Big Dog Sports Blitz

UConn’s Paige Bueckers is becoming a household name if she isn’t one already. From her dominant high school career to becoming a player former UConn women’s basketball greats rave about, she is someone you are going to want to follow during the women’s NCAA tournament.

There is no denying Bueckers has game, and in a program full of the world’s most talented collegiate hoopers, she has gracefully found her way into a leadership role. Breaking records, playing a pivotal role in her team’s regular-season success, and now continuing to show her talent in the postseason, if this is the first time you’re hearing about her, there is a lot to catch up on.

This is how Paige Bueckers became a breakout superstar as a freshman for UConn.

She was a high school phenom

Bueckers was taking ...

March Madness, meet Max Abmas.

If you didn’t already know of the 6-1, 165-pound sophomore guard from Oral Roberts, you do now: He was a major factor not only in helping the 15-seed Golden Eagles to an incredible first-round upset of 2-seed Ohio State, but also a second-round upset of 7-seed Florida. Oral Roberts is now only the second ever 15 seed to make it to the Sweet 16, thanks in great part to Abmas’ play.

In the first game, he scored 29 points on 10-of-24 shooting (including 5 of 10 from 3-point land), grabbed five rebounds and dished three assists in the 75-72 overtime win. Against the Gators, he scored 26 points on 6-of-14 shooting and dished seven assists; he was also a perfect 12 of 12 from the free throw line.

MORE MARCH MADNESS: Live scores | Updated bracket | TV schedule

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the five finalists for the 2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its seventh year recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball.

The five finalists for the 2021 Karl Malone Award are Drew Timme (Gonzaga), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Justin Champagnie (Pittsburgh), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Seton Hall) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Villanova).

“We’re excited to recognize these five tremendous power forwards as the best in the collegiate game today,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame...

With just over a month until the 2021 NBA trade deadline, contenders are looking to tweak their rosters, and apparently some of them have the same target in mind.

The Bucks and Lakers are part of a group of teams interested in Rockets forward P.J. Tucker, according to multiple reports. The 35-year-old hasn’t produced eye-popping numbers during his time in Houston (6.6 points, 5.8 rebounds per game over the last four seasons), but he has consistently demonstrated his value as a switchable defender, spot-up shooter and leader in the locker room. Those skills make him a great fit for any franchise chasing a championship.

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The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor recently reported on the situation in Milwaukee: