Sports
One team from each seed line with best chance of advancing in tournament
Mar 26, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; General view of a NCAA March Madness logo during a practice sessions in preparation for an East Regional semifinal games at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images There’s nothing wrong with all four No. 1 seeds barging their way into the Final Four. When it happened last March for the first time since 2008, it led to a terrific Final Four in San Antonio that didn’t determine the champion until the title game’s final possession.
So, if Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida reign supreme over the next two weekends and earn their way to Indianapolis, college basketball fans everywhere will relish the chance to watch them bash it out for the right to bask in One Shining Moment.
But let’s be honest: As amazing as each No. 1 seed’s talent happens to be — not to mention their metrics — none of these teams are unbeatable. The Blue Devils and Wolverines are dealing with injuries that test their depth at point guard. The Gators’ 3-point prowess (or lack thereof) sank them in the SEC tournament semifinals.
And, well, the Wildcats looked pretty phenomenal while blasting their way to the Big 12 tournament championship, but studs Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat have been dealing with injuries, including a wrist injury suffered by Bradley in the Big 12 title game.
So which teams might knock off a No. 1 seed and take their place in Indy? Here’s the team from each seed line with the best chance of advancing:
No. 2: Last year, Houston essentially had to be the road team in the Midwest Region in Indianapolis. The Cougars edged Purdue in the Sweet 16 before taking down Tennessee and the Big Orange Nation in the Elite Eight. For their troubles, the Cougars have the chance to play in Houston in the South Region this time. You think Florida is happy about this?
No. 3: Michigan State isn’t the most talented 3 seed, but it boasts the toughest point guard in likely All-American Jeremy Fears Jr. and he sets the tone for his squad. If it comes down the Spartans and second-seeded UConn in the East Region semifinals, the Huskies have indicated in recent weeks they’re lacking a killer instinct.
No. 4: Somehow the West Region features the Big 12 (Arizona), Big Ten (Purdue), West Coast (Gonzaga) and Southeastern Conference (Arkansas) tournament champions, with the Razorbacks the fourth seed. So everyone’s coming in hot, but nobody’s hotter than Arkansas freshman PG Darius Acuff Jr. In his last eight games, he has averaged 28.4 points and 7.4 assists while shooting 48.1% from 3-point range.
No. 5: Wisconsin and Vanderbilt have been rolling and feature great guard combos that can make a difference in March, but St. John’s gets stuck with a 5 seed after smacking UConn by 20 in the Big East title game? Nothing against Northern Iowa and Cal Baptist, but can’t wait to watch St. John’s and Kansas in Round 2.
No. 6: If you have the likely No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, then you’ve got a chance to make something happen in March. AJ Dybantsa leads the nation with 25.3 points per game and he seems to be getting more comfortable from 3-point range. He gives BYU a chance to reach the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.
No. 7: Saint Mary’s doesn’t have an easy draw. If the ultra-patient Gaels harness the Texas A&M whirlwind in the first round, then the Houston Cougars await in Round 2. But Saint Mary’s boasts terrific shooters (38.6% from 3) and a rock-ribbed defense. That’s the combo that can pay big in March.
No. 8: The last few years, Ohio State showed an alarming talent for fading down the stretch. Not this year. With all-time leading scorer Bruce Thornton leading the way, the Buckeyes are 4-1 this March with a narrow loss to Michigan the only demerit.
No. 9: As soon as the brackets were announced, the talking heads couldn’t wait to gush over Utah State. And with good reason. Led by Mountain West player of the year Mason Falslev, the Aggies are in the NCAAs for the fifth time in six seasons. No high-major would play them in nonconference.
No. 10: We have a compelling group of 10 seeds, but Santa Clara sticks out in the school’s first NCAA Tournament since 1996 — when Steve Nash ran the show. Herb Sendek’s Broncos play fast, yet they found a way to defeat Saint Mary’s two out of three.
No. 11: It has been 15 years since Shaka Smart led VCU to the Final Four from the 11 seed. That’s reason enough to single out VCU, but its band also delivers the tuffest song: “You don’t want to go to war with the Rams; Don’t start no stuff, won’t be no stuff.” Look it up on YouTube, people.
No. 12: Basically, this is where we predict the annual 5-12 upset. Akron retained five key players from last year’s NCAA Tournament crew, then coach John Groce added the Mahaffey Bros. (Eric and Evan) for even more energy and defense. The Zips won’t be favored against Texas Tech, but they won’t be scared, either.
No. 13: Hofstra traveled to Pittsburgh on Dec. 7 and Syracuse on Dec. 13 (bookending a classic trap game against Old Westbury on Dec. 10) and took care of those Atlantic Coast Conference squads. Speedy Claxton’s crew shoots the lights out (36.8% from 3) and protects the rim defensively.
No. 14: Did you see the end of the Ivy League championship game? Then you know why Penn gets the nod here. TJ Power, a four-star prospect who began his career at Duke, hit two ridiculous 3-pointers to force OT and highlight his 44-point, 14-rebound performance. Fran McCaffery wasted no time refurbishing his alma mater.
No. 15: Idaho finished seventh in the Big Sky, then promptly reeled off four tournament wins in five days to collect the school’s first NCAA bid since 1990. The Vandals don’t have any high-major transfers, but they have a balanced offense, they shoot the 3 well and they don’t turn it over much — but we imagine Houston will try to force a few miscues.
No. 16: Anyone remember the last time UMBC made the NCAA field? Anyone? Tony Bennett? Wahoo Nation? The Retrievers are back for the first time since 2018, when they slayed No. 1 Virginia in the first round. UMBC isn’t even favored to win in Tuesday’s First Four game against Howard, but it enters riding a 12-game winning streak during which only two games were decided by single digits.
–Lindsey Willhite, Field Level Media
Sports
UConn muscles through Illini, set for title shot at Final Four
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) shoots against Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images INDIANAPOLIS — UConn acted like the team that belonged and the Huskies are headed back to the national championship game after controlling Illinois start to finish in a 71-62 win Saturday at the Final Four.
Tarris Reed Jr. had 17 points and 11 rebounds and freshman Braylon Mullins had a huge first half and closing exclamation points to win a battle of touted freshmen with Fighting Illini second-team All-American Keaton Wagler.
The Huskies (34-5) defeated Illinois (28-9) for the second time this season and remained the only team to hold the Fighting Illini under 65 points in 2025-26.
Wagler finished with 20 points but was 2 of 10 from 3-point range, worn down by the Huskies challenging him for every inch and movement for the full 37 minutes he was on the court.
UConn came up with an offensive rebound on Alex Karaban’s missed 3 and Mullins knocked down a 3 for his first points of the second half with 52 seconds left.
Wagler had the answer. Facing a full-speed closeout from Silas Demary Jr., Wagler splashed a 3 from the left wing and Illinois spent its final timeout with 43.5 seconds remaining to make it a 66-62 game.
Demery made both free throws and Wagler’s long 3 banged hard off the front of the rim to help the Huskies leave Illinois disheartened and 1-5 all-time in the Final Four.
Earlier, Mullins missed a runner off the glass left of the lane and Reed’s follow didn’t fall for UConn coming out of a Huskies’ late-shot clock timeout. Wagler groud his way into the lane and cut the UConn lead to 63-59 with 1:38 to play.
Wagler missed a 26-foot 3 and a long rebound outlet to Ball put UConn up 61-53. With a chance to extend the lead or run precious ticks off the clock following another Wagler missed 3, the Huskies gave the ball back to Illinois. Ball missed in transition and Ben Humrichous made a 3 in front of the Illini bench to trim the deficit to 61-56 when the media timeout arrived with 2:46 remaining.
“You’ve just got to stay composed. Holding the lead, finding a good shot,” Mullins said. “That’s what we do.”
UConn is in the Final Four for the third time in four seasons and improved to 13-1 all-time on Saturday.
UConn had Illinois on the ropes quickly in the second half, building its lead to 11 with Karaban’s free throws when the Illini beat a double-team trap and found Mirkovic alone for a 3 from the left wing as the clock hit 17:08 to play. Ball got all 3 right back on a transition triple at the other end and a few minutes later made it 52-40 Huskies with a 3 that bounced off the rim twice before settling in the net.
Illinois’ dual-engine offense was slowed to running in fits and starts by UConn’s grinding defense, but the consolation prize paid dividends. The Fighting Illini made 18 of 23 free throws in the game.
They reached the double-bonus on the Huskies 10th foul of the second half with just under nine minutes to play. Kylan Boswell made two free throws and Tomislav Ivisic hit two with 8:03 on the clock, shrinking the UConn lead to 57-49 to awaken a partisan Illinois crowd. With UConn in the midst of a three-minute scoreless stretch, Ivisic got two more at the 7-minute mark, making it 57-51 Huskies.
UConn shrugged off Illinois’ token defensive pressure — the Huskies first turnover of the game was on their 40th possession — and went right at the tandem 7-foot Isivic Twins.
Illinois, which averaged 83.8 points per game, appeared to face challenges with the open shooting background at the south end of Lucas Oil Stadium and shot 34.5 percent in the first half with one assist on 10 field goals. Top free-throw shooter Andrej Stojakovic (82.3% entering Final Four) badly missed a pair in the first half.
The Illini missed their first six 3-point tries with UConn’s full-court press causing the offensive juggernaut to shift approach and attack the paint.
Wagler finally nailed a 3 with 10:30 left in the first half and broke the ice.
Ivisic hit a line-drive lefty 3 to give Illinois its first and only lead of the game, 22-21, in the midst of a nearly four-minute scoring drought for UConn. At that under-8 timeout in the first half, which came at the 6:25 mark, the teams were a combined 15 of 44 from the field.
–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
Sports
Timberwolves not worried about seed, want higher level of play vs. Hornets
Apr 3, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) dribbles] past Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images The Minnesota Timberwolves are not overly obsessed with which specific seed they end up with in the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs.
It’s more important that the Timberwolves feel healthy and are playing well when the postseason tips off.
Minnesota (46-31) will try to snap out of a recent funk when it faces the Charlotte Hornets (42-36) on Sunday evening in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves have lost two games in a row and three of their past four.
The slide has made it increasingly unlikely that the Timberwolves will secure a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Kyle Anderson said he and his teammates are keeping things in perspective.
“It’s not something you’re going to lose sleep over,” Anderson said when asked about playoff seeding. “(When I played in San Antonio, former coach Gregg Popovich said), ‘You want to win a championship? You’ve got to beat good teams on the road.’
“So that’s what it comes down to. Whoever we see, we’ve got to be willing to do what we’ve got to do to win.”
Minnesota will face a tough test against Charlotte, which is riding a three-game winning streak after victories over the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers. Their latest win over the Pacers came by 21 points and ensured a winning record in the regular season for the Hornets.
Hornets coach Charles Lee has guided the franchise’s turnaround into a winning team. He said his players needed to keep pressing forward after the big win over Indiana.
“This is not time of year to look past anybody,” Lee said. “You’ve got to stay focused on the opponent in front of you, the opportunity to get better that day. … That team (Indiana), they’re good, they’re well coached. They play fast, force you to communicate and work on your transition defense.
“I thought that we shared the ball phenomenally (against the Pacers). To have six guys in double figures, 31 assists; (I) love how we played.”
The Timberwolves are not certain whether they will have their top player for Sunday’s game. Anthony Edwards is listed as questionable because of inflammation in his right knee, which sidelined him for a couple of weeks in March.
Edwards also dealt with a recent illness but played Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. He struggled badly as he finished with eight points on 3-for-15 shooting, including 0-for-7 shooting from 3-point range.
“Offensively, it didn’t look like he had a lot of juice (against the 76ers),” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “But all credit for him playing through what he’s been through over the last number of days.”
Edwards leads the Timberwolves with 28.9 points per game on 48.9% shooting. Julius Randle adds 21.1 points per game, but Minnesota will be without defensive standout Jaden McDaniels (14.8 points per game), who is week-to-week (knee).
Charlotte is led by Brandon Miller, who is averaging 20.4 points on 43.7% shooting. LaMelo Ball is next with 19.5 points per game, and rookie Kon Knueppel is averaging 18.8 points while shooting 43.1% from beyond the arc.
–Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Tommy Paul wins all-American semi to reach Houston final
Mar 25, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tommy Paul of the United States reacts during his match against Arthur Fils of France in the quarter finals of the men’s singles at the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images No. 4 Tommy Paul rallied for his fourth consecutive win over fellow American and second-seeded Frances Tiafoe, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7), on Saturday in the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship semifinals at Houston.
Paul clinched his first ever ATP clay-court final appearance in a grueling 2-hour, 45-minute match that was marred by rain throughout, including a 90-minute delay during the second set. Paul thrived behind 14 aces and no double faults while converting two of five break-point opportunities in the pivotal deciding set.
It was back-and-forth in the final set with Tiafoe notching the first break and Paul breaking him right back in the next service. Then the reverse happened with Paul grabbing a break and Tiafoe nabbing it right back a service game later. In the deciding tiebreaker, Paul squandered two match points up 6-4 before advancing by winning two straight points to break a 7-7 tie.
In another semifinal between competitors from the same country, Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga easily dispatched Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-1, 6-1 to set up a date with Paul. Burruchaga converted 5 of 8 break opportunities while never facing one. Tirante had 25 unforced errors to Burruchaga’s 10.
Grand Prix Hassan II
Qualifier Marco Trungelliti (ATP No. 117) of Argentina continued his Cinderella run by taking down top-seeded Italian Luciano Darderi 6-4, 7-6 (2) in Marrakech, Morocco.
Trungelliti clinched a spot in the final and is the oldest first-time finalist in ATP Tour history at 36. En route to the final, Trungelliti took down the fifth, third and first seeds. Trungelliti converted four of six break-point opportunities and capitalized on Darderi’s eight double faults to deny the Italian a repeat championship in the event.
Spain’s Rafael Jodar will try to halt Trungelliti’s magical run after he took down Argentinian Camilo Ugo Carabelli in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 in just 63 minutes. Jodar was never broken and held a 23-8 advantage in winners. This would also be the first title for Jodar, who at 19 years old, made his tour debut earlier this year at the Australian Open and is competing in his first tour-level clay tournament.
Tiriac Open
Qualifier Daniel Merida Aguilar of Spain came back from a set down to upset Hungarian third seed Fabian Marozsan 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1 in a semifinal match in Bucharest, Romania.
After dropping the first set, Merida Agular knocked home four of his six break-point attempts over the final two sets, finishing with 35 winners. He defended his serve well throughout as he saved 17 of the 18 break points he faced to overcome his 39 unforced errors and reach his first tour-level final.
Seventh-seeded Argentinian Mariano Navone saved two match points to come back and beat eighth-seeded Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5. Navone capitalized on 65 unforced errors from van de Zandschulp and broke him six times. He hit 82% of his first serves and will also be looking for his first tour-level title after losing the 2024 Bucharest championship match.
–Field Level Media
UConn muscles through Illini, set for title shot at Final Four
Timberwolves not worried about seed, want higher level of play vs. Hornets
