UNC coaching search looms over Final Four — ask Kansas how that goes

North Carolinaneeded a basketball coach, and it set its sights on one in the Final Four.

Its top target had a good job. A darn good one, and one newspaper columnist felt adamant Roy Williams wouldn't leaveKansas, even if his alma mater tried to call him home to Carolina. Williams already turned down UNC once before, a few years previously.

No way Roy's going to Carolina.

So read the headline ofJoe Posnanski's columnin the Kansas City Star on April 2, 2003. Two weeks later, Posnanski wrote another column about how he got it all wrong. He trusted a coach to have loyalty. Whoops, rookie mistake.

If we've learned one thing in the more than two decades since then, it's to never say never when it comes to these situations, and that a coach's loyalty is the underdog when matched up against his ego.

Now here we are at anotherFinal Four, and UNC's hiring, and it's déjà vu, with stay-or-go questionshovering over the coaches of the two favored teams in Indianapolis.

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Nebraska's Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

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Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournamentat Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

Tommy Lloyd fuels speculation about UNC job

This time, nobody's writing there's "no way"Tommy Lloyd would leave Arizona for UNC. That doesn't mean Lloyd will definitely bolt, but even he's not saying he won't. Lloyd himself fed into speculation he's a prime option for UNC when he said, "Arizona's going to have another good coach after me, I promise you." And, when will Arizona need to hire its next coach? Will that be next week? Next year? Ten years from now?

No telling. At least, Lloyd's not telling, other than to say he's "present in the moment" and that neither he nor his players are distracted by UNC speculation.

He's probably right about his players, anyway.

Arizona's Brayden Burries, Koa Peat and Motiejus Krivas are projected first-round NBA Draft picks. Wildcats point guard Jaden Bradley is a senior. They're out the door after this Final Four, regardless of Lloyd's decision. A fifth starter, Ivan Kharchenkov, might return for another college season, but thanks to the transfer portal, he could follow his coach if Lloyd decided to leave. No stress. No fuss. No distraction.

Twenty-three years ago, KU star Wayne Simien expressed open frustration when Williams jilted the Jayhawks for North Carolina. Now, athletes better understand it's not personal, it's just business, because players field interest from other high-paying suitors, too, and face business decisions of their own.

Is Dusty May more of a 'Michigan man' than Bill Frieder?

While we're on the subject of déjà vu, here's Michigan with a team that can win it all, but willcoach Dusty Mayprove himself a "Michigan man" or a renegade?

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If UNC would like to have Lloyd, then it shouldloveto have May. He's now a veteran of Final Fours, having led Florida Atlantic there in 2023.

Toppmeyer:Dusty May so good, you almost forget Sherrone Moore — now, UNC needs him

Perhaps, Michigan can breathe slightly easier than Arizona's administration, because at least May isn't talking about how great Michigan's next coach is going to be.

Even if May wouldn't leave Michigan for UNC, the Tar Heels could cause a domino effect that results in May leaving Michigan. Just as the Wolverines lost John Beilein to the Cleveland Cavaliers, May has the goods of a future NBA coach. Andif UNC hires Billy Donovan, well, then the Chicago Bulls will need a coach, won't they?

Michigan knows what it's like for a coach to spurn it. When Bill Frieder accepted the Arizona State job ahead of the 1989 NCAA Tournament, Bo Schembechler promptly booted Frieder and promoted Steve Fisher, explaining his decision with the now-famous line that, "A Michigan man is going to coach Michigan."

The lesson Frieder provided: If you're leaving for another job, maybe don't tell anyone until the NCAA Tournament is finished.

Worked out great for Michigan. Fisher led the Wolverines to a national championship.

Never mind a Michigan man. The Wolverines would do well to keep their Indiana man. May got his start as a student manager under Bob Knight, but Frieder proved a coach's alma mater doesn't mean everything to everyone, even if Mama lured Williams home in 2003.

"I was a Tar Heel born. When I die, I'll be a Tar Heel dead," Williams said after he took the UNC job.

In between, he became a turncoat at Kansas.

We learned then that when North Carolina wants to hire a Final Four coach, it's naïve to think, "no way."

Blake Toppmeyeris a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him atBToppmeyer@gannett.comand follow him on X@btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tommy Lloyd, Dusty May would be great for UNC — if they pull a Roy Williams

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April 03, 2026

UNC coaching search looms over Final Four — ask Kansas how that goes

North Carolinaneeded a basketball coach, and it set its sights on one in the Final Four. Its top target had a ...

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NBA MVP rankings: How does Luka Doncic injury shake up race?

This race, unexpectedly, has become a lot closer.

Although it feels like a two-man battle at this point, with no team having more than six games left in the 2025-26 NBA regular season, these players are quickly running out of chances to elevate their arguments for Most Valuable Player.

Thursday, April 2 was an interesting night, too, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of theOklahoma City Thunderand Luka Dončić of theLos Angeles Lakersfacing off, while phenom big Victor Wembanyama'sSan Antonio Spursplayed the Los Angeles Clippers.

Here's this week'sUSA TODAY Sports NBA MVP rankings:

USA TODAY Sports NBA MVP rankings

5.Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

He has simply not let up. He dropped 43 in a rout Wednesday, April 1 against the Heat and has scored at least 29 points in his last seven games, and is averaging 33.6 over that stretch. More importantly, he has been the biggest reason for theCelticsto be a real threat in the East, despite missing Jayson Tatum (Achilles rehab) for most of the season. Brown has led Boston to a decently comfortable hold on the No. 2 seed in the East, and, even though Tatum is returning to form, Brown is looking poised to have a massive postseason.

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4.Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

He has notched triple-doubles in five of his last six games, as the Nuggets are peaking at the right time. Denver has won seven consecutive games and 10 of its last 12, and Jokić has been as consistent and dependable as always. He leads the NBA in rebounding (13.0) and is the only player averaging a triple-double (adding 27.7 points and 10.8 assists). He's having a monster season, so it's kind of absurd to rank him fourth. It's just a testament to the players above him on this list, and the seasons they are having.

3.Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers

In 17 games in March, Dončić scored 600 points, becoming just the 10th player in NBA history to put down that output in any single month. The Lakers, crucially, went 15-2 over that stretch and have been impressive, with recent victories over the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Rockets (twice) and Cavaliers. Thursday's blowout loss against the Thunder was a letdown, as Dončić struggled from deep, going just 1-of-7 from 3-point range. But the bigger problem wasa left hamstring injurythat sidelined him and may jeopardize his eligibility for individual awards. Thursday night was his 64th game, leaving him one shy of the minimum.

2.Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

This has actually gotten really close. Wembanyama missed Thursday night's game against the Clippers with a right ankle injury management designation, but his play as of late has closed the lead the top player on this list has held for much of the back half of the regular season. No player impacts the game on both sides more than Wembanyama, who has dropped 41 points in each of his last two games. As if that wasn't enough, he swatted away 3 shots in each and collected 10 rebounds Monday, March 30 in a win over the Bulls and hauled in 18 Wednesday against the Warriors. San Antonio has won the last 15 games that Wembanyama has played in.

1.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

He remains the most consistent force in the NBA and Thursday's beatdown of the Lakers was proof of how dangerous he can be. Gilgeous-Alexander had scored a smooth 21 points by halftime, as Oklahoma City had opened a massive, 31-point lead on the Lakers. Before that, SGA dopped 47 points in an overtime victory against the Pistons, and he has extended hisconsecutive 20-point streakto a ridiculous 137 games. Still, he'll need to close strong because Wembanyama is making a late charge.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NBA MVP rankings after Luka Doncic injury

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April 03, 2026

NBA MVP rankings: How does Luka Doncic injury shake up race?

This race, unexpectedly, has become a lot closer. Although it feels like a two-man battle at this point, with n...

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After cyclist Moriah Wilson’s murder, her parents found hope again

Around the time ofher daughter Moriah's 2022 murder, approximately 2000 miles away in Austin, Texas, Karen Wilson, unaware of the tragedy unfolding, read a poem about hope."The well-known maxim, 'While there is life, there is hope' has deeper meaning in reverse: 'While there is hope there is life,'" Wilson tells USA TODAY, reading from a book, "I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes" that she keeps by her bed. "Hope comes first, life follows. Hope gives power to life. Hope rouses life to continue, to expand, to grow, to reach out, to go on. Hope sees a light where there isn't any....God clearly was putting that in my heart and preparing me for the next day of when I was going to hear [news of Moriah's death]. "

May marks four years since accomplished 25-year-old cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson, known affectionately as "Mo," was murdered byKaitlin Armstrong. Armstrong worried that something simmered between Moriah and her longtime boyfriend Colin Strickland, whom Armstrong lived with. Moriah and Strickland had a short romance in the fall of 2021, when Armstrong and Strickland were on a brief break. Moriah's parents say when Moriah returned to Austin for a bike race the following spring, she and Strickland were only friends. But a jealous Armstrong shot and killed Moriah on May 11, 2022. The events are chronicled inNetflix's documentary, "The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson"(now streaming).

"The first thing I did, when the officer told me she had died, was I screamed up into the sky to God, and I said, 'You are going to do something good with this,'" Karen recalls.

Filmmakers had approached Wilson and husband Eric about movie ideas, Wilson says, but nothing felt right until they met with Oscar-winning producer Evan Hayes ("Free Solo"). Wilson says when Hayes shared how Moriah lived "could be a positive influence on his daughter" Wilson thought "OK, if that's what you're really looking for, that's awesome."

The documentary captures Moriah's dedication to racing and zest for life, as recalled in interviews with her family, friends and an ex-boyfriend.

"For years, at the end of every day, she would write out what she wanted to try to accomplish the next day," Eric tells USA TODAY of his daughter, "and the three things she was thankful for."

The details of her death and recalled by members of law enforcement. "The district attorneys, the police officers, everyone was so invested in this story," says director Marina Zenovich ("I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not,""Lance"). "I felt like Austin really rallied as a city to try to bring justice for Mo."

Hearing the Wilsons talk about their child moved the crew from their very first day of filming, Zenovich says. They filmed the pair walking in their garden where a plaque honoring Moriah's life rests.

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"It was like my whole crew was crying, and I'm talking about grown men," Zenovich says. "It was like, 'Oh wow this is something. This is something deeply, deeply emotional.'"

The film begins with home movies capturing Moriah's early years. "It was as if I always had known her. It was so familiar," Wilson says in the documentary, her voice beginning to crack. And just days after Moriah's birth, on May 18, 1996, Wilson was hit with the heartbreaking notion that Moriah would leave her someday. At the time, Wilson envisioned an adult Moriah simply moving out of the house or getting married. "But then after she died, when I thought back about that − because it was so powerful, the emotion, I was sobbing and sobbing − it was like I was mourning," she tells USA TODAY.

The day ofMoriah's death, she and Strickland went swimming and for a bite to eat, before he returned Moriah to her friend's apartment where she was staying around 8:30 p.m.,according to reports. Armstrong fired the first shots around 9:15 p.m.

"The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson" shows how investigators pieced together the case andarrested Armstrongin Costa Rica after a 43-day hunt. She used her sister, Christine Armstrong's passport to leave the States. (According to NBC News, Christine had not been charged with a crime.) Kaitlin Armstrong wasconvicted of first-degree murderand sentenced to 90 years.

Zenovich says she reached out toArmstrongin prison and her sister about the documentary that premiered at Austin'sSouth by Southwest (SXSW)in March, but didn't hear back from either. Strickland agreed to be filmed, Zenovich says but not interviewed. "But I think how he looks and his demeanor really speaks to what this did to him," she says.

Viewers have expressed appreciation to the Wilsons "for sharing her life because they felt like they really got to know her," Karen Wilson says. "And as a mom, I've come to the conclusion that one of the reasons [I'm] so happy that this film is made is that she's remembered. People die, they get forgotten and sometimes you never really talk much about them because it's painful or whatever. But I love talking about her, and it keeps her in our life."

Moriah's legacy is also continued throughthe Moriah Wilson Foundation, which annually hosts the "Ride For Mo" event, happening this year on May 9.

The foundation is "a good place to put our energy rather than sitting around moping about being sad," Wilson says. "There's definitely those moments, and there will always be those moments, but we've just got to live life. She wants us to live life."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Cyclist Moriah Wilson was murdered. Her parents found a silver lining

byCosmopolite

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April 03, 2026

After cyclist Moriah Wilson’s murder, her parents found hope again

Around the time ofher daughter Moriah's 2022 murder, approximately 2000 miles away in Austin, Texas, Karen Wilson, un...

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“RuPaul's Drag Race” production company announces contestant died before filming show at age 27

RuPaul's Drag Raceproduction company World of Wonder has announced that Misua, a contestant who was set to appear on an upcoming international edition of the franchise, has died at age 27, before filming began.

In an emotionalInstagrampost on Thursday, WOW wrote, "We are heartbroken to share that Misua, a talented Queen set to appear on season four ofDrag Race Philippinespassed away in her sleep the morning of April 2. She brought light, artistry, and joy to those around her, and she will be deeply missed."

The post continued: "We have paused production to care for and support our cast and crew during this incredibly difficult time. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and all who loved her."

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WOW is "in contact with her family, who have asked for privacy during this hard time," the post finished.Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to representatives for WOW for additional information.

This is a developing story. EW will update it with more information as it becomes available.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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April 03, 2026

“RuPaul's Drag Race” production company announces contestant died before filming show at age 27

RuPaul's Drag Raceproduction company World of Wonder has announced that Misua, a contestant who was set to appear on ...

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