Iamaleava arrived in Knoxville, Tenn., with more hype than any quarterback since Peyton Manning. The 6-foot-6 Long Beach native, with an outside hitter's rocket arm and the gazelle-like gait, was considered the nation's No. 2 overall recruit out of Warren High in Downey.
Avdalas, a 6-foot-9 native of Greece, averaged 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists as a freshman in Blacksburg. In the second game of his career, Avdalas had 33 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, going 5-for-8 from 3-point range, in a win over Providence. He skyrocketed up in NBA mock drafts on the heels of that game, looking like a projected first-round pick.
Last year's men's tournament produced only 13 outright underdog wins -- tied for the fewest since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Elite Eight comprised only top-3 seeds, tying it with 2007 as the chalkiest quarterfinal round in tournament history. Additionally, for the first time in modern tournament history, we have witnessed three straight tournaments without multiple double-digit seeds reaching the Sweet 16.
Reigning national champion Indiana doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. After losing multiple key players from the 2025 season, coach Curt Cignetti used the transfer portal to fill in the gaps, but can the Hoosiers defend their title?
College football's lone transfer portal window for the 2026 season has, for all intents and purposes, closed. Thousands of players entered and programs across the country vigorously filled needs -- and in some cases radically overhauled their roster. Even in a condensed two-week window, the movement left behind a wake of change. Some programs prioritized retention and leaned more heavily on traditional recruiting, a path that can still produce winning results.
When Eric Musselman and his staff carefully pieced together this USC team through the transfer portal last spring, the lineup announced Tuesday night ahead of the Trojans' 88-71 win over Maryland was probably not what they had in mind. Ryan Cornish, the Dartmouth transfer starting at one guard spot, didn't scratch the rotation until December. Kam Woods, the other starting guard, wasn't even enrolled at USC until late last month.
