The college basketball regular season is over and March Madness is officially upon us.

Conference tournaments across the country tip off this week and some teams are playing for seeding while others are playing to keep their season alive, all building to Selection Sunday on March 15 when the final bracket gets revealed.

If that isn't enough, The Players Championship, the biggest golf tournament outside the four majors, tees off Thursday while the World Baseball Classic enters its knockout rounds this weekend with the championship next Tuesday.

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Ok let’s get to it. Here’s your weekend preview starting with what matters most.

The stakes: March Madness is officially here. Sunday night the committee reveals all 68 teams and sets the path to the national championship. From that moment, it's win or go home when the games officially begin next week. This tournament creates the kind of moments people remember for decades like the underdog that made a run nobody saw coming or the powerhouse that went one-and-done and left everyone stunned. The bracket doesn't just sort out a champion, it reshapes program reputations, coaching jobs, and recruiting classes for years to come.

What to watch for: There are two things worth tracking Sunday night, the No. 1 seeds and where the bubble teams land. The four projected No. 1 seeds are Duke, Michigan, Arizona, and Florida. Once the committee reveals the bracket, the focus shifts from who gets in to who got the easier road. Teams seeded No. 1 will compete in different regions. Some will be set up for a clean run to the Final Four, others are loaded with dangerous underdogs highly capable of an early upset. Watch how each region shakes out. If teams like Duke and Michigan are set up to potentially collide in the Final Four, that becomes the marquee semifinal storyline before a game has even been played.

On the bubble: Watch what happens to teams on the bubble like Auburn, SMU, and VCU. Some of these teams will be on the wrong side of the cut line Sunday, and the reactions are part of the show. Conference tournament results this week and over the weekend will be these teams’ final chance to determine who played their way in and who's anxiously waiting by the phone.

Every game this week is a team's last chance to make an impression before Sunday's bracket reveal. The teams that are already in have a chance to improve their seeding and others are trying to make the tournament altogether. Here are the storylines worth following:

Big 12 Tournament (Schedule): This bracket has more Final Four caliber teams than any other conference tournament this week. Arizona is the No. 1 seed and one of the most complete teams in the country, but has proven to be vulnerable inside this conference. Kansas already beat them once this season and Houston played them tight in their matchup earlier this year. Houston also has a legitimate path here as the defending Big 12 Tournament champion. The semifinals and championship games will be some of the best basketball this weekend.

Big Ten Tournament (Schedule): Michigan had the most dominant regular season in Big Ten history with 19 conference wins. A strong showing in this tournament could flip the No. 1 overall NCAA seed and potential easier bracket path, back to them if an injured Duke team missing key starters struggles and gets knocked out early in the ACC tournament.

Big East Tournament (Schedule): St. John's is the No. 1 seed in this tournament and defending Big East Tournament champion. This tournament will be hosted at Madison Square Garden which conveniently happens to be St. John’s other home where they play half of their regular season games each year. UConn who came into this season as one of the top ranked preseason teams, lost their regular season finale to a 12-19 Marquette team, and enter this week looking nothing like a national title contender. If these two meet Saturday night in the conference championship, it's a must-watch match up as St. John's beat them at MSG earlier this season but UConn won the rematch by 32. This would be the trilogy with major implications for UConn’s seeding if they lose.

The stakes: This is the most important golf tournament outside of the four majors with a $4.5 million winner's check, the second highest payout on tour, even more than the Masters. The headline storyline is a chase for history. Scottie Scheffler (winner in 2023 and 2024) and Rory McIlroy (winner in 2019 and 2025) are both trying to become just the third player ever to win The Players three times, joining Jack Nicklaus. The problem for Scheffler is he's been off lately, finishing T24 at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational and outside the top ten the week prior. Can he find his form this weekend, or is something bigger at play? Coverage starts Thursday on the Golf Channel. NBC will then take over Saturday at 2 PM and Sunday at 1 PM for the weekend rounds that matter most.

What to watch for: McIlroy's health is the biggest question heading into Thursday. He withdrew from last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational with back spasms and is a late arrival this week still nursing his injury. Reports are encouraging so far. If he’s able to go, watch whether he looks sharp in the first round or if he continues to struggle managing his body throughout the weekend.

The Betting Angle [Powered by WagerXpert]: Collin Morikawa has been in peak form to start the season. He won at Pebble Beach, finished top 10 at The Genesis Invitational, and finished top five last weekend at The Arnold Palmer Invitational. When he's on, he's one of the best iron players in the world, and that skill translates well to this course. Don't count out a top 10, top 5, or even an outright finish this week.

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The stakes: The World Baseball Classic knockout stage begins on Friday where Team USA will be taking on Canada at 8pm on Fox. They are very lucky to still be in it. Italy, a team no one expected to win, handed the Americans a stunning 8-6 loss that left their tournament fate entirely out of their hands. The "Dream Team" roster needed outside help just to advance.

Looking Ahead (Schedule): After that wake up call expect a different team in the quarterfinals and beyond. Japan (the defending champion), the Dominican Republic (currently the betting favorite to win it all behind USA), and a talented Venezuelan squad all pose a threat to the US. If team USA doesn’t win this tournament this will be a major disappointment given all of the talent on this roster.

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