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Happy Opening Day ⚾️
A new season has arrived. Baseball is back this afternoon, and we’ve got a lot of prep for the big weekend ahead. The Sweet 16 awaits. Draymond Green is back at it. The Rockets win streak is up to 10. And our Marissa Kasch highlights a deserving underdog from the first weekend of the women’s tournament.
Let’s head to the ballpark, shall we? Letter Rip! |
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Guide to Opening Day 2024 ⚾️ |
Photo: Erik McGregor / Getty Images |
Everything You Need to Know for the 2024 MLB Season
After five months of winter, baseball is back! The 2024 MLB season throws out the first pitch today as teams launch their 162-game campaigns spanning from March to October. The unhinged offseason was full of surprises, from Shohei Ohtani joining the Dodgers to the Yankees swiping Juan Soto. Managers moved. Pitchers swirled. And now, we’re ready to run it. Here’s a look at some of the top storylines to track as the MLB returns in just a few hours. Top Stars in New Places DH Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) LF Juan Soto (Yankees) RHP Corbin Burnes (Orioles) LHP Blake Snell (Giants) LHP Josh Hader (Astros)
RHP Sonny Gray (Cardinals) 3B Matt Chapman (Giants) 1B Rhys Hoskins (Brewers)
Young Players to Watch
There are a number of exciting rookies to keep an eye on this season. The Orioles — who had last year’s ROY, Gunnar Henderson — could repeat with SS Jackson Holiday. The Rangers have a pair of rookie studs in DH Wyatt Langford and OF Evan Carter. Then there’s the pitching duo who might be extra special — Shota Imanaga (Cubs) and Yoshinobu Yamamato (Dodgers). Managers Under Pressure
A few skippers step into the 2024 season with a hotter seat than most. Dave Martinez (Nationals) and A.J. Hinch (Tigers) are starting to feel the heat after consecutive ugly seasons. Oliver Marmol (Cardinals) has to revive St. Louis in Year 3. It might sound crazy, but Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts has World Series-or-bust expectations with that roster. And finally, nobody has a hotter seat than Yankees’ skipper Aaron Boone. Last year, he became the first Yankee manager to lose 80 games since 1992. Boone could be gone by June if the Yankees aren’t performing.
World Series Odds - Favorites: Dodgers (+350), Braves (+450), Astros (+750)
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Contenders: Orioles (+1100), Yankees (+1100), Phillies (+1400), Rangers (+1500), Mariners (+1900), Twins (+1900), Blue Jays (+2000)
- Middle of the Pack: Cubs (+2800), Rays (+3500), Cardinals (+3500), Diamondbacks (+4000), Reds (+4500), Giants (+4500), Padres (+5000), Mets (+5500), Tigers (+6000), Guardians (+6000), Red Sox (+6500)
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Long Shots: Marlins (+8000), Brewers (+9000), Royals (+13000), Angels (+17000), Pirates (+17000)
- Rebuilds: Nationals (+25000), White Sox (+30000), Rockies (+50000), Athletics (+50000)
Editor’s Note: While the Braves, Dodgers and Astros are the clear-cut favorites entering 2024, don’t sleep on the Orioles and Giants. Both teams reloaded with free agents and rookies who could be big time assets.
MLB Opening Day Schedule
It’s a full slate of baseball across America. All 30 teams were supposed to be in action today, but two postponements will make it 13 games. The action begins shortly after 3:00 pm ET. Burnes, Valdez, Webb, Darvish, Eovaldi, Bieber and Castillo are just some of the starting aces who got the call for Day 1. Ready for some baseball? Read More MLB: Opening Day Starters: Who’s Getting the Call? B/R: Ranking All 30 MLB Lineups Ahead of 2024 Opening Day
CBS Sports: 24 Storylines to Know for 2024 MLB Season |
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Pre-Game Huddle: The Sweet 16 |
Photo: Elsa / Getty Images |
The Left Side of the Bracket Tips Off Week 2 of March Madness With the Elite 8 On The Line
Ready for Week 2? The Men’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 re-tips tonight. We’ll trim the field from 16 to 4 by Monday morning. All No. 1 and No. 2 seeds still remain, but big tests await. This evening’s early slate pits Arizona-Clemson and UConn-San Diego State in two battles of East vs. West. The UConn-SDSU bout serves as a rematch of last year’s national championship game. The nightcaps should provide the more even contests with one between Southeast powers, UNC-Alabama, and a battle of the Midwest in Illinois-Iowa State. Let’s preview the Sweet 16!
#2 Arizona vs. #6 Clemson (7:09 pm ET, CBS) Arizona: 25-8 (15-5, PAC-12)
Clemson: 21-11 (11-19, ACC) Location: Los Angeles (West Region)
Preview: Caleb Love (18.1 ppg) is the star to watch for Arizona, but big man Oumar Ballo (12.9 ppg, 10.0 rebs) could have his hands full with Clemson center P.J. Hall (18.5 ppg, 6.4 rebs). Zona has the locational advantage in L.A. and the more-talented roster, but Clemson’s been scrappy. Look for the Tigers to muck it up and test Arizona inside. #1 UConn vs. #5 San Diego State (7:39 pm ET, TBS) UConn: 31-3 (18-2, Big East) San Diego State: 24-10 (11-7, MW) Location: Boston (East Region)
Preview: It’s a rematch of last year’s national championship! UConn won that title game by 17 points, and this could be a similar result. The Huskies have lost just once in their last 20 games. The quartet of Tristen Newton (15-6-6), Cam Spencer (14.4 ppg), Alex Karaban (13.7 ppg) and Donovan Clingan (12.8 ppg, 7.4 rebs) should be too much to handle for SDSU, but you know the Aztecs are going to fight. #1 N. Carolina vs. #4 Alabama (9:39 pm ET, CBS) North Carolina: 27-7 (17-3, ACC)
Alabama: 21-11 (13-5, SEC) Location: Los Angeles (West Region)
Preview: If you like guards, you’ll love this one. It’s SEC vs. ACC where the guard matchup of R.J. Davis (UNC) vs. Mark Sears (Bama) should be box office. Alabama was 0-3 this year against ranked non-conference opponents, but they’re the highest-scoring offense in college hoops. UNC’s Armando Bacot (14.4 ppg, 10.2 rebs) will give them problems. #2 Iowa State vs. #3 Illinois (10:09 pm ET, TBS) Iowa State: 27-7 (13-5, Big 12) Illinois: 25-8 (13-5, Big Ten) Location: Boston (East Region)
Preview: Game of the tournament? This 2-3 matchup boasts two teams with fascinating opposition. Both Iowa State and Illinois won their conference tournaments. The Cyclones are top-5 in the nation in defense while Illinois ranks top-10 in offense.
Read More B/R: Upset Meter for Every Sweet 16 Game in the Men’s Tournament
ESPN: Jay Bilas Ranks the Sweet 16 Teams & Their Chance to Win the Tournament |
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🏛️ NCAA’s Push to Ban Prop Bets
The NCAA wants to end prop bets on college athletes amid the rise of harassment they are being subjected to. NCAA President Charlie Baker is asking state officials to help “protect student-athletes and protect the integrity of the game.” (B/R)
🏒 Road to the Frozen Four
The field for the men’s NCAA hockey tournament is set with 16 teams looking to earn a trip to St. Paul, Minnesota, for the Frozen Four. Regional play begins today (Thursday). The top seeds are Boston College, Michigan, Denver and Boston U. (ESPN)
⛳️ Tiger & Phil's Masters Odds
It wasn’t long ago that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were the top dogs at The Masters. Woods won in 2019. Mickelson finished second in 2023. Both legendary golfers are in the field this April, but they're long shots (+16000). (Forbes) |
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⚾️ MLB Opening Day
Yankees at Astros (4:10 pm ET, MLBTV) Cardinals at Dodgers (4:10 pm ET, MLBTV) Cubs at Rangers (7:35 pm ET, ESPN) Red Sox at Mariners (10:10 pm ET MLBTV) Full Opening Day Schedule 🏀 NCAA Tournament (Men’s Sweet 16) #2 Arizona vs. #6 Clemson (7:09 pm ET, CBS) #1 UConn vs. #5 San Diego State (7:39 pm ET, TBS) #1 N. Carolina vs. #4 Alabama (9:39 pm ET, CBS) #2 Iowa State vs. #3 Illinois (10:09 pm ET, TBS)
🏒 NCAA Hockey (Regional Semifinals) #1 Denver vs. #4 UMass (2:00 pm ET, ESPN2) #1 Boston U. vs. #4 RIT (5:00 pm ET, ESPNU)
#2 Maine vs. #3 Cornell (5:30 pm ET, ESPNews) #2 Minnesota vs. #3 Omaha (8:30 pm ET, ESPNU) 🏀 NBA Celtics at Hawks (7:30 pm ET, NBALP) Bucks at Pelicans (8:00 pm ET, NBATV)
🏒 NHL Islanders at Panthers (7:00 pm ET, ESPN+) Rangers at Avalanche (9:00 pm ET, ESPN+) |
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Yesterday, we asked: What do you think about the NFL’s new kickoff format? It looks split. We’ll have to see it play out next fall. Like It — 36.1%
Don’t Like It — 28.8% Undecided — 35.1%
Thanks for participating in the polls. If you’d like to continue the conversation and join our polls on social media, follow us on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
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Photo: John Todd / Getty Images |
How Iowa State's Audi Crooks Made NCAA Women's Tournament History (By Marissa Kasch)
By now, you've heard about Caitlin Clark and all of the records she's shattered. But did you know there was another star – a much different star – rising from the state of Iowa?
The Iowa State Cyclones’ dreams may have been dashed by Stanford on Sunday, but they still exited the Women's NCAA Tournament with a bright future ahead. Audi Crooks rewrote history last Friday in the opening-round game when she dropped 40 points against Maryland – the most points in a single game by a freshman in women's tourney history. She also became the first player in tournament history with 40 points on 90% field goal shooting (18-for-20). A force in the paint! Her 18 field goals were a single-game record for the Cyclones, while her scoring fell only two points short of the program record set by Tonya Burns in 1984.
A Breakout Year
Crooks has been a dominant post player in her first year with the Cyclones, but her tournament performance made her an overnight sensation in front of a national audience. This season, she is averaging 19.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. She is also shooting 57.7% from the field, which ranks top-25 in Division I. Crooks is the second tallest player on Iowa State, standing at 6 feet 3 inches, which further enables her scoring and enhances her physical play style.
Crooks attended Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona, Iowa, where she claimed back-to-back basketball state championship titles her junior and senior years. In the 2023 state championship, Crooks set an all-class state tournament record with 49 points. She was also a two-time state champion in the shot put for track and field, exhibiting athleticism that extends beyond just basketball. Her Ultimate Inspiration
As she has recounted during the tournament, Crooks’ biggest inspiration is her father, Jimmie, who passed away when she was only 16 years old. Her father was an impressive basketball player at his high school before playing in college at Mankato State and Southern Nazarene University.
Audi eagerly followed in his footsteps. Even her play style was influenced by her father, as they exhibited similar sizes, athleticism and footwork. After leading the Cyclones’ historic comeback against Maryland, Crooks was overcome with emotion while remembering him. She admitted that before each game, she prays and asks him for guidance to help ground herself. During the press conference, she also said she knows her father is watching over her during every game from “the best seat in the house.”
The Best Is Yet to Come
As she’s shown since high school, Crooks is far from shy when it comes to breaking records and being a champion. She still has the rest of her college career ahead of her. Her court domination is sure to draw eyeballs and lead Iowa State to the tournament for years to come. As her game develops and improves, and Caitlin Clark moves on to the WNBA, Crooks may have big shoes to fill... The next women's basketball star in Iowa. |
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