The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team may still make the NCAA Tournament, but Dick Vitale thinks this iconic program should be much better than their 19-12 record this season considering their whopping $22 million roster. 

The legendary ESPN college basketball analyst didn’t hold back his feelings about the Wildcats as they played Florida during Saturday’s prime SEC matchup. After the Gators hit some free throws to extend their first-half lead to 26-19, Vitale started to lay into the Wildcats.

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Head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats in a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 7, 2026, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. (Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire)

“I’m going to say this right here, I’ve done several Kentucky games, win or lose, $22 million this team [which has been reported] in terms of the NIL for their players,” he said, per Awful Announcing. “I think in $22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.”

The Wildcats ended up losing by a score of 84-77, and Vitale continued about Kentucky near the end of their 12th loss of the season. 

“I’ll tell you one thing, you don’t want to walk out of here thinking you got a moral victory,” Vitale said, referencing a hard-fought game against the No. 5-ranked Florida team. “Moral victories don’t count at this level of basketball. And you hear some of the people, ‘We played them close. We played them tough.’ 

“The bottom line is you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There are no moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”

Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate in the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on Jan. 24, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Wildcats were once the top program in the country under former Coach John Calipari, who left for Arkansas after being unable to make a long March Madness run in recent seasons, including a shocking first round upset to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. 

The Wildcats have been coached by Mark Pope since, and they made the Sweet 16 in last year’s tournament before losing to Tennessee. 

Kentucky Jasper Johnson in action vs Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Nov. 18, 2025. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated )

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But this year, Kentucky is 10-8 in SEC play, and now face the No. 9 seed in the upcoming tournament this week. The winner of each conference earns a tournament berth, but the Wildcats know good seeding in the NCAA Tournament requires a strong run heading into Selection Sunday this upcoming weekend. 

The Wildcats will start their SEC Tournament play on Wednesday against No. 16 LSU. 

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India’s players celebrate after winning the T20 World Cup (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Virat Kohli hailed India national cricket team after their dominant triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final, praising the side’s fearless cricket and resilience throughout the tournament.Kohli took to social media after the title clash to congratulate the team following their emphatic 96 run victory over New Zealand national cricket team in the summit clash at Narendra Modi Stadium.

Virat Kohli post

“Champions Phenomenal win for Team India in Ahmedabad. Absolutely no match for the explosive cricket played by us throughout the tournament. Brilliant character shown by the boys to keep fighting in tough situations and become world champions once again. Congratulations to all the players and all the members of the management for achieving this feat. Jai Hind,” Kohli wrote.India produced a batting spectacle to overwhelm New Zealand and successfully defend their T20 World Cup crown. The defending champions piled up a massive 255 for five after being invited to bat, the highest total ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final.Sanju Samson led the charge with a blistering 89, while Abhishek Sharma smashed 52 and Ishan Kishan struck a rapid 54 as India’s top order unleashed a relentless six hitting spree. Samson and Abhishek set the tone early with a breathtaking 98 run opening partnership that came in just 7.1 overs.India crossed the 200 run mark in only 15 overs as the Kiwi attack struggled to contain the onslaught. New Zealand briefly pulled things back when James Neesham dismissed Samson, Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav in the same over.However, Shivam Dube provided a strong finish with an unbeaten 26, smashing 24 runs in the final over to push India to the record total.Chasing 256, New Zealand faltered under the scoreboard pressure. Their hopes faded quickly after early wickets of Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips.Jasprit Bumrah led India’s bowling effort with a brilliant spell of 4 for 15, while Axar Patel picked up three wickets to dismantle the Kiwi batting line up.Though Tim Seifert fought with a 26 ball 52, New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 159 in 19 overs as India sealed a memorable victory and etched their name in history by becoming the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trent McDuffie and the Los Angeles Rams are closing in on a contract extension that will make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday night because the deal had not been finalized. The Rams still aren’t able to publicly confirm they’ve even acquired McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs for a package of draft picks in a trade reached last Wednesday.

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ESPN reported the deal is a four-year, $124 million extension with $100 million guaranteed.

McDuffie is making $13.6 million in the fifth year of his rookie contract in 2026, but the extension would keep him with his hometown Rams through 2030.

When the deal is done, Los Angeles will once again have the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback after Jalen Ramsey reached the same benchmark with his five-year, $105 million extension from the Rams in 2020.

After falling one game short of the Super Bowl last season, the Rams have stepped up to address the most glaring weakness on their roster by acquiring one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks and giving him a hefty financial commitment. Los Angeles has the financial flexibility to do a big deal with ample room under the salary cap after fielding one of the league’s cheapest defenses last season.

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That defense faltered down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs, but McDuffie will be the centerpiece of its new look in the fall. The Rams also signed safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl to recent contract extensions, and LA seems likely to add at least one more defensive back to play alongside probable returnees Emmanuel Forbes and Kamren Kinchens.

Los Angeles won the Super Bowl four seasons ago with Ramsey playing a versatile role — the “star” position, in Rams parlance — across the defense. Lake currently fills that role with the Rams, playing both as a slot cornerback and a run-stopping defensive back in the box — but McDuffie’s arrival will allow the Rams’ scheme to be even more adaptable.

McDuffie has strengths both as a cover corner and as a hard hitter. He has three interceptions and 5 1/2 sacks in his career while leading all cornerbacks with 34 quarterback pressures and eight forced fumbles during his four NFL seasons. He was a first-team AP All-Pro in 2023 and a second-team selection in 2024.

The Rams gave up the 29th overall pick in the upcoming draft — they still have the 13th overall pick from Atlanta — along with fifth-round and sixth-round picks this season and a third-round pick next year in the trade with Kansas City.

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McDuffie was born and raised in the Los Angeles suburbs. He graduated from prep power St. John Bosco High School before going to the University of Washington, where he played for current Rams defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake.

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Following the announcement of the rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, fans are anticipating a blockbuster undercard to support a high-profile main-event. Now, the man who Mayweather himself tipped as his successor has let slip that he expects to appear on the bill.

Mayweather and Pacquiao collided back in 2015, where Mayweather scored a legendary unanimous decision win to become the unified three-belt welterweight world champion and take the bragging rights over his long-term rival.

Now, 11 years on from that mammoth event, the two pound-for-pound greats are set to run it back in September, in what is sure to be one of the biggest nights of boxing in the 2026 calendar, with an intriguing undercard expected to support the headline attraction.

In an interview with Pro Boxing Fans, Mayweather’s protégé, Curmel Moton, revealed that he believes he will fight on the undercard.

“I can’t really confirm [that I am on the card], not at the moment, but I feel like there is a very good, high-percentage chance that I definitely will be on the card. Co-main, hopefully, we will see but I definitely should be on that card, for sure.”

Moton has won all eight of his professional contests to date, registering six wins inside of the distance, but the Salt Lake City-born youngster admitted his excitement at the prospect of just attending a true Mayweather fight, as well as fighting on the card.

“I’m excited to see Floyd back and 100% locked in to boxing, not in an exhibition. His record is on the line so there is going to be a lot more at stake, he is going to be working a lot harder and he is going to be a lot more focussed.

“I’m excited, I have never been to a real, actual Floyd fight, so this will be the first one, and I will be on the undercard too, so it’s going to be dope.”

19-year-old Moton has been linked to an intriguing affair with Britain’s Giorgio Visioli, who claims to have bested the American in sparring sessions in the past. However, it remains to be seen whether Moton will be thrown into deep waters, in such a difficult fight on the biggest of stages.

Luke Littler targeted a clean sweep of trophies in 2026 after retaining his UK Open title in Minehead.

The world champion held off James Wade 11-7 to beat the 42-year-old veteran in the final for the second successive year.

Littler began 2026 by winning his second world title and, despite making a slow start to the Premier League, is determined to win every major trophy available to him.

“That’s obviously the main aim,” Littler said when asked if he could win everything this year.

“The Premier League (in Cardiff) on Thursday was a massive win, to get myself from seventh up to third.

“Obviously, it’s not been the start that I wanted. But that win meant a lot and to come here to the UK Open and pick up the trophy means a lot.

“There was a lot of close games throughout this tournament and I wasn’t at my best at times.

“I missed far too many doubles that I would have liked to hit.

“But we’ve got the job done and for the first time in 10 years, just like the worlds, someone’s gone back to back.”

Littler held off the gritty Wade to become the only fourth player to claim back-to-back titles, and the first since Michael van Gerwen in 2015 and 2016 to pick up the first prize of £120,000.

In an event known as the ‘FA Cup of darts’, Littler and Wade – who was seeking a fourth UK Open title – were the last two men standing from 160 players.

Littler overpowered Wade 11-2 in a one-sided final 12 months ago, and it looked set to be the same story again as the 19-year-old won the first three legs.

Wade resisted any thoughts of fatigue to level either side of the opening session, but Littler stepped up his treble power to stretch into a 6-3 lead.

Littler’s finishing was from polished, however, and Wade restored parity at 6-6 and then 7-7 despite his average being about 10 points down on his opponent.

Wade missed a shot at the bullseye to win the 15th leg and Littler stepped in with a 116 checkout that raised the roof.

It was to prove decisive as Littler pulled away to get across the finishing line without being at his brilliant best.

Littler had earlier overcome double trouble to deny Josh Rock his first major final appearance.

The world number one missed 16 darts in a row at a double and trailed 5-1 in the semi-final before digging deep to prevail 11-9.

Littler recovered from 9-7 down to maintain his flawless record against Rock, which now extends to seven matches.

Gerwyn Price’s bid for a first UK Open title was ended by Wade in the last four.

Wade took control by winning six successive legs to lead 9-5 and went on to win 11-8, hitting 11 180s to average 105.53.

The Minnesota Vikings will begin signing new players next week, along with retaining ones they want back from the 2025 squad. At the top of the ticket, this process will have massive implications for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who watched in late January as the man who drafted him was fired.

Minnesota’s free agency decisions could quickly change McCarthy’s role this spring.

In short, McCarthy will better understand whether he’s on the brink of a summer quarterback competition or the new QB2 for the Vikings.

Why Minnesota’s Next QB Move Matters So Much for McCarthy

Entering Year No. 3, the stakes couldn’t be higher this week for McCarthy.

A Demoted Youngster?

All the momentum right now points to Kyler Murray signing with the Vikings. Minnesota is the betting market frontrunner; Murray grew up as an unabashed Vikings fan; and the Vikings’ leaders have stated their primary goal this offseason is to build a deep quarterback room.

Regarding McCarthy, the (eventual?) Murray signing will represent an instant demotion. The team’s leaders may try to sell the general public on a “quarterback battle” between McCarthy and Murray, but your 89-year-old grandma, who doesn’t watch sports, knows who will win that competition.

The acquisition of Murray (or someone like Aaron Rodgers) puts McCarthy on the back burner — a rough spot to bounce back from, historically speaking, at least with the same franchise.

A 2025 Colts-Like Battle on the Way?

Let’s pretend the Vikings sign Geno Smith or Jimmy Garoppolo. Well, that’s a different story. It would be “game on” for McCarthy, who faces a realistic chance of slaying either combatant in Eagan this summer. The non-Murray and non-Rodgers tier of quarterback options would set up a true competition, which McCarthy probably should have faced last summer. Instead, McCarthy “duked it out” with Sam Howell, a trainwreck that was later traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

If McCarthy wants to keep his QB1 job — he probably does — he basically has to cheer for a signing not named Kyler Murray or Aaron Rodgers.

McCarthy can, in theory, take down Smith or Garoppolo at training camp if he has worked on his mechanics all offseason.

League Seems to Think Kyler Murray Is on the Way

Murray to Minneapolis has gained steam in recent days since the Cardinals dropped him.

For example, NFL reporter Connor Hughes tweeted, “The Jets might not target just one quarterback in free agency. Belief from agents who met with them at the NFL Combine is that they prefer to add two — if they can. It’s similar to what the Giants did a year ago (Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston). Kyler Murray was discussed, but he is expected to sign with the Vikings, per sources.”

“No Kirk Cousins, but watch Geno Smith & Carson Wentz. There is interest there. Jacoby Brissett, too, if Cardinals can be convinced to part. Was told that’s “doubtful,” with Jimmy Garoppolo expected to stay in LA. JG signing with the Cardinals would change that. Wentz might surprise some, because of the notion Frank Reich/Wentz relationship fell apart in Indianapolis. From my understanding, that was more GM/owner, not coach. The two remain very close.”

Many are acting like Murray-MIN is a done deal. If so, McCarthy will have an awkward spring and summer.

Our Brevan Bane wrote this week, “After what we saw from McCarthy, and not doing any projecting, every single option can at least compete with McCarthy, if not beat him, for the starting job. It’s not to say that he can’t get better; he probably will. However, you have to put yourself in the shoes of Kevin O’Connell.”

“Is he going to triple down on McCarthy? He tied his job to the QB when he approved drafting him in 2024. His commitment was doubled down in 2025 when Sam Darnold walked. Now, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is gone and O’Connell is likely on the hot seat. If you’re KOC, are you pushing all your chips in on McCarthy taking a major leap? Or are you taking the more likely option that Kyler Murray absolutely electrifies U.S. Bank Stadium?”

Probably Sticking Around No Matter What

The refreshing part for McCarthy is that outside of a trade for Joe Burow, for example, he’s not going anywhere. The Vikings have no reason to quit on McCarthy. He’s affordable, and he still has ample upside.

The fact of the matter is that Murray will likely sign with the Vikings, leaving McCarthy as the QB2 in 2026.

If Murray gets hurt, McCarthy would have his chance to reemerge and shine.

A masked fan unplugged a video assistant referee (VAR) monitor in a German second division match on Sunday as the referee was went to the pitchside screen to check a penalty award.

The incident occurred at the end of the first half of Preussen Munster’s 2-1 home defeat by Hertha Berlin in Bundesliga 2.

VAR had intervened and referee Felix Bickel was asked to review the incident on a pitchside monitor, but found the screen blank.

“A masked spectator from the active fan section illegally entered the pitch and unplugged the technical equipment,” Preussen Munster said in a statement., external

With Bickel unable to make the call, the decision was left to the VAR official Katrin Rafalski in Cologne, ruling that it was a foul and for Bickel to award a penalty, which Hertha scored.

“Preussen Munster regrets the incident and will do everything in its power to identify and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice,” the club added,

“Furthermore, immediate measures have been taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. Initial findings indicate that this was a planned action – a banner to that effect was displayed in the home section shortly after the technical malfunction.”

German media reported that a banner reading “Pull the plug on VAR” was displayed.

There was no shortage of drama during the major women’s basketball conference tournaments. With some serious NCAA Tournament implications on the line, many teams showed up when it mattered the most — while some completely crumbled.

Upsets, overtime and unexpected heroes are what March is all about. We saw a little bit of everything this week. To catch you up, here are some of the biggest winners and losers from Champ Week:

Winner: The auto bids

This is Champ Week, so the first thing we need to do is acknowledge the champions! In the four major conferences, we saw two No. 1 seeds triumph — Duke in the ACC tournament and UCLA in the Big Ten — and minor upsets, as No. 3 Texas beat No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC final and No. 2 West Virginia took down No. 1 TCU 62-53 to claim its first Big 12 championship since 2017.

But Duke, Texas, UCLA and West Virginia were all safely into the Big Dance no matter what. They’ll take the auto-bid, but they didn’t need it. This week is fun because you get to see the winners of smaller conferences officially punch their tickets.

Many conference tournaments are still ongoing, so we don’t have a full list of champions yet, but here’s who we can celebrate: Samford upset favorites Chattanooga 72-67 to capture the SoCon championship and make it to its first NCAA tournament since 2012; Rhode Island booked its ticket to the Big Dance for the first time since 1996 with a 53-51 win over George Mason in the Atlantic 10 title game; South Dakota State beat North Dakota State 64-51 to capture the Summit League Championship; and the Western Illinois Leathernecks got in thanks to a 71-65 victory over Lindenwood in the Ohio Valley. — Lindsay Gibbs

Loser: One-and-done bubble teams

None of the bubble teams went on big runs in the conference tournaments, but it was disappointing to see so many show up and fail to even win a game in their conference tournaments. Stanford fell flat in overtime of the first round of the ACC tournament against a very beatable Miami team, 83-76, and is now likely to miss its second NCAA tournament in a row. 

Virginia had a bye to the second round of the ACC tournament, where it faced another bubble team in Clemson, and it only scored 50 points in the loss. CBS Sports bracketologist Connor Groel says they still have a shot at making the tournament, but there’s no breathing room. 

In the SEC tournament, Texas A&M ended a five-game winning streak and one of the most surprising late-season pushes for an at-large bid in history, with an inexcusable 50-49 loss to Auburn in the first round, while Mississippi State was similarly disappointing in an 86-68 loss to Florida. In the Big 12, Utah laid an egg in its first tournament game, falling listlessly to BYU, 70-52. — Lindsay Gibbs

Winner: The battle for the No. 1 overall seed 

The chase for the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament has been pretty boring this season – last year’s Final Four teams of UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Texas have been in the top four spots in the AP top 25 from start to finish. Vanderbilt did put legitimate pressure on Texas to get that fourth No. 1 spot in February, but when the Commodores lost to Ole Miss in the SEC quarterfinals, all drama was gone. Or was it?

While we know which four teams get a top seed, the jockeying for position among said top seeds got more interesting on Sunday. By capping off its undefeated Big Ten regular season with a dominant run to the Big Ten tournament title, including a historic 51-point win in the final over Iowa, UCLA built a legitimate case to get the No.1 overall seed instead of UConn, even though the Huskies didn’t lose any games this year. And by beating South Carolina in the SEC title game, Texas made a case for getting the third No. 1 seed, which would mean it could play its Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in Fort Worth instead of Sacramento. — Lindsay Gibbs

Loser: Big Ten hosts 

In last Tuesday’s bracketology, CBS Sports had four Big Ten teams on the coveted No. 4 seed line: Michigan State, Maryland, Ohio State and Minnesota. Well, those teams went a combined 2-3 in the Big Ten tournament. Both Maryland and Michigan State were upset in the second round — Maryland fell to Oregon, 73-68, while Michigan State was stunned by Illinois, 71-69.

Ohio State was the only one of those four teams to get a single win in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes beat Indiana in the second round, 83-59, then took care of Minnesota 60-55 before falling to UCLA in the semis. So, Ohio State should feel safe about hosting in the NCAA tournament and Groel believes Minnesota will be safe, too. But Maryland’s hosting spot is hanging by a thread and Michigan State’s spot is likely long gone.

Of course, these losses were good news for teams in other conferences looking to steal a No. 4 seed, especially North Carolina and West Virginia. — Lindsay Gibbs

Winner: Vic Schaefer 

The Longhorns joined the SEC in 2024 and has already become one of the top teams in the conference. They earned their first ever SEC Tournament trophy with a 78-61 win over South Carolina and likely also locked in a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

Vic Schaefer has now won SEC Tournaments with two different teams, as he also guided Mississippi State to a trophy in 2019. Prior to this win, Schaefer was 0-8 against Dawn Staley in postseason meetings.

The Longhorns came out with a punch and set the tone with a 14-0 run. They made sure Schaefer’s jacket stayed on the whole game by taking care of business on both sides of the court. Madison Booker led the team with 18 points, but the team as a whole shot 54% from the field. They also held South Carolina to one of their lowest scoring games this season.

Schaefer called out the team for being soft and having no heart after a loss to Vanderbilt on Feb. 12. Tough words to hear, but the Longhorns have gone on an eight-game winning streak since then.  — Isabel Gonzalez

Loser: Tennessee’s postseason pride

The Lady Vols failed to win an SEC Tournament game for the first time since 2017 with a loss to Alabama on Thursday. Star Talaysia Cooper only played 12 minutes, with Kim Caldwell saying it was a coach’s decision. 

“Who knows if it was the right call? We’re trying to find combinations that work,” Caldwell said. 

That was Tennessee’s seventh consecutive loss, but the issues go beyond the court. Earlier in the week, senior Kaiya Wynn announced she had left the program. Despite the chaos, the Lady Vols did enough earlier in the season to guarantee themselves an at-large bid, per Groel. Tennessee is not the powerhouse it once was, but athletic director Danny White said he has a lot of confidence in Caldwell turning things around. — Isabel Gonzalez

Winner: Ole Miss’s swagger

The Rebels wrapped up the regular season by losing six of their last eight games, but coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s teams are always ready to play in March. Ole Miss’ semifinal run included an 89-78 upset over Vanderbilt.

The first half was particularly impressive as the Rebels dominated on both sides of the court and entered the break with a 49-17 lead, which was the largest halftime lead in an SEC Tournament game since 1998. The Commodores were the heavy favorite to win the game despite Ole Miss beating them during the regular season. The quarterfinal win, Coach Yo said, should be a confidence-booster for her team.

“And I told them before the game, ‘Don’t be shocked if we’re up by a lot. 
Like, we already did this before, and it’s not a fluke. We’re legit, guys. All right?’” Yo said. “But sometimes my team’s still in shock, and that’s the humility. But right now, I think in this point in the season, we’ve got to forget the humility. 
We can be humble, but we gotta be confident.”  — Isabel Gonzalez

Loser: Baylor’s toughness

The Bears fell 62-53 to Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals, which showed Nicki Collen that her team has some work to do ahead of the NCAA Tournament. She was not happy with the shot selection and said her team missed defensive assignments early.

“We have to be tougher,” the coach said. “We got to be connected. We got to talk and we got to stop talking and start doing.”

Prior to the loss, Baylor had an 11-game winning streak against the Buffaloes. Collen said she hopes the loss wakes up her team against of the Big Dance. The Bears have been up and down since Feb. 1 with a 5-5 record. Overall, they have struggled against top competitors going just 2-6 against AP Top 25 teams.  — Isabel Gonzalez

Winner: Arizona State’s resume

The Wildcats played their way into a Last Four In spot in the latest CBS Sports bracketology update with a 77-68 victory over Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals. That win was a great way to redeem themselves after a 26-point loss to the Cyclones on Feb. 18.

This is Molly Miller’s first season at the helm of the program, and the Wildcats have already seen a lot of success. Their 15-0 start was the best in program history and the 22 regular-season wins are the most for a first-year coach. Even more impressive is the fact that the Sun Devils’ starting five is entirely made up of transfers. 

“Arizona State has a 6-2 record in Quad 2 games and wins against all the Big 12 teams around the bubble except for BYU,” Groel wrote in his latest bracketology update. “It also has the WAB ranking of a team that should be just inside the field. That’s where I have them, as the last team in.” — Isabel Gonzalez

Loser: NC State

NC State was the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament, meaning it got a double bye into the quarterfinals. But the Wolfpack left Duluth winless after falling 81-63 to Notre Dame on Friday. Now, losing to the Fighting Hannah Hidalgos isn’t shameful in and of itself, but it was how the Wolfpack lost that put them in this category. They looked disjointed, flat-footed and passionless.

In the preseason, the Wolfpack were picked to finish second in the conference. (And some so-called experts might have picked them to win the ACC outright.) That’s because there is talent on the team — too much talent for them to be as mediocre as they are in the big moments. There are no real consequences for losing this game — the Wolfpack should still be a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament, per Groel. But they had a chance to gain some momentum and instead did the opposite.

“Just got our butts kicked,” NC State head coach Wes Moore said after the game, before echoing a line he’s repeated after every loss this season. “Again, I’ve got to look in the mirror. I’ve got to do a better job of getting the team prepared and demanding effort and competitiveness.” — Lindsay Gibbs

Winner: Riley Nelson

Duke and Louisville were at the top of the ACC most of the past couple of months, so it was a surprise when they both lost two of their last three games to end the regular season. But the top two seeds righted the ship in the postseason and made it to the ACC championship game, where they played a hotly contested back-and-forth thriller that went to overtime before Duke ultimately pulled away, 70-65.

There were a lot of standout performances from Duke, including tournament MVP Taina Mair, who had 19 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals, and Delaney Thomas, who added 19 points and nine boards. But it was sophomore Riley Nelson who impressed the most. She didn’t play at all last season, so came in without the same tournament experience as many of her teammates. But she hit two of the biggest shots of the game — a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left in regulation to give the Blue Devils the lead 58-57 and the game-sealing dagger of a 3-pointer with six seconds left in overtime. If she can keep spacing the floor and stepping up in clutch moments, Duke is going to be hard to stop all month long. — Lindsay Gibbs