#tnt

Michigan State basketball faces off against North Dakota State in NCAA tournament first round Michigan State, seeded third, will take on 14th-seeded North Dakota State in the NCAA tournament first round on Thursday at 4:05 p.m. The game will be held at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, and will be broadcast on TNT with radio coverage on Spartan Sports Network, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM. The matchup pits a top-ranked team against an unranked but highly competitive opponent, with Michigan State aiming to extend its NCAA tournament streak and North Dakota State seeking its first tournament victory since 2019. Michigan State enters the game with a 25-7 overall record, finishing second in the Big Ten at 15-5. The Spartans, ranked No. 11 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches polls, have shown strong performance in recent weeks, including a strong finish to the regular season. Their offensive and defensive efficiency rankings—No. 24 and No. 13, respectively, per Kenpom—suggest they are nearing the level required to compete for a national title. However, their defensive numbers have dipped slightly, though they remain dominant on the glass, ranking first nationally in defensive rebounding and fourth in offensive rebounding. Junior point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has been a standout for Michigan State, setting a single-season assist record with 294, surpassing the previous mark held by Cassius Winston. Fears, who leads the nation in assists at 9.2 per game, has been named to second-team All-American honors by the Associated Press and third-team by the Sporting News. Coach Tom Izzo, in his 31st season with the Spartans, has guided the team to its 28th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.#tnt #michigan_state #north_dakota_state #keybank_center #spartan_sports_network

2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Schedule and Coverage Details The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship will begin with the First Four games on truTV, starting Tuesday, March 17, and continuing on Wednesday, March 18, at 6 PM ET. First Round games will follow on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, at Noon ET. All games will be broadcast live across four national networks—TBS, CBS, TNT, and truTV—and streamed on NCAA March Madness Live. CBS games will also be available on Paramount+, while TBS, TNT, and truTV games will stream on HBO Max. The tournament’s 68-team field is finalized, with 31 automatic bids and 37 at-large selections. Each team aims to advance through the bracket, which will culminate in the Final Four National Semifinals on April 4 and the Men’s National Championship on April 6 in Indianapolis, airing on TBS. Tip times for the Second Round games on Saturday will be announced after Thursday’s matches, with Sunday’s schedule released following Friday’s games. The First Four and First Round matchups for March 17–20 will determine early-round progressions, with detailed tip times and commentator assignments provided. The tournament’s schedule spans from Selection Sunday on March 15 through the championship games, offering fans comprehensive coverage of all rounds. A printable bracket and full schedule for the 2026 March Madness event are available, including dates and locations for each round. Additional resources include explanations of the NET rankings, historical insights into March Madness, and coverage of HBCU teams’ participation in the tournament. The event also highlights key moments from past legends like Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale, as well as notable buzzer-beater performances in tournament history.#tnt #cbs #tru_tv #tbs #ncaa_division_i_men_s_basketball_championship

Arizona Men's Basketball Earns 1-Seed in 2026 NCAA Tournament The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship bracket was officially released on Sunday, and the University of Arizona Wildcats secured a 1-seed in the West Region. This marks the eighth time in program history that Arizona has been selected as a top seed, adding to their 40th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament—a total that ranks seventh in NCAA history. The Wildcats will open their tournament run on March 20 at 10:35 a.m. MST on TNT, facing No. 16 seed LIU at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif. The broadcast will feature analysts Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan VanGundy, and Lauren Shehadi. Arizona’s selection as a 1-seed comes during the fifth season under head coach Tommy Lloyd, continuing a streak of NCAA Tournament appearances for the program. This is the second time Lloyd has guided the Wildcats to a 1-seed, following their 2022 tournament run. The team’s first-round matchup in San Diego is significant, as Arizona has previously advanced in the tournament from the venue twice. In 2022, the top-seeded Wildcats defeated Wright State before overcoming 9-seed TCU in an overtime victory. The 2013-14 team also made an impression in San Diego, sweeping Weber State and Gonzaga in the first two rounds. The selection highlights Arizona’s consistent performance in the NCAA Tournament, with the program now tied for seventh in all-time appearances. The 1-seed status underscores the team’s strength, as they will face a challenging 16th-seeded LIU squad. The game will be broadcast on TNT, providing national exposure for the Wildcats’ opening round contest. Tickets for the event are available through the provided link, allowing fans to support the team in San Diego.#tnt #tommy_lloyd #university_of_arizona_wildcats #viejasc_arena #liu

YouTube TV Introduces More Affordable Subscription Plans YouTube TV has launched new subscription tiers designed to offer users greater flexibility and lower costs. The updated plans allow subscribers to choose specific content categories, such as sports, entertainment, or news, while avoiding unnecessary expenses for channels they don’t watch. This shift aims to reduce overall costs by letting users pay only for the services they value most. The new Sports Plan costs $64.99 per month, with a discounted rate of $54.99 for new users. This plan includes access to major sports networks like ESPN, Fox Sports, and TNT, making it ideal for fans of live games and sports events. For those interested in entertainment content, the Entertainment Plan is priced at $54.99 ($44.99 for new users), featuring channels such as FX, Comedy Central, Paramount+, and HGTV. These options provide a more tailored experience compared to the previous all-inclusive base plan. YouTube TV also introduced a Sports + News + Family Plan at $78 per month, combining access to sports, news networks, and family-friendly content. This tier is particularly appealing for households that want a mix of entertainment and informational programming. Additionally, users can opt for standalone plans like the News + Entertainment bundle ($63/month) or the Sports + Family plan ($72/month), offering further customization. A significant discount is available for new subscribers, with the first month’s fee reduced by $28 on most plans. For example, the Entertainment Plan starts at $44.99 instead of $54.99, while the Sports Plan is $54.99 for new users. These introductory rates are designed to attract users looking to cut costs without sacrificing access to popular channels.#paramount_plus #tnt #espn #youtube_tv #fox_sports

Auburn basketball NCAA tournament bubble: Bruce Pearl conflict of interest Auburn has been the focus of numerous college basketball discussions in recent weeks. The Tigers, with a record of 17-16, are on the NCAA tournament “bubble” and are hoping to become the first team ever to secure an at-large bid to March Madness despite having more than 15 losses. Their quality wins over teams like Florida and St. John’s have made this possibility seem plausible, but many bracketologists currently predict the Tigers will miss the cut. At the center of these conversations is not head coach Steven Pearl or any of Auburn’s current players, but rather former Auburn head coach and current college basketball analyst Bruce Pearl, Steven’s father. Pearl, who stepped down as Auburn’s head coach on the eve of the 2025-2026 season’s practice, now serves as a commentator and studio analyst for TNT and CBS Sports. His role typically involves providing objective analysis of the sport, yet his family ties to Auburn and his continued financial connection to the university have sparked debate. Pearl remains listed as part of Auburn’s athletic department and is still receiving payments from the university. According to Auburn’s online payroll database, he recently received a $12,500 payment on Feb. 27. His title is “Special Assistant to the Athletic Director,” a position that has raised questions about his impartiality. Despite stepping down as head coach, his financial relationship with Auburn persists, creating a potential conflict of interest as the NCAA tournament selection process approaches. Auburn, which is firmly on the bubble, is expected to be a major topic on Selection Sunday. Pearl will be part of CBS Sports’ Selection Sunday studio team, despite his ongoing financial ties to the university.#cbs_sports #bruce_pearl #tnt #auburn #joe_lunardi

Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Slight Betting Underdogs Ahead of Regular-Season Finale At TCU The Cincinnati Bearcats are slight underdogs in their upcoming regular-season finale against the TCU Horned Frogs, set for Saturday. The game, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, will be broadcast on TNT and HBO Max. TCU is favored by 2.5 points on the consensus betting line, with the total points projected at 138.5. Cincinnati enters the matchup with a strong 17-13 record overall and a 14-16 mark against the spread. The Bearcats have won six of their past seven games, including a recent victory over BYU that sparked discussions about their NCAA Tournament prospects. However, they remain a slight underdog against TCU, which carries a 20-10 straight-up record and a 17-13 ATS (against the spread) mark. The underdog status could influence the game, as Cincinnati has struggled with the over in 18 of 29 games this season, while TCU has a 8-11 record at home. However, the Bearcats have shown improved offensive efficiency in their last six contests, scoring over 1.2 points per possession in five of those games. This surge has helped them rise from the NCAA Tournament “death zone,” a term used to describe teams with uncertain postseason chances. Coach Wes Miller emphasized that his team’s focus remains on winning each game rather than chasing tournament hype. “We talked about it after the Kansas game, because I knew that would create some of the NCAA Tournament talk,” Miller said. “We agreed as a team that we weren’t going to get caught up in the things that are put out there for clicks and for interest.” He noted that while media attention has shifted to the tournament earlier this season, the team’s priority is simply playing with joy and competing.#ncaa_tournament #cincinnati_bearcats #tcu_horned_frogs #wes_miller #tnt