First Down

TODAY’S BEST BET ON TELEVISION

Time for one last good NBA game Detroit at Cleveland before the tournament takes over your week. 8 p.m., ESPN

TODAY ON WASHINGTONTIMES.COM

D1SCOURSE: Patrick Stevens weighs in on the NCAA tournament … and the NIT.

Nats Home Plate: Mark Zuckerman stops by for his live chat at 1 p.m.

NEWSMAKERS

Tiger Woods

Byron Nelson’s record of 11 straight wins looks more and more reachable with every round Woods plays.

Rick Adelman

The Rockets coach has Houston scoring and playing defense — without Yao Ming — in midst of incredible win streak.

Ben Howland

Speaking of coaches, UCLA’s head man has a perfectly paved path to the Final Four. It would be the Bruins’ third straight trip.

Chad Johnson

The flashy, productive wideout is undecided on his future with the Bengals. This won’t go unnoticed in Ashburn.

Isiah Thomas

The long New York nightmare is on its way to an end. The Knicks reportedly have started searching for his replacement.

TWT FIVE FIRST-ROUND NCAA TOURNAMENT GAMES

1. USC (6) vs. Kansas State (11): Thank goodness the committee comes through with clever matchups like this.

2. Notre Dame (5) vs. George Mason (12): Everyone’s eager to see whether the Patriots strike again.

3. Xavier (3) vs. Georgia (14): A good team from a bad conference vs. arguably the hottest team coming into the tournament.

4. Vanderbilt (4) vs. Siena (13): This year’s trendy upset pick.

5. Gonzaga (7) vs. Davidson (10): It’s mid-major madness!