Miyerkules, Marso 1, 2017
Watch NCAA College Basketball Now (March 1,2017)
Pls wait 2-3 Seconds LIVE VIDEO IS UP!
Championship Week is underway as conference tournaments have tipped off all over the country. Here is a running list of dates and locations for each. Who will be next to punch their ticket to the women's NCAA tournament? Check back for updates as title games go final. We'll add NCAA tournament qualifiers (teams that win a conference's automatic berth) as they are determined. And check out Charlie Creme's Bracketology for the latest projections.
The 64-team bracket will be announced on the NCAA Women's Selection Special at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, March 13 (ESPN).
ACC
Bracket
March 1-5
HTC Center (Conway, South Carolina)
America East
March 4-5, 10
Cross Insurance Arena (Portland, Maine)
American
Bracket
March 3-6
Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Connecticut)
EDITOR'S PICKS
Around the Rim podcast: Beyond the Power 5
LaChina Robinson goes beyond the Power 5 conferences to look ahead at some other conference tournaments with several women's basketball analysts. Plus, she is joined by espnW writer Mechelle Voepel to discuss Kim Mulkey.
Atlantic 10
Feb. 25-26, March 3-5
Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
Atlantic Sun
March 3, 8, 12
Campus sites
Big 12
Bracket
March 3-6
Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City)
Big East
March 4-7
Al McGuire Center (Milwaukee)
Big Sky
March 6, 8, 10-11
Reno Events Center (Reno, Nevada)
Big South
March 9-12
Vines Center (Lynchburg, Virginia)
Big Ten
Bracket
March 1-5
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
Big West
March 7-8, 10-11
Opening rounds: Walter Pyramid (Long Beach, California)
Honda Center (Anaheim, California)
How many realistic contending teams for natty? — Daniel Monnier (@z3rdTry)
Now this is what a Twitter question should look like: short, crisp, to the point and on point. The key word here is “realistic.” Yes, the NCAA tournament is full of limitless possibilities, but in the vast majority of cases, it is an exercise in realism.
If we look at a decent sample size—say, the last 15 years—we find that a team seeded below the 2 line won the title only four times. Syracuse (2003) and Florida (2006) were both three seeds. The other two belonged to UConn, which was a No. 3 in 2011 and a No. 7 in 2014. A No. 1 seed won the title 10 out of those 15 times, and a No. 2 seed, Villanova, won it last year.
So “realistically,” there are eight to 12 teams that can win this thing. I’ll do the manly thing and keep this exercise on the low side. That also gives me the chance to reprise one of my favorite now-defunct features that used to populate this space. Before he was All Futbol All the Time, my colleague Grant Wahl used to write an annual “Magic Eight” column in which he listed eight teams and guaranteed that one of them would win the title. After Grant went footsie on us, Luke Winn took over, for a little while. Luke had success his first few attempts but came up empty last season by leaving out Villanova. Luke, perhaps feeling a little chastened and gun shy, has generously bequeathed this responsibility to me this season. So I’m happy to pick up the loose eight ball.
Part of the challenge is to leave out a team or two that most people would include, and try to find at least one sleeper. I will add another wrinkle by listing my teams in order of likelihood of winning the title. So with apologies to Grant and Luke, I herewith present my Magic Eight. If I get it wrong, you can blame them:
1. Kansas
Sure, size and interior depth is a concern, but that is overcome by the Jayhawks’ stellar, veteran backcourt as well the emergence of freshman forward Josh Jackson as one of the most talented players in the country. More than anything, though, the Jayhawks have demonstrated championship mettle, time and time again. Frank Mason III, the consensus choice for national player of the year, simply will not let this team lose.
2. North Carolina
I’ve been skeptical of claims that this Tar Heels team is better than last year’s, given that last year’s team was a buzzer-beating three-pointer away from winning the title. But the Heels have two dynamic perimeter scorers in Joel Berry and Justin Jackson, they’re the best offensive rebounding team in the country, and the healthy return of Theo Pinson gives them a versatile glue guy that every championship team needs.
3. UCLA
I believe the Bruins found their championship toughness when they were down by 19 points at home to Oregon. They came back and won that game and went on to triumph at Arizona last Saturday behind some actual defense and aggressive offensive rebounding. Plus, you know, Lonzo.
4. Gonzaga
Some people saw the Zags’ home loss to BYU as further reason to doubt them. I saw it as further reason to bet on them. It takes away the pressure of being undefeated, and it gives them a chance to shore up their deficiencies. I also like that regardless of whether they are a 1 or a 2 seed, the Zags will be placed in the San Jose region.
5. Louisville
The Cardinals are not only the best defensive team in the country (they’ve been ranked in the top five nationally in KemPom’s defensive efficiency rankings all season), they are the most versatile. They can press and trap fullcourt, and they can grind you down in the halfcourt. They’re 11th in the country in three-point percentage defense, they’re 21st in two-point percentage defense, and they’re sixth in blocks percentage. Plus, they have the type of dynamic backcourt scorer in Donovan Mitchell that we’ve seen carry a team to a title so often.
6. Villanova
This team could obviously use one more big man, but I still might rank the Wildcats even higher if it weren’t for the lingering health issues of their best inside player, Darryl Reynolds. That aside, they have tough, talented, savvy, veteran guards who know how to win in March.
7. Oregon
I don’t like the way the Ducks seem to go MIA on offense for long stretches, but they are so good defensively that it might not matter. They have a carry-them-on-their-shoulders scorer in Dillon Brooks, and they can play both zone and man-to-man defense to equal effect.
8. SMU
Here’s the designated sleeper. The Mustangs only have seven scholarship players and no bona fide five man, but they have great overall team size, they’re tough, they’re smart and they’re highly unusual.
Martes, Pebrero 28, 2017
The Flash Season 3 Episode 14 Attack on Central City
Get ready to watch The Flash blow half of its special effects budget on one episode. Probably. Well, hopefully not.
This is one of those episodes of The Flash that feels like it lends itself to those old school comic book cover treatments full of exclamation points. The Flash! Kid Flash! Jesse Quick! Vibe! Gypsy! Can even this group of mighty heroes stand against Grodd and his gorilla army from a parallel world?
It’s worth remembering that Team Flash also has the brains of Caitlin Snow and Julian Albert plus the spirit of H.R. Wells, and Harry Wells is probably still hanging around after his ordeal last episode. That’s a lot of resources, but on the other hand, an insanely smart and powerful gorilla with mental powers and an army of additional gorillas is a massive threat.
(Kind of makes you wonder why Team Flash wouldn’t call in their Arrowverse buddies as reinforcements, but that’s neither here nor there.)
“Attack on Central City” has all the makings of a visual showcase, even for an effects-heavy show like The Flash, so here’s the info you need to make sure you don’t miss out:
Date: Feb. 28, 2017
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
Episode:“Attack on Central City”
TV Channel:The CW
Live Stream:The CW
NEXT: Best live stream sites for TV shows and sports
One thing to keep in the back of your mind: there’s a chance for some tragedy as well, simply because the whole “Jesse sticking around with Wally on Earth-1” thing came together almost too perfectly. I’m not saying I think the show will kill off Jesse Quick, but I wouldn’t be shocked if there was some kind of development that left Kid Flash without a completely happy ending.
Ah, I worry too much. Enjoy t
The battle with Grodd (voiced by David Sobolov) is set to reach its conclusion with the upcoming 14th episode of "The Flash" season 3.
YOUTUBE/THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK
A screenshot from the official trailer of the 14th episode of "The Flash" season 3.
In "The Flash" season 3 episode 13, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and Julian (Tom Felton) travelled to Earth-2's Gorilla City in order to save Harry. Aside from attempting to save a friend, Barry also sieved the opportunity to alter the future and prevent Iris' (Candice Patton) murder.
However, the headline from the future – "City still recovering following gorilla attack" – remained unchanged. In the latter part of the episode, Barry and his team escaped Gorilla City, but it was also revealed that Grodd would be using Gypsy (Jessica Camacho) to open a breach to Earth-1.
In next week's episode of "The Flash," titled "Attack on Central City," The Flash and his team will try and put a stop to Grodd once and for all. According to the forthcoming episode's synopsis, Grodd and his army of gorillas will be bringing the battle to Earth-1. Barry and the rest of the team must find a way to stop them before they completely destroy Central City.
Meanwhile, Jesse Quick (guest star Violett Beane) will reveal he wants to be with Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) on Earth-1, while Gypsy will be returning to join the battle against Grodd.
An official promo for the forthcoming episode has also been released. The video shows the three super-fast heroes united as one team as they wait for the arrival of Grodd's army. They will be receiving some aid from the police with Joe's (Jesse L. Martin) help. However, despite the assistance, they are still heavily outnumbered.
Close ad X
"The Flash" season 3 episode 14, titled "Attack on Central City," will air on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. EST on The CW. The story is directed by Dermott Downs and written by Todd Helbing. The teleplay is credited to Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes.
• WWE Smackdown Live 2/28/17 – 28th February 2017 Livestream
LIVE VIDEO IS UP!
WWE SMACKDOWN 2-28-2017
WWE SMACKDOWN: POTENTIAL SPOILERS, RUMORS, NEWS AND PREVIEW FOR FEB. 28
AJ Styles and Luke Harper /
AJ Styles and Luke Harper /Credit: WWE.com
Tom Clark
Featured Columnist
February 28, 2017
WWE was supposed to fix the Randy Orton situation, but it's an even bigger mess than it was before.
Orton's surprising refusal to face his mentor, Bray Wyatt, at WrestleMania 33 was directly addressed by the company on Feb. 21. It was on that night when a Battle Royal was held to determine a new No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship.
But instead of one man left standing, there were two.
AJ Styles and Luke Harper ended the match together, and now, SmackDown Live will once again try to decide the WWE Championship match at The Show of Shows. Harper vs. Styles is an interesting bout, mostly because of Harper's rise as a main event star.
It's also intriguing because, if Styles loses, his WrestleMania fate is still up in the air.
The problem is that fate may include Shane McMahon, who many believe could be the man to face The Phenomenal One at WrestleMania on April 2. It's not a match that anyone seems to want, but that may not stop it from happening.
But when will the heat between the two men begin?
Harper and Styles Clash
The match for main event stardom cannot be overlooked and may be the key to getting Styles vs. McMahon moving in the right direction.
Harper is one of the most physically gifted big men WWE has ever seen. He's quick, agile and fully capable of making his mark on the company. All he needs is the right stage against the right opponent.
Styles is that opponent.
But this match may be more about what's to come instead of what's happening. The first time WWE tried to get it right with the Battle Royal, it failed. If Styles once again finds himself without a win, he may snap.
If he snaps on the boss, then his Road to WrestleMania will officially begin.
McMahon's possible presence at ringside after Styles' match with Harper would set the scene for April 2. If Styles takes out his frustration on McMahon, then there would be no doubt as to what WWE intends on booking for WrestleMania.
Whether fans want that match is still up for debate.
As a result of all this, the champ's fate is on hold. Instead of beginning his title run on TV and building to a pay-per-view, Wyatt is left in limbo. It's all about getting him to WrestleMania—and likely taking the belt off him when he gets there.
It's not a fate he deserves, as he only just won the gold and has not had a real opportunity to enjoy it. His supporters have had his back from day one and wanted to see him succeed, but winning the company's top championship should not be a means to an end.
Florida State at Duke Live Now, Indiana at Purdue Watch Online
LIVE VIDEO IS UP!
