A Grip on Sports: Despite the lousy weather to start our Friday, the weekend holds great (TV) promise
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Another Friday already? Can seven days be that short of time? Yes and yes. The good part of it, though, is what’s ahead. Two days of weekend sports viewing. Three, actually, if you throw in Monday night’s NCAA men’s title game.
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• We’re ready for just about anything this weekend. It starts tonight, with North Carolina State trying to upset top-ranked – and prohibitive favorite – South Carolina in the NCAA women’s semifinals. The other game in Cleveland, though, is the one with all the glamour and glitz. Iowa vs. UConn. Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers. The winner is expected to capture America’s hearts. And the greatest TV ratings this side of a M*A*S*H finale.
We’ll see. About all of it. We know the basketball should be exceptional. Though tonight’s first game could be a blowout, if the Gamecocks play up to their standards. Few teams have competed with them this season and no one has actually handed USC a loss.
The other game should be the better matchup. And better television. Which is all that matters, right? Well, no. But that’s another subject for another time. Today is all about your weekend TV plans.
Did you know you can watch five levels of golf this first weekend in April. It’s true. The Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA’s minor league, is on the Golf Channel in the early hours. The LPGA has its match-play championship on in the evening (also on Golf). In between? The PGA’s Texas Open is on Peacock today (12:30 p.m. start), which makes it only slightly less accessible than the LIV Tour, which is playing in Miami (10 a.m.) and is broadcast by CW, the soon-to-be network of the Pac-2 home football games.
The weekend has even more, with the PGA (12:30 p.m. Saturday, 11:30 a.m. Sunday) moving over to NBC, following the women’s amateur tournament only on Saturday from Augusta National, home of next weekend’s Masters. If it’s still snowing in Spokane, your golf fix can be satisfied in a vicarious way at least.
But golf isn’t the main event. Not with baseball on. Just kidding. Heck it’s only April and we are told so often to not worry, it’s still early (see Thursday’s column) that baseball in April can’t be worth watching, can it? OK, so if you are worried – or not – and want to watch, the M’s are in Milwaukee this weekend. Every game is on Root, though the starting times vary (5:10 p.m. Friday, 4:10 Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday).
In reality the big deal is college hoops, right? We already covered tonight’s women’s semis, which leaves us Saturday with the men. TBS has the Final Four in even years, so that’s where you will have to turn. North Carolina State meets Zach Edey and Purdue starting at 2 p.m. before Alabama tries to knock out top-seed Connecticut at 4:30. Give or take a few minutes.
Our money to win the national title? Purdue, continuing a tradition of Gonzaga being knocked out of the tournament by the eventual national champion.
That’s not everything, though. There is UFL football – the league that melded the two previous spring leagues – and stretch-run NHL games. NBA and soccer too. It’s spring, the weather is better (except here) and TV events bloom like dandelions.
• Washington State introduced David Riley yesterday in Pullman and the former Eastern Washington basketball coach said all the right things. He also didn’t shy away from confronting the elephants in the room. Many of the Cougar players who showed up to see the new coach have already put their name in the transfer portal – or, as in the case of junior Jaylen Wells, entered the NBA draft evaluation process.
Riley would welcome them all back. He also knows that’s probably not happening. He’s been there before, despite only being a head coach for three years. The transfer portal takes, sure, but it also giveth. And Riley proved pretty adept at that end of it. Take Cedric Coward for example. A Division III player at Willamette who blossomed into a Big Sky first-team selection in Cheney. And could be headed for a new home. Who knows? These days, it’s all possible.
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WSU: The two events we mentioned just above – Riley’s introductory press conference, Wells’ NBA declaration – were bother covered in depth this morning by Greg Woods. … And, being it is spring, Greg also has a story on football practice. The fifth one of the spring, in fact, a practice in which the defense shined. … Jon Wilner examines Riley’s hiring and decides the Cougars did about as well as possible considering the circumstances. And those circumstances include everything from conference affiliation to monetary concerns. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and around the nation, John Canzano takes a look at the super football league proposal making the rounds. … The offensive line at Washington is a work in progress, made up of youngsters who are trying to reach the level of recent groups. … Though Oregon State won’t be playing with the defectors next season, the Beavers’ roster may just make them as good as any. … Oregon is in the middle of spring workouts and the pace is a fast one. … This is year two, spring version, of the Deion Sanders Experience in Boulder. Is it working for Colorado? … The tight end position is always a strength for Utah. … UCLA has a new offensive coordinator, a hometown guy who has a heck of a reputation. … Another linebackers coach will try to tap the potential at USC. … Arizona has already reached its fifth spring practice as well. … USC has hired a new basketball coach. It’s Arkansas’ Eric Musselman. Expect a different look for the Trojans. … Former USC guard Kobe Johnson is transferring to UCLA. That is hard to believe. Wait, no. We wrote anything is possible above and we have to stick with it. … Though California’s basketball team is losing a key player, others are returning. … Getting to the Final Four in Glendale was no easy journey for UConn.
Gonzaga: The L.A. Lakers have turned it on lately. Why? It might be a lineup change. Rui Hachimura is now starting and the Lakers are playing better. … Remember the racial slur aimed at the Utah women’s team as they were in the area to play in the Gonzaga-hosted NCAA tourney’s first two rounds? The Coeur d’Alene police say they have collected tape of a “clearly audible” slur aimed the team’s way. … Lisa Fortier is on this list of possible Tennessee coaching candidates. Yep, she’s made it. Her name is coming up in relation to blue blood jobs.
EWU: Casey Jones, another all-conference basketball performer, has put his name in the transfer portal. … Elsewhere the Big Sky, we can pass along some key parts of Matt Logie’s new contract. … Transfers between rivals is also now a thing.
Indians: Tonight is opening night – if the precipitation (snow at our home) stops in time. If it does, Chase Dollander will throw the first pitch for Spokane at 6:35, a dream come true for the University of Tennessee product. Colton Clark has a preview. … Garrett Cabeza documents the improvements to Avista Stadium, the first ones in a multi-million renovation of the iconic ballfield to meet MLB-imposed standards. … As the Indians begin another season, Howie Stalwick looks at the differences between Spokane’s pro sports history and that of Seattle.
Seahawks: The roster is coming into focus as offseason workouts are about to start. … Could the Hawks be one of six teams to take a quarterback in the first round of the draft?
Mariners: The M’s traveled yesterday. Which led to a story about one of their best prospects, Cole Young, and his chances of playing in the bigs this season.
Kraken: Joey Daccord is up for an award. … There are unwritten rules in hockey too.
Sounders: Stefan Frei hasn’t been at his best since returning from injury.
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• We had a friend who lived with our family in the 1972-73 school year. His family moved to Tennessee and he stayed to play hoops for Pasadena High in Southern California. We attended a few of the Bulldogs’ practices that season and saw a spindly sophomore fly around with the JV team. He played hard but he just wasn’t good enough for the varsity yet. His name? Michael Cooper. He now should be referred to as basketball Hall of Famer Michael Cooper. Funny how life works. Until later …