Category: NBA

The New York Knicks (43*-25) host the Golden State Warriors (32-34) tonight at Madison Square Garden. The visitors are decimated by injuries, so look for the Knicks to take it easy tonight. You can safely flip back and forth from the Oscars.

Tonight’s tip off is 8 p.m. EST on NBC and Peacock. This is your game thread. This is Golden State of Mind. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Treat each other respectfully. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but Cup finals are phantoms. 

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The San Francisco Giants were an out away from a perfect game and a strike away from a no-hitter before they were broken up by the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in a spring training game.

Giants reliever Gregory Santos walked Cooper Pratt with two outs in the ninth. The next batter, Blake Burke, delivered a run-scoring double with two strikes. Santos struck out José Anderson to end the game.

So close.

Lefty Robbie Ray combined with four relievers to strike out 11 in a 7-1 win over the Brewers. Ray threw five innings and struck out eight. He has a 1.23 ERA with 15 strikeouts over five starts this spring.

Spring training no-hitters aren't all that common. The Baltimore Orioles threw a no-hitter last March against Pittsburgh.

The pitching gem for the Giants comes on a day when multiple media outlets reported that pitcher Hayden Birdsong's MRI revealed a Grade 2 strained right forearm strain along with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament. He's weighing his options, according to MLB.com.

“It’s certainly not best-case scenario, but hopefully we get best-case scenario of the unfortunate circumstances,” manager Tony Vitello said Sunday morning, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.

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

MIAMI (AP) — Gunnar Henderson will start at third base over Alex Bregman for the United States in Sunday's World Baseball Classic semifinal against the Dominican Republic, a decision that manager Mark DeRosa said was based on the pitching matchup against Luis Severino.

Henderson, a star shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, is 7 for 9 in his career against the right-handed Dominican pitcher, with a home run, double and four RBIs. Bregman is 5 for 21 in the regular season against Severino with a homer and three RBI.

Henderson has also gone 5 for 10 with a double and a homer in two WBC games.

“Playing the hot hand right?” DeRosa said ahead of Sunday's semi. “Gunnar’s got numbers against Severino.”

DeRosa added he spoke on Saturday with Bregman, who has gone 2 for 11 in four games, about the benching.

“These guys like the lineup out the night before, so I was able to do that, and he was good with it," DeRosa said. "It’s game on.”

Will Smith will start at catcher over Cal Raleigh, who is hitless in nine plate appearances this WBC.

Sunday's game is expected to be a thrilling star-studded matchup, with the Dominicans bringing the hottest lineup in the tournament against arguably the best pitcher in baseball in Paul Skenes.

The Dominicans are 5-0 in the tournament, have outscored opponents 51-10 while batting .312. With 14 homers, they tied the WBC record set by Mexico in 2009.

“Skenes is one of the best pitchers today in the major leagues," Dominican manager Albert Pujols said. “But we also have one of the best offenses in this tournament, so it’s going to be power versus power. We’ll try to win.”

Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara will start on Tuesday if the Dominicans advance to the final regardless of who they face, Pujols said. Italy plays Venezuela in the semis on Monday night.

“Alcantara will be our pitcher no matter what,” Pujols said. "If God gives us that opportunity, if we move to the final, Alcantara will be the starter. I’m not going to change it no matter what, no matter if it is Italy or Venezuela. ... I trust Sandy, and I hope to be here talking with you on Tuesday.”

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

Now that the Men's NCAA Tournament bracket has been unveiled, we know the paths teams must take to reach Indianapolis and the Final Four.

Will it be all chalk like last year when all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four?

Will there by a surprise like NC State in 2024 and Florida Atlantic in 2023?

Selection Sunday winners, losers: Miami Ohio gets in, St. John's gets hosed

March Madness upset picks: These teams can bust your NCAA Tournament bracket

USA TODAY Sports' staff makes their Final Four picks. Check them out below. And be sure to sign up for USA TODAY's Bracket Challenge and Survivor Poll to test your hoops knowledge.

NCAA Tournament predictions, 2026 Final Four picks

Blake Toppmeyer

• East: Michigan State
• South: Houston
• Midwest: Michigan
• West: Arizona

Duke is the No. 1 overall seed, but the Blue Devils got placed in a loaded region. That leaves Arizona as the frontrunner to win the national championship.

Paul Myerberg

• East: St. John's
• South: Florida
• Midwest: Iowa State
• West: Arkansas

I’m banking on the Red Storm and Razorbacks carrying over their torrid finishes to the regular season. ISU has a relatively easy road to the Elite Eight, while Florida is the class of the South region and one of the safest bets to advance deep into March.

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

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Matt Hayes

• East: Duke
• South: Florida
• Midwest: Iowa State
• West: Arizona

Duke is a no-brainer. The most complete team in the tournament, with the best player in the tournament — unless Kansas stud Darryn Peterson decides to get serious. Arizona doesn't have a true superstar, but the Wildcats are talented throughout their lineup. Florida is long, they defend better than just about anyone and they're hot. The Cyclones are top 20 in offensive and defensive efficiency, and just a tick below Florida and Duke as the best defensive teams in the tournament.

Jordan Mendoza

• East: Duke
• South: Florida
• Midwest: Michigan
• West: Arizona

The No. 1 overall seeds have proven to be in a class above the rest of the sport. It's not going to be a cakewalk, but they all make it to Indianapolis to back-to-back all-No. 1 seed Final Four.

March Madness 2026 schedule 

The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will transpire over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.

Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

• First Four: March 17-18
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
• National championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness predictions: Final Four picks for NCAA Tournament 2026

The Dallas Mavericks rounded out a home-and-home against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday afternoon. Unlike Friday’s matchup, Dallas was much more competitive in an 130-120 win.

Let’s get to the grades!

Ryan Nembhard: B

11 PTS / 3 REB / 3 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN

It has been a minute since Dallas started a conventional point guard and unfortunately Nembhard may give Jason Kidd reason to abandon the idea again. Nembhard only connected on one of his five first half shots, but heated up a bit after that. Dallas’ performance can’t be exclusively attributed to Nembhard, but even on average nights, he shows the value of having a true point guard orchestrating.

Max Christie: B-

9 PTS / 2 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 29 MIN

Christie has had a pretty poor run of late, so his performance looked great by comparison despite not being particularly epic. He didn’t play all that much but managed to chip in on every major statistical category without doing hardly anything detrimental. Solid game he can hopefully build on, especially with a dunk and made three-pointer in the final two minutes of the game to nail down the win.

Naji Marshall: A

25 PTS / 5 REB / 7 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 32 MIN

Marshall led the way for Dallas in the first half, connecting on a ridiculous 85.7% of his seven shots while dishing five dimes.

Cooper Flagg: A

27 PTS / 6 REB / 10 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 33 MIN

Sunday afternoon felt like a welcome back for Flagg who hasn’t quite been himself since returning from his mid-foot sprain. Against Cleveland, Flagg had a very well-rounded game, though he piled up turnovers (three) and fouls (four) at a high rate as well.

P.J. Washington: A+

20 PTS / 11 REB / 2 AST / 5 STL / 1 BLK – 33 MIN

Washington got the rare start at center for Dallas and although opposing center Evan Mobley had a nice night, Washington joined Marshall as the best players for Dallas in the early going and ultimately throughout. This was not a fluke – Washington was just dominant with the only mark against him being his total fouls committed. We’ll see if this is a one-off or is in fact Washington turning the corner on some relatively mundane games.

Marvin Bagley: B

6 PTS / 5 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 16 MIN

Bagley continues to impress even when his numbers don’t leap off the page. In his first eight minutes, he had three points, four boards and a block. He ended the day with a perfectly fine game for a backup, but was a bit of a hack-machine with four fouls

John Poulakidas: A

10 PTS / 3 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 15 MIN

Poulakidas had a personal 10-0 run to close the third quarter, made up of back-to-back three-pointers followed by a deep two-pointer. At this stage in the season and within the context of his overall game and playing time (and virtually zero performances to compare to), we’re going to show some generosity in an improbably win and reward the shooter for shooting well.

Final Thoughts

Even despite playing .500 ball over their last 10 games, this was an embarrassing loss for Cleveland against a somewhat patch-work Mavs team. The NBA is weird and oddities like this actually happen more often than one would think, but getting obliterated by a team that can’t win on the road and who has dragged themselves across the country for the better part of a month has to be a moment of thoughtful introspection for the Cavs. Credit to Dallas. Playing for nothing but the offseason, the Mavs brought it on Sunday afternoon.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, now an analyst with CBS Sports, said the Tigers weren't rewarded for their strength of schedule after being left out of the NCAA Tournament field on Selection Sunday.

Pearl, who led Auburn to the No. 1 overall seed last season before retiring and handing off the duties to his son, Steven Pearl, also questioned SMU's resume as a Last Four In team. He said Oklahoma and Auburn, the first two teams out of the bracket, could've been deserving of a bit.

"Auburn beat three champions this year," Pearl said during the bracket reveal. "They beat Florida, they beat St. John's and they beat Arkansas. They played the toughest schedule in the country; don't know they were rewarded for it. It's hard to get a couple more SEC teams in when the SEC already has 10 teams in."

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

Pearl acknowledged teams have to "win their way in or lose their way out." Auburn finished the season with a 17-16 record and stumbled at the end of the season, losing nine of its last 12 games.

Pearl said if any of the teams should've been left out of the bracket, it would've been SMU for him.

"SMU with a 191(-ranked) out of conference strength schedule," he said. "That, I don't know that they should've been rewarded. They only won five games away from home. For me, it would've been either Oklahoma or Auburn taking that last spot."

Pearl was critical of Miami (Ohio) in the lead up to the NCAA Tournament, stating he felt the RedHawks needed to win the MAC tournament to reach the big dance. Otherwise, Miami (Ohio) should've been left out despite going undefeated in the regular season.

Miami (Ohio) made the NCAA Tournament on March 15, and is facing SMU in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

"Here's the deal," Pearl said. "Are we going to select the 68 most deserving teams? Or are we going to select the 68 best teams? If we're selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion, because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country, and that's going to be a difficult choice for the committee."

Auburn goes from Final Four to First Four Out in one season and now looks forward to 2026-27, when maybe Pearl won't need to argue for the Tigers to reach the NCAA Tournament.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bruce Pearl says Auburn wasn't rewarded for 'toughest schedule' by NCAA

DENVER (AP) — Grace Zumwinkle scored two goals, Taylor Heise and Britta Curl-Salemme added a goal apiece, and the Minnesota Frost beat the New York Sirens 4-3 on Sunday at Ball Arena as part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour.

The Frost (9-3-3-4) have won three straight after being shut out, 4-0, at Montreal in their first game back from the Olympic break.

Anna Bargman and Paetyn Levis scored goals for New York (8-0-3-9) a little more than a minute apart in the third. Allyson Simpson added a goal about four minutes later that made it 4-3 with 3:01 left in the game.

Zumwinkle darted along the left wall, cut in along the goal line and flicked a shot behind goaltended Kayle Osborne that deflected off the crossbar and into the net to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead just past the midway point in the first period. Zumwinkle gave the Frost a 4-0 lead with 7:28 left in the second period.

Heise flicked a shot that deflected off Osborne's skate and slowly trickled into the net 22 seconds into the second period before Curl-Salemme made it 3-0 eight minutes later with a one-timer off a pass from Kelly Pannek.

New York killed each of the Frost’s four power plays and have killed 13 straight overall.

Casey O’Brien, who leads all rookies this season with 14 points and three power-play goals, did not play (upper-body injury) for the Sirens. Taylor Girard left the game in the second period due to an apparent knee injury.

The Sirens beat Ottawa 6-2 last time out to snap a six-game losing streak, the last two losses coming after the Olympic break.

Minnesota, which also beat the Sirens 3-2 in overtime at the Prudential Center on Jan. 16 and 6-2 at home Jan. 25, was 0-0-3-3 last season against New York.

Up next

Sirens: Play Wednesday at Vancouver in the second of a four-game road trip.

Frost: Hosts Ottawa on Wednesday.

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

When the Men's NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed Sunday, Miami of Ohio breathed a sigh of relief.

The RedHawks will take on Southern Methodist University in a First Four game as an 11 seed. It's the first tournament appearance for Miami since 2007.

The Redhawks have a 31-1 record, losing their first game of the season in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament against Massachusetts.

"Miami of Ohio was not the last team selected into the field," said Keith Gill, the Chair of the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee. "They came in before NC State, Texas and SMU."

SMU fell short against Louisville in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Wednesday.

The Midwest Region game will be played on Wednesday, March 18. The game time has not been determined.

The winner will play Tennessee in the first round.

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

Is Miami of Ohio in March Madness?

Yes.

The RedHawks had an undefeated regular season, but an 87-83 loss to UMass in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament on Thursday put them at the mercy of the selection committee. Miami (Ohio) entered Selection Sunday as the last at-large team in the 68-team field in USA TODAY Sport's final bracketology.

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

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did Miami Ohio make NCAA Tournament? Are RedHawks in March Madness?

Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida topped the bracket on Selection Sunday, while the SEC flexed with an NCAA-best 10 tournament teams and the Big 12 had three of the top eight seeds.

Treading water about midway through the regular season, the Gators began to round into form deeper into SEC play and seem very capable of repeating as national champions. UF did get blown out by Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament semifinals, though.

The Blue Devils are the tournament’s top seed after beating Virginia to repeat as ACC champs. Michigan would’ve had a case for being the No. 1 team in the bracket but lost to Purdue in the Big Ten title game.

March Madness printable bracket Fill out for predictions, picks in NCAA Tournament

March Madness snubs: Oklahoma leads teams left out of NCAA tournament

But it was bad news for teams such as Auburn and Oklahoma, who were among the first left out of the field. At 17-16 overall against a brutal schedule, the Tigers would’ve set a record for most losses by an at-large pick.

Also left out of the tournament were San Diego State, New Mexico and Belmont. One notable contender that made the cut was No. 11 Miami (Ohio), which was 31-0 against a weaker schedule before losing to UMass in the MAC tournament.

These teams lead the biggest winners and losers from Selection Sunday:

Selection Sunday winners

The SEC

While not to the level of last year’s record-setting 14 selections, the SEC led every conference with 10 teams in this year’s field, just ahead of the Big Ten with nine picks. A year ago, the SEC parlayed its deep tournament roster into seven Sweet 16 teams, half of the Elite Eight, half of the Final Four and the eventual national champion. The league’s top title contenders are Florida, No. 4 Alabama and conference tournament champ Arkansas, also a No 4 seed.

Miami Ohio

Miami will be in nearby Dayton, Ohio — about an hour’s drive from campus — and will meet SMU in the play-in round after sweating out the selection process. The issue was a schedule that ranked among the weakest nationally in nonconference play and didn’t get much tougher in MAC action, though the RedHawks did hand eventual conference tournament champ Akron its lone regular-season loss. After months of nitpicking, we’ll find out this week if there’s any real substance to Miami’s 31-1 record.

Virginia

The Cavaliers surged to the finish line of the regular season and earned the No. 3 seed in the West region after nearly taking down the Blue Devils in a highly competitive ACC final. For this, Virginia doesn’t just get a late bump in seeding but an enviable little pocket at the bottom of the region. The Cavaliers start with No. 14 Wright State, could face No. 6 Tennessee or the winner of SMU and Miami (Ohio) in the second round and then one of No. 2 Iowa State, underachieving No. 7 seed Kentucky, No. 10 Santa Clara or No. 15 Tennessee State for a spot in the Sweet 16.

Missouri

There were three pieces of good news for Missouri. For starters, the Tigers made the bracket despite spending most of the year barely on the bubble, only getting into the field thanks to a solid close and some help during conference-championship week. Secondly, Missouri avoided the play-in round and landed as the No. 10 seed in the West region. And better yet, it will meet No. 7 Miami in the opening round in St. Louis, likely drawing a favorable home crowd.

USA TODAY Sports bracketologists

Credit where credit is due: USA TODAY Sports’ crack team of highly educated and genuinely brilliant bracketologists aced the entire field in our final update. That’s all 68 teams for 68 spots — hard to better than that. (Impossible, actually.)

Selection Sunday losers

Auburn and Oklahoma

Two SEC teams ended up on the wrong side of the bubble in Auburn and Oklahoma. While Auburn could tout one of the toughest schedules in the country, the Tigers’ dismal record in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games and 16 losses eliminated them from contention. The debate over the Sooners was a little more nuanced: OU coach Porter Moser pointed to his team’s torrid end to the regular season, but nine losses in a row preceded the Sooners’ 8-2 finish and were too much to overcome.

St. John’s

The East is led by Duke, Connecticut, Michigan State and Kansas — a high-profile, highly dangerous top four consisting of teams very capable of a Final Four run, especially if KU guard Darryn Peterson proves why he’s the likely No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft. This top four is bad news for the lower-seeded, potential Cinderella teams such as No. 8 Ohio State and No. 11 South Florida; steering through this bracket would require something miraculous, if not a miracle outright. But no team has a bigger beef than the Big East champion Red Storm, who topped out as a No. 5 seed in this region despite winning the Big East regular-season title and closing with a flourish against UConn. They open against No. 12 Northern Iowa.

Florida and Illinois

It may not matter who the Gators play and where. But if things go according to plan and UF makes the Elite Eight, UF could face Houston in Houston in a rematch of last year’s title game. While not on the No. 1 line, No. 3 seed Illinois could take on No. 6 North Carolina in the second round in Greenville, S.C., which should have a heavy UNC presence.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday winners, losers include Miami, St. John's

No NCAA Tournament means no more basketball for some college basketball teams.

It's soul crushing to not be part of March Madness, but those that just missed out on making the bracket don't have to see their seasons end with other postseason tournaments. The NIT is the most famous example, and there is also the College Basketball Crown.

REQUIRED READING: Selection Sunday live updates: March Madness bracket reveal is here

However, the disappointment of not being in the NCAA Tournament is now too much. College basketball has changed drastically with so much player and coach movement that there isn't as much of a desire to keep playing if you don't have a chance to win a national championship. The NIT used to be a solid second option, but several teams now opt-out of participating.

So who has declined the NIT so far? Here is every team deciding to end its season rather than play in college basketball's invitational.

Teams to decline 2026 NIT tournament

List as of 7 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15

• Belmont
• Virginia Tech
• San Diego State

Teams to announce it is declining NIT

Virginia Tech

The first team to announce it was not participating in the NIT was Virginia Tech. It made the decision on Friday, March 13 after it lost in the first round of the ACC tournament to finish the season 19-13.

An update from our program ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/toajanzBj2

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 13, 2026

Belmont

The Missouri Valley Conference regular season champion was given an automatic spot in the NIT, but declined it on March 14. The Bruins finished 26-6 but coach Casey Alexander left and accepted the job at Kansas State.

San Diego State

The Mountain West runner-up declines participating in any other tournament after missing out on March Madness for the first time since 2019.

"I don't feel that playing in another postseason event would benefit us," coach Brian Dutcher said in a statement.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who declined NIT? Full list of teams opting out of tournament

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Brian White scored two goals for the second consecutive game, Sebastian Berhalter opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the eighth minute and added two assists, and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat Minnesota United 6-0 on Sunday.

The Whitecaps (4-0-0) have a plus-13 goal differential and are off to the best four-game start in club history.

Mathias Laborda added a goal in the 22nd minute, Emmanuel Sabbi scored in the 43rd gave the Whitecaps a 4-0 lead at halftime and Cheikh Sabaly's first MLS goal in his second career appearance capped the scoring in the 74th. Yohei Takaoka finished with four saves and had his third shutout of the season.

Minnesota (1-2-1) tied the club’s single-game mark for goals conceded and set the record for largest margin of defeat.

White scored a goal in his third consecutive game in the 13th minute that made it 2-0 and converted from the penalty spot in the 54th to give Vancouver a five-goal lead. White has 84 goals and 16 assists for the Whitecaps across all competitions, the first player in the club’s MLS era with at least 100 goal contributions.

Sebastian Schonlau made his MLS debut when he subbed on for Edier Ocampo in the 65th minute.

Drake Callender stopped two shots for Minnesota.

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

With the bubble for the NCAA Tournament being as messy as it has been in past years, there were bound to be a few teams left out of the NCAA Tournament.

One of those was Auburn men's basketball.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness printable bracket for predictions, picks in NCAA Tournament

Despite stressing their No. 3-ranked strength of schedule and a road win at Florida in late January in the self-promotion of their NCAA Tournament resume, the Tigers were left out of the 68-team NCAA Tournament bracket, which was released by the selection committee on Sunday.

Here's what to know:

Did Auburn basketball make NCAA Tournament?

No, the Tigers did not make the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament. It is the first year that Auburn will miss out on the NCAA Tournament since the 2020-21 season. It snaps a four-year streak of making March Madness, which featured a Final Four run last season under then-head coach Bruce Pearl, the father of current head coach Steven Pearl.

The Tigers were the second team in the "Last Four In" category of the bracket from the committee.

Why did Auburn basketball not make NCAA Tournament?

The answer was in front of everyone, outside of the Auburn program, to see since the middle of February: The Tigers didn't have a good enough resume of work to get them an at-large bid.

The Tigers picked up three notable Power Five wins in their non-conference schedule against Oregon, St. John's and NC State. They then picked up a top-15 ranked win over Arkansas for their first SEC win of the season on Jan. 10, which was the start of a five-win in six-game stretch for the Tigers, with one of those wins being that win in Gainesville against the Gators.

But since that stretch at the end of January, the Tigers, to put it bluntly, haven't been that good, with a 17-16 overall record.

They've also lost out on opportunities to help move them off the bubble: loss on the road at Mississippi State (No. 114 in NET ranking, No. 13 seed in SEC tournament), loss on the road at Oklahoma (No. 47 in NET ranking, then a non-bubble team) and then a loss at home against Ole Miss .

Auburn basketball NET ranking, Quad 1 record, WAB ranking

• NET ranking: No. 39
• Quad 1 record: 4-13
• Quad 2 record: 3-2
• Quad 3 record: 4-1
• Quad 4 record: 6-0
• WAB: No. 44

The Tigers headed into Selection Sunday with a No. 39 NET ranking (as of Saturday, March 14) and a Quad 1 record of 4-13, two important statistics that the NCAA Tournament selection committee used.

Auburn also holds a WAB ranking — Wins Above Bubble — of No. 44 (as of Saturday, March 14). WAB has been a statistical input used by the committee for a while, but has become a more important one in recent years. It measures a team's total wins and schedule against what the average bubble team would have accomplished against the same schedule.

Auburn basketball schedule 2025-26

Here's a look at Auburn's SEC schedule.

• Saturday, Jan. 3: No. 23 Georgia 104, Auburn 100 (OT)
• Tuesday, Jan. 6: Texas A&M 90, Auburn 88
• Saturday, Jan. 10: Auburn 95, No. 15 Arkansas 73
• Wednesday, Jan. 14: Missouri 84, Auburn 74
• Saturday, Jan. 17: Auburn 71, South Carolina 67
• Tuesday, Jan. 20: Auburn 78, Ole Miss 66
• Saturday, Jan. 24: Auburn 76, No. 16 Florida 67
• Wednesday, Jan. 28: Auburn 88, Texas 82
• Saturday, Jan. 31: Tennessee 77, Auburn 69
• Saturday, Feb. 7: Alabama 96, Auburn 92
• Tuesday, Feb. 10: No. 19 Vanderbilt 84, Auburn 76
• Saturday, Feb. 14: No. 21 Arkansas 88, Auburn 75
• Wednesday, Feb. 18: Mississippi State 91, Auburn 85
• Saturday, Feb. 21: Auburn 75, Kentucky 74
• Tuesday, Feb. 24: Oklahoma 91, Auburn 79
• Saturday, Feb. 28: Ole Miss 85, Auburn 79
• Tuesday, March 3: Auburn 88, LSU 74
• Saturday, March 7: No. 16 Alabama 96, Auburn 84
• Wednesday, March 11: Auburn 79, Mississippi State 61 (SEC Tournament)
• Thursday, March 12: No. 25 Tennessee 72, Auburn 62 (SEC Tournament)

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did Auburn basketball make March Madness?

The 2026 NCAA Tournament brackets are set.

That means college basketball fans all around the country are ready to set their brackets. Part of the fun of March Madness is correctly guessing the brackets for bragging rights over friends in bracket challenges.

To achieve the highest possible score, picking the Final Four and the national champion is usually a must. However, brackets are busted in the very first round of the tournament when an unknown team pulls off a major upset in rounds one or two.

March Madness first round full schedule: NCAA Tournament dates, TV info

Printable bracket: Fill out for predictions, picks in NCAA Tournament

These bracket busters live on in infamy with major wins, as everyone remembers "dunk city" and Florida Gulf Coast, or No. 16 seeds UMBC and Fairleigh Dickinson pulling off upsets of No. 1 seeds Virginia and Purdue, respectively.

Who can pull off some major upsets in the 2026 NCAA Tournament to bust a bunch of brackets? Here's a look at some potential bracket busters: 

Saint Louis (28-5)

Another team that can light up the scoreboard, Saint Louis averages 87.2 points per game, good for seventh in the nation. The Billikens are also tied for ninth in the nation in 3-pointers per game made.

The analytics back up the Billikens, too. They ranked just outside the top 50 in offensive rating (119.5) and 41st in defensive rating (101.2). Saint Louis will need to return to its roots for its 24-1 start; however, after finishing the season with four losses in its final eight games.

Saint Louis is a real threat, but will need to beat No. 8 Georgia in the first round and then No. 1 Michigan in the second round to make a lot of noise.

South Florida (24-8)

With its 70-55 win over Wichita State in the American Conference tournament championship game, the Bulls enter the NCAA Tournament on an 11-game winning streak. Going back further, they went 17-3 in the final 20 games after starting at 8-6 on Jan. 4.

The Bulls' last loss was a 79-78 loss to Temple. In fact, all three of its recent losses have been by one possession, with two going to overtime. On Dec. 17, they even hung around with Alabama, losing 104-93 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

As an 11-seed, the matchup against No. 6 Louisville, followed by No. 3 Michigan State, will not be easy by any means. But the Bulls certainly have a shot to make noise with the draws.

High Point (30-4)

High Point has a NET ranking of 92, which would quickly dispel them as a potential bracket buster in the eyes of many who trust analytics. And while the analytics don't lie, in a one-game tournament, they can also be disregarded if a team catches fire.

The Panthers offense is explosive enough to get on a bender and threaten any higher seed it faces. They are fourth in the country with 90 points per game. The 49.1 shooting percentage from the field is tied for 20th.

Senior Terry Anderson leads the team with 16 points per game, but the Panthers have eight guys who average at least five points per game and six who average eight or more.

The Panthers will open the tournament against Wisconsin, which could be a high-scoring game, but a chance for High Point. A second-round matchup against No. 4 Arkansas gets a little tougher.

Miami Ohio (31-1)

Rated one spot below High Point, Miami (Ohio) could enter the NCAA Tournament with a lot to prove. Yes, the RedHawks' strength of schedule is nothing to write home about. But they beat the teams that were put in front of them. There is nothing more you can ask of the players.

With 90.7 points per game, Miami was second in the nation in points per game, trailing only Alabama, while 52.4% shooting from the field leads the nation. KenPom's 116.8 offensive rating ranks 70th in the country.

Obviously, Miami will need to beat SMU first in the play-in game, but a matchup against a Tennessee team that lost four of its last six games gives the RedHawks a real shot at a potential upset. A matchup against Virginia in round two could also be winnable.

VCU (27-7)

How about the original bracket buster as a potential 2026 bracket buster? In the final USA TODAY Coaches Poll, the Rams received five votes from coaches. Yet, they earned an 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Do the coaches know something the NCAA did not? Well, VCU has a net rating of 45 with a top-50 offensive net rating. Like USF, the Rams are playing their best basketball now. They started the season at 6-4 following a loss to New Mexico.

However, VCU closed the season with a 21-3 record over the final 24 games and won 16 of its last 17 games. A matchup against No. 6 North Carolina in the first round, before a potential matchup against No. 3 Illinois, sets up the Rams as well as an 11-seed can be set up.

Troy (22-11)

Of the six teams on this list, Troy feels like it would be the biggest Cinderella this year if it were able to pull off a deep run.

The Trojans are the first team to win back-to-back Sun Belt tournament titles since Georgia State did so in 2018 and 2019.

The way the bracket shakes up is the biggest reason to believe in the Trojan. Nebraska is officially on upset alert with a matchup against Troy. With McNeese, a potentially tough matchup for No. 5 Vanderbilt, a double-digit second-round matchup is completely on the table.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament upset picks, March Madness bracket busters, Cinderellas

For the teams that aren’t one of the 68 teams to make the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Selection Sunday was the start of March sadness.

Every year, teams spend all season trying to prove they belong in the bracket. Despite some hiccups along the way, they do achieve things that are worthy of being included in the field. However, there aren’t spots for everyone, and the selection committee decides to go a different route, believing there were too many bad marks in the resume to put them in.

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No matter if the tournament expands or not, there’s always going to be teams that felt like they were wrongfully left out. While the at-large candidates weren’t necessarily as strong as previous years, these ones have a case for being upset with their omission.

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Oklahoma

The late surge by the Sooners was all for naught, finishing as the first team out of the field despite being one of the hottest bubble teams in the conversation. 

Oklahoma looked dead in the water when it was 13-14, but it flipped a switch with six straight wins before falling just short in the SEC tournament quarterfinals to Arkansas. What really helped was two of those wins were Quad 1 victories to boost it toward a modest 4-10 record, and despite 15 losses on the season, none of them were Quad 3 or 4 defeats, not something every bubble team can say.

The Sooners were able to show they were a completely different team to end the season, picking up momentum at the right time. They surely would’ve been a competitive team, but the selection committee valued the whole resume even though some teams that got in struggled at the end of their campaigns.

