The March Madness field has been cut down to 16 and now, unfortunately, we have to go without tournament action for the next couple of days. This is the downside to the tournament … you get accustomed to a certain lifestyle (aka nonstop basketball all day long) and then *poof* it’s yanked out from under you.
Luckily, I’m here to keep you entertained until things pick back up again. This morning we’ll set aside some time to recap yesterday’s games and take a look at the 16 teams still dancing. We’ll also remember an NBA legend, go over the details surrounding the ugly Deshaun Watson saga (which seems to only get uglier with each passing day) and touch on some NBA trade deadline rumors.
Since today’s Tuesday, I’d love it if you’d be kind enough to send me a question or two for tomorrow’s mailbag. I’ll take questions on pretty much anything (sports related or otherwise) so don’t be shy — hit me up on Twitter or shoot me an email (pete.blackburn@cbsinteractive.com). And before you ask: No, I cannot do anything to fix your mangled bracket.
? What you need to know
1. The Sweet 16 is set ?
And then there were 16! Second round action came to a close yesterday, meaning the Sweet 16 is set and now we’re really closing in on glory. Yesterday we talked about the potential for a record-breaking number of double-digit seeds making the Sweet 16 this year … we didn’t quite get there. Four double-digit seeds (No. 15 Oral Roberts, No. 12 Oregon State and No. 11 seeds UCLA and Syracuse) are moving on, which falls short of tying the record (five).
However, this year’s field did set a record in a different way; The 2021 Sweet 16 will carry the highest seed total (a sum of 94) in the history of the tournament. That eclipses the previous high sum of 89, which was set in 1986.
Let’s get some more takeaways from yesterday’s action:
- No. 1 seeds survive scares: Both Gonzaga and Michigan had brief scares in their respective contests, with each of the top seeds trailing by eight points before mounting a comeback and winning comfortably. That means three of the No. 1 seeds are through to the Sweet 16, with only Illinois knocked out so far
- Luka Garza’s college career comes to an end: One of the most talented and likable players in college basketball, Luka Garza, played his final college basketball game on Monday. No. 2 Iowa fell to a well-rested No. 7 seed Oregon (the Ducks played their first game of the tournament after advancing on a no-contest in Round 1) but Garza put on a show in his final game for the Hawkeyes. He scored 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting while grabbing nine rebounds
- Alabama shoots its way to an easy win: The Crimson Tide were lights out on Monday and they smoked Maryland, 96-77. It was a pretty good offensive day for the Terrapins, but it didn’t matter considering Bama went 16 of 33 from 3-point range
We had quite a bit of drama leading up to yesterday’s slate, but Monday wasn’t exactly a great day for nail-biters. Only one of the eight contests were decided by single-digits, with Monday’s average margin of victory clocking in at a whopping 18 points. It was, however, another strong day for the Pac-12. The conference now has a 9-1 record in this year’s tourney and the Pac-12 will represent one-quarter of this year’s Sweet 16 despite its highest seed being a No. 5. Pretty incredible.
2. RIP Elgin Baylor ?
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The basketball world got some sad news on Monday when it was announced that NBA legend and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Elgin Baylor died at the age of 86 from natural causes. Baylor is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and he’s got the accolades to back it up.
- He was drafted by the Lakers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft and was named an All-Star and Rookie of the Year in his first season (he also won All-Star Game MVP that year)
- Baylor was an 11-time All-Star, a 10-time First Team All-NBA selection and averaged a double-double for his career (27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game)
- He made eight NBA Finals appearances as a player but never won a title
- After his playing career, Baylor coached the Jazz for three seasons (1976-79) and served as general manager of the Clippers from 1986-2009
After news of his passing was reported on Monday, many notable figures around basketball remembered the legend and sent their condolences to his family.
- Lakers governor Jeannie Buss: “Elgin was THE superstar of his era — his many accolades speak to that … He was a man of great integrity, even serving his country as a U.S. Army reservist, often playing for the Lakers only during his weekend pass. He is one of the all-time Lakers greats with his No. 22 jersey retired in the rafters and his statue standing guard in front of STAPLES Center. He will always be part of the Lakers legacy.”
Rest in peace to one of the greatest to ever do it.
3. Breaking down the Deshaun Watson situation ?
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There’s been a lot of uncertainty and speculation surrounding Deshaun Watson this entire offseason, but the future of the Texans quarterback has gotten even more murky in recent weeks thanks to a mounting number of sexual misconduct allegations. The situation continues to develop, but our John Breech has put together a great breakdown of what we know right now, so here are some of the details:
- A lawyer in Texas has filed 13 separate civil lawsuits that are all alleging sexual misconduct against Watson. The lawyer claims more cases could be filed soon
- In each case, Watson is accused of acting inappropriately after hiring a female to give him a private massage
- The NFL has opened an investigation into whether Watson has violated the league’s personal conduct policy
- Police are not yet involved and no criminal charges have been filed but that could change
Meanwhile, Watson swiftly denied wrongdoing after the first lawsuit was filed but has not commented on the situation since.
- Watson, via statement on March 16: “I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect. The plaintiff’s lawyer claims that this isn’t about money, but before filing suit he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, this isn’t about money for me — it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that”
This situation unfolds as Watson is seeking a trade from the Texans. Given the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations, it seems unlikely that any deal will be completed until the situation is resolved.
4. Lonzo Ball is the NBA’s hottest trade deadline commodity ?
LaMelo Ball’s rookie season may be over thanks to a fractured wrist, but older brother Lonzo Ball could be nearing a fresh start as a trade deadline prize. The NBA’s deadline is just a few days away and Ball, who is having a strong season on a disappointing Pelicans team, is headlining the latest batch of rumors.
- Ball is averaging 14.2 points per game, 5.6 assists per game and 4.2 rebounds per game this season
- The Pelicans are reportedly willing to deal Ball for a first-round pick and/or a young player in return
- The Clippers, Bulls and Hawks are reportedly among the teams interested in dealing for the point guard
- Atlanta may be the most appealing suitor, as they’ve reportedly offered Cam Reddish as the centerpiece of a potential deal for Ball
Our Jasmyn Wimbish has highlighted several additional rumors here, including speculation on potential deals for Aaron Gordon, George Hill, Ricky Rubio and more. We may start seeing the stove get exponentially hotter over the next few days as good teams look to become great teams and bad teams look to evaluate their rosters with a longer-term vision.
The NBA loves being dramatic so it seems safe to assume we’ll get plenty of entertainment via the transaction wire leading up to Thursday’s deadline.
? Odds & Ends
@Pantone294 on Twitter
? What to watch today
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? Lakers vs. Pelicans, 7:30 p.m. | NO -6 | TV: TNT
? Lightning vs. Stars, 8:30 p.m. | DAL +150 | TV: ESPN+
? 76ers vs. Warriors, 10 p.m. | GSW +3 | TV: TNT
? The best thing I saw yesterday
This hypnotizing video shows exactly why you should always set up your backyard golf net facing AWAY from the giant windows on your house. Or, I mean, at least make sure the netting is tied down.