Category: NBA

All eyes have been on college basketball's freshmen standouts: AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, Darius Acuff Jr., Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings and many others.

Then, there's Ebuka Okorie.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Stanford Cardinal freshman point guard wasn't highly recruited out of Nashua, New Hampshire, but he's worked hard on his game. He's rarely discussed, but will be a lot more if he keeps up what he's been doing.

In his first year, he averaged 22.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, which earned him All-ACC Rookie and First Team honors. This season, he's been the seventh-best scorer in college basketball, and second among freshmen behind Dybantsa.

"It's pretty cool," Okorie told USA TODAY Sports. "It just goes to show that my hard work is paying off with the recognition that I'm getting ... and just like the way that I'm able to contribute to the team's success."

He added: "I like to measure my success on how the team is doing, really. You can have players scoring, putting up really crazy numbers and you check the box scores and their team is losing a lot. One of the main things I'm focused on is really just overall team success and winning as many games as possible."

Ebuka Okorie proves he is one of the top freshmen

Consider this: the last ACC freshmen guards to average at least 20 points per game were Georgia Tech's Mark Price (1982-83) and Kenny Anderson (1989-90).

Okorie scored 30 points or more in seven games, which tied with Marvin Bagley III for the most by any freshman in ACC history. He dropped 36 points against North Carolina on Jan. 14 and 40 points against Georgia Tech on Feb. 7.

Other ACC freshmen to drop 40 include Cooper Flagg, Tyler Hansbrough, Harrison Barnes, Olivier Hanlan and current Louisville freshman Mikel Brown Jr.

"I don't like to talk about ceilings with our team and players, but I mean ... (he's) one of the best players I've coached already, and not just freshmen. So, I don't know, I've coached some NBA guys," Stanford head coach Kyle Smith told USA TODAY Sports. "I don't want to put that much heat on him, but he's pretty talented."

Okorie doesn't place his focus on individual accolades, though. He keeps his head down, remains humble, stays grounded and continues to do what's got him this far. Okorie would rather do what it takes to help lead his team to the most victories.

His style of play, he said, is to read the defense and make the right play.

"The main thing is just trying to make the right play each and every possession, whether it's like getting downhill scoring or creating a scoring opportunity for my teammates," Okorie said.

When Stanford needed a bucket facing a two-point deficit with under a minute left against Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, Okorie delivered.

He made a play, driving to the basket, evading two defenders and scoring through contact. And one. He sank the free throw to give the Cardinal a one-point lead with 26 seconds left.

Pitt would ultimately advance, winning 64-63 after connecting on a third attempt, a putback tip-in with 0.4 seconds left in the game.

"Really proud of Ebuka," Smith told reporters after that game. "(We) challenged him to play the right way and he did. As a point guard, (he) really got us back in there, made a big shot, made his free throw. We needed one stop. We just couldn't come up with it."

Eight teams from the ACC seem primed to be selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament. One of Stanford's goals was to make it to the big dance, but it didn't help its chances with the loss against Pitt. The Cardinal do have some big wins throughout the season that could help their case.

Stanford basketball alum and Sacramento Kings rookie center Maxime Raynaud had words of encouragement for his alma mater, hoping it can somehow earn a trip to the tournament. The Cardinal's fate will be ultimately decided Sunday.

"I hope so, but I'm really proud of what they are accomplishing by being student-athletes there. It is one of the best, actually, it is the best university in the world, and being able to do both is really hard so I really respect that. At the same time I know they all came a long way," Raynaud told USA TODAY Sports. "Seeing the work that Coach Smith and the coaching staff has been doing with them is tremendous, turning them into men and better basketball players. I'm always rooting for them. It just sucks, I wish they won that one."

A student of the game, shaped by upbringing

Okorie was born and raised in Nashua, New Hampshire, to Nigerian parents, Charles and Ljeoma. Growing up, he watched his parents and family pour into him and his basketball aspirations.

Being raised under their household taught Okorie valuable lessons about discipline, preparation and sacrifice. Whether on or off the court, Okorie takes pride in representing his family's name and heritage.

"It means a lot, just being able to represent my family, even just like Nigeria in general," Okorie said. "My parents have sacrificed a lot for me to get to this position. My family in general, even my siblings growing up like, they would always help me with my basketball, whether it's passing to me, driving me to different basketball events."

He added: "Just seeing how hard my parents would work, each and every day, waking up early to drive me to school, or to drive to work, whatever it was. I feel like their hard work has sort of been instilled in me and I've just been trying to carry it on."

He's cultivated personality traits that translate directly back to the court.

"If you study for a test, and you're confident and you're not nervous at all, you'll do well," Okorie said of his parents' teachings. "They've told me to just apply that to life in general. For example, in basketball, if you prepare, if you get shots up beforehand, then in the game you shouldn't be nervous to take an open shot. Simple things like that, just to be prepared, have the discipline to work hard each and every day. It's just been like some of the main stuff that they've instilled in me from early age."

His parents continue their unwavering support for their son. Coming from New Hampshire, Okorie said they would travel to as many as games as possible, both in California and on the East Coast, sometimes flying 5-6 hours to and from games.

"It gets to a point I feel like they sort of, like, travel too much for my game. Like, I'll tell them to, like, relax," Okorie joked. "Whether they show up or not, I know they're going to be supporting wherever they are but the fact that they're even willing to come support me and fly across the country, it just gives me a little bit more motivation to go hard and play as hard as I can each and every game."

Although he grew up playing basketball in Nashua, Okorie traveled nearly 50 miles to Massachusetts for travel ball and AAU.

A student of the game, he's patterned his game after some of the top NBA players and scorers, including guys like Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Isaiah Thomas.

At his 6-foot-1 stature, Okorie has learned to get his shot off over taller defenders.

"I'd say it comes with watching film and just overall experience, reading the defense and picking up on tendencies, like how the defense is guarding me and trying to figure out different ways that I can just navigate and get to the hoop and score," Okorie said.

However, one of the areas he knows needs improvement is his strength and conditioning.

"I feel like as I continue to put on more muscle, I feel like it would just open up all parts of my game," Okorie said. "Offensively and defensively, just like my movement on the court. That has to do with every single part of the game."

As he continues to grow as a ballplayer and individual, Okorie is discovering himself in sunny California. He's a big tennis fan, citing Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz as his favorites.

As his stock continues to rise and he garners more attention for his basketball abilities, Okorie plans to keep his head down and keep feeding into his craft.

"Staying close and communicating with my family, my close friends, just continuing to remain humble, stay grounded," Okorie said. "Just trust my work, continue to work hard and continue to do what I've done that has got me this far."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ebuka Okorie is best college basketball freshman no one talks about

There were moments in the third quarter when the game threatened to tighten, when the crowd inside the Frost Bank Center grew quiet and the visiting Charlotte Hornets found a rhythm. But each time the pressure mounted, the San Antonio Spurs had an answer. And more often than not, that answer came from Victor Wembanyama.

Behind another dominant night from their franchise centerpiece, the Spurs powered past the Hornets 115-102, controlling the tempo for most of the day and showing flashes of the balanced basketball they hope will carry them through the final month of the season.

“The third quarter got up and down a little bit, got a little open,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said of the Spurs’ run in the second half. “I thought we did a really good job of getting our defense set and did a good job of making them play through their counters. I thought we did a good job of being connected in that set.”

From the opening minutes, San Antonio looked determined to dictate the pace. Instead of settling for early jump shots, the Spurs attacked the paint, forcing Charlotte’s defense to collapse and creating clean looks across the floor. The approach paid off quickly as San Antonio built a steady lead while Wembanyama rested during portions of the first quarter.

When the 7-foot-4 star returned, the offense began to revolve around him. Wembanyama showcased the full arsenal that has made him one of the league’s most unique talents—draining mid-range jumpers, stretching the defense with his perimeter shooting, and calmly setting up teammates when double teams arrived. By the end of the night, he had racked up 32 points in just 30 minutes, a stat line that felt almost routine given his control of the game.

“Victor was locked in and communicating. I thought Luke [Kornet] was really good too,” Johnson said of the Spurs’ defense in the paint. “I thought Luke and Victor did a great job of manning the middle. 18 assists and 30 points in the paint for them [Charlotte] are numbers that look good on the surface. We have to look back at the tape there.”

Still, Charlotte refused to go down without a fight. Rookie Kon Knueppel sparked the Hornets in the third quarter, pouring in 16 points in a burst that briefly gave the visitors hope. Meanwhile, LaMelo Ball started to find his range from beyond the arc. But foul trouble interrupted Ball’s rhythm and kept the Hornets from fully capitalizing on their momentum. Each time Charlotte threatened to close the gap, the Spurs calmly widened it again.

A powerful transition dunk from rookie Carter Bryant ignited the arena late in the fourth quarter, while strong efforts on the glass from Devin Vassell and the Spurs’ frontcourt prevented second chances for Charlotte. The Hornets never got closer than eight points in the second half, and San Antonio gradually stretched the lead back into comfortable territory. By the final buzzer, the Spurs had done exactly what good teams do against struggling opponents: control the game, weather the runs, and close the door.

it was another reminder for the Spurs of what the team can look like when its defense stays disciplined and its offense flows through its generational star. On a day when Wembanyama once again commanded the spotlight, the Spurs looked every bit like a team learning how to win together.

“I think I had a lot of responsibility in the loss against them [Charlotte],” Wembanyama said. “Today, we won three out of four quarters. So basically the whole game was steady.”

Game Notes

• San Antonio struggled from three-point range on the afternoon, going 11-for-33. However, rebounding is why the Spurs kept the Hornets at bay. Luke Kornet had his best game since returning from injury, pulling down four offensive boards, while Wemby and De’Aaron Fox had two each.
• Keldon Johnson rebounded from a poor outing on Thursday to score 13 points off the bench on 66 percent shooting in 20 minutes.
• The “French Vanilla” lineup of Wembanyama and Kornet got some minutes on Saturday afternoon, highlighted by Wemby’s lob pass to Luke that got the arena buzzing.
  “I thought the it worked well,” Coach Johnson said of the double big lineup. He added he may go to it more in the future, but wants to ensure the guys have enough reps to work together to get it down. “It’s tough to ask them to go out like that and have them execute at a high level if they haven’t had the reps to do it.”
• Speaking of Kornet, he had 10 points to go along with eight rebounds. If this is the Kornet the Spurs will get come playoff time, teams will find it very difficult to live inside the paint against this San Antonio squad.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor reached 30 goals for a franchise-record eighth time and added an assist, Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves and the Winnipeg Jets beat the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Saturday.

Connor broke a tie with Ilya Kovalchuk for the most 30-goal seasons in Thrashers/Jets history. Connor has reached the 30-goal mark in every season of his nine-year NHL career except for the 56-game COVID-19 shortened campaign when he had 26.

Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Jets. Mark Scheifele had to two assists for push his season total to 51, one more than his previous best.

Martin Necas ended Hellebuyck's shutout bid with 1:16 left.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 15 saves for the Avalanche. They had won six in a row on the road.

Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns played in his 990th consecutive NHL game, surpassing Keith Yandle for the second-longest streak in league history. Phil Kessel is the leader at 1,064.

Up next

Avalanche: Host Pittsburgh on Monday night.

Jets: Host St. Louis on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Zennia Thomas scored 15 points, Nile Miller had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Howard defeated Norfolk State 53-46 on Saturday to claim the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship for the first time since 2022.

The Bison defeated the team that beat them in the last three MEAC championship games. Saturday was the fifth consecutive time that the Bison and Spartans squared off in the championship game.

Howard and Norfolk State's dominance of the MEAC was evident during the regular season. Top-seeded Howard went 13-1 in the regular season and now has a 14-game winning streak. Second-seeded Norfolk State won 12 of its final 15 games, with each loss at the hands of Howard.

Ariella Henigan's mid-range jumper gave Howard a 51-45 lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Norfolk State managed one free throw the rest of the way and the Spartans missed their last seven shots. Henigan made two free throws with 22 seconds left to set the final margin.

Henigan scored 11 points for Howard (26-7).

Jasha Clinton scored 11 points and Anjanae Richardson added 10 for Norfolk State (18-14).

Howard scored the last eight points of the first quarter to take a 16-9 lead but Norfolk State came right back in the second quarter, scoring seven points in the first 1 1/2 minutes to tie it up. A 3-pointer by Cire Worley put the Spartans up 23-20 in midway through the quarter and they held the lead until a jumper by Howard's Sa’lah Hemingway tied it at 27 heading to halftime.

Howard built a 42-33 lead through three quarters, despite shooting only 24% in the third quarter. Norfolk State shot 13% in the third.

Up next

NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Sunday.

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March Madness upsets don't start when the games begin.

In fact, much of the anger and anxiety for some programs and fans begins several weeks before the tournament's 68-team field is announced. That's the nature of the beast with a 31-game regular season with 364 Division-I men's basketball programs competing for limited spots in the NCAA Tournament.

Perceived snubs are inevitable. Anger over where a team is seeded is expected. If the selection committee uses advanced metrics, fans will scream about the "eye test." However, if the eye test is used, fans will scream about the metrics.

The committee uses a mixture of both to select the full field for the 68-team field. The seven metrics used by the committee are a combination of predictive metrics and results-based.

The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), KenPom, ESPN's BPI and the Torvik rankings are the predictive rankings that measure a team's strength on its offensive and defensive efficiency, adjusting for opponents and location.

Meanwhile, KPI, ESPN's Strength of Record (SOR) and Wins Above Bubble (WAB) are more results-based rankings, ones that can judge how the difficulty of achieving its record and resume for March.

While some teams have similar metrics abound by the end of the season, others have a wider range of outcomes, depending on how games were won and lost. The selection committee has to weigh those and figure out the best 68-team field.

This inevitably leaves some fans and programs angry about a snub.

Here's a look at the most polarizing teams ahead of Selection Sunday based on the metrics used for the men's NCAA Tournament:

March Madness 2025: NCAA Tournament metrics' most polarizing teams

All rankings as of Saturday, March 14

Miami (Ohio) (31-1)

• NET: 64
• KenPom: 93
• BPI: 93
• Torvik: 87
• KPI: 53
• SOR: 29
• WAB: 38

The RedHawks could ill afford to lose the MAC tournament championship game without debate if they belonged in the NCAA Tournament. Losing in the quarterfinals to a 15-loss UMass team is definitely not going to help Miami (Ohio)'s case.

Despite a perfect 31-0 regular season, being one-and-done in the conference tournament places them right on the bubble, and it's hard to say it's on the right side of it. Their Wins Above Bubble ranking, though, should be enough to get them in as an at-large.

Auburn (17-5)

• NET: 39
• KenPom: 38
• BPI: 28
• Torvik: 41
• KPI: 46
• SOR: 43
• WAB: 44

The dropoff from a Final Four appearance to a bubble team is hard to swallow for Auburn nation. However, the Tigers have a win over Mississippi State, but fell to No. 25 Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.

Southern Methodist (20-13)

• NET: 37
• KenPom: 42
• BPI: 42
• Torvik: 42
• KPI: 41
• SOR: 49
• WAB: 46

The Mustangs looked like a tournament lock on Feb. 21 with a 19-8 record. However, SMU would win one more time in its final six games, dropping them to the bubble and potentially out of the tournament with a loss to Louisville in the NCAA Tournament.

SMU started the season 8-0, but finished 12-13 the rest of the way.

Central Florida (21-10)

• NET: 50
• KenPom: 52
• BPI: 57
• Torvik: 54
• KPI: 28
• SOR: 37
• WAB: 36

The Knights likely needed a couple of wins in the Big 12 Tournament to have a chance to sneak into the picture. However, they could not hang with No. 1 Arizona in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

UCF, like SMU, opened the season blisteringly hot with a 17-4 record following an impressive win over then-No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 31. However, the Knights finished with a 3-6 in their final nine games, which included a pair of three-game losing skids.

Indiana (18-14)

• NET: 41
• KenPom: 45
• BPI: 38
• Torvik: 34
• KPI: 69
• SOR: 50
• WAB: 52

The Hoosiers seemed like a safe bet to make the 68-team field as recently as a month ago, with a 17-8 record, but they lost six of their final seven games, including a pair of losses to a 15-19 Northwestern squad.

Because of that, Indiana's probably on the outside looking in at the end of Darian DeVries' first season as coach. Thankfully it's a football school now.

New Mexico (22-9)

• NET: 46
• KenPom: 49
• BPI: 56
• Torvik: 52
• KPI: 44
• SOR: 64
• WAB: 58

Like Indiana, the Lobos faltered down the stretch, losing four of their final six games after a 21-6 start. The slide was capped off by a 64-62 loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West tournament semifinals, denying them a shot at the league's automatic berth.

Barring a surprise, they're likely not to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

Texas (18-14)

• NET: 42
• KenPom: 37
• BPI: 39
• Torvik: 45
• KPI: 66
• SOR: 44
• WAB: 47

The Longhorns — stop me if you've heard this before — faltered in the final weeks of the regular season, losing five of their final six games, all but one of which was decided by at least 10 points. That included a 10-point loss in the first round of the SEC tournament to a Mississippi team that was 12-19 entering the matchup.

The predictive metrics still like Sean Miller's team, but they're still widely viewed as one of the first four teams to miss the tournament cut.

South Florida (24-8)

• NET: 49
• KenPom: 50
• BPI: 52
• Torvik: 51
• KPI: 36
• SOR: 53
• WAB: 59

The Bulls are one of the hottest teams in the country, with 10 consecutive wins after into their American Conference tournament semifinal victory against Charlotte. Given their statistical profile, they'll likely need to win the conference tournament to earn the American's automatic berth.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA bracketology 2026: March Madness metrics unsure of eight men's teams

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Griffin Lake won the individual title Saturday, taking second in both smallbore and air rifle, to help West Virginia claim the 2026 NCAA rifle championship, the 21st in program history.

The Mountaineers entered the final day of competition in fourth place, then tied the NCAA record for air rifle score with 2,395 Saturday and finished with an aggregate of 4,748, seven more than second-place TCU, for their second consecutive national title. Mississippi (4,738) was third ahead of Kentucky — last year's runner-up — and Nebraska with 4,736 each.

TCU was second in air rifle with 2,387 and Kentucky (2,383) finished third.

First-year head coach Will Shaner led Ole Miss to its first smallbore team title with a score of 2,356 and the Rebels tied for the best overall finish in program history.

Lake finished with a score of 1,194 with 101 centers. Audrey Gogniat (1,192, 95 centers) of Ole Miss was second and TCU's Katie Zaun, who led the competition with 103 centers, finished tied with Océanne Muller (1,191) for third.

Lake became the fifth person in program history to be named the championship's Most Outstanding Performer.

Kentucky's Braden Peiser won the smallbore crown with a score of 596 and 37 centers. Lake (595, 44 centers) was second while Zaun and Gracie Dinh of Ole Miss tied for third with 593. Zaun led the smallbore competition with 48 centers.

Gogniat scored a perfect 600 with 54 centers to win the individual air rifle for the second consecutive year. Lake, Muller, Nebraska's Katlyn Sullivan and West Virginia's Jennifer Kocher tied for second with 599 apiece.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder
Date: March 15th, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM CDT
Location: Paycom Center
Television Coverage: ABC
Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio

Just over a week ago, the Timberwolves looked like a team that had finally remembered who it was supposed to be. They had steadied themselves, stacked some wins, climbed back into the heart of the Western Conference race, and started to feel like one of those teams nobody wants to see once the playoffs arrive. Then came this past week, and with it a harsh reminder that this version of the Wolves is still capable of going from “sleeper contender” to “what the hell was that?” in about 48 hours.

The Wolves spent the better part of last week getting their doors blown off, most embarrassingly in that grotesque 153-point defensive disaster against the Clippers, and now they head into one of the biggest games of the season needing not just a win, but something even more valuable: evidence that they can still be taken seriously.

Sunday in Oklahoma City is not just another game on the schedule. It is not just the fourth stop on a four-game road trip. It is not just a revenge spot against the team that ended Minnesota’s season in the Western Conference Finals last year. It is all of those things, yes, but it is also a survival game. It is the kind of game that sits in the middle of March and quietly decides whether the rest of the month gets framed as a charge or a collapse.

The setup is brutal. Oklahoma City is the defending champion, playing at home, fully aware that San Antonio is charging hard enough to make the top seed feel less secure than it looked a month ago. The Thunder have already dropped two of three to Minnesota this season, which means they don’t need any manufactured motivation here. The Wolves, meanwhile, are coming in with all the warning signs flashing. Their defense has sprung leaks. Their offense has looked disjointed. Their identity has wobbled. And as the cherry on top, this is also a Sunday afternoon game, which for this year’s Timberwolves has basically been code for “blowout loss.”

Yet, despite all of that, the game remains there for them.

That’s the funny thing about the Wolves. They can play three ugly games in a row, get kicked down from the three seed to the six seed, and still find themselves a half-step away from climbing right back into prime position. Lose here, and the trip starts to look like the beginning of a real unraveling, especially with Phoenix waiting next. Win here, and suddenly Friday’s victory in Golden State starts to look like the first real foothold in a recovery.

That’s why this game matters so much. If Minnesota loses in OKC and then stumbles again against the Suns, that seventh seed stops being an abstract worry and starts becoming a very real possibility. And from there, with March still loaded with landmines, the slide could get ugly fast. But if they can shock the Thunder on their home floor and follow it with a win over Phoenix, then the conversation changes again. Suddenly the play-in fears cool off. Suddenly the three seed becomes visible again. Suddenly all those “the Wolves are falling apart” takes start looking a little premature.

The Wolves do have one thing working in their favor, and it’s something that has made them both fascinating and impossible to trust all season. They have shown a unique ability to go from disinterested to fully engaged in the blink of an eye. That’s part of what makes this team so exhausting. You can watch them get embarrassed by the Clippers on Wednesday and then talk yourself into them beating OKC on Sunday because, honestly, both outcomes feel equally plausible.

So the question becomes simple: which Wolves team is getting off the bus?

Is it the disconnected, soft, turnover-prone group that spent the last week giving up layups, open threes, and chunks of its dignity? Or is it the team that swarmed OKC the last time these clubs met, frustrated Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, made Chet Holmgren’s life miserable, and looked every bit like a team that could absolutely do damage in May?

That answer will likely determine everything.

And with that, here are the keys to the game.

#1 – Deliver a locked-in, aggressive defensive performance.

The last time Minnesota beat Oklahoma City, it did so by playing one of its most inspired defensive games of the season. The Wolves didn’t just defend hard. They defended together. They swarmed Shai, they made him work, they cut off driving angles, and they used their size to turn the paint into a miserable place to operate. They’re going to have to do that again, only harder, because this version of the Thunder is more complete. Jalen Williams is back, which means there’s now another All-Star-level scorer on the floor who has to be accounted for. Minnesota won’t be able to survive with partial effort here. Jaden McDaniels has to be elite. Anthony Edwards has to defend with pride. Rudy Gobert has to anchor everything. And the perimeter resistance has to be real, not the fake kind where a guy gets beat and everyone just hopes Rudy erases the mistake.

#2 – Be smart with the ball.

OKC will absolutely try to steal the Wolves’ cookies. This is not the team to play loose, lazy basketball against. The Thunder get handsy. They pressure. They jump passing lanes. They turn bad decisions into instant transition points, and once they get downhill and rolling, the avalanche comes fast. Minnesota basically gave away the Clippers game in the opening minutes by throwing the ball all over the floor and putting itself in a hole. Against OKC, that kind of start is a death sentence. Friday’s first half against Golden State was a much better example of what this has to look like: sharp passes, controlled possessions, fewer self-inflicted wounds. Every possession in this game is too valuable to donate away.

#3 – Win the second-chance points battle.

Good defense means nothing if you don’t finish the possession. One of the most demoralizing things in basketball is defending like hell for 20 seconds, forcing a tough shot, and then watching the other team grab the rebound and do it all over again. This is where Gobert has to be massive. He needs to be the biggest guy on the floor in every sense. On the other end, the Wolves need to steal some extra chances of their own. Gobert, Randle, and Naz Reid have to turn their size into tangible extra points. In a game likely to be decided in the margins, those second chances matter enormously.

#4 – The offense has to stay connected.

Oklahoma City is going to send pressure at Anthony Edwards. That’s not speculation. That’s a certainty. They know what he is, and they know what happens when he gets downhill and starts feeling the game. So when the pressure comes, Ant has to make the mature read. He has to trust his teammates. He has to use his gravity to bend the floor and open up the rest of the offense. That means moving the ball. That means getting Rudy involved as a lob threat. That means finding Donte DiVincenzo, Naz, Jaden, and Ayo in the right spots. That also means Julius Randle has to be a connector, not a possession-stopper. The Wolves can’t afford long stretches where everyone stands around waiting for Ant to solve the puzzle by himself. Against Oklahoma City, stagnant offense becomes bad offense in a hurry.

#5 – Stay composed and show some actual maturity.

This is where Oklahoma City is so dangerous. You can play them evenly for a quarter and a half, maybe even feel pretty good, and then one weak stretch, one lazy cross-match, one turnover, one rushed three, one failure to get back, turns into a 12-2 run and suddenly the game is tilting away from you. The Thunder are excellent at sensing weakness and pressing on it. So the Wolves have to resist the urge to get emotional, frantic, or careless. That means not letting a bad whistle or a mini-run turn into full panic. That means concentrating and hitting free throws. This probably isn’t going to be a blowout victory for the Wolves. If Minnesota wins, it will likely be because it played a tight, smart, grown-up game in the final six minutes. They’ve certainly had enough crunch-time experience this season. Now they have to prove they learned something from it.

