Traditional powers Michigan State, UCLA meet early
UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin has a lot of March Madness experience. He’s coached 18 NCAA Tournament games in his career.
As the 19th approaches tonight against Michigan State in a First Four game at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind., he’s preparing to lead a roster that has 18 fewer games under its belt combined.
Injured guard Chris Smith is the only player on the roster who’s been to the dance. Cronin says Smith has been to every practice, meeting and trip despite his inability to play. Smith has been with the team in Indiana despite his season ending after tearing his ACL in his left knee in a game against Utah on Dec. 31.
“We joke around with him because he’s still getting all the free meals, airfare and gear.”
Even all of Cronin’s experience doesn’t quite translate to how different this year’s tournament is, which he seems to think could be an advantage for his young, inexperienced team.
“Usually there’s fans everywhere, cheerleaders, distractions, but that’s not the case this year,” Cronin said. “It’s quarantine, bubble stuff. It’s a ghost town here with security at the front door. Maybe that helps.”
Fewer distractions, more focus. Point guard Tyger Campbell was UCLA’s only All-Pac-12 first-team selection. The redshirt sophomore who played three years at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., plans to keep his approach the same, even if tonight’s game will mark his first March Madness experience.
One glaring detail UCLA (17-9) will have to keep tabs on is Michigan State leading scorer Aaron Henry. The junior forward averages 15.3 points per game and is good at getting to the free-throw line. He leads the Spartans (15-12) in free-throw attempts (103) and converts on 75% of them.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has been through a cycle of lineups this season, but seems to have found a recipe that’s provided the team more success in the latter part of the season, including wins over Illinois and Michigan.
“He’s played many different lineups,” Cronin said of Izzo. “(The personnel) can change at the drop of a hat, and he can go with different guys ... that part makes it tougher on our players to digest.”
UCLA has been battle-tested in the past four games, resulting in losses to Oregon, USC, Colorado and Oregon State — all NCAA Tournament teams. Cronin is hoping the learning curve through those tough games will help tonight.
The Bruins are 10-3 this season in games decided by five points or fewer. That kind of confidence in closing time will be needed in Indiana.
“If you have a chance to bury a team, you bury them” Cronin said. “Teams aren’t just going to lie down.”
— Tarek Fattal UNLV’S OTZELBERGER REPORTEDLY JUMPS TO IOWA STATE >> UNLV coach T.J. Otzelberger is expected to be named the next Iowa State coach, according to reports Wednesday.
Otzelberger, 43, was 29-30 in two seasons at UNLV and had a 70-33 record
at South Dakota State (2016-19) prior to taking over the Rebels program. Steve Prohm went winless in the Big 12 and 2-22 this past season at Iowa State and was let go on Monday.
Prohm finished 97-95 in six seasons with the Cyclones.
NCAA TOURNEYS LOCKED, NO REPLACEMENT TEAMS NEEDED >> The withdrawal deadline passed for the NCAA Tournaments without any schools pulling out, meaning the brackets are locked. Replacement teams had been on standby for both the men’s and women’s events as a COVID-19 precaution.
The 68-team men’s tourney begins today in Indiana, and the 64-team women’s competition starts Sunday in Texas.
If any team cannot meet the minimum standard of five eligible players available for a game, its opponent will automatically advance to the next round.
Addressing reporters Wednesday, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said 67 of the men’s teams had arrived in Indiana. The exception is defending champion Virginia, which won the tournament in 2019. The 2020 tourney was not played due to the pandemic.
The Cavaliers, seeded fourth in the West Region, pulled out of last week’s ACC Tournament semifinals following a positive COVID-19 test. OKLAHOMA’S HARMON OUT FOR TWO ROUNDS >> Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger
announced that guard De’Vion Harmon will miss the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament after testing positive for COVID-19. That means the team’s No. 2 scorer won’t be available when the eighthseeded Sooners play No. 9 seed Missouri on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Harmon averages 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.
SAINT MARY’S FALLS IN NIT >> Western Kentucky’s Taveion Hollingsworth hit two free throws with 3.3 seconds left to lift the Hilltoppers (217) over the Gaels (14-10) 69-67 in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament in Frisco, Texas.
The score was tied 67-67 and Saint Mary’s had the ball when Josh Anderson stole the ball. Hollingsworth drove to the basket where he was fouled. Tommy Kuhse led the Gaels, who trailed by 11 in the second half, with 17 points and 11 assists.
Women
OKLAHOMA COACH COALE RETIRES >> Oklahoma women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale retired on Wednesday after 25 years with 513 career wins and three Final Four appearances atop her list of accomplishments.
Coale, 56, was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. OU went to the NCAA Tournament 19 consecutive seasons under Coale. The Sooners’ run of 19 tournament appearances ended in 2019 when the team went 8-22. STANFORD’S WILLIAMS A THIRD-TEAM ALL-AMERICA PICK >> Stanford senior Kiana Williams earned third-team AP All-America honors. Sophomore teammate Haley Jones was an honorable mention for the Cardinal, the overall No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
Williams led the team with averages of 14.3 points and 2.9 assists per game. She made 65 3-pointers this season to lead the Cardinal and the Pac-12. Jones led Stanford in rebounding, averaging 7.7 per game, and was second with 13.0 points per game.
Freshman Paige Bueckers of Connecticut became just the third freshman to earn first-team All-America honors. She was joined by Dana Evans of Louisville, Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, Rhyne Howard of Kentucky and NaLyssa Smith of Baylor.
MESA, ARIZ. >> Both teams wore green. The A’s in their typical forest green, the Kansas City Royals in St. Patrick’s Day celebratory Kelly green. The guys in forest green won Wednesday afternoon’s game, 10-5, with some long-awaited arrivals finally making their first spring appearances. Here are the takeaways. A.J. PUK RETURNS WITH LOWER VELOCITY >> The A’s left-hander returned to the mound for the first time since last March and tossed two innings, allowing Ryan McBroom’s two-run home run with four strikeouts, a walk and a ground-ball single. Puk threw primarily his four-seamer, two-seamer and slider, with a curveball integrated toward the end. He threw one changeup that was fouled off on a bunt try.
His breaking ball was particularly effective, generating a good amount of swings and misses, including on two of his strikeouts. Puk struck out the side in the first inning.
“I’ve had a couple mechanic changes and I just wanted to come out here in my first outing and not walk the house, throw up in the zone and throw a lot of strikes and command all my pitches,” Puk said after his outing. “My offspeed felt really good, other than the home run.”
His fastball velocity hovered around 92-93 mph throughout his outing. That’s a far cry from the 97 mph the 25-year-old averaged in his 2019 call-up, which lasted 11 1/3 innings. His slider sat at 85 mph on Wednesday, a few ticks below the 90 mph average in 2019. Coming out of the bullpen that year following Tommy John surgery, Puk limited his pitches to just a fastball and slider combination.
“I’m just getting back into it. I don’t know, maybe I’ll get the velocity fully back. Maybe not,” Puk said. “I’m more concerned about going back out there and feeling good. Which I am. Just feeling strong and healthy, and that’s where we’re at.”
Manager Bob Melvin indicated those 2019 numbers are a little skewed. They don’t expect Puk to be hitting 97 mph consistently.
“He’s not a 98, 99 guy, anyway,” Melvin said. “Perceived velocity, closer to you it plays better than 93 because of how tall he is and how close he is when he releases it. Sometimes guys, you look at the gun and it’s (more about) perceived velocity than the actual velocity.”
Asked if he was anticipating staying in the mid90s with his fastball, Puk said he wasn’t concerned about that yet.
“It’s March 17, we got another seven months of ball,” he said. “I’m not too concerned about it. Going to go back out there and keep feeling good on the mound.”
Puk was just happy to be in the dugout again. He hadn’t suited up since last spring training, when he was sidelined with a left shoulder strain. That injury reared its ugly head again over the summer when Puk had trouble ramping up for the 2020 regular season. He was placed on the IL and had surgery last September.
With Mike Fiers sidelined with a back and hip injury, Puk is first in line to fill in the fifth-starter spot. The A’s have said he’s the ideal candidate — with Daulton Jefferies, Cole Irvin among the other arms in the running.
And Puk wants it. “It’s definitely a goal,” he said. “I just want to pitch and be healthy, whether that’s starting or coming off the bullpen for us. Whatever the team needs right now, I’m feeling good and I’m going to keep on building and progressing.”
A’S DEBUT >> The A’s new closer made his first spring appearance Wednesday, allowing a run on two hits with a strikeout and a walk.
His fastball hit 95-97 mph, close to his 98 mph average, with some decent command. The former St. Louis Cardinal also threw a handful of changeups. But Rosenthal was zeroing in on his slider in particular.
“I’ve been working on my breaking ball over the last few weeks,” Rosenthal said after his outing. “So that’s something I wanted to test out today. I threw more than I had anticipated, but it felt really good and I was throwing it well. So I kept throwing it.”
Rosenthal’s spring debut was delayed to this week due to a groin injury he suffered in the weight room, he said.
“Usually with those things you get a good night’s sleep and it clears up over the next day or two,” Rosenthal said. “It was one of those things that wasn’t horrible, but early on in camp if I’m feeling it off the mound, just try to take care of it. Hopefully no setbacks, just get in a groove and dial it in the next couple of weeks.” KA’AI TOM FLASHES A SOLID BAT >> Open spots on the roster are limited. All positions except backup catcher, the fifth starter and the leftfield left-handed bat spot are locked up.
Tom could be first in line to claim the left-handedhitting, left fielder role. Tom is flashing a strong bat despite paying his first Cactus League game just this week due to an oblique injury. Tom, a Rule Five pick who would have to be offered back to Cleveland if he doesn’t break camp with the A’s, had an RBI ground-rule double and a bloop single on Wednesday.
“We’ve seen it in batting practice and some sim atbats,” Melvin said. “For a little guy, he’s got some juice in his bat, too. But to see him take good at-bats off lefties and hit the ball the other way, that’s what we’re looking to see, if he uses the whole field. So far, so good.” SPEAKING OF DAULTON JEFFERIES >> The former Cal Bears ace had six strikeouts in three innings Wednesday, giving up two hits, including a home run, with a walk. The righthander has been consistent this spring. If Puk isn’t ready to start when opening week approaches, Jefferies might’ve pitched his way an inch more into the conversation as a possible starter to start the year.