The Sportsletter - Guide to Madness 🏀

BY JEFF YODER

MAR. 21, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Brackets Ready?

It's the March Madness Primer — the casual fan’s guide to the NCAA Tournament. Top players. Coaches under pressure. Finding Cinderella. We’ve got it all. Games tip off at 12:15 pm ET. Let’s bust some brackets, shall we?

Letter Rip!

BRACKETS

The Sportsletter’s 2024 Bracket Challenge is live. We’re giving away prizes for the top-3, and we’ll boost the rewards based on the number of entries. More brackets, more prizes. Share The Sportsletter with friends and family to get more people in on the fun, then hit the link below to submit your picks by tipoff today at Noon ET. Good luck!

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NCAA

Guide to the Madness 🏀

Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images

Everything You Need to Know for the NCAA Tournament’s 1st & 2nd Round (Players, Coaches, Cinderellas & More)

It’s finally time. The build-up is over. Madness has come.

Every sports season operates with its own pace, but March brings, without a doubt, the most unique event on the sports calendar. It's three weeks of non-stop basketball to crown a champion via the largest, single-elimination tournament in all of sports. Despite the tradition and history — now 39 years since the tournament expanded to 64+ teams — every bracket is different. We never saw a 16-seed beat a 1-seed until 2018. Now, we’ve seen two. Each team and each seed carries the weight of its own history. UConn, an illustrious program and the defending champs. Houston, a dynamic roster and a storied program. Purdue, a powerhouse that breeds big men and can’t seem to escape upsets. North Carolina, perhaps the biggest blue blood of all, missed the tournament completely in 2023. Those are just the 1-seeds, and there are 60 more stories each their own. So here we go. These are the top players, coaches, seeds, and Cinderellas to watch for in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Top Players to Watch

There are so many great players in this year’s bracket, but I’ve got my eye on five in particular. UConn has a bunch of horses, and they’re kind of a full-team juggernaut. So we’ll start elsewhere. Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) might be the best pure scorer in the entire tournament. We're talking Steph Curry-like moments ahead. The Vols will go as far as Knecht can shoot. You’re also probably familiar with Zach Edey (Purdue). He’s the reigning National Player of the Year, and he’s a walking double-double at 7-foot-4. There are three guards who could make or break the tourney, too. RJ Davis (UNC), Jamal Shead (Houston), and Caleb Love (Arizona) are bonafide studs.

Top Coaches to Watch

The most seasoned coaches in the tourney are frequently the most underestimated, but they know what it takes to win in March regardless of their team’s seeds. Tom Izzo (Michigan State, 9-seed) and Mark Few (Gonzaga, 5-seed) are two coaches you never expect to have an early exit, but I did just the opposite in my bracket. I penned Mississippi State past the Spartans and 12-seed McNeese to stun the Zags. The three top-seeded coaches will have the most pressure and highest expectations — Dan Hurley (UConn), Kelvin Sampson (Houston) and Matt Painter (Purdue) — but Painter is truly in a critical moment after three recent upsets early in the last four tournaments. Purdue can't afford another early exit.

Best Cinderella Candidates

Anyone can become Cinderella in March, if the slipper fits. If I were a gambling man, my money is on any number of low-seeded teams from the Midwest Region. The 8-9 matchup features Utah State and TCU, and both could give 1-seed Purdue a run for their money in the second round. Oregon (11) is hardly a Cinderella. They won the Pac-12 tournament. Then, there’s 12-seed McNeese, who’s won 23 of their last 24 games, and they can fill it (80.4 ppg). Did we forget to mention that Saint Peter’s is the 15-seed in that region? Fear the Peacocks. If Cinderella exists, she’s in the Midwest. (Editor's Cinderella Pick: #11 Oregon & #12 McNeese to the Sweet 16)

11-seeds are the best bet for Cinderella (see below). The 11s actually have a higher win percentage than 9s and 10s, and they have more Final Four trips than 9s and 10s, combined. This year’s 11-seeds are Oregon, New Mexico, Duquesne and NC State.