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The question heading into this game is not “can the Wolves beat the Thunder?” We already know they can. They’ve done it twice. It’s whether they can beat the Thunder now, with their season wobbling, with the standings tightening, with the pressure ratcheting up, and with all the bad habits of the last week still lingering.

This isn’t the biggest game of the season, but it is a very big game for every reason that matters right now. The Wolves need a reset. They need a statement. They need something to stop the creeping feeling that the season is turning in the wrong direction.

Beat Oklahoma City, and the road trip becomes survivable. Beat Phoenix after that, and the last week starts to feel like a stumble instead of a collapse. Lose both, and suddenly this team is staring at the play-in while trying to explain how a season with this much promise got so messy.

The Wolves have spent the year walking the line between contender and cautionary tale. Sunday is another chance to decide which one they want to be.

So yes, the Thunder are excellent. Yes, the Sunday afternoon demons are real. But if Minnesota wants to be taken seriously again, if it wants to prove that the chatter about its demise was premature, if it wants to make one more push at that three seed that somehow remains within reach, then this is exactly the kind of game it has to steal.

We’ll find out soon enough whether the Wolves rise to the moment or hit the snooze button again.

Lakers coach JJ Redick knew his team was taking better care of the ball.

Whether it was a trend was something he needed to discuss with Max Wiviott, the Lakers’ coaching analyst.

“Generally speaking, if you can’t catch it with the eye test, Wiv has a good answer,” Redick said. “Sometimes, when I think my eyes are correct, I’ll ask him a question, ‘Hey, can you see what’s this trend here? I feel like this is a trend. Is it a trend?’ Sometimes he says yes, sometimes he says no. So I don’t have a good answer for that.”

But the numbers are undeniable: The Lakers have gone from one of the NBA’s worst teams with ball security to one of the best entering Saturday’s prime-time matchup against the Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers entered the All-Star break No. 23 in turnover percentage, according to Cleaning The Glass, with 15.3% of their offensive possessions ending in a giveaway.

But in the 12 games since the break entering Saturday, their turnover percentage dropped to 12.2 for the league’s third-best mark during that stretch.

It’s one of the biggest reasons, in addition to improved 3-point shooting, for their offense taking a step from borderline top 10 in offensive rating before the break (117.5) to inside of the top five post-break (122.2). 

The Lakers have been one of the league’s most efficient scoring teams the entire season.

But one of their issues before the break is they didn’t take a lot of shots. 

The Lakers’ 83.6 field-goal attempts per game entering the break was the league’s second-fewest mark — a number suppressed by their high free-throw rate but also their lack of offensive rebounding and ball security.

They still aren’t a good offensive rebounding team, but they entered Saturday averaging 86.8 shots per game since the break — which is still a low figure but more than three extra shots they were getting before the break.

“The word ‘physicality’ gets thrown around the defensive end, and it is just as important offensively, in terms of screening and being strong with the basketball and working to get open,” Redick said. “That’s a big piece of it.”

The record books 

With his career-high-tying nine 3-pointers in Thursday’s win over the Bulls, Lakers star Luka Doncic surpassed teammate Austin Reaves for the second-most 3s made in a season.

Doncic entered Saturday with 208 made 3s on a league-high 567 attempts across 54 games. 

Reaves made 200 3s last season.

D’Angelo Russell set the franchise record for most made 3s in a season in 2023-24, when he made 226. 

Doncic is on pace to surpass Russell’s record in the next four to six games he plays.

The Slovenian star guard entered Saturday shooting 39.7% on 3s on a league-high 10.5 attempts per game since Dec. 25.

Status update

Backup center Jaxson Hayes was upgraded to available for Saturday’s game after sitting out of Thursday’s win because of back soreness.

Starting guard Marcus Smart was also available after being sidelined for the matchup against the Bulls because of a hip contusion.

Maxi Kleber was the lone Laker unavailable because of injury. He missed his sixth game in the last seven because of a back injury that’s expected to sideline him for a “little bit,” Redick said. 

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With the Men's NCAA Tournamentbracket set to be revealed in one day, teams on the bubble are really starting to sweat if they’ll make it. On Saturday, March 14, there’s only one thing that could make it an even more stressful 24 hours: bid stealers.

In conferences where it’s clear who is going to the Big Dance, the whole picture can be flipped by teams not projected to be in, who battle their way to a conference tournament crown to earn an automatic spot in the field.

March Madness bracketology: NCAA tournament bubble picture gets shakeup

Hayes: Don't be fooled by Miami Ohio 31-1 record. It's built on cupcakes

It’s the worst thing a bubble team could see, and it was in effect on Saturday.

The Atlantic 10 was the first source when top-seeded Saint Louis was stunned by a last-second tip-in from Dayton in the semifinals. The Billikens are a tournament lock and there was uncertainty if another A-10 team would qualify, but now it’s a certainty, which will come at the expense of those on the fringe of the field. 

Now, the bubble conversation gets even more intriguing, and shows why it’s so important to get those critical wins in the final week. The picture is shifting, highlighting the winners and losers before Selection Sunday.

March Madness bubble winners

VCU and Atlantic 10

With Saint Louis falling, the Atlantic 10 will now get two teams in with the winner of Dayton vs. VCU earning the automatic bid.

There was uncertainty if the conference could get two teams in since VCU was on the bubble. Now it is the favorite since it will face a Dayton team it has beaten twice, paving the way for the Rams to win the tournament title for the second straight time.

Regardless of the result, it’s good news for the Atlantic 10 as its prestige in the sport has dwindled. There was a real chance it could’ve been back-to-back years as a one-bid league for the first time in more than 40 years. Now, the conference will get two teams similar to 2024, when Duquesne earned itself a spot by taking the tournament crown. 

And who knows, maybe VCU has done enough in the committee's eyes and the A-10 could get three teams in if Dayton wins Sunday.

Think you can beat our expert? Join USA TODAY’s Bracket Challenge today!

Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today!

Every bubble team when Ole Miss lost

There won’t be a magical run to the NCAA Tournament with the SEC’s 15th-place team Ole Miss falling to Arkansas in the conference tournament semifinal.

It was a run that came out of nowhere considering Ole Miss entered the week 12-19 with four conference wins, but the Rebels had put together three wins in three days. The conference title was the only way it could get in, and it put up another strong fight against the Razorbacks to force overtime. However, Ole Miss couldn't keep the magic going and lost to end the March Madness hopes.

The Rebels stealing the automatic bid would have truly altered the bubble in the craziest of ways, but luckily every team hanging in the balance didn’t see a preposterous result happen.

March Madness bubble losers

SEC

The SEC has a good chance to send the most teams in the field with 10, but it’s getting harder to envision it getting any more in. 

The conference had teams in Oklahoma and Auburn on the bubble, with the Sooners making a late push and the Tigers collecting major wins over the season despite a questionable record.

To make matters worse, it also affects Texas; a bad end of the season has pushed the Longhorns toward the possibility of playing in the First Four. It’s not a comfortable position to be in as it could easily end up being left out of the field.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bubble winners, losers: Bid stealers changing tournament

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Rebecca Leslie scored 2:59 into overtime to lead the Ottawa Charge to a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.

Leslie’s snipe to win the game was her 11th of the season, tied for first in the PWHL.

The Charge moved past New York and into fourth place in the standings, with the Sirens having a game in hand.

Fanuza Kadirova and Sarah Wozniewicz, with the game-tying goal, also scored for Ottawa. Gwyneth Philips made 34 saves.

Sarah Nurse and Sophie Jaques scored for Vancouver, which lost its fourth straight game. Kristen Campbell stopped 14 shots.

The Goldeneyes threatened in the first two periods with three power-play opportunities and outshooting the Charge 21-8, but Ottawa’s defense kept the scoresheet blank.

Kadirova’s power-play goal with 35 seconds left in the second period opened the scoring to give the Charge their first and only lead of the game.

The goal was reviewed for possible goaltender interference, and after a lengthy review by the officials, the goal stood, giving Kadirova her seventh of the season.

The equalizer came from Nurse’s unassisted effort as she skated through the Charge defense and scored at 9:50 in the third period.

Jacques put the Goldeneyes ahead with 5:22 left in regulation as she shot the puck from the left center circle for her fifth goal of the season.

Wozniewicz knotted the game with 54 seconds remaining in regulation when she came flying in from the neutral zone, made a move to the middle and wired a shot past Campbell for her fourth of the year.

Up next

Charge: Visit Minnesota on Wednesday.

Goldeneyes: Host New York on Wednesday.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

PARIS (AP) — France won back-to-back Six Nations titles after beating England 48-46 on a last-second penalty kick by Thomas Ramos in a thriller for the ages on Saturday.

England scored its seventh try in the 77th minute and converted for 46-45. If the score held for a few more minutes Ireland would have been crowned the champion.

But France pressed yet again with 14 men, lost possession, regained it, and earned two simultaneous penalties after the fulltime siren. Captain Antoine Dupont debated with referee Nika Amashukeli where the penalty spots were. Ramos, who didn't miss a goalkick all night, finally lined up his seventh shot from more than 40 meters out.

He nailed it, seemingly without any nerves, in the 83rd and leaped into the arms of teammates, back-to-back champions for the first time in 19 years.

Of the title-winning goalkick, Ramos said, "It's in my top three, and not just third. I love moments like that. This title rewards our very strong start to the tournament. I’m very happy. It would have been so tough, when you think about the scenario, to lose it at home in the 76th minute.”

In a bewildering and breathless match including 13 tries and six lead changes, Ramos was the difference as France scored only six tries, four to wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

England put up its highest ever score against France on French soil on the 120th anniversary of Le Crunch, but suffered a fourth loss in a single championship for the first time in 50 years.

“We are disappointed to lose but we showed the spirit of this team,” England capain Maro Itoje said.

“You don't want to go through what we have in the last four games but I truly believe we are going places and will be better for it. We knew we had to attack the game more, our conversion of territory into points had to get better and it paid dividends.”

Ireland beat Scotland 43-21 to move to the top of the standings earlier Saturday, leaving the championship closer at the Stade de France as the title decider.

England came into the game under fire for its kick-heavy approach, but ran hard at France and was constantly rewarded. England scored four tries in the first half but suffered a major turning point right on halftime while leading 27-17.

Prop Ellis Genge was sin-binned for collapsing a maul — England's eighth yellow card in the tournament — and France was awarded a penalty try. While Genge was off the field, France rallied from 27-17 down to lead 38-27.

England came back with tries by standout lock Ollie Chessum from an intercept and replacement back Marcus Smith for 39-38.

Then Bielle-Biarrey scored his fourth try of the match, his ninth in the tournament breaking his own record of eight last year. They also extended his own record try-scoring streak in the championship to 10 matches.

But while leading 45-39, France prop Demba Bamba was sin-binned and the defense cracked when center Tommy Freeman finished a counterattack from a goalline dropout. Marcus Smith converted for 46-45 after replacing Fin Smith, who slotted only three of his six goalkicks.

Just over two minutes were left and France didn't hold back. Just as it didn't at the start.

Bielle-Biarrey connected with grubber kicks by Ramos and Matthieu Jalibert to get France away to 14-5. But England drew level on 17 after tries by its own wingers, Tom Roebuck and Cadan Murley, and Chessum's first of the match.

England then led after an Alex Coles try, converted with a drop kick by Fin Smith with players charging after the ball off the tee. England was bossing the game up front at 27-17 until Genge was sin-binned and France pounced.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers homered in all three of his three plate appearances in a spring training game Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.

Langeliers was subbed out after five innings. By then he'd hit three solo shots as the A's took a 5-0 lead. All three were off Royals starter Ryan Bergert.

The 28-year-old Langeliers homered to left in the first, hit one to center in the third and completed the trio with a drive to center in the fourth.

Langeliers hit a career-high 31 home runs last season for the Athletics in 123 games. He has had two three-homer games in the regular season — on April 9, 2024, at Texas and on Aug. 5, 2025, at Washington.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The Cleveland Cavaliers could be getting back some much-needed reinforcements for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. Max Strus, who suffered a Jones fracture in his foot back in August, could be making his season debut. He is listed as probable for Sunday’s game.

Strus has been an integral part of the Cavaliers since coming over in a sign-and-trade from the Miami Heat in 2023. Strus has appeared in 120 games with the Cavaliers, starting in all but 13 of those outings. In that time, he’s averaged 11 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on .426/.364/.802 shooting splits.

Strus is known as an off-ball three-point shooter. He has a knack for creating havoc with his movement and screen setting away from the play. That has helped open up what could be a stagnant starting lineup before he came to Cleveland. But to limit his game to three-point shooting would be a disservice to how complete a basketball player he is.

The Cavaliers have benefited from Strus’s ability to initiate offense as a second-side playmaker, run pick-and-rolls, and do the dirty work on defense. Despite being just 6’5”, he’s held up well in matchups with bigger opposing wings, which is useful for a team that has been lacking wings during most of his tenure in Cleveland.

More than that, Strus plays with an edge that this team has oftentimes lacked. He’s not afraid to mix it up with opponents and is quick to hold players accountable. This has happened even when he’s been held out of games, as he’s often seen instructing players during timeouts.

Despite the good news, the Cavaliers will not be fully healthy on Sunday, even if Strus plays. They will still be without Jarrett Allen (knee), Sam Merrill (hamstring), Craig Porter Jr. (groin), and Tyrese Proctor (quad). Jaylon Tyson is questionable for the game with a hamstring injury.

Strus’s probable return on Sunday will undoubtedly help the Cavs, but it does present some good problems for head coach Kenny Atkinson to figure out.

The Cavaliers have been trying to work in new faces into the lineup after the trade deadline, and haven’t been able to nail down rotations. That task has been made more difficult due to recent injuries to Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and Allen. It’s not easy to gauge what units work best together with so many people out of the lineup. Trying to figure out where Strus fits in doesn’t make Atkinson’s job easier, even if it should help the Cavs in the long run.

PARIS (AP) — France wins back-to-back Six Nations titles are beating England 48-46.

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Tarik Skubal struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings for the Detroit Tigers in a 6-1 spring training game win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday rather than make a second start for the United States at the World Baseball Classic.

Winner of the last two AL Cy Young Awards, Skubal and the Tigers agreed in January that he would be limited to one WBC outing, and he allowed one run and two hits in a 9-1 group stage win over Britain on March 7.

He discussed making another start for the U.S. and decided not to after the 29-year-old left-hander consulted with Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, agent Scott Boras and teammates.

Skubal, eligible to become a free agent after the World Series, threw 44 of 61 pitches for strikes in his third spring training outing for the Tigers, matched up with three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. He will likely have one more outing before Detroit's opener at San Diego on March 26.

Scherzer, a 41-year-old right-hander, allowed two hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and two walks, throwing 42 of 65 pitches for strikes.

He agreed two weeks into spring training on a one-year contract guaranteeing $3 million and made his first exhibition appearance on March 7. Scherzer has allowed two hits over 8 2/3 scoreless innings.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB