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🚨 Headlines
🏀 Automated bids: McNeese, American and Montana punched their tickets to the NCAA males’s event, whereas Montana State, USF and San Diego State secured spots within the ladies’s subject.
⚽️ The ultimate eight: The Champions League quarterfinals are set, with Actual Madrid (by inches in a shootout), Dortmund, Arsenal and Aston Villa advancing to affix Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
⚾️ Historic energy surge: Kansas hit an NCAA record-tying 5 straight dwelling runs within the third inning en path to a 29-1 shellacking over the identical Minnesota workforce that beat them in the future earlier. Go determine.
🏀 Thunder 118, Celtics 112: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (34-5-7) and Chet Holmgren (23-15) led OKC previous Jayson Tatum (33-8-8) and Boston in a battle of the 2 NBA title favorites.
🏈 NFL offseason: DeMarcus Lawrence is a Seahawk, Evan Engram is a Bronco, the Rams launched Cooper Kupp, the Falcons are maintaining Kirk Cousins and the Steelers made a suggestion to Aaron Rodgers. See all the most recent strikes right here.
🏀 Is Rick Pitino one of the best school hoops coach ever?
Simply asking: Is Rick Pitino one of the best coach within the historical past of faculty basketball?
From Yahoo Sports activities’ Dan Wetzel:
Pitino is never talked about in such a debate partially as a result of his 758 profession victories, his .712 profitable share and even his two NCAA titles (one in every of which the NCAA “vacated” attributable to sanctions) fall far in need of different contenders.
Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski gained 1,202 video games with a .766 profitable share at Duke and Military, whereas taking dwelling 5 nationwide titles. John Picket gained 10 nationwide championships at UCLA. Bob Knight gained 902 video games and three titles at Indiana regardless of teaching just one participant who would ever change into a NBA All-Star (Isiah Thomas).
In the meantime, Adolph Rupp gained 82.2% of his video games at Kentucky, and in a extra trendy period, Roy Williams was victorious 77.4% of the time at North Carolina and Kansas. There are others.
As such, Pitino hardly ever finds his title among the many best of the greats. He wasn’t a school lifer although, entrenched for many years at a single program.
A part of this was his NBA dalliances (eight seasons with the Celtics and Knicks). And a part of it was because of the numerous scandals that appeared to crop up throughout the a long time, leaving him to be seen with warning by some colleges.
That meant both re-climbing the teaching ladder and even bouncing him out of the school recreation (from 2018-2020, for instance, he coached within the Greek Skilled League and gained two titles).
But the place constant longevity is costing him in sheer numbers, the job-hopping and rebuilds he continuously produces provides a distinct résumé level. The man can coach anybody, wherever, at any time.
The 72-year-old is in his second season with St. John’s. He took over a storied however middling program and is about to cause them to the NCAA event for the primary time since 2019. The Johnnie’s are 27-4 and gained the Massive East common season title … by three video games.
This would be the sixth totally different college Pitino has led to the NCAA event — essentially the most of any coach — becoming a member of Boston College (1983), Windfall (1987), Kentucky (1991), Louisville (2003) and Iona (2021).
It took 5 seasons as a younger coach at BU, however apart from that every program he has led made it inside two years of being eligible for March Insanity.
And whereas among the colleges have had historic success and nice sources, none had been in good condition when he arrived. Within the season prior, the applications went a mixed 76-105 (.419). Kentucky was even saddled with crippling sanctions, together with a two-year postseason ban.
He is been modern — his embrace of the 3-point shot with Windfall, the place guard Billy Donovan would drive and kick out, was a long time forward of its time. He is been relentless — his groups at all times play full-throttle protection, usually with a full-court press.
He’s been resilient — he coached in an period the place the NCAA as soon as charged him as an assistant at Hawaii with giving gamers coupons at no cost meals at McDonalds to at this time’s open market switch portal the place gamers might purchase their very own restaurant. None of it mattered. Has whistle; will win. At all times.
Now he heads to the Massive East Match once more, trying to win the league once more, in the identical Madison Sq. Backyard the place after a highschool recreation in 1970 he signed on the scorer’s desk his scholarship papers with the College of Massachusetts.
Backside line: Pitino’s numbers and accomplishments might by no means register up there with the opposite greats of the school recreation. However in the event you wanted somebody to take over a listless program, who else are you calling?
🇺🇸 Pictures throughout America
Portland — Mikal Bridges’ buzzer-beating three in time beyond regulation lifted the Knicks to a 114-113 victory over the Path Blazers — and earned the tenth “Double Bang” ever from Mike Breen.
Seattle — Brandon Mountour scored the quickest objective in NHL time beyond regulation historical past, discovering the again of the web simply 4 seconds into the additional interval to finish the Kraken’s 5-4 comeback win over the Canadiens.
Indian Wells, California — Wild card Belinda Bencic, who returned from maternity go away simply 5 months in the past after the start of her first baby, shocked No. 3 Coco Gauff to succeed in the quarterfinals on the “Fifth Grand Slam.”
Houston — Mason Plumlee and Steven Adams had been each ejected from the Rockets’ 111-104 win over the Suns after the 2 giants wrestled one another to the bottom throughout a scuffle.
📸 Behind the lens
Caption: Tim Bringer of France competes within the Slopestyle remaining in the course of the first cease on the 2025 Crankworx World Tour — the Tremendous Bowl of mountain biking.
Behind the lens: This is photographer Hannah Peters on how she lined up this shot…
I checked the climate report the evening earlier than and the dawn was proper across the time of this occasion. I knew I wanted to get there early if I had been to take advantage of it.
There have been just a few athletes that had been getting excessive sufficient on the leap to line up completely with the solar. I used to be perched on the aspect of a hill, adjusting myself in between every rider to attempt to get the right angle.
I used to be continuously trying on the place of the sunshine, altering my publicity to create the silhouette and adapting my aperture to emphasise the rays from the solar.
Then it got here right down to a little bit of luck and timing — I wanted the proper athlete doing the proper trick on the proper time, all whereas flying by means of the form of the solar.
Digital camera/method: Nikon Z9 digicam physique. Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 VR S lens. Publicity 1/3200 sec; f22; ISO 640.
⚽️ NWSL season preview
The thirteenth NWSL season kicks off on Friday, and it ought to start very like the final one ended: with 12 groups chasing Orlando and Washington.
The favorites: The Delight and Spirit each set the league file with 18 wins final season earlier than assembly within the championship recreation, the place Orlando gained its maiden title. There is not any good purpose why they cannot run it again once more.
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Orlando misplaced simply twice final yr, a beautiful turnaround after 5 straight sub-.500 seasons, and the Delight’s core — led by Brazilian legend Marta and Zambian star Barbra Banda — stays intact.
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Washington, which beat Orlando in final week’s Problem Cup, has the makings of a juggernaut. The Spirit boast seven USWNT members, together with MVP finalist Trinity Rodman and reigning ROY Croix Bethune.
Others to look at: Final yr’s third, fourth and fifth-place finishers headline our subsequent three most attention-grabbing groups to look at.
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The Kansas Metropolis Present had been each bit as harmful because the frontrunners final yr, led by newcomer Temwa Chaŵinga, who scored a league-record 21 targets en path to profitable MVP. Now in 12 months 5, the 2022 runners-up search their first title.
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Gotham FC are exhausting to pin down. The 2023 champs completed simply 4 factors behind Orlando final yr, however then noticed half a dozen key contributors go away within the offseason. Nonetheless, they’ve retooled with a lot of shrewd signings and would possibly shock some folks.
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Talking of exhausting to pin down, the North Carolina Braveness have not made it out of the primary spherical since profitable two straight titles in 2018-19. However they took a transparent step ahead final yr and traded for rising USWNT star Jaedyn Shaw this offseason to assist lead their assault.
Go deeper: Stars and storylines to look at (Yahoo Sports activities)
📺 Watchlist: The Gamers tees off
Golf’s most prestigious non-major begins at this time at TPC Sawgrass (7:30am ET, ESPN+; 1pm, Golf), the place 144 golfers will compete for the most important purse on the PGA Tour ($25 million).
The tremendous group: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (two-time defending champion), No. 2 Rory McIlroy (2019 champion) and No. 3 Xander Schauffele tee off at 1:29pm. See extra pairings, tee instances.
Extra to look at:
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⚾️ Spring Breakout: Purple Sox at Rays (7pm, MLB); Cubs at Dodgers (9pm, MLB.TV) … 12 months 2 of MLB’s showcase will get underway.*
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🏀 NBA: Lakers at Bucks (7:30pm, TNT); Kings at Warriors (10pm, TNT) … Stephen Curry is 2 3-pointers shy of 4,000. Second place has 3,127 (James Harden).
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🏀 NCAAW: Stephen F. Austin at Southeastern Louisiana (5pm, ESPNU) … Southland title recreation.
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🏒 NHL: Panthers at Maple Leafs (7pm, ESPN+); Golden Knights at Blue Jackets (7pm, ESPN+); Oilers at Devils (7:30pm, Disney+); Capitals at Kings (10:30pm, ESPN) … All of those groups could be within the playoffs if the season ended at this time.
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🎾 Tennis: Indian Wells quarterfinals (2pm, Tennis) … No. 11 Ben Shelton vs. No. 13 Jack Draper (8pm) and No. 2 Iga Świątek vs. No. 8 Qinwen Zheng (2pm) headline at this time’s slate.
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⚽️ Champions Cup: Cavalier (0-2) vs. Inter Miami (8pm, FS2) … Lionel Messi takes the sphere with a spot within the quarterfinals on the road.
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⛳️ LIV: Singapore (9pm, Fox Sports activities app) … At Sentosa Golf Membership.
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🏀 Additional time Elite: YNG Dreamerz (1-1) vs. Metropolis Reapers (7pm, YouTube) … Sport 3 within the best-of-five finals.
*The way it works: Every group has compiled an “All-Star workforce” that includes their minor league prospects, who will play 16 whole video games towards one another over the subsequent 4 days. 18 of 30 groups are sending their No. 1 prospect, and 72 of MLB’s high 100 prospects are taking part.
⚽️ Champions League trivia
Actual Madrid, again within the quarterfinals as soon as once more, has gained 5 of the final 9 Champions League titles.
Query: Which golf equipment gained the opposite 4?
Trace: Three from England, one from Germany.
Reply on the backside.
⚾️ It is time to draft your workforce
The 2025 MLB season is simply across the nook, which suggests two issues:
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Ballpark sizzling canine are again
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And so is Fantasy Baseball!
Yahoo Fantasy: Create or be a part of a league at this time. Wish to draft immediately? Skip the scheduling by becoming a member of an instantaneous draft foyer.
Trivia reply: Liverpool (2019), Bayern Munich (2020), Chelsea (2021), Manchester Metropolis (2023)
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