Texas looks to defend national title at Men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

The road to a NCAA title in swimming and diving runs through University of Texas. It's the men's turn in Atlanta and the Longhorns are looking to go back-to-back in 2026.

The Texas men may not have the same NCAA title streak as theVirginia women, but they share something in common: a roster full of suffocating depth.

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TheSEC championLonghorns enter as defending national champions and sit atop the field heading leading into the week. Unlike recent years, the margin at the top is much wider. Based on seeds, Texas is slated to score 144 more points from individual swimming points alone.

If everything goes according to plan, the Longhorns should avoid another photo finish after winning the national title by just 19 points last year. Arizona State is the favorite to finish as national runner up, with Florida closely behind. Indiana, NC State, and California will all be vying for a top five finish.

Here are the biggest storylines leading into this week's competition:

Texas looks to Repeat

Head coach Bob Bowman has quickly helped Texas regain national prominence in men's collegiate swimming. After a down year in 2024, the Longhorns are back at the top of the sport. Adding another title would further cement that dominance.

Texas boasts strong relay depth, entering as the top seed in the 800 freestyle relay and holding top five seeds in three others. The Longhorns will have scoring versatility throughout the week throughout each of the strokes and distances.

A great example is the 400 IM where Texas holds the number one, four, and six seeded swimmers. Baylor Nelson, Cooper Lucas, and Rex Maurer have the potential to sweep the top of the podium in the event.

For Bowman a win would give the Texas head coach a third straight title. The legendary coach, best known for coaching Michael Phelps, wasthe first to win consecutive titles with two different schools(Arizona State 2024, Texas 2025). The win for Texas would be the program's 17th national championship.

Different from the women's meet, there will be a mix of relay talent, with Arizona State stealing the show. The Sun Devils broke theNCAA recordin the 400 freestyle relay at the Big 12 championships and have their sights set on another in the 200 freestyle relay. They also hold the top seed in the 400 medley relay, two tenths ahead of Texas.

Arizona State is seeded to score the most relay points leading into the week, which gives them the slight edge over Florida to finish as national runner up. However, the No. Gators are fresh off a great SEC showing, and have the firepower to challenge.

The Gators broke theNCAA recordin the 200 medley relay at the SEC Championships, and have sprint depth that stacks up well with the rest of the country.

Indiana, one of the strongest programs in both swimming and diving will be fighting to get back into the top three after winning afifth straight Big Ten title.

California will be a factor after placing as national runner-up in 2025, as they remain a perennial contender with one of the deepest rosters in the country. NC State will also join the tightly packed top tier of teams thanks to strong senior leadership and impressive freestyle relays.

Diving will play a critical role, with Texas, Indiana, Tennessee and others expecting to cash in on valuable points across all three diving events.

Stars to Monitor

The NCAA Men's Championships have a number of standout swimmers in 2026. The talent at this year's NCAA championships includes some of the best swimmers in the world, headlined byJosh Liendo,Hubert Kós, andIlya Kharun.

These three enter the meet as the premier all-around contributors, each bringing key experience and the ability to contend for NCAA titles in multiple events, while being relay main-stays for their respective programs.

Liendo will be one of the focal points in sprint freestyle and butterfly events. Entered in the 50 and 100 freestyle as well as the 100 butterfly, his range makes him one of the most valuable swimmers in the field. He will also play a major role in four of Florida's relays.

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The Florida senior is the returning champion and four time SEC gold medalist in the 100 butterfly. The box to check is Caeleb Dressel's NCAA record. Dressel stopped the clock in 42.80 seconds in 2018 and Liendo holds the second fastest time in history at 43.06.

Kós headlines the backstroke events and holds the NCAA record in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. His consistency makes him an x-factor for Texas, and his performances will be key to the Longhorns push for another team title. He also adds versatility that factors into medley relays.

Kharun is the favorite in the 200 butterfly, and will battle with Liendo in the 100 fly. He is also tied with Liendo for the top time in the country in the 50 freestyle. The Arizona State junior has the ability to challenge for titles in each while contributing heavily on Arizona State's relays.

One of the biggest storylines entering the meet is the absence of Georgia senior Luca Urlando, who willmiss the NCAA Championships due to injury. Urlando is one of the premier butterflyer'snot only in the U.S. but the world. Urlando is the NCAA record holder in the 200 butterfly, and would have been the favorite. His absence reshapes the event, removing one of its most experienced and dangerous competitors. With Urlando out, the 200 fly becomes more open at the top, and shifts the spotlight to Kharun.

The sprint freestyle fields are top tier, with Liendo and Kharun being tied as the top seed in the 50 free. Only four tenths of a second separate first through sixteenth place on the psych sheet. LSU's Jere Hribar leads the pack in the 100 free after breaking Liendo's meet record at SECs. He's followed by six swimmers who have broken 41 seconds, including Liendo and Tennessee's Gui Caribe. Caribe is seeded second after finishing in the top three the last two years.

Texas' Rex Maurer and Will Modglin are also top seeds and will be ones to watch throughout the week. Maurer is the defending champion in the 400 IM and 500 freestyle and Modglin broke the American record 100 backstroke earlier in the season.

Other names to watch include Indiana senior Zalansarky, who will be the favorite in distance freestyle and Texas junior Nate Germonprez in the breaststrokes.

Relays will also play a pivotal role in the team race. Texas, Florida, NC State and Arizona State bring star-studded lineups in each of the five relays.

When and where are the 2026 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships

Dates: Wednesday March 25-Saturday, March 28

• Location: McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia

The2026 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championshipswill start on Wednesday, March 25, and conclude on Saturday, March 28 .

This year's meet will be held at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which was originally built for theAtlanta 1996 Olympics.The meet will be streamed all week onESPN+.

Event Schedule

Wednesday, March 18 |Live results

Preliminaries: 10:00 am ET, Finals 6:00 pm ET

• 1650-yard freestyle (all but top eight seeds in prelims)

• 200-yard medley relay (all but top eight seeds in prelims)

• 800-yard freestyle relay (all but top eight seeds in prelims)

Thursday, March 19 |Live results

Preliminaries: 10:00 am ET, Finals 6:00 pm ET

• 100-yard butterfly

• 400-yard individual medley

• 200-yard freestyle

• 100-yard breaststroke

• 200-yard freestyle relay

• One-meter diving

Friday, March 20 |Live results

Preliminaries: 10:00 am ET, Finals 6:00 pm ET

• 100-yard backstroke

• 200-yard breaststroke

• 500-yard freestyle

• 50-yard freestyle

• 400-yard medley relay

• Three-meter diving

Saturday, March 21 |Live results

Preliminaries: 10:00 am ET, Finals 6:00 pm ET

• 200-yard individual medley

• 100-yard freestyle

• 200-yard butterfly

• 200-yard backstroke

• 400-yard freestyle relay

• Platform diving

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 25, 2026

Texas looks to defend national title at Men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

The road to a NCAA title in swimming and diving runs through University of Texas. It's the men's turn in Atlanta ...

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Puka Nacua's attorney denies woman's claim that Rams WR made antisemitic comment, downplays biting allegation

An attorney representing Puka Nacua has denied a woman's claim that the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver made a profanely antisemitic statement, and also reportedly downplayed a bite mark he left on her.

As reported by TMZ, the woman made her claims in a rejected application for a temporary restraining order over an alleged incident on Dec. 31 during a group outing in L.A.'s Century City neighborhood.

She reportedly claims that during dinner, Nacua said "f*** all the Jews," which was allegedly the "first act in what became an escalating course of rude or vulgar, threatening, violent, and harassing conduct."

Nacua's attorney, Levi McCathern, reportedly said the claim is false and that he's spoken to witnesses who didn't hear Nacua make the antisemitic statement.

