UNDATED (AP) – The 2020 NCAA Tournament was wiped out by the coronavirus, stealing from the world of sports one of its greatest shows. After a chaotic season during a pandemic, March Madness is back. This year’s bracket will be like no other, played entirely in Indiana over a three-week period. There is no Duke, nor Kentucky, but many new favorites and beginners who have waited a long time for their chance. A summary of what to look for when support goes live on Thursday.
UNDATED (AP) – The state of North Carolina, Connecticut, South Carolina and Stanford are the No. 1 seed for the NCAA women’s tournament. The Cardinal is the No. 1 general seed. The NC State is the No. 1 seed for the first time in the school’s history. Wolfpack won the ACC conference tournament and will play North Carolina A&T at the opening.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – There has never been a better time to have senior leadership at the NCAA Tournament than this season. There was no real off-season for the young players to improve. No exhibitions and fewer games outside the conference for teams to meet. And the shadow cast by COVID-19 that threatened to make a season unfeasible with a single positive test. So while experienced teams will always have an advantage during March Madness, those with veterans on the show may have an even greater advantage this year. Iowa star Luka Garza and Gonzaga’s counterpart Corey Kispert are already familiar names worth watching, but there are many other veterans who should threaten to steal the spotlight.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Louisville Cardinals coach Chris Mack is not holding his breath waiting for a call from his team to replace another who is unable to play in the NCAA Tournament because of problems with COVID. Nor is Colorado State coach Niko Medved, whose team is second behind the Cardinals among the four reserve teams who can enter if another gives up. CSU, Saint Louis and Mississippi accepted the NIT moves and will be the first placed on the 16-team field. Louisville probably would have been seed # 1, but he chose not to participate in the NIT after enduring two long COVID-related breaks.
COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – Tennessee’s series of appearances at the NCAA tournament, which seemed right at the end of the year, continued this year, with Lady Vols taking the field for the 39th time. This is every season since the NCAA started a women’s tournament. Tennessee’s streak was in danger for a year, but COVID-19 canceled the event. The 13th ranked Lady Vols is in third place and will face No. 14, Middle Tennessee, on Sunday in the first round. Tennessee coach Kellie Harper would like to end a run that Lady Vols fans can’t stand – returning to the quarterfinals for the first time in 13 years.
BOSTON (AP) – Boston College hired Earl Grant from the College of Charleston as its male basketball coach. Grant replaces Jim Christian, who was fired with three weeks left in his seventh season. Grant had a record of 127-89 in seven seasons with the Cougars. They won the Colonial Athletic Association regular season and the tournament championship in 2018. The school was one of 21 Division I schools with selected players in each of the last two NBA draft.
GREENSBORO, NC (AP) – The Atlantic Coast Conference eliminated its rule that required athletes to stay out for a season to transfer within the league. The move is the latest among college sports to loosen restrictions on transferring athletes so they can change schools and play immediately. The NCAA is moving towards making the so-called one-off exception available to all athletes. Currently, athletes in top-tier Division I sports, such as football and basketball, are expected to stay out for a season when they transfer to another DI school. The NCAA was expected to vote on transfer rules legislation in January – and was expected to pass – but a US Department of Justice inquiry delayed that vote.
UNDATED (AP) – Gonzaga completed a run from start to finish at the top of The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. Coach Mark Few’s Bulldogs received all 60 first-place votes to remain in Monday’s final vote. This made them the first team since Kentucky in 2014-15 to be No. 1 in all polls and 14th overall. Gonzaga was voted No. 1 overall in the NCAA tournament on Sunday. The Zags are trying to become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. Illinois moved up to second place in the poll after winning the Big Ten Tournament, followed by Baylor, Michigan and Alabama.
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