Hey Team 👋

If you blinked on Tuesday night, you might have missed history: Bam Adebayo didn't just break the Heat franchise record, he shattered the modern NBA ceiling by dropping 83 points on the Wizards. It was a "where were you" moment that has the entire league debating the merits of the milestone.

But the hardwood drama doesn't stop in South Beach. We’re officially on the doorstep of Selection Sunday, and the college landscape is shifting beneath our feet. From the Gators clawing into the top line to the "bubble" programs fighting for their lives in conference tournaments, the road to the Final Four has never felt more wide open. 

I’m not one to judge, but if you aren’t parked in front of a TV by 6:00 p.m. (ET) this Sunday, you might be doing March wrong.

Letter Rip!

< NBA >

BAM Baby!

Bam Adebayo made history Tuesday night with a stunning 83-point performance, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s previous record (81) and trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point record. While most basketball fans were able to celebrate his historic feat, as Taylor Swift says, “Haters gonna hate.” 

Critics point out that Adebayo needed a significant amount of help to achieve the milestone, citing his teammates helped him stat pad the game against the struggling Wizards. Adebayo took a record 43 free throws (which he made 36 of) and was constantly fed the ball.

I say, a milestone is a milestone, regardless of how you get there. And if we’re going to put an asterisk next to Bam’s historic night, then we had better look at Kobe and Wilt’s records too. In Chamberlain’s 100-point night, teammates also intentionally fouled to pad his stats. In Bryant’s 81-point feat, he took 46 shots — three more than Adebayo. Sounds like a level playing field to me. 

Lakers fans responded by booing Adebayo’s announcement before the Timberwolves game. I get it; watching a franchise icon’s record fall is a bitter pill to swallow, but that’s also what makes basketball so fun.

< CBB >

Men’s College Basketball Rankings

The conclusion of the regular season brought the final changes to the rankings before conference tournament play and Selection Sunday (which is somehow this weekend). While this week didn’t flip the rankings upside down, it provided major boosts for some teams’ seeding chances and has helped to shape the bubble landscape. Florida, for example, vaulted into the top four following UConn’s loss to Marquette. Texas Tech climbed six spots after its win over Iowa State, and Wisconsin and Louisville broke back into the Top 25. Of course, nothing is decided yet, and conference tournaments tend to bring a special breed of chaos to Selection Sunday.

AP Top 25

1. Duke (🟰)

2. Arizona (🟰)

3. Michigan (🟰)

4. Florida (⬆️1)

5. Houston (⬆️2)

6. UConn (⬇️2)

7. Iowa State (⬇️1)

8. Michigan State (🟰)

9. Illinois (⬆️2)

10. Virginia (⬆️3)

11. Nebraska (⬇️2)

12. Gonzaga (🟰)

13. St. John’s (⬆️5)

14. Kansas (🟰)

15. Alabama (⬆️1)

16. Texas Tech (⬇️6)

17. Arkansas (⬆️3)

18. Purdue (⬇️3)

19. North Carolina (⬇️2)

20. Miami (OH) (⬇️1)

21. Saint Mary’s (🟰)

22. Vanderbilt (⬆️2)

23. Wisconsin (previously unranked)

24. Louisville (previously unranked)

25. Tennessee (⬇️2)