Sports
Luka, AR and the hilarious bromance fueling the Lakers’ wild start
THE GRANDIOSE 8,000-SQUARE-FOOT Manhattan Beach mansion that Luka Doncic purchased this past offseason from tennis star Maria Sharapova, cementing his new home in Los Angeles, was designed with a minimalist motif.
Tall walls of bare concrete, massive glass doors and black metal accents in the five-bedroom residence guide dwellers through an open floor plan, with plenty of balconies and curated outdoor spaces to take in the pristine Pacific Ocean view.
Tucked inside the basement, there is a premium man cave amenity that doubles as an irresistible lure for competition junkies: a two-lane bowling alley.
The pins and wooden planks might not seem like an architectural fit with the rest of the home’s interior, but it serves an important purpose: something to sustain Doncic’s legendary competitive drive, even when he’s off the floor.
So when a text from Doncic popped up on Austin Reaves‘ phone on an off night in early December, inviting the Lakers guard to visit Doncic’s place, the itinerary was not just to turn on League Pass, eat dinner and shoot the breeze.
There would, of course, be competition involved.
“He was like, ‘Come over. We’re bowling,'” Reaves told ESPN.
Reaves made the 10-minute drive to his teammate’s crib, where he found not only Doncic, but two of Doncic’s friends, plus Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean and L.A.’s head video coordinator, Michael Wexler, awaiting his arrival.
Three-man teams were formed. Games were played. Scores were kept.
“But it all really came down to the 1-on-1 at the end,” Reaves said.
This is where Reaves’ and Doncic’s accounts of the night diverge.
“I won,” Doncic told ESPN.
“We bowled for, I think, maybe three games,” Reaves said. “And, yeah, I’m 3-0.”
“I’m sure he said he won,” Doncic said when informed of Reaves’ answer.
With no wiggle room to further protest Reaves, short of calling him a liar, Doncic took a different tact.
“I let him, you know, get comfortable,” Doncic said. “It was his first time in the house, so I let him get comfortable.”
And so goes the relationship between the Lakers’ starting backcourt mates.
Equal parts sarcastic and real, Doncic and Reaves’ budding bromance has set the tone for a Lakers team that has shot up to No. 4 in the Western Conference standings to begin the season, despite LeBron James missing more than half of L.A.’s games because of injuries.
The irreverence between Doncic and Reaves has not only kept the locker room loose, but also it has helped turned down the noise on potential pressure points that could distract a team: James’ career winding down; the franchise’s sale and Jeanie Buss’ subsequent decision to fire her brothers, Joey and Jesse, in the front office; and even Reaves’ contract status after turning down an $89 million extension in June.
Perhaps most importantly, it has established a culture for a Lakers group that appears to be as close knit as they come.
“We all know we have love for each other, but we can still be each other’s biggest critics,” Lakers rookie Adou Thiero told ESPN. “You always hear Austin and Luka, they’re always going back and forth about who is better at what. Oh, ‘You suck at this,’ ‘You suck at that,’ but you get on the court and … they’re sticking together, we’re all sticking together.”
WHILE DONCIC AND Reaves shared some success on the court last season — the Lakers were 16-10 when the duo played together — they didn’t have much of a relationship off of it.
“Bron said that he acted like I acted my rookie year: never talked,” Reaves said. “Kind of just stayed to himself. Which is understandable. I mean, with the crazy events that happened, you know it’s going to take time to get used to a new situation.”
After spending the first 5 ½ years of his career in Dallas, Doncic gravitated toward people he already knew when he first got to L.A., sources told ESPN.
He worked out with St. Jean, who previously had been an assistant for the Mavs. He sat near Maxi Kleber, who was included in the deal for Anthony Davis.
He conversed with coach JJ Redick, who had been his teammate, briefly, in Dallas and whom he had stayed in touch with as Redick embarked on a media career. (“I really respect him,” Doncic said of Redick during his introductory press conference. “You don’t see me go on podcasts. I went on his podcast twice.”)
And he would get most animated when he was around Dorian Finney-Smith, another former teammate with the Mavs, whom L.A. acquired in a trade a couple months before Doncic’s arrival.
A typical interaction would start with Doncic teasing Finney-Smith about his belly button being an “outie,” and Finney-Smith sparring right back by wondering how Doncic could be slower than him when he was six years younger.
Even after the disappointment of the Lakers’ first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves — a series in which a stomach bug derailed Doncic in Game 3 and Reaves missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have forced overtime in Game 4 — the duo still hadn’t developed a connection.
So when Doncic signed a $165 million extension in August and celebrated the occasion by going on a trip with teammates, coaches and staffers to a Backstreet Boys concert at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Reaves missed a perfect opportunity to become closer with the Lakers’ new poster boy.
While Doncic was belting out the lyrics to “I Want It That Way,” Reaves was overseas, fulfilling an endorsement obligation for his signature Rigorer sneakers.
At the end of the night, Doncic posted to Instagram, showing him and a handful of teammates dressed in white for the show and going backstage, where he autographed one of his trading cards for Nick Carter and made a reel where it appeared he was deep in conversation with Brian Littrell — only for the camera to pan out and show the 5-foot-7 Littrell needing to kneel on top of a ping pong table to be eye level with the 6-foot-8 Doncic.
Wanting to show support, even from afar, Reaves posted a congratulatory message in response.
It didn’t take long for Doncic to see it.
“He slid [in my direct messages] and was like, ‘Thanks for coming to Vegas,'” Reaves recalled.
Reaves sent back a selfie from Xiamen, China.
“I could tell, like, the joking spirit that he had,” Reaves said. “Like, it was, just, a breath of fresh air. I could tell at that moment that we were going to have a good relationship.”
And Doncic’s response to the selfie? “I said he’s too big [for me],” Doncic said. “He’s selling shoes in China now.”
With their personalities beginning to mesh off the floor, they both knew the next step needed to be meshing their similar games on it.
Both players are three-level scorers and creators who thrive with the ball in their hands.
While their overlapping skill sets could have created tension over who would have control of the offense, the 27-year-old Reaves and 26-year-old Doncic have worked together seamlessly — which was especially important with James sidelined all of training camp, preseason and the first 14 games because of sciatica.
When the Lakers coaching staff huddled over the summer, whatever concerns they had about how to maximize each player without undercutting either of them quickly subsided.
“It helps so much that they both look to pass,” a Lakers coach told ESPN.
That trust in their fundamentals informs the offensive system the Lakers put in place.
“A lot of the, ‘How do we make this work’ was utility plays and then not overthinking like, ‘Oh, we got to run all this action,'” Redick said. “It’s like, ‘No, let’s get the ball to the best players and try to create advantages that way through a very simple system.’ We don’t have to overcomplicate things.”
So far, that simplicity has reaped considerable rewards. Doncic’s and Reaves’ combined scoring average of 61.4 points per game is the second-most by a duo in the last 60 years, according to ESPN Insights. James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 61.6 points per game in 2019-20.
They both constantly pressure defenses and draw fouls when they do. The Lakers lead all teams in points per direct drive per game, which is fueled by Reaves, who ranks first among all players with at least 200 drives this season. Doncic is second, according to GeniusIQ.
Doncic leads the league in free throw attempts per game, while Reaves is fourth. They are in range to become the first teammates to each average 9.0 or more free throw attempts per game since Harden and Dwight Howard did so for the Houston Rockets in 2013-14.
While they have joint command of the offense – in the games they’ve played together, Doncic and Reaves have scored or assisted on 288 of the 402 shots the Lakers have made (72%) – they’ve both had stretches where they’ve starred solo.
Doncic, for his part, scored 92 points in the Lakers’ first two games of the season.
After the second game — in which Doncic scored 49 points on 14-for-23 shooting, corralled 11 rebounds and dished out 8 assists in the Lakers’ 128-110 win over the Timberwolves — Reaves told ESPN that he thought Doncic could average 40 for the whole season.
When Doncic was told of Reaves’ opinion, he issued his own.
“Austin’s stupid,” he said.
Doncic then sat out the Lakers’ next three games with a left finger sprain and lower left leg contusion, and it was Reaves’ turn.
He averaged 40 points, 10 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals while guiding L.A. to a 2-1 record, punctuating the stretch with a game-winning floater at the buzzer to secure another victory against that same Wolves team that had ended their season a few months back.
If Doncic wasn’t sold on Reaves by that point, watching him dominate — and win — while he and James were in street clothes more than did it.
“He’s realizing, ‘F—, Austin is good!'” a team source told ESPN. “It was the same way he loved [Jalen] Brunson and loved Kyrie [Irving]. There’s an appreciation for great players.”
Luka Doncic on if he can average 40 points per game this season:
“That’s going to be tough …”
I followed up by saying that Austin Reaves told me he thinks he could.
Luka, with a big smile: “Austin’s stupid.” pic.twitter.com/jnLjKfe4CE— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 1, 2025
THE COMPETITION BETWEEN the two knows no bounds. And neither does the incessant ribbing.
“I saw that we had — I don’t love saying this — many similarities in how we like to compete in all different things,” Reaves said. “Not just basketball. Whatever. Cards, bowling, darts … which he hasn’t beaten me at either.”
Reaves doesn’t watch football, but he picked the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15 in a wager against his teammate, just because he wanted Doncic’s beloved Dallas Cowboys to lose.
While they each are loath to concede any ground to the other, Reaves admits that Doncic is the favorite in foosball, and Doncic isn’t trying to see Reaves on the golf course.
“I’m ducking him,” Doncic said. “I can’t golf.”
Where they both agree, though, is what the Lakers need to do to be real contenders in the West.
Despite the Lakers’ 19-9 start, they rank 24th in defense. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons, which sit atop the West and East standings, respectively, rank No. 1 and No. 2.
“For the start of the season, I was playing great defense,” Doncic, who is hoping to play on Christmas Day after dealing with a left calf contusion, told ESPN. “Trying to get back to that.”
Reaves, who recently missed three games with a mild left calf strain before coming off the bench Tuesday in Phoenix, agrees.
“I think we just got to get healthy and log minutes together and guard with all five guys on the court,” he said. “You have to be locked into every little detail, every little rotation. When you do that, that’s when you become a good defense.”
It figures to be a season-long challenge for this Lakers team, especially with the roster as presently constructed.
But it’s one that Doncic and Reaves won’t shy away from. And one in which Doncic and Reaves can channel their competitive spirits together — including on Thursday against the dynamic Houston Rockets.
Meanwhile, their relationship continues to grow.
Reaves has been back to Doncic’s house for additional rounds of bowling since their initial playdate — not a small gesture, or typical. (Consider Derek Fisher famously told GQ in 2010 that he’d never been to Kobe Bryant’s house in the nearly 15 years since joining the Lakers together as rookies in 1996.) And they used another recent off night to sit courtside for a South Bay Lakers game to cheer on Thiero and some of their other younger teammates.
“We act like we’re probably 10-year old best friends,” Reaves said. “You have a deeper care for one another than just basketball. And then that bleeds into basketball, because you don’t want to let that person down. … You don’t want to not give it your all.”
Doncic said: “We kind of understand each other — what the other is going to do. So I would say it’s a little bit natural.”
Still, whenever earnestness begins to creep in, they’re just as quick to revert back.
“I tell him all the time, I’m like, ‘Yo, you got to grow up,'” Reaves said. “And he’s like, ‘The day I grow up, fight me, because I never want to grow up.’
“I was like, ‘I love that.'”
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The New England Patriots were supposed to be “mid,” as Rob Gronkowski told Fox News Digital, but instead, they looked like the Pats of yesteryear.
New England stunned the football world with a 14-3 record and going all the way to the Super Bowl, led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
Sure, New England perhaps benefited from an easy schedule in the regular season, and in the playoffs, they faced Jarrett Stidham instead of Bo Nix. The Super Bowl was not pretty, as they took a beating from the Seattle Seahawks.
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New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman raises his hands in celebration with tight end Rob Gronkowski after throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Danny Amendola during the third quarter of the NFL divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
But Gronkowski and one of his former teammates do not believe the 2025 Pats were any sort of fluke.
“What the New England Patriots did this season was incredible. And they’re just going to keep on building on that from here on and going into next year, I’m sure they’re going to be making the playoffs on a consistent basis now,” Gronk told Fox News Digital. “That’s the expectation. They got the quarterback, they got the coach, they got the ownership, they got the foundation now, and you’re going to see them competing at a high level every single year now, which is great for Patriot fans.”
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up prior to the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The Patriots have simply built the next generation of success, and Gronkowski sees the same in Infiniti and their newly-released QX65. Gronk and Julian Edelman were on hand at Grand Central Terminal in New York for the unveiling.
KYLIE KELCE REVEALS HER ‘DOS AND DON’TS’ OF TALKING TO POSTPARTUM WOMEN: ‘OH, I’M SO SERIOUS’
“I’ve always been about showing up at big moments and putting in the work behind the scenes, and that’s what stood out to me with the Infiniti. They’re really being intentional about how they move forward and what they’re building next. That’s how you got to be as a football player, as an athlete, you got to be very intentional and in order to stay at the top of your game and be able to compete at a top level. And that’s what Infiniti is doing.”
“I was fortunate enough in my career to play in a lot of big moments, and that’s exactly what you see with the Infiniti,” Edelman added. “How they are so detailed and have a purpose for everything that they do. When you look at the design of the car, the back, the interior’s spacious, very detailed. I mean, it’s just something that’s been so cool. It’s been a fun experience.”
Edelman, too, is “very confident” that the new-look Pats are here to stay.
“Anytime you got a head coach, a quarterback, an owner, and a GM working together and unison, it seems like every free agent they signed had a big moment, big role on the team. There was a lot of great things that happened.”
Edelman did warn Patriots fans to temper expectations just a bit and not expect another 14-win season. However, he does expect a more sound product on the field.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates with the AFC championship trophy after the AFC championship game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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“it’s time on task. You know, time on task with the quarterback. Get him ready with the offensive line, getting that offensive line kind of fixed up and get them working together more. I mean, they’re a young group. So I’m really excited for the Patriots this year,” he said.
“I think they’re for real. They may go out and not have as many wins, but I think they’re going to be a better football team this year.”
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Sports
Alex Vesia, Dodgers pitcher who lost infant daughter, gets standing ovation after scoreless return to mound
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Perhaps for the first time in 2026, Alex Vesia felt some normalcy on Friday night.
The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher made his return to the pitcher’s mound in his first Major League outing since his infant daughter died just five days after she was born.
Before the World Series, the left-hander left the team to deal with a “deeply personal matter” and did not pitch in the Fall Classic.
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Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia celebrates after the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Days after the Dodgers won the World Series, he and his wife announced their infant daughter had died.
Vesia returned to the team during spring training and then entered the Dodgers’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning of a 4-4 tie.
It was quite the spot for Vesia to return, but given his 2.36 ERA over the last two seasons, it was no sweat. He left a runner stranded on second base and kept the D-Backs scoreless en route to the team’s 5-4 win over their division rival.
Vesia let out a yell and pointed toward the Dodgers’ family section while getting a standing ovation from the crowd.
Vesia was wearing a customized pink glove with his daughter’s name, Sterling Sol, stitched on it, along with her birthday and his wife’s first initial, K for Kayla, embroidered on the glove’s ring finger.
Alex Vesia of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on March 27, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
DODGERS PITCHER’S WIFE LIVES THROUGH ‘BITTER SWEET’ OPENING DAY MONTHS AFTER INFANT DAUGHTER’S DEATH
“What I would give to have my Sterling girl here, carrying her in my heart always,” Kayla said in an Instagram post earlier this week to celebrate a “bitter-sweet” opening day.
Sterling passed between Game 2 and Game 3 when the series was tied at one game apiece. During the Fall Classic, relievers from the Toronto Blue Jays wrote Vesia’s jersey number, 51, on their hats.
In his first news conference of the year in spring training, Vesia called his wife “the strongest person that I know” and “a support system for me every bit as much as I am for her.”
“Life can change in an instant. For us, 10 minutes is all it took,” Vesia said in February. “Sterling Sol was the most beautiful girl in the world. We got to hold her, change her diaper, read to her and love her. Our time together was far too short. Kay and I will keep those precious moments and memories to ourselves.
“Stepping away from the team, the brothers that I go to war with every day, was difficult, but it was also an easy decision because my family needed me. We still watched every pitch of the World Series, and for us in so many ways, that was a light in our darkness.
Alex Vesia of the Los Angeles Dodgers thanks the crowd during the 2025 Back-to-Back World Champions Ring Ceremony prior to the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Jessie Alcheh/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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“I was not prepared to not bring my baby girl home, but we’re carrying her with us every day. It’s been hard, but we’re doing OK.”
The back-to-back reigning World Series champions are 2-0 to start the MLB season.
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Five months into the 2025-26 season, only eight teams remain. Each team has a chance to go to Indianapolis to play in the Final Four, provided it wins one more game.
At the start of the campaign, many would have believed all of these programs had a chance to play in the penultimate weekend of the season — with the exception of 9-seed Iowa. But it might have been difficult to believe the way they all got here.
Duke played through major injuries to advance to the Elite Eight. Arizona is there without a singular star, but a team full of selfless standouts who can all lead the Wildcats in scoring on any night. Michigan has three players who are 6-foot-9 or taller in the starting rotation — a contrast to the small-ball era so many within the game have touted. Illinois is led by a freshman who was overlooked on the recruiting circuit and several European talents.
Then, there are those Hawkeyes — a team that was 3-7 in its last 10 games entering the NCAA tournament but has reached the Elite Eight for the first time in 39 years.
The truth is, however, that there’s a lot of chalk among the last eight teams. A ton of resilience, too. Let’s rank the squads in the Elite Eight.
All times Eastern
How the regional finals were set
1. Arizona Wildcats
Original seed: No. 1 (West)
Tournament results: Def. No. 16 Long Island 92-58 (first round); def. No. 9 Utah State 78-66 (round of 32); def. No. 4 Arkansas 109-88 (Sweet 16)
Arizona has been chasing greatness all season. The Wildcats not only handed John Calipari the worst NCAA tournament loss of his career in Thursday’s lopsided Sweet 16 win over Arkansas, but it was also the first time a team (Arizona) had 60 paint points and 30 free throws in a single NCAA tournament game since 2000, per ESPN Research. But that dominant effort against the SEC tournament champion is only new if you haven’t been watching college basketball. The Wildcats shot 50% from inside the arc in their season-opening win over Florida. They beat Alabama — one of the best offensive teams in America — by 21 points in December, with the Tide recording just 99 points per 100 possessions. There was a 23-point victory over Kansas in February and a 16-point triumph over Iowa State days later. The Wildcats have made a lot of statements to support the case that they’re the team to beat, the team that could be the last one standing because of its ability to play a complete game: Arizona is fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency and third in adjusted defensive efficiency. It’s also difficult for opponents to know who to target because of their depth. Veteran Jaden Bradley? Freshman star Brayden Burries? Freshman star Koa Peat — who, after a strong start to the season, faced a rough patch — is averaging 16.6 points through three NCAA tournament games.
Up next: vs. Purdue (Saturday, 8:49 p.m., TBS/truTV)
2. Michigan Wolverines
Original seed: No. 1 (Midwest)
Tournament results: Def. No. 16 Howard 101-80 (first round); def. No. 9 Saint Louis 95-72 (round of 32); def. No. 4 Alabama 90-77 (Sweet 16)
Three years ago, Dusty May didn’t want to leave Florida Atlantic because life was good in Boca Raton. He lived a few miles from campus and rode his bike to work every day. But the opportunity to lead a Big Ten powerhouse was too much to pass up, and he accepted the Michigan job in 2024. Even then, he didn’t leave it all behind. There’s a tie between the 2022-23 Owls, who made a run to the Final Four, and this year’s Wolverines, who are a win away from the school’s first run to the Final Four since 2018: interior defense. May’s FAU squad held opponents to a 46.6% clip in the paint, one of the top marks in America that season, per Synergy Sports. His Michigan team this season is clocking in at 48.9% in that metric. In Friday’s Sweet 16 win, it held Alabama — which entered the game ranked top three in offensive efficiency — to just 31 shots, 23 of which were 3-pointers. That’s a by-product of May’s suffocating interior defense, a staple of his best teams. And it’s proof the Wolverines aren’t just tough around the rim on defense; they make opponents think twice about trying to score in the post in the first place.
Up next: vs. Tennessee (Sunday, 2:15 p.m., CBS)
3. Illinois Fighting Illini
Original seed: No. 3 (South)
Tournament results: Def. No. 14 Penn 105-70 (first round); def. No. 11 VCU 76-55 (round of 32); def. No. 2 Houston 65-55 (Sweet 16)
Illinois proved with Thursday’s Sweet 16 win against Houston that it can reach a level on offense even the best defenses in America can’t stop. A 17-0 run early in the second half created separation between the two teams, with the Cougars spending the rest of the game trying to close the gap. David Mirkovic and Keaton Wagler became the first freshman teammates to record double-doubles in the NCAA tournament since freshmen became eligible for to play in the postseason in the 1972-73 season, per ESPN Research. But while Illinois’ offensive strength has been its most appealing quality, Brad Underwood’s team is a true national title contender because of its ability to stall opposing teams. Since the start of the Big Ten tournament, the Illini have been a top-25 defensive team nationally, per BartTorvik. They’re also eighth in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency and seventh in adjusted offensive efficiency since the start of the NCAA tournament. Those are important metrics to consider. Eight of the past 10 national champions were ranked top 11 in both categories. If balance is the ticket to a title, Illinois is in a good spot.
Up next: vs. Iowa (Saturday, 6:09 p.m., TBS/truTV)
4. Duke Blue Devils
Original seed: No. 1 overall (East)
Tournament results: Def. No. 16 Siena 71-65 (first round); def. No. 9 TCU 81-58 (round of 32); def. No. 5 St. John’s 80-75 (Sweet 16)
The close call against St. John’s wasn’t anything the Blue Devils hadn’t experienced: Remember the clutch effort late in a one-point win over Florida? Being tied with Michigan State near the two-minute mark not long after that? They had two tougher than expected games against Florida State in the regular season and in the ACC tournament. There was the battle with Michigan in Washington, D.C, too. Free throws sealed a win over Virginia in the ACC tournament title game. A first-round tussle with 16-seed Siena and a slow start against TCU in the second. The one constant through all of these tough games has been Cameron Boozer. He dominated at the high school, AAU and now the collegiate level. He provides his team with confidence in the most desperate situations and has the Blue Devils equipped to get through tough times — even if it’s someone else stepping up. Against the St. John’s in Friday’s Sweet 16 game, Caleb Foster somehow thrived (11 points on 5-for-7 shooting after halftime), despite having suffered a broken foot 20 days ago. Isaiah Evans (25 points) was brilliant. Maliq Brown (four blocks) did more to disrupt this game defensively than he’ll get credit for. And Cameron Boozer (22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists) was just Cameron Boozer. Nobody gets afraid on this team when adversity hits.
Up next: vs. UConn (Sunday, 5:05 p.m., CBS)
5. Purdue Boilermakers
Original seed: No. 2 (West)
Tournament results: Def. No. 15 Queens University 104-71 (first round); def. No. 7 Miami 79-69 (round of 32); def. No. 11 Texas 79-77 (Sweet 16)
Few coaches in college basketball have suffered the amount of basketball heartbreak as Matt Painter. In 2009-10, star Robbie Hummel suffered a season-ending injury late in the season that cost the Boilermakers a chance to compete for a national title. In 2019, former Purdue star Carsen Edwards scored 42 points and still couldn’t beat eventual champion Virginia in overtime. Painter once again reached the national title game in 2024 with Wooden Award winner Zach Edey — but ran into the bulldozer known as UConn on its way to its second straight national title. None of those Purdue squads, however, were as hot as this current crew. During the Boilermakers’ seven-game winning streak, Braden Smith is averaging 9.5 assists and Trey Kaufman-Renn looks like an All-American again while averaging 17.8 points. The group is second in adjusted offensive efficiency (60% from inside the arc, 38% from the 3-point line) during this stretch. And now Painter will have another shot at getting over the hump.
Up next: vs. Arizona (Saturday, 8:49 p.m., TBS/truTV)
6. UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 2 (East)
Tournament results: Def. No. 15 Furman 82-71 (first round); def. No. 7 UCLA 73-57 (round of 32); def. No. 3 Michigan State 67-63 (Sweet 16)
Men’s college basketball has had a multitude of legendary coaches over the 60-plus years since John Wooden led UCLA in the 1960s and ’70s. Mike Krzyzewski won five national titles. Roy Williams retired with three. Rick Pitino has two rings with two different teams. Bill Self and Billy Donovan have a pair of championships. Hurley has a real chance to win his third national championship in four years, which would be an unprecedented feat in the modern history of the sport and a greater challenge than anything Wooden ever faced during his time. Because Hurley’s chasing this third title with a third different roster. The team that held off Michigan State on Friday night in the Sweet 16 does not resemble the teams he had in 2023 or 2024. Alex Karaban is the only holdover from those back-to-back title teams. There’s still a significant similarity between all three groups: They were all better when they played a free-flowing style, executed great defense and pushed the pace. It’s how the 2026 Huskies achieved an early double-digit lead over the Spartans and overcame a sloppy stretch in the second half. They also proved that, even with their recent lack of efficiency (they entered Friday ranked 74th in adjusted offensive efficiency since March 1), they can outlast and attack any opponent to advance.
Up next: vs. Duke (Sunday, 5:05 p.m., CBS)
7. Tennessee Volunteers
Original seed: No. 6 (Midwest)
Tournament results: Def. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) 78-56 (first round); def. No. 3 Virginia 79-72 (round of 32); def. No. 2 Iowa State 76-62 (Sweet 16)
It’s no secret that Texas decided Rick Barnes hadn’t kept up with the times and that the game had left him behind when the school fired him in 2015. His dismissal came after a string of first-weekend exits and a seven-year gap between his Elite Eight appearances. But when he accepted the Tennessee job that same year, Barnes — who has been a head coach since 1987 — didn’t change his philosophy. He has always believed smart shots, suffocating defense at every spot on the floor and a bruising approach to rebounding were the keys to victory and long-term success. He has coupled that attitude with a recognition that playmakers win games at the highest level. He found Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier in the transfer portal in back-to-back years. This year, his Vols are the top offensive rebounding team in America. Nate Ament is a projected lottery pick. Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie has been Barnes’ most reliable addition. The formula has resulted in Tennessee’s third consecutive Elite Eight appearance.
Up next: vs. Michigan (Sunday, 2:15 p.m., CBS)
8. Iowa Hawkeyes
Original seed: No. 9 (South)
Tournament results: Def. No. 8 Clemson 67-61 (first round); def. No. 1 Florida 73-72 (round of 32); def. No. 4 Nebraska 77-71 (Sweet 16)
The 3-point line was introduced in Division I men’s basketball in the 1986-87 season by the NCAA’s rules committee. It was a wild idea at the time, from Ed Steitz, a member of the committee, whose research suggested it could revolutionize the game. That season, the Hawkeyes attempted 382 3-pointers — and made 39% of them. They went 5 for 11 from beyond the arc in their 93-91 Sweet 16 victory against Oklahoma that season. They’re now back in the Elite Eight for the first time in 39 years because they rediscovered the power of the 3. Ben McCollum’s group has already taken 818 shots from beyond the arc this season. Since March 11, nearly 50% of its field goal attempts have been 3s. It has made 37.4%, a top-40 mark nationally. Yes, the Sweet 16 win over Nebraska on Thursday was the result of the Hawkeyes’ resilience and second-half defense. But really, the only way they stayed close in the game was because of those 3s (13-for-30, 43%) — the same way the last Iowa team won this round.
Up next: vs. Illinois (Saturday, 6:09 p.m., TBS/truTV)
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