It took a while for things to settle down, and there weren’t many upsets on the day, but an incredible 92.4% of entries in Yahoo Sports’ Women’s Bracket Mayhem were busted as of Friday afternoon with 12 games in the books.

With just one game in the women’s NCAA tournament left to tip off on Friday, less than 8% of users still had a chance at pulling off the elusive perfect bracket.

Upsets were hard to come by on Friday in the women’s tournament. Only Indiana’s 76-68 win over Utah and Oregon’s 77-73 overtime win over Vanderbilt were technical upsets based on seeding. The rest of the games went down as the selection committee expected.

No. 1 seed South Carolina picked up a 60-point win over Tennessee Tech, and No. 3 Notre Dame beat No. 14 Stephen F. Austin by 52-points to rally after what was a brutal finish to the season for the Fighting Irish. Ohio State, TCU, Ole Miss and Baylor all grabbed double-digit wins, too.

The biggest scare of the day came after No. 4 Kentucky nearly blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead. The Wildcats beat No. 13 Liberty by just a single point in their matchup.

While about 40% of brackets were perfect through the early wave, that number completely fell off after both Louisville and Oregon grabbed their respective wins. That dropped the total of perfect brackets left down to just 7.6%.

Fresh off leading Maryland basketball to an 81-49 win over Grand Canyon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, Terrapins coach Kevin Willard was again asked about the state of his program.

Willard, who has been rumored to be a candidate for the Villanova vacancy after it fired Kyle Neptune last week, said Thursday he already addressed the coaching rumors with his team. He then mentioned contract negotiations to stay at Maryland, although he subtly seemed to confirm Maryland’s athletic director Damon Evans leaving the school to fill SMU’s vacancy throwing a wrench in negotiations.

Evans has since been announced as SMU’s next athletic director.

REQUIRED READING: Maryland coach Kevin Willard calls out boss Damon Evans before March Madness opener

Willard made it clear he would want to make a few changes to his potential contract extension as Maryland fights to keep its coach. Among those changes is an increased name, image and likeness (NIL) budget, which he noted Thursday.

Willard said there was no situation with Evans, amid Maryland appearing to have to fight off other schools for Willard’s services this offseason.

“There’s no situation,” Willard said. “The only situation is you guys and Twitter. And I can’t control you guys and I can’t control Twitter so. I’ve talked to these guys, they know what’s going on. I’ve been open with them, I’ve been honest with them, they know exactly what’s going on. Whatever I say you’re gonna write whatever you wanna say anyways. This is a waste of my time. We have a website that might as well be TMZ. So, I can’t do anything about it, I can’t do anything about Twitter, I can’t do anything about what’s going on.

“We were focused, I’m excited to be here. I’m excited to beat these guys. There’s nothing else to talk about. You guys just write whatever the hell you wanna write, I don’t give a (expletive), I really don’t. …. I’ll probably get a letter from the (NCAA) on that one.”

Willard mentioned Thursday that he wasn’t able to stay in New York City an extra day to celebrate Christmas with the team because of budget constraints. He also said he’s hopeful a contract with Maryland can get done.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported on March 16 the program was working on a new contract with Willard. However, it’s unclear if those plans were impacted by Evans’ departure.

“I didn’t say anything that’s false,” Willard continued. “I had the same conversation with these guys. My job to the University of Maryland, to the season ticket holders, to my donors, is to make it the best it can be. And I live it, eat it, sleep it every day. I get in the office every day around 6 (a.m.). I don’t leave until they leave. So, this is my life. I’m 49 years old, I wanna be coaching for another 15 years. So, my job is my passion.

“And if something’s not better and I have an opportunity to make it better, I’m gonna make it better. And really the only way to do it in college athletics is to put it in your contract. Because if not they’re gonna lie to you. They’re gonna sit there and say, ‘We’re gonna do this we’re gonna do that.’ And the next thing you know, they don’t. Unless it’s in your contract, they don’t do it. And that’s just the way that I understand it. I know how to play the game. I want it in my contract and I wanna make sure my program is the best it can be. For me, for my staff, and most importantly for these guys. So, I’m gonna fight for it every day.”

Maryland will next play on Sunday in the second round against No. 12 seed Colorado State.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maryland coach Kevin Willard: ‘No situation” between him, Damon Evans

Thursday’s slate of first round men’s NCAA tournament games didn’t produce many massive upsets. But people still tuned in.

According to the NCAA, the 16 games played on Thursday were the most-watched games of any opening day in tournament history. The four game windows across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV averaged 9.1 million viewers.

The most-watched game came Thursday evening as Arkansas took down Kansas in a matchup of national championship coaches in John Calipari and Bill Self. The games played Thursday evening averaged over 12 million viewers.

Arkansas’ win over the Jayhawks set up a matchup on Saturday with St. John’s. The Red Storm are coached by Rick Pitino and it’ll be the fifth NCAA tournament game between Pitino and Calipari.

The big viewership numbers on Thursday come after Texas’ loss to Xavier in the First Four on Wednesday was the most-watched First Four game ever. The game had 2.4 million viewers as the Musketeers came back to beat the Longhorns in the second half.

The large audience is proof that viewers aren’t refusing to watch college sports as the athletes are now able to transfer freely and profit off their own image rights. There’s been a lot of consternation about the state of college athletics in the NIL and transfer portal era, and while there do need to be some common-sense reforms made across college sports, the evolving landscape isn’t driving viewers away.

Thursday’s numbers also may bode well for the potential ratings for the men’s national title game on April 6. The NCAA has moved the start of the game up to 8:30 p.m. ET after years of a traditional start after 9 p.m. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder (and the Seattle Supersonics before them) have 51 jersey numbers worn by the players who have suited up for the franchise since its founding at the start of the 1967-68 season. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Thunder Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.

And while those Supersonics jerseys may not remain part of the franchise history should a new team be established in Seattle as was the case with the return of the Charlotte Hornets, they are part of the Thunder’s history today.

For this article, we continue with the 24th jersey number in the series, jersey No. 22, with 20 players in total having donned the jersey in the history of the franchise.

The third of those players did so in the Seattle SuperSonics era, forward alum Tal Skinner. After ending his college career at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Skinner was picked up with the 44th overall selection of the 1974 NBA draft by the SuperSonics.

The Berlin, Maryland native played his only 2 seasons in the league for Seattle, retiring from the sport afterward.

During his time suiting up for the Sonics, Skinner wore only jersey No. 22 and put up 4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Thunder jersey history No. 22 – Tal Skinner (1974-76)

The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.

Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.

To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 13th of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 11 which has has had a total of 19 players wear the number in the history of the team.

The ninth of those players wearing No. 11 played in the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets era, guard alum Lowes Moore. After ending his college career at West Virginia, Moore was picked up with the 52nd overall selection of the 1980 NBA draft by the Nets.

The Plymouth, South Carolina native would play the first season of his pro career with New Jersey before he’d be cut by the team in 1981, later to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

During his time suiting up for the Nets, Moore wore only jersey No. 11 and put up 7.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 11 – Lowes Moore (1980-81)

Molly McCann and Alexia Thainara meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 255 at The O2 in London. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event: 2-4

UFC main cards, 2025: 21-20-1

Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara UFC London preview

The good news for McCann (14-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) is she has post-fight bonuses in her past four wins. Rougher is that she’s dropped three of her past four. … Thainara (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), from Brazil, stepped in for Istela Nunes on just 10 days’ notice. She’s won nine straight, including on DWCS this past September.

Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara UFC London expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card in London is an impromptu strawweight scrap between Molly McCann and Alexia Thainara.

Stepping in on just over a week’s notice to replace Istela Nunes is Thainara, who is fresh off of a successful showing on the last season of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Despite only giving Thainara a C+ on the night, I was admittedly a bit more impressed with her improvements after going back to watch her tape. That always helps provide further context.

Not only is Thainara showing to steadily shore up her raw sensibilities, but the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt has also shown some solid offensive grappling skills that could provide some problems for McCann.

McCann will be the more polished striker and big edge in experience, but Thainara, to her credit, does regularly train with the UFC’s Amanda Ribas, so I can understand why “Burguesinha” is bustling with confidence.

This should be a principal pick for McCann given the short-notice intangibles and rawness of Thainara, but I suspect that the Brazilian’s athleticism, attitude and ability to punch the body will serve her well in this spot.

The pick is Thainara by submission in Round 2.

Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara UFC London odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Brazilian fighter, listing Thainara (-196) and McCann (+158) via FanDuel.

Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara UFC London start time, how to watch

McCann and Thainara are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 5:15 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 255

The Ohio State women’s ice hockey team will be playing in its fourth-straight Frozen Four National Championship Game after disposing of Cornell by a 4-2 margin inside the OSU Hockey Rink on Friday night. If the Buckeyes can pull it off, it’ll be their third national title in four years.

To get there though, OSU had to rebound from a comeback rally by Cornell. The Buckeyes went up early by a score of 2-0 because of goals by Makenna Webster at the 2:24 mark and Brooke Disher with 13:23 remaining in the first period. Ohio State took that lead into the first intermission, but the second period belonged to the Big Red. Cornell got on the board with a power play goal with 6:46 remaining in the period followed by another mark just over a minute later to tie things up at 2 goals each. Suddenly, it was game on.

But champions find a way to get it done and Ohio State picked itself back up off the ice and scored the final two tallies of the game.

Joy Dunne scored the go-ahead goal, the one that would eventually go down as the game-winner with 16:23 left in the game. For good measure, Dunne added another with 12:38 left, and the Buckeyes’ defense and goaltending held on from there to polish off the win and head into the Women’s Frozen Four title game in Minneapolis at 4 p.m. ET Sunday. OSU will play the winner of Wisconsin and Minnesota. If the Badgers win, it will be an all WCHA final.

BUCKEYES WIN 💥💥#GoBuckspic.twitter.com/ygfSD7xg3Y

— Ohio State Women’s Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) March 21, 2025

Go get some more hardware!

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State women’s hockey beats Cornell, will play for national title

The New York Giants and quarterback Jameis Winston have agreed to terms on a two-year, $8 million contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Friday night.

The 31-year-old Winston joins Tommy DeVito as the only quarterbacks on the Giants’ roster. New York has been in the market in free agency for a veteran, with Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson also mentioned as possible targets.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the deal. NFL Network first reported that Winston was joining the Giants.

“Start spreading the neWs,” Winston wrote on X, a play on his infamous “Eat a W” pregame speech with Tampa Bay in 2017. He added an apple emoji while appearing to confirm his Big Apple welcome.

New York’s quarterback situation has been unsettled this offseason, with the only move at the position since free agency began last week being the re-signing of DeVito.

Winston played in 12 games last season for Cleveland and started seven, throwing for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He spent the previous four seasons in New Orleans primarily as a backup.

Winston was the No. 1 overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 2015 draft out of Cleveland. He has passed for 24,225 yards and 154 touchdowns with 111 interceptions in 10 NFL seasons.

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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL