College Football
NCAA Tournament expansion is coming… maybe?!
It’s the topic that won’t go away, even though everyone wishes it would, and it took a new twist Tuesday.
Yes, we are talking NCAA Tournament expansion.
What has long been rumored was reported by Pete Thamel: The NCAA Tournament is expected to expand to 76 teams come next season.
Per the report, NCAA officials have already met with media partners (seemingly CBS and Turner) and both sides are in agreement on the move.
However, the NCAA released a statement saying that nothing has been finalized.
Hopefully, the powers that be come to their senses and shoot down a decision on expansion that literally no fan wants.
When money is involved, it seems unlikely.
College Basketball
Five-star Tyran Stokes commits to Kansas, as Kentucky drops the ball on another star
Recruiting is, quite literally, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. And while Kansas certainly has plenty to celebrate after Tuesday night, it was another body blow for Kentucky and head coach Mark Pope.
That’s because on Tuesday night, the No. 1 high school player in America, Tyran Stokes committed to Kansas live on “Inside the NBA.”
It was a decision that wasn’t surprising, as Stokes has long been linked to the Jayhawks.
But it could also be the unofficial death knell for Kentucky coach Mark Pope.
While there is still a full season to be played before any decision is made on Pope’s future, the present is bleak. The Wildcats have a roster that no credible outlet has as a Top 25 team, and this off-season has been marred as much by misses as hits in recruiting. Among the notable players that Kentucky was linked to and didn’t land include Stokes (Kansas), Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman (Syracuse) and G-League star Providence.
What made matters worse, was the Kentucky staff spent most of the day hinting that good news could be coming. That included Kentucky assistant Mo Williams tweeting at Stokes (which, on top of the whiff, might also constitute a recruiting violation).
Again, it’s too early to say this season is a total lost cause for Kentucky. But there are few (maybe just one or two) truly impactful players left and Kentucky seemingly isn’t in on any of them.
More News & Notes
Quick Hitters
One of the few impact players left in the portal is Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou. Yessoufou also entered the NBA Draft and reports are that he plans to stay there and not return to college. We’ll see if that holds up.
UConn’s returning players had a media availability on Tuesday, where guard Solo Ball told reporters he played through two torn ligaments in his wrist this season. Ball will all of the 2026-2027 season recovering from surgery, but it really does make UConn’s run to the title game that much more impressive.
Just days after UNC learned that starting center Henri Veesaar would be NBA bound, they pivoted and landed elite international big man Sayon Keita. Keita is young and raw, but given the circumstances this is about as well as Michael Malone and UNC could’ve done.
While it’s portal season for college fans, we’re now under two months until the NBA Draft. ESPN dropped its newest mock draft, with AJ Dybantsa coming in firmly in the No. 1 spot
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