General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 20, 2026, 12:30 AM ET
NCAA Men’s Tournament Shocks & Upsets
The opening rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament delivered immediate drama, highlighted by massive upsets where double-digit seeds stunned higher-ranked opponents espn.com. Eleventh-seeded VCU rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit espn.com to defeat sixth-seeded North Carolina in overtime, 82-78, with Terrence Hill Jr. hitting a crucial stepback three-pointer in the final seconds of OT, prompting UNC Coach Hubert Davis to firmly state that fatigue was not the reason for the collapse espn.com. Further down the bracket, No. 12 seed High Point secured a massive victory, topping fifth-seeded Wisconsin 83-82 after Chase Johnston sank his first 2-point basket of the season espn.com late in the contest. Meanwhile, No. 1 overall seed Duke barely escaped a potential 16-over-1 upset espn.com, having to claw back from 13 points down to survive Siena, putting pressure on star freshman Cameron Boozer who was nonetheless named a unanimous first-team All-American espn.com.
Several other seeded teams faced early exits or needed dramatic finishes to advance, with analysts reviewing which freshmen are truly built for March pressure espn.com. Eleventh-seeded Texas managed to overcome a 35-point explosion espn.com from BYU's AJ Dybantsa to win 79-71, while ninth-seeded TCU edged out eighth-seeded Ohio State 66-64, thanks to a game-winning layup from Xavier Edmonds with only 4.3 seconds left beating the shot clock espn.com. In the First Four, Texas survived an earlier scare against NC State in a 68-66 contest decided by a Tramon Mark jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining espn.com, and Miami (Ohio) used that momentum to advance past SMU espn.com after the Mustangs’ coach Andy Enfield insisted B.J. Edwards was held out because he was not "game ready," despite previous team announcements regarding his injury status espn.com. Nebraska, seeded fourth, celebrated its first-ever NCAA tournament victory espn.com by throttling 13th-seed Troy 76-47, and Prairie View A&M also notched a historic win, beating Lehigh 67-55 in the First Four one year after winning just five games espn.com.
College Basketball Personnel & Predictions
As the tournament progresses, expert predictions see Duke as the leading favorite to win it all espn.com, though ESPN talent has split their focus, with 71 personalities weighing in on their Final Four selections with one team emerging as the clear favorite espn.com. In women’s college basketball, UConn's Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd were named to the AP All-America team alongside Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, Texas’ Madison Booker, and UCLA’s Lauren Betts headlining the national selections espn.com, with UConn also being the odds-on favorite in the women's bracket espn.com. Meanwhile, off-court news included Kentucky coach Mark Pope declining to confirm or deny reports regarding a multimillion-dollar offer espn.com made to recruit Yaxel Lendeborg, and SMU star Aden Holloway was arrested after police allegedly found 2.1 pounds of marijuana in his apartment leading to felony drug possession charges espn.com.
WNBA Labor & Recruiting Updates
The WNBA is moving toward a transformed financial structure following a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which sources confirm includes a starting salary cap of $7 million espn.com that is set to increase annually. A key provision within this pending CBA will expedite maximum salary deals espn.com for players currently on rookie-scale contracts, potentially providing immediate financial windfalls. On the recruiting front, USC continues to build a powerhouse 2026 class, landing their third McDonald’s All American in Christian Collins and securing Sara Okeke, a third five-star commitment, which propelled the Trojans to the No. 1 spot in ESPN's 2026 class rankings espn.com.
International & Domestic Sports Drama
In the world of combat sports, UFC contender Lerone Murphy asserted that the winner of his impending bout against Movsar Evloev at UFC London should be the undisputed next challenger for the featherweight title, stating there should be no other contender in line bbc.com. In darts, Luke Littler staged a remarkable comeback in the Premier League final in Dublin, overturning a 5-0 deficit to defeat Gerwyn Price 6-5, a match that featured two maximum 170 checkouts in a single leg a rare display of scoring prowess espn.com. In European rugby, Ireland head coach Scott Bemand secured a contract extension keeping him in charge through the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup marking a commitment to continuity bbc.com, while Wales suffered a double injury setback with Alex Callender and Nel Metcalfe ruled out ahead of the Six Nations exacerbating existing injury concerns bbc.com.
Motorsports & Other Global Competitions
The motor racing world saw a significant penalty when NASCAR driver Daniel Dye was suspended for mocking Indy Car racer David Malukas during a livestream, marking the second major penalty of Dye's career for the inappropriate conduct espn.com. In professional cycling, Tom Pidcock claimed victory in the Milano-Torino race bbc.com on his debut in the classic. Meanwhile, in the World Baseball Classic, Venezuela defeated Team USA 3-2 in a tight final in Miami securing the championship title bbc.com, though post-tournament analysis suggested that issues with pitcher usage and restrictions still plague the event despite its overall success hindering the flow of the competition espn.com. In the Super League, Wigan Warriors maintained their 100% start by fighting back from a 14-0 deficit bbc.com to defeat York Knights, while in darts, Ronnie O'Sullivan advanced to the World Open quarter-finals by beating Shaun Murphy 5-3 bbc.com.