“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL FINALS
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| EVANSVILLE HARRISON | ||||
| EVANSVILLE CENTRAL | 51 | JASPER | 46 | |
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) | ||||
| GIBSON SOUTHERN | 55 | EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL | 49 |
REGIONAL PAIRINGS
CLASS 4A
LAPORTE
VALPARAISO [23-2] VS. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON [26-0]
LAKE CENTRAL [21-5] VS. NORTHRIDGE [22-5]
MARION
HOMESTEAD [19-5] VS. FISHERS [23-2]
FORT WAYNE SNIDER [20-4] VS. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) [16-9]
DECATUR CENTRAL
LAWRENCE NORTH [17-9] VS. BROWNSBURG [16-9]
BEN DAVIS [17-9] VS. MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) [19-6]
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE
CENTER GROVE [21-4] VS. FRANKLIN [18-5]
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE [23-3] VS. EVANSVILLE CENTRAL [15-11]
CLASS 3A
JIMTOWN
MISHAWAKA MARIAN [22-5] VS. TIPPECANOE VALLEY [21-3]
FAIRFIELD [24-2] VS. HIGHLAND [17-6]
BELLMONT
HAMILTON HEIGHTS [19-5] VS. NORWELL [21-3]
TWIN LAKES [26-0] VS. GARRETT [14-11]
GREENCASTLE
INDIAN CREEK [25-1] VS. PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD [22-5]
CASCADE [22-2] VS. INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD [11-13]
CHARLESTOWN
CORYDON CENTRAL [24-2] VS. RUSHVILLE [14-13]
GIBSON SOUTHERN [20-4] VS. PRINCETON [16-10]
CLASS 2A
WINAMAC
CENTRAL NOBLE [24-2] VS. SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) [23-3]
ANDREAN [24-3] VS. NORTH MIAMI [19-5]
LAPEL
EASTBROOK [19-5] VS. LAPEL [19-7]
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC [19-6] VS. FORT WAYNE LUERS [11-13]
SOUTHMONT
EASTERN HANCOCK [22-3] VS. UNIVERSITY [20-4]
GREENCASTLE [22-4] VS. UNION COUNTY [16-9]
CRAWFORD COUNTY
SOUTH RIPLEY [16-9] VS. NORTH KNOX [26-1]
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL [19-7] VS. FOREST PARK [22-3]
CLASS 1A
CASTON
TRI-COUNTY [14-11] VS. BETHANY CHRISTIAN [21-3]
WASHINGTON TWP. [19-6] VS. ARGOS [13-12]
WES-DEL
TRI-CENTRAL [11-13] VS. ROSSVILLE [15-10]
TRI [24-1] VS. SOUTHWOOD [19-5]
SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)
JAC-CEN-DEL [15-11] VS. BETHESDA CHRISTIAN [12-13]
EMINENCE [17-6] VS. BLOOMFIELD [13-14]
WEST WASHINGTON
SPRINGS VALLEY [17-7] VS. TRINITY LUTHERAN [21-6]
LANESVILLE [24-2] VS. WOOD MEMORIAL [14-10]
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL MONDAY
EDGERTON OH 49 EASTSIDE 37
INDY ATTUCKS 79 INDY RIVERSIDE 30
INDIANA WRESTLING SEMI-STATE
1. EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (JOHN C. BARATTO ATHLETIC CENTER) | 8 AM CT
FEEDER REGIONALS: CROWN POINT, HOBART, LOGANSPORT, PENN.
2. NEW HAVEN (ALLEN COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL COLISEUM) | 8 AM ET
FEEDER REGIONALS: CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), GOSHEN, JAY COUNTY, PERU.
3. NEW CASTLE (NEW CASTLE FIELDHOUSE) | 8 AM ET
FEEDER REGIONALS: FRANKFORT, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, PERRY MERIDIAN, RICHMOND.
4. EVANSVILLE F.J. REITZ (FORD CENTER) | 8 AM CT
FEEDER REGIONALS: BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, CASTLE, JEFFERSONVILLE, MOORESVILLE.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLLS/RATINGS
AP POLL
| RANK | SCHOOL | VOTES | PREV |
| 1 | PURDUE 22-2 | 1508 (38) | 1 |
| 2 | HOUSTON 22-2 | 1483 (22) | 3 |
| 3 | ALABAMA 20-3 | 1436 (1) | 4 |
| 4 | ARIZONA 21-3 | 1375 (1) | 5 |
| 5 | TEXAS 19-4 | 1267 | 10 |
| 6 | TENNESSEE 19-4 | 1254 | 2 |
| 7 | UCLA 19-4 | 1159 | 9 |
| 8 | VIRGINIA 17-4 | 1034 | 6 |
| 9 | KANSAS 18-5 | 1013 | 8 |
| 10 | MARQUETTE 19-5 | 909 | 14 |
| 11 | IOWA STATE 16-6 | 869 | 13 |
| 12 | KANSAS STATE 18-5 | 855 | 7 |
| 13 | XAVIER 19-5 | 843 | 16 |
| 14 | BAYLOR 17-6 | 832 | 11 |
| 15 | SAINT MARY’S 21-4 | 742 | 18 |
| 16 | GONZAGA 19-5 | 602 | 12 |
| 17 | TCU 17-6 | 517 | 15 |
| 18 | INDIANA 16-7 | 431 | 21 |
| 19 | MIAMI (FL) 18-5 | 425 | 23 |
| 20 | PROVIDENCE 17-6 | 369 | 17 |
| 21 | UCONN 18-6 | 275 | 24 |
| 22 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE 19-5 | 156 | NR |
| 23 | CREIGHTON 15-8 | 154 | NR |
| 24 | RUTGERS 16-7 | 125 | NR |
| 25 | SAN DIEGO STATE 18-5 | 96 | 22 |
COACHES POLL
| RANK | SCHOOL | VOTES | PREV |
| 1 | PURDUE 22-2 | 780 (15) | 1 |
| 2 | HOUSTON 22-2 | 765 (13) | 3 |
| 3 | ALABAMA 20-3 | 728 (1) | 5 |
| 4 | ARIZONA 21-3 | 670 | 7 |
| 5 | TENNESSEE 19-4 | 647 (2) | 2 |
| 6 | TEXAS 19-4 | 645 (1) | 9 |
| 7 | UCLA 19-4 | 594 | 9 |
| 8 | KANSAS 18-5 | 518 | 8 |
| 9 | VIRGINIA 17-4 | 505 | 4 |
| 10 | MARQUETTE 19-5 | 477 | 12 |
| 11 | KANSAS STATE 18-5 | 459 | 6 |
| 12 | BAYLOR 17-6 | 453 | 11 |
| 13 | IOWA STATE 16-6 | 451 | 13 |
| 14 | SAINT MARY’S 21-4 | 419 | 18 |
| 15 | XAVIER 19-5 | 396 | 15 |
| 16 | GONZAGA 19-5 | 286 | 14 |
| 17 | PROVIDENCE 17-6 | 248 | 17 |
| 18 | INDIANA 16-7 | 207 | 22 |
| 19 | TCU 17-6 | 206 | 16 |
| 20 | MIAMI (FL) 18-5 | 192 | 21 |
| 21 | UCONN 18-6 | 125 | 23 |
| 22 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE 19-5 | 83 | NR |
| 23 | SAN DIEGO STATE 18-5 | 68 | NR |
| 24 | DUKE 17-6 | 67 | NR |
| 24 | CLEMSON 18-6 | 67 | 19 |
RPI RANKINGS
| RANK | SCHOOL | RPI | PREV |
| 1 | ALABAMA 20-3 | 0.6703 | 1 |
| 2 | KANSAS 18-5 | 0.6583 | 2 |
| 3 | PURDUE 22-2 | 0.6473 | 3 |
| 4 | GONZAGA 19-5 | 0.6436 | 4 |
| 5 | TEXAS 19-4 | 0.6413 | 5 |
| 6 | UCLA 19-4 | 0.6408 | 6 |
| 7 | ARIZONA 21-3 | 0.6394 | 7 |
| 7 | HOUSTON 22-2 | 0.6394 | 9 |
| 9 | NEVADA 18-6 | 0.6383 | 8 |
| 10 | TENNESSEE 19-4 | 0.6357 | 10 |
| 11 | FLORIDA ATLANTIC 22-2 | 0.6338 | 11 |
| 12 | KANSAS STATE 18-5 | 0.6334 | 13 |
| 13 | SAN DIEGO STATE 18-5 | 0.6318 | 12 |
| 14 | SAINT MARY’S 21-4 | 0.6293 | 14 |
| 15 | XAVIER 19-5 | 0.6283 | 15 |
| 16 | VIRGINIA 17-4 | 0.6263 | 16 |
| 17 | BAYLOR 17-6 | 0.6222 | 17 |
| 18 | DUKE 17-6 | 0.6208 | 18 |
| 19 | UTAH STATE 19-5 | 0.6188 | 19 |
| 20 | MIAMI (FL) 18-5 | 0.6179 | 20 |
| 21 | AUBURN 17-6 | 0.6162 | 21 |
| 22 | IOWA STATE 16-6 | 0.6123 | 23 |
| 23 | ARKANSAS 16-7 | 0.6116 | 22 |
| 24 | NEW MEXICO 19-4 | 0.6067 | 24 |
| 25 | MARQUETTE 19-5 | 0.6057 | 25 |
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#9 KANSAS 88 #5 TEXAS 80
#19 MIAMI FLORIDA 81 DUKE 59
GREEN BAY 80 MILWAUKEE 79 OT
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230206
WOMEN’S POLLS/RANKINGS
| RANK | SCHOOL | VOTES | PREV |
| 1 | SOUTH CAROLINA 23-0 | 700 (28) | 1 |
| 2 | INDIANA 22-1 | 649 | 4 |
| 3 | LSU 23-0 | 643 | 3 |
| 4 | UCONN 21-3 | 611 | 5 |
| 5 | IOWA 19-4 | 569 | 6 |
| 6 | STANFORD 22-3 | 568 | 2 |
| 7 | UTAH 20-2 | 543 | 7 |
| 8 | MARYLAND 19-5 | 509 | 8 |
| 9 | DUKE 20-3 | 448 | 16 |
| 10 | NOTRE DAME 18-4 | 429 | 9 |
| 11 | VIRGINIA TECH 18-4 | 394 | 13 |
| 12 | MICHIGAN 19-5 | 359 | 18 |
| 13 | OHIO STATE 20-4 | 337 | 10 |
| 14 | NORTH CAROLINA 17-6 | 328 | 11 |
| 15 | VILLANOVA 20-4 | 245 | 19 |
| 16 | OKLAHOMA 18-4 | 241 | 20 |
| 17 | ARIZONA 18-5 | 233 | 22 |
| 18 | UCLA 18-6 | 201 | 14 |
| 19 | FLORIDA STATE 20-5 | 187 | 23 |
| 20 | TEXAS 18-6 | 182 | 24 |
| 21 | IOWA STATE 15-6 | 168 | 12 |
| 22 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE 16-6 | 164 | 15 |
| 23 | GONZAGA 22-3 | 118 | 17 |
| 24 | SOUTH FLORIDA 22-4 | 98 | 25 |
| 25 | COLORADO 18-5 | 81 | NR |
RPI RANKING
| RANK | SCHOOL | RPI | PREV |
| 1 | UCONN 21-3 | 0.7118 | 1 |
| 2 | SOUTH CAROLINA 23-0 | 0.6984 | 2 |
| 3 | INDIANA 22-1 | 0.6880 | 4 |
| 4 | DUKE 20-3 | 0.6822 | 5 |
| 5 | STANFORD 22-3 | 0.6786 | 3 |
| 6 | UTAH 20-2 | 0.6735 | 6 |
| 7 | MARYLAND 19-5 | 0.6581 | 10 |
| 8 | NOTRE DAME 18-4 | 0.6573 | 7 |
| 9 | COLORADO 18-5 | 0.6550 | 9 |
| 10 | VILLANOVA 20-4 | 0.6548 | 8 |
| 11 | IOWA STATE 15-6 | 0.6517 | 12 |
| 12 | IOWA 19-4 | 0.6510 | 13 |
| 13 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE 16-6 | 0.6505 | 11 |
| 14 | TEXAS 18-6 | 0.6485 | 14 |
| 15 | ALABAMA 17-6 | 0.6475 | 21 |
| 16 | SOUTH FLORIDA 22-4 | 0.6457 | 18 |
| 17 | CREIGHTON 16-6 | 0.6452 | 17 |
| 18 | TENNESSEE 17-8 | 0.6424 | 19 |
| 19 | UCLA 18-6 | 0.6416 | 15 |
| 20 | OKLAHOMA 18-4 | 0.6411 | 22 |
| 21 | LSU 23-0 | 0.6405 | 20 |
| 22 | NORTH CAROLINA 17-6 | 0.6388 | 16 |
| 23 | MICHIGAN 19-5 | 0.6349 | 23 |
| 24 | GONZAGA 22-3 | 0.6339 | 24 |
| 25 | VIRGINIA TECH 18-4 | 0.6300 | 25 |
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#11 VIRGINIA TECH 73 #22 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 61
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 79 IUPUI 69
UT MARTIN 80 EVANSVILLE 60
NEBRASKA 78 NORTHWESTERN 66
MISSISSIPPI STATE 91 TENNESSEE 90 2OT
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230206
NBA
BOSTON 111 DETROIT 99
CLEVELAND 114 WASHINGTON 91
LA CLIPPERS 124 BROOKLYN 116
CHICAGO 128 SAN ANTONIO 104
SACRAMENTO 140 HOUSTON 120
DALLAS 124 UTAH 111
GOLDEN STATE 141 OKLAHOMA CITY 114
MILWAUKEE 127 PORTLAND 108
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NBA/SCOREBOARD.ASP
NHL SCOREBOARD
FLORIDA 7 TAMPA BAY 1
NY ISLANDERS 2 PHILADELPHIA 1
NEW JERSEY 5 VANCOUVER 4
NY RANGERS 5 CALGARY 4
DALLAS 3 ANAHEIM 2
ARIZONA 3 MINNESOTA 2
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
PURDUE STAYS NO. 1 IN AP TOP 25; NC STATE IN AT NO. 22
(AP) — Purdue’s unquestioned grip on No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll is gone after a weekend loss. That didn’t stop the Boilermakers from remaining at the top anyway.
The Boilermakers earned 38 of 62 first-place votes in the poll released Monday to remain at No. 1 for a third straight week and seventh time this season. Purdue was the unanimous choice last week, the first for any team this season, before falling at Indiana over the weekend for only its second loss.
The Boilermakers (22-2, 11-2) have a leading candidate for national player of the year in Zach Edey and KenPom’s No. 1-ranked offense (121.1 points scored per 100 possessions) to go with a top-25 defense. But they got down big, committed 16 turnovers and allowed the Hoosiers – up to No. 18 this week – to shoot nearly 53% in a 79-74 loss Saturday.
“When we go to Zach and we make some perimeter shots, the defense gets better sometimes when the offense flows,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said at his postgame news conference. “And you can’t do that. You can always rebound, you can always take care of the ball, you can always make your free throws, those things there.”
The loss meant Houston collected 22 first-place votes as it rose one spot to No. 2, followed by No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 Arizona in each claiming one.
THE TOP TIER
Texas jumped five spots to No. 5, shooting past Tennessee, which fell four spots to No. 6 after losing last week at Florida.
UCLA, Virginia, Kansas and Marquette rounded out the top 10, with Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles cracking the top 10 for the first time since 2019.
RISING
The Longhorns’ jump marked the biggest of the week, followed by Marquette and Miami each rising four spots. No. 13 Xavier, No. 15 Saint Mary’s and No. 21 UConn joined Indiana in each moving up three positions.
In all, 12 teams rose from last week’s rankings.
SLIDING
Kansas State took the week’s biggest tumble, falling five spots to No. 12 after losing at Kansas and at home to Texas last week. No. 16 Gonzaga joined Tennessee in falling four spots after its overtime loss at Saint Mary’s.
In all, nine teams fell from last week’s rankings.
STATUS QUO
Purdue was the only team to remain in the same position this week.
WELCOME
North Carolina State earned its first AP Top 25 ranking in four years, checking in at No. 22.
The Wolfpack (19-5, 9-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) spent six weeks in the poll during the 2018-19 season. N.C. State already has surpassed the win total for each of the last two seasons and is in contention for the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 2018.
Creighton and Rutgers joined N.C. State as this week’s new additions to the poll, though both were ranked earlier this season. The Bluejays were No. 9 in the preseason poll and peaked at No. 7 before falling out by mid-December, while the Scarlet Knights spent a week at No. 23 in mid-January.
FAREWELL (FOR NOW)
Florida Atlantic (No. 19), Clemson (No. 20) and Auburn (No. 25) fell out of this week’s poll.
CONFERENCE WATCH
The Big 12 leads all leagues with six ranked teams, including No. 11 Iowa State, No. 14 Baylor and No. 17 TCU. The Big East is next with five ranked teams, followed by the Big Ten and ACC with three each.
The Pac-12, Southeastern and West Coast conferences each have two ranked teams, while the American Athletic and Mountain West each have one.
NO. 9 KANSAS BLOWS LEAD, THEN HOLDS OFF NO. 5 TEXAS, 88-80
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Dajuan Harris Jr. was willing to acknowledge that Kansas was facing something rare when fifth-ranked and Big 12-leading Texas arrived at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday night: a must-win game.
The defending national champs played like it.
Gradey Dick scored 21 points, Harris had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, and the ninth-ranked Jayhawks held on after blowing a 14-point first-half lead to beat the Longhorns 88-80 and tighten the league race.
Kevin McCullar Jr. added 16 points, Joseph Yesufu scored 14 off the bench and KJ Adams finished with 10, helping the Jayhawks (19-5, 7-4) overcome an off night from Jalen Wilson. The league’s leading scorer at 21.5 points per game battled foul trouble and was held to just two, ending his streak of 25 straight double-figure games.
“We knew we had to come in here and get a win,” said Dick, who had the Jayhawks’ only two 3-pointers. “The big thing, just in preparation for the week, was coming out with energy. When we do that, we’re a scary team.”
The Jayhawks needed everyone’s help holding off the Longhorns’ Marcus Carr.
The Minnesota transfer, who had a game-high 29 points, kept answering Kansas baskets down the stretch. His 3-pointer got the Longhorns within 77-68 with 2:25 left, three free throws made it 78-71 with 1:31 to go, and his three-point play got the Longhorns (19-5, 8-3) within 86-80 with 23.5 seconds remaining.
Texas quickly fouled Dick at the other end, and his free throw with 18 seconds left helped to put the game away.
“It was as close to a must-win as you could have this early in the season to win the league,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “You go down three games with seven left, you’d have to win out and get a lot of help from others. Now, we still have as hard a schedule as everybody, but we can kind of control our own destiny where if we play well, we have a shot.”
Timmy Allen finished with 18 points for the Longhorns. Sir’Jabari Rice had 12 before fouling out.
“It was their night tonight in terms of what they got done,” Texas interim coach Rodney Terry said.
The Longhorns have made a habit of overcoming double-digit deficits: 18 down to beat TCU, 12 down to beat Texas Tech and 14 down to beat No. 12 Kansas State last Saturday in a game played just down the road.
So it wasn’t that surprising when Texas dug another 14-point hole Monday night.
Just like the Longhorns did in Manhattan, though, they began to rally. Texas shook off 10 first-half turnovers to get within 42-35 by the break, then kept coming in the second half. Hunter hit a 3-pointer, Carr added a couple of buckets and it was 43-all when Self called a timeout to slow Texas’ momentum.
Unlike the Horned Frogs, Red Raiders and Wildcats, the Jayhawks rose to the challenge.
McCullar’s three-point play while they were clinging to a 49-48 lead gave them a boost, and Dick added a couple of free throws. But it was back-to-back buckets by Harris, who is known more as a distributor than as a scorer, that pushed the lead to 58-50 with about 12 minutes to go.
Texas closed within 66-60 but, after the Jayhawks pulled down two offensive boards, Dick hit another 3-pointer. And when Yesufu bookended a couple of free throws by Harris, the lead had stretched to 75-62 with 3 minutes to go.
The Jayhawks were able to fend off Carr and the Longhorns from there.
“Give those guys credit. They came in and played at a very high level,” Terry said, “and we knew that would be the case.”
BANGED-UP BIRDS
The Jayhawks were missing several backups. Zack Clemence has a hurt knee, Bobby Pettiford Jr. is dealing with a hamstring injury and Zuby Ejiofor a foot injury. Kyle Cuffe Jr. (knee) and Cam Martin (shoulder) also were out.
“I thought the bench was great. As good as they’ve been all year,” Self said. “We had nine guys we could put in the game.”
BIG PICTURE
Texas has struggled to get off to good starts this season, and it seemed the energy the Longhorns expended climbing back into Monday night’s game was missing by the end. Carr tried to carry them but he needed more help.
Kansas got the production it needed from the bench. Yesufu provided the scoring pop but big man Ernest Udeh Jr. and guard MJ Rice, both seldom-used freshmen, also provided important minutes for the Jayhawks.
UP NEXT
Texas heads home after its Sunflower State swing to play West Virginia on Saturday.
Kansas has a two-game trip next with Oklahoma on Saturday and Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
NO. 19 MIAMI ROLLS PAST DUKE 81-59, MOVES TO 13-0 AT HOME
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) Miami guard Isaiah Wong pointed to the crowd, waving his arms, asking for noise, asking for the celebration to start.
The lead, at that point, was 3-0.
Didn’t matter. From start to finish, the Hurricanes were in total control — and got a rare rout over Duke.
Norchad Omier had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Jordan Miller added 16 points and No. 19 Miami never trailed on the way to a 81-59 win over Duke on Monday night.
Wooga Poplar scored 14 and Wong scored 11 for Miami (19-5, 10-4 Atlantic Coast Conference). The Hurricanes led by as many as 26 and improved to 13-0 at home.
“That was a great performance, from start to finish,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “There was a lot of energy. And all I can tell you is, everybody who came tonight’s game is invited back – because that’s the kind of environment that we’d love to have every night.”
Ryan Young and Dereck Lively II each scored 11 points for Duke (17-7, 8-5), which saw its three-game winning streak snapped. Jeremy Roach added 10 points for the Blue Devils, who were outrebounded 38-31 and committed 21 turnovers.
It was the second game this season where Duke never led, and the 22-point loss was its second-worst this season. The Blue Devils lost to N.C. State by 24 on Jan. 4.
“Congratulations to Miami. There’s a reason they haven’t lost here at home,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “They’re really good. They obviously had it clicking on all cylinders right away.”
It was the second-biggest Miami victory margin in the series between the schools, topped only by the Hurricanes’ 90-63 win over then-No. 1 Duke on Jan. 23, 2013. Miami also enjoyed huge edges in points off turnovers (23-9), second-chance points (24-9) and fast-break points (17-7).
And Miami got payback for a 68-66 loss at Duke earlier this season.
“We had something to prove,” Miller said. “They beat us last time. We were revved up for this game and we got it done.”
Duke fans started leaving with 4:24 left and Miami up by 26, the Hurricanes’ student section serenading them as they departed.
Miami ran out to a 13-1 lead and stretched it to 34-17 later in the first half, putting Duke in unfamiliar territory quickly. The Blue Devils had trailed by more than 15 in just two other games – by 29 to N.C. State, and by 19 to Purdue.
“When you have 21 turnovers, you can’t expect yourself to have a good game,” Lively said.
It was 40-26 at the half. When Miami opened the second half on a 9-0 run to build a 23-point lead, the outcome quickly became academic.
“The crowd fueled us to keep it going,” Larranaga said.
BIG PICTURE
Duke: Maybe it’s too difficult to quickly reset after a rivalry game. This is the third consecutive year the Blue Devils have lost the game immediately following their first matchup of the season with North Carolina. “It’s tough. It’s not easy. But it’s what you have to do. … It’s part of playing in the ACC,” Scheyer said.
Miami: The Hurricanes remained one of six teams from major conferences to be unbeaten at home – the others being Alabama, UCLA, Providence, Iowa State and Duke. Across Division I, 20 teams entered Monday with perfect home marks.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Miami has been in the poll for nine straight weeks, the program’s longest such run since being ranked in each of the first 11 polls of the 2017-18 season – and figures to stay there if it tops Louisville on Saturday. Duke has been out of the AP Top 25 for the last four weeks; the Blue Devils were two slots away in the poll released Monday, behind only Florida Atlantic on the “also receiving votes” list.
BARRY HONORED
Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry, Miami’s all-time leading scorer, was presented with a customized basketball during a first-half stoppage of play.
UP NEXT
Duke: Visits No. 8 Virginia on Saturday.
Miami: Hosts Louisville on Saturday.
INDIANA, PURDUE AND ILLINOIS SCORE MEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY ACCOLADES
Co-Players of the Week
Zach Edey, Purdue
C – Jr. – 7-4 – Toronto, Ont. – IMG Academy (Fla.) – Major: Organizational Leadership
- Posted 25.5 points on 78.6 percent shooting, 15.5 rebounds and two blocked shots, as #1 Purdue split two games.
- Recorded 33 points on 15-19 shooting from the floor, 18 rebounds and three blocked shots in 32 minutes of a 79-74 loss at #18 Indiana.
- Tallied 18 points, 13 rebounds, one blocked shot and a steal in 29 minutes of an 80-60 win over Penn State.
- Garners his six career Player of the Week award, all coming this season.
- Last Purdue Player of the Week: Zach Edey (Jan. 30, 2023)
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
F – Jr. – 6-9 – Greenwood, Ind. – Center Grove – Major: Sports Marketing
- Averaged 21.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and three blocked shots as #18 Indiana went 1-1 on the week.
- Led the Hoosiers to a win over #1 Purdue with 25 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots, while playing 39 minutes.
- Paired 18 points and 20 rebounds in 39 minutes of action in Indiana’s 66-55 loss at Maryland.
- Garners his sixth career Player of the Week award and third in a row.
- Last Indiana Player of the Week: Trayce Jackson-Davis (Jan. 30, 2023)
Freshman of the Week
Jayden Epps, Illinois
G – 6-2 – Norfolk, Va. – Combine Academy – Major: Undeclared
- Averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 assists with a 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, as the Illini split a pair of games.
- Paired 16 points and a career high five assists with no turnovers in an 81-79 loss at Iowa.
- Registered 12 points, three rebounds and three assists in a 72-56 victory over Nebraska.
- Garners his first Freshman of the Week honor.
- Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Andre Curbelo (March 1, 2021)
AKRON’S CASTANEDA NAMED MAC MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Xavier Castaneda, Akron, Guard
Senior, Chicago, Ill.
Xavier Castaneda led the Akron to a pair of wins and sole possession of first place in the regular season standings as the Zips defeated Buffalo on the road (81-64) and rival Kent State at home (67-55). Castaneda averaged 28 points per game on 61.5 percent shooting from the floor (16-of-26) , including an impressive 70.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (12-of-17) and 80.0 percent from the charity stripe (12-of-15). He added six rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot. Castaneda scored 56 total points for the week. He opened the week with 32-points, his third 32-point effort in four games. Castaneda buried 10-of- 12 shots from the field, including a 7-of-8 performance from downtown and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. He grabbed three boards with an assist and a block. In the Wagon Wheel showdown, the Chicago native, registered 24 points to pace the Zips over their rival Kent State. He shot 6-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-9 from long distance. He sank 7-of-9 bonus buckets with three rebounds and a steal.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
INDIANA REACHES NO. 2 IN WOMEN’S AP TOP 25; SC STILL NO. 1
South Carolina beat a top opponent to remain No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll released Monday and now has a showdown with another one looming this weekend.
The Gamecocks (23-0) topped then- No. 5 UConn 81-77 on Sunday to remain unbeaten and stay the unanimous choice atop the poll from the 28-member national media panel. After facing Auburn on Thursday, South Carolina will play No. 3 LSU on Sunday in a matchup of the last two unbeatens in Division I women’s college basketball.
Dawn Staley’s team has won 29 consecutive games and has been No. 1 in the poll for 33 consecutive weeks. That’s one week short of tying the Huskies for the third-longest streak atop the poll. Only UConn (51 weeks) and Louisiana Tech (36) have had longer runs at No. 1.
While South Carolina has had a stranglehold on No. 1 for more than a year, Indiana is making its first appearance ever at No. 2 after Stanford lost to Washington.
“I’m going to relish this for a minute, knowing where the program was to where it is,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said. “We’ve made a lot of history since we’ve been here in our nine seasons and it’s one of the more historical things we’ve been able to accomplish. Give our players credit, I don’t want to discount what a big achievement this is. We’re more than humbled to be No. 2.”
Indiana has won 10 straight since suffering its lone loss of the season to Michigan State. The Hoosiers have a tough stretch coming up, starting with a home game against No. 5 Iowa on Thursday. Indiana, which hadn’t been ranked higher than fourth before Monday, then plays No. 13 Ohio State and 12th-ranked Michigan.
“That’s why we take it one game at a time, but you understand the magnitude of what’s ahead of us. I tell the kids all the time we’re in control of our own destiny,” Moren said.
LSU remained at No. 3 after close wins over Tennessee, Georgia and Texas A&M. The Tigers have a week to prepare for the Gamecocks.
UConn moved up one spot to fourth after its close loss to the Gamecocks and Iowa was fifth.
The Cardinal fell to sixth with Utah, Maryland, Duke and Notre Dame rounding out the top 10. The Blue Devils beat the Irish on Sunday to take over sole possession of first in the ACC and vault up seven spots in the poll. It’s Duke’s best ranking since the team finished the 2017 season ranked ninth.
The NCAA will have its first reveal of the top 16 teams in the tournament to this point on Thursday.
FALLING CYCLONES
It was a rough week for Iowa State, which lost to Kansas by one point and Baylor by six. The Cyclones fell nine spots in the poll from 12th to 21st.
RE-ENTRY
Colorado came back into the poll at No. 25 after beating Oregon and Oregon State over the weekend. The Buffaloes were ranked for four weeks before falling out last week. Middle Tennessee dropped out of the poll after losing both its games last week.
NO. 11 VIRGINIA TECH WOMEN TOP NO. 22 N.C. STATE IN PLAY4KAY
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Georgia Amoore scored a career-high 27 points with five 3-pointers, Elizabeth Kitley had 25 points and 14 rebounds and No. 11 Virginia Tech beat 22nd-ranked North Carolina State 73-61 on Monday night in the Play4Kay game.
Virginia Tech won at N.C. State for the first time in 13 meetings and improved to 3-26 overall in the series.
Kitley and Amoore dominated the second half, combining to score 31 of Virginia Tech’s 34 points – including all 15 in the fourth quarter. Amoore capped an 8-0 run with a 3-pointer to end the third quarter and she added two 3-pointers during a 9-0 run in the fourth.
Cayla King made three 3-pointers and scored 10 points for Virginia Tech (19-4, 9-4 ACC), which plays No. 19 Florida State on Sunday in the second of five straight games against ranked opponents. Kitley recorded her 48th career double-double to help the Hokies to a 42-24 edge on the glass.
Virginia Tech scored the opening eight points of the game and led 15-4 midway through the first quarter. The Hokies led 39-28 at halftime behind 14 points and eight rebounds from Kitley and three 3-pointers by King. Virginia Tech shot 52% from the field, including 4 of 8 from distance, and outrebounded N.C. State 21-11.
Diamond Johnson scored 16 points for N.C. State (16-7, 6-6). Saniya Rivers added 10 points.
The 18th annual Play4Kay event celebrated the life of head coach Kay Yow.
IOWA AND WISCONSIN EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS
Player of the Week
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Jr. – G – West Des Moines, Iowa – Dowling Catholic – Major: Business
• Also named the espnW National Player of the Week on Monday, the first repeat winner of the award this season (she was also chosen Dec. 5)
• Averaged 32.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game with a .611 field-goal percentage, .471 three-point percentage and .929 free-throw percentage in two wins last week
• Posted her third triple-double of the season and conference-record ninth of her career Sunday at Penn State with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists — the nine triple-doubles also tie Lamar’s Chastadie Barrs for second-most in NCAA Division I history behind only Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu (26)
• Registered her second 40-point outing this season and sixth of her career on Feb. 2, finishing with 42 points (13-19 FG, 6-11 3FG, 10-11 FT), seven rebounds and eight assists in a win over No. 8/9 Maryland
• Garnered College Sports Communicators (CSC) first-team Academic All-America and Academic All-Big Ten accolades last season
• Earns her 17th career Big Ten Player of the Week award (tying for third-most in conference history with Penn State’s Kelly Mazzante from 2001-04) and fifth this season
• Last Iowa Player of the Week: Caitlin Clark (Jan. 30, 2023)
Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Mackenzie Holmes, Sr., F, IND: Logged 21.5 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 3.0 bpg. and shot .857 from the field in road wins over Minnesota and Purdue last week
Diamond Miller, Sr., G, MD: Recorded 23.3 ppg., 7.0 rpg. and 2.0 spg. while shooting .575 from the field in three games last week, highlighted by 29 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s win over No. 10/10 Ohio State
Leigha Brown, 5th-Yr., G, MICH: Collected 28.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 6.5 apg. and shot .720 from the field in two wins last week, including a near triple-double Sunday at Michigan State (29 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists)
Freshman of the Week
Serah Williams, Wisconsin
F – Brooklyn, N.Y. – Niagara Prep – Major: Nursing
• Averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game with a .682 field-goal percentage in Wisconsin’s two outings last week
• Scored 23 points (9-12 FG) and grabbed four rebounds in a Feb. 1 matchup against No. 10/10 Ohio State
• Contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and a career high-tying four blocks on Sunday at Rutgers
• Receives her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week award
• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Serah Williams (Nov. 21, 2022)
NBA NEWS
REPORT: NETS REJECTED CP3 OFFER FROM SUNS, LAKERS’ 1ST-ROUNDERS FOR KYRIE
The Brooklyn Nets weren’t short of blockbuster bids for Kyrie Irving.
The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers each proposed loaded trade offers for the wantaway guard before the Nets reportedly struck an agreement with the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Phoenix was reportedly ready to trade 12-time All-Star Chris Paul, castaway forward Jae Crowder, and a future first-round pick. Brooklyn may have accepted the offer if it included two more first-rounders, but the Suns never improved their bid and lost interest in trading for Irving, according to Charania.
The Lakers were apparently willing to part with both of their remaining trade-eligible first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 – selections that could prove highly valuable in a post-LeBron James era in Los Angeles. The two picks were offered within the last couple of days alongside Russell Westbrook, but the Nets countered by asking for further pick swaps, plus all of the Lakers’ young players, including Austin Reaves and Max Christie, Charania reports.
Paul, 37, is registering 13.8 points, 8.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and shooting 38.9% from deep for Phoenix this season, his 18th in the NBA. However, the 11-time All-NBAer has missed significant time this year with heel and hip injuries.
He signed a four-year, partially guaranteed $120-million deal with the Suns in 2021. He’s set to earn at least a partially guaranteed $15.8 million for next season, though that’ll automatically improve to a fully guaranteed $30.8 million if the Suns choose by June 28, according to Spotrac. In 2024-25, his last year under contract, he’s penciled in for a non-guaranteed salary of $30 million.
Dallas’ reported successful offer to Brooklyn for Irving includes Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029. Irving is expected to undergo a physical Monday in Dallas and could make his Mavericks debut as soon as Wednesday on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
SOURCES: SIDES EXPECTED TO EXTEND NBA CBA EARLY OPT-OUT DATE
As discussions on a new labor agreement continue, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association are expected to extend an early opt-out deadline of Wednesday, allowing the league and union to continue negotiations on a new long-term collective bargaining deal, sources told ESPN on Monday.
As the sides pursue an early labor deal, a significant part of what has allowed discussions to progress has been the NBA’s willingness to soften from its original push for an upper spending limit on team payrolls — a de facto hard cap, sources said.
The NBA’s seven-year CBA expires after the 2023-24 season, but Wednesday’s deadline — already extended from Dec. 15 — pushes back both sides’ ability to opt out of the current deal on June 30 and risk the possibility of a lockout.
The NBA’s board of governors voted Friday to give the league’s labor relations committee the approval to give notice of a June 30 opt-out on a labor deal or extend that opt-out again, sources told ESPN. The league and union’s expected decision to extend that date for a second time is rooted in the belief that there’s enough common ground in discussions to keep pursuing an early labor deal — without inviting the uncertainty that would come out of declaring an opt-out.
If the league or union opts out of the current deal effective at the start of free agency on that date, the league’s business would shut down. Trades and free agent acquisitions would cease without a new labor agreement. The risk of losing regular-season games would begin in October.
The introduction of the upper spending limit into talks had been rooted in the desire of smaller-market teams to rein in the spending of franchises such as the Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets, sources said. In the wake of those large-market contenders accumulating outsize payrolls and luxury tax penalties, the NBA had proposed a system that would replace the luxury tax with a hard limit that teams could not exceed to pay salaries, sources said.
The league’s upper spending limit proposal had been met with union resistance, to the point that it became clear the upper spending limit had little chance of implementation without the NBA’s willingness to endure a lockout and work stoppage, sources said. There’s no pathway to get the new union leadership — president CJ McCollum and executive director Tamika Tremaglio — to essentially accept a hard salary cap at such early stages of negotiations — if ever, sources said.
There are broader economic concerns looming for the league that are motivating factors in reaching a new labor deal in the coming weeks and months — including the potential bankruptcy of the Sinclair/Diamond Sports Regional Sports Networks, which is responsible for broadcasting 16 of the league’s teams on local deals. The longer labor talks linger, the more moderate positions among ownership can harden on financial issues and risk deeper difficulties on reaching a new labor deal.
Beyond the NBPA, there was also skepticism among smaller NBA marketplaces, which worry that an upper spending limit would fail to create the competitive parity the league is hoping to achieve, instead causing well-constructed smaller-market teams to have to break up cores of contending talent despite a willingness to enter into the luxury tax, sources said. In the system now, teams can re-sign their own players and add salary in free agency through various exceptions to exceed the salary cap. The NBA’s hard cap would’ve ended luxury tax payments shared with many smaller-market teams, requiring the league to find a new mechanism to supplement revenue sharing, sources said. For now, talks are focusing on keeping those elements of the system and finding other ways to limit the mechanisms high-spending teams use to retain and acquire talent, sources said. The union wants to create more opportunities for middle- and lower-spending teams to sign players too, sources said.
Twenty of the 30 NBA teams are currently below the luxury tax threshold of $150.3 million — with the other 10 teams projected to pay a league-record $689 million in luxury tax penalties in the 2022-23 season. Among them, 58% of that is shared among the Warriors ($176.5 million), the Clippers ($145 million) and the post Kyrie Irving-Nets ($80 million). Those three teams contributed to 73% of the luxury tax penalties in 2021-22.
Among the other top priorities in collective bargaining talks for the league, sources said:
• Finding mechanisms to incentivize top players participating in more regular-season games, which the league believes is essential competition, and maximizing the league’s looming media rights deals.
• Working on a “smoothing” plan to incrementally add in the windfall escalation of revenue in the league’s looming media deal, which would avoid a repeat of the cap spike in 2016 that disproportionately rewarded one class of free agents and selected teams.
• To end the “one-and-done” early entry rule and allow 18-year-old high school players back into the NBA draft.
NBA ISSUES FEDEXFORUM BANS AFTER INVESTIGATING POSTGAME INCIDENT
The NBA said it investigated a postgame incident after the Memphis Grizzlies’ home game against the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 29 and banned some from attending games at the FedExForum after its probe.
The Athletic reported that acquaintances of the Grizzlies’ Ja Morant confronted members of the Pacers’ traveling party near Indiana’s bus in the FedExForum’s loading dock area after the Grizzlies’ 112-100 win that night. The Athletic reported a laser, coming from an SUV that it reported Morant was riding in, was pointed toward Pacers’ players, coaches and others in the loading area.
The Athletic reported it was not known who shined the laser, which it reported some feared was attached to a gun.
“NBA Security and league investigators conducted an investigation interviewing numerous eyewitnesses and reviewing video surveillance following allegations made by the Indiana Pacers organization regarding a postgame incident on Jan. 29,” the NBA said in a statement. “While we substantiated that a postgame situation arose that was confrontational, based on interviews and other evidence gathered, we could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon.
“Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena. If additional information becomes available related to the postgame situation, the league office will conduct a further review.”
Morant tweeted on Sunday that a friend of his was banned from FedExForum games for a year. During the Jan. 29 game, there was barking between Pacers players and friends of Morant seated along the sideline.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said before Sunday’s game against the visiting Toronto Raptors that the matter “was addressed internally.”
“The NBA did a full-on investigation; we were fully compliant with it,” he said.
JAYSON TATUM SCORES 34, CELTICS CRUISE PAST PISTONS 111-99
DETROIT (AP) Jayson Tatum started slow and finished strong with 34 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, leading the Boston Celtics to a 111-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
“You know at some point, he’s going to be a superstar,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said.
The All-Star forward missed his first five shots and had as many fouls (three) as field goals after missing 10 shots in the first half. Tatum made three 3-pointers and an array of driving layups in the third, scoring 18 points in the quarter to turn a seven-point halftime lead into a 18-point cushion.
“He took what the defense gave him,” Celtics interim coach Joe Mazzulla said. “He got downhill. He was aggressive. I thought he took some really good shots early in the shot clock to keep his confidence going.”
With Tatum on the bench, Detroit rallied to pull within seven points midway through the fourth quarter. Seconds after entering the game, the All-NBA player promptly set up Robert Williams for a dunk on his fourth assist to help stunt the potential comeback.
Tatum was 11 of 23 overall, 3 of 9 on 3-pointers, and 9 of 10 at the line.
“A guy like that, you give him any opportunity, he’s going to take it,” Detroit guard Killian Hayes said. “He didn’t make a 3-pointers in the first half, and then he hit one and he’s hard to guard. A guy like that, you can’t let him get going.”
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, who averages 27 points, missed the game with a non-COVID illness. Sam Hauser filled in, making his first start in two seasons, and had five 3-pointers in the first half when he scored all of his 15 points.
Hauser said he was informed of the opportunity about 90 minutes before the game started.
“It kind of took me by surprise,” he said. “I thought they would maybe plug someone else in to start. They called my number and I was ready for it. It was my first start ever in the NBA, and it was a cool moment.”
Boston reserves Marcus Smart and Luke Kornet (left ankle) missed the game with ankle injuries.
Derrick White had 23 points, and reserve Malcolm Brogdon and Williams scored 15 points apiece for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics, who lost four of their previous six games.
“For 95% of the game, I thought we did a great job of taking away the momentum plays that Detroit is capable of making,” Mazzulla said.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 for the Pistons, who have won just one-fourth of their games and are likely vying with Houston and Charlotte for the No. 1 pick and a chance to select 7-foot-3 French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Detroit rookies Jaden Ivey had 14 points and five assists, while Jalen Duren scored seven points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Hayes scored 17 points and fellow reserve Saddiq Bey added 14 for the Pistons, who have lost eight of their last 10 games.
BEY OFF THE BENCH
Casey likes what he’s seeing with Bey, a former starter, settling into being a backup.
“He’s found a rhythm and a niche with the second unit,” Casey said. “Once we are ready to play for playoff positioning and championships, I feel like that’s going to be his role with us.”
TIP-INS
Celtics: The 24-year-old Tatum is the youngest player in team history to be a four-time All-Star. … Hauser’s younger brother, Joey, is a senior forward at Michigan State.
Pistons: The NBA rescheduled Detroit’s home game against Washington to March 7 that was postponed last week when the Pistons were stranded in Dallas due to a winter storm.
UP NEXT
Celtics: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
Pistons: Play at Cleveland on Wednesday night.
GARLAND, ALLEN EACH SCORE 23, CAVALIERS ROUT WIZARDS 114-91
WASHINGTON (AP) Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen scored 23 points apiece and Donovan Mitchell added 21 to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 114-91 rout of the Washington Wizards on Monday night.
All five Cleveland starters were in double figures by halftime, and the Cavaliers won for the fourth time in five games. Evan Mobley finished with 16 points and Isaac Okoro contributed 12.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points for Washington, which has lost three straight following a six-game winning streak. The Wizards were playing without Bradley Beal (left foot soreness) and Kyle Kuzma (left ankle sprain).
Washington led by at least 20 in each of its previous two losses, but the Wizards didn’t have to worry about blowing a big lead on this night. In fact, they were never ahead at all.
Cleveland shot 63% in the first half, leading 37-25 after one quarter and 66-46 after two.
“To me, the most important thing is, there were very little up and downs,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We played at a consistently high level, and that’s what we’re aiming to do.”
Caris LeVert, back after missing two games with a sore right hamstring, had a steal and dunk in the third quarter to make it 83-57. Cleveland led by as many as 28 points.
“Offensively they were just comfortable,” Washington’s Daniel Gafford said. “There was a lot of things that they did that kind of had us in scramble situations, time and time again down the floor. They just really just got the shots that they wanted.”
Mitchell, who has been bothered by a groin issue recently, looked pretty spry when he threw down a windmill dunk on an alley-oop from Garland to make it 101-74.
LeVert, who could be dealt this week because of his expiring contract and uncertain role, scored 10 points.
“He’s a starter in this league. We’re fortunate enough to have him now where he’s in an opportunity where he’s going against second-unit guys,” Bickerstaff said. “So he can be attack-minded, he can make them pay for mistakes, whether it’s him scoring, whether it’s him facilitating – and I think he’s doing a great job on the defensive end.”
Kevin Love, another possible trade candidate, did not play.
NOT EVEN CLOSE
This was Cleveland’s 24th double-digit win, which leads the league. The Cavaliers swept both halves of a back-to-back by a combined 42 points. They beat Indiana 122-103 on Sunday.
“We’re figuring it out at home, and then on the road you’re starting to see positive signs,” Mitchell said. “Taking the crowd out early, responding to runs.”
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Cleveland ended up shooting 56% for the game. Allen was 10 for 13. … The Cavaliers shot at least 55% in every quarter except the fourth.
Wizards: Washington was held under 100 points for the first time since Dec. 17. … Will Barton scored 15 points. … Johnny Davis, a rookie who was drafted in the lottery but has played sparingly so far, scored two points in 6:17. It was his 11th appearance for the Wizards.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Detroit on Wednesday night.
Wizards: Host Charlotte on Wednesday night.
CLIPPERS SURGE LATE, OVERCOME THOMAS’ 47 TO TOP NETS 124-116
NEW YORK (AP) Paul George scored 29 points, Kawhi Leonard added 24 and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a career-high 47 points from Cam Thomas in his first start to beat the short-handed Brooklyn Nets 124-116 on Monday night.
Ivica Zubac added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who won for the eighth time in 10 games and finished 4-2 on their six-game Eastern Conference road trip.
“I’m happy with the road trip we had,” Leonard said. “We came out 4-2, and that’s a pretty good road trip for us.”
Thomas, who scored 44 to rally the Nets past Washington on Saturday, was even better on the day the Nets completed the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas. But Los Angeles outscored Brooklyn 25-9 over the final 6:20.
“Their objective (was) to come in and play hard and go hard, and they did that,” George said. “I thought it was a good experience for us to get good possessions down the stretch.”
Nic Claxton had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Nets, while Edmond Sumner chipped in 23 points for Brooklyn. Before the game, the deal that sent Irving and forward Markieff Morris to Dallas for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and multiple draft picks was announced.
Neither Dinwiddie nor Finney-Smith were available, nor were stars Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons and guard Seth Curry due to injury, leaving coach Jacque Vaughn forced to rotate 11 of his 12 dressed players
“You just got to give credit to our group for being ready to play,” Vaughn said. “The optimism and belief that we can win a basketball game with the group we had was (good) to see, and our overall effort and energy and communication was good throughout the night.”
Still, Los Angeles’ bench still outscored Brooklyn’s 38-10.
“That’s huge,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We have a really good bench that we really trust, and you saw that tonight, increasing the lead when (George) and Kawhi went to the bench in the first half. … We really lean on those guys to be good for us.”
But Thomas almost single-handedly kept Brooklyn within striking distance. Thomas had 22 in the first half, then electrified the crowd with a combination of 3-pointers and mid-range jumpers, helping Brooklyn lead by 107-99 midway through the fourth.
“I came out hot early,” Thomas said. “I didn’t know it’d be another 40, but I knew I’d probably have a great game again. Kudos to the guys for believing in me and letting me make decisions down the stretch.”
Los Angeles rallied with a 9-0 run and outscored Brooklyn 33-28 in the fourth, keyed by Leonard’s nine points in the frame.
“Defensively we were able to get some stops and get out in transition a little bit,” Lue said. “Being down eight, we just came out settled down and came out and went on the 9-0 run and took control of the game.”
The Nets made 8 of 12 first-quarter 3-pointers and built an eight-point advantage. But the Clippers closed the first with a 10-0 run then George then scored nine in the second, helping the Clippers build an 11-point advantage.
But the Nets closed the half with a 13-4 run, cutting Los Angeles’ lead to 55-53 at halftime.
TIP INS
Clippers: Forward Marcus Morris Sr. was ejected with 1:57 left in the second quarter. . The Clippers improved to 14-11 against the Eastern Conference and 8-7 on the road.
Nets: Durant (sprained right MCL) missed his 13th straight game. The Nets are expected to give an update on his progress Tuesday. … Simmons (left knee soreness) was unavailable for the fifth straight game but could play Tuesday against Phoenix on the second night of a back-to-back.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Host Dallas on Wednesday.
Nets: Host Phoenix on Tuesday.
VUCEVIC, DRUMMOND COME UP BIG, BULLS BEAT SPURS 128-104
CHICAGO (AP) Nikola Vucevic could be playing for another team by the end of the week. The same goes for Andre Drummond as the NBA’s trade deadline approaches.
Despite big questions about their futures, the big men delivered in a big way for the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
Vucevic had 22 points and 12 rebounds, Drummond set season highs with 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Chicago handed San Antonio its ninth straight loss, beating the Spurs 128-104.
“I never take this game lightly,” Drummond said. “I appreciate every moment that I am on that floor. I don’t take those moments lightly. When I get that chance, I just try to play as hard as I can and give it all I have.”
Zach LaVine scored 20 points and DeMar DeRozan had 19, helping the Bulls match a season high with their third straight win. Chicago (26-27) also got some payback for a loss at San Antonio in October.
It was tied at 85 late in the third quarter when Chicago went on a 23-3 run that buried the team with the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Two more losses and the Spurs will match their worst skid of the season.
BULLS DOMINATE
With his second double-double in three games after being used sparingly, Drummond continued to make his case for more playing time. The two-time All-Star had three steals in 21 minutes and scored 10 points in Chicago’s game-breaking burst, including back-to-back dunks that delighted the crowd.
“It says a lot about him,” said Vucevic, whom the Bulls might deal rather than risk losing as a free agent after this season. “It shows how truly professional he is. When you’re not playing, when you’re not in the rotation, sometimes it’s harder to stay focused. He’s been doing that this season.”
DeRozan started the decisive run with a three-point play and step-back jumper in the final minute of the third, giving the Bulls a five-point lead.
Chicago had seven players score in double figures and shot 56.2% despite making just 6 of 22 3-pointers. It was the Bulls’ fourth win in five games overall.
Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 21 points. But the Spurs opened a season-high, nine-game trip on an all-too-familiar note.
PULLING AWAY
The Bulls led by 11 after the first quarter, only to have San Antonio get back into the game in the second. The Spurs led by four late in the third, before the Bulls steadied themselves.
DeRozan’s spurt at the end of the quarter helped give the Bulls the spark they needed.
Coby White kept it going when he hit two free throws and fed Drummond for dunk after stealing a pass in the opening minute of the fourth. Doug McDermott hit a 3 for San Antonio, but the Bulls outscored the Spurs 38-19 in the quarter.
TIP-INS
Spurs: San Antonio had won four of five against Chicago. … F Jeremy Sochan (sore lower back) and G Tre Jones (sore left foot) missed their second consecutive game.
Bulls: The Bulls’ 39 first-quarter points were one shy of their season high. … G Alex Caruso (sore left foot) missed his second straight game. Chicago’s best perimeter defender was injured in Thursday’s 114-98 victory over Charlotte. “He’s shown some significant strides in a very positive direction,” coach Billy Donovan said.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Visit Toronto on Wednesday.
Bulls: Visit Memphis on Tuesday.
MURRAY HITS EIGHT 3-POINTERS AS KINGS BEAT ROCKETS 140-120
HOUSTON (AP) Keegan Murray had a career-high 30 points and set a franchise rookie record with eight 3-pointers to help the Sacramento Kings snap a two-game skid with a 140-120 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
The fourth overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, Murray shot 8 for 12 from beyond the arc on a night when the Kings made 21 3-pointers. The previous team mark for 3s by a rookie was set by Ricky Berry with seven in 1989.
Murray went 1 for 16 on 3-pointers over his past three games.
“Nothing changed there except the ball going in,” Murray said. “I just found a rhythm and when you see the ball going in early, it helps a lot.”
Sacramento coach Mike Brown was pleased to see Murray break out of what he called a “mini-slump.”
“We just think he’s that good of a shooter and he’s capable,” Brown said. “Now, I’m not saying he’s going to go 8 for 12 every night, but we’ve seen Keegan shooting the ball at a high high level this year and so it’s not surprising when it happens.”
Malik Monk added 20 points off the bench and Domantas Sabonis had 17 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in the first of consecutive games between the teams.
De’Aaron Fox had 16 points and eight assists for Sacramento after missing two games for the birth of his son, named Reign.
“It’s huge to have somebody like that out and it’s good to have him back,” Monk said.
Jalen Green had 27 points for the Rockets, who dropped their third straight.
An angry Stephen Silas lamented his team’s defensive play.
“They’re not giving the effort on the defensive end,” the Houston coach said. “They’re not getting after it like they’re supposed to.”
The Kings led by 12 with about eight minutes remaining before using a 10-2 run to push it to 117-97 midway through the fourth quarter. Monk started that stretch with two free throws and ended it with back-to-back 3s.
Eric Gordon made a basket for Houston after that, but Monk hit another 3 to make it 120-99.
The Kings were up by 12 after a layup by Kevin Huerter with 8 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Houston then used a 14-7 run to get within 81-76 midway through the period.
Gordon hit two 3-pointers in that span and Jabari Smith Jr. had a 3 and a dunk to help the Rockets close the gap.
But Murray made consecutive 3-pointers to start a 9-4 run, capped by a third 3 from him, to push the lead to 90-80 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third.
A layup by Green got Houston within six with less than a minute left in the third but the Kings scored the last five points of the quarter, with a 3 from Monk, to take a 99-88 lead into the fourth.
TIP-INS
Kings: Kevin Huerter had 16 points. Trey Lyles added 14 off the bench. … Sacramento shot 58.4% from the field.
Rockets: Kevin Porter Jr. missed his 13th consecutive game with a left big toe injury. Silas said Porter is struggling with the injury and it’s unclear when he’ll return. . Kenyon Martin Jr. had 18 points and eight rebounds. Gordon scored 16. … Alperen Sengun had 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
THINKING OF HOME
Sengun, who is from Turkey, said it was tough to concentrate on the game after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 4,000 people in Turkey and Syria on Monday.
He said his family lives far from where the earthquake hit and they were OK, but he worried about many others in the country.
“Of course I was thinking about all of my country today all day,” Sengun said. “But I know I have a job over here.”
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Wednesday night in Houston.
GREEN, HARDY HELP MAVS SURPRISE JAZZ 124-111 WITHOUT DONCIC
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Kyrie Irving hadn’t arrived yet and Luka Doncic was out, so it was time for the Dallas youngsters to shine.
Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career highs of 29 points and the short-handed Mavericks stunned the Utah Jazz 124-111 on Monday night after completing a trade for Irving.
“Luka (and Irving) are going to have their amazing nights, but if we want to be a championship team it’s about the rest of us being able to step up,” Green said.
The Mavericks acquired the eight-time All-Star along with Markieff Morris from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
Irving and Morris arrived in Dallas on Monday to undergo physicals and were not available for the game. But their new team rallied behind Green, who averages 8.1 points, and Hardy, who scores 5.6 per game.
“We believed we could win this from before the game even started,” Hardy said. “The Jazz didn’t seem like they were taking it seriously. They came out late before the game to warm up, all nonchalant.”
When Green was on the court, the Mavericks outscored the Jazz by an astonishing 39 points and won their first game in eight tries without Doncic, their leading scorer with 33.4 points a game.
“The guys believed and Josh set the tone,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “He understands how to play and he’s not afraid of the moment.”
Doncic (heel bruise) missed his third game in 10 days. The Jazz beat the Mavs 108-100 on Jan. 28, when the Slovenian star was out with a sprained ankle. This time the Mavericks bested the Jazz in nearly hustle category, including a 49-37 advantage on the boards.
“It was exemplified when (5-foot-11) McKinley Wright was boxing out (Utah’s 7-foot-1 Walker) Kessler. The physicality for us tonight was high, no matter how small we were out there,” Kidd said.
After scoring 12 total points over six games, Hardy broke out for his career night and Dwight Powell added 12 points and a career-best 16 rebounds.
“It was super fun,” Hardy said twice with a smile that didn’t leave his face for a long while.
Jordan Clarkson paced Utah with 26 points on 7-for-19 shooting and Lauri Markkanen added 19 – the first time he has failed to reach 20 points in the last 21 games.
“They played better than us. They played harder than us. Give credit to them, but I don’t think we were ready to play,” Markkanen said.
The Jazz are now 7-5 on a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 13 games at home, when they hoped to gain ground on teams like Dallas, but are now two games behind the Mavs.
The Jazz struggle when their 3s aren’t falling and they often fail to get back on defense. The upstart Mavs led the Jazz 27-4 on fast break points.
“This is the first game all season where I just feel disappointed in our focus,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “We just did not have the necessary focus and attention to the little things. They had 27 points in transition and 24 second-chance points and that’s how we lost the game.”
As could be expected with different rotations and the end of the bench getting significant minutes, the Mavericks looked out of sync at times. But they started running at every opportunity and went on a 23-6 run bridging the second and third quarters to take a 75-66 lead.
The Jazz trimmed the lead to a single possession in the fourth quarter but could never catch the Mavs.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Wright finished his first start with a career-high 10 points. . Davis Bertans (left calf strain) and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) were out. . Dallas outscored Utah on second-chance points, 24-12
Jazz: Jarred Vanderbilt, the subject of persistent trade rumors, missed his second game with back spasms. . Mike Conley, who had a game-high 11 assists, turned his ankle in the fourth quarter but continued to play after a timeout. . Utah went 6 of 31 from 3-point range but had a 62-42 edge in the paint.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Continue five-game road trip at the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
Jazz: Host Minnesota on Friday.
THOMPSON SCORES 42 POINTS WITH 12 3S, WARRIORS BEAT THUNDER
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) With star teammate Stephen Curry sidelined, Klay Thompson kept shooting and took care of the offensive load the Golden State Warriors were missing without their reigning NBA Finals MVP.
Thompson scored 42 points with a season-high 12 3-pointers, Jordan Poole added 21 points and career-best 12 assists starting in Curry’s place, and the Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 141-114 on Monday night.
“It was a beautiful game to watch him play,” Draymond Green said of Thompson.
“… We needed it. It’s been a while since we had a blowout win. It’s good to get this one, especially first game with Steph out. It was good to start off on this foot and try to create some momentum.”
Thompson sat down for the night to a roaring ovation with 4:41 left to finish 15 for 22 from the floor and 12 of 16 on 3s. Thompson now has eight games with 10 or more 3-pointers, second in NBA history behind Splash Brother Curry’s 22.
“This is a confidence booster for sure to play without him, but to see the performance of the team, amazing individual performances we got,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It was a feel-good game for a lot of people and that just really fuels everybody. Hopefully we can keep that going.”
Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points in Golden State’s first game since losing Curry to a left leg injury late in the third quarter of Saturday’s win against Dallas – and the Warriors went 26 of 50 from deep without the league’s career 3-point leader.
They also didn’t let down late as has been a concern and frustration recently for Kerr.
“That was fun, that was probably the most fun I’ve had watching our team all year,” Kerr said.
Thompson had 27 points at halftime, going 10 of 14 from the floor and 7 for 9 on 3-pointers as the Warriors led 60-53. Poole dished out five assists in the opening quarter, then helped Golden State start the third on a 19-7 burst to pull away for their eighth straight win in the series.
“I thought Jordan was magnificent, one of the best games I’ve ever seen him play. He just was so under control,” Kerr said.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points, Aaron Wiggins added 19 and Tre Mann had 18 off the bench for the Thunder. Josh Giddey contributed 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as Oklahoma City struggled in the opener of a road back-to-back coming off a franchise-record 153 points in Saturday’s home win over Houston.
TIP-INS
Thunder: G Lu Dort sat out again after he missed Saturday’s game with a strained right hamstring. … The Thunder were outrebounded 45-36. … Oklahoma City dropped to 9-17 on the road, 3-10 vs. the West. The Thunder have lost four in a row on the Warriors’ home floor.
Warriors: Poole had his first double-double of the season and third of his career. … Golden State is 7-5 without Curry, who was previously sidelined Dec. 16-Jan. 7 with a shoulder injury. “We’ve already been through a stretch without Steph and handled it pretty well, so we’re confident we can do that again,” Kerr said.
ROLLINS SURGERY
Warriors rookie guard Ryan Rollins is set to have surgery Wednesday for a broken pinkie toe in his right foot and he will likely miss the rest of the season.
Golden State acquired the draft rights to Rollins from the Hawks, who selected him 44th overall in the second round.
He played in 12 games for the Warriors and 19 for the G League Santa Cruz team, where he averaged 19.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 25.6 minutes.
SENSORY ROOM
The Warriors and Marvel actor Simu Liu unveiled the “Simu Liu Sensory Room” for guests who might need a quiet space when feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated.
“It’s incredible,” Liu said. “Pretty neat. It’s simple. It’s perfect.”
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night with LeBron James 36 points from breaking the NBA career scoring record.
Warriors: At Portland on Wednesday night then host the Lakers on Saturday night.
BUCKS BEAT TRAIL BLAZERS 127-108 FOR 8TH STRAIGHT WIN
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Brook Lopez scored 27 points and the Milwaukee Bucks stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 127-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks led the whole way, pushing their advantage to 26 in the second half.
Lopez, who pulled down nine rebounds, topped all scorers with 17 points at halftime and Milwaukee led 58-48. He hit a 3-pointer with 10:41 left in the third quarter that gave him 15,000 career points.
“I have a long way to still go, a long time to still play. I’m just enjoying it and I want to keep getting better, keep being an effective player out there, being the best player I could be,” said Lopez, who is in his 14th season. “I’m lucky that there are people that are out there trying to help me, trying to make me better and put me in that position.”
Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 28 points. Antetokounmpo and Lillard were selected the NBA’s players of the week earlier in the day.
Lillard averaged 38.3 points and 6.8 assists last week for his second straight POTW honor, while Antetokounmpo averaged 41 points and 17.3 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo started despite right knee soreness. The two-time league MVP had a triple-double with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists on Saturday to lead the Bucks to a 123-115 victory over Miami.
Portland was coming off a 129-121 loss at Chicago on Saturday that snapped a three-game winning streak
With center Jusuf Nurkic unavailable because of a left calf strain, the Blazers struggled against the bigger Bucks.
Milwaukee led by as many as 15 in the first half, but Lillard drained a 3 from about two feet inside the half-court line that brought gasps and then cheers from the home crowd.
The Bucks finished the third period on a 22-8 run to lead 95-71.
Portland made just nine of 36 attempts from 3-point range.
“They made some adjustments to their defense this year, to be honest with you,” Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “They used to give up like the most 3s in the league because of that drop coverage. Not this year. I’ve got to give them a ton of credit. (Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer) has done a really good job. They’re still a really dominant defense but they’re not giving up as many 3s, so you’ve got to work even harder to get those looks.”
TIP-INS
Bucks: Also won the first of their two meetings with the Blazers this season, 119-111 in Milwaukee. … It was the opener of a three-game road trip. … The Bucks’ longest winning streak this season is nine games.
Trail Blazers: Had only one offensive rebound. … GM Joe Cronin was among the team representatives at a roundtable with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to pitch Portland as a possible WNBA expansion city. Oregon women’s coach Kelly Graves and Oregon State coach Scott Rueck were also on hand.
SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS
Because of weather-related flight delays that forced the postponement of the Washington Wizards’ game at Detroit on Feb. 1, a few adjustments were made to the NBA schedule that impact the Bucks and Blazers.
Milwaukee’s game at Washington originally set for March 6 was moved to March 5, and Portland’s game at Detroit will be played March 6 instead of March 7.
The Wizards’ makeup game at Detroit is set for March 7.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
Trail Blazers: Host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
NFL NEWS
CHIEFS ACTIVATE RB EDWARDS-HELAIRE OFF IR FOR SUPER BOWL
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Chiefs activated running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire from injured reserve Monday and placed wide receiver Mecole Hardman on the list for the second time as they finalize their roster for the Super Bowl.
Edwards-Helaire, a 2020 first-round pick, has been out since sustaining a high ankle sprain during a win over the Chargers on Nov. 20. He was designated to return on Jan. 17, opening a three-week window in which he could be activated.
Edwards-Helaire started the first six games of the season before ceding time to seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco, who has become one of the Chiefs’ breakout stars. Edwards-Helaire has run 71 times for 302 yards and three touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 151 yards and three more scores this season.
The emergence of Pacheco, along with veteran Jerick McKinnon, took pressure off the Chiefs to activate Edwards-Helaire before he was ready. Pacheco ran for 830 yards and five TDs during the regular season along with 121 combined rushing yards in playoff wins over Jacksonville and Cincinnati, while McKinnon scored 10 combined touchdowns in the regular season.
Hardman, who will be a free agent after the season, initially hurt his pelvis Nov. 6 during a game against the Titans. He was activated from IR on Jan. 4 but struggled to get healthy enough to appear in games, missing the Chiefs’ regular-season finale against the Raiders and their divisional win over the Jaguars.
He finally suited up for the AFC title game against the Bengals, and he ran a couple of jet sweeps while catching two passes for 10 yards. It was while getting tackled on his second reception that Hardman reinjured the pelvis.
Hardman was among three wide receivers hurt in the game, forcing the Chiefs to use a patchwork group down the stretch.
JuJu Smith-Schuster had one catch for 7 yards before inflammation in his knee forced him to the sideline, and Kadarius Toney had one catch for 9 yards before spraining his ankle while attempting to make a cut.
Neither participated in practice last week before the team departed Sunday for Phoenix, though coach Andy Reid expressed optimism that they would be available for the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs also should get back wide receiver Justin Watson, who was inactive for the AFC title game because of an illness.
“(Smith-Schuster) is in a good place,” Reid said. “The main thing is that we let that calm down. And right now, it’s doing great, so very optimistic right now. And his want-to is all in there. But we’ll just see where it goes.”
PAYTON: ‘REALISTIC’ TO EXPECT BRONCOS TO WIN IN 2023
New head coach Sean Payton believes the Denver Broncos won’t repeat their disaster 2022 season in his first year in charge.
Payton, who was hired by the Broncos last week, said Monday at his introductory press conference that it’s reasonable to expect major improvements next season.
“I think it’s realistic for our fan base to expect a completely different type of culture,” Payton said when asked about the team’s chances of competing in 2023, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR. “It’s realistic for them to expect us to win.”
The Broncos came into the 2022 campaign with high expectations after hiring Nathaniel Hackett as head coach and acquiring star quarterback Russell Wilson. However, the season ended in major disappointment. Hackett was fired after 15 games and Wilson posted career lows in wins (four), completion percentage (60.5%), touchdown passes (16), and passer rating (84.4). Denver ended the year 5-12.
Payton described Wilson as “an extremely hard worker” and saw reasons for optimism based on the quarterback’s play late in the 2022 campaign.
“Obviously, it wasn’t the type of season he wanted to have,” Payton said, according to Andrew Mason of Denver Sports. “I do feel like the last couple of weeks, we saw more of what we were expecting and accustomed to.”
Payton spent last season as a studio analyst for Fox after stepping down as the New Orleans Saints’ sideline boss following the 2021 campaign. Because he was still under contract with the Saints, Denver reportedly sent New Orleans a 2023 first-round pick (29th overall) and a 2024 second-round selection in exchange for Payton and a 2024 third-round choice.
The 59-year-old interviewed with multiple clubs with head coaching vacancies, though he noted that ownership was a major factor in his return and praised the Broncos’ brass for their efforts.
“The first day I could be interviewed, Greg (Penner), George (Paton), and (Condoleezza Rice) were there at breakfast time. I knew that meant something,” Payton said, according to Stevens.
He added: “What I was looking for, I knew existed in one place.”
Payton is regarded as one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL. He coached the Saints to a 152-89 record with nine playoff appearances and one Super Bowl victory across 15 seasons.
BRADY WILL NOT MOVE INTO FOX ANNOUNCING BOOTH UNTIL 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tom Brady will not go immediately from the playing field to the broadcast booth.
Brady told Colin Cowherd during Monday’s episode of “The Herd” on FS1 and Fox Sports Radio that he will not start his broadcasting career with Fox until the 2024 season.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion — who retired last week after a 23-year career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — signed a 10-year deal with Fox last May to become the network’s top analyst when he decided to quit playing for good.
Brady said that he didn’t want to immediately rush into announcing and that he wanted to catch up on some other parts of his life.
“I think one thing about my career whether it was when I was drafted by the Patriots or signing agreements with the Bucs, I wanted to be fully committed and I never wanted to let people down,” Brady said. “I want to be great at what I do, and that always takes some time and strategizing and learning and growing and evolving. I have so many people to rely on that could support me in that growth too.”
Brady is expected to eventually join Kevin Burkhardt on Fox’s top team. Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will call their first Super Bowl on Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fox, which is carrying its 10th Super Bowl on Sunday, also has Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans after the 2024 season. Brady is still not expected to be a part of Fox’s pregame coverage on Sunday.
CARDINALS’ A.J. GREEN ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT AFTER 12 SEASONS
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver A.J. Green announced his retirement via Instagram on Monday.
The seven-time Pro Bowler posted six seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards throughout his career.
The Georgia product entered the league as a touted wideout prospect. The Cincinnati Bengals selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft ahead of stars such as J.J. Watt, Julio Jones, and Tyron Smith.
Green quickly emerged as a rising star, recording five consecutive campaigns with 1,000 yards receiving while earning seven consecutive Pro Bowl nods in the process.
Ailments kept him off the field during stretches in 2018, and he missed the entire 2019 season due to an ankle injury sustained in training camp. He bounced back the following season but couldn’t replicate the impressive stat line from the start of his Cincinnati tenure.
Green finished his tenure with the Bengals as one of the most prolific pass-catchers in the franchise, ranking second all-time with 649 receptions, 9,430 yards, and 65 receiving touchdowns. No other player in Bengals history has more 100-yard receiving games than Green’s mark of 33.
The South Carolina native signed with the Cardinals as a free agent in 2021 and spent his final two seasons in Arizona, tallying 78 receptions for 1,084 yards and five touchdowns. No longer the top option on the receiving depth chart, Green provided depth to a position group that featured DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, and Marquise Brown.
Green concluded his pro career with 727 receptions, 10,514 yards, 70 touchdowns, and 14.5 yards per reception.
SOURCE: SAINTS EXPECTED TO HIRE JOE WOODS AS NEW DC
The New Orleans Saints are expected to name Joe Woods their new defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday.
Woods, who was fired as the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator after the season, will reunite with Saints head coach Dennis Allen. Woods was a defensive backs coach with the Raiders in 2014 when Allen was the team’s head coach.
The Saints had co-defensive coordinators last season, with Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard sharing the duties. Nielsen was hired by the Atlanta Falcons as their defensive coordinator on Jan. 27; Richard and the team parted ways on Feb. 1, a source confirmed to ESPN last week.
Allen, however, called the defensive plays last season, his first as the Saints’ head coach. Nielsen was also in charge of the defensive line while Richard ran the secondary. The Saints are also expected to hire Todd Grantham, a source told ESPN’s Chris Low. Grantham, who was a defensive analyst at Alabama last season, last worked in the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive line coach from 2008 to 2009.
Woods, 52, had been Cleveland’s defensive coordinator under coach Kevin Stefanski since 2020. In Woods’ first season, the Browns advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2002, then won their first playoff game in 26 years.
But slow starts hampered the Browns’ defense the past two seasons. At one point in mid-October this season, Cleveland ranked 31st in defensive efficiency. A porous run defense especially hurt the Browns. Cleveland finished next to last in the league in defensive total rush expected points added (minus-23.11).
Cleveland’s defense, notably covering the pass, improved significantly during the second half of the season, as the Browns finished 20th in defensive efficiency. The unit also forced 12 turnovers in the final six weeks, including eight interceptions. That was an issue the Saints struggled with in 2022, as they finished 30th with seven interceptions and 20th with 10 forced fumbles.
But it wasn’t enough to save Woods’ job or keep Cleveland in the playoff hunt. Woods was fired after a string of difficulties against the run in the final four games of the season. The Browns allowed 157.5 rushing yards per game in that span.
The Saints also faded in that category toward the end of the season, allowing 148.3 rushing yards per game over the final four games, with a standout defensive game against the Philadelphia Eagles being the exception in Week 17.
Woods also was a defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos for two seasons (2017-18).
NHL NEWS
TKACHUK’S 5-POINT NIGHT LEADS PANTHERS OVER LIGHTNING 7-1
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Two days after being named MVP of the NHL All-Star Game on home ice, Matthew Tkachuk had a five-point night with two goals as the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-1 on Monday night.
Tkachuk, who was also named NHL First Star of the Week for his All-Star performance, had a hand in the first three goals for the Panthers.
“I’m tired now,” Tkachuk said. “It is definitely a long weekend. I know people think it’s fun and stuff, but there is a lot going on. I had an unreal time this weekend and there’s nothing better than coming back, seeing the guys . and we’re really looking forward to a good home stretch to end the year.”
His five-point night also made him the fifth player in the NHL to hit 70 points this season as he surpassed Jonathan Huberdeau for most points in franchise history through the first 50 games of a season.
Huberdeau had 70 in 50 last season – and then was traded to Calgary for Tkachuk.
Both teams were coming off their All-Star break with Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky looking sharp with 32 saves after being out since Jan. 19 after he was hurt in Montreal.
“It is nice to have a big-number win like that to feel good,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “We had an emotional win against Boston and couldn’t build off it because everyone left town. To come back and bookend it with a win, that’s a positive direction.”
Aside from Tkachuk, Florida also got a pair of goals from former Tampa Bay forward Carter Verhaeghe as well as goals from Sam Bennett, Eetu Luostarinen and Eric Staal in the win. Andrei Vasilevskiy had 42 saves for Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay made it a 2-1 game 3:02 into the second on a goal from All-Star Nikita Kucherov.
Florida opened the scoring in the third meeting between the two in-state rivals at 8:04 of the first when Verhaeghe cashed in on a nice feed from Tkachuk.
Bennett gave Florida a two-goal lead 1:42 into the second as he found himself all alone in front of Vasilevskiy and took a pass from Tkachuk who was behind the net. The Panthers scored two more before the end of the period.
Tkachuk scored on a incredible shot in which he pulled down a rebound from a Verhaeghe shot out of the air with his stick – then batted it past Vasilevskiy.
“You just don’t see that,” Maurice said. “I have a pretty good understanding of Matthew as a player because he scored a lot of goals against us (in Winnipeg). But you have to see it every day before you get a true understanding of what he can do with pucks in midair. He is an elite, elite talent.”
The Panthers opened the scoring in the third period to turn this one into a rout as Staal scored at 2:53, with Verhaeghe getting his second just under three minutes later.
Tkachuk got his second of the night with 6:37 left.
“I don’t want to say we’re still on vacation, but their will to win was a little bit stronger than ours,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “They seemed to be OK and we were not. I think it was too easy a night for them in our own zone and that result happened.”
NOTES: Florida was without captain Aleksander Barkov for the second half of the game Monday night after he appeared to get struck in the hand area with a shot. Barkov, who joined Tkachuk at the All-Star Game, left with 8:04 remaining in the second period. Barkov’s career-high 11-game scoring streak ended as fifth-longest in franchise history. Maurice said Barkov would likely not practice Tuesday but could return Thursday against San Jose. . The Panthers sent goalie Alex Lyon back to their AHL team in Charlotte after he played in all six of their games leading into the All-Star break. Florida activated Bobrovsky off injured reserve.
UP NEXT
Tampa Bay: Hosts San Jose on Tuesday night.
Florida: Hosts San Jose on Thursday night.
PALMIERI, BARZAL SCORE IN WIN FOR ISLES IN HORVAT’S 1ST GAME
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Bo Horvat had a new look in his first game with his new team. Yes, of course, the Islanders jersey took some getting used to – Horvat said he was “really nervous” ahead of his debut – but so did New York’s ban on facial hair.
So he made sure to pack his gear – and his razor. Horvat had to say goodbye to his scruff.
“My face looks like a little boy right now,” he said.
The Islanders just hope he continues to look like an All-Star.
Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal scored for the Islanders in their first game since they acquired Horvat in a trade, leading them to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
Horvat made his debut a day after the Islanders s igned the center to an eight-year contract worth $68 million. The 27-year-old Horvat was chosen as an All-Star and played for the Pacific Division on Saturday. Horvat had already tied his career high with 31 goals this season in 49 games with Vancouver.
“The guys made me feel really comfortable and they were great,” Horvat said. “It feels even better to get that win and get my legs under me.”
Coach Lane Lambert said Horvat can only help as the Islanders make a playoff push in a crowded bottom half of the Eastern Conference. The Islanders now have 57 points and matched the idle Pittsburgh Penguins for eighth in the East.
“In terms of how it changes moving forward, it gives us more options,” Lambert said. “We know what we have to do as a group. We’ve got to string together some wins. That’s the focus right now.”
Horvat was a non-factor in New York’s goals. Palmieri scored his seventh on a wrist shot in the first that snapped the Islanders’ 0-for-26 power-play drought. Barzal beat Carter Hart for his 13th goal and a 2-0 lead in the second.
Noah Dobson earned his 18th assist on Barzal’s goal and collected his 100th career point. He expected Horvat to make an immediate impact.
“Obviously the caliber of player and person he is going to fit in well with this locker room,” Dobson said.
Semyon Varlamov stopped 25 shots for the Islanders.
Nicolas Deslauriers scored his third goal for the Flyers.
The Flyers are out of the playoff picture but, perhaps even worse to some fans, are falling out of the race to earn the No. 1 pick and a shot at drafting a projected generational talent in Connor Bedard.
The Flyers won seven of eight games after Christmas and tacked on another three-game winning streak later in January to earn some needed confidence in coach John Tortorella’s first season.
There is a no-tank ethos in the no-nonsense Tortorella.
“I think there’s a right type of camaraderie going on with this club right now,” Tortorella said. “I thought we played our best month of hockey in January. I think it builds the belief. Belief is a very powerful thing if you get it to go from one guy to another and then you get it to a group. I’m hoping that’s the way they feel.”
The Flyers released a letter on Monday that was signed by Tortorella and sent to season-ticket holders. His mission statement: to effectively let fans know the path toward a Stanley Cup could take some time. Then again, Flyers fans are used to waiting. The franchise has only won Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975.
“I’m not going to lie to you – and I want to be clear about this – we’re not there yet,” Tortorella wrote. “This year was the first step in building the future of the Flyers and restoring our reputation as one of the most respected teams in hockey. We’re in the thick of the season right now, and we’re going to see how our group responds to the challenges that lay ahead with a grueling schedule.”
UP NEXT
The Islanders host Seattle on Tuesday. Horvat said he’ll “probably have the same amount of nerves and butterflies playing in front of the home crowd for the first time.”
The Flyers host Edmonton on Thursday.
LAFRENIERE SCORES IN OT TO LIFT RANGERS OVER FLAMES 5-4
NEW YORK (AP) Alexis Lafreniere scored 1:37 into overtime and Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves as the New York Rangers beat the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Monday night.
Lafreniere led a 2-on-1 rush and then tracked down the rebound of Mika Zibanejad’s shot, beating netminder Jacob Markstrom for his seventh goal this season. That ended a frenzied game that was tied four times and featured several fights following big hits – two by Rangers captain Jacob Trouba.
“Getting the game-winning goal in OT is always fun,” the 21-year-old Lafreniere said. “It was a great up-and-down game with two really good goalies. It was fun to play.”
Calgary’s Andrew Mangiapane and Michael Stone scored two minutes apart early in the third period to give the Flames a 4-3 lead, but Zibanejad scored his second goal of the game – his team-leading 24th – to tie it for the fourth time at 12:55.
Filip Chytil also scored twice for the Rangers, who improved to 9-2-3 in their last 14 games and are 17-4-3 since Dec. 5.
Halak has won six straight and seven of his last eight appearances.
Zibanejad put New York ahead 3-2 with 14 seconds left in the second but Mangiapane scored at 6:38 of the third to tie it. The play was reviewed to determine if Mangiapane kicked in the puck with his skate, but the goal stood.
“It wasn’t pretty at times. … It was a hard battle. We just kept going,” Zibanejad said. “It was a big two points and a great way to come back from the break.”
Zibanejad’s first goal came as he roofed the puck past Markstrom on the power play with assists to Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin. The assist was Panarin’s 300th point with the Rangers.
Chytil opened the scoring at 5:37 of the first, rifling a high shot past Markstrom. Kaapo Kakko and Adam Fox assisted.
Calgary forward Blake Coleman tied it at 10:25 with his 11th goal.
There were several skirmishes in the first as both teams were playing for the first time since Jan. 27 following the All-Star break.
“It wasn’t a great hockey game, but it was an exciting game,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “It was different – a bunch of fights going on. … Maybe the break was too short.”
Trouba tussled with Calgary’s Chris Tanev after the defenseman leveled Flames forward Dillon Dube with an open-ice check.
Later in the first, several fights ensued after Rangers forward Sammy Blais drilled Flames forward Milan Lucic. New York rookie Will Cuylle fought Calgary’s MacKenzie Weegar, and Lucic was assessed an extra two minutes for roughing against Rangers forward Jake Leschyshyn.
“Exciting game. Fun game. I thought we were valiant to come back,” Flames coach Darryl Sutter said. “I thought we played really well. … There were three or four hits. They were clean, big hits.”
Chytil put the Rangers ahead 2-1 on a breakaway at 2:02 of the second. Fans at Madison Square Garden chanted the 23-year-old Czech forward’s name after his second goal.
“That’s cool, feels very good,” he said. “It motivates me to be better the next shift and show what I can do.”
Chytil has a career-best 18 goals and 31 points this season. He has six goals in his last four games and 14 points – 10 goals – in his last 12 games.
Calgary’s Tyler Toffoli tied it at 2 with his 19th goal on the power play at 16:45 of the second.
Trouba struck again with just under a minute left in the second, body-checking Nazem Kadri hard in the Rangers zone, then fighting Dube who rushed to his teammate’s defense. Dube received an extra two-minute penalty for instigating, and Zibanejad scored the go-ahead goal on the ensuing power play.
NOTES: Zibanejad’s 83rd power-play goal for the Rangers moved him ahead of Phil Esposito and Jean Ratelle into a tie with Vic Hadfield for sixth place on the franchise list. . Calgary scratched defensemen Dennis Gilbert and Connor Mackey, plus forward Brett Ritchie. . The Rangers scratched forwards Julien Gauthier and Vitali Kravtsov, plus defenseman Libor Hajek. … The teams meet again Feb. 18 in Calgary.
UP NEXT
Flames: Visit the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Rangers: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.
MEN’S GOLF NEWS
JUSTIN ROSE WINS AT PEBBLE BEACH TO END 4-YEAR DROUGHT
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Justin Rose took all the drama out of a long week with three quick birdies that sent him to a three-shot victory Monday in the wind-delayed AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, ending four years without winning and making him eligible for the Masters.
Rose played it safe down the closing holes, finishing with four simple pars for a 6-under 66, three shots clear of Brendon Todd (65) and Brandon Wu (66).
“An incredible week from start to finish with so much happening in my favor,” Rose said.
He finished at 18-under 269 and won for the 11th time on the PGA Tour, and his 23rd title worldwide over the last two decades.
The 42-year-old from England had not won since Torrey Pines in 2019, when he was No. 1 in the world. He had fallen well out of the top 50. Rose has been eligible for every major dating to the 2010 British Open, and that streak was in jeopardy until winning.
Rose had a two-shot lead when play resumed on a crisp morning with bright sunshine and big surf along Pebble Beach. Todd made two birdies and was within one shot of the lead, but not for long.
Rose holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole, a 20-footer for birdie on the 13th and then hit lob wedge to 8 feet on the par-5 14th that stretched his lead to three shots.
The back nine, so difficult in the final hours Sunday evening, was hardly a threat Monday morning. The wind was light and coming from the opposite direction, if anything at the players’ backs instead of into them.
The weather played a big role all week, and no one benefited quite like Rose.
He was six shots out of the lead and going nowhere, facing the strongest wind of the week on the Shore course at Monterey Peninsula, when he hit 5-wood into the par-3 ninth to 3 feet. Before he could mark his ball, the wind blew it some 4 feet farther away.
That was enough for officials to halt play — the ninth and 15th greens at Monterey Peninsula were the problems — on all three courses in the rotation. Rose returned Sunday morning and made what then was a 7-foot birdie putt.
He played those final 10 holes in 6 under for a 65 to take the lead, and then a pivotal eagle-birdie stretch with the wind at his back at Pebble on Sunday afternoon in the final round gave him a cushion.
Denny McCarthy was two shots behind when play resumed and had birdie chances on the 16th and 17th that he couldn’t covert. He wound up with a 64 and finished four shots behind, along with Keith Mitchell (68) and Peter Malnati (69).
It was the second Monday finish in four years at Pebble Beach because of weather. Phil Mickelson had to finish two holes in 2019 to beat Paul Casey.
This week of weather was more about wind than rain, although Pebble offered a little of everything. At one point on Sunday, there was rain, wind, hail and sunshine, all within a one-hour window.
It ended with a stunning blue sky and surf crashing against the rocks lining the 18th fairway as Rose capped off a week he might not have seen coming.
PGA TOUR ASKS JUDGE TO DELAY LIV GOLF ANTITRUST TRIAL DATE
Attorneys representing the PGA Tour plan to ask a federal judge to consider pushing back the discovery deadline and scheduled start of an antitrust lawsuit involving LIV Golf’s claims that the PGA Tour is using monopoly powers to squash competition and has discouraged vendors, media partners and others from working with LIV Golf.
In a joint motion filed to the U.S. District Court for Northern California on Sunday, lawyers representing the PGA Tour and LIV Golf asked U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman to schedule a case management conference to discuss delaying the current trial date of January 2024 and extending the discovery schedule.
The PGA Tour’s attorneys wrote that “there are at least four reasons why these adjustments are necessary to avoid serious prejudice to the Tour’s ability to defend against LIV’s claims and prosecute its tortious interference counterclaims.”
Among them, according to the PGA Tour attorneys, are:
• Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the fund’s governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, “continue to resist compliance with the Tour’s subpoenas for documents and testimony, a dispute that remains unresolved and which will likely lead to an appeal.”
“PIF and Mr. Al-Rumayyan have taken extraordinary steps to avoid producing a single document or providing sworn testimony,” PGA Tour lawyers wrote. “To date, the TOUR has been unable to obtain any discovery from either PIF or Mr. Al-Rumayyan.”
• The PGA Tour is seeking to amend its counterclaim to add PIF and Al-Rumayyan as defendants in its countersuit against LIV Golf “because recently produced documents show that they played a central role in tortiously interfering with the Tour’s contracts.”
• The PGA Tour’s attorneys also argued that “LIV, the current and former player plaintiffs, and several third parties have failed to produce key documents and, in some cases, have failed to produce documents at all.”
“[T]he nature of this case has significantly evolved since the Court set the current January 2024 trial date, from a case about individual golfers to a case about two competing golf leagues, substantially undermining Plaintiffs’ stated basis for an expedited case schedule,” PGA Tour attorneys wrote in the motion.
As things stand, the deadline to complete document discovery is next month (March 30) and the fact discovery cutoff is May 26.
“The current trial date and discovery schedule are untenable in view of these issues,” PGA Tour attorneys wrote. “Given the present status of discovery (or lack thereof) from PIF and Mr. Al-Rumayyan in particular, it is not realistic for the parties to meet the current deadlines. In fact, PIF and Mr. Al-Rumayyan have already signaled that they are unlikely to comply with any order from this Court compelling them to provide discovery, instead indicating that they will pursue their meritless defenses through lengthy appeals. Thus, it could take several months (or longer) before PIF and Mr. Al-Rumayyan even begin producing discovery or choose to face the consequences of their noncompliance.”
Several LIV Golf players, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, filed the federal antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Aug. 3. Mickelson and others later removed themselves as plaintiffs; LIV Golf, DeChambeau, Matt Jones and Peter Uihlein are the remaining plaintiffs.
The PGA Tour also filed a countersuit in which it alleged that LIV Golf interfered with its contracts with players.
In the joint motion, LIV Golf’s attorneys opposed pushing back discovery and trial dates. The lawyers argued that the current trial schedule “remains not only workable, but critical to the careers of the Player Plaintiffs and the viability of LIV as a legitimate competitor to the Tour.”
“With the ink barely dry on the Tour’s last schedule extension request the Tour returns with another attempt to blow it up and move the trial date set by this Court,” LIV Golf’s attorneys wrote in the motion. “Its strategy was transparent from the start: put up every conceivable roadblock to timely resolution; pursue discovery that knows no bounds; and seek any means possible to postpone facing trial on Plaintiffs’ claims. All the while, the Tour continues to harm both LIV and the Player Plaintiffs. The Tour has made clear that its conduct will not abate until it is enjoined.”
LIV Golf’s lawyers argued that the PGA Tour’s goal is clear: “It seeks to delay a merits adjudication as long as possible in the hopes that it can drive LIV out of the market and thereby avoid scrutiny of its illegal behavior.”
LIV Golf’s lawyers noted that LIV Golf players remain under suspension by the PGA Tour, which recently instituted a new rule that extends two-year bans to non-tour members who compete in LIV Golf tournaments.
“Under the Tour’s new regulations, any non-member — such as a college or foreign player — who participates in a LIV event in 2023 will be banned from the PGA Tour until January 2026 at the earliest,” LIV Golf’s lawyers wrote. “And the Tour has now entered into unlawful parallel agreements with several other tours around the world to exclude LIV. The Tour is exploiting litigation delay to choke off air to LIV and players.”
MLB NEWS
ZACK GREINKE CAN EARN $15M THIS YEAR IN DEAL WITH ROYALS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zack Greinke can earn up to $15 million in his one-year contract to return to the Kansas City Royals.
The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner rejoined the Royals last year for the first time since 2010 and went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA in 26 starts and 137 innings. He had a $13 million salary last year and then became a free agent. His deal announced Friday includes an $8.5 million salary for this year.
If he pitches 135 innings, he would earn at least $13 million.
Greinke has $7.5 million in performance bonuses for innings. He would get $450,000 for 90 innings and each additional five innings through 135. He would get $300,000 for 140 innings and each additional five innings through 185.
The 39-year-old right-hander gets a full no-trade provision. He would get $100,000 for winning another Cy Young Award or winning an MVP award and he would get $50,000 for finishing second through fifth in the voting for either honor.
He would get $100,000 for World Series MVP and $50,000 each for League Championship Series MVP, a Gold Glove award or All-Star Game election or selection.
A six-time All-Star, Greinke allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of 26 starts last year.
He began his career in Kansas City as a first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He made his big league debut two years later, beginning a 20-year career that has included time with the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros.
Greinke was later traded to Milwaukee in December 2010 for a package of players that helped to form the backbone of back-to-back American League pennant teams and the club that won the 2015 World Series.
Greinke twice helped the Astros to the World Series, pitched for the Brewers and Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and led the Diamondbacks to the playoffs.
He is first among active pitchers with 514 starts and 3,247 innings, and he’s second to Justin Verlander with 223 wins. Greinke is third in strikeouts (2,882) and has six Gold Gloves.
TWINS, CORREA DECIDE HE’LL SKIP WBC WITH WIFE DUE NEXT MONTH
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and Carlos Correa made a mutual decision that the shortstop will skip the World Baseball Classic for family reasons, with his wife expecting a baby during the tournament.
The Twins announced Monday that Correa will not participate with the Puerto Rico national team for the fifth edition of the event, which was last played in 2017. Correa’s wife, Daniella, is due with the couple’s second child on March 11. The WBC begins on March 8.
“This was a challenging decision for Carlos. He takes so much pride in representing his country and truly considered ways to make this work,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “We all acknowledged that the back and forth flying combined with multiple days off from baseball activity didn’t set Carlos up for jumping into meaningful games upon his return.”
Twins position players are scheduled to report for spring training by Feb. 19. Correa signed a six-year, $200 million contract with the club on Jan. 11. The deal is structured with the potential to pay Correa as much as $270 million over 10 seasons if he stays healthy.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
NCBWA UNVEILS 2023 PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
DALLAS (NCBWA) – Stocked with standouts from the 2022 NCAA World Series and national Top 25-35 squads, the 22nd annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason All-America teams feature the best of college baseball for the coming campaign.
NCAA champ returnee Ole Miss SS Jacob Gonzalez highlights the first-team selections after slugging 18 home runs and driving in 52 runs in 65 games for coach Mike Bianco’s title-winning team. Rebels starting pitcher Hunter Elliott is a second unit choice after posting a 2.70 earned run average with 102 strikeouts in 80 innings of work last spring.
The 2022 NCAA World Series seventh-place finisher Stanford has a NCBWA-most five standouts mentioned on the pre-2023 All-America contingent. 1B Carter Graham (.331 average-22 home runs-79 RB) is a first-teamer with some of the nation’s top power numbers. Fellow Cardinal performers second team members utility player Braden Montgomery (.294-18-73), starting pitcher Quinn Matthews (9-2 record, 111 strikeouts in 99-plus innings) and relief man Ryan Bruno (6-1, 2.72 ERA) join third team member 2B Tommy Troy (.339-7-38) as other representatives from the Pac-12 Conference power.
Fellow NCAA World Series participant Texas A&M of the Southeastern Conference lands 1B Jack Moss (.380 average-6 homers-49 RBI) on the second team along with DH Austin Bost (.360-10-45) along with SEC member and CWS participant Arkansas and second team OF Jared Wegner (.348-11-52).
SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference teams also had ample presence on the first team with co-3B Jake Gelof (.377-21-81) of Virginia and LSU’s Tommy White (.362-27 home runs to lead all members-74), OF Enrqiue Bradfield (.317=8-36,46-of-46 on stolen base tries) of Vanderbilt, OF Dylan Crews (.349-22-72) of LSU, OF Vance Honeycutt (.296-35-57) of North Carolina, OF Wyatt Langford (.355-26-63) of Florida, and utility player Paul Skenes (.314-13-38,103 pitching record, 2.73 ERA) of LSU. Texas Tech DH Ty Coleman (.318-18-59) rounds out the first squad offense along with catcher Michael Carico (.406-21-57) of Davidson and San Jose State 2B Charles McAdoo(.345-12-63).
The Tennessee pitching staff, which kept the 57-9 Vols at No.1 nationally throughout the ’22 season, has all three of its weekend rotation hurlers listed on the first team with Drew Beam (8-1. 1.66 ERA), Chase Burns (8-2, 2.91 ERA) and Chase Dollander (10-0, 2.39) heading the selections.
In all, there are 44 different schools and 18 DI conferences represented on the 2023 dream team, which has 20-plus schools ranked in various preseason polls.
Previous NCBWA postseason All-America teams from 1996-2021 also have featured the likes of 3B Kris Bryant of San Diego, P Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State, 1B Mark Teixeira of Georgia Tech, RHP Mark Prior of USC, SS-2B Rickie Weeks of Southern U., 3B Alex Gordon of Nebraska, P David Price of Vanderbilt, C Buster Posey of Florida State, catcher Mike Zunino of Florida, OF Andrew Benintendi of Arkansas, and 1B-P Brendan McKay (2017 Dick Howser Trophy) of Louisville, RP Kevin Kopps of Arkansas, 1B Ivan Melendez of Texas (2022 winner), among others.
| 2023 NCBWA DIVISION I PRESASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM | ||||||
| Pos. | First Team | School | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown |
| C | Michael Carico | Davidson | 6-0 | 190 | Jr. | Kernersville, N.C. |
| 1B | Carter Graham | Stanford | 6-2 | 232 | Jr. | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 2B | Charles McAdoo | San Jose State | 6-2 | 210 | Sr. | Antioch, Calif. |
| SS | Jacob Gonzalez | Ole Miss | 6-2 | 200 | Jr. | Glendora, Calif. |
| 3B | Jake Gelof | Virginia | 6-1 | 195 | Jr. | Rehoboth Beach, Del. |
| 3B | Tommy White | LSU | 6-0 | 242 | So. | St. Pete Beach, Fla. |
| OF | Enrqiue Bradfield Jr. | Vanderbilt | 6-1 | 170 | Jr. | Hialeah, Fla. |
| OF | Dylan Crews | LSU | 6-0 | 203 | Jr. | Longwood, Fla. |
| OF | Vance Honeycutt | North Carolina | 6-3 | 205 | So. | Salisbury, N.C. |
| OF | Wyatt Langford | Florida | 6-1 | 220 | Jr. | Trenton, Fla. |
| DH | Ty Coleman | Texas Tech | 5-9 | 195 | Sr. | Midland, Texas |
| UT | Paul Skenes | LSU | 6-6 | 235 | Jr. | Lake Forest, Calif. |
| SP | Drew Beam | Tennessee | 6-4 | 230 | So. | Murfreesboro, Tenn. |
| SP | Chase Burns | Tennessee | 6-4 | 205 | So. | Gallatin, Calif. |
| SP | Chase Dollander | Tennessee | 6-3 | 192 | Jr. | Evans, Ga. |
| SP | Tanner Hall | Southern Miss | 6-1 | 186 | Jr. | Zachary, La. |
| SP | Rhett Lowder | Wake Forest | 6-2 | 200 | Jr. | Albemarle, N.C. |
| SP | Jason Savacool | Maryland | 6-1 | 210 | Jr. | Baldwinsville, N.Y. |
| RP | Peter Allegro | Portland | 5-9 | 195 | Gr. | Tacoma,. Wash. |
| RP | Cade Denton | Oral Roberts | 6-3 | 180 | Jr. | Rowlett, Texas |
| RP | William Privette | Charleston | 6-6 | 205 | Jr. | Chapin, S.C. |
| RP | Andrew Walters | Miami | 6-4 | 222 | Jr. | Palm Bay, Fla. |
| Second Team: C BT Riopelle, Florida, Jr.; 1B Jack Moss, Texas A&M, Jr.; 2B Amani Larry, Mississippi State, Jr.; 2B David Smith, UConn, Jr.; SS Maui Ahuna, Tennessee, Jr.; 3B Brock Wilken, Wake Forest, Jr.; OF Carlos Contreras, Sam Houston State, Sr.; OF Ian Farrow, Miami (Fla.), Jr.; OF Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech, Jr.; OF Jared Wegner, Arkansas, Gr.; DH Keaton Anthony, Iowa, r-So.; DH Austin Bost, Texas A&M, Sr.; UT Braden Montgomery, Stanford, So.; SP Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss, So.; SP Drue Hackenberg, Virginia Tech, So.; SP Quinn Matthews, Stanford, Sr.; SP Carter Spivey, East Carolina, Sr.; SP Hurston Walderp, Florida, Jr.; RP Ryan Bruno, Stanford, Jr.; RP Kirby Connell, Tennessee, Sr.; RP Sam Klein, Ball State, Jr.; RP Reid McLaughlin, BYU, Sr. | ||||||
| Third Team: C Jack Payton, Louisville, Jr.; C Luke Shliger, Maryland, Jr.; 1B Sam Kulaskingham, Air Force, Jr.; 1B Tre’ Morgan, LSU, Jr.; 2B Max Grant, Canisius, Jr.; 2B Tommy Troy, Stanford, Jr.; SS Matt Shaw, Maryland, Jr.; SS Jacob Wilson, Grand Canyon, Jr.; 3B Brayden Taylor, TCU, Jr.; OF Chase Davis, Arizona, Jr.; OF Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, East Carolina, So.; OF Ryan Lasko, Rutgers, Jr.; OF Nolan Schanuel, Florida Atlantic, Jr.; DH Alberto Osuna, North Carolina, Jr.; UT Jay Luikart, Wright State, Jr.; UT Nolan McLean, Oklahoma State, Jr.; SP Wyatt Crowell, Florida State, Jr.; SP Carter Holton, Vanderbilt, So.; SP Caleb Riedel, Omaha, Jr.; SP Alonzo Tredwell, UCLA, So.; SP Juaron Watts-Brown, Oklahoma State, So.; SP Levi Wells, Texas State, Jr.; SP Owen Wild, Gonzaga, Jr.; RP Carter Benbrook, UC Santa Barbara, r-So.; RP Kiernan Higgans, Virginia Tech, Gr.; RP Thomas Schultz, Vanderbilt, Sr.; RP Camden Sewell, Tennessee, Sr. |
TOP INDIANA NEWS
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 24 VS. RUTGERS
Opening Tip
• Indiana University continues its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball with an opportunity to avenge its first loss of the Big Ten slate this season against Rutgers at 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 7 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcast on BTN.
• The Scarlet Knights, led by seventh-year head coach Steve Pikiell, enter the matchup with a 16-7 record and a 7-4 mark in B1G play.
Game Information
Feb. 7, 2023 • 6:30 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV:
BTN (Dave Revsine, Stephen Bardo, Andy Katz)
Radio:
IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History:
Indiana trails, 7-8
Last Meeting:
RUT 63, IU 48 on Dec. 3, 2022 in Piscataway
Series History
• Indiana claimed the first six games of the series with Rutgers, including the first five as Big Ten foes. However, since the 2018 Big Ten Tournament, the Scarlet Knights have won eight of the last nine matchups against the Hoosiers. RU has won six-straight games in the series over IU.
• The Hoosiers traveled to Piscataway on Dec. 3 as the No. 10-ranked team in the country and left with a 63-48 loss at Jersey Mike’s Arena. The Big Ten-opening loss marked the first of the 2022-23 season for the Hoosiers.
• Fifth-year senior forward
Miller Kopp
matched his career high with five made 3-point shots. He tallied a team-high 21 points to go along with three rebounds in the loss.
• Senior forward
Trayce Jackson-Davis
recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He added a team-high four blocks.
Last Time Out
• Indiana toppled No. 1/1 Purdue by a score of 79-74 in front of a raucous 17,222 fans at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Feb. 4. The victory marked the eighth in program history against the top-ranked team in the country.
• Senior forward
Trayce Jackson-Davis
led the Hoosiers to victory with 25 points, seven rebounds, and five blocked shots. He became the first player since Marcus Camby (11/28/1995) to post at least 25 points and five blocked shots in a victory over the No. 1-ranked team in the country.
• Freshman guard
Jalen Hood-Schifino
scored 16 points to go along with four assists and two steals. He scored four points in the final 30 matches of the game to secure the victory.
• Junior guard
Trey Galloway
tallied 11 points and three steals for the Hoosiers in the game.
• Indiana snapped Purdue’s streak of 24-straight games holding opponents under 70 points. IU’s 79 points were the most scored by a Purdue opponent this season.
Indiana to Wear Alternate Uniform
• The Indiana men’s basketball program will wear their “Honoring Black Excellence” symbolic uniforms. The floral design will prominently feature the Indiana state flower, the peony, as a symbolic representation of giving someone their flower, an expression that represents showing someone how much they are appreciated and cherished.
Jackson-Davis, The All-American
• Since the calendar flipped to 2023, senior forward
Trayce Jackson-Davis
averaged 23.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3.9assists, and 3.6 blocks per game.
• Over the last 25 years of basketball only Jackson-Davis, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal have averaged at least 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in a calendar month (min. 5 games) in Division I basketball or the NBA.
• Jackson-Davis made 92-of-170 (54.1%) of his shots from the floor and 48-of-66 (72.7%) of his free throw attempts in the first 10 games of the new year.
• TJD posted three 30-pooint games in the month of January, including back-to-back games with 35 points at Illinois (Jan. 19) and 31 points against Michigan State (Jan. 22). He also grabbed at least 20 rebounds three times during the stretch of nine games.
Rise of the Fino
• After hitting double figures in the scoring column just twice in his first six collegiate games, freshman guard
Jalen Hood-Schifino
scored 10-plus points in his next nine games.
• Since returning to the Indiana lineup against Kansas on Dec. 17, Hood-Schifino is averaging 14.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals on 44.1% shooting from the floor and 44.9% shooting from the 3-point line. He has 10 double-digit scoring outputs during that stretch, including three games exceeding the 20-point threshold.
• Hood-Schifino scored a career-best 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line against Northwestern on Jan. 8, the highest point total by a Hoosier freshman since Eric Gordon scored 33 against Chattanooga on Nov. 12, 2007.
• JHS ranks third among all freshmen in the Big Ten in scoring (12.5 points per game), second in assists (4.3), fourth in rebounds (4.0), and fifth in made 3-pointers per game (1.4). He is second in the league averaging a combined 20.7 points, rebounds, and assists per game.
Reneau for Two
• After scoring 64 total points (10.7 per game) in his first six collegiate games, freshman forward
Malik Reneau
tallied just 64 points (4.9) in his next 13 games.
• The Miami native has regained his footing and has averaged 9.8 points in his last four games, including a career-high-matching 15 points against Ohio State. He has hit 15-of-21 (71.4%) during the four-game stretch.
• The 6-9 forward is averaging 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 68.0% (17-of-25) from the floor in his last five games.
The Trey Gallo-Way
• In his last five starts, junior guard
Trey Galloway
has averaged 8.8 points per game on 14-of-29 (48.3%) shooting from the floor and 8-of-14 (57.1%) shooting from the 3-point line. He has made more 3-pointers (20) this season than his first two seasons on campus (12) combined.
• Gallo has averaged 8.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 13 starts this season.
• Galloway scored a career-high 20 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep in IU’s first Big Ten win of the season over Nebraska on Dec. 7.
• The Culver Academies graduate scored 17 points on 4-of-4 shooting from behind the arc against Michigan State on Jan. 22.
TJD, The Big Fundamental, and The Diesel
• In the last 30 seasons of Division I men’s college basketball, only senior forward
Trayce Jackson-Davis
and NBA Hall of Famer Tim Duncan have averaged at least 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game.
• Over the last 25 years of basketball only Jackson-Davis, Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal have averaged at least 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in a calendar month (min. 5 games) in Division I basketball or the NBA.
Chasing History
• Senior forward
Trayce Jackson-Davis
currently sits seventh all-time at IU in scoring (1,984), fourth in rebounds (1,017), and holds the school record for blocked shots (241). He joins Alan Henderson as the only Hoosiers to be top-10 all-time in career scoring, rebounding, and blocks.
Up Next: Career Scoring Leaders
1. Calbert Cheaney (2,613)
2. Steve Alford (2,438)
3. Don Schlundt (2,192)
4. A.J. Guyton (2,100)
5. Mike Woodson (2,061)
6. Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (1,986)
7.
Trayce Jackson-Davis
(1,984)
Up Next: Career Rebounding Leaders
1. Alan Henderson (1,091)
2. Walt Bellamy (1,087)
3. Kent Benson (1,031)
4.
Trayce Jackson-Davis
(1,017)
• The Center Grove product is the only active men’s Division I player to tally at least 1,950 career points, 1,000 career rebounds, and 225 career blocks. In the last 25 seasons, only nine players have achieved those numbers in college basketball. Only Kyle Hines (UNCG) produced those numbers on a higher career scoring average.
• Jackson-Davis is one of two high-major players (Zach Edey; Purdue) to average at least 19.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game this season.
ALSO:
JACKSON-DAVIS EARNS THIRD-STRAIGHT BIG TEN HONOR
ROSEMONT, Ill. –Indiana senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.
Jackson-Davis joins Purdue’s Zach Edey as the only players to earn Player of the Week honors in three-straight weeks this season.
The honor is the sixth of TJD’s career, tying him for the most all time by a Hoosier player. Calbert Cheaney and Steve Alford also won Player of the Week on six occasions, while Alan Henderson and D.J. White claimed five awards. White was named Player of the Week four times his senior season, the most by an IU player in a single season.
The Center Grove product averaged 21.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game on 50.0% shooting from the floor and 78.6% from the free throw line over the week’s two games.
To open the week, Jackson-Davis posted 18 points and 20 rebounds against Maryland. His 20-rebound effort set an Xfinity Center record.
Against the No. 1/1 Purdue Boilermakers, TJD posted 25 points, seven rebounds, and five blocked shots in Indiana’s 79-74 victory. He became the first player to produce at least 25 points and five blocks in a win over the AP No. 1 team since Marcus Camby had 32 points and 5 blocks in UMass’ win over Kentucky on November 28, 1995.
Jackson-Davis and the No. 18/18 Indiana Hoosiers will take on No. 24/RV Rutgers at 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 7 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
INDIANA WOMEN’S GOLF
INDIANA COMPLETES 36 HOLES IN BOCA RATON
BOCA RATON, Fla. –
The Indiana Hoosiers women’s golf team is in 14th place after 36 holes of golf in the FAU Paradise Invitational at the Osprey Point Golf Club on Monday.
The Hoosiers shot 597 (297-300; +21) for the day led by senior
Valerie Clancy
, who shot a 143 (72-71; -1).
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
FAU Paradise Invitational • Boca Raton, Fla.
Osprey Point Golf Club
Par 72 • 6204 yards
Live Results:
GolfStat
Team Standings: 14th/14 – 597 (297-300; +21)
Top Indiana Player:
Valerie Clancy
– 143 (72-71; -1)
CHIP-INS
• Senior
Valerie Clancy
shot an even 72 with birdies on No. 3, 4, 6, and 12 in the first round of play. She followed up with a 71 (-1) in the second round with birdies on No. 1, 2, 12, and 18. Through 36 holes, Clancy paces the Hoosier attack and is tied for 15th in the individual standings.
• Junior Dominika Burdová shot a team-low 70 (-2) in the opening round with a flurry of birdies in the middle of the scorecard. She converted birdie tries on No. 8, 9, 10, 12, and 18. She fired a 74 (+4) in the second round with birdies on No. 1, 3, and 18. Overall, Burdová sits in a tie for 19th.
• Graduate transfer
Alexis Florio
played a first-round scorecard of 77 (+5). Florio entered her first birdie of the day on the 18th green of the second round to post a 76 (+4).
• Sophomore
Margaret Fernandez
played a birdie on No. 9 to kick off her spring with a first-round score of 78 (+6). In the second round, Fernandez canned a birdie on No. 13 to finish the day at 157 (+13).
• Junior
Morgan Dabagia
carded birdies on No. 13 and 17 in her debut round of 81 (+9). Her day finished with an 84 (+12) in the second round.
HOOSIERS IN THE STANDINGS
t-15.
Valerie Clancy
– 143 (72-71; -1)
t-19. Dominika Burdová – 144 (70-74; E)
65.
Alexis Florio
– 153 (77-76; +9)
t-69.
Margaret Fernandez
– 157 (78-79; +13)
75.
Morgan Dabagia
– 165 (81-84; +21)
UP NEXT
Indiana will be paired with Mercer and a group of individuals for the third and final round of the tournament. The shotgun start is scheduled for an 8 a.m. ET start.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
EDEY PICKS UP 6TH BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK ACCOLADE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior center Zach Edey was named the Big Ten co-Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Edey picked up his sixth Big Ten Player of the Week of the season, now tied with the late Caleb Swanigan (2016-17) for the most weekly accolades in school history. He is now just one shy of the league record set by Ohio State’s Evan Turner (2010-11). For the second straight week, he shared the honor with Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Edey averaged 25.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 assists per game in just 30.0 minutes per game. He shot 22-of-28 (.786) from the field and 7-of-9 (.778) from the free throw line in the two games.
He scored 18 points with 13 rebounds in an 80-60 win over Penn State last Wednesday night, then posted a 33-point, 18-rebound, 3-block performance against Indiana on Saturday.
For the season, Edey is averaging 22.4 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 assists per game, while shooting 62.7 percent from the field and 73.2 percent from the free throw line. In Big Ten play, his averages increase to 22.7 points, 13.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.6 assists per game.
He ranks fourth in the country in scoring, second in rebounds, first in double-doubles, 14th in field goal percentage and 21st in blocked shots.
He has recorded six 30-10 games this season, more than the rest of the Big Ten combined (5) and currently owns the most-efficient season for any player since at least the 2009-10 season, according to sports-reference.com(.) His six 30-10 games are the second most in a season for a major-college player in the last 20 years, behind the seven by Marvin Bagley of Duke in 2017-18.
Edey is doing most of his damage against the nation’s top teams. In 10 games against the nation’s top-50, he is averaging 25.0 points and 13.0 rebounds, while shooting over 60.0 percent. Edey (2.291) is ranked No. 1 in KenPom’s Player of the Year ratings by a 0.754 points over the 2nd-ranked player, Kansas’ Jalen Wilson (1.537). In fact, the space between No. 1 (Edey) and No. 2 (Wilson) is the same as the distance between No. 2 and No. 57 in the Player of the Year ratings.
Edey and the No. 1-ranked Boilermakers host Iowa on Thursday night in Mackey Arena, beginning at 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN2.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER HOSTS ST. JOHN’S TUESDAY TO BEGIN BUSY WEEK AT HINKLE FIELDHOUSE
The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Fieldhouse for two games this week, beginning with a visit from St. John’s on Tuesday night.
Butler (11-13, 3-10 BIG EAST) vs. St. John’s (14-10, 4-9)
Tuesday, Feb. 7; 8:30PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: FS1 – Jeff Levering & Nick Bahe
Radio: 1430AM – @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
Varsity Network Radio App, SiriusXM 387, SXM App 977
PDF notes can be found here.
Bulldogs vs. St. John’s
• Butler and St. John’s first met in the 1958 NIT; the remaining 19 match-ups have come since Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season.
• Butler has won seven of the last eight meetings between the two teams at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• This is the second meeting of the season between Butler and St. John’s as the Red Storm took a 77-61 win Jan. 10 in Queens. Butler committed 22 turnovers in that game.
Series: Series Tied, 10-10
Streak: St. John’s, W3
At Hinkle: Butler Leads, 7-2
First Meeting: SJU, 78-68; 3/13/58
Last Meeting: SJU, 77-61; 1/10/23
• According to KenPom, Butler has played the nation’s eighth-toughest schedule so far this season.
• The Bulldogs will look to end a five-game losing skid with Tuesday’s tip against St. John’s.
• In their last outing, Butler held No. 14 Marquette to only 60 points, which was the Golden Eagles’ second-lowest output of the season; Marquette entered the game averaging 82.2 points per game, which was 14th nationally.
• Butler was without junior guard Chuck Harris for Saturday’s game at Marquette; Harris, the team’s second-leading scorer, was out due to a concussion sustained Jan. 28 against Seton Hall.
• Saturday’s game at Marquette was the first time this season that Butler lost while out-rebounding its opponent. The Bulldogs allowed Marquette only three offensive rebounds (on their 26 missed shots) Saturday. Butler is now 7-1 when out-rebounding its opponent.
• Butler is committing only 13.0 fouls per game, which is third nationally.
• Jayden Taylor led the Bulldogs Saturday with 19 points and a career-high seven rebounds; he played all 40 minutes.
• Simas Lukosius posted 15 points to go along with seven assists. Those seven assists tied his career-high and matched the most by a Butler player this season.
• Butler is 11-0 this season when leading at halftime; Villanova opened the second half with a 16-1 run Jan. 13 to erase a 10-point Butler halftime lead before the Bulldogs responded for the win.
• Butler is 11-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
• Butler is 8-4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse so far this season.
• Lukosius is 27-for-54 (50 percent) from three-point range in Butler’s 11 home games.
• Butler has shot 40 percent or better from behind the arc 11 times this season.
• Butler has 10 games so far this season shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Butler shot 56.6 percent from the field against Villanova Jan. 13, which was the second-best output of the season.
• Lukosius, Harris, Manny Bates and Taylor have each led the Bulldogs in scoring in at least five games this season (includes ties).
• Bates has 39 blocks this season, which already places him in a tie for ninth on Butler’s single-season list.
• Lukosius is sixth in the BIG EAST in three-point shooting at 41.1 percent on the season.
• Lukosius has hit 29 of his 33 free throw attempts in BIG EAST play and his 87.9 percentage in conference action is fifth in the league.
• In BIG EAST games, Butler is committing only 11.5 turnovers per game, which is third among league schools. The Bulldogs were forced into 19 turnovers Saturday at Marquette, the team’s third-most of the season.
• Jalen Thomas has led the Bulldogs in rebounding in six of his 13 games played this season since returning from a pulmonary embolism; that includes pacing the team in boards in five of the last eight games.
• Connor Turnbull has nine blocks in 60 minutes of BIG EAST play so far this season.
• Butler went 16-for-16 from the free throw line Jan. 22 at UConn; it’s the fourth time in program history that the Bulldogs have made at least 15 free throws in a game without a miss.
• Among active coaches with at least 10 seasons of NCAA Division I experience, Matta’s .729 winning percentage ranks fourth (Few, Self, Calipari). The Jan. 13 win over Villanova was Win No. 450 for Matta.
BUTLER MEN’S GOLF
BUTLERUGOLF MEN SPLIT TWO RESULTS TO OPEN BIG EAST MATCH PLAY
The Bulldogs opened the spring portion of the schedule Monday in West Palm Beach, Fla., facing off with three conference foes at the BIG EAST Match Play.
Butler split a pair of Monday matches, falling to UConn in the morning before taking a 4.5-2.5 win over St. John’s in the afternoon.
The match play event is being contested at the Bear Lakes Country Club, which is set up at 7,400 yards.
Butler’s wins against St. John’s came from Derek Tabor, Raymond Sullivan, Connor McNeely, and Daniel Tanaka.
Tanaka’s victory was the most lopsided as he knocked off Tyler Gerbavsits, 7 & 6. The most dramatic victory belonged to McNeely, who aced the 165-yard 17th hole with an 8-iron to clinch a 2 & 1 win over Brendan Smith.
Butler will close out the event Tuesday, matching up with DePaul. The first pairing will tee off at 9 a.m.
IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL
JACKSON EARNS #HLMBB FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK AWARD
INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI freshman guard DJ Jackson has been named the #HLMBB Freshman of the Week for the week ending Feb. 5, as announced by the league office. Jackson averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 14-of-21 (66.7 percent) from the floor in two contests.
He becomes the third different IUPUI freshman to earn the award this season as the Jaguars’ rookie class has accounted for seven of the 13 weekly awards this season.
Against Milwaukee on Thursday (Feb. 2), Jackson had 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and hit 3-of-4 at the foul line. He matched his season-high with seven rebounds and delivered a season-high three assists in that contest. Two days later, Jackson had 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting while grabbing six rebounds in the win over Green Bay on Feb. 4.
The Ontario-native has now scored in double-digits in four of IUPUI’s last five games after failing to do so in his first nine appearances as a Jaguar. For the season, he’s averaging 7.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor. The past five games, Jackson is averaging 13.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
IUPUI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
IUPUI FALLS ON THE ROAD TO NORTHERN KENTUCKY, 79-69
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Fouls proved costly as the IUPUI women’s basketball team fell to Northern Kentucky on the road, 79-69. Destiny Perkins led the Jaguar offense with 23 points.
IUPUI’s leading scorer, Jazmyn Turner fouled out early in the fourth quarter while two other starters, Natalie Andersen and Rachel Kent had to play with caution with four fouls each. With these fouls, Turner only played ten minutes leaving a hole inside the paint.
Northern Kentucky took the lead in the first quarter, 25-16 then extended their lead to 16 points (47-31) heading into halftime. IUPUI cut the lead to seven points at 56-49, outscoring the Norse 18-to-9 in the third quarter but it wasn’t enough as NKU held on to the lead and sealed the win at 79-69.
Perkins led IUPUI with 23 points and four rebounds with three assists and one steal. Kent followed with 14 points, six rebounds and one assist while Andersen added 13 points, a team high seven rebounds and one assist. Freshman Abby Wolterman added six points and four rebounds.
IUPUI shot 41.7 percent (25-for-60) from the floor and 30.8 percent (8-for-26) from behind the arc. The Jags made costly turnovers as IUPUI committed 14 turnovers compared to NKU’s nine.
The Jaguars fall to 13-10 overall and 9-5 in the Horizon League and will return to Indy to host Purdue Fort Wayne in the Jungle on Thursday with a 7:00 PM tip.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S GOLF
DRISCOLL, BOYD LEAD CARDINALS ON DAY ONE OF FALCON FLORIDA CLASSIC
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – Jasmine Driscoll and Madelin Boyd led the Ball State women’s golf team on day one of the Falcon Florida Classic on Monday. Driscoll and Boyd are tied for 32nd as the Cardinals are in ninth.
Boyd started her day with a 75 (+3). She collected two birdies in the opening round. She followed that up with a round of 75 (+3) with one birdie in the second round. She finished the day tied for 32nd with a 150 (+6).
Driscoll recorded an opening round 76 (+4) with a birdie on the par-5 18th. She moved up two spots into a tie for 32nd after a second-round tally of 74 (+2). She has a two-round score of 150 (+6).
Kiah Parrott posted a first-round mark of 75 (+3) with a birdie on the par-5 18th. She followed that up with a 76 (+4) with three birdies. She notched four birdies and recorded a two-round tally of 151 (+7). She is tied for 37th.
Sarah Gallagher and Peyton Broce are tied for 41st with a two-round mark of 152 (+8). Gallagher opened with a 77 (+5) and posted a second-round score of 75 (+3). She produced four birdies on the day. Broce notched two rounds of 76 (+4) with four birdies.
The Cardinals return to the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club for the final round on the Flacon Florida Classic. Ball State will be joined by Akron and Bowling Green. The group with begin to tee off at 10:56 a.m. from the 10th hole. Live results can be found on golfstat.com.
Team Standings
1. Northern Illinois – 564 (-12)
2. Idaho – 571 (-5)
3. Toledo – 578 (+2)
4. Illinois State – 586 (+10)
5. Western Michigan – 588 (+12)
6. Central Michigan – 595 (+19)
7. Western Illinois – 597 (+21)
8. Bowling Green – 598 (+22)
9. Ball State – 602 (+26)
10. Akron – 606 (+30)
11. Ohio – 607 (+31)
12. Eastern Michigan – 612 (+36)
BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF
CARDINALS ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP OF EARL YESTINGSMEIER MATCH PLAY
DADE CITY, Florida – The Cardinals finished the first two rounds of the Earl Yestingsmeier Match Play with a 4-1-1 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas and a 3-3 tie against High Point University, advancing them to the championship match tomorrow.
Today’s lineup consisted of fifth-year senior Joey Ranieri, sophomore Kash Bellar, redshirt sophomore Griffin Hare, redshirt sophomore Ali Khan, freshman Carter Smith and sophomore Colin Nasser.
Through the first 18 holes, Ranieri had a steady performance and collected a one UP win. After being two down through 11 holes, Bellar ended the first round with a 3&1 win. Smith finished with a one UP win while Nasser completed an impressive comeback with a six UP win after being two down through the first nine.
The second match of the day began at 1:30 p.m. against High Point University. The Cardinals finished the match with an even 3-3 tie, battling High Point from the start. The Cardinals earned a spot in the championship match, as Ball State won more holes than High Point. Ranieri wrapped up match two with a 2&1 win. Khan picked up a 3&1 win while Smith recorded a 4&3 win to match High Point University’s three wins.
The Cardinals are back in action tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. for the championship of the Earl Yestingsmeier Match Play. Ball State will face Drake.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
BALL STATE TRAVELS TO MOUNT PLEASANT FOR BATTLE WITH CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s basketball team takes to the road for a contest against Central Michigan on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The Cardinals (16-7, 7-3 MAC) and Chippewas (8-15, 3-7 MAC) are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip inside McGuirk Arena.
Ball State is 16-7 overall, which is the best start since the 1999-2000 season.
Last Time Out
The Cardinals are coming off a 91-90 overtime thrilling victory against the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Sparks led the team with 22 points and 15 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. He became the first BSU player to record a double-double with 20 or more points and 15 or more rebounds since Tahjai Teague in January of 2020. Sparks added four assists, a game-high three blocks, and added a steal. Coleman tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. It is the first time this season that the Cardinals had two players produce double-doubles in the same game. Coleman collected five assists, with one block. Jaylin Sellers recorded 17 points, two rebounds, one assist, and one block. Jacobs tallied a game-high eight assists to go along with 16 points, two rebounds, one block, and one steal. Pearson finished with 13 points, six in overtime to pace the Cardinals, and added six boards.
Boogie on Down
Coleman is averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game. He leads the team with 58 made 3-pointers and is shooting 38.7 percent from behind the arc. He is tied for the team lead with 80 assists and leads the squad in steals with 34. Coleman has added 10 blocks. He has compiled five games of 20 or more points. Earlier this season, Coleman recorded his 1,000th career point.
Sensational Sellers
Jaylin Sellers is second on the team with 13.1 points per game. He is shooting 47.9 percent from 3-point range, which leads the team. He is averaging 3.8 rebounds per game. He has produced a field-goal percentage of 49.97on the season. Sellers has collected 18 assists, 16 steals and 12 blocks. He has notched four games with 20 or more points for the season.
Spark Plug
Sparks leads the team with 8.2 rebounds per game, which is tied for 81st in the country and fourth in the conference. His 3.13 offensive rebounds per contest have him tied for 35th in the nation and third in the MAC. He is tied for third on the team averaging 12.5 points per game. He is shooting 60.5 percent from the field, which leads the team. He has six double-doubles on the season, which is tied for 78th in the country and tied for third in the MAC. He is third on the team with 44 assists, second on the team with 21 blocks, and has added 11 steals.
Spreading the Love
The Cardinals have four players averaging double-digit points. Demarius Jacobs rounds out the double-digit scorers with 12.1 points a contest. He has a team-high 33 blocks, which is tied for 78th in the NCAA and most in the MAC. His 1.43 blocks per contest is tied for 81st in the nation and first in the conference. He is tied for the team lead in assists with 80 and is second on the team in steals with 32. He is averaging 3.9 boards per contest. Mickey Pearson Jr. is second on the squad with 5.3 rebounds per contest and is averaging 7.2 points a game. Pearson is shooting 49.1 percent from the field.
Taking Advantage at the Free-Throw Line
As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 24.8 free throws per game, which is tied for second in the NCAA and leads the MAC. Ball State is averaging 16.6 free-throws made per contest, which is tied for 15th in the nation and leads the conference. Sparks is tied for ninth in the nation with 169 free-throw attempts, which is tied for first in the MAC.
Effective Shooting
The Cardinals are currently shooting 47.2 percent from the field, which is tied for 46th in the NCAA and is second in the MAC. Ball State has been effective from behind the arc with a combined 37.8 percent from 3-point range, which is tied for 26th in the country and second in the MAC.
Series History with the Chippewas
The Cardinals and Chippewas have played 106 times and Ball State leads the series 68-38. CMU won the lone meeting last season in overtime, 89-85, in Muncie on Feb. 8. BSU has won two of the last three contests. Ball State is 21-30 at Central Michigan.
Scouting Central Michigan
The Chippewas are led by Kevin Miller who is averaging 18.5 points a game. He is averaging 3.8 rebounds per game and has produced 21 assists with three steals. Miller has only played in four games this season. Jesse Zarzuela is second on the team averaging 16.3 points per game and is second on the squad with 46 assists. He has added 15 steals and is producing 2.8 boards a contest. Brian Taylor rounds out the double-digit scorers with 14.3 a contest. He leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game and paces the squad with 21 blocks. He has added 29 assists and 21 steals. Reggie Bass has a team-high 71 assists and a team-best 29 steals. He is averaging 9.7 points a contest with 3.6 boards a game.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MCCAULEY EARNS SECOND MVC NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK HONOR OF THE SEASON
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State transfer guard Courvoisier McCauley has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season, as announced Monday afternoon by the league.
This marks Indiana State’s third MVC weekly award of the season and McCauley’s second after being named Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 14 for his efforts during the opening week of the season.
McCauley, a 6-5 Indianapolis, Ind. native, averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds on the week to help the Sycamores to back-to-back double-digit wins. He posted an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double Wednesday at Evansville before scoring a game-high 23 points while hitting five of ISU’s program-best 19 3-pointers against Murray State Saturday.
Wednesday was his third double-double this season, and he is one of 15 Valley players with three or more double-doubles this year. Saturday was his seventh 20+-point effort, and he is one of eight Valley players with seven or more 20+-point outings this season.
Up Next
McCauley and the Sycamores host Valparaiso at the Hulman Center Wednesday, Feb. 8. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FEIT REACHES 1,500-POINT MARK IN EVANSVILLE’S LOSS TO UT MARTIN
EVANSVILLE – Senior guard/forward Abby Feit became the fourth player in program history to reach 1,500 points, as the University of Evansville women’s basketball team dropped an 80-60 non-conference matchup with UT Martin on Monday evening inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville.
Feit finished tied for the game-high with freshman guard Kynidi Mason Striverson as both recorded 12 points. Also finishing in double-figures was redshirt junior center Barbora Tomancova with a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards and fifth-year guard Myia Clark with 10 points. For the Skyhawks, Sharnecce Currie-Jelks and Shae Littleford powered the visitors, combining for 49 points in UT Martin’s win.
The Aces were able to keep pace with the Skyhawks in the early going, trading baskets for much of the opening quarter. UT Martin’s advantage reached its peak in the first quarter on a made free-throw with under a minute left in the quarter, but got to the foul line before the buzzer, hitting two free-throws to get UE within three at 14-11.
In the second period, Evansville continued to keep it a one or two possession game for the first part of the quarter before the Skyhawks consistent offense helped UT Martin pull slightly away in the waning moments of the half. Inside the final minute, Currie-Jelks hit a layup that boosted UTM’s lead to double-digits, but was immediately answered with a bucket from sophomore guard Elly Morgan. As the half dropped within the final 10 seconds, Littleford knocked-down a jumper to give the Skyhawks back an 11-point lead at the break.
Evansville’s turnovers and poor shooting began to catch up with it midway through the third as UT Martin saw its lead boosted to 20 at 57-37 with 3:14 remaining in the frame. The Aces showed grit, battling back with a 10-2 run over the final three minutes to chip within 12 going into the fourth.
Down the stretch, Evansville’s turnovers were too much to overcome in the fourth quarter as the Aces recorded seven turnovers in the fourth as UT Martin grabbed the 80-60 win.
Evansville goes back on the road this weekend with a southern road swing to Belmont on Friday, February 11th and Murray State on Sunday, February 12th.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S GOLF
PETROVA TIED FOR THE LEAD ENTERING FINAL ROUND
ORLANDO, Fla. – Freshman Kate Petrova is tied for the lead entering the final round of the Motor City Classic at Rio Pinar Country Club.
Petrova recorded a 2-over 74 on Monday, matching her score from Sunday’s opening round. Her 148 is tied for the individual lead with Oakland’s Paige Scott with 18 holes remaining.
Allison Enchelmayer is tied for the fifth position. After shooting a 73 on Sunday, Enchelmayer scored a 77 in round two and has a 150. Mallory Russell is the third Purple Aces player in the top 20. Russell lowered her opening round score by two, carding a 78 in the second round. Her 158 is tied for 17th.
Next up for UE is Magadelna Borisova. Her tally of 85 has her in 30th with a 165 while Alyssa McMinn is in the 33rd spot with a 169. Caitlin O’Donnell ranks 36th with a 177.
As a team, the Aces are in the fourth position with a 621. They trail 3rd-place St. Thomas by three strokes. Oakland extended their lead in the team standings as their 602 leads Creighton by 11.
VALPO WOMEN’S GOLF
WOMEN’S GOLF IMPROVES SCORES IN SUNSHINE STATE
The Valparaiso University women’s golf team continued its spring-opening tournament on Monday by golfing the middle round of the 54-hole Lady Bison Bay Point Classic at the par-72, 5971-yard Bay Point Golf Club in Panama City Beach, Fla. Madison Keil (LaGrange, Ind. / Lakeland) is the top Beacon in the event, which is being hosted by Lipscomb.
How It Happened
Keil made a six-stroke improvement on her Round-1 score by golfing an 82 on Monday. She moved up to t-60 in the 85-player field.
Valpo’s next best score came from Kelsey Eichenauer (North Manchester, Ind.), who carded an 84 and now sits at t-65.
All five Valpo golfers improved on their scores from Sunday’s opening round.
As a team, Valpo improved its Round-1 score of 361 with a 339 in Monday’s second round. The Beacons outdid Bethune-Cookman by three strokes in Round 2.
Host Lipscomb sits atop the team leaderboard at +23 over 36 holes, while Dayton’s Sarah Frazier and Siarra Stout are tied for the top spot on the player leaderboard at +1.
Valpo has 10 birdies, led by Eichenauer with four.
Up Next
The three-day, 54-hole event concludes with Round 3 on Tuesday in Panama City Beach, Fla. A link to live scoring is available on ValpoAthletics.com.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO TO VISIT INDIANA STATE ON WEDNESDAY
Valparaiso (10-15, 4-10 MVC)
at Indiana State (16-9, 9-5 MVC)
Game No. 26 – Wednesday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m. CT
Hulman Center (9,000) – Terre Haute, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After back-to-back heartbreaking overtime losses, the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will look to continue its recent stretch of quality play and this time get over the hump on Wednesday night with a visit to Indiana State. Six of Valpo’s last seven games have been either wins or overtime losses. The Beacons will attempt to earn a split in the season series with their instate rivals.
Last Time Out: Valpo led by as many as 10 points midway through the second half and owned the edge for 42 minutes, 30 seconds against Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Drake, but the Bulldogs clawed back to win 85-82 in double overtime. Drake tied the game at 66 with 25 seconds remaining in regulation and that was the first tie since 0-0 with Valpo leading from nearly start to finish. Ben Krikke fouled out with 27 points with 1:59 left in the first overtime, and Quinton Green was tagged with his fifth foul early in double OT. The game was played in front of the largest ARC crowd of the season.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Luke Martin (play-by-play) and Matt Renn (analyst)
Radio – 95.1 FM, WVUR, ValpoAthletics.com, TuneIn Radio App – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
Twitter updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich (107-111) is in his seventh season as the head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2022-2023. Twice during his tenure, Valpo has upset Top-25 opponents, defeating Drake and Rhode Island at the ARC. Valpo has four wins over AP Top 25 teams in program history, and two have come under Lottich. In 2019-2020, Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness, the annual Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis, to reach the title game after playing in the opening round by winning three games in three days. Lottich, hired as the 22nd head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program in April 2016, graduated from Stanford University in 2004 and New Trier High School (Illinois) in 2000.
Series Notes: Indiana State leads the all-time series 56-37 including a 30-15 edge in Terre Haute. Valpo had won three straight head-to-head matchups prior to the Sycamores dominating the first game this season 68-50 at the ARC, a result that prompted the Valpo coaching staff to make significant adjustments that have paid dividends with improved play over the last 10 games. This will be the 94th matchup between the two teams in a series that started in 1936. The squads have split the 12 showdowns since Valpo joined The Valley. The Beacons hope to repeat their Hulman Center success from last season, when they earned a dramatic 75-73 victory.
U OF I MEN’S LAX
BILLIG, CARLSON SWEEP FIRST GLVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy attacker Drew Billig and goalkeeper KC Carlson have been named the GLVC Players of the Week for the sport of men’s lacrosse, it was announced by the league office Monday.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Drew Billig
R-Sr. | A | Brighton, Mich.
Major: Exercise Science
Team Result: 21-10 W vs. Lake Erie (2/4)
Totaled program-record 13 points on nine assists and four goals in season-opening win
Set single-game record for assists
Added team-high five ground balls and had one caused turnover
Earns fourth career Offensive Player of the Week award (4/4/23, 2/7/22, 4/26/21, 4/5/21)
Last Offensive Player of the Week: Wyatt Auyer (4/18/22)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KC Carlson
Jr. | GK | Oceanside, N.Y.
Major: History
Team Result: 21-10 W vs. Lake Erie (2/4)
Made eight saves in season-opening win through 53:22 minutes of UIndy debut
Scooped up one ground ball
Earns second career Defensive Player of the Week award (4/25/22, 3/7/22)
Last Defensive Player of the Week: Hayden Harris (3/7/22)
MARIAN TRACK
OLEKSAK AND TIPPING GARNER CROSSROADS LEAGUE TF FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Jackson, Mich. – After a successful weekend for Marian track and field, senior Erin Oleksak and Isaiah Tipping have been recognized for their performances, earning Crossroads League Athlete of the Week awards as announced by the conference earlier today.
Oleksak was named Women’s Indoor TF Track Athlete of the Week after she competed at the Notre Dame Invite in the pentathlon and posted the sixth-best score in the NAIA this season, and the top mark in the Crossroads League with an A-standard. Oleksak also hit the NAIA National qualifying marks in the high jump and 60-meter hurdles.
Tipping earned Men’s Indoor TF Field Athlete of the Week after winning the weight throw at the IWU Midwest Invite with a mark of 19.55 meters to break his own Marian record and hit the NAIA A-standard in the event.
The Knights will return to action on Friday at Grand Valley State and on Saturday at UIndy.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC 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
NBA STANDINGS
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | CONF GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | LAST 10 | STREAK | |||
| 1 BOSTON | 38 | 16 | .704 | — | 20-7 | 18-9 | 7-1 | 22-11 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 2 MILWAUKEE | 37 | 17 | .685 | 1.0 | 23-5 | 14-12 | 7-4 | 21-13 | 9-1 | 8 W | ||
| 3 PHILADELPHIA | 34 | 18 | .654 | 3.0 | 20-8 | 14-10 | 5-4 | 19-12 | 8-2 | 1 L | ||
| 4 CLEVELAND | 34 | 22 | .607 | 5.0 | 22-6 | 12-16 | 9-3 | 20-10 | 6-4 | 3 W | ||
| 5 BROOKLYN | 32 | 21 | .604 | 5.5 | 16-9 | 16-12 | 6-5 | 22-11 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 6 MIAMI | 29 | 25 | .537 | 9.0 | 17-9 | 12-16 | 6-3 | 13-16 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 7 NEW YORK | 29 | 26 | .527 | 9.5 | 14-15 | 15-11 | 4-7 | 20-15 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| 8 ATLANTA | 27 | 27 | .500 | 11.0 | 13-11 | 14-16 | 5-4 | 17-17 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 9 CHICAGO | 26 | 27 | .491 | 11.5 | 16-11 | 10-16 | 5-4 | 20-15 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| 10 INDIANA | 25 | 30 | .455 | 13.5 | 17-12 | 8-18 | 3-5 | 17-15 | 2-8 | 1 L | ||
| 11 TORONTO | 25 | 30 | .455 | 13.5 | 15-12 | 10-18 | 4-9 | 15-19 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 12 WASHINGTON | 24 | 29 | .453 | 13.5 | 12-12 | 12-17 | 5-3 | 13-17 | 6-4 | 3 L | ||
| 13 ORLANDO | 22 | 32 | .407 | 16.0 | 13-13 | 9-19 | 3-7 | 11-22 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| 14 CHARLOTTE | 15 | 40 | .273 | 23.5 | 7-17 | 8-23 | 5-7 | 8-27 | 4-6 | 4 L | ||
| 15 DETROIT | 14 | 41 | .255 | 24.5 | 7-21 | 7-20 | 0-8 | 6-24 | 2-8 | 2 L | ||
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | CONF GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | LAST 10 | STREAK | |||
| 1 DENVER | 37 | 17 | .685 | — | 25-4 | 12-13 | 9-5 | 27-11 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 2 MEMPHIS | 32 | 21 | .604 | 4.5 | 21-5 | 11-16 | 6-2 | 15-16 | 2-8 | 3 L | ||
| 3 SACRAMENTO | 30 | 23 | .566 | 6.5 | 16-11 | 14-12 | 5-5 | 18-11 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 4 LA CLIPPERS | 31 | 26 | .544 | 7.5 | 14-11 | 17-15 | 4-4 | 17-15 | 8-2 | 2 W | ||
| 5 DALLAS | 29 | 26 | .527 | 8.5 | 19-9 | 10-17 | 7-2 | 21-13 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 6 PHOENIX | 29 | 26 | .527 | 8.5 | 19-9 | 10-17 | 8-0 | 20-14 | 8-2 | 2 W | ||
| 7 GOLDEN STATE | 28 | 26 | .519 | 9.0 | 21-6 | 7-20 | 4-4 | 17-11 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| 8 MINNESOTA | 29 | 27 | .518 | 9.0 | 20-12 | 9-15 | 7-6 | 20-17 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 9 NEW ORLEANS | 28 | 27 | .509 | 9.5 | 19-9 | 9-18 | 7-4 | 18-14 | 2-8 | 2 W | ||
| 10 UTAH | 27 | 28 | .491 | 10.5 | 18-11 | 9-17 | 4-5 | 19-16 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 11 PORTLAND | 26 | 28 | .481 | 11.0 | 14-12 | 12-16 | 5-7 | 18-15 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 12 OKLAHOMA CITY | 25 | 28 | .472 | 11.5 | 16-11 | 9-17 | 4-6 | 12-16 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 13 LA LAKERS | 25 | 29 | .463 | 12.0 | 13-12 | 12-17 | 1-9 | 12-18 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 14 SAN ANTONIO | 14 | 40 | .259 | 23.0 | 9-21 | 5-19 | 2-7 | 5-30 | 1-9 | 9 L | ||
| 15 HOUSTON | 13 | 41 | .241 | 24.0 | 8-19 | 5-22 | 1-8 | 7-29 | 3-7 | 3 L |
NHL STANDINGS
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | ROAD | L10 | ||
| 1 BOSTON BRUINS | 51 | 39 | 7 | 5 | 83 | 37 | 192 | 111 | 22-1-3 | 17-6-2 | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 CAROLINA HURRICANES | 51 | 34 | 9 | 8 | 76 | 31 | 173 | 136 | 17-5-2 | 17-4-6 | 9-0-1 | |
| 3 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 52 | 31 | 13 | 8 | 70 | 31 | 175 | 141 | 20-5-4 | 11-8-4 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS | 49 | 32 | 13 | 4 | 68 | 31 | 171 | 131 | 13-10-2 | 19-3-2 | 8-1-1 | |
| 5 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 48 | 32 | 15 | 1 | 65 | 31 | 175 | 141 | 20-4-1 | 12-11-0 | 8-2-0 | |
| 6 NEW YORK RANGERS | 49 | 27 | 14 | 8 | 62 | 25 | 157 | 129 | 13-9-4 | 14-5-4 | 6-2-2 | |
| 7 WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 53 | 27 | 20 | 6 | 60 | 26 | 166 | 152 | 14-8-3 | 13-12-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS | 49 | 24 | 16 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 161 | 153 | 14-6-4 | 10-10-5 | 4-3-3 | |
| 9 BUFFALO SABRES | 50 | 26 | 20 | 4 | 56 | 25 | 186 | 170 | 11-13-2 | 15-7-2 | 6-2-2 | |
| 10 NEW YORK ISLANDERS | 52 | 25 | 22 | 5 | 55 | 25 | 148 | 144 | 15-9-2 | 10-13-3 | 3-5-2 | |
| 11 FLORIDA PANTHERS | 52 | 24 | 22 | 6 | 54 | 23 | 178 | 183 | 13-7-3 | 11-15-3 | 5-3-2 | |
| 12 OTTAWA SENATORS | 50 | 24 | 23 | 3 | 51 | 23 | 151 | 159 | 14-11-1 | 10-12-2 | 6-4-0 | |
| 13 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | 51 | 21 | 21 | 9 | 51 | 21 | 142 | 162 | 10-12-2 | 11-9-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 14 DETROIT RED WINGS | 48 | 21 | 19 | 8 | 50 | 20 | 145 | 160 | 12-10-3 | 9-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 15 MONTREAL CANADIENS | 51 | 20 | 27 | 4 | 44 | 16 | 134 | 189 | 11-14-1 | 9-13-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 51 | 15 | 32 | 4 | 34 | 14 | 131 | 198 | 11-15-2 | 4-17-2 | 3-5-2 | |
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | ROAD | L10 | ||
| 1 DALLAS STARS | 51 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 66 | 27 | 173 | 133 | 13-5-6 | 15-8-4 | 4-2-4 | |
| 2 SEATTLE KRAKEN | 49 | 29 | 15 | 5 | 63 | 29 | 177 | 151 | 13-10-3 | 16-5-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 WINNIPEG JETS | 52 | 32 | 19 | 1 | 65 | 32 | 166 | 137 | 18-8-0 | 14-11-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 4 LOS ANGELES KINGS | 53 | 28 | 18 | 7 | 63 | 24 | 173 | 183 | 14-9-2 | 14-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS | 51 | 29 | 18 | 4 | 62 | 26 | 160 | 148 | 14-13-0 | 15-5-4 | 2-6-2 | |
| 6 MINNESOTA WILD | 48 | 27 | 17 | 4 | 58 | 23 | 151 | 138 | 15-8-1 | 12-9-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 7 EDMONTON OILERS | 50 | 28 | 18 | 4 | 60 | 28 | 187 | 162 | 13-11-3 | 15-7-1 | 7-1-2 | |
| 8 COLORADO AVALANCHE | 48 | 27 | 18 | 3 | 57 | 23 | 151 | 133 | 13-9-3 | 14-9-0 | 7-3-0 | |
| 9 CALGARY FLAMES | 50 | 24 | 17 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 157 | 152 | 14-9-2 | 10-8-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 10 NASHVILLE PREDATORS | 48 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 54 | 22 | 137 | 141 | 14-7-3 | 10-11-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 ST. LOUIS BLUES | 51 | 23 | 25 | 3 | 49 | 20 | 156 | 185 | 10-12-2 | 13-13-1 | 3-7-0 | |
| 12 VANCOUVER CANUCKS | 49 | 20 | 26 | 3 | 43 | 17 | 165 | 193 | 10-13-1 | 10-13-2 | 3-7-0 | |
| 13 SAN JOSE SHARKS | 51 | 15 | 25 | 11 | 41 | 14 | 157 | 196 | 5-12-7 | 10-13-4 | 3-4-3 | |
| 14 ARIZONA COYOTES | 50 | 16 | 28 | 6 | 38 | 14 | 131 | 177 | 10-8-2 | 6-20-4 | 3-6-1 | |
| 15 ANAHEIM DUCKS | 50 | 16 | 29 | 5 | 37 | 13 | 125 | 205 | 9-13-1 | 7-16-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS | 48 | 15 | 29 | 4 | 34 | 15 | 118 | 176 | 9-16-2 | 6-13-2 | 6-4-0 |
FOOTBALL HISTORY
FEBRUARY 7, 1988 – ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU – WE START OFF TODAY’S HEADLINES AT THE NFL PRO BOWL AS THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE OUTLASTED THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE BY THE SCORE OF 15-6. THE TOP STAR ON THIS CONTEST WAS BUFFALO BILLS DEFENSIVE END BRUCE SMITH WHO TOOK HOME THE MVP AWARD.
FEBRUARY 7, 1993 – THE PRO BOWL FOR THE NFL’S 1992 SEASON WAS ALSO PLAYED AT ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU. THIS TIME IT WAS THE AFC WHO TRIUMPHED AS THEY EDGED OUT THE NFC PLAYERS BY THE TUNE OF 23-20. THE GAME’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER WAS STEVE TASKER THE WIDE RECEIVER OF THE BUFFALO BILLS.
FEBRUARY 7, 1999 – ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU, HAWAII – THE AFC EAST DIVISION HAD ONCE AGAIN TAKEN THE HONOR OF THE PRO BOWL MVP AWARD AS BOTH THE NEW YORK JETS WIDE RECEIVER KEYSHAWN JOHNSON AND TY LAW THE CORNERBACK OF THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WERE SELECTED FOR THEIR FINE PLAY IN THE GAME. THE FINAL SCORE OF THIS ALL-STAR CONTEST WAS THAT THE AFC KNOCKED OFF THE NFC SQUAD 23-10 IN THE 1998 SEASONS NFL PRO BOWL.
FEBRUARY 7, 2010 – SUN LIFE STADIUM, MIAMI GARDENS, MIAMI, FLORIDA – SUPER BOWL XLIV WAS A MATCHUP OF ALL TIME GREAT QUARTERBACKS AS PEYTON MANNING AND HIS INDIANAPOLIS COLTS FACED THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AND THEIR MOST EXCELLENT SIGNAL CALLER DREW BREES. THE GAME STARTED WITH THE COLTS STORMING OUT TO AN EARLY 10-0 RUN TO GO UP BY DOUBLE DIGITS, BUT TWO SECOND QUARTER FIELD GOALS CUT THE MARGIN TO A FOUR POINT GAME AT THE HALF. SAINTS HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON THEN MADE SOME MAJOR HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS OUT MANEUVERING THOSE OF THE COLTS SIDELINE BOSS JIM CALDWELL. NEW ORLEANS DECIMATED THE INDY DEFENSE AND ALL KEPT MANNING AND COMPANY FROM SCORING EVEN A SINGLE POINT IN THE GAME’S BACK HALF WITH 25 UNANSWERED TALLIES. IT LED TO A NEW ORLEANS SAINTS FIRST NFL TITLE AS THEY ROLLED THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 31-17. THE SUPER BOWL XLIV MVP HONOREE WAS DREW BREES AS ACCORDING TO THE PRO FOOTBALL REFERENCE WEBSITE HE THREW FOR 2 TOUCHDOWNS AND 288 YARDS.
FEBRUARY 7, 2016 – LEVI’S STADIUM, SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – PEYTON MANNING AGAIN HAD A TEAM IN THE NFL’S CHAMPIONSHIP AS HE WAS NOW WITH THE DENVER BRONCOS AS THEY WERE FACED IN A MATCH UP WITH CAM NEWTON AND THE CAROLINA PANTHERS IN SUPER BOWL L PER AN ESPN.COM WEB PAGE. THE GAME MAY HAVE BEEN LESS ABOUT THESE TWO OUTSTANDING QBS AND MORE ABOUT THE DEFENSIVE PLAYER FOR THE BRONCOS THAT WON THE MVP. DENVER LINEBACKER VON MILLER MADE LIFE MISERABLE FOR MR. NEWTON ALL GAME AS THE TWO FUMBLES THAT VON CREATED TURNED INTO 14 POINTS FOR THE MILE HIGH TEAM, IN FACT IT WAS THE EXACT POINT DIFFERENTIAL IN THE GAME. THE DENVER BRONCOS OUTSCORED THE CAROLINA PANTHERS, 24–10 TO SEAL ANOTHER LOMBARDI IN GLASS FOR THE FRANCHISE. THE BRONCOS D FORCED NEWTON INTO A DISMAL 18 OF 41 PASSING WITH AN INTERCEPTION. THE PANTHERS MEANWHILE MADE PEYTON MANNING LOOK QUITE PEDESTRIAN AS WELL AS HE WAS 13 OF 23 FOR 141 YARDS AND A PICK. DEFENSE DOES WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS AND THIS TIME DENVER’S DEFENSIVE SQUAD DID MORE AND LOCKED UP THE TITLE.
FEBRUARY 7, 2021 – TAMPA, FORIDA – SUPER BOWL LV WAS AN AMAZING GAME OF STORYLINES. THE FIRST WAS THAT TOM BRADY, WHO HAD ELEVEN MONTHS EARLIER SHOCKED THE FOOTBALL WORLD WHEN HE LEFT HIS FRANCHISE OF 20 YEARS AND MOVED ON TO PLAY WITH THE BUCCANNEERS. SECONDLY HE WENT THERE AND CHANGED THE DYNAMIC SO QUICKLY THAT THEY WENT TO THE BIG GAME OF THE SEASON. THIRDLY THE TAMPA BAY BUCS BECAME THE FIRST TEAM TO WIN A SUPER BOWL IN THEIR HOME STADIUM. THEIR OPPONENTS WERE THE DEFENDING CHAMPION KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, LED BY YOUNG QB PATRICK MAHOMES. THE AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE OF THE BUCCANNEERS WREAKED HAVOK ON THE YOUNG QUARTERBACK ALL DAY WITH A SERIES OF PRESSURE SCHEMES THAT REALLY NULLIFIED BIG PLAYS THAT THE CHIEFS OFFENSE WAS USED TO. FINAL SCORE 31 -9 WITH TOM BRADY EARNING HIS FIFTH SUPER BOWL MVP WARD OF HIS CAREER AND HOISTING THE LOMBARDI FOR THE 7TH TIME IN HS 10 SUPER BOWLS PLAYED.
HALL OF FAMER PLAYERS BORN ON FEBRUARY 7
FEBRUARY 7, 1917 – FORT LAWN, SOUTH CAROLINA – THE LEGENDARY CLEMSON TIGERS HALFBACK BANKS MCFADDEN ARRIVED INTO THE WORLD. THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION SELECTED BANKS MCFADDEN FOR ENTRANCE INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1959.
FEBRUARY 7, 1922 – NORTH LOUP, NEBRASKA – THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CAL’S BRILLIANT END, PAUL CLEARY WAS BORN. PAUL STARTED OUT AT SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, JUNIOR COLLEGE IN 1941 AND 1942 AND PLAYED THERE UNTIL HIS FOOTBALL CAREER WAS INTERRUPTED BY SERVICE FOR HIS COUNTRY IN THE PACIFIC THEATRE OF WORLD WAR II. UPON HIS RETURN HE WENT TO USC. THE FOOTBALLFOUNDATION.ORG WEBSITE BIO OF CLEARY STATES THAT HE WAS ALL-AMERICA IN 1947, AND HIS COACH JEFF CRAVATH SAID, “HE’S THE FINEST END WHO EVER PLAYED AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.” PAUL CLEARY WAS HONORED WITH INDUCTION INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1989 AFTER THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION TALLIED THEIR VOTES.
FEBRUARY 7, 1933 – STEUBENVILLE, OHIO – THE GREAT CALVIN JONES WHO PLAYED GUARD FOR THE IOWA HAWKEYES TOOK HIS FIRST BREATH ON THIS DATE. THE NFF REPORTS THAT CAL WAS NAMED TO 22 DIFFERENT ALL-AMERICA TEAMS DURING HIS COLLEGIATE PLAYING DAYS. JONES EARNED THE HONOR OF RECEIVING THE OUTLAND TROPHY AS A SENIOR IN 1955. VOTERS OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION SELECTED CAL JONES TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1980. CAL PLAYED PRO BALL IN THE CFL FOR ONE SEASON BEFORE HE TRAGICALLY PERISHED IN A PLANE CRASH IN CANADA IN DECEMBER OF 1956.
FEBRUARY 7, 1934 – HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – THE STALWART NAVAL ACADEMY TWO WAY PLAYING END, RON BEAGLE WAS BORN. RON ALMOST NEVER LEFT THE FIELD FOR THE MIDSHIPMEN DURING HIS PLAYING DAYS AS HE BLOCKED, TACKLED AND GRABBED PASSES FOR NAVY’S TEAMS OF THE MID 1950’S. THE NFF RECORDS THAT IN THE 1953 THROUGH 1955 SEASONS BEAGLE CAUGHT 64 PASSES, MOSTLY FROM GEORGE WELSH, AND SCORED EIGHT TOUCHDOWNS. HE WAS ALL-AMERICA TWICE, UNANIMOUS IN 1955, AND WON THE MAXWELL TROPHY WHICH IS THE PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN 1954. THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION VOTERS SELECTED RON BEAGLE FOR ENTRANCE INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1986. IN AN ASTONISHING BIT OF FACT, THE FOOTBALLFOUNDATION.ORG POINTS OUT THAT BEAGLE AND ANOTHER FAMOUS PLAYER NINE YEARS HIS JUNIOR, ATTENDED THE SAME PURCELL HIGH SCHOOL IN CINCINNATI, PLAYED COLLEGE FOOTBALL AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY, BOTH WON THE MAXWELL TROPHY, MADE THE HONOR OF ALL- AMERICA STATUS, AND EVENTUALLY WERE INDUCTED INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. IT HAPPENED ONLY ONCE, AND THE TWO MEN WERE RON BEAGLE AND ROGER STAUBACH.
FEBRUARY 7, 1953 – MOBILE, ALABAMA – THE AWESOME JACKSON STATE LINEBACKER ROBERT BRAZILE ARRIVED INTO THIS LIFE. ROBERT WAS THE SIXTH OVERALL PICK IN THE 1975 NFL DRAFT BY THE HOUSTON OILERS WHO GOT THE RIGHTS TO THAT PICK IN A MONSTER TRADE DEAL WHERE THEY ALSO GAINED HALL OF FAME DEFENSIVE END CURLY CULP. WOW WHAT A PAYDAY FOR HOUSTON! IN HIS FIRST SEASON ROBERT EARNED THE DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONORS WHILE HELPING THE OILER ACHIEVE A RECORD OF 10-4. BRAZILE PLAYED 10 SEASONS WITH THE OILERS FRANCHISE HELPING THEM TO GAIN ENTRANCE INTO THE AFC PLAYOFF IN 3 STRAIGHT SEASONS. FOR HIS CAREER HE REGISTERED 13 INTERCEPTIONS AND 14 FUMBLE RECOVERIES AS WELL AS BEING A TEAM LEADER IN TACKLES. HE WAS AN ALL-PRO IN FIVE CONSECUTIVE SEASONS AND PLAYED IN SEVEN PRO BOWL GAMES. THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINED ROBERT BRAZILE IN 2018.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
FEBRUARY 7, 1949 – NUMBER 5, JOE DIMAGGIO BECAME THE FIRST BALL PLAYER TO EARN $100,000 A YEARAS HE DID SO UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE NEW YORK YANKEES .
FEBRUARY 7, 1958 – THE BROOKLYN DODGERS OFFICIALLY BECAME THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS. LOK BACK TOMORROW FOR OUR SPECIAL ON THE DODGERS UNIFORM HISTORY
FEBRUARY 7, 1976 – CENTER DARRYL SITTLER, NUMBER 27, OF THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS SET AN NHL RECORD WITH 6 GOALS, 4 ASSISTS FOR 10 POINTS IN A LEAFS’ 11-4 VICTORY OVER THE BOSTON BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAF GARDENS.
FEBRUARY 7, 2010 – NUMBER 9, DREW BREES, QUARERBACK OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WAS SGAME MVP OF SUPER BOWL XLIV. THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS KNOCKED OFF THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 31-17 IN THE NFL TITLE GAME.
FEBRUARY 7, 1998 – THE NHL’S DALLAS STARS FRANCHISE RETIRED NEAL BROTEN’S NUNBER 7 SWEATER. BROTEN HAD PLAYED A TOTAL OF 16 SEASONS FOR THE MINNESOTA NORTH STARS/DALLAS STARS FRANCHISE.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1898 CHRIS VON DER AHE IS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY TO FACE CHARGES IN PITTSBURGH AFTER BEING KIDNAPPED BY DETECTIVE NICHOLAS BENDEL IN A ST. LOUIS HOTEL. THE BROWN STOCKINGS (AA) OWNER FACES JAIL TIME IN PENNSYLVANIA IF HE DOESN’T PAY THE $2,500 AWARDED TO RIGHT-HANDER MARK E. BALDWIN, WHO BROUGHT SUIT AGAINST THE BASEBALL MAGNATE FOR MALICIOUS PROSECUTION AFTER BEING ACQUITTED IN A DISPUTE BETWEEN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE AND THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION.
1942 REDS GENERAL MANAGER WARREN GILES ANNOUNCES THE TEAM HAS TRADED VETERAN CATCHER ERNIE LOMBARDI TO THE BRAVES FOR TWO PLAYERS TO BE NAMED LATER. THE 33-YEAR-OLD FUTURE HALL OF FAMER WILL HIT .330 DURING HIS ONE SEASON WITH HIS NEW TEAM, CAPTURING THE BATTING CROWN, A FEAT THAT A CATCHER WILL NOT REPEAT UNTIL 2006 WHEN TWINS’ BACKSTOP JOE MAUER LEADS THE AMERICAN LEAGUE .WITH A .347 BATTING AVERAGE.
1949 YANKEE OUTFIELDER JOE DIMAGGIO BECOMES THE FIRST AMERICAN LEAGUER TO MAKE $100,000 IN ONE SEASON. IN 1947, THE PIRATES PAID THE RECENTLY-WAIVED HANK GREENBERG SIX FIGURES, MAKING THE FORMER JUNIOR CIRCUIT SUPERSTAR THE FIRST MAJOR LEAGUER TO REACH THE PLATEAU, ALBEIT FOR HIS SKILLS WITH DETROIT.
1979 JESSE OROSCO BECOMES ‘THE PLAYER TO BE NAMED LATER’ IN THE METS’ TRADE OF JERRY KOOSMAN TO THE TWINS. THE LEFT-HANDED RELIEVER WILL SPEND 24 SEASONS IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES, SETTING THE RECORD FOR APPEARANCES WITH 1,252.
1983 THE MARINERS SELECT REDS MINOR LEAGUER DANNY TARTABULL AS COMPENSATION FOR THE LOSS OF FLOYD BANNISTER TO THE WHITE SOX. THE OUTFIELDER WILL HIT .270 AND RECEIVE CONSIDERATION FOR THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 1986 BUT WILL BE TRADED AWAY IN THE OFF-SEASON WITH RICK LUECKEN TO THE ROYALS FOR SCOTT BANKHEAD, MIKE KINGERY, AND STEVE SHIELDS.
1987 FOR ONLY THE SECOND TIME SINCE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IMPLEMENTED THE RULE, A PLAYER TAKES LESS PAY DUE TO SALARY ARBITRATION WHEN OREL HERSHISER SIGNS FOR $800,000, TAKING A TWENTY-PERCENT PAY-CUT. THE DODGER RIGHT-HANDER WILL BECOME THE HIGHEST-PAID PLAYER IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES AFTER WINNING THE CY YOUNG AWARD AND LEADING THE TEAM TO A WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT YEAR.
2005 THE TIGERS SIGN 31-YEAR-OLD RIGHT FIELDER MAGGLIO ORDONEZ (.292, 9, 37) FOR FIVE YEARS FOR A REPORTED $75 MILLION. THE CONTRACT FOR THE FREE-AGENT SLUGGER, RECOVERING FROM KNEE SURGERY, INCLUDES OPTIONS THAT COULD EXTEND THE ALL-STAR’S STAY IN DETROIT FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS, MAKING THE DEAL NEARLY $100 MILLION.
2006 ALEX GONZALEZ, WHO SIGNED WITH THE RED SOX AS A FREE AGENT YESTERDAY, SINGLES IN THE TYING RUN AND THEN SCORES THE WINNING RUN WHEN HENRY BLANCO’S POP FLY BOUNCES OFF THE HEAD OFF ERICK AYBAR, GIVING VENEZUELA ITS FIRST CARIBBEAN SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1989. THE BALL, WHICH THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LICEY’S TIGERS’ SHORTSTOP LOST IN THE LIGHTS, IS RULED A DOUBLE AND CAPS A TWO-RUN BOTTOM OF THE NINTH RALLY, RESULTING IN A 5-4 COMEBACK VICTORY FOR THE CARACAS LIONS.
2009 THE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED WEBSITE REPORTS ALEX RODRIGUEZ IS ONE OF THE 104 PLAYERS WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR STEROIDS IN 2003. THE TESTING, WHICH WAS INTENDED ONLY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF STEROID USE BY PLAYERS AT THE TIME, REVEALED THE RANGER SHORTSTOP WAS USING PRIMOBOLAN, AN ANABOLIC SUBSTANCE.
2012 AVOIDING ARBITRATION, ELVIS ANDRUS AND THE RANGERS COME TO TERMS ON A THREE-YEAR, $14.6 MILLION CONTRACT. THE AGREEMENT GIVES THE 23-YEAR-OLD INFIELDER AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN A HUGE DEAL WHEN HE REACHES FREE AGENCY, WHICH WORKS WITH TEXAS’ PLANS TO MAKE JURICKSON PROFAR, CURRENTLY PLAYING A BALL, THEIR STARTING SHORTSTOP IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
2012 THE CANADIAN BASEBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES RUSTY STAUB’S SELECTION FOR INDUCTION AND FORMER BIG-LEAGUE PITCHER RHEAL CORMIER, BREWERS GENERAL MANAGER DOUG MELVIN THE 2011 PAN AM GAMES GOLD-MEDAL WINNING TEAM CANADA SENIOR SQUAD. THE FORMER EXPOS OUTFIELDER, REFERRED TO AS LE GRAND ORANGE BY THE MONTREAL FANS BECAUSE OF HIS RED HAIR, WAS A FAN FAVORITE IN THE FRANCHISE’S EARLY DAYS DUE TO HIS WORK ETHIC AND ACTIVE ROLE IN PROMOTING THE GAME NORTH OF THE BORDER.
2014 A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS BROUGHT TO FEDERAL COURT BY FORMER MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS, WHO ALLEGE MLB TEAMS VIOLATED THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AND OTHER STATE LAWS BY NOT PAYING THEIR FARMHANDS MINIMUM WAGE AND OVERTIME. THE CASE FILED AS SENNE V. THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF BASEBALL, INITIALLY SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING IN FEBRUARY OF 2017, WILL BE POSTPONED INDEFINITELY UNTIL U.S. DISTRICT COURT JOSEPH C. SPERO DECIDES THE QUESTION OF CLASS CERTIFICATION.
2014 YANKEE SUPERSTAR ALEX RODRIGUEZ DROPS HIS TWO LAWSUITS AGAINST MLB, ENDING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A LONG, DRAWN-OUT LEGAL BATTLE OVER HIS SEASON-LONG SUSPENSION FOR THE ALLEGED USE OF PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING SUBSTANCES. THE BRONX BOMBERS’ THIRD BASEMAN WAS ONE OF 14 INDIVIDUALS SUSPENDED DUE TO THE INVESTIGATION OF A FLORIDA ANTI-AGING CLINIC, BUT HE WAS THE ONLY ONE TO CONTEST HIS PENALTY, THE LONGEST EVER GIVEN FOR USING PEDS.
TV TUESDAY
| NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| MARQUETTE VS. UCONN | 6:30PM | FS1 |
| RUTGERS AT INDIANA | 6:30PM | BTN |
| NORTH CAROLINA AT WAKE FOREST | 7:00PM | ESPN |
| AUBURN AT TEXAS A&M | 7:00PM | ESPN2 |
| ETSU AT UNCG | 7:00PM | ESPNU |
| OLE MISS AT GEORGIA | 7:00PM | SECN |
| LOUISVILLE AT PITT | 7:00PM | ACCN |
| DAYTON AT VCU | 7:00PM | CBSSN |
| CINCINNATI AT TULANE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| BALL STATE AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| BOWLING GREEN AT KENT STATE | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| EASTERN MICHIGAN AT BUFFALO | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| TOLEDO AT AKRON | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MIAMI (OH) | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| OHIO AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| DRAKE AT MURRAY STATE | 8:00PM | ESPN+ |
| ST. JOHN’S AT BUTLER | 8:30PM | FS1 |
| MINNESOTA AT ILLINOIS | 8:30PM | BTN |
| ARKANSAS AT KENTUCKY | 9:00PM | ESPN |
| MARYLAND AT MICHIGAN STATE | 9:00PM | ESPN2 |
| TCU AT KANSAS STATE | 9:00PM | ESPNU |
| SOUTH CAROLINA AT MISSOURI | 9:00PM | SECN |
| NC STATE AT VIRGINIA | 9:00PM | ACCN |
| RHODE ISLAND AT SAINT LOUIS | 9:00PM | CBSSN |
| COLORADO STATE AT AIR FORCE | 9:00PM | ALT2 |
| SAN JOSE STATE AT FRESNO STATE | 10:00PM | STADIUM |
| NEVADA AT NEW MEXICO | 10:30PM | FS1 |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| NEW YORK AT ORLANDO | 7:00PM | MSG BALLY SPORTS |
| PHOENIX AT BROOKLYN | 7:30PM | YES BALLY SPORTS |
| ATLANTA AT NEW ORLEANS | 7:30PM | TNT |
| CHICAGO AT MEMPHIS | 8:00PM | BALLY SPORTS NBCS-CHI |
| MINNESOTA AT DENVER | 10:00PM | TNT |
| OKLAHOMA CITY AT LA LAKERS | 10:30PM | SPECTRUM BALLY SPORTS |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| COLORADO AT PITTSBURGH | 7:00PM | ALT ATTSN-PIT |
| SAN JOSE AT TAMPA BAY | 7:00PM | NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS |
| EDMONTON AT DETROIT | 7:30PM | ESPN+ HULU |
| SEATTLE AT NY ISLANDERS | 7:30PM | ROOT SPORTS MSGSN |
| VEGAS AT NASHVILLE | 8:00PM | ATTSN-RM BALLY SPORTS |
| ANAHEIM AT CHICAGO | 8:30PM | BALLY SPORTS NBCS-CHI |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| DFB POKAL: SANDHAUSEN VS FREIBURG | 12:00PM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: BURNLEY VS IPSWICH TOWN | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: GRIMSBY TOWN VS LUTON TOWN | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: SHEFFIELD UNITED VS WREXHAM | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: FLEETWOOD TOWN VS SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| DFB POKAL: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT VS DARMSTADT 98 | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| SERIE A: SALERNITANA VS JUVENTUS | 2:45PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| COPA LIBERTADORES: SPORT HUANCAYO VS NACIONAL ASUNCIÓN | 7:00PM | BEIN SPORTS |