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Dan Hurley, UConn agree to new contract; Is the NCAA Tournament expanding again? – CBS Sports
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DAN HURLEY AND THE UCONN HUSKIES
When Dan Hurley spurned the Lakers to return to UConn nearly a month ago, Huskies athletic director Dave Benedict said, “We look forward to Dan’s continued leadership on and off the court at UConn.”
Monday, Benedict and the rest of UConn athletics put their money where their mouth is, agreeing to a six-year, $50-million contract with their star head coach.
After rejecting the Lakers, Hurley adamantly told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander he wasn’t using Lakers negotiations as a leverage play. After all, the Lakers offered six years and $70 million, so if it was truly all about money, Hurley might’ve ended up in Los Angeles.
But UConn has several inherent advantages. Hurley is from the Northeast, as is his wife — a reason he quickly shot down Kentucky rumors following the national title game — and he’s building a bonafide dynasty in Storrs. He can coach how he wants (exacting, demanding and sometimes borderline nuts) and who he wants. Now, he’s going to do it for the foreseeable future, right where he’s meant to be.
It’s flown under the radar, but the future of the NCAA Tournament as we know it is at stake.
The NCAA men’s basketball committee — the same 12 athletic directors who determine the bracket on Selection Sunday — are meeting this weekend to discuss the future of the tournament. The biggest item on the docket? Potential tournament expansion.
According to Matt Norlander, the NCAA is considering three options:
The suggestion dates back to 2021, and this week represents another crucial step. But Matt says expanding would be the wrong choice and laid out five reasons why, including …
And if you’re thinking, “All the NCAA cares about is money” … you’re probably right. But, as Matt explains, there wouldn’t be much — if any — more money on the table.
Basketball’s global rise has been remarkable. Going by national team status …
Still, Team USA enters the Paris Olympics as the prohibitive favorite for gold; it would be their fifth straight gold and eighth in the last nine Olympics. The Americans’ ridiculously loaded roster features the game’s biggest names, several potential future faces of the NBA — Anthony Edwards certainly isn’t lacking confidence — and a mix of skill sets. Team USA is an easy pick atop Jasmyn Wimbish’s Paris Olympics men’s basketball power rankings.
But as the bullet points imply, it won’t be easy, and the No. 2 team in Jasmyn’s rankings is emerging as a global power.
Lucky for us, we’ll see the USA and Canada play each other in a showcase tomorrow. The Americans will play five showcase games before opening their Olympics against Jokic and Serbia on July 28.
The 2024 WNBA season is about halfway through, and things are as competitive as ever. The Liberty and Sun — both 17-4 — share the top spot in the standings. The Commissioner’s Cup-champion Lynx are third, a couple of games back of the leaders and a game ahead of the fourth-place Storm. The two-time reigning-champion Aces are fifth, having won seven of their last eight after a surprisingly up-and-down start, and sit just a half-game back of Seattle.
Those five have seemingly separated themselves from the rest of the league. And we have a new squad occupying the rotating door for No. 1 in Jack Maloney’s WNBA Power Rankings.
Here’s the reworked top five:
And just outside that top five are Caitlin Clark and the Fever, who remained at No. 6. Indiana has steadied after a tough start. Clark had the WNBA’s first triple-double by a rookie in a win over the Liberty, and the race between her and fellow record-setter Angel Reese for Rookie of the Year remains tight.
🎾 Wimbledon, 8 a.m. on ESPN/ESPN2
⚽ Euro 2024 — Semifinal: Spain vs. France, 3 p.m. on Fox
⚾ Dodgers at Phillies, 6:40 p.m. on TBS
🏀 Grizzlies vs. 76ers, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Copa America — Semifinal: Argentina vs. Canada, 8 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Thunder vs. Jazz, 9 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Hornets vs. Kings, 10 p.m. on NBA TV
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