https://www.thegistsports.comGatsbyJSSat, 30 May 2026 16:19:23 GMThttps://www.thegistsports.com/article/two-young-ncaa-hoops-stars-have-pulled-ahead-in-the-race-for-player-of-the-year-cf4f2058-71d0-5d3e-9ff1-5a953befd0d6Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: As the women’s conference tournaments tip off and the men’s regular-season finale approaches, two youngsters are pulling ahead in the race for the sport’s highest individual honor: Player of the Year (POY). There are several POY honors, including the Wooden Award and those bestowed by the AP and other media outlets. But if we had to pick one as the most prestigious, it’d be the Naismith. That said, if a superstar truly rises above the competition, they’ll likely sweep ’em all. Cooper Flagg, No. 2 Duke men: The aforementioned freshman phenom is 18 years old and already playing at a pro level. Coming in at 6-foot-9, he’s as agile as a point guard, strong in the paint as a power forward, and tough as nails. You only need to check his stats (28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists) from Monday’s 93–60 spanking of Wake Forest to see why he’s the POY frontrunner. However, Flagg has some stiff competition from a few league veterans, namely No. 1 Auburn forward Johni Broome. Voters also like Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was one rebound away from his third straight double-double last night. JuJu Watkins, No. 2 USC women: She’s only a sophomore, but the guard, who could hunt down Iowa alum Caitlin Clark’s Division I scoring record, has already singlehandedly revived the Trojans. She pulled ahead in the POY race last Saturday, when USC secured the Big Ten regular-season championship with their win over No. 4 UCLA and their own POY candidate, Lauren Betts. Although Watkins is the heavy favorite, other contenders include No. 3 UConn guard Paige Bueckers, who’s been the face of the game for years, and fellow 2023–24 semifinalists Madison Booker of No. 1 Texas and Hannah Hidalgo of No. 6 Notre Dame. Stars, rising.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/the-acc-reaches-settlement-with-florida-state-and-clemson-to-keep-conference-together-124b6b74-64fb-5845-a4e5-c1e4fac2f0a5Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The ACC has delayed a catastrophe, settling a group of lawsuits with member schools Florida State and Clemson to keep the conference together for at least a few more years, narrowly avoiding the path that would have turned them into the next Pac-12. Phew. The background: The last two years of conference realignment chaos consolidated power in the Big Ten and SEC. Some think we may eventually be headed for a two-superconference system, making the schools who are not (yet) members nervous about being left behind. FSU and Clemson, the ACC’s most dominant football programs, feel they deserve to play with the big dogs — and, more importantly, want in on the Big Ten and SEC schools’ massive paydays. So they’ve been angling for an SEC invite, making their current conference home aca-awkward. Tensions escalated when FSU was controversially left out of the 2023–24 College Football Playoff (CFP). It might’ve been because their star quarterback was injured, but the school thought it was due to Big Ten and SEC favoritism and influence. The lawsuits: Last winter, the two schools sued to get out of their media contracts with the ACC, which run until 2036 and have astronomically high exit fees. They hoped to negotiate a cheaper exit and try their luck with the SEC…but the ACC wouldn’t go down without a fight. The conference countersued to keep these massive money-making programs within the fold; the ACC dug their heels in as Clemson and FSU pulled away, and now, it’s mostly paid off. The latest: The schools and the conference agreed to stay together under a few conditions. First, the ACC will progressively lower its exit fees each year until 2031, when they’ll reach $75M — a bargain compared to the current $165M rate. However, should any school — not just FSU or Clemson — try to leave before the media contract expires in 2036, the ACC would retain that school’s media rights and could sell them to the school’s new conference. The schools did walk away with one big win, as long as they put their money where their mouth is: The conference changed its revenue structure to reward larger TV audiences and CFP appearances. The ACC survives, the schools get paid, and everyone’s happy…for now.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/last-week-of-ncaa-mens-basketball-regular-season-promises-rivalry-matchups-49b0f0c1-b136-52e9-bbce-a536e8b5bd68Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The gals weren’t the only ones causing regular-season rumbles this weekend — several men’s teams also clinched their conference championships with Saturday wins, while others still hang in the balance. Here’s which Power 5 teams are chilling for the last week of the regular season, and which ones still have “lock down prime conference tournament seeding” on their to-do list. Who’s clinched: St. John’s raised some eyebrows when they hired the ever-controversial Rick Pitino to be their new head coach in 2023, but the turnaround is going strong: The No. 7 Red Storm have won their first outright Big East championship in 40 years, also completing their first undefeated season at home since 1931–32. The typically tight Big 12 also resolved early, as No. 4 Houston locked up their second straight title with their 73–64 win over Cincinnati. No surprise that the nation’s best defense does, in fact, win championships. And in the SEC, No. 1 Auburn emerged from a chaotic, Anchorman-style melee to take the title in the nation’s rowdiest conference. The Tigers did it by beating blue blood No. 17 Kentucky on the road for the first time since 1988, and it wasn’t even close. Who’s still hunting: Even though No. 2 Duke is having a phenomenal year while the ACC is having a rough one, the Blue Devils boast just a one-game lead over No. 13 Clemson and No. 19 Louisville, with two games remaining on each team’s schedule. Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg is reportedly limping toward the postseason, so this race could get wild quickly. And the fight for the Big Ten is the spiciest around: No. 15 Michigan’s 93–73 disaster against Illinois yesterday put them one game back from heated intrastate rival No. 8 Michigan State. Both squads have two to play…including their showdown this Sunday. No pressure.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/juju-watkins-pulls-ahead-in-player-of-the-year-race-as-regular-season-ends-157bbe33-86a2-58a9-ab2d-c41053f2ab4cMon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[Content warning: This section mentions domestic and sexual abuse. The GIST: If the regular-season finale were a movie, it would have won an Oscar for Best Drama last night. Several Sunday upsets shook things up as teams made their last postseason pushes before conference tournaments tip off this week. No. 4 USC’s JuJu Watkins shines in Battle for LA: The sophomore phenom had a weekend for the ages. Not only did she drop 30 on crosstown rival No. 2 UCLA on Saturday to complete the season sweep, but the 80–67 win clinched the Big Ten regular-season title for the Trojans in their first season in the conference. They came, they saw, they conquered. This is notably USC’s first title since the Lisa Leslie era in 1994. Watkins made waves when she committed to the Trojans, whose glory days were long behind them — but in two short years, the sophomore has brought them back into the national conversation. A true game-changer. Speaking of, Watkins also outshone UCLA’s Lauren Betts, whose double-double wasn’t enough to avenge the Bruins’ February 13th loss at USC. The showing placed Watkins way ahead of Betts — and everyone else — in the Player of the Year race. She may not wear hats, but she does lift trophies. SEC and ACC titles split: The SEC saw its fair share of turbulence yesterday, but ultimately, the big dogs still came out on top: No. 1 Texas and reigning national champ No. 6 South Carolina tied for the regular-season crown. These teams also split wins in their two matchups this season, so seeding for this week’s tournament came down to the world’s most awkward coin toss, which SC won. Elsewhere, the ACC was No. 3 Notre Dame’s to lose…and they almost did, halting their two-game skid with yesterday’s 72–59 win over No. 25 Louisville to salvage a shared ’ship with No. 9 NC State. No. 10 TCU seals Big 12 in winner-take-all showdown: The Horned Frogs won a wire-to-wire defensive battle with No. 17 Baylor 51–48 last night to snag the No. 1 seed, largely thanks to a monster performance from center Sedona Prince, who continues to start for TCU despite domestic and sexual abuse allegations. Sigh.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/bizarre-night-in-college-hoops-sets-up-thrilling-regular-season-finale-5de07779-ef25-5745-be93-420ba80d2f59Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Notre Dame’s aforementioned loss was the biggest upset of a wild Thursday, but last night featured all sorts of bizarre score lines as teams careen towards the postseason. Look out, the wheels are coming off. Huge blowouts dominate the night: A stunning seven games featuring top-25 teams ended in landslides last night. No. 15 Kentucky and No. 16 Duke both notched big upsets over No. 11 Tennessee and No. 8 UNC respectively, but it was No. 13 Oklahoma who ran up the score the most in their 89–65 spanking of Florida. Holy moly. One of the few games that wasn’t a smackdown, surprisingly, was No. 1 Texas’ distressingly narrow 68–64 win over Mississippi State, which was neck-and-neck until the very end. Toss in No. 7 LSU’s overtime 88–85 loss to No. 20 Alabama, and you have one weird night on the hardwood. No. 5 UConn becomes first Power 5 team to clinch: The Huskies stomped No. 22 Creighton 72–53 to secure the regular-season Big East title, along with the all-important No. 1 seed (plus a first-round bye) in next week’s conference tournament, bringing with it an easier path to a March Madness auto-bid. Notre Dame could’ve clinched their conference crown last night, but now, they’re tied with No. 9 NC State for the lead in the ACC. It’s a similar scene in the SEC, where Texas and No. 6 South Carolina are in a deadlock for the regular-season crown. But things are even spicier in the Big Ten and Big 12… Two winner-take-all matchups ahead: Tomorrow holds a rematch made for Hollywood as No. 2 UCLA seeks redemption against crosstown rival No. 4 USC at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. The Trojans handed UCLA their only loss of the season back on Galentine’s Day, but it’s not just revenge on the line: The winner will also clinch the Big Ten regular-season ’ship. And the winner for Best Drama is… And in the Big 12, No. 10 TCU (where Sedona Prince is still a starter, BTW…) and No. 17 Baylor will duke it out to break their tie for the regular-season title Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Clear your cal now, you’re booked and busy all weekend.