CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Louisville coach Pat Kelsey took a deep dive into the transfer portal to boost the Cardinals' competitiveness in the Atlantic Coast Conference and against physical teams. This offseason, Kelsey secured eight transfers, including Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Louisville has the No. 2-ranked transfer portal class, behind St. John's. Kelsey hopes to improve the Cardinals' rebounding and defense after being eliminated in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals added several four-star talents, hoping to maintain their fast-paced offense after losing Mikel Brown Jr. to the NBA draft.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips says he isn't worried about four member schools supporting changes to the Protect College Sports Act. He highlighted the league's health and financial gains. Clemson, Florida State, Miami, and North Carolina want to increase the bill's membership cap for conferences and remove the requirement for a school to be independent for three years before joining another league. Phillips said he will continue to facilitate conversations but emphasized the conference's strong position. He declined to speculate on whether schools intend to leave, stating the conference is healthy and functioning well.
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — California changed offensive coordinators at halftime of the Golden Bears’ loss to UNLV last week. Coach Tosh Lupoi confirmed that he stripped offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville of play-calling duties and promoted passing game coordinator Pat McCann to the role during the team’s 39-31 loss to the Rebels. Cal has gotten off to a rough start in Lupoi’s first season with the offense struggling outside of one game against FCS-level Wagner. Somerville was hired as coordinator despite having no experience in the role. He had been assistant quarterbacks coach and a passing game specialist for Tampa Bay in the NFL.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi is frustrated with the ACC's lack of respect in college football polls. After Pittsburgh's win against Virginia Tech, Narduzzi urged AP Top 25 voters to pay attention. While voters did bump unbeaten Pitt into the polls at 25, Narduzzi believes critics consistently overlook the conference as a whole. Narduzzi thinks some of the issues stem from people focusing on 'brand name' in conferences like the Big Ten and SEC. Narduzzi added he feels the ACC's achievements are overlooked. Pitt's bid for the ACC to gain more respect continues when the 5-0 Panthers host North Carolina.
CHARLOTTE, N,C. (AP) — Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo is entering a senior season in a career with big stats and a long awards list. The 5-foot-7 point guard is a three-time Associated Press All-American. She's also a multi-time winner of Atlantic Coast Conference honors as the league's top player and its top defender. Hidalgo has averaged 23.9 points and 4.7 steals in her career. She could set a Division I career steals record and rank among the sport's all-time top scorers. Hidalgo is driven by the goal of taking another step after leading the Fighting Irish within a game of last year's Final Four.
UNDATED (AP) — Michael Jordan has committed $10 million to the University of North Carolina School of Social Work in honor of his mother, Deloris P. Jordan. Announced Monday, this is the largest single gift in the school's history. It will expand the Global Social Development Innovations Center, which will be renamed after his mother. The donation also establishes the Jordan Family Scholars program, providing scholarships for Master of Social Work students. Jordan expressed pride in supporting social workers who help communities. UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee H. Roberts praised the gift, highlighting Deloris Jordan’s dedication to children and families.
