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Does make one wonder if he's already conveyed something to players? Doubt it though. Too much risk for a leak.

There is an interesting column in The Athletic about "What has happened to Cinderella?" The author points out 2-3 factors. Among them: Realignment. Teams like Houston, Cincinnati didn't use to be in Power 5 basketball conferences. Now when they win it is a Power 5 win, not a mid-major upset. The upper-tier mid-majors have realigned themselves into Power 5. There is more Power 5 depth. Obviously, the no-wait transfer portal. Iowa's upset over No. 1 seed Florida included 4 guys who played the prior year for Drake and the guy who made the winning shot came from Robert Morris. Those 5 guys would have been wearing low-mid-major jersey's a year ago. Obviously, NIL has created some transfers as well. The best talent is moving from Cinderella to Power 5. The distribution of talent has affected the absence of some traditional blue-bloods. These schools are not in Sweet 16: Kentucky, Kansas, Gonzaga, N. Carolina, UCLA, Indiana, Syracuse. Losing Kwame and Shelstad is a BIG blow. But, there are several examples in this year's Sweet 16 of programs that have reinvented themselves. The question becomes, does Oregon currently have the staff (and NIL) that can reinvent? In the games I've watched, there may be more good players spread across college basketball than there has ever been. Can/will Oregon contend for them? The "Cinderella problem" also has implications for the Tournament. If there are fewer legitimate Cinderella programs, then we should not be surprised when the at-large selections are largely taken by Power 4 conferences, and teams on the margin such as those in the New Pac may be relegated to a slot for the conference champion only. Or, perhaps, this is a reason to justify expanding the Tournament beyond 68 teams? Open new at-large slots to replace the ones consumed by the Power 4?

Altman's turn...

Michigan is the No. 1 seed in the Men's NCAA Hockey Tournament. ESPN.comNCAA men's hockey roundtable: Teams to beat, players to w...Our experts analyze the NCAA bracket, including making their picks for the Frozen Four. Wisconsin won the Women's Ice Hockey Tournament https://uwbadgers.com/news/2026/3/22/womens-hockey-Wisconsin-claims-ninth-national-championship_ Badgers coach Mark Johnson extends his record with his 9th championship, all at Wisconsin, where he played college hockey before playing on the Miracle on Ice team in 1980, and then in the NHL. Penn State won its 5th consecutive Men's Wrestling title, scoring a record 181.5 points, which broke Penn State's 2024 record of 177 points. https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/article/penn-state-wins-fifth-consecutive-wrestling-national-championship-with-4-wrestlers-earning-individual-titles-134637093.html 1 seed UCLA, 2 seed Michigan, and 4 seed Minnesota advanced to the Women's Tournament Sweet 16. In baseball guru Charles Fischer's world, UCLA baseball is ranked No. 1, with USC 10th and Oregon No. 17. In college softball, at 17, Oregon shares the same ranking as the baseball team, and No. 6 Nebraska, No. 8 UCLA, and 16 Washington are also in the Top 25. ESPN.comCollege softball rankings: 2026 NCAA Week 7 Top 25 pollCheck out our Top 25 poll, plus the player of the week. Track and Field - Oregon's Men's and Women's both finished 2nd in the NCAA T&F Outdoor Championship. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/oregon-men-women-finish-second-004113935.html Even without CW network coverage, it's great to be B1G! 😍

On3Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad plans to enter transfer portalOregon guard Jackson Shelstad plans to enter the transfer portal, a source told On3.

Fingers crossed and wood knocked - YardbarkerBig Ten has golden opportunity to end 26-year title droug...The Big Ten's never had a chance to end its men's NCAA Tournament championship drought quite like this.

Returning Production for B1G teams - Note that in 2025, Penn State and Clemson were among the leaders in returning production. Maryland is No. 1 in the B1G and 2nd in the nation. But other than QB Washington, what team wants the 2025 players who turtled back in 2026? Twerps do not = Terrifying Terps. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/24/oregon-football-big-ten-returning-production/89294693007/?utm_source=smg-duckswire-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SMGbaseline&utm_term

What happens next is going to send a clear message on how invested Oregon is in the future of men’s basketball. They need a minimum of 3 starting caliber players and a few rotation guys. And that is assuming that Ariza can come in and start right away.

Interesting, slightly tongue-in-cheek article up on The Athletic's ($ Wall) Until Saturday. Basketball power Indiana has become Tom Osborne's Nebraska football, and Nebraska has become Bob Knight's Indiana basketball. Like Curt Cignetti at Indiana, Nebraska basketball coach Fred Hoiberg used transfers to build the program, starting before the portal came into existence. Fred's son Sam, who played high school basketball in Lincoln, Nebraska, did not receive a D1 offer and walked on to play for his Dad. Sam is now a Senior and an effective starter at point guard. Nebraska is a slight -1.5 favorite over Iowa. The two teams split during the regular season, with both teams winning close games at home.

Interesting back story on coaches Tom Izzo and UConn's Dan Hurley. AP NewsTom Izzo gave Dan Hurley advice after Lakers offered UCon...Tom Izzo has turned down multiple opportunities to coach in the NBA, including with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.

I hate to see him go, but don't blame him a bit for leaving. There isn't a single player on the team that I would worry about leaving, including Shelstad. How do we know his injured hand won't require surgery later on. I have no idea what Coach Altman is going to do, but the program needs a complete overhaul. Hope to hear some positive news coming out of Eugene.

Point spreads for and a discussion of the eight Sweet 16 match-ups - https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/betting/article/2026-ncaa-tournament-odds-picking-every-sweet-16-193944870.html

DL is a definitely a players coach. He hit the ground running when he was hired, and has been growing into his position. His focus is on relationships, and development. The fact that he is accessible to his players goes a long ways in keeping key personnel here at Oregon. I know I have confidence in his ability to win a championship. Just need to win that last game of the season.

Thank you, NJ. Roster management in today's CFB is, in itself, a full-time job. Not losing a starter with poachers on the prowl is a rare accomplishment. If you are only picking from the portal, you can go 13-0 as did FSU in 2023, but you can also crash and burn like FSU in 2024 and 2025. Rather than deal with the roster turnover and the demands from parents and agents, one of Dan Lanning's mentors, Nick Saban, walked away from the game. Dan is wisely following the model of another mentor, Kirby Smart, who uses the portal as necessary to fill holes in the roster. Thanks for another terrific post.

The Oregon Ducks are quietly separating themselves in one of the most important areas of the new transfer portal and NIL era of college football.The Oregon Ducks are quietly separating themselves in one of the most important areas of the new era of college football: retention in the transfer portal era under coach Dan Lanning. At first glance, the 2026 transfer portal numbers raised eyebrows. After back-to-back transfer classes were ranked in the top-5, the Ducks' 2026 class ranked No. 25. Oregon saw 30 players depart after both coordinators took head coaching roles elsewhere and added 13 transfers for the 2026 cycle. In today’s college football landscape, those unbalanced numbers can trigger concern. However, analyzing the transfer class shows that Oregon “won” in the portal ... and college football GMs and NIL decision makers took note. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Ducks Emerge As Transfer Portal Winner According T...The Oregon Ducks are quietly separating themselves in one of the most important areas of the new era of college football: retention in the transfer portal era u

Having depth at all positions is important because of the length of the season. Football is a violent contact sport, and athletes put extreme stress on their bodies. Injuries can occur even while running through a non-contact route or drill. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Five-Star Receiver Compared to Evan Stewart for Go...Oregon five star receiver Jalen Lott is turning heads after drawing comparisons to Duck senior Evan Stewart. That carries added weight as the Ducks look to capi

2026 Big Ten win totals, odds, picks: Predictions for every team as Indiana, Oregon face high expectationsA full breakdown of Big Ten win total projections heading into the 2026 seasonOregonOver/under 10.5 wins Wins: Boise State, at Oklahoma State, Portland State, at USC, UCLA, Nebraska, at Illinois, Northwestern, Michigan, at Michigan State, Washington Losses: at Ohio State Analysis: Had Oregon not lost both coordinators to head coaching jobs elsewhere, the Ducks might have been the more likely team to run the Big Ten table, not Ohio State. That trip to Columbus now looms as the most probable loss, but it could be the only one -- setting up a rematch in Indianapolis. With quarterback Dante Mooreat the controls and a defense that returns eight starters, Oregon will be pushing for its long-awaited first national title. Pick: Over 10.5 (+116) https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-win-totals-2026-odds-predictions-picks-each-team/

First Segment:Oregon unveiled a new series ‘Meet the Flock’ to introduce position groups to Duck fans. Dynamic: Oregon Ducks quarterback depth IMPRESSES with Donte Moore, Dylan Raiola & locker room unity Second Segment:Breakdown: Jett Washington Third Segment:Breakdown: Evan Stewart

Thanks to H Duck for the detailed and spot-on takes on the Tournament to date. And other Forum friends who have corrected my errors. Six B1G teams in the Sweet 16 is a conference record. We will see one of Iowa or Nebraska in the Elite 8, matching up with Houston, not on the Cougars' usual home court, but just minutes away from campus. As friend H has noted, many of the Blue Blood basketball programs are not in this Sweet 16.

Here's the Sweet 16 broadcast information presented by On3 - Here's hoping that the B1G teams keep on making Bank. 🤑 On32026 NCAA Tournament: Tip-off times, TV channels announce...Tip-off times and television channels for the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen games have been announced by Turner.

Yes, it was a tough outing for Georgia. So far, the Big Ten is getting the benefit of the bounce. The Florida and Vanderbilt losses could have easily gone the other way. I think 4-seed Arkansas in the West has a decent chance of taking down Arizona and then Purdue, if Texas, behind excellent coach Sean Miller and playing with house money, hasn't already defeated Purdue. 4-seed Bama in the Midwest has the size to pull off a B1G upset and take down Michigan. It's March, and there will be Madness and mad fans. Unfortunately, Oregon fans know what it's like for their team to Flounder 😁 in the postseason. 🤬

I didn't watch many Duck games this year, but what I saw suggested serious depth and talent deficits. Whether this was from an NIL deficit, I can't say and will defer to Charles on this one. My team suffered perhaps the most embarrassing loss of any in the first round, losing badly to a less talented Saint Louis aggregation. They didn't even come close to resembling the spirited group they had been in the regular season. I began to wonder early in the second half if some of the players were on the take to gamblers. No one I know close to the team as any good explanation for how poorly the Dawgs played in this one.

Not his point, just an observation.

In this current world of college athletics where players have more than one option, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether someone is playing well for the program they’re apart of, or just to increase their transfer stock.

So is our problem actually NIL? 🤔