Plus picks and predictions for this weekend's women's Sweet 16 action
By Carter Bahns Mar 27, 2026 at 9:07 am ET • 9 min read 
Getty Images This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
🏀 Five things to know Friday
- The Sweet 16 delivered a couple of thrillers, and it's not done yet. The quartet of No. 2 Purdue, No. 9 Iowa, No. 1 Arizona and No. 3 Illinois survived and advanced, and the early window of Thursday's action accounted for the best drama as the Boilermakers and Hawkeyes put the emphasis on "survive." It took a last-second tip-in from Trey Kaufman-Renn for Purdue to avoid what would have been the biggest upset of the tournament, and Iowa did not lead until the final 2:10 of its win over Nebraska -- in which the Hawkeyes caught a huge break from their Big Ten rival. We've got Day 1 winners and losers as the Sweet 16 rolls on Friday night with four more games. Here's how you can watch the next dose of madness, and here are our experts' picks.
- Opening Day is in the books. The first full day of the Major League Baseball season started with a couple of huge surprises. First, Jackson Chourio popped up on the 10-day injured list out of nowhere with a fractured left hand, which will force him to miss the first 2-4 weeks of the Brewers' campaign. Shortly after, Paul Skenes lasted a mere two-thirds of an inning after surrendering five runs in the Pirates' 11-7 loss to the Mets. Opening Day was not all negative, of course. A handful of highly renowned prospects stood out in their major-league debuts, and Jacob Misiorowski fanned 11 batters in a tremendous first outing of the year.
- Will Wade is heading back to LSU. The Tigers will part ways with Matt McMahon and replace him with his predecessor, who was fired by the program in 2022 following his implication in the FBI's college basketball investigation. It's a full-circle moment for Wade, who departs from NC State after just one season and a trip to last week's First Four. It is also a sign of the times in college sports as LSU reunites with a coach who just four years ago drew scrutiny for allegedly making impermissible payments to recruits. Matt Norlander reported how LSU courted Wade back to Baton Rouge and how much money Wade (and his players) will earn as part of the deal.
- Nico Hoerner and the Cubs agreed to a six-year extension. Just two days after they came to terms on a new deal with Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs locked up another one of their stars. Hoerner was set to reach free agency at the end of the 2026 season but will instead sign a new deal that keeps him on the North Side into his mid-30s. While the financial terms have yet to be reported, it is clear that the two-time Gold Glove winner is in for a massive payday. The new contract softens the blow of going 0 for 4 in an Opening Day loss.
- Multiple candidates addressed the North Carolina job opening. One ACC coaching position came off the board Thursday when Boston College hired Luke Murray. But all eyes in the conference and beyond are on North Carolina, where the highest-profile search of the year is underway. T.J. Otzelberger and Nate Oats directly fielded questions about the Tar Heels ahead of their Sweet 16 games, while Dusty May made it clear what he thinks about his current role. And Billy Donovan did not exactly dispel the notion that he would be open to leaving the Bulls for a return to college.
🏀 Do not miss this: Women's Sweet 16 picks
Getty Images The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament resumes this afternoon in the Sweet 16, and this round could open with an upset. Our panel of experts offered their predictions for Friday and Saturday, and two of the three are siding with No. 6 Notre Dame over No. 2 Vanderbilt in today's 2:30 p.m. contest (which features a full-circle moment for Mikayla Blakes and Hannah Hidalgo). Lindsay Gibbs and Isabel Gonzalez are on the Fighting Irish while Jack Maloney is taking the favorite.
- Gibbs: "This was my bold prediction ahead of the tournament, and I don't want to chicken out now. I give the Fighting Irish the edge because Hannah Hidalgo can keep up with Mikayla Blakes on offense and actually bother her on defense. It's time for Niele Ivey to make her first Elite Eight as a head coach after four straight Sweet 16 exits."
The prognosticators reached a consensus on all but two Sweet 16 games. The other one that divided them? No. 2 LSU vs. No. 3 Duke. Gonzalez is the lone wolf that foresees the Tigers taking care of business as nine-point favorites.
- Gonzalez: "The Blue Devils learned from their early season struggles and went on to win 17 straight games right after their 93-77 loss to LSU in December. That being said, LSU has also been more battle-tested since that first encounter."
Don't miss the trio's predictions for the rest of the eight-game Sweet 16 slate.
⚾ Under-the-radar MLB storylines to watch
Imagn Images In honor of baseball season being back in full swing, we're taking a look at five storylines that could quietly have a major impact on the road to the World Series. For instance, did you realize that the Athletics probably have what it takes to contend for a postseason bid? Julian McWilliams says they will make the playoffs because of their prolific young offense.
- McWilliams: "The A's can hit with anyone in the majors. They ranked seventh in home runs (219), eighth in OPS (.749) and fifth in slugging (.431). They had five players hit 20 or more homers, three of whom reached 30-plus. That group included then-rookie Nick Kurtz, who blasted 36 in just 117 games."
You'll notice a trend with these storylines as they all come out of crowded divisions. Perhaps the A's can join the multiple contenders at the top of the heated AL West. It's also worth paying attention to a couple of hopeful challengers in the AL East and NL West. The Red Sox, Orioles, Padres and Giants are the subjects of the other four under-the-radar narratives.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
Imagn Images - After Bronny James played 13 minutes in the Lakers' win over the Pacers, LeBron James said his son showed he "belongs" in the NBA.
- Alec Bohm filed a lawsuit against his parents accusing them of mishandling his finances, and he's seeking at least $3 million from them.
- President Donald Trump formed five committees to address college sports issues.
- Tom Brady inquired about a potential NFL return, but league rules say he cannot play even if he wanted to.
- The NBPA wants to "abolish or reform" the controversial 65-game rule for NBA awards. Here are five ideas that would fix the problem.
- Caleb Williams filed trademark applications for his "Iceman" nickname, but NBA legend George Gervin is trying to stop him.
- Paul Waring (-7) leads the Houston Open through 18 holes.
- Myles Garrett trade chatter could heat up after the Browns modified his contract's language. Here are five possible landing spots.
- Eight teams remain in the hunt for Europe's final four World Cup bids after the playoff semifinals. Whether Italy gets back to the World Cup is one of the biggest questions of this international break.
- Joe Pyfer has a new outlook on life ahead of his UFC Fight Night bout against Israel Adesanya. Meanwhile, Maycee Barber brings a seven-fight win streak into her matchup with Alexa Grasso. Watch the action at 8 p.m. ET exclusively on Paramount+.
- According to the betting market, the Panthers are the biggest winners of the NFL offseason while the Colts might have gotten worse.
- Lane Kiffin is downplaying expectations for Year 1 at LSU.
- Five of the 12 best-selling MLB jerseys this offseason are those of Dodgers players.
- The Falcons have one of the NFL's best running back tandems after their signing of Brian Robinson Jr.
- Senegal will hold an Africa Cup of Nations trophy ceremony even though the CAF rescinded their title.
📺 What we're watching this weekend
Friday
🏀 Women's Sweet 16: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN ⛳ Houston Open, second round, 3 p.m. on Golf Channel ⚽ Men's international friendly: England vs. Uruguay, 3:45 p.m. on FS1 🏀 Women's Sweet 16: No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 1 UConn, 5 p.m. on ESPN 🏒 Red Wings at Sabres, 7 p.m. on NHL Network ⚾ Athletics at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. on MLB Network 🏀 Men's Sweet 16: No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 1 Duke, 7:10 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ ⚾ Royals at Braves, 7:15 p.m. on Peacock 🏀 Heat at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. on NBA TV 🏀 Men's Sweet 16: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan, 7:30 p.m. on TBS 🏀 Women's Sweet 16: No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 1 UCLA, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN ⚾ Angels at Astros, 8:10 p.m. on Apple TV ⚾ Guardians at Mariners, 9:40 p.m. on Apple TV 🏀 Men's Sweet 16: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State, 9:45 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ 🏀 Mavericks at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. on NBA TV 🏀 Women's Sweet 16: No. 3 Duke vs. No. 2 LSU, 10 p.m. on ESPN ⚽ Houston Dash at Angel City FC, 10 p.m. on Prime Video 🏀 Men's Sweet 16: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Iowa State, 10:05 p.m. on TBS ⚾ Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network
Saturday
⚽ Utah Royals FC at Boston Legacy FC, Noon on ESPN2 🏀 Women's Sweet 16: No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 2 Michigan, 12:30 p.m. on ABC ⚽ Washington Spirit at Denver Summit FC, 2 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ ⚾ Rays at Cardinals, 2:15 p.m. on Peacock 🏀 Spurs at Bucks, 3 p.m. on Prime Video 🏀 Women's Sweet 16: No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 1 Texas, 3 p.m. on ABC ⛳ Houston Open, 3 p.m. on NBC ⚽ Men's international friendly: United States vs. Belgium, 3:30 p.m. on TNT ⚽ Kansas City Current at Portland Thorns FC, 4 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ ⚾ Twins at Orioles, 4:05 p.m. on FS1 🏀 Women's Sweet 16: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 5 p.m. on ESPN 🏒 Wild at Bruins, 5 p.m. on NHL Network 🏀 Pistons at Timberwolves, 5:30 p.m. on ABC 🏀 Men's Elite Eight: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 9 Iowa, 6 p.m. on TBS ⚽ Racing Louisville FC at Seattle Reign, 6:30 p.m. on Ion ⚾ Royals at Braves, 7:15 p.m. on Fox ⚾ Yankees at Giants, 7:15 p.m. on Fox 🏀 Women's Sweet 16: No. 10 Virginia vs. No. 3 TCU, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN 🏒 Flyers at Red Wings, 8 p.m. on ABC 🤼 UFC Fight Night: Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer, 8 p.m. on Paramount+ 🏀 Men's Elite Eight: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Purdue, 8:30 p.m. on TBS ⚽ Chicago Stars FC at San Diego Wave FC, 8:45 p.m. on Ion ⚾ Guardians at Mariners, 9:40 p.m. on MLB Network 🏀 Jazz at Suns, 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Sunday
🏀 Women's Elite Eight: TBD vs. TBD, 1 p.m. on ABC 🏒 Panthers at Rangers, 1 p.m. on NHL Network ⚾ Royals at Braves, 1:35 p.m. on MLB Network ⚾ Rangers at Phillies, 1:35 p.m. on Peacock 🏀 Men's Elite Eight: TBD vs. TBD, 2 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ 🏀 Women's Elite Eight: TBD vs. TBD, 3 p.m. on ABC ⛳ Houston Open, final round, 3 p.m. on NBC 🏀 Clippers at Bucks, 3:30 p.m. on NBA TV 🏁 NASCAR at Martinsville, 3:30 p.m. on FS1 🏀 Men's Elite Eight: TBD vs. TBD, 4:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ 🏒 Blackhawks at Devils, 7 p.m. on NHL Network ⚽ Orlando Pride at Gotham FC, 7 p.m. on Victory+ ⚾ Guardians at Mariners, 7:20 p.m. on NBC Sports Network 🏀 Knicks at Thunder, 7:30 p.m. on NBC 🏀 Warriors at Nuggets, 10 p.m. on NBC
Join the Conversation comments
