TMZ Sports - Page 50

Welp, Joe Biden isn't winning the White House's March Madness pool ... 'cause the president's pick for NCAA champion -- two-seed University of Arizona -- just lost to 15-seed Princeton in the most shocking upset of the young tourney!

The Ivy League team was near 15-point underdogs against Arizona ... but as the saying goes, that's why you play the game. The Tigers ultimately won 59-55. The Wildcats were up one at the half, but scored a paltry 24 points in the second half, and couldn't buy a bucket late in the game.

As for #46, he didn't just have AZ advancing past Princeton, he had the Pac-12 team going all the way to the Final Four, where he picked them to defeat one-seed Kansas.

In fairness to the prez, the Wildcats were a popular pick to advance far in the tourney ... and many had them winning the whole thing.

The Wildcats, who won the NCAA Championship in 1997, are now headed back to Tucson. The Tigers will now play seven-seed Missouri on Saturday ... where Princeton has opened as six-point underdogs.

Furman shocked the world and busted a ton of brackets with its huge win over four-seed Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament ... and the school's best player ever couldn't be happier!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Paladins legend Frank Selvy about No. 13 Furman advancing to the second round of the tourney on Thursday ... and he says the victory was "the best win all-time at Furman."

Furman sealed the win over the Cavaliers after intercepting a pass with just seconds to go ... and JP Pegues pulled up from three to give the Paladins the 68-67 win -- the program's first tourney victory in nearly 50 years.

"We all went crazy over that because we thought we lost," the former No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick added.

Of course, Selvy famously scored 100 points in a game in 1954 ... which remains a single-game record to this day.

He says Pegues' game-winner brought back memories of his historic night.

"It reminded me of my 100-point shot when I made it from midcourt with time running out, with a couple people guarding me. I threw it up from midcourt, and it went in for the 100 points."

Selvy had a ton of praise for Paladins coach Bob Richey ... saying, "He knows more about basketball than any coach I’ve ever seen. The formations and the executions of plays and everything, great guy."

Selvy says he hasn't spoken to the team ... but if he had the chance??

"I would just tell them how proud I was of them and keep it going."

Day One without Ezekiel Elliott as his teammate hasn't exactly gone smoothly for Dak Prescott ... the Cowboys star quarterback said he's awfully sad his BFF won't be playing alongside him in Dallas again.

Dak spoke publicly about Elliott's release to media members for the first time on Thursday afternoon ... admitting he's "hurt" the running back was cut on Wednesday.

"I really can't imagine taking the field without him," Prescott said. "It's something that I don't know if it's completely hit me yet."

Prescott and Elliott joined the Cowboys together back in 2016 -- Elliott was a 1st-round pick, Dak was a 4th-rounder -- and the two quickly became inseparable.

In their rookie seasons, both had amazing years -- and helped the Cowboys get to the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs.

Dak said since that season, the two have grown "up as men" together.

"I'm hurt," the QB said. "I'm sure he is. But it's more important for me to be able to support him. I know he's got more opportunities coming his way. And I love that guy. Proud of him. No. 1 supporter for him no matter what."

Lonzo Ball's NBA career is reportedly hanging by a thread -- the Chicago Bulls star is having a third surgery performed on his knee in a 14-month span ... but there's hope the procedure will pave the way for his eventual return to the court.

The news just went public minutes ago ... with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski saying there is concern Ball -- who hasn't played since January 2022 due to his injury -- may not fully recover from the ailment ... which would impact his ability to play at the highest level.

The report states the surgery could keep 25-year-old Ball out for at least another year ... but after weighing his options for several days, the guard elected to go under the knife again to try and fix the issue once and for all.

Lonzo was the second overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 ... and has since played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Bulls.

Chicago has struggled without Ball this season ... going 31-37 through 68 games.

Here's hoping the surgery goes well and Ball can get back out there.

Not even Furman players themselves could believe Virginia lost the way it did to kick off March Madness on Thursday ... with Paladins star forward Jalen Slawson yelling after the improbable win, "He just freakin' threw it!"

If you missed it ... UVA, a four-seed, lost to 13-seed Furman on a last-second three-point shot -- after one of the most embarrassing turnovers you'll see in an NCAA tournament game.

Up by two over Furman with 9.8 seconds left -- Cavaliers guard Kihei Clark got trapped in a full-court press, but instead of finding a way out of it, he just heaved the ball toward mid-court -- where it was predictably intercepted.

One immediate pass and one three-point shot later, UVA was down by one ... and they went on to lose a few seconds later by that margin.

Slawson wasn't the only guy floored by how it all went down -- even Patrick Mahomes was left in complete shock.

"Virginia what are we doing?!?!?" the Kansas City Chiefs star tweeted after the game.

Believe it or not, there are some folks who actually weren't that stunned by the upset ... according to the NCAA, 10.67% of brackets that were filled out this month picked Furman to get the dub.

Prosecutors say Joe Mixon's sister's boyfriend fired 10-to-11 rounds at a teenager outside of the NFL star's home earlier this month -- striking the boy once in the foot -- and now, the man is facing serious prison time over it all.

Hamilton County prosecutor Melissa Powers held a news conference on Thursday afternoon to give an update on the case ... revealing 34-year-old Lamonte Brewer, Shalonda Mixon's BF, has been hit with four criminal charges, including felony assault, after investigators say he shot at a 16-year-old who was playing with a Nerf gun near Joe Mixon's house in Ohio on March 6 at around 8:30 PM.

Powers said surveillance footage, obtained via search warrant on Joe Mixon's home, showed Brewer and Joe Mixon in the Bengals star's backyard as teens were outside of it playing a game called "Nerf wars."

She said video showed Brewer at one point open fire on a 16-year-old who was running near the yard with a toy gun ... nearly hitting the boy in the head.

"It's a miracle he was not killed," Powers said.

Video, the prosecutor claimed, showed Joe Mixon was in the yard at the time of the shooting and did have a gun on his person too, but never drew the weapon, and "as a legal gun owner, [Joe] Mixon had the right to possess the firearm and did not commit a crime."

She said the NFL player had been concerned for his safety recently after receiving death threats on social media.

She did say, though, that the video showed Shalonda Mixon -- Joe's 34-year-old sister -- picking up shell casings in the yard ... before she took off with Brewer in a car.

Powers said cops eventually stopped the vehicle -- and found the gun, a Zastava M92, that was used in the shooting earlier in the evening in the ride's trunk.

Powers said in addition to the four charges they've filed against Brewer, they also hit Shalonda Mixon with one count of tampering with evidence and one count of obstruction of justice. Powers said Brewer is facing up to 20 years behind bars if convicted, while Shalonda Mixon is facing four.

"It's unbelievable that something like this could happen," Powers said. "It's hard to fathom how anyone could aim a gun at a child, let alone fire 10 to 11 rounds at him."

Joe Mixon's agent, Peter Schaffer, released a statement following Powers' news conference ... saying the Cincinnati tailback "witnessed an individual carrying what appeared to be a rifle racing directly towards his property as the individual continued to bark instructions."

"When another individual discharged a firearm, Joe interceded to stop the person discharging a firearm. Joe hates that a young adult was injured during this incident."

Terrible news for New York Mets fans -- Edwin Díaz is most likely out for the season ... after the star closer tore his patellar tendon while celebrating a big win at the World Baseball Classic.

Díaz suffered the injury on the field Wednesday ... as he and his Puerto Rico teammates were congratulating each other on their 5-2 victory over the Dominican Republic.

Edwin struck out Teoscar Hernández to end the game ... and once the final out was recorded, players from Puerto Rico surrounded the two-time All-Star and jumped up and down.

During the celebration, Díaz collapsed to the ground and started writhing in pain ... causing his teammates to be overwhelmed with emotion as they feared the worst possible scenario.

The Mets said the 28-year-old will undergo surgery on Thursday ... and will update fans on how the procedure goes shortly after.

Mets GM Billy Eppler added Díaz will likely miss at least 8 months with the injury.

Edwin's injury is a huge blow -- the Mets made the playoffs last year and were entering the 2023 season optimistic they could contend for a World Series title.

In his fourth season with the Mets, Díaz recorded 32 saves and had 118 strikeouts to accompany a stellar 1.31 ERA.

The Kansas Jayhawks will try to get a W Thursday without head coach Bill Self ... 'cause the university just announced he won't be coaching against Howard following his most recent health scare.

Self was hospitalized for five days recently ... after complaining of chest tightness and balance concerns, which kept him off the sidelines for the Big 12 tournament last week.

The 60-year-old reportedly underwent a procedure where he had two stents placed for the treatment of blocked arteries ... and was ultimately discharged from the hospital on Sunday.

Self has been at the helm with the Jayhawks since 2003 -- after previously coaching for Illinois and Tulsa -- and has been considered day-to-day by interim head coach Norm Roberts after his hospital stint.

"He's getting his rest and that stuff," Roberts told reporters Wednesday. "Maybe he thinks I talk too much so he's letting me talk more. But he's back getting rest right now. He's doing good though."

Self is one of the most decorated coaches in college hoops ... he's a two-time NCAA champion and has reached the Final Four on four occasions -- 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022.

Kansas has seemed to respond well in his absence -- posting a 6-1 record in the seven games Self missed ... including a university-imposed suspension at the beginning of the season and his health problems.

NFL draft prospect Jalen Carter -- a potential top-five pick -- will avoid jail time in his racing case ... his attorney said he cut a plea deal with prosecutors on Thursday -- and has been sentenced to probation.

Kim Stephens, who represented the Univ. of Georgia football star in the case, said Carter agreed to plead no contest to the two misdemeanor charges he was hit with earlier this month stemming from his alleged role in a fatal car crash on Jan. 15 that took the lives of one of his former Bulldog teammates and a UGA staffer.

According to the attorney, the 21-year-old was sentenced to one year of probation as a result of the pleas. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, Stephens said, complete 80 hours of community service, and partake in a defensive driving course.

"With entry of his plea," Stephens said in a statement Thursday, "the State is forever barred from bringing any additional charges against Jalen Carter for conduct alleged to have occurred on January 15, 2023."

Carter was initially hit with charges of reckless driving and racing ... after authorities said he had been driving carelessly on the road with Chandler LeCroy "in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other" before she crashed in the early morning hours of Jan. 15 -- killing her and UGA football player Devin Willock.

Stephens denied that Carter caused the wreck ... adding that the football player "stopped his car immediately after the accident occurred and ran toward the wrecked vehicle while his passenger called 911."

"Even after being informed that he could leave," Stephens added, "Mr. Carter returned to the scene at the request of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department to answer additional questions and continued to cooperate throughout the investigation."

Stephens said Carter had not been drinking ... and was not under the influence of alcohol or booze at the time of the crash.

"We are happy that we were able to work with the Solicitor General’s office to reach a resolution that was fair and just and based on the evidence in this case," Stephens said. "Mr. Carter continues to grieve the loss of his friends and continues to pray for their families, as well as for continued healing for injured friends."

Carter can now turn his full attention toward improving his draft stock -- which has taken a big hit following the criminal charges and his subsequent subpar performance at UGA's Pro Day on Wednesday.

Alabama head basketball coach Nate Oats says Brandon Miller needs armed security to keep him safe after his star player received numerous disturbing messages.

A video of the SEC Player of the Year walking into Birmingham's Legacy Arena went viral on Wednesday ... because the future NBA lottery pick was accompanied by an armed guard.

Oats was asked about the protection during Wednesday's presser and explained he and the university felt it was "appropriate" following the disturbing messages Miller received.

"It's nothing a college kid should have to go through," Oats said. "I think if you were able to see what I've seen and you'd understand why that's going on right now."

"Some of the messages from people that can sit behind fake email addresses, but who knows whether they're real or not. Something that nobody would ever want for their son -- I treat my players like my own sons. I put myself in his parent's shoes."

Oats added, "I don’t want to get into all that. The entire situation, as you know, is just a heartbreaking situation on all accounts."

Of course, Oats is referring to the murder of Jamea Harris, who was fatally shot on January 15 in Tuscaloosa. According to police, Brandon delivered the gun to the men accused of shooting Harris.

Miller's teammate, Darius Miles, along with another man, were arrested and charged with capital murder.

As his team preps for their first round NCAA tourney game, Miller was asked about the detail.

"I feel like we always travel with security. That's all I'm gonna be able to say on that."

Despite all the off-court distractions, Coach Oats say they're prepared for the NCAA Tournament and have blocked out all the outside noise.

"Our guys have been really mature about kinda focusing on the task at hand," Oats said.

"I think it's that mentality of like we're all in this together, we're trying to get to be the best we can be, and let's just make sure we're all focused and have a great practice."

Conor McGregor got so fired up about revealing a donation to a charity he loves on Wednesday night that he straight-up dropped an F-bomb live on TV!!!

The UFC superstar appeared on Fox News' "Hannity" to announce a $1 million donation to Tunnel to Towers -- a charity created following the 9/11 tragedy to help families of emergency responders who died in the line of duty -- when he got a little too excited.

Speaking with the org's CEO, Frank Siller -- the brother of 9/11 hero Stephen Siller, who lost his life trying to save others in the World Trade Center attack -- McGregor couldn't help but utter a cuss word.

"Frank, I'm honored to support you," he said just seconds after he was introduced by Hannity on the show. "I wanted to say, your brother Stephen is a f***ing -- excuse me, is a hero."

"He's a hero. You're a hero."

Despite the PG-13 language, the audience loved it -- as did Frank, who told Conor, "You had it right the first time!"

Conor then presented the giant check to Frank, who vowed to use some of the money to pay off the mortgage for a family that recently lost a loved one who died while fighting the recent deadly fire in Buffalo.

McGregor later said he was sorry for swearing, telling Hannity, "I would have to curse on Fox. I apologize. I apologize."

But, Hannity told him, "Don't worry about it. It's the one place you can!"

Grizzlies star Ja Morant is sharing his side of the altercation at his sister's volleyball game that led to a police investigation ... saying he only showed up to the event to make sure she was safe.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Morant, his family and a group of adult men were investigated for simple assault in September ... after they were accused of confronting a high schooler who allegedly called his sister a "bitch."

Morant was asked about the incident in an interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose on Wednesday ... and he's adamant he only acted out of fear his sister could be in danger.

"That's my baby sister," Ja said in the sit-down with Rose. "I received a call and was checking on her safety."

Ja claims once he knew his sister was okay, he left the school ... but says it was made out to be a bigger deal because he's a recognizable NBA player.

"Obviously, I realize Ja showed up and that's all everybody needed to paint whatever picture they want," he added. "I realize now that's a problem and I put myself in those situations."

Ja and his family were ultimately not charged for their involvement in the incident.

Morant is currently serving an 8-game suspension for flashing a gun at a Colorado strip club earlier this month ... just the latest off-court issue he has faced in his short career.

Tyreek Hill's very fast ... for a football player, according to U.S. track star Christian Coleman who tells us Cheetah's 60-meter run was "impressive," but not world-class.

27-year-old Coleman -- the fastest man to ever run the 60m (6.34 seconds) -- joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... and was asked for a scouting report on 29-year-old Hill's performance at the USA Track Masters Indoor Championship event in Louisville, KY on Saturday.

"In my opinion it was impressive. Major respect for getting out there and actually running," Coleman said, adding ... "I would say for a season opener, 6.70, I don't know when's the last time he actually ran. So, it's pretty impressive to me."

As you can see, Hill easily won the race, though Tyreek wasn't running against elite racers, and that was clear. Ty DUSTED them.

"He knew what he was doing going to a masters event," Coleman said. "Not going up against real pros who might have a chance to beat him."

Tyreek's not exactly a fish out of water on the track. He was a real deal track star in high school, winning 2 state titles as a sprinter. He was even named an All-American. Hill also competed for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, finishing 6th in the 200-meter (20.14) at trials. But, that was 10+ years ago.

It's also worth noting, while only 5'10", Hill's very stocky. Obviously, muscle is heavy, and carrying around weight makes running fast difficult.

We asked Coleman, who set the 60m world record in 2018, what the Dolphin's wide receiver's ceiling would be if he were to concentrate solely on track.

"I think if he kept training and I think if he actually dedicated himself to lifting for track and set himself up to actually peak, I think he can go down to the 6.5 low range for sure."

A respectable time ... but Christian makes it clear, "I don't think he'd ever be able to beat me."

And, Coleman's willing to prove it on the track. The former 2x world champion and former 100-meter king says he's down to run against Cheetah, with proceeds going to charity.

"I would be up for the race. If I was him I wouldn't take the race. I would love to maybe set something up, if we could do something for charity. I would be down for the race," Christian said.

As for the distance ... CC, who once ran a 4.12 40-yard dash -- says Hill can pick.

Ja Morant is making one thing clear -- the gun he flashed in a Colorado strip club was NOT his -- but as far as whose weapon it was, the NBA star is remaining tight-lipped.

The Grizzlies guard sat down for a one-on-one interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose on Wednesday -- shortly after his 8-game suspension was announced -- and he was asked straight-up who owned the gun he showed off on Instagram Live on March 4.

"The gun wasn't mine," Morant said. "It's not who I am. I don't condone any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions."

"I made a bad mistake and I can see the image I painted over myself with my recent mistakes," he added. "But, in the future, I will show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about and change this narrative."

Morant -- who hasn't played for the Grizzlies since March 3 -- said he's been in a good mental place following the incident ... and he spent his time away from the game speaking with therapists, getting reiki treatment and working on anxiety breathing to help deal with stress.

Morant added he realized he needed help when he made the video ... and his daughter inspired him to open up about his issues with professionals.

The All-Star also discussed his meeting with Adam Silver ... and he said it was a productive conversation, as the commish voiced support for him.

Morant says he still takes pride in being a role model ... saying, "I realize I have a lot of kids who look up to me. Even probably some adults, a lot of fans."

Need help filling out your bracket? Well, you can now get a Presidential assist from Barack Obama -- 'cause he just unveiled his 2023 picks ... and he thinks Duke will win it all!!

No. 44 -- who's been fillin' out brackets for years, even when he was in office -- posted his prediction on his Twitter page Wednesday afternoon, showing he's got a Final Four of Baylor, Duke, Houston and UCLA.

"It’s the best time of year!" he said while announcing his picks. "My #MarchMadness brackets will get busted soon enough, but here are my picks. Who do you have winning it all?"

Barry O didn't have too many upset selections -- although he's clearly a believer in the Iona Cinderella story, taking the No. 13 seed to not only beat UConn in the first round ... but to also advance to the Sweet 16.

Obama also filled out a women's tournament bracket -- believing South Carolina, Stanford, Virginia Tech and Indiana will advance to the Final Four there. His champion was S.C.

Le'Veon Bell is channeling his inner Rocky in preparation for his next fight ... getting in an insane ab workout this week that looked more like torture than a typical sweat sesh.

The former NFL superstar is boxing YouTuber JMX in April ... and he's clearly taking it seriously, 'cause check out footage of the work he got in at the gym on Wednesday -- it's intense.

The ex-running back -- who quit football in 2022 to focus on his boxing career -- laid on the ground shirtless ... while one of his training partners heaved a weighted ball right at his stomach.

Bell took shot after shot after shot, obviously in pain each time -- but he kept coming back for more.

Eventually, after at least six body blows -- he tapped out ... but he made sure to show afterward how strong his abs were.

The training should come in handy for Bell next month -- as his upcoming opponent doesn't appear to be any sort of tomato can. If you're unfamiliar, JMX is 4-0 in his celeb fights -- and is coming off an impressive knockout win over TikToker Ginty.

Then again, Bell KO'ed Adrian Peterson last year and also gave MMA star Uriah Hall a run in the ring a few weeks later.