“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| CASCADE | 70 | SOUTH PUTNAM | 61 | |
| CENTER GROVE | 60 | DECATUR CENTRAL | 53 | |
| CHARLESTOWN | 67 | MADISON | 58 | |
| CONCORD | 60 | JIMTOWN | 45 | |
| EVANSVILLE CENTRAL | 70 | EVANSVILLE BOSSE | 41 | |
| EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL | 63 | CASTLE | 56 | |
| FRANKLIN COUNTY | 51 | JAC-CEN-DEL | 47 | |
| GREENWOOD | 57 | WHITELAND | 56 | |
| JASPER | 49 | EVANSVILLE NORTH | 45 | |
| JAY COUNTY | 56 | HAGERSTOWN | 49 | |
| LAWRENCE NORTH | 70 | PLAINFIELD | 61 | |
| LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN | 76 | SEVEN OAKS | 44 | |
| MCCUTCHEON | 76 | DANVILLE | 58 | |
| MICHIGAN CITY | 66 | ELKHART | 61 | |
| MISSISSINEWA | 53 | WABASH | 43 | |
| MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN | 65 | TABERNACLE CHRISTIAN | 31 | |
| OAK HILL | 72 | SOUTHWOOD | 33 | |
| OLDENBURG ACADEMY | 65 | PURDUE POLY NORTH | 37 | |
| OWEN VALLEY | 36 | WHITE RIVER VALLEY | 35 | |
| PIKE | 62 | INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE | 34 | |
| ROCK CREEK ACADEMY | 84 | CANNELTON | 34 | |
| SHELBYVILLE | 63 | FRANKLIN | 58 | OT |
| SILVER CREEK | 81 | EASTERN (PEKIN) | 39 | |
| SPEEDWAY | 58 | INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN | 52 | |
| VINCENNES LINCOLN | 50 | EVANSVILLE MATER DEI | 42 | |
| WEST WASHINGTON | 67 | MEDORA | 47 | |
| WESTFIELD | 62 | YORKTOWN | 33 | |
| CARMI (ILL.) CLASSIC | ||||
| FAIRFIELD (ILL.) | 69 | EVANSVILLE DAY | 55 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS CITY TOURNAMENT | ||||
| INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA | 57 | INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD | 55 | |
| COVENANT CHRISTIAN | 80 | PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY | 31 | |
| PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD | 68 | INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY | 54 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS TECH | 66 | HERITAGE CHRISTIAN | 54 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS RITTER | 78 | INDIANAPOLIS HERRON | 26 | |
| CHRISTEL HOUSE | 72 | INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON | 60 | |
| RIVERTOWN TOURNAMENT | ||||
| SWITZERLAND COUNTY | 66 | RISING SUN | 40 | |
| SOUTH DEARBORN | 48 | LAWRENCEBURG | 36 | |
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL USA POLLS
CLASS 4A
1. FISHERS (14-0)
2. CROWN POINT (11-0)
3. GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (11-2)
4. WESTFIELD (9-1)
5. ANDERSON (13-1)
6. WARSAW (12-3)
7. EVANSVILLE REITZ (11-0)
8. LAWRENCE NORTH (10-3)
9. BEN DAVIS (12-3)
10. AVON (13-1)
11. NEW ALBANY (9-1)
12. FORT WAYNE WAYNE (10-3)
13. LAWRENCE CENTRAL (7-7)
14. NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (9-5)
CLASS 3A
1. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (12-1)
2. GUERIN CATHOLIC (13-2)
3. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (11-0)
4. NORTHWOOD (13-1)
5. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (9-4)
6. NEW PALESTINE (11-2)
7. INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (8-5)
8. SILVER CREEK (13-2)
9. PRINCETON (12-1)
10. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (9-1)
11. NORTHVIEW (13-1)
12. FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (12-3)
13. EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (10-2)
CLASS 2A
1. WAPAHANI (13-0)
2. LINTON (10-1)
3. SOUTH RIPLEY (14-0)
4. FORT WAYNE LUERS (11-2)
5. GARY 21ST CENTURY (12-3)
6. PARKE HERITAGE (12-2)
7. MANCHESTER (12-1)
8. NORTHEASTERN (15-0)
9. FOREST PARK (10-2)
10. TIPTON (10-2)
11. TAYLOR (12-1)
12. PROVIDENCE (8-2)
13. INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (9-3)
CLASS 1A
1. CLAY CITY (11-1)
2. ORLEANS (8-2)
3. INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN (11-4)
4. BLOOMFIELD (9-3)
5. TRITON (9-1)
6. HAUSER (9-2)
7. WASHINGTON TWP. (9-1)
8. KOUTS (9-2)
9. CARROLL (FLORA) (8-2)
10. CLINTON PRAIRIE (8-2)
11. BARR-REEVE (7-4)
12. LIBERTY CHRISTIAN (9-5)
13. CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (9-5)
14. MONROE CENTRAL (9-2)
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| ANDERSON PREP | 37 | BLACKFORD | 32 | |
| AUSTIN | 85 | CROTHERSVILLE | 8 | |
| BARR-REEVE | 47 | SHOALS | 7 | |
| BEECH GROVE | 70 | INDIANAPOLIS TECH | 10 | |
| BETHESDA CHRISTIAN | 30 | INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON | 22 | |
| BORDEN | 60 | SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) | 41 | |
| BREBEUF JESUIT | 54 | PARK TUDOR | 33 | |
| BROWNSBURG | 69 | PIKE | 58 | |
| BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL | 48 | BLOOMINGTON NORTH | 33 | |
| CASTLE | 57 | EVANSVILLE REITZ | 45 | |
| CHARLESTOWN | 50 | NEW ALBANY | 25 | |
| CHURUBUSCO | 41 | LAKELAND | 38 | |
| CORYDON CENTRAL | 68 | NORTH HARRISON | 52 | |
| CULVER ACADEMY | 62 | MICHIGAN CITY | 33 | |
| EDGEWOOD | 66 | EASTERN GREENE | 15 | |
| EMINENCE | 38 | CLOVERDALE | 35 | |
| EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL | 52 | MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) | 22 | |
| FAIRFIELD | 55 | CENTRAL NOBLE | 48 | |
| FISHERS | 60 | CARMEL | 36 | |
| FLOYD CENTRAL | 66 | BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE | 31 | |
| FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK | 61 | FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA | 53 | |
| GIBSON SOUTHERN | 64 | HERITAGE HILLS | 57 | |
| GOSHEN | 28 | JIMTOWN | 19 | |
| GREENFIELD-CENTRAL | 61 | MUNCIE CENTRAL | 18 | |
| GREENWOOD | 49 | WHITELAND | 33 | |
| HENRYVILLE | 56 | CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | 42 | |
| HERITAGE CHRISTIAN | 64 | ANDERSON | 40 | |
| HOMESTEAD | 67 | WARSAW | 55 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI | 46 | NEW PALESTINE | 36 | |
| LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC | 53 | LEBANON | 29 | |
| LAFAYETTE JEFF | 54 | WEST LAFAYETTE | 23 | |
| LAKELAND CHRISTIAN | 55 | FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY | 21 | |
| LANESVILLE | 51 | ORLEANS | 41 | |
| LAWRENCE CENTRAL | 76 | NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) | 49 | |
| LIBERTY CHRISTIAN | 57 | INDIANA DEAF | 44 | |
| MADISON | 47 | SCOTTSBURG | 41 | |
| MANCHESTER | 39 | NORTH MIAMI | 38 | |
| MARTINSVILLE | 53 | BROWN COUNTY | 27 | |
| MCCUTCHEON | 69 | DANVILLE | 62 | |
| MOORESVILLE | 45 | MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) | 42 | |
| MORRISTOWN | 62 | GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN | 22 | |
| NOBLESVILLE | 68 | HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) | 42 | |
| NORTH DAVIESS | 49 | CLAY CITY | 28 | |
| NORTH MONTGOMERY | 47 | SEEGER | 43 | |
| NORTH POSEY | 50 | PRINCETON | 43 | |
| OAK HILL | 42 | MARION | 41 | |
| PAOLI | 43 | MITCHELL | 13 | |
| PARKE HERITAGE | 50 | LINTON | 46 | |
| PLAINFIELD | 49 | FRANKLIN CENTRAL | 37 | |
| PROVIDENCE | 58 | PLEASURE RIDGE PARK (KY.) | 38 | |
| RANDOLPH SOUTHERN | 54 | BLUE RIVER | 31 | |
| SEVEN OAKS | 64 | LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN | 35 | |
| SEYMOUR | 57 | JEFFERSONVILLE | 54 | |
| SHERIDAN | 59 | GUERIN CATHOLIC | 53 | |
| SOUTH DECATUR | 37 | EDINBURGH | 36 | |
| SOUTH RIPLEY | 58 | SOUTH DEARBORN | 27 | |
| SOUTH SPENCER | 44 | FOREST PARK | 43 | |
| SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) | 50 | SALEM | 25 | |
| SPEEDWAY | 67 | WESTERN BOONE | 45 | |
| SWITZERLAND COUNTY | 66 | JAC-CEN-DEL | 52 | |
| TRINITY LUTHERAN | 55 | OLDENBURG ACADEMY | 32 | |
| VINCENNES RIVET | 56 | TECUMSEH | 48 | |
| WASHINGTON | 65 | BOONVILLE | 36 | |
| WOOD MEMORIAL | 31 | SOUTHRIDGE | 26 | |
| PORTER COUNTY TOURNAMENT | ||||
| TRI-TOWNSHIP | 44 | KOUTS | 40 | |
| MORGAN TWP. | 45 | HEBRON | 28 | |
INDIANA BOYS WRESTLING:
DUAL RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/boys-dual-results/
TOURNAMENT RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/curtournamentresults.html/boys-tournament-results/
INDIANA MAT HOMEPAGE: https://indianamat.com/
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#4 ALABAMA 103 VANDERBILT 87
#6 TENNESSEE 68 #14 MISSISSIPPI STATE 56
#19 CONNECTICUT 80 BUTLER 78 OT
OHIO STATE 73 #11 PURDUE 70
#3 IOWA STATE 108 CENTRAL FLORIDA 83
#10 MARQUETTE 76 SETON HALL 59
#25 LOUISVILLE 98 SMU 73
ARIZONA STATE 65 #23 WEST VIRGINIA 57
TEXAS 61 #22 MISSOURI 53
UCLA 85 #18 WISCONSIN 83
#15 OREGON 82 WASHINGTON 71
KENT STATE 83 TOLEDO 64
EASTERN MICHIGAN 94 OHIO 87
TEXAS TECH 81 CINCINNATI 71
VIRGINIA 74 BOSTON COLLEGE 56
DAYTON 82 DUQUESNE 62
MIAMI OHIO 84 BOWLING GREEN 76
GEORGE MASON 75 ST. BONAVENTURE 62
AKRON 90 BUFFALO 58
VCU 81 RHODE ISLAND 57
BALL STATE 82 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 80
WESTERN MICHIGAN 72 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 70
ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM 81 TEXAS SAN ANTONIO 78
BRADLEY 89 BELMONT 77
NORTHERN IOWA 79 MISSOURI STATE 68
EAST CAROLINA 85 TULSA 76 OT
ILLINOIS STATE 85 INDIANA STATE 81
TENNESSEE STATE 81 TENNESSEE MARTIN 80 OT
CREIGHTON 73 DEPAUL 49
ARIZONA 92 OKLAHOMA STATE 78
MINNESOTA 72 IOWA 67
WAKE FOREST 67 NORTH CAROLINA 66
WYOMING 63 UNLV 61
BYU 83 COLORADO 67
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
ELSEWHERE:
TENNESSEE STATE 77 TENNESSEE MARTIN 61
NEW MEXICO 101 UTAH STATE 79
COLORADO STATE 79 BOISE STATE 70
USA TODAY WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 POLL
THE USA TODAY SPORTS TOP 25 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POLL, WITH TEAM’S RECORDS THROUGH MONDAY IN PARENTHESES, TOTAL POINTS BASED ON 25 FOR FIRST PLACE THROUGH ONE POINT FOR 25TH, RANKING IN LAST WEEK’S POLL AND FIRST-PLACE VOTES RECEIVED.
| RANK | SCHOOL (RECORD) | POINTS | LAST WEEK’S RANKING | FIRST-PLACE VOTES |
| 1 | UCLA (18-0) | 773 | 1 | 29 |
| 2 | SOUTH CAROLINA (18-1) | 743 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | NOTRE DAME (16-2) | 702 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | LSU (20-0) | 677 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (17-1) | 658 | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | CONNECTICUT (17-2) | 606 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | TEXAS (18-2) | 601 | 7 | 0 |
| 8 | KANSAS STATE (19-1) | 535 | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | TCU (19-1) | 525 | 11 | 0 |
| 10 | MARYLAND (16-2) | 466 | 9 | 0 |
| 11 | KENTUCKY (16-1) | 463 | 12 | 0 |
| 12 | OHIO STATE (17-1) | 454 | 8 | 0 |
| 13 | NORTH CAROLINA (17-3) | 409 | 14 | 0 |
| 14 | DUKE (15-4) | 347 | 16 | 0 |
| 15 | OKLAHOMA (15-4) | 337 | 13 | 0 |
| 16 | WEST VIRGINIA (15-3) | 274 | 20 | 0 |
| 17 | TENNESSEE (15-3) | 266 | 15 | 0 |
| 18 | GEORGIA TECH (16-3) | 241 | 17 | 0 |
| 19 | ALABAMA (17-3) | 214 | 19 | 0 |
| 20 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE (14-4) | 198 | 21 | 0 |
| 21 | CALIFORNIA (17-3) | 169 | 18 | 0 |
| 22 | MICHIGAN STATE (15-3) | 150 | 22 | 0 |
| 23 | BAYLOR (16-4) | 73 | 24 | 0 |
| 24 | MINNESOTA (17-2) | 45 | 25 | 0 |
| 25 | NEBRASKA (15-4) | 35 | NR | 0 |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (15-3) 27; CREIGHTON (15-3) 26; FLORIDA STATE (15-4) 16; UTAH (13-5) 15; MICHIGAN (13-5) 8; VANDERBILT (15-4) 7; MISSISSIPPI (13-5) 6; LOUISVILLE (13-6) 3; RICHMOND (15-5) 2; OKLAHOMA STATE (15-3) 2; FLORIDA GULF COAST (15-3) 2.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
USA TODAY SPORTS/US LBM COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES POLL
THE FINAL US LBM COACHES POLL TOP 25 WITH TEAM’S RECORDS THROUGH MONDAY IN PARENTHESES, TOTAL POINTS BASED ON 25 FOR FIRST PLACE THROUGH ONE POINT FOR 25TH, RANKING IN THE LAST POLL AND FIRST-PLACE VOTES RECEIVED.
| 1 | OHIO STATE (14-2) | 1,325 | 7 | 53 |
| 2 | NOTRE DAME (14-2) | 1,271 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | TEXAS (13-3) | 1,180 | 4 | 0 |
| 4 | OREGON (13-1) | 1,149 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | PENN STATE (13-3) | 1,145 | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | GEORGIA (11-3) | 1,066 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | ARIZONA STATE (11-3) | 986 | 10 | 0 |
| 8 | TENNESSEE (10-3) | 893 | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | BOISE STATE (12-2) | 872 | 8 | 0 |
| 10 | INDIANA (11-2) | 868 | 9 | 0 |
| 11 | SMU (11-3) | 741 | 12 | 0 |
| 11 | CLEMSON (10-4) | 741 | 13 | 0 |
| 13 | MISSISSIPPI (10-3) | 723 | 15 | 0 |
| 14 | BRIGHAM YOUNG (11-2) | 601 | 17 | 0 |
| 15 | IOWA STATE (11-3) | 543 | 19 | 0 |
| 16 | ILLINOIS (10-3) | 479 | 21 | 0 |
| 17 | ALABAMA (9-4) | 400 | 11 | 0 |
| 18 | MIAMI (FLA.) (10-3) | 393 | 16 | 0 |
| 19 | SOUTH CAROLINA (9-4) | 390 | 14 | 0 |
| 20 | MISSOURI (10-3) | 378 | 20 | 0 |
| 21 | ARMY (12-2) | 314 | 18 | 0 |
| 22 | SYRACUSE (10-3) | 236 | 25 | 0 |
| 23 | MEMPHIS (11-2) | 174 | 23 | 0 |
| 24 | UNLV (11-3) | 149 | 24 | 0 |
| 25 | COLORADO (9-4) | 56 | 22 | 0 |
DROPPED OUT: NONE.
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: LSU (9-4) 44; LOUISVILLE (9-4) 28; NAVY (10-3) 28; KANSAS STATE (9-4) 20; MICHIGAN (8-5) 20; OHIO (11-3) 6; TCU (9-4) 5; MARSHALL (10-3) 1.
NFL PLAYOFFS
CONFERENCE CHA MPIONSHIPS
SUNDAY JANUARY 26
NFC
WASHINGTON (12-5) @ PHILADELPHIA (14-3) 3:30 FOX
AFC
BUFFALO (13-4) @ KANSAS CITY (15-2) 6:30 CBS
NBA SCORES
NEW YORK 99 BROOKLYN 95
TORONTO 109 ORLANDO 93
PORTLAND 116 MIAMI 107
DENVER 144 PHILADELPHIA 109
LA LAKERS 111 WASHINGTON 88
NHL SCORES
MONTRÉAL 3 TAMPA BAY 2
NY RANGERS 5 OTTAWA 0
PHILADELPHIA 2 DETROIT 10T
NASHVILLE 7 SAN JOSE 5
CAROLINA 2 DALLAS 1
WASHINGTON 3 EDMONTON 2
FLORIDA 5 ANAHEIM 2
BUFFALO 3 VANCOUVER 2
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
OHIO STATE CELEBRATES AND GETS READY FOR ALL THE CHANGES COMING TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN 2025
ATLANTA (AP) — The early betting favorite to win next year’s national championship: Ohio State.
The question nobody can really answer at this time: What sort of sport will the Buckeyes or anyone else return to when they kick it off again seven months from now.
A program that won the title by spending lavishly (a reported $20 million) and used the transfer portal judiciously ( QB Will Howard and RB Quinshon Judkins were the headliners) joins everyone else in not knowing exactly what the rules will be in this rapidly changing game when next fall rolls around.
The landmark legal settlement that allows schools to pay players directly while also cutting down on roster sizes (but increases the number of scholarships available) is set to take effect for next school year.
Before that, the schools need to see how Title IX regulations fit into everything. They will haggle over a transfer portal that almost everyone agrees is out of control. They will find out if the 12-team playoff that debuted this season will remain as is or receive a tweak or two.
“There are so many unknowns,” said Gloria Nevarez, commissioner of the Mountain West Conference. “We’re trying to track it all to the best we can and offer solutions. But we’ve got to see what the ‘it’ is so that we can determine how it affects us.”
Playoff expansion benefited a well-constructed Ohio State team
The Buckeyes, listed by BetMGM Sportsbook as a 9-2 favorite to win it all next season, adjusted as well as anyone to the landscape for 2024.
Yet their most fortunate twist of fate had nothing to do with planning or roster building but simply the expansion of the college postseason from four to 12 teams. An ugly loss to Michigan in November knocked them out of the Big Ten Conference title chase and would’ve been their last game of their season in years past.
This time, they got a second chance after being ranked sixth by the College Football Playoff selection committee and seeded eighth thanks to a system that allowed conference champions (Boise State of the MWC and Arizona State of the Big 12) to leapfrog past them and earn byes.
It would take a unanimous vote of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua to change the seeding system that many agree is worth tweaking.
“I think there will be a good, honest conversation, are there any changes that we ought to make from this year to next year to make something that’s worked really well work even better,” Bevacqua said over the weekend. “Will there be changes? I don’t know. I’m just one person.”
Uncertainty still exists about schools paying players
It’s a given, though, that there will be changes in the way name, image and likeness (NIL) payments are doled out to players. Under terms of the House settlement, schools are allowed to pay the players directly by sharing up to $20.5 million in revenue.
The general thought is that the lion’s share of those funds would go to the players whose sports generate the most money — football and basketball (men’s and women’s). A government memo released last week, however, placed some of that in question by suggesting that paying an outsized portion to men could run afoul of Title IX rules.
The new administration sworn in Monday could change that, but the clock is ticking. The settlement is set to be approved on April 7 and its rules are due to go into effect to start the next school year.
“It’s been five years of every day being different than the day before it, and adapting and adjusting and being maleable,” said Grant House, the Arizona State swimmer who is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that’s triggering all these changes. “No one has all the answers right now, but we’re looking for solutions.”
Would a commissioner untangle college football’s many issues?
Maybe what college football could really use is a commissioner to sort out all these problems.
Whether it would be former Alabama coach Nick Saban or someone else, it’s a suggestion that keeps coming up when the topic turns to anything from the playoff to scheduling to paying players to the transfer portal, which has become a flood of players looking for better deals at different places.
“It would help the fans’ enjoyment of the game,” said ESPN’s Chris Fowler, who called Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame on Monday night. “You need some centralized scheduling, you need a more level playing field. You need better enforcement. You need an entity that can enforce what’s going to happen when you go to revenue sharing, because that opens a whole new potential of rule breaking.”
2025 top teams projected as a who’s who of college powerhouses
Even with the portal and all the new money changing things — see, the $8 million quarterback at Duke and NFL coaching great Bill Belichick at North Carolina — the list of next season’s favorites looks like the usual cast of college football’s best programs.
—LSU pulled what’s widely regarded as the best haul out of the transfer portal.
—Texas will start the season with Arch Manning, grandson of Archie, at quarterback.
—At Georgia, Gunner Stockton is expected to replace Carson Beck, who committed to Miami.
—The Hurricanes also nabbed Xavier Lucas, a defensive back from Wisconsin who never officially entered the portal, thus raising a whole slew of new questions about tampering and how this system works.
Meanwhile, the champs will look to Julian Sayin, a five-star recruit who transferred to the Buckeyes from Alabama before playing a down of college ball, to replace the NFL-bound Howard.
Coach Ryan Day — his very job threatened after the loss to Michigan — will celebrate briefly. Asked if the pressure has dialed down now that he has a national title, Day already was thinking about next year’s opener, Aug. 30 against Texas in The Horseshoe.
“Try losing the first game and see how that goes at Ohio State,” Day said. “We’ll see about that.”
AP TOP 25: OHIO ST, NOTRE DAME ARE 1-2 IN FINAL POLL; MISSISSIPPI AND BYU AHEAD OF PLAYOFF TEAMS
Ohio State was No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the season Tuesday after beating Notre Dame for its first national championship since 2014.
The Buckeyes (14-2) received every first-place vote following their mostly dominant run through the College Football Playoff. The Irish (14-2) finished No. 2 for their highest end-of-season ranking since 1993.
Oregon (13-1), which had been No. 1 in eight straight polls entering the playoff, lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal and finished No. 3. The Ducks’ previous high final ranking was No. 2 in 2014.
Texas (13-3) and Penn State (13-3), which both reached the semifinals, rounded out the top five. The Longhorns finished in the top five for a second straight year for the first time since 2008-09. The Nittany Lions ended in the top five for the first time since 2005.
It’s the first time the Big Ten has had three teams in the final top five.
No. 6 Georgia (13-3) was followed by Arizona State (11-3), Boise State (12-2), Tennessee (10-3) and Indiana (11-2).
No. 11 Mississippi (10-3), which closed with an impressive Gator Bowl win over Duke, and No. 13 BYU (11-2), which routed Colorado in the Alamo Bowl, were ranked ahead of two playoff teams from the ACC, SMU and Clemson.
SMU (11-3) stayed at No. 12 ahead of No. 14 Clemson (10-4), even though it lost to the Tigers in the ACC championship game and by four touchdowns to Penn State in the first round of the playoff. The Mustangs’ final ranking was their highest since they were eighth in 1984. Clemson, which lost to Texas in the first round, has been ranked in the final poll every year since 2011.
Alabama took the biggest fall, six spots to No. 17. The Crimson Tide dropped two of their last three under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, including a 19-13 bowl loss to Michigan. The Tide come out of the season with their lowest ranking since Gene Stallings’ 1995 team was No. 21.
Ohio State had its lowest ranking of the season, at No. 7, following its 13-10 loss to 21-point-underdog Michigan on Nov. 30. The Buckeyes went into the playoff No. 6 and played their best ball of the season, beating Tennessee 42-17, Oregon 41-21, Texas 28-14 and Notre Dame 34-23 in the championship game in Atlanta on Tuesday night.
The Buckeyes won their sixth AP national championship. They also won in 1942, 1954, 1968, 2002 and 2014.
Poll points
Ohio State’s five-spot promotion to No. 1 matched the biggest in the final poll. Mississippi and No. 16 Illinois (10-3) also jumped five spots.
The Southeastern Conference’s seven teams in the final Top 25 are the most since 2013.
Big 12 champion Arizona State (11-3) has its highest final ranking since the 1996 Rose Bowl team was No. 4.
Mountain West champion Boise State finished in the top 10 for the first time since 2011.
No. 23 UNLV (11-3), which matched its school record for wins, is ranked at the end of the season for the first time.
No teams that were ranked in the previous poll Dec. 8 were voted out of the Top 25.
Conference call
SEC — 7 (Nos. 4, 6, 9, 11, 17, 19, 22)
Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 10, 16).
ACC — 4 (Nos. 12, 14, 18, 20).
Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 7, 13, 15, 25).
AAC — 2 (Nos. 21, 24).
Mountain West — 2 (Nos. 8, 23).
Independent — 1 (No. 2).
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS 2025: TEXAS, OHIO STATE, GEORGIA LEAD WAY-TOO-EARLY TOP 25
(THE SPORTING NEWS)
Sporting News remembers the first update to its Way-Too-Early Top 25 last year.
Look at the top five from last season. Georgia won the SEC. Ohio State and Notre Dame are playing for the College Football Playoff championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday. Oregon had the best-regular season record in the FBS, and Texas made the CFP semifinals.
So maybe save the outrage? Well, or be outraged. We did have Florida State at No. 7 in our Way-Too-Early rankings last season and picked the Seminoles to win the ACC. We didn’t say it was perfect.
Yet our first Way Too Early Top 25 for the 2024-25 season does feature the usual suspects. The transfer portal and NIL and 12-team College Football Playoff era have made assembling an early Top 25 difficult, but that top five typically stays the same. A closer look at our rankings.
1. Texas (13-3 in 2024)
Let the Arch Manning era begin with an overload of preseason hype that we will contribute to. Manning and sophomore receiver Ryan Wingo should form an immediate connection, and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. returns on the defense. There is rebuilding to do given the losses on the interior lines, but this is where Steve Sarkisian’s depth through recruiting must show up. Road trips to Ohio State (Aug. 30) and Georgia (Nov. 15) will be the ultimate tests for a program that was 0-3 against those schools in 2024. Will Manning change that?
2. Ohio State (13-2 in 2024)
The Buckeyes’ all-in approach worked – with the exception of the loss to Michigan. The first question is at quarterback, and five-star Julian Sayin could get that opportunity. Jeremiah Smith is back and should build on a fantastic season, and he is paired with Carnell Tate. West Virginia transfer running back CJ Donaldson averaged 4.9 yards per carry the last three seasons with the Mountaineers. The injuries at offensive line this season gave experience to what will be a veteran offensive line, and Caleb Downs will be the key to a rebuilt defense. Ryan Day has kept the machine moving in the right direction, but the losing streak to Michigan still stands.
3. Georgia (11-3 in 2024)
Will the Bulldogs have their “Empire Strikes Back” moment like Ohio State did this season under Kirby Smart? Carson Beck’s departure means this is Gunner Stockton’s team now, and the Bulldogs added Texas A&M receiver Noah Thomas and USC playmaker Zachariah Branch via the portal, and the return of tight end Oscar Delp will help. Zach Frazier will lead an improved running game. Linebacker CJ Allen will anchor a defense that should be better in the secondary. The schedule is still stacked with Tennessee (Sept. 13) and Alabama (Sept. 27) early and Ole Miss (Oct. 18), Florida (Nov. 1) and Texas (Nov. 15) later, but only one of those games is on the road. This team will face pot-holes, but an SEC championship repeat is possible.
4. Penn State (13-3 in 2024)
The Nittany Lions got the playoff question off their back, and James Franklin will return several key pieces from a team that reached the CFP semifinals. Drew Allar is back at quarterback along with 1,000-yard rushers Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Tight end Tyler Warren is gone, and the Nittany Lions do need to address the receiver position. Dani Dennis-Sutton returns to lead a top-five defense. With that many players coming back, this is the all-in moment for the Nittany Lions. Is it their turn to win a national title for the Big Ten? Oregon (Sept. 27) and Ohio State (Nov. 1) are the big tests.
5. Oregon (13-1 in 2024)
The Ducks had a disappointing finish at the Rose Bowl, but Dan Lanning has reloaded through the transfer portal. Dante Moore will get his turn at quarterback, and Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 TDs. He will pair well with Jordan James. Receiver Evan Stewart and center Ipani Laloulu are back, and USC transfer tackle Emmanuel Pregnon is a huge addition. Matayo Uiagalelei and Bryce Boettcher return on defense. Oregon has road states at Penn State (Sept. 27) and Iowa (Nov. 8), but neither Ohio State nor Michigan is on the schedule this time. That should lead to another run to the Big Ten championship game.
6. Notre Dame (14-1 in 2024)
This year is not a one-time thing under Marcus Freeman. The Irish are bound to be a playoff regular in this format. Steve Angeli will get a chance to win the starting job against former four-star CJ Carr, and the running back room could return in full with Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams. Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathoue return around a more experienced line, and the defense had five starters who were either freshman or sophomores in 2024, including a secondary featuring Adon Shulder, Christian Gray and Leonard Moore. The first two weeks – at Miami and at home against Texas A&M – will be judged accordingly.
7. Clemson (10-4 in 2024)
Dabo Swinney used the transfer portal this offseason, and he picked up Alabama linebacker Jeremiah Alexander and Purdue edge rusher Will Heldt. The world really has changed, right? Quarterback Cade Klubnik is back along with leading receiver Antonio Williams, and defensive lineman TJ Parker had 20 tackles for loss in 2023. Linebackers Sammy Brown and Wade Woodaz are back, too. The Tigers also hired Tom Allen away from Penn State as the new defensive coordinator. This will be the preseason pick to repeat as ACC champions, and that means a playoff berth.
8. Alabama (9-4 in 2024)
Kalen DeBoer had an up-and-down first season with the Crimson Tide, and the pressure will be on to return to the College Football Playoff in a crowded SEC. There also were 24 players who transferred out. Miami receiver Isaiah Horton was among the eight players who transferred in, and he joins a solid receiving corps with Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. Jam Miller is back at running back. Is Ty Simpson the answer at starting quarterback? Tim Keenan will anchor the defensive line that should improve in Year 2 with defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. Alabama has Florida State (Aug. 30) and Wisconsin (Sept. 13) in non-conference play before the usual SEC grinder.
9. LSU (9-4 in 2024)
It is a pivotal year for Brian Kelly – who is 29-11 in three seasons with the Tigers. Garrett Nussmeier is returning after passing for 4,052 yards, 29 TDs and 12 interceptions. Caden Durham and Aaron Anderson are back, and the Tigers balanced out the attrition from the transfer portal. Florida State edge rusher Patrick Payton – who had 16 career sacks the last three seasons – is a nice pickup. Leading tackler Whit Weeks is back, too. It’s a tough first month with Clemson (Aug. 30), Florida (Sept. 13) and Ole Miss (Sept. 27). We will know early.
10. Miami (10-3 in 2024)
How will the Hurricanes build on a 10-win season under Mario Cristobal? Carson Beck is a high-profile addition at quarterback after transferring from Georgia. Mark Fletcher Jr. and Jordan Lyle combined for 1,007 yards and 13 rushing TDs last season. Tulane transfer tight end Alex Bauman had seven TDs last season. Reuben Bain Jr. and Wesley Bissainthe will need to take on more-pronounced roles for a defense that allowed 25.3 points per game last season. Non-conference games against Notre Dame (Week 1) and Florida (Sept 20) beef up the strength of schedule.
11. Florida (8-5 in 2024)
Who knew that Billy Napier would save his job, solidify the quarterback position with DJ Lagway, and build momentum heading into 2025? Jadan Baugh is poised to have a breakout sophomore season at running back. Tyreak Sapp – who led the Gators with seven sacks last season – returns to a unit that will have its entire secondary back in 2025. This is a talented roster. The schedule is not quite as brutal as last season, but it’s tough with LSU (Sept. 13) and Miami (Sept. 20) in back-to-back weeks early. Texas (Oct. 4), Texas A&M (Oct. 11), Georgia (Nov. 1), Ole Miss (Nov. 15) and Tennessee (Nov. 22) also are included. Who made that again?
12. Tennessee (10-3 in 2024)
The first-round playoff loss to Ohio State was disappointing, but the Vols made progress under Josh Heupel with quarterback Nico Iamaleava. DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis will take over at running back for Dylan Sampson, and the top three receivers are gone. There is rebuilding to do up front on both sides, but leading tackler Arion Carter is back. The Vols made only two additions via the transfer portal. The schedule features an intriguing opener against Syracuse (Aug. 30) and the rivalry matchups with Georgia (Sept. 13) and Alabama (Oct. 18).
13. Illinois (10-3 in 2024)
Here is one of the offseason hype teams of 2025. Bret Bielema returns a lot of production from a 10-win team, including quarterback Luke Altmyer, leading rusher Josh McCray and Aidan Loughery and a veteran offensive line. There are a few holes at receiver, but the defense will be strong again with linebacker Gabe Jacas – who had eight sacks – coming back along with its top tackler in safety Matthew Bailey. USC (Sept. 27) and Ohio State (Oct. 11) both visit Memorial Stadium. Is this the break-through year for the Illini?
14. South Carolina (9-4 in 2024)
Is LaNorris Sellers the star quarterback the SEC needs? He is among the early Heisman Trophy favorites. Sellers had 2,534 passing yards, 674 rushing yards and 25 total TDs last season. Utah State transfer Rahsul Faison rushed for 1,109 yards and eight TDs. Receiver Nyck Harbor is back, and the defense will build around sophomore sensation Dylan Stewart, who had 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2024. Shane Beamer has the right pieces in place to finish off a playoff run this time, but a four-game stretch in SEC play against LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama and Ole Miss will test whether the Gamecocks can be consistent every week.
15. Arizona State (11-3 in 2024)
Kenny Dillingham engineered one of the best turnarounds in college football in 2024, and now the Sun Devils have a chance to repeat as the Big 12 champions. All-American running back Cam Skattebo is a huge loss, and Kyson Brown will get the first chance in the backfield. The tandem of Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson should be prolific again, and Myles Rowser returns to lead a defense that allowed 22.6 points per game. A Sept. 6 trip to Mississippi State will be a test, and the Big 12 schedule features road dates at Utah and Iowa State.
16. BYU (11-2 in 2024)
BYU returns the core from a team that finished strong under Kalani Sitake with a 36-14 victory against Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff and running back LJ Martin and receiver Chase Roberts return. The Cougars have to replace three returning starters on the offensive line and there are holes on the defensive line, but linebackers Isaiah Glasker and Harrison Taggert return to what should be a strong defense. Utah and Stanford are marquee home games, and the road schedule features Colorado and Iowa State. The Cougars will compete for the Big 12 championship.
17. Ole Miss (10-3 in 2024)
Who will replace Jaxson Dart? That is the first question for Lane Kiffin, who is living up to the title “Portal King” with the addition of 21 new players. Austin Simmons is the new quarterback, and the Rebels brought in Akron running back Jordon Simmons, who averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Ole Miss had heavy losses on both sides of the ball, so those transfers will have to prove it right away. Kiffin has made that work, but the path back to double-digit wins won’t be as easy this season. LSU (Sept. 27), South Carolina (Nov. 1) and Florida (Nov. 15) all come to Oxford, and the Rebels visit Georgia (Oct. 18).
18. Michigan (8-5 in 2024)
The Wolverines picked up some momentum under Sherrone Moore with the victories against Ohio State and Alabama, and the arrival of five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood improves the entire complexion of the offense. Alabama transfer Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall are the new backfield, but are there enough upgrades at receiver? Alabama transfer defensive tackle Damon Payne is another key addition to a unit that found its rhythm under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. Road tests at Oklahoma and Nebraska are part of the September schedule. Can the Wolverines make it five in a row against Ohio State and get back into the CFP?
19. SMU (11-3 in 2024)
What will the Mustangs do for an encore after reaching the ACC championship game in Year 1 under Rhett Lashlee? Kevin Jennings is back, and SMU added depth at quarterback with the addition of Wisconsin transfer Tyler Van Dyke. The Mustangs will have to retool the offensive and defensive lines, and LJ Johnson Jr. and Miami transfer Chris Johnson Jr. will need to replace the production left by SN second-team All-American running back Breshard Smith. The ACC schedule features matchups with Miami, Clemson and Louisville this time.
20. Indiana (11-2 in 2024)
Will the Hoosiers be able to maintain momentum under Sporting News Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti? Seven offensive starters are gone, including Kurtis Rourke. Cignetti will try to strike again with Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and receivers Elijah Surratt and Omar Cooper Jr. are back. Edge rusher Mikail Kamara returned, and the Hoosiers will try to make it work with 17 incoming transfers. The schedule is much-more difficult with trips to Iowa, Oregon and Penn State, so the Hoosiers will have a chance to prove they are for real all over again.
21. Kansas State (9-4 in 2024)
Chris Klieman has led the Wildcats to back-to-back nine-win seasons. Will Kansas State take the next step with second-year starter Avery Johnson and running back Dylan Edwards, who will get the chance to prove he’s a lead back. Jayce Brown enjoyed a breakout season with 823 yards and five TDs on 17.5 yards per catch. Linebacker Austin Romaine returns after piling up 96 tackles and eight tackles for loss, and Arizona transfer safety Gunner Maldonado will be a good addition. The Aug. 23 season opener against Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland will be a tone-setter in the Big 12 race.
22. Texas A&M (8-5 in 2024)
Mike Elko flipped the script at Texas A&M, and the Aggies should learn from a late-season slide that kept them out of the SEC championship game. Marcel Reed will be working with a deep backfield that returns Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels, and NC State transfer receiver Kevin Concepcion has 16 TD catches the last two seasons. Colorado transfer edge rusher Dayon Hayes will add depth to the pass rush. Road dates at Notre Dame (Sept. 13), LSU (Oct. 25) and Texas (Nov. 29) are part of a brutal schedule.
23. Louisville (9-4 in 2024)
Jeff Brohm is 19-8 in two seasons at his alma mater, and the Cardinals will look to build on a three-game winning streak at the end of last season. USC transfer Miller Moss could be a hit with Brohm. Look for Moss to improve on his 65.9% career completion percentage. The Cardinals brought in 20 players via the portal, and Brohm has enhanced the roster with this philosophy the last two seasons. The non-conference schedule is friendly before key conference games against SMU, Clemson and Miami. The Cards will have their say.
24. Iowa State (11-3 in 2024)
Rocco Becht – who has 48 TDs and 17 interceptions – returns at quarterback. The tandem of Carson Hansen and Abu Sama returns, and there should be more continuity with second-year offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. Coach Matt Campbell continues to mold over-achieving teams, and they will need to replace the production left by 1,000-yard receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. The defense was among the nation’s best before allowing 40-plus points in its last two games. Still, the Cyclones will compete in the Big 12.
25. UNLV (11-3 in 2024)
The Rebels were close to a CFP berth in 2024. Will the arrival of Dan Mullen – who left ESPN to return to the sideline – take UNLV to the next level? Mullen wasted no time working the transfer portal. The Rebels are bringing in 17 transfers, including Michigan quarterback Alex Orji – who will benefit under offensive coordinator Corey Dennis. UNLV added six players from SEC schools, too, and defensive coordinator Zach Arnett will mold that talent. A Sept. 6 home game against UCLA and road trip to Boise State are the highlights of the schedule.
NFL NEWS
COULD PATRICK MAHOMES’ ACTIONS LEAD THE NFL TO JOIN THE NBA AND NHL IN CRACKING DOWN ON FLOPPING?
NFL officials were heavily scrutinized for some of the flags they threw in the four divisional round games that saw the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles and Commanders advance to next weekend’s conference championships.
Yet, it was one play that didn’t draw a flag that could prove a most consequential non-call if the NFL decides to join the NBA and NHL in seriously cracking down on floppers, as ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman suggested during the Texans-Chiefs game.
NFL players can be penalized for the big umbrella “unsportsmanlike conduct” infraction, but there isn’t an official rule against flopping, and Aikman urged the league to address that during one of his several conversations with Joe Buck over the officiating in the Chiefs’ 23-14 victory.
On the same possession where he benefited from his late slide that caused two Texans players to crash into each other, drawing a widely panned unnecessary roughness flag, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes appeared to try to deke referee Clay Martin’s officiating crew into throwing another flag to aid Kansas City’s drive, which ended with a touchdown that put the Chiefs up by eight in the fourth quarter.
Scrambling to his left, Mahomes pulled up just as he went out of bounds. When linebacker Henry To’oTo’o tapped him, Mahomes threw himself dramatically to the ground but failed to fool the officials — or impress Aikman, the Hall of Fame quarterback who earlier took umbrage at the roughing-the-passer call against Houston.
“He’s trying to draw the penalty. Rather than just run out of bounds, he slows down,” Aikman protested. “And that’s been the frustration, and I get it. I understand it. That’s been the frustration for these defensive players around the league.”
Earlier in the drive, Aikman said he “could not disagree” more with the roughing penalty called on To’oTo’o and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi, who smashed into each other and made incidental contact with Mahomes, who was underneath them after his late slide.
When Martin announced the penalty, Aikman interjected, “Oh, come on!”
“He’s a runner. I could not disagree with that one more, and he barely gets hit,” Aikman said, noting that Mahomes shouldn’t have been afforded the extra protections provided quarterbacks in the pocket once he started running on the play. “That’s the second (questionable) penalty now that’s been called against the Texans. … It was a late flag, and it was Clay Martin who threw it.”
“They’ve gotta address it in the offseason,” Aikman added.
ESPN’s rules analyst Russell Yurk concurred that no flag should have been thrown on the play.
After the game, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans suggested that his team expected the Chiefs to benefit from the officiating: “We knew going into today it was us versus everybody. And when I say everybody, it’s everybody.”
Yurk also disagreed with a roughing-the-passer flag on Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. in the first quarter that erased a three-and-out by Kansas City, which went on to score a field goal on that drive: “It looked like that first contact was to the upper chest area. I didn’t see anything there that supported a foul,” Yurk said.
Martin, the referee, told a pool reporter after the game that on the Anderson penalty, “I had forcible contact the face mask area,” and on the To’oTo’o infraction, when the quarterback slides, “he is considered defenseless. The onus is on the defender. I had forcible contact there to the hairline, to the helmet.”
Walt Anderson, the longtime NFL senior vice president of officiating who moved into a new role as the league’s rules analyst and club communications liaison last year, said Sunday that both calls were correct under the current rules.
Anderson said in an appearance Sunday on the NFL Network that it might be up for debate about whether there was forcible contact on the roughing-the-passer flag in the first quarter, but he emphasized that the league’s rulebook calls for officials to throw the flag if there’s any doubt whether roughing has occurred.
As for the second foul, where Mahomes slid late, Anderson said the two Texans defenders who crashed into each other made incidental contact with Mahomes once he was on the ground, so replay assist couldn’t be used in that circumstance to pick up the flag.
Anderson noted that the league’s competition committee could revisit either infraction and tweak the rules this offseason.
Aikman, for one, would like to see the league crack down on flopping, as well.
2025 NFL MOCK DRAFT, TOP 18 PICKS-THE SPORTING NEWS
1. Tennessee Titans 3-14
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (6-2, 215 pounds)
The Titans indicated they’re ready to move on from 2023 second-rounder Will Levis, and they need a strong-armed pocket passer to take advantage of some good skill players, an improving line, and high-upside system under Brian Callahan. Sanders would be the right call over Cam Ward to best execute their offense.
2. Cleveland Browns 3-14
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado (6-1, 185 pounds)
The Browns need downfield coverage help away from Denzel Ward, where their best option, Martin Emerson Jr., was bad, and they also battled a lot of injury issues. They also need another dynamic game-changing wide receiver to be their true No. 1 at times. Cleveland might have some other key needs, but can’t ignore Hunter’s special two-way threat.
3. New York Giants 3-14
Cam Ward, QB, Miami (6-2, 223 pounds)
The Giants need to find their franchise QB, and regardless of whether they stick with coach Brian Daboll, they might be best served by a dynamic dual threat to support promising youngsters Malik Nabers, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Theo Johnson. Ward fits that bill.
4. New England Patriots 4-13
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona (6-5, 210 pounds)
The Patriots need to get Drake Maye a true go-to wide receiver after seeing only a few flashes from their current youngsters. McMillan can be his version of Mike Evans with his big-play ability to stretch the field and finish in the red zone.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars 4-13
Will Campbell, OT, LSU (6-6, 323 pounds)
The Jaguars need to land the best pass protector in the draft with Cam Robinson gone. Campbell would be a reliable long-term presence in front of Trevor Lawrence.
6. Las Vegas Raiders 4-13
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama (6-2, 225 pounds)
The Raiders have pushed themselves out of the top five, but they can still land their franchise QB in Milroe, who had an up-and-down season for the Crimson Tide but still has all the markings of a successful NFL dual threat.
7. New York Jets 5-12
Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State (6-3, 250 pounds)
The Jets need to keep revamping their edge pass rush, and Carter would be the ideal bookend for rising start Will McDonald.
8. Carolina Panthers 5-12
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan (6-3, 318 pounds)
The Panthers need to add forces to their front, and Graham can disrupt plays in the backfield and on the inside pass rush. He can give them a powerful 1-2 punch should Derrick Brown return healthy and effective.
9. New Orleans Saints 5-12
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan (6-2, 202 pounds)
The Saints need some cornerback help in the wake of trading Marshon Lattimore and having a mess otherwise at the position. Johnson’s size and shutdown potential can give them a needed No. 1.
10. Chicago Bears 5-12
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas (6-4, 324 pounds)
The Bears cannot ignore the ridiculous sack rate of Caleb Williams in his rookie season and should focus on coming away with either Campbell or Banks to shore up their pass protection.
11. San Francisco 49ers 6-11
Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan (6-3, 339 pounds)
The 49ers should want to tap into the Wolverines for another ferocious interior force to help them add more of a inside pass rush element.
12. Dallas Cowboys 7-10
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State (5-9, 215 pounds)
The Cowboys cut ties with Ezekiel Elliott (again) , although Rico Dowdle was effective down the stretch, he is still best suited to be a change of pace. Jeanty can reboot Dallas’ workhorse situation and give Dak Prescott the balance and support he needs.
13. Miami Dolphins 8-9
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia (6-1, 205 pounds)
The Dolphins may decide to let Jevon Holland walk in free agency. Regardless, they need more secondary playmakers to support Jalen Ramsey. Starks can flat-out make a ton of plays, capable of smoothly going from extra run-stopping linebacker to savvy inside cover man.
14. Indianapolis Colts 8-9
Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan (6-5, 245 pounds)
The Colts have been attached more to taking a dynamic tight end of late, as that’s been a missing part of their offense. Shane Steichen can see his next Dallas Goedert with Loveland’s athletic frame and downfield receiving skills.
15. Atlanta Falcons 8-9
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M (6-4, 285 pounds)
The Falcons need to boost their outside pass rush for Raheem Morris’ second season, and Scourton can be their sack leader right away.
16. Arizona Cardinals 8-9
Mykel Williams, DT, Georgia (6-5, 265 pounds)
The Cardinals need to also consider defensive tackle for Jonathan Gannon, and with Graham and Grant off the board, Williams would make a lot of sense with his all-around inside punch.
17. Cincinnati Bengals 9-8
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri (5-11, 208 pounds)
The Bengals may want to try to keep Tee Higgins along with extending Ja’Marr Chase with a lucrative contract, but Higgins might end up being too expensive. Burden can be a strong cheap contingency to play well off Chase as an immediate impact No. 2.
18. Seattle Seahawks 10-7
Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia (6-2, 245 pounds)
Tyrel Dodson was a massive free-agent bust trying to replace Jordyn Brooks, and Mike Macdonald may want his version of Patrick Queen, who he once coached in Baltimore. The active, versatile Walker would be ideal in the Seahawks’ defense.
NFL’S RATINGS SLIDE CONTINUES THROUGH DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
An action-packed Sunday that featured two divisional-round playoff games didn’t prevent the NFL from seeing its ratings decline even further.
The Bills hosted the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC affair that kicked off at 6:30 p.m. ET, with an average of 42.2 million viewers tuning into Buffalo’s 27-25 victory. It marked a 16 percent drop in audience size compared to the divisional game that ran in the same time slot last year.
Granted, the meeting between the Bills and Ravens had some stiff competition, as the divisional game in the nighttime slot last season was a battle between Buffalo and the Chiefs that Kansas City won 27-24. An average of 50.4 million viewers saw that one, making it the most-watched divisional-round game in NFL history.
In other action Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles topped the visiting Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in an NFC matchup that totaled 37.8 million viewers. That game started at 3 p.m. ET and couldn’t generate the audience of 40.4 million that tuned into the comparable game in 2024 — marking a six percent drop.
Still, Philadelphia’s victory over the Rams ended up having the fourth-best rating in NBC history for a divisional playoff game, according to Nielsen.
Viewership had also been down during the regular season, the wild-card round of the playoffs and the other divisional games.
REPORTS: JOSH MCDANIELS RETURNING FOR THIRD STINT AS PATS’ OC
Josh McDaniels is heading back to New England for his third tour as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, several reports said Tuesday.
McDaniels, 48, will take over an offense quarterbacked by rising sophomore Drake Maye on new coach Mike Vrabel’s first staff in Foxborough, Mass.
McDaniels spent 2001-08 and 2012-21 on the Patriots’ staff in a variety of roles, first rising to the offensive coordinator post in 2006. He was a part of all six Super Bowl titles of the Bill Belichick era.
He is also known for a pair of failed stints as a head coach. He was fired by the Denver Broncos 12 games into his second season with the team in 2010 and had history repeat itself eight games into his second season leading the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023.
McDaniels did not coach anywhere in 2024, with Sports Illustrated reporting that he spent the year “evolving” his offense after spending time around various NFL and college teams.
In his most recent season as New England’s offensive coordinator, 2021, the Patriots ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring and 15th in yards per game. That was Mac Jones’ rookie year, when he was named a Pro Bowler; he regressed in the following years without McDaniels and was eventually traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Maye, 22, threw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 appearances (12 starts) as a rookie after being selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 draft.
The Patriots went 4-13 and fired Jerod Mayo after one season as their coach following Belichick.
VIKINGS SECURE HEAD COACH KEVIN O’CONNELL WITH MULTIYEAR EXTENSION
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has agreed to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. O’Connell, 39, was set to enter the final year of his original contract with the Vikings, who hired him before the 2022 season.
“Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach — an innovative play-caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players,” Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf said in a statement. “He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.”
Minnesota also is negotiating a contract extension with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, according to multiple reports.
O’Connell is 34-17 overall, including 14-3 this season when Minnesota earned the second-most wins in franchise history. The Vikings fell short of the conference’s No. 1 seed and the NFC North title, with the Detroit Lions earning both. Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Rams 27-9 in the NFC wild-card round.
He said it is “an absolute honor” to continue to coach the Vikings.
“Holding this prestigious position is something I never take for granted, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Wilf family for their unwavering belief in what we are building together,” said O’Connell, who also thanked his wife and children, coaches, players and support staff.
“I can’t wait to get back to work with all of them as we continue to build upon the high standard we’ve set and the positive environment we’ve created,” he added. “To Vikings fans, you are the best in the NFL. There is no greater joy than leading our team in front of you each Sunday and experiencing the home-field advantage you create. I’m thrilled for the years ahead.”
His first year as head coach, the Vikings went 13-4, followed by 7-10 in 2023 and 14-3 this season. Minnesota was bounced in the first round of the NFC playoffs in 2022 and this season.
O’Connell is the only coach in Vikings history with multiple 13-win seasons. He is the fastest in franchise history to 30 career wins, reaching the mark in 46 games.
He was offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams (2020-21) before coming to Minnesota. He also served as OC in Washington in 2019 after two seasons as quarterbacks coach. O’Connell broke in with the Cleveland Browns as QBs coach in 2015 and was an offensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.
BEARS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE BEN JOHNSON AS HEAD COACH
The Chicago Bears announced the hiring of Ben Johnson as their head coach on Tuesday.
Johnson, 38, accepted the position with Chicago after three seasons as the offensive coordinator with the NFC North-rival Detroit Lions. He began his time with the Lions in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach before elevating to tight ends coach and later passing game coordinator.
“A proven leader with winning pedigree and a mind toward innovation, we are excited to welcome Ben and his family to Chicago as our head coach,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said.
“Throughout our search process, I was thoroughly impressed by Ben’s character, intelligence, leadership and ability to connect. A progressive offensive mind, Ben’s plan for all three phases of our team, which is centered on creating a winning and competitive environment, became evidently clear. Meeting with Ben and gaining an understanding of his process and vision, the more confident we became that Ben is the right leader for our team and that he and I will be great partners in building our team and shaping our franchise for long-term success.
“It is undeniable how passionate Ben is for serving in the role of head coach of the Chicago Bears, and we are primed, equipped and excited to welcome him and his family to Chicago and to commence our process of building a championship-caliber team, together. This is just the beginning.”
Johnson will take over a Bears team that floundered to last-place finish in the NFC North this season. Chicago lost 10 straight after its promising start, including a 23-20 defeat at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day that led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.
“The Chicago Bears are a world-class franchise with a phenomenal history and incredible fanbase,” Johnson said. “I am thankful to George (McCaskey, team chairman), Kevin (Warren, president and CEO), Ryan, and the entire organization for presenting me and my family with this tremendous opportunity. Having been on the opposing sideline, I can attest to how passionate Bears fans are about this city and their team, and I am honored to be their head coach.”
In each of Johnson’s three seasons as offensive coordinator, the Lions finished among the NFL’s top five in total yards and points per game.
Under Johnson, Detroit boasted the league’s top scoring offense this season (33.2 points per game) and finished second in average total yards (409.5). The Lions’ points (564) and regular-season wins (15) this season were franchise records.
Johnson will aim to improve a Bears offense that managed the fewest yards (284.6) and tied for the fourth-fewest points per game (18.2) with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the top overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: OHIO STATE PULLS OFF UPSET OF NO. 11 PURDUE
Micah Parrish scored 11 of his career-high 22 points in the final six minutes to lead Ohio State to a 73-70 upset of No. 11 Purdue on Tuesday night in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Buckeyes trailed by 16 points in the waning moments of the first half but produced 10-0 and 15-0 runs in the second half to snap Purdue’s 26-game home winning streak.
Parrish drilled a career-high six 3-pointers on just eight attempts as Ohio State (11-8, 3-5 Big Ten) halted a three-game slide. Devin Royal contributed 16 points and six rebounds, and Bruce Thornton added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Trey Kaufman-Renn paced Purdue (15-5, 7-2) with a career-high-tying 26 points while Fletcher Loyer posted 15 points. Braden Smith battled early foul trouble and finished with 12 points and eight assists, but he hit just 3 of 14 field-goal attempts as the Boilermakers had their seven-game winning streak halted.
No. 3 Iowa State 108, UCF 83
Joshua Jefferson scored a career-high 30 points and Keshon Gilbert added 21 points with eight assists as the Cyclones bounced back from its second loss of the season by beating UCF in Ames, Iowa.
Curtis Jones added 19 points with eight rebounds as the Cyclones (16-2, 6-1 Big 12) scored a season high in points while shooting 56.3 percent. They improved to 11-0 at home and scored at least 100 points in regulation during a Big 12 game for the first time since January 2001 against Oklahoma.
Jordan Ivy-Curry scored a season-high 24 points and Keyshawn Hall added 13 as UCF (12-6, 3-4) lost consecutive games for the second time this season.
No. 4 Alabama 103, Vanderbilt 87
Aden Holloway and Mouhamed Dioubate each scored 22 points as the Crimson Tide defeated Vanderbilt in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Dioubate, a sophomore, registered a career high in points and had his second career double-double as he added 10 rebounds. Mark Sears scored 21 points and dished out seven assists for the Crimson Tide (16-3, 5-1 SEC).
Jason Edwards scored 21 points and Tyler Nickel 19 for the Commodores (15-4, 3-3).
No. 6 Tennessee 68, No. 14 Mississippi State 56
Chaz Lanier scored 23 points and sank five 3-pointers as the Volunteers got back on track with a resounding win over the Bulldogs in Knoxville, Tenn.
After falling twice in their previous four games, the Volunteers (17-2, 4-2 SEC) held the visitors to a season-low 16 points in the first half, breaking a two-game head-to-head losing streak against Mississippi State. Zakai Zeigler had nine points, seven assists and five steals, while Jahmai Mashack and Jordan Gainey netted 10 apiece. Felix Okpara totaled nine points and 12 rebounds.
Josh Hubbard had 14 points, Riley Kugel 12 and RJ Melendez 10 for the Bulldogs (15-4, 3-3), who never led and were never closer than seven points in the second half.
No. 10 Marquette 76, Seton Hall 59
Kam Jones racked up 19 points, four 3-pointers, four assists and three steals as the Golden Eagles stymied the Pirates in Newark, N.J.
Marquette (16-3, 7-1 Big East) bounced back from its first loss of conference play three days earlier against Xavier. The Golden Eagles led by double figures for the final 26:11 of game time. David Joplin scored 12 points and Ben Gold added 11 for Marquette.
Isaiah Coleman carried Seton Hall (6-13, 1-7) with a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting, plus a game-high nine rebounds. Coleman shook off a 1-for-13 shooting performance Saturday against St. John’s. Prince Aligbe added 12 points and six boards.
No. 15 Oregon 82, Washington 71
TJ Bamba scored a game-high 21 points and the Ducks pulled away late to defeat the Huskies in Eugene, Ore.
Brandon Angel added 15 points, Supreme Cook scored 13 and Keeshawn Barthelemy and Jackson Shelstad had 11 for Oregon (16-3, 5-3 Big Ten). The Ducks rallied from an early eight-point deficit to win for just the second time in five conference home games.
Great Osobor led Washington (10-9, 1-7) with 20 points and eight rebounds. Zoom Diallo scored 18 and Tyler Harris added 15 for the Huskies, who took their fifth consecutive loss — all to ranked teams.
UCLA 85, No. 18 Wisconsin 83
Big second-half performances from reserves Aday Mara, Sebastian Mack and William Kyle III helped host UCLA hold off the Badgers in Los Angeles.
Mack and Mara each scored 15 points after intermission, part of 19 points for Mack and a career-high 22 for Mara, and Kyle came up with a clutch blocked shot in the final seconds. UCLA (13-6, 4-4 Big Ten shot 50.9 percent from the field and improved to 10-1 at home.
John Tonje finished with 24 points and John Blackwell added 23 before fouling out for Wisconsin (15-4, 5-3), which had a seven-game winning streak end.
No. 19 UConn 80, Butler 78 (OT)
Solo Ball scored a career-high 23 points to help the Huskies avoid back-to-back home losses by earning an overtime victory against the Bulldogs in Hartford, Conn.
UConn (14-5, 6-2 Big East) was coming off Saturday’s 68-63 loss to Creighton that ended the program’s 28-game home winning streak. Butler trailed 80-78 when Ball missed a free-throw attempt with nine seconds remaining in OT.
Jahmyl Telfort missed a 3-point shot with three seconds left and then missed another 3-point attempt at the buzzer for the Bulldogs (8-11, 1-7). Telfort led all scorers with 25 points.
Texas 61, No. 22 Missouri 53
Arthur Kaluma racked up 14 points and 12 rebounds and Tre Johnson added 12 points for the Longhorns, who made the plays down the stretch to beat the Tigers in Austin, Texas.
Texas (13-6, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) led by seven at halftime, but Missouri leapfrogged to the lead early in the second half. The Tigers were on top until the Longhorns pulled ahead with a late 7-0 run capped by Kaluma’s putback basket with 1:54 to play.
Tamar Bates scored 10 points to lead Missouri (15-4, 4-2). He was the only player in double figures for the Tigers, who were held to 31.3 percent shooting from the field and scored a season low in points.
Arizona State 65, No. 23 West Virginia 57
Jayden Quaintance powered inside for 15 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks as the Sun Devils stunned the Mountaineers in Morgantown, W.Va.
Basheer Jihad added 17 points and eight rebounds for Arizona State (11-7, 2-5 Big 12), which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Big 12 scoring leader Javon Small led West Virginia (13-5, 4-3) with 14 points but made just 2 of 11 shots. Jonathan Powell added 12 points for the Mountaineers.
No. 25 Louisville 98, SMU 73
Reyne Smith sank 10 3-pointers and Chucky Hepburn dished out 16 assists, both program records, as the Cardinals trounced the Mustangs in Dallas.
Smith poured in a season-high 30 points while James Scott and J’Vonne Hadley each had 16 for Louisville (15-5, 8-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).
SMU (14-5, 5-3) struggled on defense, allowing more than 90 points for the first time this season. Matt Cross led the Mustangs with 18 points and eight rebounds. B.J. Edwards had 16 points, and Samet Yigitoglu scored 11.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NO. 7 TEXAS PILES ON NO. 8 MARYLAND AT CORETTA SCOTT KING CLASSIC
Madison Booker poured in 28 points on 13-of-19 shooting, guiding No. 7 Texas to an 89-51 blowout of No. 8 Maryland at the Coretta Scott King Classic on Monday in Newark, N.J.
Kyla Oldacre had 15 points and six rebounds, Taylor Jones posted 13 points and nine boards and Shay Holle scored 12 points for the Longhorns (18-2), who have won 11 of their last 12.
Booker had 20 points in the first half alone as Texas built a 48-18 lead. The Longhorns outshot the Terrapins 52.8 percent to 31.8 percent in the half, with Booker guiding Texas’ dominance in the paint. Texas finished the game with a 52-34 edge in paint points.
Maryland (16-2) also committed a season-high 27 turnovers that led to 33 Texas points. Longhorns point guard Rori Harmon had three steals to go with seven assists and two points.
Kaylene Smikle was the only Maryland player to reach double figures, scoring 15 points with an 11-of-12 showing at the foul line.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: NIKOLA JOKIC, NUGGETS DOMINATE 76ERS
Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth straight triple-double and the host Denver Nuggets beat the reeling Philadelphia 76ers 144-109 on Tuesday night.
Jokic needed just three quarters to record his 19th triple-double of the season and the 149th of his career. Russell Westbrook, who finished with 11 points and nine assists on Tuesday, is the all-time leader in triple-doubles with 202.
Julian Strawther had a career-high 23 points thanks in part to a season-high five 3-pointers. Christian Braun scored 20 points and Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. contributed 19 apiece for Denver, which tied its season high in points as it won for the 11th time in 14 games.
Tyrese Maxey tallied 28 points and 10 assists, and Yabusele scored 22 points for Philadelphia, which lost for the seventh straight time.
Lakers 111, Wizards 88
Anthony Davis recorded 29 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots to help Los Angeles beat visiting Washington.
LeBron James added 21 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his ninth triple-double of the season and 121st of his career. Austin Reaves had 16 points and eight assists and reserve Dorian Finney-Smith also scored 16 points as the Lakers won for just the third time in seven games.
Bilal Coulibaly scored 17 points, Jordan Poole had 15 points and seven rebounds and reserve Corey Kispert also had 15 points for the Wizards. Washington lost its 11th straight game and fell to 1-18 on the road this season. The Wizards have won an NBA-low six games.
Raptors 109, Magic 93
Scottie Barnes had 17 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as Toronto defeated visiting Orlando.
RJ Barrett added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors, who have won three of their past four games. Gradey Dick scored 17 points, while Bruce Brown contributed 15 and fellow reserve Kelly Olynyk had 12 to go along with four blocks.
Paolo Banchero had 26 points and 12 boards for the injury-riddled Magic, who have lost four games in a row. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20 points, Anthony Black chipped in 17 and Wendell Carter Jr. had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Trail Blazers 116, Heat 107
Anfernee Simons scored a game-high 24 points and Deandre Ayton added 22 points and 15 rebounds as Portland beat host Miami.
Simons returned after missing Portland’s previous game due to a strained right elbow. Deni Avdija added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Portland, which has won two straight games after dropping five in a row.
Duncan Robinson put up 22 points for the Heat, who have lost four of their past five games. Miami played without leading scorer Tyler Herro (groin).
Knicks 99, Nets 95
Jalen Brunson was held to 17 points but delivered the go-ahead basket with 2:18 remaining for visiting New York, which struggled on offense for most of the fourth quarter before making enough plays down the stretch in a victory over Brooklyn.
Karl Anthony-Towns amassed 25 points, 16 rebounds and six assists. OG Anunoby added 20 points for the Knicks, who earned the win despite scoring only 15 points in the fourth. Brunson missed 10 of his first 14 shots before hitting three baskets and scoring eight points in the last 2:18 to give New York a ninth straight win over the Nets.
D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 23 points and 10 assists but shot 6-for-17 from the floor. Cameron Johnson added 16 points but was 6-for-20 from the field. Brooklyn shot 37.2 percent, lost its eighth straight home game and fell for the ninth time in 10 games overall.
SUNS NAB THREE 1ST-ROUNDERS FROM JAZZ IN DRAFT-PICK SWAP
The Phoenix Suns, loading up on draft picks perhaps with an eye toward a trade, sent their 2031 first-rounder to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday in exchange for three first-round picks.
In 2025, Phoenix will receive the least favorable of the selections of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah, with the Jazz’s pick protected. In 2027, Phoenix gets the least favorable of the slots of the same three teams, and the same applies in 2029, though the Timberwolves’ pick is protected that year.
The Suns’ selection this year figures to be the one that originally belonged to the Cavaliers, who own the best record in the NBA.
According to multiple media outlets, the Suns made the move with an eye toward acquiring disgruntled star Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. Butler recently completed a seven-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, and he hasn’t backed down from expressing his desire to exit Miami.
A potential deal between the clubs likely would see Bradley Beal leave Phoenix, probably to a third team, according to The Athletic. However, Beal owns a no-trade clause that could thwart any possible swap.
For the Jazz, the three-for-one trade indicates Utah believes Phoenix’s 2031 pick will be high enough in the order to be more valuable than likely low first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029.
WNBA NEWS
WNBA FREE AGENCY BEGINS, WITH 59 PLAYERS ON THE LIST
WNBA executives have flocked to Miami for the start of free agency, hoping to open conversations with players taking part in the new Unrivaled league.
Teams can begin negotiating with free agents on Tuesday, with contracts eligible to be signed starting Feb. 1.
Not all of the free agents are playing in the 36-player 3-on-3 league, and there are some prominent players who could choose to sign elsewhere. It includes former league Most Valuable Players Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Tina Charles (Atlanta Dream), Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury).
Delle Donne sat out the 2024 season after the Mystics couldn’t complete a sign-and-trade deal. Taurasi, 42, has spent all 20 of her WNBA seasons in Phoenix but is pondering retirement.
The Mercury could lose Taurasi and center Brittney Griner, who reportedly is considering hitting the free-agent market for the first time. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 WNBA draft by the Mercury, the 34-year-old Griner is a nine-time All-Star and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Other prominent unrestricted free agents include Brionna Jones (Connecticut Sun), Courtney Vandrsloot (Liberty), Natasha Howard (Dallas Wings) as well as Alysha Clark and Tiffany Hayes of the Las Vegas Aces.
Stewart is among the free agents to receive a “core” offer from her team, which is similar to a franchise tag in the NFL With the core designation, a team retains a player’s rights, preventing her from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and will guarantee a one-year contract at the supermax level.
The other players to receive the core tag are Kelsey Plum (Aces), Satou Sabally (Wings), Gabby Williams (Storm), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever) and Alyssa Thomas (Sun).
WNBA teams have a salary cap of just over $1.5 million, per Spotrac, and must have 11 or 12 players on the roster.
Vandersloot currently is playing in Unrivaled. She explained before the starts of the league season what she is looking for in a new team, should she leave the Liberty.
“I want to be valued. I want to be competitive,” Vandersloot said. “That’s why you come into this league. You want to be competing for championships. … A place that takes care of me, wants me to be there and sees what I can bring to the team, that’s most important. I want to have the ball in my hands and be able to create the way that I think that I can and just be in a place that is comfortable for me and my family.”
Per Spotrac, the WNBA has 59 free agents. Among them, 34 are unrestricted free agents, making them available to all teams unless they receive the core.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: CAPITALS EDGE OILERS FOR 5TH STRAIGHT WIN
Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist and the visiting Washington Capitals won their fifth straight game, 3-2 over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
Tom Wilson and Matt Roy also scored for the Capitals, who extended their point streak to 11 games (8-0-3). Logan Thompson, the reigning NHL first star of the week, made 30 saves and picked up his first assist of the season.
Leon Draisaitl scored his NHL-leading 34th goal and added an assist to extend his point streak to seven games for the Oilers, who have lost two straight after winning four in a row. Corey Perry also tallied, and Stuart Skinner allowed three goals on 14 shots.
Edmonton played without Connor McDavid, who served the first game of a three-game suspension for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland late in the game Saturday.
Flyers 2, Red Wings 1 (OT)
Rasmus Ristolainen scored with 26 seconds left in overtime as Philadelphia nipped visiting Detroit.
Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist for Philadelphia, which improved to 5-0-1 over its past six games. Samuel Ersson made 27 saves for the hosts.
Ben Chiarot scored the only goal for Detroit, which has lost four of its past five games (1-3-1). Alex Lyon stopped 24 shots against his former team.
Predators 7, Sharks 5
Nick Blankenburg scored the eventual game-winner as Nashville erased a four-goal deficit to defeat visiting San Jose.
Jonathan Marchessault scored and added three assists, and Tommy Novak and Filip Forsberg each tallied a goal and two assists for the Predators, who have won four straight. Fedor Svechkov, Justin Barron and Roman Josi also scored for Nashville, which improved to 10-6-1 over the last 17.
Mikael Granlund scored twice, and Macklin Celebrini, Luke Kunin and Jake Walman also scored for San Jose, which has lost four in a row and seven of eight. Cody Ceci and William Eklund had two assists each.
Rangers 5, Senators 0
Igor Shesterkin recorded his second straight shutout, making 20 saves as host New York rolled to a win over Ottawa.
The shutout was Shesterkin’s third of the season and the 18th of his career. Alexis Lafreniere scored in the first period, Arthur Kaliyev had a goal in the second and Matt Rempe, Artemi Panarin and Will Cuylle added insurance goals in the third for the Rangers, who extended their point streak to nine games (6-0-3).
Leevi Merilainen was pulled after allowing two goals on 16 shots before Anton Forsberg made 10 saves in relief for the Senators, who had their six-game point streak (5-0-1) end.
Canadiens 3, Lightning 2
Jake Evans scored the go-ahead goal with 2:15 left in regulation, rookie Lane Hutson matched an NHL record and Montreal topped visiting Tampa Bay.
Hutson had an assist to match Shayne Gostisbehere (2015-16 Philadelphia Flyers) for the longest point streak by a rookie defenseman. Alex Newhook and Juraj Slafkovsky, Patrik Laine posted two assists and Sam Montembeault stopped 33 shots for the Canadiens.
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov tallied to move his points streak to 10 games, the longest active run in the NHL. Jake Guentzel also potted one for the Lightning, and Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 19 shots.
Hurricanes 2, Stars 1
Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his second goal of the game just 24 seconds after host Dallas tied it in the third period, lifting Carolina to a victory.
The winning goal was fortunate for the Hurricanes as the puck went off Kotkaniemi’s skate with 9:25 to play as the center skated into the crease.
Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov made 22 saves, including 11 in the third period. Martin Necas assisted on both Hurricanes goals. Thomas Harley had the Dallas goal, and Jake Oettinger stopped 17 shots.
Panthers 5, Ducks 2
Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist as Florida opened a four-game western road trip with a victory over Anaheim to complete a sweep of a home-and-away back-to-back.
Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Bennett and Uvis Balinskis also scored goals and Mackie Samoskevich and Tomas Nosek each added two assists for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves for Florida, which extended its point streak against the Ducks to 10 games (9-0-1).
Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish scored for the Ducks, who lost their fourth straight game (0-3-1). Lukas Dostal finished with 24 saves.
Sabres 3, Canucks 2
Jiri Kulich had a goal and two assists to help visiting Buffalo rally for a win against Vancouver.
JJ Peterka added a goal and an assist, Tage Thompson also scored and Rasmus Dahlin had two assists for the Sabres, who had lost three of their previous four games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves for the win.
Phillip Di Giuseppe and Elias Pettersson scored, and Thatcher Demko stopped 23 shots for the Canucks, who are 2-5-2 in their past nine games.
TENNIS NEWS
BEN SHELTON, 22, MOVES INTO FIRST AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMIFINAL
Ben Shelton, a 22-year-old Atlanta native, is through to his first career Australian Open semifinal after defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4) on Wednesday in Melbourne.
Shelton has competed in only one previous Grand Slam semifinal, when he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the 2023 U.S. Open.
On Wednesday, Shelton prevailed by playing a steadier ground game than his opponent. Sonego finished with a slight edge in winners, 63-54, but he committed far more unforced errors, 55-33.
“I feel relieved right now, shoutout to Lorenzo Sonego because that was some ridiculous tennis,” Shelton said postmatch on the court. “I’m just really happy to be through, to get my first win on Rod Laver Arena. Thanks everybody for coming out, it was one of my favorite matches of my career.”
The event’s 21st seed, Shelton has met just one seeded player in the current fortnight, when he downed No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the third round. His semifinal foe will be the winner of the last quarterfinal on Wednesday: reigning champion and top seed Jannik Sinner of Italy vs. No. 8 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia.
Shelton told the crowd regarding his potential Friday foe, “If it’s the home favorite Alex de Minaur, you guys can boo me, throw stuff at my head. I understand. If it’s the No. 1 in the world, it’ll probably be the same, so I’m looking forward to it. I know I got a few in the crowd who are going to be pulling for me, too.”
Shelton owns just two ATP tournament titles, both in relatively minor events: the 2023 Japan Open in Tokyo and the 2024 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston. Last year, he failed to reach the quarterfinals in all four Grand Slam tournaments.
MADISON KEYS, IGA SWIATEK ADVANCE TO AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMIS
Madison Keys matched her best Grand Slam performance in seven-plus years, as the 19th-seeded U.S. player overtook 28th-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Wednesday in Melbourne.
Keys’ semifinal opponent will be No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, who cruised past eighth-seeded Emma Navarro of the United States 6-1, 6-2 on Wednesday.
Keys is one win shy of getting to her second career major final. She lost the 2017 U.S. Open championship match to another U.S. player, Sloane Stephens. Keys also was a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 2017 and 2022.
“I’m really, really proud of myself to be in another semifinal here and kind of hoping and looking forward to see if I can make it one step further,” she said.
The latest victory was Keys’ 12th in 13 matches this year. Keys lost to Denmark’s Clara Tauson in the quarterfinals at Auckland, New Zealand, to start the season, then won the title at Adelaide, Australia, beating top-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States in the final.
The match against Svitolina featured just one service break in each set. Svitolina got the break for a 5-3 lead to start the match, then served out the set in the next game.
Keys saved a break point in the first game of the second set, then never faced another the rest of the way. She got the break for 4-2 in the middle set and for 3-2 in the third set.
“I think in the second set I really just started trying to get to the net a lot more and really kind of take advantage of some of the short balls that I was getting,” Keys said. “Just being able to do that, I feel like I kind of ran with the momentum after that.”
Swiatek lost just three games in her quarterfinal win, yet it was her longest of five matches thus far in the event in terms of time — 89 minutes. She has yet to lose a set, and since beating the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4 in the first round, she hasn’t lost more than two games in any set.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, is seeking her first Australian Open title. She reached the semifinals in Melbourne just once previously, in 2022.
Against Navarro, Swiatek won 82 percent of her first-serve points (23 of 28) and saved the lone break point she faced.
Swiatek, who owns a 4-1 career record against Keys, said of the semifinal matchup, “Madison is a great player and really experienced, so you never know. The match that I lost, she kind of killed me, so I think it can be tricky.”
The other women’s singles semifinal will feature No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain.
TOP INDIANA HEADLINES
INDY FUEL
INDY FUEL PIT STOP: WEEK 14
- INDY FUEL WEEK FOURTEEN RESULTS 2-0-1-0
- INDY FUEL OVERALL RECORD 16-15-3-2 (5th in Central Division)
GAME 34 – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 VS MAINE – 4-3 OT L
The Fuel hosted the Maine Mariners for the first and only time this season on Wednesday night. After a five-goal first period, the teams headed to overtime and Maine ultimately took the 4-3 win.
GAME 35 – FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 VS KALAMAZOO – 4-0 W
The Fuel hosted the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday night in the first game of the weekend at home. After a scoreless first period, the Fuel dominated the second period and took the 4-0 shutout win.
GAME 36 – SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 VS. CINCINNATI – 4-3 OT W
The Fuel hosted the Cincinnati Cyclones on Saturday night to close out their weekend and the first half of the regular season. After forcing overtime for the second time this week, the Fuel took the 4-3 win after a Cam Hausinger game-winning goal.
ROSTER MOVES
- Forward Nathan Noel released on 1/17/25
OIL DROPS
- Goaltender Ben Gaudreau had one shutout over the weekend against Kalamazoo, he is ranked 5th in the ECHL for goaltending with a save percentage of .911.
- Rookie Kevin Lombardi is tied for first in the league in game-winning goals with four.
- Colin Bilek and Bryan Lemos have a three-game point streak while Cam Hausiger is on a four-game point streak.
TEAM NOTES
- The Fuel’s special team strength was stronger despite allowing in two power-play goals during the week. Kevin Lombardi had two power-play goals on Friday and Cam Hausinger clinched the game in overtime against Cincinnati on the power play.
- Even with being outshot against Cincinnati, the Fuel still have the lowest amount of shots allowed with 23.31.
INDY FUEL WEEK 15 SCHEDULE
- GAME 37 – FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 AT BLOOMINGTON
- GAME 38 – SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 AT KALAMAZOO
UPCOMING FAN EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS
Get ready for lots of fun at Fishers Event Center this season! Check out some of our upcoming promotions and special fan experiences!
- FRIDAY, JANUARY 31 – You are invited to a total takedown at the Fishers Event Center as the Indy Fuel puts on Wrestling Night. It’s the battle of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs. the Indy Fuel!
- SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1- “Alexa, play Chelsea Dagger.” Join us as we celebrate our affiliation with the Chicago Blackhawks for Blackhawks Night! Two-time Stanley Cup Champion Michal Rozsíval will be the special guest of the evening.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 20 AT NORTHWESTERN
Opening Tip
• Indiana University continues Big Ten Conference play in its 125th season of competition in men’s basketball at Northwestern at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game will carry a BTN broadcast with Brandon Gaudin (pxp), Robbie Hummel (analyst), and Andy Katz (sideline) on the call.
• The Wildcats enter the game with a record of 11-7 (2-5 Big Ten) under 12th-year head coach Chris Collins. Northwestern is led by 20.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game from junior forward Nick Martinelli. Senior guard Brooks Barnhizer adds 18.4 points, a team-best 9.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per contest. Graduate senior guard Jalen Leach has averaged 13.7 points per night and has shot 36.1% from behind the arc.
Game Information
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 • 7 p.m. ET
Welsh-Ryan Arena (7,039) • Evanston, Ill.
TV: BTN (Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel, Andy Katz)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 120-56
Last Meeting: NW 76, IU 72 on Feb. 18, 2024, in Bloomington
Series History
• The Hoosiers have defeated the Wildcats 120 times in 176 chances. The 120 IU victories mark the most against any opponent and Indiana’s 68.2 winning percentage is the highest against any Big Ten Conference opponent with a minimum of 100 games played. Northwestern has won four straight in the series, including a 76-72 result in Bloomington on Feb. 18, 2024.
• Aljami Durham and Armaan Franklin combined for 47 points, seven rebounds, and seven steals the last time Indiana left Evanston with a victory. The Hoosiers earned a 79-76 win in double overtime on Feb. 10, 2021. Trayce Jackson-Davis added a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double.
Last Time Out
• The Hoosiers rebounded to secure a thrilling 77-76 victory in overtime at Ohio State on Friday, Jan. 17. The result netted Indiana its fifth Big Ten Conference victory (second on the road) this season.
• Senior forward Luke Goode torched the nets for a career-high 23 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line, which included the go-ahead triple from the left wing with 1:07 to play in the extra session.
• Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo continued his torrent pace with 21 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, four assists, and two blocked shots. The double-double was the sixth of his season and 40th of his prolific career. The Arizona transfer is one of six active players to have at least 40 career double-doubles.
Big Fella Ballo
• Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo is averaging 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 blocks per contest and is shooting 66.9% (99-of-148) from the floor. He is one of four Division I men’s basketball players (Johni Broome, Auburn; Hunter Dickinson, Kansas; Denijay Harris, Southern Miss) to average a double-double and 1.5 blocked shots per night, and the only player to post those numbers on 60.0% shooting or better.
• Ballo is one of five active players to score 1,500 career points and grab 1,000 career rebounds. He joins Hunter Dickinson (Kansas), Johni Broome (Auburn), Norchad Omier (Baylor), and Nelly Junior Joseph (New Mexico) on the exclusive list. He recorded his 40th career double-double (21 points, 15 rebounds) at Ohio State (Jan. 17). Ballo has posted five double-doubles across his last six contests. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game.
• The 7-footer leads all Big Ten players and ranks ninth nationally in boards per game. Ballo has strung together 10 games with double-digit boards, including a season-high 18 against Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 6.
Luke in the Starting Lineup
• Senior forward Luke Goode was inserted into the starting lineup against Winthrop on Dec. 29. He has averaged 12.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He has knocked down 17-of-39 (43.6%) from behind the arc in his new role.
• Goode has posted at least eight points in six of his seven appearances in the starting lineup, including a career-high 23 points at Ohio State (Jan. 17). He knocked down four triples against the Buckeyes, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:07 to play in overtime.
• He has made at least one 3-point field goal in 15 of the last 16 games, including all seven games as a starter. The Fort Wayne native has made 118 3-pointers in 94 career collegiate games.
Following the Gallo-Way
• Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway posted nine assists in 17 minutes off the bench in Indiana’s 80-61 season-opening win over SIUE in Bloomington.
• In the last 25 seasons of major conference basketball, Gallo is the 10th player to have at least nine assists in 17 minutes or less. He is the first player to achieve the feat since Vanderbilt guard Carter Josephs on Feb. 22, 2014.
• The Culver Academies alum has handed out at least five helpers in 30 career games, including nine contests this season. The Hoosiers are 7-2 across those nine games.
The Leal Deal
• Fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal was a team-best + 39 in Indiana’s 97-71 victory over Sam Houston on Dec. 3 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. He added four points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the win.
• The Bloomington South graduate earned the top spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays with a near-half-court-heave at the halftime buzzer against Rutgers on Jan. 2. He finished the game with five points, five rebounds, and four assists.
• Leal, the 2020 Mr. Basketball, is a Kelley School of Business graduate is in the midst of earning his MBA from the school. He has launched MotionSports, a fully-integrated, single platform solution — all in a mobile-native, NIL-native experience.
• The name MotionSports pays homage to legendary Indiana men’s basketball head coach Bob Knight and his successes running the motion offense in Bloomington.
Hoosiers Fall to Illini in Bloomington
• The Hoosiers fell to No. 19/20 Illinois by a final tally of 94-69 on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo compiled his fourth double-double in five games with 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
• Senior forward Luke Goode (13 points), redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice (12), and fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway (10) all scored in double figures.
INDIANA BASEBALL
CONSENSUS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – D1 Baseball, the final of the major outlets to release preseason honors, tabbed junior outfielder Devin Taylor as a Second Team Preseason All-American on Tuesday (Jan. 21) morning. His long list of early season attention now features projected All-American honors from both D1 Baseball and Perfect Game.
The Cincinnati, Ohio native has put together a pair of outstanding seasons in his time in Bloomington. Through two years, he’s racked up 36 home runs, 149 hits, 24 doubles and 113 RBIs. In 2024, he became the fifth different player in program history – and first since 2010 – to hit 20+ (20) home runs.
He hit .357 in his sophomore campaign and is a career .338 hitter during his time in Bloomington. Since 2001, he’s one of nine IU players with a batting average north of .335 on at least 440 at-bats. He and fellow junior Tyler Cerny are on track to be the 25th and 26th members of the 200-hit club at some point this season.
Taylor could be the third player in program history to do the Big Ten award double. Sam Travis and Alex Dickerson are the only other two Hoosiers to win both Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year honors during their time in Bloomington. Taylor was the league’s best rookie in 2023 and could add the top prize with a brilliant 2025 season. He is a likely top-15 pick in next summer’s MLB Draft.
He’s one of six returning position players to start at least 40 contests a season ago. Taylor will provide head coach Jeff Mercer with some versatility this year. He can play all three outfield positions and is able to bat in any spot of the lineup. IU kicks off its 2025 season on February 14th vs. UNLV in Surprise, Arizona.
2025 Indiana Preseason Baseball Honors
• Devin Taylor
– D1 Baseball Second Team All-American
– Perfect Game Second Team All-American
– Perfect Game Big Ten Player of the Year
– Perfect Game Big Ten All-Conference Team
– Baseball America Big Ten Player of the Year
• Jasen Oliver
– Perfect Game Big Ten All-Conference Team
• Hogan Denny
– Baseball America Big Ten Player of the Year
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#11 PURDUE’S 26-GAME HOME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED BY OHIO STATE
Ohio State 73, [11] Purdue 70 (Postgame Notes)
Ohio State ended No. 11 Purdue’s seven-game win streak with a 73-70 win in Mackey Arena on Tuesday night.
The loss snapped Purdue’s 26-game homecourt winning streak and ended the Boilermakers’ 14-game Big Ten homecourt winning streak. The streak had been the second longest in Mackey Arena history.
The game was the 700th coaching game of Matt Painter’s career, now with a 487-213 record in his 21st season. He is 462-208 in 20 seasons at Purdue.
The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak in the month of January.
Ohio State evened the series record to 94-94 overall. Purdue is the only Big Ten team to hold a two-game winning streak on the Boilermakers.
Purdue went just 3-of-9 from 3-point range and is now 8-of-34 (.235) from 3-point range in the last three games. Purdue has made 3 or fewer 3-pointers in each of the last three games.
Ohio State became the first team to crack 70 points against Purdue since Dec. 16, 2024 (Auburn) – a span of eight games.
Purdue fell to 234-21 under Matt Painter when shooting at least 48 percent from the field.
Purdue lost for the first time in the last 24 games when having fewer turnovers than its opponent.
Purdue saw a 36-game winning streak end when leading at halftime.
Trey Kaufman-Renn tied a career high with 26 points, grabbing seven rebounds with two assists. He went 11-of-16 from the field.
Braden Smith had 11 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a steal.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Micah Parrish scored 17 of his career-high 22 points in the second half, helping Ohio State rally from a 16-point first-half deficit and fueling a 15-0 run in the closing minutes that led to a 73-70 win over No. 11 Purdue on Tuesday night.
Parrish was 8 of 10 from the field and made a career-best six 3-pointers, including 11 points and three 3s during the decisive run. Devin Royal added 16 points for Ohio State (11-8, 3-5 Big Ten), which snapped a three-game skid.
Purdue (15-5, 7-2) entered on a seven-game winning streak and led 59-53 with 7:25 to play. But Ohio State stormed back by making 8 of 12 3s in the second half.
Trey Kaufman-Renn tied his career high with 26 points to lead the Boilermakers. Fletcher Loyer added 15 points while Braden Smith was just 3 of 14 from the field and scored 12.
Kaufman-Renn scored eight straight to get Purdue within 68-67 with 1:01 left, but the Boilermakers never retook the lead.
Ohio State forward Colin White injured his left ankle and spent the second half in a walking boot, and guard John Mobley Jr. missed some time after a hard landing when he was fouled.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER PUSHES NO. 19 UCONN TO THE EDGE, FALLS IN OVERTIME
No. 19/18 Connecticut survived at home against Butler, taking an 80-78 overtime win Tuesday night at the XL Center in Hartford.
Jahmyl Telfort led the Bulldogs with 25 points. Solo Ball paced the Huskies with 23 points.
With the win, UConn improves to 14-5 (6-2 in the BIG EAST). Butler falls to 8-11 on the season.
THE KEY STRETCH: Eight straight points from UConn gave the home team a 78-73 lead with 1:12 remaining in overtime. Butler would cut the lead to two before an Alex Karaban loose ball was collected by Tarris Reed, Jr. under the basket for a lay-in as the shot clock expired with 20 seconds left. That four-point lead was once again cut to two by Telfort. A missed UConn free throw allowed the Bulldogs to have two looks from behind the arc to win the game, but neither fell.
NOTES:
After eight straight points gave UConn a 37-22 lead with 4:28 remaining, which was the largest advantage of the first half, Butler immediately responded with a 9-0 run to pull back to 37-31. UConn led 39-31 at the half behind 15 points from Solo Ball.
Butler’s first lead of the game came at 65-64 with
Finley Bizjack scored a season-best 17 points for Butler.
Andre Screen just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds; he made five of his six shots from the field.
Butler went to the free throw line 28 times, but was only able to convert 19 (68 percent).
Connecticut utilized 50 points in the paint.
In addition to Ball’s 23, Karaban scored 19 points.
The teams combined for just 19 turnovers in the 45 minutes. The Bulldogs had 10 of those after entering the game with single-digit turnover outputs in seven of its last nine games.
Butler’s Kolby King missed the game; he is progressing through the concussion protocol.
Butler and UConn have concluded the regular season home-and-home series, the Bulldogs’ first BIG EAST opponent to play twice this season. UConn won the first meeting, 78-74, in Indianapolis Dec. 21.
UConn is now 11-0 against Butler.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs return to action Saturday as DePaul visits Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tickets are still available for that 4 p.m. contest.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER AND CREIGHTON TO MEET FOR SECOND TIME ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
The second meeting between Butler and Creighton will feature the second-place team in conference standings visiting Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday night. The Bluejays and Bulldogs will come together for a 7 p.m. tip tomorrow after facing off the first time on New Year’s Day. The BIG EAST Road Trip contest is the first of two home games on the schedule for BU this week.
Game Day
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. – Hinkle Fieldhouse
Live Stats: ButlerSports.com
Watch: FloSports.com – BEDN
Bulldog Bits
– Lily Carmody set career-high totals at Xavier with five steals and seven rebounds.
– Lily Zeinstra came up with a career-high three steals against the Musketeers.
– BU forced Xavier into committing 22 turnovers.
– Cristen Carter and Sydney Jaynes shared the team lead in scoring at Xavier with nine points each.
– Jaynes is averaging 10 points per game since becoming a starter (12/29).
– Kilyn McGuff had a team-high nine rebounds, seven points, and a steal in Cincinnati.
– McGuff drilled all three of her 3-point attempts at D.J. Sokol Arena.
– McGuff leads the BIG EAST and ranks 33rd in the nation in double-doubles (7).
– McGuff leads the team and ranks third in the conference in rebounds per game (8.0).
– BU is third in the league in rebound margin (+4.1).
– Butler crushed Xavier on the glass 31-19.
– The Bulldogs had 16 offensive rebounds in their last game. They average 12 offensive boards per game.
– Butler is 8-2 at home this year and 4-2 when playing on Wednesday’s.
– Butler leads the BIG EAST in bench points per game (24.1).
– Butler’s bench scored 29 of the team’s 64 points at Creighton in the first meeting.
– Morgan Maly and Lauren Jensen were responsible for 23 of Creighton’s first 25 points in the first meeting.
– Creighton used a 9-0 scoring run in the first quarter to collect a 17-9 lead against Butler.
– An 8-2 Butler scoring run would open up the second half for the Bulldogs.
– Creighton didn’t have a 20-point quarter against Butler in the first meeting.
BIG EAST Standings
UConn 8-0, 17-2
Creighton 7-0, 15-3
Seton Hall 5-2, 13-5
Villanova 4-3, 10-9
DePaul 4-3, 9-11
Marquette 3-3, 11-6
Butler 2-5, 12-8
Georgetown 2-5, 9-9
Providence 2-6, 9-12
St. John’s 1-6, 11-7
Xavier 1-6, 6-12
Scouting Creighton
The Bluejays have won six in-a-row and are still undefeated in league play with a 7-0 record. They beat DePaul at home over the weekend (92-71) and will visit Indianapolis before a showdown against UConn this weekend at D.J. Sokol Arena. Head Coach Jim Flanery is in his 23rd season at Creighton. This year’s team leads the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (79.4) and 3-point field goal percentage (37.3). CU averages nine made 3-pointers per game. Morgan Maly and Lauren Jensen are the top two shooters on the team. Maly is fourth in the nation in 3-point percentage (48.5) and second in the conference in made 3-pointers with 47. Jensen makes two 3-pointers per game and ranks third among her peers in assists per game (4.1).
All-Time Series
Creighton holds a 17-8 lead over Butler in the all-time series. The Bluejays have won eight-straight to increase their advantage. Butler’s last win came on Feb. 21, 2020. They won 76-61 at Hinkle. It was a season series sweep in 2019-20 as Butler also won at D.J. Sokol that year 73-67.
Last Game vs. The Bluejays
Lauren Jensen led Creighton to victory in the first meeting with 24 points to mark her 30th career game with 20 or more points. Morgan Maly also impacted the outcome with 17 points and 10 rebounds to record her eighth career double-double. Butler outscored Creighton by eight points in the second half, but were unable to come up with the road win. Lily Carmody scored a team-high 16 points while Kilyn McGuff added 15. McGuff grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and had a team-high three steals. Sydney Jaynes went 5-for-9 from the field as she chipped in 11 points.
Focused On Free Throws
The Bulldogs have made 56 of their last 67 free throw attempts, shooting 83.5 percent over their last five games. BU went 14-for-18 from the line in their last game at Xavier. Kilyn McGuff was responsible for half of those makes, going 7-for-9 in the contest. BU leads the league in free throw attempts per game (18.7) and free throws made per game (13.1).
Closing In on 1,000 Points
Kilyn McGuff is 54 points away from 1,000 in her collegiate career. The Belmont transfer has scored 223 this year and is averaging a team-best 11.2 points per game. McGuff is also on pace to reach 600 rebounds in her career. After securing nine at Xavier, her career total moved to 580.
Tough Luck
The Bulldogs are now 0-3 in games decided by five points or less. They are 7-1 in games decided by 6-10 points.
BIG EAST Road Trip
The BIG EAST Road Trip will feature two hours of pre-game entertainment and activities, including free throw challenges, spirit squad and mascot appearances, and photo opportunities with the BIG EAST championship trophy. All activities will be open to students, alumni, and fans, providing an inclusive and exciting gameday atmosphere.
Six, Seven, Eight
After recording five steals in the setback at Xavier, freshman Lily Carmody moved up to sixth in the conference in steals per game, averaging two per contest. Kilyn McGuff went 7-for-9 from the free throw line and now ranks seventh in the league in free throw percentage (74.6). Karsyn Norman is the third member of this trio. She played 28 minutes against Xavier and didn’t turn the ball over once. She now ranks eighth among all BIG EAST players in assist to turnover ratio.
Milestone Markers
Karsyn Norman is six rebounds shy of 100 in her career and fellow point guard Ari Wiggins is four field goals away from 100 in her career. Wiggins has made 21 3-pointers during her time at Butler after not making one in 37 games at Michigan. Her next defensive rebound will also push her career total to 100.
What’s Missing?
Caroline Strande and Jordan Meulemans are both out for the rest of the season. Meulemans was sidelined just days before Butler’s first game and Strande suffered a season-ending injury on Dec. 29 vs. Seton Hall. Strande was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection last year and became the first Bulldog in program history to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists during the same season. Meulemans made 61 3-pointers last year, shooting 42 percent from behind the arc.
18 3-Pointers
The Bulldogs set a single-game program record against Saint Francis by hitting 18 3-pointers. Eight different players made at least one 3-pointer and no Bulldog made more than four. As a team, BU shot 56.3 percent from behind the arc, making 18 of their 32 attempts. The old record of 16 was reached two times previously. BU hit 16 3-pointers at Georgetown on Jan. 11, 2014 and the 2023-24 team matched that effort with 16 against St. Thomas in game two of the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off.
10 Wins
The Bulldogs reached 10 non-conference wins before the start of BIG EAST play for just the second time since joining conference. Butler went 6-2 in November and highlighted that stretch of action with a 56-46 home win over Indiana. The victory came in front of a record-setting crowd of 4,135 fans.
Up Next
Butler will stay in Indianapolis this weekend to host DePaul on Jan. 26. The Sunday tip will go up at 2 p.m. on FloSports.com. The Blue Demons defeated the Bulldogs 66-43 in the first meeting at Wintrust Arena. Taylor Johnson-Matthews scored a game-high 22 points and Jorie Allen added a double-double. Butler was led by Lily Carmody and her 12-point performance.
IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS TO HEAD TO GREEN BAY FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT TIP
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team will head to Green Bay (2-18, 0-9 HL) to face the Phoenix on Wednesday night (Jan. 22) at 6:00 p.m. CT (7 Eastern) on ESPN+. The Jaguars enter play seeking a regular season series sweep of the Phoenix, having already defeated Green Bay in Indianapolis back on Dec. 4.
In the first meeting, the Jaguars put all five starters in double-digits in an 84-75 win inside the Jungle in both teams Horizon League opener. Jarvis Walker tallied a team-high 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting and both DeSean Goode (16 pts, 11 reb) and Sean Craig (12 pts, 12 reb) finished with double-doubles. Alec Millender contributed 15 points and five assists in that win and Paul Zilinskas had 11 points.
Most recently, the Jaguars took league leader Cleveland State to the wire in a 73-62 home loss on Sunday. The Jaguars built a seven-point lead early in the second half, but had a long lull in which CSU scored 18 straight points and seized control of the game. The run was buoyed by a pair of technical fouls, allowing the Vikings to score four points at the free throw line in building a double-digit lead. Zilinskas had a team-high 13 points and Craig contributed 12 points, including three threes. Millender finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists from the lead guard spot.
QUOTABLE
“We didn’t do a good job of handling their pressure down the stretch. We had too many live ball turnovers, which ultimately led to our lead slipping away. I thought we did a good job of coming out strong – started the game great, finished the first half great, started the second half great and kind of had that little lull in the middle of the second half. We’re right there in every game and we haven’t been putting a full 40 (minutes) together. When we do, I think we’ve got a special group,” Corsaro said following Sunday’s loss to Cleveland State.
SCOUTING GREEN BAY
Green Bay is 2-18 overall and 0-9 in Horizon League play. The Phoenix are 1-8 at home and have dropped 15 straight games heading into Wednesday’s contest. Marcus Hall leads Green Bay in scoring (13.1 ppg) while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from three. 6-foot-9 freshman Yonatan Levy joined the team at the turn of the semester and is averaging 10 points and five rebounds per game in his four appearances. As a team, Green Bay comes in shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc while opponents are shooting 47 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from deep.
SERIES HISTORY
The all-time series between the two teams is 10-10 with the Jaguars having gone 4-6 in the 10 meetings in Green Bay. The most recent victory in Green Bay came on Feb. 5, 2021 when the Jaguars won 80-71 on the road.
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will return home to host Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday (Jan. 25) at 2:00 p.m. inside the Jungle on Metros Day & Alumni Weekend (Winter Homecoming). The Jaguars will wear gold Metros jerseys in paying homage to the 1985 NAIA National Tournament participant team.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
HERNANDEZ HITS THREE FREE THROWS IN CLOSING SECONDS AS CARDINALS COMPLETE 82-80 COMEBACK WIN AT CMU
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Jeremiah Hernandez hit three free throws in the closing seconds to propel the Ball State men’s basketball team to an 82-80 win over Central Michigan on Tuesday night at McGuirk Arena.
The Cardinals (9-9, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) trailed 50-37 to the Chippewas (8-10, 2-4 MAC) early in the second half before scoring 31 of the next 40 points to take a 68-59 advantage at the 5:38 mark following two free throws by Juanse Gorosito. Central Michigan’s Jakobi Heady tied the score at 79-79 on a layup with 19 seconds to play before Hernandez was fouled on a 3-point attempt from the left wing with 4.2 seconds on the clock and drained all three free throws.
Hernandez tallied 15 points and two rebounds for the game, while Mickey Pearson Jr. scored a team-high 16 and added five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
Ball State trailed 41-33 at halftime but shot 66.7 percent (14-21) from the field, 60 percent on 3-pointers (6-10) and 83.3 percent on free throws (15-18) in the second half to take down the host Chippewas, who entered Tuesday’s matchup winners in their last two games.
Payton Sparks (14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks) and Pearson also made a pair of free throws each in the final 80 seconds to help the Cardinals pull out the road win. Jermahri Hill (14 points, five assists), Ethan Brittain-Watts (13 points, five rebounds) and Gorosito (10 points, three rebounds, two assists) also scored in double figures for the visitors.
Central’s Quentin Heady scored a game-high 17 points, but the hosts made just 4 of 17 field goal attempts and committed five turnovers in the more than 10-minute Ball State stretch that turned the game across the middle portion of the second period.
For the game, the Cardinals shot 54 percent (27-50) from the field including 45 percent (9-20) on triple and made 76 percent (19-25) of its free throw attempts. Ball State made 11 straight free throw attempts to end the game. The Chippewas finished with a 46.4 percent (32-69) mark on field goals, 36.8 percent (7-19) from distance and 69.2 percent (9-13) at the foul line.
Central Michigan had one more rebound (33-32), but Ball State won the battle of the boards 15-12 in the second half to lead the Cardinals to their second road MAC win of the season in three tries.
Ball State stays on the road with a 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 CT) game at Northern Illinois on Saturday.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
LATE SECOND-HALF COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AS SYCAMORES SUFFER LOSS TO ILLINOIS STATE
NORMAL, Ill. – Indiana State men’s basketball’s late second-half comeback fell short at Illinois State on Tuesday night, falling 85-81.
With 5:29 left in the game, the Sycamores (9-11, 3-5 MVC) found themselves down 13 points, tying their largest lead of the game. Less than a minute later, six points on back-to-back possessions by Indiana Stare brought the team down 73-66. Camp Wagner drilled a triple, then Aaron Gray converted the traditional and-one.
After a pair of Illinois State (12-8, 4-5 MVC) free throws, Wagner made another three-pointer to trail 75-70 just inside the four-minute mark. Illinois State jumped back up nine points with 1:53 remaining.
A 7-1 run by Indiana State made it a one-possession game with 25 seconds to play. Josiah LeGree scored on a layup, then the Sycamores’ pressure full-court defense forced a turnover picked up by K’mani Doughty and passed ahead to Gray on the layup. A Redbird free throw was made at the other end before Gray capped the run with a three-pointer from the top of the key.
Johnny Kinziger from Illinois State made one free throw with 21 seconds to play to go up four, 83-79. Wagner grabbed an offensive board and put it back in for Indiana State to trail only two, 83-81 – but there was only a second left in the game. Dalton Banks iced the game making two free throws, sending Illinois State to the victory column with the 85-81 victory.
To open the game, Illinois State nearly doubled the shot attempts as Indiana State, but the Sycamores trailed only 8-5 early. Indiana Statet took its first lead, 12-11, off a Bruno Alocen left-wing triple and a Samage Teel layup with 13:12 on the clock. The game bounced back-and-forth the next few minutes where Wagner gave the game its fourth lead change and the Sycamores a 17-16 lead with 10:42 left.
Coming out of the 10:42 media timeout, it was an exchange of almost all three-pointers. Banks made a triple followed by a stepback three-pointer by Wager. Jaden Daughtry made a three of his own after a Redbird layup, then Banks made another trey. Down three, five-straight points put Indiana State back on top 28-26 with 7:40 left in the half.
The game continued its trend of going back and forth, staying tight through the rest of the half. In the final eight minutes, neither team could grow more than a three-point lead, but it was Indiana State that held a 33-30 lead with just under four minutes to play.
Gray finished a two-hand flush with under 10 seconds to play in the half to go up two, but a Johnny Kinziger jumper in the paint right before the buzzer knotted the game at 40 apiece.
At the half, all nine players who entered the game for Indiana State scored at least two points. There were already 16 lead changes in the game. Gray tallied nine points and six rebounds through the half in 14 minutes on the court. The 40 points in the first half ties for the most in the first half for Indiana State since playing at Valparaiso (40 points) on January 8.
Illinois State jumped out to a six-point lead early in the second half on two different occasions, but Indiana State stayed tough and hung in with a credit to Alocen draining a corner three and knocking down the free throw attempt.
Following a Teel layup at 15:51, Indiana State was held to only a Wagner three-pointer for almost six minutes which allowed Illinois State to score nine points to hold an eight point, 60-52 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the game.
The Redbirds continued to strike, going up 13 for the first time with 7:06 to play, 69-56. A pair of layups by Markus Harding and Daughtry kept the game close before Illinois State went up 13 at the 5:29 mark.
For the Sycamores in the game, Aaron Gray led the team in scoring with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, and he tied Markus Harding for a team-high eight rebounds. Camp Wagner finished with 17 points on a 6-for-10 effort from the floor, including a 5-for-9 mark from downtown. Bruno Alocen and Jaden Daughtry each finished with 10 points, Alocen draining three triples. Samage Teel led the assist category with six.
Illinois State had three players score 17+ points, and the next highest scoring total was seven points. The three double-figure scoring Redbirds were Banks (21), Kingizer (20), and Chase Walker (17).
News & Notes
Indiana State’s five-game skid matches the five-game losing streak from the 2022-23 season when the Sycamores recorded five straight from January 11-24.
The 81 points by Indiana State is the most since scoring 95 against Valparaiso on January 8.
The Sycamores shot 47.5% from the field, the second-best effort since playing UHSP on December 21.
Indiana State shot 58.3% against UHSP and 50.0% at Valparaiso.
Indiana State made 13 three-pointers and shot 37.1% from three, the best effort since UHSP when the Sycamores also made 13 triples and shot 37.1% (Indiana State shot 13-for-35 in both the Illinois State and UHSP games).
This marks only the sixth time this season the Sycamores have made 13 or more.
Indiana State scored only 12 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, scoring 29-of-41 second-half points in the final 10 minutes.
The Sycamores have recorded 15+ turnovers in six of the last eight games and 16+ in each of the last three.
Indiana State notched 10 steals, which marks only the fourth time in the last 14 games to reach 10+.
Fourteen games dates back to the beginning of Baha Mar Hoops; the high in this 14-game span for the team 10.
It’s only the seventh game out of 20 so far this season with 10+.
Aaron Gray set a new career high while playing in a Sycamore uniform with 19 points, breaking his old Indiana State high of 13 points.
Camp Wagner’s 17 points are the most for the sophomore since scoring a career-high 20 points in the home Bradley game on January 1.
Bruno Alocen’s three three-pointers are the most in a game for the freshman since making four against Tarleton State on December 1.
Markus Harding’s eight rebounds are the most since pulling down a season-high 11 rebounds in the Chicago State matchup on November 22.
Samage Teel dished out six assists in Tuesday night’s game. He has six-plus assists in four of the last six games.
Up Next
Indiana State takes on Northern Iowa on Saturday, January 25 at 1 p.m. ET inside Hulman Center. Following Saturday’s game, the Sycamores host the Bears of Missouri State on Wednesday, January 29 at 7 p.m. ET.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
UE MEN HOST UIC ON WEDNESDAY EVENING
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Squaring off for the first time this season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team plays host to UIC on Wednesday at the Ford Center for a 7 p.m. contest. ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Last Time Out
– In a game that featured 20 lead changes, Belmont made the last push as they took an 85-82 win on Saturday
– Cam Haffner finished with a game-high 25 points while knocking down 7 triples
– Tayshawn Comer added 16 points and 7 boards while Tanner Cuff posted a career-best 11 assists
He’s Back
– After missing eight games, Gabriel Pozzato was back on the floor against Belmont
– In his return, Pozzato scored four points in just over 24 minutes of work
– Pozzato has posted double figures in 9 of his 11 games this year
Back on Top
– Finishing with a career-high 11 assists against Belmont, Tanner Cuff has retaken the MVC lead with his assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.56 (10th in the nation)
– Cuff added nine rebounds against the Bruins to improve his season average to a team-best 6.4 per game, which is 7th in the league
– On the offensive side, Cuff has scored 7 or more in 7 of the last 10 games and is averaging 8.5 PPG on the season
Cruising Downtown
– Connecting on a career-best seven 3-pointers against Belmont, Cam Haffner ffinished with 25 points, two shy of his career high
– Haffner has recorded multiple triples in 5 of the last 7 games and his average of 2.47 3-point makes per game is 5th in the MVC
– He has reached double figures in six of the last seven games while improving his average to 13.2 PPG, third on the team
Scouting the Opponent
– UIC heads into Wednesday’s meeting with a 12-6 overall mark while sitting at 5-3 in the MVC
– Since Dec. 8, the Flames have gone 8-2 while picking up three overtime victories
– Following a double overtime home win over Murray State last week, the Flames won at Valparaiso on Saturday by a score of 81-74
– Javon Jackson leads four double digit scorers for UIC with his average of 13.3 points per game
– Sasa Ciani is averaging close to a double-double with 11.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest
– Ahmad Henderson II and Tyem Freeman hold scoring averages of 11.0 and 10.3 PPG, respectively
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘DONS AND OAKLAND RENEW RIVALRY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A rivalry dating to the Division II days for both programs renews on Wednesday (Jan. 22) when the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons head to Oakland.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (14-6, 7-2 Horizon League) at Oakland (8-12, 5-4 Horizon League)
When: Wednesday, Jan. 22 | 7 p.m. ET
Where: O’Rena | Rochester, Mich.
Live Stats: Link
Listen: 1380 AM
Watch: ESPN+
Series History: Oakland leads 22-10. The series dates back to 1981.
Game Notes (PDF):Purdue Fort Wayne
‘DONS & ENDS:
// The ‘Dons are tied for the most overall wins in the league with 14.
// The home contest vs. Cleveland State on Jan. 30 has been flexed to a 9 p.m. start to accommodate an ESPNU broadcast. Kids 12th grade and under will be free for the game, redeemable at the Coliseum Box Office. The Feb. 21 vs. Oakland and Feb. 27 vs. Northern Kentucky home games are also possibilities to be flexed. The Mastodons’ road game at Cleveland State on March 1 is also a possibility for a broadcast.
// The ‘Dons are 1st in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.9) and 4th in turnover margin (+6.7).
– The ‘Dons committed no turnovers in a 103-52 win over Defiance on Dec. 20, tying an NCAA record.
– 13 times this year have the ‘Dons have committed single-digit turnovers in a game.
– The ‘Dons had only seven turnovers in a 2 overtime win at Wright State
– This isn’t new. Last year: 10.4 turnovers/game (11th in the nation), +5.7 turnover margin (4th).
– In league games, the ‘Dons are averaging 9.7 turnovers.
– Quinton Morton-Robertson’s 2.54 assist/turnover ratio is 56th in the nation.
// In the nation the Mastodons are:
– 1st in fewest turnovers per game (8.9)
– 4th in turnover margin (6.7)
– 7th in 3-pointers per game (11.2)
– 12th in assist/turnover ratio (1.70)
– 15th in effective field goal percentage (57.1 percent)
– 18th in points per game (84.4)
– 18th in 3-point percentage (38.7 percent)
– 25th in 3-point attempts per game (28.8)
– 26th in turnovers forced per game (15.60)
– 42nd in field goal percentage (48.1)
– 43th in steals per game (8.8)
– 47th in free throw percentage (76.4)
// The Mastodons have opened the season 9-0 at home, the best undefeated home stretch to start a season in the program’s NCAA Division I history. If you’re wondering, the best home performance in a single-season came in 1992-93 when the NCAA Division II Tournament bound ‘Dons went 14-0 at Gates.
// With two wins at home to close out last season, the Mastodon home win-streak is at 11 games. Their last loss in a game in Fort Wayne was Feb. 14, 2024 to Oakland.
// Multiple ‘Dons are shooting 40 percent or better from three this year:
– Corey Hadnot II – 44.1 percent (30-of-68)
– Rasheed Bello – 42.9 percent (45-of-105)
– Maximus Nelson – 40.9 percent (47-of-115)
// The ‘Dons had a season-high 23 fast break points (against a DI team) vs. Youngstown State (Jan. 4).
// Notes on the 2OT win at Wright State (Jan. 15).
– The game ranked 10th on KenPom on the website’s “excitement scale” of all Division I games in 2024-25.
– Most points against a Division I opponent in program history (120).
– It is the first time a team has scored 120 points in a Horizon League game since Evansville defeated Butler 136-128 in double overtime on Feb. 9, 1991.
– Jalen Jackson recorded his second career 30-point game.
– Chandler Cuthrell set career highs in points (20) and rebounds (16).
– Chandler Cuthrell’s 16 rebounds are tied for 7th for most rebounds in a game in the Division I program history.
– The last ‘Don to record 16 boards in a game was John Konchar at UIC (Nov. 18, 2017)
– The ‘Dons have played (and won) two straight overtime games at Wright State.
– The ‘Dons shot 53.2 percent (42-of-79) with only seven turnovers in 50 minutes.
// Per Ken Pom, the ‘Dons are second, only behind Gonzaga, in the nation in minutes continuity at 73.2 percent. Ken Pom describes the stat as “determining what percentage of a team’s minutes are played by the same player from last season to this season.” The current national average is 34.0 percent.
// Since the 2018-19 season, the ‘Dons have four total games of 24 or more made free throws and three have come this season. The 26 the ‘Dons made against Bethune-Cookman and Robert Morris are tied for the seventh most in the Division I era of the program for made free throws in a game.
// Rasheed Bello had 12 assists at Green Bay (Dec. 29). He is the first Mastodon with 12 assists since Jarred Godfrey recorded 12 in the Horizon League Tournament at Cleveland State in 2021 in a triple overtime game. The last Mastodon with 12 assists in a 40-minute contest was John Konchar who had 14 at Denver on Feb. 14, 2019. Bello is the first Horizon League player to reach 12 assists in a league game since Jalen Moore had 14 and 13 for Oakland during the 2021-22 season.
// Notes on the Defiance contest:
– The ‘Dons recorded zero turnovers, just the third team to so since 2004 (per sports-reference.com)
– The ‘Dons were +25 in turnover margin.
// This season the ‘Dons have:
– made 10 or more 3-pointers 13 times.
– forced 20 turnovers four times.
– recorded 19 or more assists five times.
– shot 50 percent or better 10 times.
– scored 50 points in a half six times. Four times against a Division I opponent.
// The 20 3-pointers the ‘Dons made at Eastern Michigan (Dec. 15) set a new venue record at the George Gervin GameAbove Center on EMU’s campus. It was one short of tying the program record for single 3-pointers for the ‘Dons.
JALEN JACKSON…:
// … earned the 2025 CollegeInsider.com Lou Henson Mid-Major Mid-Season Player of the Year in January 2025. The award is the precursor to the end of the year award given away at the Final Four at the end of the year.
// … picked up his first Horizon League Player of the Week on Jan. 20, 2025 after scoring 30 points at Wright State.
// … in league play, Jalen Jackson is shooting 56.8 percent.
// … has reached double-figures in every game this season and 20 points eight times.
// … has scored in double-digits in 51-of-56 career games for the ‘Dons.
// … ranks 6th in the nation in total points (393) and 1th in total field goals (138).
// … ranks 26th in the nation and first in the league in made free throws with 87. He is 26th in the nation with 111 free throw attempts, also best in the league.
// … is averaging 6.4 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, 52nd in the nation per KenPom.
// … is 32nd in the nation with 39 steals.
// … was named to The Sunshine Classic All-Tournament Team (Nov. 2024).
// … has reached double-digit free throw attempts in a game nine times in his career.
// … made 133 free throws last season, 8th in a single-season all-time in program history.
// … has raised his field goal percentage each year of his career (42.4 percent, 49.7 percent to 51.5 percent).
// … was named the MVP of the CIT’s Jim Phelan Classic in a win at Bowling Green in March 2024.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team looks to remain unbeaten in Horizon League play with a visit to Detroit Mercy on Wednesday (Jan. 22) for a 7 p.m. game.
Game Day Information
Who: Detroit Mercy Titans
When: Wednesday, January 22 | 7 PM
Where: Detroit, Mich. | Calihan Hall
Live Stats: Link
Watch: Link
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Detroit Mercy | Horizon League
The Series
Detroit Mercy leads the series 10-9, but Purdue Fort Wayne has won seven of the last eight. The most recent edition featured the two squaring off in the Horizon League Championship quarterfinal, which saw the ‘Dons hold the Titans to just 35 points. Audra Emmerson had 14 points to lead the Mastodons in that game.
Streaky!
Purdue Fort Wayne has the seventh-longest active win streak in the country at 11 victories. All of the teams with longer streaks, other than Grand Canyon, are ranked in the AP Top 25. Grand Canyon is ranked No. 7 in the Mid-Major Top 25.
1. No. 5 LSU – 20
2. No. 1 UCLA – 17
3. Grand Canyon – 15
4. No. 10 Kansas State – 14
5. No. 2 South Carolina – 13
5. No. 4 Southern Cal – 13
7. Purdue Fort Wayne – 11
League Win Streaks…
Purdue Fort Wayne has the ninth-longest active win streak of league games in the country at nine wins.
1. South Carolina – 44
2. Florida Gulf Coast – 43
3. South Dakota State – 43
4. UConn – 34
5. Fairfield – 31
6. UNLV – 22
7. Norfolk State – 18
8. Notre Dame – 15
9. Purdue Fort Wayne – 9
Streak Tracker
The Mastodons are on an 11-game winning streak, which ties the second-best in program history and is the longest of the Division I era (2001-present).
14 wins – 1995-96
11 wins – 1982-83, 2024-25
In The Polls…
Purdue Fort Wayne was ranked No. 18 in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25. The Mastodons have received votes in every poll since November 12, but moved into the rankings for the first time in program history on January 14.
200 For the Boss
With the Mastodons’ victory over Northern Kentucky, head coach Maria Marchesano earned her 200th career win as a head coach. She earned 27 wins at Urbana, 52 at Walsh, 61 at Mount St. Mary’s and 60 at Purdue Fort Wayne.
Can’t Lose if You Don’t Trail
Over the last 11 games (440 minutes), Purdue Fort Wayne has only trailed a total of 71:46, with 31:26 of that coming at IU Indy, 14:42 at Cleveland State and 13:16 against Northern Kentucky. In the last eight games, Purdue Fort Wayne has only trailed for 29:16, with the Mastodons never trailing in four of those games.
We Love Fort Wayne
Purdue Fort Wayne’s 8-0 start at home is the best as a Division I institution and the best overall since 1995-96, when the Mastodons went 13-0 at home.
Rankings Respect
Per the NET and Bart Torvik, Purdue Fort Wayne has a national ranking of 95 and 108, respectively. Both sets of rankings have Purdue Fort Wayne, Cleveland State and Green Bay in a cluster of less than 10 spots separating the three, effectively rating potential games between the three as toss-ups.
A Deep Lineup
Eight different Mastodons have scored at least 18 points in a single game in their Division I careers: Amellia Bromenschenkel, Audra Emmerson, Sydney Freeman, Jazzlyn Linbo, Ella Riggs, Lauren Ross, Renna Schwieterman and Taeya Steinauer.
Home Sweet Gates
The Mastodons are 8-0 at home this season. In its home games this season, Purdue Fort Wayne is scoring 82.1 points per game and has an average margin of victory of 27.1 points per game. The Mastodons are shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from 3-point range in Fort Wayne.
A Perfect Start to League Play
Purdue Fort Wayne is 9-0 to start Horizon League play this season. That is the best start to a league season in program history. The previous best was when the Mastodons started 7-0 in the Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference in 1995-96.
Ross Has the Sauce
Through 19 games, Lauren Ross is shooting 49.0 percent from the floor, 50 percent from 3-point range and 94.4 percent from the line. With a slight uptick in field goal percentage, she would be the first women’s player and second player overall to ever shoot 50/50/90 since the 3-point line was added to college basketball. Salim Stoudamire (Arizona, 2004-05) is the only other college player to do hit all three marks for an entire season while meeting minimum requirements.
Points For Millie
Amellia Bromenschenkel needs 48 points to match Haley Seibert and move into ninth place on the Mastodons’ all-time scoring list.
Career Points
8. 1480 – Teena Merrell (1986-90)
9. 1386 – Haley Seibert (2011-15)
10. 1338 – Amellia Bromenschenkel (2020-present)
Boards for Millie
Amellia Bromenschenkel needs five rebounds to match Robin Scott for third on the Mastodons’ all-time rebounding list.
Career Rebounds
2. 759 – Pam Edwards (1989-94)
3. 662 – Robin Scott (1987-91)
4. 657 – Amellia Bromenschenkel (2020-present)
Linbo Limbo
Jazzlyn Linbo is in the top-five in program history in single-season field goal percentage and career field goal percentage. She will qualify for the single-season list with 18 more made baskets.
Career Field Goal Percentage (200 min. attempts)
3. 53.1 – Rhonda Unverferth (1982-85)
4. 51.7 – Jazzlyn Linbo (2021-present)
5. 50.7 – Pam Edwards (1989-94)
Single-Season Field Goal Percentage (75 min. attempts)
1. 57.8 – Rhonda Unverferth (1984-85)
2. 57.0 – Jazzlyn Linbo (2024-25)
3. 56.3 – Verea Bibbs (2003-04)
Ross Mode
Lauren Ross owns the best 3-point and free throw percentages in program history with minimums of 30 and 60, respectively, for a season-long mark.
Single-Season 3-Point Percentage (30 min. attempts)
1. 50.0 – Lauren Ross (2024-25)
2. 46.1 – Trish Fleming (2000-01)
3. 44.0 – Lindy Jones (1989-90)
Single-Season Free Throw Percentage (60 min. attempts)
1. 94.4 – Lauren Ross (2024-25)
2. 91.4 – Haley Seibert (2014-15)
3. 89.9 – Jordan Zuppe (2010-11)
Player of the Week x2
Lauren Ross was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on January 20 after leading Purdue Fort Wayne past Northern Kentucky. She had a line of 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals while shooting 8-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-10 from 3-point range. She led the league in scoring at 23 points per game.
Lively Lineup
Purdue Fort Wayne has used the same starting lineup in 18 of the 19 games this season: Lauren Ross, Amellia Bromenschenkel, Jazzlyn Linbo, Audra Emmerson and Sydney Freeman.
National Leader
Lauren Ross’ 50 percent clip from 3-point range is the best in the country. Her 3.26 triples per game ranks fourth nationally.
Defense Rules!
According to Bart Torvik, Purdue Fort Wayne has the best defense in Horizon League action. The Mastodons have a rating of 89.3, the lowest in the league. Green Bay is rated as the second-best with a mark of 90.3.
Offense Rules Too!
The Mastodons have the third-best offense in Horizon League play according to Torvik with a mark of 100.6. They are third behind Green Bay (103.4) and Cleveland State (100.9).
Big Shot Ross
Lauren Ross hit dagger 3-pointers in two Horizon League games this season. Against Green Bay, she drilled a triple with 1:02 left then made a free throw with 11 seconds left in the one-point win. At Cleveland State, she hit a logo 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left to secure the 78-75 victory.
Fill It Up
Purdue Fort Wayne is averaging 78.1 points per game, which ranks first in the Horizon League and top-30 nationally. The Mastodons’ 37.0 3-point shooting percentage and 9.7 3-point makes per game both rank in the top-15 nationally.
League Leaders
Purdue Fort Wayne stands as the only unbeaten team left in Horizon League play at 9-0. The Mastodons beat the only other remaining unbeaten, Oakland, 77-37 on January 5. The ‘Dons are also the only team to beat Green Bay in league play.
Thief!
Sydney Freeman is second in the Horizon League and top-70 nationally with 41 steals this season.
Nope!
Jazzlyn Linbo is fourth in the league and top-115 nationally with 21 blocks this season.
Our Ball!
Purdue Fort Wayne’s 7.79 turnover margin ranks first in the Horizon League and is a top-15 mark nationally. The Mastodons’ 20.37 turnovers forced per game also leads the league and is top-40 in the country.
Career-Best For Freezy
Sydney Freeman is shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from 3-point range, both of which are career-best marks. Her 2.16 steals per game is also a career-best.
Offensive Threat
Per College Basketball Reference, Lauren Ross has an offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) of 134.7, the best in the Horizon League. She also has an effective field goal percentage of 64.1 percent, a team-best. She is taking 60.2 percent of her shots from 3-point range. She also has the highest plus/minus on the team among rotation players with +8.8 per game.
Last Time Out
Purdue Fort Wayne beat Northern Kentucky 76-52 behind 23 points from Lauren Ross. She had 20 of her 23 points in the first half.
Coming Up
The Mastodons will start the second half of Horizon League play by welcoming IU Indianapolis to the Gates Sports Center on Saturday (Jan. 25).
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
USI TRAVELS TO SIUE, EIU THIS WEEK
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball hits the road for this week to start a three-game road swing, beginning with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Thursday and Eastern Illinois University Saturday. Tipoff Thursday at SIUE is set for 7:30 p.m., while the start time Saturday at EIU is 3:30 p.m.
The road swing concludes January 28 when the Screaming Eagles go to Morehead State University.
The USI Screaming Eagles (8-10, 3-5 OVC) are coming off a homestand sweep, posting wins over Lindenwood University (80-73) and Western Illinois University (78-66). Junior guard Damoni Harrison, who was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week, led the Eagles in the wins with 26.0 points per game.
For the season, the Eagles have three players in double-digits for the season, led by junior guard Jayland Randall’s 15.3 points per contest. Randall followed by Harrison’s 14.9 points per game overall and a team-best 18.3 points per game in conference games.
The Cougars of SIUE (12-7, 5-3 OVC) are on a roll in 2025, winning five of their last six games. SIUE, who won in double-overtime at Tennessee State University Thursday, 87-80, and lost at the University of Tennessee at Martin Saturday, 85-82.
USI leads the all-time series with SIUE, 46-23, but the Cougars have the edges since the Eagles moved to Division I, 3-2. The teams split last year with both winning on the other’s home court. SIUE took the first game at Liberty Arena, 67-64, but USI bounced back to win at Edwardsville, 84-67.
The Panthers of EIU (5-13, 1-6 OVC) have lost five straight and seven of the last nine games. EIU will host Morehead State University before USI goes to Charleston.
The series between USI and EIU is tied 3-3 after the Panthers took the only meeting last season, 81-71, at Liberty Arena. EIU leads the series in OVC contests, 2-1.
All of the USI Basketball action can be seen live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com) and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
The next homestand for the Eagles, three-straight at Liberty Arena, begins February 1. Tickets for all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.
UINDY SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL TABBED #3 IN DII PRESEASON COACHES POLL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The UIndy softball team earned the No. 3 spot in the 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Preseason Poll, released Tuesday. The Greyhounds are coming off a record-setting season, earning a program-record 60 wins, a Midwest Region title and a deep World Series run.
Entering her 21st season as the UIndy head coach, eight-time GLVC Coach of the Year Melissa Frost returns four all-conference performers from last year’s club, including All-Midwest Region first-teamers Jocelyn Calvin and Megan Nichols.
The Greyhounds were joined by GLVC-rival Lewis (No. 22) in the initial national rankings. UIndy is set to open the 2025 slate at the Music City Invitational in Smyrna, Tenn., Jan. 31.
NFCA DII PRESEASON COACHES POLL
| RK | TEAM (1st-place votes) | PTS |
| 1. | UT Tyler (16) | 400 |
| 2. | Western Washington | 384 |
| 3. | UIndy | 362 |
| 4. | Lenoir-Rhyne | 356 |
| 5. | Wilmington | 325 |
| 6. | AUM | 317 |
| 7. | Augustana | 310 |
| 8. | North Georgia | 273 |
| 9. | Rogers State | 256 |
| 10. | Tampa | 255 |
| 11. | Angelo State | 227 |
| 12. | Mississippi College | 213 |
| 13. | West Texas A&M | 192 |
| 14. | Francis Marion | 187 |
| 15. | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 182 |
| 16. | East Stroudsburg | 159 |
| 17. | Trevecca Nazarene | 142 |
| 18. | Northwest Nazarene | 123 |
| 19. | Wingate | 106 |
| 20. | Southern Nazarene | 86 |
| 21. | Colorado Mesa | 84 |
| 22. | Lewis | 49 |
| 23. | Cal State San Marcos | 47 |
| 24. | Oklahoma Christian | 46 |
| 25. | Central Oklahoma | 30 |
Others receiving votes: Nova Southeastern (27), Pittsburg State (24), Kutztown (21), Grand Valley State (10), Pace (7).
UINDY BASEBALL
HOUNDS RANKED 8TH IN D2BASEBALL.COM PRESEASON POLL
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis baseball team will open the 2025 season as the No. 8-ranked team in the nation, according to the latest released D2baseball.com preseason rankings.
The 2024 Greyhounds team are once again led by Al Ready, who enters his seventh season after a 41-21 record and a 29-7 GLVC record, winning their second straight NCAA Midwest Regional title, and making their second consecutive College World Series appearance.
UIndy returns a lot of their offensive production from last year including shortstop Easton Good, who led the team in batting average (.360), slugging percentage (.589), OPS (1.054) and was second on the team in home runs (9) and RBIs (60). Along with Good also returns Caleb Vaughn in right-field, who ranked top-six in all team hitting categories, and also Cole Hampton who led the team in RBIs (62).
The Hounds have brought in multiple transfers this season to add to their already dominant offensive firepower including Mason Chase who posted a career .329 batting average with 77 RBIs, and 17 home runs in three years at Carl Sandburg College.
Chase is not the only transfer brought in for the 2025 season, the Hounds have also brought in five former D1 hitters including; Tre Hondras (Marshall), Parker Redden (Delaware), Luke Smock (UW-Milwaukee), Ian Kennedy (Michigan) and Austin Bode (Indiana).
On the mound, the Hounds return five of their top eight pitchers in innings pitched. Dawson Gabe, Diego Cardenas, and Carter Nowak all started double-digit games for UIndy in 2024, and will look to carry over their strong 2024 performances to the 2025 season.
UIndy will begin their pursuit for another NCAA DII Championship appearance on Feb. 14 against Lake Erie at Greyhound Park.
2025 DIIBaseball.com PRESEASON POLL
Rank | School | 2024 Record
- Tampa (52-8)
- Angelo State (44-21)
- Catawba (46-17)
- Central Missouri (52-10)
- Point Loma (46-13-1)
- Southern New Hampshire (37-19)
- Colorado Mesa (38-18)
- UIndy (41-21)
- Augustana (47-10)
- Indiana (PA) (41-18)
- UNC Pembroke (43-14)
- West Chester (43-9)
- North Greenville (41-14)
- Georgia College (37-22)
- Young Harris (41-15)
- Lubbock Christian (45-16)
- Missouri Southern (44-15)
- Arkansas-Monticello (35-24)
- East Stroudsburg (43-14)
- Ashland (42-15)
- Cal State Monterey Bay (39-21)
- Millersville (38-16)
- Seton Hill (41-17)
- West Texas A&M (37-19)
- Northwest Nazarene (36-15-1)
Others Receiving Votes: Central Oklahoma, Charleston, Embry-Riddle, Harding, Lander, Lee, Maryville, Minnesota State, Molloy, Mount Olive, Regis, Saginaw Valley, Saint Leo, San Francisco State and West Florida.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
January 22, 1953 – 1953 NFL Draft: Harry Babcock, Number 88 from University of Georgia first pick by San Francisco 49ers. He wore those same digits on his shirt with the Niners too.
January 22, 1960 – 10th NBA All-Star Game, Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pa: East beats West, 125-115; MVPselected was Philadelphia Warriors, Center, Number 13, Wilt Chamberlain
January 22, 1967 – Gale Sayers the star running back of the Chicago Bears who wore Number 40,was selected as the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the NFL Pro Bowl game. On the defensive side Floyd Peter the Defensive Tackle of the Philadelphia Eagles took home the MVP honor as the East double up the West 20-10 in the 17th annual Pro Bowl event this time played at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
January 22, 1969 – Brooklyn Dodgers catcher, Number 39, Roy Campanella and St Louis Cardinals ourfiled legend, Number 6, Stan Musial were elected to enter into the Baseball Hall of Fame
January 22, 1981 – State University of New York Womens Basketball star Annette Kennedy sets a record in Ladies Hoops by scoring 70 points in one game. The SUNY-Purchase team used Kennedy’s 34 field goals, 2 free throws and 8 assists to embarass their opponent Pratt 116-21. The previous record was for 63 point set in 1978 by Francis Marion’s Pearl Moore. We do not have Ms. Kenneddy’s jersey number available, but if you have information on it please share it with us via email at PigskinDispatch@gmail.com.
January 22, 1989 – Number 80, Jerry Rice the standout Wide Receiver of the San Francisco 49ers earned the Most Valuable Player honor in Super Bowl XXIII as he and Niners defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida. San Francisco Head Coach Bill Walsh retired from his post soon after the game.
January 22, 1998 – Rickey Henderson, Number 24 that season, rejoined the Oakland A’s for the fourth time in his career. Hos 57 RBIs and 66 Stolen bases showed that the 39 year old still had his wheels and could bring value to a club. In fact after 1998 he played with 5 additional clubs retiring in 2003 at the age of 44.
January 22, 1984 – Super Bowl XVIII, Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FL: LA Raiders beat Washington Redskins, 38-9; MVP selectee was Los Angeles Raiders, RB, Number 32, Marcus Allen
January 22, 1994 – 45th NHL All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden, NYC: East beats West, 9-8; MVP selected was New York Rangers, Goal tender, Number 35, Mike Richter
January 22, 2006 – Los Angeles Lakers scoring machine, Number 8, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a 122-104 Lakers victory over the Toronto Raptors; second-highest game total in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game (1962)
January 22, 2018 – New Orleans Pelicans’ Number 0, DeMarcus Cousins has 44 points, 24 rebounds & 10 assists in 132-128 double-OT win over Chicago Bulls; 1st player since Number 33, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1972) with 40+ points, 20+ rebounds & 10+ assists
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History Headlines
January 22, 1953 – During the 1953 NFL Draft the San Francisco 49ers chose End Harry Babcock from University of Georgia. According to pro-football-reference.com the Pro Football Hall of Fame players that entered the League through this draft were Cleveland’s pick of Doug Atkins the defensive end at number 11, Arizona States Fullback John Henry Johnson to Pittsburgh with the 18th overall pick and the 49ers striking gold with Bob St. Clair in the second round. The Bears had a late steal in the fifth round when they grabbed Guard Stan Jones as well as the Packers 7th round choice of Center Jim Ringo. Rounding out the future HOFs from the 1953 Draft were Joe Schmidt the linebacker of the Lions and the Giants pick of Tackle Rosey Brown. Another player in this draft made the Hall of Fame as a coach and that would be Chuck Noll who the Browns drafted in the 20th round.
January 22, 1967 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – At the 17th annual NFL Pro Bowl, once again we refer to the American Football Database who shares that the coach of the Eastern Conference, Blanton Collier of the Cleveland Browns, used the domination of the west that year as a rallying cry for the eastern team as they prepared to take the field against the West coached by Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers. You see it seemed like the winning of football in the country at all levels of football was tilted to the west coast. Western teams had won the NFL championship, the Playoff Bowl, college football’s East-West game and the Rose Bowl the article goes on to say. Whatever coach said it must have motivated the stars of the East as the Eastern squad doubled up the West, 20-10. The Offensive MVP was a familiar face in the great Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears and on the defensive side the Eagles Floyd Peters, won the honor from his defensive tackle position.
January 22, 1981 – O. Andrew “Bum” Phillips becomes head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Coach Phillips had 6 pretty successful years with the Houston Oilers but could never win that big game when his squad had to contend with division rival the powerful Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970’s. At Houston Bum had a record of 55-35 according to the Pro-Football-Reference. In his 5 seasons in the Saints franchise his teams went 27-42.
January 22, 1983 – RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. – The Washington Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 31-17 in the NFC Championship game to move on to play in Super Bowl XVII against the Dolphins per the Pro-Football-Reference website.
January 22, 1984 – Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida – The Los Angeles Raiders and the Washington Redskins tangled in Super Bowl XVIII. A Raiders.com website article gives us the scoop on the game. The Raiders that season had some star players like Lyle Alzado, Marcus Allen, and quarterback Jim Plunkett. Allen had one of the greatest Super Bowl runs ever when he took a Plunkett hand off on a rushing play designed to go off tackle to the left side, but when Washington plugged all of the rushing lanes , Marcus cut back on a dime and reversed field till he found a hole in the middle of the field that he dashed through to scamper 74 yards for a touchdown. The article linked above had a great video of the play. The LA Raiders beat Washington that day, 38-9 and the game’s MVP was deservedly Marcus Allen the running back of Los Angeles.
January 22, 1989 – Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami – Super Bowl XXIII per the 49erswebzone.com had Bill Walsh’s San Francisco 49ers playing against Cincinnati Bengals and their Head Coach Sam Wyche. Joe Montana huddled the 49ers near their own 8-yard line with a tad over 3 minutes left in the game and down by 3. The Niners did the improbable after barely moving the ball all game they traveled that 92 yards and with just 34 seconds remaining Montana found Mike Cofer in the endzone to the go ahead score. The Defense did the rest as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-16. The game’s MVP was Jerry Rice who caught 11 balls for 215 yards and a score. After winning his third Super Bowl as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Bill Walsh retired.
January 22, 2006 – Mile High Stadium, Denver – The 2005 AFC Championship game featured the Denver Broncos hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers per the pro-football-reference.com. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 275 yards and two TDs as the Steelers doubled up the Denver Broncos, 34-17 to advance to Super Bowl XL.
January 22, 2006 – At the 2005 NFC Championship played at Qwest Stadium in Seattle, Shawn Alexander pounded out 132 yards against the Carolina Panthers defense and scored twice to help the Seahawks crush Carolina’s Super Bowl XL aspirations, 34-14 per the Pro-Football-Reference.com.
January 22, 2012 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough- The 2011 AFC Championship was a classic as the Baltimore Ravens visited the Patriots and Tom Brady for the right to go to Super Bowl XLVI. Brady’s one yard QB Sneak in the fourth gave New England the lead and the defenses on both sides stonewalled any further scoring as the New England Patriots beat Baltimore Ravens, 23-20 to advance.
January 22, 2012 – Candlestick Park, San Francisco – The 2011 NFC Championship was even better as it went to an extra session to determine a winner between the Giants and the 49ers. San Fran’s David Akers kicked a 25 yard game tying field goal with over five minutes left to send the game into overtime. In Sudden Death the Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes showed off his leg when he kicked a 31 yard game winner. The final score was the New York Giants 20, the San Francisco 49ers 17 per the Pro-Football-Reference.
January 22, 2017 – Georgia Dome, Atlanta – The 2016 NFC Championship wasn’t really close as the Atlanta Falcons beat Green Bay Packers, 44-21 to send them on to the Super Bowl.
January 22, 2017 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough – The 2016 AFC Championship wasn’t close at the end either as the New England Patriots breezed past the Pittsburgh Steelers, 36-17.
Hall Of Fame Birthdays for January 22
January 22, 1927 – Hopelawn, New Jersey – Lou Creekmur the great William and Mary offensive lineman was born. Creekmur was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1950 and he spent ten great seasons with the team. In 1996 the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Lou Creekmur in Canton.
January 22, 1927 – Stevens, Arkansas – Joe “ The Jet” Perry of Compton Junior College and the San Francisco 49ers arrived into this world.
January 22, 1948 – Minneapolis, Minnesota – The stud linebacker from the University of Minnesota, Bob Stein was born. The National Football Foundation selected Bob Stein to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
January 22, 1958 – Charles White the QB from USC was born. Charles led the nation in all-purpose yards in both 1978 and 1979 as he averaged a whopping 6.2 yards per play per the NFF. Charles was so good that he won the 1979 Heisman Trophy for being the best College player that season. The National Football Foundation selected Charles White to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1913 The Giants agree to share the Polo Grounds with the Highlanders, who will become known as the Yankees. Previously, the American League club played their home games at Hilltop Park, located at 168th Street and Broadway, since 1903, when the franchise shifted from Baltimore to New York.
1953 Argyle R. Mackey warns alien players they will face deportation for not honoring existing U.S. professional contracts. The Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization cites the McCarran-Walter Act as the basis of his decision.
1965 “I’ve been asked the question many times over the years, all of us have, but I have to say right here and now: Willie was probably the best of us three…just look at the stats.” – MICKEY MANTLE, Hall of Fame Yankee outfielder. Willie Mays, Duke Snider, and Mickey Mantle make their last joint appearance when attending the BBWAA Dinner in New York. ‘The Mick’ answers who was the best of the legendary Big Apple trio of outfielders, telling the audience, “Willie was probably the best of us three…just look at the stats.
1969 After being traded by the Expos along with outfielder Jesus Alou to the Astros for first baseman/outfielder Rusty Staub, Donn Clendenon threatens to retire, refusing to report to his new team. The Montreal first baseman balks at going to Houston because of a personality conflict with the team’s newly hired skipper, Harry Walker, who had managed him with the Pirates.
1976 Right-handers Robin Roberts (86.9%), best known for his work with the Phillies, and Bob Lemon (78.6%), who spent his entire career in an Indians uniform, are elected to the Hall of Fame. Roberts enjoyed six consecutive seasons with 20+ wins with Philadelphia, and Lemon compiled a 207-128 (.618) record and an ERA of 3.23 during his 15 years with the Tribe.
1979 Lindsey Nelson, selected by the expansion Mets as the team’s lead announcer in 1962, reveals he will not return to the Mets broadcast booth this season, ending a 17-year partnership with Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy. The colorfully clad Hall of Fame announcer, who will eventually do play-by-play for the Giants, is replaced by Steve Albert, the younger brother of the well-known NBA Knicks and NHL Rangers’ broadcaster Marv Albert.
1982 Free agent Reggie Jackson signs a four-year, nearly four-million dollar contract with the Angels, ending his five-year roller coaster ride with the Yankees. During his tenure in New York, the Bronx Bombers appeared four times in the postseason, winning back-to-back World Championships in 1977-78.
1988 Arbitrator T. Roberts declares seven presently contracted players no-risk free agents due to the collusion suit against Major League baseball. The players, who include Kirk Gibson, Carlton Fisk, and Joe Niekro, have until March 1 to make deals with other clubs, but of the seven no-risk free agents, only Gibson shifted teams, signing a three-year deal with the Dodgers worth a total of $4.5 million.
2001 Brian Giles, the first Pirate to bat .300, hit 30 homers, and drive in 100 runs in consecutive seasons, repeats as the Roberto Clemente Award winner. The local award, presented by the Pittsburgh chapter of the BBWAA, is given to the Buc player who best demonstrates a standard of excellence on the field, as exemplified by the team’s late outfielder.
2001 Fifty-eight-year-old Tommie Agee, the 1966 American League Rookie of the Year, dies of cardiac arrest in Manhattan. The World Series standout made two memorable catches in center field at Shea Stadium (possibly saving five runs) and homered in the Mets’ 5-0 victory over the Orioles in Game 3 of the 1969 Fall Classic.
2003 Free-agent and former Ranger catcher Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez (.314, 19, 60) signs a one-year deal worth $10 million to play in his hometown with the Marlins. The Miami resident, a ten-time Gold Glove catcher, replaces Charles Johnson, the team’s former backstop traded to the Rockies in the off-season.
2003 The Red Sox sign David Ortiz, recently released by the Twins, to a one-year, $1.75 million contract. After six unremarkable seasons in Minnesota, the 27-year-old DH/first baseman will spend 14 years with Boston, garnering 10 All-Star selections, seven Silver Slugger Awards, and three World Championships and setting a franchise single-season record for home runs with 54 in 2006 en route to becoming a Hall of Famer.
2006 When the island’s best players meet for an exhibition game, 16-year-old Dayan Viciedo becomes the youngest player in Cuban baseball history selected to an All-Star squad. The Villa Clara prospect, who will ink a four-year, $10 million contract with the Chicago White Sox in 2008, has played shortstop and third base and pitched in international youth competitions for various national teams.
2008 The Mets and outfielder Endy Chavez agree on a $3.85 million, two-year deal. The 29-year-old Venezuelan, who missed most of last season with a hamstring pull, will always be remembered in Mets lore for ‘the catch’ in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS against the Cardinals.
2009 Jayson Werth, avoiding salary arbitration, agrees to a $10 million, two-year deal with the Phillies. With the departure of free agent Pat Burrell to Tampa Bay, the outfielder becomes the only returning right-handed slugger to the World Champions’ lefty-heavy lineup.
2010 A’s prospect Grant Desme, selected in the second round of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft from California Polytechnic, is retiring from baseball to pursue his calling to be a Catholic priest. In 2009, the 23-year-old minor-league outfielder, recently named the Arizona Fall League’s Most Valuable Player, hit .288, with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs, playing Single-A ball with the Kane County Cougars (MWL) and the Stockton Ports (CAL).
2010 The Mets, in need of a center fielder until the return of Carlos Beltran to the lineup in early May, deal 30-year-old right-handed reliever Brian Stokes (2-4, 3.97) to the Angels in exchange for the highly-paid but under-achieving Gary Matthews Jr. (.250, 4, 50). Los Angeles agrees to pay a significant portion of the slumping outfielder’s $50 million five-year contract that ‘Little Sarge’ signed three seasons ago with the Halos.
2010 The Phillies and Shane Victorino (.292, 10, 62) agree on a $22 million, three-year deal. Last season, the ‘Flyin’ Hawaiian’ won his second consecutive Gold Glove roaming center field for the NL champions.
2014 Twenty-five-year-old right-hander Masahiro Tanaka accepts the Yankees’ seven-year contract offer for $155 million, the fifth-largest deal ever given to a pitcher. In addition to paying the most substantial sum ever awarded to a Japanese player, New York will also pay an additional $20 million to the Rakuten Golden Eagles, his former team, as part of the new posting agreement between Major League Baseball and teams in Japanese leagues.
2016 The Brewers announces Joe Adcock, who was one vote shy of being elected last year, will be added to the Miller Park Walk of Fame. The former first baseman, who played 10 of his 17 major-league seasons in Milwaukee with the Braves, appeared in 1,207 games with the franchise, including the inaugural County Stadium contest in 1953, when he recorded the first base hit and scored the first run in the history of the ballpark.
2017 Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and 33-year-old former third baseman Andy Marte, who played for the Braves, Indians, and Diamondbacks, are killed in separate Dominican Republic car crashes. Kansas City will honor their 25-year-old right-hander, a Águilas Cabañas teammate of Marte, by wearing patches that read “ACE 30” on their uniforms during the upcoming season.
2019 The Baseball Writers’ Association of America name Mariano Rivera on all 425 ballots, making the Yankee closer the first player unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame. The BBWAA also selects Mariner DH Edgar Martinez, Roy Halladay (Blue Jays, Phillies), and Mike Mussina (Orioles, Yankees), who will join the Veteran’s Committee’s selection of long-time reliever Lee Smith and outfielder/DH Harold Baines.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Jan. 22
1920 — The New York Yankees announce they will be the first team to wear uniform numbers, according to the player’s position in batting order.
1960 — Paul Pender beats Sugar Ray Robinson in a 15-round split decision to capture the world middleweight boxing title.
1962 — Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson are elected into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Robinson, the first black to play in the majors, is also the first to enter the Hall.
1968 — The NBA awards expansion franchises to Milwaukee and Phoenix.
1973 — George Foreman knocks out Joe Frazier in the second round in Kingston, Jamaica, to win the world heavyweight title.
1983 — Houston becomes the first NBA team not to score a point in overtime. The Portland Trail Blazers outscore the Rockets 17-0 for a 113-96 victory.
1988 — Mike Tyson knocks out Larry Holmes in the fourth round at Atlantic City to retain his world heavyweight title.
1998 — New York’s Pat LaFontaine reaches 1,000 career points, scoring his 19th goal in the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to Philadelphia.
2003 — Andy Roddick wins one of the longest matches of the Open era, beating Younes El Aynaoui in a fifth set that ended 21-19 to reach the Australian Open semifinals. The American won 4-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 21-19 in a match lasting 4 hours, 59 minutes — the longest men’s singles match at the Australian Open since tiebreaker sets were introduced into Grand Slam events in 1971.
2005 — Jockey Russell Baze passes Bill Shoemaker to take second place on the career win list. Russell gets his 8,834th victory aboard Hollow Memoires in the seventh race at Golden Gate Fields.
2006 — The Pittsburgh Steelers are the first team since the 1985 Patriots to win three postseason road games thanks to a 34-17 dismantling of the Denver Broncos in the AFC title game.
2006 — Kobe Bryant scores a staggering 81 points — the second-highest total in NBA history — and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 122-104.
2012 — The New England Patriots beat the Ravens 23-20 in the AFC championship game after Baltimore’s Billy Cundiff misses a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining that would have tied the score.
2012 — New York’s Lawrence Tynes kicks a 31-yard field goal in sudden-death overtime and the Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in the NFC championship game.
2016 — David Blatt, the second-year coach who guided Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2015, is fired despite the Cavaliers holding a 30-11 record. Blatt is the first coach since conferences began in 1970-71 to be fired when his team had the best record in its conference.
2018 – New Orleans Pelicans’ DeMarcus Cousins has 44 points, 24 rebounds & 10 assists in 132-128 double-OT win over Chicago Bulls; 1st player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1972) with 40+ points, 20+ rebounds & 10+ assists.
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Jan. 23
1944 — The Detroit Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 15-0 to set an NHL record for consecutive goals.
1959 — In the NBA All-Star game in Detroit, St. Louis’ Bob Pettit and Elgin Baylor of Minneapolis become the first co-winners of the MVP award, leading the West to a 124-108 victory.
1979 — Willie Mays is named on 409 of 432 ballots and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
1980 — George Gervin of San Antonio scores 55 points in a 144-130 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
1987 — Hana Mandlikova upsets Martina Navratilova 7-5, 7-6 to win the Australian Open.
1988 — Steffi Graf wins the Australian Open with a 6-1, 7-6 victory over Chris Evert.
1993 — Mike Gartner of the New York Rangers sets an NHL record when he reaches 30 goals for the 14th consecutive season. Gartner, with three goals in the Rangers’ 8-3 victory over Los Angeles, surpasses Phil Esposito, Bobby Hull and Wayne Gretzky.
2001 — Sam Cassell scores 22 points and the Bucks hit a franchise record 14 3-pointers to beat the Knicks 105-91 and snap New York’s NBA-record 33-game streak of holding opponents to under 100 points.
2005 — Jennifer Rodriguez becomes the first American woman in nine years to win the World Sprint Speedskating Championship.
2008 — Baylor, which waited 39 years to get back into the Top 25, plays five overtimes in its first win as a ranked team. Curtis Jerrells scores a career-high 36 points, including 11 in the fifth overtime to lead No. 25 Baylor to a 116-110 win over No. 18 Texas A&M.
2010 — Lindsey Vonn makes it five wins in five downhills this season. Her 30th World Cup victory ties her with Croatia’s Janica Kostelic for eighth place on the career list and nearly halfway to Austrian leader Annemarie Moser-Proell’s 62 wins.
2011 — Francesca Schiavone wins the longest women’s match in Grand Slam history — a 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova that takes 4 hours, 44 minutes at the Australian Open. Schiavone saves six match points, then converts on her third match point in the longest women’s match at a major in terms of time in the Open era.
2011 — Aaron Rodgers runs for a touchdown and makes a saving tackle, B.J. Raji returns an interception for a score and Sam Shields has two interceptions to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC championship game. The Packers, with road wins in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago, become the first NFC No. 6 seed to advance to the Super Bowl.
2011 — The Pittsburgh Steelers advance to their third Super Bowl in six years with a 24-19 victory over the New York Jets.
2012 — Skylar Diggins matches a season high with 27 points and No. 2 Notre Dame routs No. 7 Tennessee 72-44, holding the Lady Vols to their lowest scoring output in modern school history.
2015 — Klay Thompson sets an NBA record for the most points in a quarter, a 37-point third period that powers the Golden State Warriors to a 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Thompson makes all 13 shots and finishes with a career-high 52 points.
2022 – Buffalo wide receiver Gabriel Davis scores an NFL playoff record 4 TDs in the Bills’ epic 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in their divisional-round playoff at Arrowhead Stadium.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Detroit Pistons vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30 pm | FanDuel Sports DET FanDuel Sports SE |
| Phoenix Suns vs Brooklyn Nets | 7:30pm | AFSN YES |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks | 7:30pm | ESPN FanDuel Sports North KFAA |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Houston Rockets | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports OH SCHN |
| Charlotte Hornets vs Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports SE |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs New Orleans Pelicans | 8:00pm | GCSN FanDuel Sports WI |
| Utah Jazz vs Oklahoma City Thunder | 8:00pm | KJZZ FanDuel Sports OK |
| Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings | 10:00pm | NBCS-BAY NBCS-CA |
| Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Clippers | 10:30pm | NBCS-BOS FanDuel Sports SoCal |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Boston Bruins vs New Jersey Devils | 7:00pm | ESPN+ NESN MSGSN |
| Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs | 7:30pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Sportsnet |
| Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche | 9:30pm | ESPN+ ALT Sportsnet |
| Florida Panthers vs Los Angeles Kings | 10:00pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Army West Point at Holy Cross | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Furman at VMI | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Robert Morris at Youngstown State | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Kansas at TCU | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Xavier vs. St. John’s | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| Indiana at Northwestern | 7:00pm | BTN |
| Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| Florida at South Carolina | 7:00pm | SECN |
| Syracuse at Clemson | 7:00pm | ACCN |
| Murray State at Southern Illinois | 7:00pm | MVC TV |
| IU Indianapolis at Green Bay | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Milwaukee at Wright State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Purdue Fort Wayne at Oakland | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Detroit Mercy at Cleveland State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lafayette at Loyola Maryland | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lehigh at American | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mercer at UNCG | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| The Citadel at Wofford | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Carolina at ETSU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Boston University at Navy | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| South Florida at Charlotte | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| George Washington at UMass | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UNC Asheville at Gardner-Webb | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Charleston Southern at Presbyterian | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| High Point at USC Upstate | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Longwood at Radford | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Coastal Carolina at Georgia Southern | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| James Madison at Old Dominion | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Valparaiso at Drake | 7:30pm | Mediacom-Iowa |
| Boise State at Colorado State | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| Fordham at Loyola Chicago | 8:00pm | Marquee Sports |
| Temple at North Texas | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UIC at Evansville | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas State at Louisiana | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas A&M at Ole Miss | 9:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Kansas State at Baylor | 9:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Nevada at Utah State | 9:00pm | FS1 |
| USC at Nebraska | 9:00pm | BTN |
| Georgia at Arkansas | 9:00pm | SECN |
| Florida State at California | 9:00pm | ACCN |
| San Diego State at Air Force | 10:00pm | CBSSN |
| Miami (FL) at Stanford | 11:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Europa League: Beşiktaş vs Athletic Club | 10:30am | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Brest | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: RB Leipzig vs Sporting CP | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Milan vs Girona | 3:00pm | CBSSN Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Celtic vs Young Boys | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Feyenoord vs Bayern München | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: PSG vs Manchester City | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Sparta Praha vs Internazionale | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs Salzburg | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| Friendly: USA vs Costa Rica | 7:00pm | TNT Peacock fuboTV |