Howard gets their first win in NCAA Tournament history! Is Aiyuk to Washington still in play?

It's Charles Barkley here with Wayfair.

Let me tell you, game day is serious business at my house.

If I'm grilling, chilling, and watching hoops,

my outdoor setup better be ready to play.

That's where Wayfair wins.

From patio seating and umbrellas to grills and grill accessories,

Wayfair's got it all and it shows up fast.

I'm talking fast and easy delivery.

So level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game

and head to Wayfair.com to get your outdoor space

ready for the season.

Wayfair every style, every home.

Kevin Sheen here to tell you about when our HVAC system

started acting up recently.

Foley Mechanical was the first call we made.

Dan Foley came out himself and worked directly with my wife.

And let me tell you that's saying something.

Foley's no corporate chain.

He owns the business top to bottom.

His crew is outstanding.

Their experts, especially with older homes and radiator heat,

which is rare these days.

Foley Mechanical covers DC, Maryland, and Virginia

and proudly installs a Manna HVAC systems.

Trust me, they know what they're doing.

This is Attorney Omed Azari from Azari Law.

If you've been injured in an accident and feel like

no one is fighting for you, it's time to fight back.

Paul Azari Law at 888-830, just with one call,

you can put a proven legal team on your side.

Azari Law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years,

proudly fighting for our local community.

I was born and raised right here in the DMV.

And my team is made up of experienced, reputable local attorneys

dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you.

Follow us on all social platforms at azari.law.

That's a-z-a-r-i-dot-l-a-w.

Don't wait, don't settle.

Fight back with Azari Law.

With offices in Maryland, DC, and Virginia,

my team and I are ready to stand up for you.

Call 888-828-Hertz.

That's 888-828-H-U-R-T.

And let us fight back for you.

I mean, not a bad way for the tournament to kick off last night.

Both games coming down to the final shot of the game too.

Very exciting games.

And Howard gets, as you just heard, their first ever men's NCAA tournament

when holding on for dear life.

Man, they were up by 11 with two minutes to go.

And they ended up forcing a pretty wild three-point attempt

from about 34 feet away and held on for a three-point win.

I was very happy about that.

Smeltest pick number one in the books with a W.

Howard 86 UMBC 83.

Good morning, everybody.

The NCAA tournament underway with the first four.

Two more games tonight.

Let me just mention upfront, no Smeltest pick for either game tonight.

I am looking forward to watching Miami of Ohio against SMU.

And there is a lot of public action on Miami of Ohio.

There's also a lot of sharp action on Miami of Ohio.

We'll see if they can sort of back up that incredible regular season

with at least an effort in which they've got a chance to win.

Man, they've been so close down the stretch

and all of their Mac games, their Mid-American conference games.

They were lucky to lose just one of those games.

They trailed many of them down the stretch,

but seemed to have a recipe at the end for winning.

See, there's some drama tonight in the first four.

Miami of Ohio's sort of controversial bid,

although I think it would have been egregious if they had been left out.

I think the bigger question was, should they have been in the main draw?

We'll see, tonight when they face SMU.

Two guests on the show today, as of now,

at 11 a.m. Tate Frazier from the ringer will jump on.

We'll talk NCAA tournament with Tate,

and then at 12.35, Mark Zuckerman will come on,

not just to talk about the Nats in spring training and how it's going,

but to talk about that incredible baseball game last night.

Venezuela beating the US in the WBC final three to two.

Man, there were a lot of strategic decisions made by the US manager.

How about Bryce Harper's game time to run Homer in the bottom of the eighth?

I will say this about Bryce Harper.

I've said it before.

In this era called the last 15 years,

one of the true clutch team sport athletes of the last 15 years.

How many times has he come up massively big in a bigot bat in the postseason for the Phillies,

even for Washington at times during their post seasons that he was a part of?

And last night that two run, home run, tied it.

They were not able to win it as a judge looked at strike three on the next at bat.

Let me just talk briefly about Howard's win last night.

Excited for Kenny Blightney.

He just seems to be one hell of a guy who's done a hell of a job.

In a tough conference, man, to really make a, you know,

they actually have an interesting NCAA tournament history the Miac does.

That's the eighth win in Miac history in the NCAA tournament.

But they've had some of the true massive upsets in the history of the tournament.

Back to 1983.

I'm sorry, back to 1997 when cop and state upset number two South Carolina in a first round.

How about a 15 over or two there?

Hampton.

We remember this one because this was in Maryland's draw in their 2001 tournament.

Hampton shocked Iowa State in the first round as a 15 over or two.

And then Norfolk State in 2012 as a 15 seed beat a two seed Missouri.

Or if you're not from St. Louis, Missouri in the first round, three 15 over twos in the NCAA tournament.

But never a 16 over a one.

And that's what Howard will face on Thursday night tomorrow night in Buffalo 710 tip against Michigan.

The one seed, the Wolverines are 31 and a half point favorites.

You know, the game last night really got dicey at the end.

But I loved the play that they drew up for their best player, Bryce Harris,

who ended up knocking down the shot that gave them a four point lead 85 81 with about 12 seconds to go.

But they had to get the ball in bounds.

This is one of those things, you know, you watch.

If you've been involved with basketball, they're up 85 83.

They're about six seconds left in the game.

And they've got to get the ball in bounds against man-to-man pressure full court.

And a lot of teams, man, they just run operation, get open.

And that doesn't always work.

Coach Blakeney had a really good play.

Now, the free throw shooter was an interesting choice.

But this kid Isaiah Brown, who basically averages 10 minutes of game and average 2.7 points per game

and shot 76% from the free throw line before the season started.

They used him as a screener.

And then he kind of faked like he was a screener and UMBC fell for it.

And he broke right to the ball wide open and they fouled him.

It's always hard sometimes and that spot just to get to ball in bounds.

But they did it. It was well done by the coach.

I don't know if that's the free throw shooter he wanted on the floor to shoot him.

I don't know enough about Howard's team, but Isaiah Brown knocked down the first, missed the second,

which gave UMBC the opportunity to get a three off at the buzzer to tie it.

But there you go, Howard, onto the main draw, the 64 team draw to face, not an easy task against Michigan.

We will have, by the way, the rest of our brackets on the show today.

We filled out half of them yesterday.

The nightcap last night, Texas 6866 over NC State.

And Texas is Tramon Mark, really hit some big shots, including the game winner down the stretch with one second to go in a 6866.

I will say this watching that game and I have not watched the level admittedly of the NCAA college basketball season like I typically do.

Neither one of those two teams is very impressive.

You know, we've heard that the number of teams that can actually win this thing may be the fewest in a long time.

I've watched Duke enough. I've watched Arizona enough. I've watched Michigan enough.

I've watched Florida. I've watched Purdue. I've watched Iowa State just going through the ones in the twos, Yukon.

And I don't see either one of those two teams making, watching that game making a deep run now with Texas, the winner.

Don't really see them making a big run.

That was a matchup of Sean Miller and Will Wade.

I mean, two guys that should have been completely eliminated from the sport a few years ago.

But why should we say that because the sport now allows everybody to do what they were doing illegally, legally now.

But yeah, Sean Miller has always been one of those guys, man, that I just think why hasn't he taken any of his teams to the final four?

He has had, especially at Arizona, he had, you know, unbelievable teams, you know, one seeds, two seeds.

And the elite eight three times never got to a final four got to an elite eight at Xavier.

He's never been Sean Miller in all of his, all of his years of coaching never been to a final four.

This team's not going to do it in his first year of Texas. I don't think.

But man, he's won a lot of games. How about 506 and 210, a 707 win percentage?

Always been an excellent coach, always been a bit corrupt in the sport, you know, straddling the line and usually crossing it in every spot.

Man, he had some teams at Arizona that you thought could win the whole thing.

You know, in years like 2013, 2014, I think there were 33 and three or 31 and three in the regular season and a one seed.

But yeah, they elite eight is the best he has ever done.

But he's on to a first round matchup, which a lot of people actually like his first round matchup.

They look at BYU and they think BYU is a beatable team with the way they're playing right now.

Texas was not super impressive.

But maybe that'll lead to a lot of, you know, first round thrillers.

It feels like we've been void and left without some of those in recent years.

Maybe tomorrow and Friday will provide some real drama.

Max and I will complete our brackets on the show today and you can participate by joining us in our group on the ESPN bracket stuff.

And pretty easy, just go to the team 980 on Twitter and click on our particular group bracket.

So you can see Max's you can see mine and you can compete against us.

Not for anything other than just bragging rights.

I think is what we're doing.

This from Zell.

Zell writes Kevin.

I don't know anybody that would say Eagles over the Cowboys.

Cowboys by far and away were the most hated team of my lifetime.

Philadelphia never approached it and more importantly, Philly never felt about us.

The way Dallas did true rivalry.

Max actually said in our segment yesterday about teams that during your lifetime you hated the most.

For me, it was the Cowboys followed by Duke because my two favorite teams are the skins and terps hoops and I had real rivals, you know.

And it doesn't feel the same way anymore.

I think we all feel that way as long time Redskins fans, skins fans, Washington fans about Dallas.

It's not the exact same.

It's just sort of deteriorated over the Snyder years, even though there were some real good games and some meaningful games at times and memorable games at times.

It really became Dallas, Philadelphia in the NFC East and for all intents and purposes, Dallas, Philadelphia and the NFC.

I mean, you had other, you know, runs of, you know, maybe San Francisco Dallas, like not talking about the divisional matchups.

I mean, San Francisco Dallas in the 90s probably was the biggest rivalry in the sport in that moment.

You know, it doesn't happen often. We had Pittsburgh Raiders in the 70s.

We had, you know, we've had, you know, different, you know, Colts Patriots as an example.

We've had some of those, but usually the heated and long time rivalries are intra division rivalries.

But, Zell, I'll say this.

I've never felt about Philadelphia the way I felt about Dallas, but I have felt about Philadelphia.

Hey y'all, it's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair.

Ever order furniture online and wonder, what if, like, what if it doesn't fit?

Uh, little to the left.

Oh, wait!

Yep, should've gone with Wayfair. Or what if it doesn't hold up?

That sofa was four days old.

Should've ordered from Wayfair. Or what if it's that material that makes that noise?

It was a sofa, I swear.

With Wayfair, there's no what if. Just style you love, quality you can trust, and furniture that actually fits your life.

Visit Wayfair.com or download the Wayfair app.

Wayfair, every style, every home.

Kevin Sheen here to tell you about when our HVAC systems started acting up recently.

Foley Mechanical was the first call we made.

Dan Foley came out himself and worked directly with my wife.

And let me tell you, that's saying something.

Foley's no corporate chain. He owns the business top to bottom. His crew is outstanding.

Their experts, especially with older homes and radiator heat, which is rare these days.

Foley Mechanical covers DC, Maryland, and Virginia and proudly installs a Manna HVAC systems.

Trust me, they know what they're doing.

This is Attorney Amida Zari from Zari Law.

If you've been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you, it's time to fight back.

Call Zari Law at 888-828-Hert.

That's what one call you can put a proven legal team on your side.

Zari Law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years, proudly fighting for our local community.

I was born and raised right here in the DMV.

And my team is made up of experienced, reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you.

Follow us on all social platforms at azari.law.

That's a-z-a-r-i-dot-l-a-w.

Don't wait. Don't settle.

Get back with Zari Law.

With offices in Maryland, DC, and Virginia, my team and I are ready to stand up for you.

Call 888-828-Hert.

That's 888-828-HURT.

And let us fight back for you.

I have felt the giants.

All three of them, there are emotions and history and tradition tied into all three of those matchups.

We had a caller yesterday who said the St. Louis Cardinals are the Arizona Cardinals because they were in the NFC's for a long period of time until 1999 I think.

98-99-2000 somewhere around there when they changed the divisions and went from three to four in each conference and Seattle moved into the NFC.

But as they expanded with Houston, so whatever the year that was, I think was the year that they went to four divisions.

Do you know that during that period when they changed that, there was conversation about going straight geographical and moving Dallas out of the NFC East.

And once that became even a topic and the owners and certainly the NFC East owners, everybody shut it down so quickly they said, you can't do that.

That's the marquee division in our sport, the rival reserve forever.

That would have been a horrible decision had they made that.

But look, what we've seen in college with all of the, you know, conference reshuffling, never say never, I guess.

But to your point, Zell, I actually think it's an age thing.

I think if you lived the Dallas, Washington experience at its height, you can't say Philly or the Giants.

You just can't because neither, even the giant rivalry of the 80s into the 90s and it was the game therefore, you know, a six, seven year stretch.

Washington versus the Giants, I mean, not only in the division, but it was a massive one in the NFC and in the NFL in general.

You know, during that, that stretch in the 80s and 90s when it was Washington, San Francisco, the bears, the Giants.

I mean, that was whoo, the NFC was so much better than the AFC and the NFC East was basically top to bottom loaded.

I mean, even the Cardinals had a chance to win the division on the season's final Sunday here in Washington at RFK in the 84 regular season.

They missed a feel goal at the gun that would have given them the NFC East title Washington held on for their third straight NFC East title.

Technically, their second because the strike year in 82, we didn't really have the division set up as much.

But yeah, no, I'm with you. I've never felt for failure the Giants, what I have felt for Dallas, it's not even close.

But I have felt for failure in the Giants. I mean, I hated the Giants during those years and there's a lot about the Giants I still hate.

And the Philadelphia experience is really led by their fans and the obnoxiousness of the fan base and the delusion for many, many years before they finally won a Super Bowl in 2020.

If you just landed on earth and became an NFL fan and judged success by the way the fans puff their chest out, you would have thought the Eagles were a seven times Super Bowl and Barty Trophy winning organization.

And they hadn't won any. I mean, this division has won the most and Phillies now won two. They've won two of them.

But up until 2017, you would have thought if you didn't know that they had won the most based on their fans, but they hadn't won any at that point.

But it is a very good organization. And by the way, there's a lot that I appreciate about the Philadelphia fan base.

Phillies a great sports town and their fans are I enjoy that even though as a skins fan, it's been obnoxious over the years.

But hey, they've had a lot more success for the last quarter century than we have.

But yes, to me, the Cowboys by far and away, nobody in the division has ever felt about us the way Dallas has.

I mean, Philly and the Giants for many, many years, you got to go back, you know, a generation and a half at this point looked up to Washington and wanted to beat Washington.

So there was more hunger from their side. But yeah, I'm with you on Dallas for sure.

This from Gary on Brandon, I you Kevin, I agree that Brandon, I you was one of the best receivers in 2023.

This might be an all time heist for the team that gets him for no trade compensation.

My question to you is, would I you mean that the team would have no interest in a receiver in the draft?

First of all, let's contemplate the biggest heist. There's a chance of that.

There is a chance that the team that gets Brandon, I you for next to nothing, if that's what it turns out to be.

If it turns out that nobody's willing to trade a day three pick a seventh round or even a conditional sixth, whatever it would turn out to be.

And, you know, rework his deal into a prove it one year deal.

And you get the receiver that he was in 2023.

It would be really a heist no doubt.

I mean, we've seen things like this happen before, you know, over the years where just doesn't work out with the team for whatever the reason.

And whoever, whomever is to blame is really a material once that player is back out onto the field.

And the team that gets the second crack at the player and maybe a more emotionally stable player, a more emotionally mature player, they, you know, they reap the benefit of that.

I'm very interested in Brandon, I you've already said it. I know many of you are not.

I am. I was a massive fan of this guy in 22 to start.

But in 2023, at the end of that season, it was obvious that this guy was ascending into top 10 and upper, upper, upper tier levels of wide receiver.

Dude averaged 18 yards per reception had seven touchdowns.

You know, and also performed well in the postseason in 2023, 20 catches in three playoff games for 150 yards, 16 and a half yards per reception.

So, you know, and this is a guy remember that's got a ton of playoff experience.

Something that was evident in all of the acquisitions last week with a lot of the players, a lot of playoff experience among the players that Washington added last week.

I'm totally in on Brandon, I you if and the, you know, the caveats here are physically healthy back to normal health and mentally stable.

And then on top of it, you can get him for no draft pick compensation so that you can tear up his existing deal and give him a one year prove it deal.

Maybe you've got to give up eight, nine, 10 million and guaranteed money, but the rest of it for him to make 20, 25 million, it's all incentive based.

And then you'll be able to, you know, determine at the end of the season what you want to do.

But the relationship he has with the quarterback, you know, you can put yourself into that one year prove it, you know, situation.

That's the only way you do it with a guy like this.

All of the stories that have come out the last couple of days with many people and I read Grant Cone who's covered them for a long time, essentially implying that it's more on the 49ers and it's been on IUK.

The bottom line is when you just give away $30 million and all you had to do was show up twice a month to their facility to ensure that that 30 million couldn't be voided from your contract.

The very least it's poor judgment, terrible judgment.

But yeah, I'm very interested as far as would it mean that they would not be interested in a receiver? No, they're interested in everything.

They are in best player available mode with the exception, of course, of that best player being a quarterback, you know, at number seven anyway.

You're not going to take a quarterback and you're not going to likely take a left tackle either.

But carnaltate, I'm a big fan of carnaltate and the bottom line is Washington could potentially have a need a year for a year from now for two receivers.

Your number one and your number two.

Because I think the chances that Terry is back in 2027 are not zero.

And by the way, I've never said zero, a couple of you have said you've already assumed Terry's gone.

I'm just saying the odds favor Terry being gone.

Certainly if he comes back, it would not be on his current deal more likely than not it would have to be on a restructured deal.

But yeah, I completely believe that everything's on the table at seven.

They have a need at wide receiver short term and then certainly medium term, meaning next year and beyond.

And carnaltate could be if he were the pick at number seven, he could be their number one receiver in 2027.

We need receivers or it could be I you can 2027.

But does not a brand and I you signing certainly does not because of you know because of Terry's deal and because of the nature of I you kind of up in the air, will it work won't work.

Sonario, you've got to be looking for receivers, you know, you've got to be looking for a center to in this draft because it looks like they're not going to get it in free agency.

Up next, we will complete our NCAA tournament brackets, we've got half of them done, we'll do the other half of them and we'll give you our champion our final four and our champion Max and I will do that together at 11 a.m.

We'll talk NCAA tournament with Tate Frazier from the ringer and we will get to the World Baseball Classic finale with Mark Zuckerman later on in the program.

Kevin she and show the team 980 and the team 980 dot com.

Kevin she and here to tell you about when our HVAC system started acting up recently fully mechanical was the first call we made Dan Foley came out himself and worked directly with my wife.

And let me tell you that's saying something Foley's no corporate chain he owns the business top to bottom his crew is outstanding their experts especially with older homes and radiator heat which is rare these days.

Foley mechanical covers DC Maryland and Virginia and proudly installs a mana HVAC systems trust me they know what they're doing.

This is attorney Omed Azari from Azari law. If you've been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you it's time to fight back.

Paul Azari law at 888-838-3rd. That's what one call you can put a proven legal team on your side.

Azari law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years proudly fighting for our local community.

I was born and raised right here in the DMV and my team is made up of experienced reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you.

Follow us on all social platforms at azari.law that's a Z A R I dot L A W don't wait don't settle by back with Azari law.

This office is in Maryland DC and Virginia like team and I are ready to stand up for you call 888-828-3rd. That's 888-828-3RT and let us fight back for you.

Spring is here and the shopping list is long. Time to make a blows run. Buy three bags get three free of stay green one cubic foot garden soil.

Plus right now members can earn four times the points on an eligible purchase. Start spring off strong with these deals and more.

Our best lineup is here at Lowes. Balance the 325 while supplies last.

Soil offer excludes the last and who why loyalty program subject to terms and conditions.

Sealows dot com slash terms for details subject to change point booster subject to exclusions and more terms apply.

One time only offer.

At blinds dot com it's not just about window treatments it's about you your style your space your way.

Whether you DIY or want the pros to handle it all you'll have the confidence of knowing it's done right from free expert design help to our 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Everything we do is made to fit your life and your windows because it blinds dot com the only thing we treat better than windows is you.

Visit blinds dot com now for up to 45% off site wide plus a professional measure at no cost rules and restrictions apply.