The Aggies did all of their damage in the first four innings. Caden Sorrell’s home run with one out in the top of the first staked A&M to a 1-0 lead. Bear Harrison made it 2-0 in the second on a sacrifice flyout to left field before Chris Hacopian stretched it to 4-0 with a two-run home run in the third. Gavin Grahovic’s RBI single in the fourth upped the lead to 5-0.

That was more than enough for the Aggies as Weston Moss went 4.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits while striking out five and walking two. Gavin Lyons pitched 2.2 innings of hitless relief and got the win while striking out two batters and walking two. Clayton Freshcorn (2.0 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K) finished it out, allowing LSU’s only runs of the day to score in the eighth inning on a Cade Arrambide home run and a passed ball with two out.

Sunday was the latest example of what’s been a disappointing season for the Tigers. The defending College World Series champions are 23-18 overall and 6-12 in SEC play. Barring a late run, they’re in danger of missing Regionals altogether a year after the program’s eighth title.

Meanwhile, the Aggies — who have taken their last four series — moved to 31-7 while moving to 12-5 in league play, putting them a half-behind Georgia for the conference lead with one month to go before the SEC Tournament.

Can Texas A&M finally bring home the program’s first national title? Here’s the latest Kalshi market for who will end up with the trophy in Omaha in June.

Prediction Markets

College Baseball D1 Champion?

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

UCLA

17%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

2%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post No. 10 Texas A&M finishes off sweep of LSU, extends winning streak to six games appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Commodores, who dropped the series opener on Friday before winning the next two, improved to 24-17 overall and 9-9 in the SEC. The Wildcats, who have now dropped five straight conference series, fell to 26-12 for the season and 8-10 in league play.

Vanderbilt trailed 3-1 after five innings before turning the tables on the Wildcats in the sixth, sending 11 men to the plate while scoring six times with the benefit of just two hits. After Brodie Johnston was hit by a pitch, Colin Barczi stepped up and hammered one over the wall in left field to tie it at 3-3.

Later, with the bases loaded and two out, Hampton ran the count full before launching a grand slam to right — his first career home run — to make it a 7-3 Commodores lead.

After a sacrifice flyout in the bottom of the frame cut the Vandy Boys’ lead to 7-4, Kentucky pulled within 7-6 on a pair of two-out RBI singles from Scott Campbell and Carson Hanson. But Johnson’s leadoff homer in the ninth touched off a six-run ninth inning that included run-scoring singles by Max Jensen and Rustan Rigdon, an RBI sacrifice groundout and flyout, and a wild pitch.

Aiden Stillman (2-1) picked up the win in relief, going 2.0 innings and allowing two runs on a hit and three walks while striking out three. Connor Mattison, the Wildcats’ starter, lasted 5.1 innings, yielded four runs on five hits and a walk, and struck out five. Meanwhile, the Wildcats ended up leaving 16 men on the plate while hitting just 3-of-17 with runners in scoring position.

Both teams are back at it on Tuesday. Vanderbilt faces Xavier while Kentucky travels to take on in-state foe Louisville.

The post Vanderbilt uses big 6th and 9th to beat Kentucky 13-6, win weekend series appeared first on Saturday Down South.

It looks as if he won’t be headed to Chapel Hill after all. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Sunday, English has instead “decided not to pursue an assistant coach position” with the Tar Heels.

English was 48-52 at Providence, including a 23-37 mark in Big East play. After a 21-14 record and an NIT berth in 2024-25, the Friars won a combined 27 games over the next two seasons. He joined Providence after a pair of seasons at George Mason, where he was 34-29.

The former Mizzou standout turned to coaching after a brief professional career. He began as an assistant at Tulsa from 2015-17 and Colorado from 2017-19 before joining Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee. After a pair of seasons at Rocky Top, he was named head coach at George Mason before landing at Providence.

Though English was reported as hired by North Carolina, the move was never officially announced. That’s also the case of the reported hiring of former SEC assistant Chuck Martin as Malone’s associate head coach at UNC. The pair coached at Manhattan during the 1999-2000 season.

Sean May, who served on both Williams’s and Hubert Davis’s staffs, has been retained by Malone as an assistant.

The post Kim English reverses course on North Carolina assistant coaching role, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Branch was released on bond shortly after being booked, but a police report was not immediately available. Later on Sunday, more details emerged surrounding his arrest.

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero posted a portion of the report from Athens-Clarke County (Ga.) police on social media. Branch was arrested while standing on a public sidewalk for not moving far enough when a police officer asked him to move:

A male, later identified as Zacharia [sic] Branch, continued to stand on the sidewalk without making an attempt to move. I continued to give Zacharia Branch verbal commands to move from blocking the sidewalk and advised that if he did not, he would receive a citation for blocking the sidewalk. Zacharia Branch smirked, then stepped backwards and to the right, then remained standing upon the public sidewalk, so as to obstruct, hinder, and impede free passage upon the sidewalk as well as impede free ingress/egress to or from the adjacent places of business.

Branch faces charges of obstructing public sidewalks/streets – prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, both misdemeanors. After being held for over two hours, he was released after posting bonds totaling $39.

Branch was back in Athens for Georgia’s annual G-Day game. His younger brother, Zion, a Bulldogs safety, is entering his second year with the program.

The post Details emerge surrounding arrest of former Georgia WR Zachariah Branch appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Shane Blakeney, who was a second-team All-CAA performer at Drexel in 2025-26, has committed to the Gamecocks. His agents relayed the news to DraftExpress’s Jon Chepkevich on Sunday afternoon.

Blakeney, from Rock Hill, S.C., was a member of Drexel’s 2023 recruiting class. After 22 games as a freshman, he emerged as a consistent bench option in 2024-25, averaging 7.5 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 24.6 minutes.

He broke out in 2025-26 as a junior, leading the Dragons in scoring with 14.2 points while starting all 33 of their games. He also posted 5.1 rebounds as he was named second-team All-CAA.

South Carolina was always going to be in for a busy offseason. Seven players entered the portal, including fourth-leading scorer Elijah Strong (10.0 ppg) and top bench option Eli Ellis (8.6 ppg in 26.7 minutes). Meanwhile, the Gamecocks’ top three scorers — Meechie Johnson (17.2 ppg), Mike Sharavjamts (10.9 ppg), and Kobe Knox (10.8 ppg) — have exhausted their eligibility.

Blakeney joins three other portal commitments for the Gamecocks: power forward Aleksas Bieliauskas (Wisconsin), small forward Camden Heide (Texas), and point guard Kory Mincy (George Mason).

The post South Carolina adds transfer commitment from former second-team All-CAA guard appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Bangot Dak, who just completed his third season at Colorado, has committed to the Commodores. Dak revealed his decision to On3’s Joe Tipton on Sunday afternoon.

Dak, who is 7-foot-1, averaged career highs with the Buffaloes in 2025-26 as he started all but three of their games. The Lincoln, Nebraska, product averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. His 50 blocks ranked just outside of the top 10 in the Buffs’ single-season record books. After entering the transfer portal, he’s opted to wrap up his college career in the SEC.

It’s a major presence in the paint for Mark Byington and the Commodores, who continued their ascent on the national stage during the 2025-26 campaign. Vanderbilt‘s 27 wins ranked as the second most in school history. Tyler Tanner was a first-team All-SEC selection and made the conference’s all-defensive team after the season.

Dak is the third player to commit to the Commodores during this transfer cycle. Berke Buyuktuncel (6.5 ppg, 5.8 ppg) is set to join the program from Nebraska. Vandy will also add Ace Glass, a second-team All-WCC performer who led Washington State in scoring in his freshman season.

The post Vanderbilt lands transfer commitment from former Big 12 big man appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Freddie Dilione V, who spent the past two seasons at Penn State, has committed to the Dawgs, according to The Field of 68. Vilione has one year of eligibility remaining.

Dilione, with 14.0 points per game in 32 appearances and 15 starts, led the way in scoring for the Nittany Lions in 2025-26. During the 2024-25 season, he played in 31 games and started 28, averaging 24.6 minutes and 9.4 points.

The Fayetteville, N.C., product is no stranger to the SEC. He was a former four-star recruit in the class of 2022, ranked by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 7 combo guard and the No. 41 player overall. After redshirting as a true freshman, he played in 18 games and posted 1.7 points in 5.2 minutes an outing.

It’s a significant piece of the offseason puzzle for White, whose priorities were replacing leading scorer Jeremiah Wilkinson (Arkansas) and big man Somto Cyril (Miami). Meanwhile, Dilione joins a core of Blue Cain (13.1 ppg), Smurf Milender (12.0 ppg), and Kanon Catchings (11.6 ppg), who will all return to Georgia in 2026-27.

The post Georgia lands transfer commitment from standout B1G shooting guard, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Offensive tackle Monroe Freeling leads the way at No. 11. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder, Yates’ No. 2 offensive tackle, wrapped up his third and final season with the Bulldogs by bringing in second-team All-SEC honors.

“With only 18 starts, Freeling is a greener prospect than almost any other player so far in this ranking,” Yates said. “I am bullish that Freeling has as much upside as any offensive lineman in this class; he has all the skills to be a longtime left tackle.”

Linebacker CJ Allen came in at No. 45 overall, making him Yates’ third-rated player at the position.

“The quarterback of Georgia’s defense in 2025, Allen is a slightly undersized inside linebacker,” Yates said. “He is a cerebral, standout communicator who has good range and strong instincts that show up often in run defense.”

One other player ranked in Yates’ top 50: defensive tackle Christen Miller, the No. 4 DT.

“Miller has excellent power to hold his ground, stay square and take on double-teams. He’s a stout, selfless run defender who made life better for linebackers behind him,” Yates wrote.

Here’s the full list of Georgia players in Yates’ top 150:

11. Monroe Freeling, OT

45. CJ Allen, LB

48. Christen Miller, DT

55. Zachariah Branch, WR

72. Oscar Delp, TE

114. Daylen Everette, CB

138. Colbie Young, WR

The post ESPN’s Field Yates places 7 Georgia players among top 150 NFL Draft prospects appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Trae Proctor, a tight end out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla., has flipped his commitment from Auburn to the Wildcats. He announced the news on his X account on Thursday evening.

Proctor is the ninth 2027 player to commit to the Wildcats program, a group currently ranked by 247Sports as No. 11 in the country. He’s also the fourth player in the past week-plus to pledge to Kentucky. On April 8, Mobile, Ala. cornerback Miguel Wilson made the call for the Wildcats. Two days later, fellow Alabama product Elijah Brown (Prattville), a defensive lineman, verballed to the program. That was followed by Jake Nawrot, the nation’s No. 6 quarterback, on April 12.

As a junior at Southridge High School in Miami, Proctor made 30 catches for 604 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games. In January, he pledged to Auburn to become part of Alex Golesh’s initial recruiting class as head coach. Three months later, he is now in the fold for the Wildcats.

Below, you can take a look at Proctor’s highlights, from Hudl:

The post Kentucky flips 2027 tight end from fellow SEC program appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The “CoMo-inspired jerseys” — pictured below via a post on the Tigers’ X account — will be worn on April 21 during a non-conference game against SIU Edwardsville. The uniforms feature the city’s “CoMo” nickname on the chest.

April 21, in fact, will be “CoMo Day” at Taylor Stadium. The nonconferenc game will also feature a first pitch thrown by former NASCAR great Carl Edwards, a native of Columbia.

“What makes Mizzou a special place is that the university is at the center of the community. It was important as a program to recognize where the majority of our support comes from. We are truly excited for CoMo day at Taylor Stadium,” said Mizzou head coach Kerrick Jackson.

Before facing SIUE, the Tigers have a tough task in front of them as they visit Top 15 team Oklahoma for a three-game SEC series. Mizzou has lost three straight games and currently sits at 20-17 (3-12 SEC).

SIUE is 20-17 overall. But it’s currently tied with Eastern Illinois atop the OVC standings at 10-2.

First pitch from Taylor Field on Tuesday is set for 6 p.m. ET.

The post Mizzou baseball drops new ‘CoMo’ alternate uniforms appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ultimately, that didn’t happen, meaning more resources freed up for other players.

“Arch could have dragged us over the coals for six million, seven million, whatever he wanted. That’s an extra five million that I can go get a Cam Coleman, go get a Hollywood Smothers and go get a Rasheem Biles,” Sarkisian told On3’s Chris Low.

Manning still got paid, naturally. Low noted that the Texas QB is “believed to be making $2M.” Coupled with NIL deals, he is reportedly making just north of $5 million, making him the most valuable college athlete in the country.

On the field, Manning’s first season as the starter behind center got off to a shaky start before a late-season turnaround. In the end, it wasn’t enough to get the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff for a third straight season.

With Biles, Coleman, and Smothers in the fold on Steve Sarkisian‘s team in 2026 — and a confident Manning that could be a top prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft — the Longhorns hope they are well-positioned to not just return to the CFP, but win it altogether.

Here’s the latest Kalshi market on which 12 teams will make the Playoff:

Prediction Markets

College Football Playoff Qualifiers 2026

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post Steve Sarkisian says Arch Manning took pay cut when signing with Texas out of high school appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Darius Snow, who years ago was recruited by the Longhorns before opting to attend his father’s alma mater, has committed to Texas, his agent told CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer, Matt Zenitz, and Cody Nagel on Tuesday. It will be Snow’s seventh and final year of eligibility.

Snow, the son of former Michigan State basketball star and NBA veteran Eric Snow, was a three-star recruit in the class of 2020 — when Tom Herman was leading the program. In fact, he had the Longhorns among his finalists. He ultimately followed in his father’s footsteps and signed with the Spartans.

Snow played in six games in 2020, but that season didn’t count toward his eligibility due to COVID-19. In 2021, he posted 87 tackles while eventually emerging as a starter in the Spartans’ backfield. After seeing time in just one game in 2022 due to injury, he redshirted, but missed all but four games in 2023.

After 29 tackles in 12 games in 2024, Snow returned in 2025 for a sixth year of eligibility and made 34 tackles. Due to his abbreviated 2023 season, he was able to secure a medical redshirt for one last go-around in the college ranks. He’ll spend that final season close to home as a member of the Longhorns.

Snow marks the 21st player to transfer to Texas during this recruiting cycle. That’s easily the most incoming transfers in the Steve Sarkisian era. As the Longhorns look to book a third trip to the College Football Playoff in four seasons, Kalshi is taking action on which 12 teams will make the field.

Prediction Markets

College Football Playoff Qualifiers 2026

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post Texas lands B1G transfer linebacker entering seventh year of eligibility appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“We are grateful for today’s decision. This is a fair outcome for a young man who handled this process with integrity and resilience,” Benndy said in a statement. “We’re proud to stand with Owen and look forward to supporting him as he returns to competition in a Sooner uniform.”

The NCAA argued that the season Heinecke spent on the Ohio State men’s lacrosse roster (2021) before walking on to the Sooners’ football roster as a PWO should have counted against his eligibility. After the Tulsa native redshirted in 2022 and saw limited playing time in 2023 and 2024, he emerged as one of the conference’s top LBs in 2025.

That should have been the end of his college career, with the NCAA originally ruling against his appeal for a sixth and final year in February. Heinecke and his legal team, though, continued to pursue the matter. On Thursday, he — and the Sooners — received the good news they were waiting for.

Heinicke’s return means that an anchor in Oklahoma‘s defense from its College Football Playoff appearance in 2025 is back in the fold. And while he was projected as a late-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, he could be a player in high demand come 2027.

Can Heinicke and the Sooners return to the CFP in 2026? Kalshi is taking action on who will make up the 12-team field.

Prediction Markets

College Football Playoff Qualifiers 2026

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post Oklahoma AD Roger Denny releases statement on Owen Heinecke’s eligibility ruling appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Indiana head coach, though, cleared the air on just how much his own program is paying.

During an interview with Front Office Sports, Alabama general manager Courtney Morgan stated that some teams across the country are paying upwards of $40 million in efforts to position themselves to win a national championship. That’s not really a surprise as that’s been a number that’s been thrown around in some corners for a while.

That’s not quite the number Indiana paid, however. And the notoriously blunt Cignetti made that clear when responding to a post on X that stated that the Hoosiers “for a fact” didn’t spend that much.

“Correct. Not even close,” Cignetti said.

That’s not to say that Indiana isn’t willing to offer big money. Fernando Mendoza held a reported NIL valuation of $2.6 million. Days before the Hoosiers won their national championship, Mark Cuban donated an increased amount over his 2025 contribution to fund his alma mater’s war chest.

Indiana will have a massive target on its back in 2026 as it looks to win its consecutive national championship. Can the Hoosiers run it back, or will another team ultimately emerge? Kalshi is taking action on who will make up the 12-team College Football Playoff field in 2026.

Prediction Markets

College Football Playoff Qualifiers 2026

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post Curt Cignetti responds to reports of CFB teams spending up to $40 million on roster appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Bulldogs dropped Friday’s opener 6-5 as the Volunteers broke a 3-3 tie with three runs in the top of the 8th. On Saturday, they found themselves in a 3-0 hole in the 2nd before falling 6-2.

On Sunday, as was the case in the first two games, Mississippi State was forced to play from behind, trailing 2-0 after one. The Bulldogs found the scoreboard in the bottom of the 4th on a sacrifice groundout to make it 2-1, but Henry Ford’s sac grounder and Blake Grimmer’s RBI single put Tennessee up 5-1 in the sixth. Reed Stallman cut it to 5-2 in the 7th on an RBI single before a pair of Volunteer runs in the 9th put the game out of reach.

The Bulldogs were held to six hits on the day, thanks in part to Evan Blanco. The senior left-hander picked up the win behind 6.2 strong innings, yielding two runs on five hits while striking out six and walking none. Charlie Forster was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on four hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 5.1 innings.

Mississippi State and Tennessee return to action on Tuesday. The Bulldogs head to Birmingham to face Samford while the Volunteers (24-12, 7-8 SEC) host UNC Asheville.

Which team will end up as the 2026 College World Series champion? Kalshi is taking action on who will be lifting the trophy in Omaha in June.

Prediction Markets

College Baseball D1 Champion?

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

UCLA

17%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

2%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post No. 9 Mississippi State swept for second straight series, fall to Tennessee at home appeared first on Saturday Down South.

According to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman, the Wildcats are the “leader” to land BYU PG Rob Wright III, who spent 2025-26 with the Cougars after a season at Baylor. Goodman also reports that Wright will take a visit to the program on Monday.

Wright was one of the top recruits in the country when he signed with Baylor out of the class of 2024. He was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 point guard and the No. 28 overall recruit in his class.

In 31 games as a freshman, Wright, a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection, made 25 starts while averaging 29.4 minutes, 11.5 points, and 4.2 assists per game. He scored a season-high 24 points against Kansas on Feb. 1, 2025.

At the close of the season, Wright entered the transfer portal. He remained in the Big 12 and joined BYU, where he posted 18.1 points a game, second only to AJ Dybantsa. He also chipped in 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds as he started all 35 of the Cougars’ games, earning All-Big 12 third-team honors as a result.

Now, Wright is back in the transfer portal, with Kentucky appearing to be the team to beat for his services.

Which team will cut down the nets in Detroit? Kalshi is taking action on the 2027 college basketball championship.

Prediction Markets

2027 College Basketball Champion

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Kentucky ‘leader’ for elite transfer point guard ahead of visit, per CBB insider appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Jake Nawrot, an Arlington Heights, Ill. product, has committed to Will Stein and the Wildcats, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett on Sunday. Nawrot is the eighth player from the class of 2027 to pledge to Kentucky and is also its highest committed recruit to date. According to 247Sports, he is the nation’s No. 40 player and the No. 2 quarterback, behind Alabama commit Elijah Haven.

Nawrot is coming off a terrific junior campaign. In 12 games, he threw for 3,078 yards, the fifth-highest total in the state of Illinois. He also passed for 41 touchdowns versus just two interceptions while adding eight more scores on the ground.

It’s a big commitment for Stein, who is trying to make his mark on the program in his first year since being hired to the post previously held by Mark Stoops. It also marks Kentucky’s third commitment in the last five days. On Wednesday, cornerback Miguel Wilson (Mobile, Ala) pledged, two days before defensive lineman Elijah Brown (Prattville, Ala.) verbaled.

Below, you can take a look at Nawrot’s junior season highlights, courtesy of Hudl:

The post Kentucky picks up 2027 commitment from elite 4-star Chicago-area QB appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Gators, who won Friday’s first game 8-2 before falling 5-1 on Saturday, got off to a quick start on Sunday.

Ethan Surowiec’s three-run home run made it 3-0 in the top of the first before the Dawgs scored a pair in the bottom half to make it 3-2. Florida responded with two of their own as Hayden Yost and Kyle Jones homered in the top of the second to put the Gators up 5-2, but Georgia knotted it up with three runs during its turn at bat.

A six-run third, though, was the difference for Florida. The Gators took a 6-5 lead thanks to a bases-loaded walk by Georgia pitcher Jordan Stephens before he hit Jones with a pitch to make it 7-5. Brendan Lawson (double) and Surowiec (single) then blew it open with back-to-back two-RBI hits as the lead swelled to 11-5.

Yost made it 13-5 in the fourth with his second home run of the afternoon. Georgia scored two in the 8th to complete the scoring.

Both teams are back in action on Tuesday for midweek affairs. Florida returns to Gainesville to face Bethune-Cookman. Georgia will stay home as it hosts ETSU.

Prediction Markets

College Baseball D1 Champion?

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

UCLA

17%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

2%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post Florida hands No. 4 Georgia first series loss of 2026 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

He could now be just a few hours away from his first major championship on the pro circuit. And it’s not just any major. Through nine holes, Henley is -10 on the final day of the Masters, one stroke back of Cameron Young for the lead.

Henley didn’t have the best start during Thursday’s first round, shooting a 73 to finish the day at +1 after his five birdies on the day were wiped out by six bogeys. On Friday, he shot a -2 on the back nine and was -3 through 16, but finished with back-to-back bogeys to end at even par for the tournament.

Since Saturday’s third round, though, Henley has hit a new gear. He made six birdies during a bogey-free round to improve to -6 for the championship. His four birdies through the first eight holes of Sunday’s final round put him just two back of the lead.

Bubba Watson is the only former UGA golfer to win the Masters, donning the green jacket in 2012 and 2014. Will Henley do the same? Can McIlroy become just the fourth back-to-back Masters champion and the first since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002? Or will another name emerge? Kalshi is taking action now.

The post Former Georgia golfer Russell Henley making run at Green Jacket with hot start to final round appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Noah, a native of Baxter, Ky., will be back in the fold after he revealed to On3’s Joe Tipton that he “signed a return deal.” Noah later posted an announcement on his X account.

The 6-foot-5 guard hasn’t seen the most playing time under Mark Pope, but he has emerged as a fairly decent rebounder when called upon. Noah played in 27 games in 2025-26, averaging 10.6 minutes per game. He posted a career-high seven boards in 19 minutes during a win against Arkansas on Jan. 31.

Noah was one of Pope’s first signings after the former Wildcat forward took charge of the program after the departure of John Calipari. He was rated the No. 2 player in Kentucky and the No. 25 small forward in the country in his class by 247Sports.

It’s a dose of good news for the Wildcats, who have seen seven players enter the transfer portal. The biggest name is second-leading scorer Denzel Aberdeen, who committed to Florida. Third-leading scorer Collin Chandler has pledged to BYU. Second-leading rebounder Mo Dioubate, Brandon Garrison, Jasper Johnson, and Jaland Lowe are in the portal but are undecided.

The Wildcats will also need to replace Otega Oweh, as the guard has played his final collegiate season.

After a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, will Kentucky find its way back to elite status and win its first national championship since 2012? Kalshi is taking action on the 2027 title game.

Prediction Markets

2027 College Basketball Champion

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Trent Noah, Kentucky guard, reveals plans for 2026-27 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Tigers, in the midst of a disappointing season (by their standards) a year after winning the College World Series – they’re 22-14 and 6-8 in league play in 2026 — had hoped to avoid their first sweep in conference play after dropping the first two. They turned to Grant Fontenot, who held a 1.50 ERA in 12.0 innings across 10 appearances.

Fontenot didn’t get out of the first inning. In fact, he lasted just five batters. After allowing a single, Fontenot got an out on a sacrifice grounder by Tristan Bissetta. He then walked Judd Utermark before back-to-back singles made it a 2-0 game and marked the end of the line for the right-hander.

Jay Johnson’s quick hook in this one was understandable given that it was just Fontenot’s second start of the season. We’ll see if things settle down for LSU or if the Rebels, who have already taken the series, can secure their first sweep of SEC play.

Can LSU turn things around and repeat as champs in Omaha? Or will another team hoist the trophy? Kalshi is taking action on predictions!

Prediction Markets

College Baseball D1 Champion?

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

UCLA

17%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

2%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post LSU pulls SP early as Ole Miss threatens weekend sweep in Oxford appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Sunday, Louisville picked up a pair of important players from the transfer portal. Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad and Kansas center Flory Bidunga have pledged to the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Shelstad joins Louisville after three seasons in Eugene, where he immediately emerged as a go-to option in the starting rotation. He averaged 12.8 points as a freshman in 2023-24. In 2024-25, he averaged 13.7 points and was an All-Big Ten third-team selection. His junior season began with him averaging 15.6 points in 12 games before a right-hand injury ended his season.

Bidunga, a native of the Congo who played his high school ball in Indiana, is the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Big 12 pick. The 6-foot-10, 235-pounder averaged 13.3 points and finished the season tied with four other players with 2.6 blocks, the third-highest total in Division 1. He posted 91 blocks in 2025-26, tied with Greg Ostertag for the sixth-highest single-season total in school history.

Bidunga and Shelstad are big additions for Pat Kelsey’s team. Leading scorer Ryan Conwell has exhausted his eligibility. Second-leading scorer Mikel Brown Jr. has declared for the NBA Draft, making the freshman the program’s first one-and-done player.

Will 2027 be the Cardinals’ year? Kalshi is taking action on who will be cutting down the nets at Ford Field in Detroit.

Prediction Markets

2027 College Basketball Champion

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Louisville lands ‘package deal’ of elite transfers for 2026-27 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Sunday, Jans added a big piece of the puzzle to his 2026-27 roster. Guard RJ Johnson, who has spent the last two seasons at Kennesaw State, has committed to the Bulldogs, per his agent through a report from On3’s Joe Tipton.

Johnson was an all-Conference USA first-team performer and was a key member of an Owls team that won the league title en route to a second NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons. Through 34 games (22 starts), he averaged 14.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 28.1 minutes. He was named the MVP of the C-USA Tournament after averaging 17 points, 5.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists through three games.

Mississippi State has seen a total of five players enter the transfer portal. Bringing Johnson in, especially if Hubbard returns for his senior season, could go a long way in getting the Bulldogs back to the Big Dance.

Who will end up winning the 2027 national championship? Kalshi is taking action on predictions.

Prediction Markets

2027 College Basketball Champion

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Mississippi State lands big transfer commitment from former C-USA star appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Bethea, who spent the 2025-26 season at Alabama, is set to enter the portal, according to 247Sports’ Travis Branham. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Bethea has struggled to live up to the billing he received as an elite shooting guard at Archbishop Wood High School near Philadelphia. In his lone season at Miami in 2024-25, he played in 31 games and started 16 while averaging 19.0 minutes and 7.0 ppg.

He then entered the transfer portal, where he was one of the most coveted players of the cycle before signing with Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide. But he was hindered by an injury to his pinky toe before the season began and was out of action until a Dec. 3 game against Clemson. He ultimately was unable to consistently break into the rotation as he averaged just 7.9 minutes and 3.9 points in 26 games.

After a disappointing stint in Tuscaloosa, Bethea will hope that this latest change of scenery is what he needs to become a standout player in the college ranks.

The post Former 5-star shooting guard will enter transfer portal after 1 season at Alabama, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

With D.J. Wagner, Karter Knox, and redshirt freshman Karim Rtail already in the transfer portal, another player has reportedly joined them. According to On3’s Jamie Shaw, it’s freshman center Elmir Dzafic.

Dzafic, a native of Bosnia, signed with the Razorbacks after two seasons playing professionally in his native country. He was also a member of the Bosnian U-18 team at the European Championship in 2023.

At Arkansas, Dzafic was a little-used reserve. He appeared in just seven games and logged a total of 16 minutes.

It will be a busy offseason for John Calipari, and that’s not including the four players in the portal right now. With freshman phenom Darius Acuff projected as a lottery pick in several NBA mock drafts, it’s all but a formality that the Detroit native will be one and done. Fellow first-year player Meleek Thomas isn’t nearly as sure a bet to make the jump as his decision is pending. The Hogs definitely won’t have Trevon Brazile and Nick Pringle in 2026-27, though, as both players have exhausted their eligibility.

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The 2026 draft might be a little different. That is, according to the latest Round One mock draft from ESPN’s Peter Schrager that dropped on Tuesday.

Schrager has just six players from the SEC going in the first round. The first player listed from the conference is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 10.

The next SEC player in Schrager’s mock is another cornerback, Tennessee‘s Jermod McCoy, at No. 15 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling came in at No. 19 to the Carolina Panthers, while Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion (24th, Cleveland Brown), Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor (25th, Chicago Bears), and Tennessee CB Colton Hood (29th, Kansas City Chiefs) round out the list.

Obviously, this is a mock draft, so none of this is set in stone. But it might be just another reminder that the balance of power may be shifting further toward the Big Ten. In contrast to the SEC, Schrager lists 12 B1G players. That’s led, of course, by Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza with the Las Vegas Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick, while Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese was placed at No. 3, the Arizona Cardinals’ first selection.

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For starters, Malone hasn’t coached at the college level since 2001, his final season as an assistant at Manhattan before taking a job with the New York Knicks. More importantly, he is the first person to have neither played for nor been an assistant with the program to be named its head coach since Frank McGuire took the reins in 1952 after five seasons at St. John’s. (Malone’s daughter plays volleyball at UNC, so there is a connection, but you get the idea.)

After being fired from the Denver Nuggets with three games remaining in his 10th season — and two years removed from the team’s first championship — Malone now takes the helm of one of the blue bloods of college basketball, and as the sport’s second-highest-paid head coach, at that. So why UNC instead of seeking another NBA gig?

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but what I kept thinking about was I have a chance to be a part of something special,” the 54-year-old said. “The history, tradition, to be a part of something much bigger than myself, as I said a few minutes ago. This was the only college job I’d ever considered. If (it were) any other job, I wouldn’t even answer the phone.”

Malone described North Carolina athletic director-in-waiting Steve Newmark, who will take over in June as Bubba Cunningham transitions to an advisory role, as “persistence defined.”

“I made a decision. I felt good about it. And Steve said, ‘Can we fly to your house on Easter Sunday?’ And we spent five hours together, along with (men’s basketball director of operations) Eric Hoots,” Malone said. “Had a great meeting, and my dog didn’t bite him, so we knew he was okay.”

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Now, the 6-foot 4-inch guard, who spent the 2025-26 season at Florida A&M, has entered the transfer portal. He will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Boldin, an IMG Academy product, is a class of 2023 recruit who initially signed with Buffalo. In two seasons with the Bulls, he played in 53 games and started 49 while averaging 7.5 ppg and 3.3 rpg.

He then entered the transfer portal for the first time and headed south to FAMU. Boldin played in 22 games for the Rattlers with five starts, averaging 5.8 points and 18 minutes.

FAMU’s coach is a name familiar to both college football and pro basketball fans: Charlie Ward. The former Florida State quarterback and 1993 Heisman Trophy winner — and later an 11-year NBA vet — went 15-16 in his first season on the Rattlers’ sideline.

Now, Boldin, after a single season with FAMU, is headed to the portal for a second straight offseason. We’ll see where he ends up to wrap up his collegiate career.

The post Anquan Boldin Jr., son of Super Bowl-winning WR and 3x Pro Bowler, enters transfer portal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Johnson, a fourth-year junior, transferred to Ole Miss from Louisville before the 2025-26 season after his lone campaign with the Cardinals saw him miss all but two games because of a shoulder injury. The Seattle native originally signed with Washington out of the class of 2022, where he was a four-star recruit and rated by 247Sports as the state of Washington’s top recruit and the country’s No. 17 combo guard.

He averaged 19.5 minutes in 29 games as a freshman in 2022-23, averaging 6.8 ppg. In 2023-24, his sophomore year, he was named Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year after logging 11.1 ppg — fourth on the team — while averaging 24.2 minutes and playing in 31 games with five starts.

Johnson then entered the portal for the first time, ultimately opting to play at Louisville. But his time there was cut short due to injury, leading to his transfer to Ole Miss. With the Rebels, he posted 1.8 ppg in 9.6 minutes per outing.

He’ll now join four other players in the portal, specifically guard Eduardo Klafke and forwards Augusto Cassia, Corey Chest, and Tylis Jordan.

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And it showed. The Tigers had an up-and-down season as they failed to make the NCAA Tournament. But things ended on a promising note as they won the NIT, capped by a dramatic 92-86 overtime win over Tulsa in the championship game in Indianapolis.

For Auburn AD John Cohen, it’s a step in the right direction.

“I feel very good about this coaching staff,” Cohen told AL.com’s Peter Rauterkus. “They didn’t forget how to evaluate good players. They didn’t forget how to coach defense. They didn’t forget how to coach good offense. But that was a transitional year in many, many ways, both from a roster standpoint and Coach Pearl.”

The 2026-27 season will spell more changes for Pearl’s program. Filip Jovic (6.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg) is in the portal, and likely won’t be the last Auburn player to do so. Meanwhile, leading scorer Keyshawn Hall has exhausted his eligibility, as has KeShawn Murphy, who opted out of the NIT before it began as his college career came to an end. Some good news, though: Kevin Overton (14.1 ppg) will return for a final season.

Though the Tigers didn’t make the big dance, the NIT was a plus for the program, said Cohen.

“I understand that there can be critics in this world, but no matter how you slice it, our basketball team won out, and they won a championship, and they extended their season and they got really valuable experience,” he said.

The post John Cohen discusses Steven Pearl’s first season as Auburn head coach appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Easter Sunday, its women’s team was finally able to celebrate one of its own.

The Bruins put together a master class against fellow No. 1 seed South Carolina, cruising to a 79-51 victory at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix for the first NCAA championship in the 52-year history of the program.

UCLA was pummeled by UConn 85-51 a season ago in the national semifinal in Tampa. This time was different. After outlasting Texas 51-44 on Friday for their first-ever championship game appearance, Cori Close’s team was barely challenged by South Carolina on Sunday.

The discussion about UCLA all weekend long at the Women’s Final Four surrounded its veteran players, namely seniors Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, and Kiki Rice. It was a group augmented by sixth-year player Charliesse Leger-Walker and offseason grad transfer Gianna Kneepkens.

And like they had so many times this season, they delivered.

All five players finished in double figures, led by Jaquez’s game-high 21 on 8-of-14 shooting. Betts, the Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, had a double-double in her final collegiate game, scoring 14 points and adding 11 rebounds. Kneepkens had 15 points. Leger-Walker and Rice had 10 apiece.

South Carolina trailed UConn 26-24 at halftime during Friday’s national semifinal before coming back to beat the Huskies 62-48. There would be no such comeback in this one. The Gamecocks, looking for a third title in five seasons and their fourth of the Dawn Staley era, found themselves down 36-23 at the break against the Bruins.

It was all UCLA from there.

The Bruins outscored the Gamecocks 25-9 in the third quarter to take a 61-32 lead into the final stanza. They finished the afternoon shooting 43% from the floor, including 8-of-19 from three-point range. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, never found an offensive rhythm, shooting just 29% and going 2-of-15 from beyond the arc.

Joyce Edwards, a first-team All-SEC selection, had 11 rebounds but finished with just 8 points in 30 minutes. She was just 3-of-10 from the field. Tessa Johnson led the Gamecocks with 14. Agot Makeer scored 11 points off the bench in 23 minutes. No other South Carolina player finished in double digits.

The post UCLA roars past South Carolina, wins first national championship in program history appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The LSU catcher hit four home runs — including a grand slam in extra innings — as the visiting Tigers used a 10-run 12th to defeat Tennessee 16-6 and take two out of three from the Volunteers.

With the game tied at 6 in the top of the 12th, Steven Milam’s RBI single with no one out gave LSU a 7-6 lead. After Trent Caraway was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, Arrambide hit a booming grand slam off the top of the Lindsey Nelson Stadium scoreboard to make it 11-6. He became the first Division 1 player since 2019 to hit four home runs in a single game.

That put the game well out of reach, with Milam’s two-run homer finishing off a 10-run inning that saw the Tigers send 13 men to the plate.

Tennessee scored five runs in the 3rd to take a 5-0 lead, the big blow coming on a two-out grand slam by Blaine Brown. Arrambide led off the top of the fifth with a solo shot to make it 5-1. In the 7th, he joined Josh Pearson and Seth Dardar in going deep on three straight at-bats as LSU pulled within 5-4.

After Jake Brown’s two-out hit tied it at 5 in the top of the 9th, Arrambide’s third homer of the game in the 11th was matched by a Levi Clark RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom half to make it 6-6. But the Tigers’ 10-spot in the 12th, capped by Arrambide’s slam and Milam’s two-run shot, put them ahead for good and sent them to back-to-back series wins.

LSU improved to 22-11 overall with the win and 6-6 in SEC play. Tennessee dropped to 20-12 for the year and 4-8 in conference action.

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Although he won’t leave the college ranks with a national championship, Boozer has raked in a laundry list of personal accolades. He added to that list on Sunday as he was named the Naismith Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. That makes two in a row for Duke after Cooper Flagg won it in 2025.

Boozer received plenty of hype before his college career started. Needless to say, he lived up to it.

Boozer’s 22.5 points were fourth in Division 1, while his 10.2 rebounds ranked 12th. He posted 855 total points and 389 total rebounds, both third-best in program history. He scored at least 13 points in each game, with 20 or more points in 23 games and four 30+ point performances. His highest-scoring game came against Indiana State on Nov. 14, as he dropped in 35 in just his fourth collegiate game. During the Blue Devils’ four-game NCAA Tournament run, he averaged 22.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.

The 18-year-old made a little history by winning Naismith Player of the Year. According to CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno, it’s the first time the winner of that award and the Heisman Trophy winner have come from the same high school. Boozer and Fernando Mendoza both attended Columbus High School in Miami.

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It happened in the top of the ninth against Tennessee on Sunday, with both teams splitting the first two games of the weekend set. The host Volunteers held a 5-4 lead with one out and Cade Arrambide at the plate. That’s when Vols lefty Brandon Arvidson, on a 0-2 count, threw what appeared to be a clear ball. But after a lengthy delay — about three seconds, in fact — the umpire called Arrambide out looking.

Arrambide was stunned. LSU head coach Jay Johnson wasn’t just stunned. He was flat out furious. And, inevitably, he was ejected, although even Tennessee fans would agree that they caught a massive break on this one.

Here’s the video:

The Tigers ultimately tied it with two outs, sending it to extra innings. But it’s been a disappointing season for them by their standards. After winning the College World Series in 2025, LSU received a No. 1 preseason ranking in the USA TODAY, Perfect Game, and NCBWA polls.

Following an 11-1 start, though, the Tigers had a rough March, losing six of eight at one point while dropping two of three against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma to open their SEC slate. While things have improved in recent weeks, LSU needs to up the ante if it’s to return to Omaha this spring.

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Just over 24 hours after parting ways with Abrahamson-Henderson after four seasons, the Bulldogs announced the hire of McNeese head coach Ayla Guzzardo to the same post in Athens. Guzzardo spent one season at McNeese, where she led a team that finished with 10 wins in 2024-25 to a Southland regular-season championship and a program-best 29 victories.

“Georgia is a special program that helped lay the foundation for the success of our sport,” Guzzardo said in a statement. “From Coach (Andy) Landers to our great alumni and our passionate fan base, Lady Bulldog basketball has a storied history and is set up for continued excellence moving forward.”

Before her time at McNeese, Guzardo was the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana. In eight seasons at the helm of the Lions program, she was 233-122. She led the Lions to regular-season conference titles in 2023 and 2025, with the 2022-23 team claiming the first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

Georgia made the move to dismiss Abrahamson-Henderson after she accumulated a 69-59 record in four seasons. She led the Lady Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and 2026 before parting ways with the university..

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The Gators’ center, though, was named the SEC defensive player of the year, received a second-team all-conference nod, and was named the NABC Defensive Player of the Year. He added to his list of personal accolades on Sunday, winning the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Chinyelu averaged a double-double with 10.9 points and a Division 1-best 11.2 rebounds while playing in every game for the Gators during the 2025-26 season. That included three games with 20 or more rebounds, including 21-rebound games against Merrimack on Nov. 21 and LSU on Jan. 20. His 19 double-doubles and 137 offensive rebounds were single-season school records, while his 393 total rebounds were good for third in program history.

The native of Nigeria began his career out West, signing with Washington State out of the NBA Academy in Senegal. He averaged 4.7 points and 5.0 rebounds as he played in 35 games (12 starts) as a freshman with the Cougars.

He then entered the transfer portal and landed at Florida, where he started and played in every game during the Gators’ championship season. In 19.0 minutes, he averaged 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds, pulling down 15 boards against Tennessee on Jan. 7, 2025, for what was then a career high.

The 2025-26 campaign saw Chinyelu truly blossom into one of the country’s top defensive centers. Now, with a season of eligibility remaining, he’ll be faced with a decision to run it back for one more year or declare for the NBA Draft.

The post Florida big man Rueben Chinyelu wins Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award appeared first on Saturday Down South.

That’s the word from Wolverines head coach Dusty May, who delivered the news during a Sunday afternoon press conference.

“All imaging has come back clean, and I’m sure he will give it a go tomorrow, but that will be up to the medical staff,” May said, according to Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken.

Michigan blitzed Arizona 91-73 on Saturday in a semifinal game between the two remaining No. 1 seeds in the Big Dance. That came even with Lendeborg limited for much of the night due to a first-half ankle injury. He played just 14 minutes and was held to 11 points and three rebounds.

Lendeborg, who projects to be a lottery pick in June’s NBA Draft, vowed to play in the final. With a win on Monday, he’ll certainly sew up the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. In five NCAA Tournament games, Lendeborg has averaged 19.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. That includes a 25-point game against Saint Louis in the second round, a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double against Alabama in the Sweet 16, and a 27-point performance in the Elite Eight against Tennessee.

According to Kalshi‘s latest market, the Wolverines are a massive favorite to cut the nets down at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday night.

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“Tonight, I was let go by the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. My desire was to continue to coach here. This opportunity has truly been such a blessing,” Davis said. “I thank Jesus literally every day for giving me the opportunity, relationships and experiences with the kids and my staff. I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish together. My goal is to coach again in the very near future.”

Davis, who played for UNC under Dean Smith in the late 1980s and early 1990s, helped the Tar Heels to a Final Four in 1991. After an NBA career that spanned 12 seasons, he joined ESPN as a college basketball analyst before returning to Chapel Hill to join Roy Williams’s staff in 2012.

He took the program to the national championship game in 2022, his first season taking charge of the program after Williams’ retirement. After missing the NCAA Tournament in 2023, the Tar Heels made the Sweet 16 a year later.

But North Carolina’s lack of tournament success caught up with Davis. UNC was a First Four team in 2025 and lost in the first round. In 2026, after qualifying directly as an at-large team, it blew a 19-point second-half lead in a first-round loss to VCU.

That signaled the end for Davis. Now, the university will commence a search to fill what is one of the most high-profile jobs in all of college basketball.

The post Hubert Davis releases statement after North Carolina firing appeared first on Saturday Down South.

UNC stated that it would “honor the terms of Davis’ contract” after his departure. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, that amounts to about $5.3 million.

Davis’ initial contract as the Tar Heels’ head coach was for five seasons and was worth $9.75 million. His base salary during the initial term was $400,000, but with supplemental compensation of $600,000 that would increase by $100,000 annually. That didn’t include $250,000 a year from Nike, the university’s official apparel partner, and $500,000 a year from Learfield, which owns North Carolina’s multimedia rights.

In Feb. 2025, Davis received a contract extension through 2030, upping his annual base salary to $1.25 million. His annual supplemental compensation jumped to $1.7 million, still increasing by $100,000 annually. Davis would also receive bonuses dependent on the team’s performance, including $100,000 for an NCAA Tournament bid and a quarter-million for a national championship.

In five seasons as North Carolina’s head coach, Davis went 125-54. His best season came in 2021-22, his first at the helm of the program after Roy Williams’ retirement. That year, the Tar Heels advanced to the national championship.

The next season, they missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010 despite being ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls. After a Sweet 16 appearance in 2023-24, the Heels fell in the first round of the tournament in back-to-back seasons, leading UNC to make a change.

