🏀 Final Fourcast

It’s FRIDAY! The Powerball is currently $1.2 billion, but basketball fans have already hit the jackpot. The women’s Final Four tips off tonight, while the men’s semifinals are just one sleep away, and we have a full preview of Saturday’s slate before the madness gets underway. At the ballpark — well, Oakland no longer has one — as the A’s faithful suffered another underserving L. Meanwhile, New York is partying like it’s 1969(!) because the Mets are finally in the win column. However, the city’s star hooper is on the IL for good. Finally, we saw a stunning finish in the Premier League and another gutting title game defeat for Larry Nerd and Indiana State. Also, hockey. Let’s go!

WTF Stat: Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews has the most career goals (362) of any NHL player drafted since 2010. He was drafted in 2016.

⚾️ Athletics announced that they will leave Oakland after the 2024 season and play at least three years in a minor league ballpark in Sacramento before their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028 - the move ends the A's 56-year tenure in Oakland, which included four World Series titles

🏀 Knicks F Julius Randle will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder - Randle earned his third career All-Star selection this season but dislocated his shoulder during a game on Jan. 27 and hasn’t played since

🏀 USC is hiring Arkansas’ Eric Musselman as their next men’s basketball coach following the departure of HC Andy Enfield, who was hired as SMU’s new coach on Monday - in his five years at Arkansas, Musselman amassed a 111-59 record and led the Razorbacks to two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16 appearance

🏈 Texans and WR Stefon Diggs have agreed to void the final three years of his contract, allowing him to become a free agent after the 2024 season - Houston acquired Diggs in a trade with Buffalo on Wednesday

MLB - Top Games

• New York Mets 2, Detroit Tigers 1 (Doubleheader - Game 2): The Amazins are back! After dropping the first leg of yesterday’s doubleheader 6-3 in extra innings, the Mets finally got in the win column, as Pete Alonso (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) launched a game-tying solo shot in the bottom of the 9th to set up Tyrone Taylor’s (1-3, 1 RBI) walk-off single, snapping New York’s five-game skid in thrilling fashion - before Alonso’s homer, the Mets went 13 straight innings without a run!

• Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Washington Nationals 4: Raise the Jolly Roger because nobody can beat the Buccos! The Pirates moved to 6-1 on the season behind a four-run 1st inning sparked by Rowdy Tellez’s (2-4, 2 RBIs) two-run knock, and then Connor Joe (1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBIs) went yabo in the 5th to put them up 7-1, as Pittsburgh overpowered CJ Abrams (2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and the Nats in the nation’s capital - the Pirates have scored at least six runs in all but one game

• St. Louis Cardinals 8, Miami Marlins 5: The Marlins are off to the worst start in their 33-year history. Jake Burger (2-2, 2 HRs, 2 RBIs) went deep in both the 4th and the 5th to help Miami build a 4-1 lead, but Ivan Herrera (2-5, 2 RBIs) and the Cards responded with eight runs across the next three innings to drop the Fish to 0-8

See the full MLB scoreboard here and the current standings here.

NBA - Top Games

• LA Clippers 102, Denver Nuggets 100: The Clips have been struggling for the past month but picked up a massive dub over Nikola Jokic (36 PTS, 17 REB, 10 AST) and the West-leading Nugs at home despite being without Kawhi Leonard (knee), as Paul George (28 PTS, 4 REB) and Ivica Zubac (14 PTS, 15 REB) helped stave off a late Denver comeback that ended with a missed Jokic three at the buzzer - Jokic now has 24 triple-doubles on the year, and LA (48-28) holds a two-game lead over Dallas (46-40) for the fourth seed in the West

• New York Knicks 120, Sacramento Kings 109: After learning they’d be without Julius Randle for the remainder of the season, the Knicks were able to somewhat salvage Thursday with a timely win, as Jalen Brunson (35 PTS, 11 AST, 3 STL) and Josh Hart (31 PTS, 14-19 FG, 9 REB, 8 AST) helped rally New York from a 17-point deficit in the 2nd quarter to beat De’Aaron Fox (29 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST) and the Kings at the Mecca - the win halts a three-game slide for the Knicks (45-31), who hold the fifth seed in the East

• Philadelphia 76ers 109, Miami Heat 105: The East has been put on notice! Joel Embiid (34 MIN, 29 PTS, 11-25 FG, 4 REB) looked sharp in his second game back, Tyrese Maxey (37 PTS, 9 REB, 11 AST) poured in a game-high, and despite blowing two 15-point leads, the Sixers edged out Jimmy Butler (20 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST) and the Heat on their home floor - now back to full health, eighth-seeded Philadelphia (42-35) will be a dangerous play-in team if the current standings hold

See the full NBA scoreboard here and the current standings here.

NHL - Top Games

• Boston Bruins 4, Carolina Hurricanes 1: In a matchup between two playoff teams, David Pastrnak (1 G, 1 A) and Brad Marchand (1 A) helped give Boston a 3-0 lead in the 1st period, and the B’s coasted past Jake Guentzel (1 G) and the Canes in Carolina for their third in a row - Boston (45-17-15, 104 PTS) and Dallas (48-19-9, 104 PTS) are each one point back of the Rangers (51-21-4, 105 PTS) in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy

• Tampa Bay Lightning 7, Montreal Canadiens 4: The Lightning remained hot by notching their ninth win in 11 games, as Nicholas Paul (2 G) and Nikita Kucherov (1 G, 2 A) spearheaded an offensive outburst to blow out Joel Armia (2 G) and the sub-.500 Habs in Montreal - Tampa Bay (43-26-7, 93 PTS) has all but assured the top wild-card spot in the East

• Florida Panthers 6, Ottawa Senators 0: Sergei Bobrovsky (30 SV) earned his fifth shutout of the season, Mathew Tkachuk (1 G, 2 A) and Sam Reinhart (1 G, 1 A) had themselves a busy night, and the Cats pumped the Senators on their home ice to bounce back from two consecutive losses - Florida (48-24-5, 101 PTS) is only four points back of Boston for the top spot in the Atlantic and has already clinched a playoff berth

See the full NHL scoreboard here and the current standings here.

English Premier League - Top Match

• Chelsea 4, Manchester United 3: In the latest Premier League thriller, Chelsea was on the verge of a 3-2 defeat in extra time when Cole Palmer (19' PK, 90’+10’ PK, 90’+11’) netted the equalizer on a penalty before completing his hat trick 47 seconds later with a game-winning strike in the match’s waning moments, sending Stamford Bridge into oblivion with a stunning victory over Alejandro Garnacho (34’, 67’) and United - the victory took Chelsea (12-7-10, 43 PTS) up to 10th in the table, five spots behind United (15-3-12, 48 PTS)

See the full international scoreboard here and the current EPL table here.

Men’s College Basketball - NIT Championship

• #1 Seton Hall 79, #1 Indiana State 77: In a frantic finish, Isaiah Swope (19 PTS, 3 AST) hit a three from the parking lot to put Indiana State up 77-70 with 3:05 remaining, but the Sycamores were held scoreless for the rest of the game, and after Seton Hall’s Dre Davis (18 PTS, 3 REB) dropped in the go-ahead layup with 16 seconds left, Indiana State failed to score in a wild scramble, giving the Pirates their first NIT championship since 1953 - fan-favorite Robbie Avila (13 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST) was contained for most of the night

See the full box score here and the entire NIT bracket here.

🏀 Final Fourcast

Finally, Phoenix. Four teams will convene in the Valley this weekend, and only one will come out victorious. The Huskies are seeking history, the Tide is surfing a tsunami of swagger, the Boilermakers are bullying their way to redemption, and the Wolfpack are nearing a fairytale finish. The stage is set. Let the games begin.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament - Final Four Preview

Saturday, April 6 - State Farm Stadium (Glendale, AZ)

#1 Purdue (Midwest) vs. #11 NC State (South) 6:10pm ET, TBS

• The Pack is back in the Final Four for the first time since Jimmy V. cut down the nets in ‘83. It’s another blissful Cinderella run, led by another charismatic hero who’s captured the heart of America — DJ Burns Jr. You know the name, and you know his team’s story; NC State wasn’t even supposed to make the tournament. Then, they won nine straight games in 20 days to become the fairy tale of March. But after upset wins over No. 2 Marquette and No. 4 Duke, the Wolfpack now face an even greater challenge in Zach Edey and top-seeded Purdue.

• Following a catastrophic first-round loss to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023, the Boilermakers are on the cusp of emulating Virginia’s 2019 title run, as the Cavs were also stunned by a 16-seed the year before winning it all. Led by 7-foot-4 Zach Edey, who is about to win his second straight player of the year award, Purdue has been a force all season. They're 10-0 against AP top 25 teams, which is tied with 2011-12 Kentucky for the most wins without a loss against ranked opponents in NCAA history. And guess what? The Wildcats went on to win the national championship that season.

• The matchup between Burns and Edey will be fascinating. At 6-foot-9, 275 pounds, Burns’ rare blend of size, fluidity, and touch has turned the Wolfpack into the most efficient post-heavy team in the country. But he hasn’t faced length like Edey’s and will have to avoid foul trouble. Edey got to the line 11 times on Sunday in a 40-point performance against No. 2 Tennessee and will look to do the same against Burns. Purdue has the better overall team, but NC State has another X-factor in DJ Horne. The senior guard is the team’s leading scorer and is on a heater. If the Wolfpack want their magical run to continue, they’ll need their DJs to keep turning the tables against superior opponents.

#1 UConn (East) vs. #4 Alabama (West) 8:50pm ET, TBS

• UConn head coach Dan Hurley said his team was bulletproof after their second-round rout of No. 8 Northwestern, and nothing has changed since then. The Huskies have won their four tournament games by an average of 27.8 points and used a robust 30-0 run to blow past No. 3 Illinois in the Elite Eight. Now, they’re two games away from becoming the first repeat champions since 2006-07 Florida. Seven-footer Donovan Clingan is a future NBA lottery pick, guards Tristen Newton and Stephon Castle are also league-bound, and the team’s cultural heartbeat, Cam Spencer, has the highest offensive rating in the country. Yes, UConn feels inevitable, but the hot-handed Crimson Tide are looking to stir up trouble.

• Alabama is making its first Final Four appearance in program history, and they’re going to ride the same analytics game that got them there. That is: push the tempo for easy twos, jack up a bunch of threes, and hope the math prevails through the chaos. Nate Oats’ squad is volatile and scorching hot. They led the nation in scoring during the regular season (90.6 PPG), and all of a sudden, their 105th-ranked defense has clamped down. All-American guard Marcus Sears splashed eight triples in their Elite Eight win over No. 6 Clemson, and forward Grant Nelson took over down the stretch to upset No. 1 North Carolina in the Sweet 16. Alabama is outmatched on paper, but if anyone can humble the Huskies (other than Purdue), it’s an audacious team like the Tide.

See the entire men’s bracket here.

Note: The national championship game will be played on Monday at 9:20pm ET.

Blitz Prime - Men’s Final Four Picks

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On April 5, 2021, Baylor beat undefeated Gonzaga, 86-70, in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game. For logistical reasons surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (which resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 tournament), the NCAA held all tournament games in Indiana rather than at sites across the country. This was the only time in the tournament's history that a single state hosted the Big Dance in its entirety. The Final Four was played at the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium where No. 1 Baylor blowout No. 2 Houston and No. 1 Gonzaga — the tournament’s top overall seed — stunned No. 11 UCLA on Jalen Suggs’ game-winning buzzer-beater in overtime. The thrilling win improved the Bulldogs’ record to a perfect 31-0 and set up a No. 1 versus No. 1 final against the Bears, who had won all five of their tournament games by nine or more points. And the title game was no different. Using their suffocating defense and a 43.5% shooting mark from downtown, Baylor dominated the Zags from start to finish. Gonzaga star Drew Timme was held to just 12 points, while Jared Butler led the way for the Bears with 22 points, seven boards, and three assists. It was Baylor's first title in program history and capped a 28-2 season in which they never left the AP Poll's top 10.

Friday

• NCAAW Final Four: #1 South Carolina vs. #3 NC State 7:00pm ET, ESPN

• NCAAW Final Four: #1 Iowa vs. #3 UConn 9:00pm ET, ESPN

• MLB: New York Mets @ Cincinnati Reds 6:40pm ET, Apple TV+

• MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks @ Atlanta Braves 7:20pm ET, Local

• NBA: Sacramento Kings @ Boston Celtics 7:30pm ET, NBA TV

• NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves @ Phoenix Suns 10:00pm ET, NBA TV

• NHL: Washington Capitals @ Carolina Hurricanes 7:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

• NHL: Colorado Avalanche @ Edmonton Oilers 9:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

Saturday

• NCAAM Final Four: #1 Purdue vs. #11 NC State 6:09pm ET, TBS

• NCAAM Final Four: #1 UConn vs. #4 Alabama 8:48pm ET, TBS

• EPL: Arsenal @ Brighton & Hove Albion 12:30pm ET, USA Network

• MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers @ Chicago Cubs 4:05pm ET, FS1

• MLB: Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees 7:05pm ET, ESPN+

• NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Los Angeles Lakers 3:30pm ET, Local

• NBA: Atlanta Hawks @ Denver Nuggets 9:00pm ET, Local

• NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Pittsburgh Penguins 1:00pm ET, ABC

• NHL: Florida Panthers @ Boston Bruins 3:30pm ET, ABC

Sunday

• NCAAW: National Championship 3:00pm ET, ABC / ESPN

• EPL: Liverpool @ Manchester United 10:30pm ET, NBC

• F1: Japanese Grand Prix 1:00am ET, ESPN

• MLB: Baltimore Orioles @ Pittsburgh Pirates 1:35pm ET, ESPN+

• MLB: Houston Astros @ Texas Rangers 7:00pm ET, ESPN

• NASCAR: Cup Series at Martinsville 3:00pm ET, FS1

• NBA: New York Knicks @ Milwaukee Bucks 7:00pm ET, NBA TV

• NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers 10:00pm ET, NBA TV

• NHL: Buffalo Sabres @ Detroit Red Wings 1:00pm ET, TNT

• NHL: Dallas Stars @ Colorado Avalanche 10:00pm ET, ESPN

Trivia Time Answer

D. Bill Walton. Big Red holds the record for the most points scored in a men's NCAA national championship game, with 44 in the 1973 final en route to UCLA’s 87-66 win over Memphis. Walton made 21 of his 22 field goal attempts to help the Bruins polish off a perfect 30-0 record and claim a seventh consecutive title - Walton was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

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