Purdue's Edey again AP Player of the Year
The child who wanted Zach Edey's autograph during his Purdue recruiting trip apparently saw something others missed.
Big Maple was destined to be a basketball star.
While many college coaches passed on the unpolished Canadian prospect as the basketball world became enamored with perimeter play and 3-point shooting, Purdue coach Matt Painter took a swing on his third center in the recruiting class and found a gem who led the Boilermakers to their first Final Four since 1980.
On Friday, Edey collected his second Associated Press Player of the Year award, becoming the first backto-back winner since Ralph Sampson won three in a row at Virginia from 1981-83. Edey received 57 of 62 votes from journalists who vote in the weekly AP Top 25. Tennessee's Dalton Knecht received three votes and Houston's Jamal Shead got two.
Edey is the fifth player to win the award in consecutive seasons though Lew Alcindor also won the award twice in non-consecutive seasons.
“I get to pay him (coach Matt Painter) back. There were so many coaches that looked over me, like you could — name a program — I could name a coach that looked over me,” Edey said. “Tennessee, Rick Barnes is a great coach, but he was at our practice, looked over me. It's kind of been the story of my life. People have doubted me. People looked past me. Can't do that anymore.”
A dedicated work ethic and a fiery, steely-eyed determination has turned he 7-foot-4, 300-pound Edey from intriguing project into college basketball's biggest star. He heads into today's matchup against North Carolina State averaging 25.0 points and 12.2 rebounds for a second straight double-double. He also had 2.2 blocks while shooting 62.2% from the field this season, virtually willing the Boilermakers past Tennessee 72-66 in the regional final with a career-high 40 points and 16 rebounds.
• Also Friday, Houston Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson was named AP Coach of the Year.
Houston won the Big 12 regularseason title in its first year in the league, earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament for the second straight year and advanced through the opening weekend for the fifth time in a row.
The superlative season, which ended with a Sweet 16 loss to Duke, allowed Sampson to narrowly edge UConn's Dan Hurley for his second APs Coach of the Year award.
Sampson received 23 of 62 votes from the national panel that votes for the weekly AP Top 25; balloting closed before the start of the NCAA Tournament. Hurley, whose topseeded Huskies will play Alabama in the Final Four tonight as they chase a second consecutive national title, finished second with 21 votes.
Rivals Galaxy, LAFC set to square off at BMO Stadium
To a man, the Galaxy knew this season had to be better.
Last season, the Galaxy allowed a whopping 67 goals and finished in 13th place in the Western Conference. There really wasn't anywhere else to go this year but up.
That's what has happened through the first six games of the 2024 season, heading into the first city rivalry match against the Los Angeles Football Club today at 4:45 p.m. at BMO Stadium.
The Galaxy sits on top of the Western Conference standings (3-0-3, 12 points) and are tied for the MLS lead in points.
“Stronger mindset, just sticking to the plan and sticking in games even when a few things go against us,” Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado said. “Getting results makes everything better, changes the energy in the building, people are happier, walking around with a smile on their face, joking around for no reason, just getting results changes everything and makes a difference in everyone's attitude.”
LAFC is 2-3-1.
— Damian Calhoun
Purdue's Zach Edey is the first to repeat as AP Player of the Year since Ralph Sampson in the 1980s.
Bhatia stretches lead at Valero to five shots
Akshay Bhatia survived a rocky start Friday in the Valero Texas Open by rallying with a pair of late birdies for a 2-under 70 that stretched his lead to five shots and raised hopes of getting the final spot in the Masters next week.
Bhatia started with a three-shot lead and opened with a 15-foot birdie putt, perhaps a sign that this might be another easy day. Far from it.
He made bogey from the bunker on the next hole. He threeputted for bogey from long range. He failed to birdie the par 5s on the back nine. He no longer had the lead.
But the 22-year-old settled himself with birdies on the par 5s on the front nine at the TPC San Antonio, and a birdie on the par-3 eighth. Bhatia was at 11-under 133.
• Sergio Garcia decided to refurbish the putter he used 25 years ago when he was a rookie and played like it was 1999 on Friday. He was bogeyfree for a 5-under 67 to share the lead with Talor Gooch and Peter Uihlein in LIV Golf Miami.
Gooch had the lead until a bogey on his final hole, the par-4 second hole in the shotgun start. Uihlein dropped only one shot, at the par-4 18th, in his round of 67.
• Nelly Korda kept her hopes alive for a fourth consecutive LPGA Tour victory by shooting a 3-under 69 on Friday for a three-day total of 1-under par in the T-Mobile Match Play, putting her into the quarterfinals for the start of match play.
The top-ranked Korda, the sixth seed after three days of stroke play, will face third-seeded Angel Yin this morning. Leona Maguire captured the top seed with a 69 for a 6-under total. She she will meet Moriya Jutanugarn. No. 2 Minami Katsu will face No. 7 Narin An and No. 4 Rose Zhang will meet No. 5 Sei Young Kim.
UCLA's season ends in second round of NCAA regional
The 2024 season came to an end for No. 11 seed UCLA after a thirdplace finish at the NCAA regional second round. The Bruins recorded a 197.050 to finish behind first-place Denver (197.275) and second-place Arizona State (197.150), who each advanced to Sunday's regional final.
The Bruins (14-13) were in first place by a 0.325 margin after the first rotation before their lead began to slowly diminish with each passing rotation. UCLA scored in the low 49s on vault (49.150) and uneven bars (49.075) before closing with a 49.250 on balance beam that was not enough to stay in the Top 2.
UCLA had a strong start to its competition, scoring 49.575 on floor exercise in rotation one. The Bruins were led by a trio of 9.95 scorers – Brooklyn Moors, Nya Reed and Chae Campbell – with Reed and Campbell each earning a perfect 10 from one of the four judges.
UCLA had to await the final results from the night's second session to see if any individuals qualified for the NCAA Championships.