Should My Child Retake the SAT or ACT?

Should My Child Retake the SAT or ACT?

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A Student’s Journey with the SAT and the Broader Trend of Retaking College Entrance Exams

Nkechinyere Okwuwasi, a senior at City High Middle School in Grand Rapids, shared her experience after receiving her initial SAT score. She described feeling “bewildered” by the results. Despite being a student activist with aspirations to attend an out-of-state institution like Brown University, and holding board positions on several local nonprofits, she felt her performance on the test didn’t reflect her potential.

Okwuwasi has always seen herself as a future neurosurgeon and is currently preparing for another attempt at the SAT in August. She has gradually increased her study time over the past few months, now dedicating two to four hours daily to preparation. Her story is not unique—thousands of Michigan students are similarly working to improve their scores on the SAT and ACT, tests that have long played a key role in college admissions.

The Shift Toward Test-Optional Policies

In recent years, many higher education institutions have moved away from requiring standardized test scores. This shift toward “test optional” policies means students can apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, some schools, particularly those in the Ivy League, still require these scores, and others may consider them as part of a competitive application.

Even at schools that don’t mandate test scores, many students choose to submit them. For instance, high scores can enhance an applicant’s profile, especially when competing for limited spots. This decision often involves careful consideration and guidance from counselors, parents, and admissions advisors.

Challenges in Navigating College Admissions

The inconsistency in requirements across different colleges can be overwhelming for students, especially first-generation applicants who lack family experience with the process. Charles Cotton III, vice provost of enrollment management at Wayne State University, highlighted this challenge. He noted that understanding the varying expectations of each institution is one of the biggest hurdles students face during the application process.

Cortney Flint, director of one-on-one college advising at Kaplan, emphasized that what constitutes a “great score” depends on the student and the school they’re applying to. For example, a student aiming for an Ivy League university might need a much higher score than someone targeting a less selective institution.

Understanding What Constitutes a Good Score

According to Kaplan, a good SAT score is generally 1,210 or higher, placing a student in the top 25% of test takers. The maximum possible score is 1,600. On the ACT, a good composite score is 23 or higher, which also falls within the top 25%. Nationally, the average ACT score for the class of 2024 was 19.4, with a maximum of 36.

Lucas Inman, a guidance counselor in West Michigan, advises students to aim for a score within the 50th percentile or higher of a school’s typical range. This helps set realistic goals and avoids unnecessary stress from chasing unrealistic targets.

The Benefits of Retaking the Test

Many students find that retaking the SAT or ACT can lead to improved scores, especially if they take the time to address areas where they struggled. Flint explained that factors like testing anxiety or curriculum gaps can impact performance on the first attempt. She encourages students to reflect on their initial results and use that insight to guide their preparation.

Lisa Sawyer, a parent from East Grand Rapids, shared her son’s experience of taking the SAT twice. After his first attempt, he felt more comfortable with the test format and was able to improve his score significantly. She believes that retaking the test can be beneficial, especially when it helps students feel more confident and prepared.

Institutional Perspectives on Retakes

Julia Janssen, marketing/communications director for the Michigan State University Office of Admissions, supports the idea of retaking the test. She noted that many students see improvement on their second attempt, particularly after additional preparation. At MSU, while test scores are optional, submitting them can strengthen scholarship applications.

Financial Considerations

Cost is another factor that influences whether students retake the SAT or ACT. While the SAT is free for students through their school district, retakes and ACT registrations require payment. The cost of the SAT is $68, and the ACT is also $68, with optional add-ons available. Some students may qualify for fee waivers, but financial constraints can limit access to preparatory resources such as tutoring or test prep courses.

Planning Ahead

Students are encouraged to research colleges early in their high school years to understand the academic requirements and determine what scores they should aim for. This proactive approach can help avoid last-minute stress and ensure that students are well-prepared for the application process. Additionally, staying informed about test dates and registration deadlines is essential for successful planning.

Phoenix Summer Camp in Coconino County: A Legacy of Endurance at Camp Colley

Phoenix Summer Camp in Coconino County: A Legacy of Endurance at Camp Colley

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A Phoenix Program for Kids to Escape the City's Summer Heat and Get Outdoors

A summer program in Phoenix that helps kids escape the city's scorching heat and enjoy the outdoors has returned for its second year after a recent hiatus. This initiative, known as Camp Colley, is part of the city’s efforts to provide children with meaningful outdoor experiences. Over the past two decades, the camp has faced financial challenges but has continually adapted its programming to meet the needs of the community.

Camp Colley is located in a remote area north of Payson, nestled within dense forests. The camp was founded by James A. Colley, a former director of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department. His vision was to create an accessible space where children from underserved communities could benefit from outdoor recreation. According to the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, Colley dedicated his career to expanding programs that catered to children of all backgrounds.

In 2023, the H.E.A.R.T. Center, a nonprofit organization focused on providing equestrian recreational therapy to disabled and neurodivergent youth, took over operations of Camp Colley. The center brought its expertise in creating inclusive learning environments and refined the program's commitment to serving underrepresented populations.

“We know wholeheartedly what the mission of this place is, what it stands for, why it exists,” said Chelsea Harden, founder and executive director of the H.E.A.R.T. Center. “It is really important that we make sure that camp is cost-effective and that cost is not a barrier for people to attend.”

The partnership between Phoenix and the H.E.A.R.T. Center reflects the camp’s long history of collaborating with local organizations to ensure its continued operation. Claire Miller, a park supervisor for Phoenix, emphasized the importance of experiential learning opportunities like Camp Colley.

“You can bring a lot of information and stuff to the kids down in the community centers, but there's nothing like having this kind of an experiential opportunity to really be in the pines,” said Miller.

Who Can Attend Camp Colley?

Camp Colley is open to children aged 7 to 15 who are residents of Phoenix or have a parent with a Phoenix Parks and Recreation account, as well as students of the H.E.A.R.T. Center. The camp runs from mid-June to late July, with fees ranging from $175 for a three-day session to $275 for a five-day session. Leadership roles are also available for teens aged 16 to 17, with fees from $100 for a three-day camp to $150 for a five-day camp. Young adults with disabilities aged 18 to 22 can participate in leadership roles at no cost.

Fees include transportation from Phoenix to the campgrounds, meals, and lodging. Additionally, Phoenix offers scholarships so that families can attend at no cost.

Despite facing financial crises and the impact of the global pandemic, Camp Colley has remained a vital resource for the community. In 2001, Phoenix purchased the land for the camp for $1.38 million and opened the campgrounds the following year. Throughout the 2000s, the camp expanded its facilities to include stables for an equestrian program, solar panels for off-grid power, and a bathhouse for hot showers.

A History of Challenges and Adaptations

In 2008, during the Great Recession, the Parks and Recreation Department faced staff reductions and budget cuts that threatened the camp’s existence. At that time, the Camp Colley Foundation stepped in to help raise funds for lower-income youth. However, the camp faced further challenges, including a Coconino County permit noncompliance issue in 2012, which led to its closure for the summer. In 2017, the Arizona Parks and Recreation Fellowship ended its relationship with the camp, resulting in another lost year.

Tonto Creek Camp took over operations for two years before handing it back to the Camp Colley Foundation in 2020. The program was closed again in 2020 due to the pandemic and in 2021 because of wildfires. For the next two years, Camp Colley had no operator until the H.E.A.R.T. Center decided to step in and revitalize the program.

Expanding Upon Camp Colley’s Framework

Harden, who previously worked as a counselor at Camp Colley, recognized the potential for the camp to focus more on therapeutic activities. She became a certified recreational therapist and established the H.E.A.R.T. Center in 2014 to provide therapeutic horsemanship to students with developmental disabilities.

“By having recreation therapists on staff, we’re able to adapt the activity to support the physical-cognitive needs of all the students that attend camp,” said Harden.

Campers spend three to five days at Camp Colley, engaging in activities such as horse care, crawdad fishing, and hiking. These activities aim to foster social and emotional learning, with group games designed to teach communication and teamwork skills. Other activities, like archery, help improve hand-eye coordination.

A Popular Equestrian Program

One of the most popular aspects of the camp is the equestrian instruction. Alex Halping, a horse riding instructor for the H.E.A.R.T. Center, noted that horses are particularly effective in helping neurodivergent children manage their emotions.

“The biggest thing with these animals is that they're incredible at mirroring and regulating emotions,” said Halping. “The horses get them, and they get the horses in a way that I can't explain.”

Neurodivergent campers benefit from mixed-ability environments, where they learn alongside neurotypical peers. This approach allows for smaller group sizes and specialized support, making it easier for children who might struggle in larger settings to integrate and build friendships.

Leadership Opportunities for Teens and Young Adults

As campers grow older, they can return to Camp Colley in leadership roles. These positions offer work experience and help build resumes while allowing participants to develop skills in counseling and other areas. Young adults with disabilities can also return to the camp to gain essential work skills in a safe environment.

Employing young adults has helped address staffing challenges that the camp has faced in the past. “It is so great to see it up and running,” said Miller, “and have kids experience the benefits of being out in nature.”

Easy Sensory Bin: Dyed Chickpea Fun for Toddlers

Easy Sensory Bin: Dyed Chickpea Fun for Toddlers

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Why a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is Perfect for Toddlers

Looking for an engaging and educational activity that’s both fun and easy to set up? A Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is an excellent choice for toddlers. This sensory play option is not only colorful and interactive but also supports important developmental skills like fine motor development, color recognition, and creativity.

The best part? It’s simple to make, mess-free, and budget-friendly. With just a few basic materials, you can create a sensory experience that your child will love and return to again and again. Whether you’re planning a rainbow-themed bin, back-to-school activities, or fall-inspired play, dyed chickpeas offer endless possibilities.

Benefits of Using a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin

A Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is more than just a fun activity—it’s a powerful tool for learning. Here are some key benefits:

1. Texture Exploration

The smooth, round texture of dyed chickpeas provides a soothing tactile experience for little hands. Unlike sticky or messy materials, chickpeas don’t leave residue, making them ideal for toddlers who enjoy hands-on play without the hassle.

2. Color Recognition

By using multiple bright colors, you can introduce children to color identification and sorting. This makes learning about colors more engaging and interactive through activities like matching games or rainbow sorting.

3. Fine Motor Development

Activities such as scooping, pouring, and picking up individual chickpeas help strengthen hand-eye coordination and fine motor control. These skills are essential for tasks like writing, buttoning, and using utensils.

4. Open-Ended Play

A sensory bin encourages creativity and imagination. Children can build, explore, and invent their own games. Whether it’s a spy game or a preschool-themed activity, dyed chickpeas offer versatile options for free play.

5. Reusability

Once dyed and dried, chickpeas can be stored in a container for months. This makes them a long-lasting addition to your sensory play collection, perfect for reuse throughout the year.

Supplies Needed for a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin

To get started, you’ll need the following materials:

• 2 16 oz bags of dried chickpea beans
• 4 acrylic paint colors (such as pink, green, yellow, and teal)
• 4 sandwich Ziplock baggies
• A baking tray or parchment paper for drying

How to Dye Chickpeas Step by Step

Dyeing chickpeas is a quick and fun process that kids can help with:

1. Gather all supplies and open the ziplock bags.
2. Divide the chickpeas evenly among the bags—about 1 1/4 cups per bag.
3. Add a squirt of acrylic paint into each bag—one color per bag.
4. Seal the bags and shake them until the chickpeas are fully coated.
5. Pour the dyed chickpeas onto a tray lined with parchment paper and let them dry completely—this usually takes 4–6 hours or overnight.
6. Once dry, your vibrant chickpeas are ready to use in a sensory bin!

Fun Ideas for Using Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bins

Here are some creative ways to incorporate dyed chickpeas into sensory play:

1. Color Sorting Games

Mix the dyed chickpeas together and encourage children to sort them by color into bowls or cups. This promotes logical thinking and pattern recognition.

2. Alphabet Sensory Bin Activity

Hide plastic letters in the chickpeas for children to find, name, and match. This combines tactile fun with early literacy skills.

3. Math Games

Use the chickpeas as manipulatives for counting, pattern-making, or simple addition. This turns math into a hands-on learning experience.

4. Rainbow Sensory Table Set-Up

Layer the chickpeas in a rainbow pattern and add small world toys, scoops, or animals. Great for summer or birthday parties.

5. Fall-Themed Sensory Play

Combine dyed chickpeas with faux leaves, mini pumpkins, or acorns for a cozy, seasonal sensory bin. Perfect for autumn activities.

6. Spy Games

Bury small tools like magnifying glasses or keys in the bin and let kids dig and discover. Ideal for imaginative spy-themed play.

Thematic Inspiration Across Seasons

Dyed chickpeas can be used in various themes depending on the season:

• Spring: Pair pastel-colored chickpeas with toy flowers or bugs for garden-themed bins.
• Summer: Use blue and teal chickpeas with ocean toys for an ice cream or beach theme.
• Apple Theme: Mix red and green chickpeas to simulate apples.
• Fall: Combine orange, red, and yellow chickpeas with leaves and mini pumpkins for a cozy sensory bin.

Storage and Reuse Tips

After dyeing, store the chickpeas in a sealed, dry container to prevent mold. They can be reused for different sensory bins throughout the year. Try combining them with other materials like rice, oats, or beans for variety.

Additional Sensory Resources

Expand your sensory play with these ideas:

• Sensory Boxes: Create themed boxes with different textures.
• Sensory Art Activities: Use dyed chickpeas to make mosaic crafts.
• DIY Sensory Activities: Let kids choose their own sensory bin materials.
• Sensory Table Fillers: Rotate materials for ongoing engagement.

These resources help create a dynamic and educational play environment for your child.

Final Thoughts: Why Every Parent Should Try a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin

Creating a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is more than just a fun activity—it’s a valuable way to support your toddler’s development. From fine motor skills to creativity and color recognition, this simple sensory play offers countless learning opportunities.

Whether you're preparing for a themed activity or simply looking for a fun way to engage your child, a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is a great choice. It’s a chance to bond, explore, and learn together. Start today and watch your little one scoop, sort, and discover the world through this colorful and educational activity.

First-Ever GametimeCT High School Sports Awards Show: Meet the Finalists This Summer!

First-Ever GametimeCT High School Sports Awards Show: Meet the Finalists This Summer!

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CT Insider will host the first GametimeCT High School Sports Awards show this summer.

The GametimeCT High School Sports Awards Show will bring together student-athletes, coaches, families and community leaders to recognize and celebrate the outstanding performances, achievements and sportsmanship that made this year unforgettable. From All-State MVPs to the year’s greatest plays, we'll highlight the best of the best across all high school sports in our state.

Expect a night of celebration, inspiring moments and special guests as we shine a spotlight on Connecticut’s top talent and honor the dedication and hard work of our local sports community.

CT Insider is the home of GametimeCT and Hearst Connecticut Media Group's statewide website. GametimeCT, in its 12th school year, is dedicated to covering the very best in high school sports across Connecticut.

Event details will be announced in the coming days.

Listed below are the finalists, in alphabetical order, for each category. In addition to these awards, GametimeCT will honor its All-State teams, its Athlete of the Week award winners and its All-State MVP winners.

Athlete of the Year — Boys Sports

Kadear Dembele, West Haven football: GamtetimeCT Football MVP made 74 tackles and 15.5 sacks to lead Westies to Class LL final. He will play at Wake Forest next season.

Soheib Dissa, Newtown cross country/track: GametimeCT Cross Country MVP won the State Open and New England championship. Won State Open title in indoor track.

Drayvn Roberts, East Hartford football/wrestling: A GametimeCT All-State selection in both sports, Roberts was an all-purpose quarterback for the Hornets. As a wrestler, won four straight Class LL titles and a State Open crown as a senior. Will play football at Central Connecticut.

Abdou Toure, Notre Dame-West Haven basketball: GametimeCT MVP, ranked among the top 50 recruits nationally in his class, led NDWH to the Division I state championship. He has more than 15 Division I offers.

Josh Marcus, Staples football/boys lacrosse: Was a first-team All-state punter for the CIAC Class L runners up in football and the GametimeCT player of the year and a three-time state championship goaltender, including this year's Class L championship. Also won a state title in football as a junior.

Athlete of the Year — Girls Sports

Lauren Kropo, Naugatuck track: GametimeCT Indoor Track MVP set three CIAC Class L meet records, in the 55, 300 and 600 meters.

Ceci Patterson, New Canaan soccer, basketball, lacrosse: All-American and top-ranked lacrosse goalie nationally in senior class, is signed to play for Notre Dame. Helped soccer to FCIAC and CIAC championships and basketball to an FCIAC runner up finish.

Alexa Pino, St. Joseph soccer: Three-time Player of Year for GametimeCT had 24 goals and 23 assists to lead Cadets to fourth-straight state championship game. Signed to play at South Carolina, ended career with 123 goals.

Brooke Strauss, Glastonbury cross country/track: GametimeCT Cross Country MVP won State Open, then won mile at indoor track national championships.

Cam Fisher, Ellington: GametimeCT Softball Player of the Year. She led the Purple Knights to the Class L semifinals both as one of the state's top pitchers and batters.

Team of the Year — Boys Sports

Farmington boys soccer: The only non-Class LL team to voluntarily opt into the top division won the CIAC Class LL tournament championship.

Greenwich boys swimming: Cardinals won their 11th straight CIAC Class LL championship meet and 49th overall. Added 11th straight State Open and 39th overall.

Manchester boys basketball: Captured CIAC Division II tournament crown for first state title since 1938.

Shepaug Valley boys basketball: Completed a 27-0 record with the CIAC Division V tournament championship, the first in the program's histsory.

Lyman Hall baseball — Went 25-3, including its first SCC title and the Class L championship for its first state title since 2002 and finished No. 1 in the GametimeCT Top 10 poll.

Team of the Year — Girls Sports

Bloomfield indoor track: Won its 15th straight CIAC Class S championship meet and fourth State Open. More than doubled point total of runner-up in the State Open. Bloomfield also won the Class M and State Open in outdoor track.

Darien hockey: Went 22-0 with championships on both the FCIAC and state tournaments after allowing just 10 goals in 22 games.

Northwest Catholic girls basketball: Won the CIAC Class L tournament championship over Bethel, its third straight CIAC title, all in different classes.

Staples field hockey: Staples won the CIAC Class L tournament title and finished the year 19-1-0-0, with its only loss a 3-2  defeat to the No.1 ranked team in New Jersey, Camden Catholic.

Foran softball: Went 28-0, winning a state championship battle of unbeatens with a 1-0, 13-inning victory over No. 1 seeded Woodland behind Abigail Corris epic performance, striking out 32 batters in a three-hit shutout.

Play of the Year

Mercy girls soccer: Molly Benson, a 15-year old sophomore scored the game-winner in the closing seconds on an assist from her sister Kaylee, an 18-year old senior, to lead Mercy to a 2-1 win over St. Joseph in the CIAC Class LL championship . The play was featured on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays.

Ansonia football: With the Chargers trailing by one with 0.5 seconds remaining in the CIAC Class S semifinals , Ansonia quarterback Matteo Sorrentino connected with receiver Romeo Charles for a 34-yard touchdown to defeat Woodland 30-23. The play was featured as Scott Van Pelt's Best Thing I Saw Today on ESPN.

St. Bernard boys basketball: Tyler Mangual hit a running 3-point shot to lift St. Bernard to a 66-65 victory over Notre Dame Prep at Sacred Heart University’s Pitt Center in a matchup of the top two teams ranked in the GametimeCT Top 10 poll at the time.

Weston boys basketball: Kollen Kyle banked in a shot just beyond half court at the buzzer to help Weston defeat Masuk 52-49 in a SWC playoff quarterfinal-round game on Kyle's 17th birthday. The play was featured on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays.

Guilford field hockey: Cassie Ward scored with 7:42 remaining in the second overtime to lift the Grizzlies to the CIAC Class M field hockey championship .

Coach of the Year — Boys Sports

Nick Boorman, Farmington soccer: Led team to CIAC Class LL tournament championship with a 3-1 win over Xavier as the No. 7 seed. Boorman gave his players the opportunity to vote to move up to Class LL in the preseason.

Joe Della Vecchia, St. Joseph football: The 26-year head coach guided team to school's 16th state championship, juggling key injuries and navigating one of the state's toughest schedules to finish the regular season 7-3 and knocking off two unbeaten teams -- Hand and Brookfield -- in the final two rounds to win the Class M championship.

John Reiser, Manchester basketball: Became only the third coach in Connecticut high school basketball history to capture a state championship with both boys and girls teams by leading Red Hawks to a 77-74 win over New London for the CIAC Division II championship , their first state title since 1938, in their first appearance since 1956.

Jason Shaughnessy, Fairfield Warde wrestling: Won his 500th match during a season which the Mustangs won the FCIAC and Class LL championships and snapped Danbury's FCIAC dual meet streak at 461, handing the Hatters their first dual meet loss since 1986.

Mike McDermott, South Windsor baseball: Coached team to a 1-0 victory over No. 32-seeded Glastonbury to win the Class LL baseball championship, the school's first title since 1993.

Coach of the Year — Girls Sports

Mike Busillo, Sheehan girls basketball: Busillo led the Titans to their first CIAC championship since 1976 with a 56-51 win over top-seeded East Catholic in the Class M tournament final.

Cathy McMahon, Trumbull gymnastics: Led Trumbull to both the CIAC Class L and State Open championships for the second-straight year.

Owen Moore, Shepaug field hockey: At 22-years old led 12th-seeded Shepaug, captained by his sister Clare, to a 1-0 win over Sacred Heart Academy in the CIAC Class S championship game .

Danielle Scolpino, Bethel girls basketball: A 2010 graduate of Bethel, Scolpino led the Wildcats to their first CIAC championship game appearance and second SWC tournament crown. Bethel fell to Northwest Catholic in the Class L final.

Leigh Barone, Masuk softball: Coached her team to a seventh-consecutive state championship, 3-0 over Waterford in the Class L championship. Team also needed to rally past St. Joseph in the semifinals.

Comeback Player of the Year — Boys Sports

Connor Fahey, St. Joseph baseball: A year to the day after having surgery on his right hamstring, Fahey broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg. He missed two football seasons and a baseball season before returning to play in his senior spring .

Alex Lamarre, Bristol Central wrestling: First overcame a broken elbow suffered in December to battle back to the State Open final at 138 pounds . Then, he injured his right knee and ankle in the semifinals, battled through to defeat Simsbury senior Coleman Finn, 5-3, before his knee buckled and he fell to the mat.

Ryan Johnston, Trumbull basketball/baseball: After having surgery on his right leg in late December, he was told the recovery time would be six to eight months . He returned to play baseball for the Eagles in mid-May.

Comeback Player of the Year — Girls Sports

Vanessa Greenstein, Brookfield girls lacrosse: Suffered a torn ACL during lacrosse season, an injury that ended her junior year of competition and required nearly a full year of recovery. She missed the volleyball season, yet never missed a practice or game—showing up every day to support, encourage, and lead her teammates from the sidelines. She returned to the field in the first game of this lacrosse season against Bethel, reclaiming her role as a key player with the same determination and excellence that defined her pre-injury success.

Olivia Kelly, Old Lyme girls soccer / basketball / softball: Suffered three ACL injuries since 2021, two on her left knee. Two occurred during soccer season, one during basketball season. Missed all but four games of three basketball seasons, two full softball seasons and parts of two seasons in soccer.

Bella Lonergan, Darien girls hockey: After missing the last three seasons with injuries, the senior took over the starter’s role with the Blue Wave and led the state’s top defense. She allowed just seven goals overall and had 14 shutouts while helping Darien go 22-0 with state and FCIAC championships.

Championship Moment — Boys Sports

Brookfield Soccer: It took two halves of regulation, two overtime periods and four rounds of PKs for Brookfield to claim the CIAC Class L boys soccer championship. Brookfield finally pulled away when Brady Bulakowski found the back of the net on his team’s 20th penalty kick for a 15-13 win.

Manchester boys basketball: Cameron Major hit his only shot of the game, a 3-pointer to put the Red Hawks up five with 27.8 seconds left in regulation of a 77-74 win over New London in the CIAC Division II championship game to give Manchester its first state title since 1938 .

Masuk football: Junior Jackson Zylick kicked a game-winning 27-yard field goal with four seconds left to lead sixth-seeded Masuk over No. 1  Windsor, 24-21 in the CIAC Class MM final. Zylick came on to kick what would’ve been a 38-yard field goal, but Windsor called timeout just before Zylick kicked the ball to ice him. Zylick’s kick fell just short after the timeout, but the Warriors were called for roughing the kicker to move the ball up to the latter’s 10 to set up the game-winner.

St. Joseph football: The fourth-seeded Hogs built a 21-point third-quarter lead then needed every single point as Brookfield's bid for a two-point conversion to give the second-seeded Bobcats a one-point lead with 1:02 left came up a yard short. St. Joseph held on for a 21-20 win at Rentschler Field.

Woodland boys swimming: After two straight runner-up finishes, Woodland captured the CIAC Class S state championship by edging Northwestern Regional. Leading by just one point in the final race of the meet, Woodland's 400-yard relay of Nolan Bernier, Arkadiusz Kuzebski, Ryan Iannone and Alex Weisenbacher came in second with a time of 3:21.30, edging Northwestern (3:21.42), who took third place.

Championship Moment — Girls Sports

Farmington volleyball: Rallied from a 2-0 deficit and down by eight points in the third set to repeat as CIAC Class L champions with win over Bristol Central.

Chase Gilbert, Old Lyme indoor track: Broke the State Open record in the 1600 meters at State Open in 4:44.68 to beat Brooke Strauss and Tess Sherry.

Mercy soccer: Molly Benson scored as time ran out to give No. 2 seed Mercy an exhilarating 2-1 victory and the Class LL title over top seed St. Joseph. Molly Benson had the original serve into the box that came to her older sister Kaylee, whose attempt ended up coming back to Molly, who kicked it into the goal and set off the wild Tigers’ celebration

Ridgefield girls swimming: Broke the state record in the final event of the meet , 400 freestyle relay, to clinch the CIAC State Open title. The relay team of Lily Archibald, Bridget Kelly, Ava Ward, and Keira Giles finished in 3:23.97.

Shepaug Valley field hockey: Won the CIAC Class S championship led by 22-year-old head coach Owen Moore, the older brother of the team's best player, Clare Moore

Inspiration Award

Alex Inyatkin, Windsor cross country/track: The senior has overcome Tuberous sclerosis complex and autism to excel as a runner and a musician. Born with benign tumors in his brain that were causing him to have up to 80 seizures a day, there was a chance Alex would never be able to walk or talk. After undergoing successful surgery at age 18 months, Alex defied those odds and, while still coping day to day with his autism, developed into a standout distance runner and an accomplished musician who has sung at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden.

Community Service Award

AJ Tornatore, Stamford lacrosse: Co-founded Stamford's BuildOn chapter, then raised funds to build a school in Malawi last summer, along with teaching kids in the African country how to play lacrosse.

Special Recognition Award

Tom Brockett, Ansonia football: Concluded an 18-year head coaching career, taking the already dominant program to new heights with eight state titles among 215 victories against just 18 losses. Brockett retired as the most efficient winner in state history with a .923 career percentage.

How College Basketball Reclaimed Its Crown as the Premier NBA Pipeline

How College Basketball Reclaimed Its Crown as the Premier NBA Pipeline

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There is an alternate reality -- one before the dawn of the name, image and likeness era in college basketball -- in which projected NBA draft lottery pick Egor Demin stayed in Spain the year before he declared for the draft to continue playing for the EuroLeague's Real Madrid. In this reality, though, he relocated to the United States -- to Provo, Utah, more than 5,000 miles away from his hometown of Moscow, Russia.

Friends and family needed convincing that the move to play for former NBA coach Kevin Young at BYU was the right decision to help Demin achieve his dreams of playing professionally in the United States. That task became even more difficult when he told them he had never seen the campus, and Demin told : "That was pretty wild for people to hear that I've committed to BYU without visiting it. My first time when I was there, it was pretty much when I moved over there."

But Young, a former assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns , had made Demin a compelling promise: If the 6-foot-9 guard came to play for the Cougars, he would grow in a system created to mimic the NBA -- one that would prepare him for the next level better than any other environment. (The $1 million-plus NIL package was compelling, too.)

By the end of a season that ended with BYU's first Sweet 16 run in more than a decade, Young had delivered on that promise.

"It's everything," Young told about how BYU emulates the professional ranks. "It's style of play. It's how we work out. It's who works them out. It's what they eat, who tells them what to eat. It's all those things that are giving him a head start, not just, 'Hey, our head coach was in the NBA.' It's an all-encompassing type of program."

The way BYU and other programs have modeled their operations after NBA teams, coupled with the lucrative NIL opportunities in college, has helped pave the way for a significant shift in the NBA development pipeline.

Between 2015 and 2022, an average of 12 of the top 14 lottery picks were college players, per Research. Yet the last two drafts featured a total of only 17 college players in the lottery. In 2023, when Victor Wembanyama went No. 1 to the San Antonio Spurs , five of the top seven picks came from international leagues, Overtime Elite or the now-defunct G League Ignite. Last year, four of the top six picks came through one of those developmental paths.

But this year, projects 12 college basketball players will be picked in the lottery, which would tie the second most since 2015, per Research. After a period in which college basketball had become almost an afterthought in NBA development, it seems to have reemerged at the top.

As the No. 13 pick in 's latest mock draft, Demin is a prime example of why. The slick guard's intangibles -- including a 6-foot-10¼ wingspan -- probably would have positioned him to earn a spot in the first round of the draft regardless of the path he'd chosen. But during BYU's Sweet 16 run, NBA executives and scouts had a chance to watch Demin lead an elite program on one of the sport's biggest stages.

"[College basketball is] a better adjustment to American basketball since the final goal is to be an NBA player for me," Demin said. "So [I knew] this transition would probably help me a lot. Obviously, we'll never know how it would be if I'd stayed in Europe or let's say, went back to Russia or whatever it is. But at the moment, I think it was a better, a more clear path.

"I would better adjust to American basketball, the physicality, how quick the game is, how fast people are and all that."

College basketball is once again king and, as such, has become the most desirable option for players with NBA aspirations.

"I would say being a young kid, you still want to have fun in college a little bit," said Dylan Mingo , an uncommitted five-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class with his eye on the 2027 NBA draft. "But really, [the appeal of college basketball is] just having the ability to be in the gym 24/7, going to class and just staying locked in."

As college basketball regains its perch in the draft's pecking order, it also offers a fascinating pool of talent mixed with one-and-done prospects, veterans and international players -- a rare combination in this era. Duke's Cooper Flagg (one-and-done), Colorado State's Nique Clifford (fifth-year senior) and BYU's Demin (international freshman) will all secure spots in the first round of the draft.

And in a midwestern town of 89,000, one college basketball program continues to pump out NBA prospects from each of those buckets.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has sent every type of prospect from Champaign to the NBA draft in recent years. Freshmen Kasparas Jakucionis from Lithuania and Will Riley are projected to go in the first round just a year after transfer Terrence Shannon Jr . was selected at No. 27 after an All-American season for the Fighting Illini. In 2021, former Illinois star Ayo Dosunmu was picked in the second round before signing a $21 million deal with the Chicago Bulls two years later.

That foursome all shared a similar trait.

"They're professionals," Underwood told . "They know how to work. They're very much mature. They didn't get wrapped up in anything else. I think the other thing that was extremely obvious was that they played to win. They're extremely, extremely competitive. I mean, all of those guys have a different level of competitive juice. Not for one second did those guys play for anything other than the ability to win."

For Underwood, NIL opportunities have helped his program identify and produce NBA talent. Although NIL is more complicated for international prospects, programs have found the loopholes to pay those athletes more than they would have made in Europe. It was a significant factor in the NBA's decision to end its G League Ignite program after the 2023-24 season as more prospects chose to go to college. Overtime Elite has moved its focus to high school players for the same reasons.

"Now these kids can go to college and get paid -- and most of these kids would prefer to go to college and play in March Madness and do these things, if all things are equal," one NBA agent said.

But there is another component that matters. "You can build culture in college," Underwood said. Experience in a program's culture helps NBA teams feel more comfortable about selecting players from the college ranks and is one of the reasons for the level's increasing edge over other developmental options.

"[Demin] was able to adapt to a different style of play while still being surrounded by people who respected his background and embraced his journey," Nikola Filipovich, Demin's agent, told . "I think that experience has hardened him and prepared him to thrive in any environment, and that's exactly what he'll face in the NBA.

"BYU didn't just teach him how to play in the U.S., but I think it also taught him how to live within the U.S."

College basketball's return to the top of the developmental hierarchy has also coincided with a change in the NBA: Pro teams often want more polished talent as the financial stakes rise and the pressure to win intensifies.

Joe Mazulla and Steve Kerr are the only NBA coaches who have won an NBA title since 2016 and are still with the same team. In the current climate, college teams with a proven track record can offer a stable path for prospects and a reliable source for NBA teams leery of picking the wrong player. That has opened the door for experienced, mature upperclassmen who were largely ignored throughout the one-and-done era.

Long before the start of that trend, Tennessee's Rick Barnes coached multiple NBA draft picks, including Kevin Durant during his time at Texas. For the can't-miss players, the process is simple, he said.

"Kevin Durant could have gone anywhere and been the No. 1 pick," Barnes said. "He should've been the No. 1 pick."

For others, the draft is more complicated. When NBA teams talk to Barnes about his players -- like 2024 lottery pick Dalton Knecht -- they express a confidence in the futures of college-produced prospects because they know the players have been challenged to consider the details that can make a significant difference in the NBA.

"We're still trying to teach them how to carry themselves," Barnes said. "We talk about during the timeout, when you're not in the game, where do you stand? There are [NBA] people up there in that scout box watching you right now. Are you engaged in the timeout? Are you wandering around? Are you looking up? Making eyes at your girlfriend? What are you doing?"

One Western Conference scout added that the allure of college players is "they've been coached right," he said. "It's about discipline. It's about being able to play with others first."

If the top programs in the country were trying to reach him in April, Darrion Williams ' phone was off. After a close loss to Florida in the Elite Eight, he withdrew from the NBA draft and entered the transfer portal -- then went to Europe with some of his Texas Tech teammates to get their minds off the season's ending.

"Some people might've called and I didn't answer and they stopped calling," he said.

Williams, a 6-foot-6 standout who earned all-Big 12 first-team honors last season, surprised many when he picked NC State over Kansas and other contenders. But Will Wade's approach emulated a professional team's makeup, Williams said. And he believed the Wolfpack's new coach could prepare him for the NBA better than any other program.

On a hot day in Raleigh earlier this month, Williams and his teammates lifted weights ahead of a group workout, because NBA teams operate that way, Wade said.

Andrew Slater, the program's general manager and chief strategist who has previously worked as a consultant and evaluation scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder , is charged with molding things into a professional operation. During the evaluation process, NBA teams told Williams he could be picked from late in the first round to early in the second round in this year's draft. They also told him he would have to become a better defender and more consistent shooter to play at the next level. Williams said he picked NC State in part because of Slater's experience in the NBA, adding he was impressed when Slater shared data on the statistical marks Williams would have to hit this season to earn that spot in the first round.

"I felt like if I used one more year and really honed in on everything and got with a coach like [Wade] and [strength coach Greg Goldin] in the weight room and burn on the court, I think I can solidify myself as a first-rounder and that's what I'm trying to do this year," Williams said.

A decade ago, Williams and other college veterans were afterthoughts at the height of the one-and-done days. The pursuit of youth does remain; the 12 freshmen projects in the top 14 would set a record for the most selected in the lottery era, per Research. But the league's new CBA agreement, which levies severe financial penalties on teams that overspend and offers an exemption to facilitate the signing of second-round talent, has created a bigger market for players who need more time to develop and more paths to the NBA.

"Teams are going to start saying, 'Well maybe we don't need three stars,'" one Eastern Conference scout said about the financial pressures of the current NBA. "Or they'll have three superstars and a bunch of minimum-salary players. That's why in college, now, they will take a senior. Five years ago, you would bring a senior to the table and they would say, 'Well, he's already 22.'"

It's worth noting that the bulk of this year's prospects won't come from college basketball's blue bloods. The collective of Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA might not have a first-round pick for the first time since 2004. The top prospects today are picking programs according to desired roles, systems and resources. They want a chance to win, stand out and work with a team that can prepare them for the next level. Many of the projected top picks in this year's draft played for colleges that had coaches or other staffers with NBA experience.

At Illinois, Jakucionis and Riley worked with assistant Zach Hamer, who was with the Los Angeles Lakers before he joined Underwood's program. Fellow projected first-round pick Asa Newell was elevated by Darryl Hardin, Georgia's director of player development who has trained NBA stars such as Indiana Pacers all-star Pascal Siakam . And potential top-seven pick Jeremiah Fears benefited from weight-room sessions with Ty Terrell, Oklahoma's director of strength and conditioning, a role similar to the ones he had with the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks .

Though college basketball could soon have a monopoly on American talent and an advantage over European teams with international players who have NBA hopes, the edge will belong to programs that operate like NBA teams. There is a belief that the next generation of prospects will not just hope for potential college suitors to have staff members with pro experience -- it will be a requirement.

"I do think the player development can improve," one NBA agent said. "I just think with the resources [college basketball programs] have and the money they have, I think the player development could improve a little bit. I think teams should be hiring guys with NBA experience."

At BYU, Young had everything Demin wanted to compete for a spot in the first round of this year's draft.

Immediately after being hired, Young shaped his team to mimic an NBA franchise. He brought on his brother as the general manager. He has multiple assistants who have coached in the NBA or G League. And he features an analytics staff.

Young didn't have the brand name to compete against some of the blue bloods in his first year with the Cougars, but he did have the explosive offensive system that would give Demin the chance to be a leader and a star.

"I think it's really hard to find a high-major program that's going to put the ball in a 19-year-old international player's hands and play them 30 minutes a night with the ball in his hands," said Young, who will coach projected 2026 No. 1 pick A.J. Dybantsa next season. "And so I think he was very drawn to that and he seized the opportunity."

After a recent NBA workout, Demin ended his day around midnight. Exhausted, he reflected on the journey to this moment, which included a midseason injury to go with the cultural and competitive adjustments to American basketball that culminated in leading his team to the Sweet 16 -- a run that proved Young, BYU and college basketball were the right choices for him, Demin said.

"[Young] is obviously one of the biggest reasons why I chose BYU," Demin said. "I was choosing BYU with the idea of who can prepare me for the NBA better than an NBA coach? And that makes a lot of sense to everybody. His ability to really find the right way to use players and to find me in the right actions, right positions, and right spots on the floor benefitted me extremely. And he taught me a lot of things that I hadn't known before going there. And it's not really about some exact skills or whatever, but just the overall understanding. He just brought me this NBA experience before I even got to the NBA."

Top 10 Takeaways from North Carolina's Girls Basketball Live Camps

Top 10 Takeaways from North Carolina's Girls Basketball Live Camps

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You may have heard the phrase "June is for high school basketball" more in the past couple of years. While it was always the month for team camps, the relatively new "live camp" period that allows college coaches to see a number of recruits in a scholastic environment.

Last week, HighSchoolOT went to one day of N.C. High School Athletic Association's live camp and one day of the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association's live camp.

Below are 10 takeaways after seeing many of the top programs and players from across the state.

1. Cherokee might be the best public school team in the state...

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I kinda felt bad. The Lady Braves only played one day in the NCHSAA live camp, and neither game they got that evening was remotely competitive (they won 88-41 and 73-20!). Maybe the schedule-makers didn't understand just how good Cherokee is, and gave them what you would expect to give a now-2A team. I think sometimes, over the past two years, people around the state got so distracted by how many Cherokee fans there are that showed up to back-to-back state championships that they neglected that this team can beat anybody in any class on any given night.

I don't think Cherokee got better from blowing out two teams who didn't have the guards to handle their endless full-court pressure, but it might be more important to note that they look like they've had no drop-off from a year ago. Lilly Lossiah inserts herelf into the lineup that only graduated one player, and Joscelyn Stamper can swing the ball to open shooters from the post. There are five freshmen, four of whom are younger sisters of a teammate, and while they won't start they are a lot better than most teams' second/third team subs.

And yet...

2. ...they will have new competition for the 2A title

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Look, anything can happen on a given night. If there's one team that I saw that had guards that could attack the rim and not get overwhelmed by all that Cherokee throws at you, it's Queen's Grant. The Lady Stallions went 22-5 last year with Misa Garris driving the bus and Za'Miya Bynum filling the gaps. They were blown out by Bishop McGuinness in the fourth round of last year's playoff, but Bishop was the only team in the state that had Cherokee on the ropes in the fourth quarter.

Now add a third guard, sophomore Janiyah Boyd from Monroe who averaged 32.0 points per game and was named HSOT second-team all-state last year. It's the second year in a row Queen's Grant got a big transfer (Garris came over last year from Garinger). Senior forward Casey Smith gives them a 5-foot-10 active player in the post to go to battle with Stamper and other bigs.

Speaking of transfers...

3. The offseason's biggest transfer is—

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Cooper Cox, a point guard who had Power Five offers as a freshman en route to HSOT honorable mention all-state honors is going from Wesleyan Christian — the NCISAA 4A runner-up — to three-time defending NCISAA champ Grace Christian of Sanford. Her court vision and passing are off the charts.

The Crusaders were already bringing back two first-team players in Jordan Speller (who was not with the team at this live camp but has been invited to take part in OTE, which wraps up in August) and Kyndoll English and losing Appalachian State recruit Isa Roman.

With Cox in the lineup, that means she helps Speller move off the ball and can keep the ball moving at the same clip it was a year ago.

Kennedy Jackson , a fifth-year senior, has also made the move from Wesleyan to Grace, which gives the Crusaders an incredible starting five (assuming for now that Aubriana Shojgreen rounds out the five).

4. More transfers and their impact

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Camri Hobbs , formerly of Jay M. Robinson, is now just across the county line at Mallard Creek. What this does for the Mavericks is make them the 8A favorite. She's been a point forward her whole career, and a two-time HSOT all-state pick, but this might help her move off the ball more.

Alani-Skye Wilkerson goes across town from Seventy-First to Terry Sanford, which means the Bulldogs have a little more size at the forward position.

Providence Day is getting back Jaida McClure , who spent last season in South Carolina. McClure was an all-state guard with the Chargers previously. As I'll state later on, this is a game-changer in the NCISAA.

Adaora Mogbo , formerly of Grace Christian of Sanford, is now at Holly Springs. An athletic post player who had a big game against Terry Sanford last year.

5. Names you should know (obvious edition)

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Stuart Cramer's Oshauana Holland was her usual outstanding self, scoring almost all of her team's 41 points against Cherokee (I would not be surprised if she had as many as 37). The Wake Forest recruit willed her team to the 3A runner-up finish last year, and earlier that day sh ewilled them to beating 4A West runner-up McDowell.

Yes, Marvin Ridge's Kate Schindler can shoot the rock. But she's no 3-and-D player, at least not at this level. She does everything else right too.

Dvdaya Swimmer still drives the bus for Cherokee. They have a lot of guards with similar skills, but no one matches her poise.

North Mecklenburg's Lenise Joseph is going from a true low-block monster to showing off her versatility. As if being a first-team HSOT all-state team selection as a sophomore wasn't enough!

Leena McField of Northern Guilford is still a polished all-around player with incredible basketball IQ and a green light from 3.

Hoggard's Tristan Shivers is the kind of player who checks every box but the measurables. So while she only has a D2 offer, she does everything else right. The game moves in slow motion for one of the state's best passers.

Lake Norman's Kelsey Rhyne doesn't feel like she's been in high school forever, but I feel that way sometimes considering my introduction to her was a flame-throwing freshman in the 4A championship game. The offense now runs through her, and the Navy recruit might be the NCHSAA record holder for career 3s very soon.

6. Players I like (that aren't as obvious)

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Hickory Ridge's Ma-Kaela Gidney does a little bit of everything from the point guard position and should be one of the best players in the 704 this year.

Knightdale's Ayomide Adewumi plays taller than her 6-foot frame. A true rim protector and rebound reaper.

There's something about a point guard who can't be sped up and makes the right decisions. That's Elizabeth Kirkland of Seventy-First.

Butler's Hannah Moss was all-state for us last year, but sometimes got lost in the shuffle behind some pretty good seniors. She's shouldering more of the load this year.

I know Green Hope's Lea Tomanska only averaged 4.9 points and 5.1 rebounds a game last year, but she's a 6-foot-5 sophomore who can run the court and plays tough. If her team can get her more touches, her productivity could take off.

Marvin Ridge will go as far as guard Haley Lenahan can take them. You know what you're getting each time from Schindler, so Lenahan's role becomes one they must have.Stanley

Anna Kate Chance of Hoggard is the perfect No. 2 option for the Vikings, who might be the 8A East favorite this upcoming year.

New Hanover's Brianna Stanley is a fiery 5-foot-5 guard who gets into the paint and shows no fear.

Claire Barber of Green Level is a shifty all-state player whose importance to the Gators was underscored in no time. With her, they defeated *. Without her, they lost *.

London Barber of Gates County is a bit of a "point forward" that the state would've heard more about had they not been upset in last year's playoffs by North Duplin.

Hunter Huss freshman S'Ryah McCorkle is a 6-foot post who absolutely "gets it" when it comes to working the glass.

7. The grind is going to be the toughest in 7A

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In most sports, the 7A class will be better than 8A next year, and perhaps beyond.

Think about this: in 8A you have at least Mallard Creek and Hoggard (Wakefield and Rolesville got hit hard by graduation).

In 7A you have, at minimum: Southeast Raleigh, South Garner, Overhills, Marvin Ridge, McDowell, North Mecklenburg , and Lake Norman.

Not only are those more teams, those are teams that could probably take down every 8A team with exception to Mallard Creek and Hoggard. Just getting to the East or West final will be hard enough.

8. Teams trending upward

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There are two teams left in 1A that won 20-plus games last year, and Neuse Charter was one of them. The Cougars bring back their top two scorers plus bring up freshman Ahnala Temple , who is already skilled beyond her years and has a scholarship offer from ECU. She and sister Lily Temple will make a backcourt that'll be hard for others to handle.

Overhills had arguably its best season in school history last season and things could be lining up for another step this year. The Jaguars have two downhill guards in Paris Autry and returning all-state player Najiha Allen that can turn a game on a dime if they get hot. Can they rebound and defend well enough to take out the 7A East competition?

A.C. Reynolds returns Tait Harvey from injury, so the Rockets have a chance in a wide-open 6A West.

South Garner was turning a corner last year when they got bounced by Chapel Hill in the playoffs. The Titans, however, were young and bring back almost everyone. They win the award for "team that looks the best walking off the bus" (for the record, usually this award has no bearing on on-court play, but last year I only went to the boys' NCHSAA live camp and gave that award in my mind to Ben L. Smith and Southern Durham... they played each other for the 3A title a few months later). The Titans are driven by Chloe Crawford but the towering forwards, Harleigh Clark and Calise Crawford , are game-changers. South Garner has five players listed as 6-foot or taller!

Southeast Raleigh doesn't have the height of South Garner, but the Bulldogs have a slew of guards who could be in for a breakout year. Dariyah Davis will have to take a step forward as a sophomore, plus Trinity Dunn and Korryn Davis will have to do the same as a junior.

9. The five best NCHSAA teams I saw

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DISCLAIMER: I only caught one half of one day, which equates to, a maximum, 32 teams. Some of those had more games on Saturday. Some teams who played on Friday played earlier and I didn't see them. So if someone blew people out of the water and I didn't see, it doesn't mean we don't know about them, it just means they can't be in the "teams I saw" portion.

• Let's start with Cherokee. Keep in mind this transitive property fun fact: they beat Stuart Cramer by 45, and Stuart Carmer beat 7A contender McDowell by seven.
• Southeast Alamance, by returning literally everyone, is hitting on cylinders most teams don't reach until January. Teams in 5A will have to catch up.
• Lake Norman may have lost seven seniors from an incredible four-year run, but I'd argue no NCHSAA team had a better first two off the bench than Kaiya Bond and Rayana Minard . Add that with the rising play of Finley Sherrill, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, and the Wildcats ain't going nowhere.
• North Mecklenburg already had Joseph in the post and Stephanie Mobley running point. Now enter Autumn Lacy , a freshman who already has D1 offers, and the Vikings produce some serious matchup problems.
• Mallard Creek is far from a finished product, which is to be expected with Hobbs coming on board. There are few teams that can match the talents of My'Asia Young , Kiara Anderson , and Hobbs on a night-in, night-out basis.
• Honorable mention: Terry Sanford, who is still Terry Sanford. They're good and have room to grow, and that's a good combo to work with for the summer.

10. The five best NCISAA teams I saw

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From where I sit, there was almost never a doubt how the NCISAA playoffs were going to work out last year. There was a considerable gap between Cannon School and Wesleyan Christian to everyone else in 4A and the same goes for Grace Christian of Sanford and Concord Academy in 3A.

I don't think the gap has narrowed, but I do think there are some teams that can move into that space.

Grace Christian's transfers make it at least as good as last year and don't forget Cannon School, which was not at the NCISAA live camp and was instead at an event in Georgia. The Cougars bring back four of five starters from the NCISAA 4A championship.

• Providence Day returning all-state player Ginny Anne Dumont and getting back McClure puts the Chargers and their grind-it-out style back into the 4A race.
• Concord Academy, meanwhile, looked improved from a year ago with all-state sophomore Justice Alexander taking another step forward in her game, Taylor Smith running point, Ava McDermott showing real defensive potential and 6-foot-3 Victorian Collins cleaning up in the post.
• Wesleyan Christian, despite some losses, has a pretty darn good backcourt with Sara Kate Carr and Blythe Cunningham .
• Forsyth Country Day is led by Lila Kelly — a junior wing worth the price of admission. She plays a little like another county player, the recently-graduated Adelaide Jernigan from Bishop McGuinness, but stronger. Gigi Lyons and Landry Tsuji give the Furies three dependable options, but depth will be an issue.
• North Raleigh Christian, led by Khloe Moye and Ja'rie Green , should win quite a few games.
• Honorable mention: The Burlington School went just 13-9 last year, but their big three of Alaiyah Mitchell , Kamryn Russell , and Kennedy Harrelson should be better this year.

If I had to rank all these teams and more, I would make them... known in tomorrow's way-too-early girls basketball statewide rankings.

See you then!

Top 10 Indomitable College Football Records

Top 10 Indomitable College Football Records

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In every sport, there are hallowed records, dubious records and records that are seemingly unbreakable.

College football has evolved greatly over the years -- everything from rules changes and style of play to the number of games in a season -- but there are some records and accomplishments that have stood the test of time.

Some good, some not so good.

We've examined the past 75 years in college football, tracing back to the 1950 season, and have ranked the 10 most "unbreakable" records in the sport, listing them in order of least likely to be topped. We also dug up some of the more obscure accomplishments (and failures) during that period.

Again, we're only considering play since 1950, so iconic records such as Tennessee going the entire 1939 regular season unbeaten, untied and unscored upon under then-Major Robert Neyland, or Georgia Tech's 222-point margin of victory over Cumberland in 1916 are not on our list.

Undoubtedly, you'll let us know if we missed anything.

1. Oklahoma's 47-game winning streak

When surveying the most dominant college football machines in history, the conversation begins and ends with the Bud Wilkinson-led Oklahoma teams of the 1950s. The Sooners bulldozed their way to 47 consecutive wins, a streak that began in 1953 and lasted most of five seasons, producing back-to-back national championships in 1955 and 1956. Oklahoma held its opponents to single digits in 35 of the 47 wins and recorded 22 shutouts.

Unranked Notre Dame, a 19-point underdog, ended the streak on Nov. 16, 1957, with a 7-0 victory in Norman. The Irish scored the winning touchdown inside the final four minutes on a fourth-and-goal play from the 3-yard line, then intercepted a pass in their own end zone in the final seconds to seal the upset, leaving the home crowd stunned. Many of the fans sat in the stands for nearly 30 minutes trying to process the unthinkable -- an OU loss.

Nearly 70 years later, nobody has come close to that streak. Toledo won 35 straight from 1969 to 1971. Miami (2000-02) and USC (2003-05) each won 34 in a row. Even those star-studded Georgia teams under Kirby Smart failed to seriously challenge the mark. The Bulldogs won 29 in a row during their run to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.

With the College Football Playoff era upon us and teams having to play as many as four postseason games to win the national title, not to mention conference championship games, it's difficult to imagine a team going what would amount to three straight seasons unscathed. This is a record teams will be chasing for a long time, maybe forever.

2. Barry Sanders' magical season

One of the most electrifying players in the history of the sport, Barry Sanders put up dizzying numbers in 1988, his junior season at Oklahoma State.

Yes, his single-season NCAA record of 2,628 rushing yards was challenged last season by Boise State's Ashton Jeanty (2,601 yards), but there's a catch. Sanders' total came in just 11 games, while Jeanty played in 14. What's more, bowl statistics didn't count when Sanders was playing, and he had an additional 222 yards against Wyoming in the Holiday Bowl. So if those yards are added, Sanders' total jumps to 2,850.

What seems untouchable is Sanders' NCAA record of 238.9 rushing yards per game. For perspective, Jeanty averaged 185.8 yards last season. In fact, only two other running backs in major college football history have averaged 200 rushing yards per game in a season, USC's Marcus Allen in 1981 (212.9) and Cornell's Ed Marinaro (209) in 1971. Sanders had four 300-yard games in 1988, and counting the bowl game, rushed for 43 touchdowns.

3. Florida State's top-5 finishes

For all the late Bobby Bowden accomplished during his Hall of Fame career, his remarkable consistency could be the most impressive thing. His Florida State teams finished in the top 5 of every final AP poll from 1987 to 2000, an amazing run no matter the era.

Bowden finished his legendary 34-year career at FSU with two national championships (and could have won a few more had it not been for those dreaded missed field goals against Miami), and more importantly, he put Florida State football on the map.

Think about it: Fourteen straight top-5 finishes. Pete Carroll had some dominant teams at USC, and the Trojans' longest streak was seven straight top-5 finishes (2002-08). The same is true for Oklahoma under Wilkinson (1952-58). And while Alabama won six national titles under Nick Saban, his longest run of top-5 seasons was five in a row (2014-18).

4. Oklahoma's wishbone onslaught

If an offense is rushing for more than 250 yards per game today (there were four in 2024), that's considered a punishing running attack. In 1971, with Barry Switzer as offensive coordinator, Oklahoma averaged a staggering 472.4 rushing yards per game.

The Sooners had installed the wishbone the year before, and nobody could slow them down. They averaged 45 points per game and lost only once, to eventual national champion Nebraska 35-31 in what was billed as the "Game of the Century." Even in that loss, Oklahoma rushed for 279 yards.

The last team to come within 50 yards of the Sooners' record was the 1987 Oklahoma team, which averaged 428.8 yards per game. No team in the past 30 years has reached even 400 yards. Even triple-option teams haven't come close. Army was first nationally in rushing last season, averaging 300.5 yards per game.

5. Throwing it to the wrong team

Not all records are enshrined in trophy cases. Florida quarterback John Reaves threw an NCAA-record nine interceptions (on 66 passing attempts) in a 38-12 loss to Auburn in 1969. Reaves was a prolific passer and put up better career numbers than Gators Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier, but Florida's only loss of the 1969 season was "one of those days."

When Reaves left Florida in 1971, he was college football's all-time leading passer with 7,549 yards, and he was selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Reaves died in 2017 at the age of 67. He joked years after that forgettable game that the "safeties were the only guys who were open that day." In this age of college football, any coach that kept a quarterback in a game long enough to throw nine interceptions probably would be looking for a new job the next week.

6. Derrick Thomas' sack parade

Derrick Thomas was a generational pass rusher. He once had seven sacks in an NFL game, which is still a record. As a senior linebacker at Alabama in 1988, Thomas gobbled up opposing quarterbacks at an astonishing rate, finishing with 27 sacks (39 tackles for loss) on his way to earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Thomas was unblockable that season, but you won't find his eye-popping numbers in the NCAA record book. At the time, sacks weren't an official NCAA statistic, meaning Arizona State's Terrell Suggs has the "official" NCAA sack record with 24 in 2002. While defenders play more games now (Thomas played in 11 games in 1988), no FBS player has reached the 20-sack plateau in the past 20 years. Last season, the FBS sack leader was Marshall's Mike Green with 17.

Thomas, who finished with 52 career sacks at Alabama, played 11 seasons in the NFL, all with the Kansas City Chiefs. He died in 2000 at the age of 33 following a car accident.

7. Hat trick for Antonio Perkins

If a player returns one kick for a touchdown in a game, he's probably not going to get a chance to return another one. And if he returns two, the only way he's going to touch the ball again is after it goes out of bounds. But three punt returns for a touchdown?

Perkins did the unfathomable in 2003 when he became the first player in NCAA history to score on three returns in a game, going 84, 74 and 65 yards, in Oklahoma's 59-24 rout of UCLA in Norman. So, yes, a valid question is: Why in the name of Boomer Sooner did the Bruins keep kicking to him? Perkins' final touchdown came with 2:39 to play in the game.

Perkins also broke the NCAA record for punt return yards (277), a mark previously held by the late Golden Richards, who had 219 punt return yards in 1971 against North Texas while playing for BYU. Perkins, a cornerback for Bob Stoops' OU teams, finished his college career with eight punt returns for touchdowns.

8. Marcus Allen's amazing run

After coming to USC as a defensive back and playing some as a fullback early in his career, Marcus Allen did things in his 1981 senior year that not even Sanders accomplished in his record-setting 1988 season.

For starters, Allen rushed for more than 200 yards in eight of 11 games (Sanders had seven 200-yard games in '88) and finished with 2,342 yards on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. But what really jumps out is that Allen started the season with five straight 200-yard games, a streak that seems surreal 44 years later.

In many ways, Allen is the most accomplished football player ever. He's the only player to win a national championship, Heisman Trophy, Super Bowl championship, Super Bowl MVP award and NFL MVP award, a distinction that may never be duplicated. He's also both a Pro Football and College Football Hall of Famer.

9. Patrick Mahomes' wizardry

Before he started collecting Super Bowl rings with the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes played a starring role in one of the wildest shootouts in college football history. Oklahoma and Baker Mayfield outlasted Texas Tech and Mahomes 66-59 in 2016, an offensive smorgasbord that produced one record after another.

Playing through a separated throwing shoulder and fractured left wrist he suffered in the first half, Mahomes set an FBS record with 819 yards of total offense. He completed 52 of 88 passes for 734 yards and five touchdowns and also rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns.

Mayfield, who had transferred from Texas Tech to Oklahoma, had the "lesser" of the stats between the two future NFL quarterbacks that day. He threw for only 545 yards and seven touchdowns -- but got the win. The teams combined for an FBS-record 1,708 yards of offense. "To have both those guys play the way they did ... We'll never see it again, I don't think," said Kliff Kingsbury, who was Texas Tech's head coach that season.

10. No upsetting Nick Saban

Nick Saban won a slew of games against nationally ranked teams during his career, 104 to be exact, but his streak of beating the teams he was supposed to beat during his 17 seasons at Alabama was unmatched. The Crimson Tide won 100 consecutive games against unranked foes under Saban and went 14 years without losing a game to an unranked opponent, a streak that was snapped by a 41-38 loss to 19-point underdog Texas A&M on Oct. 9, 2021 with a walk-off 28-yard field goal by the Aggies' Seth Small. It was the longest such streak in the AP poll era, and Saban was 123-4 overall at Alabama against unranked teams.

The A&M game also marked the first time one of Saban's former assistants (Jimbo Fisher) had beaten him. Saban had been 24-0 against former assistants.

Saban had not lost to an unranked team since his first season at Alabama in 2007, when Louisiana-Monroe upset the Tide 21-14 in Tuscaloosa. The next closest winning streak against unranked teams in the AP poll era (since 1936) is 73 by Florida from 1990 to 2000 under Steve Spurrier. Miami won 72 in a row from 1985 to 1995.

Now that we've ranked the top 10, here are some honorable (and dishonorable) mentions:

• Florida has scored in 461 straight games , the longest active streak and the longest in FBS history. The last time the Gators were shut out in a game was on Oct. 29, 1988, a 16-0 loss to Auburn. A distant second is TCU, which has scored in 407 straight games.

• Houston quarterback Andre Ware passed for 517 yards and six touchdowns -- all in the first half before sitting out the rest of the game -- in a 95-21 battering of NCAA probation-beleaguered SMU in 1989 in the Astrodome. Houston finished with an NCAA-record 1,021 yards of offense. The Mustangs were coming off a two-year NCAA "death penalty" for violating rules and more than half their starters were freshmen. SMU coach Forrest Gregg was furious afterward about Houston running up the score and called it a "sad day for college football." Houston also was on probation that season and wasn't allowed to play in a bowl game or appear on live television, but Ware still won the Heisman Trophy.

• Michigan's Mike Hart had 1,005 consecutive rushing attempts without a losing a fumble from 2004 to 2008. Two of his three career lost fumbles came in his last game, the Capital One Bowl against Florida, which the Wolverines won 41-35.

• Nebraska has sold out every home football game at Memorial Stadium dating back to Nov. 3, 1962 , a streak of 403 straight games. The Huskers have suffered through some lean times over the past decade, and while packed stadiums and sellouts aren't necessarily the same thing, every ticket available to the public has been sold for 60-plus years. Admittedly, Nebraska has been forced to get creative to keep the streak alive, with corporations and donors buying up unused tickets at discount prices. But still... 403 straight sellouts!

• Alabama won a record 27 straight games against SEC opponents from 1976 to 1980 , a streak that ended with a 6-3 loss to Mississippi State in Jackson, Mississippi on Nov. 1, 1980. That setback to the Bulldogs was the only loss to an SEC opponent Alabama captains Major Ogilvie and Randy Scott had their entire college careers. The Crimson Tide's average margin of victory in the streak was 21.6 points, and only three times in 27 games did their opponent score more than 20. Florida won 25 straight against SEC foes under Spurrier from 1994 to 1997.

• East Carolina's Dominique Davis completed 36 consecutive passes in 2011 , completing his last 10 against Memphis and his first 26 the following week against Navy. That broke Aaron Rodgers' record of 26 in a row in 2004 when Rodgers was at Cal.

• Georgia had an NCAA-record 13 turnovers in a 48-6 loss to rival Georgia Tech and Bobby Dodd in 1951. Zeke Bratkowski threw eight interceptions (in 35 attempts) and the Bulldogs lost five fumbles. Bratkowski still holds the SEC record for career interceptions (68), but as a second-year starter in 1952, he led the nation in passing and earned All-America honors before going on to play for the Green Bay Packers following the 1953 season.

• With Chris Klieman in his third season as coach, North Dakota State allowed just three punt returns in 14 games for a net total of zero yards in 2016 . Of North Dakota State's 61 punts that season, 37 were fair catches.

• Northwestern lost 34 straight games from 1979 to 1982 . The closest any school has come to that futility is New Mexico State dropping 27 in a row from 1988 to 1990.

• Vanderbilt went the entire season in 1993 without a single touchdown pass , the last FBS team to do so. The Commodores' only SEC win that season was 12-7 over Kentucky. They ran the I-bone option offense under Gerry DiNardo and attempted 157 passes with no touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Three different quarterbacks played that season, and the Commodores attempted a total of 17 passes in their four wins.

• Wake Forest's Nick Sciba holds the NCAA record with 34 consecutive made field goals in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He made his first 23 attempts in 2019 before missing from 48 yards in the regular-season finale against Syracuse.

• With 6,405 yards in 54 games, San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey broke Ron Dayne's NCAA career rushing record in 2016. Dayne had 6,397 in 43 games at Wisconsin. It's hard to imagine a player putting up those numbers -- and taking the beating a running back does -- and staying four years in the current climate of college football to make a run at Pumphrey's record.

LSU Baseball Dominates UCLA in College World Series, Seals 2-0 Start

LSU Baseball Dominates UCLA in College World Series, Seals 2-0 Start

8:38 AM   

LSU baseball and UCLA managed to play three innings on Monday night before the weather had other plans. After a two-hour rain delay, the game was suspended until Tuesday morning.

After picking up in the top of the fourth, LSU finished the job for a 9-5 win.

On Monday, LSU starter Anthony Eyanson found himself in trouble in the first, allowing three runs on four hits. But the LSU lineup had an answer.

The Tigers scored four runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a three-run home run from Jared Jones. The LSU first basemen muscled the ball just barely over the right field wall.

Eyanson settled in, pitching a scoreless second and third inning. LSU added another run in the bottom of the third when Luis Hernandez poked an RBI single into center field.

When the game resumed on Tuesday, Jay Johnson went to Casan Evans, LSU's clear No. 3 arm. Evans delivered, pitching 4 1/3 innings, striking out five, and allowing just two runs. Evans allowed four hits, but didn't issue a walk.

On offense, LSU picked up where it left off, scoring two runs in the fourth. The Tigers added insurance late in the game to give the bullpen breathing room.

Here is LSU Wire's live blog from the contest:

Notes on Casan Evans performance

• Evans pitched 4 2/3 innings and limited UCLA to two earned runs.
• Evans struck out five without issuing a walk. He threw 68 pitches; 46 were strikes.
• In 11 2/3 innings this postseason, Evans has allowed three earned runs with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 18/3. The freshman has proven ready for the big moment and is an emerging star in college baseball.

LSU gets the win

Chase Shores finished the deal and LSU beat UCLA, 9-5, to earn the all-important 2-0 College World Series start.

LSU three outs away from a win

After adding a run in the eighth inning, LSU leads 9-5 as we head to the top of the ninth. Three more outs and this one is over.

LSU adds insurance

Jared Jones drives in Ethan Frey to give LSU an insurance run. The Tigers lead 9-5.

LSU has rally going

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, LSU has runners at the corners. UCLA closer Easton Hawk is in the game.

Shores ends the inning

All it took was one pitch. Chase Shores induced a grounder to short, Milam flipped for the force at second, and the inning was over.

LSU leads 8-5 as we move to the bottom of the eighth.

Chase Shores enters the game

Jay Johnson has seen enough of Cooper Williams. Chase Shores is entering the game and it will be on the big righty to get LSU out of a bases-loaded jam.

UCLA tacks on another run

A UCLA infield single scores another run, and LSU's lead is cut to three.

The bases are loaded in the top of the eighth inning, and the go-ahead run is at the plate.

LSU gets an out, but UCLA adds a run

A bases-loaded grounder to second scored a run. LSU's lead was cut to 8-4.

The Bruins have runners at the corners with two out.

UCLA loads the bases

UCLA has loaded the bases in the top of the eighth. It's 8-3 Tigers.

Cooper Williams comes in

Williams enters the game with one out and runners on first and second.

Evans pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He gave up four hits.

Bullpen action starts for LSU

Cooper Williams and Chase Shores are warming in the LSU bullpen. Evans remained in the game to start the eighth inning. UCLA has a runner on second base with one out.

LSU leads by five after seven

Dickinson's RBI single makes the score 8-3 heading into the eighth inning. A groundout ended the inning and stranded him at first.

Dickinson comes through

With two outs and Jones at third base, Daniel Dickinson blooped an RBI single into shallow right field, making the score 8-3 in favor of LSU.

Bruins make pitching change

After issuing a walk to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, Ian May was lifted from the game. Right-handed pitcher Jack O'Connor is in with no outs and Jared Jones on first base.

UCLA goes scoreless again

Evans produced two strikeouts and a groundout to keep the Bruins off the score board in the top of the seventh, despite allowing a single with one out.

UCLA lost its last remaining challenge in the frame. The Bruins challenged that Phoenix Call was hit by a pitch but the original call of a ball was upheld.

Tigers threaten but don't score

Chris Stanfield singled and Derek Curiel was hit by a pitch, but LSU couldn’t take advantage. It’s still 7-3 Tigers.

Casan Evans is rolling

LSU couldn’t plate any more in the bottom of the fifth, but Casan Evans continued to roll in the sixth inning.

Evans allowed a single in the sixth, but a double play ended the inning. LSU leads 7-3 as we move to the bottom of the sixth inning.

Another blank frame for Evans

Evans works a scoreless fifth. LSU leads 7-3 coming up to bat in the bottom half. LSU is getting just what it expected from the true freshman pitcher thus far.

Jared Jones grounds out to end inning

With a 3-0 count and runners at the corners, Jared Jones grounded out to end the inning. LSU leads 7-3 as we head to the fifth.

UCLA makes pitching change

Wylan Moss’s day is done. Cal Randal enters the game for the Bruins. LSU has runners at the corners with two out. Jared Jones is at the plate.

Jake Brown keeps it going

LSU continues to be clutch with two out RBIs. It’s 7-3 Tigers after Jake Brown lined a single to right and drove in Ethan Frey.

Steven Milam adds to LSU’s lead

Steven Milam comes through again. A RBI single in the fourth inning puts LSU up 6-3, scoring Derek Curiel.

Wylan Moss on to pitch for UCLA

The Bruins are going with Wylan Moss on the mound. Moss is one of UCLA’s top bullpen arms with a 2.64 ERA on the year.

Evans throws scoreless fourth

UCLA notched a two out single, but Evans kept UCLA off the board in the fourth. LSU leads 5-3 as we head to the bottom of the inning.

Jaden Noot also getting active

Evans is not the only LSU pitcher warming up. Jaden Noot is also throwing.

Casan Evans throwing in the pen

Casan Evans is throwing in the LSU bullpen. Looks like Jay Johnson is going with his top reliever to start this one off.

LSU going with different uniforms

LSU is switching up the uniforms, now rocking the white uniforms.

What are LSU’s pitching options this morning?

With Anthony Eyanson out of the picture, LSU head coach Jay Johnson has some choices to make.

The entire pen is available, including Casan Evans. Evans is LSU’s third best pitcher and the Tigers might want him available to start vs. Arkansas if the Tigers lose to UCLA. But if Johnson is doing whatever it takes to beat UCLA to avoid the double-header, expect to see Evans at some point on Tuesday morning.

Chase Shores is available too. He was inconsistent as a starter in 2025, but his stuff has been promising in the postseason. He can give LSU some length.

Don’t be surprised if Zac Cowan or Cooper Williams see action, either. LSU will need all hands on deck to finish this one.

TV Channel update

When LSU baseball and UCLA resume play, the game will be on ESPN2.

Update: Game to resume on Tuesday

The College World Series announced LSU baseball vs. UCLA will resume at 10:03 a.m. CT on Tuesday.

Anthony Eyanson's day is likely done

Given the length of this delay, it's fair to assume LSU pitcher Anthony Eyanson would not return if this game were to resume tonight.

Could a double-header be played on Tuesday?

If the game can't be resumed on Monday night, the eventual loser could be forced to play 17 innings on Tuesday. The completion of this game and an elimination game later in the day.

Latest from The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel's latest forecast for Omaha, NE says, "storms continuing through 11 PM. A few storms may be severe."

The chance of rain is above 85% throughout the next two hours.

What’s happened so far?

With the game in a weather delay, lets revisit what’s happened so far.

• UCLA tacks on three runs in the first. The Bruins were putting the ball in play and showcased some two-out hitting.
• LSU responds in the bottom of the first, taking the lead on a three-run homer off Jared Jones’ bat.
• LSU tacked on another run in the bottom of the third.
• Through three innings, LSU holds a 5-3 lead.

Game remains delayed

It’s 8:46 p.m. CT and weather continues to move through Omaha. Still no word on the status of the game.

Will this game be played tonight?

LSU vs. UCLA will have to resume by 11:00 p.m. CT or this game will end up being played on Tuesday.

Weather could disrupt LSU pitching plans

LSU starter Anthony Eyanson was rolling after a rough first. A long weather delay potentially brings his night to an early end. If Eyanson isn’t able to resume the game, the pressure is on LSU’s bullpen to get the job done.

It makes winning this all that more important. If LSU wins, the Tigers have an entire day to rest the bullpen before playing on Wednesday. A loss, and LSU is forced to play a back-to-back on Tuesday, further taxing the pen.

LSU baseball vs UCLA enters weather delay

Just before the top of the fourth inning, the game entered a weather delay.

Luis Hernandez delivers RBI single

With two outs, LSU catcher Luis Hernandez found the hole for an RBI single. LSU leads 5-3 in the bottom of the third.

LSU has runners on first and second. John Pearson is in the game as a pinch hitter.

UCLA makes pitching change

Chris Grothues is on to pitch for UCLA. He has a 4.94 ERA in 19 appearances. He's not a strikeout pitcher, but does a good job at keeping the ball in the park and opponents are hitting just .211 vs the lefty.

LSU has runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the third.

Eyanson tosses another scoreless inning

Eyanson kept UCLA off the board in the third and it's 4-3 LSU as we head to the bottom of the inning.

Through three innings, Eyanson has yet to allow a walk. He's thrown 44 pitches; 32 of them strikes.

Eyanson answers with scoreless second

Eyanson issued a hit by pitch, but responded with a scoreless second inning. Eyanson struck out Roch Cholowsky for his first strikeout of the night. We head to the bottom of the second with LSU leading 4-3.

LSU leads 4-3 after first inning

Both offenses went to work in the first inning, but LSU leaves with a narrow lead. A three-run home run from Jared Jones is the early highlight.

Jared Jones his a three-run homer

It barely got out, but Jared Jones put one over the field in right fence for a three-run home run. LSU leads 4-3.

That's just what LSU needed from Jones after the slugger went 0-5 vs. Arkansas.

Jake Brown puts LSU on the board

Jake Brown ripped a single into center field, scoring Ethan Frey. UCLA's lead is 3-1. LSU has runners on the corner with one out.

LSU has rally going in the first

Curiel grounded out to start the game, but Ethan Frey gave LSU its first hit of the night with a single to center field. Then Steven Milam doubled down the right field line. LSU has runners on the corners with one out.

LSU gets out of the inning

It was a rough first inning for starter Anthony Eyanson. The Bruins scored three runs on four hits. Two of UCLA's key hits came with two strikes in the count. The Tigers are down 3-0 as we head to the bottom of the first.

Eyanson was commanding the ball; 18 of 23 pitches were strikes. But UCLA was finding contact.

UCLA leads 3-0

A soft hit ball back to Eyanson was enough to score another run.

UCLA adds a run

An infield single from AJ Salgado scores another run. UCLA leads 2-0 with runners on the corners and one out.

UCLA gets on the board

The Bruins cash in with an RBI double from Roman Martin. UCLA leads 1-0 in the top of the first.

The Bruins have runners on second and third with one out.

UCLA has rally going in the first

With just one out, UCLA has runners on first and second in the top of the first.

Weather Report

As the game is underway, there's some weather to keep an eye on. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect in Omaha.

Storms are possible around 7:30 p.m. CT. The chance of thunderstorms in the 9 p.m. hour is 91%, according to The Weather Channel.

LSU baseball vs UCLA Bruins game time today

• Date: Monday, June 16
• Start time: 6 p.m. CT

The LSU baseball vs UCLA game starts at 6 p.m. CT from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

What TV channel is LSU baseball vs UCLA on today?

TV Channel: ESPN

Livestream: Fubo (free trial) or ESPN+ (Subscriber Only)

LSU baseball vs UCLA will be broadcast nationally on ESPN in the 2025 College World Series. Streaming options for the game include FUBO , which offers a free trial to new subscribers .

LSU batting order: Curiel back at leadoff, Brown in lineup

Derek Curiel is back in the leadoff spot as LSU faces a righty. Jake Brown gets the start in right field and hits cleanup. Tanner Reaves hits seventh and starts at third.

Daniel Dickinson is near the bottom of the order, hitting eighth.

UCLA Lineup: Names to know

• Shortstop Roch Cholowsky hits No. 2 for the Bruins. He leads UCLA with 23 home runs and 74 RBI.
• Left fielder Dean West hits leadoff. West doesn't carry much power, but he leads the team in walks and is a threat to run on the base paths.
• Batting fifth is right fielder AJ Salgado. He's prone to strikeouts, but is a home run threat with a .590 slugging percentage.

On Tanner Reaves getting the start at third base

Tanner Reaves, a junior college transfer, is getting the start for LSU at third base. We've seen Jay Johnson turn to Reaves vs righties with the struggles of usual third basemen Michael Braswell. In 64 ABs, Reaves has three home runs and three doubles. He's hitting .266 with a .453 slugging. Reaves is yet to record a hit in the postseason, but LSU will hope his luck flips on Monday.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Play by Play: LSU baseball beats UCLA in College World Series to get critical 2-0 start