Instant classics only

The GIST: Last night’s women’s hoops action ruined nails across the nation. First, book yourself a weekend mani, then catch up on all the hardwood havoc.

No. 1 South Carolina remains undefeated: In an instant classic, the top-ranked Gamecocks showed why they’re the country’s best team, staging a jaw-dropping comeback to defeat No. 9 LSU 76–70 in front of a raucous Baton Rouge crowd. The thriller tilted in South Carolina’s favor when LSU star Angel Reese, aka Bayou Barbie, fouled out with four minutes left to play.

• Tons of buzz before tip-off earned this Top-10 pair the College GameDay treatment, called by an all-female broadcast crew. Even with all that hype, the game completely exceeded expectations. Still stunned.

No. 12 Ohio State avoids a choke: The Buckeyes narrowly avoided a classic trap: spending all your energy slaying a giant, only to be upset in the very next game. But thanks to a double-double from forward Cotie McMahon and 25 points from guard Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State erased an 11-point halftime deficit to survive Illinois 67–59 last night. Phew.

A brutal blowout for No. 23 Florida State: The once-high-flying FSU Seminoles lost their third straight game last night, and it was a doozy. The ’Noles were demolished 88–46 by a mediocre Duke squad in an offensive and defensive catastrophe. Woof.

No. 15 Notre Dame falls to No. 22 Syracuse: The red-hot Syracuse Orange captured their sixth straight win with last night’s 79–65 road upset against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish struggled on the boards, sinking only a third of their shots — not exactly the energy they need heading into a tough rivalry game at No. 8 UConn tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

The GIST: After years of teasing an NFL return — and less than three weeks after leading his alma mater to a national championship — Michigan football HC Jim Harbaugh announced Wednesday that he’s leaving the Wolverines to helm the LA Chargers.

The context: Harbaugh’s journey to college football’s pinnacle was bumpy. This season, he served two separate three-game suspensions for different infractions: one for lying to the NCAA about recruiting violations, and another for the sign-stealing scandal that broke the internet, neither of which is fully settled.

• Whether he’s bailing to duck even more penalties or simply wants a new challenge, it’s Harbaugh’s successor who’ll have to contend with the fallout. The leading candidate? Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore.

What’s next: Once the new HC is in place, Michigan’s focus will be salvaging their roster. As demonstrated by the Alabama exodus following HC Nick Saban’s retirement, coaching changes often chill recruiting, and they can push current players to the transfer portal — and the Wolverines’ title-winning roster is already depleted due to graduation.

• More importantly, the NCAA would still like a word about those recruiting violations, and competitors are calling for more significant punishment in the sign-stealing saga — even vacating their natty.

• Will those threats fade now that Harbaugh’s out of the picture? Or, by avoiding paying for his mistakes, did he leave Michigan holding the bill?

No matter your favorite women’s basketball moment from this season, chances are Topps has celebrated it with a Bowman U NOW card.

The iconic trading card creator drops limited edition releases celebrating milestones in the women’s game, like No. 5 Iowa’s Caitlin Clark becoming the first player (women’s or men’s!) to surpass 3K career points, 750 career rebounds, and 750 career assists. Get you a player who can do it all.

• And now you can: Follow Topps’ socials or sign up for email alerts to be notified about new, made-to-order drops. History is in the making.

Looking to get’cha head in the game? Rev up your job search this year with The GIST’s job board, built to help you find gigs in sports — including college sports.

• By this time next semester, you could be living your Jayhawk dreams as the University of Kansas’ Coordinator of Reporting and Analytics. Shoot your shot by applying today.

🎾 Women’s tennis: ITA Kickoff Weekend’s Tennessee Regional — Today and tomorrow at various times — PlaySight

• Can’t get enough of the Australian Open? There’s more elite tennis in the ITA Kickoff Weekend, highlighted by a four-way ranked matchup between host No. 17 Tennessee, No. 18 USC, No. 21 Miami, and No. 25 Vanderbilt. Aces.

🤸 Women’s gymnastics: No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0-1) vs. No. 8 Florida Gators (4-0-0) — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — ESPN2

• These undefeated SEC rivals come barreling into a Top-10 showdown with the NCAA’s best freshmen ready to show out. The best part? It’ll go down in front of a sold-out crowd. HYFR.

🏒 Men’s ice hockey: No. 1 Boston University (16-4-1) vs. No. 2 Boston College (16-4-1) — Tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m ET — ESPN+ or NESN

• As if the 106-year-old Green Line Rivalry wasn’t exciting enough, these neighboring powerhouses head into the annual matchup as the nation’s top two teams for the first time. That’s a whole lot of pride and Dunkin’ at stake.

🏀 Men’s basketball: No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks (16-3) vs. No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones (15-4) — Tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. ET — CBS

• It feels like there’s an upset in the Big 12 every single day, and Iowa State’s primed to deliver tomorrow’s. Kansas took two humbling losses in their last five games, while the undefeated-at-home Cyclones boast one of the league’s best defenses.