On Wednesday night, as the final seconds ticked away in the game between Maryland and Iowa, everyone in the building knew Jahmir Young was looking for a winning shot. That usually suggests Young is driving left.
But Iowa couldn’t prevent him from doing it. The red-hot Maryland guard sprinted by Payton Sandfort and sank the shot with 1.5 seconds left, earning the Terps a much-needed road victory, 69-67.
“It was a screen, and Payton made an excellent read to switch. “He just needed to jump out to his left hand a little more,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery explained.
“That is what he does.” You need to give him credit. We must do a better job there. That was disheartening because, you know, he’s the guy, and we let him kind of decide the final stretch. Especially after he struck the first one. I need to do a better job there.”
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Young scored eight points in the final 84 seconds to lead his team to victory. In Maryland’s last five away games, he averaged 28.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. After missing his last two game-winning shots against Northwestern and committing a turnover against Michigan State, Young was not going to let another opportunity pass him by. He effortlessly sliced past Sandfort and scored to complete a one-man shutout after his team trailed by seven with five minutes remaining.
“It was simply a horrible move. I should have gone left. “I’m disappointed in myself, but I have to keep my head up,” a distressed Sandfort said, his teammate Tony Perkins patting him on the shoulder as he talked. “He made some tough shots. We allowed him to do what he wanted, and it is what we deserved.
Young, however, was hardly a one-man show. Julian Reese scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and blocked five shots. Maryland also held Iowa without a field goal for about six minutes to conclude the game.
“They take a long distance. “They’re really in your space,” Sandfort explained.
It ended Maryland’s four-game losing run against Iowa, which had seen the Hawkeyes win by an average of 16 points per game.
“We did some things that are completely inappropriate, and I will accept responsibility for them. We knew they would go to press. They have been pressing. You can’t just give the ball over and allow them to score in three seconds. They turned it over three times [later], and they feel awful about it. “We all feel bad about it,” McCaffery explained.
“And we let Jahmir take the game over.”
In the most recent CBS Sports Bracketology, the Hawkeyes remain as the No. 1 seed.
The Hawkeyes are coming off an upset loss at Ohio State, but Lisa Bluder’s team is full of confidence. One year after winning the national title, Iowa finds itself in a similar position and has the chance to make another deep run.
Iowa City, Iowa— The Hawkeyes are coming off an upset loss at Ohio State, but Lisa Bluder’s team is full of confidence. One year after winning the national title, Iowa finds itself in a similar position and has the chance to make another deep run.
CBS Sports has announced the new bracket for the Women’s NCAA Tournament. Despite the recent setback, CBS still ranks Bluder’s team as the No. 1 seed. The three other No. 1 seeds are South Carolina, Stanford, and UCLA. UConn, Colorado, Kansas State, and North Carolina State are the No. 2 seeds.
“Caitlin Clark, Iowa’s #22 who turned 22 Monday, hasn’t slowed down in her takeover of not just women’s basketball, but all of college sports,” Connor Groel, an analyst for CBS athletics, tweeted. Clark’s 31.7 points per game this season is the most since Andrea Congreaves’ 33.0 PPG for Mercer in the 1991-92 season, and she is on track to break Kelsey Plum’s Division I women’s career scoring record in six games (on Feb. 15 vs. Michigan). The Hawkeyes lost the national championship last season, but they are more than capable of winning one this year.”
The Hawkeyes have a lot of depth and pieces, which is critical for making a run when it counts the most. Sydney Affolter, Kylie Feuerbach, and numerous others are beginning to put things together, and there is a clear awareness of what they need to bring to the table.
“[The bench] are good players, right? I mean, they’re incredibly good players, but it’s largely because they’ve had the experience and have gained confidence,” Bluder remarked. “They know when they go in what they’re expected to do, and they’re relishing in their role.”
After losing Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock, the Hawkeyes preached that this would be a new squad, and they are embracing that identity. Bluder and her crew also don’t see the value in comparing last season to this one. That is what has been preached for the past seven months.
“I never compare teams to teams. I just want this squad to be the best that it can be. Whether it’s winning the national championship or reaching the Sweet 16. “I’m not sure what this team’s best strengths are,” Bluder remarked during Iowa media day. “Of course, we set high goals, but I’m not saying that if we don’t make it back to the Final Four, it’s a bad year. I don’t believe it. I believe that a basketball season requires far more effort. You all assess it on wins, and so do the fans; yet, as coaches, we enjoy wins, but we also consider a variety of other factors.
“Do our children graduate? Are our children amazing human beings? Do they mature as ladies while they are here? Are we mentoring these women to become the next generation of outstanding female leaders? That appeals to me. That’s what wakes me up in the morning.
For the time being, Iowa is relishing each stage of the road and recognizes that they have a significant potential in the coming weeks.
“I believe we’ve established a culture in which everyone matters. So, everyone on this team understands how valuable they are, and everyone on this team understands that you may be given an opportunity and will need to step up.”
College football recruiting: How the top 5-star recruits in the 2023 class performed as freshman
Some true freshman had an immediate impression during their first year on university, while others are projected to burst out next fall.
The class of 2023’s blue-chip prospects have had a crazy year. Seven of the top eight five-star prospects in last year’s cycle were on the field, with six starting at least one game. Three of the top eight players transferred following the season. That was a fairly eventful year.
On the Football Recruiting Podcast, Andrew Ivins, 247Sports’ director of scouting, and Cooper Petagna, national recruiting analyst, discussed how the top eight players — the top fourth of the 32 five-star recruits — in the class of 2023 performed in their first collegiate seasons. While a few players have already lived up to their rankings (and then some), others still need to show that they can be the impact players they appeared to be coming out of high school.
So, which players made the most of their early opportunities? Which ones still have something to prove? And what do the three players who are relocating bring with them?
Get the most recent football and basketball transfer portal news from 247Sports.
Here’s what Ivins and Petagna had to say about the top recruits from the 2023 class:
1. ARCH MANNING, TEXAS
2023 stats: 2-of-5 passing for 30 yards and three carries for seven yards.
“I always thought Arch had an advantage entering a competitive room, especially with Maalik Murphy present. We all knew Quinn Ewers was there, but with a player like Maalik Murphy, who is now expected to be the starter at Duke under Manny Diaz, I thought it was a good time for him to step in and compete for the No. 2 spot,” Petagna said. “That being said, Quinn Ewers will return for another year, while Arch will sit out another year. I’d love to see Arch get some run in the same manner that Nico Iamaleava did this year, right? I felt Tennessee handled him brilliantly… But next year, I don’t mind Arch Manning languishing for another year to get experience at sea. But I think at some point Drew, I think Texas will have to start thinking about, ‘All right, how do we get Arch involved a little bit,’ not so much packages, but, hey, if we have a three-possession lead going deep into the third, let’s try to get this guy some snaps.”
2. NICO IAMALEAVA, TENNESSEE
2023 statistics: 28-of-45 passing with 314 yards and two touchdowns, 20 runs for 71 yards and three touchdowns.
“I think he raises the ceiling of that offense,” Ivins went on to say. “And a lot of fans probably didn’t realize Nico is that athletic in terms of his ability to take off and run and find the end zone, and we were flying to San Antonio in the middle of that bowl game, and then you land, you check the box score, and it’s like, whoa, Nico has three rushing touchdowns. Cooper, don’t forget that he could have played collegiate volleyball elsewhere. He was on the ‘Freaks list.’ If you’ve ever met him, you’ll notice that he’s really athletic. He played 7-on-7 in his pajamas. I’m ready to see him leave in 2024. I believe he is perfectly on pace.”
3. KEON KEELEY, ALABAMA
2023 statistics: zero snaps.
“We talked about that edge room in Tuscaloosa, and they obviously have a lot of potential. Drew, I adore Keon Keeley, and we frequently discuss the player as well as his physical potential. The truth is, if they are listed in the top five or in this area and we are having this talk, it means they have checked all of the boxes, correct? And Keon Keeley was the ultimate box-checker,” Petagna remarked. “He had a fantastic week in San Antonio last year, dominating the setting. This is a guy I am enthused about. When considering a coaching move from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer, most people focus on the offense. Consider Washington’s 3-4 standup outside linebackers such as Bralen Trice and ZTF. You and I both agree that this man is far more comfortable standing up off the edge and playing in a 3-4 system. Keon Keeley is expected to have a breakout year.
4. DANTE MOORE, UCLA (TRANSFERRED TO OREGON)
2023 stats: 114-of-213 throwing for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, nine interceptions.
“I think what’s interesting about Dante Moore is that if you ask individuals who are familiar with his decision, why he left and why he ended up at Oregon, you’ll hear that he wants to improve, right? “He wants to go somewhere where he can learn and grow, which I think says a lot,” Ivins added. “He’s a kid that played in some big moments as a true freshman, and it’s not like, ‘Oh, I’m transferring because I need to be the number one.’ He’s absolutely different. He wants to pause, regain his confidence, and then go as you suggested. I like this move since it allows him to play in four games while still eligible to redshirt. And I believe that if Dillon Gabriel goes down, Oregon has a player who has started five games who can step in. I don’t know… People tear apart his first year at UCLA. I suppose PFF still had him at 15 big-time throws? “I thought there were flashes there.”
5. KADYN PROCTOR, ALABAMA (TRANSFERRED TO IOWA)
2023 stats: started all games at left tackle.
“Kadyn Proctor comes in as a true freshman from Iowa, our top-rated offensive lineman in 2023, and Drew, I believe, lived up to expectations. It’s also fair to say that he struggled as a true freshman starting every game in the SEC at left tackle,” Petagna said. “That is a difficult task, particularly in the SEC West. So, after a year of playing for Nick Saban, he’s back at home with the Iowa Hawkeyes. I appreciate the fit as well.
Iowa has a lot to sort out in terms of their offensive identity moving ahead. However, this is not a complete shock. I wasn’t surprised—I believe we thought Proctor was one of the most Day 1 ready prospects in the 2023 class. Obviously, he experienced a little bit of everything last year. But, man, when you consider his potential for Year 2, it’s difficult to find offensive lineman with that level of experience at 18, 19 years old.”
