Mar 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) drives with the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Jazz came into the nation’s capital with their heart on their sleeve, and were only left with shattered dreams. They had lost the first of a 2-game regular season series against the Wizards with a heart-crushing loss, despite Trae Young making an appearance through two and a half quarters. All they can do now is hold their heads low and trudge through the city of Milwaukee, who are technically a basketball team as long as one of the Antetokounmpos are on the court — it doesn’t matter which one at this point of the season.
The foundation of the 2021 championship squad is still there, but a combination of age, regression and Doc Rivers has reeled them back all the way to the 10th spot on Tankathon. The franchise moved on from Damian Lillard’s remaining functioning leg and Brook Lopez to prioritise younger, more versatile players. Their last blowout loss against Atlanta was pretty much the final dagger at what hope fans had left in the season. They can now cruise through their tanking schedule, despite New Orleans owning the rights to swap picks.
Giannis has very clearly stated, “under no circumstances will I depart from the Milwaukee Bucks, unless I have the chance to leave, which I would obviously never do”. The Bucks have alleviated his concerns by holding a 26-35 record while dangling outside a play-in spot. He’s available tonight — only his third game back from a right calf strain — which could counterintuitively have the Jazz do the funniest thing ever and drop them off on their home floor.
This team serves as a cautionary tale for reigning NBA champions, warning them to beware of how to dismantle a dynasty. Don’t get me wrong, I own a small amount of land ownership on Ryan Rollins and AJ Green Islands. Ousmane Dieng and Pete Nance are starting to sway me. But this team is climbing a near-impossible hill in March. The Jazz are hoping to launch a Kickstarter for their campaign, starting tonight.
Utah’s now 5.5 games in front of the bottom spot after Thursday’s win, but a loss tonight (and maybe a cheeky Nets win over the Pistons) could make up some ground. The Jazz fire back by making Keyonte available to play despite breaking a 44-game losing streak stalemate across the bottom ten teams, but they lose Isaiah Collier due to ‘personal reasons’.
Utah’s bench has been the seventh-highest scoring unit in the league through the last 7 games. I unfortunately cannot explain the science behind Will Hardy’s sorcery and why Blake Hinson, Elijah Harkless, and 10-day contract Mo Bamba just kind of work.
In the game against Washington, four Jazzmen had at least two steals, led by John Konchar, who corralled five. Bamba did the heavy work, posting a total of 20 steals in his two games on the floor during the Jazz road trip. I was the lone spectator to Hinson launching a three from a range that normally isn’t permitted from a two-way contract guy. Yes, I know stats against the Wizards are pretty much up there in la-la land, but it’s becoming scarily credible how the Jazz can pretty much transform any role player into their most capable self.
But this game feels more like a watch before you judge. These teams are at polar ends of the spectrum regarding their current status and future, both of them fighting for completely different things. It can all start with a firm handshake and an agreement on what needs to happen to benefit both franchises.
Injury Report
Jazz:
OUT – Isaiah Collier (personal reasons), Lauri Markkanen (right hip impingement), Jusuf Nurkic (nose surgery), Jaren Jackson Jr. (left knee surgery), Vince Williams Jr. (torn left ACL), Walker Kessler (left shoulder surgery)
Bucks:
OUT– Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee swelling), Taurean Prince (neck surgery)
How to watch:
Who: Utah Jazz (19-44)) at Milwaukee Bucks (26-35)
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Houston Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Oh ye of little faith.
Actually, you’re just realistic. Who can blame you for that? It’s best to remain grounded somewhere in the realm of reality. What’s what? What are we talking about?
Well, the results are in. SB Nation asked you how the Houston Rockets’ season would end. A stout 55% of you said that the team would flame out in the Conference Semifinals.
Rockets predicted to win one series
Frankly, this feels right on the money.
The Rockets currently sit fourth in the Western Conference. If the season ended today, they’d play the Nuggets. The Rockets’ 5.2 Net Rating comfortably edges Denver’s 4.4 mark. Nikola Jokic will give the Nuggets an advantage in any series, but for all their struggles, the Rockets have been the better team this year.
After that, they’d presumably play the Thunder. Article over.
Jokes aside, Houston can easily chase down the third seed heading into the postseason. That would likely pit them against the Spurs in the next round. San Antonio is a tough matchup for the Rockets. Victor Wembanyama’s ability to shut down the paint will mitigate a team that relies on two non-shooters like Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.
Nothing is set in stone. Injuries happen. The Rockets could get hot at the right time. The Rockets still have a (very) outside chance of winning the NBA title this year:
But you shouldn’t bet on it.
On that note, if you do want to bet on your Houston Rockets, head on over to FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
HAINAN ISLAND, China (AP) — Mi Hyang Lee made only five pars Saturday in a wild and windy round at the Blue Bay LPGA that ended with a 1-under 71, good enough to seize control with a three-shot lead as the South Korean goes after her first LPGA win more than eight years.
Lee put together seven birdies at Jian Lake Blue Bay, offset by enough mistakes — six bogeys — to keep her from an even larger lead.
She was at 12-under 204, three shots ahead of Hye-Jin Choi (68) and Yu Liu of China (73).
Defending champion Rio Takeda of Japan made a charge to get into the mix by playing her final 11 holes in 6 under for a 67 that left her four shots out of the lead.
“Yeah, a lot of up and down,” Lee said of her round. “But still finished under par, so really looking forward to tomorrow.”
Her last LPGA win was the Women's Scottish Open in 2017.
Adding to the difficulty of the wind was a nagging shoulder injury that first surfaced last fall during an LPGA event in Ohio. She wanted to finish the year at the season-ending Tour Championship and had two months off to rest.
“This is my third week, so I think a little overdoing for my shoulder,” she said. “Last night I couldn't sleep without my medication. So hopefully, just one more day for tomorrow.”
Choi, the No. 15 player in the women's world ranking, shot 31 on the front nine to get back into the mix. She was closing in on Lee until taking a bogey on the par-4 17th, and then failing to make birdie on the par-5 closing hole.
“Back nine, it was not a really good situation compared to the front nine, but I made a lot of good saves,” Choi said. “Because of the wind, I couldn't hit my second shot near the pin.”
Lee wasn't the only player with a roller-coaster round. Liu began the back nine with a double bogey on No. 10, and two holes later made up for that by holing out for eagle on the par-4 12th.
Auston Kim had another rough Saturday. The American was in contention last week at the HSBC Women's World Championship until a 73 in the third round. She shot a 74 at Blue Bay that left her five shots behind.
Blue Bay LPGA is the third straight LPGA event on its first Asia swing of the season. A week after nine of the top 10 in the world played in Singapore, the China field had only one of the top 10. That was Ruoning Yin of China, a former Women's PGA champion. She shot 74 and was nine shots back.
Mar 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (30) reacts to forward Kevin Durant (7) basket against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets were able to rebound from an ugly loss to the Golden State Warriors that featured some horrid play down the stretch by closing out the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night with a strong fourth quarter to come from behind and drop the Blazers 106-99.
Houston used a 23-4 run in the fourth quarter and held the Blazers to many misses in what was a turnaround from the fourth quarter and OT versus the Warriors. Alperen Sengun had 28 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a block while shooting 11-for-15 from the field, while Amen Thompson had 26 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and a block. He barely missed, shooting 11-for-12 from the field.
Kevin Durant had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, but shot just 8-for-18 from the floor and had 8 turnovers. KD and Sengun combined for 14 turnovers between them. Reed Sheppard finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks. He was 3-for-8 from deep as Houston’s only player who hit more than one three-pointer. In fact, the Rockets had a very 90s-esque statline, shooting just 5-for-19 from deep for the game. Reed drew another start with Jabari Smith Jr. back to nursing his sore ankle.
The Rockets outshot Portland 54 percent to 40 percent, but Houston’s 22 turnovers kept the Blazers in the game until the decisive fourth quarter. Portland was led by Jermai Grant with 21 and Jrue Holiday with 20.
The Rockets move to 39-23 on the season and sit firmly in fourth place in the Western Conference. If playoff seeding was today, they’d be taking on the Denver Nuggets in the first round, an interesting matchup to say the least. They are also currently on a 51-win pace, or one game worse than last season’s team.
They’ll return to action on Sunday when they take on their Texas rival San Antonio Spurs.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic scores in front of Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson Friday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers 128-117 winwon, Luka Doncic dominated and then the conversation moved forward, because even though a 128-117 win over the slumping Indiana Pacers on Friday counts all the same in the tight Western Conference standings, it doesn’t say as much about the Lakers as what comes next.
Buoyed by four recent wins over struggling teams, the Lakers are still searching for a statement victory to announce themselves as legitimate contenders in the crowded Western Conference. The Lakers (38-25) are comfortably in sixth place in the West, but just 3-11 against teams that are .600 or better.
Two of the wins came in the first two weeks of the season. The losses have been ugly: an average margin of 19.9 points per defeat.
Now with five of their next six games against teams that are .600 or better — starting with Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. contest against the New York Knicks — the Lakers get a chance to prove their potential to make a playoff run.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves drives to the basket as he's chased by Indiana Pacers guards Quenton Jackson and Aaron Nesmith Friday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“You play teams that are playing winning basketball and [have] winning records, it definitely can build some confidence in the group,” guard Luke Kennard said Friday. “But I know even some of the close games we've lost just recently, I know we've done some really good things. … We know what we have in the locker room and in this group.”
Even a day and a win later, the Lakers were still ruing Thursday’s road loss in Denver. With a chance to jump to fifth place in the standings, they let the Nuggets (39-25) open the game on an 11-point run. Denver opened up a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.
But unlike many of their other losses to playoff-contending teams, the Lakers answered Denver’s run. They cut it to one with 2:05 left before the Nuggets held on for the victory.
“That was a game that we’ve broken throughout the year, in games like that,” coach JJ Redick said. “And they made a number of runs that went to double digits and we just kept playing and had a chance. … I’m confident we’re going to find it. How we’re going to find it, that’s where it’s —”
Redick cut off his own thought as he searched for the words.
“You got to figure it out on a daily basis sometimes,” the coach concluded with a tight smile.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes scores at the rim in front of Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard Friday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers figured it out Friday behind a dazzling 44-point performance from Doncic, who leads the NBA with 10 40-point games this season. The NBA’s leading scorer didn’t even play during the fourth quarter of the blowout.
Doncic’s brilliance was more than enough against the bottom-feeding Pacers, who, at 15-48, are playing more for lottery position than postseason hopes. But the Knicks (41-23) have won four of their last five games, including convincing wins over San Antonio and Denver. The only recent loss was a three-point defeat to Oklahoma City.
Lakers forward LeBron James is expected to be available for Sunday’s marquee game after injuring his elbow late in the loss to the Nuggets and missing Friday’s game. Centers Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) are day-to-day.
Led by Jalen Brunson’s 26.2 points and 6.5 assists per game, the Knicks have the NBA’s third-best offense. Conversely, the Lakers are 21st in defensive rating.
The Lakers emphasized the importance of team defense all season, but Marcus Smart is “the only one that consistently is just doing what he's supposed to do” on defense, Redick said Friday. Sometimes the former defensive player of the year is forced to overcompensate for his teammates’ mistakes.
Doncic’s defensive lapses are magnified, especially with the team’s recent inconsistencies. But Doncic’s oft-criticized defense has provided some bright spots, Redick said.
When he switches onto the ball, Doncic gives up the lowest number of points per possession among the Lakers' perimeter players, Redick said. He led the Lakers in rebounding Friday with nine boards, all defensive. Doncic had both of the team's blocks against the Pacers.
“He's shown that he can contain the basketball,” Redick said of Doncic’s defense. “He's obviously one of the best wing defensive rebounders in the NBA. He's able to generate steals and deflections. And, with some prodding, he's taking charges as well.”
Doncic has drawn 11 charges this season, the most for a single year in his NBA career.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 6: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks guards Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics during the game on March 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
An interesting confluence of Brotherhood history as two things happened in Boston on Friday night: Jayson Tatum returned from his Achilles injury in just eight months, and New England native and Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg made his maiden trip to TD Garden, home of the Celtics.
Not surprisingly, Boston won – the Celtics are second in the East and have won twice as many games as the Mavericks.
Tatum, who is going to be on a minutes restriction for a while, got in for 27 and scored 15 points, along with grabbing 12 rebounds. He also had 7 assists. That’s pretty good for a guy who has been out for 3/4 of a year.
For his part, Flagg is also returning from an injury, albeit much more minor. Flagg injured his ankle just before the All-Star break and is in his second game since getting back (his first one was a 114-115 loss to Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter’s Orlando Magic).
He scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out 6 assists.
Both guys are going to take a little time to get their edge back, but it’ll likely happen for Flagg faster than Tatum.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Max Verstappen was cleared by Formula 1's medical team after X-rays on his hands following his crash in qualifying that will see him start from 20th place on the grid in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion was a surprise exit from Saturday's qualifying just seven minutes into Q1 — the first of three segments in F1’s knockout format — and was seen inspecting his hands after he got out of his Red Bull.
“All good. I just had to get some X-rays done to see if my hands were OK, but nothing was broken,” Verstappen told Sky Sports.
Australia was the Dutchman’s eighth Q1 exit since he joined the pinnacle of motorsport in 2015 with then-Toro Rosso.
The 28-year-old Verstappen triggered the red flag after he lost control of his Red Bull in braking for turn one and skidded across the gravel trap and into the barriers.
“To lose the car like that on the braking, I’ve never experienced that in my life,” he said. “I hit the pedal and suddenly the whole rear axle just completely locked up, so definitely a bit weird."
Though the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is designed to produce a national champion, it’s just as effective at creating stars.
The stakes and pressure of a single-elimination tournament can turn once-anonymous figures who spent much of their careers toiling in obscurity into celebrities in an instant, with the fame from their one shining moment staying with them long after they’ve finished playing.
It’s not always players who are immortalized, either. There are coaches, of course, but also unsuspecting fans, student managers and even team chaplains.
The 2026 NCAA Tournament will tip off in just over a week, with 68 teams from across the country vying for a national championship — or, if not that, the chance to be remembered forever in the sport. Over three weeks of games, buzzers will be beaten, Goliaths will be toppled and cult heroes will be born.
As we prepare for the madness of this March, here’s a look back at some of the biggest NCAA Tournament legends over the past 30 years and what they’re up to now:
Back then: Drained one of the biggest “no, no, yes!” shots in NCAA Tournament history, sinking a 3-pointer early in the shot clock rather than bleeding out the clock with a one-point lead and 35 seconds remaining in Northern Iowa’s 69-67 second-round win against No. 1 overall seed Kansas in 2010.
Now: After spending 11 seasons as an assistant at Nebraska, Drake and Colorado State, the 37-year-old Farokhmanesh is in his first season as Colorado State’s head coach. The Rams are 20-10 heading into their regular-season finale on Saturday, March 7.
Kris Jenkins
Back then: Jenkins delivered the exclamation point for maybe the most thrilling end to a national championship game in NCAA Tournament history, burying a 3-pointer as time expired to deliver Villanova a 77-74 victory over North Carolina in 2016. It was the Wildcats’ first national title since 1985.
Now: After a brief professional career overseas and in the G League, Jenkins returned to Villanova in February 2020 in a student-athlete development role.
Bryce Drew
Back then: Drew hit one of the most famous buzzer-beaters ever in the NCAA Tournament, sinking a 3 following a great play off a full-court heave to lift No. 13 seed Valparaiso to a 70-69 upset over No. 4 seed Mississippi in 1998. He added 22 points in a second-round overtime win against Florida State, sending Valpo to its first and only Sweet 16 in program history.
Now: After playing six seasons in the NBA, he returned to Valparaiso, where he coached under his father, Homer, before succeeding him as head coach in 2011. He spent five seasons at Valpo before moving to Vanderbilt, where he was fired after three seasons. He’s currently in his sixth season as head coach at Grand Canyon, where he has gone 139-51.
Kevin Pittsnogle
Back then: The 6-foot-11, tattooed West Virginia native won the hearts of millions during the 2005 NCAA Tournament, when he led his home state university all the way to the Elite Eight behind his rare blend of size and outside shooting touch, as well as his unforgettable last name that became a verb for fans across the country. He returned to the Mountaineers the following year, averaging nearly 20 points per game and earning All-American honors.
Now: Pittsnogle bounced between jobs after a brief professional basketball career before earning his master’s degree in special education. He’s currently the principal at North Middle School in his hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia.
D.J. Burns
Back then: No player embodied NC State’s stunning run to the 2024 Final Four as a No. 11 seed more than Burns, the 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward with a portly frame but immaculate footwork and touch around the basket. His March magic was highlighted by a 29-point performance against Duke in the Elite Eight, which sent the Wolfpack to their first Final Four since 1983.
Now: Despite his March Madness heroics, Burns went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. He played last season with the Goyang Sono Skygunners in South Korea and is now in his first season with Bnei Herzliya in Israel.
God Shammgod
Back then: With one of the most unforgettable names in college basketball history, Shammgod piloted a Providence team that made the Elite Eight as a No. 10 seed in 1997. He’s perhaps most known today for “the Shammgod,” a dribbling maneuver that bears his name.
Now: Shammgod played professional basketball for 12 years, primarily overseas, and is in his first season as an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic. He was previously an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks from 2019-25.
Jack Gohlke
Back then: Only a year removed from playing Division III ball, Gohlke led No. 14 seed Oakland to a shocking 80-76 win over No. 3 seed Kentucky in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, scoring a season-high 32 points while making 10 of his 20 3s.
Now: Gohlke has been playing professionally since leaving Oakland and is currently in his first season with the Texas Legends, the G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.
Tyus Edney
Back then: Edney was the catalyst of UCLA’s national championship run in 1995, driving the length of the court in 4.8 seconds for a game-winning layup as time expired in a 75-74 victory against Missouri in the second round of the tournament. The 5-foot-10 point guard later averaged 21.5 points per game in the Elite Eight and Final Four.
Now: Following a 15-year professional career, Edney got into coaching, serving as an assistant at UCLA and San Diego. He’s in his second season as an assistant at Pepperdine.
Spike Albrecht and Luke Hancock
Back then: Albrecht and Hancock traded baskets in a frenetic first half between Michigan and Louisville in the 2013 national championship game, combining for 33 points in the first half of the Cardinals’ 82-76 victory. Hancock, who finished with 22 points for Louisville, was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
Now: Albrecht played three more seasons for Michigan before transferring to Purdue for his final college season. He later served as a graduate assistant at Purdue and, interestingly enough, Louisville. He’s now the director of franchise development with the REP’M Group. Though his Louisville team had its title vacated by the NCAA, Hancock and four of his teammates successfully had all of their records, including Hancock’s Final Four MOP, restored in 2019 in a lawsuit settlement. He currently works as an analyst for the ACC Network.
Doug Edert
Back then: Edert averaged only 9.5 points per game for a Saint Peter’s team that made the 2022 NCAA Tournament, but he quickly became one of the sport’s biggest stars that March, when the 6-foot-2 guard with the wispy mustache came off the bench to score 20 points in the No. 15 seed Peacocks’ first-round upset over No. 2 seed Kentucky. He later helped Saint Peter’s become the first No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight, where it fell to North Carolina.
Now: Edert transferred after the 2021-22 season and played his final two years of college ball at Bryant. He’s currently working as a basketball coach and trainer.
Steph Curry
Back then: Over a thrilling couple of weeks in March 2008, Curry went from being Dell Curry’s rail-thin son to one of the biggest, most recognizable stars in college basketball. The once-overlooked sharpshooter scored a combined 103 points while leading No. 10 seed Davidson to upset wins over Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin on its way to the Elite Eight, where it narrowly lost to eventual national champion Kansas in a matchup in which Curry had a game-high 25 points.
Now: Honestly not sure. Hopefully he still gets the chance to lace his sneakers up every now and then.
Mar 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward forward Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks the shot attempted by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Last Tuesday in Philadelphia, Victor Wembanyama cracked the top 250 list of all-time NBA blocks.
That means in his 164 games over three partial seasons (technically totals two full seasons), he has accumulated more blocks that 96% of anyone that ever played in the NBA.
One game later, as the Spurs played their first game in San Antonio in over a month, he picked up five more blocks, moving him into 246th all-time and tying him with Nikola Jokic.
It’s no secret that Wembanyama is designed to block shots. He is moving at quite a pace. Over the months and years to come, he will move up the ladder.
Here’s a little math to consider- the top blocker in NBA history is Hakeem Olajuwon with 3830 blocks. It took “The Dream” 1238 games to rack up that tally. That’s 3.09 blocks per game.
Victor had 573 in 165 games, or 3.47 blocks per game. At that pace, Victor needs 938 games or just over eleven-and-a-half seasons — not counting postseason games — to catch up to the top spot. Add in playoffs, and Wemby could be the top blocker of all time by the the age of 30.
Of course that takes a lot of “what ifs” into play, namely health and longevity.
For now, we’ll monitor the progress.
Last night against the Clipper, Wemby picked up four more blocks for a grand total of 577 surpassing Grant Hill (576), and tying Marvin Willams and Andrew Wiggins (577) placing him in the 243rd spot.
There are 36 active players on the all-time list ahead of Wemby. He’s passed Jokic and caught Andrew Wiggins, moving on toward Jeff Green (592).
There will be updates and more articles building on this as Victor Wembanyama continues to make history.
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Mar 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) talk after their game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
For kids playing on frozen driveways across New England, the NBA was always visible. You could catch games on television or see one in person if you didn’t mind driving a few hours to Boston. But the league itself never felt truly within reach.
For many of those kids, the Boston Celtics were the team they grew up watching. Proximity played a role, sure, but so did the lore: the banners, the parquet, the Pride. The Celtics made the game feel close to home, but the players themselves usually came from somewhere else. Kentucky. California. Florida. States with deep pipelines to the league, a long way from the small towns that orbit Boston.
On Friday night inside TD Garden, that distance shrank to 94 feet of hardwood as Cooper Flagg took the floor just 207 miles from where the dream began in Newport, Maine.
Flagg entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick and one of the most anticipated young prospects in recent memory, carrying expectations rarely attached to a player from this corner of the country. Players from Maine have reached Division I basketball before. Some have even put together legitimate NBA careers (see Duncan Robinson). But a prospect of this caliber had never emerged from the state. Hell, it had never even been considered possible.
Across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — places where winters stretch long and basketball dreams often have to travel far — Flagg has people wondering whether the basketball map might need to be redrawn.
Not just any regular season game
On March 6, the feeling inside TD Garden carried the weight of something much bigger than a normal regular-season game.
The return of Jayson Tatum had already turned the night into an event. Every seat held a white No. 0 shirt. The pregame video of the Celtics gathering in the tunnel drew an immediate eruption. Even Tatum layups in the warmup line earned raucous applause.
But scattered throughout the building were reminders that this night wasn’t just about Tatum.
On the elevator up before the game (biggest elevator I’ve ever been on, by the way — terrifying), I found myself surrounded by three groups of fans with unmistakable Maine accents. I asked where they were from, my Mainer radar (Mainedar, if you will) clearly still in working order.
Ellsworth. Naples. Bangor. Three different groups, all there to see Cooper Flagg.
Before the game, a girl held up a sign on the jumbotron that read “Cooper Makes Maine Proud.” If there was a Mavericks jersey in the building, it was almost always No. 32.
Flagg stepped onto the floor for warmups at 4:52 p.m., long before the arena had filled in with fans. At that point the Garden was quiet enough to hear sneakers squeak across the parquet. He moved through routine jumpers and resistance work on his recovering left foot, which held him out of the previous eight games before returning versus Orlando on Thursday night.
Deep breath. Glance around the Garden. Back to work.
By the time introductions rolled around, the building had transformed. White shirts were now picked up off their chairs and either donned or twirled high above heads. The call from PA announcer Eddie Palladino brought the loudest roar of the night to that point.
Flagg’s arrival brought something more complicated.
The boos were louder — he was still wearing Dallas across his chest after all — but there were clear cheers mixed in. Hearing that for a visiting rookie in Boston said plenty about how many people had made the trip.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was less surprised than others.
“It’s a big game for Coop,” Kidd said before the game. “The state of Maine will be here tonight.”
That showed up immediately once the game started.
There were shouts of “Come on, Coop!” on his first touch. His first basket drew a noticeable pop from the crowd. Tatum remained the steady drumbeat of the night, but Flagg had an undeniable following of his own in the building. Every time it felt like Flagg-specific cheers started to rise, Celtics fans quickly pushed back, like the building reminding itself whose house it was.
A strange start and a familiar ending
For most of the first half, TD Garden felt like a building waiting politely to celebrate.
Jayson Tatum missed his first six shots after returning to the lineup, and the crowd reacted to every possession with a mixture of anticipation and impatience. Rebounds earned cheers. Passes drew the sound of thousands of held breaths releasing at once. A missed dunk opportunity was the coup de grâce of the first half.
Tatum later admitted the moment weighed on him.
“I just felt really anxious,” he said afterward. “It’s been a long time coming.”
The Celtics star eventually settled in. A tip slam late in the second quarter finally gave the building the moment it had been waiting for, and a three-pointer on the next possession sent the Garden into its loudest eruption of the night.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 24 points while Tatum finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes as Boston pulled away for a 120–100 victory.
For Cooper Flagg, the night offered a mix of promise and frustration.
The rookie finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, leading Dallas in rebounds and assists while showing flashes of the court vision and aggressiveness that have defined his rookie season.
The unlikely basketball path from Newport
Despite the following, Flagg’s story has never followed the typical script.
Newport, Maine sits roughly 200 miles north of Boston. In simple terms, it is not a place that produces NBA prospects with any regularity. As someone who grew up playing Maine high school basketball (would I have locked Cooper Flagg up had our careers crossed paths? You can’t 100% say no to that question.), I can tell you the idea of a No. 1 overall pick coming out of the state once sounded like pure fantasy.
Maine is a place where basketball is a winter habit. Small gyms. Packed local crowds. Long winters spent imagining what the bigger stage might feel like. For most kids that imagination includes a familiar scene: counting down from ten in your head and launching the imaginary game-winner in front of a packed arena.
Flagg didn’t stay in the imagination phase very long.
Early on, there were moments that made people around the state look at each other and ask the same question: “Wait, he’s this good?”
One of those came in his first high school game, when a freshman Flagg put up 35 points and 12 rebounds in a double-overtime win over South Portland and finished it with a chase-down block that instantly became local mythology.
Basketball already ran through his family. His mother, Kelly, played at the University of Maine. Celtics games were constant background noise growing up in the Flagg family. Old footage from the 1986 championship team reportedly played on repeat in the family van.
After one year of high school in Maine, the path accelerated quickly.
Montverde. Duke. Then the draft.
By the time he reached the league, he wasn’t viewed as an intriguing prospect from an unlikely place. He had moved into the rare category reserved for players franchises would move heaven and earth to acquire.
Lessons from the big stage in Boston
Friday night gave Cooper Flagg something more useful than a perfect homecoming. It gave him a real NBA education in front of the people who had waited years to see him on this floor.
The flashes were obvious. They’re the reason fans from Bangor, Ellsworth, Naples and all over New England made the trip. Flagg saw the floor well from the jump, got into the paint, made the extra pass, and kept finding ways to impact the game even when his own offense wasn’t flowing cleanly.
He had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists by halftime, and there were stretches where you could feel the building reacting to him independently of Tatumania. Every time his name was announced at the line, the cheers gave it away. A lot of people had come to see him, Tatum’s return be damned.
But this wasn’t a coronation, and that’s part of what made it compelling.
On the night, Flagg finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, which reads well enough in the box score. The eye test told a messier story. He looked frustrated at times, especially when the whistle wasn’t going his way. Later, as the Celtics began to separate in the fourth quarter, the rookie’s body language was atypical from what we’re used to seeing from this kid.
He argued calls. Forced a few shots. Got sped up. Jaylen Brown baited him into the air on a pump fake here. Derrick White erased one drive there. Neemias Queta got the better of him on a couple of physical plays around the rim. The Celtics were making him earn everything.
That’s Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics. Oh, you drove six hours from Caribou to watch Cooper tonight? Cool. Watch him get hounded by a rotating cast of tireless defensive demons for 30 minutes.
What stood out, though, was that Flagg never fully disappeared. He opened the second half with a quick midrange jumper before fans had fully settled back into their seats. He poked the ball loose in transition a couple of times on Brown. He defended Tatum hard enough to force an airball in the fourth. Even with the game slipping away and the frustration building, he kept trying to make the next play.
The right play.
Boston has the more mature stars. The Celtics have the cleaner execution. The Mavericks have had Nico Harrison. Flagg did not have his sharpest game, and he still looked like someone worth driving hours to see. Both things can be true.
Afterward, he kept the focus where it usually goes.
“A lot of people came from back home,” Flagg said. “This experience was really cool. The energy was incredible.”
A place on the map
There’s an old Maine phrase people use when describing directions to somewhere impossible to find: you can’t get there from here.
For a long time, the NBA could feel a little like that across New England. Close enough to watch. Close enough to care so, so deeply. Still far enough away that it felt like somebody else’s world.
That’s why Friday mattered, even without the perfect ending for Mainers.
Cooper Flagg didn’t walk into TD Garden and own the night. Tatum returned. Brown looked like he has all season. The Celtics pulled away, and Flagg got hit with some hard lessons, a few frustrating whistles, and a clear reminder that the gap between promising and polished is one that most superstars eventually must clear.
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 6: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics guards Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks during the game on March 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
And still, none of that changed the bigger point.
A kid from Newport, Maine took the floor in Boston as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, heard cheers in TD Garden, and gave thousands of New England fans a glimpse of something their corner of the country had never really seen before.
Maybe Flagg is the exception. Maybe the pipeline still runs through all the usual places. Maybe the basketball map hasn’t changed all that much yet — emphasis on yet.
But for one night in Boston, it had to make room for Maine.
And somewhere across New England tonight, a kid is probably standing on a frozen driveway, counting down from ten and imagining the moment a little differently than they did before.
Maybe even wondering, for the first time, why they couldn’t be next.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 6: Rasheer Fleming #20 of the Phoenix Suns shoots a three point basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 6, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Friday night’s win against the New Orleans Pelicans got a little more uncomfortable than anyone in Phoenix probably wanted. When you remember that New Orleans sits with only 20 wins on the season, it is easy to squint at parts of that game and feel a flicker of concern.
I view it through a slightly different lens. To me, it looked like a game about progression. Another step in the slow process of integrating Jalen Green into what this team is trying to do. And for large stretches, he looked far more controlled, far more efficient, and far more aware of how the offense is supposed to breathe. The scoring came naturally. The drives were purposeful. The decision-making felt calmer.
Sure, there were still moments where the ball stuck. And I will admit something here, I might be watching him a little too closely at this point. When a new player arrives, especially one with his reputation and his upside, the brain locks onto every possession like a hawk circling above the desert floor. You notice every hesitation, every extra dribble, and every moment where the rhythm pauses. That might be a me problem.
Solid start for Jalen Green tonight. 8 points on 3-of-7 shooting. Still needs to pass a little bit more within this offense and not become such a black hole, but at least he’s finishing. And getting to the line.
Zoom out though, and the team accomplished several things at once on Friday night. Despite the injuries still hovering around the roster like stubborn rain clouds, the Suns found a way to push forward. The rookies received legitimate run, and they contributed. Khaman Maluach swatted five shots, protecting the rim like a kid discovering his superpower. Rasheer Fleming knocked down a pair of threes and looked comfortable doing it.
And the offense finally woke up.
Phoenix scored 118 points, which happens to be their highest total in nearly a month. The last time they reached that number was February 10 against the Dallas Mavericks in a 120-111 win. So there is tangible progress when you talk about offensive production. The ball moved better, the pace felt healthier, and the scoreboard reflected it.
There is one piece of the equation that raises an eyebrow, though. The three-point volume.
Out of 90 total shot attempts, 58 came from beyond the arc. That is 64.4% of their offense coming from the perimeter. That number also happens to be the highest three-point volume in franchise history.
The Suns attempted 58 three-pointers on Friday against the Pelicans. That is their most since…ever. pic.twitter.com/TxjMRkVLIx
Devin Booker launched 12 of them. Collin Gillespie fired up 11. Jalen Green took nine. Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen each let eight fly. The Suns have clearly leaned into the modern math of the league. Space the floor, pull the trigger, live with the results.
Thankfully, the results were good enough this time. Phoenix knocked down 20 of those attempts, good for 34.5% from deep. I do not know if a diet where nearly two-thirds of your shots come from three is the cleanest recipe for long-term stability, especially when the conversion rate hovers in the mid-thirties.
Although on Friday night it was enough. Enough to survive. Enough to close the door. Enough to walk away with a two-point win over the Pelicans and keep the slow march forward alive.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Welcome to the leaderboard, Amir Coffey! He was one of the few bright spots against the Bulls, and in going 2-of-2 from deep, he earns his first Bright Side Baller of the season.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 63 against the Pelicans. Here are your nominees:
VAL DI FASSA, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn finally lost her lead in the World Cup downhill standings Saturday when Laura Pirovano won by the smallest margin of 0.01 seconds on back-to-back days.
Vonn was the standout downhill racer through January but her season-ending crash at the Olympics last month left her too few World Cup points in hand with four races left in her favored event.
Pirovano is now the surprise standings leader because of a stunning and career-defining weekend on home snow in the Dolomites.
“This is a crazy sport," said the 28-year-old Italian, who had never finished on the podium in 124 career World Cup races — until her win Friday.
Pirovano followed up Saturday by edging inside Cornelia Huetter’s time. Minutes later, the 2022 Olympics downhill champion Corinne Suter raced into third, 0.05 outside Pirovano’s time having led for most of her run and touched close to 133 kph (83 mph).
They pushed the early leader Breezy Johnson, the Olympic and world champion in downhill, down to fourth, trailing Pirovano by 0.64.
"I’ve always been not so lucky but I think yesterday and today I’m done with luck,” Pirovano said about her consecutive wins by the minimum margin.
She was a popular winner, with Huetter saying: “I know I have to be happy. And I’m also super happy for Lolly (Laura).”
Pirovano's 100 race points lifted her atop the downhill standings, 36 ahead of Vonn who was pursuing a remarkable ninth career season-long downhill title at age 41. Emma Aicher is in second place with one race left, on March 21 at Kvitfjell, Norway.
Aicher placed in a tie for 12th, trailing Pirovano by 1.06. She had been runner-up Friday.
That unexpected result for Aicher also was good for Mikaela Shiffrin, whose lead in the overall World Cup standings has been cut back because she no longer races in downhill.
Shiffrin’s lead over Aicher in the overall standings is still 117 points ahead of a super-G scheduled Sunday that the United States star could start.
The women’s World Cup season now has seven scheduled races left as Shiffrin chases a sixth career overall title, and her first for three years.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Someone in the Colorado State athletic department knew what they were doing.
After Ali Farokhmanesh held up a green-and-gold jersey with his name on the back of it, officially marking the start of his tenure as the Rams’ men’s basketball coach last March, he bent over and reached under the dais where he was set to speak to the crowd gathered inside Moby Arena, the school’s 60-year-old gym.
The self-professed crier emerged holding a box of Puffs tissues, drawing a laugh from the audience. His voice briefly cracked as he began to speak, but as the realization of a life-long goal swept over him, the tissues weren’t necessary.
“This is surreal,” Farokhmanesh said. “This is a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid.”
He’s likely not the only person who feels a certain way seeing him roam a college sideline.
With the start of the NCAA tournament looming, Farokhmanesh once again enters the national consciousness, with clips of his iconic game-sealing 3-pointer from Northern Iowa’s stunning upset of Kansas in 2010 airing on highlight reels that television networks play throughout March Madness. With a single, unforgettable shot, Farokhmanesh embodied the frantic magic of the NCAA tournament and became a college basketball folk hero, a six-foot-nothing white guy from a mid-major who took down one of the sport’s powerhouses.
Now, nearly two full decades removed from his one shining moment, Farokhmanesh is in his first season leading a Division I program, having been promoted to head coach at Colorado State shortly after Niko Medved left for Minnesota. The early results have been encouraging, with the Rams at 20-10 and riding an eight-game win streak heading into their regular-season finale on Saturday, March 7 against Boise State.
In the role, he’s trying to carve out a legacy in the game beyond a play that still allows his lengthy Iranian last name to roll effortlessly off the tongue of any college basketball fan all these years later. The glory he once earned as a player is now something he’s working to get achieve as a coach.
“I’m proud of what happened. It obviously meant a lot to me,” Farokhmanesh said to USA TODAY Sports. “But it’s a completely different, new journey.”
Ali Farokhmanesh's March Madness game winner
As unlikely as Northern Iowa’s win over Kansas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament was, the path there for the game’s most consequential player was even more improbable.
Despite being a first-team all-state honoree in Iowa, Farokhmanesh came out of high school without a single scholarship offer from an NCAA or NAIA school, even after sending out letters and highlight tapes to nearly 150 Division I programs. Even Iowa, where his mother was the school’s volleyball coach at the time, didn’t show interest.
He ended up at the junior-college level, going from Indian Hills Community College to Kirkwood Community College, both in Iowa. At Kirkwood, his scoring (16.3 points per game) and shooting (47.3% from 3) grabbed the attention of many of the same programs that overlooked him two years earlier, including Northern Iowa, where he committed for his final two seasons of eligibility.
In his season at Kirkwood, he displayed a tireless drive to improve, forcing himself to make 400 shots a night. His routine was so intense that the screws in the shooting gun he used during his workouts wore out. Those habits carried over to Northern Iowa, where he started every game for a Panthers team that made the NCAA tournament in 2009.
“There wasn’t a day in the two years we had Ali with us as a player that he wasn’t in the gym before practice or after practice or in between classes or coming back at night,” Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson said to USA TODAY Sports. “It was one of those things that everybody knew. His teammates knew it. His coaches knew it. Our fans knew it.”
As a senior in 2009-10, the Panthers won a then-program-record 30 games and won the Missouri Valley Conference championship for the second-consecutive season. Farokhmanesh was one of the team’s most valuable contributors, averaging 9.7 points per game and making a team-high 77 3s (if his 152 career made 3s over two seasons were doubled to reflect a full, four-year college career, it would comfortably be a program record).
After a 69-66 win against UNLV in the first round — a game in which Farokhmanesh made the game-winning 3 with 4.9 seconds remaining to deliver the program its second-ever NCAA tournament victory — No. 9 seed Northern Iowa arrived at what many thought would be the end of the team’s road.
Two years removed from a national championship, Kansas once again looked like the country’s best team, with a 33-2 record, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and a roster that featured five future NBA Draft lottery picks and five players who would earn consensus All-American honors at some point during their college careers.
Despite those odds, Northern Iowa got off to a hot start, leading by eight at halftime thanks to 11 points from Farokhmanesh. The Jayhawks stormed back in the second half, getting within a point, 63-62, with 42.8 seconds remaining after a Sherron Collins jumper. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Northern Iowa broke Kansas’ press, with Kwadzo Ahelegbe firing a pass up to Farokhmanesh, who caught the ball behind the 3-point line with only one Jayhawks player standing between him and the basket.
With a one-point lead and a seven-second difference between the shot and game clocks, Farokhmanesh could have easily held on to the ball, waited for some teammates to join him on that end of the court and bled precious seconds away as the Panthers continued their upset bid.
For a split-second, he appeared content to do just that, holding the ball and getting ready to take a step to his right. His movement sent the lone Kansas defender retreating to the basket, leaving the career 37.5% 3-point shooter with an enormous cushion to fire. He squared his feet to the basket and did what would have been unimaginable for most players: pulling up for a shot that, if it went awry, would have given the Jayhawks the ball with a chance to win the game.
The big gamble came with an even bigger reward. The shot swished through the net to give the Panthers a four-point lead with 35 seconds left, icing a stunning 69-67 victory, sending Northern Iowa to the Sweet 16 and instantly turning Farokhmanesh into a March icon.
A shot of a triumphant Farokhmanesh leaning back and screaming to the rafters appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following week, with the headline “Divine Madness.” Media requests from across the country flooded in. The Panthers’ practices, which had been open throughout that season, had to be closed because so many people had showed up to watch them.
Through it all, Jacobson was impressed with how his team and its overnight celebrity of a shooting guard approached their newfound fame.
“There was a moment or two when we kind of looked around at each other like ‘Whoa, this is a big deal,’” Jacobson said. “But outside of those, for the three or four days between the Kansas win and the game against Michigan State, it was kind of business as usual.”
A 59-52 loss to Michigan State six days after the Kansas win marked the end of Farokhmanesh’s college playing career. His time in college basketball, though, was only just beginning.
Coaching can be something of a happy accident or a fallback plan for some in the basketball world, a way to stay connected to the game after their playing days come to a dreaded end.
For Farokhmanesh, it was always a life he envisioned for himself.
His parents, Cindy Fredrick and Mashallah Farokhmanesh, were college volleyball coaches, with Frederick serving as the head coach and Farokhmanesh as her assistant at stops at Weber State, Washington State, Iowa and UNLV. Though Ali Farokhmanesh eventually gravitated to basketball, he grew up around practice facilities and locker rooms. His heroes weren’t just global basketball superstars, but volleyball players. While his parents were at Washington State, Jason Gesser, the Cougars’ all-conference quarterback, was his babysitter. Ryan Leaf, who went on to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, came to his birthday party.
At Northern Iowa, he majored in finance and briefly thought of a career in that field, but those plans only bounced around in his head for so long.
“That lasted maybe like a month,” Farokhmanesh said. “Then it was basketball.”
He embarked on a professional career overseas, playing in Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. By the end of his fourth season, priorities started to change. He got married and had his first child. Even though he had a lucrative offer to keep playing, he knew he wanted to start his coaching career sooner rather than later.
He sent out his resume and mined his connections in the basketball world, looking for an all-important foot in the door. He found one at Nebraska, whose coach at the time, Tim Miles, was close with Jacobson. Farokhmanesh texted and called Miles about an open graduate assistant role. He eventually got a response while the Cornhuskers’ coach was on vacation.
“What happens is when you have too many Mai Tais in Cabo, you hire Ali Farokhmanesh by accident and it works out great for everybody involved,” Miles said, with a laugh, to USA TODAY Sports.
Two weeks after the conversation in 2014, Miles had Farokhmanesh come in to work out six players as he watched. He was hired on the spot.
“You’re always wondering about some former players that weren’t your former players, right?” Miles said. “Ali’s a hero at Northern Iowa. What’s he going to be like? Is he going to rest on his laurels, like, hey, I was a player, I’m going to come in and work with these guys and they should listen to me? What I noticed about Ali immediately was he invested in people. He wanted to get guys better. Even in his interview, he walked in and approached himself like a young coach who was eager to get in the gym, work with guys, pour into guys and help make them better. Anybody who ever meets Ali likes Ali. Maybe not Kansas fans, but everybody else. I immediately knew I wanted him on my staff.”
As much as Farokhmanesh embraced the role, it was an adjustment.
“That was probably the hardest thing about being a GA — it was hard to get past not looking at yourself as a player,” he said.
After three seasons at Nebraska, Farokhmanesh got his first opportunity as an assistant when Medved, a former assistant for Miles at Colorado State, hired the former Northern Iowa star to join his staff at Drake.
“He’d never been the point person on signing a player and this and that, but I’ve always just trusted my gut,” Medved said to USA TODAY Sports. “You could just tell. He had a great personality. He knows how to connect with people. If you can really connect with people, if you can teach people, if you love it…when you combine those three things, you’ve got a guy that’s really talented and is going to be successful. For me, it was a no-brainer.”
Medved orchestrated a 10-win improvement in his first and ultimately only season at Drake, after which he was hired at Colorado State and brought Farokhmanesh with him.
There, he turned the Rams into one of the most consistent winners in the Mountain West Conference, winning at least 20 games in five of his final six seasons and leading Colorado State, which had just three NCAA tournament appearances in the 28 seasons before he was hired, to March Madness in three of his final four seasons. Along the way, the Rams were able to recruit, develop and retain future NBA players like David Roddy, Nique Clifford and Isaiah Stevens, even in the age of the transfer portal.
When Medved, a Minneapolis native, left for his alma mater the day after the Rams’ buzzer-beater loss to Maryland in the second round of the NCAA tournament last March, there wasn’t much of a question about who would succeed him. Within four days of Medved’s departure, Farokhmanesh was being introduced as Colorado State’s new coach.
Inside the same arena where he held up a box of tissues 10 months earlier, Farokhmanesh’s dream is now a reality.
With a whistle around his neck during an early February practice, the 37 year old is active, firing off passes to his players, crouching down in a defensive stance, providing one-on-one instruction and doing what he can to help reverse the fortunes of a team that had lost eight of its previous 11 games.
For as much as Farokhmanesh had envisioned getting to this point in his career, and for the 11 years of work he put in as an assistant, there’s something slightly unnerving seeing him like this, as a fully-formed adult with well-coiffed hair who drives his four kids around in his Toyota Sienna minivan rather than the triumphant 21 year old with onions the size of beach balls that he’s been immortalized as for nearly half his life. In some ways, he’s less a coach than a symbol of how much time has passed since that fateful shot and a reminder that, yes, you really are that old.
It’s a peculiar type of fame Farokhmanesh has navigated from the moment the ball passed through the net.
In some ways, it’s inescapable, the kind of thing he’ll receive calls about every March from reporters asking him to relive one of the NCAA tournament’s most storied plays. While at Nebraska and, especially, in his lone season at Drake, Farokhmanesh was recognized most places where he went and was more famous than the men for whom he worked. He’s been able to have fun with it, too, like when the Omaha World Herald had him interview Kansas fans at the 2015 NCAA Tournament in Omaha about their worst March Madness memories, unaware of who they were speaking with.
While the shot’s rarely something he’ll bring up unprompted, it’s still understandably a source of pride for him.
“We always joke with him…he didn’t talk about it, but if you walked into his office, the first picture you saw was the Sports Illustrated cover,” Medved said, with a laugh.
Over the past three or four years, as the shot fades further in the distance, Farokhmanesh said he started to be recognized more as a coach rather than a player. Around Fort Collins, particularly now, he’s much more likely to be asked about the Rams than his dagger against Kansas.
For his players, many of whom were toddlers when he graced that Sports Illustrated cover, it’s something their parents are much more likely to know about Farokhmanesh. If they seem a little too astonished to learn about their coach’s past, he won’t hesitate to challenge them to a shooting competition.
“Sometimes, they’ll bring it up later and they’re really surprised,” Farokhmanesh said. “I don’t know if I give off a vibe like I couldn’t play back in the day or something.”
Lest anyone forget Farokhmanesh could ball back in the day, his first Colorado State team is a pretty fitting reflection of its coach. Through their first 30 games, the Rams are making 39.6% of their 3s, the fifth-best mark among 365 Division I teams. They haven’t been shy about firing from deep, either, with 48.8% of their shot attempts this season coming from beyond the arc.
“I’ve always enjoyed teams that share the ball, that cut and move and play with pace,” Farokhmanesh said. “It’s what I grew up watching and loving to watch and playing in those types of systems. I’ve always been attracted to or lean toward skill over mostly anything else.”
Lately, it’s been a fruitful strategy. After its midseason lull, Colorado State has won eight games in a row, tying it for the sixth-longest active win streak in Division I. Its most recent victory, a road win against a New Mexico team on the NCAA tournament bubble, gave it at least 20 wins in a season for the sixth time in the past seven years. Though the Rams would almost certainly need to win the Mountain West tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament, it has been an unquestionably successful debut season for Farokhmanesh, especially after Colorado State lost six of its top seven scorers from last season.
If that early promise translates to sustained success as the Rams move on to the newly reconfigured Pac-12 next season, fans across the country will have a different reason to think about Farokhmanesh whenever the calendar turns to March.
“The story of him and the shot and all the stuff like that, that’s a big story,” Medved said. “That was a moment in time. But that’s only a small part of the story. At the end of the day, nobody makes it unless they can actually do the job and they’re caring and they work. His reputation now has nothing to do with that. His reputation now is because he’s a terrific coach.”
Only one Saturday remains until all of men's college basketball moves onto conference tournament week.
NCAA tournament bubble teams are running out of chances to boost their resumes before Selection Sunday, with a few final spots potentially coming down to who performs the best in their conference tournament. Regardless, a number of teams will be sweating as the 68-team bracket is revealed on Sunday, March 15.
There's still plenty left to learn among NCAA tournament bubble teams, especially with a few bid stealers likely to appear throughout conference tournament week.
Here's a look at the latest winners and losers among NCAA Tournament bubble teams:
UCLA moved out of the "Last Four in" category in USA TODAY Sports' latest bracketology update after its impressive 72-52 win over projected No. 3 seed Nebraska on March 3. The Bruins now have a pair of top-10 wins in their past four games, also taking down Illinois in overtime on Feb. 21.
UCLA is 10-10 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games but now has 20 wins on the season and a trio of impressive wins over Purdue, Illinois and now Nebraska. It also ranks No. 34 in KenPom and No. 36 in the NCAA's Net Rankings, which should be high enough to avoid being one of the final at-large teams in the field, for now.
UCLA is projected as a No. 10 seed in the latest update.
TCU
TCU has won seven of its last eight games, none of which is better than its upset over projected No. 3 seed Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs defeated the Red Raiders 73-65 on the road on March 3, earning their 20th win of the season.
TCU is projected as a No. 8 seed in USA TODAY Sports' latest update, and has some cushion heading into its regular season finale with massive stakes against Cincinnati, another bubble team. The Horned Frogs are in a good spot heading into the Big 12 tournament, where they'll look to cement their case with another win or two.
TCU is projected as a No. 8 seed, firmly in the field as of now.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati is still on the outside looking in, per USA TODAY Sports' projections, but it's among the hottest teams on the bubble right now, winning seven of its last eight games. The Bearcats also defeated Kansas during their streak and also won games against projected NCAA Tournament teams UCF and BYU.
Cincinnati could get another resume-booster in its regular season finale when it travels to face TCU, another bubble team amid a hot streak. A win could go a long way for its chances, especially if it can win a game or two at the Big 12 tournament.
Ohio State
Ohio State is coming off back-to-back wins, including its best win of the season over projected No. 3 seed Purdue. The Buckeyes are now 19-11 this season with two Quad 1 wins, good enough to put them at No. 32 in the NCAA Net's Rankings.
Ohio State seems pretty safe for an NCAA tournament right now and could defeat another bubble team in its regular season finale against Indiana.
Auburn has an interesting NCAA Tournament case, as it's 16-14 on the year but has four Quad 1 wins. The Tigers haven't helped their case as of late, with losses in seven of their last eight games, three of which came against Mississippi State, Oklahoma and Ole Miss, all of which are projected to miss the big dance.
The Tigers end the regular season with a road game against Alabama, and a win could be a huge boost to their resume. A loss, and Auburn might have to win a game or two in the SEC tournament to earn a bid.
Auburn is currently projected as a Last Four In team, per USA TODAY Sports.
Indiana
While Indiana took care of business in its 77-47 win over Minnesota in its last outing, the Hoosiers are still clinging on to the bubble, most recently projected as a First Four Out team in USA TODAY Sports' latest projections.
Indiana has three wins over projected NCAA tournament teams this season in UCLA, Purdue and Wisconsin, but has otherwise struggled against higher-end teams. A road win over Ohio State in its regular season finale could be enough to vault Indiana into the NCAA Tournament, though.
New Mexico
The Mountain West might not put two teams in the NCAA tournament like previously projected, if New Mexico's latest struggles keep it out of an at-large bid.
The Lobos have lost two of their last three games to Nevada and Colorado State, two teams off the NCAA tournament radar. New Mexico is still No. 2 in the Mountain West standings behind Utah State, and the conference's best shot at putting two teams in the big dance would likely be if New Mexico wins the conference tournament and Utah State gets in as an at-large team.
Otherwise, New Mexico could be sweating on Selection Sunday, as it's currently projected as a Last Four In team.
SMU
SMU has lost three consecutive games to California, Stanford and Miami, putting itself in a tough situation heading into its regular season final against Florida State.
The Mustangs are 19-11 this season with four Quad 1 wins, also ranking No. 38 in the NCAA's Net Rankings. Those metrics still favor SMU, although it needs to stop the bleeding before needing some help at the ACC tournament.
SMU is still listed as a Last Four In team in USA TODAY Sports' latest projections, but it almost has to win against Florida State on March 7 to avoid chaos.
The first three No. 1 seeds for the 2026 NCAA Tournament have all but been locked in.
The intrigue in the final weekend of the regular season heading into the conference tournaments is the competition between No. 4 Connecticut and No. 5 Florida for the final No. 1 seed. The Huskies do own the head-to-head win over the Gators, but perhaps no team is hotter than Florida, which is coming off back-to-back 30-point SEC wins.
And then of course there are the bubble teams, where the majority of the intrigue sits at this time of the year. Several other Power 4 conference teams — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC — enter the final weekend of the regular season with something to prove to get into the Big Dance.
Auburn and Southern California have fallen to the wrong end of the bubble near the end of the regular season. Meanwhile, Miami (Ohio) has kept its perfect season alive, yet is still very much on the bubble ― according to some analysts ― if it cannot pull off an Mid-American Conference tournament championship.
Here’s a look at the latest NCAA tournament bracket projection, which emcompasses games played through Wednesday, March 4:
March Madness bracket predictions
Last Four In
Santa Clara**
SMU**
Indiana**
New Mexico**
First Four Out
Auburn
San Diego State
VCU
California
No. 1 Seeds
Duke (AQ — ACC)
Arizona (AQ — Big 12)
Michigan (AQ — Big Ten)
UConn (AQ — Big East)
While the first three No. 1 seeds are all but locked in, Florida is pushing UConn for the final No. 1 seed, but the Huskies get the edge due to the head-to-head win on Dec. 9, 2025. However, the Gators winning the SEC might change the equation there.
No. 2 Seeds
Florida (AQ — SEC)
Illinois
Houston
Michigan State
Entering the weekend, Florida has won back-to-back SEC games be 30 points, albeit one of them was the lowly Mississippi State. Michigan State could have a chance to lock into a No. 2 seed with a regular season finale win over rival Michigan.
No. 3 Seeds
Purdue
Nebraska
Iowa State
Gonzaga (AQ — West Coast Conference)
Purdue still has a crack at a No. 2 seed, depending on its finish to the season, along with Michigan State's. The Boilermakers are just 6-6 in their last 12 games, but have enough talent to make trouble in the NCAA Tournament regardless of seeding.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones have lost ground in the chase for not only the No. 1 seed, but the No. 2 seed over the last couple of weeks of the season.
No. 4 Seeds
Texas Tech
Kansas
Virginia
Alabama
Alabama's recent loss to Georgia does hurt them a tad, but it helps that they'd still be ahead of a few 6 seeds that are SEC teams they have beaten. Texas Tech is a team that could make a move up the seedings with a good conference tournament, despite losing JT Toppin for the season.
No. 5 Seeds
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Arkansas
St. John's
Vanderbilt's win over Ole Miss kept them in a good spot entering the final weekend. The Commodores end the season on Saturday against rival Tennessee. St. John's has a chance to help itself in seeding by winning the Big East Conference Tournament over UConn.
No. 6 Seeds
North Carolina
Louisville
Wisconsin
Kentucky
Kentucky's matchup against Florida to end the season could boost the Wildcats, or leave them on the bubble for some. However, they are likely in regardless of that game, but it is hard to gauge how the Wildcats will do in the postseason.
A 15-point win for Louisville over Syracuse stops its recent fall in the seedings.
No. 7 Seeds
Miami
Saint Mary's
Utah State (AQ — Mountain West)
Saint Louis (AQ — Atlantic 10)
Winners of three in a row and nine of their last 11 games, the Miami Hurricanes are a dangerous team getting hot at the right time.
No. 8 Seeds
Brigham Young
Georgia
Villanova
Clemson
BYU is in the tournament due to its 16-1 start to the season, but the Cougars are free falling in the seeding with nine losses in their last 13 games, including a three-game losing streak. Do not sleep on the Villanova Wildcats, who have lost more than half their games this season to UConn and St. John's.
No. 9 Seeds
UCLA
Iowa
North Carolina State
Missouri
The Bruins have picked up steam at the perfect time of the season. UCLA has wins over Nebraska and Illinois over the last couple of weeks and Mick Cronin's team has a resume that ranks inside the top 40. The Bruins went from a bubble team to securing a single-digit seed.
No. 10 Seeds
Texas
Texas A&M
Central Florida
Ohio State
No. 11 Seeds
Miami (Ohio) (AQ — Mid-American)
Cincinatti
Santa Clara**
Southern Methodist**
Indiana**
New Mexico**
The Lobos are still very much on the bubble following a loss to Colorado State on Wednesday, but currently still have an inside track to one of the final spots.
Indiana on the other hand picked up a much-needed blowout win over Minnesota to keep its chances alive for the NCAA Tournament.
Cincinnati has a Quad-1 win over BYU on it recent resume, as well as wins over Iowa State and Kansas. The Bearcats bypass the "last four in" and into the tournament in these projections. SMU is another team that has been on a free fall despite a strong start to the season.
