in Maryland. UConn coach Dan Hurley told Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria in December that Reibe is 'gonna have a huge impact on us' and praised his offensive game as a scorer and passer. With the players returning and new additions, UConn could be the preseason favorite to win the Big East, although reigning regular season and tournament champion St. John's has reloaded, too. The Red Storm return 6-foot-9 forward Zuby Ejiofor and have several talented transfers such as guards Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Dylan Darling (Idaho State), Joson Sanon (Arizona State), Oziyah Sellers (Arizona State), forwards Bryce Hopkins (Providence) and Dillon Mitchell (Cincinnati) and center Handje Tamba (Tennessee). For Karaban and the rest of the Huskies, this past season was much different and frustrating than the previous two when UConn dominated in the NCAA tournament, winning each of its games by at least 10 points. It will be nearly impossible to replicate that dominance next season, but the Huskies on paper have a roster that should fit better together than last season and a coaching staff that is looking to get back to its winning ways in March.
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
UConn star forward Alex Karaban returning to Huskies for senior season
UConn forward Alex Karaban — the lone remaining starter from the Huskies' back-to-back national championship teams in 2023 and 2024 — is returning to school for his senior season, he announced Tuesday. 'I pride myself on accepting challenges and holding myself to the highest standard,' Karaban said in a statement. 'Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from a chance to make that right!' — Alex Karaban (@AlexKaraban) April 29, 2025 The 6-foot-8, 210 pounder was UConn's third-leading scorer last season, posting career-high averages in points (14.3), rebounds (5.3), assists (2.8), and blocks (1.5) per game. Karaban's return finalizes UConn's offseason roster makeover, likely giving Dan Hurley a top-5 preseason ranked squad. In addition to the Massachusetts native, Hurley also returns starting guard Solo Ball and center Tarris Reed Jr., who should be the Huskies' top interior option. Advertisement In the transfer portal, UConn solidified its backcourt by adding former Georgia guard Silas Demary Jr. — who will also go through the NBA Draft process, according to the league's early entrant list released Tuesday — and former Dayton guard Malachi Smith. Hurley also signed five-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins and four-star center Eric Reibe from high school. But for all the pieces at Hurley's disposal, none are as crucial as Karaban, and for multiple reasons. The first is obvious: As the lone holdover from the Huskies' consecutive title teams, Karaban will be integral in setting the culture in Storrs. Karaban was critical of his own ability to do that last season — especially after the Huskies' 0-3 performance in the Maui Invitational in November. Secondly, strictly from a basketball standpoint, Karaban's floor-stretching will be critical between UConn's reworked backcourt and frontline. Five-star freshman wing Liam McNeeley fortified the team's perimeter this season, but with McNeeley gone to the NBA Draft, more of that onus will fall on Karaban. Karaban started all 33 games he played last season, and his 35.9 minutes per game were most on the team. The question now is whether or not Karaban still has another level he can reach. On UConn's title teams, he was a key cog, but hardly the most important piece. Last season, occupying more of a featured role, Karaban's efficiency lagged as he posted the worst offensive rating of his career, per KenPom, and finished with the lowest 3-point percentage (34.7 percent) of his three college seasons. He did grow as a playmaker, nearly doubling his assist rate, but his streaky shooting cost UConn in several instances last season, including when he went 2-for-9 from deep in the team's season-ending NCAA Tournament loss to eventual champion Florida in the round of 32. Advertisement The good news is that with UConn's roster overhaul mostly complete, Karaban won't have to be near the singular force he was asked to be a season ago. Instead, he can once again serve as connective tissue on the perimeter next to the likes of Ball and Demary, giving Hurley at least three true 3-point threats. Additionally, Karaban's connection with Reed should continue to pay dividends; per CBB Analytics, Karaban was the second-leading assister to Reed last season behind graduated point guard Hassan Diarra. Karaban's return is the best possible news UConn could have asked for. After a down season by Hurley's standards, the Huskies should once again be considered legitimate national title contenders.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball 2025 'Feast Week' event, field finalized
Wisconsin basketball 2025 'Feast Week' event, field finalized See you in San Diego! Tickets are now on sale for the @RCISanDiego this Thanksgiving! 📝 — Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) April 23, 2025 The Wisconsin Badgers are one of the four teams set to compete in the 2025 Rady's Children's Invitational in San Diego, California. The Thanksgiving week event will take place on November 27th and 28th, with the semifinal games on the 27th and the championship and third place game on the 28th. The Badgers are joined in the four-team field by the national champion Florida Gators, TCU Horned Frogs, and Providence Friars. Last season, the BYU Cougars, Purdue Boilermakers, NC State Wolfpack, and Ole Miss Rebels were the four teams invited. Purdue was the event's champion, beating Ole Miss in the title game 80-78. This will be Wisconsin's biggest 'Feast Week' multi-team event since 2022, when it participated in the Maui Invitational. The Badgers played in the Greenbriar Classic last November and the Fort Myers Tip-Off the year before. Head coach Greg Gard and staff have done an excellent job reloading the program's roster entering 2025-26. They will have to be up for an early-season test, especially if they face the top-ranked Gators. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Bearcats basketball gets transfer portal commit from Kerr Kriisa from UK
Kerr Kriisa defends for Kentucky at Rupp Arena against Georgia State last November. Kriisa commited to the Cincinnati Bearcats Sunday, April 6. Cincinnati Bearcats basketball has its first transfer portal commitment of 2025 as veteran point guard Kerr Kriisa has committed. University of Cincinnati sources confirmed the move and Kriisa posted it on his Instagram account. "I'm pretty sure it's my last year of eligibility (for real this time). Excited to be a Bearcat!!." Kriisa posted. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Kriisa turned 24 in January and played just nine games for Kentucky due to injury, the last being Dec. 7 vs. Gonzaga. Kriisa averaged 4.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists for first-year Kentucky coach Mark Pope. Advertisement Krissa spent 2023-24 with West Virginia and three seasons with the Arizona Wildcats. At West Virginia, he was part of a highly rated recruiting class by then-coach Bob Huggins. "Kerr is an outstanding guard who our guys will love playing with," Huggins said in the spring of '23. "He shares the ball extremely well and is more than capable of getting the ball to the open guy. Kerr has tremendous floor vision. He is a very efficient 3-point shooter. His experience playing at a high level will be invaluable to our team." While playing for West Virginia, guard Kerr Kriisa (3) examines the play against the Cincinnati Bearcats March 9, 2024. Kriisa committed to UC after a season at Kentucky on April 6. The native of Estonia averaged 11 points per game for West Virginia in 2023-24 and 4.7 assists. His three-point shooting percentage was 42.4%. At Arizona, he led the Pac-12 in assists from 2021-23. In the 2022-23 campaign, he averaged 9.9 points and shot 37% from the arc. In 2021-22 he was at 9.7 points per game, shooting 34% from deep. In 2020-21, he played in eight games averaging 5.5 points and shooting 37% from the perimeter. Advertisement Against UC last season, he had 13 points in the Big 12 tournament loss. In the game before that at Fifth Third Arena, he had six points and he had 10 in a West Virginia victory Jan. 31, 2023. His best games for WVU were a 25-point performance against Kansas State when he was 5-of-12 on 3-pointers and a game against Oklahoma State where he hit 6-of-8. In his last season at Arizona, he dropped 24 on Utah Tech in the Maui Invitational and was 6-for-7 on triples. On Nov. 21, 2022, in Maui, he had 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from deep and seven assists against Wes Miller and UC in a 101-93 victory. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Veteran guard Kerr Kriisa commits to Cincinnati Bearcats basketball
