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Cal State Fullerton looks to continue spoiler role against Duke in NCAA tournament

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Cal State Fullerton looks to continue spoiler role against Duke in NCAA tournament

Cal State Fullerton knocked off its rival on the way in which to the NCAA event. Now the Titans get an opportunity to finish Mike Krzyzewski’s teaching profession.

Contemporary off a Huge West event championship, the Titans realized their postseason destiny Sunday, incomes a No. 15 seed within the West Area to play No. 2 seed Duke in Greenville, S.C., within the first spherical at 4:10 p.m. PDT on Friday. The Blue Devils, who misplaced to Virginia Tech within the ACC event last, are taking part in to increase Kryzyzewski’s profession because the longtime coach inches towards retirement.

Fullerton (21-10) earned its second NCAA event look in 5 years with a one-point victory over Lengthy Seashore State within the Huge West championship recreation Saturday.

The Titans, who had been picked to complete seventh within the Huge West by the convention coaches, celebrated their fourth NCAA event berth in class historical past at a public choice present occasion Sunday. Gamers tied items of the championship web into their Huge West champion hats and snapped photographs of tv screens when the bracket revealed their postseason vacation spot.

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Fullerton has not gained an NCAA event recreation since an Elite Eight run in 1978, getting knocked out within the first spherical in 2008 and 2018.

Senior ahead E.J. Anosike leads the Titans with 16.5 factors and eight.3 rebounds per recreation. He led Fullerton’s comeback victory over Lengthy Seashore State with 12 of his team-high 22 factors within the second half. Fullerton rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to knock off the regular-season convention champions and ship Lengthy Seashore State to the NIT to face No. 2 seed Brigham Younger within the first spherical.

The Seashore, led by Huge West participant of the 12 months Colin Slater, had been making an attempt to make their first NCAA event look since 2012. Slater had 23 factors and 4 assists within the Huge West championship recreation, however the level guard couldn’t orchestrate a game-winning shot try on the sport’s last possession with Fullerton main by one.

Lengthy Seashore State will make its first postseason event look since 2016. After 5 consecutive shedding seasons, the Seashore had been picked to complete eighth within the convention by Huge West coaches. As a substitute, they put collectively their third 20-win season below coach Dan Monson, who was named convention coach of the 12 months.

For the primary time, the NCAA launched the ladies’s event area on the identical day as the lads’s bracket, which meant UCLA, below coach Cori Shut, didn’t have to carry its breath on the bubble for lengthy.

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After ending seventh within the Pac-12 and 14-12 total, the Bruins didn’t make the NCAA event for the primary time since 2015.

With key wins over NCAA tournament-bound Washington State (19-10) and Arizona (20-7), UCLA was thought of among the many first groups out of the NCAA area. The Bruins will as an alternative accept the WNIT, which they gained in 2015.

UCLA was forty first within the last NCAA Web rankings after shedding to Oregon within the second spherical of the Pac-12 event and is in line to host its first-round WNIT matchup.

UC Irvine can also be certain for the 64-team WNIT after falling quick within the Huge West event championship recreation for the second straight season. The Anteaters (21-11) had been in search of their second NCAA event look in class historical past and first since 1995 however will play of their second WNIT look. Irvine beforehand performed within the postseason event in 2018, shedding to Nevada within the first spherical.

Attracts for the WNIT shall be launched Monday with first-round video games starting Wednesday.

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Heisman straw poll: Ashton Jeanty has one more chance to change minds as Travis Hunter sits

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Heisman straw poll: Ashton Jeanty has one more chance to change minds as Travis Hunter sits

Colorado receiver/cornerback/flawed Heisman poser/presumed Heisman winner Travis Hunter has achieved perfection in The Athletic’s Heisman Trophy straw poll.

Of the 27 writers and editors who voted this week, all 27 voted Hunter first, giving him the maximum possible 81 points. Two first-place votes for Ashton Jeanty and one for Cam Ward in the previous poll switched this week to Hunter, who wrapped up his Colorado season with three touchdown catches, an interception and two pass break-ups in a 52-0 rout of Oklahoma State.

Hunter “clinched the Heisman,” coach Deion Sanders said afterward, and while that may not be officially true, Hunter couldn’t have gone out with a stronger closing statement — other than the fact that his Heisman pose still needs work to better emulate the trophy itself. In all seriousness, it would have helped him with naysayers focused on team success for the Buffaloes to get the help necessary to make the Big 12 title game. They didn’t.

And the fact that Jeanty gets to play Friday for No. 11 Boise State (11-1) against No. 22 UNLV (10-2) in the Mountain West title game for a national Fox audience at least gives him the final word. It will have to be the running back performance equivalent of “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Like, how about 341 yards to reach 2,629 on the season and break Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA rushing record? Would that do it?

Maybe? Jeanty lost ground in the straw poll this week after going for 226 yards and a touchdown in a win over Oregon State so … the bar is high. The pathway to change hearts and minds is narrow. The nation’s leading rusher got 25 second-place votes and two third-place votes for a total of 50 points.

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The Athletic follows the same voting protocol as that of the Heisman: three points for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, one point for a third-place vote.

Player Team Pos 1st 2nd 3rd Pts

Travis Hunter

WR/DB

27

0

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0

81

Ashton Jeanty

RB

0

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25

2

52

Tyler Warren

TE

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0

0

8

8

Dillon Gabriel

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QB

0

1

5

7

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Cam Ward

QB

0

0

6

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6

Cam Skattebo

RB

0

0

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5

5

Kaleb Johnson

RB

0

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1

0

2

LaNorris Sellers

QB

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0

0

1

1

At the least, Jeanty knows he’s going to New York and should be a lock to come in second by a safe margin. There’s no obvious third place this year, which will make the voting and the number of candidates invited to New York interesting.

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Miami quarterback Cam Ward fell from 15 points to six in the poll after Saturday’s loss at Syracuse, dropping him to fifth place behind Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (eight points) and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (seven points).

That also means no ACC title game platform for Ward while Warren and Gabriel will face each other for the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis, thanks to Ohio State’s shocking loss to Michigan to let the Nittany Lions sneak in the back door.

The poll’s rising No. 6 vote-getter, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (five points), also gets an opportunity to make his case when the surprising Sun Devils take on Iowa State for the Big 12 title.

Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (two points) is the third running back among the eight vote-getters. That’s the same as the number of quarterbacks — and there’s a new quarterback, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, picking up a third-place vote.

Sellers will not make it to New York this year. But that’s a hint of things to come in 2025 when he should be high on the list of preseason hopefuls for the award.

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(Photo of Ashton Jeanty: Brian Losness / Imagn Images)

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Michigan fires offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell despite team's upset win over Ohio State

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Michigan fires offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell despite team's upset win over Ohio State

The Michigan Wolverines pulled off a massive upset on the road Saturday, beating Ohio State to continue their recent dominance in the rivalry. 

Despite the win, Michigan made a big coaching change. 

Kirk Campbell, the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator, was fired by head coach Sherrone Moore Tuesday.

The university released a statement, saying Moore would conduct a national search to find Campbell’s replacement. 

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Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell reacts to a play against Ohio State during the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Imagn)

“After a thorough assessment of our offense, I made the decision to relieve Kirk Campbell of his duties and move in a different direction,” Moore said in the statement. “This was a decision that I felt was in the best interest of our football program. I want to thank Kirk for his hard work and dedication to the university, Michigan Football and our student-athletes. I wish him well in his future coaching endeavors.”

Tight ends coach Steve Casula will serve as interim offensive coordinator for the remainder of the season, the statement said.

FOX NEWS DIGITAL SPORTS’ COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINNERS AND LOSERS: WEEK 14

The Wolverines’ offense struggled after winning the national championship and the departure of Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Moore was Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator. 

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Michigan did lose key offensive players, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum and receiver Roman Wilson. But the team is 7-5 after 12 games. 

Kirk Campbell talks to quarterback

Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell talks to quarterback Davis Warren (16) during a timeout against Ohio State in the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Imagn)

The Wolverines are near the bottom of the NCAA in yards per game, sitting at 128th out of 134 FBS schools. They are also 125th in first downs per game and 111th in points. 

The Wolverines scored just one touchdown in the win Saturday against Ohio State’s defense, which is one of the best in the country. 

Campbell worked his way through the Wolverines’ ranks, becoming the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2023 during the national championship run. When Moore took over as head coach after Harbaugh joined the Los Angeles Chargers, Campbell was quickly promoted again, but he only lasted one season.

Kirk Campbell walks on field

Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell watches warmups before the Oregon game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Nov. 2, 2024. (Imagn)

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Michigan will look to make a big hire for this role, especially considering the commitment flip of quarterback Bryce Underwood, the Michigan native who is first overall in the Class of 2025 prospect rankings. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Prep basketball roundup: Westchester survives rally to beat Brentwood

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Prep basketball roundup: Westchester survives rally to beat Brentwood

Westchester started the high school basketball season with losses to Chatsworth, Crespi and Harvard-Westlake. The Comets, filled with transfer students, took out their frustration on unbeaten Brentwood on Tuesday night in the Redondo Union tournament, only to come within seconds of losing.

With Tajh Ariza leading the way, Westchester built up a 21-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Brentwood came back behind Shane Frazier, who made four threes in the quarter. The Eagles twice had the ball in the final seconds with a chance to take the lead before the Comets finally prevailed 74-72.

“We have to finish off games,” said Ariza, who finished with 21 points and is the son of former Westchester and NBA player Trevor Ariza.

Brentwood (7-1) received 21 points from AJ Okoh and 18 points from Frazier. The Eagles outscored Westchester 24-6 in the fourth quarter.

Brentwood got the ball back with 8.8 seconds left after Ariza missed two free throws. But the Eagles could not pull out the victory. It was a tough night for Gold Coast League teams, as the Eagles, Viewpoint and Windward all were beaten.

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Ty Ingram helped Westchester (1-3) with 17 points.

Harvard-Westlake 67, San Gabriel Academay 48: It was a bit of a struggle in the second half for the Wolverines (5-0) after building a 20-point halftime lead. Joe Sterling finished with 21 points and Nikolas Khamenia had 19. Sophomore Mahamadou Diop had 16 points for San Gabriel, which has lost to the Wolverines, Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame this season.

Long Beach Poly 62, Windward 60: The Jackrabbits continue to play a tough schedule and came away victorious behind Jovani Ruff, who had 13 points. JJ Harris scored 23 points for Windward.

Redondo Union 97, Oak Park 39: Brayden Miner, the son of former USC and NBA dunk champion Harold Miner, scored 27 points for Redondo Union (4-0).

Leuzinger 55, Crean Lutheran 51: Arnez Reynolds had 15 points for Crean Lutheran (3-1).

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Loyola 87, Hacienda Heights Wilson 35: Tyson Powell made four threes to finish with 12 points.

Crescenta Valley 90, University Prep Value 21: Vaughn Zargarian had 38 points for Crescenta Valley.

Damien 83, Orange Vista 63: Eli Garner had 27 points and Nate Garcia 23 for Damien.

JSerra 66, La Jolla Country Day 44: BJ Davis-Ray had 17 points for the Lions.

Moorpark 64, South Hills 51: Sophomore Levi Oaks had 27 points and freshman Logan Stotts added 13 points for Moorpark.

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Campbell Hall 89, Venice 56: The Vikings (4-0) received 29 points from Isaiah Johnson and 22 points from James Bass.

Murrieta Valley 72, Sun Valley Poly 70: JD Wyatt had 28 points in his season debut for Poly.

St. Francis 67, Lake Stevens (Wash.) 58: Freshman Luke Paulus scored 21 points and Noah Henry had 20 points and 10 rebounds for St. Francis.

Chaminade 54, Santa Monica 53: Koby Nichols led the way for the Eagles (8-0) with 14 points.

Canyon 63, Saugus 51: Max Guardado led Saugus with 22 points.

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Shalhevet 70, Viewpoint 69: A 31-point outburst from Aiden Bitran lifted Shalhevet to the win in double overtime.

Mater Dei 71, San Juan Hills 55: Luke Barnett scored 22 points to help coach Gary McKnight become the second winningest coach all-time.

Inglewood 95, St. Bernard 92: Jason Crowe Jr., cleared by the Southern Section to play, scored 43 points in Inglewood’s overtime victory.

Girls basketball

Mater Dei 80, King 22: Kaeli Wynn had 21 points and 10 assists for Mater Dei (5-0).

Redondo Union 38, Harvard-Westlake 32: Chloe Choy led Redondo Union with 13 points.

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Hart 65, Valencia 35: Morgan Mack finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists for Hart.

Bishop Montgomery 67, Brentwood 57: Lev Feiman and Payton Sugar each scored 16 points for Brentwood.

Birmingham 62, Mira Costa 52: The Patriots won the Gold Division championship of the Battle of the Beach. Camille Newton had 17 points. Tournament MVP Lili Martinez had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

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