NCAA

NC State might wanna triple team Jack Gohlke in their second round matchup of the NCAA tournament … 'cause Oakland's March Madness hero simply cannot miss -- nailing a full-court shot at practice!!

Gohlke drained 10 three-pointers en route to the Golden Grizzlies' first tourney win in school history on Thursday ... helping No. 14 Oakland get the upset win over No. 3 Kentucky.

The hot streak continued on Friday ... with the sharp shooter pulling up from the opposite baseline and connecting on the loooooooooong three-point attempt.

Luckily, Gohlke's teammate, Evan Solomon, was recording the whole thing ... and the dude celebrated by yelling and chest-bumping his squad.

"That's a good sign," someone is heard saying in the video ... and it could be bad news for the Wolfpack.

Gohlke oozed confidence following the Grizzlies' huge 80-76 win ... saying he knew his team would be able to pull it off.

"I know they have draft picks, and I know I’m not going to the NBA … but on any given I can compete with those type of guys and our team can compete with those type of guys," Gohlke said after the win.

"That’s why I say we're not a Cinderella."

Even the college basketball world took a momentary pause to digest Kate Middleton's cancer announcement on Friday ... with CBS interrupting its NCAA tournament coverage to bring the news to fans.

With around five minutes remaining in the FAU vs. Northwestern game ... Norah O'Donnell came on the screen to inform CBS' audience that Middleton had just revealed she's been diagnosed with cancer.

The broadcast then played around 30 seconds of Middleton's video explaining her prognosis.

O'Donnell spoke on camera for roughly a minute more ... before the network resumed its planned coverage of the big hoops game.

Owls and Wildcats supporters didn't miss a second of in-game action ... as a lengthy timeout had been called on the floor during the special report.

Tim McGraw showed love to Iowa's biggest star when he performed in Des Moines ... wearing Caitlin Clark's Hawkeyes jersey while he rocked out on stage!

The country music legend was in the Hawkeye state at Wells Fargo Arena for the latest stop on his Standing Room Only Tour ... and he was spotted rockin' a black and yellow Clark jersey while singing his hits, including the platinum song, "Truck Yeah".

"Gotta represent," 56-year-old McGraw said while pointing to his jersey.

The Iowa Hawkeyes-themed performance comes just two days before Clark and her top-seeded squad play the Holy Cross Crusaders in the first round of the NCAA tourney.

It's an interesting wardrobe choice for TM, a Louisiana native who pledged Pi Kappa Alpha at Northeast Louisianan University.

But, when in Rome ... not to mention Clark is one of the biggest women's basketball stars we've ever seen. In fact, she's the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, men or women, in addition to holding numerous other records.

Soon, Clark won't be hooping in Iowa ... she recently declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft.

There's a good chance LSU and Iowa may see each other down the road ... they're on a collision course that could see the rivals play in a highly anticipated Elite 8 matchup.

Travis Hunter is the early leader in the clubhouse for Son of the Year ... the college football star blessed his mom with a big, brand-new home, and her reaction was priceless!

The Colorado Buffaloes cornerback and receiver surprised his mother over St. Patrick's Day weekend when his family, plus fiancee Leanne, took a trip to Savannah, GA, to celebrate the holiday.

Hunter took his whole family to view the massive house, and while they were there, he gave his mom a card to read aloud ... and when she was done, confetti flew everywhere.

That's when mom realized the house was hers ... and she completely lost her mind when Trav handed her the keys!

"Y'all got me good," Hunter's mom said about the surprise. "Wooooo!!!!"

Hunter, 20, noted the "nice ass house" -- 5 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths -- was one of the two biggest purchases he's ever made.

Travis is a super generous person. Last year he got his fiancee a custom Hello Kitty Tesla along with a massive diamond ring when he proposed in February.

Hunter obviously isn't paid to play football yet (just wait), but he has benefited from several NIL deals, including one with Michael Strahan's company.

The money is well-deserved ... TH is one of the most talented and versatile athletes in all of college football. In fact, under Deion Sanders' tutelage at Jackson State and Colorado, he's racked up 5 interceptions and 50 total tackles in two seasons as a DB.

On offense, Hunter has 911 receiving yards and nine touchdowns ... and was awarded the 2023 Paul Hornung Award for being the most high-level performer in college football.

12:14 PM -- LeBron James was clearly watching every second of the first-round matchup ... 'cause the Lakers superstar was quick to congratulate his former coach on the 71-67 upset win over BYU.

"YEAAAAHHHH @DruOnDemand LFG!!!! Go Dukes @DuqMBB," Bron said on Thursday.

As the saying goes ... it's gotta be the shoes!!

The Duquesne basketball team got a sweet surprise before their first-round game in the NCAA Tournament ... brand new LeBron James XXI kicks -- from the King himself!

The Lakers superstar had the white and light blue sneakers delivered to the 11th-seeded team this week before Thursday's game against 6th-seeded BYU ... in the tourney's East Region.

The players were HYPED when they saw the new shoes ... and were super appreciative of the gift.

FYI, the LeBron 21s "Blue Diver" dropped this month ... with Air Zoom cushioning and a glow-in-the-dark outsole. The shoe was modeled after an Oyster shell.

There's a deeper meaning ... and it's a tribute to Bron's daughter, Zhuri, and how the proud dad protects his daughter just as a shell shelters a pearl.

You're probably asking, why Duquesne? Well, James' former high school basketball coach is their current HC ... Keith Dambrot, who has been the coach of the Dukes since 2017.

The special delivery comes on the heels of Duquesne's biggest basketball game in decades ... they haven't been in the NCAA tourney in 47 years, and last made a trip to the Final 4 in 1940, 84 years ago.

Metta World Peace says St. John's was snubbed by the NCAA Tourney committee, but he isn't trippin' ... 'cause the former Red Storm star says the squad will be dancing next season!

TMZ Sports talked to the Queens-born, ex-SJU and NBA star after St. John's was left out of the 68-team field, despite finishing with a 20-13 (11-9 in the Big East) record. St. Johns won 6 of their last 7, with the one loss coming to UCONN, the number 1 overall seed.

Still, the Big East, one of the most talented and competitive conferences in the sport, was disrespected ... only receiving 3 bids, while SJU and Seton Hall were shafted.

"Rick Pitino is getting it going back in the right direction," Metta told us earlier this week. "It was unfortunate, but I think next year, they'll go to the NCAA tournament."

Of course, if anyone can do it, it's Pitino. The legendary coach, who just finished his first season in Queens, has been to seven Final Fours ... and won two NCAA titles. He has over 850 collegiate wins. Rick's also spent time in the NBA, with coaching the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.

Speaking of coaching, Metta -- who played at St. John's from 1997 to 1999 -- is no stranger to the sidelines himself. MWP has served as an assistant for Cal State L.A.'s women's basketball team.

A.J. Hoggard's NCAA tournament run didn't get off to the best start -- the dude accidentally played the first few minutes of Michigan State's game Thursday with his shorts on backward!!!

Eagle-eyed fans noticed the wardrobe mishap just seconds into the Spartans' tourney-opening game against Mississippi State ... pointing out that his uniform certainly looked different from his teammates'.

You can see in images from the game's broadcast, while every other MSU player on the floor had a Spartan on the left side of their leg and a design on the right ... but Hoggard's were flipped.

Thankfully, it seems somebody informed the senior of the issue after just a few minutes on the court ... because following a break in the action, the direction of his shorts suddenly changed.

Doesn't seem it had any effect on his game, though ... the point guard balled out in the first half, piling up five points, two rebounds and five assists -- as MSU leads Mississippi St., 31-24, at the break.

The "Love & Basketball" story between Angel Reese and Cam'Ron Fletcher is no more ... 'cause the LSU women's hoops star just revealed she's single.

Rumors of the couple calling it quits started to swirl recently ... when fans realized the two college basketball players scrubbed each other from their Instagram profiles.

Reese confirmed the speculation on Tuesday during a Q&A with her 2.7 million fans on Instagram Live ... saying, "Yeah, I'm single."

"I don't got no man. Don't attach me to no man. That's all I'mma say. That's it."

Even though the 21-year-old is on the market, Reese says she's not looking to jump back into a relationship just yet ... claiming her attention and energy is primarily on school, basketball and herself.

"I do what's best for me, that's it," the LSU forward said. "I'm the catch! Let's not get it twisted."

The women's NCAA tournament starts on Friday ... so Reese, who's averaging 19 points and 13.1 rebounds a game this season, can focus on another title run for the LSU Tigers.

Fletcher -- who transferred from Kentucky to FSU in 2021 -- suffered a season-ending injury last December. He averaged 6.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in seven games.

Angel Reese is the latest celebrity victim of artificial intelligence gone bad after several nude images of the LSU hoop star hit the internet ... photos she's adamant are FAKE!!!

The 21-year-old college basketball star addressed the controversy on social media on Tuesday, writing point blank, "Creating fake AI pictures of me is crazy and weird AF!"

Despite the invasion of privacy (even though the pics are fugazi), the SEC Player of the Year is taking an upsetting situation and making the best of it ... all while making it clear she'd never pose nude on social media.

"Like i know im fine & seem to have an appeal to some but im literally 21 and yall doing this bs when i would neverrrrrr"

Of course, Angel has tons of fans ... and many ran to her defense.

"It's only bored people sweet Angel, put your eyes on the goal and that's a championship," a supporter responded on X.

Speaking of championships ... Reese, averaging 19 points and 13 rebounds, is preparing for March Madness. Her LSU squad is a three-seed in the Albany bracket, where they're hoping to run the table. The Tigers' first game is against 14-seeded Rice ... a contest they're heavily favored to win.

Louisiana State Univ. is looking to go back-to-back after winning a Natty last year under legendary coach Kim Mulkey.

Angel was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Sadly, for all the possibilities that come along with AI, there's also this ... and Reese isn't the first to have to deal with fraudulent images flooding the internet. In fact, Taylor Swift and Bobbi Althoff went through a similar situation recently.

SKIMS, de Kim Kardashian, está cada vez más metida en el baloncesto, esta vez la marca se ha asociado con seis de los mejores jugadores de baloncesto universitario del mundo para servir como modelos para su línea masculina antes del Torneo de la NCAA.

La multimillonaria empresaria compartió un video en Instagram el día después del Selection Sunday, anunciando la campaña.

El clip muestra a varios de los mejores jugadores de la CBB vistiendo la nueva línea de Kim K, incluyendo al escolta de Arizona Caleb Love, Paxson Wojcik de UNC, y Donovan Clingan, quien ganó un título nacional con UCONN la temporada pasada.

Hunter Dickinson -que se transfirió a Kansas desde Michigan esta temporada- y el guardia de Duke Jared McCain también están involucrados.

Esta es la última incursión de Kim en el deporte, recordemos que recientemente se asoció con estrellas de la NFL, la NBA y la MLS, como Nick Bosa, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander y Neymar Jr.

Kim también contó con Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mahomes, y sus dos hijos en la promoción de su atuendo de Navidad 2023.

Kim Kardashian's SKIMS is getting deeper into basketball ... this time the brand is partnering with six of the top college hoopers in the world to serve as models for their men's line ahead of the NCAA Tournament!

The billionaire entrepreneur shared video on Instagram the day after Selection Sunday ...  announcing the campaign.

The clip features several of the best CBB players wearing Kim K's new Men's Terry loungewear, including Arizona guard Caleb Love, Paxson Wojcik from UNC, and Donovan Clingan ... who won a National title with UCONN last season.

Hunter Dickinson -- who transferred to Kansas from Michigan this season  -- and Duke's guard Jared McCain are also involved.

It's just Kim K's latest foray into sports ... remember, she recently teamed up with stars from the NFL, NBA, and MLS, including Nick Bosa, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Neymar Jr.

Kim also featured Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mahomes, and their two kids ... promoting their 2023 Christmas attire.

Fab Five legend Juwan Howard is OUT at Michigan ... the school just announced his tenure as head coach has come to an end after 5 seasons at the helm.

“After a comprehensive review of the program, I have decided that Juwan will not return as our men’s basketball coach,” Warde Manuel, Michigan AD, and the man who hired Howard said in a statement.

“Juwan is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with our basketball program. I know how much it meant, to not only Juwan, but to all of us for him to return here to lead this program. Despite his love of his alma mater and the positive experience that our student-athletes had under his leadership, it was clear to me that the program was not living up to our expectations and not trending in the right direction.”

Manuel is likely referring to not just a decline in wins, but also controversy inside the program ... with many calling for change amid a crisis in culture.

On the court, Howard -- who was hired in May 2019 -- had a ton of success early after taking over for John Beilein ... earning a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in year 2, before losing to UCLA in the Elite 8. Howard was named Coach of the Year.

The 2021-2022 season wasn't as good ... the team barely earned a bid into the tourney, but still ended up winning two games, reaching the Sweet 16.

However, that was the last time the former Michigan star would lead his squad to an NCAA berth. Howard's '22-'23 team went 18-16.

Fast forward to this season ... an unmitigated disaster. Michigan finished with an 8-24 record, including going 3-17 in the Big Ten, UM's worst season in decades.

Juwan's 5 seasons were plagued by controversy, too. In 2022, Howard was involved in a postgame scuffle with Wisconcin's coaches ... where he ended up making contact with a Badgers assistant. Howard was suspended 5 games.

JH also had a run-in with Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon, who he allegedly threatened to kill ... in front of a referee.

There was also an alleged run-in with UMs longtime strength coach, Jon Sanderson, who left the school after more than a decade following the incident.

Bronny James and Isaiah Collier are making their case for teammates of the year ... 'cause the two USC hoopers just hooked the whole Trojans squad up with some custom Beats headphones!!

James and Collier revealed the nice gesture ahead of the Pac-12 Tournament ... with the Lakers superstar's son explaining they wanted to show appreciation for all the support they've gotten this season.

The team clearly loved the presents ... with everyone freaking out over the Trojan-themed colorway.

Worth noting -- Bronny and Zay have NIL deals with the brand, so we take it they didn't have to open up their wallets ... but it's a dope move nonetheless.

It wasn't the greatest season for the Trojans -- they're currently 14-17 -- but perhaps James and Collier's gesture will help turn things around.

James is currently averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23 appearances this season ... while Collier is putting up 16.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists a contest.

The brother of LSU hoops star Flau'jae Johnson has been arrested after cops say he injured an SEC employee when he jumped onto the basketball court as a scuffle broke out on the hardwood during the Tigers-Gamecocks game.

Greenville Police tell TMZ Sports that Johnson's brother, Trayron Milton, was taken into custody Monday and was charged with assault, battery in the 3rd degree and disorderly conduct.

The arrest comes following his involvement in the altercation during the women's SEC title game on Sunday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena ... which was started when Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley shoved Johnson to the floor.

Milton, who was sitting courtside, hopped over the scorer's table, apparently trying to defend his sister, but also injuring an SEC employee in the process.

"While Milton was jumping over the barrier, the victim was sitting at the scorer's table at the edge of the court," a GPD spokesperson said.

"To get over the table, Milton came from behind the table, pushed down on the victim’s head, and stepped on her shoulders to jump over."

Milton was eventually placed in handcuffs and escorted out of the arena while being booed by fans.

Johnson has not commented about the incident or her brother's arrest ... but South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said the LSU guard approached her after the game and apologized.

LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson was shoved to the floor during a wild fight at the SEC Championship Game on Sunday.

The push happened with about 2 minutes remaining in the Tigers' 79-72 loss to South Carolina in Greenville ... after Johnson had gotten tangled up with Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley.

You can see in video from the game's broadcast that following the physical play on the court, Johnson nudged Ashlyn Watkins on her way back to her bench. That prompted Kamilla Cardoso to run into the skirmish and put her hands all over Johnson.

After the LSU guard hit the ground, all hell broke loose ... as players from both teams raced onto the floor. At one point, a man ID'ed on the game's broadcast as Johnson's brother even got involved ... jumping over the scorer's table to see the action up close.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and both squads returned to their ends of the court without much further issue.

Six players in total -- including Cardoso -- were ejected from the matchup. Johnson's brother, meanwhile, was led away from the court in handcuffs, but an LSU spokesperson told The Advocate he was not arrested.

Cardoso -- who could be forced to miss some NCAA tournament time now due to her role in the tussle -- went on to apologize for it all in a post on X after the game.

"My behavior was not representative of who I am as a person or the South Carolina program," she wrote, "and I deeply regret any discomfort or inconvenience it may have caused."

As for where Angel Reese was during the whole mix, she wrote in a post on her own X page, "As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations."

"Mind you," she added, "the play before that I had rolled my ankle AGAIN and was already walking to the bench. I ALWAYS ride for mine. I’m super proud of this team & super excited for march. #geauxtigers."

If Roger Goodell reveals next month that the Colts have drafted Braden Fiske ... don't be surprised to see the Florida State superstar going crazy -- 'cause he tells TMZ Sports playing for his childhood favorite squad "would be pretty surreal!"

Although he's spent the past year down in Tallahassee soaking up the rays in the Sunshine State ... Fiske says he'd have no problem moving back to the cold if Indianapolis took him in the draft.

After all, he grew up in Michigan City, Indiana ... and idolized Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison and the rest of the legendary 2000s Colts.

"I think it'd be really cool to go back and represent Indiana and just play in my home state," he told us. "That'd be super cool."

There's just one small issue with the hypothetical, however ... and it's that the entire league now no doubt wants the 24-year-old on their team after what he did at the combine last week.

The 6-foot-5, 297-pound defensive lineman ran an explosive 4.78 in the 40-yard dash. He also clocked a 4.37 shuttle time that beat a record Aaron Donald had set. He looked great in drills too.

It's all culminated in a bunch of teams showing interest in him ... with nearly every one telling him they'll be at his Pro Day later this month to watch him on the field again.

Whatever franchise he ultimately ends up on, Fiske said he's got some names he's looking to sack ... with the early list including Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers.