Tracking every move made as NFL free agency opens

NFL free agency has begun.

Kind of.

The league’s legal tampering window is open, which means starting at noon on Monday teams can begin negotiating with free agents. Technological advances have apparently made those negotiations rather expedient, as every year there is a flurry of activity right as the window opens.

Certainly it is technology, and not the fact that the entire NFL world was in Indianapolis just a week ago.

But we digress. While deals cannot become official until the league year opens on Wednesday afternoon, meaning things technically could change, we are going to learn over the course of the next few days more about each NFL team, and their rosters for next season.

We will be tracking the major moves all week long.

2023 NFL free agency Day 1

• Quarterback Easton Stick and the Los Angeles Chargers agree to terms on a new deal, per Ian Rapoport.
• Running back Nyheim Hines is reworking his deal to stay with the Buffalo Bills, per Mike Garofolo.
• The San Francisco 49ers are re-signing safety Tashaun Gipson to a 1-year deal, per Ari Meirov.
• The Detroit Lions are re-signing defensive lineman DL Isaiah Buggs to a two-year deal worth up to $6 million, per Tom Pelissero.
• Punter Sam Martin re-signed with the Bills on a new three-year deal worth up to $7.5 million, per Garofolo.
• Linebacker Tyler Matakevich agreed to a new two-year deal to stay in Buffalo, per Rapoport. The deal is a two-year deal that voids to one, per Rapoport.
• The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed safety Michael Thomas to a one-year extension, per Adam Schefter. This might have implications for the status of safety Jesse Bates III in Cincinnati.
• The New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a trade involving tight end Jonnu Smith, per Rapoport.
• The Seattle Seahawks plan to release defensive lineman Shelby Harris, per Garafolo.
• The Falcons and offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom agreed to a five-year contract extension worth up to $105 million, per Garafolo.
• The Patriots are expected to re-sign cornerback Jonathan Jones on a two-year deal, per Rapoport.
• The Chicago Bears are expected to sign linebacker T.J. Edwards to a three-year deal, per Rapoport. The deal is worth up to $19.5 million, with $12 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
• The Baltimore Ravens have released veteran defensive end Calias Campbell, per Pelissero.
• The Falcons have agreed to terms with defensive tackle David Onyemata, per Garafolo. The deal could be worth close to $12 million per year, per Garafolo. The deal is officially worth $35 million over three years, with $24.5 million fully guaranteed, per Schefter.
• The Denver Broncos are expected to sign offensive guard Ben Powers, per Mike Klis. The deal is for four years, and worth up to $52M with $28.5M guaranteed, per Rapoport.
• The Packers are re-signing cornerback and kick returner Keisan Nixon to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, per Rapoport.
• The Houston Texans have reached an agreement with FB/TE Andrew Beck, per Peter Schrager. It is a two-year deal worth up to $6.75 million, with $4 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
• Jarrett Stidham is signing a two-year deal with the Broncos, worth up to $10 million, per Rapoport. The deal includes $5 million guaranteed.
• The Washington Commanders are re-signing cornerback Danny Johnson to a two-year deal worth up to $7 million with $2.75M guaranteed, per Pelissero.
• The Patriots are re-signing LB Raekwon McMillan to a one-year deal that’s worth up to $2.2 million, per Pelissero.
• The 49ers are signing DT Javon Hargrave to a four-year deal worth $80 million that includes $40 million guaranteed, per Schefter.
• The Broncos are signing RT Mike McGlinchey to a five-year deal worth up to $87.5 million with over $50 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
• The Lions are signing CB Cam Sutton to a three-year deal worth $33 million with $22.5 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
• The Carolina Panthers have reached an agreement with DT Shy Tuttle on a three-year, $19.5 million deal with $13 million guaranteed at signing, per Schefter.
• The Las Vegas Raiders are signing QB Jimmy Garoppolo, per Schefter, Russini and Garafolo. It is a three-year deal worth up to $67.5 million, with $34 million guaranteed, per Schefter. Hey, this means we got at least one free agency prediction correct!
• The Washington Commanders plan to sign RT Andrew Wylie to a three-year, $24 million deal, per Ari Meirov.
• The Bills have reached an agreement with guard Connor McGovern on a three-year deal worth up to $23 million, per Garafolo.
• The Miami Dolphins have reached an agreement with QB Mike White on a two-year deal worth up to $16 million, per Schefter.
• The Texans have reached an agreement on a two-year deal with quarterback Case Keenum, per John McClain.
• The Texans are expected to sign EDGE Chase Winovich, per Rapoport.
• The Chiefs have reached an agreement with RT Jawaan Taylor, per Schefter. The deal is for four years and worth $80 million, with $60 million guaranteed.
• The Cincinnati Bengals are re-signing LB Germaine Pratt to a three-year deal worth up to $21 million, per Pelissero.
• The Minnesota Vikings are signing tight end Josh Oliver to a three-year deal worth $21 million, with $10.75 million guaranteed, and incentives that can push the deal up to $24 million, per Garafolo.
• The Panthers are signing safety Vonn Bell, per Rapoport.
• The Browns are re-signing center Ethan Pocic, per Josina Anderson and Garafolo. The deal is for three years and worth $18 million.
• The Texans are signing defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway to sign a one-year, $4 million deal that includes $3 million guaranteed, per Schefter.
• Chicago is signing guard Nate Davis to a three-year deal, per Rapoport.
• The Bears are also signing LB Tremaine Edmunds, per Rapoport. The deal is for four years and worth $72 million, per Rapoport.
• Atlanta is adding safety Jesse Bates III, per Rapoport. The deal is for four years, and worth $64.02 million per Pelissero. This makes the second prediction that we got right in our free agency predictions piece. Just ignore the rest, those never happened.
• Having lost Cam Sutton to the Lions, the Steelers are adding at cornerback, reaching an agreement with Patrick Peterson on a two-year deal, per Schefter.
• The 49ers added quarterback Sam Darnold on a one-year deal, per Schefter. This gives San Francisco a solid hedge as both Trey Lance and Brock Purdy are coming off injuries, and it also gives our James Dator a reason to update this Madden simulation he ran recently.
• The Raiders are signing safety Marcus Epps to a two-year, $12 million deal with almost $8 million guaranteed, per Pelissero.
• The Titans are signing offensive tackle Andre Dillard, per Rapoport.
• The Dolphins are adding linebacker David Long Jr. on a two-year deal worth $11 million, per Schefter.
• The New York Giants have reached an agreement with linebacker Bobby Okereke, according to Rapoport. Per Rapoport, it is a four-year deal worth $40 million, with $22 million of it guaranteed.
• The Seattle Seahawks reached an agreement with defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones on a three-year deal worth $51 million, per James Palmer.
• The Falcons came to an agreement with LB Kaden Elliss on a three-year, $21.5M deal with $11M guaranteed, per Rapoport.
• According to Garafolo, the Bears have reached an agreement with former Tennessee Titans DE DeMarcus Walker on a two-year deal.
• The Cleveland Browns have reached an agreement with DT Dalvin Tomlinson, per Rapoport. The deal is for four years and $57 million, with $27.5 million guaranteed.
• In a move that slipped through the cracks earlier in the day — but is rather impressive — the Browns also added DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, per Rapoport. The agreement is for a three-year deal worth up to $22 million with incentives, and $12.5 million guaranteed.
• WE HAVE KICKER HISTORY! Just before midnight on the first day of the legal tampering period, Peter Schrager reported that the Colts had reached an agreement with former Los Angeles Rams kicker Matt Gay on a deal “expected to be the biggest for a kicker in NFL free agent history.” According to Pelissero, the deal is for four years and $22.5 million, and is indeed the biggest ever for a kicker in free agency.

The Rockets need to maximize the Alperen Sengun-Jabari Smith Jr. fit for their future. Here’s how it’s going

When you’re the 15-52 Houston Rockets and your team owns the second-worst record in basketball, there isn’t really much you can hang your hat on.

With that said, one of the few bright spots in the series of unfortunate events that has been this season for the Rockets is the emergence of second-year big man Alperen Sengun into one of the most promising players of the 2021 draft class.

However, despite his improved play this year, Sengun’s game comes with some massive tradeoffs. The kind that would require the perfect frontcourt running mate to mask these shortcomings.

That fact turns the microphone over to this year’s first-round pick, Jabari Smith Jr. Did the Rockets use the third overall pick to select Sengun’s dream partner? Or should they use their high-end lottery pick in this year’s loaded class to keep on searching?

The Good

The first drawback to Sengun’s style is that his game is primarily ground-bound. He hardly leaves his feet, and as a result, he provides below-average rim protection relative to his position (49th percentile in block percentage, per Cleaning the Glass).

As we’ve established before, in most circumstances, rim protection is paramount to building a good/great defense. So, if Sengun (the team’s nominal center) can’t provide that service, they need to outsource that production to a different position.

Fortunately, Smith’s combination of length, jump timing, and reaction speed gives him the tools to be the torch-bearer in this regard.

On the season, Houston’s opponent rim accuracy decreases by three percentage points with Smith on the floor (78th percentile).

The second drawback of Sengun’s style is that he’s not a very mobile defender. Once upon a time, before the Spaced Out epoch of basketball, you could get away with having a more lethargic bruiser as your defensive anchor.

However, that is no longer the case. In today’s game, those bigs often get hunted mercilessly, particularly in the playoffs when matchup hunting frequency is at its highest.

So, if Houston wants to avoid having Sengun get played off the floor in a future playoff series, they need a uber flexible forward who can pre-switch or scram switch into these suboptimal matchups for him. It’s analogous to the Denver Nuggets pairing Nikola Jokic with Aaron Gordon (although, to his credit, Jokic is a much better defender than Sengun at this point in time).

And while his matchup data (per NBA.com) suggests that Smith normally lines up against like-sized adversaries, his tape is littered with glimpses of him using his condor wingspan and cat-quick agility to stay in front of smaller, slipperier opponents.

This next clip from the Rockets’ mid-February clash against the Miami Heat is the perfect encapsulation of the defensive vision for Smith. All of the tools we’ve outlined above – his length, mobility, and recovery speed – are in full effect in this possession.

First, he rotates over from the weakside on Jimmy Butler’s drive in order to deter one of the most fearless players in the history of the sport from taking a shot at the rim. Then, he immediately recovers back into drop coverage to contain the middle pick and roll action. And finally, he offers a meaningful contest on Caleb Martin’s late-clock jumper when the drop transposes into a late switch.

He’s still far from a perfect defender. He has plenty of miscommunication malfunctions and a bounty of moments where he looks more like a matador than a basketball player. But for the most part, his blunders are more so a product of effort (not always getting in a battle-ready stance) than of physical limitations, which is a huge sign for his defensive ceiling moving forward.

The third major drawback of the Sengun experience ties into the first one – because he’s so ground-bound, he offers very little by way of lob-finishing.

Smith’s dunk numbers are far from eye-popping – only 4.9% of his field goal attempts are dunks (59th percentile) – but that is largely due to underutilization (he’s largely relegated to spot-up three-point shooting) and poor interior passing teammates.

If given more chances and surrounded by better setup artists, Smith has the vertical bandwidth (as evidenced by his rim protection) to give the Rockets’ offense an aerial element it lacks with Sengun in the middle.

The Bad

The last significant drawback of Sengun’s old-school game is his subpar outside shooting. On the year, he’s shooting 31.8% on less than one attempt (0.7, to be exact) per game.

In his lone season at Auburn, Smith shot 42 percent on 5.5 three-point attempts per game. This mark earned him a reputation as a credible floor-spacer coming into the draft, theoretically making him the perfect remedy for Sengun’s ailment.

Unfortunately, to this point, the marksmanship he demonstrated in college has not translated over to the NBA level, as this season, he’s only converting on 30.2 percent of his 5.1 attempts per game.

The good news here is that his form is swift, he’s got a high release point, and by all accounts, it seems like a motion that is easily replicable – all strong indicators that something is not fundamentally wrong with his jumper.

It’s also worth noting that the Rockets are the worst three-point shooting team in the league based on percentage (32.9 percent) and that their archaic spacing may be negatively impacting his own individual percentages.

A better, more context-independent indicator to turn to at this stage in the game is free throw shooting (free throw shooting has very little to do with the quality of scheme/teammates around a certain player). In this category, Smith is still performing fairly well, averaging a 79.1 percent hit rate on his 2.5 attempts per game.

The bigger concern with Smith is how uncomfortable he looks when he’s asked to put the ball on the floor. As we talked about with Trey Murphy III, the new age complimentary offensive pieces can’t just be good three-point shooters. They also need to be able to put the ball on the floor and attack aggressive closeouts when defenses try to run them off the line.

So far, Smith has resembled a deer in headlights in these spots, often failing to maintain a tight handle in traffic or keep his control when trying to absorb contact on drives.

Even if his jumper comes around, if he can’t consistently drive closeouts, he becomes an easier piece for opponents to scheme off the board, which in the long run, chips away at his overall ceiling if he can’t get that corrected.

The Outlook

In his novel “Basketball Analytics: Spatial Tracking,” Dr. Stephen Shea had this to say about young players: “College players are inconsistent. Their production can vary wildly from one game to the next. This is especially true for freshmen, and it is often after the freshman season that the most elite prospects enter the draft…The moral is that consistency is not something we should expect from even the very best of prospects. It is something that players gain with experience; it is something they can be taught.”

What Shea is saying here is that, with young players, it is more important to focus on the flashes they show early on than looking at their overall production as a whole. Players mature into consistency over time. So, if they are putting together some enticing single games/moments, there is a good chance that they can learn to harness and wield that potential on a more consistent basis as they age into their respective primes.

Arguably more than for any player in this class, this is how we need to view Smith’s long-term outlook. He’s on a terrible team. His per-game numbers are bad. And, more often than not, he looks lost out there.

But if you catch him on the right night (like that Miami game), you see the vision. You see the combination of rim protection and positional versatility that gives him the chance to be an elite defensive player. You see the confident jumper and aerial acumen that gives him the blueprint to becoming an elite dual play-finisher. You see the tantalizing flashes that give him the chance to be special.

When you think about the ceiling of that player archetype – a futuristic defensive anchor who provides offensive value through outside shooting and rim finishing – the first player that probably comes to mind is now All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr.

And there’s a chance that, if everything breaks his way, the best version of Smith can follow a similar path to All-Star status. However, Jackson is a generational defensive talent, and while the two have much in common, it is unwise (and frankly, unfair) to bet that Smith will reach his exact level of impact.

But even if he doesn’t get to All-Star level, if Smith can just continue to hone in his defense, rediscover his jumper, and improve his off-the-dribble game, at the very least, he becomes the perfect complimentary player to flank whoever Houston decides to build around.

In the past it might have been easy to overlook the NIT, but that’s foolish at this point. The ludicrous amount of talent in college basketball is forcing some great teams out of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and pushing them into the National Invitation Tournament, with 2023 boasting one of the most impactful fields we’ve seen in some time, with huge fanbases dancing in March’s other tournament.

This year’s NIT can’t be discussed without addressing the 10,000 pound elephant in the room: North Carolina. There’s no question the Tar Heels deserved to be one of the first four out of the NCAA Tournament. Hubert Davis’ second year as head coach was very different to the first, with UNC struggling to a middling record in the ACC, a far cry from their dramatic, unpredictable run to the National Championship game a year ago.

Now they’re taking their ball and going home, literally — North Carolina got ahead of the NIT announcement to reject a bid and prepare for next season.

The runaway favorite in the NIT has to be Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were unfairly snubbed for the NCAA tournament despite having one of the best cases in the country for an at-large bid. This team ranked 35th in the KenPom rankings, and had signature wins against some of the best teams in the country, all of whom are in the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament.

Another team to watch will be Clemson. The Tigers finished 64th in the KenPom rankings. The team’s offense flowing almost entirely through center P.J. Hall may have held the team back at times, but they remain a team loaded with talent, particularly on the defensive end. This really shined through back in January, when the Tigers grinded out a win against eventual ACC Champions Duke, holding the Blue Devils to 64 points.

Keep an eye on Oklahoma State too, who were a victim of circumstance this season as much as anything. With five teams in the Big 12 finishing in the Top 25 it was near impossible for a team on the outside to make headway. The Cowboys have an extremely solid roster, with Kalib Boone being one of the best scorers in a loaded conference, but he struggled to make an impact down the stretch. There’s a very real chance this team finds its way again and makes a big NIT run.

Top Left Bracket

1 Oklahoma State
Youngstown State

4 Washington State
E. Washington

3 North Texas
Alcorn State

2 Sam Houston
Santa Clara

Bottom Left Bracket

1 Oregon
UC Irvine

4 Florida
UCF

3 Wisconsin
Bradley

2 Liberty
Villanova

Top Right Bracket

1 Rutgers
Hofstra

4 Cincinnati
Virginia Tech

3 New Mexico
Utah Valley

2 Colorado
Seton Hall

Bottom Right Bracket

1 Clemson
Morehead State

4 UAB
Southern Miss

3 Vanderbilt
Yale

2 Michigan
Toledo

Selections will be announced on March 12 at 8 p.m. ET

The 2023 women’s NCAA tournament will begin on March 15 with First Four games. The Women’s Final Four will take place in Dallas, Texas on March 31, with the national title game set for April 2.

The complete bracket was announced Sunday night. Odds will be available at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Last year, South Carolina defeated UConn to take home the national title. This year’s South Carolina squad led by Dawn Stanley have dominated throughout the season, finishing 32-0.

2023 NCAA women’s tournament schedule

Below is the complete schedule for the 2023 tournament:

• Selections are Sunday, March 12 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN)
• The First Four games are Wednesday and Thursday, March 15-16
• The first round is Friday and Saturday, March 17-18
• The second round is Sunday and Monday, March 19-20
• The Sweet 16 is Friday and Saturday, March 24-25
• The Elite 8 is Sunday and Monday, March 26-27
• The Final Four is Friday, March 31
• The national championship game is Sunday, April 2

Locations

The first and second round games will be at various host site locations. The Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA and the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greensville, S.C will host Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games. The Women’s Final Four and national championship game will take place in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center.

Utah Valley has the best record, but Sam Houston is the top seed thanks to an innovative seeding structure

The Big Sky Tournament is set to get underway this week at Michelob ULTRA Arena and Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, with the winner punching their automatic bid to the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament. The WAC is likely to be a one-bid league this year, which means the entire season comes down to the conference tournament.

There is, well, a lot to talk about when it comes to the WAC this season. New Mexico State, one of the preseason favorites in the conference, suspended their season after a number of off-court incidents. Forward Mike Peake was allegedly involved in a shooting in November where he was lured onto the campus of the University of New Mexico and after being shot at, returned fire. Brandon Travis, a 19-year old and one of the individuals who allegedly lured Peake to the campus, died following the incident.

NMSU then suspended their season in February after allegations of hazing on the team surfaced. Head coach Greg Heiar was fired days later.

Utah Valley finished the season with the best conference record, at 15-3 (24-7 overall) but they will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament this week. Instead it is Sam Houston, with their 14-4 conference record (24-6 overall) that enters the tournament as the top seed. Why? Because the WAC altered how they structure the seeding for the conference tournament.

Instead of using conference record, the conference is using a “resume seeding system,” Developed in conjunction with Ken Pomeroy, the WAC is using a formula to look at a team’s entire resume, including the strength of their opponents. Losses against tough teams are not judged as harshly as losses against weaker opponents. Conversely, wins against good teams are given more credit than wins against inferior opponents.

On the strength of this formula, Sam Houston is the top seed, while Utah Valley will be second.

Interestingly enough, these teams met just once this season, with Utah Valley winning by a final score of 80 to 64. That game came back in the end of the December, and it was the conference-opener for both teams.

2023 men’s WAC tournament bracket

WAC

2023 men’s WAC tournament schedule

March 7 First Round

Game 1: No. 8 California Baptist 69, No. 9 Abilene Christian 62

Game 2: No. 5 Grand Canyon 82, No. 12 UT Arlington 77

Game 3: No. 7 Tarleton 74, No. 10 UT Rio Grande Valley 70

Game 4: No. 6 Utah Tech 80, No. 11 Stephen F. Austin 76

March 9 Quarterfinals

Game 5: No. 1 Sam Houston 64, No. 8 California Baptist 51

Game 6: No. 5 Grand Canyon 84, No. 4 Seattle U 79

Game 7: No. 2 Utah Valley 72, No. 7 Tarleton 58

Game 8: No. 3 Southern Utah 76, No. 11 Utah Tech 75

March 10 Semifinals

Game 9: No. 5 Grand Canyon 78, No. 1 Sam Houston 75

Game 10: No. 2 Utah Valley vs. No. 3 Southern Utah 76, 11 p.m., ESPN+

March 11 Championship

Game 11: No. 5 Grand Canyon vs. Winner Game 10, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2

Can anyone knock off Purdue in the 2023 Big Ten tournament?

The Big Ten has been the second best conference in men’s college basketball for the 2022-2023 season, according to KenPom. The Purdue Boilermakers have been the top team in the conference all season, but a six-team race for second place into the final days of the regular season put huge stakes on every game of the stretch run. Now the bracket for the 2023 Big Ten tournament is set, with the field invading the United Center in Chicago from March 8-12.

The Boilermakers have plenty to play for entering the conference tournament as they try to secure a No. 1 seed to the NCAA tournament. Purdue was shaky to close conference play, finishing the regular season 4-4 in the last eight games, but it still has one of the best resumes in America. Purdue’s 13-0 start included wins over Marquette, Gonzaga, and Duke and set the course for one of the best seasons in program history. Everything starts with Zach Edey, the 7’4 center likely to be national player of the year, who is a dominant force as an interior scorer and rebounded. Purdue needs big contributions from freshmen Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer if it wants to make the Final Four for the first time under head coach Matt Painter.

Indiana also has big dreams this year. The Hoosiers are led by senior star Trayce Jackson-Davis, an explosive 6’9 center who can attack the rim, hit the glass, and block shots. Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has been the team’s breakout star, positioning himself as a possible NBA draft first round pick this year with a combination of size (6’6), shot-making, and playmaking. Indiana’s defense has been vulnerable this season, entering the tournament ranked No. 46 in the country. The offense has one of the lowest three-point rates in the DI, but their three-point percentage ranks in the top-25 nationwide.

A year ago, Iowa won the Big Ten tournament behind star forward Keegan Murray. Now it’s his twin brother Kris Murray leading the way for the Hawkeyes after Keegan was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Kris Murray has had a breakout season by carrying the scoring load for Iowa, though his three-point shot struggled a bit at the end of the season.

Illinois feels like the boom-or-bust team of the Big Ten. The Illini are loaded with talent thanks to transfers Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer, but their play has been wildly inconsistent all year. Shannon’s athleticism and shot-making gives Illinois a chance at a tournament title, but he’ll need his teammates to hit shots around him. Illinois has been one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the Big Ten all year.

Our latest bracketology projection has 10 Big Ten in the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament — more than any conference in America. Here’s the bracket, schedule, and a prediction for what’s going to happen in Chicago.

2023 Big Ten tournament bracket

2023 Big Ten tournament predictions

We picked Purdue to win the Big Ten tournament. From our conference tournament predictions post:

Our pick: Purdue Boilermakers. It’s almost impossible to lose a top-five NBA draft pick (Jaden Ivey) and one of the best big men in the conference (Trevion Williams) and get even better, but that’s exactly what Purdue has done this season. The Boilermakers have been considered an elite team since earning victories over Duke, Gonzaga, and Marquette early in the season, and for the most part Matt Painter’s team has remained among the country’s best ever since. Everything Purdue does is built around star center Zach Edey, the 7’4 behemoth poised to be college basketball’s national player of the year. With two standout freshmen (Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith) and a couple of savvy vets around him, Purdue’s pieces just fit better this year even if the talent isn’t as overwhelming. Now it’s time for Painter to prove it in March and get to his first Final Four ever. — Ricky O’Donnell

2023 Big Ten Tournament schedule

March 8 First Round

Game 1: No. 13 Ohio State 65, No. 12 Wisconsin 57

Game 2: No. 14 Minnesota 78, No. 11 Nebraska 75

March 9 Second Round

Game 3: No. 9 Rutgers 62, No. 8 Michigan 50

Game 4: No. 13 Ohio State 73, No. 5 Iowa 69

Game 5: No. 10 Penn State 79, No. 7 Illinois 76

Game 6: No. 6 Maryland 70, No. 14 Minnesota 54

March 10 Quarterfinals

Game 7: No. 9 Rutgers vs. No. 1 Purdue, noon, BTN

Game 8: No. 13 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Michigan State, 2:30 p.m., BTN

Game 9: No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 2 Northwestern, 6:30 p.m., BTN

Game 10: No. 6 Maryland vs. No. 3 Indiana, 9:00 p.m., BTN

March 11 Semifinals

Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 1 p.m., CBS

Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 3:30 p.m., CBS

March 12 Championship

Game 13: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 3:30 p.m., CBS

Odds to win 2023 Big Ten Tournament from DraftKings Sportsbook

Purdue +150
Indiana +550
Michigan State +600
Maryland +650
Northwestern +900
Illinois +1200
Rutgers +2000
Iowa +2200
Penn State +2500
Michigan +2500
Wisconsin +6000
Ohio State +6000
Nebraska +25000
Minnesota +100000

This is everything you need to know about the 2023 ACC Tournament.

The ACC Tournament begins on Tuesday, with every team desperate for making a deep run into the tournament and getting their shot at the big dance. Overall, it’s been a down year for the conference—a really down year, actually. There’s no team in the ACC in the top 30 of Ken Pomeroy’s KenPom rankings, and only three teams are ranked in the top 25. No. 13 Virginia, No. 17 Miami and No. 25 Pitt are the only teams ranked, and the Hurricanes split the regular season ACC title with the Cavaliers. Below them, teams like NC State loom, with upsets on their mind. The Wolfpack are +1200 to win the ACC tournament, but with their high scoring ability (2nd in ACC in points per game), they can make any game interesting. The Hurricanes and Cavaliers looked like the two best teams in the conference, but neither are the betting favorites to win the entire thing.

That would be the Duke Blue Devils, who are currently +280 to win. In their first season without Coach K roaming the sideline, there’s been ups and downs, yet they finished the regular season 14-6 in the conference and the highest rated ACC team according to KenPom. Despite the freshmen talent not being as good as previous years, freshman C Kyle Filipowski is the engine behind the team, leading the Blue Devils in points per game and rebounds per game. In addition, the Blue Devils enter the tournament hot, winning their final six games, including over North Carolina.

Speaking of North Carolina, to say that this season has been rough would be an understatement. Entering the season as the top ranked team, they now sit unranked and would more than likely need to win the ACC tournament just to make the NCAA tournament. Sitting at 19-12 overall, the Tar Heels will have to run the table without the aid of byes, and will need another massive run of high quality play from any of their four starters that returned from the national title team last year. Which means leading scorer Caleb Love and forward Armando Bacot will need to put together multiple stretches of great play just to even get an at-large bid.

ACC tournament 2023 bracket

ACC tournament 2023: schedule, start times, TV info, and more

Tuesday, March 7

First Round

2 p.m. – Georgia Tech 61, Florida State 60 (ACC Network)

4:30 p.m. – No. 10 Boston College 80, vs. No. 15 Louisville 62

7 p.m. – No. 11 Virginia Tech 67, No. 14 Notre Dame 64

Wednesday, March 8

Second Round

Noon – No. 9 Wake Forest 77, No. 8 Syracuse 74

2:30 p.m. – No. 5 Pitt 89, Georgia Tech 81

7 p.m. – No. 7 North Carolina 85, No. 10 Boston College 61

9:30 p.m. – No. 6 NC State 97, No. 11 Virginia Tech 77

Thursday, March 9

Quarterfinals

Noon – No. 1 Miami 74, No. 9 Wake Forest 72

2:30 p.m. – No. 4 Duke 96, No. 5 Pitt 69

7 p.m. – No. 2 Virginia 68, No. 7 North Carolina 59

9:30 p.m. – No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 6 NC State (ESPN/ESPN2)

Friday, March 10

Semifinals

7 p.m. – No. 1 Miami vs. No. 4 Duke (ESPN/ESPN2)

9:30 p.m. – No. 2 Virginia vs. Clemson/NC State Winner (ESPN/ESPN2)

Saturday, March 11

Championship

8:30 p.m. – Semifinal winners (ESPN)

ACC title odds at DraftKings Sportsbook

Duke: +280
Virginia: +300
Miami, FL: +340
UNC: +600
Clemson: +600
NC State: +1200
Pitt: +1400
Wake Forest: +4000
Virginia Tech: +5000
Syracuse: +10000
Florida State: +15000
Georgia Tech: +35000
Boston College: +35000
Notre Dame: +50000
Louisville: +100000

UCLA and Arizona are at the top of the conference, but can anyone join them in the big dance?

The Pac-12 tournament kicks off on Wednesday, from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Two teams are locks for the tournament, as UCLA enters the Pac-12 tournament ranked second in the current AP Top 25, and Arizona checks in ranked eighth.

But whether another team, or two, joins them in the big dance will be determined over the next few days.

USC is one team to watch, as the Trojans finished the year with a 22-9 record (14-6 in conference play, matching Arizona) and USC split the season series with their crosstown rivals, beating UCLA at the end of January. The Trojans have a fascinating pair of guards in Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson. Ellis averaged 18.1 points per game during the regular season, and converted from three-point land at a 39.1% rate. Peterson checks in at 6’9, with the size of a big, but he can create off the dribble and shot 36% from behind the three-point line this season.

Oregon likely needs a few wins in the Pac-12 tournament to secure a spot in the big dance. Dana Altman’s team finished the year with an 18-13 record, but the Ducks finished with the fourth-best record in the conference, and are coming off three-straight wins to close out the season. N’Faly Dante is the man in the middle for Oregon, as the 6’11 center averaged 13.5 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game for the Ducks. Will Richardson starts the offense, as the guard averaged 12.5 points per game, and 5.2 assists per game, this year.

The Arizona Wildcats put up points in bunches, averaging 83.1 points per game, which ranks Arizona fourth in the nation and tops in the conference. They’re led by 6’11 forward Azuolas Tubelis, a two-time First-Team All-Pac-12 selection. Tubelis is both the top scorer (19.9 ppg) and the top rebounder (9.2 rpg) in the conference. Arizona split their season series with UCLA, losing in the season finale on Saturday.

As for UCLA, the Bruins enter the tournament the top-ranked team in the conference, and as the top seed for the Pac-12 tournament. But they face a big question, and that is how they will fare without Jaylen Clark. Their defensive wizard — Clark averages 2.6 steals per game and was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year — suffered a lower-leg injury in the season finale against Arizona, and UCLA coach Mick Cronin announced on Tuesday that he will miss the Pac-12 tournament. There is also reporting breaking Wednesday that Clark’s season may be over. The Bruins will turn to fellow guards Jaime Jaquez Jr. (17.5 ppg and the Pac-12 Player of the Year) and Tyger Campbell (12.9 ppg, 4.7 apg) to pick up the slack. Having one of the top defenses in the nation — UCLA allowed just 60.1 points per game this year, sixth-best in the country — will help as well.

2023 men’s Pac-12 tournament bracket

2023 men’s Pac-12 tournament schedule (all times Eastern)

March 8 First Round

Game 1: Colorado 74, Washington 68

Game 2: Washington State 69, California 52

Game 3: Stanford 73, Utah 62

Game 4: No. 6 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Oregon State, 11:30 p.m., PAC12

March 9 Quarterfinals

Game 5: No. 9 Colorado vs. No. 1 UCLA, 3 p.m., PAC12

Game 6: No. 5 Washington State vs. No. 4 Oregon, 5:30 p.m., PAC12

Game 7: No. 10 Stanford vs. No. 2 Arizona, 9 p.m., PAC12

Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. No. 3 USC, 11:30 p.m., ESPN

March 10 Semifinals

Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 p.m., PAC12

Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 11:30 p.m., ESPN

March 11 Championship

Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

Connecticut, Creighton, Marquette, and Xavier are among the favorites in the Big East men’s basketball conference tournament.

The men’s Big East tournament is set to get underway this week from legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Marquette wrapped up the regular season title last week, with their win last Tuesday over Butler. But a number of teams enter the tournament with a chance to make a run to the championship, and with a few teams in the conference on the tournament bubble at the moment, how the Big East tournament unfolds will go a long way towards setting the final field.

We can start with the Golden Eagles. Shaka Smart has built a contender at Marquette, and while Smart is known for his defensive approach, it is their offense which has made them a force this season. Our own Ricky O’Donnell put together a deep dive into what makes their offense click, and it starts with their spacing. The offense flows around Oso Ighodaro, their 6’9 center who averages 11.9 points per game. Their spacing, and his presence inside, opens up opportunities for the Golden Eagles from deep. Over 40% of their attempts this season have been from behind the three-point line, and the Golden Eagles are converting at a 35% rate from three. Kam Jones, their sophomore guard is Marquette’s best shot-maker from deep, hitting at a 35.5% clip this season.

Xavier enters the Big East tournament as the second seed, thanks to their 15-5 record in conference play. The Musketeers split their season series with Marquette, with each team winning at home. Xavier is efficient on offense, and they enter the tournament ranked seventh in the nation in Ken Pomeroy’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, behind only Marquette out of the Big East teams. They’re led by their guards, as both Souley Boum and Colby Jones average more than 15 points per game.

Creighton, the third seed in the tournament, could be a sleeper not just for this week, but for beyond. It starts with center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was just named the Big East’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season. Kalkbrenner averages 2.2 blocks per game, placing him 19th in the nation. But he does it on the offensive end as well, as his 15.1 points per game leads the Bluejays. Creighton gets big contributions from their guards around Kalkbrenner, as Trey Alexander, Baylor Scheierman, and Ryan Nembhard all average more than 12 points per game. Alexander’s 3-point percentage of 43.2% is tops in the conference.

Finally, it might be hard to call Connecticut a dark horse, considering they are the top-ranked team in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, but the Huskies enter play as the fourth seed and face a tough opening matchup with Providence. Connecticut has also won five-straight games, and they work hard to earn extra possessions every night. Their Offensive Rebound Percentage of 39.0% is tops not just in the conference, but in all of college basketball. Adama Sanogo, their 6’9 center, is a huge part of that effort.

2023 men’s Big East tournament bracket

Big East Conference

2023 men’s Big East tournament schedule (all games at Madison Square Garden)

March 8 First Round

Game 1: St. John’s 76, Butler 63

Game 2: DePaul 66, Seton Hall 65

Game 3: Villanova 80, Georgetown 48

March 9 Quarterfinals

Game 4: No. 8 St. John’s vs. No. 1 Marquette, 12 p.m., FS1

Game 5: No. 4 Connecticut vs. No. 5 Providence, 2:30 p.m., FS1

Game 6: No 10 DePaul vs. No. 2 Xavier, 7 p.m., FS1

Game 7: No. 6 Villanova vs. No. 3 Creighton, 9:30 p.m., FS1

March 10 Semifinals

Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 6:30 p.m., FS1

Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7, 9 p.m., FS1

March 11 Championship

Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9, 6:30 p.m., FOX

Odds to win 2023 Big East Tournament from DraftKings Sportsbook

UConn: +190
Creighton: +320
Marquette: +320
Xavier: +425
Villanova: +1500
Providence: +1500
Seton Hall: +5000
St. Johns: +6000
Butler: +80000
DePaul: +100000
Georgetown: +100000

Eastern Washington and Montana State are the favorites in the Big Sky men’s basketball conference tournament.

The Big Sky Tournament is set to get underway this weekend at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. The winner will punch their automatic bid to the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament. The Big Sky is likely to be a one-bid league this year, which means the entire season comes down to the conference tournament.

The tournament has a new format this season. With the conference now down to ten teams, the top six teams in the Big Sky conference have a bye into the quarterfinals, while the bottom four teams play in the first round. If one of those teams wants to crash the big dance, they’ll have to win four game in five days to make the NCAA men’s tournament.

Eastern Washington is the top seed in the Big Sky tournament, with a 22-9 record overall, and a 16-2 record in the conference. The Eagles won their first 16 games in conference play — which set a new conference record — but they enter the tournament having lost their final two games in the Big Sky, including in their season finale against Montana State. Eastern Washington is led by guard Steele Venters, who was named the Big Sky MVP on Thursday. The 6’7 redshirt sophomore averages 15.1 points per game, and was third in the conference with 70 3-pointers made. The Eagles are also stifling on defense. They held opponents to shooting just 42% this season, and held opponents under 40% in 11 games this year.

Speaking of Montana State, they are the #2 seed in the conference, and enter the tournament with a matching 22-9 overall record. Only Montana State’s 15-3 conference record kept them from earning the top seed for the tournament. They’re led by guard RaeQuan Battle, who averages 17.1 points per game this season, as well as last year’s Big Sky MVP Jubrile Belo. Belo 12.8 points per game along with 6.1 rebounds per game.

2023 men’s Big Sky tournament bracket

2023 men’s Big Sky tournament schedule

March 4 First Round

Game 1: Northern Arizona 87, Idaho 76

Game 2: Northern Colorado 84, Portland State 80

March 5 Second Round

Game 3: Northern Arizona 81, Eastern Washington 80

That’s right, the #9 seed Northern Arizona — who entered play Sunday with a 10-22 record — knocked off the top seed in the conference on this buzzer-beater:

Game 4: No. 2 Montana State vs. Northern Colorado, 8 p.m., ESPN+

March 6 Third Round

Game 5: No. 4 Montana vs. No. 5 Idaho State, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+

Game 6: No. 3 Weber State vs. No. 6 Sacramento State 8 p.m., ESPN+

March 7 Semifinals

Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU

Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 p.m., ESPN2

March 8 Championship

Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2