The South Alabama men’s basketball team saw its season come to an end in surreal fashion on Sunday night.
After finishing the year 21-11 with a loss in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals, South Alabama received an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, better known as the NIT. The Jaguars accepted the invitation, only to have it rescinded a short while later.
South Alabama’s invitation came after UC Riverside declined an NIT invite. UC Riverside had previously committed to play in the College Basketball Invitational, which is a tournament that has no NCAA affiliation. However, UC Riverside was able to get out of the CBI commitment and accept the NIT invitation instead.
UC Riverside took priority with the NIT, so South Alabama’s invitation was rescinded. Jaguars coach Richie Riley told Creg Stephenson of AL.com that the series of events was “unacceptable.”
“(Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill) said, ‘We’ve had something happen; do you guys want to be in the NIT?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it’d be awesome,” Riley recalled. “And so we talked for a few more minutes. I said, ‘This is 100%, we’re in, right?’ And they said, ‘Yeah congratulations. I’m glad you were able to get in.’
“… I tell them, ‘I’m gonna tell my guys.’ They’re like go ahead. So I tell the team. They call back, whatever time it was, 10:45, 11 o’clock. Dan’s like, ‘No, UC Riverside is back in. I hate that we had to do this.’”
The NIT issued a statement on Monday apologizing over the situation:
— NIT (@NITMBB) March 17, 2025
South Alabama also issued a statement calling the situation “avoidable” and criticizing the NIT for extending an invitation before confirming that a spot was available.
— South Alabama Men’s Basketball (@SouthAlabamaMBB) March 17, 2025
The NIT appearance would have been the fifth in program history for South Alabama. They have been to the NCAA Tournament eight times.
South Alabama won the regular-season Sun Belt title this year. For a couple of hours, they thought they would have an opportunity to play more games. That has to be one of the most disappointing ends to a season that a team has ever experienced.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel received the most passing attempts in a joint practice with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles ahead of a preseason game between the two teams. The former Oregon Ducks star has been battling a hamstring injury and missed the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. However, after an injury to fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, it appears Gabriel is the likely starter for the Browns' preseason game two. Dillon Gabriel Stats From Joint Practice With Eagles Gabriel didn't have his best practice of the Browns' training camp in the joint practice with the Eagles. Here’s the stats for all four of the Browns quarterbacks that participated, per ESPN Cleveland. Joe Flacco: 6/13, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions Kenny Pickett: 5/6, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions Dillon Gabriel: 6/19, two touchdowns, zero interceptions Tyler Huntley: 3/4, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions Shedeur Sanders did not practice after suffering an oblique injury early in practice. Which Quarterback Will Start Vs. Eagles? Gabriel told reporters that his hamstring feels better, indicating that he could likely start on Saturday. Cleveland.com reporter Mary Kay Cabot says the former Oregon Ducks star is a "good bet" to be the Browns' starting quarterback vs. the Eagles. Gabriel spoke to the opportunity, after the joint practice. "I think for many people in any situation, you either look at things as a threat or an opportunity, and an emotionally healthy mind always sees it as an opportunity. For me, I just continue to try and be in that mental mindset and headspace, and every day is an opportunity," Gabriel said. "When you wake up, you can get better or just coast, and for me, I'm always trying to get better, mental reps, whatever it may be, even in the training room, or in the weight room, there's things that you can get better at, so... That's what I'm focused on," Gabriel continued. Oregon fans are not surprised to see Gabriel maintain his poise amid one of the most talked about NFL storylines this season. Sanders' NFL Draft fall to the fifth round certainly brought more attention to the quarterbacks competition as Gabriel transitions to the NFL. Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett Back From Injury Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett each missed the Browns first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers with hamstring injuries. Against the Panthers, the Browns only played two quarterbacks; Shedeur Sanders and Tyler Huntley. Shedeur Sanders wow'd in his first NFL actions. Sanders went 14/23 passing with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Browns 30-10 win. Huntley saw limited time and went 6/8 for 51 yards and a touchdown. Pickett is still nursing his hamstring injury so it appears that Gabriel could get the starting nod and make his NFL debut. Cleveland Browns Preseason Schedule The NFL preseason is a huge opportunity for Gabriel to show why the Browns drafted the Heisman Trophy in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ducks fans can't wait to cheer him on in his first NFL action. Cleveland plays on the road vs. the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, Aug 16 at 1 p.m. ET. The Browns' third preseason game is vs. the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. ET.
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Cleveland Browns All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett became the subject of headlines when it was learned that he was cited for driving 100 mph in a 60 mph zone on an interstate in a Cleveland suburb several hours after the Browns opened the preseason with a 30-10 win at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. While speaking with reporters ahead of the club's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday morning, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski sent a clear message regarding his feelings about Garrett's latest speeding incident. "Coming from a team leader, extremely disappointing," Stefanski said about Garrett, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "It's been addressed with Myles -- with the football team. He needs to slow down for his safety and the safety of others." Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer mentioned that Garrett has had at least eight speeding citations in Northeast Ohio since Cleveland made him the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Back in the fall of 2022, Garrett missed a game after he was involved in a single-car accident following a team practice. The Ohio State Highway Patrol ultimately issued Garrett a citation following that crash after it was determined he was using an "unsafe speed for the type of roadway being traveled." Cabot added that Stefanski declined to say if Garrett will be disciplined this summer. Earlier in the week, Cabot wrote that Garrett could "be fined for conduct detrimental to the team." Back in early February, Garrett requested a trade from the Browns coming off the club's 3-14 season. However, he later accepted a four-year, $160M contract extension that included $123.5M guaranteed to stay with the organization. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam revealed during the NFL owners meetings in the spring that he had "challenged" Garrett "to become a real leader of the team." Haslam made that comment after a March report shared that it's "well known within the Browns that Garrett is frequently late to the facility" and "has skipped mandatory team activities on multiple occasions." It remains to be seen how the 29-year-old will respond to Stefanski's comments about an incident that occurred after Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was cited for speeding twice in June.
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