For St. John’s, this Sweet 16 trip is not so much a miracle as it has become the standard

WASHINGTON — No one had to tell St. John’s fans how to act Friday night.

Whether inside the stands at Capital One Arena, where red outnumbered blue and blue-collar outweighed blue blood, or anywhere else they were situated, backers of the Johnnies knew what was on the line. And they responded accordingly.

If you were an uninformed observer Friday, there would be no way to know that St. John’s was making its first appearance in a regional semifinal since 1999. No way to know that the Duke team that was life and death to beat the Red Storm in the nation’s capital was the top-ranked team in the nation entering the NCAA Tournament. No way to know that Ruben Prey was merely a sophomore backup forward while looking like Robert Horry in an NBA postseason game.

For this has become the new status quo on the corner of Union and Utopia. No longer are the Johnnies merely thrilled to be in attendance on flagpole nights in college basketball such as these. This program expects to own the stage, and it did once again on Friday, even in a gallant effort that came up five points short.

Cannon fodder, as it was for a majority of this century before the adults entered the room and took command, St. John’s is not. Gunpowder, it is. And when sparked at just the right time, the explosion may seem startling to those unfamiliar, yet eerily comforting to those accustomed to its steady crackle.

Rick Pitino would have that no other way.

Pitino may be less than six months away from turning 74, yet he still operates and comports himself with the vivaciousness and impact of a fuse half his age. And when he was brought down the New England Thruway to take on the challenge of restoring the once-proud St. John’s program, the long-dormant keg that felt for far too long like a black hole in eastern Queens was reignited. And if Pitino was the spark that rekindled the flame, Zuby Ejiofor was the ensuing inferno.

Very few players stay in one place more than a year anymore, a byproduct of player empowerment and the lure of big money that turns into greed. Even fewer remain for three years the way Ejiofor did. It was easy for St. John’s fans to attach themselves to the Kansas transfer. He gave all of himself for them, they gave all of themselves to him, starting after a pair of missed free throws last season that cost the Johnnies a double-overtime win over Baylor in the Baha Mar Hoops Championship. That moment was singlehandedly responsible for a new tradition at a place that made its name on them.

“ZUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUB!”

Much like Mike Mussina had the Moose call at Yankee Stadium, Ejiofor had the Zub call for the past two seasons. And each time the call was made thereafter, it grew louder, more boisterous, more resonant. It grew in lockstep with the renaissance of St. John’s as a card-carrying elitist and not a nouveau riche gate-crasher. So when he could barely compose himself in Friday’s postgame press conference, it was understandable to see the emotional outpouring of someone who emptied his own cup more than anyone should ever deserve.

Emotion is what makes sports so gripping. And St. John’s fans are by no means lacking in that department. To understand the passion is a task that cannot be fully explained to an outsider, nor can it be fully understood when window shopping. It is something the roots of fan support are always constructed upon. Therefore, Friday night, while factually representing the end of an era, must also be viewed as the beginning of a new phase.

Pitino will reload. That much is certain. As long as he is the coach at St. John’s, and as long as Mike Repole bankrolls the dream of an insatiable community, the Red Storm is not going anywhere. Losing Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell seems like a lot at first blush, but does anyone doubt the ability of a hall of fame architect to reconstruct a masterpiece?

In the words of Steve Masiello, anyone who doubts Pitino should have his or her head examined.

Pitino has always loved a challenge, and steadfastly refuses to back down from one. Maybe that is the most powerful example of why, in this present state of the game, he still loves it so much when so many of his contemporaries are using the climate of the sport as an excuse to ride off into the sunset.

The Johnnies will return. Their fans, who never went away even during the lean years and made sure to announce their arrival in every possible fashion no matter the record or the size of the gun barrel in their collective face, will as well. And at the end of the day, regardless of your affinity or whatever lines of demarcation are drawn in the heat of battle and tribalism, this much remains true:

When St. John’s is good, business is good.

And right now, business is only getting better.

Can UConn shock the world again? Huskies prepare to face Duke on anniversary of first title win

WASHINGTON — The most devout of Connecticut basketball fans undoubtedly still have Jim Nantz’s final call on the night of March 29, 1999 committed to memory.

“Pressure from Jones…Langdon trips, and UConn has done it! El-Amin comes over and says, ‘we shocked the world!’ Folks, you gotta believe, because just when people say you can’t, you can, and UConn has won the national championship in its first attempt in the final!”

UConn defeated Duke on that unforgettable Florida night inside what is now Tropicana Field, establishing itself as a college basketball power with its first national championship and solidifying 77-74 as a set of numbers Husky fans still reference with pride and passion over a quarter-century later. Now, 27 years to the day that Jim Calhoun’s all-time program build was punctuated, UConn and Duke will meet again, this time with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Sunday’s East regional final will be just the tenth time in which the Huskies and Blue Devils have lined up opposite from one another. Duke holds a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series, and has not lost in the series since April 3, 2004. However, it is UConn who holds arguably the two biggest victories, the aforementioned national championship game and the Final Four triumph in San Antonio that led to a second title.

Things have changed considerably for both programs since the last time they faced off in 2014. UConn now has six championships, one more than Duke. UConn is seeking a third title in four seasons, Duke’s last net-cutting in April took place four months after defeating the Huskies in the Meadowlands, a drought that now spans 11 years. But much like the fateful 1999 encounter whose anniversary will be celebrated Sunday, Duke will be a considerable favorite, leaving UConn to channel its inner Khalid El-Amin in order to book a flight to Indianapolis.

One person close to both Husky teams then and now believes history can repeat itself.

“I love this group,” Tom Moore, the former UConn assistant coach turned general manager, said Friday after the Huskies defeated Michigan State in the Sweet 16 to set up the renewal of the rivalry with the Blue Devils. “I love how this group feels about themselves right now and the belief they have.”

Moore also sees a lot of the 1999 team in this iteration of the Huskies, drawing similar parallels between a regional final loss to North Carolina the year before and this UConn team’s resurgence as seniors Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed, Jr. begin the final hours of their collegiate careers.

“The mindset going in was we were, almost like Khalid said, we’re gonna shock the world,” Moore said of UConn’s first championship team. “They were a resilient, tough group, and they’d been sort of gunning for that game since the year before, when we lost to Carolina in ’98, in the Elite 8, I think they felt it was their destiny to get there in ’99. (A) very determined group, but very similar to this group…tough, really tough, really determined.”

“That team, I think was down at halftime in ten games that year, and I think they might have won all of them. This team has been maybe more consistent throughout the season.”

The No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament this year much like it was in 1999, Duke will enter Sunday’s game the likely favorite, even if not by as wide a margin as was the case then. Moore recalled the lack of faith among the public in the Huskies, but dispelled a similar notion with regard to this group, highlighting the desire of Karaban and Reed to end their careers on the highest of highs.

“It’s starting to feel that way,” Moore said when asked if he felt a sense of the undeniable among the two all-Big East seniors. “I can see it in little ways in both of them. They’re definitely more vocal in the locker rooms…pregame, halftime, postgame, coming in and out of huddles. The two of them are getting more and more vocal.”

“I think they think about it. It starts to hit home once you get to this tournament. After the Big East tournament, you get to this, it starts to hit home.”

Duke has been tested twice in its tournament experience this month, first by Siena as the Saints looked to become just the third 16 seed to defeat a No. 1, and most recently by St. John’s in Friday’s regional semifinal. Moore, while not on the sidelines like he once was, offered his scouting report and analysis, highlighting what needs to break the right ways for the Huskies to slay the dragon.

“I just think we have to play our regular game,” he said. “If we shoot the ball well, hold up on the backboard and we limit turnovers like we’ve been doing recently, I think we can beat anyone in the country if we shoot the ball well from three.”

Karaban was 17 months old the last time UConn defeated Duke. He has never played the Blue Devils, but as a student of the game, is fully aware of what a win on this stage, against this opponent, would symbolize.

“It would mean everything to me,” Karaban said. “We’re not gonna make it any bigger because we’re playing Duke, but it’s really just whatever we’ve gotta do to win the game to advance to the Final Four. That’s the reason why I came back. The reason why I came back is to win.”

UConn’s seniors embody spirit of March with suppression of Spartans in Sweet 16

WASHINGTON — March’s most iconic moments come when those who have been on its dance floor previously know that their time is drawing to a close. Consciously, they raise their game under the brightest of lights, not wanting to be denied in their final attempt to hold a piece of forever in their arms.

The University of Connecticut has five seniors on its roster, two of whom are most integral to its success. One of those seniors has won two national championships, and even if his stoicism and professionalism masks it, is perhaps the hungriest among his teammates to hoist a third trophy before his time is up. The second, also a quiet leader, has never had the chance.

Both stepped up most when UConn needed them to Friday.

Alex Karaban started the scoring for the Huskies against Michigan State, knocking down a three in the opening minutes before UConn eventually put the Spartans in a 25-6 hole. Tom Izzo’s team would eventually dig out of it and take the lead, but then it was Tarris Reed, Jr. who responded.

Reed’s go-ahead basket put UConn in front for good with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation, and the center’s free throws in the final minute preserved a 67-63 win to send the Huskies to the East regional final.

“We don’t want this to end,” Reed declared after he led UConn (32-5) with 20 points, including four crucial free throws to keep the Huskies ahead of Michigan State. “Every game is an elimination game for us, and I definitely want to go to that Final Four. I’ve never experienced a Final Four in my life, so we just don’t want it to end. We want to keep this team together as long as we can.”

That togetherness was the major rallying point even after Michigan State forced its way back into the game with its trademark toughness and physical defense, something Alex Karaban made sure to remind his teammates of as the Spartans threatened to end the season for the last Big East team standing in the NCAA Tournament.

“We knew that they were going to respond,” he said. “We knew that they wouldn’t give up. They’ve had guys stay loyal to their program as well and really have so much pride when they wear the Spartan uniforms, so we knew that they would respond. It’s just, are we gonna respond and are we gonna stay true to our culture?”

The answer was a resounding yes, affirmatively decided by both of the Huskies’ veterans.

