CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

College Baseball

College Basketball

College Football

College Gymnastics

College Hockey

College Softball

College Wrestling

Death To The NCAA

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Bree Hall #23 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 30, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks Are Escape Artists

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

Dan McQuade

8 Nov 2001: Alex Wesby #23 of Temple and #50 of Florida jump for the ball during the game in the Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Florida won 72-64. The photo is cropped so you only see the heads and arms of both players. Wesby is facing the camera; Haslem is looking away from it.

Eliminate The Possession Arrow

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 29: Jon Scheyer head coach of the Duke Blue Devils has a laugh with Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils after winning the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on March 29, 2025 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Cooper Flagg, wearing a hat and a blue Duke East Regional championship shirt has his hands over his face while Duke coach Scheyer has him in a half-hug with. a huge grin on his face. Scheyer is wearing the same shirt as Flagg, and the same hat too—only his is backwards.

Oh, No! They Made A Likable Duke Basketball Team

Ray Ratto

UCLA Bruins gathers against the LSU Lady Tigers during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington.

UCLA Finally Finds Its Place

Dave McKenna

Darrion Williams #5 and Kevin Overton #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders react after Williams scored a three point basket to tie the game during the second half in the West Regional Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Chase Center on March 27, 2025 in San Francisco, California.

Texas Tech Made It Feel Like Destiny

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans is attended to by team staff after being injured against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the Second Round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Galen Center on March 24, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

JuJu Watkins’s Season Ends With A Torn ACL

Dan Hurley making a skeptical face with his glasses pushed up onto his forehead during UConn's loss to Florida in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Dan Hurley Is The Last Angry Man

Tom Ley

Derik Queen #25 of the Maryland Terrapins makes a shot against Ethan Morton #25 of the Colorado State Rams to win the game 72-71 in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena on March 23, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

One Good Shot Deserves A Great One

The McNeese Cowboys celebrate their win over the Clemson University Tigers during the first round of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Amica Mutual Pavillion on March 20, 2025 in Providence, Rhode Island.

Defector Up All Night

Have A Ball In The March Madness Open Thread

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND - MARCH 20: The McNeese Cowboys celebrate their win over the Clemson University Tigers during the first round of the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Amica Mutual Pavillion on March 20, 2025 in Providence, Rhode Island. A player is sticking his tongue out while being mobbed by teammates.

All You Have To Do Is Hold On

David Roth

Bruce Pearl yelling with his hand cupped around his mouth, looking pretty insane, during a game against Texas A&M on March 4, 2025.

Podcasts

Through The Transfer Portal, With Ken Pomeroy

<a href="https://twitter.com/kenpomeroy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ken</a> has been cranking out college basketball statistics at <a href="http://kenpom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kenpom.com</a> since 2004. He’s written at The Athletic, Slate, the late ESPN The Magazine, and the late Basketball Prospectus. He hopes to live long enough to see the men&#8217;s game start using quarters, like every other basketball league in the world.

Ken Pomeroy

Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm speaks with Deivon Smith #5 of the St. John's Red Storm during the first half of the game against the Connecticut Huskies on February 23, 2025.

Tom Izzo And Rick Pitino Are Up Against One Of March’s Weirdest Curses

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans is defended by Paige Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies during the second half of an NCAA women's basketball game at the XL Center on December 21, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Case For And Against Every Contender In The Women’s Tournament

Hayden Gray #3, Justin Rochelin #5, and Yaqub Mir #22 of the UC San Diego Tritons celebrate after their team's 75-61 victory against the UC Irvine Anteaters to win the Big West Men's Basketball Tournament on March 15, 2025.

And Now It Is March

Lauren Theisen

Head coach Travis DeCuire of the Montana Grizzlies talks with the team during a time out against the Northern Colorado Bears the Big Sky Conference Championshi

You Should Only Get One Timeout In Basketball

John Feinstein Never Stopped Doing Everything

Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury reacts during the first quarter against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 04, 2024 in Seattle, Washington

WNBA

Who Had Diana?

Patrick Redford

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 08: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils looks over the court during the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Dean E. Smith Center on March 08, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Where Should Cooper Flagg End Up?

Head coach Kara Lawson of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates with her team following their victory against the NC State Wolfpack in the championship game of the ACC women's basketball tournament at First Horizon Coliseum on March 9, 2025 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Kara Lawson And Duke Get Revenge With A Conference Title

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 03: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 03, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Cooper Flagg Has Had A Season For The Ages

Giri Nathan

Doug Gottlieb reacts while coaching the Green Bay Phoenix.

Doug Gottlieb Is Immersed In The Grim Men’s Lifestyle

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans celebrates a 71-60 win against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at Galen Center on February 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

JuJu Watkins Is The Whole Story

Tennessee Lady Vols forward Zee Spearman (11) celebrates during the women's college basketball game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and the UConn Huskies on February 6, 2025, at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN.

Tennessee Tried Something New And Beat An Old Rival

Justin Ellis

Arizona State University basketball coach Bobby Hurley freaks out at a referee after one of his players is ejected from a game