Weekly Update March 17, 2025

Basketball – NBA: This week’s games. 3 tams clinched playoff berths.

Basketball – NCAAM: Finishing up the regular season and Selection Sunday – trust me thats enough.

Basketball – NCAAW: Who is in??

Golf: PLAYERS on a Monday. Niemann wins Singapore.

Motorsports: Norris holds on against Verstappen.

Olympic Sports: NCAA T&F championships. Odermatt wraps up overall WC title. Ski Jump WR goes down.

Quick Headlines: NCAA Baseball. NCAAF. NFL. General.

Basketball-NBA:

• This week’s games:
  • Lots of upsets on Monday! The Nets upset the Lakers 111-108 on Monday even after a slow start with only 16 points in the 1Q. The Hornets also won beating the Heat by 3. The Bulls put on a clinic against the Pacers. The big difference was the 2Q where CHI outscored Indiana 40-21. A huge win for the Nuggets over the Thunder 140-127.
  • There were only 4 games on Tuesday. The Cavs had a tough game against the Nets but pull it out in the 4Q to win their 14^th in a row. The Pacers got a huge 4-point play in the final seconds to beat the Bucks. The Pelicans upset the Clippers in NOLA as Zion Williamson put up his 2^nd career triple-double.

• • The Thunder got a huge win over the Celtics on Wed in a nice bounce back game. The game was close the whole time with the biggest lead being 12. Every Q was only separated by 3 until the final one when OKC got the lead they finished with at 6 points. In contrast, the Nuggets who beat the Thunder on Monday, got pummeled by the Timberwolves in DEN, losing by 20! The Spurs got a nice win over the Mavs with a 44-point 2Q. The Knicks and Trail Blazers went to OT after a back and forth game. Mikal Bridges was the hero of the game with a buzzer beating 3-pointer to win in OT!

• • Luka had his best day with the Lakers on Thursday when he put up 45 points and 11 rebounds. LA would still lose to the Bucks by 20 though so clearly Luka was the only one doing work. Steph Curry hit his 4000^th 3-pointer of his career in the Warriors decimation of the Kings (26 point win). No other player has had even 3,000.
  • The Cavs won their 16^th straight game on Friday with a win over the Grizzlies 133-124. That is a franchise record. The Hornets got their 2^nd win of the week and 17^th of the season by putting up an impressive 145 points in regulation against the Spurs. The Kings are now at exactly .500 after losing to the Suns.

• • SGA was back to his normal self on Sat with a thunder win over the Pistons. He put up 48 points. The Knicks dropped their game to the Warriors by 3 points in a close one. the teams were only 1 point apart in the 2H (score wise). The Wizards got their 15^th win of the season with a huge upset over the Nuggets. Helps when you have a 35-footer for the win.
  • Fri and Sat didn’t have a ton of upsets to cover but Sunday did. The 76ers beat the Mavs after Dallas had an 18-point 3Q. The Magic snuck by the Cavs with a big 2H. Both teams won by 5 and then the Nets came back on the Hawks 122-114.

• The Cavaliers have clinched the Eastern division and the Celtics have secured their spot in the playoffs. As for the West, only the Thunder can say they for sure are in the playoffs. But the Pelicans and Jazz have already been eliminated.

Basketball – NCAA:

• NCAAM: Conference Championship week:
  • ACC: #1 Duke took down #13 Louisville 73-62 in the ACC tournament final. But by far the big news to come out of this tournament was that Cooper Flagg was wheeled off in a wheelchair in their opening game vs Georgia Tech. Flagg is considered the favorite to be the #1 pick in the NBA draft this year in an amazingly stacked MBB year. This is the Blue Devils’ 22^nd ACC title. Duke was trying to make a run for the overall #1 seed. That also means the Bleu Devils are regular season champs and tournament champs.
  • Big Ten: #22 Michigan won their 3^rd conference championship ever after beating #20 Purdue, #11 Maryland and #18 Wisconsin. The Quarterfinals weren’t close but the Semis were. #7 Michigan St fell to the Badgers by 3 in the Semifinals and Maryland only lost to Michigan by 1. The final was a low scoring affair with the Wolverines winning with 59 points.

• • Big 12: #2 Houston had their work cut out for them in the Semis playing a red hot #17 BYU team. They would put on a clinic though winning by 20 before stepping up to play Arizona in the final. Arizona had to beat #9 Texas Tech and Kansas to get to the final. Houston came back in the 2H scoring 44 points to win by 8. That also means the Cougs are regular season champs and tournament champs.
  • Big East: #6 St. John’s crushed Creighton 82-66 in the final for their Big East title. Double champs.

• • SEC: #4 Florida won their first SEC title since 2014 and it looked like they were going to win since they started in the Quarterfinals. The Gators beat #21 Mizzou by 14, #5 Alabama by 22 and then #8 Tennessee by 9 in the final. #3 Auburn dropped their 3^rd game in the last 2 weeks of play to Tennessee.

• Let the Madness begin: #1 seeds are Auburn (overall 1), Duke, Houston and Florida. It was a huge shock that UNC got in the field and West Virginia did not. UNC was only 1-12 against Quad 1 wins (22-13) compared to WV who was 6-10 (19-13 overall). Last 4 in: UNC, San Diego St, Xavier and Texas. First 4 out: WV, Indiana, Ohio St and Boise St. We have 4 first timers: High Point, Omaha, SIU Edwardsville and UC San Deigo. The SEC got in 14 teams which is a new NCAA record by 3 teams. Yes the conference is a lot bigger with 16 teams but that’s still incredible and it is considered one of the best basketball conferences of all time. Big Ten 8. Big 12 7. Big est 5. ACC and MW 4. WCC 2. Brackets are due by 11:15am on Thursday! Duke is the betting favorite despite Auburn being the #1 overall seed.
  • • #GFHint: A Quad 1 win means a home win against a top 30 team, neutral site win over top 50 team and away win over top 75 team. There are 4 quadrants (duh).

NCAAW:

Who is in? 3 Ivy league schools got in for the first time in league history. #1 seeds are USC, South Carolina, Texas and UCLA (overall #1). South Carolina is the betting favorite so far in vegas. Generally a #3 seed is considered a Cinderella story as no one lower than that has won the title. First time NCAA WBB dancers: Arkansas St, FDU, George Mason, Grand Canyon, UC San Diego (both) and William & Mary. 27 teams made both the MBB and WBB.

Golf:

• PGA: the PLAYERS was delayed 4 hours on Sunday. Rory McIlroy was sitting pretty with a 3 shot lead over JJ Spaun. But Spaun fought back. He was just inches short of winning the title outright after an incredible 30 foot putt for birdie on the final hole but alas we would head to a playoff on Monday. Spaun needed that momentum even the announcers said pushing the tournament to Monday killed it for JJ. Rory who had won 27 other PGA Tour titles probably slept a little easier than JJ who only had 1. It was a 3-hole aggregate playoff but when JJ hit the waterside bunker during the first hole and landed in the water on the iconic 17^th, it was over. Rory McIlroy has won his 2^nd Players Championship.

• LIV: CHI Joaquin Niemann won the LIV Golf Singapore event easily by 5 strokes. This is his 2^nd win in just 4 starts. But it was the Fireballs who would take the Team event with a 3 shot victory over Legion.

Motorsports:

• F1: Started off on a wet track but halfway through the track dried up. With 10-12 laps to go, it rained again and that divided racers on who tried to outlast the shower. Lando Norris and his McLaren were much faster on the weekend but Verstappen almost caught Norris with all the chaos.

Olympic Sports:

• An American has won the LA Marathon for the first time since 1994 – Matt Richtman won with a big PR of 2hr 7min 56sec in just his 2^nd marathon ever.

• NCAA T&F: Arkansas men and women did not do well before finals which took them out of the team race for the most part although they made a gallant effort.
  • On the women’s side: Oregon qualified all but 1 women to the finals. TJ (W) Oklahoma took the title but that’s not what was crazy. The top 2 jumpers had their best jump identically as long and their 2^nd was identical as well. The judges had to go to their 3^rd best jump. ARK Whitaker ran a 49.25 which is a new NCAAW records as well as an American Record and would’ve been a WR except that Femke Bol set it a few weeks prior. Aaliyah Butler from UGA (and Olympian from Paris) took her first loss in the indoor season as she couldn’t match the incredible time from the first section. The Ducks would take the Indoor Team title.
  • On the men’s side: the only event of note in the broadcast was the weirdness that happened in the 4×4 – the final event. In the second heat, Texas A&M impeded Arkansas who dropped the baton and went off the track. Then as the 3^rd runners were turning the final corner, no one of the anchor legs were even on the track so they had to run out to meet their teammate for the final lap. Arkansas petitioned after the race and got Texas A&M DQ’d and wanted a re-race by themselves. We have seen that happen – remember the women did it in the Olympics in the 4×100 relay ( a very different race though). Ultimately it was decided that they would not run again and USC took the men’s team title. USC hadn’t won since the 70s.

• SUI skier Marco Odermatt has locked up the overall and GS titles for the season with a 2^nd place finish. He beat NOR Henrik Kristoffersen by 635 points but Henrik could’ve mathematically stayed alive if he finished ahead of Odermatt but he got 16^th.
• SLO Nika Prevc broke the ski jump WR by 6m from a year ago.

Some quick highlights:

• NCAAM Baseball: Kansas set an NCAA record beating Minnesota 29-1 with 5 straight HRs at 5 straight at-bats.
• NCAAF: WV HC Rich Rod banned TikTok dances for his players.
• NFL: Aaron Rodgers is a free agent and has been explored by several teams (Giants and the Vikings are at the top of the list).
• General: Popular sportswriter, John Feinstein, died suddenly at the age of 69. Feinstein wrote for the Post, Golf Digest, college football, Olympics and a huge college basketball fan. He wrote 48 books.

What to watch this week

Baseball – MLB:

• Tues 3/18
  • Dodgers at Cubs @ 5:10am on FOX
• Wed 3/19
  • Dodgers at Cubs @ 5:10am on FS1

Baseball/Softball – NCAA:

• Mon 3/17
  • Softball: 2. Texas vs 3. Florida @ 6pm on SEC
• Tues 3/18
  • Softball: 24. Liberty vs 17. Duke @ 3pm on ACC+
  • Softball: 24. Liberty vs 17. Duke @ 5pm on ACC+
• Wed 3/19
  • Softball: 24. Liberty vs UNC @ 6pm on ACC
  • Softball: Florida St at 23. Alabama @ 6pm on SEC
• Thurs 3/20
  • Baseball: 5. Florida St at Miami @ 6pm on ACC
  • Baseball: 19. Texas A&M at 16. Vanderbilt @ 6pm on SEC
  • Baseball: 2. Tennessee at 17. Alabama @ 6:30pm on ESPNU
• Fri 3/21
  • Softball: 22. Auburn vs 2. Texas @ 4pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 4. LSU vs 13. UGA @ 5pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 12. Texas Tech at 9. South Carolina @ 5pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 10. Florida St at 17. Duke @ 5pm on ACC
  • Softball: 21. Ole Miss at Kentucky @ 5pm on SEC
  • Baseball: 14. Wake Forest at 10. Clemson @ 5pm on ACC+
  • Baseball: 4. Georgia at 7. Florida 2 5:30pm on SEC+
  • Baseball: 19. Texas A&M vs 16. Vanderbilt @ 6pm on SEC+
  • Baseball: 2. Tennessee at 17. Alabama @ 6pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 23. Alabama vs 6. Texas A&M @ 6pm on SEC+
  • Baseball: 1. LSU at 11. Texas @ 7pm on SEC
  • Baseball: 5. Florida St at Miami @ 7pm on ACC
• Sat 3/22
  • Baseball: 4. Georgia vs 7. Florida @ 11am on SEC
  • Baseball: 2. Tennessee at 17. Alabama @ 1pm on SEC+
  • Baseball: 14. Wake Forest at 10. Clemson @ 1pm on ACC+
  • Baseball: 19. Texas A&M vs 16. Vanderbilt @ 2pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 22. Auburn vs 2. Texas @ 2pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 12. Texas Tech at 9. South Carolina @ 2pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 20. Stanford vs Notre Dame @ 3:30pm on ACC
  • Softball: 23. Alabama vs 6. Texas A&M @ 4pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 15. Arkansas vs 7. Tennessee @ 4:30pm on SEC
  • Baseball: 1. LSU at 11. Texas @ 6pm on SEC+
• Sun 3/23
  • Softball: 10. Florida St vs 17. Duke @ 11am on ACC+
  • Softball: 15. Arkansas vs 7. Tennessee @ 11am on SEC
  • Softball: 12. Texas Tech at 9. South Carolina @ 11am on SEC+
  • Softball: Cal vs 25. UVA @ 12pm on ACC
  • Baseball: 4. Georgia vs 7. Florida @ 12pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 22. Auburn vs 2. Texas @ 12pm on SEC+
  • Baseball: 25. Auburn vs Kentucky @ 1pm on SEC
  • Softball: 4. LSU vs 13. UGA @ 1pm on SEC+
  • Softball: 23. Alabama vs 6. Texas A&M @ 1pm on SEC+
  • Baseball: 14. Wake Forest at 10. Clemson @ 2pm on ACC
  • Baseball: 1. LSU at 11. Texas @ 2pm on SEC+
  • Baseball: 13. Ole Miss vs Mizzou @ 4pm on SEC
  • Softball: 20. Stanford vs Notre Dame @ 5pm on ACC

Basketball – NBA:

• Mon 3/17
  • Heat at Knicks @ 6:30pm on ESPN
  • Nuggets at Warriors @ 9pm on ESPN
• Wed 3/19
  • Pistons at Heat @ 6:30pm on ESPN
  • Nuggets at Lakers @ 9pm on ESPN

NCAAM: (only ranked teams and on normal TV)

• Tues 3/18
  • First 4: 16. St. Francis at 16. Alabama St @ 5:40pm on truTV
  • First 4: 11. UNC at 11. San Deigo St @ 8:10pm on truTV
• Wed 3/19
  • First 4: 16. Mouth St. Mary’s at 16. American @ 5:40pm on truTV
  • First 4: 11. Xavier at 11. Texas @ 8:10pm on truTV
• Thurs 3/20
  • 1^st round: 9. Creighton vs 8. Louisville @ 11:15am on CBS
  • 1^st round: 13. High Point at 4. Purdue @ 11:40am on truTV
  • 1^st round: 14. Montana at 3. Wisconsin @ 12:30pm on TNT
  • 1^st round: 16. SIU Edwardsville at 1. Houston @ 1pm on TBS
  • 1^st round: TBD at 1. Auburn @ 1:50pm on CBS
  • 1^st round: 12. McNeese at 5. Clemson @ 2:15pm on truTV
  • 1^st round: 11. VCU at 6. BYU @ 3:05pm on TNT
  • 1^st round: 9. Georgia at 8. Gonzaga @ 3:35pm on TBS
  • 1^st round: 15. Wofford at 2. Tennessee @ 5:50pm on TNT
  • 1^st round: 10. Arkansas at 7. Kansas @ 6:10pm on CBS
  • 1^st round: 13. Yale at 4. Texas A&M @ 6:25pm on TBS
  • 1^st round: 11. Drake at 6. Mizzou @ 6:35pm on truTV
  • 1^st round: 10. Utah St at 7. UCLA @ 8:25pm on TNT
  • 1^st round: 15. Omaha at 2. St. John’s @ 8:45pm on CBS
  • 1^st round: 12. UC San Deigo at 5. Michigan @ 9pm on TBS
  • 1^st round: 14. UNC Wilmington at 3. Texas Tech @ 9:10pm on truTV
• Fri 3/21
  • 1^st round: 9. Baylor at 8. Mississippi St @ 11:15am on CBS
  • 1^st round: 15. Robert Morris at 2. Alabama @ 11:40am on truTV
  • 1^st round: 14. Lipscomb at 3. Iowa ST @ 12:30pm on TNT
  • 1^st round: 12. Colorado St at 5. Memphis @ 1pm on TBS
  • 1^st round: TBD at 1. Duke @ 1:50pm on CBS
  • 1^st round: 10. Vanderbilt at 7. Saint Mary’s @ 2:15pm on truTV
  • 1^st round: TBD at 6. Ole Miss @ 3:05pm on TNT
  • 1^st round: 13. Grand Canyon at 4. Maryland @ 3:35pm on TBS
  • 1^st round: 16. Norfolk St at 1. Florida @ 5:50pm on TNT
  • 1^st round: 14. Troy at 3. Kentucky @ 6:10pm on CBS
  • 1^st round: 10. New Mexico at 7. Marquette @ 6:25pm on TBS
  • 1^st round: 13. Akron at 4. Arizona @ 6:35pm on truTV
  • 1^st round: 9. Oklahoma at 8. UConn @ 8:25pm on TNT
  • 1^st round: TBD at 6. Illinois @ 8:45pm on CBS
  • 1^st round: 15. Bryant at 2. Michigan St @ 9pm on TBS
  • 1^st round: 12. Liberty at 5. Oregon @ 9:10pm on truTV
• Sat 3/22 – 2^nd round
• Sun 3/23 – 2^nd round

NCAAW:

• Wed 3/19
  • First Four: 11. Princeton at 11. Iowa St @ 6pm on ESPNU
  • First Four: 16. Southern at 16. UC San Diego @ 8pm on ESPNU
• Thurs 3/20
  • First Four: 11. Washington at 11. Columbia @ 6pm on ESPN2
  • First Four: 16. William & Mary at 16. High Point @ 8pm on ESPN2
• Fri 3/21
  • 1^st round: TBD at 6. Michigan @ 10:30am on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: 13. Liberty at 4. Kentucky @ 11am on ESPN
  • 1^st round: 9. Indiana at 8. Utah @ 12:30pm on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: 14. SFA at 3. Notre Dame @ 1pm on ESPN
  • 1^st round: 12. Faitfield at 5. K ST @ 1:30pm on ESPNEWS
  • 1^st round: 15. Fairleigh Dickinson at 2. TCU @ 2:30PM on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: 13. Grand Canyon at 4. Baylor @ 2:30pm on ESPNU
  • 1^st round: 16. Tennessee Tech at 1. South Carolina @ 3pm on ESPN
  • 1^st round: 13 Montana St at 4. Ohio St @ 4:30pm on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: 10. Oregon at 7. Vanderbilt @ 4:30pm on ESPNEWS
  • 1st round: 12. Ball St at 5. Ole Miss @ 5pm on ESPNU
  • 1^st round: 10. Nebraska at 7. Louisville @ 5pm on ESPN
  • 1^st round: 9. Georgia Tech at 8. Richmond @ 6:30pm on ESPNEWS
  • 1^st round: 15. Lehigh at 2. Duke @ 7pmon ESPNU
  • 1^st round: 12. South Florida at 5. Tennessee @ 7pm on ESPN
  • 1^st round: TBD at 1. UCLA @ 9pm onn ESPN
• Sat 3/22
  • 1^st round: 11. Murray St at 6. Iowa @ 11am on ESPN
  • 1^st round: 15. Arkansas St at 2. UConn @ 12pm on ABC
  • 1^st round: 12. Green Bay at 5. Alabama @ 12:30pm on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: 15. Vermont at 2. NC St @ 1pm on ESPN
  • 1^st round: TBD at 6. West Virginia @ 1pm on ESPNEWS
  • 1^st round: 14. FL Gulf Coast at 3. Oklahoma @ 1:30pm on ESPNU
  • 1^st round: 16. UNC Greensboro at 1. USC @ 2pm on ESPNU
  • 1^st round: 10. South Dakota St at 7. Oklahoma St @ 2:30pm on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: 13. Norfolk t at 4. Maryland @ 3pm on ESPN
  • 1^st round: 14 Oregon St at 3. UNC @ 3:30pm on ESPNU
  • 1^st round: 10. Harvard at 7. Michigan St @ 3:30pm on ESPNEWS
  • 1^st round: 9. Mississippi St at 8. Cal @ 4:30pm on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: 9. Creighton at 8. Illinois @ 6:15pm on ESPNEWS
  • 1^st round: 11. George Mason at 6. Florida ST @ 6:45pm on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: TBD at 1. Texas @ 8:45pm on ESPN2
  • 1^st round: 14 San Deigo St at 3. LSU @ 9:15pm on ESPN
• Sun 3/23 – 2^nd round
• Mon 3/24 – 2^nd round

Golf:

• Mon 3/17
  • TGL: NYGC vs LAGC @ 6pm on ESPN2
• Tues 3/18
  • TGL: Atlanta vs Bay Club @ 6pm on ESPN
• Thurs 3/20
  • PGA: Valspar Championship – Round 1 @ 1pm on Golf Channel
• Fri 3/21
  • PGA: Valspar Championship – Round 1 @ 2pm on Golf Channel
• Sat 3/22
  • PGA: Valspar Championship – Round 3
    • @ 12pm on Golf Channel
    • @ 2pm on NBC
• Sun 3/23
  • PGA: Valspar Championship – Final Round
    • @ 12pm on Golf Channel
    • @ 2pm on NBC

Hockey:

• Tues 3/18
  • Utah at Oilers @ 8pm on ESPN
• Wed 3/19
  • Avalanche at Maple Leafs @ 6pm on TNT
  • Kraken at Wild @ 8:30pm on TNT
• Thurs 3/20
  • Canucks at Blues @ 6:30pm on hulu
• Sat 3/22
  • Red Wings at Golden Knights @ 7pm on ABC

Motor Sports:

• Thurs 3/20
  • F1: CHN GP Practice 1 @ 10:25pm on ESPN2
• Fri 3/21
  • F1: CHN GP Sprint Qualifying @ 2:25am on ESPN2
  • F1: CHN GP Sprint Race @ 9:55pm on ESPNU
• Sat 3/22
  • F1: CHN GP Sprint Qualifying @ 1:55am on ESPN2
• Sun 3/23
  • F1: CHN GP @ 1:55am on ESPN
    • Replays @ 8am, 11am & 9pm on ESPNEWS

Olympic Sports:

• Sat 3/22
  • Skiing: FIS World Cup @ 12pm on NBC
  • Volleyball: PVF Indy Ignite vs Omaha Supernovas @ 6pm on FS1
• Sun 3/23
  • T&F: Indoor World Championships @ 11am on NBC
  • Skiing: FIS World Cup @ 12pm on NBC

Soccer:

• Thurs 3/20
  • UEFA Nations: Quarterfinal: NED vs ESP @ 2:30pm on FS1
  • UEFA Nations: Quarterfinal: CRO vs FRA @ 7pm on FS1
• Sat 3/22
  • UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifying: POL vs LIT @ 12:30am on FS1
  • UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifying: Liechtenstein vs MAC @ 8:50am on FS1
• Sun 3/23
  • UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifying: Wales vs KAZ @ 5am on FS1
  • UEFA Nations: Quarterfinal: GER vs ITA @ 11:30pm on FS1