The Sports Desk

A one stop destination for the latest scores and analysis from the biggest sporting events. Curated by Steve Fine

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Sports
Reseeding the 2019 NCAA tournament field for the Sweet 16
ESPN - Myron Medcalf
After the first round of the NCAA tournament concluded, we decided to reseed the field entering the second round. Maybe you loved your team's seed. …
Sports
Captain Obvious Is Probably Winning Your Bracket Pool
FiveThirtyEight - By Geoff Foster, Sara Ziegler, Josh Planos and Jake Lourim
gfoster (Geoff Foster, sports editor): We have 52 games in the books of the men’s NCAA Tournament. And there has been one prevailing theme: chalk. …
Sports
The Entire NCAA Tournament Field Now Has the Blueprint to Stop Duke
theringer.com - Jonathan Tjarks
UCF may have been uniquely equipped to defend a team led by Zion Williamson, but in their close second-round loss, the Knights showed the nation how …
'We're not going home, man': Inside the frantic last two minutes of Duke-UCF
ESPN - David M. Hale
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett walked off the court with arms wrapped around each other. Williamson leaned in, speaking firmly into …
The Tournament of Chalk
If you took the favorites in your bracket, you are in very good shape this morning. For the second time ever, all of the top three seeds in each region advanced to the Sweet 16. No. 1 Duke barely survived a last-second tap-in by Central Florida that rolled off the rim like a putt at the Masters. It is anyone's tourney now as the big dogs will face each other beginning Thursday. Who will make it to the Final Four?
Sports
There is only one perfect NCAA tournament bracket left entering Sweet 16
USA TODAY Sports - Tom Schad
Tens of millions of people filled out NCAA tournament brackets on major sites like ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NCAA.com, among others. And after the first week of games, there is — amazingly —
Sports
No. 3 Houston's Balanced Attack Leads to Win vs. No. 11 OSU; Advances to Sweet 16
Bleacher Report - Adam Wells
For the first time since the end of Phi Slama Jama in 1983-84, the Houston Cougars are in the Sweet 16 following their 74-59 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball
Sports
NCAA Tournament 2019: Ranking Top Seeds Most Likely to Fall in Sweet 16
Bleacher Report - Joel Reuter
As the dust settles on the opening weekend of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament, just 16 teams are left standing in the hunt for a national title. While the first and second rounds gave us plenty
Sports
High-Flying No. 12 Oregon Crushes No. 13 UC Irvine; Will Face UVA in Sweet 16
Bleacher Report - Rob Goldberg
No. 12 Oregon will be the lowest-seeded team in the Sweet 16 after a 73-54 win over No. 13 UC Irvine in Round 2 of the NCAA men's basketball tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, on Sunday.
Sports
NCAA Tournament 2019: Sunday's Round 2 Winners and Losers
Bleacher Report - Tully Corcoran
The first weekend came and went without any monstrous upsets or shocking buzzer-beaters. If there is a Cinderella, it's 12th-seeded Oregon, an athletic Pac-12 team that doesn't fit the typical profile.
Basketball
Tip times set for Sweet 16 matchups
thescore.com - theScore Staff
The tip times are officially set for the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. All listings in Eastern Standard Time. Thursday, March 28 7:09 p.m. - Gonzaga (1) …
Sports
March Madness star Aubrey Dawkins made UCF the NCAA tournament's most lovable loser
USA TODAY Sports - Scott Gleeson
No. 9 seed Central Florida had top overall seed Duke up against the wall, poised to pull off one of the biggest upsets in March Madness history against a team with two national player of the year candidates
Sports
Duke's Zion Williamson Explains Why Coach K Is 'Greatest' of All Time
Bleacher Report - Paul Kasabian
Duke forward Zion Williamson offered high praise for Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski after their team beat UCF 77-76 in the second round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Sunday:
Sports
Jarrett Culver Stating Case as NCAA Tournament's Top Rising NBA Prospect
Bleacher Report - David Kenyon
TULSA, Okla. ― While a friendly rim saved Zion Williamson and the Duke Blue Devils five states away, Jarrett Culver ensured the Texas Tech Red Raiders wouldn't need a fortunate roll to make the Sweet On
Sports
Suffocating No. 1 UVA Defense Leads to Win vs. No. 9 Oklahoma in NCAA Tournament
Bleacher Report - Rob Goldberg
No. 1 Virginia continues to avenge its recent NCAA tournament failures with a 63-51 Round 2 victory over No. 9 Oklahoma. Mamadi Diakite was the surprise star with 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks
Sports
N.C.A.A. Tournament: Duke Avoids Upset in Win Over Central Florida
The New York Times - By BEN SHPIGEL
The floater banked off the backboard, then the rim, and then in came a right hand, redirecting the ball toward the basket one last time — toward a climax of a riveting game between Duke and Central Florida,
Sports
Is Close Call vs. UCF a Reason to Worry About Duke's Title Chances?
