Tale of the tape: Keys for UH, Oregon State for their Elite Eight matchup
The Houston Cougars are into the Elite 8, making history Saturday with a 62-46 thrashing of 11th-seed Syracuse. The Cougars are favorites to advance, but this Oregon State team wonโt be easy to knock off. Keys for the CougarsDefense is the name of the game for the University of Houston and theyโll need another stellar effort Monday night. UH has the best defensive field-goal percentage in the nation and has held opponents to just under 60 points per game. Ethan Thompson (15 ppg) has dominated on both ends and his physical play will be tested when he faces UH.
What To Watch: men's, women's regional finals start Monday
... Oregon State opponents are shooting just 31.3% overall and 23.1% from 3-point range in the NCAA Tournament. That Missouri squad lost a regional final to an Oklahoma team coached by Kelvin Sampson, whoโs now at Houston. โฆ Arkansas is in a regional final for the first time since 1995, when it lost to UCLA in the championship game. โฆ Arkansasโ Justin Smith is averaging 20.3 points and 11 rebounds in three NCAA Tournament games. Arizona and Indiana are both in an NCAA regional final for the first time.
Buddy ball bounced as Houston stymies Boeheim and Syracuse
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)Buddy Boeheim carried Syracuse into the Sweet 16 with a masterful shooting stroke. The NCAA Tournament run for the 11th-seeded Orange ended on Saturday night in a 62-46 loss to No. It was also the fewest points scored by Syracuse in an NCAA Tournament game. โTheyโre just really physical, really aggressive and we got some looks that we didnโt capitalize on,โ Boeheim said. โJarreau is a really, really good defensive player and they helped, they were there to help him but heโs a really good defender,โ coach Jim Boeheim said.
Houstonโs defense locks in, beats Syracuse 62-46 in NCAAs
Now it's taken coach Kelvin Sampson's team somewhere new: the program's deepest NCAA Tournament run since the days of Olajuwon, Drexler and the famed โPhi Slama Jama." Quentin Grimes scored 14 points and Houston's defense locked down on surging Buddy Boeheim, helping the Cougars beat Syracuse 62-46 on Saturday night in the Sweet 16 while holding the Orange to their lowest point total in an NCAA Tournament game. That sent the second-seeded Cougars through to their first regional final in 37 years, earning a matchup with No. โItโs the best defense that that weโve seen this year and they deserved to win,โ coach Jim Boeheim said. Syracuse had shot at least 52% each time while making 29 3-pointers โ but there would be no repeat of that unexpected 2016 Final Four run thanks to Houston's defense.
Jarreau, Grimes relationship strong since Day 1, Coogs ready for Sweet 16
The Houston Cougars are American Athletic Conference Champions for the second season in a row, clinching a tie at the top of the conference at 13-5. โOn my visit, I played with the guys and DeJon (Jarreau) and I were on the same squad. I really felt right at home pretty much right away,โ said Grimes on Thursday ahead of Saturdayโs Sweet 16 game with Syracuse. โNot really at all, we played on the same team that day and I tried to get him the ball,โ said Jarreau. AdFrom that day forward the bond between Grimes and Jarreau grew and hasnโt let up since.
Bueckers and UConn top Syracuse 83-47, advance to Sweet 16
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)SAN ANTONIO โ Once Paige Bueckers and UConn got rolling, Syracuse couldn't stop them and now the Huskies are heading back to a familiar place โ the Sweet 16. 1 seed UConn beat eighth-seeded Syracuse 83-47 on Tuesday night and advance to the regional semifinals of the women's NCAA Tournament for the 27th straight season. The Husky dog was carrying the suitcase,โ UConn coach Chris Dailey said. AdThe UConn players sang โHappy Birthdayโ to Auriemma earlier Tuesday in a video posted on Twitter. โTough kid, she didnโt quit,โ an emotional Syracuse coach Quentin Hillsman said.
Again, Syracuse makes Sweet 16 as double-digit seed
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)For the third time since 2016, Syracuse is headed to the Sweet 16 as a double-digit seed. โIt's hard to make the Sweet 16. Here are the six double-digit seeds who made the Sweet 16 from 2016-19:2016 SYRACUSE (No. 11 seed)The Bulldogs beat Seton Hall and Utah by a combined 39 points before falling 63-60 to Syracuse in the Sweet 16. Syracuse lost to Duke 69-65 in the Sweet 16.
Buddy Boeheim gets dad back to Sweet 16 as Syracuse tops WVU
Syracuse defeated Syracuse 75-72. 900 when West Virginia beat Morehead State in the first round on Friday. AdSean McNeil scored 23 points to lead the Mountaineers (19-10), who last made the Sweet 16 in 2018. The Orange have advanced to the Sweet 16 each time theyโve been given a double-digit seeding, reaching the Final Four as a 10 in 2016 and the Sweet 16 as an 11 in 2018. AdWest Virginia: West Virginia: Like many Syracuse opponents, the Mountaineers struggled against the 2-3 zone with poor shooting (37.1%) and turnovers (14).
Sister Jean gets the vaccine and seat at the NCAA Tournament
The best COVID-19 vaccine shots in America just might be the two that went into Sister Jeanโs arm. The breakout star and model for the most coveted bobblehead of the 2018 NCAA Tournament is now eight months beyond her 101st birthday and still serving as chaplain for the Loyola Chicago basketball team. 1 seed Illinois, is bound to provide a much stiffer test of Sister Jeanโs faith. AdYet her celebratory fist bump at the buzzer was one of the signature moments of the first full day of an NCAA Tournament canceled a year ago due the pandemic. 8 North Carolina hardly qualified as an upset, unless you count Tar Heels coach Roy Williamsโ first-ever loss in a tournament opener.
Boeheim pours in 30, No. 11 seed Orange rout Aztecs 78-62
(AP Photo/AJ Mast)INDIANAPOLIS โ The decades-old zone defense of Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim claimed another frustrated victim Friday night. Marek Dolezaj added 11 points as Syracuse (17-9) advanced to play third-seeded West Virginia, an 84-67 winner over No. It gets harder to drive.โโBuddy Bucketsโ nearly outscored San Diego State by himself. Schakel finally got a 3-pointer to go right out of halftime, giving the few San Diego State fans in the crowd a long-awaited reason to cheer. San Diego State hoped to make a deep run after its loaded 30-2 team last season missed out on a chance to play in the tournament.
Positive COVID-19 tests derail Kansas, Virginia tourney runs
That day turned out to be the end of the college basketball season. Hours later, Kansas announced its withdrawal from the Big 12 Tournament, leading to the cancellation of its semifinal matchup with No. The Jayhawks said in a statement they would continue preparing for the NCAA Tournament, which starts Thursday. Duke withdrew from the ACC Tournament and ended its season amid its own positive test before facing the 15th-ranked Seminoles in the quarterfinals. The tournament protocols include requiring each member of a team's travel party to complete seven negative COVID-19 tests before leaving for Indianapolis.
Bubble watch: Boise St loses again; Syracuse, MSU also fall
The Spartans are seeking their 23rd straight NCAA Tournament appearance. In the Mountain West, Colorado State and Utah State succeeded where Boise State failed. Those two teams advanced to the semifinals of that tournament and have a chance to keep padding their resumes at a time when several other bubble teams can't. GAME TO WATCHColorado State faces Utah State in a Mountain West semifinal. On Thursday, Colorado State was one of the last at-large teams projected to make the field at bracketmatrix.com, and Utah State was one of the first teams out.
Tim Tebow retires from baseball after five years with Mets
FILE - In this May 16, 2019 file photo, Syracuse Mets' Tim Tebow speaks with reporters prior to a minor league baseball game in Syracuse, N.Y. Tebow has been invited to big league spring training by the New York Mets, taking one of 75 spots after Major League Baseball limited spring roster sizes as a coronavirus precaution. (AP Photo/John Kekis, File)Tim Tebow is retiring from baseball after five years as a minor leaguer with the New York Mets. AdA lefty-hitting outfielder, the 33-year-old was invited the major league spring training this season, taking one of New York's 75 spots after Major League Baseball limited spring roster sizes as a coronavirus precaution. Position players aren't slated to report to the Mets' spring complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida, until next week. He was hired by ESPN as a college football analyst in 2013 and worked in broadcasting throughout his time pursuing a chance to play major league baseball.
The Latest: More ACC changes to men's basketball schedule
Virginia head coach Tony Bennett during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in Blacksburg, Va. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP, Pool)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Saturdayโs Atlantic Coast Conference menโs basketball game between Louisville and No. The postponement follows one earlier Wednesday between Louisville at Syracuse following a positive test, quarantining and contact tracing within the Cardinalsโ program. The league cited a combination of a positive test, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Lady Volsโ program. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference says Louisvilleโs menโs basketball game at Syracuse scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed. AdThe league said the postponement was due to a positive COVID-19 test, quarantining and contact tracing within the Cardinals' program.
The Latest: Longtime Penguins announcer out as precaution
___The Atlantic Coast Conference says Virginiaโs womenโs basketball game Tuesday against Wake Forest has been postponed and it has rescheduled the previously postponed Syracuse-North Carolina menโs basketball game for Tuesday. 19 Clemson has postponed menโs basketball games at North Carolina on Saturday and at Syracuse on Tuesday. LSU will visit Mississippi on Saturday night after both teams had their originally scheduled games postponed. ___The Washington womenโs basketball team has postponed games scheduled at No. ___The Georgia State menโs basketball team postponed games against Troy on Friday and Saturday and paused all team activities following multiple positive COVID-19 tests.
Second young elephant dies from virus at New York zoo
SYRACUSE, N.Y. โ A second young elephant has died at a central New York zoo despite frantic efforts by staff to combat a lethal virus, zoo officials said Friday. The 5-year-old male elephant died early Friday morning, days after the sudden death Tuesday of his younger brother, Ajay. Ajay died just before his second birthday. Both died from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus, a strain of herpes that targets Asian elephants. The zoo, one of 11 approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to breed Asian elephants, has six adult elephants.
No. 1 Clemson wakes up late to beat Syracuse 47-21
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws a pass during an NCAA college football game against Syracuse in Clemson, S.C., on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. 1 Clemson used a late boost to pull away to a 47-21 victory after Syracuse drew within a score at 27-21. Syracuse (1-5, 1-4), a 45-point underdog, rallied from 17-0 down to draw within a touchdown late in the third quarter before Clemson regained its footing. The Syracuse Orange couldn't finish this one off, however. There seemed no way Syracuse should be in position to scare the Tigers, yet it had its chances late.
Syracuse's Carrier Dome turns 40 years old, gets new look
FILE - This Sept. 21, 2015, file photo, shows The Carrier Dome at Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y. The Carrier Dome at Syracuse University hosted its first football game 40 years ago this week, and it's undergoing a major upgrade as the football season opener looms. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)
Syracuse's Carrier Dome turns 40 years old, gets new look
FILE - This Sept. 21, 2015, file photo, shows The Carrier Dome at Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y. The Carrier Dome at Syracuse University hosted its first football game 40 years ago this week, and it's undergoing a major upgrade as the football season opener looms. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)SYRACUSE, N.Y. โ Syracuse University's Carrier Dome opened 40 years ago with an overflow crowd that set an attendance record that still stands. The first football game in the Carrier Dome was Sept. 20, 1980, and the place was an instant hit. โThe thing that resonates in my mind is the footprint of the Carrier Dome actually takes up 20,000 less square feet and holds twice as many people as Archbold.
Stadiums quiet but college football, shows of unity go on
Players for Kansas State and Arkansas State locked arms on the sidelines with their teammates before the game in Manhattan, Kansas. The patch featured the raised clenched fist of the Black Lives Matter movement encircled by the words โPeace,โ โJustice,โ โFreedom,โ โEqualityโ and โSay Their Names.โโWeโre more than just athletes,โ Fox said. Trice died of injuries sustained in a football game in 1923, and the Cyclones' stadium is named in his honor. Clemson players had decals on their helmets with a choice of four stickers and the Tigers' opponent, Wake Forest, had โBlack Lives Matterโ on the back of players' helmets. Texas players wore โWe Are Oneโ jersey patches for their game against UTEP in Austin.
Bailey, Freeney debut on college Hall of Fame ballot
The National Football Foundation announced Tuesday, June 16, 2020, the 78 players and seven coaches from major college who are up for selection to the Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli, File)Georgia cornerback Champ Bailey, Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney and Kansas State running back Darren Sproles will appear on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. The National Football Foundation on Tuesday announced the 78 players and seven coaches from major college football who are up for selection to the Atlanta-based Hall of Fame. There also are 99 players and 33 coaches from outside the highest level of college football eligible for induction. The College Hall of Fame class of 2021 will be announced early next year.
Prince and the Revolution concert from 1985 to stream on YouTube all weekend
Well, in this case, party like itโs 1985, but regardless, youโll be dancing to some classic Prince hits, thanks to his official YouTube channel. A live concert of Prince and his legendary band, The Revolution -- in Syracuse, New York in 1985 toward the end of their โPurple Rainโ tour -- will be available to stream on YouTube all weekend beginning Friday, May 14 and continuing through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 17. Viewers can donate money while watching the stream, and Google will match it. The concert was originally released as a VHS back in the day, so Prince fans who have been there from the very beginning might have seen this show. It should be a treat for newer Prince fans who never got to see the man himself in action, especially at the height of his career, when โPurple Rainโ was first released.