Happy Thursday everyone and a happy first round of the men’s NCAA tournament! If you’re reading this before noon ET, you still have time to enter our men’s bracket games (and until noon ET tomorrow to enter our women’s bracket games). And if you’re still waiting to complete everything, you’re in luck: We’ve got every last bit of advice you need.
Let’s get straight to the point.
Good morning to all…
YES ALL
It’s the NCAA tournament. need i say more Whether you’ve watched basketball for hours or zero-point-zero seconds, submitting a bracket is super easy, super fun and — well, everyone does it. Vote for your favorite mascot or flip a coin, let them choose your pet… or just use the insights of our experts!
Nine of our best and brightest filled in their bracketsand here’s the breakdown of their championship picks:
Why are the cougars so popular? Let our Matt Norlander explain…
- Norse: “Houston has been ranked as the best team in college basketball on all advanced mainstream analysis metrics for months. … And if Markus Sassers groin problem may subside, it means the Cougars will have a nasty three guard attack, a future lottery pick (Jarace Walker) and a coach (Kelvin Samson), who brought this school to the biggest stage just two years ago. They have the pedigree, the talent, the size, the strength and the tenacity to do it.”
The cougars too have one of the easiest paths in the tournamentnotes our David Cobb, and if you’re worried about how far you’re letting your top seeds advance, David’s story will help calm any nerves. Or maybe emphasize them. At least it will help you make your final decision.
However, if we look at the first round alone, we have absolutely great action today and tomorrow. David all 32 games counted until the weekendand I think I can speak for most of us when I say I can’t wait Oral Roberts vs Duke.
- Cobb: “Oral Roberts stunned the #2 seed State of Ohio behind the game of Star Guard in a first round game two years ago Max Abmas and reached a Sweet 16. Now Abmas is back to try and defeat the red-hot Blue Devils, who have won nine straight games with a rotation full of immensely talented freshmen. With the nation’s longest winning streak at 17 games, ORU is once again a potential giant slayer.”
You can see Our experts’ picks for this game – and today’s other biggest games – are here. Still worried about your mount? Let me interest you Matt’s annual numbers to know the columnwhich is full of all the stats that can help you make your decisions. The FUNK Method by Andrew Tulin is also a really fun way to narrow the field.
And to end it – of course – is the best of the rest.
More than anything, enjoy the next few weeks. Whether your mount survives to the end or lies in tatters hours from now, this is the best time of the year. There is nothing better than the NCAA tournament. The excitement, the buzzers, the emotions…we’ll be here to enjoy it with you.
recognitions
And not such a good morning for…
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EDWIN DÍAZ AND THE NEW YORK METS
In no time at all, pure joy turned into absolute horror Edwin Diaz—and The New York Mets. The Mets all-star reliever suffered an apparent injury to his right knee after closing a big win for Puerto Rico against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
He was carried – and then placed in a wheelchair – to leave the fieldbut it was hard to see exactly how Díaz, 28, was injured. He was one of a large crowd of players who jumped onto the field after the win.
- Díaz has had a wonderful season in which he Converted 32 out of 35 bailoutsposted a 1.31 ERA and won the Trevor Hoffman Award, given to the best reliever in the NL.
- Díaz signed a five-year, $102 million deal with the Mets last offseason.
- The win sent Puerto Rico into the quarterfinals and eliminated the Dominican Republic.
…AND NOT SUCH A GOOD MORNING FOR ESEKIEL ELLIOTT, TOO
It’s the end of an era in Dallas. The cowboys Approved Ezekiel Elliottended his seven-year stint at Dallas, during which time he broke it the third most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in franchise history.
- Elliott, 27, has won two rushing titles though an average of 3.9 yards per touch in 2022worst among the 30 players with at least 200 touches. Tony Pollard, who the Cowboys franchise taggedaveraged 5.9 yards per touch to top that list.
- Elliott had four years left on a six-year, $90 million extension. However, none of the remaining funds were guaranteed.
- Here are possible landing sites for Elliott.
Not so honorable mentions
Aaron Rodgers intends to play for Jets but there is no deal yet 🏈
USATSI
After a retreat into darknessA Meeting with another teamA Wishlist and many other twists and turns… We still don’t have an official resolution to the Aaron Rodgers saga. But we’re close.
The four-time MVP intends to play for the nozzlesBut the deal is not yet closed:
Obviously, this is big news for the Jets. But the Packers are also something of a winner. If they were to lose Rodgers that way, losing him at least gives the team some clout in terms of prize asking and timing. writes our Jordan Dajani.
Finally, late on Wednesday Bengal signed four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.who served as Patrick Mahomes‘ Blindside Protector to a four-year deal during last year’s Super Bowl run. It’s a big step considering Cincinnati and Kansas City will be battling each other in the AFC for a long time to come.
As always, you can keep up with all the comings and goings…
The NBA suspended Ja Morant for eight games without pay 🏀
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The NBA is officially suspended grizzlies star Yes Morant eight games for “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous” behavior comes from a social media post showing it wield a gun in a nightclub.
- The six games Morant has already missed count towards the suspension. That means he can return on Monday, although he’s not expected to play in that game. He has not been charged with a crime.
- Morant attended a counseling program in Florida to “Get help and work on learning better ways to manage stress and my overall well-being.”
- In an interviewMorant said the gun was not his and that he “made a terrible mistake”.
What we’re watching Thursday 📺
🏀 We’re looking at the NCAA men’s tournament. Here’s how.
🏀 We also look at the NCAA women’s tournament. Here’s how.
🏀 magic at suns10 p.m. on NBA TV