NCAA Males’s Match begins, Ladies’s Match’s First 4 ideas off tonight; Dodgers win MLB season opener

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🏀 Good morning to everybody however particularly …

THE COLORADO STATE RAMS AND THE WAGNER SEAHAWKS 

Colorado State is getting one other tune on the dance, and No. 7 seed Texas had higher be prepared for all it might probably deal with. The Rams throttled Virginia, 67-42, within the first of the No. 10 seed First 4 video games.

Even with star Isaiah Stevens smothered, the Rams confirmed they’ve loads of choices elsewhere: Joel Scott had a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Nique Clifford (17 factors) and Patrick Cartier (12) additionally reached double figures. The Rams shot 55% from the sphere towards one of many nation’s finest defenses.

Virginia, in the meantime, nonetheless hasn’t received an NCAA Match recreation since its 2019 nationwide championship. If there aren’t main personnel upgrades and potential different alterations this offseason, that drought will proceed. Final night time was unwatchable.

Earlier within the night, we added Wagner to the NCAA Match winners membership. The Seahawks constructed an enormous lead and held on for a 71-68 win over fellow No. 16 seed Howard. After trailing by as a lot as 17, the Bison reduce it to at least one late and even had three 3-point appears to be like to power additional time, however none of them went down. Wagner will face No. 1 seed North Carolina tomorrow.

👍 Honorable mentions

🤕 And never such a very good morning for …

KEVIN MCCULLAR JR. AND THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS

This season has gone removed from the plan for Kansas, and issues took a flip for the more severe simply two days earlier than the Jayhawks open their NCAA Match. Main scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. will miss your entire event — irrespective of how far his group goes — as a consequence of a knee damage.

• McCullar, a fifth-year senior, was a first-team All-Large 12 performer after averaging 18.3 factors and 6.0 rebounds. He is handled a number of accidents this season, and the knee proved an excessive amount of to beat. He final performed within the Jayhawks’ regular-season finale, a 76-46 loss to Houston.
• Kansas is 3-3 with out McCullar this 12 months, together with a 72-52 loss to Cincinnati within the Jayhawks’ first Large 12 Match recreation. Total, the Jayhawks — No. 1 within the preseason AP ballot — are 22-10 and went simply 10-8 in Large 12 play, their worst convention mark since 1988-89. That was Roy Williams‘ first season, when it was nonetheless the Large 8.

I’ve stated it all year long: Kansas simply does not have the offensive juice to compete for a title. Add in McCullar’s absence, and the No. 4 seed Jayhawks are on main upset alert, Kyle Boone writes.

• Boone: “Kansas confronted a troublesome matchup towards Samford even when McCullar was wholesome. The Bulldogs received the SoCon common season and event titles by taking part in an up-tempo model of basketball that presses full-court on each possession, which goes to check Kansas’ endurance and depth. … Kansas ranks No. 318 in bench minutes, getting simply 23.7% of its minutes from the bench.”

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🔥 Males’s NCAA Match high upset picks, X-factors, extra

Blissful NCAA Match first-round eve! Whereas the motion technically obtained underway final night time, you continue to have till tomorrow to fill out your brackets. So for those who’re nonetheless researching (and hopefully not simply procrastinating), good for you! We’re right here to assist.

Choosing an upset is nerve-wracking. In the event you get it unsuitable, you may miss out on massive factors numerous different brackets get. However for those who get it proper, it is an enormous increase. I checked out high upset picks for each seed line 9-16, and the one I like most is …

• Pereles: “(11) New Mexico Lobos — The superior stats websites just like the Lobos much more than the committee did — each kenpom.com and barttorvik.com favor them over Clemson — and Vegas has the Lobos favored as effectively. … Mountain West Match MVP Jaelen Home (son of Eddie) may be the very best participant on the ground in any recreation, and Jamal Mashburn Jr. (son of Jamal Sr.) joins him as glorious scoring guards who’re doing their fathers proud. Throw in a deep entrance court docket, and the Lobos are a straightforward choice to guide the No. 11 seed-over-No. 6 seed dialogue.”

Elsewhere …

However by far my favourite article of the day was Matt Norlander’s March Insanity Mixtape, that includes each coach’s favourite band. Top off? Nebraska. Inventory down? Iowa State. As for BYU … effectively, you resolve.

And keep in mind, you may all the time take a look at our specialists’ brackets — or Barack Obama’s — for those who want extra assist.

🏀 Skilled picks for ladies’s NCAA Match

The ladies’s First 4 ideas off tonight, that means you continue to have time to get in on our Bracket Video games as effectively.

Searching for assist? You are in luck once more. Our knowledgeable picks have arrived, and whereas No. 1 general seed South Carolina is the favourite, it isn’t even near unanimous.

Not like the boys’s event, as soon as the ladies’s event ends, we’re proper into WNBA Draft season. So Jack Maloney dove deep into the finest professional prospects within the event. You certainly already know the very best one — Caitlin Clark — however what in regards to the star that beat her within the title recreation final 12 months?

• Maloney: “Angel Reese is a terrific faculty participant who makes use of her measurement, athleticism and tenacity to overwhelm opponents at instances. She makes the most important influence on the defensive finish, the place she will guard in and out when needed, and is a relentless rebounder. Her offensive recreation stays undefined, nevertheless, which is why there are questions on how impactful she may be on the subsequent stage. Draft vary: Mid-to-late first spherical“

And keep in mind, we may have an Iowa-LSU Elite Eight collision course. Signal me up for that!

🏈 High 10 NFL offseason strikes, plus Jets add Mike Williams

The frenzy of big signings and trades might have died down, however it’s not over but. The Jets signed Mike Williams to a one-year deal value as much as $15-million. The expertise has by no means been a difficulty for Williams, 29. He is had two 1,000-yard seasons, and his 15.6 yards per reception ranks second since he entered the league in 2017 (min. 500 targets). However he performed simply three video games final 12 months earlier than a torn ACL ended his season. He has performed only one full season in his profession.

At 6’4″ and 218 kilos, Williams is a large goal for Aaron Rodgers, and he excels in contested-catch eventualities, one thing Rodgers is not afraid to provide to his teammates. Reverse star Garrett Wilson, Williams ought to have an opportunity to be a strong contributor, if he can keep wholesome. Admittedly, that is an enormous “if,” however I just like the transfer for a Jets group that wanted (and perhaps nonetheless wants) upgrades at cross catcher.

Cody Benjamin assessed the high 10 acquisitions of free company to date, and after a few quarterback strikes, an enormous transfer from the defending champs is No. 3.

• Benjamin: “3. Chiefs tag L’Jarius Sneed — Taking part in the quick recreation with Sneed enabled Ok.C. to maintain All-Professional Chris Jones in place because the anchor of Steve Spagnuolo‘s title-winning protection. And it doesn’t matter what occurs subsequent, it is a win for the Chiefs: both they get a bodily, ascending cowl man for an additional 12 months; or they get what figures to be a strong return for him by way of commerce, leaving Trent McDuffie to guide the place.”

In some way the Chiefs — once more, the defending champs! — additionally had the fourth-best transfer, too. They only carry on chugging.

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

🏀 No. 16 Grambling State vs. No. 16 Montana State (M), 6:40 p.m. on truTV
🏀 No. 16 Presbyterian vs. No. 16 Sacred Coronary heart (W), 7 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 Bucks at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Maple Leafs at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 12 Columbia vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt (W), 9 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 No. 10 Colorado vs. No. 10 Boise State (M), 9:10 p.m. on truTV
🏀 Grizzlies at Warriors, 10 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Wild at Kings, 10 p.m. on TNT