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LINEUP ON THE COVERS MARCH 26–APRIL 2, 2018 Jeffery A. Salter (Yankees); VOLUME 128 | NO. 7 Robert Beck (Angels) ncaa tournament WHY. WE. WATCH. By andy staples 28 Loyola-Chicago might not want to be known as a Cinderella, but the Ramblers sure fit the profile WHAT’S THE RUSH? By dan greene 34 At a subregional jam-packed with NBA-caliber talent, five future lottery picks kept on dancing mlb preview GIANCARLO STANTON By ben reiter 36 TheYankeesaddedthereigningNLMVP,creating a lineup that takes power to new heights HITTING REVOLUTION By tom verducci 44 Uppercut by uppercut, a band of sluggers is radically reshaping the modern swing RISING SONS By jon tayler 56 The offspring of some seasoned pros are about to make their own marks in the major leagues SHOHEI OHTANI By stephanie apstein 62 The hurler-hitter may finally get the Angels out of their rut. And it’ll be fun watching them try SCOUTING REPORTS 68 AL to NL, division by division: every single team, something to watch for MULTI-FOCUS The Angels are betting Ohtani can be a baseball unicorn: an asset to the rotation and the lineup. DEPARTMENTS SI TV P. 4 LEADING OFF P. 6 INBOX P. 14 SCORECARD P. 16 FACES IN THE CROWD P. 26 POINT AFTER P. 108 Photo Composite by Robert Beck MARCH 26, 2018 | SPORTS ILLUSTRATED 3 NOW ON THE LIN CROWD SI goes behind the scenes with Nets guard Jeremy Lin in The Life of Lin, an exclusive multipart series chronicling his road to recovery after a season- ending knee injury suffered on opening night. In Episode 2, Lin takes viewers along as he pursues his many passions outside of basketball, including his interest in sports analytics and his ownership of an eSports team. Figure of Speech HOW TO “IF I KNEW this was going to happen, I would’ve worn cuter underwear.” WATCH So says U.S. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon as he shimmies out of his trousers and into a pair of off-the-rack pants in plain view of shoppers at a Saks Fifth Avenue store Classic sports in New York City. And this is just the opening scene in the first edition of SI TV’s series, movies and The Big Interview. The rest is even more revealing. TV shows, Each episode in the program features a Sports Illustrated writer interviewing a prominent plus dozens athlete about his or her sport and personal life, in candid detail. In the debut, SI’s Rohan Nadkarni of hours of TAYLOR BALLANTYNE (RIPPON) chats with Rippon about the skater’s favorite shoes (“fun, easy Gucci sneakers”), his dating-app compelling original preference (Tinder is “sorta classy,” “Grinder is like trash”) and his feelings about what “makes programming: America awesome.” Visit SI TV on Amazon Channels to check out the Rippon episode, and make Watch SI TV sure to come back for more chapters and more big names later this spring. on Amazon Channels. 4 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED | MARCH 26, 2018 SMOOTH AND FUULL-FLAVO RED JIM BEAM BLL ACK ®. TA STE WHAT A FEEW EXTRA YEARS IN THE BARREEL CAN DO. ,KO$GCO$NCEM-GPVWEM[5VTCKIJV$QWTDQP9JKUMG[#NE8QN ,COGU$$GCO&KUVKNNKPI%Q%NGTOQPV-; LEADING OFF PARA ACES ET’S FIRST dispense with the medal L count. As impressive as it is—36 for the U.S., top of the table, and Dan Cnossen and Oksana Masters, who both compete in both cross-country and biathlon, won 11 of those (six for Cnossen, five for Masters) at the Paralympics in PyeongChang—winning a medal is the least impressive thing a Paralympian does on any given day. Cnossen (page 24), 37, a SEAL team commander from Topeka, Kans., is one of 18 military veterans on the U.S. roster. Masters, 28, from Louisville, had already won medals in cycling and rowing at previous championships. The U.S. had never won a medal in biathlon, at the Olympics or Paralympics, until March 10 when Kendall Gretsch, 25, from Downers Grove, Ill., took gold in the sitting biathlon sprint. She was already a three- time world champion in triathlon. Stephen Hawking, who died on March 14 at age 76, was remembered at the closing ceremony four days later. The wheelchair-bound physicist, who had ALS, was a supporter of the Paralympics and had spoken at the opening of the London Games. “The Paralympic Games is about transforming our perception of the world,” he said. “There is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being, but we share the same human spirit.” SILVER STRIKE In his fourth Paralympics, Tyler Walker, 31, from Franconia, N.H., won his first medals—both silver, in the slalom and giant slalom. PHOTOGRAPH BY LINTAO ZHANG/GETTY IMAGES LEADING OFF FOLLOW @SPORTSILLUSTRATED ICE GUYS FINISH FIRST In the final against Canada, Declan Farmer (the alternate captain) scored with 37.8 seconds left to tie the game at one, then won it in OT with 11:30 left. PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB MARTIN/OIS/IOC LEADING OFF FOLLOW @SPORTSILLUSTRATED ANGLE OF ATTACK Stephanie Jallen, 22, from Harding, Pa., raced the Super-G and four other events in South Korea, but didn’t land a medal—as she had in Sochi. PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL MARKLUND/OIS/IOC MobilityForAll.com WHEN WE ARE FREE TO MOVE, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. needed a nominee, I’d suggest American University’s Megan Gebbia. This year she steered the Eagles to a Patriot League championship and their first undefeated home season (13–0, 3–0 in the postseason) since the 1970s. John M. Vorperian White Plains, N.Y. LEADING OFF INBOX FOR MARCH 12, 2018 devoted so much space You scored an eight- to women’s basketball. ender with your It was very interesting caption tagline on THE GAME CHANGER beyond providing to read about the the photo of John Lee Jenkins’s tuition waivers. But rapid improvement Shuster and the U.S. description of the the FBI investigation of forwards in the curling team (“It’s Mavericks’ effective aptly described by women’s game. My only not shuffleboard!”). use of Dwane Casey’s Charles P. Pierce, has contention would be defensive sets during forced me to realize that that Napheesa Collier the 2011 Finals was not only has the time should have made SI’s superb reporting. At come, but it is also long All-America Team. the time, it seemed overdue. As a professor She is a huge part of incredible that the (now retired), I received UConn’s success and underdog Mavs, totally full tuition waivers a dominating outmanned by the for my postgraduate forward who Heat’s Big 3, came away degrees and stipends as was not victorious. I am glad a teaching assistant. mentioned As a level one to see Casey (above, This is standard enough curling instructor, SIMON BRUTY (CASEY); GREG NELSON (COLLIER); ERICK RASCO W. ( center), now the Raptors practice in in this I hear newbies coach, get the respect academia. So the article. often say curling he deserves for being solution is simple. Allie Turner is like shuffleboard the architect of such an Pay college athletes St. Louis or bowling. On the effective game plan. a similar stipend; they contrary, it’s more like James M. Baker are earning it. I was baffled billiards for the bumps Rocklin, Calif. Christopher Kohler by the fact that and takeouts, or like Hertford, N.C. your women’s chess, for the strategy LAW AND DISORDER All-America team, involved in placing I have, until today, TOWERS OF POWER unlike the men’s your rocks. been opposed to As a 12-year-old girl, I squad, didn’t name Chris Allen Schwanz paying college athletes was thrilled that you a coach. If you Chili, Wis. CURLING TEAM); GREG NELSON (COVER) For ad rates, an editorial Letters should include the writer’s full name, To purchase reprints of SI covers, calendar or a media kit email SI at address and telephone number and may be edited for go to SICOVERS.COM [email protected] clarity and space. Email: [email protected] 14 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED | MARCH 26, 2018 SCLE STRAIN? WHAT TENSION HEADACHE? WHAT JOINT STIFFNESS? MORE TIGER P. 18 COINAGE P. 20 EDGE P. 22 PARALYMPICS P. 24 FACES IN THE CROWD P. 26 ESSAY SEEING RED AGAIN FIVE YEARS SINCE HIS LAST PGA WIN, TIGER WOODS IS ROARING BACK JUST IN TIME FOR AUGUSTA. SERIOUSLY, WHO ISN'T EXCITED? BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG N THE Los Angeles Angels’ spring training Cleveland Cavaliers. Griffin realized that building a team I clubhouse this month, the best player in baseball around LeBron James was an assignment of historical was giddily following a certain PGA Tour star. significance. “I felt like we were caretaking for the legacy One day, Mike Trout had almost everybody in the clubhouse of Babe Ruth,” he says. Griffin understands, as well as JEFF MORELAND/ICON SMI/CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES (HEAD COVER) watching with him. anybody, that we are watching the Babe Ruth of golf. The day before North Carolina’s men’s basketball team In his last three tournaments, Woods has finished 12th, began its title defense, coach Roy Williams was glued to his tied for second, and tied for fifth. Yet he has looked good smartphone. There was no doubt why. As Williams began enough and healthy enough to remind us that there are two one news conference by saying: “Tiger Woods just birdied kinds of golfers in the world: Tiger, and everybody else. a hole. He’s the sole leader now at four under par through During the Valspar Championship, which Woods nearly 16 holes.