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/the-puck-drops-on-ncaa-womens-ice-hockey-conference-championships-65bcec65-84c0-5ff9-a8e5-9a4463df2898Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Spring is in the air, but we’re not done with winter just yet — the puck dropped on most women’s hockey conference tournaments this week, the first step on the road to the March 23rd national championship game. And while it’s early in the postseason, these games are certainly not short on intrigue: The unique playoff structure makes the hunt for the natty extra-spicy from the beginning. The context: Like other NCAA sports, hockey’s conference tourneys offer the winner an automatic bid to the national championship bracket. But that’s especially coveted in women’s hockey because the bracket is so small: Only five auto-bids and six at-large selections qualify for the 11-team natty. And while parity is improving, there are still only a handful of teams that dominate that at-large selection process…so if a squad wants to make a Cinderella run to the Frozen Four, they better clinch their spot by winning their conference tourney. The top contenders: Only five different schools have ever won the sport’s 23 national tournaments, and four of them hail from the WCHA. It’s by far the most competitive conference, containing four of the top six programs, so expect world-class hockey and a whole lot of rivalry action when all eight teams take the ice today starting at 3 p.m. ET. No. 9 Clarkson, the fifth program to hoist the hardware, competes in the ECAC, the second-toughest conference. These East Coast early birds are already through their first round, which means quarter-final action awaits you starting today at 2 p.m. ET. Game on.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/major-shakeups-in-ncaa-womens-and-mens-basketball-polls-as-regular-season-finales-near-ce0fd63d-6d76-5d2b-83a7-6dcfa589dbb5Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: It’s been a topsy-turvy few weeks in college basketball, and the latest AP Polls reflect the parity on both the women’s and men’s sides. As if filling out your March Madness bracket wasn’t already impossible. The women: New No. 1 alert! The Texas Longhorns are the fourth squad to take the top spot this season, joining now–No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Notre Dame, and No. 6 South Carolina. It’s the first time the Longhorns have been ranked No. 1 in 21 years — aka, before Player of the Year candidate, sophomore Madison Booker, was even born. Alright, alright, alright. Texas wasted no time proving that they deserve the honor: They held Georgia to just 26 points (!!!) in Monday’s beatdown. And the Longhorns aren’t the only team catching fire. SEC rivals No. 11 Tennessee and No. 13 Oklahoma also got a boost in Monday’s drop, putting six of the conference’s contenders in the top 15. Guess it literally just means more. The men: It’s pure chaos on the guys’ side, where preseason No. 1 and historical powerhouse Kansas has fallen out of the poll entirely for the first time in nearly four years. It’s been a brutal season for the Jayhawks, who have fallen short in games big and small. But they’re not the only ones struggling — it’s been an all-around strange year for the sport’s blue bloods (with the exception, of course, of freshman phenom Cooper Flagg’s No. 2 Duke). On the flip side, now–No. 8 Michigan State jumped six spots, a sweet treat to go along with their new lead in the Big Ten. No matter how tough their regular season, the Spartans always seem to turn it on come March — looks like this year will be no different.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/thursday-slate-of-ncaa-womens-basketball-matchups-can-clinch-tourney-seeds-25878c8d-17b7-5102-adaa-81ffa38d237cWed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The window to secure a favorable seed for next week’s conference tourneys is rapidly closing, adding an extra layer of drama to tomorrow’s top-25 matchups. Prep your multi-screen setup now — you won’t want to miss a minute. No. 8 UNC Tar Heels (25-4) vs. No. 16 Duke Blue Devils (21-7), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN): The Heels are on a seven-game win streak, but are without star fifth-year Alyssa Ustby, who’s week-to-week with a knee injury. Duke, meanwhile, could seriously jump in the ACC standings with a dub. One of the best rivalries in sports is about to gain another chapter. No. 5 UConn Huskies (26-3) vs. No. 22 Creighton Bluejays (23-4), 7 p.m. ET (CBS Sports): UConn had no trouble beating the Bluejays in January…or any time in the past decade. But Creighton has an extra incentive: If they can pull off the upset, they’ll be tied with the Huskies for the lead in the Big East with just one regular-season game remaining. No time like the present, ladies. No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers (21-6) vs. No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats (21-5), 7 p.m. ET (SEC Network): Kentucky’s cooling off at the worst possible moment: They’ve dropped three of their last five, even as superstar guard Georgia Amoore continues to frustrate the likes of LSU coach Kim Mulkey. The Wildcats’ last home game is also their last chance to prove they’re a force in the cutthroat SEC. No. 7 LSU Tigers (27-2) vs. No. 20 Alabama Crimson Tide (22-6), 9 p.m. ET (SEC Network): Speaking of Mulkey’s squad, guards Aneesah Morrow, Flau’jae Johnson, and Mikaylah Williams aren’t just gracing the cover of SLAM — they’re also slamming their way through the aforementioned SEC. This is a crucial matchup as they build momentum for the conference tourney next week.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/where-the-power-conferences-sit-a-week-before-ncaa-womens-basketball-conference-tourneys-2f2ff970-174e-507e-acad-6ead69820f30Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Welcome to the last week of the regular season, where squads are frantically jockeying to finish strong in the standings. On the line? Regular-season titles (which go to the team or teams with the best in-conference record) and seeding for next week’s conference tourneys. Here’s how things are shaking out in the top conferences as we near the finish line. Buckle your seat belt — we’re in for a wild week. ACC: No. 1 Notre Dame would have locked down the title and No. 1 seed yesterday, but despite guard Sonia Citron’s heroics, the Irish suffered their first ACC loss, a 104–95 double-overtime (OT) L to No. 13 NC State. With the upset, the Wolfpack move to just one game behind ND and could steal or split the championship if the Irish stumble again. In the hunt, indeed. Big 12: This race is crowded at the top: Not only are No. 10 TCU and No. 19 Baylor tied atop the standings, but they’re just two of five squads who could feasibly win the ’ship. Baylor has a high-risk, high-reward week ahead: They can claim the crown with a win over No. 12 Kansas State tonight at 7 p.m. ET and against TCU on Sunday. Big East: The aforementioned Auriemma’s Huskies, as per usual, are the top dog here, but they’re just one game ahead of No. 23 Creighton. They can win the title outright with a dub against…you guessed it, the Bluejays, on Thursday. Living for the drama. Big Ten: West Coast, best coast? One of the Big Ten’s LA schools, either No. 3 UCLA or No. 4 USC, is guaranteed to win the championship their first season in the mainly Midwestern conference. Assuming UCLA survives Wednesday’s road game at unranked Wisconsin, it’ll all come down to a Saturday rematch between these two neighboring powerhouses. A hoops lover’s dream. SEC: The SEC is also as tight as can be. No. 6 South Carolina holds a narrow lead, but it’s extremely likely to turn into a tie if No. 2 Texas beats a troubled Georgia tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Also in the conversation is No. 7 LSU, who took No. 14 Kentucky out of contention with yesterday’s 65–58 road win. Cutthroat doesn’t even begin to cover it.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/oregon-mens-basketball-captures-weekends-biggest-upset-f16df91d-8f61-58fe-9c8a-86c4f9d10f22Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: There are still two weeks left in the men’s regular season, but that doesn’t mean things are any less dramatic on their courts. Case in point? This Saturday saw some major shakeups on the hardwood. Oregon tops No. 11 Wisconsin in OT thriller: The Ducks executed the weekend’s biggest upset, and it was a nail-biter. They roared quacked back from a 17-point deficit and nailed a desperation three-pointer to send things to OT, where they pulled away from the Badgers to win 77–73 on the road. Ducking amazing. Guards lead No. 5 Houston and No. 6 Tennessee to top-10 wins: Tennessee dominated No. 7 Texas A&M on their home court, bringing a 77–69 victory back to Knoxville. Fifth-year Chaz Lanier was nearly unstoppable from the three-point line, putting up 22 points in the first half alone to finish with a game-best 30. Too hot, hot damn. Houston also captured a big dub, topping No. 8 Iowa State 68–59. The Cougars’ signature lockdown defense was outshone only by grad student L.J. Cryer, who led all players with 28 points. Houston’s not out of the woods just yet, though — they have their second top-10 matchup in three days on deck, visiting No. 9 Texas Tech tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. No. 15 Missouri fails heat check: Just after we hyped them up Friday, the Tigers suffered a disappointing 92–85 loss at Arkansas, only the fifth conference win for the Razorbacks. Goes to show you, you can never sleep on the SEC. No. 14 Michigan State wins rivalry game: Is there anything better than beating your blood rival in a ranked matchup on their home court? Yes, when that dub also gives you the lead in the Big Ten — which is exactly what happened when the Spartans beat No. 12 Michigan 75–62. All hail the Mitten kings.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/ncaa-womens-hoops-teams-record-lopsided-wins-and-shocking-upsets-506c1966-afa7-574f-8d6f-694ac844a0d8Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Most teams have just three matchups remaining before conference tournaments begin in early March, and you can tell — these squads are balling so hard as they warm up for the postseason and jockey for higher seeds. No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 6 South Carolina rack up 40-point dubs: It’s a March Madness No. 1 seed or bust for these two squads, who are looking as dominant as ever following last night’s respective blowout wins. ND held Miami to 0-for-16 in 3-point shooting, destroying the Hurricanes 82–42 on the road. As for the offense, Irish forward Liatu King was particularly impressive with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, five of SC’s talented hoopers scored in double-digit points, helping the Gamecocks storm to a 95–55 dub, a much-needed statement win after a pair of ranked losses. And they weren’t the only ones sailing to convincing wins last night: No. 16 Oklahoma also recorded a 20-point victory over freshman phenom Mikayla Blakes’ Vanderbilt, and No. 13 NC State routed No. 20 Georgia Tech 83–68 for a top-25 dub. Sheesh. Rebuilding Indiana and Louisville capture signature wins: Both squads have struggled to match the success of their last few years, but you wouldn’t know it from last night: Indiana stunned rival No. 8 Ohio State 71–61 behind a double-double from guard Yarden Garzon, while Louisville outlasted No. 11 Duke 70–62, handing the Blue Devils their second straight loss. Back like they never left.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/missouri-mens-basketball-is-completing-one-of-college-hoops-most-impressive-turnarounds-in-years-ce7ea3a4-6bcd-56ef-bf15-62492f505231Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Competing in the country’s most cutthroat conference, the SEC, gives up-and-comers plenty of opportunities to nab statement wins, and one team is taking full advantage. The aforementioned No. 15 Mizzou Tigers are completing a Mia Thermopolis–level glow-up, peaking at just the right time as March Madness looms. The glow-up: Last season was one of the worst in Mizzou’s history. The terrible Tigers went an abysmal 8-24 overall and failed to win a single conference game. That’s right, they suffered 18 straight losses in SEC play — which makes this year’s turnaround even more stunning. In the blink of an eye, the Tigers went from basement dweller to bonafide March Madness threat. They’re rocking a 20-6 overall record and are 9-4 in conference play, good enough for fourth in the toughest conference around. But the most impressive part of their resume? They’ve taken down three top-5 opponents this season: then–No. 1 Kansas on December 8th, then–No. 5 Florida on January 14th, and now, No. 4 Alabama in Wednesday’s thriller. Unreal. The secret: Junior guard Mark Mitchell, who recorded 31 points on Wednesday, leads the team’s humming offense, known for its super hot starts. They also have a phenomenal turnover-to-steals ratio and consistently productive bench players, including grad student guard Caleb Grill. But the most important factor? It’s obvious that these guys love one another and their coach — just look at this clip and try to keep from smiling. Talent can take you far, but nothing beats team chemistry. What’s next: The too-hot Tigers hope to keep rolling against a meh Arkansas squad tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. And with just five regular-season games remaining on their schedule, they’re close to sealing a high seed in the SEC Tournament, where a win would earn them an automatic bid to the March Madness bracket. Me-ow.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/notre-dame-headlines-postpresidents-day-womens-hoops-vibe-check-30af5db4-8b8f-58cf-b974-7ae0f16a7c3eWed, 19 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: When it comes to individual players, no one’s hotter than the aforementioned Mikayla Blakes right now. But it’s teams that win championships — and as the postseason looms, a few squads are red-hot while others are decidedly not. 🔥 No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Irish seized the top spot in the AP Poll for the first time since 2019 on Monday, then immediately proved why with a 64–49 rout of No. 11 Duke, their 18th straight dub. ND continues to boast the country’s best backcourt thanks to guards and SLAM covergirls Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo — watch out, world. 🔥 No. 2 Texas Longhorns: There’s a new sheriff in town! Texas has been absolutely crushing their first season in the big, bad SEC, racking up their third straight top-10 conference W with Sunday’s 65–58 victory over No. 7 LSU. Led by walking bucket Madison Booker, who recorded her sixth double-double of the season in that game, it’s unclear if anyone can stop the Longhorns at this point. 🔥 No. 5 UConn Huskies: Even as parity skyrockets across the league, the OG women’s hoops dynasty is proving they’re still top dawg. They handed powerhouse No. 6 South Carolina their first home loss since December 3rd, 2020 (!!!) on Sunday, and it wasn’t even close. Guard Azzi Fudd brought the most bark for the Huskies, earning her national Player of the Week honors. ❄️ No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats: Big Blue Nation’s hopes soared when Kentucky poached head coach Kenny Brooks and star point guard Georgia Amoore from Virginia Tech. But the new regime hit a major snag last week, suffering one upset loss and one blowout, which dropped them six spots in Monday’s poll and likely put them out of the running for the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament. Womp womp.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/sec-teams-dominate-the-first-two-weeks-of-collegiate-softball-season-b6b49d54-7b14-5257-aa61-02b59cc7fd39Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Speaking of hot squads, one conference has taken NCAA softball by storm in the first two weeks of the season: the SEC. Turning on that Southern charm. The context: While former Big 12 juggernaut Oklahoma has been college softball’s It Girls for more than a decade, the SEC has been the most broadly talented conference as of late. But this summer, Oklahoma (and fellow Women’s College World Series regular Texas) dumped the Big 12 to join the SEC, taking the group head and shoulders above the rest of the field. The latest: As of yesterday’s poll drop, the conference owns a whopping 13 squads in the top 25. The next-best conference? The ACC with just four. Even more mind-blowing, though, is the top of that list: SEC squads make up eight of the top 10. Holy cannoli. What’s more, just 12 Division I teams remain undefeated…and seven are in the SEC. If they can keep winning at this clip, they’ll set themselves up for absolutely cutthroat conference play starting up in a few weeks. Up next: No. 7 Tennessee, No. 10 Arkansas, and No. 22 Missouri will fight to maintain SEC dominance in one of the early season’s most storied tourneys, the Mary Nutter College Classic, which hits the diamond tomorrow. Blue-blood No. 4 UCLA, a new member of the Big Ten, is in the running for that tournament, but one thing’s for sure: The road to the Women’s College World Series runs through the Southeast.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/womens-basketball-star-sedona-prince-accused-of-relationship-violence-bee6c1aa-8f4f-55cf-bebd-904c422e7892Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[Content warning: This section mentions sexual misconduct. The GIST: No. 11 TCU women’s basketball star Sedona Prince faces allegations of sexual and physical abuse from at least four former partners, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. The allegations date from 2019, when Prince was a redshirt freshman at Oregon, through last month. Horrifying. The background: The 6-foot-7 center first rose to fame in 2021 for her viral TikTok calling out the massive disparities between the women’s and men’s accommodations during their respective March Madness tournaments. That video sparked the movement for equity that continues to fuel the sport’s explosion into the mainstream. Since then, Prince has become one of the faces of collegiate women’s hoops and a fierce advocate for the game — making these accusations all the more shocking. The allegations: The accusers reported that Prince, who denies all allegations, threatened legal action and employed non-disclosure agreements to keep them from taking their stories public. Meanwhile, the university has been aware of at least some of the claims since last year but has allowed Prince to remain on the court, celebrating her nomination to watchlists for several awards as recently as this week. It’s unclear whether Prince will suit up for the Horned Frogs’ Sunday game against Arizona, but one thing is clear as day — again and again, protect women.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/trump-administration-says-title-ix-doesnt-apply-to-future-nil-payments-from-universities-7aa919ce-4574-5f61-a206-28891709993cFri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: In more distressing off-court news, on Wednesday, the newly-gutted Department of Education (DoE) rolled back the Biden administration’s guidelines stating that Title IX regulations apply to name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals between universities and athletes. So what does that really mean? Women athletes stand to gain far less from the upcoming changes stemming from the House v. NCAA settlement. The background: Title IX requires college athletic departments to equitably allocate resources to male and female athletes — for instance, if a student body is 50% women, then 50% of scholarship dollars must go to women athletes. Although the law is far from perfect (see: enforcement issues and a convoluted scholarship system), it created opportunities for thousands of women to compete. As for the aforementioned House settlement, universities will soon be able to share up to $20M of revenue directly with athletes via NIL deals. But it doesn’t say whether that revenue must be divided equitably between men and women — that’s open to the DoE’s interpretation. The latest: The Trump administration’s DoE said that Title IX does not bind NIL agreements between athletic departments and athletes, so schools can funnel more NIL money to the players that bring in the most revenue (football and men’s basketball players). That means women athletes could largely be left out of the windfall that many consider restitution for years of unfair labor practices. Universities still have the final say in how they’ll distribute revenue once the House payments begin this summer. This latest news simply means they won’t be required by law to give a dime of NIL money to women athletes — unless Title IX attorneys have their way.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/upsets-and-narrow-saves-dominate-midweek-womens-hoops-storylines-58aaa160-3fe3-5987-909c-4bf9b24480d2Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Several top-25 women’s hoops teams suffered upsets last night, while others squeaked by with last-minute saves. In other words, it was women’s hoops at its finest. ❤️ No. 6 USC hands No. 1 UCLA first loss: The Battle for LA was a truly star-studded affair, but it was Juju Watkins who really shone, leading the Trojans with a historic 38 point, 11 rebound, eight block, and five assist performance as they pulled off a gutsy 71–60 win and snapped the Bruins’ program record 23-game win streak. Earning all the flowers. 🤘 No. 3 Texas crushes No. 8 Kentucky: The Longhorns are absolutely rolling, taking their momentum from Sunday’s win over No. 4 South Carolina straight to Kentucky’s home court. Both teams had a brutal shooting night, but the ’Horns made up for it by killing Kentucky on the boards in the resounding 67–49 dub. Building a win, brick by brick. But in the cutthroat SEC, the challenges just keep coming: Texas will face their third straight top-10 opponent in No. 5 LSU Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. Gotta beat the best to be the best, right? 😲 No. 9 Ohio State escapes Minnesota in overtime: Bruised from last week’s nightmarish road trip to the Big Ten’s LA schools, the Buckeyes came this close to dropping their third straight game last night. Forward Cotie McMahon put OSU on her back with 25 points, grinding out the last-minute 87–84 win to stop the skid. Whew.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/what-we-learned-from-week-one-of-the-softball-season-d4aacb96-fdf3-5d42-bb44-23ff9449a35aWed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The NCAA softball landscape has long been dominated by the same teams, with Oklahoma winning the last four titles and just 13 different squads claiming trophies since 1982. But if Week 1 is any indication, we just might be seeing an increase in parity. Here’s who’s knocking it out of the park with the first few games done and dusted. Prepare for plenty of upsets this season: Underdogs ruled opening weekend, setting the tone for what’s to come. The unexpected results included then–No. 24 Mississippi State shutting out junior Jordy Bahl and then–No. 16 Nebraska, Arizona State topping then-No. 21 Cal, and Georgia Southern defeating then-22 Michigan. Look out. NiJaree Canady bringing it for Texas Tech: The 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year sent shockwaves through the NCAA when she transferred from Stanford to the unestablished Red Raiders. But Canady is already dominating, with 40 strikeouts in four games and a .364 batting average to boot. A star at the dish and in the circle. Four-time defending champs Oklahoma survive scares: That aforementioned parity extended to the seemingly untouchable No. 3 Sooners, who were surprisingly taken to extra innings twice in their opening weekend action. This season is about to be wild.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/no-1-ucla-and-no-6-usc-meet-for-the-first-time-this-season-in-a-rivalry-clash-21b165c3-89ce-559c-b46d-71e2d88d03f3Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Did somebody say rivalry? One of the season’s most anticipated matchups goes down tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET as No. 1 UCLA takes on crosstown rival No. 6 USC on Peacock. This game has a little bit of everything, which adds up to a whole lot of excitement. You’re in for a treat. One game, two Player of the Year (PoY) candidates: UCLA junior center Lauren Betts and USC sophomore guard JuJu Watkins are two of the leading contenders for the honor. Betts averages 19.6 points and 9.7 rebounds for the undefeated Bruins, while Watkins puts up 23.9 points and 4 assists per game for the Trojans. Holy moly. Kiki vs. Kiki: In addition to both teams boasting a potential POY, both also have a superstar named Kiki. UCLA guard Kiki Rice was the No. 2–rated player in the 2022 recruiting class, behind Betts, and plays a key role for the Bruins, averaging 12.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Kiki Iriafen cut her teeth with Stanford last season before transferring to USC to bolster the Trojans’ NCAA title chances. Fun fact: UCLA’s Betts and USC’s Iriafen, who will be battling in the paint, both played for Stanford during the 2022-23 season. *Insert spiderman meme here* New conference, same rivalry: This is the first time the Bruins and Trojans will square off as members of the Big Ten, after their schools set off the recent wave of conference realignment. But it’s certainly not their first big-time matchup: They last met in the 2024 Pac-12 tourney, when USC claimed an 80–70 overtime win. Drama, drama.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/recapping-key-mens-basketball-games-from-tuesday-including-a-big-win-from-no-20-michigan-over-no-7-purdue-9f9e1bcf-a413-5a70-88a7-a51c5288097bWed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The regular season is winding down, which means the excitement is ramping up. Yesterday’s slate of men’s college basketball games did not disappoint, with bounce-back wins, upsets, and all-around performances from stars and role players alike. Let’s break it down: No. 20 Michigan avenges January loss to No. 7 Purdue: Led by junior center Danny Wolf with 15 points and nine rebounds, Michigan secured a 75–73 statement win over Purdue, just two weeks after losing to the Boilermakers by 27 points. Three other Wolverines also finished in double-figures in a balanced effort. Hyped is an understatement. No. 15 Kentucky upsets No. 5 Tennessee: For the second time this season, Kentucky got the better of higher-ranked Tennessee, this time defeating the Vols 75–64. Six different Wildcats were successful from behind the 3-point line, where the squad recorded a phenomenal 12 buckets in 24 attempts. On fire. No. 3 Florida defeats No. 22 Mississippi State: The Gators rallied together after sophomore forward Alex Condon left the court with an ankle injury just 30 seconds into the game. Florida went on to a resounding 81–68 win behind 20 points from junior Denzel Aberdeen and 19 points from senior Walter Clayton Jr. No. 1 Auburn bounces back from loss: After losing their first SEC game over the weekend, the Tigers came roaring back with an 80–68 victory over Vanderbilt. But the real test looms, as Auburn takes on intrastate rival No. 2 Alabama this weekend. This was just a warmup — time to lock in.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/upsets-owned-the-weekend-in-the-mens-college-basketball-space-4e68a207-b86a-5a20-a977-72cde1dbf4f6Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: You get an upset, you get an upset, everybody gets an upset! It was that kind of weekend in men’s basketball, where the underdogs took control on Saturday. With March Madness rapidly approaching, resume-boosting wins are all the more important. Here’s what you missed: 🐯 Clemson tops No. 2 Duke: Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg scored 18 points, but Clemson’s senior star got the last laugh: Center Viktor Lakhin dropped 22 to carry his Tigers past the Blue Devils for a 77–71 win, the weekend’s most surprising takedown. The victory also led to one of the game’s most iconic forms of celebration: A good, old-fashioned court storming. 🐊 No. 6 Florida deals No. 1 Auburn first conference L: After a month atop the AP Poll, the top-ranked Tigers might be saying “later, Gator” to that No. 1 ranking following their 90–81 loss to No. 6 Florida. The Gators had five players score in double-figures for a balanced effort, led by senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. with 19 points, to stay competitive in the cutthroat SEC. 🐦 Creighton adds another upset to resume: With upsets over then–No. 1 Kansas and then–No. 14 UConn already to their name, the Creighton Bluejays took down another Goliath, stunning No. 11 Marquette 77–67. Fifth-year senior guard Steven Ashworth led the way with 22 points, including a 6-for-9 performance from 3-point range. Hot damn. 🐱 Kansas State hands No. 16 Kansas another troubling loss: The Jayhawks, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, have been upset by unranked teams five times, with the latest coming in an 81–73 loss at the hands of their mediocre intrastate rival. It’s not not time to panic in Lawrence…]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/catching-up-on-the-weekends-biggest-womens-college-basketball-games-fa733044-68c4-516d-9f81-f2905b7ab527Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The weekend’s slate of women’s college basketball games had a little bit of everything, from upsets, to star performances, to a Texas-sized serving of revenge. No. 4 Texas gets revenge on No. 2 South Carolina: Less than a month after their brutal road loss to the Gamecocks, the Longhorns returned the favor yesterday, coming away with a 66–62 victory — just South Carolina’s second loss in nearly two years. Longhorns superstar sophomore Madison Booker recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds. Horns all the way up. No. 7 USC dominates No. 8 Ohio State: The Big Ten showdown was decided in the paint thanks to USC senior Kiki Iriafen, who put on a show with 24 points and 13 rebounds in the 84–63 dub. But it was a whole-team effort from the Trojans — three other players finished in double-digits, including sophomore star JuJu Watkins with 17 points. No. 25 Oklahoma State upsets No. 12 Kansas State: Shooters shoot, and that’s exactly what Oklahoma State senior Anna Gret Asi did in her team’s 85–55 upset win over K-State. The guard finished with 24 points on eight made 3-pointers (!!!), more than half of her team’s 14 buckets from downtown. On fire. Michigan wins The Mitten: The Wolverines’ freshman trio was dominant — Syla Swords led with 19 points, Olivia Olson had 14, and Mila Holloway added 10 — as Michigan secured a 71–61 dub over intrastate blood rival No. 20 Michigan State. With three straight wins in the big, bad Big Ten, the Wolverines might be peaking at just the right time.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/recapping-the-weeks-most-exciting-womens-college-basketball-games-2da39166-5d87-566d-88ac-da8305a5f7d4Fri, 07 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The postseason is only a month away, adding a little extra spice to intraconference showdowns. These latest top-25 matchups have everything from major seeding implications, to history-making outcomes, to jaw-dropping stats. Lock in now. No. 19 Tennessee stuns No. 5 UConn: For the first time since 2007 — when Candace Parker played for the Vols — Tennessee defeated the Huskies 76–80 last night. Junior Zee Spearman led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Samara Spencer, Jewel Spear, and Talaysia Cooper also finished in double-figures for the well-balanced, history-making Vols. Rocky Top, indeed. No. 1 UCLA stays undefeated: The Bruins passed yet another test, handing No. 8 Ohio State just their second loss of the season with a 65–52 rout on Wednesday. Bruins center Lauren Betts continued to garner Player of the Year buzz with 19 points and 14 rebounds. A true LA star. Sundell leads No. 12 Kansas State past No. 9 TCU: With K-State star center Ayoka Lee out due to injury, point guard Serena Sundell put the team on her back in Wednesday’s 59–50 win over TCU. Sundell scored a season-high 27 points, including 15 in the third quarter alone, to help the Wildcats capture the Big 12’s top spot from the Horned Frogs. Feeling hot, hot, hot. Eleven players score in South Carolina blowout: The No. 2 team in the country is synonymous with depth, but the Gamecocks took it to another level in their 74–42 win over Georgia, with 11 of 12 players scoring at least a point. The game’s two leading scorers, sophomores MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson, led the way off the bench with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Sharing the love.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/softball-season-is-upon-us-with-familiar-faces-headlining-the-nations-top-squads-c82d3281-23d6-5bc0-ae91-114e35b3c20eWed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: There might still be snow outside your window and a chill in the air, but get your glove ready because softball season is almost here. Let’s check in on the top storylines and get ready for the season before it swings into action tomorrow. How it works: Division I programs begin play tomorrow, kicking off a three and a half month season that ends with 64 teams earning spots in the national tournament. Half of those teams get the nod for winning their conference, while the other half are selected by a committee. Batter up. Can anyone dethrone Oklahoma?: The Sooners have ruled the diamond for the last decade, claiming six NCAA championships since 2016 and the last four in a row. Could a five-peat be incoming? Not if preseason No. 1 Texas has anything to say about it. The Longhorns finished second to Oklahoma in 2022 and 2024, meaning they’re extra hungry for a title and a side of revenge. Leading the way for the Longhorns? Reigning Softball America Player of the Year, junior Reese Atwood, a power hitter who homered 23 times last season. How will conference realignment change things?: Some of the country’s top programs will be experiencing change due to the dismantling of the Pac-12, including preseason No. 6 UCLA, the school with the most Women’s College World Series titles. The Bruins will now play in the Big Ten alongside Oregon, while other conference standouts Stanford and California have joined the ACC. Meanwhile, last season’s USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NiJaree Canady, transferred from Stanford to Texas Tech. Can the star pitcher and her jaw-dropping 0.57 ERA transform the Red Raiders? Can’t wait to find out.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/previewing-the-weeks-biggest-womens-college-basketball-games-14c0bfad-ad28-5c1a-afd5-7d55c9112603Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: This week’s slate of women’s basketball games features several top-25 contests with major postseason implications. With March just one month away, the stakes are officially raised. No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs at No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats — Today at 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN+: The winner of this matchup will take sole possession of the Big 12’s top spot. Expect a point guard battle between TCU’s Hailey Van Lith, who averages 18.7 points per game, and K-State’s Serena Sundell, who leads the country with 166 assists. It’s a guard-eat-guard world. No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 1 UCLA Bruins — Today at 9:30 p.m. ET — Peacock: On the line? First place in the Big Ten, a shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and UCLA’s status as Division I’s only undefeated team, women’s or men’s. Cancel your plans and pop some popcorn — this one’s a must-see. No. 5 UConn Huskies at No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers — Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ET — ESPN: Two of the country’s most historic programs will meet for the 27th time, with UConn holding a 17-9 advantage. This rivalry started in 1995 with the late Pat Summitt coaching the Vols against Geno Auriemma’s rising Huskies, and it promises even more drama 30 years later. No. 24 Vanderbilt Commodores at No. 4 Texas Longhorns — Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET — SECN: Vanderbilt already has two SEC upsets to its name, but beating Texas would take its postseason resume to another level. Meanwhile, sophomore sensation Madison Booker and the Longhorns are seeking a No. 1 seed come March.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/checking-in-on-the-four-mens-indoor-ncaa-track-records-set-so-far-this-season-bd968ac3-b208-5a69-b465-3520bbd5b545Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Just one month into 2025 and a handful of indoor track athletes are already making it their year with broken records aplenty. On your mark, get set, let’s catch up, shall we? North Carolina’s Ethan Strand sets his second collegiate record of the season: The UNC senior set an NCAA 3,000-meter record to end 2024, racing to a 7:30.15 finish on December 7th. Then he added another record to his resume over the weekend, running the indoor mile in a jaw-dropping 3:48.32, the NCAA record and third-fastest time in the indoor mile…ever. No slowing down here. Tinoda Matsatsa owns 1,000-meter record: Almost exactly one year after setting the previous mark, the Georgetown sophomore broke his own NCAA record last month, running the 1,000-meter race in a time of 2:16.84 on January 18th. The speedy performance earned Matsatsa Big East Men’s Athlete of the Week honors and heaps of praise from his coach. Jenoah McKiver claims 600-yard record: Florida’s redshirt senior, who was named an All-American in both indoor and outdoor track last season, set the 600-yard record on January 18th, posting a time of 1:05.75. McKiver was part of the Gators team that finished second in the 4x400 meter at last year’s national championship. Expect him to be chomping at the bit once again.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/mens-college-basketball-rankings-in-turmoil-after-weekend-of-upsets-c252a56f-6ef4-5564-bce5-32b79bae21c3Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Don’t get too comfortable, college basketball fans. Your favorite team could be on the move in today’s AP Poll after a Saturday chock-full of upsets and epic comebacks. Here’s what happened on the hardwood: 😈 Cooper Flagg and No. 2 Duke dominate rival UNC: It may have been his first time taking part in one of sports’ greatest rivalries, but the freshman phenom looked like a vet, leading Duke to an 87–70 win over the Tar Heels. Flagg finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists to keep the Blue Devils atop the ACC. The legend grows. 🐺 No. 25 UConn upsets No. 9 Marquette: After losing to three unranked conference foes, the Huskies needed a signature win — and they bagged a big one, defeating Marquette 77–69 behind sophomore guard Solo Ball’s 25 points. Oh, and they did it without freshman star Liam McNeeley, who’s set to return from an ankle injury this week. 🐻 Baylor completes massive comeback over No. 11 Kansas: The unranked Bears trailed by 21 points before roaring back to stun the Jayhawks 81–70. Freshman guard Robert Wright III led the way for Baylor with 24 points, 20 of them coming in the second half (!!!), to seal the largest blown lead in Kansas hoops history. Yikes. 🐗 Calipari's Razorbacks silence No. 12 Kentucky: Former Wildcats head coach John Calipari returned to Lexington, Kentucky, for the first time since bailing for Arkansas in the offseason, and he left with a massive W: Coach Cal’s new squad upset Kentucky 89–79 for just their second win in SEC play. Big Blue may have booed, but Cal got the last laugh.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/famed-head-coach-john-calipari-returns-to-kentucky-for-the-first-time-since-leaving-to-take-the-arkansas-job-d92df2ef-f7bd-5d91-9c2b-0bc228adfc99Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Hall of Fame head coach John Calipari will return to Kentucky’s Rupp Arena for the first time since he left the Wildcats to take the head coaching job at Arkansas last April. Will Big Blue Nation give him a warm reception, or is the 2012 National Championship–winning former coach destined for boos? Coach Cal’s history with Kentucky: Calipari took over at Kentucky in 2009 and led the program for 15 years, popularizing building rosters with one-and-done players (aka hoopers that spend one season in college then leave for the NBA draft) and winning a natty in 2012. Calipari led the Wildcats to 12 March Madness bids and four Final Four appearances. He was even granted a “lifetime contract” in 2019, which is why his departure came as such a shock. Calipari’s return set for tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN: Tomorrow's matchup could be aca-awkward with coach Cal’s Razorbacks in desperate need of a win after going just 1-6 in conference play so far. On the flip side, No. 12 Kentucky’s decision to hire former Wildcat Mark Pope as Calipari’s replacement seems to be working out. The Wildcats are 15-5 overall with six wins over ranked teams. Aside from the coaches, Kentucky will be led by junior guard Otega Oweh, who averages 15.8 points per game, while Arkansas will lean on freshman Boogie Fland, who drops 15.1 points per game. Can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/key-games-at-the-halfway-point-of-the-womens-college-basketball-season-d460c566-4258-5b43-aa81-b5d6e30da5bbFri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Somebody call Bon Jovi because we’re officially halfway through the women’s hoops season. Let’s give it a shot and check in on the latest key matchups. No. 7 LSU holds on to defeat No. 13 Oklahoma: After trailing by as many as 24, Oklahoma stormed back within one point in the final two minutes of play before LSU went on to secure a fiery 107–100 victory last night. Sophomore guard Mikaylah Williams led the Tigers with 37 points in a wild game that featured two ejections. No. 12 Kentucky picks up big SEC win: Sophomore center Clara Strack recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds to lift the Wildcats past a fellow ranked SEC squad, No. 22 Alabama, last night. Kentucky trailed by six points after the first quarter but upped the defensive intensity and held Alabama to just nine points in the second quarter en route to a 65–56 win. What team?! No. 24 Oklahoma State vs. No. 21 West Virginia — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET — ESPN+: The Cowgirls are on a four-game win streak that includes a victory over No. 9 TCU, while West Virginia is coming off an unexpected loss to unranked Arizona. Only time will tell which way these squads trend in this Big 12 battle. No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Louisville — Sunday at 12 p.m. ET — ESPN2: The Cardinals had a tough 6-5 start to the season, but have settled in since, winning nine of their last ten games. That said, they face quite the test in Notre Dame, who have yet to lose in conference play. Louisville freshman guard Tajianna Roberts and her 12.6 points per game will be the one to watch in this one as she looks to prove herself against Notre Dame’s talented backcourt.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/checking-in-on-the-biggest-storylines-in-mens-college-basketball-9f5495af-130d-5e64-9174-23d99f845dc7Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: With less than two months to go until March Madness, the men’s hoops picture is starting to take shape. Some storylines were expected (hi, projected No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg), while others have come as a surprise (Sorry, UConn fans). Here’s what’s happening on the hardwood: Cooper Flagg and No. 2 Duke continue to dominate: The Blue Devils held on for a dramatic 74–64 win over NC State on Monday as Flagg finished with 28 points, his third straight game dropping at least 24 points. Duke’s now 18-2 overall and undefeated in the ACC — we’ll undoubtedly be speaking plenty of these Blue Devils. SEC is the king of the conferences: Much like in women’s hoops, the SEC is balling out, with 10 teams in the top 25, including No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Alabama, and No. 5 Florida featuring in the top-five. Is it conference tourney time yet? No. 25 UConn’s three-peat bid continues to sputter: The two-time defending champ Huskies are 14-6 overall and 6-3 in the Big East after Saturday’s 76–72 loss to Xavier, their third L in their last five games. Help may be on the way, though, as star freshman Liam McNeeley, who’s been out since January 1st with an ankle injury, is expected to return any day now.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/which-womens-basketball-conference-reigns-supreme-0f413719-ccfc-58d0-9500-97428b2c099dWed, 29 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Over halfway through the season, the ACC and the SEC boast the most top 25 women’s hoops teams out of any conference, while the Big Ten is home to the No. 1 squad. Which conference reigns supreme? Let’s discuss: ACC features seven top teams, including No. 3 Notre Dame: With junior Ta’Niya Latson and No. 25 Florida State working their way into the top 25 this week, the ACC officially has seven ranked squads. The No. 3 Fighting Irish lead the way with an 8-0 conference record, while the remaining six teams have at least one loss. That parity makes things extra competitive — truly anything could happen. SEC claims most ranked teams in the country: Eight top-25 teams come from the SEC, including three top-10 squads in No. 2 South Carolina, No. 5 Texas, and No. 7 LSU. Not to mention, the last three national titles have been won by an SEC contender. Question is: Will a team step up to make it four in a row? No. 1 UCLA highlights Big Ten’s three top-10 teams: The top-ranked Bruins, who are 20-0 for the first time in program history, headline the Big Ten’s top-25 teams with No. 4 USC and No. 8 Ohio State rounding out the rest of the top-10. The conference gained a major boost from realignment as both the Bruins and the Trojans were in the Pac-12 last season. Their additions, plus longtime members No. 14 Maryland and No. 16 Michigan State holding steady, make this a talent-packed battle. Just the beginning.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/five-unranked-teams-secured-wins-over-top-25-opponents-for-a-chaotic-weekend-of-mens-college-basketball-b5c5c475-59e5-5723-bab7-b23fd5e5c849Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: It was a weekend full of upsets in men’s college hoops, with five unranked squads earning wins over top-25 teams. Did your school escape the madness? Read on to find out. Vanderbilt and Texas secure top-15 SEC stunners: Vanderbilt junior guard Jason Edwards scored 18 points to lead his team past No. 9 Kentucky 74–69 on Saturday, while Texas clinched its second straight top-25 win by defeating No. 13 Texas A&M 70–69 on a layup from senior Tramon Mark with three seconds left on the clock. Jaw, dropped. Conference bottom-dwellers Minnesota and Kansas State shock opponents: Minnesota, who entered the game 2-6 in Big Ten play, defeated No. 15 Oregon 77–69 thanks to 31 points from senior Dawson Garcia. And over in the Big 12, Kansas State earned its second conference win of the season, topping No. 23 West Virginia 73–60. Wild. No. 1 Auburn survives No. 6 Tennessee: Fifth-year senior Johni Broome returned from an ankle injury and led Auburn past Tennessee 53–51 by posting 16 points off the bench. Not to mention, he also grabbed 14 rebounds, notching his 11th double-double of the season. Make that 11 straight wins for the top-ranked Tigers — me-ow. No. 7 Houston wins epic double overtime (OT) contest vs. No. 12 Kansas: Houston trailed by six points with eight seconds left in OT before hitting back-to-back three-pointers to force a second extra frame. That’s where the Cougars outscored the Jayhawks 13–7 to close out the game. Just goes to show you, it ain’t over until it's over.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/catch-up-on-the-weeks-best-womens-college-basketball-games-1a6dd5cb-3ee2-53ec-afe6-e86918531258Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Big things are happening in the women’s college basketball space, from undefeated No. 1 UCLA setting a Big Ten record for the most weeks ranked at No. 1 to major upsets to star performances from your favorite players. Hoop, here it is: Oklahoma State completes massive comeback over No. 9 TCU: The Cowgirls went on a 36–20 second-half run on Wednesday to secure the program’s first top-10 win since 2017. Sophomore Stailee Heard led the squad with 17 points, while freshman Jadyn Wooten had 14, all coming in the second half. Oh, and did we mention that HC Jacie Hoyt had a baby just over a month ago? Incredible. No. 12 Ohio State pulls off come-from-behind win over No. 8 Maryland: The Buckeyes notched a comeback of their own, outscoring Maryland 47–32 in the second half last night, a run that included a monster 30-point third quarter. Freshman OSU guard Jaloni Cambridge finished with a game-high 20 points, and her sister, Kennedy, came off the bench to add 12 points. All in the family. No. 7 Texas survives scare from No. 17 Tennessee: Senior Taylor Jones led the Longhorns to their second top-25 victory of the week with 21 points and 14 rebounds last night, while sophomore sensation Madison Booker finished with a whopping 26 points. Tennessee was notably without HC Kim Caldwell, who gave birth to her son earlier in the day. No. 21 Michigan State meets No. 24 Michigan for in-state clash tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET: A top-25 matchup and rivalry all in one? You won’t want to miss this, especially considering both teams are on four-game win streaks. Keep an eye on MSU sharpshooter Julia Ayrault and Michigan’s star freshman Syla Swords.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/previewing-the-weekends-top-25-mens-basketball-matchups-0687f903-2a6e-530a-9d5a-162c575d3fbdFri, 24 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The weekend is chock-full of top-25 men’s basketball action, including a top-10 SEC showdown. Here are the key games to add to your calendar: No. 21 Michigan vs. No. 11 Purdue — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — Fox Sports: Purdue was on a seven-game win streak before falling to unranked Ohio State on Tuesday. With the Boilermakers looking vulnerable, Michigan and 7’1” grad student center Vladislav Goldin, who’s averaging 16.4 points per game, will aim to make it two upsets in a row. No. 16 Ole Miss vs. No. 22 Missouri — Tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET — SEC Network: Missouri is no stranger to beating top teams — the Tigers already have wins over then-No. 2 Auburn and then-No. 5 Florida this season. On the flip side, Ole Miss will rely on its balanced attack, with six players averaging nine points or more per game. Teamwork makes the dream work. No. 7 Houston vs. No. 12 Kansas — Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ET — ESPN: The Cougars are red-hot and looking to extend their win streak to 12. Meanwhile, Kansas’ leading scorer, fifth-year senior Hunter Dickinson, is coming off a 16-point performance that led his Jayhawks to a Wednesday comeback win over TCU. No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Auburn — Tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET — ESPN: Auburn’s top scorer, fifth-year senior Johni Broome, has been out since January 11th with an injury, but HC Bruce Pearl says “there’s a possibility” he plays against Tennessee. Either way, the Vols will be led by fifth-year senior transfer Chaz Lanier and his 18.4 points per game on average.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/no-5-lsu-and-no-2-south-carolina-meet-for-must-see-top-five-sec-showdown-d420e707-d218-5b4c-8066-23f3f3a1f62cWed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Clear your schedule, cancel your plans — undefeated No. 5 LSU women’s basketball meets reigning champs No. 2 South Carolina tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. College GameDay is ready for this potential March Madness heavyweight preview — now let’s bring you up to speed before this 2024 SEC championship rematch. 🐯 Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow are bringing the growl for unbeaten Tigers: Junior Johnson and senior Morrow lead the way for LSU, averaging 19.9 and 18.7 points per game, respectively. And that’s just the beginning for the high-scoring Tigers, who are putting up 90.6 points per game on average, the third-highest mark in the nation. Buckets on buckets. 🐓 Gamecocks rolling through conference play: South Carolina’s been on a tear ever since seeing their 43-game win streak snapped back in November, outscoring SEC opponents by nearly 30 points on average. And it’s a full team effort, with five players posting at or just below double-digit points each game. But the real difference-maker for the aforementioned Staley’s squad is their defense — the Gamecocks are holding opponents to a mere 55.1 points per game. Locking it down. ⏪ The history: LSU vs. South Carolina is among the spiciest SEC rivalries, with the Tigers holding a narrow 22-20 all-time series edge. That said, the Gamecocks have won the last 16 meetings dating back to 2012 and Staley’s 5-2 against LSU’s head coach, Kim Mulkey, in their career battles. TL;DR? This is going to be absolutely epic.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/womens-college-basketball-teams-to-be-paid-for-playing-in-the-ncaa-tournament-e4a7106b-8b78-58c3-8c07-b1555acdecabFri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The gals are getting paid. On Wednesday, the NCAA unanimously voted to pay women’s college basketball teams for playing in the NCAA Tournament, a long-overdue perk men’s squads have received for years. Here’s what you need to know about the game-changing decision. How does it work?: The NCAA will commit $15M to support women’s basketball through the Women’s Basketball Equal Conference Fund and Women’s Basketball Performance Fund next year. Squads will earn financial rewards for each round they advance to in March Madness. Teams will begin accruing units (more on that in a sec) during this year’s tourney, which will be distributed beginning in 2026. Where will the money go?: Players and teams don’t directly benefit from the payments. Instead, conferences are awarded “performance units” — aka revenue — based on how far their teams advance. From there, the conference’s governing body decides how to distribute the funds. The monetary value of a unit will vary from year to year, but a single unit was worth $2M during the 2024 men’s tourney. Cha-ching. The impact: Women’s college hoops continue to grow, with last season’s national title game bringing in a whopping 18.7M viewers — 4M more than the men’s championship. Now, the women competing will benefit from the viewership and revenue they generate, finally aligning with the structure on the men’s side. About damn time.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/previewing-the-weekends-top-25-mens-basketball-matchups-featuring-multiple-sec-teams-992a7534-32b4-5e42-b9b8-6ade0cdbc1c6Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Big things are happening in the SEC, with nine teams ranked in the latest AP Poll. Tomorrow offers three key conference matchups between ranked opponents — with all of these squads likely making an appearance in March, it’s the perfect time to get a leg up on your bracket by getting to know them now. No. 4 Alabama at No. 8 Kentucky — 12 p.m. ET — ESPN: Alabama was on an eight-game win streak before losing to Ole Miss on Tuesday, meaning they’ll be extra hungry to turn the tides back in their favor. Meanwhile, Kentucky is coming off back-to-back wins over ranked teams — can they make it three straight? No. 1 Auburn at No. 23 Georgia — 1 p.m. ET — SECN: Despite losing star senior Johni Broome to an ankle injury, Auburn’s still rolling. The Tigers have yet to lose in SEC play, with senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara picking up the slack in Broome’s absence. Case in point? He had a season-high 20 points in a Tuesday win over Mississippi State. As for Georgia, upsetting the nation’s No. 1 team is the best March Madness resume booster you can get. The Bulldogs will lean on freshman Asa Newell, who leads the team with 15.3 points per game. No. 21 Ole Miss at No. 15 Mississippi State — 6 p.m. ET — ESPN2: Ole Miss junior forward Malik Dia has been unstoppable over the last three games, averaging 21 points per contest, a big increase from his season average of 9.5 points. Mississippi State will need to contain him to get back in the win column, especially after back-to-back losses to Kentucky and Auburn. An in-state rivalry with major stakes…this is going to be good.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/checking-in-on-the-biggest-storylines-in-womens-college-basketball-5031b170-c213-563b-8587-c029b2492315Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Women’s college basketball is hotter than ever, with new stars, new contenders, and the same amazing on-court product. Here’s what to know as we near the midway point of the season. 🐻 A new No. 1: UCLA has held the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll since upsetting defending champion No. 2 South Carolina on November 24th. The Bruins, who had never been ranked No. 1 prior to this season, are led by Player of the Year contender Lauren Betts. The junior star has propelled UCLA to a perfect 16-0 start. Dominance. 3️⃣ Three teams remain undefeated: Along with UCLA, No. 5 LSU and No. 9 Ohio State are the other two squads without a blemish on their record. It’s not unheard of to go undefeated in women’s college basketball with 10 perfect seasons on record, a feat South Carolina achieved last season. Could one of these teams make it 11? 🍀 Notre Dame’s dynamic guard duo: Fighting Irish sophomore Hannah Hidalgo and senior Olivia Miles are undoubtedly the country’s most exciting guard pairing. Hidalgo is averaging a whopping 25.7 points per game, while Miles averages 16.6 points and 7.3 assists per game. And together, they’re good for at least one eye-popping highlight every night. Truly can’t miss. 🟠 No. 15 Tennessee’s exciting new identity: Vols HC Kim Caldwell is completely revamping Tennessee’s style of play in her first season at the helm. Her storied squad has become known for intense defense and shooting a high volume of three-pointers. They even set an NCAA record for made threes in a game, hitting 30 on December 14th. Shooters shoot.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/checking-in-on-the-top-teams-and-players-in-mens-college-basketball-3c7017d5-e27e-5d9a-b285-5963c9248442Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: March will be here before you know it, so before the regular season flies by, let's check in on the biggest and brightest stars of the men’s college basketball world, shall we? 😈 Cooper Flagg doing Cooper Flagg things: The superstar Duke freshman leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Flagg had his best game of the season on Saturday, recording a conference freshman record 42 points in a win over Notre Dame. And the National Player of the Year favorite — widely anticipated to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — only added to the hype last night, scoring 13 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out six assists in his No. 3 Blue Devils’ 89–54 win over Miami. 🐺 Two-time defending champs endure up-and-down campaign: No. 14 UConn has had a headline-grabbing season, including criticism for HC Dan Hurley’s sideline behavior. Despite some surprise losses and losing one of their top players to injury until at least the end of the month, the 13-4 Huskies still have one of the best offenses in the country. Could the three-peat still be in play? 🐯 Player of the Year favorite Johni Broome out with injury: After leading No. 1 Auburn to a 15-1 season start, Broome suffered an ankle injury in Saturday’s win over South Carolina. It’s TBD how much time he’ll miss. Wishing him a speedy recovery. 🥇 The SEC is the country's top conference: Prior to conference play tipping off, SEC teams owned an 88.9% winning percentage, by far the best record of any conference and the best in league history. Plus, the 16-team SEC currently has 11 squads projected to make the NCAA Tournament. How do you spell dominance? S.E.C.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/no-1-oklahoma-gymnastics-team-wins-meet-of-the-season-15f22289-4bf0-5823-b8a3-93a8ff54090cMon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: No. 1 Oklahoma cemented its status as the country’s top team by defeating No. 2 LSU, No. 4 Utah, and No. 6 Cal in this weekend’s star-studded Sprouts Collegiate Quad. Oklahoma has been the most dominant team in college gymnastics with six national titles in the last decade, and after this weekend’s showing, they look poised to win another. How it works: Before we get into the Sooners’ dominance, here’s a quick refresher on NCAA gymnastics. Gymnastics competes in a “meet system” where each team participates in 10-12 competitions per season, primarily against conference opponents. At the end of the season, the top 36 teams qualify for regionals based on National Qualifying Scores (NQS), which are calculated using each team’s top six scores of the season, including at least three from away meets. The top two teams from each regional then advance to nationals. Sprouts Collegiate Quad details: Oklahoma really is that girl. As mentioned, the Sooners topped three other ranked opponents in what many in the gymnastics world are calling the “meet of the year.” OU’s Jordan Bowers claimed the all-around title while defending national champion, fellow Sooner, and beam queen, Faith Torrez took first in her signature event. The Sooners will look to maintain their momentum heading into an SEC meet with Missouri next weekend.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/with-the-college-football-playoff-championship-set-questions-linger-4eec0080-8fc3-52de-a5d3-08c550428a2cMon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: With a 28–14 win over No. 5 Texas in Friday’s Cotton Bowl, No. 8 Ohio State punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff (CFP) championship game, where they’ll face No. 7 Notre Dame. But questions about the college football landscape still linger ahead of January 20th’s title game. Let’s dig in. 🤠 What’s next for Texas and its quarterbacks? For the second straight season, the Longhorns came up short in the CFP semis with redshirt junior Quinn Ewers at quarterback. Following the loss to Ohio State, Ewers was cagey about his next move, sparking speculation that he might declare for the NFL Draft or hit the ever-popular transfer portal. With Ewers out of Texas’ picture, it’s time to say “howdy” to Arch Manning — yes, the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning — who’s set to take the reins next season. Welcome to the Manning Era. ❓ Did the new playoff format work? The first year of the 12-team expanded CFP has received mixed reviews. While total viewership increased thanks to more games, average viewership (through the quarters) is down. Evidently, driving appointment viewing for an entire month is much more difficult than driving it for one week. Conversely, the dip in average viewership could be a direct result of inconsistent game quality. The first round, for example, provided serious duds — like No. 6 Penn State’s 38–10 shellacking of No. 11 SMU. While the on-field product improved in the second round, all four top seeds who received byes were eliminated. But remember — this is only the first attempt at a brand-new format, so don’t be surprised if the committee considers updating the way the bye works. Notably, if this season operated with the four-team CFP format of years past, championship contenders Ohio State and Notre Dame — who both suffered early-season losses — wouldn’t be playing in the natty. And wouldn’t that be a shame?]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/villanova-defeated-uconn-and-other-wild-college-basketball-matchups-from-the-week-20cd4b11-4275-5af0-b778-a1bfdeac1259Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The women’s and men’s basketball schedules are in full conference play mode, delivering must-see matchups night after night. Why let March have all the fun? There’s plenty to go mad about right now. 🐅 No. 6 LSU women survive No. 16 Tennessee in narrow 89–87 victory: The Volunteers had their pesky full-court defense on display, but LSU endured the pressure to remain unbeaten — thanks to a clutch, acrobatic last-second shot from junior guard Kailyn Gilbert. She finished with 22 points, while teammate Flau’jae Johnson added 20 to secure the W. Phew. 👣 No. 19 UNC women top No. 14 Duke in low-scoring affair: It took overtime, but North Carolina defeated their rival Blue Devils 53–46 last night in a game that had just 32 total points at the half. With 47 combined turnovers, it wasn’t pretty, but the Tar Heels came out on top in the end. Better to win ugly than lose pretty…right? 🐱 Villanova men stun No. 9 UConn: Nova capitalized on UConn missing its third-best scorer, Liam McNeely, who’ll be out for “weeks” with an ankle injury. The Wildcats pulled off the 68–66 upset on Wednesday, led by senior forward Eric Dixon, who lived up to his reputation as the nation’s leading scorer with 23 points. 🤠 No. 10 Texas A&M holds off No. 17 Oklahoma: Despite Oklahoma’s red-hot shooting performance (including 14 made three-pointers), the Aggies escaped with an 80–78 win on Wednesday, largely thanks to Zhuric Phelps. The senior guard dropped a career-high 34 points, capped off by the game-winning three. Ice in his veins.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/five-unbeaten-teams-and-other-headlines-dominating-womens-basketball-e60b789c-c9c8-50b4-9954-3902d1868c04Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: It’s only January, but the women’s basketball space is already buzzing with madness usually reserved for March. Here’s what you need to know: Five teams remain unbeaten: After No. 10 Oklahoma edged out then-undefeated No. 16 Tennessee 87–86 on Sunday, only five unbeaten teams remain in women’s college hoops: No. 1 UCLA (who routed unranked Purdue 83–49 last night), No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Maryland, No. 9 Ohio State, and No. 13 Georgia Tech. Keep an eye on the Terps, who’ll be put to the test when they host sophomore sensation and Wooden Award Top 25 nominee JuJu Watkins and No. 4 USC tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET. UConn’s Paige Bueckers to miss tonight’s game against Xavier: The Huskies’ star guard suffered a knee injury on Sunday, and while HC Geno Auriemma remains optimistic about her recovery, she’ll miss tonight’s Big East clash. That said, have no fear, Huskies faithful, Auriemma expects her back next week. In other injury news, South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins will miss the remainder of the season after tearing her ACL in her team’s Sunday win over Mississippi State. Florida State junior Ta’Niya Latson receives AP Player of the Week honors: The guard is on fire after two incredible ACC play performances, posting 40 points (!!!) in last week’s win over Virginia Tech and following it up with 25 points, seven assists, and six steals in a Sunday win over Syracuse. Stuffing that stat sheet.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/penn-state-and-notre-dame-set-to-face-off-in-the-orange-bowl-b84c92b1-d943-5eda-8d03-f6aa7278381fWed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: And then there were four. The College Football Playoff (CFP) semis are officially here, with the Orange Bowl, featuring No. 6 Penn State and No. 7 Notre Dame, kicking off tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Cotton Bowl set for Friday. We’ll preview Friday's matchup between No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Ohio State in our next newsletter, but for now, read on for all the juicy details about tomorrow’s showdown. Hike! 