Champ Week Tune-Up

03/08/2022

By: Jeff Yoder

Good Morning,

Champ Week has arrived. Gonzaga goes for the West Coast Conference trophy tonight, but the power conference tournaments tip-off today and tomorrow. I’ll nail down the conference tournament takeover as the week goes on (and the schedule becomes manageable), but I have March fever after our first ticket-taking buzzer-beater courtesy of the SoCon…

Letter Rip!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Chattanooga Goes Dancing! >>> Watch <<<

David Jean-Baptiste Hits Buzzer-Beater 3 to Win SoCon Title

NCAA

Champ Week Rankings

Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images

The Final AP Poll Before Selection Sunday

Here it is. The last rankings update before Selection Sunday includes some movement from teams 4-10 in both the men’s and women’s polls, but we can almost assume — barring major upsets — that teams 1-3 will be 1-seed locks for both tournaments. We’ll slow it down, though, because the men’s conference tournaments can certainly shake things up. For the final time, we present the polls:

Men’s Top-10

1. Gonzaga (24-3) | —

2. Arizona (28-3) | —

3. Baylor (26-5) | —

4. Auburn (27-4) | ↑1

5. Kentucky (25-6) | ↑2

6. Kansas (25-6) | —

7. Duke (26-5) | ↓3

8. Villanova (23-7) | ↑3

9. Purdue (25-6) | ↓1

10. Tennessee (23-7) | ↑4

Men’s AP Top-25

Women’s Top-10

1. South Carolina (29-2) | —

2. Stanford (28-3) | —

3. NC State (29-3) | —

4. Baylor (25-5) | ↑1

5. Louisville (25-4) | ↓1

6. UConn (24-5) | ↑1

7. Texas (23-6) | ↑2

8. Iowa (23-7) | ↑4

9. LSU (25-5) | ↓3

10. Iowa State (25-5) | ↓2

Women’s AP Top-25

NCAA Women’s Highlights

Big East Final: #7 UConn def. Villanova (70-40)

Additional Storylines

Bleacher Report: B/R’s Awards for 2021-22 Men’s NCAA Basketball Season
Sporting News: March Madness Bracket Predictions: Projecting the Field of 68

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NFL

Free Agency Countdown

Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images

Ranking the Top Targets Before NFL Free Agency Opens (Wednesday, March 16)

The next milestone in the NFL offseason is near, and the countdown to NFL Free Agency is on. The market opens in just eight days, and there are plenty of players ready to shift the power dynamic across the league. Franchise tags are still in play for many of the players on the list, but here are my top-20 free agents to watch next week as the bidding begins.

Top NFL Free Agents 2022

1. WR Davante Adams (GB)

2. WR Chris Godwin (TB)

3. OT Terron Armstead (NO)

4. LB Von Miller (LAR)

5. CB J.C. Jackson (NE)

6. LB Chandler Jones (ARI)

7. WR Mike Williams (LAC)

8. OT Orlando Brown Jr. (KC)

9. S Tyrann Mathieu (KC)

10. WR Odell Beckham Jr. (LAR)

Players 11-20: 11. S Marcus Williams (NO), 12. WR Allen Robinson (CHI), 13. C Ryan Jensen (TB), 14. CB Carlton Davis (TB), 15. CB Stephon Gilmore (CAR), 16. G Brandon Scherff (WAS), 17. LB De’Vondre Campbell (GB), 18. LB Haason Reddick (CAR), 19. TE Dalton Schultz (DAL), 20. G Laken Tomlinson (SF)

Additional Storylines

NFL: 2022 Free Agency: Notable Departures for All 32 Teams

ESPN: Deepest & Thinnest Positions, Teams in Need of QBs, TEs & CBs

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OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

NBA: Embiid’s 43 Buries Bulls

Joel Embiid boosted his MVP resume on Monday with 43 points and 14 rebounds to give the 76ers a win over the Bulls (121-106). Philly handed slumping Chicago its fifth straight loss, and the Sixers are now 2nd in the East.

NHL: Matthews’ 40th Goal Lifts Leafs

Auston Matthews tallied his fourth 40-goal season on Monday with a wrap-around in the Maple Leafs’ win over the Blue Jackets (5-4). The Toronto star is the league leader in goals, and he tied Darryl Sittler for the most 40-goal seasons in a Leafs uniform.

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THE STORYLINES

Potential Aaron Rodgers Trades

Aaron Rodgers may or may not be back with the Packers in 2022, and Green Bay reportedly made a market-altering offer. Here are some potential trade offers the Broncos, Steelers and Titans could make to swing the reigning MVP. (CBS Sports)

MLB Could Cancel Another Week

Major League Baseball is expected to cancel another week of regular-season games soon after negotiations Sunday provided little movement toward a deal to end its 95-day lockout. (Yahoo! Sports)

Inside Coach K’s Cameron Indoor Farewell

It was a festive atmosphere akin to a major fall tailgate, with grad students, undergrads, boosters, alumni and more than 90 former players on hand to form a line of brotherhood as Coach K walked onto the court one final time. (FOX Sports)

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THE HEADLINES