High school tournament photo gallery: Driving toward state titles
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South High's Bryan Bascones and her team celebrate after beating visiting Walpole in the MIAA Division 2 girls' basketball quarterfinals on March 8, 2025.
Amani Ngunjiri/St. John's (Shrewsbury) High
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The Medfield girls' basketball team celebrates with its newly won Final Four trophy following its 82-43 win over visiting Northampton in the MIAA Division 2 quarterfinals on March 7, 2025.
Maren Sirois/Northampton High School
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The Northampton girls' basketball team poses for a picture after beating host Westwood, 53-39, in a round-of-16 game in the MIAA Division 2 girls' basketball tournament on March 4, 2025.
Maren Sirois/Northampton High School
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Bobby Rucci (top) and Jaydon Wrzosek hug on the ice after Saint John's (Shrewsbury) defeated Winchester, 4-3, in overtime in the MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey tournament at Chelmsford Forum on March 6, 2025.
Emily Olcott/St. Bernard's High School
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All eyes are on the free throw by Medway freshman Alessandra Cautilli (back) during a MIAA Division 3 girls' basketball tournament game March 4, 2025. Visiting Old Rochester wound up advancing with a 44-43 victory in the round-of-16 game.
Katie Miller/Medway High School
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Doherty's Jamel Walker talks strategy with Ryan Dennis in the middle of the third quarter in what would be a 78-52 loss to host Malden Catholic in the MIAA Division 2 boys' basketball quarterfinals on March 7, 2025.
Amani Ngunjiri/St. John's (Shrewsbury) High
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The Winthrop High School student section waves goodbye to Stoneham High after its team won the MIAA Division 4 state semifinal, 5-1, at Chelmsford Forum on March 8, 2025.
Brooke Abbott/Stoneham High School
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The Saint John's (Shrewsbury) student section watches in disbelief as its team heads to overtime in its MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey quarterfinal at Chelmsford Forum on March 6, 2025. The Pioneers ended up advancing with a 4-3 win over Winchester.
Emily Olcott/St. Bernard's High School
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Bishop Feehan's student section attempts to unnerve King Philip freshman Cheyenne Murray during their MIAA Division 1 girls' basketball quarterfinal on March 7, 2025. Bishop Feehan advanced with a 64-38 victory.
Paige Berry/Bishop Feehan High School
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Woburn's O'Brien Rink was flooded in star-spangled regalia thanks to the Melrose student section during the MIAA Division 3 boys' hockey quarterfinals on March 6, 2025.
Daniel Murphy/Melrose High School
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The Medway student section was out in force to support its girls' basketball team during its MIAA Division 3 tournament game against visiting Old Rochester on March 4, 2025.
Katie Miller/Medway High School
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The Medfield student section enjoys itself during an 82-43 win by its girls' basketball team over visiting Northampton in the MIAA Division 2 quarterfinals on March 7, 2025.
Maren Sirois/Northampton High School
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The Catholic Memorial student section celebrates a goal in the third period, which brought a 1-0 win over Pope Francis in a MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey state semifinal on March 9, 2025, at Tsongas Center in Lowell.
Aidan Moroney/Concord-Carlisle High School
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The Arlington High student section gets loud during a MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey state semifinal against Saint John's (Shrewsbury) at Tsongas Center on March 9, 2025.
Aidan Moroney/Concord-Carlisle High School
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Woburn junior Matt Hughes (4) and senior Jack Lee watch Canton celebrate after it won, 2-1, in an MIAA Division 2 state semifinal at Tsongas Center on March 9, 2025.
Billy LaTores/Woburn High School
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Stoneham High students encourage their boys' hockey team in the tunnel before the second period in what turned out to be a 5-1 loss to Winthrop in the MIAA Division 4 state semifinals at Chelmsford Forum on March 8, 2025.
Brooke Abbott/Stoneham High School
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Newton North fans pull out their newspapers to give them something to do when the starting lineup for visiting Braintree was announced prior to their MIAA Division 1 boys' basketball quarterfinal on March 7, 2025.
Sam Danis/Newton North High School
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A fan gets a patriotic touch up in the Melrose student section where the theme was "USA" during the MIAA Division 3 boys' hockey quarterfinals on March 6, 2025.
Daniel Murphy/Melrose High School
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Anthony Desimone (2) and Derek Mulligan hug after Saint John's (Shrewsbury) defeated Arlington, 4-3, in double overtime in the MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey state semifinals at Tsongas Center on March 9, 2025.
Emily Olcott/St. Bernard's High School
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Goalie Colin McCarthy is congratulated by a Saint John's (Shrewsbury) fan after a 4-3 double-overtime win over Arlington in a MIAA Division 1 boys hockey state semifinal at Tsongas Center on March 9, 2025.
Emily Olcott/St. Bernard's High School
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Stoneham celebrates a goal during its 3-1 win over North Reading in their MIAA Division 4 boys' hockey tournament game at O'Brien Ice Rink in Woburn on March 5, 2025.
Brooke Abbott/Stoneham High School
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Senior Phil Boncore celebrates after scoring a goal in Winthrop's 5-1 win over Stoneham in the MIAA Division 4 semifinals at Chelmsford Forum on March 8, 2025.
Sam Hesketh/Nashoba Valley Technical
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Rivers freshman Carter Meyer celebrates a goal next to the bench during a 5-3 win over host St. Mark's in an NEPSAC Elite Eight game on March 5, 2025.
Aidan Moroney/Concord-Carlisle High School
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The Winthrop boys' hockey team celebrates with the student section after a 5-1 victory over Stoneham at Chelmsford Forum on March 8, 2025, secured a spot in the MIAA Division 4 state title game.
Sam Hesketh/Nashoba Valley Technical
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The Dedham boys' hockey team celebrates with its student section following a 5-0 victory over Hudson in a MIAA Division 4 state semifinal at Chelmsford Forum on March 8, 2025.
Sam Hesketh/Nashoba Valley Technical
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Catholic Memorial players mob sophomore Jack McCourt after his third-period goal in a 1-0 win over Pope Francis in a MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey state semifinal on March 9, 2025, at Tsongas Center in Lowell.
Aidan Moroney/Concord-Carlisle High School
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The Medfield bench cleared out to celebrate with the student section after a 2-0 win over Melrose in an MIAA Division 3 quarterfinal at O'Brien Rink in Woburn on March 6, 2025.
Daniel Murphy/Melrose High School
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Arlington junior Drew Beck celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the Elite Eight game with St. John's Prep in the MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey tournament at Chelmsford Forum on March 5, 2025. Arlington would go on to win 2-1 in double overtime.
Sam Hesketh/Nashoba Valley Technical
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Senior Anthony DiFranco and the Tewksbury boys' hockey team celebrates after tying the MIAA Division 2 state semifinal with 0.9 seconds to play in regulation at Tsongas Center on march 9, 2025. Billerica would end up winning in overtime, 2-1, to advance to the state final at TD Garden.
Khai Hieu/Tewksbury High School
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Medfield sophomore John Shaughnessy (right) high-fives the bench after scoring the game-sealing goal in a 2-0 win over Melrose in an MIAA Division 3 quarterfinal at O'Brien Rink in Woburn on March 6, 2025.
Daniel Murphy/Melrose High School
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Freshman Julian Larrabee (24) scores the only goal Dedham would need in a 5-0 victory over Hudson in a MIAA Division 4 state semifinal at Chelmsford Forum on March 8, 2025.
Sam Hesketh/Nashoba Valley Technical
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Rivers junior Will Hatten takes a leaping shot during a 5-3 win over host St. Mark's in an NEPSAC Elite Eight game on March 5, 2025.
Aidan Moroney/Concord-Carlisle High School
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Woburn senior Patrick Grimes warms up before going against Canton in an MIAA Division 2 state semifinal at Tsongas Center on March 9, 2025.
Billy LaTores/Woburn High School
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Dominic Reidy (6) and Ryder Bisson (5), who both would later score in regulation, stand for the playing of the national anthem prior to Saint John's 4-3 overtime win over Winchester in the MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey tournament at Chelmsford Forum on March 6, 2025.
Emily Olcott/St. Bernard's High School
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The Rivers freshmen line of Carter Meyer (27), Sam Pandolfo (21), and Finn Sears (17) talk at center ice after scoring during a 5-3 win over host St. Mark's in an NEPSAC Elite Eight game on March 5, 2025.
Aidan Moroney/Concord-Carlisle High School
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Dexter Southfield's fan section makes its allegiance known behind Tayvin Frongello during a 6-2 win over visiting Rivers in the NEPSAC boys' hockey tournament on March 8, 2025.
Edward Vankoski/Catholic Memorial
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Dedham coach Dan Panciocco talks with his team before the third period of what would end up to be a 5-0 victory over Hudson in a MIAA Division 4 state semifinal at Chelmsford Forum on March 8, 2025.
Sam Hesketh/Nashoba Valley Technical
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Saint John's (Shrewsbury) coach Michael Mead talks to his team before overtime in what would be a 4-3 victory in double overtime over Arlington in the MIAA Division 1 boys' state semifinals at Tsongas Center on March 9, 2025.
Emily Olcott/St. Bernard's High School
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Scituate's Brendan Whitman (right) leaps to celebrate with Luke Ryan (left) after Ryan scored his second goal in what would be a 6-0 win over Triton in the MIAA boys' hockey quarterfinals on March 6, 2025, at O'Brien Rink in Woburn.
Daniel Murphy/Melrose High School
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Catholic Memorial sophomore Jack McCourt breaks toward the net in the third period for the game's only goal, defeating Pope Francis in a MIAA Division 1 boys' hockey state semifinal on March 9, 2025, at Tsongas Center in Lowell.
Aidan Moroney/Concord-Carlisle High School
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St. Mark's senior captain Drew Carr skates into the zone during a 5-3 loss to visiting Rivers in an NEPSAC Elite Eight game on March 5, 2025.
Aidan Moroney/Concord-Carlisle High School
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Ryder Bisson acknowledges the crowd after Saint John's (Shrewsbury) defeated Arlington, 4-3, in double overtime in the MIAA Division 1 boys' state semifinals at Tsongas Center on March 9, 2015.
Emily Olcott/St. Bernard's High School
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Stoneham junior captain Michael Taranto (7) consoles senior goalie Noah Dinan after a 5-1 loss to Winthrop in the MIAA Division 4 state semifinals at Chelmsford Forum on March 8, 2025.
Brooke Abbott/Stoneham High School
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The Bishop Feehan girls' basketball team was floating on air following its 64-38 victory over visiting King Philip in an MIAA Division 1 quarterfinal on March 7, 2025.
Paige Berry/Bishop Feehan High School
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Northampton senior Bri Heafey brings the ball during a 53-39 win over host Westwood in a MIAA Division 2 girls' basketball tournament game on March 4, 2025.
Maren Sirois/Northampton High School
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Bishop Fenwick's Caitlin Boyle looks for an outlet while being pressured by Abby Broderick during host Medfield's 55-37 in a Division 2 girls' basketball tournament game on March 5, 2025.
Lauren Smolko/Medfield High School
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Medfield players huddle before the start of the second half in what would be a 55-37 victory over visiting Bishop Fenwick in a Division 2 girls' basketball tournament game on March 5, 2025.
Lauren Smolko/Medfield High School
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Brendan McDonald drives to the basket during Somerset Berkley's 88-60 win at Pope Francis Prep in Springfield in the MIAA Division 2 boys' basketball quarterfinals on March 7, 2025.
Calder Troutman/Somerset Berkley High School
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Liv Joensen tries to slice to the basket as Westwood's Mackenzie Kaiser defends during visiting Northampton's 53-39 win in a MIAA Division 2 girls' basketball tournament game on March 4, 2025.
Maren Sirois/Northampton High School
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New York Post
14 minutes ago
- New York Post
Florida football had wild plans for 7-foot-9 basketball star Olivier Rioux
Give Billy Napier some points for creativity. Florida's football coach brought in Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 redshirt freshman basketball player for the Gators, to work out with the hope that he could help block field goals and extra points. 'I like the idea,' Gators basketball coach Todd Golden said at a booster event Thursday, per the Associated Press.'I give them credit for trying it.' 3 Florida's Olivier Rioux stands at 7-foot-9. AP Unfortunately, the tryout didn't go as hoped. Rioux has just an 11-inch vertical, so despite his massive wingspan, he couldn't get up high enough to block any kicks. 'They were a little disappointed,' Golden said. Rioux is expected to be in the rotation this year for the Gators, though his minutes could be limited given that Florida returns its entire national-title winning frontcourt. 3 Rioux dunks during warm-ups before the Final Four. NCAA Photos via Getty Images He could also be used to guard inbounds passes, where his height and wingspan is likely to create a major problem. There is a recent history of college athletes playing both football and basketball. 3 Florida football coach Billy Napier. Getty Images for ONIT Keon Coleman, currently a receiver for the Bills, committed to Michigan State to play both football and basketball — and did play a handful of basketball games for the school before transferring to Florida State for his junior year. The Bills ultimately selected him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That, however, was in a much different, less-specialized role than Florida was aiming for with Rioux. Rioux, a Canada native, did not appear in any games for the Gators last season, with Florida's website stating he took a redshirt season to work on his 'strength, conditioning and agility.' He made headlines after the national title triumph over Houston by cutting down the nets without a ladder.
New York Times
a day ago
- New York Times
Tyran Stokes or Jordan Smith Jr.? College hoops coaches on their favorite players in 2026
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — When it comes to the 2026 recruiting class, two players have separated from the pack: Tyran Stokes and Jordan Smith Jr. Stokes, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward, has been the consensus No. 1 player in the 2026 class according to talent evaluators for years now, but he might not be the overwhelming top player any longer. Based on conversations with college coaches last weekend at Peach Jam, Nike's annual championship tournament for its circuit, Stokes is the most polarizing player in this class, and Smith, a 6-2 guard with a 6-9 wingspan, is a player coaches believe can immediately impact winning. The duo dominated our poll when we asked 35 coaches which player they would most like to have from the 2026 class. Advertisement And in somewhat of a surprise, Smith barely outpaced Stokes. This is the conclusion of our Peach Jam coaches' poll, which also included what coaches think about NCAA Tournament expansion and the future of revenue sharing/budgets. Coaches were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor. Below, we also asked coaches whether they believe eligibility rules should be changed to allow for a fifth year of eligibility. Here are the results. (Note: Two coaches picked two players.) Big Ten assistant: 'Motor, impacts winning at the highest level of anyone. College body. Can come in and help a team right away.' ACC assistant: 'Toughest player I've ever seen play the game. Winner, best defensive player, every 50-50 is his. And if you want to have a chance to win a national championship, you get those players.' SEC head coach: 'NBA body ready. He just guards the ball. He just dominates the ball, and he's just fierce.' Big Ten assistant: 'He will change your program.' Mountain West assistant: 'I'm watching Tyran Stokes — I think the kid's an absolute stud, he's awesome — but I'm not saying you're going to take him No. 1 in the draft. (If) that's the No. 1 player in the country? There's nobody. 'He's just so physically gifted. LeBron (James) looks like a fish out of water in terms of strength and physicality in the NBA, and that's what Stokes is going to look like in college. He's a Zion-ish (type) where you just can't stay in front of him.' SEC assistant: 'Have you seen him?' Diane, a 7-1 center from Norwalk, Iowa, and the No. 15 player in the class (per 247Sports), was the only other player to pick up multiple votes. Big 12 assistant: 'I just think what he does translates the most to the college game. You look at the four Final Four teams, they had the best, deepest front lines in college basketball. Front courts don't win in the NBA, but they win in college.' Advertisement Atlantic 10 head coach: 'Rebounds, runs the floor, has super high motor. He can handle it and dribble. He can operate as a hub, and then he's just a monster in the post, monster rim runner, runs so hard, puts so much stress on the defense. Just plays so hard. He's so physical. He's fantastic.' Big Ten assistant: 'I would always start with a point guard. I'd go with Deron Rippey. He's just a dynamic playmaker as a point guard. I think he's going to be a great four-year college player who wins 120 games and goes to two Final Fours.' Big 12 head coach: 'Ethan Taylor. Seven-footer who catches the ball and can score and doesn't have an ego and plays hard. He comes off the bench on his team, and he might be the best player on the team.' Big Ten assistant: 'I want tough kids, culture kids, kids who want to be coached hard. That's harder and harder to find. But Jasiah Jervis (NY Rens) and Julius Avent (PSA Cardinals) are two of those kind of kids.' This past season was the final year of the extra year of eligibility for athletes who competed in the 2020-21 season — known as the COVID-19 year. There are still a handful of players using a fifth season because they competed that year and then might have also had a medical redshirt season, but we're closer to the old standard: You have five years to play four. Several players have tried to sue for an extra year of eligibility, and chatter around college athletics is that eventually the NCAA might allow for a fifth year of eligibility. The NCAA Division II Management Council recommended this week that its executive board sponsor a proposal for the 2026 NCAA Convention that would allow athletes to compete in five seasons of competition during their first 10 semesters or 15 quarters of enrollment. We asked coaches whether they were for or against such a proposal. Big 12 assistant: 'I think it should be normalized. So many of these kids, their first year is their most frustrating year, and a fifth year just needs to be normalized in college to where these kids and their people and their circles don't hold programs hostage for first-year success. We've got to get back to where, your first year, it's okay to develop. And if fifth-year eligibility helps the groupthink with that, then I'm all about it.' Advertisement ACC head coach: 'With all the transferring now, most kids need five years now to graduate — if we're still going to even pretend like we're trying to graduate kids academically. I think five years makes a lot of sense. Most college kids — normal college students — take five years now to graduate. So it would make sense, stand to reason, that a student-athlete get five years, too.' Big East assistant: 'In football, 30 percent of a football season, a guy gets to start four games at quarterback and transfer and get the year back. For us, we've had young players that we knew weren't going to play that much, and if we put them in the game for a minute in the opener, they're done for the season. So it's hard to get these guys a true understanding of where they are in the rotation after an exhibition game and a scrimmage. So if you have five years, you have a little bit more leeway there.' SEC assistant: 'You got five years to play five. Don't care how you do it, no more redshirt, no more blueshirt, no more all the shirts.' Atlantic 10 head coach: 'It gets rid of any waiver, any BS. Everybody knows you got five years. It takes out an injury unless you have two injuries. You get five years to play however many years you can. NCAA needs as few things that they can get sued on as possible.' Conference USA assistant: 'I'm OK with it, because it's a money-maker for those (fifth-year) players. It keeps NBA-fringe guys here, in the states, longer, instead of going overseas.' ACC head coach: 'I don't like it. I'd rather still have the option to redshirt, but the fact that we're giving kids five seasons now, I think, is ridiculous.' ACC assistant: 'Everything kind of got screwed up with the COVID year; obviously, a lot of guys got fifth years — and sometimes sixth years — so it appeared we were going away from the traditional way. I think now is the time for us to get back to that, and I like that. Obviously, if it weren't for NIL, from the player standpoint, there wouldn't be this push to stay in college for as long. So we're seeing one affect the other.' Advertisement Big 12 head coach: 'Where does it stop? I mean, if you get a fifth, then what's a sixth? I don't even know where the end comes. It makes sense if we could figure out how to not be more than five, but to me, if it's five, then it keeps going.' Big 12 assistant: 'I just hate seeing 26- and 27-year-olds playing college basketball. I wish they would change it that if your coach left, then sure, you got 45 days or whatever to transfer, but a one-time transfer rule where you play right away or else you got to sit out a year so that it's not just free agency every year like it is now.' SEC head coach: 'They talk about coaches having workarounds and finding workarounds; I think players, families, agents are gonna find workarounds to try to extend their length of college because the majority of them are gonna make way more money in college than they are after college.' West Coast Conference head coach: 'I think the old model of five years to play four worked so well, and you had that extra year in case they got hurt. The academic piece has been totally lost in this. There are guys who have gotten a sixth or seven year with so many waivers. It's crazy. Also, if we gave everyone five years, what's going to happen to all the records we value so much? Then again, maybe if everyone is transferring every year or two, we don't need to worry about records being broken.' (Photo of Tyran Stokes: Chris Day / The Commercial Appeal / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Axios
a day ago
- Axios
Getting ready for Indy's next big bash
Indianapolis has experienced an impressive run of major events over the past 18 months, with Taylor Swift concerts, total solar eclipses, NBA Finals games and, most recently, WNBA All-Star Weekend. But as the dust settles, so will some of the global attention, at least for a little bit. Why it matters: These moments are not just opportunities for tourists. They draw residents downtown and help them fall in love with the Circle City all over again. "Whether it is something that is of particular interest to them, the sheer volume of people that come into this city and are out and about exploring Indy adds such an element of vibrancy," Visit Indy's Morgan Snyder told Axios. "For residents to come downtown, see an activated convention center and downtown core and restaurants busy with visitors, there should be an immense pride in that. Because people coming into our city, loving on our city and spending dollars in Indianapolis makes it a better place to live." State of play: For Downtown Indy Inc. president and CEO Taylor Schaffer, the next big thing to put all eyes on Indianapolis will be the 2026 NCAA men's Final Four on April 4-6. It will be the fourth time Lucas Oil Stadium has hosted the event, but the most recent time was in 2021, when the pandemic led to the entire men's tournament taking place in a "bubble" in Indianapolis and cardboard cutouts of fans filling the stands. What she's saying:"The last time that we actually held a Final Four, really, was 2015. And I just think the event has grown and changed so much," she said. "I think that it's going to look different and feel different for our basketball-loving state than what it felt like 10 years ago." The intrigue: The 2025 Men's Final Four in San Antonio featured events including a three-day music festival, a week of tailgate tip-off parties, a floating pep rally down the San Antonio River Walk and more. The semifinals and championship game had a combined attendance of more than 132,000. Yes, but: Indy is hosting other big events before then — they just don't generate as much outside attention because they're yearly occurrences and often have more contained (or closed to the public) programming. The latest: Next weekend marks the return of Gen Con and the Indiana State Fair, events estimated to bring in attendance of about 70,000 and 100,000 people, respectively. Snyder said the tabletop gaming convention had an economic impact of $77 million last year, breaking an attendance record with its first sellout. It's already approaching another potential sellout this summer. Zoom in: More than 25 events, driving an estimated total attendance of nearly 700,000 people to Central Indiana, are scheduled between August and Jan. 1. 🥁 Drum Corps International: Aug. 7-9, 30,000 people ⛳ LIV Golf Tournament: Aug. 15-17, 45,000 🏈 Circle City Classic: Sept. 27, 20,000 🍜 World Food Championships: Oct. 16-19, 15,000 🧑🌾 FFA 2025: Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 70,000 🏆 Big Ten Football Championship: Dec. 6, 70,000
