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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Brett Friedlander |Drew Blouin |Justin Perri |Mike Barber
For Auriemma, in many ways it did feel like ancient history, but after 40 years of coaching, those titles – the last coming in 2016 – were also fresh in his mind. Auriemma often finds himself going in two directions. It’s why he feels guilt about the title games his Huskies didn’t win. Auriemma constantly thinks about the coaching decisions that led to the losses. If he had just gone the other way, there might be a few more titles to add to the program’s legacy.
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Brett Friedlander |Drew Blouin |Justin Perri |Mike Barber
Let’s get to it. Line: Florida -1 , Over/Under: 141 The Bet: $25 on Houston +1 -110. Houston’s defensive profile stands out immediately with an elite adjusted defensive efficiency rating that should neutralize Florida’s vaunted offensive attack just as it did Duke’s when it mattered most.
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Brett Friedlander |Drew Blouin |Justin Perri |Mike Barber
Their teams play very contrasting styles, presenting a compelling matchup. Florida ranks second in adjusted offensive efficiency; Houston ranks first in adjusted defensive efficiency (per KenPom). Florida averages 85.4 points per game, the third most in Division I; Houston has held opponents to just 58.5 points per game, which leads the nation. The outcome may very well be determined by which team controls the pace.
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Brett Friedlander |Drew Blouin |Justin Perri |Mike Barber
It was the kind of discrimination that held many young people of that era down and forced them to accept a life’s path that rarely wandered past the boundaries of rural Robeson County. But Sampson wasn’t among them.
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Brett Friedlander |Riley Frain |Justin Perri
SAN ANTONIO — “7 KILLS.” That was the only thing written on the whiteboard in Florida’s locker room after the Gators’ 79-73 national semifinal win over Auburn on Saturday at the Alamodome. The Gators face Houston on Monday night with a chance to claim their third championship in program history. In Florida’s dictionary, a “kill” is defined as three consecutive defensive stops. Each game, the team’s goal is seven kills.
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Brett Friedlander |Riley Frain |Justin Perri
Bueckers doesn’t have to do these things. But she does. She always does. “She cares so much for the people around her that sometimes she forgets about herself,” 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman center Jana El Alfy said Saturday during a media availability before Sunday’s UConn-South Carolina national championship game. Bueckers has been in the spotlight since high school, when she was the country’s No. 1 recruit coming out of Hopkins (Minn.) High, in the Minneapolis suburbs.
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Brett Friedlander |Riley Frain |Justin Perri
RJ Luis Jr., 6-foot-7 junior guard, Saint John’sWhen Rick Pitino made the decision to bench Luis, his leading-scorer, with time winding down in the Johnnie’s second round loss to Arkansas, he sent shockwaves through the nation. Sure, Luis finished that game 3-17 from the field, but people still wondered: How could a coach bench his star in the closing minutes? How would Luis react?
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Brett Friedlander |Riley Frain |Justin Perri
Bueckers knows better. “We haven’t watched film yet,” she said with a laugh. Throughout the game, Fudd felt like things were really clicking. But when Auriemma praised them in the postgame, her eyes widened. “I thought we played really well, but not perfectly. So when he said that I was like, ‘Is he feeling okay?’” Fudd said with a laugh. “But it was a great game. We really executed our scout and made it difficult for them. So I’m really proud.” The Huskies have done something rare this season.
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Brett Friedlander |Riley Frain |Justin Perri
On the court against Texas on Friday at Amalie Arena, Edwards, a 6-foot-3 freshman forward, was true to her word. There were defenders, but they didn’t matter. She euro-stepped around them and finished with ease. She is a reserve, but as soon as Edwards checked in, she was the best player on the court. It’s just her and the basketball, and they make one hell of a pair. “There’s something about her confidence and her aura,” South Carolina 5-foot-9 senior guard Te-Hina Paopao said.
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1 month ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Riley Frain |Justin Perri
Iowa 6-foot-6 junior guard Josh Dix averaged career-highs of 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists this season. After entering the portal following the departure of coach Fran McCaffery, Dix had interest from Alabama, Auburn, Louisville, Michigan State and Tennessee before committing to Creighton on Friday. Dix is from Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is right across the Missouri River from Omaha, where Creighton is located.
