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Columns

Full Court Press: Making bank on the Big Dance

Although buzzer-beaters and ads with Charles Barkley are great, my favorite aspect of March Madness is undoubtedly its ability to turn players into stars in the blink of an eye. While some of these sensations don’t end up succeeding at the next level (sorry, Sindarius Thornwell — I really thought you were the next big thing), others, like Steph Curry at Davidson, show their first flashes of greatness on the hardwood in March.


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Sports

Squash drops the ball in national tournament

After taking home second place in the annual NESCAC tournament, falling to Trinity College, the men’s and women’s squash teams worked hard going into the final tournament of their season — nationals — which would be the ultimate test of their strength. The three days at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia, Pa. would define the Jumbos’ spot in the rankings. Only the top 12 teams in the country qualify for the best division of the national tournament, and this was the team’s second consecutive year making it there as the men came in ranked No. 12 and the women at No. 11. Both teams hoped to break the top 10 by beating some of the most competitive teams in the country, but they fell just shy and will have to work extra hard to come back next year to earn their place.


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Hockey

Ice hockey’s season concludes in NESCAC title game for second straight year

Tufts ice hockey battled through the conference tournament, beating Bowdoin in a thrilling overtime and routing Colby 6–2 to earn a spot in the NESCAC championship game against Hamilton in Clinton, N.Y. In the semifinal matchup against the Colby Mules, the Jumbos kicked things into high gear offensively, exploding for four goals in the third period to eliminate the No. 3 seed team and advance to the conference final. While the score may not make it evident, the Jumbos actually came from behind against the Mules, facing a 1–0 deficit early before tying the score about halfway through the first and taking a 2–1 lead before the first intermission. Though Colby responded in the second by evening things up at 2–2, Tufts put on a show in the game’s final frame, taking a 3–2 lead only 14 seconds into the third period that just kept expanding, topped off by junior forward Brendan Fennell’s empty-net goal. The 6–2 win sent Tufts to face the No. 1 seeded hosts Hamilton in the title game.


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Sports

Courting greatness: Tufts men’s tennis eyes championship glory

For the Tufts men’s tennis team, the goal has never been in question: Win the elusive NESCAC Championship and make a deep run at nationals. After reaching a quarterfinal — or better — finish in their last three NCAA Tournament appearances and climbing steadily in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, the Jumbos enter the 2025 spring season ranked No. 3 in the nation. With a talented roster, the Tufts men’s tennis team is looking to take the final step toward championship glory.


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Columns

The 90-Minute Breakdown: Champions League ramps up, plus the Messi ticket controversy

I’d like to start this week’s column by remembering FC Barcelona’s head club doctor, Carles Miñarro, who passed away suddenly this past Sunday, hours before Barcelona’s match against Osasuna. Barcelona president Joan Laporta paid tribute, stating, “A man very much loved by everyone passed away this afternoon during the team’s gathering at the hotel. As you can imagine, the players, coaching staff, the coach, everyone was very sad.” The match was postponed in his honor.




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Basketball

Women’s Basketball sees their season end in NCAA tournament

It is not everyday that you see a 10-loss team in the NCAA tournament, but Tufts women’s basketball squeezed their way in with an at-large bid with a 15–10 overall record. After falling to Trinity College in double overtime in the NESCAC tournament, Tufts had almost two weeks to prepare for their share of March madness.


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Columns

Lay of the Leagues: ATP edition

For many years, Indian Wells, Calif., has served as a stopping point for prospectors seeking gold. Currently, it happens to host a tennis tournament on the ATP Tour. Many dub the Indian Wells Open the “fifth Grand Slam” because of the tournament’s status as a Masters 1000 tournament (just one level below the grand slams) as well as the increased media attention that Indian Wells receives compared to other Masters 1000 tournaments. Indian Wells draws all of tennis’s current and rising stars, and with the whirlwind of entertaining and disappointing first-round upsets this year, it feels only right to talk about the current state of the sport in our country — and why it’s worth watching.



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Columns

Full Court Press: On the beautiful game, commercialization

When Coldplay took the stage at the halftime show of Super Bowl 50 in 2016, more than 115 million televisions were tuned in. For those who may not remember, the group kicked off with some of their own chart-toppers like “Yellow” and “Viva La Vida” before inviting guest appearances from Beyoncé and Bruno Mars in a tantalizing display of neon lighting and black leather jackets.


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Sports

No. 2 Tufts women’s lacrosse goes 3–0 to open 2025 campaign

When a team that finished the 2024 season 16–4 –– making the Elite Eight for the fifth consecutive season –– returns many of its starters from the quarterfinal, the No. 2 ranking in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association’s poll seems appropriate. This weekend, the Jumbos more than proved their mettle by taking care of two opponents with double-digit victories to start their 2025 season.


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Basketball

With early NESCAC tournament exit, men’s basketball looks to make noise in March

Basketball, at its best, is about momentum. Build it, ride it, hold onto it for as long as possible. Lose it, and things unravel quickly. The Tufts men’s basketball team saw both ends of that equation in the NESCAC tournament. A strong second-half surge carried them past Williams in the quarterfinals, but against Trinity in the semifinals, they lost their grip. A dismal 32.8% shooting performance doomed the Jumbos in a 74–51 loss, cutting short their bid for a conference title. But the season isn’t over — far from it. The Jumbos are still dancing with the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship up next.


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Columns

Extra Innings: The lasting legacy of ‘The Machine’

This column started as an attempt to compare New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge with St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols. But after a particularly long session of Baseball Reference scrolling, I decided I didn’t want to write about Judge at all. That’s because I discovered something that I’ve never heard discussed by any baseball journalists: There will never be another hitter like Albert Pujols.


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Sports

Tufts women’s softball experiences defeat in first showcase

Tufts women’s softball began their season last weekend at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia. Coming off a 39–10 record, a NESCAC semifinal appearance and an NCAA Division-III College World Series appearance last season, the Jumbos were looking to start this season off strong at the showcase.



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Soccer

The 90-Minute Breakdown: Standout performances and controversy

Barcelona is reaping the rewards of La Masia once again. In their win over Real Sociedad, two of the four goals were assisted and scored by academy graduates. Dani Olmo provided two assists, while Gerard Martín and Marc Casadó netted their first-ever Barcelona goals. Instead of flashy celebrations, the team opted for a full-squad embrace — pure joy.


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Sports

Freshman fantastic five: Tufts men’s tennis’ newest additions are all smiles, battle-ready

The Tufts men’s tennis team has long been a powerhouse in Division III, consistently pushing for NESCAC and NCAA titles. Every season, the team welcomes a new wave of talent — players eager to prove themselves and leave their mark on the program. Whether it’s their energy, work ethic or undeniable confidence, these first-years are fitting right in with a squad filled with championship aspirations. Here’s what their teammates, and the players themselves, have to say about their transition to Tufts men’s tennis.



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Columns

Full Court Press: The deadly sins of NBA Twitter

Have you ever been centel’d? If you don’t know what that means, good for you; it means you’re not a chronically online basketball fan, unlike many people I talk to on a daily basis. If you do and if you’ve been victimized by the infamous account, that’s okay too … it happens to the best of us.


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Sports

QB Q&A: The best of the rest

Every so often, there is a play in football where all conventional knowledge seems to go out the window. The quarterback snaps the ball and either throws a screen or hands it off. Instead of running with the ball, the ball carrier squares up and launches the football 30 yards down the field. The announcers are screaming into their headsets about how the man who just threw the ball played quarterback in high school.