UNDATED (AP) — North Carolina is working toward finalizing a deal with NBA championship-winning coach Michael Malone to take over the Tar Heels' basketball program. That's according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the school hasn't publicly discussed its search. Malone would replace former UNC player and assistant coach Hubert Davis, who was fired on March 24 after five seasons. Malone had 10-year run with Denver that included leading the Nuggets to the 2023 world title. He joins football coach Bill Belichick as another pro championship winner in Chapel Hill.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — High-scoring Michigan had to get down and dirty to dig out the national title, making only two 3-pointers all night but still muscling its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn UConn. Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team’s first 3, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving the Wolverines a nine-point lead. UConn fought to the finish in a game that had a 1950s feel. Alex Karaban scored 17 points for UConn, which was denied in its bid for a third title in four seasons.
UNDATED (AP) — UCLA finished the season at No. 1 in The Associated Press women's basketball Top 25 after defeating South Carolina to win its first NCAA championship. The Bruins were a unanimous choice from the 31-member national media panel. The Gamecocks were second, with UConn and Texas third and fourth. The SEC and the Big Ten each had eight teams in the final Top 25 of the season. The ACC had five and The Big 12 three.
UNDATED (AP) — John Blackwell says he’s leaving Wisconsin after scoring 19.1 points per game for the Badgers this season. Blackwell issued an Instagram post Monday saying he won’t return to Wisconsin next season and is instead going through the NBA draft process while also entering his name in the transfer portal. The transfer portal for basketball officially opens Tuesday. The 6-foot-4 guard had 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for Wisconsin as a junior while helping the Badgers go 24-11.  He made 2.8 3-pointers per game and shot 38.9% from beyond the arc.
UNDATED (AP) — Audi Crooks is one of nine Iowa State players who officially entered the NCAA transfer portal Monday on the first day it was open. The nation’s second-leading scorer is one of more than 1,100 Division I women’s basketball players who entered the portal within the first 12 hours after it opened just after midnight, according to an Associated Press review of the portal. In January, the NCAA approved moving the portal’s opening to the day after the national championship game for a 15-day window.
PHOENIX (AP) — Cori Close and the UCLA Bruins are going to have to work hard to repeat as champions. They lose their top six players to graduation after putting on one of the most dominant performances in championship history to win their first NCAA title and second overall, routing South Carolina by 28 points. But with the transfer portal opening Monday, the UCLA coach can build a new team quickly. Close has said that the school will be very active, looking to add five players. Challenging the Bruins will be the runner-up Gamecocks and coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks will be one of the favorites for the title when the Final Four moves to Columbus, Ohio, next year.
PHOENIX (AP) — The women’s Final Four looked as though it might be a classic, featuring a quartet of the game’s marquee programs along with a number of veteran stars and iconic coaches. Three sloppy basketball games later, it feels like another missed opportunity. Much like last year’s title mismatch. The sport is on the rise but the last two Final Fours have featured blowouts, long-distance shooting struggles and point-blank misses. The lasting memory from this year’s Final Four likely won’t be a basketball moment. UConn coach Geno Auriemma angrily confronted South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, leading to a tense moment between two of the game’s top coaches.
UNDATED (AP) — Jackson Flora is in line to be the next UC Santa Barbara pitcher taken in the first round of the MLB amateur draft. Flora has pitched 34 consecutive shutout innings over five starts and is third in the nation with an 0.83 ERA. He is coming off a four-hit shutout in a 6-0 victory over Cal Poly last Thursday. At 6-0 he has matched his 2025 win total. The junior right-hander is Baseball America’s top college pitching prospect for the draft. Tyler Bremner was the No. 2 overall pick last year.
