College Basketball

The story of the man who has led Michigan to the 2026 Final Four almost didn’t start. To get here, Yaxel Lendeborg — the Wolverines’ 6-foot-9, do-everything, superstar forward — took the path less traveled, to say the least. Academically ineligible throughout most of his high school career, Lendeborg only played 11 games of varsity ball in his hometown of …

The North Carolina Tar Heels are looking for a new men’s basketball head coach after firing Hubert Davis. To this point, North Carolina hasn’t made much movement amid rumors that it could be looking to hire Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd or Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May. However, it doesn’t appear that May will be leaving Michigan soon. …

Kansas State guard David Castillo plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. Castillo averaged 10.3 points per game for the Wildcats this past season. Castillo’s entry into the portal isn’t entirely surprising given the firing of former head coach Jerome Tang before the end of the season. He committed to Tang’s regime ahead of the 2024-25 season. …

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Keaton Wagler’s high school basketball transcript contained everything a college coach would want in a recruit. The 6-foot-6 sharp-shooting Illinois guard helped Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Kansas win its first two state titles, one coming with a perfect season. He won a school record 80 games and finished among the top five on the school’s …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Las Vegas is known for its special sendoffs as a destination for bachelor and bachelorette parties. But how about for coaching careers? Advertisement The Creighton Bluejays give long-time coach Greg McDermott a “Sin City salute” when they take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights …

Belmont’s freshman standout Jack Smiley will return to the Bruins for his sophomore season. Belmont confirmed, on April 2, the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman honoree will remain a Bruin following the departure of coach Casey Alexander for Kansas State and the hiring of his replacement in Evan Bradds on March 19. Smiley was in attendance for Bradds’ introductory press conference …

Amidst the hype of the beloved “Balkan Five”, Kylan Boswell’s special senior season in his hometown, and Keaton Wagler’s rapid rise to stardom, Jake Davis and Ben Humrichous have been the unsung heroes of Illinois’ historic season. Davis and Humrichous are two of Illinois’ eight rotational players, combining to play 42.1 minutes per game for the Fighting Illini. The Illinois …

UConn coach Dan Hurley’s emotions nearly cost his program a trip to the Final Four this past Sunday. After Braylon Mullins made a 3-pointer to give UConn a 73-72 lead with 0.4 seconds remaining, Hurley bumped heads with official Roger Ayers. This wild interaction nearly stole all the headlines, which is quite impressive considering Mullins drained a 35-footer for the …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Auburn and Illinois State meet in the NIT semifinals tonight, with the Tigers having a few notable advantages. The stylistic differences in this matchups stand out in a large way. Advertisement My Auburn vs. Illinois State predictions and college basketball picks break down …

What makes college sports unique sometimes gets obscured. Especially these days. Blinded by the bright lights of games starting close to midnight to fill programming blocks for television. Overshadowed by big money being paid to coaches and now players. Drowned by the seemingly endless annual flood of athletes from one school to the next, with overboard social media fury and …

The Baylor Bears cruised to a 19-point win over Minnesota, winning 67-48 in the first round of the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. The Bears were led by Tounde Yessoufou who had 19 points and seven rebounds. THE STAT: Is shooting 13% from three bad? Cause the Gophers were just 3/23 from behind the arc, their worst shooting night …

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A March Madness masterpiece might be on tap. Get your popcorn, kick up your feet and get ready for what shapes up to be an epic showdown in the Final Four nightcap on Saturday night. Advertisement Michigan and Arizona, top-seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament after being at or near the top of the AP …

Nevada Smith has said Siena was a dream job. The Saints evidently liked hearing that. Smith was hired to take over at Siena, less than two weeks after the 16th-seeded Saints put a serious scare into Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He’s replacing Gerry McNamara, who was at Siena for two seasons and left to become …

April 1 was a big day for Tom Izzo. Just days after Michigan State’s heartbreaking early exit from the NCAA Tournament — a game that saw the Spartans trail by as many as 19 points in the first half, claw all the way back to take a slight lead, and still fall short when the clock hit zero — Izzo …

INDIANAPOLIS — There was the scene of lovable courtside TV analyst Bill Raftery genuinely shocked as he tried to comprehend what had just unfolded before him. Moments later, there was the scene of UConn coach Dan Hurley’s mom — no professional lip readers needed — also not quite believing that shot went in. The kid who took the shot — …

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Bob Knight’s halftime speech on March 29, 1976, was an instant classic. Indiana’s players remember walking into the locker room, down 35-29 to a Michigan team they’d already beaten twice in close games earlier that season with starting guard Bobby Wilkerson ruled out because of an injury. That’s when the late Hall of Fame coach arrived and …

Villanova was one of the top available jobs around the nation last year. The Wildcats went through a rigorous process before landing on Kevin Willard. Now, North Carolina is looking for a new head coach and considered the top landing spot for a head coach. As the Tar Heels go through their process, new information is being shared about Villanova’s …

This story originally published March 19, 2026. From completely unrecognized to a superstar. That has been the story of Illinois men’s basketball freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who went from an under-recruited 3-star prospect to the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and likely NBA draft lottery pick. Advertisement Wagler has led veteran-laden, European-influenced Illinois to the 2026 Final Four. He’s …

Thanks to a legendary shot from Braylon Mullins, UConn men’s basketball is heading to their eighth Final Four this weekend in Indianapolis. It’s the team’s third Final Four in the last four years, meaning the Huskies have a shot at three national titles in that same span. But unlike 2023 and 2024, UConn is far from a favorite to cut …

Audi Crooks landing spots: Where NCAA’s No. 2 scorer should go after leaving Iowa State originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Iowa State Cyclones star Audi Crooks on Thursday confirmed that she will enter the NCAA transfer portal and play out her final college season away from Ames, Ia. …

UNC basketball is special but still not close to powerhouse originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Times are changing and the last people to get that seem to be those running historically successful programs. Recently, the University of North Carolina decided to move on from head coach Hubert Davis.  …

Danny Sprinkle and the Washington Huskies are still in the race for the nation’s No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, five-star forward Tyran Stokes. For a long time, it didn’t seem like the Huskies had a shot to reel in his services, but after transferring to Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School to play for coach Jamal Crawford, Sprinkle and …

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ run to the Elite 8 and an incredibly successful campaign during the 2025-26 college basketball season would not have been possible without the impressive play all season long from point guard Bennett Stirtz. In Ben McCollum’s first year as Iowa’s head coach, he brought Stirtz with him from Drake. The two blossomed instantly in their roles and …

The men’s Final Four returns to Indianapolis for ninth time on April 4 and 6, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium. On Saturday night, Illinois plays Connecticut, followed by Michigan vs. Arizona, and the winners meet Monday night for the national championship. Duke — which suffered a crushing loss to UConn in a regional final this year — has won three titles …

Rutgers fans, it’s game day! The Scarlet Knights have made the trip out to Las Vegas and will take on Creighton later tonight in the first round of the College Basketball Crown. Rutgers will look to build on its momentum from the end of the regular season and take down a Creighton team that has had some injury issues all …