What happened in Thursday and Friday's first round

East: UConn

West: Arizona

South: Wisconsin

Midwest: Tennessee

Championship: UConn over Tennessee

I went with a super outside-the-box pick to win the whole thing: Connecticut — who, if we’re being serious, has been the best team in the country most of this season. (Purdue has the best player in the country; big difference.) Tristen Newton is maybe the most well-rounded guard in the country, Donovan Clingan has been playing like a potential lottery pick, and either Stephon Castle or Alex Karaban are liable to go off any given night. It would take an epic shooting night — like when Creighton hit 14-of-28 3s — to down the Huskies; I don’t see that happening with their defense.

As for the rest of my Final Four: I am manifesting the Caleb Love Bowl between North Carolina and Arizona in the Elite Eight, and I’m inclined to favor the game’s most-motivated individual. I’m most at a loss with the South; I’m worried about how banged-up Houston is … and the same with Marquette … and Kentucky’s (lack of) defense … and Duke struggling the last week. Maybe Wisconsin has rebounded, after all? And in the Midwest, I have Purdue knocking off Samford to meet Tennessee in the Elite Eight … only to fall to the best transfer in the America, Dalton Knecht, and his (I believe) superior supporting cast.

Ian Eagle has replaced Jim Nantz as the lead voice of the tournament. He, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson will call the entire Final Four in Glendale, Ariz., airing on TBS. Eagle said that he and Raftery have called 600 basketball games together — they were longtime partners on the NBA’s Nets broadcasts. Eagle has also previously worked with Hill in college basketball.

“It’s great to be part of a team that are close friends and people that I have a lot of chemistry and familiarity because we’ve all worked together and known each other for so long,” Eagle said. “In normal circumstances, it might feel like this is going to be a completely different role, a completely new position. But in many ways, it doesn’t feel like that at all because of all of the shared experiences with Raf and Grant and Tracy.”

“This is our first time together with the NCAA Tournament, but I know him like I know my brother,” said producer Mark Wolff, who has produced Eagle’s NFL booth for the past 10 years. “There’s nothing new there. … It’s our duty to create an environment where they flourish, and I think we have a great starting point to do that.”

East: UConn

West: North Carolina

South: Kentucky

Midwest: Tennessee

Championship: UConn over Kentucky

UConn is poised to join the elite ranks as the eighth NCAA program to secure consecutive championships. They boast a roster blending veteran players along with excellent young talent, making them the most complete team in the nation. Their ability to excel on both offense and defense, coupled with a deep bench and a defensive mentality, sets them apart. They have weapons at every spot on the floor and with just one loss in 2024 and a clean bill of health, they are primed for success as they enter the postseason tournament.

Welcome back to Bracket Breakers! We know you’ve missed us, and we can’t wait to overwhelm you with our unique take on NCAA Tournament upsets, powered by our proprietary statistical model, Slingshot. Hopefully, you’ve been following our work for years. But if you’re new to Bracket Breakers, here’s the most recent explanation of who we are, what we do and the state of Slingshot.

Slingshot looks at teams separated by at least 5 seeds, estimates their basic strengths, adjusts those power ratings according to how closely each team fits the statistical profiles of past Davids or Goliaths, and then modifies them again to account for matchups. This year, we’ve upgraded our cluster analysis. And without further ado, the top results.

No. 6 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 11 New Mexico Lobos

Upset Chance: 57.8 percent

No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. No. 11 Oregon Ducks

Upset Chance: 43.2 percent

No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 11 NC State Wolfpack

Upset Chance: 38.2 percent

No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 12 McNeese Cowboys

Upset Chance: 30.8 percent

No. 5 Saint Mary’s Gaels vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon Lopes

Upset Chance: 30.4 percent

Continue reading for most likely upset Nos. 6-10.

East: UConn

West: Arizona

South: Marquette

Midwest: Purdue

Championship: UConn over Purdue

Connecticut has just felt inevitable to me all season. Dan Hurley is a force of nature and so is his team. In as wild and unpredictable a year as I can remember in college basketball, the one constant has been the Huskies looking totally capable of repeating. I’m not sure that I actually believe Purdue will meet them in the final, but I sure want it to be true so the haters will shut up about Matt Painter, who is a great coach. In the South and West regions, I truly haven’t a clue who gets out. Flirted with the idea of Kentucky in the South, but that’s the least trustworthy team of any that have a roster good enough to get there.

SOMEWHERE ABOVE ONE OF THE DAKOTAS, PROBABLY — As I headed to Pittsburgh for Thursday's first round of the NCAA Tournament — with a healthy contingent of green-clad Quacker Backers on board, I will add — I wrote some quick thoughts on what I’m looking for in the four first-round games on the prospect-heavy slate:

Creighton vs. Akron

Creighton has three draftable players, but by this point, Baylor Scheierman and Ryan Kalkbrenner are pretty well-defined quantities for NBA evaluators.

The guy who could swing his draft stock with a good tournament, however, is Trey Alexander, who had a decent combine a year ago but pulled out to return to Omaha for another year. He got off to a slow start this year, especially from the 3-point line, but has shown enough playmaking and pull-up shooting moxy of late to get draftniks interested again, such as this wrong-footed step-back game-winner against Villanova.

He should be able to have his way against a 14th-seeded Akron team in the opener, but things will get more interesting in a potential second-round matchup against Oregon or South Carolina.

Kentucky vs. Oakland

Forewarned is forearmed: Kentucky has lost four of the last five times I’ve seen them in person, including two years ago against 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s in Indianapolis. As a famous philosopher once said: It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.

Assuming my presence isn’t enough to curse them again versus Oakland, then obviously the focus this weekend will be on the electric backcourt of Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard. I’ll probably talk more about them next week.

But one of the issues with scouting Kentucky is the sheer number of prospects one has to track at the same time. So in that vein … um, can we talk about Justin Edwards? The freshman small forward began the year with lottery hype and almost immediately proved that it was completely unwarranted, looking unplayable for much of the nonconference season.

But I’m not sure his in-season U-turn is getting enough attention. Edwards shot 50 percent from 3 in SEC play, with an above-break-even assist-turnover rate; combined with his plus marks on 2s and from the free-throw one, he finished with a scalding 66.9 true shooting percentage in conference play, on a not-insignificant 333-minute sample.

One wonders if the pendulum swung too far on him and that he has actually become undervalued, especially if his shooting anywhere near this level is sustainable over the long term. He already fits the size and athleticism profile that every team is salivating over; if he can shoot, too, that’s a tough combination to pass up on draft night. Needless to say, I’ll be watching his pre-game shooting loosely tomorrow.

Oregon vs. South Carolina

This is the sleeper game, featuring some good deep cuts for draft nerds looking for surprises lower on the board. Chief among them is South Carolina forward Cameron Murray-Boyles; I watched him have a stinker as the Gamecocks were blown out by Auburn in the SEC tournament, but his final month of the season was pretty awesome up until that point. (Murray-Boyles has also said he will return to South Carolina next year, but the basic rule of thumb in the NBA is that you assume everyone is coming out.)

Murray-Boyles is a 6-foot-7 beastball forward with nimble feet, but he will likely need to expand his game to thrive at the pro level. However, his ability to dominate the SEC as a freshman conjures images of a young Grant Williams. Can he round out his game for the pros the way Williams did? Is there enough defensive mobility to guard the perimeter, and can his shot stretch out? Scouts are catching up on him after his late-season surge, and will be watching closely … whether for the 2024 draft or a future one.

As for the Ducks, they have a late riser of their own in N’Faly Dante, a fifth-year center who has been on watch lists for a long time but has struggled with injuries. Dante had a dominant close to his season, however, with a 30.6 PER in Pac-12 games this year and a 12-for-12 performance in the Pac-12 title game against Colorado. You also don’t see a lot of true centers with a rate of 3.3 steals per 100 possessions. The Quackers are a classic Bad Geography team that has likely been underscouted and Dante is flying a bit under the radar, but a big weekend in Pittsburgh could change that.

While we’re here, Oregon has two freshmen who are unlikely to declare for the 2024 draft but are notable to watch. Guard Jackson Shelstad is undersized and is probably too dependent on pull-up jumpers, but man is he smooth getting into those Js; if he can expand his game to put more pressure on the rim he has first-round possibilities.

Similarly, freshman forward K.J. Evans has some potential as a floor-stretching big man with defensive playmaking potential, but right now he seems a bit in between positions. Convincing evaluations he can defend the perimeter in the NBA and shoot well enough to play 4 full-time would help his stock considerably.

Texas Tech vs. NC State

OK, this one is definitely the undercard as far as scouting goes. I saw NC State play three times at the ACC tournament. The Wolfpack are a great story and their run to the title gave me the added thrill of seeing Duke lose in person, but I don’t really see a pro on this team.

As for Texas Tech, they may not have anyone for the 2024 draft, but Darrion Williams is certainly a person of interest for the scouting community. The 6-6 sophomore transferred from Nevada and shot 46.7 percent from 3 and 87.5 percent from the line this year — that will get your attention — and combined it with an elite rebound rate for his size and decent feel as a passer.

He shot 3s unusually infrequently for such a high-percentage shooter, however, and overall was a secondary offensive option. Is there more shot creation potential here? Does he have a position on defense or is he an undersized stretch 4? Getting a better read on his long-term position in anticipation of the 2025 draft will be a bit of extra credit homework for scouts at the end of a long day (this is the last game) in Pittsburgh.

All odds are via BetMGM.

• No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Michigan State: Michigan State -1.5
• No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquesne: BYU -9.5
• No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 14 Akron: Creighton -11.5
• No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State: Arizona -20.5
• No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Wagner: North Carolina -24.5
• No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State: Illinois -11.5
• No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon: Oregon -1.5
• No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada: Nevada -1.5
• No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Colorado State: Texas -2.5
• No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland: Kentucky -13.5
• No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 McNeese: Gonzaga -7.5
• No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 South Dakota State: Iowa State -15.5
• No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s: Tennessee -21.5
• No. 6 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 NC State: Texas Tech -4.5
• No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Samford: Kansas -7.5
• No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake: Drake -1.5

East: UConn

West: Arizona

South: Kentucky

Midwest: Creighton

Championship: Creighton over UConn

After seeing the Big East get hosed with three NCAA Tournament bids, the gods will collude to assure a Big East vs. Big East national title game against two teams that split their season series. Then the gods will decide the universe can’t handle Dan Hurley having two national titles under his belt, and will decide instead to crown a first Jesuit national championship since 1984.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of the sport and watch a handful of games a week or if you haven’t watched a second of college basketball this season and are just looking for a little action during March Madness. Either way, there are some simple steps to maximize your chances of winning your bracket pool.

My bracket strategy tends to follow my college basketball model, which simulates the entire tournament 1,000,000 times (yes, a projection for every game will be made) but going off which team has the highest win probability in each game isn’t necessarily the best strategy, especially if the pool is quite large (more than 50 people). In my opinion, the size pool you’re entering is the most important thing when determining your bracket strategy. You’ll want to take fewer risks if you are in a smaller pool. You’ll want to increase risk if you’re in a larger pool. Medium-sized pool? Somewhere in the middle.

Remember, the goal isn’t to win these pools while splitting or chopping winnings with many other winners who all picked the 1-seeds to make the Final Four. Instead, you want a unique bracket that gives you the best chance to be the sole winner.

Every pool has its own unique set of rules. Some value upsets more than others, and you need to know that going in when looking at your strategy.

Continue reading.

The NCAA Tournament is a blur. The madness kicks off this week on the men’s side with 68 teams from 33 states (and Washington, D.C.) playing a total of 36 games in nine cities.

Some of the schools involved make it obvious where they hail from — like title contenders Connecticut, Houston and North Carolina, for example. Others might make you wonder — where is Stetson? Or Longwood?

The Athletic decided to map out (literally) the 68-team field, from top overall seed UConn (Storrs, Conn.) to No. 68, Wagner (Staten Island, N.Y.). And we took a look at how far these teams must travel this week, too.

Forgotten amid the busy week are the travel itineraries loaded on the backs of college students. While the rest of the nation scribbles away at their brackets and roots on Cinderella, the players and coaches load fly, sometimes cross-country, for a trip that could end after just one game.

A handful of teams this year are journeying over 2,000 miles away from their home arena, including one underdog who will have to voyage 2,204 miles. On the other side, a heavyweight favorite has a driveable 61-mile trip for its first- and second-round games.

Here are all 68 teams plotted. Continue reading for a further breakdown.

CBS' lead team of Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson will call Friday and Sunday games from the Brooklyn, N.Y., pod, including East Regional No. 1 seed and defending champion UConn and South No. 4 seed Duke.

Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce will call Thursday and Saturday games in Charlotte, N.C., including the Michigan State–Mississippi State first-round opener and West No. 1 seed North Carolina.

Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy and Andy Katz will be in Indianapolis, which includes Midwest No. 1 seed Purdue. Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel and Jon Rothstein get the First Four and the Memphis pod, which features South No. 1 seed Houston.

The other broadcast crews: Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn (Pittsburgh pod); Lisa Byington, Steve Smith, Robbie Hummel and Lauren Shehadi (Spokane, Wash.); Tom McCarthy, Deb Antonelli, Avery Johnson and AJ Ross (Omaha, Neb.); and Brad Nessler, Brendan Haywood and Dana Jacobson (Salt Lake City).

Eagle, Anderson, Harlan and Catalon’s crews will call the four regional final rounds in the tournament’s second weekend, with specific assignments to be determined.

No. 10 Colorado defeated fellow No. 10 seed Boise State 60-53 in the NCAA Tourmanent’s First Four on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.

The Buffaloes dominated down the stretch, finishing on a 15-4 run, and were particularly impressive on defense. After the Broncos’ Chibuzo Agbo hit a jumper with 4:32 remaining in the game, they would not add another point for more than four minutes.

“We finally played with unbelievable toughness,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “We really started playing tougher on the glass. Boise State is a physical team, they keep coming at you. We made just enough plays down the stretch. Our defense was great all night.”

Colorado seized control for good with 32.8 seconds remaining. Eddie Lampkin Jr. hit a put-back as the shot clock expired to put his team up five points. Boise State’s Roddie Anderson III accidentally dribbled the ball off his foot and out of bounds on the next play. The Buffaloes closed it out at the free-throw line.

Buffaloes forward Tristan da Silva led all scorers with 20 points. Guard KJ Simpson added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Boyle’s squad has won nine of its last 10 games and will face No. 7 Florida on Friday. It marks his second NCAA Tournament in the last four years.

Continue reading.

Sakima Walker hated wearing pants designed for boys.

As the only daughter in a family with four sons, she constantly heard how much she resembled her older brother, how they looked like twins despite their 3-year age gap. She didn’t want the comparisons to extend to their outfits too. But Walker was always tall for her age — she wore a size 9 in women’s shoes as a fifth grader and hit 6 feet entering her sophomore year of high school — so it was either wear pants like her brother’s or don an ankle-exposing style that might be considered a fashion faux pas.

Walker, now a 6-foot-6 senior playing for No. 1 South Carolina, grew to embrace the latter.

“Still to this day, I love my high waters,” she said. “I learned to love my high waters because I knew that’s as good as it’s gonna get for me.”

When Walker takes the court with the Gamecocks in the Women’s NCAA Tournament, she’ll stand out for her height — a natural advantage that can make the game look easy.

But the players who tower a few inches over their tall teammates and competitors, who are already well above average height, face a different challenge outside of the gym: finding clothes that fit their exceptional height or extraordinary wingspan.

Just ask Alec Puffenberger, an associate director of equipment at Purdue who is tasked with ordering team apparel for Zach Edey, the 7-foot-4 center who is literally and figuratively a large reason why the top-seeded Boilermakers are among the favorites to cut down the nets in the Men’s NCAA Tournament.

Continue reading.

“Jerry, I can’t get fired,” George Costanza bemoaned to Jerry Seinfeld while trying to lose his job with the New York Yankees.

Long Beach State coach Dan Monson — who was indeed fired on March 11 — quoted Costanza and referenced that 154th episode of “Seinfeld” on Wednesday when talking with reporters ahead of Long Beach State’s first-round game against Arizona on Thursday in the NCAA Tournament.

“Did you see the Seinfeld when George was trying to get fired and couldn’t lose his job, still going to work every day? That’s me. I’m a Seinfeld episode going on right now in real life,” Monson said with a smile.

Monson, who led his upstart team to an unexpected Big West tournament title and automatic bid into the tournament just six days after Long Beach State parted ways with him, opened the news conference by jokingly telling the media, “I don’t have to answer anything I don’t want to because I’m working for free today.”

The coach’s 17th year with the Beach appeared to be over in that Big West tournament, but then the team went on an improbable run to earn the conference’s bid, winning three games in three days.

Making it to the Big Dance isn’t new for Monson, as the coach led Long Beach State here in 2012 along with Minnesota in 2005 and Gonzaga in 1999. But making it under these circumstances is certainly new for Monson. And the 62-year-old is soaking up the fun of the strangeness.

“I keep using the word ‘surreal.’ Twilight zone might be part true. It’s been awesome. I mean, the Monday of the decision was the hardest thing professionally you go through,” Monson said regarding the decision to split ways.

“Those guys showed me they loved me that day. I’ll never forget it. That’s all you need. I’ve reflected this week that I don’t have a job, but I don’t need one. I got everything I got with my family, with my players, with my friends. It’s been a life-changing week in a good way.”

Continue reading.