NBA playoff picture: All of the scenarios and stakes for postseason contenders down the stretch run

The NBA playoff picture will come into clearer view each day between now and the end of the regular season on April 12. In the meantime, we will provide detailed daily updates on the landscape, including magic numbers, remaining schedules and the stakes forevery day's slate of games.

Jump to: Western Conference

EASTERN CONFERENCE

In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, in some order, appear bound for the top four playoff seeds and home-court advantage in the opening round. The Pistons, who hold a five-game lead on the Celtics and Knicks, are almost certain to capture the East's No. 1 seed, barring a complete meltdown in the absence of injured Cade Cunningham (collapsed lung).

Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season

Who, exactly, those four teams will play in the opening round is entirely up for grabs, as just two wins separate the fifth seed from the 10th seed. The Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat are all jockeying for position down the stretch of a season that has surpassed 70 games.

Technically, the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls are still alive for postseason contention, though they are locked in a different kind of race — one for lottery odds.

Playoff-bound, seeding to be determined

1.Detroit Pistons

Record:52-19 |Net rating:8.0 (2nd)

• Clinched playoff berth

• Magic number for No. 1 seed: 6

• Remaining schedule: ATL, NOP, @MIN, @OKC, TOR, MIN, @PHI, @ORL, MIL, @CHA, @IND

• Highest possible finish: No. 1 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 4 seed

What's at stake:The No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Battling for guaranteed playoff spot

2.Boston Celtics

Record:(47-24) |Net rating:7.8 (3rd)

• Magic number for No. 2 seed: 11

• Remaining schedule: OKC, ATL, @CHA, @ATL, @MIA, @MIL, TOR, CHA, @NYK, NOP, ORL

• Highest possible finish: No. 1 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed

What's at stake:The No. 2 seed and home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

3.New York Knicks

Record:48-25 |Net rating:6.8 (5th)

• Magic number for No. 3 seed: 8

• Remaining schedule: @CHA, @OKC, @HOU, @MEM, CHI, @ATL, BOS, TOR, CHA

• Highest possible finish: No. 1 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed

What's at stake:The No. 2 seed and home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

4.Cleveland Cavaliers

Record:45-27 |Net rating:4.3 (8th)

• Magic number for No. 4 seed: 7

• Remaining schedule: MIA, MIA, @UTA, @LAL, @GSW, IND, @MEM, ATL, @ATL, WAS

• Highest possible finish: No. 1 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed

What's at stake:The No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round.

5.Toronto Raptors

Record:40-31 |Net rating:2.0 (12th)

• Magic number for No. 5 seed: 11

• Remaining schedule: @LAC, NOP, ORL, @DET, SAC, @MEM, @BOS, MIA, MIA, @NYK, BKN

• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed

What's at stake:The No. 5 or 6 seed and a guaranteed playoff berth.

6.Atlanta Hawks

Record:40-32 |Net rating:1.7 (13th)

• Magic number for No. 6 seed: 9

• Remaining schedule: @DET, @BOS, SAC, BOS, @ORL, @BKN, NYK, @CLE, CLE, @MIA

• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed

• Lowest possible finish: Out of the postseason

What's at stake:The No. 5 or 6 seed and a guaranteed playoff berth.

7.Philadelphia 76ers

Record:39-33 |Net rating:-0.8 (19th)

• Magic number for No. 7 seed: 10

• Remaining schedule: CHI, @CHA, @MIA, @WAS, MIN, DET, @SAS, @HOU, @IND, MIL

• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed

• Lowest possible finish: Out of the postseason

What's at stake:The No. 5 or 6 seed and a guaranteed playoff berth.

8.Orlando Magic

Record:38-34 |Net rating:0.7 (17th)

• Magic number for No. 8 seed: Do not control own destiny

• Remaining schedule: SAC, @TOR, PHX, ATL, @DAL, @NOP, DET, MIN, @CHI, @BOS

• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed

• Lowest possible finish: Out of the postseason

What's at stake:The No. 5 or 6 seed and a guaranteed playoff berth.

9.Charlotte Hornets

Record:38-34 |Net rating:4.7 (6th)

• Magic number for No. 9 seed: 10

• Remaining schedule: NYK, PHI, BOS, @BKN, PHX, IND, @MIN, @BOS, DET, @NYK

• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed

• Lowest possible finish: Out of the postseason

What's at stake:The No. 5 or 6 seed and a guaranteed playoff berth.

10.Miami Heat

Record:38-34 |Net rating:2.4 (11th)

• Magic number for No. 10 seed: 3

• Remaining schedule: @CLE, @CLE, @IND, PHI, BOS, WAS, @TOR, @TOR, @WAS, ATL

• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed

• Lowest possible finish: Out of the postseason

What's at stake:The No. 5 or 6 seed and a guaranteed playoff berth.

Advertisement

Still technically alive

11.Milwaukee Bucks

Record:29-42 |Net rating:-5.5 (25th)

12.Chicago Bulls

Record:29-42 |Net rating:-4.3 (23rd)

What's at stake:Whichever team finishes with a worse record will receive a 20.3% chance at a top-four pick and a 4.5% chance at the No. 1 pick. And whichever team finishes with a better record will get a 13.9% shot at top four and a 3% shot at No. 1.

However, if the Bucks do ultimately land the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery — or any selection higher than the New Orleans Pelicans — it will convey to the Hawks.

Wednesday's games of consequence (all times Eastern)

• Hawks at Pistons, 7 p.m.

• Bulls at 76ers, 7 p.m.

• Thunder at Celtics, 7:30 p.m.

• Heat at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m.

• Bucks at Blazers, 10 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are bound for the top two seeds, with OKC holding a considerable lead for the league's No. 1 overall seed.

The Los Angeles Lakers, with their recent nine-game winning streak, moved in as heavy favorites to capture the conference's No. 3 seed. Beyond them is anyone's guess.

Zero losses separate the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets, who are all but guaranteed the West's final three guaranteed playoff spots. Only one of those three teams will earn home-court advantage in the first round.

The conference's play-in tournament field is also all but set. The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors appear headed for the Nos. 7 and 10 seeds, respectively. And the L.A. Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers will duke it out for the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds.

Playoff-bound, seeding to be determined

1.Oklahoma City Thunder

Record:57-15 |Net rating:11.1 (1st)

• Clinched playoff berth

• Magic number for No. 1 seed: 8

• Remaining schedule: @BOS, CHI, NYK, DET, LAL, UTA, @LAL, @LAC, @DEN, PHX

• Highest possible finish: No. 1 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 2 seed

What's at stake:The No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

2.San Antonio Spurs

Record:54-18 |Net rating:7.7 (4th)

• Clinched playoff berth

• Magic number for No. 2 seed: 2

• Remaining schedule: @MEM, @MIL, CHI, @GSW, @LAC, @DEN, PHI, POR, DAL, DEN

• Highest possible finish: No. 1 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 4 seed

What's at stake:The No. 2 seed and home-court advantage in the Western Conference semifinals.

Battling for guaranteed playoff spot

3.Los Angeles Lakers

Record:46-26 |Net rating:1.2 (14th)

• Magic number for No. 3 seed: 8

• Remaining schedule: @IND, BKN, WAS, CLE, @OKC, @DAL, OKC, @GSW, PHX, UTA

• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed

What's at stake:The No. 3 seed and home-court advantage in the first round.

4.Denver Nuggets

Record:45-28 |Net rating:4.4 (7th)

• Magic number for No. 4 seed: 9

• Remaining schedule: DAL, UTA, GSW, @UTA, SAS, POR, MEM, OKC, @SAS

• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed

What's at stake:The No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round.

5.Minnesota Timberwolves

Record:44-28 |Net rating:3.6 (10th)

• Magic number for No. 5 seed: 10

• Remaining schedule: HOU, DET, @DAL, @DET, @PHI, CHA, @IND, @ORL, @HOU, NOP

• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 9 seed

What's at stake:The No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round.

6.Houston Rockets

Record:43-28 |Net rating:4.0 (9th)

• Magic number for No. 6 seed: 7

• Remaining schedule: @MIN, @MEM, @NOP, NYK, MIL, UTA, @GSW, @PHX, PHI, MIN, MIN

• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed

What's at stake:The No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round.

7.Phoenix Suns

Record:40-33 |Net rating:1.0 (15th)

• Magic number for No. 7 seed: 7

• Remaining schedule: UTA, @MEM, @ORL, @CHA, @CHI, HOU, DAL, @LAL, @OKC

• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed

What's at stake:The No. 7 seed and home-court advantage against the No. 8 seed in their opening game of the play-in tournament.

8.Los Angeles Clippers

Record:36-36 |Net rating:1.0 (16th)

• Magic number for No. 8 seed: 9

• Remaining schedule: TOR, @IND, @MIL, POR, SAS, @SAC, DAL, OKC, @POR, GSW

• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed

What's at stake:The No. 8 seed and two chances to secure a playoff berth.

9.Portland Trail Blazers

• Magic number for No. 9 seed: 9

• Remaining schedule: MIL, DAL, WAS, @LAC, NOP, @DEN, @SAS, LAC, SAC

• Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed

• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed

What's at stake:The No. 8 seed and two chances to secure a playoff berth.

10.Golden State Warriors

• Magic number for No. 10 seed: 3

• Remaining schedule: @DAL, BKN, WAS, @DEN, SAS, CLE, HOU, SAC, LAL, @SAC, @LAC

• Highest possible finish: No. 6 seed

• Lowest possible finish: Out of the postseason

What's at stake:The No. 10 seed and a berth in the play-in tournament.

Still technically alive

12.Memphis Grizzlies

Record:24-47 |Net rating:-3.8 (22nd)

What's at stake:Lottery odds!

Wednesday's games of consequence (all times Eastern)

• Lakers at Pacers, 7 p.m.

• Thunder at Celtics, 7:30 p.m.

• Spurs at Grizzlies, 8 p.m.
  MEM is eliminated from postseason contention with a loss or a GSW win

• Rockets at Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m.

• Mavericks at Nuggets, 10 p.m.

• Nets at Warriors, 10 p.m.
  GSW is locked into the play-in tournament with a loss, a MEM loss and a HOU win

• Bucks at Blazers, 10 p.m.

• Raptors at Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

byAdministrator

in

March 25, 2026

NBA playoff picture: All of the scenarios and stakes for postseason contenders down the stretch run

The NBA playoff picture will come into clearer view each day between now and the end of the regular season on April 12. I...

Read More

March Madness: Here's one thing you need to know about each of the 16 teams remaining in men's field

Florida isn't around to defend its title anymore, but all the other top seeds in this year's NCAA Tournament are still around.

NCAA Kentucky Iowa St Basketball

And many of them are winning convincingly.

In the first week of the NCAA Tournament, games were decided by an average of 15.3 points. According to Sportradar, that represents the third-highest average margin of victory through the round of 32 since 1985, when the tournament expanded to 64 teams before eventually getting to its current 68-team format.

The only NCAA Tournaments with higher average victory margin since then came in 1993 (16.1) and 2024 (15.4).

Florida, whichlost to Iowa 73-72on Sunday, is the only team seeded No. 1 or No. 2 that didn't get to the Sweet 16. As the tournament prepares to enter its second week, here's a statistic worth noting for each of the remaining 16 teams.

West

Purdue: The Boilermakers are shooting an NCAA Tournament-leading 57.9% (22 of 38) from 3-point range through the first two rounds. In its79-69 winover Miami on Sunday, Purdue became the fourth team ever to shoot at least 50% overall, 50% from 3-point range and 95% from the free-throw line in an NCAA Tournament game. The others were Syracuse vs. Montana State in 1996, Marquette vs. Missouri in 2003 and UConn vs. N.C. State in 2022. Next up for Purdue is Texas, a First Four team which has allowed its three NCAA Tournament foes to make just 25.9% of their 3-point attempts.

Texas: Dailyn Swain had five turnovers and just four assists in aFirst Four victoryover N.C. State, but he has totaled 12 assists and one turnover in the two games since.

Arizona: The Wildcats have an NCAA Tournament-leading plus-24.5 rebound margin through their first two games. That statistic's importance is evident from the fact that six of the top eight Division I teams in rebound margin heading into the NCAA Tournament are still alive: Tennessee, Michigan State, Duke, Arizona, Illinois and Michigan. The two exceptions both made the NCAA Tournament but lost in the opening weekend: Florida and Saint Mary's.

Arkansas: Darius Acuff's 60 points are the most by a freshman in the first two rounds of any NCAA Tournament. Nobody else still playing has scored that many points in this NCAA Tournament. Acuff has joined Chris Paul (in 2004 with Wake Forest) and Derrick Rose (in 2008 with Memphis) as the only freshmen to have multiple NCAA Tournament games with at least 20 points and five assists.

South

Nebraska: Although Nebraska had never won an NCAA Tournament game before last week, Florida's loss to Iowa means the Cornhuskers now have the longest postseason win streak (not counting conference tournaments) of any team left in the field. Nebraska won four straight games over Arizona State, Georgetown, Boise State and Central Florida to win the College Basketball Crown last year in Las Vegas.

Iowa: This will be the third time Iowa and Nebraska have faced off this season. The home team won the two previous meetings — a57-52 Iowa triumphon Feb. 17 and an84-75 Nebraska overtime victoryon March 8. Iowa must take better care of the basketball this time. Iowa totaled 22 assists and 31 turnovers in those two previous meetings with the Cornhuskers.

Advertisement

Houston: The Cougars are in the Sweet 16 for a seventh consecutive time, which represents the longest active streak of any school. Houston still has a way to go to match North Carolina's record of 13 straight Sweet 16 appearances from 1981-93. Sweet 16 records began in 1975, the first year all teams were required to win at least one game to get to that round.

Illinois: Tomislav Ivisic had 14 points and 11 rebounds in a second-roundwin over VCU,giving him two double-doubles in four career NCAA Tournament games. The 7-foot-1 center from Croatia also can score from long range. His 101 3-pointers over the last two seasons are the most by any 7-footer during that stretch.

East

Duke: Cameron Boozer is the first Duke player to have double-doubles in each of his first two NCAA Tournament games since Gene Banks and Mike Gminski accomplished the feat in Duke's 1978 Final Four season. Banks had four straight double-doubles and Gminski had three in a row that year. Boozer is averaging 20.5 points and 12 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament.

St. John's: The Red Storm trailed for only 38 seconds in their67-65 second-round victoryover Kansas, though they needed a layup from Dylan Darling to break a tie at the buzzer. Before that, they had gone four straight games without ever falling behind.

UConn: Alex Karaban already owns program records for career wins (123), starts (146) and games played (147). The 6-foot-8, fifth-year senior is playing his best as his college career draws to a close. Karaban scored a career-high 27 points in a73-57 winover UCLA on Sunday. The 49 points he has scored thus far in the NCAA Tournament represent the most he's ever compiled in a two-game stretch.

Michigan State: Jeremy Fears' 16 assists in a77-69 winover Louisville represented the highest NCAA Tournament single-game total in Michigan State history, breaking the record Magic Johnson set by dishing out 14 assists against Western Kentucky in 1978. He has 13.5 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament — four more than any other player in the 68-team field.

Midwest

Michigan: The Wolverines have displayed a knack for winning close games since Dusty May arrived as coach last season. Michigan is 20-5 in games decided by four points or fewer over the last two seasons. That includes a 7-1 mark this year.

Alabama: The Crimson Tide's 436 3-point baskets this season represents the fifth-highest single-season total in NCAA Division I history. Villanova holds the record with 464 in its 2018 championship season.

Iowa State: Tamin Lipsey is coming off a 26-point, 10-assist performanceagainst Kentucky,and he also has four steals per game in the NCAA Tournament to lead all Sweet 16 performers. Next up is a matchup with Tennessee's Ja'Kobi Gillespie, who has averaged 25 points and 7.5 assists through the first two rounds of this tournament.

Tennessee: The Vols have advanced by producing stretches of defensive dominance in each of their first two NCAA Tournament games. Miami (Ohio) went nearly 6½ minutes without a basket in its78-56 lossto Tennessee. Virginia went over 5½ minutes without scoring in its79-72 defeatSunday. The Vols now face an Iowa State team that scored 108 points in the first round and 82 in the second.

AP March Madness bracket:https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracketand coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

byAdministrator

in

March 25, 2026

March Madness: Here's one thing you need to know about each of the 16 teams remaining in men's field

Florida isn't around to defend its title anymore, but all the other top seeds in this year's NCAA Tournament are ...

Read More

'He liked the fear in our eyes', Epstein survivors tell BBC

Joanna Harrison never wanted to speak about the abuse she faced at the hands of convicted sex offenderJeffrey Epstein.

Like many survivors, she says Epstein's assault filled her with shame and embarrassment. But after her name was unintentionally made public in the release of millions of files by the US government, she told BBC Newsnight's Victoria Derbyshire she felt she had to speak out.

"It gets to a point where you're being suffocated and you need to breathe, and I feel this is my way of trying to breathe," Harrison said.

BBC Newsnight brought Harrison and four other Epstein survivors together for the first time in the same room. During the hours-long discussion that followed, there were supportive gestures and, as they studied photos of themselves from the time when they first met Epstein, there were tears.

In the wide-ranging interview, the survivors told their stories of grief and anger. Some revisitedEpstein's infamous private island, Little St James, while others recounted "eerie" moments at his New Mexico ranch.

They said they believed thepowerful figureswith whom he associated himself would most likely have known what was going on.

Survivor's identity thrust into spotlight

Millions of documents related to the various investigations of Epstein werereleased by the US Department of Justice, but some of the unredacted material failed to obscure the identity of his victims.

Harrison was one of those people whose name was made public.

She told BBC Newsnight she never wanted the files to be released, fearing she would lose her anonymity.

"It's not normal to see your abuser's face every day for six years on TV," Harrison said.

She recounted meeting Epstein in Florida when she was 18, and like other survivors, she said everything began with a massage.

"Everything seemed normal," Harrison said. "When he began to masturbate, I completely froze. I don't think I said two words in the car in the ride home."

She later recounted Epstein raping her on his birthday.

Speaking publicly for the first time, Harrison said she doubted she and other survivors would ever get justice now that Epstein was dead. "I have questions I'll never get an answer to."

Five countries in five days with Clinton, Spacey and Maxwell

Chauntae Davies shared never-before-seen images with BBC Newsnight of her time travelling with Epstein on his private plane to Africa.

The pictures included Epstein's co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell as well as actor Kevin Spacey and former President Bill Clinton. Spacey and Clinton were travelling on a humanitarian trip to promote Aids prevention.

"I described it in my journal at the time as the most eclectic group of people that you could put together... it was almost like a camp feel because you were travelling to five different countries in five days," she said. On the plane they ate snacks, played cards and told stories.

"It was very much a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and unfortunately, it had to be tainted by what was happening behind closed doors," she said.

Davies has said she was raped by Epstein on his private island after being hired to give him massages.

The trained massage therapist recalled during the Newsnight discussion that she gave Clinton a neck and back massage at an airport in Portugal while the plane refuelled. At the time, she said she wrote in her journal that the former president was humble, kind and charismatic.

The former president was asked about this interaction with Davies when he sat for a deposition in front of the US House Oversight Committee in February. He told the committee he wished Davies had told him about Epstein's wrongdoing.

But Davies said she never considered telling Clinton: "I was never going to speak about this with anyone."

"What would he have done, really? Could [Clinton] have stopped it?" Davies wondered about Epstein's wrongdoing. "I guess we'll never know."

At one point, while in Portugal with Clinton, Davies recalled helping the former president buy jewellery for his daughter, Chelsea.

Clinton has repeatedly said he did not witness Epstein's abuse. His name crops up hundreds of times in the Epstein files. Appearing in documents related to Epstein does not imply any wrongdoing.

Spacey has publicly called for the release of all the Epstein files, saying: "For those of us with nothing to fear, the truth can't come soon enough."

Epstein's 'eerie' New Mexico ranch

Earlier this year, allegations surfaced in justice department files about Epstein that prompted the US state of New Mexico to re-open a criminal probe into his Zorro Ranch.

Advertisement

The state previously shelved its initial investigation into the ranch in 2019 following a request from federal prosecutors in New York.

"That's where the majority of the assaults happened. I have my darkest memories from Zorro Ranch," Davies said.

When she recalled what it felt like to be there, she told BBC Newsnight she had felt "trapped".

"It had a cold, dark, eerie feeling in there," Davies said.

Lisa Phillips, another survivor who spoke to BBC Newsnight, echoed that sentiment about the ranch. "I remember being like 'this place is really creepy', it just had that feel to it," she said.

Davies said she believes there is a lot more to uncover about what happened at Zorro Ranch.

'I like to have things on people', Epstein told survivor

Epstein loved to brag about his well-connected and well-appointed friends, Davies said.

She said he bragged about lending money to Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York. "It wasn't a secret," Davies told BBC Newsnight.

There were framed photos of Ferguson with her former husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and their daughters at Epstein's property, Davies said.

Phillips, a fashion model at the time, also spoke about Epstein's connections to Mountbatten-Windsor and retold a story of her friend, who has not spoken publicly and wants to remain anonymous, allegedly being instructed to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor.

She said her friend went to Epstein's Upper East Side New York City apartment in 2003 where she was directed to go into a room and have sex with a man whom she said was Mountbatten-Windsor.

Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied all wrongdoing.

Phillips told BBC Newsnight she later asked Epstein why he had made her friend have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor. She said Epstein smirked and replied: "I like to have things on people."

"He liked the fear in our eyes," she said of Epstein's abuses. "I think he liked that we were frozen and scared and didn't know what to do, and I think he got off on that."

In the Newsnight interview, Phillips called on the UK police to speak to her about what she knows about her friend's alleged assault and Mountbatten-Windsor's involvement.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The probe centres on accusations he shared confidential, sensitive information Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy.

The survivors who spoke to BBC Newsnight said they do not believe Epstein killed himself.

"We knew him, we knew the kind of person he was," Phillips said.

Epstein was found dead in his prison cell on 10 August 2019 while he was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, in New York, on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges ahead of trial.

It was ruled a suicide by the New York medical examiner.

'I don't smile the same way now' - Epstein's lasting impact

Jena Lisa Jones and Wendy Pesante both met Epstein when they were 14. The women were friends then and, years later after surviving Epstein's abuse, still are.

"When you go through something like that so young it kind of distorts your reality for a long time," Pesante said. "You shouldn't have the mindset of a sex worker at 14."

At one point during the interview, all five survivors were given photos of themselves at the age they were when they met Epstein.

"I don't smile the same way anymore," Harrison said, looking at the image of her 18-year-old self.

Phillips looked at the photo of herself in a light-pink ensemble, on a boat, and realised Epstein's island was in the background.

"I was enjoying my life, and I had no idea what was about to happen to me," she said of herself in the image. "This is not what I looked like when I left the island."

UK users can watch the full interview on Newsnight on BBC Two at 22:30 GMT and later onBBC iPlayer

Read more

• Who is in the Epstein files?

• Email appears to confirm Andrew and Virginia Giuffre photo is real

• Sarah Ferguson is keeping a low profile, but pressure is mounting for her to give evidence on Epstein

byAdministrator

in

March 25, 2026

'He liked the fear in our eyes', Epstein survivors tell BBC

Joanna Harrison never wanted to speak about the abuse she faced at the hands of convicted sex offenderJeffrey Epstein....

Read More

At Sweet 16, the coaches supply the star power. We rank them 1-16

If the performance matches thecoaching talent, then thisSweet 16will be elite.

ThisNCAA Tournamentdidn't give us much in the way of Cinderella. Instead, we'll see a who's who list of coaches from Power conferences this week. As good as players likeDarius Acuff Jr.andCameron Boozerare, the coaches supply the top star power in this March Madness.

RE-SEEDING THE SWEET 16:Separating the contenders from pretenders

Here's my ranking of theSweet 16coaches, with the caveat there's no true weak link on this list:

How sweet it is. Sixteen teams remain in the March Madness 2026 tournament. Here are some top players and matchups to watch.
No. 11 Texas vs. No. 2 Purdue Texas: Matas Vokietaitis

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 11 Texas vs. No. 2
Purdue Purdue: Braden Smith

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 4 Nebraska
Iowa: Bennett Stirtz

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 4 Nebraska
Nebraska: Pryce Sandfort

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Arizona
Arkansas: Darius Acuff Jr.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Arizona
Arizona: Brayden Burries

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 Houston
Illinois: Keaton Wagler

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 Houston
Houston: Emanuel Sharp

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 1 Duke
St. John's: Zuby Ejiofor

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 1 Duke
Duke: Cameron Boozer

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan
Alabama: Labaron Philon Jr.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan
Michigan: Yaxel Lendeborg

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 3 Michgan State vs. No. 2 UConn
Michigan State: Jeremy Fears Jr. (1)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 3 Michgan State vs. No. 2 UConn
UConn: Alex Karaban

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Iowa State
Tennessee: Ja'Kobi Gillespie (0)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Iowa State
Iowa State: Milan Momcilovic

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Men's Sweet 16 players to watch during March Madness

How sweet it is. Sixteen teams remain in theMarch Madness 2026tournament. Here are some top players and matchups to watch.No. 11 Texas vs. No. 2 PurdueTexas: Matas Vokietaitis

16. Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska

Commission the statue in Lincoln, Nebraska. Hoiberg led the Huskers to theirfirst NCAA win in program history. Two days later, they gottheir second tourney win. Basketball looks good on Nebraska all of a sudden. Hoiberg's NBA foray was a bust, but he was quite good at Iowa State and now historic for Nebraska. No shame being No. 16 on this list of luminaries.

15. TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State

It's a testament to the Sweet 16 coaching talent that Otzelberger ranks this low. Iowa State won just two games the year before his arrival. Insert Otzelberger. He won 22 games in his first season, then continued winning more and more with blue-collar teams that defend the heck out of you. His tournament record is 7-6. Polish that a smidge, and Otzelberger will keep trending up.

14. Ben McCollum, Iowa

If you needed any more proof McCollum can flat-out coach, he just bested wunderkind Todd Golden, and hisHawkeyes stunned No. 1 Florida. McCollum won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State, then turned Drake into a Cinderella success story, and now he's in the Sweet 16 in Year 1 at Iowa. Buy your stock in McCollum, 44, now.

MORE:Why Ben McCollum is top newcomer coach in Big Ten

13. Brad Underwood, Illinois

Underwood restored a program that had lost its way into top-20 status, where it belongs. He's an NCAA Tournament regular, dating to his years as a Cinderella at Stephen F. Austin. A hard-nosed, high-intensity coach, he's starting to develop a calling card for signing and developing international talent. Consider his latest team the Euro-Illini.

12. Sean Miller, Texas

Miller's career winning percentage tops .700, and he's made the Elite Eight four times. Pretty good. Two critiques, aside from that whole corruption scandal at Arizona: His resume lacks a Final Four, and his predecessors were better (Thad Matta at Xavier and Lute Olsen at Arizona). At age 57, he's got time to make Texas his best stint yet.

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Nebraska's Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournamentat Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

11. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona

Lloyd's record in five seasons at Arizona sparkles, and he's a couple of wins away from having his national profile skyrocket. His Wildcats smoothly pivoted from the Pac-12 to the Big 12. Why not rank him higher? Well, Lloyd hasn't advanced past the Sweet 16. Past teams didn't live up to their NCAA seed.His latest teamcould change how we look at Lloyd.

Advertisement

10. Rick Barnes, Tennessee

Barnes should've made more than one Final Four at Texas. He endured a few tourney fizzles at Tennessee, too. He's no shark in March. That's a familiar critique. The upsides are clear, though. His teams always play defense. He thrives in the shadows at football schools. He's an NCAA Tournament regular. He's a no-drama coach seeking a third straight Elite Eight.

9. Matt Painter, Purdue

Painter gets consistent results without signing McDonald's All Americans. You could focus on what he isn't — a national champion — oryou could credit his consistent success, even if his teams come up short of the pinnacle in March. Gene Keady became a Purdue legend. Painter has been a notch better than Keady.Some might call that legendary, too.

8. John Calipari, Arkansas

No mystery as to Calipari's strategy. A recruiting dynamo with ample funding, he's going to assemble McDonald's All Americans, roll the ball out, and let the freshmen play. That strategy worked until it didn't at Kentucky.A change of scenery to Arkansas suited him. He's two wins away from becoming the first coach to take four schools to the Final Four.

7. Jon Scheyer, Duke

A legend's succession plan doesn't often unfold as smoothly as this one did. Scheyer kept Duke humming, and so Mike Krzyzewski can enjoy retirement. Duke is a recruiting machine, and credit Scheyer for getting return on that investment. Just 38 years old, he's gotten better each season. After last year's Final Four,the next task is obvious: National title.

6. Nate Oats, Alabama

Oats' teams have an established identity. His Crimson Tide will shoot a lot of 3s. And they'll make a lot of 3s, consistently ranking among the nation's most prolific offensive teams. He's a force of consistency, too, with four straight Sweet 16s, including the program's first Final Four in 2024. He turned a football school into a basketball force.

5. Tom Izzo, Michigan State

Call it a rite of spring. Mister March is back in theSweet 16 for the 17th time. Izzo's 2000 Spartans remain thelast Big Ten team to win a national title, and just when it had started to look like he'd entered the twilight of his career, he's enjoyed a renaissance, with 57 wins the past two seasons.

4. Dusty May, Michigan

Others on this list have a longer list of career accomplishments, but there aren't many coaches you'd rather have in this moment than the 49-year-old May. He took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023, and Michigan is roaring in his second season. He's 120-26 the past four seasons. Superb.

3. Kelvin Sampson, Houston

Sampson's teams consistently rank among the nation's best defensively. He's an excellent in-game tactician, too. The 70-year-old Sampson gets better with age. He's won 30-plus games in five straight seasons. He came oh-so-close to his first national title last season. Perhaps, these Cougars will give him that final line on the resume.

2. Rick Pitino, St. John's

How many rings would Pitino have if he'd never left Kentucky? Big Blue Nation must wonder. As it is, he's got two rings. Pitino and John Calipari are the only coaches to lead three schools to a Final Four. Now, he's got St. John's into its first Sweet 16 since 1999. Pitino's NCAA Tournament record is 57-22. Insanely good.

1. Dan Hurley, UConn

If nice guys finish last, what's the opposite of that? Guys who throw temper-tantrums finishing first. No matter what you think of his antics, there's no denying Hurley's success. He just keeps winning, with a chance at three national titles in the past four seasons. Hurley elevated UConn to blue-blood status.

Blake Toppmeyeris a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him atBToppmeyer@gannett.comand follow him on X@btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ranking college basketball Sweet 16 coaches, Dan Hurley to Fred Hoiberg

byAdministrator

in

March 25, 2026

At Sweet 16, the coaches supply the star power. We rank them 1-16

If the performance matches thecoaching talent, then thisSweet 16will be elite. ThisNCAA Tournamentdidn't g...

Read More