College Basketball

AJ Dybantsa is headed for NBA superstardom … but he’s clearly not rushing out of college life just yet.

The potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick didn’t just attend Thursday’s BYU women's basketball’s WBIT matchup with Stanford -- he made sure it was a scene.

After firing off a pregame tweet calling on fans to pack the gym, Dybantsa pulled up with his teammates -- Rob Wright III, KJ Perry, Khadim Mboup, Abdullah “Bido” Ahmed, Dominique Diomande and Xavion Staton -- and planted himself in the front row, leading chants and jawing at the Stanford bench like he was part of The ROC himself.

Hubert Davis is out at the University of North Carolina … and one Tar Heel legend already has thoughts on what comes next.

Joel Berry II -- who led UNC to the 2017 title and played under Davis when he was an assistant -- tells TMZ Sports the move hits hard on a personal level … even if he understands the business behind it.

“It’s devastating for me,” Berry said, explaining Davis is “more than just a basketball coach” and someone who truly cares about his players as people.

Berry even shared a glimpse into that side of Davis … recalling a moment when the coach sat on the sideline during an alumni event with Berry’s young daughter in his lap, giving the family a break. For Berry, that’s the real Davis -- not just the guy pacing the sidelines.

Still, the former Tar Heel star and 2017 Most Outstanding Player isn’t blind to reality.

The viral courtside clash between Maryland women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese and star player Oluchi Okananwa didn’t just light up social media -- it might’ve actually outshined a national title.

Frese told TMZ Sports the now-infamous third-quarter moment -- where she got in Okananwa's grill, pointed and said “I believe in you, but you’ve got to want this moment!” -- has generated more attention than Maryland’s 2006 championship run.

“We didn’t get this many views back then,” Frese said … noting the clip has racked up tens of millions of eyeballs online.

The University of Iowa scored a massive upset over the defending National Champion Florida Gators in the Round of 32 Sunday night ... and one Hawkeye's hooper made sure to rub it in a little during the postgame handshake line, hitting the gator chomp!

Freshman forward Cooper Koch -- who scored 12 points in 28 minutes of play -- was captured on video hitting the reigning champs' celly while he was making his way through the handshake line -- and all the Gators players could do was watch as their season came to a heartbreaking end.

The Florida players weren't the only ones who were taunted ... Koch found some time to troll their fans who were courtside, too.

Hey UNC fans, need a distraction after that First-Round exit? Here's an auction to take your mind off Thursday's loss -- a basketball from the Tar Heels' 1982 championship team is heading to auction ... signed by legends like Michael Jordan and James Worthy!

TMZ Sports has learned the UNC-themed rock -- which will be sold by Heritage Auctions -- is from the 1981-82 season ... when Jordan, Worthy, Sam Perkins, and others were led by iconic head coach Dean Smith.

The ball features Jordan's autograph, as well as signatures from Worthy, Perkins, Buzz Peterson, Cecil Exum, Warren Martin, John Brownlee, and more.

We're told the ball is expected to sell for more than $10K when the bid opens on April 24th ... and it's not just because of all the big names.

Byron Scott -- a three-time NBA champion with the Showtime Lakers and former NBA Coach of the Year -- wants back on the sidelines … and he’s got his eyes locked on Arizona State.

TMZ Sports caught up with the longtime NBA figure, who also had head coaching stints with the Nets, Hornets, Cavs and Lakers … and when the Sun Devils opening came up following Bobby Hurley’s exit, Scott didn’t hesitate.

“Oh, I have a ton of interest,” he said.

For Scott, this isn’t just another job -- it’s personal. He starred at Arizona State in the early ‘80s, and his connection to the program still runs deep.

March Madness always delivers a moment -- this one just happened to be wearing Speedos.

Midway through the second half of Miami (Ohio)’s First Four matchup against SMU, what should’ve been a routine trip to the free-throw line turned into something else entirely. As SMU’s Corey Washington stepped up, a group of RedHawks fans -- clad in nothing but Speedos, swim caps and goggles -- stormed the aisle behind the basket.

But it wasn’t random ... it's become a tradition.

South Florida coach Bryan Hodgson isn’t just chasing a March Madness upset -- he’s coaching for his dad.

Hodgson got emotional talking to TMZ Sports ahead of No. 11 USF’s first-round matchup with No. 6 Louisville … revealing his father, Larry, is battling dementia -- but is still doing well enough to understand what’s about to happen.

And what’s about to happen is huge.

Speedy Claxton, Hofstra hoops legend turned basketball coach, says the excitement about his team's success extends far beyond the campus fences, telling TMZ Sports he’s literally getting standing ovations everywhere he goes!

Claxton -- a Long Island native who starred at the university before making it to the NBA -- says the Pride’s CAA title run has turned the entire area into a full-blown celebration ... after punching their first ticket to March Madness since 2001.

“Honestly, it’s been a whirlwind,” Claxton told Babcock on Tuesday. “Texts, emails, DMs … people I don’t even know are reaching out.”

And it’s not just online love … it’s happening IRL, too.

New details are emerging in Aden Holloway’s arrest -- and they paint a clearer picture of what cops say they found inside his apartment.

Authorities say they uncovered 2.1 pounds of marijuana during a search of the Alabama basketball guard’s residence on Monday morning, according to court documents filed on Tuesday.

Investigators said pot was found all over the apartment -- inside a backpack, a jacket pocket, a suitcase, a TV entertainment stand and a vacuum-sealed bag … along with cash, the prescription sedative Promethazine, a rolling tray and packaging materials.

The men’s basketball program at California State University, Bakersfield is at the center of a wild scandal ... after a former player-turned-coach was accused of running a multi-state pimping operation while working for the school.

Authorities say Kevin Mays -- an ex-player for the Roadrunners who later joined the staff as a temporary assistant coach -- is facing 11 criminal and misdemeanor charges, including felony pimping, after an investigation triggered by a shocking anonymous email.

According to reports, then-head coach Rod Barnes received a message in August titled “IMPORTANT MESSAGE 911 911” claiming Mays had been “trafficking a girl since May” across several states. The sender warned in all caps, “FIX IT OR THE WHOLE STAFF WILL FALL.”

President of Basketball Ops today … head coach tomorrow? Master P isn’t ruling it out.

The rap mogul-turned-basketball exec swung by the TMZ Sports studio this week and told Babcock he’s already had multiple colleges try to lure him away because of how quickly he's turned around the University of New Orleans, where he serves as assistant coach AND President of Basketball Operations.

“I have so many colleges now looking at me like, ‘Hey, come join our program because of the business side that I have,’” P said. “But I’m thankful for being where I’m at and just working.”

The Iowa Athletics Department released a statement on Wednesday, apologizing for the fan's behavior after he entered a restricted area.

"We apologize for this incident and will conduct a review of our procedures and security measures to determine what adjustments may be needed to further strengthen our protocols and help prevent similar incidents in the future," Iowa said.

The Big Ten also commented, noting that they "discussed the situation with both institutions, is taking no action in relation to Coach Hoiberg, and appreciates the efforts by Iowa’s administration to address postgame security protocols in the interest of preventing a similar occurrence from happening in the future."

Fred Hoiberg doesn't like opposing fans getting in his face, and that was crystal clear on Tuesday after the Nebraska head basketball coach was seen slapping a fan's phone out of the guy's hand.

It all went down after the No. 9-ranked Cornhuskers' shocking 57-52 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

The upset win prompted Hawkeye fans to storm the court and celebrate ... when one fan got a little too close to Hoiberg.

Video from the stands shows a fan in a black hoodie cheering, holding his phone up right in Hoiberg's face ... before the 53-year-old coach immediately takes a swat at it.

UCLA men's basketball coach Mick Cronin was so ticked off watching his team get blown out by the 15th-ranked Michigan State Spartans, he literally kicked one of his players out of the game after picking up a flagrant foul!

It all went down late in the second half of Tuesday's contest, when the Spartans were up, 77-50, over the Bruins ... after Spartans' center Carson Cooper was set to slam down a dunk off a lob pass, when redshirt senior Steven Jamerson fouled him hard.

SJ was eventually assessed a flagrant one foul ... but Cronin was not happy with his player after the penalty. He started grabbing his jersey and instructing a staff member on the bench to take him back to the locker room.

Alijah Arenas hit the hardwood for the first time since almost losing his life in a fiery car crash, and the 5-star recruit didn't waste any time reminding fans he was back, pulling off a filthy behind-the-back move, sending the defender stumbling, and finishing with a slick layup!

The move brought the fans to their feet ... just 5 minutes and change into USC's game against Northwestern.

Arenas has been sidelined since the summer with a knee injury -- which came after surviving a terrifying Tesla Cybertruck crash in April -- that left him trapped in a burning vehicle, which he escaped, thanks to a group of good Samaritans.

Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo berated one of his players during Tuesday night's game ... telling Kur Teng he wouldn't be able to lock down his 99-year-old mother on the court -- and he said after the final buzzer he was dead serious.

The funny moment (maybe not for Teng) went down in the Spartans' huddle during a break in their matchup with the Oregon Ducks ... when FOX cameras and microphones captured the jab.

"Kur, you can't guard my mother," Izzo said. "My mother."