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The Midwest region currently hosts UCLA and a bunch of top contenders. Let's predict how the Bruins will do as head coach Mick Cronin attempts to return the Bruins to the final four.
1 Houston def. 16 SIU Edwardsville
This could be Kelvin Sampson's and the University of Houston's year. The Cougars blew out SIU Edwardsville 78-40.
8 Gonzaga def. 9 Georgia
The Zags have the coaching and the nation's best player at setting up scoring opportunities. Many people doubted the Zags, and they paid for it as Gonzaga cruised to an 89-68 victory.
12 McNeese St def. 5 Clemson
Will Wade's final ride does not end. In an era of backdoor deals, transparency is as hard to find as a successful collegiate team without NIL funding. Wade has been upfront with his team about his move to NC State, and his boys will play hard to extend his final ride.
That's exactly what happened, and while some late 3-point shooting made the score close after McNeese struggled with the press, the 12 seed has once again taken down the five 69-67.
4 Purdue def. 13 High Point
Purdue and Matt Painter are always candidates to be upset, but after tasting the final four last season, the Boilermakers have their sights set on redemption. Purdue dispatched High Point 75-63.
6 Illinois def. 11 Xavier
Xavier was coming off a 13-point comeback over Texas in the First Four, but Brad Underwood's big men took care of business 86-73.
3 Kentucky def. 14 Troy
A new era means new results, and the days when Calipari's Wildcats go out early are no longer here. Kentucky advances 76-57.
7 UCLA def. 10 Utah State
Cronin and the boys wipe away a disappointing loss to Wisconsin. UCLA outrebounded Utah State defensively by 10+ as Utah State struggled from the three-point line, shooing 4/31. Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr led the team with 14 points. Aday Mara added ten off the bench in a 72-47 victory.
2 Tennessee def 15 Wofford
The Vols are hopeful this is the year Rick Barnes puts it together, considering he hasn't reached the final four since 2003. They got off to a strong start and used it to win 77-62.
The Bruins last reached the Final Four in 2021, and their last title was in 1995. UCLA will face the Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 9:40 p.m. EST on Saturday.
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TODAY'S BEST
Brewers issue update on Jackson Chourio rehab timeline
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was tearing it up in July before he strained his hamstring legging out a triple. He was placed on the injured list, and it only got worse from there. Less than 24 hours later, manager Pat Murphy said Chourio would be out beyond the 10-day minimum and possibly at least a month. On Saturday, beat reporter Curt Hogg shed another tidbit of light on the slugger’s timetable. It’s not necessarily worse news, but Hogg’s update probably does not illuminate much. Fans already knew Chourio was going to be out a while after Friday’s report, so this latest info isn’t surprising. It isn’t all that encouraging, either. It certainly suggests no expedited return schedule. Not to make assumptions, but the emphasis on the location of the damage versus evaluating its severity seems to indicate the Brewers are just hoping Chourio avoided a worse-case scenario. In that case, caution would indeed be first in the order of operations. Only after ascertaining clarity would it make sense to seriously estimate a recovery timetable. That he won’t be ready to immediately resume baseball workouts further points to a slow, methodical recovery process. For however long he remains out, the lineup will miss him badly. Chourio’s 17 home runs rank second on the team behind Christian Yelich, as do his 67 RBI. His .786 OPS leads the offense among qualified hitters. In 90 at-bats in July, he hit .367/.408/.600. The Brewers are resilient everywhere, but without one of their few genuine power threats and hottest bats, plus an everyday outfielder, they are courting a potential offensive slump. The most fans can hope for from Chourio is that he returns fully healthy by the first week of September. Until then, Blake Perkins and trade pickup Brandon Lockridge should see plenty of playing time while Yelich takes more reps in the outfield after getting most of his at-bats this season as the designated hitter.
The cold, hard truth is that the Washington Commanders have all of the leverage in the Terry McLaurin contract standoff
The saga between the Washington Commanders and All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin has taken many twists and turns, and it's slowly gotten worse as the summer drags on. McLaurin has been the only side of the negotiations to make any type of move to push leverage and get a deal done sooner rather than later. He's done everything possible from publicly speaking out against the team, sitting out of training camp, returning to camp, and then recently made his biggest power move by requesting a trade. Even after playing every card in his hand this offseason to get leverage on the team, the Commanders still have the upper hand on McLaurin, and absolutely nothing can change that. Why McLaurin won't be traded There have been reports that teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers have called to check in on trading for McLaurin, and that shouldn't be a surprise. The thing is, though, he will not be traded, and there are a lot of factors that prohibit it from happening. McLaurin is likely worth a second-round pick, in my opinion, but the fact that he allegedly wants a contract extension that averages to about $33 million per year hurts that trade value. No team in the NFL would trade a second round pick while giving a soon to be 30 yeard old WR a new contract worth that much. The Commanders very likely wouldn't receive a trade package worth accepting for their best weapon on offense and get the immediate payoff this season. McLaurin very likely doesn't want to even be traded in the first place. Neither side actually wants McLaurin out of Washington. The likely outcomes for McLaurin and the Commanders There are only two possible outcomes for McLaurin this season: he's either going to be extended, or he's going to have to play the final year of his contract out. The Commanders really could play hardball with McLaurin if he refuses to come down from his number and let him play his final year of his contract out, and they know he wouldn't sit out games and lose even more money. They could either franchise tag McLaurin after the season or let him leave in free agency, so they can recoup a high-value compensation pick for losing the All-Pro. McLaurin's market would likely change drastically unless he has another career-best season, as he would be approaching 31 years old going into free agency. Both outcomes severely hurt what McLaurin is looking for: more money and long-term stability. No matter what McLaurin does, the Commanders hold the keys to decide his fate in Washington. The two can meet in the middle on a number that makes sense, or this could drag into next season, where we do this all again.
Montreal’s Cap Strategy: Canadiens Face Hutson Contract Dilemma
As the NHL salary cap begins to rise significantly, young restricted free agents are finding themselves at the heart of a shifting contract landscape. For the Montreal Canadiens and defenseman Lane Hutson, that means determining a new contract that reflects his actual value—without disrupting the team’s internal structure. While fans eagerly await an extension for the skilled blueliner, Elliotte Friedman noted on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast episode that the Canadiens initially hoped to keep Hutson’s number under Nick Suzuki’s $7.875 million cap hit. Suzuki, the team’s captain and centerpiece forward, has been the financial benchmark for Montreal’s core. However, the market has moved. A contract like Noah Dobson’s—eight years at $9.5 million per season signed this summer—is now seen as a more realistic comp, which creates potential issues for the Canadiens and their contract negotiations moving forward. As one insider put it, teams and players are “still figuring out” the new sweet spot for long-term RFA deals, especially as they try to project future jumps in the salary cap. The good news is that Hutson is one of the few big deals the Canadiens have to worry about. Most of their key players are locked into what will be viewed as team-friendly deals over the next few seasons. Still, the Canadiens may ultimately have to accept that Hutson’s extension will land well above Suzuki’s figure, especially as the 2025-26 offseason sees another leap in the salary cap. Comparable defensemen will ink richer deals, and Hutson may be the best among them. Should Canadiens Push for Hutson Contract Extension, Or Will Hutson Wait? As is the case with many teams that have big-name UFA and RFA players waiting for the market to sort itself out, this is a fluid situation in Montreal. Hutson’s extension may be about timing. But with each passing day, the pressure grows on the Canadiens to strike a balance between rewarding a future star and preserving the peace on what players are being paid already by the team. Lane Hutson’s next contract won’t just shape his future—it might quietly reshape Montreal’s.
Bengals have 'most surprising development' surface at training camp
The Cincinnati Bengals are seeing a big push at training camp from a unit they desperately need better play from in the upcoming season. Led by quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, the Bengals' offense generally receives the bulk of the headlines. However, the defense appears to have made significant improvements from last season. Per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, Cincinnati's defense has been the "most surprising development" at training camp this summer. "It’s also the most surprising development in camp," Dehner wrote of the defense. "Not specifically that there’s competitiveness, but how much the defense is winning. Their communication and the speed they are playing with has been cited on repeat. It’s built a real momentum for that side of the ball, overflowing with young players desperately in need of something to offset the ugliness of last season. Players have spoken about the energy from these wins on the field rolling over to the meetings and locker room. One player pointed out the music is bumping and excitement is high when they walk in the door first thing in the morning — perhaps another reward of the switch to morning practices. It’s made all these young defenders excited to show up at work each, hitting the field with a real edge. Last year, Burrow and the offense had to be "near perfect" to win games, as the defense was a liability on the field. The Bengals gave up the eighth-most points (434) in the league last year, which averaged to 25.5 points per game. The defense surrendered 30+ points in critical losses to the Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens (both contests), Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The defense cost the Bengals an appearance in the postseason. It's a good sign in August that, sans its best player, defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson, the unit has an edge to it before the regular season.
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