College basketball transfer portal opens; Cade Horton to miss season; Masters player rankings, predictions

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🏀 Five things to know Wednesday

1. The college basketball transfer portal is open for business. Tuesday marked the first day for players to officially enter their names into the portal, and as expected, a torrent of athletes hit the open market. Many of the biggest men’s basketball standouts on the move had already announced their intentions to seek a new home, including Kansas center Flory Bidunga, who stands atop the best players available through Day 1. On the women’s side, no prominent team has been hit as hard by the portal as Tennessee, which is set to enter 2026-27 without a single returner. Also, the Audi Crooks sweepstakes is on as the All-American stands atop the portal rankings.
2. Cade Horton is out for the season. The Cubs’ worst fears came true when it was determined that Horton will require elbow surgery and miss the rest of the MLB season. Horton exited last Friday’s start with a team trainer and landed on the injured list Sunday, and the reigning NL Rookie of the Year runner-up will not throw his next pitch on a major-league mound until 2027. That leaves the North Siders with just two of their top five arms as Justin Steele (UCL surgery rehab) and Matthew Boyd (biceps strain) are also on the IL.
3. Arsenal and Bayern Munich opened the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals in victorious fashion. The first two matches of the quarterfinals are complete, and two more are on tap today. Bayern made a case to be the tournament favorites with their 2-1 win at Real Madrid, and even though Arsenal prevailed in a 1-0 triumph over Sporting CP, there are real questions about their ability to win it all. Today’s action features a Spanish matchup between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona (the No. 6 and No. 2 teams in our power rankings, respectively) and a clash between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. You can catch all the action on Paramount+.
4. Michigan stands atop the final AP Top 25 rankings. As is standard procedure, AP voters slotted the national champion into the No. 1 spot in the season’s final poll. We’re still fawning over the Wolverines and the job Dusty May completed in building a behemoth roster through the transfer portal. Not only was it an astounding feat for the coach in his second season in Ann Arbor, but it also came with a feel-good element as the lovable Yaxel Lendeborg closed his college career as a champion. Even former Michigan coach John Beilein felt like he had to witness this dominant squad’s championship pursuit in person.
5. North Carolina introduced Michael Malone. The Tar Heels made official the signing of an NBA champion coach to take over their program, and the Carolina family welcomed him with open arms. UNC legends including Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green applauded the hire, which might be the fresh start the program needs in order to get back to its championship-winning ways.

⛳ Do not miss this: Masters player rankings, expert predictions

Augusta National Golf Club will welcome 91 golfers to the tee box Thursday for the first round of the 2026 Masters. Stacking up every single competitor is a beast of a task but one that Patrick McDonald executed when he ranked the field from Xander Schauffele all the way to Brandon Holtz.

Here’s the top five:

1. Xander Schauffele
2. Scottie Scheffler
3. Jon Rahm
4. Bryson DeChambeau
5. Ludvig Åberg

One player noticeably missing from that group above is defending champion Rory McIlroy. Now that he finally possesses an elusive green jacket, the immense pressure is off him. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still motivated as Masters week arrives.

Our experts finalized their predictions for the tournament, and with McDonald ranking Schauffele at the top of the field, it is no surprise that he picked him at 18-1 to win his third major. Robby Kalland, on the other hand, likes Jon Rahm to win his second green jacket.

• Kalland: “Rahm’s been playing at a high level on LIV, but most importantly, he got that taste of contending again in majors last year. He talked after the PGA about how much he missed that feeling, and I believe that rekindled some of the fire that made him one of the most feared competitors in golf.”

Also, we have all the information you need to make sure you don’t miss any of tomorrow’s Round 1 action:

🤔 College basketball’s biggest stay-or-go decisions

The transfer portal is not the only avenue by which players will depart from their respective college basketball programs in the coming weeks. The NBA Draft looms as an option for the most elite players, and for some, there is a real decision to be made about whether they are ready for pro ball or need another year of college development. These stay-or-go verdicts will largely define the offseason and set the stage for next year’s championship favorites to emerge.

Cameron Salerno identified the 15 players who have the toughest and most impactful decisions ahead of them. None are more significant than Arizona‘s Koa Peat, who projects as a first-round pick.

• Salerno: “It may be a hot take now, but Peat is the kind of player who could be in contention to be a top-three pick in 2027 if he does return to Arizona. He would also be one of the top candidates for National Player of the Year honors.”

One of Peat’s teammates, Motiejus Krivas, is also at a crossroads. And once the dust settles on Michigan’s national championship, keep an eye on Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara and whether they return to seek back-to-back titles.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

⚾ Brewers at Red Sox, 1:35 p.m. on MLB Network
⛳ Masters Par 3 Contest, 2 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Atletico Madrid at Barcelona, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Liverpool at Paris Saint-Germain, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ Dodgers at Blue Jays, 3:07 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Astros at Rockies, 3:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Braves at Angels, 4:07 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Bucks at Pistons, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Sabres at Rangers, 7 p.m. on TNT
⚾ Tigers at Twins, 7:40 p.m. on FS1
⚽ CONCACAF Champions Cup: Tigres UNAL vs. Seattle Sounders, 9 p.m. on FS2
🏀 Trail Blazers at Spurs, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Oilers at Sharks, 10 p.m. on TNT
⚽ CONCACAF Champions Cup: Toluca vs. LA Galaxy, 11 p.m. on FS1