One of the viral moments from the Warriors’ 137–116 victory over the Grizzlies on Wednesday was a second-quarter skirmish that resulted in a technical for both Green and Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane.

During the on-court scuffle, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins ended up falling to the ground after being bumped from behind by a scrum of players.

One day after the incident, Green didn’t show any pity for Jenkins and said the fifth-year Memphis coach “milked it.”

“Taylor Jenkins took a dive,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show. “I could not believe that he milked it like that. … He’s walking back to our bench and the trainer asks Taylor Jenkins, like, ‘You okay?’ And he’s like ‘I’m okay, I’m okay.’ Like trying to milk it. And that to me is absolutely insane.”

Draymond on Taylor Jenkins falling last night during a scuffle: pic.twitter.com/wEwFk4wxe1

— TheWarriorsHouse (@GSWarriorsHouse) March 21, 2024

The conflict started with Green and the Grizzlies’ Santi Aldama getting into a physical confrontation under the basket, which caused Jenkins to complain to the officials at the next stoppage. During their conversation, Bane didn’t like how close Green was standing next to Jenkins and pushed Green, resulting in more players and coaches entering the scrum. Green and Warriors guard Gary Payton II were then pushed into Jenkins, who had his back turned and was sent tumbling to the floor.

Green and Bane dapped it out after the fracas, and neither player has been disciplined by the league at this time. After Green’s latest comments, though, there appears to be no shortage of bad blood simmering between the two Western Conference rivals.

• Nadkarni: NBA Games Have Been Better Since the Scoring Dip

“We have a history with this team and it’s always been very competitive,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. “They’re tough. When we play them there’s usually some kind of dustup.”

Following Wednesday’s win, the Warriors improved to 36–32 and sit in 10th place in the West while the Grizzlies (23–47) were eliminated from playoff contention. 

Moore declined further comment, citing that the arrest is a “university matter.”

Scruggs, who was hired earlier this month, was pulled over early Saturday morning in Ann Arbor, after a police officer saw him stopped at an intersection with hazard lights on, according to a police report obtained by The Detroit News. Despite saying he had two drinks with dinner, he reportedly blew a 0.16 and then a 0.17 in a breathalyzer test, more than twice the legal limit in Michigan.

“Greg made an unfortunate mistake and was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He made no excuses and has taken accountability for his actions. The football program and athletic department have suspended Greg indefinitely while we review details of the incident,” Moore said in a statement after the arrest.

Scruggs, a Louisville grad, served as defensive line coach at Wisconsin in ’23, after stints with the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bearcats. He spent four years in the NFL, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots from 2012 to ’16.

One philosophy for putting is to employ a shoulder-rocking motion to guide the putter squarely through the ball, “using the big muscles” for success on the greens.

Take the hands out of the stroke, they say.

That’s all fine and good—unless you’re in the business of selling grips.

“We’re at the other end of the spectrum,” says Bruce Miller, retail product manager for Golf Pride. “We want players to use their hands.”

Shop Golf Pride Grips Through Our Partner at PGA TOUR Superstore

Miller likes to say that grips are equipment for golfers’ hands, and to that end his company has a new equipment launch dropping April 15: Golf Pride’s Reverse Taper putter grips. The grips are just like they sound, having a shape that’s opposite to conventional grips which are widest under the top hand and then slimming beneath the bottom hand.

A problem with those conventional grips, Golf Pride found through extensive research with players of all abilities, is that the lower hand can become a focus when struggling on the greens and an overcompensation would occur.

“Yippiness, flipping, de-cels, giving it the gas, jabbing it,” Miller recites. “An overactive lower hand.”

But if the grip itself could be inverted, reversing the taper and becoming progressively larger from the end cap to the where the grip stops, Golf Pride found it would negate some of those overactive faults. Just don’t call it “taking the hands out.”

As Miller says, it’s more like “optimizing each hand in the stroke.” And getting them to work together again.

Golf Pride’s Reverse Taper grips are available in three shapes: round, pistol and flat. The round is the universal style, with a distinct flat front that would appeal to the way most golfers hold their putters. The pistol’s substantial flat sides can be popular with a left-hand low (for righthanders) grip. The flat is more of an oval shape, much larger on the sides and conducive to straight-back/straight-through putting styles.

They're all made with polyurethane for softness and texture, and all shapes are available in medium and large sizes, following a trend toward larger putting grips overall. Golfers have also long been more receptive to putter grip changes than swing grips—maybe Golf Pride Tour Velvets have always been reliable on the irons and woods so there’s no need to go to the effort of changing all those clubs, but the trusty flatstick hasn’t been so trusty lately, so …

Reverse Taper grips may be the answer. Just don’t call them a tool to take your hands out of the equation. 

Golf Pride's Reverse Taper grips will be available beginning April 15 at golf courses and leading retailers including PGA TOUR Superstore. 

The Mustangs dismissed coach Rob Lanier on Thursday after two seasons, Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman first reported.

The reported move comes less than 24 hours after SMU lost 101–92 to Indiana State in the first round of the NIT. The Mustangs finished 20–13 this season, their final campaign in the American Athletic Conference before moving to the ACC in 2024.

In two years with SMU, Lanier went 30–35. The veteran coach is 141–135 lifetime across nine Division I seasons between Siena, Georgia State and the Mustangs. He led the Saints to the NCAA tournament in 2002 and the Panthers in ’22.

Rob Lanier has been fired at SMU after just two seasons, source confirms to CBS Sports. @GoodmanHoops first to report. That's a stunner. SMU moves into the ACC later this year.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 21, 2024

SMU, which enjoyed a brief men’s basketball renaissance in the mid-2010s under coaches Larry Brown and Tim Jankovich, has not made the NCAA tournament since 2017.

The Mustangs’ shift to the ACC will mark their fourth conference move in the past 30 years.

Samford, however, doesn’t appear to agree with the assessment that it is a big underdog.

Bulldogs forward Jermaine Marshall spoke with the media on Wednesday, and he explained that he expects Samford to pull off the upset.

“I don’t feel like it’s an upset, I feel like we’re gonna win and when we win, it’s not gonna be a surprise to us,” Marshall said. “It might be a surprise to all these brackets that are gonna be messed up, but it definitely won't be a surprise to us.”

#Samford forward Jermaine Marshall on playing #Kansas: "When we win, it's not going to be a surprise to us." #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/qEbCgjTQpw

— Rob Collins (@RobCollinsTV) March 20, 2024

Samford, the No. 13 seed in the Midwest Region, enters the NCAA tournament with a 29–5 record as the Southern Conference champions. The Bulldogs averaged 86 points per game this season, which ranked fifth among all Division I programs.

• March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket

The Bulldogs have not appeared in March Madness since 2000, and they are still looking for their first NCAA tournament victory in program history. Still, they are a potential upset pick against No. 4 seed Kansas, as the Jayhawks are coming off a disappointing 22–10 season and will play without star guard Kevin McCullar Jr.

Kansas and Samford will tip-off late Thursday night in one of the final matchups of the NCAA tournament’s opening day, but the Bulldogs believe it will be worth the wait.

Joseph Brown Sr. is facing a $50,000 cash bond after being charged with a class C felony.

The alleged crime took place on Jan. 13, when the the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Dolphins 26–7 in arctic conditions to reach the AFC divisional round.

The day after the wild-card game, a Miami representative reported the theft to police of “a box truck containing team gear/equipment,” per WDAF-TV’s Brian Dulle, citing court documents.

According to those documents, the stolen goods included football pads, gloves, shoes, game film and other miscellaneous items—later traced to a vehicle belonging to Brown, per police.

The Dolphins valued the goods in total at $46,000.

This would be the second large-scale alleged equipment theft in the NFL in the past six months, following a massive loss of equipment by the Chicago Bears in September.

Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders faced constant pressure in 2023, and Seaton will be tasked with keeping the Buffaloes signal-caller upright this fall. 

Seaton, who had scholarship offers from myriad Power 4 schools, was introduced to the Colorado media Wednesday, and he spoke glowingly about Sanders’s recruiting approach.

Sanders got right into coaching the coveted tackle, offering three areas for improvement rather than simply saying whatever he believed Seaton wanted to hear. That approach really impressed the IMG star.

“He told me I need to bend my hips a little bit more, so I’m like, ‘I can work with that,’” Seaton said. “Right now you’re trying to elevate me, and I’m not even here. You’re invested in me and just want me to win, and I haven’t even came to your school yet. So that kind of stood out to me the most. I don’t really like the yes men in your ear.”

"Every other visit I went on they told me how good I was... Coach Prime told me three things he wants me to work on." pic.twitter.com/Q48XR497gj

— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) March 20, 2024

As a whole, Seaton was impressed with the unified vision he sees at Colorado, where he says “everybody just clicks.”

“I haven’t really seen that on a lot of my visits,” Seaton said. “I’ve kinda been everywhere in the nation, from Oregon to all the way back in Maryland where I’m from. So I kinda seen it all, seen what every university brought, and right here, this is the best fit for me. And then Coach Prime, he’s Coach Prime. Who wouldn’t want to play for him?”

The comments come days after USA Today revealed just how different Sanders’s recruiting approach is from many of his peers. Records obtained by the publication show Sanders hasn’t made a single off-campus recruiting visit since taking over at Colorado, a fact the school confirmed. Despite having a $200,000 private air travel budget for recruiting, Sanders is confident he can build the program without having to venture too far from Boulder.

He specifically cited IMG, Seaton’s alma mater in Bradenton, Fla., in his explanation of the approach on Wednesday.

“My approach is totally different than many coaches,” Sanders said, via The Athletic. “I’m a businessman as well, so I try to save our university money every dern chance I get. For me to go, let’s say I go to Florida and I’m visiting IMG, you don’t think those coaches are going to be a little upset if I don’t come by the school down the street? You don’t think it’s going to be pandemonium, or I’m gonna get naysayed if I don’t go another 45 minutes? Then if I go to that one, why didn’t I come to that school? Now the coach is mad and he’s not gonna let the kid come because I chose that school over that school. Other coaches, they can do that, but I can’t.

“I have never heard one guy say I chose this college because this coach came by my crib. Have you?” Sanders continued. “I can’t do the things other coaches can do. You know why? I’m Coach Prime. And I didn’t stutter when I said it.”

Results are inconclusive so far after a 4–8 record in 2023 (a three-win improvement from a year before), but Sanders has brought more hype to the program than it’s had in many years. Landing Seaton shows that talent may very well follow the hype to Boulder.

Tom Haberstroh has been all over this topic on his Substack. As has Ethan Strauss. You may have heard about it on a podcast from Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo. The NBA even sent Joe Dumars and Monty McCutchen on Zach Lowe’s podcast to discuss the league-wide dip in scoring, and whether the NBA itself was responsible. ESPN would later report the league office even sent a memo to teams outlining an increased focus on eliminating foul hunting, which could be the reason for scoring going down.

Related: NBA Power Rankings: Knicks Surge Into Top 10 As L.A. Teams Falter

The gist of all this, really, is simple. Whether the league put its thumb on the scale or not (they almost definitely did), referees are calling fewer fouls. Scoring has tightened. And most importantly, in my opinion, the games have gotten a lot better.

For exactly how much the foul rate has reduced, I recommend Haberstroh, who has broken down in great detail over multiple stories how sharp the decline in the free throw rate is, and some of its effects on the game. The league seems to be trying to distance itself publicly from the idea that they specifically told refs to call fewer fouls.

Frankly, I personally don’t care whether or not Dumars or Adam Silver or the people who respond to the NBA referee X (formerly known as Twitter) account want to take credit for the resulting style of play. I just want to say how much I love the current version of the game, and I hope it's the norm going forward.

I understand people who are concerned about the league perhaps trying to manipulate scoring. And there’s a gambling angle here that I have no interest in diving into. I just think what we’ve seen in games since the All-Star break (seemingly the inflection point for The Great Reduction) is how the NBA should be called all the time. Which brings me to the real point of contention here: consistency.

What matters to me less are directives from the league. It would be naive to think Silver doesn’t have an opinion on the quality of day-to-day games. What’s important is that everyone is on the same page about how things will be called, and that they will be called the same way moving forward.

And for the most part, teams seem to have adjusted! Are certain players perhaps a little perturbed on a given night with the level of physicality? Sure, but many stars are going to complain about calls no matter what. That’s part of the gamesmanship of the, uh, game. I do think the new level of physicality (obviously very broadly speaking here) has added a little bit of an edge to these last few weeks of the season. The games feel more intense. And it’s plausible to see a team win by getting stops.

Related: The Heat Need Bam Adebayo to Keep Letting It Fly

I’m not some get-off-my-lawn, get-rid-of-the-three-point-line fundamentalist. It’s great how sophisticated NBA offenses have become. Teams should be smart about maximizing efficiency every time down the floor. At the same time, I’m sick of the moments when playing good defense either feels impossible or futile. Do I need an offensive player to get two free throws every time they drive and initiate contact with their shoulder on someone in an otherwise good position? I really don’t!

Again, if this actually is the new normal, then it should be celebrated. It’s unfair to say scoring became too easy. But playing defense was probably becoming a little too difficult. Is it “fair” to, in the middle of the season, dramatically change the style of play by allowing more physicality? Maybe not. As long as it continues, though, then at least it will be a level playing field for everyone.

In fact, my biggest fear is whoever is in charge of the foul dip pulling a 180. I remember a few years ago when one of the officiating focuses was eliminating some of the bad-faith shooting fouls—like jumping backward or sideways into a defender. I reported a piece on it, and while perimeter stoppers such as Mikal Bridges and Joe Ingles liked the new focus, they were worried the league wouldn’t stick with it for the whole season.

What remains to be seen is if the current free-throw reduction continues, both through the playoffs and into next season. Whoever made the decision, though, I applaud you. Because the games have improved as a result. 

Three No. 1 seeds, including the defending national champion and title favorite UConn Huskies, are on the docket on Day 2 of March Madness, but our attention is elsewhere with a pair of best bets in two games with tight spreads.

[ March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket ]

(Odds via FanDuel.)

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

Game Info: 3:10 p.m. ET | truTV
Spread: New Mexico -2.5 (-102) | Clemson +2.5 (-120)
Moneyline: UNM (-128) | CLEM (+106)
Total: 151.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-100)

The Lobos are back in the bracket for the first time since 2014 after winning the Mountain West conference tournament. Though not a Power 6 league, the MWC sent six of its 11 schools to the Big Dance and New Mexico beat three of them — Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State — en route to its title. The Tigers return to the field after a two-year absence, but unlike the Lobos, who beat the best their conference had to offer in the buildup to the Big Dance, Clemson lost to two of the worst teams in the ACC — Notre Dame and Boston College — since the start of March.

New Mexico’s profile is not that of a typical No. 11 seed. The Lobos (26–9) are ranked 22nd in KenPom and NET, sandwiched between teams that earned No. 4 and 5 seeds. There’s great basketball lineage all over this roster: coach Richard Pitino, son of Rick Pitino; Jaelen House, whose father is Eddie House; Jamal Mashburn Jr., named for his NBA All-Star father; and JT Toppin, brother of Knicks player and former Dayton standout Obi Toppin. Though House (16.1 ppg) and Mashburn (14.4 ppg) both shoot below 40% from the field, New Mexico is still a scary offensive team.

The Lobos average 81.5 points per game, create second chances with offensive rebounds and do not commit many turnovers. On the other side of the ball, they allow just over 70 points per game, boast a plus-11.2 scoring margin and rank top 20 in blocks (5.5) and steals (8.8) per game.

The Tigers (21–11) have a stronger offensive profile than their first-round foe. Though they operate at a significantly slower pace, they still average 77.4 points per game, hit free throws at a near-80% clip and have one of the best three-point threats in the country in Joseph Girard III (42.5%). Center PJ Hall (18.8 ppg) and Girard (15.7 ppg) are Clemson’s top two scorers. The Tigers don’t create much chaos on defense as they average 4.5 steals and 3.9 blocks, though they hold opponents to 71.3 points per game.

New Mexico (23–11 against the spread) has been one of the best teams to bet on all year while the Tigers (17–14–1) have been slightly above average. Look a little deeper and the Lobos (19–7) have been up to the task when they’re favored and Clemson (6–1) has a sterling record as an underdog.

That doesn’t bode well for New Mexico, the betting favorite despite being the lower seed, but its play outside of Albuquerque is encouraging. The Lobos are 8–0 in neutral site games this season and 5–6 on the road. They just rattled off four straight wins in Las Vegas to punch their ticket to the tourney while the Tigers (6–6 on the road, 3–1 at neutral sites) have lost their last four outside of Clemson. Defense travels and New Mexico has the edge on that side of the ball.

Bet: New Mexico -2.5 (-102)

No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Game Info: 6:50 p.m. ET | TNT
Spread: Texas A&M +1.5 (-112) | Nebraska -1.5 (-108)
Moneyline: TAMU (-102) | NEB (-118)
Total: 146.5 — Over (-115) | Under (-105)

The Aggies got hot late in the year to secure a second consecutive at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. Before falling to Florida 95–90 in the SEC Tournament semifinals, Texas A&M had won five straight, including a 97–87 upset against Kentucky in Nashville. The Cornhuskers are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade after finishing with their second-best record in program history. Nebraska has won seven of nine heading into March Madness, and one of those losses was to eventual Big Ten Tournament champion Illinois in the semifinals.

Buzz Williams’s Aggies are not an especially efficient offensive unit. They are among 14 DI teams that shoot worse than 40% from the field (amazingly, two other sub-40% teams are also in the tournament: No. 15 Saint Peter’s and No. 16 Wagner). Texas A&M’s leading scorer Wade Taylor IV (18.9 ppg) is a volume shooter who scored 82 points across three SEC Tournament games, but he also only connects on 36.9% of his attempts. The Aggies are also a dismal three-point shooting team (28.4%) and free throw shooting (70.9%) is a weakness as well.

So how does a team with that offensive profile score 90 in back-to-back games and 80-plus in four straight? Texas A&M leads the country in offensive rebounds (17.26) by a wide margin and limits turnovers (9.7). The Aggies aren’t always in — or winning — shootouts, which is where their sound defense (70.8 ppg) comes into play.

Conversely, the Cornhuskers are a highly efficient offense, led by four double-digit scorers, a few of whom are standout three-point shooters. Keisei Tominaga (14.9 ppg) shoots 37.2% from beyond the arc while Brice Williams (13.1 ppg) is a 39.2% shooter from deep. Nebraska’s 9.5 threes per game puts the team among the top shooting programs in the country.

The Cornhuskers shot 14-23 from the three-point line in their 88–72 upset of then-No. 1 Purdue in January — Tominaga was 5-9 from deep in that game. Nebraska allows roughly as many points per game (70.1) as Texas A&M and defends the arc especially well. Fred Hoiberg’s team, however, is not as strong on the boards.

Despite their different profiles, overs are abundant for both the Cornhuskers (21–11–1) and Aggies (21–13). Over Nebraska’s last 12 games, the over has hit eight times and overs are 11–2 in the last 13 for Texas A&M. In February and into March, these teams have scored at will and given up their fair share of points as well, specifically the Aggies. Bet on that trend to continue into the tournament.

Bet: Over 146.5 (-115)

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Bryant gifted his parents his first NBA championship ring, and the Bryants reportedly considered selling it in 2013 along with several other pieces of memorabilia. They later took the ring off the market, instead opting to keep the championship ring.

The ring is not an executive version of the team-issued ring, according to Goldin auctions. Instead, Bryant ordered an identical copy at the time as a special gift to his father. The duplicate ring is the item up for auction.

The ring will be up for bid until March 30, with the top offer sitting at $94,000 as of early Thursday afternoon.

“Obtained directly from the Bryant family, this ring is a true one-of-a-kind, and we can confirm that it is the only championship ring ever given by Kobe to his father,” the auction description says.

The ring is made of 14-karat gold and weighs 59.6 grams. It contains 40 diamonds and is engraved with the words “WORLD CHAMPIONS,” “LAKERS,” BRYANT,” and “BLING BLING.”.

Kitley, who injured her knee in a loss in the regular season finale against Virginia on March 3, did not play in the ACC tournament, and up until Thursday was listed as questionable for the NCAA tournament. 

• March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket

“Elizabeth Kitley will not participate in the NCAA tournament this year due to a lower leg injury that she suffered on March 3,” Brooks said. “We’re just praying for her and her mental health right now, and she’s still a part of what we do and she’s big in what we’ve done. So, heartfelt, you know, just goes out to her, because everything that she’s done for this program and everything that she will continue to do through her legacy. So right now, our prayers are just up for her.”

Brooks confirmed that it is a torn ACL for his star center, who was named an Associated Press second-team All-American on Wednesday. It is the third time in her career that she has received All-American honors from the Associated Press, after she was named as a second-team All-American last season, as well as a third-team All-American in 2021–22. Kitley also was named first-team All-ACC in four of her five seasons in Blacksburg.

• March Madness Bracket Predictions: Expert Picks for Women’s Tournament

In 29 games this season, Kitley averaged 22.8 points per game to go along with 11.4 rebounds on 55.6% shooting from the floor. She returned to school this season to use her extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, and was intent on leading Virginia Tech back to the Final Four.

Even though she will not get that opportunity on the floor, she has cemented herself as one of the best athletes in school history.

Well, a miracle has happened. Baseball has stolen the spotlight from the first day of the NCAA tournament. Of course, this happened because Shohei Ohtani, who just signed a $700 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason, is tied up in some sort of gambling scandal.

The details of the story are still changing and a lot is still unknown and Ohtani hasn't been accused of anything and he may very well be guilty of absolutely nothing, but he is involved.

So just be being attached to the story, that makes Ohtani open to social media mocking.

Especially when one of the things we do know is that $4.5 million in wire transfers were sent from Ohtani's bank account to a bookmaking operation. Why exactly that was done is TBD. Ippei Mizuhara, the longtime interpreter for Ohtani, incurred the gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation, multiple sources told ESPN. Naturally, not everyone believes Mizuhara was making those bets for himself.

So while most people were focused on making Pete Rose jokes, there was much more amusing and creative takes on the Ohtani scandal. What made this entire saga even more surreal is that the story was just picking up steam across the internet as the Dodgers were in the middle of their game against the San Diego Padres, which San Diego won, 16–11, as Yoshinobu Yamamoto got lit up in his debut, allowing five runs in one inning.

Here is a roundup.

My read on the story is that either Ippei or Ohtani is the best friend of all time.

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) March 21, 2024

So Ohtani didn’t get a notification from his bank.
I waste .99 cents and I get a notification on my phone, so imagine a couple of wireless transfers to the total of $4.5 million dollars.
With that said I didn’t know you can’t help a friend to pay a gambling debt.

— Wilson Lopez 🇵🇷 (@willNYYanks) March 21, 2024

“Welcome back to SportsCenter Presented by ESPN Bet, for more on the Ohtani situation we go to our FanDuel MLB Insider Jeff Passan at our DraftKings Studio in Los Angeles brought to you by Caesar’s Sportsbook. Jeff, how could something like this happen?”

— JEFF (@jeffisrael25) March 21, 2024

Unfortunately worded CNN tweet about Shohei Ohtani resurfaces https://t.co/OTFwU6hGk6 pic.twitter.com/J91NdORy2s

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 21, 2024

There’s no way Ohtani could ever truly intentionally affect the outcome of a baseball game.

You’d have to be the pitcher AND a great hitter.

Impossible.

— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) March 21, 2024

Me liking all the Ohtani and Ippei conspiracy theories pic.twitter.com/uGoSTxKUnA

— K*rk (@krktwe3ts) March 20, 2024

Ohtani when the MLB came to investigate his gambling debt pic.twitter.com/Hte1GQCa26

— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) March 21, 2024

Ippei taking his NDA money from Ohtani and cashing it on “Anthony Rendon under 30 games played” pic.twitter.com/F8EHvaxttD

— Jake (@D1SCHER) March 20, 2024

Ippei and Ohtani after betting the under on Yamamoto's total outs pic.twitter.com/2tN2t2V1iT

— Joshua Sánchez (@jnsanchez) March 21, 2024

Ohtani when the Dodgers win 4-3 but he had -1.5 pic.twitter.com/Rx7X1d74Qp

— Astros 2024 Champs (@AstrosOptimism2) March 21, 2024

Ippei Mizuhara after Shohei Ohtani deferred over 600 million instead of taking 70 mil a year: pic.twitter.com/FYORyNmfot

— pardo🧸 (@Hardpard) March 20, 2024

2. A brand-new episode of SI Media with Jimmy Traina dropped today and it features a conversation with The Ringer‘s editor-at-large, and host of The Press Box Podcast, Bryan Curtis about all the latest sports media news.

Among the topics covered with Curtis: Is Stephen A. Smith a $25-million man? How is Pat McAfee factoring into Smith’s desire for a massive pay day? The ESPN-Aaron Rodgers headache. Excitement for Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery to call the Final Four for CBS/Turner. LeBron James getting into the podcast game. The networks reliance on live sports growing more and more. The backlash against AppleTV+’s series on the New England Patriots dynasty and much more.

Following Curtis, Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include Major League Baseball botching Opening Day in a massive way, whether I’m justified in muting certain people on X (formerly Twitter), NCAA tournament snubs, the latest episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm and more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel.

3. Just watch what James Harden did here after passing the ball to Kawhi Leonard in the third quarter of last night’s Los Angeles Clippers game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

James Harden contesting Kawhi’s shot. 😂😂

pic.twitter.com/OUe5kdfGEf

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 21, 2024

Here's Harden's explanation for guarding his own teammate.

James Harden said he was trying to lighten the mood and get the Clippers out of the fog they’ve been in lately when asked about how he closed out on a Kawhi 3-point attempt when they were up by 21. pic.twitter.com/Y9XOBeXRos

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) March 21, 2024

4. Long Beach State coach Dan Monson was fired two weeks ago. The school let him close out the season, though. Long Beach State, which finished the regular season 18–14, won the Big West tournament, giving them an automatic berth in to the NCAA tournament.

Monson addressed this awkward situation at a press conference Wednesday by using a wonderful Seinfeld reference.

"I'm a Seinfeld episode going on in real life."

After mutually agreeing to part ways with Long Beach State before winning the Big West tournament, coach Dan Monson still has time for jokes 🤣 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/PxReiAmzeW

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2024

And now I’ll be rooting for Long Beach State in the tourney.

5. Click in and enjoy this tremendous thread on what NCAA coaches actually look like they do for work.

What NCAA Tournament coaches look like they ACTUALLY do for a living

Thread:

— Pregame Empire (@PregameEmpire) March 19, 2024

6. Here are the price points for ESPN's upcoming move to go Direct To Consumer.

ESPN DTC price planning per month
1) Standalone: $25-30
2) Fox/TNT trio: $40-50
3) YouTube TV package: $73 package
4) Cable package: $100+ https://t.co/KQllxTIfj8

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 20, 2024

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: On this week's SI Media Podcast with guest Bryan Curtis, we talked about the 1987 incident in which CBS News anchor Dan Rather walked off the set when a U.S. Open tennis match ran long and cut into the evening news, leaving the newscast dark for six full minutes. Curtis and I discussed how this is a top "Imagine If Twitter Was Around For This Moment." Here is Rather discussing the incident.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

“Houston Dash goalkeeper coach Matt Lampson was terminated on March 18. We respect the privacy and confidentiality of our players and employees and will not comment on specific details of Club employment matters,” the Dash told Lloyd-Hughes in a statement.

On Thursday, the NWSL confirmed to The Athletic that Lampson was fired for violating the league’s anti-fraternization policy, adding that it “did not find a violation of the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy which is focused on preventing abusive, discriminatory, or harassing behavior.”

Lampson, a former MLS goalie for four teams, had worked for Houston since 2022.

The NWSL’s work culture has been in the national spotlight for years, and particularly since a 2022 report from former acting Attorney General Sally Yates found that “institutional failures” perpetuated a “misconduct issue.”

In the eighth inning of the Padres’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, Grant went off on a tangent, telling broadcast partner Don Orsillo just how fascinated he is with the fact that they’ll be back home in San Diego in no time. 

Padres broadcast is tripping out just thinking about air travel pic.twitter.com/UGsEn16z1I

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 21, 2024

“Isn’t it amazing, Donny? [Sideline reporter] Mariluz [Cook] was just in San Diego. We saw Petco Park,” Grant said after the broadcast aired Cook’s report from back home. “We are on the other side of the planet. And after this game, we’re gonna get in a big metal tube and fly for 11 hours and be in San Diego. Isn’t that incredible when you get down to think about it?”

Orsillo’s response was gold: “Yeah, it’s far away!”

The Padres won the game to split the two-game overseas series. They’ll return home and resume regular season games on March 28. Their first road trip of the season is to San Francisco. Grant should have an easier time wrapping his head around that one. 

The QB has been fired up about the move, as he posted a hype video after the deal got done. The Steelers later added another QB, Justin Fields, in a trade with the Chicago Bears, so Wilson might have some competition for the starting job in Pittsburgh. 

On Wednesday, Wilson, who is coming off a disappointing two-year stint with the Denver Broncos, shared another video on social media, which showed him working on his footwork while wearing sunglasses. 

Check this out:

Love the Work. The Best Is Ahead. pic.twitter.com/4dl997br5g

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 20, 2024

NFL fans had jokes: 

This is what I keep thinking of 😂😂 https://t.co/rBkzgPjyhx pic.twitter.com/ThdCvcXw6z

— Anthony95 (@AnthonyDayboch) March 20, 2024

bro posted the same thing when we got him😭 https://t.co/U93136hqBY pic.twitter.com/N561pJ8st1

— Big Mike || Quinn Meinerz’s #1 Fan (@MeinerzMuse) March 20, 2024

That’s weird.. usually he runs in a circle and takes a sack. https://t.co/rMSYS8vikk

— MileHighGreco (@MileHighGreco) March 20, 2024

Russ wishes he could move like Jameis

pic.twitter.com/poE5LwUrVd https://t.co/PM1qDr49Ev

— BIGPLAY Dave (@BIGPLAY_Dave) March 20, 2024

Wait till there’s a pass rush Steelers fans. https://t.co/CQvh9Y5nH5

— Apollo (@SurtainStraps) March 20, 2024

“The best is ahead” https://t.co/kcEl4uyNbg pic.twitter.com/ye0zss8Rd4

— Adam Awes (@AdamAwes10K) March 21, 2024

Live look at the Wilson & Fields QB Battle for the Steelers: https://t.co/0HLUBLVga4 pic.twitter.com/HgSLJgVPVA

— Titans Tribe (@TitansTribe) March 20, 2024

Ohtani left the Dodgers’ clubhouse in Seoul without taking any questions after Los Angeles’s 15–11 loss to the San Diego Padres in the finale of their two-game series in Seoul, South Korea.

Per Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post, the Dodgers’ public relations team told reporters Ohtani would not be speaking, and then he left telling the press in Japanese to “have a good night.”

• Verducci: Shohei Ohtani’s Translator Fired Amid Accusations of Theft of ‘Millions of Dollars’

On Wednesday, Tisha Thompson of ESPN published a stunning story outlining Ohtani’s allegation that Mizuhara stole $4.5 million from him to finance a gambling habit—after an Ohtani representative initially suggested the two-time American League MVP transferred the money to Mizuhara voluntarily.

Dodgers PR guarded Ohtani’s locker as he changed, then told reporters he would not be speaking. When reporters surrounded his locker, asking if he had a second anyway, he walked by and out of the clubhouse saying what the Japanese reporters translated as “have a good night.”

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) March 21, 2024

Los Angeles quickly moved to dismiss Mizuhara, and Dodgers manager of performance operations Will Ireton reportedly will serve as Ohtani’s interpreter going forward.

Will Ireton, the Dodgers current Manager of Performance Operations, will take over as Shohei Ohtani's translator following the firing of Ohtani's longtime translator Ippei Mizuhara. Ireton was previously Kenta Maeda's translator during his time with the Dodgers.

— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) March 21, 2024

Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort confirmed the team is “open for business” in terms of fielding offers for its first-round pick, and he expects trade conversations to pick up at the annual league meetings, which take place March 24-27.

“I think we’ll always have the conversation,” Ossenfort said, via NFL Network’s Grant Gordon. “We may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it’s at [No.] 4 or anywhere we’re picking, but we’re always going to have the conversation, and if it makes sense, if it’s attractive to building our team, then it’s something that we’ll certainly consider no matter where we’re at in the draft.”

Ossenfort said trade inquiries have started to pick up recently, but he doesn’t believe conversations will intensify until the week of the draft.

Arizona was extremely active in last year’s draft, making five deals, and currently sits in one of the most intriguing positions based on the incoming draft class. There’s a realistic scenario where the top three players selected are all quarterbacks, with USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and UNC’s Drake Maye all drawing considerable interest.

If the top three picks feature three signal-callers, the Cardinals’ pick could attract a high level of trade interest. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s stock has been on the rise, and this scenario also could drive interest from teams targeting a top wide receiver, such as Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU’s Malik Nabers.

The Miami Herald and The Athletic confirmed Anderson’s report Wednesday night.

The 31-year-old Beckham was released by the Baltimore Ravens earlier this month. Last season, he recorded 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season games in Baltimore, averaging a career-high 16.1 yards per catch. 

The Herald noted that the Dolphins have “shown interest” in Beckham this offseason, hoping to add an additional weapon to bolster Miami’s No. 1-ranked offense led by last year’s NFL receiving yards leader, Tyreek Hill. 

The Dolphins have an estimated $13.5 million in salary cap space to potentially sign Beckham, who is two years removed from his second ACL tear.

Beckham was the No. 12 pick by the New York Giants in the 2014 NFL draft. He spent his first five pro seasons with the Giants before joining the Cleveland Browns in 2019, where he suffered his first ACL tear. Cleveland released him in 2021. 

The three-time Pro Bowler signed with the Los Angeles Rams later that year and helped them win Super Bowl LVI, racking up 288 yards and two touchdowns in the 2021-22 postseason, including a 113-yard game in the Rams’ 20—17 NFC title victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Despite having a Jones fracture in a toe in his foot, McKinstry clocked a 4.47-second 40-yard dash. His ability to run a time that fast with a broken toe that will require surgery on Friday is a testament to his speed, athleticism and durability.

Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry probably made himself some money here at pro day, running a 40 that scouts clocked as low as 4.47 — despite a Jones fracture that doctors discovered at the combine. He’ll have surgery Friday and is expected to be full go for camp. pic.twitter.com/mee0fEihE3

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 20, 2024

McKinstry is expected to be ready for the start of rookie mini camp later this spring, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

McKinstry played 42 games across his three seasons with the Crimson Tide, recording 62 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. He was named first-team All-SEC in 2022 and ’23, and was an Associated Press first-team All-American selection last season as he helped Alabama reach the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl.

In today’s SI:AM:

💫 Potential Cinderellas

⚾ Ohtani caught up in scandal

🏈 Caleb Williams’s pro day

If you’re reading this on SI.com, click here to subscribe to receive SI:AM in your inbox every weekday.

Almost time for tipoff

The best sports day of the year is here, as March Madness gets underway with 16 games over more than 12 hours. Here are the five games today and tomorrow that I’m most looking forward to.

No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Samford (9:55 p.m. ET Today on TBS)

The news that senior guard Kevin McCullar will miss the NCAA tournament with a knee injury means the Jayhawks are officially on upset alert. McCullar led the team with 18.3 points per game this season and was second on the team with 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. (Kevin Sweeney broke down what his absence will mean for the Jayhawks.)

There is also concern about 7-footer Hunter Dickinson, who did not play in the Big 12 tournament after dislocating his shoulder in the final game of the regular season. Dickinson was eighth in the nation this season with 10.8 rebounds per game while also averaging 18.0 points. The good news for Kansas is that coach Bill Self has given no indication that Dickinson won’t be able to go.

Losing a ballhandler like McCullar could be especially worrisome for Kansas against a Samford team that terrorizes its opponents with hellacious defense. The Bulldogs forced the fourth-most turnovers of any team in the country this season. They also have one of the best offenses, ranking fifth in points per game and 22nd in offensive efficiency. They would have been a trendy upset pick even against a full-strength Kansas team. With the Jayhawks shorthanded, Samford’s chances are even better.

No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 McNeese State (7:25 p.m. ET Today on TBS)

Running up a 30–3 record has made McNeese a popular upset pick this year. The Cowboys are one of four men’s teams with at least 30 victories (along with UConn, Houston and James Madison) and have few weaknesses. They rank seventh nationally in offensive efficiency and third in defensive efficiency. They’re also led by an experienced coach in Will Wade, the former LSU coach (who was fired due to recruiting violations).

So what’s the catch? Well, McNeese has hardly been challenged this season. It played the 26th-easiest schedule this season. The Southland is one of the weakest conferences in Division I, and the Cowboys’ out-of-conference schedule included games against College of Biblical Studies, Champion Christian, LeTourneau University and Mississippi University for Women. They do boast a road victory over AAC champion UAB, but Gonzaga will be by far the best team they’ve faced so far.

No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake (10:05 p.m. ET Today on truTV)

Drake has all the makings of a classic March Madness Cinderella. It’s a double-digit seed from the Midwest that plays in a one-bid conference and is led by a star player who’s also the coach’s son.

But there’s plenty of reasons to like Washington State, too. The Cougars were picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 this season but shocked everyone to go 14–6 in conference play. They’re making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2008—the year before Klay Thompson arrived in Pullman. Plus, it’s tough not to feel sympathetic for Wazzu after the school got left out in the cold during the recent breakup of the Pac-12.

The player to watch in this one is Drake’s Tucker DeVries, the son of coach Darian DeVries. The 6' 7" guard is sixth in the nation with 21.6 points per game.

No. 8 Florida Atlanta vs. No. 9 Northwestern (12:15 p.m. ET Friday on CBS)

Florida Atlantic entered the season with high expectations after making a Cinderella run to the Final Four last year. The Owls were ranked 10th in preseason AP poll, and while they picked up some impressive wins this season (over Texas A&M and Arizona on neutral courts, to name a couple), they also had some head-scratching losses, including defeats against Bryant and Florida Gulf Coast. Still, they did enough to earn a no-brainer at-large bid in the tournament.

The main thing standing between FAU and another March Madness victory is Northwestern star Boo Buie, who is taking advantage of the extra COVID-19 year of eligibility and playing his fifth season for the Wildcats. He led the team in scoring this season for the second year in a row, averaging 19.2 points per game, and is especially lethal from long range. He’s sixth in the nation this season with a .443 three-point shooting percentage. But Northwestern also has plenty of depth behind Buie, with three other players averaging more than 11 points per game.

No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 James Madison (9:40 p.m. ET Friday on CBS)

What a year it’s been for the James Madison athletic department. First, the football team went 11–2 in just its second season in FBS. Now, the men’s basketball team has compiled a 31–3 record and is a popular pick to pull off a 12-5 upset.

The Dukes’ signature victory this season came in their season opener on the road against Michigan State. While the Spartans weren't as great as expected (they were ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP poll but went 19–14), the win announced JMU as a team that needed to be taken seriously.

James Madison has excelled on both ends of the floor, ranking 20th nationally in offensive efficiency and 12th in defensive efficiency. And if you’re someone who believes experience matters in March, the Dukes have plenty of it. Four of the Dukes’ six leading scorers are fifth-year seniors. Top scorer Terrence Edwards is a fourth-year junior. No team in the nation has been tested as thoroughly as Wisconsin, though. The Badgers played the hardest schedule in Division I and still managed to go 22–13.

The best of Sports Illustrated

• The biggest story in sports today isn’t the NCAA tournament. It’s the firing of Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara after Ohtani’s legal team accused Mizuhara of stealing millions of dollars to pay off illegal gambling debts. Tom Verducci has more on what MLB rules say about those with ties to gambling.
• Gilberto Manzano thinks these eight teams made the biggest leaps forward after the first wave of NFL free agency.
• Manzano also attended USC’s pro day, where Caleb Williams didn’t let himself get carried away by speculation that he’ll be going to the Bears with the No. 1 pick.
• Albert Breer tackles some pressing questions about the NFL draft in his latest mailbag.
• Rohan Nadkarni argues that the offensive fix the Heat need is to let Bam Adebayo keep hoisting threes.
• Bob Harig spoke with some PGA Tour players who attended this week’s meeting between Tiger Woods and the Saudi PIF in the Bahamas. Woods was described as “very engaged.”
• Tom Izzo has a preposterous idea about how to change the NCAA tournament.
• John Calipari, meanwhile, wants the NCAA to leave the tournament just the way it is.
• Pistons rookie Ausar Thompson is out for the rest of the season due to a blood clot.

The top five...

… things I saw last night:

5. Giancarlo Stanton’s three home runs in a spring training game.

4. The reception Isaiah Thomas got after checking into his first NBA game in two years.

3. Eddie Lampkin’s tip-in to beat the shot clock buzzer late in Colorado’s First Four win over Boise State.

2. These two nasty dunks by Chet Holmgren.

1. Auston Matthews’s goal just 16 seconds into the game against the Capitals. He scored another one later and now has a league-leading 57.

SIQ

Who was the first player in NCAA Division I basketball history (men’s or women’s) to record 2,000 points and 1,000 assists in their career? (Today is the anniversary of when they achieved the feat in a March Madness upset.)

• C.J. McCollum
• Skylar Diggins
• Courtney Vandersloot
• Matthew Dellavedova

Yesterday’s SIQ: The first televised NCAA men’s basketball championship game took place on March 20 of what year? Hint: It was tape-delayed.

• 1954
• 1960
• 1972
• 1979

Answer: 1954. La Salle beat Bradley, 92–76, in the title game. The tape-delayed broadcast of the game was carried by whichever local stations decided to pay the NCAA’s $7,500 syndication fee. That’s about $87,000 today. CBS now pays about $1 billion per year to air the men’s tournament.

According to an article in The American Historian by J. Samuel Walker, even the station in La Salle’s hometown of Philadelphia didn’t air its broadcast of the game until 11 p.m., well after prime time.

La Salle, led by future Hall of Famer Tom Gola, got back to the title game the next year but lost to Bill Russell’s San Francisco team.

The other interesting thing about the 1954 tournament is that even though La Salle won, it didn’t finish the season ranked No. 1 in the country. AP voters picked Kentucky as the top team in the nation. The Wildcats went 25–0 that season but decided not to play in the NCAA tournament as a form of protest over their three top players being ruled ineligible.

At quarterback, the biggest mover is obviously Justin Fields. Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and projected to back up Russell Wilson, Fields went from a top-12 field general to being ranked outside the top 30. I have also included rookies, which is an exercise in futility before the NFL draft, but their ranking at least gives you some idea of how I value the players based on their skill set and upside in their first year.

The easiest first-year quarterback to rank is Caleb Williams, who seems destined to be drafted first overall by the Chicago Bears. With new additions D’Andre Swift, Keenan Allen and Gerald Everett at his disposal, not to mention incumbents like DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, Williams is in a terrific position to shine in the stat sheets.

At running back, where we saw an absolute boatload of player movement, you’ll see slight upticks for Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry with their new teams. A few other runners, including Zack Moss and Zamir White, have also seen their value rise based on player movement on their respective teams this offseason.

On the flip side, changing teams didn’t do Austin Ekeler or Tony Pollard any favors. In fact, I have both ranked outside of the top 20 due to projected backfield committees.

The top of the wide receiver list has changed slightly, as I moved Justin Jefferson from No. 1 to No. 3 after the departure of Kirk Cousins. For now, CeeDee Lamb and Tyreek Hill are my top two receivers. Speaking of Cousins, his presence in Atlanta has Drake London’s stock on the rise. He’ll be a popular breakout player. The return of Aaron Rodgers has Garrett Wilson in my top 10, even with the addition of Mike Williams, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is in my top 20 even before he’s been picked in the draft.

Receivers who have seen their value decline are Moore and Allen, who will contend for targets in the Windy City rather than being their team’s clear top option. Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins hurt each other’s ceilings in Tennessee, and Marquise Brown’s presence in Kansas City makes Rashee Rice at least slightly less attractive.

At tight end, I moved Kyle Pitts back into my top 10 with Cousins under center. With questions about his return from a torn ACL, I have T.J. Hockenson at No. 11. He would normally be in the top three with Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce. Speaking of Kelce, this is the first time he hasn’t been the top-ranked tight end since, well, I honestly can’t even remember! My top rookie, Brock Bowers, comes in as a low-end starter.

Being that it’s only March, this list is going to change a whole lot in the next few months. The NFL draft will be the biggest factor, so take my rookie rankings within this seasonal list with a grain of salt. I can tell you this, whoever the Dallas Cowboys draft to be their starting running back, assuming that’s the scenario, will be in my top 25 backs.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy! Fantasy football season is never too far away!

Quarterbacks

Player, Team (FA year)

1. Josh Allen, BUF (2029)
2. Jalen Hurts, PHI (2029)
3. Patrick Mahomes, KC (2032)
4. Lamar Jackson, BAL (2028)
5. Joe Burrow, CIN (2030)
6. C.J. Stroud, HOU (2027)
7. Anthony Richardson, IND (2027)
8. Dak Prescott, DAL (2025)
9. Jordan Love, GB (2025)
10. Kyler Murray, ARI (2029)
11. Brock Purdy, SF (2026)
12. Kirk Cousins, ATL (2024)
13. Jared Goff, DET (2025)
14. Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (2025)
15. Justin Herbert, LAC (2030)
16. Trevor Lawrence, JAC (2025)
17. Matthew Stafford, LAR (2027)
18. Caleb Williams, RK (N/A)
19. Aaron Rodgers, NYJ (2026)
20. Jayden Daniels, RK (N/A)
21. Baker Mayfield, TB (2024)
22. Deshaun Watson, CLE (2027)
23. Russell Wilson, PIT (2029)
24. Will Levis, TEN (2027)
25. Derek Carr, NO (2027)
26. Bryce Young, CAR (2027)
27. Drake Maye, RK (N/A)
28. J.J. McCarthy, RK (N/A)
29. Geno Smith, SEA (2026)
30. Daniel Jones, NYG (2027)
31. Jarrett Stidham, DEN (2025)
32. Gardner Minshew, LV (2024)
33. Justin Fields, PIT (2025)
34. Aidan O'Connell, LV (2027)
35. Sam Howell, SEA (2026)
36. Michael Penix Jr., RK (N/A)
37. Kenny Pickett, PHI (2026)
38. Mac Jones, JAC (2025)
39. Jake Browning, CIN (2025)
40. Ryan Tannehill, FA (2024)

Running Backs

1. Christian McCaffrey, SF (2026)
2. Bijan Robinson, ATL (2028)
3. Breece Hall, NYJ (2026)
4. Saquon Barkley, PHI (2027)
5. Travis Etienne, JAC (2026)
6. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET (2028)
7. Jonathan Taylor, IND (2027)
8. Kyren Williams, LAR (2026)
9. Josh Jacobs, GB (2028)
10. Derrick Henry, BAL (2026)
11. Isiah Pacheco, KC (2026)
12. De'Von Achane, MIA (2027)
13. Alvin Kamara, NO (2026)
14. Ken Walker, SEA (2026)
15. Joe Mixon, HOU (2027)
16. Rachaad White, TB (2026)
17. James Cook, BUF (2026)
18. D'Andre Swift, CHI (2027)
19. David Montgomery, DET (2026)
20. James Conner, ARI (2025)
21. Rhamondre Stevenson, NE (2025)
22. Nick Chubb, CLE (2025)
23. Tony Pollard, TEN (2027)
24. Raheem Mostert, MIA (2025)
25. Aaron Jones, MIN (2025)
26. Zack Moss, CIN (2026)
27. Brian Robinson Jr. , WAS (2026)
28. Zamir White, LV (2026)
29. Austin Ekeler, WAS (2026)
30. Najee Harris, PIT (2026)
31. Javonte Williams, DEN (2025)
32. Gus Edwards, LAC (2026)
33. Devin Singletary, NYG (2027)
34. Chuba Hubbard, CAR (2025)
35. Tyjae Spears, TEN (2027)
36. Jaylen Warren, PIT (2025)
37. Tyler Allgeier, ATL (2026)
38. Ty Chandler, MIN (2026)
39. Jonathon Brooks, RK (N/A)
40. Alexander Mattison, LV (2025)
41. Khalil Herbert, CHI (2025)
42. Zach Charbonnet, SEA (2027)
43. Trey Benson, RK (N/A)
44. Chase Brown, CIN (2027)
45. Blake Corum, RK (N/A)
46. Antonio Gibson, NE (2027)
47. Jerome Ford, CLE (2026)
48. Roshon Johnson, CHI (2027)
49. Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN (2026)
50. Ezekiel Elliott, FA (N/A)
51. Miles Sanders, CAR (2027)
52. Kendre Miller, NO (2027)
53. A.J. Dillon, GB (2025)
54. D'Onta Foreman, CLE (2025)
55. Keaton Mitchell, BAL (2026)
56. Audric Estime, RK (N/A)
57. Dameon Pierce, HOU (2026)
58. Elijah Mitchell, SF (2025)
59. Justice Hill, BAL (2025)
60. Kenneth Gainwell, PHI (2025)
61. Braelon Allen, RK (N/A)
62. Jaylen Wright, RK (N/A)
63. J.K. Dobbins, FA (N/A)
64. Jerick McKinnon, FA (N/A)
65. Samaje Perine, DEN (2025)
66. Rico Dowdle, DAL (2025)
67. MarShawn Lloyd, RK (N/A)
68. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, FA (N/A)
69. Kareem Hunt, FA (N/A)
70. Emari Demercado, ARI (2026)
71. Jamaal Williams, NO (2026)
72. Bucky Irving, RK (N/A)
73. Israel Abanikanda, NYJ (2027)
74. Isaiah Spiller, LAC (2026)
75. Chase Edmonds, TB (2025)
76. Dylan Laube, RK (N/A)
77. Ray Davis, RK (N/A)
78. Jeff Wilson Jr., MIA (2025)
79. Deuce Vaughn, DA (2027)
80. Will Shipley, RK (N/A)

Wide Receivers

1. CeeDee Lamb, DAL (2025)
2. Tyreek Hill, MIA (2027)
3. Justin Jefferson, MIN (2025)
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (2025)
5. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN (2026)
6. A.J. Brown, PHI (2027)
7. Puka Nacua, LAR (2027)
8. Garrett Wilson, NYJ (2027)
9. Michael Pittman Jr., IND (2024)
10. Davante Adams, LV (2027)
11. Mike Evans, TB (2026)
12. Nico Collins, HOU (2025)
13. Brandon Aiyuk, SF (2025)
14. Stefon Diggs, BUF (2028)
15. D.J. Moore, CHI (2026)
16. Chris Olave, NO (2027)
17. DK Metcalf, SEA (2026)
18. Drake London, ATL (2027)
19. Marvin Harrison Jr., RK (N/A)
20. Deebo Samuel Sr., SF (2026)
21. Rashee Rice, KC (2027)
22. Jaylen Waddle, MIA (2026)
23. DeVonta Smith, PHI (2026)
24. Tank Dell, HOU (2027)
25. Cooper Kupp, LAR (2027)
26. Keenan Allen, CHI (2025)
27. Amari Cooper, CLE (2025)
28. Christian Kirk, JAC (2026)
29. Tee Higgins, CIN (2024)
30. Zay Flowers, BAL (2028)
31. Jayden Reed, GB (2027)
32. George Pickens, PIT (2026)
33. Calvin Ridley, TEN (2028)
34. Malik Nabers, RK (N/A)
35. Terry McLaurin, WAS (2026)
36. Courtland Sutton, DEN (2026)
37. Marquise Brown, KC (2025)
38. Diontae Johnson, CAR (2025)
39. Jordan Addison, MIN (2027)
40. Rome Odunze, RK (N/A)
41. DeAndre Hopkins, TEN (2025)
42. Tyler Lockett, SEA (2026)
43. Chris Godwin, TB (2025)
44. Mike Williams, NYJ (2025)
45. Gabe Davis, JAC (2027)
46. Jakobi Meyers, LV (2026)
47. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA (2028)
48. Quentin Johnston, LAC (2028)
49. Christian Watson, GB (2026)
50. Jameson Williams, DET (2027)
51. Romeo Doubs, GB (2026)
52. Jerry Jeudy, CLE (2028)
53. Adam Thielen, CAR (2026)
54. Josh Downs, IND (2027)
55. Marvin Mims, DEN (2027)
56. Curtis Samuel, BUF (2027)
57. Brandin Cooks, DAL (2025)
58. Dontayvion Wicks, GB (2027)
59. Michael Wilson, ARI (2027)
60. Rashid Shaheed, NO (2024)
61. Brian Thomas Jr., RK (N/A)
62. DeMario Douglas, NE (2027)
63. Josh Palmer, LAC (2025)
64. Elijah Moore, CLE (2025)
65. Wan'Dale Robinson, NYG (2026)
66. Keon Coleman, RK (N/A)
67. Kendrick Bourne, NE (2027)
68. Jalin Hyatt, NYG (2027)
69. Jahan Dotson, WAS (2027)
70. Zay Jones, JAC (2025)
71. Tyler Boyd, FA (N/A)
72. Calvin Austin III, PIT (2026)
73. Adonai Mitchell, RK (N/A)
74. Ladd McConkey, RK (N/A)
75. Rashod Bateman, BAL (2026)
76. Khalil Shakir, BUF (2026)
77. Xavier Legette, RK (N/A)
78. Treylon Burks, TEN (2027)
79. Jonathan Mingo, CAR (2027)
80. Troy Franklin, RK (N/A)

Tight Ends

1. Sam LaPorta, DET (2027)
2. Travis Kelce, KC (2026)
3. Mark Andrews, BAL (2026)
4. Trey McBride, ARI (2026)
5. George Kittle, SF (2026)
6. Evan Engram, JAC (2026)
7. David Njoku, CLE (2026)
8. Jake Ferguson, DAL (2026)
9. Kyle Pitts, ATL (2025)
10. Dalton Kincaid, BUF (2027)
11. T.J. Hockenson, MIN (2028)
12. Brock Bowers, RK (N/A)
13. Dallas Goedert, PHI (2026)
14. Dalton Schultz, HOU (2027)
15. Pat Freiermuth, PIT (2025)
16. Cole Kmet, CHI (2028)
17. Hunter Henry, NE (2027)
18. Michael Mayer, LV (2027)
19. Darren Waller, NYG (2027)
20. Luke Musgrave, GB (2027)
21. Cade Otton, TB (2026)
22. Zach Ertz, WAS (2025)
23. Chigoziem Okonkwo, TEN (2026)
24. Juwan Johnson, NO (2025)
25. Tucker Kraft, GB (2027)
26. Ja'Tavion Sanders, RK (N/A)
27. Tyler Conklin, NYJ (2025)
28. Mike Gesicki, CIN (2025)
29. Tyler Higbee, LAR (2026)
30. Isaiah Likely, BAL (2026)
31. Dawson Knox, BUF (2027)
32. Noah Fant, SEA (2026)

Kickers

1. Justin Tucker, BAL (2028)
2. Brandon Aubrey, DAL (2026)
3. Harrison Butker, KC (2025)
4. Jake Elliott, PHI (2026)
5. Jake Moody, SF (2027)
6. Jason Sanders, MIA (2027)
7. Ka'imi Fairbairn, HOU (2027)
8. Younghoe Koo, ATL (2027)
9. Tyler Bass, BUF (2028)
10. Dustin Hopkins, CLE (2025)
11. Matt Gay, IND (2027)
12. Cairo Santos, CHI (2028)
13. Cameron Dicker, LAC (2025)
14. Evan McPherson, CIN (2025)
15. Jason Myers, SEA (2027)
16. Blake Grupe, NO (2026)
17. Chase McLaughlin, TB (2027)
18. Anders Carlson, GB (2027)
19. Michael Badgley, DET (2025)
20. Wil Lutz, DEN (2026)
21. Daniel Carlson, LV (2026)
22. Brandon McManus, WAS (2025)
23. Chris Boswell, PIT (2027)
24. Greg Zuerlein, NYJ (2026)
25. Matt Prater, ARI (2025)
26. Nick Folk, TEN (2025)
27. Graham Gano, NYG (2027)
28. Joey Slye, JAC (2025)
29. John Parker Romo, MIN (N/A)
30. Tanner Brown, LAR (2026)
31. Eddy Piniero, CAR (2025)
32. Chad Ryland, NE (2027)

Defense/Special Teams

1. Ravens
2. Cowboys
3. Browns
4. 49ers
5. Bills
6. Dolphins
7. Jets
8. Saints
9. Steelers
10. Colts
11. Chiefs
12. Texans
13. Vikings
14. Raiders
15. Broncos
16. Eagles
17. Bears
18. Jaguars
19. Buccaneers
20. Packers
21. Seahawks
22. Bengals
23. Patriots
24. Giants
25. Lions
26. Chargers
27. Falcons
28. Rams
29. Titans
30. Panthers
31. Cardinals
32. Commanders

No, not because Bennett isn’t a good coach. Bennett won a national championship five years ago and is a future Hall of Famer. But instead, because Virginia basketball is boring.

• March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket

“It’s not funny. I take no joy in saying this. But if it were me, I’d fire him,” Smith said. “Strictly because of being boring. Literally. 

“I’m not questioning his ability as a coach at all. He’s a national champion for crying out loud. I’m not questioning his ability to coach, but you cannot be that boring, that unappealing for so long, and get away with it. … Virginia scores 14 points in the first half. They go the final 9:20 of the first half scoreless, and the final 10:30 of the game without a field goal. … There isn’t a level [of basketball] where I have seen that kind of atrocity.”    

Stephen A. Smith on Virginia's Tony Bennett: "If were me, I'd fire him. Strictly because of being boring. Literally. I'm not questioning his ability as a coach at all. He's a national champion for crying outloud... but you cannot be that boring, that unappealing for so long and… pic.twitter.com/p0CqMLUCmS

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 20, 2024

In the five years since winning the national championship in the 2018–19 season, Virginia has missed the tournament twice, has been eliminated in the round of 64 twice and now has also lost in the First Four. The year before the national championship, the Cavaliers also became the first No. 1 seed in the history of the NCAA tournament to lose to a No. 16 seed (UMBC).

• Forde: Virginia’s First Four Embarrassment Was Completely Avoidable

The tournament woes in six of the last seven seasons have raised questions about Bennett and his system at Virginia, and the national championship-winning coach will now have to adapt to buck the narrative that he can no longer win with his program’s style of play. 

He continues to rest his vocal cords, which recently required surgery due to affects of the radiation treatments he received for cancer.

“It will take more time before I get the strength back in my voice,” Vitale told USA TODAY via text. “The 35 radiation treatments I had for my vocal cord cancer wiped out the cancer but created some problems to my vocal cords.”

If recovery goes according to plan, Vitale is shooting for a return to the microphone for the 2024–25 season.

“I miss so much the entire college spirit at the games as I always love being able to share time with the players, coaches, fans, media and especially my ESPN colleagues,” he said.

Vitale was previously treated for melanoma and lymphoma, both in ’21. He also has gone through a rash of vocal cord issues, including surgery for dysplasia that same year. He missed time calling games during the 2021–22 season but returned to ESPN the following season before missing 2023–24. 

If the title of his new book, written with sportswriter Scott Gleeson, is any indication, Vitale has no intention of letting health challenges end his broadcasting career before he’s absolutely ready.

The new book is titled Until My Last Breath: Fighting Cancer With My Young Heroes, and it touches on Vitale’s experience in dealing with cancer alongside a group of children that he calls his “All-Courageous Team.”

Bickerstaff, who is in his fourth season with the Cavaliers, noted that sports betting brings “added pressure” to the game and makes his job—and that of everyone on the court—more difficult.

“It brings added pressure,” Bickerstaff said in a Wednesday press conference before the Cavaliers—Heat game. “It brings a distraction to the game… A lot of times the people who are gambling, like, this money pays their light bill or pays their rent, and then the emotions that come from that. So I do think we’re walking a very fine line and we have to be extremely careful in protecting everybody who’s involved.”

#Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff makes a startling revelation in explaining why he feels sports gambling has already gone too far even though he understands the business reasons behind it now being embraced by professional leagues. pic.twitter.com/O5QX6snjuE

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) March 20, 2024

Cleveland opened a Caesars Sportsbook in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in January 2023, making the Cavaliers one of three NBA teams to have a sportsbook within their home arena.

The Cavs coach revealed that his family was personally impacted by sports gambling last season, when he received threats from gamblers that were so malicious he reported them to the league. The aggressor was caught, but Bickerstaff declined to press charges.

Bickerstaff said, “They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff. So it is a dangerous game and a fine line that we’re walking for sure.”

Bickerstaff’s comments come on the heels of the league’s recently announced plan to infuse betting into live games on NBA League Pass, allowing users to track live betting odds and make wagers through the league’s betting partners.

From one NBA coach’s perspective, though, sports gambling has already “crossed the line.”

“The amount of times where I’m standing up there and we may have a 10-point lead and the spread is 11 and people are yelling at me to leave the guys in so that we can cover the spread, it’s ridiculous,” continued Bickerstaff. “I understand the business side of it and the nature of the business. But it is something that I believe has gone too far.”

A number of teams lined up for the services of the 25-year-old righty, who logged a 1.82 ERA in seven seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league. Ultimately, the Dodgers added Yamamoto on a 12-year, $325 million contract to add firepower to the top of the rotation.

But Yamamoto’s first major league start could not have gone much worse Thursday in Seoul, South Korea. He lasted just one inning, allowing five earned runs on four hits, while walking one and striking out two. The Dodgers found themselves in a 5–0 hole against the San Diego Padres at that point, and he was pulled from the game after 43 pitches. 

The avalanche started when Yamamoto gave up a two-run triple to Jake Cronenworth. Then Padres designated hitter Manny Machado drew a walk, and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim subsequently hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3–0 Padres.

Yamamoto struck out Jurickson Profar but then gave up an RBI double to Luis Campusano. Third baseman Tyler Wade then came to the plate and hit an RBI single to score San Diego’s fifth run of the inning. Yamamoto finally stopped the bleeding with a strikeout of rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill.

Baseball fans and pundits across social media reacted to the disastrous MLB debut by Yamamoto. Here are some of the best posts:

The start of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s major league career …

single
hit by pitch
triple
walk
sac fly
wild pitch
strikeout
double
single
strikeout

In one inning, he was charged with 23% of the earned runs he allowed in 171 innings in Japan last year.

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) March 21, 2024

"Yamamoto is on his way out, looking toward the heavens. We can only ask -- or wonder -- that he is asking some departed relative for forgiveness for this atrocious performance." - Bob Costas, somewhere. pic.twitter.com/OXKVcarg7l

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 21, 2024

Ohtani gives Yamamoto some encouragement after his rough first inning pic.twitter.com/hGFc94qKhg

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 21, 2024

I’ve got Yamamoto at a crisp 45.00 ERA currently thru one inning of work. Something to build on

— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) March 21, 2024

This start obviously does not represent Yamamoto’s talent.

But I won’t make excuses for him. He signed up for the bright lights when he chose the Dodgers.

He needs to settle down and let his true talent shine. I’m very confident he will. Tonight is not his night.

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) March 21, 2024

Yankee and Mets fans after hearing about yamamoto pic.twitter.com/IqjDqaylTh

— matthew🇦🇷🇩🇴🗽 (@batistanem416) March 21, 2024

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s MLB debut is over after just 1 inning pic.twitter.com/FEA24nG6f5

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) March 21, 2024

Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets rocked in his very first inning

All other 29 MLB fan bases: pic.twitter.com/1Y9UnLD9Op

— Mike Salvatore (@MikeSalvatore10) March 21, 2024

Yamamoto’s first start:

1 IP
5 H
5 ER
1 BB pic.twitter.com/m4Tq0N6ywN

— NY SPORTS DESERVE BETTER (@TheBigDiesel2) March 21, 2024

We're all going to be laughing at this when Yamamoto pulls it together & has a great season pic.twitter.com/85KQ05wv48

— Ari Tata🌙 (IT'S SHO-TIME) (@Ariichiiyoko) March 21, 2024

Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Pitch Locations today. pic.twitter.com/Yi9Yu7iaI0

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2024

Despite his move to the Giants from the San Diego Padres, Snell still holds the eighth-best odds on the board. Snell's impressive performance last season, with a 2.25 ERA, earned him his second Cy Young award (his first came in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays of the American League). This history of success suggests there could be significant value in betting on Snell to go back-to-back.

The favorite for the award is Braves pitcher Spencer Strider. Despite leading the league in strikeouts and wins last season, Strider was not even one of the three finalists for the award in 2023. However, it seems Vegas is looking at Strider much more favorably this year. The Braves righty is already setting more records this season, making five scoreless starts for the Braves in spring training -- tying a record set by Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander. Should he throw one more start this spring without ceding a run, he will make more history.

Strider has 29 strikeouts in his 18 ⅔ innings pitched in Grapefruit League play. He’s also added a new curveball this season.

The Braves have the second-best odds to win the World Series (+450), and at a nearly 5-to-1 payout, this bet looks solid.

The next-best odds belong to Phillies righty Zack Wheeler (+800), who just signed a fresh three-year deal with Philadelphia. He finished second in Cy Young voting in 2021 and has yet to take home his first award.

Logan Webb's odds are the third-best at +950. Webb finished second in the 2023 Cy Young voting behind new teammate Snell.

Here are the current NL Cy Young odds leaders:

Spencer Strider +450
Zack Wheeler +800
Logan Webb +950
Yoshinobu Yamamoto +1000
Zac Gallen +1200
Max Fried +1300
Tyler Glasnow +1400
Blake Snell +1800
Justin Steele +2000
Aaron Nola +2200
Dylan Cease +2500
Jesus Luzardo +3000
Freddy Peralta +3000
Bobby Miller +3500
Chris Sale +3500
Mitch Keller +3500

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the National Council for Problem Gambling 1-800-522-4700. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and its partners may receive compensation for links to products and services on this website.

In case you missed it, Harden passed the ball to Kawhi Leonard in the corner during the third quarter and then jumped out to contest his teammate’s shot.

For real. 

Leonard got the shot off but missed on his attempt. This all happened while the Clippers were up 21 points and cruising over the Trail Blazers, but it was just wild to see. 

Check it out: 

I’m not kidding when I tell you James Harden contesting HIS OWN TEAMMATES SHOT is funniest thing I’ve ever seen happen on a basketball court 😭 pic.twitter.com/HINDl01Ivi

— Oluwajomiloju (@JomiAdeniran) March 21, 2024

After the game Harden explained what he was thinking on that play: 

James Harden said he was trying to lighten the mood and get the Clippers out of the fog they’ve been in lately when asked about how he closed out on a Kawhi 3-point attempt when they were up by 21. pic.twitter.com/Y9XOBeXRos

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) March 21, 2024

Uh, O.K. Sure. 

Fans had reactions to Harden’s move: 

what on earth james harden https://t.co/k42Jzwlqz3

— Nathan Deal (@NattyD13) March 21, 2024

Aye man whats really going on? I’m literally crying over here😭🤣 https://t.co/uW0fftsJyL

— Jordan Loyd (@mrjloyd) March 21, 2024

One of the funniest things I’ve seen https://t.co/jVRaFzgo1e

— jer (@notanotherjer) March 21, 2024

Harden beatin the no defense allegations one contested shot on a teammate at a time. https://t.co/diWDEAlvce

— v (@beenvics) March 21, 2024

This is up there as the most unserious nba moments 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/jYVvbaa4eI

— OkcthunderMuse (@okcthundermuse_) March 21, 2024

For example, the Chicago Bears traded players and spent money on top free agents. They even traded away one of their best players to make room for an intriguing quarterback from USC. Well, that’s what everyone is assuming, at least. And that player the Bears traded made the Pittsburgh Steelers stronger.

Many teams made moves with the 2024 NFL draft in mind, while others went all in on veterans with the hopes of becoming Super Bowl contenders. The Houston Texans are one of those teams, becoming a trendy pick to possibly upset the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.

Here are the eight teams that improved the most after the first week of NFL free agency. Remember, most improved teams, not the best teams.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers

Notable additions: S DeShon Elliott, QB Justin Fields, CB Donte Jackson, WR Van Jefferson, LB Patrick Queen, QB Russell Wilson

I wanted to rank the Steelers much higher because they got better at the most important position, but there are unknowns with the arrivals of Wilson and Fields. Wilson will reportedly start the offseason workouts and training camp as QB1, which seems like a mistake after two subpar seasons with the Broncos. Fields offers the most upside, but he hasn’t been as consistent a passer as Wilson. If Fields finds consistency and wins the job over Wilson, perhaps this No. 8 ranking will look silly later this year.

There are also unknowns with Queen, the former 2020 first-round pick coming off a breakout season after three quiet seasons to start his career with the Ravens. Queen improved once Roquan Smith and former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald arrived in Baltimore. Time will tell if Queen can be the top inside linebacker on a team and play up to his three-year, $41 million contract. He could succeed playing behind edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Pittsburgh found a starting cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr. after trading wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Panthers for Jackson, who has started 76 games in his six-year career.

7. Tennessee Titans

Notable additions: CB Chidobe Awuzie, C Lloyd Cushenberry, LB Kenneth Murray, RB Tony Pollard, WR Calvin Ridley, QB Mason Rudolph

For starters, I’m not a fan of the lucrative long-term contract the Titans agreed to with Ridley (four years, $92 million), but his arrival made the Titans better in the short term. Ridley will be tough to keep tabs on for opposing defenses if DeAndre Hopkins continues to play at a high level. Ridley also fills a need because 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks hasn’t found his footing in the NFL. There were other options for adding wide receiver depth, but that’s a different story. Ridley’s arrival should help second-year quarterback Will Levis, too.

There’s also a case to be made that the Titans overpaid for Cushenberry (four years, $50 million), but he was the top center on the market, and it’s never a bad idea to splurge on rugged offensive linemen. Tennessee added a versatile playmaker in Pollard after agreeing to a three-year, $24 million deal, which was more than the two-year, $16 million contract Derrick Henry got from the Baltimore Ravens. But Pollard is four years younger than the 30-year-old Henry and offers more as a pass catcher.

The arrivals of Pollard, Cushenberry and Ridley gives new coach Brian Callahan plenty to work with. He’s set up well to form a dynamic offensive scheme for Levis.

6. Washington Commanders

Notable additions: RB Austin Ekeler, OG Nick Allegretti, Edge Dorance Armstrong, C Tyler Biadasz, S Jeremy Chinn, Edge Clelin Ferrell, LB Frankie Luvu, QB Marcus Mariota, LB Bobby Wagner

The teams that make the most noise in free agency often regret the spring shopping spree come fall. Perhaps the Commanders have found the right formula for spending in free agency after many of their signings went unnoticed.

The additions of Armstrong and Luvu are two of many smart, savvy signings the Commanders had last week. Their presence will help one of the worst defenses in the league, and it didn’t require the team to overspend on the open market. Armstrong, the former underrated Cowboys edge rusher, agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract. Luvu, the former versatile playmaker of the Panthers, agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract.

Washington also added Farrell, Wagner and Chinn on one-year deals. New coach Dan Quinn now has the talent to improve the defense without the team having to make long-term commitments. The incoming rookie quarterback—the Commanders have the No. 2 pick in the draft—could have a decent surrounding with the arrivals of Ekeler, Allegretti and Biadasz.

5. New York Giants

Notable additions: Edge Brian Burns, OL Jermaine Eluemunor, QB Drew Lock, WR Isaiah McKenzie, OG Jon Runyan, RB Devin Singletary, OG Aaron Stinnie

Some might not be happy with the Giants being ranked this high because their skill-position group could be the worst in the NFL, which is nothing new for New York in the Daniel Jones era. But this year, the Giants won’t have Saquon Barkley and could regret not paying him before he bolted to the Philadelphia Eagles.

So, yes, the Giants have plenty of unfinished business offensively—they have the No. 6 pick to possibly select a talented wide receiver in next month’s draft. But Jones—if he’s the starter this upcoming season—finally has a quality offensive line after the team added Runyan and Stinnie to possibly take over as the starting guards. Last year, the team neglected the guard position and the results were disastrous. The Giants appear to have learned their lesson the hard way, and even added an insurance plan in case right tackle Evan Neal struggles again. Eluemunor started at right tackle for the Raiders last season and has plenty of experience playing at guard.

The Giants’ biggest acquisition last week was the trade for Burns, who immediately agreed to a five-year, $150 contract. New York could have one of the best defensive fronts in the league, with edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and Burns.

Now if the Giants can land either Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze in the draft to go with their revamped offensive line and defensive line, perhaps they could be a sleeper postseason squad.

4. Las Vegas Raiders

Notable additions: RB Alexander Mattison, QB Gardner Minshew, IDL Christian Wilkins

The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a laundry list of newcomers, which is a testament to how much the team has improved in the past year with coach Antonio Pierce and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The Silver & Black wisely provided help for Maxx Crosby with the splash signing of Wilkins, one of the top free agents on the market this year. Don’t be surprised if the Raiders are atop most defensive categories in 2024.

Las Vegas also got better at quarterback, going from Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O’Connell last season to Minshew, who was a fourth-down conversion away from guiding the Indianapolis Colts in the postseason in 2023. Minshew isn’t a long-term answer at quarterback, but he could immediately help an offense that features Davante Adams, Michael Mayer, Zamir White and Mattison. The Raiders’ offseason, however, would look much better if they pair Minshew with a rookie quarterback such as Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix.

3. Houston Texans

Notable additions: LB Azeez Al-Shaair, DL Denico Autry, DT Folorunso Fatukasi, Edge Danielle Hunter, RB Joe Mixon, CB Jeff Okudah, DL Tim Settle

The Texans revamped their defensive front with experienced playmakers, including Hunter, one of the best edge rushers in the game. Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, could form a dominant pass-rushing tandem in 2024. They might see plenty of favorable matchups, with Houston adding Al-Shaair and Autry, taking two top players from its rivals, the Tennessee Titans.

On paper, DeMeco Ryans’s defense improved with these free-agency acquisitions, but they also got older after saying goodbye to Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman and Sheldon Rankins. The Texans, however, needed more experienced playmakers because they already have plenty of youth, with Anderson, Jalen Pitre, Derek Stingley Jr. and Christian Harris all 24 or younger. The Texans’ defense could take steps forward this season after adding many players who fit Ryans’s scheme.

The offense also improved after the Texans landed Mixon in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. Mixon had a bounce-back 2023 season, recording more than 1,000 rushing yards for the first time since ’21. C.J. Stroud could have a consistent running game, something he didn’t have during his rookie season.

2. Chicago Bears

Notable additions: WR Keenan Allen, OL Ryan Bates, S Kevin Byard, TE Gerald Everett, S Jonathan Owens, OL Coleman Shelton, RB D’Andre Swift

The Bears have a hole at quarterback after trading Fields to the Steelers. But we’ll make an exception here, because it’s obvious Caleb Williams will be landing in Chicago in about a month, and it appears he’ll be walking into an appealing situation based on the moves the Bears made, starting with the trade for Allen.

Williams—again, assuming he’ll be the top pick—will have many reliable targets, with the pass-catching group of Allen, DJ Moore and Cole Kmet. Allen’s presence was instrumental in helping Justin Herbert win Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Chargers in 2020. The Bears also added Swift and Everett, two versatile playmakers who can contribute in the passing game. And they didn’t ignore the trenches, signing Shelton. With how well the defense played last season, the Bears could be on the rise if the new offensive pieces come together quickly.

1. Atlanta Falcons

Notable additions: QB Kirk Cousins, WR Ray-Ray McCloud III, WR Darnell Mooney, WR Rondale Moore, TE Charlie Woerner

The Falcons are the most improved team after the first wave of free agency because they added the best available quarterback to an already impressive roster. Cousins could quickly turn the Falcons into a high scoring offense because of his strong skill-position group featuring Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. Cousins might not have a Justin Jefferson in Atlanta, but he could spread the ball around, with the depth the team added after he committed to a four-year, $180 million contract.

New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will have many pieces to work with after the Falcons added Mooney, Moore and McCloud. Last season, the Falcons had one of the worst receiving corps behind London and it didn’t help that former coach Arthur Smith failed to get Pitts involved. Now Atlanta has the quarterback, weapons and new coaching staff to match what the Falcons’ defense did last season, a unit that could do better with the arrival of coach Raheem Morris. The new-look Falcons are the favorites to win the NFC South this season. 

South Carolina leads the Albany 1 region as the No. 1 seed, with the Iowa Hawkeyes taking the top spot in the Albany 2 region. But it won’t be an easy road for Caitlin Clark & Co., who could come up against the defending champion LSU Tigers, and a pair of battle-tested Pac-12 teams in the Colorado Buffaloes and UCLA Bruins if the Hawkeyes want to return to the Final Four.

In the Portland regions, the USC Trojans and the Texas Longhorns are the No. 1 seeds and both are poised to make deep runs, but the No. 2 seeds Stanford Cardinal and Ohio State Buckeyes won’t make that simple. And don’t forget the three-seed UConn Huskies. This squad has been hit with quite the injury bug this season, including a season-ending ACL tear for Azzi Fudd. Despite a depleted lineup, seniors Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards have shined with the added pressure and both have plenty of experience with deep runs in the tournament (Final Four in 2021 and title game in ’22). 

[ March Madness: Latest News & Analysis | How to Watch ]

So who will come away victorious? While much of the national spotlight has shone on the Hawkeyes and Clark as she broke record after record this season, our writers and editors are all eyeing a different—though familiar—team to win it all. 

Emma Baccellieri

Baccellieri’s 2024 champion: South Carolina. I spent quite a bit of time mulling it over: Is there any way to justify picking against South Carolina? And I don’t believe there is. This squad is simply too deep, too talented, too good to take anyone else, in my book.

Clare Brennan

Brennan’s 2024 champion: South Carolina. The Gamecocks are undefeated for a reason. They are stacked with talent (headlined by Kamilla Cardoso), they’re deep and they have a seasoned coach in Dawn Staley. On top of all that, this year’s squad is not as easy to game plan against as last year’s team revealed itself to be. Expect Staley & Co. to be cutting down the nets when all is said and done.

Elizabeth Swinton

Swinton’s 2024 champion: South Carolina. The Gamecocks have some tough competition waiting on the other side of the bracket if they reach the title game, including LSU, which they recently defeated amid tension in the SEC title game, and Iowa, which knocked them out of the tournament last year behind Clark’s 41 points. South Carolina will have to be disciplined to get to that point, but it has the power on both ends to become the first NCAA women’s basketball team to go undefeated since the 2015–16 UConn squad and grab a second championship in three years. 

Claire Kuwana

Kuwana’s 2024 champion: South Carolina. It only feels right that this season of college basketball will end with Clark in the Final Four. For her sake, it would be awesome to see Iowa win it all … but South Carolina’s consistency and development—even after losing five starters from last year’s championship team—is too hard to count out. Staley is the ultimate game engineer, and her team’s ability to learn from and improve upon wins, not losses, will make all the difference in this year’s tournament. 

Yet how many positions saw a legitimate market-setting offseason? Fewer than you might think. In fact, none were reset through free agency, and only one offensive position saw a new name emerge.

For clarity, we’re judging the contracts based on annual, and not total value. This is a look at which players are getting the most money on a yearly basis, with most locked into long-term deals.

So who owns their respective markets? Let’s take a look.

Quarterback | Joe Burrow

• Team: Cincinnati Bengals
• Salary: $55 million per year

Having signed his extension last season, Burrow ranks atop the quarterback market, beating out Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts and others.

In Cincinnati, the main concern is getting Burrow healthy for a full year after he missed large chunks of two seasons in his first four campaigns. However, he’s one of the league’s best and considering his impact on the Bengals, he’s still a good value despite the massive price tag.

Running back | Christian McCaffrey

• Team: San Francisco 49ers
• Salary: $16 million

McCaffrey watched as Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry signed new deals this offseason, but none got close to his annual or total value.

Of course, McCaffrey is deserving of the top spot, having helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl. The do-it-all back totaled a league-high 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns on the way to Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Wide receiver | Tyreek Hill

• Team: Miami Dolphins
• Salary: $30 million

Hill was dealt by the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2021 season, and he’s only gotten better.

Despite playing without Patrick Mahomes, Hill has been the league’s best receiver over the past two years, totaling 3,509 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. Entering the third year of his four-year deal, Hill could have another massive payday in the near future.

Tight end | Darren Waller

• Team: New York Giants
• Salary: $17 million

This is the first regrettable contract on the list. While Waller was once a top-tier tight end, he’s fallen off considerably due to injuries.

The deal was signed with the Las Vegas Raiders but shipped off to the New York Giants after only one year. Now, with Waller consistently struggling to stay on the field—he’s played only 21 games over the past two seasons—his career is in question as free agency looms in 2025.

Tackle | Laremy Tunsil

• Team: Houston Texans
• Salary: $25 million

Tunsil has one of the most important jobs in football, protecting the blindside of C.J. Stroud. Luckily for Houston, he’s arguably the best left tackle in football.

The Texans gave Tunsil a three-year, $75 million deal last offseason, and he’s been worth the money. The only question has been durability; he has failed to play more than 15 games in all but one of his eight NFL seasons.

Guard | Landon Dickerson

• Team: Philadelphia Eagles
• Salary: $21 million

Dickerson got a mammoth extension in March, making him the highest-paid guard in NFL history by average annual value standards.

At 25 years old, Dickerson figures to be a long-term piece, working alongside youngster Cam Jurgens and star left tackle Jordan Mailata. With the guard market going crazy this offseason, Dickerson got the best deal of them all.

Center | Frank Ragnow

• Team: Detroit Lions
• Salary: $13.5 million

Ragnow was first-team All-Pro in 2023, living up to the expectations that come with being the highest-paid player at a position.

The Lions have invested heavily in their offensive line, drafting Ragnow, Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell in the first round. They also spent in free agency to bring Kevin Zeitler into the fold on a one-year deal. The result? The best offensive line in football.

Defensive end | Nick Bosa

• Team: San Francisco 49ers
• Salary: $34 million

Nobody else is even close to Bosa in terms of annual value. In fact, the gap from Bosa to Myles Garrett is $9 million per year, and represents the biggest in the NFL at any position.

Bosa, who signed his deal days before Week 1 of the 2023 season, is locked up through 2028. For the 49ers, it’s a contract that should carry him through the prime of his potentially Hall-of-Fame career.

Defensive tackle | Chris Jones

• Team: Kansas City Chiefs
• Salary: $31.7 million

Jones signed days before being slated for free agency, returning to the Chiefs on a five-year, $160 million contract.

With Aaron Donald’s retirement, Jones is clearly the best defensive tackle in football. Through eight seasons with Kansas City, Jones has helped spearhead three title runs while amassing 75.5 career sacks. He’s ticketed for Canton.

Outside linebacker | Brian Burns

• Team: New York Giants
• Salary: $28.2 million

Incredibly, Burns wasn’t able to get his money from the Carolina Panthers, but finally got paid when he was traded to the Giants for second- and fifth-round draft picks.

Burns was dominant at times in Carolina, totaling 46 sacks across his rookie deal. However, the Panthers, who reportedly turned down an offer of two first-round picks for Burns in 2022, dealt him to New York, where he signed a five-year, $141 million pact.

Inside linebacker | Roquan Smith

• Team: Baltimore Ravens
• Salary: $20 million

Here’s another case of a player getting traded and then getting paid, with Smith signing a five-year, $100 million deal after he was dealt to Baltimore from the Chicago Bears in 2022.

Last season, Smith had his first full campaign in Charm City and played splendidly, totaling 158 tackles and eight passes defensed on the way to first-team All-Pro honors. With Smith playing inside, Baltimore allowed Patrick Queen to walk in free agency.

Cornerback | Jaire Alexander

• Team: Green Bay Packers
• Salary: $21 million

Despite only a few years passing since Alexander signed his four-year, $84 million market-setting deal with the Packers, nobody has been able to eclipse it.

However, Green Bay might have buyer’s remorse. While Alexander is still an elite talent, he’s struggled to stay healthy. Last season, he played only seven games, while appearing in only 27 across the past three years.

Safety | Derwin James

• Team: Los Angeles Chargers
• Salary: $19.1 million

After injuries essentially robbed James of his 2019 and ’20 seasons, the All-Pro has been able to stay relatively healthy, earning every bit of his record-setting extension.

The Chargers signed James to a four-year, $76.5 million deal in 2022 and he’s lived up to expectations, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors since. Crucially, he’s missed just six games over the past three years.

Kicker | Justin Tucker

• Team: Baltimore Ravens
• Salary: $6 million

Tucker has an argument as the greatest kicker in NFL history, and he’s rightfully being paid like it in Baltimore.

Through 12 years with the Ravens, Tucker has been named first-team All-Pro five times and is the only kicker on the 2010s All-Decade Team. He also has a Super Bowl ring and, perhaps most incredibly, has missed only three field goals inside 40 yards.

Punter | Michael Dickson

• Team: Seattle Seahawks
• Salary: $3.6 million

Dickson is one of the premier punters in football, even if he’s missed out on first-team All-Pro honors each of the past five years.

However, he’s still a weapon and showed that in 2023, notching an absurd 50 yards per punt with a net of 44.1 yards. 

Durant cleared the mark with ease, finishing with 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting, and led his team to a 115–102 victory. He now has 28,610 points all-time, jumping Shaq (28,596) for the No. 8 spot on the list.

After being surpassed by Durant, the former Los Angeles Lakers star was all class, sending a message to Durant and also issuing a challenge as well.

“First of all, I want to say congratulations for passing me to become eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, well deserved. But you know it doesn’t stop here. I probably see you at—let’s see if you can get to No. 1,” O’Neal said on the set of TNT’s Inside the NBA.

“Congratulations, brother, job well done. I knew it was gonna get done, if anybody was going to pass me, it was definitely going to be you.”

"You know it doesn't stop here... let's see if you can get to [1st all-time]"

Shaq congratulates KD on passing him for 8th on the all-time scoring list 🤝 pic.twitter.com/tuQEUHOgLx

— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2024

While it’s a big challenge from Shaq, Durant has shown that he has plenty left in the tank. However, with LeBron James holding the No. 1 spot on the all-time scoring list with 40,179 points, it’ll be a big climb to catch the fellow future Hall-of-Famer.

Next up on the list for Durant is Wilt Chamberlain, who is No. 7 overall with 31,419 points.

The Browns introduced Winston on Wednesday, and he wasted no time getting to work. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback was filmed taking snaps under center with a player that appeared to be 2023 draft pick Luke Wypler.

Best of all? Winston was doing so while wearing the same suit from his introductory press conference.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THIS WORLD TOPS BEING AROUND PEOPLE WHO "LOVEEEEEEE" THE GAME! I PRAY DAILY THAT GOD SENDS ME PEOPLE LIKE JAMEIS WHO REALLY ARE GRATEFUL WITH THEIR ACTIONS, AND NOT WITH THIER MOUTH!!! HE IS TRULY ABOUT THIS LIFE....WOW!!!#MDFNATION@antonorwins @Browns pic.twitter.com/m4QFM5bCqx

— MODERNDAY FITNESS (@MDFNATION) March 20, 2024

Winston’s never lacked a strong work ethic, which appears to still stand true after signing with Cleveland. The 30-year-old former No. 1 overall pick will join his third NFL team after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the previous four in New Orleans.

It began when Santi Aldama and Green exchanged shoves on the court, resulting in Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins speaking with the referee on the sideline. Bane didn’t seem to like how close Green was to Jenkins and the referee, so as Bane tried to move Green, more pushing followed.

The benches cleared as more players and coaches got involved, trying to separate Green and Bane from each other.

In that process, Green was pushed into Jenkins, resulting in the coach falling to the ground. This only made the Grizzlies players more heated during the situation, even though the push seemed accidental in the video clip as chaos was ensuing. 

BENCHES CLEAR AFTER DRAYMOND AND SANTI ALDAMA GET INTO IT 👀 pic.twitter.com/FRS2atUiIJ

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 21, 2024

Fortunately, the two players appeared to sort things out, exchanging a quick fist bump after things had cooled off.

Green served a 16-game suspension earlier in the season after striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face. If Green or Bane were to receive any discipline from the NBA for this scuffle, fans would find out later in the week.

As a reminder, Purdue, a No. 1 seed in last year’s NCAA tournament, lost to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round.

Grambling State beat Montana State 88–81 in overtime in a First Four matchup Wednesday night. The Tigers erased a 14-point deficit in the second half to take the lead over the Bobcats before the game eventually went into overtime.

This marks Grambling State’s first NCAA tournament appearance in program history, also making Wednesday night the team’s first program win in the tournament.

• March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket

Since the Tigers are preparing for Friday’s game with no shortage of momentum after the victory over Montana State, some college basketball fans are already loving the idea of Purdue potentially suffering back-to-back upsets. 

As much of a longshot as it may be, the No. 16 seed Tigers appear to have plenty of support and belief that they can deliver the same fate to Purdue as Fairleigh Dickinson did last year.

Take a look at some of the social media memes regarding this prediction.

Purdue fans after watching Grambling State advance pic.twitter.com/ij8HPCda3u

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 21, 2024

Watched exactly zero seconds of college basketball this year. Just watched that postgame show. Grambling State is beating Purdue.

— feitelberg (@FeitsBarstool) March 21, 2024

Purdue watching this 16 seed game @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/lT3Z2qS4Mr

— alphaBrett (@brettwhitely) March 20, 2024

Purdue facing a feisty 16 seed?

HAMMER the Grambling State ML pic.twitter.com/msgE8YaLwO

— Patrick Clay (@patrickclay_) March 21, 2024

*watches one minute of Montana State/Grambling* “It’s over for Purdue”

— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) March 21, 2024

The postgame studio crew putting Purdue on upset watch 👀

“This is a tough style of play for Purdue.”
— Adam Lefkoe

“To me, tonight, Grambling State almost looks like a better version of FDU.”
— Seth Davis

Candace Parker praises the Tigers impressive depth. https://t.co/qy3cR5n7EL

— Jerit Roser (@JeritRoser) March 21, 2024

Grambling state thinks they are beating Purdue. Wild. This is March

— RCJH (@Kansashoopschat) March 21, 2024

PREDICTION: The No. 16 Grambling State Tigers will upset the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers on Friday.

— Kalan Hooks (@KalanHookstv) March 21, 2024

Anyone out there not scared enough to pick the Grambling State upset of Purdue?

— Ellie French (@elliefrenchTV) March 21, 2024

In a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Stanton smashed three home runs in his first three at bats. That included one homer that sent the ball over the batter’s eye in center field and another that resulted in a grand slam. 

However, Stanton’s feat was also a career first. Despite being such a notorious home run hitter, Stanton had never hit three home runs in one game before—not in spring training, not in the regular season, and not in the playoffs.

Stanton. Slam. @Giancarlo818 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mLzX4ZPU5G

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 20, 2024

After the game, Stanton was asked about the three-homer effort, but the veteran gave a sarcastic answer to doing it in a preseason game.

“It is cool and it will be erased in about a week,” Stanton said, via The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty. “Awesome.” 

Stanton enters the 2024 season as MLB’s active leader in home runs with 402, which sits at No. 58 on the all-time list. Therefore, it is a little surprising that such a prolific home run hitter has never had three in one game.

While Aaron Judge and Juan Soto headline the Yankees’ lineup, Stanton reminded everyone of his power during this spring training game.

During a team meeting on Wednesday, the Dukes received a special delivery as a trolley of gifts were rolled into the room. It turns out, LeBron James had sent the entire squad some new sneakers ahead of their clash against the No. 6 BYU Cougars.

In a video posted by Duquesne Basketball’s official X account, the team could be seen reacting to the arrival of the shoes, clearly elated by the generous offering from the 20-time NBA All-Star.

Appreciate it King 🙏@DuqMBB x @KingJames pic.twitter.com/yTiQFMBno0

— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) March 20, 2024

James has some ties to the program. The Dukes are coached by Keith Dambrot, who was James’s coach back at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio. 

[ March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket ]

Duquesne enjoyed a 24–11 campaign in 2023-24 and won the Atlantic 10, thus clinching a bid to the Big Dance. 

The Los Angeles Lakers star congratulated the team on social media after winning the conference championship, and he followed that up in a big way with his shipment of shoes on Wednesday.

The Dukes haven’t been to the NCAA tournament since 1977 and haven’t advance past the first round of play since 1969. They’ll look to snap that drought with an upset win over BYU on Thursday, with tip-off scheduled for 12:40 p.m. EST. 

The tournament featured a 64-team field from 1989 to 2010 and expanded to 68 teams with the initial First Four round in 2011. But recent reports have indicated there is ongoing speculation the NCAA could further expand the tournament to showcase no more than 80 teams.

Calipari, who has taken Kentucky to the Big Dance in 12 of his 15 seasons at the helm, is not a fan of that idea.

[ March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket ]

"I hope it stays where it is," Calipari said Wednesday, via ESPN. "You know, I know people get mad. They get mad at the committee. You won't believe this—I've been mad at that committee a few times. But you may be mad because of your seed or where they've shipped you to. ... But it doesn't matter who the committee is. We're all going to be upset."

There was plenty of criticism directed toward the NCAA tournament selection committee Tuesday night when the No. 10 seed Virginia Cavaliers struggled mightily in their First Four matchup. They mustered just 14 points in the first half and lost 67–42 to fellow No. 10 seed Colorado State.

The tournament expanding to around 80 programs would simply welcome more underperforming teams into the bracket.

"This is a business trip for me," Calipari said. "And I'll say everybody that's in this thing, I would say they'd say the same thing—keep it where it is. Don't mess with something that's great."

As the No. 3 seed in the South Region, Kentucky will battle 14th-seeded Oakland at 7:10 p.m. ET Thursday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

He even took it as far as saying it’s possible that he’ll be picked during next month’s draft. That one made the horde of reporters chuckle, including the Chicago beat reporters who made the trip to sunny Southern California for USC’s pro day Wednesday morning.

“I wanted to come out here and put on a show,” Williams said. “I’ve been training for this next step. It’s only about 30 days out until [I’m] possibly picked.”

Williams, the presumptive No. 1 pick, brought out a crowd of scouts, head coaches, general managers and possible future teammates for his highly anticipated pro day workout. Perhaps Williams didn’t want to assume that the Bears will be taking him with the No. 1 pick on April 25 because, according to Williams, all 32 NFL teams had at least one representative in attendance to watch USC’s prospects work out on the field named after Allyson Felix, the track and field legend.

Williams saying “possibly” gives the 31 other teams some hope of drafting the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and signal-caller who has received comparisons to Aaron Rodgers. Besides the Bears, maybe the Washington Commanders have a realistic chance of selecting Williams because they own the No. 2 pick and they reside in the quarterback’s hometown.

So just in case there’s a chance, the Commanders had coach Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Adam Peters on the field an hour before Williams emerged from the stadium entrance near the track and field starting line. With cleats in hand, the bulky 6’1”, 217-pound Williams walked behind the Commanders’ cool group—cool because Kingsbury and Quinn were each sporting a backwards cap. Nearby was the contingent of Bears general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus and Allen, whom the Bears acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers last week. Williams made sure to embrace both groups before joining his college teammates.

Caleb Williams has arrived. He walked by the Bears’ group, which includes Keenan Allen 🏈 #Bears pic.twitter.com/mSUzAP91YX

— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) March 20, 2024

“I’ve known him for a year,” Williams said about Allen attending his pro day. “It’s exciting. He came off one of his best years, so that’s really exciting to possibly be able to have him as a wide receiver. Him coming off his best year, all the knowledge you can get from somebody like that would be great.”

If the Commanders are the cool group, then Bears brass could be referred to as the white attire crew. Poles, in his white hoodie, and Eberflus, in his white long sleeve, stood behind Williams when his throwing session commenced. It wasn’t an intense workout, and the Bears likely already knew what they would be getting in Williams, but Poles and Eberflus attentively watched every throw.

“It was great,” Williams said about hanging with Bears brass a day earlier. “I don’t think I really need to learn much, just building a relationship. They’re trying to see if I’m the right fit to be the first pick as a QB and go possibly as the face of the franchise. They’re trying to figure out if it’s the guy they should invest all the time, energy, effort and money into, which is obviously important in this situation. It was great building relationships.”

Coincidentally, the clouds shifted and the sun beamed on the field as Williams began his throwing session in front of the league’s shot callers. On one sideline stood Giants general manager Joe Schoen, Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, former head coach Norv Turner, Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, a group of offensive assistant coaches from the Bears and a variety of scouts and coaches from the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons. Former USC quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez watched from the far right end of the sideline.

Schoen was on the far left end of the sideline to watch the deep connections between Williams and his receivers. The New York Giants, who might have reservations about Daniel Jones, probably don’t have a chance at nabbing Williams unless they trade up from the No. 6 pick, but it doesn’t hurt to scout the Trojans’ wideouts, including Brenden Rice, the son of San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice.

Caleb Williams reviews his Pro Day workout at USC pic.twitter.com/A2YmECl2xb

— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) March 20, 2024

“I missed a few passes deep,” Williams said of his throwing session. “Threw it a little bit over their heads. I didn't give them enough room for error with the ball flight.”

Williams was being hard on himself for a workout he didn’t need to do because he’s probably, not possibly, going to be the No. 1 pick next month. But it bodes well that he was willing to throw to showcase his USC teammates.

 Another reason why the Bears will possibly select Williams with the first pick. 

On Wednesday, Donald teased an upcoming video in which he plans to detail the reasons behind his retirement, offering an explanation to Rams fans for his departure.

“Went to two Super Bowls. Won one, lost one. I’m complete. I’m full,” Donald said. “I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me. I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17 [game] season, I just don’t got the urge to want to push myself to do that no more.”

coming soon 🎬 #rams #ad99 #ready #retirement #ddg pic.twitter.com/ozh8QDs0j7

— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) March 20, 2024

“I’m burnt out. ... I’m full, I’m complete, I’m satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years and I think it’s time for me, at 32 years old, to retire from football and jump into the next step of my career and my life, and now it’s time to move on.”

Despite appearing in 16 games last season, the thought of preparing for and participating in the gauntlet that is another full campaign in the NFL proved too daunting for Donald. Instead, he’ll close the curtain on that chapter of his life, with a Hall of Fame resume to boast.

In Donald’s 10 seasons, the defensive tackle made 10 Pro Bowls and earned eight First Team All-Pro selections. He’s a one-time Super Bowl champ and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Donald recorded 111 sacks and 176 tackles for loss in 154 career games, dominating in the trenches as a former first-round pick out of Pittsburgh in 2014. 

Women’s Tennis Association star Aryna Sabalenka broke her silence about the death of her former boyfriend, ex-NHL player Konstantin Koltsov, one day after the news was announced.

The Belarusian tennis star posted a message to her Instagram story on Wednesday to express her sorrow during this time.

“Konstantin’s death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken,” Sabalenka wrote. “Please respect my privacy and his family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

It was thought that Sabalenka and Koltsov were still in a relationship at the time of his death until she released this statement.

Aryna Sabalenka speaks out for the first time since the tragic events pic.twitter.com/7Rx6WQbwDT

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 20, 2024

Koltsov’s death was first reported to be due to a “detached blood clot,” according to Belarusian media outlet Telegraf, but the Miami-Dade Police Department later announced on Tuesday that they are investigating his death as an apparent suicide.

Sabalenka is planning to play in this week’s WTA Miami Open, but she is not expected to meet with media during the tournament. Her first match is on Friday, March 22 vs. Paula Badosa.

According to the report, Ohtani’s legal team accused Mizuhara of using Ohtani’s funds to place bets with an illegal bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer, who is under federal investigation.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, the Hollywood law firm, Berk Brettler LLP, said, “In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities.”

A spokesperson for MLB said the league first learned of Mizuhara’s betting when contacted by media outlets and has not heard from federal investigators. Mizuhara was with Ohtani as recently as Wednesday for the first game of the Dodgers’ season-opening two-game series against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, Korea.

According to a report from ESPN, Mizuhara, 39, admitted to running up gambling debts on sports other than baseball with the bookmaker, claiming he did not know the activity was illegal. ESPN reported that Mizuhara first told ESPN on Tuesday that Ohtani wired payments to cover his debts, which ESPN reported surpassed $4.5 million. But on Wednesday, Mizuhara told ESPN that Ohtani had no knowledge of his gambling debuts and had not transferred money.

According to MLB Rule 21 (d) (3), “any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who places bets with illegal book makers, or agents for illegal book makers, shall be subject to such penalty as the Commissioner deems appropriate in light of the facts and circumstances of the conduct.”

The rule goes on to define an illegal bookmaker as “an individual who accepts, places or handles wagers on sporting events from members of the public as part of a gaming operation that is unlawful in the jurisdiction in which the bets are accepted.” California is one of 12 states in which sports betting remains illegal.

Though Mizuhara worked exclusively with Ohtani, he also was an employee of the Dodgers. MLB requires that all translators be club employees, given their full access to team facilities. Now that Mizuhara has been fired by the Dodgers and law enforcement authorities are involved in the case, MLB has no urgency to act.

More than a translator, Mizuhara has been an important part of Ohtani’s success since before Ohtani joined MLB in 2017. He is also a close confidant and training partner. As Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler told SI in an Ohtani cover story in the magazine this week, “His interpreter is his secret sauce. He does a great job recording data and remembering. I’m sure Shohei does as well, but Ippei monitors and follows. They’re both pros.”

The more severe penalties associated with Rule 21 involve betting on baseball. Those who bet on baseball games not involving their team are declared ineligible for one year. Those who place bets on “any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.” Pete Rose, for instance, was found to be in violation of that section of Rule 21, known as (d) (2).

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has sole discretion on discipline for violations of Rule 21 (d) (3).

The last time MLB levied discipline related to Rule 21 (d) (3) came in 2015, just three months into Manfred’s term as commissioner. His office launched an investigation in March of that year after Marlins pitcher Jarred Cosart tweeted about betting “large.” Cosart cooperated with the investigation, which found Cosart did not bet on baseball but did violate the rule. Manfred fined Cosart an undisclosed sum on April 3, 2015.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end tried to convince his brother Jason Kelce, the recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center, to watch the show while speaking on this week’s episode of their New Heights podcast.

The elder Kelce wasn’t having it. He quickly shut down any arguments to get him to watch the show.

The Super Bowl LVIII champion went a step further, though, and showed off an impression of one of the show’s contestants, Chelsea Blackwell.

One of this season’s biggest clips was of Blackwell arguing with her fiancé, Jimmy Presnell. At one point, Blackwell questions if she’s “clingy.” Kelce delivered a perfect impression of this moment. Watch it below.

Help Travis convince Jason to watch Love is Blind 🙏😭 pic.twitter.com/d4zJ8VdodL

— New Heights (@newheightshow) March 20, 2024

Blackwell noticed Kelce’s impression of her on social media and had fun with the moment.

The marketing Love is Blind is about to have 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/KxLBAmT3MN

— Brenda (Tortured Poet) (@silentswiftie89) March 20, 2024

Fans of both the NFL and Love Is Blind loved watching Kelce’s impression of Blackwell. Check out some of the reactions.

Not the Chelsea impression 💀💀💀 https://t.co/OhkY4VLKVq

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 20, 2024

travis kelce's impression of chelsea is something i didn't know i needed but am SO thankful to now have https://t.co/NYc1Zgymw7

— april cali’s day 🤡 (@caliiinoel) March 20, 2024

travis kelce doing an impression of chelsea from love is blind whining is so iconic. american pop culture at its finest

— cass 💫 (@sabsreality) March 20, 2024

The Chelsea impression is spot on 😂😂😂 https://t.co/ijIqN3ufgZ

— Marissa Marie (@marissmarie_) March 20, 2024

Chelsea!!!
😂😂😂😂😂#LoveIsBlindS6 https://t.co/OvarROlvE4 pic.twitter.com/F4m95AKuNg

— FumzE (@Merbabe71) March 20, 2024

Just imagining Travis and Taylor hanging around watching Love Is Blind like I do with my wife, making fun of Chelsea. Stars, they’re just like us!! https://t.co/GeSw5BH3hj

— Josh Kail (@THATJoshKail) March 20, 2024

he nails that impression lmao im dying https://t.co/fUTej1rhyg

— c🤍 (@midnightselegy) March 20, 2024

Taylor currently writing a new song titled “Clingy” https://t.co/P1jAzPhKHG

— Nicole Michalik (@NicoleisNik) March 20, 2024

One rule proposal up for debate involves the hip-drop tackle, as the NFL’s competition committee would like to make that tackle a 15-yard penalty in an effort to control lower-body injuries.

However, players appear to be vehemently opposed to this new rule. The NFLPA released a statement Wednesday explaining its stance on hip-drop tackles.

“The players oppose any attempt by the NFL to implement a rule prohibiting a ‘swivel hip-drop’ tackle,” the statement said. “While the NFLPA remains committed to improvements to our game with health and safety in mind, we cannot support a rule change that causes confusion for us as players, for coaches, for officials and especially, for fans. 

“We call on the NFL, again, to reconsider implementing this rule.” 

Additionally, many players posted their displeasure with this proposal on social media.

🗑️ 🚮 https://t.co/zzhqW1qWZN

— Cam Jordan (@camjordan94) March 20, 2024

Stop!!! How can you officiate something like this. Every game is too precious to gift teams 15 yards for routine tackling. Smh https://t.co/X3vvssLG1R

— Rodney McLeod (@Rodney_McLeod4) March 20, 2024

🚮 https://t.co/IfgyVuupBu

— Kenny Moore II (@KennyKennyMoe3) March 20, 2024

So 15 yard penalty for making a tackle...

Got it ✍🏾 https://t.co/A5KqeTVflu

— Zaire Franklin (@ZiggySmalls_) March 20, 2024

I mean how's it possible to play defense at this point. We got rules for everything lol https://t.co/uJvC7GApi7

— Jeremy Reaves (@JR1ERA) March 20, 2024

I pray to God they don’t approve this. For football’s sake.. https://t.co/PCWigdhyyu

— Jonathan Greenard (@jongreenard7) March 20, 2024

It’s so hard to play defense in the league 🤦🏾‍♂️ https://t.co/LmR8OWjjT6

— Kevin Byard (@KevinByard) March 20, 2024

Hip-drop tackles have led to a variety of lower-body injuries in recent years, so much so that the league has publicly stated it is ready to ban it from games. On the other hand, players believe that making these tackles a penalty would be bad for the game.

Pistons forward Ausar Thompson will miss the rest of the 2024 season with a blood clot, according to a Wednesday afternoon report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Thompson, 21, has not played since Detroit’s 142–124 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on March 9. He left that game after just 11 minutes due to an illness.

The No. 5 pick of the 2024 NBA draft has averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 63 contests for the Pistons this season.

Pistons rookie forward Ausar Thompson will miss the remainder of the season while being treated for a blood clot.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2024

Thompson’s twin brother, forward Amen Thompson, is also in his rookie season for the Houston Rockets.

The injury represents another crushing blow for Detroit, which is in the midst of one of the worst seasons in franchise history. The 12–56 Pistons need to win five of their last 14 games to avoid recording their lowest single-season winning percentage.

According to the report, Ohtani’s lawyers believe Mizuhara placed bets using millions of dollars in Ohtani’s funds with an allegedly illegal bookmaker. The lawyers learned that Ohtani had come up in the federal investigation into Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker, and then looked into Mizuhara’s actions.

“In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” Berk Brettler LLP, a law firm in West Hollywood, told The Los Angeles Times in a statement.

ESPN’s Tisha Thompson reports that Mizuhara had been placing bets with Bowyer on international soccer matches and other sports since 2021. Additionally, Bowyer made people believe Ohtani was his client to grow his business. 

Mizuhara told ESPN that he assumed placing bets through Bowyer were legal. Sports gambling is still illegal in California.

Mizuhara had been Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, coming over from Japan with Ohtani and spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. When Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in the offseason, Mizuhara followed the superstar across town.

Webb Simpson, one of the six player directors on the PGA Tour Policy Board, said Woods “was very engaged” and that “outside of our meeting he’s been super engaged along the way. He’s a great leader and I really think he’s taken the position of our leader and we rely on him a lot.”

Simpson, who is playing in this week’s Valspar Championship, said in an interview Wednesday at the Innisbrook Resort that the meeting with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF, which backs the LIV Golf League, “was the next right thing to do. I don’t know what exactly it’s going to look like in a year or two or three or five. It felt like it was the next right thing.”

Woods and Al-Rumayyan played golf on the Albany course near Nassau where Woods hosts the annual Hero World Challenge.

The meeting included all six player directors. In addition to Woods and Simpson, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay were also there, along with newly-appointed board liaison Joe Ogilvie.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan also attended along with a few members of the Strategic Sports Group.

Details from what occurred at the meeting have been vague but it appears the sides are no closer to any kind of agreement than they were nine months ago when the June 6 “framework agreement” was announced.

Monahan sent a memo to PGA Tour players Monday following the meeting, which was meant to have Al-Rumayyan meet players for the first time and explain his thinking about potential PIF investment in PGA Tour Enterprises, the new for-profit entity that was established earlier this year with SSG’s investment, which could be up to $3 billion.

“What I was interested in going there was to learn more about who he is and what he’s thinking,” Simpson said. “Learn about LIV more. What was your intention and hope there? How’s it going? All that kind of stuff. A meet and greet and learn. I think he wanted to learn from us kind of what we think. We wanted to figure out what he thinks.”

According to Simpson, the meeting did not involve “in the weeds” negotiating but more of a big picture of the PIF’s intentions. The sovereign wealth fund is invested in hundreds of companies around the world with a worth in excess of $700 billion. It has invested heavily in sports, including the Premier League, tennis, Formula One racing and golf.

“If definitely seems like he envisions a place in the game of golf,” Simpson said. “We didn’t get as far as what he wants and what does LIV want. He certainly seems engaged enough in the game already that he has desires to see the game grow globally, I think it’s fair to say. And he mentioned growing it in Saudi to try and do that.”

Malnati, who is also playing in this week’s Valspar Championship, declined to go into specifics. In a brief interview, the veteran PGA Tour player said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the conversational nature of Al-Rumayyan, who has often been described as an avid golfer who frequently competes in pro-ams at LIV Golf League tournaments.

“Obviously he is not a regular guy,” Malnati said. “He chairs 140-something boards. But to talk to him, it was like talking to another human being. I enjoyed and appreciated that. We were definitely talking to a golf nut.”

Malnati reiterated his desire to see “all the best players together, not just in the major championships.

“I still certainly think a path forward for professional golf makes more sense with him on our side than him as an antagonist,” Malnati said. “But there’s a lot of work to do to ... seeing the same vision for the future of professional golf. There is space between his and ours.”

Monahan and Al-Rumayyan shockingly appeared together last June on CNBC to announce what had been a secretly negotiated agreement that laid out a path for the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund to come together.

But while Monahan said last week at the Players Championship that negotiations have “accelerated,” there have been no details to emerge on where the sides stand on various issues and what would be required to bring it all together.

LIV Golf launched with an eight-tournament schedule in 2022, signing the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka to lucrative guaranteed contracts. It later signed that year’s British Open champion, Cam Smith.

LIV is in its third year and added a 13th team with the signing of Masters champion Jon Rahm last December.

Meanwhile, the PGA Tour sought the outside private equity from SSG, and among its investors at the meeting was John Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox and the Liverpool soccer team in the Premier League.

As a response to LIV Golf, the PGA Tour has instituted a series of $20 million signature events that see the winner make $4 million—similar to what LIV offers in its 14-tournament schedule.

Two weeks ago, Simpson said during an interview that he believed not doing a deal with the PIF was dangerous.

“The basis for my opinion is really and solely concerned with the poaching (of PGA Tour players),” Simpson said Wednesday. “We have amazing players on the PGA Tour. As long as there is a potential opportunity for our players to play on a different tour, I have been a little nervous about what is going to happen with the PIF.

“Ultimately, I want us all to play together more than just the majors. It doesn’t have to be just the PGA Tour. That’s why we all love sports. Best teams in the Super Bowl. Best teams in NBA Finals.

“I do think it’s a while until we get there. I didn’t walk away with a much clearer understanding of what the future holds. But I definitely walked away thinking I’m glad we did that. Glad we met him. Glad we had a very friendly meeting. It was never tense. It was a long day but a good day.”

If you’ve watched the Heat over the last couple of seasons, then you know their biggest issue is scoring. Miami finished 25th in offensive rating in 2023. The Heat are 24th this season, basically only ahead of teams that haven’t been taken seriously all season. In fact, since Jimmy Butler arrived in ’19, Miami has had only one season in the top 10 in offensive efficiency.

One of the biggest issues plaguing the Heat is their two best players—Butler and Adebayo—aren’t taken seriously as deep shooting threats, which is an anomaly among teams trying to compete at a serious level. Adebayo, however, is working on changing that.

Over his last four games (obviously a very modest sample size), Adebayo has drained all five of his three-point attempts. After hitting one three all season, he’s sunk five in four games, including a dramatic game-winner against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Of the five makes, four have come from nearly the same spot: the top of the key. It’s a specific three the 26-year-old Adebayo has worked on often over the last few summers. And it’s a look he’s given quite often during the course of a game. As Adebayo facilitates the Heat offense from the top of the three-point line, it’s common for his defender to sag off into the paint, giving Adebayo plenty of room to shoot if he wants to. And he probably needs to start doing so much more often.

There’s a lot to unpack here, including why this even matters and how realistic it is for Adebayo to add this shot to his game. Let’s start with the why.

This isn’t like the mid-2010s fascination of turning every big man into a shooter. Teams have seemed to relearn the benefit of having talented bigs who can score inside the arc. Fellow tall men such as Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and even Joel Embiid—the best shooter of the three aforementioned—are, to an extent, bailing out the defense when they shoot from deep.

Adebayo has worked diligently to improve his offense over the last few seasons. Last year, largely in response to how teams defended him in the playoffs, he unveiled a paint jumper that became an important release valve for the Heat offense, especially with all the attention paid to Butler.

But it hasn’t been enough to lift the Heat’s offense to even competent levels. And the team looks a lot better with a stretch option at the five.

Consider: With Butler and Kevin Love on the floor (and Adebayo off), Miami has a 121.7 offensive rating. With Butler and Adebayo on (and no Love), the Heat have a middling 115.1 offensive rating. Not only does Love give Miami another shooting threat, he opens up the paint for Butler, where he does his best work. The entire system seems to work better.

So can Adebayo turn into prime Kevin Love? Almost certainly not. But Adebayo definitely works on his outside shot. No one expected him to become a midrange shooter when he got into the league, and while it hasn’t always been pretty, Adebayo has already extended his range a respectable amount in his career. Last season, he told Sports Illustrated one of his goals was to shoot over 30% from three, and it’s been an area of focus with his trainer, Ronnie Taylor.

What Adebayo has shown is an ability to master one new shot. If he can turn that paint jumper into a top-of-the-key three, that could pay huge dividends for the Heat. Even with high-volume snipers such as Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, Miami lacks scoring and doesn’t shoot enough threes.

Adebayo extending his range not only would allow the team to get up more threes, it would almost certainly help Butler’s efficiency as well. If instead of rolling to the mid-paint, Adebayo can pop out to the top of the key, the Heat would become much more difficult to defend. (Remember, Chris Bosh did something very similar for this team during the Big Three era, though Bosh was a much more natural shooter to begin with.)

Now, it’s definitely not fair to expect this to happen overnight. There is no silver bullet for the Heat offense this season. Miami is almost certainly play-in bound once again, and good luck to the Heat if they are trying to repeat last season’s formula for an NBA Finals run.

But over the next couple of years with Adebayo entering his prime? And Butler getting older? Adebayo’s shooting is a worthwhile strategy for him and the team to explore, even if Erik Spoelstra already puts so much on Adebayo’s plate—and loathes overfocusing on his scoring.

For now, the Heat are more or less stuck with their backed-up offense. If Adebayo keeps honing his outside shot, though, relief could finally be on the way.

From Jason Weeks (@jasontweeks): Greater likelihood … Vikings trade to 3 for Maye or 4 for JJ?

Jason, I’d say the Minnesota Vikings move to No. 4 for J.J. McCarthy, but that’s not to say they prefer the Michigan quarterback (though they might, I don’t know one way or the other). It’s because of what it sure seems like is going to happen within the top three. And at this point, my information, and we reported this in my Kirk Cousins story Monday, is that teams that have tried to trade into that range have been met with polite no’s from the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots.

That doesn’t mean that can’t change. It’s possible we get closer to the draft, and the Patriots decide they like one of the non–Caleb Williams quarterbacks. If that guy isn’t there, and they don’t see the others being worth a third pick, they could be willing to move the pick while they’re on the clock. But for right now, it seems less likely that a trade into the top three will be there for the Vikings, which presumably would mean no Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels for Minnesota, with at least the perception those two are going Nos. 2 and 3, in some order.

Now, do I think Maye might be Minnesota’s preference? Sure. Maye was coached by Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown for a stretch in high school, and was teammates with McCown’s son. There’s a lot to like there. But whether they like him or Daniels or McCarthy, if they can’t get into the top three, then, naturally, the Vikings will have to be comfortable with all four of the top QBs to warrant moving up to the fourth or fifth pick (to position themselves in front of the New York Giants at No. 6 and go get one).

From Derek Nelson (@_derekn): Is it Giants vs. Vikings for McCarthy/Maye (QB4)?

Derek, I think the Giants are considering drafting a quarterback either at No. 6 or as part of a trade up into the top four. My feeling is the Vikings are going to actively try to move into the upper reaches of the draft. And those two approaches are pretty different.

It’s probably worth noting, too, that the Vikings did get ahead a bit on their quarterback scouting to prepare for the possibility that Kirk Cousins would bolt in free agency, as he did.

From Jeremy Bonk (@JBonk1212): Any truth to the rumor that Pittsburgh is working to get Justin Jefferson?

Jeremy, take a look at this list of receivers: Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Juju Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens.

Those 10 have two things in common. One, they were all drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers over the last 26 years. Two, none of them went in the first round. Throw first-rounders Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress into the mix, and you have a dozen homegrown, good-to-great players in the NFL. Some were character risks, for sure, but Pittsburgh, for the most part, was able to manage and get the most out of them.

I’m laying this out to explain why it’d be completely out of character for the Steelers to take that kind of swing at a position, particularly when you consider their ability to scout and develop much more affordable options at the position.

Obviously, this is no indictment on Jefferson, the NFL’s best receiver. It’s just a statement of fact. And the Vikings aren’t looking to deal Jefferson anyway.

From James English (@Hollywood1114): Olu Fashanu from Penn state was considered a top ten lock as the top or second-best tackles and now I am seeing he is the fourth best tackle and going late teens. How did this happen that he has fallen. I haven’t seen any reason for this drop.

James, I’m not going to tell you that I’m breaking down Penn State offensive line tape. But I’ve heard from the folks who do, and Fashanu’s performance in 2023 certainly had an effect on the way NFL teams view him. And maybe the problem is that expectations were sky high.

I had a couple teams tell me right around last year’s draft that if Fashanu had declared then (and he was eligible), rather than return to school for a fourth year, he may have been taken ahead of Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr., who went No. 7 to the Arizona Cardinals. As it was, an uneven final season in Happy Valley—and a rough go of it against Johnson’s old Buckeye teammates, in particular—opened the door for Notre Dame’s Joe Alt to pass Fashanu.

Now, Fashanu is very young for a four-year player. He played his first college season at 17 years old and won’t turn 22 until December. Athletically, he basically profiles as someone who was built in a lab to play left tackle. But Alt does too, and he had better tape this year, and actually is two years younger than Fashanu.

In the end, I’d say both go top 10 and have a good shot at long NFL careers.

From jake (@SourdoughSpam): Brandon Aiyuk thoughts/prediction?

Jake, my thoughts are that this is probably the one place where the San Francisco 49ers can look and see where they might be able to get creative—thanks to their surplus at the skill positions.

Simply put, San Francisco wouldn’t be the same without Trent Williams at left tackle, Nick Bosa at defensive end, Fred Warner at middle linebacker or Charvarius Ward at corner. All those players are paid accordingly. But if you get, say, a late first-rounder for Aiyuk, there’s certainly a scenario in which, good as Aiyuk is, the Niners come out no worse for the wear.

As far as surrounding Brock Purdy with the high-end weapons, even without Aiyuk, the Niners are working with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. And, again, good as Aiyuk is, the Niners are positioned to replace him if need be—not only is the draft class loaded at receiver, but Kyle Shanahan’s track record of drafting and developing the position he played is also sparkling.

So let’s say, for argument’s sake, the Niners trade Aiyuk to the Jaguars for the 17th pick, and then take Texas’s Adonai Mitchell there (I’m assuming the first three receivers will be gone by then). Does having Mitchell on a rookie contract with all those other players on board stop the Niners from making the Super Bowl next year? Of course not. Which is why, I think, something like that could happen.

From Tom Kunz (@ThomasK808): Are the Seahawks a better or worse team now than the end of the season?

Tom, I don’t get some of the negativity I’ve heard around the Seattle Seahawks’ roster.

I think the last two draft classes give Mike Macdonald’s first staff in Seattle a good foundation to work from, with pieces like tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas; receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba; edge-rushers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall; corners Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon and Coby Bryant; and running back Kenneth Walker III all in the group.

Add to that older guys like DK Metcalf and Geno Smith, factor in the re-signings of guys like Leonard Williams and Noah Fant, and then consider middle-class adds like Jerome Baker and Rayshawn Jenkins, and there’s no real reason why Seattle shouldn’t contend in the fall.

From ThatNerdBrett (@GamingGibbsbets): Who would you rather build a franchise around, Bo Nix or Drake Maye?

Brett, I think, just based on what I know (and, again, I’m not a scout), Maye’s the easy answer on this one.

He’s bigger and has a stronger arm than Nix, and is just as athletic. The easy way to explain it, through what I’ve heard, is that there is a ton of growth potential for Maye. With Nix, two years older and with five years of starting experience, you’re a lot closer to maxing out what he is. In other words, Nix is a really good player, and has done great meeting teams (as he was expected to), but he is still viewed by some to be so limited he may just be an NFL backup.

Obviously, those assessments could be wrong. But for now, that’d be what I see as the prevailing wisdom on these two players—and why I’d view the two of them as very, very different prospects from one another.

From Darren Boyd (@DarrenBoyd13): Why is Justin Simmons still on the Market?

Darren, I don’t know specifically, but oftentimes in a situation like this it’s because a third-contract veteran has to come to grips with the fact that he won’t be making quite as much as he’s become accustomed to making.

Simmons signed a four-year, $61 million contract in 2021. He was second-team All-Pro the last two years. He was a Pro Bowler last year and led the NFL in interceptions the year before. He maintained his performance through five different head-coaching regimes over his eight years with the Denver Broncos. He’s still just 30 years old.

I can understand why, if you’re him, you’d be miffed that you’d have to take a pay cut. But the reality is, while Simmons may have a few good years left, guys in their 30s (that don’t play quarterback) generally aren’t paid the same. The free-agent market this year was also flooded with safeties, so the market for him was never going to be what it would’ve been if he made it to free agency in one of the two years the Broncos franchised him.

But he still can play. And these things have a way of working out, where this sort of veteran lands in a good place where he can go contend for a championship. My guess is that’s what we see happen with Simmons.

From The Sports Narrative (@sportsnarrative): If you were Joe Douglas and assuming the Jets sign a WR, would you take Bowers, Fuaga, Fautanu or [Brian] Thomas Jr. at 10?

Narrative, I really like the idea of going with Brock Bowers if you’re the New York Jets, and I think the acquisitions of Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and John Simpson along the offensive line give them the flexibility to go away from the position at No. 10. Bowers would complement what they’ve already got in Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, and the Jets could still add a receiver later in the draft, given that position’s depth in this year’s class.

But the prudent thing to do, I think, is double down on tackle. I know it wouldn’t be the popular thing, and maybe even the owner wouldn’t like it. But Smith and Moses are both well into their 30s and up after 2024, so it’d be nice to have someone like Taliese Fuaga, the Oregon State mauler, ready to roll at one of the tackle spots in ’25. Or maybe sooner.

From Bob Gassel (@bobgassel): What's the best landing spot for Ryan Tannehill?

Bob, I was going to say Jets because of Todd Downing, but they now have Tyrod Taylor. I could’ve said Washington since it might need a bridge for a rookie (which may be a possibility even after signing Marcus Mariota). The New Orleans Saints could use a more experienced backup, with 2023 rookie Jake Haener now the top backup to Derek Carr, so perhaps that’s a possibility.

But presuming that playing time is the goal, I think Denver would be the team that makes most sense. While Sean Payton likes Jarrett Stidham, the coach also likes having a sort-of second offensive coordinator taking snaps for him, and so Tannehill’s experience and knowhow would appeal to him. And if the Broncos can’t position themselves to draft a quarterback, it’s hard to imagine Stidham having an endless leash as starter.

So gimme Denver for Tannehill.

From Zeze (@Zezex0_0): What is the likelihood the Cardinals trade down from pick 4 with Marvin Harrison Jr. available?

Zeze, if I had to bet right now, I’d say Arizona sticks and drafts Marvin Harrison Jr. He’s considered a wheelhouse pick for GM Monti Ossenfort, the same way Harrison’s old college teammate, Johnson, was a year ago: a character-clean prospect with great workout and football makeup, and high-end measurables for his position.

So landing Harrison seems like the likelihood. But as Ted DiBiase used to say, everyone’s got a price. And maybe a team like the Vikings is willing to pay it … which is to say I don’t think Ossenfort is married to sticking at No. 4 and taking a player, no matter how perfect he may be.

From Chris Mercurio (@Cmerc5): You’ve reported that the Patriots have rebuffed teams looking to trade up (thankfully), is there a scenario you can see them change their mind? What would a trade offer look like to entice them?

Chris, sure. I think it’d take a couple things. One would be if they were uneasy with the quarterback that falls to them—and remember that they have no control over which one winds up getting to No. 3. And two, I think it’d have to be a real haul, with enough current-year assets so that New England could fill more than one of its pressing needs in 2024 with top-100 picks. If it happens, my guess is it’d be an on-the-clock trade.

From Anthony Amico (@amicsta): We have heard a lot about the top 4 QBs in this class, but what's the latest buzz on Bo Nix and Michael Penix? How likely are they to be selected on Day 1?

Anthony, my feeling now is Nix won’t be. And Michael Penix Jr. is iffy. Maybe it’s just who I was talking to, but I had too many people at the combine refer to Nix as an NFL backup to ignore it. Meanwhile, with Penix, the medicals will obviously be a big part of the equation. One team exec I talked to about the Washington quarterback said his doctor’s grade on Penix “wasn’t awful,” but there was still plenty to work through. And while Penix helped himself, for sure, last year, I still don’t think teams are as high on him as the public thinks.

April 25 might be a long day for both of them.

From Bernie Bahrmasel (@BernieBahrmasel): How do you anticipate the Dak contract extension sorting itself out or otherwise?

Bernie, in the end, I think even with his concerns, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t going to want to see what’s behind Door No. 2 if he lets Dak Prescott go. And, remember, via the last negotiation, the Cowboys can’t franchise Prescott again, which gives the quarterback pre-training camp leverage over the negotiation.

My guess would be there’s a new deal in place in July, with lots of huffing and puffing and back-and-forth before then.

From Zach Fogelman (@FogelmanZach): What is the Rams plan for defense now after the Aaron Donald retirement? Is Hasson Reddick an option for them or Dallas Turner in the draft?

Zach, it’s interesting because new defensive coordinator Chris Shula, grandson of Don, is now going at his first shot running a unit with a no-name defense of his own. The Los Angeles Rams do have young, promising pieces like Kobie Turner and Byron Young. But it’s hard to predict how different everyone looks without Aaron Donald to pull all the attention away from the other 10 players in the huddle.

Short answer: I think the Rams will have their ear to the ground for opportunities like the one they pounced on with Jalen Ramsey in 2019. Otherwise, they’ll focus their draft effort in trying to further build up the defense group around their young stars

From Rise Up Kirko (@RiseUpReader): What’s the Falcons plan for the defense? Any other big moves in the works or are we looking at the draft?

Kirko, as we detailed Monday, the Atlanta Falcons pivoted off a plan to pursue Christin Wilkins and Danielle Hunter after signing Cousins. Now, with Rondale Moore and Darnell Mooney added, the offensive line solidified, and the young skill talent stars in place, I think GM Terry Fontenot focuses Atlanta’s No. 8 pick and beyond in the draft on adding to the defense.

Alabama’s Dallas Turner would be just what the doctor ordered, as I see it.

From how bout those CHIEFS (@hbtCHIEFS): What are you currently hearing on L’Jarius Sneed and the latest on his potential trade status?

Chiefs, the Vikings, Detroit Lions, and Indianapolis Colts were the three teams in early on him. I’d say Detroit is less likely now after the trade for Carlton Davis, but the other two are lingering in the picture, and there’s no real urgency now to get something done.

My guess would be things heat up on Sneed prior to the draft.

From Necha (@justnecha): Will learn from others. Reading mode activated

Thanks for showing up, Necha. That’s half the battle.

Sanders, who took over the Buffaloes in 2022 after three seasons at Jackson State, quickly turned over the roster he inherited, bringing in a significant number of transfers. That trend continued with Colorado’s class in 2023–24. The latest class of new Buffaloes features just seven high school recruits (including five-star IMG Academy product Jordan Seaton) and a whopping 24 transfers.

Given his approach to team building, it isn’t a huge surprise that Sanders does things differently in leading his program. Even so, USA Today‘s revelation that he hasn’t made a single in-home recruiting visit is pretty stunning.

The publication obtained records showing that Coach Prime has not made a single off-campus contact with recruits since taking the job, despite having a $200,000 annual allowance for private air travel for recruiting purposes. That budget has gone unused.

The school confirmed both facts to USA Today in a February email.

Time will tell whether this approach works for Sanders. Colorado’s 4–8 record in 2023 was a stark improvement from the 1–11 mark a year before, but the team hit a serious skid in the back half of the season after a 3–0 start. However, his transfer-heavy recruiting approach did not suffer significantly entering year two, with one of nation’s top groups of incoming transfers joining the program for the ’24 season. That group includes players from programs like Alabama, LSU and TCU.

This is a very different approach from coaches such as Jim Harbaugh, who did numerous in-home visits while at Michigan, going so far as to sleep at the house of former Michigan kicker Quinn Nordin in 2016. While Harbaugh went beyond the norm that year, in-home visits have long been a way for coaches to prove their interest level to high school players. However, the recruiting landscape has changed dramatically in recent years, and Sanders’s decision to target older transfer players may yet pan out as he looks to make Colorado a contender in the Big 12.

Sarkar, 33, is currently being held with a bail amount of $40,000 and is set to appear in Hennepin County court Thursday afternoon.

Timberwolves executive vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta discovered last month that his work hard drive—containing sensitive information such as his tax returns and player contracts—had been stolen out of his office, per a criminal complaint filed Wednesday and detailed by Paul Walsh of the Star Tribune.

The team traced the alleged theft to Sarkar and fired him shortly thereafter, per the complaint.

The saga followed Gupta’s reassignment of Sarkar—who had previously worked with the team’s coaching staff—in the summer of 2023.

Gupta, 42, has worked for the Timberwolves since 2019.

Minnesota is currently 47–22, third in the Western Conference and a game behind the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder.