General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 10:30 PM ET
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Shocks & Milestones
The second round of the men's NCAA tournament delivered immense drama, seeing major upsets and coaching milestones achieved across the weekend. St. John's punched their ticket espn.com to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 after Dylan Darling hit a layup as time expired to defeat Kansas 67-65, a result which leaves Kansas coach Bill Self stating he has made no decision yet on his future espn.com. Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Texas demonstrated its dominance, with Madison Booker dropping a career-high 40 points in a 100-58 demolition of No. 8 Oregon in a dazzling display of shotmaking espn.com. In other high-stakes matchups, No. 11 seed Texas became the first team in five years to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16 by defeating No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday, prompting coach Sean Miller to assert his squad is not a Cinderella despite the run espn.com.
Further Sweet 16 berths were secured through tight contests, including Purdue coach Matt Painter logging his 500th career victory espn.com at his alma mater with a 79-69 win over Miami, while Michigan's top seed status was upheld by Yaxel Lendeborg's 25-point performance in a victory over Saint Louis as coaches May & Schertz met espn.com. The tournament also saw the conclusion of some major programs' seasons; Kentucky suffered their largest NCAA tournament defeat espn.com in an 82-63 blowout loss to Iowa State, while VCU rallied from a 19-point deficit to stun North Carolina 82-78 in overtime on Thursday, leading Hubert Davis to state that fatigue was not to blame for the collapse espn.com. In the women's bracket, Iowa eliminated defending champion Florida in a thriller when Alvaro Folgueiras sank a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left espn.com, and Minnesota advanced to their first Sweet 16 in 21 years after Amaya Battle hit a tiebreaking jump shot, lifting the Gophers past Mississippi 65-63 with just 0.7 seconds remaining espn.com.
Women's NCAA Tournament Action & Personnel Moves
The women's bracket saw significant upsets and dominant performances as the field narrowed toward the Elite Eight, accompanied by movement in the coaching carousel across college basketball. No. 10 seed Virginia authored the tournament's first upset with an 82-73 victory over No. 7 Georgia on Saturday, while USC advanced to the second round after a review nullified a Clemson buzzer-beater, leading to a 71-67 overtime win saved by the video review espn.com. South Carolina began their title defense by crushing Prairie View A&M 114-55, the second-largest margin in tournament history, featuring Joyce Edwards' 27 points in the opener before routing Southern by 59 points espn.com. On the administrative front, South Carolina fired baseball coach Paul Mainieri midway through his second season, unable to replicate his previous success at LSU leading to his dismissal espn.com, while Syracuse is reportedly moving to hire Siena's Gerry McNamara as their next head coach according to sources espn.com.
Global Sports & Motorsports Updates
In international motorsports, Italy's Marco Bezzecchi secured victory at the Brazilian Moto GP, a race that was shortened to 31 laps due to extreme heat bbc.com, while NASCAR star Tyler Reddick captured his fourth victory of the season at Darlington, placing him in elite company after passing every test on Sunday espn.com. On the track in Poland, Great Britain made history at the World Athletics Indoor Championships by securing three gold medals in a sensational 28-minute span, achieving the team’s best-ever medal haul, which included Keely Hodgkinson claiming the 800m gold with a championship record in what is being called 'Keely 2.0' bbc.com, and Josh Kerr reclaiming the world indoor 3,000m title after completing his comeback from injury from crutches to world crown bbc.com. Elsewhere, the severe physical toll of combat sports was evident, as 19-year-old boxer Isis Sio was placed in a medically induced coma following a knockout during a Pro Box TV bout raising concerns over fighter safety espn.com.
Professional Leagues & Rugby Results
In professional rugby competitions, London Pulse coach Sam Bird credited his team's composure in tight contests for their extra-time victory over Nottingham, suggesting this mental edge will benefit them in the Netball Super League season after Pulse ended Forest's unbeaten run bbc.com. In the United Rugby Championship, the Stormers moved into second place with a four-try win against the Dragons, while Connacht secured a statement victory over Ulster in the second half, and Scarlets earned a crucial bonus-point win over Zebre in the battle at the bottom of the table helping them avoid the Welsh Wooden Spoon bbc.com. On the gridiron, the New York Jets committed a combined $48 million toward Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields' contracts, which will consume approximately 16% of their 2026 salary cap space after moving on from their current QB situation espn.com, and the Colorado Avalanche became the first NHL franchise to officially clinch a playoff berth following a 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks with plenty of regular season remaining espn.com.
Snooker, Golf, and Boxing Developments
Snooker saw a significant upset in the World Open final, where Thepchaiya Un-Nooh compiled a maximum 147 break en route to a 10-7 victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan in a shocking final result bbc.com. In professional golf, Hannah Green secured her third consecutive tournament win at the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast extending her winning streak espn.com, while Tadej Pogacar continued his impressive run by capturing his first Milan-San Remo title after a close sprint finish against Tom Pidcock denying the British challenger bbc.com; sadly, the women's race included a major incident where Debora Silvestri confirmed she sustained five broken ribs in a serious crash during the one-day classic bbc.com. In the world of combat sports, Paddy Pimblett is targeting a July return during the UFC's international fight week, while Mason Jones seeks a top-15 ranking after his redemption win at UFC London, which earned him the fight of the night bonus nearly four years after his previous professional defeat bbc.com.