| | | | | | | | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker ·Feb 17, 2021 | | 👋 Good morning! The Australian Open semifinals are nearly set: - Men's: (1) Djokovic vs. Karatsev; (2) Nadal or (5) Tsitsipas (in progress) vs. (4) Medvedev
- Women's: (10) Williams vs. (3) Osaka; (25) Muchová vs. (22) Brady
Today's word count: 1,822 words (7 minutes). | | | | | | 1 big thing: 🏀 Men's bracket, one month out |  Data: NCAA; Chart: Michelle McGhee/Axios With Selection Sunday less than a month away, teams have entered the final regular-season stretch run before the long-awaited NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. Driving the news: The selection committee revealed its top 16 seeds on Saturday to give fans a glimpse at how the bracket could shake out. We included that above, alongside the latest AP poll and NET ranking. Our full projected bracket... Photo: Soobum Im/Getty Images Region 1 - No. 1 seed: Gonzaga (20-0) has a lethal combination of talent and balanced scoring. The Bulldogs are 0.8 points shy from all five starters averaging double figures and have two projected lottery picks in Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert.
- 2–4: 2. Houston, 3. Texas Tech, 4. Iowa
- 5–10: 5. Kansas, 6. Rutgers, 7. UCLA, 8. Xavier, 9. Arkansas, 10. Seton Hall
- 11–16: 11. Drake, 12. Belmont, 13. UAB, 14. Siena, 15. Northeastern, 16. North Carolina A&T/Prairie View A&M
Region 2 - No. 1 seed: Baylor (17-0) will return to action next Tuesday after a six-game COVID-19 hiatus. The Bears can fill it up offensively (87 ppg ranks fourth) and have no problem blowing teams out (+24 scoring margin leads the nation).
- 2–4: 2. Illinois, 3. Tennessee, 4. Florida State
- 5–10: 5. Missouri, 6. Virginia Tech, 7. Oklahoma State, 8. Louisville, 9. Minnesota, 10. LSU
- 11–16: 11. St. Bonaventure, 12. Oregon/UConn, 13. Winthrop, 14. Grand Canyon, 15. Cleveland State, 16. South Dakota/Bryant
Region 3 - No. 1 seed: Michigan's (14-1) incredible season has Juwan Howard in the running for coach of the year. "We know he has our back," senior captain Isaiah Livers told The Athletic (subscription). "Whatever he says, we rock with."
- 2–4: 2. Alabama, 3. West Virginia, 4. Oklahoma
- 5–10: 5. Creighton, 6. Wisconsin, 7. Colorado, 8. Clemson, 9. BYU, Indiana
- 11–16: 11. Boise State, 12. Utah State, 13. UNC Greensboro, 14. UC Irvine, 15. UMBC, 16. Sam Houston State
Region 4 - No. 1 seed: Ohio State (17-4) has gone 9-1 with four wins over ranked teams in its last 10 games. One key? Junior Justin Ahrens, who's been lights out from deep (25-55) since becoming a starter nine games ago.
- 2–4: 2. Villanova, 3. Virginia, 4. Texas
- 5–10: 5. USC, 6. Purdue, 7. Florida, 8. Loyola Chicago, 9. San Diego State, 10. UNC
- 11–16: 11. VCU/Stanford, 12. Toledo, 13. Liberty, 14. Navy, 15. Eastern Washington, 16. Texas State
The bubble: - Last four in: VCU, Stanford, Oregon, UConn
- First four out: Maryland, Saint Louis, St. John's, Syracuse
|     | | | | | | 2. 🏀 Women's bracket, one month out |  Data: NCAA; Chart: Michelle McGhee/Axios Selection Monday is also about a month away, with the women's March Madness bubble set for San Antonio, Jeff writes. Our projected bracket... Region 1 - No. 1 seed: UConn's (16-1) stretch of dominance — 11 titles and 21 No. 1 seeds since 1994 — reads like a typo. Freshman sensation Paige Bueckers is even better than advertised and will be the tournament's main attraction.
- 2–4: 2. Arizona, 3. Baylor, 4. Tennessee
- 5–10: 5. Arkansas, 6. Mississippi State, 7. Texas, 8. Michigan State, 9. South Dakota, 10. UCF
- 11–16: 11. Wake Forest, 12. UNC, 13. Delaware, 14. Marist, 15. Idaho State, 16. Alabama State
Region 2 - No. 1 seed: South Carolina (17-2) dominates around the basket. Led by forward Aliyah Boston, the Gamecocks block more shots (7.4 per game) than any other team and boast the nation's best rebounding margin (+16.9).
- 2–4: 2. Maryland, 3. UCLA, 4. West Virginia
- 5–10: 5. Georgia Tech, 6. Gonzaga, 7. Alabama, 8. Marquette, 9. Iowa, 10. Florida State
- 11–16: 11. Stephen F. Austin, 12. Bowling Green, 13. Colorado State, 14. Maine, 15. Louisiana, 16. Samford
Photo: Soobum Im/Getty Images Region 3 - No. 1 seed: Stanford (19-2) spent the first couple months on the road amid Santa Clara County's strict protocols. But that didn't faze them one bit.
- 2–4: 2. NC State, 3. Georgia, 4. Indiana
- 5–10: 5. USF, 6. Missouri State, 7. DePaul, 8. Iowa State, 9. Rutgers, 10. Virginia Tech
- 11–16: 11. Washington State, 12. Bucknell, 13. Dayton, 14. UT Martin, 15. High Point, 16. St. Francis (Pa.)
Region 4 - No. 1 seed: Louisville's (19-1) only loss came as the AP No. 1 to NC State, who also beat then-No. 1 South Carolina. Everything flows through Dana Evans, the reigning ACC POY and a top candidate for national POY.
- 2–4: 2. Texas A&M, 3. Oregon, 4. Kentucky
- 5–10: 5. Michigan, 6. Northwestern, 7. Syracuse, 8. South Dakota State, 9. Oklahoma State, 10. FGCU
- 11–16: 11. BYU, 12. Rice, 13. UC Davis, 14. Wright State, 15. North Carolina A&T, 16. Grand Canyon
The bubble: - Last four in: Wake Forest, Washington State, UNC, BYU
- First four out: Notre Dame, Clemson, USC, LSU
| | | | | | | | 3. 👟 Adidas confirms plan to sell Reebok |  | | | Photo: Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images | | | | Adidas confirmed Tuesday that it is selling Reebok, likely at a steep discount from the $3.8 billion it spent to acquire the brand 16 years ago. - Prospective buyers include Chinese sportswear giant Anta and VF Corp., which recently acquired Supreme, per Business of Fashion (subscription).
- Master P and Baron Davis spoke to CNBC in December about their desire to jointly buy the brand and "make it cool, make it Black."
 Data: Investing.com; Chart: Axios Visuals Snapshot: Here's how the stocks of the big four sports apparel brands have performed over the past year: - Nike (+36.9%)
- Puma (+33.2%)
- Under Armour (+30.3%)
- Adidas (+14.4%)
| | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Keep up with Denver sports | | |  | | | | Get a daily digest of the most important news — including sports — with Axios Denver. Why it matters: It's more important than ever to stay up to date on the events unfolding around you. Subscribe for free | | | | | | 4. ⚾️ Spring training is here |  | | | Red Sox during spring training, 2020. Photo: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images | | | | Spring training, believe it or not, begins today, Jeff writes. Season schedule: - Today: General reporting
- Feb. 26: Mandatory reporting
- Feb. 28: Exhibition games begin
- Apr. 1: Opening Day
- July 13: All-Star Game (Atlanta)
- Oct. 3: Regular season end
- Oct. 26: World Series, Game 1
The state of play: MLB's health and safety protocols will give spring training a slightly different look. - Mandatory, five-day quarantine for all players prior to reporting.
- Altered schedules in Florida's Grapefruit League to cut down on travel.
- Camps are capped at 75 players to limit crowding, and most minor leaguers won't report until the big leaguers have decamped.
- Attendance will be limited to about 25% capacity in the municipalities where laws allow for even that many fans.
What they're saying: Spring training will still have some magical elements, but the experience will be far from normal — something players and coaches are acutely aware of, and familiar with, following last season's fanless campaign. "It's my favorite time of the year, but it's not going to be as much fun, and I don't think it's bad to acknowledge that." — Indians manager Terry Francona, via ESPN Go deeper: Offseason winners and losers (The Ringer) | | | | | | | | 5. ⚽️ Bush-Clinton: D.C.'s new sports owners |  | | | Jenna Bush Hager and Chelsea Clinton. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Friends Of Hudson River Park and Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Lincoln Center | | | | Chelsea Clinton and Jenna Bush Hager have joined a group investing in the NWSL's Washington Spirit, WashPost reports. The big picture: The Spirit are the latest NWSL franchise to add a high-profile owner or owners. What's next: The NWSL will begin the 2021 campaign with the Challenge Cup (April 9–May 8), where each of the league's 10 teams will host two matches. The regular season begins in mid-May. | | | | | | | | 6. 🌎 Photos 'round the world | | Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images FORT WORTH, Texas — Winter storm Uri has caused numerous postponements across the NBA, NHL and NCAA as Texas' infrastructure struggles to weather the state's coldest winter in decades. - In non-snow-related Texas news, the NBA postponed six games after four Spurs tested positive on Sunday.
Photo: Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images BARCELONA — Kylian Mbappé's hat trick led PSG past Barcelona, 4-1, in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 matchup. - This was the first hat trick Barça has ever conceded in the knockout stage, and Mbappé now has 22 goals in 41 career Champions League games.
Photo: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images GLENCOE, Scotland — On the other side of the world, snow is welcome but people aren't as Scotland remains in a near nationwide lockdown. | | | | | | | | 7. 🎓 The College Athletes Bill of Rights |  | | | Cory Booker. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images | | | | This week, we're examining the NIL landscape and the future of college athletes' rights. Of all the NIL bills that have been introduced in Congress, the most ambitious swing came from Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who proposed a College Athletes Bill of Rights. Details: The proposal would guarantee NCAA athletes monetary compensation, long-term health care, lifetime educational scholarships and even revenue sharing, among other things. Some highlights: - Compensation: It would allow athletes to market their NIL rights with minimal restrictions, while also requiring revenue-generating sports to share 50% of profits with athletes from that sport (after scholarships are deducted).
- Health: The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Sports Science Institution and NCAA would develop health, wellness and safety standards.
- Education: College athletes would receive a scholarship for as many years as it takes for them to receive an undergraduate degree.
- Medical Trust Fund: Athletes could use the fund to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses during their time as college athletes— and for five years after their eligibility expires if used to treat a sport-related injury.
- Commission: The Commission on College Athletics would be established to ensure athletes are aware of their new rights and that those rights are upheld.
📆 Coming up: Axios Sports has partnered with The Aspen Institute on a series called "Future of Sports," and Booker is speaking at our virtual event this Friday. - Topic: Future of College Sports; Reimagining Athletes' Rights.
- Speakers: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence and longtime college football coach Tony Franklin.
✍️ Wanna come? Register here. | | | | | | | | 8. 📆 Feb. 17, 1968: Hoops Hall of Fame opens |  | | | Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. Photo: John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images | | | | 53 years ago today, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opened in Springfield, Massachusetts. - The building is just a couple miles from where James Naismith invented the sport in 1891 at the International YMCA Training School (now Springfield College).
- The 416 inductees date back to 1959, when former Colby College AD Lee Williams established the Hall. They struggled to secure funds for a physical location until finally opening in 1968.
- Fun fact: The Hall of Fame has a replica of Naismith's original gym.
Other Halls: - ⚾️ Baseball: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Cooperstown, New York); opened in 1939 (established in 1936); 333 inductees
- 🏈 Football: Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, Ohio); opened in 1963; 354 inductees
- 🏒 Hockey: Hockey Hall of Fame (Toronto); opened in 1961 (established in 1943); 417 inductees
🎥 Watch: Take a tour (YouTube) | | | | | | | | 9. 🏈 Football trivia |  | | | Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images | | | | Charles Woodson this month became the 10th member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who also won the Heisman Trophy. - Question: Can you name the other nine?
- Hint: They won Heismans in 1948, 1956, 1963, 1968, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1988.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🍿 Chart du jour: Streaming wars |  Data: Company filings; Chart: Michelle McGhee/Axios Netflix is still winning the streaming wars, but Disney+ is rising fast, accruing nearly half as many subscribers in a year as Netflix accrued over the past decade. What to watch: Looking for something to stream? Here are a few picks. | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Keep up with Denver sports | | | | | | | | Get a daily digest of the most important news — including sports — with Axios Denver. Why it matters: It's more important than ever to stay up to date on the events unfolding around you. Subscribe for free | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "If you nail the trivia, you're a legend" Baker Trivia answer: Doak Walker (1948 Heisman), Paul Hornung (1956), Roger Staubach (1963), O.J. Simpson (1968), Tony Dorsett (1976), Earl Campbell (1977), Marcus Allen (1981), Tim Brown (1987), Barry Sanders (1988), Charles Woodson (1998) 🙏 Thank you for reading Axios Sports. Follow me on Twitter for more updates throughout the day, and be sure to refer friends using your link below. | | Invite friends to follow Axios Sports Use your personal link to track how many readers you bring into the community  You currently have 00 referrals. Share with a friend For questions email referralsupport@axios.com. Participation in the Axios Sports Referral Program constitutes your acceptance of the Axios Terms and Conditions of Use, which can be viewed here. | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters.
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