The final edition of the Bulldogs-Gaels-led WCC Tournament could end up being predictable—as usual—though there could be some surprises in store as well.

The top three in the league have separated themselves, but other teams are hoping to write their legacies this March.

For now, Santa Clara is the storyline.

If I had to pick one surprise team, it would be Oregon State. The other mid-tier teams have cooled off considerably.

Whatever happens, I’m here for it.

Here are the top three things to watch at this year’s WCC Tournament.

The Broncos are around the Top 40 mark for predictive metrics and resume, which indicates that they should be in the field.

Santa Clara’s top three scorers are Christian Hammond, Elijah Mahi, and Allen Graves. Hammond is their leading scorer, averaging 15.9 points per game.

Bukky Oboye is their best defensive player with 20 blocks and 16 steals this year.

SCU will likely open the WCC Tourney against Pacific or Seattle U, but Loyola Marymount and San Diego are still in the mix.

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If the Broncos lose their first game of the tournament, they’ll probably be eliminated from the dance.

They should be alright, due to their varied scoring options, but this is that month.

Warley doesn’t have flashy numbers. He’s only averaging 7.1 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game. But he’s a defensive terror leading the team with 1.6 steals per contest.

He and Tyon Grant-Foster can shut down most perimeter players in the country.

Warley does all the little things that get overlooked, but they were felt in Moraga. Without him, the Gaels ate the Zags in the second half.

And this is with Paulius Murauskas playing poorly.

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Seattle U’s coming in a bit hot, so they could prove another team to watch. But their three-game winning streak has come against the worst teams in the conference.

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And the Cougs? They don’t know how to play basketball anymore.

The reason the Beavers can make a run is that Wayne Tinkle, who OSU will not retain for next season, can have some fun.

He can run any scheme, he can play anyone, and they’re the No. 4 seed, so they’d only have to pull two upsets.

Tinkle could’ve walked away, but he chose to stick by his team like a man.

Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.

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With a beefy $21.3 million cap number in 2026, Minnesota Vikings playmaker T.J. Hockenson is on tap to be the NFL’s most expensive tight end. Now, according to recent reporting, Hockenson might accept a pay reduction to remain with the club,

If no deal emerges, Minnesota can pivot to a restructure, trade, or release to clear cap space.

NFL free agency kicks off in one week, and if Hockenson doesn’t rework his deal, well, the Vikings would need a new TE1.

A Hockenson Pay Cut May Make Sense For Both Sides

It’s roster change season in the NFL.

Report: Hockenson Willing to Take Less Money

The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis weighed in on Minnesota’s free-agency lay of the land on Monday, mentioning Hockenson’s would-be salary reduction.

“The Vikings are prepared to make difficult decisions to alleviate their salary-cap concerns. Don’t expect a big-name free-agent splurge like last year. The Vikings are $40-plus million over the cap, and while that isn’t dire, it is significant. Pay cuts: Minnesota wants to lower the cap number for tight end T.J. Hockenson. He is amenable to lowering it, but the outcome is largely a matter of how low the Vikings want to go,” he wrote.

Until the observation, many believed Hockenson would be traded, released, or asked to restructure the deal — the latter of which would not involve a pay decrease. But a paycut is apparently in play.

The Adam Thielen Situation in 2023

The Hockenson situation in 2026 is reminiscent of Adam Thielen in 2023. The Vikings had handed Thielen a generous contract extension in 2019 — that he deserved — but by the 2023 offseason, his cap hit proved to be too ginormous for Minnesota’s budget. The team approached Thielen about a paycut, he declined, and later signed with the Carolina Panthers, where he stuck around for two seasons before landing back with the Vikings in the summer of 2025 via trade.

Three offseasons later, Hockenson carries a similar outlook. If he doesn’t oblige the paycut, the Vikings can either restructure his deal (backload the big cap hit to the future with void years), explore a trade, or cut him loose — like Thielen in 2023.

It all depends on how low Hockenson will go to remain Minnesota’s TE1.

Our Kyle Joudry noted last week, “Rather, look toward a restructure for T.J. Hockenson. Pursuing the maximum savings would mean surpassing $9.4 million in added room for 2026. The cost of doing business is less cap space in the future, but that’s a problem for a different day. If Hockenson can be very good in 2026, then finding a way to make the cap charges work is the way forward.”

“If, in theory, a competent passer gets added (or, better yet, McCarthy turns into one), then the Vikings may be able to unleash a talent like T.J. Hockenson. Indeed, that’s the central question Minnesota is seeking to answer: can Mr. Hockenson be excellent in the future? That’s what’s interesting and pivotal.”

Hockenson’s 2025 Campaign

Hockenson’s 2025 box score tells one story, but the game film revealed another.

While he finished with 51 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns, the quarterback situation was unstable. J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer all took snaps, preventing the passing game from finding consistency and limiting the production of everyone except Jalen Nailor.

Furthermore, Hockenson’s role shifted significantly. Minnesota’s offensive line struggled throughout the year due to injuries and inconsistent play. As a result, Kevin O’Connell adjusted the game plan, acknowledging midseason that Hockenson was blocking more frequently. He essentially became an additional lineman, providing extra protection and reinforcing the edges.

Even with Christian Darrisaw’s return from an ACL injury in September, the line never fully solidified, and Hockenson continued to fill gaps. Thus, his receiving numbers declined, leading some fans to believe his performance was deteriorating.

However, Hockenson is turning 29 this year and retains his route-running skills, exceptional catch radius, and ability to dominate the middle of the field. If he returns to a primary receiving role, his production should rebound accordingly — if the Vikings find stable quarterback production in 2026.

The TEs in Addition to Hockenson

Along with Hockenson, Minnesota has these tight ends under contract in 2026

• Josh Oliver
• Gavin Bartholomew
• Ben Yurosek
• Bryson Nesbit

None of these combatants would be tapped on the shoulder for TE1 duty, barring an amazingly bizarre upward ascent at training camp, meaning Minnesota would have to scour free agency for a replacement like Isaiah Likely, Darren Waller, or Cade Otton, to name a few.

The early section of April’s draft will also feature Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, both of whom performed marvelously at the NFL Combine last week.

The Hockenson verdict should be made public within a week or so. He basically has to decide if the paycut from Minnesota would be more or less than what he’d command on the open market.

The world heavyweight title thriller between champion Fabio Wardley and challenger Daniel Dubois edges ever close. Ahead of the contest, Tony Bellew has weighed in with his verdict.

Wardley promised fans a high level first defence after he was promoted from interim to full champion due to Oleksandr Usyk vacating the belt. He has delivered on that by accepting the challenge of Dubois, who poses one of the biggest knockout risks in the division despite coming off a loss to the Ukrainian.

Speaking on First Round TV, former world champion Bellew rejected the idea that the more schooled challenger is the fuller package, saying Ipswich’s Wardley has more in his arsenal and backing him to prove that on the night.

“Brilliant fight … People keep saying this thing that Daniel Dubois is a better boxer than Fabio Wardley, I actually don’t think he is. I think Fabio has more strings to his bow. I think there’s more things that he can do. I think his defence is better.

“Don’t get me wrong, the one thing Daniel can do better is if he just goes for pure aggression and power, then of course I think Daniel is better skilled in that department. But, as an all-round fighter, I think Fabio is better and I think he’ll show it on the night.”

In terms of strategy, Bellew laid out how he would tackle Dubois, who stopped Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua in 2024.

“Daniel Dubois is a confidence fighter. The more confident he is, the better he is. If you can strip that confidence back within the first round – stiff jabs, make him question himself, put it on him in short spaces. Don’t be exchanging with him within the first couple of rounds. I’d be shooting from quite far out with the jab and looking to nail him when he rushes in. I think by the end of round two, he’ll be questioning himself.”

On the power debate, Bellew warned Wardley that Dubois is dangerous early.

“I think Daniel Dubois might hit harder with the one shot, but I think Fabio carries his power better and he definitely carries it later.

“He’s quite predictable Daniel and he’s easy to hit, so you’ve got to take advantage. But, as I said before, another side of that coin is he’s super, super dangerous when he lands. Especially in the early rounds. You’ve got to take that away.”

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The fight takes place at Manchester’s Co-op Live on May 9.

Hebano is an Exclusive unit in Anime Vanguards that specializes in applying the Burn status ailment and buffing own damage based on its application. This unit was previously available as a summonable unit, but is currently unobtainable through regular gameplay. Her abilities boost her damage and that of her allies based on the Burn status effect, and she may apply the Scorched status ailment as well.

Here’s everything you need to know about Hebano in Anime Vanguards.

Breaking down Hebano in Anime Vanguards

How to get and evolve

As mentioned earlier, Hebano was previously a summonable unit from the Spring Banner. Since the banner has expired, she can no longer be acquired through summons. Instead, you may obtain her through the game’s trading system.

Once you acquire her, Hebano can be evolved into Hebano (Clematis) using the items listed below. Note that her evolution doesn’t have a takedown requirement associated with it, unlike most other units in the game.

• 1x Fire Flowers
• 1x Shamrock
• 30x Green Essence
• 10x Purple Essence
• 30x Red Essence
• 1x Rainbow Essence
• 15,000 Gold

Check out The Doctor in Anime Vanguards, a powerful Familiar that gains bonuses based on the Corruption applied to it.

Abilities and Trait recommendation

Hebano has two passive abilities in her evolved state: Flaming Resonance and Scorched. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have any active abilities that add a layer of interactivity to the unit.

Flaming Resonance causes a sakura tree to spawn when Hebano is first placed onto the field. This tree has a range equivalent to 20% of Hebano’s current range stat, which can be upgraded and expanded. Its purpose is to reapply any burn that is applied while the enemy is within the tree’s range.

The Scorched ability allows Hebano to apply the Burn status ailment, which deals 30% damage over the course of eight seconds. If a burning enemy enters the sakura tree’s range, it receives the Scorched status ailment for 60 seconds. Scorched enemies receive 20% additional damage from Fire-type allies, effectively acting as offensive support.

Considering her reliance on the Burn status ailment, the best Traits for Hebano are Marksman, Deadeye, and Solar. Marksman and Solar expand the unit’s range, helping Hebano extend the effects of her sakura tree. Deadeye, on the other hand, grants her a critical chance and critical damage bonus instead.

Also read: Unique Roblox username ideas for new players

FAQs on Anime Vanguards

Is Hebano obtainable in Anime Vanguards?

Hebano is currently only available through trading, as the summon banner she was available on has expired.

What rarity does Hebano belong to?

Hebano belongs to the Exclusive rarity.

What does Hebano specialize in?

Hebano specializes in applying the Burn and Scorched status ailment, dealing damage over time and boosting Fire-type allies’ damage against burning enemies.