Duke’s Grayson Allen, right, guards Syracuse’s John Gillon, left, on Feb. 22. Allen missed Saturday’s game at Miami due to an ankle injury. Coach Mike Krzyzewski will make a game-day decision as to whether or not Allen and Amile Jefferson will play Tuesday against Florida State. Nick Lisi AP
LINKEDIN
GOOGLE+
PINTEREST
REDDIT
PRINT
ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY
NO. 15 FLORIDA STATE AT NO. 17 DUKE
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham
TV: ESPN
Projected starting lineups
Florida State (23-6, 11-5)
G Xavier Rathan-Mayes 10.3 ppg, 5.0 apg
G Dwayne Bacon 16.6 ppg, 3.9 pg
G Terance Mann 8.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg
F Jonathan Isaac 12.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg
C Michael Ojo 5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Duke (22-7, 10-6 ACC)
G Grayson Allen 15 ppg, 3.9 apg
G Luke Kennard 19.9 ppg 5.2 rpg
G Matt Jones 7.7 ppg, 3 rpg
F Jayson Tatum 16.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg
F Amile Jefferson 11.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg
Three things to know
▪ Grayson Allen and Amile Jefferson are still pretty banged up as Duke enters its home finale. It will be senior night for Jefferson and guard Matt Jones, and coach Mike Krzyzewski said Jefferson’s and Allen’s status will be a game-day decision. Jefferson missed two games, including an 88-72 loss at Florida State on Jan. 10, to a bruised bone on his right foot. But he’s played through it since then. He is four points away from the 1,000-point club. Allen missed Saturday’s 55-50 loss at Miami due to a left ankle injury. Allen scored a team-high 18 points when Duke beat FSU in Durham last year, 80-65.
▪ Without Jefferson in the first cycle, FSU scored 56 paint points and 19 off second chances. Jefferson has a career-high 42 blocks this season and has anchored Duke’s inside presence all season.
▪ Florida State hasn’t done particularly well on the road. The Seminoles are 8-0 when they’re at home and 3-5 when they’re not. FSU is in a second-place logjam with Notre Dame and Louisville. If FSU wins out, it would take control over second place, behind North Carolina. The Noles squeaked past Clemson, 76-74, in its previous game, which was on the road. Their other two roads wins were at Virginia (Dec. 31, 60-58) and Miami (Feb. 1, 75-57).
Jessika Morgan
Every day through Selection Sunday we’ll update our Bracket Watch, giving you an up-to-date field of 68. Each of those columns will begin with a look at the games that night relevant to seeding at the top and in the middle of the field. While the Bubble Watch covers the back end of the field, the Bracket Watch will focus on the teams that are safely in the dance, and what they stand to gain—or lose—every time they take the floor.
Tuesday’s seeding games (all times Eastern, locks are italicized)
Florida State at Duke, 7 pm
The Blue Devils still have plenty of time to work their way up the field, especially with a trip to North Carolina looming this weekend, but this could be a real prize for Florida State. The Seminoles own six top-25 wins, and a 9-2 record against the top 50. If they win out, and Duke beats North Carolina on Saturday, the Seminoles will earn a share of the ACC regular season championship. If they do that and go on to win the ACC tournament, they could sneak onto the top line.
Indiana at Purdue, 7 pm
Purdue can’t increase its tournament profile on Tuesday, but a loss would certainly indict its case for one of the top-16 seeds. If any Big Ten team is likely to be seeded fourth or better in a region, it’s the Boilermakers, but even they might be a longshot. While they’re 6-4 against the RPI top 50, just one of those wins came against a top-25 team (Notre Dame). Given that we already know the committee is down on the Big Ten, as indicated by the absence of the conference in the midseason reveal three weeks ago, Purdue still may have work to do to be among the field’s top-16 teams.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky, 9 pm
Vanderbilt fans should jump over to the Bubble Watch to see what’s at stake for the Commodores. Kentucky has its sights set on a No. 2 seed, with the top line likely out of reach. If the Wildcats move up to a 2-seed, they’d have a shot at staying as close to home as possible, which, this season, is the South Region, hosted in Memphis. Vanderbilt gave Kentucky all it could handle the first time the teams met, with the Wildcats pulling out an 87-81 win in Nashville. If Kentucky is going to reach its seed ceiling, it likely cannot lose the rest of the way, including in the SEC tournament.
Midwest Region
One week ago, UCLA was a No. 4 seed, running third in the Pac-12 behind Oregon and Arizona. How did the Bruins jump to a No. 2 seed, leapfrogging the Wildcats in the process? Well, of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without their dramatic win in Tucson over the weekend. While the Bruins are still 1.5 games behind Oregon and Arizona in the Pac-12 standings, the win likely brought the teams level in the eyes of the selection committee. UCLA went 2-2 against the other two, while Oregon went 2-1 and Arizona went 1-2 (the Ducks and Wildcats played each other only once). That brings us to the overall resumes, where a clear-eyed comparison favors UCLA over Arizona.
The Bruins are ranked 13th on kenpom.com and 15th in the RPI. The Wildcats are 23rd on kenpom.com and ninth in the RPI. We can call that effectively a wash. Where the Bruins start to separate themselves is in the quantity and quality of their best wins. They are 3-2 against the RPI top 25 and 5-3 against the top 50. In addition to beating Arizona on the road and Oregon at home, UCLA took down Kentucky in Lexington. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are 1-4 against the top 25 and 4-4 against the top 50. After their road win over the Bruins, their next best win came at USC. The Trojans will likely make the NCAA tournament, but that doesn’t measure up to UCLA’s second-, third-, or maybe even fourth-best win (Michigan).
It isn’t often that a team jumps two lines with one win, but UCLA’s victory in Tucson on Saturday vaulted them in front of Arizona. That pushes them all the way up to the 2-line, and knocks the Wildcats down to a No. 3 seed.
East Region
We’re going to reach all the way down to the No. 9 seed in this region in an effort to quell the fears of the nation’s most anxious fan base. It has been ugly recently, Northwestern fans. But you don’t need to worry too much. At least not yet.
Yes, Saturday’s loss to Indiana was bad. After allowing the Hoosiers to close the first half on a 22-0 run, the Wildcats came out firing in the second half, erasing a 10-point deficit in just more than six minutes. With 1:33 left in the game, Northwestern led by seven and appeared on its way to the final win that many believe will lock up the first ever trip to the NCAA tournament in school history. The Hoosiers would go onto score the final eight points of the game, keeping their fledgling tournament hopes alive with a 63-62 win while simultaneously increasing the collective blood pressure in Evanston, Ill., a few notches.
The Wildcats have now lost five of their last seven games, jeopardizing what just a couple weeks ago appeared to be a likely tournament bid. Let’s take a step back, however, and look at Northwestern’s entire body of work. The Wildcats have three top-50 wins, including a road victory at Wisconsin. They also beat Dayton, which is all but assured of a trip to the dance, on a neutral floor. They don’t have a loss outside the RPI top 100, with their three worst losses coming to Illinois (twice) and Indiana. The Wildcats are ranked 50th in RPI and 36th on kenpom.com.
That isn’t the resume of a tournament lock, but it is one likely to earn a bid, especially in this year’s bubble climate. No matter what, there will be 68 teams in the field when the bracket is unveiled on Selection Sunday. For now, Northwestern is still on track to earn one of those spots. They could remove any doubt with a win over Michigan or Purdue at home this week.
Linggo, Pebrero 26, 2017
Oscars 2017: watch the Academy Awards online
LIVE VIDEO IS UP!
The 89th Academy Awards 2017 take off tonight, however,1st the city of stars must primp and exercise for the red carpet. Follow us all day to find out what happened behind the scenes at the Oscar 2017 rehearsals, what host J.Kimmel has planned for the big show, and who we think will take home Oscar gold.
La La Land is in the lead with 14 Oscar 2017 nominations including actor, actress, director and pictures. That ties the registry shared with "All About Eve" and "Titanic." Close behind is "Arrival" and "Moonlight," each with 8 nominations. Also in the running is Ava DuVernay’s Netflix documentary “13th.”
When it comes to the Oscars, the Academy fiercely defends its definition of movies as a theatrical experience, disqualifying those that debut on home video or VOD from consideration in all the feature categories. For years, the short films were the exception, though in a happy twist, despite the fact that most have been seen solely at festivals prior to nominations, they latterly enjoy a healthy theatrical run after the fact thanks to the efforts of all-shorts-all-the-time network ShortsHD. This year’s live-action offerings are unusually strong across the board, with nary an English-language one among them.
It's Oscars time, everyone. Football teams have gone back into hibernation and the fools gold that is the Golden Globes has become a little more than faded memory. Tonight, it's time for the big leagues: the 89th Academy Awards, as Hollywood rolls out the red carpet to take over TV (and Twitter) with incredible outfits, heartbreaking snubs, and Cinderella story upsets in pursuit of those all-important golden statutes.
WHO'S UP FOR AWARDS?
The musical La La Land looks to continue its run as this season’s critical darling, and leads the pack with a record-tying 14 nominations. Those include Ryan Gosling for Best Actor, Emma Stone for Best Actress, Damien Chazelle for Best Director, and an overall Best Picture nomination, among others.
Acclaimed coming-of-age-story Moonlight is up for eight nominations, including Barry Jenkins for Best Director, Mahershala Ali for Best Supporting Actor, and Naomie Harris for Best Supporting Actress. Also tied at eight nominations is science fiction thought-piece generator Arrival, with Denis Villeneuve up for Best Director.
Hacksaw Ridge, Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Fences, Hidden Figures, and Hell or High Water round up the Best Picture nominees this year, and are also tipped to make strong showings.
WHEN ARE THE OSCARS?
The 89th Academy Awards — colloquially known as the Oscars, starts with the red carpet coverage 7PM EST / 4PM PST at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, followed by the main event at around 8:30PM EST / 5:30PM PST. Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel will be hosting the evening’s affairs, with performances by Auli'i Cravalho and Lin-Manuel Miranda, John Legend, Sting, and Justin Timberlake.
OVER-THE-AIR / CABLE
Sometimes simple is best. As has been the case since 1976, ABC has the rights to broadcast the Oscars this year, so if you've got an over-the-air antenna or pay for cable, simply find your local ABC affiliate (channel 7 in both NYC and the LA / Hollywood area), grab your popcorn, smartphone, and viewing party beverage of choice, and you're good to go! An advantage is that direct TV streams tend to be the closest to real time, so you'll probably know results faster than anyone else not in the Dolby Theater.
One day before the Oscars ceremony finally took place, one budding nominee was likely very excited waiting patiently to attend the prestigious ceremony.
Unfortunately, though, it was not to be, as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts has rescinded Greg P. Russell’s Sound Mixing nomination for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.
“Upon recommendation by the Sound Branch Executive Committee, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to rescind the nomination,” the Academy wrote in a statement.
0:00
/
0:58
The Oscars: 89th Academy Awards in numbers
“The decision was prompted by the discovery that Russell had called his fellow members of the Sound Branch during the nominations phase to make them aware of his work on the film, in direct violation of a campaign regulation that prohibits telephone lobbying.”
Sabado, Pebrero 25, 2017
Deontay Wilder vs Gerald Washington Live now
The Deontay Wilder-Gerald Washington fight on Saturday night has received plenty of hype. It’ll be the first major network show of the year for Premier Boxing Champions, and Wilder is one of the best heavyweights in the world. He’s fun to watch and fun to listen to afterward, and if his past ratings are any indication, the Fox telecast that begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT will be watched by plenty of people.
But the actual bout itself will probably be a one-sided affair that will end in Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) , knocking out Washington (18-0-1, 12 KOs), a former NFL practice squad who has been a pro fighter for less than five years and who now finds himself competing for a portion of the heavyweight championship.
One must wonder if Wilder’s recent courtroom fight vs. Alexander Povetkin, which netted Wilder the $4.5 million he would have earned if Povetkin hadn’t failed a drug test before their scheduled fight last year, has distracted him in the leadup to this fight.
Tonight, PBC presents their latest card and their return to Fox. For the Fox show, PBC is turning to the Heavyweight division and the always KO ready Bronze Bomber.
In the main event, WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder defends his belt against the unheralded and over-matched Gerald Washington. The fight is a return for Wilder from injury - hopefully this is just a tune-up to bigger fights for the champion later this year. Washington is a fighter in over his head here, so look for this fight to be a showcase for Wilder, hopefully answering questions about where he stands in the wake of his injuries, and ideally extending his huge KO percentage in dramatic fashion along the way.
The televised card also features Tony Harrison vs. Jarret Hurd in a very good Super Welterweight fight that should open up more opportunities for the winner.
Deontay Wilder feels like an unstoppable force. Even though he’s coming off a significant injury, the WBC heavyweight champion hasn’t really been challenged in the boxing ring in his professional career. Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) will take on relative unknown Gerald Washington this Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama, but the champ has his eyes on unifying the world titles.
“2017 is definitely my time,” Wilder told CBS Sports. “We’re looking to unify the division and I feel very, very strongly about it. We’re looking forward to it. Whoever gets in my way will see real fast that I’m not playing and you must move once I come in with this force of what I’m trying to do.”
The action all gets started at 8 p.m. ET on Fox and features three main card fights. Below are the matchups with the latest odds from Bovada.
Favorite
Challenger
Weightclass
Deontay Wilder (c), -2000
Gerald Washington, +900
Heavyweight title
Jarrett Hurd, -225
Tony Harrison, +175
Junior middleweight title
Izuagbe Ugonoh, -280
Dominic Breazeale, +220
Heavyweight
UCLA Bruins basketball vs Arizona Wildcats live
A top-5 showdown out West in what could be one of the college basketball games of the year when No. 4 Arizona hosts No. 5 UCLA Saturday night.
What: No. 4 Arizona Wildcats (26-3, 15-1) vs. No. 5 UCLA Bruins (25-3, 12-3)
When: 5:15 p.m. PT, Saturday, Feb. 25
Where: McKale Center, Tucson, Arizona
TV: ESPN
Online: Watch ESPN / ESPN app
Previous meeting: Arizona, ranked 14th at the time, beat then-No. 3 UCLA, 96-85, at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 21.
The Wildcats: With only one loss in conference play, Arizona holds a slim lead over No. 6 Oregon (25-4, 14-2) in the Pac-12 standings with two games remaining. The Wildcats have won 21 in a row at McKale Center dating back to last season.
The Bruins: UCLA has won six in a row entering Saturday's matchup and is 6-2 on the road in conference play this season.
The Pac-12 doesn’t get as much love as the Atlantic Coast Conference, but it still has some pretty impressive men’s basketball teams this season. And two of its best face off Saturday night on national TV. No. 5 UCLA will be at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday night for a huge matchup with No. 4 Arizona. The Wildcats currently lead the Pac-12 with a 15-1 conference record (26-3 overall), but the No. 6 Oregon Ducks aren’t far behind. So the third-place Bruins (25-3, 12-3 Pac-12) could shake the conference race up with a road win.
We have the good: UCLA. We have the bad: Arizona. And, of course, there’s the ugly: Sean Miller’s mouth. So, we just need the Ennio Morricone soundtrack.
That’s better.
Today, it’s a Top 5 showdown in Tucson between UCLA and Arizona. With Villanova’s loss to Butler on Wednesday, the winner of tonight’s game could move as high as #2 in Monday’s Top 25 polls.
More importantly, the winner of today’s game could get a seeding boost from this game come Selection Sunday on March 12th when the NCAA Tournament seedings are announced because the selection committee always seems to favor the results of a recent game compared to the results of a game in January or the beginning of December.
But, if the Bruins cannot defeat the Wildcats, they may still get sent to another part of the country while receiving a lower seed.
For these reasons, there is absolutely no doubt that today’s game is the biggest game of the season for UCLA and the Bruins will need to play well on both sides of the ball if they want to win.
Mag-subscribe sa:
Mga Post (Atom)