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Men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball – there’s no shortage of college ball, every night. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you figure out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in college basketball. Michigan finds its stroke vs. Ohio State Michigan took on Iowa on Sunday, and got hammered. The Wolverines couldn’t shoot, sinking just 31% of their attempts from the field, and turned the ball over 24 times, as well. They slipped from No. 6 to No. 8 in the poll as a result, and ended up tied for second in the Big Ten with the Hawkeyes, too. With No. 13 Ohio State up next on the schedule, Michigan needed to tighten up its shot selection and decision-making in a hurry. On Wednesday in Columbus, Michigan did just that… sort of. The shots were vastly improved, with the Wolverines shooting 49% overall and 11-for-25 from 3, and they outrebounded the Buckeyes 46-33, even picking up 14 offensive boards despite shooting nearly 50%. The turnovers, though, were still a huge problem: Michigan had 20 assists and 20 turnovers to go with them, and the Buckeyes were able to hang on and force overtime in part by scoring 22 points on those turnovers. Michigan would win, 88-86, but it took a career-high in points from sophomore guard Olivia Olson: she scored 31 on 12-for-24 shooting with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. Fellow sophomore guard Syla Swords added another 22 points on 9-for-20 shooting, with the bulk of those misses coming from deep — she shot just 4-for-12 from beyond the arc. Swords also had 7 rebounds and 4 assists, so she contributed in other ways, too. Still! It took Olson having one of the best games of her life for Michigan to win by 2 points on a night that it shot 49% and hit 44% of its 3s even with Swords missing them in bulk. The turnovers are a serious issue, with this being Michigan’s fifth game with at least 20 of them. While it hasn’t caused a loss yet except for against Iowa, better teams — like Iowa! — will exploit the issue. (There were “just” 17 turnovers against Vanderbilt, but that was an L for Michigan, too.) Maybe Michigan State and Ohio State have not been able to — the Buckeyes did force OT, at least — but there’s a gap between those teams and the ones at the top of the poll that will also be the highest seeds in March Madness, and Michigan can’t rely on shooting lights-out every time it can’t keep the ball in its hands, especially against the likes of UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and UConn. Iowa handles Ohio State It wasn’t a great night for Ohio State, either on the men’s or women’s side. At least the women were competitive, though, forcing Michigan into OT despite an off, 6-for-20 shooting night from sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge. The men took on Iowa needing a W to help with both their standing in the bubble and for seeding purposes in the upcoming Big Ten tourney: Ohio State is toward the back of the single-round bye qualification, in ninth. While that still qualifies for a bye to the second round of the Big Ten tournament, being in ninth isn’t great since it sets that team up for a showdown with likely top-seed Michigan in the quarterfinals. Which is not what anyone in the Big Ten should want at this point, never mind a team that’s now 9-8 in conference play after losing to Iowa on Wednesday. Iowa was in control in the first half, 37-23, and while Ohio State played a much better second by scoring 34 points, the Hawkeyes’ offense kept going at the same pace it already had been, resulting in a 74-57 win. Iowa shot 57% from the field, scored 15 points off turnovers to Ohio State’s 4, outrebounded the Buckeyes, dominated in the paint 44-18, and did all of this despite falling behind by 12 just a few minutes into the matchup. Senior guard Bennett Stirtz led all scorers with 22 points, but what truly helped Iowa thrive here was the performance of Alvaro Folgueiras off the bench. The junior guard chipped in 20 points off the bench — more than anyone for Ohio State managed — on 8-for-10 shooting in 25 minutes. He also had 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a highly efficient run. Iowa might not be in position to win the Big Ten tournament, but it does rank 31st in Wins Above Bubble, making the Hawkeyes an easy pick for an at-large bid to March Madness. Ohio State fell to 44th in WAB with the loss, however, putting it very much on the bubble. With upcoming regular season games still left against No. 8 Purdue, Penn State and Indiana, Ohio State’s season is at its make or break point. Richmond crushes Rhode Island Richmond had an odd stretch where it just could not hit its shots, despite being the top team in the Atlantic 10 conference and a viable March Madness-caliber threat because of its offense. That appears to be over with now, however, as the Spiders dropped 92 points on La Salle on Sunday before facing — and beating — Rhode Island 72-46 on Wednesday. The Spiders were up 27-9 after the first quarter, and while they mustered just 5 points in the second, they were still comfortably ahead of Rhode Island going into the half, and then resumed the thrashing from there on out. Every Rams player was held to single-digit scoring, while the Spiders shot 49% from the field and went 16-for-30 from 3. Senior forward and WNBA hopeful Maggie Doogan had just 13 points, but showed off the rest of her game with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Sophomore guard Alicia Newell led all scorers with 20 points and added 7 boards of her own. Every starter reached double-digit points and had at least 5 rebounds or assists, plus a couple or more of the other. [Get to Know a Mid-Major: Atlantic 10] Rhode Island is, even after the loss, first in the A-10, but now just one game up on Richmond in the standings. And the Spiders are right back in bubble territory by WAB, too, with a score of -0.05 — beating St. Joseph’s in the regular-season finale and then playing well in the conference tournament should get them the rest of what is needed for the Selection Committee, assuming Richmond doesn’t pick up the automatic bid as conference champ. Kansas upsets Texas Tech No. 20 Texas Tech blew it in the fourth quarter. That’s the long and short of Wednesday’s game against Kansas. The Lady Raiders were up 52-48 at the start of the fourth — a close game, yes, but one Texas Tech was not only still in but actively leading — and then they were outscored 20-7 by the Jayhawks the rest of the way. Kansas scored a bucket 21 seconds in, then got within a point, 56-55, with a 3-pointer from senior guard Elle Evans about five minutes later. That was the start of a 7-0 run, briefly interrupted by Texas Tech bringing it back to within a point, that was followed by another 7-0 run to close out the game. The Lady Raiders went just 3-for-12 in the fourth quarter, and 1-for-2 from the stripe. Maybe they could have survived such a tough quarter, but Texas Tech also scored just 11 points in the second — paired with Kansas scoring 39 points in the second half, the Lady Raiders just could not afford a late performance like that. The good news for Texas Tech is that it’s still comfortably in position for a March Madness bid, as it ranks 30th in NET and 26th in WAB. Kansas, though, just got a renewed opportunity: it moved up three spots in NET, from 50 to 47, and its WAB is now -0.81, a significant boost from the -1.36 it sat at prior to the game. There is just one game left in the regular season for the Jayhawks — against a tough Oklahoma State — but a win there, and a great showing in the Big 12 conference tournament… well, there is a lot more reason to be hopeful about Kansas women’s basketball on Thursday morning than there was on Wednesday morning. Oklahoma State picks up key W Speaking of Oklahoma State, the Cowgirls got a necessary win over Iowa State. With Texas Tech losing and Colorado taking the L last time out, Oklahoma State defeating Iowa State pushed the Cowgirls into a three-way tie for fourth place in the Big 12, which is also a tie for the final double-bye in the Big 12 tournament. Not only that, but the dub against the Cyclones also shot Oklahoma State’s WAB up from 1.32 to 1.98 — it’s in a much better position now to weather the storm that is the Big 12 tournament, where the Cowgirls will likely have to contend with some combination of TCU, Baylor, West Virginia and Texas Tech, but even teams like 8-9 Kansas are dangerous in the right conditions, as the Lady Raiders can vouch for. Oklahoma State was powered by a pair of double-doubles, from juniors Achol Akot and Stailee Heard. Akot, a forward, led all scorers with 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting, while picking up 10 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. The guard, Heard, added 22 points with 14 boards, 2 assists, 4 steals and a block. The rest of the starters were relatively quiet, but 47 points, 24 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and a block was a pretty great head start. The Cyclones did well offensively, scoring 77 with four of its starters picking up between 11 and 19 points, but it’s “just” 19 points when they come from junior center Audi Crooks, and while junior guard Jada Williams had a 19-point, 10-assist double-double, junior forward Addy Brown is still settling back in after missing considerable time with a leg injury: she had 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting, but just 2 rebounds and 3 assists, well below her usual output. The defense was the real issue, however: the Cyclones allowed Oklahoma State to shoot 53%, and that makes winning tough even if your offense is in order. Iowa State is now 9-8 in conference play, and just has to hope Brown has fully shaken the rust off by the time the Big 12 tourney rolls around. Villanova strengthens case for March The Big East has been weaker this year, it’s true, but Villanova, at least, has been doing its part, both on the men’s and women’s sides of the game. The men’s team took on Butler on Wednesday, and won 82-73 despite the Bulldogs being more than a match for Villanova in the paint — the Wildcats were outrebounded, 38-28, and the two scored the same number of points in the paint, with Butler technically getting the edge there by drawing far more fouls and sinking far more free throws, 22 to 10. Villanova, though, had significantly more success from deep: the Wildcats shot 10-for-32 from beyond the arc, while Butler got off 13 3-point attempts total, sinking just 3 of them. With Villanova also nearly doubling up Butler on points off turnovers, the difference was more than made up. Still, Villanova won in large part due to its dominant first half, in which it outscored Butler 42-28 — the Bulldogs’ offense woke up in the second, dropping 45 on the Wildcats to their 40, but that wasn’t enough to dig out of the hole. Acaden Lewis was the star for the Wildcats in more ways than one: the guard led all scorers with 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting, but he also dished out 4 assists, setting a new program record for assists by a freshman with 146. Villanova is now 25th in WAB, third among Big East teams and also looking like the final likely conference entry into March Madness — Seton Hall might still get there, but sports a negative WAB at the moment, so a strong conference tournament showing is needed for the Pirates for that to happen. Two 40-point games, and basketball history Penn State picked up a thrilling comeback, upset win over USC, 85-82, and did so thanks to a huge 40-point performance from Kiyomi McMiller. The sophomore guard has been on a tear lately, as this was her sixth game in a row with at least 30 points, but this is the high point: 40 is a career-high, and she reached 1,000 career points, as well. Her 40 points led all of men’s and women’s Division I basketball on Wednesday. She’s averaging 34.3 points over this stretch, and it’s not just points, either: she has 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game over her last half-dozen, as well. McMiller has also moved into third in the Big Ten in scoring, at 22.2 points per game, behind just Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge and Indiana’s Shay Ciezki. This wasn’t the only 40-point game last night: Omaha freshman guard Regan Juenemann dropped 40 on Oral Roberts in Summit play, and did so in 30 minutes off the bench. Juenemann pulled it off on an efficient 13-for-19 shooting and 7-for-11 from 3, while also sinking 7 of 8 from the stripe. Those 40 represent a career-high for Juenemann, but are also the most of any Omaha player in the Division I era, as well as just the second 40-point game in the program’s entire history. Beyond that, starting senior guard Sarai Estupinan scored 30 points in 39 minutes, and freshman forward Avril Smith had a wild boxscore entry: zero points, 5 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks, and a Division I-leading 23 rebounds. She took just one shot the entire night and missed, but had plenty to offer elsewhere. Per OptaStats, this was the first time a team in Division I — men’s or women’s — the NBA or the WNBA had a player with at least 40 points, one with at least 30, and one with 20 or more rebounds in a single game. Seton Hall’s men were the last to pull it off in college, back in 2009, and you have to go back to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in 1996 for the last time it happened in the pros, and that took three Hall of Famers in Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. And even with that, Omaha won by just 9 points, 84-75. What a performance from this trio, though. UConn demolishes St. John’s It was not pretty. Well, it was if you were pulling for UConn, but No. 15 St. John’s had a rough go of it against the No. 6 team. The Huskies won, 72-40, and are now tied for first in the Big East with the Red Storm. Just one St. John’s player — sophomore guard Joson Sanon — reached double-digit scoring, and just so with 10 points, and defensively there was just no answer for UConn in the paint. The Huskies scored 42 points in the paint, which if you remember the final score, you already know is more points than St. John’s scored total. The Red Storm missed 12 consecutive shots in the first half, and then its final 24 attempts in the second. As said: it was not pretty. FOX Sports college basketball analyst Michael Cohen already published his takeaways from the beatdown, and what there is to glean from it. St. John’s will be trying to work out its own answers over the next week-plus, before the two potentially end up facing off against each other in the Big East tournament for the rights to the conference’s automatic March Madness bid.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Mick Schumacher has the experience and the last name that has created a buzz going into the 2026 season. Just look at some of the odds. Bookmakers have Schumacher, who has never made an INDYCAR start and has no experience of any kind on an oval, as having a better chance at winning the 2026 INDYCAR title than his teammate Graham Rahal, who has 309 career starts. The son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, Mick takes two full seasons of Formula 1 experience and additional seasons of sports-car experience to INDYCAR. Why make the move? “Good racing, good people,” Schumacher told me earlier this year. “The competition is quite fierce and strong. So looking forward to competing with them and excited to go racing.” So the big question leading into the INDYCAR season opener Sunday at St. Petersburg (noon ET, FOX) is how will Schumacher do? The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team has had mercurial performance and has won one race in the last five years. Schumacher, driving for Haas F1, managed a career-best finish of sixth in his two full seasons on the world’s biggest racing stage. The 26-year-old Schumacher won the European Formula 3 title in 2018 and the FIA Formula 2 title in 2020. “What would be a success?,” Schumacher said in his introductory news conference last November. “I think honestly, ultimately, just the feeling that we’ve been able to put everything in place and that we [find] ourselves a target. What that target exactly will be, I think that’s something we’ll have to figure out as we go and kind of match our expectations to what we can achieve. “But I am very positive. I think there’s lots of good things out there and lots of good things happening at the moment, so I don’t want to say, ‘OK this is a target right now,’ but definitely our aim is to do our best.” Rahal, the son of INDYCAR great Bobby Rahal, said the key for Schumacher is to be himself. “I grew up with a family name not nearly as big as Schumacher,” Rahal said. “I know the pressures. I can’t imagine the pressure that he lives under each and every day. Be yourself. Build your own legacy. Do what you do. Don’t try to live up to Dad. Don’t try to do all that stuff. “Be Mick Schumacher. Develop your own name. And over here, he’s got the great opportunity to do that. I’m excited to be a part of that. I’m excited to help him every step of the way.” Two drivers in the INDYCAR Series have substantial Formula 1 experience, and they know about the transition. Marcus Ericsson competed in Formula 1 for five years from 2014-18. I think it’s always hard to go from European racing over to INDYCAR,” Ericsson told me. “I made that step, and it’s definitely a big challenge. It’s very different. “But obviously, Mick has shown over in Europe that he’s an extremely good driver, so it’s going to be fun to follow him and see how he does. And obviously it’s great for the series as well, to get a name like the Schumacher name to come over and race in INDYCAR. I think that’s huge for us.” Neither Ericsson nor Romain Grosjean, who spent a decade in Formula 1, competed against Mick Schumacher. I don’t know him as a driver,” Grosjean told me. “I’m looking forward to race against him and spend weekends with him. I think having the Schumacher name in indica is awesome. It’s one of the biggest names in motorsport.” That’s for sure. And Schumacher will carry the No. 47, the number he has used at various times in his career. The number is significant in part because the 7 signifies the number of championships won by his father, who retired after the 2012 season and suffered a traumatic brain injury in a skiing accident in 2013. “I guess I chose a number pretty early on when having to choose what racing number I would have for Formula 1,” Schumacher told me. “And then there were so many coincidences with that specific number that I just chose to stick with it. “And it was available in INDYCAR, which automatically kind of meant to me that I would have to try and get it. And luckily enough, I got it.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2026 NFL Draft has several strengths, with first-round depth at offensive tackle and edge rusher. There’s a premier quarterback at the top — Fernando Mendoza — getting plenty of love. There are some shallow positions, however. It’s not a great year to need a cornerback, for example. But there should be some bona fide stars. There’s a potential Micah Parsons 2.0 among the edge rushers and a potential Derwin James 2.0 at safety. If you squint just enough, there’s a potential Jimmy Graham at tight end, too. The first day of drills at the NFL Scouting Combine has arrived, which means that mock draft season is upon us. So, before players seek to boost their draft stock this weekend, let’s project what will go down in the first round, which seems far from settled after the No. 1 pick. 1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana The Raiders love the idea of Mendoza, a guy whose intelligence and diligence are pro-ready. 2. New York Jets (3-14): Rueben Bain Jr., edge rusher, Miami Coach Aaron Glenn is going to love how Bain will wreck games for opposing offenses — and the Jets badly need a defensive stud after shipping off cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline. 3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14): Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami Whether the Cardinals work with Jacoby Brissett or a new quarterback, they desperately need help on the offensive line. And it really doesn’t matter that Mauigoa is probably a right tackle. He’s the best offensive lineman in this draft. 4. Tennessee Titans (3-14): David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech Let’s build a force on the defensive line with Bailey and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. That’s a foundation that defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh can work with. 5. New York Giants (4-13): Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State This is an all-important developmental year for QB Jaxson Dart, and receiver might be a need, with wideouts Malik Nabers hurt (ACL) and Wan’Dale Robinson slated to hit free agency. 6. Cleveland Browns (5-12): Spencer Fano, OT, Utah Shedeur Sanders might actually get a real chance to show what he can do if the Browns snag a left tackle like Fano. 7. Washington Commanders (5-12): Arvell Reese, (O)LB, Ohio State Dan Quinn was in Dallas when the Cowboys had the inspired idea to convert Micah Parsons into a pass-rusher. Can Quinn do it again with Reese? 8. New Orleans Saints (6-11): Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley paired with Downs? Yes, please. It’ll be Chargers All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. all over again. 9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11): Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State The Chiefs invest yet again in their passing game to support quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU The Bengals get a consistent, high-end playmaker on a defense largely devoid of just that. 11. Miami Dolphins (7-10): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee McCoy was probably the best corner in college football prior to tearing his ACL in January 2025. But after missing the entire season, he should be good to go in 2026. 12. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1): Sonny Styles, OLB, Ohio State Here’s the Parsons replacement that the Cowboys have been waiting for. 13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons, 8-9): Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State The Rams’ right guard and right tackle are both slated for free agency. They can shore up their unit with an elite guard prospect. 14. Baltimore Ravens (8-9): Makai Lemon, WR, USC The Seahawks showed us this season that it’s OK to have too many slot receivers. New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is from the Ben Johnson coaching tree. And Johnson might still be searching for his new version of wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown — but Doyle could get his in Lemon. 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9): Keldric Faulk, edge rusher, Mississippi State The Bucs have a pair of pending free agents on the edge, so Faulk should solve that potential issue. And even if they can keep both linebacker Haason Reddick and defensive end Logan Hall, it might be a good thing to put Faulk in a rotation while he smooths out the blemishes in his game. 16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts, 8-9): Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana Whoever plays quarterback for the Jets is going to like throwing to wide receivers Garrett Wilson, Cooper and Adonai Mitchell. 17. Detroit Lions (9-8): Peter Woods, DL, Clemson What happened to the version of the Lions that bit off kneecaps? Woods — a guy who plays like a bar fighter in the interior — should bring toughness to the middle of Detroit’s defense. 18. Minnesota Vikings (9-8): CJ Allen, LB, Georgia The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Allen isn’t the biggest linebacker, but he plays bigger than he’s listed. He’ll be an immediate game-changer and leader in the middle of Minnesota’s defense. 19. Carolina Panthers (8-9): Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame Panthers head coach Dave Canales told me this week that the best way to help quarterback Bryce Young succeed is by building a strong running game. Well, by drafting Love — one of the best three prospects in this class — the Panthers can immediately do that. 20. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers, 9-7-1): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety, Toledo The 6-foot-2, 202-pound McNeil-Warren is a tall and fiercely physical safety who helps as much in run defense as he does in coverage. 21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7): Denzel Boston, WR, Washington I think Pittsburgh will have either Aaron Rodgers or Malik Willis at quarterback next season. Rodgers isn’t as accurate as he thinks he is and Willis has a uniquely powerful arm to stretch the field. Either way, Boston — a lengthy athlete in the vein of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins — can help either QB. 22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6): Kadyn Proctor, OL, Alabama The Chargers could put Proctor at guard and watch with joy while the 6-foot-7, 366-pounder mauls the AFC West. 23. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6): Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher, Miami Here’s a no-nonsense pick from Howie Roseman. The Eagles get a productive, high-motor player at a premium position — and late in the first round. 24. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars, 13-4): Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech It’s a meat-and-potatoes draft for the Browns, who get more impressive in the trenches. 25. Chicago Bears (11-6): Cashius Howell, edge rusher, Texas A&M Who’s the best defensive player still available? Howell? Howell it is, then. He’s an explosive, albeit undersized (6-foot-2, 248), pass-rusher whose production alleviates any worries. 26. Buffalo Bills (12-5): Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon You’d think Bills GM Brandon Beane would want to give new head coach Joe Brady a weapon on offense, but Beane is disciplined and won’t reach. Thieneman should be the playmaker the Bills have needed since the departures and declines of safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. 27. San Francisco 49ers (12-5): Blake Miller, OT, Clemson With Trent Williams fighting with the 49ers in another contract dispute, San Francisco might need help at left tackle. 28. Houston Texans (12-5): Caleb Banks, DT, Florida Banks showed what he can be in 2024. It was just that a foot injury in 2025 got in the way of the prospect peaking at the right time. But perhaps that’s to Houston’s benefit, as the Texans could land a blue-chip interior pass-rusher. 29. Los Angeles Rams (12-5): Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama From a timing standpoint, this is a great year for the Rams to take a quarterback. They have two first-round picks, and they have another year with quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was the NFL MVP at age 37. Simpson seems like just the project for offensive guru Sean McVay. 30. Denver Broncos (14-3): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon Sadiq may be just 6-foot-3, but he can be a special pass-catcher, particularly after the catch. You’d have to really squint to see five-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham, but Sadiq could be a nice match for quarterback Bo Nix and this offense. 31. New England Patriots (14-3): Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State The Patriots are going to need help at tackle when Morgan Moses retires. Iheanachor will need time to develop, but he could someday be an elite tackle — whether he lands at right or left tackle will depend upon how Will Campbell plays in 2026. 32. Seattle Seahawks (14-3): Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson The Seahawks appear to be on the verge of losing their cornerbacks in free agency, so GM John Schneider works to get younger at the position.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — Everyone in the NFL is in agreement that Fernando Mendoza will be the top pick in the draft. But who is the best player in the draft? On that topic, there’s no agreement at all. In fact, when we polled a small group of NFL executives and scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine this week and asked them to name the top overall prospect in the draft, four different players received votes. Mendoza and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs tied for first with three votes apiece. But Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love were right behind them with two votes each. Let’s take a closer look at what people around the NFL are saying about the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. *** Ralph Vacchiano: How do you determine who the best player in the draft is? Well, sometimes it comes down to positional value, which is why one NFC scout believes Mendoza might be getting votes. But that person doesn’t agree with that notion. “Everyone is going to have their own definition of ‘best’ this year,” the NFC scout told me. “It’s hard to go against a quarterback, but if we’re being honest, [Mendoza] probably isn’t the best player or prospect. He’ll have the biggest impact, sure, because of his position. But other players are better.” [2026 NFL Draft: Would Fernando Mendoza Have Been the Top QB in 2025 Draft Class?] An NFL general manager, meanwhile, told me that if you took away positional value, the question of who is the best player available is up for debate between several players. “There are five names you could put in a hat and any one of them is the right answer,” the general manager told me. “I know we all say ‘best player available,’ but in this case, the best player available might really depend on what you need.” Adding to the intrigue is that several of the most highly regarded players don’t play positions that are generally considered worthy of a top-five pick in the draft. Downs is hoping to become the first safety picked in the top-five since 2010, and Love could be just the eighth running back to go in the top-five since 2005. The top-five could even be crashed by a real rarity — an inside linebacker who doesn’t necessarily project as an NFL pass rusher: Ohio State’s Sonny Styles. “Arguably, some of the best players in this draft are maybe at non-premium positions,” said Chiefs general manager Brett Veach. “When you look at the Ohio State linebacker [Styles], the Notre Dame running back [Love], the safety from Ohio State [Downs], those are really, really good players.” Of course, even in a down year for quarterbacks in the draft, it’s hard to pick against the one at the top of the class. One scout who voted for Mendoza told me he likely wouldn’t have been the first quarterback taken in any of the last three drafts. “But he’s the best we’ve got this year. And these guys are so hard to find, that’s more than good enough,” the scout said. An assistant general manager echoed that thought. “If you need a quarterback, he’s the best player, no discussion,” the assistant general manager told me. “He’ll have the biggest impact and plays the position where the good ones are hardest to find. I wouldn’t compare him to any other position. Those guys are always in a class of their own.” *** Eric D. Williams: There was no real consensus on the No. 1 overall prospect in this year’s draft from the league sources I spoke with this week. One league executive singled out Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey and Jeremiyah Love as his top two, then went with the Notre Dame prospect as his top overall player. However, the personnel executive acknowledged the conundrum of taking a player at a non-premium position high in the draft when quality running backs can be had in the later rounds. “I wouldn’t take him No. 1 because the supply of running backs far outweighs the demand,” the front office executive told me. “But he has the most high-level traits for his position than anyone else in the draft.” Another NFL coach who works on the offensive side of the ball pointed to Love as a game-changer who could go early in this year’s draft. “He can play,” the coach told me. However, a league source said Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is his No. 1 overall player, which makes sense because it’s a foregone conclusion that the Las Vegas Raiders will make him the first overall pick in this year’s draft. While some scouts and personnel executives have questioned Mendoza’s arm strength and athleticism, this league source told me Mendoza’s ability to perform in high-leverage situations is elite. “People just like to say s— and be negative,” the league source told me. “He’s a great player and was as clutch as it gets. Beat Ohio State twice, destroyed Alabama, beat Miami and Oregon — look at how many guys those teams have drafted. He will be like a mix of [Jared] Goff and [Joe] Burrow, with some Andrew Luck.” For most teams, determination on positional value plays a role in how they rank the top overall players in this year’s draft and where they eventually wind up being selected. One of the best teams at doing that over the years has been the Baltimore Ravens. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta discussed his team’s reasoning for taking the best player available regardless of their needs. The most famous example of that was Baltimore selecting future two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson at No. 32 overall in the 2018 draft, even with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback on their roster in Joe Flacco. “Every team has their own philosophy,” DeCosta told reporters here at the combine. “So, you could interview every general manager here, and they would probably have a different belief and need versus BPA, or ‘best player available.’ I learned under Ozzie Newsome, and we’ve always been a best-player-available team. That’s important to me. That’s in my DNA. It is something I believe in. “You have to do it within reason. You’re not going to be crazy and just draft the best available player and end up with 17 different outside linebackers. You’re not going to do that. So, you’ve got to have the roster size, you’ve got to understand positional value and how many players are at each position. But all things being equal, I think you draft the best available player.” Greg Auman contributed to this report.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are headed for a breakup, but the speed and messiness of that is to be determined. Murray’s camp would prefer the Cardinals cut him, so the quarterback can enter free agency, per a league source. The QB’s camp is set to meet with the team this week in Indianapolis, but they don’t expect an answer on his future from Arizona. Murray’s camp feels that he’ll be the top QB on the market if he hits free agency. Certainly, the 28-year-old will be among the most sought-after quarterbacks in free agency alongside Malik Willis. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have grown “frustrated” with Murray, according to a team source. There are questions about his work ethic, which have dogged him in Arizona for years. His quiet personality has also raised concerns about his leadership. But in Arizona, the team is concerned that he will no longer be the same player he was before his ACL tear in 2022, especially after a sprained foot cost him 12 more games last season. His mobility is “shot,” the source said, and Murray doesn’t appear suited to transition into a pure pocket passer, either. If he’s unwilling or unable to run, he likely can’t be as effective as he once was. Despite what is clearly a fractured relationship, Arizona could save significant cap space if it finds a trade partner. He has two years left on his five-year, $230 million contract. “I’d say all options are on the table for us,” Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort told reporters at the NFL Combine. Despite the uncertainty, Ossenfort was optimistic about his relationship with Murray when speaking with the media. “Yeah, I’ve always had a good dialogue with Kyler,” Ossenfort said. “And I’d say [last season] wasn’t up to what Kyler wanted. It wasn’t up to what any of us wanted as a season as a whole. “And, so, when you have the kind of year that we had, there’s a lot of room for improvement, and so we got to find a way to do that, not only at that position, in all positions, but that’s what we’re all focused on, is getting better and moving forward.” In 2025, Murray began the season as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback, but he finished the season on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury. Prior to the injury, he completed 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in five games. In Murray’s absence, backup Jacoby Brissett was prolific in the offense, with 3,366 passing yards for 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. While Brissett is likely to stick around in Arizona, the team will no doubt explore its options for a new QB1, pending Murray’s departure. As for Murray’s next home, he has often been linked to the Jets, who need a quarterback. But New York has several assistant coaches who worked for the Cardinals while Murray was there, including offensive line coach Steve Heiden. If the Cardinals have concerns about Murray’s work ethic or health, the Jets will have the same inside information. That’s why one source familiar with the Jets’ possible interest in Murray called it “a really bad fit.” It’s possible the Miami Dolphins, the Pittsburgh Steelers or even the Kansas City Chiefs (with Patrick Mahomes potentially missing time due to the ACL injury) could bring Murray aboard. It’s abundantly clear he won’t playing his home games in Arizona next season.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Jimmie Johnson has done it all: NASCAR, INDYCAR and off-road racing, among other forms of motorsports. What’s next for the NASCAR Hall of Famer and seven-time Cup Series champ? Driving a Trophy Truck in the Mint 400 on March 8. “I’ve always wanted to go back. I thought maybe short-course racing would be that kind of reentry point,” Johnson, who drove in the 2026 Daytona 500, said about why he’s set to drive a Trophy Truck next month on the latest edition of “SPEED With Harvick And Burton.” “I grew up racing with the Herbst family, and they have second-, third-generation racers now in that series, and, obviously, Riley Herbst is in the Cup Series. But Troy Herbst has offered so many times: ‘Come play. Come back. You won’t believe what the trucks do.’ “The last Trophy Truck race I was in was in 1995, and so, I’ve had some curiosities around it, and I went and tested it in October, and it just blew my mind. I’m like, ‘I got to do this.’” [MOTORSPORTS: ‘SPEED With Harvick And Buxton’ Reignites Iconic Brand] On that note, Johnson will also race for TRICON Garage in the June 19 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series street race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, near his El Cajon hometown. Johnson raced full-time on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit at Hendrick Motorsports from 2002-2020 and 20 years total (2001-20). He has also driven in a combined 15 Cup Series races since 2023 for his own team, Legacy Motor Club, highlighted by finishing third in the 2025 Daytona 500. Johnson won seven Cup Series titles (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2016), which puts him in a three-way tie with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most in NASCAR history; he won 83 races total, which is tied with Cale Yarborough for sixth in Cup Series history. [BEST OF THE BEST: Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton on the best drivers ever] “I’ve always wanted to find the right balance of bucket list races or unique experiences to do,” Johnson said. “I was hyper-focused in my Cup career and just drove Cup cars and always envied guys that moved around a bit. And then thinking of the time I spent on the couch with my dad and my grandfather, and my grandfather’s opinion of Mario Andretti, because he went anywhere and raced anything. And [A.J.] Foyt. There were these examples that kind of stuck in the back of my mind. I’m certainly not doing that, but I want to experience stuff. “I’m at that stage of life where I really want to challenge myself, and I have a great partner in Carvana, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, no finish lines. What’s the tagline?’ And now, it’s kind of chasing bucket-list items.” Johnson raced two seasons in INDYCAR, running a combined 29 races with Chip Ganassi Racing from 2021-22. But wait, there’s more. Johnson will be the crew chief for INDYCAR legend Dario Franchitti, as the latter races in the Truck Series this Saturday at the OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg. What keeps the 50-year-old Johnson wanting more? “I’m just one of those idiots who likes to keep going,” Johnson said. “It’s been an interesting journey as a full-time driver and stepping away from the famed [No.] 48 [car]. Now I have time to reflect on it, but in-between there, I was at Ganassi for a couple of years in the INDYCAR Series and again found myself walking away from an incredible opportunity, and I really thought there was something wrong with me. “But now I’ve found this different balance of life and probably working more hours and doing more than I did before. But it’s something new and a new challenge and a new chapter, and I’m truly enjoying it — and a lot of racing.” This Sunday is a double-dip of high-stakes racing on FOX, as the 2026 INDYCAR season begins with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at noon ET, followed by the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at 3:30 p.m. ET, the third race on the 2026 NASCAR schedule. Follow “SPEED” on YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and TikTok.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — New Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken raved about the “elite” skills he’s seen from Shedeur Sanders. Only he hasn’t seen enough to hand him the starting quarterback job. In fact, Monken declared it an “open competition” for that job, presumably between Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson — and possibly even others. It’s the kind of messy, almost untenable situation the Browns have dealt with at quarterback since trading away Baker Mayfield three years ago. And it’s a mess that will likely linger over the franchise all summer long, and maybe longer. “I don’t know why it wouldn’t be an open competition,” Monken said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “And I don’t mean that harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple of years one way or the other to say, ‘Boy, we have a starter at quarterback’ yet.” That’s probably true. Despite the unabating hype of his many supporters, the 24-year-old Sanders had an unremarkable rookie season. The fifth-round pick did close out the year as the starter and produced some highlight-reel plays. But like most rookies, he was bogged down by inconsistency. He completed just 56.6% of his passes while throwing for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Gabriel, the Browns’ 25-year-old third-round pick, wasn’t much better, but he was a bit steadier in his six starts (and 10 appearances). He completed 59.9% of his passes for seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. The Browns, however, went 1-5 when Dillon started and 3-4 with Sanders. And Sanders was clearly the more electric of the two. Even Monken intimated he has a high ceiling. “I think what you see is elite playmaking ability,” Monken said. “That’s in him. You’ve seen it. We’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year. Sure, there’s a ways to go. What first-year player doesn’t have a long way to go? So I’m excited to get started with him.” But Sanders isn’t the only quarterback that seemed to excite Monken. Making the situation even more complicated in Cleveland is the possible return of the now-30-year-old Watson, who is finally entering the final year of the fully guaranteed, $230 million contract that has weighed down the franchise since they traded for him in 2022. He hasn’t appeared in a game since October 2024, when he suffered the first of two tears to his right Achilles tendon, so he’s probably a long shot to beat out Sanders or Gabriel. But if he’s healthy, Monken said it would be “completely unfair” to rule him out. “I think any time that you have a player that, at one time, has exhibited the skill set at an elite level, I think you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of him again,” Monken said. “And I think that’s how you should look at every player. I’m going to let it play out. “Now you’re going to have some preconceived notions, obviously, because we have prior evidence. But I don’t decide who plays. The players decide who plays.” And it’s possible that Sanders, Gabriel and Watson won’t be the only quarterbacks in that process either. Both Monken and general manager Andrew Berry hinted over the past two days that the Browns could even add another quarterback to the mix, either via free agency or the draft. The Browns presumably will pass on taking a QB with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 draft, but they have another first-round selection (No. 24) and a high second-rounder (No. 39). Adding a quarterback that high seems crazy on one hand. At the same time, it sounds like a very Browns thing to do. Just last year, they selected Gabriel and Sanders with consecutive selections. For now, though, there are only three QBs in the competition, and Monken doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to name a starter. While he’d ideally prefer to know his No. 1 by the start of training camp, he seemed willing to let the indecision that has haunted the franchise for several years go on longer than that. “You would hope that’s the case, that by the time you get to training camp the reps that you’re giving to a quarterback is for your starter,” he said. “Whether we get to that place, I don’t know. That’ll be determined in the offseason as part of it. It’s just another part of the piece.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — If you were starting a team from scratch, you would almost certainly try to find a quarterback first and foremost. But after that, where do you go next? We posed that question to 42 prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft in our NFL Combine Survey. When I asked them which non-quarterback would they build a team around, 41 of them replied and 25 different names were dished out, showing the depth of star talent in the NFL. While several names were mentioned, there was one player who clearly stood above the rest: Myles Garrett. The Cleveland Browns’ star edge rusher received 10 votes in our questionnaire, which was seven more than any other player. Of course, Garrett is coming off a historic season, recording 23 sacks to break the single-season record. As a result, Garrett won his second Defensive Player of the Year award, doing so in unanimous fashion. A year ago, the runaway winner was Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, coming off a 2,000-yard season, but this time Barkley drew just a single vote. Instead, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs received the most votes at the position, with his three votes also finishing second to Garrett. Gibbs rushed for 1,223 yards on five yards per carry this past season, adding 616 receiving yards as he scored 18 total touchdowns. Gibbs’ three votes were one more than two other dual-threat running backs in the San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey and the Atlanta Falcons’ Bijan Robinson. Robinson and McCaffrey were first and second, respectively, in scrimmage yards in 2025, with the latter also winning Comeback Player of the Year. Two other edge rushers also got two votes in the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby and the Green Bay Packers’ Micah Parsons. Crosby recorded 10 sacks in 2025, marking the third time in four seasons he’s hit that mark. As for Parsons, he had 12.5 sacks in 14 games before tearing his ACL this past season. Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson was the only other player to receive multiple votes. The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year winner had a relatively quieter season in 2025, but he still finished with 1,048 receiving yards despite having subpar quarterback play. As for the one player who didn’t answer the question, he simply said he wasn’t sure who he’d pick. Here are the full results. RESULTS: Myles Garrett, edge rusher, Browns: 10 Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions: 3 Maxx Crosby, edge rusher, Raiders: 2 Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings: 2 Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers: 2 Micah Parsons, edge rusher, Packers: 2 Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons: 2 (Players that received one vote: Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles; Derrick Brown, DT, Panthers; Calen Bullock, S, Texans; Jalen Carter, DL, Eagles; Nick Emmonwori, DB, Seahawks; Jaycee Horn, CB, Panthers; Creed Humphrey, C, Chiefs; Aidan Hutchinson, edge rusher, Lions; Lane Johnson, OT, Eagles; Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs; George Kittle, TE, 49ers; Cooper Kupp, WR, Seahawks; Penei Sewell, T, Lions; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks; Bobby Wagner, LB, Commander; Kenneth Walker, RB, Seahawks; Jameson Williams, WR, Lions; Quinnen Williams, DL, Cowboys)​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Team USA is bringing its best roster, the Dominican Republic is once again oozing with talent and Venezuela’s lineup can contend with anyone, but until proven otherwise, Japan still sits on the throne as the kings of international competition. Japan has dominated the World Baseball Classic unlike any other country, winning the tournament in three of its five editions, and the group again looks fully capable of defending its standing. In 2023, Japan stormed back in the late innings to triumph over Mexico in a semifinal walk-off win before holding off Team USA in the finals when WBC MVP Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout in an epic at-bat to take back the title. Ohtani won’t have the chance to do that again in 2026, as he’ll only be hitting this time around. That’s a tough blow to a Samurai Japan pitching staff that will be without four of the five pitchers who started games in the 2023 WBC, but they’ll still have Yoshinobu Yamamoto as their ace fresh off earning World Series MVP honors, plus two more MLB starters in Yusei Kikuchi and Tomoyuki Sagano and reigning Sawamura Award winner Hiromi Itoh. Any questions about the rotation are mitigated by the depth of a lineup that bullied the competition while going undefeated in 2023. Ohtani will once again spearhead a Japan offense that outscored its pool-play opponents by 30 runs in the last WBC and finished the tournament with the highest OPS of any team that made it out of the knockout round. Now, Seiya Suzuki will be joining the group coming off a 32-homer season with the Cubs after missing the 2023 competition due to injury. He’ll be among five MLB position players on the roster, a group that includes Ohtani, Masataka Yoshida and incoming NPB standouts Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. Manager Hirokazu Ibata will have plenty of lineup iterations to choose from — there’s so much established NPB talent in place that it might be hard to find regular at-bats for Teruaki Sato, who hit 40 home runs last year while being named Central League MVP — but here’s one option that could maximize Japan’s offensive capabilities as it attempts to defend its crown: Lineup So, how would that look defensively? Outfield: LF: Masataka YoshidaCF: Seiya Suzuki RF: Kensuke Kondo The safer move would be putting Shota Morishito in center flanked by Yoshida in left and Suzuki in right, but there have already been rumblings leading into the competition of Japan potentially using Suzuki in center. While that carries some disaster potential defensively (especially with Yoshida in left), it would also be the most powerful offensive configuration and allow Team Japan to keep the bats of both Yoshida and Kondo in the lineup. Yoshida hit .409 with a team-high 13 RBI in the 2023 tournament, while Kondo hit .346 with a 1.115 OPS. Kondo has had an OPS over .900 in each of his last three seasons in NPB. Infield: 1B: Munetaka Murakami 2B: Shugo Maki SS: Kaito Kozono 3B: Kazuma Okamoto C: Seishiro Sakamoto DH: Shohei Ohtani MLB fans have more of a reason to watch Japan with a closer eye now that Murakami will be joining the White Sox and Okamoto will be playing for the Blue Jays in 2026. Murakami famously hit 56 home runs as a 22-year-old in 2022 and averaged more than 30 home runs per season over his eight-year NPB career. Okamoto also brings power — he hit at least 30 home runs every season from 2018-23 with the Yomiuri Giants — with less of a strikeout risk, coming off a 2025 NPB campaign in which he slashed .327/.416/.598 with as many walks as strikeouts. Kozono won the Central League batting title last season, hitting .309 in a career year with the Hiroshima Carp. Maki played on the 2023 tournament team and has recorded an OPS of at least .800 in each of his five NPB seasons. At catcher, expect Yamamoto’s former Orix Buffaloes teammate Kenya Wakatsuki to be behind the plate when he starts. Otherwise, Sakamoto might get the majority of the time coming off his best offensive season in years. That’s all before getting to Ohtani, who needs little explanation coming off back-to-back 50-homer seasons with the Dodgers and a dominant showing in the last WBC. Rotation RHP Yoshinobu YamamotoLHP Yusei KikuchiRHP Hiromi Itoh RHP Tomoyuki Sugano Yamamoto struck out 12 batters in 7.1 innings in the 2023 tournament and demonstrated his ability to rise to the biggest occasions during the 2025 MLB playoffs. He threw complete games in Game 2 of the NLCS and Game 2 of the World Series, and after earning the win in Game 6 of the Fall Classic to keep the Dodgers’ season alive, he emerged in relief one day later to seal a championship in relief. Unfortunately for Japan, he can’t start every game of the WBC. Instead, he’ll be the ace of a pitching staff that isn’t quite as daunting as the 2023 group. Kikuchi was an All-Star for the Angels in 2025 and had an ERA a tick under 4.00 but surrendered more hits than any pitcher in the American League. Sugano registered a 4.64 ERA for the Orioles and surrendered an American League-leading 33 home runs. There’s still plenty of talented arms behind that trio, however, including reigning Sawamura Award winner Hiromi Itoh, who made three scoreless relief outings in the 2023 tournament. Also worth keeping an eye on: New Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who’s coming off a career year in NPB, is not on the initial roster but is part of the designated pitcher pool and could be added in later rounds if (when) Japan advances. Bullpen RHP Shoma Fujihira RHP Koki KitayamaLHP Yuki Matsui RHP Yuki Matsumoto LHP Hiroya MiyagiRHP Taisei OtaLHP Ryuhei SotaniLHP Chihiro SumidaRHP Hiroto TakahashiRHP Atsuki Taneichi Many of Japan’s relief arms are actually standout starters in NPB and can provide length if needed. Kitayama ranked third in ERA (1.63) and Taneichi ranked fifth in strikeouts (161 in 160.2 innings) among qualified NPB pitchers last year. Takahashi, Sumida and Miyagi, a holdover from the 2023 championship team who ranked third in NPB in strikeout rate last year, all threw at least 150-plus innings with a sub-3.00 ERA last season. Ota made four scoreless relief outings for Japan in the last WBC. Matsui is the lone MLB pitcher of the group, but his status is in question as he deals with a groin injury.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Nearly five decades into a Hall of Fame career, there aren’t many nights that qualify as unfamiliar territory for Rick Pitino. His résumé includes seven Final Fours and two national titles. Now at St. John’s, he’s far more accustomed to making history than enduring it. But a 72-40 loss to UConn on Wednesday night was the wrong kind of milestone for Pitino. The team’s 32-point defeat was the second-largest loss Pitino has suffered as the head coach of an AP-ranked team and the most lopsided setback of his three seasons at St. John’s. With the loss, the Red Storm slipped to the third No. 5 seed in FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy’s latest NCAA Tournament projections. [COLLEGE HOOPS: Takeaways From UConn’s Win Over St. John’s] The Red Storm weren’t alone. Wisconsin fell from the 7-line to the 8-line after a road loss to Oregon, while Utah State also dropped to the 8-line following a loss to San Diego State. Here is a complete look at DeCourcy’s NCAA Tournament seed list: No. 1 seeds 1. Duke2. Michigan3. Arizona4. Connecticut No. 2 seeds 5. Iowa State6. Illinois7. Purdue8. Houston No. 3 seeds 9. Kansas10. Florida11. Gonzaga12. Nebraska No. 4 seeds 13. Virginia14. Michigan State15. Alabama16. Texas Tech No. 5 seeds 17. Arkansas18. Vanderbilt19. St. John’s20. North Carolina No. 6 seeds 21. Tennessee22. Louisville23. BYU24. Villanova No. 7 seeds 25. UCF26. Kentucky27. Saint Mary’s28. Saint Louis No. 8 seeds 29. Utah State30. Wisconsin31. Miami Hurricanes32. Miami RedHawks No. 9 seeds 33. NC State34. Iowa35. Georgia36. SMU No. 10 seeds 37. UCLA38. Missouri39. Clemson40. Texas A&M No. 11 seeds 41. Texas42. California43. Indiana v. 44. TCU45. Santa Clara v. 46. VCU No. 12 seeds 47. Belmont48. Yale49. South Florida50. Liberty No. 13 seeds 51. Stephen F. Austin52. UNC Wilmingon53. High Point54. Hawaii No. 14 seeds 55. Utah Valley56. Austin Peay57. North Dakota State58. Navy No. 15 seeds 59. Portland State60. East Tennessee State61. Wright State62. Merrimack No. 16 seeds 63. Appalachian State64. UMBC65. LIU66. Bethune-Cookman67. Southeast Missouri State68. Morgan State And it’s never too early to check in on the bubble. According to DeCourcy’s seed list, Auburn, San Diego State, Virginia Tech and USC are the first four teams out of the tournament, while Ohio State, New Mexico, Seton Hall and Oklahoma State are the next four out. Selection Sunday is less than one month away, and this list will inevitably evolve. For now, DeCourcy’s latest seed list offers a clear snapshot of who’s rising, who’s falling and which programs are already building the résumés they’ll need when March arrives.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports