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Tag: APP Sports

  • South Carolina to face UConn in NCAA women’s basketball championship

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    TAMPA, Fla. — “Four it all.” That’s the motto of this year’s Women’s Final Four. Two teams have emerged with a shot at the national championship.

    And both these teams know what it takes to win it all. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Defending champs South Carolina defeated Texas with a dominating 74-57 win, while UConn extended its win streak to 15 by taking out UCLA, 85-51

    • The UConn Huskies are a win away from a 12th national title

    • The South Carolina Gamecocks are going for the repeat and they would be the first team to do it since UConn won four straight from 2013-16


    Two teams punched their ticket to Sunday’s national championship game. Defending champs South Carolina took care of business against Texas with a dominating 74-57 win, while UConn extended its win streak to 15 by taking out UCLA, 85-51.

    In the first semifinal of the night, South Carolina fell behind early to Texas, who advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2003. But just as they have throughout the tournament, the Gamecocks proved no deficit is too big. Their outside shots started falling just before the end of the first half and they took the lead, extending their streak to 104 straight wins when leading at the half.

    “Proud of our team. Proud of our depth. Proud players that chose to come here, and they really get the experience being at a Final Four and now the national championship,” said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley.

    In the second semi of the night, UConn built an early lead on UCLA and never looked back. The Bruins made their Final Four debut and came to Tampa as the overall No. 1 seed. But the Huskies flexed its dynasty muscle. In three straight games, the Huskies have outscored opponents by an average of 23 points. Now, they are a win away from a 12th national title.

    “We prayed, we prepared, and we hoped to be playing on the last day of the season,” said UConn guard Paige Bueckers. “We got that opportunity, so we don’t want to take it for granted.”

    South Carolina’s going for the repeat and they would be the first team to do it since UConn won four straight from 2013-16.

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    Katherine Smith

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  • Florida advances to NCAA men’s basketball championship

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    SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points and Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night, sending the Gators to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.

    The All-America guard for the Gators (35-4) had a driving layup with 2:24 left, on the possession right after Australian big man Alex Condon drew a charge against Johni Broome, the other All-America player in this national semifinal — and who was dealing with an injured right elbow.

    After a record 14 SEC teams made this NCAA Tournament, seven got to the Sweet 16 before the league made up half the Elite Eight and then this Final Four filled with No. 1 seeds.

    The Gators will have the chance Monday night to win the SEC’s first title since Kentucky in 2012, the only one since they won in back-to-back seasons. Florida takes an 11-game winning streak into the title championship game in the Alamodome against either Duke or Houston.

    “We’re just all together, on the court and off the court,” Clayton said.

    Even at the end of the first SEC matchup in a Final Four, Clayton chased a loose rebound and tipped it back inbounds to keep the clock running out on the win. When he started to walk back on the court, teammate Alijah Martin was standing watching him at the end line nodding with a smile to greet him.

    The Tigers (32-6), in their second Final Four with coach Bruce Pearl, were the top overall seed and had an eight-point halftime lead.

    “Auburn had us on our heels in the first half but we came out with a great start and we didn’t look back,” said 39-year-old Florida coach Todd Golden, who joined Pearl’s first staff at Auburn in 2014.

    Clayton became the first player with consecutive 30-point games in the Elite Eight and semifinals since Larry Bird for Indiana State in 1979, according to ESPN Stats. Clayton got over 30 with his three-point play with 1:33 left, scoring on a layup while being fouled and adding the free throw.

    Martin, who played in the Final Four with FAU two years ago, added 17 points for the Gators. Thomas Haugh had 12.

    Florida opened the second half with a 13-3 run, with Clayton capping an 11-0 run with a layup after Rueben Chinyelu’s steal. That put the Gators up 51-49 with 15 1/2 minutes left.

    Chad Baker-Mazara, with his left hand partially wrapped because of a thumb issue, led Auburn with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Broome finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and had seven rebounds — he had only three points after halftime.

    Even before the final buzzer sounded, Broome was hunched over and then was surrounded by cameras to capture his reaction. He eventually stood up to shake hands, then walked off the court with his eyes red from crying — pulling up his jersey to wipe his face as cameras continued to follow his exit.

    Broome and Baker-Mazara both were injured in the win over Michigan State last Sunday that sent the Tigers to the Final Four. Broome’s right elbow bent awkwardly during a hard fall in the second half, and in the Final Four he wore some kind of brace on his arm covered by a sleeve.

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    Associated Press

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  • A look inside Tropicana Field as council gets ready to vote on repairs

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    TAMPA, Fla. — As the Rays settle into their temporary Tampa home, the baseball diamond in St. Pete is only an outline.

    What You Need To Know

    •  St. Petersburg City Council will meet Thursday to discuss replace roof of Trop.

    •  Tropicana Field roof replacement will cost $22.5 million

    •  City leaders said environmental experts have tested and there are no “mold issues” inside the Trop.

    • City leaders said all of the major issues at the Trop have been identified.


    What was once turf is now concrete.

    Piping on the ground helps to drain the water when it rains. When you look up, all you see is metal and sky.

    (Spectrum News/Eddie Jackson)

    City of St. Petersburg City Architect Raul Quintana said, for $22.5 million, the roof can be replaced using tensile fabric. It’s the same sort of material that was ripped off of the Trop.

    “It’s the same material, but it’s designed to today’s codes,” said Quintana. “So it’s a much stronger material. It’s thicker than what it was. So it’s designed to the wind loads today that far exceed the wind loads we had in 1995.”

    Quintana said Major League Baseball had certain concerns they wanted addressed: the lighting, the acoustics and the ability to track a baseball. Quintana said they’ve checked all the boxes with their proposal.

    But the material would be made and assembled overseas.

    “The material is fabricated in Germany, then it’s shipped to China where it is assembled and those bundles are going to be sent in groups to the city,” Quintana said.

    With President Trump’s talk of tariffs, Quintana said the price could go up, but they believe the funding proposal would cover that possibility.

    If approved by the city council, the work would get underway during the 2025 hurricane season. The council is meeting Thursday to vote on funding the repairs.

    “We’re going to be putting this back in the heaviest storm period of the year, between August and November, so what we’ve done is try to protect the area behind the seating from the eventuality of rain still happening through the summer,” said Quintana.

    (Spectrum News/Eddie Jackson)

    (Spectrum News/Eddie Jackson)

    City of St. Petersburg City Development Administration Managing Director Beth Herendeen said there are no mold issues in the building.

    “We have had environmental people come out multiple times,” Herendeen said. “They do testing, air testing, so no mold issue.”

    But she said there are still areas with water intrusion, and they have removed drywall, carpeting and ceiling tiles.

    All of which will need to be replaced, and means even more money to request.

    “Every little piece of the puzzle is being looked at very carefully,” Herendeen said.

    It’s an enormous undertaking during the Rays 2025 baseball season.

    The roof repairs are one of several packages that Mayor Ken Welch’s administration will request from the city council. They will also need funding for metal panels, sports lighting, audio/visual and architectural work.

    And while city leaders acknowledge there are no guarantees, they believe it’s doable to get fans back in the seats at the Trop by next spring.

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    Dalia Dangerfield

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  • Top-seeded Florida runs away from Maryland, 87-71

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    SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Florida’s three standout seniors and its deep bench kept bringing energy until it became too tough for Maryland’s “Crab Five” to keep up.

    Coach Todd Golden could see his Gators wearing the Terrapins down.

    Will Richard scored 15 points, Alijah Martin added 14 points and seven rebounds, and No. 1 seed Florida played a steady second half to run away from fourth-seeded Maryland and into the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final with an 87-71 win Thursday night.

    Walter Clayton Jr. contributed 13 points and four assists as Florida’s senior leaders and their deep supporting cast took down Maryland’s hardworking starters — one of Terrapins coach Kevin Willard’s concerns coming into this matchup.

    “We come in with great energy,” said Florida reserve Denzel Aberdeen, who scored 12 points in 19 minutes. “Just everybody being ready, whoever’s name is called, I think that’s what we did.”

    Freshman sensation Derik Queen scored 27 points to lead Maryland (27-9) in what might have been Willard’s final game guiding the program.

    “I think their bench really wore us down,” Willard said.

    Florida (33-4) advances to play Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s late game at Chase Center between third-seeded Texas Tech and No. 10 seed Arkansas.

    The Gators, in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and seeking the program’s first Final Four berth since 2014, committed 13 of their 17 turnovers in the first half but took better care of the ball over the final 20 minutes. Florida already eliminated two-time defending NCAA champion UConn in the second round and is 10-1 in regional semifinals.

    “The message was simple: We have to take care of the ball,” Golden, the Gators’ third-year coach, said.

    The “Crab Five” — featuring WNBA star Angel Reese’s brother Julian, who had his sister in the stands to cheer — roared back in the first half when it seemed Florida might pull away. Queen, who hit a buzzer-beater in a 72-71 victory Sunday over Colorado State in the second round, shot 8 for 17 and made all 10 of his free throws.

    Clayton, Martin and Richard combined for 42 points and three others scored in double figures for Florida. The senior trio had scored 56 of the Gators’ 77 points in the two-point victory against UConn last Sunday. That sent coach Golden back to the Bay Area, where he played for Saint Mary’s and coached at the University of San Francisco before taking the Florida job.

    Now, they get to extend their stay into the weekend.

    “It’s surreal, to be honest. The thing that I keep kind of going back to, selfishly, personally, I just don’t want it to end,” Golden said. “We have a uniquely tight group. … It’s been an amazing run.”

    What’s next for Willard?

    Willard’s future was unclear as he has been linked to the Villanova job and also publicly expressed concerns last week with the direction of the Terrapins program, calling for “fundamental changes.”

    Fans booed the coach as the team departed its hotel earlier in the day.

    Golden had described the Terrapins as “freaky talented” coming into the game.

    Clayton from deep

    Willard had compared Clayton to Stephen Curry when it comes to shooting off the dribble.

    Clayton had been 22 for 43 from 3-point range — 51.2% — over his five postseason tournament games coming in. He wound up 2 of 6 from deep.

    Takeaways

    Maryland: The Terrapins were outrebounded 5-1 early before Reese’s offensive rebound, putback and three-point play at the 15:21 mark of the first half — and Maryland forced 10 turnovers over the opening 13:30 to get back in the game.

    Florida: The Southeastern Conference Tournament champion Gators used their depth to generate a 29-3 advantage in bench points, with Maryland getting its first bench point with 1:15 to play. … Sophomore forward-center Alex Condon limped off to the locker room with an injury to his troublesome right ankle at the 12:16 mark of the first half and underwent a precautionary X-ray, then returned with 13:29 left.

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    Associated Press

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  • Golden returns to San Francisco area with No. 1-seeded Gators

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    SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Todd Golden knows he might need to leave NCAA Tournament tickets for a couple of VIPs, his special longtime mentors and former coaches at nearby Saint Mary’s College.

    That’s just how it can work sometimes come March when you’re the youngster and part of a coaching tree with extra-long limbs.

    While Randy Bennett and Kyle Smith were both busy monitoring the transfer portal Wednesday for potential additions to their respective teams — Smith just completed his first season as Stanford’s head coach — Golden got to work preparing top-seeded Florida for a Sweet 16 matchup against Maryland on Thursday night.

    It certainly felt like reunion day at Chase Center. As the Gators took the practice floor, Golden said a quick hello to Smith, who sat along one baseline catching up with Golden’s father, Scott — and former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo stopped to chat them up, too.

    “This is why he is the way he is,” proud dad Scott said, referring to all of those who influenced his son’s cross-country journey from San Francisco to Gainesville. “It’s been beyond surreal, the year they’ve had. This year’s been beyond belief. Hopefully it keeps on going.”

    Golden has provided his players with some glimpses into what his life looked like here. He served as an assistant to Smith at the University of San Francisco before replacing him as head coach in 2019 when Smith took over at Washington State — the step that ultimately led Smith back to the Bay Area and the Stanford job last spring.

    The Gators visited iconic Crissy Field along San Francisco’s waterfront Wednesday morning to see the Golden Gate Bridge in all its splendor.

    After practicing in Golden’s old gym at USF in what he called “a full-circle moment,” they managed to get their large group into Golden’s favorite Original Joe’s in the North Beach neighborhood for dinner Tuesday night. The coach had prime rib because “being here in San Francisco you can’t go wrong.”

    Initially, the restaurant told Golden it couldn’t accommodate his group of about 35 people.

    “It’s been amazing. When the bracket came out and we saw we were the 1 seed in the West and obviously you see that the regionals in San Francisco, you can’t help but think about how awesome it would be to be able to experience that,” Golden said. “But there’s two games before that that you have to find a way to advance.

    “And once we were able to get past UConn on Sunday, it kind of all hit me and (wife) Megan and our family that we’d have a chance to come back to the Bay Area. Just landing in San Francisco yesterday and just kind of driving back through the city, I had to pinch myself a little bit.”

    The Gators (32-4) hope to make it an extended stay by getting through No. 4 seed Maryland (27-8) on Thursday. Florida, which ended UConn’s bid for a third straight NCAA championship in the second round, is seeking its first Final Four berth since 2014.

    Golden even has one of Smith’s former Washington State players starting, Rueben Chinyelu.

    However long this NCAA run lasts, Golden will have huge fans in Bennett and Smith. Seeing the 39-year-old Golden on the big stage brings a smile to Smith’s face. He finds it remarkable that Golden “doesn’t age.”

    Golden recalled Smith constantly challenging him to be tough as a mid-major player in the East Bay suburb of Moraga. They’ve both come so far.

    “It’s awesome,” said Smith, who had dinner with the team Tuesday and never saw a bill. “I think part of why they’re successful and why they’ve been able to get good quickly is because Saint Mary’s is one of the tougher programs in the country and Todd did five years. He had to bring it every day and prove himself.”

     

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    Associated Press

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  • Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. plays with patience, shoots with confidence

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s practice court is nearly empty. Sweat-soaked jerseys and towels are piled near the doorway. The coaching staff and most of the players are scurrying around the facility as their bus awaits.

    They need to shower, pack and eat before hitting the road for airport and the NCAA Tournament.

    Walter Clayton Jr. is still in the gym. He has two team managers waiting for the last basketball, which will join the others that are already stuffed into an equipment bag and slung over a shoulder.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida will take on Maryland in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night

    • Walter Clayton Jr. hit key 3-pointers late against UConn on Sunday to help ensure the Gators would advance

    • The point guard scored 23 points in the final 8 minutes of that game

    • Coach Todd Golden and his teammates say Clayton Jr. puts in a lot of extra work so he can come through for Florida consistently

    Clayton is in no hurry. It’s reminiscent of the way he plays.

    The All-American guard never panics, rarely presses and usually performs with a subtle smoothness that’s hard to find at the collegiate level. He’s chill personified.

    And he’s no doubt the main reason the top-seeded Gators (32-4) advanced to the Sweet 16, where they will face No. 4 seed Maryland (27-8) in the West Regional on Thursday.

    Clayton scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes Sunday, helping Florida rally to beat two-time defending NCAA champion UConn in Raleigh, N.C. He hit two 3-pointers with defenders in his face that epitomized the best of his skill set: he patiently took advantage of a mismatch against Alex Karaban for the first one, giving the Gators their first lead of the second half, and drained the second one while waiting for a double team to disappear.

    “I’ve hit some big shots in my life,” Clayton said. “Those were probably two of the biggest.”

    Added coach Todd Golden: “He’s a beast. People don’t understand. They’re kind of like, ’Oh, he’s never emotional, looks like he’s not trying.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, it’s because the game comes easy to him.’ I just love it.”

    ‘This guy is legit’

    Clayton also scored 23 in the team’s tournament opener against Norfolk State.

    The 6-foot-2 senior from Lake Wales has now topped 20 points in six of Florida’s past seven games, raising his scoring average to nearly 18 points a game. He’s been better than anyone expected, especially after making the move from shooting guard to the point in his final college season.

    “Everybody was on my (butt) all summer about the point-guard play,” Golden said. “I’m like, ‘This guy is legit.’ Even though he was great for us last year, people didn’t understand how elite of an offensive player he was.”

    It’s a development few saw coming years ago.

    The Sunshine State’s top basketball programs passed on Clayton coming out of high school; Stetson and Florida A&M were the only in-state schools that wanted him. Clayton instead landed at Iona in New Rochelle, N.Y., far from his Florida family and friends and under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.

    Attorney and Florida booster John Frost, whose firm is based in Bartow — where Clayton finished high school — saw something in Clayton that Florida’s Mike White, Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton and Miami’s Jim Larrañaga seemingly missed. Frost invited Golden to dinner shortly after he got the Florida job in 2022 and mentioned Clayton as a player to watch and potentially recruit.

    Having never heard of Clayton, Golden went home that night and looked him up on an analytics website.

    “He had great numbers as a freshman,” Golden said. “A freaking shot-maker.”

    An Easter surprise

    Golden tracked Clayton as a sophomore, and he ended up being named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s player of the year. When Pitino took the St. John’s job, it became clear that Clayton planned to leave Iona, too.

    It came down to following Pitino or returning to his home state to play for Golden and the Gators.

    “We have him on a visit, and we think we’re getting him,” Golden recalled.

    And then Clayton’s mom called crying on Easter morning.

    “She was worried he was going to stay up there at St. John’s,” Golden added. “She wanted him down here, not more than we did, but equal for sure.”

    Golden called the athletic department to secure Florida’s jet, grabbed assistant coach/recruiter Korey McCray and headed to New York to “figure out how we’re going to get this to the finish line.” They met Clayton at a local restaurant only to learn that he had invited Steve Masiello — Pitino’s right-hand man — to dinner.

    Bad news? Bidding war? Golden and McCray kept looking at each other with no idea what was happening. Clayton left the Florida duo in suspense. Then, after some awkward silence — and just before Masiello arrived — he dropped the news.

    “I’m coming to Florida,” Clayton said. “I just want you guys to be able to ask (Masiello) any questions about me that you might have. I’m coming home.”

    Added Golden: “It was a crazy day. I’d say that Easter was very important to the return of Florida basketball.”

    ‘It’s amazing to watch’

    With everyone having left the practice court, Clayton is getting up extra shots. 3-pointers. Free throws. Even a layup or two. The managers wait, then slip the last ball into the bag and hustle it to the bus.

    Clayton takes his time getting ready; the Gators won’t leave town without him. Everyone knows how important he is to Florida’s offense, whether it’s finding teammates on the break, running half-court sets, hitting shots from mid-court logos or taking over in crunch time.

    “What makes him such a great player is his ability to score it from anywhere on the court,” teammate Will Richard said.

    He showed that knack all season, including when the Gators needed it most against UConn.

    “Super clutch, man,” teammate Alijah Martin said. “That’s Walter Clayton Jr. for you right there. He put us on his back — just so proud of him. I see the work he puts in every day. It’s amazing to watch.”

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    Associated Press

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  • USF names Arkansas State coach Bryan Hodgson as new head basketball coach

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    TAMPA, Fla. — The University of South Florida has found its new men’s head basketball coach.

    USF has hired former Arkansas State head coach Bryan Hodgson to guide the Bulls program.

    What You Need To Know

    • USF names former Arkansas State head coach Bryan Hodgson as its new men’s basketball coach

    • Hodgson, 37, is USF’s 12th head coach in program history and comes to the Bulls after two seasons at the helm at Arkansas State

    • He inherited a team that lost 20 games and led Arkansas State’s turnaround in 2023-24, which included its first postseason appearance since 1999. 

    • PREVIOUS STORY: USF makes sure love wins for Coach Abdur-Rahim

    Hodgson, 37, takes over after a 13-19 season under interim coach Ben Fletcher. Fletcher guided the program after the death of Amir Abdur-Rahim, who led the Bulls to a program-first American Athletic Conference regular-season championship in 2023-24.

    USF’s 12th head coach in program history, Hodgson comes to the university after two seasons at the helm of Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference.

    “I am incredibly honored and excited to be the head coach at the University of South Florida,” Hodgson said in a released statement. “From my first conversations with [Vice President for Athletics] Michael Kelly and the USF leadership, it was clear that this place is strongly committed to building a winning culture.”

    Hodgson led Arkansas State to two of the most successful seasons in program history, with back-to-back 20-win seasons.

    He inherited a team that lost 20 games and led Arkansas State’s turnaround in 2023-24, which included its first postseason appearance since 1999. 

    In 2024-25, the Red Wolves finished with a 25-11 record, the best in Arkansas State program history. The season featured a top-20 victory, saw the Red Wolves secure the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title, and marked the team’s first NIT appearance in more than 30 years. 

    “We are thrilled to welcome Bryan Hodgson as the next head coach of USF men’s basketball,” Kelly said. “Bryan has been a part of winning programs at every level, demonstrating a remarkable ability to recruit top talent, develop players and build championship-caliber teams.

    “His passion, energy, and vision for USF basketball align perfectly with our commitment to excellence. We believe he is the right leader to take this program to new heights, and we can’t wait to see his impact on our student-athletes and the Tampa Bay community.”

    A western New York native, Hodgson and his fiancée, Jordan, have a son, Jett, who was born in 2024.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • No. 1 seed Florida rallies, survives upset bid by UConn

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    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. and Florida ended UConn’s pursuit of a third straight national championship, with Clayton burying two key 3-pointers in the final three minutes of a scintillating 77-75 victory for the top-seeded Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

    Clayton, a first-team All-America guard, finished with 23 points as Florida (32-4), one of the favorites for this year’s title, survived a strong challenge from coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies (24-11), who came in with modest expectations as a No. 8 seed but led for most of the second half.

    Florida advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and will play Colorado State or Maryland in the West Region semifinals in San Francisco.

    UConn was seeking to become the first team to three-peat since UCLA’s run of seven straight titles from 1967-73.

    The Huskies won the 2023 title in Houston and last year in Glendale, Arizona, joining Duke (1991-92) and Florida (2006-07) as the only schools to win back-to-back since the Bruins’ run under John Wooden.

    Florida entered the game ranked No. 1 in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency by scoring 128.9 points per 100 possessions, and the Gators of the powerful Southeastern Conference joined fellow 1-seed Duke as the only teams to rank in the top 10 on both sides of the ball, making them a popular pick to cut down the nets.

    But the Huskies’ defense stymied the Gators for most of the game, holding Florida to 35% shooting through the first 30 minutes to build a 52-46 lead.

     

    The Gators chipped away and Clayton came alive. He made a 3 from the right wing with 2:54 left to put Florida ahead 62-61, and teammate Will Richard followed with a steal and dunk. Clayton’s 3 from the same spot with 1:06 left made it 70-64 — part of a 14-3 run that gave Florida an eight-point advantage with 40 seconds left.

    UConn twice fail to corral offensive rebounds off missed Florida free throws down the stretch, leading to points for the Gators. But even when Florida seemed to have the game in hand, UConn kept fighting. Thomas Haugh’s two free throws with 5.9 seconds left pushed the lead to five.

    Hurley watched, arms folded, standing on the sideline as Liam McNeeley’s 3-pointer at the buzzer sailed skyward and dropped through the net as the horn sounded.

    McNeeley led UConn with 22 points, and Alex Karaban scored 14. Alijah Martin contributed 18 points for UConn and Richard had 15.

    Takeaways

    UConn: A major rebuild is in store for the Huskies, who struggled to replace losing four starters to the NBA last season.

    Florida: The Gators took a huge step forward. Coach Todd Golden has resurrected the program in a span of three years, but he had never won a March Madness game before this year.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • USF Bulls prepared for a tournament run earlier in the season

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    TAMPA, Fla. — USF’s path to the NCAA Tournament has been paved brick by brick.

    And the journey can be traced all the way back to the first two months of the season.

    What You Need To Know

    •  The USF women’s basketball team punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a win over Rice in the AAC Championship game.

    •  The Bulls will face Tennessee in the first round of the tournament. 

    •  Coach Jose Fernandez credits a bulked up scheduled in November and December for getting them to the dance.


    In that span, the Bulls played four ranked opponents, including UConn, South Carolina and Duke. It helped set them up for the road they are on now.

    “I knew all along this was a tournament team, and that’s why we scheduled the way we scheduled in November and December,” Head Coach Jose Fernandez said.

    The strength of schedule has made this team strong at a critical time as they prepare for their first-round opponent, Tennessee. The Bulls drew the No. 12 seed in Region 3 and they open the tournament having won 12 of their last 14 games. It’s the kind momentum that can fuel a long run.

    “I feel like everyone brings so many different things,” USF point guard Mama Dembele said. “And the moment we are all in the same page, I feel like we’re kind of unstoppable.

    The Bulls took three straight days to win three straight games to claim the AAC Championship and secure the automatic berth into the tournament. It’s the 10th time in the program’s history they have punched their ticket to the dance. One thing they’ve never done, advance to the second weekend. USF is seeking its one shining moment.

    “Everyone is going to have their own moment,” Dembele said. “So it’s time to shine, to step up, and to just have so much fun. I think when we have fun is when we’re at our best.”

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    Katherine Smith

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  • No. 1 seed Florida rolls past Norfolk State, 95-69

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    RALEIGH, N.C.  — First-team All-American Walter Clayton Jr. scored 23 points and Florida defeated Norfolk State 95-69 on Friday, ensuring all four No. 1 seeds made it out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament unscathed.

    Alijah Martin added 17 points for the Southeastern Conference champions, who built a 32-point lead in the first half en route to their seventh straight win. This one set up a potential second-round showdown with two-time defending national champion UConn, should the No. 8 seed Huskies get past ninth-seeded Oklahoma.

    Christian Ings scored 16 points and Jaylani Darden added 15 for 16th-seeded Norfolk State (24-11).

    This one was over early as Clayton knocked down a 3 and was fouled for a four-point play, giving the Gators (31-4) a double-digit lead five minutes into the game that they would never relinquish. The lead ballooned to 53-21 with four minutes left in the first half, even as Clayton took an occasional breather on the bench.

    Norfolk State showed some life by closing the first half on an 11-0 run sparked by Ings, but the Spartans never made it close.

    Takeaways

    Norfolk State: Spartans coach Robert Jones was upset Thursday about his team being a 28 1/2-point underdog against the Gators, asking “are we that bad?” His team ended up outscoring Florida over the final 23 minutes to cover the spread.

    Florida: The Gators made 18 of their first 30 shots to end any chances of an upset, dominating the smaller and less talented Spartans.

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    Associated Press

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  • Tampa attorney says group will likely pay more for Rays

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    TAMPA, Fla. — A group of investors who want to buy the Tampa Bay Rays would likely be willing to pay more than current value to obtain the team, according to Tampa attorney Carter McCain.

    “I don’t think it’s out of the realm that someone will overpay for what the value is on paper,” he said. “I think this franchise has a lot of value in the Tampa Bay region.”

    Forbes estimates the Tampa Bay Rays are worth $1.25 billion. McCain said he represents a group of mostly out-of-state investors who have been searching for a professional sports team to purchase for more than one year.

    “Our group has been looking at professional sports franchises through the last 18 to 20 months,” he said. “We still are in discussions with some other organizations in additional sports, not just baseball.”

    McCain’s group and another group led by Joe Molloy publicly signaled their interest in buying the Rays days before owner Stu Sternberg stated he was canceling his new $1.3 billion stadium deal, which was nearly half funded by the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.

    “We’re not surprised that agreement was terminated,” said McCain. “I don’t know if it was the right agreement anyway.”

    Since that time, two more groups have reportedly emerged. One is led by Dex Imaging CEO Dan Doyle Jr. and the Orlando Dreamers. Despite four groups vying for the team, Rays President Matt Silverman said on WDAE-AM radio last week that it was “not for sale.”

    “Well, there’s sure a lot of people talking,” said McCain. “The people we have talked with said they will listen and but it’s their asset. They own it. They have the right to say it’s not for sale.”

    “It may not be for sale. We know that we’re going to pay a lot of money, maybe more than the current team is worth on paper.”

    McCain said if his group were able to purchase the team they would keep it in Pinellas or Hillsborough County and envision an entertainment complex surrounding the ballpark that would draw patrons all year. The attorney said the group has most of its funding in place and want to be primarily privately financed.

    “We’ve got our part to the of the puzzle pretty well put together and financially committed,” he said. “We have not had any formal discussions with Mr. Sternberg or his current group. We’ve had discussions with people in baseball that have had those discussions. But we’re letting the dust settle.”

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    Josh Rojas

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  • Valspar Championship taps into special moments

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    PALM HARBOR, Fla. — The Valspar Championship has provided a lot of great moments. Last year’s winner, Peter Malnati, had one of the greatest.

    What You Need To Know

    • The top golfers in the world will be taking on the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course Thursday through Sunday

    • Defending champion Peter Malnati will try to recapture the magic from last year when he provided one of the tournament’s most emotional moments

    • This year’s field features 20 of the top 50 golfers in the world


    When Malnati’s four-year-old son Hatcher ran into his arms, with his super hero cape flapping in the wind, it cemented its spot in Valspar lore.

    “His dad wins. He goes flying out on the green. Peter lifts him in his arms,” Valspar Tournament Director Tracy West said. “There’s a breeze, the cape goes. Hatcher looks like Superman. I mean, that was so neat because it really wrapped in everything that Valspar’s about.”

    So what will be this year’s moment? Golf is a sport that’s remembered for its great shots. But it’s also a sport made up of great emotions. And it’s those emotions that can send a tournament over the top.

    Remember when Tiger Woods won his first green jacket and hugged his dad after his Master’s win in 1997? Or how about when 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus won his 18th major at the 1986 Masters? Amazing moments filled to the brim with emotion. The Valspar Championship might not be on the major tournament level. But it packs just a big a punch when it comes to emotions.

    “The reality is, we’re the kind of tournament that can be forgotten nationwide,” Valspar Co-General Chairman Ronde Barber said. “Cause we’re not big, we’re not signature, we’re not $25 million.”

    But the Valspar experience is priceless. This year’s field is stacked. The Valspar features 20 of the top 50 ranked golfers in the world. Someone is going to win the Golden Brush trophy. Someone is going to tame the Copperhead Course’s Snake Pit. There will be a lot of great golf. And there will be a lot of emotions.

    “We know what impact we’re allowed to have because of professional golf,” Barber said. “And it will only be more important this year. It really will be one of our more special years.”

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    Katherine Smith

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  • Central Floridians Clayton Jr., Broome make AP All-America 1st team

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    FLORIDA — Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. and Auburn Tigers forward/center Johni Broome on Tuesday became the first players from their universities to be named first-team selections to The Associated Press men’s college basketball All-America teams.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. and Auburn’s Johni Broome became the first AP All-America first-team picks for their programs

    • Clayton Jr. led Bartow to two Class 6A state championships, and Broome took Tampa Catholic to two 4A semifinals

    • Fellow first-team selection Cooper Flagg of Duke played multiple seasons at Montverde Academy and is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

    • The other two members of the first team are Alabama’s Mark Sears and Purdue’s Braden Smith

    Clayton, who took Bartow to two Class 6A state championships in high school, and Broome, who played two seasons at Plant City High School before transferring to Tampa Catholic and leading that team to the Class 4A semifinals twice, led their college basketball teams this season to No. 1 seedings in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Broome’s Tigers hold the No. 1 overall seeding for the tournament and sit atop the South Region, while the Gators are seeded No. 4 overall and are No. 1 in the West Region.

    The other first-team members are Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who is from Maine but played multiple seasons at Montverde Academy in Lake County; Alabama guard Mark Sears, who was a second-team pick last year, and Purdue guard Braden Smith.

    Clayton averaged 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and recorded 11 games with at least 20 points on a Gators team that captured the Southeastern Conference Tournament title. He helped Florida climb as high as No. 2 in the AP rankings during the season and seeks to help the Gators win a championship.

    “Whatever path, I like my guys,” said Clayton, who started college at Iona. “Me and my guys against whoever.”

    Broome averaged 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and over 2 blocks per game this season.

    Only Broome, a third-team pick a year ago, and Flagg were among the first five on the ballots of all 61 national media members who vote for the weekly AP Top 25. 

    “I’ve proved a lot individually through my career but my main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship,” said Broome, who played two seasons at Morehead State before spending the past three with the Tigers. “When the team shines, everyone shines individually. Coming from where I came from, it means a lot to me.”

    Flagg, who is widely expected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft if he decides to turn pro after the season, averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

    The second and third All-America teams stacked up as follows:

    Second Team

    JT Toppin, Texas Tech out of Dallas, Texas

    Kam Jones, Marquette, out of Cordova, Tenn.

    John Tonje, Wisconsin, from Omaha, Neb.

    PJ Haggerty, Memphis, of Crosby, Texas

    RJ Luis Jr., St. John’s, from Miami

    Third Team

    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, of St. Louis, Mo.

    Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee, out of Long Island, N.Y.

    Eric Dixon, Villanova, from Willow Grove, Pa.

    LJ Cryer, Houston, of Katy, Texas

    Hunter Dickinson, Kansas, out of Alexandria, Va.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • Florida, Auburn, Duke, Houston grab No. 1 seeds for NCAA Tournament

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    Auburn is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, with Duke, Houston and Florida joining the Tigers on the No. 1 line in the March Madness brackets released Sunday.

    The NCAA selection committee favored the regular-season champs of the record-setting Southeastern Conference despite three losses in their last four games, along with a loss to Duke back in December.

    The Tigers (28-5) and Gators were two of the 14 SEC teams to make the field, which are the most for a conference in the history of the tournament.

    It’s Florida, which captured the SEC tournament by winning three games with an average margin of 15 points, that opens as a slight favorite to win it all at the Final Four in San Antonio on April 5 and 7, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

    In something of a surprise, both North Carolina and Texas slid in off the bubble, while Indiana, West Virginia and Boise State did not.

    The 68-team bracket starts whittling down on Tuesday with preliminary games, and the main draw kicks off on Thursday and Friday, with 32 games at eight sites around the country.

    A tribute, then a bracket with plenty to talk about

    The selection show began with a heartfelt tribute to the late Greg Gumbel, the CBS stalwart who oversaw the bracket unveiling for decades.

    Then, just as Gumbel would have preferred, it was about the basketball – and this time there was plenty to talk about.

    North Carolina looked all but out, a victim of a 1-12 record against so-called Quad 1 opponents and part of a conference (ACC) teetering on the verge of a historically bad season. But the Tar Heels were the last team in, thanks maybe to a strong nonconference slate, while Texas was also in — its seven wins against Quad 1 teams outweighing its overall 15 losses.

    The Carolina inclusion was certain to fuel some conspiracy theories. The chair of the selection committee was Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham, who said rules state he cannot be part of any debate about his own team.

    “As vice-chair, I managed all the conversations we had about North Carolina, and we had quite a few,” said Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill, who, in an unusual move, was brought onto the CBS bracket show to discuss Carolina.

    The SEC’s 14 teams were followed by the Big Ten with eight and Big 12 with seven. The ACC, meanwhile, ended up with four teams, barely avoiding its worst showing since 2000, back when the conference was half the size it is now.

    Even in a down cycle, the ACC has Duke, and Duke has arguably the best player in the country in freshman Cooper Flagg, a 19-point, 7.5-rebound-a-game freshman whose ankle injury, the school says, will not keep him out of March Madness.

    Bracket gives Pitino and St. John’s a long and interesting road

    Elsewhere in the bracket, coach Rick Pitino leads his unprecedented sixth program into the tournament, and what a road he would have to take to get to the Final Four.

    First, he will travel to Providence, the same building where the coach led the Friars to a surprise Final Four trip back in 1987, to lead St. John’s in a first-round game against Omaha. Pitino’s second game could come against Arkansas and John Calipari in what would be a titanic matchup between two of the game’s biggest coaching names

    Another coaching icon, Tom Izzo, leads Michigan State to its 27th straight tournament. The Spartans are seeded second and will face America East champion Bryant in its opener.

    And Gonzaga is in for the 26th time, though extending its streak of making the second weekend to 10 years will be tough. The Bulldogs, after an “off” year in which they still won the West Coast Conference, are seeded eighth and could face Houston in the second round.

    SEC regular season repeat in store?

    The biggest quirks in this year’s bracket all involved the SEC:

    –There are three potential second-round games between SEC teams – the sort of matchups the committee is asked to avoid, but that became inevitable with 14 of its teams in the bracket.

    –The SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 captured 42.5% of the spots, which leads to questions about whether the tournament really needs to expand to bring even more big-school teams into the mix. Then again, Cunningham said had this been a 76-team tournament, West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio State would have made the cut.

    –And now that the SEC has officially established itself as a hoops conference comes the question of whether the league can capture its first national title since 2012 when Kentucky won it all.

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    Associated Press

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  • Clayton scores 22 as Florida beats Alabama in SEC semifinal

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 points, and No. 4 Florida pulled away from No. 5 Alabama for a 104-82 victory in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

    Alijah Martin and Will Richard each had 16 points for the Gators (29-4) in their fifth consecutive win.

    Next up for Florida is Sunday’s SEC championship game against No. 8 Tennessee, which beat No. 3 Auburn 70-65 in the first semifinal.

    The second-seeded Gators led the Crimson Tide 47-45 after a first half that featured 10 lead changes. But Clayton and company really turned up their play down the stretch.

    Chris Youngblood had 14 points for third-seeded Alabama (25-8). Clifford Omoruyi and Mouhamed Dioubate each had 12.

    Clayton went 6 for 11 from 3-point range. The senior guard added six assists.

    Takeaways

    Alabama: The loss derailed the Crimson Tide’s hope of winning the program’s third SEC tournament title in the last five seasons. With 10 wins over AP Top 25 opponents this season, a program record for most in a single season, Alabama has a strong case for a good seed in the NCAA Tournament.

    Florida: The Gators were impressive in the defensive end, holding the high-scoring Crimson Tide to just 82 points. Entering Saturday, Alabama had scored 90 points or more in 18 games this season, the most in Division I.

    Key moment

    Richard hit a 3-pointer with 9:24 remaining in the second half to give Florida a 21-point lead and put the game out of reach for Alabama.

    Key stat

    After a tightly contested first half, Florida outscored the Crimson Tide 57-37 over the final 20 minutes.

    Up next

    Florida and Tennessee split the two-game season series, with both teams winning on their home courts. The Crimson Tide wait to learn the team’s first opponent in the NCAA tourney.

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    Associated Press

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  • UCF gets ousted from Big 12 Tournament with loss to Kansas in OT

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hunter Dickinson had 23 points and 13 rebounds, Zeke Mayo poured in 24 points, and sixth-seeded Kansas rallied to force overtime before holding off No. 14-seeded UCF 98-94 late Wednesday night in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.

    What You Need To Know

    • Kansas knocked UCF out of the Big 12 Tournament with a 98-94 victory in OT on Wednesday

    • Jordan Ivy-Curry forced overtime in the second half, but the Knights couldn’t score enough in the extra time

    • Keyshawn Hall led UCF in scoring with 25 points, and Hunter Dickinson had 23 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas

    • The Jayhawks play third-seeded Arizona in the third round.

    AJ Storr scored a season-high 19 points before fouling out in the closing seconds of OT, and KJ Adams had 15 points and seven boards for the Jayhawks (21-11), who narrowly avoided dropping their conference tournament opener for a second year in a row.

    Instead, they will face third-seeded Arizona on Thursday night in a rematch of a game Kansas won last weekend.

    Jordan Ivy-Curry pulled UCF to within 94-93 when he converted a three-point play with 18.2 seconds to go, and Mayo missed the second of two foul shots at the other end. But UCF big man Moustapha Thiam came up short on a jumper with a chance to tie the score, Kansas got the rebound and Dickinson made the second of two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining.

    The Knights’ Deebo Coleman was quickly fouled. He made the first foul shot with 0.9 second left to make it 96-94, but when he tried to intentionally miss the second to give his team a chance, Coleman failed to hit the rim and the Jayhawks got possession.

    David Coit was fouled and added two more free throws for the final margin.

    Keyshawn Hall led UCF (17-16) with 25 points. Darius Johnson had 22 before fouling out with a minute to go in regulation.

    The Jayhawks blew a 13-point second-half lead, then had to rally once UCF pulled ahead with 7 minutes to go. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, and Ivy-Curry’s 3-pointer tied the score at 83 with 14.1 seconds left in regulation.

    Kansas tried to set up a winning play, but Adams stepped on the baseline on his drive, giving the Knights a shot. Ivy-Curry raced up the floor and got a decent look from the wing, but his 3-pointer came up well short as time expired.

    Takeaways

    UCF came a long way from January, when it lost 99-48 to the Jayhawks at home. It had won four of its past six games.

    Kansas has gone with a shortened lineup late in the season, and it seems to be paying off for the Jayhawks.

    Key moment

    Thiam’s miss from about 6 feet along the baseline with a few seconds left in overtime would have tied the score.

    Key stats

    Three players fouled out of the game. Kansas guard Dajuan Harris also finished with five fouls.

    Up next

    The Jayhawks play Arizona on Thursday night. They beat the Wildcats 83-76 last Saturday.

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    Associated Press

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  • UCF men’s basketball faces rematch with Kansas on Wednesday on Big 12 Tournament

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The UCF men’s basketball team will take on sixth-seeded Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., at 9:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

    What You Need To Know

    • UCF will play Kansas at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament

    • The 14th-seeded Knights defeated the No. 11-seeded Utes 87-72 on Tuesday night 

    • Keyshawn Hall led UCF with 23 points, and Darius Johnson added 20 points

    • The Knights are trying to play their way into the NCAA Tournament

    The Knights advanced after Keyshawn Hall scored 23 points to lead four UCF players in double-figures scoring, and the No. 14-seeded Knights used a big run out of halftime to bury 11th-seeded Utah 87-72 in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.

    Darius Johnson added 20 points, Jordan Ivy-Curry had 15 and Moustapha Thiam finished with 14 for the Knights (17-15) as they try to play their way into the NCAA Tournament.

    Utah (16-16) opened the game with a 21-9 run, but the Knights slowly chipped away at the deficit, and Hall’s 3-pointer got them within 40-39 at halftime. He had six more points during a 24-3 run to start the second half, giving the Knights a 63-43 lead with just under 13 minutes to go that carried them to the finish.

    Keanu Dawes had 21 points to lead the Utes, who also lost to UCF on Feb. 23, the day before coach Craig Smith was fired.

    Josh Eilert, who led West Virginia at the Big 12 Tournament as an interim coach last year, did the same for the Utes on Tuesday night. The school already has announced the hiring of Alex Jensen, one of the stars of their 1998 Final Four team and an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, to be their new coach once the season has concluded.

    Takeaways

    UCF won thanks to some brilliant guard play, but its lack of production in the paint could be troublesome, especially with 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson and the rest of the Jayhawks waiting in the next round. The Knights lost both meetings with the Jayhawks in the regular season — 99-48 on Jan. 5 and 91-87 on Jan. 28.

    Utah simply couldn’t overcome its second-half start, which at one point included 10 consecutive missed field-goal attempts.

    Key moment

    Hall’s 3-pointer that sent UCF into halftime with all the momentum.

    Key stats

    Utah was 4 of 26 from beyond the 3-point arc.

    Up next

    The Knights play Kansas on Wednesday night. They lost to the Jayhawks twice in the regular season.

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • USF’s point guard brings a mother’s instinct to the court

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Everything you need to know about USF’s pint-sized point guard is in her first name.

    What You Need To Know

    • USF point guard Mama Dembele leads the AAC with 2.4 steals per game. She leads her team with 5.4 assists per game

    • Mama was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year

    • This tenacious point guard has the Bulls on track to do great things in the AAC tournament


    Mama Dembele sets a tone for the Bulls with her tenacious, relentless style of play. And just like her namesake, she’s a nurturer. She takes care of her team.

    “It don’t matter how big you are or how small you are, you really have to want it and sacrifice your body for the team,” she said. “I think that’s what really excites me cause then people can see that I really care about the team and I just want to set the tone from the beginning.”

    Mama is 5-foot, 6-inches of pure pride and determination. Born in the West African country of Mali and raised in Spain, she brings a unique perspective and concentrated vision to USF.

    Her American Athletic Conference leading 2.4 steals per game, coupled with her team-leading 5.4 assists per game have put the Bulls in position to make some noise at the conference tournament. Her performance this season earned her AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

    “Not a lot of times they reward little guards playing defense,” Mama said. “It’s more about the blocks and those numbers are more impressive, so of course I was really happy.”

    After transferring from Missouri, where she was the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year and SEC All-Defensive Player, Mama’s loosened up on the court. Her new home with the Bulls gave her freedom to really let her game speak for itself.

    “They just let me be myself,” she said. “They were like, we know you like to play defense, you like to gamble a little bit, go for the steals, so just go for it and we have your back.”

    And she’s got the Bulls’ back. And she’s got them on track to make a run at the AAC Tournament, just by being herself and playing her game.

    “Just going out there and giving my all, it might be steals, it might be deflections, I don’t really care,” Mama said. “That is something that I really take a lot of pride in.”

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    Katherine Smith

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  • Loucks returning to FSU to take over as Seminoles basketball coach

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Luke Loucks is returning to Florida State to take over as the coach of the Seminoles.

    Florida State announced the hire on Sunday. Loucks, 34, is replacing Leonard Hamilton, who is stepping down at the end of this season.

    What You Need To Know

    • Luke Loucks, 34, will be Florida State’s new men’s basketball coach

    • Coach Leonard Hamilton is stepping away at the end of this season

    • Loucks is a Clearwater native and played for Hamilton at FSU from 2008-12

    • He has been an assistant coach for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings since 2022

    A Clearwater native, Loucks played at Florida State from 2008-12. He averaged 7.1 points and 3.3 rebounds as a senior and was part of a Seminoles team that defeated Miami, Duke and North Carolina on consecutive days to win the ACC Tournament title in March 2012.

    Loucks had been an assistant coach for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings since 2022. He also has worked for the Golden State Warriors, helping the team win NBA titles in 2017 and 2018, and the Phoenix Suns.

    Loucks has not been a head coach at the college or NBA level. But his experience working with NBA coaches like Steve Kerr and Mike Brown, along with his knowledge of the challenges of Florida State’s job, made him an attractive candidate.

    “We will have a standard that we stick to on and off the court that will help build a championship-level culture,” Loucks said. “I am privileged to have seen firsthand what winning feels like at Florida State, and I am hungry for more.”

    After playing pro basketball for three seasons in Europe and one in the NBA’s developmental league, Loucks has focused on player development in his three NBA stops. In Sacramento, he was in charge of the Kings’ defense — an area that Hamilton prioritized during his 23 seasons as Florida State’s coach.

    “Luke was an exceptional Seminole player who played a key role in leading Florida State to its first ACC championship,” said Hamilton, 76. “I’m very proud to see him return as head coach of a program he helped elevate to such great heights.”

    Florida State (17-14, 8-12) is the No. 11 seed for the ACC tournament, playing on Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C.

    Athletic Director Michael Alford said the search included college coaches and assistant coaches with extensive experience. But administrators opted not to pay a significant buyout to a college coach and chose Loucks in a search that ramped up after Hamilton announced his plans on Feb. 3.

    “Luke will bring a unique combination of qualities to our program, and I’m excited to begin the next chapter of our basketball history under his leadership,” Alford said. “Throughout basketball at both the professional and collegiate levels, Luke has earned a reputation as one of the rising stars in coaching.”

     

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    Associated Press

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  • ACC, Clemson, FSU OK settlement to end legal fight, alter revenue distribution

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    The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Clemson and Florida State have approved a settlement that would end their legal fights, change the league’s revenue-distribution model and revise the long-term costs for a school to leave the conference.

    What You Need To Know

    • The ACC, FSU and Clemson on Tuesday formally approved a settlement that would end their legal fights



    • The agreement also changes the conference’s revenue-distribution model to generate more revenue for the league’s top programs



    • They also provided clarity on the ACC’s exit fee and grant-of-rights agreement that runs through 2036



    • The deal would allow a school to exit with its media rights after paying the exit fee, according to a presentation to Clemson’s trustees



    Trustees at Clemson and FSU both signed off on the deal in Tuesday meetings. That came shortly after the ACC’s Board of Directors — made up of university presidents and chancellors — gave its OK, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league and schools had not publicly addressed the settlement at the time.

    Most notably, the revenue-distribution model will now incorporate TV viewership as a way for the league’s top programs to generate more revenue. It also provides a clarity on the league’s exit fee and grant-of-rights agreement that runs through the ACC’s TV deal with ESPN through 2036.

    Specifically, a slideshow during a presentation to Clemson’s trustees reported the exit fee would be $165 million for the 2026 fiscal year, but it would descend by $18 million per year until leveling off around $75 million for the 2030-31 season. While a grant-of-rights agreement gives the league control of a school’s media rights, the deal would allow a school to exit with its media rights after paying the exit fee, according to that presentation.

    The agreement offers a measure of stability for the league in the coming years, though with the longer-term risk of teams potentially deciding to leave in the final years of the current media deal in a time of rapid changes to the college landscape.

    “At the end of the day, this innovative distribution model which further incentivizes performance and investment will help strengthen the ACC,” Clemson Athletic Director Graham Neff told trustees before the vote. “A strong ACC is good for Clemson. And a strong Clemson is good for the ACC.”

    The exit costs had been a key subject of FSU’s December 2023 lawsuit, filed as it sought to explore potential membership in other leagues, and Clemson’s March 2024 lawsuit. The ACC had conversely sued both schools.

    “I got hundreds of emails and text messages and phone calls from friends and people I didn’t know over the last 13 months encouraging us in this journey, and I’m proud of where we’ve landed,” FSU trustee and former Seminoles quarterback Drew Weatherford said during that meeting.

    “We made some commitments 14 months ago to make sure we could do everything in our power to compete at the highest level, and I think we’ve done that here.”

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    Associated Press

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