How Cooper Flagg’s injury will impact Duke for the NCAA Tournament; Stephen Curry hits another milestone

Happy Friday, everyone! By the time you read the next edition of this newsletter, we will have both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament fields, a whole bunch of conference tournament champions, a Players Championship winner and plenty more headlines. Who knows? Maybe even Aaron Rodgers will sign somewhere!

It’s going to be a great weekend. Let’s get right to it.

Good morning to all, but especially to …

STEPHEN CURRY AND THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Everyone loves round numbers. Stephen Curry just made a club of his own with one. The Warriors superstar hit his 4,000th career 3-pointer Thursday, making him the only player in NBA history to reach the 4K mark. Here’s the moment.

• Let’s put this in context: Only one other player (James Harden) has even made 3,000 career 3-pointers.
• Jasmyn Wimbish explains that 5,000 career 3s is within the realm of possibility for Curry, too.
• That’s especially true if he follows through on his comment that he wants to play beyond his current contract, which expires after the 2026-27 season.
• It’s been a month of milestones for Curry, who became the 26th player to reach 25,000 career points back on March 9.
• In some fun news, Curry, 37, also said he thinks the 3-point contest with Sabrina Ionescu will eventually make a return.

Making matters even better, the Warriors beat the Kings, 130-104, their sixth straight win and their 11th win in their last 12 games.

Honorable mentions

• Texas kept its NCAA Tournament hopes alive with a 94-89 double-overtime upset victory over Texas A&M. The Longhorns are on the wrong side of the bubble for now, but an opportunity for another impressive win awaits today against Tennessee.
• Can VCU be Cinderella again?
• Rory McIlroy‘s back-nine surge got him near the top of the leaderboard at Sawgrass.
• We’re tracking every men’s conference tournament, and we have a list of the auto bids on the women’s side.
• Princeton‘s Ashley Chea shines on the court and on the screen.
• Rafael Devers changed his tune and is open to designated hitting for the Red Sox.
• The Cardinals finally handed out an MLB contract!
• Where does Alex Ovechkin rank among greatest NHL players of all time?
• Marvin Harrison Jr. jerseys are finally available.
• The Mercury will retire Diana Taurasi‘s No. 3 jersey and induct her into the Ring of Honor.
• The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals are set. We ranked all of the matchups.
• The EA Sports “College Football 26” cover leaked.
• Eminem joined Detroit’s bid for a WNBA expansion franchise.
• Kylian Mbappé and DJ Khaled are coming to the Rolex SailGP Championship.

And not such a good morning for …

COOPER FLAGG AND THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Duke superstar freshman Cooper Flagg left Thursday’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech with a sprained ankle. X-rays were negative, but coach Jon Scheyer said it’s “a real long shot” Flagg will be able to play in the Blue Devils’ semifinal matchup tonight against North Carolina.

• Flagg twisted his ankle significantly after a rebound late in the first half with Duke trailing 26-17. Duke was able to rally behind Flagg’s fellow freshman Kon Knueppel (28 points, eight assists) for the 78-70 win.
• Here’s how Flagg’s teammates reacted to the injury and his potential absence moving forward.
• Here’s more from Scheyer, which I thought was absolutely on point: “It’s not about being ready to go tomorrow. That’s not the most important thing for us. We’ve got to see if we can get him right for this run that we can make in the [NCAA] Tournament.”

The Blue Devils, the top team in the AP Top 25 and a projected No. 1 seed, are among the favorites to win it all with a healthy Flagg, and they’re likely not falling to the 2-seed line even with an ACC Tournament loss.

Flagg leads Duke in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, the first major-conference freshman to do so for a team since Ben Simmons in 2015-16. Not only is Flagg a terrific, versatile offensive player, but he is an outstanding defender. There are many reasons he’s the favorite for player of the year.

Flagg is the headliner, of course, but Duke also lost Maliq Brown to a dislocated shoulder — a re-aggravation of an injury he’s been dealing with for a bit. Brown is also a terrific, tough defender and an irreplaceable piece of the Blue Devils’ frontcourt.

Not so honorable mentions

• Kansas lost to Arizona in the Big 12 quarterfinals, another disappointment for the preseason No. 1.
• DeMarcus Lawrence threw shade at the Cowboys, and Micah Parsons fired right back.
• The Patriots released longtime stalwart center David Andrews.
• Paul George is consulting doctors about knee and groin injuries and could undergo surgery.
• With the Spurs struggling, De’Aaron Fox will undergo finger surgery for an issue he’s been dealing with since training camp and miss the rest of the season.
• The Spurs pulled quite the rookie prank on Stephon Castle.
• The Rays are not moving forward with their new stadium. Here’s what could come next.
• Lucas Giolito (hamstring) and Jeff McNeil (oblique) will begin the season on the IL.
• These managers are on the hot seat.
• Ballyhooed freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey will get most of the blame, but Rutgers‘ disappointing transfer class was a huge reason behind the team’s struggles, Isaac Trotter writes.
• Fran McCaffrey got ejected for arguing with officials in Iowa‘s loss to Illinois.
• Minnesota fired Ben Johnson.
• Texas self-reported five NCAA violations related to sports gambling. The list of submissions includes two football players.
• UNLV says it can only afford the first two years of Dan Mullen‘s new contract.
• Breanna Stewart had meniscus surgery.
• A Virginia high school athlete was charged with assault and battery after an incident involving a baton during a track meet.

NFL free agency Day 4 winners, losers, grades

No, we still don’t have destinations for Rodgers or Russell Wilson, who remain among our top free agents still available, but we did get some quarterback news Thursday.

• Patrick Mahomes has a new backup: The Chiefs signed Gardner Minshew.
• Kenny Pickett believes he’ll have a chance to win the Browns‘ starting job 
• The Falcons seem intent on keeping Kirk Cousins as Michael Penix Jr.‘s pricy backup.
• The Seahawks officially introduced Sam Darnold.
• The Steelers reunited with Mason Rudolph.

Bryan DeArdo handed out Day 4 winners and losers, and Cody Benjamin graded some of the day’s key moves.

Things have certainly quieted down, so I enjoyed Jared Dubin looking back at the 10 best value signings of free agency, including …

• Dubin: “DT Poona Ford, Rams — Ford is coming off a really solid year with the Chargers during which he picked up 21 run stops and 23 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s a really good run stopper and he’s flashed some more pass-rush usefulness in recent seasons. The Rams kept him in L.A. and did so for three years and $27.6 million.”

I’m liking the Rams’ offseason, and they have a solid mark in our team-by-team grades, too.

Dennis Dodd reflects on legendary career

Whenever I’ve seen a Dennis Dodd byline, I’ve tried to get it in this newsletter. Breaking news? Dennis has it. Inside scoops thanks to unparalleled access built on years of trust? Dennis has them. A great story, a well-researched report or a projection for the future? Dennis has it all.

Well … *has* had it all. Following the NCAA Tournament, he’s retiring after 27 years at CBS Sports and 45 years in sports journalism. And, my goodness, does he have stories to share, one last time for good measure. Dennis’ retirement column is an all-timer, a wonderful look behind the curtain at the guy who brought fans … well … behind the curtain.

Walking tours and (several) adult beverages with Mike Leach? Check. Locked inside stadiums? Check. Worldly travels? Check. Again: You name it, Dennis has done it.

This article is well worth your time. Here’s my favorite part:

• Dodd: “The foundation still endures: The players and their stories are what make college sports great. Heck, it’s what makes all sports great.”

Dennis — and all of us — are going to see some great players make great stories in the coming weeks. Let’s cherish it.

What we’re watching this weekend

 We’re watching The Players Championship. Here’s how.
 We’re watching the men’s basketball conference tournaments: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | SEC

Friday

 Celtics at Heat, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Lakers at Nuggets, 9:30 p.m. on NBA TV

Saturday

America East final: Maine at Bryant (M), 11 a.m. on ESPN2
MEAC Tournament final (M), 1 p.m. on ESPN2
Devils at Penguins, 3 p.m. on ABC
Mountain West Tournament final (M), 6 p.m. on CBS
MAC championship (M), 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
MAAC championship (M), 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Knicks at Warriors, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
CUSA championship (M), 8:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
SWAC Tournament final (M), 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU
Big West championship (M), 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, 11 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
WAC Tournament Final (M), 11:30 p.m. on ESPN2

Sunday

Ivy League Tournament final (M), noon on ESPN2
Magic at Cavaliers, 1 p.m. on ABC
Atlantic 10 championship (M), 1 p.m. on CBS
Golden Knights at Red Wings, 1 p.m. on TNT/truTV
AAC championship (M), 3 p.m. on ESPN
Suns at Lakers, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
Stars at Avalanche, 3:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
 Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Selection Show, 6 p.m. on CBS
NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Selection Show, 8 p.m. on ESPN
Thunder at Bucks, 9 p.m. on ESPN