Category: Basketball

The NBA landscape is populated by different classes. There are rich teams and there are penny-pinchers. Some rise above expectations to reach great heights, both of the temporary and permanent kind. The chronic underachievers exist too. 

But out of all the different archetypes, the one that might be the most frustrating – at least to sports fans – is the team that becomes boring and predictable. 

Without drama, or more importantly, hope, it becomes challenging to support a franchise. 

For the Toronto Raptors, it looked like they were destined for an excruciating slow burn. 

But ahead of their matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, a new source for optimism has manifested in the form of Ja’Kobe Walter. 

On the surface, it doesn’t look like the second-year guard is having a breakout season. His minutes, points, rebounds, and assists per game are all down across the board, but that’s primarily due to the Raptors actively conceding the 2024-25 season after the Brandon Ingram trade. During that transition year, Walter had more low-leverage opportunities to find his footing in the league. 

Recently, Walter has become one of the most important players on the team. It makes sense considering Walter’s strength as a shooter on a team devoid of consistent shooting ability. Toronto ranks 21st in three-point percentage (34.9) and 25th in three-point makes (11.5). 

Walter is a skilled shooter and his numbers back that. The six-foot-four guard is averaging 39.3 per cent from three and 44.1 per cent from the field. He’s shooting better from the perimeter than all but one teammate, that being Jamison Battle, who averages nine minutes a game. 

With the Raptors only 2.5 games from falling into the final play-in spot, and the roster in a constant state of flux, the team needed a role player to take the next step. Walter has answered that call. 

He’s shooting a blistering 48.8 per cent from three on 3.9 attempts in March – both season-high marks for monthly splits. Walter has also reached double-digit scoring in the last four games, his longest stretch of the year. The sophomore recorded at least 10 points in seven consecutive appearances during his rookie year, but that was while the team was in an intentional free-fall. 

In addition to the desperately needed scoring boost, Walter has also demonstrated his defensive prowess. While the latter has been more of a constant throughout the year, the recent showcase of Walter’s complete skill set has potentially piqued the curiosity of some Raptors fans. 

The last time Walter was this effective for the Raptors this season was during a thrilling 141-127 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 28 and in a 107-106 win against the Orlando Magic on the following night. During the back-to-back contests, Walter averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 50 per cent from the field and 45.4 per cent from the arc. 

Every time the Raptors have shown some fight in the opening round of the playoffs, they’ve had at least one resourceful two-way player come off the bench. Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell come to mind during the 2019 championship run and in the bubble playoffs. There was an entire bench mob during 2017-2018. Corey Joseph and Terrence Ross held it down during a few of ‘We The North’ seasons. Even back in 2001, the Vinsanity era needed the fun trio of Chris Childs, Dell Curry, and Jerome Williams.

If the Raptors find any morsel of success in the post-season, it’ll mean that Walter excelled in his first playoff environment. But before that can happen, he’ll need to string together more impressive regular-season performances, beginning with the Clippers. 

The 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament is down to 16 teams and the injury report remains an important part of sifting through the remaining games in the bracket. Nearly one-third of the teams to qualify for the Sweet 16 are dealing with a significant player hobbled by injury, including No. 1 overall seed Duke.

Several played through the pain to advance through the round of 32, while others are attempting to return from injury as fast as possible with the win-or-go-home element of March Madness looming over their recovery. In most cases, their potential replacement has already been thrust into a bigger role after lingering uncertainty through the first weekend of this year's tournament.

Here's a look at the injuries that could most affect the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, as well as the potential replacements to watch if these injured stars can't play when March Madness resumes:

SWEET 16 PREDICTIONS: Experts pick who will advance in March Madness bracket

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

John Starks isn't holding back.

The former NBA All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year believes the New York Knicks are the best team in the Eastern Conference.

Starks is remembered for his long Knicks tenure, helping lead the team to the NBA Finals in 1994 along with Patrick Ewing.

The former undrafted guard became an All-Star the year the Knicks advanced to the Finals and he became the first player in NBA history to make at least 200 three-pointers in a single season when he accomplished the feat in 1994-95.

“We’re the best team in the East.”

While the Knicks have been behind the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons during the entirety of the season and have gone 0-3 against the Pistons.

However former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, John Starks said the Knicks, not the Pistons, are the team to beat in the East.

It's worth noting that Detroit's best player, Cade Cunningham, is out indefinitely due to a collapsed lung.

"I feel like we're the best team in the East," said Starks in an exclusive interview. "I really do. I know Detroit has the record over us, and I know Boston is ahead of us right now. But when I saw that San Antonio game, it’s almost like when you dangle some meat in front of some guys and they go get it. That's what it looked like to me. That told me that they can beat anybody in this league."

Starks is referencing the New York Knicks' 114-89 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on March 1 when New York vastly outplayed the Victor Wembanyama-led squad.

However, he does preach that the Knicks need to be more consistent against the top teams in the NBA.

"They’ve got to be consistent when you're playing against these good teams, and they haven't shown that, obviously... But I think when it comes to playoff time, all these guys are going to lock in, because they've been there. Sometimes you start to look ahead and you forget you’ve got to play Detroit and you’ve got to play the Celtics. You’ve got to play the Cavaliers. You’ve got to play the Lakers. You’ve got to play all these good teams. But that San Antonio game showed me that they're a championship-quality team."

Starks: Knicks can make NBA Finals run

The former Knicks star said that he's confident that the team can make an NBA Finals run this year. It would be the first time since 1999 - when Ewing was still on the team - that they'd be in the championship round.

New York would have to go on the road and likely get through the Pistons in Detroit if they want to get to the Finals. They defeated the Pistons in six games in the first round in Detroit last season.

"No question," said Starks about the Knicks making a Finals run. "Understand one thing about this team: they know they can go on the road and beat anybody. The playoffs is all about going on the road and winning on your opponent's home court. That's the most important thing."

"You can always shift the home court. If you go seven games, then that game - that's the only thing the home court advantage means. Other than that, you can go in and just like what they did to Detroit last year. They had the home court, and then went in and shifted it in our favor. We're good."

Knicks Legend: “He's back to being Jalen Brunson.”

Starks gives tremendous credit to the Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns pairing. The duo is in their second season together and previously led the squad to the Eastern Conference Finals last year.

"I think Karl is doing a tremendous job and making conscious efforts on the defensive end of the court," said Starks. "He's starting to get a little bit more in that post where you like your big man. He's just not settling for jump shots. Now he's been more aggressive going to the basket. I like where he's at in his thought process."

"Jalen is going to do what he's going to do. I think he struggled over the last three or four weeks because teams are starting to play him differently. They're starting to take the ball out of his hand, and everybody's starting to double him early in the game. I think he was kind of struggling with that: how to be aggressive on the offensive end, how to get his teammates involved, and keep his teammates involved. I think he didn't figure that part out. Now I think he's back to being Jalen Brunson."

Starks: Knicks have turned up defensive intensity in recent weeks

The Knicks are currently hot right now, riding a six-game win streak entering their Tuesday night game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

"I like where we are headed and I like the way we are playing right now. We're getting back to our DNA, and that's on the defensive end of the court. I think we lost a little bit of that during that losing streak. Guys got so worried about the offensive end that if you're struggling on offense, you can get it on the other end."

"We kind of turned the corner when we played against San Antonio. We started off from a defensive standpoint. I haven't seen these guys move that fast in awhile. It was like eight guys out there on the court on defense. That's how you could see that intensity level step up."

Starks does mention the recent back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, but said that's probably just the Los Angeles effect of having to travel all the way from the east coast to the west coast.

"Obviously, we took a step back against the Lakers and the Clippers, but that could be the Los Angeles effect and the driving and flying. But after that they got back to playing aggressively. On the defensive end, Golden State woke us up again.

“You gotta play hard, and you can't go out there and underestimate anybody in this league because they can beat you, and they just carry that over into the next game and the next game."

"I like where we are from a mentality standpoint. A couple of guys have to get going with their shots, but other than that, defensively, I like where we are heading into the playoffs."

Defense Should Lead For The Knicks

The former All-Defensive Second Team guard said he believes the team's identity is on the defensive end. If they can execute on that end, the sky's the limit for the Knicks. New York is fifth in points allowed per game and in defensive rating.

"You have to have an identity. You can't just go into the game and say one night we're going to play defense and one night we're not. Offensively, we're going to shoot the ball great, one night we're not."

"I think when you want to hang your hat for any team, you hang your hat on the defensive end of the court, because that keeps you in the games until your offense gets going."

"That's always been our mentality when I was here, and it's going to continue to be that way here in New York, because when this crowd gets going and is hollering, 'Defense! Defense!', they want you to go out there and guard."

"I think we got enough on the offensive end of the court. Our shooting has been a little erratic lately, but I think overall once playoff time comes, we'll work out the kinks and we should be fine."

John Starks spoke exclusively with DJ Siddiqi on behalf of Covers.com. All quotes in this article are taken from an exclusive interview conducted by Covers.com. Journalists and media outlets are welcome to use these quotes, provided they are attributed to Covers.com. Please ensure links back to the original article to provide full context for readers.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid will try to close in on a first semifinal appearance in the Women’s Champions League when it hosts three-time champion Barcelona in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Manchester United will make its debut in the last eight against Bayern Munich.

Barcelona will try to make it to a record-extending eighth consecutive semifinal appearance, and a sixth straight final in the competition that it has dominated in recent years.

The Catalan club is playing in its 11th straight quarterfinal and seeks to reclaim the title it lost to Arsenal last season. Barcelona topped the league phase with an unbeaten campaign that included 20 goals scored and three against.

Madrid, in its second consecutive quarterfinal, was eliminated by Arsenal in the last eight last season. If finished seventh in the league phase.

Man United has been thriving in its first European experience since a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in qualifying in the 2023-24 season. Bayern recovered from a 7-1 loss at Barcelona at the start of the league phase to finish fourth and qualify for the quarterfinals for the eighth time in 10 seasons.

On Tuesday, Arsenal defeated English rival Chelsea 3-1 in their first leg of the quarterfinals. Wolfsburg took a 1-0 lead over record eight-time champion Lyon in a meeting of two of the competition’s most storied names.

___

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

HAFJELL, Norway (AP) — Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath secured the World Cup slalom title on home snow Wednesday to conclude the season on a positive note after losing his temper at the Olympics when he squandered a big first-run lead.

McGrath broke down in tears during a long, emotional embrace with childhood friend and Olympic giant slalom champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil, who straddled a gate early in his second run to pave the way for McGrath's title.

McGrath, who won three slaloms this season, earned his first discipline title.

Timon Haugan, another Norwegian, won the race by finishing 0.44 seconds ahead of Olympic champion Loic Meillard and 1.03 ahead of Eduard Hallberg of Finland.

McGrath, who came eighth in the race, finished 64 points ahead of 2022 Olympic champion Clement Noel and 73 points ahead of Pinheiro Braathen.

McGrath, who was born in Vermont but grew up in Norway, entered the final run of the slalom at the Milan Cortina Games with a big lead. But after straddling a gate, McGrath angrily threw his ski poles away and ventured toward the woods to gather himself.

Marco Odermatt, who does not compete in slalom, secured his fifth straight overall title before the finals. He was awarded the large crystal globe after the slalom.

___

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

The Boston Celtics’ head coach, Joe Mazzulla, is a very odd man. He is also a very good coach.

Take, for example, a story Celtics guard Derrick White told in an interview last November. According to White, the first sound at one Celtics practice wasn’t a whistle.

It was gunfire.

“[Mazzulla is] like, ‘Play the music!’… and next thing you know, it’s just machine guns going off … you’re in a war zone,” White said. He was laughing – but not really laughing.

The 37-year-old coach scored the sweat session with the sound of death, bullets rat-a-tat-tat over 10 straight minutes of zigzags and full-court pickups. He wanted players’ lungs burning. He wanted them to taste the vomit.

Mazzulla believes – and he believes many things – repetition under stress rewires your brain. Psychologists have spent decades studying how stimuli paired with intensity create recall that bypasses deliberation. The military industrialized it: conditioning, desensitization, immersion. The principle underneath it is simpler and more universal: the brain learns fastest when it’s overwhelmed. Adapt or die.

