Yahoo Sports AM: Madness
In today's edition: Diving into the men's and women's brackets, Scottie and Carlos go back-to-back at the "fifth majors," Aaron Donald retires, and more.
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🚨 Headlines
🚨 Buzzer-beaters galore: We got four game-winning buzzer-beaters this weekend. Kyrie Irving's left-handed floater to beat the Nuggets, Bam Adebayo's deep three to beat the Pistons, Yale to win the Ivy and Drake to win the MVC.
🏈 Fields to Pittsburgh: The Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers on Saturday, clearing the way for likely No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams. Fields will be Russell Wilson's backup in Pittsburgh.
⚽️ USA falls to 4th: The USWNT dropped two spots to No. 4 in the latest FIFA rankings, marking the first time the Americans have been outside the top three since the rankings debuted in 2003.
🏒 Wild game: Defending national champion Hobart survived five hours and four overtimes to beat Curry, 4-3, and advance to the D-III semifinals. Curry goalie Shane Soderwall had 98 saves (second-most in NCAA history) and his team lost. Brutal.
🇮🇪 What a weekend for the Irish: On Saturday, Ireland won its second straight Six Nations title (and fifth in 11 years). On Sunday, Ireland celebrated St. Patrick's Day. Estimates suggest roughly 1 bajillion Guinness pints were consumed in the span of 48 hours.
🏀 The men's bracket
The NCAA men's tournament bracket was revealed on Sunday following a chaotic week that saw multiple unexpected conference tournament champions steal bids from bubble teams.
East: This region features the reigning national champion and No. 1 overall seed (UConn), three of last year's Final Four teams (UConn, FAU, San Diego State), two SDSUs (San Diego State and South Dakota State) and one team making its tournament debut (Stetson).
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 Stetson (Brooklyn)
No. 8 FAU vs. No. 9 Northwestern (Brooklyn)
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 UAB (Spokane, Wash.)
No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Yale (Spokane, Wash.)
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquesne (Omaha) … Keith Dambrot, who coached LeBron James in high school, has Duquesne back in the tournament for the first time since 1997.
No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State (Omaha)
No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake (Omaha)
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 South Dakota State (Omaha)
South: Four of the 15 schools that have won multiple national championships are in this region: Kentucky (eight), Duke (five), Florida (two) and NC State (two). James Madison, one of four teams to win 30 games this season, will be a trendy pick to make a deep run.
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Longwood (Memphis)
No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (Memphis)
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 James Madison (Brooklyn)
No. 4 Duke vs. No. 13 Vermont (Brooklyn)
No. 6 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 NC State (Pittsburgh) … NC State won five games in five days to clinch its first ACC tournament crown since 1987. A remarkable run.
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland (Pittsburgh)
No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Boise State/Colorado (Indianapolis)
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 15 Western Kentucky (Indianapolis)
Midwest: There's some serious coaching pedigree here. Kansas' Bill Self (809 wins), Tennessee's Rick Barnes (803), Oregon's Dana Altman (754), Gonzaga's Mark Few (714), TCU's Jamie Dixon (488), Creighton's Greg McDermott (472) and Purdue's Matt Painter (467) are all among the 100 all-time winningest coaches.
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 16 Montana State/Grambling (Indianapolis)
No. 8 Utah State vs. No. 9 TCU (Indianapolis)
No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 McNeese (Salt Lake City)
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Samford (Salt Lake City)
No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon (Pittsburgh)
No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 14 Akron (Pittsburgh) … Akron is here thanks in part to Kent State's epic brain fart in the MAC title game.
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Virginia/Colorado State (Charlotte)
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter's (Charlotte)
West: After missing the tourney last year, UNC is a No. 1 seed for a record-extending 18th time. They're joined by some offensive juggernauts (Alabama is 1st in scoring, Arizona is 3rd) and defensive stalwarts (Saint Mary's is 2nd in scoring defense, Wagner is 6th, Colgate is 11th).
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Howard/Wagner (Charlotte)
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Michigan State (Charlotte)
No. 5 Saint Mary's vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon (Spokane, Wash.)
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 College of Charleston (Spokane, Wash.)
No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 New Mexico (Memphis)
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Colgate (Memphis)
No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada (Salt Lake City)
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State (Salt Lake City) … Long Beach State is dancing for the first time since 2012, led by a head coach who was fired six days ago.
Field notes:
Biggest snubs: The committee showed no love to the Big East, snubbing Seton Hall, St. John's and Providence. Other notable snubs: Oklahoma, Indiana State and Pitt.
Title favorites (via BetMGM): UConn (+400), Purdue (+600), Houston (+600), Arizona (+1200), North Carolina (+1300), Tennessee (+1500), Auburn (+1800), Iowa State (+1800), Kentucky (+2500), Marquette (+2500), Duke (+3000), Creighton (+3000), Illinois (+3000).
Multi-bid leagues: Big 12 (8 bids), SEC (8), Big Ten (6), Mountain West (6), ACC (5), Pac-12 (4), Big East (3), American (2), A-10 (2), WCC (2)
First Four: The action begins tomorrow with Wagner vs. Howard for the 16-seed in the West, and Colorado State vs. Virginia for the 10-seed in the Midwest. Then on Wednesday it's Grambling vs. Montana State for the 16-seed in the Midwest, and Colorado vs. Boise State for the 10-seed in the South.
Quick links: Printable bracket | Seed list, 1-68
🏀 The women's bracket
The NCAA women's tournament bracket was also revealed on Sunday. Let's dive in.
Albany 1: The undefeated Gamecocks earned a top seed for the fourth straight year and have what appears to be the easiest path to the Final Four, which is how it should be for the No. 1 overall seed. (Not sure you can say the same for the UConn men…).
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Sacred Heart/Presbyterian
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Michigan State
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 Fairfield
No. 6 Nebraska vs. No. 11 Texas A&M … Look familiar? The Cornhuskers and Aggies are playing each other in both tournaments — just days after Nebraska's athletic director abruptly left for A&M.
No. 3 Oregon State vs. No. 14 Eastern Washington
No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Marquette
No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 15 Kent State
Albany 2: The selection committee didn't do Caitlin Clark any favors. Iowa's region is loaded (LSU! UCLA! Colorado!) and their most likely Sweet 16 opponent is Kansas State, who beat them in November.
No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 16 Holy Cross/UT Martin
No. 8 West Virginia vs. No. 9 Princeton … Two bid Ivy! Princeton (automatic bid) is joined by Columbia (at-large) after both went 13-1 in league play and hung around the AP Top 25.
No. 5 Colorado vs. No. 12 Drake
No. 4 Kansas State vs. No. 13 Portland
No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 Middle Tennessee
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 Rice
No. 7 Creighton vs. No. 10 UNLV
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 15 California Baptist
Portland 3: USC is a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1986, when senior Cheryl Miller led the Trojans to the national championship game. 38 years later, freshman phenom JuJu Watkins has the talent to lead them back there.
No. 1 USC vs. No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
No. 8 Kansas vs. No. 9 Michigan
No. 5 Baylor vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt/Columbia
No. 4 Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 Marshall
No. 6 Syracuse vs. No. 11 Auburn/Arizona
No. 3 UConn vs. No. 14 Jackson State … This is the 35th straight tournament berth for UConn but just the third time the Huskies have been a No. 3 seed (1991, 2005).
No. 7 Duke vs. No. 10 Richmond
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Maine
Portland 4: Eight schools have made at least 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments and four of them are in this region: Tennessee (record 42nd straight appearance), Stanford (35), Maryland (13) and Florida State (11).
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Drexel
No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 9 Florida State
No. 5 Utah vs. No. 12 South Dakota State
No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 13 UC Irvine … The Zags are the highest-seeded WCC team in tournament history.
No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Green Bay
No. 3 NC State vs. No. 14 Chattanooga
No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Maryland
No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 15 Norfolk State
Field notes:
Biggest snubs: Miami had a similar résumé to last year's surprise Elite Eight team but just missed the cut this year, as did Villanova, Penn State and Washington State.
Title favorites (via BetMGM): South Carolina (-120), Iowa (+400), LSU (+650), Stanford (+1500), UConn (+2000), Texas (+2500), Ohio State (+2500), UCLA (+3000), USC (+3000), NC State (+4000), Notre Dame (+5000).
Fresh faces: Columbia, Presbyterian and California Baptist are all making their first appearances, while UC Irvine (first since 1995) and Marshall (first since 1997) are finally back after nearly 30 years.
First Four: The action begins Wednesday with Sacred Heart vs. Presbyterian for the 16-seed in Albany 1, and Vanderbilt vs. Columbia for the 12-seed in Portland 3. Then on Thursday it's Auburn vs. Arizona for the 11-seed in Portland 3, and Holy Cross vs. UT Martin for the 16-seed in Albany 2.
Quick links: Printable bracket | Top 16 contenders
🇺🇸 Photos across America
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida — Scottie Scheffler (-20) shot a scorching eight-under 64 on Sunday to become the first golfer to win back-to-back Players Championships. Wyndham Clark finished tied for second* after his putt to force a playoff lipped out (it was in the hole!).
Indian Wells, California — Carlos Alcaraz beat Daniil Medvedev on Sunday to win his second straight title at Indian Wells, while Iga Świątek beat Maria Sakkari to take the women's crown in the "the fifth Grand Slam."
Kansas City — The KC Current opened their historic new stadium in style on Saturday, beating Portland, 5-4, in a match that tied the NWSL record for most total goals and saw Alex Pfeiffer become the league's youngest goalscorer at 16 years, 4 months.
Chicago — Kellyn Acosta lifted Chicago past Montreal, 4-3, on Saturday with a miraculous game-winner befitting of the Windy City. Aided by a strong gust of wind, he found the back of the net from beyond midfield in the final moments of stoppage time.
*A rare sight atop the leaderboard: This is the second straight week that Scheffler won and Clark was runner-up. The last time that happened on the PGA Tour? March 1960, when Arnold Palmer won the Baton Rouge Invitational and Pensacola Open while Doug Sanders finished runner-up in both (credit: Justin Ray, The Athletic)
🌎 Photos around the world
Seoul, South Korea — The Dodgers trounced the KBO's Kiwoom Heroes, 14-3, on Sunday in an exhibition game ahead of Wednesday's season-opener against the Padres. San Diego won two exhibition games, beating the KBO's LG Twins, 5-4, and Korea's national team, 1-0.
Manchester, England — Manchester United beat Liverpool, 4-3, on Sunday in an instant FA Cup classic that featured three extra-time goals. They'll play second-tier Coventry City in the semifinals, with Chelsea and Manchester City facing off in the other.
Falun, Sweden — Jessie Diggins won her second World Cup overall title on Sunday to conclude the most successful season ever for an American cross-country skier.
Rotterdam, Netherlands — At first glance, I thought these skaters were falling to the ice after a crash. But nope — they're just making a sharp turn during the Men's 5000m Relay at the Short Track Speed Skating World Championships. What a sport.
📆 Mar. 18, 1995: "I'm back"
29 years ago today, Michael Jordan announced his return to the NBA after a 17-month retirement with an iconic, two-word phrase delivered via fax: "I'm back."
Return to the court: Jordan led the middling Bulls to a 13-4 record down the stretch, averaging 27-7-5 in 39 minutes a night. Chicago beat Charlotte in the first round of the playoffs before ultimately falling to Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway's Magic.
🏒 1945: Maurice "Rocket" Richard became the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season, reaching the mark in the 50th and final game. No one else would match him until 16 years later, when the schedule had expanded to 70 games.
⚾️ 1989: George W. Bush was part of the investment group that bought the Texas Rangers. He acquired a 2% stake and the title of managing director, where one of his jobs was to approve all trades*.
*Whoops: Bush's first blunder as managing director may have also been his biggest, when the Rangers traded a 20-year-old rookie outfielder named Sammy Sosa just 25 games into his big league career.
📺 Watchlist: Scoring machines
Tonight's NBA doubleheader on ESPN features three of the league's best scorers.
Heat at 76ers (7:30pm ET): Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey ranks 13th in scoring (26.0 ppg) and has become a surefire No. 1 option in Joel Embiid's absence.
Knicks at Warriors (10pm): Steph Curry ranks ninth (27.0 ppg) and Jalen Brunson is up to fifth (27.5 ppg) after scoring 45 and 42 in his last two games.
More to watch:
🏒 NHL: Capitals at Flames (8:30pm, NHL)
⚾️ Spring training: Red Sox at Twins (1pm, MLB); Angels at Brewers (4pm, MLB)
*New York legends: Brunson is the fourth Knick to score 40+ points in back-to-back games, joining Carmelo Anthony, Bernard King and Patrick Ewing.
🏈 NFL trivia
Aaron Donald, who announced his retirement on Friday, is one of three NFL players to win the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.
Question: Who are the other two?
Hint: Linebacker and defensive end.
Answer at the bottom.
🏀 Make your picks
Ready to fill out your bracket? Head to yahoo.com/tourney to play with friends or enter the $25K Best Bracket Contest for both the men's and women's tournaments.
Trivia answer: Lawrence Taylor (1981-82, 1986) and J.J. Watt (2012, 2014-15)
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