Remember the imaginary game-winners you used to hit in your driveway as a kid?
Braylon Mullins just hit one of those shots in real life.
Today’s Lineup
🕺 Final Four Feeling
The men’s bracket is set!
👀 Elite Action
UConn and UCLA punch their tickets to the women’s semis.
💪 All-Out Alpy
Sengun goes for 36 in a Rockets dub.
🎉 Happy birthday Jerry Lucas, RayJ Dennis, Ron Baker, and Admiral Schofield! 🎉
Game Recaps
Mullins’ last-second prayer lifts UConn over Duke to highlight men’s Elite Eight
There’s March Madness, and then there’s whatever you call this shot.
On Sunday afternoon, with time ticking down and his team trailing by two, UConn’s Braylon Mullins helped force a key turnover on Duke’s Cayden Boozer before connecting on one of the most legendary shots in tournament history: a 35-foot prayer to cap the Huskies’ 19-point comeback and send Dan Hurley’s crew to its third Final Four in four seasons. UConn was led by Tarris Reed Jr., who notched 26 PTS including 11 in the first nine minutes of the first half to claw his team back in the game.
It marked the end of a tremendous season for the top-seeded Blue Devils, who got 27 PTS from Wooden award favorite Cameron Boozer but couldn’t string together enough late stops to seal the deal. Let’s break down the rest of the teams heading to Indianapolis:
Illinois is the highest-seeded team left in the field after defeating Iowa to win the South region. The Illini were led by projected lottery pick Keaton Wagler, who poured in 25 PTS and 3 AST. Can the nation’s tallest lineup be the last one standing?
Arizona is on to the national semifinals for the first time since 2001, and the milestone came on a down night for one of the nation’s best three-point shooting attacks. Despite making just five triples against Purdue, the Wildcats rode a balanced approach to victory, with four players (Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov, Brayden Burries, and Jaden Bradley scoring 14+).
Michigan wasn’t in the mood for last-second heroics in its regional final matchup with Tennessee. The Wolverines dominated from buzzer to buzzer, ultimately besting the Volunteers by 32 behind a 27-point effort from first team All-American Yaxel Lendeborg. Michigan and Arizona are now co-favorites for the national title, but only one can advance to the championship game…
🏀 🏀 🏀
UConn, UCLA advance to women’s Final Four; rest of field to be set Monday night
UConn and UCLA have been the two best teams in college basketball all season long. Will they play for a national title?
The Huskies and Bruins both got one step closer over the weekend, winning their respective Elite Eight games (UConn over Notre Dame and UCLA over Duke) to earn spots in the Final Four. The Huskies haven’t lost since February 6, 2025, while the Bruins dropped just one game earlier this year and have been dominant since. Both teams were buoyed by their respective frontcourt superstars: Sarah Strong notched 21 PTS and 7 REB for Geno Auriemma’s squad, while Lauren Betts had 23 PTS and 10 REB for Cori Close’s.
Who will the two titans face in the semifinals? We’re glad you asked…
The Huskies will draw the winner of South Carolina vs. TCU, a matchup between one of the sport’s most iconic programs and one of its most iconic players. The Gamecocks have won all of their tournament games by 26+ PTS, while playmaker Olivia Miles (19.6 PPG, 6.6 APG) has the Horned Frogs peaking at the perfect time.
The Bruins will match up with the winner of Texas and Michigan, the lone 1-versus-2 seed matchup in this year’s women’s Elite Eight. The Longhorns, led by nightly double-double threat Madison Booker, are favored, but don’t count out the Wolverines, who’ve won 13 of their last 16 games.
🧠 Daily Trivia 🧠
Rotating Segment
While the college hoopers got the lion’s share of the attention over the weekend, the pros had some great action brewing as the regular season nears its end. Let’s run down the biggest storylines:
A 31-0 run?!? It sounds ridiculous, but Toronto’s unreal stretch against Orlando looked even wilder. The longest streak of unanswered points of the play-by-play era (1997-98) came every which way— in the paint, at the line, and beyond the arc, helping the Raps to a dominant 139-87 win. RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes each netted 23+, while the Magic authored a tape that coaches will use as an example of subpar defensive effort for years to come.
Alperen Sengun had one of his best outings of the season in Houston’s 134-102 W over New Orleans, racking up 36 PTS, 13 REB, and 7 AST to help the Rockets add to their lead on the West’s sixth seed. With under 10 games to go, Houston has a four-game edge on Phoenix for the critical final playoff spot, while Portland and Golden State have already been locked into the Play-In.
Boston won its 50th game and clinched a postseason berth behind a 32-point night from Jayson Tatum, who looks more and more like his old self as he continues to rebound from last season’s Achilles injury. The former All-NBA first teamer went for 32 PTS, hit 5/10 from three, and dished out 8 AST in the Celtics’ 114-99 win in Charlotte. Just another day at the office for JT!
March matchups between lottery teams can vary in excitement, but Saturday’s Bulls-Grizzlies clash came down to the wire and showed off some star youngsters. Matas Buzelis had 29 PTS and 10 REB for Chicago, while Memphis’s Cedric Coward was an all-around terror with 24 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 4 STL, and a pair of key free throws in the final minute to propel the Grizz to a 125-125 win.
Three in the Key
🤯 Dame Time
If you took 1,000 shots, how many would you make?
🔥 Dylan Harper: Next Up
Kenny had high praise for the Spurs rook!
📈 Stock Up
Who’s on the rise this tourney?
What We’re Enjoying
Tanking is always a hot topic of discussion this time of year, and the league’s recent propositions to curb the practice only added to the conversation. Our guys over at Numbers on the Board weighed in, giving their thoughts (and critiques) of the effort. Give it a watch!
Signing Off
And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, channel that March Madness energy into resilience for your everyday life— even when all seems lost, believe you have what it takes to overcome! See you soon.
Walker Carnathan
