NCAA

Dan Dakich says college basketball fans advocating for the end of court-stormings need to relax ... telling TMZ Sports the solution to the problem is super simple.

According to the former Hoosiers star ... all schools need to do in order to avoid issues with the end-of-game fan rush is beef up police presence on nights where it's likely to happen.

"The biggest deterrent is you get the cops -- the police -- big bright jackets," Dakich, host of Outkick's Don't @ Me said, "you surround the [losing] team, and no one's coming."

Dakich explained the protection from cops would still allow students to celebrate their universities' biggest in-season achievements while keeping the most vulnerable safe. And, if schools fail to properly prepare for the potential outcome and things do get out of hand, he thinks hefty fines would make sure they stay on top of things.

"You've got to make it hurt," Dakich said of the penalties. "You've got to make it a million."

Of course, many in and out of the sport have called for an end to the longstanding tradition after Kyle Filipowski was injured by Wake Forest supporters after they rushed the floor following an 83-79 win on Saturday.

In fact, Jay Bilas -- an ESPN analyst and a former Duke player -- suggested citations or even arrests should be imposed in order to stop the madness.

But, Dakich -- who actually had one of his players sustain a serious injury in a court-storming situation during his time as Bowling Green head coach -- made it clear ... he's entirely opposed to all of that.

LeBron James wants everyone overanalyzing his son's college basketball career to take a step back ... begging Bronny's critics to leave "the kid" alone as he continues to work on his game.

The Lakers superstar's public plea comes on the heels of ESPN's latest mock draft ... which has the 19-year-old USC freshman staying in school instead of going pro in 2024.

Worth noting -- the 6'4", 210-pounder has played in 20 games for the Trojans this season ... averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists after returning from his cardiac arrest incident he experienced months before the season.

James is clearly fed up with the scrutiny Bronny's faced so far in his collegiate career ... and it's gotten to the point where he unloaded on social media over it.

"Can yall please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball," King James said on Monday. "The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y'all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!"

Bronny's game was always going to be under the microscope -- not only because of his famous father, but also considering said pops has publicly stated his dream is to be NBA teammates with his eldest son.

LBJ also had words for anyone else feeling pressure from the media ... adding, "And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on and keep grinding."

"These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE! ✌🏾👑"

Duke basketball's Kyle Filipowski just got injured on the court ... not during the game, mind you -- but by overzealous fans storming the venue postgame.

Duke -- ranked eighth in the country -- just lost 83-79 in a nail-biter match against unranked Wake Forest, a huge upset that could have major conference championship implications.

As students of the winning side tend to do after a big win, hundreds of excited college kids rushed the court and they appear to have injured the projected top-10 overall pick.

From far away, it was unclear exactly what happened, though Kyle looked to be in considerable pain ... but ESPN had the overhead view of the incident, and it's painful to watch.

It seems one fan ran right into Kyle's leg, bending it the wrong way and apparently spraining his ankle -- all while talking trash to the basketball phenom instead of paying attention to where he was running.

Filipowski nearly collapses, doubled over by the collision before hobbling toward his teammates who supported his weight -- basically, dragging him to the locker room.

Obviously, Kyle's squad was incensed after the game with his coach Jon Scheyer openly questioning when the NCAA was going to ban courtstorming.

Kyle also opened up about the incident after the game ... and he says he thinks the fan hit him on purpose, trying to injure him.

A major injury right now could seriously affect Kyle's future livelihood BTW ... 'cause NBA.com just ranked him as the projected 9th overall pick in this year's draft -- meaning an astronomical payday.

4:16 PM PT -- Colorado State Police tell TMZ Sports that "excessive speed" is being investigated for the fatal crash of the three UW swim team members.

"The vehicle was southbound on Highway 287 and swerved to miss a vehicle in front of them stopped to make a left turn on to Larimer CR 37," CSP said.

"No alcohol or drugs suspected as casual factors."

Three members of the University of Wyoming swim team were tragically killed on Thursday after a horrific, single-car crash in northern Colorado.

According to the Colorado State Police, five passengers were traveling in a Toyota RAV4 around 2:44 PM when the vehicle swerved off the road, and rolled over, ejecting two people, and leaving the SUV mangled.

Sadly, three victims, ages ranging from 18 to 21, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Denver Post ... and they were members of the UW swim and diving team.

The two surviving victims are also members of the swim team.

"My thoughts and prayers are with our swimming and diving student-athletes, coaches, families and friends," UW Director of Athletics Tom Burman said in a statement.

"It is difficult to lose members of our University of Wyoming family, and we mourn the loss of these student-athletes."

The crash is under investigation ... and it is not yet known if speed, or any other factors played a role in the crash.

This isn't the first time UW Athletics has seen such devastation ... in 2001, eight runners from the track team were killed when a drunk driver crashed into their Jeep on the same highway.

R.I.P.

A college basketball game looked more like the Royal Rumble on Monday ... with the postgame handshakes going from sportsmanlike to straight-up violent in one of the wildest brawls to date.

The scrap went down after Texas A&M-Commerce defeated Incarnate Word 76-72 at the Alice P. McDermott Convocation Center in San Antonio .... when at some point in saying "good game," two opponents got ticked off and bumped into each other.

It's unclear what exactly led to the altercation, but it quickly escalated ... with players from both teams throwing hands.

Despite the attempts of coaches, staffers, and peaceful athletes to break it all up, the fight continued for at least a minute before the teams were separated.

According to the ESPN broadcast, a "young girl" in the crowd was injured at some point ... and another team manager was bleeding from the face.

Both teams addressed the incident in a statement shortly after the game ... saying, "The University of the Incarnate Word and Texas A&M University-Commerce apologize for the behavior exhibited by our respective men's basketball programs following the game on Monday night."

"There is no place in college sports for such actions. The unsportsmanlike conduct that occurred after the game does not reflect the values of the universities involved, as well as the Southland Conference and their member institutions."

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino went scorched earth on his basketball team Sunday night, tearing into his soft players and the "s***" university facilities during an unforgettable post-game presser!

"We are so nonathletic that we can't guard anybody without fouling," the legendary coach said after his team's 68-62 loss to Seton Hall at UBS Arena on Long Island in NY.

Pitino continued, "And, really it's not about losing. Even winning, when I watch the film, I see unathletic plays, I see people that don't handle the ball, that are just interested in taking quick shots. It's been a disappointing year."

The first half went St. John's way ... the Red Storm, which once led by 19 points, took a 41-29 lead into the half. But, thanks to turnovers and poor shooting by SJU, the Pirates came charging back in the second, securing the pivotal W with a late run.

FYI, it's a game that was critical for both bubble teams. St. John's, now 6-9 in Big East play, has a lot of work to do. Seton Hall, 10-5 in conference, is sitting in a much better position after the victory. SHU has a resume that boasts wins over UConn and Marquette, and 3 other quad 1 teams.

Pitino also singled out individual players ... calling Drissa Traore, Chris Ledlum, Sean Conway and Joel Soriano "slow laterally," while calling Brady Dunlap "weak."

Pitino, a 2x NCAA champion (though the '13 Louisville title was vacated), said his team's issues go back to recruiting.

“We recruited the antithesis of the way I coach, with speed, quickness, fundamentals, strength and toughness,” Pitino said, adding, “It’s a good group, they try hard, but they’re just not very tough.”

As for their athletic facilities, Pitino clearly believes they're lacking, but isn't going to blame a locker room for a loss on the court.

“Do we have s****y facilities? Yes, we do. Having s****y facilities has nothing to do with not guarding.”

SJU is located in Queens, NY ... and the school has an on-campus arena, though they play a handful of games at Madison Square Garden and other larger local arenas.

