Unfortunately, a pair of April losses, in which they allowed seven goals in New Jersey and eight goals at the New York Rangers, proved to be just enough to keep the Caps out of the postseason for just the third time in 19 seasons.

Philadelphia’s win Monday night eliminated Washington and set what could be a pivotal offseason in motion. Does Alex Ovechkin come back for a 22nd campaign? And do the Capitals make any other major moves like the one in 2017 that brought T.J. Oshie to D.C.? Thirty-two players appeared in a regular season game for Washington this past winter, and two of the veterans who were 30 years or older (John Carlson and Nic Dowd) are already gone.

Record: 43-30-9 and in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. The Caps finished three points behind Philadelphia after going 2-2 against the Flyers (while getting outscored 13-12) during the season. The Caps were two points behind Ottawa for the second wild card after going 1-2 against the Senators (getting outscored 12-8). Little did we know that Fabian Zetterlund’s goal with 2:22 left in regulation on Jan. 1 would eventually prove to be the difference of playing in April or packing up early.

Rankings: The Capitals finished with the 15th most goals per game in the NHL at 3.18. The team ranked ninth in goals against (2.90), while the power play (17.8%) ranked 25th and the penalty kill (80.1) finished 14th.

Iceman of the month: Tom Wilson tallied three goals with five assists to lead the team with eight points in April. On a team whose players mostly failed to match career highs set last season, Wilson’s 30 goals with 32 assists is only three goals and three points shy of the total he posted last winter.

Hot sticks and cold pads: Connor McMichael scored four goals with three assists while Ryan Leonard tallied four goals and two assists. Cole Hutson had two goals with three assists, while the rookie and Martin Feh茅rv谩ry each posted five points in April. Logan Thompson went 4-1 with a goals-against average of 2.22 and a saves percentage of .912.

Ovi odometer: Alex Ovechkin wraps up the season with one goal and four assists in April to give the captain 32 goals and 32 assists for the season, the first time since 2007 he finished a season with the same number of goals and assists. In his 21-year career, Ovechkin’s had more goals 14 times and more assists five times (2010-11 saw him post 32 goals with 53 assists in the most non-Ovi season ever).

He played all 82 games of the season for the first time since 2018 while averaging the lowest average time on ice (17:27) of his career. The tally gives Ovechkin 929 goals for his career. The question of course is will that become the number (like 892 and 801 before it) that players will be shooting for in the future.

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So far this season, they’ve exceeded expectations at the plate, ranking third in the majors in runs scored after finishing 20th in that category last year. Now, if only they can fix a bullpen that’s sprung plenty of leaks this season.

Digesting the Division: Atlanta (10-6) owns the best run differential in the majors at plus-34 and is enjoying a breakout season spearheaded by Drake Baldwin (five homers and driving in 16-plus runs). Miami (8-8) is coming off a sweep at the hands of Detroit, while getting outscored 16-3. Philadelphia (7-8) is treading water, ranking 26th in runs scored and near the bottom in team ERA.

Washington (7-8) exits the cellar because of the slumping New York Mets (7-9), who’ve dropped consecutive series to Arizona and Sacramento. And yes, I know we’ve been directed to call them “The Athletics,” but they play in Sacramento for now. If MLB wanted it differently, the league should have had a smoother transition for the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas.

Break Up the Birds: Baltimore (8-7) has moved into a tie for first place in the AL East after winning five of six games behind the bat of Gunnar Henderson (four homers). But for those looking forward to the team’s first division game, the waiting continues, as the O’s won’t face an AL East foe until April 24 (Boston).

Diamond King: James Wood has bounced back nicely after a slow start, batting .545 over the past week with three homers and eight RBIs, while scoring a team-high eight runs. And just like he’s found a home in the leadoff spot, Wood is also getting comfortable playing in right field.

Last Week’s Heroes: Curtis Mead hit .375, while CJ Abrams batted .364. They each notched a homer and four RBIs. Foster Griffin threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings in Saturday’s win in Milwaukee, while Paxton Schultz tossed two scoreless innings over two outings, and Cole Beeter tallied his first save of the season.

Last Week’s Humbled: Cole Henry allowed five runs over 2 2/3 innings, while Andre Granillo surrendered two runs over two-thirds of an inning before being sent down to Triple-A Rochester. Joey Wiemer cooled off after his record-tying start, batting .182 while the catching combination of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas went 3-for-16 at the plate.

Game to Watch: On Thursday, the Nats wrap up their series in Pittsburgh, as Foster Griffin looks to continue his sharp start to the season. He’ll be facing Braxton Ashcroft (1-1, 2.12 ERA, 20 strikeouts) who’s pitching well in his second big league season.

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A lot more fun than what we are dealing with this week. Unfortunately a pitching staff that owns an ERA of 6.04 can’t make six run efforts stand against lineups that made the playoffs last season.

The Nats were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the two-time defending World Series champions put 31 runs on the board to negate decent production at the plate by the Nats (17 runs).

From starters coming up short to relievers imploding, it was a rude awakening in D.C. And until the pitching can deliver nine straight solid innings, it’s going to be a long April.

Digesting the Division: Miami (6-3) has taken an early half game lead, thanks in part to the bat of Liam Hicks. The catcher’s three homers and 12 RBI have him well on his way to passing the six and 45 he posted last season as a rookie. Atlanta (6-4) and the New York Mets (6-4) are tied for second after the Braves dropped a pair of one run games over the weekend at Arizona while the Mets outscored San Francisco 24-5 while taking the last three games of their series. Philadelphia (5-4) has won four of five to climb out of the cellar, while Washington (3-6) returns to the place they resided from last June 24 onward.

O’s Woes: Baltimore (3-6) got swept over the weekend by Pittsburgh, with Sunday’s 8-2 loss sparked by former Oriole slugger Ryan O’Hearn’s four RBI. The Birds’ bats have had little trouble finding their way on base (their .337 OBP ranks seventh in MLB) but have had issues getting home (their 32 runs are tied for 19th in the big leagues). This week they face San Francisco and the Chicago White Sox.

Diamond King of the Week: Foster Griffin made a great first impression in his first two starts of the season, striking out 11 while allowing three runs over 10 innings.

Last Week’s Heroes: CJ Abrams hit .333 with three homers and 10 RBI while Luis Garcia Jr. batted .346 with six RBI. Offseason pickup Jorbit Vivas may be wearing the number 84, but the infielder went .455 at the plate. Starter Cade Cavalli allowed one run over six innings in his lone start of the week.

Last Week’s Humbled: Miles Mikolas tossed 15 strikes in 23 pitches over his first two innings against the Dodgers Friday before coughing up 11 runs over his next 2.1 frames, ballooning his ERA to 14.46 on the season. Jake Irvin allowed six runs over four innings in his start, while reliever Cionel Perez allowed five runs over two thirds of an inning in his two outings (67.50 ERA for those scoring at home). The catching combination of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas combined to hit 4-for-23.

Game to Watch: Tuesday the Nats face St. Louis and pitcher Matthew Liberatore who’s posted a 1.64 ERA in his two starts this year. Cavalli has pitched well in both of his regular season outings and this game has the potential for an interesting mound matchup.

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The Washington Capitals 6-4 win over Philadelphia wraps up a 7-4-2 March and keeps them on the outskirts of playoff contention with seven games remaining in the regular season.

Three straight wins to enter the final month delivers cause for confidence, even minus two key cogs who were dealt right before the March 6 trading deadline.

Nic Dowd centered the fourth line spectacularly since his arrival in 2018 while John Carlson was one of those players you thought might be a cradle-to-grave player for this organization like Alex Ovechkin or Nicklas Backstrom.

While it would have been nice to have the 36-year-old who can still contribute (10 goals and 36 assists this winter) retire a Capital the potential return for an aging team retooling on the fly was too tempting. They’ll have five picks in this year’s NHL Draft plus eight selections in 2027. And eventually Carlson will be back at Capital One Arena to see his number 74 go up in the rafters. But for now, the Caps remain in the race for their playoff lives.

Record: 38-28-9 and in sixth place of the Metropolitan Division. They currently stand four points behind the New York Islanders for third place while they’re three shy of Columbus for the second Wild Card. The Caps wrap up the regular season with the Bluejackets while four of their other remaining six games are against clubs with winning records.

Rankings: Entering April the Caps rank 15th (3.15 goals per game) in scoring and seventh (2.89) in goals against, 25th (17.8%) on the power play and 13th (80.0%) on the penalty kill. Both special teams’ units improved over the last month, but not enough to make a major difference.

Iceman of the Month: Ovechkin tallied seven goals with two assists, including two big goals in a March 31 win over Philadelphia.

Hot Sticks and Cold Pads: Ryan Leonard scored six goals with three assists while Connor McMichael and Jakob Chychrun added two goals with six assists. Trevor van Riemsdyk (zero goals and four assists) led the team in plus/minus for March with a +7. Logan Thompson saw action in 12 of 13 games played last month.

Ovi Odometer: Ovechkin’s seven goals give him 31 for the season and 926 for his career. Adding his 77 playoff goals to the mix and Ovi passed the 1,000 goal when one combines the totals. At his current scoring pace Ovi would finish the season with 34-33-34-35 goals and 929-30-31-32 for his career.

Matchups of the Month: The Capitals wrap up the home portion of their slate Sunday, April 12, when they host Pittsburgh. Will this be the last time we’ll see Ovi and Sidney Crosby together on the ice? And will the Caps still be in contention for what could be Ovechkin’s final home game in Washington?

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The Opening Day 10-4 win gave the team its first winning record since May 10 鈥� of 2024.

And the series victory was the Nats’ first to start a season since 2018.

“There’s still things we can work on and get better, and that’s the fun part of this,” manager Blake Butera said after Sunday’s 6-3 victory. “Our team’s so young, they’re hungry and they’re still learning as we go day in and day out. We can still play better baseball but not take away anything, we’re leaving very happy taking two out of three against this really good team.”

Keep that in mind as they play another really good team this week 鈥� Philadelphia 鈥� before hosting a really great team 鈥� the Los Angeles Dodgers 鈥� this weekend.

Digesting the division: Miami (3-0) is the early leader in the NL East thanks to three straight one-run wins over Colorado. The New York Mets and Atlanta are tied for second with the Nationals at 2-1, taking different paths to get there: the Mets averaged six runs against Pittsburgh while the Braves held Kansas City to two runs per game. Philadelphia began the season by dropping two of three to Texas, but the Phillies play 12 straight against clubs with non-winning records in 2025 鈥� starting with Washington.

Break up the birds: The Orioles also began the season by taking two of three games from Minnesota, with Tyler O’Neill’s three-run homer helping them push past the Twins in Sunday’s series finale. Baltimore wades into the season softly, avoiding teams that posted a winning record last year, until April 16 when the Orioles visit Cleveland.

Diamond king: Joey Wiemer is off to a monster start, going 6-6 with two homers and four RBI. How hot does he stay as the season progresses? His career bests for homers and RBI are 13 and 42, set in his rookie season of 2023.

There was initial surprise when Robert Hassell III and then Dylan Crews were sent down to the minors late in Spring Training. Not anymore.

Last week’s heroes: Keibert Ruiz homered while driving in three, while Brady House’s hot Spring Training carried into the first weekend of the season as the third baseman hit .308 with a team high four runs scored. Jake Irvin tossed five scoreless innings to secure the series win Sunday, while Clayton Beeter posted a save in his first appearance of the year.

Last week’s humbled: Andre Granillo had a rough outing Saturday, allowing two runs over two thirds of an inning. Miles Mikolas had a less-than-ideal debut as well, coughing up four runs over five frames. James Wood homered over the weekend but is off to a 1-13 start from the leadoff spot.

Game to watch: On Friday, the Nats play their home opener against the defending two-time World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who began their season by sweeping Arizona despite Shohei Ohtani batting 1-8. Buckle up!

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Welcome to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, as the wheat and chaff were separated over a six-day stretch that began with Howard posting its first win in the Big Dance and ended with the dreaded 9:45 p.m. tipoff that sadly is the price of CBS keeping the tournament with Turner Sports’ help.

And as the dust settles (or perhaps that’s the shreds of the backet you filled out), there’s still plenty to digest.

Best game

Iowa’s takedown of defending national champ Florida takes the prize, though Nebraska’s win over Vanderbilt saw a shot clang out at the buzzer for the Commodores. Or St. John’s buzzer-beating win over Kansas.

Conference call

The Big Ten is the early winner, going 13-3 over the first weekend while sending six schools to the Sweet Sixteen. The SEC has four teams in the Regional Semifinals, while the Big 12 has three, and the Big East has two. The ACC only has overall No. 1 Duke still playing.

Planting seeds

Twelve of the top 16 teams advanced, with each region boasting three of the top four seeds playing this weekend. Twos were wild (going 8-0) while the No. 9s (5-3) were sneaky good. Two teams from the bottom half of the bracket are still playing, and south No. 9 Iowa as well as west No. 11 Texas hardly fit the image of “pesky, small school surviving and advancing.”

Speaking of the annual “Is Cinderella dead?” debate (no mid-majors made the round of 16 for the second straight season), the argument could also be made that the NIL and transfer portal era have also killed 鈥� or at least wounded 鈥� the game’s blue bloods. For the first time since 1954, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA failed to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

While St. John’s coach Rick Pitino suggested that the new era has evened out the playing field, UConn’s Dan Hurley expanded on the new college hoops reality.

“Tradition, history, it doesn’t mean as much as it did to recruits,” Hurley said. “I think first and foremost right now, it’s about the overall commitment you’re going to make. 鈥� You can’t get by on your ‘brand’ anymore and players dreaming of having played there one day.”

That said, Friday’s doubleheader delivers four elite programs to the District. Overall No. 1 seed Duke needs no introduction. UConn was as high as No. 2 nationally, St. John’s began the year No. 5 and Michigan State has been ranked as high as No. 7.

Coaches Pitino, Hurley, Tom Izzo and Jon Scheyer have combined to post 2,025 wins, reach a combined 18 Final Fours and capture five national championships. And that doesn’t include the titles each school won before their current coaches took over.

Get ready for some elite hoops between now and Sunday evening.

Friday’s games

No. 1 Duke (34-2) vs. No. 5 St. John’s (30-6) at 7:10 p.m.

I’m still floored that the Red Storm was the No. 5 seed after winning the Big East regular season and tournament titles. I also remain stunned they’d put St. John’s and UConn in the same region when only three schools from the conference made the tournament.

It’s more than just a battle of big men Cameron Boozer (ACC Player of the Year) and Zuby Ejiofor (Big East Player of the Year): the Blue Devils rank third in the nation in scoring defense and are fifth best in rebounding margin, while the Red Storm ranked 20th in turnover margin.

“Are we good enough to beat Duke? I have no idea,” Red Storm coach Pitino said. “We are very hungry, but what team in the Sweet 16 is not hungry? You’re four games away from a national championship, the dream of every athlete and every coach, and every fan.”

No. 2 UConn (31-5) vs. No. 3 Michigan State (27-7) at 9:45 p.m.

Elite defense and rebounding carry over into the nightcap: both teams led their respective conferences on the glass, while the Huskies paced the Big East in scoring defense as well as defending the three-pointer. These two teams actually played a scrimmage in October, and Hurley said he feels that while his team was exposed that day, both teams benefited from working out together.

“We both have had great seasons. We both 鈥� I thought 鈥� crushed the nonconference. We’ve played at the top of our leagues in conference play. And now we’re both in the second weekend. I’m just excited,” Hurley said. “UConn-Michigan State, it’s a crazy Sweet 16 game and I’m excited to be in it.”

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For the first time since 2017, Davey Martinez won’t be the club’s manager; and for the first time since 2005, Mike Rizzo won’t be in the franchise’s front office.

There was hope last March that the pieces were in place for this team to make the leap from rebuilder to contender, but instead, the Nats took a step back and the Rizzo/Martinez era ended before All-Star Week last summer.

The new brain trust has quite a bit of history to turn around. The Nats have posted six straight losing seasons, making the 2012 to 2019 run of five playoff berths and a World Series title seem like a distant memory.

New President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni and first-year manager Blake Butera begin their construction of this team from the ground up.

“One of the biggest things that this organization is going through right now is, obviously, there’s a huge changeover, but you’ve got to identify there’s a lot of mistakes that were being made. And they haven’t been identified in the past. Now you’re addressing them. And I think that’s a big part of this,” Nats TV analyst Kevin Frandsen told 小萝莉影视 earlier this month from Spring Training. “I just think there’s a lot that’s a huge positive in a year that’s going to be a big growing year.”

Cade Cavalli is the Opening Day starter, and the right hander’s road to the majors included a major detour 鈥� Tommy John surgery in 2023.

“I’m super grateful for the opportunity. It’s been a long road. There’s a lot of days in Florida at the complex, where it’s like, ‘Man, is my time ever going to come?'” Cavalli told the media Monday.

“It’s very frustrating when my body’s not quite cooperating and I think that it’s just a testament of people around me, supporting me, saying, ‘Your time will come.’ And to get in that meeting and be told that, it was very special.”

But this is not a “feel-good” move. The 2020 first round selection has been impressing everyone since the start of Spring Training.

“Looking absolutely fantastic down here in terms of his arsenal, his presence,” Nats TV announcer Dan Kolko said.

“He’s added a new breaking ball this year, he’s throwing a sweeper to go along with his big curveball. He’s throwing 97-98, and just the way he goes about his work on a daily basis.”

Cavalli will front a staff that includes starters such as Foster Griffin and Jake Irvin, plus relievers Brad Lord and Cole Henry. Last year’s staff ranked 29th in team ERA while allowing the fourth most walks in the majors.

The lineup will look quite different from the one trotted out last year, which is typical. For the past six seasons, six different first basemen and six different third basemen have started Opening Day for the Nats. And some players who seemed to be a big part of the future one year ago have either been traded (MacKenzie Gore to Texas), demoted (Dylan Crews to the minors) or shifted (Luis Garcia seeing plenty of time at first base as well as second this spring).

The Nats ranked 21st in runs scored, but their 443 walks taken was the third lowest total in the majors.

James Wood began 2025 with a bang, clobbering 24 homers before All-Star Week, but ended the season with a measly seven homers after the break. The 23-year-old should be more consistent in 2026, and he’s not the only player who Kevin Frandsen will have his eye on as the year progresses.

“How many guys are going to get better? How many guys can prove themselves this year that they are a piece going forward?” Frandsen said.

“That’s the one true question to get from this lineup. So can Daylen Lile prove that he can do it? Does CJ (Abrams) prove that he can play shortstop every day and get better? They have to get answers.”

The schedule does not start softly: four of the Nats’ first five series are against clubs that made the playoffs last fall, including the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers for the home opener April 3.

Notable series include the Orioles dropping by D.C. from May 15-17, meeting the New York Mets in the District from May 18-21, and Philadelphia stopping by South Capitol Street from June 22-25.

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I’ve gone on record multiple times saying I’m not a fan of basketball before noon unless it’s a badly acted show on NBC with Reggie Theus as the head coach (“Hang Time” gave us a catchy theme song as well as Anthony Anderson).

This year’s Final Four is in Phoenix, and the road for Maryland (23-8,11-7 Big Ten) will not begin in College Park for the second time in three years. A loss in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament moved the Terps from a No. 4 to a No. 5 seed, meaning they wouldn’t host the first weekend as they have 12 times over the last 15 years.

“I’ve had plenty of teams, whether it’s at home or on the road. It’s a mindset this time of year,” coach Brenda Frese said after the field was announced Sunday. “It doesn’t come down to a building, it comes down to a mindset.”

The Terps face Murray State in the first round. The 31-3 Racers went 19-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference and have won 15 straight behind an offense that’s ranked fifth best in Division I.

“I know that they try to score in the first eight to 10 seconds,” Frese said. “They’re a high-powered offensive team.”

No. 4 seed North Carolina and No. 13 Western Illinois round out the foursome in Chapel Hill, with the likely opponent in Fort Worth for the regional semifinals being No. 1 and defending national champion UConn.

“Any team that’s in your bracket now can play,” Frese said. “We have the utmost respect for every opponent.”

Terps and Racers tip off at 3 p.m. Friday.

Other locals

Virginia Tech (23-9, 12-6 ACC) gets a No. 9 seed and faces No. 8 Oregon (22-12) in Austin on Friday at 1:30 p.m., with the winner likely facing No. 1 seed Texas.

Howard (26-7, 13-1 MEAC) gets a No. 14 seed and visits Ohio State on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The Bisons led their conference in scoring (66.9 points per game) but they battle a Buckeyes team that ranks 13th nationally in scoring 81.7 per outing.

Virginia (20-11, 11-7 ACC) lost three straight and eight of 14 to find its spot in the First Four, facing Arizona State on Thursday night with the winner meeting Georgia Saturday.

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Let the games begin! Ohio State and TCU tip off the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, and we’ll have an early referendum on the Big Ten with Nebraska and Wisconsin also having games beginning before 2 p.m.

As you may be either “sick” or “on a sales call” Thursday afternoon, here are some pointers:

• Do not tell everyone how your picks are faring Thursday afternoon. After the weekend, maybe. But crowing just four games into the Big Dance is asking for ridicule at the office, among your friends and from your pets.
• truTV has been a part of the NCAA Tournament broadcast package for 15 years. The “I don’t even know what truTV is” excuse is a relic from the pre-pandemic world that used cash for the office pool. The days of pointing out the channel’s “programming,” such as “Hair-Jacked” and “Bait Car” still get a chuckle, though.
• “Boneless wings” are not “boneless wings.” They’re chicken tenders.

The evening menu includes Howard battling Midwest No. 1 seed Michigan in Buffalo on CBS. The other top seed playing Thursday is overall top seed and East No. 1 Duke, whose path to the Final Four travels through familiar territory (Greenville, South Carolina, and D.C.), but is loaded with fierce foes.

I cannot stress enough how many good teams there are in this region: powerhouses UConn, Michigan State and Kansas are your No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds, while Big East regular season and tournament champ St. John’s is the No. 5 (my biggest quibble with the committee 鈥� the Red Storm should have been higher).

Louisville, UCLA and Ohio State are more than just schools that have National Championships in their history. The regional semifinal and final rounds come to Capital One Arena next weekend and, even with an upset or two, we will be treated to some great matchups.

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No. 11 seed South Florida has won 11 straight games, with six of its last seven wins coming with double digits. The Bulls possess the eighth-highest scoring offense in Division I, and their offensive rebounding percentage of 38.2% ranks in the top 10. They’re also facing a Louisville team that’s 4-4 since Valentine’s Day and has an injured freshman point guard in Mikel Brown Jr. I’m bearish on the Cardinals and bullish on the Bulls.

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No. 7 seed UCLA was ranked No. 12 nationally in the preseason. West of the Rockies, the Bruins are rock stars, but they’re roadkill east of the Mississippi River, where they went 1-6 in the regular season before winning two of three games at the Big Ten Tournament. Friday’s game is in Philadelphia, or three time zones east for head coach Mick Cronin, who seemingly spends more time complaining about schedules and traveling than actually preparing his team for games.

Plus, a loss here potentially sets up a UCF-UConn matchup in the second round to conjure memories of the dormant football rivalry that gave us the “Civil Conflict” trophy.

Gold

Duke has been playing in rarefied air all season long and already has a signature win in D.C., beating Michigan at Capital One Arena in February. The Blue Devils make the return trip to D.C. and likely have to dispose of Michigan State next weekend, avenging their 2019 regional finals loss to the Spartans in that building.

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The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tipped off Tuesday evening in Dayton, and Howard was more than ready for prime time.

The Bison beat UMBC 86-83 behind 19 points, 14 rebounds and five assists from Bryce Harris to advance to the main bracket.

The Retrievers rallied from 14 down in the second half to pull within a basket in the game’s final minute, but head coach Kenneth Blakeney’s team survives and advances to the main bracket where they’ll face top seed Michigan.

Wednesday’s First Four games have Prairie View A&M facing Lehigh, as well as Miami (Ohio) taking on SMU. The RedHawks get the harm and the help from the committee, having to play in the First Four despite a 31-1 record but just having to travel 43 miles to Dayton for their meeting with the Mustangs.

The Lehigh-Prairie View A&M winner faces South No. 1 seed Florida, who dominated February like nothing else but coughed up 91 points in an SEC semifinal loss to Vanderbilt (not as bad as it sounds).

The defending national champion Gators are joined by schools more known for heartbreak than hardware: No. 3 Houston has the most Final Four appearances without winning a title, No. 4 Nebraska is the only power conference school never to win a tournament game, while Vanderbilt, Clemson and Iowa have all dealt with more March misery than madness.

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McNeese shocked the world last year as a No. 12 seed playing at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday when they blew out Clemson. The Cowboys are a No. 12 seed again this March and play their first round game Thursday at 3:15 p.m. Do we get a dose of d茅j脿 vu against a Vanderbilt team that’s having a good season (but is still Vanderbilt)?

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North Carolina has given us a little of everything this year: from defeating Duke to losing by 24 to NC State 10 days later. Their one-and-done fold in the ACC Tournament doesn’t give the Tar Heel faithful a lot of hope, and they’re playing a VCU team that’s peaking with 16 wins their last 17 games.

Gold

Houston brings the second-stingiest defense in all of Division I (62.9 points allowed per game) and ranks third in turnover margin. They’re led by freshman point guard Kingston Flemings (16 points and five rebounds per game), who doesn’t look like a first-year player. The regional semifinals and finals will be played in Houston, Texas; which, from what I’ve been told, is somewhat near the University of Houston campus. Home cooking holds for the Cougars.

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The First Four tips off in Dayton, Ohio, as Howard meets UMBC in a showdown of two conference champions on long winning streaks (Bison have won eight straight, while the Retrievers have 10 in a row), but are still at the proverbial ‘kiddie table’ of the hoops feast known as the NCAA Tournament.

At least in the women’s tournament, First Four games are played at subregional sites, making those schools actually feel as if they’re a part of the main bracket.

At the very least, I wish the First Four schools would be all at-large teams, because winning your conference tournament should get you into the proper field of 64.

At least the Bison men are in better shape for the tight turnaround, as head coach Kenneth Blakeney’s team played a Tuesday First Four game two years ago.

“Absolutely, we’re a little bit more prepared. We kept the guys in (MEAC Tournament site) Norfolk last night so they could get a good night’s sleep,” Blakeney said Sunday at the team’s Selection Party. “We’ll go to a hotel tonight and make sure these guys get a good night’s sleep, and then we’ll be ready to roll. Probably early in the morning by 7:30.”

Both schools dominated their respective leagues this season. The Bison led the MEAC in scoring, scoring defense, 3-point shooting, defending 3-pointers and rebounding margin. The Retrievers paced America East in points for and against, shooting and 3-point percentage, plus turnover margin. It’s a shame this game has to take place Tuesday night.

The Howard-UMBC winner advances to Buffalo for the Midwest Regional. The late First Four game between Texas and NC State sends the winner on a seven-hour flight to Portland, Oregon, for a game less than 48 hours later.

The Longhorns and Wolfpack comprise the last two at-large schools in the West Region. Arizona, the region’s top seed, gets the “advantage” of playing its first round game in San Diego at 10:35 a.m. local time. What the NCAA won’t do for another ratings point.

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Missouri gets the short commute to St. Louis for its first round meeting with Miami (Florida) under first-year coach Jai Lucas, and the big dance is not for beginners looking to find their step.

Dennis Gates is leading his fourth team in five years to the NCAA Tournament, and the Tigers ranked second in the SEC in shooting while finishing fourth in rebounding margin. They also boast Duke transfer Mark Mitchell, who’s blossomed (18 points, five rebounds, four assists per game) in his two-year Tiger tenure.

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Beware the Big Ten: Every March we’re told how great the league is and how many members of the conference find their way into the big dance, only to see the league underwhelm while also failing to deliver a national champion (the drought is over 20 years).

While I’m tempted to bail on a Purdue team that’s recovering from playing four games in four days, my eye is on Wisconsin, a team with a pair of first round losses, as a No. 5 seed since 2019.

Gold

Arizona navigated a Big 12 schedule that boasted one of the toughest upper tiers in the country. The Wildcats will have to start the tournament earlier than desired, but won’t have to leave the West Coast to reach the Final Four.

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For Howard University at Burr Gymnasium, it was history: the Bison men and women advanced to the Big Dance in the same year for the first time in school history. Both teams head to the Buckeye State this week, as the women play No. 3 seed Ohio State in the first round Saturday, while the Bison men play UMBC on Tuesday night in Dayton in the First Four.

For a program that had missed the tournament 30 straight years, the Bison men have now advanced to the field of 68 three of the last four seasons.

“I’m so psyched and happy for our university. This brand ‘Howard’ means so much to so many people,” coach Kenneth Blakeney said. “And I hope we made each and every person that loves this university as much as we do proud.”

Howard had to wait for the third region to be announced to learn its postseason path.

What was it like for junior guard Cam Gillus to see his school’s name on the screen?

“It was really a surreal feeling. Kind of been dreaming for that moment for a very long time, and then finally seeing our name on the screen made it all come to life,” Gillus said. “Definitely excited to be playing in the tourney.”

Howard will face a UMBC team that has won 18 of 20 games played since Christmas and took its three America East Tournament games by an average of 17 points. But the Bison are playing at a high level as well, winning their final six regular-season games by an average of 24 points before dominating both their MEAC Tournament games.

When did coach Blakeney know this team was special?

“I knew that all along. But when you go through adversity, we missed Cedric Taylor III, who was the defensive player of the year and newcomer of the year in our conference for our first 11 games, you start to question that a little bit,” Blakeney said.

“And then he comes back and we’re trying to figure out our chemistry. But those guys, to their credit, really sacrificed personal stats and accolades for the good of the team,” Blakeney said.

The madness will come at the Bison fast. They depart for Dayton on Monday ahead of Tuesday night’s game with the Retrievers.

The winner gets Midwest No. 1 seed Michigan, and the rest of that bracket includes Saint Louis and Miami (Ohio), two schools that made their way into the Top 25 before getting bounced ahead of their respective conference tournament championship games.

At least the RedHawks get to play in nearby Dayton for the First Four, 43 miles from the Oxford, Ohio, campus.

Also in the Midwest: No. 3 seed Virginia faces No. 14 seed Wright State in Philadelphia on Friday.

Without further ado, let鈥檚 tip off our ‘bold’ (teams that win beyond their seed), ‘fold’ (teams that underperform) and ‘gold’ (Final Four pick) selections for the Midwest bracket. We鈥檒l address a region each day this week.

Bold

A lot of attention was focused on Miami (Ohio)’s unbeaten season, and whether it deserved to make the tournament and where it would be seeded, that you almost forgot there were other teams in their Mid-American Conference.

One of those teams is Akron, which is 19-1 since Jan. 3. Seniors often make the difference in March, and the Zips have a senior sharpshooter in Tavari Johnson, averaging 20 points per game.

Fold

Alabama is talented. At its best, coach Nate Oats’ team can beat ranked opponents Illinois and Arkansas, while at their worst the Crimson Tide can tumble to sub-.500 teams such as Ole Miss.

In a turnover setting, and while they rank third nationally in scoring, they are last in SEC defense (allowing 83.5 points per game), which will likely come back to haunt them.

If not against Hofstra in the first round, then perhaps in the Round of 32.

Gold

Michigan doesn’t wear gold, it’s called “maize.” Although the football team sometimes goes out of its way to irritate me by wearing blue pants with blue jerseys 鈥� but that鈥檚 not important right now.

The most talented team in the Big Ten may have its tournament championship game, but the Wolverines are the class of the region and should find their way to Indianapolis.

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George Mason (24-8) certainly isn’t. The Patriots thought they were entering the Atlantic 10 Tournament on a roll after routing No. 25 Saint Louis by 29, only to roll out of the second round by shooting 1-8 with two turnovers over the final 6:25 of regulation in a 63-57 loss to St. Bonaventure.

Do not underestimate the “retiring coach bounce” in the A10 tourney. And the soon-to-retire Mark Schmidt can coach pretty good as well. While the Patriots pick up the pieces and head home, George Washington almost let a 24-point lead completely dissolve against Fordham, but Rafael Castro’s 15 points and nine rebounds helped the Revolutionaries avenge a February loss to the Rams that came on a day that GW was without Castro due to injury. Their reward? Tipping off with top seed St. Louis at 11:30 a.m., a game GW would lose 88-81.

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I’m still getting used to games tipping off before noon. It’s been my theory that the only morning basketball worth watching is the old TNBC Saturday morning show “Hang Time,” if only for the unintentional comedy dynamo that was the late Dick Butkus. The MAC had their No. 1 seed Miami play at 11 a.m. yesterday, and one can add the formerly unbeaten RedHawks to the list of top seeds tumbling before their conference final (87-83 to UMass).

The ACC’s noon Quarterfinal saw No. 10 Virginia (28-4) hold off NC State’s hot perimeter shooting (11-22 from 3) and enough whistles to give Cavaliers’ fans flashbacks of previous nightmares in Raleigh/Greensboro/Charlotte where the calls didn’t always make sense. But they survive and advance, while Thursday night ended with Georgetown shocking and advancing: the Hoyas went on a 17-4 run to end the first half against Villanova, going on to win 78-64.

Defense was the difference, as they held the Wildcats to 7-29 from 3-point range and won the battle of the boards 42-19. Georgetown will get the late game again this evening (8 p.m. tipoff) for the chance to reach their first Big East final since 2021.

Friday’s remaining games involving locals:

Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals: VCU (24-7) vs. Duquesne (18-14), 5 p.m., USA. The Rams have won 13 of 14 to play their way onto the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, while the Dukes had dropped four of five before topping Rhode Island in the A10 Tournament on Thursday.

MEAC Semifinals: Howard (21-10) vs. South Carolina State (10-21), 6 p.m, ESPN+. The Bison and Bulldogs split the regular season series, but Coach Kenneth Blakeney’s team has been on fire the last month and a half with 12 wins in 14 games.

ACC Semifinals: No. 10 Virginia (28-4) vs. Miami (25-7), 7 p.m., ESPN. It’s a showdown of two first-year coaches having outstanding seasons. Ryan Odom’s Cavaliers won the regular season meeting 86-83 in Charlottesville last month while Jai Lucas’ Hurricanes lead the conference in shooting while ranking second in rebounding.

Big East Semifinals: Georgetown (16-17) vs. No. UConn (28-4), 8 p.m., FS1. The Hoyas played the Huskies tight twice, losing by two in D.C. and by four in the Nutmeg state. Coach Dan Hurley’s team leads the conference in shooting and rebounding, while they’re also tops in defending the 3.

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As we get deeper into conference championship week, we move away from one-bid leagues holding their tournaments to the power conference schools near the bubble getting very nervous with ever-changing status.

Schools like Indiana and Texas start to scoreboard-watch while making the case to anyone who will listen (including themselves) how they should have an at-large berth.

Virginia Tech needed two or three wins at the ACC Tournament to help its case and didn’t get even one. VCU is on the right side of the cutline now, but a loss tomorrow in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals would all but move the Rams to the wrong side of the bubble. And while some schools are talking resume, more than a few are just trying to keep playing for one more day this week.

Georgetown (15-17) wins its first Big East Tournament game since 2021 (when the Hoyas won four games in four days for their most recent tournament title) despite shooting just 21% from 3-point range. But the point guard tandem of Malik Mack and Jeremiah Williams combined to produce 33 points and the Hoyas dominated the glass, outrebounding DePaul by 12.

Maryland (12-21) grabbed an 11-point lead in the first half of their Big Ten second-round game with Iowa and was clinging to a 34-30 advantage right after intermission. That’s when the Terps fell into a funk: 0 for 5 with five turnovers over six minutes of game time as the Hawkeyes went on a 21-0 run (shooting 6 of 8 and 5 of 6 from the 3-point line in that stretch) to pull ahead and away 75-64. It didn’t help that Andre Mills was held to 1 of 13 shooting, nor the 16 turnovers that led to 21 Iowa points. Coach Buzz Williams will have a full offseason to mine the transfer portal to complement a strong recruiting class.

Richmond (15-17) also saw the tide turn after taking a halftime lead, slipping to Loyola Chicago 75-67. March can make no sense whatsoever sometimes. Joshua Ola-Joseph is simply meant to post a career high 26 points on 7 of 8 shooting. The Spiders regroup and run things back this fall under coach Chris Mooney’s 22nd season.

Bids awarded last night

Southland: McNeese (28-5) never trailed and led Stephen F. Austin by as many as 24 before posting a 76-59 triumph. The Cowboys reach the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, having blasted Clemson last year in the first round as a No. 12 seed under then-coach Will Wade. Now, Bill Armstrong has them back.

Patriot: Lehigh beats Boston University 74-60, holding the Terriers to 1 for 16 from 3-point range and limiting BU’s hero from the two previous games Chance Gladden to 4 of 13 shooting with three turnovers. The Mountain Hawks’ last berth in the Big Dance was in 2012 when they upset Duke as a No. 15 seed before falling to Xavier in the Round of 32, although the bigger upset that day was Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski allowing himself to be interviewed going into halftime.

Big Sky: Idaho (21-14) wraps up “Starch Madness” by topping Montana 77-66 behind 23 points from Isaiah Brickner (not the best basketball name). The Vandals make their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1990, when as the No. 13 seed they fell to Louisville in the First Round.

Bid Break: After the slow drip of 16 bids awarded over the last five days, we shut the faucet until Saturday when 11 schools will punch their tournament tickets before the final five conferences hold their championship games Sunday, including all of the power and mid-major leagues.

Thursday’s games involving locals

Atlantic 10 Second Round: George Washington (20-11) vs. Fordham (17-14), 11:30 a.m., USA.
This has become a March tradition, with these two schools now meeting for the fifth time in nine A10 Tournaments (they’ve also played three regular season March games in that span). GW lost the regular season meeting in Foggy Bottom 79-65, getting outrebounded by 18 while the Rams turned 13 Revolutionary turnovers into 18 points. But this time they’ll have their big man Rafael Castro available.

ACC Quarterfinals: No. 10 Virginia (27-4) vs. NC State (20-12), noon, ESPN.
Blame the powers that be who wanted Duke and North Carolina (No. 1 and No. 4 seeds) in the evening window for the flip-flop of bracket halves. The Wolfpack lead the conference in 3-point shooting while the Cavaliers are second best (behind Duke) at defending the three; in the two games the teams played UVa held State to 26% from outside the arc and 32% overall. But weird things happen in North Carolina in March 鈥� especially in the early afternoon.

Atlantic 10 Second Round: George Mason (23-8) vs. St. Bonaventure (16-16), 2 p.m., USA.
The Patriots took both regular season meetings, although they’ll be hard-pressed to contain Bonnies big man Frank Mitchell (20 points and 11 rebounds against Mason this season). There’s also the motivation for sending longtime coach Mark Schmidt out properly.

Big East Quarterfinals: Georgetown (15-17) vs. Villanova (24-7), 9:30 p.m., FS1.
The Hoyas are fresh from their first BET win since they won four games in four days to take the title in 2021. The Wildcats have done a great job finding their proper level this winter: coach Kevin Willard’s team is 0-4 against nationally ranked UConn & St. John’s, 15-1 against conference foes without winning records. That includes a sweep of Georgetown.

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March celebrates the players, teams, coaches and schools. But this week we also celebrate the teachers who roll the TV into the room so the next generation of fans can put “Lord of the Flies” and quadratic equations on the back burner for a few days while the conference tournaments provide a healthy disruption to one’s education.

It used to be just Friday, but with the bloated 16- and 18-team conferences that now extends to Tuesday in some cases. Although the case could be made that watching those games is more a punishment than a perk.

Maryland (12-20) sees its season live at least one more day after the Terps took a 24-point lead against Oregon and coasted to a 70-60 triumph over the Ducks in the Big Ten’s (Infamous) First Round. Diggy Coit led the way with 17 points, and the Terrapins held Oregon to 4-21 from three while winning the battle of the boards by ten.

Virginia Tech (19-13) saw their slim NCAA hopes go down in flames as they fell in overtime to Wake Forest 95-89 of the (Dreaded) First Round of the ACC Tournament. The Hokies had a chance to win the game in regulation but once again things just slipped through the cracks. Coach Mike Young’s maddening season saw his team outrebound their foes by 17 but still come up short.

The Big East and Atlantic Ten begin their tournaments today, and while many are hoping for an Act III in the UConn-St. John’s saga at Madison Square Garden, the difference between fourth and last place in the conference this winter is four games.

“This is the most open the Big East Tournament has been in my opinion in the 24 years I’ve been in the league as an assistant coach and as a head coach. Again, when you start looking at all the games,” Georgetown coach Ed Cooley said Monday.

“A lot of those games were played right down to the final wire.”

The Hoyas should know, as eight of their 14 league losses were by six points or fewer. But they head to MSG by wrapping up the regular season with an 80-79 win over Providence on Senior Night.

Bids awarded last night

CAA: Hofstra (24-10) held off Monmouth 75-69 as Tournament Most Outstanding Player Preston Edmead led the way with 26 points. The last time the Pride played in the NCAA Tournament, they were the No. 13 in seed in 2001 and they were called the 鈥淔lying Dutchmen.鈥� Their top player then? Current head coach Speedy Claxton.

Metro Atlantic: Siena (23-11) defeats Merrimack 64-54 after holding the Warriors to 29% shooting while outrebounding them 50-26. Two years after finishing 4-28 the Saints find themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. They were a No. 13 seed that March and fell in the First Round.

Horizon: Wright State (23-11) rallied from 12 points down to defeat Detroit Mercy 66-63. The Titans had a chance to tie things up with time running out but Kellen Pickett’s block of an Orlando Lovejoy layup with one second left seals the victory for the Raiders, who are dancing for the first time since 2022 when they beat Bryant in the First Four before falling as a No. 16 seed to Arizona.

West Coast: No. 12 Gonzaga (30-3) trailed at the half before dominating Santa Clara after intermission in a 79-68 victory. The Bulldogs exit the league by winning their 23rd conference tournament title and make their 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. This year they’ve been rated a No. 3 or 4 seed in most models.

Tonight’s bids

Southland: Stephen F. Austin (28-4) vs. McNeese (27-5), 5 p.m., ESPN2. The regular season champion Lumberjacks and second place Cowboys split the regular season series.

Patriot: Boston University (17-16) at Lehigh (17-16), 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network. The Terriers have a March hero and his name is Chance Gladden. He’s actually more of a “Certainty” in clutch moments as Gladden’s jumper with two seconds left was the difference in the quarterfinal win over American and his buzzer-beating three shocked Navy in the semifinals. The Mountain Hawks took both regular season meetings thanks to their “Terrier-tamer”: Nasir Whitlock scored 30 points in both regular season meetings on 58% shooting and 7-11 from three-point range.

Big Sky: Montana (18-15) vs. Idaho (20-14), 11:30 p.m., ESPN2. The Boise tournament has been dubbed “Starch Madness.” The Grizzlies upset regular season champ Portland State in the semifinals while the Vandals have gotten hot after finishing in seventh place.

Wednesday’s games involving locals

Big Ten Second Round: Maryland (12-20) vs. Iowa (20-11), noon The Terps took the lone regular season meeting between the two teams thanks to 24 points from Andre Mills. The Terps also won the battle of the boards by nine that night. The Hawkeyes aren’t exactly hot at this time, having dropped three straight and six of eight in a stretch that includes a defeat to last place Penn State.

Atlantic Ten First Round: Richmond (15-16) vs. Loyola Chicago (8-23), 2 p.m. The Ramblers might rank last in the A-10 in scoring, shooting, three-point percentage and turnover margin but they beat the Spiders 69-66 on February 28. That afternoon they held UR to 30% shooting and dominated the glass against the conference’s worst rebounding team (+13).

Big East First Round: Georgetown (14-17) vs. DePaul (16-15), 9 p.m. The first thing you should know is the “9 p.m. game” rarely starts exactly at nine, and sometimes not even close to that time. And yes, we’ve dropped the “Lowly” moniker, although if you search on Google it will appear as if “Lowly DePaul” is almost mandated by the AP Stylebook (like “Woeful Rutgers” or “Basement-Dwelling Boston College”). But this year, Chris Holtmann’s team has eight league wins, the most for the program since 2007. They’ve also beaten the Hoyas in four of their last five meetings, including last March in the Big East First Round.

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