“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN | 51 | TECUMSEH | 43 | |
| HAMILTON HEIGHTS | 97 | KIPP INDY LEGACY | 53 | |
| HAMMOND NOLL | 64 | WHITING | 53 | |
| HOMESTEAD | 51 | COLUMBIA CITY | 40 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON | 74 | IRVINGTON PREP | 44 | |
| LAPEL | 52 | TIPTON | 45 | |
| SHELBYVILLE | 50 | FRANKLIN COUNTY | 33 | |
| WEST VIGO | 63 | MARSHALL (ILL.) | 49 |
INDIANA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL-SECTIONAL SCOREBOARD
HOMESTEAD.COM
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| LAPORTE | ||||
| MICHIGAN CITY | 65 | SOUTH BEND ADAMS | 56 | |
| SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON | 28 | PENN | 27 | |
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA | ||||
| EAST NOBLE | FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA | PPD., F6 | ||
| DEKALB | GARRETT | PPD., F6 | ||
| TWIN LAKES | ||||
| WESTERN | 45 | LOGANSPORT | 35 | |
| MACONAQUAH | 52 | TWIN LAKES | 46 | |
| LEBANON | ||||
| DANVILLE | 68 | CRAWFORDSVILLE | 21 | |
| BREBEUF JESUIT | 44 | LEBANON | 37 | |
| INDIAN CREEK | ||||
| SHELBYVILLE | 52 | RUSHVILLE | 46 | |
| NEW PALESTINE | 51 | GREENWOOD | 23 | |
| CLASS 2A | ||||
| TRITON CENTRAL | ||||
| HERITAGE CHRISTIAN | 60 | TRITON CENTRAL | 42 | |
| KIPP INDY LEGACY | 47 | CHRISTEL HOUSE | 20 | |
| CRAWFORD COUNTY | ||||
| PROVIDENCE | 49 | CRAWFORD COUNTY | 38 | |
| LANESVILLE | 59 | SALEM | 15 | |
| FOREST PARK | ||||
| NORTH POSEY | 55 | EVANSVILLE MATER DEI | 46 | |
| SOUTH SPENCER | 46 | FOREST PARK | 35 | |
| CLASS 1A | ||||
| BOWMAN ACADEMY | ||||
| KOUTS | WASHINGTON TWP. | PPD., F6 | ||
| TRI-TOWNSHIP | MORGAN TWP. | PPD., F6 | ||
| WEST CENTRAL | ||||
| NORTH WHITE | 51 | SOUTH NEWTON | 27 | |
| PIONEER | 34 | CASTON | 13 | |
| OREGON-DAVIS | ||||
| NORTH JUDSON | SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) | PPD., F6 | ||
| CULVER | OREGON-DAVIS | PPD., F6 | ||
| BETHANY CHRISTIAN | ||||
| HAMILTON | FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY | PPD., F6 | ||
| LAKELAND CHRISTIAN | FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK | PPD., F6 | ||
| FOUNTAIN CENTRAL | ||||
| LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC | 72 | NORTH VERMILLION | 32 | |
| RIVERTON PARKE | 39 | ATTICA | 28 | |
| TRI-CENTRAL | ||||
| SOUTHWOOD | 38 | NORTHFIELD | 34 | |
| NORTH MIAMI | 36 | SOUTHERN WELLS | 25 | |
| SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) | ||||
| SOUTH DECATUR | 46 | KNIGHTSTOWN | 26 | |
| WALDRON | 82 | SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) | 42 | |
| HAUSER | ||||
| SHAWE MEMORIAL | 44 | TRINITY LUTHERAN | 38 | |
| JAC-CEN-DEL | 49 | HAUSER | 44 | |
| CLAY CITY | ||||
| NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) | 56 | BLOOMFIELD | 29 | |
| SHAKAMAK | 54 | CLAY CITY | 31 | |
| BARR-REEVE | ||||
| BARR-REEVE | 47 | LOOGOOTEE | 34 | |
| ORLEANS | 38 | NORTH DAVIESS | 28 | |
| BORDEN | ||||
| BORDEN | 55 | WEST WASHINGTON | 34 | |
| HENRYVILLE | 45 | SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) | 23 | |
INDIANA BOYS WRESTLING-REGIONALS, FEBRUARY 8
BRACKETS FOR EACH HOST SITE ARE AVAILABLE VIA TRACKWRESTLING.COM.
1. HOBART | 9 AM CT | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL, PORTAGE.
2. CROWN POINT | 9 AM CT | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CROWN POINT, LAPORTE.
3. ROCHESTER | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: MISHAWAKA, PLYMOUTH.
4. LOGANSPORT | 10 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON, TWIN LAKES.
5. GOSHEN | 9:30 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ELKHART, WEST NOBLE.
6. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), NEW HAVEN.
7. PERU | 9:30 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: PERU, OAK HILL.
8. JAY COUNTY | 8:30 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: DELTA, JAY COUNTY.
9. NORTH MONTGOMERY | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CRAWFORDSVILLE, FRANKFORT.
10. PENDLETON HEIGHTS | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ELWOOD, INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECHNICAL.
11. PERRY MERIDIAN | 9:30 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: PURDUE POLYTECH – DOWNTOWN, SOUTHPORT.
12. RICHMOND | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CENTERVILLE, FRANKLIN COUNTY.
13. MOORESVILLE | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: AVON, MOORESVILLE.
14. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | 8 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: BLOOMINGTON NORTH, SOUTHRIDGE.
15. JEFFERSONVILLE | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: JEFFERSONVILLE, JENNINGS COUNTY.
16. CASTLE | 9 AM CT | TICKETS | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CASTLE, EVANSVILLE CENTRAL.
INDIANA MAT:
DUAL RESULTS: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/DUALRESULTS.HTML/BOYS-DUAL-RESULTS/
TOURNAMENT RESULTS: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/CURTOURNAMENTRESULTS.HTML/
RANKINGS: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/INDIVIDUAL-RANKINGS-MAIN.HTML/
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING ASSOCIATION: HTTPS://WWW.GOMOTIONAPP.COM/TEAM/RECHSIHSSCA/PAGE/HOME
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASTICS: HTTPS://INHIGHSCHOOLGYMNASTICS.COM/
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25
#24 MICHIGAN 80 OREGON 76
#2 DUKE 83 SYRACUSE 54
#4 TENNESSEE 85 #15 MISSOURI 81
#17 MEMPHIS 83 TULSA 71
RUTGERS 82 #23 ILLINOIS 73
ELSEWHERE:
MILWAUKEE 84 IU INDY 80 OT
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 85 CLEVELAND STATE 75
BUTLER 84 SETON HALL 54
ROBERT MORRIS 71 DETROIT 56
INDIANA STATE 80 VALPARAISO 62
LOUISVILLE 84 BOSTON COLLEGE 58
CINCINNATI 93 CENTRAL FLORIDA 83
NORTHERN IOWA 66 MISSOURI STATE 61
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 87 WRIGHT STATE 64
ILLINOIS STATE 81 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 79
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 68 EVANSVILLE 59
TCU 65 WEST VIRGINIA 60
GEORGIA 81 LSU 62
UTAH 72 COLORADO 59
VILLANOVA 59 DEPAUL 49
ARKANSAS 78 TEXAS 70
WASHINGTON 72
SMU 81 VIRGINIA TECH 75
NEW MEXICO 87 COLORADO STATE 65
WAKE FOREST 79 STANFORD 73
CALIFORNIA 74 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 62
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#18 WEST VIRGINIA 76 KANSAS 43
#7 USC 86 WISCONSIN 64
#12 KANSAS STATE 59 #9 TCU 50
#1 UCLA 65 #8 OHIO STATE 52
ELSEWHERE:
TOLEDO 58 BUFFALO 55
TEMPLE 74 MEMPHIS 66
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 73 KENT STATE 69
IOWA STATE 72 CINCINNATI 52
WASHINGTON 82 PENN STATE 71
WESTERN MICHIGAN 70 AKRON 64
CREIGHTON 72 SETON HALL 56
TULSA 81 CHARLOTTE 53
BALL STATE 71 BOWLING GREEN 51
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 75 OHIO 48
MARQUETTE 57 ST. JOHN’S 55
UTAH 70 TEXAS TECH 64
GEORGETOWN 63 XAVIER 36
GEORGE MASON 66 VCU 48
EAST CAROLINA 61 ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM 56
WICHITA STATE 54 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 44
MIAMI OHIO 68 EASTERN MICHIGAN 45
ST. JOSEPH’S 69 ST. LOUIS 49
IU INDY 80 WRIGHT STATE 68
VILLANOVA 63 BUTLER 59
UNLV 89 UTAH STATE 51
BAYLOR 92 HOUSTON 47
COLORADO 56 ARIZONA 47
SAN DIEGO STATE 61 FRESNO STATE 57
AIR FORCE 78 SAN JOSE STATE 54
BYU 73 CENTRAL FLORIDA 66
NEVADA 69 BOISE STATE 61
NBA SCORES
CLEVELAND 118 DETROIT 115
MILWAUKEE 112 CHARLOTTE 102
SAN ANTONIO 126 ATLANTA 125
MEMPHIS 138 TORONTO 107
MIAMI 108 PHILADELPHIA 101
WASHINGTON 119 BROOKLYN 102
MINNESOTA 127 CHICAGO 108
UTAH 131 GOLDEN STATE 128
DENVER 144 NEW ORLEANS 119
OKLAHOMA CITY 140 PHOENIX 109
ORLANDO 130 SACRAMENTO 111
NHL SCORES
NY RANGERS 3 BOSTON 2
EDMONTON 4 CHICAGO 3 OT
LOS ANGELES 6 MONTRÉAL 3
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
SUPER BOWL LIX PREVIEW
The Kansas City Chiefs (17-2) and Philadelphia Eagles (17-3) will meet in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, FOX) at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The 34 combined wins, including the postseason, by the Chiefs and Eagles are the most-ever between Super Bowl opponents.
Kansas City is the first team to reach the Super Bowl five times in a six season span and can become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls. The Chiefs are the fourth team all-time to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls, joining the 1990-93 Buffalo Bills (four consecutive Super Bowls), 1971-73 Miami Dolphins (three) and 2016-18 New England Patriots (three).
In the past 25 seasons and including Super Bowl LIX, only three teams have appeared in the Super Bowl four-or-more times: New England (nine appearances), Kansas City (five) and Philadelphia (four). The Eagles can win the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history, having previously won Super Bowl LII following the 2017 season.
Super Bowl LIX will mark the ninth Super Bowl rematch ever and the second time that two teams have met in the Super Bowl twice in a three-season span (Buffalo vs. Dallas, Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII). Kansas City overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat Philadelphia, 38-35, in Super Bowl LVII following the 2022 season, the only Super Bowl ever in which both teams scored at least 35 points.
With Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, it will mark the fifth rematch between head coaches in Super Bowl history, joining the Pro Football Hall of Fame duos of Chuck Noll and Tom Landry, and Jimmy Johnson and Marv Levy, as well as Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick, and Reid and Kyle Shanahan.
Super Bowl LIX will mark Reid’s 45th career postseason game as a head coach, surpassing Belichick (44 games) for the most playoff games by a head coach in NFL history. With a win, Reid can join Belichick (six Super Bowl wins) and Noll (four) as the only head coaches with four Super Bowl victories.
Reid has 28 career postseason victories, trailing only Belichick (31) for the most playoff wins by a head coach all-time. Including the postseason, he has the fourth-most total wins (301) by a head coach in NFL history, trailing only Belichick (329) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Don Shula (347) and George Halas (324).
Sirianni is the third head coach all-time to make the Super Bowl twice in his first four seasons as a head coach, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs (1982-83) and Mike Tomlin (2008 and 2010). He will be 43 years and 239 days old on Sunday, becoming the fifth-youngest all-time to coach his second Super Bowl.
With Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, it will mark the fourth rematch between starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Jim Kelly, Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach, as well as Eli Manning and Tom Brady.
Mahomes, who will be 29 years and 145 days old on Super Bowl Sunday, can become the youngest quarterback ever to start five Super Bowls and the first quarterback under the age of 30 all-time to win four Super Bowls. He has 43 career postseason touchdown passes and can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana (45 touchdown passes) and Aaron Rodgers (45) for the second-most touchdown passes in postseason history, trailing only Tom Brady (88).
Mahomes – who was named MVP of Super Bowls LIV, LVII and LVIII – can become the first player ever to be named Super Bowl MVP in three consecutive seasons and can join Brady (five Super Bowl MVPs) as the only players all-time with four Super Bowl MVP awards.
Hurts will become the eighth quarterback all-time to start multiple Super Bowls in their first five career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Aikman, John Elway and Kurt Warner as well as Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson. In Super Bowl LVII against Kansas City, he set the Super Bowl record for most rushing yards by a quarterback (70) and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis (Super Bowl XXXII with Denver) as the only players with three rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl.
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has the most postseason receptions (174) in NFL history and ranks second all-time in postseason receiving yards (2,039) and postseason touchdown receptions (20), trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (2,245 receiving yards and 22 touchdown receptions).
Kelce will become the third tight end ever to appear in five Super Bowls, joining Marv Fleming and Rob Gronkowski. In his first four Super Bowl appearances, he has totaled 31 receptions for 350 yards and on Sunday, can surpass Rice (33 receptions) for the most Super Bowl receptions and both Gronkowski and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lynn Swann (364 receiving yards each) for the second-most Super Bowl receiving yards.
Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley has 2,447 rushing yards this season, including 442 rushing yards this postseason – the seventh-most in a single playoff run all-time. In Super Bowl LIX, Barkley can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis (2,476 rushing yards in 1998 with Denver) for the most rushing yards by a player in a season, including the playoffs, in NFL history and become the third player ever with 500 rushing yards in a single postseason, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers John Riggins (610 rushing yards in 1982 with Washington) and Davis (581 in 1997 with Denver).
Barkley led the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards during the regular season – the eighth-most in a season in NFL history – and will become the fifth player to lead the league in rushing in the regular season and play in the Super Bowl in the same season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis (1998) and Emmitt Smith (1992-93 and 1995) as well as Shaun Alexander (2005) and Christian McCaffrey (2023).
The Eagles have 39 rushing touchdowns this season, including 10 postseason rushing touchdowns. In Super Bowl LIX, they can surpass the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles (42 rushing touchdowns) for the most rushing touchdowns, including the playoffs, by a team in NFL history and the 1997 Denver Broncos (12 rushing touchdowns) for the most rushing touchdowns in a single postseason all-time.
Philadelphia has 683 rushing yards this postseason, the fifth-most in a single postseason in NFL history, and with 110 rushing yards in Super Bowl LIX, can surpass the mark set by Washington in 1982 (792 rushing yards) for the most in a single postseason.
Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith has four sacks this postseason – two sacks in the Wild Card round and one sack in both the Divisional playoffs and NFC Championship Game. Since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, no player has recorded a sack in four playoff games in a single postseason.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (17-2 – AFC – NO. 1) VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (17-3 – NFC – NO. 2)
Sunday, February 9, 2025 | 6:30 PM ET (5:30 PM CT) | Caesars Superdome | New Orleans, Louisiana | Referee: Ron Torbert
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: All-time series, 5-5 (KC won 3 of past 4)
Postseason: KC leads series, 1-0
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 11/20/23: PHI 21 at KC 17
Postseason: SB LVII 2/12/23: KC 38 vs. PHI 35
CHIEFS NOTES:
CHIEFS became 4th team ever to make 3 straight SBs & can become 1st team to win 3 straight SBs. Can join 2001-05 New England Patriots as only teams to win 10 consec. playoff games. • HC ANDY REID will coach 45th career playoff game, most by HC all-time. Ranks 2nd in NFL history with 28 career playoff wins & can become 3rd HC ever with 4 SB wins (Bill Belichick – 6; HOFer Chuck Noll – 4). • QB PATRICK MAHOMES will become 3rd QB ever (Tom Brady & HOFer John Elway) to start 5 SBs & can become 4th QB to win 4 SBs (Brady – 7; HOFers Terry Bradshaw & Joe Montana – 4). Has 17 postseason wins, 2nd-most all-time by starting QB. Has 43 career playoff TD passes & can surpass Montana (45) & Aaron Rodgers (45) for 2nd-most in postseason history. Ranks 7th in postseason history with 5,557 pass yards. Enters SB LIX with active streak of 288 consec. pass attempts without INT. Has 2+ TD passes in 3 of his 4 SBs, incl. 3 TD passes vs. Phi. in SB LVII. • RB KAREEM HUNT can join HOFer Terrell Davis as only players ever with rush TD in each of 1st 7 career playoff games. • RB ISIAH PACHECO aims for his 3rd SB in row with 75+ scrimmage yards. • TE TRAVIS KELCE ranks 1st in NFL postseason history with 174 catches & 2nd with 2,039 rec. yards & 20 rec. TDs. Has 9 playoff games with 100+ rec. yards, most in postseason history. Has 2nd-most SB receptions (31) & 4th-most SB rec. yards (350) all-time. Had 81 rec. yards & TD catch in SB LVII vs. Phi. • WR DEANDRE HOPKINS has 12,965 career reg. season rec. yards, 3rd-most ever by player before 1st SB appearance. • WR XAVIER WORTHY (rookie) has 5+ catches in 7 of his past 8, incl. playoffs. • DT CHRIS JONES is 1 of 4 in NFL with 5+ sacks in each of past 8 seasons. • DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS has 7 sacks in 9 career postseason games. • LB NICK BOLTON had FR-TD in SB LVII vs. Phi. • CB TRENT MCDUFFIE has 13 PD in 9 career playoff games, incl. 5 games with 2+ PD.
