The Sportsletter - Hoopin’ Around: 10 Days to March 🏀

BY JEFF YODER

FEB. 19, 2025 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

What's up, team? It’s the mid-week mix. We hope you’re all staying warm with the latest polar vortex sweeping the nation. I’ll tell you who’s cold right now — Kansas basketball. We’ve got hoops, soccer and some early offseason football to take us one step closer to March.

In Today’s Edition

🏀 Hoopin’ Around: 10 Days to March

⚽️ Champions League KO Playoffs

🏈 Top NFL Free Agent Targets

Letter Rip!

NCAA

Hoopin' Around: 10 Days to March

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Crazy Night of Men’s Hoops Sees Kansas Blown Out, Two Texas Top-10s Tumble & A Big Ten Title Fight

The countdown to March strikes 10 days, and the subsequent ‘Madness’ is already here. Tuesday night in college basketball brought one storyline after another as chaos unfolded. Two top-10 teams from Texas suffered upsets. BYU officially sent #23 Kansas to the land of the unranked with a 34-point beatdown, and the Big Ten race got tighter in Michigan. Let’s go rapid-fire:

Rock, Chalk, Not Up In Here

BYU Upsets #23 Kansas (91-57)

We’re about to see some KU history (the not-so-good kind) after last night’s blowout where BYU hammered the Jayhawks by 34. Three BYU starters — Richie Saunders, Mawot Mag and Trevin Knell — hit 11 3s and each shot above 50 percent from deep. The Cougars are no pushovers, but the Jayhawks have lost three games in 10 days. They're about to slide out of the top-25 for the first time since the 2009 season.

Texas-Sized Top-10 Tumblers

#21 Miss. State def. #7 Texas A&M (70-54)

TCU def. #9 Texas Tech (69-66)

The only two ranked teams from the state of Texas both decided to fall on Tuesday. TCU stormed the court after toppling #9 Texas Tech. A road loss in the Big 12 doesn’t hurt the Red Raiders too bad. A&M, on the other hand? The Aggies lost any hope of staying in the race for the SEC's regular-season crown.

Eyes on the Big Ten Title Fight

#11 Wisconsin def. Illinois (95-74)

#14 Michigan State def. #13 Purdue (75-66)

Just days removed from breaking Bob Knight’s Big Ten wins record, Tom Izzo is primed and ready for another special March run. The Spartans got the best of Purdue (lost 3 straight) in a hot Big Ten clash between two teams in the running for the Big Ten title. Wisconsin also lit up Illinois for their fifth straight win. Four teams — #11 Wisconsin, #12 Michigan, #13 Purdue and #14 Michigan State — are in a dogfight down the stretch. Sparty and UM will face off twice in the next 17 days.

Big Ten Title Race (Men’s)

1. Michigan (12-2) | 20-5 Overall

2. Michigan State (12-3) | 21-5 Overall

3. Wisconsin (11-4) | 21-5 Overall

4. Purdue (11-5) | 19-8 Overall

Other NCAA Scores & Highlights

#2 Florida def. Oklahoma (85-63)

#5 Houston def. Arizona State (80-65)

#8 Iowa State def. Colorado (79-65)

#16 Marquette def. Seton Hall (80-56)

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

KO Playoffs: Bayern, Believe It!

Photo: F. Noever / Getty Images

Bayern Avoids Disaster in Final Minutes as 4 Teams Advance to Champions League Round of 16

Four clubs through. Four heading home. The Champions League Knockout Playoffs returned Tuesday with four games that were all competitive in the second legs. An aggregate score would determine who goes through, and who goes home. Celtic had Bayern Munich on the ropes before Alphonso Davies (photo above) scored a chaotic tap-in in the 94th minute to save the Bundesliga leaders from expulsion. Feyenoord — the Dutch surprise! — completed the upset over AC Milan while Club Brugge and Benfica also advanced.

The biggest match of the KO Playoffs kicks off today with Real Madrid hosting Manchester City at the Bernabeu in a clash of the past two Champions League winners.

Champions League KO Playoffs

Bayern def. Celtic (1-1) | Agg: 3-2

Feyenoord def. Milan (1-1) | Agg: 2-1

Club Brugge def. Atalanta (3-1) | Agg: 5-2

Benfica def. Monaco (3-3) | Agg: 4-3

Today’s Schedule

Dortmund vs. Sporting CP (12:45 pm, Par+)

PSG vs. Brest (3:00 pm, Par+)

PSV vs. Juventus (3:00 pm, Par+)

*Real Madrid vs. Manchester City (3:00 pm, Par+)

Champions League Bracket

NFL

Top NFL Free Agent Targets 🎯

Photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images

3 Weeks Until NFL Free Agency — Who’s Up For Payday?

The NFL free agency market officially opens in three weeks (March 12), but we all know those backdoor deals are being formulated in the shadows of the early offseason. This year’s FA class is star-studded, but it’s some of the younger breakout players who top the list. WR Tee Higgins (Bengals) is about to cash in, either in Cincinnati or elsewhere. A few high-level receivers are on the board, but this offseason is all about defense. Youthful linebackers and DBs are everywhere in free agency, and the upcoming NFL Draft is as deep as it gets on the defensive line. If your team’s defense needs help, they’ll find it between March and April.

The biggest headlines, however, will always be free-agent quarterbacks. Keep your eyes on aging QBs like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Sam Darnold and Justin Fields are also names to watch. The Falcons are expected to cut or trade QB Kirk Cousins. As we've come to learn, the NFL “offseason” is shorter than you think.

NFL's Top 10 Available FAs

1. WR Tee Higgins (Bengals)

2. G Trey Smith (Chiefs)

3. QB Sam Darnold (Vikings)

4. WR Chris Godwin (Bucs)

5. LB Zack Baun (Eagles)

6. EDGE Khalil Mack (Chargers)

7. LB Nick Bolton (Chiefs)

8. CB Byron Murphy Jr. (Vikings)

9. CB Charvarius Ward (49ers)

10. EDGE Josh Sweat (Eagles)

Other Notable Names (Top 25): QB Aaron Rodgers (Jets), T Ronnie Stanley (Ravens), RB Najee Harris (Steelers), QB Russell Wilson (Steelers), WR Stefon Diggs (Texans), CB D.J. Reed (Jets), S Jevon Holland (Dolphins), WR Amari Cooper (Bills), DT Osa Odighizuwa (Cowboys), DT Milton Williams (Eagles), RB Aaron Jones (Vikings), EDGE Chase Young (Saints), LB Dre Greenlaw (49ers), S Justin Reid (Chiefs), EDGE Haason Reddick (Jets) | Top 100 FAs & Grades (PFF)

HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

⚽️ Concacaf Champions Cup

Colorado Rapids def. LAFC (2-1)

Dorde Mihailovic Nets Both for Colorado

⛳️ TGL

New York GC def. Jupiter Links (10-3)

Tiger Pulls Wrong Club, NY Gets 1st Win

STORYLINES 📰

🏈 Best Team Fits for Top 50 NFL FAs

Who can help fill a roster's biggest need? Who can fix a troublesome quarterback situation? And who could slide perfectly into a team's scheme and immediately dominate? Let's pick ideal team fits for this offseason's best free agents. (ESPN+)

🏀 NCAA Tournament Expansion Talk

It's back, and worse than ever. The alleged leaders in college athletics are at it again, looking to collect more power and money and further tilt the entire enterprise toward those who already have all the advantages. (Sports Illustrated)

⚾️ MLB Teams That Blew the Offseason

Major League Baseball’s offseason is almost a thing of the past. The major free agents are all off the board. For whatever reason, these contending teams failed to help themselves this winter and could pay the price come October. (CBS Sports)

NEWS 📰

⚾️ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. & Blue Jays Fail to Reach Contract Extension (ESPN)

🏒 Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Ruled Out for 4 Nations Final With Injury (CBS Sports)

🏀 Cavaliers’ Darius Garland Wants 4-Point Shot in NBA Rule Change (B/R)

🏈 Bengals Aiming to Keep Trio of Chase, Higgins & Hendrickson on Long-Term Deals (NBC Sports)

⛳️ Tiger Woods Laughs Off Wrong Club Gaffe in TGL Match (ESPN)

🏀 Kyrie Irving Says He Wants to Play for Australia in the 2028 LA Olympics (CBS Sports)