It appears as though a big rebuild is "inevitable" for Aberdeen this summer as the club continue to slide down the Scottish Premiership table.

Having won the Scottish Cup less than 12 months ago, the Dons now find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle.

They sacked manager Jimmy Thelin earlier this season and spent months searching for his replacement, with Peter Leven taking charge in the interim period, and eventually ended up with Stephen Robinson - who had been down the road in Paisley the whole time.

Thanks to their 2-0 win against Hibernian at the weekend, Robinson's side now have a bit of breathing space between themselves and the relegation play-off spot. But the Dons could find themselves right back in it if they fail to beat Kilmarnock, currently in 11th, next weekend.

If the Dons can maintain their Premiership status for next term, The Times' football correspondent Michael Grant is expecting a hefty rebuild at Aberdeen.

"They did spend a lot of money last summer," he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"There was a lot of hope and expectation on the back of the Scottish Cup win and big investment in players. The recruitment was terrible, really. They got so little return for their money and continue to get so little return for it. So I think a big summer rebuild is inevitable.

"No club can afford to sign what turn out to be poor players or players that aren't a good fit for the club but especially when you're spending a lot of money.

"Aberdeen don't have limitless resources. If they're spending money, they need to get a return for it.

"Darren Mowbray's come back as the head of recruitment and he was probably the most successful head of recruitment they've had in recent years.

"It was him that got Bojan Miovski and Ylber Ramadani, and guys that made them a lot of money when they sold them.

"They've churned through heads of recruitment as well over the last three, four, five years."

Many of the top men's college basketball transfers are off the board as rosters are starting to shape up ahead of the 2026-27 season.

But transfer portal rankings are hardly an exact science, and best fit is usually a better indicator for future success than anything.

While Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American in 2025-26, was rated the No. 1 player in the portal and delivered Michigan a national championship, UConn center Tarris Reed Jr., one of the best players of the NCAA Tournament in 2026, was rated outside the top 75 as a portal prospect in 2024 by 247Sports' Composite.

Top 40 available players: College basketball transfer portal rankings

The deadline to enter the transfer portal is April 21, and impactful players are still entering the market each day.

Here's a look at our best fits so far of players that have already committed in the 2026 transfer portal:

10 transfers that are perfect fits in college basketball

Stefan Vaaks, Illinois

Former Providence guard Stefan Vaaks will fit right in with Illinois, which is developing a reputation for European standouts.

The Estonian will likely join a starting lineup that consists of Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic, who all averaged double figures last season. A 6-7 sharpshooter, Vaaks averaged 15.8 points with 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season for the Friars as a true freshman.

Illinois had a void at guard this offseason after Keaton Wagler declared for the NBA Draft, and in steps Vaaks.

Dedan Thomas, Houston

Houston is almost assuredly losing star guard Kingston Flemings, a projected top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. It'll aim to replace him with LSU transfer Dedan Thomas, one of the best playmaking guards available.

USA TODAY's No. 16 overall transfer, Thomas averaged 15.3 points with 6.5 assists per game last season for the Tigers, and is poised to take over as Houston's lead ball handler with Flemings and multi-year starter Milos Uzan out of the picture.

Houston has been fueled by its guard play under coach Kelvin Sampson, going from Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead to LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp to Flemings, Uzan and Sharp in consecutive seasons. Thomas will be asked to do a lot next season as Houston loses three starting guards.

David Punch, Texas

David Punch emerged as one of the best defenders in the country last season at TCU, and averaged 14.1 points with 6.8 rebounds and two assists in a do-it-all role for the Horned Frogs. It was a surprise when he entered the portal, but less of a surprise when he chose the hometown Longhorns.

Punch is from Harker Heights, Texas, less than an hour drive from Austin, where Texas' campus is located. That, paired with Texas' need for a frontcourt mate next to returning center Matas Vokietaitis made for a perfect fit for second-year coach Sean Miller.

Punch averaged 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game last season, and gives Texas a feisty defender that can guard multiple positions.

Najai Hines, UConn

UConn needed a center to replace Tarris Reed this offseason, and it found a fit that made perfect sense. Not only did Najai Hines show flashes in the Big East last season as a true freshman, but he also did so at coach Dan Hurley's alma mater, Seton Hall.

Hines stats don't jump off the page — 6.5 points with 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game — but he came on late in the year for the Pirates and was a blue-chip high school recruit, rated as a top-10 center in the 2025 class, per 247Sports' Composite.

Hines is huge, listed at 6-10, 265 pounds. Hurley and the Huskies will look to develop him similarly to how they did with Reed after he transferred from Michigan.

J.P. Estrella, Michigan

Similar to fellow national championship opponent UConn, Michigan also has some holes to fill in its frontcourt with Yaxel Lendeborg off to the NBA Draft and center Aday Mara likely following suit.

The Wolverines will look to replace some of that production with former Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella, who averaged 10 points with 5.4 rebounds per game last season. The 6-11 redshirt sophomore scored seven points with seven rebounds against the Wolverines in the Elite Eight.

Coach Dusty May has been masterful at developing his frontcourt, and Estrella will be the latest to learn from the national championship-winning coach.

Collin Chandler, BYU

It didn't take long for former Kentucky guard Collin Chandler to choose his next destination, as he committed to BYU, his hometown school, shortly after entering the transfer portal. He was formerly committed to BYU as a high school prospect, and took two years off after high school to fulfill a church mission in Africa.

Chandler averaged 9.7 points with 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season, also shooting 41% from 3-point range. He's also a perfect fit at BYU offensively, as the Cougars have finished No. 9 and No. 12 in adjusted offensive efficiency each of Kevin Young's seasons as head coach.

BYU also has a void at wing, with AJ Dybantsa likely off to the NBA Draft and Richie Saunders out of eligibility. He'll be one of BYU's top options next to returning guard Rob Wright III.

Neoklis Avdalas, North Carolina

New North Carolina coach Michael Malone's first portal recruit was one of the most intriguing available players in former Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas.

The 6-9 true freshman averaged 12.1 points with 3.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game last season for the Hokies, and showed flashes of being a potential NBA lottery pick with his unique playmaking and shooting ability at his size. Avdalas was on the NBA Draft radar after only his second career game, as he scored 33 points with five rebounds and six assists in an overtime win over Providence in November.

Avdalas is expected to take a huge step forward as a sophomore, especially under Malone's tutelage.

PJ Haggerty, Texas A&M

Former Kansas State guard PJ Haggerty ranked fourth nationally in 2025-26 averaging 23.4 points per game. Now at his fifth school in five seasons, Haggerty joins an offense tabbed as "Bucky Ball" under second-year coach Bucky McMillan, who runs a fast-paced offense predicated on taking shots early and often.

Sounds like a strong fit for one of the best pure scorers in college basketball.

Haggerty is also from Crosby, Texas, a Houston suburb that's less than a two-hour drive from College Station, Texas.

Derek Dixon, Arizona

Derek Dixon entered the portal after North Carolina hired Malone as its next coach, despite starting 16 games as a true freshman. His landing spot? Arizona, which made the Final Four in 2025-26 and has a glaring need at guard.

Arizona loses Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley, its starting point guard, to graduation, and also loses leading scorer Brayden Burries, a surefire first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Dixon averaged 6.5 points with 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game last season with the Tar Heels, and now finds himself as coach Tommy LLoyd's likely starting point guard.

Jaquan Johnson, Iowa State

Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger has done work in the transfer portal since taking over the program, but his point guard in four of his five seasons has never changed.

Bradley transfer Jaquan Johnson will be tasked with replacing four-year starter Tamin Lipsey, one of the most accomplished players in school history. He has the means to do so, averaging 16.9 points with 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season despite being undersized at 5-11.

With Otzelberger's portal track record, Johnson should fit quite nicely with Iowa State, who has to replace Lipsey, leading scorer Milan Momcilovic and All-American Joshua Jefferson.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball transfers who are best fits with new teams

STORRS – A new era begins for the UConn men’s basketball team.

For the first time in four years, Alex Karaban will not be filling the four spot for the Huskies next season. And, as loaded as the transfer portal is, it won’t be so easy to replace a 150-game starter who scored 1,880 career points and made 292 3-pointers on his way to becoming the program’s all-time winningest player.

As difficult as it will be to fill in the production – 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game on 37.4% shooting from 3 over his four-year career – the more significant challenge in replacing the captain will be supplanting everything he did without the ball in his hands. Dan Hurley has long credited Karaban for his role in making the Huskies’ complex offensive scheme successful, along with his coach-like presence on the court and off of it.

That responsibility will largely fall on the shoulders of the returning players. As of Wednesday afternoon, that is only Jayden Ross, who has the loyalty aspect down, and Silas Demary Jr., who is more than capable of becoming the vocal leader and face of the program. UConn is still awaiting decisions from Jaylin Stewart, Braylon Mullins and Solo Ball, along with Jacob Ross.

Dan Hurley updates where UConn’s 2026-27 roster stands amidst active transfer portal

“Everyone that returns has got to do more to replace Alex’s maturity. What he did for the culture, that guy. … I hear (ESPN broadcaster) Fran Fraschilla talk about culture warriors when he does Houston games, that’s exactly what he’s talking about. The person that puts pressure on everyone around them to work harder, be about the right things. The people that are going to return, Jayden Ross (and Silas Demary Jr. who’ve) already made the decision, or more people that are going to decide this week … those people have got to carry on what AK was able to do there,” Hurley said.

“And then you got these freshmen coming in that, you expect a Junior County, you expect a Colben Landrew to come in here and continue to add to your culture. You expect the transfers that we bring in, too, to be our type of guys, to be UConn men,” he said. “But the people that are going to return and the people we’re gonna bring in, they’re being told while they’re visiting and while we’re recruiting them that this is what we do here. And if this isn’t what you’re about, then we should just end the visit here.”

Of the incoming freshmen, Landrew is a big-bodied 6-foot-6 wing who was ranked around the top-30 in the 2026 high school class. His natural position would be at the three, potentially replacing Mullins if he goes to the NBA Draft, though it is difficult for a freshman to step in as a day one starter. County, a 6-4 two-guard ranked in the top 50, could also find himself in the rotation.

Jayden Ross, 6-7, took on and thrived in the sixth-man role down the stretch of the season and throughout the NCAA Tournament, providing a spark with his energy, particularly on the defensive end and in transition. He picked up a mentor in Andre Jackson Jr. after the Huskies’ regular-season finale in Milwaukee, where Jackson plays for the Bucks. He could provide a similar impact – with some more 3-point shooting ability – in his senior season, whether that means starting or a large role off the bench.

Stewart, also 6-7, has filled into the starting lineup 12 times over the last two seasons with players injured. Will his game take a leap and allow him to earn more opportunity with the Huskies on a consistent basis? Or will he look to move on for a potential full-time starting role somewhere else?

UConn will likely be looking to the portal for Karaban’s replacement. And the task won’t be as simple as finding another 6-8 shooter who can move without the ball and have a strong feel for what Hurley wants to run on offense.

Dom Amore: UConn, Dan Hurley dive into the ‘wild west’ with plenty of weapons to reload the Huskies

“It doesn’t (need to be a 3-point shooter). Who returns kind of determines the skill set (we’re looking for). So a lot of what you’re doing now is you’re preparing scenarios, if this player returns or that player returns, or these two players return. … You’re working scenarios,” Hurley said.

UConn, with more holes to fill in its front court given the departures of Tarris Reed Jr. (eligibility) and Eric Reibe (transfer), reportedly hosted Seton Hall center Najai Hines on Tuesday. Duke forward Nikolas Khamenia, a former top-20 prospect and a potential Karaban replacement, was on campus Wednesday. Khamenia had a smaller role than expected in his freshman year with the Blue Devils, averaging 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game off the bench. He made a 3-pointer and had seven points, an assist, a block, and two rebounds against the Huskies in the Elite Eight.

UConn could also potentially have Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman in for a visit on Friday, according to reports. Freeman, a 6-foot-9 rising junior, is one of the more sought after players in the portal after he averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Orange last season, though he only shot 30.2% on 3.7 3-point attempts per game.

The tricky part for the Huskies is figuring out who is coming back, and what needs will be left to address. At this point, they have to sell recruits on the idea of a role on a roster that remains far from put together.

“I just keep saying to myself, ‘This is what everyone’s dealing with,'” Hurley said. “And then just being so behind everyone else, and the fact that we’re not rushing our players to decide what they’re doing, I think it’s the right thing, it obviously puts us up against this deadline over the weekend into Monday, but our guys deserve it. Even if it puts us in a little bit of a delicate situation, I think you want to give a group that did such a great job for you the grace of not rushing a big decision.”

Former Bournemouth defender Steve Cook says he backs the club's hierarchy to make "the right decision" when selecting Andoni Iraola's successor.

After three historic seasons on the south coast, Iraola will depart at the end of the campaign and the Cherries will have to find a replacement for one of the most highly-rated coaches in Europe.

"Football clubs now prepare for this," Cook told a special BBC Radio Solent programme reaction to the news.

"They have a style of play and sign the players for that.

"Bournemouth will have a plan. Iraola's former assistant at Rayo Vallecano Inigo Perez would fit perfectly because there is a very similar philosophy at that club and they are similar in the way they play.

"You read things on social media with the likes of Frank Lampard and Kieran McKenna being linked but they are both in for promotions themselves right now.

"The hierarchy at the club will know. They will have planned for the worst and they still have a few weeks and months to finalise the plan.

"I back them to make the right decision. Bournemouth is a very attractive job, let's be honest. It's a Premier League club, consistently pushing in the right direction.

"Things are exciting with the training ground and the plans. I think it's an amazing job for anyone and I back the board to get the right man in."

Listen to the full programme below or on BBC Sounds

Former two-time MVP Stephen Curry endured an up-and-down 2025-26 regular season. Although he performed, Curry was only able to suit up in 43 games due to various injuries, most notably a knee injury that sidelined him for over two months.

That said, you wouldn't have been able to tell Wednesday night as the 38-year-old put on a classic performance, scoring 27 of his 35 points in the second half as the Warriors came from down 13 to earn a five-point victory.

Following the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed those who suggested Curry should have been sidelined for the remainder of the season after the injury.

“This is why Steph came back. Everyone out there who thought Steph should take the rest of the year off…*bangs table*… this is what he does. This is who he is. If he can compete, he is going to compete. And it was just incredible to watch.”

With the victory, the Warriors advance to a second elimination game Friday, facing the Phoenix Suns on the road. The winning team will advance to the NBA Playoffs, earning the No. 8 seed and a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Steve Kerr on Steph Curry's clutch performance: 'This is what he does'

Quarterback competitions aren’t what they used to be.

The amount of player movement at quarterback every winter has removed much of the guesswork from these offseason battles, given that many quarterbacks simply hop into the transfer portal rather than roll the dice on losing a competition and a year of eligibility.

But there are a few high-profile contests underway this spring in the Power Four, including at potential College Football Playoff contenders in Alabama, Clemson and Tennessee.

Heading into a crucial season, Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer is evaluating two highly talented but unproven contenders in redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell. The latter made a late move with 240 yards and four touchdowns in the Tide’s spring game.

These eight competitions are worth monitoring as the Bowl Subdivision gets ready for the summer:

Alabama

Contenders: Austin Mack, Keelon Russell.

Mack looked the part of Alabama’s next starter after coming in for Ty Simpson during the tail end of a Rose Bowl loss to Indiana in last year’s playoff quarterfinals. He completed 11 of 16 attempts against the Hoosiers and went 24 of 32 for 228 years on the season. Russell was a top-level recruit who played in just two games in 2025 and preserved his redshirt. Mack has the edge in overall experience and in his experience in the scheme after following DeBoer from Washington. But Russell winning the battle would come as no surprise.

Austin Mack or Keelon Russell? The latest intel on Alabama's QB competition

Clemson

Contenders: Brock Bradley, Chris Denson, Trent Pearman, Tait Reynolds, Christopher Vizzina.

Vizzina is the heavy favorite coming out of the spring after spending the past two seasons as Cade Klubnik’s backup and going for 317 yards and three touchdowns as the starter in last year’s loss to SMU. Reynolds, a freshman, has ascended into the backup role. That could result in Denson moving away from quarterback this season. Reynolds has a shot at unseating Vizzina heading into the opener but is more likely to earn an in-season promotion if the passing game sputters.

Tennessee

Contenders: Faizon Brandon, George MacIntyre.

The talent may be obvious, but neither option inspires huge confidence at this point: MacIntyre is a redshirt freshman who attempted nine passes in 2025 and Brandon is a true freshman, though of the five-star variety. While Josh Heupel’s biggest successes at Tennessee have come with a veteran under center, the Volunteers did make the playoff with then-freshman Nico Iamaleava as the starter.

Florida

Contenders: Tramell Jones Jr., Aaron Philo.

New coach Jon Sumrall has said this competition will extend into fall camp even if Philo seems to be the favorite. He has the edge in experience after making more than 100 attempts across two years at Georgia Tech and has a deeper familiarity with the Gators’ offense under coordinator Buster Faulkner, who held the same position with the Yellow Jackets. Yet Jones outplayed Philo in the final scrimmage and did a better job during the spring of protecting the football.

Duke

Contenders: Walker Eget, Dan Mahan, Ari Patu, Terry Walker III.

Duke lost rising junior and projected starter Darian Mensah to Miami just as the portal closed this winter. In response, the Blue Devils signed San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, who went for 5,555 yards and 30 touchdowns the past two seasons and was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Eget has been slowed by knee surgery, however. That could give Mahan a small window to make a move in this competition; the Blue Devils’ coaches are high on the redshirt freshman.

North Carolina

Contenders: Travis Burgess, Taron Dickens, Billy Edwards Jr., Au’Tori Newkirk, Miles O’Neill.

Well, the Tar Heels definitely have options. Bill Belichick and new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino could go with Edwards, who has Power Four starting experience but missed all but two games of last season at Wisconsin because of a knee injury. They could roll with Dickens, who put up jaw-dropping numbers at Western Carolina before transferring to Chapel Hill in February. O’Neill looks the part at 6-5 and 220 pounds but needs more seasoning after getting into seven games at Texas A&M as a redshirt freshman in 2025. Newkirk is the only UNC quarterback returning from last season, which probably means nothing. Burgess arrives on campus as a true freshman and is buried on the depth chart, though that could quickly change if the Tar Heels’ season runs off the rails. Anyone who saw Belichick’s debut knows that’s a possibility.

Virginia Tech

Contenders: Ethan Grunkemeyer, Troy Huhn.

The Hokies went into spring workouts with Grunkemeyer as the heavy favorite for the starting job. The sophomore was the primary starter at Penn State last season after Drew Allar's injury and followed former coach James Franklin, joining a quarterback room that lost starter Kyron Drones to graduation and needed an overhaul. But even as Grunkemeyer remains the odds-on pick to start the opener, Tech will enter Saturday’s scrimmage with a tighter competition thanks to Huhn’s strong performance in the spring. A true freshman, Huhn was verbally committed to Penn State but switched to Tech after Franklin was hired.

Iowa

Contenders: Hank Brown, Jeremy Hecklinski.

Former starter Mark Gronowski’s performance last season proved the right kind of quarterback can shine in Iowa coordinator Tim Lester’s scheme. True freshman Tradon Bessinger will arrive this summer and possibly impact the race during preseason camp. But the competition is really centered on two former transfers in Hecklinski (Wake Forest) and Brown (Auburn), who joined the program before last season. Hecklinski took over the backup role from Brown at the midseason point, though both continued to share practice snaps through bowl play.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football biggest QB battles this spring in Power Four conferences

BBC Radio 5 Live's senior football correspondent John Murray says defensively Arsenal "have got a lot about them" but will have to go to one of the "toughest places" in their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

Atletico edged past Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate to reach the semis, with the second leg playing out in front of a raucous home crowd at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

"When Arsenal played Atletico Madrid at home in the league phase they won 4-0 so that is not a bad one to have in your locker," Murray told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"It's a totally different matter now at this end of the season, playing each other over two legs in a semi-final, but the second leg will be at the Emirates.

"The Metropolitano is right up there with the toughest places to go and they have shown that in an attacking sense this Atletico side have got a lot about them.

"There is a real good atmosphere and genuine noise inside that stadium. You have got to be on it there to perform against them.

"But in a defensive sense Arsenal have got a lot about them.

"Sporting are a capable team, Portuguese champions, and they could not find a way past David Raya in either leg. In this competition so far Arsenal have only conceded five goals in 12 matches.

"That shows you everything about their strengths."

• Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Arteta's side have the highest likelihood of winning this year's Champions League trophy with a 36.75% chance, according to Opta's Supercomputer.

In fact, the supercomputer isn't giving semi-final opponents Atletico Madrid much of a chance at all with Arsenal having a whopping 73.40% probability of reaching the final.

Unsurprisingly, that means the last Spanish side remaining have the lowest probability of winning the competition with 9.29% and just a 26.60% chance of getting past the Gunners.

Opta supercomputer Champions League predictions:

Arsenal: 36.75%

Bayern Munich: 34.61%

Paris St-Germain: 19.35%

Atletico Madrid: 9.29%

You don't need to go searching for trouble in this game. Trouble will find you soon enough.

It was a phrase Sir Alex Ferguson liked to use as he dealt with the ups and downs of life at Manchester United.

Prior to Monday, Manchester United seemed on course to qualify for the Champions League. By midnight, doubts were setting in after the home defeat by Leeds.

Yet Michael Carrick's side are still in a very strong position.

They go to Chelsea on Saturday seven points clear of their sixth-placed hosts, with five spots available. A draw would leave them needing a maximum of 10 points from their final five games to secure a return to Europe's elite club competition after a two-year absence.

That would be a year ahead of schedule and a reason to celebrate at Old Trafford.

But it would also bring issues to solve - not least the futures of goalkeeper Andre Onana and England forward Marcus Rashford.

• Barcelona 'not a pressure' for on-loan Rashford
• A 'normal guy' doing 'brilliant' things - Lammens on life at Man Utd

Doing well in Turkey and Spain

Both players are spending the season out on loan.

Onana's United contract runs to 2028. The Cameroon international joined from Inter Milan for £47.2m after an outstanding season which ended in Champions League final defeat by Manchester City.

He left for Turkish club Trabzonspor on 11 September after making a single first-team appearance for Manchester United this season, in the EFL Cup defeat on penalties at League Two Grimsby, when he was blamed for both Mariners' goals in a 2-2 draw.

Rashford joined Barcelona on 23 July, having already been placed in Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad' and told to train at different times to the first-team squad. He had fallen out with the Portuguese coach during the previous campaign, which he ended on loan at Aston Villa.

Both are doing reasonably well.

Onana has started 26 times for Trabzonspor, who are third in the Turkish league, two points behind second-placed Fenerbahce. His side has also reached the last eight of the Turkish Cup.

Rashford was a second-half substitute as Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday but lost on aggregate.

He has started 15 times, made 11 substitute appearances and scored six goals in La Liga, which Barca lead by nine points from Real Madrid with seven games remaining.

Yet, beyond the end of the season, their futures are uncertain.

United have tended to include a clause in player contracts that provide a 25% hike in wages if the club qualify for the Champions League.

Prior to last season's Europa League final, it was estimated beating Tottenham would cost them £30m in bonuses. United feel it is worth it because of the additional prize money on offer in the tournament, the extra gate receipts and the greater attraction they become from a commercial perspective.

However, the bonus applies to all contracts, even those of players they do not want, and that makes them harder to shift.

Happy to come back but not wanted? What happens now?

Onana expects to be told at the end of May what Manchester United plan for him next season.

There is a basic reality to this situation though. Trabzonspor are paying his £6m-a-year wages. That salary will go up if Manchester United are in the Champions League next season.

Current number one Senne Lammens seems certain to be chosen for World Cup duty by Belgium. Altay Bayindir's future is uncertain anyway because of interest from Besiktas, who tried to sign him in January, but regardless, he is expected to be part of Turkey's squad.

It means Manchester United are likely to be short of experienced goalkeepers for their opening pre-season game against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July – the day before the World Cup final – and maybe for games that follow that given players are entitled to a three-week break after their last tournament match.

It is possible Radek Vitek, who has had an outstanding season on loan at Bristol City, could still be at Manchester United in mid-July but he made it perfectly clear in an interview with BBC Sport last month he wants to play next season and has no interest in being anywhere to sit on the bench for an extended period.

Sources with knowledge of Onana feel his current mindset is that he will be returning to the club, hoping to play during pre-season and then try to convince the new permanent manager he can be part of his plans.

Onana still believes he has an Old Trafford future and is not prepared to give that up without a fight, as unlikely as it seems that Lammens will relinquish his number one spot.

Rashford is in a different position.

Until 15 June, the ball is in Barcelona's court. That is the deadline they have to activate a clause which would allow them to turn his loan into a permanent deal for a fee of £26m.

Most expect it to happen, although Barca have given the impression of wanting to negotiate over the details, something Manchester United are unwilling to do.

However, the club also know if Rashford reverts back to being their player on 30 June when his Barca contract ends, he will instantly become one of their highest earners.

Numerous clubs are said to be keen on the forward, who is in line to be in Thomas Tuchel's England squad this summer. Manchester United might think they can get a bigger fee from another suitor. But can they get a bigger fee and cover Rashford's wages? Not many clubs in Europe have Barca's status and global pulling power.

Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has complained before about the amount of money Manchester United are spending to subsidise the salaries of players currently at other clubs.

Even if Onana and Rashford are not in that bracket currently, there is a possibility they might be if it is decided the pair have no future at Old Trafford.

As it stands, both players are said to be open to coming back if needed, while United don't want to address the issue publicly as they still have work to do to seal a Champions League return.

If they do, then the negotiations will start. It might not be easy.

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Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says Arsenal are "still a capable team" and that he does not rule them out of ending the season with at least one of the Premier League and Champions League trophies.

The Gunners laboured to a goalless draw in Wednesday's quarter-final second leg against Sporting but their 1-0 first leg lead meant they reached successive semi-finals in the competition for the first time in their history and will take on Atletico Madrid for a place in the final.

"We know what the narrative will be; people will rip Arsenal to shreds for the way they attacked, or you could say how they didn't attack," Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"But I do understand towards the end of the game it is about seeing it through. Why should they go Gung ho? The objective was all about going through and finding a way.

"It wasn't perfect by any means but out of possession and defensively they do a lot right.

"It's been a struggle for a while now and things do need to change, and people will be looking ahead to the game against Manchester City and writing Arsenal off.

"They are not creating enough and that's a huge issue for Mikel Arteta. I'm sure he's thinking about it every hour of the day. The wide players are not decisive enough.

"They have a lot of work to do but I take my hat of to Arsenal in the way they defend, and recover when they lose the ball. They are not perfect at the moment but I am certainly not going to write them off and rule them out of winning trophies because they have been a little bit ineffective.

"I still think they are a capable team and it may well click now before the end of the season in that final third. Arsenal could see it through in the Premier League and the Champions League."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

On Match of the Day Champions League, Nedum Onuoha said: "In some ways, there is a lot of noise around Arsenal. Arteta and some of the players are hearing it. The questions are going to be more negative than maybe a month ago but that's because of the fact they've lost three of the last four.

"I think it's right for them to close up and say 'it's us against the world' but also it wasn't great against Sporting."

Stephen Warnock gave his view on Arteta pushing back in the media: "He obviously feels like media, everyone around and the fans, the anxiety in the crowd. He's trying to convince them that everything is good and fine. You don't have to convince everyone. If you're happy with what you're seeing.

"At this point of the season, I don't think you do enjoy football. I think you get over the line. The pressure is huge. To get over the line, for Arsenal to win a Champions League and Premier League is absolutely massive."

Just before Saints played Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final, I was asked on our Total Saints Podcast if I thought that automatic promotion was still a possibility?

My response was that, in the real world, it wasn't but let's have a look again if we can win our next two league games against play-off contenders, Wrexham and Derby.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and those games have been won, as has a further game at home to Blackburn and then you start looking at the teams around you.

Middlesbrough, Hull and Millwall all seem to be faltering to different degrees, which leaves Ipswich, who, on the night we comfortably dispatched Blackburn, managed to lose to Portsmouth.

No Saints fan is ever happy when Portsmouth win, but we were pleased that Ipswich lost.

Suddenly, we are just three points behind the Tractor Boys and we still have to play them.

Until that point, Saints can only take care of Swansea away and Bristol City at home, and as a long-suffering fan, I am just waiting for the wheels to fall off, with the 'game every four days' run of fixtures we are on at the moment.

If we take care of our own business and are still in touch with Ipswich going into that huge game on 28 April at St Mary's, then who knows?

Right now, Ipswich are still the favourites to go up automatically because they have a three-point lead and a game in hand, but they will be looking over their shoulders now and that brings pressure, especially when one team chasing you down is on an 18-game unbeaten run and has won six league matches in a row.

The fact we have to play Ipswich straight after we have had an emotional and energy-sapping day chasing Manchester City around at Wembley, will also be in their favour.

The most likely outcome is that Saints, Middlesbrough, Millwall and Hull will be in the play-offs.

At St Mary's, Saints walk out to a punk anthem by The Skids from 1978 called "The Saints are Coming".

Any more slips and our rivals for that second automatic promotion spot will be hearing those words.

For more from Glen and the Total Saints Podcast, head here.

• Reaction & highlights as Arsenal reach the semi-finals of the Champions League after beating Sporting 1-0 on aggregate
• They will play Atletico Madrid in the semi-final after Diego Simeone's team beat Barcelona on Tuesday night
• Arsenal looking to 'secure the silverware everyone at the club craves so much',says Arsenal reporter Alex Howell
• Watch highlights of all the quarter-finals, including Harry Kane's Bayern Munich knocking out Real Madrid to reach the last four
• Bayern will take on the reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in the last four
• Semi-final matches will be played on 28/29 April with the second legs to come a week later

Champions League reaction and highlights: Arsenal through as semi-finals confirmed

In vintage Steph Curry and Draymond Green fashion, the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers with a thrilling comeback win in the play-in tournament, 126-121.

Wednesday's contest featured multiple Golden State staples — an explosive Curry flurry in the third quarter and a vintage Green defensive performance against Kawhi Leonard in the fourth quarter. Yet, it wasn't just Curry and Green; Golden State newcomers Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis each left their fingerprints all over their season-saving victory over the Clippers. Porzingis helped spark the Warriors' offense throughout the game with a pair of rim-rocking dunks and timely shots. While Horford drilled four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

After the Warriors punched their ticket to the next round of the play-in tournament, spectators on social media exploded with reactions. Here's a look at what different fans, writers and analysts were saying on X on Wednesday night.

STEPH CURRY GIVES THE WARRIORS THE LEAD!

GSW 120
LAC 117

50.4 TO PLAY IN A MUST-WIN GAME 🍿 pic.twitter.com/HgYTHtLlOp

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026

New chain for SC30! pic.twitter.com/Q6aQYpK977

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 16, 2026

Steph Curry: The greatest show in sports. Still.

— Danny Emerman (@DannyEmerman) April 16, 2026

Draymond Green master class

— Grant Liffmann (@GrantLiffmann) April 16, 2026

Go plant some trees

— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) April 16, 2026

30 pic.twitter.com/k9ZY6lkRBM

— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) April 16, 2026

This is unbelievable.

Draymond Green completely shut down Kawhi Leonard in the 4th quarter. The Claw is scoreless in the 4th.

— Bonta Hill (@BontaHill) April 16, 2026

Dray turning back the clock to make big time stops down the stretch

— AJ S (@saelee0) April 16, 2026

IN STEPH WE TRUST

— Melissa (she/her)🍉 (@churameru) April 16, 2026

Draymond and Steph… never gets old.

— Saad (@saadgsw) April 16, 2026

Intuit is just Chase South just like SoFi is for the Niners 🤣

— Louisiana Dry Rub Stan Account (@christeauxpher) April 16, 2026

ERASED https://t.co/w0j1LLFKZApic.twitter.com/smUo22TiyL

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 16, 2026

MVP chants for Curry, old-school Warriors echoes for the team, and Golden State will live to fight another day. What an effort from this squad, given the injuries they've suffered.

Onto Phoenix where they'll play for the 8th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) April 16, 2026

I cannot believe what I just witnessed

— 🇿🇦Denver🇵🇸 (@doubledworth) April 16, 2026

Draymond it's games like this we'll remember you by

— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) April 16, 2026

Oh

My

Goodness#dubnation

— Mark Willard (@Mark_T_Willard) April 16, 2026

HOW DID THEY FLIP THIS GAME UNBELIEVABLE @warriors

— Joe Shasky (@ButcherBoy415) April 16, 2026

Stephen Curry improves his record in elimination games to 11-5.

He finishes with 35 points tonight, including 27 in the 2nd half. Unreal performance

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 16, 2026

Vintage Draymond Green defense down the stretch on Kawhi Leonard. Steph Curry scores 35 in 36 minutes. Al Horford hits four mammoth fourth quarter 3s. Kristaps Porzingis scores 20.

Veteran Warriors save their season in LA and face Suns on Friday for shot at the eighth seed.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 16, 2026

Draymond Green's defense on Kawhi, Horford's heater - and Curry leading the way.

We'll see you Friday night in Phoenix. WOW!

— Bonta Hill (@BontaHill) April 16, 2026

Fun Fact: Steph and Porzingus have never lost a post game together.

— Warriors Huddle (@WarriorsHuddle) April 16, 2026

MOOD pic.twitter.com/dzVzUoNfxm

— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) April 16, 2026

Awesome game. Steph was amazing, Draymond played at a DPOY level. Horford erupted in the 4th after a rough 1st half and Podz hung in and made some clutch plays down the stretch. Turns out they really really wanted to win this one. On to Phoenix.

— Dan Dibley (@dandibley) April 16, 2026

gonna enjoy these two while they're still here pic.twitter.com/IWulm4STyM

— Chris Montano (@gswchris) April 16, 2026

A podcaster just single-handedly ended the best season of Kawhi’s career.

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 16, 2026

I’m never ever ever taking Steph Curry for granted.

— De🅿️ressed Warriors Fan 💔 (@GoIdenState) April 16, 2026

Warriors pull off an unbelievable comeback late in LA.
An absolute meltdown late by the Clippers. And a reminder that the Warriors' standard is never going to disappear as long as Curry and Green are on the floor. Steph was Steph. Porzingis and Horford were huge. Phoenix on Fri

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) April 16, 2026

STEPH CURRY VS THE CLIPPERS

🐐 pic.twitter.com/8ygzoKrZtm

— Guru (@DrGuru_) April 16, 2026

The Oklahoma City Thunder will now be in the lottery because of this Clippers loss. What have the Warriors just done.

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 16, 2026

The Greatest Show in Sports Entertainment

— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) April 16, 2026

New Jimmy Butler meme pic.twitter.com/GLSpHs9kwF

— Guru (@DrGuru_) April 16, 2026

No matter what happens from here, it was special to see the Warriors touch God one more time. Even if it was only for a few minutes at the end of a play-in game, that was very cool.

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) April 16, 2026

Dillon Brooks vs. Steph & Draymond sudden death game on deck. Everything is wrestling.

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 16, 2026

These are the types of games that fans remember. This is why teams and players want to compete. This was meaningful basketball. #DubNation

— Dr. Nirav Pandya, M.D. (@DrNiravPandya) April 16, 2026

A Draymond and Steph absolute masterclass to earn the Warriors another game.

The 2 most important people in the Warriors dynasty fighting to the very end.

Championship level effort in the play-in.

You gotta love it.

— nick wright (@getnickwright) April 16, 2026

There's nobody like Stephen Curry in a play-in game. pic.twitter.com/uWrPUd1OTZ

— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) April 16, 2026

No other team in my lifetime has delivered as many memorable high profile games and moments as Steph and Draymond’s Warriors. More than a decade into this and they still have nights like this in them.

— Adam Mares (@Adam_Mares) April 16, 2026

Harlan on the call for Steph is magic pic.twitter.com/xFtqF6YcVj

— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) April 16, 2026

Stephen Curry…..simply one of the greatest to ever play the game

— Dr. Nirav Pandya, M.D. (@DrNiravPandya) April 16, 2026

Absolute dawgs pic.twitter.com/UIoE3tTvuG

— 🇿🇦Denver🇵🇸 (@doubledworth) April 16, 2026

CHRIS PAUL’S INSTAGRAM STORY LMAOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/EDXOMqBhr8

— 30🅿️roblemz (@30problemz) April 16, 2026

Draymond Green locking up Kawhi Leonard in the 4th quarter pic.twitter.com/tPPX9yoVIp

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) April 16, 2026

The greatest point guard of all-time. No debate. pic.twitter.com/r1YrxFuyg8

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 16, 2026

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Social media explodes with reactions to Warriors' win over Clippers

Falkirk reportedly want to sign St Mirren's Scott Tanser as Sivert Heltne Nilsen reveals his reasons for leaving Aberdeen.

Falkirk are eyeing a move for Scott Tanser from fellow Scottish Cup semi-finalists St Mirren, making the 31-year-old one of their top summer targets. (Daily Record)

While Celtic are considering a move for former Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, Levante hold the option to extend the 34-year-old's deal by a further year beyond this summer. (Football Insider)

Hibernian still hope to lure on-loan Dan Barlaser back to Easter Road when the 29-year-old midfielder's Middlesbrough contract ends this summer, but Elie Youan will exit the Leith club along with fellow forward Martin Boyle. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Hibs head coach David Gray is not surprised to see Miguel Chaiwa attracting interest from rival clubs, including repeated speculation linking the 21-year-old midfielder with a move to Celtic. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Rangers winger Oscar Cortes says cutting short his loan to Sporting Gijon for a similar move to Huracan in Argentina was the best decision he could have made. (WIN Sports)

In switching from Sporting Gijon to Huracan, Rangers winger Oscar Cortes utilised a special exemption to Fifa regulations that do not allow players to represent more than two teams in the same season as the 22-year-old was joining a club whose fixture schedule runs at a different time to his previous team. (AS Colombia via Daily Record)

• Thursday's English & European transfer rumours
• Wednesday's Scottish Gossip
• Falkirk boss McGlynn eyes pinnacle of cup final

Sivert Heltne Nilsen says he left Aberdeen because Haugesund offered him a contract - three years with a potential coaching role beyond that - he could not refuse and it came with the promise of more regular starts and in the 34-year-old's favoured central midfield role. (Daily Record)

Viljami Sinisalo says an agreement to have more Celtic game time this season was shelved during management changes this season - until the injury and form decline to fellow goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel pushed the 24-year-old into the first team. (The Herald)

Former Celtic coach Darren O'Dea says Bournemouth and Scotland winger Ben Gannon-Doak felt he was being held back by the Scottish champions' "duty of care" despite being handed his first-team debut at 16 - and that the 20-year-old is a "generational talent". (The Margins)

Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has revealed that national head coach Carlo Ancelotti sought his counsel over whether to recall 34-year-old Santos forward Neymar for this summer's World Cup, at which his side will face Scotland. (Football Transfers)

Heart of Midlothian are awaiting the scan results on defender Oisin McEntee's suspected hamstring injury - after the verdict came back in Spanish. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Hibs midfielder Josh Mulligan is "running out of weeks" to make his return from injury this season, but head coach David Gray thinks there is a "strong possibility" the Scotland international could still play. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Haiti players have been handed a £2m bonus from their government for qualifying for the World Cup, where they are in the same group as Scotland. (The National)

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta discussed how Baltimore approaches its later-round draft strategy, noting that while the team often leans on a best-player-available model, there are situations where positional context and roster decisions can influence how selections are made.

DeCosta also pointed to the challenges of navigating the back end of the draft, where hit rates decrease, and options can become more limited.

"That's a great question. There's a lot of different ways to do that, and we've tried different ways. Some years you just basically, we've thought maybe just [to] target to quote 'premium positions' maybe. Other years we're just going strictly off the draft board, best [player] available, and then some years it's probably more nuanced. It's the positions that we haven't addressed. So, if we've drafted players at certain positions, then we get into the later rounds, and we're probably not going to double dip because we've already taken guys at those positions. So, there's a lot of ways to do it. I think there's been an increased reliance on analytics in some ways, and every team does it differently, and maybe every team does it differently every year. So, that's a hard part of scouting. There's been some years where we've been very excited to get a guy, like in the sixth round, seventh round, and you're literally one pick away, and he gets picked. Then you're kind of like looking up at the board going, 'Man, we don't like any of these guys that are left.' So, that's just, it is what it is, and someone's calling you and they see somebody they love, and they want to trade. Sometimes that's the best possible scenario, especially if you could trade a pick for a future pick in another draft class where you might get additional value, you might get a discount. So, it's a hard part, [and] it's a fun part of the draft. It's a challenge, certainly, percentage-wise to hit on those guys, especially when you get into the fifth, sixth and seventh round. The percentages really kind of plummet from the fourth round – fourth round, you're OK. [In the] fifth round, sixth round, seventh round, we see the percentages really kind of go down. So, when you can hit on a guy like that, it can really make your draft class."

For Baltimore, the late-round approach remains flexible, with DeCosta emphasizing both the difficulty of projecting success and the value of finding contributors in the final rounds.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Eric DeCosta details Ravens approach in later draft rounds

Football has long disproven the notion that you can't win anything with kids.

It turns out it doesn't just apply to players.

Just ask Llandudno, the north Wales club who this weekend will celebrate the end of an all-conquering campaign that will see them return to the top-flight Cymru Premier after a seven-year absence that included genuine fears over their future.

At the helm? A manager younger than the majority of the promotion-winning team he selects.

At just 24, Jordan Hadaway has orchestrated Llandudno's revival, sealing the second-tier Cymru North title in style - and is likely to be the youngest top-division boss in Europe next season.

Incredibly, he will do so with a decade of coaching experience already to his name - including a touch of Real Madrid mentoring.

• Llandudno set for Cymru Premier return after title
• The Championship striker 'out-performing' Harry Kane

'He had an aura about him'

It's an impressive CV for someone who would still be considered young if he was in the starting XI rather than selecting it.

But it's even more eye-catching given the circumstances in which this Gen Z gaffer got his break.

Back in 2023, Llandudno were unable to use their own ground, had seen their entire coaching staff walk out and didn't have enough players to field a side with the second-tier season just weeks away.

Perceived football wisdom suggests you look to an old head at times of crisis but Llandudno chairman Dave Guinn turned to a 21-year-old youth team coach.

"I don't think you could print some of the things that were said to me on social media when we appointed him," Guinn recalls.

"But there was a gut feeling. Jordan just had an aura about him, that he wasn't just talking the talk."

Hadaway might have wondered what he had got himself into, with the club's financial situation at the time described as "dire".

"The pitch had been condemned and we were £100,000 short of paying for a new pitch," Hadaway says, the club forced to play home games in Bangor and Conwy, money going out without coming in.

"There were no revenue streams, I was working unpaid because the FAW had taken the academy away so we were in a bit of turmoil.

"I was asked to step in and that I had a £400 budget – the lowest in the league – just to get a squad to start the season. And we had to pay a physio out of that.

"That's what makes staying up that year so special."

All a long way from the riches of the Bernabeu.

Not that Hadaway – inspired by his football-mad grandfather and whose parents are Everton season ticket holders – was going to take his place among the Galacticos.

An academy player at his local club in Holywell, he turned to coaching at 14 having decided he wasn't going to achieve what he wanted as a player and "didn't fancy refereeing".

It included working with the Real Madrid foundation - coaching their style of football on courses in the UK and Europe - and included a convention where he listened to coaching lectures from the likes of Roberto Carlos and Raul , while grabbing a selfie with Alvaro Arbeloa.

Hadaway laughs about whether the current Real boss has been in touch given the success at Llandudno which came after becoming a manager in the Welsh fifth-tier at 18, an assistant job in the Cymru Premier with Cefn Druids before finding his way to the Seasiders, where he also led the women's team to the Cymru North title in 2024 and only missed out on the top-flight after a play-off final defeat

• The Welsh teenager teaching the Real Madrid way

Nothing has stopped the men's side this year, though, with only seven points dropped from 29 games. At home, they have been flawless with 50 goals scored and only six conceded.

"At the start of the season we wanted to finish in the top four and better last year's points," he says, with sights now set on making Llandudno a top-flight mainstay.

"I didn't think we'd win the league, perhaps as a manager I didn't think I'd be experienced enough."

Guinn – who had the agonising wait of making sure promotion was secured by the award of a tier-one licence – said there were some doubts he was doing the right thing in placing such faith in youth.

"His age was a bit of a worry, whether he could control the dressing room," says the former player who was at the club when they faced Swedish giants IFK Goteborg just ten years ago.

"But he had an old head on young shoulders and I'm glad my gut was right."

Hadaway adds: "I wasn't naive when I was appointed. It wasn't so much the players, but others asking why the chairman would put his faith in me when the club could fold if we went down.

"I knew what people were going to say and think but I've always tried to be honest and open and it wasn't about trying to prove anything, just hard work and letting people see. If you treat people with respect it goes a long way

"I'm not without flaws and I don't have everything but I've surrounded myself with good people and I'm able to still learn."

Including during the day job as a PE teacher at a local sixth form, where he says there's not much between the boisterous nature of the classroom or the dressing room.

After all, as football has shown once again, age is just a number.

We are one week away from the 2026 NFL Draft. Who will the Washington Commanders pick with the No. 7 overall pick? That's a mystery, much of which stems from Washington's lack of control over it. The good news is that the Commanders will be able to land a high-quality player at a position of need.

Washington has visited with most of the top prospects in this class, many of whom play different positions. The Commanders' busy free agency period allows GM Adam Peters to focus on the best player available instead of forcing the pick at a position of need.

Many mock drafts have focused on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, or LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. There's a good chance at least two of these players will be available when Washington goes on the clock.

But what if the Commanders aren't interested in one of those players?

In his latest draft intel for Essentially Sports, NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline revealed that Washington would not take Downs if he made it to them at No. 7. Here's his explanation:

Most believe the team will not take Caleb Downs if the Ohio State safety is available to them. The team signed Nick Cross in free agency and still believes in Jartavius Martin despite a disappointing 2025 season. Those inside the building feel Martin’s upside is incredible and believe he can right the ship.

This is a bit shocking for multiple reasons. For one, Downs is a player many consider the top overall in the class. However, positional value could keep him from going as high as his talent suggests. Safety isn't considered a premium position in the NFL. However, Downs is not only an elite talent but a student of the game, who could be a green-dot player on Day 1 in the NFL.

Washington does have safeties on the roster. Quan Martin, newly signed Nick Cross, Will Harris, Jeremy Reaves, Percy Butler, Tyler Owens, and Robert McDaniel are on the current 90-man roster. But most shockingly, Pauline's revelation about the Commanders' confidence in Martin.

Martin was bad in 2025. His regression, as well as Mike Sainristil and Frankie Luvu's regression, was one of the top stories last season. But with new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, everyone gets a clean slate. When he was hired, Jones spoke glowingly about Martin. Before last season, former defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said he believed Martin could become one of the NFL's best safeties. Clearly, Peters and head coach Dan Quinn remain firm in their belief in Martin.

It will be interesting to see if the Commanders would actually pass on Downs if he falls in their laps at No. 7.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: NFL draft: Commanders to reportedly pass on Ohio State S Caleb Downs

A captain's header, an overhead kick, a controversial decision, a saved penalty, a goalmouth scramble and three different teams in bottom spot.

All of this happened across two matches in the final six minutes of the Irish Premiership season in 2016, and it flipped the relegation battle on its head.

Miguel Chines' spectacular injury-time finish, as well as late controversy at Milltown, kept Carrick Rangers in the top flight and sent Warrenpoint Town down.

On Saturday, Crusaders take on Glenavon in what is set to be a tense relegation battle at Mourneview Park.

But 10 years ago, was Carrick's great escape the most dramatic conclusion to a relegation battle in history?

The background

Four teams headed into the final day of the Irish Premiership season with the threat of relegation, with the bottom team facing the drop to the second tier and the 11th place side forced into a play-off against a Championship club.

Portadown started the day in ninth, and thanks to their routine 2-0 win at Ballymena United, we don't need to worry about them in this iconic final day.

Carrick Rangers faced Ballinamallard, while Warrenpoint Town hosted Dungannon Swifts, who were already well clear of danger.

Carrick were bottom of the table and one point off Warrenpoint in 11th, while Ballinamallard were in 10th and out of the drop zone, again by one point.

Heading into the final 10 minutes, Warrenpoint put themselves in a strong position when Stephen Hughes put them into the lead, while former Northern Ireland international Ivan Sproule had put the Mallards in front at Carrick.

It was all rather sedate and low key, and as the minutes ticked down it looked certain like Carrick would be relegated and Warrenpoint would face the relegation play-off.

The six minutes that changed everything

"There's still a lot that can change in this game," co-commentator Chris Morgan said on Radio Ulster in the 87th minute.

It was a mystic prediction from the former Glentoran striker, who himself famously scored a late title-deciding goal against Linfield in 2005.

Less than two minutes after his comment, a deep free-kick was played to the back post and Mark Surgenor rose highest to hammer a header into the back of the net.

At that point Carrick were still bottom, but it gave them hope. Warrenpoint were still leading and moved above Ballinamallard into automatic safety.

But few could have predicted what would have happened next as Chines acrobatically scored a superb winner for Carrick in the 91st minute.

"At a younger age, you always try those silly things, right?," Portugal-born striker Chines told BBC Sport NI.

"But the older you get, if you try it, you're always going to end up hurting your back or something.

"I just threw my leg at it, there was nothing else I could do because the ball was slightly behind me."

Chines said it was "instinct" to try the acrobatic effort, and he did not think about his options as the ball was headed back across goal by Aaron Traynor.

"As a striker, I always thought it's an instinct thing inside the box. You have literally a second, if that, for you to actually finish a chance.

"I had no other option and, luckily enough, I actually managed to connect with it."

Chines' goal sparked wild celebrations as the players ran to the crowd behind the goal - except for Chines who just dropped to the turf in relief.

Not only had he saved his team from relegation, but there was personal relief too as he had made a big contribution when he had been struggling for game time, largely due to a new job he had taken up in the new year that had limited how much he could train.

"It was like a relief over five to six months of not getting any joy from football because of work and everything else.

"And then there was more of a relief that we might be able to even see it out. It was probably the best feeling I've had in football."

As things stood, Carrick were 11th and facing a play-off and Ballinamallard were bottom, but there was more drama to come.

Controversy, controversy, controversy

Meanwhile at Milltown, where play was a few minutes behind Carrick, Warrenpoint still looked set to remain in the top flight and Ballinamallard would have faced the drop.

But everything changed again.

The clock had just ticked into injury-time when Dungannon's Cormac Burke collided with Jordan Dane in the area after a Swifts corner was cleared.

It looked for all the world that it should have been a free-kick to the hosts, but referee Ross Dunlop pointed to the spot.

The drama wasn't over there.

Ryan Harpur's effort was saved by Jonathan Parr, and the goalkeeper produced another superb save to deny Andrew Mitchell from the follow-up.

Harpur's header was then superbly kept off the line, but Mitchell hammered home at the fourth time of asking to leave Warrenpoint crestfallen - and furious.

Six minutes earlier they were staying in the top flight. All of a sudden they were dealing with automatic relegation on goal difference.

Ballinamallard fell into the play-off, which they would go on to win against Institute, while Carrick retained their top-flight status.

"Our team was outstanding, we done everything we needed to win the game and it was taken off us by a third party," said a furious Warrenpoint manager Gray.

For Morgan, he said he was left "stunned" by how the final few minutes played out.

"It was an incredible finish, and then the drama with what happened at Warrenpoint," he said.

"What a way to secure your future for another year in the Premiership."

Chines remembers then Carrick boss Gary Haveron comparing it to Sergio Aguero's famous title-deciding goal for Manchester City in 2012. The stage may not have been as big but the drama was just as high, and the striker described it as "draining", both physically and emotionally.

"I'm sure if you ask the boys at Man City, they would rather have been three or four goals up at half-time, rather than having a mini heart attack every 10 minutes and wondering what may happen.

"But it was an experience that we will never forget and we're always going to remember that day.

"We weren't aware what was happening in the other game, you can only take care of what's in front of you.

"We just needed the three points which we managed to get. After that, it was party time and we just made memories with the boys."

The Chargers have welcomed several new players via free agency this spring.

The Chargers' biggest signing was center Tyler Biadasz to a three-year, $30 million contract. Biadasz will replace Bradley Bozeman on the line, who announced his retirement in the offseason.

The new Chargers center will wear No. 63.

The Bolts also added speed in the backfield with the addition of running back Keaton Mitchell. The former Baltimore Raven will sport No. 34.

Another free agent the Chargers welcomed with a Baltimore connection was tight end Charlie Kolar, who will wear No. 88 for the Bolts.

Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is familiar with a pair of new additions in fullback Alec Ingold and guard Cole Strange, both of whom previously played for the Miami Dolphins.

The Chargers also signed defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals. He will wear No. 94 with the Bolts.

In late March, the Chargers signed guard Kayode Awosika. He spent the last four seasons playing for the Detroit Lions and was a part of one of the best offensive lines in the league.

New Chargers numbers:

G Kayode Awosika - 74
FB Alec Ingold - 49
TE Charlie Kolar - 88
RB Keaton Mitchell - 34
C Tyler Biadasz - 63
G Cole Strange - 69
DT Dalvin Tomlinson - 94

— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) April 15, 2026

While the Chargers addressed some needs via free agency, they will have to cement the roster during the NFL draft at the end of the month.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers reveal numbers for new players

Larne manager Gary Haveron said his side have to prepare to face a "a big, strong and physical" Glentoran during Friday's potential title-decider at the Oval (19:45 BST, live on BBC iPlayer).

Victory over the Glens will secure Larne's third Premiership title in four years after triumphs in 2023 and 2024.

However, a Glentoran win would take the title race to the final game of the season.

"We are excited and it is a really hard place to go, probably one of the hardest places in the league this year," Haveron told BBC Sport NI.

"They are a big, strong and physical team and they are experienced now. We know how difficult it will be, but we have shown that we can handle the pressure of playing at the Oval (Larne won 4-1 there in January).

"It will be a big crowd. We need to be at our best and be prepared for the challenge.

The Inver Reds sit three points clear at the top of the Premiership, but Glentoran are unbeaten in their past nine league games.

The sides are also level on goal difference after Glentoran - who last won the title in 2009 - closed the gap with a 5-0 thrashing of Dungannon Swifts.

"It is a huge game, it was always going to be huge game regardless of what happened on Saturday. It was always going to be a massive task," he continued.

"We will recover, it has been a tough few weeks. There was a lot of football played and a lot of running in the legs on a big, big pitch at Windsor."

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL, SOFTBALL SCORES 

Wednesday’s Results 

BASEBALL 

CITY SECTION
Crenshaw 16, Dymally 5
Diego Rivera 25, Manual Arts 2
East Valley 13, Panorama 2
El Camino Real 7, Taft 3
Fulton 18, Canoga Park 6
Garfield 6, Alhambra 5
LA University 11, Westchester 0
North Hollywood 4, Sun Valley Poly 2
Roybal 16, Hollywood 6
San Pedro 10, Rancho Dominguez 0
SOCES 14, Northridge Academy 2
South East 12, Huntington Park 1
South Gate 3, Legacy 1
Stella 17, Animo Venice 0
Sun Valley Magnet 15, Bert Corona 2
Vaughn 11, Arleta 0
Wilson 4, Eagle Rock 1

SOUTHERN SECTION
Aliso Niguel 4, Capistrano Valley 3
Anaheim 8, Godinez 0
Arlington 1, Paloma Valley 0
Arroyo 11, Rosemead 1
Ayala 3, Walnut 1
Big Bear 23, Hesperia Christian 12
Bishop Amat 13, Gardena Serra 0
Bonita 10, Claremont 3
California 9, La Serna 3
Canyon Springs 10, Vista del Lago 1
Charter Oak 4, Northview 3
Chino Hills 5, Los Osos 2
Corona 16, Corona Centennial 2
Corona Santiago 17, Riverside King 1
Covina 11, West Covina 4
Crossroads 7, Windward 6
Cypress 4, El Dorado 1
Dana Hills 7, Trabuco Hills 1
Desert Christian 20, Valley Torah 5
Downey 6, Bellflower 5
Duarte 11, Azusa 10
Edgewood 11, Pomona 0
El Rancho 10, Whittier 4
El Segundo 7, North Torrance 6
Esperanza 15, Bosco Tech 11
Etiwanda 5, Damien 3
Flintridge Prep 12, Shalhevet 2
Ganesha 15, Bassett 0
Garden Grove Pacifica 3, Anaheim Canyon 2
Golden Valley 10, Canyon Country Canyon 1
Glendora 5, Diamond Bar 1
Hesperia 4, Sultana 1
Highland 13, Eastside 1
Hillcrest 9, Citrus Hill 3
Huntington Beach 3, Fountain Valley 1
Indian Springs 10, Pacific 6
Laguna Beach 6, Portola 0
La Mirada 1, Warren 0
Lancaster 14, Littlerock 4
La Sierra 9, Patriot 0
Liberty 4, Moreno Valley 3
Loma Linda Academy 23, Desert Chapel 7
Long Beach Wilson 3, Long Beach Cabrillo 0
Malibu 8, Channel Islands 7
Marina 2, Edison 0
Miller 12, San Bernardino 2
Millikan 22, Compton 3
Mission Viejo 3, Beckman 2
New Roads 15, Lennox Academy 1
Nordhoff 16, Fillmore 0
Northwood 10, Irvine University 9
Oak Hills 21, Serrano 10
Ojai Valley 20, Hillcrest Christian 2
Orange 3, Westminster La Quinta 0
Palmdale 10, Antelope Valley 7
Pasadena Marshall 4, Gabrielino 3
Ramona 8, Jurupa Valley 1
Rancho Christian 10, Orange Vista 0
Rancho Cucamonga 3, Upland 2
Rancho Verde 16, Perris 4
Ridgecrest Burroughs 9, Apple Valley 4
Riverside Poly 11, Heritage 3
Royal 7, Camarillo 6
Rowland 3, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0
Rubidoux 4, Norte Vista 2
Sage Hill 1, Irvine 0
San Juan Hills 4, El Toro 3
Santa Rosa Academy 9, Temecula Prep 2
Saugus 9, Hart 1
Servite 9, Mater Dei 6
Simi Valley 10, Moorpark 0
St. Anthony 6, Cathedral 2
St. Francis 3, Sierra Canyon 2
St. John Bosco 8, Santa Margarita 1
Sunny Hills 3, Sonora 2
University Prep 14, Excelsior Charter 7
West Ranch 4, Valencia 2
Wiseburn-Da Vinci 5, Peninsula 2
Woodbridge 10, St. Margaret’s 1
Yorba Linda 18, Troy 2

INTERSECTIONAL 
Brentwood 4, Palisades 3
Redlands Adventist Academy 9, Public Safety 1

SOFTBALL 

CITY SECTION 
Angelou 8, Jefferson 6
Animo Venice 20, Animo Robinson 0
Birmingham 16, Chatsworth 1
Bravo 12, LA Wilson 2
Central City Value 17, Annenberg 4
Dymally 29, Crenshaw 6
Eagle Rock 16, Franklin 0
El Camino Real 20, Cleveland 1
Granada Hills 14, Taft 1
Granada Hills Kennedy 7, Arleta 2
LA Hamilton 15, LACES 4
LA University 20, Westchester 4
Lincoln 7, LA Marshall 6
Marquez d. Elizabeth, forfeit
Maywood Academy 27, Sotomayor 7
Maywood CES 14, Torres 8
North Hollywood 29, Monroe 4
Reseda 28, Fulton 8
Santee 26, Los Angeles 0
Stella 24, Animo Watts 14
Van Nuys 13, Canoga Park 1
Venice 28, Fairfax 1
Verdugo Hills 14, Sun Valley Poly 4
Washington Prep 19, Hawkins 7

SOUTHERN SECTION
Anaheim 15, Santa Ana Valley 0
Apple Valley 16, Oak Hills 13
Arrowhead Christian 15, Savanna 0
Arroyo 17, Rosemead 2
Ayala 15, Claremont 6
Azusa 9, Baldwin Park 3
Bolsa Grande 10, Westminster La Quinta 0
Bonita 12, Glendora 3
Burbank Providence 12, Mountain View 2
Burroughs Burbank 11, Burbank 1
Chadwick 10, Mayfield 1
Charter Oak, 5, Northview 2
Citrus Hill 11, Perris 1
Corona 14, Eastvale Roosevelt 6
Crean Lutheran 10, Corona del Mar 0
Diamond Bar 2, Walnut 0
Dos Pueblos 7, Saugus 2
Edgewood 18, Pomona 6
Fullerton 21, Placentia Valencia 0
Gabrielino 11, Pasadena Marshall 1
Ganesha 19, Bassett 0
Garden Grove Santiago 6, Los Amigos 3
Hemet 16, Moreno Valley 1
Hesperia Christian 7, AAE 6
Hillcrest 12, Rancho Verde 2
Lakeside 9, Heritage 4
Miller 8, San Bernardino 3
Oak Park 13, West Ranch 1
Paloma Valley 5, Canyon Springs 1
Pasadena Poly 15, Ramona Convent 9
Patriot 1, La Sierra 0
Pomona Catholic 15, St, Bernard 1
Ramona 6, Jurupa Valley 3
Rancho Alamitos 7, Orange 6
Rancho Christian 21, Vista del Lago 7
Redondo Union 24, Peninsula 0
Riverside Poly 15, Arlington 4
Riverside Prep 6, Downey 4
Rubidoux 12, Norte Vista 3
Samueli Academy 18, Webb 8
Santa Ana 11, Costa Mesa 10
Segerstrom 16, Garden Grove 6
Serrano 8, Hesperia 7
Sierra Vista 12, Nogales 1
South Torrance 10, El Segundo 0
Sultana 10, Ridgerest Burroughs 6
Tustin 16, Godinez 0
University Prep 18, Excelsior Charter 1
Valley View 15, Orange Vista 12
Ventura 11, Viewpoint 1
West Covina 11, Covina 6
Western Christian 20, Capistrano Valley Christian 1
Windward 17, Oakwood 1

INTERSECTIONAL 
Paramount 11, South Gate 1

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The match-winner was wearing Newcastle United's iconic number nine shirt as he took the acclaim of the crowd at full-time.

But Yoane Wissa was not being serenaded at Selhurst Park.

It was Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who swapped shirts with his former Chateauroux team-mate after scoring a dramatic late double in a 2-1 win.

This was a tale of two contrasting cameos from the bench last weekend.

Whereas Mateta changed the game when he entered the fray, Wissa did not even touch the ball after being thrown on following his friend's second goal deep into stoppage time.

Fellow summer arrival Nick Woltemade only had slightly longer to make an impact when handed a rare outing up front in the 84th minute.

Although Wissa and Woltemade cost a combined £124m last summer, head coach Eddie Howe made it clear he did not pick the team "based on transfer fees" but as a result of what he saw in training.

Howe's words were a little revealing as he explained why goalscorer William Osula was given a surprise start.

"He's got the physical attributes, the determination to do really well," he said. "He's improving week in, week out."

Isak departure still being felt

Osula's recall was the latest twist in Newcastle's search for a lasting solution up front - seven months after Alexander Isak's painful exit.

The club were going to struggle to find a like-for-like replacement for Isak after he pushed to join Liverpool for a British record £125m.

It was viewed as an "impossible" task internally.

But Howe sought to bring in two strikers to share the load after Callum Wilson also moved on.

There was recognition that Woltemade previously had eyes for Bayern Munich and that Newcastle had targeted other centre-forwards after failing with moves for Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko.

Yet it felt like this £69m deal happened for a reason after Woltemade scored five goals in his first six starts for Newcastle.

Woltemade still boasts one of the best shot conversion rates (23%) of those players with at least 30 efforts in the Premier League this season.

However, in the absence of injured captain Bruno Guimaraes, the technical Woltemade has curiously been used more often in the middle of the park of late.

It had been a frustration of the coaching staff that they did not have more time to bring out aspects of Woltemade's game in the final third.

They certainly will in the coming weeks as a relentless schedule eases.

But Howe's creaking system has historically relied on a rapid striker who can get in behind - and also lead the press.

As much as Woltemade has had to adapt to a new style and a more intense, physical league following his move from Stuttgart, Newcastle must play to his strengths too.

• Newcastle are 'underwhelming' but is Woltemade a problem?

Wissa's struggles and a turbulent summer

The Premier League-proven Wissa was supposed to help ease the burden, but he hardly had the ideal preparation.

The striker did not have a proper pre-season, after pushing to leave Brentford, and suffered a knee injury on international duty with DR Congo only days after joining Newcastle.

He nonetheless scored two goals in his first two starts, but has found the net only once since.

Winger Anthony Gordon was even handed an extended run through the middle ahead of Wissa before Osula got his chance.

Newcastle's recruitment record has historically been strong under Howe, but they have not seen enough of a return from a desperate £55m move.

The same can be said for an overall £100m-plus net spend last summer.

It was a turbulent period in which Newcastle missed out on a host of first-choice targets, operated without a sporting director and chief executive, and made the overwhelming majority of their signings when the season was up and running.

Howe was heavily involved in this recruitment drive, but it was rather telling that only one of Newcastle's five outfield additions - Malick Thiaw - started against Palace.

Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga will be pushing for recalls for the visit of Bournemouth on Saturday, having been named on the bench alongside Woltemade and Wissa at Selhurst Park.

But Howe was not exactly proactive in turning to the quartet - even after Palace sounded a warning when Jefferson Lerma headed against the crossbar in the second half.

It was opposite number Oliver Glasner who ultimately seized the initiative with his substitutions.

'We have to work with the personnel we have'

Seeing such games out has been a recurring problem for Newcastle during a bruising campaign.

As much as Newcastle have a tendency to retreat and concede late goals, they have repeatedly failed to press home their advantage.

Only Manchester City have scored more goals in the first half than Newcastle (24) in the Premier League this season.

Yet Newcastle have thrown away more points from winning positions (25) than any other team.

No wonder Palace wing-back Tyrick Mitchell "knew we were going to get chances" as his side turned the game on its head late on.

This latest setback has seen Newcastle slip to 14th place and resulted in Howe's future coming under increased scrutiny.

"Sometimes personnel is the only thing that changes something," he said.

"But we have to work with the personnel that we have and we're very proud to do that. We've got a very good squad."

• Latest Newcastle news, analysis and fan views
• Ask about Newcastle - what do you want to know?

The 2026 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and mock drafts are flying every day.

It's been a common sight in mock drafts to see the Washington Commanders select a defensive player with the No. 7 pick. This is certainly possible, but a recent report suggests the team could be looking to trade down or take an offensive playmaker.

To summarize, we don't know what the Commanders will do. One prospect who seems like a perfect fit on paper, though, is Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. The 2025 season proved that the Commanders need a younger, faster linebacker than Bobby Wagner, and Styles is definitely both. As a former safety, Styles has the coverage skills and football IQ to be a leader on defense for years.

However, in draft expert Mel Kiper's latest mock, the Commanders don't have the chance to draft Styles. Instead, the rival Dallas Cowboys jump the Commanders in a trade and select Styles with the No. 6 pick. That would certainly hurt, to see your hated rival jump you and take a player of interest. It's possible, too, considering the Cowboys desperately need a linebacker.

Notably, the Cowboys own the No. 12 pick, and there's (probably) no team between No. 7 and No. 12 other than the Commanders that would take Styles. Not only would the Cowboys land one of the top overall prospects in the draft, but they'd be ensuring he doesn't end up with a division rival.

Meanwhile, Kiper has the Commanders pivoting and selecting Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate at No. 7. Tate very well could be the pick even if Styles is available, because the Commanders do need more pass-catchers. In this scenario, the front office probably wouldn't be all that disappointed.

"Paired with another Ohio State product in Terry McLaurin, Tate would bring clean route running, reliability and some big-play ability. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch last season en route to 875 yards and nine trips to the end zone," Kiper explained. "Considering the Commanders would be relying on Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown behind McLaurin, this makes sense."

Tate would certainly fill a need on the Commanders' roster, but it would still sting to see a player like Styles lining up for the Cowboys.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Cowboys make jump for Styles in new Kiper mock

Dalton Johnson‬: Steve Kerr: "This is why Steph came back. So to everybody out there who thought Steph should have taken the rest of the year off, this is what he does. This is who he is! If he's going to compete, he's going to compete. And it was just incredible to watch."

bsky.app

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Steve Kerr: 'This is why Steph came back'

‪Oh No He Didn't‬: Steve Kerr: "For one night, we're us. We're champions again I know that that may sound crazy to everybody out there, it's a play in game. I don't care"

bsky.app

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Steve Kerr: "For one night, we're us. We're champions …

‪Dalton Johnson‬: Draymond Green tells me his emotions after the Warriors' WILD NBA play-in win against the Clippers: "Anytime you got Steph Curry, you got a chance. So it's on all of us to give him a chance to show his greatness. Everybody did their part."

bsky.app

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Draymond Green: 'Anytime you got Steph Curry, you got a chance'

‪dan favale‬: blake griffin to stephen curry: "it was a lot more fun not watching it in person. i still got ptsd."

bsky.app

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Blake griffin to stephen curry: "it was a lot more fun …

‪Nate Duncan‬: There's nobody like Stephen Curry in a play-in game.

bsky.app

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: There's nobody like Stephen Curry in a play-in game

Ramona Shelburne: “30 did what 30 does. That was the 4th quarter.” Darius Garland on Stephen Curry and the Warriors.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “30 did what 30 does. That was the 4th quarter.” …

Darius Garland: "Not the way we wanted to end this season. But I take my hat off to this group, for real. All 15 guys played their butts off."

x.com

Darius Garland: "Not the way we wanted to end this season. But I take my hat off to this group, for real. All 15 guys played their butts off."

— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) April 16, 2026

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Not the way we wanted to end this season. But I take …

Farbod Esnaashari: Darius Garland on what he wanted to prove after getting traded to the Clippers: "I just wanted to really come out here and prove a point that I'm still one of those guys in this league... Just go on the drawing board this summer, get healthy, see what we can do with a full season."

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "I just wanted to really come out here and prove a …

But in the end, Durant made it clear that the upcoming playoff matchup between the Rockets and the Lakers simply shouldn't revolve around him and LeBron. "It’s always great playing against great players. You feel their presence on the floor even if you’re not matched up with them. But like all basketball players know — and anyone who’s around the game deeply understands — it’s much more than just one player. It’s much more than two or three players. You need a whole group of guys to go out there and win basketball games, especially at this level and especially four times against a team like that," Durant said after the Rockets' Wednesday practice. "So yeah, of course, on the outside looking in, casual fans might see it differently, but people who are in it every day know the matchup is much deeper than that. Yeah, the matchup is definitely fun—two great players who’ve been in the league a long time—but everybody involved in the series knows it’s more than that."

BasketNews

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "It’s always great playing against great players. You …

Benjamin Royer: Didn't realize this until now since it comes down to such a small margin ... but LeBron James put up a career-low in points per game in the 2025-26 season, fewer than his rookie campaign in Cleveland. 2003-04 (his rookie year): 20.936 ppg 2025-26 (his 23rd season): 20.933 ppg

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: LeBron James put up a career-low in points per game in …

Referee Ben Taylor left the play-in tournament game between the Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers because of an injury Wednesday night. Taylor walked stiffly off the court and went up the tunnel behind one basket at Intuit Dome with 8:51 left in the third quarter. He was replaced by alternate referee Sean Corbin after a brief delay. The NBA sends a fourth alternate referee to every postseason game for exactly such a situation.

ESPN

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Ben Taylor left the play-in tournament game between …

On Day 2 of the NFL draft for the last many years, the league has added a little bit of intrigue to keep more casual fans interested in watching. They have done that by having team legends or current stars announce selections for the second and third rounds of the draft.

The Arizona Cardinals announced that in the draft next week, it will not be a past legend like Karlos Dansby, Jim Hart, Deuece Lutui and others. Instead, it will be running back James Conner, who returns to the Cardinals in 2026 on Day 2. He will announce the Cardinals' selections in the second and third rounds. They have the 34th overall pick and the 65th.

Day 2 of the draft will start on Friday, April 24 at 7 p.m. ET, or 4 p.m. Arizona time.

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: 2026 NFL draft: James Conner to announced Arizona Cardinals' Day 2 picks

Through the first three games of the 2026 play-in tournament, each game was a hit, packed with action and drama from start to finish. On Friday night in Los Angeles, the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers followed suit, battling down to the wire in another thriller.

Despite their furious finish, the Golden State Warriors started ice cold. In the opening minutes of the win-or-go-home game, the Warriors found themselves trailing by double figures with the score 12-2. Despite the score, the Warriors continued to find a way to hang around. The Clippers were able to take another nine-point lead in the second quarter. In the third quarter, the Clippers again took a 10-point lead. Yet, they could never completely pull away from the Warriors. In the third quarter, Steph Curry took advantage.

After only scoring eight points in the first half, the All-Star point guard came alive in the third quarter. Curry caught fire, scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field with a trio of triples in the third quarter. One of Curry's 3-pointers came with a foul and a four-point play.

Behind Curry, the Warriors were able to shave the Clippers' lead down to six points and completely swing momentum before the start of the fourth quarter. After Curry's signature flurry in the third quarter, it was Al Horford's turn. The veteran big man was unconscious from beyond the arc in the fourth frame, drilling four 3-pointers to close out the game. Curry added 11 points with two more 3-pointers of his own as the Warriors stunned the Clippers in comeback fashion on the road with a 126-121 win in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game.

Along with leading the team in assists with nine, Draymond Green brought out a signature defensive performance down the stretch against Kawhi Leonard. After the Warriors took the lead with two minutes on the clock, Green forced back-to-back turnovers, sealing the game for the Warriors and ending the Clippers' season.

Curry finished with a game-high 35 points on 12-of-23 shooting from field with seven made 3-pointers to go along with four assists.

Outside of Curry, Horford and Green, Kristaps Porzingis and Gui Santos played key roles in the Warriors' upset win on Wednesday night. Both Porzingis and Santos each added 20 points against the Clippers. Porzingis finished with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting with three made triples, five rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 28 minutes. Santos notched 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes.

The Warriors will now advance to the second leg of the play-in tournament against the No. 7 seed Phoenix Suns. The Suns are coming off a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. The winner of Friday's game will punch a ticket to the playoffs and face the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in round one of the postseason.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors comeback to eliminate Clippers in play-in tournament thriller

It was do or die Wednesday night at Intuit Dome, and the Clippers did not do enough to keep their season alive, blowing a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter and losing to the Golden State Warriors, 126-121.

Having rebounded from a franchise-worst 6-21 start to earn the next-to-last berth in the NBA play-in tournament, coach Tyronn Lue’s resilient bunch could not extend its historic comeback on its home floor.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 35 points, Kristaps Porzingis and and Gui Santos each had 20, and Brandin Podziemski added 17. The Warriors were 19 for 41 from three-point range, with Al Horford hitting four in the fourth quarter.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench while Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland each added 21 points for the Clippers, who won three of the teams’ four regular-season meetings, including a 115-110 victory in the same arena four days earlier. Wednesday night, however, Leonard was held scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final seconds as the Warriors rallied.

The Clippers got off to a hot start, scoring 12 straight points to take a 10-point lead 3:19 into the game, but Golden State used a 12-2 run of its own to tie it and took a 17-16 lead on Curry’s three-pointer just before the seven-minute mark. A 15-5 run put the Clippers back up 31-22 at the end of the first quarter.

Porzingis’ three-pointer from the top of the key put the Warriors in front early in the second quarter, but the Clippers closed the first half with a flourish. The Warriors' Draymond Green got assessed a technical foul, and Leonard made the ensuing free throw to give his team a 10-point lead; the Clippers headed to the locker room ahead 61-53.

Back-to-back buckets by Derrick Jones Jr. pushed the Clippers’ lead back to 10 points with 7:48 left in the third quarter, but again the proud Warriors responded on a rare four-point play by Curry to pull within four. The Clippers pushed the lead back to 11 before Golden State used a 5-0 run to creep within 89-83 heading to the fourth quarter.

Porzingis’ three-pointer whittled the Warriors' deficit down to three with 8:16 left, but Garland’s three-pointer pushed the margin back to eight with 6:36 left. Horford’s final three gave the Warriors a 117-115 lead with 2:12 left. Brook Lopez hit a pair of free throws to tie it with 1:51 left, but Curry, as he has done so many times in his career, sank a three-pointer to put his team up 120-117 with 50 seconds remaining. Green, guarding Leonard, then tipped away the Clippers' inbounds pass out of a timeout, and Podziemski drove for a three-point play as the visitors hung on.

The Warriors’ reward is a flight to Phoenix where they will take on the Suns in a Friday night matchup to decide the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference. The Suns had a chance to clinch the No. 7 seed Monday but lost at home to Portland, 114-110. Should the Warriors prevail they will meet No. 1-seeded and defending champion Oklahoma City in a best-of-seven series opening Sunday on the road.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Hoping to go back-to-back as NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder will get the best of both worlds. It'll be another year where a hopeful deep playoff run is accompanied by another must-watch lottery night.

Thanks to the LA Clippers' 126-121 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament, the Thunder will be gifted another lottery pick. Like the previous ones from LA, this one is rooted in the seismic 2019 Paul George trade in that gift that keeps on giving.

The Clippers are knocked out of playoff contention. They have the 12th-best lottery odds. That means they'll swap with OKC's first-round pick, which will surely be in the late 20s range. Breaking down LA's lottery odds, it has a 1.5% chance to land at No. 1; 1.7% chance to land at No. 2; 1.9% chance to land at No. 3; 2.1% chance to land at No. 4; 86.1% chance to land at No. 12; 6.7% chance to land at No. 13; 0.1% chance to land at No. 14.

Of course, the Thunder have been directly gifted the No. 12 pick in a couple of previous NBA drafts. Most famously, LA gave OKC the No. 12 pick in 2022 when they were knocked out of the play-in tournament. That selection turned out to be Jalen Williams. Pretty, pretty good, I must say.

The 2026 NBA draft lottery will take place on Sunday, May 10. The 2026 NBA draft will take place from June 23-24.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder to receive 2026 NBA draft lottery pick from Clippers

PHILADELPHIA — One mistake on the second pitch of the game could have been the first indicator of a rough night for Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga.

Instead, Trea Turner’s leadoff home run Wednesday night was all the Philadelphia Phillies managed against Imanaga in a dominant outing in the Cubs’ 11-2 victory to secure a series win. Imanaga struck out 11 — tying his career high — in six innings and allowed just two more hits after Turner’s blast. The Cubs (9-9) provided plenty of support for Imanaga, scoring multiple runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings in the blowout.

It was a strong overall performance for the Cubs to kick off a challenging stretch that includes a five-series stretch against the Phillies (twice), New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, the latter two on a West Coast trip to end April.

With back-to-back wins over the Phillies before Thursday’s off day, here are three takeaways from the series at Citizens Bank Park.

1. Nico Hoerner staying hot.

The Cubs second baseman continues to set the tone at the top of the order.

Horner tallied eight RBIs in the Cubs’ consecutive wins with his five Wednesday, setting a career high. He keeps showing how he can do damage multiple ways, whether it was shooting a sinker down the first-base line to drive in two runs in the sixth inning or his two-run home run to center field in the fifth off Phillies lefty Jésus Luzardo.

“There’s some contact that’s more ideal than others, but ultimately, I want to hit the ball flush,” said Hoerner, who went 3-for-5. “I want to hit hard line drives and certain pitches I elevate more naturally than others. But overall I want to hit hard line drives all over the ballpark and swing at good pitches.”

Through 18 games, Hoerner is hitting .324 with a .410 on-base percentage and 159 wRC+. His 18 RBIs are tied for third-most in the majors.

“We’re getting Nico at-bats in the right spot, which is men on base too, and he’s been incredible with that,” manager Craig Counsell said. “The ball down the right-field line with men on base and two strikes, that’s just a Nico at-bat. The home run was a beautiful swing down in the zone. But he’s doing a heck of a job, man. He’s really a machine right now.”

2. Shota Imanaga looking like ’24 version

Imanaga and the Cubs felt confident the work he put in over the offseason and spring training would pay off with better results than his inconsistent, injury-plagued 2025.

Although he’s only through four starts this season, Wednesday’s outing was Imanaga at his best between his pitch mix and command. Imanaga got 26 swing and misses from the Phillies lineup, the most by a pitcher in an MLB game this year. Those 26 whiffs also tie Yu Darvish (Aug. 23, 2020) for the most by a Cubs pitcher in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008).

“There’s this question of where does confidence come from: Do you have to do it, or can you have it?” Counsell said. “I think we were all very confident of what Shota was going to bring to the table from really the first time he threw a bullpen this spring, and he’s pitching at a really high level, and he is really confident right now.”

Chicago Cubs reliever Porter Hodge to undergo season-ending UCL surgery, another injury blow to pitching staff

Imanaga’s 11 K’s gave him his fourth double-digit strikeout game of his career and first since Sept. 16, 2024. The Cubs need the consistency he has shown early. Over his last three starts, Imanaga has given up just two runs, six hits and two walks with 24 strikeouts in 17 innings. With the pitching injuries the Cubs are dealing with, quality starts are vital to preserve a depleted bullpen.

Nights like Wednesday from Imanaga certainly change the outlook of the Cubs rotation if he pitches more like his dominant 2024 version.

“After that (leadoff home run), I felt like my mechanics were really good, there’s something good there,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “And so I stayed calm, didn’t rush myself and just believed in myself.

“Every year I’ve been leveling up, and there’s parts of 2025 that I thought was better than 2024 and for me, this year, it’s about trying to create a new version of myself instead of trying to look in the past, just think about the future.”

3. Offense getting contributions throughout.

The Cubs need more than just Hoerner’s hot hitting to get rolling collectively as an offensive unit.

There were signs in Philadelphia that the lineup might be trending in a positive direction. The Cubs had 15 hits in both Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s victories with 11 multihit games.

Despite Alex Bregman’s struggles to put the ball in the air more consistently with a cleaner bat path, he recorded three hits and three RBIs Tuesday and had another hit and walk Wednesday. Matt Shaw, batting in the No. 9 spot Wednesday, hit three doubles, drove in two runs and scored twice. Dansby Swanson slugged his fourth home run to tie for the team lead.

The contributions up and down the lineup were an encouraging development the Cubs hope carry into their six-game homestand that begins Friday against the Mets.

“I feel like we should go out there and expect to have good at-bats and finally things are starting to fall a little bit,” Shaw said. “It’s awesome to get some momentum and have the boys rolling.”

Leonard has one year left on his deal. According to another league source, the Clippers believe the NBA’s investigation won’t result in significant punishment, and there is no expectation that Leonard’s contract will be voided. But with Leonard’s value re-established, the franchise must decide whether to extend him or explore a trade.

New York Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Clippers don't expect Kawhi Leonard's contract to be voided

Farbod Esnaashari: Ty Lue on Kawhi Leonard's upcoming contract: "I haven't had a chance to think about that after that tough loss. I love the group that we have... Everything is just so fast this season, couldn't really stop and take time to implement what you want to implement."

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Ty Lue on Kawhi Leonard's upcoming contract: "I …

‪Lue is under contract through 2029. Garland is the Clippers’ new point guard of the future. They’re not going anywhere, a league source told The Athletic.

New York Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: ‪Lue is under contract through 2029. Garland is the …

Collins was a great locker-room fit, but the Clippers will have competition for his services if he doesn’t reach an extension before unrestricted free agency. The many adjustments in his role, from position to whether he started, will be something that needs to be considered. Mathurin wants to start, but the Clippers have all the leverage and won’t need to promise anything to a player the Pacers chose not to extend before this season despite being the sixth pick in the 2022 draft. Beal is expected back next season after hip surgery, which will likely require picking up a player option he would have ideally declined if he were healthy. Lopez, Batum and Bogdanović are all great veteran role players, but they all have team options that the Clippers could decline for maximum flexibility. Jones and Dunn are extension eligible. Young rotation players like Miller and Sanders are also on team options, which the Clippers could pick up as part of team-friendly deals.

New York Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Collins was a great locker-room fit, but the Clippers …

Farbod Esnaashari: Chris Paul posted this on Instagram roughly 15 minutes after the Clippers' were eliminated by the Warriors.

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Chris Paul posted this on Instagram roughly 15 minutes after the Clippers' were eliminated by the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/68rpQpfp0t

— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) April 16, 2026

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Chris Paul posted this on Instagram roughly 15 minutes …

Farbod Esnaashari: Ty Lue on Kawhi Leonard's fourth quarter struggles: "I thought Draymond did a good job being physical, denying the basketball, not letting him get to his spots... We didn't execute well with his blitzes."

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "I thought Draymond did a good job being physical, …

Noa Dalzell: Steph Curry on Al Horford, who had 4 straight made threes: "When it's winning time, that's what champions do."

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Steph Curry on Al Horford, who had 4 straight made …

The San Francisco 49ers have a pretty robust linebacker unit at the moment.

The team currently has nine linebackers on the roster, with star Fred Warner returning from a season-ending injury. The rest of the room is rounded out by Dre Greenlaw following his one-year stint with the Denver Broncos, Tatum Bethune, Dee Winters, Luke Gifford, Nick Martin, Garret Wallow, Curtis Robinson and Jalen Graham.

More than likely, the 49ers won't keep all nine on their 53-man roster. But there are five linebackers with starting experience in the group, so who will be the odd man, or men, out?

NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco surmises that the 49ers could move one of their backups before or during the draft to pick up some extra capital. While Warner and Greenlaw are likely safe and Bethune is only in his third season, Maiocco thinks Winters could be a nice trade chip for San Francisco to pick up a Day 3 pick.

"They could get a nice sum for Winters, although he is entering the final year of his contract," Maiocco said. "So he would probably be the most likely guy for the 49ers to trade. He is scheduled to make $3.67 million. So the 49ers could get rid of that salary and pick up, you know, a Day 3 draft pick."

This is all speculation, but the deluge of linebackers and the 49ers' lack of draft picks after the fourth round creates an interesting scenario for the team. However, as the 49ers learned in 2025, it's better to have more linebackers than fewer if injuries hit a room hard.

"So, do they dare even dangle Dee Winters for a trade knowing that, if something were to happen to Greenlaw, they would need him?" Maiocco added. "Or do they feel good enough that, hey, Nick Martin is a player who is signed through the 2028 season. Do they roll with him as the backup?"

These are the questions general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan will be asking themselves as the draft draws nearer. The 49ers have had success with late-round linebackers, though, so perhaps sending Winters, a former sixth-rounder himself, for another pick isn't such a bad idea after all.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL trade rumors: 49ers insider suggests trading Dee Winters

Niall Currie has left his role as Portadown boss with immediate effect with two games of the Irish Premiership season remaining.

Currie took over as Ports boss for a second spell in October 2022 after previously managing the club between 2016 and 2018.

His last game in charge was Saturday's heavy 4-0 defeat against relegation-threatened Crusaders in which Currie criticised his side's "abysmal" performance.

Currie could not prevent the club from being relegated in the 2022-23 season, but he led the Ports back to the top flight at the first time of asking as they won the Championship title the following campaign.

They also reached the BetMcLean Cup final in 2024, but were beaten in the final by Linfield.

He then guided Portadown to an eighth place finish in their first campaign back in the Irish Premiership last season, two points off seventh and a spot in the European play-offs.

The club currently sit 10th with two games left to play, away to Ballymena United on Saturday and away to Bangor on Saturday, 25 April.

The 53-year-old has also managed Dundela, Carrick Rangers, Ards, Loughgall and Annagh United.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Nnamdi Madubuike's status heading into the 2026 season will not significantly impact how Baltimore approaches the defensive tackle position in the draft, emphasizing that the team will continue to rely on its overall board rather than roster uncertainty.

DeCosta noted that while adding young talent along the defensive line remains a priority, the Ravens’ approach at the position will be dictated by value and how the board unfolds.

"So, I would say that Nnamdi [Madubuike]'s status doesn't really affect us that much in terms of like what we're going to do in the draft at the defensive tackle position. So, as you know, we just try to rank the board, and then [we'll select] whoever the best player is at that point in time. Certainly, we would love to get a young defensive lineman if we can. I think it's important to try and do that every single year if we can. It's an important position. We want to get better up front, certainly, on both sides, offense- and defensive-line-wise; it's a priority for us. I think getting a younger player in there who's a talented younger player would be ideal, and it just depends on how the board falls and who's available at that time."

For Baltimore, the emphasis remains on drafting the best available player, with defensive line depth still viewed as a consistent long-term need rather than a reaction to any one player's availability.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens' say NFL draft plans are not tied to Nnamdi Madubuike

Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers guard who has raised his production each season he has been in the NBA, will not be available to play when the Lakers begin their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. He's still recovering from the oblique strain he sustained nearly two weeks ago, and his timetable for a potential return is reportedly estimated at four to six weeks.

But this week, he has been seen getting some shots up at practice. On Tuesday, he took some shots while wearing slide sandals, and on Wednesday, he shot around while wearing sneakers, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. It seemed to signify a small step forward in his recovery.

Los Angeles could certainly use Reaves' ability to hit from the outside, attack the paint, put pressure on the rim and get others involved at some point in the playoffs. During the regular season, he averaged 23.3 points on 49% field-goal shooting and 36% from 3-point range and 5.5 assists a game, and he ascended to second in the team's offensive pecking order.

Of course, Luka Doncic also suffered a hamstring strain on April 2, and his timetable for a possible return is expected to be roughly the same as Reaves' timetable. Doncic traveled to Spain to receive treatment for his injury, and he's expected to be back in the States on Friday.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Austin Reaves was seen on the basketball court on Wednesday

The play-in tournament contest against the Los Angeles Clippers got off on the wrong foot for the Golden State Warriors. In the opening minutes, the Warriors fell down by double-figures, trailing 12-2.

Despite digging an early hole, the Warriors got back into the game late in the first quarter. Helping spark the Warriors' mini comeback run was Kristaps Porzingis. With Brandin Podziemski at the free-throw line, the Latvian big man exploded through the lane and slamed an emphatic putback dunk.

Via @warriors on X:

OH MY GOODNESS KRISTAPS

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/x8cynhRaz5

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 16, 2026

After his early rim-rocking dunk, Porzingis wasn't done. Later in the first half, the veteran big man flew to the bucket for yet another highlight-reel putback dunk. After a Steph Curry missed 3-pointer, Porzingis attacked the rim for another powerful putback dunk.

KP in the clouds 🚀

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/8rObwXPwC1

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 16, 2026

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS PUTBACK JAM 😤 pic.twitter.com/yFaidNzgWT

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 16, 2026

Porzingis finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field in 16 minutes in the first half against the Clippers. The Warriors went into the halftime locker room trailing 61-53.

Stay tuned to Warriors Wire for the latest updates from the play-in tournament.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Kristaps Porzingis hammers pair of putback dunks vs. Clippers

The Chargers have the No. 22 overall pick in the NFL draft and it remains uncertain which direction the front office will go with needs on both offense and defense.

Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated believes the Chargers' dream scenario would be drafting Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane or offensive lineman Spencer Fano out of Utah.

"You know Jim Harbaugh stays up late at night knowing how badly Justin Herbert needs better protection at the guard spots. The Chargers are set at the other spots with tackles Alt and Rashawn Slater and newcomer center Tyler Biadasz," Manzano writes.

"However, L.A. didn’t do enough in free agency to improve the guard position. Fano might be the better choice for L.A. because he can play guard and tackle. After all the injuries last year, versatility is a plus for this team."

The latest Chargers mock drafts have the team focusing on a defensive end, but there are some experts who have the team taking an offensive tackle or wide receiver in the first round.

It's unclear which direction general manager Joe Hortiz plans to go in, but one thing is certain: the results of the NFL draft will either make or break the Chargers' chances of contending in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: What is the Chargers’ dream scenario in the 2026 NFL Draft?

WAYNE, Neb. (USF) – The University of Sioux Falls baseball team dropped both ends of Wednesday’s NSIC road doubleheader at Wayne State, falling 7-4 in game one before a 5-1 setback in game two at Pete Chapman Complex.

The opener turned on one big inning, as the Cougars built a 4-0 lead through four frames before Wayne State answered with a six-run fifth to swing the game. In the nightcap, Sioux Falls was locked in another tight, low-scoring battle, but the Wildcats used a two-run third and continued to add on while holding the Cougar offense to just two hits. Brady Schafer’s early two-run homer highlighted game one, while Justin Johnson accounted for USF’s lone run in game two with an RBI double.

Despite the sweep, the Cougars got solid starting efforts from Owen Weadge and Carter Sehr, with both keeping Sioux Falls within striking distance through the early innings. USF also continued to get on base, drawing 10 walks and producing eight hits over the doubleheader, but timely offense proved hard to come by late as Wayne State’s bullpen and defense closed the door.

Final Score(s):

• Game one: Wayne State 7, Sioux Falls 4
• Game two: Wayne State 5, Sioux Falls 1

Game One – How It Happened

Sioux Falls broke through first in the second inning of the opener. Drew Miller opened the frame with a single before Brady Schafer sent a two-run homer down the right-field line to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. USF added another in the third when William Edwards and Mitch Iliff were both hit by pitches, Miller worked a walk, and Justin Johnson rolled an RBI groundout to short.

The Cougars stretched the lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Cullen Verville singled to open the inning, Nolan Drossel followed with a bunt single, and after Dominic Vogel fouled out trying to move the runners, Edwards drew a walk to load the bases. Iliff then worked a four-pitch walk to force in a run.

Wayne State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on a solo homer, but Weadge limited the damage there and carried the lead into the fifth. That inning, however, changed the game.

A leadoff walk and single put immediate pressure on the Cougar staff before a two-run double to left-center to cut the lead to one. After a strikeout and walk, the Wildcats turned the game around with a three-run homer down the right-field line. Wayne State later added an unearned run on a USF error and an RBI single, capping a six-run inning that pushed the Wildcats in front 7-4.

From there, the Wayne State bullpen took over. They quieted the Cougar lineup across the final three innings, allowing just two hits and no runs. USF put a runner aboard in the seventh after Schafer singled, but a game-ending double play erased the final chance.

Game One – On the Mound

• Starting pitcher: Owen Weadge — 4.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
• Decision: Eli Larson (L, 1-2)
• Bullpen impact: Larson worked the final two innings, but Wayne State’s five-run burst after he entered in the fifth created the difference.
• Notable pitching moments: Weadge stranded traffic in both the first and third innings, while Larson struck out three over two innings despite the decisive fifth-frame damage.

Game One – At the Plate

• Multi-hit games: Schafer (2-for-4), Drossel (2-for-2)
• Extra-base hits: Schafer (HR)
• RBIs: Schafer (2), Johnson, Iliff
• Clutch situations: USF scored in each of the second, third and fourth innings, using Schafer’s two-run shot and Iliff’s bases-loaded walk to build the early 4-0 cushion.
• Team totals: 6 hits, 4 runs, 5 walks, 2 hit by pitch, 9 left on base

Game Two – How It Happened

The second game had the feel of a pitcher’s duel early, with Carter Sehr and Wayne State starter Clement Febus matching zeros through the first inning. USF struck first in the second when Brady Schafer drew a walk and Johnson drove him home with a double to right-center.

That 1-0 edge held until the third, when Wayne State capitalized with two outs. The Wildcats had two doubles before an RBI single through the left side gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.

Wayne State added another in the fourth. A walk, single and another free pass loaded the bases before a hit by a pitch forced in a run and make it 3-1.

The Cougars had chances to answer but could not deliver the timely hit. Edwards walked in the fifth with Iliff adding a single, but USF left both aboard. In the seventh, Verville drew a two-out walk and moved into scoring position, but Iliff was called out on strikes to end the threat.

Meanwhile, Wayne State kept adding small insurance runs. A solo home run to lead off the sixth, and the Wildcats manufactured another in the eighth with a walk, sacrifice bunt, stolen base and before a sacrifice fly wrapped up the scoring at 5-1.

USF’s offense never recovered, managing just two hits in the game and none after Iliff’s fifth-inning single. Wayne State’s staff of Febus combined to hold the Cougars scoreless over the final seven innings and finish off the sweep.

Game Two – On the Mound

• Starting pitcher: Carter Sehr — 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Decision: Sehr (L, 1-2)
• Bullpen impact: Tyler Maeyaert gave USF 2.2 innings with one run allowed and three strikeouts, while Cooper Sanders and Zach Peta combined to cover the late innings.
• Notable pitching moments: Maeyaert escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth after entering in relief, and Sanders worked 1.2 innings before the Wildcats manufactured an eighth-inning insurance run.

Game Two – At the Plate

• Multi-hit games: None
• Extra-base hits: Johnson (2B)
• RBIs: Johnson
• Clutch situations: Johnson’s second-inning RBI double plated Schafer for the Cougars’ only run, but USF was unable to capitalize on later chances with runners aboard.
• Team totals: 2 hits, 1 run, 5 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 7 left on base

Key Cougars (Day Leaders)

• Brady Schafer — Hit a two-run homer in game one and scored the lone run in game two.
• Nolan Drossel — Went 2-for-2 in the opener and helped spark multiple early scoring chances.
• Owen Weadge — Held Wayne State to two hits through four innings and gave the Cougars a chance to build an early lead in game one.
• Justin Johnson — Drove in a run in each game, including the Cougars’ only RBI in the second contest.

Coach’s Corner

“A couple of tough losses today. We got up on ’em in the first game but just couldn’t put ’em away. Had opportunities to blow it open but couldn’t get it done & let ’em hang around & they took advantage & pulled it out…In the second game we couldn’t get nothing going offensively & it showed with us only being able to push across one run. Give their pitchers credit, they did a good job of getting out of a few jams & made pitches when they needed to. Hopefully we get another crack at them in the conference tourney.”
– Head Coach Grant Hieb

Up Next

The Cougars return home this weekend for a three-game NSIC series against Bemidji State at Sioux Falls Stadium. USF and the Beavers will open with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., before closing the series on Sunday, April 19 with a 12:00 p.m. first pitch.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.

Tobin McDuff brings you the latest highlights and scores from around Texoma sports!

BB | (15)Holliday vs Bowie | Jackrabbits def. Eagles 5-4

BB | (10)Iowa Park vs Henrietta | Hawks def. Bearcats 3-2

SB | (21)Petrolia vs Electra | Lady Pirates def. Lady Tigers 16-0

SB | Vernon College vs (23)Weatherford College | Coyotes lead Chaparrals 6-0*

Additional scores can be found inside the full sportscast video at the top of this web story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com.

The Orlando Magic lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 109-97 Wednesday night in the No. 7 versus No. 8 seed Play-In Tournament game.

Philadelphia advances to play No. 2 seed Boston in the first round.

Orlando has one more chance to win a game or their season is over. The Magic will host the No. 9 seed Charlotte Hornets Friday night at the Kia Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 on Amazon Prime.

The winner gets the No. 8 seed and a date with No. 1 Detroit in the first round.

Desmond Bane led all scorers Wednesday with 34 points in a losing effort.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Tim Bontemps: Final: Sixers 109, Magic 97 Behind 31 points from Tyrese Maxey, the Philadelphia 76ers advance to the NBA playoffs, where they'll face their forever rivals, the Celtics, in Round 1. Paolo Banchero had 18 points on 7-for-22 shooting, along with 6 turnovers, for Orlando.

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Tyrese Maxey leads Sixers to win against Magic, clinch 7th seed

Shams Charania: The NBA is fining Charlotte's LaMelo Ball $35,000 for his trip of Miami's Bam Adebayo and upgrading the action to a Flagrant, plus fining him $25,000 for cursing postgame, sources tell ESPN. $60K in fines, Flagrant. No suspension.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: LaMelo Ball fined for tripping Bam Adebayo and cursing postgame, avoids suspension

NBA Communications: Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been fined $35,000 and assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 upon league office review for making unnecessary and reckless contact with Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo that created a significant injury risk, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. The incident occurred with 11:13 remaining in the second quarter of the Hornets' 127-126 overtime win over the Heat on April 14 in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. Ball has been fined an additional $25,000 for using profane language during a live postgame television interview.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been fined …

Nick DePaula: Stephen Curry laces up the “snakeskin” Kobe 4s again tonight in LA. : @SooWavy11 / http://instagram.com/visualsbyave

x.com

Stephen Curry laces up the “snakeskin” Kobe 4s again tonight in LA.

📷: @SooWavy11 / https://t.co/elVzIF8xAbpic.twitter.com/ntLbRlZLdk

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) April 16, 2026

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Stephen Curry laces up the “snakeskin” Kobe 4s again …

Nick DePaula: Franz Wagner is debuting his own Magic-themed PE of the Adidas Dame X tonight

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Franz Wagner is debuting his own Magic-themed PE of the Adidas Dame X tonight pic.twitter.com/EFnuDMTBKT

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) April 16, 2026

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Franz Wagner is debuting his own Magic-themed PE of …

The Los Angeles Lakers' first-round playoff series against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets will begin this Saturday, April 18, at 5:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. It figures to be a tough matchup for the short-handed Lakers, who are without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but one they could perhaps win if they get enough production out of their remaining players.

The dates for each game in this series have now been set, and one thing to note is the three days of rest before Game 2, Game 3 and Game 5. That will help a team like Los Angeles that will have to increase the workload of several players, since that obviously translates into more rest.

Lakers-Rockets full first round schedule pic.twitter.com/1fcZ71Yjw5

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 15, 2026

Coach JJ Redick also said that the space between games will help LeBron James.

“He’s 41,” Redick told reporters. “So, yeah. Any extra time off is good.”

James may not necessarily need to have monster scoring games in this series. But he will need his teammates to play up to their potential, especially offensively, and a couple of guys who don't normally play much, including his son, Bronny, will likely need to produce something tangible in this series.

With Game 6 and Game 7 (if necessary) taking place once the calendar turns to May, one has to wonder if there is any chance Doncic and/or Reaves could return by that time. The general recovery timeframe for Doncic's hamstring strain and Reaves' oblique strain has been estimated at four to six weeks. Both suffered their injuries on April 2 versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Dates for every game in Lakers versus Rockets series are set

As if Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton hasn't done enough in his career (ahem, all-time leading scorer, anyone), he's still winning awards even after the season has concluded.

Case in point, this week, Thornton was honored as the school's Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient, which is handed out to a male and female athlete from each conference institution annually for attaining "the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." So yeah, it's an award that merits on the field and the scholastic, so you can bet mama will be proud.

It's the greatest all-around award an athlete can win in the Big Ten and has been around since 1915. According to a release, the award "celebrates excellence in both academic and athletic arenas, recognizing student-athletes who demonstrate outstanding leadership, academic achievement, and competitive success."

Thornton was one of 11 nominated for the award and came away as Ohio State's recipient. He is the 13th men's basketball player to win the award at Ohio State, and the first since Aaron Craft in 2014. He will be remembered as one of the best basketball players to wear the Scarlet and Gray. He finished his career in first place at OSU in points scored with 2,164 points and was a three-time All-Big Ten performer and earned Honorable Mention AP All-American accolades this past season.

Big time honor for Bruce Thornton 🌰

He’s the Men’s Ohio State Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipient 🗣️@OhioStateHoops | #GoBuckspic.twitter.com/saJzKWuXfP

— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) April 13, 2026

It'll be a little strange not seeing Thornton out there when the basketball season tips off this coming winter, but though he's no longer with the program, his legacy and achievements will live on forever.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State star Bruce Thornton awarded school's Big Ten Medal of Honor

Jaire Alexander Reflects on Ravens Stint, Opens Up About Confidence, “Internal Battles”

Former Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander offered a candid and emotional reflection on his time in Baltimore in a recent Instagram post, opening up about the challenges he faced both on and off the field.

Alexander described the difficulty of navigating a stretch where his confidence began to slip, something he acknowledged is critical to playing the cornerback position at a high level.

“As much as I loved Baltimore , I didn’t love the position I was in . I had a bunch of internal battles with myself, I didn’t have that confidence in my abilities I once did . At corner you need ultimate confidence in your abilities and I felt it slipping away . It was at this moment I contemplated if I was making the right decision for my career . What helped me get through these times was not only God & my family but I had some really cool teammates who made it fun to be there . I felt as if I let the organization down . My family and friends would drive up to see me and I wasn’t even playing in the games . I never questioned God but why me . All this while having a smile on my face . football is a true gladiator sport , and once the confidence has gone it’s time to hang it up . Thank you Flock nation for embracing me. Thank you EDC for believing in me & Thank you for the unlimited therapy sessions I had to encounter to help me with my time there . I am so grateful for the experience .”

The message offers a rare look into the mental side of the game, particularly at a position where confidence and short memory are often the difference between success and struggle. For Alexander, it also served as a moment of gratitude — acknowledging both the support system around him and the organization that gave him an opportunity.

While his time in Baltimore didn’t unfold the way he or the team may have envisioned, the respect and appreciation he expressed stood out. It’s a reminder that behind every roster move is a personal journey — and in Alexander’s case, one he was willing to share openly as he turns the page.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Jaire Alexander shares emotional message on Ravens tenure

Fans are frustrated with LA28. City Council members are battling over billions of dollars and overdue contracts. But in front of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee board of directors, LA28 found support for the private organizing committee’s progress with a little more than two years remaining before the Games open in L.A.

Despite pushback from locals, LA28 leadership, including chief executive officer Reynold Hoover and chief executive officer responsible for revenue John Slusher, spoke to the USOPC on Wednesday about the ticket sale process, explained the superbloom-inspired look of the Games and celebrated the committee’s recent commercial success that surpassed more than $2 billion in sponsorship agreements.

“We were quite encouraged to hear from them,” USOPC chair Gene Sykes said during a conference call Wednesday after a board of directors meeting, “and quite confident in the direction of LA28 from an operational standpoint.”

The private group responsible for bringing the Games back to L.A. for the first time in four decades opened ticket sales this month after attracting a record number of interested fans. The first week of sales — reserved for locals in Southern California and Oklahoma City near competition venues — “significantly exceeded first-week sales for any previous Olympic Games,” LA28 said in a statement.

Read more:Commentary: LA28's first Olympics ticket drop flops, leaving locals locked out of nearby events

But many fans were shocked to see opening ceremony tickets topping $5,000. They complained about a shortage of options for the most in-demand sports and were surprised to see a 24% service fee. Global sales opened on April 9 and many of the problems, including website glitches and unavailable tickets, persisted.

The USOPC board discussed the fee with LA28, and recognized that it is “part of a framework that is a framework they accept," Sykes said, "as opposed to challenging it or trying to make it something different."

The fee is included in the listed price of the tickets, which start at $28. There will be 1 million tickets sold at $28 each, and nearly half of the Olympic tickets are under $200. More than 75% are under $400 and about 5% of tickets are more than $1,000.

“I know they're thinking very, very seriously about how to manage the ticket activity so that it satisfies everybody,” Sykes said.

Read more:Q&A: After LA28's first Olympics ticket drop, what's next and where are those $28 tickets?

LA28 will have 14 million tickets available between the Olympics and Paralympics, which would break Paris 2024’s record of 12 million tickets sold. The current ticket drop, which is open to fans worldwide, ends April 19. LA28 expects to have a second drop this year, but has not released specific details about when.

Ticket headaches have added to a controversial run-up to the Games for LA28, which also faced backlash after chairman Casey Wasserman was mentioned in the Epstein files released in February. The LA28 executive committee backed Wasserman after a review with the assistance of outside counsel. Wasserman announced that month he would sell his talent agency but planned to continue working with LA28.

When asked Wednesday what the USOPC board believed Wasserman’s role with LA28 should be moving forward, Sykes said the organizations have had discussions and are monitoring the “impact on our community.” But it is ultimately the LA28 board’s decision to select its chair. Wasserman was appointed by former Mayor Eric Garcetti to lead the Olympic effort in 2014.

“Separate from the LA28 board … LA28's leadership Reynold Hoover and John Slusher, but many other people among the hundreds of people who work for LA28 have continued to assemble a very strong team,” Sykes said, “and show measurable progress on all the fundamental things that they need to do to make the Games a very, very strong Games, and have a remarkable experience. We remain very confident that that progress is both evident and very solid and that [it] will involve the planning with partners, athlete engagement, public support and corporate interest, all of which remain very strong, and I think, very encouraging. The ongoing committee is executing effectively, and we're very happy to work with them.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

New Baltimore Ravens safety Jaylinn Hawkins recently joined Kay Adams on the “Up and Adams” show, and the conversation turned to Lamar Jackson—both the challenge of facing him and the outside narrative that defenses may have started to figure him out.

Hawkins made it clear that, from a player's perspective, Jackson still presents a problem that doesn't have a clean answer once the play breaks down and he starts extending things beyond structure.

"Like I said, he could do it all. Like you just don't know what you going to get. Like you can be in coverage for like maybe four to maybe 10 seconds cuz he going to run around scramble and throw a bomb, you know? There's just so much he can do or you may have everybody covered and he can scramble from like 20 to 30 yards, you know, and he can extend the drive like he can just do everything. Like he's electrifying and he's a great player."

When it was suggested that teams may have “figured out” Jackson, Hawkins pushed back in a more measured way, leaning on the idea that opinion doesn't change what shows up on tape.

"That's I mean you just got to let people, you know, everybody gonna talk and say what they got to say. Um, you know, and everybody has their own opinions and I feel like the for the most thing, you just let the tape talk."

Ravens S Jaylinn Hawkins isn't buying the idea that the league has Lamar Jackson figured out… 😂@Lj_era8 | @heykayadamspic.twitter.com/aw1lxV4izB

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 15, 2026

For Hawkins, the evaluation is ultimately straightforward—what matters most isn't the discourse around Jackson, but the reality of defending him snap after snap in live action.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Jaylinn Hawkins praises Lamar Jackson’s game-changing style

Apr. 15— The Riverland Community College baseball team split a doubleheader with Ridgewater as the Blue Devils won the opener 8-5, but dropped the nightcap 7-5 at Seltz Field Wednesday.

Rolan Figueroa had a homer and four RBIs in game one for the Blue Devils (23-10 overall) and Southland grad Austin Swenson drove in three runs.

RCC 8, Ridgewater 5

RCC pitching: Blake Hershberger, 3 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 K; Justin Joriman (W) 3 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 2 K; Riley Jax (S)

RCC hitting: Raul Martinez, 1-for-3, 2 R, BB; Peyton Ransom, 1-for-4; Ben Helfer, 0-for-1, 2 BBs, R; Austin Swenson, 2-for-3, 3 RBIs, R; Roland Figueroa, 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBIs, 2 R; Christiaan Koehler, 1-for-3, RBI

Ridgewater 7, RCC 5

RCC pitching: Ethan Doll, 2 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 K; Ryan Hall, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 K; Ben Zahm (L) 1 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 1 K; Travis Kirtz, 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 K; Melvin Ortiz, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R

RCC hitting: Martinez, 1-for-4, R; Ransom, 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 BBs; Carson Gehrke, 1-for-3, double, 2 RBIs, R, BB; Ben Helfer, 1-for-4, double, 2 RBIs; Swenson, 1-for-3; Ethan Mott, 1-for-3, RBI; Koehler, 0-for-2, BB

Here are the local scores from Tuesday, April 14.

BASEBALL

Churubusco 11, Fairfield 6

Fairfield tried to rally but fell short at home Tuesday against Churubusco. The Eagles scored the game’s first seven runs before a four-run fifth inning put the Falcons within three. Lucas Miller was 2-of-2 at the plate, driving in a run and scoring once himself. Miller also pitched four innings and allowed three unearned runs without giving up a hit. Fairfield is now 1-3 this season, 0-1 NECC.

Whitko 11, Wawasee 3

Wawasee dropped to Whitko Tuesday night. The Warriors scored three runs in the first inning before the Wildcats pulled away with the win. The Warriors are now 0-2 on the season.

Garrett 4, Westview 3

A three-run seventh inning did Westview in as the Garrett Railroaders walked off the Warriors. Brendan Miller and Elijah Zolman both tallied two hits for the Warriors. Zolman pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit, walking five but striking out nine in 103 pitches. Westview falls to 0-3, 0-1 NECC.

SOFTBALL

John Glenn 21, Concord 4

John Glenn and Concord combined for nine runs in the first inning, but an 11-run seventh inning put the Minutemen away in the Falcons road win in Dunlap. Glenn recorded 21 runs off 23 hits and eight Concord errors. The Minutemen are now 0-2 on the season.

Churubusco 11, Fairfield 0

Fairfield was out-hit 16-5 and was held off the scoreboard in Tuesday’s conference loss to Churubusco. Jayna Copen was the lone Falcon to record two hits with three others also securing a base-knock. Fairfield falls to 2-2, 0-1 NECC.

Wawasee 7, Columbia City 6 (8 inn.)

Wawasee walked-off Columbia City Tuesday night in Syracuse. The Warriors allowed four runs in the first inning but scored two runs in the first, fourth and eighth innings and out-hit the Eagles 15-9. Melissa Bontrager finished 3-of-5 at the plate with three doubles and two RBI’s. MariJo Bontrager also had three doubles and drove in two runs as well. Chasity Kelich earned the win on the bound, pitching a complete game and striking out three. Wawasee is now 2-3 on the year.

BOYS GOLF

Elkhart 149, Fairfield 169, Concord 203

Fairfield and Concord placed behind and good Elkhart squad at Elcona Country Club Tuesday. The Falcons finished 20 shots behind the Lions and 34 in front of the Minutemen to earn the split. Scoring for Fairfield was Jake Elliot (38), Ben Kio (41), Jayce Smith (42) and Brett Schrock (48). Scoring for Concord was Kolton McCloughen (43), Tristan Crowder (52), Owen Stone (53) and Alex Nixon (55). Fairfield opens the season 1-1 while Concord starts 0-2.

Trinity Greenlawn 152, Goshen 180, John Glenn 214

Goshen split a matchup with Trinity Greenlawn and John Glenn Tuesday at Knollwood Country Club. Individual results for the RedHawks had not been reported by publication.

Northridge 151, Warsaw 158, Mishawaka Marian 163

Northridge picked up two nonconference victories Tuesday at Meadow Valley over Warsaw and Mishawaka Marian. The Raiders earned two narrow victories and were led by medalist Cooper Kropf, who shot an even 36. The three other scorers for the Raiders were Kaden Miller (37), Brady Riegsecker (39) and Owen Kaehr (39). Northridge begins the season 2-0.

GIRLS TENNIS

Bethany Christian 4, Central Noble 1

Bethany Christian opened its season with a 4-1 win over Central Noble Tuesday. The varsity-experienced Bruins won both doubles points with the teams of Adrienne Chupp and Cori Chupp (1D: 6-1, 6-2) and Valeria Torres and Ellie Hirschler (2D: 6-2, 6-1). The Bruins also won at No. 2 singles with Rachel Hirschler (2S: 6-1, 6-0) and at No. 3 singles with Brianna Moser (3S: 6-0, 6-0). Bethany is now 1-0 on the season.

Fairfield 4, NorthWood 1

Fairfield earned a tough win over NorthWood Tuesday night in Benton. You can read more on the Falcons victory in the full story posted to our website and linked above.

GOSHEN — A junior varsity start for Goshen sophomore Aaron DeMott over the weekend was just to get the feet wet. The real opportunity was saved for Wednesday.

After throwing a no-hitter in his JV start last Saturday, DeMott dealt again at the Goshen Baseball/Softball Complex Wednesday against Jimtown. In five innings and 67 pitches of work, the underclassman allowed three hits and struck out seven in a spotless showing on the scoreboard. It was his first-ever varsity appearance.

“He looked awesome,” head coach JJ DuBois said. “That was kind of our goal the whole preseason was get him a JV start because I just wanted to get him settled in for the year. We were planning on using him [today] so it was nice for him to get a quality start out here.”

Goshen defeated Jimtown 11-3 Wednesday evening to improve to 3-1 on the season and send the Jimmies to 2-2. The RedHawks beat Jimtown last season on the road 10-3. This showing was not as close as the scoreboard showed, despite both teams tallying six hits.

The hosts scored in all but the second inning, taking a 7-0 lead after five innings before DeMott left the mound and Goshen briefly let their opponents back into the game. A four-run inning in the bottom of the sixth put the game out of reach for an easy seventh inning.

Baserunning was a mix of good and bad, but Goshen had no trouble plating runs nonetheless.

“Aggressive,” DuBois said when asked about the decision-making on the basepath. "Which, I tell them I want them to run the bases fearlessly. I want them to put pressure on teams and make them throw it around. Sometimes it worked, oftentimes it did not. Braxton [Cline] didn’t tag up on one and he just totally forgot how many outs there were. I told him he gets one mistake all year and hopefully it’s just one. He does everything else for us so well though.”

Cline, one of the more dangerous and consistent hitters in northern Indiana, finished the day 1-of-2 at the plate, driving in two runs and also scoring twice. He scored runners off a sacrifice fly to the wall in the first inning and took a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. A run also scored when his liner to shortstop glanced off a defender’s glove for an error.

Goshen led 2-0 after one inning. Following Cline’s sac fly was Colton Rapp, who scored off a bouncer to shortstop off the bat of Bryson Wilson. Wilson made it safely to first and Rapp touched home while Jensen Meikle distracted the defense with his self-inflicted pickle between third and short.

He would get into another pickle later on between first and second, helping Goshen plate another run.

“We talk about getting into the pickle as long as you can so we can score the run,” DuBois said, taking blame for the second instance. “All that chaos going on, [Meikle’s] got no idea what else is going on but we just preach them to stay in it, stay in it, stay in it. He did a good job.”

Jimtown starter Landon Garretson struck out Goshen’s bottom of the order in the second but allowed another run in the third before losing his no-hitter in the fourth. Sophomores Manny Pizana and Brycen Eaton collected base-knocks in the fourth to give Goshen a 5-0 lead.

DuBois credited the baserunning in that instance.

“We’re also trying to test some stuff like that on the base path and see what we are capable of,” DuBois said. “We were stealing bases really well and I think we had some really good jumps. That’s going to have to be a staple for us if we’re going to be successful.”

DeMott was pulled after five innings and holding a 7-0 lead. Junior Deivis Freitez came in for relief but was flagged for three balks and an error on a throw to first, helping the Jimmies score thrice. Goshen would add four runs in the bottom of the frame to make up for it before junior David Castillo came out and shut things down in the seventh.

“Just to manage [him] honestly,” DuBois said about DeMott’s exit. “Early in the year, I don’t want to overdo it with pitching. We thought we had a game where at least we felt like we’re in control of how things are going. Now, we lost it for a second, but we thought we were in a pretty good spot so we got some other guys that hadn’t thrown in.”

Rapp finished the game 1-of-3 at the dish, driving in two runs and also scoring twice. His triple screamed off the bat and scored Cline from first in the fifth inning.

“It’s huge; someone has to protect [Cline],” DuBois said about his cleanup hitter. “Colton does such a good job for the most part. When he doesn’t try to swing too hard or get big, he does a really good job. Sometimes he gets too confident and swings out of his shoes but teams are going to figure out that Braxton is going to get his hits so they’re going to try and pitch around him. If we have guys that can do damage behind him, we’ll be in good shape. Hopefully that’s what Colton can do.”

Senior Bray Hoag appeared with a boot on his right foot Wednesday. Hoag was recently injured, meaning Goshen is thinner on the pitching side.

“We’re still hopeful that Bray will maybe be back by next week and see where he’s at, but if not, we really like what Aaron can do. He’s kind of our other starter there. I think he’ll work himself back in. I don’t know if JV is going to see him much more.”

Goshen returns to the diamond this Friday when the RedHawks resume play against Elkhart. The Lions had opened up a 4-1 lead over Goshen in the top of the fifth before play was paused due to weather. The game will resume Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Goshen Baseball/Softball Complex. The RedHawks will then travel to LaPorte for a doubleheader Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.

------------

PREP BASEBALL

Jimtown – 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 3; 0 – 3; 6; 3

Goshen – 2; 0; 1; 2; 2; 4; / - 11; 6; 1

Records: Goshen (3-1), Jimtown (2-2)

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers began their postseason run on Wednesday night as they played host to the Orlando Magic in the 7 vs. 8 matchup in the play-in tournament. The winner advanced to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed while the loser prepared for a win-or-go-home situation in a second play-in game.

The Sixers entered this one with Joel Embiid sidelined, but they were able to lean on Tyrese Maxey and their veterans to step up and get the job done in this situation. Philadelphia walked away with a 109-97 win over the Magic to advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed and set up a date with the Boston Celtics in Round 1 starting on Sunday.

Maxey had 31 points and six assists for Philadelphia, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 points, and Paul George added 16, five rebounds, and five assists. VJ Edgecombe had 19 points and 11 rebounds while Andre Drummond chipped in with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Tyrese Maxey: A

The star guard put his head down and attacked this Magic defense early and often. There were some struggles in the early going as he had to battle through Orlando’s physicality, but once he found a rhythm, he was able to get the scoreboard moving for Philadelphia. His 3-point shooting in this one was a big help as he was able to get himself going and cause problems for the Magic all night. He was living in the paint, spreading out to shooters, and was tough on the defensive end as well. He made some big plays in the fourth to help Philadelphia seal it. This was a big Maxey game on a night they needed it.

VJ Edgecombe: A-minus

Playing in his first postseason game, Edgecombe made an impact in a number of ways. He was able to get to the basket and finish, was tough and physical on the defensive end, and was helpful on the glass. There were some miscues as Orlando’s guards bothered him at times, but Edgecombe played tough as he was able to make an impact. He and Magic guard Jalen Suggs got into it in the third after Edgecombe finished on the break, but the rookie did not back down and continued to attack. For his postseason game in this environment, he was terrific.

Paul George: B-plus

After a slow start, George found a spark in the second quarter. He was able to get into the mid-range and give the Sixers a bucket there as well as knock down a tough 3-pointer over a good Magic contest. He was judicious with his shot and did a great job of finding his teammates. It wasn’t a big night in terms of his scoring, but the 9-time All-Star contributed in a number of ways between his playmaking, defensive ability, and leadership out on the floor.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: A-minus

The Sixers needed a big Oubre night and he gave those big moments. He knocked down three big 3s in the early going to allow Philadelphia to get off to a hot start and he was battling on the defensive end against Banchero and the variety of other Magic players he had to defend. He had success getting into the paint and finishing as well as he used his herky-jerky style to finish over Orlando’s length.

Adem Bona: C

This was a tough matchup for Bona. The Magic employ a frontline that features some physical players who have a lot of size and length and it seemed to bother him. To his credit, he had three fantastic blocks in the third quarter, including one when Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. tried to take him off the dribble. The fouling in the fourth was a problem, however.

Andre Drummond: A

The Sixers turned to Drummond early and he made an immediate impact. He was able to attack the glass, finish with his offensive rebounding, made plays with his passing, and protected the basket. He was terrific in every sense of the word in his initial stint. His size was a real strength for Philadelphia in this one as he gave the Sixers a little bit of everything off the bench, including some 3-point shooting.

Dominick Barlow: B-minus

Playing in his first postseason game as well, Barlow had an early dunk when he cut baseline and converted on an opportunity. He moved his feet well defensively as he was able to make an impact on that end. He bothered the Magic every time they tried to get into the paint and he was able to help on the glass. Barlow did get into foul trouble, but he was able to give the Sixers some production.

Quentin Grimes: C-plus

Grimes took some wild shots in this one, but when he put his head down and attacked the basket, he was able to give the Sixers a big lift. He had some terrific finishes inside and battled through contact in an effort to give Philadelphia some offense.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Tyrese Maxey, Sixers beat Magic to advance to playoffs

The NFL Draft is almost here, and the noise is only getting louder. Mock drafts are flying in from every direction. Eagles Wire recently dropped its own, one that adds Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Eli Stowers, and Malachi Fields to the Philadelphia Eagles' nest, among others. Opinions are stacking on top of each other. Most, however, agree on what the Eagles' top needs are as the selection meeting approaches. From the offensive line to edge rusher... From safety to wide receiver and tight end. There's no shortage of ideas about how Philadelphia should approach the 23rd overall selection.

Recently, CBS Sports' Jared Dubin added his voice to the conversation, identifying five prospects who could make sense for Philadelphia in Round 1 at the 23rd selection. Here's a closer look at those names, along with some added intel.

1. Max Iheanachor, offensive tackle, Arizona State Sun Devils

Max Iheanachor is a traits-based prospect with plenty of upside. Still relatively new to football, he’s developing technically, but his size and movement skills give him the foundation of a future starting tackle.

2. Dillon Thieneman, safety, Oregon Ducks

Dillon Thieneman offers reliability and versatility. He's a steady presence who can contribute in coverage and against the run, making him a strong candidate to step in and stabilize the back end of a defense. He'd certainly be an upgrade to the last line in Philadelphia's defense.

3. Kenyon Sadiq, tight end, Oregon Ducks

Kenyon Sadiq brings modern versatility to the tight end position. He can line up all over the formation and create mismatches, offering immediate value as both a receiver and a developing blocker. He's also a burner, having notched a historically good 40-yard dash time for tight end prospects at the most recent NFL Combine.

4. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety, Toledo Rockets

Stop us if you have heard this before. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a physical, playmaking safety with a knack for forcing turnovers. His connection to former Toledo Rockets standout Quinyon Mitchell only adds to the intrigue, as Philadelphia continues to explore that pipeline.

5. Blake Miller, OT, Clemson Tigers

Blake Miller is a steady, experienced tackle with the tools to develop into a long-term starter. His consistency in pass protection and familiarity with a pro-style system make him a relatively safe projection.

With so many viable paths available, the Eagles aren't locked into one direction. That's what makes pick 23 so fascinating. The board will dictate the decision, but if this list proves anything, it's that Philadelphia will have options, and plenty of them.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: CBS Sports names five potential Eagles targets at pick 23

North Carolina reserve center Ivan Matlekovic has entered the transfer portal, becoming the latest Tar Heel to seek a move, Inside Carolina reported Wednesday.

The 7-footer from Sisak, Croatia, spent his only season at UNC in a limited role, appearing in four games and logging seven total minutes before a hand injury ended his season in January. He scored his only points of the year on a basket in the Tar Heels’ 99-51 win over East Carolina on Dec. 22.

Matlekovic transferred to North Carolina after his freshman season at High Point, where he appeared in five games. Before coming to the United States, he played two seasons for HAKK Mladost Zagreb in Croatia’s Prva Liga.

North Carolina reserve forward Ivan Matlekovic has become the most recent Tar Heel to enter the transfer portal, On3 confirmed Wednesday night.

More: https://t.co/giG1wEfmHjpic.twitter.com/6C2oCUEZp5

— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) April 16, 2026

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Tar Heels lose reserve center to transfer portal

The San Francisco 49ers recently hosted Oregon offensive lineman Alex Harkey for a Top 30 visit, but that is only a portion of their meetings with the former Ducks player. While Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo reported the Top 30 visit, San Francisco Standard reporter David Lombardi added that the 49ers also interviewed Harkey at the NFL Scouting Combine, as well as conducted a Zoom interview with the prospect.

This doesn't necessarily mean Harkey is a clear draft target for the 49ers, but they've certainly done their due diligence on the prospect. And for good reason — while Harkey played mostly tackle in college, he has experience at guard and even started as a tight end. He also told teams he'd be willing to play center if necessary. That's why Melo wrote that teams "believe he has true 5-position versatility."

And, as Lombardi noted, 49ers general manager John Lynch is close with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. That connection surely helps with the evaluation of a player.

As for Harkey himself, the 24-year-old stands at 6-foot-5 and 313-pounder and is expected to be a mid-to-late Day 3 pick. He's started just 26 games over the past two seasons, but has six years of collegiate experience, starting with two years at Tyler Junior College before a year at Colorado and two years at Texas State, before he joined the Ducks in 2025.

Adding someone like Harkey late gives the 49ers ample time to develop him into a player they could use throughout the offensive line. The only real starting role available is at left guard, but Harkey would need to get comfortable with the position before he stepped into any starting role.

In any event, this is just another example of the 49ers looking into the offensive line. They also met with Travis Burke, Kadyn Proctor and Caleb Lomu, the two of whom are considered first-round prospects.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL draft: 49ers, OL Alex Harkey met multiple times

CHICAGO — For Skylar Diggins, the weeks of free agency leading up to her decision to sign with the Chicago Sky created a rare moment of reframing.

More than 80% of the league was out of contract in anticipation of the newly signed collective bargaining agreement. For months, every team took on an amorphous shape with no guarantees except for the players left on their rookie contracts. Players essentially were provided with a week to sit down with teams for serious discussions, then make a decision. Ahead of her 12th WNBA season, Diggins said this offered a unique situation to sit back and reevaluate the entirety of the league — and how she saw herself within it.

After playing her entire career on the West Coast, Diggins wanted to come home. The guard grew up in South Bend, Ind., less than two hours from Chicago, and starred at Notre Dame. As the mother of 3- and 7-year-old children, Diggins felt herself drawn to the prospect of playing with family in the stands.

But the pitch had to be more than just proximity to home. Diggins, 35, wants to lead a team. More importantly, she wants to lead a winning team. To land their new starting point guard, general manager Jeff Pagliocca had to convince Diggins that the Sky and coach Tyler Marsh could provide that opportunity.

Diggins acknowledged the risk she’s taking by joining a team fresh off two losing seasons — “A little bit of it is a leap of faith,” she said — but didn’t waver in her confidence.

“I’m bought into the vision,” Diggins said Wednesday during an introductory news conference at The Metropolitan. “I’m not just coming here saying this is the end or whatever for me. I want to play some good basketball. I still have a lot to go as far as what I feel like I can do, especially with this team.”

Pagliocca was incredibly high on the team’s prospects for landing free agents, but Diggins is experienced enough not to put too much stock into the hopeful projections of a front office before the negotiation window actually has opened. The guard felt confident enough investing in the foundation of the Sky’s plan, which centered on a partnership with center Kamilla Cardoso.

But as free agency opened, Diggins also gained additional confidence from the prospective players the Sky seemed poised to acquire. She shares an agency with Rickea Jackson, which gave her an inside track on the possibility that the forward might be traded to the Sky. And Diggins also knew that forward Azurá Stevens was dead set on signing with the Sky long before free agency opened.

“She was telling everybody pretty much that would listen that she was going to Chicago,” Diggins said with a laugh.

When all the chips fell, Diggins ultimately felt Pagliocca had succeeded in assembling a competitive roster that made sense with herself at the helm. The Sky prioritized two-way players, which fit the defensive-minded approach Diggins brings to the game.

The guard also feels the Sky landed on the correct balance of personalities in the roster. She knows her reputation as a commanding team captain who isn’t afraid to confront coaches or teammates when a team is falling short.

“Everybody that knows me knows I challenge my teammates around me,” Diggins said. “I wouldn’t say I’m an easy teammate, but I’m a good teammate because I’m going to challenge you.”

On this roster, Diggins trusts that this leadership style will be met with enthusiasm — and that her fellow veterans can help to set and enforce that standard.

Fellow point guard Courtney Vandersloot is similarly demanding of both herself and teammates. Guard Rachel Banham brings levity to a locker room. Center Elizabeth Williams is “always the adult in the room.”

“We’re not a monolith,” Diggins said. “We need the diversity.”

Diggins knows leadership will be necessary to reestablish the Sky as a competitive team.

They won only 10 games last season. They won 13 games the year before that. The Sky have not made the playoffs since the 2023 season. On the court, they visibly struggled to create any cohesive style of play while cycling through three coaches in three seasons.

But Diggins believes that can change — and quickly.

“Our standards have to be strong,” Diggins said. “Because if we have strong standards, then that demands respect. We’re not going to get punked. I’m the chief of security right here. It’s just our identity. Who are we going to be?”

This free-agency cycle was also a crucial first step in recalibrating player perception of the Sky as an organization. For years, the franchise has struggled to attract free agents and retain top talent. The construction of a new training facility will help to alleviate some of those concerns, but the Sky’s problems went deeper than resources.

Marsh said this required the team to start “tough conversations that have been had behind closed doors” and make internal adjustments as a result. Pagliocca said Sky ownership spent the offseason working to invest in continued improvements that would make the team a free-agent destination well beyond 2026.

This resulted in an explosive free-agency cycle — with Diggins at the heart of it all.

“Players are aware of the negative things that get said on the daily,” Marsh, 38, said. “We’re all engaged in social media. We’re aware of it. But Skylar’s been around this league a long time to know the fake from the real. There’s a reason why she wanted to be here. Being close to home helps, but you’ve also got to be able to trust the people that you’re going into war with.”

____

The San Francisco 49ers have met with a lot of 2026 prospects in the weeks leading up to the draft. From receivers to offensive linemen to edge rushers, general manager John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan should have a good sense of who they'll pick at No. 27.

And at some point during the pre-draft process, the 49ers met with potential first-round edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, according to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson. The UCF product is a projected to be selected late in the first round or early in the second round — a prime spot for the 49ers' first pick.

The 22-year-old Lawrence has 20 sacks, 28 tackles for a loss, 72 combined tackles and three forced fumbles in his career. He stands at 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, and NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared him to Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah endorsed this move, saying in his pre-draft news conference that Lawrence would be an ideal fit in the 49ers defense.

"When you talk about guys who fit that scheme, you've got to feel their juice off the edge and (Lawrence), he brings that," Jeremiah said. "The run [stopping] stuff, he's got to get a little better. There's times he gets stuck at the point of attack. He needs to improve. But if you told me Malachi Lawrence, you could handpick him to play in one defense, I'd send him to San Francisco."

The 49ers need edge-rushing support. Nick Bosa and 2025 first-round pick Mykell Williams are recovering from ACL injuries and Keion White is recovering from an off-field gunshot wound. San Francisco, if anything, needs bodies on the defensive line, and Lawrence could be a Day 1 impact starter for Raheem Morris' defense.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Malachi Lawrence had a pre-draft visit with 49ers

Apr. 15—GRAND FORKS — The Pittsburgh Penguins did not ease Jake Livanavage into his first NHL game.

The former UND defenseman took the ice first in warmups and did the traditional rookie lap, skating by himself for 30 seconds at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

Then, the Penguins treated him like anything but a rookie.

Livanavage played 25 minutes, 14 seconds — more than any other player on the ice — during Pittsburgh's 7-5 loss to the St. Louis Blues.

Livanavage also ran Pittsburgh's first power-play unit and was on the ice when Pittsburgh pulled the goaltender at the end of the game to try to get the tying goal.

"It's obviously what you dream of, growing up as a kid," Livanavage said. "To kind of have it out of the way and done with, it's unbelievable. I can't thank the guys in the locker room enough and the Pittsburgh organization as well. It was awesome."

It was Pittsburgh's last regular-season game. The Penguins will now move into the playoffs, but because Livanavage was signed as an undrafted free agent after the NHL's trading deadline, he is not eligible to play in the playoffs.

Penguins coach Dan Muse praised Livanavage after the game.

"He played well," Muse said. "You can see the skating, confident with the puck. Early on in the game, too, I think first shift, good stick detail, disrupts a play. Then, a couple of shifts later, a couple of good plays on breakouts, some little subtle things. I thought you saw that confidence build. He did a good job getting into the game."

Livanavage played three seasons at UND, earning All-American honors as a sophomore and junior.

He led the Fighting Hawks to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Penrose Cup and to the NCAA Frozen Four this season. UND's year ended with a 2-1 loss to Wisconsin in the Frozen Four semifinals last Thursday.

Livanavage signed his NHL deal in the hours following the game.

"It's never an easy thing for a guy playing his first NHL game," Muse said. "No real team practice. You're jumping right into the fire. I thought he found his way into the game really well."

Livanavage was asked what he could take from his NHL debut.

"Everything that comes with the experience," Livanavage said. "Getting that game under my belt, just knowing the style of play, the pace that it's played at. Just move forward with it, take it with me in the summer."

Livanavage became the 114th former UND player to play in an NHL game and the third to make his debut this spring.

Forward Sacha Boisvert debuted with the Chicago Blackhawks last month, while defenseman Abram Wiebe debuted with the Calgary Flames on Saturday. Wiebe has now played three NHL games.

Livanavage is the fifth undrafted UND player to make an NHL debut in the last decade, joining Matt Kiersted, Cole Smith, Troy Stecher and Drake Caggiula.

His parents, Amy and Jim, and brother, Johnny Walker, attended the game in St. Louis.

"They obviously mean the world to me," Livanavage said. "I wouldn't be here without them. It's just super incredible and special to share this moment with them."

Apr. 15—GRAND FORKS — UND's top scorers, seniors Ben Strinden and Ellis Rickwood, have signed professional contracts and will soon begin their professional careers.

Strinden signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, the top minor-league affiliate of the NHL's Nashville Predators. His contract will start next season. He will finish this season on a tryout deal.

Rickwood signed a one-year deal with the Texas Stars, the top affiliate of the Dallas Stars. His contract also starts next season. He will finish this year on a tryout deal.

Both played starring roles in helping UND win the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Penrose Cup as regular-season champions and reaching the NCAA Frozen Four.

Strinden, of Fargo, had a breakout senior season. He scored 15 goals and tallied 35 points in 38 games. Strinden was a seventh-round pick of Nashville in 2022.

Rickwood, who came to UND as a transfer from Clarkson, led UND in points, tallying nine goals and 37 points in 35 games. He centered one of UND's top two lines all season. Rickwood was an undrafted free agent.

In Austin, Rickwood will reunite with his old Clarkson linemate, Ayrton Martino.

Five players from the 2025-26 UND team have now signed professional deals.

Defensemen Abram Wiebe

(Calgary Flames)

and Jake Livanavage

(Pittsburgh Penguins)

have already made their NHL debuts.

Winger Dylan James

signed a two-year deal

with the Detroit Red Wings beginning next season. He will finish this season on a tryout deal with their top affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

James and Strinden, teammates of the last four years, could go head-to-head on Friday night. Grand Rapids plays at Milwaukee.

The longest-running fundraising event for West Virginia University athletics keeps going.

The WVU Coaches Caravan will kick off May 4, and one of the stops will be at The Resort at Glade Springs. About 20 officials from the WVU athletics department will be at the venue on Wednesday, May 6. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the event will start at 6 p.m.

Southern West Virginia has been hosting a stop on the caravan since 1970, and this will be the 54th.

“It would have been 56 but Covid knocked us out a couple of times,” said Jim Ferguson, a member of the Mountaineer Athletic Club who organizes the event.

Among those who have been confirmed to appear are head football coach Rich Rodriguez, head men’s basketball coach Ross Hodge and head women’s basketball coach Mark Kellogg, as well as Director of Athletics Wren Baker.

There will also be coaches from the Olympics sports, depending on availability.

WVU football and men’s basketball play-by-play announcer Tony Caridi will emcee the event. Caridi, who has been in that capacity since 1997, will be three days removed from receiving the Morehouse Award from the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

Also, the annual Mountaineer Spirit Award will be presented by Reese Allen, who on Friday will officially become the 71st Mountaineer Mascot. He will be presented the rifle by current mascot and Midland Trail graduate Cade Kincaid during the annual Passing of the Rifle ceremony.

Ferguson said there will be a tailgate outside the white tent at the Glade Springs event with hamburgers and hot dogs. Other food and nonalcoholic beverages will be available. Legal beverages must be purchased.

Individual tickets are available for $50, and tables seating 10 are available for $750.

Tickets can be purchased by going to mountaineerathleticclub.com and clicking on Events.

We're one week away from the 2026 NFL Draft, and some trends are beginning to develop among those in the know. Three separate mock drafts from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., The Athletic's Dane Brugler, and The Ringer's Todd McShay each have the same conclusion -- predicting the Dallas Cowboys trade ahead of the New Orleans Saints for a top defensive prospect. But are the Saints really as big a threat to pick Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles as Dallas may fear?

While the Saints did lose Demario Davis in free agency, they signed his replacement (and his former backup) in Kaden Elliss, who is expected to man the middle linebacker spot on early downs while getting ample opportunities to rush the quarterback in obvious passing situations. Pete Werner and Danny Stutsman should compete for the other starting job in Brandon Staley's 3-4 defense, with Chase Young and Carl Granderson lining up outside.

So it's probably not New Orleans worrying Dallas about whether or not they can get their guy. Odds are Styles would not get past the Washington Commanders (at No. 7), the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9), Cincinnati Bengals (No. 10), and Miami Dolphins (No. 11), to say nothing of other teams that may want to trade up for him. But with almost every team ahead of the Saints looking to trade down, it's telling that the No. 6-picking Cleveland Browns are seen as the match for the Cowboys moving up from No. 12.

Given the unique makeup of this year's draft class -- players like Styles, his Ohio State teammate Caleb Downs, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love are all seen as talents at non-premium positions -- it makes sense that teams want to trade down. There may not be the high-end pass rushers and quarterbacks teams covet. Maybe the Saints should look into trading down to get more picks, too.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Final mocks have Cowboys trading ahead of Saints

NEW YORK – Ronda Rousey went off like never before, and this time her anger was aimed not at the UFC, but at UFC women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison.

Rousey, a former WWE and UFC star, went on a lengthy rant after being asked about Harrison's recent comments on "Death Row MMA" podcast at a press conference on Wednesday promoting her upcoming MMA return against Gina Carano – which is set to go down on MVP's first MMA card live on Netflix on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

Harrison took issue with Rousey calling her fight against Gina the biggest fight in women's MMA, and called her "irrelevant." These comments didn't sit well with Rosuey.

"Gina is so relevant that she's the whole reason why the 145-pound division even exists; I'm so irrelevant that the only reason she has a job is because of me," Rousey shouted on the microphone. "Kayla is so irrelevant that she couldn't even keep the 145-pound division around. And honestly, she's just sour because no matter what she does or what she accomplishes, she can't change the fact that she has the charisma of a wet towel and will always be under me and Gina's shadow. So the next time she wants to talk sh*t, she should look down at her feet and consider who paved the road she's walking on. Oh, wait! She can't look down at her feet because she's too busy holding on to the belt and a neck brace."

Although both are considered women's MMA legends, neither Rousey nor Carano has fought in a good bit. Rousey, 39, returns to MMA competition after almost 10 years since her last fight. On the other hand, Carano, 43, hasn't fought since 2009.

Regardless, Rousey insists she's about to have the biggest women's MMA fight of all time, and threw shade at Harrison's expected title defense against women's MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes. That fight was originally scheduled as the co-main event of UFC 324 in January, but was canceled due to a neck injury Harrison suffered that required surgery.

"Her and Hunter (Campbell) trying to act like her upcoming fight is being booked as the biggest women's fight, then why is being booked as a co-main for a men's interim title fight?" Rousey said. "The b*tch isn't even bigger than Paddy 'The Baddy.' No offense to Paddy. I think he's got more potential than anybody in the UFC, and he should call me when his contract runs out.

"Here's another contradiction I found a kicker. If she thinks her fight is the biggest women's fight of all time, then why is she getting paid less now than I was 10 years ago? So riddle me this, b*tch: are you overvalued or underpaid?"

Rousey believes her fight with Carano is more than just the biggest fight in women's MMA. She thinks that this bout is a revolution in MMA. Rousey has been very intentional about criticizing UFC fighter pay, which has long been a hot topic in the sport, and she feels this MVP MMA card will open up future opportunities for fighters to get better paid.

"This is not just the biggest women's fight of all time; this is the biggest fight of all time that's going to get the most views on the biggest platform on a card with the biggest stars and will be headlined by two women who dared to dream big," Rousey said. "And this dream will bring more opportunities and greater revenue for fighters than ever before because this fight is bigger than just me and Gina and anybody on stage; it represents an unstoppable force of change in this industry, spearheaded by the fighters themselves. Bet your f*cking ass this is the biggest fight of all time."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ronda Rousey goes off on 'sour' Kayla Harrison in fiery rant

Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer really appreciated New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel's fair approach to the game.

The veteran offensive line spent time with Vrabel during his run with the Tennessee Titans, which means he got a front-row seat to see what sets him apart from other coaches.

Vrabel took the Titans all the way to the AFC Championship Game in his second year with the team in 2019. And last season, in his first year as the Patriots' head coach, he led the team all the way to Super Bowl LX. It takes a special coach to pull off those feats.

"It was amazing, man. It was 10 out of 10," Brewer said on being coached by Vrabel on NFL Spotlight. "Any day of the week, any time, hats off and nothing but respect for Mike Vrabel. ...He don't care where you came from, what round you was drafted, undrafted, drafted—it's black and white with him. It's nothing in between.

"He go off how you work and what you put on tape. He going off exactly what he seeing. So you just got to respect him in that matter, cause It don't matter where you come from. It don’t matter how big you are, how strong you are, fast—it's all about what you can put on that tape and your mentality out there."

Brewer signed with the Titans as an undrafted rookie free agent and worked his way up to becoming a full-time starter for the team. He has gone on to earn the starting center job for the Dolphins as a direct rival to Vrabel's Patriots.

Vrabel is viewed as one of the greatest player-coaches in the league, and it's clear that he has made a lasting impact on a lot of athletes, including Brewer.

His incredible ability to connect with his players is a big reason why the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl in Year 1 of a rebuild. He is an elite evaluator of talent and clearly one of the best coaches in the NFL.

Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Rival player admits Mike Vrabel is '10 out of 10' head coach

LOS ANGELES — Jackie Robinson may not have played at Dodger Stadium, but make no mistake, his influence is as much a part of one of baseball’s most storied ballparks as the World Series trophies and the sweeping views of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

His influence extends for miles all over the Los Angeles area, stretching from Pasadena, where he grew up, to Westwood, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, football and track at UCLA. His boyhood home on Pepper Street has been preserved by the Pasadena Historical Society. There are monuments dedicated to him in Pasadena and beyond, and numerous fields named for one of baseball’s most impactful heroes.

Where the Bruins play, there is both — a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson that sits near the entrance of Jackie Robinson Field, adjacent to the UCLA campus.

There is extra meaning for some when it comes to playing in Los Angeles on Wednesday, when the league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day.

“It’s special to wear his jersey here,” Mets second baseman Marcus Semien told the New York Daily News this week. “Jackie is from this area, Jackie is an L.A. guy. I get to play a position he played a little bit of.”

These things exist all year round, yet they get all shined up for the one day a year when baseball recognizes the anniversary of the historic day in 1947 when Robinson broke the sport’s color barrier. April 15 is celebrated every year to ensure his legacy lasts and that inclusivity in sports continues.

“It’s about helping the next generation,” Semien said. “I think about the youth in the game, players who maybe look like me. I hope to inspire them to play this game because it’s changed my life and it’s opened a lot of doors for me as a Black player.”

We all know his story, though we’ll never truly understand his burden.

Some of his own teammates in Brooklyn threatened to sit out. The St. Louis Cardinals threatened to strike and plan a league-wide lockout. He was derided by fans and became the target of hard slides and cheap shots from opponents.

Branch Rickey and Leo Durocher, the Dodgers’ general manager and manager, took great pains to protect Robinson, but protecting him from all of the vitriol was an impossibility. Still, Robinson became one of the best players of his generation, possibly of all time, showing tremendous mental fortitude to go along with his elite athleticism.

“Some things none of us will ever understand,” Semien said. “The only thing we can do is appreciate it to make things a lot smaller for us. I always looked at the level of play that he actually played on the field as an MVP. People talk about him being the first player, but he was an MVP, and he was such a quality player. Just a special, special talent.”

Even Latinos were separated by skin color before 1947. Cuban-born Adolfo Luque was light-skinned enough to play in the National League in the early 1900s. But a decade after he left the game, Cuban-born Minnie Miñoso was playing in the Negro Leagues. Miñoso, like many other Afro-Latino players of that era, went to the major leagues after the color barrier fell.

“It means a lot, especially for me as a Latino because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “We talk about dealing with pressure at this level, but imagine what he dealt with, or the pressure that he dealt with back in the day.”

Robinson’s relationship with MLB and the Dodgers became fraught later in his life, in part because of what he felt was a lack of support for Black managers and coaches. He made it so that Black players and Afro-Latino players could succeed at all levels of the game, but he wasn’t seeing them ascend to the highest personnel levels after they stopped playing.

Just nine days before his death at age 53, he made his final public appearance in baseball, throwing out the first pitch at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium before Game 2 of the 1972 World Series. He told the world what he wanted to see.

“I’m extremely proud and pleased to be here this afternoon, but I must admit I’m going to be tremendously more pleased and more proud when I look at that third base coaching line one day and see a Black face managing in baseball,” he said.

Wednesday night, those who watch the game on ESPN will see diversity just about everywhere. They’ll see Mendoza in the Mets dugout, a Venezuelan manager and one of only three skippers born in Latin American countries or territories. In the Dodgers’ dugout, they’ll see manager Dave Roberts, who is African-American and Japanese. The game’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, is Japanese.

Representation matters, whether it’s in Los Angeles, New York, Cincinnati or anywhere else in the world where kids want to play baseball. It’s what Robinson spent his life fighting for, and what baseball is responsible for carrying forward.

“There will never be another like him. We will never go through what he went through,” said Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. “It’s gratitude. A lot of gratitude.”

PHILADELPHIA — The Chicago Cubs have lost another pitcher for the season.

Right-hander Porter Hodge, who had been dealing with a flexor strain since early in the spring training, suffered a setback in his rehab and will undergo season-ending ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) surgery Monday. Right-hander Cade Horton is scheduled to have his elbow surgery Thursday. Dr. Keith Meister will perform both procedures.

The extent of Horton’s and Hodge’s surgeries and potential timeline for their return won’t be known until Meister goes in and determines the level of damage to their UCLs.

“My process is probably very similar for both guys where you just immediately feel sorry for the player, but then you process, OK, who’s up next, and you kind of have to move on quickly mentally,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Wednesday. “It kind of sounds coldhearted, but that’s the nature of the job that we’ve had a lot of injuries early on. The season goes on, the games go on, you have to find replacements. And sometimes I look at it as an opportunity that maybe a guy steps up we didn’t expect and then when everyone gets healthy, all of a sudden you have another reliever you weren’t counting on.

“But it’s certainly been a trying time for us from an injury standpoint, and we just have to fight through it and try to get healthy.”

The Cubs hoped Hodge, 25, would be an important part of the bullpen following a disappointing 2025 when he had a 6.27 ERA in 36 appearances and missed time with injuries. Hodge showed his potential during his 2024 rookie season, posting a 1.88 ERA and nine saves in 39 games.

“He’s super talented, he’s physical, has a great fastball and great slider when he’s right and he hasn’t quite been right really since I guess last May, and so maybe that’s a big part of it,” Hoyer said. “And some guys come back even better from this. So unfortunately we won’t have him for a while, but hopefully he bounces back strong.”

The Cubs are trying to survive this challenging stretch as they have been decimated by pitching injuries. The organization will evaluate if there is anything they can identify to explain the volume of injuries so early in the season, but, as Hoyer noted, a lot of pitchers get hurt these days.

“We’ll do a deep dive and see if there’s a commonality to the injuries,” Hoyer said. “I feel like the last couple years coming out spring training we haven’t had these issues and then all of a sudden this year, we’re 17 games in, and we have this many injuries. So I certainly hope the pace slows — and hopefully we can get some of these guys back and start the process of kind of rebuilding that.”

They have 10 pitchers from their 40-man roster on the injured list. That group does not include top prospect Jaxon Wiggins, who went on the IL at Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday with right elbow inflammation. Manager Craig Counsell said the Cubs believe Wiggins should be OK after giving his arm a little down time. The Cubs don’t want Wiggins to throw until he’s asymptomatic, whenever he gets to that point.

“With everyone early in the year, you need to be conservative,” Hoyer said. “I mean, I think that’s with a lot of these guys, there’s zero benefit of pushing guys early in the season when we have hopefully six-plus months to play.”

Counsell provided multiple injury updates on sidelined pitchers before Wednesday’s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies.

RHP Hunter Harvey

Harvey (right biceps inflammation) hasn’t been doing much activity since landing on the IL last week. Counsell said he will need more than the minimum 15 days, adding there’s “no bad news, we’re still in the same place, but probably more in the strengthening mode right now.”

RHP Phil Maton

Maton (right knee tendinitis) continues to improve each day and is in a good place with his knee. The plan is for Maton to throw off a mound during the upcoming homestand and see where that leads. Maton hasn’t stopped throwing since being placed on the IL a week ago. “It’s really a matter of how long does it take to get the arm back to game condition, essentially recovery condition, where he can recover enough to be a member of the bullpen,” Counsell said.

LHP Jordan Wicks

Wicks (left elbow inflammation) is at Iowa and scheduled to pitch Saturday. He has been sidelined since early in spring training and has been in buildup mode the last few weeks. Wicks’ return would give the Cubs much-needed starting pitching depth at Iowa.

LHP Matthew Boyd

Boyd (left biceps strain) will join Iowa for a rehab start Thursday in Columbus, Ohio, putting him on track to come off the IL to rejoin the rotation. Counsell said that lines up Boyd to start “probably Wednesday-ish” against the Phillies at Wrigley Field.

RHP Trent Thornton

Thornton (Achilles tear), who signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs in the offseason that brought him to camp as a nonroster invitee, is heading to Iowa, where he will throw a few more simulated games. Counsell estimated Thornton, 32, is about a week away from getting into Triple-A games. Thornton had a 4.68 ERA in 33 games for the Seattle Mariners before suffering a torn left Achilles at the end of July.

RHP Kyle Wright

Wright (right shoulder strain) came into spring training as another potential bounce-back arm after dealing with injuries the last couple of years, including a right shoulder issue and oblique injury last year. Wright remains in Arizona throwing in sim games, which means he is still in the early stage of his throwing-program buildup.

For the next seven to 10 days, Counsell won’t be able to fully go with the best matchups out of the bullpen with five lefties and just three right-handers available. Triple-A depth is starting to get healthy, too, with right-hander Corbin Martin coming off the IL on Sunday after dealing with back spasms and getting into Tuesday’s game, while right-hander Collin Snider (arm fatigue) is expected to pitch for Iowa in the next day or two.

“There’s being opportunities created for other guys, and through this process, we’re going to find some guys that are going to help us this year and so that’s how you’ve got to look at it, that’s what’s going on,” Counsell said. “There’s some guys that have already made you take notice a little bit, and that’s a great thing, that’s a positive out of all this.”

Offensive line isn't a clear need for the Los Angeles Rams, but there are some who believe the team should invest in the position at some point in the 2026 NFL draft to shore up one of the most important positions in the game.

While the Rams might not use their No. 13 overall pick on a lineman, there will be plenty of other opportunities to add depth throughout the draft. Whether or not they do remains to be seen, but The Athletic's Scott Dochterman believes Iowa center Logan Jones would be a great fit for L.A. if they went in that direction.

Jones (6-3, 299) has the measurables that will give some teams pause, especially those who prefer mass and power at the point of attack. Plus, as a pure center, Jones has limited position flexibility. But what he does well, he does at a high level.

As a four-year starter at Iowa, Jones followed his predecessor, Tyler Linderbaum, in moving from defensive line and built a similarly sterling career as a first-team All-American. Jones, however, is faster than Linderbaum — his 4.90-second 40-yard dash was the seventh fastest ever recorded by a center at the combine, just behind Jason Kelce. Jones also holds Iowa’s squat record (705 pounds), and his 470-pound hang clean ranks second only to Tristan Wirfs’ 500-pound explosion.

That quickness and explosiveness come out on video in Iowa’s zone scheme, which is identical to the Rams’ style of play. Jones is cerebral and technically sound enough to start on day one for a Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan style of play, without needing to put on more weight.

Current starting center Coleman Shelton is in the final year of his two-year deal, and while he was solid for L.A. in 2025, the team may want to find a long-term replacement at the position in the years to come. While he is a bit undersized, he has the experience and the collegiate pedigree that translate well at the next level.

Jones is expected to be in the third or fourth round, so he could be a target for L.A. with the No. 93 pick.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL draft: Analyst thinks center Logan Jones is a great fit for Rams

Greensburg hosted EIAC foe Rushville Tuesday to open the week. Led by the 1-hit outing of pitcher Luke Hoeing, the Pirates cruised to a 10-0 victory against the Lions.

Hoeing pitched 5.0 innings, allowing just the one hit and no runs with five walks and five strikeouts.

Greensburg opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Ayden Sefton scored on the Chase Walsman double. Colt McCalvin followed with an RBI single to left field to put the Pirates in front 2-0.

In the bottom of the third, the Pirates scored five runs. Ethan Smith was hit by a pitch. After Smith stole second base and went to third on a passed ball, Logan Meyer followed with an RBI single. Walsman reached on a Rushville error.

With two outs, Hoeing doubled to right field. Ethan Bishop was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jacob Duerstock drew a walk to score Walsman. Zayden Miller then cleared the bases with a 3-run double to put Greensburg up 7-0.

Rushville's lone hit came in the top of the fourth inning off the bat of Josh Campbell.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Smith singled to lead off the inning. He stole second and third bases and scored on a wild pitch to give Greensburg an 8-0 lead.

In the home-half of the fifth inning, Hoeing reached on an error and came around to score on a Bishop double to right field. With one out, Miller brought in the game-winning run with an RBI single.

Miller led the Pirates' offense with a single, double, triple and four RBIs. Bishop and Walsman both had an RBI and a double. Hoeing added a double. Smith, Meyer (RBI) and McCalvin (RBI) all added a single. Duerstock also had an RBI.

For the Lions on the mound, Carter Woolf pitched 2.2 innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and one walk with one strikeout. Casey Thompson pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts.

Greensburg won the junior varsity contest 12-4.

South Decatur 8, Milan 4

The host Cougars rallied from a 3-1 deficit to double up Milan 8-4.

Milan scored one run in the top of the first inning. South answered with a run in the bottom of the second inning. JP Scudder drew a 1-out walk and Brayden Gerrian was hit by a pitch. Both Cougars move up a base on the steal and Scudder scored on Karson Templeton's sacrifice fly.

After Milan scored two runs in the top of the third, South took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third. Corey Nugent scored on a Cayden Drake single to left field. Carter Tull scored on a passed ball and JP Scudder's sacrifice fly drove in Drake for the 4-3 South lead.

The Indians plated another run in the top of the fourth inning.

South put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Tull reached on an error to score JP Scudder. Grady Scudder provided a 2-run single. Drake then reached on another Milan error to score a run and make the final 8-4.

South only had four hits in the game. Drake led the way with two singles and two RBIs. Grady Scudder singled and drove in two runs. Tull added the other single. JP Scudder and Templeton both had one RBI.

On the mound for South, Drake pitched 5.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six. JP Scudder pitched 2.0 innings, allowing no earned runs on one hit while striking out four.

Union County 16, North Decatur 9

The offenses were on their game Tuesday as Union County played host to North Decatur. The Patriots scored in every inning except the sixth and went on to the 16-9 victory.

The Chargers scored five runs in the first inning. Wyatt Reisman opened the game with a walk. He went to second and third bases on wild pitches and came in to score on Matthew Fields' ground out. With the bases loaded due to walks to Tyler Dean, Eli Trenkamp and Henry Kinker, Kipton Ruf's fielder's choice plated another run.

After a walk to Hayden Koehne, Gage Gabbard cleared the bases with a 3-run triple to give North a 5-0 lead. Union County scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Reisman opened the second inning getting hit by a pitch. Fields followed with a home run to right field. Dean followed with a single, but was out at second on Trenkamp's fielder's choice. A double by Kinker had runners at second and third. Trenkamp scored on a wild pitch and Kinker scored on a double by Gabbard.

Union County scored 12 runs in innings two through six to lock down the win.

At the plate for North, Fields singled, homered and drove in three runs. Ruf had a single and RBI. Kinker added a double and RBI. Dean added a single. Gabbard drove in three runs to go with a triple and double.

North added two runs in the second inning.

East Central 1, Batesville 0

East Central's Brayeden Reis singled to score Ben Bond in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Trojans a 1-0 victory against Batesville.

Dane Dudley pitched 5.2 innings for Batesville, allowing no runs on three hits and one walk while striking out 11. Ronan Post pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one earned run on two hits and one walk while striking out one.

Dudley and Post both singled for the only two hits for the Bulldogs.

Batesville's junior varsity was defeated by the Trojans 18-1.

Braden Hochstetler pitched 2.1 innings for Batesville, allowing four earned runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one.

Brody Rudolf, Hochstetler (RBI) and Max Meyer each collected one hit for Batesville.

Columbus North 10, Batesville 6

Tuesday, the Bulldogs of Batesville traveled to Columbus North to take on the Bull Dogs. The host squad led 5-0 and stretched the lead to 10-2 en route to the 10-6 victory against Batesville.

On the mound for Batesville, Jake Schornick pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one earned run on one hit. Brayden Maple pitched 1.0 inning, allowing no earned runs on two hits and one walk while striking out three. Max Meyer pitched 4.0 innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits and two walks.

Extra base hits by Batesville came off the bats of Jackson Peetz (double), Ronan Post (double) and Dane Dudley (double). Peetz led Batesville with two RBIs. Post, Dudley and Meyer all had one RBI. Preston Blessing finished with three singles and one RBI. Tiago Batta, William Huber and Noah Weigel all had a single. Maple had three singles and Dudley had a single and double.

Greensburg opened the softball week’s schedule hosting EIAC foe Rushville Monday. The Lady Pirates scored one run in the first inning, four in the second inning and five in the fourth inning en route to the 10-0 victory.

In the bottom of the first inning, Greensburg’s Harper Adams led off with a single. Addyson Dolan hit into a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Aubrie Barnes-Pettit singled. Tinley Klene followed with an RBI double to right field to put Greensburg up 1-0.

In the bottom of the second inning, Kamryn Haas drew a walk and Kirkley Lowe singled. With one out and with Lady Pirates on second and third base, Layla Murray’s ground out scored Haas. After a walk to Adams, Dolan doubled to push the Greensburg lead to 4-0. Barnes-Pettit was walked and Klene’s single scored Dolan to make it 5-0.

Rushville’s lone hit was a double off the bat of Becca Tabeling in the top of the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Greensburg pushed across five runs. Murray scored on a Barnes-Pettit ground out. Makayla Kieffer tripled to score Alexis Dolan and Addyson Dolan. Haas blasted a home run to center field to push the lead to its final margin 10-0.

Greensburg’s Adams pitched 5.0 innings, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk while striking out 15.

Extra base hits for Greensburg came from Addyson Dolan (double), Klene (double), Kieffer (triple) and Haas (home run). Klene, Kieffer and Haas all finished with two RBIs.

In the circle for Rushville, Althea Tellas pitched 3.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out four. Tabeling pitched .1 inning with a walk and a strikeout.

Tuesday, the Lady Pirates shut out Rising Sun 4-0.

Harper Adams pitched all seven innings for Greensburg, allowing two hits while striking out 15.

At the plate, Klene doubled and drove in one run. Addyson Dolan singled and drove in two runs. Layla Murray added an RBI. Emma Herbert and Aubrie Barnes-Pettit both had a single.

South Decatur 20 Oldenburg 5

South Decatur scored early and often in Monday’s home contest against Oldenburg Academy. The Lady Cougars scored five runs in the first inning, six runs in both the second and third innings and three runs in the fourth inning en route to the 20-5 victory.

The Lady Cougars pounded out 22 hits. Dalilah Martin tallied two singles, a double, a triple and four RBIs. Lilly Murray finished with two singles, a double and two RBIs. Raegan Benge added a single, double and two RBIs. Riley Benge and Lyndsey Shireman both had two singles, a double and two RBIs. Carly Shook added two singles and three RBIs. Lily Huey had a single and a double. Jocelynne Collins doubled and drove in one run. Samantha Cole and Lanie AmRhein both had a single. Teghan Pittman added an RBI.

Riley Benge pitched 5.0 innings for South, allowing two earned runs on two hits and five walks while striking out 13.

North Decatur 16 Jac-Cen-Del 4

Good pitching and solid offense propelled the Lady Chargers to a 5-1 record with a 16-4 win against Jac-Cen-Del.

Brynlee Green pitched 4.0 innings, allowing one earned run on one hit and four walks while striking out three. Brooklyn White pitched 1.0 inning, allowing no earned runs and no hits while striking out two.

North finished with 11 hits in the game, including three extra base hits. Macie Leake was 3-for-3 at the plate with a single, two doubles and three RBIs. Madison Rohls finished with a single, triple and one RBI. Green added a pair of singles and two RBIs. Kendall Hostkoetter tallied two singles and an RBI. Carmen Thackery and Haylee Schoettmer both singled and drove in one run. White finished with two RBIs.

North Decatur’s track and field teams hosted a 3-team meet Tuesday with Morristown and Oldenburg Academy also competing.

For the girls, Morristown won the team title with 67 points. The Lady Chargers were second with 58 and Oldenburg finished with 31.

For the boys, the Yellow Jackets took first with 64 points. The Chargers were second with 47 and the Twisters were third with 43.

North took first place in eight events. Here is a look at North’s event results.

First place

Chargers’ 4x800 relay team of Harper Gunn, Michael Gomala, Conner Goolsby and Jackson White – 9:41.28

Sarah Moeller – 100 hurdles (16.50)

Miley Scudder – 100 (12.41), long jump (14-11.5)

Harper Gunn – 1600 (4:54.68)

Lady Chargers’ 4x100 relay team of Sarah Moeller, Layla Fellows, Keiran Lusk and Miley Scudder – 54.69

Jackson White – 300 hurdles (42.37)

Mason Kunz – high jump (6-0)

Sophie Rohls – high jump (4-10), discus (97-1)

Second place

Lady Chargers’ 4x800 relay team of Ellie Johnson, Mallory DeHaven, Ava Lecher and Norah Amberger – 12:21.16

Michael Gomala – 400 (57.00)

Ava Lecher – 400 (1:06.74)

Eli Weisenbach – 300 hurdles (46.44)

Norah Amberger – 800 (2:53), long jump (14-3.5)

Mason Kunz – long jump (18-4.5)

Evan Cherry – discus (110-2), shot put (39-2.5)

Third place

Deegan Orozco – 100 hurdles (20.70)

Ellie Johnson – 1600 (6:57)

Malachi Baltus – 400 (1:00)

Sarah Moeller – 300 hurdles (54.24)

Hayden Goolsby – 200 (24.72)

Adam Wade – 3200 (12:38), high jump (5-4)

Chargers’ 4x400 relay team of Eli Weisenbach, Malachi Baltus, Harper Gunn and Jackson White – 4:08.03

Lady Chargers’ 4x400 relay team of Keiran Lusk, Norah Amberger, Ellie Johnson and Ava Lecher – 5:13

Miley Scudder – high jump (4-4)

Avery Weisenbach – long jump (13-11)

Charlie Parmer – discus (109-4), shot put (37-8)

Fourth place

Riley Rosenberger – 100 hurdles (19.20), 300 hurdles (56.82)

Branden McBride – 100 (11.90)

Mallory DeHaven – 1600 (7:13)

Keiran Lusk – 400 (1:14.96)

Ellie Johnson – 800 (3:09.26)

Sarah Moeller – 200 (29.44)

Jayden Lawrence – 3200 (12:58)

Emerson Gunn – 3200 (16:07)

Melanie Hart – high jump (4-4)

Simon Barber – long jump (16-10.75)

Nolan Barber – discus (100-1)

Ellie Metz – discus (85-5)

Sophie Rohls – shot put (23-0)

Batesville

Batesville’s track and field teams traveled to South Dearborn for a 4-team meet.

The Lady Bulldogs won the team title with 116.5 points followed by Madison 74.5, South Dearborn 31 and Franklin County 18. The Bulldogs posted 86 points to get the win. South Dearborn was second with 61 followed by Franklin County 49 and Madison 45.

First place

Ella King-shot put (39-5) and discus (103-4)

Maggie Jelinek-100 hurdles (18.18) and 300 hurdles (50.69)

Maycee Holtkamp-high jump (5-2)

Ava Wade-800 (2:28.02)

Jayla Bedel-1600 (6:04.71)

Caitlin Raver-3200 (13:17.12)

Levi Essick-3200 (11:01.52)

Griffin Koester-800 (2:08.87)

Girls 4x800 relay (10:12.07)-Bayleigh Demaree, Paige Allgeier, Jayla Bedel and Ava Wade

Girls 4x400 relay (4:13.81)-Maggie Jelinek, Bayleigh Demaree, Paige Allgeier, Abby Miller

Boys 4x800 relay (9:01)-Cannon Clark, Cash Myers, Levi Essick and Griffin Koester

Boys 4x400 relay (3:31.54)-Cannon Clark, Cash Myers, Griffin Koester and James Rowland

Second place

Reillee Adams-100 hurdles and 300 hurdles

Abby Miller-100, 200

Abrey Webering-1600, 3200

Isabel Meyer-pole vault

Paige Allgeier-800

Bayeigh Demaree-400

Zadiin Small-long jump

Camden Kaiser-shot put

Gavin Britch-110 hurdles

Lukas Lovins-300 hurdles

James Rowland-400

Girls 4x400 relay B team-Maycee Holtkamp, Francesca Myers, Jayla Bedel, Ava Wade

Boys 4x100 relay team-Liam Wagner, Tyler Malone, Noah Davis, Gavin Britch

Third place

Leah Meyer-discus

Jade Martin-100 hurdles

Francesca Myers-400

Nick Tirado-high jump

Jeff Gerstbauer-shot put

Camden Kaiser-discus

Zadiin Small-100

Cash Myers=400

Gavin Britch-100 hurldes

Lukas Lovins-300 hurdles

Girls 4x100 relay-Magge Jelinek, Isabel Meyer, Maycee Holtkamp, Jenna Goldsmith

Boys 4x100 relay B team-Kaden Lamping, Dylan Shane, Lukas Lovins, Isaac Butz

Fourth place

Paige Allgeier-high jump

Jenna Goldsmith-long jump

Reillee Adams-pole vault

Jade Martin-1600

Dakota Helcher-long jump

Brody Gibson-3200

Cannon Clark-1600

Zadiin Small-pole vault, 200

Nick Tirado-110 hurdles, 300 hurdles

The Hurricanes bolstered their 2027 offensive line class on Wednesday evening.

Three-star offensive lineman Tyler Ford committed to Miami on Wednesday, becoming the third offensive lineman in UM’s class. Ford committed to the Hurricanes over offers from Auburn, Duke and Florida, among others.

Ford, a Gainesville, Georgia, native, is listed as the No. 59 offensive tackle and No. 661 player in the 2027 class.

Ford, who is listed at 6-5 and 325 pounds, played left tackle at Gainesville High.

Ford recently visited Miami and impressed the coaches with his football IQ, a UM source said. Ford has been on the Hurricanes’ radar since offensive line coach Alex Mirabal watched him practice during his junior season, the source said. Miami’s staff views Ford’s power, foot speed and character as positive traits.

The Hurricanes have two other offensive linemen in the 2027 class: four-star prospect Sean Tatum and three-star prospect Zaquan Linton. Miami’s class currently has 10 recruits and ranks fifth in the nation.

The comeback of the positional value of safeties is apparent in the 2026 NFL Draft, a movement Mike Macdonald helped pioneer.

From his days as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator to his first two years as the Seattle Seahawks head coach, he championed the position among the coaching ranks to worthy applause. The Ravens defense became the modern standard in 2023, Macdonald got hired to build the Seahawks in his image, and they won a Super Bowl shortly after.

His foundation in both defenses was to secure the middle of the field first. He invested in the interior defensive line of both teams first, secured high-quality linebackers that could play in all facets of the game, and forced teams to the perimeter in the passing game. His most revolutionary idea that’s changed the game, though, came in the form of the personnel he’d choose for his safeties.

His first ever draft pick as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator was Kyle Hamilton 14th overall, and in his second draft with the Seahawks, he traded up to select Nick Emmanwori 35th overall. Both had an incredible ceiling as safeties, but were overlooked due to the argument of positional value.

Now, there’s another safety being lauded as one of the best prospects in the draft, and teams are swearing off making that same mistake. Take a look at this text Peter Schrager posted from an NFL general manager today:

Text from a respected NFL GM in response to a heated discussion we had on "The Schrager Hour" over whether a team can really take a safety (Downs) in the top 5 in 2026:

"Throw positional value out this year."

Food for thought.

— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 15, 2026

With Caleb Downs a consensus top-5 player in the draft, general managers are willing to say,  “Throw positional value out this year.” But it’s not just about Downs and the top 10.

In the NFL Stock Exchange’s latest mock draft, just as many safeties went in the first round as cornerbacks (three apiece) and two safeties- Downs and Dillon Thieneman- went before a single cornerback did. This is unprecedented compared to recent drafts. In the last five first rounds, there have been 20 total cornerbacks and 4 total safeties taken.

Some will say it’s just a banner year for safeties, with Downs, Thieneman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren all outliers at the position, and that’s also true. But Hamilton and Emmanwori paved the way for outliers at the position to be valued properly. When all three of the former are likely drafted higher than Emmanwori next week, they and Macdonald will be laughing to themselves, knowing the impact they’ve had in teams throwing positional value out the window.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Safeties are valued higher in 2026 because of Mike Macdonald's vision

“The whole season for him has been about finding consistency,” coach JJ Redick said. “When he’s at his best, we’re an elite basketball team. That’s just the reality. He raises our ceiling so much — and it’s on both sides of the ball. It’s not him being able to score 24 points, although when he scores and shoots, we typically win. ... He’s just a really good basketball player and we’re very happy with where he’s at.”

Los Angeles Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: JJ Redick on Deandre Ayton: 'When he's at his best, we're an elite basketball team'

“I love playing this game and I take great passion of playing on both ends of the floor,,” Ayton said after practice Wednesday. “I still believe just being a two-way player in this league, that’s truly my second nature, and that’s how I want to be noted as in this league. It’s just being an all-around, two-way superstar. Just taking passion on both ends of the floor. “I can play hard on offense. I can play hard on defense. So, that’s just really my goal — running the floor always and closing out possessions with rebounds and protecting the rim. So, just trying to enhance everything I can coming into the playoffs.”

Los Angeles Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “I love playing this game and I take great passion of …

NBA Courtside: Victor Wembanyama on playing the Trail Blazers: “Very intense. Not an easy team to play. They’re in the playoffs this year but they’ve been a tanking team in past years and now a playoff team trying to contend. No matter through the years they’re still hard to play. They have an identity. They’re strong”

x.com

Victor Wembanyama on playing the Trail Blazers:

“Very intense. Not an easy team to play. They’re in the playoffs this year but they’ve been a tanking team in past years and now a playoff team trying to contend. No matter through the years they’re still hard to play. They have an… pic.twitter.com/GVdNWSRL1f

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 15, 2026

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “Very intense. Not an easy team to play. They’re in …

Jake Shapiro: DA says the hope is both Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones will play Game 1 but neither is cleared yet. Both are participating in non contact practice.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: DA says the hope is both Peyton Watson and Spencer …

Here are the USA TODAY Sports/AVCAregional volleyball rankings after Week 6 of the 2026 season.

From these four regions, the best of the best will represent the Super 25 national boys volleyball rankings.

National scoreboard from ScoreStream: Live in-game results around the nation as they happen

West Region

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)

1. Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach, CA)

Record: 28-2

2. Loyola High School (Los Angeles, CA)

Record: 13-2

3. Huntington Beach High School (CA)

Record: 19-3

4. Redondo Union High School (CA)

Record: 19-2

5. The Bishop's School (San Diego, CA)

Record: 25-2

6. Corona Del Mar High School (CA)

Record: 22-5

7. Torrey Pines High School (CA)

Record: 21-5

8. Perry High School (Gilbert, AZ)

Record: 20-2-2

9. Santa Margarita High School (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)

Record: 25-10

10. Newport Harbor High School (CA)

Record: 22-8

11. Punahou High School (Honolulu, HI)

Record: 14-3

12. Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Phoenix, AZ)

Record: 17-1

13. Centennial High School (Las Vegas, NV)

Record: 25-5

14. Bingham High School (South Jordan, UT)

Record: 12-1

15. Eagle Crest High School (Centennial, CO)

Record: 13-0

Midwest Region

(Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota)

1. Roncalli (Indianapolis, IN)

Record: 7-0

2. Saint Xavier High School (Louisville, KY)

Record: 13-0

3. Oak Park River Forest High School (Oak Park, IL)

Record: 7-3-1

4. Glenbard West High School (Glen Ellyn, IL)

Record: 10-0

5. Lindbergh High School (St. Louis, MO)

Record: 12-1

6. St. John Vianney High School (Kirkwood, MO)

Record: 10-1

7. O'Fallon High School (IL)

Record: 10-1-1

8. St. Ignatius High School (Cleveland, OH)

Record: 11-2

9. Libertyville High School (IL)

Record: 4-0

10. Marist High School (Chicago, IL)

Record: 6-2

11. Grand Haven High School (MI)

Record: 7-0

12. Wheaton Warrenville South (Wheaton, IL)

Record: 10-0

13. Perry Meridian High School (Indianapolis, IN)

Record: 11-0

14. Elder High School (Cincinnati, OH)

Record: 11-2

15. Loyola Academy (Wilmette, IL)

Record: 10-2

Northeast Region

(Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia)

1. Meadville High School (PA)

Record: 3-0

2. North Allegheny High School (Wexford, PA)

Record: 7-1

3. Cumberland Valley High School (Mechanicsburg, PA)

Record: 4-0

4. Monroe Township High School (NJ)

Record: 11-0

5. York Suburban High School (PA)

Record: 5-0

6. Central Dauphin High School (Harrisburg, PA)

Record: 5-2

7. Old Bridge High School (NJ)

Record: 5-1

8. Shaler High School (Pittsburgh, PA)

Record: 3-1-1

9. Brookline High School (MA)

Record: 5-0

10. Needham High School (MA)

Record: 2-0

South Region

(Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas)

1. Lake Brantley High School (Altamonte Springs, FL)

Record: 20-2

2. Horizon High School (Winter Garden, FL)

Record: 19-3

3. Western High School (Davie, FL)

Record: 18-1

4. Freedom High School (Orlando, FL)

Record: 22-1

5. Sports Leadership and Management Academy (Tampa, FL)

Record: 13-2

6. West Forsyth High School (Clemmons, NC)

Record: 13-0

7. Valera High School (Miami, FL)

Record: 18-4

8. Southwest Miami High School (FL)

Record: 18-4

9. Columbus High School (Miami, FL)

Record: 18-5

10. Smyra High School (TN)

Record: 14-2-1

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: High school boys volleyball rankings Week 6

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers will begin their postseason run on Wednesday when they play host to the Orlando Magic in the 7 vs. 8 matchup in the play-in tournament. The winner earns the No. 7 seed and advances to the playoffs to take on the Boston Celtics while the loser has to prepare for a win-or-go-home game with the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

The Sixers will, of course, be without Joel Embiid as he continues to recover from his appendectomy against a physical Magic team. Without the big fella, the Sixers will turn to Adem Bona in the starting lineup to join Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, and Kelly Oubre Jr.

Bona will look to do his best to fill in for Embiid at this stage and continue to provide some production on either end of the floor to help the Sixers succeed.

Starters:

Tyrese Maxey
VJ Edgecombe
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Paul George
Adem Bona #Sixers

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) April 15, 2026

The Sixers and the Magic will tip off at 7:30 p.m. EDT from the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers announce starting lineup vs. Magic for pivotal play-in matchup

LOS ANGELES — Jackie Robinson may not have played at Dodger Stadium, but make no mistake, his influence is as much a part of one of baseball’s most storied ballparks as the World Series trophies and the sweeping views of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

His influence extends for miles all over the Los Angeles area, stretching from Pasadena, where he grew up, to Westwood, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, football and track at UCLA. His boyhood home on Pepper Street has been preserved by the Pasadena Historical Society. There are monuments dedicated to him in Pasadena and beyond, and numerous fields named for one of baseball’s most impactful heroes.

Where the Bruins play, there is both — a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson that sits near the entrance of Jackie Robinson Field, adjacent to the UCLA campus.

There is extra meaning for some when it comes to playing in Los Angeles on Wednesday, when the league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day.

“It’s special to wear his jersey here,” Mets second baseman Marcus Semien told the Daily News this week. “Jackie is from this area, Jackie is an L.A. guy. I get to play a position he played a little bit of.”

These things exist all year round, yet they get all shined up for the one day a year when baseball recognizes the anniversary of the historic day in 1947 when Robinson broke the sport’s color barrier. April 15 is celebrated every year to ensure his legacy lasts and that inclusivity in sports continues.

“It’s about helping the next generation,” Semien said. “I think about the youth in the game, players who maybe look like me. I hope to inspire them to play this game because it’s changed my life and it’s opened a lot of doors for me as a Black player.”

We all know his story, though we’ll never truly understand his burden.

Some of his own teammates in Brooklyn threatened to sit out. The St. Louis Cardinals threatened to strike and plan a league-wide lockout. He was derided by fans and became the target of hard slides and cheap shots from opponents.

Branch Rickey and Leo Durocher, the Dodgers’ general manager and manager, took great pains to protect Robinson, but protecting him from all of the vitriol was an impossibility. Still, Robinson became one of the best players of his generation, possibly of all time, showing tremendous mental fortitude to go along with his elite athleticism.

“Some things none of us will ever understand,” Semien said. “The only thing we can do is appreciate it to make things a lot smaller for us. I always looked at the level of play that he actually played on the field as an MVP. People talk about him being the first player, but he was an MVP, and he was such a quality player. Just a special, special talent.”

Even Latinos were separated by skin color before 1947. Cuban-born Adolfo Luque was light-skinned enough to play in the National League in the early 1900s. But a decade after he left the game, Cuban-born Minnie Miñoso was playing in the Negro Leagues. Miñoso, like many other Afro-Latino players of that era, went to the Major Leagues after the color barrier fell.

“It means a lot, especially for me as a Latino because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “We talk about dealing with pressure at this level, but imagine what he dealt with, or the pressure that he dealt with back in the day.”

Robinson’s relationship with MLB and the Dodgers became fraught later in his life, in part because of what he felt was a lack of support for Black managers and coaches. He made it so that Black players and Afro-Latino players could succeed at all levels of the game, but he wasn’t seeing them ascend to the highest personnel levels after they stopped playing.

Just nine days before his death at age 53, he made his final public appearance in baseball, throwing out the first pitch at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium before Game 2 of the 1972 World Series. He told the world what he wanted to see.

“I’m extremely proud and pleased to be here this afternoon, but I must admit I’m going to be tremendously more pleased and more proud when I look at that third-base coaching line one day and see a Black face managing in baseball,” he said.

Wednesday night, those who watch the game on ESPN will see diversity just about everywhere. They’ll see Mendoza in the Mets dugout, a Venezuelan manager and one of only three skippers born in Latin American countries or territories. In the Dodgers’ dugout, they’ll see manager Dave Roberts, who is African-American and Japanese. The game’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, is Japanese.

Representation matters, whether it’s in Los Angeles, New York, Cincinnati or anywhere else in the world where kids want to play baseball. It’s what Robinson spent his life fighting for, and what baseball is responsible for carrying forward.

“There will never be another like him. We will never go through what he went through,” said Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. “It’s gratitude. A lot of gratitude.”

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is facing intense scrutiny from NBA fans after his trip on Bam Adebayo caused the Miami Heat center to miss the rest of Tuesday night's play-in game due to injury.

It's unclear whether or not Ball will be suspended for the play, but the NBA is set to review the second quarter incident before the Hornets next play-in game on Friday night. Ball did apologize for the trip, saying he got hit in the head and didn't know where he was, but many in the NBA are hoping for more supplemental discipline after such a substantial moment.

One of those folks putting Ball under intense scrutiny is FS1's Nick Wright, who went off on a rant about the Hornets guard during Wednesday afternoon's show. In one moment, Wright called Ball "a clown" for his past history of dirty plays. Here's how the moment happened on FS1's broadcast.

“General disregard for the safety of others around him in all walks of life is not what a $200M face of the franchise guy [does]…It’s not that he’s a kid. He’s been in the league the whole decade.”@getnickwright weighs in on the play involving LaMelo Ball and Bam Adebayo: pic.twitter.com/X6BSCXBz8m

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 15, 2026

Harsh words indeed.

After the segment went viral on social media on Wednesday, LaMelo's brother Lonzo Ball — who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season — called out on Wright on Twitter, subtly insinuating that the FS1 analyst was a "clown" himself with a pointed emoji.

Nick Wright a bum! 🤡

— Lonzo Ball (@ZO2_) April 15, 2026

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Lonzo Ball called out Nick Wright for calling brother LaMelo a ‘clown’

It's a new era in Arizona as the Cardinals moved on from quarterback Kyler Murray after seven seasons and are staring down a full-blown rebuild starting in 2026. That's the approach we took with this four-round mock draft update and ended up landing some exceptional value and let the team roll the dice on a new young quarterback.

First round - LB Arvell Reese - Ohio State

An edge defender might not be the Cardinals' top need, but they do need help at linebacker, and we project Ohio State's Arvell Reese to have a Micah Parsons-type impact, whether he's lined up inside or outside. He is just too much talent to pass up for a defense in desperate need of playmakers.

Second round - QB Ty Simpson - Alabama

Simpson is a polarizing prospect with film that makes him look like a franchise quarterback and others that show a player who seems to get caught up in big moments. Nevertheless, Arizona has shown an interest, and they roll the dice on him here in hopes they have the long-term replacement for Murray.

Third round - WR Antonio Williams - Clemson

The Cardinals have their No. 1 in Marvin Harrison Jr. but need a guy who can create after the catch and be that inside receiver with the RAC ability and that's what Williams brings. Despite inconsistent quarterback play, Williams was productive and plays bigger than his size on every play.

Fourth round - OT Austin Barber - Florida

Barber is one of our favorite sleeper tackle prospects in this entire draft. He's got experience at left and right tackle and shows a real balance between his punch and his lower body setup. Barber had a couple of bad games last season that critics point to as the limit to his development, but in the fourth round, there's very little risk to the pick.

This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Updated Cardinals 4-round mock draft

NASCAR took Kyle Larson's No. 5 car to the R&D Center after the Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Following a strong run at Bristol, the sport had a closer inspection of Larson's vehicle; however, did the Hendrick Motorsports driver receive any penalties?

Larson's No. 5 car had no issues at the NASCAR R&D Center, which is the best result from further inspection. In previous years, NASCAR has found issues that cost a race team and driver over 100 points and more, so Larson receiving the green light is excellent news.

Going into Kansas Speedway, Larson sits sixth in the point standings behind Chase Elliott with 18 races left in the NASCAR regular season. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports hopes to carry his momentum into Bristol, as the organization looks for more race-winning speed in 2026.

More: Latest update on Alex Bowman's status after wrecking at Bristol

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: NASCAR reveals status of Kyle Larson's No. 5 car at R&D Center

To this point in the NHL’s existence in Utah, fans have been fortunate to have ticket options as low as $10 (bumped up to $15 in year two).

Those prices are, of course, for the limited-view seats — and when they say limited view, they mean you can only see about two-thirds of the ice. But to experience NHL hockey for the cost of a movie ticket, no one’s complaining.

But what about the playoff pricing for those same seats? At the time of this writing, the lowest-priced ticket on SeatGeek, the Mammoth’s official ticketing partner, are $182.

On another note arms and legs are cheaper than single game tickets!

— Colby Barnes (@ColbyBa76883676) April 10, 2026

But how does that compare to the rest of the league?

The chart below lists the cheapest and most expensive tickets for each team’s first home playoff game. It excludes outliers, defined in this case as upper-bowl seats that cost more than premium seats.

All currency is set to USD, including Canadian teams.

At $182, the Utah Mammoth’s cheapest first-game playoff tickets are the sixth-most expensive in the NHL and the most expensive in the Western Conference. Keep in mind that this price is for limited-view seats, which no other NHL arena has at this time.

If the Vegas Golden Knights secure at least a point in their final game as they host the Seattle Kraken Wednesday evening, they will face the Mammoth in the first round of the playoffs.

At $76, the Golden Knights have the cheapest playoff tickets in the league. If they end up facing the Mammoth, Utah-based fans might consider making the trip down I-15.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin Saturday. Utah’s first-round games will be available to stream on SEG+ and Utah 16, as well as the national broadcast channels.

The Golden State Warriors travel to Los Angeles Wednesday for a highly contested elimination game against the Clippers.

The matchup will provide another iteration of a classic matchup, Steve Kerr vs. Tyronn Lue. It'll also make for another battle between Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard, as the two have faced one another plenty of times when the Warriors squared off against the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors.

Ahead of the game, Los Angeles' head coach spoke about facing Curry once again after three battles against Golden State in the NBA Finals.

"I'm sick of it," said Lue when asked about facing Curry again. "He’s just a guy that can explode. He can score 50 if you’re not careful. He only had 24 last game, but he had nine 3-point attempts. We can’t let him get that many attempts up from the 3-point line. We gotta try to keep him down as much as possible."

Whichever team limits the other's star most effectively may find themselves as the winner.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Clippers coach Tyronn Lue admits he's 'sick' of facing Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors look to keep their playoff hopes alive, battling the Los Angeles Clippers away from home Wednesday.

That said, the Warriors are underdogs due to their 1-3 record against Los Angeles this season.

If Golden State is to pull off the upset, here are three keys to their success.

3. Winning the three-point battle

Although the Golden State Warriors convert on 15.7 three-pointers per game, they rank 20th in the NBA in three-point percentage. On the other hand, the Clippers are much more efficient despite making fewer. Six of Los Angeles' current rotation players shoot over 37% from deep on the season, including Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn, Kobe Saunders, Nic Batum, Darius Garland and John Collins.

2. Rebounding

Keeping Los Angeles off of the glass will be a key factor in Wednesday night's game. Coming into the matchup, the Clippers rank 29th in the NBA in rebounding, ahead of only the Brooklyn Nets. After trading away Ivica Zubac, Leonard is the team's leading rebounder, averaging 6.4 per contest. For these reasons, Golden State needs to dominate the glass to keep extra possessions out of the hands of the Clippers.

1. Limit Kawhi

It's no secret that Kawhi Leonard has put Los Angeles on his back this season, especially after the trades of Zubac and former MVP James Harden. If Golden State is to prevail, they'll have to contain the 14-year pro who's averaging a career-high (27.9 points) in his age-34 season. After Leonard, the scoring drop-off is significant. Garland is the team's second-highest scorer, averaging 19.9 points in just 17 games with the team since being traded.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: 3 keys for Warriors in Play-In Tournament vs. Clippers

So far, New England Patriots Mike Vrabel has managed to avoid saying much about his relationship with NFL reporter Dianna Russini.

Both Russini, who resigned from “The Athletic” yesterday, and Vrabel have denied any personal involvement with each other, but that hasn’t stopped the gossip.

While she has fielded most of the criticism, he has remained largely untouched, and some think it’s a double standard that Russini has taken the brunt of it.

Former ESPN reporter Jemele Hill spoke on the subject.

I didn’t say it didn’t raise concerns, but trust me when I tell you that a lot of insiders are in some truly compromised relationships. Maybe they aren’t holding hands, but they are drinking with these dudes, going on vacations, attending weddings and family events.

Dianna… https://t.co/qVvWSdX3ff

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) April 14, 2026

“I didn’t say it didn’t raise concerns, but trust me when I tell you that a lot of insiders are in some truly compromised relationships. Maybe they aren’t holding hands, but they are drinking with these dudes, going on vacations, attending weddings, and family events. 

"Dianna ain’t gotta give a [expletive] about me for me to understand an obvious double standard. If she has a compromised relationship, she should be relieved of her beat, but there is a clear difference in the level of scrutiny and judgment she’s receiving versus Mike Vrabel. Her career will be over. Him … see him on the sidelines for Game 1.”

NFL insider Albert Breer thinks it’s time for Vrabel to address the elephant in the room. 

"I think it becomes a credibility issue with the players. If you’re preaching accountability 365 days a year to a group of 24,25,26 year olds… and if you’re not addressing it at all and you’re pretending like nothing happened… they’re gonna look at you sideways."

Mike Vrabel can’t hide from the press forever, and the more he tries to avoid it, the louder the voices will get for not only him but the Patriots as well.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Will the Patriots suspend Mike Vrabel if relationship rumors are true?

Sergio Garcia says LIV Golf's players were told earlier this year the event would run for "many years" as rumours swirl the Saudi-backed venture is on the verge of collapse.

The Financial Times is among the publications to report that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is on the verge of ending its support for LIV Golf, which would jeopardise its future.

Garcia said on the eve of the LIV Mexico tournament that the players "have not heard anything" in relation to the rumours.

But the 46-year-old Spaniard, who is captain of the Fireballs team in LIV, told a news conference that speculation runs contrary to what PIF officials indicated at the start of 2026.

"That is not what Yasir [Al-Rumayyan, governor of PIF] told us at the beginning of the year," Garcia said.

"[He told us] that he is behind us, that they have a project of many years. There are always rumours and I cannot comment anything more to you than what we know."

LIV players were told at their most recent event that funding is in place until at least 2032.

BBC Sport has approached LIV Golf for comment.

Last year it was revealed LIV's net losses in its international markets outside the US had spiralled to $461.8m in 2024, meaning it had lost more than $1.1bn since it was established in 2021.

PIF's overall investment in LIV was reportedly approaching $5bn, while broadcast rights were said to have raised just $2.7m.

LIV chief executive Scott O'Neil said in February that the tour would not be profitable for another five to 10 years.

In January, a senior source in Saudi Arabia told BBC Sport that towards the end of last year there was "a shift" in the kingdom's attitude towards some investments, with "everything in the PIF world under serious review".

The source added: "More money has been put into AI and the tech sector. There is pressure in Saudi Arabia to make sure that we're inviting in the right things that are sustainable and bring a return, and I don't see how LIV Golf is going to do that.

"It has had new sponsors such as Rolex and HSBC, but that's not enough to get anywhere close to what the players are being paid."

LIV caused a 'civil war' in professional golf in 2022 when they started luring star names away from the PGA Tour with the offer of huge pay increases.

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced in 2023 they had agreed to a merger with PIF, but there is still no sign of the union coming to fruition.

However, in the meantime, a small number of LIV-affiliated players have been permitted to return to compete in select DP World Tour and PGA Tour events under certain circumstances.

• Watson's call for lifetime bans shows PGA Tour-LIV scars still run deep
• What is LIV Golf's future after Reed & Koepka exits?

Potentially seismic development - analysis

With LIV Golf not yet responding to the BBC's requests for comment, and senior golfing officials telling us they are also trying to clarify what the situation is, uncertainty surrounds the circuit's future.

One Saudi source told us that the speculation could be linked to the publication on Thursday of a new four-year strategy for the country's sovereign wealth fund PIF, which bankrolls LIV. It heralded a "new phase of sustained value creation, with a strengthened focus on maximizing impact [and] raising the efficiency of investments."

There was no mention of LIV golf in a media release announcing the new strategy.

Even before the recent conflict in the Middle East, there had been a sense that the PIF was placing a new emphasis on more sustainable investments, and that its plans for LIV were under renewed scrutiny, especially with the 2034 World Cup being seen as a bigger sporting priority.

That uncertainty ramped up after top LIV star Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour early this year.

And then in February, amid billions of dollars of investment and major financial losses, LIV's chief executive admitted it could take a further decade for it to return a profit.

Nonetheless, if Saudi Arabia did seriously reduce or even end its commitment to the breakaway series, it would still be a seismic development for the sport.

LIV has driven a wedge through golf for the past five years, and given the scale of the stated ambition and amounts of money already invested, any such development would raise major questions about the rest of the kingdom's vast sporting enterprises.

'LIV shook men's professional golf to its core' - analysis

LIV's arrival shook men's professional golf to its core by recruiting some of the game's biggest names.

But even with major-winning stars such as Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Koepka, Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson, the breakaway tour struggled to attract television viewers.

Tournaments in Adelaide and Johannesburg have been successful sell-out events, but the wider ambition to create teams capable of attracting significant outside investment, in the way cricket's Indian Premier League (IPL) does, has not materialised.

So financially LIV has not come close to offering a return on the kingdom's massive investment. Meanwhile, many of their players have struggled to remain competitive against those playing on the established tours.

Although Koepka and DeChambeau won majors while competing on LIV, their players have rarely made an impact on the biggest stage. England's Tyrrell Hatton was the only LIV player to contend at last week's Masters.

Koepka's decision to go back to the PGA Tour at the start of this year was a big blow, as was Patrick Reed's decision to quit LIV.

Koepka took advantage of a hastily arranged returning player programme which was also available to Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith, who all declined. Whether that opportunity is still available remains to be seen.

More likely, LIV golfers who automatically face a one-year ban from the PGA Tour could follow Reed's example and play a season on the DP World Tour to try to win back a card on the US circuit.

If Saudi Arabia decide to shut down the LIV project, they might look to invest in the DP World Tour to maintain some involvement in men's professional golf.

Eric Musselman endured a very painful 2025-2026 season at USC basketball, but not because of his transfer portal decisions. Muss put together a good roster but was brutally unlucky due to injuries which ravaged his team. Musselman is reloading in the portal and is making a run at a UConn big man who, if acquired, would make USC a clear-cut NCAA Tournament team for 2027. College Sports Wire has more:

"USC and Eric Musselman are playing host to a former top-30 recruit as they look to boost their transfer portal class. Former UConn center Eric Reibe, who is originally from Germany but attended the Bullis School in Maryland in high school, is set to visit the Trojans on Wednesday, according to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. The 7-foot-1 former four-star recruit appeared in 40 games this season for the Huskies, starting five of them.

"He finished the year averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds while playing 13.8 minutes per game. Now, he could be heading out west to join Musselman's program."

Reibe was stuck behind UConn's elite big man, Tarris Reed, who memorably posted 31 points and 28 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game against Furman and who led the Huskies to the national championship game. Reibe would have started for a number of college programs last season. Adding him to a roster which will have Rodney Rice, incoming transfer KJ Lewis, Jacob Cofie, and possibly also Alijah Arenas, would give USC balance in terms of frontcourt and backcourt strength, also in terms of offense and defense.

Let's see if Eric Musselman can add to his Portal King reputation. If he does, USC basketball will be set up well for 2027.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Eric Musselman uses full-court press on UConn transfer Eric Reibe

After battling injury adversity throughout her UConn women’s basketball career, Caroline Ducharme‘s resilience was rewarded with an opportunity to chase her WNBA dreams.

The Golden State Valkyries announced Wednesday that they signed the Huskies guard to a training camp contract, a one-year, nonguaranteed deal at the minimum salary. Players on training camp contracts are typically competing to make the final 12-player roster, and many are waived prior to the end of training camp.

Ducharme’s signing was announced alongside Texas Tech guard Bailey Maupin and Vanderbilt guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda.

“We’re so excited to be able to add Bailey, Caroline and Ndjakalenga to our training camp roster,” Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said in a release. “Each of these players have shown a high level of competitiveness, a winning mentality, and a desire to improve. Excited to have them join us here in the Bay for training camp.”

Ducharme’s shot with the Valkyries comes after she averaged 7.4 minutes across 25 game appearances for the Huskies in 2025-26. It was her first full season back on the court after she missed nearly all of the previous two years due to head and neck injuries.

The 6-foot-2 guard came to UConn as the No. 5 prospect in the Class of 2021 and was a standout in her freshman year, averaging 9.8 points in 21 minutes per game and making 11 starts in 31 appearances. But Ducharme suffered her first head injury at UConn in February of that season, then missed 13 games with a concussion her sophomore year. She dealt with neck spasms that kept her out her for all but the first four games of 2023-24, and she wasn’t cleared to return to the court until late February 2025.

Though Ducharme never had to miss extended time in her redshirt senior year, the impacts of the head and neck injuries lingered. She missed six games due to migraines, and coach Geno Auriemma often described her status in practice as day-to-day.

With Ducharme’s signing, all of the Huskies’ 2025-26 seniors are set to compete in WNBA training camp. Star guard Azzi Fudd, Ducharme’s classmate and longtime friend, was drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings, and Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams was traded to the Portland Fire on draft night after being selected by the Connecticut Sun.

In Golden State, Ducharme will reunite with former UConn teammate Kaitlyn Chen, who signed a training camp contract after appearing in 24 games for the franchise last season. The Valkyries selected Chen in the third round of the 2025 WNBA Draft, and though she was initially waived during training camp, she re-signed with the team in June and remained rostered through the end of the season. Former Huskies Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes are also signed with Golden State.

Why UConn star Azzi Fudd was ‘the right fit’ for Dallas Wings with No. 1 WNBA Draft pick

Speculation over the future of LIV Golf ran rampant after league executives reportedly were summoned to New York for an emergency summit.

The Financial Times reported Wednesday that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is on the verge of cutting its support for the league and that an announcement could come as soon as Thursday.

LIV Golf members are currently in Mexico City preparing to play the sixth event on the 2026 calendar, starting on Thursday. Golfer Sergio Garcia told reporters there Wednesday that the players "have not heard anything."

All outward appearances indicated the event was proceeding as planned, with LIV Golf posting interviews and tee times on social media.

Garcia said a shutdown would be contrary to what they have heard from Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi PIF.

"That is not what Yasir told us at the beginning of the year, that he is behind us, that they have a project of many years," said Garcia, translated from Spanish.

The PIF has reportedly poured more than $5 billion into LIV Golf since it launched in 2022, luring stars like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson with lucrative contracts and massive tournament purses.

LIV Golf's potential demise would not come as a total shock given the circuit's stagnant television ratings and its inability to attract any big names of late, coupled with the recent departures of Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed back to the PGA Tour.

After Mexico City, there are nine events remaining on the schedule in LIV Golf's fourth season.

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Saudi Arabia fund reportedly on verge of cutting LIV Golf support

With the NBA's play-in tournament ahead of them, the Philadelphia 76ers still have to, you know, play their way into the 2026 playoffs. Unfortunately for Tyrese Maxey and friends, doing so is likely to be the only path to seeing Joel Embiid return to their lineup this season. Even then, it's unclear if Embiid will actually come back to play, at least depending on the timing of a possible Philadelphia first-round series with either the Detroit Pistons or Boston Celtics.

You see, Embiid underwent an emergency appendectomy last week. Given that the usual recovery timeline for the procedure is around a couple of weeks or so, Embiid has already been ruled out for the play-in. No matter how the 76ers fare, no matter how badly they might need him to advance in the first place, we will not see Embiid play again in 2026 unless Philadelphia gets to the playoffs.

Uh, no pressure, fellas!

Shams: Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery) expected to be out for Play-In Tournament.

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 13, 2026

The real shame of this Embiid appendectomy situation is just how much of a rhythm he was getting into before he got sidelined. The former 2023 league MVP had scored at least 26 points in four of his last five appearances. Now, he'll have to wait and see if his teammates can buy him some time before he's ready to return to the court.

It's not ideal, but Embiid getting a chance to come back is likely the only way that he and the 76ers can make any noise in the playoffs this spring.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Joel Embiid injury: Latest on when 76ers star will come back

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis quieted some noise during last weekend's spring game with a fairly conservative performance that included one highlight touchdown pass to new target Danny Scudero.

Lewis is battling Utah transfer Isaac Wilson for the starting job, but remains the favorite to open up the 2026 season as Colorado's starter. Earlier this spring, ESPN ranked Lewis as the No. 62 Power Four starting quarterback, just six from the bottom among the 68 teams.

CBS Sports gives Lewis a slightly more favorable ranking, placing him in the top-15 at No. 49, good for No. 11 in the Big 12 Conference. Here's what Brad Crawford had to say about the Buffaloes' redshirt freshman signal caller.

Speaking of unlocking star potential, that is Brennan Marion's role this spring at Colorado as he works with Lewis. The former sought-after recruit was able to redshirt last season after playing in four games, finishing with 589 yards passing and four touchdowns (including three starts in November). Deion Sanders is trying to build around his quarterback after landing a top-25 transfer class once again.

As Crawford notes, everything for Colorado's 2026 hopes, especially offensively, rests on how Lewis and new playcaller Brennan Marion come together. It is a complicated offense to master, and Lewis' ability to grasp the Go-Go will determine how good the Buffs can be.

Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads, and Instagram.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Julian Lewis Power 4 quarterback ranking per CBS Sports

As the 2026 NFL Draft draws closer, speculation continues to grow about the Cowboys and the possibility of trading up to get an impact player on defense. Media outlets are pushing the narrative that Dallas must move up, and many fans are in agreement.

It's easy to understand why some see the move up as appealing, with a top-heavy draft, and Dallas coming off one of the worst defensive seasons in team history.  But the reality is, while the Cowboys have a multitude of needs on that side of the ball, the team’s draft capital doesn’t allow them to trade away multiple picks for one impact player, especially having the rare chance to draft two. Focusing that many resources on a single player doesn’t make sense for a team reloading.

The Cowboys would be better suited to sit tight and use the No. 12 and No. 20 picks and draft players who can help them now. If there is a chance that Dallas moves one of these picks, it should be the 20th pick. Trading that selection to a quarterback-needy, or receiver-needy team makes more sense than trading up and losing multiple top 100 draft picks, including at least one in the top 20.

Cowboys insider Bobby Belt, recently echoed this sentiment, saying "One guy isn't going to fix the Cowboys defense. Yes... But Caleb Downs might get close."

In his mock draft, Belt resisted the temptation to trade up for Downs and instead kept both first-round picks, filling two major holes on defense. It mirrors the Baltimore Ravens draft philosophy, a strategy of patience.  Belt applied that logic and it allowed him to draft the Miami edge rusher Reuben Bain with the 12th pick and the Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood with the 20th pick. Based on his mock draft, waiting benefits Dallas for two big reasons. First, he got quality players who can help immediately, while at the same time keeping their third-round pick and controlling the rights to two players for five years.

Dallas also has other factors that will strengthen their ability to keep their picks or trade back from the 20th pick. This draft lacks depth at quarterback and offensive line, which will force teams to reach at these positions or overpay in draft capital to select the player they want.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Opinion: Despite risky battlefield, Cowboys should avoid trading up

DeCosta Calls No. 14 Pick a 'Sweet Spot' for Ravens in NFL Draft

Speaking at the team's predraft luncheon, Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta pointed to the team's position at No. 14 overall as a key opportunity to strengthen the roster around quarterback Lamar Jackson.

"Well, I think it's positioned that way," DeCosta said. "When we look at it at [pick] 14… that's typically a different type of player that you can get. Looking at the board, we see tremendous value offensive-line-wise… receiver-wise… So, I feel like it's a sweet spot for us. We have a chance to address some positions early on, but also, I'm excited about what we see in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds as well."

DeCosta added that increased collaboration with the coaching staff, led by Jesse Minter, has helped expand the team's board and overall draft flexibility — giving Baltimore multiple paths to upgrade its supporting cast.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens GM Eric DeCosta on No. 14 NFL Draft pick

Ravens, Community Partners Unite for Earth Day Effort at Inner Harbor

The Baltimore Ravens will once again lean into their growing role off the field, teaming up with M&T Bank and the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore to celebrate Earth Day with a hands-on volunteer initiative focused on the city's waterfront.

Set for Friday morning at Port Covington Marina, the event will bring together approximately 70 volunteers from across five organizations, including Point Field Partners and the Bisciotti Family Foundation. The group will spend the morning contributing to the ongoing Healthy Harbor Initiative through a range of projects aimed at improving the Inner Harbor's ecosystem.

Participants are expected to engage in oyster gardening, habitat maintenance, and environmental data collection — all key components of long-term water quality efforts. There's also a more visible piece of the day's work, as volunteers will apply a fresh coat of paint to Mr. Trash Wheel, one of the harbor's most recognizable cleanup tools.

The outing reflects a broader, sustained commitment from the Ravens organization. In 2025, the team deepened its partnership with Waterfront Partnership through a five-year, $3.75 million investment supporting the Healthy Harbor Initiative — a signal that their impact in Baltimore is intended to extend well beyond football. Events like this have become a consistent part of that effort, blending community engagement with tangible environmental progress as the franchise continues to build connections across the city.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens join Earth Day cleanup at Inner Harbor

A recent USA TODAY Sports exclusive featured a lot of thoughts from Brian Kelly on a wide-ranging array of topics. LSU Tigers football, both past and present, came up prominently.

Kelly was asked about his four-year tenure in Baton Rouge and what ultimately did him in.

"I guess you do have to start with what is winning enough games? We were 34-14, 22-3 at home when I was fired," Kelly said. "We had two 10-win seasons, won an SEC (West Division) championship, had the No. 1 offense in college football, a Heisman Trophy winner. When you look at what is winning and what keeps you employed, other people make those decisions. But it starts with what is defined as winning, and unfortunately it wasn’t defined as enough winning leading into being fired.”

In 4 years, Brian Kelly never understood the fan base

In 2 months, Lane Kiffin already understands the fan base

— Justin (@ProPelsTalk) January 24, 2026

Kelly was also asked about any advice he would give Lane Kiffin about being the head coach at LSU. Kelly's wisdom perhaps revealed nothing, but may have also revealed a lot.

“The world we live in today, Michigan just won a basketball championship with five transfers. You can do it, but there are so many moving pieces. I don’t think he needs any advice. I think you just continue to be who you are. I think that's all you can be. People are going to judge you based upon what they think, anyways. So, just be Lane Kiffin."

Kelly finished with a 34-14 record at LSU.

Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: LSU Football: Brian Kelly offers Lane Kiffin advice

Former New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins grieved over the team’s loss in the Super Bowl last season.

On Wednesday’s episode of “Up & Adams,” Hawkins revealed that he, along with several of his Patriots teammates, were all watching the game on the plane ride home to compartmentalize New England’s 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

"I grieved, for sure. That hurt, obviously. I would say like a month after, you just thinking about, dang, we lost. It's tough to get to the pinnacle and work that hard," said Hawkins. "You still feel a type of way, a little bit. I feel like that will kind of never go away. ...When we were on the plane, I know we were all watching the game. ...I had to watch it so I could at least try to flush it, you know?"

The Patriots were overwhelmed by the Seahawks’ pass rush, led by Derick Hall and DeMarcus Lawrence, in the Super Bowl. New England also allowed Kenneth Walker III to gain 135 yards on the ground on his way to Super Bowl MVP honors.

Hawkins did play a part in New England limiting Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed to 27 receiving yards apiece, but the loss provided the Patriots with plays that they perhaps wanted to get back, as well as sources of chagrin.

Hawkins has since moved on from New England. The California native signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency after two seasons spent with the Patriots from 2024-25.

The Patriots have the 2026 NFL Draft to look forward to as they work toward finalizing a contending roster for another shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy next season. Hawkins, meanwhile, will pose a new challenge for New England in 2026, as he remains in the AFC with the Patriots’ rivals over in Baltimore.

Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Former Patriots DB opens up about Super Bowl LX loss, plane ride home

Nico Iamaleava’s first year with the UCLA Bruins was certainly a whirlwind. There were moments of greatness from Iamaleava, and some moments that the young quarterback would want back. Ultimately it was a tough season for the signal caller, as he saw UCLA go just 3-9 on the season.

Now Iamaleava has new head coach Bob Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy to rely on, as Iamaleava and the Bruins look to be more competitive during the 2026 season. Iamaleava entered the college football landscape with huge expectations, and while the talent is there, he hasn’t displayed it on a down-to-down basis.

Iamaleava could head to the NFL Draft following this upcoming season with UCLA, meaning there’s a lot on the line for the 6’6” quarterback. With his physical traits, a solid season of production would certainly garner him some interest at the NFL level.

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports ranked every Power Conference starting quarterback, with Iamaleava falling down the board all the way to No. 38 in Crawford’s list. Among Big Ten quarterbacks, Crawford had Iamaleava ranked as the 12th best. 

“Iamaleava was the center of unwanted attention last offseason after his messy exit from Tennessee,” Crawford wrote of Iamaleava. “The game plan this spring and summer is is to get back to national notoriety for the right reasons under new Bruins coach Bob Chesney. Iamaleava has obvious talent after previously helping the Vols get to the CFP as a freshman, but he tumbled a few pegs last season after finishing with 13 touchdown passes after he was sacked 27 times and missed a bowl game.”

UCLA’s offensive infrastructure wasn’t dependable for Iamaleava last season, we’ll see if a more consistent offense around him can yield better results for Iamaleava and the Bruins offense. 

This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA's ranked as the No. 38 Power Conference starting quarterback

In need of linebacker help in the 2026 NFL draft, Louisiana's Jaden Dugger appears to be on the Indianapolis Colts' radar.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo, Dugger said he has had a meeting with the Colts, among other teams. Whether this was an in-person meeting or virtual was unclear.

Let's take a closer look at what Dugger could bring to the Colts.

Colts 2026 NFL draft prospect to watch: LB Jaden Dugger

Dugger has played over 2,000 career snaps, spending the last two seasons at Louisiana. Before that, he played at FCS Georgetown, where Dugger was a safety.

Dugger saw significantly more playing time in 2025 compared to 2024, posting 12 quarterback pressures and four sacks as a blitzer, according to PFF. In coverage, he held opponents to 9.0 yards per catch, while coming away with one interception and one pass breakup. He recorded 125 total tackles as well.

Dugger has played 368 special teams snaps over four seasons, regularly playing on four of the six phases.

Jaden Dugger's athletic profile

Jaden Dugger is a LB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.60 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 139 out of 3460 LB from 1987 to 2026.

Correcting the school.https://t.co/Mgy62Hz3Yhpic.twitter.com/ZNMOJBg66t

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 6, 2026

What kind of impact can Jaden Dugger make in the NFL?

To wrap up the interview, Melo asked Dugger why a team should use one of their draft picks on him:

"I think I have the most upside of any player in this draft," Dugger said. "This is the worst I’m ever going to be and I’m still making plays compared to guys who are supposed to be the top players in this class. I’m only going to get better. I feel like I’ve proven myself. I love competing. I have the intangibles you can’t teach. The ball is in their court at this point. We’ll see how those 32 teams feel about me."

What is the Colts' need at linebacker in the NFL draft?

Despite the addition of Akeem Davis-Gaither in free agency, there is still a significant lack of experience within this position group. Depth is needed, and more competition for playing time is needed. You name it, the Colts need it at linebacker. Relying on the current iteration of this room to make an impact comes with risks, given the lack of experience.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Colts meet with Louisiana LB Jaden Dugger

Film Profile | Analytical Profile

This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Elijah Sarratt Rookie Profile, Fantasy Outlook and NFL Draft Analysis

Analysts are putting out their final mock drafts of 2026 with each passing day as we lead up to the big event next Thursday, including The Ringer’s Todd McShay. He released the fourth version of his first-round mock draft Wednesday and once again, he has the Rams taking a wide receiver.

However, after projecting Jordyn Tyson to land with Los Angeles in his third mock, he pivoted to Makai Lemon this time around. That’s because in his latest mock draft, Lemon falls to the Rams, whereas he went 11th to the Dolphins in mock No. 3.

Here’s what McShay wrote about the selection of Lemon for the Rams at No. 13 overall, saying he fits the team’s all-in strategy.

All chips are in on the Rams’ 2027 season, and Lemon is the best available prospect to support that plan. He may not have elite size or top-end speed for the position, but he’s built “Ram tough,” he’s as reliable as it gets at the catch point, and he consistently generates yards after the catch with excellent contact balance and body control.

It’s hard to truly go “all-in” in the NFL draft unless you’re trading away future picks to move up for one coveted player. Drafting Lemon doesn’t feel like an all-in move for Los Angeles, even as impactful as he might be as a rookie.

He’s primarily a slot receiver but in Sean McVay’s offense, receivers are asked to move all around the formation. Everyone seems to think it’s a good fit, and maybe it would be, but someone like Tyson – a true X-receiver on the outside – might be a better option, so long as the Rams can look past his injury history.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2026 NFL mock draft: Todd McShay has Rams taking Makai Lemon

• League One: AFC Wimbledon v Stockport County, Luton Town v Northampton Town (kick-off 19:45 BST)
• Sam Hoskins gives Northampton lead after 31 minutes
• Liam Walsh pulls Luton level 12 minutes later
• Bottom-club Northampton will be relegated if they fail to win
• Luton are six points off play-off places
• Wimbledon can go six points clear of drop zone with win
• Stockport looking to move closer to securing top-six spot

League One: Luton level with Northampton, Wimbledon and Stockport goalless

The UFC returns to "The Great White North" on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 273 from Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Paramount+).

A matchup of ranked welterweights the card with former title challenger Gilbert Burns (22-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC) looking to break his skid against Mike Malott (13-2-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who gets his first headliner with the company on home soil.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie's UFC Fight Night 273 pre-event facts.

Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Malott

Gilbert Burns

Burns' four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since April 2023.

Burns is 3-6 in his past nine fights dating back to February 2021.

Burns’ three armbar submission victories in UFC competition are tied for third-most in company history behind Demetrious Johnson (four) and Royce Gracie (four).

Mike Malott

Malott has earned 11 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his six UFC wins.

Kyler Phillips vs. Charles Jourdain

Kyler Phillips (12-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is one of 12 fighters in UFC history to earn a triangle/armbar submission victory. He accomplished the feat at UFC 271.

Charles Jourdain (17-8-1 MMA, 8-7-1 UFC) is 2-0 since he dropped to the UFC bantamweight division in October 2024.

Jourdain has earned 15 of his 17 career victories by stoppage.

Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Karine Silva

Karine Silva (19-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has earned 17 of her 19 career victories by stoppage. She's finished 13 of those wins in Round 1.

Silva's three submission victories in UFC women's flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (six) and Erin Blanchfield (four).

Silva is the only female in UFC history to earn three consecutive victories by first-round submission.

Silva is one of three females in UFC history to earn a submission victory by D'Arce choke. She accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 207. Tatiana Suarez and Jasmine Jasudavicius also won with the technique.

Thiago Moises vs. Gauge Young

Thiago Moises (19-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC) has earned one of 18 stoppage victories in UFC history stemming from leg kicks. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 239.

Tanner Boser vs. Gokhan Saricam

Tanner Boser (22-10-1 MMA, 5-5 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since August 2023. He went 1-0 between stints with the promotion.

Boser defends 62.8 percent of his opponent significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Gokhan Saricam (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotional debut after a 5-2 run under the now-defunct Bellator banner.

JJ Aldrich vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth

JJ Aldrich (14-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is 7-4 since she moved up to the UFC women's flyweight division in March 2019.

Aldrich has earned nine of her 10 UFC victories by decision.

Jamey-Lyn Horth (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) absorbs just 2.09 significant strikes per minute in UFC women's flyweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (1.81).

Mitch Raposo vs. Allan Nascimento

Allan Nascimento's (22-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Joshua Van (six), Kyoji Horiguchi (five) and Andre Lima (four).

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Winnipeg pre-event facts: Can Gilbert Burns end long losing skid?

Mike Evans has worn No. 13 his entire NFL and college career, but everyone knew that was probably going to have to change once he joined the San Francisco 49ers. No. 13 is already quarterback Brock Purdy's number, and the odds Evans could convince Purdy to change his number were slim.

So, what number will he wear? Evans told 49ers star linebacker Fred Warner on the "Real Ones: The League" podcast this week that he'll wear No. 5 for the 49ers in 2026, a number he hadn't worn since high school. Evans added that No. 5 was his Little League and middle school number.

Mike Evans confirms he will wear number 5 for the 49ers 👀🚨 pic.twitter.com/baDbvcC6yz

— Real Ones (@RealOnesGFS) April 15, 2026

Currently, fellow receiver Demarcus Robinson wears No. 5. So if Evans is truly taking on the mantle, it'll be interesting to see what, if anything, Evans had to do to secure that number from his new teammate.

Evans will be the 10th player in team history to don the No. 5 jersey. The others were Robinson, kicker Jeff Brockhaus, quarterback David Carr, quarterback Joshua Dobbs, quarterback Jeff Garcia, outside linebacker Randy Gregory, quarterback Trey Lance, kicker Chase McLaughlin and punter Bradley Pinion.

Evans is poised to be the 49ers' clear No. 1 receiver in 2026. Besides his injury-plagued 2025 season, Evans has posted at least 1,000 receiving yards in his first 12 seasons. He'll look to get back to that form this year in Kyle Shanahan's offense with Purdy throwing him the ball.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Mike Evans reveals which number he'll wear for 49ers

The Washington Huskies need to upgrade their three-point shooting through the transfer portal, while adding some high-end local talent to coach Danny Sprinkle's roster ahead of his third year at the helm. Iowa State's Mason Williams checks both of those boxes.

The 6-foot-5 guard didn't play during his one season with the Cyclones while recovering from hip surgery as coach TJ Otzelberger's team made a run to the Sweet 16 before falling to the Tennessee Volunteers, but the former Eastern Washington star has still received plenty of interest.

According to The Portal Report, Boston College, Gonzaga, Portland, and Seattle University are among the other programs that have shown interest in Williams, who stood out with the Eastern Washington Eagles during the 2024-25 season, where he tallied 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest.

Iowa State transfer Mason Williams has received interest from the following programs, he tells TPR:

Washington
SU
Gonzaga
NMST
Portland
Boston College
Sam Houston State pic.twitter.com/iiYBdaalwQ

— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) April 13, 2026

Over his two years at Eastern, Williams connected on 37.2 percent of his three-point attempts and saw his percentage take a major dip during his sophomore season as his usage rate increased. He averaged 4.2 attempts from long range during his second season and shot just 34.5 percent from deep, but that could even itself out depending on his role at his next school.

If that program did happen to be Washington, Sprinkle could bring Williams off the bench as he continues to get comfortable coming back from his injury with the Huskies completely retooling their backcourt once again after JJ Mandaquit transferred to Arizona, while sophomore Zoom Diallo and freshman Courtland Muldrew are still in the portal.

The Huskies have made one addition to the backcourt in Davidson's Parker Friedrichsen, and are aiming to make several more in the coming weeks to round out the unit alongside junior Wesley Yates III.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies eyeing local guard transferring from Iowa State

For teams looking to make a splash in the transfer portal, former LonghornJordan Lee has been a popular option. The California native is coming off a career year in which she made an impact in every game. While she has plenty of suitors, one program that is making a push is South Carolina, which welcomed Lee to campus for a visit on Tuesday. 

During the 2024-2025 campaign, Lee averaged 13.2 points and 2.5 assists per game. The talented guard was dangerous from three-point range, shooting 34.8 from beyond the arc. She also set a career high with 38 starts and held her own in the SEC.

Here's a look at Jordan Lee and Oliviyah Edwards with Dawn Staley and the #Gamecocks at Founders Park. Lee spending a lot of time talking with Adhel Tac.@abc_columbiahttps://t.co/z2ribtkGiwpic.twitter.com/yJXYeTEVIH

— Noah Chast (@NoahChastTV) April 14, 2026

Through the first two years of her college career, Lee has averaged 9.5 points per game while shooting 73.5 percent from the field. She has come through in big moments, which was on display in the NCAA tournament. In the Longhorns' five games, Lee scored 65 points and recorded 11 assists. That helped raise her stock before entering the portal. 

After falling just one win short of a national title, the Gamecocks have been busy looking for ways to improve their roster. Adding a score like Lee could help boost their title hopes, and she still has two years of eligibility. As a sophomore, she showed that there is still more to her game. At South Carolina, she would have an opportunity to get significant minutes as she did at Texas.

Three 3⃣s for Jordan Lee 🎯#NCAAWBB x 🎥 SECN / @TexasWBBpic.twitter.com/6qKcOONxSc

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) February 7, 2025

As Lee continues to weigh her options, TCU will be another school to watch. The Horned Frogs will reportedly welcome the Saint Mary's High alum to campus for a visit this week. Whoever ends up getting Lee will be adding an impactful piece to their lineup for the foreseeable future. 

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Former Lady Longhorn Jordan Lee seems close to joining an SEC rival

The NBA has declared its new television deals a resounding success after reporting record viewership figures for the past season.

The league announced on Wednesday that 170 million people in the United States tuned into NBA games across its four primary broadcast platforms – ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and NBA TV.

These figures mark the league's highest viewership in 24 years, representing an 86 per cent increase on last season.

This season marked the debut of Prime Video as part of the league's television rights package, while NBC/Peacock returned for the first time in a generation.

These platforms are part of a new 11-year media rights deal, valued at over $76 billion, signed in 2024, which commenced at the start of the current season.

Further highlights from the viewership data include the highest average viewership in 13 years, a 35 per cent rise from last season.

Fifty-seven telecasts this season attracted an average of two million viewers, the most since the 2011-12 season.

Furthermore, fans collectively watched NBA games for more than 920 million hours, a 25 per cent increase on last season and the highest total since 2011-12.

The NBA's social media platforms also saw record engagement, generating 228 billion views this season, according to Videocites, an increase of 13 per cent.

Arena attendance over the last three seasons has surpassed any comparable period in the league's history.

Viewership for NBA Cup group stage matches surged by 90 per cent, and the All-Star Game, broadcast on NBC, drew an audience of 8.8 million, making it the most-watched mid-season showcase since 2011.

The SoFI NBA Play-In Tournament began on Tuesday and is due to run until Friday.

The NBA playoffs will then start on Saturday, while the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is scheduled for 10 May.

For Boston Celtics head coach, a summer league game is a preseason game is a regular season game is a playoff game. Or to put it more plainly, for the Celtics coach, you have to win the game that is in front of you if you want to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a title. The expectations and challengers might vary, but the process does not.

And the Rhode Island native broke down why he feels that way after a recent Celtics practice, saying "It's the same in the fundamentals and the execution. What's different is the intensity -- (and) obviously the stakes."

"And so when you have to execute details and be disciplined under higher amounts of duress, it requires another level of physicality and mindset that you have to get to."

"And so we can't be distracted by the things that we can't control is what we're saying," said Mazzulla. "You still have to rebound, you have to run back on defense, you have to defend without fouling, you have to screen, you have to know your personnel, you have to be able to execute, you've got to be able to read two-on-ones, all that stuff is no different than a pickup game."

"What changes is the physicality that you have to do it, but also the intensity. And so that's the piece that we have to be ready to bring."

Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:

Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp

iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47

YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Playoffs or preseason, approach the same for Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla

Sunrise, Fla. — Paul Woods wasn't sure what the emotions were going to be.

Woods, 71, was set to do his last game as the Red Wings' radio analyst Wednesday when the regular season concluded against the Florida Panthers.

Working his 40th season as the Wings' radio analyst, Woods announced his retirement in February for this season's end.

"I'm not quite sure what to think," Woods said after the Wings' morning skate. "It's all good. Just so many great memories. I'm very satisfied with how everything turned out."

Woods played seven seasons and 501 games with the Wings before joining the radio booth in 1987, three years after his playing career ended. Woods accepted the radio opportunity on a lark, not expecting radio to be a long-time career, but suddenly "it grew on me."

"Just the game itself, to be able to see it and played at the highest level," Woods said of what he'll miss the most. "I was just going to do it for one year and then turned out to be 40. I love hockey. As a young kid on my house squirt team, I put on the Wings sweater and I wore it everywhere for two years.

"And now over 60 years later, it means a lot. I'll never forget it."

As for memories, calling the four Stanley Cup championships is foremost, but also the endless parade of Hall of Fame players that have played on the Wings and the special relationships around the team on a daily basis have made an impact with Woods.

"I love the game of hockey. I've had a great passion for it since I was 6 years old. I'll keep abreast of it. I'm just thrilled with how everything has turned out," Woods said. "I saw my first game at Maple Leaf Gardens (in Toronto) and the next one I was on the Wings playing against Toronto.

"This has all been a dream."

Woods is the longest-serving radio analyst in Detroit sports broadcasting history. Woods began his broadcasting career in 1987 working the booth with Bruce Martyn before Ken Kal replaced Martyn in 1995. Since then, Kal and Woods have become a favorite and trusted pairing for Wings fans for over three decades.

"Both of them are top play-by-play guys," said Woods, who worked his 3,000th game in 2022. "They just make the game so exciting and they drag into the fight, the tempo that they do with it.

"It's been exciting to be by their side."

Red Wings coach Todd McLellan has worked with Woods in two different stints, first when McLellan was an assistant on Mike Babcock's staff from 2005-08 and then when McLellan became head coach in 2024.

"I've been very fortunate," McLellan said. "Just his impact on the game and the ability to sell the game to Michigan for the past 40 years and the (seven) he played is remarkable."

As good a broadcaster Woods is, said McLellan, Woods the person has left an even bigger impact.

"Everybody can recognize his voice but maybe you don't recognize him at the grocery store or wherever it is," McLellan said. "But what I can tell you is, for as good a hockey man as he is, he's an even better human being. He's always positive. He means so much to the entire Red Wings family and to the game.

"I was just telling Ken Kal, we recognize players and coaches and managers, and they put statues up for people. I'm not saying Paul Woods needs a statue, but 48 years in one organization, we definitely have to acknowledge that."

Some Wings heading to playoffs

Defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka and forwards Carter Mazur, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Dominik Shine will return for Grand Rapids and take part in the Griffins' run toward an AHL championship.

McLellan feels the experience can be extremely beneficial.

"We talked about Dominik Shine (the Griffins' captain) and the role he plays down there, how he drags everyone into the game, and I know he'll do that," McLellan said. "We spoke to him about it already and he's very hungry to go down there and lead.

"Then for the other players, this is a beginning, not an end. Everybody else has an ending (of the season) and this is a beginning for them. They can learn some valuable lesson in the playoffs and understand what it's like to play against the same team and in some cases seven games in a row, in hostile environments, playing through injuries. Being counted on is the big thing, so they can gain a lot."

The AHL playoffs will begin the last week of April.

tkulfan@detroitnews.com

@tkulfan

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Paul Woods calls it a broadcasting career after 40 years with Red Wings

The new defense the Buffalo Bills will run under the watch of coordinator Jim Leonhard will look different. That will cause some changes in personnel and new responsibilities for players already on the team.

In terms of the latter, edge defender Greg Rousseau is squarely in that area.

A defensive end in a 4-3 defense, in Leonhard's 3-4 front (three D-line, 4 LBs), where is Rousseau a fit? Speaking to The Athletic, general manager Brandon Beane has revealed the answer.

A linebacker position was the most-likely answer, getting down to specifics, the GM revealed Rousseau will take on a further outside positioning (5-tech) as opposed to a spot closer to the middle (4i-tech).

Beane's full breakdown on Rousseau can be found below:

“Yeah, I think he’ll be on the outside ‘backer. You’re not gonna see him dropping [into coverage] as much as you would some other guys. But he can still do it enough — he might do it one time a game. Could he go play the 4i? Yeah, he could. I don’t know if you’re getting his value there, to be honest. It doesn’t mean he couldn’t do it. I think he’s versatile enough. Like anything, if we needed him to go do it, if these guys are like, ‘man, you’re the best guy,’ Greg would. But we see him in the outside ‘backer group, not that 3-4, 5-tech, 4i type stuff.”

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Brandon Beane: Bills' Greg Rousseau will see position change