We don’t have many rules of thumb —what with only four total thumbs between us — for picking an NCAA Tournament bracket. But there’s one we believe in wholeheartedly: Don’t overthink it. To that end, there’s something simple to keep in mind (yet again) when choosing your Final Four and national champion. After Connecticut won … Read more
As college basketball players head to NCAA Tournament arenas on their team buses, many will slip on headphones, zone out to a song and absorb the vibes. Coaches also sometimes take a small moment from poring over last-minute scouting reports to escape to a melody filtering through their airpods. These soundtracks, perhaps subconsciously, serve an … Read more
(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.) Since Florida repeated as national champs in 2007, no defending champion has advanced past the Sweet 16. That ends this year. Connecticut is … Read more
After five months of regular-season and conference tournament action, we have finally reached the best stretch of the year. It’s March Madness, and it’s setting up to be yet another eventful NCAA Tournament. At 32-0, South Carolina seems like the easy pick to make it to the championship game, but we thought that last year, … Read more
Thirty years later, Christian Laettner isn’t sure he knew it was coming. In 1994, he was in the NBA, his second season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Maybe someone had informed his agent but he doesn’t think so. The former Duke star just one day remembers seeing the commercial on ESPN. Chris Farley, then at the … Read more
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Tell me about your mom. Whoosh. Back to 1985. To the perfect family — Mom, Dad, older brother, younger sister — and their suburban Virginia home. Narrow driveway. Basketball hoop out front. That big window on your right when you walk in the front door, with a little ledge to sit … Read more
