Sports Journalism Blog

By Hanna Barton | @hannabarton00 Sports Capital Journalism Program CLEVELAND — The season of perfection continues for South Carolina (37-0) as it punched its ticket to a third national championship game and became the first team since the 2016 UConn Huskies to enter the title game with an undefeated record.  The Gamecocks topped the NC …

By Madie Chandler | @madie_chandler CLEVELAND — The U.S. Basketball Writers Association tipped off the 2024 Women’s Final Four with a brunch to honor a handful of individuals who tirelessly dedicate themselves to the game. No one embodies this commitment more than Joye Lee-McNelis, recipient of the USBWA’s Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award, as she …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue coach Matt Painter knows how impressive it is to take a team to the NCAA tournament after coaching it for one season. The second-round matchup for the top-seeded Boilermakers, eighth-seeded Utah State, is not one Purdue is taking lightly. Utah State’s head coach …

By Jaela Johnson | @jae_jamirah Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – The Utah State Aggies, a team that returned zero points from its roster last season, won its first NCAA tournament game in 23 years, defeating TCU, 88-72, late Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Aggies (28-6) ended the school’s 10-game tournament losing streak through …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – The top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers had taken control of their first-round game against Grambling State. Zach Edey, Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center, collected a rebound, pivoted clockwise, held the ball above his head and delivered a one-hop pass that found sophomore guard Braden Smith in stride at …

By Jaela Johnson | @jae_jamirah Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS— Tad Boyle, the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, watched his team trade baskets with the Florida Gators at such a rapid rate that with 20 minutes left in one of their seasons, he had this thought: “’If we don’t start guarding better, we’ve got to …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time since February 28, when Tyler Kolek suffered a grade two oblique strain that turned the All-American guard into a spectator and temporarily changed the direction of Marquette’s season, the Golden Eagles were complete. Kolek scored 10 of his 18 points …

By Jaela Johnson | @jae_jamirah Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS—Utah State is entering the NCAA tournament crushing records and making history, coming off its first outright Mountain West Conference regular-season championship championship. The eighth-seeded Aggies (27-6) are looking to push that momentum into their game Friday against TCU. TCU (21-12) is one of a conference …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – One year ago, the Purdue Boilermakers were in this same spot — a one seed playing a 16 seed at the start of the NCAA tournament — and the results of that loss to FDU are still a constant reminder. Purdue’s Zach Edey, the …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – With his team’s third straight NCAA tournament appearance starting Friday afternoon, Marquette All-American guard Tyler Kolek has fought through an oblique injury to rejoin his team for the first-round South region game against Western Kentucky. “I’ve been practicing this whole week,” Kolek said at …