After an incredible Final Four appearance in 2023 and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament this year, Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May is considered the favorite to open at a Power Five school.
Maye, in particular, has been cited as a top candidate at Louisville, which fired former Knicks assistant Kenny Payne after going 12-52 in two seasons.
Currently, other big programs besides Michigan, West Virginia, Vanderbilt and FAU also have vacancies.
“I’m trying not to get caught up in it,” the 47-year-old said Friday at Barclays Center, where his Owls play Northwestern. “It’s distracting, but our job is to compartmentalize what we need to do.
“But I would also add that Instagram and Twitter are also distracting, and watching a movie with your kids when you’re trying to watch a movie is distracting. We all get distracted. There’s a lot going on, but we all have a job to do, and that’s to be ready to do our best against Northwestern.”
Duke coach John Scheier said leading freshman guard Caleb Foster will miss the tournament with a stress fracture in his ankle.
“My heart is breaking for Caleb,” Shier said. “There is no replacement for Caleb. He has a big heart. He is a formidable competitor and someone who makes everyone on the floor better.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had to play without him since the Wake Forest game.” [Feb. 24]And there is no one to replace him. But there are some really talented players off the bench as well. ”
Duke (24-8) lost its final regular-season game against North Carolina and its first game in the ACC Tournament against North Carolina State for the No. 4 seed, and now faces America East champion Vermont in the first round. There is.
TJ Long, a junior guard from Rockville Center (Long Island), is the Vermont Catamounts’ leading scorer wearing No. 13 after transferring from Fairfield.
“I rooted for Duke. [growing up] Because most of my friends were Duke fans,” Long said. “Being from this area, I was a big St. John’s fan and I was a big Kansas fan.”
Stetson, top-seeded UConn’s first opponent, will be playing in the tournament for the first time since becoming a Division I basketball program in 1971.
“It means everything, it means excitement. For us to have the opportunity to come here on this platform after 53 years in Division I,” Hatters coach Donnie Jones said. “We are known for academic excellence and have had some success in other sports, baseball and women’s basketball. But the men’s basketball world had not yet joined us on this platform.”
Former Cy Young Award winners Jacob deGrom and Corey Kluber played baseball at Stetson.
Sun Belt champion James Madison tied the school for the most wins in the tournament with a 31-3 mark ahead of the matchup between the No. 12 Dukes and No. 5 Wisconsin.
“Obviously when this happens, we’re going to be playing a really good opponent,” Badgers coach Greg Gard said. “I saw James Madison the first night of the regular season when they won at Michigan State. They obviously got national attention and had a great year.”
