Dylan jackson
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Good morning everyone but especially…
THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMES
Lots of skill. Lots of depth. Too big. Too much South Carolina.
The Gamecocks are the 10th undefeated national champion in Division I women’s basketball history after an 87-75 victory Iowaavenging last year’s Final Four loss to the Hawkeyes.
A 38-0 record isn’t easy, and win No. 38 was one of the toughest. Iowa jumped out to a 10-0 lead, and after a second-half comeback by South Carolina, the Hawkeyes pulled within five points late. But then again, too much South Carolina: Iowa, the best offensive team in the country, didn’t score in the final 4:12.
After losing all five starters from last year’s team, the Gamecocks needed a lot of people to step in and step up, and there were three main characters in this triumphant story.
The first is Camila Cardoso. The 6-foot-9 star had 15 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and three blocks, saving his best for last before going to the WNBA. Isabel Gonzalez wrote in Cardoso’s Coronation.
The second character – or rather, group – is the bank. South Carolina outscored Iowa 37-0. Tessa Johnson (19 points) and MiLaysia Fulwiley (nine) are among several Gamecocks relievers who could likely start anywhere else in the country. I wrote in how Staley and his reserves made it all work in historic fashion.
And finally… the incomparable Dawn Staley. Greatness as a player. Greatness as a coach. The best… ever? Erica Ayala said…
- Ayala: “Staley continues to lead his own way. It’s a style that fosters deep connections with her players, past and present, as the 2022 NCAA champion Aliá Bostonnow a member of Indian Fever, was one of the first to literally lift Staley up when her former coach became so emotional she could no longer stand it. …Staley needs to get over Pat Summiteight titles or Geno Auriemma11 championships to be the greatest women’s college basketball coach of all time? No.”
What a season for South Carolina. What a season for women’s college basketball.
Honorable mentions
And it’s not such a good day for…
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CAITLIN CLARK AND THE IOWA HAWKEYES
One of the brightest stars in women’s college basketball couldn’t overshadow South Carolina’s collective greatness. Caitlin Clark Of course I tried – she finished with 30 points – but it wasn’t enough. After an 18-point first quarter, she scored just 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting the rest of the way, chased by Raven Johnson and other Gamecocks.
While this is just the beginning of Clark’s basketball greatness, it is the end of a college career that will never be duplicated. One that changed the game forever. Staley indeed sang Clark’s praises. Despite the loss, Clark’s incredible legacy is securewrites Jack Maloney.
- Maloney: “Clark is not solely responsible for the increased interest in women’s basketball across the country, but her accomplishments, unique skill set and electric playing style have made her an entry point for millions of fans. … Clark has never won a national championship, but you could argue that taking Iowa to back-to-back Final Fours is just as impressive, if not more so.
Not-so-honorable mentions
UConn-Purdue Preview: Who has the advantage?
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One Division I basketball title lost, one to go. UConn It is Purdue fight tonight, with the Huskies looking to make a comeback and the Boilermakers looking to fully exorcise the demons of losing to a No. 16 seed in 2019 Virginia. O similarities between the two teams are “almost frightening”, Dennis Dodd looks on.
Matt said the Boilermakers have already redeemed themselves when finished NC StateThe Final Four’s magical run, but they certainly won’t feel full redemption unless they do something no one has done in nearly two months: beat UConn.
So can they do this? Our experts are divided. David Cobb broke who has an advantage in all key positionsIncluding …
- Cobb: “Attacking court: Trey Kaufman-Renn It is Zach Edey vs. Alex Karaban It is Donovan Clingan – Purdue has an advantage because it has Edey, who is the best player in college basketball. But UConn isn’t far behind. Cligan has been incredible during the NCAA tournament, especially on defense. The 7-foot-2 sophomore is a shooting threat with the length to contest even some of Edey’s shots. … Boilermakers also have some flexibility with Mason Gillis, who leaves the bank. Edge: Purdue”
The Edey-Clingan battle will be incredible, in part because Cligan is finally smaller than your opponent. But when it comes to guards, the Huskies’ Size Could Tilt Things in Their Favorwrites Adi Joseph.
- Joseph: “Tristen Newton It is Stephen’s Castle could be the best guard duo in the country. That part is debatable. What is not is that they are the most physically imposing. At 6-5 and turning 23 this month, Newton has gone from an intriguing transfer in last season’s Huskies starting lineup to a superstar in his fifth collegiate season. However, it was Castle who really caught the eye during this season.”
Castle and Cligan also give the defending champions a Advantage decided on future NBA Draft talentnotes Kyle Boone.
Here’s everything else to know:
My choice? Thanks for asking! I chose UConn at first, and I’m not abandoning the Huskies now.
Masters 2024 preview: full odds plus key stats to know
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With Akshay Bhatia beating Danny McCarthy in a playoff for win an exciting Texas Open, the Masters field will be set. Here are the odds at the start of the week.
- Scottie Scheffler: 4-1
- Rory McIlroy: 10-1
- John Rahm: 12-1
- Xander Schauffele: 16-1
- Brooks Koepka: 18-1
- Hideki Matsuyama: 18-1
- Jordan Spieth: 20-1
There are countless reasons why Scheffler is at the top of the list. He’s won two of his last three events (and tied for second in the one he didn’t win) and has worn the green jacket before. Oh, and he has this key statistic in his favorKyle Porter explains.
- Concierge: “Seven of the last nine Masters winners have been in the top six of the week in approach games. You have to give your all and be disciplined about how you do it. … Ah, Scheffler. If you look blindly at the statistics of this year and for recent history at Augusta, he’s the obvious choice to win this tournament by, like, 15 shots. It’s a true ‘Scottie or the course’ situation.
By the way, here are your ratings.
Oh, and if past success at Augusta National is important to your choices, Kyle I looked at thisalso.
Cody Rhodes ‘ends history’ and wins WWE Undisputed Title at WrestleMania 40
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WrestleMania 40 gave professional wrestling fans exactly what they wanted on Sunday night in Philadelphia. After falling short in the WrestleMania 39 main event a year ago, Cody Rhodes defeated Roman reigns to become the new WWE Undisputed Universal Champion.
With a “Bloodline Rules” stipulation that virtually guaranteed outside interference, Reigns attempted to trust his Bloodline faction and Dwayne The Rock Johnson to keep his monstrous reign of 1,316 days alive. But Rhodes had his own support in the form of Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, John Cena It is The Undertaker. He finally managed to defeat Reigns after hitting his Cross Rhodes finisher three times in a row.
The victory not only gave fans the decisive victory in Rhodes that they had been begging for, but it also sent a strong message that the promotion had entered a new era. With Paul “Triple H” Levesque in full control of the company’s reserves, Vince McMahon out of the picture after its latest sexual misconduct scandal, a significantly improved television production and a roster that sells out arenas week after week, WWE can be cool again.
“I think it was just a joy,” Rhodes said at the post-show press conference when asked about his emotional championship celebration. “There is respect for Roman and The Bloodline, without a doubt, but nothing is bigger than the company, than the industry itself. And that was a victory for the people and certainly a victory for me.”
Check out Brent Brookhouse’s full recap of WrestleMania 40 Night 1 and Night 2.
Other highlights from the two-night event included:
- Drew McIntyre won the world heavyweight championship from Seth Rollins, just by CM Punk to attack him after the match. Father Damian then ran out, redeemed his Money in the Bank contract and won the title from McIntyre in just nine seconds.
- Logan Paulo ended up being one of the few champions to retain over the weekend, winning both Randy Orton It is Kevin Owens in a triple threat match.
- Sami Zayn it ended Gunther’Record-breaking 666-day reign as Intercontinental Champion.
What will we watch on Monday
(1) UConn vs. (1) Purdue9:20 p.m. on TBS
