College Sports

Caitlin Clark scored more than everyone, but context is needed

Records come, records go. Clark is deserving of plaudits, but an explanation of the scoring record requires a deeper dive.

By Rick Telander

College Sports

South Carolina is unanimous No. 1 in final AP Top 25 women's basketball poll

Iowa was a unanimous choice at No. 2, the Hawkeyes’ best finish since they were also second in the final poll of 1988.

By Associated Press

College Sports

UConn or Purdue? Men's NCAA title game definitely got the best-two-teams thing right

March Madness finale is the very matchup a Sun-Times scribe predicted it would be. Wait a minute — did that genius really pick the Boilermakers over the Huskies?

By Steve Greenberg

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - National Championship

College Sports

In the year of the favorite, South Carolina beats Iowa, Caitlin Clark for a national title

Women’s and men’s tournaments come down to the best teams.

By Rick Morrissey

College Sports

Undefeated South Carolina comes back, defeats Iowa 87-75 to win 2nd national championship in 3 seasons

Balanced attack from the Gamecocks bested Iowa and Caitlin Clark, who finished her collegiate career with 30 points.

By Associated Press

College Sports

Defending champ UConn returns to NCAA title game, beating Alabama

Next up for the Huskies will be what should be a much more physical test against 7-4, 300-pound Zach Edey and Purdue in Monday’s national championship game. UConn has its own accomplished big man in 7-2 Donovan Clingan.

By Associated Press

N.C. State forward DJ Burns Jr. dishes off as Purdue center Zach Edey defends during the second half of the national semifinals Saturday in Glendale, Ariz.

College Sports

Zach Edey, Purdue power their way into NCAA title game, beating N.C. State

Purdue kept its March Madness dream alive while snuffing out North Carolina State’s, getting 20 points and 12 rebounds from Zach Edey in a 63-50 victory.

By Associated Press

NCAA AP Womens Coach and Player of the Year Basketball

College Sports

Caitlin Clark can put GOAT discussion to rest in NCAA title game against South Carolina

Regardless of the sum of individuals’ GOAT equations, there’s no denying Clark is, at the very least, among the greatest with or without a national title. Sunday, though, she’ll have an opportunity to give the naysayers one less thing to argue against her.

By Annie Costabile

College Sports

Polling Place: Here are your men's and women's NCAA Tournament picks — and preferences

Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes have the most buzz on the women’s side — yes, it’s because she’s awesome — but the Gamecocks have yet to lose a game all season.

By Steve Greenberg

College Sports

Triton coach Brian Burns already making presence known by reaching national championship in first year

Burns has turned the Trojans into a legitimate national power at the highest level of junior-college basketball.

By Joe Henricksen

Screen Shot 2024-04-03 at 11.07.16 PM.png

College Sports

Bracket busters? UConn has been more like bracket gangbusters

Bet on it: Behind genius Hurley, UConn looks to go 6-0 against the spread in NCAA tourney for second consecutive year

By Rob Miech

College Sports

Caitlin Clark leads Iowa past UConn in women's Final Four

Next up for the Hawkeyes is a rematch with unbeaten South Carolina, which lost to Iowa in last year’s national semifinals.

By Associated Press

South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso shoots over North Carolina State center River Baldwin in the women's Final Four on Friday in Cleveland.

College Sports

South Carolina women stay perfect, surge past N.C. State to reach NCAA title game

Kamilla Cardoso scored 22 points and unbeaten South Carolina emphatically kept its perfect season going with a 78-59 victory over North Carolina State on Friday night.

By Associated Press

College Sports

Final Four brings women's basketball to one defining moment

Not since Magic vs. Bird has the sport been so redefined.

By Scoop Jackson

Purdue center Zach Edey dunks against Rutgers.

College Sports

Final Four: Will N.C. State's DJ Burns Jr. — or UConn's Donovan Clingan — neutralize Purdue star Zach Edey?

Here are 10 things to think about during Saturday’s men’s semifinals.

By Steve Greenberg

College Sports

USC's Bronny James enters NBA Draft while retaining college eligibility

James averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds while starting six of 25 games for the Trojans. He shot 37% from the field, 27% from 3-point range and 68% from the free-throw line.

By Associated Press

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (left) and UConn Paige Bueckers will face off in the Final Four.

College Sports

Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers is a rematch years in the making

The Final Four matchup between Iowa and UConn may break recently-set record for viewership.

By Annie Costabile

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley talks to guard Raven Johnson in an NCAA tournament game.

College Sports

South Carolina remains cautiously optimistic in Final Four matchup against N.C. State

Coach Dawn Staley’s biggest concern heading into the Final Four is her team’s youth: “They’re still very young. We don’t know when the lull will rear its ugly head and force us to really find ourselves in a position where we really feel like we’re going to lose basketball games.”

By Annie Costabile

College Sports

Illinois beats Villanova 71-57 for inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament title

Makira Cook rebounded from first-half foul trouble by scoring 22 of her 27 points in the second half.

By Associated Press

College Sports

LSU star Angel Reese declares for WNBA Draft, says, 'I didn't want to be basic'

The “Bayou Barbie,” who is known for her eyelash extensions, painted nails and ferocious play in the paint, formally declared for the draft two days after the Tigers’ season ended with a loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

By Associated Press

Side-by-side photo of UConn's Paige Bueckers and Iowa's Caitlin Clark

College Sports

Is it safe to ask if Paige Bueckers, not Caitlin Clark, is the best player in women's college basketball?

The UConn star might have the better all-around game.

By Rick Morrissey

College Sports

Call it 'Portal Combat' — the real madness of college basketball's postseason

The transfer portal opened on March 18, a day after Selection Sunday. That meant scrambling to build rosters for all those coaches whose teams weren’t headed for postseason tournaments — and all those coaches whose teams were.

By Steve Greenberg

College Sports

Angel Reese must quickly choose between LSU and WNBA

Players such as Reese, who were competing in the Elite Eight or beyond, have about 48 hours after their last game to decide whether to go pro or return to school.

By Associated Press

Lincoln-Way West's Josh Veldman on the sidelines this past season.

High School Football

Lincoln-Way West's Josh Veldman is a coup for Northwestern

A look at Veldman’s recent commitment and York’s new football coach.

By Mike Clark

College Sports

Caitlin Clark is the gif t that keeps on giving

Iowa superstar’s three-point prowess provides us all with something to admire.

By Rick Telander

College Sports

Caitlin Clark scores 41 against defending champion LSU to lead Iowa back to Final Four

Monday’s highly anticipated matchup was a rematch of last year’s national championship game won by LSU.

By Associated Press

Obituaries

Vontae Davis, 35, a former NFL and Illinois player, found dead in his South Florida home

Davis infamously retired during halftime of a game in 2018.

By Associated Press

Lance Jones #55 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

High School Basketball

Ranking the locals who made an impact in the NCAA men's basketball tournament

Since 1990, there have only been three Final Fours — 2021, 2007 and 1995 — in which a team didn’t have an Illinois player on scholarship.

By Joe Henricksen

College Sports

Key Illini will exit, but Brad Underwood says Illinois program isn't going anywhere

“Are you asking me should we slip?” Underwood fired back when that very inquiry was made after his team’s 77-52 loss to the Huskies on Saturday. “Shame on you. Hell, we’re not going anywhere.”

By Annie Costabile

College Sports

Behind Zach Edey's latest giant night, Purdue saves its rep — and the Big Ten's — en route to the Final Four

The Boilermakers got 40 points and 16 rebounds from Edey, who put his team on his back and put a size-20 foot down in unforgettable fashion in a 72-66 victory against Tennessee.

By Steve Greenberg