When the Magic head to Toronto on Sunday, Orlando understands there’s a lot at stake.

Not only will each and every of the final nine games of the regular season affect the race for the NBA playoffs, but Sunday’s matchup will also determine the winner of the three-game season series between the Eastern Conference foes.

That’s because the Raptors won the first meeting of the season at Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 29 by overcoming a 21-point deficit and the Magic punched back with a 10-point win roughly a month later at Kia Center.

If Orlando and Toronto end the regular season with the same record — the No. 9 Magic (39-34) entered Saturday’s slate of games only two games back of the No. 5 Raptors (41-32) — the winner of Sunday’s game will own the head-to-head tiebreaker in the standings.

It’s the type of advantage that could potentially serve as the difference maker between securing a guaranteed playoff spot as a top-six seed in the East or falling down into the Play-In Tournament. Seeds 7-10 in each conference compete in the Play-In for the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in the playoffs.

Bottom line, Sunday matters. A lot.

“It’s a monumental game,” Magic guard Desmond Bane said. “Two teams fighting for playoff seeding on the road — I’m excited for the challenge.”

Added Magic coach Jamahl Mosley: “You’ve got to find a way. You’ve definitely got to find a way in that situation.”

That challenge includes Toronto’s top three scorers in Brandon Ingram (21.4 points), RJ Barrett (18.9) and Montverde Academy grad Scottie Barnes (18.5), who’ve helped the Raptors lead the league in fastbreak scoring this season (18.5 fastbreak points per night topped NBA.com entering Saturday).

Another area on offense where the Raptors have success comes in the paint, which could cause problems for Orlando’s defense.

Toronto scores 45.7% of its nightly points in the paint (a percentage that’s fifth-most in the league) and they average 52.1 paint points per contest, which ranks tied-sixth league-wide.

Allowing 50.9 points in the paint per game, Orlando’s defense ranks 17th in opponent paint scoring and 18th in opponent fastbreak scoring (15.4 fastbreak points allowed per night).

Still, much like Magic, the Raptors have gone on a bumpy ride since the NBA All-Star break.

Toronto is 9-9 in their 18 games since the league break, while Orlando is 11-9 after it snapped a six-game losing streak against the Kings on Thursday. The Raptors, who took down the Pelicans on Friday, are 2-3 in their past five games with losses against the Nuggets, Suns and Clippers in that stretch.

The Magic will still be without Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain injury management), Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal strain) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) on the road again.

“We’re in a tight race, and we’ve put ourselves into a tough position losing six in a row,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said. “So, we’ve got to dig ourselves out of it. We don’t want to be in the Play-In but that’s where we’re at right now.

“So, we’ve got to find a way to get out of there and get some momentum going into the playoffs,” he added. “We’ve got nine games left to do that, and we’ve just got to be on our Ps and Qs every night.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

Up next …

Magic at Raptors

When: 6 p.m., Sunday, Scotiabank Arena

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida

Sunday night, the Orlando Storm will take the field for their inaugural game in the United Football League, and if you listen closely, you can already hear the whispers.

Correction: There will be more than just whispers when the Storm kick off against the Columbus Aviators at Inter&Co Stadium (8 p.m., ESPN). There will be undisguised, unadulterated skepticism.

And rightfully so.

The cynics are saying, HERE WE GO AGAIN.

Another spring football league. Another Orlando team. Another rich guy throwing money at a start-up everybody assumes will eventually fold.

Except this time, that rich guy is Mike Repole.

If you follow Repole’s career, you know this is basically his business model: Find something people say can’t be done, fund it anyway and dare the world to laugh. They laughed when he went up against Gatorade and Powerade with Vitaminwater. They laughed again when he did it with BodyArmor. They laughed again when he became the NIL sugar daddy for a Rick Pitino-coached St. John’s basketball program that had been left for dead but just made the Sweet 16 for the first time in decades.

And now they’re laughing again.

And that’s exactly the way Repole likes it.

“I love to prove people wrong,” he says.

Repole isn’t just a co-owner of the United Football League. He’s one of the main believers — and, more importantly, one of the main investors. In the startup world, belief is nice, but money is what keeps the lights on. Spring football leagues don’t die because of bad football; they die because they run out of money.

Repole knows that. It’s why people around the league say this version of spring football feels different. The UFL isn’t a fly-by-night operation running on promises and crossed fingers. It has television deals with ESPN and Fox. It has major investors. It has a partnership model that spreads out the risk. And in Central Florida, it has a billionaire who didn’t just buy into the Orlando Storm; he moved his family and his parents to Orlando five years ago.

Repole relocated from Queens to Orlando and has made it clear he’s not just investing in a team; he’s investing in a city. He has already committed NIL money to UCF and has tried to talk school administrators into changing the name of the school to “University of Orlando.” He talks about Orlando not only as a serial entrepreneur, but as citizen who loves living in the City Beautiful.

“I’ll always be Mike from Queens, but I chose this city to raise my daughter, and this is where my parents live,” Repole says. “When I moved to Orlando, my friends just thought this is where Mickey and Minnie Mouse lived, but this city is so much bigger and better than just Disney. I want to help build this city’s sports landscape and help it thrive.

“We have the Magic here. We have UCF here. We have Orlando City. We have a women’s soccer team, the Pride, who have won a championship. Now we have the Orlando Storm. And, who knows, maybe it’s the Storm today, and an NHL or Major League Baseball team in the future.”

I love the fact that Repole isn’t just positioning this endeavor as another spring football story; he’s turning it into an Orlando sports story.

Because if you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve seen this movie before. The Continental Football League. The USFL. The XFL. The AAF. Teams have come and gone, leagues have launched and collapsed, and every time one of them fails, the narrative is always the same:

Orlando isn’t a big-league sports town.

But history says otherwise. For the most part, Orlando fans supported those spring leagues. They supported the Renegades, the Rage and the Apollos. In just about every case, the teams drew crowds, but the leagues ran out of money or patience or both.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Orlando didn’t fail spring football. Spring football failed Orlando.

That’s an important distinction, and it’s why Repole is doing everything possible to make sure this league actually succeeds. For instance, the Storm aren’t playing in the cavernous Camping World Stadium, where 20,000 fans look like 2,000. They’re playing at Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium, a 25,000-seat venue that potentially will sound loud and look full.

Hopefully, it will look —and this is important — major league.

Because that’s what Orlando wants to be.

This is a city that talks openly about landing a Major League Baseball team someday. It already has the NBA, MLS and a growing college sports presence. But if Orlando truly wants to prove itself as a major league sports town, it will support a team that’s not major league.

If Orlando fans show up at Storm games this spring, it sends a message. It says this isn’t a small-time market. It says this is a city that will support pro football — especially with the NFL’s Jaguars expected to announce this week that they will play the 2027 season in Orlando while Jacksonville renovates its stadium.

Mostly, it says this is a city that billionaire entrepreneurs like Mike Repole are smart to bet on.

And make no mistake, this is a bet.

Repole made a fortune challenging giants. Vitaminwater and BodyArmor went head-to-head with Gatorade. Most people would call that crazy. Repole called it another day at the office.

Spring football might be his biggest challenge yet. Not because people don’t like football, but because every other league has eventually collapsed under the weight of reality: travel costs, payroll, television ratings, attention spans and the simple fact that the NFL owns the sport’s calendar.

But Repole has never been interested in doing things the easy way.

If history tells us anything, it’s that betting against Mike Repole just because something sounds impossible is usually a bad idea.

People said you couldn’t challenge Gatorade.

People said St. John’s basketball was finished.

And people say spring football will never work.

Mike Repole hears all of that and sees opportunity in his adopted hometown.

We’re about to find out if he’s right again.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my new radio show “Game On” every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

Mar. 27—SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — UND is hoping students will make the trip to Denny Sanford Premier Center for the regional final against Quinnipiac.

The athletic department is even covering the ticket costs.

Students have until 4 p.m. Friday to claim free tickets for the NCAA regional final. UND sent an email to all students with instructions on how to claim their seats immediately after the Fighting Hawks beat Merrimack on Thursday night.

"It's important for us that the students help with the atmosphere at The Denny, to try to pack it with as many fans as we can," UND deputy athletic director Erik Martinson said. "We have the best student section in college hockey. To have the opportunity to bring them down, to work with the NCAA and The Denny to allow us to purchase tickets for the students, it was a no-brainer for us."

Denny Sanford Premier Center seats approximately 12,000 people, according to the arena's website. There were 5,114 in attendance for UND's 3-0 victory over Merrimack on Thursday night in the NCAA regional opener.

Arena officials are expecting a larger crowd for the regional final.

The students will help.

"We've had significant interest from almost immediately after sending the email until today," Martinson said. "We're excited to have our students down here for the game."

UND is set to play Quinnipiac at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2). The winner will advance to the NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas on April 9-11.

The Fighting Hawks are hoping to earn their first trip to the Frozen Four since 2016.

It's usually a challenge to get students to NCAA regional games. They're often at faraway destinations.

The last time UND played an NCAA regional game within driving distance of Grand Forks was 2021 in Fargo. But that crowd was limited due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to that, the last driving-distance regional was 2017 in Fargo.

"Students are a key component of what makes The Ralph so special," Martinson said. "Having a student section that can cheer on the hockey program is important to us."

Micah Grenz, over the years, has proven himself to be one of the top soccer coaches in Middle Tennessee. He and his staff have worked hard to try and make Stone Memorial High School an elite boys program.

The 2026 campaign may prove to be one of Grenz’s toughest coaching jobs yet. Not including players that graduated from last year’s 15-5 squad, Grenz is competing this year without eight players who are either injured or have chosen to pursue future goals in another sport.

Such was the case Tuesday night in Crossville when the Panthers dropped a 5-1 decision to Concord Christian.

“We improved, but we're missing, from who we anticipated being here at the beginning of the year, we're missing eight starters,” Grenz said after the match. “So, when you only have 11 players on the team it can be tough.

“This gives us a chance to give some of our freshmen a great opportunity to grow up a little bit.”

The first half of the action went back and forth. Stone played well, Grenz said, but Concord was able to slip one by the goalkeeper to take a 1-0 advantage into halftime.

“We were honestly doing a lot of great things in the first half. It was probably the best we’ve played all year,” Grenz said. “But, it's teaching these students how the game is 80 minutes for a reason. It's not just 40 minutes.”

Concord Christian opened the second half of action with an early goal to make it 2-0, and then tacked on three more goals in the final period to take a 5-0 advantage.

Stone’s lone goal late in the game came off the foot of Jeffrey Perez.

“We talk about being ready to attack a challenge rather than letting a challenge attack us,” Grenz said. “We are telling them bad things are going to happen, but what are you going to do about it. When Concord scored at the beginning of the second half, you could see a couple of guys drop their heads. As a staff, we’re like ‘Let’s go.’”

Grenz said Concord Christian played a similar style to Stone, so it was a completely foreign concept to the Panthers. Both teams moved the ball tactically.

“With so many young guys, you can’t really change a lot at halftime,”Grenz said. “Those guys are still trying to grasp what you told them at the beginning of the game. Their minds are spinning and the game is already going fast.”

Stone Memorial will now turn its attention to the Smoky Mountain Soccer Classic March 27-29 at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg. The Panthers will play Dickson County at 5:40 p.m. CST. Stone will battle Lakeway Christian Saturday at 11:40 a.m. and then close out the day with a game against William Blount at 5:10 p.m.

“I know some teams use this as a bonding time for the team. But I feel that could be done in the preseason,” Grenz said. “I go into every match expecting to win, but I would like to see them becoming smart about being ready to play three games so close together. If I need to sprint, being calculated about when we’re going to do that, while not giving up any of that intensity.”

Mar. 26—MOSES LAKE — Though March Madness has wrapped up for Washington college teams, there are still plenty of teams in the state competing in spring athletics ahead of their break. See where your favorite team is heading this week.

BBCC

Baseball (7-11)

March 28 @ Wenatchee Valley, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 1 vs Spokane, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

Softball (4-9)

March 27 vs Blue Mountain, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

March 28 vs Treasure Valley, noon, 2 p.m.

CWU

Baseball (9-15)

March 27 vs Northwest Nazarene, noon, 3 p.m.

March 28 vs Northwest Nazarene, noon, 3 pm.

Softball (7-19)

March 27 @ Western Washington, noon, 2 p.m.

March 28 @ Western Washington, noon, 2 p.m.

EWU

Tennis (8-6)

March 28 @ Northern Arizona University, 10 a.m.

Men's Golf

March 30-31 @ Seattle U Redhawk Invitational, Chambers Bay Golf Course

Gonzaga

Baseball (9-12)

March 27 @ Pacific, 6 p.m.

March 28 @ Pacific, 3 p.m.

March 29 @ Pacific, 1 p.m.

March 30 vs Nevada, 1 p.m.

April 2 vs Pepperdine, 6 p.m.

Men's Golf

March 30-31 @ Seattle U Redhawk Invitational, Chambers Bay Golf Course

Rowing

March 28-29 @ San Diego Crew Classic, Mission Bay, CA

Men's Tennis (6-5)

March 27 vs Santa Clara, 2 p.m.

March 29 vs San Diego, 11 a.m.

Women's Tennis (8-7)

March 28 @ Pacific, 10 a.m.

March 29 @ Saint Mary's, 10:30 a.m.

UW

Baseball (10-14)

March 27 vs Northwestern, 7 p.m.

March 28 vs Northwestern, 7 p.m.

March 29 vs Northwestern, 1 p.m.

March 31 @ Oregon State, 6 p.m.

April 2 vs Valparaiso, 7 p.m.

Softball (27-6)

March 27 @ Iowa, 4 p.m.

March 28 @ Iowa, 11 a.m.

March 29 @ Iowa, 10 a.m.

April 2 @ Saint Mary's, 2 p.m.

April 2 @ Stanford, 5 p.m.

Men's Golf

March 26-28 @ The Goodwin, Stanford CA

Rowing

March 27-28 @ Sarasota, FL

Gymnastics

April 2 @ NCAA Regionals, Corvallis, OR, 2 p.m.

Men's Tennis (7-10)

March 27 @ Nebraska, 3 p.m.

March 29 @ Wisconsin, 11 a.m.

Women's Tennis (13-1)

March 27 vs Northwestern, 4 p.m.

March 29 vs Illinois, noon

Track and Field

March 28 @ Peyton-Shotwell Invitational, 11 a.m.

April 2 @ Texas Relays, Austin, TX

WSU

Baseball (10-12)

March 27 vs Nevada, 4 p.m.

March 28 vs Nevada, 2 p.m.

March 29 vs Nevada, noon

March 31 @ Seattle U, 4 p.m.

April 2 @ San Jose State, 6 p.m.

Men's Golf

March 26-28 @ The Goodwin, Stanford, CA

Women's Golf

March 29-31 @ Silicon Valley Showcase, Millbrae, CA

Rowing

March 28 @ San Diego Crew Classic, 10 a.m.

March 29 @ San Diego Crew Classic, 9:20 a.m.

Women's Tennis (9-6)

March 28 @ Saint Mary's, 10:30 a.m.

March 29 @ Pacific, 11 a.m.

Track and Field

April 2 @ Mike Fanelli Invitational, San Francisco, CA

Wenatchee Valley

Baseball

March 28 vs BBCC, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 1 @ Columbia Basin, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

Softball

March 27 vs Columbia Basin, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

March 28 vs Walla Walla, noon, 2 p.m.

Mar. 26—The calendar just flipped to spring, but the Washington State football team is already thinking about the fall.

For the first time under coach Kirby Moore, the Cougars will hit the practice field and engage in traditional football activities just about an hour after sunrise today for the first of 15 spring football practices.

Today's practice begins at 7:45 a.m., as will the eight practices to follow on Tuesdays and Thursdays and one Friday.

WSU's Saturday practices will take place at 11:45 a.m. with some notable exceptions, including the annual Crimson and Gray Game at 2 p.m. April 25 at Gesa Field, which will be open to fans.

The Cougars will also hit the road for two satellite practices. The first one will be this Saturday in Pasco, Wash., and the other will be the following weekend in Spokane. Both will be open to the public.

Entering his first spring camp as a head coach at any level, Moore said that he is excited to begin this stage of his debut season.

"That's why you get into this. We're teachers first," Moore said in a Wednesday video call with reporters. "Really excited about getting on the field, in between the lines with our guys tomorrow (and) seeing what it looks like. There's gonna be some good, there's gonna be some learning moments and (I) can't wait to see where we're at when we're at the end of this thing."

Who will be the Cougars' QB?

WSU once again has a quarterback question and Moore confirmed it will be a three-way battle between UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick, redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman and sophomore Julian Dugger.

Pinnick earned Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors this past season and was the runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award, recognizing the best player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

At UC Davis, Pinnick completed 240-of-345 passes for 3,206 yards, with 32 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He made opposing defenses pay on the ground, too, running the ball 125 times for 437 yards and three TDs.

Eshelman, one of former coach Jimmy Rogers' recruits, redshirted last year.

In an appearance on the Puck Sports podcast, Moore praised Eshelman's accuracy and said that he was dicing up WSU's No. 1 defense when Moore visited leading up to the team's bowl game.

Dugger was the Cougars' backup/gadget QB for all of last year, being brought into the game to run the football. He was rarely asked to pass and did not complete a pass until the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, but broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run in that same game.

The three will rotate between WSU's No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 offenses and receive plenty of opportunities to show what they can do, Moore said.

"The best way to figure out how to get better at quarterback is to play," Moore said.

The QBs will each be learning and implementing a new offensive system on top of sharpening their fundamentals and building chemistry with their teammates.

Moore said that, between seven-on-seven, mixed-group drills and situational exercises, the QBs will learn to play under pressure.

"It really comes down to production," the former Missouri offensive coordinator said. "The two things we can control every play are our feet and our eyes and we've got to make sure that those are confident and then it comes back to completion percentage and taking care of the football."

Moore said that his staff will pay attention to how many explosive plays — generally defined as passes or runs of 20-or-more yards — that each QB creates against the No. 1 defense as opposed to what they do against the No. 2 defense.

Similar to previous seasons, when Jaxon Potter and Zevi Eckhaus competed last year and Eckhaus and John Mateer contended for the job before that, WSU likely won't pick a starter until well into fall camp in August.

Moore declined to specify an exact timeline.

"I think the quarterback competitions — they decide themselves by what's going on on the field," Moore said. "And I am in no hurry for that to happen."

Who's on the team?

There are a fair number of new faces in the Cougar football locker room, but not nearly as many as the 75 newcomers from last season.

Moore said his staff retained 11 of the 14 Potato Bowl starters who had eligibility.

With some of the marquee defenders, such as defensive end Isaac "Bobby" Terrell and Bryson Lamb following Rogers to Iowa State, Moore and his staff recruited 38 new players to Pullman who are on campus this semester via the transfer portal and high school recruiting. Additional true freshmen will join the team over the summer.

WSU's retention turned heads among vocal fans on social media, with guys such as linebacker Keith Brown, wide receiver Tony Freeman (590 receiving yards and 415 punt return yards in 2025) and the Cougars' top three running backs with eligibility — Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi — returning to WSU.

The Cougars also retained the bulk of their offensive line, with three regular starters from last year returning in left tackle Ashton Tripp, left guard Jonny Lester and right guard Noah Dunham.

Returning tackle Jaylin Caldwell, who started a handful of games before a season-ending injury, and center Kyle Martin, who started the Potato Bowl, are also back.

Standout transfers include sixth-year offensive tackle Maximus McCree (6-foot-6, 296-pound former Washington Husky), senior defensive end Linus Zunk (6-6, 262 Vanderbilt transfer from Berlin, Germany) and sophomore safety Jaylen Thomas (San Jose State).

There are sure to be plenty more players who will emerge over the course of camp.

When can fans watch the Cougars this spring?

The first of WSU's two satellite practices will be at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium in Pasco, Wash., close to Prosser, where Moore grew up.

The second roving practice will be at 11 a.m. April 4 at Union Stadium in Spokane.

Player and coach-led kids clinics will follow both practices.

Moore said his staff is still working through what exactly fans will see at the end of April during the spring scrimmage.

However, Moore said that he would like the first two quarters "to be a true game," with a running clock. The specifics and structure, such as whether it's an offense-versus-defense set up or a split squad arrangement where either side has an offensive and defensive unit, will be finalized later in camp.

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2260, staylor@lmtribune.com, or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.

In baseball, the NCAA calls the second phase of its tournament  a “Super Regional.” No such moniker exists for March Madness, but it would be apt for the men’s basketball drama about to unfold in Washington this weekend.

UConn vs. Michigan State, Duke vs. St. John’s on Friday, the winners play for the East Regional’s portal to the Final Four on Sunday. It doesn’t get much bigger, or better, than this.

“It’s pretty brutal on Twitter,” said UConn coach Dan Hurley, who favors the graphic analogy, after the matchups were set. “And socials between (UConn and St. John’s) fan bases, but I think we have to try to come together Friday night against our opponents so we can have a blood bath on Sunday.”

This Date In UConn March Madness History: Huskies lose heartbreaker despite Allen’s 36 points

If these four teams were in different regionals, they might all be gathering in Indianapolis next week for the Final Four without busting too many brackets, but the metrics dictated this grouping as far as the selection process went. It put St. John’s and UConn, the two best teams in the Big East, already having met three times, in the same bracket. Duke, the No. 1 seed, and Michigan State, No. 3, will have their say in this, but it’s safe to say this quadrant of the country is itching for Coach-a-mania IV between Hurley and Rick Pitino.

In a way, it is vindication for the Big East, which got only three teams in the Field of 68, largely because of out-of-conference performances four months ago. UConn assembled a tough schedule and went 5-1 against nonconference opponents, positioning itself for a No. 2 seed. The Johnnies did not fair well out of conference, but dominated the league, won two of three against the Huskies and were put on the No. 5 line.

“I think it speaks to the quality of what us and St. John’s are this year,” Hurley said. “I think they’re a great team. I think we’re a great team. I think it was much needed. I think with coming off of a three-bid year, obviously, Seton Hall was close. They did their part in the nonconference. Seton Hall got hurt by the overall league this year. I just think us and St. John’s are two of the best teams in the country.”

UConn, after beating Furman and UCLA in its subregional in Philadelphia, and St. John’s, which survived the second round in San Diego with a dramatic, high-degree-of-difficulty winning shot from Dylan Darling to beat Kansas, have major obstacles still separating them. Michigan State, the only program ever to deny UConn at a Final Four, in 2009, have a Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo and come out of the formidable Big Ten. Duke, ultimate ACC blue blood and, one might argue, the one school UConn fans love to hate more than any conference rival, stands in Pitino’s way.

St. John’s, despite their seeding, are one of the “it” teams in the field. Pitino, 73, also in the Hall of Fame, has taken Providence, Kentucky and Louisville to Final Fours, winning championships with the latter two, and has few demons left to wrestle. But Duke is one. In 1992, he was knocked out of the Final Four on a game-winning shot by Christian Laettner, two years after Laettner broke UConn’s heart in the school’s first Elite Eight. UConn eventually slayed Duke on the way to championships in 1999 and 2004. So UConn and St. John’s have common ground, hating on Laettner … but then again, didn’t everybody?

Hurley will join Pitino and Izzo in the Hall of Fame one day, as virtually every coach with at least two championships is inducted eventually. This third trip in four years to the Round of 16 only adds to his body of work, but he’s aiming for select company in his quest for three championships, as is captain Alex Karaban, the remaining starter from the 2023 and ’24 champions.

“I definitely don’t want my career to end so doing everything in my power to help lead this team to make sure that happens and get the win,” Karaban said, after scoring his career high 27 points vs. UCLA. “Do anything possible to make sure I get the win. …  I don’t go into a game thinking what if we lose? That’s the worst mentality to have. Think about winning nonstop, and just helping this team out.”

Sign up here to get UConn sports news straight to your inbox: UConn Alerts

So let’s make the large leap and assume it comes down to UConn vs. St. John’s.

Here’s the storyline: What teams can you remember playing three times in a season with such wildly different results? St. John’s won handily at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 6, and even more handily in the Big East final on March 14, with star center Zuby Ejiofor dominating the Huskies both times. In between, Ejiofor was a nonfactor as UConn won by 32 in Hartford on Feb. 25. Anyone who tries to predict what would happen Sunday, what new wrinkle Pitino might pull out of the sleeve of his fancy suit, what adjustment Hurley and his staff might use to counter the last game, is giving you a snow job. If that’s where we land, let it play out and enjoy it.

The only thing that could make this super regional even more epic would be if Duke were still coached by Mike Krzyzewski, but his replacement, Jon Scheyer, has not gone the way of others who replace such legends. He’s kept Duke, top overall seed, in the national conversation. But no matter how hot St. John’s is, losing to a No.5 won’t sit well in Durham, N.C.

Next up for UConn men on rugged road to Final Four? A showdown between Dan Hurley, Tom Izzo

What we’re about to see are clashes of college basketball’s titans, colorful personalities, personal rivalries, traditional rivalries, conference rivalries, storied programs, drama, pressure, intensity and intrigue — was somebody looking to prevent two Big East teams reaching the Final Four? — and all in one place. It would’ve made a hell of a Final Four, and it’s no garden variety regional. It is, indeed, the super regional.

“It stinks a little bit that they threw us both in the same region,” Hurley said. “It feels like the combination of St. John’s being underseeded, as well as putting us both in same region. It’s probably a little bit early, but obviously, I think we’ve got to … support each other.”

MOOSIC — Shelley Duncan knows the nature of Triple-A baseball. The roster he currently has with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders could be completely different in two weeks.

For now, though, Duncan — back for his fourth season as manager — likes what he sees about this year’s team.

“We’ve got a really good group of guys in that locker room,” Duncan said Wednesday at Media Day at PNC Field. “The roster put together for us has a ton of talent, a ton of experience and a lot of things to look forward to. We’re really excited about this group. The chemistry they’ve built in spring training, the way they get along, is exciting.

“You still have to play the games and take things one day at a time. Our goal here is to make every single one of those players a better baseball player and get them to the big leagues. We love the way the roster is right now, but everyone knows it could be completely different in two weeks. You just have to appreciate the moment, appreciate what we’ve got right now. There’s some very fun baseball players to watch in that locker room. It should be exciting for the fans, exciting for us and something to really look forward to.”

Headlining the roster are outfielders Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones.

Dominguez, a.k.a. “The Martian,” spent all of last season in the majors with the New York Yankees. He is back in Triple-A because of the crowded outfield situation in the Bronx with a chance to play every day and continue to work on his game.

Jones, meanwhile, totaled 35 home runs and 80 RBIs in the minors last season, including 19 homers and 48 RBIs in 67 games with the RailRiders.

Also expected to be with the RailRiders is infielder Oswaldo Cabrera, who continues to work his way back from a fractured left ankle suffered during a slide into home plate in a game in Seattle last May.

Infielder Braden Shewmake and outfielder Duke Ellis are expected back. Shewmake played 85 games with the RailRiders last season and batted .244 with four home runs and 29 RBIs. Ellis appeared in 68 games with the RailRiders and batted .322 with three home runs, 22 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.

Some of the newcomers include infielders Ernesto Martinez Jr., who played for the Nashville Sounds last season; Jonathan Ornelas, who split time with the Round Rock Express and Gwinnett Stripers last season and also appeared in six major league games with the Texas Rangers (4) and Atlanta Braves (2); Max Schuemann, who played 101 games with the Athletics last season; outfielder Seth Brown, who appeared in 38 games with the Athletics; and catcher Payton Henry, who played last season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

“Our defense is amazing,” Duncan said. “All the infielders are shortstops except for the first baseman, so we’re going to move those guys around. As a manager, you’re getting to play a shortstop at second, short and third every single day, that’s lucky. Our outfield is extremely fast. Right now, it’s lined up that we can win games in multiple ways. That’s what you love to see. Very solid right now. You just hope it lasts.”

On the mound, two of the top prospects in the Yankees system are expected to be part of the staff. Righthander Carlos Lagrange is ranked No. 2 and earned the James P. Dawson Award as the most outstanding Yankees rookie in spring training. Fellow righty Elmer Rodriguez is No. 3 and coming off a season that saw him win 11 games and strike out 176 batters at three levels and be named by Baseball America as the Yankees’ 2025 Minor League Player of the Year.

Brendan Beck, the Yankees’ No. 22 prospect, returns after going a combined 13-5 last season with Double-A Somerset and the RailRiders with a 3.36 earned-run average and 123 strikeouts.

Beck has the honor of being the Opening Day starter when the RailRiders begin their season Friday at 1:05 p.m. at Buffalo.

A newcomer is Dom Hamel, who spent last season with Syracuse and was 4-6 with one save, a 5.32 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 31 games (11 starts).

“I’m fired up to be here,” said Hamel, who is expected to start the second game of the season Saturday in Buffalo. “It was a good offseason back home in Arizona. Worked on some stuff that I feel is going to contribute in the long run. It’s been awesome meeting all the new faces with the new org. Had a good time in camp meeting those varsity-level guys, obviously a lot of big names. Pickin’ brain from them. Just ready to get it going.”

Among the familiar faces back in the bullpen, which features no lefthanders, are Harrison Cohen, Zach Messinger and Eric Reyzelman.

“I’m super excited and super honored to be a part of this team,” Messinger said. “You look around at the names in the clubhouse and this team is going to be a really good one to be a part of. Lineup, pitching staff, bullpen, it’s shaped up to be a really good one.”

The RailRiders’ final roster will be released Friday at noon.

Last season, the RailRiders went 87-60. They won the second-half title, but lost in the International League final in three games to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

“That will never be taken out of the memory bank,” Duncan said. “But the focus will never be back on that. The focus is right now.”

After playing the first three games in Buffalo, the RailRiders head to Rochester for six games against the Red Wings on March 31-April 5. They return to PNC Field for their home-opening series against the Durham Bulls on April 7.

“We have a really, really good team on paper to start,” Duncan said. “But when I look around the league, this is probably, in all my years of Triple-A baseball, the strongest with teams across the board. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s not going to be easy for anyone. You’re going to face good pitching. Pitchers are going to face good hitters. It’s going to be really exciting.”

Mar. 25—Carol Perroz was a softball standout among the three sports she played at Freeport, and she continued in softball in college at Slippery Rock.

Though she was dedicated to her school teams in the spring, her diamond exploits didn't end when her scholastic seasons came to a close.

Many of her summer days, starting in the late 1970s and into the early '80s, were full of softball for amateur club teams locally and throughout the region.

With more than 45 years of competition under her belt, Perroz, now 63, doesn't expect to slow down any time soon.

Her love of the game and her passion drives her desire to still play.

"It is just a part of me. I enjoy it so much," said Perroz, who grew up the youngest of seven siblings.

"It's been a part of our family for as long as I can remember. My brother, Dick, and my brother, Bill, still play in their senior league. I also play in a guys league Mondays and Fridays in the summer at Kunkle Park (in Washington Township). That also keeps me competitive and keeps me going."

Her longstanding, dedicated, and accomplished career as a shortstop and her success at the plate has earned her many accolades, and USA Softball of Pennsylvania recently celebrated her with induction into its hall of fame for an "outstanding ability as demonstrated in softball competition, sportsmanship, integrity, character and contribution to the sport of softball."

"Growing up, you never expect something like this," Perroz said of the hall-of-fame honor.

"I just played the sport because I loved it. To get that call and to have people recognize you for what you've done, it was just a wonderful feeling."

Perroz's Amateur Softball Association experience continued to take off while playing locally for Wiegands Brothers from 1982 to 1984. She helped Wiegands win multiple state titles.

"I joined the Wiegands team because of a girl I played with in college," Perroz said. "We were a team all from around here. It was a fun time meeting up with college friends in the summer and playing with them."

Perroz continued to rise up the amateur ranks to the Major level and played for the Pittsburgh Debs after graduating from Slippery Rock in 1985.

"Major was the top level you could play," Perroz said. "The Debs' storied history went back a long way, and I came along at the end of it. They were 'the team' in Pittsburgh back in their heyday. Those were the ladies you looked up to and wanted to be like. It was what you knew. When I played for Wiegands, we would play Debs. From my standpoint, they carried themselves differently."

When the Debs closed operations in 1988, Perroz joined the Conneaut Lake Lakerettes and enjoyed more than a decade and a half of success which included Class A national titles in 1998 and 1999 and championships in the 35-and-over league from 1999 to 2004 and also in 2006.

Perroz twice was named nationals Most Valuable Player, first in 1999 and again in 2004.

"Back then, the seasons were from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and some seasons, we would play a total of 100 games, just on weekends, because of all the local and regional tournaments we went to," she said.

"There were times where we would get home at 12:30 or 1 in the morning after a long tournament and have to get up and go to work the next day. The next weekend, we would do it all over again."

Perroz is a member of the ASA All-Time team, received numerous ASA All-American honors and was named to the ASA All-Decade team for the 1990s. She was part of a 2010 Class C national championship team.

Perroz now plays for Homegrown Legends, a senior tournament team based in Arkansas.

"We have players from Ohio, Michigan, Texas, all over," she said. "We have our next tournament in two weeks in Alabama. Our tournaments are all over the country as opposed to local travel. We have to do what we can to get there."

The USA Softball of Pennsylvania Hall of Fame enshrinement comes 13 years after her softball accomplishments were honored with induction into the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

At that time, Perroz was in her ninth season as Valley's coach while closing in on 30 years of coaching area athletes in multiple sports, including basketball and volleyball. She led the Vikings to several section titles and WPIAL playoff appearances. Valley captured WPIAL titles in 2007 and 2010 with the crown jewel being a PIAA state title in 2011.

She stepped away from coaching in 2023.

"I really appreciated my time as a coach and working with all the kids, but I try to stay away from the fields because I know I would be right back there because it's just something that is in me," Perroz said.

"I am definitely enjoying just playing the game right now. It is a lot less stressful and demanding."

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Growing up in Maywood, Ill., Magic guard Jevon Carter played on an outdoor court at “Tenth Park,” where he discovered his love for the game of basketball.

Last summer, Carter and other community leaders from the village located in the Chicago area helped refurbish that same court he used in his youth.

So, it wasn’t surprising when Carter, who signed with Orlando on Feb. 6 after spending the better part of the last three seasons with the Bulls, agreed to help the Magic and AdventHealth unveil a newly refurbished outdoor basketball court at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday.

“Our team, we are so fortunate to have players who get it,” Magic executive vice president of marketing and social responsibility Shelly Wilkes said. “They truly understand the necessity of connecting with the community they play in. They see the value of being around the fans that support them, and Jevon, it was not a hard ask.

“We said, ‘We’re doing this event, would you be interested?’ and it was an immediate yes,” Wilkes added. “And that just shows the character of who he is as a player on and off the court.”

Carter, who’s averaged 8.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during 21.3 minutes per night across 20 games since he joined Orlando, explained why it was important for him to attend Wednesday’s event despite only being with the Magic for less than two months and playing the past two nights.

“It’s very important,” he said. “Being a face in the community is dope and then being able to come and interact with the kids is even doper. This was stuff I was able to do as a kid that helped me chase my dreams. So, just coming out and being a face for the kids, it’s always dope to come out do stuff like this.”

Wilkes and Carter were joined by AdventHealth East Orlando chief operating officer Paul Adeogun, school representatives and other community leaders to open the Magic-themed court that was completed as a collaborative effort between the Magic, AdventHealth, and Oak Ridge High School.

The Magic and AdventHealth also teamed up with local artist “Swishh Dreams,” ACE Courts, and GAF to provide sustainable and heat-resistant paint for longevity of the court, the team said. It was the seventh of 20 courts the Magic and AdventHealth plan to refurbish in the Central Florida area.

Roughly 30 Oak Ridge students, who were provided lunch and some team swag by the Magic, got to join Carter on the court for various basketball drills after the ceremony.

While some of the students were flying through the sky for dunks and layups, the impact of the courts goes beyond hoops, too.

“For one, it can definitely keep you out of trouble,” Carter said. “Coming having fun with kids and just playing, having fun playing ball, doing what you love. … And then just building community. Coming in, staying together, give afterschool activities. It’s always dope.”

And it’s meaningful that the Magic themselves helped the local project come to fruition.

“That is beyond huge,” Adeogun said about the franchise’s involvement. “I was once a kid. I played a lot of basketball. I never had an NBA team behind me. I can only imagine the excitement that these kids have just having the support of the NBA, being so close to them.

“When you think about the NBA, it’s a professional sport,” he added. So, usually they seem kind of far off. You only see them from the stadiums and on TV. But to have them here in your community, that’s huge. It helps our community as a whole do better.”

Carter, who brought his one-year old daughter with him to the event, shared advice for the high school students he got to interact with during the event.

“Just don’t give up,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of trial and tribulation you’re going to go through in life. There’s going to be a lot of people telling you stuff that you can’t do. And I would just say, don’t give up.

“Just keep chasing your dreams no matter how hard things may seem,” he added.

From a small town outside of Chicago to now in his eighth year in the NBA, Carter is proof of his own advice.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

Mar. 25—FREEMAN, S.D. — It's been a banner year for high school sports in Freeman.

Last weekend, the Flyers claimed their first boys basketball state title since 1975. However, most of the players on the Flyers' rosters were already state champions from this academic year, having played for the Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy football cooperative that steamrolled to a Class 9AA title back in November.

That football-basketball championship double from the same academic year puts Freeman among select company in South Dakota high school sports history.

"If you ask me, it's generational. I don't know the last team I heard of that did something like this," said senior Tate Sorensen. "It's just a blessing to take home a state championship in football for Freeman and now take one in basketball. That is something you just don't see. I really think the bond we made in football carried over to basketball."

Since 1981, the beginning of playoff-era high school football in the state, only 11 teams have won a football title in the fall and gone on to win a boys basketball title in the winter. Only two of those instances had occurred in Class B for boys basketball before Freeman joined the club on March 21, the most recent being Arlington in 2005-06. Prior to that, only Wakonda had done it in 1995-96, doing so in a co-op with Gayville for football.

"We won one in football, and now we've got one in basketball," said sophomore David Walter. "It's the first time in school history that happened. We're ecstatic."

The most recent instance across all classes occurred in 2019, when both Brandon Valley in Class AA and Tea Area, then in Class A, won football and basketball titles in the same year. In Class A, Madison (2017-18) and West Central (2000-01) are also in the club, as are Sioux Falls Lincoln (twice, 2014-15 and 2008-09), O'Gorman (2005-06) and Huron (1992-93) from Class AA.

There are also a handful of instances where a school won a basketball title in the winter and added a football title the following fall during the same calendar year, most recently with Hamlin and Howard in Class A and Class B, respectively, in 2024, plus Brandon Valley in 2025.

Both Freeman title runs were marked by consistency and dominance. The Flyers went 24-2, ending on a 22-game win streak that was capped by a championship victory over the defending champions from Castlewood. They amassed 14 wins over teams with winning records, the most of any team in Class B. Freeman's only loss to another Class B team came in its season opener, a double overtime affair with Viborg-Hurley, which went on to be the No. 1 overall seed in the Class B postseason field.

"They are obviously some really talented humans when it comes to sports," said boys basketball coach Lance Friesen. "They know how to play together, and they're big-time players who know big-time moments."

Back in the fall, the FMFA Phoenix football program went unbeaten at 12-0 and largely unchallenged en route to its title. Playing the most difficult schedule in Class 9AA, nine of FMFA's wins came against winning teams, while no other team in the class was better than 5-2 in such games. The Phoenix won by an average score of 48-10 for the season and controlled runner-up Elkton-Lake Benton twice, first in the regular season and then again at the DakotaDome.

Perhaps the boys from Freeman aren't done, either. Senior Luke Peters believes the Flyers' track and field team is capable of challenging for a state title, while the Freeman/Canistota/Marion baseball team could make a run, too.

It's all part of what everyone involved agrees is a special collection of athletes and personalities in the town of approximately 1,500 people.

"We're just winners," said Peters, who noted he and some of his basketball teammates have won three baseball state titles as they've risen through the ranks together, too. "I feel that we're talented and we want to win. We come out, we just play our game, and it's just who we are, what we do."

LONDON — Students, staff and community members gathered last week at Somerset Community College’s Laurel North Campus to get an inside look at the fast-paced world of rally racing, as London native Samuel Curry led a presentation alongside Argentine rally champion Javier Castro.

The event offered attendees a firsthand introduction to the mechanics, logistics and growing presence of stage rally racing in Kentucky. Curry, who has been working to promote American Rally Association (ARA) events across the region, opened the presentation by breaking down the sport for the audience in attendance.

“Imagine dirt track racing on steroids,” Curry said, explaining the high-speed nature of rally competition, where drivers navigate rough terrain at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour.

Unlike traditional circuit racing, rally racing spans large geographic areas and requires a driver and co-driver team. The co-driver reads detailed notes — a system of directions outlining every turn, hazard and terrain change — in real time as the driver navigates winding backroads.

“Things happen so fast, and the margins are so thin, that you have to have somebody giving you directions — not just where to go, but when to turn and what’s ahead,” Curry said.

Curry also emphasized the demanding nature of the sport, describing it as “a game of attrition,” where teams must carefully manage both their vehicles and time across multiple stages that can stretch across dozens of miles. He noted that rally events can cover upwards of 75 square miles, with competitors traveling between stages on public roads under strict time controls.

A key focus of the presentation was the Boone Forest Rally, an American Rally Association event scheduled to take place in Eastern Kentucky this summer, with portions anticipated to run through Jackson County and surrounding areas. Curry encouraged those in attendance to consider volunteering, noting the growing need for local involvement as the sport expands in the United States.

“We need more and more volunteers every year,” he said. “There’s a lot of opportunity for people here to get involved.”

Attendees also heard from Javier Castro, an Argentina-based rally champion, mechanic and tuner who has recently brought his team to the region. In a video shot by Curry and shown at the event, Castro shared insight into the technical side of rally racing while also showcasing his very own competition vehicle in person.

In a Facebook post, Castro described the presentation event as an exciting day.

“An exciting day for the team — to feel real interest in this new sport for Kentucky as the rally,” he said. “The first of many events that we will be doing to get more people interested in our nationwide rally project!”

The presentation included a video demonstration of international rally competition, highlighting the sport’s global popularity — particularly in Europe — and its potential for growth in the U.S. Curry noted that similar high-level racing could soon become more common in Kentucky as events like the Boone Forest Rally gain traction.

In addition to discussing racing strategy and logistics, Curry pointed to career pathways tied to the sport, particularly for students studying electrical systems and engineering.

“These cars require a huge team,” he said. “There’s always something breaking, always something to fix. It takes a lot of people to make it work.”

The event, open to the public, gave attendees the chance to meet a professional driver, view a rally car up close and gain a deeper understanding of a sport that organizers hope will continue to grow locally.

With increased exposure and community engagement, Curry said he believes rally racing could become a significant draw for the region — both as a spectator sport and an economic driver.

“This is something that’s only getting bigger,” he said. “And Kentucky has a real chance to be part of that growth.”