The hosts must conjure the spirit of their last title triumph, 27 years ago, when the sides meet at Murrayfield
Even now, 27 years on, Kenny Logan still remembers how good it felt. Back in 1999, as this year, Scotland were title outsiders before a crunch fixture against the defending champions, France. Beneath a bright blue Parisian sky they gloriously ripped up the script with five first-half tries and, thanks to England’s late implosion against Wales at Wembley a day later, hoisted the trophy at Murrayfield in front of 15,000 fans on the Monday.
For Logan, who landed five successful kicks on that famous afternoon, the timeless lessons of the story are twofold. The first is that Scotland have failed to win the tournament since; and the second is that, at times like this, fortune favours the brave: “When we went to France that year we took the game to them. That’s what Scotland will do this weekend – and probably do it better than we could.”
Things aren’t looking particularly good for the Florida Panthers and their hopes of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
Following Florida’s 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, the third straight for the Panthers, they fell 10 points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
It wasn’t that long ago that Florida was in a much better position with solid prospects of making the playoffs.
After winning a third straight game on Jan. 25, the Panthers were just three points out of a playoff spot with 31 games remaining on their schedule.
They have played 10 games since then, losing eight of them and leaving any hopes at reaching the postseason into extremely critical condition.
With the NHL’s annual Trade Deadline looming on Friday, it seems the Panthers may have played themselves out of being buyers and instead may be looking toward the future.
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Florida may be taking a selling position at the deadline.
The Panthers lost again last night and my understanding is they've made the decision to be sellers as far as listening on pending UFAs, which most notably include the likes of AJ. Greer and Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky has a 16-team no-trade list. Doesn't mean he will be dealt…
That means pending unrestricted free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and A.J. Greer could be prime targets for teams looking to bolster their rosters ahead of the playoffs.
Greer, 29, is having the best season of his nine spent in the NHL, racking up career highs in goals (11) and points (22), and he’ll likely set a new mark for shots on goal in a season as well (he needs nine shots to break last season’s total of 86).
Bobrovsky, on the other hand, is having a regular season to forget.
Following Tuesday’s defeat to the Devils, Bobrovsky’s record dropped to 22-19-1. Through 43 appearance, Bob has skated to a career-worst .873 save percentage, and the only season he had with a higher GAA (goals against average) than his current 3.13 was during his first year with the Panthers, when it was 3.23.
Not since his second season in the NHL has Bobrovsky, who is 37 years old, had a save percentage lower than .900.
But Bobrovsky’s recent play during the postseason, where he’s been excellent, will keep him in high regard among potential playoff teams looking for help in the goaltending department.
While helping lead the Panthers to three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, Bobrovsky has been lights out between the pipes, cementing his place as one of the NHL’s all time great goaltenders and playoff performers.
He struggles this season could also be attributed to Florida playing with a roster missing several of their key pieces, as Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Dmitry Kulikov and Tomas Nosek all missed months upon months, with Tkahcuk only returning in January and Kulikov and Nosek in the past week, while Barkov remains on LTIR.
The thing about Bobrovsky is that he has a 16-team no-trade list attached to his contract, and he and his family are very happy in South Florida.
It’s where he and his wife Olya have started their family, with two daughters joining the Bobrovsky clan in recent years, and where Bobrovsky has reportedly said he wants to continue his career beyond his current contract.
How all of this plays out in the coming 48 hours will be very interesting to watch unfold.
Photo caption: Jan 8, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Florida Panthers Sergei Sergei Bobrovsky (72) sprays his face with water against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)
The Houston Astros (1-6-3) travel to Sarasota to take on the Baltimore Orioles (5-4-1) in Grapefruit League action.
LHP Colton Gordon will make his third appearance of the Spring for the Astros, while RHP Shane Baz will take the mound for the Orioles.
TODAY’S STARTER: LHP Colton Gordon is coming off a productive rookie season, where he recorded a 5.34 ERA (51ER/86IP) in 20 games, including 14 starts for the Astros. Entered the 2025 season as the one of the Astros top pitching prospects and finished the 2025 season with the third most starts in the Astros rotation. Among AL rookies in 2025, he ranked first in walks per nine innings (1.99) and first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.79).
TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP AJ Blubaugh, RHP Alimber Santa and RHP Miguel Ullola.
CAMP BY THE NUMBERS: The Astros have 61 players in camp, including a full 40-man roster and 21 non-roster invitees. 34 pitchers, seven catchers, 11 infielders and nine outfielders.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, March 4, 12:05 p.m. CST
The New York Knicks (40*-22) host the Oklahoma City Thunder (48–15) tonight at Madison Square Garden, both on the second night of back-to-backs. Yesterday in Toronto, the Knicks fought the Raptors to the end for victory, while the Thunder beat the Bulls in Chicago. Both teams have won three in a row.
They last met on January 10, 2025, when Oklahoma City rolled to a 126–101 victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 39 points and controlled the game from start to finish. Josh Hart grabbed 13 rebounds in the loss.
The Thunder hold the league’s best record and have been a juggernaut all season. They rank near the top of the NBA in both offensive and defensive efficiency, scoring roughly 119 points per game while allowing about 108, giving them the league’s best net rating. The engine behind that success is MVP candidate Gilgeous-Alexander, averaging around 31.8 points and 6.4 assists per game. Chet Holmgren provides interior defense and versatility, contributing about 17 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per night. Jalen Williams (17.5 PPG) has been another dynamic scoring option despite poor long-range shooting, while Luguentz Dort supplies the defense and trips.
OKC is expected to start SGA at guard alongside Cason Wallace (9 PTS), Dort, Holmgren, and Isaiah Joe (11 PPG, 42% 3P%) if Isaiah Hartenstein (10.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG) sits with a calf issue.
On the injury front, Miles McBride remain out for the home team. The Thunder enter somewhat banged up: SGA, iHart, and Ajay Mitchell are listed day-to-day, while Jalen Williams is sidelined with a hamstring issue.
Prediction
ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Knicks a 52% edge at home. We’ll take it. SGA, Hartenstein, and Jalen Williams all rested last night in Chicago, and I can’t think of a compelling reason why coach Mark Daigneault would rush anyone back for this interconference matchup. On our side, the Knicks have been locked in defensively and possessed by the spirit of cooperation of late, with all five starters scoring in double figures over the last three games. Factor in solid bench contributions from Landry Shamet, Mohamed Diawara, and Jose Alvarado, and the ‘Bockers look ready to challenge the mighty Thunder. Expect a little early fatigue, but watch our heroes catch fire mid-second quarter, grab the lead after halftime, and hold off a late push for a four-point win.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (40*-22) at Oklahoma City Thunder (48-15) Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 Time: 7 PM ET Place: Madison Square Garden, NYC TV: ESPN and MSG Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but NBA Cup wins evaporate in water.
For a team that values combativity, seeing Montreal Canadiens’ Kirby Dach’s nonchalant play in his own zone against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night should have set off a couple of alarms. In a recent interview on the Basu and Godin Notebook, Habs GM Kent Hughes explained that Montreal is after competitiveness from its players. He cited Brendan Gallagher, Cole Caufield, and Lane Hutson as examples of players who have what he’s looking for.
Seeing Dach be so easily dispossessed by Kiefer Sherwood last night was yet another example of a play where the 6-foot-4 and 221-pound winger didn’t look like he wanted the puck and was willing to do whatever it took to get it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a one-off. The Albertan might have been a third-overall pick for the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2019 draft, but he doesn’t always play like it.
Pretty inexcusable effort by Kirby Dach on this goal by the Sharks
There are nights when he looks really committed and plays well. In the 11 games he has played since his return from yet another injury, he has racked up six points, but he lacks consistency, and it’s hard to tell which version of Dach will turn up on any given night.
Given the key role Nick Suzuki’s line plays for the Canadiens, it needs to be firing on all cylinders for the Canadiens to be successful. Granted, Montreal has more secondary scoring than it once did, but the fact remains that life is much easier for the Habs when their top line is performing. On Tuesday night, Montreal scored five goals, but with Suzuki and Caufield finishing the night on a minus-three and Dach with a minus-two, the Canadiens still lost the game.
At 25 years old, and after 295 NHL games, Dach should know what it takes to play in the NHL, and he should be aware of the standard Martin St-Louis wants his men to meet. If it were up to me, Dach wouldn’t start the next game on Suzuki’s wing. I think it’s time to give Alex Newhook a look there. Granted, he doesn’t have the big frame that Dach or Juraj Slafkovsky have, he’s 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, but most of the time, he plays bigger than Dach and with a higher compete level.
Before returning from his fractured ankle, Newhook said he had trained to be able to hit the ground running on his return, and he wasn’t kidding. In three games, he has recorded four points, and his speed is right where it was before he was sidelined. When you watch him, you never ask yourself if he really wants that puck; it’s evident that he does.
If Martin St-Louis absolutely wants a big body on his first line, he could also put Slafkovsky back up there and have Newhook skate alongside Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov; that combination worked very well before the St. John’s native was injured. Newhook had 12 points in 16 games when he fractured his ankle. Furthermore, Slafkovsky has struggled since returning from the Olympics, and that move might help him as well.
Whichever way you look at it, Dach’s level of implication isn’t high enough to warrant playing on the first line with Suzuki and Caufield. The door might not be shut on that possibility forever, but as things stand, Newhook has put his foot right in there, and he deserves a look, much more than Dach.
Today we look at one of the Cubs’ camp arms, who might, MIGHT have a shot at the MLB bullpen. It’s up to him.
Jack Preston Neely came to the Cubs, along with on again/off-again Cub Ben Cowles, for Mark Leiter Jr. He’s got a live arm but tends to walk himself into trouble. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. He’s pitched a total of six innings for the Cubs during the regular season, resulting in a 9.00 ERA, 7 strikeouts, and a 1.67 WHIP.
In his MLB career, he’s pitched to a 4.85 ERA in 10 games, with one save, one hold, 9.1 innings pitched, 15 strikeouts, and 6 bases on balls. He’s given up 11 hits and two home runs, including statistics from this spring, where he hasn’t pitched badly or at length.
The 25-year-old 6’8”, 240 pound right-hander was picked in the 11th round of the 2021 draft by NYY from Ohio State. Neely was an Organization All-Star and a Post-Season All-Star for the Hudson Valley Renegades, a High-A affiliate of the Yankees. Other than his cups of coffee with the Yankees and Cubs, that’s pretty much a career retrospective.
He’s amassed a 0.2 bWAR (0.1 fWAR). Some projection systems have him reaching The Show this year, pitching in a few games, following the line of his career statistics. He’ll get some Ks, give up bases on balls and homers, and not really affect things one way or the other.
Not that he doesn’t have talent, but it’s never been harnessed to his advantage, due to his generosity with the free pass and the meatball. Another pitch would probably help. He throws a fastball in the mid-90s and a slider that runs about 85. Good disparity that a change or curve could set up admirably. His FB doesn’t have a lot of movement, so despite its velocity, batters wait on it and avoid the fast-breaking slider, which has a 35.5 inch vertical drop but not much lateral movement.
Neely is more or less a right-handed complement to Luke Little. Both are getting into the suspect class, but in the meantime, as they try to make The Show, both should remember the words of Ken Kesey.
“You’re either on the bus, or you’re off the bus.”
Defending national champion Florida has already wrapped up the No. 1 seed for next week's SEC tournament in Nashville (March 11-15). But the final regular season SEC gameday saw plenty of drama and conference tournament re-seeding.
Arkansas' overtime win over Missouri on Saturday lifted the Razorbacks to the No. 2 seed momentarily. But Alabama's win over Auburn later Saturday allowed the Crimson Tide to retake the second spot.
Kentucky's loss to Florida on Saturday means the Wildcats dropped to the 9-seed and have to play in Wednesday's first round.
Then things got really exciting. Oklahoma beat Texas in OT to secure the 11-seed, while Texas A&M needed three overtimes over last-place LSU on Saturday to clinch the No. 6 seed, a first-round bye and maybe earned its spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Mar 14, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Dominican Republic center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) hits a two-run double during the sixth inning against Israel at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Mariners fans, do you smell that in the air? Fresh cut grass, hot dogs fresh off the grill, it’s the signs that another spring training is here and the baseball season is on the horizon. While the Seahawks kept me happy this winter, my one true love is finally coming out of hibernation; baseball season is here!
Now that spring training is finally in full swing, we can ask about what you all think so far. There’s been no shortage of exciting performances, fun at-bats, or eye-popping velocity from Mariners prospects so far this spring. Yes, it seems the Mariners have come to play with solid outings from top prospects like Cole Young, all the way to veteran players looking for a second act like Patrick Wisdom. The Mariners’ farm system seems ripe for harvest at a time when this team seems to be on the precipice of something great. I’m excited, but what I wanna hear from you is who has impressed you so far this spring? I know it’s difficult to say, obviously, you don’t watch every game, you can’t see every play, and as I’ve stated before, I can’t list every option in the survey, but let us know via the survey below who you think has been the most impressive so far this spring. If you feel compelled to shout out a player who you don’t see here, feel free to do so in the comments!
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mariners fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Though it’s not just the regular season that’s around the corner, the return of competitive baseball will actually be the World Baseball Classic! As you may remember, a couple of weeks ago, I asked you all what Mariner you thought would do the best in the tournament. The results were unsurprising, to me at least:
I will say it’s a little tough for Muñoz to be in this poll because he is a relief pitcher, but I wanted to include players from different nations, and at least one pitcher, and it wouldn’t have felt right leaving out Cal or Julio. I can’t say I disagree with the poll’s findings either. As I said previously, I’m hopeful Julio can light it up for the DR and come out hot for the Mariners. I am surprised Cal didn’t do better. One would think, after last season, he could get a huge wave of support in terms of consistency of performance, but I guess the Dumper doesn’t have the mesmerizing effect I thought – or maybe our poll voters are bigger believers in the DR team’s chances? Let us know, was Julio your choice? Do you think Cal is gonna light up the whole tournament? Or do you have a dark horse pick you have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to talk about? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Finn Allen’s riotous 33-ball century propelled New Zealand to a stunning victory in Kolkata
Two in two balls! Ryan Rickelton slashes his first ball – a bit of a long hop in truth – straight to backward point and walks off shaking his head.
The offspinner Cole McConchie takes the new ball for only the second time in the competition – and the plan pays off in spade. De Kock skipped down to hit a majestic four but pulled the next ball high in the air and was easily taken at mid-on by Lockie Ferguson. That’s the fourth time in this World Cup that De Kock has been out to an offspinner.
Brazilian defender Matheus Thuler headed in the only goal as Vissel Kobe of Japan defeated FC Seoul of South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Elite's round of 16.
Leonardo Ruiz had a chance to equalize for Seoul but missed a penalty in the second half.
“I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t win,” Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong said. “We showed our fight to turn it around but the round of 16 is not over yet and I am confident that we will win the next game.”
Benjamin Mazzeo’s strike in injury time earned Australia’s Melbourne City a 1-1 draw with Buriram United ahead of next week’s second leg in Thailand, while Johor Darul Tazim of Malaysia beat Japanese side Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-1.
In the remaining fixture in the eastern half of the competition, South Korea’s Gangwon FC and Japan’s Machida Zelvia played out a 0-0 draw.
All matches from the quarterfinal stage onward are scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from April 16–25 but it's unclear when games in the western zone can resume.
Tonight at Madison Square Garden may well be a preview of the NBA Finals when the New York Knicks (40-22) take the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder (48-15).
Each team enters the game riding a three-game winning streak. Since the All-Star break, the Thunder have faced Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit, Denver and now the Knicks. The only loss thus far came at Detroit on February 25. The Knicks head west after the game to play Denver and the Lakers later this week.
The Thunder own the best record in the NBA and lead San Antonio in the Western Conference by three games. The Knicks sit third in the East, 1.5 games behind the Celtics and six behind the Detroit Pistons.
Fatigue and injuries could well play a factor tonight. This is the third game in four nights for each team. Both played last night. The Knicks defeated Toronto for the twelfth consecutive time. New York held the Raptors to just 37 second-half points enroute to a 111-95 win. Jalen Brunson’s night included 26 points and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. OKC won in Chicago, 116-108 win on Tuesday. They played without MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal), and additional key contributors including Isaiah Hartenstein (injury maintenance), and Jalen Williams (hamstring). SGA and the former Knick Hartenstein are expected to dress this evening.
The Thunder have won the last four meetings between these teams and have not lost at Madison Square Garden since 2017.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Thunder at Knicks
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Time: 7PM EST
Site: Madison Square Garden
City: New York, NY
Network/Streaming: ESPN
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Game Odds: Thunder at Knicks
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder (-170), New York Knicks (+142)
Spread: Thunder -4.5
Total: 222.5 points
This game opened Thunder -3.5 with the Total set at 222.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Thunder at Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SG Cason Wallace
SF Luguentz Dort
PF Chet Holmgren
C Isaiah Hartenstein
New York Knicks
PG Jalen Brunson
SG Josh Hart
SF Mikal Bridges
PF OG Anunoby
C Karl-Anthony Towns
Injury Report: Thunder at Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal) is listed as probable for tonight’s game
Isaiah Hartenstein (injury management) is listed as probable for tonight’s game
Ajay Mitchell (abdomen) is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game
Jalen Williams (hamstring) has been ruled OUT of tonight’s game
Branden Carlson (back) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Thomas Sorber (knee) has been ruled OUT of tonight’s game
New York Knicks
Miles McBride (ankle) has been ruled OUT for tonight’s game
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Thunder at Knicks
The Knicks are 23-8 at home this season
The Thunder are 23-8 on the road this season
The Knicks are 32-29-1 ATS this season / 20-11 at home
The Thunder are 31-31-1 ATS this season / 16-14-1 on the road
The OVER has cashed in 34 of the Thunder’s 59 games this season (34-25)
The OVER has cashed in 30 of the Knicks’ 63 games this season (30-33)
The Thunder are 7-3 in their last 10 games ATS against the Knicks and 8-2 on the Moneyline in those 10 games
Since the All-Star Break (6 games), Chet Holmgren has averaged 12 rebounds per game and pulled down at least 9 in each of the last 5
In his 7 games since the All-Star Break, Jalen Brunson has averaged 24.1 points and 6.7 assists per game
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 123 consecutive games (Wilt Chamberlain holds the record with 126 consecutive games of 20 or more points)
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Thunder and Knicks’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Thunder on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Knicks +4.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 222.5
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According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Florida Panthers have decided to be sellers ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline and are open to hearing trade offers for their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). This most notably includes former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
With the Panthers' playoff hopes continuing to decrease, it makes sense that they are being sellers. Out of all their trade targets, Bobrovsky has the potential to get them the best return if they decide to move him, as he led the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cups before this season.
Teams looking for help between the pipes could very well kick tires on Bobrovsky because of his excellent resume and past success. This is especially so if the Panthers are willing to retain a portion of the former Flyers goalie's $10 million cap hit.
Bobrovsky is in the middle of a rough season for the Panthers, though. In 43 games for Florida this campaign, he has a 22-19-1 record, an .873 save percentage, and a 3.13 goals-against average. While it has been a tough year for Bobrovsky, the possibility of a playoff team looking to add him is certainly still there.
Bobrovsky played the first two seasons of his NHL career with the Flyers from 2010-11 to 2011-12. In 83 games as a Flyer over that span, he had a 42-23-10 record, a .909 save percentage, and a 2.73 goals-against average.
To no shock, when CBS and TNT Sports announced their lineup for announcers for the 2025-26 tournament, Raftery was grouped with Ian Eagle, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson for the call on the semifinal and championship game on April 4 and 6, respectively. It will be the third straight year the quartet works together for these games.
Here's a look at who the networks will have on the call for games and studio broadcast during the 2026 NCAA Tournament:
2026 NCAA Tournament game announcers
It's not a shock that Raftery, Eagle, Hill and Wolfson will serve as the lead announcing team throughout the tournament. Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce will form one team through the regional round, while Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy and and Lauren Shehadi form another. Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn form the third team.
Here's a look at all the CBS/TNT announcing teams:
Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson: Through championship game
Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce: Through regional finals
Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy and and Lauren Shehadi: Through regional finals
Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn: Through regional finals
Brandon Gaudin, Chris Webber and Andy Katz: First and second rounds
Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel and Jon Rothstein: First and second rounds
Tom McCarthy, Candace Parker, Dan Bonner and AJ Ross: First and second rounds
Brad Nessler, Wally Szczerbiak and Jared Greenberg: First and second rounds
2026 NCAA Tournament studio analysts
Adam Zucker and Nate Burleson are set to host the studio coverage from New York at the CBS Broadcast Center. Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith will join the duo. Meanwhile, Adam Lefkoe will host the studio coverage from Atlanta, at the TNT Sports Studio. Bruce Pearl, Jamal Mashburn, Jalen Rose and Seth Davis are set to join Lefkoe.
Ernie Johnson will host the studio coverage during the Final Four.
Here's a look at the all the studio analysts this tournament:
Host: Nate Burleson, New York
Host: Adam Zucker, New York
Host: Adam Lefkoe, Atlanta
Host: Ernie Johnson, Final Four
Analyst: Clark Kellogg, New York
Analyst: Charles Barkley, New York
Analyst: Kenny Smith, New York
Analyst: Renee Montgomery, New York
Analyst: Jamal Mashburn, Atlanta
Analyst: Jalen Rose, Atlanta
Analyst: Seth Davis, Atlanta
Analyst: Bruce Pearl, Atlanta
Game updates: Jamie Erdahl
Rules analyst: Gene Steratore
2026 NCAA Tournament First Four announcers
The tournament officially tips off on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 with the First Four games on truTV. Jordan Kent and Spanarkel, with Jenny Dell as the courtside reporter on the call the first game on Tuesday, as well as both games on Wednesday, from Dayton, Ohio.
The second game on Tuesday will be called by Anderson, Barkley and Dick Vitale, with Dell serving as the courtside reporter.
The studio coverage for the First Four games will come from Atlanta, with Lefkoe hosting and analysts Pearl, Mashburn, Rose and Davis joining him.
Game 1: Jordan Kent, Jim Spanarkel and Jenny Dell
Game 2: Brian Anderson, Charles Barkley, Dick Vitale and Jenny Dell
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 13: Harry Ford #1 of Team Great Britain is is given a crown and robe after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during Game 5 of Pool C between Team Colombia and Team Great Britain at Chase Field on Monday, March 13, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Yesterday Great Britain played in their first tune-up game for the World Baseball Classic. That meant we got to see Harry Ford in a Great Britain jersey. Ford, who has British parents, has represented the country for a while and will do so again at the WBC. In the last WBC, Ford rose to the occasion, and he will look to do so again.
If the first exhibition against the Brewers is a sign of things to come, Ford will have a big tournament. He had three hits, including a homer in the game yesterday. While there was no video of the homers, the Nats got some photos of Ford rounding the bases. It was his first homer of the spring.
The Nats acquired Ford in a trade that sent Jose A. Ferrer to the Mariners. Despite being one of the best catching prospects in baseball, Ford was blocked in Seattle due to the presence of Cal Raleigh. That made the Mariners open to trading the 71st ranked prospect for a reliever. Ford has a well rounded offensive profile that is led by his strong plate discipline. His power and contact skills are just average, but his great eye makes him a potentially above average hitter.
While Ford has been a good player in the minors over the years, he seems to rise to a new level when he puts on that Great Britain jersey. The last World Baseball Classic was Ford’s coming out party. Despite just turning 20, Ford was one of Britain’s top players in 2023. His signature moment was a clutch home run against Colombia in pool play. Ford actually hit two homers during pool play.
With another home run yesterday, it really seems like Ford brings the boom when he represents the UK. While Ford was the young kid on the team in 2023, he will be playing a leadership role for Great Britain this time around. He is the co-captain of the team, alongside Yankees star Jazz Chisholm. The fact he is able to play a leadership role at 23 years old is very impressive and speaks to his high character.
It is not like Britain is full of no-name players either. There are several big leaguers or former big leaguers on the roster. Many of those guys are older than Ford, but it was the new Nats catcher who became captain.
An interesting wrinkle in all of this is that Ford is leaving camp in the middle of a positional battle. Ford is battling with Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Ruiz has actually hit well this spring, though his defense has been shaky. Millas has also been solid, so leaving camp could cost him a job. However, a big WBC could force the Nats into considering him for the starting job.
I hope Ford wins the starting job, and if he does not, I want him to get an opportunity pretty quickly. The Nats need new blood behind the plate, and that is why they traded for Ford in the first place. Keibert Ruiz has had chance after chance, but he has not been able to establish himself as a productive starter. Ford should get that chance sooner rather than later.
Given his performances in a Great Britain jersey, Ford seems poised for a big WBC. Hitting on the biggest stage would put a positive shine on him in this catcher battle. After his big day yesterday, I joked that Ford turns into Buster Posey when he puts that Great Britain jersey on.
The Nats only have a couple representatives at this WBC, and Ford is the most notable one. That means Nats fans’ eyes will be on the young catcher. Harry Ford seems like a young man who rises to the occasion, and he will have the opportunity to show that clutch gene again in the WBC. It would be very cool if he could lead the Brits on a Cinderella run in the WBC.
