Sports
UCLA’s Sweet 16 ambitions thwarted in season-ending loss to Connecticut
PHILADELPHIA — The question will remain unanswered.
Would UCLA have beaten Connecticut if Tyler Bilodeau was healthy? That’s what will haunt the Bruins and their fans for the rest of March Madness.
Even without their leading scorer the seventh-seeded Bruins battled valiantly, briefly taking the lead in the second half. But in the end they simply didn’t have enough firepower to knock off No. 2 Connecticut, which surged late in its 73-57 win in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday.
“My message to our team is no excuses,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “Somebody brought up Tyler. We didn’t bring it up. It’s five-on-five. Sadly, I’ve got a lot of practice in dealing with that in NCAA tournament play, but it sucks for him.
“At the end of the day, someone said to me what would have happened if you had your guy? You never know. But I thought the bottom line was they played harder than us. Their defense was better than our offense, and I take responsibility for that.”
UCLA (24-12) failed to reach the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season. The Bruins struggled with their shooting most of the night, going 19 for 49 (39%) in comparison to Connecticut’s 23 for 49 (47%). Both teams had the same number of free-throw attempts (21), but the Bruins made just 67% of their shots and the Huskies made 90%.
Connecticut’s Tarris Reed Jr., center, tries to work past (from left) UCLA’s Trent Perry, Donovan Dent and Eric Dailey Jr. during the first half Sunday.
(Matt Rourke / Associated Press)
“We could not finish at the rim,” Cronin said. “You’re not going to score 57 points and beat anybody in this tournament, let alone UConn. That’s because we didn’t finish at the rim.”
Cronin blamed himself for not finding a way to stop Connecticut forward Alex Karaban, who scored 27 points and helped fuel two decisive runs for the Huskies. He scored 10 points during a 14-0 run in the second half. Then, after UCLA closed the gap to 56-52, Karaban and freshman guard Braylon Mullins (17 points) keyed another 9-0 Connecticut run that effectively sealed the win.
“He was a tough matchup for us,” said Cronin, who was hit with a technical foul after objecting to a non-call during the Huskies’ 14-0 run. “If I had to do it over again, I probably would have put a guard on him and try to have our guy that started off on him guard somebody else on the wing.”
Four players scored in double figures for UCLA. Xavier Booker finished with 13 points, Eric Dailey Jr. had 12 points and Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark each finished with 11.
“I just wanted to comfort my teammates,” Dailey said. “Those guys are crying in the locker room right now. It’s not a good feeling.”
Cronin understood the pain. “Right now is not the time to coach,” he said. “Right now is the time to try to be a father figure for those guys.
“It’s tough on them.”
Sports
Brendan Sorsby at crossroads: NCAA gambling probe could end Texas Tech QB’s college career
Brendan Sorsby could find himself at a crossroads once he completes his time in rehab pertaining to an addiction to gambling.
There are currently multiple layers to this case, the most important being his eligibility at Texas Tech for the upcoming 2026 season with the NCAA currently investigating whether he placed bets on the outcome of games while on the Indiana roster in 2022.
Though he did end up redshirting, he did see action in one game. His time on the Indiana roster has drawn the most intrigue by those within the NCAA compliance office. Besides the fact that he is also alleged to have bet on pro sports, which includes baseball and the UFC, we have seen a recent uptick in gambling cases involving college athletes.
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Brendan Sorsby of the Cincinnati Bearcats scrambles during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 29, 2025. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The main point of the NCAA’s inquiry, besides his betting on professional sports, was how prevalent his gambling was during his time at Indiana and Cincinnati.
In speaking with multiple sources regarding the ongoing investigation, which Texas Tech officials were made aware of earlier this month, there is a strong belief that he would be declared ineligible for the upcoming season.
What happens if NCAA proves he gambled on his own team?
For Sorsby, there would be the opportunity for him to file a lawsuit seeking an injunction, in hopes of a local Texas judge overriding an NCAA ruling.
But, given that the NCAA has a pretty strong stance on gambling, and rules are plainly stated, getting an injunction seems like a tough path.
This is obviously different than an eligibility lawsuit that we’ve seen filed over the past few years, and one that the NCAA would fight its hardest to win.
In 2023, the NCAA put in guidelines that punish athletes caught gambling on their own school, or other sports at their school, with a permanent loss of eligibility.
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Brendan Sorsby of the Cincinnati Bearcats laughs during warmups before their game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Nov. 1, 2025. (Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
But, the investigation into Brendan Sorsby would likely need to include an interview with the quarterback, which can not occur while he’s currently in a rehabilitation center.
So, the NCAA would have to wait to question the Texas Tech quarterback, and he’s not obligated to speak if his lawyers feel as though he would not win a case down the road outside a courtroom.
Given that Texas Tech has earmarked a large amount of money for the services of Sorsby, I find it hard to believe they would not fight the NCAA if they were to rule him ineligible for the upcoming season.
According to sources, the Red Raiders were set to pay him upwards of $6 million for the duration of his time in Lubbock.
Could Sorsby enter the NFL supplemental draft?
This would certainly be something his team would look into if the NCAA were to declare him ineligible, especially if he were to lose in a Texas court if the quarterback decided to sue to remain on the Texas Tech roster.
Over the past two years, the NFL supplemental draft that takes place in July has been a dud. But, throw in the current lack of options for athletes that might not be in the best spot at their particular college, or facing a loss of eligibility, the draft could be a received landing spot.
There has been a case study, in essence.
In 2011, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was facing a five-game suspension by the NCAA for his role in ‘tattoo gate’ that ended up costing head coach Jim Tressel his job.
FOX NEWS SPORTS HUDDLE NEWSLETTER: FBI PROBES NBA GAMBLING TIES; BLUE JAYS REBOUND AFTER MARATHON NIGHT
Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is embraced by coach Jim Tressel and Ellen Tressel after the 2010 Rose Bowl against Oregon in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1, 2010. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports)
So, instead of facing the NCAA suspension, Pryor was able to enter the supplemental draft, but still had to serve his suspension at the NFL level after being drafted by the Oakland Raiders.
Commissioner Roger Goodell was the one who handed down the suspension, which Pryor did not appeal. In the situation that Sorsby decides to try, it would be up to the NFL to agree to let him enter his name, which they could also decline.
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This could obviously be the route that Brendan Sorsby decides to take, if things continue trending towards him losing his right to play at Texas Tech.
We’ll find out soon enough, as the investigation into the quarterback continues.
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Sports
Chatsworth High’s Grant Wang hits the MIT jackpot
During a volleyball tournament trip to Las Vegas in March, Chatsworth coach Sina Aghassy confiscated all his players’ cellphones and put them in his backpack to make sure they focused on their sports assignment — with one exception.
Anyone waiting to learn if they were accepted to a college could briefly have access to their phone.
The players are standing in a hallway listening to their coach evaluate their performance when Grant Wang, the team’s star 6-foot-6 senior, decides to open his phone to check whether he got a message from MIT.
“I opened it up a couple minutes before it was supposed to come out and all I see is confetti,” he said. “I was in shock and all I did was make a noise.”
Aghassy, not knowing what the noise meant, said, “Can you quiet down a bit?”
“Five minutes into his talk, I started breaking down crying. I got overwhelmed by emotions,” Wang said.
Volleyball standout Grant Wange of Chatsworth High has never received a grade other than A in high school.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Teammates didn’t know if it was good news or bad news as they saw his tears.
“My teammate whispers to me.”
Wang tells the good news, “I got into MIT.”
“Everyone breaks out cheering and going wild.
Wang had kept it a secret that MIT was his dream school. He was so disappointed in the fall when he was put on the deferred list that he didn’t think he’d get in.
He becomes the fourth volleyball player from Southern California to be accepted to MIT, joining three others from Redondo Union who he knows.
He’s never received a grade other than A in Chatsworth’s magnet program focused on STEM. He’s such a math whiz that he took geometry in eighth grade and finished all his math classes, from chemistry to calculus, last school year. This year he’s focused on AP Physics.
He already owns three rings — one playing for Chatsworth’s state championship basketball team with Alijah Arenas and two City Open Division volleyball titles. He’s going for a third ring this season as Chatsworth is expected to be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed for the volleyball playoffs. He gave up basketball for volleyball, a sport he didn’t start playing until his freshman year.
“I love the sport. I always put in extra work,” he said.
Redondo Union High volleyball players (from left) Tommy Spalding, Vaughan Flaherty and Carter Mirabal are headed to MIT this fall.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Unlike the Redondo Union trio, he doesn’t surf and plays no instruments even though his Redondo Union friends are looking for a drummer to start a band. Wang knows math formulas, but drumming? “I cannot,” he said.
“In college, I’m going to learn how to drum so I can join the band,” he joked.
His size and improving skills make him a good volleyball prospect for the future. He seems all set except for dealing with cold weather.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in weather under 60 degrees for two days,” he said. “My parents said, ‘Good luck,’ they would send me some hot Korean soup during tough days.”
Asked how he became such a good student, Wang said, “My mom and dad always put me in academic settings trying to get me to learn as much as possible.”
B’s on a report card are not allowed in his family.
He offered a rousing endorsement for his educators at Chatsworth.
“All the teachers put their heart and soul into us,” he said.
As for his volleyball coach, he appreciated Aghassy giving access to his phone for just a few minutes and apologizes for disrupting his speech.
What a memory it will be for years to come telling the story of being in Las Vegas and learning he got into MIT.
It was his jackpot worth more than money.
Sports
Proposal for historic NCAA tournament expansion reaches final stages: report
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Michigan’s men’s basketball team secured its first national title in more than 30 years earlier this month. One day earlier, UCLA’s women’s team claimed its first NCAA Tournament crown.
Michigan and UCLA powered through a 64-team bracket to hoist their respective championship trophies, but an expanded bracket could make repeat runs more difficult next season. ESPN reported Tuesday, citing sources, that the NCAA is moving forward with plans to expand both tournaments to 76 teams.
Expansion has been on the table for more than a year, but this latest step could pave the way for formal approval, with an announcement possible as soon as next month. The larger field could be in place before the 2026-27 season.
The Sweet 16/Elite Eight March Madness logo is displayed on the floor before the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Elite Eight game between Texas Tech and Florida at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on March 29, 2025. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Though several hurdles remain with NCAA committees before any changes can become official, a source told ESPN the remaining steps are merely “formalities.”
Media rights deals remain unfinished, and signed contracts will likely be needed before the men’s and women’s basketball committees, oversight groups and other parties move forward. ESPN reported that NCAA officials have recently engaged in discussions with key media partners.
NCAA TOURNAMENT IS GOING TO EXPAND, UNFORTUNATELY. JUST WHAT WE NEED, MORE TEAMS
While the financial framework for expansion is still unclear, costs are expected to rise with more teams traveling and competing. A source told ESPN the plan could still ultimately produce profit and a “modest financial upside.”
A game ball with the March Madness logo is shown during the first round of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La., on March 22, 2025. (Beau Brune/NCAA Photos)
Expansion discussions appear to be fueled more by the push for at-large bids for power conferences than by financial considerations. Many leagues have added a considerable number of schools under the current agreement.
“Expanding the basketball tournaments would require approval from multiple NCAA committees, including the men’s and women’s basketball committees, and no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time,” an NCAA spokesperson told OutKick’s Trey Wallace.
Currently, the First Four features eight teams across four games. Under expansion, that would grow to 12 games involving 24 teams, with the men’s tournament adding eight at-large bids.
The NCAA basketball goes through the net during the SEC women’s college basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., on March 8, 2025. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire)
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Overall, the proposal would mean the First Four would see 24 of those 76 teams competing Tuesday and Wednesday. Eight teams that once would have been in the customary bracket would now face eight new at-large teams. The main 64-team bracket would still tip off Thursday with little change.
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