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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Saturday / November 23.
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Articles

CAKjmSHVIAAX87_.jpg-largeBy CHRIS RUSSELL

NEW YORK— With both teams confident of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, No. 5-seeded VCU and No. 2 Dayton battled one last time at Barclays Center in an attempt to impress the selection committee on Selection Sunday.

With little energy left to give, it was VCU that held on to win 71-65, bringing home their first Atlantic 10 Tournament championship.

“I never wear hats but they gave us one for winning the Championship,” said Rams head coach Shaka Smart. “Just really, really proud of our guys.”

Kentucky

NCAA Basketball: Mississippi at KentuckyKentucky will head into the NCAA Tournament as the first major conference team to be undefeated since Indiana in 1976.

The No. 1 Wildcats improved to 34-0 by winning their 28th SEC Tournament title with a convincing 78-63 victory over Arkansas in Nashville.

If they finish the NCAA Tournament unbeaten on April 6, Kentucky would be 40-0.

“We haven’t lost one yet, this is ridiculous to be honest with you,” Kentucky coach John Calipari told ESPN’s Shannon Spake.

“But let’s get on with this next tournament. We know how hard it’s going to be. Every game we’re gonna play is a war, we’re not going to get a pass. It’s going to be a hard bracket, we know it, and that’s OK. There’s nothing wrong that. Our thing is, let’s be at our best. Let individuals be the best version of themselves. It’s not the best-of-five, these are one-and-done games, you’re in or you’re out.”

This is the second straight year a team has entered the Big Dance unbeaten following Wichita State last year. The Shockers lost to Kentucky last year in the round of 32.

Articles, St. John's

NCAA Basketball: St. John at DePaulJust a few hours before Selection Sunday, St. John’s announced that head coach Steve Lavin has suspended junior big man Chris Obekpa for two weeks for violation of team rules.

Sources confirmed to SNY.tv that Obekpa’s suspension was related to a failed drug test for marijuana use. Obekpa was also suspended two exhibition games in October 2013 for a violation of University policy. He considered transferring after last season, but head coach Steve Lavin talked him into coming back.

St. John’s is the No. 9 seed in the South Region and will face No. 8 San Diego State on Friday in Charlotte, with the winner likely to get No. 1 Duke.

If St. John’s were to advance in the postseason, Obekpa would not be available for the Red Storm’s games prior to March 29, the school said.

Articles, Recruiting

Caleb SwaniganBY: CHIP MILLER

Homestead (IN) center Caleb Swanigan made a big splash on Thursday when the five-star 2015 center trimmed his list to seven schools.

Swanigan’s final seven consists of some of the biggest names in college basketball and one that may surprise some. His final seven are Kentucky, Purdue, Arizona, California, Michigan State, Duke and Chicago State, according to Eric Vaughn. Indiana, the home state school, failed to make Swanigan’s cut.

On Tuesday, Swanigan broke down his final seven for Justin Kenny of The News-Sentinel.

– Duke. “(Freshman center Jahlil Okafor) will be gone, and they are looking for someone who can come in and help fill that void, and that’s a huge honor. Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) is also one of the greatest (coaches) ever.”

Articles, Notre Dame

CAG8DS9WoAANN7YBy JACK LeGWIN

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The road to the NCAA Tournament hasn’t been easy for Notre Dame, but when adversity called, the Fighting Irish had all of the answers.

The Irish are going into the Big Dance playing extremely well, which they demonstrated after trailing by nine points, and rattling off a 26-3 run in the second half to put away North Carolina 90-82 in the ACC Championship game at the Greensboro Coliseum.

“I’m a bit in awe of what my team did tonight,” Irish coach Mike Brey said after winning the school’s first tournament championship. “To be down nine and to come out of that timeout, get eight or nine stops in a row. To put that together with beautiful basketball, which we have played all year, it was a lightning strike.”

Articles, Villanova

NCAA Basketball: Big East Tournament Final-Villanova vs XavierBy JOSH NEWMAN

NEW YORK – It has seemed clear for a long time now that any team thinking it can win a national championship better plan on going through unbeaten Kentucky.

That includes Villanova, which moved to the doorstep of a No. 1 seed on Saturday when it won the Big East Tournament, 69-52 over Xavier in front 13,471 at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats are 32-2, veteran-heavy, well-coached and appear set to take on all comers beginning next weekend. The question is, can they beat anyone, including possibly Kentucky down the road?

“We’re not Kentucky in terms of depth and talent, but we could beat them,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. “But we could lose to a 15 or 16, too, if we don’t play right. I just think that’s who we are.”

Articles, Hurleys

https://vine.co/v/OValHtqz6nB


By JOSH NEWMAN

NEW YORK – His brother and his father lost crucial postseason games earlier Saturday, so Bobby Hurley was the family’s big winner on Saturday evening.

Bobby, the oldest child of legendary St. Anthony High School head coach Bob Hurley, coached the University of Buffalo to the Mid-American Conference Tournament title, defeating Central Michigan, 88-84, in the championship game at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

“I’m really proud of my team,” Hurley said. “I’m proud of the accomplishment that this group achieved, the first time in school history that we are MAC Champions.”

The NCAA Tournament berth is the first in the Bulls’ Division I history, which dates back to the mid-1990’s. Before Saturday, Buffalo’s postseason history consisted of six trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament between 1957-65, a berth in the NIT in 2005 and three trips to the CIT since 2009.

The accomplishment is remarkable considering that just a few years ago, Hurley was breeding horses in Florida until his younger brother, Danny, pulled him back into coaching with an assistant’s job at Wagner College.

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