By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
Sports
Arizona Faces Tough Test vs. Underseeded Utah State
Arizona’s path to the Final Four was never going to be easy.
Utah State is underseeded and presents a tough challenge.
The Aggies won the Mountain West Regular Season and Tournament Championships. They are well-coached and have capable players.
To advance to the Sweet 16, the Wildcats must bring their “A” game from the opening tip.
Here’s my preview of the Round of 32 matchup.
No. 9 Utah State v. No. 1 Arizona
Sunday, March 22
4:50 pm PT, truTv
San Diego, CA
Rebounding and free-throw shooting.
Those are the keys for Arizona to advance to the Sweet 16.
The Wildcats have multiple players who can be difference-makers. Tommy Lloyd’s team is not reliant on any single guy and can overcome poor performances by key contributors.
If Brayden Burries doesn’t have it, Anthony Dell’Orso steps up. If Koa Peat can’t get it going, Tobe Awaka picks up the slack.
And so on and so on.
There are just too many weapons for Utah State to slow down. Too many variables to account for.
The only way that Arizona loses is if it beats itself. And how does it do that?
Missing free throws and giving up offensive rebounds.
At times, the Wildcats have been slacking on the defensive glass and gone cold from the line. There aren’t many flaws to the team, but those two categories are noteworthy issues.
So, how do the Aggies match up? Well, frankly, not very well.
Jerrod Calhoun’s team is 222nd nationally in rebounds per game. That would put USU 11th in the Big 12.
In other words, in the bottom half of the league, around the other teams that missed the Tournament.
Utah State’s offensive rebounding is marginally better, slotting in at No. 179 nationally. But that would also put them at just 11th in the Big 12.
As a comparison, Arizona is No. 2 nationally in rebounds per game and No. 33 overall in offensive rebounds per game.
That’s not a good analytical matchup for the Aggies and is arguably the reason why the spread is so wide.
This isn’t Villanova.
The quality in competition USU is about to face is exponentially better than what Nova trotted out onto the floor. You aren’t lining up against Duke Brennan and Devin Askew.
This is an Arizona team that won the toughest conference in the nation by multiple games and won the Big 12 Tournament by beating two Final Four contenders.
The Cats are coming off their largest margin of victory in the NCAA Tournament since 1998, and they didn’t even play that great.
Mix in a strong contingent of Arizona fans at Viejas Arena, and you have the recipe for a convincing win.
But the three-point shot is the ultimate equalizer. And allowing second-chance opportunities, while missing free throws, is the path to an upset.
If Utah State hits its threes while getting second-chance points, the chance of an upset rises substantially.
At the same time, if Arizona controls the defensive glass and takes care of business at the free-throw line, it should leave with a win.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
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Watch as Great Britain qualify for the women’s 4x400m relay final at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Poland.
WWE is moving fast on the Road to WrestleMania 42, and several matches have already been announced for the premium live event. All four world titles will be on the line, while Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi will battle in a singles match.
While the brand split remains intact on the main roster, with most superstars sticking to WWE’s RAW or SmackDown shows, some don’t follow this division. The Stamford-based promotion recently confirmed as many as four free agents on their website.
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These superstars don’t follow the brand split and appear on both shows. Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi are both included in the list, appearing on both the brands over the past few months. On the other hand, Danhausen has also started appearing in backstage segments on RAW and SmackDown.
Omos hasn’t been seen on programming in years, but continues to be featured as a free agent on the company’s website. However, he has been appearing regularly on AAA as El Hijo del Vikingo’s bodyguard.
WWE unlikely to hold the Draft in 2026
The last time WWE held a draft to separate the two brands and enable stars to switch shows was in 2024. Last year, the company had a transfer window before RAW’s move to Netflix to allow LA Knight, Jimmy Uso and Roman Reigns to move to RAW.
On the other hand, Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest moved to SmackDown. The rosters have remained mostly consistent over the past year. But, according to BodySlam+, there are no plans for the company to have a Draft this year either.
As a result, the rosters will likely remain as they are at this time. Free agents, unless they are signed to a particular brand, will also continue to appear on both shows, especially to build the hype for WrestleMania 42 in April.
Edited by Arsh Das
DUNEDIN, Fla. – The atmosphere at Hiram Bithorn Stadium during Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic games is special, so when José Berríos was denied insurance for pool play, the decision hit the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander “really, really hard.”
A chance to pitch for the national team, at home, in front of children Valentina, Sebastian and Diego Jose, would have meant so much to the family, and a similar opportunity may not come up again.
“That’s the tough part,” Berríos said. “But I guess I understand what the situation is, dealing with the process. The beginning was frustrating, but my kids still had a chance to go to the games in Puerto Rico for that first round. They enjoyed every game. They were so pumped up. They learned. So, that’s great.
“Being there and pitching in front of them, that’s something I’m going to miss. But there’s nothing I can do.”
The same applies to the even bigger shock Berríos received when he was denied insurance a second time, ahead of the WBC quarterfinals, when an MRI revealed the stress fracture in his right elbow, causing him to open a season on the injured list for the first time.
The 31-year-old had made three spring starts to that point, his velocity increasing each time out, and had no idea the injury was there.
Berríos was progressing so well this spring, the Puerto Rican team built him into their plans for the quarterfinals, with manager Yadier Molina revealing that he’d piggyback behind Seth Lugo before word of the insurance denial dropped hours later.
If not for the preceding physical, Berríos would have continued to pitch unaware of the stress fracture.
“It was weird, knowing I’ve been throwing the ball pretty well, felt strong, healthy,” Berríos said of his initial reaction to the news. “Then I saw the picture, I saw what I got there, but how I’m feeling is still weird, because I feel great. They stopped me from pitching. They wanted to make sure I feel great, and nothing is going to get worse, so that’s why I stopped.”
He and the Blue Jays charted a path forward during a visit to specialist Dr. Keith Meister last week, when “I asked him multiple times, like four or five times, ‘Do I need surgery?’” Berríos relayed. “He said no each time. He told me that I can throw the ball, just keep building back up and feeling healthy and great.”
Berríos is doing precisely that now, playing catch, building up his arm strength while the stress fracture heals. A bullpen is slated for next Friday, when the Blue Jays open the season at home against the Athletics. His hope is to miss no more than a month.
A year ago, Berríos received the opening-day assignment to begin an uneven season that saw him post a 3.83 ERA through his first 22 starts, but a 5.31 mark through his final nine outings ahead of his first injured-list stint in 10 big-league seasons. Elbow inflammation kept him on the sidelines throughout the post-season and he controversially left the team before the World Series in what he described this spring as “a bad decision” that he apologized for this spring.
The injuries may simply be the toll of a decade of durability catching up with him – he made 30 starts in each of the seven previous full seasons plus the maximum of 12 outings during the pandemic summer of 2020 – although he doesn’t necessarily think that’s the case.
“I mean, some players avoid that, so hopefully I can keep avoiding that, too,” he said. “Nothing’s been major, no surgery. But to be out there, playing every game is a great stress, not just for the pitchers but the position players, too. We are like a champion, trying to keep ourselves and our bodies healthy out there every day.”
Berríos is working back to that goal, confident that what he felt were gains with his fastball and his command will be there again once he’s ready to get back up on a mound.
“My breaking ball and changeup were there, too,” he said. “I’ve been feeling pretty well, ready to compete and I was so close. So, just waiting for the lights to turn on.”
Katie Boulter, Cameron Norrie and Fran Jones all exited the Miami Open, ending British hopes in the singles events.
Norrie, who replaced Jack Draper as British No 1 last week, pushed American Alex Michelsen to three sets in their second-round encounter before falling 7-5 6-7(4-7) 6-4.
The 30-year-old has rediscovered some of his best tennis in the ‘Sunshine Double’ of Indian Wells and Miami, beating Alex de Minaur in California before his run was ended by Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, but was narrowly edged out here.
He lost a tight first set as 21-year-old Michelsen broke in the 12th game, before coming back from 3-0 down in the second set to force and win a tie-break.
But Michelsen broke again in the third game of the third set and kept his nose in front to make the third round, where he will play Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.
Boulter’s good run in Miami – where she reached the third round of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time in over a year – came to an end at the hands of 13th seed Karolina Muchova.
The former French Open finalist broke twice in the first set and once again in the second set to win 6-3 7-5 and set up a last-16 meeting with young talent Alexandra Eala.
British No 4 Jones achieved a childhood dream by beating Venus Williams in the first round but retired with illness against another American, world No 5 Jessica Pegula, in the second.
Jones was unwell throughout her win over Williams and was frequently heard coughing on court, and continued to be affected by a chest infection as she retired at 6-1, 3-0 down against Pegula.
She said: “I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to play Venus, but it’s a whole different ball game playing Jess.
“You need to be 10 out of 10 to compete against her and I’m probably a four out of 10 today. If I’m not able to give my everything out there, I don’t see the point when I’m already battling my general fitness as it is.”
Jones has endured a frustrating stop-start career as a result of physical issues caused by a rare genetic condition, Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC), which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand and seven toes.
The 25-year-old broke into the top 100 last year and earned her biggest career win against world No 15 Emma Navarro in Auckland at the start of this season, but is frequently stymied by injury and illness problems, as was the case in Miami.
Elsewhere former major champion Naomi Osaka cast doubt on whether she will continue competing if she continues to endure early losses, after losing 7-5 6-4 to Australian rising star Talia Gibson.
Seeded 16th, Osaka received a first-round bye but was comprehensively outplayed by the 21-year-old, who has now beaten four top-20 players in the space of three weeks.
Afterwards Osaka said she was struggling to balance motherhood – she gave birth to daughter Shai in July 2023 – with attempting to get back to the top of the sport.
“I feel like this also is a dilemma for me,” she said. “Obviously, I would love to play, but like I said last year … for me, my daughter is very important, and I want to be a mum. I want to be the best mum I can, but sometimes I feel like I know what I have to do to become a really good player, and it’s very difficult.
“I’m not going to stay on tour if I’m losing in the first round. I’d rather just be a great mum and be there for my daughter. Because for me, I want to win titles and I want to be the best player I can, but if I have to sacrifice having a lot of time with my daughter, I’d rather not do it.”
Italian cyclist Debora Silvestri is recovering in hospital after breaking five breaks and fracturing her shoulder in a horrific crash at Milan-San Remo on Saturday.
The Laboral Kutxa rider took evasive action to avoid a pile-up after several riders went down and crashed into a roadside barrier on the descent of the famous Cipressa climb.
But Silvestri came off worse as she went over the barrier and fell several feet down the bank, falling headfirst onto a lower section of road.
Her team said she was conscious as she was taken to hospital and later released a statement saying she was “currently stable”.
They added: “She will remain hospitalised for the next few hours under medical supervision, and further tests will be conducted to assess the extent of the injuries.”
The 27-year-old posted on Instagram later: “Sure not the final I had imagined… I feel quite good, five ribs broken and a micro fracture on shoulder – could be worse.
“Time to recover but no worries, I will come back.”
The incident occurred less than 20km from the end of the 156km course at ‘La Classicissima’, one of cycling’s five Monuments, the most prestigious one-day races.
Two of the race favourites, former Tour de France champion Kasia Niewiadoma Phinney and Kim Le Court Pienaar, last year’s winner at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, went down in the crash.
Niewiadoma Phinney was unable to continue but Le Court Pienaar, who initially remained at the scene to check on her fellow riders, was able to remount and finished 99th.
The race was won by Belgium’s Classics specialist Lotte Kopecky, who edged Switzerland’s Noemi Ruegg and Italian Eleonora Gasparrini in a five-rider sprint, with the latter two rounding out the podium.
The men’s race was won by double world champion Tadej Pogacar, who pipped Britain’s Tom Pidcock by a mere half a wheel at the end of 298km of racing.
Pogacar also went down in a crash which affected multiple top riders, including Wout van Aert, who recovered despite losing time waiting for a bike change to finish third.
Mar 21, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Jannik Sinner (ITA) (L) shakes hands with Damir D?umhur (BIH) (R) at the net after their match on day five of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images World No. 2 Jannik Sinner continued his pursuit of the “Sunshine Double” by winning his opening match over Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday at the Miami Open in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The Italian, coming off a victory at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., needed only 71 minutes to dispatch Dzumhur, ranked No. 76, from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sinner, a 25-time winner on the ATP Tour, can be the first player to win the consecutive California and Florida tournaments — the “Sunshine Double” — since Roger Federer in 2017.
A winner of 12 straight matches at ATP Masters 1000 events, Sinner also has tied Novak Djokovic’s record with 24 consecutive sets won at that level.
“I feel like the scoreboard matters at times,” Sinner said of the latter streak. “For me, I try to improve as a player and put myself in the position to play as many matches as possible. I always treat every opponent in the same way, trying to come on court and do my best with a great attitude and trying to go for it.”
Sinner, who won the Miami Open in 2024, had a distinct edge in aces (9-1) and winners (21-8), though each had 18 unforced errors. The Italian won 90% of his first serves (26 of 29), to 62% (23 of 37) for Dzumhur, who saved six of nine break points — to 1-for-1 for Sinner.
Third-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany handled American wild card Martin Damm 6-2, 6-4 in just under 70 minutes.
Zverev did not face a break point and converted three of eight opportunities. Damm was undermined by more double faults (6-0) and unforced errors (22-8) and fewer winners (16-12). Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko knocked off eighth-seeded Ben Shelton 6-7 (3) 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a battle lasting two hours, 22 minutes.
The power-serving Shelton had 17 aces but also 44 unforced errors. Shevchenko had fewer aces (11) and winners (46-33) but also fewer unforced errors (24) as he saved all five break points on his serve.
Seventh-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada moved on following a tight 7-6 (3), 7-5 win over Marton Fucsovics of Hungary. Ninth-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia dropped the opening set before ousting Japanese wild card Rei Sakamoto 6-7 (10), 6-3, 6-1.
Also victorious on Saturday were 12th-seeded Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, 18th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, 19th-seeded Frances Tiafoe of the United States, 29th-seeded Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina, 30th-seeded Corentin Moutet of France and 31st-seeded Ugo Humbert of France as well as Spanish qualifier Rafael Jodar. A host of seeded players lost, with Russia’s Andrey Rublev (15th) falling to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (16th) eliminated by France’s Quentin Halys, American Learner Tien (20th) downed by Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak, Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie (23st) ousted by American Alex Michelsen, Arthur Rinderknach (26th) losing to fellow Frenchman Terence Atmane and American Brandon Nakashima (27th) beaten by Croatia’s Marin Cilic.
–Field Level Media
Need to know
How to watch the Carabao Cup final on terrestrial TV as Arsenal and Manchester City battle for the season’s first piece of silverware
The Carabao Cup final will be available to watch for free for fans who can’t get to Wembley(Image: Sportsphoto/Allstar, Getty Images)
How to watch the Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City for free on UK TV
- ITV in Sky agreement: A sub-licensing deal, struck in 2024, permits a selection of EFL and Carabao Cup matches to be aired on terrestrial television alongside Sky Sports’ comprehensive coverage. This includes Sunday’s final.
- Duration of agreement: The existing broadcast deal extends until the conclusion of the 2026/27 season. This ensures fans can count on the final being accessible on terrestrial TV for at least another year following Sunday’s spectacle.
- Value of agreement: The sub-licensing deal is reportedly valued at around £15 million. This extra income from ITV helps boost financial distribution to all 72 EFL clubs, supporting the wider English football pyramid beyond the Premier League.
- Start time for coverage: Coverage on ITV and STV commences at 3.30pm with interviews and analysis. The match gets underway at 4.30pm.
- UK streaming: Supporters can also tune in for free via the ITVX and STV Player apps with a verified account. This enables streaming on mobile phones, tablets and smart TVs across the country.
- Sky’s involvement: While ITV offers the free-to-air option, Sky, as the main rights holder, continues to air every single match of the tournament live across its various channels and the Sky Sports+ platform.
- Sky coverage: The build-up commences on the Sky Sports Football channel at 3.30pm, while Sky Sports Main Event will also broadcast the match following the conclusion of the relegation clash between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.
- US viewers: The match is exclusive to Paramount+. The streaming service will kick off its coverage at 11.30am ET. Although a subscription is required, new users can often utilise a seven-day free trial to watch the final.
- UK radio: BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT will provide full coverage. Both stations will deliver full live commentary, pre-match analysis and post-match reaction.
- READ MORE: ‘I scored a sensational winner against the team that rejected me to give Man City cup final glory – but I missed the celebrations’
Eddie Hearn believes he has the future heavyweight king in his Matchroom stable, predicting a future battle between his charge and Moses Itauma.
Many believe Itauma, at 21 years old, has the ring IQ, temperament and physical attributes to reign supreme over his division in years to come.
But while that might prove to be the case, there is also a selection of rising prospects who could pose a serious challenge to the talented Brit.
One of whom is Teremoana Teremoana, who extended his flawless record to 10-0 (10 KOs) after scoring a first-round finish over limited heavyweight Curtis Harper.
The pair collided in the undercard of Carlos Adames vs Austin Williams, which took place at the Caribe Royale, Orlando, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Hearn talked up his charge pre-fight, saying he believed he is a world heavyweight champion in waiting.
Previously, Harper had suffered stoppage defeats to Olympic silver medallist Richard Torrez Jr and Bakhodir Jalolov, who defeated Teremoana at the Paris Games in 2024.
The American, however, is perhaps better known for his disqualification against Efe Agagba in 2018, which saw him walk out of the ring without even throwing a punch.
It therefore came as no great surprise when Teremoana scored his seventh consecutive first-round stoppage, landing a thudding right hand that sent Harper crashing to the canvas.
What a SHOT 😤#AdamesWilliams | LIVE NOW on DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/VwJK7OvALN
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 22, 2026
Clearly, the 28-year-old carries serious power and possesses a sharp boxing brain, but whether he can replicate this success against a higher standard of opposition remains to be seen – that’s where Hearn comes in, hoping to keep him busy and up the levels as he goes.
Either way, the Australian has proven to be a fan-friendly customer for viewers on DAZN, often delivering a highlight-reel knockout that merits considerable engagement on social media.
Victor Osimhen has confirmed he will undergo surgery after suffering a fractured arm, with the Galatasaray striker expected to be out for up to six weeks.
The Super Eagles forward revealed the extent of the injury during a live session with Nigerian content creator Carter Efe, where he explained that an operation is necessary for proper healing.
“I need to go under the knife,” Osimhen said. “That means I have to do surgery because my arm is broken. It will take about five to six weeks. Six weeks at most, and I will be back.”
He also spoke about his recovery plan, noting that the process will be gradual. “Most times it is four weeks, then two weeks of training alone to regain fitness before joining the team,” he added.
The injury happened during Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League match against Liverpool at Anfield. Osimhen was hurt in the first half after a strong challenge involving defender Ibrahima Konaté, leaving him in clear pain.
Medical checks after the game confirmed a fracture in his right forearm.
The 27-year-old has now returned to Nigeria to rest briefly before undergoing surgery and starting his rehabilitation. His return to action will depend on how well he recovers after the procedure.
As No. 2-seeded Iowa women’s basketball (27-6, 15-3 Big Ten) prepares for No. 10 seed Virginia (21-11, 11-7 ACC) in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32 action on Monday, March 23, the contest’s official tipoff time has been announced.
While Iowa thwarted the potential upset bid by a 58-48 score over No. 15 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, Virginia pulled off an 82-73 overtime victory against No. 7 seed Georgia to advance to Monday’s Second Round matchup.
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According to Iowa Athletics and the various organizers of the NCAA Tournament broadcast schedules, Monday’s clash between the Hawkeyes and Calaviers from a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena will tip off at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN.
If the Hawkeyes advance to the Sweet 16 with a victory over the Cavaliers on Monday, it would be the first time under head coach Jan Jensen and the fifth overall in program history as the No. 2 seed in the national tournament.
The last time Iowa secured a spot in the Sweet 16 was in 2023, when it reached the National Championship game.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women’s basketball tipoff time vs. Virginia announced
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