NCAA Tournament is growing to 76 teams. Here's how new opening round will work

The NCAA formally approved expanding the men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments to 76 teams on Thursday, May 7.

Starting in 2027, March Madness will get even madder.

The new opening round will grow from eight teams to 24, be played Tuesday/Wednesday prior to the first round for men and Wednesday/Thursday for women and feature at-large teams and automatic qualifiers.

Opinion: Expanding the NCAA Tournament won’t make it better

What if? What 76-team expanded NCAA Tournament would have looked like in 2026

Where will new NCAA Tournament opening round games be played?

• Men’s: March 16-17, 2027 (three games each day in Dayton, Ohio)
• Men’s: March 16-17, 2027 (three games each day in second city to be announced)
• Women’s: March 17-18, 2027 (six games a day on campuses of 12 of the top 16 seeds selected to host)

New March Madness bracket opening round games format

What the new 76 team NCAA Tournament will look like pic.twitter.com/AFGS1xdt78

— jordan mendoza (@jordan_mendoza5) May 7, 2026

• No. 11 vs. No. 11
• No. 11 vs. No. 11
• No. 12 vs. No. 12
• No. 12 vs. No. 12
• No. 12 vs. No. 12
• No. 12 vs. No. 12
• No. 15 vs. No. 15
• No. 15 vs. No. 15
• No. 16 vs. No. 16
• No. 16 vs. No. 16
• No. 16 vs. No. 16
• No. 16 vs. No. 16

How many teams are in March Madness?

The men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are expanding from 68 teams to 76, starting with the 2027 tournaments.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket expands to 76 teams; How opening round will work

Celtics' Brad Stevens still reconciling how season that had sudden title hopes ended so quickly

BOSTON (AP) — Make no mistake about it, Brad Stevens still expected to be watching the Celtics in the playoffs right now.

“I’m pissed. I’d rather be playing New York tonight,” Boston’s president of basketball operations said Wednesday during his end of season news conference.

Stevens’ bitterness is not just about the second-seeded Celtics losing to Philadelphia to mark the third time in the last four years that they have lost in the playoffs as the higher seed.

It’s more about how a team that started the season with Jayson Tatum sidelined, and with such low outside expectations, overachieved to a point that Stevens and the front office were thinking anything was possible when the postseason opened a few weeks ago.

“If you would have told me last summer that we would have won 56 games in the regular season; that the young guys would all become contributors; that people would have great impacts, and all up and down our roster; that we would get Tatum back for (22 games) … I would have been thrilled with those results,” Stevens said. “But the reality is, is that we came up short and, so now the job is to do an honest assessment.”

Stevens said that introspection will begin with first taking a breath following Boston’s earliest postseason exit since Stevens’ final season as Boston’s coach in 2020-2021.

It got him thinking about a small sign that hangs in his office that says, “What do you want, what’s true and how do you get there.”

“There’s no question what we want. There’s no question when you look at what’s true that, though we did a lot of good things, we lost in the first round,” Stevens said. “And we’re also 3-11 against the top three seeds in the West (Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver) and the other top two (Detroit, New York) in the East. And so, we’ve got to get better.”

Even before Tatum made his season debut on March 6, just shy of 10 months after rupturing his right Achilles tendon in the second round of the playoffs last season against New York, the Celtics were thriving with the feisty group led by All-Star Jaylen Brown.

Brown set career scoring (28.7), rebounding (6.9) and assists (5.1) averages while getting into the MVP conversation for the first time.

That continued when Tatum returned and played in 16 of the final 22 regular-season games, in which he averaged 21.8 points and 10 rebounds. He looked mostly like himself playing at what Tatum said was about 80-85% as he continued to rehab and prepared to play more minutes in the playoffs.

But it also could have contributed, Stevens acknowledged, to Tatum leaving Game 6 of their first-round series with the 76ers early with an unspecified left leg issue. By the morning of Game 7 two days later he was experiencing left knee stiffness, and the decision was made for him to sit it out.

The Celtics lost 109-100 without him.

Stevens said everything about Tatum’s return will be looked at by their sports performance staff, including how the ramp up in his minutes may have factored into the new knee ailment.

Tatum averaged 36.3 minutes in his six playoff games, twice logging 40-plus.

“He did play a lot of minutes,” Stevens said. “Do we think that had an impact on his knee stiffness and in the injury in Game 6? It’s hard to tell, but we can’t cross it off. So we have to look at that. And, I know that they will.”

How much change to the roster will take place is unclear. The only unrestricted free agent this summer will be Nikola Vucevic, who was acquired from Chicago in exchange for Anfernee Simons at the trade deadline.

But the Celtics received about a $27.5 million trade exception in that deal that Stevens could use this offseason. He said everything is on the table.

He was coy about what they might pursue but did note that figuring out how to get to the rim more would be a priority.

“I think that one of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim,” Stevens said. “And I think we need to add to our team to do that.”

As for who will be in charge of the roster once it’s constructed, Stevens said he still has confidence in Joe Mazzulla and his staff.

“I think our coaching staff, like all of us, can continue to improve and get better. That said, I think they’re very good, and we need to continue to provide them the resources to grow and to get better and to continue to be the best that we can be.”

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

New Mavericks president Masai Ujiri gives perfect answer when asked if he would've traded Luka Dončić

The 2024-25 NBA season was overshadowed by the blockbuster midseason trade that sent star Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team swap.

The deal caused Mavericks fans to stage various protests outside of American Airlines Center, calling for the firing of former GM Nico Harrison before he was finally shown the door in November 2025.

Dallas began a search for a replacement and, on May 4, agreed to terms with former Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri to become the franchise’s new team president and alternate governor.

Ujiri is tasked with continuing Dallas’ turnaround following a 26-56 season. Fans are still not over the Dončić decision, and it was clear that anyone hired for the role would have to answer for the faults of his predecessor.

During his introductory press conference, Ujiri was asked whether he would have made the deal that sent Dončić away. Rather than simply saying “No,” he gave a well-thought-out answer to help fans see the past as the past and focus the future.

“We have to respect everybody and everything that happened here,” he said. “He [Dončić] is a Hall of Fame player. He is gone. He will always be a Maverick.

We have to move, we really have to move on. It is not for me to start criticizing what anybody else is doing. It is for me to criticize what I am doing, and worry about what I’m going to do.

If I continue harping and harping on that, and I think all of you are going to be asking what I am doing. I have to look to the future because winning is what we have to do here and winning is a responsibility of mine.“

Ujiri is credited with being the mastermind behind the Raptors’ impromptu championship run in 2019. The irony of the hire in Dallas is that at the time, Ujiri received some heat for trading away the former face of the franchise, DeMar DeRozan, in exchange for Kawhi Leonard.

The trade would prove pivotal for Toronto in its championship efforts. Now, Ujiri takes over a franchise infused with young talent like 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. From this response, it’s clear that his focus is on the franchise’s future, not the past.

“We have a saying in Africa, we say, ‘when kings go, kings come,’“ Ujiri said. “And a king went, and we have a little prince here that we’re gonna turn into a king.”

Sixers coach Nick Nurse briefly leaves team after older brother's death

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse stepped away from the team Tuesday, May 5 so he could attend the funeral of his older brother.

The 76ers coach flew home to Iowa after the loss against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA conference semifinals following the death of his older brother, Steve Nurse, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. Nurse’s brother reportedly died “unexpectedly” on April 29 before Game 6 between the 76ers and the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Steve Nurse, who was 62 years old, was the longtime athletic equipment manager for the University of Northern Iowa.

According to The Athletic, the 76ers held a film session but no practice Tuesday afternoon.

Nurse is expected to rejoin the organization in New York Tuesday evening. Game 2 against the Knicks is Wednesday at Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Nurse has coached the Sixers for three seasons, beginning with the 2023-24 season, and has taken the team to the playoffs twice, including this year. Nurse began his head coaching career with the Raptors in 2018-19 after five years as assistant in Toronto. He led the Raptors to their first NBA title in his first season with the team.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nick Nurse away from Philadelphia 76ers for older brother’s funeral

2026 NBA Draft Lottery: odds, date, time, top prospects, how it works, future format

The NBA Draft Lottery is less than a week away. The Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets each have the highest odds — 14% — in the lottery to land the No. 1 pick in what is expected to be a loaded draft. Recent years also have seen a number of teams jump bottom of the lottery into the top three of the draft, including the Dallas Mavericks, who won the lottery last year and earned the right to take the future Rookie of the Year, Cooper Flagg.

The defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who had the best record for the second season in a row, could even win the lottery. They own the Los Angeles Clippers’ pick courtesy of the Paul George trade.

This figures to be the final NBA Draft Lottery in its current format before the league likely puts a new system in place for next season in an effort to reduce teams tanking for better odds. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 including, the top prospects.

NBA mock drafts: 3.0 • 2.0 • 1.0 | NBA Draft combine participants

When and what time is the NBA Draft Lottery?

The lottery is at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, May 10. It will be at Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center and coincides with the draft combine.

Where is the NBA Draft Lottery streaming?

It will be on ABC, ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.

NBA Draft Lottery odds to land the No. 1 pick

The 14 teams that didn’t make the playoffs have a chance to land the No. 1 pick. The teams that finished with the three-worst records — Washington, Indiana and Brooklyn — each have the highest odds (14%) at winning the No. 1 pick.

Here are the odds for every team in the draft lottery, based on team records at the end of the regular season. Teams that finished the season with identical records had their draft order determined by a random drawing.

1. Washington Wizards

Record: 17-65
Odds for No. 1 pick: 14%

2. Indiana Pacers

Record: 19-63
Odds for No. 1 pick: 14%

Due to the Ivica Zubac trade with the Clippers, if the Pacers’ pick lands between the 5-9 spots on lotto night, it will go to L.A.

3. Brooklyn Nets

Record: 20-62
Odds for No. 1 pick: 14%

4. Utah Jazz

Record: 22-60
Odds for No. 1 pick: 11.5%

5. Sacramento Kings

Record: 22-60
Odds for No. 1 pick: 11.5%

6. Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 25-57
Odds for No. 1 pick: 9%

7. New Orleans Pelicans (Atlanta Hawks)

Record: 26-56
Odds for No. 1 pick: 6.8%

The Pelicans owe their unprotected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks as part of their 2025 draft-night trade.

8. Dallas Mavericks

Record: 26-56
Odds for No. 1 pick: 6.7%

9. Chicago Bulls

Record: 31-51
Odds for No. 1 pick: 4.5%

10. Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 32-50
Odds for No. 1 pick: 3%

11. Golden State Warriors

Record: 37-45
Odds for No. 1 pick: 2%

12. Los Angeles Clippers (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Record: 42-40
Odds for No. 1 pick: 1.5%

The Clippers owe their 2026 first-round pick to the Thunder as part of the 2019 Paul George trade.

13. Miami Heat

Record: 43-39
Odds for No. 1 pick: 1%

14. Charlotte Hornets

Record: 44-38
Odds for No. 1 pick: 0.5%

How the NBA Draft Lottery works

The draft lottery determines the order of the first 14 picks. It takes place in a private room with NBA officials, representatives of participating teams, select media and the accounting firm Ernst & Young, which oversees the drawings, in attendance.

For the drawings, 14 ping-pong balls (numbered 1 through 14) are dropped in a lottery machine. Before the lottery, 1,000 of a possible 1,001 combinations are assigned to the 14 participating lottery teams. A league representative randomly selects four balls, revealing a four-number combination.

From the NBA:

The drawing process occurs in the following manner: All 14 balls are placed in the lottery machine and they are mixed for 20 seconds, and then the first ball is removed. The remaining balls are mixed in the lottery machine for another 10 seconds, and then the second ball is drawn. There is a 10-second mix, and then the third ball is drawn. There is a 10-second mix, and then the fourth ball is drawn. The team that has been assigned that combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The same process is repeated with the same ping-pong balls and lottery machine for the second through fourth picks.

If the same team comes up more than once, the result is discarded and another four-ball combination is selected. Also, if the one unassigned combination is drawn, the result is discarded and the balls are drawn again.

After the first four picks are determined, the remaining picks are based on regular-season records, in reverse order.

Rest of 2026 NBA Draft order

FIRST ROUND NOS. 15-30

15. Portland (to Chicago)

16. Phoenix (to Memphis)

17. Philadelphia (to Oklahoma City)

18. Orlando (to Charlotte)

19. Toronto

20. Atlanta (to San Antonio)

21. Minnesota (to Detroit)

22. Houston (to Philadelphia)

23. Cleveland (to Atlanta)

24. New York

25. Los Angeles Lakers

26. Denver

27. Boston

28. Detroit (to Minnesota)

29. San Antonio (to Cleveland)

30. Oklahoma City (to Dallas)

Best prospects in 2026 NBA Draft

AJ Dybantsa

Dybantsa could become one of the NBA’s most unstoppable shot-creators. At 6-foot-9, he has a special blend of athletic tools with the way he bends, shifts, and explodes with the ball in his hands. Dybantsa led the nation with 25.5 points per game while breaking Danny Ainge’s 48-year-old BYU freshman scoring record with a 43-point eruption. He gets to the rim at will, cooks in the midrange, draws fouls at a high rate, and displays point-forward potential. What will determine his upside is whether he can become a knockdown 3-point shooter, as well as a more impactful defender to take full advantage of his physical tools. But the native of Brockton, Massachusetts, has a tremendously high floor with his scoring skill alone. — Kevin O’Connor

Cameron Boozer

He’s a do-it-all offensive talent who can post up, run pick-and-rolls, set screens, spot up and crash the boards. He doesn’t need to rely on bully ball to make an impact as a scorer or passer. Defensively, some of the questions about Boozer popped up in Duke’s Elite Eight loss to UConn: He wasn’t big enough to defend Tarris Reed, and he got smoked by Alex Karaban on a key 3-pointer on the perimeter. But he plays hard and has improved at every weakness in his game so far. — O’Connor

Darryn Peterson

He can pull up from anywhere and get to his spots. Plus he’s 6-6 and plays with a fluidity that just screams superstar. Not to mention he’s a defensive playmaker with the tools to guard multiple positions and the approach to impact the game even if he’s not scoring. Between the cramping saga, the missed time, the lack of apparent athletic pop, and the stretches where he played heavy minutes but struggled to produce offensively, there’s a lot to be concerned about. But the pre-draft period could answer any questions. — O’Connor

Caleb Wilson

Wilson is the most gifted athlete in the draft class. He’s 6-10 with springs for legs. When he’s flying above the rim, finishing through contact, and chasing down every shot in his area code, he looks like a future franchise cornerstone. But the conversation changes when you watch his jumper because he hasn’t shown any consistency as a shooter at any level. Still, even without the jumper, he has star upside. — O’Connor

Darius Acuff Jr.

Acuff is not the biggest guard or the most explosive athlete, but he reads defenses like someone who’s been in the league for a decade. He emerged as a freshman as a skilled, low-turnover playmaker. And that’s not even what he’s best at. Acuff is a wiry scorer who can get a bucket from anywhere on the floor with a quick trigger, slippery handle, and a feel for manipulating defenses. He has a knack for clutch moments too. The question that follows every undersized guard into the draft is whether the brilliance survives contact with bigger, longer, faster defenders. — O’Connor

When and where is the 2026 NBA Draft?

The 2026 NBA Draft will again be two days: Tuesday, June 23 for the first round; and Wednesday, June 24 for the second round. Both rounds are in Brooklyn, New York.

ABC/ESPN will broadcast the first round, and the second round will be on ESPN.

Is the NBA Draft Lottery changing?

Almost certainly. NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants to curb the wide-spread tanking teams engaged in ahead of this season’s draft.

The league reportedly will put forth a new 3-2-1 format for a vote by team owners on May 28. The new format will create a system where each team gets a certain number of ping-pong balls to win the No. 1 pick. Here’s how it looks in reverse order of the standings and then play-in game participants:

• No. 1-3: two ping-pong balls (5.4%)

• No. 4-10: three ping-pong balls (8.1%)

• Teams in 9-10 play-in games: two ping-pong balls (5.4%)

• Losers of 7-8 play-in games: one ping-pong ball (2.7%)

The league hopes non-playoff teams will be incentivized to stay competitive late in the season. It also provides the No. 8 seeds in the East and West at least one shot at the top pick.

In addition, the league will not allow teams to win the top pick in back-to-back seasons or win a top-five pick in three consecutive seasons.

Nick Nurse steps away from 76ers for brother's funeral, expected back for Game 2 vs Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse was away from the team Tuesday ahead of Game 2 of its second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks to attend the funeral of his brother.

Nurse’s brother Steve Nurse, 62, died unexpectedly last Wednesday. Nick Nurse left the team following Philadelphia’s 137-98 loss to open the second round against the Knicks on Monday for the service on Tuesday in Ankeny, Iowa.

Nurse is expected to rejoin the Sixers for Game 2 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

“I’d like to pass my condolences along to Nick Nurse and his family, his brother’s family and all their friends,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said at the team’s training center in suburban Greenburgh. “Life is precious and you don’t wish that upon anybody, so I’d like to pass along my condolences to him and his family while they’re going through these times.”

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