Collegiate Sports (NCAA)

[BullNBear52]

Pro Football Pickems
https://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/pickem/32237

Password 27265

[BullNBear52]

College Football Pickems.
https://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/college/9890

Password 27265

[KICK1]

Amazing, Congrats!

[BullNBear52]

And UConn wins it all and I won my bracket.

[KICK1]

Hey Agreed…

[BullNBear52]

Too long and Cashman is partly to blame.

[KICK1]

I Hope You Won Big!

[KICK1]

Man it’s been a while since I saw the Yankees! 2009 World Series Forever

[BullNBear52]

And UConn is in as well. I'm the only one in my group that had them both.

[BullNBear52]

I saw the final score. I was at the Yankee game.

[KICK1]

Good Call, Purdue Just Won & Going To The Title, Congrats Boilermakers

[KICK1]

Indeed Purdue is beating NC State atm with 5 left

[KICK1]

NC State & Purdue Game Is A Fun One!

[KICK1]

Ok I hear you, I’m pulling for the ACC Go Wolfpack!

[BullNBear52]

I have UConn and Purdue in the finals. But first Purdue needs to get past NCSU. They are having an incredible run.

[KICK1]

Thank You, You Too! Final Four Up Next, Exciting!

[BullNBear52]

Congrats and now onto the final 4 with a tough matchup with Uconn.

[KICK1]

Big Time

[BullNBear52]

It says something about Alabama to knock off a blue blood of the ACC.

[KICK1]

Thanks, That one kid from up north Nelson, on the Alabama squad was really good, performed like a champ… Duke and NC State are in elite 8 too! Great To See

[BullNBear52]

For North Carolina, loss to Alabama in Sweet 16 will be a haunting NCAA Tournament exit

LOS ANGELES — His feet plunged in an NCAA cooler half full of crushed ice, eyes glued to the black carpet inside North Carolina’s locker room, Cormac Ryan tried to answer a simple and simultaneously impossible question:

What are you feeling right now?

“F—ing pissed off, first and foremost,” Ryan said. “Wanted to win that game. We all did.”

Naturally. So in moments like that — not even a half hour after UNC’s season-ending 89-87 loss to Alabama in the Sweet 16 — that’s a logical first reaction. You’re still replaying missed shots and other miscues on a nightmare-like mental loop. The gut, visceral response is frustration, that red-hot fire of having failed.

And then, in real-time, the rest sank in. How once Ryan takes off his jersey, there’s no putting it back on. Season, over. And for him? College basketball career, over. Just like that. Gone forever.

Ryan’s lip quivered. A deep exhale.

“You know, I’m sad,” he continued, much more slowly, “that this is gonna be the last time with this group. Love these guys. Love this university.”

And it was, even despite Thursday’s result at Crypto.com Arena, a special group. No, North Carolina will not fly to Phoenix next weekend for the Final Four, but that disappointment does not (or should not, at least) cancel out this team’s other accomplishments. Winning the ACC regular-season title. Earning the program’s record 18th No. 1 seed. Producing both the player and coach of the year in the conference.

“Getting Carolina,” as RJ Davis said, “back to where it usually is.”

But those things are hard to cling to now, when a team’s lofty dreams just turned to dust. The finality of everything is what makes the NCAA Tournament the best postseason in sports — and quite possibly the most painful. Because one minute, you’re up three with 92 seconds left, an Elite Eight berth in your grasp. And the next, the buzzer blares and you’re on a redeye flight back home.

One locker to Ryan’s right, after Armando Bacot’s 169th and final college basketball contest, UNC’s storied big man tried to put that sentiment into words.

“I’m just shocked. I don’t even really know,” Bacot said. “I’m, like, blank right now. No feeling.”

Shock is also appropriate — especially after those final 92 seconds, which will haunt the Tar Heels for quite some time. They will be talked about like Kendall Marshall’s broken wrist in 2012, like Auburn’s unstoppable shooting in 2019. Like Kris Jenkins in 2016, although obviously not to that level of drama. But in that same, painful vein.

Davis had just hit the second of two free throws to put UNC up three. It was the last point of his personal 6-0 run, one that seemed redemptive after arguably his worst game of the season. For the first time in 37 games, the All-American did not make a single 3-pointer, going 0-of-9 from deep. But that 6-0 run, part of an 8-0 stretch by North Carolina, reclaimed the lead for the Tar Heels and seemed to supersede any earlier wrongs.

And then everything came undone.

It started with Mark Sears, Alabama’s All-America guard, driving for a layup to make it a one-point game. On UNC’s next offensive possession, the Crimson Tide double-teamed Davis as they had all game, and he passed out of it to forward Jae’Lyn Withers on the perimeter. Withers hitched. And then, for only the 20th time all season, a 21 percent 3-point shooter rose up and launched a trey, with Davis behind him clamoring for the ball.

Clank.

“The shot I took was a crucial shot,” Withers said. “I work on it day in and day out, but I think that with the time and score there, I could’ve gotten to the free-throw line there. I could’ve gotten to the basket.”

Instead? Alabama took that defensive rebound and whipped it down the floor to forward Grant Nelson — who scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the second half — just in time for him to convert an and-1 layup over Withers.

Nelson made the free throw, putting Alabama up two, then spiked Davis’ last-ditch layup attempt volleyball-style on UNC’s do-or-die offensive possession. The Tar Heels didn’t get another attempt off. Shot-clock violation, with 7.7 seconds left.

Ballgame.

And while those futile final possessions will be what haunts North Carolina in the days and weeks to come, that stretch was painfully emblematic of the Tar Heels’ entire evening. Missing 15 of their first 17 shots in the second half. Failing to get Davis, who shot 4-of-20 overall, going in any discernible way. Allowing Nelson, a wiry 26.5 percent 3-point shooter, to get to his spots, over and over again, with no defensive adjustment.

It was a phenomenal coaching job by Alabama’s Nate Oats, flatly refusing to let RJ Davis beat his team single-handedly. And it was the opposite by Hubert Davis, who had plenty of fire on the sideline but few solutions.

In the coach’s postgame locker room, Davis sat with his head in his hand, blankly staring into space. He will have to sit with his result and the role he played in it.

So too will UNC’s hurting players and their stunned families sitting behind UNC’s bench. Bacot’s father, Armando Sr., did not mill around with other parents, discussing what went wrong. He just sat there, his navy North Carolina hoodie pulled over his head, silently patting away his tears with crumpled brown napkins.

That sadness will subside some in the next few days. But next weekend, when either Clemson or Alabama is playing in its first Final Four, it will hurt again. Maybe worse. Because it will become apparent the opportunity North Carolina squandered here, with as readymade a Final Four path as it could’ve hoped for.

Once again, Arizona is left to pick up the pieces

There was no Arizona awaiting in the Elite Eight. No much-discussed meeting against former UNC star Caleb Love — who, like Davis, shot 0-of-9 from 3 in his team’s loss on Thursday. There was Clemson, a team UNC whooped by 10 on the road in January and lost to by four points — despite a 17-2 start — at home amid an obvious Duke hangover. Nothing is guaranteed, clearly, but a No. 16 seed, a No. 9, a No. 4, and a No. 6? To make it to the Final Four?

You take that eight days a week.

“Our goal was to win a national championship,” Ryan said, “and we didn’t do that.”

Another deep breath. His best attempt to swallow the knot in his throat.

“That one really hurts,” he eventually whispered, “and it’ll hurt for the rest of our lives.”

[BullNBear52]

Kentucky’s no-good day

The first day of the men’s NCAA Tournament featured some juicy results. None were as shocking as No. 3 seed Kentucky’s stunning loss to No. 14 seed Oakland:

The Wildcats probably should’ve won this game, but what can you do when a bench player comes in and hits 10 3-pointers the way Jack Gohlke did? The Division II transfer who “looks like a high school history teacher,” per one teammate, saved the game of his life for the big stage. Hard to beat.

Zoom out, and Kentucky coach John Calipari might actually be in trouble. “Previously unfathomable questions have to be asked,” writes Kyle Tucker. The Wildcats’ last four seasons ended like this: missed NCAA Tournament, first-round exit, second-round exit, first-round exit. That’s not good enough at Kentucky.

Calipari’s buyout is $33 million, which may sound cheap to college football fans, but remains financially onerous. That number drops to $27 million after next season. Hm.
Kentucky wasn’t the only upset yesterday, either:

No. 11 seed Duquesne won the Lame Duck Coach title, beating sixth-seeded BYU to extend coach Keith Dambrot’s career (Dambrot is retiring after the season). Long Beach State coach Dan Monson’s post-firing tenure ended after a loss to No. 2 seed Arizona.

Two other No. 11 seeds — Oregon and NC State — won their games yesterday against South Carolina and Texas Tech, respectively. A Clemson loss to New Mexico today would mean all four No. 6 seeds fell in the first round this year.

[BullNBear52]

And Kentucky goes home again.

Since 2019, the Wildcats have won just one NCAA tournament game.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39781664/reacting-another-kentucky-upset-loss-first-round-2024-mens-ncaa-tournament-oakland

[BullNBear52]

March Madness
https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/mens-basketball-bracket/group/70888/invitation?key=b3372db47feeaaac

[BullNBear52]

Notre Dame beats NC State for ACC Tournament title
https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39701432/notre-dame-beats-nc-state-acc-tournament-title

[BullNBear52]

Caitlin Clark, Iowa rally past Nebraska to win Big Ten title game
https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39701211/caitlin-clark-iowa-rally-nebraska-win-big-ten-title-game

[BullNBear52]

Good. I don't have time to deal with off topic crap.

[BullNBear52]

And college baseball has started. One of my favorite sports with lots of local teams to see right close by.

ECU plays Duke, NCST and UNC close by.
https://ecupirates.com/sports/baseball/schedule

[BullNBear52]

College player returns to action 2 years after losing leg
East Carolina University's Parker Byrd sparks emotional scene in return
February 16th, 2024
https://www.mlb.com/news/parker-byrd-plays-in-college-game-with-prosthetic-leg

Terrific story about determination to make it all the way back to play again along with a nice post by Jim Abbott.

Well done Parker, nothing can stop you! https://t.co/mW23UUB1hJ

— Jim Abbott (@jabbottum31) February 17, 2024

?

And he has the perfect walkup music if he chooses to use.

[blackcat]

Sorry to have crossed whatever the line is on your board. I'm gone.

[BullNBear52]

Oh please I'm not making excuses for Jordan. I can't stand the SOB so you can give that a rest.

As for Paterno his asst and "friend" betrayed him in the worst possible way. I do believe he had dementia at the end of his career and his family insulated him from the news of his asst coach. In any event his legacy was destroyed.

In any event it's up to the school how they deal with Paterno. Every school has had issue in the past.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/arts/yale-slavery-apology-history.html?searchResultPosition=1

And,
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56968/speech-friends-romans-countrymen-lend-me-your-ears

You and K2 can debate the subject all you want but do it elsewhere. What happened at PSU was criminal and abhorrent and I'll leave it at that.

[blackcat]

Don't make excuses. At the time Jordan was a wrestling Coach- not a politician. There's no difference in the 2 situations.

[BullNBear52]

I guess turning a blind eye to child molestation is okay as long as you have a winning record. I don't know about you but it's not okay with me.

Don't put words in my mouth since I did not say it was ok.

By that token, why would you care anything about any of the big schools' sports teams?

This board is about college sports. And I like college sports.

[ksquared]

Was he aware of it? Who knows. I don't.

Allow me to refresh your memory. McQueary, the assistant who witnessed the attack and did nothing to stop it, reported it to Paterno who did NOTHING. Look it up. I guess turning a blind eye to child molestation is okay as long as you have a winning record. I don't know about you but it's not okay with me.

As you said:

I didn't go to PSU or OSU or Michigan or Washington so I could care less what PSU does.

By that token, why would you care anything about any of the big schools' sports teams?
Have a good weekend.

[BullNBear52]

Jim Jordan is a different animal. He probably knew what was going on at OSU and simply looked the other way. He'll have to live with that decision. But that is what pols do.

As for Paterno I suspect he suffered from dementia / senile and he didn't know what was going on.

Did his long time asst screw him and his rep? Yes.
Was he aware of it? Who knows. I don't.

I didn't go to PSU or OSU or Michigan or Washington so I could care less what PSU does.

128 QBs entered the transfer portal this year. I think that is BS.

[blackcat]

You think Gym Jordan should not be held accountable too, then?

No one who abuses or knows of children being abused and does nothing should should ever be "honored".

[BullNBear52]

This is coming from someone who thought a parent shouldn't be held accountable for an unlocked gun her son took to school and shot his teacher?

Please spare us the holier than thou crap. Paterno's dead. I'm sure if you dig him up he'll have regrets.

[BullNBear52]

Now now lets not go pissing on the grave of Paterno.

[blackcat]

My best guess is- if they're thinking at all- is that "no one will remember that part, and even if they do, Joe didn't physically take part in it".

I wonder- had one of their kids been a victim, would they still be so sanguine?

[ksquared]

We're definitely in sync on that one.
What the hell are they thinking?

[blackcat]

I think that would be a terrible idea, but that's just my opinion.

[ksquared]

Pedophile State knows no shame...
REPORT: Penn State Quietly Seeking to Name Field After Joe Paterno
PAUL BOIS 15 Feb 2024 2:30
(The downfall of the Big Ten began when they let this school in. It was my safety school BTW.
Paterno was told about Sandusky doing a ten-year-old up the butt in the locker room.
He did NOTHING. McQueary -- the kid who witnessed and reported it -- did NOTHING to stop the attack.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_McQueary
Vile lowlifes. JMO, of course.)

Penn State has reportedly been quietly to name the field at Beaver Stadium after the late head coach Joe Paterno, who became a controversial figure in his latter years due to his involvement in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.

Sources close to the situation told Spotlight PA that several Penn State trustees have met with “high-ranking university representatives” to privately discuss the possibility of naming the field after Paterno, which may possibly violate state law, which “requires governing bodies to conduct business in public view, and continue a decadelong pattern of the board convening behind closed doors.” The sources said that trustees have been pushing strongly for Paterno’s name on the field, while university officials have been hesitant.

Paterno was Penn State’s head football coach for 45 years and won two national championships until the board fired him in November 2011 during the Sandusky scandal.

In 2012, Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse and sentenced to up to 60 years in prison. Former university President Graham Spanier, former athletic director Tim Curley, and former vice president Gary Schultz also served jail time related to the scandal. Spanier was convicted of child endangerment, a misdemeanor. Curley and Schultz pleaded guilty to the same offense.

Paterno was never charged. He died in January 2012.

The board fired Paterno in 2011 in the fallout of Jerry Sandusky, and a statue dedicated to him was removed from the football stadium. He still holds the record for most wins in NCAA football history with 409.

An unnamed Penn State spokesperson wrote in an email to Spotlight PA that the “Administration and the Board of Trustees have embarked on numerous change initiatives based on President Bendapudi’s vision and goals and are focused on these priorities to continue to provide a world-class academic and student experience for years to come.”

Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2024/02/15/report-penn-state-quietly-seeking-to-name-field-after-joe-paterno/

[ksquared]

I'll put it on my calendar. Hope it's on during the late afternoon east coast time.
I'll never stay awake, if it's a nighttime game.
Note to self:: May the outcome not affect my budding friendship with blackcat.
I tend to get too emotionally involved.
Have a good one. I must get on with my day.

[blackcat]

Yes, Can we please avoid all major injuries!

Here's our rematch date- plan ahead.
Oct. 5 - home vs. Michigan

[ksquared]

I will say for Fisch that he has recruited both of our QBs back out of the portal - that's a pretty major deal.

Yes, it is. It is a huge vote of confidence.
This fall is stacking up to be very interesting.
There are going to be a lot of firsts.
Sure hope the players and coaches stay safe and have fun.

[blackcat]

Very good. They get a good coach and continuity too. They maybe came out of the musical coach chairs in the best place overall.
I will say for Fisch that he has recruited both of our QBs back out of the portal - that's a pretty major deal.

[ksquared]

Harbaugh's move doesn't surprise me at all. He's a mountain-climbing Capricorn.
He reached top of the collegiate football hill with the rebuild of the program culminating in a national championship.
Now, he must reach the NFL peak with the Chargers.
Good luck to him and his family.
California winters are easier to take than the ones in Ann Arbor.
... Unless the predicted torrential rains fall and they all get washed out to sea.
Have a good one.

[ksquared]

It's official: Sherrone Moore Named Michigan’s Head Football Coach
1/26/2024 7:00:00 PM | Football
By: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard, Kurt Svoboda
(We'll see what happens.)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel announced Friday (Jan. 26) the hiring of Sherrone Moore as the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach after six years as an offensive staff member for the Wolverines. Moore becomes the 21st head football coach in school history and is the first African American to lead the nation's winningest program in college football history.

"I want to thank Coach Harbaugh for the faith that he has displayed in me over the past six years and for supporting my growth as a football coach during that time," said Moore. "I also want to thank Athletic Director Warde Manuel, President Santa Ono and members of the Board of Regents for putting their faith and trust in me to be the next leader of this football program. I am excited to reward that trust.

"I have been preparing my entire coaching career for this opportunity and I can't think of a better place to be head coach than at the University of Michigan," added Moore. "We will do everything each day as a TEAM to continue the legacy of championship football that has been played at the University of Michigan for the past 144 years. Our standards will not change. We will be a tough, physical, disciplined, hungry, championship-level team that loves football and plays with passion for the game, the winged helmet and each other. We will also continue to achieve excellence off the field, in the classroom and in our communities. I am excited to start working in this new role with our players, coaches and staff."

"Sherrone has proven to be a great leader for our football program, especially the offensive line and players on the offensive side of the football," said Manuel. "He is a dynamic, fierce and competitive individual who gets the best out of the players he mentors. The players love playing for him and being with him in the building every day.

"Sherrone stepped up this fall and served as the interim head coach when the program and especially the team needed him," added Manuel. "Sherrone handled that situation in a way that sealed my already-growing confidence in him. He didn't make it about him, it was always about the team! We are thrilled to have Sherrone and his wife, Kelli, and the entire Moore family step into this new role for our football program and university community."

Moore was the Wolverines' tight ends coach during his first three seasons (2018-20) and moved over to coach the offensive line the past three seasons (2021-23). He shared the co-offensive coordinator duties during the 2021 and 2022 Big Ten Championship seasons before taking over the sole responsibilities in 2023; was the only Power 5 offensive coordinator to also mentor the offensive line this past year.

Moore served as the team's interim head coach for four games during the 2023 national championship season. He led the team to a 31-6 victory over Bowling Green (Sept. 16) in his first action as a head coach. Later in the season, Moore served as the Wolverines' interim head coach again, winning two road games at Penn State and Maryland and the season finale against Ohio State to claim the Big Ten East Division Championship. Two of those late season victories came against top 10 teams, defeating the ninth-ranked Nittany Lions (24-15) and second-ranked Buckeyes (30-24).

Moore was a finalist for the 2023 Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation's outstanding assistant coach. As Michigan's offensive coordinator in 2023, Moore directed a unit that ranked top 10 in seven offensive categories and was top 30 in 10 overall metrics. The Wolverines were 14th nationally in scoring offense (35.9 avg.), eighth in pass efficiency (165.77 rating), fourth in fewest tackles for loss allowed (3.2 avg.), third in completion percentage (72.0%) and tied for the NCAA lead with 40 rushing touchdowns. U-M prioritized ball security and delivered with the third fewest turnovers in college football (8), including the fifth fewest interceptions (5) and 10th fewest fumbles (3).

Moore transitioned to coaching the offensive line in 2021 and Michigan's unit immediately flourished under this leadership. The Wolverines won the Joe Moore Award as the nation's top offensive line unit in 2021 and became the first group to repeat as the award winner in 2022. The men in the trenches were also semifinalists for the 2023 award.

All five offensive line starters earned All-Big Ten recognition each of Moore's three seasons (2021-23) with six different players earning first-team recognition. Center Olusegun Oluwatimi became Michigan's first-ever Outland Trophy winner and also received the Rimington Award as the nation's best center.

Moore has coached three Wolverines to All-America status: Oluwatimi (consensus, 2022), Zak Zinter (unanimous, 2023) and Andrew Stueber (second team, 2021). Under his guidance, four Wolverines have become NFL draft picks: offensive linemen Oluwatimi (fifth), Stueber (seventh), and Ryan Hayes (seventh), and tight end Zach Gentry (fifth).

The line has blocked for three consecutive 1,000-yard rushers with Hassan Haskins (1,327 yards) and Blake Corum achieving the milestone back-to-back in 2022 (1,463 yards) and 2023 (1,245). Corum nearly had another 1,000-yard rushing season in 2021 (952) and Donovan Edwards (991) came close to the century mark in 2022. Michigan led the NCAA in rushing touchdowns in 2021 (39) and 2023 (40) and finished second in 2022 (41).

In addition, the Wolverines have ranked among the top 5 nationally in fewest tackles for loss allowed twice in Moore's three seasons mentoring the offensive line, listing as the NCAA leader in 2021 and finishing fourth in 2023. The unit also listed among the top 30 nationally in fewest sacks allowed all three seasons.

Six tight ends combined for 119 receptions for 1,611 yards and 13 touchdowns in Moore's three seasons leading the position group at U-M. Those players combined to earn one third-team All-Big Ten honor and three all-conference honorable mention recognitions.

He was selected for and participated in the inaugural 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute sponsored by the American Football Coaches Association at their January 2018 convention.

Moore joined the Michigan coaching staff after four seasons at Central Michigan (2014-17). He mentored the Chippewas' tight ends during his time with the program and added the duties of assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2017 season.

Prior to his time in Mt. Pleasant, Moore spent five seasons at the University of Louisville, where he was a graduate assistant coach for three seasons (2009-11) and the program's tight ends coach for two seasons (2012-13). As a full-time coach, the Cardinals had a 23-3 record with a BCS bowl appearance and a Big East Championship in 2012.

Moore played two seasons along the offensive line for the University of Oklahoma (2006-07). He saw action in 14 games at offensive guard and helped the Sooners win two Big 12 Championships and play in two BCS bowl games. Before joining the Sooners, Moore was a two-year starter at Butler County (Kansas) Community College. He was a member of two conference championship teams that posted a 20-3 record. Moore earned second-team all-conference accolades.

Moore earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Oklahoma in 2008.

He and his wife, Kelli, who were married in 2015, are the parents of two daughters: Shiloh and Solei.

https://mgoblue.com/news/2024/1/26/sherrone-moore-named-michigans-head-football-coach

[BullNBear52]

With Harbaugh’s decision to leave, Michigan players now have a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal due to a recent exemption introduced by the NCAA. That could incentivize Manuel and the university to act quickly when making the decision on who the program’s next head coach will be.

"When you have these sort of coaching changes this late in the cycle, you are at a disadvantage," Young said, referencing the amount of players both Alabama and Washington have lost in recent weeks due to Nick Saban’s unexpected retirement and Kalen DeBoer leaving the Huskies to take the Alabama job.

So basically the letter of intent they signed as HS seniors is not worth the paper it is written on. But let them transfer to another school minus any scholarship money and pay the freight instead.

I used to like the PAC 12 as a conference of integrity. And schools like UW and Stanford are great schools for an education. But now the entire conference save 2 schools are simply interested in chasing the money.

BTW I'm surprised by Harbaugh. He is no Coach K.

[blackcat]

I totally agree with that article. The quicker they make their decision the better it will be. I really hope you don't face the consequences that the Huskies did and are. Fisch is having to recruit 24/7 now and fortunately he seems to be doing OK. Our portal transfer QB Rodgers has said he will stay- along with a few others. We've still lost major pieces, though. Wish you the best.