EAGLES NOTES:
EAGLES can win 2nd SB ever (SB LII). Have 683 rush yards in 2024 postseason & can surpass 1982 Washington (792) for most by team in single postseason. Have 10 rush TDs in 2024 playoffs & can surpass 1997 Denver (12) for most by team in single postseason. • NICK SIRIANNI is 3rd HC (HOFer Joe Gibbs & Mike Tomlin) to reach SB in 2 of 1st 4 seasons. Will be 5th-youngest HC ever (43 years, 239 days) to coach in 2nd SB. • QB JALEN HURTS will become 8th QB ever to start 2 SBs in 1st 5 career seasons. In SB LVII vs. KC, had 374 yards (304 pass, 70 rush) – most rush yards ever by QB in SB) – & became 2nd player ever (HOFer Terrell Davis – SB XXXII) with 3 rush TDs in a SB. Had 3 rush TDs in NFC-C vs. Was. & has 9 career playoff rush TDs, most by QB in postseason history. • RB SAQUON BARKLEY has 2,447 rush yards & 2,760 scrimmage yards in 2024, incl. playoffs, & can surpass HOFer Terrell Davis (2,476 rush yards & 2,762 scrimmage yards in 1998) for most in both categories in single season, incl. playoffs, all-time. Has 442 rush yards in 2024 postseason & can join HOFers John Riggins (610 in 1982) & Davis (581 in 1997) as only players ever with 500+ rush yards in single postseason. Has 668 yards scrimmage yards (133.6 per game) & 7 rush TDs in 5 career playoff games. • WR A.J. BROWN had 6 catches for 96 yards & rec. TD in both 2024 NFC-C vs. Was. & SB LVII vs. KC. • WR DEVONTA SMITH had 7 catches for 100 yards in SB LVII vs. KC. • TE DALLAS GOEDERT had 7 catches for 85 yards in 2024 NFC-C vs. Was. Had 6 catches for 60 yards in SB LVII vs. KC. • DT JALEN CARTER has 3 PD & 2 sacks in 4 career playoff games. • LB ZACK BAUN aims for his 4th playoff game in row with takeaway. • LB NOLAN SMITH can become 1st player since 1982 with sack in 4 straight games in single postseason. Has 0.5+ sacks in each of his 1st 4 career playoff games. • CB DARIUS SLAY has 5 PD in 2024 postseason & aims for his 4th in row with PD. • CB QUINYON MITCHELL can become 3rd rookie since 2002 with PD in 4 straight playoff games. • DB COOPER DEJEAN (rookie) aims for his 3rd in row in postseason with PD.
NFLPA MAKES STANCE CLEAR: ‘NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY 18 GAMES’
NEW ORLEANS — If Roger Goodell intends to push to expand the NFL’s regular season to 18 games, he’s going to have to go through the NFL Players Association to do so, and it’s going to be an uphill fight.
The commissioner said earlier this week that the league definitely believes an 18-game regular season “might be a possibility.” But NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. reiterated Wednesday that any changes to the schedule must be negotiated through the Collective Bargaining Agreement and that there have been no formal discussions on the topic.
“When I have talked to the players over the past two seasons, no one wants to play an 18th game. No one,” Howell said at the NFLPA’s annual pre-Super Bowl press conference.
“Seventeen games for a lot of the guys is already too long. So there are a variety of issues that hang off the length of the season before are there any formal negotiations.”
The current CBA allowed for an expansion to 17 games in 2020 along with up to 10 international games per year. The players are still adjusting to the additional game and the toll it takes on the body, much less considering the impact of adding yet another one.
“The thought of 18 games makes me cringe,” Commanders running back and NFLPA vice president Austin Ekeler said. “That 18th game, personally speaking, is really outrageous to me.
“If you’re talking about expanding revenues, there are safer ways to do that. Definitely very heavily against an 18th game.”
Goodell said an 18th game will “come up in the context of the broader CBA issues,” and trumpeted the historical drop in concussion rates this season. But Howell said the topic is a non-starter until other issues are resolved.
That includes potential plans for regular-season games as far away as Australia, and currently issues players have with playing multiple games in a 100-hour span and as many as three games in 10 days — both of which happened this season.
“There are so many dimensions that have off the length of the season,” Howell said. “No one wants to play 18 games. Guys don’t want to play 17.”
“So, should we actually get to a point where we actually engage in negotiations and we open up the CBA, that will be the time to get into all of the parameters above and beyond the length of the season.”
The executive committee declined to speculate on what the league might be able to offer to entice players to consider an 18th game. But they were unanimous in saying their fellow players are united against the concept.
“Honestly guys are saying, ‘no way we’re doing that.’ Everyone sees 18th game and we get a little scared,” NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin said.”I don’t think anyone is in favor of going to 18 games. Guys were against 17, and I know guys are against 18.”
Said NFLPA vice president Case Keenum: “We want to be able to play with our kids in the yard when we’re done doing this.”
Howell said his interpretation is that Goodell is “trying to shape the narrative.” But many other issues need to get addressed and resolved, including the quality and consistency of field surfaces across the league, more data about health and player safety, and the financial incentives for players to put their bodies on the line for another game.
“This is probably not the right time to be talking about adding another game,” he said.
DARIUS SLAYTON NAMED ALAN PAGE COMMUNITY AWARD WINNER
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton was named the NFLPA’s annual winner of the Alan Page Community Award.
Among his efforts in the community last year, Slayton donated $50,000 to provide gifts and household essentials to 24 New York families around the holidays. And during his six seasons with the Giants, he has donated more than $150,000 to a variety of programs and causes.
“Winning this award means more than words can describe,” Slayton said. “The main goal for me and my family has always been to be able to give back to the people in our communities.
“It’s not about the recognition, but I accept this award with grace and humility. I hope it brings further light to the causes my family and I support.”
NEWCOMERS DRIVE EAGLES’ U-TURN, SUPER BOWL RETURN
NEW ORLEANS — A former head coach with decades of experience, Vic Fangio flipped the Philadelphia defense from weakness to strength with a no-nonsense edge and Super Bowl standards.
“He has a standard of how it’s supposed to look,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside before Philadelphia’s first full practice of the week. “And he holds the guys to that standard. He’s not afraid to tell guys when he thinks they don’t meet that standard. He’s been awesome. The way he’s connected with the guys. He’s been great on game day. He’s meant a lot to this team. He’s been awesome this year.”
The Eagles rank first in total defense as the counterbalance to a running game that gained more than 3,000 yards.
Fangio and the Miami Dolphins split as Sirianni was searching for the right blend of play-callers on both sides of the ball. He also wanted to add energy and talent to the roster. Key additions of running back Saquon Barkley, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, linebacker Zack Baun, guard Mekhi Becton — all at least in their fifth NFL season — made the job easier.
Sirianni said Gardner-Johnson, in his second stint with the team after one season with the Detroit Lions, brings “endless energy.” He also has a big impact on the team’s turnover ratio. Gardner-Johnson led the Eagles with six interceptions, exactly the same as his team-leading total with Philadelphia in 2022, their last Super Bowl season.
More important, Sirianni said, was his instrumental role alongside 34-year-old cornerback Darius Slay in working overtime to keep first-round rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and second-round defensive back Cooper DeJean up to speed.
Neither ran into the so-called rookie wall, though Mitchell fought a shoulder injury in the playoffs. For safety Reed Blankenship, the defense’s turnaround from 2023 to 2024 has been emotional.
“It was tough last year,” Blankenship said of the Eagles’ 26th-ranked defense and 31st-ranked pass defense in 2023. “It puts it into perspective. How you can make some changes here and there, believe in one another — the sky’s the limit.
“… I was a little teary-eyed after the (NFC) Championship Game. We’ve come so far. From last year to this year, it’s a complete 360, and I couldn’t be blessed enough.”
No player has meant more in a move to complementary team football than Barkley. And he’s showing no signs of slowing down. He has 66 carries for 442 yards — 6.7 yards per carry — with five touchdowns in three January playoff games. Kansas City has 57 carries for 185 yards and four TDs in two playoff games.
“When we talk about the game of football, you can’t be great without the greatness of others. You’re seeing Saquon be able to shine with the offensive line blocking for him, seeing Jalen (Hurts) with his ability to run,” Sirianni said. “He’s around all of these great players, great offensive line, and you are seeing him shine big-time. He’s got himself in great shape. I don’t hear the questions anymore that I got early in the year about ‘can Saquon take this many carries in a game?’ And the answer to that was, ‘What we’re going to try to do is win every single game.’ And this year that meant a lot of carries for Saquon.”
Hurts said he doesn’t mind taking a step back for the team to achieve success, noting he “is not the one game-planning” or deciding how to approach an opponent. The team leader with 14 rushing touchdowns, Hurts threw 361 passes in the regular season — down from 538 in 2023 and 460 in 2022.
“I’ve said it before, but we keep the main thing the main thing. Winning is the only motivation,” Hurts said.
CHIEFS REACH FINAL BOSS STATUS, AND EVERYONE HATES IT
SCOTT STINSON
Roger Goodell is correct.
Look, I’m as surprised to be writing those words as you are reading them. These aren’t four words that are often strung together in that order.
But the NFL commissioner has a point when he says the idea that the Kansas City Chiefs receive preferential treatment from officials at the behest of the league is a “ridiculous theory,” as he did this week at the Super Bowl.
The NFL has 32 owners, all with their own self-interests. There’s no reason for any of them to countenance favoritism of one team at the expense of the rest, even if, as the conspiracy goes, the Chiefs are media darlings because of the presence of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Taylor Swift.
Does Mahomes draw a lot of roughing-the-passer flags in the playoffs? Yes. But he also plays the most postseason games and spends a lot of playing time scrambling around. Does he manipulate the system by faking slides and trying to steal a few extra yards? Also yes. However, until the rules are changed, that one’s on the defenders who get suckered into his trap.
But even if the Chiefs aren’t secretly in cahoots with Big Referee, they make excellent villains.
Asked at the Super Bowl how he felt about people hating his team, Kelce deadpanned: “People hate the Chiefs? I didn’t know that.”
Answers like that are one reason people hate the Chiefs.
In truth, they’re something of a non-traditional villain. Some franchises achieve that status by buying up free-agent stars and exploiting their big-market status. The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Los Angeles Lakers are good examples. The NFL’s financial parity doesn’t allow for that kind of imbalance, so teams only become annoying when they reach a level of sustained success.
The New England Patriots teams that dominated for the better part of two decades are the most obvious examples. But even there, the villain characteristics were much more pronounced.
Bill Belichick, the franchise’s grumpy avatar, didn’t attempt to be charming or even pretend that he cared what anyone thought about him or his team. He was ruthless and gruff, and, even more frustrating for his many detractors, he was so damn successful. You could convince yourself that the Patriots dynasty would be derailed by the loss of Adam Vinatieri or Wes Welker, but then Stephen Gostkowski would make every kick and Julian Edelman would catch every high-leverage pass.
The Pats also had a whiff of scandal about them. There was Spygate and Deflategate. And whatever one thinks about the actual merit of either controversy, New England and its fans took considerable offense at the notion that they were cheaters, compounding the frustration of all the other teams’ fans. The Pats and their trophies were annoying enough; New England being aggrieved champions was too much.
The Chiefs don’t have that baggage – unless you’re a referee conspiracist. Head coach Andy Reid was something of a lovable loser before Mahomes arrived to turn around his playoff fortunes. And Mahomes, especially in his early years, was such a spectacular player, an NFL quarterback as a trick-shot artist, that he was hard to root against. Steph Curry in a red helmet.
It also didn’t hurt that Kansas City ascended right when most of the NFL fandom was truly sick of the Belichick-era Pats. Tom Brady hit his 40s and still looked handsome and thin. He could still lob a pass in the direction of Rob Gronkowski on third down and have his tight end haul in the ball with a defensive back literally hanging off him. It was infuriating.
The Chiefs finally put an end to that, but now they’ve become what they once destroyed: the team that wins so much that everyone is tired of all the winning. And where once they were the thrill-a-minute Chiefs, with Mahomes throwing no-look passes and Tyreek Hill busting loose for 80-yard touchdowns, now they’ve become more controlled, relentless, and even a little boring.
Kansas City can grind you to death. The Chiefs have perfected the art this season, pulling out games they should’ve lost, piling up an absurd streak of one-score victories, and somehow losing just one game that they were trying to win all season, even as it was generally agreed they were far from the league’s best team.
That’s when you know they’ve reached the Pats’ final boss level. Belichick’s teams would shed talent every winter, and it’d seem like they might actually be vulnerable. Then Malcolm Butler would jump a route, or Edelman would catch a ball an inch off the turf, and they’d be champions again. It was inevitable, which took a lot of the fun away.
That’s pretty much where we are with the Chiefs. Baltimore, Buffalo, Detroit, Philadelphia: they all could claim to have looked better than Kansas City this season. Advanced metrics would back them up. But the Chiefs kept winning ugly, keeping the quest for a three-peat alive – the jerks.
“If winning football games makes you a villain, we’re going to keep going out there and doing it,” Mahomes said Monday.
The worst part is, he’s probably right.
3 REASONS THE EAGLES ARE BETTER PREPARED TO BEAT THE CHIEFS THIS TIME
THE SCORE
The Philadelphia Eagles have a chance at revenge.
Philadelphia met the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, where Jalen Hurts played a tremendous game. But the Eagles’ defense struggled to slow down the Chiefs, Hurts had a costly fumble, and Philly was forced to watch Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid raise the Lombardi Trophy.
However, the 2024 Eagles are better suited to take down Kansas City than they were two years ago. Here are three reasons why.
Elite running back production
Miles Sanders led the Eagles’ rushing attack in 2022, recording 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on 259 carries. He also ranked sixth league-wide among all running backs in rushing yards per game (74.6). The Eagles finished first in EPA per rush and rushing success rate in the regular season, according to TruMedia.
But a lot of that success can be attributed to Hurts, who ran for 760 yards and finished third in the NFL in first downs gained on the ground. Hurts was also tied for second with 13 rushing touchdowns.
Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott failed to provide the Eagles with an efficient rushing attack during their playoff run, especially against the Chiefs. Here’s how Philadelphia fared on the ground in the Super Bowl:
Let’s be honest: that Super Bowl was Hurts against the world. He had arguably the best game of his career, racking up 374 total yards with four touchdowns while completing 71.1% of his throws.
It’s hard to believe the Chiefs will shut down Saquon Barkley as they did Sanders and Co. The 27-year-old produced one of the best offensive seasons from a running back in recent years with a league-leading 2,005 rushing yards.
Barkley’s also been a monster in the playoffs, rushing for 442 yards and five touchdowns in three games. He’s generated plus-172 rushing yards over expected this postseason, the most by a single player in a playoff run since 2018, according to Next Gen Stats.
Kansas City’s run defense has been mediocre at best through two playoff games, allowing 296 total yards on the ground. James Cook and Joe Mixon combined to average 5.6 yards per carry against the Chiefs.
Barkley’s presence gives this year’s team a threat that the 2022 Eagles didn’t have. He’s a much more talented player than Sanders, and he should continue his historic postseason surge.
Younger, more explosive interior pass rush
Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave were outstanding for the Eagles during the 2022 regular season, as the defensive tackles combined for 18 sacks and 111 pressures, according to PFF. However, they fizzled during the playoffs, totaling just 17 pressures with two sacks in three games. The duo especially struggled in the Super Bowl, producing only five pressures and failing to sack Patrick Mahomes.
Age could’ve been a factor, as they were both 30 or older and played significant snaps for the Eagles throughout the season. Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, and Marlon Tuipulotu also didn’t provide great depth, as general manager Howie Roseman added Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph midway through the season as interior reinforcements. Overall, Philly’s interior pass-rushers racked up just 27 pressures during the 2022 playoff run.
This year’s group is younger and playing lights out in the postseason. Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, and Jordan Davis are all 25 years old or under and have provided elite pass-rushing ability from the interior. Here’s how they’ve fared through three games these playoffs.
Carter, 23, has emerged as one of football’s best defensive linemen. He all but iced the Eagles’ divisional-round contest when he sacked Matthew Stafford with Philly on its heels up 28-22 and under two minutes remaining in the contest. Carter will be keeping Andy Reid awake at night this week.
A specific matchup to watch in this game is Williams against Chiefs left guard Mike Caliendo. He’s been up and down after being forced into the starting five with Joe Thuney kicking outside to left tackle.
Caliendo has allowed 13 pressures, six hurries, and one sack over his last four games. Williams will have plenty of one-on-one opportunities with Carter primarily rushing against the opposing team’s right guard and getting extra attention from centers.
The 25-year-old Williams has been among the most underrated interior pass-rushers this season, posting 50 pressures, 24 tackles, and five sacks. His 12.5% pressure rate ranks second in the league among all defensive tackles with at least 200 pass-rush snaps, according to Next Gen Stats.
Carter, Williams, Ojomo, and Davis should be much more productive than Philadelphia’s aging defensive tackles in 2022. They can force Mahomes out of the pocket and open up sack opportunities for edge rushers Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith, who’s totaled six sacks in his last six games.
In Super Bowl LV, Tampa Bay’s defense harassed Mahomes with 44 combined pressures, 10 quarterback hits, and three sacks en route to a 31-9 victory. The Eagles’ young, fresh defensive interior could help cause similar chaos in this game.
Out of all the significant additions to the Eagles last offseason, hiring Vic Fangio might’ve been Roseman’s best move.
Philly’s defense in 2022 was great on paper under former coordinator Jonathan Gannon, as it ranked fourth in EPA/play while leading the league with 70 sacks, 15 more than the second-ranked team. But Gannon’s defense thrived on swarming bad offensive lines and pressuring mediocre quarterbacks. Some of the league’s top signal-callers torched his unit.
Mahomes and Reid dominated in their two games against Philadelphia during Gannon’s tenure, combining for 73 offensive points, 811 yards, and 52 first downs.
Gannon’s defenses were consistently picked apart by short-to-intermediate passes. The Eagles’ defense ranked 14th in success rate in 2022, and it was slightly above league average on a down-to-down basis.
Philly ranked first in defensive success rate in 2024. Yes, having talent like Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean helps, but Gannon also had star power to work with. This unit has fared much better against top quarterbacks.
The Ravens led the league in EPA/play on offense this season but had their fewest yards per play and net yards per pass attempt against Philadelphia, according to TruMedia.
Mahomes targeted receivers on a career-high 26.9% of his attempts this year, resulting in a league-high 45 first downs, according to Next Gen Stats. Philadelphia’s defense allowed the fewest yards per attempt (4.1) and the lowest success rate (29.9%) on passes thrown behind the line of scrimmage.
This version of the Eagles’ defense is exceptionally disciplined and one of the best units Fangio’s led during his 40-year NFL coaching career. Philly consistently flies to the ball and doesn’t allow teams to nickel and dime it down the field. The Eagles have also forced 10 turnovers in the postseason, compared to four in three games during their 2022 playoff run.
Fangio will prepare the Eagles for anything Mahomes and Reid throw at them in the Super Bowl.
WAITING FOR GOLD: CLASS OF ’25 FINALISTS ANXIOUS TO HEAR HALL OF FAME FATE
Fifteen former players will take a deep breath and hope to hear their name called when the Pro Football Hall of Fame announces its newest slate of modern-era selections on Thursday night ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee can elect up to five players from the 15-member list. The announcement will air during the NFL Honors broadcast starting at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday on Fox and the NFL Network.
The group includes six first-time nominees: Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, Steve Smith Sr., Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Marshal Yanda. Nine other nominees return as finalists, with Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne experiencing the longest waits as they enter their sixth cycle hoping to be selected.
Manning said he was trying to keep this week in perspective as he waits to hear whether he is a first-ballot selection into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
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“It’s one of those things, you can’t control it,” Manning said to NFL Network. “So why worry about it? You’ll know one way or the other.
“It’s not that I’m not going to lose sleep over this. … (But) I’m going to enjoy being in New Orleans no matter what.”
Vinatieri also spoke about his nerves heading into the selection. He is hoping to become the third primary kicker to reach the Hall of Fame, joining Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen.
“Holding my breath, obviously, but there’s no guarantee at this level,” Vinatieri said to radio station WEEI in Boston. “Everybody that’s in the top 15 is definitely worthy, and probably rightfully so. We’ll see. I don’t know what the expectation should be, but I’m very optimistic.”
Five defensive players are among the 15 finalists: ends Jared Allen and Suggs, linebacker Kuechly, cornerback Eric Allen and safety Darren Woodson. A trio of offensive linemen — Willie Anderson, Jahri Evans and Yanda — also are on the list.
Running back Fred Taylor, wideouts Smith Sr., Holt and Wayne, and tight end Antonio Gates also are on the doorstep of hearing their name called.
In addition to the 15 modern-era finalists, the selection committee reviews three senior finalists, one coach and one contributor. The committee can select up to eight people from all of the groups of finalists.
The senior finalists are Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe and Jim Tyrer. Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Holmgren and contributor Ralph Hay also are candidates.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony is expected to take place during the first week of August in Canton. The ceremony will be part of an Enshrinement Week that also is set to include the annual preseason Hall of Fame Game and the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner.
Modern-era finalists:
CB Eric Allen (two-time finalist); 14 seasons: 1988-94 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders
The six-time Pro Bowl player from Arizona State finished with 54 career interceptions, which ranks No. 21 all time. He returned eight interceptions for touchdowns, which is tied for eighth in NFL history.
DE Jared Allen (five-time finalist); 12 seasons: 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers
A fourth-round draft pick from Idaho State, the four-time All-Pro had 136 sacks. Every player ahead of him on the all-time sack list, other than fellow first-time finalist Terrell Suggs, is in the Hall of Fame
OT Willie Anderson (four-time finalist); 13 seasons: 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
The 6-foot-5, 340-pound Anderson started 184 of 195 career games and was named to four Pro Bowls in a row from the 2003-06 seasons. He blocked for nine 1,000-yard rushers in his career, and he helped pave the way for Corey Dillon to set single-game records for rushing yards by a rookie (246) and rushing yards by any player (278). Each record stood for nearly three years, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
G Jahri Evans (two-time finalist); 12 seasons: 2006-16 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers
Evans greatly overachieved as a fourth-round pick (No. 108 overall) out of Division II Bloomsburg (Pa.) University. He started each of the 183 games in which he played, and he was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls from the 2009-14 seasons. He was part of a Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV, and he was named to the Saints Hall of Fame in 2021.
TE Antonio Gates (two-time finalist); 16 seasons: 2003-18 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
Gates entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent after playing basketball at Kent State. He went on to become one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection caught 116 touchdown passes, which ranks No. 1 all time among tight ends and No. 7 all time among all receivers. He had 21 career multi-touchdown games, which also is the most by any tight end. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
WR Torry Holt (six-time finalist); 11 seasons: 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
Holt was a key member of the “Greatest Show on Turf” teams in St. Louis that included Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Ricky Proehl and others. To cap his rookie season, he had seven catches for a 109 yards and a touchdown to help the Rams beat the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV. He led the NFL in receiving yards in 2000 and 2003, and he had 80-plus catches in eight consecutive seasons. Holt was named to seven Pro Bowls.
LB Luke Kuechly (first-time eligible, finalist); 8 seasons: 2012-19 Carolina Panthers
As the No. 9 overall pick out of Boston College in 2012, Kuechly immediately took over as the heart of the Panthers’ defense. He twice led the NFL in tackles, including in his rookie season. He topped 100 tackles in each of his eight seasons, and he also notched 18 interceptions, 12.5 sacks and 31 quarterback hits in his career. He won the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in the NFL in 2014, 2015 and 2017 and a five-time All-Pro before retiring at age 28 after suffering multiple concussions in his career.
QB Eli Manning (first-time eligible, finalist); 16 seasons: 2004-2019 New York Giants
Peyton’s little brother was the No. 1 pick in 2004 by the Chargers and was traded to the New York Giants, where he spent 16 seasons, started 210 consecutive games (of 236), won two Lombardi trophies and was two-time Super Bowl MVP.
WR Steve Smith Sr. (first-time finalist); 16 seasons: 2001-13 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens
The Panthers selected Smith in the third round (No. 74) out of Utah in 2001, and he quickly emerged as a top-tier talent. He was the only rookie to make the Pro Bowl that season, which was the first of five Pro Bowls that he would reach. He finished his career with 1,031 catches for 14,731 yards and 81 touchdowns. He also scored six touchdowns on special teams (four punt returns, two kick returns).
OLB Terrell Suggs (first-time eligible, finalist); 17 seasons: 2003-18 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
Suggs was one of the most dominant players on one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL for more than a decade. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection racked up double-digit sacks in seven seasons and finished his career with 139 sacks. He was named as the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003, and he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.
RB Fred Taylor (two-time finalist); 13 seasons: 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-10 New England Patriots
The former Florida Gator was the Jaguars’ first-round pick (No. 9 overall) in 1998, and he scored 17 touchdowns from scrimmage as a rookie to set a franchise record that still stands. He topped 1,000 rushing yards seven times in his career, including his best season in 2003 when he rushed for 1,572 yards. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry during his career and finished with 74 touchdowns (66 rushing, eight receiving).
K Adam Vinatieri (first-time eligible, finalist); 24 seasons: 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-19 Indianapolis Colts
Vinatieri earned four Super Bowl rings — three with the Patriots and one with the Colts. He is the career points leader for both franchises, with 1,158 career points for New England and 1,515 career points for Indianapolis. He also is the NFL’s all-time leader in points (2,673), field goals (599) and 100-point seasons (21). He was named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team and the league’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
WR Reggie Wayne (six-time finalist); 14 seasons: 2001-14 Indianapolis Colts
Wayne stood out during both the regular season and the playoffs during his long career, which included 12 trips to the postseason. He topped 1,000 receiving yards eight times, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl six times in a seven-year period. He also won a Super Bowl with the Colts, and he caught 93 passes in the postseason, which ranked second all-time when he retired. He finished his career with 1,070 catches for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns.
S Darren Woodson (three-time finalist); 12 seasons: 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys
Woodson was a key defender on three Super Bowl-winning teams in Dallas (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX). He was named to five Pro Bowls and he finished his career as the Cowboys’ all-time leader with 1,350 tackles. He had 26 interceptions including the postseason, and he returned two of those interceptions for touchdowns. He was named to the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in 2015.
G/OT Marshal Yanda (first-time eligible, finalist); 13 seasons: 2007-19 Baltimore Ravens
Yanda earned eight Pro Bowl selections and helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers. He started 166 of 177 career games. After an injury cut short his season in 2017, he returned to finish his career with back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns in 2018-19. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 4 TENNESSEE NIPS NO. 15 MISSOURI
Zakai Zeigler scored a season-high 21 points and handed out eight assists to help No. 4 Tennessee record an 85-81 victory over No. 15 Missouri on Wednesday night in Southeastern Conference play at Knoxville, Tenn.
Igor Milicic Jr. also had 21 points and a season-best four blocked shots to go with 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals for Tennessee (19-4, 6-4 SEC), which won its second straight game.
Tamar Bates scored 22 points and Tony Perkins added 16 for Missouri (17-5, 6-3), which lost for just the second time in eight games. Caleb Grill had 11 points for the Tigers, who committed just three turnovers while forcing 11 Tennessee miscues.
The Volunteers were a blistering 10 of 15 from 3-point range and shot 50 percent overall from the field. The Tigers made 41.7 percent of their shots and were 12 of 30 from behind the arc.
No. 2 Duke 83, Syracuse 54
Tyrese Proctor scored 16 points, Kon Knueppel added 12 and the Blue Devils extended the nation’s longest active winning streak with a rout of the host Orange.
Cooper Flagg tallied 11 points for Duke (20-2, 12-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which never trailed en route to its 16th straight win. The Blue Devils secured their best start in ACC play since the 2005-06 campaign (14-0).
Jyare Davis and J.J. Starling each scored 12 points and Naheem McLeod had 10 to lead the Orange (10-13, 4-8), who lost for the fourth time in five games. Syracuse finished with its lowest point total of the season.
No. 17 Memphis 83, Tulsa 71
PJ Haggerty scored a game-high 23 points and the Tigers stayed atop the American Athletic Conference with an win over the visiting Golden Hurricane.
Dain Dainja stuffed the stat sheet for Memphis (19-4, 9-1 AAC) with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots and three steals. The Tigers canned 56.7 percent from the field en route to their sixth straight win.
Tyshawn Archie came off the bench to score 17 points for the Golden Hurricane (9-14, 3-7). Tulsa converted 53.6 percent of its field-goal attempts but took its third consecutive loss.
Rutgers 82, No. 23 Illinois 73
Dylan Harper racked up 28 points, six rebounds and five assists in his return from a two-game injury absence and the Scarlet Knights blew a 17-point lead before coming back to upset the Fighting Illini in Piscataway, N.J.
Ace Bailey added 18 points and 11 rebounds and Jeremiah Williams scored 13 for Rutgers (12-11, 5-7 Big Ten). After squandering a major advantage, the Scarlet Knights used a 15-5 run to regain control in the home stretch.
Will Riley led Illinois (15-8, 7-6) with 18 points and six assists off the bench, but the Fighting Illini lost for the fifth time in eight game
No. 24 Michigan 80, Oregon 76
Will Tschetter came off the bench to score 17 points as the Wolverines knocked off the Ducks in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Danny Wolf had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Vladislav Goldin scored 15 points, Nimari Burnett had 13 and Tre Donaldson 12 points for Michigan (17-5, 9-2 Big Ten), which has won three straight games.
Jackson Shelstad scored 18 points, Nate Bittle had 16 points, Keeshawn Barthelemy scored 15 points and TJ Bamba had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Oregon (16-7, 5-7), which has lost four straight and five of six.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: KANSAS ST. GRABS TOP SPOT IN BIG 12
Serena Sundell tallied 27 points, six rebounds and four assists to help No. 12 Kansas State take sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a 59-50 win over visiting No. 9 TCU on Wednesday in Manhattan, Kan.
Kansas State (22-2, 10-1 Big 12) trailed 25-19 at halftime, but Sundell saved 23 of her points for the second half, when she shot 9-for-13 from the field. Jaelyn Glenn added 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting for the Wildcats.
Sedona Prince put up 14 points and 11 rebounds for TCU (21-3, 9-2), while Hailey Van Lith contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Horned Frogs lost for their second time in four outings, while the Wildcats are 17-1 in a span that began Nov 27.
TCU opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to flip a seven-point deficit into a 44-43 lead. Sundell responded by scoring eight of her team’s 16 points in the frame.
No. 7 Southern California 86, Wisconsin 64
Kiki Iriafen led five players in double figures with 15 points for the visiting Trojans, who coasted past the Badgers in Madison, Wis.
JuJu Watkins and Avery Howell each had 14 points, Talia von Oelhoffen added 11 and Kayleigh Heckel recorded 10 points, five assists and three steals for USC (20-2, 10-1 Big Ten), which rebounded from a loss Sunday at Iowa by shooting 50.7 percent on field goals.
Serah Williams paced Wisconsin (11-12, 2-10) with 19 points, while Carter McCray posted 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Tess Myers also scored 12 points.
No. 18 West Virginia 76, Kansas 43
Sydney Shaw scored a career-high 22 points and Ja’Naiya Quinerly added 16 as the Mountaineers smothered the Jayhawks in Morgantown, W.Va.
West Virginia (18-4, 8-3 Big 12) scored the first 18 points of the game and nearly blanked Kansas in the first quarter before the Jayhawks managed six points in the last 35 seconds. Jordan Harrison finished with 15 points, six rebounds and four of the Mountaineers’ 17 steals. They forced 29 turnovers in all.
S’Mya Nichols scored 12 points to lead Kan
NBA NEWS
REPORT: BUTLER TRADED TO WARRIORS, INKS 2-YEAR, $121M EXTENSION
The Miami Heat are finalizing a multi-team trade that will send Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors, who will part with Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round pick, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Butler subsequently agreed to a two-year, $121-million contract extension through the 2026-27 campaign, Charania and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst add. He’s reportedly declining his 2025-26 option in favor of the new deal.
Miami is receiving Golden State’s 2025 first-round pick, which is top-10 protected, NBA insider Zach Lowe reports. The same protections apply in 2026 if the selection doesn’t convey this year and will be unprotected in 2027 should the pick not convey again, per Lowe.
The Detroit Pistons will receive Warriors guard Lindy Waters and Heat wing Josh Richardson as part of the trade, sources told Charania, who adds Schroder is going to the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz are sending veteran forward P.J. Tucker to the Heat, Charania reports.
Anderson will remain with Miami for at least the time being after the Toronto Raptors’ part in the trade fell through, according to Charania.
The Phoenix Suns were reportedly Butler’s top choice, but he also had Golden State on his list of preferred destinations.
Golden State reportedly turned its focus to Butler after Kevin Durant expressed he had no desire to return to the Bay Area.
Butler has missed the last two weeks as he serves his third team-issued suspension this season. He’s averaging 17 points, 5.2 boards, and 4.8 assists over 25 appearances.
Meanwhile, Wiggins played a key role on Golden State’s 2022 championship squad. He’s posted 17.6 points per contest this season and is shooting 37.9% from beyond the arc.
Schroder played just 24 games in a Warriors uniform since his midseason acquisition from the Brooklyn Nets, tallying 10.6 points on 37.5% shooting.
Tucker has yet to make an appearance in 2024-25. He mutually agreed with the Los Angeles Clippers to hold out as they searched for a trade suitor, and the 39-year-old was dealt to the Jazz over the weekend. Tucker spent the 2021-22 campaign with the Heat, averaging 7.6 points and starting 70 games.
REPORT: ROCKETS OBTAIN G JADEN SPRINGER FROM CELTICS
The Houston Rockets are acquiring backup guard Jaden Springer and a 2030 second-round draft pick from the Boston Celtics, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Both teams will exchange protected second-round picks as well.
Springer is averaging 1.7 points and 5.4 minutes in 26 games off the bench for Boston this season. He also was a member of the Celtics’ NBA title team last season.
Springer, 22, has a 2.7 scoring average in 93 NBA games (four starts) in parts of four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and Celtics.
REPORTS: PELICANS SHIP BRANDON INGRAM TO RAPTORS
The New Orleans Pelicans traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors for fellow forwards Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday night.
New Orleans will also receive a first-round pick and a second-round pick in the reported deal, which comes hours after both teams played Wednesday. The Pelicans lost 144-119 at Denver, and the Raptors fell 138-107 to the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.
Ingram, 27, has been out for nearly two months with an ankle injury and has played only 18 games this season.
He was with the team on the bench Wednesday night in the first half but did not return when the team took the court in the second half.
Ingram was an NBA All-Star in 2019-20, when he was named the league’s Most Improved Player. He is in the final year of a five-year, $158.3 million deal and can become an unrestricted free agent in June.
Ingram is averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season, which was his sixth with New Orleans. The Pelicans acquired him in the trade with the Lakers that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles. The Lakers selected Ingram No. 2 overall in the 2016 draft.
With New Orleans, Ingram counted 25.6 percent of the team salary cap this season with a cap hit of more than $36 million.
In 495 career regular-season games, he has averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
Ingram put up more than 20 points per game every season with the Pelicans.
Brown, 28, is averaging 8.4 points per game with Toronto and has played in 434 career games (256 starts). He played 18 minutes and scored eight points in the Wednesday loss to Memphis that dropped Toronto’s record to 16-35.
Olynyk, 33, has been limited to 24 games this season mostly due to a back injury that sidelined him until his debut on Dec. 7. He scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds Wednesday to push his averages up to 7.1 and 3.7, respectively, this season.
The 12th-year pro has appeared in 780 games (263 starts), averaging 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest.
REPORT: BUCKS DEAL KHRIS MIDDLETON TO WIZARDS FOR KYLE KUZMA
The Milwaukee Bucks are trading three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.
The Bucks will receive forward Kyle Kuzma in exchange for Middleton, who won an NBA championship with Milwaukee in 2020-21 and a gold medal with the United States at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Milwaukee also sends rookie guard A.J. Johnson to Washington, with the Wizards sending forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. along with a future pick swap and second-round draft compensation to the Bucks.
Middleton, 33, is in his 12th season with Milwaukee. After recovering from offseason surgery on his ankles, he has played in just 23 games (seven starts) this season and averaged 12.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds.
Including his 2012-13 rookie season with the Detroit Pistons, Middleton has career averages of 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 762 games (657 starts). He played in the All-Star games in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Middleton is on the books for $31.7 million this season and has a $34 million player option for next season.
Middleton moves from the Bucks (26-22), who entered Wednesday in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, to the last-place Wizards and their NBA-worst 8-41 record.
Kuzma, 29, is averaging 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32 games (30 starts) this season. For his career, he has averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 boards and 2.7 assists with the Los Angeles Lakers (2017-21) and Wizards.
Kuzma is under contract through the 2026-27 season, having signed a four-year $90 million contract with the Wizards in July 2023.
Johnson, 20, was the 23rd pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He has contributed 2.9 points and 6.3 minutes in seven games off the Bucks’ bench.
Baldwin, 22, was the 28th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He has appeared in 22 games off the Washington bench this season, averaging 2.1 points and 4.6 minutes.
PELICANS TRADING C DANIEL THEIS TO OKC
The Oklahoma City Thunder are acquiring veteran center Daniel Theis from the New Orleans Pelicans, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.
The Pelicans are also sending a 2031 second-round pick to the Thunder, according to the reports.
It’s unclear what the Thunder are sending in return, per the reports, but it doesn’t have to be a player, given that Theis takes the team’s final roster spot.
Theis, 32, provides depth at center while the Thunder await Chet Holmgren to return from his injury. Theis is averaging 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 16.3 minutes in 38 games (nine starts) this season, his only one in New Orleans.
He averages 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in 411 career games (160 starts) for six teams, most notably the Boston Celtics (2017-21; 2022).
NBA ROUNDUP: SPURS GET LAST-SECOND WIN IN DE’AARON FOX’S DEBUT
Victor Wembanyama made a go-ahead free throw with 2.9 seconds remaining and De’Aaron Fox shined in his Spurs debut as San Antonio escaped with a 126-125 win over the host Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Fox, acquired from the Sacramento Kings on Monday as part of a three-team trade that also involved the Chicago Bulls, poured in 24 points on 11-of-22 shooting and dished out 13 assists. One of his misses led to a Wembanyama putback dunk that put the Spurs up 125-123 with 30.4 seconds left.
Atlanta’s Trae Young sank a floater with 8.5 seconds remaining to tie the game, but Onyeka Okongwu fouled Wembanyama on the next possession. Wembanyama intentionally missed his second free-throw attempt, and Young followed with a 45-foot heave that was off the mark.
Wembanyama paired 24 points with 12 rebounds for the Spurs, who won despite getting outshot from the field (52.7 percent to 50.5 percent). Devin Vassell added 20 points and Jeremy Sochan supplied 15 off the bench as San Antonio won for just the third time in 10 games.
Young led all scorers with 32 points. He also had 12 assists but committed nine turnovers. Okongwu (30 points), De’Andre Hunter (22) and Dyson Daniels (19) also scored in double figures as Atlanta lost for the ninth time in its past 10 games.
Thunder 140, Suns 109
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 50 points to lead Oklahoma City to a home win over Phoenix.
It was the third 50-plus-point game of Gilgeous-Alexander’s career, all of them coming over the past seven games. Oklahoma City got 17 points from Aaron Wiggins and 13 from Jalen Williams.
Bradley Beal, a big factor in Phoenix’s early success, scored 25 off the bench to lead the Suns. Devin Booker added 19 points, and Royce O’Neale had 18.
Timberwolves 127, Bulls 108
Anthony Edwards scored 49 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Minnesota pulled away for a win over Chicago in Minneapolis.
Naz Reid recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which snapped a two-game skid. Rudy Gobert racked up 10 points and 15 rebounds, and Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each put up 12 points.
Coby White scored 20 points to lead the Bulls, who played on short rest after beating the visiting Miami Heat one night earlier. Josh Giddey finished with 19 points, and Nikola Vucevic notched 10 points and 11 boards.
Wizards 119, Nets 102
Bilal Coulibaly’s first career triple-double headlined a balanced showing as Washington cruised to its first three-game winning streak of the season with a rout of host Brooklyn.
Coulibaly finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists. He was one of seven Wizards players to score in double figures, led by Jordan Poole with 19 points. An astounding 40 of Washington’s 44 field goals came off assists to facilitate the team scoring effort. Poole dished eight assists, and Bub Carrington doled out a career-best 10 assists to go with his 16 points.
The Nets had a three-game winning streak snapped and held all three of those opponents under 100 points. Keon Johnson led all scorers with 25 points, while Cameron Johnson added 17 points in his first action since Jan. 21 due to an ankle injury.
Jazz 131, Warriors 128
Jordan Clarkson scored 31 points, Keyonte George added 26 and Utah made a furious comeback to erase a late double-digit deficit and beat Golden State in Salt Lake City.
Playing under the shadow of a widely reported massive four-team trade, including these two, Golden State led 122-111 with three minutes left. However, the Jazz scored on 10 straight possessions and made a flurry of defensive plays to cap a wild night with an unlikely win.
Stephen Curry led all scorers with 32 points for the Warriors, who reportedly will receive Jimmy Butler from the Heat in the trade.
Nuggets 144, Pelicans 119
Michael Porter Jr. tied his career high with 39 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Nikola Jokic finished with 38 points and 10 assists and host Denver routed New Orleans.
Christian Braun scored 23 points for the Nuggets, who tied their season high in points and swept the two-game home set against the Pelicans.
Zion Williamson put 28 points and Trey Murphy III had 25 points and nine assists, but New Orleans took its seventh loss in a row.
Magic 130, Kings 111
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined for 54 points and Orlando spoiled Zach LaVine’s debut for host Sacramento.
Wagner had five 3-pointers to account for almost half his 31 points, while Banchero complemented 23 points with nine assists for the Magic, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Domantas Sabonis had a 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings, who inserted LaVine into the starting lineup two days after acquiring him from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal. LaVine totaled 13 points, shooting just 4-for-13.
Bucks 112, Hornets 102
Damian Lillard poured in 29 points and Bobby Portis racked up 23 as visiting Milwaukee halted a four-game losing streak by drilling Charlotte.
Brook Lopez provided 14 points, Gary Trent Jr. came off the bench for 13 points and Taurean Prince had 11 points for the Bucks, who built an early double-digit lead. The Bucks, who shot 50.6 percent from the field, played again without star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, their leading scorer (31.8 points per game) and rebounder (12.2).
The Hornets suffered their sixth consecutive loss despite 23 points from Nick Smith Jr. Miles Bridges and KJ Simpson each scored 15 points, while Moussa Diabate, who hauled in 13 rebounds, and Tidjane Salaun supplied 10 points apiece.
Cavaliers 118, Pistons 115
Darius Garland made a 3-pointer as time expired to allow visiting Cleveland to continue its dominance of Detroit.
Garland made his transition basket after Cleveland squandered an eight-point lead in the final minute. Garland finished with 25 points as Cleveland defeated Detroit for the 12th straight time. Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four blocked shots. Craig Porter Jr. supplied 16 points, and Max Strus added 15.
Cade Cunningham carried the Pistons with 38 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 20 points and Ausar Thompson 12.
Grizzlies 138, Raptors 107
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 14 of his 32 points in the second quarter as visiting Memphis defeated Toronto.
Ja Morant added 26 points for the Grizzlies, who have won four in a row and 10 of 11. Toronto-born rookie Zach Edey had 13 points and 15 rebounds for Memphis. GG Jackson added 17 points, Brandon Clarke scored 13 points and Scotty Pippen Jr. contributed 12 points.
Scottie Barnes produced 11 points and nine assists for the Raptors, who have lost two in a row. Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter each scored 14 points, Gradey Dick had 13 and Davion Mitchell and Jonathan Mogbo each scored 10.
Heat 108, 76ers 101
Tyler Herro scored 30 points and Nikola Jovic shined in a complementary role as Miami topped host Philadelphia amid a major roster shakeup.
ESPN reported during the first half that the Heat had agreed to trade disgruntled star Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors as part of a multi-team deal. If the Miami players knew about the trade, it certainly didn’t faze them as they held off Philadelphia for their fourth win in six games.
Jovic shot 8-of-9 from the field and finished with a season-high 23 points for Miami, which overcame 22 turnovers. Seven of those were committed by Herro and seven more by Bam Adebayo, who contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points to lead Philadelphia, which had won five of its previous seven games.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: SHORT-HANDED GOAL CAPS RANGERS’ RALLY PAST BRUINS
Chris Kreider scored a tiebreaking short-handed goal with 8:06 remaining as the host New York Rangers rallied again in the third period for a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
The Rangers won for the third time this season when trailing after 40 minutes and for the second time in as many games.
Kreider’s third short-handed goal of the season helped the Rangers improve to 9-3-3 in their past 15 games. Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin also scored for New York. Mika Zibanejad had two assists, and Igor Shesterkin made 15 saves.
David Pastrnak scored his 11th goal during a 12-game points streak and Elias Lindholm also tallied for the Bruins, who lost for the first time in regulation (16-1-4) when taking a lead into the third. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 19 shots.
Oilers 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)
Zach Hyman scored a power-play goal in overtime and Leon Draisaitl and Jeff Skinner each had a goal and assist to lift the visiting Edmonton past Chicago.
Calvin Pickard stopped 29 shots for the Oilers, who also got a goal from Viktor Arvidsson. Edmonton won in overtime for the second night in a row, after a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Ryan Donato had a goal and an assist in the last eight minutes of regulation as Chicago wiped up a two-goal deficit. Alec Martinez had the tying tally with 3:44 to go. Lukas Reichel also scored, Teuvo Teravainen recorded two assists and Arvid Soderblom made 34 saves.
Kings 6, Canadiens 3
Kevin Fiala scored two third-period goals, leading Los Angeles to a win against visiting Montreal.
Vladislav Gavrikov and Warren Foegele each had a goal and an assist, Quinton Byfield notched three assists and Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves for the Kings, who have won two in a row following a season-worst four-game skid (0-3-1). Los Angeles’ Brandt Clarke and Trevor Moore also scored.
Defenseman Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier and Logan Mailloux scored and Jakub Dobes made 31 saves for the Canadiens, who have dropped six of seven (1-5-1).
BASEBALL NEWS
REPORTS: METS RETAIN PETE ALONSO FOR TWO YEARS, $54M
After months on the free agent market, Pete Alonso reportedly is returning to the New York Mets.
The All-Star first baseman agreed to a two-year, $54 million deal on Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.
Alonso is set to make $30 million this year (including a $10 million signing bonus), then will have a player option worth $24 million for 2026, per the reports.
The New York Post and USA Today reported that Alonso turned down a three-year offer from the Mets (worth $71 million, per USA Today) before accepting the two-year contract.
He rejoins a Mets roster bolstered by the free agent arrival of outfielder Juan Soto on a record 15-year, $765 million deal.
Alonso, 30, is coming off his fourth All-Star season in his six major league campaigns (all with the Mets), but his power numbers were down. He finished with 34 homers and 88 RBIs while batting .240 with a .329 on-base percentage and a .459 slugging percentage. He added four home runs and 10 RBIs while going 12-for-44 (.273) in 13 playoff games as the Mets reached the National League Championship Series.
Alonso produced 40 homers and a major-league-high 131 RBIs in 2022, then posted 46 homers and 118 RBIs in 2023.
He enjoyed his best season while capturing NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, when he socked a major-league-best 53 homers and drove in 120 runs while hitting .260/.358/.583.
Over 846 career games, Alonso owns a .249/.339/.514 batting line with 226 home runs and 586 RBIs.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT CLIPPERS
The Indiana Pacers (28-21) travel to Los Angeles for the first of two games in the city, beginning with a matchup against the Clippers (28-22) on Thursday.
The Pacers head to Los Angeles after a stagnant offensive showing in a 112-89 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. After failing to score 90 points for just the second time this season, Indiana looks to bounce back Thursday against the Clippers.
Los Angeles is 5-5 in its last 10 contests, but comes into the matchup against the Pacers nursing a two-game losing streak. The Clippers lost the Battle of L.A. to their rival Lakers on Tuesday, giving them plenty of motivation as they host the Pacers.
Normal Powell has been the Clippers go-to scorer this season, posting an average of 24 points per game. James Harden averages 21.3 points himself, but also dishes out 8.4 assists. Kawhi Leonard has leaned on his defensive prowess to be effective in the 12 games he’s played this season, but still provides the Clippers with 15.9 points nightly.
Los Angeles boasts the league’s second-best defense by defensive rating, and averages the third-most steals per game at 9.6. The Pacers are also top-10 in steals per game, tallying 8.4 per contest.
After the matchup with the Clippers, the Pacers will remain in Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 4:00 PM ET.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Clippers: G – James Harden, G – Norman Powell, F – Kawhi Leonard, F – Derrick Jones Jr., C – Ivica Zubac
Injury Report
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon), James Wiseman – out (torn left Achilles tendon)
Clippers: Cam Christie – out (ankle)
Last Meeting
Mar. 25, 2024: Pascal Siakam’s 31 points led a surging Pacers offense over the Clippers in Los Angeles, 133-116.
Indiana had three players post 20+ points in the matchup – Tyrese Haliburton (21), Myles Turner (24), and Siakam (31). T.J. McConnell contributed 15 more points off the bench. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard each led the Clippers with 26 points, and Norman Powell notched 22 off the Los Angeles bench.
Indiana found a groove from long range as it shot 60.7 percent from deep and 58.1 percent from the field. The Clippers couldn’t match that efficiency, connecting on just 30 percent of their 3-point shots and 54.1 percent of their field goals. Los Angeles won the rebound battle, 36-35, with Ivica Zubac grabbing 11 rebounds.
The contest marked the Pacers’ third win in four games, and was the Clippers’ fifth straight loss at home.
Noteworthy
Nembhard was named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for January on Tuesday, and Carlisle was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month on Monday.
Pascal Siakam collected the 4,000th rebound of his career against Portland on Tuesday.
The Pacers are a league-leading 12-3 since the new year.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
INDY IGNITE
INDY IGNITE HOST REIGNING PVF CHAMPS ON GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS NIGHT
Thursday is an important night for the Indy Ignite, and not just because they’re hosting defending Pro Volleyball Federation champion Omaha. Coming one day following National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the newest women’s professional sports franchise in Indianapolis will commemorate the occasion with its own Girls & Women in Sports Night.
The match begins at 7 p.m. ET Thursday at Fishers Event Center but will be preceded by a panel discussion featuring three of Indianapolis’ most respected women leaders who are spearheading the growth of women’s and girls’ sports in the city. The panel consists of Mary Kay Huse, Indy Ignite president and general manager; Sarah Myer, Indiana Sports Corp chief of staff and strategy; and Allison Barber, Marvella Foundation founder. Sheri Fella, founder and CEO of Bloombase, will moderate the discussion.
The event begins with a happy hour at 5 p.m., with the panel discussion commencing at 5:30 p.m. Anyone with a game ticket is welcome to attend.
“I love seeing all of the observances of National Girls and Women in Sports Day,” the Ignite’s Huse said. “Even more, I love digging into what that really means, which is what we’re going to do Thursday with Sarah, Allison, Sheri and myself. At the Ignite, where we celebrate girls and women in sports every day, we’re honored to have incredible support from companies like Bloombase and the other transformative organizations the women on the panel represent.”
The Indy-Omaha match will feature two of the top PVF teams. The Ignite – in their first season as an expansion franchise – are 4-2 in the 2025 season, the second-best record in the league. The Supernovas are right behind at 4-3. This will be the first of four regular-season meetings between the two teams.
Tickets for every Ignite home match are available at IndyIgniteVB.com. Indy is also playing host to the inaugural PVF All-Star Match on Saturday, February 22. Tickets for that star-studded event are available at ProVolleyball.com/pvftickets or the Fishers Event Center box office.
PVF All-Star Voting Ends Friday
Fan voting ends Friday to select players for the PVF All-Star Match to be held at Fishers Event Center on February 22. It’s the chance for fans to cast ballots to see their favorite Ignite players compete in front of their home crowd in the inaugural All-Star Match along with the league’s best. The match will air live on the CBS national network beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Visit ProVolleyball.com/vote to vote. Two players may be selected for each position (outside hitter, opposite hitter, middle blocker, libero and setter). Every player on every PVF team is eligible. The top vote-getters at each position will earn a spot on the All-Star roster, with additional players selected by PVF coaches and the league office.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
RUTGERS UP NEXT FOR INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ON THURSDAY
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball is prepped to host Rutgers in Big Ten action on Thursday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
GAME DAY INFO
Indiana (14-7, 6-4 B1G) vs. Rutgers (9-13, 1-10 B1G)
Thursday, February 6, 2025 • 6 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall • Bloomington, Ind.
Broadcast: BTN (Mike Hall, Brenda VanLengen)
Radio: B97 (Austin Render)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram
ABOUT THE COACHES
Indiana Rutgers
Teri Moren Coquese Washington
Career Record: 438-236 (22nd Season) Career Record: 238-225 (15th Season)
Indiana Record: 237-106 (11th Season) Rutgers Record: 29-56 (3rd Season)
ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers is coming off a week of rest after splitting games with a win at Penn State (Jan. 26) and a loss to Illinois (Jan. 30). Freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller paces the offense with 19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Senior guard Destiny Adams adds 17.5 points per contest while leading on the glass with 9.9 rebounds per game. The Scarlet Knight are averaging 69.0 points per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field.
SERIES HISTORY
Indiana leads series 8-6
LAST MEETING
12/9/23 – W, 66-56 (Piscataway, N.J.)
NOTES
Junior guard Yarden Garzon was named to the Big Ten Player of the Week honor roll after turning in a pair of impressive performances last week against Washington and Nebraska. She averaged 27.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals and held a +1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio while shooting 65.5 percent from the floor and 68.4 percent from the 3-point line. The Ra’anana, Israel native scored a career-high 35 points on an 8-for-10 performance from the arc. She followed up that performance with a team-high 19 points with five triples in a win over Nebraska.
The Hoosiers corrected a three-game home skid in the win over the Cornhuskers on Sunday, 76-60. In a balanced effort, Indiana had four players score in double figures, shot 46 percent from the floor and had 25 assists on 29 made field goals. To accompany Garzon’s game-high 19 points, graduate student Chloe Moore-McNeil scored 15 points with a team-high seven assists, seven rebounds and four steals.
Indiana continues to draw one of the nation’s largest crowds at an average of 10,718 fans per game. It ranks fourth among all Division I program this season.
Garzon also continues to make a run at the all-time 3-pointers made record in Indiana history as she has knocked down 192 triples in her three-year career. The current record stands at 206 held by Kris McGrade for over three decades ago (1991-94).
Moore-McNeil is a proven winner for the Hoosiers in her five-year career. In the season opener against Brown, she notched her 100th career victory in an IU uniform and has won 113 total games during her time in Bloomington, which ranks third all-time. The Greenfield, Tenn. native has played in 141 games in her career, the second-most of any player in school history. She only trails Grace Berger (148) in career games played at Indiana.
UP NEXT
Indiana is on the road for the next two starting with Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff at The Barn is set for 3 p.m. ET on B1G+.
INDIANA FOOTBALL
CLASS OF 2025 FINALIZED FOR INDIANA FOOTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana football program and head coach Curt Cignetti wrapped up the 2025 signing class with 42 scholarship newcomers added to the roster. Of those, 33 are on campus for the spring semester, which includes 19 transfers and 14 freshmen into the program for spring ball. The Hoosiers also added five other student-athletes to the roster as walk-ons.
In all, IU signed 21 players on offense and 19 on defense and two specialists. Indiana’s defense added nine defensive backs, seven defensive linemen and three linebackers, while the Hoosier offense on boarded five offensive linemen, five wide receivers, four tight ends, three running backs and three quarterbacks. Special teams added one kickers and one punter.
Each of the 19 transfers arrive from the FBS level, with 11 from Power 4 programs and eight from Group of Five teams. Eleven of the transfers come on the offensive side of the football, six are on the defensive side of the ball and two are specialists.
The signees will arrive in Bloomington from 18 different states and Australia. Five are from Indiana, while four each arrive from Florida, Illinois and Ohio. Three come from both Georgia and Virginia, while two apiece are from Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Alabama, California, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Nebraska and Pennsylvania saw one signee each. Punter Mitch McCarthy arrives from the mainland of Australia via UCF.
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Triston Abram DL 6-3 230 Fr. St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers
Byron Baldwin Jr. DB 6-2 195 Fr. Baltimore, Md./Saint Frances Academy
Andrew Barker TE 6-4 240 Fr. Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo
Lee Beebe Jr. RB 5-10 220 R-Jr. Montgomery, Ala./Park Crossing (UAB)
Jacob Bell QB 6-2 2-2 Fr. Naperville, Ill./Naperville North
Jaylen Bell DB 5-10 179 Fr. Union, N.J./Grayson
Kahlil Benson OL 6-6 305 R-Sr.+ Webb, Miss./Southaven (Colorado)
Lebron Bond WR 5-9 175 Fr. Norfolk, Va./Maury
Devan Boykin DB 5-10 195 R-Sr.+ Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale (NC State)
Tyrone Burrus Jr. DL 6-4 245 Fr. Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central
Keishaun Calhoun DL 6-2 260 Fr. Groveport, Ohio/Groveport-Madison
Davion Chandler WR 5-11 180 Fr. Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North
Pat Coogan OL 6-5 310 R-Sr. Palos Heights, Ill./Marist (Notre Dame)
Sean Cuono RB 5-10 208 Fr. Clearwater, Fla./Clearwater Central Catholic
Jamari Farmer LB 6-0 210 Fr. Mooresville, N.C./Mooresville
Brendan Franke K 6-3 230 R-Sr.+ Gretna, Neb./Gretna (Texas State)
Ryland Gandy DB 6-0 180 R-So. Buford, Ga./Buford (Pitt)
Kyler Garcia DL 6-4 293 Fr. Nashville, Tenn./Pearl-Cohn
Jhrevious Hall DL 6-2 310 Fr. Columbia, Tenn./Columbia Central
Roman Hemby RB 6-0 208 R-Sr. Edgewood, Md./John Carroll (Maryland)
Makai Jackson WR 6-0 200 Sr. Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman (Appalachian State)
Amari Kamara LB 5-11 195 Fr. Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge
Myles Kendrick WR 6-0 181 Fr. Jacksonville, Fla./Riverside
Amariyun Knighten DB 6-0 174 R-Jr. Hollywood, Fla./Stranahan (Northern Illinois)
Matt Marek OL 6-3 298 Fr. Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg
Mitch McCarthy P 6-5 230 Sr. Melbourne, Australia/Frankston (UCF)
Fernando Mendoza QB 6-5 225 R-Jr. Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus (Cal)
Zen Michalski OL 6-6 319 R-Sr. Floyds Knobb, Ind./Floyd Central (Ohio State)
Louis Moore DB 5-11 200 R-Sr.+ Mesquite, Texas/Poteet (Ole Miss)
Tyler Morris WR 5-11 185 Sr. Bolingbrook, Ill./Nazareth Academy (Michigan)
PJ Nelson LB 6-1 212 Fr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton
Riley Nowakowski TE 6-1 243 R-Sr.+ Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette University High School (Wisconsin)
Evan Parker OL 6-4 302 Fr. Carmel, Ind./Carmel
Dominique Ratcliff DL 6-3 295 R-Sr.+ Conroe, Texas/Conroe (Texas State)
Garrett Reese DB 6-2 190 Fr. Chicago, Ill./Nazareth Academy
Zacharey Smith DB 5-11 161 Fr. Union City, Ga./Hapeville Charter Academy
Holden Staes TE 6-4 248 Sr. Atlanta, Ga./Westminster School (Tennessee)
Seaonta Stewart Jr. DB 6-1 195 Fr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods
Blake Thiry TE 6-4 228 Fr. Prairie Du Chien, Wis./Prairie De Chien
Hosea Wheeler DL 6-3 300 R-Sr. Elk Grove, Calif./Franklin (Western Kentucky)
Baylor Wilkin OL 6-5 268 Fr. Van Buren, Ohio/Findlay
Grant Wilson QB 6-3 217 R-Sr.+ Arlington, Va./Yorktown (Old Dominion)
PURDUE FOOTBALL
ODOM’S FIRST CLASS FEATURES 40 NEW BOILERMAKERS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After attacking the transfer portal during his first two months on the job, Purdue Football head coach Barry Odom welcomed two new Boilermakers on National Signing Day (Feb. 5). The addition of defensive end Mason Alnutt and defensive back Maxwell Barbee on Wednesday brought the 2025 Purdue signing class to 40 new Boilermakers (29 transfers, 11 high school signees).
“We are excited about this class, which is a great mix of high school and transfer talent,” said Odom. “This class will provide a strong foundation to the future success of this program. I’m very appreciative of the assistant coaches and all involved in the recruiting process to build this class. Purdue University is a special place, and I know these guys will promote the values within the Purdue and Greater Lafayette communities.”
The incoming class features players from 19 different states as well as two Canadian provinces. Odom and his staff brought in talent from all three phases of the game with 19 defensive players, 20 offensive players and one punter. All 29 transfers, along with six high school signees, have already arrived on campus to join the team for spring practice.
The transfer class is made up of 15 seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and six redshirt freshmen. Seven transfers joined Odom in making the move from UNLV to Purdue for the upcoming 2025 campaign.
The lists of transfers and high school signees can be found below.
Purdue Football Signing Class of 2025
Name Class Position Height Weight Hometown (Previous School)
Mason Alnutt Fr. DE 6-4 250 East Amherst, N.Y. (Canisius)
Maxwell Barbee Fr. DB 6-2 180 Long Beach, Calif. (Wilson)
Landon Brooks* Fr. DE 6-5 220 Albany, Ind. (Delta)
Chad Brown* Sr. DB 6-2 183 Trenton, N.J. (Nevada)
Evans Chuba * R-Fr. QB 6-3 215 Montreal, Quebec (Washington State)
Vi’Naz Cobb* Fr. DB 6-1 190 St. Louis, Mo. (Cardinal Ritter)
EJ Colson* R-Fr. QB 6-1 200 Byron, Ga. (UCF)
Carson Dean* So. LB 6-4 234 Frisco, Texas (Arkansas)
Sam Dubwig* R-Fr. P 6-3 231 Cabot, Ark. (Arkansas)
Christian Earls* Sr. TE 6-8 290 Chandler, Ariz. (UNLV)
Tony Grimes* Sr. DB 6-2 190 Virginia Beach, Va. (UNLV)
Jon Grimmett* Fr. TE 6-4 220 Pauls Valley, Okla. (Pauls Valley)
EJ Horton Jr.* Sr. WR 6-1 185 Louisville, Ky. (FAU)
Breeon Ishmail* So. DE 6-3 260 Cincinnati, Ohio (Michigan)
Nathan Leacock* R-Fr. WR 6-3 217 Rolesville, N.C. (Tennessee)
TJ Lindsey* R-Fr. DL 6-3 294 Little Rock, Ark. (Auburn)
Chauncey Magwood* Sr. WR 6-0 187 Albany, Ga. (UCF)
Parker Meese* Fr. LB 6-2 215 Dallas, Texas (Fayetteville (Ark.))
Christian Moore* Sr. TE 6-3 240 Huntington Beach, Calif. (UNLV)
Isaiah Myers* Jr. WR 6-5 180 Cincinnati, Ohio (Charlotte)
CJ Nunnally IV* Sr. DL 6-3 240 Douglasville, Ga. (Akron)
Garyt Odom* Fr. QB 6-2 180 Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville)
Zyntreacs Otey Fr. DB 5-11 165 Franklin, Tenn. (Battle Ground)
Mani Powell* Sr. LB 6-2 230 Columbus, Ohio (UNLV)
Luca Puccinelli* R-Fr. TE 6-6 250 Glen Allen, Va. (Wake Forest)
Hank Purvis* So. OL 6-5 330 Wichita, Kan. (UNLV)
Tahj Ra-El* Sr. DB 6-2 192 Charlotte, N.C. (Memphis)
Charles Ross* Sr. WR 6-1 165 Culver City, Calif. (USC)
Alex Sanford Jr.* Jr. LB 6-1 225 Oxford, Miss. (Arkansas)
Malachi Singleton* So. QB 6-1 225 Kennesaw, Ga. (Arkansas)
Jalen St. John* Sr. OL 6-5 330 St. Louis, Mo. (UNLV)
Ziaire Stevens* Fr. RB 5-9 185 Akron, Ohio (East)
Sam Steward Fr. LB 6-1 215 Ft. Wayne, Ind. (Homestead)
Jaron Thomas Fr. RB 6-0 200 Elkhart, Ind. (Concord)
Malachi Thomas* Sr. RB 6-0 215 Hartwell, Ga. (Virginia Tech)
Richard Toney Jr.* Sr. DB 6-0 195 Arlington, Texas (TCU)
Ryan Turner* Jr. DB 6-0 191 Broward County, Fla. (Boston College)
Giordano Vaccaro* Sr. OL 6-3 305 Winnipeg, Manitoba (University of Manitoba)
Mason Vicari* So. OL 6-4 305 Sacramento, Calif. (UNLV)
Crew Wakley* Sr. DB 6-0 200 Sandy, Utah (BYU)
*Mid-year enrollee
PURDUE FOOTBALL
SOFTBALL SLATED TO OPEN SEASON AT NO. 8 TEXAS A&M
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – To kickoff the 2025 season, the Boilermakers will travel to College Station from Feb. 6-9 to take on the nationally ranked, No. 8 Aggies of Texas A&M, as a part of the Aggie Classic. Purdue will take on five different competitors, including two ranked teams (#8 Texas A&M, #20 Baylor), to begin a stacked preseason slate.
Purdue will officially begin its 2025 season with a contest on Feb. 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET taking on the host team, who topped at No. 8 in the preseason National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll. The following day, the Boilers will begin with Villanova at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by another ranked opponent and Texas native, No. 20 Baylor. On Saturday, Feb. 8, Purdue has a lone game against Abilene Christian, before closing out with Utah State and the Aggies again on Sunday, Feb. 9.
The Boilers return key experience with six seniors, including left-handed ace, Kendall Klochack, and starting catcher, Ryen Ross. Purdue also returns key assets such as Khloe Banks, Moriah Polar, and Julia Gossett who each earned preseason Big Ten Player to Watch mentions.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, Feb. 6 – Purdue at No. 8 Texas A&M – 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Friday, Feb. 7 – Purdue vs. Villanova – 12:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Feb. 7 – Purdue vs. No. 20 Baylor – 5:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 8 – Purdue vs. Abilene Christian – 9:00 a.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 9 – Purdue vs. Utah State – 9:00 a.m. ET
Sunday, Feb 9 – Purdue at No. 8 Texas A&M – 12:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
In 2024, the Texas A&M Aggies had a .746 winning percentage, going 44-15 on the year. After falling in the SEC tournament to the seventh-ranked Florida Gators, the Aggies went on to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and hosted a regional. Texas A&M defeated the University of Albany and Texas State to move on to the Austin Super Regional hosted by No. 1 Texas. The Aggies battled the number one team in the country, taking the opening victory 6-5, before falling in back-to-back one run games, including a nine-inning fight, to end their season.
Villanova finished the 2024 season with a winning record of 33-24, and took home the Big East title. The Wildcats then headed to the Fayetteville regional, where they lost the opening round to No. 17 Arizona, before coming back with back-to-back wins over Southeast Missouri State, and the regional host, No. 16 Arkansas. With the win, the Wildcats helped to knock out Arkansas, but eventually closed out their remarkable season with a 9-4 loss in the regional final against Arizona.
The Baylor Bears earned a 36-23 record in 2024, with a 14-13 conference record. The Bears advanced to the second-round of the Big 12 tournament, with an opening 3-2 win over UCF, before falling to the No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns. Due to their successful season, the Bears earned a bid to the NCAA tournament, and traveled to Lafayette, La. to face Ole Miss in the first round of the regional. The Bears claimed wins over both Ole Miss and the host Ragin Cajuns in the first two games, before falling in the third. With one loss apiece, Louisiana and Baylor played for the regional final where the Bears came out on top. In the Gainesville Super Regional, the Bears lost in game three, falling to No. 4 Florida, 5-3.
In 2024, Abilene Christian was 16-32 with an 8-18 record in conference. During the offseason, the Wildcats named Jo Koons to lead the program for the 2025 season, and Koons is set to embark on the inaugural season beginning in Texas. After falling in the last six games of the season, the Wildcats did not advance to the Western Athletic Conference tournament. Under new leadership, the Wildcats look to the 2025 season for a clean slate.
The second team nicknamed the Aggies, Utah State, finished the 2024 season with a 22-28 overall record, and a 5-17 conference record. The program also fell in its last six games of the season, and thus did not advance to the Mountain West tournament. With the addition of two new coaches on staff, the Aggies take on the 2025 season with a new look.
SERIES HISTORY
The Boilermakers will take on the Aggies for the fourth and fifth times in their histories in the opening weekend, with the series currently set at 2-2. The first meeting between the teams came back on March 14, 2009, with the Boilers taking the 3-1 win at neutral site Boca Raton, Fla. The Aggies then took back-to-back wins in 2013, outscoring Purdue 11-2. In the most recent meeting in 2015, Purdue took the 1-0 shutout victory in Los Angeles, Calif.
Purdue has a perfect 4-0 record against the Wildcats of Villanova, yet the last time the two teams met was 17 years ago. In the first meeting in 2004, Purdue took the 4-1 victory in Chattanooga, Tenn. by a score of 4-1. The teams have only met at neutral sites, and are yet to play at the campuses of one another.
Against the No. 20 Bears of Baylor, Purdue has only taken one victory in the seven-game history. The first meeting came back in 2000, where Baylor came away with the victory in an eight-inning thriller. Most recently, the teams met in 2014 in Clearwater, Fla., with another tight game, where the Bears came away with the one-run victory. Purdue looks to add another win to the column, before taking on Abilene Christian for the first-ever match up in their histories.
Utah State and Purdue have faced-off five times before, but not since the Boilers took the 2-1 victory back in 2013. The Boilermakers took a pair of back-to-back wins in their last two meetings, which were separated by nine years (2004-13). The team originally met in 1995 with Utah State winning 7-3 in Phoenix, Ariz.
For updates on Purdue Softball, follow the Boilermakers on Twitter (@PurdueSoftball), Instagram (@purduesoftball), and Facebook (Purdue Softball).
PURDUE WRESTLING
BOILERS BEGIN FINAL REGULAR SEASON ROAD TRIP AT WISCONSIN
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Wrestling will begin its final road trip of the regular season with a dual at Wisconsin on Friday night.
The Boilermakers (8-4, 1-3 B1G) will face the Badgers (4-9, 0-5 B1G) in a late-night showdown at 10 p.m. ET inside UW Field House.
The 10-match event in Madison, Wisconsin, will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network.
Purdue will then travel to take on No. 7 Minnesota in a Super Bowl Sunday matinee dual at 2 p.m. ET inside Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis.
PURDUE POINTS
The meeting marks the 67th dual between the Boilers and Badgers, dating back to March 1, 1924.
Wisconsin holds a 48-16-2 advantage in the all-time series and a current win streak of five.
Purdue last beat Wisconsin on Feb. 18, 2018, in a 25-15 season finale in Madison. The Boilers were ranked No. 22 that day, upsetting the No. 18 Badgers with seven match wins.
No. 1 Matt Ramos finds himself atop the national rankings at 125 pounds for a ninth consecutive week. He remains undefeated at 21-0 and has yet to surrender a single takedown all season.
No. 7 Joey Blaze (157) is the second-highest ranked Boilermaker. He and Ramos are both 4-0 in Big Ten Conference action. The sophomore Blaze has recent signature victories over No. 17 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) and No. 31 Jason Kraisser (Illinois), and has not lost since climbing the podium at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 7.
Along with Ramos and Blaze, Greyson Clark (No. 28, 141), Ben Vanadia (No. 26, 197) and Brody Baumann (No. 27, 174) are also among InterMat’s national rankings.
Purdue’s “Fab Five” ranked wrestlers hold a combined record of 71-25 and have outscored their opponents 1,002-449 this season.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
21 – The highest score by any Boilermaker this season was first reached by No. 27 Brody Baumann in a 21-5 technical fall at Kent State. Orlando Cruz later matched that total in a 21-5 tech fall at Northern Illinois.
61 – No. 1 Matt Ramos paces the Boilermakers with 61 takedowns. Meanwhile, he has not yet allowed a single takedown to an opponent all season.
62 – No. 7 Joey Blaze leads the team with 62 points in the third period, making his hay in the clutch.
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers fell in their most recent dual at No. 13 Illinois last Saturday in a 35-8 decision.
Ramos submitted a statement win at the top of the card, beating Caelan Riley 19-1 to retake the national lead with 12 tech falls on the year. With the win coming at the 2:32 mark, it was the fastest tech fall of the redshirt senior’s career.
Blaze was also victorious at 157 pounds, beating No. 31 Jason Kraisser to improve to 4-0 in Big Ten dual action. It was the sophomore’s sixth ranked win of the year, already matching his total from all of last season.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Purdue
125 | #1 Matt Ramos / Isaiah Quintero
133 | Dustin Norris / Jacob Macatangay
141 | #28 Greyson Clark / Cole Solomey
149 | Isaac Ruble / Wyatt Krejsa
157 | #7 Joey Blaze
165 | Stoney Buell / Delaney Ruhlman
174 | #27 Brody Baumann
184 | Orlando Cruz
197 | #26 Ben Vanadia
285 | Hayden Filipovich
Wisconsin
125 | #17 Nicolar Rivera
133 | #14 Zan Fugitt
141 | Brock Bobzien
149 | Royce Nilo
157 | Luke Mechler
165 | Cale Anderson
174 | Luke Condon
184 | Dylan Russo
197 | Niccolo Colucci
285 | Gannon Rosenfeld
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CITRON NAMED TO CHERYL MILLER AWARD TOP 10
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Notre Dame senior Sonia Citron was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 on Wednesday. The honor is given to the nation’s top small forward.
Citron, who has played the “3” for most of the year with Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo on the court together, is Notre Dame’s third-leading scorer (13.1 points per game). She consistently stuffs the stat sheet and has recorded four games this season with at least 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals. At Lafayette, Citron had 10 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals. She is the only women’s college basketball player this season to post that stat line or better.
Citron is leading the Irish guards with 18 blocks this season and has gone 47-51 from the charity stripe (92.2 percent). She has four games this year with at least 20 points.
The New York native’s name peppers the ACC rankings as well. She ranks 12th in steals (2.0), 17th in blocks (1.0) and 24th in points per game.
HIDALGO LANDS ON NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Irish sophomore Hannah Hidalgo was added to another watch list on Wednesday, this time for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Fifteen players made the cut. The All-American from South Jersey was a semifinalist for the honor last year and is the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
In addition to her offensive acumen — 26.1 points per game — Hidalgo is a generational menace on the defensive end of the floor. Hidalgo ranks second nationally with 4.1 steals per game and she has 16 games this season with at least 3 steals.
Referred to by Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey as the team’s “Energizer Bunny,” Hidalgo frequently picks up guards at the opposing baseline and pressures them as they move down the court on nearly every possession.
NO. 3 NOTRE DAME BACK HOME TO HOST ACC NEWCOMER STANFORD
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 3 Notre Dame (19-2, 10-0) is back in Purcell Pavilion on Thursday after a three-game road swing to Boston College, Virginia Tech and Louisville. This time, Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey’s squad hosts ACC newbie Stanford (11-10, 3-7).
The Irish are riding a 14-game win streak with dynamic duo Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles at the center of it. In the last two games alone, the All-American guards have combined for 96 points and they’ve gone 24-25 from the free throw line.
Hidalgo ranks second in the nation in scoring with 26.1 points per game, less than 0.1 points away from the nation’s lead. Miles ranks sixth nationally with 6.5 assists per contest and is pacing the league in that category.
Down low, Liatu King continues to be the glue that holds everything together, seemingly in the mix for every rebound and shooting an impressive 57.6 percent from the field, which leads the ACC. She went 8-9 at Louisville, finishing with 16 points and 12 boards, her ninth double-double of the year. She is also one of just two players in the nation averaging at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and a block per game.
Stanford is having a down year under first-year head coach Kate Paye, who took over for Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer. The Cardinal also lost Kiki Iriafen and Cameron Brink but have a young core this year led by sophomore Nunu Agara. The forward is averaging 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 34.1 from deep (15-44). Agara also ranks second on the team with 43 assists this year.
The Cardinal sit in the middle of the pack in the ACC in terms of scoring offense (ninth), scoring defense (11th) and field goal percentage (ninth). Stanford shoots the deep ball well, however, sitting second in the conference with a 36.9 success rate from beyond the arc only behind Notre Dame (40.7).
Thursday’s game on ESPN tips off at 8 p.m. Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli will be on the call. Notre Dame is 2-4 all-time against Stanford, and the teams have not met since 2019. The Cardinal have visited South Bend just once (1991).
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
IRISH OPEN FEBRUARY WITH BUCKEYES
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team opens up the final month of the regular season with Ohio State, Feb. 7-8. Friday’s contest, presented by Beacon Health System, will serve as the annual Fan Appreciation Night, followed by Saturday’s Chicago Blackhawks Night.
Puck drop Friday is set for 7:05p.m. with early arriving fans receiving first aid kits, courtesy of Beacon Health System. Students who scan in prior to 6:30p.m. are also entered for a chance to win a Playstation 5 and NHL25 game from Beacon Health System.
Saturday’s 6:05p.m. start will also feature elements of the Chicago Blackhawks in-venue experience with appearances from National Anthem singer Jim Cornelison, organist Carrie Marcotte, and in-game host Genna Rose.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Ohio State Buckeyes | Feb. 7-8
Location: South Bend, Ind. | Compton Family Ice Arena
Schedule: 7p.m. (Fri.) | 6p.m. (Sat.)
Theme: Fan Appreciation Night (Fri.) | Chicago Blackhawks Night (Sat.)
TV: Peacock
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame
QUICK HITS
The Irish close out their regular season series with the Buckeyes Friday and Saturday as they host Ohio State in their first February series of the season.
The two teams previously met in Columbus to close out the first half of the season with the Irish dropping a heartbreaker in overtime, 2-1, to their conference foe before a 3-1 loss Saturday.
The team’s scoring leader, Danny Nelson had both goals for the Irish earlier this season before the sophomore center departed for the World Junior Championships.
Recording an assist on both of Nelson’s goals, Axel Kumlin posted his first point-streak with the Irish and now leads all Notre Dame defensemen in points with 16 (4-12-16).
In game one of the series against the Buckeyes earlier this season, Nicholas Kempf backstopped his team to overtime, stopping 41 of 42 shots faced in regulation for a career-best.
In their most recent outing, the Irish defeated Lindenwood to earn the weekend split in front of a sold out home crowd.
Tyler Carpenter net the game-winning goal, his first tally of the season, and first since December 2023.
With three assists on the weekend, Paul Fischer led the team in both points (3) and assists against the Lions.
Justin Janicke and Danny Nelson both scored Saturday night in the win to boast 10 goals a piece this season, tied for the team-lead. Both forwards also notched assists in the contest for two-point nights bringing their point totals to 24 and 19, respectively.
NOTRE DAME vs. OHIO STATE
The Irish hold the narrow edge in the all-time series vs. the Buckeyes, posting a 47-45-12 advantage in 104 meetings between the two programs.
At Notre Dame, the Irish are 25-18-5 against the Buckeyes and swept the weekend series inside Compton Family Ice Arena a season ago.
In their last meeting in South Bend, the team’s 2024-25 leader in points, Cole Knuble registered his first collegiate point (assist) and goal. The now-sophomore registered the primary assist on Patrick Moynihan’s eventual game-winning goal at 19:58 of the first period before sealing the deal for the Irish with an empty net goal late in the third period for his first career multi-point night. Knuble heads into the weekend with Ohio State this year riding a career-best six-game point streak featuring two goals and seven assists.
In game one against the Buckeyes last season, Brennan Ali and Hunter Strand both posted multiple assists while Danny Nelson had an apple both nights against the foe.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
ACC ANNOUNCES NEW FORMAT FOR ACC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Beginning this spring with the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship in Durham, North Carolina, all 16 teams in the ACC will compete in a single-elimination championship. The championship will remain six days as it has in previous years, running from Tuesday, May 20, through Sunday, May 25, 2025, from Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
“There’s once again tremendous excitement surrounding ACC Baseball and today’s announcement will bring an improved championship experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans alike,” stated ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips Ph.D. “Nationally, the ACC is once again well-represented in the preseason polls and award lists. After what we know will be a highly competitive regular season, we look forward to showcasing all 16 baseball teams in Durham this May.”
Since 2006, the ACC Baseball Championship has been played in a pool play or round-robin style format. The tournament last expanded its field size in 2017, moving from 10 to 12 teams.
Under the new format, the top four seeds in the championship will be based off the performance in the regular season and will receive a double-bye into the quarterfinal round, which is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday. Seeds five through eight will earn a bye into Wednesday’s second round. Seeds 9-16 will begin play with four first round games on Tuesday.
The single-elimination championship format will feature four games per day on Tuesday (first round) and Wednesday (second round). Two quarterfinal games will take place on both Thursday and Friday, while Saturday will host the two semifinal contests. Sunday will host the championship game.
Tickets for the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship will go on sale on Wednesday, February 12.
The new championship format will continue to highlight the strength of ACC Baseball, which sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2024, including an NCAA-record tying four teams to the Men’s College World Series. Five ACC Baseball programs competed in the Super Regional round with four teams earning the right to host. The altered format also provides an optimal postseason experience for teams and fans alike. The change was proposed by the league’s 16 head coaches and has received direct support from the student-athletes. The single-elimination format provides a more exciting and easier to follow true championship format which will enhance fan engagement.
Full information and a preliminary 2025 ACC Baseball Tournament bracket are both available at theacc.com.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
SIX BULLDOGS FIND DOUBLE FIGURES IN 84-54 WIN OVER SETON HALL
Butler ran away from Seton Hall to post an 84-54 win at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Wednesday night.
Six Bulldogs found double figures, including Boden Kapke, who posted the first double-double of his career with a career-best 11 rebounds to go along with his 13 points.
Butler shot 58 percent from the field in the win to improve to 10-13 (3-9 BIG EAST) on the season. Seton Hall is now 6-17.
OF NOTE:
The Bulldogs led 48-20 at the half; the 48 points were the most Butler scored in a half this season.
Butler went 12-for-24 from three-point range with the 12 made threes tying a season-high. The Bulldogs made four of their first five attempts from behind the arc and Patrick McCaffery was 3-for-3 from three-point range less than six minutes into the game.
Butler held a 45-27 rebounding advantage. Kolby King had eight to go along with the 11 from Kapke.
Pierre Brooks II led the Bulldogs with 14 points and a career-high seven assists.
Jahmyl Telfort scored 12 points (all in the second half) to go along with five assists and five rebounds.
Finley Bizjack’s 12 points came on four made three-pointers.
Butler’s defense limited Seton Hall to 2-for-17 three-point shooting and a 34-percent shooting performance from the field overall on the night.
Seton Hall’s leading scorer Isaiah Coleman was limited to two points on 1-for-10 shooting; he entered the game averaging 15.3 points per game.
Prince Aligbe led Seton Hall with 17 points; he was the only Pirate in double figures.
Butler’s 33-point lead late in the game was the team’s second-largest of the season, trailing only the team’s Nov. 22 performance against Merrimack (39-point win).
It was Butler’s second time this season with six players in double figures (also in the win over SMU Nov. 15).
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Fieldhouse for a Saturday tip, hosting Providence. Tickets are still available for the 3 p.m. game, which will also air on Peacock.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
VILLANOVA EDGES BUTLER AT HINKLE FIELDHOUSE 63-59
Kilyn McGuff recorded her 10th double-double of the season on Wednesday night against Villanova, but the Wildcats would leave Hinkle Fieldhouse with a 63-59 victory. McGuff had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs. Riley Makalusky was also excellent in the setback with 15 points off the BU bench.
McGuff and Makalusky combined to score 34 of Butler’s 59 points in Butler’s first home game during the month of February. The team shot nearly 50 percent from the field in the first half but would end the game at 37 percent. Nova outscored BU by six in the second half to pull out the win in a game that featured 11 ties and 10 lead changes.
The first quarter was a wild one on Wednesday night with each team going on a large scoring run. Villanova opened the game by scoring eight-straight and would take a 17-4 lead before Butler countered with a 13-0 run that tied the game at 17-17.
Riley Makalusky was a spark off the BU bench and Kilyn McGuff stayed aggressive from the field to lead the offense early. Makalusky went 2-for-3 in the quarter to score five points while McGuff posted six points and four rebounds.
The duo of Makalusky and McGuff kept the Bulldog offense rolling in the second quarter. McGuff led all players with 14 points at the half while Makaluksy added 12. BU earned a two-point lead at the break by outscoring Villanova 18-16 in the second frame. Villanova’s duo of Jasmine Bascoe and Bronagh Power-Cassidy kept it close by combining for 18 of Nova’s 33 first half points.
Butler led Nova for most of the third quarter, but a late 8-0 scoring run from the Wildcats would put the visitors back in front 45-43. Cristen Carter scored on Butler’s final possession of the third and the two teams would head to the fourth deadlocked at 45-45.
The last quarter started to heat up at the five minute mark when Lily Zeinstra hit a corner 3-pointer to expand the Butler lead to 55-51. Nova climbed back in it with a 6-0 run and Maddie Webber would give the ‘Cats a two-point lead at 57-55.
Villanova increased their lead to 59-55 after a layup from Denae Carter and free throws from Webber made the game 61-55 with 41 seconds left.
Zeinstra continued to attack for the Bulldogs. She made a layup and added two free throws to cut the deficit to just two points with 28 seconds remaining. That two-point lead would ride all the way to the final nine seconds of the game.
Bascoe made it a two possession game with six seconds left in regulation and the Wildcats would hang on for a 63-59 victory.
Inside the Box Score
– Kilyn McGuff made four 3-pointers to help her net a team-high 19 points
– Riley Makalusky made three 3-pointers and added four rebounds to her final stat line
– Butler outrebounded Villanova 34-30
– Butler made eight 3-pointers on Wednesday while Villanova drilled seven
– Villanova used a trapping press to create 19 BU turnovers
– The Wildcats scored 30 points off BU miscues
– Butler’s bench outscored Villanova’s 21-7
– Butler had 13 assists on their first 13 made field goals
– Maddie Webber scored nine of her team-high 19 points in the third quarter
– Jasmine Bascoe had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists
Up Next
Butler will be in action against Marquette on Super Bowl Sunday. The 2 p.m. tip will stream live on FloSports.com.
IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
DAVIDSON TALLIES 28 POINTS IN IU INDY WIN OVER WRIGHT STATE
DAYTON, Ohio – Senior Katie Davidson totaled a season-high 28 points to lead the IU Indy women’s basketball team to an 80-68 victory over Wright State on Wednesday night. Nevaeh Foster and Alexa Hocevar each added double-digit points to assist in the win.
In a dominant performance on Wednesday night, the Jaguars controlled the game from the opening tip, with Davidson hitting the first basket at the 9:15 mark of the first quarter and setting the tone for the night. IU Indy led for the entirety of the game after Davidson’s opening bucket.
The Jaguars came out strong in the first quarter, shooting 50% from the field and establishing a 12-point lead with just two minutes remaining in the period. Though Wright State closed the quarter on a 7-0 run, they were unable to maintain that momentum, as IU Indy quickly responded in the second. After the Raiders pulled within one at 23-22, the Jaguars finished the half with an 8-3 run to secure a 40-32 lead heading into the break.
Out of halftime, IU Indy’s offense was nearly unstoppable, posting a 61.1 shooting percentage in the third quarter (11-for-18) and adding 25 points. Their defense held Wright State to just 18 points in the period, allowing the Jaguars to extend their lead to 65-50 heading into the final frame.
Despite a late push from the Raiders in the fourth quarter, who outscored the Jaguars 18-15, the damage was done, and IU Indy cruised to the 80-68 victory. The Jaguars shot 54.2 percent from the field and were 7-for-15 from three-point range, with Davidson’s perfect 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc leading the way.
Davidson’s 28 points were supported by solid performances from Nevaeh Foster, who tallied 17 points, four rebounds, and three steals, and Alexa Hocevar, who finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
With the win, IU Indy improves to 5-9 in Horizon League play and 6-17 overall. The Jaguars will return to the Jungle on Saturday, Feb. 8, to host Northern Kentucky.
IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS FALL IN OVERTIME TO MILWAUKEE, 84-80
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team came up on the short end of an 84-80 overtime thriller to the league’s preseason favorite Milwaukee inside the Jungle on Wednesday night (Feb. 5), despite a game-high 25 points from Paul Zilinskas.
Zilinskas connected on 8-of-19 shots and all six of his free throw attempts for his 11th 20-point game of the season. Alec Millender finished with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds and Sean Craig contributed 12 points. Freshman DeSean Goode turned in his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Jamichael Stillwell finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Panthers (16-8, 9-4 HL) and Erik Pratt added 17 points and six boards off the Milwaukee bench. Themus Fulks piloted the Milwaukee offense with 12 points and 11 assists in the win.
IU Indy (8-17, 4-10 HL) took an 80-77 lead with 2:19 to play in overtime when Craig swished an open three. However, the Jaguars were held scoreless from there as Milwaukee made play down the stretch to secure the win.
After Craig missed a three that would’ve pushed the lead to two possessions with 1:27 left, Milwaukee gathered the rebound and Fulks scored in transition to give the guests the lead. Jarvis Walker was forced into a nearly impossible attempt on the Jaguars next possession and Fulks drilled a pull-up jumper from the right side to push the lead to 83-80. Milwaukee’s AJ McKee sealed the game by blocking Zilinskas’ potential game-tying three from the corner with six seconds remaining.
Both teams had shots in the final 10 seconds of regulation to win the game.
Zilinskas came up short on a turnaround jumper with eight seconds left and McKee was well defended on a misfire from the right wing as time expired.
The game featured 16 ties and 15 lead changes with IU Indy leading by as many as 10 in the first half. An 11-1 Jaguar run turned a 17-17 tie into a 28-18 lead, ignited by five points from Zilinskas. Milwaukee retaliated with an 8-0 run, sparked by back-to-back buckets inside from Aaron Franklin as the teams ultimately went to halftime tied at 41 all.
The Jaguars built a seven-point lead with 3:52 to play in regulation before Milwaukee outscored the hosts 9-2 to send the game to overtime.
“We work our butts off,” head coach Paul Corsaro said. “I bring it every single day, my staff brings it every single day and I don’t ask anything from our guys we’re not giving ourselves and I think our guys respect that. We’re getting 110 percent out of them because that’s what they’re seeing from us. Everyone genuinely wants to be here and turn this thing around and I definitely think we’re doing it.
“We’re not satisfied either. We’re not happy with being right there and losing by four in overtime. We need to win these games. We played hard and we played tough today, but we beat ourselves. We made some really, really dumb mistakes down the stretch.”
The Jags finished with just six turnovers against a relentless Milwaukee defense, but were outrebounded by a 49-33 margin by the Panthers. Milwaukee earned a 54-40 advantage in points in the paint and grabbed 22 offensive boards on a night where they shot just 45 percent from the floor.
IU Indy was limited to 43 percent overall and 7-of-23 (30.4 percent) from deep. While Milwaukee went 11 deep, the Jags played just eight players and saw both Goode and Keenan Garner foul out in overtime.
Craig played 42 minutes while Millender played more than 39 minutes and didn’t commit a turnover.
IU Indy will hit the road this weekend to face Wright State for the first time this season, taking on the Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 8) on ESPN+.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WBB SETS PROGRAM RECORD FOR BEST #MACTION START WITH WIN OVER BGSU
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team defeated Bowling Green 71-51 Wednesday night in Worthen Arena marking it the program’s best start in Mid-American Conference play with an 11-0 record.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 19-4 on the season while extending their win streak to 13. The Falcons fall to 11-11 overall and 5-6 in league play.
Both teams chopped at each other’s heels at the start of the contest. The Cardinals had a slight upper hand over the Falcons the majority of the first frame. Ally Becki put on quite the show in the first quarter, scoring eight points to give BSU the 19-11 edge over BGSU.
Ball State was able to capitalize on some defensive rebounds which allowed both Becki and Madelyn Bischoff to find comfort in making their long-range shots. Bischoff nailed one from behind the arc at the 5:03 mark in the second frame to put the Cardinals up by nine (27-18). The end of the first half was highlighted by some strong defensive plays which led to the Cardinals building an 18-point (39-20) cushion over the Falcons at intermission.
After the break, the Falcons opened the third period with a 4-0 run but the Cardinals weren’t fazed as Alex Richard collected another rebound and a layup to put BSU back up by 20 (48-28). Ball State continued to play scrappy, and its defense intensified, causing Bowling Green miscues that allowed the Cardinals to keep a double-digit lead in the third and fourth frames.
In the final stanza, the Cardinals made it nearly impossible for the Falcons to make any kind of a comeback. Ball State went on to win the game by 20 points.
Bischoff led all scorers with 20 points after going 6-of-10 from 3-point range. It was another game of double doubles, as Becki scored 17 points while dishing out 10 assists. Richard also turned in a 17-point performance and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Maliyah “MJ” Johnson came off the bench tallying 10 points.
For the game, Ball State out-rebounded Bowling Green 47-31 while shooting 52 percent from behind the arc.
The Ball State women’s basketball team begins a three-game road swing Saturday when it plays at James Madison for its second game of the MAC-SBC Challenge. The contest is slated to begin at 2 pm ET.
BALL STATE FOOTBALL
UREMOVICH ADDS 12 MORE FOOTBALL STUDENT-ATHLETES ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State football coach Mike Uremovich has announced the addition of 12 new student-athlete football players that will join the Cardinals’ program in 2025. All are incoming freshmen, with the exception of transfer Adam Dolan who will graduate from Butler this spring and play in his final year of eligibility at Ball State.
Ball State’s 2025 February Signing Day Additions – Incoming Freshmen:
Gabe Aramboles – ATH, 6-0, 196, Fr., Westfield, Ind./Westfield HS
Jamar Birden – DE, 6-3, 225, Fr., Waycross, Ga./Ware County HS
Jalen Bonds – RB, 6-0, 200, Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS
Kaden Mayle – OL, 6-6, 315, Fremont, Ohio/Fremont Ross HS
* Sam Spicer – OL, 6-5, 275, Mount Juliet, Tenn./Pope John Paul II HS
* Lucas Szymborski – LB, 6-2, 220, Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point HS
* Derion Talbert – WR, 5-9, 165, Lexington, Ky./Frederick Douglass HS
Coby Tripp – LS, 6-0, 190, Spring Arbor, Mich./Western HS
Michael Varon – OL, 6-4, 280, Palatine, Ill./Fremd HS
* Mikeah Webster – LB, 6-1, 230, Sheridan, Ind./Westfield HS
Khalel Wright – QB, 6-2, 190, Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day HS
Ball State’s 2025 February Signing Day Additions – Transfers:
Adam Dolan – OL, 6-8, 300, R-Sr., Clarkston, Mich./Butler
* Signed during December signing period, but not announced at the time
More on each new signee can be found below:
Gabe Aramboles – ATH, 6-0, 196, Fr., Westfield, Ind./Westfield HS
Helped Westfield to the IHSAA 6A state title game and a 12-2 record in 2024, lining up at both wide receiver and defensive back … signs with Ball State classified as an “Athlete” … caught 38 passes for 548 yards and five touchdowns, despite being injured late in his senior campaign … played in 10 games and led the Shamrocks with 54.8 receiving yards per game … named to the 2024 IndyStar football preseason Super Team at wide receiver.
Jamar Birden – DE, 6-3, 225, Fr., Waycross, Ga./Ware County HS
Saw varsity action in three seasons at Ware County HS in Southeast Georgia … enjoyed a breakout senior year as an edge rusher in 2024, logging 54 total tackles, 21.0 TFL and 9.0 sacks … earned first team all-region honors from Georgia High School Football Daily for his efforts in his final campaign … was a member of the Gators’ undefeated state championship squad in 2022 … garnered a three-star rating from 247Sports … held offers from Duke, Tennessee and Indiana before signing with Ball State.
Jalen Bonds – RB, 6-0, 200, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS
Arrives in Muncie after a standout career with perennial Indianapolis-area powerhouse Cathedral … rushed for 1,507 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career with the Irish … saw limited touches in his senior campaign due to injury, but posted a stellar junior season, which earned him all-state honors … named to IndyStar’s 2024 preseason Super Team … chose Ball State over Mid-American Conference foes Toledo and Miami.
Adam Dolan – OL, 6-8, 300, R-Sr., Clarkston, Mich./Butler
Three-time All-Pioneer League offensive lineman transfers to Ball State this summer following graduation from Butler … a three-year starter at left tackle and a first-team All-PFL selection in 2023 and 2024, he was instrumental in leading the Bulldogs among top FCS offensive teams the past three years … earned a redshirt in 2021 out of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s HS in Michigan where he lettered two seasons and helped his team to a district and league championship … also a three-time academic honoree by the PFL.
Kaden Mayle – OL, 6-6, 315, Fr., Fremont, Ohio/Fremont Ross HS
Contributed at the varsity level across three seasons at Fremont Ross High School (Ohio) … played in 2024 U.S. Army All-American Bowl … twice named to the OHSAA’s Division II All-Ohio Team (2023 and 2024) … earned three-star ranking from 247Sports and received offers from six Mid-American Conference schools, including Toledo, Central Michigan and Bowling Green.
Sam Spicer – OL, 6-5, 275, Fr., Mount Juliet, Tenn./Pope John Paul II HS
Versatile lineman played both sides of the ball at Pope John Paul II High School (Tenn.) … logged 23 tackles as an interior defensive lineman in two seasons of varsity action … committed to the Cardinals ahead of his senior campaign … drew a three-star rating from 247Sports … also played varsity lacrosse for the Knights.
Lucas Szymborski – LB, 6-2, 220, Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point HS
Enters his time with the Cardinals after making a pair of stops in his high school career … spent first three years at Cleveland High School (Tenn.), where he was a varsity letterwinner in football and a two-time Tennessee state wrestling champion … brought his talents back to Crown Point, his hometown, for his senior season … anchored the Bulldogs’ defense on its Class 6A state championship run and earned 6A all-state honors in 2024.
Derion Talbert – WR, 5-9, 165, Fr., Lexington, Ky./Frederick Douglass HS
Played four years for powerhouse Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington, Kentucky … helped the Broncos to two Class 6A semifinals appearances (2023 and 2024), a Class 6A championship run (2021) and a Class 6A title (2022) … garnered three-star recognition from 247Sports and held offers from Mid-American Conference foes Western Michigan, Kent State and Miami… joins fellow Frederick Douglass alumni Caden Johnson and TJ Horton on the Cardinals’ roster.
Coby Tripp – LS, 6-0, 190, Fr., Spring Arbor, Mich./ Western HS
Served as the starting long snapper for Parma Western High School (Mich.) … helped the Panthers notch winning records in each of his four seasons … earned academic all-state honors in 2024 from the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association … received a 5-star rating and ranked 22nd nationally by Rubio Long Snapping.
Michael Varon – OL, 6-4, 280, Fr., Palatine, Ill./Fremd HS
Sizable offensive lineman enters his collegiate career on the heels of an accomplished career at Fremd High School in suburban Chicago … helped the Vikings earn their highest win total (9) in 15 years in his senior campaign … appeared on the Daily Herald’s 2024 Cook County All-Area team.
Mikeah Webster – LB, 6-1, 230, Fr., Sheridan, Ind./Westfield HS
Enjoyed a fine prep career at Westfield High School that concluded with an appearance in the Class 6A state title game … was a force on both sides of the ball for the Shamrocks, scoring a combined 11 touchdowns in his career and logging 280 total tackles … earned IFCA All-State honors in 2023 and 2024 … named to the IndyStar’s 2024 football Super Team … earned a three-star rating from 247Sports and ranked the sixth-best linebacker in Indiana in the class of 2025 … younger brother of Ball State redshirt junior Maximus Webster.
Khalel Wright – QB, 6-2, 190, Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day HS
Dual-threat quarterback arrives at Ball State following an accomplished career under center at Charlotte Country Day (N.C.) … held primary quarterbacking duties his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, recording 3,716 passing yards and 1,799 rushing yards and registering a combined 42 passing and rushing touchdowns … named his team’s offensive player of the year in three straight seasons … twice named to the CISAA all-conference team and invited to the 2024 Queen City Senior Bowl… runs a 4.5 40-yard dash … son of former South Carolina signal caller and NFL veteran Anthony Wright.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘DONS ROLL TO 87-64 VICTORY OVER WRIGHT STATE
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Behind 29 bench points, Purdue Fort Wayne defeated Wright State 87-64 on Wednesday (Feb. 5) evening in Horizon League action.
The Mastodons held a lead as large as 23 points in the contest. It was a stark contrast to the double overtime effort the ‘Dons needed to win at Wright State earlier this season.
Rasheed Bello scored 22 points. Jalen Jackson reached 20 points. Corey Hadnot II had 11 points and Eric Mulder pitched in 10, with both finishing two rebounds short of a double-double.
The Mastodons had 12 steals to Wright State’s zero steals. The ‘Dons turned Wright State’s 16 turnovers to 20 points.
Purdue Fort Wayne made 25-of-31 from the free throw line. It is the third time this season the ‘Dons have made 25 or more free throws in a game. The performance from the line helped balance a box score which featured only six triples for the Mastodons.
The ‘Dons led 38-28 at the break after limiting Wright State to just four field goals in their first 17 attempts and eight turnovers in the first 14 minutes.
Purdue Fort Wayne opened the second half on a 14-4 run and Wright State never threatened in the final 20 minutes. Bello had seven of the 14 points after picking up two fouls in the first half.
Wright State finished at 42.1 percent from the floor with Brandon Noel notching a game-high 25 points.
Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 17-8 (10-4 Horizon League). Wright State falls to 12-13 (6-8 Horizon League). The ‘Dons host Green Bay on Saturday (Feb. 8) at 7 p.m. It will be a doubleheader at the Coliseum. The Mastodon women host Wright State at 4 p.m. One ticket gets admission to both games. It is the final game of Mastodon Mania week with giveaways for fans and students.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL BEGINS MIVA COMPETITION AGAINST NO. 8 BALL STATE AND NO. 14 OHIO STATE
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team begins MIVA competition on Thursday (Feb. 6) at No. 8 Ball State and will host No. 14 Ohio State on Monday (Feb. 10).
Game Day Information
Who: Ball State Cardinals and Ohio State Buckeyes
When: Thursday, February 6 – 7 PM | Monday, February 10 – 7 PM
Where: Muncie, Ind. – Worthen Arena | Fort Wayne, Ind. – Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link (Thursday) | Link (Monday)
Watch:ESPN+ (Thursday) | ESPN+ (Monday)
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | MIVA
Know Your Foes
• Ball State finished non-conference play 7-3, all three losses coming against ranked opponents: No. 13 Stanford and No. 5 BYU twice. The Cardinals lone ranked win was a 3-0 victory over No. 13 Stanford in their first meeting. Patrick Rogers is the team’s leading hitter, this season. Rogers is hitting 2.84 kills per set with a .326 percentage. Lucas Machado has played in nine of the 10 matches as the team’s setter, averaging 9.86 assists per set.
• Ohio State completed its non-conference season at 3-5, with all five losses came from ranked opponents: No. 6 BYU twice, No. 11 Stanford, No. 6 USC and No. 3 UCLA. The Buckeyes’ lone ranked win was over No. 1 UCLA. Shane Wetzel leads the team in hitting through non-conference, averaging 3.07 kills per set.
Series Histories
• Ball State holds a 83-33 lead in the series history. The last meeting between the two schools resulted in a 3-2 Cardinal victory on the Arnie Ball Court. Andrej Polomac had a career-high 63 assists in that match.
• Ohio State owns a 82-41 lead over the Mastodons in the schools’ series history. Purdue Fort Wayne won the last meeting 3-0 on the Arnie Ball Court.
He Can Do It
JP Candrian earned his first MIVA Player of the Week award, earning Defensive Player of the Week (Jan. 28). Candrian led the Mastodons to a 2-0 week, beating both LIU (Jan. 23) and Lees-McRae (Jan. 25) on the Arnie Ball Court. The freshman averaged 2.67 digs during the stretch, collecting 16 in the five-set victory over LIU. The Florida native added 0.67 blocks per set to his weekly totals.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons returned from the Harvard Invitational 2-0 after beating Saint Francis (Pa.) (Jan. 31) and No. 19 Harvard (Feb. 1) in six straight sets. Axel Melendez Watts led Purdue Fort Wayne as the only Mastodon to record double-digit kills (11) en route to their 3-0 victory. Melendez Watts posted 15 kills on a .500 percentage and eight digs in a 3-0 win the following day against No. 19 Harvard. Logan Muir led the contest in kills with 16, one shy of tying his career-high.
Coming Up
The ‘Dons host Queens on back-to-back nights on Thursday (Feb. 13) and Friday (Feb. 14).
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
31 – 9 – 14 – 83 – 7 – 16 – 22 – 80 – 11 – 84 – 10 – 83 – 12
February 6, 1926 – St Louis Browns acquire catcher Wally Schang from New York Yankees. Though he did not wear a number then, Schang was known to have the number 31 on his uniform in 1931 with the Tigers.
February 6, 1958 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Number 9, Ted Williams became the highest paid player in MLB history at the time when he re-signed with Boston Red Sox for $135,000
February 6, 1983 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – At the NFL Pro Bowl, the NFC stars outshined their AFC counterparts, 20-19. The game MVPs were Dan Fouts, Number 14 and quarterback of the San Diego Chargers as well as Green Bay Packers, WR John Jefferson, Number 83.
February 6, 1986 – New Jersey Devils Peter McNab, Number 7 at that point in his career, became the 42nd NHL player to score 350 goals.
February 6, 1990 – Brett Hull, Number 16 of the St Louis Blues on this day reached a milestone that combined with his father, Bobby Hull to become the first father/son duo in NHL history to score 50 goals each in their respective careers. The elder Hull wore Number 9 for much of his NHL career.
February 6, 1993 – Mike Gartner, Number 22 and the right winger of the New York Rangers was selected as the game MVP of 44th NHL All-Star Gameplayed at the Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec. The Wales Conference crushed the All-Stars of the Campbell, 16-6.
February 6, 1994 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – At the NFL Pro Bowl, the NFC out scored the AFC, 17-3. The game’s MVP: was wide receiver of the Atlanta Falcons, Andre Rison, who sported the Number 80 that season.
February 6, 1998 – The Minnesota Twins traded Chuck Knoblauch to New York Yankees for $3M & 4 minor leaguers. The Talented player wore Number 11 for both clubs.
February 6, 2000 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – The MVP pf the NFL Pro Bowl was Minnesota Vikings standout wide receiver Number 84, Randy Moss. In the contest the NFC defeated the AFC, 51-31.
February 6, 2000 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto – The results of the 50th NHL All-Star Game World beats North America, 9-4. The contest’s MVP was Pavel Bure, Number 10, the talented right wing of the Florida Panthers top line.
February 6, 2005 – Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville – Super Bowl XXXIX saw the New England Patriots beat Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21. MVP was Patriots wide receiver, Number 83 Deion Branch.
February 6, 2011 – Cowboys Stadium, Arlington – Super Bowl XLV witnessed the Green Bay Packers knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25. The Most Valuable Player of the game was Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Number 12.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History Headlines
February 6, 1926 – George Halas helped to get a rule passed where as NFL clubs were prohibited to sign players whose college class year had not graduated per the ProFootballHOF.com website. The rule was intended to help potential players to get their education completed before joining the League.
February 6, 1983 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – NFL Pro Bowl was held and the NFC squad squeaked by the AFC by the narrowest of margins 20-19. The MVPs in this edition were from each Conference team. Dan Fouts the quarterback of the San Diego Chargers and John J.J. Jefferson, the talented wide receiver of the Green Bay Packers, were selected.
February 6, 1994 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – At the NFL Pro Bowl for the 1993 season the boys from the National Conference all but shut down the American Conference team, 17-3. Wide out Andre Rison of the Atlanta Falcons took home the Most Valuable Player honors.
February 6, 2000 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – The NFL Pro Bowl gave the fans that love offense their money’s worth. The NFC team put up a 51 burger and surpassed the 31 points of the AFC to win the bragging rights. The game’s MVP was wide receiver Randy Moss then of the Minnesota Vikings.
February 6, 2005 – Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida – Super Bowl XXXIX was one of those classic championship games that the League dreams of. The Philadelphia Eagles of Coach Andy Reid came into the contest with an impressive 15-3 record to battle the Bill Belichick led New England Patriots who sported an even better record than their opponent of 17-2. After a scoreless first quarter per the American Football Fandom web page article, the teams traded touchdowns in the second and third quarters until the PAtriots gained an advantage in the fourth by going up by ten over the Eagles via a Corey Dillon 2 yard TD run and an additional 3 points from Adam Vinatieri 22 yard kick at the 8:40 mark of the fourth. Philly cut the deficit to 3 just after the two minute warning when Quarterback Donovan McNabb found a streaking Greg Lewis on a 30 yard scoring strike. The Patriots held on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21. The game’s MVP was given to Wide Receiver Deion Branch of New England who snagged 11 balls from Tom Brady for 133 yards but did not score a touchdown. Branch was the third offensive player ever to win Super Bowl MVP honors without scoring a touchdown or throwing a touchdown pass following the path of Joe Namath and Fred Biletnikoff.
February 6, 2011 – Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas – Super Bowl XLV featured the high flying offense of the Green Bay Packers with Aaron Rodgers against the Troy Polomalu led defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rodgers got the better of this matchup as he threw for 304 yards with three touchdowns as his defense backed him up with 2 interceptions of Ben Roethlisberger even taking one of them for a score aiding the Green Bay Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron Rodgers secured the Most Valuable Player nomination per an ESPN.com web page on the game.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for February 6
February 6, 1886 – Hatfield, Massachusetts – Jack Hubbard the great halfback from Amherst College was known to celebrate his birth. Hubbard was initially a halfback but his great athletic prowess allowed him to play almost every position on the field with fruitful results. Jack was described by the National Football Foundation as an ironman of early football as he did not miss one game of his four year career in college. Though he went to a smaller school he did not escape the eye of national attention when he made it on Walter Camp’s All-America team. Jack was a “big back” for those days at 180 lbs and he could run like the wind and strong. Hubbard employed his track talents from the hurdles as a weapon when hitting holes through the line, bumping runs around the end or gliding off tackle. Jack also was a great kicker, not missing one point after attempts in 3 straight seasons! The National Football Foundation selected Jack Hubbard for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
February 6, 1950 – Bayonne, New Jersey – The University of Nebraska’s guard, Rich Glover was born. According to the NFF Glover’s college coach, Bob Devaney, called him ” the greatest defensive player he ever saw.” In Rich’s first two seasons with the Huskers they won the National Championship in both 1970 and 1971, and the next season they ranked fourth. Nebraska played in the Orange Bowl all three years and won every time over some very good programs, knocking off LSU 17-12, Alabama 38-0, and Notre Dame 40-6. Rich in 1972 won the top two national awards for linemen, the Outland and the Lombardi. Perhaps his most prestigious honor also came in 1972: his picture was on the cover of the NCAA Football Guide. The National Football Foundation voters selected Rich Glover for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. Glover’s NFL was cut short due to injury as he played two seasons in the League with the Giants and Eagles.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Feb. 6
1943 — Montreal’s Ray Getliffe scores five goals to lead the Canadiens to an 8-3 triumph over the Boston Bruins.
1958 — Ted Williams signs a contract with the Boston Red Sox for $135,000, making him the highest paid player in major league history.
1967 — Muhammad Ali successfully defends his world heavyweight title with a 15-round decision over Ernest Terrell in the Houston Astrodome.
1970 — The NBA expands to 18 teams with the addition of franchises in Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston and Portland.
1981 — Wayne Gretzky scores three goals and three assists in a 10-4 Edmonton victory over the Winnipeg Jets, giving him 100 points in the season.
1985 — Seventeen-year-old Dianne Roffe becomes the first U.S. woman to win a gold medal in a World Alpine Ski Championship race, capturing the giant slalom in 2:18.53.
1988 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan wins the NBA Slam Dunk contest with a perfect score of 50 on his final dunk, in front of a hometown crowd at Chicago Stadium.
1990 — Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues scores his 50th goal, making him and his Hall of Famer father, Bobby Hull, the only father-son combination in NHL history to reach that milestone.
1993 — Riddick Bowe easily wins his first defense of his WBA and IBF heavyweight boxing titles by beating Michael Dokes in the first round of their championship bout held at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
2000 — Randy Moss sets records with nine catches for 212 yards, and Mike Alstott scores three touchdowns in the NFC’s 51-31 victory over the AFC, the highest-scoring Pro Bowl.
2000 — Pavel Bure records the 11th hat trick in All-Star history and goalie Olaf Kolzig plays a shutout third period as the World team routs North America 9-4 in the NHL’s 50th All-Star game.
2005 — The New England Patriots win their third Super Bowl in four years, 24-21 over the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s their ninth straight postseason victory, equaling Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers.
2011 — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady becomes the first unanimous choice for The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award. Brady gets all 50 votes since the AP began using a nationwide panel of media members who cover the league.
2011 — Aaron Rodgers throws three touchdown passes and Nick Collins returns an interception for another score, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.
2022 – NFL Pro Bowl, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada: AFC beats NFC, 41-35; MVPs: Justin Herbert, QB LA Chargers; Maxx Crosby, DE LV Raiders.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1921 The New York American League franchise purchases a ten-acre plot of land for $675,000 from William Waldorf Astor’s estate as the site of the future Yankee Stadium. The club’s new ballpark on the west side of the Bronx will sit directly across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, the team’s current home for the past ten years as tenants of the Giants.
1934 New York news reporter and broadcaster Ford Frick is named the National League’s public relations director. In November, the DePauw University graduate will be elected as the president of the Senior Circuit, succeeding John A. Heydler, who resigned due to poor health.
1935 Cardinal right-hander Dizzy Dean, who posted a 30-7 record last season for the Gashouse Gang, becomes a holdout when the team refuses to meet his demand for a yearly salary of $25,000. The 23-year-old future Hall of Famer, the NL’s reigning MVP, quickly comes to terms with the Redbirds the following day, signing for $18,500, including a thousand-dollar bonus.
1956 Dodger owner Walter O’Malley, showing his support for the Wagner-Cashmore plan to build a $30-million downtown Brooklyn sports center, promises to buy four million dollars worth of bonds for the project. The proposed legislation, which will be passed and signed by New York Governor Averill Harriman in April, becomes irrelevant due to a lack of funding from the city’s Board of Estimates.
1958 The Red Sox sign Ted Williams for reportedly $135,000, making him the highest-paid player in major league history, surpassing his annual salary of a hundred grand he’s collected since 1949. The 39-year-old outfielder, starting his 18th season with the club, led the major leagues with a .388 batting average last year.
(Ed. Note: The Pirates agreed to give Hank Greenberg a six-figure contract after being traded from the Tigers in 1946, and Joe DiMaggio also signed $100,000 contracts with the Yankees in 1949 and 1950. -LP)
1962 The Phillies announce the team will retire Robin Roberts’ uniform #36 when his new club, the Yankees, visits Clearwater to play Philadelphia in a March exhibition game. The team’s tribute to future Hall of Famer marks the first time a uniform number has been retired in the franchise’s 79-year history.
1986 The Yankees sign well-traveled free-agent Al Holland, who saved a total of five games for three different teams last season. The one-year contract has a clause that requires the 33-year-old southpaw reliever, one of the players granted immunity in exchange for their testimony in last year’s Pittsburgh cocaine trials, to submit to drug tests.
1992 Jeff Innis (0-2, 2.66, 84 IP) loses his arbitration bid against the Mets, awarded the team’s offer of $355,000 (more than double his 1991 salary) rather than the $650,000 he sought. During the season, the 29-year-old middle-reliever with a submarine delivery became the first major league pitcher to appear in 60 or more games without recording a win or a save, a stat that worked against winning his case.
1998 The Yankees trade southpaw Eric Milton, shortstop Cristian Guzman, Brian Buchanan, and Danny Mota to the Twins for second baseman Chuck Knoblauch. The Yankees’ newest infielder will spend four solid seasons with the club, batting .272, but is best remembered for having difficulty making accurate throws to first base, a condition commonly known as the ‘yips.’
(Ed. Note: New York won the American League pennant every year Chuck Knoblauch was with the team, winning three World Series championships. – LP)
2008 The Rangers hire Nolan Ryan as team president during a pivotal point in club history, according to club president Tom Hicks. The 61-year-old Hall of Fame hurler, who retired with the Rangers in 1993 after playing a record 27 major league seasons, is introduced at The Ballpark in Arlington with much fanfare, including a video highlight package featuring many of the right-hander’s milestones.
2010 After Seattle declined to offer him salary arbitration, oft-injured free agent Erik Bedard agrees to stay a part of the Mariners’ pitching rotation, inking a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2011. The 30-year-old southpaw, who is rehabilitating after surgery on his pitching shoulder last August, will not have to continue his disappointing role as the team’s ace with the off-season trade for Cliff Lee and the emergence of Felix Hernandez.
2012 An arbitration panel rules in favor of 27-year-old Anibal Sanchez (8-9, 3.67), awarding the Marlin right-hander with a record-breaking $8 million salary this season. The decision, which puts aside the team’s counteroffer of $6.9 million, represents the most substantial amount ever given to a starting pitcher who went to arbitration.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics | 7:30pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports North SCHN |
| Orlando Magic vs Denver Nuggets | 9:00pm | FanDuel Sports FL ALT |
| Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| Sacramento Kings vs Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00pm | NBCS-CA Rip City |
| Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Clippers | 10:30pm | FanDuel Sports IND FanDuel Sports SoCal |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Ottawa Senators vs Tampa Bay Lightning | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MNMT FanDuel Sports Sun |
| Vegas Golden Knights vs New Jersey Devils | 7:00pm | ESPN+ Scripps MSGSN |
| Washington Capitals vs Philadelphia Flyers | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MNMT NBCS-PHI |
| Utah Hockey Club vs Columbus Blue Jackets | 7:00pm | ESPN+ Utah16 FanDuel Sports Ohio |
| Carolina Hurricanes vs Minnesota Wild | 7:30pm | ESPN+ Hulu CHSN |
| Florida Panthers vs St. Louis Blues | 8:00pm | ESPN+ Scripps FanDuel Sports MW |
| Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames | 9:00pm | ESPN+ ALT Sportsnet |
| Toronto Maple Leafs vs Seattle Kraken | 10:00pm | ESPN+ Hulu |
| Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks | 10:30pm | ESPN+ NBCS-CA Sportsnet |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| North Carolina A&T at Charleston | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| NJIT at Maine | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UAlbany at Bryant | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UMass Lowell at Binghamton | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Towson at Stony Brook | 6:30pm | FloSports |
| UNCW at Delaware | 6:30pm | FloSports |
| Temple at South Florida | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Maryland at Ohio State | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| Niagara at Merrimack | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| William & Mary at Drexel | 7:00pm | NBCS-PHI |
| Northeastern at Hofstra | 7:00pm | MSG |
| Hampton at Monmouth | 7:00pm | SNY |
| LIU at Wagner | 7:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Mercyhurst at Chicago State | 7:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Le Moyne at Saint Francis U | 7:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Youngstown State at Oakland | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Sam Houston at FIU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WKU at Kennesaw State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Middle Tennessee at Jacksonville State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UMBC at New Hampshire | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Kentucky at FGCU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville at Stetson | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Elon at Campbell | 7:00pm | FloSports |
| Southeast Missouri at Morehead State | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Louisiana Tech at Liberty | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| Fairleigh Dickinson at Central Connecticut | 8:00pm | NEC TV |
| St. Thomas at South Dakota State | 8:00pm | MidCo Sports |
| North Dakota State at Kansas City | 8:00pm | KMCI |
| Western Illinois at Tennessee State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Montana at Northern Colorado | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Montana State at Northern Arizona | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bellarmine at North Florida | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UTA at Utah Valley | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Dakota at Omaha | 8:00pm | Summit |
| Lindenwood at UT Martin | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Little Rock at Southern Indiana | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SIUE at Tennessee Tech | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Mary’s at San Francisco | 9:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Winthrop at Charleston Southern | 9:00pm | ESPNU |
| Loyola Marymount at Gonzaga | 9:00pm | KHQ |
| Abilene Christian at Utah Tech | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Portland State at Idaho | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Sacramento State at Eastern Washington | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| South Dakota at Denver | 9:00pm | Summit |
| UC Santa Barbara at CSU Bakersfield | 9:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Hawai’i at Cal Poly | 10:00pm | Spectrum |
| UC Davis at Long Beach State | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Riverside at UC San Diego | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cal State Fullerton at CSUN | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| San Diego at Pacific | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Utah at California Baptist | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tarleton at Seattle U | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Santa Clara at Portland | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Washington State at Oregon State | 11:00pm | ESPN2 |
| WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Syracuse at Virginia Tech | 6:00pm | ACCN |
| Rutgers at Indiana | 6:00pm | BTN |
| UConn at Tennessee | 6:30pm | ESPN |
| Alabama at Florida | 7:00pm | SECN |
| California at Louisville | 8:00pm | ACCN |
| Iowa at Minnesota | 8:00pm | BTN |
| Michigan at Nebraska | 8:00pm | Peacock |
| Stanford at Notre Dame | 8:30pm | ESPN |
| Maryland at Oregon | 9:00pm | FS1 |
| Vanderbilt at Texas | 9:00pm | SECN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: Qatar Masters | 4:00am | GOLF |
| Champions Tour: Trophy Hassan II | 8:00am | GOLF |
| LPGA Tour: Cognizant Founders Cup | 11:00am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Phoenix Open | 4:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Copa del Rey: Real Sociedad vs Osasuna | 1:30pm | ESPN+ |
| League Cup: Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Copa del Rey: Valencia vs Barcelona | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup: Cibao vs Guadalajara | 8:00pm | FS2 fuboTV |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup: Cavalry vs Pumas UNAM | 10:00pm | FS2 fuboTV |