🦁 No. 6 Penn State leans on the ground game: The Nittany Lions have been running all over their opponents this season, thanks to junior running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Both have eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark, helping Penn State average over five yards per carry in their first two postseason games. Truly running away with it. Defensively, all eyes will be on the health of junior defensive end and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Abdul Carter. HC James Franklin indicated that Carter might play despite a lingering shoulder injury, which could be a game-changer given his 11 sacks this season. 🍀 No. 7 Notre Dame relying on the luck of the Irish quarterback (QB) Riley Leonard: Notre Dame’s offensive success will rest on the shoulders (and legs) of its dual-threat QB. Leonard’s thrown for 2,383 yards and 18 touchdowns, plus he’s basically a track star — ranking second on the team in rushing yards. Get you a player who can do it all. As for the Fighting Irish defense, they’ll have their hands full containing Penn State’s loaded offense, including dynamic playmaker Tyler Warren. That said, Notre Dame is coming off a strong defensive showing against No. 2 Georgia, holding the Bulldogs to just 10 points in the quarters.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/conference-play-is-in-full-swing-with-top-25-mens-and-womens-basketball-on-full-display-7c13074f-d976-5fba-85a4-2cb96a87b69eMon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: Nonconference basketball was wild — remember when the now-No. 1 UCLA women snapped then-No. 1 South Carolina’s 43-game winning streak? But conference play is when stars shine the brightest. Here are the highlights from this weekend’s stacked slate. 🟠 No. 1 Tennessee men stay undefeated: The Vols remain the only unbeaten men’s hoops team after defeating No. 23 Arkansas 76–52 on Saturday. Senior guard Chaz Lanier led the way with 29 points and five (!!!) three-pointers. Rocky Top, indeed. 🌽 Unranked Nebraska men upset No. 15 UCLA in Big Ten opener: The Cornhuskers welcomed UCLA to the Big Ten with a 66–58 upset win on Saturday, handing the Bruins their first conference loss of the season. Nebraska is on a roll, tying a school record with 20 consecutive home wins. No place like it, after all. 🐻 No. 1 UCLA women continue to dominate: The Bruins improved to 15-0 after Saturday’s 73–62 road win in front of a raucous Indiana crowd. Junior center Lauren Betts recorded her ninth double-double of the season, posting 25 points and 12 rebounds to boost her Player of the Year campaign. 🍀 No. 3 Notre Dame women take down No. 17 UNC: It’s Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles’ world, and we’re just living in it. The guard duo delivered another standout performance yesterday, combining for 43 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 76–66 win over their ranked ACC rival Tar Heels.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/cal-wins-season-opening-meet-while-olympic-gymnasts-shine-for-their-college-teams-a2c9d125-1e43-5e22-bd04-ab7583be47d4Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The Olympics are long over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your gymnastics fix, or a glimpse of your favorite Team USA athletes. Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles competed for their respective college squads this weekend, but it was Cal that had a golden performance. No. 6 Golden Bears roar to season-opening win: Last year’s runner-up Cal took home the team victory over No. 9 Oregon State and No. 12 UCLA, despite standout individual wins for the Bruins and Beavers. Senior Jade Carey, who won all-around beam gold at the Paris Olympics, won three titles for Oregon State: beam, floor, and the all-around crown. Meanwhile, UCLA junior Jordan Chiles was victorious in the vault, tying with Cal senior Mya Lauzon. Sharing is caring. No. 1 Oklahoma sweeps all five individual events in opening meet: The top-ranked Sooners lived up to the preseason hype, defeating No. 7 Auburn, No. 22 BYU, and No. 23 Nebraska in their season debut. Graduate student Audrey Davis and junior Faith Torrez won two events each for Oklahoma: Davis soared to the top in uneven bars, Torrez secured the all-around title. The pair tied for first on the floor. Talk about a dynamic duo.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/checking-in-on-the-top-teams-in-mens-and-womens-hockey-2b52d70a-dba4-559c-bd12-2ea88546b745Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: With just under two months remaining in the regular season, it’s time to check in on the college hockey scene. Two Big Ten teams sit atop the men’s and women’s rankings, but some of the usual suspects are close behind. No. 1 Michigan State men: The Spartans haven’t won a national title since 2007 but are making a strong push for their second straight natty tournament appearance. Michigan State is on a seven-game unbeaten streak, led by junior left winger Isaac Howard, who’s tallied 14 assists and 13 goals this season. No. 6 Denver men: The defending champ Pioneers started the season ranked first in the country but have dropped to No. 6 after five losses. That said, Denver’s still a powerhouse, rallied by senior forward Jack Devine, who leads the country in assists. No. 1 Wisconsin women: Despite playing on ice, the Badgers are off to a hot start, winning 20 of their first 22 games. Wisconsin boasts a high-powered offense that leads the country with 114 goals — a whopping 28 more than the next-best squad. Puck yeah. No. 3 Minnesota women: The aforementioned Badgers hold the record for most national titles with seven, but the Gophers are close behind with six to their name. Look for them to continue their quest for lucky number seven, led by senior forward Abbey Murphy and her 17 goals on the season.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/the-college-football-playoff-semifinals-are-set-abeacb2d-9c97-55e2-93ca-e3e5feaf756aFri, 03 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: The first expanded College Football Playoff (CFP) is in full swing, with the 12-team field already whittled down to four: No. 5 seed Texas, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Notre Dame, and No. 8 Ohio State are still fighting for the trophy after a holiday break full of upsets and thrilling gridiron action. Here’s how it happened. Notre Dame defeats No. 2 Georgia 23–10 in an emotional Sugar Bowl: After the game was postponed due to a horrific New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, the Fighting Irish ultimately emerged victorious yesterday, shocking the 2022 champs and clinching the semis berth. The highlight of the game came in the opening seconds of the second half, when senior wide receiver Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown (TD) — just the second kick return TD in CFP history. Casual. Notre Dame’s next opponent? Penn State, who dismantled No. 3 Boise State 31–14 in Tuesday's Fiesta Bowl behind three TDs and 171 passing yards from junior quarterback (QB) Drew Allar. Texas and Ohio State to meet in Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Arizona State gave Texas all it could handle in a 39–31 double-overtime (OT) instant classic on Wednesday. The Sun Devils scorched back from a 16-point deficit to force OT, but Texas scored early in extra time before senior safety Andrew Mukuba clinched the win with an interception — a massive break for the Longhorns after a game laden with mistakes. As for the other quarter-final, it was essentially over after the first quarter. Ohio State dominated previously unbeaten No. 1 seed Oregon 41–21 in Wednesday’s Rose Bowl, putting up 500 yards of total offense. The Cotton Bowl doesn’t kick off until one week from today, but the spice factor is already high: Texas QB Quinn Ewers started his career at Ohio State before transferring and swapping his uni for burnt orange. The drama.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/college-gymnastics-season-is-upon-us-with-meets-beginning-today-e8650225-1548-5b87-9012-f5eb676d015bFri, 03 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: We are totally flipping out because the NCAA gymnastics season officially starts today. There’s a whole lot of floor routines, gravity defying tricks, and balance beaming to come between now and the national championship in April — here’s what you need to know about this year’s top contenders. 🐯 Can the defending champs do it again?: After a narrow title victory in 2024, No. 2 LSU is looking to roar to the repeat. And with last season’s all-around champion and reigning SEC Gymnast of the Year Haleigh Bryant back for a fifth year, the Tigers could certainly stand at the top once again. 🐻 Cal looking to avenge last year’s title loss: The preseason No. 4 Golden Bears, who were just a half a point away from defeating LSU in the championship last season, return most of their roster and are adding star freshman Ondine Achampong, a member of the British Senior National Team. So stacked. 🔴 Don’t forget about Oklahoma: You can’t talk gymnastics without mentioning the dynastic Sooners, who have six titles since 2014. Is it time for a seventh? This squad sure thinks so as they start the season ranked No. 1 overall with the return of two individual national champions, graduate student Audrey Davis and junior Faith Torrez. 🥇 Olympians return to the collegiate mat: Fan favorites and Team USA stars Jordan Chiles (UCLA) and Jade Carey (Oregon State University) will also be in action this season.]]>https://www.thegistsports.com/article/second-round-college-football-playoff-matchups-begin-december-31st-d8c66881-da74-5d44-9b87-a8d77f6d9966Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[The GIST: After a weekend full of blowouts in the first round of the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP), the upcoming quarter-finals (featuring the top four teams who automatically received byes) should be more exciting. These bowl games have familiar names, but they mean even more this year. Here’s what to expect when the fun kicks off next week, airing on ESPN. 🎉 Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State — December 31st at 7:30 p.m. ET: This game features a few of the country’s best running backs (RB): Boise State junior and Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty, and Penn State’s explosive duo, juniors Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who helped the Nittany Lions to a first-round rout of No. 11 SMU. Who will run away with this one? 🍑 Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State — January 1st at 1 p.m. ET: This one is a classic matchup of offense vs. defense. Arizona State All-American RB Cam Skattebo is just 75 yards shy of breaking the program’s single-season rushing record, while Texas’ defense ranks eighth in the country in yards allowed per carry (3.1) – clamps that were on full display in their Saturday victory over No. 12 Clemson. 🌹 Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon — January 1st at 5 p.m. ET: These teams met back on October 12th, where Oregon narrowly won 32–31. But the Buckeyes offense looks rematch ready after throttling No. 9 Tennessee 42–17 on Saturday. Can they dethrone the undefeated Ducks? 🍭 Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia — January 1st at 8:45 p.m. ET: Notre Dame is red-hot, posting 11 straight wins, including topping Indiana to open the CFP on Friday. Meanwhile, Georgia, aiming for its third national title in four years, will need to overcome the loss of senior quarterback Carson Beck, who’s out with an injury.]]>