Sports Illustrated

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Ted Scott calls it his little caddie trick, one that he uses to keep the No. 1-ranked player in the world engaged. Not that Scottie Scheffler really needs it. But such a tactic is fun nonetheless and makes for some good banter during rounds.

The duo has a game in which they keep track of the number of times Scheffler holes out or chips in during the year. And once Scheffler gets to 10, his caddie bestows upon him a nice, little gift, one that both seem to take great pride in accomplishing.

The 92-yard, 56-degree sand wedge shot that Scheffler and Scott saw roll into the cup at the par-4 4th hole was the sixth time this year—the bet is 10—that Scheffler has done it, and he made sure to point it out to Scott as they celebrated in the early portion of the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.

SCHEFFFFF! pic.twitter.com/A3iOOoqBNi

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 17, 2024

Never mind that the shot was the turning point of the tournament for Scheffler, one that helped propel him to a second straight victory on the PGA Tour, a defense of his tournament title, and the eighth win of his career, all in the past 26 months.

Scheffler followed with a birdie at the 5th hole, added two more on the front nine and finished with an 8-under-par 64 to blow past Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman to win the $25 million tournament and its $4.5 million first prize at TPC Sawgrass. It is the first time in the 50-year history of the tournament that a player has won in consecutive years.

MORE: Final results, payouts from the Players Championship

“When he holed out on 4, that’s always special,” Scott said. “And then you make a birdie on 5. And then you run it by after hitting the green on 9 and make it from 10 feet. Little weird things happen, and you start to think this could be our day, that this was a good day for us to play well enough to possibly win it. Anything could happen.”

And it did.

Unlike last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Scheffler was in the last group with Shane Lowry and built a big back-nine lead before winning by five, he started the final round five strokes back. But his front-side 31 changed the storyline, and then it was a matter of a tense back nine in which he waited to see if anyone could tie him.

And all of this occurred despite a neck injury that was problematic enough on Friday that Scheffler needed medical attention on the course.

“I didn’t see him playing this weekend,” Scott said. “He couldn’t move.”

But he could still hit the ball. Perhaps it wasn’t to the ballstriking standard that Scheffler expects, but he still led the field in strokes-gained off the tee, strokes-gained tee to green and strokes-gained total. He was also sixth around the greens and seventh in approach. Throw in 37th in putting—which still was better than average—and Scheffler was holding the trophy.

“He’s such an athletic person,” said Scott, the longtime caddie for Bubba Watson (including two Masters victories) who began working for Scheffler in the fall of 2021 before he went on a run that has now seen him win the Masters and two Players Championships among his eight wins.

“He’s so connected to the target with his hands. He can get away with it. He was hitting one more club, slapping it around, finding a way. That seems to be what great players do. Even winning Bay Hill, he didn’t think he was swinging that well. He’s just a great ballstriker, period.”

Scottie Scheffler is the first repeat champion in the 50-year history of the Players.

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

And you can’t discount his putting. Scheffler missed a 5-footer on the 13th hole Sunday that might have been costly, but it was the only time during the tournament he missed from inside that distance. And since switching to a mallet putter just before last week’s tournament, there’s been a new confidence level on the greens.

Statistically, Scheffler had a top-four-career putting week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It was more of a modest putting effort this time but he needed just 25 putts during the final round. Work with putting coach Phil Kenyon has also helped.

“I don't feel like a ton has changed,” Scheffler said. “I feel like I'm much more free in what I'm doing. I think I'm much more engaged in the process of things. I put myself in position in Phoenix, and not being able to make the putts late on the back nine on Sunday—I had bogey, I think I had a three-putt there, I was in position to win that tournament, and I was very frustrated not to be able to get it done.

“But really Phil has done a really good job with me the last six months or so kind of keeping my head in the right frame of mind. We've been working really hard at it. Trying not to work too hard at times. It's really nice to see the fruits of all the work that we've put in, and it's exciting to be sitting up here again.”

Other prizes await. The Masters is just a few weeks away, and Scheffler is playing better than anyone.

And there, of course, is the undisclosed gift awaiting from Scott. Four more holeouts or chip-ins to go. And yet, it’s tough to imagine any could be bigger than the one he made Sunday.

March Madness is upon us, and the release of Sunday’s 2024 men’s NCAA tournament field of 68 means it’s time to start analyzing seedings, matchups and potential Cinderellas.

Who will make it out of Detroit and punch a ticket to Phoenix? Here’s our Midwest Region preview and prediction.

[ 2024 March Madness: Latest News & Analysis ]

State of the No. 1 seed: Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers lug more baggage into the bracket than anyone, coming off the mortifying first-round loss to the No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson Knights last year and previous flameouts against Saint Peter’s Peacocks (2022), North Texas Mean Green (’21) and Little Rock Trojans (’16). That said, the Boilers are good enough to go to the Final Four for the first time since 1980—if they can get out of their own heads. Center Zach Edey is the best player in the tournament, and the supporting cast is experienced and deep. Purdue’s guards need to prove they can match up defensively with an athletic backcourt, and the TCU Horned Frogs could provide that challenge as early as the second round. But, with the Boilers’ history, it’s foolish to look ahead even one round.

Related: March Madness: Forty Things to Watch in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament

Toughest draw: No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks

They’ve been injured, they’ve played poorly of late and they draw a tough mid-major in the No. 13 Samford Bulldogs (29–5) in the first round. Samford will press Kansas for 40 minutes, which could stress the Jayhawks’ dubious depth. If Kansas does survive that matchup, it could face the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round—and Gonzaga has advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in eight straight tourneys. That’s the longest active streak in the sport.

Related: East Region Breakdown: Auburn Could Stand in UConn’s Way

Team that could bust your bracket: No. 13 Samford Bulldogs

Samford is an excellent shooting team with a problematic style of play. The Bulldogs shoot 39.3% from three-point range and 55.5% from two, both of which are in the top 20 nationally. If they get hot and create turnovers with their defensive pressure, look out for a potential Cinderella run.

Player to watch: Zach Edey, Purdue

Edey is both the best player and the biggest lightning rod, given the difficulties in officiating him fairly. He leads the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes at 9.7, with opponents convinced he gets away with everything and Purdue fans convinced he gets hacked much more often than what’s called. He’s got some interesting big men potentially in his path in this region, starting with Utah State Aggies double-double man Great Osobor in the second round then either Gonzaga’s Graham Ike or Kansas’s Hunter Dickinson in the third round and potentially Creighton Bluejays 7-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner in the regional final.

Edey could match up against a string of talented big men in the Midwest Region.

Junfu Han/USA TODAY Network

Most intriguing matchup: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Texas Longhorns

A potential second-round game between No. 2 Tennessee and No. 7 Texas would pit Vols coach Rick Barnes against his old school, which he took to the 2003 Final Four. It would also be a battle of Texas’s highly efficient offense (No. 19 nationally, according to KenPom) against Tennessee’s barbed-wire defense (No. 3 nationally).

Regional finalists: Purdue and CreightonPick to win the region: Creighton Bluejays

It’s time for Creighton to crash its first Final Four. And to extend the pain of Purdue (zero Final Fours since 1980) and Tennessee (zero Final Fours ever) in the process.

Call it the Trev Alberts classic.

On Selection Sunday, Nebraska and Texas A&M both booked spots in the 2024 NCAA tournament—against each other in the South Region. The No. 8-seeded Cornhuskers will take on the No. 9-seeded Aggies in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday in Memphis in what could be viewed as a revenge game for the ages.

Indeed, Texas A&M lured Nebraska athletic director to take the same position with the Aggies last Wednesday. It was a stunning move considering Alberts’s status as a former Nebraska football star. Alberts had served as the Cornhuskers’ athletic director since 2021 and signed a contract extension to remain in Lincoln through 2031 just a few months ago.

Shortly after the ironic matchup was revealed, Alberts tweeted his reaction, including a shout out to Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg and his Texas A&M counterpart, Buzz Williams.

Well this will be fun… 😅 Congratulations Coach Hoiberg and Coach Williams!

— Trev Alberts (@TrevAlberts) March 17, 2024

The former Butkus Award-winning linebacker said in his farewell statement to the school, “I truly want to express my gratitude to the University of Nebraska—the school and its fans have been and always will be immensely important to me. Nebraska changed my life, and I’m thankful for the incredible 15 years I spent [in the state].”

• Forde: 40 Things to Watch in NCAA Men’s Tournament
• 2024 March Madness: Latest News & Analysis

Despite Alberts’s blindsiding departure, Nebraska is going dancing for the first time in a decade under Hoiberg in his fifth year with the program. The Cornhuskers (23—10) placed third in the Big Ten standings in the regular season. They reached the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, where they lost to Illinois.

As for Texas A&M, Alberts will oversee head coach Williams’s March Madness run as the Aggies (20—14) look to win their first NCAA tournament game since 2018 under previous coach Billy Kennedy. 

March Madness is upon us, and the release of Sunday’s 2024 men’s NCAA tournament field of 68 means it’s time to start analyzing seedings, matchups and potential Cinderellas.

In the East, the defending champion UConn Huskies have quite the gauntlet to get through to get back to the Final Four. Conference tournament champions from the Big 12 (Iowa State Cyclones), Big Ten (Illinois Fighting Illini) and SEC (Auburn Tigers) all land in the Big East’s champion Huskies’ region.

Who will make it out of Boston and punch a ticket to Phoenix? Here’s our East Region preview and prediction.

[ 2024 March Madness: Latest News & Analysis ]

State of the No. 1 seed: UConn Huskies

The defending national champion Huskies seem like the best-positioned team to repeat since Florida in 2007. UConn enters the field as the top overall seed after a 31–3 regular season, one that featured Big East regular-season and tournament championships. And the Huskies seem to be playing their best basketball at the right time, with just one loss since the start of ’24. UConn’s finally healthy after Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle and even Alex Karaban dealt with injuries earlier in the season, and a recent surge has pushed the Huskies to the nation’s top offensive efficiency mark on KenPom.

What’s the recipe to take them down? The Creighton Bluejays’ win in mid-February probably provides the best blueprint. The Bluejays ran the Huskies off the three-point line to force them to settle for tough twos, and offensively Creighton knocked down 14 threes to ignite a home crowd. That’s not an easy feat, especially with UConn likely to have a strong crowd edge until Phoenix, but there’s a reason it has been so hard to repeat as champs: Six straight single-elimination wins two years in a row is a ridiculous task.

Related: March Madness: Forty Things to Watch in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament

Toughest draw: No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois won the Big Ten tournament Sunday afternoon, but the road in front of the Illini is a very difficult one. The opening matchup against the Morehead State Eagles could be a tricky one given Morehead’s size and experience, but even if the Illini advance past that game, the road to the Final Four is brutal. A potential second-round date with the BYU Cougars, No. 16 in KenPom’s national rankings is quite a tricky matchup, too, and then surging Iowa State may well loom in the Sweet 16. Survive that, and Illinois might get rewarded by facing the overall No. 1 seed in UConn. The program’s path to its first Final Four since 2005 is not an easy one.

Team that could bust your bracket: No. 4 Auburn Tigers

UConn will be a very popular pick to win it all, but a matchup with Auburn in the Sweet 16 would be a whale of a game. Predictive metrics like KenPom have loved the Tigers all season, ranking them as the fourth-best team in the country despite landing on the No. 4 seed line. Sound familiar? Last season’s UConn also entered the Big Dance as a No. 4 seed but fourth nationally on KenPom. If they can get out of Spokane, the Tigers might be off to the races.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl and the Tigers are most likely to bust your bracket in the East Region.

Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports

Player to watch: Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State Cyclones

Lipsey is among the most underappreciated stars in the country, an elite floor general who has powered the Cyclones to one of their best seasons in program history. For Iowa State to make a run through this grinder of a region, it will need elite play from its point guard on both ends of the floor.

Most intriguing matchup: Florida Atlantic Owls vs. Northwestern Wildcats

There’s plenty of juice attached to this 8-vs.-9 game, with last year’s Cinderella in FAU taking on a Northwestern team that features one of the best point guards in college basketball in Boo Buie. FAU has delivered in its biggest games this season but has had some untimely slipups against weaker competition. How will the Owls handle being the hunted rather than the hunter this March?

Regional finalists: Auburn vs. Iowa State

Repeating in the Big Dance is an incredibly difficult task for a reason. UConn may be everyone’s popular choice, but Auburn will pull off an upset in the Sweet 16 from the No. 4 line, despite playing what will essentially be a road game in Boston. They’ll face Iowa State in the Elite Eight, mostly because the Cyclones’ path to the second weekend is easier than that of Illinois.

Pick to win the region: Auburn

The Tigers have passed the eye test all season long. Now, they’re playing their best basketball at the right time. Bruce Pearl’s team gets back to the Final Four for the second time in five years.

Auburn Tigers men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl appears to be less than thrilled by the location of his team’s opening matchup in the NCAA tournament.

The committee selected Auburn as a No. 4 seed for this year’s Big Dance, setting them up for a clash against the No. 13-seed Yale Bulldogs. That first-round game will be held at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Wash., roughly 2,400 miles northwest of Auburn.

Auburn’s seeding and game site were revealed hours after the Tigers beat Florida, 86–67, in the SEC tournament championship game in Nashville.

“Are we paying the price for getting Birmingham last year and having an incredible opportunity against Houston last year? Perhaps … This is the third time they’ve shipped us off a long way from our fans,” Pearl said shortly after the tournament bracket was revealed, via Justin Ferguson of The Auburn Observer.

• Forde: 40 Things to Watch in NCAA Men’s Tournament
• 2024 March Madness: Latest News & Analysis

Last season, Auburn’s first two games in the NCAA tournament were in their home state of Alabama. They defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round before losing to the Houston Cougars in the round of 32.

Bruce Pearl guided Auburn to the SEC tournament championship Sunday, clinching his first NCAA tournament berth in 10 seasons with the Tigers.

Steve Roberts/USA TODAY Sports

Pearl suggested they were “paying the price” in 2024 after playing so close to home in 2023.

As for being “shipped away” for the third time, Pearl seems to be referring to the team’s tournament appearances in 2017-18 and 2018-19. In those seasons, the Tigers played first-round matchups in Viejas Arena in San Diego and Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. They’ll be back out West again this year, and Pearl made clear he’s not thrilled.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The diameter of a golf hole is 4.25 inches and the diameter of a golf ball is 1.68 inches.

On Sunday, Wyndham Clark learned that when a 1.68-inch ball goes below the equator of the 4.25-inch cup ... it can still reappear.

When Clark saw the “Titleist” go below the edge of the cup, he must have thought he just landed in a playoff with an opportunity for payback after finishing runner-up to Scottie Scheffler at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.

Instead, when the ball came out of the hole like a scolded groundhog, Clark knew his hard work over four days was for naught and payback would have to be for another day as Scheffler successfully defended his title at the Players Championship.

MORE: Full results, payouts from TPC Sawgrass

“I don't know how that putt doesn't go in,” Clark said. “It was kind of right center with like a foot to go, and I knew it was going to keep breaking, but it had speed and I thought it was going to go inside left, and even when it kind of lipped, I thought it would lip in. I'm pretty gutted it didn't go in.”

One ... shot ... short ... 💔

Heartbreak for Wyndham Clark on the 72nd hole @THEPLAYERS. pic.twitter.com/6d1Qa3elOa

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 17, 2024

On the 16th tee, Clark was three shots behind Scheffler, having had a number of indifferent shots over the first 15 holes which included two bogeys. But at that moment Clark stepped on the proverbial gas, and after two solid shots was left with a 11-footer for eagle on the easiest hole of the week at TPC Sawgrass.

The putt never got to the hole and Clark was still two back after his birdie.

What Clark learned from the 16th was that he needed to get the ball to the hole. So when he was left with a 4-footer for birdie on the island-green 17th, after seeing a longer putt by playing competitor Xander Schauffele miss due to a lack of speed, Clark made sure his putt was hit hard enough to stay on line.

“I wish I would have had more speed on 16 because then we'd be in a playoff,” Clark said. “I mean, my speed, I try to keep it really constant, but sometimes it fluctuates. I do hit my short putts pretty firm. I've been known to do that. I just try to take the break out of it.”

After a solid tee shot and second at 18, Clark was left with a 17-footer, almost the same distance and line as British Open champion Brian Harman had one group earlier.

Harman missed his putt to the left, knowledge TV viewers had but Clark didn't.

After Schauffele missed his long birdie attempt, Clark was left with his attempt at Harman’s putt.

As it crept down the hill with pace, it was clear that the Harman result would not be the fate of this putt.

It looked better and better, then started to drop into the hole, the ball almost lost in the hole ... and then golf happened, with the ball popping up and curling out of the hole, stopping 10 inches away

“The one on 18, I want to try to make the putt,” Clark said after the round. “I didn't really care about the second putt. We've already had a good start to the year. I wanted to be in a playoff, so I went for it.”

The St. John’s men’s basketball team will sit out the 2024 postseason.

Although the Red Storm won six of their last seven games this season to reach the 20-victory plateau in their first season under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, they were snubbed by the NCAA tournament selection committee. Pitino pre-emptively turned down a likely bid to the NIT, meaning the Red Storm will be staying home this postseason.

St. John’s (20–13) entered Selection Sunday firmly on the bubble, having narrowly lost to defending national champion UConn in the Big East tournament semifinals Friday in New York.

🤞

— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) March 17, 2024

“First and foremost, we have great respect for the National Invitation Tournament and St. John’s storied history in the event,” Pitino said in a statement. “After thorough consideration of all that goes into postseason participation, we believe at this time it is best for our team and basketball program to prepare for next season. We remain focused on building a championship-level program here at St. John’s. I would like to thank all our fans and look forward to the bright future ahead for St. John’s basketball.”

Rick Pitino guided St. John’s to a 20–12 record in his first season as head coach of the Red Storm.

Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

Pitino was hired by St. John’s last year after guiding Iona to an NCAA tournament appearance as the MAAC champion. The coaching great previously won national championships at Kentucky and Louisville and also guided Providence to a Final Four appearance.

• Forde: 40 Things to Watch in NCAA Men’s Tournament
• 2024 March Madness: Latest News & Analysis

Pitino’s son, Richard Pitino, guided New Mexico into the field of this year’s NCAA tournament as the Mountain West Conference champion.

The field of 68 has been finalized and spreads are already set for the first round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament.

March Madness begins Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton with the First Four and continues Thursday and Friday when the Round of 64 gets underway across the country. Heavy favorites can be found all over the bracket but there are plenty of compelling first round matchups.

The defending national champion UConn Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed as they look to become the first team since the 2006-2007 Florida Gators to win back-to-back titles. The Houston Cougars, North Carolina Tar Heels and Purdue Boilermakers also earned No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.

The Cougars and Boilermakers were No. 1 seeds in the 2023 tournament as well and while Houston advanced to the Sweet 16 last season, Purdue became the second No. 1 seed to ever lose to a No. 16 seed, joining the 2018 Virginia Cavaliers. For what it’s worth, the Cavaliers won it all the year after their historic upset.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Find all the opening lines for the Big Dance below. (All odds via DraftKings.)

Tuesday, March 19

No. 10 Colorado State (-1.5) vs. No. 10 Virginia

No. 16 Wagner vs. No. 16 Howard (-3)

Wednesday, March 20

No. 10 Colorado (-2) vs. No. 10 Boise State

No. 16 Grambling vs. No. 16 Montana State (-4.5)

Thursday, March 21

No. 9 Michigan State (-2) vs. No. 8 Mississippi State

No. 10 Nevada (-1.5) vs. No. 7 Dayton

No. 10 Drake vs. No. 7 Washington State (-1.5)

No. 10 Colorado State/No. 10 Virginia vs. No. 7 Texas (TBD)

No. 11 Duquesne vs. No. 6 BYU (-7.5)

No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 South Carolina (-1.5)

No. 11 NC State vs. No. 6 Texas Tech (-5.5)

No. 12 McNeese vs. No. 5 Gonzaga (-6)

No. 13 Samford vs. No. 4 Kansas (-8.5)

No. 14 Akron vs. No. 3 Creighton (-13.5)

No. 14 Morehead State vs. No. 3 Illinois (-13.5)

No. 14 Oakland vs. No. 3 Kentucky (-13.5)

No. 15 Long Beach State vs. No. 2 Arizona (-20.5)

No. 15 Saint Peter’s vs. No. 2 Tennessee ()

No. 15 South Dakota State vs. No. 2 Iowa State (-16.5)

No. 16 Howard/No. 16 Wagner vs. No. 1 North Carolina (TBD)

Friday, March 22

No. 9 TCU (-3.5) vs. No. 8 Utah State

No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 8 Nebraska (-3)

No. 9 Northwestern vs. No. 8 Florida Atlantic (-1.5)

No. 10. Colorado/No. 10 Boise State vs. No. 7 Florida (TBD)

No. 11 New Mexico (-1.5) vs. No. 6 Clemson

No. 12 UAB vs. No. 5 San Diego State (-7.5)

No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Wisconsin (-5)

No. 12 Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Saint Mary’s (-5.5)

No. 13 Vermont vs. No. 4 Duke (-11.5)

No. 13 Charleston vs. No. 3 Alabama (-10.5)

No. 13 Yale vs. No. 4 Auburn (-12.5)

No. 14 Colgate vs. No. 3 Baylor (-12.5)

No. 15 Western Kentucky vs. No. 2 Marquette (-15.5)

No. 16 Stetson vs. No. 1 UConn (-26.5)

No. 16 Longwood vs. No. 1 Houston (-22)

No. 16 Grambling State/No. 16 Montana State vs. No. 1 Purdue (TBD)

*odds subject to change

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.

The 2024 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass came down to a thrilling finish, with Scottie Scheffler rallying back to make history with his second straight victory at the prestigious event.

Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, was unbelievable in the final round, firing an 8-under 64 to beat Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele, and Brian Harman by one shot. All three of those players had birdie putts on the final hole that would have forced a playoff, but all of them came up short. 

Clark’s birdie attempt had the best chance of going in but it somehow rolled around the hole and didn’t fall.

One ... shot ... short ... 💔

Heartbreak for Wyndham Clark on the 72nd hole @THEPLAYERS. pic.twitter.com/6d1Qa3elOa

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 17, 2024

Moments afterward he was seen doing some pretty classy:

Despite a heartbreaking defeat, Wyndham Clark still made time for the fans. 💛 pic.twitter.com/uG7KZQ4xTZ

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) March 17, 2024

Fans loved it: 

@Wyndham_Clark you are a true gentleman and this is amazing. https://t.co/k6iyU9JdY4

— Boomer James (@JamOUBoomer) March 17, 2024

Big Wyndham fan. Don't know why I faded him this week. https://t.co/dTxARx5HM9

— Jarod Blogna (@bubbtime) March 17, 2024

thats true sportsmanship

— Luna Grass (@YourLunaOF) March 17, 2024

@Wyndham_Clark Class act

— JP Mercurio (@Teetimetoday) March 17, 2024

Class act!

— Linda Renner (@LindaRenner11) March 17, 2024

Liking @Wyndham_Clark more and more as I watch him. Really become a fan.

— drmslattery (@drmslattery) March 17, 2024

Class in a brutal defeat.

— BobbyK (@Kirbnation) March 17, 2024

Kyrie Irving called game for the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, sinking an incredible shot ahead of the final buzzer in order to lift his team to a win over the reigning-champion Denver Nuggets.

With the game knotted at 105, Irving made a cut during the inbounds play and received the ball in stride. He attacked the middle of the court before throwing up a difficult left-handed running hook shot around Nikola Jokic, which miraculously found the bottom of the net.

It was a critical win for the Mavericks, too. With the 107–105 victory, Dallas (39–29) moves into the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, just behind the Sacramento Kings (38–28). 

American Airlines Center erupted in celebration after Irving’s dramatic game-winner, and Luka Doncic was sent to the floor in disbelief over his teammate’s incredible shot. The buzzer-beating floater left the NBA world in awe, too, as fans, pundits and even NBA stars such as Damian Lillard and Jalen Brunson weighed in on the moment on social media. 

This is WILD 🤯

(via @dallasmavs)pic.twitter.com/gD1T2Wrhrd

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 17, 2024

aeiot5aert8ue489tue4roijgoitj4399

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 17, 2024

Kyrie the most skilled mf ever bra…

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) March 17, 2024

That what @KyrieIrving does. A left-handed floater — over Jovic, from the free throw line — at the buzzer to lift @dallasmavs over the @nuggets. And this….AFTER @luka7doncic’s deep-3 tied it. This is special…..exactly why we should root to see Mavs advance deep into the…

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 17, 2024

This is poetry https://t.co/DkhDKqUHoU

— Clique Productions (@ImClique_) March 17, 2024

What a crazy great game-winner by Kyrie - dribbling left, a lefty hook-push shot from beyond the free-throw line OVER JOKIC!!! Never seen anything quite like that creativity or degree of difficulty. There is only one KYRIE.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 17, 2024

Holy Kyrie!!!! That was incredible!

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 17, 2024

Kyrie that is sooooooo tough

— Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1) March 17, 2024

A left hand running hook ? Cmon son 🤦🏾‍♂️

— Mo Bamba (@TheRealMoBamba) March 17, 2024

Forty things you can expect to see in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament:

1) More points. Teams currently are averaging 73.6 points per game. That’s the highest since 2018, when the average was 73.8, and the second most since 1995. Generally speaking, teams are playing faster and shooting more three-pointers, which has made for a more viewer-friendly product. Six of the top seven scoring teams in the nation will be in the tournament: Alabama, Kentucky, Arizona, Samford, Florida and Gonzaga.

2) Fewer charges. One area of officiating emphasis this season has been making it harder for defenders to draw charging calls. Secondary defenders are not being rewarded for sliding in front of driving players, thus reducing the number of “charbage” calls. This has been one of the more significant improvements in recent years.

3) Rampant parity. Among the top six teams in the AP Top 25 heading into championship week, only one won its conference tournament: UConn claimed the Big East. Houston was routed in the Big 12 title game, Purdue lost in the Big Ten semifinals, Tennessee was blown out in the SEC quarters, North Carolina was upset in the Atlantic Coast title game and Arizona was taken down in the Pac-12 semis. Only three teams have three losses (UConn, James Madison and McNeese State); everyone else has more.

[ 2024 March Madness: Latest News & Analysis ]

4) A chaotic bracket that should be rife with upsets. The field was shaken up Saturday when No. 10 ACC seed North Carolina State and No. 4 Pac-12 seed Oregon won bids, knocking at-large teams out of consideration for the tournament. There was tumult in the American Athletic Conference, with No. 11 Temple and No. 4 UAB advancing to the final to take away another bid. So did the Atlantic 10, which advanced No. 6 Duquesne and No. 4 VCU to the Sunday final. Seeding has likely never required this many late-breaking alterations.

5) International flavor. The tourney will have a sharpshooter from Japan (Keisei Tominaga of Nebraska). A leading man from Canada (Zach Edey of Purdue). A floor general from Lithuania (Augustus Marčiulionis of Saint Mary’s). An abundance of Australians (Tyrese Proctor of Duke, Achor Achor of Samford, Johnny Furphy of Kansas, Reyne Smith of Charleston). A low-post power from England (Great Osobor of Utah State). A 7-footer from Russia (Vladislav Golden of Florida Atlantic). Big men from Mali (N’Faly Dante of Oregon, Mady Sissoko of Michigan State, Fousseyni Traore of BYU). And so forth.

6) You will not see or hear Jim Nantz, who hung up his national championship neckties after last season. Ian Eagle is the new lead voice of March Madness on CBS.

7) A lot of Cougars: Houston, BYU, Charleston and Washington State. And Bulldogs: Gonzaga, Samford, Yale and Drake.

8) Not an abundance of NBA draft lottery picks. A lot of the projected top picks are foreign or already playing professionally in the U.S. The most likely lottery-level players are Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht; Colorado’s Cody Williams; UConn’s Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan; Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham; Duke’s Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski; and Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter.

UConn Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) celebrates as the clock winds down against Marquette Golden Eagles in the second half at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 16, 2024.

Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports

9) The tourney will have plenty of excitement in Storr. There is Wisconsin leading scorer AJ Storr and a defending champion from Storrs, Conn.

10) We’ll see UAB, the most popular team at NCAA headquarters after the Blazers disposed of extreme underdog Temple to win the American Athletic Conference. That alleviated one problematic headline for the association.

11) We’ll see and hear a lot of huffing and puffing about the officiating of Purdue big man and national Player of the Year Edey. At 7'4" and 300 pounds, he is literally the biggest thing in the Big Dance, and his game is all about contact and collisions in the paint. Edey leads the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes at 9.7 and has shot 370 free throws—nearly 100 more than anyone else in the tourney field. Opponents think he gets away with everything. Purdue thinks he gets fouled way more than it’s actually called.

12) Coaches of highly seeded teams with something to prove after underachieving in recent NCAA tourneys: Matt Painter of Purdue has never made a Final Four and has upset losses to Fairleigh Dickinson, Saint Peter’s, North Texas and Little Rock; Rick Barnes of Tennessee hasn’t been to a Final Four since 2003; John Calipari of Kentucky hasn’t been since ’15, despite routinely having the most talent; Brad Underwood of Illinois has never made it past the first weekend; and Shaka Smart of Marquette has nothing but early exits since taking VCU to a Cinderella Final Four in ’11.

13) Coaches who know the way, having won national titles in the last decade: Bill Self of Kansas, Scott Drew of Baylor and Dan Hurley of UConn.

14) Coaches who have been to at least one Final Four in the last decade but didn’t win it all in those appearances: Brian Dutcher, San Diego State; Dusty May, Florida Atlantic; Hubert Davis, North Carolina; Kelvin Sampson, Houston; Mark Few, Gonzaga; Bruce Pearl, Auburn; Tom Izzo, Michigan State; Dana Altman, Oregon; and Calipari, Kentucky.

15) A coach who was essentially fired last week before the team’s conference tournament, his departure effective at the end of a season that refuses to actually end. That’s Dan Monson at Long Beach State.

16) We’ll see two Long shots: Longwood, which was seeded fifth in the Big South tourney, and Long Beach State, seeded fourth in the Big West.

17) Conference with the most to prove: the Mountain West. After getting six NCAA bids, more than several high-major conferences, a league that has seen only San Diego State have tourney success in recent years needs other teams to advance this time around.

Related: Mountain West Takes Torch of Hottest Men’s Basketball Conference on West Coast

18) We’ll see two Dukes (James Madison and Duquesne) and one Duke (Blue Devils). Unfortunately, Bradley point guard Duke Deen did not make the field.

19) Many trips to the video monitor. In addition to the late-game reviews of possession and game clock, there is more scrutiny of blows to the head than ever before. While generally a good thing in terms of player safety, this inevitably has led to abuse in search of a competitive advantage. Players are exaggerating contact above the shoulders, flopping is on the rise and athletes who appear to be seriously injured one minute are perfectly fine the next. Just be ready for delays brought about by replay review.

20) First-time dancers. Stetson, champion of the Atlantic Sun, and Grambling, champion of the SWAC. Welcome. Stay as long as you can.

21) Teams that are streaking in. James Madison has won 13 straight games, Charleston 12, McNeese State 11 and Vermont 10. The longest active winning streak among high-major teams is UConn’s seven.

22) Teams that are staggering in. Tennessee is on a two-game losing streak and led in those two games for just three minutes and 11 seconds out of 80. Kansas has lost two in a row and four out of five (but should get back two key players who were out with injuries in Kevin McCullar Jr. and Hunter Dickinson). Dayton has lost three of its last six. Clemson has lost two straight and three of its last four. Alabama has lost four of its last six.

23) There are star players getting their first Dance chance after upgrading from lesser teams and leagues. Among them: Knecht, who went from Northern Colorado to Tennessee; Riley Minix, from Division II Southeastern (Fla.) to Morehead State; and Cam Spencer, from Loyola Maryland and Rutgers to UConn.

24) There are fewer instant-impact freshmen in the get-old, stay-old current climate of college basketball, but they do still exist. Five to keep an eye on: Sheppard and Dillingham at Kentucky; Castle at UConn; Milan Momcilovic at Iowa State; JT Toppin at New Mexico; McCain at Duke; and Walter at Baylor.

25) On the AARP end of the spectrum, there is BYU forward Spencer Johnson, who is 26½ years old.

26) The roundest player in the tournament is NC State center DJ Burns Jr., who is 6'9" and charitably listed at 275 pounds. That’s about as accurate as Donald Trump saying he’s 215. Burns doesn’t have the stamina to play 30-plus minutes, but he’s productive when he’s on the floor. He averaged 15.2 points in the Wolfpack’s five-wins-in-five-days rampage through the ACC tourney.

27) The five most efficient offenses in the Big Dance belong to UConn, Alabama, Purdue, Illinois and Kentucky.

28) The five most airtight defenses belong to Iowa State, Houston, Tennessee, Auburn and North Carolina.

29) The most accurate teams from three-point range are Kentucky, Purdue, Dayton, Northwestern and Colorado. The most avid three-point shooters, in terms of a percentage of their total shots, are BYU, Creighton, Charleston, Alabama and Dayton.

30) There are two Drews (Baylor coach Scott and Grand Canyon coach Bryce), two DeVrieses (Drake coach Darian and star player Tucker, his son), but in the end only one Pitino (Richard’s New Mexico Lobos are in, Rick’s St. John’s Red Storm just missed).

31) There are deft dime droppers. The top assist men are Marquette’s Tyler Kolek (provided he returns from an oblique injury that kept him out of the Big East tournament), Colorado State’s Isaiah Stevens, Houston’s Jamal Shead and Baylor’s RayJ Dennis. Also a pair of guys with the same name, spelled differently: Purdue’s Braden Smith and Colgate’s Braeden Smith.

32) There are supreme shot blockers. Among them: UConn’s Clingan, Houston’s Ja’Vier Francis, Duquesne’s David Dixon, Auburn’s Johni Broome and Samford’s Achor.

33) There are glass eaters like Akron’s Enrique Freeman (who produced 24 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocks in the MAC semifinals), NC State’s Mohamed Diarra, Yale’s Danny Wolf, UAB’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Arizona’s Oumar Ballo.

34) There are shooting stars: Kentucky’s Sheppard and Antonio Reeves, Dayton’s Koby Brea, Texas Tech’s Kerwin Walton, Colorado’s KJ Simpson and UConn’s Spencer.

35) There are ball thieves like McNeese State’s Shahada Wells, Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey, Montana State’s Robert Ford III, Kentucky’s Sheppard and TCU’s Jameer Nelson.

36) And there are alley brawlers who never shy away from physical play: Purdue’s Mason Gillis, Texas’s Brock Cunningham, North Carolina’s Armando Bacot, Houston’s J’Wan Roberts and Tennessee’s Tobe Awaka.

37) We have a flock of birds. There are Eagles (Marquette, Morehead State), Owls (Florida Atlantic), Gamecocks (South Carolina), Bluejays (Creighton), Peacocks (Saint Peter’s) and a fictional bird (the Kansas Jayhawks). But we don’t have Larry Bird’s alma mater; Indiana State was a bubble casualty when everything broke wrong for the Sycamores during the week since they lost to Drake in the Missouri Valley final.

38) Alas, we will not see Brown. The Bears came within a buzzer-beating shot by Yale in the Ivy League title game of being the most improbable Cinderella in the field. They were 6–17 on Feb. 16, then peeled off six straight wins to make the four-team Ivy tourney. Once there, they stunned regular-season champion Princeton to make the final and had Yale all but beaten before letting it get away in a flurry of missed free throws and big shots by the Bulldogs. As it stands, Brown is still looking for its first NCAA bid since 1986.

39) We’ll hear a lot about the likelihood of expanding the tournament. There is no need, but it’s coming. Some of the power brokers from the power conferences are pushing for it, and the extremely difficult final decisions the selection committee had to make this year will be used as a vehicle to advance that agenda. Don’t fall for it. We don’t need 72 or 76 teams. We have 68 and that’s enough.

40) When all is said and done on April 8, we’ll see UConn cutting down the nets again, becoming the first repeat champion since Florida in 2006 and ’07.

The Chicago Bears and Justin Fields finally parted ways on Saturday, with the young quarterback offloaded in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a future sixth-round draft pick, which could potentially become a fourth-rounder. 

With the Bears seemingly destined to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick, they opted to move on from Fields ahead of the draft. 

Apparently, there was no shortage of interest in the 25-year-old signal-caller, with at least four other teams having inquired with the Bears about a potential Fields trade. However, Fields’s representatives preferred that the QB not be sent to any of those teams and told Chicago he wanted to join the Steelers, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. 

The Bears and GM Ryan Poles did right by the former No. 11 pick, sending him to his preferred destination instead of shipping him elsewhere for maximum value. The report did not indicate which other teams were interested in Fields, nor the offers Chicago received.

Justin Fields threw 40 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions in three seasons with the Chicago Bears.

Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports

It stands to reason that Fields would draw interest on the trade market, particularly in a backup capacity, but it seems that he feels the chance to play in Pittsburgh as the second-stringer behind Russell Wilson, who signed a one-year deal with the franchise days before the Steelers acquired Fields.

Across three seasons with the Bears, Fields made 38 starts and threw 40 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions while completing 60.3% of his pass attempts. A dual threat, he racked up 14 rushing touchdowns and 2,220 yards on the ground, including 1,143 yards in 2022. 

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis caught NBA fans’ attention with 31 points off the bench in Sunday’s 140—129 win over the visiting Phoenix Suns. He also got ABC commentator Hubie Brown’s attention in a much more direct manner.

Portis dominated in the first half, going 10-of-13 for 25 points to help the Bucks build a 22-point lead over the Suns at the break. The Bucks star sank his first five three-pointers of the game and was feeling so emboldened that he gave longtime NBA analyst Hubie Brown, who was calling the afternoon game for ABC, an enthusiastic shout-out.

After Portis drained yet another three in the second quarter, he yelled, “That’s for you, Hubie!”

Brown couldn’t help but chuckle in response.

Bobby Portis wearing a mic yells out "That's for you, Hubie!" after hitting a 3 pic.twitter.com/oyFlO5U761

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) March 17, 2024

Portis finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists, helping the Bucks overcome the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the game due to a sore hamstring. Last month, Portis similarly gave a jubilant shout-out to Brown during a road victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, when he dropped 17 points in 19 minutes.

Brown, 90, was a longtime NBA head coach with the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies before embarking on his broadcasting career with ABC and ESPN.

Milwaukee’s win over Phoenix on Sunday proved to be entertaining all around as Damian Lillard became the first player in Bucks history to record at least 30 points and 15 assists in a game. The Bucks (44—24) sit in second place in the Eastern Conference and will play at the conference-leading Boston Celtics (52–14) at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday. 

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Saying he believes it should have occurred “months ago,” Rory McIlroy on Sunday welcomed the news that player members of the PGA Tour Policy Board are set to meet on Monday with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, the backer of LIV Golf.

Board member Patrick Cantlay confirmed an undisclosed meeting earlier in the day and McIlroy, a former board member who once was highly critical of LIV Golf but has since called for the sides to come together, even went so far as to distinguish between the PIF and LIV Golf.

“Fundamentally he wants to do the right thing,” McIlroy said of Al-Rumayyan, the director of LIV Golf. “I think I've said this before, I have spent time with Yasir and his—the people that have represented him in LIV I think have done him a disservice ... so (Greg) Norman and those guys.

Rory McIlroy said the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund is looking to "park money for decades" in secure businesses and can do so with the PGA Tour.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

“I see the two entities, and I think there's a big ... I actually think there's a really big disconnect between PIF and LIV. I think you got PIF over here and LIV are sort of over here doing their own thing. So the closer that we can get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully finalize that investment, I think that will be a really good thing.”

LIV Golf is in its third year and has signed several big-name players to lucrative guaranteed contracts, including three of the past five major champions—Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith.

Asked how he viewed the distinction between LIV and the PIF, McIlroy said: “I think their disruptiveness and his—their disruptiveness, and then his ... I don't know what the right word is ... I guess his desire to be involved in the world of golf in a productive way.”

Nobody is quite sure what Al-Rumayyan wants, but it has often been suggested it’s a seat at the table amid the bigger world of golf. Aramco, the Saudi oil company, is a sponsor of women’s golf on the Ladies European Tour. And Saudi Golf is an entity that is attempting to grow the sport in a country of only a handful of courses.

McIlroy, who has been critical of Norman, the two-time major winner who is LIV Golf’s CEO and commissioner, offered no specifics but suggested the PIF—which is a fund worth in excess of $700 billion and has spent several billion dollars on LIV with no significant return to date—has a more in mind than LIV Golf when it comes to possibly investing in PGA Tour Enterprises.

“Look, they're a sovereign wealth fund,” McIlroy said. “They want to park money for decades and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA Tour is definitely one of those, especially if they're looking to invest in sport in some way.”

Asked if there is a bigger picture with the PIF, McIlroy said:

“Absolutely. I think there's a way to incorporate—I think, you know, they're big on team golf and they want to see team golf survive in some way in the calendar. I don't think it has to necessarily look like LIV. I think in my mind you should leave the individual golf the individual golf and then you play your team golf on the sort of periphery of that.

“But, again, it's going to require patience. People have contracts at LIV up until 2028, 2029. I don't know if they're going to see that all the way out, but I definitely see LIV playing in its current form for the next couple years anyway while everything gets figured out.

“I don't think this is an overnight solution, but if we can get the investment in, then at least we can start working towards a compromise where we're not going to make everyone happy, but at least make everyone understand why we're doing what we're doing.”

Where the meeting is held and who attend is unclear although player directors were “strongly encouraged” to attending, according to a Golfweek report on Friday.

And that includes Tiger Woods, who is now a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board.

“He’s a player director, he’s on the board,” McIlroy said. “He absolutely needs to be involved.”

Florida center Micah Handlogten was taken off the court on a stretcher during the SEC tournament championship game against Auburn on Sunday afternoon in Nashville.

Just minutes into the game, Handlogten went down after landing awkwardly on his left foot and was seen in obvious pain. The sound of a bone breaking could be heard on the ESPN broadcast, and blood could be seen on they center’s lower left leg.

The sophomore held his hands over his face, and teammates surrounded him on the court. Trainers placed Handlogten’s leg inside an air cast as fans applauded the big man while he was stretchered off the floor.

Handlogten was taken to a hospital for tests, and following the game, Florida coach Todd Golden told reporters that Handlogten had fractured his lower left leg.

Florida center Micah Handlogten is comforted by teammates after breaking his lower left leg during Sunday’s SEC tournament championship game against Auburn in Nashville.

Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

“You just hate to see it for him because he does everything the right way and works hard,” Golden told reporters. “That’s a super fluky injury you know that you don’t see very often in this game. Playing a big-time game like this, to go out that way, I just feel for him.”

Handlogten posted a message of thanks to Gators fans on social media for their thoughts and best wishes shortly after the game.

Gator Nation, Thank you for all of the love and prayers! It has helped more than anyone could imagine. Keep supporting the boys so we can make a deep run in the NCAAT! I love you all!
🧡💙🐊

— Micah Handlogten (@MHandlogten) March 17, 2024

Entering Sunday’s game, the 7-foot-1 center was averaging 5.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in 32 games this season. Handlogten had two rebounds in two minutes against Auburn before the injury.

Auburn went on to beat Florida, 86–67, to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

No stranger to the spotlight, Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark will be receiving one ESPN’s reporter’s full attention in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Holly Rowe has been assigned by ESPN as the reporter covering the “Caitlin Clark beat” for the first two rounds of the 2024 NCAA tournament, according to The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch. Rowe will also take on duties as a sideline reporter for Iowa’s opening-round NCAA games.

Rowe joined the network full-time in 1998 and boasts decades of experience covering women’s basketball.

“[Holly] has been on the Caitlin Clark beat, if you will, tracking and following her and being present with her when she broke records earlier in the year,” said ESPN vice president of production Sara Gaiero. “That level of coverage is needed and necessary and warranted this year. It’s not something we’ve done for the previous first and second rounds for a specific player.”

Rowe, who made history as the Utah Jazz’s first female color commentator in 2021, reportedly asked her bosses if she could focus exclusively on women’s college basketball this season.

The ESPN stalwart herself expressed excitement about her Clark assignment, which will involve reporting on everything from the Hawkeyes guard’s practices to postgame reactions.

“I am honored to say that I am the Caitlin Clark reporter,” Rowe said on Saturday. “We have had a presence on the ground covering the special moments with Caitlin this year, and I have been at every one of her games where she set a record. I see it as an extension of the dedicated coverage we have had with Caitlin all year. I think there is an intrigue and appetite for all things Caitlin.”

Clark’s Hawkeyes are coming off their third consecutive Big Ten championship and are entering the NCAA tournament as the projected No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday. The full tournament bracket will be revealed at 8 p.m. ET and the selection show will be televised on ESPN.

The 22-year-old Clark became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer earlier this month and is averaging 31.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists in her senior season. Clark will get one final shot at adding an NCAA title to her sparkling collegiate resume before she enters the 2024 WNBA draft on April 15.

LeBron James famously skipped college basketball, going directly from high school to the NBA in 2003.

But although the NBA’s all-time leading scorer doesn’t have a collegiate alma mater, he boasts a strong connection to this year’s NCAA tournament.

Indeed, Atlantic 10 tournament champion Duquesne is coached by Keith Dambrot, who happened to coach James at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. One of Dambrot’s assistant coaches is Dru Joyce III, who was a high school teammate of James’s.

The Lakers star made sure to salute Dambrot, Joyce and the Dukes program on social media Sunday afternoon shortly after the school clinched its first trip to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament since 1977.

YESSIRRR!! Punch that 🎟️ to the Big Dance @DuqMBB!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Love you Coach Dambrot & @CoachDruJoyce 🤎🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 17, 2024

Duquesne (24–11) earned its NCAA tournament berth by beating VCU (22–13) in the A-10 tournament championship, 57–51, despite a premature confetti celebration at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Duquesne also happens to be the first Division I program to offer a scholarship to James’s younger son, Bryce.

Dambrot is 115–96 in seven seasons at Duquesne. He previously was head coach at Akron from 2004-05 through 2016-17.

C H A M P I O N S. pic.twitter.com/MWMvhnDCLp

— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) March 17, 2024

Someone behind the scenes of the Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball tournament was thinking a little too far ahead Sunday afternoon, and CBS’s Kevin Harlan handled the unexpected delay as a true professional. 

With 18 minutes left in Sunday’s championship game between Duquesne and VCU in Brooklyn, confetti prematurely began to fall on the court at the Barclays Center, forcing officials to delay the game. Harlan, being the broadcast legend that he is, took the moment in stride and described it in a way that only he could. 

“We can’t see our notes. The players can’t work on this court—CONFETTI is everywhere!” Harlan exclaimed. “Somebody hit the wrong button!” 

The confetti has fallen a little early 😅 pic.twitter.com/kUVRNnq3Lm

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 17, 2024

From the CBS broadcast, it sounded as if the scorer’s table got the worst of the mess, and play resumed shortly afterward. Duquesne went on to win, 57–51, to earn its first NCAA tournament berth since 1977. 

“That was an early ejection right there,” Harlan said. “You gonna have to reload it now for the winner?” 

Happy Selection Sunday! We’re just a few hours away from the selection committee officially revealing which 68 men’s teams are going dancing. It’s hard to remember a championship week with more chaos than this one produced, from Oregon and NC State going on remarkable runs to steal bids to bubble teams adding big wins, all making the job for this year’s committee incredibly challenging. That means there’s plenty more uncertainty of who will actually get in and who might get left out than usual.

Here’s a look at Sports Illustrated’s final projected field:

Last Four Byes

Colorado State Rams
Texas A&M Aggies
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Florida Atlantic Owls

Last Four In

TCU Horned Frogs
Michigan State Spartans
Seton Hall Pirates
Colorado Buffaloes

First Four Out

Oklahoma Sooners
St. John's Red Storm
Providence Friars
Virginia Cavaliers

Next Four Out

Indiana State Sycamores
Pittsburgh Panthers
Ohio State Buckeyes
Kansas State Wildcats

[ 2024 March Madness: Latest News & Analysis ] 

These cut line decisions got incredibly difficult given the bid stealers in the ACC and Pac-12 that emerged Saturday night. There’s a world now where the Big East could get only three bids into the Big Dance, which would feel wrong given how strong the league was this season. There’s likely room for only one or two of Seton Hall, St. John’s and Providence, each of whom have worthy cases to be in the NCAA tournament. After much deliberation, Seton Hall is our choice thanks to the team’s win over UConn and strong performance in Big East play.

Could Florida Atlantic guard Johnell Davis and the Owls miss out on an NCAA tournament bid?

Chris Jones/USA TODAY Sports

Could Florida Atlantic or Michigan State miss out as a result of the chaos? As of now, expect both teams to get in, but things could get interesting for each. FAU has three terrible losses to Temple, Florida Gulf Coast and Bryant, and that could send the Owls to Dayton despite a winning record against the top two quadrants. Michigan State has stayed just above the bubble fray for much of the season, but with the bubble shrinking, MSU’s 19–14 record and middling mark against the top two quadrants comes more into focus.

Coming into the week, Indiana State seemed to have a 50-50 shot of getting in, and that might have been underselling it. But sitting at home during a wild week for bubble teams makes the Sycamores’ tournament hopes a long shot. The four total bid stealers is a brutal development, as is a team like New Mexico winning its automatic bid to take it out of the committee’s hands. Plus, Mississippi State and Texas A&M, who could’ve been left out, won huge games to solidify their standing, and even other teams that might miss out like Providence improved their résumé. I’ll be surprised, though not shocked, if the Sycamores get in.

Related: Mountain West Takes Torch of Hottest Men’s Basketball Conference on West Coast

** indicates clinched automatic bid
* indicates projected automatic bid

East Region

No. 1 UConn Huskies** vs. No. 16 Saint Peter’s Peacocks**
No. 8 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 9 Northwestern Wildcats
No. 5 BYU Cougars vs. No. 12 McNeese State Cowboys**
No. 4 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 13 Charleston Cougars**
No. 6 Saint Mary’s Gaels** vs. No. 11 NC State**
No. 3 Baylor Bears vs. No. 14 Akron Zips**
No. 7 Washington State Cougars vs. No. 10 Florida Atlantic Owls
No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 15 South Dakota State Jackrabbits**

Midwest Region

No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers* vs. No. 16 Wagner Seahawks**/Grambling Tigers**
No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies
No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon Antelopes**
No. 4 Auburn Tigers** vs. No. 13 Oakland Golden Grizzlies**
No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. No. 11 Oregon Ducks**
No. 3 Creighton Bluejays vs. No. 14 Vermont Catamounts**
No. 7 Utah State Aggies vs. No. 10 Seton Hall Pirates/Colorado Buffaloes
No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones** vs. No. 15 Longwood Lancers**

South Region

No. 1 Houston Cougars vs. No. 16 Stetson Hatters**
No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. No. 9 New Mexico Lobos**
No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 12 Duquesne Dukes**
No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 13 UAB Blazers*
No. 6 Nevada Wolf Pack vs. No. 11 James Madison Dukes**
No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 14 Colgate Raiders**
No. 7 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 10 TCU Horned Frogs/Michigan State Spartans
No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 15 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers**

Note: If UAB loses to Temple in the AAC championship game late this afternoon, the Owls replace the Blazers in the field. Temple would likely come in as a No. 14 or No. 15 seed based on résumé alone, though the committee has been known to do a like-for-like swap, so it’s possible that Temple could land as a No. 13.

Related: Amid Gambling Investigation, Temple Men’s Basketball Could Earn NCAA Tournament Bid

West Region

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 16 Montana State Bobcats**/Howard Bison**
No. 8 Dayton Flyers vs. No. 9 Colorado State Rams
No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs vs. No. 12 Yale Bulldogs**
No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 13 Samford Bulldogs**
No. 6 Florida Gators vs. No. 11 Drake Bulldogs**
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini* vs. No. 14 Morehead State Eagles**
No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 10 Mississippi State Bulldogs
No. 2 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 15 Long Beach State Beach**

Fresh off one of the most incredible conference tournament runs in college basketball history, Raleigh native and NC State star DJ Horne couldn’t contain his emotions Saturday night.

The Wolfpack became the lowest seed ever to win the ACC tournament title and the first team to accomplish the feat while playing five games in five days. Horne, who transferred to NC State for his final season of collegiate eligibility, was the leader amid his team’s wild run and was understandably overcome by emotion after Saturday’s 84–76 championship-sealing victory over North Carolina in Washington.

Speaking with ESPN after the game, Horne explained what the ACC title meant to him after returning to play for his hometown team this season. Horne previously played at Illinois State and Arizona State.

“Man, I’m at a loss for words right now. I came home with a mission and to just see this, all the confetti all over the place, red and white. This [is] for the city, this [is] for 919,” Horne said, offering a nod to Raleigh’s area code.

Horne then made an emphatic statement that resonates for a Wolfpack team and fan base that’s been the third wheel of college basketball relevance in the Research Triangle for much of the past 40 years.

“I just want to say, shout out Wolfpack nation. The job’s not done. And like I said from the jump, why not us?” Horne stated.

NC State lost 14 games this year. They haven’t won a ACC Championship in 37 years. They went on to win 5 games in 5 days, never been done before in ACC Conference tourney history.

Here’s DJ Horne emotional post game

This is everything we love about Marchpic.twitter.com/h1AOeANKPq

— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) March 17, 2024

NC State, the No. 10 seed in the ACC after regular-season play, wasn’t even considered a bubble team by most experts at the start of tournament play. The improbable title run featured Wolfpack victories over intrastate rivals Duke and North Carolina, along with Louisville, Syracuse and Virginia.

It’s the Wolfpack’s first ACC tournament championship since 1987.