Ucla

FILE — Jules Bernard #1 of the UCLA Bruins attempts to shoot the ball over Joshua Langford #1 during overtime in the First Four game prior to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Mackey Arena on March 18, 2021 in West Lafayette, Indiana. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP Eight people have tested positive for COVID-19 this week heading into the start of the NCAA Tournament, ESPN reported Thursday. That’s out of more than 9,100 COVID-19 tests administered to people classified as Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. The tournament begins Thursday night with four games: No. 16 matchups between Texas Southern and Mount Mary’s and Appalachian State vs. Norfolk State, and No. 11 seeds Drake vs. Wichita State and UCLA vs Michigan State. The games will be played at Assembly Hall on the Indiana campus and at Mackey Arena at Purdue. All 67 games in the tournament are being played in and around Indianapolis. The NCAA did not disclose whether the positive tests came from players, coaches, ... » Learn More about 8 positive COVID tests ahead of US NCAA tournament–report

FILE – Head coach Tara VanDerveer of the Stanford Cardinal calls to her players as they take on the UCLA Bruins during the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 7, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer blasted the NCAA on Saturday, citing “blatant sexism” toward women’s basketball players and preferential treatment for men’s players in their respective NCAA Tournaments. VanDerVeer, the all-time leader in women’s Division I victories with 1,119, called it “disheartening” that COVID-19 testing protocols and weight-training facilities are at a higher level for men as opposed to women. “A lot of what we’ve seen this week is evidence of blatant sexism,” the 67-year-old Van Derveer said in a statement. “This is purposeful and hurtful. I feel betrayed by the NCAA. I call on University Presidents ... » Learn More about Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer upset with ‘blatant sexism’ of NCAA

Considering how everything else has gone this past year, March was bound to be mad. So far, it hasn’t disappointed. The last perfect NCAA Tournament bracket was busted before the first round was over. The second round just wrapped with an even dozen upsets already in the books — a record for the opening 48 games and just one shy of the mark for the entire tournament — with all kinds of possibilities still out there. Oklahoma, in fact, played a very good game against Timme’s Bulldogs and still got crushed, 87-71. So did No. 10 Maryland, bounced by No. 2 Alabama 96-77, and fifth-seeded Colorado, sent packing 71-53 by No. 4 Florida State. Ditto for the five other teams that lost by the lopsided average of 18 points. Sixth-seeded USC beat No. 3 Kansas by 34, but failed to meet the NCAA definition of an upset: “defined as a win by a team seeded five spots lower than their opponent.” No. 7 Oregon’s win over second-seeded Iowa qualified, even though it was by “only” 15. No. 1 seed ... » Learn More about More madness likely in NCAA Sweet 16

INDIANAPOLIS: Can anybody stop these guys? For the 30th straight time this season, Gonzaga answered that question with a resounding “No.” The Bulldogs got on a roll and put on a show, cruising into the Final Four with an 85-66 beatdown of a Southern California team that was nowhere near ready for what it ran into on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). Drew Timme had 23 points and five rebounds and, after one dunk, pretended to slick down his handlebar mustache for the few thousand fans in the stands. “This is a really, really big deal,” coach Mark Few said of the program’s return to the Final Four after a four-year hiatus. “And Zags know how to celebrate, OK?” The top-seeded and top-ranked Bulldogs will be the third team to bring an undefeated record into the Final Four since the bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The last team to go undefeated was Indiana in 1976. On Saturday in the national semifinals, the Zags will face the winner of a later Elite Eight matchup between ... » Learn More about Unbeaten top seed Gonzaga moves on to Final Four

To clarify, this is not a suggestion for Kai Sotto to model his game after Evan Mobley. They are completely different players. However, in the context of Kai’s NBA dream that we all collectively support as Filipinos, Mobley is a legitimate candidate to be the number one overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft — which Kai Sotto’s camp apparently intends to join. There are similarities in their profile (tall and lanky) that Kai could learn a thing or two. Return of March Madness Suggs could be one of the two Jalens picked in the top five of the 2021 NBA Draft, the other being Jalen Green, the heralded athletic prospect with Filipino lineage. It is likely that Suggs can improve his draft stock more, especially since the Zags just booked a ticket to the NCAA Final Four — the biggest basketball spectacle in the US outside of the NBA Finals (and that’s even arguable). Side note: We love to call Jalen Green as “the one who got away” since we saw him play against Kai Sotto in the local ... » Learn More about Evan Mobley is the Kai Sotto Prototype

Photo courtesy of Taisei Inoue Choosing a university can be a challenge. Let's hear one student's ideas on how to navigate the application process. The university application process can be difficult and daunting when you face an overwhelming amount of information. It can be really helpful to listen to and learn from the experiences of other Thai students who’ve successfully completed the application process. Taisei Inoue, a graduating senior at St. Andrews International School, describes his journey ahead of an event featuring similar stories from nine students who recently went through the university application process. I was never really interested when the topic of ‘university’ came up in conversation. I have always avoided the subject as I sensed no urgency in the process, and that mindset later came back to bite me. The spring of 2017, when I was deciding what to do with my summer vacation, was the moment I realised my mistake. All of my peers were applying to summer ... » Learn More about Students share their uni application stories

Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand tees off on the 5th hole during round one of the ANA Inspiration at the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills Country Club on Thursday. (Photo: Getty Images/AFP) RANCHO MIRAGE, California: Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit took the first-round lead on Thursday after the opening round of the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the LPGA season. The 21-year-old shot a bogey-free, 6-under-par 66 at Mission Hills Country Club's Dinah Shore Tournament Course. She sits one stroke ahead of Ireland's Leona Maguire and China's Shanshan Feng. Megan Khang, Sweden's Anna Nordqvist and Thai sisters Moriya Jutanugarn and Ariya Jutanugarn share fourth place at 68. Jessica Korda, Jennifer Kupcho, South Korea's Jin Young Ko and Mirim Lee, the Philippines' Yuka Saso and three English players -- Georgia Hall, Charley Hull and Bronte Law -- are tied for eighth at 69. Tavatanakit, in her second full season on the LPGA Tour out of UCLA, has three career top-10 finishes but no ... » Learn More about Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit grabs lead in LPGA major

LOS ANGELES: In a career filled with remarkable comebacks, Tiger Woods faces his toughest recovery of all. Woods was driving through a sweeping, downhill stretch of road through coastal suburbs of Los Angeles when his SUV struck a sign, crossed over a raised median and two oncoming lanes before it toppled down an embankment, coming to a halt on its side. The airbags deployed. A sheriff’s deputy poked his head through a hole in the windshield to see Woods, still wearing his seatbelt, sitting in the driver’s seat. The crash caused “significant” injuries all down his right leg that featured rods, pins and screws during what was described as a “long surgical procedure” at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer, said Woods shattered tibia and fibula bones on his right leg in multiple locations. Those were stabilized by a rod in the tibia. He said a combination of screws and pins were used to stabilize additional injuries in the ankle and foot. A ... » Learn More about Tiger Woods faces hard recovery from serious injuries in car crash

Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand tees off on the 11th hole during round two of the ANA Inspiration at the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California on Saturday. (AFP Photo) RANCHO MIRAGE, California: Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit maintained her lead on Friday at the ANA Inspiration, the first major tournament of the LPGA season, with compatriot Moriya Jutanugarn just two strokes behind her. Patty recorded an eagle while shooting a 3-under-par 69 in the second round on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club, leaving her at 9-under 135. Chinese veteran Shanshan Feng, who also carded a 69, is one stroke behind, while Moriya is alone in third place at 7 under, also after a 69. England’s Charley Hull (69) and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (70) are tied for fourth at 6 under par. New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (69), Germany’s Sophia Popov (69), England’s Georgia Hall (70) and three South Korean players — Inbee Park (69), Mirim Lee (70) and ... » Learn More about Patty Tavatanakit maintains lead at LPGA event

FILE – Tiger Woods stands on the putting green during practice for the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Tiger Woods said Tuesday he has left the hospital and is recovering at home after being seriously injured in a car crash in Los Angeles last month. In a statement released on social media, the golf superstar thanked the hospital staff who cared for him following his single vehicle car accident on February 23. “Happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery,” Woods said. “I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks.” “Thank you to the incredible surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. You have all taken such great care of me and I cannot thank you enough,” he added. “I will be recovering at home and working on getting stronger every day.” ... » Learn More about Tiger Woods recovering at home after crash