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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

Lauren Theisen

Braylon Mullins #24 celebrates with Malachi Smith #0 of the UConn Huskies after shooting the game-winning three point basket

College Basketball

The UConn Buzzer-Beater Was A Flawless Short Film

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Braylon Mullins of the UConn Huskies celebrates after hitting the game-winner against Duke.

Two Dazed Freshmen Authored The Tournament’s Immortal Moment

David Roth

Arizona Wildcats players pour confetti on the head coach Tommy Lloyd after winning the Big 12 Tournament championship game between the Houston Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats on March 14, 2026.

There Is No Resting State Of March Madness

Justin Ellis

J'Wan Roberts of the Houston Cougars defends the shot attempt of Cooper Flagg of the Duke Blue Devils in the final minutes of the 2025 Mens College Basketball semi final

Houston Showed Why You Play To The Final Buzzer

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

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

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

Tom Ley

DJ Burns Jr. #30 of the NC State Wolfpack cuts the net following their 76-64 victory against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

Everybody Loves DJ Burns

Wake Forest basketball fans packed together and celebrating after storming the court following their 83-79 upset victory over Duke.

Can Someone Please Tell Me If Storming The Court Is Ever OK?

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 20: High school basketball player Cooper Flagg (Montverde Academy) attends the Duke Blue Devils’ Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium on October 20, 2023 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)

Knock Me Over With A Fucking Feather, Cooper Flagg Commits To Duke

Israel Daramola

Head Coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers walks arm in arm with his players before a football game against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina on Sep 4, 2023.

College Football

Clemson Couldn’t Have Played Any Worse If They Tried

There Is A Right Answer To Duke–Oral Roberts

Kansas Jayhawks celebrate after scoring a touchdown

Kansas Has A Football Team

Rachel Richardson preparing to serve during the second set.

Volleyball

Duke Volleyball Player Says BYU Failed To Handle Fan Yelling Racial Slurs At Her

Damn That Was A Great College Basketball Game! Also, A Coach Retired

Robert Weintraub is the author of four books, including The Divine Miss Marble, now <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Miss-Marble-Tennis-Mystery/dp/1524745367/ref=asc_df_1524745367/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=459515946640&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=6202131795131082661&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9010752&amp;hvtargid=pla-926582175995&amp;psc=1">out in paperback</a>. He has also written for the New York Times, ESPN/Grantland, Slate, Columbia Journalism Review, the Guardian, Football Outsiders, and many other outlets. Follow on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/robwein" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@robwein</a>.

Robert Weintraub

Coach K seen here complaining to officials in a game that could have been played any time in the last 40 years.

Coach K’s 30 NCAA Tournament Losses, Ranked From Delightful To Even More Delightful

This Is Going To Be Absolutely Unbearable

Albert Burneko

This Is So Stupid

It’s Perfectly OK To Admit You’re Secretly Rooting For A Grizzly Bear To Tear Coach K’s Head Off

Death To The NCAA

The Whole World Got Together To Watch Coach K Eat Shit

Laura Wagner

Infinite Replay

The Phantom Foul That Introduced Me To Conspiracy Theories

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski makes a weird face

See You Later To This Butthead

Jalen Johnson Broke Everybody’s Brains

Barry Petchesky

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during the second half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 89-76. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)