PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Bud Cauley was in The Players Championship field.

And then he was out.

Then on Monday, he got the call. Lee Hodges had withdrawn. He was back in.

Now, Cauley, a Palm Beach Gardens resident for the last decade, enters the final round of The Players in second place after shooting a 6-under 66. He is one shot out of the lead held by J.J. Spaun, who held onto the solo 54-hole lead with a 25-foot putt that rolled around the cup before dropping.

Spaun sits at 12-under. Cauley has a two-shot lead over Jupiter’s Lucas Glover and Alex Smalley.

The final round has been pushed up and golfers will play in groups of three because of an incoming cold front. Leaders will tee off at 10:01 a.m.

Cauley, who turns 35 Sunday, was in the original Players field released March 7 before Karl Vilips’ victory at the Puerto Rico Open last Sunday knocked him out.

As first alternate, he learned Monday he was back in.

Bud Cauley practicing at Jack Nicklaus’ Bear’s Club when call came

Cauley was practicing at Jack Nicklaus’ Bear’s Club in Jupiter when he got the call.

‘I was kind of hopeful that being one out I might get a chance, but you never know,’ Cauley said. ‘But it was nice that it was on Monday, also where I didn’t have to sweat it until Wednesday afternoon or something. I was able to come out here Tuesday and Wednesday and have a normal couple days.’

Cauley equaled the low round of the day Saturday, but the others — Danny Walker and Jupiter’s Corey Connors — played before the winds started whipping to about 20 mph sustained and gusts of 30.

Cauley grew up in the Jacksonville area and played TPC Sawgrass several times as a young golfer. He was asked if he’s ever seen the wind this gusty.

‘If it was blowing this hard, I probably would have just went home,’ Cauley said. ‘Probably not.

‘Seemed like every hole was a challenge with the wind and just trying to somehow get it on the fairway and get it on the green and roll in a putt. But it was tough.’

Cauley has played three previous Players Championships, missing the cut three times. He has never finished higher than third in 206 PGA Tour events.

Cauley, ranked 251st in the world, was tied for 16th entering the weekend after shooting 68-71. On Saturday, he carded seven birdies, three bogeys and an eagle on No. 9, where he chipped in from 35.6 feet.

‘I’ve been driving the ball pretty well all week and I’ve also been putting well,’ Cauley said. ‘I feel like when I’ve had those 10-, 12-, 15-footers for birdie, I’ve been able to make most of them, and that’s helped a lot.’

Bud Cauley playing last 13 months on major medical extension

Cauley has been playing the last 13 months on a major medical extension. He was in a serious car accident in 2018 in which he broke five ribs, his lower left leg and suffered a collapsed lung.

Although he returned later in 2018, Cauley was missed more than three years starting in 2021 due to complications from the accident.

Cauley had 27 events to retain his PGA Tour card once he returned early in 2024. He played 17 tournaments in 2024 and The Players is his fifth this year. He has two top 30s at the Phoenix Open and Sony Open.

Now, he needs a top 18 to earn enough FedEx Cup points for his card.

‘I’ve tried to just really practice with a purpose and just make little changes and just get a little bit better,’ he said. ‘I feel like some things are starting to come together that I’ve been working on for a while now.’

Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.

The decision to promote Hubert Davis as Roy Williams’ successor seemed inspired after North Carolina went all the way to the national championship game in Davis’s debut, eventually losing to Kansas in a battle of college basketball blue bloods.

Since then, however, the Tar Heels’ results have come in short of expenses and expectations.

That UNC could miss the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years has raised serious questions about Davis’s ability to keep this program among the nation’s best. At $3.75 million in total compensation for the 2024-25 season, Davis is the highest-paid coach at a public university in the ACC — without the recent results to show for this investment.

The list of the sport’s most overpaid coaches begins with Davis, who is in danger of becoming just the second UNC coach since 1975 to miss the tournament twice in the span of three seasons.

