South Carolina, Iowa, USC and Texas top women's AP Top 25; they are also 1 seeds in NCAA Tournament
South Carolina, Iowa, USC and Texas are the top four teams in The Associated Press Top 25 womenโs basketball poll, a day after all four were chosen as the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament that begins later this week.
No. 1 Georgia loses Bowers early, scores 27 straight to beat Vandy 37-20
Carson Beck threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score as top-ranked Georgia shook off both an early kickoff and losing star tight end Brock Bowers to a left foot injury before halftime in beating Vanderbilt 37-20 Saturday.
Kentucky stuns No. 1 South Carolina to win SEC women's title
Dreโuna Edwards hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 4.2 seconds left, and the Kentucky Wildcats rallied from 15 points down to upset top-ranked South Carolina 64-62 to win their first Southeastern Conference womenโs tournament championship since 1982 and second all-time.
No. 6 Alabama adds another SEC title, edges LSU at tourney
Alabama players celebrate after beating LSU in the championship game of the NCAA college basketball Southeastern Conference Tournament Sunday, March 14, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. Alabama won 80-79. 6 Alabama won the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the first time since 1991, holding off a late flurry to edge LSU 80-79 Sunday. Alabama, the reigning national champions in football, won its seventh tournament title overall, second in the SEC only to Kentucky's 31. Alabama did it by adding two more SEC titles in basketball after Nick Saban's squad won both the SEC and national championships a couple months ago. About 20 minutes before tip-off, Alabama and LSU players had to be separated at midcourt.
LSU upsets No. 8 Arkansas 78-71 to reach SEC tourney final
Arkansas (22-6) snapped a 12-game SEC winning streak that tied the program record set by the 1993-94 team that also ended in the SEC Tournament in the semifinals. Losing hurts every time regardless, and we really wanted this game.โThe Razorbacks came in leading the SEC with 82.8 points a game. LSU took advantage after Arkansas guard Davonte Davis made a pair of free throws with 11:42 left tying it up at 52. The Tigers LSU reeled off 12 straight points to take the lead for good, and Gaines capped the spurt with a layup with 7:25 left. "I thought he played a really, really good floor game.
Down 15, No. 6 Alabama rallies past Tennessee in SEC semis
6 Alabama rallied from a big deficit in the final 17 minutes to beat Tennessee 73-68 Saturday in the SEC Tournament semifinals. AdTop-seeded Alabama (23-6) faces the LSU-Arkansas winner in Sundayโs championship in search of its first SEC Tournament title since 1991. The Volunteers trailed 69-68 when Davonte Gaines missed two foul shots with 25 seconds left. Yves Ponsโ 3-pointer got Tennessee within 69-68 with 41.4 seconds left, but Quinerly added two free throws and Ellis two more with 3.7 seconds left to seal a tense game. Alabama: The Crimson Tide have thrived from long distance all season and werenโt about to change, even without Primo.
Alabama blows out Mississippi State 85-48 in SEC quarters
6 Alabama blew out Mississippi State 85-48 on Friday in an SEC quarterfinal. Alabama followed a couple of small early runs with a 17-0 surge over nearly five minutes for an eventual 43-13 cushion just before halftime. The Tide also swarmed the Bulldogs defensively, scoring 24 points off 14 first-half turnovers and holding them to 30% shooting overall. โTo get beat this badly was really, really a bitter pill,โ he said. Alabama drained 3s in bunches to put this game away early and protected the ball.
Kentucky NCAA hopes end after being bounced from SEC tourney
But things began spiraling downward for the Wildcats long before Thursday's disappointing 74-73 setback against Mississippi State that sealed their fate: No NCAA Tournament this year. AdDigesting the reality and enduring a losing season at college basketball's winningest program will make for a long offseason for the Wildcats. โBut at the end of the day, you've gotta win games and you've gotta be tough and you've got to play winning basketball. The Wildcats rebounded to win their first three SEC games, only to seesaw between a four-game skid and three-game winning streak. One of the main issues for the Wildcats was putting up points, as Kentucky ranked 200th in Division I in scoring.
No. 7 Gamecocks win SEC Tourney 67-62 over No. 16 Georgia
Aliyah Boston had 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead South Carolina, which only a week ago lost at No. South Carolina, though, righted things in a big way at the SEC Tournament. Boston then followed with a pair of foul shots and South Carolina held on for its 14th straight victory over Georgia. But when Jenna Staiti picked up her second foul at the end of the first quarter, South Carolina found Boston down low. South Carolina: It didn't take long for the Gamecocks to assert their dominance once more on the SEC.
The Latest: NBA's Hornets ready to welcome fans again
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, right, passes the ball over Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo, second from right, as Hornets forward P.J. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Charlotte Hornets are getting set to welcome fans for home games. The Hornetsโ reopening plan has been approved by state and county authorities and allows the team to host fans at 15% capacity, approximately 3,000 per game. โWe are excited about the opportunity to welcome more fans to our outdoor venues,โ the university said in a written statement. AdTuesday nightโs game will be the first game with fans in attendance at PPG Paints Arena since last March.
Aggies reach best-ever ranking of No. 2 in women's AP Top 25
2, its highest ranking ever in The Associated Press women's college basketball poll, a day after winning its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title. 5 South Carolina on Sunday to win the conference title and then moved up a spot in the Top 25. AdBaylor, South Carolina, Maryland, UCLA and Indiana were the next five. The Aggies snapped a seven-game losing streak to South Carolina on Sunday. ___More AP womenโs college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
The Latest: ACC tourney players, coaches get tracing devices
(AP Photo/Tony Avelar)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Atlantic Coast Conference will expand use of KINEXON SafeTag contact tracing devices by equipping players, coaches and Tier 1 personnel for its upcoming menโs and womenโs basketball tournaments. SafeTags measure proximity between users to provide school medical officials with contact tracing data when an individual tests positive for COVID-19. All 15 ACC schools used the devices inside team facilities during the regular season to mitigate the spread of the virus. An ACC release stated that the technology identified several high-risk close contacts of a positive case within the league. Bars, restaurants and music venues will also be able to close two hours later, at 2 a.m., instead of at midnight.
Frigid weather scraps more sports events in Texas, Oklahoma
12 Texas and No. The Big 12 has an extra week before the start of the conference tournament to try to make up some postponed games. The postponement of the Alabama game makes it five straight games called off for the Aggies. Two season-opening series involving Big 12 baseball teams scheduled for this weekend were canceled. Jacksonville State was supposed to visit Baylor, and Oklahoma was set to play Wichita State in Round Rock, Texas, just north of Austin.
Heisman finalists: Tide teammates plus Lawrence and Trask
(AP Photo/Brian Blanco, File)Alabama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith along with Clemsonโs Trevor Lawrence and Floridaโs Kyle Trask have been named finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Jones and Smith are the eighth set of teammates to be finalists together since the tradition started in 1982. Smith is trying to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991. Jones or Smith would become Alabama's third Heisman winner, but first that is not a running back. Iowa State running back Breece Hall was sixth, followed by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
Auburn hires Boise State's Harsin to lead football program
25 San Jose State will face perennial conference powerhouse Boise State in the Mountain West championship on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020 in Las Vegas. โIโm incredibly excited and humbled for the opportunity to be at a place like Auburn University,โ Harsin said in a statement. Malzahn led Auburn to the Southeastern Conference championship and into the national championship game in his first season, 2013. Harsin has a proven track record as a head coach, more so than any Auburn coach in recent memory. Boise State won at least nine games in each of his first six seasons.
STAT WATCH: Numbers reflect dominance of Alabama, Clemson
Both teams flexed their muscles in winning their respective conference championship games. The last time Alabama was held below 35 points came in a 44-16 loss to Clemson in a CFP championship game to cap the 2018 season. Clemsonโs 34-10 Atlantic Coast Conference championship game rout of Notre Dame improved Trevor Lawrence's record as a starting quarterback to 34-1. San Jose State and Ball State will face off in the Arizona Bowl on Dec. 31. San Jose State is seeking to complete its first unbeaten season since a 13-0 finish in 1939.
Alabama to meet Notre Dame in relocated CFP semifinal game
4 Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal originally scheduled to serve as the 107th Rose Bowl, the playoff committee announced Sunday. โOur guys recognize what theyโll need to do relative to the mental preparation of playing a great football team in Alabama. But instead of a week amid the pomp and pageantry of the Rose Bowl, the teams will spend their semifinal week in Arlington, Texas. Oregon State beat Duke in Durham, North Carolina, in that version of the Rose Bowl. The festive week of genteel celebrations around the Rose Bowl game had already been mostly canceled.
CFP: Alabama-Notre Dame, Clemson-Ohio St as Aggies left out
Notre Dame was picked Sunday over Texas A&M for the final spot, ending what little drama there had been. Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State have also held the first four spots in the AP Top 25 since Oct. 25. The Atlantic Coast Conference is the second league to have two teams in the playoff, joining the SEC in 2017. After sitting second in the CFP rankings for a month, Notre Dame was blown out 34-10 by Clemson in the ACC championship. Barta said the disparate number of games played by contenders โ along with far fewer cross-conference games than usual โ- was a challenge for the committee all season.
