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Death To The NCAA

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts during the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena on March 26, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.

Iowa Is The Truth

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: Markquis Nowell #1 of the Kansas State Wildcats reacts during the second half of the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls during the Elite Eight round of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2023 in New York City.

Markquis Nowell Had Two Incredible Games. It Was Not Enough.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: Giancarlo Rosado #3 of the Florida Atlantic Owls celebrates after defeating the Kansas State Wildcats during the Elite Eight round of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2023 in New York City.

FAU Stayed Calm All The Way To The Final Four

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Greg Kampe of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies reacts in the second half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on December 21, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan.

Greg Kampe’s Been Running The Football Inbounds Play For 25 Years. No One Has Been Able To Stop It.

Jon Solomon (masked) sits in a sea of empty black chairs in Section 113 at Jadwin Gym in Princeton.

Jon Solomon, Princeton’s Number One Fan, Has Made Me Believe In The Tigers

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 23: Markquis Nowell #1 of the Kansas State Wildcats reacts during the second half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans during the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2023 in New York City.

Markquis Nowell Returned Home And Put On A Show At MSG

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Julian Strawther pulls up from the logo for the game-winner.

Julian Strawther’s Lunatic Confidence Gave Gonzaga Their Best Shot

David Roth

Dillon Brooks smiling on the floor during a Grizzlies game against the Philadelphia 76ers in February of 2023.

Podcasts

The Man Who Loved Dillon Brooks, With Rohan Nadkarni

FAU’s 'shotgun' inbounds play, with four players running from the baseline onto the court and a "quarterback" player getting ready to throw the ball

No One, Not Even The Washington Generals, Can Defend This Unstoppable Inbounds Play

Destiny Harden #3 of the Miami Hurricanes reacts after making the game winning shot against the Indiana Hoosiers during the second round of the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on March 20, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana.

Fraudiana!

PALO ALTO, CA - MARCH 19: Madison Scott #24 of the Ole Miss Rebels shoots the ball against Haley Jones #30 of the Stanford Cardinal during the second round of the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at the Stanford Maples Pavilion on March 19, 2023 in Palo Alto, California.

Stanfraud!

Lauren Theisen

Markquis Nowell Doesn’t Get Discouraged

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 19: Johnell Davis #1 of the Florida Atlantic Owls dunks the ball against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights during the second half in the second round game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 19, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio.

FDU Was Trying To Make History. Johnell Davis Did It Instead

Head coach Karl Smesko gets doused by his team as he enters the locker room following the first round of the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Finneran Pavilion on March 18, 2023 in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

FGCU Is The Very Model Of A Modern Mid-Major

Tom Ley

DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 15: Ansley Almonor #5 and Jo'el Emanuel #13 of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights celebrate after defeating the Texas Southern Tigers in the First Four game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 15, 2023 in Dayton, Ohio.

The NCAA Men’s Tournament Just Keeps Getting Weirder

Purdue center Zach Edey scowls at and squeezes a basketball during the Big Ten Championship Game against Penn State.

Season Of The Oaf, With Ken Pomeroy

The Maryland Terrapins mascot, Testudo, peers into the camera

Everything You Need To Know About Maryland–West Virginia

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 15: A general view of Wells Fargo Arena during open practice ahead of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament First Round on March 15, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (

It’s March Freakin’ Madness. Here’s Your Open Thread

<div>Dave Madden is the author of two books, and his essays have appeared in The Guardian, Harper&#8217;s, Lithub, Zyzzyva, and elsewhere. He teaches nonfiction in the MFA Program at the University of San Francisco, and publishes a newsletter named <a href="https://shennymag.substack.com/">Shenny</a>.</div>

Dave Madden

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski congratulates UNC forward Brady Manek after his Blue Devils lost in the 2022 Final Four.

The Family Queer Flies Home For March Madness

There Is A Right Answer To Duke–Oral Roberts

DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 14: Shakeel Moore #3 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs misses a three point basket against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half in the First Four game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 14, 2023 in Dayton, Ohio.

They Didn’t Need A Three

Taylor Soule #13 and Georgia Amoore #5 of the Virginia Tech Hokies reacts after a three-point basket by Soule against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship game at Greensboro Coliseum on March 05, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Virginia Tech won 75-67.

Virginia Tech Has The Hot Streak And A Lot More To Prove

Justin Ellis

Alabama Crimson Tide players celebrate winning the SEC Mens Basketball Tournament championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas A&amp;M Aggies on March 12, 2023 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Bracket Is Set

Right: Patrick Gardner in number 15. Left: Patrick Gardner in number 33.

Patrick Gardner Was Great, No Matter His Number

Maryland Terrapins head coach Brenda Frese talks to Maryland Terrapins guard Diamond Miller (1) during the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship sweet sixteen round game between the Stanford Cardinal and the Maryland Terrapins on March 25, 2022, at Spokane Veterans Memorial Stadium in Spokane, WA.