morning, making a post on social media as he reflected on his 13-year career. Griffin posted on both Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter), where he expressed his gratitude for being able to play basketball at the highest level, while also thanking his family and agent who helped him along the way.
“I never envisioned myself as the guy who would have a ‘letter to basketball’ retirement announcement…and I’m still not going to be that guy. But as I reflected on my career, the one feeling I kept coming back to and the one thing wanted to express was thankfulness.
“I’m thankful for every single moment — not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks, and the memorable times spent with family, friends, fans, teammates, and coaches. I could continue on about the people in my life who have contributed immensely to my career, but in this short non-letter, I have to acknowledge my parents, Tommy and Gail, and my brother, Taylor, for their unconditional support and guidance. Lastly, my agent Sam Goldfeder, who has been a steadfast voice of reason and my wartime consigliere — thank you.”
Griffin was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, but didn’t play his rookie season until the following year due to a stress fracture he suffered in his knee in L.A.’s final preseason game. When Griffin returned healthy for the 2010-11 season, he immediately made an impact, averaging 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and shooting 50.6% from the field. He earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2011 and was also named an All-Star, becoming the first rookie to earn that honor since Yao Ming did it in 2003. He was also the first rookie voted to the All-Star squad as a reserve since Tim Duncan in 1998. Griffin also won the Dunk Contest during the 2011 All-Star Weekend, showing off what would be a long career filled with otherworldly athleticism.
In the eight seasons Griffin played with the Clippers, he was an All-Star five times, earned All-NBA honors four times, and finished in the top-3 of MVP votes once. He was at the core of the Clippers’ electrifying “Lob City” rosters in the mid-2010s, which also featured Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, Jamal Crawford and JJ Redick. Those teams consistently made the postseason, and while they never won a championship, it was certainly one of the most memorable eras of Clippers basketball.
Griffin was traded to the Pistons during the 2017-18 season, and in three seasons with the team, he continued to show that he could be a dominant scorer and rebounder. He earned an All-Star nod with the Pistons and All-NBA Third Team honors during the 2018-19 season.
When healthy, Griffin was one of the most dominant forwards during his era, and his elite athleticism was constantly on display. However, injuries did zap away some of those jaw-dropping dunks as the years went on, which Griffin was also thankful for in his retirement letter.
“I am equally thankful for the not-so-good moments: the losses, the injuries, the way too many surgeries, the lessons, the heartbreaks, and it wouldn’t be sports retirement letter without acknowledging the “haters.” All of these experiences made my 14 years in the league truly unforgettable, and I can’t help but to just feel thankful.”
Griffin ended his career by playing two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets from 2020-22, followed by a season with the Boston Celtics for the 2022-23 season. In his last season with the Celtics, he appeared in 41 games and averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds.
“The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Last but certainly not least, here comes the obligatory ‘I’m excited for my next chapter’ part: just kidding, I’m done.”
Prior to the NBA, Griffin had a standout collegiate career at Oklahoma, where he averaged 18.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists over two seasons. He was named National Player of the Year in 2009 and led Oklahoma to the Elite Eight in his sophomore season. In 2016, the Sooners retired Griffin’s No. 23 jersey.
The NBA postseason has arrived, and this week brings win-or-go-home basketball back to our lives. Before the 2024 NBA playoffs begin in earnest on Saturday, we need to figure out the final two teams on each side of the bracket. That brings us to the Play-In Tournament. Eight teams enter. Four will make the playoffs. Four will be heading home.
Play-In Tournament action starts Tuesday night with Pelicans vs. Lakers and Kings vs. Warriors in the West. It’s the East’s turn on Wednesday with 76ers vs. Heat and Bulls vs. Hawks. Pelicans-Lakers and 76ers-Heat are both win-and-get-in games as the victors will secure the No. 7 seeds in their respective conferences. The losers of those games will face the winners of the No. 9/10 games on Friday with the No. 8 seeds on the line. Got it? Good.
Before the postseason action tips off, we here at CBS Sports have made our picks for every Play-In Tournament game this week. Let’s get to the predictions.
Botkin: I’ve watched sports too long to not see a trap game when it shoots up. This is a trap game. Everyone is picking the Lakers because of what they have done to the Pelicans this season in one-game scenarios — first in the In-Season Tournament semifinal and then on the last day of the regular season with major seed implications for both teams. So in a pure gut call, give me the Pelicans.
Herbert: I don’t think the Lakers are the better team, exactly, but this has been a horrible matchup for New Orleans this season. I expect it to be closer than the regular-season finale, though.
Maloney: Anthony Davis’ spasms situation does make me a bit hesitant, but this has just been a bad matchup for the Pelicans all season long. Even at this stage of LeBron James’ career, there’s few players I’d trust more in a one-game situation.
Quinn: The initial fear of Anthony Davis’ back made the Pelicans a tempting pick, but as the Lakers are optimistic that he will play, they have to be the pick in this one. They’ve blown the Pelicans out three times this season. Twice have been in relatively big games: Sunday’s regular-season finale and the In-Season Tournament semifinals. Until New Orleans proves it can beat Los Angeles in a big game, I’m trusting the track record.
Ward-Henninger: I know the Lakers just beat them, but New Orleans was welcoming Brandon Ingram back into the fold and coming off a long and successful road trip. This will be Zion Williamson’s postseason coming out party, and the Lakers defense outside of Anthony Davis just hasn’t been good enough to offer significant resistance.
Wimbish: This is going to be a close one, but I just don’t think the Pelicans can slow LeBron James, even with how awesome they’ve been this season. It’s a tough draw because Zion Williamson has been playing some tremendous basketball this season. Anthony Davis’ status being up in the air is a concern, and if he’s out then I’d lean the other way on this matchup.
Botkin: End of the road for the Warriors, who will be without Gary Payton II — their best defensive option on De’Aaron Fox. I think Domantas Sabonis has a huge game as something of a makeup for Sacramento’s first-round loss last season when Golden State made him look pretty pedestrian, which he’ll have to do without Malik Monk and Kevin Heurter. In what feels like a pick ’em game, I’ll go with the home court.
Herbert: While Golden State might have found itself toward the end of the regular season, Sacramento lost two important parts of its rotation. The Gary Payton II injury worries me, but not enough to pick the more severely shorthanded Kings.
Maloney: The Kings have faded down the stretch without Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, and if this was a series I would pick the Warriors. This is a one-off situation at home, however, and the Kings will have extra motivation after the Warriors eliminated them from the playoffs last season. This is a gut pick that the Kings find a way to get it done.
Quinn: If the Kings were at full strength, they’d be the pick. They aren’t. Their offense has just lost too much with the injuries too Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter to keep up with Stephen Curry in a win-or-go-home game. Sacramento’s defense has admirably picked up the slack lately, but if the healthy Kings couldn’t beat the Warriors a year ago, the hobbled Kings won’t now.
Ward-Henninger: The Kings are shorthanded and overall the Warriors have been playing excellent basketball for a couple of months now. Steph Curry loves playing in Sacramento, and this should be no exception.
Wimbish: know the Warriors have not looked like a team that you’d want to place money on this season, but call me a fool because I just think they win this one. The Kings will be without Malik Monk, which is a significant blow, and Golden State has quietly been playing better basketball as of late. There’s also the Steph Curry of it all, and he feels about as inevitable in the postseason as Thanos was with the infinity gauntlet.
Botkin: Joel Embiid being back and looking pretty damn great is going to unlock Tyrese Maxey to go big in this game and as long as Philadelphia lasts in the playoffs. I have no doubt that Miami will turn this into a slugfest, but Philly still prevails.
Herbert: I don’t trust Miami to score enough in this matchup, provided that Joel Embiid is on the floor and functional.
Maloney: Joel Embiid is back and the Sixers are cruising. Their eight-game winning streak to close the regular season wasn’t enough to lift them out of the Play-In Tournament, but it did get them home court in the 7 vs. 8 game and they are 19-5 at the Wells Fargo Center with Embiid in the lineup this season.
Quinn: As tempting as it is to simply pick Philadelphia on the basis of Joel Embiid’s seemingly renewed health, I actually expect this to be a Tyrese Maxey game. The 76ers and Heat have played three times in the past six weeks and Maxey scored 87 total points in those games. The Heat have one of the NBA’s best defenses, but their kryptonite is speed on the perimeter. Maxey is going to lead the 76ers to a win and the playoffs.
Ward-Henninger: There’s just no answer for Joel Embiid (sorry, Bam), and I don’t trust the Heat to score enough to stay with a team that’s gotten most of its pieces back.
Wimbish: Is Joel Embiid playing? Yes? OK, then this was a pretty easy decision. Bam Adebayo will do his best, but having Embiid unlocks so much for the Sixers, and the Heat — as dangerous as they can be this time of year — just haven’t shown they can be consistent enough for this matchup.
Botkin: Trae Young being back makes the Hawks sound more dangerous but in truth they have been better without him. He’s a decent bet to get traded this summer, which I believe has drained this team of its bravado in these big-stage games. They know it’s over. And Chicago has quietly played pretty well for quite a while now.
Herbert: Atlanta has the personnel to give the Bulls’ defense trouble, but if it’s close late, Chicago will likely execute better.
Maloney: This one is pretty much a pick against the Hawks, who have lost six games in a row and are extremely untrustworthy. Would it be shocking if Trae Young and Dejounte Murray went off and they won? No, but I do not have any confidence in them whatsoever.
Quinn: The Hawks finished the season 14-14 without Trae Young compared to 22-32 with him. He’s a complete defensive liability in a matchup against an opponent with two high-end scoring guards in Coby White and DeMar DeRozan, and the Hawks too quickly devolve into your turn, my turn offense when he shares the floor with Dejounte Murray.
Ward-Henninger: Basically, this is a bet on Trae Young. The teams are relatively equal, in my opinion, but Young has the experience and ability to take the game if it’s close late.
Wimbish: The Bulls have been the better team, but I feel like we’re going to get a monster game from Trae Young who just returned from injury last week. The Bulls also have a tendency to fall flat on offense, and their 27th-ranked defense since the All-Star break doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. The Hawks aren’t much better on the defensive side of the ball, but they’ve had the 12th-ranked offense all season, so I’m going with the team that can score in bunches against a defense that has been porous lately.
Botkin: Just like last season, the Heat squeak past the Bulls for the right to play the No. 1 seed in the first round. But that’s where it will end for Miami this season. The Celtics are just too good.
Herbert: Miami underachieved in the regular season, but it was much better than the Bulls and has a higher ceiling — sometimes you just pick the team you think is superior.
Maloney: The Heat have been weird all season, but they usually took care of business against bad teams, racking up a 27-9 record against sub-.500 opponents. They’re just better than the Bulls and should win this game should it come to pass.
Quinn: We did this dance last year. The Bulls pushed the Heat to the brink in the final Eastern Conference play-in game. The Heat roared back in the fourth quarter and then cruised to the NBA Finals. Obviously, another Finals berth would be unlikely. But I’m just not picking against Jimmy Butler in a do-or-die game.
Ward-Henninger: I mean, let’s get real. There’s no way the Heat are losing a win-or-go-home game to the freaking Hawks or Bulls. Jimmy Butler will take over and get his team to the playoffs.
Wimbish: The Hawks will beat the Bulls, then immediately run into a Heat team that ranks second on defense since the All-Star break. This one’s going to be a low-scoring affair, something Miami excels in. And I also just truly believe in the magic of postseason Jimmy Butler. It’s difficult to bet against him when he is legit one of the only players in the league who can sleepwalk through the regular season, and then flip a switch to play like one of the greatest players of all time.
Botkin: The Lakers defeat Sacramento with defense and LeBron James, who will be the best player on the court in this game. Anthony Davis is the second best. And L.A. loves this opportunity to make a run with OKC waiting in the first-round rather than Denver. Lakers get in the dance.
Herbert: Maybe I’m overindexing on the most recent game between these two teams, but I don’t love this matchup for Golden State. I can see New Orleans making the Warriors uncomfortable offensively, leading to turnovers, leading to dunks and 3s the other way.
Maloney: Sometimes the regular season series between teams means nothing, and sometimes it means everything. In this case, it’s the latter. The Pelicans went 5-0 against the Kings this season; two of those wins were by 30-plus points and only one was by single digits. Plus, the Pelicans would be at home while the Kings would have to travel across the country on short rest.
Quinn: The Pelicans just have too many answers for Curry. Herb Jones and Jose Alvardo will hound him all night. The Pelicans can run a switch-heavy defense with Larry Nance at center to slow him down if needed. The Pelicans are simply a deeper, more versatile team.
Ward-Henninger: The Lakers are the Warriors’ kryptonite, largely because of Davis’ ability on both ends. They’re just too big for Golden State, and the inconsistency will catch up to the Warriors in a do-or-die matchup.
Wimbish: The same reason I picked Golden State to beat the Kings is why I have them against the Pelicans. It won’t be an easy matchup for Golden State, and they’re gonna need Klay Thompson to turn back the clock and for Draymond Green to turn in one of his best defensive performances. But this core has the experience of showing up in huge moments so I’m going with that.
Gregg Popovich is probably having a good laugh about the dilemma the Los Angeles Lakers are facing right now. The San Antonio Spurs coach who, by all accounts, holds a particular distaste for the team he has faced seven times in the postseason, accidentally steered his eternal rivals into an iceberg when his young Spurs team stunned the Denver Nuggets on the second-to-last game of the regular season. That victory knocked the Nuggets from the top spot in the Western Conference to second. Now, should the Lakers defeat the New Orleans Pelicans in Tuesday’s Western Conference Play-In Tournament game, they would face the defending champs in the first round of the playoffs.
If the Lakers do indeed face the Nuggets in the first round, they will lose that series. Forgive the certainty behind that statement, but it’s based in history. The Lakers have lost eight games in a row to Denver. Every game follows more or less the same trajectory. The Nuggets play with their food for 40 minutes or so before deciding to eat it and stomp the Lakers in the final frame. The Lakers got outscored by 15 points in 11 clutch minutes against Denver in last year’s Western Conference finals. They’ve been outscored by 17 points in seven clutch minutes against them this regular season. Short of a significant injury, the Lakers are not going to beat the Nuggets. Denver outclasses them in pretty much every regard.
So dire is a possible rematch with the champs that a growing contingent of fans and critics have suggested that the Lakers intentionally lose their play-in game against the Pelicans on Tuesday. Doing so would put them in a do-or-die (but home) play-in game against the winner of the night’s other West matchup between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. Should the Lakers win that game, which would be played Friday night on two days rest, they would face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, a team they went 3-1 against this season.
The Nuggets would face the Pelicans in the first round and then either the Suns or the Timberwolves in the second. The best-case scenario would be for one of those teams to knock the Nuggets out before a possible Western Conference finals rematch with the Lakers. If the Nuggets present an immovable obstacle to winning the championship, this theory posits, then the only logical approach to contending would be to sidestep them entirely.
It’s about as galaxy-brained an approach to the playoffs as one could conceive. There are about a dozen viable reasons why the Lakers won’t, and shouldn’t, do it. Here’s the obvious: you have to actually make the playoffs to win the championship. Beating the Pelicans gets you there. Losing sets up a win-or-go-home scenario against either a Kings team that has beaten you five times in a row or a Stephen Curry-led Warriors squad that has won 10 of its last 12 and also three straight over Los Angeles. Those are two opponents the Lakers would probably prefer to avoid — perhaps not as badly as they’d like to avoid Denver, but badly enough not to tempt fate with an intentional loss.
There is a school of thought suggesting that competing for the championship is going to mean facing Denver sooner or later. By at least engineering the matchup right now, you ensure that you’re entering it as healthy as possible rather than subjecting LeBron James and Anthony Davis to two more rounds of wear-and-tear. Also, champions don’t run away from a challenge. So if the Lakers aren’t champion material, well, then they frankly aren’t going to be much of a match for the top-seeded Thunder in the first round anyway.
But these aren’t the best reasons to avoid the Nuggets. To find the single most important motive behind playing the Nuggets early, we have to go even more galaxy-brained and counterintuitive. The exact reason the Lakers should want to face the Nuggets in the first round is precisely because they cannot beat them.
Yes, that sounds ridiculous, but hear me out. The Nuggets have spent the past two seasons proving, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Lakers cannot beat them in a playoff series. Beating the Nuggets is likely going to be a prerequisite to winning a championship at any point in the near future. It therefore stands to reason that the Lakers need to find a way to somehow beat Denver before James and/or Davis age out of their current stardom if they plan to win another championship with that duo as their core.
And that is exactly why the Lakers need to lose to Denver here and now, because the last thing this team needs is to go on another lengthy playoff run that instills false hope before ultimately meeting the same fate. The Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals last season largely as a result of a favorable bracket. They were satisfied enough with that result, independent of their sweep at the hands of the Nuggets, that they more or less ran last year’s team back. Now they find themselves in nearly the exact same position: a play-in team destined to lose to Denver if they don’t lose sooner. The only difference is that James and Davis are a year older.
One could argue that the Lakers probably should have been better this season had they been properly managed. It’s a reasonable argument. Darvin Ham played last postseason’s starting lineup for a grand total of 68 possessions this season. He yanked D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves in and out of the starting lineup for a two-month period that saw the Lakers play their worst basketball of the season. Their postseason hopes flipped when Ham inserted Rui Hachimura into the starting lineup in February. It shouldn’t have taken three-plus months to realize that the fourth-best player of their 2023 playoff run should probably start. The Athletic all but reported in January that Ham had lost the locker room. No reporting has refuted that since. A coaching change here is probably a necessity.
So are roster tweaks. The early-season Lakers thrived on defense. The late-season Lakers were an all-offense team. Ham never found that goldilocks middle ground because the roster didn’t offer it. Besides James, not a single Laker registered a Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus above +1 while also averaging at least one made 3-pointer per game. This roster badly needs 3-and-D players it does not have. If nothing else, it can’t hope to contain Jamal Murray without a better point-of-attack defender than they currently have. Murray averaged 32.5 points on 53-41-95 shooting against the Lakers this postseason. There’s no reason to think he couldn’t do the same against a starting lineup whose best perimeter defender is … Reaves?
The James-Davis window isn’t over. They’re both going to make All-NBA Teams this season, after all. But, to quote the great Bob Ryan, we’re on “year five of a three-year plan” here. A fool’s gold playoff run would do far less for the Lakers in the long run than another embarrassing loss to Denver. If the Lakers can’t beat the Nuggets in the first round, they can’t beat the Nuggets in any round. The sooner they come to that conclusion, the likelier they are to take the steps they actually need to take in order to change that.
Will No. 12 McNeese be the March Madness Cinderella story coming out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament? The Cowboys topped the Southland Conference thanks to an 11-game winning streak and enter March Madness 2024 following a 30-3 season and conference tournament victory. McNeese got those wins by outscoring its opponents, averaging 80.5 points per game. They are still the underdogs against No. 8 Gonzaga in the Round of 64 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket, but their recent form sets McNeese up to be one of the potential 2024 March Madness bracket busters.
There are several exciting underdogs to consider when putting together your 2024 March Madness bracket strategy, including No. 16 Stetson against reigning tournament champion No. 1 UConn in the East Region. Before making any 2024 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn’s dramatic Final Four run as a 4-seed last year. It went an amazing 22-10 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.
Last year, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 13 Furman over No. 4 Virginia and No. 10 Penn State over No. 7 Texas A&M. The model has beaten over 92% of all CBS Sports bracket players in three of the past five tournaments.
Now, SportsLine’s advanced computer model has simulated the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times to come up with the perfect 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.
Top 2024 March Madness bracket upset picks One Midwest Region surprise the model has identified: No. 11 Oregon knocks off No. 6 South Carolina. You can throw the season statistics out of the window for Oregon since it played almost half of the year without its best player, N’Faly Dante. The Ducks are a different squad with him anchoring both ends of the court, as he leads the team in points (16.2), rebounds (8.8), steals (1.7) and blocks (1.9). He led Oregon to the Pac-12 tournament championship, while South Carolina is coming off a 31-point drubbing at the hands of Auburn in the SEC Tournament.
That was the latest example of South Carolina simply not showing up, and that’s happened far too often for Lamont Paris’ liking. South Carolina has losses of 27 points, 31 points and 40 points since the start of the new year. That’s a poor omen against an improved Oregon defense that has kept four straight opponents under 69 points, each failing to shoot 45% from the field.
Another surprise from the Midwest Region: No. 3 Creighton advances all the way to the Final Four, surpassing No. 2 seed Tennessee and top-seeded Purdue. A No. 3 seed hasn’t made it to the Final Four since Texas Tech in 2019, but Greg McDermott’s Bluejays are entering the NCAA Tournament 2024 strong. They ended the regular season 23-9 and notched key wins along the way, including a 89-75 victory against Marquette and a 85-66 rout against reigning March Madness champion UConn.
The last time the Vols made it to the Elite Eight was 2010, and they haven’t made it out of the first round in two of their last seven trips to The Big Dance. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers have been booted in the first round twice in recent history, including in 2023 when they were a No. 1 seed. See which other 2024 March Madness upsets to target here.
How to make 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions SportsLine’s model is also predicting a stunning No. 12 seed that will reach the Sweet Sixteen and has one region where three double-digit underdogs pull off first-round shockers, busting brackets everywhere. With the model’s track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you’ll want to see which stunners it’s calling this year before locking in any 2024 NCAA bracket picks.
The 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket has officially arrived and the madness already began during the First Four. There’s already been an overtime game, resulting in Grambling advancing to face No. 1 Purdue on Friday. In addition, Virginia’s offense went scoreless over the final 9:30 of the first half in a 67-42 victory for Colorado State. Since the introduction of the First Four round in 2011, every NCAA Tournament outside of 2019 had at least one First Four team win a game in the Round of 64. How should that affect how you build your 2024 March Madness bracket?
Purdue is hoping history doesn’t repeat itself when the Boilermakers lost to Fairleigh Dickinson after the Knights won their 1 vs. 16 game last season. Purdue finds itself in a similar situation, but only two No. 1 seeds have lost to a No. 16 seed in NCAA Tournament history, so you could feel confident that Purdue won’t fall victim to another opening loss. Purdue is now a No. 4 seed or better for the seventh straight season, but has only made it past the Sweet 16 once. Should you have Purdue in the Final Four of your 2024 NCAA bracket? Before filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket 2024, be sure to see the 2024 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine’s projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 92% of all CBS Sports brackets in three of the past five tournaments. In an upset-laden 2023 NCAA Tournament, the model was all over UConn’s shocking Final Four run as a 4-seed. It went an amazing 23-9 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.
There’s no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2024 March Madness picks. Now, with the 2024 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Top 2024 March Madness bracket picks One of the Midwest Region picks from the model: No. 3 seed Creighton goes on a surprise run to the Final Four. Creighton has proven capable of knocking off any team in the country, as displayed with a 19-point victory over UConn, the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Creighton has three players averaging more than 17 points per game, giving the Bluejays the offensive versatility that if one player has an off-scoring night, it doesn’t immediately signal the end of their run. Baylor Scheierman, a 6-foot-7 guard, leads the team in scoring (18.4 ppg), rebounds (9.0), and blocks (3.0) while shooting 37.2% on 3-pointers while making 99 triples. He’s tied for the 23rd-most made 3-pointers in college basketball, doing so against some of the top competition in the country.
Creighton is third in the country in effective field goal percentage (57.5%) and fourth in shooting efficiency. The Bluejays average 80.5 points per game, the 23rd-most in the nation, with the 17th-best average scoring margin in college basketball. Creighton is one of the few teams in the country to match an efficient offense with an efficient defense, pairing the fourth-best opponent shooting efficiency with the 13th-best opponent effective field goal percentage in the nation. The Bluejays have all you’d want in a Final Four team for your 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket.
Another surprise: No. 5 Gonzaga gets past No. 4 Kansas in the second round of the Midwest. Kansas is the only school with two Wooden Award finalists, but one of those, Kevin McCullar Jr., has been ruled out for the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament due to a knee injury. Kansas played six games without McCullar this season and averaged 10 fewer points than the 26 games they played with him.
Gonzaga has few questions offensively. The Zags have the 17th-lowest turnover rate in the nation, and those extra possessions on offense allow Graham Ike to dominate in the paint. The Wyoming transfer has effectively replaced Drew Timme and is scoring 16.5 points per game on over 60% shooting. Meanwhile, Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard had a 30-point game in last year’s tournament and enters this year’s with three straight double-digit assist games. You can see the model’s 2024 NCAA bracket picks here.
How to make 2024 NCAA bracket predictions Who wins every tournament-defining matchup, and which teams will make surprising runs through the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model’s track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you’ll want to see which stunners it’s calling this year before locking in any 2024 NCAA bracket picks.
There are multiple NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams every season, and there are sure to be more in the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket. Saint Peter’s burst onto the scene two years ago, becoming the only No. 15 seed ever to advance to the Elite Eight. The Peacocks are back in the 2024 March Madness bracket as a No. 15 seed and will enter the Big Dance full of confidence after winning eight of their last 10 games. Saint Peter’s will square off against No. 2 Tennessee in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Volunteers haven’t advanced past the Sweet 16 since 2010. Should your 2024 March Madness bracket picks include backing the Peacocks to pull off a stunning upset in the first round, or should you back another double-digit seed like Nevada (10), James Madison (12) or Samford (13) to make a deep run? Before you make your 2024 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn’s dramatic Final Four run as a 4-seed last year. It went an amazing 22-10 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.
Last year, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 13 Furman over No. 4 Virginia and No. 10 Penn State over No. 7 Texas A&M. The model has beaten over 92% of all CBS Sports bracket players in three of the past five tournaments.
Now, SportsLine’s advanced computer model has simulated the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times to come up with the perfect 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.
Top 2024 March Madness bracket upset picks One Midwest Region surprise the model has identified: No. 11 seed Oregon knocks off No. 6 seed South Carolina. The Ducks reeled off three consecutive victories to be crowned champions of the Pac-12 Tournament. Oregon is led by Jermaine Couisnard, who’s averaging 15.4 points, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Center N’Faly Dante is expected to have a big day when the Ducks take the court on Thursday. The 6-foot-11 senior averages 16.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while knocking down 70.2% of his field goal attempts. South Carolina ranks outside the top 200 in defensive rebounds and blocks, which could be an issue against Dante and the Ducks. With the Gamecocks also ranking 64th out of 68 tournament teams in creating turnovers, that presents more possessions for Oregon and more opportunities for Dante to make his presence felt.
Another Midwest Region surprise the model has identified: No. 5 Gonzaga beats No. 4 Kansas to advance to the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs have four players averaging in double-figures, including forward Anton Watson. The 6-foot-8 senior enters March Madness 2024 averaging 14.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while knocking down 57.7% of his field goals.
As a team, the Zags are making 57.2% of their field goals, which ranks eighth in the nation. That’s a big reason why Gonzaga is scoring 84.9 points per game on average, the seventh-most in college basketball. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks are making just 32.9% of their 3-pointers this season, which ranks 237th in the country. Bill Self’s squad will also be without leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. due to a knee injury in the NCAA Tournament. See which other 2024 March Madness matchups to target here.
How to make 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions Who wins every tournament-defining matchup? And which teams will make surprising runs through the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model’s track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you’ll want to see which stunners it’s calling this year before locking in any 2024 NCAA bracket picks.
The Creighton Blue Jays had a successful 2023-24 regular season, going 23-8 before falling in their first Big East Tournament game to Providence. Led by dynamic scorers Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander, and imposing center Ryan Kalkbrenner, the Blue Jays’ starting lineup matches up favorably to just about any team in the country. They open their 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket on Thursday as a No. 3 seed against No. 14 Akron. Are the Blue Jays capable of making a deep run through the 2024 March Madness bracket?
They’re in the Midwest Region with Purdue and Tennessee, two schools who have reputations for falling short in the Big Dance. Creighton could even be one of the 2024 March Madness sleepers to consider when making your 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket picks. Before making any 2024 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Their proven projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 92 percent of all CBS Sports brackets three of the past five tournaments. In an upset-laden 2023 NCAA Tournament, the model was all over UConn’s shocking Final Four run as a 4-seed. It went an amazing 23-9 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.
There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2024 March Madness pools. Now, with the 2024 NCAA bracket being revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
2024 March Madness bracket games to watch One of the 2024 March Madness matchups to keep an eye on: No. 4 seed Duke vs. No. 13 seed Vermont in the South Region. Led by center Kyle Filipowski, who averages 17.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, the Blue Devils have the size and experience to favorably compete with any team in the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket. The Catamounts are making their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and give up the ninth fewest points in college basketball (63.0 per game).
Also in the South Region, Wisconsin vs. James Madison figures to be yet another pivotal 5 vs. 12 matchup. Despite making a run to the Big Ten Conference Championship Game, the Badgers enter the NCAA Tournament 2024 having lost nine of their last 15 games. The Dukes, on the other hand, have won 13 straight games, eight of which were decided by 10 or more points.
The third matchup to watch in the South Region features No. 3 seed Kentucky vs. No. 14 seed Oakland. Led by guards Antonio Reeves (20.0 points per game), Rob Dillingham (15.4), and Reed Sheppard (12.8), the Wildcats fly up and down the court whenever they have a chance. The Golden Grizzlies are led by forward Trey Townsend, who averages 16.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for a team that won the Horizon League’s regular season and conference tournament titles. You can see how far all these teams go over at SportsLine.
How to make 2024 NCAA bracket predictions How far will those major programs go? And which Cinderella teams will make surprising runs through the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model’s track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you’ll want to see which stunners it is calling this year before locking in any NCAA bracket picks.
The Duquesne men’s basketball team is set to begin its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 47 seasons. In coordination with the special occasion, the Dukes received some spectacular gifts from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
During a team meeting on Wednesday, Duquesne received new sneakers from James himself ahead of the team’s matchup against BYU.
Appreciate it King 🙏@DuqMBB x @KingJames pic.twitter.com/yTiQFMBno0
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) March 20, 2024 The team was clearly over the moon when the gifts arrived and were truly appreciative of the gesture from James.
James has been a big supporter of the Dukes’ program in recent years, and even congratulated them following Sunday’s victory in the Atlantic 10 tournament. That’s because Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot was James’ coach when he played at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron before being drafted.
This will be Dambrot’s final collegiate season as he plans to retire following this year’s NCAA Tournament run.
Duquesne has had a very impressive season as they put together a 24-11 (10-8 Atlantic 10) record this season. The Dukes won the Atlantic 10 conference tournament this past weekend to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 11 seed Dukes will face off with the No. 6 seed Cougars on Thursday with the game set to tip off at 12:40 p.m. ET.
The North Carolina Tar Heels make their return to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence when they square off against the Wagner Seahawks in a first-round matchup on Thursday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Last season, North Carolina missed the tournament for the first time since 2010 despite entering the year as the preseason No. 1 team. This year, the Tar Heels (27-7) are the No. 1 seed in the West Region after winning the ACC regular season title. Meanwhile, the Seahawks (17-15) are playing in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history and first since 2003.
Tipoff is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET. The Tar Heels are favored by 25.5 points in the latest North Carolina vs. Wagner odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 133.5. Before making any Wagner vs. North Carolina picks, you need to check out the college basketball analysis from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UNC vs. Wagner. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Wagner vs. UNC:
North Carolina vs. Wagner spread: Tar Heels -25.5 North Carolina vs. Wagner over/under: 133.5 points North Carolina vs. Wagner money line: Tar Heels -6186, Seahawks +1975 UNC: The Tar Heels are eighth in the nation in rebounds per game (41.2) WAG: The Seahawks rank seventh in the country in scoring defense (62.3 points per game) North Carolina vs. Wagner picks: See picks at SportsLine Why North Carolina can cover North Carolina has a dominant big man in Armando Bacot. The 6-foot-11 Bacot is averaging 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He ranks ninth all-time in Div. I history in rebounds (1,681) and fourth in double-doubles (85). Led by Bacot, North Carolina averages 41.2 rebounds per game, which ranks eighth in the country.
In addition, the Tar Heels will face a Wagner team that has struggled offensively all season. The Seahawks rank 343rd out of 351 Div. I teams in both scoring offense (63.8 points per game) and field goal percentage (39.6). See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Wagner can cover Wagner has been playing excellent defense all season. The Seahawks allow just 62.3 points per game, which ranks seventh in the country. They also give up just 29.5% shooting on 3-pointers, which is eighth in the nation.
In addition, Wagner has a do-it-all player in guard Melvin Council Jr. A 6-foot-4 junior guard from Rochester, N.Y., Council averages 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Earlier this month, he was named a first-team All-NEC player. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make North Carolina vs. Wagner picks SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 137 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