San Diego State

The Aztecs were a few minutes away from clinching the Mountain West’s automatic bid. It turns out that was the only way they were going to get in the tournament.

There may not be anything major jumping from San Diego State’s resume, it did finish second in the conference and did own a victory over champion Utah State. If you merge the Quad 1 and 2 records, it’s 9-10, a good enough mark for an at-large candidate. There was a Quad 3 loss very early in the season and the team showed it had grown exponentially since then. What’s unfortunate is the loss to Utah State in the tournament final pushed the Aztecs down two spots in the NET ranking at No. 47, below a New Mexico team it beat twice. They were also the first team right below the cutline of the WAB.

It wasn’t a good year for the Mountain West in its final season of its current group. It will only send one team to the tournament for the first time since 2017, even though the conference runner-up proved it should have been in.

New Mexico

It’s a feeling of “what if” for New Mexico, a team that picked up notable results but maybe a few plays may have decided its fate, missing the tournament for the first time since 2023.

While the Lobos had a 2-7 Quad 1 record, they beat tournament teams in VCU and Santa Clara in the nonconference slate, helping contribute to an overall 8-8 Quad 1 and 2 mark that is fairly decent. However, some of those defeats were close ones. Three of the losses to Utah State and San Diego State were by four points or loss, showing New Mexico could compete with tournament teams.

However, the committee didn’t value New Mexico’s competitiveness. The two Quad 3 losses also loomed large and maybe were too much to overlook. The Lobos are a great case of how one game can completely alter a team’s course, no matter how good it looked.

Belmont

It’s gotten tougher for mid-majors to earn at-large spots in the field, and there’s always going to be a team that didn’t get enough love in the conversation. This year, that belongs to Belmont, which had a dominant campaign as the Missouri Valley Conference champion but didn’t get the automatic bid.

The 26 wins the Bruins collected were among the most for a team that didn’t make the tournament, second to Stephen F. Austin’s 28. However, Belmont is significantly higher than the Lumberjacks in the NET rankings at No. 63. Tulsa also had 26 wins and is higher in the NET (52), but the Bruins had a Quad 1 victory while the Golden Hurricane didn’t. 

Belmont was set on being a dangerous team in the bracket, but its early exit in the conference tournament doomed its chances immediately. It’s the unfortunate reality of being a mid-major.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament snubs: These teams were left off 2026 bracket

FREIBURG, Germany (AP) — Union Berlin’s stand-in goalkeeper Matheo Raab made a last-minute diving save with his injured right hand on his top-division debut to ensure his team held on for a 1-0 win at Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Union had already used all its substitutions when Raab injured his hand in a collision with Freiburg's Bruno Ogbus while diving to punch away a high ball in added time.

“In that moment I only felt pain,” Raab told broadcaster DAZN. “We couldn’t make any more changes and I wanted to somehow play out those last few minutes. There’s nothing you can do but grit your teeth, somehow get the glove back on and get this thing done.”

Raab used the same hand for an acrobatic diving save to keep out Niklas Beste's curling shot and ensure Union took the win. Jeong Woo-yeong had put the Berlin team in the lead with a low shot earlier in added time.

An injury to regular starter Frederik Ronnow meant Raab was playing in the Bundesliga for the first time since arriving at Union in July. He said he powered through with adrenaline. “I waited so long for this and didn't want it taken away.”

Union rose two places to ninth, one place behind Freiburg.

Also Sunday, Deniz Undav scored for the fifth Bundesliga game in a row as a goalkeeping blunder handed Stuttgart a 1-0 win over Leipzig to strengthen its push to qualify for the Champions League.

Leipzig goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt was under no real pressure in the 56th minute when he passed the ball straight to Stuttgart's Chris Führich, who played in Undav to score his 16th league goal of the season, more than any other player in the league except Bayern Munich's Harry Kane.

Stuttgart was fortunate to hold on in added time when Willi Orban was unmarked for a header which beat goalkeeper Alexander Nübel but bounced back off the post before being cleared.

Stuttgart tightened its hold on a Champions League qualifying spot in fourth, opening up a three-point gap to Leipzig in fifth. Stuttgart hasn't lost in five league games.

Mainz edged away from the relegation fight and up to 13th with a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen. Mainz scored early in each half with Paul Nebel's diving header and Lee Jae-song's close-range finish from a low cross. Bremen is 15th.

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