ON TODAY'S SCORECARD
The West Is Set

With the Timberwolves winning and the Suns losing on Tuesday, the Western Conference's six playoff teams (Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets, Wolves) and four play-in teams (Suns, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Warriors) are now set. All that's left is determining seeding before the regular season concludes on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the East: The top four teams (Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Cavaliers) are locked into playoff spots, though seeding remains up for grabs, while the Heat are headed to the play-in tournament for the fourth straight year. The middle of the pack (Hawks, Raptors, 76ers, Magic, Hornets) remains tight, and those five teams could end up in either the playoffs or play-in.

CURRENT PLAY-IN BRACKET

If the Playoffs started yesterday, this would be the seeding:

Eastern Conference

(7) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Orlando Magic
(9) Charlotte Hornets vs. (10) Miami Heat

Western Conference

(7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) LA Clippers
(9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors

CURRENT PLAYOFF BRACKET

Eastern Conference

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) play-in winner
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) play-In winner
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) play-In winner
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) play-In winner
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets

Rest assured, there will be a lot of shuckin’ and jivin’ between now and the conclusion of the regular season on April 12.

THURSDAY, April 9th...

Chicago @ WASHINGTON – Chi: 1-4 OU Thursdays, 1-4 OU bef Magic / Wash: 1-4 ATS before Heat, 1-4 OU Thursdays... Miami @ TORONTO – Mia: 1-5 OU Thursday RG, 1-4 OU away bef div RG / Tor: 6-0 ATS Thursdays vs conf, 0-4 OU home bef div RG... Boston @ NEW YORK – Bos: 7-1 ATS Thursdays, 1-6 OU in 1/2 rest sit / NY: 0-9 ATS Thursdays, 1-5 OU in 2/1 rest sit... Indiana @ BROOKLYN – Ind: Series visitor 5-0 ATS, 6-1 OU w/ game next day / Brk: 2-9 ATS Thursdays, 5-1 OU w/ game next day... Philadelphia @ HOUSTON – Phil: 5-1 ATS L6 vs Rockets, 13-1 OU w/ 2 days rest vs non-conf / Hou: 0-5 ATS Thursday HG, 7-0 OU L7 vs Sixers (249.6)... La Lakers @ GOLDEN STATE – LAL: 1-5 ATS L6 div RG, 8-1 OU L9 vs Warriors (232.2) / GSt: 5-1 ATS home w/ game next day, 7-1 OU home vs .500 > conf opp.

Results above from Victor King’s NBA Day-To-Day Trends in this week’s NBA Only Hoops Newsletterr

Click here to download this week’s issue

Jeremiah Smith says he could've made massive money if he entered the transfer portal this offseason:

"Over 10 million dollars, easy." But he never blinked.

Smith added: "I came to Ohio State for a reason, to win championships, develop as a player and a person and keep building on this legacy."

Multiple programs came calling hard — with big-money NIL offers on the table — but Smith wasn’t tempted.

The Florida native has already helped deliver a national title as a freshman and is now one of the most marketable names in college football, with major brand deals and a projected high NFL Draft stock.

Loyalty over the bag. Buckeye forever.

One program in particular — heavily rumored to be his hometown Miami Hurricanes — pushed aggressively after beating Ohio State in the playoffs.

But Smith wasn’t moved.

“That’s not how I operate,” Smith said. “I came to Ohio State for a reason: to win championships, develop as a player and a person, and keep building on this legacy. I might have grown up in South Florida, but I’m a Buckeye. That’s not changing. I wasn’t going anywhere.”

The 20-year-old has already delivered. As a freshman, he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national title. He followed it up with a breakout sophomore season in 2025, cementing himself as one of the most dominant and marketable receivers in college football — and a projected high first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Staying in Columbus means another shot at a ring alongside a loaded roster and proven quarterback play, plus continued NIL earnings that still place him among the highest-paid players in the sport. Loyalty over the bag.

In a transfer portal era defined by constant movement and massive paydays, Jeremiah Smith just reminded everyone what Buckeye football is about.

Buckeye forever.

The 2026 Masters Tournament (the 90th edition) is taking place starting today at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Golf fans who watch the Masters each year are familiar with the challenging test that is Augusta National Golf Club, even if they’ve never set foot on the grounds to see the sloping fairways and undulating greens in person. 

As outlined at the top of today’s Coffee Club, I have attended Augusta National on two occasions, the first of which was in 1997 when Tiger Woods won his first Masters tournament. A definite bucket list item. Lucky me.

As promised yesterday in the Coffee Club, here is a preview of the back nine at Augusta:

See 74 unique Masters’ facts: click here now.

Hole 11 - White Dogwood

Par 4 520 YDS
No. 11 is simply a brute, often playing as the most difficult hole to par at Augusta National. It’s also been one of the most frequently tinkered-with holes at Augusta National.

Hole 12 - Golden Bell

Par 3 155 YDS
The focal point of Amen Corner and the center of gravity in any final round of the Masters, the 12th hole at Augusta National is as terrifying as it is beautiful.

Hole 13 - Azalea

Par 5 545 YDS
This iconic risk-reward par 5 offers the first of a series of birdie opportunities on Augusta National’s home stretch.

Hole 14 - Chinese Fir

Par 4 440 YDS
Although some nuances of MacKenzie and Jones’s original strategic concept for the hole have been lost, “Chinese Fir” is still a compelling par 4, rewarding precise and well-shaped shots both off the tee and into the green.

Hole 15 - Firethorn

Par 5 550 YDS
No. 15 consistently presents one of the toughest decisions players have to make during their rounds: go for the green in two or lay up to one of the most demanding wedge shots in golf.

Hole 16 - Redbud

Par 3 170 YDS
Set at the base of the ridge that the fifth green and sixth tee occupy, the par-3 16th hole provides a ready stage for championship-defining shots. Over the past several decades, the 16th has shown an undeniable knack for spectacle.

Hole 17 - Nandina

Par 4 450 YDS
From tee to green, No. 17 is one of the simplest holes at Augusta National and is likely the least-loved hole on the second nine.

Hole 18 - Holly

Par 4 465 YDS
“Holly” is a little funky, but its design is smart and elegant: bend it around the trees on the right and bypass some of the natural difficulty of the next shot.

If you haven’t done so yet be sure to check the entire interactive Master layout.

Click here now.

Bubba Watson's shot from the trees on the 10th hole at the 2012 Masters remains one of the finest moments in the tournament's history. An impossible arc that somehow ended up on the green, the shot in sudden death gave Watson the first of his two green jackets.

Equally remarkable: although nobody knew it at the time, another two-time green jacket winner was among the patrons in the gallery watching it all unfold.

"I was here that day," Scottie Scheffler said. "This tournament is a great experience to come to as a patron, and being able to be up close and see someone accomplish something that I dreamed of accomplishing at the time, I think is very inspirational."

At the time, Scheffler was a 15-year-old student at Highland Park High School in Dallas.