Gonzaga Survives Rock Fight With Kennesaw State in Round of 64
You couldn’t dream of a choppier start to the NCAA Tournament for 3-seed Gonzaga in its first-round contest against 14-seed Kennesaw State.
Connecting on just four of their first 20 shots from the field and not hitting their first three until the final minute of the first half, the Bulldogs’ shooting was anemic to start the game. Their offense was stagnant, congested, and collected as the Owls dragged the Zags into a slog, with neither team maintaining rhythm in its half-court offense.
But despite KSU leading for the majority of the first half, GU stayed at arm's length throughout. Then, Gonzaga began to play better off its exceptional defense and took a 10-0 run into halftime, riding that momentum out of the locker room into a 74-63 win. It marked the 17th straight season of the Bulldogs advancing from the first round of the tournament, and in a climate of higher seeds being upset, they will take the wins — no matter what they look like.
“I always, always understand just how hard it is to win a game in this tournament. So I think that’s one of the things I’m most proud of...” head coach Mark Few said. “I’m really happy we got through this one. It wasn't pretty, but bottom line is you just win, and now we get to move on.”
Analysis: Identifying Best Running Back Fits for Seahawks’ 2026 Draft Picks
Expectedly losing several key starters from their Super Bowl-winning squad in free agency, the Seattle Seahawks arguably took their greatest hit in the backfield with four-year starter Ken Walker III departing to join the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year deal.
Losing Walker alone would have stung, but the Seahawks also face the prospects of being without Zach Charbonnet deep into the 2026 season after he suffered a torn ACL in a playoff win over the 49ers in January, leaving them without their top two rushers from a year ago. In the aftermath of the Super Bowl MVP’s departure, general manager John Schneider waited out the free agent market before eventually signing former Packers backup Emanuel Wilson, pairing him with returning reserves George Holani and Kenny McIntosh as the top three backs on the depth chart.
Based on recent comments from Schneider, Seattle may be more comfortable with that trio than others outside of the organization, ready to give Holani or McIntosh a more extended run while thrusting Wilson into the mix with the potential to be more than just a complementary power back. But with Charbonnet only having one season left on his rookie deal, even with the team having just four picks currently, tabbing a potential long-term starter in April’s draft feels like a strong possibility, if not a guarantee.
Looking at this year’s latest crop of backs, which runners stand out as the best potential fits to succeed Walker and/or add juice to the Seahawks’ stable of backs with each of their four selections?
Sounders Finish Off 'Caps, Advance to Concacaf Quarters
"SEEEEEAAAATTTTLEEE. SOOOUUUUNNDDERSS."
The classic chant of Lumen Field echoed through downtown — Spokane, that is — on Wednesday night.
The Rave Green had plenty to be happy about east of the Cascades — their Sounders are Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal-bound for the first time since 2022, when they won the continental tournament.
The Sounders did it by first beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 on the road last week before leveraging two late goals to win the second leg 2-1 at One Spokane Stadium on Wednesday as Lumen Field undergoes FIFA World Cup preparations.
Analysis: Ranking Seahawks Biggest Remaining Needs After First Wave of Free Agency
The free agency period isn’t over in the NFL with plenty of players still seeking new homes, but only one week into the new league year, activity has slowed down substantially with most teams either bargain shopping or fully shifting attention to the looming 2026 NFL Draft.
Beginning the quest to defend their Super Bowl title, the Seattle Seahawks expectedly suffered a handful of big losses in the early stages of free agency, including three starters from that championship squad signing elsewhere. But general manager John Schneider fared quite well keeping the backbone of the team together, re-signing or tendering 13 of their 18 free agents, while adding four external free agents on one-year contracts to help fill the new voids to an extent.
Now entering the next stage of free agency as final preparations for the draft get underway, which positions stand out as the Seahawks’ biggest areas of need midway through the offseason?
Preview: 3-Seed Gonzaga Aims to Start New Sweet Sixteen Streak
When the Gonzaga Bulldogs lost to the one-seeded Houston Cougars in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament, it snapped the Zags’ nine-year streak of advancing to the Sweet 16.
Prioritizing different personnel in the offseason with a goal of improving defensively, GU rode a well-rounded rotation into a 30-3 record a year later, consistently sitting in the AP Poll’s Top 15 each week. Gonzaga is still a capable offense, currently playing through its Third-Team All-American big man Graham Ike. But it also boasts one of, if not the best, defensive units Mark Few has ever coached, posting the ninth-best defensive rating (93.9) in the country, per KenPom.
Aside from Ike, the team has gotten contributions from every player in the rotation. From Jalen Warley’s adaptability to Emmanuel Innocenti’s perimeter defense to Mario Saint Supéry’s three-point precision, every (Bull)dog has had its day over the course of the season. There was, of course, the bad loss to a Portland team that finished 9th in the WCC. And although the Zags’ first loss of the season was to No. 3 Michigan, the final score was 101-61, with the Wolverines being the toughest opponent GU has faced by far in a now dampened non-conference schedule compared to preseason projections.
Now a 3-seed in the West Region, what challenges lie ahead for them in the opening rounds of the tournament?
What Historic New WNBA CBA Means For 2026 Seattle Storm
Play ball. After weeks of intense negotiations, the WNBA and the WNBPA verbally agreed to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement early in the morning on Wednesday that will completely reshape player compensation, per ESPN’s Alexa Philipou.
The new salary cap will be set at $7 million, a massive increase from $1.5 million in 2025, with the supermax starting at $1.4 million ($249,244 last season), per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Average player salaries will be around $600,000 ($120,000 last season), and the minimum salary could be higher than $300,000 ($66,079 last season). All of that, coupled with a revenue share of “nearly 20% across the length of the deal,” per Philippou, makes for a historic deal.
Top-30/Local Visits Tracker: Who Have Seahawks Met With Leading Up to 2026 NFL Draft?
With the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview mirror and free agency well underway, the Seattle Seahawks and all 32 NFL teams are in the midst of scheduling and conducting their pre-draft top-30 visits.
In this process, each NFL team can bring in up to 30 players to their respective facilities for interviews and meetings with coaches as well as medical examinations and physicals. In addition, teams can also bring in local players for official visits, which do not count as one of the top-30 visits. While these on-site meetings are only part of the evaluation process leading up to the three-day event, they can play a critical role in determining where each player ends up on draft weekend.
Which players have already met with the Seahawks or are scheduled to come to town for top-30 visits and local visits before the 2026 NFL Draft?
Kraken Fall Back Into Bad Habits, Suffer 6-2 Loss to Lightning
It started with Jared McCann.
The Seattle Kraken forward said as much, referring to his turnover to Tampa Bay Lightning forward Gage Concalves on a hit along the boards that ultimately led to the latter giving his side a 1-0 lead just 5:45 into Tuesday’s game at Climate Pledge Arena, but it didn’t end there.
Between Tampa’s relentless forecheck and a couple of crucial mistakes on Seattle’s end, the Lightning stormed to a 3-0 lead. The Kraken managed to cut it to 3-2 midway through the second period, but more mistakes doomed them to a 6-2 loss.
Redhawks’ Defense Stands Tall in 67-52 Win Over Tommies in First Round of NIT
Holding an explosive St. Thomas offense to a season-low on the scoreboard, the Redhawks secured a 67-52 win over the Tommies on Tuesday night at the Connolly Center, notching a massive NIT win to advance to the second round of the tournament.
Along with holding the visiting foe to a season-low in points to set up a date with top-seeded Auburn, the Redhawks limited the Tommies to 38% shooting from the field, including 23% from three-point range, along with producing 21 turnovers. This effort defensively gave Seattle enough time to find its shooting touch in the second half.
In the first half, Seattle shot just 30% from the field, falling behind early. Struggling to find quality looks, whether driving to the lane from the perimeter or feeding Houran Dan or Austin Maurer posted up inside, the Redhawks had just four points in the paint after 20 minutes. St. Thomas, on the other hand, spread out Seattle’s defense and turned their guards loose getting downhill, frequently challenging Seattle at the rim to build a 10-point lead midway through the half.
Is Logan Gilbert Ready to Re-Establish Himself as Cy Young Contender for Mariners?
A lot went right for the 2025 Seattle Mariners. Cal Raleigh hit as many homers as some guy named Babe Ruth. The team made it all the way to Game 7 of the ALCS, farther than the franchise has ever gone before.
On the list of things that did not go perfectly, Logan Gilbert’s season was one of them. It’s not that he had a bad season. He just didn’t have one up to his lofty standards.
“That's always the biggest goal for me is 32 starts, 200 innings,” Gilbert told the media at the beginning of Spring Training. “That's the only thing I really care about.”
Which Former Cougars Will Be Starring in March Madness?
With Washington State missing the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, it’s a good time to look around the bracket and see some familiar faces. A handful of former Cougars will be playing in March, and few of them have taken big steps since leaving Pullman.
Ruben Chinyelu
Chinyelu has developed rapidly since leaving Pullman after his freshman season. After Kyle Smith departed for Stanford following Washington State’s NCAA Tournament run, Chinyelu moved on and landed at Florida.
Last season, Chinyelu started for the eventual national champion Florida Gators and played a important role in the frontcourt. In his first season in Gainesville, he averaged 6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while establishing himself as a defensive presence.
Seahawks Wisely Slow Played Free Agency With 2026 NFL Draft Class in Mind
Moments after the NFL’s legal tampering period opened on March 9, Seattle Seahawks fans quickly experienced the downside of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy, as Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker III started the festivities by securing a record-setting three-year, $43 million free agent contract from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Less than an hour later, the Seahawks suffered another significant loss from the Super Bowl tax as safety Coby Bryant bolted for another NFC contender, signing a three-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Bears. Not long after, outside linebacker Boye Mafe cashed in as well, inking a three-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals worth $20 million per season. One day later, cornerback Riq Woolen joined the exodus, taking his talents to Philadelphia on a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. Before free agency even had officially began, four former starters had flew the nest for lucrative big money contracts elsewhere.
For many fans who hoped to see the team run it back, it may have felt like the rest of the NFL had quickly descended on the defending champions like vultures zeroing in on deceased prey and gradually started picking away from the carcass.
Assessing Three March Mariner Concerns Ahead of 2026 Regular Season
If the Seattle Mariners started the 2026 regular season 6-16-1 (ignore the tie), things would probably be nearing panic mode in T-Mobile Park. But given that it’s Spring Training, the record isn’t all that concerning as Opening Day begins. But from injury concerns to slow starts for stars, there are some points of worry for the M’s as the season comes into view. Just how worrying are these signs, however? Is there any meaning to be derived from them?
Concern 1: Injury questions for players up and down the roster.
Concern level: 4/10
The most-discussed injury question for the upcoming season has been Bryce Miller, and it seems likely by this point that he won’t be ready to start the regular season. The Mariners have Emerson Hancock and Cooper Criswell both available to fill in the fifth starter role - and I personally expect they’ll start with Hancock, with Criswell in the tank if Hancock again struggles as a starter - but they at least have some good indications due to both players’ performance in Spring Training. That doesn’t necessarily mean much for the regular season, especially in the top-line stats such as ERA and FIP, but the M’s have to be impressed with Hancock’s feel for the ball.
Seahawks Attack Lingering Needs in Post-Free Agency Mock Draft
The new NFL league year hasn’t even hit the week mark yet, but free agency already has slowed to a relative crawl after signings were announced in bunches during the annual two-day tampering period, meaning the Seattle Seahawks and all 32 teams have already shifted their attention primarily back to the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
As things stand, after dealing away a fourth and fifth round pick to the Saints for Rashid Shaheed last October, the Seahawks currently hold only four picks in the draft. Three of those selections are on the first two days, however, providing the ammunition for general manager John Schneider to be able to potentially facilitate a deal or two to slide down the board and recoup a few extra picks on Day 3, where the team doesn’t have a fourth, fifth, or seventh round pick at the moment.
Looking towards the draft, which now sits a mere six weeks away, how may things shake out for Schneider and the Seahawks in the aftermath of the first few waves of free agency?
NBA Set to Vote on Exploring Seattle, Las Vegas Expansion Teams
Seattle basketball fans have endured years of empty promises and delayed timelines since losing the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics in 2008. The knife was twisted further after watching the Oklahoma City Thunder, formerly the Sonics, win the NBA title in 2025.
But after a near-20-year wait, there is finally a concrete reason to believe the NBA could be returning to Seattle. The NBA is set to hold a vote to begin exploring expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas during the board of governors meetings from March 24-25, per ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania.
The target first season for the pair of new teams is 2028-29.
Sounders Epitomize 'Bend Don't Break' in 1-0 Win Over Earthquakes
There were heroes everywhere in the Seattle Sounders' 1-0 MLS win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday afternoon.
Paul Rothrock led a depleted Sounders (3-1-0 W-L-D) front with strong runs that netted a 20th-minute goal, while keeper Andrew Thomas had arguably his best game in 2026 with seven saves.
But what Antino Lopez did in the 74th minute to preserve that scoreline will stand the test of time.
Bottom-Six Propels Kraken to Big Win Over Panthers
After snapping their four-game losing streak with a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks, the Seattle Kraken’s new-look top line and trade deadline acquisition Bobby McMann’s three-point debut stole the show. Less than 24 hours later, it was the Kraken bottom-six that powered Seattle to a back-to-back sweep with a 6-2 win against the Florida Panthers at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday.
With two goals each from the third- and fourth-line, the Kraken displayed the top-to-bottom production they’ll need if they want to hold down a spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, which they reclaimed after San Jose lost 7-4 to Ottawa on Sunday.
“We need everybody,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert said. “That’s the way it’s going to be, and certainly we need everybody and needed everybody on a second night of a back-to-back with a rested team here waiting for us, and Joey (Daccord) played well right off the start, and then our fourth line stepped up and got us going with some energy … so huge for us, but we’re a four-line hockey team, and that’s what we need out of them.”
Reign Overcome Travel Mishap, Weather Delay in Opening Day Win
The Seattle Reign waited on the tarmac in SeaTac for a chance to fly to Orlando on Friday morning.
And they waited.
And they waited.
They waited for around six hours before taking off, as weather and other circumstances caused delays. The team, frustrated from a full day of travel, had to wait again in the recesses of Inter&Co Stadium at halftime of their Sunday season-opening game against the Pride as nearly three hours of lightning delays added a new fold to the cross-country trip.
After all that, the Reign played to a 2-1 win in their season-opener against a team they had played and lost to twice in a row to close last season.
Gonzaga MBB, WBB March Madness Brackets Set
March Madness brackets are set, and both Gonzaga’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will be vying for a national championship in the NCAA Tournament.
The Zags’ men’s team (30-3) received the No. 3 seed in the West Region and will face No. 14 Kennesaw State (21-13) in the first round at 7 p.m. PT on Thursday, March 19, at the Moda Center in Portland.
Gonzaga’s women’s team (24-9) landed the No. 12 seed in the West Region and will face No. 5 Ole Miss (23-11) at an undetermined time on Friday, March 20, at Williams Arena in Minnesota.
Washington Lands Commitment From 2027 4-Star Running Back Jeremy Adeyanju
Jedd Fisch found his Class of 2027 running back.
Jeremy Adeyanju, a 6-0, 215-pounder out of Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Glendale, Arizona, confirmed his commitment to Washington on social media. The junior chose the Huskies over USC, Michigan and UCLA.
Adeyanju’s stock has been rising over the last few months. He’s shown good instincts and decisiveness running behind an offensive line with a pair of three-star recruits, and the long-strider can run away from defenders in the open field. Adeyanju will join a UW running back room that theoretically would include 2026 4-star recruit Brian Bonner, as well as Ansue Sanoe (2026) Quaid Carr (2025) and Julian McMahan (2025) and Jordan Washington (2024).
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