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🏆 Good morning to everybody however particularly …

THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

An excessive amount of talent. An excessive amount of depth. An excessive amount of measurement. An excessive amount of South Carolina.

The Gamecocks are the tenth undefeated nationwide champions in Division I ladies’s basketball historical past after an 87-75 win over Iowa, avenging final yr’s Closing 4 loss to the Hawkeyes.

A 38-0 document does not come simple, and win No. 38 was among the many hardest. Iowa jumped out to a 10-0 lead, and after a second-half South Carolina surge, the Hawkeyes acquired to inside 5 late. However, once more, an excessive amount of South Carolina: Iowa, the very best offensive staff within the nation, did not rating over the ultimate 4:12.

After shedding all 5 starters from final yr’s staff, the Gamecocks wanted lots of people to step in and step up, and there have been three main characters on this triumphant story.

The primary is Kamilla Cardoso. The 6-foot-7 star had 15 factors, a career-high 17 rebounds and three blocks, saving her greatest for final earlier than going off to the WNBA. Isabel Gonzalez wrote on Cardoso’s coronation.

The second character — or group, reasonably — is the bench. South Carolina’s outscored Iowa’s 37-0. Tessa Johnson (19 factors) and MiLaysia Fulwiley (9) are amongst a number of Gamecocks subs who may in all probability begin just about wherever else within the nation. I wrote on how Staley and her reserves made it work in historic trend.

And at last … the incomparable Daybreak Staley. Greatness as a participant. Greatness as a coach. Best … ever? Erica Ayala says …

• Ayala: “Staley continues to guide her personal means. It is a model that fosters deep connections together with her gamers, previous and current, as 2022 NCAA champion Aliyah Boston, now a member of the Indiana Fever, was one of many first to actually carry Staley up when her former coach turned so emotional she couldn’t stand. … Does Staley have to surpass Pat Summit‘s eight titles or Geno Auriemma‘s 11 championships to be the best collegiate ladies’s basketball coach of all time? No.”

What a season for South Carolina. What a season for ladies’s faculty basketball. 

👍 Honorable mentions

😔 And never such a superb morning for …

CAITLIN CLARK AND THE IOWA HAWKEYES

One among ladies’s faculty basketball’s brightest stars couldn’t outshine South Carolina’s collective greatness. Caitlin Clark certain tried — she completed with 30 factors — however it wasn’t sufficient. After an 18-point first quarter, she scored simply 12 factors on 5-of-20 capturing the remainder of the best way, hounded by Raven Johnson and different Gamecocks.

Whereas that is only the start of Clark’s basketball greatness, it is the tip of a school profession that can by no means be duplicated. One which modified the sport for good. Staley even sang Clark’s praises. Regardless of the loss, Clark’s unbelievable legacy is safe, Jack Maloney writes.

• Maloney: “Clark isn’t solely liable for the surge of curiosity in ladies’s basketball across the nation, however her accomplishments, distinctive skillset and electrical model of play made her an entry level for hundreds of thousands of followers. … Clark by no means did win a nationwide championship, however you could possibly make a powerful case that carrying Iowa to back-to-back Closing Fours is simply as spectacular, if no more so.”

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 Previewing UConn-Purdue: Who has the sting?

One Division I basketball title down, one to go. UConn and Purdue do battle tonight, with the Huskies trying to go back-to-back and the Boilermakers trying to absolutely exorcise the demons of shedding to a No. 16 seed, a la 2019 Virginia. The similarities between the 2 groups are “virtually eerie,” Dennis Dodd notes.

Matt mentioned the Boilermakers already redeemed themselves by ending NC State‘s magical run within the Closing 4, however they actually will not really feel full redemption until they do one thing nobody has performed in practically two months: beat UConn.

So, can they do it? Our specialists are cut up. David Cobb broke down who has the sting at each key place, together with …

• Cobb: “Frontcourt: Trey Kaufman-Renn and Zach Edey vs. Alex Karaban and Donovan Clingan — Purdue has the sting as a result of it has Edey, who’s the very best participant in faculty basketball. However UConn is not far behind. Clingan has been unbelievable in the course of the NCAA Event, significantly on protection. The 7-foot-2 sophomore is a shot-swatting menace with the size to contest even a few of Edey’s photographs. … The Boilermakers even have some flexibility with Mason Gillis, who comes off the bench. Edge: Purdue”

The Edey-Clingan battle will probably be superior, partially as a result of Clingan is lastly smaller than his opponent. However in relation to guards, the Huskies’ measurement may tilt issues of their favor, Adi Joseph writes.

• Joseph: “Tristen Newton and Stephon Fortress could also be the very best guard duo within the nation. That half is controversial. What’s not is that they’re essentially the most bodily imposing. At 6-5 and turning 23 this month, Newton has turned himself from an intriguing switch on final season’s Huskies title staff to a celebrity in his fifth faculty season. But it is Fortress who has actually turned heads throughout this run.”

Fortress and Clingan additionally give the reigning champs a determined edge sooner or later NBA Draft expertise, Kyle Boone notes.

Here is every little thing else to know:

My choose? Thanks for asking! I picked UConn in the beginning, and I am not abandoning the Huskies now.

⛳ 2024 Masters preview: Full odds, plus key stat to know

With Akshay Bhatia beating Denny McCarthy in a playoff to win an exciting Texas Open, the Masters subject is about. Listed below are the percentages because the week opens.

1. Scottie Scheffler: 4-1
2. Rory McIlroy: 10-1
3. Jon Rahm: 12-1
4. Xander Schauffele: 16-1
5. Brooks Koepka: 18-1
6. Hideki Matsuyama: 18-1
7. Jordan Spieth: 20-1

There are tons and tons of causes Scheffler is atop the checklist. He is received two of his final three occasions (and tied for second within the one he did not win), and he is donned the inexperienced jacket earlier than. Oh, and he has this key stat going for him, Kyle Porter explains.

• Porter: “Seven of the final 9 Masters winners have been within the high six for the week in method play. It’s important to hit the hell out of it, and you need to be disciplined about the way you do it. … Ah, Scheffler. When you blindly take a look at each this yr’s statistics and up to date historical past at Augusta, he’s the plain option to win this match by, like, 15 photographs. It is a true ‘Scottie or the sphere’ scenario. Simply take a look at his rankings.”

Listed below are his rankings, by the best way.

Oh, and if previous success at Augusta Nationwide issues to your picks, Kyle checked out that, too.

Cody Rhodes ‘finishes the story,’ wins undisputed WWE title at WrestleMania 40

WrestleMania 40 gave professional wrestling followers precisely what they needed on Sunday night time in Philadelphia. After developing quick in the primary occasion of WrestleMania 39 a yr in the past, Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns to develop into the brand new undisputed WWE common champion.

With a “Bloodline Guidelines” stipulation that each one however assured exterior interference, Reigns tried to depend on his Bloodline faction and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to maintain his monstrous 1,316-day reign alive. However Rhodes had backup of his personal within the type of Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, John Cena and The Undertaker. He finally managed to pin Reigns after hitting his Cross Rhodes finisher three consecutive instances.

The win not solely gave followers the decisive Rhodes victory they’d been begging for, however it despatched a loud message that the promotion has entered a brand new period. With Paul “Triple H” Levesque in full management of the corporate’s reserving, Vince McMahon out of the image following his newest sexual misconduct scandal, a considerably improved tv manufacturing and a white-hot roster that sells out arenas week after week, the WWE may simply be cool once more.

“I believe that was simply the enjoyment,” Rhodes mentioned within the post-show press convention when requested about his emotional championship celebration. “There’s a respect for Roman and The Bloodline, little doubt, however nothing is greater than the corporate, than the business itself. And this was a win for the individuals, and definitely a win for me.”

Try Brent Brookhouse’s full recap of WrestleMania 40 Evening 1 and Evening 2.

Different highlights from the two-night occasion included:

• Drew McIntyre captured the world heavyweight championship from Seth Rollins, just for CM Punk to assault him after the match. Damian Priest then ran out, cashed in his Cash within the Financial institution contract and received the title from McIntyre in simply 9 seconds.
• Logan Paul wound up being one of many few champions to truly retain over the weekend, beating each Randy Orton and Kevin Owens in a triple risk match.
• Sami Zayn ended Gunther’s 666-day record-shattering reign as intercontinental champion.

📺 What we’re watching Monday

🏀 (1) UConn vs. (1) Purdue, 9:20 p.m. on TBS