HOUSTON — The Illinois men’s basketball team was in the airport in Champaign, Illinois, preparing to board a flight to Houston for the NCAA Tournament regional, when Illini freshman forward David Mirkovic made a prescient purchase.

Mirkovic’s teammate, Keaton Wagler, sent him a link to an artificially generated photo of Mirkovic wearing a black cowboy hat. It was meant as a joke, but Mirkovic found a similar looking hat on Amazon and ordered it for $34. It was delivered to the Illini’s hotel in Houston on Friday, the day before Illinois played Iowa in the Elite Eight.

Mirkovic only intended to wear the hat if the Illini won. They did, 71-59, and after the team celebrated in the locker room by spraying each other with water guns – a program tradition that began two years ago in the NCAA Tournament – Mirkovic proudly donned his new headwear.

Asked if he felt like a cowboy, the Montenegro native paused and replied, “I don’t know. What does it mean, being a cowboy?”

He paused and reconsidered: “Yeah, why not. We’re in Texas.”

Mirkovic scored nine points and had a team-high 12 rebounds in Illinois’ Elite Eight win, coming just one point shy of his second consecutive double-double. He was still named to the South Regional All-Tournament team and his performance helped Illinois advance to the Final Four, where it will play either Duke or Connecticut.

None of Mirkovic’s Illini teammates joined him in buying cowboy hats, but he retained hope that he could start a new NCAA Tournament tradition.

“Maybe for next season,” he said, smiling.

HOUSTON – Keaton Wagler’s eyes flirted with the rim and his feet appeared to follow suit. The Illinois freshman guard dribbled past the 3-point line and suddenly spun to his left, sending his defender stumbling backward as if propelled by an invisible force.

Iowa guard Isaia Howard scrambled to his feet, but by then Wagler was launching a stepback 3-pointer that gave Illinois a second-half lead.

That misdirection is part of Wagler’s magic: Just when you think you know what to expect, he shapeshifts.  

For the entire second half of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game, Wagler traded buckets with Iowa star Bennett Stirtz — the Hawkeyes’ well-traveled veteran leader and the Illini’s star freshman, both players who were once undervalued during their basketball careers, delivering for their teams in an Elite Eight throwdown.  

In the end, Wagler won the duel. Behind his 25 points, Illinois downed Iowa, 71-59, and advanced to the program’s first Final Four in 21 years. Wagler was named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player.

Following an inefficient shooting night in Illinois’ Sweet 16 win over Houston, in which Wagler shot 4-of-14 from the floor but grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds, he transformed back into a scoring machine down the stretch against Iowa.

Illinois outscored Iowa in the second half 43-27 and held the Hawkeyes scoreless for the final two minutes, with Wagler scoring 14 points in the second half alone.

“Once he finds his rhythm, it’s like a flow state,” said Illinois assistant coach Tyler Underwood. “You can always tell when he’s starting to get into it. It takes him a little bit of time but he just has a unique ability to be in the present moment and be able to live with mistakes and live with the outcome because he knows he’s loved, and he knows how hard he works.”

The telltale signs Wagler is about to go off, according to Underwood: Wagler starts patting the ball, getting to his left-to-right crossover, spinning around defenders. Everything he does becomes a little peppier, injected with an intangible yet immediately identifiable swag.

“It just feels like the game is slowing down for me,” Wagler said. “Just everything’s going right, every pass, getting to the rim, finishing, all that stuff.”

The game’s second half, then, must have felt to him like an eternity. As the last few seconds melted away, Wagler dribbled out the clock and raised one hand to beckon cheers from the crowd. That moment was his to savor alone, and then he wasn’t alone any longer. When the sound of an air horn punctuated Wagler’s lifelong dream, he was wrapped in a bear hug by Illinois forward Ben Humrichous and then swarmed by elated teammates.

After the net was cut and a team photo snapped, Wagler weaved through the confetti-strewn court and finally reached the people he sought.

He embraced his mom, Jennifer, first. Then came his dad, Logan, older brother Landon and older sister Brooklyn. Finally, Keaton looked up and saw Victor Williams, his AAU basketball coach with VWBA Elite. Williams and Wagler’s family nurtured Keaton’s skill as well as his ambition.

“I know that they know that this is my dream,” Wagler said. “Every since I was a little kid I’ve always talked about this. To be in this position, to have them here and we’re going to the Final Four, it just means the world.”

His parents, who met while playing basketball at a community college in Kansas, knew their youngest son truly loved the game when he was in first grade and played on a team of third graders but was not dissuaded by being the youngest or one of the smallest.

“He couldn’t hardly get the ball up to the hoop, but he could do everything else,” Logan Wagler said. “I knew he would amount to something. I didn’t know it would lead him here, though.”

Neither did Illinois coach Brad Underwood and his staff. It was Underwood’s son, Tyler, an Illini assistant coach, who first identified Wagler as a prospect out of Shawnee, Kansas. Wagler had won two state championships with Shawnee Mission Northwest High School and was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2025, but according to Tyler Underwood some power-conference programs had reservations about Wagler’s smaller physique.

The first time Brad Underwood went to see Wagler play in person was after Illinois had already signed him. Wagler had scored 36 points in a game the night before, but with Underwood present he scored just two points. Nevertheless, Underwood was ecstatic when he left the gym and called his son.

“I said, ‘We just got an incredible talent,’” Brad Underwood recalled. “They blitzed him, they got it out of his hand, he made every right play, he was not selfish, he was not a pig, he wasn’t trying to force things. He just let the game come to him. Very, very mature as a senior in high school when you’re the guy. And he just played the game, and so I felt great about it. Did I know a 178-pound kid coming in was going to be this? I didn’t.”

When Wagler arrived at Illinois, he added 25 pounds of weight and worked on getting stronger. He was in the starting lineup right away but mostly in an off-ball role, with senior guard Kylan Boswell assuming the lion’s share of ball handling responsibilities.

In mid-January, Boswell broke his hand and was sidelined for several weeks. On Jan. 24, Wagler’s breakout game was a 46-point outburst that led Illinois to a road win at No. 4 Purdue — a Big Ten freshman scoring record with a school-record nine 3-pointers. That performance solidified Wagler’s self-confidence.

“The ascension happened so fast, and I think he showed himself, ‘I can do this,’” Underwood said. “And I think his teammates wanted that out of him. Like, I don’t think he gets here without his teammates’ encouragement.”

Illinois forward Zvonimir Ivisic, who transferred into the program this season from Arkansas, said his first impression of Wagler was of a player who was overlooked — and who let that fuel him.

“We all know what Keat’s capable of,” Ivisic said. “I was amazed. I didn’t hear a lot about him before, but when I see his playing style, how he handles the ball, how he handles himself, I was like, why a lot of people don’t talk about him enough? Everybody underestimated him. He’s a special player.”

Illinois forward David Mirkovic said that whether it’s a preseason scrimmage or a high-stakes NCAA Tournament game with a Final Four trip on the line, Wagler loves to compete.

“Keat looks like he enjoys every type of game,” Illinois forward David Mirkovic said. “Every type of basketball, every style. He just really whatever pass and challenge they offer him he always plays really good. He always adapts, adjusts to anything that’s in front of him. He’s such a big guy, really, most important player to us. When he adjusts like that we all follow him.”

Wagler relishes being called upon to deliver in big moments, but he won’t ever boast or describe himself with superlatives.

On Stirtz, he said, “He’s a really good player. We knew we had our hands full with him, so I just try to go out there and do what I do every game and if it’s for me to score the ball, then I’ll look to score the ball. But if I need to pass it, then do that. And tonight was more scoring so I just tried to do that.”

Wagler walked back to the locker room clutching his NCAA nameplate, which he said he intends to frame. As soon as he walked through the wooden double doors to the locker room, hands reached out from all sides to clap him on the back and offer handshakes. Wagler accepted and acknowledged each gesture with a nod or a high-five, all the while never breaking his stride.

He’s back to being just another kid with a basketball and a dream, until the next game, when he will become whatever Illinois needs him to be.

• The NBA is discussing three new concepts to reform the draft lottery and discourage teams from “tanking.”
• Commissioner Adam Silver has vowed to fix the tanking issue, stating changes will be made before next season.
• The proposed concepts involve expanding lottery eligibility to include play-in teams and potentially even first-round playoff losers.

At the NBA Board of Governors session earlier this week, the league presented three NBA Draft lottery reform concepts to ownership in an ongoing attempt to combat tanking.

A person with direct knowledge of the matter told USA TODAY Sports that the session was akin to a brainstorm and that the concepts discussed were not considered formal proposals that would be presented to the Board of Governors for voting — at least not yet. Before it gets to that stage, the NBA’s executives want to hear more feedback from team front office personnel prior to elevating any concept as a formal proposal.

The person also said that the concepts could be tweaked further, or that new concepts could be raised in the future. To that effect, the March 25 discussion with NBA ownership was not the first meeting the group has had on these issues. In essence: the league’s efforts against tanking are fluid and evolving.

The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.

During a March 25 press conference at the end of the Board of Governors meeting, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver characterized discussions with NBA owners about tanking as “lengthy” and vowed that the league is taking the matter seriously.

“We are going to fix it, full stop,” Silver told reporters in the press conference. “I want to say that directly to our fans.”

Given that the 2025-26 NBA season is nearly complete, the NBA does not necessarily need to rush this process, because any potential changes would not impact the bottom of the standings this year. Still, the league is prioritizing the anti-tanking effort and wants to enact changes sooner rather than later.

The NBA will convene a special session of the Board of Governors to vote on any formalized proposals for the 2026-27 season.

“This meeting was not about pointing fingers at any team in particular,” Silver said. “Again, I understand where the incentives are. We understand why it results in certain behavior. I will say it seemed unanimous in the room that we needed to make a change and we needed to make a change for next season. Exactly what that change is, we’re continuing to work on. No votes were taken today.

“I think there’s also unanimous agreement that we need to make this change in advance of the draft and free agency this year so all the teams understand the rules of the road going into next year.”

Here’s a look at the concepts presented:

Concept No. 1: Expand NBA draft lottery eligibility to play-in teams

In this scenario, 18 teams would qualify for the lottery. The 10 teams with the worst records would have the same chance, 8%, to win the lottery. The eight teams that qualify for the Play-In Tournament would then divvy up the remaining 20% of odds, in descending order, from Nos. 11-18.

Concept No. 2: WNBA-style weighted lottery

This concept blends some facets of the way the WNBA operates its lottery. In this scenario, 22 teams would be lottery-eligible. This would include the same 18 teams as the scenario above, while adding the four teams that lose their first-round playoff series.

Then, similar to the way the WNBA ranks teams for its lottery, the NBA would weight teams by their combined records over the most recent two seasons.

Concept No. 3: 18-team lottery most similar to current system

This concept is closest to the way the lottery is set up right now, with some tweaks.

In this version, 18 teams would qualify for the lottery: the teams with the 10 worst records, plus the eight play-in teams. This concept would give the teams with the five worst records — as opposed to the teams with the three worst records in the current setup — the same odds to win the lottery.

Then, odds would go in descending order for the teams ranked sixth through 18^th.

Similar to the current lottery system, this concept would have some protections in place to prevent for statistical aberrations: the lowest fall one of the five worst teams could have would be the No. 10 pick.

How does the NBA come up with anti-tanking concepts?

It starts with ongoing discussions and ideas. These can come from team operations or from people within the league office, but the NBA is trying to curate options that appear to have the most traction in a comprehensive list.

The effort to curate and distill these ideas into concepts is being led by NBA executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics Evan Wasch, NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell and executive vice president, head of basketball operations James Jones. Those three are in constant contact with the NBA’s competition committee so that when the concepts are presented to NBA owners, they’re listed clearly and concisely.

Would any change be permanent?

Almost certainly not. During his press conference, Silver said he believed the league’s previous efforts to combat tanking with lottery reform had worked, but he acknowledged that changes in collective bargaining and changes in analytics and behavior rendered the previous reforms obsolete.

“The world changes, behavior changes,” Silver said. “I don’t necessarily think the changes we made over the last 40 years or so were necessarily wrong. I think in some cases they worked for a period of time. Math is math. When we make those changes and change odds, you know exactly statistically where you’re going to come out.

“What’s changed is behavior around those odds. It may be as the value of franchises has gone up, as the analytics have gotten more sophisticated, as pressure has come from fan bases to engage in behavior that even team ownership or GMs are not proud of, that’s where we find ourselves.”

He also cautioned against the framing of any upcoming lottery reform as a “forever fix” and vowed that the league would continually look at potential changes to the lottery as league economics and league dynamics changed.

“If I’m the one standing at the podium (in five years), I want to make it clear that I recognize things may change also because there also may be changes that we see through collective bargaining or other changes to the system that may impact what we’re doing now,” Silver said. “Certainly going into next season, the incentives will be completely different than they are now.”

One reason Elliot Cadeau was drawn to Michigan as a transfer last spring was the size of the Wolverines’ starting front line, with 7-3 center Aday Mara flanked by 6-9 forwards Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg.

Being surrounded by this length and athleticism has given the more diminutive former North Carolina point guard room to dip and duck his way through coach Dusty May’s read-and-react system, where spacing and ball movement are mandatory and players are “encouraged to pass up good shots for great ones,” according to the program’s definition.

“I would say that he does an amazing job dissecting the offense,” said Michigan guard Nimari Burnett. “He makes it so much easier for us all around the court that played with him, just getting us easy shots. I’m just joyful to play with him every single game.”

Along with Mara and Lendeborg — from UCLA and Alabama-Birmingham, respectively — Cadeau has helped transform the No. 1 Wolverines into one of the best teams in the nation and the favorite to advance out of the Midwest Region for the ninth Final Four appearance in program history.

“Elliott runs the show,” Johnson said.

There have been a few hiccups along the way to Friday’s matchup in Chicago against No. 4 Alabama, including a dud in Michigan’s nonconference loss to Duke in February and a run of poor shooting performances late in Big Ten play.

But Cadeau has rebounded to play some of his best basketball in the past few weeks, including a stretch of 26 assists against just five turnovers in his past three games. That he’s done so while dealing with medical issues has made Cadeau one of Michigan’s unquestioned leaders both on the court and off.

“I think he’s really relatable in terms of where he’s from, what he’s been through,” guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “He’s always a guy that you can rely on. I feel like most point guards have that trait, but really, he has been someone where if someone isn’t going right, I’m able to lean on him.”

Hearing, vision issues haven’t stopped Elliot Cadeau

That Cadeau has remained unflappable amid his high-profile transfer from Chapel Hill and the stress of running the show for the Wolverines shouldn’t come as a surprise.

As a child growing up in New Jersey, Cadeau was diagnosed as partially deaf in his right ear. He’s had to manage asthma. As a freshman with the Tar Heels, he needed to have surgery to treat a progressive eye disorder called keratoconus, which thins the cornea and can often cause blurred vision and a sensitivity to bright lights and glare.

None of these conditions would seem to be conducive to playing point guard for a team with national championship goals, let alone playing basketball, period.

Yet these same issues have helped define Cadeau, shaping the way he approaches his role as the Wolverines’ facilitator.

“It kind of just made me feel like I just can’t make excuses,” he said after Michigan’s win against No. 9 Saint Louis in the second round.

“I have really close friends when I was growing up who are all at the highest level of the NBA, high-major basketball players, and I wanted to be just as good as them. I was trying to be better than them.

“Even though they didn’t have the same issues as me, I couldn’t just make excuses about it and not be as good as them.”

Handling this adversity helped Cadeau weather a tumultuous two-year run at North Carolina, where he often became the poster child for the Tar Heels’ unrealized expectations after ranking near the bottom of the ACC in turnovers and fouls as a sophomore.

“That’s just kind of a testament to who he is,” said Gayle. “Because of everything that he’s been through, he’s able to kind of separate himself from everything that’s going on and be able to give you advice.”

And despite the challenges he’s faced to reach Friday night, Cadeau insists he’s never been slowed down by the conditions that could have easily derailed a promising career.

“There are no adjustments made,” he said. “Me not being able to hear fully didn’t really make any difference on the court, because you don’t really need hearing unless you’re listening to a play call or you’re listening to your teammates. I feel like basketball-wise, it doesn’t affect me.”

Cadeau a ‘savant’ at the controls of Michigan’s offense

Cadeau’s game has blossomed as the showrunner for one of the top offenses in college basketball. The Wolverines enter the matchup against Alabama ranked ninth nationally in scoring, fourth in field-goal percentage and fifth in assists per game.

The junior is averaging a career-best 10.1 points per game with 57 makes from 3-point range, nearly doubling his total from his final season at North Carolina. Cadeau has 28 fewer turnovers in one fewer game compared to last year while posting 5.7 assists per game, good for fourth in the Big Ten.

Cadeau has been the perfect fit for a system that needs a happy-to-share distributor, especially as Michigan looks to quickly turn defensive stops into transition.

“He’s a savant with what he’s doing,” May said. “He probably doesn’t even realize a lot of the things he’s doing because he’s so intelligent. He’s able to get us into close-out opportunities without really having to run any offense. His ability to read the floor, read the game, manipulate defenses, is incredibly impressive.”

His arrival in Ann Arbor has sparked a clear increase in confidence. Cadeau has been much more willing to chase his own shot, especially given the attention paid to Michigan’s imposing frontcourt. He made three from long range against Saint Louis, helping the Wolverines take control in the first half and cruise to the 95-72 win.

Adding another outside shooter to Burnett and fellow guard Trey McKenney has made the offense even more dangerous, teammates said.

“The difference between him and last year, he was more pass-first,” Lendeborg said. “He’s still pass-first now, but he’s become way more of a scoring threat. You can’t guard him anyway. So having to compete with him and trying to stop him when you think he’s going to pass, it’s good night pretty much honestly.”

Said Gayle, “It wasn’t the fact that he couldn’t, he’s just more confident in doing so. And he works really hard for it.”

This same level of dedication — one needed to fight through his medical conditions and to become a more complete and well-rounded player on both ends — has built Cadeau into an elite college point guard, and in turn made the Wolverines into a team capable of winning the second national championship in program history.

“He’s what we want in a point guard,” May said. “He’s a guy that makes everyone on the team better.”

Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito wanted a shot at a world championship medal after missing out at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but the American stars fell just short.

In podium contention at the 2026 world figure skating championships in Prague, Glenn and Levito had errors in their free skate on Friday, March 27, that proved to be too costly, resulting in a fourth place finish for Levito and sixth for Glenn. Fellow U.S. skater Sarah Everhardt ended in 11th.

Decorated Japan skater Kaori Sakamoto, the silver medalist in Milano Cortina, claimed gold, capping off her stellar career with her fourth first-place finish in the past five years after the three-peat from 2022-24. Fellow Japanese skater Mone Chiba took silver and Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium won bronze.

Both Glenn and Levito did well in their short programs, entering the night in third and fourth place, respectively. While Levito has a previous medal at worlds − a silver in 2024 − Glenn was going for her first one at the event, finishing in fifth last year.

Levito went first and had an under-rotated jump early in her program that resulted in a score of 134.83.

Glenn followed, skating a program that was strong in the Olympics and, if replicated, would have assured her a medal. She started strong with a picture perfect triple Axel.

But then the mistakes happened. The triple salchow was under rotated, and a triple loop, which devastated her short program in Milano Cortina, was decisive again when she was unable to complete the jump. Glenn sat on the ice when she was done skating, clearly upset at the mistakes.

Glenn earned a score of 130.47 for the free skate, keeping her off the podium before Sakamoto and Chiba went on the ice. Levito had a chance to medal if Sakamoto and Chiba struggled, but the Japanese skaters looked exceptional on the ice, leaving no doubt of their victories.

Both American athletes were competing roughly a month after the Olympics ended, coming to Prague after battling illnesses as well. The competition notably didn’t have Olympic champion Alysa Liu, who withdrew from worlds as she has been wrapped up in several career opportunities since becoming the breakout star of the Winter Olympics.

The title is the perfect ending for Sakamoto, with this season being the final one of her career. She hoped to add Olympic gold to her resume in February but took silver. She ends her run with four world titles, a Grand Prix Final champion and as a five-time Japanese champion.

• The author argues that college sports are a public trust, not privately owned by schools or conferences.
• The author calls on Congress to pass legislation to stabilize the system for the benefit of all schools and athletes.
• Proposed solutions aim to preserve college sports by allowing for collective media rights and new revenue streams.

Cody Campbell is Chairman of the Board of the Texas Tech University Board of Regents and Founder of Saving College Sports, a non-profit organization formed to preserve the institution of intercollegiate athletics.

Until recently, the question of who owns intercollegiate athletics has never been a question our country had to ask. Today, however, largely due to a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court Decision, Congress must step in and decide who controls — and who benefits — from the various untethered parts, pieces, and whole of intercollegiate athletics.

Regulatory anarchy, and athletic departments facing financial insolvency, and a flagrant power grab by the most powerful names and entities in college sports have been well documented by alarming headlines. 

College sports are a unique and undeniable cornerstone of American culture. They’ve provided access to higher education for more kids than any program other than the G.I. Bill. This access demonstrably molds today’s athletes into the leaders of tomorrow with 60%+ of American CEOs having a college sports background. The lessons that are forged on the playing field create a stronger country with stronger leaders.

America’s unparalleled leadership development program of collegiate athletics is now in a heap of a mess. 

Let’s look at the history: From the land-grant colleges of the Morrill Act (1862) to the taxpayer-supported stadiums, scholarships, and tax-exempt status, college sports has never been the private fiefdom of any school, conference or cartel. In truth, public money — direct and indirect — has underwritten athletic facilities, coaching salaries, medical care, and the very education that makes them “student” athletes.  Even the most elite private programs ride on the coattails of federal student aid, charitable deductions, public infrastructure and media regulation that make Saturday afternoons possible. College sports are a Public Trust, built by the American people, largely owned by public institutions, and carried on the backs of taxpayers because we collectively believe in the greater good.  College sports certainly don’t exclusively belong to the Power conferences. Despite posturing that implies ownership, these entities don’t own a damn thing.

Each school, conference, media giant and special interest are now in a feeding frenzy to grant a larger piece of the pie — they all want legislation that gives them more money, more TV time and more prominence — almost always at the expense of smaller college athletics programs, programs that provide the same benefits to our country. They realign conferences to stretch illogically across an entire continent, knowing that it will severely injure individual institutions and communities as expenses skyrocket and age-old rivalries die. They negotiate media deals to crowd out small schools and monopolize revenue. They cause non-revenue sports (women’s and Olympic sports) to be cut, fees to be charged to students, and tuition to be raised.  Cutthroat business tactics may make sense in a corporate boardroom, but they are pushing college sports into something more fragile and much less beneficial to our country.

University and conference leaders rightfully explain that they have no choice but to follow the money, purely out of financial self-preservation. But the outcome of those decisions — taken collectively — creates what is approaching a financial monopoly and threatens the vast majority of college athletic departments and athletes.   

The Constitution’s Preamble is not merely ornamental: “We the People … promote the general Welfare” is its sovereign and sacred charge. Government’s solemn duty is not to just stand by and let the strongest programs crush the weaker ones. Its duty is not to allow the rules to be written by institutions and organizations who can afford to hire the most expensive lobbyists. Government’s responsibility is to stabilize the system, de-fang the misplaced sense of ownership and entitlement, and maximize the commercial value of this asset that “We the People” collectively own — so that every school, every sport, every athlete, and every community that has invested its heart and treasure may continue to thrive.

To this end, President Trump’s 2025 Executive Order, the bipartisan legislation recently released by Democratic Senator Cantwell and Republican Senator Schmitt, and the proposals brought forward by the independent organization, Saving College Sports, are aimed at preservation of the entire system and the immeasurable benefits that it provides us all. Recent momentum behind these proposals demonstrates rare bipartisan willingness to work together to save one of the few remaining institutions that unites people of all political persuasions.  

Measures must be taken to make the system permanently financially stable. Many of these measures are included in the above-mentioned legislative proposals and can provide the colleges long-term optionality to collectively pool media rights, and grant freedom to generate revenue through myriad additional avenues that make common business sense.

Bottom line is this: Simply do what is right for the entire country — all schools, all sports, both big and small. This can all be accomplished while honoring existing media contracts, but through ensuring that future arrangements serve the public trust, not just a privileged few. 

It is incumbent on Congress to promote the general welfare, to work for the common good, and preserve college sports for our children and grandchildren. The American people built it. The American people own it. Now, the American people and our elected representatives must protect it.

CHICAGO — Rick Barnes didn’t give the canned answer like Alabama’s Nate Oats and Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger had to because nobody really figured it was worth asking anymore.

“I’m from North Carolina,” the 71-year-old Tennessee men’s basketball coach quipped when told he was likely to be the only head coach at the 2026 NCAA Tournament’s Midwest regional to not have to address the job opening currently driving the college basketball coaching carousel conversation. 

But the Hickory, North Carolina native is also from another era, joining Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson from the old guard of coaches to make it to the Sweet 16 this year. His No. 6 seeded Tennessee team faces No. 2 seed Iowa State Friday, March 27 at the United Center in Chicago.

With that longevity comes a fascinating perspective about the place he’s been for the past decade, the places he might have left for previously, and the places he probably won’t go now that everything about college sports is different.

“The obvious problem today is there’s some fan bases that still think they have an entitlement and they think it’s going to be the same way,” Barnes said on Thursday in reference to North Carolina basketballl. “The game has changed totally because of NIL.”

The statement perhaps minimizes the remarkable consistency forged under Barnes over the past decade on Rocky Top. This is the fourth Sweet 16 appearance in a row for Tennessee under Barnes, and no active coach has more all-time wins (860) without winning a national championship. The Vols have advanced past the first weekend of the men’s NCAA Tournament nearly as many times with Barnes (5) as they had in the previous 106 seasons of program history.

He’s also 23 years removed from a Final Four appearance with Texas and may never be on another blueblood wish list again because of his age and the lifetime contract he signed with the Volunteers last year. But now, with his coaching career much closer to its ending than the beginning, he might not need to be.

That’s what he believes, and so do his counterparts actually being featured on all those UNC hot boards this week. The 2025-26 college football season was proof of concept for some.

“We may not have the tradition that some of these other places had,” Oats said in reference to Alabama, for instance, “but Indiana football probably didn’t have that tradition, either, and they won it. I think their athletic department supported them, they got a good coach and they won it.”

This alignment between administration and coach, Barnes emphasized Thursday, is more important than ever in a system he acknowledged as “broken” because of the rapid evolution of the NCAA rulebook. “You need money. We know that,” Barnes said. “But there’s a lot more to it than that.”

There’s a scenario, for instance, in which he would have already retired in the wake of all the change in college basketball if not for the presence of Tennessee athletic director Danny White.

“I love coaching, and if I didn’t have the leadership – I don’t know,” Barnes said.

In this way, perhaps coincidentally, he has been ahead of the curve working at a school with a powerhouse football program. 

Barnes called Tennessee football the “greatest asset we have,” rather than competition for resources, due to the revenue generated and the value of hosting recruits during games at Neyland Stadium in the fall. He joked NIL stands for “now it’s legal,” and yet the version of Barnes players get now seems a lot like the version they got before making six- and seven-figure salaries.

His recruiting pitch even includes the warning that, “this will be the hardest-working program you’ll ever be in,” Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara said.

“He’s as hands on as it gets. He’s ripping into you,” added guard Bishop Boswell. “A lot of times it can be hard to hear, but at the end of the day, he demands perfection. I think the thing we respect the most about him is he’s the same every day. There’s no fall off, even if we might not always want to hear it.”

Barnes savors this part of the job. He loves practice most of all, he said, and told a story Thursday from when he worked for Wimp Sanderson at Alabama 40 years ago.

Barnes walked in on Sanderson “literally lying on the sofa in his office” with his hands behind his head before the first game of the season, and the coach told Barnes this would be a great job “if you never had to play games.” Only Barnes lost his train of thought as the memory flooded back to him and asked to hear the question again.

What’s his driving force after so many years, so many accomplishments and so many changes? This time, Barnes gave the canned answer.

“You don’t ever take it for granted,” he said.

There will eventually be struggles for Kevin McGonigle, certainly times the Detroit Tigers might wonder if they’d gotten a little too excited by naming their top prospect to the Opening Day roster of a club with World Series aspirations.

Yet for one at-bat, anyway, McGonigle showed what all the hype is about.

Baseball’s consensus No. 2 prospect turned on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues and ripped a bases-loaded, two-run double off San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta, the big blow in a five-run first inning for Detroit at Petco Park in San Diego on March 26.

McGonigle, 21, was picked 37th overall out of a Pennsylvania high school in 2023. And with a rowful of family and friends looking on from shaded seats on a glorious, 74-degree day in San Diego, McGonigle exploited a Pivetta cutter that stayed up in the strike zone and ripped it down the right field line.

He cranked another double in his second at-bat – a Pivetta four-seam fastball in nearly the exact location – that bounced off the wall in the right field corner. He eventually scored on an Austin Meadows two-run single for a 6-0 lead.

McGonigle posted a .922 OPS in three minor league seasons across four levels, yet skipped Class AAA altogether. His poised and powerful spring performance – an .888 OPS and two home runs – won him a job on the Tigers infield, and he started at third in the opener with veteran Javy Baez at shortstop.

After two rounds of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, the Sweet 16 has many future first-round NBA draft picks still dancing during March Madness.

As always, prospects will use the momentum from March to capitalize on their draft stock to begin their professional careers. Others, however, might benefit from increased NIL packages in the NCAA and come back to school or enter the transfer portal.

Some highly-ranked players not included who could potentially return to college include Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor), Alijah Arenas (USC), Meleek Thomas (Arkansas), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and Flory Bidunga (Kansas). But if these players decide to declare and stay in the draft, they could potentially warrant first-round consideration as well.

Our draft order is based on ESPN’s projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.

1. Indiana Pacers: Cameron Boozer

• TEAM: Duke
• POSITION: Forward
• BORN: Florida
• HEIGHT: 6-9
• DRAFT AGE: 18

Duke freshman Cameron Boozer was one of the best players in college basketball during his first NCAA season and now makes his USA TODAY mock draft pole position debut. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, rival teams believe Boozer would be the “preferred selection” for the Pacers at No. 1 overall because of his “potential fit” alongside Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac. The ACC Player of the Year isn’t a human highlight reel but he offers consistency and a diverse, impactful skill set. More importantly, he can bring a culture of winning after multiple championships in high school and an elite Duke team that has made it to the Sweet 16.

2. Brooklyn Nets: AJ Dybantsa

• TEAM: BYU
• POSITION: Wing
• BORN: Massachusetts
• HEIGHT: 6-9
• DRAFT AGE: 19

The Nets have the worst offense in the NBA and could instantly inject life into their offense by selecting AJ Dybantsa, who would likely go No. 1 overall depending on which team gets the pick. He emphasized that point during his one game for BYU in March Madness, putting up 35 points and 10 rebounds. The Big 12 Rookie of the Year led the nation in unassisted points scored (680) by a wide margin this season, per CBB Analytics. The emerging star also had 40 points against Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament on March 10 and averaged 28.8 points per game over his final 17 appearances. 

3. Washington Wizards: Darryn Peterson

• TEAM: Kansas
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: Ohio
• HEIGHT: 6-5
• DRAFT AGE: 19

While he is no longer perceived as the near-certain No. 1 overall pick that he once was due to relative inconsistency and injury issues, many scouts and evaluators feel that Darryn Peterson is the most talented player in this class. The Wizards would put the All-Big 12 guard in a strong position to begin his career alongside Trae Young and Anthony Davis. It is incredibly rare to find a prospect who is able to score as efficiently as Peterson while holding a usage rate as high as his has been this season. 

4. Sacramento Kings: Caleb Wilson

• TEAM: North Carolina
• POSITION: Big
• BORN: Georgia
• HEIGHT: 6-10
• DRAFT AGE: 19

The Kings need the best player available and that is North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson, who unfortunately missed the NCAA Tournament with a broken thumb. Wilson, who also suffered a hand fracture earlier in the season, did more than enough to earn this placement, though. According to Bart Torvik, before the injury the All-ACC big man led the nation with 67 dunks recorded. He was also the only player under 20 years old to reach thresholds of 2.5 percent for both block and steal percentage while also notching a defensive rebound percentage above 20.0 percent.

5. Utah Jazz: Kingston Flemings

• TEAM: Houston
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: Texas
• HEIGHT: 6-4
• DRAFT AGE: 19

The Jazz currently have the worst defensive rating in the Western Conference but could potentially improve that by selecting Houston freshman Kingston Flemings. The All-Big 12 guard has several games when he has recorded at least three steals, notching eight against Arizona State earlier this season. He scored 42 points against No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 24. He has helped lead Houston to the Sweet 16 and with highs as high as his thus far, it will not take long for him to hear his name called on draft night.   

6. Dallas Mavericks: Darius Acuff Jr.

• TEAM: Arkansas
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: Michigan
• HEIGHT: 6-3
• DRAFT AGE: 19

The Mavericks need players who can help Dallas stay competitive on offense, and Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. has shown – en route to the Sweet 16 – he can do exactly that. The SEC Player of the Year leads the nation for points created (1,360) either by himself or through an assist, per CBB Analytics. He leads freshman for field goals made in transition (71) and is among the freshmen leaders in both alley-oop assists (17) this season. Despite his defensive deficiencies, there is a reason rival coach Sean Miller thinks this “generational” guard should have his name in the mix at No. 1 overall.

7. Memphis Grizzlies: Yaxel Lendeborg

• TEAM: Michigan
• POSITION: Forward
• BORN: New Jersey
• HEIGHT: 6-9
• DRAFT AGE: 23

The Grizzlies could add to their rebuilding core after trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. by selecting Yaxel Lendeborg, who has shown on his way to the Sweet 16 that he is perhaps the most NBA-ready player in this draft class. The Big Ten Player of the Year offers a bit of everything on both sides of the ball and has silenced skeptics who were unsure how his game would scale after transferring from mid-major UAB to high-major Michigan. The Grizzlies have drafted players with similar trajectories like Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward.

8. Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans): Keaton Wagler

• TEAM: Illinois
• POSITION: Wing
• BORN: Kansas
• HEIGHT: 6-6
• DRAFT AGE: 19

After trading away Trae Young, the Hawks could use a guard like Illinois standout Keaton Wagler using a first-round pick they received from the Pelicans. The 19-year-old guard has played a crucial role for his team to earn a spot in the Sweet 16. He projects as one of the best 3-point shooters in this class, shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman while connecting on as many as nine 3-pointers in a game. The Big Ten Rookie of the Year has athletic limitations but is a cerebral basketball player who is also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season. 

9. Milwaukee Bucks: Brayden Burries

• TEAM: Arizona
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: California
• HEIGHT: 6-4
• DRAFT AGE: 20

Arizona freshman Brayden Burries had two breakout games in January, which helped solidify his draft stock. But the All-Big 12 guard has continued to display his tantalizing talent, scoring 31 points with seven rebounds and five steals against Colorado on March 7 and 20 points with 12 rebounds and five assists during a victory against No. 14 Kansas on Feb. 28. Burries has also looked like a lottery talent during March Madness, earning a spot in the Sweet 16. He has proven productivity and he is able to defend, relocate, move the ball and make 3-pointers off the dribble.   

10. Chicago Bulls: Mikel Brown Jr.

• TEAM: Louisville
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: Florida
• HEIGHT: 6-5
• DRAFT AGE: 20

The Chicago Bulls need to simply draft the best player available with whatever pick they have and will likely keep Louisville floor general Mikel Brown Jr. highlighted on their big board. The All-ACC guard has deep shooting range and was among the freshmen leaders in 3-pointers made from beyond 25 feet (27) this year, per CBB Analytics. Brown was averaging 29.2 points per game over his last five appearances, including 45 points against NC State on Feb. 9, while hitting 10 shots from beyond the arc, before an injury on Feb. 28 forced him to miss March Madness.

11. Golden State Warriors: Labaron Philon

• TEAM: Alabama
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: Alabama
• HEIGHT: 6-4
• DRAFT AGE: 20

The Warriors could still use more reliable players in the backcourt and could find a fairly compelling player in Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon. Even though the All-SEC guard is not playing at 100 percent due to injury issues, he has played well in March Madness, recording 29 points in his first game and 12 assists in his second. The guard is now averaging 21.6 points per game and has improved his 3-point shooting from 31.5 percent as a freshman to 39.7 percent as a sophomore, also managing 5.0 assists per game in the process.

12. Portland Trail Blazers: Koa Peat

• TEAM: Arizona
• POSITION: Forward
• BORN: Arizona
• HEIGHT: 6-8
• DRAFT AGE: 19

The Portland Trail Blazers have drafted several prospects known for their athleticism, which means a player like Arizona forward Koa Peat will probably have some appeal to the organization. Peat is an ideal match for this franchise given his versatility as a playmaking forward. The All-Big 12 forward just needs a jumper to carve out regular minutes as a high-impact pro. Arizona plays at a significantly faster pace (4.1 extra possessions) when Peat is on the floor relative to when he is not, per CBB Analytics, which would fit very well with Portland’s fast-paced offense. 

13. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers): Hannes Steinbach

• TEAM: Washington
• POSITION: Big
• BORN: Germany
• HEIGHT: 6-11
• DRAFT AGE: 20

After winning the 2025 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder are projected to add even more lottery-caliber talent in the 2026 NBA Draft. They could use it to potentially replace Isaiah Hartenstein by drafting a younger German big man: Hannes Steinbach. While his team missed the tournament, the All-Big Ten post is an instinctive rebounder with great hands, including an absurd 24 rebounds against USC on March 4. Additionally, the center is one of the more prolific pick-and-roll finishers in college basketball. He shined during the FIBA U19 World Cup, and scouts love that he is a smart basketball player who can make great reads.

14. Charlotte Hornets: Nate Ament

• TEAM: Tennessee
• POSITION: Wing
• BORN: Virginia
• HEIGHT: 6-10
• DRAFT AGE: 19

After a relatively slow and inefficient start to the season, Tennessee freshman Nate Ament started to realize some of his lofty expectations. The freshman averaged 21.6 points per game, while shooting 38.9 percent on 3-pointers, during a 13-game stretch before an injury against Alabama on Feb. 28. The All-SEC forward then had 27 points (4-of-6 on 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal against Auburn on March 12. While he has been quiet during March Madness, it will only take one team to fall in love with Ament, and that team is probably picking in the lottery.

15. Memphis Grizzlies (via Magic): Joshua Jefferson

• TEAM: Iowa State
• POSITION: Forward
• BORN: Nevada
• HEIGHT: 6-9
• DRAFT AGE: 22

A few years ago, research indicated that the Grizzlies tend to value a few statistical similarities in their draftees: Efficient shot selection, added value beyond scoring and defensive playmaking. For the second year in a row, Iowa State do-it-all Joshua Jefferson is an impactful dribble-pass-shoot forward who meets many of the qualifications that led Memphis to find players who spent many years on their roster. The All-Big 12 forward got injured during the first round of the tournament, but Iowa State still earned a spot in the Sweet 16.

16. Miami Heat: Cameron Carr

• TEAM: Baylor
• POSITION: Wing
• BORN: Minnesota
• HEIGHT: 6-5
• DRAFT AGE: 21

One of the players who improved his draft stock the most this season was Baylor junior Cameron Carr. The All-Big 12 wing brings athleticism and shooting and, per Bart Torvik, he was the only player to make at least 40 field goals that were dunks and more than 60 field goals that were 3-pointers this season. Baylor outscored opponents by an additional 28.5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor relative to when he was not, via CBB Analytics, which ranked as the fourth-most of any high-major player in the NCAA. 

17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers): Karim López

• TEAM: International (Australia)
• POSITION: Forward
• BORN: Mexico
• HEIGHT: 6-8
• DRAFT AGE: 19

The Thunder have drafted several players from Australia’s NBL, including Josh Giddey. They could dip into this well again by selecting Karim López with their pick from the Philadelphia 76ers. While the Mexican-born forward still needs some development, he is physically gifted and widely seen as the top prospect from this class currently playing overseas. He exploded for 32 points (11-of-13 FG) with eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal against Melbourne on Jan. 30. Even if he is a draft-and-stash player, that is ideal for a team with a rotation as crowded as the Thunder.

18. Charlotte Hornets (via Suns): Jayden Quaintance

• TEAM: Kentucky
• POSITION: Big
• BORN: Ohio
• HEIGHT: 6-9
• DRAFT AGE: 18

Jayden Quaintance recorded just one start during his sophomore campaign as he recovered from a torn ACL, meniscus and fractured knee. The big man is still one of the youngest players in this class, but he has shown flashes during his time at Arizona State and Kentucky. When healthy, he is arguably the most talented defender in this draft class and could help a team that desperately needs frontcourt help, like the Hornets. But health may cause some concern for evaluators.

19. Toronto Raptors: Bennett Stirtz

• TEAM: Iowa
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: Missouri
• HEIGHT: 6-4
• DRAFT AGE: 22

The Raptors could use another guard and should have Bennett Stirtz on their priority list. After transferring from Division II to a mid-major and then to a high-major program, he is at the top of the class in creating his own shot off the dribble in isolation or the pick-and-roll. The All-Big Ten guard can also finish plays from dribble handoffs. The Raptors play at a slow pace, which would translate well for Stirtz, who is doing the same at Iowa. While he has not looked stellar during March Madness, he has still earned a spot in the Sweet 16.

20. San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks): Thomas Haugh

• TEAM: Florida
• POSITION: Wing
• BORN: Pennsylvania
• HEIGHT: 6-9
• DRAFT AGE: 22

After winning a national championship with Florida last season, Thomas Haugh was instantly regarded as one of the most interesting players who elected to return to college. The All-SEC forward had one of the top motors in the NCAA this season before an early elimination from March Madness. While he did not score efficiently in a set offense this year, he does not need the ball in his hands very often to make a difference on the floor for his team. He can serve as a glue guy for a contending team looking to win an NBA title like the Spurs.

21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets): Aday Mara

• TEAM: Michigan
• POSITION: Big
• BORN: Spain
• HEIGHT: 7-3
• DRAFT AGE: 21

Michigan center Aday Mara is one of the prospects who has helped himself the most during March Madness so far. The 7-foot-3 big man, who transferred from UCLA, is a fantastic rim protector. Opponents only attempt 19.9 percent of their field goals at the rim when the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is on the court, per CBB Analytics, which ranks near lowest among all NCAA players. He can also pass well, finding some awesome outlet looks in transition and at the rim. 

22. Atlanta Hawks (via Cavaliers): Patrick Ngongba II

• TEAM: Duke
• POSITION: Big
• BORN: Virginia
• HEIGHT: 6-11
• DRAFT AGE: 20

Many teams could use a big man like Patrick Ngongba II, who is an above-average passer for his position. His assist rate is the highest among underclassmen listed at 6-foot-11 or taller, per Bart Torvik, and he is at the top of his game when passing to a driving perimeter player. Ngongba, who has helped Duke earn a spot in the Sweet 16, is a big-bodied prospect who can carve out space as one of the more prolific cutters in college basketball. He is on an encouraging development track, displaying legitimate year-over-year improvement from his freshman to sophomore campaign.

23. Detroit Pistons (via Timberwolves): Christian Anderson

• TEAM: Texas Tech
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: Georgia
• HEIGHT: 6-3
• DRAFT AGE: 20

While they are one of the best teams in the league this season, the Pistons are still struggling from the perimeter and could use more talented 3-point shooters on their roster. A simple fix would be drafting Texas Tech sophomore Christian Anderson, who had the third-most unassisted 3-pointers (61) in the NCAA, per CBB Analytics. After moving to point guard, the All-Big 12 Most Improved Player recorded more than twice as many assists per 100 possessions as a sophomore now compared to when he was a freshman. 

24. Denver Nuggets: Dailyn Swain

• TEAM: Texas
• POSITION: Wing
• BORN: Ohio
• HEIGHT: 6-8
• DRAFT AGE: 21

After transferring from Xavier to Texas during the offseason and then leading his team to the Sweet 16, Dailyn Swain has become one of the more intriguing breakout players in college basketball. The All-SEC forward is versatile and contributes a little bit of everything for the Longhorns on both sides of the ball, scoring well both in the paint and on fastbreaks. Another element that is notably compelling is that Swain is efficient one-on-one in isolation against his defenders. 

25. Los Angeles Lakers: Morez Johnson Jr.

• TEAM: Michigan
• POSITION: Big
• BORN: Illinois
• HEIGHT: 6-9
• DRAFT AGE: 20

Morez Johnson Jr. is one of the best, most underrated two-way players in the NCAA. He is a crucial part of the Michigan identity this season and has thrived since transferring to the Wolverines from Illinois. Johnson’s shooting form at the free throw line looks good, and he scores well near the rim, especially when cutting to the basket. The former FIBA U-19 Team USA standout and All-Big Ten big man is a trustworthy defensive playmaker, too, and should find minutes at the next level.

26. New York Knicks: Allen Graves

• TEAM: Santa Clara
• POSITION: Forward
• BORN: Louisiana
• HEIGHT: 6-9
• DRAFT AGE: 20

One of the most under-the-radar prospects in all of college basketball this season was Santa Clara freshman Allen Graves, who was nearly a March Madness hero. It was hard not to notice the WCC Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year after he scored 30 points with 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals Feb. 7 against Washington State. The only players under 21 years old who currently held a higher box plus-minus, via Bart Torvik, were Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.

27. Boston Celtics: Chris Cenac Jr.

• TEAM: Houston
• POSITION: Big
• BORN: Louisiana
• HEIGHT: 6-11
• DRAFT AGE: 19

It was an up-and-down season for former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American Chris Cenar Jr. at Houston. While he still remains a candidate to return to college and improve his draft stock for the 2027 NBA Draft, Cenac is getting hot at the perfect time. During his first game in the Big Dance, the big man recorded a season-high 18 rebounds, while also knocking down a 3-pointer and grabbing a steal. Then in the Round of 32, he showed off more scoring with some impressive cuts to the basket, dropping 17 points against Texas A&M.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons): Tyler Tanner

• TEAM: Vanderbilt
• POSITION: Guard
• BORN: Tennessee
• HEIGHT: 6-0
• DRAFT AGE: 20

It is unusual to find a 6-foot sophomore projected in the first round of a mock draft, but if there were ever a player who has earned that kind of praise should he decide to turn pro after this season, it’s Tyler Tanner. Despite his size, the All-SEC guard has found meaningful ways to contribute on both sides of the floor. He can score efficiently, dunk, block shots, steal the ball, and he is more than serviceable as a floor general capable of earning rotation minutes for a team like the Timberwolves.

29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs): Braylon Mullins

• TEAM: Connecticut
• POSITION: Wing
• BORN: Indiana
• HEIGHT: 6-6
• DRAFT AGE: 19

Braylon Mullins, a five-star recruit and former McDonald’s All-American, missed the start of the season due to an ankle injury. But he has returned to action for the Huskies and has shown what makes him such an appealing player. He is a useful off-ball threat, which gives him an immediately practical role at the next level. The Big East All-Freshman wing shot 40.7 percent on 3-pointers during his first 18 games in the starting lineup, but it may be tough for scouts to forget his 0-for-8 performance from beyond the arc during his first game in March Madness.

30. Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder): Amari Allen

• TEAM: Alabama
• POSITION: Wing
• BORN: Wisconsin
• HEIGHT: 6-7
• DRAFT AGE: 20

Alabama’s Amari Allen is a 6-foot-7 freshman who averaged 12.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists with 1.7 “stocks” (combined steals and blocks), while shooting 39.5 percent on 3-pointers on 4.8 shots per game for the Crimson Tide during SEC conference play. The SEC All-Freshman wing is a good connective piece who plays hard, cares about winning and knows how to make the right play. He is a player worth watching during the Sweet 16.

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HOUSTON —  Three minutes into Iowa’s Sweet 16 game against Nebraska on Thursday night, a casualty occurred on the Hawkeyes’ sideline.

Iowa coach Ben McCollum, already red-cheeked and furious at his team’s passive start in a game they trailed by 10 points, snapped a dry erase marker into two pieces in the timeout huddle. Ink went everywhere.

“We called them into the huddle and just said very nicely, ‘I’d like you to play harder, guys,’ and that seemed to work,” McCollum quipped, before looking to his left where Hawkeyes guards Tate Sage and Bennett Stirtz sat trying and failing to contain their smiles.

“Am I right? That how that went?” McCollum asked his players.

“Yes,” Sage and Stirtz replied, nodding dutifully.

McCollum’s fiery disposition and ability to extract winning performances from his players have made Iowa’s first-year coach a fast-rising star in his profession. He was coaching in Division II two seasons ago, and on Thursday at Toyota Center helped the Hawkeyes author a thrilling comeback and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987.

Iowa trailed Nebraska nearly the entire game until Stirtz, the senior guard who followed McCollum from Division II Northwest Missouri State to Drake and then to Iowa, drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining.

“Hasn’t changed one bit,” Stirtz said of McCollum. “He’s been the same coach despite all the national attention and that’s why I respect him so much.”

On Saturday in the Elite Eight, Iowa will play an Illinois team coached by Brad Underwood, who started his career coaching at the junior college level.

The last time Iowa was in the Elite Eight, McCollum was a 6-year-old Hawkeyes fan living in Iowa City. He grew up attending Hawkeyes football and basketball games, but his own playing career began in junior college at North Iowa Area Community College. After two seasons, he transferred to play at Northwest Missouri State, where he began his coaching career. In 15 seasons coaching at his alma mater, McCollum won 83% of his games and led the Bearcats to four NCAA Division II national championships.

After McCollum’s one season at mid-major Drake, where he guided the Bulldogs to a program-record 31 wins, Iowa snatched him up. By comparison, coaching at Iowa feels “bougie,” as McCollum put it earlier this week.

“You gain confidence from being in Division II, because you don’t have noise,” McCollum said. “You’re making decisions, winning games and losing games, and there’s not a lot of noise there. And then also with that, when I get on a charter plane now, I certainly appreciate it, or when all these things are done for me, I appreciate it a little bit more, and that comes from that Division II and junior college background.”

McCollum doesn’t tolerate complacency, and he expects his players to behave the same way.

“I don’t like entitled players,” he said. “They just don’t work for me.”

Hawkeyes players are conditioned to expect the same pregame meal (chicken, pork chops, rice and a vegetable) and multiple fiery outbursts from their head coach during the game. Iowa’s student managers know that no inanimate object is safe in McCollum’s hands when he’s upset. McCollum plays bad cop and lets his assistant coaches play good cops.

McCollum relishes playing in front of opposing fans in a hostile road environment, and Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup in Houston felt like one. Before tip-off, chants of “Go Big Red!” overwhelmed the arena. A clarinet player in Nebraska’s band held up an iPad displaying a graphic that derided Iowa as “off-brand corn.”

What did McCollum actually tell the Hawkeyes in the huddle when he broke his marker?

“He was just telling us we sucked, and we were soft,” Stirtz revealed.

Stirtz has been by his coach’s side through it all, recruited by McCollum to play at Northwest Missouri State when he had no other college offers. The two of them have a fire-and-ice dynamic; whereas McCollum lets his emotions boil over, Stirtz stays cool and collected on the court.

“I think we’re opposites in a lot of ways, but the main thing that we have (in common) is how competitive we are,” Stirtz said. “That’s what brings us so close. We just want to win. Honestly, we also both think it’s more than just a basketball game, too. So that’s why we’re so close: This game’s never going to satisfy us, and we know that.”

Iowa is only the fifth No. 9 seed to advance to the Elite Eight since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Florida Atlantic was the last to do it in 2023, when the Owls made it to the Final Four.

The Hawkeyes went 10-1 in nonconference play this season but fell out of the Top 25 rankings in mid-January after three consecutive Big Ten Conference losses – including two to ranked Illinois and Purdue teams. But the season was an exercise in stacking habits and building consistency, all leading to where they are now.

McCollum is a big fan of the saying, “Everybody arrives when they’re supposed to,” and Iowa’s Sweet 16 victory exemplified that. Junior forward Alvaro Folgueiras, who made the game-winning basket for the Hawkeyes to take down No. 1 seed Florida in the second round, tied the score with five minutes left and scored five of Iowa’s final 12 points against Nebraska. Sage and redshirt freshman Cooper Koch made clutch 3-pointers down the stretch. Stirtz, a national awards candidate and the Hawkeyes’ leading scorer, never wavered.

Stirtz has played every minute of the NCAA Tournament for Iowa so far. Against Nebraska, he led the Hawkeyes with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting.

“In 20 years it will be an insane story,” McCollum said. “A guy that goes from D-II with his coach and then goes to Drake and then goes to University of Iowa and actually makes it further in the tournament in Division I than he did in Division II. Yeah, I mean, obviously there’s a close relationship there.”

It’s an insane story right now, but McCollum and the Hawkeyes won’t be ready to fully reflect until its conclusion.

“I’s been a hell of a ride,” McCollum said, “but it’s far from over.”