Calipari stepping down as coach at Kentucky
John Calipari stepped down as Kentucky’s men’s basketball coach after 15 years Tuesday, saying that the “program probably needs to hear another voice” amid reports that he’s closing in on a deal with Arkansas to take over that Southeastern Conference program.
Calipari leaves a program he guided to the 2012 NCAA championship among four Final Four appearances. He went 410-123 in 15 seasons. Recent seasons have been disappointing by Kentucky standards, with a 1-3 mark in its last three NCAA tournament trips, including first-round losses to No. 14 seed Oakland last month and No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s two years ago.
The list of possible candidates includes Baylor’s Scott Drew, who guided the Bears to a national title in the 2020-21 COVID-19 season. Connecticut’s Dan Hurley, who guided the Huskies to their second consecutive NCAA championship, also been mentioned along with Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan, whose Florida squads were the NCAA’s last back-to-back champions before UConn.
Calipari didn’t mention the Arkansas job he has been linked to since Sunday night reports about negotiations with the school. The 65-year-old would replace Eric Musselman, who left after four seasons to become USC coach.
One of Calipari’s top scorers, guard Rob Dillingham, announced he would enter the NBA draft . ... Arizona center Oumar Ballo entered the transfer portal.
ETC. NCAA women’s title game outdraws men’s
South Carolina’s 87-75 victory over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the women’s NCAA championship game achieved a pair of milestones: It is the first time the women’s title game outdrew the men, and the second-most-watched nonOlympic women’s sporting event on U.S. television.
The Sunday afternoon game averaged 18.9 million viewers on ABC and ESPN while Connecticut’s 7560 victory over Purdue in Monday night’s men’s final on TBS and TNT averaged 14.82 million.
The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup final between the U.S. and Japan averaged 25.4 million on Fox. That also was on a Sunday and in prime time on the East Coast.
Clark was named the winner of the Wooden Award, honored as the most outstanding player in women's college basketball for the second straight season. Finalists included USC’s JuJu Watkins.
After just one season in the middle of USC’s defense, former fivestar defensive tackle Bear Alexander plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, in search of his third school in three seasons. He appeared on track to becoming a cornerstone of USC’s defense under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn after he recorded 48 tackles, 61⁄2 of them for a loss, as a sophomore.
— Ryan Kartje
New Jersey Devils All-Star forward Jack Hughes is going to sit out the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury that will require surgery this week . ... Kirsten Simms scored 3:38 into overtime to lift the United States to a 1-0 preliminary round win over rival Canada on Monday, and clinch the Americans the Group A title heading into the women’s world hockey championships at Utica, N.Y.
Boston shortstop Trevor Story will have what is likely season-ending surgery on his dislocated left shoulder, and right-hander Nick Pivetta (strained flexor) went on the 15-day injured list. Also going on the IL: Josiah Gray (elbow and forearm), Washington’s openingday starting pitcher, and Houston left-hander Framber Valdez (elbow) . ... Colton Cowser drove in four runs, Corbin Burnes gave up two hits over seven innings and Baltimore won 7-1 in Boston’s home opener . ... All-Star slugger J.D. Martinez got a shot to address back tightness that has delayed his debut with the New York Mets.
Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the Monte Carlos Masters because of a forearm injury, while Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev reached the third round.