JAY WRIGHT

Former Villanova coach Jay Wright says he is at ease with his decision to retire after saying he was “fighting it” to stay engaged during the Wildcats' Final Four season last year.

North Carolina and Gonzaga are 1-2 in the first regular-season men’s college basketball poll from The Associated Press.

Damian Dunn drew a foul on a driving layup with 1.1 seconds left and made both free throws to send Temple past No. 16 Villanova 68-64 on Friday night.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Big East:Ranked Big East TeamsFor the full Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll, click here. VillanovaOthers receiving votes: UConn (101), Xavier (29)Preseason Coaches’ PollThis poll was conducted by the Big East . His Creighton squad is not only capable of claiming its first solo Big East title, but making a deep run in the NCAA tournament. With this group, there’s no reason why the Blue Jays can’t finally take over the Big East and successfully make a deep tournament run. Villanova will undoubtedly be in the mix to win one of the Big East titles for a 10th consecutive season this spring.

The Philadelphia Phillies are leading a sports renaissance in the city.

Jay Wright is joining CBS. The longtime Villanova coach and Hall of Famer will join CBS and Turner Sports this season as a broadcaster, according to The New York Post's Andrew Marchand . Wright will both call games and work in-studio for CBS throughout the college basketball season, and then work in studio for the networks during the Final Four. The two-time Coach of the Year finished with a career 642-282 overall record, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last year. Wright was widely considered a top target to join a network as a college basketball analyst since he announced his retirement.

North Carolina is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 men's basketball poll.

Villanova Wright Basketball Jay Wright speaks at a news conference about his resignation as NCAA college basketball coach at Villanova, in Villanova, Pa., Friday, April 22, 2022. The 60-year-old Wright shocked college basketball this week with his retirement from the Big East program he led to two national championships and four Final Fours in a Hall of Fame career. “I started to feel like I didn't have the edge that I've always had," Wright said. Wright needed three years to build a foundation before Villanova broke through with a trip to the 2005 Sweet 16. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Jay Wright says he no longer had the mental edge he needed to continue his career and that's why he decided to retire at Villanova.

Villanova Wright Basketball FILE - Villanova coach Jay Wright celebrates after the NCAA men's college basketball tournament championship game against North Carolina, April 4, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) (David J. Phillip)PHILADELPHIA — (AP) — Jay Wright, the Villanova basketball coach who led the Wildcats to two national championships and four Final Fours, stunned college basketball with his resignation Wednesday night. “It's time for us to enter a new era of Villanova basketball,” Wright said in a statement. I am excited to remain a part of Villanova and look forward to working with (Villanova) and the rest of the leadership team.”Kyle Neptune, who served on the Villanova coaching staff before accepting the head coaching position at Fordham in 2021, returned to replace Wright. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Jay Wright shocked college basketball Wednesday night with his immediate resignation at Villanova, the Big East program he led to two national championships and four Final Fours in a Hall of Fame career.

NCAA Final Four Villanova Basketball The Villanova team poses after practice for the men's Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 1, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)NEW ORLEANS — (AP) — North Carolina has won six national championships and reached more Final Fours than any program in college basketball. Nobody disputes the blueblood status of any of those programs. “Our program, without question, it's one of the top programs in the country,” Kansas coach Bill Self said, “and nobody can debate that at all. “A blueblood is a really successful program that was built from the ground up,” the Wildcats' Jermaine Samuels said.

North Carolina, Duke and Kansas are bona fide basketball bluebloods, the best of the best in the men's college game.

Exactly 10 years after a bunch of one-and-done phenoms for Kentucky cut down the nets in the Big Easy, there is a much more old-school feel to this year’s Final Four.

Villanova guard and second-leading scorer Justin Moore will undergo surgery this week for a torn Achilles tendon.

Duke and North Carolina will meet for the 257th time but first in the NCAA Tournament when they tip off Saturday night in the Final Four in New Orleans.

Ochai Agbaji, David McCormack and Christian Braun powered a dazzling second half for Kansas, and the top-seeded Jayhawks pounded Miami 76-50 to advance to the program’s 16th Final Four.

NCAA Houston Villanova Basketball Villanova guard Collin Gillespie passes around Houston guard Jamal Shead during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, March 26, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)SAN ANTONIO — (AP) — Jermaine Samuels had 16 points and 10 rebounds as Villanova advanced to its third NCAA Final Four in the last six NCAA Tournaments with a grind-it-out 50-44 victory over Houston in the South Region final Saturday. After Villanova missed three shots on the same possession — and was still without any second-chance points in the game — Moore got the long rebound on the break. Villanova had scored the first five points of the game, including a 3-pointer by Samuels on the first shot. Villanova: This is the fourth time in a row that Villanova won when getting to a regional final and advanced to the Final Four, following 2009, 2016 and 2018.

Jermaine Samuels had 16 points and 10 rebounds as Villanova advanced to its third Final Four in the last six NCAA Tournaments with a 50-44 victory over Houston in the South Region final.

Mike Krzyzewski would pass famed UCLA coach John Wooden for most Final Four appearances if No. 2 seed Duke can beat fourth-seeded Arkansas in the West Region final in San Francisco.

Duke keeps winning games in the NCAA Tournament and Mike Krzyzewski keeps telling anyone who will listen, “It’s not the coaching.”.

Jermaine Samuels scored 22 points and Villanova controlled Michigan in a 63-55 Sweet 16 victory in the NCAA Tournament.

Collin Gillespie scored 20 points, Eric Dixon hit a big 3-pointer late and second-seeded Villanova fended off seventh-seeded Ohio State 71-61 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The matchup between Hall of Fame coaches Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Tom Izzo of Michigan State highlights the final day of the NCAA Tournament's opening weekend.

College basketball fans hungering for a return to normal this March should feel happy.

WCC Saint Marys Gonzaga Basketball Gonzaga's Julian Strawther (0) celebrates during the second half of an NCAA college basketball championship game against Saint Mary's at the West Coast Conference tournament Tuesday, March 8, 2022, in Las Vegas. Gonzaga is the overall top seed, with Arizona, Kansas and Baylor joining them on the “1” line for this “seems like old times” NCAA Tournament. 1 seeds again, with the Zags the 15-4 favorite to win the title, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Dayton would have been in were it not for an upset in its Atlantic 10 conference tournament. The Big East, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference placed six teams each.

(AP Photo/John Locher) (John Locher)Gonzaga received the top overall seed for the NCAA Tournament, with Arizona, Kansas and defending champion Baylor joining the Zags as No. 2 seed, won the Big East title in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden. Last year, all the teams played in front of limited crowds in a makeshift bubble in and around Indianapolis. One thing that remains the same: Last year's finalists, Gonzaga and Baylor, are top seeds, with the Zags the favorite to win it all. Coach Mike Krzyzewski's last tournament has Duke playing in the West, meaning he might have to get past Gonzaga in the regional final to make his 13th Final Four.

The March Madness bracket is out.

BEast Creighton Villanova Basketball Villanova's Caleb Daniels (14) drives past Creighton's Arthur Kaluma (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the final of the Big East conference tournament Saturday, March 12, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) (Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK — (AP) — Collin Gillespie buried consecutive 3-pointers late in the game that put No. 8 Villanova ahead for good, and the Wildcats beat Creighton 54-48 to win the Big East Tournament championship Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Villanova won Big East Tournament titles under Wright in 2015 and from 2017-2019. Creighton has now lost four Big East championship games, in 2014, 2017, and last season to Georgetown.

Collin Gillespie nailed consecutive 3-pointers late in the game that put No. 8 Villanova ahead for good, and the Wildcats beat Creighton 54-48 to win the Big East Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden.

While Collin Gillespie waited to twirl the souvenir net from atop a ladder he could not have climbed a year ago, he was spotted by another former Villanova star who knows how to win a championship game in crunch time. Kris Jenkins joked maybe it was his and Gillespie's shared uniform No. 2 that made the Wildcats so fearless when the outcome was at stake. Or maybe it's just the Wildcat Way forged under coach Jay Wright of shaking off nerves, bad shots, a stifling defense, whatever distraction got in their way, to always hit that next big shot and win the next big game.

14 Villanova to its sixth straight win, 82-42 over Butler on Sunday. The Wildcats (13-4, 6-1 Big East) are rolling again since dropping their conference opener and never let Butler get comfortable at the Wells Fargo Center. Butler (9-7, 2-3) had given coach Jay Wright’s Wildcats fits more than any other team in the Big East since 2016. Gillespie and Eric Dixon each made all four of their shots and Villanova was 5 of 7 on 3s. Villanova: Retire 2017 Big East player of the year and current New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart’s jersey on Wednesday against Marquette.

Collin Gillespie hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points, and Justin Moore scored 15 points to lead No. 14 Villanova to an 82-42 win over Butler.

Villanova Baylor Basketball Villanova guard Justin Moore, left, drives past Baylor forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (23) to the basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Ray Carlin) (Ray Carlin)WACO, Texas — (AP) — James Akinjo had 16 points with seven rebounds and second-ranked Baylor defensively dominated No. 6 Villanova 57-36 on Sunday, a victory that's likely to put the defending national champion Bears in the top spot in the new poll. Wright has won two NCAA titles, both in Texas — in Houston in 2016 and San Antonio in 2018. Baylor: Akinjo, a senior transfer in his first season at Baylor, began his college career in the Big East at Georgetown before playing at Arizona last year.

James Akinjo had 16 points with seven rebounds and second-ranked Baylor defensively dominated No. 6 Villanova 57-36.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — (AP) — Purdue's biggest men came up large in a huge early season game. 5 Villanova 80-74 on Sunday and win the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. It doesn’t show up in this box score, but it shows up with our staff.”Caleb Furst and Isaiah Thompson each had 12 points for Purdue. “They just played a really intelligent game for 40 minutes," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. This was the first time this season Purdue has failed to reach 90 points.

Zach Edey scored 21 points and No. 6 Purdue overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to beat No. 5 Villanova 80-74 and win the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.

Purdue's biggest men came up large in a huge early season game. Zach Edey scored 21 points and No. 6 Purdue overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to beat No. 5 Villanova 80-74 on Sunday and win the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. The team's other post, 6-10 Trevion Williams, added nine points and four boards for the Boilermakers (5-0), who dominated underneath, outscoring the Wildcats 38-18 in the paint and outrebounding them 38-26.

Jermaine Samuels scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 5 Villanova eased to a 71-53 win over No. 17 Tennessee Saturday in the opening round of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament in Connecticut.

Villanova UCLA Basketball Villanova head coach Jay Wright claps from the bench during overtime of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, in Los Angeles. The second week is mostly filled with pay-to-play games, with one exception: the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Uncasville, Connecticut, this weekend. “I think we can be a good team but we still have work to do," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. New-look Tennessee (2-0) has rolled through its early schedule, beating UT-Martin and East Tennessee State by a combined 60 points. “They’re elite on both ends of the floor, have incredible size and great talent,” Indiana State coach Josh Schertz said.

The opening week of the college basketball season, as it usually is, was filled with marquee games.

Villanova UCLA Basketball UCLA player huddle in the closing seconds of an overtime win over Villanova during an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, in Los Angeles. 2 UCLA backed up its Final Four run last spring with an 86-77 overtime victory against fourth-ranked Villanova on Friday night. Samuels scored 20 points and Gillespie scored 18 points to lead Villanova (1-1). The first was in the 1971 national championship game at the Houston Astrodome, with UCLA beating Villanova 68-62. ... Cedric the Entertainer and actor Jessica Alba, the daughter-in-law of UCLA great Mike Warren, and Jamaal Wilkes were on hand.

Drew Timme of Gonzaga is the lone unanimous selection on The Associated Press preseason All-America team.

Four months after the pandemic-delayed induction of the Class of 2020, the Basketball Hall of Fame gathered to enshrine 16 more new members.

I guess somebody has to be the villain,” Pierce said Friday, a day before he is to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “I’m comfortable with that.”A 10-time All-Star and the MVP of the 2008 NBA finals, Pierce was in a class of 16 scheduled to be honored at the Springfield, Massachusetts, shrine Saturday night. Pierce has long held a grudge over slipping in the draft — behind such players as Michael Olowokandi (first), Raef LaFrentz (third) and Robert Traylor (sixth). It has been really, really great to see.”Wright was selling tickets for a USFL team when a friend turned down a college coaching offer and passed along Wright’s name instead. The daughter of two Australian national team players, Jackson was the WNBA MVP three times and she also played for her homeland in four Olympics, winning three silver medals and a bronze.

Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce was in a class of 16 scheduled to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend.

Erik Spoelstra and Gregg Popovich have often spoken of how much they enjoy coaching against one another.

Hall Of Fame 2021 Class Basketball FILE - Villanova head coach Jay Wright celebrates after the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game against North Carolina, Monday, April 4, 2016, in Houston. Wright is among those announced Sunday, May 16, 2021 as the 2021 class for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Yolanda Griffith got a job repossessing cars so she could take care of herself and her infant daughter while playing community college basketball. Wright, Wallace and Griffith were part of a 16-person class that was announced Sunday as the 2021 inductees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Fitzsimmons was a two-time NBA coach of the year who coached, among others, Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash.

Hall Of Fame 2021 Class Basketball FILE - Miami Heat center Chris Bosh celebrates after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, in Miami. Bosh is among those announced Sunday, May 16, 2021 as the 2021 class for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. — (AP) — Jay Wright was in trouble three years into his tenure at Villanova, with speculation swirling that he would be fired. Chris Webber had been a finalist for years, only to be let down time and time again. Bosh, Webber and Wright were among the names announced Sunday as this year’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement class, a group that also includes Paul Pierce and WNBA stars Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson.

Jay Wright used to sell tickets to games in the long-defunct United States Football League.

Davion Mitchell, a 46% shooter from 3 this season, went 0 for 3 from long range on a 14-point day. Jared Butler scored nine points on 1-for-9 shooting from 3, and MaCio Teague had five points without a 3. The guards did a great job of not settling and probing more.”Because of that, Baylor shot 53% in the second half, even though it made only one 3. Constantly harassing Villanova shooters who'd carved out space in the first half, Baylor held Villanova to 37.5% shooting in the second and 0 for 9 from 3. Forward Brandon Slater left the game about midway through the second half after landing awkwardly during a fight for a rebound.

In 2016, 2013 and 1991, seed lines 1-15 all had a team reach the second round. UMBC in 2018 is still the only 16 seed to make the round of 32, but no 15 seed won that year. Ad___8:00 p.m.Don’t expect a track meet when Villanova and North Texas play in the second round of the South Region on Sunday. The matchup between the fifth-seeded Wildcats and 13th-seeded Mean Green features two of the most deliberately paced teams in the NCAA Tournament. UNC Wilmington’s John Goldsberry holds the record for most 3-point attempts without a miss in an NCAA Tournament game.

The Hoyas are back in the Big East Tournament semifinals for the first time in six years, with the former Georgetown and Knicks star leading the way. Georgetown last reached the Big East semifinals in 2015. “We played against the Cadillac, the Bentley, whatever you want to call them, of the Big East — the class of the Big East. The quarterfinal day at the Garden is often the best of the Big East Tournament. They had not won even a single Big East Tournament game since 2016 before beating Marquette in the first round Wednesday.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots against Washington Wizards center Moritz Wagner, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, March 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)Kawhi Leonard is planning to play for Gregg Popovich again and chase a gold medal. Leonard said Sunday at the All-Star Game in Atlanta that he is planning to compete with USA Basketball this summer at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics — which would reunite him with Popovich. Popovich will serve as head coach at the Olympics for the first time. “If I feel up to it and feel ready to go around that time, then I'm going to play," Leonard said.

(AP Photo/Stew Milne)David Duke made a tiebreaking tip-in with 2.8 seconds left on Saturday and Providence held on after blowing a 20-point lead to beat No. Duke and Nate Watson scored 20 points apiece, and Noah Horchler had 10 points and 13 rebounds for Providence (13-12, 9-10 Big East). PC led 38-18 in the first before Villanova scored the first 11 points of the second. He joined Gillespie on the bench for the second half, wearing a boot. SECOND HALF WOESProvidence took an 11-point lead into halftime in its last game, against St. John’s on Wednesday.

McDermott’s use of a phrase evoking slavery overshadowed what was expected to be fantastic showdown between the top two teams in the Big East. 10 Villanova capture the Big East title with a 72-60 win over 14th-ranked Creighton. “The pain I saw in their eyes was immense,” McDermott said after the game. The Big East title was a formality on the Main Line — Villanova is 114-26 with two national titles since the conference was reconfigured in 2013. BIG PICTURECreighton: McDermott isn’t off the hot seat yet.

Coyle becomes just the second Bruins’ player added to the protocol, and first since Karson Kuhlman spent the first two days of the season on the list in January. Each person attending the games will be required to comply with all state public health regulations and arena policies. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Wednesday that Virginia Tech's men's basketball game at North Carolina State on Saturday has been canceled. The cancellation follows quarantining and a contract tracing review within the Virginia Tech men’s program. NC State says it would like to find another league game to replace it if they can.

The Bluejays pulled away early in the second half of the meeting of the Big East's top two teams. Early in the second half, Zegarowski made a move to get Gillespie to go the other way, then swished a one-handed floater in the lane. The Wildcats had shot 70% in the second half of that game and a season-best 63% overall. The Wildcats weren't nearly as good at CHI Health Center, shooting 33% in the second half and 37.5% for the game. Creighton: This was the performance the Bluejays had been looking for from Zegarowski, who had been up and down following offseason knee surgery.

Alexander scored 16 points and St. John's smothered No. The latest victory gave St. John's its first four-game Big East winning streak since the 2014-15 NCAA Tournament team. '”AdVillanova was the first top-5 opponent to play in the Queens gym since St. John's lost 72-71 to No. If we can get a Big East game, we’ve got to play the Big East game. St. John's: Saturday at Providence, which has won nine of the past 11 meetings.

Four games were postponed because of players testing positive or quarantining under the COVID-19 protocol. DePaul’s previously postponed game at St. John’s on Jan. 2 has been rescheduled for Feb. 20. Major League Baseball last week proposed a one-month delay in starting spring training due to the coronavirus pandemic. ___The Cleveland Indians will not be allowing fans to watch their spring training workouts in Arizona due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AdThere has not yet been a decision on whether fans will be able to attend spring training games.

3 Villanova went up by 16 points in the second half, Jay Wright never felt comfortable against Seton Hall. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 23 points in a foul-plagued 21 minutes and Villanova rolled to ninth straight victory with an unexpectedly easy 80-72 decision over Seton Hall on Saturday. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard was disappointed. That kills you against really good teams.”UP NEXTVillanova: at St. John's on Wednesday. Seton Hall: at Providence on Wednesday.

3 Villanova win its first game in 27 days, 76-74 over Seton Hall on Tuesday night. Mamukelashvili scored 23 points and Rhoden had 19. Myles Cale pulled Seton Hall to 72-70 with 2:33 left and Nova’s Justin Moore was whistled for an offensive foul. Mamukelashvili tied it and the Seton Hall bench started chanting “Defense! Gillespie missed a 3 and Shavar Reynolds grabbed the defensive board to set up a late look for Seton Hall.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Gonzaga and Baylor maintained their grip on the top two spots in The Associated Press men's basketball poll Monday. “Everyone has dealt with this,” said Wright, whose team finally gets back on the court Tuesday night against Seton Hall. The Golden Gophers were followed by Auburn, one of this week's poll newcomers, Missouri and Clemson. “We’re still finding out about our team,” said coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose team nearly rallied from an 18-point deficit against Virginia Tech. IN AND OUTThe Bruins were the other newcomer to this week's poll after improving to 11-2 and 7-0 in the Pac-12 with consecutive wins over Washington State and Washington.

FILE - Villanova head coach Jay Wright gestures during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgetown in Washington, in this Saturday, March 7, 2020, file photo. South Carolina, 3-2 this season, has had seven scheduled games called off because of COVID-19. ___Xavier's scheduled men's basketball game Saturday at Seton Hall has been postponed because of COVID-19 related issues within the Xavier program. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference says Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Georgia Tech and North Carolina State has been postponed. ___Michigan State is postponing a second straight men's basketball game due to a COVID-19 outbreak within its basketball program.

The people say one was because of a positive test for COVID-19 and the other two for contact tracing protocols. On the women’s side, the Cavaliers remain in COVID-19 protocols and haven’t played since Dec. 13 with four straight games postponed. LSU will visit Mississippi on Saturday night after both teams had their originally scheduled games postponed. ___Defender Matthijs De Ligt is the third Juventus player to test positive for COVID-19 in a week. ___The Georgia State men’s basketball team postponed games against Troy on Friday and Saturday and paused all team activities following multiple positive COVID-19 tests.

3 Villanova’s next three games have been postponed because of COVID-19 issues within the program. The Wildcats (8-1) were scheduled to play Tuesday at DePaul, Friday vs. Marquette, and Jan. 13 at Xavier. Coach Jay Wright announced last week he had tested positive for COVID-19 and the program paused all activities. Wright was scheduled to return to practice on Tuesday. ___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsThe Latest on xxxxxxx (all times local):

17 Michigan State — sets the stage for what could be an epic start to the new year in the improbably deep Big Ten. 15 Illinois and Michigan State visits the Cornhuskers. The weekend wraps up Sunday with Wisconsin visiting Penn State, Northwestern heading to Michigan and Ohio State traveling to Minnesota in a pair of matchups involving ranked teams. The Hokies already have wins over teams that were ranked in Villanova and Clemson. BIG 12 BATTLESThe Big Ten has the most teams in the Top 25 but the Big 12 may have the best — the league has five teams ranked in the top 13.

Wright says in a statement issued Sunday by Villanova that he another staff member tested positive. ___Syracuse has paused all women’s basketball-related activities and contact tracing is underway after a positive COVID-19 test was confirmed within the program. Their next scheduled game is Thursday at home against North Carolina. One of the Bulls players tested positive after the game. The Gamecocks last played Dec. 17 against Temple.

7 Villanova, and coach Jay Wright won his 600th career game in an 85-66 victory over Butler on Wednesday night. Wright (600-268) was already Villanova's winningest coach and he became the 39th coach in Division I history to reach 600 wins. Wright is 478-183 since he was hired in 2001 and he has built the Wildcats into one of the elite programs in college basketball. Villanova: The Wildcats hit 10 3s and showed they have the talent to again win the Big East. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25