NCAA

Memphis hoops coach Penny Hardaway says he's devastated by Young Dolph's murder -- explaining in an emotional video message Thursday he's hurting badly over the rapper's death.

"A guy that came from Memphis, 901 born, in the city all the time, giving back to his community," Hardaway said ... "to get murdered like that, it just doesn't sit well with me, man."

Dolph was killed inside of a local cookie shop in Memphis on Wednesday ... just minutes before he was set to give away Thanksgiving dinners in his old neighborhood.

Hardaway -- who was born in Memphis and has coached men's basketball at the university since 2018 -- is clearly angered by it all ... and flat-out floored this could happen in his hometown.

"We have to do better," Hardaway said. "This is a guy that was coming back to give back to his community."

"I just don't get it," he continued. "My condolences, my prayers, but we just as a people just have to do better."

No word yet on if Hardaway's program is planning to honor the slain 36-year-old at an upcoming game -- we've reached out to the school for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Sorry, LSU fans, Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker is putting the rumors about his future to rest ... saying he's fully intending to stay a Spartan moving forward.

Tucker is considered one of the hottest coaches in college football -- he's earned a 9-1 record so far in 2021, with his name popping up as a candidate to take over for huge programs.

But, the 49-year-old coach joined Warriors star Draymond Green -- a Michigan State alum -- on his new show via the Volume ... and reassured MSU fans that he's not going anywhere.

"I came here and made it clear in my initial press conference that Michigan State was a destination job and not a stepping stone," Tucker said.

Tucker -- a Cleveland native -- also said his familiarity with the Big 10 Conference landscape and the close, personal ties his wife and family have to the region played a role in wanting to continue to call East Lansing home for the foreseeable future.

He then went on to reflect on why MSU was such a special place to him ... saying "This is where I started my career here in 1997 as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban."

Of course, Mel has been the center of conversation this week ... after a report surfaced that MSU was reportedly working on a historic, 10-year, $95 million contract in an effort to keep Tucker on board.

Mike Krzyzewski is clearly upset over his grandson's weekend arrest ... 'cause the Duke coach told reporters Tuesday he considers it a "violation of our standards."

The 74-year-old -- who's in his final season as the Blue Devils' head man -- spoke for the first time publicly about Michael Savarino's Sunday arrest ... and he promised he and his team will "handle that."

Unclear what any sort of punishment will be -- but it should be noted, Savarino, who's been playing for Coach K since 2019, was not spotted at Duke's game Tuesday against Gardner-Webb.

"We're already handling it," the coach said after beating Gardner-Webb, 92-52. "But, it's a violation of our standards. That's it."

As we previously reported, Savarino was arrested after cops say he showed signs of impairment during a routine traffic stop Sunday at around 1:10 a.m.

Authorities say the 20-year-old blew a .08 while in custody ... and was ultimately hit with three charges, including DWI.

His passenger, Duke star Paolo Banchero, was also hit with an aiding and abetting charge over the incident ... but unlike Savarino, Coach K allowed Banchero to start Tuesday.

The freshman forward played 26 minutes in the win, scoring 10 points.

"It's two different situations," Coach K said of why he started Banchero but sidelined Savarino. "Two entirely different situations. Headlines might make it look like it's the same -- it's not."

Krzyzewski added, "The decisions we made are in conjunction with our authorities -- our superiors. We're taking action. We took action and we will continue to take action."

Mike Krzyzewski's grandson -- a member of the Duke U basketball team -- was busted for DWI early Sunday morning ... along with his future NBA star teammate, Paolo Banchero, who was also cited for aiding and abetting.

TMZ Sports has confirmed that 20-year-old Michael Savarino was pulled over by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol around 1:10 AM in Orange County, NC ... after cops say he blew a stop sign.

During the traffic stop, police say Savarino -- whose mom is Coach K's oldest daughter -- showed signs of impairment ... so he was arrested.

While in custody, Savarino blew a .08 BAC, cops say.

Savarino was ultimately charged with Driving While Intoxicated and released. He also received a ticket for failing to stop at the stop sign.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Banchero -- a projected top 5 pick in next year's NBA Draft -- was a passenger in the car.

He was cited for Aiding and Abetting DWI.

It's unclear what exactly cops allege Paolo did to aid and abet.

Coach K -- coaching his last season at Duke before retiring -- addressed the incident involving his grandson and star player.

"We are reviewing a legal matter involving two members of the men's basketball team, Any further actions as a result of this situation will ultimately be determined by the Vice President/Director of Athletics and University officials."

Both men were scheduled to play in #7 ranked Duke's game Tuesday night against Gardner-Webb at Cameron Indoor ... but their status is now unclear.

Jim Hayford -- Seattle University's men's basketball coach -- has resigned from his position ... after he allegedly used the n-word on multiple occasions.

Hayford was initially placed on administrative leave last week ... after Stadium Basketball Insider Jeff Goodman reported that the coach had used the racial slur during a scrimmage.

According to the report, Hayford -- who is white -- said the n-word last Thursday after a player had used it.

Goodman reports this was not the first time Hayford had been accused of using the term around his team.

Hayford reportedly apologized to his squad over it all on Nov. 6, but according to Goodman, some players refused to accept the mea culpa, and ultimately vowed to never play for him again.

Seattle U's Athletic Director, Shaney Fink, issued a statement Thursday announcing Hayford's resignation, saying, "It is clear to me that coach Hayford is no longer able to effectively lead this team."

"The top priority within the Athletic Department is, and always will be, to support the wellbeing and success of our student athletes -- in and out of the classroom and in their chosen sport."

Fink continued, "We are committed to advancing an athletic community that is inclusively excellent. We will take additional steps to ensure any concerns within the program are addressed and that all our student athletes are seen, heard, and supported."

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is going to bat for Bo Davis after he aggressively cussed players out over a bad loss this weekend ... praising the d-line coach's passion as a positive moment.

As we previously reported, Davis was heard calling players "motherf***ers" on the team bus after losing 30-7 loss to Iowa State on Saturday ... going in on the athletes for seemingly not taking the beating seriously.

The clip has been polarizing -- some say Davis crossed a line, while others defend the coach for giving a damn deep in an underwhelming season.

Sark made his stance clear with reporters on Thursday ... defending his staffer and also criticizing the player who leaked the audio.

"I think one thing that jumped out to me when I first saw the video was, one, you could hear the passion in Bo's voice," Sark said. "We really believe in the staff that we hired and what we came here to do."

"I think you could feel the passion and the want to get it done. I think that Bo exemplifies that."

As for the player seemingly trying to expose the coach's behavior in a negative light, Sark claims that does not reflect the entire reaction from the team.

John Richardson clearly has both the clutch gene AND the celebration gene ... 'cause after the NIU kicker booted a game-winning field goal Wednesday -- he lost his mind on the field!!

The hilarious scene all went down at the end of the Huskies' game against Ball State ... when Richardson was called upon to help NIU win with just seconds remaining in the nail-biting contest.

The Huskies found themselves trailing the Cards, 29-27, with just 3 seconds left -- but Richardson nailed a 32-yard field goal as time expired to secure the victory.

And, the dude partied HARD to celebrate it all!!!

Richardson was so hyped by his kick, he ran to the opposing team's sideline ... forcing his teammates to run after him so they could be included in the fun.

Once Richardson regained his composure ... he ran back onto the field -- with his teammates still in pursuit of him -- and could be seen pointing to his left arm as if to say he had "ice in his veins."

Was it over the top? Probably, but John certainly earned the right to do it ... he connected on all three of his field goal attempts during the game and was successful on all of his three PATs as well.

University of Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis unleashed a passionate and profane rant on a bus full of players after a game this past weekend ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

51-year-old Davis -- who has been a part of 3 national championship-winning programs -- was absolutely fed up after the Longhorns lost 30-7 to Iowa State on Saturday ... apparently reaming the athletes for not taking the beating seriously.

Here's the part that was posted on Twitter, although it's unclear how long the rant lasted:

"S***'s real!" Davis says on the video. "Some of you motherf***ers need to get in the transfer portal! You wanna go? Get in the motherf***er! This s*** ain't a game to me! If you think it's a game, get the f*** off of this bus!"

There's more -- "I got my ass kicked and you motherf***ers wanna laugh?!? S***'s f***in' real! You think it's a goddamn joke?!?"

"And, some of you motherf***ers do transfer out this motherf***er because I'm tired of this s***! This s***'s goddamn real! And, we wanna laugh and joke?!? F*** that!"

The video has social media torn -- some say it's over the top and inappropriate, and others say it shows an enthusiastic coach trying to rally his team together after a bad loss.

Quandre Diggs -- who played for the Longhorns from 2011-14 -- reacted on Twitter ... saying, "whoever recorded the video of Coach Bo need to be gone plain and simple" ... but did not comment on the context of the clip.

UCLA is vowing to take disciplinary action against Bruins defensive lineman Jay Toia ... after the 6'3", 325-pounder was captured on video threatening to slap a woman on an elevator last weekend.

The video made rounds earlier this week ... appearing to show the freshman approach an elevator on campus full of students he thought were from USC.

Toia -- donning a UCLA hoodie -- had to be held back by his friends as he goes on an expletive-filled rant threatening to hurt any USC student.

One girl tries to clear the air, saying "we go to Santa Barbara! Nobody's a Trojan! We go to USCB!"

Toia still goes off ... yelling, "you a f***ing Trojan n****! I'll slap a b****, too! I'll slap a b****!"

Worth noting -- the 4-star recruit signed with the Trojans back in Dec. 2020 ... before transferring to UCLA this June. He was the 21st ranked defensive tackle in his class and had offers from Arizona, Cal, Michigan, Nebraska and more.

UCLA's athletic director, Martin Jarmond, and football head coach, Chip Kelly, released a statement saying they saw the clip and Toia will be disciplined.

"We're aware of a recent video in which a student-athlete made disparaging remarks. This was inappropriate and not in line with our values and expectations."

"As such, we are taking disciplinary action and working with campus partners to assist with educations for the student."

Toia already lost an NIL deal with college apparel company Campus Mogul due to the video ... but has been practicing with the team all week.

Tua Tagovailoa -- who won a national championship alongside Henry Ruggs at Alabama -- choked back tears as he addressed his ex-teammate's fatal DUI arrest after practice Wednesday ... saying, "You’d never think that this guy could hurt a soul."

The Miami Dolphins quarterback appeared emotional and upset over the tragedy ... sharing his condolences to those close to the 23-year-old woman who died as a result of the crash.

"That’s tough," Tua told reporters. "My heart goes out to the families affected by what happened, the choices and decisions."

"My heart goes out to Henry, too, and his family. Obviously, it wasn't the right choice or decision he made at that time. I know he'd wish he could have it back."

He added ... "When I heard the news, that was tough for me to hear, just knowing the kind of person that Henry is ... I'm still kind of in disbelief."

Tua and Ruggs were very close in Tuscaloosa from 2017-19 and have remained tight as pros in the NFL ... and it's clear he's been hit hard by the news.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- officials say Ruggs was driving 156 miles per hour just seconds before the accident ... and had a BAC of .161.

The Las Vegas Raiders released Ruggs shortly after the crash ... and he could be facing serious time behind bars.

Master P has a message for the haters who think Dwyane Wade got his son, Zaire, a spot in the G League ... telling TMZ Sports, "Life ain't fair."

As we previously reported, the former Sierra Canyon standout joined the Salt Lake City Stars earlier this month ... which just so happens to be the affiliate for the Utah Jazz, of which D-Wade is part owner.

We spoke with MP about Zaire's opportunity while at LAX this week ... and he brings the truth.

"When you look at it, it's a blessing," P said. "His dad knows the business. He played in the game."

P says Zaire is working with some top-notch trainers and busting his ass every day ... and thinks Wade can really "change the game" if he continues to put in serious effort.

MP -- who suited up for two NBA teams back in the day -- knows a thing or two about raising an athlete ... his son, Hercy, is a hoops star at an HBCU and he thinks his team can make the tournament if his son keeps it up.

"You know what, he's working hard," Master said. "He just played last night. He had a great game. They won."

"That's what life is about. Just getting better and better."

As for Wade, P also went on to rave about how bright the future is for him in the G League ... but is Zaire "finessing" the system?!? He disagrees.

"He taking advantage of an opportunity. He knows he wants to be a pro player."

The Univ. of Tennessee has just barred 16 students -- and 9 other fans -- from attending games the rest of this season ... after the school says they were all involved in throwing trash at the Ole Miss game.

If you missed it ... UT football fans heaved things onto the field at Neyland Stadium on Oct. 16 after losing to Ole Miss -- infamously hitting head coach Lane Kiffin with objects, and making a massive mess.

Two days later, the SEC fined the university $250,000 for the chaos ... and this week, UT announced after an investigation, it found 16 UT students and 9 non-students had been involved in the trash throwing.

The school said, as a result, all of the above are banned from all university sporting events for the rest of this academic and athletic year.

School officials said more punishment could be on the way.

UT's Athletics Director Danny White says the university is also taking extra measures to ensure a similar scene never happens again ... promising changes in a letter to the SEC this week.

Some of the plans, White explained, are effective immediately ... including prohibiting student guest tickets, increasing law enforcement at games, and removing bottle caps from concession stands.

Can you imagine being the youngest athlete ever to sign with Puma??

Just ask 17-year-old basketball prodigy Mikey Williams about it … ‘cause the five-star recruit just inked a historic multi-year deal with the athletic brand!!

Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but the agreement makes Williams the youngest athlete to sign with Puma Hoops ... joining an already star-studded roster featuring LaMelo Ball, Deandre Ayton, Breanna Stewart and RJ Barrett, and Katie Lou Samuelson.

"Mikey joining our Puma family is exciting news for our brand," Puma global brand director Adam Petrick said in a statement.

"His talent on the court and his ability to connect with young athletes and fans alike, will help drive hoops culture forward and inspire the next generation of athletes. He has a bright future ahead of him and we are proud to be a part of his journey."

Puma will be getting more than just a basketball sensation ... 'cause the rising star is also a social media force with more than 3.3 million followers on Instagram.

The 6'2" guard will be rocking various Puma styles, including the Court Rider Line … and will be featured in an upcoming “Not Yet Rated” marketing promotion, 'cause "his ceiling hasn't yet been determined" the company explained.

Williams spoke about the historic deal ... saying, "I am excited to join the Puma family this early in my basketball journey."

"Puma really understands how to mix hoops and culture, two things I am passionate about."

It'll be interesting to see what happens if Williams decides to take his talents to a college program that is NOT sponsored by Puma ... 'cause those deals normally force every player to rock the same brand.

Ivan Douglas -- the left tackle for Ohio State's famous 2002 National Champion football team -- has died after a battle with COVID-19, his family and friends announced.

He was just 41 years old.

Douglas -- who helped block for Craig Krenzel and Maurice Clarett in the Buckeyes' epic upset win over Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl -- contracted the virus last month and was placed in the hospital shortly after.

According to a GoFundMe set up in his honor, Douglas was "purple in color and his oxygen level was at 63%" when he entered the medical facility -- and he needed to be placed into a medically induced coma a short time later.

Tragically, after weeks of fighting, Douglas' family and friends said he passed away on Thursday.

"Our family is devastated and ask for your continued love, support and prayers," a statement on Douglas' GoFundMe read.

Douglas' former teammate at OSU, Chukwuemeka Nnamdi Onyejekwe, AKA Mekka Don, also confirmed the news on Twitter ... saying, "Our good brother Ivan Douglas has passed away. Please keep his family in your prayers!"

Douglas leaves behind a wife and two children.

The new NIL rules have college athletes livin' the luxurious life ... 'cause Kentucky hoops star TyTy Washington just locked a deal with Porsche!!

The 5-star recruit and #4 guard out of the 2021 class announced the partnership on Wednesday ... posting IG photos from the Louisville Porsche dealership.

"Proud to announce my NIL deal with @porschelouisville and @frank_eaves," the 18-year-old said.

You can see the 6'3" baller in a pearly-white Porsche Cayenne SUV -- which has a price tag for over $80k!!

Players across the NCAA are benefiting off this new "name, image and likeness" rule that was announced in June ... with Ohio State QB Quinn Ewers, Alabama QB Bryce Young and TCU hoops guard Hercy Miller -- Master P's son -- each inking deals worth more than $1 million.

The new policy works for high school ballers, too -- 17-year-old Mikey Williams signed a contract in July worth millions.

A 20-year-old Tufts University lacrosse player has died ... after she tragically choked during a hot dog eating contest over the weekend.

Madelyn "Madie" Nicpon -- a junior on the Jumbos' lax squad -- was participating in a competitive eating event off-campus on Saturday when something went horribly wrong.

According to The Journal News ... authorities said Nicpon fell unconscious after choking, and was rushed to the hospital after first responders got to the scene.

Sadly, Nicpon passed away just a day later on Sunday.

"In the face of this painful loss," school officials said in a statement, "our hearts go out to Madie's family and friends."

Thousands of students came out to the campus to mourn the loss of Nicpon shortly after her death Sunday evening ... surrounding her jersey with candles and remembering her fondly.

"We are beyond heartbroken to share the news of the passing of junior Madie Nicpon -- 'Scooter,'" the Tufts lax team wrote on Instagram. "Scooter was a true friend and teammate. She truly valued her relationships with her teammates and coaches."

"Her reach was far beyond our team -- she was a true connector on campus and touched every single person she met."

They added, "We love you, Scooter. Keep dancing from above."

Nicpon had played in several games in her first two years for the Jumbos, and was expected to be a key contributor this season.