Here is the latest SEC sports news from The Associated Press:
UNDATED — Most of the more than $1 billion the NCAA made last year came from the men's Division I basketball tournament. A massive television rights deal with CBS and Turner accounts for about $800 million. The cancellation of the tournament because of the coronavirus will cause the NCAA some red ink on its balance sheet this year. How much is hard to determine. No games means CBS and Turner won't have to pay, though it's likely some of that huge fee has already been doled out. Insurance could cover some of the losses. And the lost year might lead to a discounted one-year extension to the current deal with CBS and Turner that runs through 2032.
NEW YORK — Monday was supposed to be the night that women's college basketball got put in the national spotlight with the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal. But the tournament was canceled because of the new coronavirus. So instead of celebrating a spot in the NCAAs, teams and coaches across the country were left to think about what might have been. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley broke the news to her players via text. Oregon coach Kelly Graves got to talk to some players who were still on campus when the tournament was called off. He says it's “unfortunate” but "there's a lot bigger things going on that put it in perspective.”
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida forward Dontay Bassett is looking to transfer after playing in just 17 games this season. School officials say Bassett has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will have immediate eligibility elsewhere next season as a graduate transfer. The 6-foot-9 junior from California played behind freshmen and fellow big men Omar Payne and Jason Jitoboh this season and was on the court sparingly during Southeastern Conference games. Bassett averaged 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in less than seven minutes a game.