After eating, the woman claims she and her friend got into a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van with Nacua and others, at which point Nacua allegedly got "touchy-feely." Per TMZ, she alleges Nacua then "dropped his head into [her] girlfriend's lap and crotch area and bit her thumb so forcefully that she screamed in acute pain." Subsequently, she says he bit her on the left shoulder, breaking skin and leaving a substantial bite mark.

TMZ has a picture of the bite mark from the TRO request. The day after the incident, the woman says she went to the police and filed an incident report.

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McCathern reportedly didn't deny that bite mark was from his client, but instead painted it as the result of "some horseplay."

A judge in Los Angeles rejected the request for a temporary restraining order, but a hearing is scheduled for April 14.

After the initial TMZ report, McCathernreleased a statementfurther criticizing the woman's version of events and vowing to file a defamation lawsuit against her.

The allegations are the latest off-field development for Nacua, who ended the previous NFL season with a spate of negative stories. Most notable was whenhe found himself apologizingfor going on a live stream on Dec. 16 and, among other things,promising to do an antisemitic touchdown dance.

That would have been 15 days before the night the woman claims he made the antisemitic statement.

All of this also arrives as Nacua awaits his first large contract with the Rams. He is due to hit free agency after the 2026 season, and is likely to be seeking a contract rivalingfellow wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba's $42 million-per-year extension with the Seattle Seahawks.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 25, 2026

Puka Nacua's attorney denies woman's claim that Rams WR made antisemitic comment, downplays biting allegation

An attorney representing Puka Nacua has denied a woman's claim that the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver made a profane...

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10 players who will decide who wins March Madness: Azzi Fudd leads way

Star players can make or break March Madness.

The2026 Women's NCAA Tournamentis down to the Sweet 16 and four victories is all that separates one team from hoisting the national championship trophy on Sunday, April 5. To win out, teams will rely on their best players to lead the charge.

Will Azzi Fudd lead the UConn Huskies to back-to-back titles for the first time since the program's four-peat from 2013-16? Will No. 1 UCLA finally get over the hump and win its first title? Can No. 10 Virginia continue to shock the world?

USA TODAY Sports has followed along with every upset, buzzer-beater and matchup from the 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament. Here are the 10 players who will ultimately decide who wins March Madness, split up by each regional bracket.

The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

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See women's March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the2026 NCAA Women's March MadnessSecond Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

Fort Worth 1 bracket

UConn guard Azzi Fudd

UConn has an embarrassment of riches, including senior guard Azzi Fudd. She was limited to nine points in UConn's first-round win over No. 16 UTSA, but got out of her "slump" in the Huskies' second-round rout of No. 9 Syracuse. She tied her career-high in points (34) and 3-pointers (8) after trimming her nails at the advice of head coach Geno Auriemma. (You read that right.) He told her to "file your nails down and be nicer to the ball and it will be nicer to you,'" Fuddrecalled. "And I did. I guess it worked."

Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes

The Commodores are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009, thanks in no small part to Mikayla Blakes. The sophomore guard recorded her second career double-double in No. 2 Vanderbilt's 75-57 win over No. 7 Illinois and was one assist short of a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. With the performance, Blakes (891 points) passed Aari McDonald (890) to become the NCAA's all-time sophomore leading scorer. Head coach Shea Ralph summed it up best: "We are witnessing a generational player. ... She's the nicest kid on the planet and will come out on the court and absolutely rip your heart out of your chest in a bunch of different ways, and you'll still want to give her a hug after."

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo

What can't Hannah Hidalgo do? The junior guard led No. 6 Notre Dame to an 83-73 upset win over No. 3 Ohio State to punch the Fighting Irish's ticket to the Sweet 16 for the fifth consecutive season. Hidalgo finished two steals short of a triple-double with 26 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and eight steals. Hidalgo has scored 20 or more points in nine straight games. With the performance, Hidalgo passed Arike Ogunbowale (849) for the Notre Dame single-season scoring record with 856 points and counting. She also holds the single-season records for steals (189) and points per game (25.2).

Sacramento 2 bracket

UCLA center Lauren Betts

UCLA women's basketballreached the 30-win mark in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. The Bruins have another milestone in mind —  the program's first national tile. Lauren Betts is leading the charge with a career-best performance in UCLA's second-round win over No. 8 Oklahoma State to punch the Bruins' ticket to the Sweet 16 for the fourth season in a row. Betts recorded a career-high 35 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the win. She's averaging 28.5 points in two games, more than 10 points over her season average.

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LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson

Senior guard Flau'jae Johnson has reached the Elite Eight in her first three seasons under Kim Mulkey, with the Tigers going all the way and winning a national championship in 2023. Johnson's one win away from making the Elite Eight again. She's upped her season scoring average to 22 points per game through the first two rounds and left the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the winningest player at home in LSU Basketball history, men's or women's, with 69 wins and only four losses.

Fort Worth 3 bracket

Texas forward Madison Booker

Madison Booker entered March Madness on a mission. Head coach Vic Schaefer challenged Booker to take on a bigger role offensively and pushed her to hunt her shot. The aggressive approach has paid instant dividends. Booker scored a career-high 40 points in Texas' 100-58 win over No. 8 Oregon in the second round. She rounded out her stat line with eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and no turnovers, which she was especially proud of. Booker's 40 points set a Texas single-game NCAA Tournament record. Watch out.

Michigan guard Syla Swords

Michigan is set to make its third Sweet 16 appearance in program history. Sophomore guard Syla Swords will be key if the Wolverines want to advance to the Elite Eight for the second time ever. Swords is scoring above her season average, with an average of 19.5 points per game. She surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career following her 26-point performance against No. 7 NC State, where she hit 4-of-10 3-pointers. Swords' 80 made 3-pointers this season leads the team.

Sacramento 4 bracket

South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards

Joyce Edwards has been all the difference for the Gamecocks. The sophomore seamlessly slid into the starting lineup this season and has led the team in scoring, a trend she's continued into March Madness. Edwards is averaging a near double-double in the tournament, with an average of 25 points and nine rebounds across two games.

Virginia guard Kymora Johnson

Virginia emerged as a Cinderella team as the lone double-digit seed remaining after the Cavaliers became the first First Four team to advance to the Sweet 16. Kymora Johnson stepped up when her team needed her most on Monday and scored 14 of her 28 points in overtime to securea double-overtime upset over No. 2 Iowa, 83-75. It marked the Cavaliers' second consecutive overtime thriller. Johnson knocked down five 3-pointers to tie for the second most by a Cavalier in an NCAA Tournament game in the team's 82-73 overtime upset of No. 7 Georgia.

TCU guard Olivia Miles

TCU's offense starts and ends with Olivia Miles. She recorded 12 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and a program-record 14 assists inTCU's 86-40 blowout win over No. 14 UC San Diegoin the first round. She finished two assists short of another triple-double in the Horned Frogs' comeback, overtime win over Washington with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Miles gets her teammates going and she must do it early and often in the Sweet 16. TCU cannot afford another slow start against a red-hot Virginia team.

Reach USA TODAY National Women's Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who wins March Madness? These 10 players will be the deciders

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 25, 2026

10 players who will decide who wins March Madness: Azzi Fudd leads way

Star players can make or break March Madness. The2026 Women's NCAA Tournamentis down to the Sweet 16 and fo...

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A victory ‘for decades’? Netanyahu’s promise after June strikes proved hollow, but Israelis still support Iran war

The opening strikes of the war with Iran shouldn't have been necessary if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to be taken at his word.

After the12-day war with Iranin June, Netanyahu declared unequivocal victory. Israel had "removed two existential threats," eliminating Iran's ballistic missiles and its nuclear program.

"This victory," he told Israelis last summer, "will stand for decades."

Those decades ended eight months later. On February 28, the US and Israel launched the first strikes of a war that has now reached its 26th day, more than twice as long as the conflict in June. The US calls it Epic Fury. Israel has dubbed it Roaring Lion.

Whatever the name, it is a war with no clear end in sight even if US President Donald Trump hailed "productive" talks Monday aimed at ending hostilities

And yet, Netanyahu has already declared victory again.

"We are winning, and Iran is decapitated," he said at a press conference last Thursday.

Seventy-two hours later, two Iranian ballistic missiles slammed into cities in southern Israel, registering direct hits that pierced the country's layered missile defense. One of the missileshit the city of Dimonanear Israel's main nuclear research center.

When the joint campaign opened with surprise strikes thatkilled Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneiand other top officials, Israel's leadership was confident and optimistic, boasting about destroying Iran's military capabilities and disrupting its command and control. By every metric, this war with Iran has surpassed the last one.

And yet Iran is still firing, maintaining daily ballistic missile, drone and rocket attacks on Israel and Gulf states. More than 350 Iranian ballistic missiles have been launched at Israel since February 28, sending millions of Israelis into shelters every day.

"It's Russian roulette, and living in this country is Russian roulette," Aviad, who chose not to use his last name, told CNN from Tel Aviv hours after a cluster munition hit several sites in central Israel on Sunday.

Fifteen civilians have been killed by Iranian missiles in Israel since the war began, and four more in the occupied West Bank, a tiny fraction of the number killed in Iran and Lebanon. The twin strikes on Saturday night wounded more than 150 Israelis, the largest single-day injury tally. Iranian salvos continued to strike the country on Monday and Tuesday, even after Trump declared that the US is engaging in diplomacy with Iran. One ballistic missile, containing 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of explosives, caused significant damage to properties in Tel Aviv, injuring four people, in another failed interception attempt.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the failure to intercept the missiles was not systemic, pointing to a 92% shoot-down rate.

Theextensive use of Iranian cluster munitions, however, has inflicted damage all around the country, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of Israeli aerial defense systems. Although Israel's Arrow 3 or David's Sling interceptors can take out a ballistic missile with a single warhead, the cluster warheads break up into scores of bomblets. They are far less deadly – and far harder to intercept.

"If it fails and we are in a safe room, we are totally safe," Jennifer Hassan Smith, 52, told CNN. "Nothing in this world is perfect, including the air defense system. It is expected there will be occasional casualties or imperfections. The military draws conclusions and learns lessons, and I hope there will be fewer casualties in the future."

For now, Israeli public support for the war holds. A Channel 12 poll last weekend indicated that 66% of Israelis were satisfied with the war's achievements – including 55% of voters who oppose Netanyahu. After two and a half years of continuous conflict, stretching from the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack from Gaza, through Lebanon and now two Iranian campaigns, Israeli society appears to have become inured to a state of permanent war.

Whether that adaptation has limits seems to be one of the strategic questions on which Tehran is betting, a former Israeli official told CNN. "The Iranians are stretching the rubber band and betting it will tear on Israel and the Gulf states' side before it tears on theirs," the official told CNN.

Ofer Shelach, a senior research fellow at the Israeli Institute of National Security studies, does not believe Israel's resilience will break. "The Iranian strategy of attrition is calculated and cool blooded, however it is not designed to exhaust the Israeli home front, but rather it's much more focused on Gulf states," Shelach told CNN. "The Israeli home front is exhausted and tired, but it is not worn out. It is standing."

On Sunday, Israel's Transportation Ministry announced it will cut outgoing flights to one per hour with only 50 passengers on board. After the strikes in Dimona and Arad, Israel once again tightened restrictions around in-class learning in the country's south, keeping students in virtual class for longer.

With support for the war in Iran so high, experts who track Israeli public opinion believe patience with the operation is unlikely to falter anytime soon, even as the global economic effects of the war are felt domestically. But support is not indefinite.

"The Iranian threat is dramatic enough for the Israelis to continue to suffer for it," said Shmuel Rosner, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Police Institute who follows public opinion. "The problem is not the suffering, but only the question of whether Israelis believe that the purpose and goals of the war are achievable – and that is where we see the beginning of a trend. In the early days, everyone was sure that it would change the Middle East, and over time, doubts naturally arise."

Netanyahu's critics do not see the Iran war as an isolated event but rather the latest episode in a familiar pattern. Similar victory declarations followed the military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, all framed as turning points restoring Israel's deterrence and regional balance.

"This is a prime minister who refuses to pair military action with strategic planning," a former security official told CNN. "He refused to discuss any Gaza day-after plan, never consolidated the Lebanon November 2024 ceasefire, and described the 12-day war (in June) as a massive success. Eight months later we are back in the same loop – it's clear that it was only a bandage."

Netanyahu's message remains unchanged. Visiting the site of the Dimona strike on Sunday, he made the same victory promise once again. "The war will continue until we win."

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byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 25, 2026

A victory ‘for decades’? Netanyahu’s promise after June strikes proved hollow, but Israelis still support Iran war

The opening strikes of the war with Iran shouldn't have been necessary if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu i...

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Hubert Davis fired as North Carolina coach

A first-round NCAA Tournament collapse marked the end for Hubert Davis as North Carolina's coach, as the school fired him Tuesday night.

"We appreciate all that Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader -- he has helped make special memories we will never forget," North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. "This was not an easy decision because of Hubert's tremendous character and all he has given to the program, but we must move forward in a way that allows our team to compete more consistently at an elite level."

Davis said in a statement, "Tonight I was let go by the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. My desire was to continue to coach here. ... My goal is to coach again in the very near future."

Davis, who played for the program from 1988-92 and served as an assistant coach from 2012-21, is owed $5.3 million on the remaining portion of his contract, according to multiple reports.

The eighth-seeded Tar Heels led VCU by 19 points in the second half on Thursday in Greenville, S.C., before the 11th-seeded Rams rallied for an 82-78 overtime win.

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The result left North Carolina with a 24-9 mark on the season. The Tar Heels tied for fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season with a 12-6 record, highlighted by a 71-68 home victory over archrival Duke on Feb. 7.

North Carolina bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the Round of 64 for the second year. In 2025, the Tar Heels got past San Diego State in a First Four game, then lost as an 11th seed to sixth-seeded Ole Miss 71-64.

Davis achieved his best results in his first season on the job after taking over at his alma mater following Roy Williams' retirement. The Tar Heels went 29-10 in 2021-22, reaching the NCAA championship game before falling to Kansas.

North Carolina didn't make the NCAA field the next year, then reached the Sweet 16 in 2024.

Overall, Davis posted a 125-54 mark, including a 68-30 record in ACC games.

--Field Level Media

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 25, 2026

Hubert Davis fired as North Carolina coach

A first-round NCAA Tournament collapse marked the end for Hubert Davis as North Carolina's coach, as the school fi...

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Barcelona takes on Spanish rival Real Madrid in Women's Champions League quarterfinals

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid will try to close in on a first semifinal appearance in theWomen's Champions Leaguewhen it hosts three-time champion Barcelona in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Britain Women's Champions League Soccer

Manchester United will make its debut in the last eight against Bayern Munich.

Barcelona will try to make it to a record-extending eighth consecutive semifinal appearance, and a sixth straight final in the competition that it has dominated in recent years.

The Catalan club is playing in its 11th straight quarterfinal and seeks to reclaim the title it lost to Arsenal last season. Barcelona topped the league phase with an unbeaten campaign that included 20 goals scored and three against.

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Madrid, in its second consecutive quarterfinal, was eliminated by Arsenal in the last eight last season. If finished seventh in the league phase.

Man United has been thriving in its first European experience since a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in qualifying in the 2023-24 season. Bayern recovered from a 7-1 loss at Barcelona at the start of the league phase to finish fourth and qualify for the quarterfinals for the eighth time in 10 seasons.

On Tuesday, Arsenal defeated English rival Chelsea 3-1 in their first leg of the quarterfinals. Wolfsburg took a 1-0 lead over record eight-time champion Lyon in a meeting of two of the competition's most storied names.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 25, 2026

Barcelona takes on Spanish rival Real Madrid in Women's Champions League quarterfinals

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid will try to close in on a first semifinal appearance in theWomen's Champions Leaguewhen it ...

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6 DFS Fantasy Golf Picks for the Texas Children's Houston Open

Before the PGA TOUR heads to Augusta for TheMasters, the Texas swing kicks off with the Texas Children's Houston Open at Memorial Park. This long par-70 layout favors distance off the tee, with minimal rough and limited hazards allowing bombers to take advantage.

With a 133-player field and a top-65 cut (plus ties), finding the right DFS value is key. Course history matters here, and strong iron play and putting have consistently led to success. With big greens, tricky runoffs, and scoring opportunities on par 3s and 4s, targeting the right skill sets is crucial. These six DFS picks are built to capitalize on Memorial Park's unique layout and deliver strong lineup upside.

This article reveals my favorite target at each price level on DraftKings. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.

Chris Gotterup ($9,800)

Gotterup's power game fits Memorial Park perfectly, where distance is a major advantage. He's one of the longest hitters on Tour and has already shown winning upside this season. He's also had success on similar setups, including a solid finish here before. If he's swinging freely, this course gives him plenty of chances to score and deliver strong DFS value.

Brooks Koepka ($9,600)

Koepka's ball-striking has been sharp lately, and the putting is trending in the right direction. He's also very comfortable at Memorial Park after helping redesign the course with Tom Doak, giving him a unique edge. The layout fits his game well, especially off the tee and on approach. If he avoids the big mistakes, the upside is there for a strong DFS performance.

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Michael Thorbjornsen ($8,600)

Thorbjornsen's power off the tee is a perfect fit for Memorial Park, where distance is a major advantage. He's shown he can contend in big spots and keeps putting himself in position to break through. With fewer demands on wedge play and more emphasis on driving and scrambling, this setup plays to his strengths. If he keeps trending upward, the upside for a strong DFS performance is definitely there.

Stephan Jaeger ($7,800)

Jaeger has a proven track record at Memorial Park, including a win in 2024 and multiple top-15 finishes, making this a great spot for him. His length off the tee and strong putting fit the course perfectly, and he's coming in with solid recent form after a T7 finish last week. With a game that matches the layout and confidence on this track, he offers both safety and upside for DFS lineups.

Jordan Smith ($7,400)

He's trending in the right direction with elite ball-striking and a breakout showing at Valspar, where he led the field in greens in regulation. His strength off the tee and on approach fits Memorial Park perfectly, a course that rewards strong drivers. He's proven he can compete at a high level and offers great DFS value. If the irons stay sharp, the upside is definitely there this week.

Seonghyeon Kim ($6,900)

Kim is coming in with solid momentum after a well-rounded T7 at Valspar, where he showed off improved putting and all-around scoring. He's been sharp across the board, ranking well in approach, birdies and around-the-green play. While his course history at Memorial Park is modest, his current form stands out. If the putter stays hot, he offers strong DFS value with the ability to quietly climb the leaderboard.

This story was originally published byAthlon Sportson Mar 25, 2026, where it first appeared in theSports Bettingsection. Add Athlon Sports as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 25, 2026

6 DFS Fantasy Golf Picks for the Texas Children's Houston Open

Before the PGA TOUR heads to Augusta for TheMasters, the Texas swing kicks off with the Texas Children's Houston Open...

Read More