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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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.
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2 weeks ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Brett Friedlander |Riley Frain |Justin Perri
Asked where Flagg ranks among the best freshmen he has seen the last half-century, Anthony’s former coach, Jim Boeheim, quickly digested the question while standing on the Alamodome court — and didn’t hesitate. “He’s as good as any freshman I’ve seen,” Boeheim told Hoops HQ, before shrugging off any notion that Flagg needs a national title for his legacy. “Then Ernie Banks wasn’t a great player?
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2 weeks ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Riley Frain |Justin Perri |Aaron Bracy
SAN ANTONIO – The stage here at the Final Four is the biggest in college basketball. When he steps foot on the Alamodome court, however, the chip on Johni Broome’s shoulder likely will be even bigger. Auburn’s 6-foot-10 senior forward has been overlooked his entire life. Barely recruited out of high school, Broome started his career at Morehead State, which competes in the Ohio Valley Conference.
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2 weeks ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Riley Frain |Justin Perri |Alex Squadron
It was a massive bet on himself, but Clayton’s mind was made up. He was much happier on the court than on the gridiron. He had informed his mom, Cherie Quarg, of his decision following his sophomore year and the two had made a trip to IMG Academy in the hopes that Clayton could join its esteemed basketball program to get better exposure. After a long tour of the campus, it became clear that the school was more interested in Clayton for a football scholarship.
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2 weeks ago | 
hoopshq.com | Drew Blouin |Riley Frain |Justin Perri |Seth Davis
That was very much in evidence over the course of the Big 12 season, when Uzan averaged 11.6 points and 4.4 assists (to just 1.4 turnovers) while making a career-best 44.5 percent from three-point range (up from 29.6 percent last season). And it has been especially apparent during the NCAA Tournament, which is a big reason why the Cougars are back in the Final Four, where they will face Duke tonight at approximately 8:49 p.m. ET on CBS.
