NORTH AUGUSTA, SC — As LeBron James sat on a folding chair in the corner of a recreation-center basketball court last week, he often appeared to be in a state of agitation. There was James, edging onto the court repeatedly to check the scoreboard and the clock above him. Or chomping on an apple and … Read more
LAS VEGAS – Few could have foreseen Xavier Booker, who as a sophomore barely got off his high school team’s bench, in his current position: being scrutinized by NBA scouts and recruited by Kansas, Kentucky, Gonzaga, Duke, Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana and a cadre of others. Then again, who wouldn’t fancy a 6-foot-11 left-hander who … Read more
When the Orlando Magic hand their draft card to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, on Thursday night at Barclays Center, they’ll settle a debate that has raged in draft circles for the better part of a year: Who should be the No. 1 pick? The front-runner is Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, a rail-thin but nail-tough seven-footer who … Read more
If this year’s NCAA basketball tournaments look a little bigger – a little older – your eyes are not deceiving you. Call it a silver lining of the pandemic. Before the pandemic intervened, college students had five years to complete four seasons of play. For various reasons – among them injuries, one-time transfers or competition … Read more
Jay Wright’s storied run at Villanova has come to an end. In announcing his retirement Wednesday after 21 seasons at Villanova, Wright, 60, leaves men’s college basketball at a relatively young age and at the top of his profession. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last year. He has won two … Read more
Lennie Rosenbluth, the All-America forward who led a North Carolina team with a starting lineup of New Yorkers to an unbeaten season and a thrilling victory over Wilt Chamberlain’s Kansas squad in the 1957 NCAA basketball tournament championship game, died on Saturday. He was 89. His death was announced by North Carolina’s athletic department, which … Read more
NEW ORLEANS – After coaching the final game of his storied career, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and his wife, Mickie, climbed into a golf cart in a hallway near the Superdome’s press room late Saturday night. The Blue Devils’ season had just come to a sudden and dramatic end after their 81-77 loss to North Carolina, … Read more
NEW ORLEANS – After coaching the final game of his storied career, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and his wife, Mickie, climbed into a golf cart in a hallway near the Superdome’s press room late Saturday night. The Blue Devils’ season had just come to a sudden and dramatic end after their 81-77 loss to North Carolina, … Read more
NEW ORLEANS – David McCormack and his Kansas teammates were trailing by 15 points at halftime of the national championship game, but he was smiling just the same. “They thought I was crazy,” McCormack said in a television interview. He told his teammates: “Just come out here, have fun and do what we were born … Read more
NEW ORLEANS – After the final buzzer, as he made his way across the court, the Kansas transfer guard Remy Martin stared triumphantly at the Jayhawks fans who were pressing against the Superdome’s railings to get as close as they could to him. “Rem-y! Rem-y! ” they chanted. They had screamed his name when he … Read more