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UConn women’s basketball superstar Paige Bueckers leads the Huskies into an Elite Eight matchup against the USC Trojans with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

Bueckers dropped a career-high 40 points in the UConn’s Sweet 16 win over Oklahoma, and the Huskies are hunting their second consecutive Final Four appearance and 24th overall under head coach Geno Auriemma.

Meanwhile, the Trojans are without their own superstar JuJu Watkins after she suffered a season-ending knee injury in their second-round game. After getting by Kansas State in the Sweet 16, head coach Lindsay Gottlieb is looking to get the program back to the Final Four for the first time since 1986.

Watch UConn vs. USC on Fubo (free trial)

USA TODAY Sports is bringing you live updates, scores, highlights and analysis throughout the game. Follow along. 

What time is the UConn game today?

The Huskies and Trojans tip off at 9 p.m. ET.

What channel is UConn women’s basketball game on today?

ESPN is airing the contest. You can also watch on Fubo (free trial).

JuJu Watkins injury: What to know

The superstar USC guard suffered a season-ending knee injury in a second-round game against Mississippi State. Here’s everything you need to know about her injury and recovery timeline.

UConn vs. USC women’s basketball predictions

Meghan L. Hall, For The Win: UConn
Lulu Kesin, The Greenvile News: UConn
Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY: UConn
Jenna Ortiz, Arizona Republic: UConn
Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: UConn
Maxwell Donaldson, The Gadsden Times: UConn

USC proved they are capable of winning without JuJu Watkins in a 67-61 win over No. 5 Kansas State. Freshman guard Kennedy Smith led the way with 19 points. The Trojans will be tasked with slowing down a red-hot Bueckers, who’s in midst of a legendary streak in the final women’s NCAA Tournament of her career. She scored a career-high 40 points in UConn’s win blowout win over No. 3 Oklahoma.

Women’s March Madness bracket

Here’s how the women’s March Madness bracket looks right now for the Final Four. Those games are Friday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET.

No. 1 UCLA vs. USC/UConn winner
No. 1 South Carolina vs. Texas/TCU winner

What year is Paige Bueckers?  

Bueckers is a fifth-year senior.  

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

SACRAMENTO — It is raining, the wind is gusting at 40 mph, and the wind chill is 49 degrees.

Oh, baby, the Athletics are not in Oakland anymore.

There will be days that the A’s and the visiting teams will pray for Sunday mornings like this during the blistering hot summer, but for their historic opening night game Monday against the Chicago Cubs, well, it will be a cold reminder that life for the A’s is about to become awfully different.

They will be spending the next three seasons at Sutter Health Park, the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A stadium, where the A’s pitchers will be in for a rude awakening with their enormous foul territory now gone, and visiting teams will be moaning about their cramped clubhouse, let alone spending their nights in downtown Sacramento.

“I think it’s so stupid that we have to play at a Triple-A stadium,’ Cubs veteran reliever Ryan Brasier told USA TODAY Sports, “when they have maybe not a perfectly good ballpark in Oakland, but a big-league ballpark. I would have much rather play in Oakland than Sacramento, but I guess it doesn’t really matter what we want.

“I really don’t get not playing in Oakland opposed to playing in Sacramento.’

Like it or not, this will be the Athletics’ new reality until they move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season.

The way the A’s figure it, they’ll be using their new digs as a tremendous home-field advantage. While they have a new two-story clubhouse, the visiting teams will have the smallest clubhouse in the majors.

Touring the visiting clubhouse Sunday located outside the center-field fence, there is a Blackhawk Country Club floormat to wipe your feet before entering, and a grill in the back to make some burgers and hot dogs. The biggest shock for the visitors will be the mere size of the clubhouse, with players feeling as if they’re sitting in the middle seat during a Spirit Airlines flight. It’s hard to imagine what it looked like before they added a small dining room, a batting cage, a weight room and expanded the coaches’ office and trainer’s room.

The Albuquerque Isotopes were the visiting clubhouse’s occupants on Sunday, the Colorado Rockies’ Class AAA team playing the Sacramento River Cats.

“It’s still so small,’ said one member of the Isotopes, “but, hey, it’s baseball.’

The intimate ballpark, with Vegas and sports book advertisements on the outfield wall, seats only 14,014 – if you include the outfield berm. But the dugouts were expanded to major-league dimensions, the dugout bathrooms were upgraded and there’s a new dark green batter’s eye. The fans also now have a large 75-by 32-foot video board in right-center field to see replays, stats and the lineup, along with an upgraded sound system.

The biggest adjustment for the A’s and visiting teams will be that there is no tunnel between the dugouts and the clubhouses. The A’s have to walk down the left left field line through a gate to enter the clubhouse from the field, while visiting players must trek through the opening in center field.

“That’s crazy,’ Brasier said. “I actually enjoyed playing in Oakland. The locker room was kind of [stuffy], and you know everything was kind of [stuffy], but it was still freaking cool. I mean, it was massive. The field was always in great shape.’

The playing field looked pristine Sunday for the River Cats game against the Isotopes, with a paid attendance of 3,437 on hand, but, of course, the season just started. Check back this summer when there will be nearly a game a day with the A’s and River Cats sharing the facility. The original idea was for artificial turf to be installed until the Major League Baseball Players Association voiced a formal complaint because of the summer heat. So, the two teams will play on grass all season, with no games scheduled between June 8-15 when they will re-sod the field.

There will be a four-day stretch after the Cubs leave town after Wednesday’s game when there are no games played, and only seven off-days until June 8. There are 11 days with no games in the second half of the season.

“Well, it could be better than Tampa, at least,’ says Brasier, with the Tampa Bay Rays playing this season outdoors at the New York Yankees’ Triple-A ballpark. “They’re going to have so many games delayed and cancelled with the rain. And it’s going to be the hottest place on earth when there’s no rain. It’s going to be a nightmare.’

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Well, at least the Rays are playing in a minor-league ballpark because of a natural disaster. The A’s are playing in Sacramento because of a self-inflicted disaster with the city of Oakland.

“It’s been so hard for that city,’ said Detroit Tigers center fielder Ryan Kreidler, who grew up an A’s fan in Davis, Calif, just outside Sacramento. “The Warriors moved out. The Raiders moved out. And now the A’s. But I know the fans in Sacramento will show up.

“I’m really curious how the field will hold up between them and the River Cats.’

It will also be fascinating to see how the pitchers hold up, knowing the ball could absolutely fly in the summer months. Scouts who work games in Sacramento widely predict that A’s outfielder Brent Rooker could hit 50 homers with the way the ball carries to right-center field.

“That ball moves pretty well there, so there could be a lot of homers,’ said Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Jack Dreyer, who pitched in Sacramento for the Dodgers’ Oklahoma City team. “It will be really interesting to have kind of a minor-league feel to big league games. The big concern the players have will be seeing how that field holds up. Shout out to the grounds crew for all of the future work they’re going to have to deal with.’

Well, if nothing else, Dreyer says, he’s at least thrilled the bullpens will now have bathrooms.

“We had to run along the outfield fence between innings just to go to the bathroom,’ Dreyer said. “So I’m glad to hear we have bathrooms now. That was the biggest area of concern for the relievers. So, I think overall it will be fine.

“Guys can only hope.’

Even if the facilities are still definitely minor-league quality, instead of being surrounded by a sea of empty green seats like they were at the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s will be playing in front of sellout crowds all summer. Season tickets have been sold out and there’s a waiting list for 2026.

The folks of Sacramento are thrilled to have a major-league team they can call their own, although “Sacramento’’ will appear nowhere on their uniform, let alone be used in their name.

Just call them the A’s of Sacramento.

“We’re going to embrace the community while we’re there,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said this spring, “and I know the fans will embrace us, too.

“That’s all we can ask.’

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The New York Yankees certainly lived up to their celebrated nickname in a season-opening sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Bronx Bombers belted a record-tying 15 home runs in their first three games — and in the process created an entirely unexpected storyline for the new season.

While slugger Aaron Judge seemed to pick up where he left off last season by leading with way with four homers, other less-celebrated power hitters joined in the barrage. When several of them were seen using an odd-looking new weapon, the baseball world seemed to go bat-crazy trying to learn more about what we now know as the ‘torpedo bat.’

What is a torpedo bat?

The idea behind the new bat design is actually pretty simple: Move more of the wood toward the sweet spot of the bat, where players try to make contact and where the bat will produce optimal results.

