If Windows 11 feels cluttered with AI features, ads, and background services, these popular free tools help strip out the bloat, disable telemetry, and give you more control over the OS.

Hitoo is a live voice-translation video calling platform that lets you speak any language in real time. It preserves your voice identity with sub-300ms latency, supports over 50 languages, and delivers HD video with end-to-end encryption. Use multilingual chat with automatic translation, host group calls for up to 50 participants, and connect without plugins. Businesses use it to remove language barriers and keep conversations natural and secure.

View startup

Oman has become one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations, with over 3 million visitors driving its tourism sector to new heights in 2025.

This article reports and analyzes flight cancellations across South Korea's major airports, detailing affected routes, airlines, and destinations while exploring the implications for travelers and aviation operations.

Kulu Ora Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, opens its doors, offering exclusive luxury and wildlife experiences in a sustainable, unspoiled wilderness.

Guizhou, located in the southwest of China, is a destination where nature and culture come together to offer visitors an unforgettable experience. Known for its stunning karst landscapes, vibrant ethnic diversity, and rich cultural heritage, Guizhou is fast becoming a …

United Airlines introduces a shocking new rule: use headphones, risk being removed from the flight or banned! Discover details of this game-changing policy now

Africa's hotel development sees explosive growth, with 123,846 rooms under construction. Egypt leads the way, followed by East Africa's rising hotel markets.

W Singapore - Sentosa Cove completes a comprehensive reimagination, bringing a fresh guest journey with revamped rooms, dining, wellness, and event spaces.

UK tourists now face a two euro fee to visit Rome’s Trevi Fountain as Italy tackles overtourism and works to preserve its iconic historic landmarks for future generations.

France leads Europe in tourism revenue growth, overtaking the UK, Greece, Spain, Italy and Germany as global travel demand and spending surge.

Cyprus tourism is facing a major setback as the ongoing Middle East crisis leads to widespread cancellations, flight delays, and growing uncertainty among travelers.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra offers RAM Plus options up to 16GB. This option is also available on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, released last year. Available options vary depending on the hardware storage and the actual RAM chipset.

RAM Plus doesn’t work the way Samsung’s marketing wants you to think it does. It doesn’t steal your storage. It allocates a chunk of your actual RAM as zRam, compresses data at a higher rate, and stores more stuff in memory that way.

Samsung’s settings menu tells you otherwise, which is either lazy or intentional misdirection. Why Samsung specifically states that RAM Plus uses storage space for virtual RAM when it doesn’t is a mystery, likely a matter of marketing.

The effectiveness of RAM Plus is debated. Some users notice performance improvement, especially on lower to mid-range models with less built-in RAM. For devices with substantial RAM, benefits might not be as noticeable.

If you bought the base Galaxy S26 Ultra with 12GB of actual memory or went ahead for the 1TB model with 16GB, you probably won’t feel a thing.

RAM Plus was originally designed for mid-range devices, but Samsung decided to push it to higher-end devices that do not need it. On devices with little RAM, RAM Plus can make everyday use smoother because apps reload less often.

The tradeoffs nobody mentions

zRam uses extra CPU power for compressing and decompressing data. Your smartphone’s processor is doing work it would not otherwise do.

Virtual RAM is very slow compared to RAM and is used to store memory from programs running in the background. You’re opening yourself up to having a ton of open apps that may drastically hurt battery life.

Turning off RAM Plus via settings doesn’t actually disable zRam altogether anyway. Samsung stuck 16GB as an option because it tests well in focus groups and looks good on spec sheets next to competitors shipping similar numbers.

Image source – @LaidBackDev_/X

Image source – @LaidBackDev_/X

The post Is Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 16GB RAM Plus feature actually useful? appeared first on Sammy Fans.

vivo recently began teasing the T5x 5G in India and has now confirmed the phone’s launch date along with a few key specifications. The phone is set to succeed the vivo T4x, which debuted in March last year. The vivo T5x 5G will be unveiled in India on March 17 and will be available for purchase via the official vivo India website, offline stores, and Flipkart. In a teaser video posted on X, vivo revealed that the T5x 5G will be priced under INR 23,000 ($250) in the country. The handset will also pack a 7,200mAh battery, which vivo claims is the biggest in the segment. Ready to...

has weighed in on ’s upcoming clash against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, with whom he has previously shared multiple rounds of sparring. It was announced last month that the Ukrainian will face Verhoeven on May 23, headlining a Ring Magazine card at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza. Initially, it was thought that Usyk’s three world titles […]

The post Tyson Fury sums up Rico Verhoeven’s chances of beating Oleksandr Usyk appeared first on Boxing News.

Conor Benn has been accused of “begging” to fight a world champion, only to then run “scared” and instead agree to collide with Regis Prograis. It was announced last month that Benn will face the former two-time world super-lightweight champion on April 11, featuring on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov at London’s […]

The post Conor Benn accused of backing out of fight after getting ‘scared’: “I’d expose him” appeared first on Boxing News.

Maçlarda verilen kararlarla ilgili sadece ülkemizde tartışmalar yaşanmıyor. İspanya'dan konuyla ilgili çok kritik bir açıklama geldi.

Marca'ya konuşan La Liga Başkanı Javier Tebas, "Otomatik ofsayt sistemini uygulamaya koymak istiyoruz. Şu anda yarı otomatik sistem var ama 'yarı' kelimesini sevmiyorum. Bence tam otomatik olmalı. Böylece konuyla ilgili tartışmalar da tamamen biter" ifadelerini kullandı.

SİSTEM NASIL İŞLİYOR?

Yarı otomatik ofsayt sisteminde; kameralar aracılığıyla oyuncuların iskelet sistemlerinin 29 farklı noktasından taranan görüntüler, eş zamanlı şekilde VAR Merkezi'ne ulaştırılıyor. Taranan görüntü, maçın VAR hakemi tarafından VAR protokolüne göre incelenerek orta hakeme iletiliyor. Böylece karar çıkıyor.

DİREKT SONUÇ

Tam otomatik sistemde, çıkacak ofsayt kararlarında hakemlerin bir dahli bulunmayacak. Özellikle bu pozisyonlarda topun ayaktan çıkma anları konusunda ciddi tartışmalar vardı. İspanya bu sisteme geçerse, birçok ligin de onları izlemesi bekleniyor. VAR'dan çıkan kararlar, farklı ülkelerde de günden oluşturuyor.

Fenerbahçe'den olaylı bir şekilde ayrılan Jose Mourinho, kısa süre sonra Benfica'nın başına geçmişti. Tecrübeli çalıştırıcı henüz Portekiz Ligi'nde yenilgi yaşamadı.

1 Temmuz 2024 tarihinde Fenerbahçe'nin başına geçen Jose Mourinho'dan beklentiler büyüktü. Ancak oynattığı futbol, tavırları ve yaptığı açıklamalarla sürekli tartışmaların merkezinde yer aldı. 29 Ağustos 2025'te, takımdan ayrıldı. 18 Eylül'de ise Benfica'ya imza attı.

14 GALİBİYET-7 BERABERLİK

Yani Mourinho, Fenerbahçe'yi Şampiyonlar Ligi'nin dışına iten Portekiz ekibinin yeni hocası oldu. 63 yaşındaki çalıştırıcı, Benfica'yla Portekiz Ligi'nde 21 karşılaşmaya çıktı. 14 galibiyet ve 7 beraberlik elde etti. Fenerbahçe'nin hocası Tedesco'nun da Süper Lig'de henüz yenilgisi yok...

PORTO'NUN GERİSİNDE KALDILAR

Jose Mourinho'nun bileği ligde bükülmese de şampiyonluk yarışında Porto'nun gerisinde kalındı. 25. hafta itibarıyla Porto 66 puanla zirvede yer alıyor. İkinci Sporting Lizbon'un 62, 3. Benfica'nın ise 59 puanı bulunuyor. Tecrübeli çalıştırıcının şampiyonluk şansı yok denecek kadar az...

Galatasaray devre arasında Nottingham Forest forması giyen Ibrahim Sangare için pazarlık yapmıştı. Sezon sonunda bir hamle planlanıyordu. Fakat devreye Manchester United girdi...

Ara transferde yıldız orta saha takviyesi planlayan Galatasaray'ın adaylarından biri Ibrahim Sangare'ydi. Nottingham Forest Kulübü'yle pazarlık masasına oturuldu. Fakat Premier Lig temsilcisi, çok yüksek bir bonservis bedeli talep etti. Doğal olarak oyuncudan vazgeçildi.

MUKAVELESİ SÜRÜYOR

28 yaşındaki ön libero konusunda yaz döneminde de bir hamle planlanıyordu. Ancak devreye Manchester United girdi... United'ın ilk teklifinin 45 milyon sterlin olacağı konuşuluyor. 1.91 boyundaki futbolcunun 30 Haziran 2028 tarihine kadar mukavelesi bulunuyor.

FARKLI İSİMLER VAR

Fildişi Sahilli futbolcu, Manchester United seçeneğine çok sıcak bakıyor. Yani Galatasaray açısından zaten zor olan transfer, son gelişmelerin ardından iyice içinden çıkılmaz bir hal aldı. Sarı-Kırmızılı takımın transfer listesinde farklı orta saha oyuncuları da bulunuyor.

Kabo Verde yığmasının və “Qarabağ”ın yarımmüdafiəçisi Leandro Andrade Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasında 40-cı qolunu vurub.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, 26 yaşlı futbolçunun yubiley qolu 127-ci oyununa təsadüf edib.

O, Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasının 23-cü turunun “Araz-Naxçıvan”la görüşündə (6:0) dubl müəllifi olub. Leandronun ilk qolu yubiley xarakterli olub. İkinci dəfə fərqlənməklə isə o, Azərbaycan çempionatlarındakı göstəricisini 41-ə çatdırıb.

Premyer Liqada 2021/2022-ci illər mövsümündə debüt etmiş və yalnız “Qarabağ”ın uğurları üçün çalışmış Andrade turnirin tarixinə 40 və daha çox qol vuran 70-ci futbolçu kimi düşüb. Yarımmüdafiəçi 41 qol vurmuş Samir A. Məmmədov, Fazil Əsədov, Leandro Qomes, Baqali Daboya şərik çıxıb.

Xatırladaq ki, Andrade 2022-ci ilin yanvarından “Qarabağ”ın formasını geyinir. Onun Ağdam klubu ilə mövcud müqaviləsinin müddəti 2027-ci ilədək nəzərdə tutulub. Andradenin sözləşməsində 4 milyon avro qarşılığında sərbəst qalma bəndi də var.

Leo Ağdam klubunun heyətində bütövlükdə 201 oyun keçirib. O, bu oyunlarda 56 qola imza atıb, 58 assist müəllifi olub. Leandro “Qarabağ”ın heyətində 4 dəfə (2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024, 2024/2025) Azərbaycan çempionu, iki dəfə (2021/2022, 2023/2024) ölkə kubokunun qalibi olub.

Leandro Andrade daha öncə Portuqaliyada “Fatima”, Bolqarıstanda “Çerno More” kimi komandaların da şərəfini qoruyub. O, 2022-ci ilin mart ayında debüt etdiyi Kabo Verde yığma komandasında da 7 oyun keçirib, lakin məhsuldar fəaliyyəti ilə diqqət çəkməyib.

“Araz-Naxçıvan” futbol üzrə Azərbaycan çempionatlarının yüksək liqasında 20-ci dəfə böyük hesabla məğlub olub.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu, Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasının 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünün 23-cü turuna təsadüf edib.

Naxçıvan təmsilçisi “Qarabağ”la səfər matçında 0:6 hesabı ilə uduzub.

Üç və ya daha çox top fərqi ilə olan 20 məğlubiyyətdən 8-i öz, 12-si rəqib meydanında qeydə alınıb. Naxçıvan komandasının ilk belə matçı 2000-ci il sentyabrın 9-da “Neftçi”yə qarşı olub. Bakı klubu səfərdə 7 cavabsız qol vurub.

Qeyd edək ki, “Araz-Naxçıvan” “Qarabağ”la son üç görüşdə böyükhesablı məğlubiyyət alıb – 0:5, 1:5, 0:6.

Naxçıvan təmsilçisi Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasının cari mövsümündə qeyri-sabit çıxışı ilə diqqət mərkəzindədir. Komanda hazırda 33 xalla yarış cədvəlinin 5-ci pilləsində qərarlaşıb. 23 oyunda 9 qələbə qazanmış Muxtar Respublika təmsilçisi, 6 heç-heçə və 8 məğlubiyyət də görüb.

German Karl-Heinz Rummenigge tells Bayern Munich they should not underestimate Atalanta in their Champions League Round of 16 meeting tonight: ‘Many big clubs have made the same mistake.’

Atalanta, the only Serie A club remaining in the Champions League, will host Bayern Munich at the New Balance Arena in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tonight.

Rummenigge: ‘No more easy games’ in the Champions League

Rummenigge, a former Bayern Munich and Inter star and now a member of the Supervisory Board of the Bundesliga giants, told Gazzetta: “The important thing is not to make the same mistake many big clubs have made in the Champions League: being favourites and ending up losing. Like Manchester City against Bodo, or Borussia. A year ago, we won 2-1 away in Glasgow in the play-off first leg, then we were losing in the return leg, and we levelled the score in the final minutes to qualify. It’s a mistake that is often made. The public opinion believes it’s an easy game, but there are no more games like this.”

Atalanta already eliminated Borussia Dortmund from the Champions League knockout play-off, coming back from two goals down to secure a 4-3 aggregate win, thanks to a 4-1 win in the return leg.

“No, I didn’t expect it. Nobody should be underestimated this season,” Rummenigge continued.

“Even the so-called small teams are doing well. Nobody thought Bodo/Glimt would eliminate Inter. They won the first leg, and everyone thought the result would have changed in the return leg. On the other hand, they even won at San Siro. Those who have qualified for the Round of 16 should not be underestimated.

“Atalanta is a small team that must be respected; in the past, they also beat Bayer Leverkusen, so they must be respected in all aspects. And remember what we saw against Borussia,” he continued.

“They could have conceded even more goals in the first leg, and nobody in Germany thought Dortmund could be eliminated. In this phase of the Champions League, you need humility, respect, and focus to move forward. Bayern certainly want to do so. We are having a very good season, as we are still running in all competitions.”

Rummenigge knows Atlanta well, on and off the pitch.

“They should not be underestimated, and I also like the club’s organisation. I’ve met the Percassi family, and I like the way they see football,” he said.

“They manage the club calmly and don’t go under pressure. They were also lucky to have picked Gasperini, who has played a great role in Atalanta’s success. Winning the Europa League is not normal, and I’m not just talking about the results, but also the quality of football. I see that also his successor, Palladino, is doing really well. In today’s football, you need the quality of the team, but also a quality coach, also on a human aspect.”

The winner of Atalanta-Bayern Munich will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, and Rummenigge has clear ideas about the team he’d like to face in the quarter-finals.

“I hope my friend Pep Guardiola will go through, but I have great respect for Real Madrid in the second part of the season. Usually, from February, you see another Real. When the decisive games arrive, Real is always Real,” he concluded.

Milan’s 1-0 win over Inter on Sunday was decided by an 80-second spell in which Inter could have scored, but Milan struck instead.

There’s an old saying in Italian football that goes: ‘Goal sbagliato, goal subito.’ The translation is quite easy: miss a goal-scoring opportunity, and the opponents will score instead.

The decisive 80 seconds of Milan vs. Inter

It’s exactly what happened in the Milan derby on Sunday when the Rossoneri took all three points thanks to Pervis Estupinan’s first goal with the club.

The ex-Brighton defender found the net just a few seconds after Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s missed chance on the other end.

Below, via Lega Serie A, is the video of the 80 seconds that determined Milan’s win in the Derby della Madonnina.

Bologna winger Federico Bernardeschi reveals Gian Piero Gasperini wanted to bring him to Atalanta in 2022 when he eventually joined Toronto FC from Juventus: ‘ I admit money influenced my decision for 80%.’

Bologna winger Bernardeschi released an interview with Gazzetta just a few days before the Rossoblu’s Europa League meeting with Roma in the Europa League Round of 16.

Bernardeschi returned to Serie A last summer after spending three years at Toronto FC.

Bernardeschi: ‘No easy games’ in Serie A

“I’ve found a different Serie A football; now even the smaller teams are more equipped; technology is helping everyone, and everyone is organised,” the Italian said.

“There’s never an easy game, at any level, from race for survival to Europe.”

The first leg between Roma and Bologna will be played at the Dall’Ara this coming Thursday, but the Giallorossi will be without Paulo Dybala, a former teammate of Bernardeschi at Juventus.

“I’m sorry for Paulo, I’d have been happy to challenge him, even if it’s always better not to play against his left foot,” admitted Bernardeschi.

“But I’ll be glad to see many Azzurri friends. When I joined Juventus, I asked if I could get the no. 10. They said I was too young and should have waited a year. Then Dybala took it, who was already in his third year. I would have preferred to face a foreign club, because, as an Italian, I’d have been happier to see two Italian teams go as far as possible.”

Bernardeschi’s move to Bologna raised eyebrows over the summer, with some in the media suggesting he was no longer suitable for Italian football after such a long spell in Canada.

Bernardeschi, on the other hand, has scored five goals and provided one assist in 32 appearances and has never had doubts about his ability to make an impact at the Dall’Ara.

“I know myself. I didn’t go to Canada to take a walk in the park,” he said.

“I put maximum commitment into everything I do, even if I admit money influenced my decision for 80%, and the remaining 20% was a life choice. I’ve always trained and cared for my body meticulously. I’ve learned from Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus how to be a professional in all aspects and be a great professional. In Bologna, I took a month to readjust. I suffered a knee injury and was forced to skip pre-season. But my physical figures were high in the MLS, and I knew I was competitive.”

Bernardeschi could have even played under Gasperini at Atalanta.

“He called me before moving to Toronto, and I was tempted, but then I made a different choice. I don’t regret it, but I would have loved to work with him; I knew I could add a piece to my career,” the winger concluded.

“Roma looked for me when I was at Juventus, but I said no. I was happy in Turin, and I still have a house there, where I’m Yildiz’s neighbour.”

Source: Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, March 10, 2026, page 24.

The PC components keep getting expensive, directly affecting the laptop costs, and could introduce a nearly 40% price hike. TrendForce Forecasts 40% Price Hike for Mainstream Notebooks as Memory and CPU Availability and Pricing Worsen While desktop memory prices seem to have somewhat stabilized in some parts of the world, we have seen a rapid surge in laptop memory costs. Coupled with the increasing prices of SSDs, we have been witnessing a significant rise in laptop prices, and it looks like it's about to get worse. According to a new report, the mainstream notebook prices can rise by nearly 40% […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/laptop-prices-expected-to-rise-by-40-as-memory-and-cpu-prices-continue-to-soar/

Not even a couple of weeks after the New York state's Attorney General announced a lawsuit against Valve for their gambling-like loot boxes in games such as Counter-Strike 2, the Steam owner is about to be hit by another lawsuit, this time on the other side of the "pond" (where it already faces a £656 million class-action lawsuit directed to the 30% fee it collects from each game and software distributed on the platform). The Performing Rights Society (PRS), a UK-based music licensing and royalty collection organization that works on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers whenever their music […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/valve-hit-another-lawsuit-performing-rights-society/

By all accounts, Nioh 3 is a great success for Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo. It was lavished with praise by critics (such as our own Francesco De Meo, who rated it 9.8/10 and called it the best game the Japanese studio has ever made) and fans alike, as confirmed by the fact that it's the fastest-selling game in the trilogy so far. That said, the development team is aware there's further room for improvement. Fumihiko Yasuda, producer for Nioh 3 and studio head of Team Ninja, confirmed as much in a candid interview with Gamesradar: Nioh 3 is a […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/nioh-3-great-but-not-perfect-lots-we-can-improve-upon-says-team-ninja/

“Hoffenhaym”ın futbolçusu Fisnik Asslani karyerasını Türkiyədə davam etdirə bilər.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə Kosovo mətbuatı məlumat yayıb. “Fənərbağça” 23 yaşlı hücumçunun xidmətində maraqlıdır.

Kosovolu futbolçu bu mövsüm Bundesliqada 24 oyunda 8 qol vurub, 7 məhsuldar ötürmə edib. Forvardın “transfermarkt”da dəyəri 30 milyon avrodur.

“Atletiko”nun baş məşqçisi Dieqo Simeone Çempionlar Liqasında “Tottenhem”ə qarşı keçirəcəkləri oyunla bağlı fikirlərini bölüşüb.

Futbolpress.az İspaniya mətbuatına istinadən xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis matçla bağlı bunları deyib:

“Çətin oyun olacaq. “Tottenhem” Premyer Liqada yaxşı durumda olmasa da, bu turnirə fərqli yanaşır. Favorit biz deyilik. Onlar liqada aşağı sıralardadılar, amma Çempionlar Liqasında 1/8 finala birbaşa yüksəliblər. Biz isə pley-off oynamışıq”.

Bu gün keçiriləcək “Atletiko” – “Tottenhem” oyunu saat 00:00-da başlayacaq.

“Şamaxı” Misli Premyer Liqasının XXIII turunda “İmişli” ilə heç-heçə edib – 0:0.

“Şirlər”in futbolçusu Rüfət Abbasov matçdan sonra “Futbolpress.az“ın suallarını cavablandırdı:

– Qələbə üçün nə çatmadı?
– Çətin olacağını bilirdik. Qələbə qazanmaq istəyirdik. Rəqib çox yaxşı müdafiə olunmağı bacarır. Son oyunlarda da uduzmurdular. İstəyirdik ki, qələbə qazanıb, xallarımızı artıraq. Amma indiki məqamda bir xal da pis deyil.

– “Qarabağ”la ağır kubok oyununun bu görüşə təsiri nə dərəcə oldu?
– “Qarabağ”la oyunda psixoloji və fiziki yorulmuşduq. “Qarabağ”la oyunu unutmaq lazım idi. “İmişli” ilə matçda istəyimiz qalibiyyət idi, alınmadı.

– Komanda altı oyundur, qələbə qazana bilmir. Səbəb nədir?
– Hər oyuna qələbə üçün çıxırıq. Bəzən alınır, bəzən yox. Qarşıdakı matçlarda bu seriyanı bitirməliyik.

– Komanda və fərdi olaraq oyununuzda eniş hiss edirsiniz?
– Eniş olduğunu düşünmürəm. Əksinə, daha yaxşı oynayırıq. İndi bəzən istədiklərin alınır, bəzən yox. Növbəti matçlarda qələbə qazanmaq üçün əlimizdən gələni edəcəyik.

– Liqada demək olar, yerinizi möhkəmlətmisiz. Oyunlara köklənmək çətin olmur?
– Xeyr. Xallarımızı artırmaq istəyirik. Hər oyuna qələbə motivasiyası ilə çıxırıq.

Şahin Cəfərov

“Barselona”nın baş məşqçisi Hansi Flik Çempionlar Liqasının 1/8 finalında bu gün “Nyukasl”a qarşı keçirəcəkləri oyunla bağlı fikirlərini bölüşüb.

Futbolpress.az “Diario Sport” xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis matçla bağlı bunları deyib:

“Premyer Liqa dünyanın ən yaxşı liqasıdır. Orda çoxlu pulları olan güclü komandalar var. Onların təmsilçilərinin bu mərhələdə daha çox olması bunu göstərir.

Bacarıqlı komandayıq və üslubumuza sadiq qalmalı, oyunumuzu oynamalıyıq. Düşünürəm ki, “Nyukasl” azarkeşləri möhtəşəm atmosfer yaradacaq. Onların təzyiqinin öhdəsindən gəlməliyik.

İki oyunda da vacib məsələ müdafiədə diqqətli olmaqdır. “Atletiko” ilə kubok oyununda ani boşluqlara görə 4 qol buraxmışdıq. Bu dəfə daha ehtiyatlı oynamalıyıq”.

“Nyukasl” – “Barselona” oyunu saat 00:00-da start götürəcək.

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The post Ripple Executive Says XRP May Become the ‘Glue’ of Blockchain Finance appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Markus Infanger, SVP RippleX, says the XRP Ledger is gradually developing into infrastructure for institutional decentralized finance, with XRP positioned at the center of liquidity and settlement. 

Infanger discussed the idea in a Podcast shared by BankXRP on X, describing XRP as a connecting layer within blockchain-based financial systems.

“I see XRP as the glue that connects liquidity and settlement,” Infanger said.

XRP as the Core Asset of XRPL

Infanger explained that XRP functions as the native asset powering the XRP Ledger. The token is used for transaction fees and reserve requirements across the network, making it fundamental to how the system operates. 

Because of this structure, XRP plays a direct role in maintaining network activity and facilitating transfers between participants. According to Infanger, the ledger was designed so that value movement and liquidity functions rely on the same underlying asset.

“XRP is the native asset of the XRP Ledger, and it powers all the fees and reserves on the network,” he said.

Ripple’s developer arm, RippleX, focuses on building tools and infrastructure that expand the financial capabilities of the ledger while keeping XRP at the center of transaction activity.

• Also Read :
•   Why Is the Crypto Market Up Today?
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Auto-Bridging Connects Liquidity

He further dived into another feature, which is the ledger’s built-in auto-bridging system. This mechanism allows XRP to act as an intermediary asset when converting between different currencies or tokens.

Through this process, transactions can move across liquidity pools even if a direct trading pair does not exist.

“Auto-bridging allows liquidity to connect across assets and markets through XRP,” Infanger said, describing how the feature helps route transactions efficiently.

Institutional Finance on XRPL

Infanger also pointed to ongoing development around institutional lending on the ledger. RippleX has been working on financial tools designed to allow institutions to access credit and liquidity directly through blockchain infrastructure.

These features aim to position the XRP Ledger as a network where payments, liquidity management, and financial services operate within a single system.

As Infanger summarized in the discussion, the broader vision is to create a network where settlement and liquidity are closely linked through XRP.

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The post Robert Kiyosaki Warns of 2026 Market Collapse appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad’s Prophecy, is warning that the stock market could face its largest crash in history in 2026. He argues that the root causes of the 2008 financial crisis remain unresolved and highlights BlackRock’s private credit exposure as a key risk. With global debt levels soaring, many retirees, especially baby boomers, could see their savings wiped out. Kiyosaki advises investors to consider hard assets like gold, silver, and cryptocurrencies to protect against the looming financial turbulence.

The post BlackRock Leads $167M Bitcoin ETF Inflows appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw strong net inflows of $167.1 million on March 9, reversing a recent short-standing outflow trend and signaling renewed institutional interest in Bitcoin. BlackRock’s IBIT led with $109.3 million, while Fidelity’s FBTC added $60.1 million. Smaller funds such as Bitwise’s BITB and ARK’s ARKB experienced minor outflows, but the overall picture indicated demand for regulated Bitcoin exposure. BlackRock’s IBIT remains the dominant ETF, helping total U.S. Bitcoin ETF assets hover near $88 billion as BTC trades steadily.

The post Bitcoin Hyper Falls Behind as Pepeto Shows How $13K Becomes $500K and BTC ETFs Post Weekly Inflows appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Spot Bitcoin ETFs just posted $568 million in weekly inflows for the second consecutive week, the first time in five months, and when institutional money returns this consistently the accumulation phase is nearing its end. 

But Bitcoin Hyper is losing ground to projects with real exchange infrastructure, because smart traders are not chasing presales without utility. They are positioning in the one that turns $13K into $500K when the listing arrives and the breakout rewards wallets that moved during fear.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs Post $568 Million in Weekly Inflows for Second Straight Week

Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $568.45 million in net inflows for the week ending March 6, driven by a $1.15 billion buying wave from March 2 to 4, according to CoinDesk. 

Total net assets climbed to $87 billion. This marks institutional buyers returning after months of outflows. Bitcoin Hyper cannot compete with that validation, because when the biggest money in finance buys consistently, the presale building exchange infrastructure at ground floor pricing captures the returns that Bitcoin Hyper’s limited utility never will.

High ROI Projects Offering Early Investor Rewards You Can Buy This Year

Pepeto Shows How $13K Becomes $500K When Exchange Infrastructure Meets Presale Pricing

There is a reason $7.5M has poured into one presale during the worst fear cycle in years, and once you see what Pepeto is actually building, you will understand why wallets keep entering faster every single week. This is not another meme token hoping for attention. This is a full exchange connecting every blockchain into one trading environment, positioning traders at the center of the entire crypto ecosystem instead of stuck on one chain watching opportunities pass on another.

At its core, Pepeto introduces a cross chain bridge, a zero tax trading engine, and a risk scoring dashboard that catches dangerous contracts before your money goes near them.

Pepeto is currently raising at $0.000000186, and the presale has crossed $7.5M during the deepest fear cycle in crypto history. Early positioning at this price is exactly how $13K turns into $500K, because the gap between presale pricing and listing valuation on exchange tokens with real infrastructure routinely produces multiples that make that math conservative.

The Binance listing is approaching, the SolidProof audit was completed before the first dollar entered, and the founder already built Pepe to $7 billion. Once the listing goes live and trading volume flows through the exchange, the presale price ceases to exist and the wallets that moved during fear become the ones everyone else wishes they had been. 

Pepeto offers 204% annual yield on staked positions, but the $13K to $500K math is what happens when the listing activates, that’s not a promise, its experienced crypto analysts predictions, and the accumulation window closes permanently behind you.

Bitcoin Hyper

Bitcoin Hyper positions itself as a Bitcoin staking and mining hybrid presale targeting passive income from BTC infrastructure. 

But the project has no confirmed tier one exchange listing, limited transparency around the team, and the Bitcoin Hyper model competes directly against established mining operations with years of infrastructure already built, making the risk profile unfavorable when audited exchange infrastructure exists at a similar entry point.

The Bottom Line

The ETFs are buying again for the first time in five months, which means the accumulation phase is real and the breakout is loading. The gap between Pepeto’s presale price and the listing valuation is the entire opportunity, and $13K positioned now becomes $500K when that gap closes because the exchange infrastructure justifies the math all by itself. 

The stages fill faster each round, 204% APY compounds in wallets that already moved, and once the Binance listing reprices this permanently, the entry you see today turns into a memory. Visit the Pepeto official website and enter the presale before this stage closes and the entry that could add 7 figures on your wallet disappears forever.

Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale

FAQs

Is Bitcoin Hyper a good presale investment?

Bitcoin Hyper lacks a confirmed tier one exchange listing and competes against established mining operations. Pepeto with $7.5M raised, exchange infrastructure, and a $7 billion founder offers stronger positioning. Visit the Pepeto official website.

Can Pepeto really turn $13K into $500K?

Pepeto at presale pricing with exchange infrastructure and a Binance listing approaching offers the kind of presale to listing gap that routinely produces 38x or more on exchange tokens with real utility.

Why are Bitcoin ETF inflows important for presales?

ETF inflows returning after five months confirms the accumulation phase is ending, and presale entries like Pepeto capture the biggest returns when the breakout arrives.

Milan’s 1-0 win over Inter on Sunday was decided by an 80-second spell in which Inter could have scored, but Milan struck instead.

There’s an old saying in Italian football that goes: ‘Goal sbagliato, goal subito.’ The translation is quite easy: miss a goal-scoring opportunity, and the opponents will score instead.

The decisive 80 seconds of Milan vs. Inter

It’s exactly what happened in the Milan derby on Sunday when the Rossoneri took all three points thanks to Pervis Estupinan’s first goal with the club.

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Inter competes for the ball with Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan during the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The ex-Brighton defender found the net just a few seconds after Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s missed chance on the other end.

Below, via Lega Serie A, is the video of the 80 seconds that determined Milan’s win in the Derby della Madonnina.

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Pervis Estupinan of AC Milan celebrates celebrates with his team-mates Adrien Rabiot and Youssouf Fofana after scoring their team’s team’s first goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Inter at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The NFL’s free agency window opened up on Monday and the Atlanta Falcons made several notable moves.

The Falcons and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have agreed to a 1-year deal, per multiple reports. Tagovailoa will start for the Falcons until Michael Penix Jr. finishes rehabbing his injured knee.

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The Miami Dolphins released Tagovailoa and they will be on the hook for nearly $55 million in guaranteed money. The Falcons will sign him for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million.

The Falcons are reuniting with former wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who played for three different teams over the last three seasons. Atlanta drafted him in 2019.

Former tight end Austin Hooper is also returning to the Falcons on a 1-year deal with the team.

ATLANTA FALCONS FREE AGENCY TRACKER*

• QB Tua Tagovailoa
• WR Olamide Zaccheaus
• TE Austin Hooper
• WR Jahan Dotson
• CB Natrone Brooks (contract extension)
• DE Cameron Thomas
• K Nick Folk
• P Jake Bailey

*Combined reports from league sources, ESPN, NFL Network, Associated Press and Falcons official social media

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He's tucked away on Team USA's World Baseball Classic roster amid Cy Young Award winners and All-Stars.

Yet even as Nolan McLean's career is just getting started, he's lined up to take on a significant role for the Americans.

McLean, the New York Mets' 24-year-old right-hander, has made just eight career major-league starts but might end up getting the ball in the WBC championship game. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa has lined up ace Paul Skenes for the semifinal round, to get the Americans to the championship.

From there, it might be McLean's turn.

He's starting Team USA's fourth pool-play game on Tuesday against Italy, which already will be a significant task as both teams enter undefeated in pool play. So how did such a relative newbie earn such esteem so quickly?

Who is Nolan McLean?

It wasn't that long ago that McLean was harboring dreams of following in Shohei Ohtani's footsteps, not Skenes'. The Mets drafted him as a two-way player in the third round out of Oklahoma State in 2023, and he kept the bat in his hands into the 2024 season.

At least until his pitching far out-kicked his hitting.

As McLean's arm got him to Class AA, making contact became a problem: He struck out 74 times in 143 plate appearances at high A and AA. Pitching it was.

On that side of the ball, he averaged a strikeout per inning, a good thing. And in 2025, he needed just five starts to graduate from Class AA Binghamton up to AAA Syracuse - where he was even better.

As McLean stacked dominant starts at Syracuse, posting a 2.78 ERA across 16 appearances the clamor for him to buttress a Mets rotation gasping for air grew louder. He finally arrived Aug. 16 - and became perhaps the most reliable cog on a Mets team that couldn't stop a free-fall.

Lest we forget, McLean was originally a three-way player: He was a highly recruited quarterback out of Garner, North Carolina, and on Oklahoma State's football roster as a freshman. Seems like he picked the best lane.

Nolan McLean stats

Startlingly, his numbers were even better in the National League than the International League. He gave up just 34 hits in 48 innings. Posted a 2.06 ERA, a 57-16 strikeout-walk ratio and 1.04 WHIP.

Oh, and he essentially couldn't lose.

The Mets won seven of his eight starts, his lone setback a 1-0 defeat to the division champion Phillies. Not that Philly got the best of him: He also spun eight shutout innings against the Phillies at Citi Field, giving up just four hits in his third major league start.

Yes, perhaps the WBC won't faze him too much.

Nolan McLean pitch repertoire

It usually takes pitchers the better part of a decade to master a half-dozen pitches, the result of endless tinkering, exposure to a wide swath of teammates and greater self-knowledge.

Yet McLean, at 24, might already be there.

He typically pitches off a four-seam fastball that averages 95 mph and has touched 98, along with a power sinker that most often serves as his putaway pitch. Yet his sweeper and curveball play significant roles as well, and gain greater effectiveness thanks to his trusty No. 1 and his daunting sinker.

McLean also throws a cutter, though that for now remains his perpetual workshop pitch, and a changeup.

No, they're not all perfect weapons. But for a guy to confidently throw that many pitches in a major league setting at such a tender augurs well for when McLean is, say, 30 years old.

Nolan McLean salary

Yep, he's perhaps the biggest value on both the WBC and star-studded Mets squad.

McLean will make $791,500 this season, the slight raise from the major league minimum of $780,000 a nod to his late-season contribution in 2025. He also figures to be a prime candidate for additional earnings through the pre-arbitration bonus pool that was enacted in the most recent collective bargaining agreement.

And while McLean still has six full seasons via free agency, he and other younger players should keep a wary eye on CBA negotiations and any significant changes to arbitration eligibility or free agency. He received a $747,600 signing bonus after getting drafted in 2023.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nolan McLean could start for Team USA in World Baseball Classic final

If you asked people who their favorite Duke Basketball player is, you’d get some very different answers.

Fans who saw Art Heyman play might pick him. People might pick Johnny Dawkins, too.

More recently, we have a ton of players to choose from: JJ Redick, Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Cameron Boozer, to name a few.

It’s a smorgasbord!

However, if you wanted to pick one guy who sort of sums up what most of us like in Duke Basketball, you’d have a hard time beating Shane Battier.

C’mon…say it with us…Who’s your Daddy? Battier! Who’s your Daddy? Battier! Who’s your Daddy? Battier!

Wow, that felt good.

Battier was sort of the ultimate Dukie. He was talented, to be sure – he had a long NBA career, culminating with rings in 2012 and 2013 – but he is also wicked smart and a great interview.

Once, when Duke had briefly fallen out of first place, Battier was asked how it felt to be back on top. His answer?

“Normal.”

His Duke career culminated with the 2001 NCAA championship, and his play in that game was surreal. The old saying is that someone “left nothing on the court.” In his case, that was totally true. We’ve never seen anyone play harder than Battier in the 2001 title game.

So on top of his many other good qualities, Battier is a superb leader. Duke’s had many great players, as noted, but no one has had his combination of leadership, quiet charisma, confidence, and passion.

Battier was truly one of a kind.

'Tis the season for NCAA tournament bubble teams.

With the 2025-26 men's college basketball regular season in the books, its time now to look to the conference tournaments. In the 68-team field for March Madness, only 31 conference tournament champions can earn auto berths into the NCAA tournament.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness favorites: Ranking top 20 teams based on odds

While some teams on the bubble can secure their bids for the Big Dance by winning their respective conferences, there are not enough of those for each of them all to qualify.

Then there are teams that are not even in the conversation for the NCAA tournament that are potentially in line to steal a bid completely by winning their conference tournaments.

Here's a look at four teams that potentially steal bids from teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble by winning their conference tournaments in the Power Five:

Florida State (17-14, 10-8 ACC)

Florida State has quietly been one of the hottest teams in college basketball over the last couple of months. Following a loss to SMU on Jan. 24, the Seminoles were sitting at a season-worst four games below .500 at 8-12 and just 1-6 in ACC play.

Since that point, FSU has won nine of its 11 games, including three three-game winning streaks in that span. The team has found its footing under first-year coach Luke Loucks, who is following in the footsteps of legendary coach Leonard Hamilton.

Of course, the Seminoles will have their work cut out for themselves to win the conference tournament. FSU earned the No. 8 seed for the tournament and will take on No. 9 California on Wednesday, March 11. If it wins that, it will face No. 1 Duke on Thursday, March 12.

No. 4 North Carolina could potentially await the Seminoles in the semifinals, while No. 3 Miami and No. 2 Virginia are the two teams favored to get in from the other side of the bracket into the championship game.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracketology: Latest NCAA tournament bubble predictions

Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 SEC)

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi moved Oklahoma to his "next four teams out" on Sunday, March 8. That's quite a rise for a program that looked poised to fire coach Porter Moser on Feb. 4, when the Sooners sat at 1-9 in conference play amid a nine-game losing skid.

However, Oklahoma closed out the season with six wins in its final eight games, including a four-game winning streak to close out the regular season. The Sooners have found their footing and could make some noise in the SEC Tournament.

For Oklahoma, a couple of wins in the conference tournament could position it to make the NCAA Tournament — but winning it all would guarantee entry. As the No. 11 seed, the Sooners open the tournament against No. 14 South Carolina.

If they beat the Gamecocks, they play No. 6 Texas A&M and, assuming a win vs. the Aggies, No. 3 Arkansas in the quarterfinals. No. 2 Alabama could await them in the semifinals, if they make it that far. That would likely be enough to get into the NCAA Tournament, but a win against Florida in the championship game would not only lock up a spot, but also help in seeding.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness teams rising, falling in NCAA Tournament bracket predictions

Cincinnati (17-14, 9-9 Big 12)

Following a regular season finale loss to TCU on Saturday, March 7, Cincinnati is in the first four teams out according to USA TODAY Sports' latest bracketology. However, the Bearcats have shown throughout the regular season they can hang with the best teams in the Big 12 and are a threat to go on a run.

Cincinnati has wins over then-No. 2 Iowa State and then No. 2 Arizona on its resume. Baba Miller ― an FSU transfer ― has lived up to the potential he had coming out of Spain, before having to sit out his freshman season by the NCAA for receiving improper benefits.

The Bearcats will open the Big 12 Tournament against No. 16 Utah on Tuesday, March 10, and must face No. 8 UCF if it advances. No. 1 Arizona would await Cincinnati in the quarterfinals if it were to win that one.

According to KenPom, the Bearcats have the 12th-best defense in the country this season. If it can hold up in the Big 12 Tournament, Cincinnati has a real chance to make a deep run.

Marquette (12-19, 7-13 Big East)

Marquette is the biggest reach on this list, as the Golden Eagles have underperformed all season. But could Saturday's 68-62 upset victory over No. 4 UConn could be a sign of things to come?

The victory denied the Huskies the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, but also set up a potential rematch in the second round, if the Golden Eagles can defeat No. 10 seed Xavier in the first round on Wednesday, March 11 to kick off the tournament.

A team seven games below .500 has likely shown us what its true colors are already. But all you need to do in March Madness is get hot at the right time and win games when they count the most.

It helps that Nigel James Jr. has seemed to play his basketball at the right time. He has averaged 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists over his last six games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Power 5 conference teams that can steal NCAA Tournament bids

College basketball is well into postseason mode with the remaining high-major conference tournaments getting underway around the country this week.

It's a time of the year that makes or breaks a head coach's career at their respective school. Look at the handful of universities that "part ways" with head coaches each March after disappointing postseason runs.

But it's also one that can make a name for a young head coach as they lead their respective team on a March Madness run. A recent example of this is Dusty May, who leveraged a Florida Atlantic Final Four run into becoming the head coach at Michigan, which won the outright Big Ten regular season championship this season.

Think you can beat our experts? Join USA TODAY’s Bracket Challenge today!

The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is expected to be flooded with some of the top coaching talent in the country, both young and experienced. There's Dan Hurley, who's looking for his third national title in the last four years at Connecticut. There's also Jon Scheyer at Duke, who is looking to bring the first national championship to Durham, North Carolina since Mike Krzyzewski retired.

There are also veteran coaches such as Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Arkansas' John Calipari and Kansas' Bill Self, who have all proven they can rip off a deep run in March at any time. But who are the top coaches in the sport heading into the heart of this year's conference tournaments and March Madness?

Here's a look at the top coaches, ranked, in men's college basketball heading into March:

Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today!

Ranking top 10 coaches in men's college basketball

1. Dan Hurley, UConn

When Hurley took over the program in 2018, the Huskies had not made the NCAA tournament in back-to-back years since 2011-12. The program lacked the physicality and toughness that it once had under Jim Calhoun. He has since built UConn back into a national powerhouse, famously warning the entire country about this after a loss at Villanova in 2020 that the Huskies were "coming" after all.

Since then, he led the Huskies to back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024 and has his program back to being a national championship contender after not meeting expectations last season with a second-round exit in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

2. Jon Scheyer, Duke

Taking over for the legendary Krzyzewski can be a daunting task. Jon Scheyer, however, has made it look seamless, as the Blue Devils have retained their status as one of the top programs (with the help of players such as Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer). He's once again in the mix for national coach of the year with the Blue Devils sitting at 29-2 overall on the season and in line for their second consecutive ACC tournament title.

But Scheyer's resume is still missing a national championship, and that's what has him under Hurley on the list. That title very much could be in store for him this season, though, given how dominant the Blue Devils have been.

3. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona

Speaking of former assistants who have thrived as head coaches, Tommy Lloyd is right up there with Scheyer. The former Gonzaga assistant under Mark Few is 140-35 in his five seasons with Arizona, and has passed Brad Stevens for the most wins in the first five seasons.

Lloyd hasn't made it past the Sweet 16, however, and has a first-round loss to No. 15 seed Princeton in 2023.

4. Dusty May, Michigan

Everyone remembers the Owls' Final Four in 2023 that helped May land the Michigan job, and a 19-win improvement in his first season that finished with a trip to the Sweet 16.

He bought into the transfer portal over the offseason to build a national championship contender that's in line for its fourth NCAA tournament 1-seed in program history. Their NCAA tournament resume features 14 Quad 1 wins — highlighted by their 3-0 record at the Players Era Festival Championship over San Diego State, Auburn and Gonzaga — and five top-25 wins in Big Ten play over Southern California, Nebraska, Purdue, Michigan State and Illinois.

5. Todd Golden, Florida

In Year 3 at Florida last season, Golden, then 39 years old, became the youngest coach to lead a team to a national championship since Jim Valvano did so at North Carolina State in 1983. It's a national championship that brought the Gators back into national contention for the first time since the Billy Donovan Era in Gainesville, putting him in the class of elite young coaches in the country.

This season, Golden has done a fantastic job of turning around the Gators' season after they went 5-4 in the first month and 0-3 against top five opponents in Arizona, Duke and UConn. Since then, the Gators are 19-2 and are knocking at the door of the 1-seed line.

6. Tom Izzo, Michigan State

It's March, so don't count out Izzo. The 71-year-old coach has won 59 games in the NCAA tournament, which he'll be leading the Spartans to for the 28th consecutive season this year. He might not have his best national contending roster this year, but the Spartans can still do some damage in the NCAA tournament.

7. Kelvin Sampson, Houston

Houston hasn't lost a beat under Kelvin Sampson since they made to the Big 12 in 2023. The Cougars have remained one of the top programs in the country, earning back-to-back No. 1 seeds and making the national championship game last season. The Cougars' likely top-three seeding projection in the NCAA tournament will be their fourth straight under Sampson.

Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today!

8. John Calipari, Arkansas

There aren't many active coaches who have a national title and multiple Final Four appearances on their resumes outside of John Calipari. He led the Razorbacks to a Sweet 16 appearance in Year 1 at Arkansas, where they nearly made the Elite Eight.

His Xs and Os may not be what they were during the prime of his tenure at Kentucky, but he can still recruit like no other, develop NBA talent and still coach. Any form of Coach Cal is better than no Coach Cal.

9. Bill Self, Kansas

Kansas' 2025-26 season hasn't necessarily gone exactly as planned with a 22-9 record and Darryn Peterson drawing attention for his limited minutes usage. Yet, the Jayhawks still find themselves between the 3- and 5-seed line. It's a true testament to Self's coaching and adaptability.

10. Rick Pitino, St. John's

Rick Pitino led St. John's on a magical run last season, where it won its first Big East Tournament crown since 2000 and earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Basketball Hall of Fame coach, who won his 900th career on-court game earlier this season, reloaded his roster through the transfer portal and has the Johnnies once again atop the conference with UConn.

The Johnnies sometimes lack production from their front court outside of Zuby Ejiofor, but their defense is what makes them a headache for teams to scout. Just look at their statement win at Madison Square Garden vs. the Huskies.

Think you can beat our experts? Join USA TODAY’s Bracket Challenge today!

Honorable Mentions

Here's a list, in no particular order, of coaches that just missed the top 10 cut line:

• Mark Few, Gonzaga
• Matt Painter, Purdue
• T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
• Brad Underwood, Illinois

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball's top 10 coaches before conference tournaments

“Speaking of Giannis, on a scale of 1 to 10 — 10 being no doubt about it, 1 meaning it’s a possibility he’s gone — how confident are you that Giannis will be in a Bucks uniform next year?” Bobby Portis: “10 is what?” Host: “10 is no doubt in your mind.” Bobby Portis: “Uh, I’m at a five, bro. I’m right in the middle. Yes, sir … For real, it’s up in the air, man. “Obviously, just being here, our goal just isn’t to make the play-in, right? The goal isn’t to just make the playoffs. Since I’ve been here, since 2020 during the pandemic, the goal has always been championship. “So, I don’t know what that outlook is for next year. I don’t know what Giannis and his staff are going to put together to make the roster better, make us better, so we can compete for championships next year. I don’t know that.

YouTube

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Bobby Portis gives 50/50 odds on Giannis Antetokounmpo returning to Milwaukee next season

Bobby Portis: “But if you ask me that question, I would say it’s right there in the middle. Obviously, when the season’s over, if you’re a basketball fan, you know what’s going to go on. Since I’ve been here since 2020, like I said, each and every summer, once our team is eliminated or whatever, the conversation is going to get brought up again, and it’s going to be a super lingering thing all summer long, especially leading up into the draft. “So, I guess we’ll have to see, man. But I think it’s right there at that five, six, seven mark.”

YouTube

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “But if you ask me that question, I would say it’s …

"It's important for him to get them playoff time," Spears continued. "Because I think he knows, whether it's a Giannis [Antetokounmpo], whether it's a LeBron James, there's going to be somebody next summer, that's going to join him, join Jimmy, join Draymond [Green], assuming he's still there too." "Remember, this is the Warriors," Spears added. "They have a brand. They could quick fix and add some talent. But on the cheaper side is the younger guys, and if you get them that good experience like they're getting now, then it's going to help the franchise in the long run and save them some money for somebody bigger in the process."

NBC Sports Bay Area

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "It's important for him to get them playoff time," …

Charlie Villanueva on Jokic saying he never wants to leave the Nuggets: "Most European superstars don't want to leave their team. These international cats don’t have the same mentality as a US born player where if sh*t don’t go right we want to leave, you know, they want to fix the problems.”

reddit

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Most European superstars don't want to leave their …

Fred VanVleet: “But there’s no more free there’s no there’s no opportunity. You can’t move. You can’t keep a player. There’s no free agency anymore. Free agency is the trade deadline. Now you you have a situation like JK where it’s like we don’t want to play you, we’re not going to pay you and we’re not going to trade you. So like I feel like that part of of the CBA is where the the real harm is done at and the Second Apron is the excuse for the teams to say, ‘Oh, we can’t do anything because of Second Apron.’ So obviously I feel like everybody is going to go to the table with like an idea that we need to change that somehow.”

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBPA president Fred VanVleet: 'There’s no free agency anymore. Free agency is the trade deadline'

Thunder wing Luguentz Dort said he apologized to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic after committing a second fourth-quarter flagrant foul on him in the past two weeks. "Just lost in the competition," Dort told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "But shook his hand, [said] 'great game' and I apologized that that happened."

ESPN

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Luguentz Dort apologizes to Nikola Jokic after second flagrant foul in two weeks

In this instance, Dort swung his left arm around while trying to navigate a Jokic screen on the wing and whacked Jokic in the face. Officials ruled it a flagrant 1 after review, giving Jokic two free throws and Denver possession. "I didn't mean to hit him in the face," Dort said. "But when I go over screens and stuff like that, my arms are just everywhere, and then unfortunately I just hit him in the face. ... I didn't think it was a flagrant 1. Unnecessary means I did [it] on purpose, which I didn't."

ESPN

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "I didn't mean to hit him in the face," Dort said.

Jokic gave a quick "no" response when asked postgame whether he felt this Dort foul crossed the line, different from his reaction to Dort's foul on Feb. 27, when he jumped up and confronted Dort in the moment, creating a scrum at center court, and afterward called Dort's trip "unnecessary." "It was over since last time," Jokic said when asked Monday night whether there remained any hard feelings.

ESPN

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "It was over since last time," Jokic said when asked …

Gilgeous-Alexander received the ball near the half-court logo, with Denver's Spencer Jones on his left hip. Gilgeous-Alexander surveyed the floor as he took a few dribbles to the right wing, recognizing that Christian Braun was positioned to help on a drive. Gilgeous-Alexander created just enough space with a step-back move to his right to launch the winner over Jones' outstretched hand, a close facsimile of the dagger Gilgeous-Alexander drilled in Saturday's win over the Golden State Warriors. "Just trusting my work, first and foremost, and then just reading the defense," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who was 14-of-21 from the floor. "Obviously, they were sending two [defenders] basically the whole second half, and I knew if I wanted to get an attempt late, I would have to go quick, go fast. And the deeper I drove, the more bodies would come. Yeah, kind of had no choice."

ESPN

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Obviously, they were sending two [defenders] …

Bennett Durando: Christian Braun on Shai: “He busted my ass tonight. ... That last game, I knew I played well and got a block in a big moment. Tonight, he made the shot in a big moment. He made a couple of them. So I know that I’m gonna play him again. I’m gonna play him in the playoffs.”

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Christian Braun on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 'He busted my ass tonight'

Nikola Jokic on SGA tying Wilt with 126 consecutive 20-point games: “I don’t know that people know how hard it is to do that. To make 20 pointsin 10 (straight) games, not 120 whatever it is, it’s special. He’s a special player.”

reddit

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “I don’t know that people know how hard it is to do …

Joey Linn: Darius Garland on Bennedict Mathurin: “He has no fear. I didn’t know he was that creative with the ball in his hands… In Indiana he was aggressive, but over here T-Lue and everybody is letting him rock out. I really like it… Ben is gonna be Ben. We really need him to go be Ben. I love the aggression. I didn’t see it in Indiana but I love it over here.”

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “He has no fear. I didn’t know he was that creative …

‪llimllib‬: The Celtics are the only team in the league that has no players with a negative net points rating in their top 10 by minutes Without Tatum they've thrived not by having anybody be great, but instead by having nobody play consistently poorly

bsky.app

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The Celtics are the only team in the league that has …

What's your level of concern after losing three of four? You haven't been in a stretch like this since late January. Karl-Anthony Towns: I know there'll be noise, but at the end of the day, we just have to continue to worry about what's in this locker room, stay in the present, continue to worry about what we can control, and continue to find ways to get better. I think we found ways to get better in these last two games. I know it sounds weird, but I think we have to build off the things we've been doing well, and the things we haven't done well, we obviously have to correct. But there's a recipe there for success, and we just have to continue to work on the formula.

YouTube

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Karl-Anthony Towns: I know there'll be noise, but at …

This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke with retired Pro Bowl center Mitch Morse.

In his interview with Easton Jr., Morse discussed his experience playing for Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and offensive line coach Andy Heck.

"I remember walking into that building and feeling, you know, it's interesting, because Coach (Andy) Reid is very personable, but he also has this presence about him, this aura that is incredibly intimidating for a young football player. You understood when you got in there that it was a professional setting. "I remember he didn't say much to me for a while," said Morse. "The first time I really had a conversation, Coach Reid had allowed me to go with the ones." This is during Phase Three, when we'd do these days: you'd work on your first few opponents and maybe the end-of-division opponents. It was really an opportunity for one-on-one. It was also the first test to do this mystic long drive drill."

The Chiefs selected Morse 49th overall in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft after an impressive college career at Missouri.

"It was my first opportunity to do a long drive drill. He had told me that. I was going to be with the ones, and those long-drive drills are ones-versus-ones for 18 straight plays. I'm getting absolutely cooked play after play after play," said Morse, "I remember it's like play six of 18. Donatari Poe hits me with the most incredible inside move; Alex Smith barely gets the ball out. He's being touched, and I remember Coach Reid, he has that little bit of a disappointed scout mustache, and he looks at me, and he goes, '61' quit blowing your chance. My heart felt like it was going to go to my scrotum, and that happens, and I remember I still have 12 plays. I'm gonna have to call my mom after this, all that stuff. It was also kind of what he does the best, and in Kansas City, that's what you're going to get as a young player. You're pliable, not only physically, but mentally. So you're going to get your trial by fire, and you're going to sink, or you're going to swim, and they do a beautiful job of making sure that you swim. It's just going to be a little uncomfortable for you. There were growing pains for both parties as a young Mitch Morse surrounded them, but it was great."

Offensive line coach Andy Heck has been with the Chiefs since 2013 was an impactful part of Morse's development as a young player.

"Andy Heck is an incredible teacher, maybe one of the great teachers in this business. He had his hands full, coming from a guy who played in a spread offense, playing tackle and going to your first nine-on-seven short-yardage goal line, and I'm seeing guys I didn't even know existed. He would get so frustrated," said Morse, "He was so kind that we would be in meetings, and we would take a break, and then we'd come back, and I would just be messing up what was on the screen, and he'd have to take another five-minute break. His patience, but at the same time, his ability to instill a sense of urgency, understanding, allowing me to understand the gravity of the situation I was in, which was that you had the keys to the castle, you're the center, and all that entails."

Morse was tasked with starting as a rookie, protecting veteran quarterback Alex Smith, and eventually, as time progressed, Patrick Mahomes.

"You have a quarterback who's in year 13. We had just come off a season in 2014 that was maybe the last time the Chiefs weren't in the playoffs, so the stakes were very high and it was stressful. It was conducive to growing as a football player," said Morse, "Andy Heck was a great teacher not only of the technique but also of the game of football, and he fostered opportunities for all of his young players to grow."

Morse played center for 10 seasons in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Jacksonville Jaguars, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2022. He also played college football for the Missouri Tigers. He hosts a weekly podcast, Monday Mornings with Mitch, and can be followed on Instagram and X.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Mitch Morse on experience playing for Chiefs HC Andy Reid, Andy Heck

Today in Boston Celtics history, the Celtics beat a Western Conference foe in the twilight of Larry Bird's career, a 111-109 overtime road win over the Portland Trail Blazers in 1991.

The Hick From French Lick, a future Hall of Fame forward for the Celtics, put up 27 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and a steal, contributing in a big way to Boston's victory. Although the Celtics star was not particularly efficient overall, shooting 9-of-23 from the field, he excelled with a 2-of-5 performance from beyond the arc and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line during his 52 minutes on the court.

“I would love to have a situation in which we play Portland again this year,” Celtics head coach Chris Ford said at the time via the UPI. “That would mean we’d both be in the finals. I would love it to happen.”

Historic milestones

Also today, the Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 114-111 behind 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals from Jayson Tatum. It was the last game that would be played that season for Boston until the season restarted at the end of July in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Orlando bubble.

The reason was the onset of and interruption caused by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Birthdays

It is the birthday of former Boston guard Richard “Dick” Murphy, born today in 1921 in New York. He played for Manhattan College before joining the New York Knicks in the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league to the NBA) era. He didn’t finish the season with New York, however, joining the Celtics for a short stint of 25 games, over which he averaged 0.3 points and 0.4 assists per game.

Finally, it’s also the birthday of wing Edward “Bulbs” Ehlers, who came into this world two years later in Joliet, Illinois, and played collegiately for Purdue before being drafted by Boston with the third overall pick of the 1947 BAA Draft. He played two seasons with the Celtics, averaging 8.1 points and 2.3 assists per game over that stretch.

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Last game before pandemic pause; Murphy, Ehlers born

When and where to watch Newcastle United v FC Barcelona – FC Barcelona
International kick-off times and viewing guide for UCL Last 16 first leg at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle United v FC Barcelona: Did you know? – FC Barcelona
The time has finally come and on Tuesday at St. James’ Park, kick off 9pm CET, Barça will take on Newcastle United in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. The Blaugranes lead La Liga and on the European front Hansi Flick’s team come up against one of the best teams in the Premier League in their attempt to make it to the quarter-finals.

Hansi Flick: ‘It’s one of the most important moments of the season’ – FC Barcelona
The German coach is clear about the need for a good performance against Newcastle in the first leg of their Last 16 Champions League tie.

Joan Garcia: ‘We’re sure what we have to do’ – FC Barcelona
Always ready for the big challenges. Joan Garcia spoke ahead of the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 clash against Newcastle. “We’re really looking forward to the match against Newcastle” said the Barça keeper. “We’re clear about what we have to do … It’s a two-legged tie. At home they’ll want to get the best possible result. We’ll do our job: try to keep possession and minimise mistakes.”

Xavi Hernández: “Laporta signed me but ended up letting me down” – La Vanguardia
The former FC Barcelona player and coach explains that Laporta blocked Leo Messi’s return even though everything was already agreed upon. Xavi: “Messi was signed, Laporta backed out because he didn’t want a war with him.”

Laporta gives his version of the failed Messi signing in 2023 – Mundo Deportivo
“Jorge Messi came to my house and told me that Leo would be under too much pressure here. He had offers and went to Miami,” the former president explained.

Laporta: “With the same players, Xavi lost and Flick won” – Mundo Deportivo
The former president states that “as president you have to make difficult decisions and it hurts me that Xavi allowed himself to be used.”

Laporta-Font debate: exchange of personal recriminations and direct accusations – Mundo Deportivo
“You are a danger to the sporting project,” said the former president, who also accused his rival of lying: “You said we would turn Barça into a public limited company and that’s a lie.” Font responded “While you were eating macaroni and slicing ham, I was presenting proposals,” and added: “Even those of us you don’t like carry Barça in our hearts. I don’t carry Barça in my wallet.”

Tebas contradicts Xavi regarding Messi’s attempted return to Barça – Mundo Deportivo
The statements made by the former FC Barcelona player and coach to La Vanguardia regarding a possible plan for the Argentine’s return to the club clash with the version of the LaLiga president, who assures that the league “never gave its approval”.

Here are your Pens Points for this Tuesday morning…

The Pittsburgh Penguins begin a difficult stretch of games on Tuesday, with a five-game road trip against several likely playoff teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Utah Mammoth. Pittsburgh recently earned some important points despite Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin’s absences. Is it too dramatic to call this a season-defining swing? [PensBurgh]

There are about 20 games left on the regular season schedule for most teams, and for those teams in the Eastern Conference, many of whom are fighting alongside Pittsburgh for a playoff berth, like the Columbus Blue Jackets or New York Islanders, the playoff race is tightening by the day. These points are worth their weight in gold. [PensBurgh]

The Pittsburgh Penguins loaned defenseman Jack St. Ivany to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for a conditioning assignment on Monday. St. Ivany has not played since Jan. 25 after suffering a left-hand injury that required surgery. [Trib Live]

News and updates from around the NHL…

The Florida Panthers’ playoff odds remain questionable at best, and one of their heart-and-soul players, Brad Marchand, continues to deal with a lower-body injury, which may end his season altogether. [Sportsnet]

Ottawa Senators forward Dylan Cozens is playing an important role in his team’s push for the playoffs, providing scoring and physical play on the second line as the team battles for a postseason spot. [NHL]

It has been anything but a positive year for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are on life support, trying to find any way to save what rapidly appears to be a lost season. However, some within the locker room are hoping this was just a down year, a blip on the radar. [TSN]

FC Barcelona have issued an official statement confirming the contract renewal of teenage defensive prodigy Guillem Victor until the summer of 2028.

The deal will also contain an option for a one-year additional extension.

“FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with player Guillem Victor to renew his contract, which will link him to the club for the next two seasons, until June 30, 2028, with the option to extend the agreement between both parties for one more year.”

Born on May 3, 2008, Guillem Victor is in his ninth season as a Barça player. He joined the Club in 2017 as a first-year youth player from Junior CF.

The brother of former Barcelona striker Pau Victoru, the 18-year-old stood out as a versatile player during the early stages of his career.

Last season saw the teenage right-back break into the Juvenil A setup, while he has now become a part of the Barça Atletic roster under Juliano Belletti.

So far this term, he has played seven games for Juliano Belletti’s side, and has even trained with the first-team squad.

The Islanders’ final out-of-time-zone road trip comes to a conclusion tonight in St. Louis, with a golden chance to go .500 on a four-game trip that began with a couple of stinkers in Southern California.

The Blues are in the middle of a cratering season that has brought Brayden Schenn to Long Island. However, they are now on a 4-0 post-Olympic run — including a 4-0 win over the Ducks, with a Jonathan Drouin slumpbuster — that has lifted them a few points above the not-Vancouver line, sending the fanbase into panic over the potential spoiling of their lottery odds. Their youth movement is underway, with Jake Neighbors (who praised Schenn’s influence on his way out) a young power forward now getting a letter, and 2023 first-rounders Otto Stenberg and Theo Lindstein getting called up before this game.

Ilya Sorokin will get the start for the Isles. This one is a TNT/HBO broadcast.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

• This week in Islanders Anxiety features our own Jenny, daughter of a Drouin-loather and fresh off a globe-spanning, time zone-disorienting flight from the other side of our planet, discussing the moves, games and watching the Islanders over breakfast. [LHH]
• Brayden Schenn’s old teammates will miss him and the impact he had on their (the youngers’) careers. He’s ready to get an “emotional” return out of the way. In the Year of Our Bossy, 2026, a player has wiaved his NTC to come to the Islanders so he could join a “competitive” team on the rise. [Newsday | Athletic]
• His new teammates were immediately pleased to see him in action. [Post+]
• Bo Horvat gives his side of his $2,500 for unsportsmanslike conduct against Eklund’s brother: the dude took his stick and threw it down the hall, so he asked for it back and popped his visor up. [Newsday]
• The Tri-State Hockey podcast with Arthur Staple welcomes its first-ever guest: Mathieu Darche, fresh off the trade deadline, being up front about what he’s thinking and doing, leaning into the current core’s age while waiting for the next wave of prospects. On the Schenn trade, he admits it’s “fairly aggressive for where we are.” On the Pageau extension, he says he even reached out to the other UFAs like Anders Lee to let them know why he was negotiating with this one mid-season. [YouTube]
• No surprise, Matthew Schaefer is your Calder favorite. [NHL]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores included the Senators picking up another win and the Blue Jackets picking up an OTL point.

• Bylsma: At the trade deadline, communication between coach and GM on needs is critical. [NHL]
• How Matthew Knies went from being The Future to a possible Future Trade Bait in Toronto. [Sportsnet]
• There’s a good chance Brad Marchand won’t play again this season. [Sportsnet]

The first spring football under Will Stein is here, and just before it starts on Tuesday, two more pieces have been added to the staff. Eli Wicklund and Adam Kleffner would be joining the staff as analysts.

Wicklund, who is originally from Nicholasville, comes from D-III program Christopher Newport University, with prior stints at Bucknell, Rice, and Miami (OH). He will serve as a defensive analyst under Defensive Coordinator Jay Bateman, focusing on game planning and practice implementation.

Kleffner does not have a prior relationship with the program and is not from Kentucky. Instead, he comes from LSU and rejoins offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, whom he served under as lead offensive analyst the previous two seasons. Prior to that, he had stops at Illinois, Missouri, Portland State, and Stephen F. Austin.

While it is March, and all eyes are on Kentucky Basketball, Will Stein and his staff are about to get an eye and identify what they have on this roster this Spring.

Welcome to the Morning Commute

Today we’re talking about Mizzou Hoops and a little bit of baseball

For the second straight year, Mark Mitchell has been awarded SEC honors. The senior has landed on the second team — per an announcement on Monday.

Currently leading Mizzou in points, assists, and rebounds — Mitchell became the second Mizzou player to earn second-team honors multiple times (joining Kobe Brown).

From MUTigers.com:

On target to be just the second player in school history to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists in a single campaign, Mitchell has tallied 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a senior. One of just five players in the nation to have totaled 550 points, 160 rebounds and 110 assists this season, Mitchell is also aiming to be the first Tiger to average 17 points, five boards and three assists in a single season since 1992 Big Eight Player of the Year Anthony Peeler.

Mitchell is certainly a player that deserves to be in the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou’s postseason play starts on Thursday in the 2nd round of the SEC Tournament against either Kentucky or LSU (so …. Kentucky).

On the diamond, Mizzou Baseball has won 12 in a row and Tyler Macon has been a key cog in the lineup. The St. Louis native from Kirkwood High School was named SEC Extra’s Player of the Week.

Yesterday at Rock M and Rock M+

• Morning Commute from Josh Matejka: Mizzou Baseball can’t stop winning!

Look, no one is pretending the Tigers are out here downing the 2025 LA Dodgers, but they’re winning games (and lots of them) which is something they haven’t been able to do under Kerrick Jackson much during his time in Columbia. Winning is habitual, and the best thing Missouri can do right now is teach themselves how to win before the more intense competition heats up.

It’s a step in the right direction, for sure.

• Recruiting Reset from Josh Matejka: Jabarri Lofton is a underrated commitment for Mizzou

It’s always good to continue Mizzou’s strong connection to East St. Louis, and Lofton represents yet another brick in that wall. Like many of the great Flyers before him, he’s got the eye-popping talent to join the lineague of great ESL Tiger alumni.

MIZ – ESL!

• SEC Tournament Picture from Sam Snelling: Mizzou against the field

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Missouri is +8000 to win the tournament, so if you like the Tigers chances you have time to get on that. BartTorvik.com has them at a 49.2% chance to reach the Quarterfinals, a 6.1% chance to reach the Semi-finals, a 1.8% chance to reach the Finals, and a 0.6% chance to win the whole tournament.

Just win one game in Nashville, Mizzou.

• BREAKING from Josh Matejka: 2027 OL Lual Aleu commits to Mizzou

Rivals/On3 and 247 both have Aleu listed as a three-star prospect, but his star is rising in the recruiting game. Aleu boasts offers from several SEC schools as well as a few other Power Four programs.

Lual Aleu is a solid addition to Mizzou’s 2027 recruiting class.

• From Karen Steger: Tigers earn highest road score of season in close loss to Georgia

Apparatus-wise, all events remain ranked in the top 10, which is super cool. The Tigers have moved up one spot nationally to no. 8 on beam, and down one spot nationally to no. 9 on vault. They are holding steady on bars and floor from a week ago.

It was still a strong showing for Mizzou Gymnastics in Athens. Tigers remain at No. 7 in the latest Road to Nationals rankings, which are based entirely off scores. The team’s 197.300, while it didn’t jump them in the rankings, did up their NQS.

• Over at Rock M+: The latest bubble talk on Mizzou

Plus, our ongoing Championship Week thread — and more on Lual Aleu’s commitment.

Rock M Radio’s Before the Box Score: Spring football preview and taking a look at Mizzou’s receivers

Subscribe to Rock M Radio on Apple Podcasts. Or stream episodes through Megaphone or Spotify. Have a question for us? Leave a 5-star review with your question and that show just might answer it in an upcoming episode!

If you like Rock M Radio drop us a Review and be sure to subscribe on your preferred podcasting platform. Follow @RockMRadio on Twitter and if you haven’t already head over to our YouTube channel and click that subscribe button!

(** RockMNation has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though RockMNation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.**)

As Bayern Munich prepares for a crucial UEFA Champions League clash against Atalanta, one of the biggest lineup questions surrounds the availability of Jamal Musiala.

The young Bayern Munich star has been working his way back toward full fitness after a leg injury, and the coaching staff now faces a delicate decision — should he start such a high-stakes match or should Bayern Munich continue easing him back into action?

On talent alone, the answer might seem obvious. Musiala is arguably Bayern Munich’s most dynamic attacking midfielder and one of the few players in the squad capable of breaking open compact defenses with his dribbling, creativity, and quick combination play. Against an Atalanta side known for its aggressive pressing and disciplined defensive structure, having a player who can carry the ball through tight spaces could be a major advantage. A fully fit Musiala gives Bayern a different dimension in the final third and could help unlock a match that might otherwise become tactical and cagey.

However, the bigger question might be whether starting him is worth the risk.

Musiala is still working back toward 100% fitness, and rushing him into heavy minutes could create unnecessary risk. Bayern Munich has already dealt with its share of injury concerns this season, and protecting one of the club’s most valuable players is likely a priority. Even if Musiala is medically cleared to start, there is a difference between being healthy enough to play and being fully match-sharp.

Another factor is the intensity of Atalanta’s style. The Italian side is known for its physical, high-energy approach. Throwing Musiala into that kind of match from the opening whistle could put additional strain on a player who is still regaining rhythm and conditioning.

That leads to the alternative option — using Musiala as an impact substitute. Bringing him on for the final 30 minutes could allow Bayern Munich to inject creativity and unpredictability just when the match might be opening up. It would also limit his workload while still allowing him to influence the game.

Of course, Bayern Munich may also decide that a Champions League knockout match is simply too important to leave their best playmaker on the bench if he is available.

So the question becomes a balancing act between immediate results and long-term player management.

If you were in charge at Bayern Munich, would you start Musiala against Atalanta — or bring him off the bench while he continues to build back to full fitness?

Tell us in the comments below!

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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Football:

The lack of excitement around spring practice is not reflective of the energy in the building. Mike Norvell noted the team had high energy in a productive day with guys playing fast because they were moving well and confident in what they were doing.

Andrea Adelson sees linebacker as the most interesting position group to watch this spring for FSU.

Duce Robinson took the feedback seriously when made the decision to forego the NFL and return for another year at Florida State but he also really wants to give the fans something positive to root for.

All Sports:

FSU Baseball has surged to No.12 in The Athletic’s top-25 Baseball rankings; they hit the road for the first of four-straight ranked road opponents starting tonight against the 23rd-ranked Florida Gators:

Florida State is surging in every poll after a 5-0 week.

FSU Hoops is in Charlotte; tomorrow night they’ll face the California Golden Bears in the 8-9 matchup of the ACC tournament:

FSU finished the regular season 10-8 in the ACC; the first time the team has been over .500 in conference play since 2021.

Robert McCray V was named All-ACC receiving 90 overall votes placing him on the third team:

Women’s Softball, Women’s Lacrosse, and Men’s Golf will be providing all of the in Tallahassee entertainment this weekend;

She’s a three-time ACC Champion, a three-time All-American, and a former USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and now Lacey Waldrop’s jersey is being retired by Florida State:

Pro Noles:

Asante Samuel Jr. is returning to the Steelers on a one-year deal; a chance to prove he’s 100% back and re-enter free agency in 2027:

A fan’s individual evaluation of top free agent Odafe Oweh most likely determines how they view Adam Peters’ first day of legal tampering. Opinions and grades vary, but everyone will agree more work needs to be done on the second day of legal tampering. Boxes have been checked for edge, cornerback, backup QB, interior defensive line, and starting left tackle. However, there are a number of needs still remaining, including a starting cornerback, wide receiver, safety, linebacker, running back, and tight end. Fortunately, as the frenzy of the first day ends, teams can reshuffle their priorities and target value additions from the remaining free agent pool and recently released players. A short list of the best available from both groups is provided below, as Hogs Haven continues to cover the free agency period in 2026.

Cornerback

There were plenty of quality cornerbacks at the start of the free agent period, but also plenty of teams with a clear need at the position. Several top free agents went off the market, including Jaylen Watson and Montaric Brown. The Commanders added Amik Robertson, but he should not be viewed as more than a depth piece. The position is being hit hard early, so Adam Peters will need to move fast to secure a player with starting potential.

Tariq Woolen, Age 26: Riq Woolen carried several red flags into free agency, but he has the size and length to play the boundary. He has been inconsistent for a lot of his career, but proved he could play at a high level during the second half of last season and the postseason. Woolen’s valuation in free agency was widely variable and so far his market hasn’t materialized, but he has definite starting potential alongside Trey Amos.

Nahshon Wright, Age 27: The concern with Wright was paying a lot of money for what amounted to one breakout year of production. A lower price tag would make the Pro Bowl cornerback far more enticing, and at 6’4”, 199 pounds he definitely has the size and athleticism to play the boundary. Wright played under both Daronte Jones and Dan Quinn, so they should be able to effectively evaluate his fit for their new defense.

Rasul Douglas, Age 31: More of an emergency option at starting cornerback, Rasul continues to play at a high level at age thirty-one, and at 6’2”, 209 pounds he has the needed size to cover the boundary. Rasul is good in run support and can cover the slot. Nobody is going to be locking Douglas in long-term as he will turn thirty-two before the start of the season, but a one-year deal would make him a fine placeholder for a draft pick.

Linebacker

Devin Lloyd went off the market late in the first day of legal tampering, and his lower-than-projected contract is a reminder that teams need to see players as a fit in their system to invest. Multiple linebackers went off the market as well, but the position was fairly deep and has been restocked with recently released players:

Dre Greenlaw, Age 28: Released yesterday by the Denver Broncos, Greenlaw may be an immediate fit for the GM that knows him well from his time with the Niners. Familiarity is not the only reason Adam Peters should sign Greenlaw; at 6’0”, 237 pounds he has sideline-to-sideline speed and plus coverage ability. Injuries have been the primary concern, but on a short term deal he could be a fit in the middle of Daronte Jones’ defense.

Leo Chenal, Age 25: Chenal is highly athletic and strong in run support. His coverage skills need polishing, but he has shown improvement. As a purely rotational player for the first four years of his career, his valuation as a full-time starter is difficult to judge. Still, Chenal has the athleticism and desired age for the Commanders to take a chance on him. You can see his profile here.

Safety

The safety market was also hit hard the first day of legal tampering. Top candidates Bryan Cook and Coby Bryant flew off the market, and even mid-tier options like Dane Belton and Julian Blackmon were signed. Fortunately, the safety market is deep this year, and there are plenty of options in the draft:

Jaylinn Hawkins, Age 28: Hawkins is a versatile safety able to play in two-high and single-safety looks and move into the box in run support. He lacks a long history of production, but would project as a great fit in Daronte Jones’ three-safety system.

Jaquan Brisker, Age 26: Brisker is a versatile, do-it-all safety that would also be a fit in Jones’ system. He has issues with injuries, and had extended time missed with a concussion in 2024. He is also not a great coverage safety, but at 6’1″, 204 pounds he has the size and physicality to add to the Commanders’ safety room.

Tight End

Isaiah Likely had a hot market, and the Giants overpaid him to replace Wan’dale Robinson, who departed for the Titans. Cade Otton was the other top target but he was re-signed by the Buccaneers.

Chigozeim Okonkwo, Age 26: The move tight end and receiving threat has been well covered by Hogs Haven and should be a well-known target at this point. You can read his profile here.

David Njoku, Age 29:Njoku has a lengthy injury history and is starting to show signs of decline, but he’s had some great production in the past and is still relatively athletic. The Commanders shouldn’t be looking to sign him to a long-term deal, but Njoku does not have to be an every-down tight end for David Blough to provide him the receiving target he needs.

Running Back

Three down running backs went off the market early but there are still some free agents that can upgrade the room. Value free agent Kenneth Gainwell was also swept off the board early.

Rachaad White, Age 27: White leaves a lot to be desired in the running game, but perhaps with a superior line and a zone blocking scheme he can find his form. The big appeal is in pass protection and adding a receiving back for Jayden Daniels. You can read his profile here.

Wide Receiver

Adam Peter reportedly pursued Alec Pierce only for the top free agent wide receiver to remain with the Colts. Wan’dale Robinson quickly found a home with the Titans, and Mike Evans found one with the Niners. There are still several options available:

Romeo Doubs, Age 25: Doubs’ market has been slow to develop possibly because his asking price is too high. Lower-ranked options, Jalen Nailor and Tyquan Thornton were signed yesterday, while Romeo remains on the market. A young, productive wide receiver that can play on all three levels, Doubs projects as a strong WR2 for the team that lands him. You can read his profile here.

Jauan Jennings, Age 28: Jennings is getting older and has been inconsistent throughout his career, but Adam Peters knows him, and Jennings can still upgrade a wide receiver room that lacks proven talent. The big wide receiver is more of a possession than vertical threat.

Calvin Austin III, Age 26: Austin has been inconsistent throughout his career and can disappear from games, but on an affordable contract with 4.32 speed, he can be the vertical deep threat the Commanders need to stretch defenses opposite Terry McLaurin.

Center

It is hard to know what Adam Peters’ plan was at the center position when he released Tyler Biadasz, but hopefully it didn’t rely on Tyler Linderbaum, who was signed to a lucrative deal, or Cade Mays who was swept up by the Lions. Elgton Jenkins is an option, but is more of a power/gap player and struggled in zone at the pivot.

Matt Hennessey, Age 28: After being drafted in 2020 by the Falcons and being named their starter in 2021, Hennessey is a nice fit for a zone scheme and is a known quantity for Dan Quinn. Matt has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, but is still fairly young. He’s played over 1,000 snaps at center and has spent some time at guard, so at a minimum, he would be a good depth add.

Luke Fortner, Age 27: A third-round pick Fortner struggled in his early career but had a bit of resurgence with the Saints last season. His addition is all about fit, as he excelled at pass protection last year and is well suited for a zone scheme. You can read his profile here.

There is still plenty of talent available for the Washington Commanders on Day 2 of legal tampering so make sure to come back to Hogs Haven frequently for news and fan reactions.

We are on to day two of the NFL’s Legal Tampering Period. Check in below for all of the latest updates!

Bengals News:

Historic Day For Bengals Defense As Bryan Cook Comes Home and Boye Mafe Comes Over From The Dark Side

The Bengals had a $100 million day to start free agency.

Why Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook Are Perfect Fits for Bengals’ Biggest Weaknesses

Not only big signings, but big signings in the right spots.

Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson update from ESPN insider is confusing for his free agency market

Hendrickson’s market doesn’t appear to be what he and his agent were hoping it would.

Bengals get disappointing grade for $60 million splash signing

Not everyone is thrilled with one of the Bengals’ Day 1 signings.

Former Bengals free agent sure sounds like he wants Cincy return

A reunion could make a lot of sense here.

NFL News:

Falcons to sign QB Tua Tagovailoa to one-year minimum contract

Tua wasn’t on the market long.

Star WR Mike Evans leaving Buccaneers to sign with 49ers

It will be odd to see Evans in another uniform.

Panthers agree to terms with LB Devin Lloyd

The Bengals were in the mix, but Lloyd ultimately chose Carolina.

Raiders Land Ravens Center Tyler Linderbaum Days After Maxx Crosby Trade

A big loss for Baltimore.

Steelers reportedly trade for WR Michael Pittman Jr., agree to new 3-year, $59 million contract

Pittsburgh was active in the trade market on the first day of free agency.

Good morning, Broncos Country!

Yesterday’s soft launch of free agency might have been a little disappointing to Broncos fans who had their sights on a splashier open.

Instead the Broncos chose to spend the first days officially signing back a slew of their own free agents — JK Dobbins, Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Adam Trautman, Alex Palczewski, Sam Ehlinger and Nate Adkins.

And in a somewhat surprising move, Denver cut one of last year’s splashy signings — Dre Greenlaw.

In spite of the meltdown that seemed to be happening on Broncos’ Twitter (and MHR, for that matter), I applaud every one of these moves. The money to Singleton is possibly a little steep given his age, and health, but he is such a solid player and major locker room leader that I’m willing to trust the brass on this one. The inside linebacker beat cancer, led the team in tackles and made the defense better whenever he was on the field and wearing the green dot.

In fact, Nik Bonitto and PJ Locke both came to Singleton’s defense on X when one disgruntled fan tried to hate on the beloved player.

I’m also a big fan of keeping Dobbins. I know his injury history is a huge concern — rightfully so. As a three-time fantasy owner with Dobbins on my roster, I know the pain of investing in a guy who has phenomenal talent but cannot finish a season.

But the 27-year-old has such great potential. Last season he rushed 153 times for 772 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games, putting his 772 rushing yards as fourth best in the NFL. So far in his career, Dobbins has averaged 5.2 yards per carry and has 26 touchdowns in 47 games.

So $8-10 million per year in a two-year deal, with an exit strategy after one season if necessary, is both team-friendly and player-friendly.

More importantly, like my point about Singleton, when Dobbins was on the field, the offense was better. A lot better. And keeping him around on a relatively inexpensive contract is a smart move. If he and RJ Harvey can develop their “one-two punch” as planned and predicted, this duo will be better than ever come Week 1.

So do the Broncos still need to sign an elite player to make this team a bonafide contender next season?

As exciting as adding a top-tier linebacker, running back or even wide receiver to the roster would be, it’s clear the Broncos are pretty happy with the squad they’ve had. In fact, “running it back” as is another year and using the draft to add depth seems to be just fine by them.

That’s not to say that a big-splash signing still couldn’t happen.

What it does mean is that Denver really has all its “needs” met and doesn’t have to overpay just to fill a position. With one of the best offensive lines in the league, the Broncos will roll into free agency and the NFL Draft with the luxury of being able to be picky.

I would personally love to add more firepower on defense. The core group from last season remains, despite losing John Franklin Myers and Greenlaw, so Denver still should have a top-ranked D.

But I would never argue about adding another stud on the defensive line or the edge, and who wouldn’t like a stud inside linebacker added to the roster…say, Leo Chenal?

What do you think — do the Broncos need an elite player in free agency? If so, which position would have the most impact?

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARSSSSSS

On free agency’s first day, Bears rework defense with focus on speed, versatility

Both would be good for a change.

Bears bringing back LT Braxton Jones

Smart play by Poles & Co.

Bears transaction tracker: Who’s coming, going this offseason

Lots of both today.

NFL finalizes compensatory draft picks: Bears get none for Falcons hiring Ian Cunningham

In case anybody was confused as to whether the league office sucks.

Former Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds gets 3-year, $36 million deal from Giants

Good for him.

Bears to sign playmaking veteran Devin Bush Jr. as they rebuild linebacker corps: source

I like this move. Speed to burn.

Bears to sign Seahawks standout safety Coby Bryant

I like this move, young, skilled and reasonable money.

Bears’ first move in free agency is deal with DT Neville Gallimore: source

I’m ‘wait and see’ on this move, but on social media Gallimore sure sounds happy to be coming to Chicago. So that’s good.

Bears Continue Adding Playmakers for Dennis Allen’s Defense in Free Agency

Our old friend Nicholas Moreano has joint the RTB crew, and expect to see more from them going forward.

Chicago Bears Turn Back to Braxton Jones to Solve Left Tackle Problem

The team must feel good about his health.

POLISH SAUSAGE

The full Tyler Linderbaum contract is guaranteed, as a practical matter

$81M for 3 years? YIKES!

Darron Lee used ChatGPT for advice on dealing with “unresponsive” person

ChatGTP? On trial for murder. This story is a bit off the rails.

Hayden Hurst announces retirement

Cya.

Former Bears QB Mitch Trubisky to sign with Titans

He’s made a lot of money to not play football. I wonder whatever happened to his grandma’s Toyota.

Column: Chicago Bears add speed to defense, while NFL shopping season begins with big contracts for linemen

Tribune paywall.

Three Chicago Bears Who Came Out Winning After Day One of Free Agency

SI special.

What Does the Signing of Coby Bryant Mean For Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker?

Thunderdome!!! Two men enter, one man leaves!!!

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Nobody cares, so to hell with them.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Chicago Bears Re-sign LT Braxton Jones to 1-Year Deal

NFL Free Agency 2026: Chicago Bears News and Rumor Tracker for March 9

2026 Chicago Bears Free Agency Transaction Tracker, Story Stream, and Open Thread

NFL Awards Compensatory Draft Picks and the Chicago Bears Get None

Report: Chicago Bears re-sign Case Keenum

Bears to sign LB Devin Bush to three-year deal

Chicago Bears Sign Safety Coby Bryant

Report: Chicago re-signs D’Marco Jackson

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The 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic is underway! If you plan to watch MLB’s World Cup of baseball today, below you can get a look at Tuesday’s games, upcoming matchups on the World Baseball Classic schedule, and other important details on this year’s WBC, including where to watch.

World Baseball Classic games today

Upcoming WBC schedule

What are the pools for the 2026 WBC?

The various nations taking part in the 2026 World Baseball Classic are broken into four pools. You can get a look at those groupings below.

Related Headlines

• Worst MLB Contracts 2026: Worst Contract At Each Position this Season
• Monday’s World Baseball Classic Schedule, Including Cuba vs. Puerto Rico (March 9, 2026)
• Sunday’s World Baseball Classic Schedule, Including Brazil vs. Mexico (March 8, 2026)

The closer we get to Opening Day, the sooner we’ll lean about the Yankees’ ultimate roster plans. Manager Aaron Boone got the obvious out of the way last night, with the confirmation that 2025 ace free-agent signing Max Fried will be the Opening Day starter.

If you had to line up the Yankees’ rotation beyond Fried right now, who would make your cut? For the purpose of this question, we want to know the specific order you’d use for the first time the Yankees need to pitch five starters in five days. Fried, Ryan Weathers, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, and Will Warren all figure to be in the mix, but how are you lining them up and why? Maybe you’d like to get Ryan Yarbrough in there, too. This is a no-judgment zone!

Also, as a secondary exercise, suppose that all of the Yankees’ injured starters return and all are healthy. (I cannot emphasize enough that I do not believe this will happen because the best-laid plans of healthy pitching are best forgotten. But we’re having fun here! How would you line the front five up with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt in the mix? Yes, yes, the boring-but-correct answer is that it depends on how all the pitchers look in that moment, and especially how the arms respond to their various comebacks.

For the first prompt, my gut says to go Fried/Schlittler/Weathers/Gil/Warren, and for the second, Fried/Cole/Rodón/Schlittler/Schmidt — tagging Weathers in for Schmidt since I don’t really trust that his elbow will let him make so many starts for the 2026 Yanks. Let us hope that this is a problem the Yankees are forced to handle! I’m feeling optimistic about most of these names anyway.

Today on the site, John and Matt lead will recap the WBC action from Monday, Sam will preview Ryan Weathers’ 2026 campaign, Peter will look across town and read the tea leaves about the 2026 Mets, and Nick will celebrate the birthday of Steve Howe, a very talented pitcher whose own demons unfortunately kept him from sticking around on this Earth for very long.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Video: Gotham Sports Network

Venue: BayCare Ballpark, Clearwater, FL

As recently as 2022, Jacksonville State and North Dakota State were members of the FCS. In 2026, the recent FBS additions will open against each other in a Week 0 showdown.

The non-conference matchup between the rising Conference USA power and the former FCS dynasty-turned Mountain West member is slated for Saturday, Aug. 26, 2026 and will kick off from the Fargodome in Fargo, ND. This upcoming Week 0 contest is the first leg of a home-and-home, and the return trip to Jacksonville, AL is scheduled for Sept. 22, 2029.

This will be the fourth-ever meeting between the programs, which previously battled at both the Division II and FCS levels. Jacksonville State and North Dakota State share important history from about a decade ago, squaring off in the 2015 FCS National Championship Game. Led by quarterback Carson Wentz and wide receiver Darrius Shepherd, the Bison defeated the Gamecocks 37-10 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX to claim their fifth-consecutive FCS national title.

The Week 0 matchup also serves as the first-ever North Dakota State contest at the FBS level, and it’s a home game for the Bison. Jax State also made its FBS debut at home in 2023, defeating UTEP in a Week 0 matchup. Thus, this will be the Gamecocks’ second appearance in Week 0 in their four years of FBS membership.

For Jacksonville State, this matchup replaces a recently-canceled home-and-home series vs. San Jose State, which was announced in January. The Gamecocks were supposed to play at San Jose State on Sept. 26 but the series was axed, and North Dakota State filled the vacancy.

With this non-conference matchup set in stone, Week 0 now showcases seven matchups, including five in the United States:

• North Carolina vs. TCU (in Dublin)
• NC State vs. Virginia (in Rio de Janeiro)
• Jacksonville State at North Dakota State
• Hawaii at Stanford
• Memphis at UNLV
• New Mexico State at Florida State
• San Jose State at USC

ZURICH (AP) — Austria got permission from FIFA to select former England and Germany youth internationals ahead of playing at the World Cup against Argentina and Lionel Messi.

Borussia Dortmund winger Carney Chukwuemeka and PSV Eindhoven midfielder Paul Wanner both were born in Austria and eligible under FIFA rules to change their eligibility.

Chukwuemeka’s switch from England and Wanner’s transfer of eligibility from Germany were approved by FIFA late Monday.

Austria, coached by Ralf Rangnick, is in a World Cup group with defending champion Argentina, Algeria and Jordan.

The 22-year-old Chukwuemeka played for Aston Villa and Chelsea before moving to Dortmund. He was an England youth international who also was eligible through his parents to play for Nigeria.

The 20-year-old Wanner came through the Bayern Munich academy and played on loan last season with Heidenheim. He moved last August to PSV, which gave him the playmaker’s No. 10 jersey.

Austria will play at a men’s World Cup for the first time since 1998. The team opens against Jordan on June 16 at the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium, then plays Argentina at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium and Algeria at the Kansas City Chiefs’ home.

Chukwuemeka and Wanner will first be eligible for warmup games this month when Austria hosts Ghana and South Korea, which both qualified for the World Cup.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Jalen Hurts is a star quarterback, Super Bowl MVP, and now a listed author, after he revealed last summer on the Today Show that he'll be releasing a children's book, illustrated by Nneka Myers. The book is titled "Better Than a Touchdown," and you can order it from Penguin Random House. Better Than a Touchdown is an empowering story about friendship, teamwork, and achieving goals together.

Jalen is so excited for the new school year because this is the year he’ll finally get to try out for the football team! But when he arrives at school, he learns the unthinkable—that the football team has been cut. He and his friends are devastated. But Jalen isn’t ready to give up, and with some advice from some friends, maybe—just maybe—they can save the day.Better than a Touchdown is a love letter to the power of community, being there for one another, and how a piece of good advice can change the course of a day. Told with Jalen’s signature wisdom and gorgeous art by Nneka Myers, Better than a Touchdown carries a message we can all learn from: that by working together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.

A dream come true 📚@JalenHurts | #FlyEaglesFlypic.twitter.com/kJbYlMnFBv

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) June 23, 2025

During an appearance on Good Morning America, a young kid asked the Eagles star about the one time he considered walking away from the game of football. You can see Hurts' honest and heartfelt response at the 3:36 mark of the video.

"There was a time in college where i really questioned, what's going on and where do I go from here. I was counted out, broken and dissected."

Hurts talked about having the courage to persevere and keep going at one of his lowest points, likely referring to losing his position to Tua Tagovailoa, who, coincidentally, was released by the Dolphins on Monday.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Jalen Hurts Opens Up About the Time He Considered Quitting Football

Spurs Injury Latest Ahead of Atletico Madrid Champions League Clash

Tottenham’s season has veered into deeply uncomfortable territory, with domestic struggles now compounded by an extended injury list that continues to shape their campaign. As Spurs prepare for a crucial Champions League last-16 encounter against Atletico Madrid, attention has inevitably turned to the latest fitness news surrounding several key figures.

While European competition has offered brief relief from their Premier League difficulties, the club’s injury situation remains a major subplot. With Spurs hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone after a damaging 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, the availability of players in the coming weeks could determine whether their season stabilises or deteriorates further.

Spurs Injury Latest Offers Mixed News Before Atletico Clash

Tottenham head into the Champions League tie hoping for some encouragement on the injury front. The most immediate concern surrounds Djed Spence, who has recently missed matches with a calf issue.

Spence was absent during defeats against Fulham and Crystal Palace, leaving Spurs short of options in wide defensive areas. However, there is cautious optimism he could return in time for the trip to Spain.

Photo IMAGO

“Djed is out,” said Igor Tudor before the Palace game. “Not ready. We hope for the Champions League game.”

Spurs will train publicly before travelling to Madrid, with further clarity expected when Tudor addresses the media ahead of the first leg. If Spence does return, it would provide a timely boost for a team that has struggled to maintain defensive balance in recent weeks.

Destiny Udogie Recovery Timeline

Destiny Udogie represents another important element of the Spurs injury picture. The left-back has been unavailable since suffering a hamstring problem during the trip to Manchester United on February 7.

Initial expectations suggested a recovery period of four to five weeks. That timeline indicates Udogie could soon return, although the Atletico Madrid fixture may arrive slightly too early for him.

Photo IMAGO

Spurs then travel to Anfield to face Liverpool in another high-pressure Premier League encounter. With Tottenham fighting to avoid sliding into the bottom three, the potential return of Udogie during that period would be particularly valuable.

For now, though, the Spurs injury latest suggests patience remains necessary as the medical staff carefully manage his rehabilitation.

Midfield Absences Continue to Impact Spurs

Midfield availability remains another area of concern. Lucas Bergvall continues his recovery after undergoing ankle surgery at the end of January. The young midfielder is not expected to return until after the March international break.

There has been speculation in Sweden that Bergvall could be involved in their World Cup play-off against Ukraine later this month, although Tottenham have not provided confirmation regarding that timeline.

Photo IMAGO

Elsewhere, Mohammed Kudus remains sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained against Sunderland in January. His absence came shortly after Brennan Johnson’s move to Crystal Palace, leaving Spurs lighter in attacking midfield options.

The club expect Kudus to return once the international break concludes, a development that could prove crucial during the final weeks of the campaign.

Photo IMAGO

Rodrigo Bentancur faces a similar schedule after undergoing surgery for a hamstring problem sustained at Bournemouth. The Uruguayan midfielder is targeting a return in mid April, leaving Tottenham without another experienced presence during a demanding period.

Photo IMAGO

Long Term Spurs Injury Concerns Persist

Beyond the short term issues, Spurs continue to deal with longer term absences that have shaped their season.

Dejan Kulusevski remains one of the most uncertain cases. The Swedish international has been out for nearly a year after suffering a patella injury before last season’s Europa League final.

Photo IMAGO

While Kulusevski has shared rehabilitation footage online, his return date remains unclear.

“We hope so, in this moment we don’t know,” said Tudor: “He’s had really big problems. But he’s positive. And also the doctors are positive. So we’ll see, next week, how it’s going.”

Wilson Odobert has also been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury against Newcastle in February. The forward has already undergone surgery and faces a lengthy recovery process.

Photo IMAGO

Defensive options have also been reduced following Ben Davies’ broken ankle sustained against West Ham earlier in the year. With his contract due to expire this summer, there remains uncertainty over whether he will play for the club again.

Photo IMAGO

Meanwhile, James Maddison’s season ended before it began after he tore his ACL during pre-season. Although he has recently appeared in training videos alongside team-mates, a return this campaign is not expected.

Picture:IMAGO

Taken together, the Spurs injury latest paints a challenging picture for the months ahead. Tottenham’s Champions League ambitions remain alive, yet their domestic position highlights the fragility of a squad that has struggled to absorb repeated setbacks.

Whether the returning players arrive in time to influence the season could ultimately shape Tottenham’s trajectory during one of the most turbulent campaigns in recent memory.

Lewis Hamilton made his Ferrari debut at the Australian Grand Prix without Riccardo Adami, and fans are already noticing a difference in his 2026 season opener.

Last year was a tough one for both Hamilton and Ferrari supporters, with frequent radio clashes highlighting the disconnect between him and Adami. The Italian struggled to provide the right information at crucial moments, making communication between them a persistent issue throughout the campaign.

Going into 2026, Hamilton has made several changes behind the scenes. He’s split from Adami, who has since moved into a role with the Ferrari driver academy. Early signs suggest that fans have already taken notice of how these adjustments might be paying off.

Cedric Grosjean, previously with McLaren, is expected to step in as Hamilton’s new race engineer later in the season. Until then, Carlo Santi – who once worked with Kimi Raikkonen – is filling in on an interim basis.

In their first outing together at Albert Park, Hamilton finished fourth behind teammate Charles Leclerc in third – an encouraging start for Ferrari and a solid day for Santi in particular.

Fans react positively to Lewis Hamilton’s communication during Australian Grand Prix

Santi was on the radio throughout the race, giving Hamilton clear and timely updates. There were a few minor adjustments to be made, but overall, it was a positive debut for the new pairing at Ferrari.

It was only one race, but Santi’s approach already looked like an improvement. That point was underlined by his final message over team radio, where he credited Hamilton for his performance in the second stint.

Hamilton’s debut weekend working with Santi featured several interactions that fans seemed to appreciate. One person posted: “Santi after one race is SO MUCH better than Adami after a whole season.” Another added: “Loving Santi already, such a breath of fresh air!”

“I love that he communicates well,” one user wrote. Another added: “Solid comms, solid stint. It was very good for Lewis’ confidence.”

Another fan kept it simple: “Damn Santi is doing great.” And one even went as far as to say: “Okay I think we can keep Santi for now.”

Read more:

Without fans, professional football would be as lost as VfL Wolfsburg currently is in the league table. Every weekend, thousands of Bundesliga fans travel countless kilometers, especially for away games.

We took a look at which away supporters made it into the top 5 in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga this weekend (Source: “DIE FALSCHE 9”).

5. VfB Stuttgart (in Mainz)

Fans: 5,000

4. 1. FC Köln (in Dortmund)

Fans: 6,000

3. Bielefeld (at Schalke)

Fans: 6,200  

📸 Lars Baron - 2025 Getty Images

2. Borussia Mönchengladbach (in Munich)

Fans: 6,500

1. Hamburger SV (in Wolfsburg)

Fans: 11,000

The Rothosen fans are the clear winners of the matchday. But the 6,200 Arminia supporters at Schalke are also more than impressive.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

Mac Allister Targets Champions League Glory as Liverpool Prepare for Galatasaray Test

Champions League ambition driving Mac Allister

European nights often sharpen a player’s focus, and Alexis Mac Allister appears fully aware of the opportunity that lies ahead for Liverpool. As the Reds prepare for their Champions League last-16 clash with Galatasaray in Istanbul, the Argentine midfielder has spoken openly about his desire to add Europe’s most prestigious club trophy to his growing list of honours.

Liverpool return to continental action with serious intent. The squad that secured the Premier League title last season under Arne Slot is now aiming to make a deep run in the Champions League, and Mac Allister believes the quality exists within the dressing room to achieve exactly that.

Speaking ahead of the tie, the Liverpool midfielder made his ambitions clear.

“Yeah, it’s definitely my dream right now,” Mac Allister said. “Of course, it’s a World Cup year and why not to win it twice? But the Champions League is one of the most important goals this season. I think we have a team that can reach that, that can win it, but we need to show it on the pitch and I’m pretty sure the game tomorrow is going to be a tough one.”

That mixture of confidence and realism reflects the mood around Liverpool’s European campaign. The team believe they belong among the continent’s elite, yet they know the Champions League rarely allows easy passages through the knockout rounds.

According to the original source on Liverpool’s official website, Mac Allister emphasised that proving Liverpool’s quality on the pitch will be crucial as they face Galatasaray in what promises to be a demanding away fixture.

Galatasaray battle expected in Istanbul

If Liverpool are to progress in the Champions League, they must first navigate one of Europe’s most intense environments. Istanbul has long been known for its fierce atmospheres, and Galatasaray’s home support can transform matches into psychological battles as much as tactical ones.

Mac Allister expects exactly that kind of confrontation.

Asked which Galatasaray player might provide the toughest midfield duel, he pointed immediately to a familiar South American competitor.

“Well, if I have to choose one, I think Lucas Torreira, just because he is Uruguayan and we all know how we play in South America! He is a really tough guy, a really good player on the ball as well, so I expect a lot of good duels against him.”

It is a telling remark. Champions League ties often hinge on midfield control, and the contest between Mac Allister and Torreira could shape the rhythm of the first leg.

Liverpool’s style under Slot relies heavily on intelligent movement in midfield, with Mac Allister often operating as the team’s metronome. His ability to dictate tempo and break lines with passing has been a vital component of Liverpool’s domestic success and could prove decisive in Europe.

Liverpool midfield dynamics and adaptability

Liverpool’s midfield has evolved over the course of the season, with players frequently adjusting roles depending on tactical demands. Dominik Szoboszlai has even appeared at right-back during certain matches, highlighting the versatility within the squad.

Mac Allister appears relaxed about positional debates, focusing instead on what benefits the team most.

“I don’t think it is important what I think his best position is,” he explained. “I think it’s important that he plays in a position that he feels comfortable in. And he showed that he can play both positions. He is a really good player, I love playing alongside him. Of course, when he’s closer a little bit more! But I think he is in a really good level and he’s a really important player for the team.”

That sense of cohesion will matter in the Champions League, where adaptability often separates contenders from also-rans. Liverpool’s midfield unit blends work rate, intelligence and technical quality — attributes that could carry them far in the competition.

Liverpool adapting to challenges this season

Despite lifting the Premier League title, Liverpool have faced their share of challenges this campaign. Injuries, tactical adjustments and new partnerships within the squad have occasionally slowed their rhythm.

Mac Allister acknowledges that the team is still evolving, particularly in attack.

“It’s been a tricky, challenging season for all of us,” he said. “It is up to us to find the right things for him. It’s definitely our responsibility to get the best out of him. We have done it last season. This season we are struggling a little bit more.”

He added: “But I think he has said it a couple of times: he is still learning how to play with the new players. We are all adapting to each other and that’s the situation we are in. We are dealing with that and he knows very well what he has to do to improve his numbers. He’s a fantastic player, I don’t need to say it, and I’m pretty sure he is going to keep showing what he can do.”

Liverpool’s Champions League journey will depend not only on star quality but also on how quickly those connections on the pitch continue to strengthen.

For Mac Allister personally, the path forward remains clear. Having already conquered the World Cup and Premier League, the Champions League represents the next summit.

And in Istanbul, Liverpool’s No.10 hopes the climb truly begins.

Free agency starts on Wednesday, March 11, but the legal tampering period opened on Monday, March 9th. The Minnesota Vikings have pushed to address the cap problems Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s move left, and are now focused on revamping the roster.

Pierre Brings More Than Simple CB Insurance

They wasted no time in identifying their first target. Although it won’t become official until the new league year gets underway, cornerback James Pierre will join Brian Flores’ defense. Having previously been coached by Flores and defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander in Pittsburgh, it’s a comfortable landing spot for the former Steeler.

Last season the Vikings entered the year with just three cornerbacks on the 53-man roster. Oft-injured veteran Jeff Okudah joined Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. He remained injured often for Minnesota, and a replacement was needed.

The come-up, though, is that Pierre could be much more than just a replacement.

Not only is Pierre’s deal worth just $8.5 million, but he was literally graded as the best pass coverage cornerback in the NFL last season. His 89.7 grade from Pro Football Focus was number one out of 140 cornerbacks.

Despite Pierre getting just a 59.1 run defense grade (60th), his overall tally of 86.8 ranked second across the league. He doesn’t have a track record of that sort of performance, but now gets to work with arguably the league’s best defensive coach once again.

The six-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His 11 passes defended last season were a career high, and he grabbed his fourth career interception. He’s been a reliable talent, and now gets a chance to make an impact elsewhere.

Murphy Jr. didn’t have the stellar year Minnesota was hoping for when the Vikings brought him back on a big deal. Rodgers was pleasantly surprised, but faded some down the stretch. Having a competent option that can push both of them rather than needing to dip into lesser depth is quite a nice development.

Trainer Paul Nicholls believes his horse No Drama This End could follow in the footsteps of legendary Cheltenham winner Denman at the festival this week.

No Drama is one of the favourites for the Turners Novice Hurdle on Wednesday and continues the long line of horses trained by Nicholls at the Ditcheat, Somerset, yard owned by the Barber family.

Denman, who won the Gold Cup in 2008, was the second horse trained by Nicholls-and co-owned by Barber to win the top prize in Cheltenham, after See More Business in 1999.

"He's almost following the Denman route who's going for the Turners and we're hoping that in the future he can be half as good as Denman as a chaser, we'd be happy," Nicholls told BBC Points West.

• Listen: BBC Radio Gloucestershire Cheltenham Festival preview

Nicholls began renting Ditchin yard almost three decades ago, after responding to an advert placed by renowned owner Paul Barber.

Barber died in 2023 but his legacy is being continued through his sons Chris and Giles, who have since taken over.

Six-year-old No Drama is the first horse since Barber's death that goes into Cheltenham with a shot at a major win.

"I'm so proud of a horse like No Drama, it's great that his two sons and the rest of the family are involved in it," Nicholls added.

"It's great to look back on all those fantastic winners - we had 50 Cheltenham winners and we're not far off training 4,000 winners and Paul was behind every one of them.

"I'm sure he's [Paul Barber] up there looking down now. If No Drama wins at Cheltenham he'll be shouting up there."

Chris Barber said his dad, Paul, would have been "so excited" about No Drama's prospects.

"He took passion in this sport to another level," he said.

"If we happen to finish in the first three at Cheltenham it's just going to be a fantastic honour to go into that winners' circle – hopefully we go there as number one."

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• Cheltenham Festival: Race schedule & BBC coverage

STORRS, Conn. — There’s a lesson UConn coach Geno Auriemma learned long ago: Don’t wade into the “greatest ever” debate when it comes to his UConn players; leave that to everyone else. With the program’s 12 national championship teams and 27 All-Americans, it’s an impossible task by just looking at the numbers, and almost more impossible still having been the coach who molded them.

But it’s not the numbers that keep him out of those waters.

It’s that Auriemma has been fortunate enough to see greatness arrive in many forms and times during his career. And when you’ve been able to witness that, how could you possibly pick just one?

There was Diana Taurasi. She was in your face, telling you exactly how she was going to physically dominate. Sue Bird was more subtle in every way. You wouldn’t even realize she had taken over … until it was done. Maya Moore was a tornado. Auriemma would sit down on the bench after tipoff and she’d already have 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Breanna Stewart handled an 111-game winning streak with a playground-like ease Auriemma had never seen. Paige Bueckers announced her greatness to anyone within earshot.

And now, there’s Sarah Strong.

“She’s like this mist that’s everywhere,” Auriemma says, his arms fanning out to his sides and his fingers fluttering up and down. “Your eyes just keep following her everywhere she goes, every play she makes. And you don’t say anything and you wonder, how can anything be that easy? How can anything look that easy?”

Last season, as the national freshman of the year, Strong played alongside future 2025 No. 1 pick Bueckers and potential 2026 lottery pick Azzi Fudd, and Strong was arguably the most important part of their national title run. This season, she led UConn to its 11th undefeated regular season and was named The Athletic’s national player of the year as well as the Big East player and defensive player of the year. She ended the regular-season shooting 60 percent from the field, 42.5 percent on 3-pointers and 88.2 percent on free throws) — just shy of a 60-40-90 season, an achievement that has never happened in the NBA, WNBA or college basketball.

And somehow, she might be an even more impactful defender. She’s having the best defensive season since at least 2009, according to defensive rating statistics.

The Huskies, who won the Big East tournament title Monday night, will be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament — largely due to Strong’s play.

It often takes observers merely one possession of watching Strong to ask Auriemma if she’s the greatest player he has ever coached — or at least the greatest since … fill in the blank. Auriemma bristles at the question because she’s not even halfway through her UConn career, but he also understands why some are inclined to ask.

“She feels basketball like a 10-year veteran pro. She doesn’t feel it like a 19-year-old,” said ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo, Auriemma’s first All-American at UConn. “It’s like an old-soul, experienced sensibility that she has. I can’t think of a comparison when it comes to that for her, and I’ve been watching this game a really, really long time.

“I can’t think of a comp for her.”

Before Strong had even donned a UConn uniform or won a national title, Auriemma knew she was special. Not that she would be special or could be special. She already was.

He went so far as to put her in a different category entirely: Generational.

He had felt this way about players before. But in this current era, where fame is accessible to an elite group of women’s college basketball players, Strong is different from even the other special players he has coached.

She seemed completely indifferent to many of the modern appeals that often come with being a highly recruited elite player. She isn’t active on social media. She doesn’t have interest in being in front of the camera or giving interviews. Her teammates consider her funny and personable, but she has absolutely no intention of putting her personality on display.

Coaching has always been about more than putting a player in the right spot on the floor, and Auriemma has always thought of his job as trying to get his players to reach their respective potential, which includes (or results from) bypassing the deterrents that came up along the way. Strong’s mindset, at a time when there are more distractions and temptations than ever in college sports, means Auriemma is left playing defense against those obstacles far less.

“There are so many things you don’t know when a kid is coming in — You don’t know what’s in their heads, what their demons are, what outside influences are gonna get in the way. You don’t know these things,” Auriemma said. “She doesn’t have any (of those).”

Said Strong: “I’m not really waking up every day worried about how much money I can make. I’m just worried about how I can be better for my team and make it far in March.”

Moving into the NIL era, branding experts predicted that top female athletes would cash in because of their assumed ease on social media. Some athletes early in this era proved that charisma and candidness coupled with their athletic skills could be highly lucrative. There’s a benefit, many learned, to being a downpour instead of a drizzle.

Angel Reese was an early adopter of NIL opportunities, building a foundation in college, where there’s a broader audience, that became an empire spanning fashion, food, modeling, film and television. Paige Bueckers conducted a whirlwind offseason tour ahead of her senior season, spotted on NFL and WNBA sidelines, fashion weeks and photo shoots. Caitlin Clark wasn’t especially active on social media, but she used her fame to participate in golf tournaments in between commercial shoots for State Farm, Gatorade and Nike.

Those three college superstars carried their teams to national title games and became brands off the court. They average 3.7 million Instagram followers apiece. To brands, that following means a lot (with a dollar sign on the front and usually several zeroes at the end).

Strong’s so humdrum during news conferences, Auriemma calls it her “performance art.” Reporters learned quickly never to ask a question that could be answered with “yes” or “no,” because that was about all they’d get. Even in her extended answers, her quote might stretch to a sentence that involved a comma.

No one goes to UConn imagining hiding in the shadows on one of the most visible teams in college sports, but the lights were never why UConn — or basketball — has been attractive to Strong. As a high school player, she competed on her dad’s AAU team, not the All-Star team or the collection of five-star recruit teams. In high school, she transferred from a school that competed at the second-highest level of North Carolina high school sports to a private school where she graduated with about 40 other students, she estimates.

Nothing about Strong even hints that she’s chasing any level of stardom.

Her management team takes care of her social media posts. She has 119,000 Instagram followers, has averaged a post a month over the last two years and doesn’t even know how to post a photo. Her Twitter/X account has been inactive since high school and she doesn’t know her login info.

TikTok is the app where she says she shares the most, but even there, with an algorithm that incentivizes frequent posting and constant interaction, Strong often goes several months between posts. Much to her teammates’ dismay — and teasing — Strong never even posted about winning the national title on social media, deciding at a point that she had waited too long to do so and by then, it would just be weird.

Said Fudd: “It’s just so Sarah that she doesn’t really care about all that other stuff.”

Strong’s virtual invisibility on social media and indifference with her public persona hasn’t been a turnoff for endorsements, signaling that major brands see an athlete whose play alone speaks volumes. She has signed with Jordan Brand and Madison Reed, and was one of a handful of talented college players to sign an NIL deal with Unrivaled.

“There’s certainly a tradeoff,” said Strong’s mom, Allison Feaster, who played in the WNBA and is an executive with the Boston Celtics. “Young athletes, quite frankly nowadays, are overexposed. We’ve always been of the belief that if it’s yours, it’s going to come. And there’s a way to be strategic and targeted in putting yourself out there.”

But it’s not all strategic, of course.

“It’s just Sarah and what her priorities are,” Feaster said. “She theoretically could be something else, but I think she’s very comfortable being who she is.”

When Auriemma started recruiting Strong, he was struck with the dichotomy of her personality — she seemed so mature and self-possessed on the floor. She met every moment and played well beyond her years. Off it, she seemed very much like a young teenager. She was shy and giggly when she felt uncomfortable.

UConn was her top choice, and Auriemma has more national championships than any women’s basketball coach. But while recruiting Strong, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2024, he could barely get her on the phone. She wouldn’t pick up when he called. When he reached her via her parents, Strong would hardly talk. There was a bit of an irony in this, and, if Auriemma is being honest, it made him like her even more.

“It was refreshing,” he says. “You don’t meet many kids that are that talented, that gifted and who aren’t affected by the things around them.”

Feaster reassured Auriemma that she was the same way when her college coach at Harvard recruited her. She said talking to Feaster was like pulling teeth. By that measure, Auriemma figured, by the end of his recruitment of Strong, he’d have a second career as an oral surgeon.

Even when she got to campus, Auriemma knew that public speaking might be the most challenging aspect of her college basketball career. After her first postgame media experience, Auriemma called her to his office and explained that this — the attention, the cameras, the questions — was going to be a part of her basketball responsibilities moving forward. She didn’t need to love it (he had coached plenty of players who didn’t) but she needed to do it better for her teammates.

When framed like that, she got on board. Strong began taking weekly media training sessions with a team staffer to help her feel less anxious in interviews.

As March Madness approaches, more eyes will be on the Huskies. A season ago, she could hide behind the storylines centered on Bueckers’ quest for a national title, but she’s the headliner now.

With six wins separating the Huskies from a second consecutive national title, a feat that has been accomplished by only three programs in NCAA women’s history (UConn, Tennessee and USC), the attention on Strong will continue to grow.

Her profile will continue to rise as the comparisons become more obvious. Will she win two in a row like Maya? Three in a row like Diana? Four in a row like Stewie?

As Auriemma looks to Strong, he knows that none of that will affect her. Not on the court. Not off it.

She’s special, and her greatness is evident. Will she be the greatest ever? That’s irrelevant to Auriemma. For now, his job is to let the mist settle in and to let Sarah be Sarah. She’ll learn to handle the attention, but if she can have it her way, the acclaim will be centered only on her basketball success.

“What a novel idea that someone is recognized around the country,” Auriemma said, “simply for the thing that she loves the most.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Connecticut Huskies, Women's College Basketball

2026 The Athletic Media Company

Nvidia RTX 5050 9GB spotted in shipping manifest – Specifications Confirmed The renowned hardware leaker kopite7kimi has unveiled the specifications of Nvidia’s RTX 5050 9GB, an upgraded version of the company’s RTX 5050 8GB. This GPU uses 3GB GDDR7 chips instead of 2GB GDDR6 chips, which offers more memory bandwidth and capacity per chip. This […]

The post RTX 5050 9GB GDDR7 GPU Specifications leak appeared first on OC3D.

DeeeVee helps parents turn bedtime into a meaningful daily ritual. The app generates short bedtime stories narrated in a parent’s or grandparent’s voice, making stories feel personal while helping children learn values like courage, kindness, honesty, and empathy.

Each story includes reflection questions that spark parent-child conversations and supports 77 languages so multilingual families can preserve their native language. DeeeVee helps parents make bedtime calmer, more engaging, and meaningful in just a few minutes each night.

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US Bitcoin ETFs added $167 million in inflows on Monday, while Ether, XRP and Solana funds saw three-day outflows despite a crypto market rebound.

A consortium of 12 banks, led by SMBC, MUFG, Crédit Agricole CIB and Société Générale, arranged the record financing for AirTrunk’s Tokyo data center expansion.

Tron joined the Linux Foundation’s Agentic AI Foundation to help develop open infrastructure for AI agents alongside members including Circle and JPMorgan.

Bhutan has accumulated around 13,000 Bitcoin since launching state-backed mining operations in 2019, primarily fueled by hydroelectric energy.

“We want the authority over staking nodes to be highly distributed, and the first step to doing this is to make it easy,” said Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.

Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton asked a judge to schedule a retrial in October for Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm on two charges where the jury failed to reach a verdict.

Laos, a country known for its breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and vibrant history, recently hosted the “Spring in Jiangnan • 2026 Happy Chinese New Year” Lantern Festival in Vientiane, marking both the celebration of the Chinese New Year and 65 …

An analytical report on flight cancellations across major Japanese airports including Tokyo Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Fukuoka, Chubu Centrair, Naha, and New Chitose. Details airline routes, aircraft types, and departure schedules, providing insights for travelers and industry stakeholders.

Global travel and tourism investment worth $12.5 trillion will reshape competitiveness across major economies including Germany, Spain, and the US through 2035.

This article provides an in-depth analysis of recent flight cancellations across major Chinese airports including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Xi’an, Kunming, and Chongqing. It details the affected airlines, destinations, aircraft types, and departure times, offering insights into the scale and impact of disruptions on domestic and international travel.

Spring in India presents the perfect opportunity to explore the country's diverse landscapes, vibrant cultures, and spiritual treasures.

Buganda Kingdom is elevating Uganda’s tourism standards with elite service and professional hospitality to showcase its rich cultural heritage.

Asia’s river cruises offer an unforgettable journey through some of the most scenic and culturally rich regions of the world. With Asia’s waterways providing the perfect backdrop, travelers can experience everything from bustling cities to serene landscapes. Agoda’s latest ranking …

PURE ONE Travel expands its Spain portfolio with small-group tours, offering authentic experiences in Andalucía, Catalonia, and the Mediterranean Coast.

UK Foreign Office warns of rising drug-resistant STIs linked to travel, especially in Asia-Pacific. Follow the latest travel advice to stay safe abroad.

Rappahannock Oyster Bar at Washington Dulles International Airport wins Best Casual Dining Concept at 2026 Airport Experience Awards, setting new standards for airport dining.

A newly surfaced patent sheds light on a future Samsung Flip phone with a Galaxy Watch-like cover screen slapped on the back. This major shift is expected to give the company the leverage to slash the pricing significantly.

As elaborated by workgpt (via @xleaks7), Samsung has patented a Flip phone with a Galaxy Watch-like round cover screen. It looks like the company’s most honest attempt yet at an affordable clamshell-style foldable phone.

The design centers on a large circular outer display that sits on the back of the phone, right where Samsung usually puts a rectangular cover screen. It looks exactly like a Galaxy Watch got fused into the rear shell.

Two cameras sit next to it, along with an LED flash. The smartphone folds in half like every other clamshell, but this time, the outer screen does not try to do everything. It will help the OEM save component cost and reduce factory price.

A circular outer screen actually works better for quick AI stuff than people think. Message summaries, reply suggestions, calendar nudges, assistant readouts. All of that fits on a round display without feeling cramped.

The patent drawings show a device that’s surprisingly plain when you strip away the circular screen. Rounded frame, slim profile when unfolded, side-mounted buttons where you would expect them.

The hinge runs across the middle, the body folds cleanly, and the whole package looks like Samsung decided function beats spectacle this time.

This could finally get Samsung closer to Motorola’s $699 Razr, which has been sitting there for months, making Samsung’s $899 FE pricing look awkward.

Most Samsung patents disappear into a filing cabinet and never see daylight. This one feels different because the timing lines up with a real problem Samsung has right now.

The post Samsung explores affordable Flip phone with Galaxy Watch-like cover screen appeared first on Sammy Fans.