Texas have become the first team in five years to progress from the NCAA Tournament’s First Four to the Sweet 16 after stunning third seeds Gonzaga 74-68 in Portland on Saturday.

Jordan Pope and Matas Vokietaitis both registered 17 points to spearhead the 11th-seeded Longhorns to a historic collegiate victory.

Camden Heide then delivered the decisive blow by sinking a game-sealing three-pointer in the intensely fought closing stages.

Sean Miller’s side arrived at the tournament in underwhelming form, having lost five of their final six matches before a stuttering preliminary victory over NC State.

Bulldogs suffer early exit again

The shock result consigns Gonzaga to a second-round elimination for the second consecutive year.

It marks a stark decline for Mark Few’s outfit, who had previously boasted a remarkable streak of nine successive Sweet 16 appearances.

Graham Ike led the scoring for the Bulldogs with an impressive 25 points, but a lack of secondary attacking support ultimately proved costly.

Historic run continues for Longhorns

The extraordinary turnaround mirrors the achievements of UCLA, who were the last First Four qualifiers to reach this stage before advancing to the Final Four in 2021.

Texas will now travel to San Jose, California, for Thursday’s West Region semifinal.

They await the winner of the clash between second seeds Purdue and seventh seeds Miami as their improbable postseason journey continues.

Ninth-seeded USC defeated Clemson 71-67 in overtime to advance to the second round of the women’s NCAA tournament in Columbia on Saturday after a dramatic review ruled out a buzzer-beating shot in regulation.

Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson starred for the Trojans, scoring 31 points in a spectacular post-season debut.

The 6-foot-1 prospect played all 45 minutes of the contest and hit the decisive three-pointer with just over a minute remaining in the extra period.

Clock error denies Clemson

The eighth-seeded Tigers believed they had clinched victory when Mia Moore converted a running layup at the end of the fourth quarter.

Clemson players rushed the court in celebration, but officials intervened to review the final 4.4 seconds of play.

Replays confirmed the shot clock had failed to start properly when the ball was inbounded, resulting in the basket being waved off.

Davidson delivers in overtime

Clemson established a 64-61 advantage late in overtime before Davidson took total control of the game.

The team’s leading scorer sank a crucial tying three-pointer, then capitalised on an offensive rebound by teammate Malia Samuels to score the go-ahead basket.

Kara Dunn provided vital support with 22 points for a Trojans squad that has spent the entire campaign without injured star JuJu Watkins.

Watkins, who guided the programme to the Elite Eight in each of the past two seasons, continues her rehabilitation from a torn ACL sustained in last year’s tournament.

South Carolina test awaits

Taylor Johnson-Matthews paced the defeated side with 16 points, while Raven Thompson secured a double-double consisting of 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Morgan Lee’s late three-pointer brought Clemson within three points in the dying seconds, but a Samuels free throw ultimately sealed their fate.

The Los Angeles-based outfit will now face tournament overall top seeds South Carolina in the second round on Monday.

Tarris Reed Jr produced one of the most dominant performances in NCAA tournament history, registering 31 points and 27 rebounds on Friday night to help second-seeded UConn avoid a massive upset with an 82-71 victory over Furman.

The All-Big East center shot 12-of-15 from the field to rescue the Huskies from what would have been a seismic shock against the number 15 seeds in Philadelphia.

He joins basketball legend Bill Walton as the only player in the past 60 years to record 30 points and 20 rebounds on 80% shooting in a tournament fixture.

Walton famously achieved the feat for UCLA during the 1972 national semifinals against Louisville.

A ‘total monster’ in the paint

Despite his breathtaking individual display, the towering big man felt he could have offered even more.

“I feel like I let my foot off the gas a little bit in the second half,” he said.

Head coach Dan Hurley was quick to praise his star player, noting that the team needed every bit of his production alongside Alex Karaban’s crucial 22 points.

“That’s as dominant a performance as you’ve probably seen from a big guy in tournament history,” Hurley stated.
“This guy’s a total monster, and today he was a real grizzly bear.”

Reed also became the first player to record 30-plus points and 25-plus rebounds in an NCAA tournament game since Houston’s Elvin Hayes achieved the feat twice in 1968.

Overcoming injuries and offensive struggles

For much of the contest, the heavy pre-match favourites looked in genuine danger of a humiliating early exit.

The Huskies struggled immensely from beyond the arc, missing 20 of their 25 three-point attempts to leave the door open for their underdog opponents.

When Alex Wilkins hit a crucial three-pointer for the Paladins to cut the deficit to five points with under six minutes remaining, an incredible upset seemed highly plausible.

“I thought if we could have gotten a score there, we really could have made the game interesting,” admitted Furman coach Bob Richey.

However, a decisive 12-4 run down the stretch, anchored by their unstoppable center, ensured Connecticut advanced to the second round.

The Huskies were forced to navigate the tricky tie without first-team All-Big East selection Silas Demary Jr, who sustained an ankle injury during their conference tournament.

Jaylin Stewart also remained sidelined with a persistent knee issue, though Hurley remains hopeful either player could return for Sunday’s upcoming clash against UCLA.

Defending champions the Florida Gators began their NCAA Tournament campaign by thrashing Prairie View A&M 114-55 in Tampa on Friday, recording the second-largest victory margin in the competition’s history.

Boogie Fland scored 16 points to lead seven players in double figures for the top seeds.

The incredible 59-point winning margin falls short of only Loyola Chicago’s 111-42 victory over Tennessee Tech in 1963.

Todd Golden’s squad will now advance to face the ninth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in Sunday’s second round of the South Region.

Gators dominate with devastating first-half runs

Despite an early fightback from the 16th-seeded Panthers to tie the game at 15-all, the defending champions ruthlessly seized control.

Consecutive unanswered scoring streaks of 18 and 17 points quickly transformed a close contest into an insurmountable 60-21 half-time advantage.

The Gainesville outfit were remarkably efficient, shooting 75% before the break and finishing the game with a 64.3% overall success rate.

Florida’s staggering 114-point total represents the highest in the tournament since Tennessee tallied 121 against Long Beach State in 2007.

Frontcourt firepower overwhelms Panthers

Fland enjoyed a flawless shooting night, successfully converting all six of his field goal attempts.

He was heavily supported by a dominant frontcourt performance, with Rueben Chinyelu registering a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon also inflicted significant damage inside, contributing 14 and 13 points respectively.

Late in the second half, 7-foot-9 freshman Olivier Rioux delighted the sell-out crowd by getting in on the action with a towering putback dunk.

Historic heartbreak for Prairie View

The Southwestern Athletic Conference champions kept pace in the opening nine minutes purely by converting five early three-pointers.

Dontae Horne top-scored for the underdogs with 12 points, but they were ultimately overwhelmed by the vastly superior opposition.

The Panthers had reached March Madness via a First Four victory over Lehigh, a remarkable turnaround after managing just five wins last season.

However, the Texas-based school has now suffered two of the three largest defeats in tournament history, previously losing to Kansas by 58 points in 1998.

Alabama basketball guard Aden Holloway is facing allegations of drug transactions after prosecutors claimed to have found evidence on his phone following a felony drug arrest.

The Crimson Tide’s second-leading scorer was removed from campus and suspended from the team after police discovered 2.1 pounds of marijuana in his apartment on Monday.

As a result of the suspension, the 20-year-old missed Alabama’s 90-70 victory over Hofstra in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday.

Phone records and seized cash

Documents obtained by ESPN reveal that an officer with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force found text messages indicating future narcotics sales after seizing $400 in cash from a jacket.

The suspended player reportedly told law enforcement that the marijuana was strictly for personal use and had been procured from out of state.

However, prosecutors filed a complaint stating that the varying packaging methods, alongside the smaller cash denominations, are indicative of an intent to distribute.

“The money is being seized due to seeing drug transactions on Holloway’s phone, with people texting that they were going to get up with him after the season.”

Defence claims constitutional violation

The search of the apartment was initiated after officers conducted a “trash pull” at his residence following unspecified complaints, finding marijuana paraphernalia attached to containers bearing his name.

Jason Neff, the attorney representing the athlete, has stated that law enforcement violated his client’s constitutional rights by using the discarded rubbish as probable cause.

The defence team intends to file a motion to suppress the evidence, citing a breach of the Fourth Amendment which protects American citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures.

“In review of the probable cause, once this case moves forward, we would challenge the basis of the search with a motion to suppress evidence for the violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.”

Coach Oats offers personal support

Neff is currently attempting to arrange a meeting with university officials to overturn the campus ban, which theoretically could allow the point guard to return if the team advances to the tournament’s second weekend.

Despite this legal push, head coach Nate Oats expressed little optimism regarding an imminent return to the court, though he remains supportive of the young man on a personal level.

“I’ve got three daughters, they’ve made mistakes. You don’t disappear on them when they need your help.”

Oats confirmed he had spoken to the former starter, reiterating that he will not abandon him during this difficult legal period.

The WNBA and its players’ union officially signed a tentative collective bargaining agreement in New York on Friday, introducing a historic revenue-sharing model worth over $1bn.

The agreement was verbally reached on Wednesday following eight days and more than 100 hours of intense negotiations in Manhattan.

Both the league’s Board of Governors and the general player body must now ratify the terms over the coming weeks to formalise the pact.

In an official press release, the league described the settlement as a landmark milestone for the women’s game.

One of the most transformational labor agreements ever reached in major professional sports.

Groundbreaking financial restructuring

A pioneering revenue-sharing framework forms the centrepiece of this settlement, marking a first for women’s professional sports.

Franchise salary caps will immediately rise to $7m for the 2026 campaign, with projections indicating growth beyond $10m by the end of the term.

Individual earnings are set for an unprecedented surge, as the maximum salary jumps to $1.4m next year and scales towards $2.4m by 2032.

The top overall draft pick in 2026 will now command a starting wage of $500,000, while average player compensation is expected to surpass the $1m threshold within six years.

Expanded schedules and roster flexibility

North America’s premier women’s basketball competition will also see an expanded fixture list under the newly agreed terms.

The regular season will remain at 44 matches for 2026 before increasing to 50 games over the subsequent two years and capping at 52 from 2029.

Teams will be strictly mandated to carry 12 active squad members, addressing long-standing concerns regarding roster limitations.

Franchises will also be granted two supplementary developmental spots that operate entirely outside of the strict salary cap restrictions.

Enhanced welfare and working conditions

Beyond basic remuneration, the sweeping changes secure crucial protections and facility upgrades for all athletes.

Milwaukee Bucks co-owners have stated that star player Giannis Antetokounmpo must either sign a $275m extension or face being traded before his current contract expires.

The two-time MVP is entering the final guaranteed year of his existing deal with the Eastern Conference franchise.

Co-owners Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam confirmed that allowing the 10-time All-Star to simply play out his final season without a new agreement is not a viable option.

Antetokounmpo officially becomes eligible to sign a four-year extension on 1 October.

Complex ownership structure creates uncertainty

Despite a unified public stance from the boardroom, rival executives remain uncertain about who holds the ultimate decision-making power in Milwaukee.

The Bucks operate under an unusual corporate structure where controlling ownership rotates between business partners.

Edens will maintain controlling authority until April 2028, but league insiders suggest this internal dynamic makes potential trade negotiations unpredictable.

“This has nothing to do with Giannis and whether he asks out,” a source with knowledge of the team’s operations explained.

“It’s about who’s making the decision on whether to trade Giannis, and I don’t think anyone knows that.”

Rival franchises monitor free agency plans

The Greek forward has consistently expressed his desire to remain in Wisconsin, provided the team stays capable of competing for championships.

However, the former NBA champions have suffered three consecutive first-round playoff exits and are currently struggling in the regular season.

This prolonged downturn in form has prompted several major franchises to prepare their finances for a potential blockbuster acquisition.

“It’s not an accident that teams like the Lakers, Clippers, Heat and Warriors all have lined up to have cap space in 2027,” an NBA executive noted.

The wider basketball world is now carefully watching the situation to see if the franchise cornerstone will formally request a move away.

Victor Wembanyama hit a dramatic 17-foot fadeaway with 1.1 seconds remaining as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns 101-100 to end a six-year NBA playoff drought.

The towering Frenchman scored 34 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to secure his franchise’s first postseason berth since 2019.

San Antonio are only the second team to confirm their playoff status this season, following the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A historic night for the young star

The standout center’s decisive jumper over Oso Ighodaro marked his first successful go-ahead shot in the final five seconds of a fourth quarter or overtime period.

He had missed his five previous late-game clutch attempts before Thursday’s breakthrough at the Frost Bank Center.

“We know it’s not going to be an open shot most of the time. In this situation, you want to wait,” said Wembanyama.

“So, you want to shoot it as close to one or two seconds remaining. This way, we have a chance to get an offensive rebound if we miss and if we make it, they don’t have time.”

Duncan comparisons and courtside chaos

The phenomenal performance was the 20-year-old’s 11th game this season recording at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

That remarkable tally is the most by any Spurs player since Hall of Famer Tim Duncan achieved 13 such outings during the 2003-04 campaign.

The frantic final seconds also featured an unusual moment when a courtside fan accidentally spilled red wine over the match-winner’s shorts as he rushed back to defend.

Devin Booker’s desperate buzzer-beater attempt for Phoenix subsequently fell short, sparking wild celebrations on the court.

“It was hard to take in all the stimulus around me,” added the former number one draft pick.

“I had the fans looking at me. I had this guy spill wine on me. There was a lot going on.”

MVP shouts for the franchise cornerstone

Following the final whistle, the triumphant squad gathered around the traditional drum to celebrate with the 18,648 fans in attendance.

Longest-tenured roster member Keldon Johnson then grabbed the arena microphone to initiate chants of “MVP” for their generational talent.

“He deserves his flowers, he’s playing at that type of level,” stated Johnson.

“He’s been our guy on and off the court. I’ll be the one to go out there, speak out and say what needs to be said: ‘Victor Wembanyama, MVP.'”