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Jimmy Butler to get ACL surgery on February 9

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Jimmy Butler III #10 of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Miami Heat during the second half at Chase Center on January 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Per the Golden State Warriors, forward Jimmy Butler will finally get surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, suffered during a home game against the Miami Heat on January 19. Butler garnered the injury on an awkward landing after catching an entry pass thrown high up in the air by Brandin Podziemski.

The surgery will take place in Los Angeles and will be performed by Dr. Bert Mendelbaum.

Based on the recovery timeline that teammate De’Anthony Melton underwent after undergoing ACL repair surgery (returning exactly one year after the date of the procedure), Butler may return in early February of 2027, in the middle of the 2026-27 season — a month before Stephen Curry’s 39th birthday and Draymond Green’s 37th birthday. At that point, Butler himself will be 37 years old.

The Warriors reassured Butler that they intend to keep him on the team instead of shopping his contract in the days leading up to the trade deadline — a promise they ended up keeping, with reports of Draymond Green being offered instead during negotiations with the Milwaukee Bucks in the Warriors’ attempt to acquire superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ultimately, the Bucks decided to keep Antetokounmpo.

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Penguins/Sabres Recap: Avery Hayes, Ben Kindel each score, Pens win big in Buffalo

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 5: Avery Hayes #85 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with teammates after scoring his first career goal during the first period of an NHL against the Buffalo Sabres game at KeyBank Center on February 5, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Pregame

A trio of forward changes to the lineup tonight, Blake Lizotte is unavailable for tonight due to an impending birth which opens the door for Kevin Hayes to play for the first time since January 11th. Noel Acciari is too sick to play and Rickard Rakell has picked up an injury, opening the door for Avery Hayes to make his NHL debut.

Proving that all ‘90s nostalgia isn’t good, the Buffalo Sabres are using their alternate jerseys with this lineup.

First period

Buffalo gets on the board early, the Penguins turn the puck over in the middle of the ice and the Sabres jump on it. Jason Zucker shoots from outside, Arturs Silovs lunges for it with his glove and he comes up empty. The shot hits the inside edge of the post and goes into the net. 1-0 Buffalo 1:46 into the game.

Hayes has his welcome to the NHL moment, using a burst of speed to sneak past defender Jacob Bryson and create a mini-breakaway out of no where. Hayes finishes is strong on Alex Lyon for his first NHL goal on his first shot (but not first shift). What a moment, 1-1 game.

Evgeni Malkin takes a two-minute high-sticking penalty, the Pens kill it off. Then Hayes goes to set the career goal-to-period ratio. This time it’s a great bump pass from Anthony Mantha and a quick shot from Hayes nets his second of the night. 2-1 Pens.

Ryan Shea takes a penalty 12 seconds later, best timing ever, who would ever notice or remember that?

First 20 minutes is up, Avery Hayes and his family in the stands are on Cloud 9. A dream two-goal first ever period in the NHL has the Penguins up 2-1 on Buffalo.

Second period

Pittsburgh kills off the carryover time from the penalty and continues on.

Bryson’s bad night continues when he blows a tire and goes down, sending Ben Kindel on a 2-on-1. The replay is impressive, Kindel looks hard to his right for the pass the whole way, then suddenly snipes Lyon to the short-side with a perfect shot. 3-1 Pens, thanks to their rookies.

Sidney Crosby is the next in line for a penalty, the Sabres get some looks but can’t score.

The Penguins finally get their first power play of the night when Alex Tuch trips Silovs behind the net. Zone time doesn’t lead to a goal.

Pittsburgh extends their lead and is up by two with 20 to go.

Third period

Evgeni Malkin takes an offensive zone tripping penalty and Buffalo gets their first power play goal on their fourth time. Tage Thompson isn’t pressured down low, he’s got enough time to see that Silovs has left some room at the top of the net. A goal-scorer like Thompson easily finds it, notching his 30th of the season to bring the score to 3-2.

Later a couple of close calls, Egor Chinakhov nearly scores in front of the net, play goes the other way. Thompson bulls through Ilya Solovyov but Silovs makes his best stop of the night to throw out the leg and stop the puck.

Then some mayhem. Peyton Krebs crashes into Silovs, Connor Clifton doesn’t take kindly to that and drops the gloves with Krebs. Clifton gets the better of his former teammate by feeding him a bunch of knuckle sandwiches.

Pittsburgh still gets the power play out of it for Krebs completely barreling into the goalie. No goal, it does drain two more minutes off the clock.

The Pens get some insurance with 4:27 to go. Tommy Novak negates an icing call, the puck finds its way to Chinakhov near the blueline thanks to Malkin getting a piece of the attempted outlet. Chinakhov’s deep shot is stopped, rebound pops to Novak who calmly dekes to the backhand and deposits the trash into the net. 4-2 game.

Buffalo pulls the goalie with over two minutes to go. Mantha goes to the penalty box for hooking with 1:29 to go, the Sabres utilize their timeout to get their plan together. Doesn’t work, Kindel scores the shorthanded empty net goal to make it 5-2.

Some thoughts

  • Great first goal for Hayes. It’s so fitting that the goal came on a play looked like nothing at the beginning, then only turned into something due completely to the effort that Hayes put into it. Not to get poetic (well, too late for that I suppose) but that’s practically the story of his career in a nutshell as an undersized, undrafted player that could only muster an AHL contract upon turning pro. He proved himself in Wilkes-Barre, got an NHL deal for this season. Impressed in camp and prospect tournaments along the way, still took a while to get his first game in the show now at age 23 and fairly deep into this season. It didn’t take very long for Hayes to show what’s been his “long-term overnight success story” due to the skating burst, extra desire and find the ability to finish and standout, making a real name for himself.
  • The only thing that could make it even better is a second goal. It was more of a right place at the right time, courtesy of the sweet setup by Mantha, but hey, there’s something to be said about showing up at the right place at the right time.
  • Along those lines for timing and circumstance working out, you gotta think and remember that had Acciari not been sick OR Rakell been able to play OR Lizotte not need to leave the team for an impending birth, A. Hayes wouldn’t have been called up and played tonight. A lot of stars had to align to get his NHL debut to happen on this night. Wild how it all worked out, which always makes a great story that much more special and fun when so many factors come together in just the perfect way.
  • Hayes told Hailey Hunter during the first intermission interview on TV that he was changing into his suit while the car service was driving him to Buffalo, having only learned he would be needed and playing late this morning. I mean you just can’t make this stuff up, guy wakes up in Wilkes this morning having scored a goal against the Hershey Bears last night, the next thing he knows he’s scrambling to get to Buffalo in time to make his NHL debut.
  • Bob Grove Stat of the night: Hayes joins Jake Guentzel and Robbie Brown. Not bad company there.
  • Per HockeyFights, this was the seventh Penguin fight of the season, coming in Game No. 56. Doesn’t even seem that weird any more with its absence. Probably the most entertaining one of the year too, Clifton hit Krebs with lefts and rights with some pretty good shots.
  • Silovs didn’t have to be remarkable but his stop on Thompson in the third period when it was a 3-2 game was a complete difference-maker in how this game played out. Pittsburgh was up 3-1, and as you might have heard, have had some struggles with keeping leads late into games this season. (And, as noted in the preview, Buffalo is extremely strong with scoring in the third period). If the game goes to 3-3 on that play – and it well could have – it very well was trending towards being another tough night for the Pens. Get a key stop at a key time and a lot of good things can happen. The Pens got that tonight.
  • Rust didn’t get on the scoreboard but he did a great job on the PK blocking all kinds of shots, passes, marking up on Josh Doan when he drove to the net for backside plays.

Ta

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Rangers keep crashing after Artemi Panarin trade with ‘unacceptable’ shutout loss to Hurricanes

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) deflecting the puck during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Image 2 shows Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal
The Rangers lost to the Hurricanes on Thursday.

The Artemi Panarin trade has completely taken the rest of the intrigue and the energy out of the Garden.

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With the Panarin saga finally reaching a conclusion with his trade to the Kings, the Rangers played their final game before the NHL break for the Winter Olympics — and the corresponding league-wide roster freeze — with the knowledge that their devolving season eventually will resume with more work to do for general manager Chris Drury to retool the roster for 2026-27 and beyond.

That pre-Olympic finale Thursday night only represented more of the same for the crashing Blueshirts, however, as they fell for the fourth straight game without Panarin with a sleepy 2-0 loss to the Hurricanes at the Garden.

It marked the ninth time they have been shut out this season — and inexplicably, the seventh time on home ice — and head coach Mike Sullivan wasn’t pleased with the effort.

Jonathan Quick makes a save during the Rangers’ Feb. 5 loss to the Hurricanes. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

“I thought they outplayed us. … The first two periods weren’t nearly good enough,” Sullivan said afterward. “My message to the group was, I will acknowledge that we’re in a little bit of a difficult circumstance and none of us really want to be in this position. … But the reality is we are where we are.

“I thought tonight that we lacked a certain competitive spirit. It’s simply unacceptable on our part.”

Panarin, who inked a two-year contract extension worth $22 million with Los Angeles to bypass unrestricted free agency this summer, was dealt for junior forward prospect Liam Greentree and at least one conditional third-round draft pick, depending on Los Angeles’ postseason success.

The last-place Rangers previously had played without Panarin while their leading scorer was held out of the lineup in two defeats to the Islanders last week and another against the Penguins before Wednesday’s trade.

Before the game, Sullivan had said he wished the 34-year-old winger “the very best” in a conversation after the trade was announced.

The Hurricanes celebrate a goal during the Rangers’ Feb. 5 loss. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

He added that he “already had addressed the circumstances” of potential additional trades with his squad, which is now mired in a 3-13-2 tailspin to sink to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings at 22-29-6.

“From the drop of the puck, we got outplayed all night,” said captain J.T. Miller, who will join Sullivan as part of Team USA in Italy. “It wasn’t good enough. We wanted to go into the break feeling good about ourselves, and it’s quite the opposite right now. So it sucks.”

With the 20-year-old Greentree slated to finish out his current season with OHL Windsor, the Rangers will continue to plug the gaping hole left by Panarin from within.

Will Cuylle mostly has skated in his spot the past several games alongside center Vincent Trocheck.

“You know that we’re not going to plug a player in, and he’s going to replace what Artemi does for this team,” Sullivan said. “I think what we’re trying to do is build a team game where we can replace it by committee, so to speak. I think we can do a better job at being harder to play against, giving up less opportunities on the defensive side, which should allow us an opportunity to create some offense off of that. But we’re not plugging anybody in and saying, ‘Hey, you’re gonna go replace what Artemi’s brought to this group.’ That would be unfair.”

Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov gathered in a failed clearance attempt by Vladislav Gavrikov and opened the scoring with a wrister from the slot past Quick for a 1-0 lead 6:26 into the game.

Mika Zibanejad had a strong chance on the power play later in the period, but he rang the puck off the crossbar and the Rangers generated little else against Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi (16 saves).

Quick made 41 stops to keep the Rangers within one despite a lopsided shot disparity before Jordan Staal added an empty-netter in the final minute.

“[Quick played] extremely well,” Sullivan said. “I think he did his very best to drag us into the fight. But we needed more guys to do that for us.”

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World Baseball Classic power rankings: Can USA, DR topple Japan?

Are they champions until someone else determines otherwise?

Or can the collective power of two superstar lineups prove too difficult for the kingpins of the World Baseball Classic to handle?

We’ll believe it when we see it. For now, Japan – defending champions, three-time WBC titlists – is ranked first in USA TODAY’s power rankings after the Feb. 5 reveal of rosters.

Coming off a dramatic defeat of Team USA in the 2023 final, capped by Shohei Ohtani’s strikeout of then-real life teammate Mike Trout, Japan won’t have Ohtani’s pitching handiwork this time. Yet no group is traditionally tougher to beat in this format, with both veteran and burgeoning talent coalescing quickly.

 A look at the top 10 teams, knowing roster situations can be very fluid:

1. Japan

Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the same team? Hey, maybe Team Japan is ruining baseball, too. But this very veteran team – which can surround Ohtani in the lineup with Seiya Suzuki and MLB newcomers Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto – is always greater than the sum of its parts.

2. USA

This club might just bully ball its way to the championship. You like home runs and strikeouts? A lineup with Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Cal Raleigh and a pick-and-choose of All-Star infielders will provide plenty of longballs. The vaunted pitching staff featuring Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller will get plenty of swing-and-miss. Can the second tier of pitchers do the same? That may be the difference for Team USA.

3. Dominican Republic

Oh, goodness. Let’s start with the pitching, which isn’t terribly deep yet begins with a fantastic 1-2 of towering lefty Cristopher Sánchez and former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara. But that lineup? An outfield of Fernando Tatis Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Juan Soto isn’t a bad place to start. They have their choice of Geraldo Perdomo or Jeremy Peña at shortstop with Ketel Marte at second. And Manny Machado and Junior Caminero manning third base or DH.

4. Mexico

Hey, nobody pitches nine innings in the WBC, and that’s just as well for Team Mexico, which won’t blow anyone away behind Taijuan Walker and Jose Urquidy. But that bullpen – Andrés Muñoz, Robert Garcia and Victor Vodnik leading the way – can shorten games in a hurry. The lineup is deep enough, with the Tijuana tandem of Alejandro Kirk and Jonathan Aranda making things difficult on pitchers, Randy Arozarena adding power and elan and manager Benji Gil looking to pull more WBC magic – this after getting passed over for a major league job this past winter.

5. Venezuela

Ranger Suárez is the ace and Pablo López the steady veteran, but it’s the swing guys like Keider Montero and Angel Zerpa who may determine whether Venezuela cracks the semifinals. And what an outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio and Wilyer Abreu.

6. Canada

No Freddie Freeman, which is a bummer, and no Nick Pivetta on the mound, so older hands like Jameson Taillon, Michael Soroka and yes, the Big Maple, James Paxton, will have to take down some innings. What they do have: Josh Naylor, the glue of a Mariners ALCS finalist and he should play the same role here.

7. Puerto Rico

Yes, they will dearly miss the likes of Francisco Lindor, but the bigger loss is probably pitcher Jose Berríos, leaving a pitching staff with a handful of elite relievers – Edwin Díaz is back, and Fernando Cruz looms large – but precious few starters to get the game to them.

8. Italy

These paisans look like the real deal. Aaron Nola’s decision to pitch gives the staff a bell cow, with big leaguers like Michael Lorenzen and Gordon Graceffo adding depth. Old heads Dan Altavilla and Adam Ottavino provide bullpen seasoning. And Vinnie Pasquantino provides a cog around which some exciting young players can coalesce, including Royals teammate Jac Caglianone, Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee and White Sox slugging catcher Kyle Teel.

9. Korea

Enough oomph to escape Pool C alongside Japan and maybe make some hay stateside, led by big league regulars or semi-regulars Jung Hoo Lee (Giants), Jahmai Jones (Tigers) and Hyeseong Kim (Dodgers). Hyun Min Ahn and Hyun Bin Moon are powerful youngsters pitchers should approach carefully.

10. Netherlands

No shortage of candidates for this 10 spot, most notably Cuba and Colombia. But we’ll tip our caps to the Dutch, with 2009 catcher Kenley Jansen back to hold down the closer role and a star-studded lineup including Xander Bogaerts, Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar and Ceddane Rafaela. Something old? How about infielder Didi Gregorius. Something new? Meet Druw Jones, who will play for his father, freshly minted Hall of Famer and manager Andruw.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Baseball Classic rosters power rankings: Can USA win it all?

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Tim Stutzle's Overtime Goal Gives Senators 2-1 Win At Philadelphia In Pre-Olympic Finale

The Ottawa Senators have entered the Olympic break on a winning note, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 2–1 in overtime on Thursday night in a fine defensive road performance.  Tim Stutzle scored the OT winner for the Senators on a gorgeous deke past Flyers goalie Dan Vladar.

As if playing on the eve of a three-week holiday weren’t enough of a distraction, the Sens’ scheduled starting goalie, Linus Ullmark, fell ill during the day and couldn’t play. He's played two games, winning both, since returning from a month-long leave of absence. That called James Reimer into late action as the starter, with Hunter Shepard recalled from Belleville.

After a scoreless first period, Nick Cousins broke the deadlock midway through the second, cramming home a rebound off a Shane Pinto shot, and that looked for a long time like it might stand up as the game-winner.

Pinto showed some excellent patience at the side of the Flyers' net before ripping a wrist shot off Vladar's pads, and looked like it was probably designed to create the rebound.

Reimer’s save of the night came midway through the third. With the Sens still clinging to a 1–0 lead, Sean Couturier broke hard to the front of the net. Reimer made a strong pad save and may have gotten a piece of the rebound as well.

But the Flyers pressed late and the Sens got caught with tired defenders out there. Jamie Drysdale's wrist shot got through a sea of players and found its way under Reimer's blocker. 

That assured the rival Flyers at least a point and forced overtime where it was defense be damned.

Both Brady Tkachuk and Stutzle got caught up ice, leading to a 2 on 1 for the Flyers. Stutzle hustled back to try and help, but Tkachuk was out of gas. Former 67 Travis Konecny missed the right post with his shot, and the puck rimmed all the way out to Tkachuk who was still slowly coming back at centre ice.

The captain left the puck for Stutzle, who blew past him, past Travis Sanheim and then past Vladar for the game winner.

The Senators outshot the Flyers on the night, 27-16, and they also got a little luck from the out of town scoreboard. The Buffalo Sabres, who hold one of the wild cards in the East, lost 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the Washington Capitals, the best of the conference's non-playoff teams, won 4-2 over Nashville to stay two points up on Ottawa.

With 25 games to play, the Senators are now seven points back of Buffalo (WC1) and six behind idle Boston (WC2).

Ottawa now enters the break with five wins in their last six games. Their next game won't be until Feb. 26 when they host the Detroit Red Wings.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

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Edwards scores 21, surpasses 1,000 career points in No. 3 South Carolina's 88-45 win over Bulldogs

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards scored 21 points and No. 3 South Carolina won its eight straight over Mississippi State with a 88-45 victory on Thursday night.

Edwards surpassed 1,000 points in her career, just third sophomore to accomplish that in program history behind Shelia Foster and career-points leader A’ja Wilson — both who’ve have their jerseys haning in the rafters at Colonial Life Arena.

Edwards had nine of her team’s first 15 points as the Gamecocks (23-2, 9-1 SEC) opened a double-digit lead in the first quarter and were never pressed by the cold-shooting Bulldogs (16-8, 3-7), who’ve lost seven of the past nine after starting the season 14-1.

The Gamecocks played a second-straight game without starters Ta’Niya Latson and Agot Makeer, who had lower-leg injuries in an 81-51 win at Auburn and missed this past Monday’s 71-56 victory at Texas A&M.

South Carolina has had players in and out of the lineup due to injuries and suspensions this year, but like much of the season, has counted on those available players to keep the team winning.

Such was case with the 6-foot-3 Edwards against the Bulldogs, who finished 8-of-11 shooting and tied her career high with six assists.

Freshman Ayla McDowell made her first start for South Carolina and matched her career high with 16 points off four 3-pointers.

Madina Okot had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Gamecocks, her 14th double-double this season.

Madison Francis had 12 points to lead Mississippi State, which was held to its lowest point total of the season and made just three of its 24 3-point attempts.

NO. 4 TEXAS 77, NO. 5 LSU 64

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Madison Booker scored 18 points, Aaliyah Crump added 16 and Texas used a big run at the start of the fourth quarter to pull away from LSU.

Texas’ Kyla Oldacre scored four points in the 10-0 Texas run. Her layup with 5:01 left pushed the Texas lead to 15 and put the Longhorns in complete control the rest of the way.

Texas (22-2, 7-2 SEC) ran its home winning streak to 39 — tied with TCU for the longest active streak of its kind in the nation — with a victory that keeps the Longhorns within a game of first place in the Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns are 8-2 this season against ranked opponents.

Longhorns guard Rori Harmon had 5 steals to set the program’s career record. She now has 350, breaking the old mark of 346 set by Linda Waggoner from 1976-1980. Harmon is already the Texas career assists record.

LSU (21-3, 7-3) had started 0-2 in league play before running off seven straight victories. But the Tigers scored well below their nation-leading average of 98.9 points per game against the Longhorns. Mikaylah Williams led LSU with 20 points.

NO. 17 DUKE 59, NO. 6 LOUISVILLE 58

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Toby Fournier scored 15 points and came up with a huge block late for Duke, which started hot and then rallied to beat Louisville.

The lone regular-season matchup of the Atlantic Coast Conference co-leaders was a defensive battle as the Blue Devils (17-6, 12-0) shot just 42.6% (23 of 54) and committed 19 turnovers, while the Cardinals (21-4, 11-1) shot a season-worst 33.9% (21 of 62).

Louisville’s Imari Berry missed the second of two free throws with 1.1 seconds left. Duke’s Riley Nelson got the rebound.

Istanbulluoglu led Louisville, which saw its 14-game winning streak snapped, with 13. Ziegler and Reyna Scott added 11 each.

NO. 7 VANDERBILT 84, NO. 16 KENTUCKY 83

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 37 points, 19 in the fourth quarter, to rally Vanderbilt to a win over Kentucky.

Blakes scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to give the Commodores (22-2, 8-2 SEC) a 59-58 lead and they stretched the lead to double figures with 6:15 left in the game. Four free throws from Aubrey Galvin in the final 19 seconds sealed the win.

It was Blakes’ 12th career game scoring 30 points or more.

Kentucky (18-6, 5-5) had a chance to tie but Amelia Hassett’s potential tying 3-point shot went off the side of the rim and Teonni Key’s putback went in as the buzzer sounded to end the game.

Key had 27 points and 12 rebounds and Clara Strack added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Wildcats. Hassett scored 19 points.

NO. 9 OHIO STATE 70, WASHINGTON 60

SEATTLE (AP) — Jaloni Cambridge scored 26 points and Ohio State held off a late run by Washington for its 10th win in the last 11 games.

Cambridge, who went in averaging 22.5 points per game (No. 7 nationally) this season, went 12 of 21 from the field and had her fourth straight game with at least 25. And when UW went on a 13-2 run to cut what had been a 15-point Buckeye lead down to four, the sophomore hit her biggest shot of the night, quieting the crowd with a mid-range jumper with 1:38 remaining.

Elsa Lemmila added 13 points and nine rebounds and Chance Gray scored 12 points for the Buckeyes (21-3, 10-2 Big Ten).

Sayvia Sellers scored 26 points — 11 in the fourth quarter — to lead the Huskies (17-6, 7-5), who have lost back-to-back home games for the first time this season. Freshman Brynn McGaughy made her first career start and finished with 12 points.

MINNESOTA 91, NO. 10 IOWA 85

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Grace Grocholski scored 21 points, Mara Braun added 16 and Minnesota beat Iowa for its fifth straight victory.

The Gophers (17-6, 8-4 Big Ten) have the program’s longest winning streak in Big Ten play since the 2018-19 season. The Hawkeyes (18-5, 9-3) lost their third consecutive game since they lost starting guard Taylor McCabe, the team’s leading 3-point shooter, to a season-ending knee injury.

Minnesota led for almost all of the final three quarters, shooting 51.6% for the game while going 10 of 14 in 3-pointers. The Gophers, whose biggest lead was 77-57 with 7:51 to play, had a 41-28 rebounding advantage.

It was Minnesota’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2005.

Tori McKinney added 15 points for Minnesota. Amaya Battle had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Finau Tonga had 10 points.

Ava Heiden led Iowa with 24 points. Chazadi Wright had 20 points and a career-high 12 assists. Journey Houston had 15 points and Hannah Stuelke added 14.

NO. 21 ALABAMA 64, NO. 13 MISSISSIPPI 63

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jessica Timmons scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Karly Weathers added 14 points and six rebounds, and Alabama took down Mississippi.

Timmons scored six straight points beginning with 2:31 remaining in regulation, and gave the Crimson Tide (20-4, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) a lead with 47 seconds on the clock.

After Ole Miss retook the lead on two free throws, Diana Collins made a driving layup that secured the win with 18 seconds to go.

Cotie McMahon led with 22 points for the Rebels (19-5, 6-3), but she was called for a charge with 10 seconds remaining that negated her go-ahead bucket.

Sira Thienou added 13 points and seven rebounds, Christeen Iwuala had 11 and 15 rebounds, and Latasha Lattimore scored 10 to go with 13 rebounds for Ole Miss.

NO. 19 TENNESSEE 82, GEORGIA 77, OT

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Zee Spearman scored 23 points, and Mia Pauldo added 21 for Tennessee in an overtime win over Georgia.

Talaysia Cooper scored 16 points before fouling out in the extra period. Janiah Barker added nine points and 13 rebounds for the Volunteers (15-5, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).

Dani Carnegie was fouled behind the 3-point arc with five seconds left on the clock, sending her to the line to shoot three attempts for Georgia (18-5, 4-5) She sank all three to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Tennessee started overtime on a 5-0 run to jump ahead. Pauldo scored the final baskets of the game from the free-throw line. She shot 5 of 14 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line.

Carnegie led the Bulldogs in scoring, with 25 points before fouling out in overtime. Rylie Theuerkauf added 15, and Mia Woolfolk scored 14, all in the fourth quarter.

NO. 25 NORTH CAROLINA 53, CLEMSON 44

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Nyla Harris notched a double-double to lead North Carolina over Clemson.

Harris scored 17 on 7-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds and two steals. It was her fourth double-double of the season for the Tar Heels (19-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lanie Grant added 16 points, going 6 of 10 from the floor. Indya Nivar added nine points, seven assists and two steals.

Rusne Augustinaite led the Tigers (16-8, 7-5) with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

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Honor Huff leads West Virginia's rally to 59-54 win over Cincinnati

CINCINNATI (AP) — Honor Huff scored 16 points, all in the second half, and dished six assists as West Virginia rallied from a double-digit deficit to defeat Cincinnati, 59-54 on Thursday night.

Huff scored 11 points in a row amid a 16-2 rally midway through the second half that gave the Mountaineers (15-8, 6-4 Big 12) a 42-40 edge. He also made two free throws down the stretch to keep WVU in the lead, and was 5-for-11 from the field and 3-for-8 from deep.

The Mountaineers also got contributions from DJ Thomas (14 points, 4-for-6 shooting) and Brenen Lorient (11 points, 5-for-7). Harlan Obioha led his team with six rebounds, and Treysen Eaglestaff hauled in five.

The Bearcats (11-12, 3-7) began the game on a 14-2 run and led 30-20 heading into halftime. Jizzle James led with 18 points on 7-for-16 shooting (4-for-6 from deep), and Baba Miller added 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting.

WVU struggled from deep, not making a three-pointer until Huff made three straight threes in the second half, shooting 29% overall from beyond the arc.

Huff's three made three-pointers move him into a tie for third in the nation in three-pointers made with 81.

Up next

West Virginia hosts No. 13 Texas Tech on Sunday.

Cincinnati hosts UCF on Sunday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Spearman scores 23 in No. 19 Tennessee women's 82-77 OT win over Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Zee Spearman scored 23 points, and Mia Pauldo added 21 for No. 19 Tennessee in an 82-77 overtime win over Georgia on Thursday night.

Talaysia Cooper scored 16 points before fouling out in the extra period. Janiah Barker added nine points and 13 rebounds for the Volunteers (15-5, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).

Dani Carnegie was fouled behind the 3-point arc with five seconds left on the clock, sending her to the line to shoot three attempts for Georgia (18-5, 4-5) She sank all three to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Tennessee started overtime on a 5-0 run to jump ahead. Pauldo scored the final baskets of the game from the free-throw line. She shot 5 of 14 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line.

Carnegie led the Bulldogs in scoring, with 25 points before fouling out in overtime. Rylie Theuerkauf added 15, and Mia Woolfolk scored 14, all in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Tennessee: Visits No. 3. South Carolina on Sunday.

Georgia: Visits Missouri on Sunday.

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Aaron Judge leads the way as WBC rosters announced

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: 2026 WBC Team USA Captain Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees speaks to the media before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 14, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The WBC kicks off in just about a month, with Team Japan looking to repeat after its dramatic triumph in the 2023 tournament and Team USA gearing up to try and reclaim the crown. Tonight, full rosters were revealed for all 20 of the participating teams.

We already knew that Aaron Judge would be assuming the role of Captain America, the best hitter on the planet committing to manning the outfield for the US and being named team captain last April. Judge is the only Yankee hitter expected to be in the Team USA starting lineup, with Cody Bellinger declining to participate to focus on his leadup to the 2026 MLB season. The just-signed Paul Goldschmidt will join Judge, however, likely as a bench option. David Bednar will join Judge on Team USA, the closer the only Yankee pitcher suiting up for the US. On the coaching side, Andy Pettitte, Brian McCann, and Matt Holliday will all be involved, as will 2023 interim hitting coach Sean Casey.

Even with only two Yankees on the US card, Yankees will dot rosters across the tourney. Great Britain will have a strong pinstriped contingent, with the Bahamian-born Jazz Chisholm Jr. leading the way. Right-handed pitching prospect Brendan Beck will also join the British side (alongside his brother Tristan, from the Giants), as well as Yankees catching coordinator Tanner Swanson, who will be a part of the coaching staff.

The Dominican Republic will also feature a few Yankees. Reliever Camilo Doval figures to be a significant part of the DR’s bullpen, while Austin Wells will pair with former Yankees farmhand Agustín Ramírez behind the plate, with Wells eligible to play for the DR due to his Dominican heritage on his mother’s side of the family. Utilityman Amed Rosario will also suit up for the Dominican Republic.

Top pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez is slated to join Team Puerto Rico, as is Fernando Cruz. Team PR has suffered serious hits to its roster, with stars like Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor unable to participate due to issues securing insurance.

Elsewhere, bench coach Brad Ausmus will manage Team Israel and a pitching staff that includes Triple-A righty Harrison Cohen (old friend Tommy Kahnle is also on Israel during his still-ongoing free agency). José Caballero will suit up for Panama. Some old friends, though no longer part of the Yankee organization, also will pop up in a few spots. James Paxton retired after the 2024 season, but he’ll suit up once more for Team Canada, with Paul Quantrill as pitching coach and Russell Martin as first-base coach. Free agent and erstwhile Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela will play for Team Colombia.

Didi Gregorius will represent the Netherlands once more under skipper/new Hall of Famer Andruw Jones, while a couple of former Yankee backstops will represent Italy, as Francisco Cervelli will manage the team, and Jorge Posada will be an assistant hitting coach. The semi-retired Adam Ottavino—who made appearances in 2025 both on the Yankee Stadium mound and the YES Network booth—will be on their pitching staff as well, and ’80s standout Dave Righetti is one of Italy’s pitching coaches. New Mets infielder Bo Bichette withdrew from Team Brazil due to his injury rehab, but long-ago (2011!) Yankees first-round pick Dante Bichette Jr. is still kicking around Indy ball and he’ll be active. As he has done in pretty much every edition of the WBC, ’90s relief weapon Graeme Lloyd will be the bullpen coach for Australia. Late-2000s standout Chien-Ming Wang is also a bullpen coach, in his case for Taiwan (competing as Chinese Taipei).

WBC exhibition games will begin on March 3rd, while the first pool play game will take place on March 4th. The United States will begin its campaign in Houston with a matchup against Brazil. You can check out the entire schedule here and the rosters in full here.

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Dodgers on 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 21: Shohei Ohtani #16 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan celebrate after winning the 2023 World Baseball Classic Championship game over Team USA at loanDepot Park on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were announced on Thursday, including nine Dodgers playing in the tournament, spread across seven countries.

Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the headliners, both playing for Japan as they did in 2023. Ohtani will hit but won’t pitch, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during Dodgers Fest on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Ohtani likely wouldn’t have been covered by insurance to pitch in the WBC, an issue affecting several players across the sport who were denied coverage based on injury history, age, or both. Roki Sasaki won’t pitch for Japan after he missed four months on the injured list in 2025, for instance.

Newly retired pitcher Clayton Kershaw was denied insurance coverage for the 2023 WBC, but is back this time around for the United States, as there is no major league salary to insure. The soon-to-be-38-year-old knows his role will be limited on a stacked USA pitching staff that includes reigning Cy Young Award winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes.

“I just want to be the insurance policy. If anybody needs a breather, if they want me to pitch back to back to back, or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there,” Kershaw said on MLB Network in January. “I just want to be a part of this group.”

Will Smith is back for his second World Baseball Classic, sharing catching duties with Mariners All-Star Cal Raleigh.

Edwin Díaz will pitch for Puerto Rico for his third World Baseball Classic, having also pitched in both 2017 in 2023. Three years ago, he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating a Puerto Rico win in the WBC, which knocked him out for the entire 2023 MLB season.

Hyeseong Kim will play for Korea in his second World Baseball Classic. He played in the 2023 WBC alongside Tommy Edman, whose mother was born in South Korea.

Other Dodgers minor leaguers in the World Baseball Classic include infielder Jake Gelof, a second-round pick in 2023 who played last season for High-A Great Lakes; Antonio Knowles, a 2021 draftee pitching for Great Britain who got to Triple-A Oklahoma City last season; and pitcher Shawndrick Oduber, from Aruba and pitching for Netherlands after appearing in 29 games last year for High-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel is coaching third base for Team USA, reprising his role in the 2023 WBC. Jair Fernandez, back to manage Great Lakes this season, is hitting coach for Colombia in the WBC, just as he was during 2025 qualifying. Double-A Tulsa hitting coach Blake Gailen is the hitting coach for Israel.

Placido Polanco and Joel Peralta, both special assistants in the Dodgers front office, are part of the Dominican Republic coaching staff.

Notable Dodgers absences from the WBC include Freddie Freeman, who played first base for Canada in 2017 and 2023 but withdrew for personal reasons this year; shortstop Mookie Betts, whose wife is expecting a baby in March; infielder Miguel Rojas, who was declined insurance; and current free agent Kiké Hernández, who won’t play for Puerto Rico while recovering from left elbow surgery in November.

Dodgers on 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters

  • United States: catcher Will Smith, pitcher Clayton Kershaw
  • Japan: designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto
  • Puerto Rico: closer Edwin Díaz
  • Korea: infielder Hyeseong Kim
  • Great Britain: pitcher Antonio Knowles
  • Israel: infielder Jake Gelof
  • Netherlands: pitcher Shawndrick Oduber
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Four Braves players will participate in 2026 World Baseball Classic

ATLANTA, GA AUGUST 22: Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) is embraced by teammate Ozzie Albies (1) after hitting his 15th home run during the MLB game between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves on August 22nd, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The rosters for the 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic have been revealed and as it turns out, Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t be the only Atlanta Braves representative at the WBC. In fact, Acuña won’t have to wait too long to see a few of his teammates turn into opponents during Pool D action in Miami, Florida.

The Netherlands will have three Braves players on their squad for the WBC. Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar and Chadwick Tromp will be representing Honkbal as part of the Dutch squad. Curaçao is part of the overall Kingdom of Netherlands, so that explains how they’re eligible to put on the Oranje crowns, as usual.

They’ll also be led by Andruw Jones in the dugout. This has already been an eventful offseason for Jones, as the Braves legend recently completed a ballot comeback by making it into the Baseball Hall of Fame despite starting with the lowest first-ballot votes of any player who eventually earned induction. So if you’re a Braves fan who may not have any particular rooting interest outside of your particular country of origin or the United States, this oughta be the team you root for during this year’s WBC.

As I mentioned earlier, Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t have to wait long to lock horns with his teammates. Venezuela is set to face off against the Netherlands at high noon on Friday, March 6. If you’re into the WBC then that’s definitely a game to circle on your calendar just based off of the Braves representation, alone.

In other news, Team USA will have a little bit of Braves flavor in the dugout as well. Former Braves star catcher Brian McCann and former Braves manager and coach Fredi Gonzalez will be on (former Braves player, himself) Mark DeRosa’s coaching staff for the American team at the WBC. Both McCann and Gonzalez are listed as “Assistant Managers” on the official roster page for Team USA, so there’s that.

Free agents Julio Teheran and Eddie Rosario will be playing for Colombia and Puerto Rico, respectively, so there’s another couple of guys to root for here in Braves Country. I don’t think anybody around here is going to forget what he did for the Braves during the 2021 Postseason, right? Also, Julio Teheran needs no introduction around here as well, as he spent plenty of time pitching productive innings for the Braves over the course of his career.

So if you’re counting the coaches involved in this thing, there are plenty of guys who are either currently with the Braves or have been heavily associated with the Braves in the past participating in this year’s World Baseball Classic. If we don’t see either Team USA, the Netherlands or Venezuela (or even Colombia or Puerto Rico) make a deep run then here’s hoping that the four Braves players involved all have a healthy tournament as well so that they can be ready to go for the regular season. Are y’all looking forward to this? Will you be rooting for Team USA or will you be pulling for another country? Let us know!

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Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman are among 11 Cubs in the World Baseball Classic

xx Cubs will leave the Sloan Park complex in early March to take part in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Here are all the North Siders who will participate.

Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong heads a three-player Cubs delegation to the USA team for the World Baseball Classic. New Cub Alex Bregman will also play for Team USA, as will left-handed starter Matthew Boyd. Former Cub Brad Keller is also on the USA team. And, former Cubs manager David Ross will be the bullpen coach for Team USA.

Other Cubs who will play in the WBC:

Seiya Suzuki will join Samurai Japan. Shōta Imanaga, though, will not pitch for his home country in this year’s WBC. Imanaga, as you might recall, started the 2023 WBC championship game for Japan against Team USA. Instead, Imanaga will stay back in Cubs spring camp, so he can take regular turns in the Cubs spring rotation.

Jameson Taillon will pitch for Team Canada. Both of Taillon’s parents were born in Canada, though the Cubs right-hander was born in Florida. Former Cub Owen Caissie, a native of suburban Toronto, will also be on the Canadian team.

Cubs minor leaguer Jonathon Long, who was the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2025, will play for Chinese Taipei. Long’s mother is Taiwanese.

The right-hander most likely to be the Cubs closer this year, Daniel Palencia, will be part of the pitching staff for Venezuela’s WBC entry.

Javier Assad, who was a star for Team Mexico in the 2023 WBC, will pitch for his home country again. This season, though, he might wind up starting the year at Triple-A Iowa.

Cubs minor leaguer BJ Murray, who played for Double-A Knoxville in the Cubs system last year, will take the field for Great Britain’s WBC team. Murray was born in the Bahamas, part of the British Commonwealth.

There had been some rumors that Anthony Rizzo might play for Italy, but that’s not going to happen. Former Cub prospect Alex Maestri, who was in the organization from 2006-10 and went on pitch several seasons in Japan and Korea, will be Team Italy’s pitching coach. Team Italy will play an exhibition game against the Cubs March 3 at Sloan Park before heading to pool play in Houston.

Right-hander Yacksel Rios, who the Cubs signed to a minor-league deal this offseason, will pitch for Puerto Rico in the WBC. He pitched for the Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, A’s and Mariners from 2017-23.

Lastly, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya will compete for his home country, Panama.

You can find all the info about the WBC here, including pool groups and schedules. It all begins March 4. Personally, I’m excited. I love the WBC and so does Josh and he and I will have extensive coverage of this tournament.

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Koby Altman clarifies why Cavs didn’t get under the second apron

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 16: Koby Altman speaks during a press conference announcing a WNBA franchise in Cleveland on September 16, 2025 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Kolin/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will finish this season above the second apron. They made moves — like sending away Lonzo Ball and two second-round picks — that helped them closer to ducking below that threshold. They were just under $3.9 million away from getting out of it going into deadline day, but they weren’t able to make any moves to fully get below the second apron.

The Cavs should be able to get under the second apron during the summer. Doing so would open up avenues for them to aggregate contracts in possible trades. However, some issues come with not getting out of the second apron now.

For one, the Cavs aren’t able to trade a first-round pick seven years out now because they will finish the season in the second apron. And, they will need to be out of the second apron for three of the next four seasons to unfreeze what would be the 2032 first-round pick and trade it. Additionally, that pick moves to the back of the first round until it’s unfrozen.

It’s worth noting that the Stepien rule essentially froze the ‘32 pick anyway, but that’s a longer discussion that may not be germane to this conversation.

In the end, dealing Ball and saving money on the De’Andre Hunter trade merely cut luxury tax payments for the ownership group and made things easier to manage next offseason.

According to Koby Altman, that’s okay. The team didn’t want to make a move to get out of the second apron that hurt this current team.

“At the end of the day, for us to get under the second apron, we would’ve had to lose a rotational piece right now,” Altman said. “That was hard for us to do. Let’s make this run. … What gives us the best chance to win? And it’s certainly not trading a rotational player at the deadline. So we’ll address that in the summer. Sure, we got close, but I still think it was a really, really successful trade deadline for us.”

All of the Cavs’ moves this deadline were to improve the current team. Undercutting those decisions by getting rid of a rotation player just to get under the second apron wouldn’t have made sense. At the same time, there’s reprucutions for not being able to shed a little more salary. And they’ll be feeling those effects down the road.

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Harris notches double-double as No. 25 North Carolina women take down Clemson 53-44

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Nyla Harris notched a double-double to lead No. 25 North Carolina 53-44 over Clemson on Thursday.

Harris scored 17 on 7-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds and two steals. It was her fourth double-double of the season for the Tar Heels (19-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lanie Grant added 16 points, going 6 of 10 from the floor. Indya Nivar added nine points, seven assists and two steals.

Rusne Augustinaite led the Tigers (16-8, 7-5) with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

It’s the sixth consecutive win for the Tar Heels, all in ACC play. It’s their 10th in a row over the Tigers, whose three-game win streak ended.

The Tar Heels dominated the paint with a 32-10 advantage on points in the paint, and a nine-rebound advantage overall.

The Tigers had a 24-22 lead at the half after a 10-2 run over the first seven minutes of the second quarter. The Tar Heels responded with a 13-2 run in the third quarter to build a five-point lead. They built their largest lead in the final minute of the game as it turned into a foul and free throw affair.

Up next

Clemson will host Boston College on Sunday.

North Carolina will face Wake Forest on the road on Sunday. ___

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