There’s something unsettling about it all. Basketball borrowing from the logic of war. Every coach will give platitudes about stress inoculation. Mazzulla puts sensory overload into practice. The goal is the same: strip decision-making down to instinct.

Mazzulla’s version of controlled chaos is the sound of gunfire, hence the practice session. Why? So, when weeks later, in the fourth quarter, a guard brings the ball up full court, the crowd is loud, and the game is tight, any player wearing green and white can turn into the Manchurian Candidate: synapses snapping into place to deliver the kill shot into the hoop.

Related: How Detroit’s New Bad Boys climbed from the NBA’s cellar to rule the East

A lot of this is odd. And a lot of what Mazzulla says is odd. He doesn’t really talk like other NBA coaches. His press conferences can sound more like philosophy seminars than strategy. Maybe Mazzulla’s deadpan delivery is Andy Kaufman performance art: half-jokes, half-koans, delivered with a straight face. Players have learned to stop trying to decode everything and just absorb the tone.

He has talked about wanting a wolf to guard his house, never sitting with his back to the door at restaurants in case anyone sneaks up on him and avoiding revolving doors because “if one of them gets stuck, then you’re just a sitting duck”. He wants his players to study the movements of orcas and hyenas to enhance their games.

The thing is, whether it’s because of his quirks or despite them, Mazzulla is a very effective coach. He’s already led the Celtics to one championship, and deserves the Coach of the Year award after leading the injury-riddled Celtics to the second seed in the East this season, while holding the second-best offensive rating, fourth-best defensive rating and third-best net rating.

It should be remembered that Boston were supposed to have a gap year after Jayson Tatum went out last postseason with an achilles injury. Starters Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis were both traded. Bench bigs Al Horford and Luke Kornet left in free agency, a harsh cost of survival under the new collective bargaining agreement.

Most teams would have reset. But Mazzulla got in the lab and changed the Celtics’ DNA. He kept the offense organized around spacing, timing and reads, building a system that could function until Tatum’s return. And defensively, he pared it back to the bone: just the raw, flayed nerves of constant ball pressure. This kind of scalable infrastructure helps role players reach their ceiling without your best player.

As the team changed, so did Mazzulla. It would have been easy to ask Jaylen Brown to be Tatum. Instead, he uses every player to their strength.

That’s why Ron Harper Jr, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo González and Luka Garza have been able to step in and up. Even Brown is expected to rebound, run, defend and play with the same energy and physicality the Celtics ask of everybody.

What’s behind the new philosophy? This summer, Mazzulla went to France, where he met with Guillaume Vizade, a fellow basketball oddball and the head coach of Le Mans. Two coaches from different systems tried to crack the code of creating advantages before a defense can set.

Vizade talks about the meeting like a thinktank: “Our shared ideas about arriving into offense while playing, amplifying advantages and creating chaos in opposing defenses connected very quickly during those discussions. I felt both lucky and proud to be able to present some of our methods and actions, and in return, I received even more by exchanging ideas with Joe and his disruptive approach.“

Vizade’s teams don’t just run; they vibrate. Hard-wired into a single hive mind. Like fungi. It’s how Boston play now. When the first option on offense is cut off, the offense doesn’t flinch. It reignites into a sequence of cuts and relocations that open up scoring gaps.

Mazzulla’s COTY case also rests on how much he changed Boston defensively. Last season, the Celtics could let opponents play one-on-one, live with contested shots without fouling. This year, they pick up their opps full-court and pressure the hell out the ball.

When one defender takes a risk, another one fills the space. If someone gets beat, the next man rotates. If that pass gets made, another closeout comes behind it. That’s why Celtics corner-help blocks have become such a staple. Boston are rotating so well they’re forcing opponents to make that one extra pass. Mazzulla has done all this without a great rim protector.

Related: NBA’s bizarre ‘tanking’ problem has spewed theories but no solutions | Sean Ingle

The clearest example of Mazzulla’s approach came in the 2024 Finals, when Dallas kept their big men near the rim, helping off shooters on the weak side to crowd the paint. Early on, it worked. Boston drove into traffic and ended up kicking the ball out late.

Mazzulla’s adjustment was using that help against Dallas. Boston began pulling the help defender toward the ball, often using a guard like Holiday to drag the Mavericks’ big man across the floor. As soon as the help stepped over, they swung the ball to the other side before the defense could recover.

From there, the options were obvious: a layup, a post-up or an open corner three. What looked like simple ball movement was really a smart way to pick apart Dallas’s defense, turning it against itself. Mad scientist-level scheming.

Speaking to last year’s disappointing second-round playoff exit, he said: “Every season exposes yourself to yourself … third year you get a taste for what it’s like to lose.”

That’s how Mazzulla rolls. He shows his players film of orcas and hyenas, predators that never attack all at once. Instead, they circle, shift, waiting for just the right moment before closing in and snapping their prey’s neck. Boston’s offense works the same way. The ball moves from side to side until the defense finally gives up a good shot.

Other outlets have detailed that being a Celtic means embracing the Joe Mazzulla experience. We’re talking about a guy who roams the facility barefoot while delivering instructions in an icy, hyper-focused monotone. He operates the Celtics like a man who knows he’s in the Matrix and wants his team to warp the simulation to their advantage.

The league is in good hands. JB Bickerstaff is honing the blade in Detroit, Mitch Johnson fast-tracked the Spurs mutation, and Mike Brown is restoring Eden in the Garden. But Mazzulla has raced far ahead of the pack for COTY by retooling a depleted contender while staying contending. Insane.

That’s what elite coaching looks like.

That’s why Joe Mazzulla should win Coach of the Year.

Play the music.

CLEVELAND — Head coach Kenny Atkinson went to his postgame press conference todeliver one message after the Cleveland Cavaliers barely scraped by the Orlando Magic 136-131.

“I just told the team in the locker room, if we’re going to play defense like this, we’re going to have a short playoff stint,” Atkinson said. “We have a mentality that we’re just going to outscore people, and we all know, playoff time, it’s not going to be that easy offensively. … If we’re giving up 134 points, 120, we’re not going anywhere.”

That message was heard by his team, to the point that Donovan Mitchell mixed up whether or not they actually won the game.

“That’s why this loss, or this win, excuse me, feels different.”

Mitchell’s Freudian slip was understandable. You shouldn’t be able to give up 131 points to the Magic — the 18th ranked ofense — and come away with a victory.

The defense was awful. Let’s quickly run through some numbers that show this.

• The Magic’s offensive rating was in the 96th percentile for an NBA game this season (137.9).
• That offensive rating was the third-highest for Orlando this season.
• Orlando grabbed 35.6% of their missed shots (84th percentile).
• This led to the Magic scoring 23 second-chance points.
• Orlando converted 73.1% of their shots at the rim (68th percentile).
• The Magic’s free-throw rate was in the 98th percentile as they went 35-38 (92.1%) at the line.
• Six Magic players finished with double-digit scoring, including Paolo Banchero, who put up 36 points on 10-19 shooting.

“It starts on the ball,” Max Strus said. “It starts with our pressure. It starts with our communication, physicality. We just let them be the aggressors tonight.”

The point of attack defense just wasn’t there. The Magic were able to get penetration into the paint on seemingly every drive, which broke Cleveland’s entire defense. This allowed for easy looks at the basket, open drive-and-kick threes, and trips to the free-throw line with the defense being out of position.

It was bad.

“Our leaders got to take ownership…ownership of defending better,” Atkinson said. “It really starts there.”

The Cavs believe that they can fix this issue, while acknowledging that these changes need to happen before the playoffs.

“A lot of it has to do with the mentality and want to,” Strus said. “That’s really defense as a whole. It’s just everybody as a whole buying into it. I think we have the right guys in the room to figure that out.”

“We’ll get there,” Mitchell said confidentially.

Talk is cheap at this point.

Jarrett Allen’s absence shouldn’t be overlooked, but not even he can clean up all the leaks that are currently in the defense. It’s up to the players who are still in the lineup to do a better job of competing on that end. Until they show that they can for a full 48 minutes, it’s difficult to believe that this will improve, at least not before the end of the regular season.

Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!

Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Donovan Mitchell and James Harden NBA Jam shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.

Given how bad the defense was, the Cavs needed an elite offensive performance, and they got it.

Cleveland finished in the 99th percentile for offensive rating in a game this season, and they did so because of their balanced three-level scoring and ability to get to the line.

The Cavs finished in the 87th percentile for accuracy at the rim (80.8%), 97th percentile for midrange shooting (64%), and 69th percentile for three-point percentage (40%). That’s, on top of getting to the free-throw line for 29 attempts, and knocking down 89.7% of those shots.

This was an absolute offensive clinic.

Mitchell — looking like himself again — played a large role in that happening. He compiled 42 points on an efficient 14-22 shooting while going 3-7 from beyond the arc.

This was a much-needed showing from Mitchell, whose left eye is still bloodshot after being poked last week before their game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Mitchell said that the eye looks worse than it is and that he can see good enough out of it now. The only annoying part is the appearance, which is something his mother is constantly reminding him of by sending him pictures of how it looks on TV.

James Harden had a strong offensive showing as well. His ability to seemingly generate a quality look each possession was once again on display in combination with his own shot-creation skills. This led to him scoring 26 points on 8-16 shooting with seven assists.

Harden had another ridiculous assist. This time, it was a jumping, behind-the-back bounce pass from the restricted area to the three-point arc that had far more zip on it than seemed humanly possible.

“I better make it,” Strus said when asked about what he was thinking when he saw that pass. “That was unbelievable. He put it right in the pocket too.”

Sam Merrill is making the most of his opportunity in the starting lineup with Allen still sidelined. He had another impressive performance as he scored 19 points with most of his damage coming inside. Merrill went 4-5 on shots in the paint and got to the line for six free-throw attempts.

“He drives like his Giannis,” Mitchell joked. “I don’t know where this came from.”

Being more comfortable finishing inside has been a focus for Merrill going back to the offseason. He spoke at media day about wanting to “diversify” his game. He’s done that and made himself an indispensable part of the team as a result.

There’s a conversation to be had about whether Merrill should stay in the starting lineup when the team is fully healthy based on how well he’s fit offensively. The Cavs are in the 99th percentile for offensive rating (127.8) when Harden, Mitchell, and Merrill share the floor. That’s good enough to outscore teams by 9.9 points per 100 possessions (90th percentile).

More importantly, Merrill has made significant strides to become a more complete basketball player. When he first joined the Cavs, defense was an issue. He spent multiple years working on that until he proved that he can more than hold his own on that end. Now we see the effort he’s put in to be a more capable three-level scorer really paying off.

That work ethic has allowed him to go from a speciality role player to someone who fits perfectly in every context.

“The growth he’s had in his game and the confidence level he’s raised has been special to watch,” Strus said. “Sam’s a hell of a basketball player and people don’t give him a lot of credit. He can do a ot more than shooting. I’m so glad he’s putting that on display for everyone.”

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

This week’s question is asking you to decide what player loss hurt the Rockets the most. The team has generally underachieved since Kevin Durant came to H-town, and there are multiple reasons why. Here are a few of them:

The first is the loss of Dillion Brooks, which had a much bigger effect on Houston’s defensive identity than expected. Houston lost perhaps it’s toughest wing defender and best tone-setter for the stifling defensive squad they were last year.

The loss of Fred VanVleet. The Rockets lost their floor general and the man who runs the offense, leaving them disjointed at important times.

The loss of Steve Adams. The Rockets became an offensive rebounding team this season, and when Adams went down, they lost their best rebounder and interior defender, with no one left capable of filling that role full-time. Cint Capela’s minutes are limited.

All three losses affected the team this year. Which one the most? You tell us.

We will be back soon with the results!

Dunks are always worth two points, or at most three if you’re fouled, complete the dunk and add the free throw.

The math is different for Coen Carr and Michigan State.

“Like, his dunks are worth 10 points because they bring so much to the entire team,” Spartans guard Trey Fort said.

Or “more than two, at least,” said freshman forward Jordan Scott.

Their math is iffy, but this much is certain: Carr, a 6-foot-6 junior and first-year starter, brings a certain explosiveness that triggers the Spartans’ momentum, giving Michigan State a puncher’s chance of surviving and advancing through a loaded East region.

He had one of the best games of his career in the second round against No. 6 Louisville, posting 21 points and 10 rebounds to pace the 77-69 win and send the Spartans back to the Sweet 16 for the 17th time under Tom Izzo.

“Coen Carr played like the player we've all been waiting for," Izzo said. “Coen was like an ever-ready bunny, he just kept going and going and going."

RE-SEEDING THE SWEET 16: Separating the contenders from pretenders

As proved over the first weekend of tournament play, an active and aggressive Carr could give the Spartans the jolt they need to make the program’s ninth Final Four under Izzo.

“Just to be in March Madness, one of the greatest stages on earth, and to have a game like this, I just credit it to my coaches, my teammates, just for always believing in me,” Carr after the Louisville win. “They want me to go out there and be aggressive, and that's what I tried to focus on.”

If the performance matches the coaching talent, then this Sweet 16 will be elite.

This NCAA Tournament didn't give us much in the way of Cinderella. Instead, we'll see a who's who list of coaches from Power conferences this week. As good as players like Darius Acuff Jr. and Cameron Boozer are, the coaches supply the top star power in this March Madness.

RE-SEEDING THE SWEET 16: Separating the contenders from pretenders

Here's my ranking of the Sweet 16 coaches, with the caveat there's no true weak link on this list:

SAN DIEGO – Before he had even turned 45 years old, coach Rick Pitino published a book in 1997 that included his advice about aging.

“The older we get, the more we must change,” said the book entitled Success is a Choice. “Change is what keeps us fresh and innovative. Change is what keeps us from getting stale and stuck in a rut. Change is what keeps us young.”

Nearly 30 years later, we can see what he means. Pitino, now 73, is taking St. John’s to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men's basketball tournament on Friday against No. 1-seed Duke. It’s the fourth school he’s taken to the Sweet 16. It’s also the fifth decade he’s taken a team this far.

RE-SEEDING THE SWEET16: Separating the contenders from pretenders

So how does he do it?

Part of it relates to that advice in his book. But there’s more. And much of it was on display in San Diego recently, when his team won two NCAA Tournament games. Here are five traits that set him apart, backed by evidence and anecdotes from the past weekend:

While the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament delivered mostly chalk results, there are a few surprises in the Sweet 16, led by No. 11 seed Texas and No. 9 Iowa.

The Longhorns, while not much of a Cinderella due to its school's stature as one of the most well-known brands in college sports, has already won three games in the Big Dance, after taking down NC State in the First Four before upsetting No. 6 BYU and No. 3 Gonzaga to set up a bout with No. 2 Purdue.

Re-seeding Sweet 16 teams: Separating the contenders from pretenders

No. 9 Iowa, meanwhile, has the upset of the NCAA Tournament so far. The Hawkeyes defeated No. 1 Florida 73-72 on a game-winning 3-pointer from Alvaro Folgueiras for a spot against Big Ten-foe Nebraska in an all-Midwest matchup (in the South Region) — The Battle for the Corn.

Well, that was a fun first weekend. What other craziness is in store for the second one?

Sixteen teams remain in the Men's NCAA Tournament, and by the end of the weekend, four of them will be left and heading to Indianapolis. March Madness 2026 has delivered with some incredible finishes. There's every reason to believe the trend will continue in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.

Some of the bold predictions from the start of the tournament didn't materialize, but there were a few that did come true. So, it's time to take another swing and share the bold predictions of what will happen in the last push to the Final Four.

RE-SEEDING THE SWEET 16: Separating the contenders from pretenders

SWEET 16 PREDICTIONS: Experts pick who will advance in March Madness

Six teams still alive in the Men’s NCAA Tournament know what it’s like to hang a banner.

Connecticut has won six national championships during the tournament era, most recently with a back-to-back run in 2024, to tie North Carolina for the third-most in Division I history.

Duke has won five, most recently in 2015. Michigan State has won a pair, including under current coach Tom Izzo in 2000 — still the most recent title for the Big Ten. Arizona (1997), Arkansas (1994) and Michigan (1989) have one.

RE-SEEDING THE SWEET 16: Separating the contenders from pretenders