Four is the magic number in the sports world this week as the Men’s and Women’s college basketball tournaments are down to their Final Four.
Professional basketball and hockey are in the home stretch, too, just a couple weeks away from their own playoff tournaments. And while several sports are winding down their seasons, baseball starts this week.
TINK Sports Big-3
Here are three things you need to know:
1) The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments have reached their Final Four with action continuing this weekend
2) The NBA and NHL seasons are coming to a close and teams are scrambling for playoff position
3) Play Ball! The Major League Baseball season starts Thursday
College Basketball
After two weeks of drama and upsets, the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four is set. One side of the bracket is completely unexpected, while the other is a matchup of heavyweights.
Unfair advantage? The story of this year’s tournament is #11 seeded Loyola Chicago making it to Final Four. Why? Because this is only the fourth time an 11 seed has ever made it to the Final Four. Loyola, a Jesuit school, has a strong team and the best good luck charm – a 98-year-old nun and team chaplain, Sister Jean.
Source: Chicago Sun Tines
Sister Jean became so popular that her bobblehead doll is the nation’s top seller.
Loyola hasn’t gone this deep in the tournament since 1963 when they won it all. They take on the #3 seeded Michigan Saturday in one semifinal.
The other semifinal is a battle of basketball powerhouses and recent champions: #1 Villanova (the 2015 national champs) takes on #1 Kansas (who last won in 2008).
The winners play Monday night for the championship.
Four giants…No upsets whatsoever on the Women’s side as the Final Four teams are all #1 seeds: UConn will take on Notre Dame on one side of the bracket, and Mississippi State laces it up with Louisville on the other.
Source: USA Today
Will they or won’t they? The only drama is whether UConn (36-0) will win its seventh national championships in the last 10 years. The Huskies are headed to their 11th consecutive Final Four after dismantling South Carolina (the defending champion) 94-65 Monday night. UConn is the overwhelming favorite to cut down the nets Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.
National Basketball Association (NBA)
Put me in coach…With two weeks left in the regular season the reigning champion Golden State Warriors are hurting, literally. Their top four players are all nursing injuries. The most severe is two-time MVP Steph Curry who injured his knee and wants to come back ASAP but his coach, Steve Kerr, came out and said Curry is a no-go for the first round of the playoffs.
Source: USA Today
Despite the injuries, the Warriors are safely into the post season. The real battle is the for the final Western Conference playoff spots where the fourth seed Oklahoma City Thunder and the 10th seed Los Angeles Clippers (only the top-eight make the playoffs) are separated just four games.
Welcome back, Kotter…Speaking of returning to action, Markelle Fultz, the #1 pick in this year’s NBA draft missed 68 straight games due to injury, dating back to October 23. He returned to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup Monday and scored 10 points and dished out eight assists in a Sixers win.
Major League Baseball (MLB)
Peanuts and Cracker Jacks anyone? With frigid temperatures still affecting much of the country, it’s inconceivable to some that “The Boys of Summer” (aka baseball players) start the 2018 season Thursday. But they do…
If you have a few bucks to wager, the defending champion Houston Astros and runner up Los Angeles Dodgers are the Las Vegas odds makers’ top choices to win it all this season. Then come the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians.
Let the games begin…
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