Immediately after Reed put UConn back in front by a 48-47 margin, Karaban extended the lead 26 seconds later on his second 3-pointer of the night. Michigan State would draw close several times after that, but was unable to seize momentum back as the Husky veterans put the game on their shoulders.

“That’s what this time of year is all about,” head coach Dan Hurley said. “You gotta have great upperclassmen. You have to have great juniors, great seniors, veteran players that are not gonna blink and just can handle the pressure of the moment, and also can bounce back.”

“I think to start the second half, Tarris had some opportunities that he left on the table, and AK was able to make that in-game adjustment. My message to him is, if you’re gonna go out in this tournament, you gotta go out on your shield. You gotta go out firing, or you’re gonna have a lot of regrets.”

The Spartans had one last chance to extend the game in the final seconds, but Carson Cooper’s missed free throw that would have cut UConn’s lead to one was rebounded by Reed, who had drained two free throws after Jeremy Fears’ three answered a Karaban triple and returned the Huskies’ margin to one point. A shaky free throw shooter during the regular season, the Michigan transfer credited the confidence instilled in him by his own work, and also by his coaches and teammates, for affording him the belief in himself to make his last two to seal the game.

“I feel like I put in the work,” Reed reflected. “The guys around me were like, ‘T, trust. You put in the work every day and we see you at the free throw line.’ So I took a deep breath and took my time at the line.”

UConn now advances to play Duke in Sunday’s Elite 8, adding another layer of history to an all-time rivalry with the Blue Devils. While he acknowledged the meaning and significance of a win, Karaban deflected from addressing the desire to keep his own career alive, focusing on keeping his team together as long as possible. But the presence of both he and Reed has lit a fire under the rest of the team, who feels as if there is more to play for besides one another.

“You can tell he’s so passionate about it,” Braylon Mullins said of Karaban’s last quest for championship glory. “He knows he doesn’t want to go out like he did last year, so you just have that feeling of not wanting to let a brother down. If you’re not going to play for yourself, just play for the seniors around you. Any time could be the last time they put the jersey on.”

This time, the only certainty was that there would be a next time.

UConn gets rematch with Michigan State in Sweet 16, but Huskies and Spartans are two different teams since October exhibition

WASHINGTON — It is not uncommon for teams to see previous opponents again in the NCAA Tournament, even though the familiarity is usually confined to the name on the schedule since both teams are mostly retooled since their last meeting with one another.

This weekend, UConn could potentially have two such rematches as it seeks its eighth Final Four appearance in program history, which would require two wins — one on Friday, the other on Sunday — to get there. The first hurdle standing in the way of the Huskies is a team that Dan Hurley faced in the second of two exhibitions this season.

Technically, UConn’s 76-69 win over Michigan State on October 28 does not count among the record books, but there is still a lot to be gained from that Tuesday evening in Hartford. Alex Karaban and Solo Ball led the Huskies with 18 points each, and in an apparent foreboding of his resurgent month of March, Jayden Ross added 13 points off the bench. But like most of his teammates, Ross knew to place more stock in the Spartans, who won the East regional the last time it was held in the nation’s capital, in 2019, and are their usual formidable adversary once again.

“They’re a really good team, as we’ve seen throughout the year,” Ross said after UConn dispatched UCLA last Sunday to set up the showdown with a Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo. “They’ve got a really great front and backcourt, pretty good depth, they’ve got freshmen playing like they’re sophomores (and) juniors, so it’s gonna be a great task for us.”

“We played them earlier in the year, but they’ve grown since then,” Silas Demary, Jr. added. “They play well in transition, they get a lot of stops. They’ve got a great point guard in Jeremy Fears, and I think him and Coen Carr have a great connection when they get out on the break, throwing a lot of lobs. They play two bigs with Jaxon Kohler and (Carson) Cooper, big team, they defend well. I think they do a lot of good things. They’ve found their footing, so we just gotta get ready to get to the film and figure out what we can do to stop them.”

While Michigan State has grown in the past five months, so too has UConn. In fact, the Huskies may have the two biggest variables since the October exhibition battle, as they defeated the Spartans then without the services of Braylon Mullins and Tarris Reed, Jr., both of whom were nursing injuries at the time. Each is back, and between Mullins’ apparent restoration of confidence in his outside shot, plus Reed’s 41 points and 40 rebounds in UConn’s first two tournament games last weekend, the two make the No. 2 seed an even tougher out than usual.

“I think it just poses us as a threat,” Demary said of having Mullins and Reed available. “I think when we bring back two of our better guys, and like how Tarris is playing now, he’s playing with the utmost confidence, and Braylon getting his confidence back shooting the ball, I think that just poses two more guys that they have to worry about.”

Even though he missed the exhibition, Reed has notable experience playing against Michigan State from his time at Michigan before transferring. Adding to the subplot is Izzo’s recruitment of the 6-foot-11 center in the transfer portal before Reed ultimately chose UConn, but the big bear focused on big business first and foremost.

“I’m gonna do what the game calls me to do,” Reed said of his matchup, where he will most likely draw Jaxon Kohler or Carson Cooper for a majority of the contest. “Cooper and Kohler, and then (Coen) Carr, they all crash the glass. They’re aggressive. They play physical, they play tough, so I feel like it’s gonna be a dog fight, gonna be a war, and I feel like we gotta set the tone and match their energy. They’re gonna come out hot, they’re gonna have to match our energy, we’re gonna have to match theirs.”

The need to stay focused and move forward was already instilled by the Huskies’ locker room leader, one that has shared this dance times before and credits his teammates’ resolve for bringing UConn back to this moment.

“I think this team’s in a good spot where we have great energy right now,” Alex Karaban said. “We’re super excited heading to the Sweet 16 against a really good Michigan State team, and the vibes are high. I just want the guys to enjoy this and really be proud of all the work that we’ve put in so far, not be complacent yet, and just keep moving forward.”

“Having the injuries that we had earlier in the season made sure everyone had to step up. I think it was a lot of learning opportunities too, knowing that we were missing some guys and other guys had to step up and really just instill confidence in themselves. Having (Mullins and Reed) back is incredible, and how much we’ve grown now that we’re fully healthy, we’ve been really just growing as a team and getting better from where we were in October.”

Was Braylon Mullins’ performance Sunday a timely breakthrough? Huskies hope so heading into Sweet 16

WASHINGTON — The sound of a basketball swishing through a net is always a relief. Sometime around 10 p.m. Sunday night, it may have been the sweetest sound Braylon Mullins had heard in quite some time.

UConn’s sharpshooting freshman had been in the midst of a 6-for-45 slump from three-point range in his last six-plus games before his triple with 2:49 to play in the first half fell for the Huskies, who went on to defeat UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Mullins drained a second for good measure almost two minutes later, a sign that the most lethal part of his game may have finally been fixed, and at the most opportune time.

More importantly, the ball going through the hoop was a reaffirmation of faith for a player who had never lost it, but acknowledged his reliance on other parts of his craft to help his team win.

“It just gave me a little bit more confidence knowing that I saw one go in,” Mullins remarked Sunday. “It kind of just gave us a little momentum, a little bit of a run, especially for myself. I’m just happy to see them go in, I don’t even care. I’m gonna shoot them when I’m open.”

Mullins admitted the green light head coach Dan Hurley has given him has enabled his confidence to stay at its peak, something that tends to fade when shooters go into a valley of a dry spell the way he did since UConn’s February 25 win over St. John’s. The trust placed in him not only by his coach, but also his teammates, has been a strong motivator during an uncharacteristic off stretch like the one he seems to have just emerged from.

“Having Coach believe in me, it gives me confidence within myself and I’m so grateful for that,” Mullins said. “I know everybody here trusts me, and I trust them with everything as well. So I’m gonna shoot it, and if (Hurley’s) going to run a set for me, and I see something open, I’m gonna shoot it.”

“The last thing anyone should worry about (with) that kid is whether he’s gonna make distant shots,” Hurley echoed. “This guy is a brilliant shooter and I think it was great for him to see a couple go in like that. You’ve got all these draft picks and these different people that are evaluating NBA prospects, and there are a lot of questions about Steph Castle,  there are a lot of questions about Donovan Clingan because those guys played on balanced teams. And Braylon plays on a balanced team, which is gonna bode well for him when he decides to go to the NBA, whenever that is.”

While Mullins rode out the inconsistency from beyond the 3-point line, something he improved in the process was his shot inside the arc. According to Bart Torvik, Mullins’ .614 field goal percentage on non-rim 2-point field goals is second-best in Division I. The ability to adapt and create for himself in other ways to offset a lack of his calling card not working is something center Tarris Reed, Jr. attributes to the calmness his rookie teammate plays with under pressure.

“He’s one of the most poised freshmen I’ve been around,” Reed said of Mullins. “He’s just so poised when it comes to this. I mean, March Madness, to do what they’re doing in this tournament for the first time, it shows you the courage that these guys have, especially Braylon. That guy, he’s special.”

UConn fans, and Mullins’ teammates, are hoping that the reversal of fortune on Sunday is a harbinger of things to come when the Huskies face Michigan State Friday in the East regional semifinals. If last Friday was a correction of the law of averages, this next one could simply be a reminder of what happens when things click the way they should.

“We’ve been telling him throughout this entire week, ‘just continue to believe in yourself, continue to believe,’” Alex Karaban said of his and the team’s effort to pick Mullins up. “You’re too good of a shooter. With him and Solo (Ball), every time they shoot it, it looks like it’s going in. They’re unbelievable players, and you knew a time would happen where the shots would start falling.”

“I see him shoot every day,” Silas Demary, Jr. added. “After practice, before practice, so we’re just keeping him confident and telling him, ‘just let it fly.’ He’s one of the best freshmen in the country, I believe, so he’s gotta keep his confidence high and keep letting them fly.”

FDU’s effort against Iowa was one even the most hardened of hearts could not help but love

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

In this business, impartiality is a must.

The temptation comes, however, to have a favorite or rooting interest. Closely follow a team a number of times and it can happen. We are human.

Case in point, FDU.

In the summer, I began attending some of the Knights’ women’s basketball practices, simply to learn and increase my basketball knowledge. Being around the game well over five decades, you realize learning never stops.

