Last week Luke Kornet made headlines by speaking out against the Atlanta Hawk’s “Magic City Night” theme. The ATL gentleman’s club has received shout outs in numerous rap and hip-hop songs. The hot spot is also known for lemon-pepper wings.

Jared Weiss of the The Athletic ran into Kornet as he was writing a post on his blog shortly after the Spurs loss in New York last month.

The former Celtics center started his blog during the 2022-2023 season. Kornet, a lifelong Catholic, decided to write about the churches he visited while on the road playing basketball.

On January 23, 2023, he introduced himself with the post “Don’t Pass the Rock: The Catholic Churches of the 2022-23 NBA Season” showcasing his wit, humor, and penchant for the pun.

Kornet posts three more “Don’t Pass the Rock” pieces in 2023 before going dark…until now.

On January 26, 2026, three years and three days after launching his initial post, he submitted “Don’t Pass the Rock: Back in the Saddle,” stating “I’m back trying to find my voice.”

And found it, he has.

Kornet’s self-effacing humor was apparent from the get-go in San Antonio. When signing with the Spurs he chose #7, stating his goal to become one-third the player Tim Duncan was. His fascination with places of worship came through an authentic tone, but his personal writing peels back layer after layer of his “self” and how that has played out in the basketball world.

Last month, Kornet released “Luke’s Declassified Spurs Survival Guide” after losing to the Chrlotte Hornets:

“The problems persist and our voyage seems increasingly destined for failure. Morale hangs by a thread and rations are low. Most notably the water pipe is frozen meaning no coffee and therefore no caffeine, the elixir of hope. Withdrawal headaches have led to infighting and I’m concerned factions are beginning to form. So fragile the human condition. At the first sight of death, fear manifests and people’s true colors are shown. We fear if conditions worsen and hunger grows certain….sacrifices may need to be made. I vote a rookie. Their offering will be remembered and a small donation to a food bank will be made in their memory.”

The trials and tribulations surrounding the Spurs snow-laden Charlotte game followed by the arduous journey home for the second night of a back-to-back told through a most humorous tone.

He followed up a few days later with a heartfelt proclamation of what the NBA trade deadline meant to many players as well as what it has meant to him in the past.

Next came some musings regarding the Super Bowl and Mike Vrabel.

On February 23, he posted his tribute to the Bus 1 Boys, the guys at the far end of the bench hoping to get their name called during the game so they can shine on the court.

And then, of course, his most recent — and least humorous share — “Concerning the Atlanta Hawks.”

Without Weiss crossing his path in the locker room and asking him what he was up to, Kornet’s disquiet for the event may have been limited to his 993 followers. Instead, he spoke on camera and was picked up by multiple news sources, including The New Yorker. He took criticism from players, pundits, and fans for his take. But it is of no matter.

If Luke Kornet has something on his mind he will say it, and say it well.

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Kentucky Basketball’s coaching staff continues to explore new recruiting avenues, and one potential addition to the roster in the future is G League guard Dink Pate.

According to Jacob Polacheck of KSR, Pate is expected to have a Zoom meeting with the Kentucky staff within the next week. The meeting comes after head coach Mark Pope recently traveled to Philadelphia to see Pate in person while he plays with the Westchester Knicks.

The 6-foot-7 point guard has expressed interest in transitioning to college basketball for the 2026 season.

“I’m going to college, but I’m not set in stone on any school,” Pate told Polacheck of KSR+ in January. “If UK likes me, that’s where I want to go.”

Pate has a connection with Kentucky through assistant coach Jason Hart, who coached him during the 2023–24 season with the NBA G League Ignite. Pate joined Ignite in 2023 and became the youngest professional basketball player in U.S. history.

This season with the Westchester Knicks, Pate has appeared in 27 games, averaging 16.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, while shooting 37.7 percent from 3-point range.

One to watch for.

The Houston Rockets had a gut check game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday and failed miserably, being dominated by the Spurs, who shot 58 percent from the field, to the tune of a 145-120 San Antonio victory.

The Rockets had no defense, as the Spurs got pretty much whatever they wanted, with Victor Wembenyama leading the way with 29 points, and they also got 23 from Stephon Castle and 20 each from Keldon Johnson and De’Aaron Fox, who also had 10 assists.

As for the Rockets, they got 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks from Kevin Durant on 7-for-12 shooting from the field, as well as 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists from Amen Thompson, who was 8-for-15 from the floor.

Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. had 17 points each, with Reed going 3-for-10 from deep to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists, while Smith had 5 rebounds and 3 assists to round out Houston’s double-digit scorers.

The Rockets showed that they were not quite on par with some of the west’s best, as they lost the season series to San Antonio 3-1. They also fall to the fourth seed in the west with a 39-24 record, on pace for a slightly worse record than last season. If they playoffs ended today, the Rockeys would take on the Los Angeles Lakers, which is an admittedly good matchup for them, but do you have any real faith in the Rockets going anywhere this postseason? I know that I do not.

But it could also get worse. The Rockets are only two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns for a Play-In spot. Falling down to the Play-In is not out of the question.

The Rockets need to find an answer for the shooting discrepency. They were just 8-for-28 from deep, while the Spurs were 21-for-40. That’s almost a 40-point swing on three-point shooting alone. You’re not going to win much basketball that way.

Anyway, the Rockets will return to action on Tuesday with a home game against the Toronto Raptors. That’s a 7pm CST start.

The Wizards lost their eighth in a row — this time a semi-competitive that transmogrified into a New Orleans Pelicans blowout.

This game highlighted what different incentives does to teams. During the 2025 draft, the Pelicans traded this year’s first round pick in a deal to acquire Maryland center Derik Queen. New Orleans was terrible for a long stretch of the season — at times they sported the league’s worst winning percentage.

With the pick out the door, they have no reason to remain awful. And, as they’ve gotten healthier and adjusted the rotation to get minutes to better players, they’ve improved — postingt an 11-9 record over their last 20 games. Not exactly a juggernaut, but there’s at least an outline of a potentially decent team next season.

Washington has just six wins over their last 20, and they’re likely chiding themselves for winning even that much. They’ve treated games like exhibition season, sitting anyone with even the mildest of injuries, keeping healthy youngsters on tight minutes restrictions, and using what amounts to G-League lineups for long stretches of games.

This is smart. To increase their chances of being good in the future, the team needs to lose a lot now. I remind myself of these facts every game because…well…the actual basketball gets brutal to watch. One fun aspect of watching a young and rebuilding team is seeing those youngsters try hard, make mistakes, and learn. The imperative to lose games, which leads to curtailing minutes for kids who figure to be part of the rotation when the team is competitive again in the near(ish) future, which means a) we don’t get to see them as much, and (worse) b) they get fewer opportunities to learn and grow.

One other thing that intentionally losing sometimes does is cause players to play with lesser effort and mental focus. The “little things” just don’t matter as much when you know you’re going to lose. I think I see some of that in Wizards games lately, and I’ve been trying to convince myself it’s mostly coming from players who won’t be around next season.

But I’m also seeing some stuff from kids who should be around, so…yeah I’m a little concerned about it.

