New Zealand won the toss and decided to bowl against Australia

New Zealand were forced to alter their plans as they aimed to wrap up the series against Australia after Mitchell Santner was ruled out of the third T20I having woken up with a head cold.

He was self-isolating at the team hotel as a precaution while awaiting the results of a Covid-19 Test. Adam Milne, the fast bowler who has not played for New Zealand since 2018, was drafted into the squad as cover but batsman Mark Chapman was brought into the XI which means a significant change to the balance of the side

Australia have made one change as they try to keep the series alive with Riley Meredith, the Hobart Hurricanes and Tasmania pace bowler, making his debut in place of Daniel Sams who had a big impact with the bat in Dunedin. It means the visitors retain both frontline spinners in their XI.

There is some uncertainty over how the surfaces will hold up with three games now in five days in Wellington after the changes to the schedule forced by the Auckland lockdown. Kane Williamson opted to bowl first with Aaron Finch saying he would have done the same.

New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tim Seifert (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult

Australia 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Josh Philippe, 3 Matthew Wade (wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Jhye Richardson, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Riley Meredith

England Women 99 for 3 (Wyatt 33, Sciver 26*, Kasperek 2-24) beat New Zealand Women 96 (Martin 36, Glenn 2-11, Brunt 2-13, Ecclestone 2-18, Sciver 2-28) by seven wickets

Natalie Sciver made a decisive impact with ball and bat at either end of a commanding seven-wicket win as England took a 1-0 lead in their three-match T20I series against New Zealand. This display extended Sciver's impressive form from the ODI series, in which she was England's leading wicket-taker apart from scoring a match-winning 63 in the second ODI in Dunedin.

Choosing to bowl first at the Westpac Stadium, England got off to a brilliant start, with Sciver dismissing Sophie Devine and Amy Satterthwaite within the space of her first two overs as New Zealand slipped to 10 for 2. There was no real recovery thereafter, despite a 32-ball 36 from Katey Martin, as England's bowlers kept striking at regular intervals to bowl the hosts out for 96 in 19.4 overs. Sciver, her new-ball partner Katherine Brunt, and spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn finished with two wickets each.

England's chase was never in doubt, once Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt put on 59 for the first wicket in 8.3 overs. A brief flutter followed as the offspinner Leigh Kasperek dismissed both openers in successive overs before Heather Knight was run out for a duck. But Sciver ensured there was no more panic, scoring an unbeaten 26 off 25 balls and seeing England home in the company of Amy Jones, with whom she put on an unbroken 32 for the fourth wicket. Sciver hit the winning boundary, off Devine, off the final ball of the 16th over.

The second and third T20Is will also be played in Wellington, on Friday and Sunday.

TAMPA, Fla. -- In his first interview since the memorable Lombardi Trophy toss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl boat parade last month, quarterback Tom Brady said on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" that he "doesn't remember that quite as well" as everyone else who witnessed the viral video.

The candid Brady also indicated he wasn't concerned about the potential consequences of losing the NFL's most coveted trophy in the waters of the Hillsborough River, which runs through downtown Tampa and feeds into Tampa Bay.

"First of all, I was not thinking at that moment. It was not a thought. It was, 'This seems really fun to do,'" a laughing Brady said during Tuesday night's show. "Not to mention, when you get your hands on one of those trophies, there's a lot of really sharp edges on the bottom. ... I found out later, had that been an incomplete pass, that would have went down like 80 feet. I'm so happy that [tight end] Cam [Brate caught it)]."

Team sources told ESPN that, had the stunt gone awry, the Bucs would have ordered a replacement.

Brady also revealed that, like so many others, he feels his daughter, Vivi, might have been the best part of the video clip. Just before Brady heaved the trophy from his yacht to an adjacent boat, she was heard shouting, "Daddy no!"

"That's my little 8-year-old daughter," Brady said. "Who could imagine that an 8-year-old girl would have the most sense of anybody in that whole area? I mean, she's the voice of reason. Go figure."

Brady also was asked whether it was sea legs or too much avocado tequila that made him shaky coming off the boat, turning him into an instant meme that's since found its way onto T-shirts.

"A little of both," he told Corden. "It was definitely a moment of celebration. I'm happy I'm on land at that point. Absolutely.

"I'm happy I'm being surrounded by my fellow quarterback Griff [Ryan Griffin] at the right place at the right time. Who could have a friend better than that? Making sure I was just so comfortable walking off the boat like that."

At the end of the interview, Corden asked the 43-year-old Brady, who is a year older than Corden, if it's possible he could ever be drafted to play in the NFL.

"Being completely honest, you have zero chance. Zero," Brady said. "I think you're so talented. I mean, you can't be great at everything."

Corden then replied: "OK, I might not make Tampa, but I could play for the Jets?"

Brady responded: "You might be able to play for the Jets. You're right about that."

As James Harden prepares to face his former team for the first time since being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, the superstar guard reflected on his eight-year tenure with the Houston Rockets and said that when he enters Houston's Toyota Center on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN), he hopes to be "received with love."

"The love and the appreciation that I've given to that city and that I still give to that city, I'm hoping that the favor can be returned," Harden told ESPN in a wide-ranging interview.

There were months of tension leading up to the four-team deal on Jan. 13 that sent Harden to Brooklyn, his preferred destination.

In July, Harden rejected a two-year, $103 million contract extension offer from the Rockets, making it clear that he felt the franchise's window to compete for a championship had closed. Houston's front office hoped to repair the relationship and convince Harden that the Rockets could still be competitive, but Harden never wavered, reiterating his desire for an exit. As the Rockets began training camp, photos surfaced on social media of Harden partying in Atlanta and Houston.

"I thought I would never leave that franchise," Harden said. "I thought I was going to be in Houston, obviously, for the rest of my career. Things happened. I've got different goals, and I've seen a different vision for myself and my career and my family."

He continued: "Like I said, it doesn't change the fact of how I feel about the city. But it just didn't go as well -- as smooth -- as I planned. The communication between myself and the front office got a little shaky. And now I look back at it and I see these other scenarios, other situations that are happening, specifically around other players that are in Houston, in different sports. And their transition is going very smooth. And I would've hoped for mine to go that smooth, but it didn't. I am where I am now."

Harden added that he is "very, very happy and excited" about the direction the Nets have been trending since his arrival, and he reiterated that he wishes the Rockets franchise the best.

Eventually, the Rockets plan to retire James Harden's No. 13 jersey. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta told the Houston Chronicle, "James Harden will always be a Rocket."

Now, Harden is returning to Houston in the wake of the city -- and its surrounding areas -- being devastated by a winter storm that left millions without electricity or heat as temperatures plunged. The storm caused some families to be without food and others to flee to emergency shelters.

Harden said he has been on the phone every day to aid Houston residents. Through his new restaurant, "Thirteen," he sent 3,000 meals to Houstonians. Harden said he has shipped cases of water to the city and is working with plumbers to give assistance to those whose pipes have frozen and burst.

"I feel like I'm a part of the community," Harden said. "Me now being in Brooklyn, it hasn't changed the way I feel about that city and everything it's done for me. So whether it's trying to feed as many people as I can, get water, as much water as I can to the people that need it."

Since coming to Brooklyn, Harden has thrived, averaging 25.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists for the Nets. Harden has played in 21 total games for Brooklyn and has finished with a triple-double in seven of them. Only Jason Kidd has had more in a single season in Nets history.

Still, the Nets' Big Three of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have played just seven games together.

"I'm just excited for us, as a whole, to be able to play as many games as we can together because the potential that we have is very, very scary," Harden said. "We're still just doing whatever it takes to come away with wins. ... The potential is going to be scarier when [Durant] gets back. But for right now, we're holding it down, and we're coming together as a team."

LAS VEGAS – Ryan Luza outlasted the competition, as well as a bold strategy play by Malik Ray, to win his first eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race of the season Tuesday night at the virtual Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Luza dominated the night, leading four times for a race-high 46 laps, but after six cautions in the first half of the race it was a caution-free second half that created drama down the home stretch.

With the final 64 laps going uninterrupted, Ray rolled the dice for Spacestation Racing and tried to stretch his tank of fuel far beyond the 60-lap pit window in an effort to steal the win away.

Ray took command of the race on lap 102 and led 26 consecutive circuits as he hoped for either enough gas mileage or a well-timed caution to play into his hands in the final laps.

Unfortunately, Ray got neither, and he ceded the top spot coming to six laps to go before running his fuel tank dry prior to the checkered flag.

As a host of drivers lost out on the fuel mileage gamble, Luza swept back into the lead with five to go and led rookie Steven Wilson home by 1.644 seconds for his fourth Las Vegas win in the last five years.

It was Luza’s 16th career eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series win, drawing him level with defending series champion Nick Ottinger for second all time, and all but locks him into this year’s eNASCAR playoffs.

As the laps wound down, however, Luza admitted he was nervous of a potential caution flag dooming his run back to the front from more than a lap down.

“I was terrified of a yellow, and was just sitting there praying for no caution, because we were pretty confident that no one could make it,” Luza said after the race. “I was hoping Steven would stall out once our tires evened out, and he did. That was terrible, waiting for the finish, though. I was waiting for that caution flag to fly in the top left of my screen, but luckily it didn’t come out.

“It is such a huge relief to get a win and be in the playoffs now. I’d been stressing about it every week, because we’ve been missing speed … but we were pretty quick here tonight, so we’ve found a little bit that we needed,” Luza added. “It’s just really big to not have so much stress on the line every single week now … because we’re probably going to have 10 different winners and we’re at least locked in.

“We don’t have to worry anymore, so now it’s just (about) coming out and trying to win more races.”

Tuesday also marked the first win for XSET Gaming as a team in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.

Prior to the race-defining run to the finish, Luza and Wilson put on a show at the front of the field, trading the top spot between one another four times in 31 laps before their final pit stops and running side-by-side for as many as 10 straight circuits at one point in the race.

Ultimately, working back through traffic cost Wilson time in the latter stages, leaving him with a career-best – but still bittersweet – runner-up finish in just his third series start.

“We don’t get the playoff invitation, which is unfortunate, but this is still a good night considering I’m only three races in here,” said Wilson, the driver of Roush Fenway Racing’s virtual No. 17 Ford. “I’m still a rookie and still learning. Losing to Luza … that’s nothing to hang my head over. We had a lot of pace as a team. I think the same (back end) setup finished first through sixth in this one, so we were definitely really fast and had a lot of fun.

“We had good pace and led some laps. There’s a lot of positives to take away, but I wanted that win.”

Luza’s XSET Gaming teammate, Casey Kirwan, crossed the line third ahead of Jim Beaver eSports’ Caine Cook and the second Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Nathan Lyon.

Joe Gibbs Gaming’s Femi Olat was sixth, followed by Jake Nichols, Logan Clampitt, Brian Schoenburg and Taylor Hurst.

Ray ended up one lap down in 31st after his failed fuel mileage gamble in the final laps.

Polesitter Jimmy Mullis was among the casualties of the spate of early caution flags, relegated to a bad result after an early pit stop led to a later crash with veteran and former Las Vegas winner Brad Davies.

Mullis was scored 32nd at the finish in a heavily damaged Toyota for Richmond Raceway eSports.

The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season continues March 16 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Four-time series champion Ray Alfalla is the defending winner of the event.

The results:

1. 4-Ryan Luza [9], 2. 17-Steven Wilson [10], 3. 38-Casey Kirwan [6], 4. 15-Caine Cook [19], 5. 6-Nathan Lyon [5], 6. 18-Femi Olat [17], 7. 24-Jake Nichols [25], 8. 97-Logan Clampitt [20], 9. 47-Brian Schoenburg [28], 10. 33-Taylor Hurst [15], 11. 66-Blake Reynolds [8], 12. 83-Bobby Zalenski [18], 13. 37-Derek Justis [38], 14. 1-Ashton Crowder [34], 15. 88-Brad Davies [22], 16. 9-Michael Guest [21], 17. 32-Keegan Leahy [12], 18. 29-Zack Nichols [35], 19. 10-Graham Bowlin [7], 20. 75-Matt Bussa [29], 21. 55-Vicente Salas [23], 22. 16-John Gorlinsky [33], 23. 36-Chris Shearburn [16], 24. 25-Nick Ottinger [40], 25. 3-Corey Vincent [3], 26. 52-Jake Matheson [39], 27. 14-Blade Whitt [32], 28. 67-Allen Boes [13], 29. 90-Zack Novak [14], 30. 77-Bob Bryant [24], 31. 11-Malik Ray [31], 32. 46-Jimmy Mullis [1], 33. 8-Michael Conti [27], 34. 44-Isaac Gann [26], 35. 51-Ray Alfalla [11], 36. 2-Garrett Manes [30], 37. 79-Ryan Doucette [36], 38. 23-Mitchell deJong [2], 39. 21-Garrett Lowe [37], 40. 41-Dylan Duval [4].

Lead Changes: 15 among nine drivers

Lap Leader(s): Jimmy Mullis 1-3, Corey Vincent 4-8, Jimmy Mullis 9-12, Ryan Luza 13-33, Logan Clampitt 34-38, Steven Wilson 39-67, Matt Bussa 68-70, Steven Wilson 71-72, Ryan Luza 73, Steven Wilson 74-80, Ryan Luza 81-99, Steven Wilson 100-101, Malik Ray 102-127, Jake Matheson 128, Blade Whitt 129, Ryan Luza 130-134

Laps Led: Ryan Luza 46, Steven Wilson 40, Malik Ray 26, Jimmy Mullis 7, Corey Vincent 5, Logan Clampitt 5, Matt Bussa 3, Jake Matheson 1, Blade Whitt 1

Hard Charger: 37-Derek Justis (+25)

Rookie of the Race: 17-Steven Wilson (Roush Fenway Racing)

Caution Flags: Six for 23 laps

Margin of Victory: 1.644 seconds

Time of Race: One hour, 29 minutes, 34.943 seconds

Average Speed: 134.625 mph

Pole Winner: 46-Jimmy Mullis, 29.090 seconds (185.631 mph)

Fastest Lap: 17-Steven Wilson, lap 105, 29.590 seconds (182.494 mph)

India vs England, 4th Test, Ahmedabad

Pro Tip: Spin to win has been India's motto in this series. Fill your team with spinners.

Our XI: Rishabh Pant, Zak Crawley, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Chesteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jack Leach, Dom Bess

Substitutes: Washington Sundar, Ajinkya Rahane, James Anderson, Ben Stokes

Player availability: Jasprit Bumrah will not be available for this match due to personal reasons and is likely to be replaced by one of Umesh Yadav or Mohammed Siraj

We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so please finalise your team after the toss.

Captain: Axar Patel

Axar Patel bamboozled the English players with his spin in the third Test. He has picked up 18 wickets in just two at an astounding average of 9.44. With no change in venue for this clash, expect him to replicate his Man-of-the-Match performance from the last game.

Vice-captain: R Ashwin

The No. 3-ranked Test bowler, Ashwin has bowled splendidly in this series, taking the most number of wickets - 24 in six innings. He is also the third leading run-scorer in this series after his phenomenal century in Chepauk. The Indian player with the most Man-of-the-Series awards in Tests - seven in 30 series so far - is expected to get another one.

Hot Picks

Rohit Sharma: He is India's leading run-scorer in this series with 296 runs in three games. When players from both sides struggled to tackle spin in the last two games, Rohit looked in good touch throughout. Since opening the batting in Test cricket, he is India's leading run scorer with 981 runs in ten games.

Joe Root: England captain Joe Root is one English batter you cannot drop from your XI. He is the leading run-scorer in this series with 333 runs in three games. Since the start of 2019, he is the leading run scorer in Tests with 2074 runs in 25 games. He got the record for fewest runs conceded by a spinner for a five wicket haul in Test cricket in the last game where he picked up five wickets for eight runs. With the pitch expected to spin again, expect him to contribute with the ball as well.

Jack Leach: Jack Leach has bowled more than double among all English bowlers in this series and has picked up the most wickets for his side (16). Although his career average of 46.60 in the first innings is low, his second innings average of 20.95 makes up for it.

Differential Picks

Shubman Gill: Gill had a scintillating start to his Test career. His healthy Test average of 58.50 against spin suggests he can play spinners very well. With his opening partner Rohit in prime form, it will only help Gill to play his natural game.

Zak Crawley: The England opener missed the first couple of Tests due to injury. He made a comeback in the last game and was extremely impressive with the bat. His 84-ball 53 was one of the most eye-catching innings in this series, if not the most. He has however struggled against spin in Tests, which makes him a risky as well as an x-factor pick.

Alternate Scenarios

• If Dom Bess doesn't play, James Anderson can replace him
• Joe Root and Rohit Sharma are the alternate choices for captaincy

Big Picture

Cricket is back in the Caribbean. The last time Sri Lanka visited was for a three-match Test series, which ended with both sides sharing the spoils. The last time the West Indies hosted Sri Lanka for a bilateral limited-overs series was way back in 2008, while the most recent contest between the two sides was in Sri Lanka, almost exactly a year ago - a two-match T20I series, which West Indies swept comfortably. That was the last bit of cricket either of these sides played before Covid-19 brought a halt to pretty much everything.

Since then, Sri Lanka haven't fared all that well in the limited cricket they've played. Test series defeats to England and South Africa, while not totally unexpected, nevertheless added a touch more doom to the gloom considering the nature of those losses.

Then there's the small matter of Sri Lanka's build-up to this series, which has been chaotic to put it mildly. With several senior players missing, either through injury or a lack of match-fitness following Covid-related time away from training, the number of available experienced campaigners in the squad can be counted on one hand. Their captain Dasun Shanaka, meanwhile, who was fortunate enough to avoid any of these issues, misses out because he couldn't sort his visa out on time. And then there's the issue of the team's fast-bowling coach pulling out from the tour at the eleventh hour over a pay dispute - which the country's sports minister has openly stated would impact the younger players on tour. And this is without even touching on the fact that Sri Lanka haven't won a game of cricket in the past year.

While West Indies haven't done all that much better in recent times, their recent Test series win in Bangladesh will see them come in as easily the more buoyant outfit - in fact, the many fresh faces in the Lankan line-up would do well in taking inspiration from their opponents' highly improbable victory with a second-string outfit.

For both teams, though, with the 2021 T20 World Cup edging closer, the series will serve as much for building confidence as it will for working out their best combinations.

Form Guide

West Indies: LLWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LLLLL

In the spotlight

Wanindu Hasaranga was undoubtedly the breakout star of the Lanka Premier League at the tail end of last year. While his effectiveness in the recently concluded Test series against England and South Africa showed his shortcomings in the longest format, his impact in the shorter variants cannot be understated. He topped the wicket charts with 17 at 1.29, while conceding less than a run a ball, and scored his 127 runs at a strike rate of 160.75. With his legspin and his hitting down the order, he has positioned himself as a genuine match-winner.

Chris Gayle is back in the West Indies' T20 set-up after an absence of almost two years. In his two outings for the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL earlier this month, Gayle looked close to his devastating best. He has since spoken of his desire to help West Indies win another T20 World Cup, even if it means batting down the order. Even at the age of 41, a fit and motivated Gayle is a boon for almost any side.

Team news

While several big names have missed out from the squad, much of Sri Lanka's team still picks itself - though it does mean coach Mickey Arthur has some options in terms of giving some of the young players game time. In the build up to the game he spoke of the pitch potentially aiding spin, and with that in mind, Ramesh Mendis with his flighted offbreaks and prowess with the bat could be a handy inclusion.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Oshada Fernando, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Ramesh Mendis, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Nuwan Pradeep, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Akila Dananjaya.

Oshane Thomas, Sheldon Cottrell and Shimron Hetmyer - all three played a key role in West Indies' T20I series win in Sri Lanka last year, and all three miss out having failed a fitness test. This has meant recalls for the likes of Fidel Edwards, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo and Gayle - all of whom bring experience in spades. With head coach Phil Simmons stating that rotation would be kept to a minimum with one eye on the World Cup, it's also likely that spinners Akeal Hosein and Fabian Allen will see game time.

West Indies (possible): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Fabian Allen, 8 Jason Holder, 9 Dwayne Bravo, 10 Akeal Hosein, 11 Fidel Edwards.

Pitch and conditions

The Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua are known for its asymmetrical boundaries, which means bowlers from both sides will have to watch their lines particularly closely. The pitch itself is expected to take some turn, which will suit both sides in preparation for potentially similar surfaces at the T20 World Cup in India later this year.

Stats and trivia

• Chris Gayle last played a T20I in March 2019. West Indies have played 18 matches since then.
• Sri Lanka won six of their first seven T20Is against West Indies (losing only the 2012 World T20 final during this run). They have lost each of the last four meetings since.
• Sri Lanka have not won a match in a year. They have lost six games in that time: four Tests (two each to South Africa and England), and the two T20Is against West Indies in March 2020.
• West Indies have won five and lost seven of their T20Is under Kieron Pollard.

Quotes

"It is an opportunity for some young players to step up, now that we are short of our regular players. I can't wait to see these young guys get out there and do the job, and show us what they've got. The team morale is excellent; the guys are just so good, they just get on and do the work."
Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur backs his young guard to put the chaotic series build-up behind them

"We see what Chris Gayle did in his last IPL stint. He shows that both with the bat and on the field, he looks fitter and feels better and he is still hitting the ball as we want to see him do it. We've seen Fidel in the last CPL and we have seen that he can still muster over 90mph with his searing yorkers. So it is great to have the two of them with us."West Indies head coach Phil Simmons voices his support for the returning veterans

Following Baylor's bounce-back win over West Virginia and considering the fact Illinois was going to be without Ayo Dosunmu heading into its game at Michigan, it looked like we would exit Tuesday night with a pretty good idea of the first three 1-seeds and a wide-open race for the fourth spot in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Illinois had different ideas.

The Fighting Illini had one of the more surprisingly impressive performances of the season, going into Ann Arbor and hammering Michigan by 23 points despite Dosunmu missing his third straight game with a facial injury. Andre Curbelo was terrific in Dosunmu's place, while Trent Frazier led the way with 22 points. The Fighting Illini held Michigan to its fewest points in a half (22 in the first half) and limited the Wolverines to two 3-pointers and five offensive rebounds.

Illinois entered the night as the theoretical fourth 1-seed, so the Fighting Illini should feel like they're solidly on the top line right now. Michigan was the second 1-seed before the loss, but it's unlikely the Wolverines dropped enough to fall off the line completely. Baylor bounced back after its first loss of the season to beat West Virginia in overtime in Morgantown, solidifying its 1-seed and likely moving it back right behind No. 1 Gonzaga. And, of course, the undefeated Zags aren't going anywhere.

So, with 12 days remaining until Selection Sunday, are the 1-seeds locked in? For now, yes, but that doesn't mean there aren't gate-crashers ready to pounce if things go awry.

Let's play out some scenarios.

The most likely candidate is Ohio State, which entered the week atop the 2-line after three straight losses. The Buckeyes face Illinois in Columbus on Saturday, and they've already beaten the Fighting Illini once this season. If Ohio State wins on Saturday, earns a 4- or 5-seed in the Big Ten tournament and then knocks off top-seeded Michigan in the conference tournament semifinals, are the Buckeyes not playing for a 1-seed in the Big Ten title game next weekend?

Ohio State has seven Quadrant 1 wins and zero losses lower than Quadrant 2. The Buckeyes are ranked in the top eight in ESPN's strength of record, BPI, KenPom and Sagarin -- and they would own a sweep of Illinois and wins over Iowa (beat the Hawkeyes on Feb. 4) and Michigan if the above scenario played out.

Speaking of the Hawkeyes, can Iowa get to the top line? They've won five of their past six and finish the regular season with home games against Nebraska and Wisconsin. Wins there would secure the 3-seed in the Big Ten tournament, meaning they could get a shot at Illinois in the semifinals.

Their marquee wins aren't as strong as Ohio State's, but they do own a win over the Buckeyes and would also have a couple of big chances in the Big Ten tournament. Iowa also has top-five rankings in the BPI, KenPom and Sagarin. The metrics love the Hawkeyes.

Don't count out Alabama, either. The Crimson Tide already clinched the SEC regular-season title, and we've seen the selection committee look fondly upon teams that win both the regular-season and conference tournament titles. Alabama is tied with Illinois for the most combined Quadrant 1 and 2 wins of any team in college basketball, and the Crimson Tide are fifth in ESPN's strength of record, which measures resume.

The last potential option to get to the top line might be Houston. It's a long shot, but the Cougars are No. 3 in BPI, No. 4 in KenPom and No. 6 in Sagarin. The Cougars don't have the top-tier wins that the rest of the candidates have, but they are No. 4 in the NET and would have a gaudy record entering Selection Sunday.

If there's chaos in the other conference tournaments -- we're talking Purdue vs. Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, an early Baylor exit in the Big 12 tournament and Alabama getting bounced early in the SEC -- Houston cruising to a conference tournament title win would make things interesting.

I agree that the four 1-seeds look pretty solid after Tuesday night's action, but I don't think we're at a point to say it's set in stone just yet. Baylor answered some questions with Tuesday's win, but are the Bears officially back to their pre-pause selves? It wouldn't be a shock to see them lose to Oklahoma State or Texas Tech this week.

And what about what we saw in Ann Arbor on Tuesday night. How do Michigan and Illinois move forward this weekend?

There are still questions to be answered over the final week and a half of the season -- and teams are ready to jump to the top line if any openings emerge.

A parliamentary inquiry into the link between sport and long-term brain injury is being launched on Wednesday.

Last year, Sir Bobby Charlton became the fifth member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad to be diagnosed with dementia.

A number of ex-rugby union internationals are also suing for brain damage.

The Concussion in Sport inquiry, which starts on 9 March, will consider scientific evidence and hear from players and governing bodies.

The inquiry will not consider material involved in ongoing legal proceedings, but will look at potential implications of successful legal action and what impact that could have on sport in the longer term.

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee chair Julian Knight said: "We will look particularly at what role national governing bodies should be taking and their responsibilities to understand risks involved for players and what actions might be taken to mitigate them.

"We're seeing a number of cases involving brain injury in sport likely to reach the doors of our law courts and we will also look at the implications for sport in the longer term of any successful legal claim."

A 2019 study showed footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease than age-matched members of the population.

Last month, former Scotland, Manchester United and Leeds United defender Gordon McQueen was diagnosed with vascular dementia.

Former England and West Brom striker Geoff Astle died of the condition in 2002, and his daughter Dawn is working alongside the Professional Footballers' Association to help shape the way it cares for former players.

Dr Willie Stewart, the neurosurgeon who led research into football's links with dementia, has warned the issue is "not just for older-era footballers but modern-era footballers as well".

Last year heading guidelines were altered in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland to encourage coaches not to practise heading at all in training in children up to primary school age.

In the professional game concussion substitutes are being trialled in the Premier League and FA Cup, while a working group is looking at introducing similar guidelines to the ones set out for children to training.

The Football Association is currently supporting two independently led research studies examining former professional players for early signs of neurocognitive degeneration.

England football manager Gareth Southgate is taking part in the ongoing HEADING study, which works with PFA members aged 50-plus and is being conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

CONCORD, N.C. – Spire Motorsports announced Tuesday that Built Bar will be the primary sponsor of Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Built Bar is part of the Built Brands portfolio of nutritional products. Built Brands is a leading manufacturer and distributor of healthy, great-tasting protein and energy products–combining natural, clean ingredients in a unique way. Built Bar’s proprietary manufacturing process produces a great-tasting, healthy bar that is high in protein, high in fiber, and low in sugar.

“Built Brands is thrilled to extend our partnership with Corey LaJoie and join Spire Motorsports for the 2021 season,” said Nick Greer, co-founder of Built Brands. “It is our responsibility to ensure Corey is properly fueled for all his races, and we’re committed to serving as his healthy snack alternative while he’s on and off the track. Here’s to another protein-packed season, with many more to come.”

“I can’t wait to have Built Bar on our car this weekend in Las Vegas,” said LaJoie. “Nick Greer and the team at Built Brands supported me last season and I’m really proud they’ve decided to partner with us at Spire Motorsports this year. The paint scheme they came up with should certainly capture the fan’s attention and hopefully sell a bunch of protein bars. Las Vegas is one of my favorite intermediate tracks and I’m looking forward to having a strong day.”

“We’re thrilled to have Built Bar come aboard our No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr. “Corey, Nick Greer and the team at Built Brands have created a relationship that we’re excited to see transition to Spire Motorsports. The paint scheme they’ve come up with is absolutely lights out and I can’t think of a better venue to see it come to life than Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”