Sarah Fuller 1st woman to score in Power Five football game
Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller walks along the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)NASHVILLE, Tenn. โ Sarah Fuller became the first woman to score in a Power Five conference football game, cleanly kicking a pair of extra points for Vanderbilt in a 42-17 loss to Tennessee on Saturday. Listed second out of three available kickers on the depth chart, Fuller came out to try the extra point. No woman before Fuller had appeared in an SEC game or for any Power Five team. Liz Heaston became the first woman to score in college football with two extra points for Willamette of NAIA on Oct. 18, 1997. Katie Hnida was the first woman to score at the Football Bowl Subdivision level with two extra points for New Mexico on Aug. 30, 2003.
Florida's Johnson hospitalized after collapsing on court
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Florida standout forward Keyontae Johnson, the Southeastern Conference's preseason player of the year, collapsed coming out of a timeout against rival Florida State and needed emergency medical attention. Johnson was taken off the floor on a stretcher and rushed to Tallahassee Memorial for evaluation. Johnson had just dunked in transition before he fell to the floor as the team broke its huddle. Several Gators were in tears and a couple buried their faces in towels as coach Mike White gathered his team to say a prayer. Johnson, a 6-foot-5 junior from Norfolk, Virginia, averaged a team-high 14 points last season to go along with 7.1 rebounds.
Miami has 3 games PPD by virus; A&M on pause for 2nd week
The number of games across major college football scheduled for this weekend that have already been called off is up to six, after three went down Monday, including Mississippi at No. So we can complain about this and this and that but, listen, weโre still getting to play football,โ Fisher said. Major college football conferences have been tweaking policies to provide their schools flexibility to schedule games on short notice. That probably won't work for LSU-Alabama, which was among four SEC games postponed last week. __Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Virus postponements hit SEC, Big Ten; 8 games across FBS
Among the three SEC games still on for this Saturday, Arkansas will visit No. Orgeron said he expects most of his players in quarantine due to contact tracing back next week. Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said his team only had two positive cases as of Wednesday afternoon, but contact tracing had taken a toll. โCandidly, the numbers around contact tracing have emerged as one of our biggest challenges to playing. โThe contact tracing has the potential to magnify even one positive test,โ Sankey said.
South Carolina No. 1 in AP preseason women's basketball poll
(AP Photo/Richard Shiro, File)NEW YORK โ Dawn Staley already has accomplished so much at South Carolina. The Gamecocks received 29 of the 30 first-place votes in The Associated Press preseason women's Top 25 released Tuesday. Arizona was seventh, the first time since 2004 that the Wildcats have been ranked in the preseason poll. RESPECTING THE CATSNorthwestern was ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 2015, coming in at No. It's the first time since 2015 that two mid-major teams were ranked in the preseason poll.
Postponement, outbreaks: SEC takes a hit from COVID-19
The conference on Monday postponed Saturdayโs game between No. 20 Auburn and Mississippi State because of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantining within the Bulldogsโ program. 5 Texas A&M paused in-person activities after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a win at South Carolina. LSU is battling an outbreak that could put Saturday's game against No. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.
Ann Arbor Public Schools calls for delay of winter sports season over COVID-19 fears
ANN ARBOR โ Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift released a statement on Friday morning urging the Michigan High School Athletic Association to postpone the winter sports season as cases of COVID-19 reach new levels across the state. We take our responsibility very seriously to coordinate high school sports activities in a healthy, safe and responsible manner during the COVID-19 pandemic that continues this fall. "Therefore, we are calling on the MHSAA to delay the start of the winter athletic season. "Over the next two weeks, we will continue our advocacy to delay the winter sports season. We will provide regular updates to our school community and present the Board of Education with a report on November 11, 2020.
Cincinnati-Tulsa postponed due to Bearcats' COVID-19 issues
8 Cincinnati's game at Tulsa on Saturday has been postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among Bearcats players. The American Athletic Conference announced Thursday, Oct. 15, the game is being rescheduled for Dec. 5. 8 Cincinnatiโs game at Tulsa on Saturday has been postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among Bearcats players. Tulsa has had three games postponed, including its opener against Oklahoma State, which it was able to make up. โIโm disappointed, first, for our football student-athletes and coaches, and obviously for our staff who has prepared so diligently, our campus and the city of Tulsa," Tulsa athletic director Rick Dickson said.
Houston still waiting to play after 3rd virus cancellation
The Houston Cougars are again without an opponent and still waiting to play their season opener as COVID-19 issues wiped out two more major college football games Wednesday. We've had four games canceled, so we're kind of used to that,โ Holgorsen said Monday before the bad news from North Texas. Houston athletic director Chris Pezman said Wednesday that he understood the โCOVID-related decision North Texas has made to not playโ and appreciated the consistent dialogue with UNT officals. North Texas (1-1) was coming of a 65-35 home loss to SMU last Saturday. The Mean Greenโs next scheduled game is their Conference USA opener at home Oct. 3 against Southern Miss.
The Latest: West Ham manager and 2 players have coronavirus
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___ West Ham manager David Moyes and players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen have contracted the novel coronavirus. They were informed of the positive tests ahead of Tuesdayโs League Cup game against Hull and left the east London stadium. West Ham says the trio are asymptomatic and will now self-isolate in line with government rules. ___Atlรฉtico Madrid says defender Josรฉ Marรญa Gimรฉnez has tested positive for the coronavirus. All players and officials have been tested at snooker events since the sport resumed in June with spectators after the coronavirus outbreak.
Trump, coaches push for college football as cracks emerge
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)President Donald Trump joined a U.S. senator and a number of coaches Monday in the push to save the college football season from a pandemic-forced shutdown. There was speculation that two of the five most powerful conferences the Big Ten and the Pac-12 might call off their seasons. The Virginia school canceled football and other fall sports less than a week after Conference USA set out a plan to play a football season. There are no guarantees that college football will be completely safe thats absolutely true; its always true, he wrote. Please dont cancel college football.___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Column: SEC moves raise question: Is season even worth it?
FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2018, file photo, Kentucky wide receiver Josh Ali (82) catches a touchdown pass during the team's NCAA college football game against Louisville in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, File)If college football somehow makes it to the field, all well get is a shell of a season. No one in college football has even practiced yet, McGarity said, as though he was already preparing everyone for a fall without college football. Georgia vs. Georgia Tech. Georgia vs. Georgia Tech isnt far behind with its Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry, which has been played every year since 1925.
SEC goes to conference-only schedule, Sept. 26 start
The SEC's university presidents agreed on a 10-game schedule that eliminates all nonconference opponents and begins Sept. 26. The 14 SEC teams normally play eight conference games and four nonconference games, with seven teams in each division. Playing 10 SEC games is going to be unique and different and its going to be a challenge," Stricklin said. During a 24-hour span in college football, Notre Dame football joined a conference and SEC teams decided they would play more games against each other. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Sankey: federal NIL law needed to ensure fair competition
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey told a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday that there needs to be a uniform federal law to regulate the compensation of college athletes instead of a series of state-level versions with differing requirements. Sankey was part of a panel discussing the potential impact of allowing athletes to profit from the use of their name, image or likeness (NIL). It would be difficult and confusing, Sankey said when asked about managing various state laws among the leagues 14 member schools. Knowing the competition within my 11 states, I can foresee quickly the other 10 one-upping each other. Former Miami and NFL player Eric Winston also testified with University of Baltimore law professor Dionne Koller.
Power Five leagues ask Congress for athlete compensation law
FILE - In this March 11, 2020, file photo, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey speaks at a press conference in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)The Power Five conference commissioners are asking Congress to move forward with federal legislation regarding compensation for college athletes. The commissioners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference sent a letter dated May 23 to congressional leaders. Some lawmakers are skeptical of the NCAA's desire to place what it calls guardrails on a compensation model. So, time is of the essence.___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and https://appodcasts.com/category/ap-top-25-college-football/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/APTop25CollegeFootballPoll and https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
SEC, Big 12 to allow football workouts on campus next month
There are 130 major college football teams, spread across 41 states and competing in 10 conferences, save for a handful of independents. The Friday announcements are the latest signs that a college football season will be launched in some form this fall. The NCAA updated that ruling Friday by saying voluntary activities would be allowed in all sports starting June 1. Greg Abbott said Friday he thinks college football will return on schedule with at least some spectators. Once we get to college football season, our goal right now is to have college football season start as planned, with fans in stands, Abbott said in an interview with Austin television station KXAN.
The Latest: Outlaws run in front of limited fans in Missouri
The Outlaws returned last week in Iowa at Knoxville Raceway for a race run without fans. ___The NCAA is permitting athletes in all sports to participate in voluntary athletic activities on campus beginning June 1. Greg Abbott says he thinks college football will return on schedule with some level of fans in the stands. Once we get to college football season, our goal right now is to have college football season start as planned, with fans in stands, the Republican governor told Austin television station KXAN. ___The Southeastern Conference is allowing voluntary athletic activities to occur on each of its campuses starting June 8, at the discretion of each university.
AP Exclusive: Power Five spend big on lobbying Congress
The Southeastern Conference was the biggest spender, hiring three lobbying firms and paying them a total of $140,000, according to lobbying disclosure forms reviewed by The Associated Press. The Southeastern Conference was the biggest spender, hiring three lobbying firms and paying them a total of $140,000, according to lobbying disclosure forms reviewed by The Associated Press. The Big Ten paid $20,000 to the firms working for all the Power Five but did not hire its own dedicated lobbyist. The ACC and the Big 12 each spent $60,000 $40,000 on their own lobbyists and $20,000 on the Power Five firms. Both conferences had the same lobbyists last year, the first year either had spent significant money to influence members of Congress.