Hubert Davis, North Carolina

Winning twice in the ACC tournament could get UNC into the 68-team field and take some of the heat off Davis amid another forgettable season. But the administration and fan base expect much more, of course, and it’s hard not to compare Davis’s struggles to get things off the ground with the way Duke’s Jon Scheyer — hired one season after Davis — has the Blue Devils surging toward a No. 1 seed in this year’s bracket. Davis will be under extreme pressure to deliver in the regular season and postseason in 2025-26.

Bobby Hurley, Arizona State

Hurley has three NCAA Tournament appearances in his decade at Arizona State and now six losing seasons, capped by this year’s extremely disappointing 13-17 finish. In a make-or-break year for Hurley’s job security, the Sun Devils finished one spot from the bottom in the new-look Big 12 and failed to win more than one league game in a row after posting solid non-conference victories against Grand Canyon, St. Thomas, New Mexico and Saint Mary’s. They lost in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. Hurley earned $3.54 million in compensation this season.

Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska

The Cornhuskers’ late-season collapse from firmly inside the bracket to off the bubble entirely erases the good vibes from last year’s tournament appearance and raises the temperature on Hoiberg’s seat heading into the 2025-26 season. The former Iowa State and NBA coach has the support of his athletics director and remains popular with the fan base, so Hoiberg will be given the chance to turn things around. But at 80-108 overall and with just one tournament bid in his six seasons — and this year’s team finishing third from the bottom in the Big Ten — the returns on the program’s investment haven’t been there. Hoiberg ranks fifth among Big Ten coaches in compensation at $4.75 million, including a one-time payment of $500,000, as part of a contract that runs through the 2029 season.

Jamie Dixon, TCU

The most recent document related to Dixon’s salary, from the 2022 calendar year, showed the TCU coach making $4.1 million, including bonuses. That compensation would rank fifth in the Big 12 in 2024-24, behind Kansas’s Bill Self, Baylor’s Scott Drew, Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson. That’s lofty company for a coach who has four tournament bids since behind hired in 2016 but has yet to get TCU out of the opening weekend. After making three appearances in a row, this year’s team flirted with the bubble before ending the regular season with four losses in five games, including a dreadful road loss to Colorado, to sit at 16-15 entering the Big 12 tournament. TCU lost, 69-67, to Colorado in the opening round.

Fran McCaffrey, Iowa

Give him credit for longevity: McCaffrey has been at Iowa since 2010, winning one Big Ten tournament title, posting eight 20-win seasons and making seven trips to the NCAA Tournament, though the Hawkeyes haven’t advanced past the round of 32. But Iowa has been on a recent slide, winning 19 games in 2022-23, another 19 games with an NIT appearance last year and bellyflopping at 16-15 and in a tie for 12th in the Big Ten this season. McCaffrey is making $3.4 million this season.

Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on social media @PaulMyerberg

The Houston Cougars, ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, won the Big 12 tournament championship after a 72-64 victory over the No. 24 Arizona Wildcats on Saturday night.

Houston receives an automatic bid to the men’s NCAA Tournament. The bracket will be announced on Selection Sunday.

Houston (30-4, 19-1 Big 12) has been one of the best teams in the nation all season and hasn’t lost since its one-point squeaker to Texas Tech, 82-81, on Feb. 1. The Cougars earned the top seed in the Big 12 tournament and advanced to the championship game after routing 18th-ranked and No. 4 seed BYU 74-54 in Friday’s semifinals.

It’s been a much more up-and-down season for Arizona (22-12, 14-6 Big 12). Still, the Wildcats, who earned the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 tournament, have scored some impressive wins. That includes Friday’s 86-80 win over ninth-ranked and No. 2 seed Texas Tech in the semifinals.

Arizona and Houston met earlier this year, with the Cougars winning 62-58 in Houston on Feb. 15.

