Protect all players

The GIST: News broke Monday that former Nebraska women’s basketball player and current UNLV guard Ashley Scoggin is suing Nebraska’s board of regents as well as current and former athletic department staff for inappropriate actions taken after ex-assistant coach Chuck Love allegedly groomed and sexually abused her from 2021 to 2022. Horrifying.

• Along with Love, current Nebraska HC Amy Williams and athletic director Trev Alberts are also named in the suit, which claims that the athletic department (AD) even neglected to order an investigation into the incident.

The details: According to the complaint, Love initiated a close personal, and later sexual, relationship with Scoggin when she was a summer AD intern in 2021 — a relationship Scoggin felt pressured to agree to out of fear of retaliation. Other team members, suspicious of the relationship, captured hidden camera video of Scoggin in Love’s hotel room at an away game in February 2022.

• They confronted Scoggin and showed HC Williams the video. Williams was allegedly unconcerned with the possibility of predatory abuse or coercion, instead choosing to address the issue in a full-team meeting — with both Scoggin and Love present — the following day.

• Williams encouraged the team to air their feelings, which Scoggin claims turned into hours of berating accusations. The next day, Williams removed Scoggin from the team, while Love received a suspension with pay for the rest of the season. He resigned in May 2022.

Zooming out: It appears that Nebraska failed to protect Scoggin at every turn, adding her story to the disturbing pattern of female athlete abuse by their school’s athletic staff.

• Want to support organizations working to protect players? Spread the word about the Courage First Athlete Helpline and/or support the Women’s Sports Foundation, which provides a guide for protecting athletes from such abuses of power.

The GIST: The long weekend saw plenty of unexpected scorelines, but the last 48 hours took the cake: Two of the season’s most upset-proof teams fell, so you might want to hold off on those bracket predictions for a few more weeks.

Down goes No. 1 UConn: Just two days after No. 3 Purdue fell 73–69 to a mediocre Ohio State, the Huskies suffered an 85–66 beatdown by No. 15 Creighton last night, snapping the reigning natty champs’ 14-game win streak in the process. It’s the first time Creighton has ever beaten a No. 1 team. Looks like it’s storming in Omaha.

No. 2 Houston survives defensive battle: Two of the country’s toughest defenses duked it out on Monday, when the Cougars edged No. 6 Iowa State 73–65 at home. With the win, Houston wrested control of the tumultuous Big 12 from their top challenger.

No. 11 Baylor falls in Big 12 battle: Last night, inconsistent No. 25 BYU stunned No. 11 Baylor 78–71. Baylor’s terrible shooting and rebounding did them in — the Bears made just five of their 20 three-point attempts and allowed BYU to nab 17 offensive boards. Sheesh.

2023 national finalist can’t find traction: Despite last year’s legendary run to the national championship, No. 19 San Diego State has had a relatively lackluster season, including last night’s 68–63 upset loss to Utah State — just one day after their triumphant return to the Top 25. Oof.