Sports
Winter Olympics 2026: Samba in Stelvio snow, penis injections and British glory
The sight of Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen celebrating his country’s first Winter Olympic gold medal by dancing a samba on the Stelvio snow was all it took to emphasise the success of the far-flung Milan and Cortina Games.
Ambitiously staged in so many different locations, they will serve as a blueprint for future editions – starting with the French Alps in four years’ time – for how to host a Games without losing its essential snow-bound setting.
Moreover, with Braathen’s win and Great Britain’s belated emergence as a bona-fide snow sports nation, the Games showed how far they have evolved from the era of upturned Jamaican bobsleds, hapless Kenyan skiers and a certain ski-jumper with fogged-up glasses.
In short, they illustrated why proposals to include more summer sports in the Winter Games programme – an option being investigated by an International Olympic Committee working group – are flawed and unnecessary.
As a global sporting spectacle, the Winter Olympics are undeniably unique, and those who pine for a programme packed with high-octane, jeopardy-filled, elite-level snow and ice sports got their answer in Milan and Cortina.
Purists called Lillehammer in 1994 the last great Winter Games, before its increasing size and skyrocketing commercial interests made small alpine settings unworkable, sending it to a slew of relatively sultry city bases like Vancouver, Sochi and Beijing.
In 2026, the Winter Olympics went back to the future. Livigno, piled with snow and accessible only via precarious alpine passes, and Bormio, with its winding, ice-streaked cobbled streets, felt like a throwback to a less corporate time.
Yet the sport itself remained unaffected by logistical issues. Superstars like Eileen Gu and Chloe Kim revelled in the wintry conditions, while NHL stars brightened up the grey skies that lumbered over Milan by returning for the first time in 12 years.
As usual, the Winter Games also revelled in an off-beat array of news stories, topped with allegations that ski jumpers were using penis injections in order to fly higher, and Norwegian Sturla Holm Laegreid’s tearful post-medal admission that he had cheated on his girlfriend.
Celebrities were also out in force, with Jake Paul in Milan to cheer Dutch fiancee Jutta Leerdam to speed skating gold, Snoop Dogg as ubiquitous as ever as a roving correspondent for NBC, and Flavor Flav in town as chief cheerleader of the United States bobsleigh team.
It was a historic Games for Team GB, which might have scraped into its broad medal target of four to eight, but did so with three golds, two of which came within hours of each other on an inevitably entitled ‘Super Sunday’.
Matt Weston became the first British Winter Olympian to win two medals at the same Games – and two golds – in skeleton, while Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale combined for a scarcely fathomable mixed snowboard-cross gold on an exhilarating afternoon in Livigno.
It was only in the context of those remarkable highs that there was a touch of disappointment about the final weekend’s haul, Bruce Mouat’s curlers falling short against Canada, and Zoe Atkin landing freestyle bronze after leading in qualifying.
There were plenty of what-might-have-beens, not least a record five fourth places, including two for Aberdeen freestyle skier Kirsty Muir, and Mia Brookes, who crashed and burned in slopestyle but felt all the better for having given it a shot.
They might have left Italy medal-less, but Muir and Brookes epitomise the exciting, gung-ho approach with which kids will take to the indoor slopes and snow-domes in the wake of their sport’s fleeing, quadrennial moment in the spotlight.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, is the message Milan and Cortina ought to have rammed home to the IOC.
Just give us snow, and never mind sambas: the Winter Games deserves to continue dancing to its own, uniquely exhilarating beat.
PSG and Liverpool will face each other in the Champions League for the second consecutive year, this time in the quarter-finals. After being defeated 1-0 by Galatasaray in the first leg, the Reds completely turned the situation around in the return leg, winning 4-0. This gives them the chance to take revenge on the French side, who knocked them out on penalties last year in the round of 16.
In other results of the evening, Barcelona crushed Newcastle 7-2 to secure their spot in the quarter-finals, while Bayern Munich, once again victorious over Atalanta, will meet Real Madrid in the next round.
Stripped of their African champion title by the CAF on Tuesday, Senegal say they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Meanwhile, outrage is spreading across the country.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal, another milestone for the 38-year-old legend.
Tom Charlton, a competing trainer, yields that if Autumn Glow rocks up to Rosehill in excellent order, the George Ryder Stakes will likely boil down to chasing the supporting positions.
He’s far less certain about a repeat in the Doncaster Mile (1600m) were the glamour mare to target it subsequent to Saturday.
Both Linebacker and Yorkshire, under Charlton’s guidance, face the Group 1 this coming weekend carrying 2kg more than Autumn Glow on the weight-for-age conditions.
Charlton points out this setup favors the Chris Waller superstar heavily as she chases win number 11 in a row, with her standard performances possibly relegating rivals to a battle for the minors.
“I can’t be definitive with that, but if she’s on her normal game, it probably is,” Charlton said.
“As we know with horses, that’s not always the case, but we’re realistic about the challenge at set weights.
“Perhaps if we meet her in the Doncaster we might have more favourable conditions to give us our best chance of beating her.”
For the Doncaster Mile (1600m) in a month’s time, Linebacker and Yorkshire weigh in at 53kg against Autumn Glow’s allotted 56.5kg, delivering a substantial 6.5kg benefit.
The marquee race represents the primary path ahead for both runners, as Charlton hopes Linebacker repeats his near-miss, beaten 1-1/2 lengths by Joliestar when resuming over 1300m in the Canterbury Stakes.
“He didn’t jump as well as he can. He ended up a bit further back in what was a dash home,” Charlton said.
“But all-in-all, it was a very good run. A run with a lot of merit and if he’d got the first hundred metres a bit more clinical, he would have been right in the finish.
“We want to see a similar run second-up. Top three would be great.”
Yorkshire shaped nicely too with fifth place in that sprint, tracking the pace effectively amid recovery from a preseason knockback that delayed his seasonal bow by a week.
“To see him put in that effort and only be beaten a couple of lengths was really creditable,” Charlton said.
“Again, we want to see another strong performance and then third-up into the Doncaster.”
Entries list Linebacker and Yorkshire under Charlton’s sole name Saturday, subsequent to John O’Shea’s four-month ban imposed Tuesday by Racing NSW for misconduct with vets after the disputed removal of Bev’s Nine at Rosehill last month.
O’Shea aims to fight the decision and secure an interim suspension lift.
Visit online bookmakers to find the best betting markets for the race in the George Ryder Stakes.
Head Coach Eric Chelle has included captain Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman in a 23-man squad for Nigeria’s international friendly matches against Iran national football team and Jordan national football team.
The matches, originally planned for Amman in Jordan, will now be played in Antalya, Turkey due to security concerns in the Middle East.
Nigeria will face Iran on March 27 before taking on Jordan on March 31, both in Antalya.
Chelle has also invited goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defender Semi Ajayi, midfielder Frank Onyeka, and forwards Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams and Paul Onuachu.
There are first-time call-ups for defender Emmanuel Fernandez and forwards Philip Otele and Yira Collins Sor, while goalkeeper Adebayo Adeleye returns to the squad.
Full Squad:
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye; Adebayo Adeleye; Francis Uzoho
Defenders: Calvin Bassey; Semi Ajayi; Bright Osayi-Samuel; Bruno Onyemaechi; Zaidu Sanusi; Igoh Ogbu; Emmanuel Fernandez
Midfielders: Alex Iwobi; Frank Onyeka; Wilfred Ndidi; Raphael Onyedika; Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Forwards: Ademola Lookman; Samuel Chukwueze; Moses Simon; Chidera Ejuke; Paul Onuachu; Akor Adams; Philip Otele; Yira Collins Sor
The upcoming Ranvet Stakes is shaping as a direct confrontation featuring Aeliana versus Sir Delius, whose handler Adrian Bott is optimistic the three-week turnaround will peak him perfectly.
Last season’s ATC Australian Derby hero leads the market for the Saturday 2000m showdown, yet Sir Delius holds firm at $3.30 as the outright next-best and only authentic rival in sight.
Favourite for spring majors like the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, the Tulloch Lodge gelding endured a divisive withdrawal from Victorian spring riches due to botched compulsory veterinary clearance.
Breaking a near five-month absence with third behind Autumn Glow and Aeliana in February 28’s Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m), Bott confirmed marked progress post that effort.
“Three weeks, it has been that real sweet spot to get him to where we need him to be stepping out to 2000,” Bott said.
“He is out to his right trip now, and he has shown the necessary improvement. I’m ready to see him bounce back.”
Bott appreciates the magnitude of Sir Delius’s assignment opposite Aeliana, who dazzled in both preparatory outings this preparation.
She placed second to Autumn Glow in the preceding Apollo Stakes (1400m) before Verry Elleegant and now looks to overturn a heartbreakingly close defeat to Broadsiding in the prior year’s Rosehill Guineas (2000m).
Sir Delius demands a revival of his Group 1 Underwood and Turnbull Stakes conquests from spring to threaten Aeliana, according to Bott.
“The mare was very sharp last start, and she has been excellent this campaign,” he said.
“We’re going to need to recapture that spring form to be getting to that point of beating her, but I do feel he’s on his way there.”
Alalcance, from the same barn, is dual-nominated for the Ranvet Stakes (2000m) alongside the Manion Cup (2000m) support act.
With Campaldino earmarked for the Manion representation, Bott eyes the tight Ranvet peloton as prime for the mare’s Group 1 podium push and black-type boost.
“A smaller field at weight-for-age level, it might be a chance for her to try to improve her value with some black type, and she is very good around that 2000 metres,” he said.
Compare online bookmakers for the keenest Ranvet Stakes prices.
Vikings Territory Breakdown
It’s the offseason in the NFL, where speculation trickles down from the sky (or internet) and lands like so much wet, March snow, becoming frozen and as slippery a slope as any Purple prediction. It often means little and is gone in a trifling, yet sometimes that speculation holds and the Vikings get their guy.
Well, this offseason it did hold and Kyler Murray is a Viking—as nearly every podcaster with a microphone predicted. He was signed last week a one-year deal worth the league minimum (because he is getting paid $36 million by his former team, the Arizona Cardinals).
So, what does Murray’s contract mean—one season costing $1.3 million for a 7-year veteran quarterback? Is it a one-year prove it deal? Or is it a rent-a-quarterback until JJ McCarthy gets ready? Will there be a real competition at the position? Or, as some folks online have suggested, the Vikings should trade JJ and make Murray the QBOTF?
All interesting questions that the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com, and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com—will ponder for you. Because we don’t have the answers yet; it’s the season of speculation. So, tune in and check out the latest prognostications. Skol!
Listen here or on your favorite podcast network.
Sports
Senegal stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title: CAF ruling sets a ‘very dangerous’ precedent
Lionel Messi was called up Wednesday for a March 31 friendly match against Guatemala as Argentina gears up to defend its title in the World Cup.
The game at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires was arranged after the Finalissima between Argentina and Spain on March 27 in Qatar was called off because of the conflict in the Middle East.
Coach Lionel Scaloni left out striker Lautaro Martinez, defender Lisandro Martinez, and midfielder Giovani Lo Celso because of physical problems.
Martinez (left calf strain) has been cleared to play but has yet to return for Inter Milan. Jose Manuel Lopez of Palmeiras in Brazil was called up in his place.
Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez is unavailable due to physical discomfort. Lo Celso of Real Betis is recovering from a muscle tear.
Estudiantes de La Plata defender Tomas Palacios and Racing Club full-back Gabriel Rojas received their first senior national team call-ups.
Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was called up despite being embroiled in controversy over alleged racist remarks to Vinicius Junior during a Champions League match.
Three-time champion Argentina is in a group with Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Mar 19 2026 | 12:23 PM IST
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Flau’jae Johnson’s career stands out not only for her on-court accomplishments but for defying the transfer-heavy landscape of the modern NIL era in college sports.
More than four years ago, Johnson committed to LSU. Fast-forward to 2026, and she’s never left the school where she first enrolled. Her ties to the Southeastern Conference powerhouse run so deep she buried her beloved pet, a bearded dragon named Four in a nod to her jersey number, on the Baton Rouge campus.
On Friday, Johnson will take the court for the final time in a Tigers’ jersey as she concludes her prolific college basketball career.
But when LSU tips off against 15th-seeded Jacksonville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Johnson’s other bearded dragon, Champ, will be with her — in spirit at the very least.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Flau’jae Johnson and the LSU Tigers take on the Tennessee Lady Vols Feb. 26, 2026, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La. (Scott Clause/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Most of Johnson’s teammates would likely prefer to avoid the reptile. But LSU guard Izzy Besselman, a close friend of Johnson, has been tricked into opening a basket she thought was empty but actually contained the bearded dragon.
Johnson is contemplating bringing Champ to the gym for practice sessions, noting some of her teammates bring along their dogs.
LSU STAR FLAU’JAE JOHNSON SAYS UNRIVALED LEAGUE ‘CHANGING THE GAME’ AS SHE JOINS IN NIL PARTNERSHIP
Nevertheless, with her final run on the horizon, Johnson said she’s embracing the challenge ahead, no matter how far LSU advances.
“March is always a good month,” she told reporters during the SEC Tournament. “I love March. The thing is, this is when everyone’s the most focused, and you just got to rely on your work.”
Johnson, who is also a recording artist and is signed to Roc Nation, has a morning routine that includes watching game film with her coach and fitting in workouts outside team practices. Several brands have also partnered with Johnson, and she makes time to fulfill commitments associated with those deals.
Besselman noted Johnson’s ability to bring out the best in her teammates.
“Seeing how hard she works motivates me and everybody else in this locker room,” Besselman told Yahoo Sports. “It’s a good person to look up to.”
Flau’jae Johnson of the LSU Tigers in action against the Tulane Green Wave at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La., Nov. 20, 2024. (Reagan Cotten/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
Johnson’s coach, Kim Mulkey, is known for her “tough love” approach, a style that has produced results with three national titles at Baylor and another at LSU. Johnson said Mulkey helped shape her into a more efficient and ultimately better player.
“It could be easier to go into the transfer portal, go to a team with a terrible record and average 30,” Johnson said. “I could do that. I did that in high school. You know what I’m saying? College is not much different.
“But I want to play with All-Americans. I want to play with a tough coach who won championships. I want to play with people so I can learn how to be efficient. I want to play in positions where it’s not favorable for me and still come out on top. For me, it’s more so, I like to do the hard stuff.”
LSU Tigers women’s basketball player Flau’jae Johnson speaks during “The Money Game” world premiere at Pete Maravich Assembly Center Sept. 4, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. (LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
Johnson is on track to compete in Unrivaled as soon as next year after already signing an NIL deal with the women’s 3-on-3 league.
Mulkey said she believes Johnson is one of the best athletes to have played at LSU in part because of her philanthropy, but also for what she did for the program’s trajectory.
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“She took a chance on LSU when what did we have to sell?” Mulkey said on senior night. “We just got here, and she was the first McDonald’s All-American that I signed at LSU. The story on Flau’jae will be all those things I just mentioned, but the greatest story of all to me is she stayed four years at LSU and will graduate.
“When you think of college athletics now, people don’t do it anymore. And she loves LSU, and, in return, LSU embraced her and loved her back.”
LSU earned a No. 2 seed in this year’s women’s basketball Division I tournament. The Tigers will play in the Sacramento regional.
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Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali
Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali went off injured against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, eight days before Italy starts its World Cup qualifying playoffs bracket.
Tonali appeared to hurt his left thigh chasing back to defend Fermin Lopez and put the ball out for a corner.
It was 4-2 at the time early in the second half, and Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski scored a header from the corner to all but guarantee the Spanish champion will advance to the quarterfinals. Barcelona was soon leading 6-2 at Camp Nou after the teams drew 1-1 in Newcastle last week.
Tonali has been an expected starter for Italy as the four-time champion aims to play at a World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Italy hosts Northern Ireland on March 26 at Atalanta’s stadium in Bergamo and the winner will travel to face either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina five days later.
The playoff bracket winner will enter a World Cup group with co-host Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Mar 19 2026 | 11:13 AM IST
One March, when I was in middle school, I raced to the school bus and pulled out my cellphone. It was March Madness, and instead of being able to sit at home and watch basketball all day, I had been forced to go to school. The horror!
This was before smart phones, of course. I knew even spending a minute or two trying to fetch the Internet on this now-archaic flip phone would cost a bazillion dollars … and that I would barely be able to decipher the scores on the tiny screen displaying a not-mobile-friendly website … and that my parents would question why they had a huge charge on the phone bill. But I couldn’t resist. I was hooked. How was my bracket doing? I had to know. Sorry, mom and dad.
Fast forward to 2025, and all of that obsessing paid off. I won’t lie: Last year’s bracket was … really good. I got multiple “thank you” messages from people who had won bracket pools by copying it, and that filled me with as much joy as me winning my own bracket pools. OK, not really. But it did mean a lot.
Years like last year only come around every once in a while. I have been watching a ton of college hoops for years. I have never done as well as I did last year. I might never do as well as I did last year. Think of everything that has to go right in a bracket. Florida had to pull off so many comebacks last year. If one of those comebacks doesn’t happen, my bracket stinks. Same for Derik Queen’s buzzer beater, Duke’s stunning collapse against Houston, etc. etc. etc.
Basically, you can do all the work and still get it wrong. That’s March Madness. That’s basketball. That’s life.
But the work still matters. Watching a lifetime-high amount of college basketball last year did help. So did all the research. I watched a ton of games, consulted a bunch of websites and learned from my excellent colleagues at CBS Sports, who have done a tremendous job this year. Luck, they say, is when preparation meets opportunity.
Then comes the hard part: Actually making the picks. There are so many things to consider, but at the end of the day, you have to chose one victor, over and over again. Somewhere along the way, I started doing 63 picks in 63 sentences. Boil it down and pick a winner.
I haven’t watched as much college basketball this year — I’m now an NFL writer here at CBS Sports — but I’ve still watched a lot. I still have my principles: Good guards win in March, experience matters, versatility is crucial, yada yada yada.
So let’s give it another spin: 63 picks, 63 sentences. Let’s make middle-school me proud again.
Fill out your brackets now and enter them into our Bracket Challenge for your chance to win a dream trip to the 2027 Final FourⓇ.
Imagn Images
First round
East
- (1) Duke over (16) Siena: Duke’s injuries worry me, but not yet.
- (8) Ohio State over (9) TCU: Bruce Thornton is finally in the NCAA Tournament in his fourth season with the Buckeyes, and he’ll make it count.
- (5) St. John’s over (12) Northern Iowa: The Panthers will make it tough with their slow pace, but Zuby Ejiofor will be too much to handle.
- (4) Kansas over (13) Cal Baptist: The Jayhawks are the hardest No. 4 seed to project given Darryn Peterson’s stop-and-start year and the team-wide inconsistency, too.
- (6) Louisville over (11) South Florida: I was really high on the Cardinals entering the season, but they haven’t come close to being the sum of their parts; I’ll take them here, though, thanks to Ryan Conwell.
- (3) Michigan State over (14) North Dakota State: The Spartans are too big, too tough and too athletic.
- (7) UCLA over (10) UCF: The Bruins’ guards lead the way here.
- (2) UConn over (15) Furman: The Paladins have pulled upsets before, but it won’t happen here.
West
Midwest
South
- (1) Florida over (16) Prairie View A&M: The Gators looked tremendous entering the SEC Tournament, and they’ll regain their form.
- (8) Clemson over (9) Iowa: It pains me to see Bennett Stirtz go out this way, but there’s just not enough around him.
- (5) Vanderbilt over (12) McNeese: Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles form a tremendous backcourt, and Mark Byington can coach with anyone.
- (4) Nebraska over (13) Troy: The Huskers get their first-ever NCAA Tournament win.
- (11) VCU over (6) North Carolina: VCU was one of the most memorable Cinderellas in 2011, and 15 years later, the Rams pull another upset.
- (3) Illinois over (14) Penn: The Illini had some bumps down the stretch, but there’s way too much talent for them to fall short here.
- (10) Texas A&M over (7) Saint Mary’s: Prepare for Bucky Ball: Bucky McMillan’s Aggies will run and run and run.
- (2) Houston over (15) Idaho: These aren’t Kelvin Sampson’s best Cougars, but his guards are excellent.
Imagn Images
Second round
East
- (1) Duke over (8) Ohio State: Cameron Boozer can carry the Blue Devils when needed, and he does so here.
- (4) Kansas over (5) St. John’s: Ejiofor against Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Flory Bidunga will be must-watch stuff.
- (3) Michigan State over (6) Louisville: The Spartans dominate the glass, and their athleticism is off the charts.
- (2) UConn over (7) UCLA: Dan Hurley will have his troops ready to go, and Tarris Reed Jr. will have a big game.
West
- (1) Arizona over (9) Utah State: Montiejus Krivacs and the Wildcats are too big and too skilled.
- (4) Arkansas over (5) Wisconsin: I’m trusting — against my normal judgment — youing guards, but Acuff just plays so far beyond his years.
- (3) Gonzaga over (6) BYU: I’d feel way more confident if Braden Huff could be back, but for now, I’ll trust Ike to make up the difference.
- (2) Purdue over (10) Missouri: I heavily considered the Tigers here, but ultimately I couldn’t get there due to the turnover issues.
Midwest
- (1) Michigan over (8) Georgia: The Bulldgos just don’t have the “dogs” up front to hang with Aday Mara, Morez Johnson and Yaxel Lendeborg.
- (5) Texas Tech over (4) Alabama: Anderson is one of my favorite players in the sport, and Grant McCasland does a terrific job.
- (3) Virginia over (6) Tennessee: I was encouraged by Virginia’s showing in the ACC Tournament; guard Malik Thomas is a guy who can lift the ‘Hoos from a Tournament team to a second-weekend team, and he played well in Charlotte.
- (2) Iowa State over (7) Kentucky: Get to know Joshua Jefferson, one of the least-appreciated stars nationally.
South
- (1) Florida over (8) Clemson: Thomas Haugh was a big reason I took the Gators to win it all last year, and he’ll be a big reason they march onto the Sweet 16.
- (5) Vanderbilt over (4) Nebraska: The Huskers struggled down the stretch, while the Commodores surged.
- (3) Illinois over (11) VCU: Kylan Boswell and Keaton Wagler will lead the way in what should be a really fun contest.
- (2) Houston over (10) Texas A&M: Kingston Flemings might get the most praise, but Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp are the heartbeat here.
Getty Images
Sweet 16
East
- (1) Duke over (4) Kansas: Since Valentine’s Day, the Jayhawks are 1-4 away from home against NCAA Tournament teams, and here, they struggle again facing Duke’s excellent defense.
- (2) UConn over (3) Michigan State: The Huskies at their best are among the very elite in the sport, while the Spartans, even at their best, are just a half-step below.
West
- (1) Arizona over (4) Arkansas: The Wildcats have so much defensive ability and length, and they’ll be able to limit Acuff enough.
- (2) Purdue over (3) Gonzaga: I don’t have a ton of trust in either of their teams, but I’m going with the experienced big three of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff as my fallback decider.
Midwest
- (1) Michigan over (5) Texas Tech: The Wolverines will dominate up front.
- (2) Iowa State over (3) Virginia: The Cyclones simply have too many options and can space the floor with Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic in an effort to limit the Cavaliers’ excellent rim protection.
South
- (1) Florida over (5) Vanderbilt: In a rematch of the SEC Tournament semifinal, the Gators get revenge.
- (3) Illinois over (2) Houston: Finally, Brad Underwood wins a big, big NCAA Tournament game.
Elite Eight
East
- (1) Duke over (2) UConn: Keep an eye on Isaiah Evans throughout this tournament; the deadeye shooter takes Duke to another level when he’s on.
West
- (1) Arizona over (2) Purdue: I’ve gotten this deep and I still haven’t mentioned Jaden Bradley, the outstanding guard who will prove the difference here; Arizona’s massive size helps, too.
Midwest
- (2) Iowa State over (1) Michigan: The Wolverines were my title pick until LJ Cason tore his ACL, and his absence will be felt here against the relentless Cyclones.
South
- (1) Florida over (2) Houston: The Gators make back-to-back Final Fours, and their efficient offense takes advantage of a Houston defense that isn’t quite as good as recent Cougars teams have had.
Final Four
- (1) Florida over (2) UConn: In a rematch from last year’s second-round thriller, the Gators prevail again.
- (1) Arizona over (2) Iowa State: Again, it’s too much size, too much skill and too many options for the Wildcats.
Getty Images
National championship
- (1) Arizona over (1) Florida: Tommy Lloyd has had some disappointing NCAA Tournaments, but this time he’s a hero, and Arizona returns to the top of the basketball world for the first time since 1997.
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