CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez is transferring to North Carolina. Lopez announced his decision on social media Thursday night to join Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels, who wrapped up spring practices last weekend. Lopez proved to be a dual-threat option in his first full season as the starter, throwing for 2,559…… Continue Reading
Duke’s Kon Knueppel is heading to the NBA after one college season. The 6-foot-7, 217-pound wing announced his decision Wednesday after a season that included him being named MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. He also helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four. Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists as the team’s No. 2 scorer behind Associated Press national player of the year Cooper Flagg. Knueppel is the first member of Duke’s touted freshman class to go pro. He’s widely projected to be a lottery pick.… Continue Reading
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy turned another major collapse into his grandest performance of all, hitting a wedge into 3 feet for birdie in a sudden-death playoff Sunday to finally win the Masters and take his place in golf history as the sixth player to claim the career Grand Slam. What should have been a coronation along the back nine at Augusta National turned into a heart-racing, lead-changing jaw-dropping finish at golf’s greatest theater that ended with McIlroy on his knees sobbing with joy and disbelief. Right when it looked as though he would blow another major, he delivered two majestic shots when nothing less would do.… Continue Reading
BUIES CREEK, N.C. (AP) — John Andrzejek is finally done with juggling coaching duties as an assistant at Florida and Campbell’s new head coach. Andrzejek had his introductory news conference Wednesday with the Camels. That came less than 48 hours after Andrzejek sprinted onto the court to celebrate Florida’s win against Houston in the NCAA title game in San Antonio. Andrzejek said it had been a “whirlwind” that included the team’s campus celebration Tuesday before catching a charter flight Wednesday morning to North Carolina. Campbell is a Coastal Athletic Association program with one NCAA bid in its history.… Continue Reading
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge has opened the final hearing for a landmark $2.8 billion settlement that will impact every corner of college athletics by saying she will not be granting formal approval on Monday. The settlement calls for paying more than $2.7 billion in damages to athletes who say the NCAA and five biggest conferences prevented them from earning money off their celebrity status. It also would clear the way for each schools to begin sharing up to $20.5 million with their athletes.… Continue Reading
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Duke’s push for its sixth national championship ended abruptly and in unlikely fashion with the Blue Devils squandering a double-digit second-half lead. The Blue Devils led by 14 with about 8 1/2 minutes left before seeing Houston push back and score the game’s last nine points to win 70-67 in Saturday night’s national semifinals. Duke led by six with 1:14 to go before Houston’s winning push as the Blue Devils missed shots, couldn’t get stops and came up empty when the Cougars pushed ahead.… Continue Reading
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball tournament will move from its longtime home in North Carolina to the Atlanta area in 2026. The tournament will be held at the 13,000-seat Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, which is about 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The decision to move the event followed an extensive bid process and evaluation by coaches and administrators. The tournament has been played in Greensboro, North Carolina, for 25 of the past 26 seasons.… Continue Reading
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mark Sears was held to six points and Alabama followed an NCAA Tournament-record 25 3-pointers with only eight, dooming its shot at a second straight Final Four in an 85-65 loss to Duke in the East Region final. Sears — who finished 2 of 12 from the field and 1 for 5 on 3s — shot a clunker on Alabama’s first attempt and never got untracked. He hit 10 3s and scored 34 points on the same Prudential Center court only two nights earlier against BYU. This time, Sears made his only basket of the first half with 2:17 to go.… Continue Reading
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tyrese Proctor had career highs of seven 3-pointers and 25 points to continue his recent tear, helping No. 1 seed Duke beat Baylor 89-66 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Freshman star Cooper Flagg had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Blue Devils, the headliner in the East Region and one of the favorites to win it all. They will face either Oregon or Arizona in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey. Proctor made 7 of 8 3-pointers — his third straight game with at least six 3s. Freshman V.J. Edgecombe scored 16 points for Baylor.… Continue Reading
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — N.C. State has announced the hiring of McNeese’s Will Wade as the Wolfpack’s new men’s basketball coach. The school announced the hiring Sunday. That came a day after Wade’s McNeese team lost to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. An introductory news conference for Wade is scheduled for Tuesday. It caps a week in which Wade was unusually open about his conversations with N.C. State. Wade had won 58 games the past two seasons at McNeese. That marked a climb back to prominence after he was fired at LSU in 2022 amid allegations of recruiting violations.… Continue Reading