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The College Basketball Crown will return to Las Vegas connected Wednesday for nan 2nd loop of nan postseason tournament, which features a $500,000 NIL prize pool.
Beyond nan NIL money up for grabs, this year’s tourney will person immoderate large names successful men’s assemblage hoops. Oklahoma, Colorado, Baylor, Minnesota, Stanford, West Virginia, Rutgers and Creighton will each vie for nan championship.
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers winning nan Crown College Basketball Championship against nan UCF Knights astatine nan T-Mobile Arena connected April 6, 2025 successful Las Vegas, Nevada. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LaPhonso Ellis, a erstwhile Notre Dame Fighting Irish prima and FOX Sports broadcaster, told Fox News Digital that the Sooners are 1 of nan teams he’s expecting to break out.
"Part of that is erstwhile you person to triumph a tourney for illustration this, you first person to person engagement," Ellis explained. "I deliberation these guys, having won six retired of their past 7 and missing (the NCAA Tournament), they person that sour sensation successful their mouths and you want to spell retired connected a precocious note."
Ellis said he expected West Virginia to beryllium pinch Oklahoma successful nan last game.
"I person them gathering West Virginia successful nan finals but I had them having a flimsy separator complete West Virginia because West Virginia is really bully defensively, 1 of nan apical 25 astir businesslike defenses successful nan country, but I deliberation successful nan end, erstwhile you person a defense that has improved arsenic overmuch arsenic nan elder defense has improved complete nan past mates weeks, it comes down to your expertise to beryllium capable to put it successful nan handbasket and Oklahoma does that astatine a precocious level," he said.
The NIL prize excavation is 1 of nan bigger aspects of nan tournament.
Sports expert LaPhonso Ellis during nan broadcast earlier nan crippled betwixt nan Maryland Terrapins and nan Michigan State Spartans astatine XFINITY Center connected Feb. 29, 2020. (Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports)
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Ellis said that it’s a existent inducement for players arsenic they’ve been disconnected nan tribunal for a fewer weeks since missing retired connected nan section of 68 that would person had them competing for a nationalist championship.
"I deliberation it’s very important because erstwhile you get to this stage, remember, these teams that spell into our tournament, it’s been almost 2 weeks that they’ve been disconnected from title and I deliberation you person to person immoderate level of bargain in, and portion of that buy-in coming has been created. You person NIL, of course, successful nan shadow, and you’ve sewage to travel up pinch immoderate existent inducement to get these high-brand names successful your tournament."
Last year, nan Nebraska Cornhuskers were nan tourney champions.
The Fred Hoiberg-led programme past parlayed that occurrence into a 28-7 play successful 2025-26. The Cornhuskers made nan large creation and mislaid successful nan Sweet 16 to Iowa.
The College Basketball Crown originates Wednesday and runs done Sunday. The games will beryllium aired connected FS1 and FOX.
The opening information matchups are arsenic follows:
- Oklahoma vs. Colorado (April 1, 8 p.m. ET)
- Baylor vs. Minnesota (April 1, 10:30 p.m. ET)
- Stanford vs. West Virginia (April 2, 8 p.m. ET)
- Rutgers vs. Creighton (April 2, 10:30 p.m. ET)
A Nebraska Cornhuskers' subordinate places nan College Basketball Crown Championship Trophy connected Juwan Gary #4 aft their team's 77-66 triumph complete nan UCF Knights successful nan the title crippled of nan College Basketball Crown tourney astatine T-Mobile Arena connected April 6, 2025 successful Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
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The first-round games will return spot astatine nan MGM Grand Garden Arena. The remainder of nan tourney will return spot astatine nan T-Mobile Arena.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to nan Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Ryan Gaydos is simply a elder editor for Fox News Digital.
