Top overall seed Gonzaga is the team to beat; Iowa, Kansas and Virginia are seeds 2-4.

Gonzaga

Spokane, Wash. 26-0.

Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Mark Few.

Conference: West Coast. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 1

Tournament History: 34-22, 1 Final Four in 22 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.

Season Stats

Scoring: 92.1 points per game; 55.1 fg pct; 36.5 3-pt pct; 72.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Corey Kispert 19.2; Drew Timme 18.7; Jalen Suggs 14.3.

Rebounds: Timme 7.1; Joel Ayayi 7.0; Avg team margin (plus-7.3).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.51): Suggs (4.5/2.8), 108 assists.

Last 10 Games: 10-0.

Best Win: 99-88 vs. Iowa on Dec. 19.

Worst Loss: N/A.

The Skinny: Will this be the year the Zags finally win their first national championship? To do so they’ll have to be perfect, or at least their record will be as they go to Indianapolis with a 26-0 mark after qualifying for their 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament (including last year’s canceled event). They have the personnel to pull it off with three Wooden Award finalists in Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert and Drew Timme. The Zags, with the nation’s top scoring offense, notched a slew of wins over traditional powers before laying waste to the West Coast Conference.

Norfolk State

Norfolk, Va. 16-7.

Nickname: Spartans. Coach: Robert Jones.

Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 16.

Tournament History: 1-1 in 1 appearance.

Last appearance: 2012, lost to Florida in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 75.2 points per game; 43.6 fg pct; 36.8 3-pt pct; 70.6 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Devante Carter 15.5; Joe Bryant Jr. 11.6; Jalen Hawkins 9.4.

Rebounds: Carter 5.3; J.J. Matthews 4.8; Avg team margin (minus-0.8).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (0.94): Carter (4.0/2.4), 93 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 68-65 at George Mason on Dec. 26.

Worst Loss: 64-74 at home to Coppin St. on Feb. 8.

The Skinny: The Spartans return to the tournament for the first time in nine years after beating Morgan State 71-563 in the MEAC Tournament title game. In 2012, the Spartans beat No. 2 seed Missouri in their NCAA opener before losing to seventh-seeded Florida. The Spartans’ tallest starter is 6-foot-9 but they’ve done a good job clogging the paint, leading the MEAC in field-goal percentage defense and second in scoring defense.

Appalachian State

Boone, N.C. 17-11.

Nickname: Mountaineers. Coach: Dustin Kerns.

Conference: Sun Belt. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 16.

Tournament History: 0-2 in 2 appearances.

Last appearance: 2000, lost to Ohio St. in the First Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 70.9 points per game; 41.5 fg pct; 32.4 3-pt pct; 73.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Adrian Delph 13.2; Justin Forrest 10.0; Michael Almonacy 12.9.

Rebounds: Donovan Gregory 6.0; James Lewis Jr. 5.1; Avg team margin (plus-0.8).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.01): Almonacy (2.9/1.6), 82 assists.

Last 10 Games: 5-5.

Best Win: 80-73 vs. Georgia St. on Mar. 8.

Worst Loss: 56-69 at home to Troy on Jan. 1.

The Skinny: The Mountaineers took four victories in the Sun Belt Tournament to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000, when it won the Southern Conference championship. Tournament MVP Michael Almonacy scored 32 points in the title win over Georgia State. A guard-heavy lineup made 10 3s in that game and finished with a tournament-record 44 during the four-day run.

———

Oklahoma

Norman, Okla. 15-10.

Nickname: Sooners. Coach: Lon Kruger.

Conference: Big 12. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 8.

Tournament History: 42-32, 5 Final Fours in 32 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Virginia in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 74.8 points per game; 44.2 fg pct; 33.8 3-pt pct; 74.4 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Austin Reaves 17.7; De’Vion Harmon 12.9; Brady Manek 10.8.

Rebounds: Reaves 5.7; Manek 5.1; Avg team margin (0.0).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.21): Reaves (4.7/2.9), 108 assists.

Last 10 Games: 4-6.

Best Win: 66-61 at home to Alabama on 66-61.

Worst Loss: 57-62 at Kansas St. on Feb. 23.

The Skinny: The Sooners finished the regular season in sixth place in the league, and snapped a four-game Big 12 Tournament losing streak with a win over Iowa State in an opener. It was Oklahoma’s first tournament win since 2016. Earlier this season, Oklahoma became just the third team in NCAA history to beat top-10 teams in back-to-back-to-back games by defeating No. 9 Kansas, No. 5 Texas and No. 9 Alabama,

Missouri

Columbia, Mo. 16-9.

Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Cuonzo Martin.

Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 9.

Tournament History: 19-26 in 26 appearances.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Florida St. in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 73.6 points per game; 44.9 fg pct; 32.0 3-pt pct; 69.8 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Xavier Pinson 14.1; Dru Smith 14.1; Jeremiah Tilmon 12.3.

Rebounds: Tilmon 7.0; Kobe Brown 6.3; Avg team margin (plus-0.3).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (0.98): Smith (3.9/2.4), 97 assists.

Last 10 Games: 4-6.

Best Win: 81-78 at home to Illinois on Dec. 12.

Worst Loss: 70-80 at Georgia on Feb. 16.

The Skinny: The Tigers are looking to regroup with new energy for the NCAA Tournament. Missouri peaked on Feb. 8 when it was ranked 10th following a 68-65 win over then-No. 10 Alabama and went 2-5 to finish the regular season, 1-1 in the SEC Tournament. Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson anchor the backcourt but Mizzou’s wild card is forward Jeremiah Tilmon. At times in his career, the senior has been one of the best big men in the SEC but has struggled of late. His return to form could bring a huge boost that propels the Tigers beyond expectations.

———

Creighton

Omaha, Neb. 20-8.

Nickname: Bluejays. Coach: Greg McDermott.

Conference: Big East. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 5.

Tournament History: 12-22 in 21 appearances.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Kansas St. in the First Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 77.0 points per game; 47.6 fg pct; 36.7 3-pt pct; 64.2 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Marcus Zegarowski 15.5; Denzel Mahoney 12.5; Damien Jefferson 12.1.

Rebounds: Bishop 5.9; Jefferson 5.5; Avg team margin (minus-0.4).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.42): Zegarowski (4.3/2.0), 113 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 86-70 at home to Villanova on Feb. 13.

Worst Loss: 66-70 at Butler on Jan. 16.

The Skinny: Creighton was stunned by Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown squad in the Big East Tournament game, giving the Hoyas their first NCAA appearance since 2015. Georgetown won with a dominant performance inside Madison Square Garden, reminiscent of Ewing’s playing days at the school. Creighton is now 0-3 in Big East title games since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season. The Bluejays, the most accurate shooting team in the Big East, scored a season-low 48 points and shot 29% from the field. It’s been a little more than a week since Creighton coach Greg McDermott was suspended by the school for making racially insensitive remarks to his team. McDermott missed the regular-season finale before being reinstated for the tournament.

UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, Calif. 22-4.

Nickname: Gauchos. Coach: Joe Pasternack.

Conference: Big West. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 12.

Tournament History: 1-5 in 5 appearances.

Last appearance: 2011, lost to Florida in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 76.5 points per game; 48.5 fg pct; 35.1 3-pt pct; 75.0 ft pct.

Top Scorers: JaQuori McLaughlin 16.2; Amadou Sow 13.7; Ajare Sanni 11.2.

Rebounds: Sow 7.6; Miles Norris 4.5; Avg team margin (plus-5.5).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.48): McLaughlin (5.2/2.0), 129 assists.

Last 10 Games: 9-1.

Best Win: 69-58 at home to Loyola Marymount on Dec. 7.

Worst Loss: 52-68 at UC Riverside on Feb. 27.

The Skinny: The Gauchos lost back-to-back games on Dec. 27 and 28 to two-time defending conference champion UC Irvine to open their conference slate and fall to 4-3 overall. They have since won 18 of 19, including a 79-63 win over the Anteaters in the Big West title game, behind senior guard JaQuori McLaughlin, the conference player of the year, and 6-foot-9 junior Amadou Sow, a first-team all-Big West selection. UCSB plays complimentary basketball, limiting opponents to just 62.8 points per game (No. 19 nationally) while shooting 48.5% (No. 20) from the field and ranking second in the Big West in scoring (76.5).

———

Virginia

Charlottesville, Va. 18-6.

Nickname: Cavaliers. Coach: Tony Bennett.

Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 4.

Tournament History: 35-22, 3 Final Fours, and 1 National Championship in 23 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, beat Texas Tech in the National Championship.

Season Stats

Scoring: 68.6 points per game; 48.0 fg pct; 38.1 3-pt pct; 81.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Sam Hauser 16.0; Jay Huff 13.1; Trey Murphy III 11.3.

Rebounds: Huff 7.1; Hauser 6.7; Avg team margin (plus-2.6).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.48): Kihei Clark (4.6/2.2), 110 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 60-48 at home to North Carolina on Feb. 13.

Worst Loss: 60-61 vs. San Francisco on Nov. 27.

The Skinny: The Cavaliers were the champions in 2019 and there was some concern that COVID-19 issues might keep them out of the NCAAs after they had to withdraw from the ACC Tournament. “We went from an exhilarating game-winning shot to beat Syracuse to a gut punch regarding the positive COVID-19 test within our program,” coach Tony Bennett said. Virginia will look to build upon the positive momentum freshman Reece Beekman gave them with the buzzer-beating 3 against the Orange.

Ohio

Athens, Ohio. 16-7.

Nickname: Bobcats. Coach: Jeff Boals.

Conference: Mid-American. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 13

Tournament History: 7-14 in 13 appearances.

Last appearance: 2012, lost to North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 80.9 points per game; 48.9 fg pct; 36.1 3-pt pct; 70.1 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Jason Preston 16.6; Dwight Wilson III 14.9; Ben Vander Plas 12.8.

Rebounds: Wilson III 7.5; Preston 6.8; Avg team margin (plus-1.3).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.49): Preston (7.2/2.9), 130 assists.

Last 10 Games: 9-1.

Best Win: 87-80 vs. Toledo on Mar. 12.

Worst Loss: 75-83 at home to Bowling Green on Dec. 30.

The Skinny:Ohio dominated from the start of the championship game to win its first Mid-American Conference Tournament since 2012, denying Buffalo’s attempt at a record third straight title. In its last appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Ohio shocked Michigan on its way to the Sweet 16. This season, second-year coach Jeff Boals and the Bobcats had just three games over a 36-day period after several postponements or cancellations due to the pandemic. Tournament MVP Jason Preston led the Bobcats with 22 points in the title game.

———

USC

Los Angeles. 22-7.

Nickname: Trojans. Coach: Andy Enfield.

Conference: Pacific 12. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 6.

Tournament History: 14-19, 2 Final Fours in 17 appearances.

Last appearance: 2017, lost to Baylor in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 74.8 points per game; 46.7 fg pct; 34.8 3-pt pct; 64.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Evan Mobley 16.8; Tahj Eaddy 13.7; Drew Peterson 9.9.

Rebounds: Mobley 8.6; Isaiah Mobley 7.4; Avg team margin (plus-7.2).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.10): Ethan Anderson (3.0/1.6), 63 assists.

Last 10 Games: 6-4.

Best Win: 79-53 vs. BYU on Dec. 1.

Worst Loss: 56-58 at Oregon St. on Jan 19.

The Skinny: Evan Mobley and USC needed two overtimes to outlast No. 7 seed Utah in the quarterfinals before falling to Colorado. The 7-foot freshman became the first player to win the Pac-12’s player of the year, defensive player of the year and freshman of the year awards in the same season. Mobley was a dominant force, averaging 16.1 points per game while leading the Pac-12 with 8.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots. Mosley is surrounded by seasoned grad transfer Tahl Eaddy (Santa Clara), Drew Peterson (Rice), Chevez Goodwin (Wofford) and Isaiah White (Utah Valley), along with his sophomore brother Isaiah.

Wichita State

Wichita, Kan. 16-5.

Nickname: Shockers. Coach: Isaac Brown.

Conference: American Athletic. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 11.

Tournament History: 18-16, 2 Final Fours in 15 appearances.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Marshall in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 72.4 points per game; 40.8 fg pct; 34.2 3-pt pct; 68.9 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Tyson Etienne 17.0; Alterique Gilbert 10.3; Morris Udeze 9.8.

Rebounds: Trey Wade 5.6; Udeze 4.7; Avg team margin (minus-1.5).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.17): Gilbert (4.1/2.2), 87 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 68-63 at home to Houston on Feb. 18.

Worst Loss: 59-60 vs. Cincinnati on Mar. 3.

The Skinny: Top-seeded Wichita State fell to short-handed Cincinnati in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament as the Bearcats advanced to their fourth straight title game. Wichita State had won eight games in a row since a loss at Memphis on Jan. 21. Tyson Etienne, the conference’s co-player of the year, had 13 points, but the Shockers missed seven of their last eight field-goal attempts, the only make in the final 4:17 being Gilbert’s layup with 19 seconds left 60-59. It was Wichita State’s first loss in a game decided by five or fewer points since Dec. 12.

Drake

Des Moines. 25-4.

Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Darian DeVries.

Conference: Missouri Valley. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 11.

Tournament History: 5-4, 1 Final Four in 4 appearances.

Last appearance: 2008, lost to W. Kentucky in the First Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 77.4 points per game; 49.4 fg pct; 37.0 3-pt pct; 71.3 ft pct.

Top Scorers: ShanQuan Hemphill 14.1; Joseph Yesufu 12.1; Roman Penn 11.2.

Rebounds: Darnell Brodie 7.2; Hemphill 6.3; Avg team margin (plus-5.0).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.33): Penn (5.5/2.3), 131 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 51-50 at home to Loyola-Chicago on Feb. 14.

Worst Loss: 57-74 at Valparaiso on Feb. 7.

The Skinny: Say what you will about a perceived competition deficiency in the Missouri Valley Conference but starting a season with 18-straight wins in and out of six postponements due to COVID-19 protocols (five in consecutive fashion) is all the more impressive for Bulldogs and their gawdy 25-4 record. Shaquan Hemphill leads five scorers in double-digit scoring. Scouting the Bulldogs could be problematic as they’ve had eight different players lead them in the scoring column.

———

Kansas

Lawrence, Kan. 20-8.

Nickname: Jayhawks. Coach: Bill Self.

Conference: Big 12. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 3.

Tournament History: 107-49, 15 Final Fours, and 3 National Championships in 48 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Auburn in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 73.1 points per game; 44.0 fg pct; 34.4 3-pt pct; 71.2 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Ochai Agbaji 14.2; David McCormack 13.4; Jalen Wilson 12.1.

Rebounds: Wilson 8.2; McCormack 6.1; Avg team margin (plus-3.6).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.11): Marcus Garrett (3.7/2.0), 99 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 71-58 at home to Baylor on Feb. 27.

Worst Loss: 68-75 at Oklahoma on Jan 23.

The Skinny: Kansas, with 32 NCAA appearances, seven Final Fours and five national championships, is among the most high-profile of programs to survive a post-season brush with the coronavirus. The Jayhawks withdrew from the Big 12 Tournament after a 69-62 quarterfinal victory over Oklahoma. Already absent players David McCormack and Tristan Enaruna, additional COVID-19 positive tests postgame prompted the semifinal forfeit. The big questions are who can the Jayhawks send onto the court in the NCAA opener and how deep is the bench? McCormack is second on the team in both scoring (13.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg). Kansas is basically five deep from Ochai Agbaji (14.2 ppg) to Christian Braun (9.8).

Eastern Washington

Cheney, Wash. 16-7.

Nickname: Eagles. Coach: Shantay Legans.

Conference: Big Sky. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 14.

Tournament History: 0-2 in 2 appearances.

Last appearance: 2015, lost to Georgetown in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 78.0 points per game; 46.7 fg pct; 35.4 3-pt pct; 78.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Tanner Groves 16.4; Kim Aiken Jr. 11.7; Tyler Robertson 11.3.

Rebounds: Aiken Jr. 8.5; Groves 8.1; Avg team margin (plus-1.1).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.31): Robertson (3.0/1.4), 67 assists.

Last 10 Games: 9-1.

Best Win: 75-63 at home to Southern Utah on Jan. 14.

Worst Loss: 63-68 at home to Idaho St. on Mar. 3.

The Skinny: In coach Shantay Legans’ fourth year with the Eagles, Eastern Washington advanced to its third straight Big Sky championship game, winning for the first time and bringing the Eagles back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Conference MVP Tanner Groves leads the way, flanked by the Defensive Player of the Year Kim Aiken Jr., Top Reserve Tyler Robertson, and brother Jacob Groves. Eastern Washington won 13 of their last 14 games including the conference tournament.

———

Oregon

Eugene, Ore. 20-6.

Nickname: Ducks. Coach: Dana Altman.

Conference: Pac-12. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 7.

Tournament History: 25-15, 2 Final Fours, and 1 National Championship in 16 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Virginia in the Sweet Sixteen.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 74.4 points per game; 47.2 fg pct; 37.9 3-pt pct; 70.4 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Chris Duarte 16.7; Eugene Omoruyi 16.7; LJ Figueroa 12.3.

Rebounds: Figueroa 6.1; Eric Williams Jr. 6.1; Avg team margin (plus-1.0).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.18): Will Richardson (3.6/2.5), 51 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 60-56 at home to Colorado on Feb. 18.

Worst Loss: 71-74 at home to Washington St. on Feb. 4.

The Skinny: The Ducks won their last five regular-season games to claim their second consecutive Pac-12 title and then beat Arizona State in the conference tournament to secure the program’s 11th consecutive 20-win season before falling to Oregon State in the semifinals, 75-64. Coach Dana Altman’s team, when healthy, is one of the most experienced in college basketball this season. Oregon’s starters are all upperclassmen: junior Will Richardson, redshirt junior Eric Williams Jr., seniors LJ Figueroa and Chris Duarte (the Pac-12 player of the year), and redshirt senior Eugene Omoruyi all of whom average at least 10 points per game.

VCU

Richmond, Va. 19-7.

Nickname: Rams. Coach: Mike Rhoades.

Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 10.

Tournament History: 13-17, 1 Final Four in 17 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to UCF in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 72.0 points per game; 45.3 fg pct; 32.9 3-pt pct; 76.1 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Nah’Shon Hyland 19.4; Vince Williams Jr. 10.6; Jamir Watkins 7.4.

Rebounds: Hason Ward 5.2; Williams Jr. 5.1; Avg team margin (minus-0.2).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (0.91): Adrian Baldwin Jr. (4.4/2.4), 111 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 67-64 at home to St. Bonaventure on Feb. 12.

Worst Loss: 76-79 OT at home to George Mason on Feb. 20.

The Skinny: The Rams picked up a chip on their shoulders when the Atlantic 10 preseason poll picked them to finish ninth and they rode it to a 19-win season and the A-10 tournament championship game against St. Bonaventure. But conference player of the year Nah’Shon Hyland picked up three fouls in the first seven minutes and VCU was unable to rally for the win despite his 21 second-half points. Hyland’s ability to be on the court and playing at a high level will be essential for the Rams to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

———

Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa. 21-8.

Nickname: Hawkeyes. Coach: Fran McCaffery.

Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 2.

Tournament History: 30-28, 3 Final Fours in 26 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Tennessee in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 83.8 points per game; 46.9 fg pct; 38.6 3-pt pct; 71.3 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Luka Garza 23.7; Joe Wieskamp 14.7; Jordan Bohannon 10.9.

Rebounds: Garza 8.8; Wieskamp 6.6; Avg team margin (plus-3.1).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.01): Bohannon (4.5/1.4), 130 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 73-57 at Ohio St. on Feb. 28.

Worst Loss: 95-102 OT at Minnesota on Dec. 25.

The Skinny: Iowa, with a No. 2 seed, has its highest NCAA Tournament seed since 1987 and in the same region as top-ranked Gonzaga, which beat the Hawkeyes 99-88 on Dec. 21. Iowa has the Big Ten player of the year in Luka Garza, the Hawkeyes’ all-time leading scorer. He ranks third nationally in scoring this season. The Hawkeyes lost in the Big Ten Tournament semis to eventual champion Illinois.

Grand Canyon

Phoenix. 17-6.

Nickname: Antelopes. Coach: Bryce Drew.

Conference: Western Athletic. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 15.

Tournament History: N/A.

Last appearance: N/A.

Season Stats

Scoring: 75.6 points per game; 49.2 fg pct; 33.2 3-pt pct; 68.6 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Asbjorn Midtgaard 14.0; Alessandro Lever 13.3; Jovan Blacksher Jr. 11.9.

Rebounds: Midtgaard 9.7; Lever 5.3; Avg team margin (plus-9.9).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.23): Blacksher Jr. (5.2/2.3), 120 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 87-77 at home to Nevada on Dec. 11.

Worst Loss: 62-65 at home to California Baptist on Feb. 20.

The Skinny: The Antelopes make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament and it took a victory over New Mexico State, which dominated not only Grand Canyon but the entire Western Athletic Conference in the eight years since the Antelopes began the transition to Division I. The Aggies won seven of the previous eight championship games, including wins over Grand Canyon in 2018 and 2019. Coach Bryce Drew, who is in his ninth season as a head coach and his first at Grand Canyon, is taking his third team to the NCAA Tournament (Valparaiso and Vanderbilt). The Lopes make other teams work for their baskets, ranking second in the nation in field-goal percentage defense at 37.6%.

Read More

Moon Alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions until 10 p.m. Chicago time. The moon is in Aries.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

The moon is in your sign dancing with lucky Jupiter, which means this is a positive, upbeat day, and a great way to begin your week! Late in the day, you might have a power struggle with someone. (Remember that your ruler Mars makes you verbally assertive for the next month.)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Although this is a popular time for you, you might begin this week in a low-key way, especially if you’re seeking answers or doing research looking for solutions to old problems. Your research could be money-related because you are keen to boost your earnings this month.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

This week starts on a positive note because not only do you look good to others — especially bosses, parents, VIPs (and the police) — you will also relate well to groups, clubs, organizations, or perhaps a personal friend. Yes, everything is going your way. Lucky you!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Personal details about your private life might be public for some reason. People notice you today and some of them are talking about you. (What’s with that?) Meanwhile, you yearn to travel or have a chance to learn something new or experience adventure! “Fresh horses and more whiskey for my men!”

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

This is a positive day because the moon is in your fellow Fire sign, which turns your crank! You’re eager to begin the week. (You might be a tad aggressive with friends and groups, especially about shared property, inheritances and insurance.) No moss on you!

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Surely you have noticed that you are more ambitious than usual? This ambitious energy will stay with you for the next month. (Look out world!) Today, discussions about shared property, inheritances, taxes, debt and insurance matters will favor you. Ka-ching!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The way this week starts is that you have to go more than halfway when dealing with others. That’s because the moon is in the sign that is opposite your sign. You’ll have no trouble doing this because you’re charming and diplomatic when you want to be.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Basically, this month, you’re in a playful mood. You feel prankish, flirtatious and up for fun times with children and sports and social diversions. However, today you are actually in work mode. You want to get better organized. You might also want to address health issues.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Although home and family are your primary focus right now with plans to entertain or redecorate or do DIY projects; nevertheless, today you’re in a playful mood. Set aside some time to schmooze online or do something that pleases you. Have fun!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

This will be a fast-paced, busy week with errands, appointments and increased reading, writing and studying. However, today you need to catch your breath. This is why you might want to cocoon at home or have a heart-to-heart talk with a female family member.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Money is definitely on your mind. In fact, you might have money-making ideas or need to prepare for financial discussions with someone. Fortunately, you can attract money to yourself now, which, in part, is why you’re spending it on pretty things. Trust your hunches today.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

This is a powerful time because the sun, Mercury, Venus and Neptune are all in Pisces. This is why you feel a strong urge to communicate to others. You have something to say!

If Your Birthday Is Today

U.S. Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) shares your birthday. You are happiest when you live in a loving, balanced world. You are creative, especially in the expressive arts. You pick up on the subtleties of human behavior. Exciting changes and opportunities await you this year. Count on new adventures! If you can, explore opportunities to travel. Do whatever you can to expand your world through learning. Welcome change! Your personal freedom is your goal this year.

Read More

Antonio Esquinca was last seen about 11 a.m. driving a silver 2015 GMC Terrain in the 2900 block of West 38th Street, Chicago police said.

A 47-year-old man was reported missing Sunday from Brighton Park on the Southwest Side.

Antonio Esquinca was last seen about 11 a.m. driving a silver 2015 GMC Terrain in the 2900 block of West 38th Street, Chicago police said.

Esquinca, a 5-foot-5, 200-pound man with brown eyes and black hair, may be in Joliet, police said.

The GMC Esquinca was driving bears an Illinois license plate with the number AZ49143, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Area One detectives at 312-747-8380.

Read More

Read More

Read More

Super 25 new additions

St. Ignatius: It was an up and down and in and out of the rankings season for the Wolfpack, but they finished strong with wins against Curie and Bolingbrook.

Westinghouse: The Warriors are under the radar no longer. This team has size and experience. They’ve knocked off Orr, Lincoln Park, Marshall and Lane so far and only lost to Young. Coach Rafie Fields’ team has a huge week ahead with games against Farragut and Clark.

Downers Grove North: It looked a near certainty that Glenbard West would roll through the season undefeated. The Mustangs didn’t let that happen and it gives them the signature win necessary to pop back into the rankings.

Wheaton-Warrenville South: The DuKane conference champions put together a solid season.

Dropping out

Clark (5-2): A very young Farragut team knocked off the Eagles this week and Terry Head’s group just didn’t have the resume to stick around after that.

Homewood-Flossmoor (8-4): There’s certainly no shame to losing to Bolingbrook and Simeon in one week, especially without one of your lead guards. But the Vikings spent most of the season in the spotlight and several teams made a strong case to join the rankings this week.

Lake Forest (12-4): The Scouts drop out after losing to Stevenson.

Waubonsie Valley (12-4): The loss to Neuqua Valley knocks the Warriors out, but coach Jason Mead finished his stint at Waubonsie with a win against a very good Yorkville Christian team on Saturday.

With record and last week’s ranking

1. DePaul Prep (14-2) 19

Chipotle champs

2. Young (13-1) 1

Lost to DePaul Prep

3. Evanston (17-3) 11

Beat Simeon

4. Simeon (6-1) 2

Faces Corliss Saturday

5. Notre Dame (15-3) 12

Lost to Evanston in OT

6. Fenwick (13-3) 13

Bryce Hopkins finished strong

7. Mundelein (13-2) 3

Unbeaten at full strength

8. Hillcrest (13-0) 6

Class of 2021 was special

9. Rolling Meadows (15-0) 8

Mid-Suburban League champs

10. Brother Rice (13-1) 9

Unexpectedly great season

11. Glenbrook South (16-2) 5

Surpassed expectations

12. New Trier (13-2) 20

A ton to build on

13. Glenbard West (16-1) 7

Champaign bound in 2022?

14. Kenwood (9-2) 14

Young team living up to hype

15. Kankakee (12-1) 14

Consistent winning program

16. DeKalb (18-1) 10

Stumbled vs. Sycamore

17. Hersey (13-3) 16

Just couldn’t beat Meadows

18. Corliss (11-1) 18

Small school power

19. St. Ignatius (13-5) NR

Finished season strong

20. Curie (4-2) 4

Lost at St. Ignatius

21. St. Patrick (8-3) 21

Couldn’t handle Simeon

22. Lemont (12-1) 23

Future is bright

23. Westinghouse (6-1) NR

Only loss is to Young

24. Downers Grove North (13-2) NR

Beat Glenbard West

25. Wheaton-Warrenville South (16-2) NR

DuKane conference champs

Read More

Read More

Read More

For a solid year, the ghost light on the stage of the Goodman Theatre has shone in lonely silence on a classroom at the Aburi Girls’ Secondary School, the set for Jocelyn Bioh’s “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play,” nipped in the bud last spring.

“Just a wonderful play,” said Robert Falls, the artistic director of the Goodman. “We were in previews, and the audience was loving it. We were three days from opening.”

I called Falls because I was wondering, with vaccine being pumped into arms and hope of a returned world flickering, how the Chicago theater community might incorporate the past year. He’s the guy who put on Henrik Ibsen’s “Enemy of the People” right after Donald Trump’s election, so if anyone would be folding the COVID nightmare into his theatrical batter, it would be Bob Falls. But how?

“A lot of theaters our size, they’re in a complete tizzy about how to open their seasons from scratch, having to choose a play,” he said. At the Goodman, they’ll dust off the set, get the actors back and pick up where they left off … We can have this production up by summer.”

That’s one approach.

“You’ve got theaters across the country in mid-production, theaters that literally have a ghost light sitting on the stage,” said Michael Weber, at Porchlight Music Theatre. “They’re going to start up right where they were. Others, like us, have decided to shelve the season that we planned, and we’re rethinking an entirely new seasons, assuming we can get back. We’re hoping for the fall.”

A “ghost light,” by the way, is the single bulb kept burning on a stage in a darkened theater, to keep people from blundering into the orchestra pit. In plague darkened 2020, it’s become somewhat symbolic, the spark of life in the heart of a comatose patient.

Photo by Neil Steinberg

That said, the theater is always a mix of the artistic and the practical.

“For us, we do music theater. Musicals tend to be large in scale, large in expense,” Weber said. “We’ll probably think of smaller projects a little more economically feasible with such a big unknown: where the audience will be, how ready will people be to come back into a room with strangers and spend two hours sitting next to them.”

So you’d rather fail with “The Fantasticks” (tiny cast, no set to speak of) I said, than with “The Music Man”?

“Yes, there’s a bit of that,” Weber admitted. But something else is going on.

“We are having a moment of great reckoning,” he said. COVID was only one jolt theater companies felt in 2020.

“I’m looking at the future in two ways: some narratives to process what we’ve been through without hitting it on the nose,” said Michael Halberstam, artistic director at the Writers Theatre in Glencoe. “And every institution worth anything is also looking through a lens of social justice.”

In theater, like everywhere else, the racial disparities exacerbated by COVID have loomed large. They’re struggling to react to the George Floyd killing in May, followed by the BIPOC — for “Black, Indigenous and People of Color” — statement of June, demanding a sea change in American theater from hiring practices to what plays get produced.

“The most influential BIPOC artists are asking for a reckoning,” Halberstam said. “There’s a chasm between the composition of the country and the kind of tokenizing that many of us were doing prior to really waking up and recognizing much of the work that needs to be accomplished … a more equitable distribution of narratives.”

Doesn’t that put him in a bind, trying to appeal to largely white audiences in Glencoe?

“What I have found at Writers Theatre is, our audiences are very excited to experience narratives outside of their own demographic,” Halberstam said. “One of the reasons we go to the theater, experience empathic connections, to stories we might not necessarily come in contact with on a regular basis. I cannot think of a more important narrative when we are bifurcated by systemic racism, for art to be creating vehicles to bridge that gap.”

Aeschylus, the great Greek playwright, said: “We suffer into knowledge,” and looking ahead in Chicago theater, that is the hope.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Falls said. “There’s still a great deal to mourn, deep tragedy and loss. I think that’s a process. That takes healing, What I’ve always felt is, the theater is a place for healing a place for reflection, a place to come together for community. The Greeks knew that. Shakespeare knew that. There’s going to be room for joy, laughter, tears, pain, examination, anger.”

It might take a while.

“During the Vietnam war, there was not a great number of plays addressing Vietnam,” he said. “Those great plays came afterward. During the AIDS crisis, it took a while for great plays, plays of anger, plays of despair.”

So the plays we need to see now haven’t been written yet?

” I can tell you there are going to be a lot of lousy COVID plays: my boyfriend and I stuck in isolation in the Hamptons for a year,” Falls said. “Also plays have the depth of Camus looking at the plague, plays have the depth trying to analyze what happened,. I have this great optimism of art emerging out of this.

“The cliche is that Shakespeare wrote ‘King Lear’ during one of the plague shutdowns of the theater in London,” he said. “I’m sure he didn’t know ‘King Lear’ was ‘King Lear.‘ He had to write a play and had to get it up and get money coming into the theater and get employment for actors.

“We don’t know what kind of ‘King Lear’ comes out of this time. The social justice movement is transformative and certainly has shaken the theater to its core. That is part of the possibility of a golden age of playwriting — new voices, voices that haven’t been heard. We are going to see that. That’s what’s literally happening right now.”

Read More

Chicago Bears: Trey Lance pro day and possible draft day trades by Ryan Taylor

Next1 of 5Prev post

Use your (arrows) to browse

Chicago Bears (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears have a lot at stake this offseason. They need to improve their team otherwise the coach and the general manager are going to be gone. There are some serious issues with this franchise that have been going on for a long time. If they are ever going to win, they need to get it together. There are ten big things for them to accomplish this offseason otherwise 2021 will be more of the same. If they want to get better, these tasks must be completed:

1. The Chicago Bears desperately need to figure out the quarterback situation.

The Chicago Bears haven’t had an elite quarterback in the history of their franchise. Some of the slightly above-average quarterbacks across the current National Football League are players who would have a chance to be the best quarterbacks in the history of the Bears. If the Bears made a big splash for someone like Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson, they could legit be a favorite in the NFC.

For some reason, they always miss the position and it has to get fixed. Everyone who misses the position needs to start being held accountable. Clearly, Ryan Pace is getting one more chance and he better not miss.

2. The Chicago Bears need to figure out a replacement for Buster Skrine.

The Chicago Bears made the financial decision to cut Buster Skrine. They are going to need to replace him now which isn’t necessarilly going to be easy. They might look within the organization and they might look at someone on the outside. It is going to be interesting to see what they do in this situation but it is certainly a task to accomplish this offseason.

Next: 3-4 (offense)

Next1 of 5Prev post

Use your (arrows) to browse

Read More