The top-seeded and defending national champion Florida Gators will look to reach the 2026 SEC Tournament finals for the third consecutive season when they battle the fourth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores in a semifinal matchup on Saturday. Florida advanced with a 71-63 win over ninth-seeded Kentucky on Friday, while Vanderbilt downed fifth-seeded Tennessee 75-68 in the quarterfinals. The Commodores (25-7), who have won three in a row, are looking to reach the SEC Tournament finals for the first time since winning it all in 2012. The Gators (26-6), who have won 12 straight, are looking to win their second consecutive conference tournament championship.

Tipoff from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., is set for 1 p.m. ET. Florida leads the all-time series 76-74, including a 98-94 win on Jan. 17. Florida is an 8.5-point favorite in the latest Vanderbilt vs. Florida odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 160.5. Before making any Florida vs. Vanderbilt picks, check out the men’s college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets instantly after any $5+ bet:

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered conference tournament week on a sizzling 14-2 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-21 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following its college basketball betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.    

Now, the model has simulated Vanderbilt vs. Florida 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted men’s college basketball picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several men’s college basketball odds and men’s college basketball betting lines for Florida vs. Vanderbilt:

New users can also check out the latest FanDuel promo code and get up to $300 back in bonus bets every day for 10 days:

Top Vanderbilt vs. Florida predictions

SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (160.5 points). The Over has hit in six of the last seven meetings between the teams. The Over has also hit in five of the last seven Vanderbilt games, and in four of the last eight Florida games. The Commodores are 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games, while the Gators are 7-3 ATS in their last 10.

The model projects Vanderbilt to have five players score 10.2 points or more, including Duke Miles, who is projected to score 16.7 points. Florida is projected to have five players score 11.3 points or more, led by Thomas Haugh, who is projected to score 17.1 points. The model is projecting 163 combined points as the Over hits 57% of the time.

How to make Florida vs. Vanderbilt picks

The model also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Florida vs. Vanderbilt, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Vanderbilt vs. Florida spread to back, all from the advanced model that has simulated this game 10,000 times, and find out.

The 19-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday, becoming the youngest driver to achieve the feat in Formula 1 history. Antonelli led a Mercedes front-row lockout along with George Russell and erased the record of Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 when he took pole for the Italian Grand Prix in 2008. The Mercedes duo, as in Australia last weekend, have been dominant in Shanghai. Antonelli blasted round in 1min 32.064sec on his final qualifying lap, 0.222sec ahead of championship leader Russell, who had won the sprint race earlier in the day.

“It was a pretty clean session,” said Antonelli. “No mistakes and looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

The Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will fill the second row of the grid for Sunday’s race after qualifying third and fourth.

Then, on a two-by-two grid, came the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and world champion Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen was only eighth fastest, continuing a very unhappy weekend in a clearly struggling Red Bull.

– ‘Damage limitation’ –

Pierre Gasly was seventh in the Alpine with the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar ninth and Oliver Bearman’s Haas rounding out the top 10.

Russell had got stuck in gear on his opening out lap in Q3 and had to return to the pits. 

After the problem had been fixed it left him time for just one flying lap and he was unable to eclipse his teammate.

“Really happy for George who had an issue there,” said Antonelli of his teammate.

Russell said he was relieved to have set a lap time right at the end of the session.

“Definitely damage limitation,” said Russell. 

“In Q2 the front wing broke, and then in Q3 I stopped out on track and then couldn’t change gear,” he said.

“On the last lap I had no battery, no tyre temp or anything. The team did a really good job. Just really happy to be standing here. It could’ve been much worse.” 

Ferrari have been quick out of the blocks at the start of races so far and Hamilton said he would be eyeing up the two Mercedes in front of him on Sunday.

“I’m sure we’ll have some fun, I’m looking forward to it,” said the seven-time world champion.

The six failing to make it into the top-10 shootout for pole position were Nico Hulkenberg in an Audi, Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, Esteban Ocon (Haas), Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls, and Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)

Eliminated in Q1 were the Williams pair of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, both Aston Martins, driven by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, and the two Cadillacs, in the hands of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.

Russell earlier won a thrilling sprint race after a back-and-forth scrap in the opening laps with Hamilton, who eventually finished third behind Leclerc.

It enabled the Mercedes driver, who won the opening race in Australia, to extend his championship lead to 11 points over teammate Antonelli and Leclerc. Hamilton is a further four points back.

Sunday’s grand prix will be raced over 56 laps of the 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Despite a drop in game time after finding himself in the deep end of a title challenge at just 18 last year, it is not all negative for Lewis-Skelly.

He started 26 times in 42 games last season as Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney all had injury issues.

That may have led many, including Lewis-Skelly, to expect more time on the pitch this season. However, while he has started 12 games in 26 appearances, just one start has come in the Premier League.

The talk of being a starting England left-back came ahead of schedule for the plan that Lewis-Skelly had in his career and he will still have played enough to receive a Premier League medal if Arsenal are able to make the step to becoming champions in May.

He has started six of Arsenal‘s nine Champions League games, which included impressive wins over Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid – during which he produced a line-breaking run and assist – and he also played the full 90 minutes in Arsenal‘s victory over Inter Milan in the San Siro.

“Every season is different,” Arteta said when asked about Lewis-Skelly’s game time this season.

“He had very good moments in this season. He had other moments when he hasn’t played in that much.

“Obviously, a few days ago, in the FA Cup, he was suspended and he could not play.

“So, there are various reasons. Sometimes, as well, the good form of your team-mates. There’s a lot of factors that contribute to that. But he’s doing well.”

Arteta is not adverse to giving young players a chance, with six youngsters making their debut this season, but there is a difference between getting a taste of first-team football and playing in crunch games.

Lewis-Skelly has excelled when playing as a full-back and inverting into midfield with the ball, but with a tweak on the requirements on Arsenal‘s full-backs this season, those attributes are not so obviously needed in build-up play.

Nwaneri’s loan will still be fresh in the memory, and the fact that Lewis-Skelly would present pure profit for Arsenal on the balance sheet is also another intriguing factor when discussing his future.

There are not many 19-year-olds who have achieved what Lewis-Skelly has.

But with selection for the World Cup looking increasingly unlikely, there may be discussions to be had about his immediate career plan in the summer.

The latest episode of the WWE SmackDown was dominated by one big and unexpected development as Randy Orton turned heel in dramatic fashion, attacking Cody Rhodes during their WrestleMania 42 contract signing. What was supposed to be a routine segment quickly turned violent as Orton unleashed a brutal assault, leaving Rhodes bloodied and the crowd stunned. This betrayal re-established Orton as “The Viper” and set up a heated WrestleMania showdown between the ruthless veteran and the resilient champion.

The attack confirmed Orton’s return to the dark side of the game, ensuring that WrestleMania 42 will feature yet another “hero versus villain” storyline. Cody Rhodes now stands as the heroic figure defending his Undisputed WWE Championship, while Orton has positioned himself as the dangerous challenger determined to take it away. The timing of this heel turn adds intensity to the build-up for WrestleMania, making their clash one of the most anticipated matches on the card.

While Orton’s betrayal was the headline, SmackDown also featured several other important matches and segments that kept the night action-packed.

RANDY ORTON JUST TURNED HEEL

OH MY GOD #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/aT4DdL4p6S

— Tribal Wrestling (@TribalMegastar) March 14, 2026

Other SmackDown Results – March 13, 2026

– Michin lost to Jade Cargill, who continued her dominant streak.

– Nia Jax and Lash Legend retained the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair.

– Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga battled Uncle Howdy and Erick Rowan in a chaotic non-title tag match.

– Drew McIntyre attacked Jacob Fatu, keeping their rivalry alive after McIntyre’s recent title loss.

– Jelly Roll appeared on Miz TV and knocked out The Miz, while The Bella Twins made a surprise return.

This episode of SmackDown proved that WWE is building strong momentum heading into WrestleMania 42. Randy Orton’s heel turn was more than just a storyline twist-it was a reminder of why he remains one of the most dangerous and unpredictable figures in WWE history. All eyes are now on his clash with Cody Rhodes, which promises to deliver fireworks on the grandest stage of them all.

Chelsea swept up every domestic trophy in 2024-25, going unbeaten in the process, during manager Sonia Bompastor’s first season in charge.

They beat United 3-0 in the Women’s FA Cup final as part of that treble success but it has not been a smooth-sailing campaign this time around.

The Blues are nine points behind Women’s Super League leaders Manchester City, threatening the end of their six-year dominance of the division.

Bompastor has come under pressure as a result, while off-field issues – including the departure of head of women’s football Paul Green – have sparked concern.

But if they were to win the League Cup, would it quieten criticism and confirm Chelsea’s status as serial winners?

“I will always expect to have a lot of noise around Chelsea. There will be noise when you are losing, or when something happens, because I think this club is the best in England,” said Bompastor.

“That’s why this happens and I’m totally fine with it. It’s important also when you are in high moments you don’t go too high and in more low moments you don’t go too low.

“We just want to win because that’s part of our DNA. I don’t want to win because people are talking or making noise. That’s not what drives us.”

Chelsea have a formidable record against United, beating them in two of the past three FA Cup finals and unbeaten in 12 WSL matches.

They scored an extra-time winner to knock United out of the FA Cup fifth round in their last game and drew 1-1 draw at Leigh Sports Village in October.

Bompastor says that record boosts confidence and success on Sunday could help build momentum for the rest of the season, with a trophy under their belt.

But she knows United have strengthened and it will not be an easy task to defend the first trophy she won as Chelsea boss.

“Every team is strengthening their squad, being more competitive and bringing us more challenges,” she added.

“When you are Chelsea, if you want to sustain success, and stay at the highest position, you need to work hard and make sure you anticipate the future.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult, the competition is becoming tighter and tighter, and every team now can beat anyone. We know that.

“When you are in a club like Chelsea, and for myself individually, as soon as you win a trophy, your next thinking is ‘what do I need to do to win the next one?’”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will honour excellence throughout Indian cricket at the Naman Awards 2026, taking place on Sunday in the national capital, with the former BCCI chief Roger Binny, ex-captain & coach Rahul Dravid and former women’s captain Mithali Raj to be honoured with the prestigious Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. The Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award honours a career marked by service, integrity, and lasting contributions to Indian cricket.

A key highlight of the Naman Awards 2026 will be honouring all five Indian teams that have won ICC trophies, marking a historic milestone for Indian cricket. The BCCI will recognise the senior men’s team for their victories in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the senior women’s team for winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, the men’s Under-19 team for securing the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026, and the women’s Under-19 team for their win at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2025.

“At this year’s ceremony, Roger Binny and Rahul Dravid will be bestowed with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the BCCI’s highest honour recognising outstanding service to Indian cricket,” the BCCI said in a statement.

“Mithali Raj will receive the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for Women, recognising her extraordinary contribution to the growth and global stature of women’s cricket in India,” the statement read further.

This annual event celebrates outstanding achievements and lasting contributions in international, domestic, and youth cricket, while recognising individuals who have significantly influenced the development and prestige of the sport in India.

A prominent member of India’s legendary 1983 World Cup-winning team, Binny’s impact on cricket has spanned decades as a player, mentor, and administrator. Famous for his skilful seam bowling and crucial breakthroughs, he was the top wicket-taker in the 1983 World Cup, playing a key role in a defining moment in Indian cricket history. As part of the Indian team that won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket, Binny is also the first Indian cricketer to open both bowling and batting in a single ODI.

After retiring from playing, Binny dedicated himself to Indian cricket with equal distinction. As coach of the Indian Under-19 team, he led them to win the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2000, helping young players begin their professional careers. He also served as a national selector from 2012 to 2016, significantly influencing the team’s composition during a crucial period in the sport’s development.

Recently, Binny has maintained his long-standing involvement in Indian cricket through administrative roles. He was the 36th President of the BCCI from 2022 to 2025, leading the  during a period of notable growth and increased global recognition for Indian cricket. During his tenure, the BCCI enhanced its focus on excellence throughout the cricketing ecosystem. His leadership demonstrates a lifelong commitment to the sport.

Dravid will be recognised for his profound impact on Indian cricket, both as one of the most talented batters the sport has seen and as a coach who helped usher in a new era. His distinguished international career was characterised by a textbook batting style, unwavering resilience, solid defence, and overall mastery. He scored over 24,000 international runs, led India’s batting order across formats for more than ten years, and played a key role in many of the team’s most memorable wins as both a batter and captain.

After retiring from playing, Dravid smoothly moved into a position that contributed to shaping Indian cricket’s future. As the Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), he significantly enhanced India’s player development systems, mentored emerging cricketers, and helped establish a strong talent pipeline for the national teams. His impact was particularly notable when he led India’s Under-19 team to win the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2018.

His influence expanded when he became the head coach of the Indian men’s team. He carried the same clarity of purpose and focus on discipline that marked his playing days. Under his leadership, India won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, showcasing resilience, preparation, and dominance internationally.

Mithali, one of women’s cricket’s most iconic figures, will be honoured with the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for Women, acknowledging her remarkable role in promoting the women’s game worldwide. Throughout a distinguished international career lasting over twenty years, Raj set new standards of excellence through her grace, reliability, and leadership. As the top scorer in women’s ODIs with 7805 runs at an average of 50.68, she established benchmarks that changed the perception of women’s cricket in India and motivated many young girls to pursue the sport.

Her inspiring captaincy was equally important, leading India to two ICC Women’s World Cup finals and establishing the team as a strong international contender. Through her outstanding accomplishments and enduring impact, Raj has been pivotal in elevating Indian women’s cricket to new heights.

The Naman Awards will also honour exceptional performances in international, domestic, and age-group cricket throughout the 2024-25 season.

“India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill will receive the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men) for the 2024-25 season for the second time. Ms Smriti Mandhana will receive the Best International Cricketer (Women) award for the fifth time in her career,” the board stated.

“Among domestic performers, Ms Ira Jadhav of Mumbai will receive the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for Best Woman Cricketer (Domestic) following a prolific season with the bat. Ms Shafali Verma of Haryana will be honoured with the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for Best Woman Cricketer (Senior Domestic One Day) for the 2024-25 season.

“Ayush Mhatre of Mumbai will receive the Lala Amarnath Award for the Best All Rounder in Domestic Limited Overs Competitions for the 2024-25 season, while Vidarbha’s Harsh Dubey will receive the Lala Amarnath Award for the Best All Rounder in the Ranji Trophy for the 2024-25 season.

“The Mumbai Cricket Association will once again receive the award for Best Performance in BCCI Domestic Tournaments, having won four trophies and finished runner up in two during the season,” the board added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

KANSAS CITY — Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark made a tough decision late Thursday night that guaranteed widespread reaction across the country, hardly all of it laudatory.

Less than 24 hours later, Yormark was rewarded for his goodwill gesture.

Despite the hype, marketing and promotion over the Big 12’s LED glass floor, the league and its commissioner were the subjects of routine mockery after sporadic slippage and one legitimate injury interfered with the basketball through the first three days of the men’s tournament.

Yormark swallowed his pride and decided to unplug the digital floor in exchange for good ol’ American hardwood. 

“We have a tremendous final four tomorrow night,” he told me late Thursday night. “That should be the story.”

Instead of a story, the Big 12 and college basketball were delivered an epic in Friday night’s opening semifinal between No. 1 Arizona and No. 7 Iowa State. The Wildcats’ buzzer-beating 82-80 win was nothing less than arguably the best game of this splendid season. Arizona senior/Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley hit a fallaway 17-footer from the wing at the buzzer over an immaculate defensive effort from Cyclones freshman defensive stud Killyan Toure. When the ball swished, that shot and this game buried the previous three days worth of chatter about the court.

“It was a crazy shot,” Bradley said. “It was great defense.”

This is how you flip the script.

Adding to the frenzy and upping the cosmetic appeal was the lack of timeouts called in the final frantic minutes, especially in the closing possessions. Lloyd had multiple in his pocket and didn’t use them.

“It set the stage for something epic to happen,” Lloyd told me. “In those games, you feel like Will Ferrell in Old School, where he gets up there and he’s doing the political argument against like James CarvuCarver, or something like that, and he and he kind of blacks out.”

Lloyd blacked out a little bit. The game was that great, the moments bursting with drama, the big shots happening a pace too quick to ingest them all properly.

Bradley being the hero was apt. BYU superstar AJ Dybantsa led the nation in scoring, but the league’s coaches voted for who they believed was the best player on clearly the best team. 

“I thought it was pretty tough for him the last couple days to win an award like that,” Lloyd told CBS Sports in the coach’s locker room after the game. “It is big, and he’s not a guy that tries to take up any extra space in the room. He’s not about individual things at all. And then to have people come back at him and say, ‘No, you shouldn’t have got it.’ I think that’s a tough space to put a young guy in. Even giving him the MVP trophy before the game yesterday is kind of weird. He hasn’t experienced anything like that and he just wants to be one of the guys. And then for him to come out and put a stamp on it, and a game like this, I think, is really cool.”

The frenzied finish that flooded into Bradley’s winner was a work of art. Arizona and Iowa State combined to make a shot on their final 11 possessions, including seven in a row from 3-point range. Arizona finished with 1.24 points per possession to ISU’s 1.21. 

“It’s like shooting in the ocean, you feel like you can’t miss,” Dell’Orso said. 

“I think it’s an amazing feeling,” Iowa State All-American Joshua Jefferson said of playing in a 40-minute masterpiece.

The night just as easily could have gone his team’s way. 

“They were able to make one more play tonight,” Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger said. “Just like they’re Final Four contenders, so are we.”

The Cyclones got off to a 14-2 start and they also had a flurry 9-0 run to end the first half that had the joint blaring thanks to three 3-pointers from Cyclones senior forward Milan Momcilovic. 

“Larry Bird showed up,” Lloyd told me. “Thank God, the half ran out.”

Momcilovic sank eight 3-pointers, becoming just the fourth player in the history of the Big 12 Tournament to make so many triples in one game. 

“Great player, crazy shooter,” said Bradley.

Momcilovic’s 28 points were a game-high, but only two more than Arizona’s Anthony Dell’Orso, who had career-best 26 points (including six 3s) after combining to score 23 in his four previous games. 

“You enter into that kind of flow state,” Dell’Orso said. “And guys just brought everything. There were multiple facets of the game other than just shooting that go unnoticed, but we definitely pay attention to that.”

Everything crescendoed to Bradley’s buzzer-beater, the first by any Big 12 player in any game since 2022 (Kansas‘ Bobby Pettiford vs. Wisconsin) and also the first winning shot as time expired in this tournament since Monte Morris beat Texas at the horn in the 2015 quarterfinals from damn near the same spot.

“They really made us dig deep literally 40 minutes. We were just trying to hang on by a thread, stay in the game,” Lloyd said.

God it was great. The NCAA Tournament is the main event for clear and obvious reasons, but every single year we are reminded why March Madness is the motto just as much for the two weeks that feed into Selection Sunday. And this game was one of the best conference tournament battles of the past decade. 

It was Arizona’s ninth win this season over a ranked team (second-most in college basketball history). The only teams to get 10 were 2024-25 Florida, 2010-11 Connecticut and 2000-01 Duke. They all won the national title. 

Arizona may well become the fourth/next to do it.

The result won’t change anything for Selection Sunday. Arizona is a lock No. 1 seed going to the West and Iowa State will most likely be a No. 2 seed in some other region of the bracket. 

Sometimes, a great game is all we want. On Friday, it’s what the Big 12 needed. Until tonight, the tournament was heavily trending toward being remembered for a floor that lit up like a casino game and induced some conspicuous extracurricular slipping and sliding while a basketball tournament was trying to play out.

Lloyd made sure to credit Yormark and the Big 12’s director of basketball, Brian Thornton, for not being too proud to stick with the glass floor. Lloyd and Kelvin Sampson in particular endorsed the switch from the moment they were asked on Thursday. 

It’s those two coaches who will still be on the sidelines for Saturday night’s title game.

“Shows a lot of courage and great leadership,” Lloyd told me. “I mean, on two levels. The foresight and the fortitude to try something outside the box and then have it not work and pull it back. It’s pretty special. The Big 12 makes basketball a priority and and that’s pretty special to be a part of. I don’t know if every power conference can say that, but we definitely can say that with our leadership.” 

Arizona will play in a second straight league championship game, and it will be a rematch: Houston beat Arizona for the league championship in this building a year ago. Now, again, the Big 12’s two best teams will battle for a trophy. Arizona won 73-66 at Houston back in February.

Now it goes for its Big 12 Tournament title. Houston is still vying for the last No. 1 seed. 

The stakes are clear. And look us now: Talking all about hoop. It’s back to being about the basketball, about the tournament, about the teams.As it always should have been. The Big 12 is more than good enough to sell the product on the floor and have that be enough. Turn on the lights, let the coaches and players take care of the rest and who knows what they’ll give you?

Sometimes it’s one of the best games you’ll ever see.