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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

College Basketball

UConn Imposed Some Normalcy On The Weirdest NCAA Tournament Ever

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

Dan McQuade

The sky with an angelic light behind it, the Wilson Evo NXT basketball sits in the middle

Everyone Has An Opinion On The NCAA Tournament’s Bright Orange Basketball

Tom Ley

DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 02: Jasmine Carson #2 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts after a three-point basket during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.

Jasmine Carson Lived A Shooter’s Dream

Wait, They Attach The Net How?

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Louisiana State Tigers players celebrate their win over the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament National Championship at American Airlines Center on April 2, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.

LSU Is The New Kind Of Cinderella

HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 01: (EDITORS NOTE: In this photo taken with a remote camera) Lamont Butler #5 of the San Diego State Aztecs shoots the ball to win the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at NRG Stadium on April 01, 2023 in Houston, Texas.

Good Things Happen When A Coach Gets Out Of The Way

NCAA Division I Mascot Analysis - Four mascots listed Florida Atlantic: Owlsley Temple: Hooter Kennesaw State: Scrappy Rice: Sammy Also a milk carton with "WHERE IS HOOT?" and a picture of him on it and an OWLFECTOR logo with two little owls perching on it

Owl You Need To Know About Owl Mascots

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

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

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!

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

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

David Roth

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

Podcasts

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

Ray Ratto

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 04: The Kansas Jayhawks celebrate after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

This Is All So Much Better When It’s Not About The Coaches

Hailey Van Lith #10 of the Louisville Cardinals cuts down the net after the 62-50 win over the Michigan Wolverines in the Elite Eight round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Intrust Bank Arena on March 28, 2022 in Wichita, Kansas.

Hailey Van Lith Wants To Be Your Worst Nightmare

Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

Diana Moskovitz

Members of the Creighton Bluejays women's basketball team celebrating after upsetting Iowa to make it to the Sweet 16.

Creighton Crushed Iowa’s Big Tournament Dreams

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 8: (L-R) Tom Holmoe, director of athletics at Brigham Young University, works as the NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection Committee meets on Wednesday afternoon, March 8, 2017 in New York City. The committee is gathered in New York to begin the five-day process of selecting and seeding the field of 68 teams for the NCAA MenÕs Basketball Tournament. The final bracket will be released on Sunday evening following the completion of conference tournaments. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)