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Creighton Player's Baby Is the First Breakout Star of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

Stephen Douglas

Steven Ashworth’s son made his March Madness debut on Thursday.
Steven Ashworth’s son made his March Madness debut on Thursday. / @CBSSport
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The Creighton Blue Jays and Louisville Cardinals had the honor of playing in the first game of the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament on CBS and it didn't take long for a star to emerge.

Creighton was on fire early as they jumped out to a 49-34 lead at halftime thanks to some incredibly hot shooting. Senior Steven Ashworth scored 13 points in the first half and earned himself an interview as the teams headed to the locker rooms for intermission.

Not that he was the real star. That would be his son, Tommy Jay Ashworth. That's right, Ashworth's nine-month old baby was in the stands wearing noise canceling and cheering his little heart out. Considering all Louisville fans had to offer was a Chucky doll, baby Ashworth was a welcome distraction from the game.

Ashworth looking like a fully formed adult was one of the first things to stick out to anyone during this year's tournament. The fact that he has a wife, Peyton, who is named after the quarterback, and a baby will only make his legend grow. If Creighton makes a run, expect to see a lot more of them before the month is over.

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Stephen Douglas
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

Stephen Douglas is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in media since 2008 and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Douglas spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and previously wrote for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.

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