All articles tagged with #mens basketball
The Big Ten announced the opponents for all 18 member schools for the 2026-27 men's basketball season, confirming a 20-game conference schedule (three opponents at home and away, 14 single-play opponents), with game dates, times, and TV to be announced later.
Iowa State will participate in the 2026 Hall of Fame Classic at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, taking on Missouri State on Dec. 18 as part of a neutral-site doubleheader with Drake and Wichita State. It’s the programs’ first meeting, ISU has historical ties to KC (20-14 at the venue), and this event marks one of two neutral-site games for 2026-27. The Cyclones closed 2025-26 at 29-8, ranked No. 8 in the final AP Poll and reached the Sweet 16.
Florida’s Todd Golden reveals a rare, loyalty-driven resurgence: star forward Thomas Haugh opts to return for 2026-27 instead of entering the NBA lottery, joining fellow All-American Alex Condon who also will return; center Rueben Chinyelu is weighing an NBA evaluation. The trio, anchored by Golden’s culture and NIL support, gives UF a top-five nucleus and a real shot at an NCAA title next season, a standout example of players choosing college loyalty over early pro riches. The piece also notes SEC trivia that only one SEC player this season honored Senior Day with a full career at one school.
Florida All-America forward Thomas Haugh will return for his senior season, re-joining a UF squad that won the 2025-26 SEC title and features other returning starters. Haugh averaged 17.1 points per game as a junior (10.1 ppg over three seasons) and has 1,111 career points, earning second-team All-America honors from Sporting News and the NABC and third-team honors from AP/USBWA last year. Rueben Chinyelu is maintaining NBA Draft eligibility, and UF is promoting 2026-27 season-ticket deposits as part of their roster continuity.
Boston College announced Luke Murray as the school’s new Clement and Elizabeth Izzi Family Head Men’s Basketball Coach, highlighting his offensive acumen, recruiter reputation, and role in UConn’s national championships; Murray brings 10+ years of high-level coaching experience across programs such as Louisville, Xavier, Rhode Island, Towson and Wagner and is charged with restoring the Eagles to national prominence.
UNC announced a leadership change in its men's basketball program: head coach Hubert Davis will not return after five seasons. A national search for his replacement is underway, led by athletic director Bubba Cunningham and executive associate AD Steve Newmark (who will become AD on July 1), with Turnkey ZRG assisting and an advisory group of key stakeholders guiding the process. UNC will honor Davis’s contract. Davis, a former Tar Heel player and NBA veteran, helped UNC win a national title as an assistant in 2017 and became head coach in 2021.
Providence College announced Bryan Hodgson as the 17th head coach of the Friars men's basketball program, arriving from USF where he led the Bulls to a 25-9 season, captured the American Conference regular-season and conference tournament titles, and earned Coach of the Year honors. Hodgson previously built Arkansas State into a competitive program and has prior success as an Alabama and Buffalo assistant, with a reputation for analytics-driven recruiting. He will be formally introduced at a March 24 press conference in Mullaney Gym as Providence aims to return to championships and NCAA Tournament contention.
Longtime Nebraska radio voice Kent Pavelka recalls calling the Huskers’ first NCAA tournament win in the World-Herald’s Husker Legends series, sharing behind-the-scenes thoughts on the final seconds and previewing Nebraska’s matchup with Troy, with video of the interview.
UNC Charlotte announced that head coach Aaron Fearne will not return and a national search for a new head coach is underway, with athletics director Kevin White and Chancellor Sharon Gaber emphasizing continued investment and high expectations for the program.
Nebraska earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament's South Region (26-6) and will play No. 13 Troy in Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center on Thursday, March 19 at 11:40 a.m. CT (truTV). The Huskers, coached by Big Ten Coach of the Year Fred Hoiberg, tied school records with 26 wins and finished second in the conference (15-5). Key players include Pryce Sandfort (17.8 PPG), Rienk Mast (13.5 PPG), Braden Frager, Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence, as NU pursues its ninth NCAA appearance; the winner of NU/Troy advances to face Vanderbilt or McNeese.
Allen Greene confirms Jeff Capel will remain head coach and outlines a modernization plan focused on roster maturity, stronger talent evaluation and transfer portal use, plus expanded NIL opportunities and community-backed support to compete for championships.
Clemson held off North Carolina 80-79 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals as the Tigers hit 49.1% and got six players in double figures, while UNC’s bench was outscored 29-5. Henri Veesaar posted a career-high 28 points and 17 rebounds for UNC, but the Heels couldn’t sustain offense or stops late, trimming a 15-point deficit to 1 before Jarin Stevenson’s 75-foot heave fell short; UNC now awaits the NCAA tournament pairings.
Duke outshot North Carolina by 16 and dominated the glass in a 76-61 win, while UNC struggled to generate offense, mustering just four free throws to Duke’s 15 and turning the ball over 14 times. UNC was outrebounded by 13 and gave up 18 offensive rebounds, helping Duke build a 24-4 edge in points off turnovers. The result underscored UNC’s ball-handling and energy gaps, which Duke exploited with second-chance opportunities and relentless hustle, a performance Hubert Davis lamented after the game.
Duke closed the game with a 16-0 run in the second half and a larger 24-2 burst overall, turning 24 UNC turnovers into 24 points and defeating North Carolina 76-61. Maliq Brown anchored Duke with five steals and 15 points, while UNC's Derek Dixon poured in a career-high 17 on five 3-pointers but Duke dominated on the boards 42-29 and wore down the Tar Heels. UNC finishes the regular season 24-7, 12-6; Duke honors its seniors and advances toward the ACC Tournament, with a likely quarterfinal vs Clemson in Charlotte around 9:30 p.m.
UNC freshman forward Caleb Wilson broke his right thumb in a non-contact practice drill on March 5, will require surgery and is out for the rest of the season. He previously broke a bone in his left hand in February and had been nearing a return. Wilson was Carolina's leading scorer (19.8 ppg) and rebounder (9.4 rpg). The Tar Heels, 24-6 (12-5 ACC), had clinched a double-bye in the ACC Tournament and were set to play Duke next.