Bubble could decide between Big Ten, Big 12 supremacy
The precarious situation on the NCAA Tournament bubble could be what decides whether the deep Big Ten or the brutal Big 12 get the most teams into the 68team field come Selection Sunday.
The Big Ten headed into the semifinals Saturday with seven teams with a spot reserved: Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue and Rutgers. The league’s biggest rival likewise has seven sure things with Texas set to play Oklahoma State in its title game Saturday night: the Longhorns and Cowboys along with Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia and Kansas — assuming the Jayhawks navigated a COVID-19 outbreak that bumped them from the Big 12 Tournament.
That leaves bubble-dwelling Maryland and Michigan State to potentially break the tie.
The Terps
(16-13)
let a chance for a statementmaking win against the fourth-ranked Wolverines slip away with a 79-66 loss Friday. It had significant NCAA Tournament ramifications, even if the headlines were about Michigan coach Juwan Howard’s ejection following a few choice words with Maryland counterpart Mark Turgeon.
Still, the Terrapins coach spoke afterward as if they were certain to make the NCAA Tournament field.
“We’ve come a long ways. Nobody can deny that,” Turgeon said, “but to have Selection Sunday and our team is going to be called — I think six weeks ago, nobody would have believed that. I’m proud of this team.”
If they do make the field, it may have come at the expense of Michigan State. The Terps beat the Spartans (15-12) one day earlier in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
If the Spartans make it, they can point to five wins in the final eight games, including three against top-5 teams Michigan, Ohio State and Illinois — the latter in back-to-back games at the Breslin Center.
“In fairness, this has been three weeks from hell,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said, “but it’s also been three of the more exhilarating weeks of my coaching career, when you can beat some of the teams we beat and you play the way you did and you earn them. We grinded it out. We did it the right way.”
The question now is whether it will be enough. For Maryland, too.
On the rise
Might both teams in the Conference USA title game make the NCAA Tournament field? Western Kentucky looked poised and polished in beating a quality team in Alabama-Birmingham in the semifinals, and if the Hilltoppers fall against North Texas on Saturday they could steal an at-large bid from somebody else.
Tom Brady has agreed to a contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that provides the Super Bowl champions with much-needed salary cap relief and will help the seven-time NFL champion reach a goal of playing until he’s at least 45.
Brady posted a picture of himself on Twitter, signing the extension Friday with the message: “In pursuit of 8 ... LFG@ Buccaneers we’re keeping the band together.”
The extension confirmed by the team frees about $19 million in salary cap space, a move that improves Tampa Bay’s chances of returning as much of its championship roster as possible for 2021.
Seven starters from the Super Bowl were among two dozen Buccaneers eligible to become free agents next week.
“When we acquired Tom a year ago, we were extremely excited about the leadership, poise and winning track record that he would bring to our locker room. Since that time, he has proven himself to be the ultimate competitor and delivered in every way we had imagined, helping us capture the Lombardi Trophy,” general manager Jason Licht said.
“Year after year,” the GM added, “Tom proves that he remains one of the elite quarterbacks in this game and we couldn’t be happier to keep him in Tampa Bay as we continue to pursue our goals together.”
Brady’s extension adds an extra season on the twoyear, $50 million contract he signed in free agency last March following a 20-year run with the New England Patriots.
The five-time Super Bowl
MVP capped his first season with the Bucs by leading Tampa Bay to its first championship in 18 years.
In preparation for the start of free agency next week, Licht placed the franchise tag on receiver Chris Godwin and signed linebacker Lavonte David to a two-year, $25 million contract that was announced Friday.
David’s contract, of which $20 million is guaranteed, includes voidable years that make it salary cap friendly.
Brady’s extension also includes voidable years to provide cap relief this winter.
“Tom is one of those great guys who understands that it takes a whole village to win. It takes a team, a group of guys, to win football games,” David said.
“Me, the same thing. I’m all about team,” the linebacker, who’s played his entire nine-year career with the Bucs, added. “I’m doing what I can and doing what it takes to hopefully get everybody back and go do this thing again.”
Tampa Bay was estimated to be more than $7 million over the salary cap before the 43-yearold Brady, who has said he wants to play until he’s at least 45, extended his contract.
With the quarterback’s help, the Bucs can now turn their attention to trying to reach a long-term deal with linebacker Shaquil Barrett, the 2019 NFL sack leader who earned $15.8 million last season while playing under the franchise tag.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, wide receiver Antonio Brown, defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, running back Leonard Fournette and kicker Ryan Succop among the other free agents Licht and coach Bruce Arians hope to retain.
When deciding whether to admit you, colleges consider your extracurricular activities. The best way to showcase your activities is with an activity résumé that highlights your talents and strengths.
An activity résumé organizes information you will need to complete your college applications. Some colleges invite you to attach an activity résumé to your application. It can also be given to your recommenders and college interviewers, and most scholarship applications require an activity résumé.
While due to the pandemic, many high school activities have changed and some have been canceled, you are still engaged in activities, at least in virtual form, and colleges want to know how you spend your time.
Here are five steps for creating an outstanding high school activity résumé.
List everything
To begin, make a list of everything you have done since the summer before ninth grade. To spark your memory, look around your home and check your computer for records of activities, such as a brochure for a summer camp, or a schedule for virtual club meetings. List activities of all types, including independent work and work you are doing to help your family at home.
Categorize
After you have a list, group similar and related activities together. The most common categories are:
• Extracurriculars, such as school clubs, performing and visual arts, writing, academic research, math and science competitions, speech and debate
• Athletics
• Community service
• Summer experiences
• Paid work
Your categories will be unique to you. For example, a student who focuses on music may not have an athletics category, and other students might not have a paid work category. It’s not necessary to have every possible type of activity.