Thoughts & Observations

• Alex Sarr was back in the starting lineup. The offense was rusty, and his teammates kept him busy defensively.
• Last game, I wrote a bit about how bad Leaky Black was on defense. He was just as bad against New Orleans. His name shows up a lot in my notes from last night’s game.
• Lest anyone think I’m picking on Black, I have to say that Trae Young’s defense is shockingly awful. I mean, I’ve seen him play terrible defense in Atlanta. As an example, in the first quarter, he got switched onto Saddiq Bey in the post. I’d have been fine if Bey used his superior height to shoot over Young or strength to bully-ball him into the basket. But Young got out-quicked. Yikes.
• Speaking of Young, New Orleans repeatedly did the force a switch to attack Young thing, and it worked quite well for them. He’s a problem defensively the Wizards might be able to overcome with Sarr and Anthony Davis patrolling the paint — at least to the extent that opponent offensive scheming allows that to happen.
• Young is also a terrific passer, at least when he’s focused on making good passes instead of showboating. He produced eight assists, and set up teammates for several other open looks, which they missed.
• Want to see a bad defensive possession? At 6:41 of the first quarter, Zion Williamson drives on Bilal Coulibaly, who does an okay job of at least staying in contact with Williamson. Black was low man and should have been stepping up. He got there late and gave a classic “ole” effort. Tre Johnson was weakside low man and did absolutely nothing on the play.
• Throughout the night, Wizards bigs (JuJu Reese and Anthony Gill) were playing deep drop coverage in pick-and-rolls where Trey Murphy III was the ball handler. This baffled me because Murphy is a great three-point shooter. The Wizards were conceding open threes to one of the game’s better three-point shooters. Even if you’re playing drop and don’t want to switch, that big should still be at the level of the screen.
• Late in the first quarter, Sharife Cooper ran a 2-on-1 fastbreak I loved. The New Orleans defender kept giving ground, so Cooper kept the ball. When he got almost to the rim, the defender finally committed, and Cooper dropped the ball off to Will Riley for an easy bucket. I liked the patience Cooper showed — staying under control, forcing the defender to make a decision, and then giving a teammate a simple play to make.
• I think there’s some fairly low-hanging fruit that might help Jaden Hardy shoot more accurately. Even when wide-open from deep, he tends to twist a little and fade as he jumps. Better balance and a more controlled jump could boost his percentage.
• The Pelicans attacked the paint relentlessly and generated 47 free throw attempts as a result. They had 36 free throw attempts in the first half.
• With 4:20 left in the second quarter, the Wizards ran a pindown for Trae Young, which produced an open three. I liked them using Young off-ball. More please.
• Dejounte Murray was too athletic for any of the perimeter defenders the Wizards had available last night — Johnson, Young, and Bub Carrington are all too small, too weak, and too slow to guard him. The team’s best defender against a player like Murray is Coulibaly, but they had him on Williamson much of the evening.
• The third quarter contained some truly egregious defensive plays. Williamson drove on Black, who provided no resistance at the point of attack.
  • On the first, Reese was low man, and Johnson was in help position at the elbow. What should have happened was Reese helping hard, and Johnson dropping into a zone to cover the weakside corner and wing. What did happen was that neither Reese nor Johnson even moved.
  • On the second, it was Reese and Carrington not reacting to Williamson’s drive.
  • On the third, Riley helped hard from the weakside and Black fouled. While the result wasn’t great, Riley at least played the scheme correctly,
• One other defensive possession I didn’t like — Reese jogging back in transition and arriving too late to contest a Bryce McGowens dunk.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

Jaxson Hayes remembered the bruising the Lakers got at Madison Square Garden a month ago when the New York Knicks bullied them on the boards, outscored them by 14 in the second half and had six players score in double figures. Hayes was happy to return the favor Sunday in the Lakers’ 110-97 win at Crypto.com Arena.

“I just feel like we owed them that one,” the Lakers center said.

The wire-to-wire win over the Knicks (41-24) was only the second time since early November that the Lakers (39-25) recorded a win over a team with a record of .600 or better. They improved to 5-12 against such teams after losing 12 of their last 13 games against the league's upper echelon. With the win and a tiebreaker against Denver, the Lakers moved into fifth in the Western Conference. They play fourth-place Minnesota (40-24) on Tuesday.

Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s win:

Lakers show their playoff mentality

Hayes crawled across the floor for loose balls. Marcus Smart stepped in front of driving opponents. Jarred Vanderbilt leaped into the laps of front-row fans.

With energy and focus from every player, the Lakers delivered one of their best defensive efforts of the season despite circumstances that could have made Sunday's game a snoozer.

The Lakers were playing their third game in four days. Losing an hour of sleep because of daylight saving time had Rui Hachimura sleepwalking into the arena Sunday morning for a 12:30 p.m. tip. Hoping to wake himself up, the Lakers forward said he got into the hot tub when he arrived.

Players tried to hype themselves up in the locker room by blasting music. Instead of listing three defensive keys before the game, coaches whittled the game plan to one focus: multiple efforts.

Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves carry LeBron-less Lakers to win over Knicks

“It wasn't gonna be an offensive game,” coach JJ Redick said. “This was gonna be a gritty, tough game that we had to win with effort. And we did that."

Smart led that effort with a game-high plus-27 in 29 minutes and 17 seconds. He drew two charges. His signature moment didn't even show up in the game play-by-play. After Luka Doncic turned the ball over with 2.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Smart hustled back to force Jordan Clarkson to pass the ball at the buzzer, keeping the Knicks from getting a last-second layup attempt. Smart walked to the bench with his arms extended like a defensive back who had just broken up a touchdown pass.

The Knicks were held to less than 100 points for only the seventh time and had their fourth-worst three-point shooting performance of the season, going eight for 34. The Lakers went nearly five minutes without scoring in the fourth quarter, but held on by forcing eight turnovers.

“It was not a perfect game,” said Doncic, who led the Lakers with 35 points on 11-for-25 shooting. “But we fight at the defensive end. I think we did a great job. It says a lot about the team, bringing this much energy in a game like this.”

Deandre Ayton stands out in return

Returning from left knee soreness that kept him out for one game, Deandre Ayton had a quiet six-point, eight-rebound stat line, but he made a loud statement early by setting the tone with his activity in the first quarter.

Often criticized for his inconsistent effort, the 7-foot center scrambled for an offensive rebound to set up a second-chance three-pointer from Austin Reaves, combined with Hachimura to swat away a layup attempt from Josh Hart and blocked a shot from Karl-Anthony Towns all in the first three minutes. He caught a lob from Doncic that forced the Knicks to take an early timeout.

“I thought he played really hard tonight,” Redick said. “He was great."

Read more:Luka Doncic joins elite Lakers company with 44-point effort in win over Pacers

Ayton was limited to only four minutes and 30 seconds in Thursday’s loss to Denver after he felt discomfort in his left knee. Behind Ayton, Hayes has continued his career season. Not far behind Ayton’s 19 minutes and 55 seconds of playing time, Hayes played 16 minutes and 38 seconds off the bench Sunday with five points — all on free throws as he attacked the rim for high-flying dunk attempts — four rebounds and one steal.

LeBron James, who suffered an elbow contusion in the final minutes against Denver, did not play Sunday, missing his second consecutive game. Redick said Friday he expected James could return against the Knicks, but he was ruled out shortly before tip-off.

JJ Redick won't 'overreact'

With the Lakers having struggled against top competition all season, Sunday’s victory was the type of statement win they were looking for. In Redick’s previous career, it may have led him to serve up hot takes on a podcast or on television. If he were a fan, maybe he would be loudly celebrating only to turn around on the next loss and cry the way he did when he was a child watching Duke.

But not as an NBA coach.

“I'm not in a position where I can overreact,” Redick said when asked about the significance of a gritty win for a team that hasn’t accumulated many of them this season. “You guys do that. The fans, rightfully so, should always overreact. It's what makes fandom so awesome. ... My job is not to overreact.”

The Lakers are 15-9 in their last 24 games, Redick said matter-of-factly. They’re ranked eighth in offense and 14th in defense over that span.

Read more:LeBron James breaks another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record, but hurts his elbow in loss

It’s close to what the Lakers envisioned for their team entering the season.

With 18 games remaining, the Lakers could still earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They’re only one game behind third-place Houston (39-23) and play the Rockets twice next week. This week, they have two more games against Western Conference foes battling for playoff position with Minnesota (40-24) on Tuesday and Denver (39-25) on Saturday.

“Every game is going to matter,” said Hachimura, who had 13 points and seven rebounds while starting in place of James. “We gotta get one by one. We have a big week coming up too. So I think today's game was great. We needed it.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

MUENSTER, Germany (AP) — A masked fan has unplugged the referee's video review monitor at a German soccer game while the referee was deciding on a penalty, in an apparent protest against VAR technology.

The unidentified fan came out of the stands and unplugged the monitor which referee Felix Bickel was trying to use to decide on a penalty in Sunday's second-division game between Preussen Muenster and Hertha Berlin, Muenster said in a statement.

TV footage showed a person in white overalls and a ski mask in Muenster green climbing back into the home fans' stand.

It didn't stop the decision going against the home team as video assistant referee Katrin Rafalski was able to decide remotely and communicated that decision to Bickel. Hertha's Fabian Reese scored the penalty, the opening goal of a 2-1 win.

Muenster said it “regrets the incident and will do everything it can to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators and bring them to justice,” and added it would take steps to stop the incident happening again.

“Initial findings indicate that this was a planned action,” Muenster added. A photo in German media showed home fans displaying a large banner with a message reading “Pull the plug on VAR.”

Muenster captain Jorrit Hendrix said he was happy about the incident, though.

“It shows how the fans experience things and that they want to do everything to win the game,” he said in comments broadcast by TV show Sportschau. “If they can do something to influence it, they do that. I completely understand it and think it's a good thing.”

Ever since VAR was introduced in German soccer in 2017, it's been controversial among fans. Many see video review delays as an unwelcome interruption to the flow of the game.

___

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

Get ready for another boring run to the men's Final Four.

What makes March Madness such a spectacle is the unpredictability. Each game can throw away everything we know about the season, allowing Cinderellas to shine and Goliaths to falter. That didn't happen much last year en route to all four No. 1 seeds making the Final Four for just the second time in history.

