Latest news with #NaismithDefensivePlayeroftheYearAward
USA Today
25-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo named finalist for two national awards
Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo named finalist for two national awards Notre Dame women's basketball fans already know Hannah Hidalgo is special. We now are at the time of year where she's being considered for national hardware, and this is the norm for her. Hidalgo has been named a finalist for two awards presented by the WBCA. One is the Wade Trophy, which is given to the best player in women's basketball. A Notre Dame player never has won this award, and the only sophomore to win it was Maya Moore en route to becoming the only three-time winner. Hidalgo also is a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. This is another award the Irish have yet to have any of their player win. Fans are able to vote for the winners of both awards from now until noon EDT on April 1. While Hidalgo will have stiff competition for the awards, it's great that she even has made it this far: Good luck to Hidalgo in the fan voting. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions. Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89 More: Will JuJu Watkins injury cost Notre Dame fans chance to see her play? More: Photo gallery of Hailey Van Lith vs. Notre Dame More: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame players talk after advancing in NCAA Tournament
USA Today
20-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Longhorns women's basketball trio earns All-American Honors
Longhorns women's basketball trio earns All-American Honors Longhorns women's basketball earns multiple All-American honors On Wednesday, Longhorns women's basketball made headlines. The talented trio of Madison Booker, Rori Harmon, and Taylor Jones earned All-American honors. During the 2024-2025 regular season, the Longhorns were one of the best teams in the nation, partly due to this talented group. For Booker, this marks the second straight year she has earned All-American honors. She ranks second on the team in rebounding and has seven double-doubles on the season. The Germantown High School product has been incredibly efficient with the ball in her hands, shooting 45.9 percent from the field. Against ranked opponents, Booker is averaging 20.5 points per game. Like Booker, this is not the first time Harmon has been an All-American. This is the third as a Longhorn, Harmon has earned the honor. The talented point guard is a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. This season, she became the first player in Texas women's basketball history to reach 1,200 career points. Rounding out this exceptional trio is Taylor Jones. This is the first time she has earned All-American honors in her college career. The Texas native has been a force at center, scoring in double figures in 22 games. She has been a human highlight reel on the boards, with 1,065 in her college career. As Texas looks to make a deep March Madness run, they will need their stars to build on their success. With Booker, Harmon, and Jones leading the way, they are in good hands and will be one of the toughest teams to face in the tournament.
Chicago Tribune
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Beware the No. 12 seed: Michigan and Memphis among No. 5 seeds trying to avoid NCAA Tournament curse
UC San Diego coach Eric Olen knew that his team would be good this season. This good? Maybe not quite. The Tritons were playing Division II ball just five years ago, when the pandemic shut down its tournament and may have kept his team from winning a national championship. The school began the transition to Division I the following year, and in its first season of NCAA Tournament eligibility, the Tritons punched their ticket by winning the Big West Tournament title. All of that is reason for rapture in Southern California. And reason for worry in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Tritons were rewarded with the No. 12 seed in the South Region, where they will face Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan in one of those testy 5-12 matchups that always seem to bust some brackets early. 'It's been a pretty special season, you know?' said Olen, who took over UC San Diego in 2013, when it was a mediocre DII program. 'These guys deserve all the recognition that has come their way. I knew we'd have a good team. I knew we'd be good. But his has been, you know, beyond my expectations of what was possible, to be in this situation, to play at this level for so long this season.' The Tritons have won 15 consecutive games, so they will be taking plenty of momentum into their matchup with Michigan on Thursday in Denver. And lest anyone think they will be intimidated, remember this: They took No. 11 seed San Diego State down to the wire in one of their only four losses this season, 'Teams don't just win 30 games by accident,' said UC San Diego guard Hayden Gray, a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. 'We're going to go out there with confidence. See if they can stop us.' It'll be a tall task for the Tritons, literally and figuratively. Michigan will have a huge size advantage in 7-foot-1 center Vladislav Goldin and 7-foot big man Danny Wolf, and coach Dusty May's team is just as hot as UC San Diego. It toppled three straight Top 25 teams in Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin to cut down the nets at the Big Ten Tournament. Still, there have been 55 times in which the No. 12 seed triumphed since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985, including twice last year, when James Madison beat Wisconsin and Grand Canyon knocked off Saint Mary's. 'The process doesn't change. It's still going to be the same things up on the board there before the game,' the Tritons' Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones said. 'We're just going to go out and do what we do.' West Region Much like Michigan, Memphis was probably hoping for a much better seed after winning the American Athletic tourney, but it got stuck with the dreaded No. 5 seed and a first-round matchup with Colorado State, the winner of the Mountain West Tournament. The Tigers, who are led by All-American candidate PJ Haggerty, proved they can beat anyone when they beat NCAA Tournament teams Michigan State, Clemson, Missouri, Ole Miss and UConn. But coach Anfernee Hardaway's crew also showed they can lose to just about anyone, such as Arkansas State and Temple. 'What an incredible story,' said Colorado State coach Niko Medved, whose team will face the Tigers on Friday in Seattle. 'This team, the legacy of this team, will live on forever. Just resilience and staying together. Believing in something that's bigger than yourself and not getting ahead of yourself.' West Region: Florida gets No. 1 seed, followed by Rick Pitino and St. John's at No. 2 East Region Oregon earned its No. 5 seed by having one of the strangest rollercoaster seasons of any high-major: The Ducks won 12 of their first 13 games, beating Texas A&M and Alabama along the way, then endured a five-game skid in Big Ten play, before running off an eight-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. The Ducks now get a game Friday against No. 12 seed Liberty, which won the Conference USA tourney but has not played a single Quad 1 opponent this season. Midwest Region Will Wade has No. 12 seed McNeese back in the NCAA tourney for a second consecutive year, and its first-round foe should be awfully familiar: Clemson, where Wade worked as a student manager and started his career as a graduate assistant. The No. 5 seed Tigers, who won 18 games in the ACC, will play the Cowboys on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island.
Fox Sports
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Beware the 12 seed: Michigan, Memphis among the No. 5 seeds trying to avoid NCAA Tournament curse
Associated Press UC San Diego coach Eric Olen knew that his team would be good this season. This good? Maybe not quite. The Tritons were playing Division II ball just five years ago, when the pandemic shut down its tournament and may have kept his team from winning a national championship. The school began the transition to Division I the following year, and in its first season of NCAA Tournament eligibility, the Tritons punched their ticket by winning the Big West Tournament title. All of that is reason for rapture in Southern California. And reason for worry in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Tritons were rewarded with the No. 12 seed in the South Region, where they will face Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan in one of those testy 5-12 matchups that always seem to bust some brackets early. 'It's been a pretty special season, you know?" said Olen, who took over UC San Diego in 2013, when it was a mediocre DII program. 'These guys deserve all the recognition that has come their way. I knew we'd have a good team. I knew we'd be good. But his has been, you know, beyond my expectations of what was possible, to be in this situation, to play at this level for so long this season." The Tritons have won 15 consecutive games, so they will be taking plenty of momentum into their matchup with Michigan on Thursday in Denver. And lest anyone think they will be intimidated, remember this: They took No. 11 seed San Diego State down to the wire in one of their only four losses this season, 'Teams don't just win 30 games by accident,' said UC San Diego guard Hayden Gray, a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. 'We're going to go out there with confidence. See if they can stop us.' It'll be a tall task for the Tritons, literally and figuratively. Michigan will have a huge size advantage in 7-foot-1 center Vladislav Goldin and 7-foot big man Danny Wolf, and coach Dusty May's team is just as hot as UC San Diego. It toppled three straight Top 25 teams in Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin to cut down the nets at the Big Ten Tournament. Still, there have been 55 times in which the No. 12 seed triumphed since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985, including twice last year, when James Madison beat Wisconsin and Grand Canyon knocked off Saint Mary's. 'The process doesn't change. It's still going to be the same things up on the board there before the game,' the Tritons' Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones said. 'We're just going to go out and do what we do.' West Region Much like Michigan, Memphis was probably hoping for a much better seed after winning the American Athletic tourney, but it got stuck with the dreaded No. 5 seed and a first-round matchup with Colorado State, the winner of the Mountain West Tournament. The Tigers, who are led by All-American candidate PJ Haggerty, proved they can beat anyone when they beat NCAA Tournament teams Michigan State, Clemson, Missouri, Ole Miss and UConn. But coach Anfernee Hardaway's crew also showed they can lose to just about anyone, such as Arkansas State and Temple. 'What an incredible story,' said Colorado State coach Niko Medved, whose team will face the Tigers on Friday in Seattle. 'This team, the legacy of this team, will live on forever. Just resilience and staying together. Believing in something that's bigger than yourself and not getting ahead of yourself." East Region Oregon earned its No. 5 seed by having one of the strangest rollercoaster seasons of any high-major: The Ducks won 12 of their first 13 games, beating Texas A&M and Alabama along the way, then endured a five-game skid in Big Ten play, before running off an eight-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. The Ducks now get a game Friday against No. 12 seed Liberty, which won the Conference USA tourney but has not played a single Quad 1 opponent this season. Midwest Region Will Wade has No. 12 seed McNeese back in the NCAA tourney for a second consecutive year, and its first-round foe should be awfully familiar: Clemson, where Wade worked as a student manager and started his career as a graduate assistant. The No. 5 seed Tigers, who won 18 games in the ACC, will play the Cowboys on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: recommended
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Beware the 12 seed: Michigan, Memphis among the No. 5 seeds trying to avoid NCAA Tournament curse
UC San Diego coach Eric Olen knew that his team would be good this season. This good? Maybe not quite. The Tritons were playing Division II ball just five years ago, when the pandemic shut down its tournament and may have kept his team from winning a national championship. The school began the transition to Division I the following year, and in its first season of NCAA Tournament eligibility, the Tritons punched their ticket by winning the Big West Tournament title. All of that is reason for rapture in Southern California. And reason for worry in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Tritons were rewarded with the No. 12 seed in the South Region, where they will face Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan in one of those testy 5-12 matchups that always seem to bust some brackets early. 'It's been a pretty special season, you know?" said Olen, who took over UC San Diego in 2013, when it was a mediocre DII program. 'These guys deserve all the recognition that has come their way. I knew we'd have a good team. I knew we'd be good. But his has been, you know, beyond my expectations of what was possible, to be in this situation, to play at this level for so long this season." The Tritons have won 15 consecutive games, so they will be taking plenty of momentum into their matchup with Michigan on Thursday in Denver. And lest anyone think they will be intimidated, remember this: They took No. 11 seed San Diego State down to the wire in one of their only four losses this season, 'Teams don't just win 30 games by accident,' said UC San Diego guard Hayden Gray, a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. 'We're going to go out there with confidence. See if they can stop us.' It'll be a tall task for the Tritons, literally and figuratively. Michigan will have a huge size advantage in 7-foot-1 center Vladislav Goldin and 7-foot big man Danny Wolf, and coach Dusty May's team is just as hot as UC San Diego. It toppled three straight Top 25 teams in Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin to cut down the nets at the Big Ten Tournament. Still, there have been 55 times in which the No. 12 seed triumphed since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985, including twice last year, when James Madison beat Wisconsin and Grand Canyon knocked off Saint Mary's. 'The process doesn't change. It's still going to be the same things up on the board there before the game,' the Tritons' Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones said. 'We're just going to go out and do what we do.' West Region Much like Michigan, Memphis was probably hoping for a much better seed after winning the American Athletic tourney, but it got stuck with the dreaded No. 5 seed and a first-round matchup with Colorado State, the winner of the Mountain West Tournament. The Tigers, who are led by All-American candidate PJ Haggerty, proved they can beat anyone when they beat NCAA Tournament teams Michigan State, Clemson, Missouri, Ole Miss and UConn. But coach Anfernee Hardaway's crew also showed they can lose to just about anyone, such as Arkansas State and Temple. 'What an incredible story,' said Colorado State coach Niko Medved, whose team will face the Tigers on Friday in Seattle. 'This team, the legacy of this team, will live on forever. Just resilience and staying together. Believing in something that's bigger than yourself and not getting ahead of yourself." East Region Oregon earned its No. 5 seed by having one of the strangest rollercoaster seasons of any high-major: The Ducks won 12 of their first 13 games, beating Texas A&M and Alabama along the way, then endured a five-game skid in Big Ten play, before running off an eight-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. The Ducks now get a game Friday against No. 12 seed Liberty, which won the Conference USA tourney but has not played a single Quad 1 opponent this season. Midwest Region Will Wade has No. 12 seed McNeese back in the NCAA tourney for a second consecutive year, and its first-round foe should be awfully familiar: Clemson, where Wade worked as a student manager and started his career as a graduate assistant. The No. 5 seed Tigers, who won 18 games in the ACC, will play the Cowboys on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage:
