Alabama Eliminates Clemson to Make First Trip to the Final Four

Alabama vs. Clemson - Elite Eight NCAA tournament

Alabama vs. Clemson - Elite Eight NCAA tournament | Image: March Madness/YouTube

Mark Sears, an All-American player, overcame a sluggish start to make 7-of-14 shots from long range, scoring 23 points. No. 4 Alabama defeated No. 6 Clemson 89-82 on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament West Region final, securing their debut appearance in the Final Four.

The Crimson Tide (25-11) punched their ticket to the Final Four with a remarkable 10-of-15 three-point shooting performance in the second half. Sears was responsible for six of those baskets on seven attempts, with the final one striking a blow to Clemson (24-12) with just 1:15 left on the clock.

Matched up against Chase Hunter, who previously shut down Arizona’s star player Caleb Love in the three-point shooting department, Sears struggled initially, missing his first four attempts from beyond the arc and his first seven field-goal tries overall.

However, Jarin Stevenson contributed 10 of his 19 points and Rylan Griffen added eight of his 13 in the opening half, providing crucial support for Alabama until Sears found his rhythm.

Sears went on a spree in the second half, nailing his first five three-pointers while celebrating each successful shot with a smile and a playful gesture.

Sears’ outstanding scoring display contributed to a strong offensive showing for Alabama in the latter half of the game.

After shooting a mere 13-of-39 (33.3 percent) from the field in the first half, including 6-of-21 (28.6 percent) from three-point range, the Crimson Tide began the second half by making seven of their first eight field-goal attempts.

They maintained a 16-of-23 shooting performance (69.6 percent) from the field overall in the second half.

Alabama managed to create a gap in the scoreline, partly due to a defensive streak lasting 4:02 in the middle of the half where they prevented Clemson from scoring a field goal.

Similar to their previous NCAA Tournament games, Clemson took an early double-digit lead. They were up by 13 points with less than eight minutes remaining in the first half. However, an 11-0 run by Alabama sparked a 22-6 run at the end of the half.

The Tigers rallied behind the dynamic duo of Ian Schieffelin, who concluded the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Joseph Girard III, who sank five three-pointers in the second half, tallying 19 points in total.

Schieffelin’s strong presence in the paint helped restrict Grant Nelson, a key player for Alabama in their Sweet 16 victory over North Carolina, to just eight points in 21 minutes due to foul trouble. Nevertheless, Clemson’s own frontcourt player, PJ Hall, fouled out with 14 points and 3:25 remaining.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

    Continue Reading
  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

    Continue Reading
  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

    Continue Reading