This season, there is no doubt of who has separated themselves from the rest of the field. Duke, Arizona and Michigan are in a class of their own. They awaited who would join them as the fourth member, and it was answered in the regular-season finale with Florida.

March Madness favorites: Ranking top 20 teams based on odds

March Madness bracketology: Latest NCAA tournament bubble predictions

All No. 1 seed dominance? Guess what? It's going to happen again in 2026.

It sounds crazy to declare who will be in the Final Four before the bracket and matchups are revealed, but it's not hard to understand why it will be Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida.

Duke, Michigan and Arizona have been the most consistent. It felt like they could have gone undefeated, and they each finished the regular season 29-2. Florida didn't have an amazing start, but finished on a 16-1 stretch as it obliterated the SEC to end 25-6 overall.

It's one thing to win a lot, but it's another to do it against quality teams. Look at each of their Quad 1 records, as they are conveniently the top four teams in the NET rankings:

• Duke: 15-2
• Michigan: 14-2
• Arizona: 15-2
• Florida: 11-5

These are the only teams win double-digit Quad 1 wins.

Still need more proof? Look at how they're winning these games. These four make up the top eight teams in the country in average scoring margin; Duke wins by 20 points (1st), Michigan by 19 (5th), Arizona by 18 (6th) and Florida by 16 (T-7th). The Blue Devils and Gators made a joke of the ACC and SEC, the Wolverines handled the loaded Big Ten and the Wildcats made the Big 12 gauntlet look like a stroll in the park. It's a type of consistency we saw exactly a year ago with Florida, Houston, Duke and Auburn.

That's why the 2026 tournament is theirs to lose. All it takes is an off night to end a season in 40 minutes. However, these teams haven't had many of those, any everyone else can't say the same.

There are plenty of other teams that have Final Four capabilities, like Connecticut, Iowa State, Houston and Michigan State. The issue though is these teams have shown they can't be trusted. They've each had their own problems, whether it's losing to teams it shouldn't, or going on extended cold streaks.

Oh, and they've all had a chance to play against the Final Four shoe-ins. Only the Huskies were able to beat Florida, all the way back in December when it was much different Gators team.

This isn't saying the tournament won't be eventful. There is bound to be the double-digit seed first round upset or surprise run to the second weekend. Just don't expect it to be at the expense of the No. 1 seeds. Their games may be snoozers.

While it may take out the thrill of it, save the popcorn for when those four teams meet in Indianapolis, because it will be captivating, must-see TV. We already got a preview when Michigan and Duke met in late February, a thriller in the nation's capital. Imagine that happening again with the national championship on the line?

After happening only once in 45 tournaments, does having an all-No. 1 seed Final Four in back-to-back years show parity is dying in a tournament built on it? Not really, it's just the teams that are really good, are in fact, really good.

It's almost become comical how superior each of the projected No. 1 seeds have been. So much so the conference tournaments won't have an effect on their March Madness outlook.

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is for the taking of the Blue Devils, Wildcats, Wolverines and Gators. The other 64 teams are going to need the night of their lives — and then some — to alter the path.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 March Madness can expect four No. 1 seeds in Final Four again

The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed in less than a week, and there is still plenty of shifting happening before teams find out where they will be seeded in the Big Dance — or in it at all.

The conclusion of the regular season highlighted how drastic fortunes can change heading into March Madness. Get hot, and you can soar up the seed line and away from the bubble, while others are dropping toward unfavorable spots and at risk of missing out on the tournament.

March Madness automatic bids: Who is in NCAA tournament field of 68?

Now, the chance to improve stock is limited in championship week, heightening the importance of having a big showing to get in the good graces of the selection committee. Here are the teams rising and falling based on the final games of the regular season and the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology as conference tournaments begin.

March Madness teams rising

Florida

Current projected seed: No. 1 seed (South)

There may be no team more dangerous than the defending national champions, which has ascended to becoming a top seed for the second straight year. The Gators finished the regular season with 11 straight wins. What's impressive is all but two of them were double-digit wins and seven of them were Quad 1 games. Florida had been neck-and-neck with Connecticut for the last No. 1 seed, and the Huskies losing to Marquette opened the door for the Gators to claim the inside track to Selection Sunday, on a warpath to keep its crown.

