Category: NBA

WASHINGTON - No, it’s not the Final Four. It just feels that way.

Between No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Connecticut, No. 3 Michigan State and No. 5 St. John’s, the East region foursome in Washington, D.C., would have enough star power to light up Indianapolis, host of this year’s national semifinals and final.

“This is like a Final Four, if you ask me,” said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. “I think this is almost a chalk tournament. I'm just proud and excited to be part of it.”

Instead of playing for the national championship, the group will meet to decide which team advances out of this loaded region. The Blue Devils and Red Storm will get things started on Friday night, followed by the Huskies and Spartans.

Yet these are undoubtedly some of the biggest brands in the country. Each head coach brings glittering résumés into the Sweet 16, including a combined five national championships and 18 Final Four appearances. The four teams are led by a parade of All-America selections and future NBA draft picks.

On paper, it’s hard to find another regional bubble like this in recent tournament history.

“A ton of respect for each coach and their programs,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer. “I think that's what makes it exciting, right? It's going to be an exciting atmosphere, high-level basketball, high-level coaching for sure.”

Elite programs, teams meet on an elite stage

Duke, UConn and Michigan State have combined for 13 national championships, with the Huskies most recently capturing back-to-back crowns in 2023 and 2024. They make up three of the nine programs to win multiple championships in the past 50 seasons.

The Blue Devils (34-2) won the ACC regular-season and tournament titles after losing just twice leading into March Madness by a combined four points. St. John’s (30-6) did the same in the Big East, though the Red Storm were given a No. 5 seed by the selection committee due to fewer Quad 1 wins that the other elite teams.

UConn (31-5) finished one game behind the Red Storm in the Big East and then dropped the conference championship game between the schools, giving St. John’s a 2-1 edge in the season series. Let’s put the rivalry aside for one night and root for each other to meet against in the Elite Eight, UConn coach Dan Hurley said.

"It's probably a little bit early, but obviously, I think we've got to support each other,” said Hurley. “It's pretty brutal on Twitter, I think, and socials between our fan bases, but I think we have to try to come together Friday night against our opponent so we can have a bloodbath on Sunday."

And Michigan State (27-7) has rebounded from losses to Michigan and UCLA to end the regular season and conference tournament, respectively, to post impressive wins against No. 14 North Dakota State and No. 6 Louisville to reach the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row and the third time in four years.

“We want to make it as far as we can,” Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler said. “Playing with all these guys is something that's really special in my life, honestly.”

East region features four of college basketball’s best coaches

Here’s the best way to describe four head coaches still standing in the East region: Scheyer is the least accomplished of the bunch.

That’s a telling statement given how capably Scheyer has stepped into Mike Krzyzewski’s shoes since being promoted from associate head coach in 2022.

All he’s done in his four seasons is go 123-24 overall and 65-13 in the ACC, reaching the Elite Eight in 2024 and the Final Four last season, though the Blue Devils’ season ended with a heartbreaking collapse against Houston in the national semifinals. Given the difficulties of replacing a legend, Scheyer has become the poster child for seamless caching transitions.

Izzo followed similar path as an assistant to title-winning coach Jud Heathcote before assuming the job in 1995 at the age of 40 - five years older than Scheyer was when he replaced Coach K.

The résumés speak for themselves of the three veterans speak for themselves.

Izzo has gone 764-308 with 11 Big Ten regular-season titles, six Big Ten tournament titles, 17 trips to the Sweet 16, eight appearances in the Final Four and one national championship, in 2000.

“I don't know how Coach Izzo has done it,” Hurley said. “I don't.”

Hurley is one of eight coaches to win back-to-back national titles, joining Krzyzewski, Billy Donovan (Florida), Henry Iba (Oklahoma State), Ed Jucker (Cincinnati), Adolph Rupp (Kentucky), John Wooden (UCLA) and Phil Woolpert (San Francisco).

Now in his third season with the Red Storm, Pitino is already the only coach to reach the Sweet 16 in five separate decades, the only coach to win national championships at two schools — Kentucky in 1996 and Louisville in 2013, though the second was later vacated by the NCAA — and one of two to lead three different teams to the Final Four (Providence, Kentucky and Louisville), along with current Arkansas coach John Calipari.

Breaking down the East region Sweet 16 matchups

There’s one very interesting quirk to the Blue Devils’ matchup with the Red Storm. Duke beat St. John’s in each of the program’s five national-championship seasons (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2015), including a 78-61 win in the 1991 Elite Eight.

Duke is preparing for a battle against the Red Storm’s physical, end-to-end style, which paced a 67-65 win against No. 4 Kansas in the second round.

“I think that's part of our identity, too, is being a physical team,” Duke freshman Nikolas Khamenia said. “I think we've played a lot of teams that have been physical, which is obviously going to help prepare us for tomorrow.”

St. John’s will have to contend with Duke forward Cameron Boozer, a favorite for national player of the year while leading the team with 22.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

“You have to be really hungry and believe,” Pitino said. “If you don't, usually you go home. So we just want to get after it. We know we're playing a great team. There's no question about that. They haven't lost very much. But we want to foster that type of belief, that we're going to win this game.”

Like Duke and St. John’s, the matchup between Michigan State and UConn should have a high-intensity feel driven by two of the top defenses remaining in the tournament.

According to the analytics site KenPom.com, the UConn defense ranks 11th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and the Spartans rank 13th. And both offenses look to get into transition but will focus on frontcourt play in the halfcourt set, with the Huskies led by center Tarris Reed Jr. (41 points and 40 rebounds through two tournament games) and Michigan State centered on Kohler, center Carson Cooper and junior forward Coen Carr.

While the two teams didn’t face off during the regular season, they did meet in a charity exhibition game in late October, with the Huskies pulling out a 76-69 win.

“You remember the physicality they play with, the rebounding, how fast they play, the pace they play at,” said UConn forward Alex Karaban.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: East Region in March Mandes resembles Final Four with its quality

The Big Ten entered the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament riding a 26-year drought since the conference last produced a national champion.

Nearly halfway through the event, the league is doing just about everything it can to make sure that skid comes to a long-awaited end.

What was arguably the best conference in the sport during the regular season has continued to show its strength during March Madness. Many of the conference’s best teams, like Michigan, have looked dominant thus far during the Big Dance, while others, like Iowa, have pulled off a handful of upsets to advance deeper than many predicted they would.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness finds a Cinderella. Iowa basketball, the slipper is yours

On Thursday night, on the first day of the Sweet 16, that dominance was on display. Illinois stymied Houston 65-55 to earn its second Elite Eight appearance in the past three years under coach Brad Underwood. Purdue got a buzzer-beating tip-in from Trey Kaufman-Renn to edge Texas 79-77. And in an intra-conference matchup, Iowa continued its unexpectedly lengthy run in the tournament with a 77-71 victory over fellow corn enthusiast Nebraska.

Four tickets have been punched to the Elite Eight, with three of those belonging to a single league — and with two of its best teams, Michigan and Michigan State, trying to join them there tomorrow.

Just how good has the Big Ten been in the 2026 NCAA Tournament? Here’s a look:

How many Big Ten teams are in Elite 8?

After the first night of Sweet 16 games on Thursday, March 26, the Big Ten has three teams in the Elite Eight: Purdue, Iowa and Illinois.

The conference could add two more on Friday with No. 1 seed Michigan taking on No. 4 seed Alabama and No. 3 seed Michigan State squaring off against No. 2 seed UConn. The Wolverines, the Big Ten regular-season champions, are a 9.5-point favorite while the Spartans are a 1.5-point underdog.

REQUIRED READING: Who's in Elite 8? Updated March Madness bracket, NCAA Tournament schedule

What’s the record for most Big Ten teams in Elite 8?

Even if Michigan and Michigan State both lose, the Big Ten’s performance on Thursday already made a bit of history.

Halfway through the Sweet 16, the Big Ten has already tied its record of three teams in the Elite Eight, a mark it had previously reached in 2000, 2005 and 2019.

REQUIRED READING: Inside the game-winning play that advanced Purdue to Elite 8

Record for most Elite 8 teams from one conference

The record for most Elite Eight teams from one conference is four, a mark that has been reached three times since the NCAA tournament field expanded to 64 in 1985.

That figure was achieved by the Big East in 2009 (UConn, Pitt, Louisville and Villanova), the ACC in 2016 (North Carolina, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Virginia) and the SEC in 2025 (Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Alabama).

When’s the last time a Big Ten team won March Madness?

Despite the success of its teams this season, the Big Ten hasn’t had a member win the national championship in men’s basketball since Michigan State all the way back in 2000. Maryland, a current Big Ten member, won it all in 2002, but the Terrapins were in the ACC at that time.

Big Ten NCAA tournament record

The nine Big Ten teams that made it into the field for the 2026 NCAA Tournament have combined to go 16-4.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Big Ten has 3 Elite 8 teams in a record-setting 2026 NCAA Tournament

By the time the final buzzer sounds Friday, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament field will officially be down to the Elite Eight.

The round of 16 concludes with games in the East and Midwest Regionals, with the action taking place in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, respectively. A loaded field of programs with multiple championships will hit the floor in the East, while the foursome in the Windy City features a pair of SEC squads looking to take down a couple of top seeds. Once again, we’re here to break down the matchups for you, with all the information you’ll need about how and when to watch.

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 St. John’s

Time/TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS

Even if this matchup is happening in an earlier round than it probably should be, it’s arguably the most compelling of the round. History and coaching achievements aside, they’re two of the hottest teams in the field having won their respective power conference tournaments. That the Blue Devils have run their winning streak to 13 despite being down a couple of starters certainly speaks to their depth, though Patrick Ngongba’s return to the lineup was nonetheless a welcome development. His presence near the bucket could force the Red Storm to find a source for points other than Zuby Ejiofor, but fortunately Bryce Hopkins has been shooting well of late. Duke’s Cayden Boozer has handled his increase in minutes and responsibilities well since the injury to Caleb Foster, but the waves of pressure he’ll see from the Red Storm will test his mettle.f

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama

Time/TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV

Opening the festivities at the United Center is this clash of programs led by coaches who have experienced the Final Four stage, although in this iteration the top-seeded Wolverines appear to be better constructed to get there. Not only do they put up 87.4 points a game, but their array of interior defenders reject around six shots a game and challenge countless others. But the 3-point arc can be an equalizer, and the high-octane Crimson Tide utilize it better than most knocking down nearly 13 treys a game as part of their nation's-best 91.6-point per game average. The other factor that might spell success for Alabama is ball security, if primary handler Lebaron Philon can limit miscues better than Michigan counterpart Elliot Cadeau.

No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 3 Michigan State

Time/TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, CBS

The second contest at Capital One Arena is yet another heavyweight showdown in the East, a region that would be dubbed the group of death if this were a World Cup draw. This pairing of name-brand programs led by – shall we say – high-intensity coaches figure to add up to one of the more physical confrontations of the tournament. Feisty Spartans point guard Jeremy Fears will need to keep his notorious temper in check, while UConn’s Tarris Reed must do his best to avoid early foul trouble. Michigan State has a lot of options if a clutch bucket is needed, but there’s no substitute for the big-game experience of veteran Huskies captain Alex Karaban.

No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee

Time/TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV

The nightcap in the Windy City could be a low-scoring affair, as playing lock-down defense is hardwired into both programs. The health status of a couple of the game’s top offensive weapons could also keep the point total down. Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson is officially a game-time decision but seems unlikely to play, and Tennessee’s Nate Ament hasn’t been 100% for some time. The Cyclones theoretically have more reliable shooters in their lineup, especially if facilitator Tamin Lipsey is on target, but Volunteers guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie can also get hot.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness games today: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 schedule

Many words have been said and written about why the Cleveland Cavaliers’ new core four won’t work. About redundancy. About perimeter defense. About spacing. Very few words have been said and written about why it will work. About what, precisely, makes die-hard fans and the Cleveland front office and coaching staff alike believe that this team can win the NBA title and be crowned world champions.

Turns out, words aren’t necessary. There’s a play. A singular clip. Show. Don’t tell.

This clip is everything. It’s the hope. It’s the dream.

The NBA playoffs are less about what you can do and more about what problems you can present to your opponent. Modern basketball is an offense-advantaged game at its core. Present enough problems and the defense will crumble. Present too few, and the defense will take it away. They will collapse what you do and what you are. Watch the clip twice.

This is not a meaningless game. It is the best insight into what it will take to win it all. Cleveland, post-James Harden trade, with the whole (new) Core Four playing, at the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder’s house on the last game of a three-in-four night stretch. National spotlight game. Both teams are trying their best.

Now, let’s dig in.

James Harden brings the ball up court. The Thunder are pressuring hard because that’s what you do with playoff intensity. Evan Mobley sets a screen way up near half court to spring Harden. He doesn’t slip it. He makes contact, and the defender is put off balance. Harden has the edge. A staggered screen from Jarrett Allen is waiting just in case he recovers.

Boy howdy! That’s a lot of resources to commit above the three-point line. Three players and both bigs! Is space tight? Does the best defense in basketball (by my eyes) have the Cavs in jail? No. Chet Holmgren (Mobley’s defender) is waiting at the arc but won’t go further. Allen’s defender is right behind him, effectively double-covering meaningless space. Mitchell’s defender is glued to him in the corner. And where is Sam Merrill? Where is his defender? They are so deep in the opposite corner that they aren’t even in the picture.

The action continues. Harden has the corner. His defender no longer matters. Allen reads it and slips the screen, making minimal contact. OKC switches assignments because they are great at basketball. Mitchell and Merrill’s defenders stay home because OKC is good. Mobley is effectively unguarded.

Next, we have three moments in time in rapid succession. It is a work of art titled “Why Point Guards Matter.”

Harden drives. Allen rolls. The defensive shell is intact. Oppressively solid.

Harden throws on the brakes. He takes three hesitation dribbles. Why, oh why, would you do this?! Are you even trying to score? Do you want your defender that you worked so hard to leave behind to catch up?

This freeze frame is unique to veteran, elite point guards. What happened to that defensive shell? Where did it go? James Harden is many things. I, personally, have disliked many of those things over his career. But he is absolutely an elite, veteran point guard. He can play on many timings. And this is the key to his brilliance. He lets the defense recover and collapse. Intentionally. He does this three seconds before anybody could possibly say that is a good decision. Where does the defense end up?

Lou Dort is in No Man’s Land. He cheated into Allen earlier for a pass that didn’t come while Mitchell repositioned.

Isaiah Joe is in No Man’s Land. He rightly stayed home on Sam Merrill on the strong side during the initial drive. You can’t not. That’s Sam Merrill. By the time he cheats in on the play, it is too late.

Jaylin Williams and Carson Wallace wall off Harden’s attack. No lay-ups. No lobs. No easy through-bounce passes. Harden uses his wingspan to wrap the pass around the outside.

Holmgren actually shows remarkable processing and agility to see what is happening and hard cuts back to the wide open Allen. It’s too late.

All of this happens because of the off-timing read Harden made. It ends in a Jarrett Allen dunk. But what if the timing was slightly different? What then? Let’s consider.

Holmgren is full commit to Allen. Mobley is wide open as a viable high outlet or Nash dribble reset. Merrill is wide open for an easy corner 3. Did we mention he’s Sam Merrill? Say Mobley does get the ball. Lou Dort is the only possible person who can contest. He will contest. This is what it means for a defense to be in rotation. Somebody is open. Who is open? That man is Donovan Mitchell for the easiest skip pass in basketball history. Did we mention he is Donovan Mitchell?

This play is the play. It is the ultimate in cherry picking, stat nerd Nirvana. But it is also the peak of what the Cleveland Cavaliers’ core four can be. It is everything the Cavs have previously struggled with. High ball pressure. Elite switching defenses. Situationally packing paints. And then eviscerate it. Let’s say those names again. This happened against a defense comprised of:

Carson Wallace
Lou Dort
Isiah Joe
Jaylin Williams
Chet Holmgren

If there is a better cast of characters to defend the 2025-26 Cleveland Cavaliers, then it only exists in fiction. This is the pinnacle. And the Cavs can do it. There is reason to believe. It is everything. It is the problems the Cavs can present. The double bigs, the variable timings, the shooting, Mitchell’s individual attacking brilliance, Harden’s off-timing precognition.

Do not listen to conventional talking points. This is not a conventional team. Look deeper, and you’ll see it. The Cavs can win it all. The only question is if they’ll have the health and the time to bring it all together, and the good fortune to see it through. But this is a true, blue contender. Top to bottom.

Don’t believe me? Scroll back to the top. Watch that play again.

As the NCAA tournament moves towards the Elite Eight and the Final Four in just a few days, some attention is being spent on the NBA Draft. Duke’s Carlos Boozer is racking up a massive haul of awards, and his numbers are historic.

Yet we hear constantly that he’s not athletic enough to prosper in the NBA.

It’s an old argument. It was behind his father, Carlos, falling to the second round when he was drafted out of Duke, and he went on to a superb NBA career.

After last year’s draft, we heard the same argument about Kon Knueppel. A lot of critics thought that he might be a useful piece, a sniper off the bench, but he’s proven to be far more than that.

Knueppel, along with close friend and former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg, is a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, and on Thursday, he did something no rookie has ever done: he topped 250 three-point shots in his first NBA season.

It’s been a spectacular season, almost as spectacular as his re-evaluation. It should be a warning for Boozer’s critics: athleticism is a huge asset for an NBA player, but as in most aspects of life, intelligence is the biggest asset.

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The 2025-26 Boston Celtics were supposed to be taking a gap year. That has not been the case as Boston is 2nd in the Eastern Conference and looking to make another deep playoff run with the return of Jayson Tatum.

However, before the playoffs start, let’s look ahead to what is to come for the Celtics this summer.

Currently, Boston has 12 players under contract for next season, including team options on Jordan Walsh, Amari Williams and Max Shulga.

I think they’ll pick up Walsh’s option, decline Shulga’s (and bring him back on a new two-way contract) and either pick up Williams’ or decline it and give him a new multi-year deal. My guess would be the latter.

They’ll also need to sign Ron Harper Jr. to standard deal because he is out of two-way eligibility. That leaves us with 12 standard players and 2 two-way players.

They have two picks in the draft. They’ll use the first round pick — this draft is too good to not add a player, even as late as they’ll be picking. They also have a 2nd round pick from Milwaukee, projected to be 40th overall right now. I think they’ll trade that one to get more future 2nd round picks and more flexibility with the roster.

Another factor in these plans is whether the Celtics want to stay under the tax in 2026-27 to eliminate the repeater tax and then go spend big in 2027-28 when Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh and Luka Garza are set to be free agents.

Right now, the Celtics are projected to be $19 million under the luxury tax for next season. Add in Harper’s likely minimum salary and the 27th pick in the draft’s salary, that likely leaves the Celtics with around $13 million to spend on their non-tax payer mid-level exception or the $27 million trade exception they have from the Anfernee Simons-Nikola Vucevic trade.

They likely won’t spend all of that money and the part they do could be on a center.

Isaiah Hartenstein will be out of the Celtics price range. I also think Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams will be as well but if they aren’t, they would be at the top of my list.

Day’Ron Sharpe has a $6.5 million team option with the Nets that I suspect they will pick up or do a decline and extend but that is another guy I would love the Celtics to get if possible.

Outside of that there are a bunch of older bigs and younger unproven players that I am not sure I would want. Vucevic, Brook Lopez, Al Horford, and Jusuf Nurkic are some names the Celtics could consider this summer but those guys are old and Vucevic, Lopez and Nurkic aren’t great defensively.

If they elected to go in a different direction, they could add an impact guy who can either start or play off of the bench as a wing or a guard. Anfernee Simons, Harrison Barnes, and Collin Sexton are some options Boston could sign.

There is also the argument that they should spend more this summer and into the tax. The Celtics are really good, but we have yet to see what this group looks like in a playoff series. Maybe that will expose some flaws that they’ll need to address this summer.

They might need to add another big and another ball handler. Relying on a player that you pick with the 26th or 27th pick in the draft is not a wise decision. The repeater tax is not a concern of the fan, even if it makes sense to avoid, there are no basketball reasons to avoid it. It isn’t like the 2nd apron, where they take away draft picks and restrict how teams can make trades.

So yes, resetting the repeater tax makes sense for the Celtics to do but as a fan, there is no upside to it. Especially if they aren’t serious about spending during the summer of 2027. Yet, I still expect them to stay under the tax next season.

I don’t expect huge changes to the Celtics roster or rotation this summer. They have shown this season that they have a bunch of good role players and a full season plus a return to 100% for Jayson Tatum might be the only addition they need, outside of the draft. However, I am hopeful they will add another impact player off of the bench.

SAN JOSE, CA — All John Calipari could do was sit there.

His Arkansas team had been high flying all month. It was dunking like it was the “Lob City” Los Angeles Clippers, and shooting like it was the Golden State Warriors’ “Splash Bros.” Darius Acuff Jr. was showing why he’s destined to be an NBA star, giving belief the coach could get the Hogs back in the Final Four.

That was until he saw the bracket.

Before the tournament began, Calipari thought if there was one team he didn’t want to see, it was Arizona. He knew it was a bad matchup for his team, and if he was going to meet them on the court, the goal was to hope it could hang around long enough to turn the pressure on them.

After Thursday, March 26, Calipari might as well have been Nostradamus, correctly predicting the unfortunate fate the Razorbacks faced, falling to top seed Arizona, 109-88, in the Sweet 16. It wasn’t just a loss, it was a beatdown.

“Arizona is really good,” Calipari said. 

The nightcap in San Jose was billed as having the potential to blow the roof off of SAP Center with all the fireworks each team could light off. But what was expected to be a fun battle ended up being a dud for nearly all 40 minutes of action, with Arkansas never leading in the game.

That’s not necessarily saying Arkansas fell apart. It’s just the fact it happened to be directly in the path of the Arizona buzzsaw.

“They got us from right at the beginning,” Calipari.

The Wildcats have looked like a national championship contender all season, but their Sweet 16 performance might have been their best one yet. Coach Tommy Lloyd was hesitant to call it that, but so many signs point to it. 

They shot 63.8% from the field, the best mark against a Power conference team this season. Only eight 3-pointers were shot, but five of them went in. A team that prides itself on getting to the foul line shot a whopping 39 free throws.

“Our guys did a great job of just staying steady and making the game simple and trying to find our advantages every possession,” Lloyd said.

Arizona played to its strengths. The star freshman were running up and down the court, driving to the bucket and the bigs were punishing the interior. 

All of it sucked the life out of Arkansas. It frustrated every member, leading to two technical fouls – one on Calipari – and two Flagrant foul calls. There weren't endless 3-pointers or hard-hitting dunks that built this March run. For the last part of the second half, Calipari and his team sat on the bench, knowing it just got the worst version of the bad matchup.

“We went out there and played our Arizona brand of basketball,” said freshman Koa Peat. “Everything fell in place.” 

With the win, Arizona is once again on the cusp of breaking its dreaded Final Four drought, last appearing in the national semifinals in 2001. One could argue a curse has hovered over Tucson for 25 years, but if there is one team to snap it, it’s this one. After the Sweet 16, all the signs point to it.

But remember, Arizona has been in this same exact position before. Outstanding seasons have been washed out plenty of times. The Wildcats have been to the Elite Eight five times since the last Final Four then – with some great squads – but have failed to break through every single time.

Lloyd knows having 35 wins, tying the program record set in 1987-88, doesn’t guarantee finally breaking through. Arizona will face an experienced Purdue team with players that know what it’s like to get to a Final Four.

“The great thing about basketball and the tough thing about basketball is, unfortunately, that doesn't automatically translate to Saturday,” Lloyd said. “We've got to find a way to kind of recreate that rhythm we had tonight. We know that's going to be a big-time challenge.”

If Arizona does in fact recapture what happened in the Sweet 16, then that buzzsaw will stay on, ready to take out anyone in the way of the Wildcats finally breaking through.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona is ready for March Madness breakthrough after Sweet 16 rout

New Orleans Pelicans (25-49, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Toronto Raptors (40-32, sixth in the Eastern Conference)

Toronto; Friday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Raptors -8.5; over/under is 227.5

BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans hits the road against Toronto looking to break its four-game road skid.

The Raptors have gone 19-16 at home. Toronto is 7-4 in one-possession games.

The Pelicans are 9-27 on the road. New Orleans ranks third in the Western Conference with 16.6 fast break points per game led by Trey Murphy III averaging 3.3.

The Raptors average 113.9 points per game, 5.4 fewer points than the 119.3 the Pelicans give up. The Pelicans are shooting 46.6% from the field, 0.1% lower than the 46.7% the Raptors' opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Pelicans won 122-111 in the last matchup on March 12.

TOP PERFORMERS: Scottie Barnes is averaging 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 blocks for the Raptors. Ja'Kobe Walter is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Derik Queen is scoring 11.3 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Pelicans. Zion Williamson is averaging 20.3 points and 5.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Raptors: 5-5, averaging 116.2 points, 40.1 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 9.2 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.6 points per game.

Pelicans: 5-5, averaging 116.9 points, 43.6 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.4 points.

INJURIES: Raptors: Immanuel Quickley: out (foot).

Pelicans: Trey Murphy III: day to day (ankle), Bryce McGowens: day to day (toe).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

San Antonio Spurs (55-18, second in the Western Conference) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (29-43, 11th in the Eastern Conference)

Milwaukee; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio will attempt to build upon its seven-game win streak with a victory against Milwaukee.

The Bucks have gone 16-19 at home. Milwaukee allows 116.6 points and has been outscored by 6.0 points per game.

The Spurs are 27-11 in road games. San Antonio ranks second in the league with 47.0 rebounds per game led by Victor Wembanyama averaging 11.2.

The Bucks make 47.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.8 percentage points higher than the Spurs have allowed to their opponents (45.0%). The Spurs are shooting 48.1% from the field, 1.0% higher than the 47.1% the Bucks' opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Spurs won the last matchup 119-101 on Jan. 16, with Wembanyama scoring 22 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Rollins is scoring 17.1 points per game with 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists for the Bucks. Bobby Portis is averaging 12.1 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 46.2% over the past 10 games.

De'Aaron Fox is scoring 18.9 points per game and averaging 3.8 rebounds for the Spurs. Wembanyama is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bucks: 2-8, averaging 105.8 points, 37.6 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 7.7 steals and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.1 points per game.

Spurs: 9-1, averaging 126.1 points, 49.3 rebounds, 31.9 assists, 5.7 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.1 points.

INJURIES: Bucks: Gary Harris: day to day (groin), Kevin Porter Jr.: day to day (knee), Kyle Kuzma: day to day (achilles), Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (ankle), Bobby Portis: day to day (wrist), Myles Turner: day to day (calf).

Spurs: De'Aaron Fox: day to day (back), Luke Kornet: day to day (knee), David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Philadelphia 76ers (40-33, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (39-34, ninth in the Eastern Conference)

Charlotte, North Carolina; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte will try to keep its five-game home win streak alive when the Hornets face Philadelphia.

The Hornets are 23-22 against Eastern Conference opponents. Charlotte has a 3-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The 76ers have gone 23-23 against Eastern Conference opponents. Philadelphia ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference giving up just 116.5 points while holding opponents to 47.0% shooting.

The Hornets average 16.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.9 more made shots on average than the 13.4 per game the 76ers give up. The 76ers are shooting 46.1% from the field, 0.6% lower than the 46.7% the Hornets' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the third time this season. In the last matchup on Jan. 26 the Hornets won 130-93 led by 30 points from Brandon Miller, while Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 points for the 76ers.

TOP PERFORMERS: LaMelo Ball is averaging 19.7 points and 7.1 assists for the Hornets. Kon Knueppel is averaging 18.9 points and 3.8 assists over the last 10 games.

Joel Embiid is shooting 50.1% and averaging 26.9 points for the 76ers. Cameron Payne is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.9 points, 45.9 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.5 points per game.

76ers: 6-4, averaging 118.3 points, 45.1 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 9.2 steals and 6.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.3 points.

INJURIES: Hornets: Liam McNeeley: day to day (illness), Tidjane Salaun: day to day (calf).

76ers: Tyrese Maxey: out (finger), Johni Broome: out (knee), Joel Embiid: day to day (oblique), Kelly Oubre Jr.: out (elbow).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

HOUSTON —  Three minutes into Iowa’s Sweet 16 game against Nebraska on Thursday night, a casualty occurred on the Hawkeyes’ sideline.

Iowa coach Ben McCollum, already red-cheeked and furious at his team’s passive start in a game they trailed by 10 points, snapped a dry erase marker into two pieces in the timeout huddle. Ink went everywhere.

“We called them into the huddle and just said very nicely, ‘I’d like you to play harder, guys,’ and that seemed to work,” McCollum quipped, before looking to his left where Hawkeyes guards Tate Sage and Bennett Stirtz sat trying and failing to contain their smiles.

March Madness finds a Cinderella: Iowa basketball, the slipper is yours

Sweet 16 scores, live updates: Highlights, March Madness predictions

“Am I right? That how that went?” McCollum asked his players.

“Yes,” Sage and Stirtz replied, nodding dutifully.

McCollum’s fiery disposition and ability to extract winning performances from his players have made Iowa’s first-year coach a fast-rising star in his profession. He was coaching in Division II two seasons ago, and on Thursday at Toyota Center helped the Hawkeyes author a thrilling comeback and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987.

Iowa trailed Nebraska nearly the entire game until Stirtz, the senior guard who followed McCollum from Division II Northwest Missouri State to Drake and then to Iowa, drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining.

“Hasn’t changed one bit,” Stirtz said of McCollum. “He’s been the same coach despite all the national attention and that’s why I respect him so much.”

On Saturday in the Elite Eight, Iowa will play an Illinois team coached by Brad Underwood, who started his career coaching at the junior college level.

The last time Iowa was in the Elite Eight, McCollum was a 6-year-old Hawkeyes fan living in Iowa City. He grew up attending Hawkeyes football and basketball games, but his own playing career began in junior college at North Iowa Area Community College. After two seasons, he transferred to play at Northwest Missouri State, where he began his coaching career. In 15 seasons coaching at his alma mater, McCollum won 83% of his games and led the Bearcats to four NCAA Division II national championships.

After McCollum’s one season at mid-major Drake, where he guided the Bulldogs to a program-record 31 wins, Iowa snatched him up. By comparison, coaching at Iowa feels “bougie,” as McCollum put it earlier this week.

“You gain confidence from being in Division II, because you don’t have noise,” McCollum said. “You’re making decisions, winning games and losing games, and there’s not a lot of noise there. And then also with that, when I get on a charter plane now, I certainly appreciate it, or when all these things are done for me, I appreciate it a little bit more, and that comes from that Division II and junior college background.”

McCollum doesn’t tolerate complacency, and he expects his players to behave the same way.

“I don’t like entitled players,” he said. “They just don’t work for me.”

Hawkeyes players are conditioned to expect the same pregame meal (chicken, pork chops, rice and a vegetable) and multiple fiery outbursts from their head coach during the game. Iowa’s student managers know that no inanimate object is safe in McCollum’s hands when he’s upset. McCollum plays bad cop and lets his assistant coaches play good cops.

McCollum relishes playing in front of opposing fans in a hostile road environment, and Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup in Houston felt like one. Before tip-off, chants of “Go Big Red!” overwhelmed the arena. A clarinet player in Nebraska’s band held up an iPad displaying a graphic that derided Iowa as “off-brand corn.”

What did McCollum actually tell the Hawkeyes in the huddle when he broke his marker?

“He was just telling us we sucked, and we were soft,” Stirtz revealed.

Stirtz has been by his coach’s side through it all, recruited by McCollum to play at Northwest Missouri State when he had no other college offers. The two of them have a fire-and-ice dynamic; whereas McCollum lets his emotions boil over, Stirtz stays cool and collected on the court.

“I think we’re opposites in a lot of ways, but the main thing that we have (in common) is how competitive we are,” Stirtz said. “That’s what brings us so close. We just want to win. Honestly, we also both think it’s more than just a basketball game, too. So that’s why we’re so close: This game’s never going to satisfy us, and we know that.”

Iowa is only the fifth No. 9 seed to advance to the Elite Eight since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Florida Atlantic was the last to do it in 2023, when the Owls made it to the Final Four.

The Hawkeyes went 10-1 in nonconference play this season but fell out of the Top 25 rankings in mid-January after three consecutive Big Ten Conference losses – including two to ranked Illinois and Purdue teams. But the season was an exercise in stacking habits and building consistency, all leading to where they are now.

McCollum is a big fan of the saying, “Everybody arrives when they’re supposed to,” and Iowa’s Sweet 16 victory exemplified that. Junior forward Alvaro Folgueiras, who made the game-winning basket for the Hawkeyes to take down No. 1 seed Florida in the second round, tied the score with five minutes left and scored five of Iowa’s final 12 points against Nebraska. Sage and redshirt freshman Cooper Koch made clutch 3-pointers down the stretch. Stirtz, a national awards candidate and the Hawkeyes’ leading scorer, never wavered.

Stirtz has played every minute of the NCAA Tournament for Iowa so far. Against Nebraska, he led the Hawkeyes with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting.

“In 20 years it will be an insane story,” McCollum said. “A guy that goes from D-II with his coach and then goes to Drake and then goes to University of Iowa and actually makes it further in the tournament in Division I than he did in Division II. Yeah, I mean, obviously there's a close relationship there.”

It’s an insane story right now, but McCollum and the Hawkeyes won’t be ready to fully reflect until its conclusion.

“I's been a hell of a ride,” McCollum said, “but it's far from over.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ben McCollum's incredible journey from Division II to NCAA Elite 8

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the Knicks were getting pounded on the glass and by Charlotte’s pick-and-rolls, coach Mike Brown again left Karl-Anthony Towns on the bench. 

It was the second straight game the All-Star center didn’t close, with Mitchell Robinson getting more minutes in Thursday’s 114-103 loss to the Hornets. 

“I just do my best to cheer for my teammates,” Towns, who played just 22 minutes with 13 points on eight shot attempts, said, “and whenever my number is called, be the best version of myself for my team.” 

Brown said the rebounding element — the Knicks lost the board battle 43-24 — was “part” of the reason he turned to Robinson. 

The other part? 

“I just thought when we had Mitch in there with certain guys, we were able to match their physicality,” Brown said. “And we made a run. But we were down 20 at that time. And versus a good team on the road, that’s tough to do.” 

Towns was subbed out with eight minutes remaining and the Knicks trailing by 21.

They cut the Hornets’ lead to 10 with two minutes left but it was too late. 

Robinson finished with 26 minutes and six rebounds.

The Knicks outscored the Hornets by eight points when he was on the court.

It was the first time Robinson played more minutes than Towns when they both were available. 

Two nights earlier, Towns was benched down the stretch because the Knicks went with a small lineup in a victory over the Pelicans. 

---

As the NBA continues to deal with its load management problem and battles the players union over its 65-game rule for postseason awards eligibility, Towns said it’s a point of pride that he suits up regularly. 

“I damn sure haven’t felt my best all year, all day. But I want to play. I love playing,” he said. “I do believe in the philosophy that there may, especially at MSG with how expensive the tickets are, there may be a family or a young kid who has saved up all his money to watch me play that one night, and for me not to be available would be disrespectful to that kid and to that family. As long as I can play, I’m going to be out there playing, hopefully give that kid a show.” 

Towns has missed just four games this season and is on pace for his most appearances since at least the 2018-19 campaign.

He’s also surpassed the NBA’s 65-game threshold, which became a point of contention with the players union after Cade Cunningham was deemed ineligible after suffering a season-ending collapsed lung. 

“We’ll step back and take a look at it, and we’ll see what we can do to help everyone and make it a compromise where the fans know that we’re trying to play and also the players are taken care of,” said Towns, who is a VP of the players union. 

I hate to be the “I told you so” guy (he said, lying), but this was my last line for the Minnesota preview.

It all adds up to a crushing loss to an undermanned team on national television tonight. It’s the death knell for this iteration of the Houston Rockets.

Again, that was before Houston blew a 13-point lead in under three minutes in the biggest OT chokejob since the play-by-play era started. And at first, I figured I was completely done watching this team. I believe “[expletive] basketball” came out of my mouth several times Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but I think I’ve gone through the stages of grief and have accepted…acceptance.

Anyone who has watched the 2025-26 Rockets has seen their fair share of blown leads. Off the top of my head, I can think of five games where Houston held what felt like a commanding lead only to lose (at New Orleans, at Sacramento, at New York, at Minnesota). Houston is also 1-7 in overtime games, and I’m not convinced they deserved to beat Orlando in their lone win. They’ve also lost several games where the energy, effort level, and focus were not good enough to beat anyone (at San Antonio twice, at Denver, at Utah, at Portland, at Dallas twice, at the Clippers, at Sacramento the other time, vs. Boston, vs. Charlotte, at Chicago). It’s felt like every one of Houston’s losses has been devastating in one way or another. Either they put forth a pitiful amount of effort or they blow a big lead.

And yet, the Rockets still have only dropped three straight games once this season. That included the two Portland games in Oregon and the Sacramento game wher Houston got blown out. Houston has bounced back from bad losses but have never used those wins to start a streak of their own. Houston’s longest win streaks this season has been five games, twice. Since the calendar turned to January, their longest streak is three wins.

You know all of this. You’ve been watching.

So the question tonight is: how do the Rockets bounce back from a collapse that even the Choke City Rockets didn’t accomplish? The season is, and has been, over already for a few months. But how the Rockets respond tonight against an undermanned tanking Memphis Grizzlies squad is going to be incredibly telling for the future direction of the franchise. If they come out feeling sorry for themselves, the narrative will be that Ime Udoka has lost the locker room, something we haven’t heard yet despite fan outcry. But if Houston comes out and handles the young Grizz, maybe Udoka still has a hold on this team and can get them moving in the right direction. Anything for Houston fans to grab onto heading into a likely 4-0 or 4-1 drubbing in the first round of the playoffs. We’re desperate.

Of course, it’s the hope that kills you.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Grizzlies

Ja Morant: OUT

Zach Edey: OUT

Jaylen Wells: OUT

Ty Jerome: OUT

Jahmai Mashack: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

Hou -12.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Sunday night on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans

Cinderella wears a 9-seed’s uniform. Specifically, it’s a black jersey trimmed in gold.

Iowa, the slipper is yours. You wear it well.

You say a Big Ten team can’t be Cinderella, I say we might need to broaden our horizons a smidge when Iowa advances into the Elite Eight for the first time in 39 years.

By beating No. 4 Nebraska, the Hawkeyes became just the ninth 9-seed ever to reach the Elite Eight.

Sweet 16 scores: Live updates, highlights, March Madness predictions

“Cinderella, whatever they want to call us,” Iowa coach Ben McCollum said. “We’re in the Elite Eight — that’s what they need to call us.”

And, so, Iowa becomes the highest seed left standing.

This isn’t akin to Saint Peter’s slaying giants or Kent State to the Elite Eight or George Mason’s Final Four run, but inside this chalky tournament, Iowa swiftly became the tournament’s top underdog tale, thanks to two guys who were tucked away at Division II Northwest Missouri State as of two years ago.

Luther Vandross will be singing about Bennett Stirtz and McCollum in two weeks.

“That’s my guy,” Stirtz said.

He was talking about McCollum, not Vandross.

Stirtz is McCollum's guy, too. Stirtz followed his coach from Northwest Missouri State to Drake to Iowa to the Elite Eight.

Stirtz swiftly became Iowa’s guy, its heartbeat, its big-bucket maker, and he went for 20 points and four assists in this 77-71 takedown of Nebraska.

Ben McCollum, Bennett Stirtz are masters of March Madness

Stirtz and McCollum are masters of March. A year ago while both were at Drake, they introduced themselves to the national stage with a first-round upset of Missouri. After Drake exited the tournament, McCollum hit the coaches’ transfer portal, and Stirtz was at his heels — off to Iowa.

Too bad for Indiana. The blue-blooded Hoosiers needed to snap up McCollum when IU was hiring last year. Instead, Iowa got him. A lifelong Midwesterner born in Iowa City, McCollum perfectly suits the Hawkeyes.

Fran McCaffery, go ahead and enjoy the. Ivy league. McCollum and Stirtz got this covered.

The Hawkeyes never led in this game until Stirtz drilled a 3-pointer with just more two minutes remaining. The next time down the court, teammate Tate Sage drilled a triple.

Nebraska extinguished.

Iowa writes underdog story at Nebraska's expense

Like the Cinderellas that came before them, the Hawkeyes made their hay from a land where the buckets are worth three points, not two.

Thirteen 3s, Iowa drilled, against one of the nation’s best defensive teams.

Out in Lincoln, you can bet your cornstalk they had the pyrotechnics ready, too. Earlier in this tournament, Huskers fans blasted fireworks in celebration of a program that hadn’t had much to celebrate in its entire history, before a slick-shooting barrage carried Nebraska into the Sweet 16.

The Huskers got hot against Troy, stayed hot against Vanderbilt, and kept cooking in the first half against Iowa.

And what did Nebraska do when its first five attempts from 3-point range after halftime missed the mark? It fired two more. Pryce Sandfort, then Braden Frager, bang, bang. Huskers back in front, for a spell.

Nebraska made 36 3-pointers in three tournament games, and Vandross will sing of Sandfort, too, and his “One Shining Moment,” right after he’s through with Stirtz.

Three years ago, Sandfort was Mr. Basketball in Iowa. He previously played for the Hawkeyes. Then, Sandfort transferred and became Mr. Husker. He scored 25 points against Iowa. Sandfort just needed more help from his teammates, just as Stirtz got 38 points from Iowa’s bench.

If you think the Hawkeyes are done here, well, ask Florida for a second opinion. Iowa sent the defending national champions packing just last week, part of an improbable uprising from a Hawkeyes squad that had stalled for a month heading into this tournament. Evidently, McCollum and Stirtz were saving their heroics.

Together, they gave an upset-starved tournament its first hint of a Cinderella story.

Or, as McCollum put it, maybe the committee “should have seeded us better.”

Oh, my! A cheeky one.

“Nah, I'm just kidding,” McCollum said. “They seeded us right where we should."

Indeed, the committee did. An underdog’s seed suited Iowa.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ben McCollum, Bennett Stirtz make Iowa a March Madness underdog tale

SAN JOSE, CA — The past four years of Trey Kaufman-Renn’s all led to Thursday, March 26. 

Since he arrived on Purdue’s campus in 2022, coach Matt Painter has tried to tell his forward sometimes, it’s not the first shot that’s the most important, it’s the second. 

He found out it’s indeed true in the Sweet 16. 

Renn came up clutch for No. 2 seed Purdue, getting the game-winning tip-in shot against No. 11 seed Texas to get the Boilermakers in the Elite Eight.

It was the heroics Purdue needed to avoid another March Madness loss to a double-digit seed, and for a moment, it seemed possible. Texas’ Dailyn Swain got a bucket and the foul to tie the score with 11 seconds to go, setting up Purdue for the final shot.

After a timeout, guard Braden Smith brought the ball down and drove to his right for a floater. The play was fully designed for him, meant for him to drive down and get the shot. The only thing was to make sure he didn’t get blocked.

The moment the ball left his hand, he thought that would seal it.

“Honestly, it left the hand, I thought it was in,” Smith said. “I was hopping kind of excitedly.”

But the ball bounced off the rim, suddenly changing his thoughts.

“It took a weird bounce, and it was off,” he added.

TREY KAUFMAN-RENN GAME-WINNER 🚨

PURDUE ADVANCES TO THE ELITE 8 🤯 pic.twitter.com/CYj7ltsGXT

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2026

It completely altered the mindset of Renn too. The forward thought it was the look his teammate wanted, and figured that would be it. Once he saw the shot go off the rim, then it was time to prepare for the lesson his coach had been trying to tell him.

“I just tried to get myself in position to get a rebound or a post if his defender cut him off,” Renn said.

The ball bounced perfectly for him to get the putback, and at that point, all he thought was he just needed to get his hand on it.

“It's not like it's a shot you practice every single day, although I do practice some crazy shots every day,” he said. “I just tried to get a hand on the ball and give us another chance.”

The last chance Purdue needed. The second-chance bucket sent the Boilermakers crowd of the SAP Center in the arena into a frenzy, elated to see the team advance to the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons. 

Pretty much everyone in black and gold was excited, except for Renn – yet.

“I was kind of nervous,” Renn said. “I was like ‘Man, I got to go back on defense now.’”

Fortunately, Texas’ Jordan Pope was unable to hit the long heave for the miracle win, and as the shot clanked off the timebox, the Boilermakers hounded the game’s savior. It was only at that moment Renn finally felt excited, understanding the lesson his coach had been preaching came to life.

“It's kind of cool to actually experience that,” Renn said.

Purdue’s game-winner highlighted something that helped Purdue stave off Texas in the second chance opportunities, outsourcing the Longhorns 22-12 in the category. 

“We're always, like if that clock is low, don't get back on defense. Make sure everybody gets to the glass,” said Painter. 

It was going to be a battle on the boards, as both teams entered the night top 20 in the country in rebound margin.

The final result? Texas 31 rebounds, Purdue 32 – with the last one being the difference in surviving and advancing.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Inside Purdue's game-winning play to advance to Elite 8