It’s remarkable how VCU’s athletic department continues to turn its stepping-stone job into a series of opportunities for upwardly mobile men’s basketball coaches without missing a beat or many NCAA Tournaments. As next-in-line Phil Martelli Jr. picks up the mantle, he becomes part of a program that knows how to leverage change.
Airing it out: Under Ryan Odom, “first to break 50 wins” is no longer UVA’s mantra. Odom’s VCU team this year was top 25 nationally in 3-point attempts. “It’s been well documented,” he said, “I love offense.”
Bracket bashing: The infantile griping by media that soured on the men’s Sweet 16 because no mid-majors survived the tournament’s first week was ripe for ridicule. Basically, the doomsayers wrung their hands over the absence of an 11-seed. Doesn’t bother me. Better that than what happened two years ago, when Florida Atlantic, San Diego State, Miami and UConn went through to a Final Four that was so bad, Dan Hurley’s first title should carry an asterisk.
On the move: Basketball’s player portal is busier and more heavily scrutinized, but the number of men’s head coaching changes this week is into the 40s.
Fallen star: The most dramatic moment of the NCAA women’s tournament so far has been a dreadful one — the loss of Southern Cal phenom JuJu Watkins to an ACL injury.
Play ball: What baseball will always have that basketball doesn’t is the great outdoors, never mind the odd dome.
Giant move: Russell Wilson in the NFC East isn’t enough to frighten the Commanders or Eagles.
Pay for play: If new revenue sharing practices and NIL opportunities for athletes still lead to payment gaps, schools can cover costs the old-fashioned way — with under-the-table payoffs.
Hoop du jour: Make whatever you will of the fact that whether this NBA award goes to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic, this will be the seventh season in a row that the MVP is a player who learned his basketball beyond U.S. borders.
Hard to get: The Steelers remain the front runner for Aaron Rodgers — at this point for the 41-year-old, it’s Pittsburgh or the ski slopes, isn’t it? But from what we can tell, Rodgers isn’t exactly seizing upon the opportunity.
Tinkering: The proposed rule change to the NFL kickoff that would place touchbacks at the 35 instead of the already generous 30 sounds ridiculous to me but is meant to encourage shorter kickoffs leading to more returns. Worth a try, I suppose.
On the newsstand: Bayside High senior Andrew Salvodon, who outdueled U.S. Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson in the 500-meters in Virginia Beach, is featured on page 22 of the current Sports Illustrated baseball preview issue.
Mother Courage: An inspiration through every stage of her life, 81-year-old Billie Jean King has re-enrolled at California State University in Los Angeles to complete her history degree after dropping out 60 years ago to become the world’s No. 1 tennis player.
Spring ball: Friday night and Saturday afternoon on Fox Sports, teams called the Battlehawks, Roughnecks, Brahmas and Renegades take the field. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for — or not — the start of another United Football League season.
Bob Molinaro is a former Virginian-Pilot sports columnist. His Weekly Briefing runs Fridays in The Pilot and Daily Press. He can be reached at bob5molinaro@gmail.com and via Twitter@BobMolinaro.
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