ON TODAY'S SCORECARD
What You Need To Know

Now that there is break in the NCAA Tournament until it resumes with the Final Four games on Saturday, here’s a capsule review of what has transpired in this year’s secondary postseason tourney, the NIT.

The field drew from 18 conferences, including notable snubs from the NCAA bubble.

No. 4 seed Illinois State (Missouri Valley Conference, Redbirds), has been the biggest highlight so far. It’s body of work includes:

• First round: Defeated Kent State 79-58.

• Second round: Upset No. 1 Wake Forest 78-75 on the road (first time winning two NIT games in 30 years for the program).

• Quarterfinals: Knocked off No. 2 Dayton 61-55 on the road, led by Johnny Kinziger's 16 points.

The No. 4-seed Redbirds have been a "road warrior" in the Winston-Salem region, taking down higher seeds in hostile environments. They will face No. 1 Auburn in the semifinals on April 2.

Other Semifinalists

• No. 1 Auburn (SEC): The highest-profile remaining team and lone high-major in the Final Four. They defeated teams like Nevada (75-69 in quarterfinals) and advanced comfortably as a top seed.

• No. 1 New Mexico: Strong run with a convincing quarterfinal win over Saint Joseph's (84-69), highlighted by Tomislav Bulijan's 27 points.

• No. 1 Tulsa: Advanced past Wichita State (83-79) in the quarterfinals behind strong guard play (e.g., Tylen Riley).
  

Defense and road performance have been key themes, especially for Illinois State's improbable path.

The NIT has provided solid postseason basketball for bubble teams, with Auburn as a favorite but Illinois State adding excitement as a feel-good underdog story heading into the semifinals.

MONDAY, March 30th...

Philadelphia @ MIAMI – Phil: 3-0 OU L3 vs Heat (235.7), 7-1 OU in 1/0 rest sit / Mia: 5-1-1 ATS L7 vs Sixers, 9-1 ATS w/ no rest... Boston @ ATLANTA – Bos: 0-5 OU in 0/1 rest sit, 1-13 OU on Mondays / Atl: 1-4 ATS home vs unrested conf opp, 1-4 OU L5 vs ATL Div... Phoenix @ MEMPHIS – Phoe: 4-0 ATS L4 vs Grizz, 5-0-1 ATS away w/ game next day / Mem: 5-0 OU L5 vs PAC Div, 5-1 OU Mondays... Chicago @ SAN ANTONIO – Chi: 2-10 ATS bef div HG, 6-1 OU Monday RG / San: 7-0 ATS in 1/1 rest sit vs non-conf, 9-0 OU bef Warriors... Minnesota @ DALLAS – Min: 0-3 OU TY vs Mavs (224.0), 1-5 OU in 1/2 rest sit vs conf / Dal: 0-4 ATS home w/ game next day, 3-9 OU home w. 2 days rest... Cleveland @ UTAH – Clev: Series visitor 4-0 ATS, 6-1 OU in 2/1 rest sit / Utah: 4-0 OU Mondays, 4-1 OU bef Nuggets... Detroit @ OKLAHOMA CITY – Det: 0-8 OU Mondays, 0-4 OU away w/ game next day / OKC: 1-5 OU home vs .666 > opp, 3-9 OU w/ no rest TY... Washington @ LA LAKERS – Wash: 6-0 OU w/ no rest vs non-div / 6-1 OU vs 2 days rest / 4-1 OU L5 vs LA (238.6) // LAL: 9-1 OU w/ HG next day / 7-1 OU w/ 2 days rest / 6-1 OU home vs .333 < non-div opp.

From Victor King’s Day To Day Trends in this week’s Playbook Hoops Newsletter

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Get ready, football fans.

You know kickoff is around the corner when ESPN college football guru Bill Connelly drops his annual Returning Production Rankings.

And the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are sitting atop the heap.

The concept is simple: the more continuity and experience you bring back, the better your chances to improve. That’s been the gold standard for years. But in today’s transfer-portal era, is it still gospel?

Connelly isn’t so sure.

“It’s critically important… when you incorporate incoming players’ stats, the explosion in transfers is dragging down returning production averages significantly.”

How big is the shift? Transfers have skyrocketed 64% in just two years—from 13.9 per team to 22.8 (23.3 including service academies). That’s not evolution… that’s upheaval.

Case in point: Clemson Tigers football.

They led the nation in returning production entering 2025, fueling hype of a Death Valley revival. Instead? Injuries, stale schemes, and stalled development sent them sliding from 10-4 (No. 22 SP+) to 7-6 (No. 34).

Still, the model isn’t broken—it’s just less predictable.

Look at last season’s hits:

• Texas Tech Red Raiders football (No. 6 RP): jumped from 54th to 3rd, won the Big 12.

• Kennesaw State Owls football (No. 5 RP): surged from 132nd to 89th, captured Conference USA in Year 2 of FBS.

• Vanderbilt Commodores football (No. 3 RP): posted a 10-win season, climbed from 52nd to 11th.

Bottom line: Returning production still matters—but in 2026, it’s no longer king. It’s just one piece of a much more chaotic puzzle.

RETURNING PRODUCTION PERCENTAGES

Here are the returning production percentages and rankings for the Top 10 of all 138 FBS teams for 2026:

NOTE: Connelly will update his rankings as the season approaches. For the latest numbers, check the 2026 PLAYBOOK Football Preview Guide magazine.

Power 4 programs return an average of 58% production, compared to just 45% from the Group of 6. Translation: the gap is real—and widening. In fact, only one G6 team cracked the Top 20, with Florida Atlantic sneaking in at No. 19… by a whisker.

Digging deeper: Notre Dame, BYU, and Texas—all CFP near-misses (Nos. 11–13)—reload in 2026 with serious upside. Different paths, same destination: these are your prime bounce-back candidates.

Regression alert: Iowa State. The Cyclones took a massive hit after losing Matt Campbell to Penn State. His replacement, Jimmy Rogers (Washington State), inherits a roster gutted by transfers—23 of 55 followed Campbell out the door. That’s not a rebuild… that’s a reset.

And they’re not alone. Memphis, South Florida, and North Texas all lost head coaches and key talent to Power 4 poachers. Expect plenty of slippage across the American.

Don’t get shut out. The 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide drops in mid-July—with limited print supply this season. Reserve your copy now and stay ahead of the curve.