As for his thoughts on the year, Rick, who has been coaching since the '70s, admits he isn't having any fun.

"I’m not gonna lie to you. This is the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime. This has been so disappointing.”

Iowa star Caitlin Clark got a ton of love from A-listers like Tom Brady, Brittney Griner and Damian Lillard after becoming the NCAA's all-time leading scorer ... but there's one shoutout that stood out from the rest -- a congratulatory post from Angel Reese.

Clark was the star of the night as the Hawkeyes took down Michigan on Thursday ... dropping 49 points and solidifying her title as the greatest scorer in women's college basketball history.

The moment she broke Kelsey Plum's record of 3,527 points was truly special ... as she nailed a deep three-pointer from the edge of the half-court logo.

The tributes poured in after the accomplishment ... including a star-studded video posted on the Big Ten Network's X account, which featured personal messages from Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Gayle King, Peyton and Eli Manning and the G.O.A.T. himself.

Heck, even Clark the Cub got in on the celebration!!

Clark's former on-court nemesis also took the time to give props ... with Reese going to social media to send a special note.

"Congratulations @CaitlinClark22," the LSU star said. "KEEP BREAKING RECORDS & MAKING HER-STORY! 🖤💛🔥"

The two had their beef during the national championship game last season, in which Reese hit Clark with the John Cena "You Can't See Me" gesture -- something Caitlin did in the past.

Reese's taunting was dubbed unsportsmanlike by many ... which forced Clark to speak out and say any criticism toward the Bayou Barbie was unwarranted.

Tipoff for an NCAA men's basketball game was delayed on Thursday night ... and it's all 'cause members of one team got stuck in an elevator while on their way to the court.

Seriously!!!

It all went down at the Wellness Center in Brookville, New York ... when the visiting Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. Knights tried to get to their game against LIU Brooklyn -- but simply couldn't, because of a faulty elevator.

As the team was packed into the lift that was supposed to take it from the locker room to the floor ... the ride broke -- trapping players inside.

Thankfully, with the help of firefighters, the Knights were released after about 15 minutes.

It didn't seem to faze the guys too much ... although one player said just after the incident that it sure was hot while inside of the metal box.

The team, though, still ended up putting the whole fiasco behind it and pulled off a come-from-behind, 84-82, win. And, if you're wondering, yes, they did take the stairs the rest of the evening.

New Hollywood bromance alert ... Glen Powell and Johnny Manziel are apparently buddies, because they partied their faces off together in the desert.

TMZ obtained video of Glen and Johnny hanging out last night at Casa Amigos Tacos and Tequila in Scottsdale, where Johnny Football had a VIP section.

Folks who were there say Johnny was already in the club when Glen showed up and joined the group.

We're told this wasn't a coincidence ... Johnny and Glen clearly planned to hang out, and their group of about a dozen were mostly hot chicks.

As you can see, Glen is chatting up a woman in one of the videos ... and we're told they stayed close throughout the night.

Johnny meanwhile, was talking to several different ladies ... and we're told there was no drama and everyone seemed to be in good spirits, with JM and GP partying for at least a few hours.

Glen was in town to play golf in Wednesday's Pro-Am at the WM Phoenix Open ... Johnny wasn't golfing, but he's never turned down a good time.

It's an interesting pairing ... Johnny won the Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M and Glen studied at the University of Texas at Austin before heading to Hollywood. The schools are big rivals, but it's more of a big brother-little brother type deal.

3:27 PM -- New Mexico State just announced it's suspending Robert Carpenter indefinitely for his punch Thursday night.

"His actions do not align with the standards we uphold at New Mexico State," the school said in a statement Friday afternoon, "and we believe it is important to ensure that any actions contrary to our principles will not be tolerated."

New Mexico State men's basketball player Robert Carpenter unloaded a haymaker on his opponent's nose during a tiff in a game Thursday night ... and the incident was so brazen, even his own coach is now expecting him to receive a suspension.

The violent play happened with about 12 minutes to go in the first half of the Aggies' tilt with Liberty in Las Cruces ... when Carpenter and Shiloh Robinson got in a tussle while trying to fight for position for a possible rebound.

Broadcast video shows the guys pushed and shoved each other ... before, suddenly, Carpenter uncorked a right hook that landed flush on Robinson's face.

The Liberty forward immediately crumpled to the ground in pain ... and Carpenter was instantly ejected after being issued a flagrant foul 2.

Robinson eventually got up after being tended to by trainers, but he did not return to action.

After the game -- which NMSU ended up winning, 79-73 -- Aggies coach Jason Hooten called Carpenter's actions unacceptable ... and said he anticipated a ban for Carpenter was forthcoming.

"Even if there was something that put Rob in that state of mind to do what he did," Hooten said, "it's still not acceptable."

Hooten did add, though, that he knows Carpenter "feels really bad about what he did."

"There's just no room for that in the game," he said. "At all."

Hooten told media members Carpenter will definitively not play in NMSU's game on Saturday against Jacksonville State ... though his status after that is still unclear.

Carpenter has been one of the Aggies' best players this season, averaging 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Una escena caótica se vivió antes del partido de baloncesto de Georgetown vs. Providence el sábado y hay videos que están inundando las redes sociales que muestran a los aficionados empujando y gritando fuera.

Esto es lo que pasó, los estudiantes estaban alineados afuera del Amica Mutual Pavillion en Rhode Island para el enfrentamiento de la Big East Conference, y al parecer habían estado desde las 7 de la mañana, casi tres horas antes del partido.

Parece que estos estudiantes estaban demasiado entusiasmados y empezaron a empujar hacia adelante, lo que provocó que varios alumnos se cayeran al suelo y una botaran una contención de metal que estaba al lado.

Echa un vistazo al video, varias personas están en el suelo, mientras que sus compañeros parecen tratar de empujar a la multitud hacia atrás, claramente en un esfuerzo por no ser pisoteados.

Es una escena tensa, con el equipo de seguridad diciéndole a los estudiantes que dejen de empujar y empujar a un par de estudiantes lejos que se cayeron. La persona que toma el video no salió ileso tampoco. En un momento, la cámara se inclina hacia abajo para revelar que sus zapatos fueron arrancados por el tumulto.

Al final, las personas de seguridad calmaron los ánimos y dejaron entrar a los estudiantes al juego poco a poco. No está claro si alguien resultó herido. Por cierto, Providence terminó ganando el juego 84-76 - y los videos desde el interior de la arena muestran la magnitud de la multitud.

A chaotic scene went down before the Georgetown-Providence basketball game Saturday ... with videos flooding social media of fans pushing and yelling outside.

Here's the deal ... students were lined up, ready to head into the Amica Mutual Pavillion in Rhode Island for the Big East Conference showdown -- where they'd reportedly been since 7 AM, almost three hours before tip-off!!!

These dedicated students seem to have gotten overexcited 'cause it appears some started pushing their way forward ... which led to several students on the ground -- and a metal barricade standing almost totally vertical on the side.

Check out the vid -- several people are on the ground while their fellow students seem to be trying to hold the crowd back ... clearly in an effort to keep them from being trampled.

It's a tense scene ... with security screaming at students to stop pushing and shoving a couple students away from those who fell -- the person taking the video didn't come away unscathed either, tilting the camera down to reveal their shoes were taken off in the melee.

Ultimately, the people working seemed to calm things down and let students into the game slowly. It's not clear if anyone was injured ... but regardless, it's a pretty scary scene. BTW, Providence ended up winning the game 84-76 -- and videos from inside the arena show the sheer magnitude of the crowd.

It's a sad day in Athens -- the University of Georgia's beloved live mascot, Uga X, has passed away, the school announced Tuesday. He was 10 years old.

Uga X -- AKA "Que" -- died peacefully in his sleep, according to a statement released minutes ago.

Que's tenure as the live mascot began during the 2015 football season ... and remained the furry face of the program until his retirement in 2022.

During his time with the Bulldogs, Que -- the grandson of Uga IX -- witnessed the most successful run in Georgia history ... a 91-18 record, two national championship wins, two SEC titles and seven New Year's Six bowl appearances.

Que was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2022 ... as well as all his predecessors.

Uga XI -- AKA "Boom" -- took over for Que in April 2023.

Georgia's live mascots have been met with criticism in the past ... with PETA calling on the university to eliminate all four-legged friends from being used on game days.

Es un día triste en Atena, la querida mascota viva de la Universidad de Georgia, Uga X, ha fallecido, anunció la escuela el martes. Tenía 10 años.

Uga X -alias "Que"- murió pacíficamente mientras dormía, según un comunicado emitido hace unos minutos.

La tenencia de Que como la mascota en vivo comenzó durante la temporada de fútbol de 2015 y se mantuvo como la cara peluda del programa hasta su retiro en 2022.

Durante su tiempo con los Bulldogs, Que -el nieto de Uga IX- fue testigo de la carrera más exitosa en la historia de Georgia, un récord de 91-18, dos victorias en el campeonato nacional, dos títulos de la SEC y siete apariciones en el tazón New Year's Six.

Que fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama de las Mascotas en 2022, al igual que todos sus predecesores.

Uga XI, alias "Boom", sustituyó a Que en abril de 2023.

Recordemos que PETA le pidió a la universidad que eliminara a todos los amigos de cuatro patas de los juegos.

Four people have been hit with criminal charges after officials allege they were responsible for hurling a dead longhorn onto the front yard of an Oklahoma State University fraternity house last month.

According to KOCO 5 News, three 19-year-olds and one 20-year-old were charged with misdemeanor unlawful disposal of a carcass in relation to the case.

You'll recall ... the steer was found on Dec. 1 at around 6:30 AM in front of the FarmHouse Fraternity in Stillwater, Okla. -- in what appeared to be some sort of twisted message sent to the Cowboys ahead of their Big 12 championship football game against the Texas Longhorns.

The body of the animal was discovered with its stomach cut open ... and on its side, someone had written "F*** FH."

At the time, OSU officials said they were "appalled at the disturbing display of animal cruelty" ... and promised to take "appropriate action" against the perpetrators following an investigation into the incident.

Authorities said in court documents obtained by KOCO 5 News that the four suspects were members of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity looking to play a prank on the FarmHouse Fraternity with the steer.

Cuatro personas han sido acusadas con cargos criminales después de que las autoridades alegaran que son responsables de dejar a un longhorn muerto en el patio delantero de una casa de la fraternidad de la Universidad Estatal de Oklahoma el mes pasado.

Según KOCO 5 News, tres de ellos tienen 19 años y uno 20. Todos fueron acusados del delito menor de eliminación ilegal de un cadáver en relación con el caso.

Ustedes recordarán que un novillo fue encontrado el 1 de diciembre alrededor de las 6:30 AM en frente de la Fraternidad FarmHouse en Stillwater, Oklahoma, en lo que parecía ser una especie de mensaje retorcido para los Cowboys antes de su partido de fútbol del campeonato Big 12 contra los Longhorns de Texas.

El cuerpo del animal fue descubierto con el estómago abierto y a su lado alguien había escrito "F*** FH" (Que se jodan los FarmHouse).

En ese momento, los funcionarios de OSU dijeron que estaban "horrorizados por la perturbadora exhibición de crueldad animal" y prometieron que tomarían las "medidas apropiadas" contra los perpetradores después de una investigación sobre el incidente.

Las autoridades dijeron en documentos judiciales obtenidos por KOCO 5 News que los cuatro sospechosos eran miembros de la fraternidad Alpha Gamma Rho que querían jugarle una broma a la fraternidad FarmHouse con el buey.