At any rate, the practices were like coaching clinics, and they gave me a chance to get to know the coaches and players better. Still maintaining impartiality during the season, I covered a number of FDU’s games.

No cheering in the press box (in this case courtside), the old adage says.

Out of all FDU games I covered in person, the Knights lost only one, in late December to Binghamton. My approach and demeanor was the same during and after the contests: Analyze, report and write from an objective viewpoint.

Covering the NEC championship win over LIU was exciting. The final of a tournament, especially in March, is always a special event. As the Knights cut down the nets, my impartiality lessened a bit, being happy for FDU getting the title, knowing and seeing firsthand the work the coaches and team accomplished on a daily basis.

On Saturday, 15th-seed FDU faced second seed Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This time, I was not on press row. Rather, I was home with a pad charting shots and making notes, and an opportunity to forget impartiality and root for the Knights.

The unseasonably warm day saw Iowa jump out to a 15-point first-period lead. Teams make runs, and you could tell from their body language and the way they ran their sets on offense and how they defended, the Knights were not intimidated. They answered with their own run and trailed by three following the first period.

In the second period, FDU coach Stephanie Gaitley’s signature defense dug in, holding the Hawkeyes to three field goals and seven points. FDU trailed by one point at halftime.

Iowa began the third period on an 8-0 run. Again, the Knights, not satisfied with just hanging tough for the first 20 minutes, responded and trailed by two entering the final period. Once again, Iowa struck, increasing its lead to eight. Then, Madlena Gerke and Ava Renninger converted layups. Kailee McDonald drained a three, then a layup, to get the Knights within one with six minutes left. Iowa answered, then Bella Toomey’s three cut the deficit to two with five minutes to go.

Iowa coach Jan Jensen jumped up and down on the sideline. She was angered over a traveling call against one of her players. Jensen was probably letting out her concerns. With all due respect, the Iowa mentor was probably frustrated, not expecting the Knights to be in the thick of things so late in this contest.

Gaitley has alluded to playing games such as this in five-minute segments. The objective, naturally, is to win each. The coach was hoping to be within striking distance for the last five minutes. Gaitley and her Knights were one possession, with five minutes remaining, from being the first 15-seed to take down a 2-seed.

In the stretch, it was a combination of foul trouble and Ava Heiden. The 6-foot-4 Iowa sophomore, a first team all-Big Ten selection, was Jensen’s primary option. Heiden scored a career and game-high 29 points. In the final period, she scored 15 points, hitting four field goals, all in the paint. She was involved in virtually every Hawkeye possession those last four minutes.

Iowa moved on with a 58-48 victory, improving to 27-6, while FDU finished at 30-5.

Moral victory was not in FDU’s mindset nor terminology. Regardless, the effort the Knights showed proved a great deal to many observers, impartial or not.

“I think first, it puts a lot of respect on the NEC and mid-major schools,” Renninger, who led FDU with 13 points, said. “(Iowa is) a Top 10 team in the country, and we came in and showed what we’re made of, and showed what mid-major schools can do against these high (major) teams, and that's the impression we gave.”

“I think Ava hit it on the head,” Gaitley added. “The respect that we brought to the NEC and that we brought to FDU, and to show that on any given day, anybody can beat anybody, I think that’s a huge step for women’s basketball in the east.”

Whether you were impartial, an avid FDU fan or an Iowa aficionado, one thing was certain:

You had to admire FDU.

The Knights played with poise for 40 tough minutes, especially facing a huge Iowa crowd and battling the heat in a non-air-conditioned arena. They responded. They had Iowa working hard every minute and battling to move on. In the final minutes, Heiden, an outstanding player, simply imposed her size and will.

“I’m just pleased that we found a way to win,” Jensen said. “Credit FDU. They’re scrappy.”

Yes, credit FDU’s coaches and players. They did a great job representing the NEC, their school, and mid-majors in general.

Impartial or not, one would have to wholeheartedly agree.

Demary guts out 22 minutes and plus-22 rating to help UConn reach Sweet 16: “I had to be out there”

PHILADELPHIA — He scored only two points Sunday, both at the free throw line, yet wound up ending his night as the most efficient player on the floor.

For Silas Demary, Jr., it was not a question of whether he would be able to play on a sprained left ankle, or even how much he would be able to contribute. The only thing that mattered to UConn’s senior point guard was that he suited up.

“I just knew that I had to be out there with the guys,” Demary said after the Huskies defeated UCLA to advance to the Sweet 16 for a third time in four seasons. “I knew after Friday that I was gonna play, no matter what. Whatever I had to do to get on the floor, to be a part of this, I feel like I was doing anything I could.”

“I was around the clock trying to rehab, being in the pool, being with Tavarus (Ferguson, UConn’s assistant trainer). He was doing everything we could do to get back in.”

Demary worked through UConn’s pregame warmups appearing to not be hindered or have his mobility compromised after initially suffering the injury in the second half of UConn’s Big East tournament championship loss on March 14. The floor general had initially expected to be able to give it a go for the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament opener on Friday against Furman, but was ultimately held out at the last minute by head coach Dan Hurley as a precautionary measure.

