NBA news.
Sean Sweeney Hired By Magic As Head Coach
The Orlando Magic have hired Sean Sweeney as head coach. Sweeney will finish the season as associate head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
The Magic also considered veteran head coaches Billy Donovan and Jeff Van Gunfy before moving forward with Sweeney who will be in his first head coaching job.
The Magic fired Jahmal Mosley at the end of their season.
NCAA baseball tournament 2026: Schedule, scores, and more for regionals
The road to the Men’s College World Series begins on Friday, as regional action gets underway.
Here is everything you need to know about the first stage of the NCAA baseball tournament.
Friday, May 29
Here are all the games currently scheduled for the NCAA baseball regionals, by day. In the first set of games, the No. 1 seed in each region takes on the No. 4 seed, while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams square off. All times listed are Eastern:
Kentucky 6, Wake Forest 5
East Carolina vs. Tennessee, 12:00 p.m., ESPNU
Georgia Tech 22, UIC 5
Northeastern vs. Kansas, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Holy Cross vs. Texas, 1:00 p.m., SECN
Rider vs. Florida, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Milwaukee vs. Auburn, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Liberty 4, Boston College 3
USC Upstate vs. Oklahoma State, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+
Little Rock vs. Southern Miss, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+
Lipscomb vs. Mississippi State, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+
St. John’s vs. Florida State, 3:00 p.m., ACCN
Saint Mary’s vs. UCLA, 3:00 p.m., ESPNU
Washington State vs. Oregon State, 3:00 p.m., ESPN+
Lamar vs. Texas A&M, 4:00 p.m., SECN
South Dakota State vs. Nebraska, 4:00 p.m., ESPN+
The Citadel vs. Oklahoma, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
VCU vs. North Carolina, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
Binghamton vs. West Virginia, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
Missouri State vs. Arkansas, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+
NC State vs. UCF, 6:00 p.m., ESPNU
Tarleton State vs. UC Santa Barbara, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+
Troy vs. Miami, 6:00 p.m., ACCN
Jacksonville State vs. Virginia, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Louisiana vs. Cincinnati, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Alabama State vs. Alabama, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Long Island vs. Georgia, 7:00 p.m., SECN
Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Cal Poly vs. Virginia Tech, 8:00 p.m,. ESPN+
Yale vs. Oregon, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Arizona State vs. Ole Miss, 9:00 p.m., ESPNU
Texas State vs. USC., 9:00 p.m., ESPN+
Here are the schedule and scores for the NCAA baseball regional games by each region. As with the above, the No. 1 team plays the No. 4 team in the opening round, and all times listed are Eastern:
Friday, May 29
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Saint Mary’s, 3:00 p.m., ESPNU
No. 2 Virginia. Tech vs. No. 3 Cal Poly, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Georgia Tech 22, No. 4 UIC 5
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 The Citadel, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 3 Liberty 4, No. 2 Boston College 3
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Long Island, 7:00 p.m., SECN
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 East Carolina, 12:00 p.m., ESPNU
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 VCU, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Holy Cross, 1:00 p.m., SECN
No. 2 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 3 Tarleton State 6:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 USC Upstate, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Alabama State, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Rider, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Miami vs. No. 3 Troy, 6:00 p.m., ACCN
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Southern Miss vs. No. 4 Little Rock, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 3 Jacksonville State, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 4 St. John’s, 3:00 p.m., ACCN
No. 2 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 3 Northern Illinois, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Oregon State vs. No. 3 Washington State, 3:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 4 Yale, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 4 Lamar, 4:00 p.m., SECN
No. 2 USC vs. No. 3 Texas State, 9:00 p.m, ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 4 South Dakota State, 4:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Arizona State, 9:00 p.m, ESPNU
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Mississippi State vs. No. 4 Lipscomb, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Cincinnati vs. No. 3 Louisiana, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Northeastern, 1:00 p.m, ESPN+
No. 2 Arkansas vs. No. 3 Missouri State, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 29
No. 3 Kentucky 6, No. 2 Wake Forest 5
No. 1 West Virginia vs. No. 4 Binghamton, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
The NCAA baseball tournament is not your standard single-elimination, bracket format. The tournament kicks off with the regionals, followed by the super regionals, and ultimately the Men’s College World Series.
Regionals are a double-elimination format, with the 64 teams divided into 16, four-team mini-brackets. The top 16 teams in the nation each host a regional, and each of those 16 teams is the No. 1 seed in its regional. Games begin on Friday in a double-elimination format, with each bracket winner advancing to the super regionals.
Super regionals consist of 16 teams advancing to eight matchups, which are a three-game series. The winner of each super regional advances to the Men’s College World Series, which will see those eight teams split again into two brackets of four, in a double-elimination format. That builds to the Championship Series, which is a best-of-three series between the final two teams.
Here are the top 16 teams in the NCAA baseball tournament, ranked from No. 1 to No. 16. Each of these teams is hosting a regional this weekend, and the top eight are guaranteed to host a super regional … provided they advance.
No. 1 UCLA (51-6)
No. 2 Georgia Tech (48-9)
No. 3 Georgia (46-12)
No. 4 Auburn (38-19)
No. 5 North Carolina (45-11-1)
No. 6 Texas (40-13)
No. 7 Alabama (37-19)
No. 8 Florida (39-19)
No. 9 Southern Mississippi (44-15)
No. 10 Florida State (38-17)
No. 11 Oregon (40-16)
No. 12 Texas A&M (39-14)
No. 13 Nebraska (42-15)
No. 14 Mississippi State (40-17)
No. 15 Kansas (42-16)
No. 16 West Virginia (39-14)
Here are the 64 teams in the field, broken down into the 16 regionals. In addition to the top 16 overall teams being seeded, within each regional the teams are seeded No. 1 through No. 4:
No. 1 UCLA (51-6) (No. 1 overall seed)
No. 2 Virginia Tech (30-24)
No. 3 Cal Poly (36-22)
No. 4 Saint Mary’s (34-25)
No. 1 Georgia Tech (48-9) (No. 2 overall seed)
No. 2 Oklahoma (32-21)
No. 3 The Citadel (35-24)
No. 4 UIC (27-27-1)
No. 1 Georgia (46-12) (No. 3 overall seed)
No. 2 Boston College (36-21)
No. 3 Liberty (41-19)
No. 4 Long Island (30-20)
No. 1 Auburn (38-19) (No. 4 overall seed)
No. 2 UCF (31-21)
No. 3 NC State (32-22)
No. 4 Milwaukee (25-31)
No. 1 North Carolina (45-11-1) (No. 5 overall seed)
No. 2 Tennessee (38-20)
No. 3 East Carolina (36-22-1)
No. 4 VCU (37-23)
No. 1 Texas (40-13) (No. 6 overall seed)
No. 2 UC Santa Barbara (38-18)
No. 3 Tarleton State (37-19)
No. 4 Holy Cross (25-28)
No. 1 Alabama (37-19) (No. 7 overall seed)
No. 2 Oklahoma State (37-20)
No. 3 USC Upstate (33-28)
No. 4 Alabama State (34-21)
No. 1 Florida (39-19) (No. 8 overall seed)
No. 2 Miami (38-18)
No. 3 Troy (32-29)
No. 4 Rider (33-18)
No. 1 Southern Miss (44-15) (No. 9 overall seed)
No. 2 Virginia (36-21)
No. 3 Jacksonville State (46-13)
No. 4 Little Rock (36-26)
No. 1 Florida State (38-17) (No. 10 overall seed)
No. 2 Coastal Carolina (37-21)
No. 3 Northern Illinois (35-17)
No. 4 St. John’s (33-24)
No. 1 Oregon (40-16) (No. 11 overall seed)
No. 2 Oregon State (43-12)
No. 3 Washington State (30-26)
No. 4 Yale (30-13-1)
No. 1 Texas A&M (39-14) (No. 12 overall seed)
No. 2 USC (43-15)
No. 3 Texas State (36-24)
No. 4 Lamar (34-25)
No. 1 Nebraska (42-15) (No. 13 overall seed)
No. 2 Ole Miss (36-21)
No. 3 Arizona State (37-19)
No. 4 South Dakota State (24-31)
No. 1 Mississippi State (40-17) (No. 14 overall seed)
No. 2 Cincinnati (37-20)
No. 3 Louisiana (39-23)
No. 4 Lipscomb (29-24)
No. 1 Kansas (42-16) (No. 15 overall seed)
No. 2 Arkansas (39-20)
No. 3 Missouri State (34-19)
No. 4 Northeastern (38-20)
No. 1 West Virginia (39-14) (No. 16 overall seed)
No. 2 Wake Forest (38-19)
No. 3 Kentucky (31-21)
No. 4 Binghamton (31-20)
St. John’s massive NIL payment revealed after Tounde Yessoufou chooses transfer portal over NBA Draft
St. John’s men’s basketball has been reborn since hiring head coach Rick Pitino, but the college legend doesn’t have many years left leading the program. Pitino will turn 74 years old before the 2026-27 regular season, making him the oldest power conference coach in America by a couple years over Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson.
Pitino led St. John’s to a No. 2 seed in the 2025 NCAA tournament, but the team lost in the round of 32. This past season, St. John’s repeated as the Big East tournament champions, but their March Madness run ended in the Sweet 16 as a No. 5 seed. Pitino is going all out to put a Final Four caliber team together before he eventually retires, and on Wednesday night the Red Storm landed the final piece of what should be another elite roster.
Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou was thought to be a lock to enter the 2026 NBA Draft for most of his freshman year. Questions about his three-point shooting and playmaking eventually pushed him down the board, and when he entered his name in the transfer portal, many started to wonder if a college program would out-bid the NBA for his services. That’s exactly what happened: Yessoufou withdrew from the NBA and transferred to St. John’s at the college withdrawal deadline this week, and he reportedly got a huge sum of money to do it.
Yessoufou will reportedly make “upwards of $7 million” playing for St. John’s next season, according to reporter Aaron Heisen. It’s a shocking figure, but that’s what talent goes for in today’s era of college hoops.
The Florida Gators reportedly paid Thomas Haugh at least $8 million to bypass the 2026 NBA Draft for a return to college. Haugh was a projected lottery pick, while Yessoufou was likely going in the late 20s or even the early second-round if he kept his name in. This deal immediately makes him one of the highest paid players in college basketball history.
St. John’s needed a gritty defender with scoring punch to round out its lineup, and Yessoufou is a perfect fit. He’s built more like a linebacker than a basketball player with a hulking frame that has drawn comparisons to Oklahoma City Thunder wing Lu Dort in the past. Yessoufou still averaged nearly 18 points per game as a freshman even with obvious holes in his skill set mostly because he finished well at the rim (68.5 percent), showed off a nice mid-range game, and attacked the offensive glass. His floor spacing is a question mark with a 29 percent stroke from three-point range, but if he shows any improvement there, he’s probably a first-round pick in a weaker 2027 NBA Draft.
Yessoufou isn’t much a ball handler or passer, but St. John’s has other players to handle those duties. Point guard Quinn Ellis comes over from Olimpia Milano, where he was one of the better young guards in EuroLeague. Ellis’ transition to college basketball will be fascinating as a 22-year-old, and it’s possible he’s one of the better guards in the sport. Ian Jackson is also returning to the Red Storm next season, and like Yessoufou, he was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school.
Add in Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman to the front court, and St. John’s has playmaking, shooting, and perimeter defense in its projected lineup.
The center spot will be the question mark for the Johnnies, but they have plenty of bodies to soak up minutes there. Ruben Prey has always intrigued me as a 6’11 stretch big man out of Spain, and he could be in for a big leap as a junior.
The money running through college basketball is mind-blowing right now. The Johnnies came up with the cash, and they landed one of the best available players in the country over the NBA.
NBA Board Of Governors Approve Anti-Tanking Lottery Rules
The NBA’s Board of Governors have voted to approve new anti-tanking rules that will take effect next season for the 2027 draft.
The draft lottery will expand from 14 to 16 teams along with flattened odds, and a relegation zone where the bottom three teams get penalized with decreased odds to land the No. 1 overall pick.
Adam Silver prioritized taking significant measures after the NBA received widespread criticism for the number of teams who were blatantly attempting to lose games to improve their lottery position ahead of the anticipated 2026 draft.
The actual drawing of the 2027 draft order is expected to be televised live as it was in the 1980s before the pingpong format.
The new rules are only assured to be in place for 2027, 2028 and 2029, as the league may move to a draft credit system as early as 2030. Under the concept, each franchise would receive an equal allotment of draft credits, 100 for simplicity’s sake, rather than traditional first- and second-round picks. Teams would then bid those credits in an auction format, starting with the No. 1 overall selection and proceeding down the board.
President Trump Says He Plans To Attend NBA Finals Game At Madison Square Garden
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he intends to attend at least one NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden, which would mark the first time a sitting U.S. president has attended an NBA Finals game.
“I think I’ll be going to one of the games,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that he had received invitations from “numerous people,” including Knicks owner and MSG Entertainment CEO James Dolan, a past donor to Trump’s campaigns.
“We don’t know if President Trump is coming to the finals, but the president of the United States – no matter who is in office – is always welcome at all our venues,” a MSG spokesperson said.
Trump had originally planned to attend what would have been Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday before the Knicks swept Cleveland in four games. New York will face either the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals.
A sitting president has never attended the NBA Finals, though Trump has made attending major sporting events a regular practice during his second term, including the college football national championship, a Yankees game on September 11, and the U.S. Open men’s singles final.
No NBA champion has visited the White House during Trump’s current term. Last year’s champion Oklahoma City Thunder cited a “timing issue” for not making the trip. In an anonymous player poll conducted by The Athletic in April, 53.4 percent of NBA players said they would accept a White House invitation while 46.6 percent said they would not.
Former President Barack Obama attended Game 2 of the 2019 Finals in Toronto, but that was several years after leaving office.
Joe Theismann is grateful for what golf provides
The sport of golf offers different things to different people.
For some it represents an opportunity to be physically active. Golf is, after all, a sport.
For others golf is an opportunity to network and get to know people. When you are out on course for 4-5 hours you want to ensure that you are with people you care about.
For legendary quarterback Joe Theismann… golf is all of these things. Joe recently sat down with SB Nation to discuss his preparation for the American Century Championship and he noted that golf gives him opportunities to do all of the above. He has basically been a part of every ACC and is incredibly excited for this year’s edition.
Tournament prize money for the ACC is up to $750,000 total with a $150,000 first prize, but importantly the tournament has at the same time raised over $8 million for regional and national charities. American Century Investments donates 40% of its profits to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and activates fundraising at tournament to drive direct donations to Stowers each year. Fans can watch the ACC on NBC or Peacock from July 10th through 12.
Best of luck to Joe out in Tahoe!
Kenny Atkinson Retained By Cavaliers As Head Coach
Kenny Atkinson will be retained as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers next season, sources tell ESPN. Atkinson was hired by the Cavaliers in the 2024 offseason to replace J.B. Bickerstaff.
Atkinson had retained the support of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to remain as head coach.
The Cavaliers’ front office hasn’t always been in sync with Atkinson. Some members of the front office had preferred James Borrego when they instead hired Atkinson.
While the Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference Finals, they were swept by the New York Knicks.
The Cavaliers are expected to be “opportunistic” during the offseason when looking at upgrades to the roster.
RealGM Radio: How The Knicks Escaped Their Old Mistakes; Big Offseason Questions For Cavs, Giannis, Kawhi & More
Wes Goldberg is joined by Gavin Schall of Locked On Knicks to break down how New York built its Finals team around Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. Unlike past Knicks regimes that chased shortcuts with moves like Eddy Curry, Joakim Noah, Andrea Bargnani and Steve Francis, this version of the Knicks showed patience, adjusted the roster over time and built a real championship formula.
Then, John Wilmes of RealGM joins to talk about the biggest NBA offseason questions. What should the Cleveland Cavaliers do after falling short? Where could Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard land if they hit the trade market? What happens with Ja Morant? And which surprise stars – including Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Alperen Sengun and Zion Williamson – could become trade candidates?
Subscribe to RealGM Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or via the RSS feed for smart NBA playoff analysis, trade rumors, draft coverage and big-picture basketball conversations.
Indy 500: Katherine Legge’s ‘Double’ dream comes to an early end
Katherine Legge’s dream of completing “The Double” came to an early end at the 110th Indianapolis 500.
The British driver was attempting one of the toughest feats in motorsports, trying to complete both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. But her Indianapolis 500 came to an end on Lap 18, as she swerved to avoid a spin from Ryan Hunter-Reay in front of her, and found the inside wall:
Here is another angle of the incident:
Both drivers were taken to the infield care center and checked out before being released. Legge spoke with FOX Sports following the incident:
Legge will now head to Charlotte for the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600, where she is set to start 37th. Weather conditions washed out Saturday’s qualifying session, and rain is also expected to be a factor this evening.
Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 is also sure to be a somber event, with the unexpected passing of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch earlier this week.
Another WNBA guard has been waived, but this time is different
The New York Liberty have waived guard Julie Vanloo, who was on a hardship contract with the club. But, Vanloo turned to social media to express her gratitude for the tenure.
“I’m totally okay with it,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “I knew from the start it would likely be short, and New York was amazing with their communication throughout the entire process. Very respectful.”
Through five games, Vanloo averaged 5.8 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Vanloo, 33, has played for the Washington Mystics, Golden State Valkyries, and Los Angeles Sparks over the past two years. Last year, she was waived by the Valkyries midseason, before joining the Sparks for the rest of the year. Vanloo was with the Sparks for training camp, but was cut before the regular season roster was finalized.
But, she signed with the Liberty, and poured in 12 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds in the season opener, a 106-75 victory over the Connecticut Sun.
“It was a tough week,” Vanloo said after that game, per The Associated Press’s Doug Feinberg. “I’m a little bit overwhelmed, and I’m just trying to take it all in. Just being waived, trying to stay positive, trying to stay confident. I had a lot of conversations with my family and my close people, and I really wanted to give up and go home because I was exhausted from a long season overseas and from giving everything I had in training camp.”
Her tenure ending likely means that Sabrina Ionescu, who has yet to play this season with a left foot injury, will soon make her debut. The team has otherwise leaned on rookie Pauline Astier at the point guard position, with Ionescu and Rebecca Allen (left leg injury) both sidelined.
Whether Vanloo will get picked up by another WNBA team remains to be seen. But during her brief Liberty tenure, Vanloo made her mark, finishing with the league’s 10th-most assists per game (5.4) and the 8th-best three-point percentage (50%).
Still, she joins a long list of players whose future is uncertain.