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Good morning! Pull up from half court today. Coming up:
🪣 An electric buzzer-beater
↔️ Trades in both hockey and football
⚾ WBC frenzy begins
Things You Need to See: M-a-r-c-h
Our calendars read March, yet the NCAA Tournament feels forever away. Conference tourneys are just underway across both men’s and women’s hoops. The hallmarks are all around us, but I just needed something to gin up that March feeling.
It happened last night in the Patriot League tournament. Prepare your chills:
NASIR WHITLOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#GoLehigh #SCTop10 #PLTop3 pic.twitter.com/ynDgsn36zX
— Lehigh Men’s Basketball (@LehighMBB) March 6, 2026
That’s Lehigh guard Nasir Whitlock pulling up from beyond half court to sink a game-winning 3-pointer and Holy Cross’ season. Whitlock scored 29 points in the win, and the Mountain Hawks need two more wins in the Patriot League tourney to earn an automatic big-dance bid.
Nothing gives me a goosebump more than watching the red light come on before the ball goes in. More, please.
Let’s hit some spreadsheets:
Transactional: Trades, everywhere
Jeff Vinnick / NHLI via Getty Images
For a few days there, we were worried about the NHL trade deadline becoming a dud. “Lol,” the NHL wrote back.
A few quick notes on a busy day leading up to the actual deadline, which is today at 3 p.m. ET:
Whew. See our latest trade board for the big names left out there, and keep the live blog open for updates as they happen today.
It was also a busy day in the NFL:
Michael Reaves / Getty Images
The Bears traded top receiver DJ Moore to the wideout-thirsty Bills for a second-round pick, which is seen as a high price for Moore, who had a down season last year. Despite that, Buffalo has missed someone with Moore’s skill set in the offense the last two seasons, and Moore hasn’t played with a quarterback like Josh Allen, with no offense to Caleb Williams. Chicago still wins this deal, per our grades.
Houston signed fearsome pass rusher Danielle Hunter to a one-year, $40.1 million contract extension that keeps him with the Texans through the 2027 season. Hunter had 15 sacks last year and was a big reason Houston’s defense gave opposing teams nightmares. More context here.
Free agency still has yet to begin. See our ranking of available players.
News to Know
Daniel Shirey / Getty Images
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie
Australia is 2-0 after a 5-1 win over (beloved underdog) Czechia last night in Tokyo, putting them atop Pool C for now. Alex Hall and MLB-er Curtis Mead homered for the Aussies, who are the early feel-good story of the World Baseball Classic. You have to feel for the poor Czechs, who lost to Korea 11-4, too, early yesterday morning.
Australia ranked in Tier IV, or “They’ll scare some really good teams,” in Grant Brisbee’s estimation. The entire ranking file is worth a read before today’s blitz. More on that in a bit.
Malkin ejected for neck slash
Penguins star Evgeni Malkin could face an NHL suspension and/or fine after his ejection from last night’s game against the Sabres. Malkin swung his stick and hit Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the neck in retaliation for cross-checks from Dahlin. Read about the full incident here.
More news:
Browns superstar Myles Garrett received a speeding ticket last month for going 94 mph in a 70 mph zone. It’s his ninth high-speed citation since being drafted in 2017.
Warriors forward Kristaps Porziņģis is inching closer to a return, he says, but still missed his sixth straight game last night with an illness. Update here.
UConn’s Sarah Strong is The Athletic’s women’s basketball Player of the Year. She’s quite worthy.
West Ham coach Nuno Espirito Santo has filed suit against Nottingham Forest over his dismissal early this season. Read our full report.
The NWSL could be headed to Columbus next. Tamerra Griffin wrote about what it could look like in a soccer-crazed town.
Louisiana Tech is suing Conference USA in order to leave a year early for the Sun Belt. More here.
Providence is expected to fire men’s basketball coach Kim English. We already have a list of possible replacements.
Watch Guide
📺 WBC: Pool play
Now-10 p.m. ET on FS1, FS2, Tubi and Fox
The World Baseball Classic takes full charge today, with the Japan-Chinese Taipei game having started about two hours ago at 5 a.m. ET and ending with Chinese Taipei-Czechia at 10 p.m. Team USA plays Brazil in prime time at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Lovely day.
📺 NCAAW: No. 17 Kentucky vs. No. 3 South Carolina
Noon ET on ESPN
Here’s an anchor point for what should be a fun day of women’s conference tournament action. Full slate is here. Stacked day here, too.
📺 NBA: Mavericks at Celtics
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Big, big game, not due to any standings matter but because Jayson Tatum could make his season debut, less than 10 months after he suffered an Achilles tendon tear in last year’s playoffs. Boston is elite without him; it could be a title favorite with him.
The layers are more complex, though, and rooted in the longstanding debate about whether Tatum and Jaylen Brown — who has blossomed even further in Tatum’s absence — can co-exist in the long term. Jay King wrote a strong column this morning calling the entire narrative bunk.
Get tickets to games like this here.
Pulse Picks
The F1 season begins this weekend. We’ll have plenty of coverage for you, but for now, start here with our staff’s predictions. The new car seems … fraught.
In 2023’s World Baseball Classic, an injury derailed Edwin Díaz’s career momentarily. He didn’t hesitate to sign back up this time around.
A familiar face I didn’t expect to see at the World Baseball Classic: Dusty Baker, who is coaching Team Nicaragua. The story behind how that happened is truly heartwarming.
Diego Pavia’s sister is still a freshman high school basketball player, but she possesses the same confidence as her brother: “I’m a baller.” I believe her after reading this.
The Vikings are facing one of the biggest offseasons in recent memory and have an interim general manager in charge. No one’s worried about Rob Brzezinski, though.
The hottest name in NASCAR right now? Michael Jordan. Jordan Bianchi took us inside a most transformational year for MJ’s 23XI Racing and the sport of NASCAR as a whole. Read that here.
Jack Ohman’s 99 mph fastball brought NIL offers from every corner of college baseball. He stayed at Yale anyway.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The story on Elsa, the photographer who snapped that iconic toothy photo of Jack Hughes.
Most-read on the website yesterday: NHL trade deadline live blog.
📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.