Year: 2022

Sunday was a great day to be a 10-seed facing a 2-seed in both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, as three 10s stunned their favored counterparts to advance to the Sweet 16. After Creighton and South Dakota won on the women’s side, it was Miami’s turn in the men’s bracket to take down second-seeded Auburn thanks to an impressive second half performance that saw the Canes run away from the Tigers, en route to a 70-58 win.

Miami led by one at the half, with Isaiah Wong leading the way, as the star guard finished the game with 21 points, with none more impressive than this vicious first half dunk on potential top pick Jabari Smith.

Auburn was able to hang around in the first half thanks to some solid defense of their own, but Miami really turned up the defensive pressure in the second and got the Auburn offense out of sorts. Miami forced 12 turnovers in the game, allowing them to get out on the break and pick up some easy baskets in a game in which neither team had much of a rhythm shooting the ball. The Hurricanes shot just 3-of-15 from three-point range, while Auburn was an even worse 5-of-26. Smith had a dreadful shooting night, going 3-of-16 from the floor and 1-of-8 from three, as he simply could not find his shot and Auburn’s guards struggled to consistently create good looks for anyone else.

On the other end, it was Miami’s ability to get to the rim that became the separator in the second half, both on the break and in breaking down the Tigers defense.

In the end, a cold shooting night and inability to find their way to the basket proved too much for the Tigers to overcome against the experience and calm of the Hurricanes veteran lineup. Along with Wong’s 21-point, six-rebound effort, Miami had three others hit double figures — Kameron McGusty finished the game with 20, Jordan Miller added 12, and Charlie Moore had 15 points and eight assists — as the Hurricanes ran away late to a 79-61 win to punch their ticket to the second weekend where they will face 11-seed Iowa State in the Sweet 16, with the Midwest bracket getting busted wide open on Sunday night.

Sunday was a day of upsets in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, starting with 10-seed Creighton taking down potential National Player of the Year, Caitlin Clark, and the 2-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in a thriller in Iowa City.

Later in the evening, it was another powerhouse’s turn to get sent home early, as 2-seed Baylor was jumped on early by South Dakota and never recovered in a 14-point loss to the 10-seeded Coyotes. South Dakota started 4-for-4 from the field, taking an 11-0 advantage out of the gates, silencing the Baylor arena crowd and stunning the Bears.

The Coyotes would take that 11-point advantage and hold onto it for most of the game — leading 16-4 after the first, 34-23 after the second, and 49-36 after the third — with Baylor never managing to even things up as South Dakota always had an answer any time the Bears made a brief run. It was a noticeable difference in energy level from the Coyotes, who flew around on both ends of the floor and flat out-worked Baylor to hand the Bears their first non-conference loss at home since 2014 against UConn.

It was a balanced effort from the Coyotes, with Hannah Sjerven leading the way with 16 points, four rebounds, and four steals, along with 15 points from Chloe Lamb and 11 points from Liv Korngable, including this tough runner to close out the third quarter.

Baylor was never able to mount a run against a South Dakota defense that did a great job keeping them out of the paint, and on a night where the Bears connected on just 20 percent of their threes, they simply didn’t have the firepower to get close. In the end, South Dakota strolled away to a 61-47 win and into the Sweet 16 where they will join Creighton as the first time two double-digit seeds have reached the second weekend in the same NCAA women’s tournament, as there has been no shortage of Madness on the women’s side so far.

For the first time in three years, the SXSW Festival was able to hold its showcase as an in-person event. The 2020 and 2021 iterations of the show were respectively canceled and held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the SXSW, the annual festival features “sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development,” and more. From a music standpoint, it greats the opportunity for artists both big and small to perform in front of a big audience. Established acts like Young Thug, Shawn Mendes, Gunna, and more all performed at the festival this year.

While things went smoothly for most of the festival, which took place from March 11-20, it ended with an unfortunate incident. According to Variety and Deadline, a shooting took place near the festival and it left four people injured. In an official press statement about the matter, Austin Police confirmed that at 1:59 a.m. on Sunday morning authorities responded to gunshots at the 400 block of East 6th Street in the city’s entertainment district.

The four victims in the shooting were transported to local hospitals where they were treated for minor injuries. Hours after the shooting, Austin Police Department announced on social media that a suspect in the incident had been taken into custody. This is not the first shooting that’s taken place around SXSW. Back in 2019, a shooting took place on 6th street that left one person injured. Shortly after, another shooting took place nearby on 7th Street and Interstate 35 Frontage Road.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

On Friday, something strange happened: Russian astronauts arriving at the International Space Station boarded wearing yellow suits with blue stripes. Perhaps that doesn’t sound on its face unusual, but those colors happen to be the same as the flag for Ukraine, the nation that for the last month has been invaded by Russian forces. This led some to suspect whether it was a covert political statement. But Russian authorities swear the answer is no.

According to the BBC, Roscosmos, Russia’s equivalent of NASA, were quick to issue a response to their astronauts’ curious sartorial choice. “Sometimes yellow is just yellow,” they wrote. “The design of the uniform was agreed upon long before current events.”

They also repeated one interpretation made by an astronomer: that the colors are a nod to something else. “The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colors of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from,” Roscosmos said. “To see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy.”

When boarding the ISS, the astronauts said nothing political, about Ukraine or elsewhere. One of them, Oleg Artemyev, even offered a much more mundane, if cryptic explanation. “It became our turn to pick a color,” Artemyev said. “We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it,” he joked. “That’s why we had to wear yellow.”

Since the Ukraine invasion began in late February, Russian authorities have shut down all independent media outlets, suppressed most social media services, and have generally attempted to keep its populace in a propagandistic bubble. That hasn’t stopped some from finding creative, brave ways to get the word out about what’s really going on in the neighboring country. Meanwhile, the invasion has led to some strange reactions from the American rightwing.

(Via BBC)

The Oscars have been a hot mess for a while now, from host controversies to sloppy attempts to deal with the pandemic. But this year’s iteration may be the most chaotic. In a desperate attempt to improve plummeting ratings, the 2022 show has made the controversial move to not air a mess of awards live, instead peppering those wins throughout the night’s telecast. If that weren’t enough, they allegedly neglected to invite the incredibly popular star of one of the night’s most nominated movies.

That person is Rachel Zegler, who was still 17 when Steven Spielberg chose her for the iconic role of Maria in his take on the classic musical West Side Story. His film is currently nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. And yet when/if it wins anything, Zegler allegedly won’t be there in person, not only despite being one of its stars but also despite winning a Golden Globe for her acclaimed performance.

“Idk y’all i have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening,” Zegler wrote in a comment on Instagram. “I will root for west side story from my coach and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago.”

When Zegler got the gig in January 2019, it was but a month after she first posted what became a viral video of her singing “Shallow,” Lady Gaga’s biggest song from the 2018 version of A Star is Born. Would it be smart for a show looking to overcome a nadir in ratings to invite the incredibly online popular star of a movie that itself has become belatedly popular now that it’s streaming? Almost certainly!

Neither Zegler’s representatives nor the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have since commented on her claim, but her official Twitter account did like a tweet that called out the alleged injustice.

Of course, it’s not too late to reverse this. “I hope some last minute miracle occurs and i can celebrate our film in person,” Zegler wrote in her Instagram comment, “but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, i guess.”

West Side Story streams on Disney+ and HBO Max. The Oscars air on March 27.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Sunday afternoon saw Creighton and Iowa take center stage in the women’s NCAA tournament, as the 10-seeded Blue Jays took on the 2-seeded Hawkeyes on Iowa’s home floor in front of a sold out crowd of 15,000 — as the women’s tournament plays first and second round games at the top-4 seeds’ home courts.

From the jump, the game was a thriller, as both teams came out firing on all cylinders offensively. For the Jays, it was all about the three-point shot early and often, with Payton Brotzki starting off on fire from deep, drilling three early threes to push Creighton to a quick lead.

On the other side, it was a two-woman show for Iowa, as star Caitlin Clark got busy from the perimeter as she so often does, showing off her ability to pull from just about anywhere off the dribble.

However, Creighton kept Clark’s opportunities to fire away from deep limited by sending help at her just about every time down the court, choosing instead to leave Monika Czinano single covered down low, and Iowa’s center ate early and often, finishing the game with 27 points on 12-of-20 shooting.

While Czinano piled up points inside and Clark started well, no one else on Iowa could buy a bucket and with the Jays hot from deep, they were able to open up a double-digit lead and, ultimately, take a 38-32 advantage into halftime.

In the second half, the three-ball started to go cold for Creighton and Iowa steadily clawed back into the game and, after a dreadful shooting start from the non-Clark and Czinano Hawkeyes, Gabbie Marshall picked the right time to find her stroke in the fourth quarter with a pair of big threes on back-to-back possessions to give Iowa the lead.

The Hawkeyes would go up four and it seemed, with a raucous crowd on their side, they would put the Jays’ upset bid to rest. Despite a cold-shooting half, Creighton was able to turn to Iowa transfer Lauren Jensen for some big buckets in the fourth quarter to keep them attached, and down two with under 20 seconds to play, it was Jensen who drilled what became the game-winner after some Iowa miscommunication left her open at the top of the floor.

A Caitlin Clark layup missed off the iron and, after Creighton split two free throws, Iowa found themselves down two with 3.6 seconds to play and got the ball to Czinano to try and force overtime. Her shot from the paint came up short, as did a pair of putback attempts, allowing Creighton to celebrate a stunning upset and their first Sweet 16 appearance in school history.

Jensen finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, toppling her old team in the process and getting assistance from Brotzki (13 points) and Emma Ronsiek (13 points, 10 rebounds). For Iowa, Czinano and Clark combined for 42 of their 62 points and as a team they shot just 35.7 percent from the field including a 5-of-22 afternoon from three-point range, which was just not the performance needed to beat a very game Blue Jays squad.

(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book IV: Force will be found below.)

Aside from all the drama, gunshots, and drug dealing that goes on in Power Book IV: Force, there are softer moments that attempt to balance out the chaotic show. One of those includes romances between the show’s characters. One of the more prominent ones takes place between Vic Flynn, son of Walter Flynn from the Irish Crime Family, and Gloria, who is a bartender at a bar that is somehow connected to the Irish Crime Family. The two have had rocky moments together, but things seemed to finally be going well until between them. That is, before this week’s episode at least.

What Happened Between Vic And Gloria In ‘Power?’

After spending the night together at Gloria’s house, Vic wakes up to see that she’s nowhere to be found. He finds a note from her that says she’s run off to some unknown location, and that their relationship as they know it is over. Vic tries to call and text her, but he’s successful in his attempts to get in contact with her. Vic takes her disappearance to heart as it came shortly after he decided to prioritize her over his family’s desires.

In prior episodes, Walter made it clear that he would never give Gloria his blessing to join the family as he wants Vic to be with an Irish woman capable of joining the family business.

New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available to watch on Sunday at 12:00am EST.

(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book IV: Force will be found below.)

While hasn’t released an album in almost ten years, 50 Cent is still an active member in the music community and it’s something that clear in his Power series. 50 Cent’s responsible for the theme songs in Power, Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force. He’s also recruiting musicians like Mary J. Blige, Method Man, Kendrick Lamar, and Jeremih for acting roles. That list expanded thanks to the most recent episode of Power Book IV: Force which featured rapper Freddie Gibbs.

What Is Freddie Gibbs Doing In ‘Power?’

Freddie Gibbs plays Cousin Buddy, a crazy and unpredictable drug kingpin from Gary, Indiana where the rapper himself is actually from. Cousin Buddy is introduced when Jenard decides to step out of CBI and set up a drug operation in Gary. Cousin Buddy and Jenard’s first interaction is filled with tension as the pair are known to be hotheads. Luckily, thanks to their desire to make money, Cousin Buddy and Jenard are able to put their egos aside and get to business.

Freddie celebrated the new role which a post a Twitter, writing, “Let’s f**kin go!!!!! #Power #Force [rabbit emoji].”

New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available to watch on Sunday at 12:00am EST.

(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book IV: Force will be found below.)

Aside from Tommy Egan and Liliana, who both appeared in the original Power series, 50 Cent’s Power Book IV: Force has brought forth a whole new cast of characters and names to learn. Despite being seven episodes into the inaugural season, we’re still being introduced to people that will have essential roles in the show (see: Cousin Buddy played by Freddie Gibbs). Some of them come and go rather quickly, like Elijah whos’ played by Jeremih, while others seem like they’ll be here for a little while. Adrienne seems to be one of those.

Who Is Adrienne In ‘Power?’

Adrienne takes the role of Diamond’s love interest after the two meet at his go-to diner. Their interaction there leads to what initially seemed like a one-night stand. However, the two seem to be going steady after the reconnect at Diamond’s bar. Unfortunately, there’s a catch to it all as Adrienne planned her first interaction with Diamond as she’s a crime reporter working on a story that involves him.

Adrienne originally wanted to center the story around “broken nations in Chicago and the young men who fall victim to it.” However, her editor says that it will now be about Diamond as his rise and fall as a drug kingpin. The editor’s hope is that they can catch Diamond’s second rise in the drug game and produce a report that causes him to go back to prison.

New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available to watch on Sunday at 12:00am EST.

Young Thug and his family are facing an unfortunate tragedy after the mother of his oldest child, who is 14, was shot and killed in Atlanta. LaKevia Jackson, who was only 31 years old, was shot in the parking lot of Metro Fun Center in Atlanta following what police say was “a dispute over a bowling ball.” The incident was confirmed by Atlanta’s CBS46 and the publication reports that investigators say Jackson was at the bowling alley for her best friend’s birthday party. It was there that she had an argument about a bowling ball, and before she could leave the alley, she was shot by the unnamed suspect.

Jackson’s mother Sherina spoke to reporter Tori Cooper and claimed that the shooter spent 20 minutes waiting in the alley’s parking lot after the shooting. Sherina also said that she spoke to her daughter that day. “I didn’t know that was going to be the last time I talked to my baby,” she said. “I could hear her over the phone crying and screaming then her best friend said she’s not breathing! I lost my baby all over a bowling ball.”

Lieutenant Ralph Woolfolk, who is also the Atlanta police department’s homicide commander, shared a statement about the incident to CBS46. “This is truly an atrocity,” he said. “A young lady has lost her life over a bowling ball. We talk about conflict-resolution time and time again and this is an escalated dispute so we will work this case through the night and we will find the person responsible. We know who are so go ahead and turn yourself in.”

Young Thug has yet to speak out about the incident.

Young Thug is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.