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🏀 Five things to know Tuesday
- Arizona strengthens hold on college basketball rankings position. Arizona was already in a strong position at No. 2 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, as well as No. 3 in the Top 25 And 1 rankings, but things are only looking better for a March Madness top seed for the Wildcats after a 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night. On the women’s side, UConn kept No. 1 on lock after completing a perfect regular season at 31-0.
- Texans trade for David Montgomery. Needing to beef up a weak running game, the Texans made a splashy move by trading with the Lions for Montgomery. Houston was especially bad at rushing yards after contact last season, which should be addressed well by Montgomery’s physical style. The Texans received a B in our trade grades for the move. The rushing attack for Houston also took a hit on Monday, as the team will send top offensive lineman Tytus Howard to the Browns.
- Bills jump to No. 3 pick in latest NFL mock draft. Ryan Wilson’s latest NFL mock draft includes a surprising idea, that of the Bills trading all the way up to the No. 3 spot to select Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate. As a Bills fan, I co-sign the idea of making a big move to get Josh Allen the receiving help he deserves.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action after five weeks. Antetokounmpo’s return was not a great night in Milwaukee as the Bucks were downed 108-81 by the Celtics. Ahead of the game, Jasmyn Wimbish wondered if Antetokounmpo’s return is even the best thing for a team on the outside of the playoff picture.
- 10 MLB prospects and international players to know in the World Baseball Classic. With the always fun WBC just around the corner, R.J. Anderson looked at the team rosters to identify the 10 prospects and international players to keep your eye on.
🏈 Pete Prisco’s top 25 offensive players in NFL free agency
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As a certified offensive line guy, it was a joy to read the top 25 offensive players available in free agency as compiled by CBS Sports senior NFL writer Pete Prisco. Not only was a center (Tyler Linderbaum) in the No. 1 spot, but a second center (Connor McGovern) sits three spots behind him. We must value and treasure our big men.
Of course, many are more interested in the more glamorous positions that touch the ball for more than just the snap. And Prisco has placed two wide receivers in his top four. While George Pickens is technically available, the Cowboys have stuck the nonexclusive franchise tag on him, which could make him a more difficult signing than Alec Pierce, as Jared Dubin laid out in his breakdown of the rankings.
- Dubin: “Pierce is one of the top deep threats in the NFL. He’s coming off career highs in receptions (47) and receiving yards (1,003) and has led the NFL in yards per reception in back-to-back seasons. The Colts want to bring him back and may use the franchise tag to do so, but if they don’t, he could be the top available receiver due to Pickens’ tag.”
And there are five teams that could be hit the hardest in free agency, including the Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
⚾ AL East preview: Yankees look like favorites
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The AL East is a division that draws a lot of attention with teams like the Yankees and Red Sox with their storied histories and deep rivalry. But even aside from that, the division is shaping up to be one of MLB’s most interesting in 2026. While the Yankees are the betting favorites to win the AL East at +180, the Blue Jays (+250), Red Sox (+310) and Orioles (+425) all have a shot if things break right, though the Rays (+3000) are considered out of the race before the first pitch of the regular season.
Mike Axisa broke down all five teams in the AL East and asked one defining question for each. For the Yankees, who are dealing with a series of injuries, including to pitchers Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt, that question was whether the team can hang around until their starters get healthy.
- Axisa: “All things considered, the Yankees had a low-key offseason. Re-signing Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham were their largest moves. Otherwise, they supplemented the 2025 roster with project pitchers (Angel Chivilli, Ryan Weathers, Cade Winquest, etc.) and that’s about it. Many of their big ‘offseason’ additions were made at last summer’s trade deadline: David Bednar, José Caballero, Camilo Doval, Ryan McMahon, etc.
“I’m not certain the Yankees would come out and admit it, but there is clearly some level of ‘tread water until Cole and Rodón return’ baked into New York’s strategy heading into 2026. Rodón should be back sometime in April. Cole is the big one. He had his elbow rebuilt last spring and did not throw a single pitch in 2025. Cole began facing hitters as part of his rehab two weeks ago.”
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Tuesday
⚽ Sunderland at Leeds United, 2:30 p.m. on NBCSN
⚽ Hull City at Ipswich Town, 2:45 on Paramount+
⚽ Internazionale at Como, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Liverpool at Wolverhampton, 3:15 on USA Network
🏀 TCU at No. 10 Texas Tech (M), 7 p.m. on FS1
🏒 Panthers at Devils, 7 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Mississippi State at No. 5 Florida (M), 8 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 Spurs at 76ers, 8 p.m. on NBC
🏒 Lightning at Wild, 9:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Suns at Kings, 11 p.m. on NBC
🏀 No. 9 Nebraska at UCLA (M), 11 p.m. on FS1
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