March 5, 2026
NCAA Basketball
March Madness Approaches
As March Madness approaches, the NCAA is cracking down on sports betting-related issues. The NCAA announced that teams participating in the men's and women's basketball tournaments will face fines starting at $10,000 for failing to submit player availability reports. These reports are intended to combat harassment of athletes from bettors. This is a pilot program for the 2026 tournaments.
Nova Southeastern Makes History
In Division II, the Nova Southeastern Sharks have made history by winning their 100th consecutive home game, a feat only previously accomplished by the Kentucky Wildcats in men's college basketball. Their victory over Rollins secured their spot as the second men's program to achieve this milestone.
March Madness Updates
On the NCAA Tournament bubble, several major programs like Ohio State, Indiana, and Auburn are fighting for at-large bids. The bubble is considered soft this year, giving teams with mixed records a chance to make the tournament.
In the Big Ten, the Michigan Wolverines have clinched the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. This is their 16th Big Ten title in program history.
High School Basketball
National News
In national high school basketball news, Arizona Compass Prep holds the top spot in the latest SC Next Top 25 rankings. In recruiting, one of the nation's top players, 5-star small forward Bruce Branch III, has committed to BYU.
State News
At the state level, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) basketball tournament saw a major matchup between two of the nation's top sophomores, Brady Pettigrew of Bolingbrook and Cole Kelly of Neuqua Valley. Pettigrew led Bolingbrook to a 68 - 53 victory in the sectional semifinals.
In Rhode Island, the Prout girls and Exeter-West Greenwich boys have advanced to their respective division championship games.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has also been holding its regional championships, with several top seeds advancing to the state finals.
Sources: Associated Press. (2026, March 4). NCAA Tournament teams face fines starting at $10K if they fail to file player availability report. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-tournament-availability-reports-8619ddedab227b9c6651f6aeaf15c661
NCAA.com. (2026, March 4). 100 from the Shark Tank: DII Nova Southeastern's bonkers home-court win record. NCAA.com. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-04/dii-mens-basketballs-nova-southeasterns-bonkers-home-court-win-record
Cohen, M. (2026, March 4). Diving Deep into 10 NCAA Tournament Bubble Teams, including Ohio State, TCU. Fox Sports. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-baketball/ncaa-men-tournament-bubble-teams-ohio-state-auburn-indiana
Condry, P. (2026, March 4). Big Ten Weekly Men's Basketball Central - March 3-9. Regional Radio Sports Network. https://rrsn.com/big-ten-weekly-mens-basketball-central-march-3-9/
Biancardi, P. (2026, March 3). SC Next Top 25: High school boys' basketball rankings for 2025-26. ESPN https://www.espn.com.au/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/47000950/boys-high-school-basketball-sc-next-top-25-2025-2026-high-school-rankings
Van De Griek, R. (2026, March 4). OTR Hoops News: 2026 5-star Small Forward Announces Commitment. On The Radar Hoops. https://ontheradarhoops.com/articles/otr-hoops-news-2026-5-star-small-forward-announces-commitment
O'Brien, M. (2026, March 5). Bardy Pettigrew evens the score against Cole Kelly and sends Bolingbrook to the sectional final. Chicago Sun-Times. https://chicago.suntimes.com/high-school-basketball/2026/03/04/bolingbrook-basketball-brady-pettigrew-neuqua-valley
Providence Journal. (2026, March 4). Here's who won Wednesday's high school basketball semifinals. The Providence Journal. https://www.providencejournal.com/story/sports/high-school/basketball/2026/03/04/rill-high-school-basketball-semifinal-scores-results-march-4-2026/88982977007/
NCHSAA. (2026, March 4). 2026 Basketball Championships. NCHSAA. https://www.nchsaa.org/2026-basketball-championships/