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Have you been thinking about hoops even more than usual lately? Do you keep daydreaming about 16-seed upsets? Maybe you won’t stop talking to anyone who will listen about how McNeese is going all the way?

If any of these apply, it sounds like you might have a serious case of March Madness. And the only cure is to join our bracket pool! Sign up for the Enjoy Bracket Challenge using the password enjoymadness to show that you know ball, and potentially to earn some pretty sweet prizes…

• 🥇 $250 Fanatics Gift Card

• 🥈 Enthusiast Trucker Hat

• 🥉 Shooting Stars Tee

Today’s Lineup

Last Night’s Action

Mavericks fend off Spurs’ second-half charge to claim 113-107 W

Elsewhere around the Association…

• Houston is closing in on the play-in FAST. The Rockets have rattled off six straight wins without Alpy, this latest one a 137-114 beatdown of the Wizards. The catalyst? Jalen Green putting it all together with a career-high 42 PTS.

• A shudder just went through the rest of the NBA world, because Zion Williamson is officially BACK. The former Blue Devil is in insane shape and playing better than ever, leading the charge last night with an efficient 28-7-4 to help the Pelicans cut down the Nets in Brooklyn. Just watch this lob… major 2019 Duke vibes right here.

• Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and the Magic clamping up. Orlando held the Hornets to just 32 first-half points to put this one away wayyyyy too early for Hornets fans. Magic win, 112-92.

Check out all of last night’s box scores HERE.

Monday Night Notes

• Anthony Edwards…. stop that. He threw down one of the dunks of the year (or maybe even the decade), soaring from well outside the restricted area and through a brave block attempt by John Collins to slam it home with authority. He finished with 32-7-8 to lead the Wolves over the Jazz.

• Jalen Johnson may have nearly ended Austin Reaves’ life, but it was AD, LeBron, and DLo who combined for 74 to end the Hawks’ night early and keep the Lakers in the thick of the playoff race out West.

• Watch out New Yorkers, because the Deuce is loose! Deuce McBride dropped a career-high 29 as the Knicks took care of business on the road against Golden State.

• Needing a win to stay out of the play-in, Tyrese Maxey put the team on his back and scored or assisted on 56 of Philly’s 98 points in their win over Miami.

• And finally, a couple of fun facts about the Celtics’ win over the Pistons. (1) They became the first team in NBA history to hit 20+ threes in four straight games, and (2) Derrick White recorded his first-ever triple-double. Pretty cool stuff.

See all of Monday night’s box scores HERE.

Enjoy-ing March Madness!

From Houston’s suffocating defense to Zach Edey's towering post presence, we all know about the best players and teams in college ball. But what about the most Enjoy-able? Let’s take a quick look at (a) one of our favorite Cinderella teams and (b) an underrated hooper we’re looking forward to watching heading into the big dance.

Cinderella team: #12 McNeese State Cowboys. One of college basketball’s biggest rebels leading a team called the Cowboys? Sign us up! Coach Will Wade is cocky, confident, and a little bit (okay, maybe a lotta bit) of a rule-bender. But that didn’t stop his McNeese squad from putting up a dominant 30-3 record this year after winning just 11 games last season. And don’t forget: he called this! ⬇️

Underrated Hooper: Tyon Grant-Foster, #12 Grand Canyon. Once the #2 JUCO recruit in the country, Grant-Foster nearly saw his basketball career end after collapsing in the locker room with a heart issue following his first game at DePaul. 16 months and two surgeries later, he was given a second chance at hoops (and life) at Grand Canyon.

The result has been nothing short of incredible, as TGF blossomed into the WAC Player of the Year while leading the GCU Antelopes to a school-record 29 wins and a conference championship this season. Twelfth-seeded Grand Canyon is starting to look like an attractive pick against fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s…

Three in the Key

Mind the Game w/ LeBron and JJ: Unfiltered high-level hoops convos between two of the 21st century’s smartest basketball minds? Sounds incredible. On the first episode of Mind the Game, LeBron James and JJ Redick sat down (with wine glasses full) to answer the all-important question—what makes a great basketball player?

Signing Off

That’s it from us today! A little lesson for the road—think of the decisions you make as a March Madness bracket. Millions of people fill one out every year, but nobody has ever been perfect. Don’t beat yourself up over little mistakes! Doing the best you can is more than enough.

Talk soon,

- Spencer Poole