Good morning to everyone but especially to...
THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS AND THE VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES
The quest for a repeat marches on.
South Carolina beat Maryland, 86-75, to advance to its third consecutive women's Final Four and set up one of the most anticipated semifinals in recent memory.
Reigning Player of the Year Aliyah Boston led the way with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Zia Cooke (18 points) and Brea Beal (16 points) added key backcourt scoring.The Gamecocks are 36-0 this season and look to become the 10th team ever to go undefeated.That will be no easy task: In the Final Four awaits Iowa and Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark, fresh off a 40-point triple-double. It will pit the nation's No. 2 scoring defense (South Carolina) against the nation's No. 1 offense (Iowa).Meanwhile, Virginia Tech is going to its first Final Four after topping Ohio State, 84-74. Led by Georgia Amoore (24 points), the Hokies handled the Buckeyes' press well, and Elizabeth Kitley (25 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks) dominated down low. Kitley's battle against LSU's Angel Reese will be awesome.
Here's our early preview of what to expect in the Final Four.
Honorable mentions
And not such a good morning for...
LAMAR JACKSON AND THE BALTIMORE RAVENS
Right as Ravens head coach John Harbaugh sat down to speak with the media at the NFL owners meetings, his quarterback sent out tweets that sent a shock through the room, and the league as a whole: Lamar Jackson requested a trade March 2, five days before Baltimore franchise-tagged him.
This does not guarantee a trade. Players have requested trades before and not been traded. But it does seem to confirm a lot of things.
This has seemed like a tug of war for a long time, and the timeline of Jackson with the Ravens has included many ups and downs. The ups? He's a bonafide superstar, the 2019 MVP and a historically great dual-threat quarterback. The downs? The lack of playoff success and the injuries -- especially the most recent one, when Jackson and the Ravens seemed to be at odds -- come to mind.
Another thing worth noting: it's been almost a month since Jackson requested a trade and three weeks since he and other teams could negotiate. But the only real news we've really heard is teams saying they're not interested in him, even though he's a 26-year-old star at the game's most important position.
Our Cody Benjamin has 11 potential landing spots for Jackson, and the Colts are on top -- and potentially interested. There's an intriguing rumor attached to another team as well.
