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Monday, March 31, 2025

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Arizona Cardinals land risky pass rusher in new mock draft  

The Arizona Cardinals could go a number of ways with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Based on where they sit with the 16th overall pick, prospects that fit in terms of projection include defensive linemen, edge rushers, offensive linemen, linebackers and even receivers.

Which way do they go in the new first-round mock draft from The Draft Network's Jaime Eisner?

He has the Cardinals going with Texas A&M edge defender Shemar Stewart.

Shemar Stewart is more of a projection than a finished product right now, and box-score scouts hate him, but he's got all the tools to develop into a high-end pass rusher in the NFL. The Cardinals don't have enough juice in their defensive front, and adding a player like Stewart to pair with Josh Sweat will help Jonathan Gannon's defense immensely.

Stewart was one of the best combine performers and his physical comps are a match with studd pass rusher Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. However, the production isn't there. He had 4.5 total sacks in three seasons for the Aggies, getting 1.5 sacks each season.

That makes him a potential bust, but the lack of production could be explained. Teammate Nic Scourton led the Big Ten in 2023 with 10 sacks, transferred to Texas A&M and only had five.

Could it simply be that they scheme poorly for edge rushers?

He has the athleticism. If the tape looks good and the character is there and the Cardinals believe in their coaches, he can do more in the pros.

Odafe Oweh of the Baltimore Ravens had zero sacks in his final season at Penn State, was drafted in the first round and had 10 sacks last season.

So while Stewart will make many fans nervous, he isn't necessarily a bad pick. He is a risky one, but he has the traits worth gambling on.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFL mock draft: Arizona Cardinals land Shemar Stewart with 16th pick

 

Torpedo bat designer says it's more about the players than the bat model  

MIAMI (AP) — For the MIT-educated physicist behind the torpedo bat, it's more about the talent of the players than their lumber at the plate.

The torpedo model — a striking design in which wood is moved lower down the barrel after the label and shapes the end a little like a bowling pin — became the talk of major league baseball over the weekend.

The New York Yankees hit a team-record nine homers that traveled a combined 3,695 feet on Saturday. Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. all went deep using a torpedo bat. New York's 15 homers through the first three games matched the 2006 Detroit Tigers for the most in major league history.

“At the end of the day it’s about the batter not the bat,” said Aaron Leanhardt, a former physics professor at the University of Michigan who is being credited with the design. “It’s about the hitter and their hitting coaches. I’m happy to always help those guys get a little bit better but ultimately it’s up to them to put good swings and grind it out every day. So, credit to those guys.”

Leanhardt, 48, a field coordinator for the Miami Marlins, said the origin of the bat dates to 2023, when he worked for the Yankees. He said several versions were tested that didn’t create the desired effect.

Leanhardt was approached by major league and minor league players early in the design stage, seeking information on the bats.

"I’ll let the players always talk about their own experiences. I’m not going to drag anyone into this,” Leanhardt said Monday. “But there were definitely guys on the major league side and on the minor league side in 2023 that were definitely asking me questions and offering design advice and demoing them.”

Leanhardt said the past couple of days had been “surreal.” Some of Miami's players joked around with him as he answered questions from the media before their game against the New York Mets.

“The industry as a whole was probably a little bit more aware of this maybe than you guys were,” Leanhardt said. “Guys have been asking me about it. Guys have been wanting to swing them.”

Bat manufacturer Victus Sports dropped off a batch of torpedo bats for the Phillies just before first pitch of their home opener on Monday. Alec Bohm grabbed one, took about five swings and decided to use one.

His logic seemed sound: Look how it might have aided the Yankees.

“You see a team hit 20 homers and you’re gonna try it,” Bohm said. “It didn’t work.”

Bohm managed just one single with his new lumber. He noted it “felt just like a normal bat” and wasn’t sure if he would swing with a torpedo again any time soon.

“It’s a bat. It’s different,” he said. “It’ll probably run its course.”

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said he didn't feel like the bats had any effect on their opening series against the Yankees.

“I think they have a lot of really good players. That’s probably the biggest factor in how that went,” he said.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said shortstop Francisco Lindor used a similar bat in their series at Houston. He got the models late in spring training.

“Nothing new for us,” Mendoza said. “This is something that every team, every player continues to look for an edge and find ways to improve within the margins. And this is a perfect example.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

 

AI predicts Rams take 300-pound DT in new mock draft  

Artificial intelligence is the rage these days — both as a means for answering questions as well as ideating.

So, why not use it for mock drafts? That's exactly what USA Today Sports' Jacob Camenker did for his newest mock draft. He used the Microsoft Copilot AI chatbot to made all 32 first-round selections with a month to go before the actual 2025 NFL Draft.

While there were a couple of surprises, it saddled the Rams with an out-of-the-box but not totally bonkers pick: Michigan DT Kenneth Grant. The 6-foot-3, 339-pound defensive lineman has 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons with 12 tackles for a loss.

"The Rams struggled against the run last season and signed Poona Ford to help them on the line of scrimmage," Camenker wrote about this pick. "Selecting the 'powerful and disruptive' Grant would double down on addressing that weakness and continue to bolster Los Angeles' defense in the post-Aaron Donald era."

This pick isn't terrible, but it wouldn't necessarily impact the Rams in 2025. Grant would sit behind both Ford and Kobie Turner in the lineup, too, so he wouldn't see much action in his rookie season.

If the Rams wanted to focus on one of the weaker parts of their 2024 roster and turn it into a strength in 2025, then this pick would make sense. Otherwise, the Rams would be better suited to take a cornerback or receiver instead.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: AI predicts Rams take 300-pound DT in new mock draft

 

What will Titans, Browns do with top 2 draft picks? From QBs to generational players, breaking down 5 biggest questions  

PALM BEACH, Fla. — As NFL head coaches, general managers and executives canvass the grounds of The Breakers, conversations to nail down free agency loose ends and draft strategy alike abound.

Many top players have performed at pro days and/or visited teams directly since the scouting combine wrapped in early March. Scouts and coaches have convened to compare evaluation notes and watch further film.

With so many moving parts, what do the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns intend to do with the top two 2025 NFL Draft picks? Let’s break down their latest comments from Monday interview sessions at the league’s spring meeting.

The Titans have the first overall pick. Does that mean they’re taking Cam Ward?

Tennessee will not yet publicly confirm this is their plan. But yes, they’re doing all their homework on Miami quarterback Cam Ward. The Titans met with him at the combine and visited his pro day; they held a private workout with him and they hosted him for one of their 30 possible prospect visits. They’ve watched his film and researched his background.

“We’ve had all of our possible [in-person] touch points,” Titans head coach Brian Callahan said. “We have a couple more hours of Zoom left to us, per league rules and we’ll use all of those touch points that we get and feel really good about what we’ve learned and how we’ve learned it.

“He’s an impressive young man and we’re excited. But we’ve got to get through the rest of the process.”

Callahan also praised Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, whom many view as the second-most highly touted prospect at the position. Sanders visited the Titans for a 30 visit, and the Titans will attend his Colorado pro day on Friday.

“Our interactions with him had been really positive,” Callahan said. “I liked the way he comes across. He's confident without being over the top, which is a good thing.”

The Titans need a QB and those two could fit the bill. But would they consider trading down instead?

First-year general manager Mike Borgonzi might as well have picked “process” as a mantra this draft cycle. He wants his scouts to go through a Packers-style in-depth evaluation of players and he wants his decision-makers to join him in hearing any and all offers. Deep rosters of Titans brass have traveled to meet with top prospects but Borgonzi and Co. still want to weigh the value of a franchise quarterback against the perhaps-evolving value that their pick may generate.

Are they eager to trade away? They’re not indicating that. Are they open to business?

“I think we're open to everything at this point,” Callahan said. “You do your due diligence and you weigh (whether) you feel like it’s beyond the value you thought you would ever get.

“But then you also have to look at what is a potential franchise quarterback — and if you think they’re that good and they’re that type of player, those guys, to me, are priceless.”

Do the Browns want to trade up?

In NFL business, never say never. Or as Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said: “We’re pretty open to anything that we think can be advantageous for us.”

But also: This seems unlikely. The Browns will have the second pick of the year and they seem high on several prospects. They’re impressed with how Sanders’ upbringing as the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders shaped his understanding of the game on and off the field. They view Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy-winning cornerback and wide receiver, as capable of playing both ways (whether he does or not) thanks to his “elite ball skills — I don’t know if there’s been better, truly,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. And they don’t believe Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter’s stress fracture is “prohibitive of him having a long and successful career in the NFL.”

So even if Ward is gone, they have options.

“I don’t know if there’s even been a trade from 2 to 1,” general manager Andrew Berry said. “It’s pretty rare for the No. 1 overall pick to get traded. It could be part of who’s sitting at the top of the draft and it could just be the cost. The cost of going 2 to 1 is a lot different than the cost of going 76 to 75.

“You have to weigh all that in terms of how it fits into your overall offseason plan of what you can do in the draft.”

Would the Browns seriously consider not drafting a QB?

The Browns know they need a quarterback. Team owner Jimmy Haslam made that eminently clear when he talked Monday about needing to dig the club out of the hole their Deshaun Watson acquisition left them. Watson’s still technically on their roster (albeit injured reserve), and yet the Browns are already speaking in past tense about their “swing and miss” on him. So while Sanders is possible and Ward isn’t wholly out of the question, don’t be surprised if the Browns opt for a generational player like Carter or Hunt to elevate a talent-needy group, and then either rolling with offseason acquisition Kenny Pickett or — more likely — attempting to acquire a veteran like current Atlanta Falcons backup Kirk Cousins.

Pickett isn’t likely their long-term answer, but the Browns viewed his availability as “opportunistic.”

“Kenny Pickett’s a guy we believe in [and] I believe in,” Stefanski said of the Steelers’ first-round pick who most recently played for the Eagles.

Has either team picked their guy?

The Titans insist that any March 31 decision would be premature today. Data points aren’t yet complete, including Colorado pro day this Friday for Sanders and Hunter. This year’s top prospect isn’t as obvious as the Chicago Bears’ 2024 pick of Caleb Williams, whom Chicago showed public interest in before draft week. l

“It would be wrong to say there’s a leader in the clubhouse at this point,” Callahan said Monday morning. “We’re still going through the process.

“Once we make the decision, no matter what it is or who it is, we'll be thrilled to death. But I think the right thing to do is to do it the way we're doing it and make sure that you turn over all the rocks and you go through all the things that you have to go through until you get to that point.”

The Browns conceded more but not by much.

“Certainly there’s guys you know you’re circling,” Berry said. “But we want to get through this process before we make any determinations.”

 

What riders said after Seattle Supercross: 'It was mano-a-mano with Chase and me at the end'  
 

USA TODAY picks Houston over Florida in national championship ahead of Final Four  

USA TODAY columnist Blake Toppmeyer picked Houston over Florida in the national championship game before a single game of the NCAA Tournament was played. With the Final Four now set and both teams still in play, Toppmeyer isn't changing his prediction.

Picking against Duke is not for the faint of heart, especially if there's money on the line, but Toppmeyer knows what he likes and isn't backing away from what he thinks makes a national champion. It's less bold to pick Florida over Auburn, considering the matchup has already been played and the Gators won while the Tigers held a homecourt advantage.

"I gravitate to experience in the NCAA Tournament," Toppmeyer said, "and I’m further pulled toward playmaking guards. Houston and Florida are filled with experience and shot-making guards. Florida’s Walton Clayton Jr. is a clutch bucket waiting to happen. Nobody defends better than Houston, and the Cougars go five-deep with players who can score in double figures."

Toppmeyer said he was tempted to flip his pick to Florida because of how well Clayton has played in March Madness, but defense wins championships and Houston is a juggernaut on the side of the ball.

Still, one of Florida's greatest strengths is the ability to adapt to its opponent's play style and beat them at their own game. The UConn win might be the best example of that ability. The Huskies play at one of the slowest tempos in the country, and the Gators found themselves trailing, 55-51, inside seven minutes. A Walter Clayton-led comeback pushed Florida into the next round and Connecticut was left stunned after executing its gameplan to near perfection.

"It’s no secret how to make a Final Four: Build a team that can win in multiple ways, that’s comfortable winning in the 60s or the 80s," he said.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators basketball picked as Final Four runner-ups by USA TODAY

 

Ex-African boxing champ Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, 40, dies after collapsing mid-fight  

PeopleImages via Getty Images

Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, 40, tragically died after collapsing during a fight on Friday.

Olanrewaju (13-8-1, 12 KOs) was facing Jon Mbanugu (13-1-1, 12 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight bout at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana.

In the third round, Olanrewaju suddenly collapsed backward onto the third of four ring ropes. The fall did not appear to be caused by a punch from Mbanugu.

After a couple of seconds, Olanrewaju turned 180 degrees while lying on the ring rope and appeared to fall into unconsciousness, with his head facing the canvas, prompting referee Richard Amevi to wave off the count and signal for urgent medical assistance.

Olanrewaju was rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, where unsuccessful efforts were made to revive him and he was pronounced dead shortly after on Friday.

Olanrewaju began his professional boxing career in 2019. He won the Nigerian light heavyweight title in 2021 and also claimed the West African championship in 2023. Olanrewaju entered into his fight with Mbanugu off the back of four consecutive defeats.

"We are really devastated," Nigeria Boxing Board of Control secretary Remi Aboderin told BBC Sport Africa. "[This] is not something we envisaged. We will live up to our responsibility and make sure that we stand [by] the family."

The Ghana Boxing Authority said it will investigate Olanrewaju's death as well as the safety measures in place around the contest itself.

 

Takeaways from the Yankees' opening weekend: Torpedo bats and home runs weren't the whole story in the Bronx  

NEW YORK — Everyone wants to talk about the torpedo bats, but the New York Yankees’ season-opening sweep of the undermanned Milwaukee Brewers was about a lot more than just bulbous lumber.

Here are a few takeaways from the Bombers’ 3-0 start to 2025.

Aaron Judge off to hot start

Judge’s outrageous full-year numbers from 2024 — 58 homers, 1.159 OPS, 10.8 bWAR, arguably the best season ever by a right-handed hitter — make it easy to forget that he underwhelmed for most of March and April last year. Entering play on April 27, 27 games into the season, Judge had a .178 batting average, a .674 OPS and just four home runs in 123 plate appearances. It got so bad that during a four-strikeout game against Tampa Bay on April 20, the Yankees captain earned a shower of boos from the home crowd.

Eventually, of course, Judge caught fire and made history. From April 27 to the end of the year, he slashed a preposterous .354/.488/.777, good for a 1.265 OPS and another MVP award.

This season, Judge isn’t waiting around to get hot. Through three games, he has already belted four home runs, a mark tied for the league lead with Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez.

“I wanted to have a better March and April than I did last season,” Judge told reporters after Sunday’s game. During that 12-3 win, the mammoth outfielder went 1-for-1 with three bases on balls, marking the 33rd time in his accomplished career that he walked thrice.

As Judge goes, so do these Yankees. The entire operation is pointless if he’s not crushing baseballs and instilling fear into opposing pitchers. On that front, so far, so good.

Third-base situation gains clarity

Entering this Yankees season, the hot corner looked at best like an unsettled unknown and at worst like a glaring weakness. Over the winter, GM Brian Cashman did not acquire a big-ticket option for third base, opting to let oft-injured vet DJ LeMahieu, switch-hitting utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera and fallen top prospect Oswald Peraza battle it out. The complexion of that group changed during spring training, with another LeMahieu injury and the strong play of 31-year-old journeyman Pablo Reyes.

Entering Opening Day, it appeared that Cabrera would be the preferred option against righties (his career OPS against RHP is nearly 100 points better than his mark against LHP), while Reyes and Peraza would split time against lefty starters.

Instead, through just three games, a path forward is developing. That’s because Reyes, who started Saturday’s game at the hot corner, had a shocking defensive display that included two ugly errors and another misplay on a screamer ruled a double. He was removed late for Peraza, who went deep late in the blowout. It’s not doomsday for Reyes, who impressed in camp, but his woeful debut showing should provide Peraza a window to secure more playing time in the near future.

Jasson Domínguez's adventures on defense

Another major question entering the season was whether Domínguez, a highly touted center-field prospect, could adjust to his new home in left. The stocky Dominican was a horror show in left field down the stretch in 2024, but he has the athleticism to make it work out there. Center field, given the additional space that must be covered, is generally considered a more difficult assignment than the corner spots. But the angles left Domínguez perplexed last year, and his comfort at the position was a point of emphasis during spring training.

While it’s far too early to come to any significant conclusions, Domínguez was removed for the defensively superior Trent Grisham late in both Thursday’s and Sunday’s games. Domínguez started at DH on Saturday, also in deference to Grisham, who manned center field, pushing Cody Bellinger to left.

It’s also worth noting that Domínguez was notably tentative toward a hard-hit liner from Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio on Saturday. The play, according to Statcast, had a 95% catch probability.

Carlos Rodón’s new sinker

The Yankees southpaw looked crisp in his first Opening Day start in pinstripes, allowing just one run and tallying seven strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings. Rodón’s 2024 was much better than his disastrous debut year in New York, but it still came in below his standards. Adding a sinker to his arsenal could help Rodón change the tide.

For much of his career, Rodón was effectively a two-pitch pitcher, using a high-carry fastball and a biting slider to create whiffs. Last year, he worked in a changeup, a curveball and the occasional cutter, a pitch that garnered hype in the early going but proved relatively ineffective. Now he and the Yankees are hoping that the sinker, which he threw 12% of the time on Thursday, will be a different story. The new offering generates a ton of drop for a pitch in its velocity range. Keep an eye on it.

What about the leadoff spot?

Lineup construction is much more fun to argue about than it is meaningful. And so because the Yankees lack an obvious leadoff guy, that has been a big topic of conversation so far this year. Skipper Aaron Boone went with left-handed catcher Austin Wells up top on Opening Day against Brewers righty Freddy Peralta. That made Wells the first backstop ever to lead off for the Yanks. He went yard on the third pitch he saw.

Righty bat Paul Goldschmidt hit first on Saturday and Sunday, in part because Boone liked the matchups against southpaw Nestor Cortes and reverse-split righty Aaron Civale. The 37-year-old first baseman went 5-for-8 across the two games. Time will tell if a true leadoff guy emerges or if Boone continues to mix and match.

 

Celtics Lab 213: On Luka, the Mavs, the Lakers, the West, the finals, and Tim McMahon's new book  

The Boston Celtics are wrapping up their 2024-25 regular season as the 2025 NBA Playoffs draw near, and with that, thoughts are beginning to shift to what the Celtics may face in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. As they look to repeat as champs after beating the Dallas Mavericks in 2024, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast thought it might be a good idea to take the pulse of the West with a national journalist who recently wrote a book on the player that led his team to a finals berth last summer, only to be dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a Western Conference seismic shift.

The author, ESPN's Tim McMahon, talked to us about his new tome "The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness" and all things West and postseason. We get into the deets on Doncic, his time with Dallas and Kristaps Porzingis, the trade that broke all of our brains, and a ton of related questions. What teams are contenders in the West? Which teams are Boston's toughest matchups if they meet in the finals? What can we learn about Boston's future as a recently-sold team from what went down with the Mavs?

Make sure you tune in for this special episode of the Celtics Lab podcast for some behind-the-scenes perspectives and some spicy takes on Jayson Tatum to boot.

Celtics Lab is brought to you by Prize Picks.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," "Celtics Lab," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the "Celtics Lab" podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: On Luka, the Mavs, the Lakers, the West, the finals, and Tim McMahon's new book

 

Johni Broome injury update: Will Auburn star play in men's Final Four vs. Florida?  

No. 1 seed Auburn punched its ticket to the Final Four of the men's NCAA Tournament, but it may have come at a cost.

The Tigers defeated Michigan State 70-64 in the Elite Eight Sunday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, advancing to the Final Four for the first time since 2019. However, star player Johni Broome sustained dual injuries to his left leg and right elbow in the vicory.

Despite Broome returning and finishing the game, his status for the Final Four matchup against No. 1 seed Florida Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET from San Antonio, Texas, is in the air. The 6-foot-10 forward and Auburn are seeking their first championship game appearance against a Gators team that beat them 90-81 earlier this season in Auburn, Alabama.

TOP SEEDS SWEEP: When is the last time all Final Four Teams were No. 1 seeds?

On Monday, The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman delivered good news for Auburn fans via Tigers' coach Bruce Pearl. The Auburn coach said the expectation is for Broome to be in the starting lineup in the Tigers' second ever Final Four game.

Broome, the SEC Player of the Year, is averaging a career-high 18.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game this season. During the NCAA Tournament, he is averaging a double-double of 17.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in four games.

Here's the latest on Broome's injury and his availability against Florida in the Final Four:

Johni Broome injury update

On Monday, the Field of 68's Jeff Goodman reported that Broome hyperextended his right elbow against Michigan State. However, according to Goodman, Broome is fully expected to play Saturday against Florida in the Final Four.

Broome returned to Sunday's 70-64 Elite Eight win over Michigan State despite his injury. Broome left the game around the 10:47 mark in the second half with an injury inside the paint after Michigan State's Freddie Fidler missed a layup. He returned around the 5:26 mark in the second half.

Despite missing five minutes of game action, Broome finished with 25 points on 10 of 13 shooting, plus14 rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 29 minutes. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl gave Goodman an update.

"He's sore," Pearl told Goodman. "We didn't practice today, and we'll practice tomorrow, but Johni won't practice. He's sore, but I fully expect him to play on Saturday."

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl gives @TheFieldOf68 an update on Johni Broome - who suffered a hyperextended elbow during yesterday's win:

"He's sore. We didn't practice today, and we'll practice tomorrow - but Johni won't practice. He's sore, but I fully expect him to play on…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 31, 2025

What is Johni Broome's injury?

Broome sustained injuries to his left leg and right elbow in the second half of Auburn's Elite Eight vcitory over Michigan State. Broome fell hard, seemingly hyperextending his leg and injuring his elbow on the play.

He had X-rays taken at State Farm Arena, but they came back negative.

"Went to the locker room. We have a good support staff. I checked my arm out," Broome said after the game. "The (doctor) said nothing is wrong with it (or) anything serious, so at that moment I just wanted to help my teammates. And that is coming out and playing.

Johni Broome stats

Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Broome's stats at Auburn and Morehead State:

• 2020-21 (Morehead State): 13.8 points per game (57%), 9.0 rebounds per game and 1.9 blocks per game
• 2021-22 (Morehead State): 16.8 points per game (55.7%), 10.5 rebounds per game and 3.9 blocks per game
• 2022-23 (Auburn): 14.2 points per game (52.7%), 8.4 rebounds per game and 2.4 blocks per game
• 2023-24 (Auburn): 16.5 points per game (54.8%), 8.5 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game and 2.2 blocks per game
• 2024-25 (Auburn): 18.7 points per game (51.2%), 10.9 rebounds per game, 2.9 assists per game and 2.1 blocks per game

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Johni Broome injury update: Will Auburn star play in NCAA Final Four?

 

Olympic CEO has 'absolutely no doubt' that sliding events will be held in Cortina d'Ampezzo  

With the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics less than a year away, organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said he has “absolutely no doubt” that sliding sports will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, after testing went well last week.

There was concern that the venue for bobsled, luge and skeleton might not be ready in time for next February's Games. The International Olympic Committee even demanded a Plan B option that could have the events moved to Lake Placid, New York, if things fell apart.

The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said last week’s testing period at the track was “successful.” Now, Varnier is confident about the pace rebuilding the century-old sliding center is on.

“We were always very optimistic, but until the pre-homologation (testing) of course, there were a lot of doubts around us,” he said. “But we were confident, and we’re very happy now.”

Officials from the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, International Luge Federation and the International Olympic Committee will determine whether the track receives official preliminary certification.

Last week’s events were enough to leave Varnier in good spirits. Completion is scheduled for Nov. 5, then there would be homologation and handover to Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 to hold the Games. Before the Olympics, the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and International Luge Federation are set to use the new track for international training and test events.

Varnier said it is important that the sliding sports be held in Cortina to improve the experience for those involved.

“Very happy because that would be ideal for the athletes to be all together, to stay together in Cortina,” he said. “Will be ideal for the spectators who will have a more truly Olympic experience in Cortina, and also for for the media and all the operators that -- it would have been very difficult to follow those sliding sports somewhere else in the world.”

___

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics

 

NBA mock draft: Sixers take scorer Tre Johnson with No. 5 selection  

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of looking to be in the best position possible to keep their top 6 protected pick for the 2025 NBA draft. The Sixers have a top 6 protected pick so if it doesn't land in the top 6, it gets conveyed to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the Al Horford deal back in 2020.

As the Sixers play out the string in the 2024-25 season, now is the time to look at some potential draft prospects. If they keep their pick, they will have no shortage of options whether they pick in the top 3 or it's somewhere in the 4-5-6 range.

A mock draft performed by CBS Sports has Philadelphia selecting Texas scorer Tre Johnson with the No. 5 selection:

Credit where credit is due – Johnson had one heck of a season at Texas, putting up 20 points on 43% shooting from the floor, 40% from 3-point range, and 87% from the stripe while dishing out a 2.7 to 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. That was all while being the focal point of opposing defenses every single night. That's not to say there isn't room for improvement in his decision-making, but his scoring ability and positional size clearly translate, and his efficiency proved to be better than advertised.

Johnson would be a great addition to the Sixers. There are some limitations, but he makes up for it with efficient scoring, an ability to put the ball on the floor and power through defenders, and an ability to knock down the 3-point shot at a high rate. He would be a nice addition to a team in need of some perimeter scoring.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: NBA mock draft: Sixers take scorer Tre Johnson with No. 5 selection

 

Texas baseball: Star outfielder Max Belyeu sidelined by a thumb injury  

As it rises in the polls and chases a national championship, the Texas baseball team will be without one of its top bats for a while.

A Texas spokesperson confirmed Monday to the American-Statesman that junior outfielder Max Belyeu is currently sidelined by a thumb injury. Belyeu will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

D1Baseball was the first to report on Belyeu's injury.

GOLDEN: Texas baseball has a potential star closer in 6-6 freshman Dylan Volantis

The Big 12 Player of the Year during his first season as a full-time starter, Belyeu was living up to his top billing as Texas moved over to the Southeastern Conference this season. Through 24 games, Belyeu was hitting .358 with six home runs and 22 RBIs. Throughout the season, Texas was batting him second in its lineup.

Belyeu went 1-for-4 with a homer in Friday's 15-4 win at Missouri, and he also drew a bases-loaded walk. In Saturday's doubleheader, he was replaced in right field by Tommy Farmer IV.

Texas rose two spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll on Monday and is now ranked fifth nationally. Texas (23-3) will host Texas State (12-15) on Tuesday before No. 3 Georgia (28-2) comes to town for a three-game series this weekend.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas OF Max Belyeu hurts thumb before Georgia series

 

LeBron James explains what makes Luka Doncic truly special  

The Los Angeles Lakers possess what is arguably the NBA's best superstar duo right now in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, and it promises to be an even more dynamic superstar duo than James and Anthony Davis were.

While the two are still learning how to play with each other, the early results are promising. James has 25 points and eight assists and Doncic put up 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in Saturday's big win over the Memphis Grizzlies. As a team, the Lakers scored 134 points, which nearly matched their highest output in points with Doncic in the lineup.

Doncic isn't just someone who scores lots of points, sucks in the opposing team's defense like an industrial-strength vacuum and hits the open man. According to James, he also breathes tons of confidence into his teammates. James made this comment on the first episode of the new season of his "Mind the Game" podcast, which he's now co-hosting with Hall of Famer Steve Nash.

“Because he plays the game how I always wanted to inspire the next generation to play the game. There’s nothing predetermined. If you have two guys on you, there’s a numbers game. If you have the advantage and there’s a guy that can’t guard you or you’re able to beat him and then a guy traps the box or another guy sinks, I’m able to make the passes or make the reads before they happen. I’ve always loved the players that breathe so much confidence into his teammates that make them believe that they’re actually better than what the [expletive] they really are. You did that, Luka has done that for seven years, Chris Paul did that when he was down there in New Orleans and doing that for that team down in New Orleans. I’ve been able to do that with a few of my teams, I mean, I don’t go to the NBA Finals in 2006 with that team if I’m not able to make them believe that they’re greater than what they are. Just give them that confidence… And it makes them ultimately, they would do anything for you. They would run through a wall for you. We saw it unfortunately one year when one of your teammates got suspended in the postseason when you get chucked to the scorer’s table. But that’s because you’ve given them so much confidence and so much belief, if you [expletive] touch Steve, I feel like you’re going after me. Y’all built that bond, you know what I’m saying? Luka has that and he learned that from growing up in Slovenia to heading over to Madrid and learning the game the right way and playing at a professional level at what, 13-14 years old? And he brought that same model and same game to the NBA from day one.”

There is an old saying that true superstars make their teammates better, and now the Lakers have two such players. Their offensive ceiling seems very high, and getting as close to that ceiling as possible as soon as possible may be the biggest key to them having a real shot at reaching the NBA Finals this season.

The first episode of the new season of the "Mind the Game" podcast drops on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James explains what makes Luka Doncic truly special

 

Believe in the Red Rocks this postseason or not?  

The postseason — some might call it the best season — has arrived.

Starting Thursday evening against No. 13 Stanford, Denver and either BYU or Utah State, Utah will compete for the chance to advance to the NCAA gymnastics championships and contend for a national title.

From here on out, the Red Rocks must finish in the top two in their meets — four-team meets all — in order to advance to the national championship meet itself. Do it twice, on Thursday and again on Saturday, and Utah is in.

Ranked No. 4 in the country, Utah should get there. The Red Rocks should advance to nationals for a record 49th time. Once there, the Red Rocks could end their national title drought. There are lot of compelling reasons why all of that will happen. But there are also more than a few compelling reasons why it won’t.

Why believe in Utah

Let’s get some of the obvious out of the way first.

Utah is likely to advance to the national championships because that is what Utah has always done. Quite literally. Utah has qualified for the national championships 48 times, the maximum amount possible. The Red Rocks have never missed the national championships —pre-NCAA and throughout the NCAA era of the sport. Utah is the only program in the country that can say that.

Moreover, Utah is hosting regionals this year and the Red Rocks are pretty close to unbeatable in the Huntsman Center. Utah is 45-1 on campus over the last decade. The only loss was in 2019 against a great UCLA team, at that time the defending national champs. Forty-four other teams have visited the Huntsman Center in the last 10 years and none of them have walked away victorious.

There are a lot more reasons to believe Utah will make it back to nationals, though, and once there maybe even win the program’s first national championship in 30 years.

A top-six ranking on every event

Correlation is not causation. But of the last 27 national champions, 25 have finished the regular season ranked in the top six on every event. The only exceptions — Georgia in 2005 and Michigan in 2021.

Which is to say, women’s gymnastics isn’t a sport where underdogs and Cinderellas succeed. It has been demonstrated over and over again that you have to be a proven great team — consistently — in order to have a real chance to win a national title.

And Utah has been consistently great this season.

Entering the postseason, Utah ranks:

• No. 3 on balance beam
• No. 4 on uneven bars
• No. 6 on floor exercise and vault

The Red Rocks are one of only four teams ranked in the top six on every event this year, the others being No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Florida.

In theory, teams can peak at the right time in the postseason but in practice teams generally don’t suddenly perform the best they have all season in the postseason. This makes Utah’s consistent success a strong selling point for the Red Rocks’ postseason potential.

A trio of standout all-arounders

Speaking of consistent success, Utah has a trio of all-around gymnasts who rival almost anyone in the sport and give the Red Rocks a realistic chance to beat any team they face. Grace McCallum (Big 12 Gymnast of the Year), Makenna Smith and Avery Neff (Big 12 Newcomer of the Year) have been that good this season.

McCallum and Smith are both ranked in the top 10 nationally in the all-around, giving Utah a pair of top-10 gymnasts, which only Oklahoma, LSU and Florida also can say.

Neff missed too much time due to injury to rank nearly as high, but she has demonstrated top-level potential on multiple occasions. Her season-high all-around score of 39.675 is tied for the 16th best score by any gymnast this season.

Since Neff returned from injury Utah hasn’t scored worse than a 197.225 in a meet and has registered both of its 198 scores this season.

McCallum, Neff and Smith combine to compete 50% of Utah’s routines every meet and for the most part that is a good thing. McCallum and Smith both boast a national qualifying score (NQS) of 9.9 or better on floor, while McCallum has a NQS of 9.9 or better on bars and beam, and Smith does on vault. Neff also accomplishes that feat on beam.

The Red Rocks talked often about their depth early in the year, depth that was tested by season-ending injuries to Jaedyn Rucker, Poppy-Grace Stickler and shorter term injuries dealt to Neff, Johnson and Ana Padurariu, to name a few. That McCallum, Smith and Neff have secured all-around spots for themselves as the season has progressed only speaks to how well the three have competed, especially lately.

Utah’s success this postseason will be determined largely by how the three all-arounders perform and that seems to be a good thing.

Tendency to outperform seed

In each of the last four years Utah has finished the season the exact same way — No. 3 overall.

The thing is, in none of those seasons were the Red Rocks expected to finish that well.

Lets go back:

• In 2021, Utah ended the regular season ranked No. 6, behind Oklahoma, Florida, LSU, Michigan and Cal. The Red Rocks managed to upset LSU twice in the postseason, though, in the regional final and in the national semifinals, upsets that secured the Red Rocks a berth in the national championship meet.
• In 2022, Utah ended the regular season ranked No. 4. The Red Rocks didn’t need to overachieve as much to get to the national championship but once there the Red Rocks did enough to edge out Auburn for third in the final meet of the season.
• In 2023, Utah was ranked No. 5 overall entering the postseason. Again, the Red Rocks overachieved based on their seeding. Utah upset UCLA in the regional final in L.A. to earn a spot at nationals and then upset both Oklahoma and UCLA in the national semifinal, eliminating the rival Bruins in the process.
• Last season, Utah was ranked No. 5 before the postseason. The Red Rocks edged out Florida in the national semifinals, benefitting at the same time by the collapse of Oklahoma to secure a fourth-straight berth in the national championship meet.

That little recap was all to say one thing — Utah knows how to stay alive in postseason competition.

Over and over again the Red Rocks have pulled out the sort of meet needed at the right time to get back to the national championship meet. At times they’ve benefitted from others’ mistakes, and at others they’ve had meets of the year at the needed time.

The majority of the Utah team that defeated Florida and Oklahoma in the national semifinals last year (and Florida in the national championship meet) is back this year. And those who are gone — Rucker, Maile O’Keefe, Abby Paulson and Alani Sabado — have been replaced by Neff (four routines), Johnson (one routine) and Ashley Glynn (three routines).

This is a Utah team that knows how to rise to the occasion.

A national championship mindset

More than anything else, reason to believe in Utah this spring boils down to this — the Red Rocks seem to genuinely believe in themselves. And it all goes back to the fall.

O’Keefe, one of the all-time greats in the program turned student coach, addressed the team during its annual retreat. A Red Rock for five years — from 2020 through 2024 — O’Keefe told the Red Rocks that during her career a few of her teammates genuinely believed Utah could win a national title, year after year. But in her estimation, the entire team never adopted that belief. Not once during her five years competing.

“She really never felt like the team truly believed that they were good enough to win,” Utah coach Carly Dockendof said.

That struck Dockendorf.

Since she joined the Utah staff ahead of the 2018 season, Dockendorf had gone to nationals every year and had watched Utah and its competition at the national championships.

“We’re just as good technically as they are,” Dockendorf said, “but a lot of those teams just believe that they’re really great and we’ve just believed that we’re good.”

So Dockendorf set out to change that this year.

“I just felt like the mind is such a powerful thing,” she said. “And if we don’t talk about it (winning a national title) then I don’t know if it would happen. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they all will believe, but at least we’ve had the conversation and we’ve acknowledged it. And we really do need to believe that we can go for it and we can do it, otherwise it definitely won’t happen.”

Whether the entire team believes or not, gymnasts have taken notice. Including Padurariu, a transfer from UCLA.

“Honestly, I was really happy when I heard her (Dockendorf) say that (in the preseason),” Padurariu said. “Because that’s something that I felt like was missing at UCLA too when I was there. And it was just good to see someone of authority had the same perspective.”

Utah has had its highs and lows during the season, something Padurariu attributes to the team looking ahead to nationals and not focusing on the meet in front of them. But the team has figured out that challenge — Padurariu said Utah has made a concerted effort to focus on “the task at hand” as the season has gone on.

And now that the postseason has arrived, the national championship belief hasn’t disappeared.

Why doubt Utah

For all the reasons to be excited about Utah’s potential this postseason, and there are many beyond what are listed above, there are also real reasons to doubt the Red Rocks.

Utah has weaknesses, genuine holes in its gymnastics, that could prevent the team from accomplishing all of its goals. There is, this season especially, no perfect gymnastics team. No one has scored a perfect 200 in a meet, let alone a 199.

There is reason for trepidation regarding a national title run for the Red Rocks. And even Utah extending its record streak of trips to nationals.

Lack of elite scores away from Utah

The Red Rocks have been at their best this season inside the state of Utah. And lucky for them — by way of smart scheduling — Utah has competed in the state of Utah a lot.

Eight of Utah’s 12 meets during the season (including the Big 12 championships) were competed in the Beehive State. That includes five meets at the Huntsman Center, another two meets at the Maverik Center in West Valley City and a final meet in Provo against BYU.

Not coincidentally, Utah’s best five scoring meets this season all happened in Utah. At home against Arizona, Denver and UCLA and at the Maverik Center for the Best of Utah and the Big 12 championships.

Utah’s highest away score — not registered in Utah — was a 197.425 recorded in a loss to Florida/win over West Virginia in Morgantown. And three of Utah’s lowest-scoring meets of the season all happened on the road not in Utah.

Regionals will take place in Utah, at the Huntsman Center, so there is little reason to doubt that the Red Rocks will advance to nationals. But the national championships are in Fort Worth, Texas, and Utah hasn’t proven to be at its best away from Utah this year. And in order to contend for a national title, the Red Rocks will have to be at their absolute best.

The lack of high road scores is the reason that, in College Gym News’ postseason simulator, Utah has the third-best odds of getting to nationals of any team but those odds drop to fifth when it comes to actually making the national championship meet itself. There is real reason to doubt that the Red Rocks can be elite outside the comforts of Utah.

The Red Rocks aren’t concerned, though. Dockendorf noted that Utah’s performance against Florida and West Virginia was better than the score indicated. And Dickies Arena — the site of the national championships — has become something of a home away from home.

Since 2019, Utah has competed nine times at Dickies Arena. That is the third-most meets in any venue for Utah over that six year stretch (not including this season), behind only the Huntsman Center and the Maverik Center. Utah is comfortable competing in Fort Worth.

Over-reliance on a small number of gymnasts

As previously mentioned, McCallum, Neff and Smith combine for 50% of Utah’s competed routines in any given meet at this point in the season. Utah has a roster of 14 healthy gymnasts and three account for half of the scores.

But it goes beyond that. In addition to McCallum, Neff and Smith, Glynn and Ella Zirbes both regularly compete in three events. That means that 18 of Utah’s 24 routines in meets at this point are contributed by five people. Throw Amelie Morgan into the mix and 20 of the Red Rocks’ 24 routines are competed by six gymnasts.

By way of comparison, in last year’s national championship meet Utah had 12 gymnasts compete on at least one event, with only two all-arounders and two three-event gymnasts.

Is it a bad thing to rely on a few really talented gymnasts over a collection of a lot of really good ones?

There is room for debate. On the one hand, gymnasts competing on many events are doing so for a reason. They are the best gymnasts available. And it can work out. LSU won the national title with 10 gymnasts competing last year and of that group two competed in the all-around and another two on three events.

But the reality of relying heavily on a small number of gymnasts means that if one of those gymnasts has a bad day it has the potential to completely ruin a meet. One bad event could bleed into another and another. That is all it takes. And you can only drop four scores during a meet.

Utah has, for the most part, avoided that issue this season, though not completely. And as the stakes rise, the pressure mounts, putting more and more on the shoulders of a select few.

Vault success remains largely theoretical

All season long Utah has talked optimistically about its vault lineup. For good reason.

The Red Rocks have regularly competed six 10.0-valued vaults this year and haven’t made it a norm to sit those vaults. Falls, which in past seasons happened more than wanted, have been almost nonexistent.

Between Glynn, McCallum, Smith, Neff and Zirbes, Utah has five gymnasts who have scored a 9.9 or better on the event this season. Many of them multiple times. And with Johnson added to the lineup late, the potential for the group has never been higher.

The problem is Utah is still relying on potential more than actual performance still.

Utah’s season-high score on vault this year is a 49.425. Five other teams have bested that mark and by a good margin, by nearly two tenths of a point. The Red Rock’s NQS on vault is 49.325, far below what LSU, Florida, Oklahoma and Michigan State have all demonstrated (the Spartans have the worst NQS of that group with a 49.460).

Vault has consistently been Utah’s lowest scoring event this season. On a week-to-week basis, per Road to Nationals, the Red Rocks have yet to average a 49.4 on vault, while they’ve done that and more on the other three events.

The biggest issue has been that the entire lineup has struggled to compete at its best together.

When Smith was on fire, sticking vault after vault, she was largely alone with her success. Early in the season, when Neff was sticking her vaults, she was the only one. Glynn has demonstrated considerable skill on the event, but when she’s been great no other Red Rock has.

Multiple Red Rocks have scored a 9.9 or better on vault in the same meet only three times this season — against Arizona, UCLA and at the conference championships. And in every one of those instances it only two Red Rocks scored a 9.9 or better.

The potential is there, but it is still just potential at this point.

The quality of competition is fierce

College gymnastics isn’t what it once was. There is more talent, more money and more competition than ever before.

LSU, Oklahoma and Florida have all, at one point this season or another, demonstrated clearly that they are contenders to win the national title in 2025. And all have, based on the scores, proven to have a higher ceiling than Utah does.

It isn’t just that trio of blue bloods, though.

UCLA has made a resurgence and is ranked No. 5 overall with one of the biggest scores of the year by any team.

Cal remains a dangerous team, even if the Bears have taken a slight step back this season after finishing No. 2 last season.

And then there are teams like Missouri, Michigan State, Kentucky, Georgia, Stanford and Arkansas, all of whom have scored a 197.775 or better this year. Missouri and Michigan State have each broken the 198 barrier.

There is no such thing as an easy path to nationals anymore. And Utah might have the most difficult path of all.

UCLA and Stanford are both coming to Salt Lake City and both of those programs have competed in the Huntsman Center many times. Both are conference champions — UCLA in the Big Ten, Stanford in the ACC. Stanford in particular has also proven adept at upsetting higher seeded teams in the postseason.

It isn’t just those two teams, though. Also coming to Salt Lake City for regionals is Denver and the Pioneers scored their season-high in the Huntsman Center earlier this year – a 197.525. Minnesota is coming as well, and though the Golden Gophers aren’t what they once were they are still a solid Big Ten program.

Utah is a favorite to get back to nationals for a reason, but there is more parity than ever before in the sport. And parity brings upsets and surprises.

And if the Red Rocks get back to nationals it is likely that every team they’ll face has proven to have the same high end potential. On paper at least, it has never been harder to win a national title.

 

Jamall Emmers didn't plan to do anything except snipe at UFC Mexico, wants Melquizael Costa next  

MEXICO CITY – Jamall Emmers keeps it simple. He isn't looking for wars or to implement fancy in-depth gameplans – no.

His lone purpose on fight night is to be a sniper, and that's exactly what Emmers (21-8 MMA, 4-4 UFC) did Saturday at UFC on ESPN 64 when he took out Gabriel Miranda (17-8 MMA, 1-3 UFC) on the preliminary card at CDMX Arena.

"I'm not really expecting anything," Emmers told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. "I'm just going in to get this 'W,' not really looking for wars. (I) try to make it real clean, like a sniper – in and out, not too much missing."

Emmers was surprised Miranda came out as aggressively as he did, particularly with the higher elevation. The passion of the crowd also exceeded his expectations.

A well-researched member of the UFC featherweight division, Emmers had a callout ready. There was another divisional bout on the undercard two fights after his – and Emmers called dibs.

"I know there's another 145-pound fight on this card," Emmers said. "I want the winner of that. Whenever, but I want the winner of that. (Christian) Rodriguez and (Melquizael) Costa are very, very talented guys, very well-rounded guys, I believe. I think either one would be a good fight for me."

Minutes later, Costa defeated Rodriguez by unanimous decision.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jamall Emmers didn't plan to do anything except snipe at UFC Mexico, wants Melquizael Costa next

 

Jake Kuhner will not return as Canal Winchester football coach, school district says  

Canal Winchester Local Schools confirmed Monday that Jake Kuhner will not return for a fifth season as football coach.

The position was posted Sunday to the OHSAA's job openings webpage.

“Jake Kuhner will not return as football coach for the fall,” Megan Anthony, the director of communications for Canal Winchester schools, said in a statement to The Dispatch. “Our supplemental contracts are one-year contracts. Our athletic director (Jacob Ramsey) decided not to recommend coach Kuhner as head football coach for the 2025-2026 school year, and coach Kuhner notified us in writing last week that he does not intend to seek the position.” 

Ramsey and Kuhner did not respond to messages seeking comment. 

Kuhner went 33-16 at Canal Winchester, qualifying for the postseason all four years. Canal advanced to a Division II, Region 7 semifinal in 2023, going 11-2, and went 8-4 last fall.

Canal was 19-9 in OCC play under Kuhner, winning the OCC-Capital title (6-1) in 2023. 

Kuhner, a 2003 Pickerington graduate, took over at Canal in 2021 after three seasons at Watkins Memorial in which he went 11-17. He went 14-16 at Whitehall from 2012-14, leading the Rams to the MSL-Ohio championship in his final year. 

Kuhner was a two-time state placer in wrestling and three-time state qualifier in track and field in high school. He also was Pickerington North wrestling coach from 2015-18 and served as North’s defensive coordinator in 2017. 

He is an intervention specialist at Canal Winchester.

Get more high school sports news by listening to our podcasts

High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Canal Winchester football coach Jake Kuhner will not return

 

Sam Rinzel & Oliver Moore Had Great Support From Former Minnesota Teammates  

The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday at the United Center. Teams want to win no matter where they are in the standings, but player development is the most important thing right now. 

Most of Chicago’s roster is 25 years old or younger which plays into that philosophy. By making their NHL debut on Sunday, Sam Rinzel and Oliver Moore made the Blackhawks even younger. 

It was a good first game for both of them, and they had each other to make it even better. They were also glowing over the fact that tons of family and friends made the trip to see them play. 

That support included their now former teammates at the University of Minnesota. They all just went through a tough loss together in the NCAA tournament, which is why Rinzel and Moore were able to get signed by the Blackhawks so soon. 

Despite the tough ending to their season, they showed up in numbers to be there for their two friends who were taking major steps in their lives and careers. 

Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) on XSome of Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel’s former @GopherHockey teammates came out to the UC today to support them on their NHL debuts🥹

"I had seven family members and all of the [former teammates] that came out," Rinzel said after the game. "They were at the glass at warmups pounding, so it was fun to see". 

You could see the jubilation in Rinzel's face when he was talking about his former teammates coming to see him make his NHL debut alongside Moore. 

"I think around 15-20," Moore said when asked about people coming to support him. "Really good turnout. Obviously super grateful for them to be here. They mean the world to me and I'm excited to go see them."

Pro locker rooms are fun for players, but nothing beats a college team who had success together.

These guys had to make a long drive to Chicago from Minnesota to get there for this game. It was appreciated by both Moore and Rinzel. They will be friends for life no matter where their journeys take them. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

 

Big Country’s high school baseball, softball top performers (March 24-30)  

With district play starting to ramp up around the Lone Star State, the 2024-25 Texas high school softball and baseball seasons are heating up.

Several of the Big Country’s top pitchers and most prolific hitters put on electric performances to power their teams to pivotal victories last week.

Here’s a closer look at the Big Country’s top performers on the baseball and softball diamonds for the week of March 24-30, 2025:

Keagan Ables, Hawley baseball

Ables powered Hawley to a big 15-3 win against Haskell in District 8-2A play, tallying a 3-for-3 mark at the plate with four RBIs, a pair of runs scored, a double and a stolen base.

Lynette Aguilar, Abilene Cooper softball

Aguilar was a clutch hitter for the Cougars in their 11-4 victory over Wichita Falls Memorial and 7-6 loss to Coahoma. She went 3-for-5 at the plate with four RBIs, three runs scored, a triple and a walk

Lea Aviles, Snyder softball

Aviles shined in a pair of huge District 5-4A victories for the Tigers last week against Lubbock Cooper Liberty (16-1) and Big Spring (11-0). She finished the week 4-for-6 at the plate and tallied six stolen bases, five runs scored, three RBIs, three walks, two home runs and a pair of doubles.

Tye Briscoe, Abilene Wylie baseball

Briscoe helped the Bulldogs split a pair of District 4-5A matchups last week, beating Wichita Falls Legacy (13-3) and narrowly losing to crosstown rival Abilene Cooper (3-2). The Arkansas Razorbacks commit finished the week 3-for-6 at the plate with three RBIs, three walks, a pair of doubles and a run scored for Wylie.

Camp Churchill, Abilene High baseball

Churchill locked up Abilene High’s 4-2 win over Boyd on the mound, racking up 10 strikeouts with four walks, three hits and one earned run allowed in six innings pitched. He also went 3-for-5 at the plate with six RBIs, five runs scored, three walks and a triple during a 3-0 week for the Eagles.

More: Texas high school baseball: Big Country’s top 85 baseball players to watch in 2025

More: Texas high school softball: Big Country’s top 85 softball players to watch in 2025

More: Texas high school football: Abilene Reporter-News 2024 All-Big Country Football Superteam

More: Stamford head coach Wayne Hutchinson named 2024 All-Big Country Football Coach of the Year

More: Texas high school football: Stamford’s Kaston Vega named 2024 All-Big Country Football MVP

Colby Clinkscales, Tuscola Jim Ned baseball

Clinkscales played a major role in locking up back-to-back wins for the Indians against Sweetwater (8-2) and San Angelo Grape Creek (5-0) in District 6-3A play. Jim Ned’s shortstop went 4-for-7 at the plate with three RBIs, two runs scored, two doubles and a pair of steals.

Fallan Everette, Stephenville softball

Everette was virtually unstoppable at the plate last week in the Honeybees’ 10-3 win over Mineral Wells. She finished 3-for-4 at the plate with seven RBIs, a home run, a double and a run scored.

Easton Meador, Coleman baseball

Meador helped the Bluecats secure back-to-back blowout wins over Winters by going 6-for-10 at the plate with four RBIs, three stolen bases, a double and a run scored.

Jacci Pate, Comanche softball

Pate posted a 3-for-5 performance at the plate with seven RBIs, seven runs scored, five walks, two stolen bases, a home run, a triple and a double in the Maidens’ dominant District 8-3A wins over Tolar (10-7) and Breckenridge (24-7). She also picked up a pair of wins in the circle for Comanche, tossing nine strikeouts with 16 hits and four walks allowed in 13 innings pitched.

Jackson Poole, Clyde baseball

Poole tossed a shutout for the Bulldogs in their 6-0 win over Merkel and tallied 12 strikeouts with four walks and one hit allowed through six scoreless innings pitched.

Cheyenne Rush, Bangs softball

Rush crushed the ball at the plate during the Dragons’ runaway 17-2 victory against De Leon. She finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs, a pair of runs scored, a home run, a double and a walk.

Andie Simpson, Early softball

Simpson went 4-for-8 at the plate for Early and slugged six RBIs, three runs scored, a pair of stolen bases, two doubles and a home run in wins against Dublin (18-4) and Millsap (9-2).

Hudson Smith, Hamlin baseball

Smith smoked the ball in the Pied Pipers’ back-to-back victories over Jayton (11-4) and Baird (19-3) He ended the week with a 6-for-7 mark at the plate and racked up seven RBIs, four runs scored and a stolen base.

Cade Strube, Ballinger baseball

Strube picked up a win on the mound during Ballinger’s two-game sweep of Cisco last week, tallying eight strikeouts with two hits and one walk allowed through seven scoreless innings in a 7-0 victory. He also posted a 3-for-7 mark at the plate with three runs scored, two RBIs, a double and a stolen base.

Raylan Villanueva, Stamford softball

Villanueva had a monster week offensively for Stamford in wins against Albany (18-0) and Anson (11-1). She went a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate, mashed three extra-base hits and racked up eight RBIs, seven runs scored, two doubles, a pair of walks and a home run.

Hannah Wells, Coahoma softball

Wells was terrific for the undefeated Bulldogettes during a 3-0 week that featured wins over Crane, Abilene Cooper and Stanton. The Texas Longhorns signee went 5-for-6 at the plate with six RBIs, five runs scored, two home runs, a double, a walk and a steal. She also earned a win in the circle against Cooper, collecting 14 strikeouts with five hits and two walks allowed in seven innings pitched.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Big Country HS baseball, softball top performers (March 24-30)

 

JOL Mailbag 3/31 Sponsored by Auto-Owners Insurance  

Charles LeClaire/USAToday

Kelly Quinlan

 

SEG releases new details on plans to fund construction of hockey rinks in Utah  

Smith Entertainment Group chairman Ryan Smith announced in an X post Monday that the company will donate up to $10 million to fund the construction of new hockey rinks in Utah.

Each new rink will receive a $500,000 stipend, with a cap at 20 rinks. Smith also stated that SEG will provide “out-of-the-box” plans for the buildings, attaching concept images of rinks featuring one, two and three sheets of ice.

Following up … SEG is all in on growing hockey in Utah and doing it fast. To get started, SEG will donate up to $500K per rink on up to 20 new rinks. We’ll have out-of-the box plans for cities that can partner with entrepreneurs to build. Utah is the land of entrepreneurs. And… pic.twitter.com/5HNRDBDlF4

— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) March 31, 2025

“SEG is all in on growing hockey in Utah and doing it fast,” Smith said in the post.

He also encouraged entrepreneurs and cities to partner together in arena construction efforts.

SEG declined to comment any further at this time, but echoed Smith’s statement that more details will be released in the coming weeks.

This comes 10 days after Smith said in an X post that “every municipality in Utah should have an ice rink.” In that post and on a number of occasions previous to it, Smith referenced SEG’s Jr. Jazz program, in which he says 70,000 kids participate. He’d like hockey to get to the same numbers.

SEG currently runs a number of initiatives designed to get youth interested in hockey, including the “Learn to Play” program, which has been successful in a number of NHL cities.

“Utah Hockey Club is committed to making hockey accessible to as many kids and families as possible,” said Utah Hockey Club president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong in an October press release. “Our youth programs focus on helping kids to learn the game and cultivating a passion for the sport in neighborhoods and communities throughout the state.”

 

PA Football Top Returning Players - WPIAL AA Allegheny Offense  

 

Iowa Softball Preview: South Iowa Cedar  

 

Pérez shines in his Chicago debut with 6 hitless innings in White Sox's 9-0 romp over Twins  

CHICAGO (AP) — Martín Pérez figured he had enough left to remain in the game a little longer. He also knew he couldn't go the distance.

The veteran left-hander threw six no-hit innings and tied a career high with nine strikeouts in a sparkling Chicago debut, helping the White Sox roll past the Minnesota Twins 9-0 on Monday.

“They asked me how I feel,” Pérez said. “I told them I feel great. But I was honest, too. I mean, there's no way I could go three more innings. It's too early. It's a long season.”

Pérez began his afternoon by getting Byron Buxton to ground out on the game's first pitch. He ended it by catching Ty France looking at a 2-2 cutter.

Pérez threw 93 pitches and walked three. He retired the first 11 batters before walking Ryan Jeffers and hitting France on the next pitch, but got out of that jam when he caught Jose Miranda looking at a 3-2 cutter.

Pérez kept the Twins off balance with cutters, sinkers, changeups and curves. He consistently hit the corners, but never hit 90 mph.

“I don’t have the velocity anymore, but I know how to pitch, I know how to move the ball,” he said.

The Twins’ only hits were singles by Willi Castro and Jeffers in the seventh and eighth against Mike Vasil in his major league debut.

Pérez, who turns 34 on Friday, was an All-Star with Texas in 2022 and helped the Rangers win the World Series the following year. He pitched for Pittsburgh and San Diego last season before signing a $5 million, one-year contract with Chicago in January.

The White Sox sure will take more performances like this.

Pérez joined Boston’s Hideo Nomo in 2001 as the only major leaguers since 1901 to toss six or more hitless innings while striking out at least nine while debuting with a new team.

“That's Martín. He knows how to pitch,” said White Sox manager Will Venable, Boston's bench coach in 2021 when Pérez was with the Red Sox. “I've seen it a lot. To have him continue this nice run of starting pitching was great.”

Through four games, the White Sox have a a 0.75 ERA. Their starters have combined for 23 innings without an earned run, the longest stretch to start a season in franchise history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The previous mark was 21 in 1947. Chicago also matched Toronto in 2019, San Francisco in 2013 and Milwaukee in 1976 for the longest season-opening streak in the major leagues since 1913, according to Elias.

The terrific outing by Pérez comes on the heels of a stellar showing by the starters in the season-opening series against the Los Angeles Angels. Rookie Sean Burke went six scoreless innings in an opening day win, and though the White Sox dropped the next two games, the starters did their job. Jonathan Cannon tossed five shutout innings in Saturday's 1-0 loss, and Davis Martin allowed two unearned runs in six innings on Sunday.

“I think it's really awesome when you're out there in the bullpen and all the starters are doing what they're doing,” Vasil said. “It's very, very impressive. Obviously, as a pitcher on this staff, you want to be known as a team with a great pitching staff. So far, I think that's exactly what we have. So that's definitely a positive, positive thing.” ___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

 

Texas high school soccer: Big Country’s regional finals UIL playoff matchups (April 1)  

After three fiercely competitive rounds of the UIL playoffs, the Big Country’s best boys and girls high school soccer squads are celebrating regional semifinal victories and marching onto the fourth round of the postseason.

The Abilene area’s top boys and girls soccer teams kick off the regional finals of the 2025 Texas high school soccer playoffs Monday, March 31, and Tuesday, April 1, with the winners advancing to compete in the state semifinals Thursday-Saturday, April 3-5.

Here’s a closer look at how regional semifinal matchups played out for all the Big Country soccer squads remaining, and a look at which teams will be competing in the fourth round of the UIL Boys Soccer Playoffs and UIL Girls Soccer Playoffs:

More: Texas high school baseball: Big Country’s top 85 baseball players to watch in 2025

More: Texas high school softball: Big Country’s top 85 softball players to watch in 2025

More: Texas high school football: Abilene Reporter-News 2024 All-Big Country Football Superteam

More: Stamford head coach Wayne Hutchinson named 2024 All-Big Country Football Coach of the Year

More: Texas high school football: Stamford’s Kaston Vega named 2024 All-Big Country Football MVP

UIL BOYS SOCCER PLAYOFFS

CLASS 4A DIVISION II

Bridgeport Bulls 7, Brownwood Lions 2

Complete 4A DII UIL Boys Soccer playoff bracket.

UIL GIRLS SOCCER PLAYOFFS

CLASS 4A DIVISION I

Stephenville Honeybees 3, Canyon West Plains Wolves 1 (Shootout)

Stephenville Honeybees (12-5-1) vs. Life Waxahachie Mustangs (26-0), 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, at Vernon Newsom Stadium in Mansfield

Complete 4A DI UIL Girls Soccer playoff bracket.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Texas high school soccer: Big Country regional final playoff matchups

 

Former Colts, Texas football quarterback Sam Ehlinger signs with Broncos  

Former Texas football quarterback Sam Ehlinger is moving on from the Indianapolis Colts, the team that drafted him.

The Texas-ex is signing with the Denver Broncos on a one-year deal after fielding multiple offers, according to FOX Sports Insider Jordan Schultz. Ehlinger joins head coach Sean Payton and a quarterback room of Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham.

The Colts drafted Ehlinger in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft at 218th overall. He's played sparingly over his three-year professional career, appearing in seven games and throwing for three touchdowns and interceptions.

More: Quinn Ewers draft profile: NFL scouting report for Texas football QB

Ehlinger played at Austin Westlake in high school, winning national high school player of the year in 2015 and stepping into the starting lineup at the University of Texas almost immediately. Ehlinger compiled a 27-16 record in 43 starts at Texas, including a win in the 2019 Sugar Bowl in which he famously announced that Texas is "back."

Ehlinger ranks second in UT's history in passing yards (11,436) and touchdown passes (94), trailing only Colt McCoy in those statistics. He also rushed for 33 touchdowns over his four years on campus. Ehlinger was the first Longhorn quarterback drafted since McCoy was a third-round pick by Cleveland in 2010. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is set to be next, and he trails McCoy and Ehlinger in passing yards and touchdowns at third.

Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas-ex Sam Ehlinger signs with Broncos, joining Sean Payton, Bo Nix

 

Howard County Times Team of the Week and 10 standouts for March 21-30  

Mar. 31—The Howard County Times picks its team of the week and lists 10 top performers from the week in Howard County high school sports.

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'Potentially winning a championship': Why Sheryl Swoopes is excited to watch Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark in 2025  

Women's basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes had questions about Caitlin Clark for a time last year. Swoopes is intrigued by Clark and the rest of the Indiana Fever this year.

"The team that made the biggest moves, and maybe the best moves, is the Indiana Fever," Swoopes told ESPNW. "I think the Indiana Fever from just being in the playoffs last season to potentially winning a championship."

Swoopes loves the additions of "O.G.s" DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard (for "defensive presence"), the development of Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell ("a walking bucket") and noticed Clark's offseason regimen.

"How much stronger she got, and you know she was in the gym working on her game," Swoopes said of Clark.

Shoe game: Clark's Nike Kobe Bryant shoes will be released later this year

"This Indiana Fever team, they have put the pieces together in this offseason, and I'm excited to see what they're going to do," she said.

The Fever earned their first playoff berth since 2016 with a 20-20 record in 2024 as Clark won Rookie of the Year and first-team All-WNBA honors, and Boston and Mitchell were also All-Stars. They have since changed coaches, with Stephanie White taking over for Christie Sides, and about half the roster.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever have WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes excited

 

Braves outfielder Profar suspended 80 games for doping violation  

Major League Baseball suspended Atlanta Braves slugger Jurickson Profar for 80 games on Monday after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), MLB announced.

The suspension of the 32-year-old outfielder is more bad news for an Atlanta team that has started the season 0-4.

He signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Braves in January, and will be suspended through the end of June. Although he can return in July for the remainder of the regular season, Profar will not be eligible to play in the 2025 postseason.

"We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Jurickson Profar tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Prevention and Treatment Program," the Braves said in a statement.

Profar, who hit a career-high 24 home runs for the San Diego Padres last year, issued a statement through the MLB Players Association, calling the announcement "the most difficult day of my baseball career."

Profar wrote in a statement that he tested positive in the off-season. 

"I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans," he said. 

He added that he "would never knowingly do anything to cheat" and that he "would never willingly take a banned substance."

"But I take full responsibility and accept MLB's decision," he concluded.

bb/aha

 

2024-25 Press Herald All-Region Girls Hockey team  

Mar. 31—Marina Bassett, South Portland senior forward

Jane Flynn, Portland senior defense

Libby Hooper, Cape Elizabeth senior forward

Lucy Johnson, Cheverus senior forward

Lauren Labbe, Brunswick senior forward

Solveig Ledwick, Brunswick junior forward

Lisi Palmer, Brunswick senior defense

Zoey Radford, Cheverus senior defense

Caroline Rousseau, Cheverus sophomore forward

Ellie Skolnekovich, Cheverus junior goalie

Adelaide Strout, Yarmouth/Freeport junior defense

Celia Zinman, Yarmouth/Freeport junior forward

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Cooper Flagg, Duke men's basketball close in on title  

Mar. 31—Cooper Flagg's freshman year of high school at Nokomis ended in a championship. His freshman year of college is two wins away from ending in the same fashion.

Flagg and the Duke men's basketball team are in the Final Four following wins over Arizona and Alabama, the first of which featured a performance that dazzled a national audience and may have just been the most complete and impressive effort of his career, and which set the stage for his being named the regional tournament's MVP.

Now the Newport native can lift the No. 1 Blue Devils to their first title in 10 years. Houston is up next in the semifinals Saturday, and a win would pit Duke against either Florida or Auburn on Monday with the national championship at stake.

Last week

If there was still anyone needing convincing about Flagg, the likely Wooden Award winner and No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, watching the freshman in action Thursday may have done the trick.

Flagg starred in a 100-93 victory over fourth seed Arizona, scoring 30 points while dishing out seven assists, grabbing six rebounds and blocking three shots. It happened in a hurry; he had seven points while Duke held a 30-29 lead, but erupted for 11 points in the final five minutes of the first half, including a buzzer-beating, on-the-run 3-pointer that put the Blue Devils ahead 48-42 and seemed to swing momentum to the Duke side for good.

Flagg became the first player since Marquette's Dwyane Wade in 2003 to have at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a tournament game.

"My teammates ... put me in some really good spots tonight," Flagg said. "Coach (Jon Scheyer), as well, put me in some really good spots. I think just making the right play and just letting the game happen (was the key)."

Scheyer didn't hide how impressed he was by his star freshman.

"That was one of the best tournament performances I've ever coached or been a part of," he said. "He just did what he was supposed to do, and he'll move on and get ready for Alabama. I think that's the beauty of it with him. He doesn't get caught up in all that."

Flagg was indeed ready for the Crimson Tide, scoring 16 points with nine rebounds in an 85-65 win on Saturday that took his and his team's stellar season into the Final Four. The numbers weren't as gaudy — Flagg shot 6-of-16 from the field, and was Duke's third-leading scorer — but the freshman was still named the MVP of the Newark regional.

"We just have such a talented team. Each night could be somebody else's night," he said. "Obviously (the MVP is) a big honor. It's a

blessing. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the guys sitting next to me and the guys in the locker room."

This week

Saturday

Opponent: Houston

Time: 8:49 p.m.

TV: CBS

Noteworthy: The top-seeded Cougars are in the Final Four for the seventh time and first since 2021 after punching their ticket with a 69-50 victory over Tennessee. Houston (34-4) has won its last 17 games, and won its past four games against top-25 teams after starting the season 1-3 against such competition.

L.J. Cryer (17 points) and Emanuel Sharp (16 points) led the scoring against Tennessee, while Milos Uzan (11.8) and J'Wan Roberts (10.7) also averaged double figures in points during the season.

Monday (with win over Houston)

Opponent: Auburn or Florida

Time: 8:50 p.m.

TV: CBS

Noteworthy: Both of these teams entered the tournament as favorites to cut down the nets. Auburn (32-5) spent most of the season as the No. 1 team in the country, but suffered a scare in the Elite Eight matchup against Michigan State when star Johni Broome went down with an injury. Broome returned, however, and scored 25 points to lift the Tigers to a 70-64 win.

Duke defeated Auburn 84-78 during the season, with Flagg contributing 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Florida (34-4) enters the Final Four on a 10-game winning streak, a run that includes a win over Tennessee for the SEC championship. The Gators' path to the semifinals has been the opposite of Duke's; while the Blue Devils really haven't been tested, Florida had to survive an upset bid from UConn and then rally from nine points down with three minutes left to beat Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.

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Elite 2026 Texas running back has Notre Dame in his final two, with a visit coming in May  

The good news continues for Notre Dame football recruiting on Monday, and once again it involves a running back.

Earlier in the day the 2027 North Carolina back Amir Brown announced that he will be visiting in the coming days. He’s a full class away from signing, but there was an extremely positive cutdown of a list involving a 2026 prospect.

Texas’ Javian Osborne has narrowed down his list to two schools, Notre Dame and Michigan. The 5-foot, 9-inch and 195-pound back has canceled the rest of his official visits and will only see his two finalists according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Osborne will make his trip to South Bend at the end of May, and then visit the Wolverines three weeks later. The nation’s No. 83 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite will then most likely make a decision shortly after that.

Notre Dame will roll out the red carpet for the elite back in hopes of landing him later this summer. As one of the country’s top players, Osborne would be another huge recruiting win for the Irish if he chooses them.

BREAKING: Four-Star RB Javian Osborne is down to Michigan & Notre Dame, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 5’9 195 RB from Forney, TX will cancel his remaining visits and only take OVs to his Final 2 Schools

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/8C6ki3HvmGpic.twitter.com/l8Wn8C8xT5

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 31, 2025

Recent Notre Dame football visitor is trending hard to the Irish

Notre Dame has touted running back set to visit

Notre Dame OC Mike Denbrock has an “incredibly difficult” decision to make at quarterback

This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Javian Osborne notre dame football michigan wolverines final two

 

Bulls vs. Thunder: Live updates, highlights for Monday's game  

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue a four-game homestand when they host the Chicago Bulls on Monday. This will be the season's second matchup between the squads. OKC won the first game way back on Oct. 26.

The Thunder (62-12) have won nine in a row. They enjoyed a blowout win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an efficient 33 points. OKC is now 27-1 against the East this season and on the verge of another historical marker.

Meanwhile, the Bulls (33-41) have been red-hot. They've won five of their last seven games. They lost a heartbreaker to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Matas Buzelis led the way with 28 points despite the defeat. This will also be Josh Giddey's first game back at OKC since he was traded last offseason.

For live updates and highlights from the Thunder's game against the Bulls, regularly check back to this post:

What channel is Bulls vs. Thunder game on today? Time, TV schedule

TV Channel: FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma

Start time: 7 p.m. CT

Where to watch Bulls vs Thunder on live stream

Watch Bulls vs. Thunder live on Fubo (free trial)

Bulls vs. Thunder injury updates

Thunder: Chet Holmgren (hip injury management) is questionable. Isaiah Hartenstein (hip soreness) is questionable. Jaylin Williams (hip tightness) is questionable. Aaron Wiggins (Achilles tendinitis) is out. Ousmane Dieng (calf strain) is out. Ajay Mitchell (toe sprain) is out. Nikola Topic (torn ACL) is out. Alex Ducas (quad strain) is out.

Bulls: Josh Giddey (hip soreness injury management) is questionable. Lonzo Ball (wrist sprain) is doubtful. Kevin Huerter (thumb sprain injury management) is out. Ayo Dosunmu (shoulder surgery) is out. Tre Jones (midfoot sprain) is out. EJ Liddell (illness) is out. Emanuel Miller (G League two-way) is out. Jahmir Young (G League two-way) is out.

Thunder 2024-25 schedule

• Wednesday, Apr. 2 vs. Pistons
• Friday, Apr. 4 at Rockets
• Sunday, Apr. 6 vs. Lakers

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Bulls vs. Thunder: Live updates, highlights for Monday's game

 

Source: Robert Morris transfer Amarion Dickerson to visit K-State  

© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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UConn women's basketball roster breakdown: Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd stats  

UConn superstar guard Paige Bueckers isn't ready for her swan song just yet.

Bueckers led the No. 2 Huskies to a dominant 82-59 victory over No. 3 Oklahoma in the school's 31st consecutive Sweet 16 appearance, marking the longest active streak in the nation, men's or women's. Bueckers recorded a career-high 40 points in the win, an NCAA Tournament scoring record for the Huskies. UConn advances to the program's fourth Elite Eight in five years and is in pursuit of its first national championship since 2016. UConn has won 11 national championship, the most of any school.

The Huskies lead the nation in field goal percentage (51.0%) and have the highest three-point percentage (38.1%) of the remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament. Here's a look at the full Huskies women's basketball roster:

UConn women's basketball roster

Here's the Huskies roster for the 2024-25 season, including each player's jersey number, their position, grade, height and hometown:

• 2 KK Arnold G Soph. 5' 9" - Germantown, Wisconsin
• 5 Paige Bueckers G Sr. 6' 0" - Hopkins, Minnesota
• 8 Jana El Alfy C Fr. 6' 5" - Cairo, Egypt
• 10 Qadence Samuels G Soph. 6' 0" - Forestville, Maryland
• 11 Allie Ziebell G Fr. 6' 0" - Neenah, Wisconsin
• 12 Ashlynn Shade G Soph. 5' 10" - Noblesville, Indiana
• 20 Kaitlyn Chen G Sr. 5' 9" - San Marino, California
• 21 Sarah Strong F Fr. 6' 2" - Durham, North Carolina
• 23 Morgan Cheli G Fr. 6' 2" - San Jose, California
• 25 Ice Brady F Soph. 6' 3" - San Diego, California
• 33 Caroline Ducharme G Jr. 6' 2" - Milton, Massachusetts
• 34 Ayanna Patterson F Soph. 6' 2" - Fort Wayne, Indiana
• 35 Azzi Fudd G Sr. 5' 11" - Arlington, Virginia
• 44 Aubrey Griffin G/F Sr. 6' 1" - Ossining, New York

No. 5 Paige Bueckers stats

Paige Bueckers is in midst of a legendary streak in the final women's NCAA Tournament of her career. She scored a career-high 40 points in UConn's blowout win over No. 3 Oklahoma in the Sweet 16, days after tying her previous high of 34 points in UConn's second-round win over South Dakota State. The veteran guard is now No. 4 on UConn's all-time scoring list (2,375 career points), surpassing Katie Lou Samuelson (2,342) and Tina Charles (2,346). She's 27 points away from passing Napheesa Collier (2,401). Bueckers, the three-time Big East Player of the Year, is averaging 19.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 35 games. She's been to the Final Four three times in her career (2021, 2022, 2024) and is looking to guide UConn to its fist national title since 2016. Bueckers declared for the 2025 WNBA draft, where's she's widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick, which is held by the Dallas Wings.

No. 35 Azzi Fudd stats

Fudd is averaging 13.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 31 games, shooting a career-high from the field (47.9%) and beyond the arc (44.5%) just one season removed from tearing her ACL in November 2023. Fudd dropped 27 points, seven assists and six steals in UConn's first-round win over No. 15 Arkansas State, marking the most points she's scored in 10 career NCAA Tournament games. Her career-high is 34 points, recorded against St. John's in February. Fudd opted out of the 2025 WNBA Draft and will return to UConn for her final year of college basketball, despite being a potential first-round pick this year.

AZZI FUDD:UConn star opts out of WNBA draft, will return for final college season

No. 21 Sarah Strong stats

Sarah Strong, the Big East Freshman of the Year, is averaging 16.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 37 games. She also earned Big East First Team and All-Freshman Team honors. Strong recorded 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in her NCAA Tournament debut against Arkansas State, marking her 11th double-double of the season and her fifth of the postseason. Her career-high is 29 points scored against Iowa State in December.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn women's basketball roster breakdown: Stats, jersey numbers

 

New England Free Jacks honoring Hingham native with brain tumor  

The New England Free Jacks recently announced the launch of a foundation to support Jack Giorgio, a Hingham native with a brain tumor.

According to the a press release from the team, the Free Jacks' recent performance contributes to "unlocking" the Free Jacks Hope Vault, which will release funds to support Giorgio and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

The key matches were against Old Glory DC (a 28-14 loss on March 22), Utah Warriors (33-26 win on March 29) and Miami Sharks, a home game on Sunday at 2 p.m.

As part of the initiative, the Free Jacks will host Giorgio and his family for a meet-and-greet with the players at the team’s 'Captain’s Run' on April 5. Giorgio also be in attendance at Veteran's Memorial Stadium in Quincy for the Sunday's game vs. Miami.

“Our team is inspired by Jack’s courage, and we want to rally our entire Free Jacks community behind him and this incredible cause,” Free Jacks GM Tom Kindley said. “The Hope Vault gives us a way to tie our on-field success to something much bigger than rugby.”

Via the team's press release:

With every milestone met, the vault will open, releasing funds to support Jack and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, a foundation committed to funding research and providing vital support to children and families battling pediatric brain tumors. Free Jacks fans, friends, and supporters will have the opportunity to pledge donations, including contributions based on tries scored throughout this stretch of games.

HOW FANS CAN GET INVOLVED:

• Donate to the Hope Vault: Fans can pledge a flat amount or contribute per try scored over Rounds 6, 7, and 8. https://charity.pledgeit.org/hopevault
• Attend the 4/22 Game: The Free Jacks will culminate this initiative with a Lantern Ceremony during the April 22nd home match, honoring Jack and raising further awareness.
• Engage on Social Media: Follow along as we track our goals and celebrate each time the vault is unlocked. Stay tuned for special content, including a check presentation to maximize engagement and visibility for this meaningful effort.

The Free Jacks are calling on their community to step up and support this important cause. To make a contribution or learn more about the Hope Vault, visit https://charity.pledgeit.org/hopevault.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: New England Free Jacks honor Hingham's Jack Giorgio with brain tumor

 

These UMaine men's hockey players sign pro contracts  

Mar. 31—We know the University of Maine men's hockey team will look different when it returns to the ice again in October. How different will begin to unfold in the coming weeks.

Maine finished the season 24-8-6, winning the Hockey East title for the first time since 2004. Just days after the Black Bears season came to an end with a 5-1 loss to Penn State in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the roster already started to change.

On Sunday, senior forwards Lynden Breen and Nolan Renwick reportedly signed professional contracts. Breen will join the AHL's Hershey Bears next season, while Nolan Renwick signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, also of the AHL. Breen missed much of the season after suffering a broken leg on Nov. 30 in a game at RPI, moments after he recorded a hat trick. He returned late in the season, scoring a pair of goals in the Hockey East tournament to finish with seven goals and six assists in 22 games.

Renwick scored nine goals with 15 assists for 24 points this season, including the game-winner in double overtime to lift Maine to a 4-3 win over Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals.

Monday afternoon, senior forward Taylor Makar, a seventh-round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2021, signed an entry level deal with the team. Makar, who tallied 18 goals and 12 assists for the Black Bears this past season after transferring from UMass, was set to join the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, for the remainder of the season. Makar was the only player on Maine's roster this past season who had been drafted.

Harrison Scott, a forward who spent two years with Maine after transferring from Bentley, also reportedly signed an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars, and will join the Texas Stars, the team's AHL affiliate, for the remainder of the season. Scott led the Black Bears in scoring this season with 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points.

Two other seniors leaving the program, defenseman David Breazeale and forward Ross Mitton, could sign pro contracts in the coming days.

There's also the possibility that other players eligible to return choose to either sign a pro contract or enter the transfer portal, which opened Sunday. As of 3 p.m. Monday, 170 players were in the transfer portal, none from Maine. That's not to say none will enter, but no Black Bears were at the front of the line.

Even before the Black Bears lose any players eligible to return to the team, coach Ben Barr knows he has a lot of offense to replace. The six seniors accounted for nearly half the team's goals this past season, 59 of 124. Those six also contributed 33% of the team's assists (67 of 204), and 38% of the Black Bears' total points (126 of 328).

Barr had success using the transfer portal to restock the Black Bears over the past two seasons. Five of the team's top seven scorers this season came to Orono after starting their college career somewhere else: Scott, Maker, defenseman Frank Djurasevic, forward Charlie Russell, and forward Owen Fowler. Mitton also joined Maine this season as a graduate transfer after four years at Colgate.

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Varsity Maine Girls Hockey Player of the Year: Marina Bassett, South Portland  

Mar. 31—Bob Mills coached Marina Bassett in her four years of high school hockey, and even he was surprised by some of the things she did on the ice this season.

"I think she was really in a class by herself this season," said Mills, who coached Bassett on the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete co-op team for two seasons, then the past two as a member of the Portland Beacons when Portland and Deering joined the co-op. "Any time she had the puck on her stick, we had a scoring chance."

A South Portland senior, Bassett was far and away the most prolific scorer in the state this season, with 58 goals and 17 assists for 75 points in 21 games. Bassett was a leader on a team that reached the South final and capped her season as winner of the Becky Schaffer Award, presented annually to the top senior girls hockey player in the state.

For her efforts, Bassett is the Varsity Maine Girls Hockey Player of the Year.

Bassett's earned Varsity Maine All-State honors all four years. She finished with an eye-popping 150 goals and 78 assists for 228 points in her career. She hit two major milestones this season, scoring her 100th career goal in a 7-4 win over St. Dom's on Dec. 7, and recording her 200th career point on Jan. 7 with a goal in a 9-3 win over York.

"I play hockey year-round, and knew I wanted my senior year would be special to me," Bassett said. "I knew I had to play my best. That motivated me to go out and do the work."

Bassett said she'll work on her shot almost every day, as well as stick handling. That helped as she saw more attention from opposing defenses each season. Opponents would try to get the first forechecker on Bassett, Mills said, or shadow her through the neutral zone before a second layer of defense converged on Bassett once she arrived in the offensive zone. More often than not, it didn't work.

Bassett scored at least one point in 19 of the Beacons' 21 games. She scored three or more goals 13 times, including a midseason run of seven consecutive games in which Bassett recorded a total of 28 goals. The Beacons went 6-1 in those games.

"Her skating and stick-handling ability were always a plus, but what she did even better his year was escape pressure," Mills said. "She had confidence and motivation right from the start."

If Bassett wasn't open, she was able to find a teammate. Jane Flynn (17 goals) and Libby Hooper (12 goals) were among the Beacons' other scoring threats.

One of Bassett's greatest assets on the ice sounds simple, Mills said, but it's something rare to see in high school players: she never had to look down to make sure she still had the puck securely on her stick. Bassett sees the ice better than any player in the state, Mills said.

Bassett said that comes from knowing she put in the work.

"I make sure I keep my head up," she said. "If I'm facing down the ice, I can make a play. You need to know you can trust yourself."

Bassett plans to continue her hockey career next year at Rivier University. She said the recruiting process began when Bassett played in summer showcase tournaments. She then visited the school's Nashua, New Hampshire, campus and met head coach Marykate Drinkwater. A 2020 graduate of the University of New England, Drinkwater began her coaching career as an assistant coach with the Biddeford co-op girls hockey team.

"I liked (Drinkwater), and I liked the school," Bassett said.

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2024-25 Varsity Maine All-State Girls Hockey team  

Mar. 31—Marina Bassett, South Portland senior forward: The Varsity Maine Player of the Year, Bassett is a four-year selection to the All-State team. This winter, she was the most dominant offensive player in the state, tallying 58 goals with 17 assists for 75 points in 21 games. Bassett's play helped the Portland co-op reach the South final. After completing her career with 150 goals and 78 assists for 228 points, Bassett was named the winner of Becky Schaffer Award as the top senior in the state by the coaches association. She plans to play hockey at Rivier University next year.

Jane Flynn, Portland senior defense: A finalist for the Becky Schaffer Award, Flynn was a strong two-way player, often starting the Beacons' transition from the defensive zone to the attack. Flynn scored 17 goals with 21 assists for 38 points. A three-year Varsity Maine All-State selection, Flynn had 29 goals and 49 assists over the past two seasons for Portland/Cape Elizabeth/Deering/South Portland/Waynflete.

Libby Hooper, Cape Elizabeth senior forward: Hooper was a key contributor to the Beacons' run to the South championship game, scoring 12 goals with 26 assists for 38 points. A semifinalist for the Becky Schaffer Award, Hooper tallied 37 goals over the last two seasons for the Portland co-op. Over a midseason stretch of eight games, Hooper recorded 11 goals and 15 assists to help the Beacons go 7-1 and vault into contention in the South division.

Lucy Johnson, Cheverus senior forward: One of the top players in the state over the last four years, Johnson scored 29 goals and doled out 15 assists this season to help Cheverus win a third consecutive state championship. Johnson was at her best in the biggest games, scoring a pair of goals in the 3-2 overtime win over Brunswick in the state final, and a hat trick in the Stags' 7-1 win over Portland in the regional final. She was a finalist for the Becky Schaffer Award.

Lauren Labbe, Brunswick senior forward: With 32 goals and 13 assists for 45 points, Labbe was the Dragons' offensive leader, helping the team win the North title and advance to the state championship game for the first time. A semifinalist for the Becky Schaffer Award, Labbe scored three or more goals in a game five times this season. Labbe led the state with eight power-play assists.

Leksi Langevin, Poland freshman forward: A newcomer to high school hockey, Langevin made a strong first impression for the Edward Little co-op. She scored 39 goals with 14 assists, accounting for 45% of the Red Hornets' goals. Langevin was selected first team all-state by the Maine High School Girls Hockey Coaches Association. She scored at least one goal in all but one game this season.

Solveig Ledwick, Brunswick junior forward: Ledwick made the move from defense to forward this season and excelled for the Dragons, scoring 32 goals with eight assists for 40 points. Her 10 power-play goals led the state. She recorded four hat tricks and scored in 16 of Brunswick's 21 games, including an eight-game streak to start the season.

Lisi Palmer, Brunswick senior defense: One of the top two-way players in the state, Palmer was a finalist for the Becky Schaffer Award. Her defensive skills were a key as the Dragons won the North title and went to the state final for the first time. Palmer tallied 20 goals and eight assists for 28 points. Palmer plans to attend Plymouth State University, where she'll study early childhood education and continue her hockey and track and field careers.

Zoey Radford, Cheverus senior defense: After the graduation of 2024 Varsity Maine Player of the Year Brynn McKenney, Radford filled the void on the Cheverus co-op blue line. Radford led a Stags defense that allowed just 21 goals in the regular season, the fewest in the state, and just three goals in three tournament games on the way to a third straight state title. Offensively, Radford chipped in four goals and six assists for 10 points, and she was a semifinalist for the Becky Schaffer Award.

Caroline Rousseau, Cheverus sophomore forward: Rousseau followed up her strong freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. She scored 38 goals with 17 assists for 55 points to lead the Cheverus co-op in scoring. Rousseau scored six goals and had three assists in the playoffs, including the game-winning goal in overtime to help the Stags to a 3-2 win over Brunswick in the state final, the team's third straight state championship.

Ellie Skolnekovich, Cheverus junior goalie: Skolnekovich served as Cheverus' backup goalie the previous two seasons, seeing limited playing time until the net was hers this winter. In her first season as the starting goalie, Skolnekovich was outstanding, posting a 1.17 goals against average and .920 save percentage with eight shutouts.

Adelaide Strout, Yarmouth junior defense: Strout paced Yarmouth/Freeport in scoring with 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points, while also leading the team's defense. An all-state selection by the Maine High School Girls Hockey Coaches Association, Strout was a key on Yarmouth/Freeport's special teams, and had two goals and six assists on the power play. She had three assists in a playoff win over Penobscot to help Yarmouth/Freeport advance to the North final.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Chris Ledwick, Brunswick: The Dragons continued their pattern of improvement in Ledwick's third season at the helm, reaching the state final for the first time in program history. Brunswick won 16 games to take the North crown. In Ledwick's first season, the Dragons won 12 games, an improvement from three wins the previous season. After reaching the regional semifinals each of the past two seasons, Brunswick got over the hurdle and into the state final, losing a tight 3-2 game to two-time defending state champion Cheverus.

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Lajae Jones embraces chance to play NBA system appealing in choosing FSU  
 

USC women's basketball roster breakdown: Kiki Iriafen, top players without JuJu Watkins  

The No. 1 seed USC Trojans are seeking their first national championship since 1984 and first Final Four birth since 1986 after back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances.

During the Trojans' Sweet 16 matchup against No. 5 seed Kansas State, the Trojans trailed multiple times without top scorer JuJu Watkins, unable to keep up with the pace of the Wildcats. However, a game-changing 12-5 run during the third quarter put USC in front.

The run was spearheaded by senior Kiki Iriafen and freshman duo Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell. USC never trailed after that en route to a 67-61 win. The Trojans earned a date in the Elite Eight with the No. 1 seed UConn Huskies in Spokane, Washington.

"They're winners above everything else," head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said about her freshmen, who chipped in without Watkins available over the weekend. "We’ve been stepping up all season in different ways, so I think we were really ready for the moment today."Without Watkins, USC's quest for another championship becomes much more complicated. However, the Trojans have a few things in their tool kit that help make the journey easier. The team is the 10th-ranked scoring offense in the nation (81.1 points per game) and ranks 20th for assists per game (17.4).

Here's a look at the full Trojans women's basketball roster:

USC women's basketball roster

Here's the USC roster for the 2024-25 season, including each player's jersey number, position, year in college, height and hometown:

• 0 - Vivian Iwuchukwu, Forward, Freshman, 6'3" - Imo State, Nigeria
• 3 - Aaliyah Gayles, Guard, Redshirt Sophomore, 5'9" - Las Vegas, Nevada
• 4 - Rian Forestier, Guard, Freshman, 5'11" - Helotes, Texas
• 6 - Laura Williams, Forward, Freshman, 6'1" - Tampa, Florida
• 9 - Kayleigh Heckel, Guard, Freshman, 5'9" - Port Chester, New York
• 10 - Malia Samuels , Guard, Sophomore, 5'6" - Seattle, Washington
• 11 - Kennedy Smith, Guard, Freshman, 6'1" - Chino, California
• 12 - JuJu Watkins*, Guard, Sophomore, 6'2" - Los Angeles, California (*Out for rest of season)
• 13 - Rayah Marshall, Forward/Center, Senior, 6'4" - Los Angeles, California
• 23 - Avery Howell, Guard, Freshman, 6'0" - Boise, Idaho
• 24 - Brooklyn Shamblin, Guard, Freshman, 5'9" - Carpinteria, California
• 34 - Clarice Akunwafo, Center, Senior, 6'6" - Anambra State, Nigeria
• 44 - Kiki Iriafen, Forward, Senior, 6'3" - Los Angeles, California
• 55 - Talia von Oelhoffen, Guard, Senior, 5'11" - Tri-Cities, Washington

No. 11 Kennedy Smith stats

Freshman guard Kennedy Smith is averaging 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and two assists this season. She has notable honors to her name, including Gatorade California State Player of the Year and a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup. Smith's 19 points against Kanasa State tied her career and helped propel USC into the Elite Eight for a matchup against UConn.

No. 44 Kiki Iriafen stats

Senior forward Kiki Irafen averages 18.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per matchup. Iriafen has numerous accolades, including being a Katrina McClain Award winner, Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year and arguably the best power forward nationwide. Iriafen's 36 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks during the Sweet 16 helped seal USC's win over the No. 9 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs.

No. 55 Talia von Oelhoffen stats

Senior guard Talia von Oelhoeffen is averaging 10.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. von Oelhoeffen is a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree and spent four seasons with the Oregon State Beavers before joining the Trojans.

How USC picked up the pieces without JuJu Watkins

Sophomore sensation JuJu Watkins is out for the season after suffering an ACL injury during March Madness. Still, USC had Watkins on the bench with the team against Kansas State ― a 3.7-inch version of her. The Trojans arrived at their matchup against the Wildcats wearing Nike shirts with Watkins' face on them and a miniature Funko Pop of their best player. "She's been with us all season, so we just wanted to make it seem like she was here," freshman Kayleigh Heckel said. "She was watching us, supporting us at home, having a watch party with her family, so I think that it just helped us make everything a lot more normal."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USC women's basketball roster breakdown: Stats, top players vs. UConn

 

Taylor Jenkins' surprise firing, SGA's historic season, fight night in Minnesota + dangerous teams in the West  

On this episode of Good Word with Goodwill, Vince and The Athletic’s Sam Amick react to former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins getting fired and how that could ultimately impact Ja Morant.

Next, Vince and Sam do a deep dive on how special Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been this season and who should win MVP between him and Nikola Jokic.

Later, they choose the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference and react to the brawl between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons.

(01:12) Taylor Jenkins fired

(16:45) Ja Morant’s future with Memphis

(22:05) SGA’s historic season

(30:07) MVP: SGA or Jokic?

(37:00) Pistons-Timberwolves fight

(48:40) Dangerous teams in the Western Conference

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(AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

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Depth is Florida's biggest strength heading into Final Four  

Whenever the national media talks about the 2024-25 Florida Gators men's basketball team, the guard trio of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard inevitably ends up as item No. 1 on the topic list.

While CBS Sports college basketball writer Cameron Salerno is guilty of gushing over Clayton and Martin, it's the roster depth that Todd Golden has across the board that he believes sets the program apart from the other three members of the Final Four field.

"What if I told you Florida's star backcourt wasn't even its greatest strength? That's because Florida's frontcourt depth is among the best in the sport," Salerno wrote.

The quartet of forwards that Florida uses in the frontcourt has been a major part of Florida's run to the Final Four. Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu play with a "bruising" style to set the tone early in games, and Thomas Haugh and Micah Handlogten are starter-level replacements off the bench.

Haugh was just as important as Clayton in Saturday night's Elite Eight win, securing the offensive rebound that started the comeback. He also hit two big 3s before Clayton buried two more to take the lead. Golden expressed his displeasure after Haugh was snubbed in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation, and the sophomore forward from New Oxford, Pennsylvania, has proven the voters wrong ever since.

Handlogten's story is made for the movies. After breaking his leg in the SEC Tournament championship game a year ago, Handlogten made a full recovery and decided to forgo a redshirt to help the team make a postseason push. He originally planned to miss the entire year but answered the call when Alex Condon went down with a sprained ankle earlier this year. An elite defender and rebounder, Handlogten has helped the team claim the conference tournament title and is now aiming to finish off this run in the NCAA Tournament.

"The Gators rank No. 5 in offensive rebounding percentage (38.9%), and part of the reason is because of the physicality and depth in the frontcourt," wrote Salerno.

That's not to take away from the work the guards do. Clayton is among the best in the country, Martin is the first player to reach the Final Four with two different teams and Richard is the first transfer that Golden brought into the mix. Even backup guards Denzel Aberdeen and Urban Klavzar play significant roles. Aberdeen has hit some big-time shots during this run.

There is talent up and down this roster, and that's the vision Golden had three years ago when he took over the program.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators basketball Final Four evaluation by CBS Sports

 

2027 Rivals100 ATH Kaneilius Purdy commits to Florida State  

100% committed Go Noles 🍢🍢 @Coach_Norvell@Seminoles@polk_way@CoachAG_3@DanLaForestFB@H2_Recruiting@Andy_Villamarzo@On3sports@xmarcthespott@CoachGrant_LW@odellhaggins#AGTGpic.twitter.com/r36qkxZZei

— Kaneilius Purdy4⭐️ATH (@KaneiliusPurdy) March 31, 2025

 

LSU women's basketball forward Sa'Myah Smith enters transfer portal  

A day after its season came to an end with a loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight, LSU women's basketball is losing a key forward to the transfer portal. On Monday, it was reported that Sa'Myah Smith would explore her options outside of Baton Rouge.

Smith came up big for LSU in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 20 points against Florida State and 21 vs. NC State. Smith scored four points in LSU's loss to UCLA but was instrumental in keeping UCLA star Lauren Betts in check. At 6-foot-2, Smith was Kim Mulkey's most reliable big in 2025.

Smith signed with LSU in 2022 and was a member of LSU's national title team. She averaged 4.6 points and 14.7 minutes per game during LSU's championship campaign.

In 79 career games for the Tigers, Smith made 36 starts and averaged 6.1 points. She was a factor on the defensive end, averaging 1.3 blocks per game in her LSU career.

News: #LSU forward Sa’Myah Smith has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after three seasons in Baton Rouge.

Smith is coming off of an impressive stint in the NCAA Tournament with a big-time performance in the Sweet 16.

Huge development for the Tigers in a critical offseason. pic.twitter.com/HXxcCOFNMY

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) March 31, 2025

Smith is a big loss. With Aneesah Morrow off to the WNBA and Smith entering the portal, LSU's frontcourt will look a lot different next season. Landing a top forward will be a priority for Mulkey and crew in the transfer portal.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU women's basketball loses key piece to transfer portal

 

Newark is where it all began for Wild coach John Hynes  

NEWARK, N.J. – Just a few months shy of a decade ago, on June 2, 2015, a 40-year-old John Hynes got his first call to “the show” as an NHL head coach with the New Jersey Devils. At the time, he joked with a friend that Mike Yeo, then coaching the Minnesota Wild at age 41, would no longer be the league’s youngest coach, nor have the least hair among the NHL coaches.

Now 50 and on his third stop in the league, having coached in Nashville prior to taking over the Wild last season, Hynes admitted that the Devils’ home ice will always bring back fond memories.

“So many good people that you met here within the organization, some of the players are still here and then obviously life away from the game,” he said following Minnesota’s morning skate at Prudential Center. “My family really enjoyed it here, so it’s kind of a combination. So, it’s always special where you got your first opportunity; a lot of great memories.”

In four-plus seasons with the Devils, Hynes’ teams were a cumulative 150-159-45 with one playoff appearance — they fell 4-1 to Tampa Bay in the 2018 opening round. He spent parts of four years in Nashville before the Wild hired him midseason in late 2023. Thinking back on his early days as an NHL head coach, Hynes admitted that he’s a different person 10 years later.

“It’s just more experience. There’s lots of similarities that help you get to the NHL, the structure of practices and all the hockey part of it. But I think the more opportunities you have to coach in the NHL, you learn different things. I think experience is a factor, so it’s good. I learned a ton (in New Jersey), I learned a ton in Nashville and I’m still learning here…I think in this business you have to adapt and change and keep some core values, but I think you’re always trying to find a way to be better.

For Wild, a bit more wait for Buium

University of Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium may sign with the Wild at some point this season, after Minnesota made the San Diego native their first round pick in last summer’s NHL draft. But first, he has another college hockey game, or two, to play.

Buium and the Pioneers are headed back to the NCAA Frozen Four looking for a repeat national title after they beat top-ranked Boston College 3-1 on Sunday evening in the finale of the Manchester (N.H.) Regional. Buium had two goals and three assists in Denver’s wins over Providence in the first round and the Eagles in the regional title game. They will face NCHC foe Western Michigan in St. Louis on Thursday, April 10, with a trip to the NCAA title game at stake.

Buium, who was named the NCHC’s most valuable player during the conference tournament in St. Paul earlier in March, has emerged as one of the favorites for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to college hockey’s top player.

The Pioneers defeated Boston College in St. Paul last April to win the program’s record 10th NCAA hockey title.

Another Gopher signs early

After three seasons in maroon and gold, and a World Juniors gold medal, defenseman Ryan Chesley is taking his game to the next level. The Washington Capitals, who picked the Mahtomedi native in the second round of the 2022 NHL draft, announced on Monday that they had signed Chesley to an entry-level contract and he would report to their AHL team in Hershey, Pa.

Chesley, one of the Minnesota Gophers’ co-captains, played in all 40 games last season, with eight goals and 12 assists. He also led the team with 48 penalty minutes. The most recent signing means that eight of the Gophers’ top 11 scorers will not return next season due to graduation or early signings.

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Madden tournament benefits St. Joseph Center for Special Learning  

DEER LAKE — Gamers from across Schuylkill County displayed their football acumen at a Madden NFL tournament Saturday at Fighter’s Heaven.

With the help of several sponsors, the event raised $1,250 in proceeds, all of which will go to the St. Joseph Center for Special Learning, said Mick Stefanek, the camp’s general manager.

Local businesses and organizations pitched in to help to ensure another successful event. Saturday’s event — the third annual tournament — drew about 20 participants.

The winner was Brady Dagon, who wore a Philadelphia Eagles jersey, but played as the Baltimore Ravens en route to claiming the camp’s “March Madden” title.

The runner-up was Tyler Valentine, of Schuylkill Haven.

The tournament, which began Saturday morning and wrapped up around 1:30 p.m., involved single-elimination matchups on eight PlayStation 5 consoles set up with “Madden NFL 25.”

“It went well,” Stefanek said.

At the end of the event, Brady proudly hoisted up the camp’s March Madden trophy, where his name will appear alongside the first two winners, Brock Polinsky and Joey Simpson.

Each participant received a Fighter’s Heaven T-shirt, and the top eight won cash prizes.

Stefanek credits volunteers Jordan Green and Chris Smith for spearheading the event.

The event was supported by the following sponsors: Boyer’s, Weis, Bowers Home Improvement, Culture 2 Culture, District Judge A.J. Serina, M&M Redzone, Walmart, Dunkin’, Spotts Insurance Group, Madden Charities, as well as two who wished to remain anonymous.

Additionally, Aaron’s Rent to Own contributed all of the gaming consoles and furniture, Stefanek said.

Last year’s tournament, which raised $1,150, benefited Servants to All in Pottsville. Each edition of the tournament is devoted to a different organization.

 

Manchester NCAA regional: Denver's Davis continues to shine on national stage  

MANCHESTER — Matt Davis has developed a killer instinct for this time of year, University of Denver men’s hockey coach David Carle said.

Davis, the senior goaltender for the Pioneers, has allowed no more than one goal in any of his six career NCAA Division I tournament games. Over that span, Davis has two 35-save efforts against Boston College — in Denver's 3-1 victory at SNHU Arena to win the Manchester Regional on Sunday night and in last year's national championship game, won 2-0 by the Pioneers.

Over his six NCAA tournament games, Davis has a .976 save percentage and a 0.6 goals-against average.

This from a goalie who back in December allowed four goals on 11 shots in Denver’s 6-6 tie with club team UNLV in an exhibition game.

But that was only one night, way before his favorite time of the year, late March/early April.

“He’s a proven winner now and I thought he had an excellent season this year,” Carle said after Sunday's Manchester Regional final.

Denver will play Western Michigan in a rematch of the NCHC tournament final in the Frozen Four on April 10 at 5:30 p.m. in St. Louis.

On Sunday night, BC outshot the Pioneers 15-2 in the third period following Teddy Stiga’s breakaway goal that came with 53 seconds left in the second period.

“Feels like deja vu a little bit,” Eagles coach Greg Brown said after the loss.

Davis, 23 and undrafted by an NHL team, said he just regrouped and moved on after Stiga's breakaway goal, which beat him five-hole.

His effort helped the Pioneers become the first defending champ in eight tries to win a national championship rematch that occurred in the following NCAA tournament.

“I would say goaltending in general is about 95% mental,” Davis said. “You could have all the physical attributes, but if you can’t put it together mentally, you’re not going to do any good. I’ve been working on that a lot.”

“I think for (pro) teams watching at the next level, it’s a critical factor,” Carle said of Davis’s developed killer instinct for the most important part of the season. “He’s identified that 95% of the position is mental and he’s got a great mental game.”

The SNHU Arena experience

Despite troubles with the goalposts during Friday’s semifinal games, teams generally had positive reviews of their trip to the Manchester Regional.

Both semifinal games had to stop play due to goalposts coming off their moorings. The issues were most apparent during BC’s 3-1 victory over Bentley University in the regional’s opening game.

Shortly after it ended, the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Committee issued a statement, saying “an issue with the goal pegs that hold the net in place caused the net to dislodge, leading to several delays. The NCAA recognizes the impact of the stoppages and are working with our hosts at the University of New Hampshire and SNHU Arena to address the issue.”

Bentley coach Andy Jones said that the nets were being knocked off the pegs because the pegs weren’t deep enough.

Denver’s 5-1 semifinal win over Providence College had one delay for the same reason. The final had one stoppage of play because the Denver net came dislodged after minimal contact.

“I mean, I think that’s a correctible thing that obviously the staff and the crew here noticed and managed in between games,” Carle said after the Providence game. “I think it only happened at the end of the second period in our (semifinal) game, so we’re thankful for that, but you can tell that the puck was bouncing a bit in the first game, and so it’s something to be aware of.”

Carle is in favor of playing NCAA tournament games prior to the Frozen Four at campus sites and said “it’s no secret there’s some challenges to this regional...” after Sunday’s final.

Providence coach Nate Leaman said after the Friars’ semifinal game that he did not have any issues with the ice. Brown said after BC’s semifinal game that “the ice actually was decent” and noted that it was more settled than some sheets that NCAA tournament games are played on.

Since the Manchester Monarchs, former AHL and then ECHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, folded in 2019, SNHU Arena has hosted a minimal number of hockey games

The Manchester Regional, NHIAA hockey finals (March 15) and the Dartmouth Health Children’s Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship (March 16) were the only hockey games on the SNHU Arena schedule this year.

Friday’s semifinals had an attendance of 7,368. Attendance for Sunday night’s final was 6,802. The arena has a capacity of 9,852 for hockey games.

A considerable flock of Eagles fans were on hand on Sunday night to the point where it felt like a BC home game.

“The atmosphere was excellent tonight for us again,” Brown said after Sunday’s final. “Being so close to Chestnut Hill, we had a great crowd and wish we could have given them a better result but you know we’ve been to Manchester a few times now for the regional. They do a nice job here. So yeah, other than the result, it’s been a good place to have a regional."

A Granite Stater in Frozen Four

The only New Hampshire resident headed to the Frozen Four is Western Michigan defenseman Cole Crusberg-Roseen.

The sophomore from Stratham has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 40 games for the Broncos this season.

He was among five Granite Staters who reached the NCAA tournament with their teams.

Ohio State University had brothers Joe and Jake Dunlap, of Windham, on its roster this season. Joe Dunlap, a graduate-student forward , scored the first two goals for Ohio State in its 8-3 Toledo Regional semifinal loss to Boston University on Thursday.

It was Dunlap’s first two-goal game of the season. He finished with 22 points on eight goals and 14 assists in 39 games.

Jake Dunlap, a junior forward, logged four assists over 21 games.

Nate Benoit, a sophomore defenseman from Bow, played in 24 games for Quinnipiac this winter, recording two assists.

ahall@unionleader.com

 

2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge lead Top 300 rest of season ranks  
 

Kim Mulkey reflects on interaction with Will Wade at LSU as Wade returns to Power Four  

In her first year as LSU women's basketball's head coach, Kim Mulkey worked alongside Will Wade.

The pair led the Tigers on the hardwood for one year together before Wade left Baton Rouge. With Wade accepting the NC State men's basketball head coaching role last week, Mulkey reflected on her time working with him.

"He treated me with the utmost respect," Mulkey said. "He and [former LSU baseball coach] Paul Mainieri were the first two people to hug me when I got off that plane."

Mulkey, a native of Louisiana, came back to her home state school to revive the Tigers' program after a successful run at Baylor. The men's program was in its fifth and final year under Wade.

During his time in Baton Rouge, Wade led LSU to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a 105-51 record. Under his watch, the Tigers won the 2019 SEC regular season championship and advanced to the SEC Tournament championship game for the first time since 1993.

"He won at LSU, he won at McNeese and I would imagine he's getting ready to wake the Wolfpack up and win at NC State," Mulkey said.

Kim Mulkey and Will Wade overlapped for one year at LSU. I asked Mulkey about what NC State is getting in Wade.

"I would imagine he's getting ready to wake the Wolfpack up and win at NC State." pic.twitter.com/fT30MbWtzZ

— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) March 27, 2025

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Kim Mulkey shares Will Wade story after Wade gets NC State job

 

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