Is this the maddest March ever? Plus, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks are in trouble

Good morning to everybody however particularly to…

THE MEN’S FINAL FOUR

Your bracket may be very most probably busted, and for excellent reason why: For the first time ever, there are ZERO 1 seeds, 2 seeds or 3 seeds in the males’s Final Four. Let’s get to grasp the team headed to Houston: 4-seed UConn, 5-seed Miami, 5-seed San Diego State and 9-seed Florida Atlantic.

When I bring to mind UConn, I believe dominant. The Huskies’ smallest margin of victory up to now in the NCAA Tournament is 15 issues, and their 82-54 Elite Eight destruction of Gonzaga was once the biggest margin of victory in an Elite Eight recreation since 1992.

• It begins in the center with Adama Sanogo, who has been 2d to none. He’s averaging 20 issues and 9.8 rebounds whilst capturing over 65% from the ground in the Tournament.
• Like any nice crew, although, the Huskies have quite a lot of perimeter ability, too: Jordan Hawkins nailed six 3-pointers in the win.
• Basically, there are numerous causes UConn is some distance and away the favourite to win all of it.

As for who the Huskies face subsequent… once I suppose Miami, I believe guard-tastic. And I do not care that it isn’t a phrase. The Hurricanes’ superior guards had been an enormous reason why I took them to cause them to the Elite Eight, and I want I had long gone one step additional as a result of the Hurricanes are into their first Final Four after rallying previous Texas, 88-81.

• Do-it-all 6’7″ guard Jordan Miller shined brightest:  27 points on seven-for-seven shooting and 13-for-13 free throws.
• It’s the second-most points with perfect field goal and free throw shooting in NCAA Tournament history: Christian Laettner had 32 in 1992 against Kentucky, the game in which he hit “The Shot.”
• Miami closed the game on a 37-17 run.
• Jim Larrañaga is the fourth coach to make multiple Final Fours as a 5 seed or worse.
• Here’s our Dennis Dodd on the Hurricanes.

When I think of Florida Atlantic, I think tough. So, too, did Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang when he spoke to the Owls after they beat his team, 79-76, in the Elite Eight. The Owls have won 35 games this season. Our Matt Norlander got to know the Owls, and he concludes, “This crew is able to successful the nationwide championship.”

In order to do this, they are going to first have to overcome San Diego State, and once I bring to mind San Diego State, I believe constant. The Aztecs rotate 9 other gamers, and for all their variations, all of them shield and hustle like their lives rely on it. Scoring on the Aztecs is just about not possible, with lengthy limbs flying all over the place. Creighton was once the newest sufferer in a 57-56 mystery.

• Darrion Trammell was once fouled — in all probability controversially — with 1.2 seconds left, and hit one loose throw to present the Aztecs the win.
• The best crew to damage 60 issues in opposition to San Diego State this Tournament is most sensible general seed Alabama. The Crimson Tide were given to 64 — 18 fewer than their season reasonable.
• Just one participant averages double figures, however 8 reasonable a minimum of six issues.

Here’s our early preview of the males’s Final Four.

Honorable mentions

And now not one of these excellent morning for…

THE DALLAS MAVERICKS

On Feb. 5, the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving, signaling they had been all-in on successful a identify.

Meanwhile, for months it is been transparent the maximum necessary factor the Hornets can win is the upcoming NBA Draft lottery. But that does not imply Charlotte cannot play spoiler, and that is precisely what it did, beating Dallas on Friday (117-109) and once more on Sunday (110-104).

• The Mavericks are now eleventh in the Western Conference, one spot out of the play-in, and have misplaced 4 directly.
• Dallas is simply 3-8 when Irving and Luka Doncic each play. Overall, the Mavericks are simply 7-13 since obtaining Irving.
• Irving, in the meantime, referred to as out fanatics for booing.

Things hit a brand new low Sunday with Doncic choosing up his sixteenth technical foul of the season, that means he is suspended one recreation. There’s quite a lot of blame to head round, writes our Michael Kaskey-Blomain.

• Kaskey-Blomain: “The front office will have to be held accountable for failing to build a formidable team around Doncic… Similarly, Jason Kidd will have to answer for the team’s woes, especially on the defensive end, where they rank in the bottom third of the league. Kidd’s lack of urgency is also somewhat alarming. … Doncic is a generational offensive talent, but his extreme ball-dominance doesn’t make it easy for other stars to flourish alongside him.”

There is time and alternative — the Western Conference standings are in reality tight — for Dallas to get proper, however the margin for error is shrinking.

Not so honorable mentions

Women’s NCAA Tournament: Caitlin Clark makes historical past; UConn surprised ?

It’s a brand new day in ladies’s faculty basketball, and main the rate is Caitlin Clark. In Iowa‘s 97-83 win over Louisville, the Hawkeyes celebrity had…

• 41 issues (!)
• 10 rebounds
• 12 help

That all provides as much as the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament historical past, males or ladies. She’s superb. Unreal. Choose a superlative, and she’s it. Her 8 3-pointers had been one shy of tying a ladies’s Tournament file. And now she’s two video games clear of a countrywide identify. It’s Iowa’s first Final Four since 1993.

The different crew into the Final Four is LSU — its first since 2008 — after beating Miami 54-42 in a defensive duel. We have two extra video games this night:

Another reason why it is a new day? For the first time since 2007, UConn isn’t in the Final Four. Heck, the Huskies don’t seem to be even in the Elite Eight. Geno Auriemma‘s squad misplaced to Ohio State, 73-61, in the Sweet 16.

The season all the time gave the impression to be an uphill combat, a minimum of in comparison to the lofty requirements Geno Auriemma has established.

Make no mistake: UConn will probably be again, with each Bueckers and Fudd main the rate. But this 12 months may not belong to them.

LeBron James returns from damage, however Lakers fall to Bulls ?

After lacking 13 video games because of a proper foot damage sustained in overdue February, LeBron James is again.

However, he could not raise the Lakers to a win in his go back, dropping to the Bulls, 118-108.

• James got here off the bench for simply the 2d time in his profession and posted 19 issues, 8 rebounds and 3 assists in half-hour.
• He additionally confirmed indicators of rust, particularly with 5 turnovers. That was once a large factor for the Lakers as a complete, who grew to become it over 18 occasions in comparison to the Bulls’ 9.
• The Lakers went 8-5 in the ones 13 video games with out James, and they are these days 9th in the West. They have seven video games left this season.

Oh, and I’d be remiss not to point out Patrick Beverley trolling his former crew.

Yankees’ most sensible prospect Anthony Volpe makes Opening Day roster ⚾

The Yankees seem to have their new shortstop, and they’ve a Spring Training breakout to thank for that.

It was once introduced Sunday that Anthony Volpe made the Opening Day roster after fighting with Oswald Peraza and Isiah Kiner-Falefa for the shortstop process in the spring.

What we are looking at Monday ?

? Elite Eight: Maryland vs. South Carolina, 7 p.m. on ESPN
? Mavericks at Pacers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
⚽ USMNT vs. El Salvador, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
? Elite Eight: Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech, 9 p.m. on ESPN
? 76ers at Nuggets, 9:30 p.m. on NBA TV