Latest news with #NCAATournamentFinalFour
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans in Disbelief Over 7-Foot-2 College Basketball Recruit
The college basketball season wrapped up with a thrilling NCAA Tournament Final Four, where the Florida Gators emerged as national champions. Since the final buzzer, however, the headlines have shifted quickly — first dominated by transfer portal buzz and now turning toward high school recruiting. And speaking of big stories, one of the most talked-about names this summer is quite literally towering over the competition. Advertisement Meet Dylan Betts, a 7-foot-2 high school freshman phenom who's turning heads at summer basketball events across the country. At just 15 years old, Betts has already stunned fans and scouts with his size, skill and presence on the court. Social media exploded after a clip surfaced showing Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter smiling courtside during one of Betts' games. "The cut to a smiling Matt Painter watching a 7'2 kid is the greatest mixtape cinematography I've ever seen," was posted in response to the video here. This UCLA fan wants Betts in a Bruins uniform: "UCLA gotta offer Dylan Betts a scholarship ASAP to continue the Betts to UCLA pipeline" Advertisement Matt Painter being at the event to see Betts did not surprise this fan: "Painter locking in pole position in the recruitment for a 7'2 freshman. Purdue's not going anywhere!" "Of course Painter is there also the Betts family genes are insane," mentioned here. "From Cherry Creek here in Denver. You'll be hearing about him and his two sisters for a while," a fan familiar with the Betts family posted. This fan joked: "What they feeding these Betts kids in Colorado? Sheesh!" The March Madness logo means it's NCAA Tournament Bisig-Imagn Images Painter may be excited about the prospect of recruiting another transcendent big man to replace Zach Edey, the 7-4 center who won two consecutive Naismith National Player of the Year awards and led Purdue to the 2024 national title game. Edey now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. Advertisement Painter wasn't the only college coach in attendance, but he seemed particularly focused on the towering Cherry Creek High School standout. Betts, who has already drawn early interest from the UNLV Runnin' Rebels and Washington Huskies, has shown strong post play and touch around the basket, while developing range away from the paint. The Class of 2028 recruit was invited to the USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp in San Antonio this April — an honor reserved for just 65 athletes nationwide. When asked about the opportunity, Betts reflected on what it meant: 'It means a lot to me. Definitely, it's very hard to be selected. Lots of good competition out here. You've got to be confident and not be scared of anybody.' Dylan isn't the only Betts making waves on the hardwood. His older sister, Lauren, played a key role in leading the UCLA Bruins to the Final Four this past season. Another sister, Sienna, is also heading to UCLA this fall to continue the family legacy. Advertisement The Betts family has deep basketball roots. Their father, Andrew Betts, played at Long Beach State before being selected in the second round of the 1998 NBA draft. With basketball in his blood and sky-high potential, Dylan Betts is quickly becoming one of the most buzzed-about names in the future of college hoops. Related: No. 1 College Basketball Recruit's Father Almost Brought to Tears by Kentucky's Mark Pope Related: No. 1 College Basketball Recruit Makes Decision Before Senior Season
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Michigan State Makes Tom Izzo Decision on Thursday
At 70 years old, Tom Izzo has accomplished just about everything in his legendary career as head basketball coach at Michigan State. A member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Izzo has taken the Spartans to the NCAA Tournament Final Four eight times and racked up 737 career wins — 59 of those coming in March Madness. He has been the face of the program in East Lansing since taking over in 1995. And now, he's about to take on a new role. Advertisement For the first time in his illustrious career, Izzo will step into the front office. He's been named one of the co-interim athletic directors at Michigan State, alongside current deputy athletic director Jennifer Smith. They'll be taking over for Alan Haller, who is stepping down. Haller's final day will be May 11. Michigan State President Kevin M. Guskiewicz released a statement on the transition. 'I'm grateful for Alan's leadership since I joined the university and appreciate the success our programs have seen under his leadership," Guskiewicz wrote. "He is deeply committed to this university and has led with honesty and integrity.' Guskiewicz added more on the future of the school's athletic department: 'This is a pivotal time for college athletics, where innovation, effective communications and community engagement are more important than ever. Our next athletic director will lead one of the nation's more storied athletic programs — home to 23 varsity sports, a passionate fan base, a long legacy of academic and athletic excellence, and, most importantly, an ambitious future.' Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo.© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK Michigan State is coming off another strong season on the hardwood. The Spartans finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 30-7 record, including a 17-3 mark in Big Ten play. They were one win away from another Final Four appearance under Izzo. Advertisement During the season, Izzo passed former Indiana Hoosiers coach Bob Knight for most career Big Ten wins. And even with a new title on the way, Izzo isn't slowing down on the basketball side. He has already hit the transfer portal hard, landing Kalen Glenn from the Florida Atlantic Owls and Trey Fort from the Samford Bulldogs. It's going to be a busy offseason in East Lansing, and Izzo will be right in the middle of all of it. Related: No. 1 College Basketball Recruit is Turning Heads With New Post Related: UConn Reacts to Big Announcement on Five-Star College Basketball Recruit
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
No. 3 College Basketball Recruit Sends Message After Major Duke News
The Duke Blue Devils are rebuilding following an incredible season led by a freshman trio of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. Duke finished the season with a 35-4 record, reaching the NCAA Tournament Final Four. While the Blue Devils eventually suffered a loss to Houston, they defeated Alabama, Arizona, Baylor and Mount St. Mary's during their March Madness run. Advertisement Now, head coach Jon Scheyer is tasked with remaking a roster that's losing some of the best freshmen to ever pass through the program. While Duke has been known to be extremely selective in terms of recruiting, they recently picked up a commitment from one of the top players in the transfer portal, which seems to be a perfect marriage for both parties. Washington State transfer Cedric Coward committed to Duke. Coward will now head to the ACC, set to play alongside one of the best high school prospects in the country, Cameron Boozer. Upon the release of his commitment to Duke, Coward posted the announcement on social media, which followed a message from Boozer. Advertisement "Oh yea," Boozer said. Cameron Boozer, Instagram Cameron Boozer, Instagram Boozer is heading into his freshman season after leading Columbus High School to a state title in Florida. According to 247Sports, he's ranked as a five-star prospect, listed as the No. 1 power forward and the No. 3 overall player in the nation. McDonald's All American East forward Cameron Boozer (12).Pamela Smith-Imagn Images Last season, Coward recorded 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game at Washington State. He has one year of eligibility remaining and is set to fill the void that Flagg and company are leaving behind, accompanied by several of the top incoming freshmen. Related: Duke Commit Sends Message to Jon Scheyer After Big Announcement Related: No. 3 College Basketball Recruit Sends Clear Message to Duke Commit
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Five-Star Makes NBA Draft Decision After Freshman Season
As the month of April comes to a close, players across the country continue to make their decisions on what their next step in basketball is going to be. One of the biggest days on the calendar is the NBA draft. The draft is set for Wednesday, June 25, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. We continue to find out the names set to headline the draft as the deadline to enter has officially passed. Advertisement Late news came in early Sunday about a player who made a last-minute decision about his basketball future. Jonathan Givony from ESPN and Draft Express had the latest news: While Carter Bryant is heading into the draft, he retained his NCAA eligibility, making it possible to return to the Arizona Wildcats. This is not a surprise to anyone within the Arizona program, and there is some optimism he will return to a roster that is already very talented for 2025-26. Arizona Wildcats forward Carter Bryant (9). Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Bryant played his senior season of high school basketball at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., and chose Arizona over the Louisville Cardinals. He was considered a five-star recruit. Advertisement The 6-foot-8 forward played one season with the Wildcats and appeared in 37 games. He scored 6.5 points per game and pulled down 4.1 rebounds. His final game with Arizona was on March 27, when they fell 100-93 to Duke in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. In that game, Bryant scored eight points and recorded three rebounds. Tommy Lloyd will be starting his fifth season at the helm for Arizona. The Wildcats have won 24 or more games in each of his first four seasons. Lloyd has also reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 three times but has never advanced to the Elite Eight. Arizona is seeking to get back to the NCAA Tournament Final Four for the first time since 2001. After losing KJ Lewis, Emmanuel Stephen and Henri Veesaar to the portal, the Wildcats added Evan Nelson. Nelson is a 6-1 point guard who played last season at Harvard. Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, Dwayne Aristode and Bryce James join Arizona as part of one of the top freshman classes in college basketball for the 2025-26 season. Advertisement Related: Cooper Flagg's Mom Signs Deal Amid Son's Freshman Season at Duke Related: Dawn Staley Makes Major Personal Announcement After NCAA Tournament
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reaction to Texas basketball advancing to NCAA Tournament Final Four: 'TCU in hell'
Texas women's basketball defeated TCU 58-47 Monday to move to its first NCAA Tournament Final Four appearance since 2003. The Longhorns fended off the Horned Frogs, who cut the lead to single digits late in the fourth quarter before finally succumbing. Texas guards Madison Booker and Rori Harmon led the team in scoring, with 18 and 13 points, respectively. Advertisement More: How Madison Booker nurtured her head-turning game despite a lowkey personality Texas has reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons, but South Carolina (2021), Stanford (2022) and North Carolina State (2024) all prevented the Longhorns from securing a Final Four berth. Now, they'll look to make a National Championship for the first time since 1986. To make it there, Texas will face South Carolina for the fourth time this season. The teams split their regular season matchups before the Gamecocks defeated the Longhorns in the finals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Here are some reactions to Texas' March Madness win. Texas Longhorns guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) reaches to keep the ball in bounds in the first half of the Longhorns' NCAA Playoff Regional final game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Legacy Arena in Birmingham Alabama, March 31, 2025. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Reaction to Texas basketball advancing to March Madness Final Four
