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SMU is getting closer to landing Southern California basketball coach Andy Enfield, multiple sources reported. Enfield has been the Mustangs' sole target since they fired Rob Lanier on March 21, a day after they lost a first-round game in the NIT to Indiana State 101-92, according to ESPN. After ESPN identified Enfield as a "person of interest" on Tuesday, AM-570 radio in Los Angeles reported that the coach was taking the SMU job. Wednesday's report from ESPN indicated that the deal might not be finalized for a few days, although SMU had not reached out to any other candidates. Enfield, 54, just concluded his 11th season at USC. Several key players missed time with injuries as the Trojans finished the season 15-18. They were drubbed by Arizona in the Pac-12 Conference quarterfinals. Enfield is 220-147 at USC, with five NCAA Tournament appearances. The Trojans reached the Elite Eight in the 2020-21 season. He previously coached at Florida Gulf Coast, guiding the 15th-seeded Eagles to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in 2013. SMU, which finished 20-13 this season, will move to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season and reportedly wants a high-profile hire. The Mustangs, who went just 10-22 in 2022-23, lost seven of their last eight games this season, and Lanier was let go after two seasons at the school. The Mustangs have not made the NCAA Tournament since losing in the first round in 2016-17. --Field Level Media

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Kevin Durant scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 104-97 victory over reigning NBA champions Denver on Wednesday to keep things close at the top of the Western Conference.

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After working a dozen years for two of the most successful programs in the nation, John Jakus is getting a shot to lead his own program. Florida Atlantic announced Wednesday that it hired Jakus as its head basketball coach. Terms of the deal weren't revealed, but Jakus received a five-year contract, according to multiple media reports. Jakus, 48, takes over the Owls after spending the last 12 years at Baylor and Gonzaga. After joining the Bears as a graduate assistant for two seasons, he moved to Gonzaga to serve as the director of basketball operations under head coach Mark Few. In 2017, he rejoined Baylor as an assistant coach under Scott Drew. The Bulldogs reached the national championship game in Jakus' tenure in 2017 and the Bears won the national championship in 2021. In his 12 seasons as a Division I coach, Jakus has seen his teams appear in five Sweet 16s, three Elite Eights and two Final Fours with the one national championship. "When we began this search, we spoke to coaches, athletic directors, administrators, scouts, and agents, and the name that kept coming up with glowing reviews was John Jakus," FAU athletic director Brian White said in a press release. "He checks so many boxes in what we're looking for to enhance and build on the momentum in our program. His pedigree, learning from two of the greatest coaches in the game today, is unmatched." The Owls made a surprising run to the Final Four as a No. 9 seed last season under head coach Dusty May, losing on a buzzer-beater to San Diego State in a national semifinal. FAU began this season ranked No. 10 and got as high as No. 7. Finishing the 2023-24 regular season with a 25-8 record, the Owls were seeded eighth in the East Region but fell 77-65 in overtime to No. 9 seed Northwestern in the first round on Friday. Prior to the back-to-back appearances, FAU had made only one NCAA Tournament in its history. Earlier this week, May was hired as Michigan's new head coach. A Chicago native, Jakus coached high school ball in Cincinnati before stints as head coach with Athletes in Action and pro teams in Macedonia and Bulgaria prior to joining Baylor for the first time in 2012. FAU will introduce Jakus at a news conference on Thursday. --Field Level Media

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Gabe Madsen scored 18 points and Branden Carlson added 17 to lead Utah to a 74-54 NIT quarterfinal victory over VCU on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City. Deivon Smith tallied 15 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds for the Utes, earning his second straight triple-double and fifth overall this season. Utah (22-14) led wire to wire to advance to the NIT semifinals for the first time since 2018. The Utes will face Indiana State in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The final is scheduled for April 4. VCU (24-14) shot just 32.8 percent from the field and went 5-for-26 (19.2 percent) from 3-point range. Sean Bairstow led the Rams with 13 points. The Utes seized control early, making seven of their first 11 shots to jump out to a 18-2 lead. Carlson and Madsen combined for five baskets -- with four coming from 3-point range -- to power Utah's quick start. VCU missed nine of its first 10 shots and scored one basket over the opening seven minutes. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Alphonzo Billups III and Zeb Jackson ignited a 11-1 Rams run that cut Utah's lead to 19-13. VCU eventually pulled within a basket before the Utes' offense sprang to life again. Consecutive 3-pointers from Carlson and Madsen extended Utah's lead to 29-20. The Utes knocked down seven long-distance baskets on 16 attempts (43.8 percent) before halftime. Utah's second half start mirrored what the Utes did in the first half. Four straight baskets from Smith and Madsen produced an 11-0 run that put Utah up 47-28 with 16:13 remaining. The Utes were able to pull away after VCU missed 11 of its first 14 second-half shots. Utah led by as many as 29 points after halftime, going up 71-42 on a 3-pointer from Hunter Erickson with 6:28 left. --Field Level Media