The post Hubert Davis buyout: How much North Carolina owes fired head coach appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The university announced its decision on Tuesday night, five days after the Tar Heels’ 82-78 loss to VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina led by as many as 19 in the second half before ultimately falling to the Rams in overtime. It was the second straight year the Tar Heels had failed to advance past the first round of the tournament.

While North Carolina’s statement said that Davis “would not return” for the 2026-27 season and termed it a “leadership change,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that a source close to Davis told the network’s Rece Davis that it was a firing.

“We appreciate all that Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader — he has helped make special memories we will never forget,” North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham said. “This was not an easy decision because of Hubert’s tremendous character and all he has given to the program, but we must move forward in a way that allows our team to compete more consistently at an elite level.”

Davis, a sharpshooting guard at UNC under Dean Smith, was part of the Heels’ Final Four team in 1991. After being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in 1992, he spent 12 seasons in the league before eventually joining ESPN as a college basketball analyst in 2007. In 2012, he returned to Chapel Hill as an assistant on the staff of Roy Williams.

When Williams retired in 2021, Davis took over as head coach. His first season in 2021-22 was a successful one as the Heels went 29-10 and advanced to the national championship game. Despite going into the 2022-23 season ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls, North Carolina went 20-13 and finished seventh in the ACC, missing the NCAA Tournament altogether for the first time since 2010.

The Heels rebounded with a Sweet 16 appearance in their next season. They wouldn’t get that far again under Davis. In 2025, they snuck into the tournament as a First Four team, beating San Diego State before losing to Ole Miss in the Round of 64. Thursday’s defeat against VCU sealed Davis’s fate.

Davis’s record at North Carolina was 125-54.

The post North Carolina parts ways with Hubert Davis after five seasons appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Sherrod Gourdine, a Hollywood, Fla., product, has committed to the Hurricanes. Gourdine announced the news via a post to his X account:

Gourdine, who carries an athlete designation, primarily plays cornerback and wide receiver at McArthur High School. According to 247Sports, he is a three-star player and the No. 47 recruit in Florida.

Gourdine is already very familiar with another one of Mario Cristobal’s pledges from the 2027 class. Jaylyn Jones, the nation’s No. 27 safety, is his high school teammate, and as you can see below, was thrilled to learn of his “twin”‘s decision.

Tuesday has been a productive day on the recruiting trail for the Hurricanes. Earlier, Miami picked up a commitment from Key West defensive lineman Josh Johnson.

Johnson and Gourdine join a class that, outside of Jones, includes South Florida product Nick Lennear, the nation’s No. 16 overall player. Miami also has commitments from 4-star Fort Lauderdale edge rusher Demarcus Deroche, 4-star WR Ah’Mari Stevens from Hollywood’s Chaminade-Madonna Prep, and Palm Beach offensive tackle Zaquan Linton. The Hurricanes currently have the No. 14 class in the country, according to 247Sports.

Here are highlights from Gourdine’s junior season from Hudl:

Will the U take care of unfinished business and end the 2026 season as the College Football Playoff national champion? Here’s how it looks on the latest Kalshi market:

Prediction Markets

College Football Playoff champion?

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Texas

12%

Notre Dame

11%

Indiana

11%

Ohio St.

10%

Oregon

9%

Georgia

8%

LSU

7%

Miami (FL)

7%

Texas Tech

5%

Texas A&M

3%

Predict

The post Miami lands 2027 commitment from ATH out of South Florida appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Will Todd Golden remain a part of the program next season, though? Not if Kansas and North Carolina fans have their way.

The caveat, of course, is that no decisions have been made regarding the current head coaches of those schools. Bill Self, who has dealt with health issues over the past several years, hasn’t committed to a 24th season on the Jayhawks’ sideline after a last-second loss to St. John’s in the second round. Meanwhile, Hubert Davis — after back-to-back one-and-dones for the Tar Heels — continues to wait to hear from UNC brass whether he’ll be back for a fifth season.

Regardless of what happens in Lawrence and Chapel Hill, Florida AD Scott Stricklin stated on Tuesday that Golden’s isn’t going anywhere.

“Todd wants to be at the University of Florida,” Stricklin told On3’s Zach Abolverdi. “I wish all those programs really good luck. Todd’s going to be here for a long time.”

After Florida won the championship in 2025, the university hammered out a $40.5 million contract extension for Golden, keeping him with the program through March 2031. That made him among the top 10 highest-paid coaches in college basketball.

The post Florida AD Scott Stricklin responds to rumors linking Todd Golden to Kansas, North Carolina appeared first on Saturday Down South.

For some, it’s clear-cut: Mendoza is the one after leading Indiana to an undefeated national championship season in 2025. Others think Simpson deserves to be taken first despite Alabama‘s disappointing season and his much less substantial body of work (15 starts to over 30 for Mendoza between Cal and Indiana).

One person who’s in the latter camp is ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky. On Tuesday’s edition of “Get Up,” the former NFL signal-caller said that Simpson’s reactions “in moments of panic with the football” make him the choice, adding that “it’s not close.”

Patrick, on his national radio and streaming program later in the day, had an interesting theory about why Orlovsky has been beating the drum for Simpson. He noted that Orlovsky and Simpson share the same representation: CAA.

“CAA represents a whole lot of people in the sports world. I don’t know if Orlovsky’s doing somebody a solid here,” Patrick said. “ESPN does have the draft, and all of a sudden, you’re now pushing this out.” I don’t know if anybody’s going to react. I don’t know if a team goes, wait a minute.”

He added that if he were an NFL GM, he’d reach out to Orlovsky to get his thoughts on what he saw in Simpson, adding that Orlovsky’s take may not necessarily be the correct one.

“I would say, ‘Hey, tell me what you’re seeing. Tell me what I might be missing here.’ Because Orlovsky did play the position. He’s very educated in analyzing those who are playing the position. And just because he says he’s better than Fernando Mendoza doesn’t mean he’s going to be a great quarterback,” Patrick said.

Here’s the latest Kalshi market showing the odds of players to be taken in the NFL Draft’s first round:

Prediction Markets

Players Drafted Top 10 in 2026?

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Fernando Mendoza

99%

Arvell Reese

98%

David Bailey

97%

Jeremiyah Love

96%

Sonny Styles

92%

Carnell Tate

80%

Caleb Downs

80%

Rueben Bain Jr.

63%

Francis Mauigoa

62%

Mansoor Delane

53%

Predict

The post Dan Patrick provides theory on why Dan Orlovsky is pushing for Ty Simpson to be 1st QB taken in NFL Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“Don’t mistake because you see me doing things around the community, or a parade, or Mardi Gras, or a concert that there isn’t relentless pursuit of greatness here and effort in the way that we work and the amount of time spent in this office,” Kiffin said on the first day of spring practice on Tuesday, according to LSU beat writer Jerit Roser.

With Brian Kelly’s firing and Lane Kiffin‘s subsequent arrival from Ole Miss came a wave of departures from the Tigers’ football program, 38 in all. Kiffin, who works the transfer portal better than anyone in the sport, brought in 40 new players, many of them on offense.

Naturally, getting so many players from various programs (and cultures) is going to be a process, Kiffin noted, making that “pursuit of greatness” more important.

“In my opinion, that’s the only way to do it. And it’s especially the only way to do it nowadays because you have to do so much so fast with so many new pieces,” he said.

According to 247Sports, the LSU transfer class ranked No. 1 in the country. Can it help Kiffin and the Tigers make the College Football Playoff in 2026? Here’s the latest Kalshi market.

Prediction Markets

College Football Playoff Qualifiers 2026

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post Lane Kiffin discusses LSU’s ‘relentless pursuit of greatness’, integrating numerous new players on offense appeared first on Saturday Down South.

One of the players looking to stand out in the early going is tight end Trey’Dez Green. Green was a top 50 recruit and the nation’s No. 2 player at his position when he signed with Brian Kelly and the Tigers out of the high school class of 2024. The native of Zachary, La. — just outside Baton Rouge — put together a second-team All-SEC season as a sophomore after he made 33 catches for 433 yards and seven touchdowns, most among LSU pass-catchers in 2025.

Even after Kelly was fired, Green decided to stick with his hometown program and play for Lane Kiffin. Kiffin, who watched Green from the opposite sidelines as head coach at Ole Miss in 2024 and 2025, now has the chance to utilize him in an offense that will include the talented Sam Leavitt at quarterback.

“His skill set is ultra-elite. But so is his mindset. And that’s really, really unique to have, because they usually don’t coincide,” Kiffin said of Green, according to LSU beat writer Jerit Roser. “He doesn’t have another speed (and) he doesn’t have another thought besides ‘this is how you do things.'”

Heading into his junior year, Green, considered one of the top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft, will look to make even more of a case for himself in 2026.

Meanwhile, with spring practice underway in Baton Rouge, here’s a look at the latest Kalshi market for 2026 College Football Playoff qualifiers, as LSU looks to make the 12-team field in Kiffin’s first season.

Prediction Markets

College Football Playoff Qualifiers 2026

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post Lane Kiffin praises LSU TE Trey’Dez Green: ‘His skill set is ultra-elite’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Calipari went to Arkansas. Meanwhile, Mark Pope, a member of the Wildcats’ 1996 championship team under Rick Pitino, was hired by Kentucky after five seasons at BYU to breathe new life into the program.

So far, that hasn’t happened. Pope eventually led the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 in 2025. On Sunday, though, their hopes for a second straight appearance were dashed by Iowa State in an 82-63 loss.

This was an 18-6 Wildcats lead just over seven minutes into the game. It took four-and-a-half minutes for that to disappear as a double-digit lead became a tie game. After Kam Williams’ three-pointer with 3:56 to go in the first half, the Wildcats didn’t make a single field goal as Iowa State eventually went from down seven to up one at halftime. The final blow was a nearly six-minute span in the second half that saw a 43-38 game turn into a 59-41 rout. The rest is history.

Obviously, Kentucky fans aren’t happy. This isn’t what they signed up for when Pope returned to the program. (Keep in mind, too, that this roster reportedly cost $20 to assemble.) Here’s a sampling of social media reaction after the game:

The post Kentucky fans blast Mark Pope after embarrassing NCAA Tournament exit appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The second-seeded Cyclones dug out of a double-digit hole in the first half before a game-changing 16-3 run in the second half that spanned nearly six minutes, surging to an 82-63 win over the seventh-seeded Wildcats to claim a third regional semifinal appearance in five seasons.

Iowa State moves to 28-7 and will face the winner of Sunday night’s Round of 32 game between Tennessee and Virginia in Chicago on Friday. Kentucky‘s season ends at 22-13.

It was a 31-30 Iowa State lead at the break as the Cyclones turned a seven-point deficit into a slim lead after ending the first half on an 8-0 run. Kentucky tried to regain control of the game, getting within 43-38 with 15:36 on the clock. That was the closest the Wildcats got the rest of the way as Iowa State scored 16 of the next 19 points, stretching its lead to 59-41 with 9:53 left and eventually going up as much as 23 points.

The Wildcats enjoyed a quick start to this one, leading 18-6 with 12:48 to go in the first half. But the Cyclones went on a 14-2 run over the next 4:30 to tie it at 20 with 8:18 left before the break. After Kentucky responded with a 10-3 spurt to go up 30-23 with just over two minutes left, Iowa State scored the final eight points of the frame, capped by a Nate Heise three-pointer to send the Cyclones to the locker room with a 31-30 lead.

Despite the Wildcats’ attempts to stay in the hunt, though, this one belonged to the Cyclones, who exited in the second round of the 2025 tournament.

Tamin Lipsey finished with a double-double for Iowa State, posting game highs of 26 points and 10 assists. He also added five steals. Milan Momcilovic added 20.

For Kentucky, Denzel Aberdeen led the way with 20 points. Otega Oweh had 18 points and eight rebounds. No other Wildcat reached double digits.

The post Kentucky bows out of NCAA Tournament after melting down vs. Iowa State appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Fast forward to 2026. Ole Miss has now gone to five straight NCAA Tournaments, including Sweet 16s in 2023 and 2025. Its NCAA appearance in 2022 was the program’s first since 2007. On Sunday, it faced fourth-seeded Minnesota in search of a second straight regional semifinal appearance and third in the past four seasons.

But despite taking a 54-46 lead into the fourth quarter, the Rebels saw the host Golden Gophers chip away before tying it at 61 with 1:17 to go. It remained that way until 18 seconds remaining, as Minnesota’s Sophie Hart and Ole Miss’s Latasha Lattimore traded buckets to make it 63-all with three seconds to go.

After a Golden Gophers timeout, Amaya Battle played the hero to send Minnesota to its first Sweet 16 since 2005.

It’s a heartbreaking end to the season for Ole Miss, whose season comes to an end at 24-12. Still, the work McPhee-McCuin has put in over the past several years to get the Rebels in this position can’t be overlooked. They’ve won at least 22 games over the past five seasons.

Sira Thienou led all scorers with 18. Cotie McMahon, the Rebels’ leading scorer and the SEC Newcomer of the Year, added 15 points.

The post Ole Miss women’s basketball loses heart-breaker to Minnesota on last-second shot appeared first on Saturday Down South.

But after a dramatic win over NC State in the First Four, a victory over BYU in the first round, and an upset of third-seeded Gonzaga, the Longhorns are in the Sweet 16. The last team to go from the First Four to the Sweet 16 was UCLA in 2021.

Now, if Sean Miller’s team is to get to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2023, it’ll need to knock out Purdue on Thursday. The second-seeded Boilermakers blew out Queens on Friday and dropped Miami on Sunday to earn their own spot in the West regional semifinal in San Jose.

Needless to say, the Longhorns will be an underdog for as long as they’re in the Big Dance, and the game against Purdue is no exception. In fact, according to DraftKings, Purdue is heading into the matchup a 7.5 point favorite.

As you might imagine, the Kalshi market for this one heavily favors Purdue as well.

This will be just the fourth time Texas and Purdue meet on the hardwood. In fact, the last time was on Mar. 20, 2022, as Purdue defeated Texas 81-71 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The post Texas opens as big underdog to Purdue in Sweet 16 game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The fifth-seeded Red Raiders, meanwhile, cruised past Akron in their first-round game. Grant McCasland’s team has its eyes set on a second consecutive appearance in a regional semifinal after falling to Florida in the Elite Eight in 2025.

Whoever comes out on top in this one will move on to face top-seeded Michigan. And, according to ESPN Analytics, Alabama has the edge. But it’s not a runaway. The Tide’s chances of winning are 54.2%.

The main storyline for Alabama coming into the tournament has been the arrest and suspension of Aden Holloway. In their NCAA opener against Hofstra, the Tide had their hands full in the first half as they went into the locker room up by only 37-35. But a 53-point second half saw them cruise past the Pride and into the second round. Labaron Philon had 29 points while Aiden Sherrell and Taylor Bol Bowen scored 15 apiece. Sherrell had a double-double on the night, adding 15 rebounds.

The Kalshi market for Alabama vs. Texas Tech is airtight, as you can see below:

The post ESPN Analytics projects winner of Alabama/Texas Tech Round of 32 matchup appeared first on Saturday Down South.