Weekend sneak peek: The last games of the regular season to
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Myron Medcalf, ESPN Personnel WriterMar 8, 2024, 09:00 AM ET Close Covers college basketball
- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato
After Caitlin Clark broke Pistol Pete Maravich’s career scoring record March 3, a conversation about the state of the men’s game commenced on social networks. It’s no secret Clark is among the most significant basketball stars in the nation right now, at any level, professional or amateur. However some of the supporters of the males’s game felt the need to promote its biggest stars throughout that discussion and supporter for its leading storylines.Yes, there are extraordinary stories in guys’s college basketball. Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham are an incredible freshman duo that could lead Kentucky to the Final Four. The very best player in America may be a young man who moved to Tennessee from Northern Colorado( Dalton Knecht)of all places. UConn is chasing after back-to-back national championships. And we even have a 7-foot-4 star who could record the Wood Award( Zach Edey). Again.For years, however, some of the top stars in the ladies’s game did not
receive the attention they should have– the attention they are enjoying this season. Equally important, the women’s game has invested decades facing contrasts to the males’s. But the moment a generational super star arrives and ends up being a home name, a bunch of advocates for males’s college basketball get their sensations hurt? Nonsense.Clark and her peers have actually earned this moment. They have a wonderful game and a multitude of reasons to view. Dawn Staley coaches South Carolina every night like her task is on the line. Cameron Edge is a double-double device for Stanford. Half of UConn’s team is injured but Paige Bueckers is carrying the load. Kim Mulkey, her jackets, Angel Reese and LSU will be in the mix in the NCAA competition, too. And Clark might assist females’s college basketball shatter every attendance and viewership record in NCAA tournament history.As the postseason techniques, let’s hope the males’s game can follow the females’s lead.All chances from ESPN Bet.
Saturday,
4 p.m. ET, ESPN Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Last month, Kansas ran Houston out of Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks led by 15 at halftime as the Cougars looked susceptible. After the game, a discussion about Houston’s capability to compete versus the top groups in the nation commenced. However a lot has actually altered ever since. The Cougars have not lost a game, and they’re the No. 1 team in America in the AP survey and every respectable metric. Jamal Shead is playing like an All-American. They’ve also committed turnovers on less than 12% of their belongings. Plus, they’re top-10 in adjusted offensive and defensive effectiveness in that stretch.Kansas? Well, Costs Self’s squad is 4-4 in its previous eight games and 2-6 on the road in league play. Kevin McCullar Jr.’s knee injury and limited accessibility have contributed in that slide, however he’s back and ready to direct his team in the NCAA competition. Kansas is healthy once again and, regardless of its restricted depth, a higher threat to its future opponents.Medcalf’s pick: Houston, 72-69; Versus the spread: Not available sometimes of publication Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS Kentucky freshman Rob Dillingham just recently transferred to No. 3 in ESPN’s 2024 mock draft. His teammate Reed Sheppard leapt to No. 5. They weren’t the only climbers. Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht has likewise declared a spot in the leading 15, which suggests the NBA scouts and executives will certainly travel to Knoxville to enjoy this game.Champ Week 2024 Get basketball tournament action: 425-plus games throughout 26 conferences streaming on ESPN+, consisting of the AAC, Big 12, and West Coast Conference. Male’s|Women’s – Watch: ESPN+offer for hoops fans – Bracketology: Women’s|Male’s – Bubble Watch|Tournament Challenge The stakes matter, to a degree. The SEC title
race is a wrap– Tennessee clinched the regular-season title outright with its victory Wednesday
night over South Carolina– and both groups are locked into high seeds in the NCAA tournament.For the Wildcats, defeating the Vols, who appear like a Last Four team, would enhance their self-confidence. It might be a difficulty: They got in the week connecting on 57.5%of their shots inside the arc and 42.3% of their 3-point efforts given that their very first conference in Rupp Arena previously in the season. But that was a game in which they gave up 103 points, and their defense is still a work in progress.Medcalf’s choice: Tennessee, 85-82; Against the spread: Unavailable at time of publication < img alt="" src ="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/150.png&w=110&h=110"
width=”50 “/ > Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN This is among the greatest rivalries in sports. With
Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski gone, it
has actually entered a brand-new stage under Hubert Davis and Jon Scheyer at North Carolina and Duke, respectively. With a success Saturday, Scheyer would have a 3-1 edge over Davis in the series.Men’s Tournament Obstacle Complete your bracket by choosing the winner for each game of the 2024 males’s NCAA competition. Play Guys’s Tournament Challenge
Although Duke lost the very first match between the 2 groups this season, it has actually ranked as the No. 3 team in America because that night, per barttorvik.com, with top-25 marks in adjusted offensive and protective efficiency. Duke has likewise discovered balance: 4 different players have actually led the Blue Devils in scoring in the past five weeks.Meanwhile, UNC’s
offense(39th because that game )has actually struggled to sustain its earlier success. Harrison Ingram, who completed 5-for-9 from the 3-point line in the first conference, is 11-for-38(29 %) from beyond the arc given that Feb. 3. Duke would share the ACC crown with UNC with a win. North Carolina would win the title outright with a victory. Get your popcorn ready.Medcalf’s pick: Duke, 83-81; Versus the spread: Not available at time of publication Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN Top stories of the week from Get exclusive access to thousands of premium short articles a year from top writers. – Ranking the top 100 NFL free representatives “- NHL trade rankings: Players on the relocation”- How ESPN 300 DBs fit at their schools”More ESPN+ content “
If” Power 5″conferences are specified by number of NCAA competition groups they produce, the Mountain West
has actually made its case for the name this season. Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology had 6 slots for the Mountain West, more than the ACC or Big East. It’s as lots of bids as the Pac-12, American and WCC– combined.And that number might alter depending upon what happens in this match. New Mexico has invested the week in the “last four in”classification, though beating Utah State– which can seal the Mountain West crown with a win here and increase Danny Sprinkle’s chances in the nationwide coach of the year race– would be substantial. Because Feb. 1, Richard Pitino’s group is ranked 122nd in adjusted defensive performance. Still, Nelly Junior Joseph(26 points )might constantly step up, like he did when he led the Lobos to a 99-86 win in the first match between these two teams in January. If he does, he could solidify his team’s at-large hopes.Medcalf’s choice: Utah State, 82-78; Versus the spread: Unavailable at time of publication SEASON overalls Medcalf’s choices straight up: 37-26 Against the spread: 32-31