Continuing Coverage of College Basketball
November POTD | December POTD | January POTD | February POTD
Click here for NCAA Elite 8 Picks for Saturday, March 28 & Sunday, March 29
March 30, 2026 MLB Players of the Day
White Sox leadoff hitter, Miguel Vargas, went 2-for-4, drove in six runs with a 3rd inning single, a 4th inning grand slam and a sac fly in the 6th, sending the Chicago squad to a 9-4 victory over the Miami Marlins Monday for their first win of the 2026 season. The result was also Miami’s first loss, after a 3-0 start.
Third baseman Vargas, a native of Havana, Cuba, went hitless in Chicago’s first two game, but found his stroke Sunday, stroking two singles in five at-bats, and continued hot on Monday, providing the bulk of the offense. Vargas batted .234 with 16 homers and 60 RBI in his first full season with the Sox in 2025.
The White Sox are 1-3 and continue their series in Miami on Tuesday.
AL Streaks: Rangers, Astros, won 3; Athletics, lost 4.
Corbin Carroll did his damage early in
Arizona’s 9-6 thrashing of the visiting Tigers, giving the Diamondbacks their first win of the season in their home opener.
Carroll tripled in Ketal Marte in the first and later scored on a fielder’s choice. In the second, Carroll stroked a 403-foot home run to right center with two aboard, giving the D-Backs a 5-0 lead. Arizona tacked on three more runs before the Tigers finally pushed across six runs in the 7th, but, by then it was too late. Arizona capped off the scoring with a solo homer by second baseman IIdemaro Vargas in the seventh.
The Tigers and Diamondback continue their series Tuesday in Phoenix.
NL Streaks: Reds, won 3; Phillies, lost 3.
The Final Four was completed on Sunday with the regional finals in the Midwest and East completed. Two of the biggest collage stars were on display in separate venues. In the Midwest, Yaxel Lendeborg scored a game-high 27 points and collected eight rebounds, as Michigan ran away from Tennessee, 95-62.
In the East final, Duke’s Cameron Boozer also tallied 27 and eight boards, but his big game effort was thwarted by UConn freshman Braylon Mullins who swished a 40-foot launch with 0.4 seconds left to lift the Huskies to a 73-72 victory in what will surely be remembered as one of the great NCAA tournament games ever played.
Duke dominated early, leading by as many as 19 points, taking a 44-29 lead into halftime. A determined UConn squad kept chipping into Duke’s lead with solid defense and timely shots.
Leading 72-70, Duke’s Dame Saar inbounded the ball to Cameron Boozer, pitched it back to Saar, who hit Cayden Boozer near the mid-court stripe. Boozer tried to advance the ball, but it was deflected by Silas Demary Jr. and retrieved by Mullins.
Mullins whipped a pass to Alex Karaban near the 3-point line, but Karaban returned to ball to Mullins who was open just left of the “March Madness” center court logo. Mullins let fly without hesitation, the splashdown sending the 19,502 fans at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. into a frenzy.
After officials cleared the court and reviewed the shot, Duke inbounded, but the long pass was batted away by Karaban, securing the win.
UConn’s comeback was the stuff of legend. The Huskies led for a mere 34.4 seconds. Tarris Reed opened the game with a pair of free throws at 19:39 and Saar tied it for Duke on a layup at 19:05. After that brief tie, Duke led the rest of the way until Mullins made the shot of the year, maybe the century.
UConn suffered throughout from poor outside shooting. They were 1-for-19 from beyond the arc until Silas Demary Jr. ended the drought with a pair of 3s at 7:00 and 6:07, closing the gap to seven at 65-58. Karaban finally connected with a trey at 0:50, drawing the Huskies to within one, at 70-69. After Cameron Boozer scored in the lane to put Duke up three, Demary made one of two free throws, setting up Mullins’ buzzer beater.
Mullins finished with 10 points, making his only 3-pointer on five attempts when it mattered most.
Down the stretch UConn went 4-for-4 on three-pointers, advancing to the Final Four where they will meet up with Illinois on Saturday, April 4 in Indianapolis, Indiana in the first of two national semifinal games. UConn and Illinois tip at 6:09 pm ET, followed by Michigan vs. Arizona at approximately 8:49 pm ET.
March 28, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Freshman Keaton Wagler tossed in a game-high 25 points, as Illinois surged past Iowa, 71-59, in the South Region final, seeing the Fighting Illini, seeded #3 in the region, to next week’s Final Four in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Wagler, the 6’6” swingman sensation from Shawnee, Kansas, helped key a second half surge by Illinois. Iowa led, 32-28 at the break, but Illinois outscored the Hawkeyes, 43-27 in the second half. Wagler, though he didn’t have his best night shooting, going 8-for-17 overall and 2-for-7 from 3-point range, did make all seven of his free throws, and had three assists and a steal.
Illinois’ defense and size advantage was evident throughout, holding the Hawkeyes to 38% shooting, getting 40 points in the paint to Iowa’s 12, and out-rebounding Iowa, 38-21.
Wagler was named the region’s Most Outstanding Player. The Illini will meet up with the winner of Sunday’s East regional final, pitting top-seed Duke against #2 UConn. The game is set for a 5:05 tip, televised nationally by CBS.
March 27, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
When the votes are in for NCAA Player of the Year, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg might easily be seen hoisting the trophy.
In Friday’s Sweet 16 90-77 victory by Midwest region top seed Michigan over #4 Alabama, Lendeborg notched his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 23 points with 12 rebounds.
The 6’9” senior forward from Pennsauken, New Jersey made good on eight of 12 shots from the field, including hitting four of five 3-point shots, adding three of four from the foul line and seven assists. Lendeborg is averaging 14.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, shooting at 52% from the field.
The Wolverines took control in the second half, after trailing at the break, 49-47. Michigan opens the second 20 minutes with a 13-2 barrage and a nine-point lead, which expanded to as many as 16 as the clocked ticked onward. Lendeborg hit a pair of 3-pointers, scored another bucket on a tip-in and assisted on two other scores during the opening five minutes of the second half.
The victory assured 34-3 Michigan of a spot in the Elite Eight on Sunday, where they will meet #6 Tennessee, 76-62 winners over #2 Iowa State. Game time for the Sunday tilt is 2:15 pm ET, televised live by CBS. Michigan has been set as a 7.5-point favorite. The winner advanced to the Final Four.
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Picks
Saturday, March 28
9 Iowa vs 3 Illinois (-6.5, 138.5) 6:09 pm (TBS, truTV) - Saturday action kicks off with another Big Ten meeting, the second of the tournament for Iowa after topping Nebraska, 77-71 on Thursday.
These two met once during the regular season, the Illini coming away with a 75-69 win at Iowa back in January. Since then Iowa is 11-8, Illinois, 14-5, against pretty similar opponents. Illinois scores at a rate of 84.2 points per game and allows 69.0, while the Hawkeyes go 75 and 66.1.
While Iowa is considered a strong defensive team, the stats say Illinois is better at denying the hoop. If the Illini can contain Iowa’s leading scorer, Bennett Stirtz, it could be lights out for the Hawkeyes.
Coin Flip: Illinois
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Fighting Illini 74 Hawkeyes 61
Both teams have won three games, Arizona winning by margins of 34, 12, and 21, while Purdue has managed win margins of 33, 10, and 2, just scraping by Texas in their Thursday encounter.
There’s also the differential in scoring and points allowed - 86.7 and 68.9 for the Wildcats; 82.1 and 70.3 for the Boilers - the indicates an edge for Arizona as they score more and allow fewer points than their rivals.
Coin Flip: Purdue
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Wildcats 87 Boilermakers 73
6 Tennessee vs 1 Michigan (-7.5, 146.5) 2:15 pm (CBS) - If there’s going to be an upset this weekend, this is the most likely place for it to occur.
Michigan has appeared impregnable, winning their tourney games by 21, 23, and 13, has barely broken a sweat, but they’ll be facing the best defensive team remaining in Tennessee, the last of the 11 SEC teams that started the tournament a week-and-a-half ago. The Vols are battle-tested, whipping Miami (OH) 78-56, Virginia, 79-72, capping off their trio of wins with a thorough beating of Iowa State, 76-62, the Cavaliers the #3 seed in the Midwest region, the Cyclones #2, giving the Vols the “giant-killer” moniker.
The Wolverines bring a variety of scoring facets, equally capable from downtown and in the paint. Center Addy Mara will be a challenge for Tennessee, as will potential Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg.
Coin Flip: Tennessee
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Wolverines 72 Volunteers 70
Neither team has had exactly an easy time of their trip to the tourney. Duke was challenged in their opener by upset-minded Sienna, ultimately winning 71-65. The Blue Devils slaughtered TCU, 81-58, and slipped past St. John’s late, 80-75.
The Huskies got a wake up call in their opening, 82-71, win over Furman, handled UCLA easily, 73-57, and, like Duke, struggled to put away Michigan State on Friday, 67-63
There isn’t much separating these two. The difference will likely be a combination of defense and three-point accuracy. Too close to call makes taking the 4.5 points and the Huskies an obvious choice.
Coin Flip: UConn
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Huskies 73 Blue Devils 70
March 26, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Freshman Brayden Burries scored 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the West region’s top seed, Arizona, put six players in double figures in the Wildcats’ 109-88 victory over Arkansas in a Sweet 16 game in San Diego, California, Thursday night.
Burries, a 6’4” guard from San Bernardino, California, was Arizona’s high-scorer, adding a 7-for-8 effort from the foul line with five rebounds and two assists. Freshman Darious Acuff led the Razorbacks with 28 points and was only one of three Arkansas players in double figures.
Arizona never trailed, and were up by double digits within the first nine minutes. Arkansas played from behind the entire night as the Wildcats - having established a comfortable advantage - were content to trade baskets, shooting 64% from the field (37-for-58) and were never threatened.
The Wildcats improved to 35-2 on the season and advanced to the Elite Eight where they will compete with the #2 seed in the region, Purdue, for the right to advance to the Final Four. Tip-off for the game is Saturday, March 28, at 8:49 pm.
MLB Players of the Day for March 25, 2026
March Madness was rudely interrupted by the subtle simplicity of baseball, as MLB opened the regular season at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California Wednesday, the earliest start to a season in the history of the game, according to The Weather Channel.
The starting pitcher for the visiting New York Yankees, Max Fried, fired a gem two-hit shutout over 6 1/3 innings,, walking one and fanning four, throwing 53 of 86 pitches for strikes in a 7-0 whitewash of the Giants.
By the time Fried left the mound, the Yankees had scored all of their runs, plating five in the second inning and two more in the fifth. Slugging Aaron Judge, who disappointed in the WBC earlier this month, took the golden sombrero, striking out four times in five at-bats without a hit.
There were no homers by the usually powerful Yanks, and only one extra base hit, a triple by Trent Grisham, driving home two runs in the second frame.
The Giants and Yankees get a day off Thursday, as 22 other MLB teams play their openers. The remaining six open on Friday, with the A’s at Toronto, Colorado at Miami, and Kansas City at Atlanta.
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament Picks
Thursday, March 26
11 Texas vs 2 Purdue (-7.5, 147.5) 7:10 pm (CBS) - Difficult to see how Texas can win this game, given Purdue’s experience and height advantages.
The Longhorns made the tournament via the First Four play-in game, and, after dusting off NC State, 68-66, they did upend BYU (79-71) and a suspect #3 seed in Gonzaga (74-68). Thinking Purdue advances, the only question being by how many points.
Coin Flip: Purdue
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Boilermakers 78 Longhorns 65
The two teams met once in the regular season, with Iowa winning at home, 57-52, in what was something of a rock throwing exhibition. When it really mattered, in the conference tourney, the ‘Huskers turned back the Hawkeyes, 84-75.
Coin Flip: Nebraska
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Cornhuskers 78 Hawkeyes 67
On the other hand, Arizona, winners of 11 straight, has been pummeling their opponents, 92-58 over Ling Island and 78-66 over Utah State. Arkansas brings a better game to the fray and a head coach, John Calipari, that’s been here before. Look out for a close one and potential upset.
Coin Flip: Arizona
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Razorbacks 92 Wildcats 86
Illinois stumbled a bit late in the season, but are in fine form at this juncture, especially after whipping VCU handily, 76-55, indicating that they may be a little more defense-minded themselves. Since they are a #3 against a #2, an overthrow of the elite may not be much of a surprise.
Coin Flip: Houston
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Fighting Illini 73 Cougars 71
5 St. John’s vs 1 Duke (-6.5, 141.5) 7:10 pm (CBS) - Tough call with the 6.5-point spread in mind. Duke brings the Boozer twins and the interior game of Patrick Ngongba as a counterweight to the Red Storm’s Zuby Ejiofor, who has a non-stop motor on both ends of the floor.
Figure on a very physical game in which neither side will back down. Rick Pitino has an experience edge of Duke coach Jon Scheyer, which evens things out to a degree. There’s talent alone on both teams. 3-point shooting may be more of a factor than the inside game. St. John’s can upset, but the likely result is Duke winning a close one. Keep in mind, Duke is the only remaining ACC team, seven fellow conference teams having been already eliminated.
Coin Flip: St. John’s
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Blue Devils 68 St. John’s 65
Beating Michigan is a much tougher test for the Tide, as the Wolverines have a significant size advantage with Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara clogging the lane. Alabama may be disadvantaged if they cannot make 3-pointers because scoring inside will be difficult. Add in possible player of the year, Yaxel Lendeborg and this could turn into a rout.
Coin Flip: Alabama
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Wolverines 95 Crimson Tide 83
Michigan will have to defend the interior well, because UConn’s Tarris Reed has been lights out lately. The mental battle between coaches Tom Izzo and Dan Hurley may be the key to victory.
Coin Flip: Michigan State
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Spartans 68 Huskies 65
Iowa State scores 82.5 points per game on average, and even without All-American forward Joshua Jefferson, has scored well in its first two games (108-74 over Tenn. State; 82-63 over Kentucky). Johnson is a game time decision due to an ankle injury, and he’s likely to not be 100%, which has contributed to the short spread for this match-up. Give the Cyclones the nod with or without Jefferson.
Coin Flip: Tennessee
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Cyclones 75 Volunteers 67
March 22, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
With team leader, Joshua Jefferson, sidelined,
Tamin Lipsey stepped up for the Iowa State Cyclones, leading the #2 seed in the Midwest region to a resounding 82-63 win over #7 Kentucky.
Lipsey, a 6’1” senior from Ames, Iowa, played 37 minutes, scoring 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting, going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, adding seven of eight from the foul line with 10 assists three rebounds and five steals.
Lipsey took control of the game late in the first half to give the Cyclones a one-point edge at the break, and total domination in the second half, out-scoring the Wildcats, 51-33.
The 29-7 Cyclones advanced to the Sweet 16 round with the win. On Friday, March 27, they will meet the #6 seed in the region, the Tennessee Volunteers, 79-73 winners over #3 Virginia.
Iowa State is a 4.5-point favorite. Status for Joshua Jefferson’s return to action remain up in the air.
March 21, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Arkansas head coach John Calipari had plenty of respect for the 31-4 High Point Panthers, and his players understood they’d be facing a team with plenty of experience and court savvy in its second round game in the West region.
The Razorbacks needed everybody at their best as the game turned out to be one of the days’ best, with Arkansas eventually prevailing, 94-88, getting a game-high 36 points from freshman starDarius Acuff Jr.
Acuff, named as a starter to this season’s All-American team, made 11 of 22 from the field with three 3-point makes in six attempts, adding 11 of 13 from the foul line, with six assists. Acuff broke an 83-all tie with a driving layup at 2:52 in the second half and scored nine points in the final three minutes to sew up the win for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas advances to the Sweet 16, where they will likely face the top seed in the region, Arizona. The Wildcats have a second round game against Utah State Sunday. The game will be Thursday in San Jose, California, the time as yet to be determined.
March 20, 2026 College Hoops Players of the Day
Friday’s first round action produced a pair of individual performances that stand out as special not just for this season, but for any season.
Tarris Reed Jr. scored a career-high 31 points with 27 rebounds - yes, 27 - propelling the 2nd-seeded UConn Huskies into the second round with an 82-71 victory over 15 seed Furman in the East region at Philadelphia, PA.
The level of Reed’s performance is on par with four games by Houston legend Elvin Hayes who scored 25 points with 24 rebounds in a 73-58 loss in the 1967 tournament semifinal against Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and the UCLA Bruins. In 1968, Hayes scored 49 points with 27 rebounds in a 94-76 first round victory over Loyola. In the second round, Hayes had 35 points and 24 rebounds in a 91-75 win over Louisville, and scored 39 with 25 boards in the Midwest regional final, a 103-68 win over TCU.
A 6’11” senior, Reed’s 12-for-15 shooting, seven of nine from the foul line and 11 of his 27 rebounds coming on the offensive end will long be remembered.
In the Midwest region, #7 seed Kentucky had to go to overtime to stave off #10 Santa Clara, 89-84, the result only made possible by a 35-foot heave at the buzzer in regulation by the Wildcats’ Otega Oweh . Santa Clara had taken a 73-70 lead with 2.4 seconds remaining, when Oweh took the inbounds pass, raced up the left side and launched a prayer from just over the mid-court line. As the ball left his hand with just three-tenths of a second remaining, the answer came on a bank shot buzzer-beater sending the game to an extra five minutes.
Oweh, a 6’4” senior, scored six of his career-high 35 points in the overtime and was 11-for-24 overall from the field with three 3-pointers, 10 of 12 from the foul line, eight rebounds and seven assists.
UConn heads to the regional semifinal Sunday, March 22, against #7 UCLA at 8:45 pm ET, while the Wildcats move into the Midwest region semi, also on Sunday, against second-seeded Iowa State. The Wildcats meet the Cyclones at 2:45 pm ET on CBS. UConn’s game will be televised at 8:45 pm on TNT.
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip 2nd Round NCAA Tournament Picks
Saturday, March 21
9 St. Louis vs 1 Michigan (-12.5, 161.5) 12:10 pm (CBS) - Both teams cruised to easy round one wins. Billikens likely to put the Wolverines to the test with plenty of offensive firepower.
Coin Flip: Michigan
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Wolverines 88 Billikens 85
Louisville lacks depth and if they don’t hit 3s, they’re vulnerable.
Coin Flip: Michigan State
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Spartans 72 Cardinals 65
Coin Flip: Texas A&M
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Cougars 82 Aggies 65
Coin Flip: VCU
Fearless Rick’s Pick: VCU 85 Fighting Illinois 83
Coin Flip: Nebraska
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Cornhuskers 73 Commodores 70
Probably going to keep this close as the Razorbacks aren’t exactly defensive-minded. Might stun.
Coin Flip: Arkansas
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Panthers 91 Razorbacks 89
7 Miami vs 2 Purdue (-7.5, 147.5) 12:10 pm (CBS) - Purdue getting many accolades for Braden Smith’s assist record and winning the Big Ten tourney. Easy win over Queens in first round was more like a scrimmage.
Miami rolled past Missouri in the first round. They have a legit shot at winning here if Ernest Udeh Jr. is effective and turnovers are low.
Coin Flip: Purdue
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Hurricanes 76 Boilermakers 75
Kentucky is short-handed, needed OT to defeat Santa Clara, will likely not be as fortunate against Iowa State.
Coin Flip: Iowa State
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Cyclones 88 Wildcats 78
Kansas counters with height, depth, Fiory Bidunga inside, Darryn Peterson, and 3-point sharp-shooters outside.
Coin Flip: Kansas
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Jayhawks 75 Red Storm 68
Coin Flip: Iowa
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Gators 89 Hawkeyes 63
While Utah State won the MWC regular season and tournament, the Wildcats are easily the best team they’ve faced all season. The Aggies didn’t play a ranked team in 2025-26. Good team, but not much on defense, and certainly not the same quality as Arizona.
Coin Flip: Arizona
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Wildcats 88 Aggies 71
The Bruins have made their mark in the Big Ten, finishing with a 13-7 record and a 73-66 loss to Purdue in the conference tourney. Late season wins over Illinois, Nebraska, and Michigan State (all 2nd round winners) speaks of improvement and a competitive spirit. Tyler Bilodeau is expected to play after missing UCLA’s 75-71 opening round win over UCF.
Coin Flip: UConn
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Bruins 69 Huskies 66
March 19, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
On the first day of full action in the NCAA Tournament, 16 teams advanced to the second round and 16 were eliminated, most notably, #6 seed North Carolina, 82-78, losers in overtime to #11 VCU in the South bracket, and Wisconsin, the #5 seed in the West, ousted by #5 High Point, 83-82.
Other upsets included #10 Texas A&M over #7 Saint Mary’s in the South, 63-50; #9 St. Louis, 102-77 victors over #8 Georgia in the Midwest, and #11 Texas downing #6 BYU, 79-71, in the West. All teams seeded 1-5 moved forward, other than Wisconsin.
In terms of big game performance, Illinois’ David Mirkovic was mightily impressive scoring a career-high 29 points with 17 rebounds in the #3 Fighting Illini’s 105-70 win over #16 Penn in the South region.
Mirkovic was 11-for-17 from the field with four 3-pointers in seven attempts. The 6’9” freshman from Montenegro went 3-for-4 at the charity stripe, eight of his rebounds coming at the offensive side. The game was Mikovic’s sixth double-double of the season.
Illinois advances to the second round, where they will meet the 11 seed, VCU, in what looks to be a sensational match-up, Saturday at 7:50 pm. As of Friday morning, Illinois is a 10.5-point favorite.
March 18, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Though it was probably unnecessary, the Miami (OH) Redhawks proved they belong, taking down the SMU Mustangs, 89-79, in the Midwest Region First Four contest, Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio before a partisan crown of over 12,000.
The Redhawks rattled SMU with runs of 11-0 and 9-1 in the first half and a decisive 13-0 run that put them up 63-50 midway through the second half.
Miami’s leading scorer, Eian Elmer, hit back-to-back 3-pointers at 4:01 and 3:07 to put the game away, scoring nine of his game-high 23 points down the stretch. The 6’6” junior went 8-for-11 from the field, including 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. The main difference was at the 3-point line, where Miami went 16-for-41 (39%) and SMU made just five of 21 attempts (24%).
The Redhawks advance to play Tennessee in the next round, Friday at 4:25 pm ET in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The #6 seed Volunteers are 11.5 point favorites. TBS will air the game live.
March 17, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
The Howard Bison is moving on.
One Okojie scored a game-high 23 points and Bryce Harris pumped in 19 with 14 rebounds to lead Howard to an 86-83 win over UMBC in a First Four play-in game Tuesday at Dayton’s UD Arena.
Leading at the half, 49-41, Howard withstood a spirited second half comeback by the Retrievers to prevail and head to a Thursday meeting with Midwest region #1 seed, Michigan.
Harris, a 6’4” senior from Brentwood, New York, made six of 12 shots, including a 3-for-4 effort from the 3-point line, making all four of his free throw attempts. In addition to his 14 boards, he dished out five assists.
Howard, regular season and tournament champions of the MEAC improved to 24-10, but are expected to be heavy underdogs against Michigan, ranked #3 in the last poll before the tournament.
Fearless Rick & Coin Flip 1st Round NCAA Tournament Picks
Well, there’s 32 games this Thursday and Friday to start off the NCAA Men’s BasketBall Championship Tournament, so Fearless Rick and Coin Flip have awakened from their post-season football slumber to provide a few choice picks.
Bear in mind that some of these may be bracket busters, while others may only cover the spread. Winning and moving on to the next round is what March Madness is all about, but here’s a few ideas. Numbers indicate seeds, not rankings.
Thursday, March 19, 2025
9 TCU vs 8 Ohio State (-2.5, 146.5) 12:15 pm (CBS) - East Region match-up should go to the Buckeyes, who were battle-tested throughout the Big Ten season by the likes of Michigan and Purdue. Senior guard, Bruce “Almighty” Thornton should lead the way for an Ohio State win.
Coin Flip: TCU
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Buckeyes 78 Horned Frogs 73
They may be looking past High Point a bit, which would be a mistake. The Panthers went 30-4, winning both the regular season (15-1) and Big South Tournament, back for a second straight dance. They’re on a 14-game winning streak and should give the Badgers quite a scare.
Coin Flip: Wisconsin
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Badgers 86 Panthers 83
Vandy moves on in style in the South region.
Coin Flip: McNeese
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Commodores 84 Cowboys 62
VCU tied St. Louis in the Atlantic-10 with a 15-3 mark and won the conference tourney, avoiding the Billikens, who defeated them twice in the regular season. The Rams have had success in the Big Dance before, but the Tar Heels aren’t going down easy, if at all. Even without Wilson, Carolina has a great post-season record.
Coin Flip: North Carolina
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Tar Heels 69 Rams 64
The Quakers overcame both favorites - Harvard and Yale - to win the Ivy League tourney and punch their ticket. Led by high-scoring T.J. Power, Penn is on a five-game roll and have won nine of their last 10. They may not be up to Illinois’ level, but they’re not going to shy away either.
Coin Flip: Pennsylvania
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Fighting Illini 78 Quakers 66
The Billikens only had one real foe in the A-10, VCU, which won the conference tournament after St. Louis was bounced early by Dayton, 70-69. This one may not be close if Georgia can’t get their offense in gear.
Coin Flip: Georgia
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Billikens 93 Bulldogs 80
10 Santa Clara vs 7 Kentucky (-3.5, 160) 12:15 pm (CBS) - An outright upset looms right off the bat Friday as a spotty Kentucky team faces a real test from the Santa Clara Broncos, one of three teams in the tourney out of the WCC.
The Broncos finished one game behind St. Mary’s and Gonzaga in the conference (15-3) and boast a strong 26-8 record. They lost to the Zags in the WCC tourney and are not to be toyed with.
Coin Flip: Kentucky
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Broncos 83 Wildcats 76
Hofstra is riding a 7-game winning streak and has won 11 of their last 12.
Coin Flip: Hofstra
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Pride 77 Crimson Tide 76
Miami went 32-0 during the MAC regular season. Whatever conference one plays in, that’s impressive. While they might not win this one, they are very likely to keep it close.
Coin Flip: Tennessee
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Volunteers 65 Redhawks 61
St John’s won the Big East and most teams don’t have answers for Zuby EJiofor and the scrappy Red Storm defense.
Coin Flip: Northern Iowa
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Red Storm 78 Panthers 57
Miami finished third behind Duke and Virginia in the ACC with a 13-5 record and their 25-8 overall mark speaks of quality. Ernest Udeh Jr. is a massive inside force hat Missouri is unlikely to contain.
Coin Flip: Miami
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Hurricanes 71 Tigers 64
March 15, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Penn’s leading scorer, T.J. Power rallied the Quakers to an 88-84 overtime win against Yale, with a career-high 44 points, Sunday at Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York.
The victory lifted the Quakers to their first Ivy League championship since 2018 and earned them an automatic placing in the NCAA tournament.
Power was 14-for-26 from the field, including 7-for-14 from beyond the 3-point line. Going 9-for-9 at the foul line, Power added 14 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. The 6’9” junior from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts hit a tying three-pointer to send the game into overtime, where the Quakers prevailed.
Power played his freshman season at Duke and last year was at Virginia, seeing little playing time in either program. His transfer into the Ivy League got him a starting role and he’s delivered all season for Penn.
Winners of five straight, the 18-11 Quakers head into the NCAA Tourney with a head full of steam. They are seeded 14th in the South Region where they will meet #3 seed Illinois in a first round game, Thursday, March 19, at Greenville, South Carolina.
March 14, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
ESPN’s resident “bracketologist”, Joe Lunardi, is probably a bit perplexed this morning, as the final #1 seed for the NCAA tournament is now up for grabs. Duke, Michigan, and Arizona look like locks, but both UConn and Florida went down on Saturday, leaving a big hole in the top seeding arrangement.
The Huskies were dismantled by St. John’s, 72-52, while the Commodores of Vanderbilt were led by Tyler Tanner to a no-doubt-about-it 91-74 win over the Florida Gators in an SEC semifinal game.
Tanner, a 6’0” sophomore guard out of Brentwood, Tennessee, was exceptionally sharp and judicious, scoring a game-high 20 points, hitting eight of 10 shots, making the only 3-pointer he attempted, adding three points from the foul line while dishing out eight assists with three steals, while committing only one turnover. Tanner leads Vanderbilt in scoring (19.2), assists (5.3) and field goal percentage (50.0%)
The 26-7 Commodores shot 55% from the field and 48% on 3s (10-for-21). They advance to the finals to meet Arkansas, 93-90 overtime winners against Mississippi State. Game time is Sunday at 1:00 pm ET, carried live on ESPN. The last of the conference tournaments conclude Sunday, with the Ivy League, SEC, MAC, American, and Big Ten conferences wrapping up prior to the selections reveal at 6:00 pm ET on CBS.
March 13, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
The Wisconsin Badgers advanced to the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Friday with a 91-88 overtime win over #9 Illinois at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Nick Boyd poured in a career-high 38 points on 12-for-20 shooting with two 3-pointers, adding 12 of 13 free throws, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Boyd leads the Badgers in scoring (20.8) and assists (4.2). Teammate John Blackwell pumped in 31 for the 24-9 Badgers,
The result was far from unexpected. #23 Wisconsin scored a 92-90 overtime win on February 10 at Illinois. Keaton Wagler, who scored 34 in that February loss, scored 19 points Friday and missed on a last-second 3-pointer in overtime that would have tied the game.
Illinois, although eliminated from the conference tourney, is still assured of a spot in the Big Dance with an overall record of 24-8, likely to be seeded in a #3 or #4 slot. Wisconsin head to the semifinal on Saturday against Michigan, the Wolverines advancing after defeating Ohio State, 71-67. The Wisconsin-Michigan semifinal is set for a 1:00 pm ET start, with the second semifinal match-up between Purdue and UCLA scheduled for 3:30 pm ET. Both games will be telecast live by CBS.
March 12, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Top-ranked Duke barely survived its first post-season test, winning a quarterfinal game in the ACC Tournament by defeating a determined Florida State squad, 80-79, Thursday night at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The game had a multitude of ties and lead changes, and could have gone the other way, but Seminoles’ star, Robert McCray failed on a 3-point attempt at the buzzer after Alex Steen blocked a shot by Cameron Boozer with six seconds left. The Seminoles had proven to be a tough match for the Blue Devils, losing a regular season meeting by a 91-87 score.
Duke was led to victory by Isaiah Evans who rained down a game-high 32 points, making seven of 16 3-pointers and going 11-for-20 overall. The 6’6" sophomore guard from Fayetteville, NC went 3-for-4 from the foul line, collected six rebounds and dished out three assists in 39 minutes of floor time.
The Blue Devils (30-2) move on to the ACC tournament semifinals where they will meet the Clemson Tigers, winners by the identical Duke score of 80-79 over #19 North Carolina. Duke defeated Clemson, 67-54, during the regular season. Tip-off is slated for 9:30 pm ET, Friday night. The game will be carried live on ESPN2.
March 11, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Quadir Copeland’s 24 points led six Wolfpack players in double figures as North Carolina moved to the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament with a 98-88 win over the Pitt Panthers Wednesday night at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Wolfpack led by a point at halftime, but pulled away in the second half for the decisive score. NC State will play Virginia at noon on Thursday, March 12. The Cavaliers were one of four teams that earned first and second round byes. The others are Duke, Miami, and North Carolina, all of which will be in action today.
Copeland was 7-for-10 from the field and did not attempt any 3-point shots, making 10 of 12 free throws with eight assists and four rebounds. The 6’6” senior guard, a native of Philadelphia, PA, has averaged 14 points and 6.7 assists over the course of the season and into the tournament. He leads NC State in both categories.
The Wolfpack stumbled into the tournament with six losses in its final seven regular season games, but appears to be on the brink of being the recipient of a NCAA bid with a 10-8 regular season record and 20-8 mark overall. A win, or even a close loss against Virginia should be enough to secure a bid.
March 10, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Late in the regular season, the BYU Cougars struggled, losing three straight before downing Texas Tech, 82-76, on March 7. As they opened post-season play Tuesday night, the Cougars seem to have gotten their game back in gear, downing Kansas State, 105-91, in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City Missouri.
Freshman superstar, A.J. Dybantsa, was the main catalyst, throwing down 40 points in his first post=season appearance. The potential national player of the year was on fire, going 15-for-21 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers, 8-for-9 at the foul line, with nine rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Hailing from Brockton, Massachusetts, Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring, averaging 25.2 points per game.
BYU advances to the second round to face West Virginia, one of the three teams that handed the Cougars a late-season loss. The game is set for a tip around 6:00 pm ET. ESPN2 will carry the game live.
March 9, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Money Williams knocked down a career-high 40 points Monday night in a 95-89 victory over Northern Colorado in a Big Sky conference tournament quarterfinal match-up.
Williams, a 6’4” junior out of Oakland, California, was 10-for-21 from the field with two 3-point makes in five attempts. The Grizzlies’ leading scorer (20.3) was 18-for-19 on free throws, adding seven rebounds and three assists. Williams also leads the Grizzlies in assists, at 4.9 per game.
Williams took on more than just basketball, helping to raise his four siblings after the family’s father and mother died less than a year apart in 2023 and 2024. Williams has raised funds on a gofundme page for the family.
Montana (17-15, 10-8) avenged a recent 85-57 regular season defeat at Northern Colorado and will meet up with top seed Portland State in a semifinal game on Tuesday. Montana is the #4 seed and recently defeated Portland State, 74-68. The winner of their game will go on to the final against the winner of #7 Idaho vs. #3 Eastern Washington, the tournament champion receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Montana won the Big Sky Tournament last season, defeating Northern Colorado, 91-83.
March 8, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Capping off their Big Ten regular season championship, Michigan surged late for a 90-80 victory over Michigan State Sunday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Wolverines clinched the title a few games back, but finished with a conference record of 19-1, four games ahead of Nebraska and the Spartans.
Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 27 points on 8-for-12 shooting, going 5-for-6 from the 3-point line. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line, adding three rebounds and three assists.
The game was very physical and tight until late, with Michigan holding a slim edge through most of the second half. With the Wolverines up 73-70, Lendeborg hit a key shot, a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:31 left that put Michigan ahead 76-70. Defense and free throws kept the Spartans at bay for the rest of the game. Michigan’s bench proved decisive as well, with 29 points to the Spartans’ eight.
The victory leaves Michigan as the #1 seed in the upcoming Big Ten tournament, March 11-15 with Nebraska, Michigan State and Illinois all receiving byes for the first two rounds. The Wolverines ended the regular season with an overall record of 29-2, ranked #3 nationally.
March 7, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Brayden Buries threw down 22 of his season-high 31 points in the second half, as #2 Arizona wrapped up its Big 12 regular season with an 89-79 win at Colorado Saturday at the CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado.
The Wildcats took the conference title with a 16-2 record (29-2 overall), two games better than Houston (14-4).
Burries, a 6’4” freshman out of San Bernardino, California, helped the Wildcats erase an 11-point deficit and cruise to victory, making nine of 16 shots with a pair of 3-pointers, adding 11 of 12 from the foul line with seven rebounds and five steals. Fellow freshman, Koa Peat, added 25.
Arizona will be off until Thursday, March 12 when they enter the Big 12 conference tournament in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats have a bye for the first two rounds of the tourney, which opens Tuesday, March 10 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City , Missouri.
March 6, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
The Redhawks of Miami, Ohio completed their regular season with a perfect mark of 31-0, the first team to finish a regular season undefeated since Gonzaga in 2021, winning at Ohio for the first time in 15 years.
It wasn’t easy, as the Ohio Bobcats fought them tooth an nail in a 110-108 overtime victory by Miami, on the road at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio.
Eian Elmer scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the MAC thriller. Jackson Paveletzke, who missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the end of overtime, led all scorers with a career-high 37 points.
Elmer’s 32 points came off 11-for-16 shooting, including making four of six from 3-point range. The 6’6” junior from Covington, Kentucky made six of nine from the foul line. Coming at an opportune time, it was his first double-double of the season.
The Redhawks head to the MAC tournament on Thursday, March 12 as the #1 seed. Despite winning the regular season, they need to win the tourney to punch a ticket to the NCAA national tournament. There is talk that even though they were undefeated in the regular season, they may not get a bid unless they win the post-season title.
March 5, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Nasir Whitlock drained a buzzer beater from mid-court and led all scorers with 29 points to send Lehigh to the semifinals of the Patriot League Championship with a 69-66 victory over Holy Cross Thursday at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Whitlock’s heave from just behind the half-court stripe swished through the net as the buzzer sounded, capping a big night for the 6’2” guard. Whitlock, who played all but one minute of the game, made 11 of 24 shots, was 4-for-6 from 3-point range and added three free throws, two board and a pair of assists. Whitlock is Lehigh’s leading scorer, at 21.0 points per game.
The Mountain Hawks evened their record at 16-16, going 11-7 in Patriot League play. They advance to the semis to face Colgate on Sunday, March 8. Lehigh defeated Colgate twice during the regular season, both wins coming by one point, 78-77 at Colgate, and 77-76 at Lehigh. Both teams finished the regular season with 11-7 marks.
In the other quarterfinal game, Navy bounced Bucknell, 74-69, and will play Boston University on Sunday. The Middies dominated the league, capturing the regular season title with a 17-1 record.
March 4, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
C.J. Cox threw down a career-high 27 points, propelling #15 Purdue to a 70-66 victory at Northwestern Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois.
Cox, a 6’3” sophomore guard, was on fire throughout the contest, hitting 10 of 13 shots with five 3-pointers, adding two free throws, three rebounds, and three assists. Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli, the leading scorer in the Big Ten (22.7 ppg), led the points parade with 28.
Purdue (23-7, 13-6) has one game left on its regular season schedule. They host Wisconsin on Saturday, March 7, a solid prep for the Big Ten tournament which runs Tuesday, March 10 through Saturday, March 15 at the United Center in Chicago. The Boilermakers had lost two straight prior to Wednesday’s victory. Northwestern will play in the Big Ten tourney but is unlikely to receive an invitation to the national tournament. They are 13-17 overall with a 5-14 record in conference play.
March 3, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Kanon Catchings scored a career-high 32 points, leading Georgia over #16 Alabama, 98-88, Tuesday night in Athens, Georgia.
Catchings had the hot hand throughout the contest, nailing 12 of 20 shots from the field, going 7-for-13 from outside the 3-point line. The 6’9” sophomore also nabbed six boards, made two steals and a block. Catchings played his freshman season at BYU, transferring to Georgia through the portal where he became a starter.
The Bulldogs’ victory may prove to be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament. At 9-8 in the SEC and 21-9 overall, they just may squeeze in, the conference expected to send 10 or 11 teams to the Big Dance. Georgia will have more opportunities to improve its resume. They close out the regular season at Mississippi State and look forward to the SEC tournament next week.
March 2, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
Top-ranked Duke clinched the ACC regular season title with a 93-64 spanking of NC State Monday night in Raleigh, North Carolina. With a season finale against #17 North Carolina scheduled for Saturday night, the Blue Devils conference record of 16-1 is 2 1/2 games better than their closest competitor, 13-3 Virginia.
The Blue Devils were lead by Cameron Boozer’s game-high 26 points. A national player of the year candidate, Boozer went 8-for-10 from the field with one 3-pointer, adding nine points from the foul line in 11 attempts. He also collected nine rebounds and dealt four assists. 10 different Duke players scored in the runaway win.
Boozer leads Duke in a variety of categories, including points per game (22.6), assists (4.0), rebounds (10.0), and field goal percentage (58.3%).
With an overall record of 28-2, Duke is a likely #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in two weeks. The ACC tournament begins Tuesday, March 10. Selection Sunday for the Big Dance is March 15 with the First Four play-in games slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17 and 18.
March 1, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
John Mobley Jr. scored a game-high 21 points and Bruce Thornton added 20 as the Ohio State Buckeyes upended #8 Purdue, 82-74, Sunday in Columbus Ohio.
Mobley, a 6’1” sophomore guard, was 8-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-11 on 3-point shots. Thornton, the Buckeyes’ leading scorer, made 6of 9 and went 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.
The victory was big for Ohio State, as it came over a quad-1 team and gives the Buckeyes a positive stance heading towards Selection Sunday in two weeks. The win left Ohio State at 10-8 in the Big Ten and 18-11 overall. Purdue dropped to 12-6 in conference play and 22-7 overall.
Ohio State plays at Penn State on Wednesday, March 4, and closes out the regular season at home versus Indiana on Saturday, March 7.
February 28, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
After being humbled by UConn in their last outing, 72-40, on February 25, the 15th-ranked St. John’s Red Storm were expected to bounce back Saturday against Villanova.
And, they did, in a huge way. With coach Rick Pitino prowling the sideline in his trademark white suit, the Red Storm overwhelmed the Wildcats, 89-57, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Zuby Ejiofor posted a his first triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was his seventh double-double of the season for the 6’9” senior from Garland, Texas.
The big man was 6-for-12 from the field including a 3-pointer. He made three of five from the foul line, had a steal and three blocks. Ejiofor leads St. John’s in scoring, rebounds, assists, and blocks.
The result left the Red Storm at 16-2 in the Big East, a half game behind 17-2 Uconn, with Villanova solidly in third place, 3 1/2 games out. St. John’s concludes the regular season hosting Georgetown on March 3 before a March 6 trip to Seton Hall.
February 27, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
T.J. Power poured in a career-high 38 points as the Pen Quakers held serve at home in an 80-71 defeat of Dartmouth Friday night at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Power, a 6’9” junior from Shewsbury, Massachusetts, made 14 of 22 shots, including 6-for-8 from the 3-point line. He added 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Power played a season at Duke and last year was with Virginia before taking the transfer portal to Penn.
The win left the Quakers at 7-5 in conference play, chasing co-leaders, Harvard and Yale, each with 9-3 records. Yale has already defeated Penn twice and Harvard has another meeting with the Quakers on Saturday, seeking a sweep of the two-game season series. Penn will have an opportunity to punch their ticket to the NCAA tourney by winning the Ivy League tournament, which begins March 13, at Ithaca, New York, home of Cornell’s Big Red.
American League
National League
March 29, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day
2 Purdue vs 1 Arizona (-5.5, 153.5) 8:49 pm (TruTv, TBS) - The Wildcats should cruise here. They have displayed an incredibly flexible offense, capable of scoring from anywhere on the court by at least seven different players who average from 8.8 to 16.2 points per game. Defensively, they don’t need other be very good, simply adequate, because there doesn’t seem to be enough in the way of help defense for the Boilermakers to stop all of the Wildcats.
Sunday, March 29
2 UConn vs 1 Duke (-4.5, 133.5) 5:05 pm (CBS) - The weekend closes with what figures to be the most competitive of the Elite 8 games.
9 Iowa vs 4 Nebraska (-1.5, 132.5) 7:30 pm (TBS, truTV) - Iowa’s win over top-seed Florida was a shocker, blowing up the sub-bracket and setting up an all-Big Ten meeting.
4 Arkansas vs 1 Arizona (-8.5, 164.5) 9:45 pm (CBS) - Heck of a game shaping up here. Surprising to see the Razorbacks getting so many points, considering the degree of scoring ability Arkansas brings to the game. The Hogs have won seven straight, including the SEC tournament.
3 Illinois vs 2 Houston (-2.5, 140.5) 10:05 pm (TBS, truTV) - High octane offense (Illinois) vs. Houston’s stingy defense. Houston has an experience advantage, but they are a team that seems incapable of finishing opponents. They lost in the Big 12 conference final to Arizona, 79-74, and have demolished the sub-par teams thus far in the tournament (Idaho, 78-47), (Texas A&M, 88-57). Last season, the Cougars lost in the championship game to Florida, 65-63, and the year before were knocked off by Duke, 54-51 in the Sweet 16 round.
Friday, March 27
4 Alabama vs 1 Michigan (-8.5, 172.5) 7:35 pm (TBS, truTV) - Thus far, Alabama hasn’t missed second-leading scorer Aden Holloway in wins over Hofstra (90-70) and Texas Tech (90-65) as they have five others averaging 10 or more points per game and can go eight or nine deep. He has been ruled out again for this contest.
3 Michigan State vs 2 UConn (-1.5, 134.5) 9:45 pm (CBS) - Both teams are very disciplined, especially on defense, so the turnover stat may be the important one in this game. UConn’s pressure on the ball will have to be stout, because Jeremy Fears Jr. is setting Spartan assist records in his play thus far and the Huskies’ Solo Ball may be overmatched.
6 Tennessee vs 2 Iowa State (-3.5, 140.5) 10:10 pm (TBS, truTV) - The Volunteers are one of the top three defensive teams still alive, and they’ll need to be vigilant against the explosive Cyclones. Tennessee averages just 69.1 points per game, and shares the ball well on offense.
6 Louisville vs 3 Michigan State (-4.5, 150.5) 2:45 pm (CBS) - Tom Izzo is sure to have his Spartans ready for battle. Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and interior strength should prevail over Cardinals.
10 Texas A&M vs 2 Houston (-10.5, 142.5) 6:10 pm (TNT) - Aggies made quick work of St. Mary’s in opening tilt, will face more experience against the Cougars who eye Final Four.
11 VCU vs 3 Illinois (-10.5, 149.5) 7:50 pm (CBS) - Both teams are incredibly athletic and have skills galore. VCU’s tough win over North Carolina should have them ready for a high-scoring affair. Could be a thriller and potential bracket-buster.
5 Vanderbilt (-1.5, 146.5) vs 4 Nebraska 8:45 pm (TNT) - Nail-biter in pick ‘em game. Both teams deserving, may come down to the last possession and free throws. Cornhuskers’ Pryce Sandfort may be the difference-maker with late heroics.
12 High Point at 4 Arkansas (-11.5, 169.5) 9:45 pm (truTV) - Arkansas has a high-scoring offense behind freshman sensation Darius Acuff Jr., but how good are the High Point Panthers. Creid them with huge upset over Wisconsin. Can they compete with one of the best in the SEC?
Sunday, March 22
7 Kentucky vs 2 Iowa State (-4.5, 145) 2:45 pm (CBS) - Iowa State will be without Joshua Jefferson, but good teams step up when needed and the Cyclones are very good.
5 St. John’s (-3.5, 144.5) vs 4 Kansas 5:15 pm (CBS) - Lots of people very high on St. John’s with their win over UConn in the Big East championship and emergence of Zuby Ojeifor.
9 Iowa vs 1 Florida (-10.5, 145.5) 7:10 pm (TBS) - This could become very one-sided, very fast. Florida had no issues beating Prairie View, 114-55, while the Hawkeyes were 10-10 in conference play (Big Ten) and were 3-7 down the stretch before topping Clemson in the first round, 67-61.
9 Utah State vs 1 Arizona (-11.5, 154.5) 7:50 pm (truTV) - Arizona is the class of the tournament, 33-2 overall, no problem in first round win over LIU, 92-58.
7 UCLA vs 2 UConn (-4.5, 137.5) 8:45 pm (TNT) - The Huskies are one of just two good Big East teams (the other is St. John’s). While they’re well coached and have post-season experience, they are light on ball-handling (Solo Ball). Tarris Reed’s huge effort bailed them out against Furman (82-71) in the first round in a game that should not have been that close.
12 High Point vs 5 Wisconsin (-10.5, 164.5) 1:50 pm (TBS) - While the Badgers went all the way to the Big Ten Tournament final, losing to Michigan, 68-65, they have had a nice run the latter part of their season and have the irrepressible Nick Boyd leading the way. They are, however, in a tough spot in the West region with possible games against Arkansas and Arizona.
12 McNeese vs 5 Vanderbilt (-11.5, 150.5) 3:15 pm (truTV) - The Commodores are one of the better units 1 though 5 that you’ll see in the tournament and should have been a 3 or 4 seed after upending Florida in an SEC semifinal, 91-74, before falling to Arkansas in the final, 86-75. Watch Tyler Tanner to guide Vandy to a big victory against an overmatched opponent. The Commodores went 13-0 against non-conference opponents.
11 VCU vs 6 North Carolina (-2.5, 153.5) 6:50 pm (TNT) - There’s a lot of buzz surrounding this game, most of it by pundits picking VCU to defeat the Tar Heels, who will be without freshman sensation Caleb Wilson, an arguable point.
14 Pennsylvania vs 3 Illinois (-24.5, 150.5) 9:25 pm (TNT) - This South region game could be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, but it’s likely that it will just be overlooked as a win for the Illini and another loss for the Ivy League, but that spread is very juicy for a team that really earned its way into the tournament.
9 St. Louis vs 8 Georgia (-2.5, 169.5) 9:45 pm (CBS) - This Midwest region contest may not be what the Bulldogs had in mind, taking their sub-par 10-8 SEC record into the tourney. Georgia isn’t really anywhere near the top of their conference, though they did have a few moments, beating Alabama and Arkansas, but losses to Florida, Tennessee Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss suggest inconsistency. They turn the ball over far too often.
Friday, March 20, 2025
13 Hofstra vs Alabama (-11.5, 159.5) 3:15 pm (truTV) - Alabama’s lost one of its leading scorers to a criminal matter, leaving them vulnerable. Hofstra isn’t a 13 seed because they’re bad, it’s because they’re good and they earned it by winning their conference tournament.
11 Miami (OH) at 6 Tennessee (-11.5, 148.5) 4:25 pm (TBS) - The Vols don’t have a championship-type team, though they are one of the better defensive squads in the tourney. The problem is they often suffer scoring lapses and the Redhawks are known for going on scoring runs.
12 Northern Iowa at 5 St. John’s (-9.5, 131.5) 7:10 pm (CBS) - It’s been a while since Northern Iowa has made the tournament, and it looks like this will be a very brief visit.
10 Missouri vs 7 Miami (-1.5, 146) 10:10 pm (truTV) - The Mizzou may run into a defensive storm against the Hurricanes, one of the few ACC teams that made strides during the regular season.
|
|||
| search engine by freefind |
NCAA Tournament Quizzes
NCAA Tournament History
AP Top 25 (3/16) (1st place votes)
1. Duke 32-2 (50)
Your ad could be in the next issue of idleguy.com for as little as $6 per month. Contact Fearless Rick using the form on page 12 for more information.
Visit the IDLEGUY.COM MARKETPLACE for vintage magazines, Swell Gifts for Guys and other masculine merchandise.
Got something to sell? Registration is free and there are no fees to sell on the idleguy.com marketplace.
Tournament Conference Scoreboard
Conf (#) W L
SEC (10) 14 (TEX, 3), (VAND), (TAM), (ARK, 2) (FLA), (ALA, 2), (TENN, 3), (UK) 10 (GA), (MIZ), (TAM), (VAND), (FLA), (UK), (ARK), (TEX), (ALA), (TENN)
Big Ten (9) 19 (MIST, 2), (NEB, 2), (ILL, 4), (MICH, 4), (PUR, 3), (UCLA), (IOWA, 3) 7 (WISC), (OSU), (UCLA), (NEB), (MIST) (PUR), (IOWA)
ACC (8) 6 (DUKE, 3), (LOU), (UVA), (MIA) 8 (NCST), (SMU), (CLEM), (NCU), (LOU), (MIA), (UVA), (DUKE)
Big 12 (8) 12 (HOU, 2), (ARIZ, 4), (TCU), (ISU, 2), (KAN), (TTU) 7 (BYU), (UCF), (TCU), (KAN), (TTU), (HOU), (ISU)
Big East (3) 6 (CONN, 4), (STJ, 2) 2 (VILL), (STJ)
WCC (3) 1 (GONZ) 3 (STM), (SCU), (GONZ)
MAC (2) 1 (M-OH) 2 (AKR), (M-OH)
A-10 (2) 2 (VCU), (STL) 2 (VCU), (STL)
All Others (24) 4 (HOW), (PV), (HPT), (USU) 23 (UMBC), (LEH), (SIE), (USF), (NDST), (MCN), (TROY), (PENN), (IDH), (HOW), (KENN), (HAW), (LIU), (PV), (TNST), (QUC), (FUR), (WRST), (HOF), (CBU), (UNI), (HPT), USU
2025 NCAA Tournament
2024 NCAA Tournament
2023 NCAA Tournament
2022 NCAA Tournament
2021 NCAA Tournament
2020 cancelled - COVID
2019 NCAA Tournament
2018 NCAA Tournament
2017 NCAA Tournament
2016 NCAA Tournament
2015 NCAA Tournament
2014 NCAA Tournament
2013 NCAA Tournament
2012 NCAA Tournament
2011 NCAA Tournament
2010 NCAA Tournament
2009 NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Tournament
2007 NCAA Tournament
2006 NCAA Tournament
2005 NCAA Tournament
2004 NCAA Tournament
2003 NCAA Tournament
2002 NCAA Tournament
2001 NCAA Tournament
2000 NCAA Tournament
1999 NCAA Tournament
1998 NCAA Tournament
1997 NCAA Tournament
1996 NCAA Tournament
1995 NCAA Tournament
1994 NCAA Tournament
1993 NCAA Tournament
1992 NCAA Tournament
1991 NCAA Tournament
1990 NCAA Tournament
2. Arizona 32-2 (7)
3. Michigan 31-3
4. Florida 26-7
5. Houston 28-6
6. Iowa State 27-7
7. UConn 29-5
8. Purdue 27-8
9. Virginia 29-5
10. St. John’s 28-6
11. Michigan State 25-7
12. Gonzaga 30-3
13. Illinois 24-8
14. Arkansas 26-8
15. Nebraska 26-6
16. Vanderbilt 26-8
17. Kansas 23-10
18. Alabama 23-9
19. Wisconsin 24-10
20. Texas Tech 22-10
21. North Carolina 24-8
22. St. Mary’s 27-5
23. Tennessee 22-11
24. Louisville 23-10
25. Miami 25-8