PTI - March Madness is Down to Sixteen!

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss March Madness, Wemby, NFL/Flag Football + more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. We just had a five-day weekend, Tony. Are you rested and ready?

I'm Tony Kornheiser. More like anxious and agitated. Can't be agitated coming all five days? Anxious, really anxious. Anxious leads to agitation. And I'm just in the A's. I haven't gone to the Bs or the Cs. No, you haven't.

You're an expert. I see to you. My anxiety is high anxiety. It's not working. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls and girl. In today's episode, But Wemby states his case for MVP. Tom Brady is back on a football field, and Tiger Woods makes his return to competition.

But we begin today with the Sweet 16. The 16 teams remaining are all from power conferences, led by three number ones and four number twos. Only Florida is gone from the top two lines. Wilbon, who do you see as the strongest teams through two games? Very happy as long as we're going to have no surprises in power teams. They have the Big Ten with six of the 16. I just wrote down teams. And Tony, in no certain order, because each one of them has circumstances that are peculiar to that situation.

But Arizona, Michigan, speaking of number ones, Houston has, you know, like, I barely watch Houston because they just blown people out. There was no need. I would state with an impressive second victory. Yukon has been impressive, speaking to number two. I was impressive to beat a number one, to eliminate a one. Purdue has been impressive. You notice I did not mention Florida because they're out now. I did not mention Duke because I think the injuries, eh.

Now, I know Duke bounced back and the second game was a much better game. You mentioned seven of the 16 teams. Okay, what, like it's an easy bet. Would you like to leave somebody out of that group? Well, I mean, I just assumed you would mention one or two. I'm going to start with who you just ended with, and that's Duke. Okay. Duke has not looked good to this point.

No. Duke almost lost to Siena, which is why Jerry McNamara is coaching Syracuse today. In part, yeah. And they were only up by four against T-Sooke. see you at the half and then they stretched it out. They have not looked like world beaters. They're missing an important player. And now they get St. Johns. And St. Johns is lucky to be in this position, too. They went a length of the court, lay up right hand, off hand, and all of that. But what we've known in our lives is if you leave Rick Petino in a tournament for a long time,

his teams get better. If you ask me what one or two teams have impressed me the most so far, I would say Arizona, but I would definitely say Houston. Houston is plus 60. Plus 60 in two games. And they catch a break. They no longer have to play Florida to get to the final four. This is two teams from the Big 12, both of those teams. But you know this from the conversation I had with you. I have a soft spot of my heart for Illinois now.

Illinois is big. You shocked me over the weekend. They play big boy basketball. They can shoot it. They don't fan out for threes. No, no, no. Rim protection. And as you know, it's your conference.

The Big Ten has six in. They got Illinois. they got Iowa. They got Michigan and Michigan State. They got Purdue and Nebraska. Nobody else has more than four. Shout out to Nebraska. Yeah. Because I had them going out early and I was dead wrong. Nobody has more than four and as you say

the ACC only has one. If you ask me though what game I want to see more than any other game and the time doesn't work for me. Do you see it St. Johns? No. No, no, no, no, no. What? Yukon, Michigan State. Yeah. That's the one that I want to see most of all. I do. I agree.

Given the history of the programs, The coaches, not just, not ancient history, up-to-date state of play for those two programs. I agree. You know, there's still some things we don't know. I mean, when you have freshmen that you rely upon like so many teams do, is there a point that, is there a point where they don't necessarily produce? Is there a point where you need the senior point guard, Arizona, to steady the team? Like, there's some things I think we find out in this next round.

Right? Yes. It should be fun. We've discussed the strongest teams remaining. Now, let's discuss the highest seeds remaining. 11 seed Texas and nine seed Iowa. The Longhorns beat North Carolina State in the first four, A.J. DeBance's B.Y.U.

And 3C. Gonzaga to reach the 16. Iowa beat Clemson and stunned number one, Florida. As we mentioned, Tony, are either of these power conference teams. Texas or Iowa. Cinderella's to you. And if not, how does the lack of a Cinderella change the nature of the tournament? Give me a couple of seconds here.

No, neither Iowa nor Texas or Cinderella. Texas has been good for a long time. You can go back to Kevin Durant. You can go further back to Kevin of that. I got a staff today that they have made the tournament 31 times since 1989. And two of their most recent coaches, Rick Barnes and Sean Miller, they're really good.

Yeah. Okay, they're really good. And they beat guns out. to get here. Now I'm going to go on my rant, and you know my rant, because I left it on your voicemail. Gonzaga is the most overrated, over-adored team in college basketball. It doesn't mean that I don't think Mark Fu's a good coach. He's a very good coach. Doesn't mean I don't think their players are good. They go to the NBA. I'm saying that that conference that they're in does not prepare that team to win this tournament ever.

They play what? Like two hard games from January 1 on and Santa Clara and Santa Clara. Santa Clara. Santa Clara. Now you're going to tell me that, oh, they're in the PAC 12 next year. Well, you wake me up when that PAC 12 has UCLA in Arizona. And don't call me before then. And it's not going to have them. Iowa, not a Cinderella.

They're big, they shoot, and they move the ball around. And they've been in this tournament five of the last seven years. I got one Cinderella for you. And there's only one on the board, and that is Nebraska. Nebraska is to college basketball right now. what Indiana was to college football, a perennial loser having a magical season. You know, I agree.

That's why I gave them a shout out already and apologized. I had Nebraska Wood on the first round. Just because, again, you don't know. They had never, ever won an NCAA tournament. And everything's ever. Never been to the Sweet 16. Ever. Good for them.

How could you be the Sweet 16 if you couldn't get them 30? Thinking of our dear friend Mike Gleason. That's right. Who would have loved to see his team be in basketball? Because he's a basketball guy as well. there's no Cinderella. I can't count Nebraska as a Cinderella. I do.

I can't count them. And Iowa and Texas certainly not. Their powers, they're big teams that play on New Year's Day in football games for the last hundred years. Would you say that if the only one of the ways to be a Cinderella is you've never sent a great pro to the NBA? Because you name me a great pro Nebraska's ever had in the NBA, not the NFL, the NBA. NBA.

I can't. Don't mention Ty Lou because he wasn't a great pro. No, the answer is there were none. There are none. But let me just say this. And I don't know where this is going. I know also from our live conversation last night, you don't enjoy this tournament as much as we have enjoyed other tournaments.

Neither do I. And we're on the same wavelength here. The drama is lacking in the threat of David beating Goliath, which is the essential conflict and the attraction of the tournament as set up in the 1980s. Sorry millennials and younger people. You don't even know why the tournament is great. it's irresistible. That's why it's irresistible. Will people

turn away in time if that central conflict is not met? We're talking about a long time and we don't know year to year what's going to happen. I would tell you that the closest thing to Cinderella that we got is Nebraska. Nebraska. We stay with college basketball. We move to coaches with perhaps

uncertain futures. Ubert Davis of North Carolina who is reportedly discussing his future with Carolina officials. Mark Pope of Kentucky, who's 19 point loss to Iowa State, was Kentucky's largest tournament loss since 1972. And Bill Self of Kansas, who himself raised the possibility that he might not be back after the Jayhawks lost to St. John's. Mike, these are enormous programs.

Which coaches future intrigues you the most? The one is Bill Self. It's personal, and I'm not going to get too far into it. I have communicated with Bill's self, and I will communicate further with him about heart disease and issues that relate. Health relate, but specifically heart. having had them myself. And so I'm concerned about Bill's self in that way at whatever, 62, 63 years old. You revved up.

That's not old compared to us. It's not old, young. I've got a few years on them. So yes, Bill's self, who I like tremendously, I care about in that way, that intrigues. He's not going to be fired. It's not about wins and losses. He's got two national champions. He decides to do with his future.

That's right. Okay. It's different. Huber Davis, who I covered as a player at North Carolina and the Knicks, and who was at this network for years doing a great job. I didn't love it when he went back to that job to North Carolina. I just, you know, following a coach, his program, it says I'm a mater, and I don't think things are going to wind up good there.

Okay. So that leaves Kentucky in a situation where all they do is churn through coaches. Even when they have a guy wins a national championship, it's never good enough. I hate that about Kentucky, specifically that dynamic. that you will analogize Kentucky basketball to Nebraska football. Yes, I would. It's the same thing, that they expect to win all the games all the time. Yep.

Okay. Let me get to Ubert Davis first. I think it would be very hard for North Carolina to fire him. This is a terrible loss. They were up 19 against VCU. You have to close that game out. But missing their best player. That's what I want to get to.

That's what I want to get to. Ubert Davis is a Carolina grad. He played for Dean, for Dean. Okay. He went to the final game in his first year ever five years ago. He has beaten Duke a bunch of times. He's five and seven against Duke, but Duke has been a better program in North Carolina in the last few years.

And he was missing his best player, Caleb Wilson. So to me, you have to give him another year. I think it's hard for Kentucky to fire Mark Pope. He's a grad... Is it hard for Kentucky to fire anybody? Well, he goes one better than Ubert Davis. He was the captain on a national champion. championship team under Rick Petino.

He made the Sweet 16 last year. He's 46 and 26 in two years. If either is fired, there will be a line outside the door to hire either or both. Is two years enough for Pope? I don't know. I don't look at it in that context. I look at it as how greedy is Kentucky. They're the greediest.

If you line up all the blue bloods and say, who's the greediest on the totem pole? when it comes to college basketball, men's college basketball. The answer's Kentucky. Here's a get-out question. What? Do you think it helps Mark Pope that Rick Bettino and John Calipari

are in the Sweet 16? What do you think they're thinking in Lexington? You know. But I will say this, they got beat by a two-seed. Iowa states a two-seed game. Let's take a break. Coming up, there's Wilbon's boy, Victor Wembe Yamah,

make a convincing case that he should be MVP this year. Come on, he's winning you over now. And how surprising was it, the team USA towards NFL, players in flag football. You know that Bill Self's team, double-digit losses the last three years, and no sweet 16 is the last four.

And they're not going to fire here. They're not as greedy as Kentucky. No. Oh, no. Nobody is as greedy as Kentucky. But with good reason. Look how many championships they've done. I know, but there's no reason. Time to find out what's heating up the Hoy Palloy.

I'll get the first one put on my glasses. Ready? What's that English? Victor Wembeyanama. Yeah. Says he wants to win the MVP this season. season you believe that he will? No, I have a vote in this, and I will tell you that it's tightened up.

My vote, and I'm not even sure of the order, I think is Jalen Brown one. I think it's SGA 2, and I think it's Victor 3. And then don't talk to me about a guy who plays half the court, Luca Donchish. I know you hate him. It's okay. You hate him. Luca Donchish is a wizard. He's a magician.

Well, don't put him on the wizards because there's his career. Why not? You think he's the greatest thing. thing in the history of the world. But his career will go straight south on the wizard. So anyway, those are my top three. If Victor Wimbaniama and the Spurs somehow catch OKC for first place in the West, I will cast a vote. It's a regular season award for Victor Wimbañama. Who isn't just the face of the NBA? He's the face of worldwide basketball, which is a good thing for basketball. And Jaylon Brown, who you were early on, right now Jaylon Brown may be a, he's leaning at the tape.

You know what I mean? I will say this. So that's where I am. If I have, a vote and I don't. If I had a vote today, I would vote for Jaylon. But you knew it could change in a week. Yes, because Jalen Brown has been so resolute and dependable in the absence of Jason Taylor. Agreed. Totally agree. And Boston is in second place in the east and San Antonio is in second place in the west. But what Wemboniama has been doing lately is kind of sort of amazing. Since February 1st, that team is 22 and 2. That's the best record in the NBA. game. Wemagnama is averaging more than 24 points, more than 11 rebounds, and more than three and a half blocks. And the blocks are the critical thing. They are. Because you can see on the faces of other players, they're afraid to go into the middle. They are. Because the thing is dissuading another four or five shots in game. So, I mean, the amazing thing to me is when banyana is saying publicly, I want to win this award. Nobody says that. They may think it, but nobody says it. He says it,

and I find it charming. And I will tell you that I could be persuaded because I think the numbers are there. I'm still in the Jalen Brown camp. Right. But the numbers... Yes. And by the way, yes. He talked openly about defense and what it means to him and that's why... He makes his own case. He did. He just again, magical

stretch Luca Donchich and the Lakers are on. But if you're playing half the game, I'm not voting for you above this kid and you wouldn't need it if you had a vote. I said I wouldn't. I mean, you don't trade a straw dog here. I said I wouldn't. I also said you hate to you. Just emphasize. Okay. No, because I would trade

for Luca. I wouldn't trade him away. I wouldn't do that. Flack football. I know you love it. Do. Are you surprised that the team USA flag football specialists so easily handled national football league players? I was surprised and I probably should not have been. The National Football League players play National Football League football. Yeah. They don't play flag football. Okay. The guys playing the flag football, that's all they do. I was told today they scored on every single possession. They beat two different teams, one 39-14 and one-4-3-16. These guys want to play in the Olympics.

Tom Brady and Joe Burrow and Grunk, they don't want to play in the Olympics. That's not, yeah, that's not what they're there for. And flag football is not necessarily their game. To me, Mike, this is like expecting a great tennis player to be immediately great at pickleball. They might be, but in time. Not immediately, not right away. And so, you know, no, I shouldn't have been surprised. I shouldn't have been surprised.

Yeah, Tony, I had to see it, and I didn't watch it. I ain't watching that. Like, I ain't watching TGL. Oh, you got to know. I'm not watching any off-season nonsense. You've got to watch bed sheet golf. Because we're in the real season now, where two Northwestern men, we're at the top of the leaderboard.

That's right. I watched that. I know you did. And so I'm into the, I'm into golf, not bedsheet. Bedsheet golf, baby. It's a new thing. And so I'm not into this, flag football. It's going to be an Olympic sports.

Who else in the world is playing it? Anybody? No. Because nobody else in the world is playing real football. But here's what these guys are. They look like gymnasts. They're great. Alan Iverson might net right now could come back maybe and be the greatest flag football player because you can't touch him.

You can't grab his flag. But Tony, if any one of those young small guys was out there and say Dick Butkus of vintage Okay. He would drive a helmet through his sternum, and he goes straight to the blue tan. So they're different. The subtleties, yes. It's a different sport. So I make the automatic assumption as everybody does.

Well, Tom Brady can't be Tom Brady, but the fact of the matter is... By the way, how hard are they playing? Well, I don't know. The pros, they don't know. I think the Olympic kids are playing as hard as they can. They will be playing hard. And the quarterback who once said he was better at that sport than Patrick Mahomes, because he is at that sport.

That sport's a difference. Don't tell me you're going to fall for this. Don't tell me you're going to fall for it. Steve Young said he wanted to play in it. Not female. Let's take one last break still to come. Tiger Woods. You love him.

Makes his return to competitive golf tonight. I know you're excited. Changed my life. I will not watch. And a Rangers Ritey gets some good news during a mound visit. I can't. I can't. I can't watch it.

Why? It's going to hit the ball. Where are the pine trees? Where the lake? It's a simulator. No. Your kid goes to the simulator. He's nuts.

I didn't raise them right. Happy time, people. Happy 50th birthday, Peyton Manning. Manning's accomplishments are easy. Hall of Fame, MVP of the NFL five times, 14 Pro Bowl teams, won two Super Bowls. Omaha!

Overall, number one. Omaha! 1998 draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Manning has a brother who also won two Super Bowls and his nephew is getting Heisman talk, but the question facing Manning as he gets older is not whether he will ditch those quarter zips and make a new fashion

statement. But will he get to the finish line first, ahead of Shaq and Charles Barkley, for who does the most commercials? Manning has been selling insurance and beer and credit cards and cell phone plans and sport drinks and maybe by tonight AARP. That would be funny. They're all good. He's funny in all of them. He's engaging in all of them. So is Shaq. And so is Charles. I didn't, Wayfair. What is he doing? What's he doing? Wayfair. And ask him about Wayfee. He needs a new couch? Really? Can you get a better trio than those three doing commercials? No, they're wonderful.

Happy anniversary, NC State. Around this day, 52 years ago, playing in the friendly confines of Greensboro, North Carolina, the Wolfpack ended UCLA's streak of seven national championships with an 80 to 77 double overtime victory over Bill Walton's Bruings in the national semifinals. Such a great. NC State went on to beat Marquette for the national title.

NC State was led by the great David Thompson, whose collegiate record to that point was, hello, 57 and won. Thompson was helped by 7 foot 3 center Tom Burleson, guards Mo Rivers and 5 foot 6 Monty Tao, and forward Tim Stoddard, who went on to a career as a major league pitcher. I was at this game. It might be the best game I ever saw,

and I saw the Leitner game. People have no idea who David Thompson is or how great he was. Oh, they have no idea. They have a little bit of idea about Bill because Bill stayed with us, thankfully. Thank God for a lot longer. David Thompson, Google him.

Huh? Right? Boys and girls. Jumped out of the gym. Jumped out of the gym. Greatest vertical of all time. Happy Trails, Syracuse. Overall number one seed Yukon rolled the ninth seeded orange by 53, 98 to 45 in last night's

second round game. It was 65 to 12 at the half. I called you. Afterwards, Syracuse coach Felicia Legget Jack voiced displeasure with once again having to play Yukon on his home floor. A perk the top four seeds in each region receive early in the women's tournament. Ligget Jack. has two turning losses to Yukon and stores as Syracuse coach and one is Buffalo's coach.

She called the setup, quote, unacceptable wrong at a personal attack, adding that it was, quote, unfair to the young people. It is. And suggested being downgraded in the seating in order to switch regions. Wilbon, I was stunned by beyond belief when I heard her remarks. It is unacceptable. And it is unfair. And it is unfair to those kids. And it's whiny.

Now. And it's personal. It's not about her. Notice I said check on the others. I didn't say check on that. Right. Tony the tournament I understand the evolution it's still evolving but the home games is unacceptable 65 to 12 coach your team coach no no no no no 65 I'm sorry you

think anybody was gonna be you con no but just down 53 at the half you're at your university that was cares about athletics big finish quick let's do it Lakers had their nine game win streak snapped by the pistons last night your thoughts this is a three and oh says losing their MVP for about six weeks, which is awful, but maybe they're going to survive it. Tiger Woods makes his return to competitive golf. Yeah, sure, right. Tonight in the TGL finals, but you're excited.

I'm going to watch it. Dead Sheep Golf, the next big thing. The Cubs and Pete Crow Armstrong reportedly reached an agreement on the contact dissension. Big deal, right? Enormous deal. He's now the face of my team. Rule 5 pick, Carter Baumler, found out he made the Rangers' opening day roster on the mound between pitches yesterday.

I know you're okay with that. It was very nice. The manager came out. The kid thought it was going to be taken out, but he said, you made the team. It was nice. Last one, the Nixon won the six straight. Magic of lost five straight. Which streak is more likely to continue?

Both continue. The Knicks are not losing to the Pelicans, and the magic are going to struggle in Cleveland. We're out of time. Try and do better the next time. Jason Roth, shout out. I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads.