No. 14 ECU Opens AAC Play Hosting UCF…Pirate Update: Bryce Williams – Faith, Football & Fortitude…ECU’s Gardner voted NABC Second-Team All-District…Broncos waive WR Jimmy Williams from Did Not Report list…Almost all shotgun for Pirates…Falcons agree to 1-year deal with WR Justin Hardy…Game’s tallest player Tacko Fall and UCF ready for NCAAs …Cincinnati readies for reeling Iowa in pseudo home game…Georgia State coach expects to beat UH, ‘Grandpa’ Sampson…WOWford: Terriers down Seton Hall in NCAA opener …ODU goes cold, falls to Purdue in NCAA tournament…Morant’s triple-double leads Murray St upset over Marquette…Ichiro Suzuki Is Not Baseball’s Hit King. He Is So Much More….Tampa Bay pushes past Canes in third for 6-3 win

Pirate Press: ECU Headlines

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Kuchmaner becomes mound force Bonesville.net

ecupirates.com

• Pirate Update: Bryce Williams – Faith, Football & Fortitude
• No. 14 ECU Opens AAC Play Hosting UCF
• Matchday: Pirates Head To George Washington & Temple
• Fanning added to ECU trustees nomination list

Greenville Daily Reflector

• Array of arms available vs. UCF
• Almost all shotgun for Pirates

ECU’s Gardner voted NABC Second-Team All-District WITN 7

247 Sports

• Broncos waive WR Jimmy Williams from Did Not Report list
• Early enrollees fitting in seamlessly
• Falcons, Justin Hardy agree to terms on one year contract

Falcons re-sign receiver Hardy to one-year deal Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Falcons agree to one-year deal with receiver Hardy Marietta Daily Journal

Falcons agree to 1-year deal with WR Justin Hardy Washington Post

The Syllabus: Turmoil in Greenville Greensboro News-Record

Sorenson: College Baseball’s March Madness D1Baseball.com

 

Around the American Athletic Conference

Baseball: American play opens this weekend theamerican.org

BCSNN

• AAC Daily: Six American Teams Still Balling in March Madness
• Wichita State Clips the Jayhawks’ Wings as the Shockers Win, 3-2

Doc column: Jarron Cumberland gets assist from UC Bearcats’ staff in his remarkable year Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati readies for reeling Iowa in pseudo home game Sports Illustrated

Iowa vs. Cincinnati at a glance Quad-City Times

Tampa Bay Times

• USF QB Blake Barnett faces challenge of a new offense as Bulls look to bounce back
• It’s official: USF’s comeback the Bulls’ biggest ever

Orlando Sentinel

• UCF strives to keep emotions in check, focus on earning Knights’ first NCAA Tournament win
• UCF hoops star B.J. Taylor: A hometown kid who believed in the hometown team | Commentary
• UCF begins NCAA Tournament journey eager to make a statement
• Rod Carey embodies ‘Temple Tough’ mentality as Owls new coach

Game’s tallest player Tacko Fall and UCF ready for NCAAs The Associated Press

UCF’s ‘Goliath’ creates imposing presence for teammates, opponents  Charlotte Observer

Parity in Women’s Tournament Puts UConn in a Weird Position: No. 2 New York Times

Temple to hire Monte Ross as assistant under Aaron McKie Philly.com

Temple football schedule released Philadelphia Tribune

Freshman phenom: Hudson Haskin having fabulous debut season for Tulane baseball  New Orleans Advocate

New Orleans Times Picayune

• How Frankie Niemann’s play behind the plate boosts the Tulane lineup
• Tulane cornerback Donnie Lewis Jr. does ‘board work’ for Saints at pro day

SMU recruiting expert grades Mustangs’ 2019 class, discusses 2020 needs and prospects, more in Q&A  Dallas News

Memphis vs. Creighton: 5 things to know about Tigers’ second round NIT opponent Memphis Commercial Appeal

Houston Chronicle

• Georgia State coach expects to beat UH, ‘Grandpa’ Sampson
• Cougars overwhelmed by plenty of fan support
• UH president appointed to NCAA D-I board

Wichita Eagle

• Great day to be a Shocker: Wednesday brought a NIT win and softball, baseball walkoffs
• Wichita State legend Xavier McDaniel has become Shockers’ biggest fan in South Carolina

 

Regional Headlines: The Carolinas and beyond

WOWford: Terriers down Seton Hall in NCAA opener  Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Charlotte Observer

• Wofford makes history with NCAA Tournament win over Seton Hall
• Wofford’s Fletcher Magee sets Division I record for 3-pointers
• Wofford coach Mike Young talks Fletcher Magee, win over Seton Hall

Raleigh News and Observer

• Bolden back, White sidelined as Duke preps for NCAA tournament
• Zion’s ‘amazing appetite to win’ could help him rise above other Duke one-and-dones
• UNC’s ‘Philosopher Nas’ stoic in the face of expectations, more famous neighbors
• The Baylor Bears advanced to the second round by setting a season best in this category
• Everything is different for Villanova on this NCAA trip, except winning. Here’s why
• Talk has centered on Zion and Morant. But this is why Hachimura shouldn’t be forgotten
• North Carolina’s Kenny Williams on Coby White: ‘He’s always in attack mode’
• Nevada couldn’t do Nevada things against this Florida Gators defense
• Inside KU’s player huddle before tipoff — and how it set the stage for Thursday’s win

Winston Salem Journal

• NCAA Tournament is a new stage for Duke’s Zion Williamson
• 5 things to watch in this weekend’s Wake Forest-Duke baseball series
• Christian Beal-Smith thrust into leading role in Wake Forest’s backfield

Washington Post

• With Robinson back, Va. Tech eyes first tourney win in 12 years
• Maryland escapes Belmont, snaps postseason drought
• What made Tony Bennett’s Virginia team vulnerable is also what makes it resilient
• Louisville, first sad locker room of NCAA tournament first round, ends season that peaked too soon
• For Mark Turgeon and Maryland, an escape and a chance to exhale
• March Madness Day 1 recap: Murray State is off to the races as Ja Morant fuels first-round romp
• What is truTV and how to find NCAA games on it
• Do ‘one and done’ teams succeed in March?
• Barack-etology is back, as Obama reveals his picks

Norfolk Virginian Pilot

• ODU goes cold, falls to Purdue in NCAA tournament
• Hokies are a veteran bunch, but they’ve never won an NCAA tournament game

New York Times

• N.C.A.A. Tournament Day 1: Gonzaga, Kentucky and Kansas Cruise as Higher Seeds Avoid Trouble
• For the Most Part, Dreams of N.C.A.A. Tournament Upsets Fade

Charleston Post and Courier

• Wofford takes down Seton Hall in NCAA first round
• Sapakoff: A No. 16 seed from Fargo via Dayton vs. Zion Williamson and No. 1 Duke? Bring it on

Jay Wright, Villanova’s defending champs, can handle whatever the NCAA offers, beat Saint Mary’s 61-57 Hartford Courant

The Associated Press

• Zion in action as NCAA Tournament wraps up first round
• 5-0 Big Ten start yields rare 2nd-round matchup in NCAAs
• Magee sets record, Wofford tops Seton Hall for 1st NCAA win
• No drama: No. 1 Zags roll past Fairleigh Dickinson in NCAAs
• FDU senior fashions a beautiful ending to a terrible game
• Edwards leads Purdue past ODU 61-48 in 1st round of NCAA
• Baylor shoots past Syracuse 78-69 in NCAA’s West Region
• Matthews’ double-double leads Michigan past Grizzlies, 74-55
• Defending NCAA champ Villanova holds off Saint Mary’s
• Bluegrass romp: Kentucky blows out Abilene 79-44 at NCAAs
• No. 10 seed Florida stops Nevada comeback for 70-61 upset
• Morant’s triple-double leads Murray St upset over Marquette