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Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal: Premier League – live

⚽ Premier League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off
⚽ Live scores | Follow us on Bluesky | And email Scott

The top-versus-bottom thing isn’t the only historical shadow looming over Wolves tonight. They’ve lost their last nine Premier League matches against Arsenal on the bounce. You have to go back to February 2021 for their last win over the Gunners; in fact they did the double over Mikel Arteta’s side that season. (Trigger warning: both matches were played behind closed doors for obvious reasons, so you may not want to go back.)

In the interests of balance, here’s what happened in this fixture last season. Revisit the fume!

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Olympics hockey overtime, shootout rules explained

Olympics hockey, just like the NHL, doesn't allow for ties.

Canada and Czechia are the latest two nations to embody that, as their quarter-final matchup in the 2026 Winter Olympic games headed to overtime after a back-and-forth affair during regulation.

A late goal from Team Canada's Nick Suzuki tied the matchup at three goals apiece with time ticking down in the third. Now, both squads head to overtime looking to keep their medal hopes alive.

There are differences between NHL rules and Olympic rules on how overtimes and shootouts are conducted. The maximum length of a sudden death overtime depends on the round in which the game is being played. And the shootout format is totally different from the one used by the NHL.

Here's an explainer on how overtimes and shootouts work in Olympic hockey:

Olympic overtime rules

If the teams are tied after 60 minutes in the preliminary round, a five-minute sudden-death overtime will be played at 3-on-3. Unlike the NHL, teams don't change ends for overtime.

Overtime in a playoff game, along with the bronze medal game, lasts a maximum of 10 minutes. It's also 3-on-3, as opposed to 5-on-5 in NHL playoff games.

In the gold medal game, teams play 20-minute 3-on-3 overtime periods, separated by 15-minute intermissions, until someone scores. Teams don't change sides for the first overtime but do for subsequent overtimes.

Olympic shootout rules

If overtime doesn't settle a game outside of the gold medal game, there will be a shootout. The winner of a coin toss gets to choose whether their team shoots first or second.

The format differs from the NHL, with five shooters per team instead of three. If nothing is settled after five rounds, then each round is sudden death as in the NHL. But there's another difference. Olympic teams can use the same shooters multiple times during the sudden death rounds (think back to TJ Oshie in the 2014 Olympics). They also can change goaltenders.

In the sudden death round, the team that shot second in the first five rounds will shoot first. The rounds continue until one team finishes with one more goal than the other. That team is declared the winner.

Overtime games at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Feb. 15 - Switzerland 4, Czechia 3: Switzerland's Dean Kukan scored at 1:49 of overtime.

USA TODAY's Joe Rivera contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Overtime, shootout rules in Olympics hockey: How it differs from NHL

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‘Princess Anne thought I was Joe Marler’: Heyes mixed up in case of mistaken identity

  • Prop gets erroneous credit for Traitors appearance

  • ‘Who am I to correct her? I didn’t really know what to say’

Anyone who tuned in to the celebrity version of The Traitors last year will be familiar with the former England rugby player Joe Marler. With the exception, it turns out, of Princess Anne who was involved in a case of mistaken identity during the Calcutta Cup pre-match formalities at Murrayfield last Saturday.

Clearly unaware Marler had retired from rugby 15 months ago, the Princess Royal stopped for a chat with her new favourite prop while being introduced to the England team in her role as patron of Scottish Rugby. She even confided how amusing she had found him on Celebrity Traitors, which would have been fine had the player in front of her been Marler rather than another bearded English front-rower, Joe Heyes.

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Fantasy Basketball Midseason Awards: Kawhi Leonard makes a case for MVP

With All-Star Weekend in the rear view, we’ve reached the final stretch of the NBA season, and fantasy basketball playoffs are right around the corner. The All-Star break has given the Rotoworld NBA crew some reflection time, so Zak Hanshew and Raphielle Johnson put together their fantasy picks for MVP, Biggest Bust, Best Value Pick, Rookie of the Year, Biggest Breakout and Comeback Player of the Year.

MVP

Kawhi Leonard, Clippers

The show that Leonard put on during Sunday's All-Star Game was not a departure from what he's done consistently for the Clippers this season. In 41 games, he's averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.5 blocks and 2.7 three-pointers while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three and 91.2 percent from the foul line. He's already played four more games than he did in the entirety of the 2024-25 regular season, and his scoring has increased by over six points per game. In addition to the improved availability, Leonard has been close to a 50/40/90 player on career-high usage (33.5). -Johnson

Tyrese Maxey, Sixers

Maxey’s ascension from fantasy stud to bona fide superstar has come to fruition in 2025-26, as Philadelphia’s floor general has taken the next step forward in multiple categories. Maxey is averaging 28.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.8 blocks and 3.3 triples while shooting 46.9% from the floor and 88.9% from the charity stripe. Aside from the FG%, Maxey’s numbers are career highs across the board. He ranks in the top 10 in points, steals and triples per game, and due to his durability, he’s top 10 in total points, assists, steals and three-pointers. Maxey’s shooting percentages are remarkable considering he ranks third in field goal attempts at 21.5. Maxey ranks behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in total fantasy value, and I can’t pick any other player as my Fantasy MVP. -Hanshew

DON’T MISS: Celtics vs. Lakers on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET (NBC and Peacock)

Biggest Bust

Ja Morant. Grizzlies

Given Morant's track record, fantasy managers know to anticipate an extended absence at some point. While the numbers have been good when the Grizzlies' point guard has been available, he's only appeared in 19 games due to injury. Being close to a top 75 player in eight-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster, doesn't do managers much good if the player can't stay on the floor. And with the Grizzlies trading Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline, it's worth questioning how many, if any, games Morant will play the rest of the season. -Johnson

Anthony Davis, Wizards

Davis played only 11 games with Dallas last season after getting traded on February 1. Injuries plagued his 2025-26 campaign, and he logged only 20 games before getting dealt to the Washington Wizards. Washington is shutting Davis down for the rest of the season, ending a monumentally disappointing run for fantasy managers. When on the court, Davis’ numbers were down across the board with averages of 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks while shooting 50.6% from the field and 72.8% from the charity stripe. AD was taken as a first or second-rounder based on average ADP, and he’ll finish 2025-26 on the waiver wire. -Hanshew

Best Value Pick

Trey Murphy III, Pelicans

TM3 was a fourth-round selection in fantasy drafts, but he ranks 11th in per-game value and seventh in total games value. New Orleans’ sharp-shooting wing is averaging career highs across the board with 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.2 triples. He’s shooting 89.2% from the free-throw line and a career-high 47.6% from the field. Murphy III appeared in 53 and 57 games across the last two seasons, but he’s logged 52 appearances at the break, showing that availability won’t be a concern for him. As New Orleans’ most reliable option on both ends of the court, Murphy III has a realistic chance to finish the season as a top 12 fantasy player. If you selected him with a mid-round pick, you’re likely doing pretty well in your league. -Hanshew

Jalen Johnson, Hawks

After taking a significant leap last season, Johnson has been even more productive in 2025-26. He entered the All-Star break providing top 10 fantasy value in eight-cat formats, playing well enough to hasten the Hawks' decision to make Johnson the team's focal point moving forward. That led to Trae Young being moved to Washington. Double-doubles have become the norm for Johnson, who also has 10 triple-doubles to his credit. His All-Star Game appearance over the weekend may have been the first of many for the versatile Hawks forward. -Johnson

NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Utah Jazz
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe offers late-season lottery appeal
Day’Ron Sharpe has been excellent when given increased run for Brooklyn, and he could see that down the stretch of the 2025-26 campaign.

Rookie of the Year

Kon Knueppel, Hornets

Cooper Flagg has come on strong in recent appearances, and he will almost certainly win the real-life Rookie of the Year award, assuming he isn’t forced to miss significant time down the stretch. In the realm of fantasy hoops, however, the award goes to Knueppel, and it’s not particularly close. Managers who drafted Flagg invested an early-to-mid-round pick for his services, but Knueppel was drafted outside the top 100 on average. At the break, Flagg is ranked just a few spots ahead of Knueppel in per-game value, making him a significantly more valuable selection based on draft capital weighted with performance. Knueppel has buried 183 triples, and with 27 games left to play, he’s on pace to shatter Keegan Murray’s rookie record of 206 made three-pointers. -Hanshew

Cooper Flagg, Mavs

Flagg got off to a slow start, as he began the season as the Mavericks' starting point guard. While an awkward fit in the beginning, head coach Jason Kidd's decision appeared to pay dividends as the season progressed. Flagg entered the break averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.1 three-pointers, shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the foul line. College teammate Kon Knueppel has also been excellent this season, but Flagg edges him out here. -Johnson

Biggest Breakout

Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers

There are plenty of great options here, but Clingan takes the cake for me. The second-year big man out of UConn has taken on a major bump in playing time, and he’s shined with that new opportunity. In 27.6 minutes per game, Clingan is averaging 11.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.4 blocked shots and a surprising 1.0 triples. Unlike most centers with a decent outside shot, Clingan crashes the glass with authority. He ranks third in rebounds per game, and he’s tied for the second-most 20-rebound games at two. Clingan is ranked 52nd in per-game fantasy value, which makes him a nice value due to his ADP near pick 100. The sky’s the limit for Clingan, who offers elite rebounding, strong defensive numbers, efficient FG% and even some triples. -Hanshew

Keyonte George, Jazz

After two uneven seasons, there were questions regarding George and whether he was the point guard best equipped to lead the Jazz in their rebuild. Well, he's risen to the challenge in year three. Through 48 games, George has averaged 23.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.5 three-pointers, shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 89.4 percent from the foul line. Few, if any, fantasy managers anticipated George being a top 25 player, but he's been that productive. -Johnson

Comeback Player of the Year

Mikal Bridges, Knicks

Bridges ranked 84th and 91st in per-game fantasy value across the last two seasons, but at the break, he’s ranked 19th - best on the Knicks. Bridges has yet to miss a game in his NBA career, and he’s ranked ninth in total games fantasy value. He’s averaging 15.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocked shots and 2.1 triples while shooting 50.4% from the floor and 82.9% from the charity stripe. Aside from steals, Bridges’ production isn’t elite in any one category, but he’s solid across the board and doesn’t hurt you anywhere in the box score. After back-to-back campaigns outside the top 75, it’s nice to see Bridges posting strong numbers for fantasy managers again. -Hanshew

Chet Holmgren, Thunder

Limited to 32 games last season due to injury, Holmgren has played in 49 of Oklahoma City's 56 games in 2025-26. In those appearances, he's averaged 17.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.2 three-pointers while shooting 56.0 percent from the field and 78.6 percent from the foul line. Holmgren's production has aligned with his ADP, and availability hasn't been an issue, ensuring that fantasy managers receive full value for their choice. -Johnson

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Orlando's Franz Wagner out at least another three weeks recovering from high left ankle sprain

Franz Wagner tried to come back for a couple of games before the All-Star break, having missed 25 games this season due to a high ankle sprain.

He's going to miss more time. He was still suffering from ankle soreness, and imaging done over the All-Star break confirmed that Wagner needs more time to recover. He will be out indefinitely and re-evaluated in three weeks, the team announced on Wednesday.

This news crushes the hope that Orlando could start to get healthy and find some consistency after the All-Star break. Orlando has been one of the league's most disappointing teams this season. Projected as a potential contender before the season, the Magic are 28-25 and would be in the play-in if the season ended today. Their defense was elite a season ago but has been middle-of-the-pack this season. Injuries are part of that: Orlando's home-grown trio of Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs have played together in just 19 of the Magic's 135 regular-season games in the past two years.

Wagner has looked like an All-Star when he has gotten on the court this season, averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game in the 28 games he has played. The 24-year-old German is in the first year of a five-year, $224 million max contract extension with the team.

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In the Olympic Shadow Of Milan, Senators Quietly Return To Practice In Ottawa

All eyes remain on the Olympics in Milan, where the men’s hockey tournament shifts into high gear Wednesday with the quarterfinals set to begin. For Ottawa Senators' stars Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, Tim Stützle and Nikolas Matinpalo, the pursuit of Olympic gold is still very much alive.

But back home in Ottawa, their well-tanned, well-rested Senators teammates are getting back to work.

After scattering during the midseason break, most of them escaping Ottawa’s February chill for a few days in the sun, the Senators returned to the ice Tuesday at Canadian Tire Centre, beginning preparations for the final 25 games of the season.

Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy agree they'd like to see more actual best on best games within the best on best Olympic hockey tournament.

Ottawa’s last game was on Feb. 5, a 2–1 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. That was the Senators' fifth win in six games, moving them to within six points of the final Wild Card with three teams to jump past.

Except for their Olympians in Milan, the Senators had almost everyone on the ice. David Perron remains out following sports hernia surgery, but head coach Travis Green had some positive news on that front.

Green says the veteran winger has been skating on his own and could be an option for the club’s upcoming western road trip, which begins in Edmonton on March 3. With Perron about to turn 38 in May and in the final year of his contract, it will be interesting to see what the Sens plans are on the March 6 trade deadline.

The Sens are in a stretch of the schedule that sees them play 8 of 9 games on the road. They already have the first three out of the way, winning two. They'll return to action next Thursday (Feb 26) at home against the Detroit Red Wings. Then it's on the road to Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Seattle, and finally, Vancouver.

Senators winger Drake Batherson, probably the best golfer on the team, opted to spend much of his February break back home in Nova Scotia, seeing family, watching the Olympics, and staying sharp by skating with Acadia University's men's hockey team.

Batherson is a player who's also a bigger NHL fan than most and watches a ton of hockey. So naturally, he's been closely monitoring the action in Milan. He says the morning start times work out nicely for him.               

"I'm having a few coffees, kicking the feet up and watching some hockey," Batherson said. "So it's been awesome, all the boys have been playing great, so I'm excited for the quarterfinals and see what happens."

As the spotlight continues to shine brightly on Olympic hockey in Milan, the work toward getting back in the playoff race has officially resumed in Ottawa.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa. Read more Senators features and articles from THN Ottawa here:

Tim Stutzle And Team Germany March On To Face Slovakia in Olympic Quarterfinals
20 Years Later: The Rise And Fall Of One Of The Greatest Teams In Senators History
Former Senator Mark Stone Still Has Plenty Left... Just Ask Canada
Senators Can Further Boost Playoff Hopes By Upgrading One Position At Deadline

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Mark Pope can do what John Calipari never did — make Kentucky a football school

Mark Pope is attempting to pull off the unthinkable, a feat Mark Stoops never had a prayer of achieving. He’s turning Kentucky into a football school.

Seriously, after Kentucky lost to Georgia inside Rupp Arena on Feb. 17 for the first time since 2009, spring practice can’t get arrive quickly enough in the Bluegrass State.

OK, so one look at the Rupp environment tells you Big Blue Nation remains ravenous for hoops — and particularly hungry for a team that plays better than this one did in an 86-78 upset loss that serves as the latest rebuke of Pope’s second season.

John Calipari once made sure everyone, including Stoops, knew Kentucky is "a basketball school," and Georgia is a football school.

Well, that makes this weird, then.

March Sadness: College basketball's 10 most disappointing teams

Bracketology: Who is rising in latest March Madness predictions

Kentucky is unranked and not about to be ranked after a home loss to a bubble team.

“We feel like we got a beautiful Ferrari, and we can’t wait to take it for a spin,” Pope told reporters before the season.

Those mega millions bought a team that keeps stalling.

Mark Pope: 'Disappointing effort' in Kentucky loss to Georgia

What went wrong against Georgia?

“We were not good defensively,” Pope said.

Also:

“Disappointing effort.”

And:

“They got us on our heels.”

Yep, this too:

“We fell apart.”

One more:

“You cannot take plays off in this league. You can’t get distracted.”

Other than that, coach, how was the game?

Buck up, Kentucky. Will Stein's first season on the way

In Pope’s defense, multiple injuries haven’t helped Kentucky. Also, there’s no quit in these ‘Cats, at least. Kentucky nearly rallied past another double-digit deficit, just as it did in a pair of critical victories against rival Tennessee.

Kentucky is consistent. It’s perfected the art of falling behind by big margins and then furiously trying to erase the deficits.

Question is, why was Kentucky losing by double digits to Georgia in the first place?

Maybe, because Pope’s team had 13 turnovers. Or, because Georgia drilled 14 3-pointers.

Best thing you can say about this Kentucky season is it could be worse. These are tough times for basketball royalty. Take it from UCLA. The Bruins are a bubble team. After their latest loss, Mick Cronin said he could “give a rat’s ass” about Michigan State’s student section, as UCLA’s cantankerous coach popped off at a reporter. At least Kentucky’s coach isn’t a jerk.

Speaking of ass, the Bruins played like it in a 23-point loss to the Spartans.

This came on the same night North Carolina lost by 24 points to rival NC State.

Banners hanging inside historic arenas don’t carry the weight they once did. Just don’t tell blue-blooded fans that. Though the Wildcats are still pointed toward the NCAA Tournament, this is not the product Kentucky expects, and Pope knows that better than most. Heavy is the head that wears his alma mater’s crown.

Hey, it’s not all bad around Kentucky. The snow finally melted. How long ‘til fall?

New football coach Will Stein signed a top-10 transfer class.

As for Pope’s 2026 recruiting class, well, it doesn’t include a single commitment.

Not that Calipari is keeping score. Well, maybe he is. He’s got three five-stars lined up for Arkansas.

What day do the shoulder pads go on in Lexington?

Stoops, Stein’s predecessor, could tell you all about just how much Kentucky invested in basketball and how much he wished it invested in his football program. In Stoops’ final seasons, he bemoaned Kentucky’s football cheapness.

That didn’t stop Stein from lining up Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey, who’s got the potential to be Kentucky’s most exciting quarterback in years.

“We have plenty of (money) here,” Stein said after Kentucky hired him.

There’s a refreshing new energy at the head of a football program that badly needed it.

Used to be in Kentucky, Midnight Madness would provide a necessary distraction from the doldrums of football season. Times change. When’s the spring game?

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After latest Mark Pope loss, is Kentucky now a football school?

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NHL Rumors: Sharks Named Trade Fit For Rangers Defender

One of the San Jose Sharks' top objectives ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline should be to improve their blueline. Adding a right-shot defenseman, in particular, would be beneficial for a Sharks club that is looking to stay in the playoff race.

Now, they are continuing to be connected to one of the NHL's top defenseman trade candidates because of it.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson named the Sharks as a potential landing spot for New York Rangers blueliner Braden Schneider. 

"Adding Schneider would give the Sharks a young, physical shutdown defenseman who can log over 20 minutes per game and could fit in well with this rising young roster. Schneider's restricted free agent status would give them a chance to ink him to a long-term deal at a reasonable average annual value," Richardson wrote. 

The Sharks being named as a potential trade fit for Schneider is very easy to understand. As Richardson noted, the Sharks have already been linked to Schneider this season. Furthermore, with Schneider being 24 years old, he would be a strong addition to a Sharks club that is focused on both the present and the future. 

If the Sharks acquired Schneider, he could slot very nicely in their top four. Furthermore, due to his defense-first style of play, he would be a clear option for the Sharks' penalty kill if acquired. 

Ultimately, with Schneider still being young and having good upside, it would make a lot of sense if the Sharks worked hard to acquire him leading up to the deadline. It will be interesting to see if they end up winning the sweepstakes from here. 

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Should the NBA Abolish the Draft? The Case for a Rookie Free Agency System

  • Adam Silver says the league would “seriously consider” rookie free agency if it ends tanking.
  • A draft-free system changes incentives for “poverty franchises,” but risks star clustering.
  • Alternatives like post-elimination win incentives exist.

Is the NBA Draft on the chopping block? Commissioner Adam Silver said that he and his advisors would "seriously consider" replacing the rookie draft with free agency if it's the only definitive way to end tanking.

I am fully onboard with this idea!

With the 2026 tanking crisis reaching a fever pitch following record-breaking fines for the Jazz and Pacers, the league's "flattened odds" lottery experiment has officially failed to deter strategic losing.

As owners grow restless over plummeting ticket sales in rebuilding markets, the nuclear option of a rookie open market is no longer just a "think-piece" theory; it's a looming reality for the next NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Eliminating the NBA draft would actually help small market teams

Claiming small-market teams would be "cooked" is the wrong takeaway.

Players prioritize money, usage, and minutes, which are resources that are limited on every roster. A top rookie might choose the Charlotte Hornets over the Los Angeles Lakers if Charlotte can guarantee 35 minutes a night and the "keys to the franchise," whereas the Lakers might only have a bench role available.

Each team would actually land players who want to be there and are more loyal to the franchise. Players would choose teams based on coaching staff and training facilities rather than being "forced" into a bad situation. This shifts the burden onto front offices to be competent to attract talent.

I opened the debate up on TikTok and was immediately met with hundreds of hot takes as well as a few intriguing solutions. Here are some of my favorites, along with my personal responses.

What NBA fans are saying

M.T.C||.vids: The NBA should NOT remove the draft. Players won’t willingly move to bad teams that have no chance of winning anything.

Metler: All the reason for those franchises to become competent and stop being rewarded with lottery picks.

M.T.C||.vids: How on earth do you expect a franchise to just “become competent”? This free agent format would make super teams stronger and weaker squads less talented, dealing with the bums the league doesn’t want. The draft allows bad teams to get good young players

Metler: It allows awful franchises to ruin the best young talent coming into the league.

buzz_master: Boston and LA would be good forever. It's everything they want.

Metler: It’s good for the league for those teams to always be good. Same as how it’s good for college hoops for Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky to always be good.

r08: Then the small market will always be at the bottom. The contender will always be the contender.

Metler: The same teams are already at the bottom anyways and are given false hope when they get a superstar for a rookie contract who then forces his way out. The solution is to build grassroots programs and connect with youth basketball in your state and city. Develop NBA talent in your hometown that you could sign in the future.

zacharydegraeve: I really think they should. I don’t think it’s the most popular opinion, but teams that build their organization top to bottom to lose so they can acquire a star prospect aren’t able to properly develop that prospect and build around that prospect in four years.

Metler: Why do we keep sending the best prospects to awful situations? If you want elite talent in your organization, earn it. Build better facilities, get better coaches, learn to develop players.

Cadie: I like what the PWHL does. Once you've been eliminated from the playoffs... every win after elimination gains points towards draft position. More points = higher draft position.

Metler: It’s way better than what we have now but NBA teams would still try and manipulate it.

Emorris984: Just use the NFL format!

Metler: They would tank even harder...

It's time to abolish the NBA draft

I was shocked by the outcry about protecting organizations that don’t even try to win games. Why are we so concerned about the bottom feeders of the league? Do you think college basketball sits around trying to game-plan ways to improve Boston College and make them relevant?

Imagine if we sent all the best high school recruits to the worst programs. We don’t. Those players go to North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona, and Duke. So why do we suddenly stop caring about the development of the best young talent coming into the NBA and then send them into awful situations?

A lot of the argument is built on the idea that teams like the Hornets would never be able to land a superstar coming out of college. My response to that concern is the 2009 NBA Draft. Do you really think the Hornets wouldn’t have had a legitimate chance to recruit Stephen Curry out of Davidson to play for his hometown team - the same team his dad played for?

The Hornets’ NBA championship odds wouldn’t be +50000 every single season if they had successfully recruited Curry back in 2009.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

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Dallas' Kyrie Irving will miss remainder of season recovering from torn ACL

Kyrie Irving will sit out the remainder of this season and wait until the fall to make his return froma torn ACL suffered nearly a year ago, he and the Dallas Mavericks announced on Wednesday.

"This decision wasn't easy, but it's the right one," Irving said in a statement released by the team. "I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.

"And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who've torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!"

Irving tore his ACL in a March 3 game against Sacramento almost a year ago. There had been speculation that he might return later this season, but with Dallas sitting as the No. seed 12 in the West and focused more on draft positioning than climbing up into the play-in — this team is tanking — Irving's return made little sense. Although his agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, said it was not about that in a statement to Shams Charania of ESPN.

"This is about Kyrie being 1000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season."

Irving's timeline for a return is very realistic, it often takes players a year or more to come back. Irving is in the first year of a three-year $118 contract with Dallas and the Mavericks are on the hook for $39.5 million next season, plus he has a $42.4 player option for 2027-28.

When Dallas hires a new head of basketball operations this summer (to replace the fired Nico Harrison), one of the decisions for that person will be whether to lean into a youth movement and trade Irving, or whether to pair Cooper Flagg, whoever the team drafts this June, a (hopefully) healthy Dereck Lively II, with Irving, or whether to completely lean into the youth movement. (Part of that may be how the Mavericks fare in the NBA Draft Lottery and who they pick up.)

Irving was an All-Star with the Mavericks before his injury last season, averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists a game while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range.

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Kansas State basketball carrying Jerome Tang's 'crazy faith' mantra after firing

Kansas State basketball's attempt to fire Jerome Tang for cause has been widely derided by the basketball world. After a 90-74 win over Baylor with interim coach Matthew Driscoll on the bench, the Wildcats still mentioned Tang several times postgame.

Kansas State arguably looked more complete than it has all season, with PJ Haggerty and Nate Johnson putting up 34 and 33 points, respectively.

"We (came) more together as a team," Johnson told reporters postgame. "It just bonded us over that period of time, and it showed. His message still showed that we are still together and we're just going to keep getting better every day."

REQUIRED READING: Why Kansas State fired Jerome Tang: 'What he said about the student-athletes really concerned me'

"It's been some very difficult days," Haggerty added. "Every day, we all love Coach T (Tang), you know, as a coach and as a person. He just wanted us to be better men rather than just basketball players, too. But at the end of the day, we're just gonna keep playing and honoring him."

Haggerty also harkened back to a mantra of Tang's.

"'Crazy faith' is something he said every day, whether it was good days or bad days; he always stuck with faith," he said. "Either he had it on his shirt, or he said, 'crazy faith,' and that was the biggest thing that he always told us."

This support lingers even after Tang's firing for cause was justified by a press conference in which Tang derided his roster and said most of the players wouldn't be back next season.

"This was embarrassing," Tang said after a 91-62 loss at the hands of Cincinnati. "These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I'm embarrassed for the university, I'm embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It's just ridiculous."

Even with those harsh words, Kansas State's players are rallying behind him as he looks for the $18.675 million buyout he would be owed if Kansas State loses its case to fire him for cause.

Driscoll also sung Tang's praises following his first win as an interim coach. In a lengthy press answer, he said: "I did not come to Kansas State to be the head coach. Coach Tang is an amazing human being. He has always been there for me, he's always supported me, and he's an amazing human being, and he did amazing things at Kansas State."

Driscoll added: "Because of his leadership and because of what he did, that's why tonight transpired, and it's why everything came to fruition tonight. We went through a lot of things, but if you want to know something, there's nothing easy in life, and nothing's normal. Everyone wants it easy, and he said we're not doing that."

Clearly the players and new installation of coaches aren't hoping to bolster the university's case.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas State players react to first win since Jerome Tang firing

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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving officially shut down for season following ACL tear

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will not suit up this season, as he continues to rehab from a knee injury, the team announced.

Irving tore the ACL in his left knee in a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, 2025, and he missed the last 20 games of the season. Irving, 33, is expected to return for the 2026-27 season.

"This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one," Irving said in a statement. "I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows. And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!"

REAL MVP: The savior of the NBA All-Star Game wasn't the format. It was Wemby

At the time of Irving's injury, the Mavericks were thought to be in the championship hunt after acquiring Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers for All-NBA guard Luka Doncic, a trade that stunned the basketball world.

But Irving and Davis appeared in one game together, and Davis only appeared in 29 games with the Mavericks before he was traded earlier this month to the Washington Wizards, part of a nine-player blockbuster deal.

Dallas entered the All-Star break at 19-35, good for 12th place in the 15-team Western Conference.

Irving, a nine-time All-Star, has averaged 23.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds during his 15-year career for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyrie Irving ACL tear ends season for Mavericks star

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Kyrie Irving won't play this season for the Mavericks as he continues recovery from knee injury

DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving won't play this season as the star guard for the Dallas Mavericks continues his recovery from a knee injury sustained almost a year ago.

The nine-time All-Star and the team made the announcement Wednesday, two days before the Mavericks return from the All-Star break. Dallas is on a nine-game losing streak, its longest in 28 years, and out of playoff contention.

“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving said in a statement released by the team. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.”

Irving tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3. This will be the first time in his 15-year career that the 33-year-old has missed an entire season.

The most significant injury of Irving's career came a month after the Mavericks traded young superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around older and oft-injured big man Anthony Davis. Just nine months earlier, Irving and Doncic led the Mavs to the NBA Finals.

Irving and Davis played together for just 2 1/2 quarters because Davis aggravated an abdominal injury in his Dallas debut and didn't return before Irving went down in a 122-98 loss at home to Sacramento.

The Mavericks converted a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery and picked former Duke standout Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall. But Irving, Davis and Flagg never played together.

Dallas sent Davis to Washington before the trade deadline, a deal that signaled the Mavericks were moving on from the ill-fated Doncic deal less than three months after firing general manager Nico Harrison in part because of that trade.

The Mavericks appear set to build around Flagg with help from Irving, believing the older of the two one-and-done stars from Duke can complement the new face of the franchise.

“Kyrie has the ultimate respect for Cooper,” said co-interim general manager Michael Finley, who was a two-time All-Star with the Mavericks a quarter-century ago. “He loves the kid’s work ethic. He loves the kid’s love for the game. And I think Kyrie’s embracing the role as a mentor to Cooper.”

The team said Irving would remain “actively engaged” with the team the rest of this season. Dallas is on its way to missing the playoffs for the second year in a row since the five-game loss to Boston in the NBA Finals.

“And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day,” Irving said in the team's statement. “THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!”

Before the injury, Irving thrived in two years with the Mavericks following a trade that ended a tumultous three-plus seasons in Brooklyn. There was plenty of drama in Boston before that. Irving was the No. 1 pick by Cleveland in 2011 and won a championship there with LeBron James in 2016.

Irving has averaged 23.7 points and and 5.6 assists per game over 779 games while shooting almost 40% from 3-point range and 89% on free throws.

___

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

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What are your thoughts on the NBC Sports Boston crew? (daily topic)

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 17: Brian Scalabrine and Drew Carter reports before the game between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics for NBC Sports News in Boston on January 17, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Cheers to commentor 1130PAR for suggesting this topic. Keep ‘em coming!

We Celtics fanatics consume a ridiculous volume of Boston Celtics content and the large majority of the game coverage is fed to us by NBC Sports Boston as the Regional Sports Network for the team. So much so that they become like part of the family.

I have tremendous respect for the work that these individuals put into the coverage and appreciate their efforts. Just like the players, however, there are ups and downs and learning curves for everyone. So give us your thoughts on the job that they are doing.

  • Brian Scalabrine and Drew Carter have the unenviable job of following legends Mike and Tommy (no last names needed). With that said, they’ve developed their own cadence and voice over the years.
  • Abby Chin has been a been a popular, long-time sideline reporter for the team (which included a brief departure due to budget cuts).
  • Eddie House, Tom Giles, Chris Forsberg, Kayla Burton, and Michael Holley others serve as Studio analysts and hosts.
  • Behind the scenes there are countless people working on the look, feel, content, and flow of the coverage.

So how are they doing? What kind of feedback would you want to give them? What would you like to see more or less of in their coverage?

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Former coach Doug Moe, whose time in Philly was unfortunately brief, dies at 87

PORTLAND, OR - CIRCA 1993: Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doug Moe looks on circa 1993 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

We didn’t see the best of Doug Moe in Philadelphia. Hell, we barely saw him at all. He lasted 56 games as the Sixers’ coach in 1992-93, the team’s first after Charles Barkley left town. Thirty-seven of them were losses, two by 56 points – including the last one, on March 6, 1993 in Seattle.

Too bad, because Moe, who died Tuesday at age 87, was funny and fiery and free-wheeling. Also a helluva coach, given the right circumstances, which he most certainly was not given that season.

It could even be said that he was something of a pioneer, since his previous teams, in San Antonio and Denver, favored a wide-open, high-scoring style that anticipated today’s game. He would laugh at that designation, though, because he laughed at a lot of things.

Writing on the Platform Formerly Known as Twitter on Tuesday, longtime NBA chronicler Peter Vecsey described Moe, a Brooklyn native, as “the kind of guy who never stopped hanging out in front of the neighborhood candy store” – always cracking wise, always playing things fast and loose.

When he was coaching the Spurs, Jeff Cohen of the San Antonio Light once wrote, Moe would allow dogs at shootarounds, his thinking being that when the canines did their business on the floor, he could immediately excuse himself to go play golf.

Also – Moe called his wife “Big Jane” and just about everybody else “stiffs.”

“There are good stiffs and bad stiffs,” he told me and the rest of the media corps during his lone training camp with the Sixers. “You always wonder.”

While he predicted that that edition of the team would win 50 games, he soon discovered that he had way too many bad stiffs. Hersey Hawkins was still around, and still a viable player. And Jeff Hornacek, over from Phoenix in the Barkley trade, could ball. But assorted injuries had curtailed Johnny Dawkins’ effectiveness, and the rest of the roster was the Land of the Misfit Toys.

A funnyman before tipoff, Moe turned into a wildman on game night, raging at officials and his team. (Woe to the young fan sitting within earshot of the Sixers’ bench.) But his histrionics had no impact on a team that was ill-equipped to execute his coveted motion offense – the idea was for players to think on their feet, to read the defense and each other – much less run up and down.

There was some levity, though. Bob Ford, then the Inquirer’s beat writer, noted on Facebook Tuesday that before a game one night in Denver, backup center Eddie Lee Wilkins approached him and said, “I wanna pop off.”

Ford discouraged that, as he had already filed his pregame notes and didn’t think it was particularly newsworthy to chronicle the complaints of a guy who was buried behind Andrew Lang, Manute Bol and Charles Shackleford on the depth chart.

Wilkins was shocked by Ford’s stance.

“Man,” he told the scribe, by Ford’s recollection, “when I played for the Knicks if you wanted to pop off there would be 10 dudes standing around you writing it down.”

(In other versions of the story, Wilkins uttered a four-syllable word beginning with “mother” rather than “dudes.”)

Anyway, Ford finally allowed Wilkins to pop off a few days later, and he complained that the team didn’t have any plays, and their practices were a joke. Moe didn’t disagree with any of that but told Ford (again by the writer’s recollection) that he wasn’t going to “beat up these guys trying to get them to play a way they can’t really play.”

Moe’s point being that if given a competitive roster, he could get the most out of it. His track record in Denver, where he went 432-357 over a decade, would suggest as much. Law Murray of The Athletic noted that five of the 31 teams in NBA history to average over 120 points a game were indeed Nuggets clubs coached by Moe.

That was topped by the 1981-82 club, which checked in at 126.5 a night and featured Dan Issel, David Thompson and Kiki Vandeweghe. Also Alex English, who scored more points than any other NBA player in the ‘80s. (And think about some of the others who played in that decade.)

So yeah, the man could coach, despite how it might have looked here. Moe’s 628-529 record over 15 seasons is further testament to that. (Only 18 coaches have ever won more games.) So too are his people skills.

“God bless you BIG STIFF,” former Nugget Bill Hanzlik typed on Twitter Tuesday.

Seems like as fitting an epitaph as any for Doug Moe, who never took himself too seriously, and never stopped hanging out in front of that candy store.