Apr 5, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) celebrates with team mates in the dugout after scoring against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Last Week’s Results
Monday: Rays 3, Brewers 2
Tuesday: Brewers 6, Rays 2
Wednesday: Brewers 8, Rays 2
Thursday: Off Day
Friday: Postponed (Rescheduled to Saturday doubleheader)
Saturday, Game 1: Brewers 5, Royals 2
Saturday, Game 2: Royals 8, Brewers 2
Sunday: Brewers 8, Royals 5
Division Standings
Brewers: 7-2
Pirates: 6-3
Reds: 6-3
Cardinals: 5-4
Cubs: 4-5
Last Week
Brewers: 4-2
Pirates: 5-1
Reds: 4-2
Cardinals: 3-3
Cubs: 3-3
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
Kyle Harrison got off to a great start in a Brewer uniform. Over two starts against the Rays and Royals, Harrison spanned 10 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and striking out a team-high 14 batters.
There was no clear hitting performance this week, as seven different players had four-plus hits this week, but none had more than six. Even so, Garrett Mitchell had a huge day on Saturday across Milwaukee’s doubleheader, but specifically in game one. In the 5-2 victory, Mitchell went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, and all five RBIs, a career-high for him. He added another RBI in the night game for a three-hit, six-RBI day in total. He finished the week with five hits, including four extra-base hits, driving in eight.
The busy news day of the week came on Monday. First, the Brewers acquired outfielder Luis Matos from the Giants, sending cash considerations the other way after he was designated for assignment. To make space on the 40-man roster, left-hander Sammy Peralta was designated for assignment by Milwaukee, while Jeferson Quero, who made his MLB debut on Sunday, was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to make space on the active roster. Peralta was claimed by the Rockies on Saturday.
Later in the afternoon, Milwaukee’s No. 4 prospect, shortstop Cooper Pratt, reportedly agreed to an eight-year, $50.75 million extension with a pair of options that could keep him in the organization through 2035. After the extension was officially announced on Friday, Pratt was added to the 40-man roster. Outfielder Steward Berroa was designated for assignment as the corresponding move, while Pratt will remain in Triple-A Nashville for the time being.
Lastly, RHP Logan Henderson was recalled as the team’s 27th man for Saturday’s doubleheader, making the start (2 IP, 2 ER, 3 K) before being sent back to Nashville after the game.
On Deck
Monday: @ Red Sox (5:45 p.m.)
Tuesday: @ Red Sox (5:45 p.m.)
Wednesday: @ Red Sox (12:35 p.m.)
Thursday: Off Day
Friday: vs. Nationals (6:40 p.m.) — Wisconsin First Friday
Saturday: vs. Nationals (6:10 p.m.) — Miz Trading Card Bobblehead Giveaway
Sunday: vs. Nationals (1:10 p.m.) — Wiffle Ball Set Giveaway (Kids)
Targeted after Italy’s failure and for his dive in the Derby d’Italia, Alessandro Bastoni returned to form against Roma
Italy were too afraid to play a World Cup qualifying playoff at San Siro, hosting their semi-final against Northern Ireland in Bergamo instead. Gennaro Gattuso explained it as a choice to protect his players, noting that the nation’s biggest football stadium was home to two rival clubs – Milan and Internazionale – and suggesting this dynamic might lead fans there to turn more quickly on players who struggled.
Instead, on Sunday, it was San Siro that offered comfort to one who has become the scapegoat for yet another collective failure. Italy made it past Northern Ireland only to lose to Bosnia on penalties in Zenica. Alessandro Bastoni’s first-half red card, at a time when his country were winning 1-0, was a pivotal moment in the game and perhaps his entire career.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected Kevin Korchinski with the 7th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He was their first pick of three in the first round, as Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel were selected later on the same night. All three are on Chicago’s roster and playing every game.
Matt Grzelcyk and Artyom Levshunov have been ruled out for the season, so Korchinski was called up and will continue playing a lot as long as he stays healthy. In this recent stint in the NHL, he has been wonderful.
On Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken, Korchinski had one of his best games as a pro. The Blackhawks won 4-2, and he was one of many players who played a key role in the victory.
For one, Korchinski had one point, a primary assist on Sacha Boisvert’s first career NHL goal. On the play, Korchinski joined the rush from the back end and sent it to the slot, where Boisvert found it and released it. It was an important play, as the goal stood up as the game-winner.
In addition to the assist, Korchinski was an impactful player in all three zones. He closed gaps, used his incredible skating to make plays on offense and defense, and looked every bit like the high-end puck mover that he was drafted to become.
Whether it was creating scoring chances, or anything positive in the offensive zone, or making it difficult for the opposition to get any momentum in their attack, Korchinski had an especially good performance against the Kraken. The advanced analytics show he was right there with Alex Vlasic and Sam Rinzel (Chicago's top pair in the game) in terms of overall impact.
"He's not over-complicating it," head coach Jeff Blashill said of Korchinski. "He's using his feet to beat pressure, but then he's moving the puck to the open people. When he does that and defends with his feet, he's been a really good player."
Korchinski's name wasn't completely removed from trade talks ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. They obviously never received a package worth parting with him for, and they may be thankful for that in the coming years.
Whenever a defenseman is still considered young, and Korchinski is 21 years old, or they've played less than 200 games in the NHL, Korchinski has 100 exactly, you can't make long-term judgments. It is the most difficult position to be elite at in the game, and it takes time for most of these prospects to take a step at the NHL level.
Not every high draft pick can be amazing right away like Rasmus Dahlin or Matthew Schaefer. Even Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, and Quinn Hughes needed development one way or another.
Korchinski may end up failing to be an impactful player regularly, but that should not be assumed just because things were difficult over the last few seasons. He has five more NHL games before 2025-26 is over to show why they may want to hang onto him.
If he plays as well as he has so far since this latest call-up, management will have some difficult decisions to make this summer with him being a pending RFA.
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After beating the New Jersey Devils in extremis at the Prudential Center on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens were hosting them on Sunday night at the Bell Centre. By the time the puck dropped, the Habs had clinched their playoff spot, thanks to the Detroit Red Wings losing to the Minnesota Wild earlier in the day. That didn’t mean the pressure was gone. Captain Nick Suzuki said earlier this week that the Habs wanted first place, not eighth place, and they are right in the mix for that in the Atlantic Division and in the Eastern Conference.
However, that’s not what the fans in attendance were thinking about. They all had one thing in mind: seeing Cole Caufield score his 50th of the season. There were even more number 13 jerseys out there, plenty of signs about the impending milestone, and someone had even bought nig inflatable 5-0 golden balloons. When the sniper was shown on the Jumbotron during the warm-up, the crowd erupted in applause, and when he had his first shift, they were all chanting his name. It’s a good thing that he doesn’t mind playing under pressure.
While the players have been adamant that they all think about the team first and foremost, for a second game in a row, it looked like they were desperately trying to get the puck to Caufield, and it wasn’t always because he was the best option or even open.
Of course, the team’s results have to come first, but it feels like the players want Caufield to reach 50, and the sooner he does, the better off the Canadiens will be. Asked about it, coach Martin St-Louis explained:
I think you can see that the guys are really looking for him out there. I think it does affect the continuity of certain plays. I have full confidence that he will score 50. We would have liked it to be tonight for many reasons, including moving on from it and giving that to the crowd. It would have been fine to give them that tonight. I went through it, it’s normal.
- St-Louis on his men and the Caufield 50-goal chase
Lack Of Shots
After 40 minutes, the Canadiens had a total of eight shots, four per period. That wasn’t going to allow Caufield, or anyone on the team, to score, for that matter. At least in the first frame, they had only four shots that reached the net, but they also had 15 more shot attempts that were blocked or missed. There was some urgency in their offensive game.
That wasn’t the case in the middle frame; on top of only testing Markstrom four times, they only had six attempts that didn’t reach him. On their one power play opportunity, they didn’t even get a shot on goal and allowed two odd-man rushes. When your goaltender is your best player on the penalty kill, it’s good news, but not so much when he is on the power play.
The Canadiens had a bit more jump in the final frame, and they got to spend a lot of time on the power play, but they couldn’t make anything of it.
Expect More Of The Same
Will the Canadiens change their approach now that they have clinched a playoff spot? That’s highly unlikely because they still have plenty to play for. When St-Louis was asked how it would affect the way he manages his bench and his lineup, he explained:
I don’t think it’s going to change much. We’re still in a place where we can win our division and get home-ice advantage. To lower your level and wait for the playoffs and then say right we need to kick it into gear now, it’s a trap you’ve got to be wary of. If guys are nursing ailments, that’s one thing. I’m proud of the guys, we’ve reached our goal, but now we have the opportunity not to be satisfied with doing that, we can go and get something even bigger.
The Canadiens' winning streak ended at eight triumphs in a row with a 3-0 loss to the Devils, but after enjoying a day off on Monday, they’ll put their working boots back on and keep on fighting for the best rank in the standings possible.
New Jersey Devil hockey player and Olympian Jack Hughes gets ready to throw the opening pitch before the home opener baseball game between the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
The Devils rallied from a 3-0 hole in Saturday’s game against the Habs but came up short in the shootout. The Canadiens won, 4-3. [Devils NHL]
Then, Jacob Markstrom recorded his first shutout of the season as the Devils took a 3-0 win over the Habs in Montreal on Sunday. [Devils NHL]
If ownership realizes what’s going on in New Jersey and decides to make changes in the front office, what might they decide to do? [Devils on the Rush ($)]
Could Tom Fitzgerald land back in Nashville, where he was the first captain of the Predators? [New Jersey Hockey Now]
“Team USA Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes was so excited about throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before the Yankees’ home opener on Friday that he started practicing on March 24, before a Devils game in Dallas. ‘My trainer brought gloves and I threw like 50 pitches right before morning skate, and my shoulder was so sore,’ Hughes said. ‘I was like, ‘We’ve got to cool it.’’ This honor was a big deal for Hughes, who scored the golden goal in the USA’s 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the gold medal game on Feb. 22 in Milan.” [NJ.com]
Well if you were hoping for a reunion with Pete DeBoer, I have bad news:
#Isles News: New York Islanders General Manager and Executive Vice President Mathieu Darche announced today that Patrick Roy has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities. Peter DeBoer has been named Head Coach of the New York Islanders.
“For the first time since 2011, the Buffalo Sabres are going to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sabres ended a league-record 14-season playoff drought on Saturday afternoon when the Detroit Red Wings lost 4-1 to the New York Rangers.” [The Athletic ($)]
“As the 2025-26 hockey season winds down, these prospects have emerged and shown what they could have to offer — enough to possibly change the way their organization perceives them or solidify their future star status. Which prospect in each NHL team’s pipeline had the most promising season?” [The Athletic ($)]
“Pittsburgh Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are powering the Penguins’ playoff push, and rewriting NHL history with milestone performances. Can the dynamic duo carry the Pens to what could be a final deep playoff run in the Crosby/Malkin era?” [The Hockey News]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
1972 – For the first time in history, the major league season fails to open due to a general player strike. The strike, announced April 1, will erase 86 games from the major league schedule.
1973 – Yankee Ron Blomberg, facing Boston’s Luis Tiant, becomes the first official designated hitter in the major leagues. Blomberg walks with the bases loaded his first time up and winds up 1-for-3 in a 15-5 loss to the Red Sox.
1993 – In his National League debut‚ Cubs P Jose Guzman takes a perfect game into the eighth inning against Atlanta‚ finally settling for a one-hit‚ 1-0 victory. Otis Nixon’s single with two out in the ninth is the Braves’ only hit.
2013 – The Upton brothers, playing together for the Braves, stun the Cubs. With Atlanta trailing 5 – 4, B.J. Upton leads off the bottom of the ninth with a homer off Carlos Marmol, and two batters later, Justin Upton hits a walk-off blast to give the Braves a 6-5 win, his second long ball of the game. They are the first pair of brothers to homer in the same inning since Billy and Cal Ripken did so for Baltimore in 1996.
2014 – Texas P Yu Darvish becomes the fastest starting pitcher to reach 500 strikeouts when he fans David DeJesus and Wil Myers in the first inning of a 1-0 win against the Rays in his first start of the season. It took Yu only 401.2 innings to reach the total, beating Kerry Wood, who had needed 404.2 innings.
2017 – Cardinals C Yadier Molina loses a ball when it bounces in the dirt and then gets stuck to his chest protector, allowing Cubs PH Matt Szczur to reach base on a dropped third strike in the seventh inning while Molina is frantically looking around to find the disappeared spheroid. The bizarre play turns out to be instrumental, as Brett Cecil walks the next batter, Jon Jay, and Kyle Schwarber follows with a three-run homer and Chicago wins, 6-4.
2020 – Hall of FamerAl Kaline, who was signed by the Detroit Tigers out of high school, went straight to the majors, and collected 3000 hits during his lifelong association with the team, passes away at age 85. His death will start an unprecedented parade of passings by members of the Hall of the Fame over the rest of the year.
774 – Charles the Great (Charlemagne) confirmed the gift to the Pope of the territories belonging to Ravenna made by his father Pepin the Short at Quiercy-sur-Loire in 753.
1652 – Cape Colony, the 1st European settlement in South Africa, established by Dutch East India Company under Jan van Riebeeck.
1772 – Catherine the Great Empress of Russia, ends tax on men with beards, enacted by Tsar Peter the Great in 1698. (There is probably no truth to the rumor that this was then handed down to the New York Yankees.)
1889 – George Eastman begins selling his Kodak flexible rolled film for the first time.
1896 – First modern Summer Olympic Games open in Athens, Greece; American athlete James Connolly becomes first modern Olympic champion when he wins triple jump (then two hops and a jump); later third in long jump, second in high jump.
1909 – North Pole reached by Americans Robert Peary & Matthew Henson.
1930 – Hostess Twinkies invented by bakery executive James Dewar.
1938 – Teflon invented by Roy J. Plunkett.
1974 – 200,000 attend rock concert “California Jam” at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California; line-up includes Earth, Wind & Fire; Black Sabbath; Deep Purple; and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (this was simulcast on WDAI 94.7 FM. I know because I was listening and watching.)
1987 – Los Angeles Dodgers GM Al Campanis appears on TV program ABC News: Nightline saying Blacks may not be equipped to be in baseball management, sparking a racial controversy.
Apr 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) looks on from the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! It was not a happy weekend for the Orioles, who limped out of Pittsburgh after being swept. That was after losing two out of three to the Rangers, making them losers of five of their last six. It’s not really how any of us imagined the season starting.
Yesterday’s game was particularly painful. Chris Bassitt pitched his second clunker in as many tries and exited after six runs allowed in just two innings. He may have stayed in longer if he hadn’t been hit in the leg by a 112 mph line drive, certainly. The offense had eight hits, but just two runs. Poor Samuel Basallo struck out four times. You can get all of the grisly details in Paul Folkemer’s game recap.
Last night, I was reading the comments in the game recap and in the game thread, and it got me thinking about letting a sports team make you totally miserable. Because if you read the comments, it seems that people are miserable and very angry. I get it. I have watched more bad baseball in my life than I have good, and I have been a very invested and very online fan for most of it. It’s so easy to let what happens out there affect your mood.
No doubt many of you remember the 2010 season. Nobody expected the Orioles to be good that year, but also nobody expected them to start the year 2-16. Back in those olden days I was running Camden Chat before the current site manager, Mark, took over. He’s much better at it than I ever was, by the way. Sometimes my game recaps wouldn’t go up until like midnight because I got busy watching reruns of The Golden Girls or something.
I was so deep into the Orioles in 2010 that the 2-16 stretch of baseball made me entirely miserable. I turned on the game every night. I watched Ty Wigginton and César Izturis and Corey Patterson stink up the basepaths. I watched Kevin Millwood give up a billion runs and Jake Arrieta underperform. I was deep into it. I could tell you everything about those teams. And I hated it. I hated the Orioles. And they weren’t even supposed to be good!
Not long after that 2-16 stretch (maybe around 7-18 or so), I realized I needed to stop being so miserable about the Orioles. Why was I letting myself get angry? What was the point? There had to be something redeeming about being a fan of a bad baseball team. Otherwise, why do it?
I think the answer to what is redeeming is different for everyone. For me, there is community in baseball fandom. Does it suck to watch the Orioles lose and struggle? Of course it does. But we’re all doing it together. Just like we’re all doing it together when the Orioles play well and hit a bunch of dingers and have a lot of fun. Camden Chat has always been a place where the community matters and where people get together during a game to be happy or mad or whatever the situation calls for.
Also, for me, I find some meaning in the players themselves. A lot of internet commenters are quick to call players “garbage” or ascribe some motivations (or lack thereof) to players, and it makes me uncomfortable. Those people will say they are just being fans, and I guess that is true. But how can you really be a fan of a team if you hate all the players? If you think they are all lazy or arrogant or stupid? When your first instinct is to trash them?
I’m not saying I don’t have a lot of emotions about the Orioles. I have never been so high as I was after game two of the 2014 ALDS. I’m dying to feel that again. And I felt incredibly sad about leaving Camden Yards after the 2024 Wild Card series. But I don’t think you get to either of those places by spending six months being aggressive and angry. It’s deeper than that.
I just wrote a lot of words that don’t have much to do with the team the Orioles are fielding right now, so thanks for indulging me. But it does have to do with the nature of being an Orioles fan, and if they truly prompt you to be angry and mean, maybe that’s something to examine. Or if you only want to shout into the void when things are going poorly but don’t want to celebrate when they’re not, why is that?
Anyway. The Orioles start a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox tonight at Guaranteed Rate Field. The starting pitcher is TBD but it’s expected to be a bullpen game kicked off by Albert Suárez. Not exactly what we hoped for in game 10 of the season, but here we are.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have just one Orioles birthday buddy. Danny Clyburn was born on this day in 1974. Clyburn was an outfielder who appeared in two games with the Orioles in 1997 and 11 games in 1998. His only other MLB experience came with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999. Clyburn was tragically shot and killed in an argument with a neighbor in 2012.
On this day in 1973, the Orioles defeated the Brewers on Opening Day by a score of 10-0. Brooks Robinson hit two home runs. Don Baylor had a home run and three doubles. And Dave McNally allowed just three hits.
In 1992, the Orioles played their first game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and defeated Cleveland, 2-0. Rick Sutcliffe pitched a complete game, five-hitter. Chris Hoiles and Billy Ripken had RBIs for the Orioles.
In 1997, the Orioles lost their first game of the season after starting 4-0. Mike Mussina allowed seven runs in just four innings, his worst start of the year.
In 2009, the Orioles celebrated Opening Day with a 10-5 victory over the Yankees. Jeremy Guthrie earned the win with the classic QS (6 IP, 3 ER). Brian Roberts and Adam Jones each had three hits as the 1-2 batters in the lineup. Roberts hit the first of his 56 doubles of the season and Jones hit the first of 19 home runs.
And one year ago today, the Orioles lost to the Royals, 4-1. Cade Povich allowed all four runs, but just one was earned thanks to an error by centerfielder Jorge Mateo. The Orioles scored their only run when Ryan Mountcastle reached on an E9 and came in to score on a passed ball.
Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) breaks his bat on a swing in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
You had to think that a weekend in Colorado would help the offense a bit. Then they went and scored three runs in two games. I can’t figure this offense out just yet.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Jackson Cluff #85 of the New York Mets at bat during a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As I was sitting down to start typing this report up yesterday afternoon, I took a quick look at Gameday and saw that the score was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. Barely a minute later, when I opened MS Word to start writing this, I looked over at my phone and the score was 4-3. Jackson Cluff walk-off! Carl Edwards Jr. didn’t pitch too bad in his five innings of work, but the Syracuse offense wasn’t able to crack Toledo starter Carlos Pena and they found themselves down all afternoon. Jonathan Pintaro allowed two more in the top of the sixth, and the way the offense was playing, it very well could’ve been a 3-0 final. Showing a little intestinal fortitude, Syracuse strung together a bunch of hits and plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth, and then in the bottom of the ninth, Ji Hwan Bae doubled and Cluff drove him in with his second homer of the season and his second in as many days.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants slams his helmet to the ground after striking out against the New York Mets in the bottom of the first inning at Oracle Park on April 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the Dodgers have won seven of their first nine games to sit atop the National League West, the rest of the division is off to a tough start to 2026, with none of the other four teams having a winning record.
Los Angeles has outscored its opponents by 20 runs through nine games this season, while every other team in the division has a negative run differential. The San Francisco Giants have the worst run differential in the majors, having been outscored by 25 runs through 10 games and scoring a league-worst 2.6 runs per contest. Arizona, even at .500, has been outscored by 17 runs, third-worst differential in MLB thus far.
The lack of success by the rest of the west has been bad largely due to bad offense, with teams ranked 24th, 25th, 27th, and 30th in the majors in runs scored per game through Sunday.
Division news & notes
D-backs outfielder Jordan Lawlar was hit by a pitch on Thursday that broke his right wrist, landing him on the injured list.
The San Diego Padres are averaging just 3.56 runs per game, including scoring three or fewer runs in seven of their first eight games. But it could have been worse for the Friars, who won their final two games in Boston over the weekend to salvage the week.
Arguably the game's most downtrodden franchise the past three decades, the Pirates have roared from the gates in 2026, winning six of their first nine games and soaring 12 spots in USA TODAY Sports' MLB power rankings.
And in sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in their home-opening series, the Pirates got deftly-pitched games from Mitch Keller and Braxton Ashcraft, 4 ⅓ scoreless relief innings in a 10-inning walk-off and a three-run homer from free agent slugger Ryan O'Hearn, his third of the year.
Imagine that: A sweep of a good team, and Paul Skenes had nothing to do with it.
Seven-foot big men do not grow on trees. Luckily for Dusty May and Michigan basketball, they do sometimes enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Such was the case with Aday Mara, who became the 2026 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in one year with the Wolverines after playing sparingly with UCLA in his first two collegiate seasons.
With star Yaxel Lendeborg dealing with an injury in the Final Four against No. 1 Arizona, it was Mara who stepped up with a career-best performance to help the Wolverines reach the national championship game.
Mara will likely be a key piece for Michigan as the Wolverines aim to win their first national championship since 1989. Heading into the national championship in March Madness, here's what you need to know about the Michigan big man:
Aday Mara 2026 NCAA Tournament stats
After a strong regular season where he posted career highs across the board, Mara has come alive for Michigan in the Men's NCAA Tournament, including a career-high 26 points in a dominant win over No. 1 Arizona in the Final Four.
Here's a look at Reed's stats during March Madness:
vs. No. 16 Howard: 19 points (8-of-10 shooting), seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks in 21 minutes
vs. No. 9 Saint Louis: 16 points (7-of-12 shooting), five rebounds, four blocks, five assists and a steal in 26 minutes
vs. No. 4 Alabama: 8 points (4-of-8 shooting), five rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 27 minutes
vs. No. 6 Tennessee: 11 points (4-of-6 shooting), four rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 18 minutes
vs. No. 1 Arizona: 26 points (11-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 30 minutes
NCAA Tournament averages: 16.0 points (65.4% shooting), 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.6 blocks and 0.4 steals per game in 24.4 minutes
Aday Mara stats
Here’s a look at Mara's stats from his college career with UCLA and Michigan:
2025-26 (Michigan): 12.2 points per game, 2.5 assists per game, 6.8 rebounds per game, 2.6 blocks per game, 62.1% on field goals, 30% on 3-pointers, 59.6% on free throws (39 games, 38 starts)
2024-25 (UCLA): 6.4 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game, 1.0 assists per game, 1.6 blocks per game, 59% on field goals, 57.7% on free throws (33 games, 1 start)
2023-24 (UCLA): 3.5 points per game, 1.9 rebounds per game, 0.5 steals per game, 0.7 blocks per game, 44.2% on field goals, 70% on free throws (28 games, 8 starts)
Mara is a potential option to go in Round 1 of the 2026 NBA Draft following a breakout season with Michigan during the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Mara is 20 years old. He'll turn 21 on April 7, the day after the national championship game.
Aday Mara recruit ranking
Stars: 5
National rating: No. 15
Position ranking: No. 3 C
State ranking: No. 1 player from Spain
Mara was a five-star recruit who was rated as the No. 3 center and the No. 15 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports' rankings Mara was unranked by the 247Composite rankings.
Why did Aday Mara transfer from UCLA to Michigan?
Following two seasons at UCLA, Mara opted to transfer to Michigan from UCLA for a chance to play in a better environment. The discussion about more playing time or starting did not occur for Mara with May before he committed to the Wolverines.
"I went from a bad environment [at UCLA], where almost nobody wanted to practice, because as I said, it was a bad environment, to a great one. It was the opposite," Mara told USA TODAY Sports before the Elite Eight in Chicago.
Where is Aday Mara's hometown?
Mara is from Zaragoza, Spain. He played basketball professionally for Casademont Zaragoza in Spain before joining UConn in 2023.
Mara's father, Javier Mara, played basketball professionally in Spain, while his mother, Gely Gomez, was on Spain's women's national volleyball team.
UConn star Tarris Reed Jr. will end his college career on Monday, April 6, against the team with whom it first began.
The senior center started his career at Michigan, where he played two seasons before transferring to Connecticut in 2024. His breakout this season as a full-time starter has been well-documented and is a huge reason for the Huskies' NCAA Tournament run.
The 6-foot-11, 265-pound interior presence is averaging 14.8 points with 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season on 61.7% shooting, although his game has stepped up a notch in March Madness. Reed is averaging 20.8 points with 13 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament and has a strong case for being the best overall player in the 68-team field so far.
Despite Reed leaving the program, Michigan still boasts one of the best frontcourts in college basketball, led by a trio of first-year transfers in Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr.
Why did Reed leave Michigan? Here's what to know of his transfer after the 2023-24 season:
Why did Tarris Reed transfer from Michigan to UConn?
Reed entered the transfer portal shortly after the 2023-24 season, which was the last campaign under former coach Juwan Howard at Michigan.
It wasn't a surprise to see Reed's name in the transfer portal, especially after Michigan went 8-24 in his first full season as a collegiate starter and considering the coach who recruited him to Ann Arbor, Michigan, was fired.
"I saw Coach Juwan got fired. Definitely, I feel like it was like a no-brainer in terms of the portal," Reed said April 5 before the national championship. "I hung around Michigan for a couple of weeks, and then they announced (Dusty May) was supposed to be the coach. I talked to him multiple times. I like Coach May, and he was just being super up front with who he was bringing in, who's looking at recruiting-wise.
"So, feel like just him being honest with me, and I'm being honest with him, it was the right way. So, it was no bad blood."
UConn was also coming off back-to-back national championships, and needed a center to replace Donovan Clingan, who went No. 7 overall to Portland in the 2024 NBA Draft. Reed was an obvious fit for UConn, as he was rated a top-100 transfer portal recruit and was a former top-35 ranked prospect out of high school.
“I chose UConn for its winning culture, commitment to player development and coaching style,” Reed told On3 upon committing in 2024. “Coach Hurley’s tough coaching style is known for pushing players into uncomfortable situations, making the uncomfortable seem comfortable. UConn provides the ideal setting and coaching for me to maximize my potential both on and off the court.”
Reed had a small role as a true freshman at Michigan in 2022-23 playing behind Hunter Dickinson. He averaged 3.4 points with 3.9 rebounds per game before becoming the full-time starter as a sophomore, raising his per-game totals to nine points with 7.2 rebounds a game.
Reed started one game last season at UConn, although he averaged 19.9 points per game. His game rose to a new level in 2025-26, which Michigan State coach Tom Izzo noticed while preparing for MSU's loss to UConn in the Sweet 16.
“His game has taken a monstrous jump,” Izzo said of the former Michigan State rival. “And with that size, that’s gonna be something. … Reed has gotten better and better and better. And he’s been a monster.”
Tarris Reed on playing Michigan, his former school
Reed expects the national championship game against Michigan, his former team, to be heated, as any national title match would be.
"I know a couple guys on the team," Reed said, "but I feel like at the end of the day it's the game for the national championship game, so I feel like they're going to be coming at my neck, we're going to be coming at their neck, so it's going to be a great, fun bloodbath and just a competitive game."
Only three players remain at Michigan from Reed's time there — Nimari Burnett, Will Tschetter and walk-on Harrison Hochberg. Burnett and Reed became close friends as Wolverines teammates and said they caught up at a Final Four fan event.
"Seeing that big smile on his face that he always carries, and having a chance to play against him knowing the story that we had two years ago is amazing," Burnett told reporters on April 5.
Tarris Reed stats
Here are Reed's year-by-year, per-game averages in college basketball:
2022-23 (Michigan): 3.4 points with 3.9 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game on 51.7% shooting
2023-24 (Michigan): 9.0 points with 7.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game on 51.9% shooting
2024-25 (UConn): 9.6 points with 7.3 rebounds with 1.0 assists per game on 67% shooting
2025-26 (UConn): 14.8 points with 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 61.7% shooting
In this corner, we have a potent Michigan squad that dominated the loaded Big Ten during the regular season and has seemingly flipped the switch to activate juggernaut mode in the NCAA tournament. The Wolverines hope to hoist a second championship banner and overcome a history of championship game disappointments.
Then there’s UConn, the most successful March Madness operation of the 2020’s thus far. The Huskies have already called upon some tourney magic to reach this point and are now seeking a third title in four years and seventh overall.
Here’s all you need to know about how, when, and whom to watch.
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 2 Connecticut
Time/TV: 8:49 p.m. ET, TNT
If you’re a casual observer hoping to see a competitive event, there’s a strong possibility you’ll be disappointed given what we’ve witnessed over the last couple of weeks from the Wolverines. Their well-oiled offensive machine has made them the first team in tournament history to crack 90 points in their first five games. Michigan’s biggest concern is the health of standout forward Yaxel Lendeborg, but even if his minutes are limited by his bad left knee he will make the most of his time on the court. Meanwhile, Elliot Cadeau has been able to control the action on the floor even with a majority of his own shots not falling, and Aday Mara has dominated the paint on both ends. Those performances in turn have allowed Morez Johnson Jr. to orchestrate some spectacular finishes at the rim and helped emerging star Trey McKenney find open looks from the arc.
The Wolverines can be beaten – they’re not undefeated after all –, and UConn is capable of it if a lot of things go right. First and foremost, the Huskies have to hit three-pointers. Braylon Mullins seems to have worked through his mini slump, but now Solo Ball and Alex Karaban must do the same. Another thing the Huskies must do is win the turnover battle. Their relentless ball pressure is effective against many opponents, but Michigan’s experienced handlers will be ready for it. Finally, Tarris Reed and Co. will at least have to hold their own for the Huskies on the glass and not allow Michigan to generate second-chance points.
When Connecticut basketball announced its return to the Big East ahead of the 2019-2020 season, it was a moment that signified the return of one of the original members and powerhouses of the conference.
It came at a time when relative newcomer Dan Hurley was working on bringing the winning culture and toughness of the Jim Calhoun era back, and was trying to find the right players to execute his vision and playbook.
Since then, in spite of his lone losing record at UConn in his first season, Hurley has not just restored those two things. He's returned the program to its national prominence. ... And has done it at an exceptional level.
Hurley has the Huskies sitting in the Men's NCAA Tournament title game for the third time in the last four seasons on April 6 vs. No. 1 Michigan. It's a level of work by Hurley that had former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl saying he's doing "stuff that John Wooden did" on TNT after UConn's Final Four win over No. 3 Illinois on April 4.
Should the Huskies be able to stop the Wolverines, the No. 1 team in KenPom, inside Lucas Oil Stadium, it'd be a remarkable and historic feat for the program, since not many Division I men's college basketball programs have done what they'll look to do in a four year span.
Here's what to know on UConn's national championship titles:
How many national championships does UConn men's basketball have?
UConn has won six national championships in men's basketball, with three of them coming under Calhoun, who is responsible for the Huskies' initial rise to a powerhouse program inside the Big East and the country.
The Huskies' first men's national championship came in 1999, when Calhoun's squad defeated Duke 77-74 inside Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Richard Hamilton finished with 27 points against the Blue Devils, which featured NBA talent in Trajan Langdon and Elton Brand. To get to the finals, the Huskies defeated Ohio State in the national semifinals, the first Final Four in program history.
Calhoun would lead the program to two more national titles in 2004 and 2011, with the latter coming during the Kemba Walker postseason run that featured a famous step-back jumper in the Big East Tournament championship vs. No. 3 Pitt.
UConn's last two national championships under Hurley in 2023 and 2024 have made the Big East responsible for four of the last nine Men's March Madness titles heading into Monday's game.
Here's a breakdown of when the Huskies have won the Men's NCAA Tournament:
1999: beat Duke, 77-74
2004: beat Georgia Tech, 82-73
2011: beat Butler, 53-41
2014: beat Kentucky, 60-54
2023: beat San Diego State, 76-59
2024: beat Purdue, 75-60
UConn basketball record in Men's NCAA Tournament national championship game
UConn is an impressive 6-0 in the Men's NCAA Tournament national championship game. The Huskies are 2-0 in the title game under Dan Hurley.
Which team has most NCAA Tournament national championships?
UConn is tied for the third-most Men's NCAA Tournament titles with North Carolina at six. Only UCLA and Kentucky have more national titles than the Huskies.
