Lineup

Features

NCAA TOURNAMENT

40 March Gladness

As the first week's games showed once again, there is one event in sports that never fails to deliver

By Michael Rosenberg

PRO BASKETBALL

46 Steve Nash

Look at the best point guards today, and you'll see the influence of a man who reimagined pro basketball offense

By Lee Jenkins

Departments

4 SI Digital

8 Inbox

10 Leading Off

21 Scorecard

34 Faces in The Crowd

35 Just My Type

Dan Patrick: Will Ferrell's cup runneth over

126 Point After

Steve Rushin:Thwock, swish, clack—the un-scored symphony of sports

MLB PREVIEW '15

SI HAS FOUR REGIONAL COVERS THIS WEEK

54 WAIT TILL THIS YEAR

Welcome to the era of baseball's one-winter rebuild

By Tom Verducci

60 SPEED KILLS

One reason for parity: Every staff teems with high-velocity arms

By Tom Verducci

70 BATTLE MODE

Modern hitters are under siege—but they can fight back

By Ben Reiter

76 CLINT HURDLE

The Pirates' manager draws on quants and Dorothy Gale

By Albert Chen

82 BRYCE HARPER

Why is it so easy to dislike a guy who plays full-bore?

By Tom Verducci

88 SCOUTING REPORTS

COVER PHOTOS: Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated (Indians, Mariners); Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated (Nationals, Royals) Insets: Chris Keane (Michigan State mascot); Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images (Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer); Fred Vuich (N.C. State's Desmond Lee and Beejay Anya); Steven Branscombe/USA Today Sports (Wichita State's Fred Vanvleet)

PHOTO

FRED VUICH (N.C. STATE'S TREVOR LACEY)

PHOTO

JOHN W. MCDONOUGH/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (NASH)

FOUR PHOTOS