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Archives for March 29, 2026

FINAL FLAW: DUKE IMPLODES

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Miracle UConn Comeback Sends Huskies to Final Four

WASHINGTON DC  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – UConn’s Braylon Mullins missed his first four 3-point attempts on Sunday. On his fifth, the freshman sank one of the all-time great shots in NCAA Tournament history.

Mullins nailed a 35-footer with 0.4 seconds remaining, and No. 2 seed UConn completed a miraculous 19-point comeback to defeat No. 1 Duke 73-72 and reach its third Final Four in four years.

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“Yeah, still a loss of words. Still processing all of what just happened,” Mullins said. “Man, I’m just happy that was the one that went down tonight.”

Mullins’ heave marked the only time UConn (33-5) led in the East Region final since 2-0. It came after opting not to foul on a Duke inbound play with 10 seconds remaining.

The Blue Devils (35-3) neared halfcourt before Silas Demary Jr. deflected Cayden Boozer’s pass and Alex Karaban fed Mullins, who squared his feet and let fly.

Now Mullins is returning to Indiana for a Final Four, a year after he earned McDonald’s All-America honors there with Greenfield-Central High School.

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“When I saw him release it, I was like, ‘That really might go in’,” Karaban said. “It went in, and the Indiana kid sent us to Indianapolis.”

Tarris Reed Jr. scored 26 points and finished a rebound shy of his third tournament double-double to keep the Huskies in it while they struggled from beyond the arc.

UConn finished 5 of 23 there (21.7%) after hitting just 1 of their first 18, yet still snapped the nation’s longest active winning streak at 14 games.

“What the hell did you just say, 1 for 18?” UConn coach Dan Hurley responded in the postgame press conference, covering his face in disbelief. “I knew it was bad. I kept asking the assistant coaches, and no one would tell me what it was.”

Demary finished with 11 points, and Solo Ball and Mullins each had 10 as UConn remained alive for a third national title under Hurley and seventh overall.

“It’s been a season where we’ve been dealt with injuries to key players at critical points of the year that we’ve had to overcome, and we’ve had to show a lot of fortitude and resilience and just kind of claw our way through the season,” Hurley said. “Thought just the game was a microcosm of that. We fought, we clawed, put ourselves in position to take advantage of a mistake that they made.

“And one of the most brilliant shooters you’ll ever see shoot a basketball made an incredible, legendary March shot.”

The Huskies will face No. 3 seed Illinois, which eliminated No. 9 Iowa 71-59 on Saturday in the South Region final, in Saturday’s early game.

Cameron Boozer scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds in what is likely his final collegiate game, with the Naismith Award favorite likely to be an NBA draft lottery selection in June.

“I’m just super thankful for it all,” Boozer said. “I’m hurting right now. We’re all hurting. I wish I could have gave more for those guys.”

His freshman twin Cayden finished with 15 points and six assists before committing the fatal turnover — one of eight after halftime — and Dame Sarr had 10 points.

Coach Jon Scheyer finished a game shy of back-to-back Final Four appearances in his fourth season as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor.

“We just gave them easy baskets,” Scheyer said. “We just had to secure the ball better, and that’s a recipe to put yourself in that position.”

Karaban keyed a game-winning 8-2 stretch by sinking his only 3 of the contest — after averaging 22 points in his first three tournament games – with 50 seconds left for a 70-69 deficit.

Cameron Boozer pushed Duke up 72-69 on a basket, then Demary sank one of two free throws when Duke fouled intentionally with 10 seconds remaining.

Sarr inbounded from the baseline to Cameron Boozer, who returned the pass, then found Cayden Boozer on the left, who dribbled forward and then tried to pass over a trap.

Demary deflected it, Mullins reached it and fed Karaban on the wing. Cameron Boozer closed on Karaban, who returned the ball to Mullins.

“I think we were all just trying to get the ball out of whoever had the ball in their hands and trying to make a play on the ball,” Mullins said. “Silas made an incredible, incredible play, and everything else just happened as it is.”

The Huskies tackled their deficit in pieces, first cutting an early 19-point deficit to 15 by halftime, then using an 8-1 run to get within seven.

After Duke restored its lead to double figures, another 10-2 UConn run closed it to within 67-65 when Solo Ball took advantage of Isaiah Evans’ turnover, raced up the court and completed a three-point play with 3:42 left.

–Ian Quillen, Field Level Media

March Madness: Elite Frontcourt Clash

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CHICAGO – (Wire Service Preview) – Top-seeded Michigan and sixth-seeded Tennessee both feature playmaking guards who have shined along the path to Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Midwest Region final.

Chicago remains the “City of the Big Shoulders,” though, and the Elite Eight matchup between the Wolverines (34-3) and Volunteers (25-11) ought to oblige as two physical front lines prepare to tussle.

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“I think our frontcourt is the best frontcourt in the country,” Tennessee sophomore forward J.P. Estrella said, “and we’ve got another frontcourt coming on Sunday that we’re super excited about (facing).”

The 6-foot-11 Estrella was seated when he delivered an accurate tale of the tape on himself and teammates Nate Ament and Felix Okpara.

“We’re some big dudes,” Estrella said. “I mean, we’ve got three dudes in the starting lineup that are 6-10 and above.”

Michigan boasts similar bulk behind 6-9 forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. alongside 7-3 center Aday Mara.

True to the setting, the Wolverines know they’ll have to elevate their effort to earn the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 2018 while denying the Volunteers the first berth in school history.

Collecting 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, the versatile Lendeborg sparked a 90-77 victory against fourth-seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Friday. Johnson Jr. and Mara combined for 15 points and 12 boards, a so-so contribution by their standards.

Wolverines coach Dusty May lauded the play of reserve guards Trey McKenney (17 points) and Roddy Gayle Jr. (16 points) as “incredible” before showing confidence that the Michigan frontcourt would earn more praise soon enough.

“It was a game where our front line didn’t have their best stuff, for whatever reason,” May said. “And those guys will play much better on Sunday, because they don’t ever have two bad  games.”

Tennessee handled second-seeded Iowa State in the other Midwest Region semifinal, winning 76-62 while roaring to a 43-22 advantage on the glass.

With the Cyclones missing top rebounder and second-leading scorer Joshua Jefferson (ankle), the Volunteers outmuscled them throughout the night.

Ament led the way with 18 points and guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16, while Okpara (12 points, 10 rebounds) and fellow big man Jaylen Carey (11 points, 10 rebounds) both posted double-doubles.

Wolverines point guard Elliot Cadeau stressed that the team can’t stray from defensive basics against Tennessee.

“Effort. Communication. Talking a lot,” Cadeau said.

Sunday marks Tennessee’s third straight Elite Eight appearance under coach Rick Barnes, who is aiming to lead a program to the Final Four for the first time since he took Texas there in 2003.

The Volunteers underwent significant roster turnover from the second-seeded team that lost to top seed 69-50 Houston in the Midwest Region final a season ago.

“This year, we’re going to come out with fire,” said Okpara, who had four points and nine rebounds in that game. “We’re going to get the job done.”

Michigan defeated Tennessee 76-68 in a South Region second-round game in 2022.

– Field Level Media

Foster Returned to Tough Duke Team

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WASHINGTON DC – (Wire Service Preview) – After proving their mental fortitude in the Sweet 16, Cameron Boozer’s No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils will try to defeat this decade’s most successful program when they meet the No. 2 UConn Huskies in Sunday’s NCAA East Regional final.

Boozer has posted double-doubles in all three tournament games for Duke (35-2) to continue a season that has made the freshman forward the Naismith Award favorite.

Meanwhile, his Blue Devils teammates have gotten healthier.

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In Friday’s 80-75 victory over St. John’s, junior guard Caleb Foster willed himself back to action 20 days after sustaining a right foot fracture and scored all 11 of his points after halftime to help his team overcome a 10-point deficit.

“First time playing in a few weeks, he’s sore and recovering like you would expect, but nothing concerning,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “We want him to just continue to be himself, his leadership, his ability to get downhill, just making plays himself and really more of what he did yesterday.”

Center Patrick Ngonba II has also been able to provide minutes off the bench in the last two games after he missed about three weeks with right foot soreness.

At a program that frequently re-loads with NBA Draft Lottery-bound talent like Boozer, that duo provides precious experience from last year’s Final Four squad. So does sophomore guard Isaiah Evans, who had his best game of the tournament with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead Duke’s rally against the Red Storm.

“Just being able to insert our names in history definitely means a lot,” said Evans of possibly reaching consecutive Final Fours. “Like you said, a lot of people haven’t done that. With Duke having the history it has, to be one of the people that did something different, it means a lot to me.”

As impressive as Scheyer’s three consecutive Elite Eight appearances are in four seasons as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor, it’s Dan Hurley’s Huskies (32-5) who are seeking a third national title in four years.

And to limit Boozer, Hurley will lean on senior center Tarris Reed Jr., who has stepped up a level this tournament.

“I think with Tarris or any player, I think just at some point you hope that the light switch comes on in time,” Hurley said. “Maybe it’s the life or death urgency to this time of year. … When he plays at the level that he’s capable of playing at, we can beat any team in the country, and he’s as good as any center in the country.”

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | Mar 29

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It’s 39-degrees and we’re expecting snowflakes this Friday for Sox opener at Fenway

 

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – For those of us who live and breath sports, those who have made a living in the high pressure world of risk and reward, and sometimes award, there is one rule to use as your North Star. That rule is the NEXT game is the big game.

We anticipate that next game as if our lives depended on it. We watch the sports pundits opine. We have our own thoughts and opinions and prognostications. It’s all about the next game.

The great coaches concentrate – not on the next game – but the next possession, the next at bat or pitch, the next defensive stop, the next set of downs, and then, the next game – the very second they’re done doing media interviews about tonight’s game.

I noticed Coach Mike Krzyzewski do that when he was the head coach of USA Basketball’s senior team. At the World Cup (formerly Championship of Basketball) in Japan, he’d have tonight’s boxscore in his hands as he did his media interviews, but the second he stepped down from the podium, he’d want the next opponent’s boxscore from their most recent game. Media interviews ended the game at hand, and he was on to the next game right away.

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I watched Friday night’s Duke vs. St. John’s game, but on Saturday, still clung to the mountain of “what ifs,” all created as the game played out – all fair and square.

As in, “what if” Duke coach Jon Scheyer didn’t have the game plan to switch to zone at crucial time in the second half of the NCAA regional semifinal game to stop the Johnnies’ momentum after a nice run that gave SJU a 10 point lead, 55-45, with 15:01 left in the game. By the 8:11 mark, after an Isaiah Evans three-pointer, Duke led, 63-62.

“What if” the Boozer twins picked another school instead of their father’s alma mater, Duke. Cameron (6-9, 250) and Cayden (6-4, 205) led the Blue Devils all year long, but “what if” they decided to criss-cross/double-cross their Dad and attend North Carolina?

The “what ifs” continue with the question, “What if, Evans had a bad night shooting?”

“What if” St. John’s guard and North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson had Evans’ shooting touch instead of going 1-for-7 from 3-point range? St. John’s guards Jackson, Oziyah Sellers and Dylan Darling (the darling of St. John’s game against Kansas) shot a combined 2-for-16 from downtown. Reserve center Ruben Prey was 4-for-4 and star forward Bryce Hopkins was 2-for-2 from 3-point land.

Evans shot 10-for-15 FG and 4-for-8 from three-point FG.

Duke shot a dismal 15-of-24 from the free throw line (63%) while St. John’s shot a horrible 4-for-8 from the line (50%). There was no beef with the discrepancy as the Johnnies were shooting jumpers while Duke took it to the rim all night long.

That was the difference between more Madness in March (and maybe even April) and, instead, March Sadness. The basketball gods spoke to the school of the Vincentians and sent St. John’s packing. The same gods who allowed the Johnnies to take that 10-point lead, pulled the rug out from underneath their Nike Air Jordans.

The basketball gods tossed this one out with a graphic embedded into the CBS Sports broadcast: For every Duke national title, the Blue Devils beat St. John’s along the way:

🔹1991: Beat St. John’s in the Regional Final (78–61)

🔹1992: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (91–81)

🔹2001: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (91–59)

🔹2010: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (80–71)

🔹2015: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (77–68)

Somehow, the Blue Devils are connected to the basketball gods.

Seems like N.I.L. now stands for Not In (my) Lifetime for St. John’s.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Continuing the March “Sadness” theme, your columnist and editor-in-chief of PGATourBrunch must opine on the “Continuing Saga of Tiger Woods.”

While news media, sports writers (and columnists), sports fans, golf fans, and everyone in between criticize Woods for his behavior, your guy, right here, must show true vibes of empathy for the golf star turned retiree.

In case you didn’t see the story – which has been pretty much impossible to overlook since Friday afternoon – here’s a quick round-up:

Tiger Woods was arrested on DUI charges Friday afternoon after being involved in a two-vehicle car crash about four miles from his home in Jupiter Island, Florida. Woods was booked in jail on three charges. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced Woods’ arrest at a 5 p.m. ET press conference. Woods was released around 11 p.m. ET on Friday night.

What can be said?

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First, it’s important not to speculate excessively as the police are undertaking an investigation and all the facts have not been made public. That said, the Martin County Sheriff’s department made lengthy statements in a press conference called Friday afternoon. They said a lot, especially on the description of the accident. They also released some photos, showing the Land Rover on its side.

Initial thoughts?

You have to try to flip a Land Rover, or you must’ve been driving at an incredibly high rate of speed. A Land Rover is no JEEP. It’s large, wide and grounded.

Secondly, the authorities made it clear that Woods was not arrested for drunk diving (alcohol) and they released the fact he was tested and blew a .000 on his breathalizerr tests. That led to the immediate assumption that Woods was abusing and impaired by pain killer drugs. (That is not known, at this time).

Continuing, this is not Tiger Woods’ first incident with an automobile. His past history includes:

  • November, 2009: Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home in Florida. He was found semi-conscious and his then-wife, Elin Nordegren, reportedly used a golf club to smash the back window to help Woods out of the vehicle. Subsequently, after the public airing of multiple trysts with several women, Woods and his wife separated and divorced. The accident resulted in a summons for careless driving and Woods was fined $164.
  • May, 2017: Woods was found asleep at the wheel in his Mercedes, stopped at a traffic light with his directional signal on. A toxicology report noted there was Vicodin, Dilaudid, Xanax, Ambien, and THC in his system at the time. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was placed on a one year probation period.
  • February, 2021: Woods was involved in a severe single-car rollover crash while driving a Genesis SUV. Investigators determined he was traveling between 84 and 87 mph in a 45 mph zone. Woods suffered significant injuries to his right leg and ankle, requiring multiple emergency surgeries. No criminal charges were filed as there was no evidence of impairment.

Now, Woods faces three serious charges in Martin County, all misdemeanors. The police announced charges of – DUI, Property Damage, and Refusal to Submit to a Lawful Test. While he was released on bail after the mandatory eight-hour hold, he faces significant legal consequences if convicted of the charges. Comparing the current incident to Woods’ 2017 case, there’s a more severe legal landscape due to recent changes in Florida law and the nature of his current charges.

Just last week, Woods competed with his Jupiter Links GC team against Los Angeles in the finals of the indoor TGL. He claimed to feel fine, physically, but admitted to “rust” on his overall game. There’s been speculation as to whether Woods would play at The Masters.

The main take-away from this incident is the very important need for Woods to seek help/counseling and potential rehabilitation for dependency on the v ery pain-killer drugs he tested positive for back in 2017. Multiple celebrity deaths have been reported for overdoses on combinations of prescription pain killers/opiods. Guitarist and songwriter Tom Petty, actors Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith and the death of the artist known as Prince, due to fentanyl overdoses have filled the newspapers over many years.

Woods needs to take care of himself while dealing with the consequences that will come with serious charges. One thing is clear, he will not be treated better than the average guy and he’ll face the full application of the laws.

TIGER: While being realistic and sympathetic to Woods’ situation, I cannot help but think of the amount of joy he’s brought to a generation of sports fans – all drawn to golf because of his ability and charisma. Only Jack Nicklaus can be considered as a better golfer and, maybe only Ali and Michael Jordan would be more world famous.

An anonymous NBA fan suggested a bronze depiction of Luka Doncic’s game

LUKA OR LOSA? The constant complaining done by Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has become unbearable. This weekend, Doncic was issued his 16th technical foul and it resulted in an automatic 1-game suspension. Doncic will serve the suspension during Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards. Doncic previously picked up his 16th tech last weekend for verbally sparring with Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, but the NBA rescinded the techs after the Lakers appealed to the league.

The suspension will cost Doncic 1/174 of his annual salary, or approximately $264,000. Subsequent technical fouls during the current regular season will be cause for automatic uspension for an additional game and the financial penalty will increase to 1/145 of his salary, or approximately $317,000.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: While March Madness marched on, the NBA had a busy week behind the scenes and off the court. Commissioner Adam Silver held a briefing after the Board of Governors meeting to discuss expansion. He was quite specific in his choice of words Wednesday afternoon when he said, that the league is “exploring expansion,” not committing to expanding. There remain many variables in play, such as who the chosen ownership groups might be, the costs and benefits of a move that could bump league membership to 32 franchises, but the thing that became clear is the fact the NBA will look at Seattle and Las Vegas as the two markets to expand.

In other business, called the Anti-Tanking dilemma, the league offered three possible solutions to the two-part issue of keeping the current Lottery system or changing it.

These are the Three Primary Anti-Tanking Solutions put forth to the NBA board for consideration and an eventual vote this spring (for implementation next season).

  • 18-Team Lottery & Flattened Odds: Expanding the lottery to 18 teams—the 10 teams missing the play-in plus the eight that qualify for it. Under one proposal, the bottom 10 teams would receive equal odds for the top pick, significantly reducing the incentive to be the absolute worst team.
  • Two-Year Lottery Records (WNBA Model): Rather than just the current season’s record, NBA Lottery odds would be calculated based on a team’s winning percentage over two seasons. This prevents teams from benefiting instantly from a single season of extreme losing and encourages sustained competence.
  • “Win-Based” Lottery Seeding: Instead of awarding the best odds to the teams with the most losses, lottery positions would be determined by the number of wins a team accumulates during the final stretch of the season. This ensures that teams continue to try winning games, even if they are far out of playoff contention.

At this point in time, I am not sure which of the three I would vote for, but looking at the two-year (WNBA model) proposal, I might wiggle it to be a three-year rule. If pushed to decide right now, I’d go with the last of the three but would need exact details as to the timing for the “final stretch.” Might they use the final 10 games? 15 games?

BC HIRED MURRAY – and – THAT”S the FACT JACK: Boston College Director of Athletics Blake James announced the hiring of Luke Murray, assistant coach of the University of Connecticut men’s basketball program, as the new Clement and Elizabeth Izzi Family head men’s basketball coach at BC. Murray, the son of comedian and motion picture star Bill Murray of Saturday Night Live fame, will head up I84 to a BC team with his decade-plus of coaching experience at the highest levels of collegiate basketball, including playing a key staff role in two national championships. Known for his offensive acumen, player development, and recruiting success, Murray became the 14th head coach in program history.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP (AGAIN): The horn struck again on Saturday during the Elite Eight of the men’s NCAA tournament. Just over a month after a stuck buzzer stopped an NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons, the same thing happened during No. 3 seed Illinois’ game vs. No. 9 seed Iowa at the Toyota Center in Houston. The game was stopped for over 11 minutes with 7:43 to go in the first half as the shot clock horn kept sounding. Given the importance of a working buzzer in a basketball game, the game didn’t continue after the under-eight media timeout because the horn was still going off. When the horn finally shut off, it was greeted with cheers all across the arena. At one point, CBS announcer Kevin Harlan joked that the seven-minute delay felt like 70 minutes. The NCAA said during the second half that the issue stemmed from a malfunction in the scoreboard hanging over the court and that arena staff had attempted to reset the scoreboard at halftime to no avail. Illinois won the game, 71-59, and became the first team to earn a berth in this year’s Final Four.

CRICKET ANYONE? The Royal Challengers Bengaluru sold for ~$1.78B to a consortium led by Blackstone Investment in a landmark IPL deal. The buyers include: Blackstone (first direct sports team investment); David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures, Aditya Birla Group, and Times of India Group. The deal covers both IPL and Women’s Premier League teams.