march madness

Dumb Shining Moment: Your 2017 NCAA Tournament Lowlight Reel

This year’s edition of Dumb Shining Moment features everybody’s favorite athletes; the men we paid money (to CBS sponsors) to see; the men who really ought to go pro in something other than sports.

North Carolina Takes Down Gonzaga To Win Sixth National Championship

After 40 tense, often ugly minutes of basketball, North Carolina defeated Gonzaga, 71-65, to win another national championship, their first since 2009. The game featured 44 fouls, a combined field goal percentage of 34.8, and a series of inexplicable late referee interventions. At one point, Gonzaga went over eight…

Bad Kentucky Fans Flood Referee's Business With Negative Reviews

As sports fans have come to find out over the years, many officials that work the NCAA regular season and postseason tournaments, like their NBA and NFL counterparts, are not solely referees. Outside of their duties on the court, the vast majority rely careers in other fields to make a living. Unless they’re fan…

De'Aaron Fox Took That One Hard

The thing about a game-winning buzzer-beater is that for all the elation it brings to the winning side, an equal amount of despair can be found in the losing locker room. As evidence, here is Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox speaking to reporters just after UNC’s Luke Maye ended his season:

Those Were A Very Rough Few Seconds For Kentucky Fans

UNC-Kentucky was a keeper, a big-name showdown in a tournament dominated by new faces, and a thrilling finish in a month nearly devoid of buzzer-beaters. Malik Monk’s game-tying three with 7.2 seconds remaining was met by Luke Maye’s winner with 0.3 left, and as you can imagine, it was quite the emotional swing for…

Columbus, Ohio Viewers Miss Entire Kentucky-UNC Finish Due To Tornado Warning

Columbus, Ohio CBS station WBNS went black for six minutes as its weather staff delivered ominous news of a tornado warning in Franklin and Madison counties. Those six minutes just happened to encompass the entirety of Malik Monk’s three to tie it up, and Luke Maye’s eventual winner for UNC (as well as the time out…

North Carolina Beats Kentucky In Incredible Finish [UPDATE]

North Carolina’s Luke Maye hit a jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to send the Tar Heels to the Final Four, just moments after Malik Monk drilled a desperation three to tie the game for Kentucky. Above, you can see the play and hear it as called on CBS, Westwood One radio, and on Russian television. It was a finish…

Trolled By The Cops

RUN!

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Sportswriters Whine About Kid Reporter Asking Legitimate Question At Press Conference

In South Carolina coach Frank Martin’s postgame press conference last night, preteen Sports Illustrated Kids reporter Max Bonnstetter asked an interesting and well-formulated question—one that, somehow, upset a handful of “adult” journalists:

Chris Chiozza Goes Coast-To-Coast, Hits Overtime Buzzer-Beater For Florida Win

It took us until the last game of the Sweet Sixteen, but we finally got the crazy ending we’ve been waiting for as Florida’s Chris Chiozza raced the length of the court in four seconds to hit a game-winning three-pointer and give his Gators squad an 84-83 win over Wisconsin. Zak Showalter, your time in the limelight…

Wisconsin's Zak Showalter Forces Overtime With Off-Balance Circus Three

Zak Showalter hit a miracle three with two seconds remaining to send his Wisconsin team to overtime against a Florida Gators squad that led throughout the second half. He followed it up with a certain branded signature gesture aimed at Aaron Rodgers, in attendance and rooting on the Badgers. Here’s how the call…

He Just Found Out Burrito Brothers Closed

There's No Stopping Trevon Bluiett

“We could not guard them,” said Arizona head coach Sean Miller after his second-seeded Wildcats were upset by No. 11 Xavier last night. One imagines that he was talking specifically about Xavier junior guard Trevon Bluiett.

By Design, The Sweet 16 Is Once Again Cinderella-Free

With Rhode Island’s three-point loss to a short-handed Oregon squad on Sunday night, the NCAA locked in its third consecutive mid-major-free Sweet 16 (Gonzaga is a national powerhouse and has been for 20 years, they don’t count.) Believe it or not, the last underdog, no-name team to break through to the second…

Lonzo Ball's Second-Half Performance Was Worth Staying Up For

Sunday was the fourth straight day with nothing but back-to-back great basketball games on the tube, with the slate kicking off at noon (if you’re on the East Coast) and finishing about 12 hours later, when UCLA put down Cincinnati to claim the final spot in the Sweet 16. If you tapped out before the final half of the…

Duke Is Dead And The East Region Is Suddenly Wide Open

When eight-seed Wisconsin exposed Villanova’s fatal flaw—the Wildcats had no big man to dissuade the large Badger boys from pounding the paint—the East suddenly became America’s new nightmare: it was officially Duke’s to lose. The Blue Devils had a clear (not easy) path to the Final Four, made all that much easier by…

NCAA Forces Writer To Delete Video Of Wichita State Coach's Rowdy Wife

Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall isn’t the only one in the family that can cause a scene, apparently.

South Carolina Does Nation Favor, Eliminates Duke

Duke was unable to handle the Gamecocks as South Carolina eliminated the second-seeded Blue Devils, 88-81.

Just Toss That Ham In The Frying Pan

*squeak*

Yes, "OHHHH!"

March Madness Refs Continue Run Of Stellar Accuracy In Late-Game Situations

Officials whistled Saint Mary’s Jordan Hunter for committing the foul of “being shoved in the back by an opponent.” It sealed a victory for Arizona, which moves on to face Xavier next week. The refs are really on a roll of excellence, folks.

Refs Botch Obvious Basket Interference Call, Penalize Northwestern Instead

Officials allowed Gonzaga to get away with a clear basket interference amidst a late, improbable Northwestern comeback—and when Chris Collins registered his dismay with the blown call, assessed the Wildcats head coach with a technical foul.

He Has To Go Back To His Job At ESPN On Monday

Verne Lundquist Taking A Basketball Square In The Face, In Extreme Slow Motion

Now that Vin Scully’s retired, Verne Lundquist reigns supreme as the patriarch of sports broadcasting. The CBS legend got a bit more into the game than usual, though, before today’s broadcast of the Notre Dame-WVU game in Buffalo. Ouch!

Seton Hall Boned By Terrible Flagrant Foul Ruling

Seton Hall was down 72-71 in the final 22 seconds of today’s game against Arkansas and had to foul to try and avoid losing, so Desi Rodriguez put his hands on Jaylen Barford to extend the game. Barford hit the floor hard, but given the situation, it didn’t seem malicious—and looked as if Barford sold it. After…

Oklahoma State Covers Thanks To Last-Second Three

Michigan beat Oklahoma State in what was one of the more entertaining games of the NCAA tournament’s first round. The Cowboys fought to the very end, getting quick buckets in the final minute and forcing Michigan to hit their free throws. Even after Michigan grabbed a four-point lead, Oklahoma State went down shooting:

Is Giving Away A Lead On Purpose With 15 Seconds Left Actually Good And Smart?

No.

It's Time for Jezebel's March Madness 2017: Childhood vs. Adulthood

I’m going to be honest: choosing a March Madness theme was a little tough this year because we are all feeling… a little more existential than usual. But the complicated tenor of our spirits was exactly how we landed on Childhood vs. Adulthood, resulting in perhaps one of the most joyous brackets we’ve ever had.

Plies Infiltrated The Florida Gulf Coast Band Last Night

Deadspin’s favorite life guru Plies took a break from dispensing wisdom on Instagram to take in yesterday’s NCAA tournament game between Florida State and Florida Gulf Coast. Fittingly, the musician found himself drawn to his fellow musicians and wound up in the center of the FGCU band: