As Robert Morris prepared to face Alabama basketball to begin the NCAA Tournament, Colonial guard Kam Woods, a native of the Yellowhammer state, was asked about UA’s Mark Sears during a press conference on Thursday. Woods was largely complimentary, but stressed that Sears is “human” and expressed confidence in his No. 15-seeded team.

“We’re just looking forward to the matchup,” Woods said. “It’s a matchup that a lot of mid-majors in the country want, so we’re just taking it as a regular game, no matter the impact on the names.”

Alabama must have heard. Robert Morris scared the Crimson Tide, even taking a second-half lead. Still, UA won and advanced to the second round, where it will play Saint Mary’s on Sunday.

After the game, Crimson Tide forward Mo Dioubate recalled the comments, and said the game featured plenty of conversations on the court.

“I love it, I love that energy,” Dioubate said. “The other team, they started getting a little chirpy. We responded. We did a little talking too, but we responded on the court. They said, prior to the game, they was looking for a matchup like this all year. We gave their ass what they wanted. So we love it. We love that energy man. We’re gonna always respond the right way.”

Dioubate finished the game with 18 points. He also led the Crimson Tide in rebounds, with 10.

He said the trash talk on the court is one of the things he enjoys about playing basketball.

“I’m from New York City, so I love that kind of energy sometimes,” Dioubate said. “It’s necessary for the game, to bring fun into it. Make guys play harder. So they were doing a lot of talking man, and we just responded man. We don’t care who you are, what team you is, what ranking. If you’re a good team, bad team, it don’t matter. We’re gonna bring the same energy to anybody.”

Next up, Alabama faces Saint Mary’s. The Crimson Tide and Gaels will face off Sunday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The wife of former Minnesota

Eichorn’s wife files for divorce

What we know:

On Monday, Eichorn’s wife filed a petition for dissolution of marriage in Itasca County Court.

What’s next:

After initially being granted release, Eichorn is now set to return to court on at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday for a new detention hearing.

Prosecutors are requesting the new hearing after they say Eichorn attempted to prevent a laptop from being examined by authorities. The hearing is set for Wednesday morning in federal court.

Authorities are still working to examine the laptop found at Eichorn’s apartment. It’s unclear if there is anything of evidentiary value on the computer.

Justin Eichorn has filed for divorce, after the resigned lawmaker was arrested last week, accused of trying to hire a teen prostitute.

MN senator arrested

The backstory:

Senator Justin Eichorn was arrested last week after Bloomington police say he was caught in a prostitution sting targeting people looking for minors.

Police said Eichorn was texting with an undercover officer posing as a 17-year-old girl. After negotiating the price and terms of the encounter, police say they arrested Eichorn when he showed up for the meet-up. Police said he had cash, condoms, and two cell phones in his truck.

Days after the arrest, following pressure from both sides of the aisle, Eichorn resigned from the Minnesota Senate.

Bloomington police arrested eight other people in the same sting.

Dig deeper:

Eichorn was initially charged in state court, but the case has now been moved to federal court, where he faces charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

The former senator was initially allowed release from jail to a halfway home on the condition he allowed GPS monitoring.

Eichorn’s wife files for divorce

What we know:

On Monday, Eichorn’s wife filed a petition for dissolution of marriage in Itasca County Court.

What’s next:

After initially being granted release, Eichorn is now set to return to court on at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday for a new detention hearing.

Prosecutors are requesting the new hearing after they say Eichorn attempted to prevent a laptop from being examined by authorities. The hearing is set for Wednesday morning in federal court.

Authorities are still working to examine the laptop found at Eichorn’s apartment. It’s unclear if there is anything of evidentiary value on the computer.

The 2025 NCAA Tournament was chalk-heavy over the first two rounds, and while the lack of major upsets limited the madness, it also set up mouth-watering matchups for the Sweet 16 and beyond. Each of the remaining teams in the March Madness bracket hails from the high-major ranks, and in turn, most of the sport’s biggest stars remain in search of the national championship. From National Player of the Year frontrunners Cooper Flagg and Johni Broome to the best weapons the Big Ten and Big 12 have to offer, there is no shortage of big names in the field.

The road to the national championship runs through many of the top NBA Draft prospects, and the amount of high-end talent that will be on display in each of the ensuing rounds over the next two weeks is a treat to the college basketball world.

Whichever team cuts nets in San Antonio is almost guaranteed to feature one of the nation’s top players considering the amount of Power Five talent left standing.

Broome was a bucket away from logging two double-doubles in the first two rounds. They were not the most efficient performances of Broome’s electric season, but they were strong enough to lead Auburn to consecutive wins by at least 12 points. The do-it-all forward is capable of popping off for an unstoppable performance on any given day, and that might be what it takes for the Tigers to fully return to their overwhelming form and become the second No. 1 overall seed in as many years to win the national championship.

There might not be a better guard in the country than Walter Clayton Jr., who paced Florida with exactly 23 points in each of the first two rounds and hit the dagger on Sunday to fend off upset-minded UConn. His icy 3-pointer to separate from the Huskies made him 9-for-17 from downtown in the tournament and extended his run as the Gators’ leading scorer in each of the last six games. His hot streak coincides with Florida reaching another level and looking more and more like a national title frontrunner.

Freshman guard Travis Perry was absent from the Kentucky Wildcats’ rotation in the 84-75 win over Illinois in the Round of 32 as he continues to nurse a wrist injury.

Head coach Mark Pope addressed Perry’s status following the victory, expressing optimism about his availability moving forward.

“Travis Perry is still nursing this wrist (injury),” Pope said on the postgame radio show. “But he’s gonna be huge for us next weekend.”

Perry was spotted with a bandage on his right wrist during Kentucky’s open practice at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum last Thursday, one day before the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament opener against Troy. Despite the visible wrap, the Lyon County product downplayed concerns, insisting he was ready to play, so that seemed like the end of the story.

Perry logged seven minutes in Kentucky’s win over Troy but went scoreless, missing both of his 3-point attempts. Against Illinois, he did not see the floor, though his absence may have been influenced by matchups rather than injury concerns.

Kentucky will need all hands on deck in its Sweet 16 showdown against No. 2 Tennessee this Friday in Indianapolis. Perry has already faced the Volunteers twice this season, seeing limited action in the first meeting but making an impact in the second, scoring eight points on 2/3 shooting from beyond the arc in 12 minutes. He helped close the game out after Lamont Butler left with 8:40 remaining due to injury.

If he’s healthy, Perry could provide valuable depth and perimeter shooting as the Wildcats look to continue their NCAA Tournament run and make the Elite Eight.

The Duke head coach has a special bond with the Australian.

1-seed Duke basketball cruised past 9-seed Baylor 89-66 last night to advance to the program’s second straight Sweet Sixteen. The Blue Devils will face 4-seed Arizona at 9:39pm ET on CBS this Thursday.

Junior guard Tyrese Proctor has led the way for the Blue Devils and been the best player in the entire NCAA Tournament through the first two rounds. Against the Bears, Proctor put up a game-high 25 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 shooting from three-point range.

The No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils are in the Sweet 16 after defeating No. 9 Baylor, 89-66, on Sunday.

Duke will face No. 4 Arizona on Thursday night in Newark, New Jersey. On Sunday, the tip times were announced for the Sweet 16, and Duke-Arizona is slated to start at 9:39 pm ET.

The final game of the night on Thursday is Arkansas-Texas Tech at 10:09 pm ET, although that game is taking place in San Francisco.

But Duke-Arizona tipping off at 9:39 pm ET is not good news for the Duke fans. BYU and Alabama play the first game in Newark at 7:09 pm ET on Thursday, which means the Duke-Arizona game could start even later than the projected time.

After the announcement came out, Duke fans were not too happy with the late tip time.

“Why 10:09pm tip on Thursday,” one fan asked. “Of course we get the late game smh,” another Duke fan wrote. “We HAVE to fix these tip off times for next year.

The round of 32 was bad enough with 4 games starting after 8pm, but to have sweet 16 games starting at 10pm on a Thursday??? What are we thinking??” said another.

“Duke game is going to end after midnight local time. I’m sick,” another said.

“Duke is playing on the East coast and the game is set to tip at 9:40, so more realistically 10 o’clock or later. Who at the @NCAA is in charge of these terrible start times?” said another. “Lateeeee night on Thursday,” another Duke fan wrote.

Another hoops fan had gripes about the Sweet 16 times in general.

“Hate the way they stagger the Sweet 16 times – 7:09/7:39/9:39/10:09 I get they want to abandon the daytime games after first weekend but make it 5/6:30/8/9:30 literally perfect balance of gap & small overlap.”

One Duke fan went the other way regarding the late tip, although it’s not a very common reaction.

“people griping about the late tip time for Duke. all I see is more time for every Duke alum in NY to make their way to Newark before tip.”

While the tip time is not ideal, Duke should be the favorite to defeat Arizona, especially with the way the Blue Devils have been playing to begin March Madness.

On Friday, March 21, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost their fourth consecutive game. After dominating the regular season for months, the Cavaliers have hit a patchy streak at arguably the most inopportune time.

When speaking to the media following Cleveland’s 112-123 loss to the Phoenix Suns, head coach Kenny Atkinson opted to remain positive.

“I turned positive. I thought our spirit and our energy, and our juice was better in the second half. I loved how our bench guys came in: Ty (Jerome), Sam Merrill and Dean (Wade). I thought (Javonte Green) gave us some good minutes,” Atkinson said. “I told them we have a great team. I loved how we fought in the second half. A little adversity, probably a good thing at this point in the season.”

“That’s part of my job: Understanding the context, where we are in the season, what we want to accomplish, knowing our guys,” Atkinson said. “Sometimes, it’s not that way, you get on them.”

While losing four straight games is far from ideal, there’s no reason to believe the Cavaliers are in crisis. Not yet, at least.

During his postgame news conference following the Cavaliers’ 119-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 19, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell admitted that he’s enjoying the Cavaliers’ recent slide.

“I’m trying to refrain from using the word happy,” Mitchell said. “I’m kind of a sicko, so I enjoy this. This is what makes the season fun — going through adversity.”

A tough stretch like this is essential for building resilience within the roster. Adversity is almost guaranteed during the postseason, whether that’s during one game or throughout a series. As such, Mitchell is right to embrace the Cavaliers’ difficult period, as there will certainly be more to come.

Chloe Kitts and Collin Murray-Boyles are proving to be a powerhouse couple in the world of college basketball.

Kitts, a key player for the South Carolina Gamecocks, played an instrumental role in their undefeated 2023-2024 championship season. She also won gold medals with the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup Team and the 2022 FIBA U18 AmeriCup squad.

On the men’s side, Murray-Boyles was an instant contributor as a rookie for the Gamecocks, making the SEC All-Freshman Team and guiding his team to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2017.

While their on-court performances have captivated fans, their relationship off the court is equally compelling. Kitts is Murray-Boyles’ biggest supporter, frequently hyping him up on social media and celebrating his successes, while he has reciprocated her energy with a sweet shout-out on National Girlfriend Day.

Though they keep much of their romance private, their public moments — like Kitts’ viral “That’s my man” moment — have only added to their growing reputation as college basketball’s latest dynamic duo.

From their TikTok dance trends to their mutual support of each other, here’s a look at Chloe Kitts and Collin Murray-Boyles’ relationship.

After months of speculation about the nature of their relationship, the couple confirmed they were dating in April 2024.

Kitts posted a clip on her Instagram Stories featuring herself and Murray-Boyles as they headed to the South Carolina Gamecocks annual gala. The athletic pair were all smiles in a car as they made their way to the ceremony.

“My love,” Kitts captioned the video and tagged the power forward.

Shortly after, they dished on their respective outfits while on the red carpet, admiring each other’s looks.

“[I] just got this for the team,” Murray-Boyles explained. “It’s just a simple grey outfit, you know, nothing too popping.”

“My dress is from the mall, and we have matching chains,” added Kitts.

“Looks fantastic, by the way,” Murray-Boyles chimed in.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – The South Carolina women’s basketball team is set to receive an exciting send-off before their highly-anticipated tournament rematch against Indiana.

The sendoff will take place tomorrow before the game at the Marriot Hotel on Hampton Street at 12:45 Sunday afternoon. WIS will be streaming the send-off on this article, so be sure to check it out!

After the sendoff, the Gamecocks head to Colonial Life to tipoff against the Hoosiers at 3 p.m. The game will air on ABC.

Read More:

Dawn Staley Wore This Iced Out Gift From Plies—& Then South Carolina Made History

Plies gifted South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley a dazzling custom chain that seemingly brought the team good fortune.

The Gamecocks crushed Tennessee Tech by 60 points in the NCAA Tournament opener on Friday (March 21).

Before the game, the Hip-Hop artist and devoted Gamecocks supporter surprised head Staley with a sparkling, gem-encrusted necklace modeled after the NCAA championship trophy.

The extravagant pendant prominently features the years South Carolina clinched national titles—2017, 2022 and 2024—topped off with a glittering basketball.

On the reverse side, a heartfelt inscription reads: “Dawn Staley / ‘God is within her she will not fail! Psalm 46:50.’”

Staley proudly sported the flashy accessory courtside as her squad dominated Tennessee Tech, setting a new school scoring record in the process.

The Gamecocks’ 108-48 victory marked the largest margin of victory in the program’s NCAA Tournament history, surpassing their previous record—a 58-point win over Howard in 2022.

Staley expressed gratitude to Plies on social media.

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma’s current winning streak is 30 games. The four-time defending national champions carried over a win against Florida and two victories over Texas in winning last season’s Women’s College World Series.

• The Sooners rank first in the SEC in slugging percentage (.664), second in on-base percentage (.480) and home runs (54), third in runs scored (236), fourth in opponents’ batting average (.191) and fifth in earned-run average (1.94) and stolen bases (45).

• Sooner freshman shortstop Gabbie Garcia has a 13-game hitting streak and has hit seven home runs in her last 11 games. She leads the team with nine home runs.

• OU is 10-0 in away games this season and 68-6 away from home over the last five seasons.

Missouri

• The only major offensive category in which Missouri ranks in the top five in the SEC is plate appearances. Notably, the Tigers rank 15th out of 16 SEC teams in batting average (.293) and on-base percentage (.391).
• • Senior catcher Julie Crenshaw is Missouri’s leading hitter with a .374 batting average. Sophomore infielder Madison Walker brings the power with a team-best 12 home runs, tied for eighth-best nationally, and 33 runs batted in. Walker is riding an eight-game hitting streak.
  • The Tigers are a perfect 6-0 at home this season.
  • Missouri last played a No. 1 team in 2015, hosting the top-ranked Florida Gators. Mizzou lost the first two games in the series by a combined four runs but avoided the sweep with a 3-2 win in the series finale.