Women’s NCAA ‘bubbled’

San Antonio area is No. 1 target

Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma wasn’t surprised that the NCAA women’s basketball tournament will be played in one geographical area. It just makes the most sense.

The NCAA announced Monday that San Antonio is the likely host site for the 64-team tournament in March. The move was made to help mitigate the risks of COVID-19 and matches that of the men’s tournament, which the NCAA said recently also will be played in a single area — most likely Indianapolis.

“If you’re in one place there’s one set of protocols for the entire state. that’s one positive to it,′ said Auriemma, whose team has been to every Final Four since 2008.

“Trying to get 64 teams from all over the country to fly to all those places and deal with all the protocols involved everywhere, it made more sense I’m sure to bring in everyone to Texas.”

San Antonio already was the site of the 2021 Final Four. The NCAA now has begun talks with the city on playing host to the whole thing and the organization hopes to have plans finalized by the end of January at the latest.

It is likely that the NCAA could play games as far away as Austin because of the need for hotels as well as practice and game venues for 64 teams.

The first two rounds of the tournament have been played on campus sites the past few seasons with the top four seeds in each region as the host. The regionals were slated to be played this season in Albany, N.Y., Austin, Texas, Cincinnati and Spokane, Wash.

Florida

Forward Keyontae Johnson was “following simple commands” Monday after being transferred from Tallahassee Memorial to UF Health in Gainesville, the school said.

Officials added that Johnson is having further tests and remains in critical but stable condition two days after he collapsed on the court in a game at Florida State.

Johnson was moved to Gainesville via helicopter with his mother by his side. USA Today quoted Johnson’s grandfather, Larry DeJarnett, as saying the player had been in a medically induced coma.