The final of my 40-plus quiet courts this season, at nearly 1:00am following the NCAA regionals in Charlotte.  (Photo:  Brian Wilmer/Daly Dose of Hoops) Follow @sportsmatters I don’t even remember when I heard this. I don’t remember where it was. The longer I do this stuff, the more days, seasons, and years just blow past me. The one thing I do remember, though, was what I heard. I cover high school sports when I’m not covering college sports. I tell every writer who asks for advice that they need to do the same. You meet great people. You learn how to craft a story. I ..read more

Marty Richter poses with his family after being introduced as USC Upstate head coach. (Photo by Ryan Frye/USC Upstate Athletics) By Justin Mathis (@J_Math23) SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Marty Richter could hardly contain his excitement after being introduced as the 11th head coach of the USC Upstate men’s basketball program Wednesday morning. Richter takes the helm of the Spartans following a six-year stint as an assistant at Drake University, where the Bulldogs compiled a 150-55 record that featured three conference championships and three NCAA tournament berths ..read more

Dan Hurley cuts down net after UConn’s second straight national championship, solidifying Huskies’ dominant two-year run. (Photo by Jaden Daly/Daly Dose Of Hoops) GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dan Hurley’s pregame and postgame playlists have become a topic of conversation in UConn’s NCAA Tournament run this past month, which begged the question of what the UConn coach’s musical selection would be Monday night after the Huskies clipped Purdue to win their second straight national championship. His answer? “One Moment In Time,” he deadpanned, surprising some of the media gathered outside the UConn locke ..read more

Tom Moore and Dan Hurley (third and fourth from left) reconstructed UConn when arriving in 2018, building to back-to-back national championships. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops) GLENDALE, Ariz. — As the finality of its accomplishments began to blanket UConn moments after the Huskies successfully defended their national championship Monday, the team’s place among program and basketball royalty began to become clearer. Yes, UConn is the first school since Florida 17 years ago to repeat, a footnote the Huskies secured with their commanding 75-60 victory over Purdue. But has this iteratio ..read more

UConn celebrates second straight national championship after Huskies defeated Purdue to cap successful title defense. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball) GLENDALE, Ariz. — At the beginning of the season, the University of Connecticut was doubted. With three starters from last year’s team having moved into the professional ranks, the consensus was that although the Huskies would still be a strong team, it would likely take a step back from the highest of highs. One year later, UConn ended its journey with the same status it earned last April. National champions. Despite surrendering 37 point ..read more

Dan Hurley hugs his son, Andrew, after UConn’s national championship victory last year. The two have another chance to make history together Monday as Huskies play Purdue in title game. (Photo by Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports Images) GLENDALE, Ariz. — As he now stands 40 minutes from becoming the first coach in 17 years to lead his team to consecutive national championships, Dan Hurley has run the gamut of emotions during UConn’s latest NCAA Tournament run. One particular trait has pervaded the tough Jersey City facade of the Huskies’ leader, though, as UConn battles Purdue Monday night for t ..read more

Matt Painter hopes to join Tony Bennett in leading his program from first-round loss to national championship one year later when Purdue takes on UConn Monday night. (Photo by Michael Conroy/Associated Press) GLENDALE, Ariz. — Six years ago, the University of Virginia was an unfortunate writer of history when the Cavaliers — the No. 1 overall seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament — were shockingly ousted by UMBC in the first round, the first top seed to lose to a No. 16 seed since the tournament expanded in 1985. After reaching its nadir after that 74-54 defeat in Charlotte, Tony Bennett and Vir ..read more

Donovan Clingan elevates over Nick Pringle (23) as UConn defeated Alabama to set up national championship matchup with Purdue. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball) GLENDALE, Ariz. — The University of Connecticut has been inevitable for anyone tasked with the unenviable position of trying to slay its giant of a basketball program the last two seasons. A combination of a dynamic offense, relentless defense, and significant depth has made UConn seemingly bulletproof in postseason play, a quality that has helped the Huskies win their five NCAA Tournament games this year by an average margin of 25 ..read more

Alex Karaban (11) and Tristen Newton (2) lead UConn back to Final Four, this time knowing what to expect as Huskies meet Alabama Saturday. (Photo by Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog) GLENDALE, Ariz. — Leading up to the NCAA Tournament, and later, Final Four, Dan Hurley spoke of the pressure of wanting to get his new crop of players — namely Cam Spencer and Stephon Castle — to the greatest stage in the sport as if it were an added weight on his and his program’s shoulders. Now that UConn is back in the national semifinals, the pressure Hurley referenced throughout March has given way to the busine ..read more

Forget the selection committee, and all the talk of being snubbed. Seton Hall got a chance to end its season its way, go out on its terms, and prove to everyone once again that it does its best work when doubted. No matter who the faces of the program have been over the past decade-plus, one thing has remained consistent in the Garden State: Seton Hall has usually outperformed its expectations. It did in the regular season, turning a ninth-place preseason prediction into 13 Big East wins and a year that — if not for UConn’s dominance — would have landed Shaheen Holloway Coach of the Year pl ..read more