March Madness predictions: One of these teams will win NCAA Tournament

Based on recentNCAA tournamenttrends, only a few teams are likely true national championship contenders onceMarch Madnessofficially gets underway.

Seven of the last eight national champions were No. 1 seeds, withConnecticutthe lone exception as a No. 4 seed in 2023. The Huskies were also a bit more talented than their seed displayed, especially as they repeated as national champions the following season.

REQUIRED READING:March Madness live bracketology: NCAA Tournament bracket updates today

Moreover, 18 of the last 25 national champions since 2000 have been No. 1 seeds. The last team higher than a No. 4 seed to win the national championship was also UConn in 2014, meaning the Huskies hold both spots as the highest-seeded teams to win a title since 2000.

Three No. 3 seeds have won national titles since 2000, and one No. 2 seed has won during that time.

Suffice to say, if a team dominates the regular season, it's a good predictor of national championship odds. Here's a look at the nine teams that can win a national championship in 2026 based on seeding trends:

Duke

Duke, the No. 1 overall seed inUSA TODAY Sports' bracket projections,has been a wagon this season. Led by true freshman Cameron Boozer, one of the top national player of the year candidates, the Blue Devils finished 29-2 in the regular season with a long list of impressive wins over fellow projected 1-seeds in Michigan and Florida; 2-seed Michigan State; 4-seeds Kansas and Virginia; and 6-seed North Carolina (twice).

Duke ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 5 in adjusted offensive efficiency,per KenPom,and is likely the national championship front runner right now.

Arizona

Arizona is a lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament alongside Duke, Michigan and Florida. All the Wildcats did this season was dominate one of the best conferences in college basketball.

Arizona finished the season with a 29-2 record, including a 16-2 mark in Big 12 play. The Wildcats lost back-to-back games to Kansas and Texas Tech in February, but won every other game otherwise, including wins over Iowa State, Kansas, Houston, Alabama, UConn and Florida.

Arizona ranks No. 3 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 7 in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. It also ranks No. 15 in strength of schedule.

REQUIRED READING:Braden Smith has shot at NCAA assists record. He wants something bigger

Michigan

Another lock for a No. 1 seed, Michigan also dominated the regular season. The Wolverines suffered one loss in Big Ten play, which came to Wisconsin early in the season before they ran the table in the conference, only losing again to Duke in a neutral site game in February.

Michigan has the tools to win a national title and forms a big three alongside Duke and Arizona as the top contenders for the national title, with Florida likely right behind.

Florida

Defending national champion Florida was 9-5 at one point this season after dropping its SEC opener to Missouri. That followed nonconference losses to UConn, Duke, Arizona and TCU. But then something clicked for the Gators, and they went on to win 16 of their last 17 games to end the regular season, looking like one of the top national title contenders once again.

Led by a trio of returners from last season's national championship team in Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, Florida boasts one of the strongest frontcourts in college basketball. The Gators are the current front runners to earn the last No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which puts them easily in national title contention, especially with their run to end the regular season.

Florida ranks fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom, which coincidentally is only behind the three teams ahead of it on this list.

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UConn

UConn has proven capable in the past of winning a national championship from a variety of different seeding spots in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are shaping up to be a No. 2 seed in 2026, though, putting them near the very top of national title contenders.

UConn's upset loss to Marquette to end the regular season might have cost its chance at a No. 1 seed, but coach Dan Hurley's squad has the potential to win the school's third title in four seasons. The Huskies lack a go-to scorer, but have a trio of veterans in Solo Ball, Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban, along with projected NBA lottery pick Braylon Mullins and Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr. that makes one of the best starting lineups in college basketball.

UConn was a No. 8 seed last season and still nearly took down eventual national champion Florida in the second round of March Madness.

Michigan State

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has one of his better squads in recent years, led by standout guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who leads the Big Ten in assists per game (9.1) this season.

The Spartans last won a national title in 2000, although they were runners-up in 2009. They've also reached three Final Fours since 2010. Michigan State is projected as a No. 2 seed in USA TODAY Sports' projections.

Houston

Houston returned three starters from its runners-up squad a season ago, and replaced the players it lost with a pair of five-star true freshman, including Kingston Flemings, a projected top-five pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Flemings raised the Cougars' offensive ceiling this season, pacing the team with 16.5 points and 6.4 assists per game. They also have their typical strong defense, which ranks No. 6 nationally, per KenPom.

Coach Kelvin Sampson is one of the best coaches to never win a national title, and he has led Houston agonizingly close in recent years. Maybe the Cougars get over the hump in 2026 as a projected No. 2 seed, per USA TODAY Sports.

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Gonzaga

Three No. 3 seeds have won the national championship since 2003, and Gonzaga is projected to be on the No. 3 line in 2026, per USA TODAY Sports. The Bulldogs have one of the best frontcourts in college basketball with Graham Ike and Braden Huff, and will be a tough out if they can get strong play from their backcourt or get hot from 3-point range.

Gonzaga has one of the best coaches in the sport in Mark Few and have been runners-up for the national championship in both 2017 and 2021. It also has the defense to make a run, which ranks ninth, per KenPom.

Kansas

Never count out the Jayhawks and coach Bill Self in March Madness, especially with one of the best scorers in college basketball on their roster.

True freshman Darryn Peterson has been healthy as of late, playing 29 or more minutes in all five of Kansas' final games of the regular season. His availability raises Kansas' ceiling tremendously in the NCAA tournament.

Kansas also has a strong defense, led by Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Flory Bidunga. Kansas, also led by veteran guards Tre White and Melvin Council Jr., has a team capable of winning a national championship when Peterson is at his best.

Kansas is projected to be a No. 4 seed by USA TODAY Sports, and one No. 4 seed has won a national title since 2000 (UConn in 2023).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:March Madness predictions: One of these teams will win NCAA Tournament

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March Madness predictions: One of these teams will win NCAA Tournament

Based on recentNCAA tournamenttrends, only a few teams are likely true national championship contenders onceMarch Madness...

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2026 NWSL season preview: Trinity Rodman, expansion teams and more

The NWSL is back.

The 2026 NWSL season kicks off on Friday with a pair of USWNT gold medalists going head-to-head. The Washington Spirit and Trinity Rodman will face off against the Portland Thorns and Sophia Wilson, who is set to make her highly-anticipated return from maternity leave. (More on that later).

Friday's Spirit-Thorns match is one of eight games on the NWSL's opening weekend slate as the league expands to 18 teams with the addition of expansion franchises Boston Legacy FC and Summit FC.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 NWSL season, from the biggest trades and biggest stars returning to the pitch, to the two new teams joining the league in Denver and Boston.

2024: Orlando Pride (defeated Washington Spirit in the 2024 NWSL Championship game)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 2013: Portland Thorns FC (defeated Western New York Flash in the championship game)

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NWSL champions through the years

Recap of 2025 NWSL season

Before we look ahead to the 2026 season, let's take a second to catch up of all the action from 2025:

2025 NWSL Champions: Gotham FC

Gotham FC completed an unlikely underdog postseason run, defeating the Washington Spirit to win the 2025 NWSL championship 1-0 on Nov. 22. Rose Lavelle scored the only goal of the game in the 80th minute. As the No. 8 seed, Gotham became the lowest seed to win an NWSL championship.

2025 NWSL Shield winner: Kansas City Current

The Kansas City Current recorded the winningest regular season in NWSL history. Kansas City claimed the NWSL Shield faster than any other team in league history with five matches left and had the most wins (21), points scored in a single season (65) and clean sheets (16). Despite the record year, the Current were stunned in the quarterfinals by Gotham FC. It's unlikely the Current will replicate the dominant season, but expect them to be at the top of the pack again, with head coach Chris Armas.

2025 NSWL MVP, Golden Boot Winner: Temwa Chawinga

Kansas City Current forwardTemwa Chawingawas named the NWSL's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, becoming the first player in league history to win the honor back-to-back. Sam Kerr is the only other player to win NWSL MVP twice. Chawinga also picked up her second straight Golden Boot with a league-high 15 goals in 23 matches.

Can Chawinga win the MVP and Golden Boot three consecutive years? She's starting at a slight disadvantage. Chawinga suffered a leg injury late last year and enters this season on the season-ending injury list. Kerr is the only player to win three straight Golden Boots (2017-19) and no player has won three straight MVPs.

Bring on the star power

Trinity Rodman

The biggest offseason question was whether or not Trinity Rodman would remain in Washington DC. That was answered when Rodman signed a deal reportedly worth more than $1 million a year through 2028,making her the highest paid playerin league history. The deal was made possible by thehigh impact player rule, which allows clubs to exceed the league's salary cap by up to $1 million for players that meet certain criteria. (TheNWSLPA filed a lawsuit, saying the league violated federal labor law.)

"We have raised the salary cap. We quadrupled the salary cap in the last three years," NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said on Wednesday during her 2026 Kickoff Address. "If we want to … attract and retain top talent, we believe that having a targeted, tailored mechanism to do that will allow us to better achieve and more quickly achieve that objective."

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Rodman's health will be a big storyline heading into the season. The Olympic gold medalist was limited to a career-low 17 regular-season matches for the Spirit last season due to a lingering back issue.Rodman appeared to reaggravate her back injurylate in the USWNT's2-0 win over Argentinaon March 1, but she went on to start the next two games in the SheBelieves Cup and lead the USWNT to its eighth title in the tournament.

Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson return from maternity leave

The NWSL is getting back a pair of Olympic gold medalists. Portland Thorns' Sophia Wilson and Chicago Stars' Mallory Swanson are expected to return to the pitch following maternity leave. Wilson welcomed daughter Gianna with NFL husband Michael Wilson in September. Swanson gave birth to daughter Josie with MLB husband Dansby Swanson in November.

Wilson, the 2022 NWSL MVP, made her return on March 6 in the Thorns' 5-1 preseason win over C.F. Monterrey, her first match since November 2024. Wilson subbed in the final 15 minutes and received a loud applause from the crowd. Wilson is on the Thorns' active roster ahead of the team's season opener against the Spirit on Friday.

It's not clear when Swanson will rejoin the Stars, but head coach Martin Sjögre confirmed it would happen at some point this season. Swanson didn't make an appearance during the preseason, but she'll give Chicago a much-needed boost whenever she returns after the Stars finished last in the standings with a 3-12-11 record last year.

Key offseason signings, trades

• The Kansas City Current acquired forward Penelope Hocking from Bay FC on March 11 for a $350,000 transfer fee. Hocking led Bay FC with six goals and one assist in 18 regular-season games.

• The Kansas City Current acquired midfielder Croix Bethune from the Washington Spirit in a $1 million transfer on Feb. 11. Bethune was named midfielder of the year and rookie of the year in 2024. "Her elite creativity and passing ability combined with her tactical versatility... make her a great fit for our club," KC Current general manager Ryan Dell said.

• Bay FC acquired midfielder Claire Hutton from the Kansas City Current in a $1.1 million transfer on Feb. 11, marking one of the highest transfer fees between two NWSL teams and one of the highest for any women's player worldwide. Hutton was named to the NWSL Best XI First Team last season.

• Gotham FC acquired veteran midfielder Savannah McCaskill from San Diego Wave FC in a $175,000 transfer on Jan. 2. She appeared in 21 regular-season games least season.

Denver Summit, Boston FC make their debuts

The NWSL is expanding from 14 to 16 teams with the additions of Denver Summit FC and Boston Legacy FC. Expect the expansion franchises to come out of the gate hot.

"We want to be competitive from the very first day," Legacy FC GM Domènec Guasch told USA TODAY Sports.

Both teams assembled their inaugural rosters without the help of the NWSL draft or expansion draft, which were eliminated in the latest collective bargaining agreement following the 2024 season. Summit FC may have landed the biggest offseason signing right from their own backyard. USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps will join Summit FC in June following the conclusion of her 2025–26 season with OL Lyonnes in France. The midfielder played for the Portland Thorns from 2016-2022.

The excitement for both teams is palpable. Summit FC has already sold 50,000 tickets for the team's first home match at Empower Field at Mile High on March 28, which will break the single-game NWSL attendance record of 40,091 and set a record for the highest attended women's professional game in any sport in the U.S., Berman said.

The NWSL isn't done growing. By 2028, the league will expand to 18 teams. The 17th franchise was awarded to Atlanta in November and the 18th team will "be awarded later this year," Berman added.

Reach USA TODAY National Women's Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:2026 NWSL season preview: Denver, Boston expansion teams open play

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2026 NWSL season preview: Trinity Rodman, expansion teams and more

The NWSL is back. The 2026 NWSL season kicks off on Friday with a pair of USWNT gold medalists going head-to-he...

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March Madness bracketology: NCAA tournament bubble picture gets shakeup

Miami (Ohio) dropped its MAC quarterfinal to UMass to fall to 31-1 but the RedHawks don't fall out of the USA TODAY Sports bracketology field prediction after an unbeaten regular season.

Thanks to results elsewhere during conference championship week – including one crucial result in the SEC – the RedHawks dip down the No. 11 line into one of the NCAA tournament play-in games. This wouldn't be a terrible result for Miami, which is located just an hour from Dayton, Ohio, which hosts the play-in round.

Miami stays ahead of fellow bubble teams such as Auburn and Missouri, which lost in the second round of the SEC tournament, and Indiana, a loser to Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament.

Auburn had a chance to punch its NCAA ticket by beating Tennessee but couldn't stop freshman Nate Ament, who returned from injury after missing about two weeks and poured in 27 points in the Volunteers' 72-62 win. Missouri lost 78-72 to Kentucky and is now on the wrong side of the bubble.

Indiana was in position to make the field before its second loss of the season to Northwestern.

The bubble remains messy but is starting to get a little clearer as contenders advance in or fall out of tournament play.

One contender making a late move is Oklahoma, which dropped nine midseason games in a row but has rebounded to go 8-2 in its last 10. TheSoonershave recently added wins against Auburn, Texas before strong efforts against South Carolina and Texas A&M at the SEC tournament.

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Two contenders to watch are Mountain West rivals San Diego State and New Mexico, which will meet in the conference semifinals. While the Aztecs or Lobos could make it easy by going ahead and winning the MWC title, the winner of the semifinal is in good shape for an at-large spot.

Think you can beat our expert?Join USA TODAY's Bracket Challenge today!

Ready to win March Madness?Join USA TODAY's Survivor Pool today!

March Madness last four in

Santa Clara, Virginia Commonwealth, SMU, Miami (Ohio).

March Madness first four out

New Mexico, Oklahoma, Auburn, Indiana,.

NCAA Tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues:SEC (10), Big Ten (9), ACC (8), Big 12 (8), Big East (3), West Coast (3), Atlantic 10 (2), MAC (2).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:March Madness bracket predictions: NCAA Tournament bubble picture changes

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March Madness bracketology: NCAA tournament bubble picture gets shakeup

Miami (Ohio) dropped its MAC quarterfinal to UMass to fall to 31-1 but the RedHawks don't fall out of the USA TODAY S...

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'Already won' or 'got to finish the job': Trump's mixed messages on Iran

How the war in Iran is going, and what the ultimate goal is, depends on the day, the hour and which administration official is speaking at that moment.

President Donald Trump initially said the strikes constituted "major combat operations" that would likely be over in four or five weeks. But since then, he's declared that the war is already "won" while also saying the U.S. still needs to "finish the job." The operations could end "soon" or the military may need to go "further."

The Trump administration's decision to strike Iran and enter into a conflict with no solid end date in the early hours of Feb. 28 took many Americans by surprise, coming from a president who campaigned on an "America First" agenda and railed against foreign interventions. While Trump did address Iran in his State of the Union address — saying the U.S. military had "obliterated Iran's nuclear weapons program" in June — he did not go to Congress for authorization for the war, and he did not spend weeks making the case to the public that the war was necessary.

Instead, the administration now finds itself in the position of having to justify the war to a skeptical public, as Americans are alreadyseeing hits to their pocketbooksfrom rising gas prices. Anew NBC News pollreleased last week finds that 54% of voters disapprove of Trump's handling and say the U.S. should not have taken military action.

Asked for comment for this article, the White House referred NBC News toa post on Xby press secretary Karoline Leavitt, which said it's a "fake narrative" that there has been "'mixed messaging' about the objectives of Operation Epic Fury." She said the administration has consistently pointed to the goal of destroying Iran's missile capabilities, annihilating its navy and ensuring the "regime's fellow terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region and attack our forces."

Here's a look at the Trump administration's messaging on the war.

Why did the U.S. strike Iran?

March 2: End a 47-year-war."For 47 long years, the expansionist and Islamist regime in Tehran has waged a savage, one-sided war against America." [Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth]

March 2: Iran refused to negotiate."Last June, Operation Midnight Hammer obliterated their nuclear program to rubble. Afterward, we told them plainly, 'That's it. Now make a deal.' They arrogantly refused. We said, 'Rebuild it and we'll stop you again, this time, far worse.' Well, President Trump, Secretary Rubio, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, they bent over backwards for real diplomacy, offering pathway after pathway to peace. I watched it. I was there. They tried over and over and over again, earnest attempts at peace. The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal. But Tehran was not negotiating; they were stalling, buying time to reload their missile stockpiles and restart their nuclear ambitions." [Hegseth]

March 2: Response to Israel planning to strike."There absolutely was an imminent threat, and the imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked — and we believe they would be attacked — that they would immediately come after us, and we were not going to sit there and absorb a blow before we responded, because the Department of War assessed that if we did that, if we waited for them to hit us first after they were attacked — and by someone else, Israel attacked them, they hit us first, and we waited for them to hit us — we would suffer more casualties and more deaths. We went proactively in a defensive way to prevent them from inflicting higher damage." [Secretary of State Marco Rubio]

March 2: Nothing to do with Israel planning to strike."No, I might have forced their hand. … If anything, I might have forced Israel's hand." [Trump]

March 2: Iran would have 'so many short-range missiles' in roughly a year."But this operation needed to happen because Iran in about a year or a year and a half would cross the line of immunity, meaning they would have so many short-range missiles, so many drones, that no one could do anything about it because they could hold the whole world hostage." [Rubio]

Mach 4: Trump had a 'good feeling' that Iran would strike."I think it was important with respect to the timeline, but I think the president, prior to that phone call, had a good feeling that the Iranian regime was going to strike the United States assets and our personnel in the region." [Leavitt]

How significant is the war?

Feb. 28: 'Major combat operations.'"A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. … For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests." [Trump]

March 9: 'A short-term excursion.'"We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some evil. And I think you'll see it's going to be a short-term excursion. … This was just an excursion into something that had to be done. We're getting very close to finishing that." [Trump]

What is the goal?

Feb. 28: No nuclear weapons."It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. … They've rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can't take it anymore. Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing the long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the American homeland." [Trump]

March 2: Not regime change."This is not a so-called regime-change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it." [Hegseth]

March 2: Take out missiles, the navy and the threat of nuclear weapons."This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission: destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes." [Hegseth]

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March 2: Stop Iran from 'the ability to project power outside its borders.'"As the secretary laid out, our military objectives are clear: Our mission is to protect and defend ourselves, and together with our regional partners, prevent Iran from the ability to project power outside of its borders, and be ready for follow-on actions, as appropriate." [Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine]

March 2: No nuclear weapons."Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. That is the goal of this operation and President Trump will see it through to completion.⁩" [Vice President JD Vance]

March 4: Take out missiles, the navy and the threat of nuclear weapons."The stated military objectives of Operation Epic Fury are as follows: eliminate Iran's ballistic missile threat, destroy their naval capability, disrupt missile and zone production infrastructure, sever their pathway and end their pathway to nuclear weapons. And I can report, as you all saw from the Pentagon today, that thus far, this operation has been remarkably successful." [Leavitt]

March 4: Take out missiles, the navy and the threat of nuclear weapons."The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused: destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure — and they will never have nuclear weapons." [Hegseth]

March 6: Unconditional surrender."There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE." [Trump]

March 9: Keep the Strait of Hormuz safe."So the Strait of Hormuz is going to remain safe. We have a lot of Navy ships there. We have best equipment in the world. Again, most of their ships are down at the bottom of the sea. But we will hit them so hard it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them ever recover that section of the world ... do anything." [Trump]

March 11: Stop Iran from projecting power and keeping the Strait of Hormuz safe."For years, the Iranian regime has threatened commercial shipping and U.S. forces in international waters. Our mission is to end their ability to project power and harass shipping in the Strait of Hormuz." [CENTCOM Commander Adm. Bradley Cooper]

Is the war over?

March 8: It's just the beginning."What I want your viewers to understand is this is only just the beginning." [Hegseth]

March 9: 'Pretty much' complete."I think the war is very complete, pretty much." [Trump]

March 9: Both complete and just beginning."Well, I think you could say both [very complete and just the beginning]." [Trump]

March 9: Not enough winning yet."We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough. We go forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory that will end this long running danger once and for all." [Trump]

March 9: Will go further."We could call it a tremendous success right now — as we leave here, I could call it — or we could go further, and we're going to go further." [Trump]

March 11: U.S. already won."You know, you never want to say too early you won. We won. The first hour, it was over." [Trump]

March 11: U.S. needs to 'finish the job.'"We don't want to leave early, do we? We've got to finish the job." [Trump]

How long will the war last?

March 2: Four to five weeks or longer."Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks. But we have capability to go far longer than that. … Somebody said today, they said, 'Oh, well, the president wants to do it really quickly, after that, he'll get bored.' I don't get bored. There's nothing boring about this." [Trump]

March 2: More or less than two, four or six weeks."President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take — four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up, it could move back." [Hegseth]

March 2: 'As far as we need to go.'"We'll go as far as we need to go to advance American interest. But we're not dumb about it. You don't have to roll 200,000 people in there and stay for 20 years." [Hegseth]

March 10: It's up to Trump."From the beginning, from this podium, we haven't stated how long it will take. Our will is endless. Ultimately, the president gets to determine the end state of those objectives, right? But what he's said continually, I want the American people to understand, is this is not endless. It's not protracted. We're not allowing mission creep. The president has set a very specific mission to accomplish, and our job is to unrelentingly deliver that." [Hegseth]

March 10: It's up to Trump."We know that the U.S. military and our brave war fighters are quickly and expeditiously executing these objectives well ahead of schedule. But ultimately, the operations will end when the commander in chief determines the military objectives have been met, fully realized, and that Iran is in a position of complete and unconditional surrender, whether they say it or not." [Leavitt]

March 11: Soon."President Trump told Axios in a brief phone interview Wednesday that the war with Iran will end 'soon' because there is 'practically nothing left to target.'" [Trump]

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March 13, 2026

'Already won' or 'got to finish the job': Trump's mixed messages on Iran

How the war in Iran is going, and what the ultimate goal is, depends on the day, the hour and which administration offici...

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Trump claimed in G7 call that Iran is "about to surrender," Axios reports

March 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Trump told G7 leaders in a virtual ‌meeting on Wednesday that Iran ‌is "about to surrender," Axios reported on Friday citing ​three officials from G7 countries briefed on the contents of the call.

According to the report, Trump told allies that ‌he "got rid ⁠of a cancer that was threatening us all," while boasting ⁠about the results of Operation "Epic Fury" on the G7 call Wednesday morning.

Trump ​said that "nobody ​knows who is ​the leader, so ‌there is no one that can announce surrender," Axios reported.

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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

Trump ‌on Friday derided Iran's ​leaders as "deranged scumbags" ​and said it ​was his great honor ‌to kill them as ​the war ​in the Middle East approached the two-week mark with heavy exchanges of ​drone ‌and missile strikes across the region.

(Reporting ​by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing ​by Toby Chopra)

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March 13, 2026

Trump claimed in G7 call that Iran is "about to surrender," Axios reports

March 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Trump told G7 leaders in a virtual ‌meeting on Wednesday that Iran ‌is "about to...

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Luka Doncic turns trash talk into first 50-point game with the Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic doesn't need an excuse to pile on points, so when Chicago guard Matas Buzelis started jawing with him Thursday night, it became the fuel for his first 50-point game with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bulls Lakers Basketball

Doncic turned what he called unprovoked trash talk from Buzelis into 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in theLakers' 142-130 victory.

"It always feels special," Doncic said after his eighth career 50-point game. "I obviously haven't had a 50-point game in a year, so it was very special. I mean, in the second quarter, I kind of felt it. You know, somebody started talking to me, so that woke me up."

Doncic would not disclose what was said by Buzelis, a second-year forward, because, "I would say that I would definitely get a tech."

Buzelis was asked if learned any lessons from his exchange with Doncic.

"Probably not to talk to him," Buzelis said.

It wasn't like Doncic needed any extra inspiration, either. The NBA scoring leader got off to a strong start with 12 points in the first quarter and had another 12 in the second by making 5 of 6 shots from the field once Buzelis decided to get garrulous.

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Doncic ripped off 17 points in the third quarter before notching 10 points on just four field goal attempts in the fourth. He finished 17 of 31 from the field, going 9 of 14 from 3, and 8 for 9 on free throws.

Lakers coach JJ Redick described Doncic's ability to direct the unsporting words or deeds of opponents into his own game as a "unique trait.

"It's not just the fact that he response to a rough play or trash talking, it's that he can channel it, and he can channel it while still doing all the other things that needs to be done," Redick said. "That's obviously reflective of, you know, his defensive rebounding, his assists, his steals. Again, another game where he gets a high assist number with low turnovers."

Buzelis picked an especially bad time to challenge Doncic, who had averaged 39.5 points per game during the Lakers' previous three wins with LeBron James out because of right hip contusion and arthritis in his left foot. That included Doncic scoring 44 points against Indiana on Friday.

Doncic has 13 40-point games in 82 regular-season appearances for Los Angeles, moving into ninth in franchise history. Eleven of those have come this season.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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March 13, 2026

Luka Doncic turns trash talk into first 50-point game with the Lakers

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SEC champ Florida starts tourney with deep, dangerous Kentucky

NASHVILLE -- Kentucky chases a third win in three days, with rested and well-tested Florida awaiting in a Friday quarterfinal game in the Southeastern Conference tournament.

The Wildcats (21-12) blew a 16-point second-half lead in Thursday's 78-72 win over Missouri. Otega Oweh's 21 points and big plays on both ends of the floor were instrumental in eighth-seeded Kentucky's victory.

That provided needed momentum for the 'Cats, who lost their last two regular-season games. The last was an 84-77 home loss to SEC regular-season champ and top tournament seed Florida on March 7. It was Kentucky's fifth loss in seven games.

Oweh (18.4 ppg) and Denzel Aberdeen (13.1) have played consistently well for the Wildcats this season. Kentucky is especially tough when Collin Chandler (10.1) gets hot as he did with 15 points in Thursday's win.

Depth is key in making a deep tournament run. The Wildcats have gotten a couple of unexpected contributions. Brandon Garrison had his first double-digit scoring game in nine contests when he tallied 17 against LSU in the tournament opener.

Kam Williams, who missed the last 12 games coming into the tournament due to injury, has given the 'Cats a lift with 30 minutes off the bench in Nashville.

Kentucky's Mo Dioubate didn't hesitate when asked what his team needs to do to pull an upset on Friday.

"We've just got to be the more physical team tomorrow," he said. "We've got to be the one to impose our will early and win the rebounding battle."

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The Gators ran through the league like a buzzsaw, taking home the regular-season title by winning 16 of their last 17 -- 14 of them by double digits.

Two of those wins came over Kentucky.

Finding a Florida weakness isn't easy. The Gators are not great 3-point shooters (31.3%) and in a tight game, foul shooting (70.8%) is decidedly not a strength.

The Gators are dominant in many other areas, including ranking second nationally in offensive rebounding (15.94 per game) and fourth in defensive rebounding (29.58), that those weaknesses rarely mattered.

The three guys who make Florida especially tough are SEC Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu (11.4 ppg, 11.7 rpg), versatile Thomas Haugh (17.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg), a first-team All-SEC player who can score from all over the floor, and third-team All-SEC pick Alex Condon (14.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg).

Guards Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland average 11.6 points per game. Fland plays either guard spot. Top 3-point shooter Urban Klavzar (40.6%) was the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year.

The Gators might be even better with Haugh healthier. He missed the March 3 game with Mississippi State with a foot/ankle injury. He played 37 minutes and scored 20 in the last game with Kentucky but said that resting in Nashville has been helpful.

"I hurt this (right) leg in the Texas up in my calf area. ... It was like a high sprain," Haugh said. "And then I think in the Arkansas game, I was just putting so much pressure on my left leg to compensate for the right and I pinched two nerves underneath my foot, so I literally couldn't walk the first couple. It's gotten a lot better now."

--Chris Lee, Field Level Media

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March 13, 2026

SEC champ Florida starts tourney with deep, dangerous Kentucky

NASHVILLE -- Kentucky chases a third win in three days, with rested and well-tested Florida awaiting in a Friday quarterf...

Read More