• Slug: Sports-Ra’Shaad Samples Oregon. 500 words.
• Photo available.

By Timothy Russell
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The heralded Texas-to-Tempe football pipeline took a rough detour this week.

Ra’Shaad Samples, Arizona State’s wide receivers coach and one of the most dynamic recruiters in the country, has left the Sun Devils for the University of Oregon, where he will be the Ducks’ running backs coach and assistant head coach. The news comes just four months after Samples signed an extension with ASU that was meant to keep him in the Valley through the 2025 season.

Samples, 29, was also ASU’s passing game coordinator. Before he joined the Sun Devils, his resume was already stacked, as he worked his way up to an assistant coach at SMU after three years with the team from 2019-2021. Samples had also been TCU’s assistant head coach and running backs coach in 2021 before joining the Los Angeles Rams.

The loss of Samples comes smack in the middle of ASU’s spring practices, tossing yet another hurdle at a team searching for ways to jump-start its stagnant program.

“You lose your wide receiver coach at the time, but that’s the nature of adversity,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said Tuesday.

Continue reading “Ra’Shaad Samples, ASU’s coveted wide receivers coach, leaves for new role with Oregon Ducks”

• Slug: Sports-HBCU Showcase. 760 words.
• Photo available.

By Jaden Batiest
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Rick Mahorn, who played 18 seasons in the NBA and won a league championship with the 1988-89 Detroit Pistons, established his college basketball roots at Hampton University, a Historically Black College and University in Hampton, Virginia.

So Mahorn knows better than most about the progress of HBCU sports over decades, and he saw it on display from the sidelines Sunday when he was one of two NBA legends coaching some of the best HBCU basketball players in the country at the third annual HBCU All-Star Game at Grand Canyon University’s Global Credit Union Arena.

Ben Wallace – also a former Piston who played college basketball at another HBCU, Virginia Union University – coached the opposing All-Star team.

There was “nothing like this,” Mahorn said, when he starred at Hampton from 1976-1980. Thanks to the vision of Travis Williams, the CEO and founder of the HBCU All-Star Game, “this wouldn’t be possible,” Mahorn added.

Continue reading “HBCU All-Star Game shines spotlight on Black excellence during Final Four weekend”

• Slug: Sports-Final Four Slam Wrap-up, 1,000 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Sammy Nute
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – As confetti fell Monday from the State Farm Stadium rafters, bringing three weeks of hectic college basketball to a close, the UConn Huskies were crowned back-to-back NCAA Tournament champions.

However, the Huskies weren’t the only team celebrating at the end of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

JoAn Scott, the NCAA vice-president of men’s basketball, and Jay Parry, CEO of the Phoenix Local Organizing Committee, also had reason to pop a cork. Continue reading “Phoenix shines as host city for 2024 Men’s Final Four, passes torch to San Antonio”

• Slug: Sports-Final Four Slam Dunk Update, 830 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Noah Maltzman
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Nicknamed “Young Skywalker,” Grand Canyon star Gabe McGlothan played a significant role in his team’s 30-win season and stuffed the stat sheet in the 12th-seeded Lopes’ first-round NCAA Tournament upset over the fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s Gaels.

He posted a double-double in that game, Grand Canyon’s first NCAA Tournament victory ever, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

And McGlothan put on another March Madness show to remember in front of his home crowd during last Thursday’s 35th annual State Farm College Dunk & 3-Point Championships at Global Credit Union Arena. Continue reading “Sky-high action, sharpshooting tips off Final Four weekend at GCU’s Global Credit Union Arena”

• Slug: Sports-Purdue Championship Game, 980 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Lucas Gordon
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – Indiana is known for its vast farmland and its reputation as a basketball haven. Hoosiers, as residents call themselves, eat, sleep and breathe basketball.

The sentiment toward basketball is the same all across the state, especially in the college towns. Travel 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis and you’ll find the one town that has been into basketball more than the rest in Indiana recently. West Lafayette.

Home of the Purdue Boilermakers, the usually quiet town was preparing for a riot Monday night as the school’s men’s team made its first national championship appearance in 55 years. Continue reading “Purdue’s season a success despite men’s national title loss to UConn”

• Slug: Sports-UConn Championship Game, 900 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Addison Kalmbach
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – Everything.

That was the motto for this year’s UConn men’s basketball team and it accomplished just that.

“We’ve worn the everything shirt the whole year,” coach Dan Hurley said. “Everyone in this organization gave everything so that we could win everything this year. We wanted to give everything so we could win absolutely everything,” Continue reading “The Hurley Risers: UConn coach lifts men’s program to new heights after back-to-back titles”

• Slug: Sports-Final Four Update, 1,780 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Anthony Remedios
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Valley of the Sun has evolved into a destination for some of the biggest sporting events in the country, including Super Bowls, Final Fours, college football championship game and NBA and MLB All-Star Games.

But the Phoenix area is facing greater competition than ever before to land the marquee events in the western U.S.

Las Vegas has emerged as a major player in the sweepstakes for the biggest sporting events – and just played host to its first Super Bowl – joining Los Angeles and Phoenix as prime destinations in the west. Continue reading “The final Final Four? Phoenix faces rising competition as marquee events shift to Las Vegas, LA”

• Slug: Sports-Final Four Update, 720 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Staff
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – The biggest party in America Monday night could be in West Lafayette, Indiana. On the campus of Purdue, students are packing into Mackey Arena, where the basketball team plays, for a watch party of the national championship game.

The arena will be at full capacity as over 12,000 students bought tickets within moments of the national championship watch party being announced. If Purdue is crowned the champion on Monday night, all hell could break loose.

Since the Boilermakers earned their berth in the championship game Saturday, students have been receiving emails from the Dean of Students, the President of the university, Purdue police and the West Lafayette police department. Continue reading “Final Four updates: Purdue fans, students have large presence at men’s national championship game”

• Slug: Sports-UConn Men Women Basketball, 800 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Brevan Branscum
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – As the UConn men’s basketball team prepares to take on Alabama in the NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four in Glendale Saturday, there’s a chance to make history. The Huskies are two wins away from becoming the seventh program ever to win back-to-back NCAA championships, and the first since Florida did it in 2006 and 2007.

However, with the UConn women’s basketball team also playing in the Women’s Final Four in Cleveland, UConn basketball has a chance to enter much more illustrious territory with four combined wins this weekend.

If both the men’s and women’s teams win their respective NCAA tournaments, it would be just the third time in history that one school wins both championships in the same year. Continue reading “Nothing short of madness: UConn basketball seeks rare feat in Men’s and Women’s Final Fours”

• Slug: Sports-Ann Meyers Drysdale, 1,500 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Jaden Batiest
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Whenever Caitlin Clark sinks a smooth jump shot, Ann Meyers Drysdale probably smiles. When Angel Reese forces a turnover, Meyers Drysdale likely nods in approval. When JuJu Watkins attacks the rim in the blink of an eye, Meyers Drysdale must feel like offering a fist bump.

Five decades might separate Meyers Drysdale from today’s female college basketball players, but a true baller’s heart always beats slightly faster this time of the year.

March Madness is upon us, and the excitement surrounding women’s basketball is real. Rising stars like Clark, Reese and Watkins are receiving extensive coverage. The level of attention compared to the era when Meyers was on the court illustrates the monumental progress women’s basketball has made. Continue reading “‘She was this diamond’: Before women’s Final Four gems, Ann Meyers Drysdale lit up the court”

• Slug: Sports-DJ Horne Returns, 800 words.
• 4 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Lucas Gordon
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – The 2022-2023 season for the Arizona State men’s basketball team was one of its most successful in recent years. The team won 22 games and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018-2019.

Despite the short postseason stint, guard DJ Horne made a name for himself, leading the team in scoring in both games. Soon afterward, Horne announced he was entering the transfer portal and weeks later, he revealed he was transferring closer to home – North Carolina State – with most believing he would never return to Arizona.

Fast forward a year later and Horne is back in the Valley, this time leading NC State to a Men’s Final Four bid. Continue reading “Back in Arizona: Men’s Final Four provides full circle moment for NC State’s DJ Horne”

• Slug: Sports-Alabama Basketball Mudita,  630 words.
• Photos available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Addison Kalmbach
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – Successful programs often have a secret that pushes them through adversity, and the Alabama men’s basketball team is no different. But it took a slow start to the season for the Crimson Tide to discover it.

Mudita.

“(It’s) a really like a big thing for me … and I feel like I’ve tried to embrace that idea no matter what the game entails,” freshman sharpshooting Sam Walters said. Continue reading “Mudita: Alabama men’s basketball practices Buddhist mindset, turns around season”

• Slug: Sports-NC State DJ Burns, 1,300 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Jayla French
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Thanks to his artful footwork, bright smile and infectious energy, DJ Burns Jr. has gained the attention of many sports fans during North Carolina State’s remarkable run through March Madness.

Burns has been a key part of the Wolfpack’s success in the Men’s NCAA Tournament, starting with the team’s first ACC Tournament win in 41 years. Averaging 18.3 points in the past four games, he has been instrumental in helping No. 11 seed NC State reach Saturday’s Final Four game against No. 1 Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

While his highlight reels are plentiful and have helped turn him into something of a folk hero, they simply illustrate who he has always been. Continue reading “DJ Burns Jr. shines bright during remarkable NC State March Madness run”

• Slug: Sports-Arizona 1997 NCAA Tournament, 1,700 words.
• video available

By David Bernauer
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Twenty-seven years after the University of Arizona surprised the men’s college basketball world by taking home the 1997 title, the team’s former players still feel they don’t quite receive the recognition they deserve. Led by a group of almost all underclassmen, the Wildcats fought through their relative inexperience to win the 1997 championship.

“We’re the only team to ever beat three number one (seeds),” Miles Simon, a junior guard on the team and current Phoenix Suns assistant coach. “It’s never been done before and might not ever be done again. But this type of stuff is embedded in my mind forever.”

Though Arizona is called the Wildcats, they were certainly underdogs in the tournament. While they came into the tournament seeded fourth, national doubt surrounded whether the Wildcats could make the Final Four after being ranked just 15th in the country and losing their last two games of the season. Continue reading “The greatest, least talked about team: How the 1997 Arizona Wildcats became March’s underdogs”

• Slug: Sports-Cubs Prospect, 1,100 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Tyler Bednar
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Pete Crow-Armstrong, who MLB.com has identified as the Chicago Cubs’ No. 1 prospect, had a colorful explanation for how he has handled the pressure that comes along with that title.

“I think I’ve handled it very well,” Crow-Armstrong said during a recent break from spring training at Sloan Park. “I don’t think (the pressure) has ever leaked into my play … It’s (expletive) baseball at the end of the day. There’s a lot of us, and I’ve felt the same over the last few years, (expletive) No. 1 prospect, No. 2 (prospect), that could be given to a number of guys in this organization. I don’t feel like that’s a very special thing. I think it’s special in the sense that there’s a lot of us that can hold that “title”.”

“All of that stuff is ridiculous anyways. We’re all here to play baseball. We’re not here to get ranked. We’re here to make the big leagues and win a World Series.” Continue reading “Pressure? What pressure? Beyond rankings, top Chicago Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong focused on MLB glory”

• Slug: Sports-Purdue Basketball Motivation, 1,070 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Jesse Brawders
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Making the Final Four in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament can be notoriously difficult, with some Power 5 programs going decades between appearances. This year is no different, with Alabama making its first appearance in the Final Four, as well as NC State reaching its first appearance since 1983’s championship run.

But for the Purdue Boilermakers, reaching the men’s Final Four marks not only their first appearance in the landmark event since 1980 but also a chance to avenge their past demons in the hunt for the program’s first championship.

This weekend’s stage at State Farm Stadium is unknown territory for Purdue and coach Matt Painter, who has never made it to the Final Four in his coaching career. The top-seeded Boilermakers face No. 11 N.C. State to kick off the slate Saturday at 3:09 p.m., followed by No. 1 seed UConn against fourth-seed Alabama. The winners meet Monday night in the title game. Continue reading “Purdue Boilermakers chase redemption in first Final Four appearance since 1980”

• Slug: Sports-EIBC Baseball Conference, 780 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Noah Maltzman
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Red Rock Academy narrowly defeated Canyon International Academy in the Elite Interscholastic Basketball Conference Finals last month at The PHHacility.

But the inaugural title game did play out like the average hoops game.

Founded in August of last year by Barry Jones, the EIBC has been a massive success in its first season with a unique set of rules. Continue reading “Elite Interscholastic Basketball Conference goes off without hitch in inaugural season”

• Slug: Sports-Phoenix Downtown Final Four, 560 words.
• 4 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Asher Hyre
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Alabama’s star guard Mark Sears favorite thing about the Valley is simple.

“The city,” he told Cronkite News Thursday as he boarded the team bus headed for practice in Glendale at State Farm Stadium, where the Crimson Tide will make their first Final Four appearance in school history Saturday.

And “the city” is embracing the Sears-led Tide, the UConn Huskies, the Purdue Boilermakers and N.C. State Wolfpack as the Valley hosts college basketball’s crown jewel for the second time. Continue reading “Valley makeover: Downtown Phoenix undergoes massive Final Four transformation”

• Slug: Sports-ASU Softball Base Stealing, 1,700 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Aaron Decker
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The neon yellow ball, just released from the revolving arm of the pitcher, accelerates to the Arizona State batter at the plate. Then a whoosh of the bat. A pop in the glove. Strike out!

Success for the Oregon Ducks, except for the reveal at second base. An ASU player dashing from first base to second base. The catcher doesn’t even offer a throw, there is no chance to stop it. The player, Tanya Windle, just stole second base.

As expected no major celebration follows this tiny victory but jubilee is the result when Windle slides into home plate minutes later, morphing her slide into an immediate jolt upright and an indulgent celebration. Continue reading “Art of stealing bases: ASU softball creating chaos on basepaths”

• Slug: Sports-Final Four Live Updates, 1,450 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Staff
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – Unexpected stories come out of March Madness every year. Whether it’s No. 16 seed UMBC beating No. 1 seed Virginia in 2018 or No. 15 Saint Peter’s making a run to the Elite Eight in 2021, fans are always in for a surprise.

Crazy moments happen off the court, too. After clinching its second consecutive berth to the Men’s Final Four and looking to win its second national championship in as many years, the UConn Huskies encountered challenges traveling to Phoenix for its game Saturday against Alabama.

The team, which was supposed to leave Connecticut around 6 p.m. EST Wednesday, did not arrive in the Valley until 3:27 a.m. Arizona time Thursday after multiple delays due to mechanical issues and weather in the Northeast. Continue reading “Final Four updates: Weather, mechanical issues result in 3:30 a.m. airport arrival for UConn”