On Sunday, Demary continues to receive treatment during the game, seen on the bench with a heating pad wrapped around his ankle when he was not on the floor. In 22 minutes of action off the bench, the Georgia transfer did not need to score to impact the game, instead doing most of his damage without the basketball to record a plus-22 efficiency rating, six points clear of the next-highest figure, a plus-16 posted by Braylon Mullins.

“He affects the game in so many different ways that don’t show up in the box score,” center Tarris Reed, Jr. said of Demary. “But that just shows you what type of guy he is. He’s selfless. He doesn’t care about his points, he doesn’t care about his assists. He just cares about winning.”

“I think he’s a warrior,” Mullins echoed. “An unbelievable player coming to play with that kind of injury. It could have been another week or two, and he makes an impact other than scoring, defense, rebounding, playmaking. He’s our leader. We all believe in him, and he was one of the best players on the court. That’s unbelievable to come out here and play like that.”

Demary’s infusion into this UConn lineup has altered the trajectory of its potential in multiple ways, but perhaps none more than having an experienced veteran on the court in search of nothing more than merely willing his team to victory. His defensive prowess has turned the Huskies back into the formidable unit fans are accustomed to seeing on that side of the basketball, while his heart and relentless drive is a continuation of the Hurley point guard lineage. Either way, UConn appears to have its heart and soul closer to 100 percent, which bodes well for however long the season continues on.

“I wasn’t really thinking about the injury,” Demary said. “Coach told me, ‘see how it goes in warmups,’ but I was like, ‘no matter how I go in warmups, I’m getting on the floor. It was no chance I wasn’t going to play.”

“I feel like my leadership, and then the coaches (with) just everything we do together, I feel like I just had to be out there, and I was glad I was able to get out there. I just took advantage of what I could do out there and did as much as I could to help us get the win.”

Jayden Ross continues special March with one of his better efforts to send UConn back to Sweet 16

PHILADELPHIA — Timmy Smith in Super Bowl XXII. Joe Carter in the 1993 World Series. Uwe Krupp in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.

All three of those players may not have been regarded as the faces of their respective franchises, but each was most instrumental when it mattered most.

Smith, a fifth-round draft pick who rushed for just 602 yards in his career, set a Super Bowl record with 204 yards on the ground to help the then-Washington Redskins win their second Vince Lombardi Trophy. Carter, on a Toronto Blue Jays team boasting multiple future Hall of Famers in its dugout, hit perhaps the most memorable walkoff home run in baseball history to complete a successful title defense as the Jays repeated as World Series champions. Krupp, overshadowed by some of the greatest names to ever skate in the National Hockey League, delivered a Cup-winning goal in overtime to give the Colorado Avalanche its first-ever championship.

Jayden Ross has one national championship to his credit already at the University of Connecticut, and on a team with star power the likes of Alex Karaban, Silas Demary, Jr., Tarris Reed, Jr., Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins, easily gets lost in the shuffle through no fault of his own. It is the product of simply being a key cog of a balanced roster.

Ross’ teammates recognize the value beyond the numbers, though. Each of them has been quick and unhesitant to label the junior wing a special player in the Huskies’ arsenal. And as the season has ramped up, so too has Ross’ productivity and contributions to a team that now reaches the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for a third time in four seasons.

The 11 points Ross amassed in Sunday’s second-round win over UCLA may seem pedestrian in comparison to the career-best 27 that Karaban put up, or the all-time effort Reed displayed on Friday, with 31 points and 27 rebounds against Furman. But a closer look at Ross’ performance Sunday illustrates just how vital he is to UConn when fully engaged.

The first player off the bench for the Huskies on Sunday, Ross immediately set a tone with his unmistakable energy and two-way play, scoring nine of his points in a first half where he changed the tenor of UConn’s gameplay simply upon arrival.

“I was able to see some things they were doing,” he said of UCLA’s game plan. “Just being able to key in on that and make those adjustments when I got in the game instead of letting the game come to me and just trying to have an impact.”

“He’s the reason why we won this game,” Reed proclaimed. “That lift off the bench, and then just for him to bring the juice, bring the energy, we fed off that in the first half. The first time when we were down, he was blocking shots, getting rebounds, dunking, passing, doing everything on the court.”

Almost no one has been a bigger fan of Ross and his unique style than Karaban, who is usually the most effusive in his praise for his teammate. The senior, moments removed from one of his finest hours in a UConn jersey, immediately deflected credit from his own exploits again, highlighting what Ross was able to do for the Huskies when at his best.

“You really feel his presence out there,” Karaban said. “When he goes in there, he could make a deflection, he could get a steal, and it really just gets us going. He saves us so many times on the defensive end, but you can’t take away what he does offensively, too. He made an and-1, threes, he got fouled on a three, and just the shooter he is now is unbelievable. He’s really become such a key piece.”

As UConn’s bench has undergone a stretch of ebbs and flows throughout the season, it has sometimes become imperative that one of the second unit step up and assert himself when one of the Husky starters struggles. Ross has been all that and more this season, finally tapping into a potential that his coach believes could take him to the highest level.

“Confidence (and) strength,” Dan Hurley said when asked where Ross’ greatest improvements have come. “Those are the last frontiers for him to really unleash the impact he could have. You see it right now as a guy that’s pretty much guarding four positions, and he’s making winning plays. He’s contributing with threes and cuts, and getting out in transition offensively. He’s a guy who, eventually, is gonna be an NBA player. He’s gonna develop into that and you’ve seen it before your eyes.”

The belief factor was something Ross admitted had been plaguing him in spurts before his emergence began to take stronger root during UConn’s stretch run. Now with an almost limitless future in front of him as he chases a second national championship, he is eager to further this roll of a lifetime, so to speak, and parlay it into a greater payoff.

“I’ve known within myself that I’ve been a great player for a long time,” he said. “But the confidence piece was something that I definitely lost a bit coming into the college level. I’d say this year specifically, I’ve worked really hard on that and I think it’s starting to show on the court. So I’m just kind of happy it’s hitting during this time, and it’s only gonna get better from here.”

Karaban’s career night sends UConn back to Sweet 16 after Huskies lock down UCLA late

PHILADELPHIA — Alex Karaban was hardest on himself in the wake of his UConn team not capitalizing on its chance to win a second Big East tournament championship in three years.

The senior and all-time winningest Husky in program history took on the lion’s share of the responsibility after falling on the wrong side of a 20-point loss to St. John’s on March 14, emphasizing on multiple occasions that he could not come up empty in high-leverage situations if he and his team were to be the last men standing for a third time in his college career.

That latest self-pep talk has produced a postseason that can be best described, to borrow baseball parlance with regard to one of the game’s best hitters, as Alex being Alex.

Two nights after scoring 22 points against Furman to supplement a generational performance by Tarris Reed, Jr., it was Karaban’s turn to take center stage Sunday, leading all scorers with 27 markers as UConn kicked away from UCLA in the second half to score a 73-57 second-round NCAA Tournament victory.

“I definitely don’t want my career to end,” Karaban reiterated as the Huskies (31-5) returned to the Sweet 16 for a third time in four seasons. “I’m doing everything in my power to help lead this team to make sure that happens and get the win, doing anything possible to make sure I get the win.”

On this particular night, everything in Karaban’s power included leading the offense through an opening sequence where UConn had difficulty establishing itself against UCLA’s interior defense. The Bruins double-teamed Reed, two nights removed from amassing 31 points and 27 rebounds against Furman, on nearly all of his touches in the first half, and with Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins not being able to convert on open shots, the onus fell to Karaban to yet again ignite the engine.

He did exactly that, accounting for 11 of the Huskies’ first 15 points and turning in an effort that head coach Dan Hurley said was symbolic of his winning pedigree, as well as of the learning moment he found in the wake of deflating losses to both Marquette and St. John’s.

“What you’re going to see, what you saw or what you’ve seen in this NCAA Tournament, is a guy that’s attacking the game,” he said of Karaban. “He’s aggressively looking for all of his shots, he’s working his way to the ball, he’s driving the ball. I just think that he learned a lot from that Big East championship game (and) that game at Marquette, where he left those games not going out on his shield the way a player of his caliber should. I think that’s the difference. He’s not going down without firing all of his bullets.”

Still, even as UConn took a five-point lead into halftime, UCLA made two defiant last stands. The Bruins used an 11-4 run to retake a two-point advantage just over four minutes out of the intermission, but it was countered by a 14-0 Husky spurt in which Karaban commenced and culminated the outburst with 10 points, punctuating the rally with a pair of threes, the second from the top of the key. A 10-2 UCLA stretch brought the No. 7 seed within four points with just over seven minutes to play in regulation, but after five straight UConn points to respond, Bruins head coach Mick Cronin was assessed a technical foul. Fittingly, it was Karaban who sank the ensuing free throws, keeping the second-seeded Huskies ahead by double digits for the duration of the contest.

Not much is missing from Karaban’s resume at this point, with two national championships, the program’s wins record and a spot in the Huskies of Honor already in the bank for the Massachusetts native. But the prospect of adding to his legacy by channeling past March UConn legends the likes of Richard Hamilton, Emeka Okafor, Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, all of whom closed their careers in Storrs by turning up the heat one last time on the greatest stage in the sport, is something that has kept his competitive fire burning, and also become an inspiration among his teammates.

“I think just having him on this team and having the experience in this tournament, I think he can just take us wherever we need to go,” Braylon Mullins said of Karaban and his presence. “We all have the confidence in him, and he’s our leader. We all look up to him, he holds the standard with this program.”

Karaban echoed that sentiment, uncharacteristically revealing one of his own desires as he authors the final pages of a career that, no matter how it ends, will be among the most prolific in college basketball history. He is, however, hoping to make room for one more testimonial before hanging up his jersey for good.

“It’s a motivating factor for myself,” he said of the quest to walk away victorious. “I ultimately came back here to win. Every time I’ve had a decision to come back, I came back just wanting to win and help this team out, but (I’m) also just enjoying every second I have in a UConn jersey.”

Panthers prove worthiness in final bout as High Point pushes Arkansas to limit

By Josh Noel (@Josh_DDH)

PORTLAND, Ore. — As the buzzer in the Moda Center struck midnight on High Point University’s Cinderella run, the Panthers exited the floor with their heads held high as they acknowledged their fans on hand.

High Point, the No. 12 seed in the West Region, gave fourth-seeded Arkansas all it could handle in their second-round NCAA Tournament matchup, a 94-88 Razorbacks win. 

“I’m really proud of our guys and how we competed,” said High Point head coach Flynn Clayman. “We showed out, we packed the house, we had fun, and we played with confidence. We were expected to be good, but I don’t think anybody expected us to do what we did here in winning 31 games, getting to the tournament, advancing, and pushing the SEC champs.”

Amid the six ties and 15 lead changes, the Panthers kept the entirety of the game against the Razorbacks within single digits. According to Will Warren, Saturday marked the first time in the round of 32 that a game involving a team seeded 12th or lower featured both teams scoring 85 or more points. HPU kept pace with the high-tempo Hogs on 3-point shooting as well as rebounding, finishing just one rebound shy of Arkansas’ total. 

“(Rebounding) surprised me because I just wasn’t sure where we stood against this team physically,” said Clayman. “As we got going, I was like, man, we have the athletes and physicality to hang with the SEC champs.”

Projected NBA lottery pick Darius Acuff, Jr. led Arkansas with 36 points and set a NCAA Tournament record for most points scored by a freshman through two games with 58 total. Acuff’s brilliance was equally matched by High Point’s Rob Martin, who scored a season-high 30 points. Martin dazzled the crowd at the Moda Center all evening with acrobatic spinning layups and a 3-pointer that pinballed around the rim about six times before finally dropping, completing a stretch where three of his four highest scoring efforts came in the Panthers’ final three contests.

“I put so much work in, and I feel like it showed tonight,” said Martin. “Matching up with a (projected) lottery pick and showing the world that I can compete at a high level, I’m super proud of myself for my journey. All glory to God.”

Martin was joined in the scoring column by Cam’Ron Fletcher who tallied 25 points. Martin and Fletcher both hail from the St. Louis area and frequently competed against each other at Christian Brothers and Vashon High School, respectively. This season, the St. Louis duo shared the court as teammates for the first time which provided an eye-opening experience for both.

“I never would have seen myself playing with Rob because of how often we competed growing up and in high school,” said Fletcher. “It was a good feeling to have someone that close to me that I knew before going to High Point. I’m very grateful to be able to play with him this year. It meant a lot to me.” 

Throughout the season, Fletcher struggled with injuries and personal matters that sidelined him for eight games total. No matter what he was going through, Martin was steadfast in his corner and had Fletcher’s back through it all.

“I’m super grateful to play with him and love his journey,” said Martin. “With how hard he worked, he put the work in, and it showed tonight. I’m super proud of Cam and what's next for him.” 

Another person in the Moda Center who was familiar with Fletcher’s journey was John Calipari, who recruited Fletcher to Kentucky six years ago. Saturday’s game marked the first time the two had met against each other since their paths diverged from Lexington. 

“To see him do what he did today, I was proud of him,” said Calipari. “He put his shoulder down and just did what he wanted to do. I'm happy that it’s turned out this way for him and for High Point.”

Calipari also offered high praise for High Point’s commitment to basketball success amid all the challenges of NIL and the transfer portal. 

“If you want players to be empowered, they have to know that there’s a commitment to the players,” said Calipari. “We have that in Arkansas, and they have that in High Point. They are committed, which is why you have a chance to win championships. I bragged on High Point because they have a president that is about those students. Everything they do is about those students. It proves my point: Coaches win games, but administrations win championships.”

High Point’s all-in investment on basketball has led to a combined 87-20 record for the Panthers over the past three seasons with three Big South regular season championships, two tournament championships, and their first NCAA Tournament victory.

“Choosing High Point is the best decision I’ve ever made,” said HPU guard Chase Johnston. “The Lord opened so many opportunities for me here. It’s a season I’ll never forget. I’ll take so much from it.”

This season simultaneously proved to be the best but also most challenging for Johnston, who remained on the Panthers’ roster after last offseason’s coaching change. Johnston went from a starter to a reserve during the 2025-26 season, but he closed the Panthers’ final six games shooting 58.6 percent from 3-point range.

“Looking back, this season didn’t think it was going to go the way it went in the beginning,” said Johnston. “If (Flynn) rosters you, he trusts you and he's going to trust you not just in the highs, but in the lows. I’m just so grateful that I’ve been able to finish off my career here in March Madness sitting here with these guys.” 

Clayman will look to rebuild the Panthers’ roster for next season in the coming weeks and months through the transfer portal. For now though, he’ll take a minute to appreciate the significance of what his team accomplished in this record-setting campaign.

 
“Ever since I set foot on High Point University’s campus, my life changed,” said Clayman. “With this being my first year (as head coach), I had a lot of ups and downs having to recruit a whole new team. My staff had my back, and I just couldn’t be more thankful for all these players that stuck with me. We made history.”