Success by Seed (Stats to Know)

1-Seeds: .796 Win % (25 Champions)

2-Seeds: .706 Win % (5 Champions)

3-Seeds: .655 Win % (4 Champions)

4-Seeds: .610 Win % (2 Champions)

5-Seeds: .536 Win % (No Champions)

6-Seeds: .514 Win % (1 Champion)

7-Seeds: .473 Win % (1 Champion)

8-Seeds: .421 Win % (1 Champion)

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9-Seeds: .379 Win % (0 Champs, 2 Final Fours)

10-Seeds: .379 Win % (0 Champs, 1 Final Four)

11-Seeds: .392 Win % (0 Champs, 5 Final Fours)

12-Seeds: .336 Win % (0 Champs, 0 Final Fours)

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13-Seeds: .200 Win % (0 Champs, 0 FF)

14-Seeds: .136 Win % (0 Champs, 0 FF)

15-Seeds: .095 Win % (0 Champs, 0 FF)

16-Seeds: .012 Win % (0 Champs, 0 FF)

*Since the Tournament Expanded to 64 Teams in 1985

That about does it. The tourney is here. It's a glorious 12 straight hours with 16 games, and that's just Day 1. Let’s run it.

🗓️ Men’s NCAA Tournament Schedule

(Round 1 Begins at Noon ET)

*Women’s NCAA Tournament Begins Friday

CBS Sports: Best Bracket Busters & March Madness Cinderella Picks

B/R: Ranking the 25 Best Players in the 2024 Men’s NCAA Tournament

The Athletic: Tom Izzo Says NCAA Tournament Selection Process Should Be ‘Looked At’ — More Coaches, Less Analytics

First Four & Additional NCAA News

First Four (Men)

#16 Grambling def. #16 Montana St. (88-81, OT)

#10 Colorado def. #10 Boise State (60-53)

First Four (Women)

#16 Presbyterian def. #16 Sacred Heart (49-42)

#12 Vanderbilt def. #12 Columbia (72-68)

AP Women’s All-America 1st Team

G Caitlin Clark (Iowa)

G Paige Bueckers (UConn)

G Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame)

F Cameron Brink (Stanford)

F Juju Watkins (USC)

MLB

Debt-Dodger: A Curveball for Ohtani

Photo: Media News Group / Pasadena Star / Getty Images

Dodgers Fire Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Amid Allegation of ‘Massive Theft’ ($4.5 Million)

Chaos has clouded the MLB’s Seoul Series this week after Dodgers’ superstar Shohei Ohtani became the target of attacks. The Dodgers won yesterday morning’s MLB opener against the Padres (5-2), but that game was initially in jeopardy due to a bomb threat hoax that targeted Ohtani. A day later, the Dodgers fired Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, after a mishandled gambling debt became the focus of clubhouse discussions. This wasn’t just a few bucks wagered through FanDuel or DraftKings, but $4.5 million owed to an illegal bookmaking operation in California.

What Happened? Questions began after a federal investigation was launched into massive wire transfers sent from Ohtani’s bank accounts to Mathew Bowyer, an illegal bookkeeper. Initially, a spokesman for Ohtani claimed he was covering Mizuhara’s gambling debts. That turned out to be false (per reports) after Mizuhara walked back comments, and Ohtani’s lawyers said the slugger was the victim of 'massive theft.' It was reported that Mizuhara placed major bets on international soccer, NBA, NFL, and not baseball, as early as 2021. The losses eventually snowballed into $4.5 million in debt.

The revelation came on Opening Day for the Dodgers, after a win in Asia, and just months after Ohtani signed the richest contract in sports history — 10 years, $700 million. Mizuhara was also contracted by the Dodgers, and he’s been Ohtani’s translator since 2018. Some pieces of the story still don't add up, and a lot of unverified facts continue to swirl. To be continued...

Yahoo! Sports: Ohtani Interpreter Scandal: Piecing Together the Confusing Timeline, Based on What We’ve Been Told So Far

SOCCER

Olympic Draws: Who We Got? 🇺🇸

Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski / Getty Images

USMNT & USWNT Get Glimpse of Group-Stage Opponents Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics

The soccer group draws for the Summer 2024 Paris Olympics were announced yesterday, and both the U.S. women’s and men’s national teams have some stout competition right out of the gate. The USWNT was placed with Germany and Australia in their group draw, who rank 5th and 12th, respectively, in the FIFA women’s soccer rankings. The women’s squad won gold in four of the first five Olympics to feature women’s soccer, but they haven’t claimed a gold medal since 2012. They’re currently 4th in FIFA’s rankings.

Women’s Draw (Group B)

🇺🇸 USWNT

🇩🇪 Germany

🇦🇺 Australia

TBD (Zambia or Morocco)

The U.S. men’s team has a slightly more favorable draw than the women. They’ll have to face France first — ranked 2nd in FIFA — but New Zealand (103rd) and the eventual winner of an Asia (AFC) vs. Africa (CAF) play-off should be winnable. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout round. The USMNT is currently 13th in FIFA rankings.

Men’s Draw (Group A)

🇺🇸 USMNT

🇫🇷 France

🇳🇿 New Zealand

TBD, Play-Off (AFC vs. CAF)

CBS Sports: What Does Success Look Like for USA Men as They Draw Thierry Henry’s France?

HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

🏀 NBA

Heat def. Cavaliers (107-104)

Suns def. 76ers (115-102)

Celtics def. Bucks (122-119)

*Jayson Tatum (31) Leads Boston

Thunder def. Jazz (119-107)

*Chet Holmgren Pops Off (35 pts, 14 rebs)

🏒 NHL

Stars def. Coyotes (5-2)

Maple Leafs def. Capitals (7-3)

*Auston Matthews (2G, 3A) Has 5-Point Game

⚾️ MLB

Dodgers def. Padres (5-2)

*Dodgers Rally With 4-Run 8th Thanks to Jake Cronenworth’s Glove Failure (ground ball went through the web!)

STORYLINES

🏀 The Near-Perfect Bracket

No one has ever picked a verified perfect NCAA men's bracket, and it's probably not going to happen in our lifetime, or the lifetime of our kids, or their kids, or their kids. Meet the man who built the best bracket ever assembled. (ESPN)

⚾️ 2024 MLB Predictions

Opening Day is technically next week, but the 2024 MLB season kicked off Wednesday with the Seoul Series. Either way, baseball is back. Here are some predictions on MVPs, Cy Youngs, Rookies of the Year, pennant winners and the World Series. (FOX Sports)

🏈 Best & Worst Free Agent Deals

Peak NFL free agency has already come and gone. Many deals will look great while others will emerge as terrible decisions. Right now, though, let's work without hindsight and review the best and worst deals so far in the 2024 NFL offseason. (B/R)

NEWS 📰

🏈 All 32 Teams in Attendance for QB Caleb Williams’ Pro Day at USC (ESPN)

🏀 Pistons’ Rookie Ausar Thompson Out for Rest of Season With Blood Clot (B/R)

🥊 UFC & Plaintiffs Reach $335 Million Settlement in Class Action Fighter Pay Cases (CBS Sports)

🏈 Saquon Barkley’s Daughter Innocently Roasts Giants: ‘We’re Gonna Win Now?’ (Yahoo! Sports)

🏈 NFL Competition Committee Proposes New Rules to Fix Kickoffs, Hip-Drop Tackles (SI)

🏈 New Jets WR Mike Evans Says Fan Who Sent Sandwich Sealed the Deal (USA Today)

🏀 Timberwolves Employee Charged With Stealing Executive’s Hard Drive (CBS News)

SCHEDULE 🗓️

Today's Must-Watch List

🏀 Men’s NCAA Tournament Schedule

(Round 1 Begins at Noon ET)