Photo: Gareth Patterson/AP It's not a secret. For the last few years, load management has been one of the NBA’s biggest plagues, frustrating realities for fans and players. On one hand, it’s become more and more common to see stars sit out marquee matchups with injuries that, in the eyes of many fans, high schoolers would easily play through. On the flip side, the league has been forced to confront an uncomfortable truth: the 82-game regular season may be taking a real toll o

by Elias Meredith Sportz Nation - 4/7/2026 Photo by Abbie Parr/AP Photo Monday night, the NCAA National Championship Game was played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Dusty May-led Michigan Wolverines has his club in the NCAA national title game for the first time since 1989. Unlike Michigan, their opponent has some experience in the final game of the season. The UConn Huskies are not new to the biggest stage in college basketball. The Huskies are in the thir

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/6/2026 Graphic by Hoops HQ Tonight will crown another National Champion in College Basketball between the Michigan Wolverines and Connecticut Huskies. The Wolverines are 7-point favorites as of the morning of the game even though the Huskies will be competing for their 3rd Championship in the last 4 years; having won in 2023 and 2024. Michigan Michigan has been rolling since the First Round and all the way through the Final Four when they beat

By Elias Meredith Sportz Nation - 4/6/2026 2 UCONN VS 3 ILLINOIS Photo by Abbie Parr/AP Photo On Saturday evening, the UConn Huskies looked for their third NCAA championship appearance in the last four years. They would take on one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, the Illinois Fighting Illini at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dan Hurley’s Huskies would outlast Brad Underwood’s Fighting Illini en route to the national title game. The Huskies were le

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen Sportz Nation - 4/3/2026 Graphic courtesy of UFC via UFC.com In our Fight Night Adesanya vs Pyfer Predictions where you can find here , Zak went 3-3 in picks with 1 correct method for a total of 4 points. Matt went 1-5 in picks with 0 correct methods for a total of 1 point. Points to Date: Zak: 58 (39-17) Matt: 48 (33-23) *All odds are courtesy of Caesar's Sportsbook on 4/3 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 Renato Moicano vs Chris

by Joel Piton Sportz Nation - 4/3/2026 Photo: Michael Conroy/AP Another year, another champion—but in women’s college basketball, the path to the top has looked a little different. While the chaos and unpredictability of March are still very real, the last decade has been defined more by sustained excellence rather than surprise runs. Powerhouses have stayed powerful, dynasties have taken shape, and the sport’s biggest names have consistently delivered on the biggest stage ju

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/2/2026 Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/ Imagn Images 1. David Bailey 6'4" - 251 lbs Texas Tech Big Board Rank: 3 Pro Comparison: Souped-Up Jared Verse Bailey checks off all of my boxes for an NFL rusher and is the most ready prospect for the next level at current day. Bailey doesn't have elite strength but his twitch, explosiveness, hands and agility are already at an NFL-level. Bailey has fallen out with some teams in the NFL and may go as low as 1

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/1/2026 Photo by Ashley Landis/ Associated Press Reds Series Opening Day is always magical for the sport of baseball but it gets a little bit more special when the Red Sox win. For the first game, the Red Sox trotted out Garrett Crochet and he did Garrett Crochet things, like striking out 8 in 6 innings of scoreless baseball. What we'll see as we go on is that those 6 innings were the last time the Sox looked good even remotely. The Sox would w

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/31/2026 Photo by Matt Pendleton/ Gainesville Sun 1. Caleb Banks 6'6" - 327 lbs Florida Big Board Rank: 18 Player Comparison: Jordan Davis It took me a long time to say that Banks is the better prospetc than Woods in this class but I'm confident now. Banks has the ability to be a brick wall in the middle of the line with his size and strength but his athletic upside is what rose him up my board. Like Peter Woods and most of this group, Banks d

by Joel Piton Sportz Nation - 3/27/2026 Photo: Reed Milligan/AP Another year, another champion soon to be crowned—but not every title run carries the same weight. Some teams were clear favorites come summertime, and dominated from November to April leaving no doubt. Other teams started off as underdogs and caught fire at the right time, riding the chaos of March to etch their name into history. But how good were these teams really ? We’re going to take a step back and evaluat

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen Sportz Nation - 3/30/2026 Photo by Steven Bisig/ Imagn Images Joe Pyfer vs Anthony Hernandez Zak Drapeau - Pyfer started his fight with Izzy slow but showed us all what he's capable of with devastating power and controlled grappling. Now it's time for him to get another Top-5 fight where a lot more will be on the line. I have him against Fluffy next as a more complete fighter than Izzy and one still in his prime. Hernandez's grappling will be a g

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/30/2026 Photo by Patrick Smith/ Getty Imgaes UConn vs Illinois (Ill -130) After one of the greatest buzzer beaters in NCAA Tournament history, (And that's saying something...) the Connecticut Huskies are making their 3rd Final Four appearance in 4 years to face Illinois. Illinois is making their first Final Four appearance since 2005 when they lost in the National Championship. They are also in the middle of their 6th straight Tournament run

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/30/2026 Positions of Need : Tackle Wide Receiver Edge Rusher Defensive Tackle Draft Picks : Round 1 (31) Round 2 (63) Round 3 (95) Round 4 (125) Round 4 (131) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Pick #31 Photo by Jerome Miron/ Imagn Images (What They Should Do) - Draft Best Player Available of WR, OT, Edge or DT (What They Will Probably Do) - Draft Edge or DT (Prospects That Make Sense) - T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson - Denzel Boston, WR, Washing

by Elias Meredith 3/30/26 Sportz Nation SATURDAY: 3 ILLINOIS VS 9 IOWA Photo by Ashley Landis/AP Photo Saturday night, the Iowa Hawkeyes traveled to Houston, Texas to keep their underdog story alive against the Illinois Fighting Illini. They just came off one of the biggest wins in Iowa basketball history, defeating the defending champion Florida Gators in the Sweet 16. Iowa looked to transfer that momentum to their Elite Eight matchup, but Illinois had other plans. Illinois

Photo graphic found via suzukacircuit.jp An electric atmosphere, an iconic track, and an unforgettable weekend; these just scratch the surface of what Suzuka, Japan brings to the Formula One calendar. Not only that, but more and more controversy has sprung up already this weekend. Qualifying as a whole keeps getting worse and drivers are more furious than ever, with fans upset about the inability for cars to take corners like they used to. With all that said, we did get an in

by Elias Meredith Sportz Nation - 3/28/26 THURSDAY: 11 TEXAS vs 2 PURDUE Photo by Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo After a dominant first two rounds, the Purdue Boilermakers faced their first test of the tournament. The inspired Texas Longhorns gave Purdue a run for their money, but the veteran Boilermakers overcame a great performance by senior guard Tramon Mark to defeat the Longhorns 79-77. Senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn notched his second 20+ point game of the tournament

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen Sportz Nation - 3/27/2026 Photo by Mat Hayward/ Getty Images In our Fight Night Evloev v Murphy Predictions where you can find here , Zak went 4-2 in picks with 2 correct methods for a total of 6 points. Matt also went 3-3 in picks with 0 correct methods for a total of 3 points. Points to Date: Zak: 54 (36-14) Matt: 47 (32-18) *All odds are courtesy of Caesar's Sportsbook on 3/27 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 Israel Adesanya vs 14 Joe

by Joel Piton Sportz Nation - 3/27/2026 Photo: Greg Dunes/GettyImages What happens to someone who peaks at the collegiate level? Every college basketball season produces a scoring king—a player who can’t be stopped, filling it up night after night and etching their name at the top of the NCAA leaderboard. But do each of these guys go on to have successful pro careers? For some players, college is a springboard to NBA stardom. For others, the journey takes an unexpected turn a

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/26/2026 Photo by Ericka Apolskis/ Onward State 1. Olaivavega Ioane 6'4" - 320 lbs Penn State Big Board Rank: 16 Pro Comparison: Robert Hunt "Vega" Ioane is the best run blocker of the class while also having the technical ability and physical traits to be a future All-Pro. At 6'4" and 320+ pounds, Vega is a bit rigid and it will show sometime when having to battle more finesse rushers, but his pass blocking is still solid if not very good. Ve

Photo credit to Sports Seriously via USA Today With the first two rounds of the 2026 NCAAWB Tournament in the books, we have had our fair share of dominance as well as upsets. Intriguing matchups fill the brackets, with the unpredictability of each game shining through in its own unique way. Yet, who are the biggest teams to watch? Who is on upset alert? Here are the five teams I will be watching closely with a trip to the Elite 8 on the line. Virginia Cavaliers Photo credi