Caitlin Clark, All-American

Caitlin Clark has been a mainstay on The Associated Press All-America team the past few seasons.

The NCAA’s all-time scoring leader from Iowa was honored for the third straight year today, becoming the 11th player to earn the distinction three times. She was a unanimous choice from the 35-member national media panel that chooses the AP Top 25 each week.

Clark was joined on the first team by Stanford’s Cameron Brink, UConn’s Paige Bueckers and freshmen JuJu Watkins of USC and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame. They are only the fourth and fifth freshmen to make the AP team since it began in 1994-95, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, UConn’s Maya Moore and Bueckers.

“We’ve had a front row seat to JuJu, but what Hannah’s done is unbelievable,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “Coach Niele (Ivey) has done an incredible job.”

Clark joins a select group with her third first-team honor: South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston, Baylor’s Brittney Griner, Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw, Duke’s Alana Beard, Paris, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu, Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard and UConn’s Breanna Stewart and Moore. Paris and Moore did it four times.

Clark, who earned second-team honors as a freshman, led the nation in scoring averaging 31.9 points per game as well as being tops in assists with 8.9. The Iowa native became the first Division I player to have consecutive 1,000-point seasons and to also top 3,000 points and 1,000 assists for her career.

“That is mind-boggling when you think about it,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I mean, everybody’s defensive plan is to stop her, and nobody’s been able to figure out really how to do it. She’s faced every kind of defense. She really knows how to pick them apart.”

Watkins took the country by storm as a freshman. She has already scored 810 points, which is fourth most for a freshman all-time. She averaged 27 points, which was second behind Clark and added 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.5 blocks to help the Trojans win the Pac-12 Tournament for the first time since 2014. She is the first USC player to earn first-team AP honors.

“JuJu came to a program that while there’s a proud history, there’s been nothing significant done in many, many years,” Gottlieb said. “It’s very rare for a player of her level to go to a program that’s not already at the top. She’s answered every bell.”

Hidalgo was incredible on both ends of the floor for the Fighting Irish, helping lead them to the ACC Tournament title. She averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists and also led the nation in steals, averaging 4.6 a game.

“She deserves to be listed amongst the best in women’s basketball,” Ivey said. “Hannah is a fierce competitor and an elite performer who rises to the occasion and has been extremely consistent and dominant this season.”

Bueckers finally made it through a season healthy after missing most of the past two years because of injuries. She returned to the form that earned her AP Player of the Year honors as a freshman, averaging 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Huskies.

“She’s one of those unique superstars that wants to be that at both ends of the floor,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Not everyone values those same things. She gets a lot of enjoyment out of the rebounding that she can do, the blocked shots, the steals, stealing the inbounds pass on the out-of-bounds play. She just has a great sense of the game and what’s happening next. I think that’s probably why she’s never surprised, because I think she always knows what’s happening next.”

Brink averaged 17.8 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 blocks, which led the nation. She became only the second player in the past 24 years to have 100 blocks and 100 assists in the same season, joining Stewart, who did it three times.

“Cam is the best two-way player in the nation and a dominant force at both ends,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “In addition to all the points, rebounds and blocks, she’s a selfless teammate and a willing passer who makes everyone around her better.”

Clark, Brink and Bueckers were all on the preseason AP All-America team. They were joined by LSU’s Angel Reese, Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes and Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley.

SECOND TEAM

The AP second team was headlined by Kitley, who was the ACC player of the year for a third straight season. She was joined by Reese, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, Texas’ Madison Booker and Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon.

THIRD TEAM

The AP third team was Utah’s Alissa Pili, Holmes, Syracuse’s Daisha Fair, Virginia Tech’s Georgia Amoore and Oregon State’s Reagan Beers.

HONORABLE MENTION

Ayoka Lee of Kansas State, and Aaliyah Edwards of UConn were the leading vote-getters among players who didn’t make the three All-America teams. Players earned honorable-mention status if they appeared on one of the ballots.

Bobby Curran is grateful

[12/13/22, posted 12/15/22] There are days when the pain, on a scale from 1 to 10, is at bullet-biting.

These days, the routine is, with chin on chest, to practice hard swallowing.

But with each deep breath, sportscaster Bobby Curran is grateful.

“How can you not feel good when so many people are rooting for you?” said Curran, 67, who underwent a life-saving, double-lung transplant on Nov. 17 in Phoenix.

It has been a week since Curran was released from St. Joseph’s Hospital &Medical Center. He is staying in a rented two-story house a few miles from the hospital’s rehabilitation unit where he undergoes “clinics” — testing and treatment — four times a week. Two friends from New York are serving as 24-hour caregivers, helping infuse the 20 medications a day into his feeding tube, with his wife and elder son set to take turns after that.

Curran has been awash in emotion from the texts, emails and calls from Hawaii and across the country. University of Hawaii basketball coach Eran Ganot has been a regular texter. Last week, UH athletic director David Matlin, between meetings on the mainland, spent two hours talking story at Curran’s rental.

Norman Nakanishi, a pastor who holds volunteer sermons for UH players, has been leading a prayer group for Curran at Pearlside Church.

“I wasn’t initially a very religious person, but some of the things that are happening here, you have to see a heavenly hand in it,” Curran said. “I don’t think this could have happened else-wise.”

Earlier this year, Curran became friends with Bob Kessner, who also had undergone a lung transplant at St. Joseph’s. Kessner explained his experience with the surgery and what to expect in the aftermath. Kessner was scheduled to attend a fund-raising event in Phoenix a day ahead of Curran’s surgery. “The night before the surgery, I hadn’t heard from him,” Curran said.

As Curran regained consciousness a few days after the surgery, he remembered feeling a sense of calmness. Later, Curran had learned, Kessner “had come into ICU when they took me out of surgery and stayed by the bedside and held my hand. He’d been through this whole thing, and he wanted to help me.”

It was in June when Curran, who quit a smoking habit several years ago, was told he needed a double-lung transplant to treat an aggressive stage of emphysema. Doctors recommended Curran as a candidate at St. Joseph’s, which performed 120 lung transplants in 2021. During the application process, which resulted in several rejections, Curran was told that without the transplant, his life expectancy probably would not exceed this Christmas.

The day ahead of when a 30-person committee would review his application, Curran met with a top St. Joseph’s doctor. There were thresholds and data, and only one of three applicants is approved, but the doctor asked Curran: tell me your story. The next day, Curran was approved as the fortunate one-third.

Curran spent weeks of evaluations and testing before a donor was found. Recipients are not told about a donor’s background, but the presumption is it is person younger than 40. “According to all doctors, surgery went really well,” Curran said.

Curran passed two markers: his body accepted the two lungs and they fit his chest cavity.

Medications and “food” are administered through one of the three tubes inserted into his abdomen. He has progressed to being allowed ice chips and four ounces of pureed snacks four times a day. Because of the risk of chewed food going down the “wrong pipe,” which can cause aspiration, Curran is practicing hard-swallowing techniques. If he passes a swallowing test either this Friday or next week, the food tube can be removed and he can expand his menu and take medication orally.

There always is the risk his condition can turn, for no apparent reason, and that he will need some anti-rejection and anti-infection medicines for life. But he remains hopeful in his continued progress. The five-year survival rate is 54%, although updated data could increase the projection to 58%. There are more recipients who have lived 10 post-surgery years and, even, 15.

“If I get 10 extra years, I’ll be dancing on clouds,” Curran said.

The timeline used to be a year in which recipients stayed in the area after surgery. But several have been able to move home after six months. Curran’s goal is to be able to attend his younger son’s high school graduation in May. His older son is a sophomore at UH. His wife Jo has balanced taking care of their sons, serving as first vice president of a commercial real estate company, and assisting Curran.

“It’s been really hard on her,” Curran said. “She’s special. … What I’m really trying to do now is give my wife a few years to take the pack off and rest easy, and to get my boys to the next level in their lives. That’s my goal.”

***

[7/20/23] HONOLULU, HI – aio and ESPN Honolulu are pleased to announce the return of one of its long-time radio personalities and beloved hosts; Bobby Curran. Following a successful double lung transplant last November, Curran will make his return to ESPN Honolulu broadcasting later this month. 

“The Bobby Curran Show” will return to the air starting July 24 from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday.

“We are thrilled to have Bobby back at ESPN Honolulu and with our aio ohana,” said Matt Apana, ESPN Honolulu General Manager. “We know he has been missed dearly by our listeners and fans, many of whom called in, written letters and emails, and posted on our social media channels, sending him their aloha and well wishes.”

“The Bobby Curran Show” has been a staple on ESPN Honolulu since 1994, while Curran’s career broadcasting University of Hawaii sports has spanned more than three decades. His last show aired in July 2022 prior to taking time off to prioritize his health. After his surgery last November, he took several months of intensive rehabilitation and treatment in Arizona. 

Once cleared by his medical providers, Curran returned to the island in May 2023 to attend his son’s high school graduation from Mid-Pacific Institute. With his strength returning, Curran is eager and excited to be back on the Hawaii airwaves. 

“I would first like to extend my appreciation and aloha to everyone who sent their well wishes and kind words throughout this journey – the support and prayers have been overwhelming and have been instrumental in my return,” said Curran. “There is still a road to recovery, but I’m so happy to be back on air doing what I love. During the more challenging times, I found solace and motivation in getting back to Hawaii and being on air talking about Hawaii sports.” 

Listeners can tune in to ESPN on FM 92.7, AM 1420, online at www.espnhonolulu.com, or our app Sideline Hawaii (available for IOS or Android).

[7/23/23 - Dave Reardon: Mornings are fabulous again with Curran back]

[3/9/24] Currant to call last game