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While there are changes to the tournament, there is also a return to normalcy. The top 16 seeds again will host the first- and second-round games, a year after the entire tournament was played in a makeshift bubble in San Antonio because of COVID-19 concerns. Though the coronavirus is still impacting the country, the NCAA expects to be able to play the tournament in its normal locations, including at campus sites for the first weekend.

“As much as we want to talk about how fun this is, there’s a lot of distractions that come along with it,” Valentine said. “Worrying about how many tickets you get. Mom calling and saying, ‘This person wants a ticket.’ Girlfriend saying, ‘Can I get a ticket?’ People worried about travel. People coming up to you in your classes saying, ‘Man, make it to the Final Four again.’ That stuff is all real. Those distractions are real.

Some experts are high on Chattanooga, including CBS analyst Seth Davis, who predicted the Mocs would advance to the Sweet 16. Malachi Smith, a sophomore guard from Belleville, Ill., leads the Mocs in scoring with an average of 20.1 points, while David Jean-Baptiste, who hit the game-winner against Furman, averages 14.7 points.

While there are changes to the tournament, there is also a return to normalcy. The top 16 seeds again will host the first- and second-round games, a year after the entire tournament was played in a makeshift bubble in San Antonio because of COVID-19 concerns. Though the coronavirus is still impacting the country, the NCAA expects to be able to play the tournament in its normal locations, including at campus sites for the first weekend.

“The most difficult part was that I was already ready for February, for regular spring training and then just to wait and see what was going on,” Robert said though an interpreter. “And trying to keep ready until all things were done was kind of challenging. But definitely good to be here, definitely good to be back.”

Contreras has an opportunity to put up great walk-year numbers with the addition of Yan Gomes. The Cubs cycled through eight backup catchers in 2021, contributing to a heavy workload for Contreras behind the plate. When he went on the injured list with a right knee sprain in August, Contreras was leading catchers in innings. Between Gomes’ presence and the designated hitter now in the National League, Contreras expects both will help him remain healthy and fresher.

Brady’s decision comes days before the NFL free agency period begins. The Bucs have several key players set to hit the open market, including Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen, running back Leonard Fournette, cornerback Carton Davis, safety Jordan Whitehead, linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Gronkowski and others.

Ochai Agbaji of Kansas had a slam on an inbounds lob in the Jayhawks’ Big 12 Tournament semifinal game that fans are still buzzing about. Bryant University (no relation to Kris) is led by Peter Kiss, the nation’s leading scorer and a prime-time hot dog who sometimes wears a T-shirt during warmups of the 1970s band Kiss. Unfortunately, Kiss probably won’t be around long enough for veteran analyst Bill Raftery to call at least one of his games and use his catchphrase, ‘A little kiss.” Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon, who turns 25 in June and is playing in his sixth season, banked a winning 3-pointer against Indiana in a Big Ten semifinal. Bohannon is so remarkable he once missed a free throw on purpose so he would only tie the school record for consecutive free throws with Chris Street, a player whose streak ended years earlier when he died in an auto accident. “Obviously that’s not my record to have,” Bohannon said. Illinois’ 7-footer Kofi Cockburn is the only player to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. He returned after considering the NBA draft and then the transfer portal. Gonzaga 7-foot freshman Holmgren looks thinner than a No. 2 pencil but is a 41.2% shooter from 3-point range.

The tournament was scratched in 2020 due to the then-erupting COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, all the teams played in front of limited crowds in a makeshift bubble in and around Indianapolis. One thing that remains the same: Last year’s finalists, Gonzaga and Baylor, are top seeds, with the Zags the 15-4 favorite to win it all, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

This time, Iowa did it with a record-breaking scoring performance and by beating the Boilermakers about a one-hour drive from their campus in West Lafayette. Iowa’s 351 points broke Ohio State’s tournament record of 322, set last year. Murray was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.