Bleacher Report - Tom Weir
Give Mike Krzyzewski credit for saying the three most honest words of his coaching career. "We were lucky." You could almost feel millions of heads nodding in agreement from coast to coast as Coach K that
Virginia Tech
Video Shows Coach K Consoling UCF Players After Heartbreaking Loss
The Spun - Andrew Holleran
Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski was especially emotional following the Blue Devils’ epic win over No. 9 seed UCF in the second round of …
Sports
Zion Williamson, No. 1 Duke Avoid Upset to No. 9 UCF; Advance to Sweet 16
Bleacher Report - Paul Kasabian
Zion Williamson scored 32 points on 12-of-24 shooting as No. 1 Duke survived a scare from No. 9 UCF, 77-76, in the second round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Sunday. Williamson hit
Sports
Zion, Duke escape massive upset against UCF
USA TODAY
SportsPulse: The Zion vs. Tacko duel lived up to the hype in the most exciting game of the tournament. USA TODAY's Scott Gleeson breaks down how Duke was able to avoid a historic upset.
Sports
March Madness: The Sweet 16 is set, and boy is it top-heavy
The Washington Post - By Cindy Boren, Des Bieler
The NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 is set, and it’s a college basketball dream. Just two teams from outside the NCAA’s power conferences survived the tournament’s first weekend, and that includes top-seeded
North Carolina
North Carolina and Auburn's Sweet 16 Matchup Will Be Fast, Fun and Refreshingly Crazy
Sports Illustrated - By Michael Beller
Until Zion met Tacko and Duke survived a white-knuckle thriller against UCF on Sunday, the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament had been relatively …
Sports
Duke survives UCF on Barrett putback in thrilling finish
Reuters
RJ Barrett scored off a rebound with 12 seconds remaining, and Duke made a final defensive stand to pull out a 77-76 victory against Central Florida in the NCAA Tournament's second round Sunday in Columbia,
Sports
Texas Tech ends Buffalo's best season in 2nd round
Reuters
Sophomore guard Jarrett Culver recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds as Texas Tech mauled Buffalo 78-58 on Sunday in NCAA Tournament second-round play at Tulsa, Okla. Senior center Norense Odiase added 14
Sports
Watch Duke Survive UCF Upset Bid as Aubrey Dawkins Misses Game-Winning Tip-In
Bleacher Report - Joseph Zucker
The top-seeded Duke Blue Devils were inches away from elimination in the second round of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament. Trailing 77-76, the UCF Knights inbounded the ball with 8.1 seconds B.J.
Basketball
It took 3 days, but March Madness arrived for Duke-UCF
thescore.com - Dane Belbeck
The audience may have had to endure three days of blowout-filled basketball, but March Madness officially arrived late Sunday afternoon in an epic …
Sports
The six defining plays that shaped Duke and Central Florida's March Madness classic
USA TODAY Sports - Scott Gleeson
Duke survived Central Florida's determined second-round upset bid in a 77-76 thriller that undeniably stands as this NCAA tournament's most exciting game so far and proved to be an instant March classic.
Sports
Coach K on Duke's 1-Point Win vs. UCF: 'RJ and Zion Willed Us. We Were Lucky'
Bleacher Report - Rob Goldberg
No. 1 Duke barely escaped Round 2 of the NCAA men's basketball tournament with a 77-76 win over No. 9 UCF, and head coach Mike Krzyzewski was emotional talking about the win after the game: "They were
Sports
Jarrett Culver, No. 3 Texas Tech Crush No. 6 Buffalo; Advance to Sweet 16
Bleacher Report - Adam Wells
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are back in the Sweet 16 after a 78-58 win over the Buffalo Bulls in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Sunday. With the exception of
Sports
March Madness: No. 1 Duke barely holds off Central Florida at buzzer in classic game
USA TODAY Sports - Dan Wolken
COLUMBIA, S.C. — There was always a danger of this for Duke, even as the No. 1 team in college basketball won all but one game this season when fully healthy. Imperfectly constructed, crazy reliant on