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🏀 Good morning to all, however particularly to …

THE MEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD …

The sphere is about (as are the schedule, the early-round odds and title odds), and we begin on the prime. The No. 1 seeds belong to …

Shifting from the highest of the sector to the bubble, North Carolina was a shock inclusion, concluding a rollercoaster weekend.

• Friday evening, the Tar Heels trailed Duke by 24. Then they got here charging again, just for Jae’Lyn Withers to commit a lane violation on what would have been a game-tying Ven-Allen Lubin free throw. Duke gained, 74-71.
• It seemed like that may be it. The Tar Heels’ resume lacks high-quality wins. Beating the Blue Devils would have gone a good distance.
• However on Saturday evening, the committee had UNC because the final group in, and Memphis beating UAB stored it that means.
• Bracketologist Jerry Palm even says the Tar Heels did not should make it … however they might be harmful.

Texas, Xavier and San Diego State joined North Carolina within the “Final 4 In,” and people 4 groups are headed to Dayton for the “First 4.”

Yet one more headline: The SEC put 14 groups within the NCAA Event, not solely breaking the earlier file, however shattering it. The Huge East had 11 groups qualify in 2011

OK, time to dig deeper: Matt Norlander ranked each single group 1-68. This is his prime 5:

1. Duke — “Probably the most proficient group within the sport and the No. 1 alternative in most superior metrics. The one group on this bracket with 31 wins. That is a straightforward choose.”
2. Auburn — “The 28-5 Tigers have one of many two greatest faculty basketball gamers in Johni Broome, however for all he does, it is the truth that guard Denver Jones and massive man Dylan Cardwell are defensive stalwarts that make Auburn’s ceiling so excessive.”
3. Houston — “The Cougars are as dependable as just about something moving into faculty basketball.”
4. Florida — “The explanation the Gators can win a nationwide title is how they cowl a lot of the ground and adapt to each opponent, each fashion, it doesn’t matter what.”
5. St. John’s — “A outstanding group that is extraordinarily onerous to beat. And it is the sixth faculty Rick Pitino has dropped at the Dance, which is an NCAA file.”

Minutes earlier than the bracket arrived, Michigan gained the Huge Ten Event ultimate over Wisconsin. However the 5-seed Wolverines received a tough draw, Isaac Trotter says.

• Trotter: “The No. 5 seed Wolverines shall be quick favorites within the first spherical in opposition to UC San Diego who, on paper, offers Michigan quite a lot of issues. The Tritons are the most effective turnover-forcing defenses within the nation. Michigan has struggled with giveaways all yr. … If Michigan can escape that dogfight, it may get a bout with Texas A&M, who’s one other protection constructed to remove the shot that Michigan desperately depends upon: buckets on the rim.”

I wrote in regards to the Tritons, so let me inform ya: They seem to be a heck of a group … and an even higher story. As for Michigan, Kyle Boone says this seed would not make sense.

This is all the pieces else:

… AND EVERYONE IN THE WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT

Shifting onto the ladies’s aspect (here is the bracket), the No. 1 seeds are …

• UCLA (1 in Spokane 1) — The Bruins earned this one, defeating USC in an wonderful Huge Ten Event ultimate. Huge Ten Defensive Participant of the 12 months Lauren Betts leads the way in which.
• South Carolina (1 in Birmingham 2) — The reigning champs aren’t final yr’s undefeated outfit, however you realize you are a dominant program when a 30-3 file, SEC regular-season and match titles and a No. 1 seed is a downgrade.
• Texas (1 in Birmingham 3) — The dynamic Madison Booker-Rori Harmon duo leads the Longhorns, who led the SEC in scoring protection.
• USC (1 in Spokane 4) — The Trojans boast arguably the sport’s brightest star in JuJu Watkins, and so they have loads round her.

You may discover some large ones not listed there: Notre Dame, the highest group within the nation in late February, fell all the way in which to a No. 3 seed after a troublesome closing stretch. UConn, in the meantime, received a No. 2 seed, however the Huskies have made 15 of the final 16 Remaining Fours, and so they’re within the prime 5 of Isabel Gonzalez’s rating the sector 1-68.

Jack Maloney has his Choice Sunday winners and losers. It was an excellent day for UCLA and the Ivy League, a not-so-great day for Notre Dame and a combined bag for South Carolina, which finds itself in each classes.

One other group we nonetheless have not talked about? LSU. The Tigers are harmful, Isabel writes in her 25 issues to know.

• Gonzalez: “LSU fell to Texas within the 2025 SEC semifinals, but it surely occurred whereas main scorer Flau’Jae Johnson sat out so she may get well from shin irritation. Johnson shall be out there for the Huge Dance, and so will double-double machine Aneesah Morrow, who had an damage scare in the course of the Texas recreation.”

😊 Honorable mentions

😡 And never such an excellent morning for …

THE WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS, THE INDIANA HOOSIERS AND THE REST OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT 

What hurts probably the most is being so shut. West Virginia and Indiana have been the primary two groups out of the NCAA Event, information that was particularly crushing for the Mountaineers, who weren’t solely in our bracketologist Jerry’s discipline, however in all 111 projections on Bracket Matrix.

We will quibble with quite a lot of issues right here. A number of metrics, together with the NET, favored North Carolina over each West Virginia and Indiana. However take a look at the Quad 1 information.

• North Carolina: 1-12
• West Virginia: 6-10
• Indiana: 4-13

There is a level in favor of the Mountaineers (and even the Hoosiers) over the Tar Heels. However, once more, let’s return to West Virginia: Choice committee chair Bubba Cunningham famous Tucker DeVries‘ damage as one thing that was taken under consideration.

That will make sense if DeVries’ damage was a latest factor, and the group seemed very completely different with out him. However DeVries hasn’t performed since Dec. 6! The Mountaineers have 4 Quad 1 wins (together with over Iowa State, a No. 3 seed, and at Kansas, a No. 7 seed) with out him.

Hear, no bracket is ideal. However that will not make the Mountaineers really feel any higher. 

😕 Not so honorable mentions

🏌 Rory McIlroy, J.J. Spaun in Gamers Championship playoff

After 72 holes weren’t sufficient, Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun are in a three-hole playoff (holes 16, 17 and 18) on the Gamers Championship.

• McIlroy was in a great place with a three-stroke lead after birdies on 11 and 12, sandwiched round a four-hour climate delay.
• However McIlroy bogeyed 14 after a wayward drive and missed a brief birdie putt on 15. Spaun, in the meantime, tapped in birdie putts on 14 and 16.
• Spaun, in search of his first PGA Tour win, had an opportunity to win it with a 31-foot birdie putt on 18 however got here up simply inches quick.

You may observe our dwell protection right here. 

🏀 Males’s faculty basketball teaching carousel: Candidates at Villanova, Iowa, extra

As one season ends for many faculty basketball groups, one other one — the offseason — begins. Villanova fired Kyle Neptune, Iowa fired Fran McCaffrey, and UNLV fired Kevin Kruger because the teaching carousel accelerated.

Villanova is perhaps probably the most attention-grabbing. The Wildcats have professional NIL sources and, clearly, an incredible observe file of success, simply not beneath Neptune. Isaac Trotter has candidates for ‘Nova’s subsequent head coach, together with …

• Trotter: “Chris Collins, Northwestern — Collins snapped Northwestern’s NCAA Event drought in 2017, and he is led the Wildcats to a few Huge Dance bids, which felt inconceivable … Collins has constructed top-40 defenses six instances in his 12-year tenure, and he is each recruited and developed terrific All-Huge Ten hoopers like Boo Buie, Brooks Barnhizer, Nick Martinelli (who had no different high-major gives) and numerous extra.”

We even have candidates for Iowa and Minnesota.

📺 What we’re watching Monday (and Tuesday*)

⛳ The Gamers Championship, 9 a.m. on Golf Channel
🏀 Warmth at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Unequalled championship: Rose BC vs. Vinyl BC, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 Nuggets at Warriors, 10 p.m. on ESPN
* ⚾ Tokyo Collection: Dodgers vs. Cubs, 6:10 a.m. on FOX