USA TODAY Sports has the best highlights and analysis from the Big 12 tournament championship:

Highlights: Houston beats Arizona

Milos Uzan scored a game-high 25 points along with four rebounds for Houston in the victory.

Emanuel Sharp added 17 points for the Cougars.

Caleb Love scored 19 points for Arizona while Jaden Bradley added 14 points in the loss.

Final: Houston 72, Arizona 64

Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp lead Houston to the Big 12 Tournament Championship.

The Cougars finished the game on an 11-2 scoring run.

Arizona will fall short in its first season as a member of the conference.

Houston tries to hold on in final seconds of regulation

Milos Uzan and the Cougars hold a four-point lead over Arizona with 42 seconds left in the second half.

Arizona is back in front of Houston

Arizona has rallied to retake the lead at 62-61 with 5:20 left in the second half. The Wildcats trailed by as much as 10 points in the period.

Houston starting to pull away

Milos Uzan collected a rebound on defense before coming down the other end and making a jumper to give the Cougars a 10-point lead.

Houston’s 56-46 lead against Arizona with 11:20 remaining in the second half was the largest lead of the game.

Arizona’s Jaden Bradley made a layup with 11:04 left in the period to cut into Houston’s lead and make it an eight-point game.

Houston and Arizona continue to keep the game close

The Cougars lead the Wildcats 49-44 with 13:08 left in the second half. Emanuel Sharp has a game-high 15 points and two rebounds while Milos Uzan has added 13 points, three assists and two rebounds for the Cougars.

Arizona’s Caleb Love has not managed to score so far in the second half after scoring 14 in the first half.

Arizona vs. Houston first half highlights:

Houston took the early lead during the first half but it was Caleb Love and Arizona that managed to keep it close before taking over the lead prior to halftime.

Big 12 Tournament court reaction

The court used for the Big 12 men’s basketball isn’t for everyone. Honestly it’s not easy on the eyes at first glance.

I initially felt like I was watching the game from a screen door or window because of the ‘XII’ logo-patterned design on the hardwood. XII is the Roman numeral for 12.

The court received mixed reviews from several others but Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark wanted a “profound statement” during the conference’s basketball tournaments, according to Front Office Sports.

The court was used during the women’s tournament in early March in Kansas City.

Yormark indicated during an interview with Big 12 studios that the XII pattern could also appear on branded luggage and hoodies in the future.

Halftime: Arizona 33, Houston 28

The Wildcats will take the lead into the locker room after halftime.

Henri Veesaar was credited with the offensive rebound and scoring on a tip shot after Caleb Love missed a jumper in the final seconds of the first half. Love had a game-high 14 points in the first half. Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp each scored eight points for Houston in the first half.

Arizona pulls ahead for first time against Houston

Tobe Awaka made a jumper to provide the Wildcats with their first lead of the game. Arizona leads Houston 21-19 with 5:52 left in the first half.

Mylik Wilson of Houston made a jumper to tie the game back up at 21 but Arizona worked its way down the court to get back in front.

Jaden Bradley made a three-pointer off an assist from Carter Bryant to take the 24-21 lead with 5:01 left in the first half.

Arizona on a scoring run to tie game

Caleb Love and the Wildcats have tied the game with Arizona at 19 with 5:53 left in the first half after an 8-0 scoring run. Love has nine points and two rebounds.

Emanuel Sharp, Houston continues to hold lead

Emanuel Sharp has made both of his 3-point attempts and has a team-high six points as the Cougars lead early against the Wildcats 17-9 with 10:32 left in the first half.

Milos Uzan has five points and two rebounds for Houston.

Houston leads Arizona in early minutes of first half

Houston’s L.J. Cryer makes a jumper with 16:17 left in the first half to extend the lead to five points in the first half. Arizona would get on the board with its first points of the game after Henri Veesaar received a pass from KJ Lewis and dunked the ball.

J’Wan Roberts not playing for Houston in Big 12 title game

J’Wan Roberts has been spotted in street clothes and will not play tonight for Houston. The team decided to sit out the star forward as a precaution. The sixth-year player has a brace on to protect his sprained right ankle.

Houston strikes first to start game vs. Arizona

Houston won the jump ball to start the game. Emanuel Sharp puts the Cougars on the scoreboard first with a three-pointer off an assist from Milos Uzan.

When is Big 12 Championship Game between Houston and Arizona?

The Big 12 Championship game between the No. 2 Houston Cougars and the No. 24 Arizona Wildcats is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, and tips off at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local) at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

How to watch Houston and Arizona in the Big 12 Championship

The Big 12 Championship game between the Houston Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats will be televised nationally on ESPN, with streaming available on ESPN+ as well as Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.

Watch the Big 12 Championship with a Fubo subscription

Houston vs. Arizona: Big 12 Championship odds

The Houston Cougars are favorites to defeat the Arizona Wildcats, according to BetMGM.

Odds as of Saturday, March 15

Spread: Houston (-6.5)
Moneyline: Houston (-275); Arizona (-220)
Over/under: 135.5

Big 12 Championship predictions: Houston vs. Arizona

The Arizona Republic: Houston 76, Arizona 74

Jeremy Cluff writes, ‘These teams played a close game in Tucson on Feb. 15, with Houston earning a 62-58 win at McKale Center. Could we be in for another close game in the Big 12 title game? The Cougars are among the favorites to win the national title.’

Sports Illustrated: Houston to win and cover

Iain MacMillan writes, ‘Houston is also second in the country in extra scoring chances, creating +7.9 per game. That’s an area they can take advantage of against the Wildcats. Arizona ranks outside the top 100 in turnovers, coughing up the ball on 15.7% of possessions.

‘If the Cougars can win the turnover battle in this game and continue the hot shooting they’ve had in this tournament, they’re going to win and cover.’

Big 12 Tournament Bracket, Results

All times ET

Thursday, March 13 — Quarterfinals

No. 4 BYU 96 def. No. 5 Iowa State 92
No. 1 Houston 77 def. No. 16 Colorado 68
No. 2 Texas Tech 76 def. No. 7 Baylor 74
No. 3 Arizona 88 def. No. 6 Kansas 77 

Friday, March 14 — Semifinals

No. 1 Houston 74 def. No. 4 BYU 54
No. 3 Arizona 86 def. No. 2 Texas Tech 80

Saturday, March 15 — Championship

No. 3 Arizona vs. No. 1 Houston | 6 p.m.

Big 12 bubble teams heading into Selection Sunday

The Big 12 is projected to send eight teams to the NCAA men’s tournament, and the nice part is all of the projected teams aren’t in the bubble or at risk of missing out. The real story is teams are fighting to position themselves for the best possible seed on Selection Sunday. Teams at risk of being double-digit seeds in March Madness include West Virginia and Baylor. — Jordan Mendoza

How to watch Selection Sunday: Time, date, TV and streaming

The March Madness bracket reveal will start at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 16. It will be broadcast by CBS.

Date: Sunday, March 16
Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Stream: Paramount+, Sling TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo, which offers a free trial subscription for new users

Watch Selection Sunday with Fubo

Bracketology: NCAA Tournament field projection

March Madness bracket bubble teams:

USA TODAY’S Eddie Timanus, Erick Smith and Paul Myerberg have the following predictions ahead of Selection Sunday:

Last four in

Ohio State, Oklahoma, Xavier, Indiana.

First four out

Boise State, Texas, Colorado State, North Carolina.

NCAA Tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: SEC (13), Big Ten (10), Big 12 (8), Big East (5), Mountain West (3), ACC (3), West Coast (2).

Big 12 tournament court garners buzz for its design

The Big 12 partnered with another streetwear brand, ‘Undefeated,’ for its court design in 2025 — which hasn’t received the best reviews so far. The court takes inspiration from Undefeated’s ‘iconic 5-strike logo,’ according to the conference. — Austin Curtright

Selection Sunday: When does men’s March Madness bracket come out?

The full 68-team bracket will be announced on Sunday, March 16, with the selection show beginning at 6 p.m. ET. It will air on CBS with streaming available on Paramount+ and Fubo.

When does the women’s March Madness bracket come out?

The complete women’s March Madness bracket featuring 68 teams will be revealed on Sunday, March 16, with a Selection Sunday broadcast set for 8 p.m. ET. The reveal will be broadcast on ESPN.

When does March Madness begin?

The men’s and women’s tournaments will begin with the First Four matchups next week. The men’s side will be played on March 18 and 19 at the University of Dayton.

The women’s First Four will begin a day later, with all four games taking place between March 19 and 20.

Houston men’s basketball roster

23 – Terrance Arceneaux, G

4 – L.J. Cryer, G

5 – Ja’Vier Francis, F

0 – Kordelius Jefferson, G

2 – Cedric Lath, C

24 – Chase McCarty, F

12 – Jacob McFarland, C

25 – Mercy Miller, G

13 – J’Wan Roberts, F

21 – Emanuel Sharp, G

11 – Joseph Tugler, F

7 – Milos Uzan, G

3 – Ramon Walker Jr., G

8 – Mylik Wilson, G

Arizona men’s basketball roster

2 – Addison Arnold, G

30 – Tobe Awaka, F

0 – Jaden Bradley, G

9 – Carter Bryant, F

24 – Luke Champion, F

21 – Jackson Cook, G

3 – Anthony Dell’Orso, G

42 – Sven Djopmo, G

8 – Jackson Francois, G

14 – Motiejus Krivas, C

12 – Will Kuykendall, G

5 – KJ Lewis, G

11 – Liam Lloyd, G

1 – Caleb Love, G

55 – Conrad Martinez, G

33 – Will Menaugh, F

34 – Emmanuel Stephen, C

4 – Trey Townsend, F

13 – Henri Veesaar, F

15 – Grant Weitman, G

March Madness schedule: Bracket dates

Men’s tournament

First Four: March 18 – 19
Round of 64: March 20 – 21
Round of 32: March 22 – 23
Sweet 16: March 27 – 28
Elite Eight: March 29 – 30
Final Four: April 5
NCAA Championship: April 7

Women’s tournament

First Four: March 19 – 20
Round of 64: March 21 – 22
Round of 32: March 23 – 24
Sweet 16: March 28 – 29
Elite Eight: March 30 – 31
Final Four: April 4
NCAA Championship: April 6

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In the waning seconds of the Huskies’ 71-62 loss to Creighton in the Big East semifinals at Madison Square Garden, there was a scuffle between the two teams after Bluejays guard Jamiya Neal threw down an uncontested dunk with 1.5 seconds remaining.

Neal hung and swung on the rim for about two seconds. After he landed back down on the court, he was confronted by UConn’s Hassan Diarra, who shoved Neal and held up his fists as though he was ready to fight before getting in Neal’s face.

Neal, who finished the night with a game-high 19 points and three assists, apologized after the game.

“I got caught up in the moment of the game, just a lot of emotions going on,” he said in a postgame news conference. “I’d like to apologize for that. I respect (UConn) coach (Dan) Hurley and those guys over there. They’re a great program, obviously.”

With the victory, Creighton advanced to Saturday night’s Big East championship game against Rick Pitino and conference regular-season champion St. John’s, which is appearing in the league’s title game for the first time since 2000. UConn, meanwhile, fell to 23-10 and will await its seed and matchup for the NCAA Tournament, an event it has won each of the past two years.

Friday night wasn’t the first time this season the Bluejays and Huskies have shared a contentious moment, though this one didn’t directly involve Hurley, UConn’s combustible head coach.

Following a Feb. 11 win against Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska, Hurley taunted the disappointed home fans as he walked back to the tunnel at CHI Health Center, waving goodbye to the crowd and pointing to his finger while saying “Two rings,” a reference to the Huskies’ recent national championships.

After Neal and Diarra had been separated, Neal turned to the UConn bench and appeared to point to the ring finger on his right hand. Right after doing so, he was hit with a technical foul.

Maybe Aaron Rodgers will make his decision known to the world today.

Then again, maybe not. Maybe tomorrow. Or Monday. Or Palm Sunday.

Waiting on the big reveal is so Rodgers.

The free agent market has been open for business for nearly a week, yet the NFL universe has been enlisted into some sort of darkness retreat when it comes to the most notable quarterback-for-hire.

Will Rodgers join forces with Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers? Does he seriously want to stay in the Big Apple for the New York Giants rebuilding project? Would A-Rod return to the NFC North, delaying J.J. McCarthy’s ascent with the Minnesota Vikings?

I’m guessing (advising) that Rodgers will make his way to the ‘Burgh, where so many pieces are in place to make a legitimate playoff run. Reportedly, the Steelers have made an offer – layered onto the huge acquisition of big-play receiver DK Metcalf — but it’s unclear where that stands in the mix with other options.

After all, the notion that the four-time NFL MVP is bullish on the Vikings is gaining steam. Minnesota needs a veteran presence after the free agent move of single-season sensation Sam Darnold, and now apparently mulls whether to seek a vet backup-bridge type or a swing-for-the-fences choice embodied in Rodgers.

So, with Rodgers again commanding the NFL’s center stage for attention, we wait.

(And so does Russell Wilson, who might wind up back with the Steelers if Rodgers doesn’t claim the seat in what feels like an NFL version of musical chairs).

Hey, if Rodgers wants to take his time and carefully contemplate his next move, so be it. That’s his business, his life. He’ll have to live with it. This is the first time in Rodgers’ 20-year NFL career that he’s been a free agent. And if the contract terms weigh on this – one or two years, one or two gazillion dollars – that’s NFL bidness.

As tempted as we are to demand a puff of smoke, like they do at the Vatican, this process – even if there’s some negotiating leverage attached – must run its course.

It’s striking, though, that the New York Jets opted for Justin Fields rather than trying to run it back for a third year with Rodgers, as new coach Aaron Glenn takes charge. Sure, Fields is young and mobile. But his passing aim can be sketchy. The Jets still preferred that unknown rather than Rodgers – even if it costs $49 million in dead money against the cap. They wanted a clean break from the man with all of those stats and individual awards.

With that, the Aaron Rodgers Experience moves on. Is he that cooked?

Next question: Is Rodgers a good fit for Pitt? On one hand, it’s not a stretch to think that Rodgers, 41, could duplicate Tom Brady’s championship feat with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. Brady was the aging quarterback who found the ideal landing spot, which included a great balance of his leadership and skill, the team adding a few complementary pieces and a stable front office-coaching dynamic.

Pittsburgh offers similar potential, including an established culture and well-respected coach who, let the chorus sing, has never had a losing season. Rodgers is talented enough. Still. And given the inability of Tomlin and Rodgers to win a second Super Bowl – Pittsburgh capped the 2008 season with a crown, two years later Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers to the title – you’d think they’d connect on the mission of proving they can do it again.

A major question, though, looms about fit. And maybe the fit begins from within. What does it say about Rodgers that the first thing that comes up has nothing to do with his physical skills. His arm still has zip. And he demonstrated last season that, even though he’s not as nimble as he used to be, he has seemingly fully recovered from the torn Achilles that wiped out his 2023 campaign. He started all 17 games in 2024, passing for 3,897 yards and 28 TDs, with 11 interceptions.

His mind, undoubtedly, is a major asset, too. Rodgers has seen every scheme, coverage or blitz that you can imagine – and over and over again.

No, the questions have more to do with his vibe and chemistry. Is Rodgers the one to energize a team like Brady? Or is he a smug, bad actor?

Surely, Tomlin has a strong enough presence to deal with Rodgers’ eccentricities. In public, that might include whatever the quarterback says during his weekly hits on the ‘Pat McAfee Show’ or whenever, well, somebody asks his thoughts on vaccinations or what happened on the disconnect that resulted in the interception. Behind the scenes, I’d suspect the coach has an even stronger presence.

And Tomlin has had no shortage of experience in dealing with strong-willed players. See Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown or James Harrison.  

Check out the creative spin, though, that Ryan Clark used on an episode of ESPN’s “Get Up” this week, weighing the prospect of Rodgers going to Pittsburgh:

“Mike Tomlin can work with anybody,” said Clark, a former Steelers safety. “But let’s say you put Scar on the team. You know, Scar from the ‘Mufasa’ movie and The Lion King…

“Do you know what Scar’s name was before Scar? It was Taka. Do you know what Taka meant? Garbage. Wasted. That’s exactly what could happen if you bring Aaron Rodgers in there. You could have a wasted season. A garbage season.”

Clark scores only so many points with his metaphor. He compared A-Rod to a Disney villain! But in dropping the corporate cousin reference, his conclusion brings to mind some back-and-forth banter with Rodgers last season. Even if Clark swears by his analysis, it might also come off as a free shot amid a long-running beef.

‘More to it than just the money’: Chris Godwin left cash on the table to stay home.

We’ll see. I mean, let’s witness a “wasted” season before declaring one.

Then again, that’s part of the Rodgers experience. He can sure ignite some passionate reaction. I’m thinking that includes some fire within himself, too. Going out on top certainly fits his profile. No, it didn’t work out with the Jets. But he had the right idea in joining a team that seemed positioned to make a run as a contender.

Now, he can try again. And even for an old head, there must be lessons from that last chapter that can be beneficial on the next stop.

In other words, perhaps the stage is set for Rodgers to come out of the darkness and see the light.

Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell

Villanova fired men’s basketball coach Kyle Neptune after three seasons, the school announced Saturday.

Neptune went 54-47 during his tenure at Villanova, and no NCAA Tournament appearances. His firing comes a day after the Wildcats lost to UConn in the Big East tournament quarterfinals, and the school said assistant coach Mike Nardi will serve as the interim head coach until a new coach is hired.

‘Since coming to Villanova, I have been struck by Kyle’s tireless work ethic and his dedication to the student-athletes he served,’ Villanova Vice President and Director of Athletics Eric Roedl said in a statement. ‘We are grateful to Kyle for his long service to Villanova and his mentorship to the many outstanding young men he has coached.’

The 40-year-old Neptune took over for Jay Wright in April 2022 after spending one season at Fordham and eight seasons as an assistant under Wright.

Following in Wright’s footsteps was easier said than done. Wright led Villanova to eight Big East regular-season titles and two national championships and was in the Final Four in 2022 before announcing his retirement at age 60.

Nepture’s 2024-25 squad was inconsistently losing to teams they were favored to beat, including Columbia in the season’s second game, having three Quad 3 and Quad 4 losses.

Even though the team was led by the nation’s leading scorer in forward Eric Dixon, the Wildcats finished with a 19-14 record and a sixth-place finish in the Big East Conference.

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There’s a saying by American author William Arthur Ward that says opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.

For much of the season, North Carolina has hit the snooze button when dawn arrived. Despite the several instances of oversleeping, it kept getting chances to see the next sunrise. After beating Wake Forest in the ACC tournament semifinals, the Tar Heels knew another opportunity awaited Friday, facing rival Duke for a third time this season.

Win and an NCAA Tournament bid was on the horizon. Head coach Hubert Davis said his team was excited about the opportunity to face the Blue Devils once more, feeling like they’d be ready.

Instead, it was the same old story for North Carolina. The Blue Devils woke up with a fiery energy and it was far too late by the time the Tar Heels realized they overslept. Duke won 74-71 to advance to the ACC championship game and send North Carolina back home with a grim outlook on its March Madness chances.

Everything heading into Friday indicated it would be the signature night of the season for North Carolina. Not only did it take care of business in the first two games in Charlotte against Notre Dame and Wake Forest, it was facing a Duke team without star freshman Cooper Flagg and defensive specialist Maliq Brown after both suffered injuries against Georgia Tech. A hobbled Blue Devils team couldn’t have come at a better time for North Carolina.

But out of the gate, it was almost as if the national championship-contending Blue Devils were the ones playing like their NCAA Tournament hopes were on the line. They played with a sense of urgency and intensity as if they needed the automatic bid. On the other hand, North Carolina was sleepwalking, almost as if the game didn’t have much significance.

Just look at the end of the first half. Duke was hustling for every loose ball, running down the court and playing meaningful defense. It went into halftime on a 15-0 run in the last five minutes for a 19-point lead. Sitting on the bench in workout clothes, Flagg showed more energy than anyone in Carolina blue.

To North Carolina’s credit, it finally woke up and went on a late run to make it a one-point game in the final seconds. It had a chance to tie it at the free throw line with four seconds to go, but a costly lane violation by Jae’Lyn Withers canceled the attempt and doomed the comeback. Another instance of waiting until it was too late to win.

North Carolina’s NCAA Tournament resume

Now it’s time to reexamine whether North Carolina should be in the NCAA Tournament.

In the recent USA TODAY Sports Bracketology, it was among the last four teams in the field after spending several weeks outside of the bracket. What was key to North Carolina’s rise into the First Four area was as it avoided any disastrous loss this week, other bubble teams like Indiana and Ohio State crumbled, opening the door for others to pass them up.

However, North Carolina hasn’t been able to move up any further because it hasn’t proved it could beat quality teams. It has a solid No. 35 NET ranking and a 22-13 record, but only one win was a Quad 1 victory − over UCLA in December − in the ever so important NET rankings. The Tar Heels finished with a 1-12 mark in the category, and that doesn’t even include the Quad 3 loss they suffered from Stanford in January.

The Quad 1 record has been at the center of debate of whether North Carolina should be in the NCAA Tournament, with people arguing it won 22 games with a tough non-conference schedule but only one of them was against a likely tournament team.

For the people who believe a team with only Quad 1 win shouldn’t be in the tournament, it has happened before on several occasions since the NET ranking was introduced in the 2018-19 season. Nevada in 2019, Syracuse in 2021 and North Carolina State in 2023 all got at-large bids with just one Quad 1 wins.

To aid North Carolina’s argument, both Syracuse and North Carolina State had a worse NET ranking on Selection Sunday. But what none of the aforementioned teams did have was double-digit Quad 1 losses. Syracuse had the most of the group at seven, far less ugly than North Carolina’s 12.

Had North Carolina pulled off the improbable comeback, it would have been safe to assume it would be in the field regardless what happened in the ACC title game. While two Quad 1 wins isn’t much, plenty of teams have gotten a ticket to the big dance with it.

Instead, North Carolina will leave its fate to the selection committee, which will again face the challenge of how much the name on the front of the jersey outweighs the resume. If it weren’t a blue blood, everyone would have dismissed this team. But the Tar Heels are the Tar Heels, and that alone gives them some consideration.

What the committee must remember, though, is when it comes to determining the at-large candidates, it’s supposed to put the best teams in that can have success, not maybe have it. Throughout the season, North Carolina showed it could possibly compete with the contenders. Of the 12 Quad 1 losses, six were by single-digits, and four were by three points or less. It got close, but that doesn’t mean it deserves another crack when it has consistently proved it can’t get the job done.

The Tar Heels kept missing the sunrise, and barring some more incredible luck, they will likely instead see the sun set on another disappointing season.