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
Behind Jordan Staal's 2 goals, Hurricanes level Stanley Cup Final 2-2
Jun 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) carries the puck in front of Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) during the 1st period in game four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Jordan Staal scored two goals, including the go-ahead tally in the third period, and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists as the Carolina Hurricanes evened the Stanley Cup Final at two wins apiece with a 5-3 victory on Tuesday.
It marked the fourth straight game that Staal scored a goal. He has five total in the finals after registering just two in Carolina’s first 13 playoff games this spring.
Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist and Logan Stankoven also scored for Carolina. Brandon Bussi, making his first NHL playoff start after coming off the bench in Game 3, made 18 saves.
William Karlsson had a goal and an assist and Brett Howden and Mark Stone also found the net for the Golden Knights. Vegas’ Carter Hart stopped 23 of 27 shots.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is set for Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
The Hurricanes led 3-1 after one period, but the Golden Knights leveled the contest 3-3 in the middle frame.
Staal put Carolina back in front at 6:32 of the third period, flicking in the rebound of Ehlers’ shot over Hart’s glove while diving to the ice near the right post. The score came after the Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis intercepted a clearing pass from Shea Theodore in the high slot, but Hart turned away Jarvis’ backhand try.
The Golden Knights pulled Hart for an extra attacker late in the game, and Ehlers sealed it with an empty-netter from behind his goal with 54.9 seconds remaining.
The Hurricanes needed only 66 seconds to take a 1-0 lead, and they did it with a goal similar to the one that beat them in double overtime on Saturday. Jalen Chatfield fired a point shot that, like Theodore’s winning tally in Game 3, bounced off the end boards. This one went to Stankoven, who beat Hart with a backhand shot.
Blake made it 2-0 at 3:28 of the first, firing in a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle off a Taylor Hall crossing pass.
Vegas halved the deficit at 7:22 of the opening period. Stone took a long stretch pass from Theodore and broke in, faked a shot in the slot and then wrapped a wrist shot around Bussi’s right pad.
The Hurricanes, taking advantage of a Vegas penalty for too many men on the ice, extended the lead to 3-1 at 12:48 of the first period. Staal, stationed in front of the crease, knocked in a rebound of a Shayne Gostisbehere point shot.
Vegas nearly scored at the end of the period on a Brayden McNabb shot from the right circle at the buzzer, but the goal was waived off when replays showed time had expired before the puck crossed the goal line.
The Golden Knights battled back to tie it 3-3 in the second period on goals by Karlsson, a one-timer through traffic from the left circle at 4:22, and Howden, who finished an odd-man rush with a wrist shot through the legs of defenseman K’Andre Miller and over Bussi’s right shoulder at 17:08.
It was Howden’s league-leading 14th goal of the playoffs, setting a franchise record for most goals in a postseason campaign.
–Steve Guiremand, Field Level Media
Sports
Early homers propel Rockies to skid-ending win over Cubs
Jun 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) reacts to his two run home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Hunter Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar homered as the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 7-3 in Denver on Tuesday.
Edouard Julien had two hits and drove in three runs, Willi Castro finished with three hits and Kyle Karros had two hits for Colorado, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Tomoyuki Sugano (6-4) allowed three runs on six hits in five-plus innings for the Rockies. He struck out three and walked two.
Michael Busch homered and Alex Bregman had two hits and an RBI for Chicago, which has lost six of its past eight games.
Colorado jumped on top in the first inning against Colin Rea. TJ Rumfield was hit by a pitch with two outs, and Goodman followed with his team-leading 18th home run of the season to make it 2-0.
Tovar expanded the Rockies’ lead when he led off the second with his fifth long ball of the season, and the hosts tacked on two more in the frame. Karros hit a one-out single, Julien drove him home with a double and Jake McCarthy followed with an RBI single.
Chicago got one back in the third against Sugano. Dansby Swanson led off with a double, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Busch walked to load the bases, and Swanson scored on Bregman’s sacrifice fly.
Colorado responded in the bottom of the inning. Goodman led off with a walk and went to third on Troy Johnston’s double. Rea fanned Tovar and Cole Carrigg before walking Karros. Julien then laced a two-run single to center to make it 7-1.
Rea (5-4) lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing season-high totals of seven runs and nine hits. He walked three and fanned two.
The Cubs cut into the lead in the sixth inning. Busch led off with his seventh homer of the season, and Bregman singled. Seth Halvorsen relieved Sugano and walked Ian Happ, then threw a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third with no outs.
Bregman scored on Seiya Suzuki’s groundout, but Halvorsen got out of the jam with two consecutive groundouts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Marco Penge WDs from U.S. Open to continue focus on health
Marco Penge during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament. Marco Penge has withdrawn from next week’s U.S. Open as the English golfer continues to deal with nervous system issues along with ear and neck problems.
Penge, 28, suffered a viral infection in November 2025 but was enjoying a strong start to his rookie season on the PGA Tour until announcing last month that he was going to take a break from competition to focus on his health.
That came following the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut after contracting a sinus infection that caused vertigo symptoms. Penge hoped to return in time for next week’s major at Shinnecock Hills, but he announced his withdrawal on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, myself and my team have decided that i am going to have to WD from the @usopengolf championship which Im gutted about,” Penge posted on X. “My health is the no.1 priority for now and until i get to the bottom of the issues i wont be competing. The plan is to return fully fit.
“I have had numerous scans and seen several specialists and we are getting close to resolving the issue that I’ve been struggling with for 8 months. I Appreciate the continued support as always and Ill be back soon!”
Penge posted on X on May 12 that he had been dealing with “ear/neck/nervous system” issues since the viral infection last November and that after continuing to deal with a sinus infection and vertigo, he underwent an MRI on his brain, head and neck.
“Thankfully the images were great and so a few of the doubts I have had have gone away which is a big relief,” he posted at the time.
After winning three times on the DP World Tour last season, Penge has made seven cuts in 12 starts this season, including a tie for fourth at the Valspar Championship. He has reached as high as 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking but has slipped to 47th since stepping away from competition.
–Field Level Media
Behind Jordan Staal's 2 goals, Hurricanes level Stanley Cup Final 2-2
Early homers propel Rockies to skid-ending win over Cubs
