Basketball

Ever since the Charlotte Hornets began their search for a new head coach, Dawn Staley has been a name that fans, and those in the basketball community have pondered as a potential candidate for the opening. Earlier this month, Staley led South Carolina women's program to their national championship under her watch, and a perfect season, after dispatching Iowa in the championship game. After the win, Staley was visibly emotional, but it was uncertain as to why, because she had won national championships before, many believe it was her hinting that she was moving on to another job, maybe in the NBA and the WNBA. 

It's been over a week since the 2023-24 season came to an end for the Charlotte Hornets, after a 21-61 season, that went sideways after another rash of injuries made it hard for the team to compete in the Eastern Conference. The lone bright spot from the disastrous season came in the form of rookie Brandon Miller, who validated Charlotte's decision to draft him #2 overall last summer. Miller played in 74 games as a rookie, averaging 17.3 points, on 44% shooting, and 37% from behind the three-point line. Last night, it was announced that Miller was a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award, which will ultimately end up in the hands of Victory Wembmanyama. 

Yesterday was the final day of the 2023-24 regular season, and as we've known for some time, there won't be playoff basketball in Charlotte once again. After entering the season with optimism of competing in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets slumped to a 21-61 record, after another rash of injuries took the team out of contention by the turn of the calendar. With that though, the atmosphere in and around Spectrum Center, is still a positive one, after the rookie season Brandon Miller compiled, along with the hire of Jeff Peterson in the front office, and a new head coach on the horizon. 

The Charlotte Hornets closed the season on a positive note, ending Steve Clifford’s coaching career with a 120-110 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Miles Bridges’ coast-to-coast layup with 3.8 seconds to play notched a 115-114 win for the Charlotte Hornets over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

The 2023-24 NBA season is one to forget for many Hornets fans, after the team was basically eliminated from the postseason, by Christmas for the second straight season. Yes, injuries played a role once again in Charlotte's struggles, but that excuse can only go so far and be used so many times. Even with the struggles this season, there was a chance that head coach Steve Clifford would be back for next season, given his relationship with the new President of Basketball Operations, Jeff Peterson. That skepticism came to an end last week, when Clifford announced that he's stepping down from his role as head coach, for a role in the front office. Charlotte joins Brooklyn and Washington as open jobs as we enter the final week of the regular season, with many more openings projected to become available once the season comes to an end. 

The Charlotte Hornets ended a four-game losing streak and a five-game head-to-head skid against the Orlando Magic with a 124-115 win on Friday night.

We're officially just under 24 hours away from the 2024 Final Four, with NC State set to take on Purdue at 6:09 PM on TBS, followed by UConn facing off against Alabama, which is set to tip at 8:49. This Final Four has everything to offer the die-hard college basketball fan, as there's a chance to get the best matchup in Monday's championship game if Purdue and UConn were to advance. For those that parachute into college hoops for the NCAA Tournament, NC State has won over the hearts of sports fans around the country, and while they come from a power conference, and have won multiple national championships, they certainly qualify as a Cinderella. With Purdue looking to replicate the Virginia story from 5 years ago, and Alabama making their debut at the Final Four, every team has a storyline worth rooting for, making this as intriguing a Final Four we've had in recent years. 

NC State arrives at the Final Four, after a magical March, that was just another example of why it's considered the best month in sports. The Wolfpack made their way to Phoenix. after winning 5 games in 5 days at the ACC Tournament, to earn the automatic bid for the ACC for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The five-game winning streak, followed a four-game losing streak to end the regular season, bringing into question the job status of Kevin Keatts. After that incredible run, State earned an 11 seed in the Big Dance, and everyone thought they'd be one and done in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, the Wolfpack ripped off four straight wins, to make their first Final Four since winning the 1983 national championship. 

The NC State Wolfpack are in the midst of one of the most improbable runs in the history of college basketball. After winning five games in five days in the ACC Tournament to essentially save head coach Kevin Keatts’ job, the team has built on that momentum here in the tournament winning four games in […]