The result gives the torpedo bat a slightly different shape than a traditional one. Similar to a bowling pin, the bat is fatter where the label is and it tapers off slightly toward the end.

The redistribution of weight moves the ‘barrel’ area slightly toward the hands, rather than toward the end of the bat.

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe and second baseman Jazz Chisholm are among the players using the new bats. Both hit home runs on opening day. Chisholm added two more on Sunday.

Who created the torpedo bat design?

The torpedo bat design is the brainchild of Aaron Leanhardt, an MIT physicist who was a professor at the University of Michigan from 2007 to 2014 before joining the Yankees in 2018.

He began working with the club’s minor leaguers, then was promoted last season to become the Yankees’ lead analyst. One of his projects involved customizing bats for players to optimize success on contact.

“It’s just about making the bat as heavy and as fat as possible in the area where you’re trying to do damage on the baseball,” Leanhardt told The Athletic.

Leanhardt left the Yankees this past offseason to become a field coordinator with the Miami Marlins.

Are torpedo bats legal?

MLB Rule 3.02 states: “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.”

When questioned about the new bats, MLB has stated that they do conform to all rules and are legal.

What MLB players are using torpedo bats?

Interestingly enough, torpedo bats aren’t entirely new this season. The Yankees’ research led to Giancarlo Stanton using one at the end of last season. And we all know what he did in the playoffs — hitting .273 with seven homers and 16 RBI in 14 games and winning MVP honors in the American League championship series.

Other teams have known about the torpedo bats, but many players have been reluctant to use them in games.

Notable major leaguers who are currently using torpedo bats include:

Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers
Blue Jays utilityman Davis Schneider
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves took note of the Yankees’ success and, according to ESPN, have already ‘placed an order’ for some.

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PALM BEACH, Florida – The NFL could one day play a regular-season game in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but the idea is in an exploratory phase as the league continues to expand its marketing efforts internationally.

The NFL announced Monday that United Arab Emirates and Greece will be two new international markets where teams can market themselves in an expansion to its Global Markets Program.

The Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders will be allowed to market their clubs in the UAE, while the Los Angeles Chargers will market in Greece as part of the program.

The NFL will play regular-season games in England, Spain, Germany, Ireland and Brazil in 2025, and a game in Australia in 2026 – continuing to expand the footprint of the American sport in other parts of the world.

And the league certainly has interest in playing in the Middle East – at some point.

“Definitely interest, high. Absolutely, interest (is) high,” Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president of Club Business, International and League Events, said of the UAE during NFL owners’ meetings on Monday.

“We don’t know the timing, and it’s really an if in terms of whether we’ll play a game there. What I will say is that’s a market where there’s strong interest in our game on a year-round basis. I think that’s why you see three clubs raising their hand with interest there, it’s a market we’ll continue to explore,” O’Reilly said.

“We’ve done some exploratory trips there to understand the viability of a potential regular season game in the market, but we’ve got more work to do there in terms of what that looks like over this next stretch.”

O’Reilly said UAE is “obviously an important market” and there are “learnings” they will glean on from other sports leagues hosting high-profile events in the country, like the NBA and Formula One.

The NFL’s announcement to play in Australia during the Super Bowl created interest from other parts of the world, O’Reilly said.

The NFL believes games played in other countries is the best driver for international interest, but placing teams in countries to market themselves also promotes fandom and cultural relevance for American football.

The Baltimore Ravens will be able to market in the United Kingdom, while the Green Bay Packers can market themselves in Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Overall, 29 of the 32 NFL teams participate in the program across 21 international markets – up from 25 clubs in 19 markets last year.

NFL clubs can apply for rights to international markets by submitting proposals to the International Committee for review each spring. Clubs are awarded rights for a five-year term and can pursue marketing activities consistent with what they can do in their home markets.

“We all know the importance of having a favorite team, and creating that connection to a favorite team,” O’Reilly said. “That’s the heart of the global markets program.”

2025 NFL Global Markets Program by teams

Arizona Cardinals: Canada, Mexico
Atlanta Falcons: Germany
Baltimore Ravens: United Kingdom
Carolina Panthers: Germany
Chicago Bears: Spain, United Kingdom
Cleveland Browns: Nigeria
Dallas Cowboys: Mexico
Denver Broncos: Mexico
Detroit Lions: Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Switzerland
Green Bay Packers: Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom
Houston Texans: Mexico
Indianapolis Colts: Austria, Germany, Switzerland
Jacksonville Jaguars: Ireland, United Kingdom
Kansas City Chiefs: Austria, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Las Vegas Raiders: Australia, Mexico, New Zealand
Los Angeles Chargers: Greece
Los Angeles Rams: Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates
Miami Dolphins: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom
Minnesota Vikings: Canada, United Kingdom
New England Patriots: Austria, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland
New Orleans Saints: France
New York Giants: Germany
New York Jets: Ireland, United Kingdom
Philadelphia Eagles: Australia, Brazil, Ghana, New Zealand
Pittsburgh Steelers: Germany, Island of Ireland, Mexico
San Francisco 49ers: Mexico, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates
Seattle Seahawks: Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Austria, Germany, Switzerland
Washington Commanders: United Arab Emirates

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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is resigning from the House Freedom Caucus, she announced in a letter to fellow conservatives on Monday.

It’s the latest escalation in her fight against House GOP leaders and a small group of members on the right flank of their conference over the issue of proxy voting. Luna has teamed up with Democrats and several other Republicans on a mechanism aimed at forcing consideration of legislation that allows new parents in the House to vote remotely for 12 weeks around their baby’s birth.

‘I have consistently supported each of you, even in moments of disagreement, honoring the mutual respect that has guided our caucus,’ Luna wrote. ‘That respect, however, was shattered last week.’

The focus of her anger is a brief incident from earlier this month when a group of House conservatives held up a chamber-wide vote on unrelated legislation to press GOP leaders to kill Luna’s measure – known as a ‘discharge petition.’

A discharge petition allows lawmakers to force a bill onto the House floor, despite objections from leadership, provided the mechanism gets signatures from a majority of the chamber.

‘Acting within the House conference rules – rules we all agreed to – I sought to bring a vote to the floor on a measure that would allow new mothers in Congress (fewer than 14 in our nation’s history) and fathers, if they choose, to vote by proxy,’ Luna continued. 

 ‘This was a modest, family-centered proposal. Yet, a small group among us threatened the Speaker, vowing to halt floor proceedings indefinitely – regardless of the legislation at stake, including President Trump’s agenda – unless he altered the rules to block my discharge petition.’

She shared praise for House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., whose conduct she called ‘gentlemanly,’ but added, ‘With a heavy heart, I am resigning from the Freedom Caucus.’

‘I cannot remain part of a caucus where a select few operate outside its guidelines, misuse its name, broker backroom deals that undermine its core values and where the lines of compromise and transaction are blurred, disparage me to the press, and encourage misrepresentation of me to the American people,’ Luna wrote.

She will be the first House Freedom Caucus member to leave the group, which does not advertise its membership, in the 119th Congress.

The most recent departures before Luna include Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Randy Weber, R-Texas, who were both pushed out, and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who left during the shakeup.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he believed proxy voting was ‘unconstitutional’ in remarks after House Republicans’ weekly closed-door meeting on Tuesday.

‘We addressed this in conference this morning. A couple of our, a handful of our colleagues, have gotten behind the effort, and, look, I’m a father. I’m pro-family,’ the speaker said. ‘Here’s the problem. If you create a proxy vote opportunity just for young parents, mothers and, the fathers in those situations, then where is the limiting principle?’

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, one of Luna’s now-former House Freedom Caucus colleagues, wrote on X of the issue, ‘Respectfully to my friend – this (unconstitutional) rule would ultimately NOT be limited to moms. Cancer patients, dads, & worst of all, people who lazily abuse it (eg, voting from boats). She leaves out her discharge allows no amendments! We should show up to work/vote.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

A Palestinian man protesting Hamas, the terror group that rules the Gaza Strip, was fatally tortured, with his body left on his family’s doorstep as a warning to others who are thinking of publicly opposing the organization. 

Uday Al Rabay, 22, was beaten and died after participating in an anti-Hamas protest in the Palestinian territories last week, said a senior officer affiliated with the opposition Fatah party, The New York Post reported.

‘Uday was martyred by the criminals of Hamas. And what’s his crime? He told the truth, because he refused to be silent on injustice, because he did not kneel to Hamas,’ said Mazen Shat, a police officer linked to Fatah, to the Telegraph.

Rabay was targeted allegedly after pictures purportedly of him were shared on the Telegram messaging app. He was allegedly kidnapped after the protest last week. 

‘Hamas is oppressing people in a brutal way,’ Shat said. ‘Like a puppy [with] a rope around his neck, they dragged [Uday’s body] to the door of his house and told his family that this is the punishment for those who complain about Hamas.’

Protests against Hamas happened in Gaza after Israel resumed its bombing of the territory following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire between Hamas and the Jewish state. 

Israel has bombarded Gaza since, prompted backlash against Hamas. 

‘People have been under Israeli bombing since October 2023, they don’t want the war to continue by all means,’ said Sam Habeeb, a London-based Gazan, to the Telegraph.

Protesters have called for Hamas to be removed from power.

‘The people do not want the rule of Hamas. The rule of Hamas is over,’ a protester said, according to the Akron Jewish News. ‘This Hamas rule has destroyed us, killed us and displaced all the people.’

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With two of its teams in the Final Four, will the SEC finally end its national championship drought in the 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament?

Oddsmakers don’t believe so — don’t tell Greg Sankey.

Cooper Flagg and Duke basketball head to college basketball’s marquee event as the betting favorite, including on BetMGM, to claim the national title. The Blue Devils have been playing some of their best basketball over the last few weeks, as they’ve outscored their four opponents — No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s, No. 9 seed Baylor, No. 4 seed Arizona and No. 2 Alabama — 367-273.

The Final Four of the men’s NCAA Tournament will take place on Saturday, April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The national championship game will tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET on Monday, April 7 in the Alamo City.

Here’s what you need to know about who is favored to win the national championship in the men’s NCAA Tournament:

Who is the favorite to win men’s March Madness?

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Monday, March 31

To get to the national championship, the Blue Devils will have to take down Houston, the No. 3 overall seed, in the Final Four. The Duke-Houston Final Four matchup is an intriguing matchup from an analytical standpoint, as it features Duke’s No. 1 offense and Houston’s No. 1 defense, per KenPom.

A national championship for the Blue Devils would be their first under Jon Scheyer and first since 2015, when Mike Krzyzewski’s team defeated Wisconsin. It would also be the program’s sixth national championship, which would tie Duke with UConn and in-state rival North Carolina for the third-most championships in the country.

Men’s March Madness national championship odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Monday, March 31

Duke (+100)
Florida (+275)
Houston (+425)
Auburn (+525)

Final Four predictions, picks for men’s March Madness tournament

Florida vs. Auburn predictions, picks
Duke vs. Houston predictions, picks

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Duke enters Final Four as a worthy favorite, but how can you ignore Houston’s experience, defense and grit? Beware the upset!
March Madness delivered less madness, but that gives way to what could be epic Final Four.
Rick Barnes will retain spot on one particular college basketball Mount Rushmore, but either Kelvin Sampson or Bruce Pearl could be preparing for an exit off list.

Auburn, Florida, Houston and Duke proved better than their peers throughout the regular season. They earned uncontroversial No. 1 seeds.

Once March Madness begins, it operates under no duty to respect regular-season results.

This became one of those rare tournaments, though, in which the nation’s four best teams turned back Cinderella, tamed the madness and supplied a Final Four that will be a two-round showcase of the nation’s elite.

All four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four for just the second time in tournament history. With apology to the defeated underdogs, I relish these matchups that offer the foundation for an epic Final Four, following a somewhat mundane tournament – at least by March Madness’ riveting standards.

Here are five burning thoughts and predictions before the Final Four begins Saturday in San Antonio:

SEC lives up to its reputation during March Madness

After the SEC qualified an NCAA-record 14 teams, the tournament would help settle the debate of whether the SEC delivered the greatest season ever for a conference. And while debate continues, know this: The SEC lived up to its reputation for being far and away the best conference this season, if not all-time.

The SEC started shakily, but after cutting loose six teams before the second round, the SEC’s cream rose to the top and proved mighty sweet. By comparison, the Big Ten went 8-0 in the first round, then faded badly before the home stretch. Big Ten teams finished 13-8, with only Michigan State reaching the Elite Eight and none making the Final Four.

In defense of the Big Ten, it could have been much worse. (See the Big East for details.)

The SEC takes a 21-12 record into the Final Four. Never mind the losses. After qualifying 14 teams, it became guaranteed the SEC would produce a minimum of 13 losses.

The SEC accounted for seven Sweet 16 spots, then supplied half of the Elite Eight and half of the Final Four. That’s success.

The tournament performance elevates the SEC past the 2011 Big East, which earned 11 NCAA bids but produced a modest 13-10 record, although UConn won the national championship.

So, the SEC becomes the conference GOAT?

Well, the 1985 Big East still deserves a loud word in this conversation. It qualified six of nine teams for the inaugural 64-team tournament, then dominated the event. The ’85 Big East remains the only conference to supply three Final Four teams, and No. 8 Villanova beat No. 1 Georgetown in the national championship. The Big East supplied an 18-5 record in that tournament.

At the very least, this tournament cemented that the SEC deserves a seat at a small table honoring the best seasons ever by a conference – and perhaps the head seat at that table.

A certain Mount Rushmore might soon require an update

Before the tournament tipped, I honored Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, Auburn’s Bruce Pearl and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes on my Mount Rushmore of best active coaches without a national championship.

This will not rank as one of Few’s best teams, and Gonzaga bowed out the second round.

Barnes delivered another solid season, a lofty NCAA seed, and a tournament in which his Vols couldn’t supply an NCAA Tournament upset to reach an elusive Final Four. Consider that the Barnes special.

The Vols underachieved in March Madness under Barnes from 2018-23, before back-to-back Elite Eight finishes in which they played to their No. 2 seeding.

Houston outplayed Tennessee from start to finish Sunday. Barnes has only once ever beaten a better-seeded team in the NCAA Tournament, back in 2002 at Texas, when his sixth-seeded Longhorns upset No. 3 Mississippi State to reach the Sweet 16.

Tennessee joins Xavier, Missouri and Brigham Young on the Mount Rushmore of best programs to never reach a Final Four, with Creighton also under consideration for that distinction.

Sampson has reiterated his credentials as a linchpin member of my Mount Rushmore of best coaches without a championship. His experienced Cougars are dogged on defense and sharp shooters on offense. Sampson’s inbounds play that produced the winning basket against Purdue in the Sweet 16 provided a coaching masterclass.

Pearl has Auburn playing with the spirit of an underdog, but the talent of a frontrunner. That’s a dangerous combination.

With two members of my Mount Rushmore alive in the Final Four, Oregon’s Dana Altman might need to prepare his résumé for consideration, because I might soon need to replace Sampson or Pearl, after one hangs a championship banner.

Duke a worthy Final Four frontrunner

Oddsmakers like Duke to win the championship. If you’ve watched Duke play in this tournament, you know that’s based on more than Duke’s blue blood.

Duke keeps performing like the juggernaut analytics guru Ken Pomeroy says it is. Cooper Flagg looks the part of national player of the year. Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor join Flagg to form a three-headed monster nobody’s come close to stopping.

Duke has lost just once since November. The other team with that distinction? Houston, its next opponent.

Build a balanced team to make a Final Four

It’s no secret how to make a Final Four: Build a team that can win in multiple ways, that’s comfortable winning in the 60s or the 80s. Each of these Final Four teams ranks in the top 10 nationally of Pomeroy’s metrics for both offensive and defensive efficiency.

By comparison, the teams that lost in the Elite Eight were markedly better at one end of the court than the other. That showed when the competition ratcheted up.

National championship prediction: Houston beats Florida

I predicted this outcome on Selection Sunday, and I’m not fading it now, not after how strong Houston looked while smashing Tennessee. I could make compelling cases for Duke, Auburn or Florida winning the crown, so why am I picking Houston?

I gravitate to experience in the NCAA Tournament, and I’m further pulled toward playmaking guards. Houston and Florida are filled with experience and shot-making guards.

Florida’s Walton Clayton Jr. is a clutch bucket waiting to happen. Nobody defends better than Houston, and the Cougars go five-deep with players who can score in double figures.

I’m tempted to flip my pick to Florida, because of how well Clayton is playing, but I’m riding with Houston’s defense, its experience and Sampson’s coaching.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

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Boston College star winger Ryan Leonard signed an entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals on Monday and will join the Eastern Conference’s top team for their playoff run.

Leonard, 20, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award (top men’s Division I college hockey player), became available after the top-seeded Eagles were eliminated on Sunday by defending champion Denver in the second round of NCAA hockey tournament.

The Capitals are in Boston on Tuesday to face the Bruins. Leonard will wear No. 9.

The Capitals were relatively quiet at the trade deadline – adding Anthony Beauvillier – because Leonard was a possibility to join the team after his Boston College season was over.

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis called Leonard a winner.

‘Patience is a virtue and we have all watched Ryan in awe during his time at BC,’ he posted on X, formerly Twitter. ‘Shades of when Tom Wilson and John Carlson joined the Caps late in the season and for the playoffs!’

Here’s what to know about the signing of Ryan Leonard:

When was Ryan Leonard drafted?

The Capitals drafted Leonard in the first round (eighth overall) in 2023 after he had played two seasons for U.S. National Team Development Program in the United States Hockey League.

Ryan Leonard stats

Leonard played two seasons at Boston College, recording 61 goals and 48 assists in 78 games. He led NCAA Division I this season with 30 goals and nine game-winning goals.

He also won back-to-back gold medals with Team USA at the world junior hockey championship. He was captain of the most recent team and was named tournament MVP and top forward. He had 10 points in seven games, including two assists in the gold medal game.

Ryan Leonard height, weight

Ryan Leonard is 6-0, 200 pounds.

Ryan Leonard contract

He signed the standard three-year entry-level deal worth $950,000 a season with the opportunity to earn performance bonuses.

Recent Capitals moves

Washington has been busy since January, signing goalies Logan Thompson (six years, $35.1 million) and Charlie Lindgren (three years, $9 million) and defensemen Jakob Chychrun (eight years, $72 million) and Dylan McIlrath (two years, $1.6 million) to contract extensions.

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The road to Tampa is almost complete for the marquee event of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Two of the top overall seeds in the field have already locked up their spots in Tampa, Florida for the Final Four in No. 1 overall seed UCLA and defending national champion South Carolina. Dawn Staley is looking to become the first coach since UConn’s Geno Auriemma to lead a program to back-to-back national championship titles.

The two final spots in the Final Four will be clinched by the end of Monday night. First, Hailey Van Lith looks to lead No. 2 seed TCU past No. 1 seed Texas for the Horned Frogs’ first Final Four appearance. Then, Paige Bueckers looks to send No. 2 seed UConn back to the Final Four when the Huskies go up against a USC team without JuJu Watkins.

The 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament has been fairly chalky, with each of the four Elite Eight matchups featuring a No. 1, 2 or 3 seed. If Texas and USC win their Elite Eight games on Monday, it will be the fifth time in the history of the tournament that all four No. 1 seeds will make it to the Final Four.

Here’s a closer look at the 2025 Final Four, including which teams are in it, the schedule, location and how to watch:

Who’s in the women’s Final Four?

UCLA and South Carolina on Sunday punched their tickets to the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament with Elite Eight victories over LSU and Duke, respectively.

The final two spots in the Final Four will be locked up on Monday between the winners of No. 1 seed USC and No. 2 seed UConn and No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed TCU.

Here’s where the Final Four field stands right now:

Regional 1 Spokane: No. 1 seed UCLA
Regional 2 Birmingham: No. 1 seed South Carolina
Regional 3 Birmingham: TBD
Regional 4 Spokane: TBD

Women’s Final Four schedule

Here’s the game schedule for the 2025 women’s Final Four:

Friday, April 4

Game 1: 7 p.m. ET | ESPN | Fubo (free trial)
Game 2: 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN | Fubo (free trial)

Watch women’s NCAA Tournament Final Four with Fubo (free trial)

Where to watch women’s Final Four

TV channel: ESPN
Streaming options: Women’s March Madness app | ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)

The Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Streaming options for the national semifinal doubleheader include the Women’s March Madness Live and ESPN apps (both with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Where is women’s Final Four?

Location: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Fla.)

The 2025 women’s Final Four will be held at Amalie Arena, the home of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, in Tampa, Florida. It is the fourth time the Final Four will take place in Tampa, and the first since 2019.

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