Breaking
Wealth World News
Archive

2024

Browsing
Politics

Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, raise a $25 million bulwark for Biden as Dems fret over Trump poll advantage

Facing a polling deficit with seven months to go until the November election, President Biden on Thursday will receive some help from his two most recent Democratic predecessors in the White House.

Biden will team up with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton at a fundraising extravaganza in New York City that the president’s campaign says will bring in over $25 million for his re-election bid.

The star-studded event will include what’s being billed as an ‘armchair conversation’ with the three presidents moderated by late night TV talk show host Stephen Colbert and musical performances from Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, and Lea Michele.

The campaign says over 5,000 people will attend the gathering, which is being held at the storied Radio City Music Hall in midtown Manhattan.

Tickets range from $225 – to get in the door – to $100,000 for a photo with all three presidents – and up to $250,000-$500,000 to attend an intimate reception with Biden, Obama, and Clinton. The fundraising haul will help Biden boost his already formidable cash advantage over his Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump.

‘The numbers don’t lie: today’s event is a massive show of force and a true reflection of the momentum to reelect the Biden-Harris ticket,’ campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg touted in a statement.

And Katzenberg argued that ‘this historic raise is a show of strong enthusiasm for President Biden and Vice President Harris and a testament to the unprecedented fundraising machine we’ve built.’

Just as important, the teaming up of the three presidents is intended as a show of force to rally the Democratic base behind Biden.

‘This is a great event that showcases the Mount Rushmore of modern Democratic presidents,’ longtime Democratic strategist Maria Cardona told Fox News.

Cardona, a veteran of the Clinton White House who later served as a surrogate for Obama’s two presidential campaigns and Biden’s 2020 election and reprising that role this year, said the three presidents ‘will make an unequivocal statement of how meaningful the Democratic agenda has been to this country and to American families.’

While the president holds the upper hand over his predecessor in the fundraising battle in their election rematch, Trump currently enjoys the early edge over Biden in public opinion polling – both in most national surveys and in many of the surveys in the six key battleground states the incumbent narrowly carried to win the White House in 2020.

That includes a five-point advantage for Trump over Biden in both a head-to-head and a five-way ballot match up in a Fox News national poll conducted March 22-25 and released on Wednesday. 

The fundraiser comes less than a week after Obama spent a couple of hours at the White House, meeting with his former vice president. But it was far from a social gathering.

The two presidents, joined by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, headlined an organizing call highlighting the 14th anniversary of the landmark healthcare law known as the Affordable Care Act.

Obama’s stop at the White House comes as he reportedly has warned Biden that the 2024 rematch with Trump will be extremely close.

Senior Obama adviser Eric Schultz emphasized that the former president ‘will do all he can’ to support Biden and ‘he looks forward to helping Democrats up and down the ballot make the case to voters this fall.’

‘Our strategy will be based on driving impact, especially where and when his voice can help move the needle,’ Schultz added in a statement.

The Trump campaign pilloried the fundraiser, with spokesman Steven Cheung arguing that the event is a sign the president needs to ‘trot out some retreads like Clinton and Obama.’

The 81-year-old Biden, who four years ago made history as the oldest American ever elected president, will continue to face questions about his mental and physical durability, even his recent vigorous State of the Union address.

The president also needs to show that he can energize younger voters, progressives, and Black and Latino Americans, who are all key parts of the Democratic base. Biden is also facing primary ballot box protests – materializing in ‘uncommitted’ votes – over his support for Israel in its war in Gaza against Hamas.

But the former president is also dealing with plenty of problems. 

Trump, who last year made history as the first president or former president to face criminal charges, now faces four major trials and a total of 91 indictments – including federal cases on his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and on handling classified documents. There’s also a massive civil fraud judgment that Trump is appealing. He will have to juggle his appearances in court with his time on the campaign trail.

The 77-year-old Trump will also need to court the sizable block of Republican voters who backed Nikki Haley in the GOP nomination race. The former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor was Trump’s last remaining rival before she ended her White House campaign earlier this month. Haley’s support is shining a spotlight on Trump’s weakness with suburban and highly educated voters.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

White House unveils new AI regulations for federal agencies

The Biden administration announced the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is rolling out new artificial intelligence (AI) regulations for federal agencies, building off the president’s executive order last year that requires AI developers to share certain information with the government. 

In a press call Wednesday afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris said the new series of regulations, which include mandatory risk reporting and transparency rules informing people when agencies are using AI, would ‘promote the safe, secure and responsible use of AI.’

‘When government agencies use AI tools, we will now require them to verify that those tools do not endanger the rights and safety of the American people,’ Harris said. 

‘I’ll give you an example. If the Veterans Administration wants to use AI in VA hospitals to help doctors diagnose patients, they would first have to demonstrate that AI does not produce racially biased diagnoses.’

Federal agencies will also be required to appoint a chief AI officer to oversee technology used in their departments ‘to make sure that AI is used responsibly.’

Every year, agencies will also have to provide an online database listing their AI systems and an assessment of the risks they might pose. 

Harris said the new regulations were shaped by leaders in the public and private sectors, including computer scientists and civil rights leaders. A White House fact sheet says the new policy will ‘advance equity and civil rights and stand up for consumers and workers.’

OMB Director Shalanda Young said the new AI policy will require agencies to ‘independently evaluate’ their uses of AI and ‘monitor them for mistakes and failures and guard against the risk of discrimination.’

‘AI presents not only risks but also a tremendous opportunity to improve public services and make progress of societal challenges like addressing climate change, improving public health and advancing equitable economic opportunity when used and overseen responsibly,’ Young said on the press call. 

Each federal agency could use different AI systems and will need to have an independent auditor assess its risks, a senior White House official said on the call. 

The Biden administration has been taking more steps recently to curtail potential dangers of AI that could put users’ data at risk. In October, President Biden signed what the White House called a ‘landmark’ executive order that contains the ‘most sweeping actions ever taken to protect Americans from the potential risks of AI systems.’ 

Among them is requiring that AI developers share their safety-test results — known as red-team testing — with the federal government. 

Last month, a coalition of state attorneys general warned that Biden’s executive order could be used by the federal government to ‘centralize’ government control over the emerging technology and that that control could be used for political purposes, including censoring what they may deem as disinformation.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, a Republican, and 20 other state attorneys general, warned that the order would inject ‘partisan purposes’ into decision-making, including by forcing designers to prove they can tackle ‘disinformation.’  

‘The Executive Order seeks — without Congressional authorization — to centralize governmental control over an emerging technology being developed by the private sector,’ the letter states. ‘In doing so, the Executive Order opens the door to using the federal government’s control over AI for political ends, such as censoring responses in the name of combating ‘disinformation.” 

Fox News’ Greg Norman and Adam Shaw contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Biden’s surprise campaign boost has changed 2024 race

Polling can only tell us so much. It captures a moment in time that can be sustainable or utterly fleeting. It can also be wrong or, as we saw in the 2016 election, capture the most remote possibility. 

That said, it remains an integral data point when it comes to how we view the state of the race and there’s no question that we’re seeing a shift in the results of the presidential contest since the State of the Union.  

I know as well as anyone that typically the State of the Union (SOTU) speech doesn’t have much of an effect. It’s a great opportunity for the president to seize an opportunity for attention and galvanize his base both in the room and at home. But there isn’t often a sustained change in the race. Some good coverage the night of and a little bump that disappears in a couple of days, at best.  

Not so for President Biden, though. The three weeks since the SOTU have seen demonstrable poll gains, multiple huge cash infusions, and a preview of the campaign that’s to come – and people like it. 

Prior to the SOTU, the coverage of positive polls for former President Donald Trump and concerned essays from Democrats about Biden’s age was near breathless. In particular, the New York Times/Sienna survey, which found Trump gaining considerable ground with Black, GenZ, and female voters was a topic of widespread interest and Ezra Klein’s piece calling on Biden to step down a ‘hero’ dominated the cycle.  

Today, we have seen 12 national polls since the SOTU that have Biden leading Trump and, for the first time in seven months, Biden was up one in the Economist polling average. Now they are in a dead heat. Even in surveys that have been heavily leaning towards Trump throughout the contest, Biden is gaining ground. For instance, in the latest Harvard/Harris poll Biden is down 51% to 49% and has gained two points while Trump has lost two.  

In the race for the battleground states – which we know decides the race! – Biden is finally seeing some good news. The newly released Bloomberg/Morning Consult swing state survey signals a potential Biden comeback.  

The polls show Biden with a one-point lead in Wisconsin and tied with Trump in Pennsylvania and Michigan, a sign that the ‘Blue Wall’ any Democrat needs to win is coming around to him. He’s within the margin of error in Nevada and while still trailing outside the margin of error in Arizona and North Carolina, he’s still gaining. The only state where Trump’s lead grew was in Georgia. 

While we all wish that it didn’t cost billions of dollars to win a presidential election, the reality is that it does. And Biden is blowing Trump out of the water when it comes to cash.  

In the 24 hours after the SOTU, Biden was able to raise an unprecedented $10 million, a sign of how well the speech played with Americans. And the FEC filings for February reveal that Biden raised nearly double what Trump brought in for the month and finished with $71 million cash on hand as compared to $33.5 million for Trump. The Democratic National Committee is also routing the Republican National Committee with $26.5 million to $11.3 million cash on hand. 

In short, when it comes to money, I’d rather be Biden than Trump. 

We are getting a taste of what Biden’s campaign will look like, and it’s much higher energy than expected. In just the last week, the president visited five cities and, after his trip to North Carolina on Tuesday, will have visited all the swing states since the SOTU. Hardly the ‘basement campaign’ Biden’s detractors were previewing.  

At the same time, Trump has been spending most of his time in South Florida and in various courtrooms complaining about the unfair hand he’s being dealt by the justice system. He had an appearance at a rally in Ohio last week for the newly minted Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, but beyond that his campaign doesn’t even have any events listed.  

Lastly, it’s important to note that as far as the results from the primaries go, Trump rolled through and was able to notch some major wins, but major warning signs persist. On Super Tuesday, for instance, a majority of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s voters said they were voting against Trump rather than for Haley, and she won moderate voters by a 2-to-1 margin. While only 20% of the GOP electorate, in close races, like 2020, they can make all the difference. The GOP is far from unified.  

I’m not naïve enough to think that it’s going to be smooth sailing for Biden. Or that there aren’t millions of Americans that are open to Trump and are buying into his victimhood campaign.  

But the facts on the ground are changing and even the most sober look at Biden’s positioning shows that he’s gaining and had a very good few weeks.  

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Comer rejects Democrats’ demand for hearing on ‘influence peddling’ by Jared Kushner

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is rejecting the latest attempt by Democrats to shift scrutiny onto former President Trump’s inner circle. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the committee, led a letter to Comer on Tuesday calling for a hearing into allegations of ‘apparent influence peddling and quid pro quo deals’ by Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser, Jared Kushner.

Comer told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that Kushner’s business was ‘legitimate’ and dismissed the request as a bid to ‘shield President Biden from oversight.’

It comes as the House Oversight Committee’s GOP majority conducts an impeachment inquiry into President Biden over accusations he used his former position as vice president to enrich himself and his family, particularly through foreign business deals. Both the president and the White House have denied wrongdoing.

‘Unlike the Bidens, Jared Kushner has a legitimate business and has a career as a business executive that predates Donald Trump’s political career,’ Comer told Fox News Digital. 

‘Democrats’ latest letter is part of their playbook to shield President Biden from oversight. The House Oversight Committee will continue to investigate President Biden’s abuse of public office and hold the Bidens accountable for their corruption.’

Raskin and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., wrote to Comer, ‘This Committee cannot claim to be ‘investigating foreign nationals’ attempts to target and coerce high-ranking U.S. officials’ family members by providing money or other benefits in exchange for certain actions’ while continuing to ignore these matters. We therefore urge you to work with us to finally investigate Mr. Kushner’s receipt of billions of dollars from foreign governments in deals that appear to be quid pro quos for actions he undertook as senior White House adviser in Donald Trump’s Administration.’

They also accused Comer of having ‘allowed Mr. Kushner to repeatedly ignore and defy these requests,’ citing Democrats’ repeated urging to subpoena Kushner and his firm.

At the heart of Raskin and Garcia’s latest letter is a New York Times report from earlier this month that claims Kushner is in the final stages of major real estate deals in Albania and Serbia. The report also noted that those deals are coming to fruition while Trump seeks a second term in office.

Kushner told the outlet he was ‘excited’ and ‘working hard’ to close the deals.

Democrats’ attention to Kushner’s foreign business ties comes as impeachment investigators focus on the president’s son Hunter Biden and his foreign business dealings in Ukraine and China.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Republicans top Dems on key factor motivating voter turnout for Biden-Trump rematch: poll

A new national poll indicates that Republicans are more enthusiastic about former President Trump returning to the White House than Democrats are about President Biden serving another four years in office.

But Trump stirs more anger and fear from Democrats than Biden does from Republicans, according to the findings in an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.

Fifty-four percent of Republicans questioned in the poll said ‘excited’ describes how they would feel about a second Trump term as president. Only four in 10 Democrats said the same thing about a Biden victory in November’s presidential election rematch between the White House incumbent and his predecessor.

The poll also indicates that seven in 10 Democrats used the words ‘angry’ or ‘fearful’ to describe how they would feel if Trump won the presidential election.

Fifty-six percent of Republicans said the same thing about Biden if he were to defeat Trump for a second straight time.

‘

In a race that polls indicate will be extremely close, both excitement and dislike of the two major candidates will likely be crucial motivating factors in firing up the Democratic and Republican bases.

The poll was conducted March 21-25, with 1,282 adults nationwide questioned using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

With just over seven months to go until Election Day on Nov. 5, Trump enjoys the early edge in public opinion polling – both in most national surveys and in many of the polls in five of the six key battleground states where Biden narrowly topped Trump to win the White House in 2020.

But in another key metric – fundraising – Biden currently enjoys the upper hand.

The Biden-Trump rematch offers up stark contrasts when it comes to their style and demeanor, and on where they stand on key issues, such as the economy, health care and entitlements, immigration, abortion, foreign policy, the war in Ukraine, and America’s overseas role going forward.

The 81-year-old Biden, who four years ago made history as the oldest American ever elected president, will continue to face questions about his mental and physical durability, even his recent vigorous State of the Union address.

The president also needs to show that he can energize younger voters, progressives, and Black and Latino Americans, who are all key parts of the Democratic base. Biden is also facing primary ballot box protests – materializing in ‘uncommitted’ votes – over his support for Israel in its war in Gaza against Hamas.

The former president is also dealing with plenty of problems. 

Trump, who last year made history as the first president or former president to face criminal charges, now faces four major trials and a total of 91 indictments – including federal cases on his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and on handling classified documents. There’s also a massive civil fraud judgment that Trump is appealing. He will have to juggle his appearances in court with his time on the campaign trail. 

The 77-year-old Trump will also need to court the sizable block of Republican voters who backed Nikki Haley in the GOP nomination race. The former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor was Trump’s last remaining rival before she ended her White House campaign earlier this month. Haley’s support is shining a spotlight on Trump’s weakness with suburban and highly educated voters.

Complicating matters further – the presidential rematch between Biden and Trump won’t be a two-candidate race.

Democratic-turned-Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is working to place his name on state ballots across the country. Kennedy, a longtime environmental activist and high-profile vaccine skeptic who’s a scion of the famous Kennedy political dynasty, is grabbing double-digits in many general election polls.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein and progressive independent candidate Cornell West are polling in the single digits. And the centrist group No Labels is moving ahead with plans to potentially launch a third-party ‘unity’ presidential ticket.

While third-party and independent candidates didn’t play much of a role in the 2020 presidential election, they did in the 2016 showdown between Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. And they may again in 2024.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Everything you need to know about the 2024 NHL draft lottery odds

Boston University’s stellar freshman center, Macklin Celebrini, the projected No. 1 pick for the 2024 NHL draft, can further his case as the NCAA men’s hockey tournament opens this week.

So who is in the best position to draft the Hobey Baker Award finalist?

The current leader with the best odds is the San Jose Sharks, who have never won a draft lottery in team history and sit in last place in the NHL.

They trail the Chicago Blackhawks by seven points, losing twice to the 31st-place team within a week. The Sharks blew a 4-0 lead and lost 5-4 in overtime in the second game and have one win in their last 18 games.

The Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Arizona Coyotes, all eliminated from playoff contention, round out the bottom five.

The Ducks, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks and Sharks were the bottom four teams last season. The Blackhawks won the lottery and drafted Connor Bedard and the Ducks (Leo Carlsson) won the second pick.

Teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the lottery so only the bottom 11 teams have a chance to gain the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL draft.

Which NHL teams have the best draft lottery odds? This file will be updated during the season.

Which NHL teams have the best draft lottery odds?

Odds in parentheses. Standings as of March 27, based on points percentage.

1. San Jose Sharks (25.5%): 71 GP, 40 pts., .282 points percentage

2. Chicago Blackhawks (13.5%): 72 GP, 47, .326

3. Anaheim Ducks (11.5%): 72 GP, 52, .361

4. Columbus Blue Jackets (9.5%): 72 GP, 58, .403

5. Arizona Coyotes (8.5%): 72 GP, 65, .451

6. Montreal Canadiens (7.5%): 71 GP, 66, .465

7. Ottawa Senators (6.5%): 71 GP, 66, .465

8. Calgary Flames (6.0%): 71 GP, 71, .500

9. Seattle Kraken (5.0%): 71 GP, 71, .500

10. Buffalo Sabres (3.5%): 73 GP, 73, .500

11. Pittsburgh Penguins (3.0%): 71 GP, 72, .507*

*-The Penguins dealt their 2024 first-round pick to the Sharks in the Erik Karlsson trade, but it’s top 10 protected.

Who is Macklin Celebrini?

The 6-foot, 190-pound center is the top scorer for Boston University as a 17-year-old freshman. He is third in the NCAA in points per game and is second in goals per game with 31 goals and 59 points in 35 games. He was Canada’s leading scorer at the world junior championship with eight points in five games.

He’s one of 10 finalists for the award for the top men’s college hockey player. Boston University will face RIT Thursday in the first round of the NCAA hockey tournament.

NHL Central Scouting says Celebrini plays a complete game and is a strong skater with a fluid stride and top-end NHL speed.

“Macklin plays at a level all his own and it’s truly impressive to see how he thrives in every environment he competes in,’ Dan Marr, vice president of NHL Central Scouting, told NHL.com.

Who are the top prospects in the 2024 NHL draft?

Behind Celebrini, the remaining top five North American skaters in Central Scouting’s midseason rankings are Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov, Medicine Hat center Cayden Lindstrom, University of Denver defenseman Zeev Buium and Tri-City (USHL) left wing Trevor Connelly.

The top three international skaters are Finnish center Konsta Helenius and two Russians, 6-foot-7 defenseman Anton Silayev and right wing Ivan Demidov.

How does the draft lottery work?

There are two drawings, first for a chance at the top pick and then for a chance at the second pick. The last-place team can draft no lower than third overall. Beginning with the 2022 lottery, a team cannot win more than twice in a five-year period. There are 14 ping-pong balls in the machine and each team is assigned a series of four numbers. The lower a team is in the standings, the more series of numbers it gets. If a team’s numbers are chosen, it wins the lottery. If a team in the 12 to 16 range wins, it moves up 10 spots and the last-place team retains the No. 1 overall pick.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

UNC star says he gets messages from angry sports bettors: ‘It’s terrible’

LOS ANGELES — As NCAA President Charlie Baker calls for a ban on prop bets on college athletes, North Carolina star Armando Bacot admitted that he’s gotten messages from angry bettors mad at his performance in games.

‘It’s terrible,’ Bacot said. ‘Even at the last game, I guess I didn’t get enough rebounds or something. I thought I played pretty good last game, but I looked at my DMs, and I got, like, over 100 messages from people telling me I sucked and stuff like that because I didn’t get enough rebounds.

‘I think it’s definitely a little out of hand. But at the same time too, I get the point of it. Like, if you bet a lot of money on something, and you’re, like, one pick away and somebody messes it up, I understand the part of fans being mad. But it’s annoying, too, at times,’ Bacot added.

Bacot scored 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds in North Carolina’s second-round win against Michigan State, which set up Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup against Alabama.

His comments came the same day Baker called for a ban on collegiate prop bets, which are bets that are placed on specific athletes that typically involve an over/under related to their stats. Baker’s request came after the NBA launched an investigation into Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter over betting irregularities involving prop bets this season.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

‘Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting harassed,” Baker said in a statement on social media. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”

Bacot wasn’t the only person Wednesday to comment on the ugly side of sports betting. Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said earlier in the day the team has gotten phone calls in its office and it’s something that ‘worries me tremendously.’

‘People are extremely aggressive these days,’ Brownell said. ‘We get phone calls in our office sometimes. When things obviously don’t go a bettor’s way, we get some nasty calls. I know players probably get that through social media.

‘It’s a really unique time with everything going on in college athletics, and now the gambling piece is a whole other log on the fire.’

No. 6 seed Clemson will play No. 2 seed Arizona in the West Region Sweet 16 on Thursday. That game will be followed by No. 1 seed North Carolina vs. No. 4 seed Alabama.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

ACC sending message this March: It’s still the king of college basketball

LOS ANGELES — The ACC has had great success in the men’s NCAA Tournament. The people least surprised by that? The teams.

Only five ACC teams made the tournament this season, tying last season for the fewest teams sent in the past decade. Virginia was among the last four teams to make the tournament and had to play a First Four game, which it lost in resounding fashion to Colorado State. So the conference only had four teams in the first round for the first time since 2013. 

But it’s been perfection for the ACC since.

North Carolina, Duke, Clemson and No. 11 seed NC State have survived and advanced to the Sweet 16. The ACC has gone from a mediocre conference to one that’s flexing its muscles when it matters most — no conference has more teams remaining in March Madness. 

Two of those teams are in the West Regional in Los Angeles, with No. 1 seed North Carolina stomping its way to a Sweet 16 matchup with No. 4 seed Alabama. On the other side, No. 6 seed Clemson had one of the most surprising wins in the second round over No. 3 Baylor and will play No. 2 seed Arizona to kick off the second weekend of the tournament.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

Clemson head coach Brad Brownell believes the different playstyles in the conference prepared his team, and likely others, for the NCAA Tournament.

“I’ve been in our league 14 years. I knew the quality of play that we had this year. I thought we were extremely deep,” Brownell said. “I just think that there’s great parity in our league.”

The players hear the noise as well.

“Every year we get not enough respect and disrespected all year – ‘the conference is down’ – and then we come here and start waxing people,” said Clemson senior center PJ Hall. 

“That’s what I like in non-conference. You come back in-conference and everybody is like, ‘oh, it’s imploding on itself.’ No, it’s because we have a lot of good teams from 16 to 1,” Hall added. “There’s definitely not a dip in talent.”

“This year there were a lot of ACC teams that were deserving that didn’t get a chance to make it in,” Bacot said. “Hopefully everyone sees after this year how competitive ACC basketball is and how good the teams are.”

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis believes the conference didn’t have to prove anything — in his mind the ACC has always maintained its position atop the college basketball world. The ACC claims the most men’s college basketball national championships and has been represented in 13 of the past 22 Final Fours.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Just how tall is Purdue center Zach Edey?

Whoever plays Purdue is faced with a tall, tall, task. And he typically stands underneath the basket.

Purdue center Zach Edey is among the most dominant, if not the most dominant, players in college basketball today. With a list of accolades that stand almost as tall as he does, it’s no surprise the Boilermakers’ big man is a lot to handle for opponents.

Edey is a throwback player of sorts. In an era of position-less basketball, the 7-foot-plus center makes his living in the paint, and his game has won him ample awards, and is seemingly going to win him a second consecutive Naismith Player of the Year award. It remains to be seen whether or not he can power Purdue to a national championship, but that’s a work in progress as they enter the Sweet 16.

Here’s what to know about the big Boilermaker in the middle of Purdue’s offense:

How tall is Zach Edey?

Purdue center Zach Edey is listed at 7-foot-4, which makes him among the tallest players in college basketball this year. He’s the tallest player in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Purdue says Edey weighs 300 pounds.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

Others on the tall-player list: Ole Miss center Jamarion Sharp stands at 7-foot-5, which is tied with Missouri center Conor Vanover. Edey is third on the list at 7-foot-4, tied alongside Syracuse center Naheem McLeod.

Coincidentally, Purdue also rosters 7-foot-2 center Will Berg, who has played select minutes through the 2024 tournament.

Zach Edey NBA Draft projection

While he’s been one of college basketball’s most dominant players, some feel as though Edey’s game may not translate to the NBA level due to his lack of mobility.

USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zilgitt and Scooby Axson believe that Edey’s foot speed may not work at the next level to keep up with the sport’s style and pace. Still, he may be a first-round selection come late June, especially if he continues to put on a monster showing through the remainder of March.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Women’s Sweet 16 reseeding has South Carolina No. 1, UConn closing in

Welcome to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, where the games are sweet, the players are hungry and according to the data, viewers can’t get enough of women’s basketball. 

There wasn’t much madness in the first two rounds of the women’s tournament, save for second-seeded Ohio State getting beaten at home, which was definitely a shocker. And yes, technically Baylor winning at Virginia Tech was an upset according to seeds, but given that the Hokies were missing the three-time ACC player of the year, a lot of people expected that outcome. 

Does a lack of upset action mean chaos is coming in the next four days? One can only hope — unless you’re rooting for the overall top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks. In that case, you’re probably crossing your fingers that everything will go chalk. 

We can argue at a different time if that’s fun or not. For now, let’s re-seed the tournament based on which teams are left. 

1. South Carolina

You’re not surprised, are you? The Gamecocks haven’t forgotten they were upset last year and in fact, they still seem upset about it. They’re taking it out on anyone in their way — look out, Indiana — and seem eager to prove there won’t be a repeat of last spring.  

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

2. Southern California

The Trojans have survived everything this season, from the toughest conference in America to a stifling zone Monday night designed to slow super freshman JuJu Watkins. But USC, playing in its first Sweet 16 since 1994, is much more than one player, and the Trojans will be ready to show that vs. Baylor.

3. UConn

Geno Auriemma, who has coached a few impressive players in his time, said it best: the Huskies have got the best player in America in Paige Bueckers, and it’s hard to argue with the numbers. They’ll go as far as she can carry them. 

4. Texas

The Longhorns have yet to play like they’re missing an All-American, even though Rori Harmon is one of the most impactful players in the country on both ends of the floor. It helps that in Harmon’s absence, UT crowned another All-American in freshman Madison Booker. So far, Booker’s postseason inexperience hasn’t been an issue. 

5. LSU

You don’t have to like them, or their coach, to know the Tigers are plenty talented. Led by double-double queen Angel Reese, the defending national champs still haven’t played a complete game this season against top competition. Is that coming in Albany? 

6. Iowa

It’s Caitlin Clark and everyone else — there’s maybe one other future WNBA player on this roster in sophomore Hannah Stuelke, but that’s it. But Clark is so spectacular, described as a generational player by nearly everyone who watches her, that she might be able to lead Iowa back to the Final Four. 

7. NC State

In a loaded ACC, the quietly excellent Wolfpack is often overlooked. We should probably stop doing that, given that NC State has five players who score in double figures, with any of them capable of taking over a game. 

8. Oregon State

The Beavers, picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 this season, have that always coveted inside-out attack and, according to the numbers, are the second-best defensive team left in the tournament, behind only South Carolina. They were rolling in mid-February before sophomore center Raegan Beers broke her nose and missed a few games, stalling their momentum. Can they get back to that level of play?

9. Colorado

As the joke goes, bring your football pads to match up with this team. The Buffs are tough, physical and make you work hard for every basket. They’re also battle tested after playing in the Pac-12, and have one of the best on-ball defenders in the country in Jaylyn Sherrod. But is it enough to knock off Iowa? 

10. Gonzaga 

Can we stop calling the Zags a mid-major team already? GU has one of the best and most experienced lineups in the country behind forward Yvonne Ejim and twin guards Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong. If they knock off top-seeded Texas, will they finally get the respect they deserve?

11. Notre Dame

The Irish are practically playing on fumes at this point, having lost another player (forward Kylee Watson) to a season-ending injury just before the NCAA Tournament. They’ve got a spectacular freshman point guard in Hannah Hidalgo, who has yet to well, play like a freshman. Is that coming at some point? 

12. UCLA

There’s no question the Bruins, led by the best sophomore class in the country, are deep on talent. But they have a history of underachieving, which makes many leery of picking them to make the Final Four. Can Lauren Betts and Charisma Osborne help change that narrative?

13. Baylor

The Bears are here because of terrific late-game execution and the play of Jada Walker, who had a career game in the second round. It doesn’t seem very realistic that scenario repeats itself. 

14. Stanford

The Cardinal needed 41 points and 16 rebounds from Kiki Iriafen to survive Iowa State on its home floor, partially because its All-American couldn’t stay on the floor. Stanford can’t advance in the tournament if Cameron Brink is on the bench in foul trouble; the Cardinal’s guards aren’t good enough to cover for her.

15. Indiana

The Hoosiers are one of a handful of teams to handle Iowa this year, which is certainly an impressive accomplishment, but does anyone really think they can hang with South Carolina and the Gamecocks’ athleticism? 

16. Duke

It’s amazing that the Blue Devils have made it this far, and they’ve got the play of Reigan Richardson to thank for it. But the road likely ends here, given that at 68.8 points per game, Duke ranks 111th in scoring offense nationally. That’s 34 spots behind Oregon State, the other lowest scoring team left in the tournament. 

Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By