JOHN MARSHALL
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Villanova, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Ranked teams face tough tests in holiday tournaments

By John Marshall Nov. 22, 2022 04:29 AM EST
The Thanksgiving week of holiday tournaments is almost always a feast of high-level

Virginia players celebrate after defeating Illinois in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
AP Top 25: Virginia climbs to No. 5, UNC and Houston are 1-2

By John Marshall Nov. 21, 2022 12:00 PM EST
Virginia had the difficult task of playing two ranked teams while grieving a tragedy

Nicholls State guard Micah Thomas drives past Arizona guard Adama Bal (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
No. 17 Arizona opens with a 117-75 win over Nicholls State

By John Marshall Nov. 07, 2022 11:59 PM EST
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Nicholls State tried to push Azuolas Tubelis around. The Arizona

FILE - Arkansas coach Eric Musselman speaks during a news conference for the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in San Francisco, Friday, March 25, 2022. Musselman has been one of the nation's best at dipping into the transfer portal, at Arkansas and his previous stop in Nevada. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Transfer portal causing ripple effecting hoops recruiting

By John Marshall Nov. 01, 2022 04:55 PM EDT
Eric Musselman has been one of the nation's best at dipping into the transfer portal

FILE - Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky speaks as he is introduced as The Associated Press men's basketball player of the year, in New Orleans, Friday, April 1, 2022. Tshiebwe was a unanimous selection to The Associated Press preseason All-America team, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Oscar Tshiebwe, Drew Timme top AP preseason All-America team

By John Marshall Oct. 24, 2022 12:00 PM EDT
Oscar Tschiebwe was the consensus men's college basketball player of the year last

FILE - Dayton forward Daron Holmes II (15) shoots in front of Belmont center Nick Muszynski during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Nov. 28, 2021, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Holmes, the A-10 rookie of the year in 2021-22, returns with former Georgia transfer Toumani Camara to give Dayton what should be one of the nation's best frontcourts. (AP Photo/Jacob M. Langston, File)
No. 24 Dayton poised for NCAA Tournament breakthrough

By John Marshall Oct. 21, 2022 02:07 PM EDT
Anthony Grant has been building momentum at Dayton the past five seasons, taking the

FILE - Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley watches during an NCAA college basketball game against Stanford, Saturday, March 5, 2022, in Tempe, Ariz. Hurley had built Arizona State into a contender, taking the program to the cusp of a third straight NCAA Tournament in 2020. The pandemic cut that bid short and the Sun Devils haven't been the same since. That could change this season, a pivotal one for Hurley's tenure in the desert.(AP Photo/Darryl Webb, File)
Arizona State has deep roster for Hurley's 8th season

By John Marshall Oct. 20, 2022 04:37 PM EDT
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Bobby Hurley had built Arizona State into a contender, taking the

FILE - Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd calls to his team during the first half of a second-round NCAA college basketball tournament game against TCU, Sunday, March 20, 2022, in San Diego. Arizona enters its second season under Lloyd with several new players, but it's a mix that's expected to make the former longtime Gonzaga assistant 2 for 2 in NCAA Tournament appearances. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)
No. 17 Arizona aims to keep momentum in Lloyd's 2nd season

By John Marshall Oct. 20, 2022 02:57 PM EDT
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona is a bit of an unknown quantity, with a key returning

FILE - UCLA's Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) dribbles against Washington during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Feb. 19, 2022, in Los Angeles. UCLA returns forward Jaquez and point guard Tyger Campbell, two of the Pac-12's best players the past three seasons. The crafty Jaquez is healthy again after dealing with an ankle injury last season. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Loaded No. 8 UCLA tops resurgent Pac-12 Conference

By John Marshall Oct. 20, 2022 02:31 PM EDT
UCLA's bid to reach consecutive Final Fours fell short last season in a rash of

FILE - Northern Arizona head coach Shane Burcar directs his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Gonzaga, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Spokane, Wash. Northern Arizona has labored the past two seasons under coach Shane Burcar, winning 15 combined games. With a veteran roster coming returning and a new high-tech performance center to lure recruits, the Lumberjacks could be on the cusp of rounding the corner. (AP Photo/Young Kwak, File)
Northern Arizona's Burcar building toward a bigger future

By John Marshall Sep. 01, 2022 07:42 PM EDT
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Shane Burcar sits in the front row of the large auditorium as

FILE - UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., right, tries to get by Southern California forward Isaiah Mobley during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on March 5, 2022, in Los Angeles. UCLA and Southern California are planning to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten Conference in a seismic change that could lead to another major realignment of college sports. A person who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday, June 30, 2022, on condition of anonymity because the schools' talks with the Big Ten have not been made public said the schools have taken steps to request an invitation to join the conference. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Pac-12 facing uncertain future after losses to Big Ten

By John Marshall Jul. 07, 2022 07:09 PM EDT
The Pac-12 can make a case as the most successful conference in collegiate athletics,

St. Louis Blues center Logan Brown (22) scores a goal against Arizona Coyotes goaltender Harri Sateri (30) as Coyotes center Nathan Smith, right, defends and defenseman Cam Dineen (54) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Blues beat Coyotes 5-4 in overtime after blowing big leads

By John Marshall Apr. 24, 2022 12:45 AM EDT
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The St. Louis Blues had everything clicking, scoring goals and

Kansas guard Remy Martin shoots around North Carolina forward Armando Bacot during the second half of a college basketball game in the finals of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Monday, April 4, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Adjustments earn Bill Self second national title at Kansas

By John Marshall Apr. 05, 2022 12:16 AM EDT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Kansas spent the first 20 minutes forcing shots and passes,

North Carolina's Armando Bacot (5) shoots over Duke's Mark Williams (15) during the first half of a college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Saturday, April 2, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Kansas, North Carolina leaning on dynamic duos in title run

By John Marshall Apr. 03, 2022 05:00 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — North Carolina's top offensive priority, particularly early in a

Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji (30) shoots around Villanova forward Eric Dixon during the second half of a college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Saturday, April 2, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
North Carolina to face Kansas in blue blood title game

By John Marshall Apr. 02, 2022 11:44 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Big (blue) Easy has one more bit of bedazzling in store.

Villanova forward Jermaine Samuels celebrates after scoring against Kansas during the second half of a college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Saturday, April 2, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Villanova doomed by Kansas 3-pointers in Final Four loss

By John Marshall Apr. 02, 2022 08:37 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Villanova needed Justin Moore on offense, to add another scoring

Saint Peter's celebrates after winning a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Small schools ride a lasting wave from March Madness upsets

By John Marshall Apr. 01, 2022 06:13 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The euphoric wave originates in a single seismic event, 40 minutes

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd yells during the second half of a college basketball game against Houston in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday, March 24, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Arizona's Tommy Lloyd wins AP men's coach of the year

By John Marshall Apr. 01, 2022 04:18 PM EDT
Tommy Lloyd spent 22 years as Mark Few's right-hand man turning Gonzaga into a

Villanova guard Collin Gillespie passes around Houston guard Jamal Shead during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, March 26, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Villanova's Gillespie latest guard in low post for Wildcats

By John Marshall Mar. 31, 2022 05:04 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The post origination story, as Villanova coach Jay Wright recalls,

Villanova guard Collin Gillespie shoots over Michigan forward Brandon Johns Jr. during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday, March 24, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
NBA Prospect Watch: Villanova's Gillespie eyes next step

By John Marshall Mar. 30, 2022 05:27 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Collin Gillespie's knee injury put a damper on Villanova's March