Michigan State

Current projected seed: No. 2 (East)

While the No. 1 seeds seem virtually locked up, it's a fight for the No. 2 spot. However, Michigan State is separating itself and assuring it gets the seed for the second straight season. The Spartans won five consecutive games, including a major victory at Purdue and picking up another road victory at Indiana. A win over Michigan would have been the perfect ending, but they put up a worthy fight in the loss to keep the good times going.

Wisconsin

Current projected seed: No. 6 (South)

Hot shooting has pushed Wisconsin onward. The Badgers have responded correctly from the head-scratching performance against Oregon with three wins to close the regular season; it started with a Quad 1 win at Washington and ended with another huge result at Purdue. Wisconsin is in a better position than what it was in a month ago, going all the way from a No. 9 seed to now in position for a sixth. If it can keep the momentum rolling, it can find itself moving up another seed line.

TCU

Current projected seed: No. 8 (Midwest)

There isn't a need to worry about making the tournament as TCU has assured itself a spot in the bracket. It's come a long way from the season-opening loss to New Orleans, finishing the season with five straight wins. The last week couldn't have been better, getting wins against hot teams in ranked Texas Tech and Cincinnati. For nearly the entire season, the Horned Frogs were around the bubble, but the recent success has propelled them to a single-digit seed and on track to return to the tournament.

UCLA

Current projected seed: No. 10 (South)

After teetering on the bubble for much of conference play, UCLA has put itself in comfortable position. The Bruins pretty much wiped away the win against Illinois with a loss at Minnesota, but recovered immediately with an emphatic victory against Nebraska to get themselves back on track. They then beat rival Southern California to punctuate a sixth place finish in the Big Ten. UCLA has distance itself enough away from the cutline and can plan to be playing in the tournament once again.

March Madness teams falling

Connecticut

Current projected seed: No. 2 (South)

A No. 1 seed was UConn's for the taking but Huskies have given it right up after an ugly loss at Marquette. It capped off what has been a strange past couple of weeks. It dominated St. John's, but suffered a Quad 3 loss to Creighton and then finished the regular season with a Quad 2 loss to the Golden Eagles. That gave Florida a chance to take UConn's spot, and the Gators didn't mess up their opportunity. The Huskies do remain a national title contender, but losing the No. 1 seed shows how this team can't be fully trusted as much as the other favorites.

BYU

Current projected seed: No. 7 (West)

After starting the season 17-2, the Cougars have gone 4-8 since then and have struggled to adjust without Richie Saunders, who suffered a season-ending injury on Feb. 15. That stretch has included blowout losses to UCF and Cincinnati, resulting in a stunning 10th place finish in the Big 12. At least it was salvaged by getting a win over Texas Tech in the home finale. BYU has gone from being a top 16 overall seed to now trying to stay in the top half of the bracket, with a great chance of not making it out of the first round.

UCF

Current projected seed: No. 10 (East)

A statement victory at BYU that effectively cemented UCF as a a tournament team has lost some spark with a three-game losing skid to end the regular season. It had a Quad 2 loss against Baylor and ugly Quad 3 defeat to Oklahoma State. Then a real struggle at West Virginia meant a missed chance to get a Quad 1 win, finishing with a 5-6 record in the category. The Knights aren't in danger of missing the field, but are now putting themselves in the double-digit seed area, which wasn't the trajectory a few weeks ago.

Missouri

Current projected seed: No. 11 (East)

It's gotten really uncomfortable for Missouri with the Tigers losing the last two games of the regular season. A blowout loss at Oklahoma was disastrous but it could have been redeemed with a Quad 1 game against Arkansas. Instead, the Tigers couldn't hold on and fell to the Razorbacks in overtime. Missouri entered the weekend as a No. 11 seed and likely stays one, but its now in the conversation for the First Four. Even with five Quad 1 wins, being No. 59 in the NET rankings really hurts the chances and it now needs at least one win the SEC tournament to feel confident.

SMU

Current projected seed: No. 11 (Midwest, last four in)

The Mustangs have spent all of 2026 as tournament team. Now, it doesn't look like one. SMU lost its fourth straight game — all Quad 1 chances — which include two defeats to teams that aren't in the March Madness conversation. What's worse is the Mustangs have been blown out in nearly every defeat, finished with a 13-point loss at Florida State. They had slid to the First Four picture, but another confusing loss pushes them toward missing the tournament. Now having to play in the first round of the ACC tournament, SMU needs at least two wins in Charlotte. re

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket: Teams rising, falling in NCAA seed predictions