January 2026 has been a shock for the Washington Wizards. Early in the month, there was speculation that then-Atlanta Hawks guard Trey Young may be a target for Washington and that Young preferred the Wizards. In a matter of days, Young got traded to the Wizards for a relatively low price asset-wise: Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. So using that line of thinking, a recent piece by Joshua Robbins of The Athletic indicates that New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson could also be a target for Washington considering how quickly the Wizards acquired Young.
The Pelicans, at least on the record, do not intend to trade him. But considering his injury history despite his talent, if the Wizards offer some compensation their way, it’s possible that the Pelicans could listen. Here is an excerpt from Robbins’ piece:
With the Young trade as the template of a low-cost trade for a distressed asset, league sources speculated that New Orleans Pelicans big man Zion Williamson would be someone the Wizards would have to consider if the price is right.
The Pelicans reportedly have told teams they’re not going to trade Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Derik Queen or Jeremiah Fears. As it pertains to Williamson only, however, league sources expressed skepticism to The Athletic about that report.
League sources said they cannot envision any scenario in which Washington would give up one of its own future first-round picks. But one source speculated that a pick owed to the Wizards, such as the least favorable of the Houston Rockets’ (top-four protected), LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 first-round picks, might satisfy the Pelicans’ goals.
To be crystal clear: The Wizards trading for Williamson appears to be an extreme long shot. But it was mentioned as a possibility by enough league sources that it at least should be mentioned here.
The Wizards made noise early this month by acquiring one of the league’s most potent scorers. So, knowing how quickly that move happened, who knows what could happen with Williamson? Let us know in the comments below.
Doubt over regions is fast escalating into a civil war
Six Nations squad announcement overshadowed
The prevailing mood in Welsh rugby has been frequently dark, but rarely this bible black. Once upon a time a Six Nations squad announcement would have topped the agenda across the country; on Tuesday it felt like a semicolon in a much bigger narrative. Even Wales have never selected seven players whose club is in imminent danger of being axed by their own union.
The bare facts of the situation are increasingly stark for all involved. The existing owners of Ospreys, Wales’s most successful region of the past two decades, have just been nominated controversially as the preferred bidders for Cardiff, potentially clearing the way to reduce the number of Welsh professional sides from four to three. The internecine politics have become so increasingly toxic that Steve Tandy, the national head coach, had to plead for rugby‑related questions at his lunchtime squad announcement.
When the Knicks first started to struggle, fans and analysts were quick to diagnose the problem as fatigue, with a side of some schematic issues, and players just playing badly. But with every passing game, their so-called rough stretch looks less and less like a stretch, and more and more like who they actually are going to be the rest of the way. And in a lot of these losses, they don’t just look tired or like they aren’t executing. They look like a disjointed and dysfunctional team, if you can even call them that. During so many timeouts and blowouts, the players aren’t picking each other up, aren’t coming together, and it’s turned a lot of fans into sleuths and even lip readers.
Yet all of that until recently was just speculation. But after the Knicks’ latest embarrassment, which came in the shape of a beatdown at the hands of the struggling Mavericks, players seemed to finally start voicing a bit more of their opinions on what’s taken place.
Deuce McBride, who’s never been one to shy away from being honest and transparent, talked about how the team has had some underlying issues that were masked with wins earlier in the season, and how the Knicks have gotten way too comfortable while their opponents have been hungrier.
"That's been the main thing over the last 11, teams are coming out more hungrier than us. When you get comfortable, when you've won, I think that's human nature and we have to fight against it"
Josh Hart, who is often labeled as the heart of the team and is among the most vocal players on the team, said, “We have to make sure we have a professional mindset to everything. We gotta come in & be locked in. We can’t go into practice & have things said several times; we can’t come out & not execute an ATO.”
"We have to make sure we have a professional mindset to everything. We gotta come in & be locked in. We can't go into practice & have things said several times; we can't come out & not execute an ATO…At the end of the day that's the guys that have this jersey on"
Hart also spoke candidly about the need to look in the mirror, saying, “We all need to do some soul-searching. Some are looking in the mirror. Right now we’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we’ve been abysmal. We’ve been terrible defensively all year”.
"We all need to do some soul-searching. Some looking in the mirror. Right now we're playing embarrassing basketball. We're not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we've been abysmal. We've been terrible defensively all year"
And that was just seconds after looking, and sounding a bit lost when asked about why the team didn’t show up.
And that was after the broadcast caught Brunson trying to rally the guys together and instill that sense of urgency in everyone else.
"At some point we gotta wake up…create some energy for ourselves. They're not gonna give it to us…our own f*king energy…Wake the f*k up…It's up to us…And don't watch the frigging news"
–– AI on what Jalen Brunson said to Knicks during loss to Mavs (incomplete/imperfect) pic.twitter.com/OLVQlvguON
The honesty and frustrations didn’t end there as head coach Mike Brown, who has received his own share of criticisms, voiced his frustrations postgame.
On one side, it’s nice to see a team realize that they are indeed playing not just a bad brand of basketball, but doing so with an overall embarrassing level of effort, energy, and physicality, or lack thereof. On the other hand, it’s frustrating to see them acknowledge it, say the right things, and still do nothing to fix it. And all while that’s going on, this team, maybe more so than any other struggling team, has looked lifeless. We may never find out if this is because of the coaching change, something that happened in the locker room, or if it has to do with players not being happy with their roles. But one thing is for sure. This team is in a dark place. And that’s not just about their recent record or the results.
They look like a group of individuals, and not a team. They don’t look like they enjoy playing with each other, or even being around each other. That’s led to them being much worse than the sum of their parts, and that’s a concern considering the earlier reports that the front office is looking to stick with this core throughout the rest of the season. Because unless something magical happens off the court, and in the lockerroom, the on-court results and process likely won’t change much. And if that’s going to be the case, you can make a strong argument that this team needs a change for the sake of change, even if it means a potential downgrade on paper.
The Penguins announced a trade on Tuesday, sending forward Valtteri Puustinen and a seventh round pick to Colorado in exchange for defenseman Ilya Solovyov.
The Penguins have acquired defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick.
Puustinen, as mentioned in the last Wilkes Weekly, was climbing the ranks of the all-time WBS scoring list but will see his progress stopped with 101 career AHL points with the Penguins. The 26-year old former seventh round pick in 2019 has been a part of the Pens’ organization professionally since the start of the 2021-22 season, scoring 24 points in 66 career NHL games with Pittsburgh. His place in the organization peaked with 20 points in 52 games during the 2023-24 season before sliding into a role more of organizational depth over the last two seasons.
Pittsburgh picks up 6’3”, 208 pound left handed defenseman Solovyov. Similar to Puustinen, Solovyov has been playing mostly in the AHL since the start of the 2021-22 season, though he has played 16 NHL games with the Avalanche this season scoring three points (1G+2A) in a limited role that saw him average 11:13 of ice-time per game. Solovyov had been something of a regular for the Avs, playing seven games since January 4th and even stringing together a three-game point streak from 1/6 – 1/10. Solovyov played for the Avs just last night in their win over the Capitals, although for only 8:34.
The Penguins, who have dressed 12 different defensemen through 48 games, are still seeking answers on their bottom part of their blueline in what’s been a season-long search. Jack St. Ivany was made a healthy scratch yesterday, Ryan Graves has bounced between the NHL and AHL on another erstwhile season, Harrison Brunicke has been assigned back to junior and Caleb Jones recently suffered an injury in his AHL rehab stint coming back from a lengthy injury.
It remains unclear where Solovyov fits into that mix, especially since the team has some decent LHD options in Brett Kulak, Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea. Pittsburgh has never been shy about shuttling bodies in and out to see what may happen, Solovyov could be the next short-term opportunity to see what ability he has coming off his recent time in Colorado.
Warriors star Steph Curry, right, has surpassed the Lakers' Luka Dončić in jersey sales in the first half of the 2025-26 season. (Credit: Getty Images)
We're officially at the halfway mark of the NBA season, and the league has released its top jersey sellers from the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Warriors star Steph Curry leads the pack at midseason as he looks to dethrone Luka Dončić. Last season, the newly acquired Lakers cornerstone became the first player to lead the league in jersey sales not named Curry or LeBron James.
Dončić currently sits second this season with James at fifth. The Lakers are the only team with two players in the top 15.
The lone rookie to crack the top 15, unsurprisingly, is Cooper Flagg. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft is well on his way to winning Rookie of the Year. Recent projections have his odds sitting at about -900, meaning you would have to bet $900 to win $100.
Ironically, Jayson Tatum made the top 15 instead of his counterpart, Jaylen Brown. Both made the top 15 last season, with Tatum finishing at No. 4 and Brown at No. 15. But halfway through the season, Brown has fallen off the leaderboard, despite putting up MVP-type numbers.
Without Tatum, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, Brown is the fourth-leading scorer in the NBA (29.8 PPG) and has the Celtics sitting second in the East. Tatum, meanwhile, checks in at eighth on this list, ahead of Nikola Jokić, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
All baseball thought experiments coming from know-nothings outside of the organizations (like me) suffer from a lack of information. Trade daydreams or hot-stove free agent woolgatherings are limited to public information, certainly missing relevant details such as unofficial or non-public budget constraints, internal evaluations of prospects, culture concerns or planned transactions that would make the well-thought out idea a non-starter for either side.
So, let me start this thought experiment by saying, no, Randy Arozarena will certainly not be the Mariner’s first full-time designated hitter since the Boomstick terrorized the AL West (and Kendrys Morales before him). But, in a frictionless closed-system hypothetical, I think it might not be such a terrible idea. I think it could work.
The role of the designated hitter has changed pretty notably over the last decade or so. OUT are the David Ortizs and the Nelson Cruzs of the world, veritable sluggers who make the most of their five minutes of on-field time – IN is the “using the DH as a rotating half-rest day for your fielders and otherwise you’re using it for your next best hitter” Era, aka the Dominic Canzone/Ryan Bliss/Leo Rivas as DH Era.
There’s a lot of reasons for this change in philosophy. Part of it is the post-Moneyball $/WARification of the sport, the compulsive need by ownership groups to squeeze every ounce of Efficiency that they can out of their virtuously hard-earned and sadly-spent dollars. Why spend $35 million for 3.0 WAR from a player when you could instead get 1.5 WAR for only $15 million and save $20 million instead? And designated hitters produce less value, overall, by way of their lack of any defensive production, even when they are above-average hitters. But – get this – they used to get large contracts that didn’t account for this. They had been overvalued! Can you imagine?! Hiss!!
Instead of dedicating that position to a player who doesn’t provide you with other value, teams have mostly been using that spot as a method of volume management. If you could use it as a day for players like Cal, Julio, Randy etc. to get off their feet and hopefully keep them fresher for the marathon that is the MLB season, that’s a win in and of itself, even if it means you’re putting a replacement level player there on other days, and not maximizing your offensive production. This led to the discovery of the now-well-documented and oft-discussed “DH penalty”, the phenomenon that when players appear as the DH, they underperform their non-DH appearances by about 14 points of wOBA, or six runs over a full season. Now there’s even less incentive to slot someone in as the everyday DH, if they are likely to underperform anyways.
If you’re interested in reading very good baseball writing, I’d highly recommend this fantastic article that explores this topic by Hannah Keyser at The Ringer. One of the most interesting bits from this piece, though, is that in 2024, research by Baseball Prospectus’ Russell Carleton showed that the DH penalty disappears for players who take more than 75% of their at-bats as a designated hitter. It really only exists in the now-common time-share situations.
If you have a player who excels at the plate, but is passable in the field, it appears that you can use them as your DH most of the year, penalty-free, and still have them as a defensive option when other players do need a rest day.
This, of course, all leads us back to Randy Arozarena: Designated Hitter.
2025 Randy was, by overall contribution, a net positive in the batters box, though he can easily be split into Good and Bad. He hit the ball hard (90th percentile in hard-hit rate at 50.6%!), but not particularly often (30% whiff rate! 27% strikeout rate!). When he actually got wood on the ball, he tended to barrel it up, but left a lot of potential production on the table – he swung at less pitches in the zone than league average (62.6% vs 67%), and made less contact than league average when he did swing (75.9% vs 82.7%).
His batting value, overall, was in the 67th percentile last year – above-average, but lower than any year since 2021, his first full season in the league. It was a down year for what you’d expect from him.
Similarly, his overall baserunning value (0 total runs added, 42nd percentile in the league) looks rather pedestrian, but is, under the hood, buckwild: he was the 11th best basestealer in the league! Randy added 17 total net bases added above average. That’s worth about 3 runs over the season. Good!
Randy also managed to be the 6th worst (or, 308th best) in the other category that composes the bulk of baserunning value, extra bases taken. He was thrown out about 10% of the time that he tried to take an extra base, despite taking less attempts at that extra base than Savant calculates he should have. That 90% success rate is the 8th worst in the league, putting him below Cal, Eugenio, Keiburt Ruiz…but at least, mercifully, ahead of Alejandro Kirk. Barely. Bad!
Defensively, he continued to be the below-average outfielder that he has been steadily declining towards since his career started.
It does not spark joy.
What to make of all this? Despite the eye telling me that Randy is an exciting, dynamic player who Makes Stuff Happen, owner of the rare, electric power-speed combo, everything else tells me he’s actually far more of a Three True Outcomes guy. Among qualified batters last year, his TTO% (percentage of at-bats that end in a walk, strikeout, or home run) was 27th at 39.8%, vs a 33.7% league average. If you’re curious, there were only two Mariners ahead of him, both likely guessable: Cal was 4th in the league at 48.9% and Eugenio was 11th at 44.3.
I dunno. An TTO-type corner outfielder in his 30s who ain’t corner outfielding so good? Maybe even has had a couple relatively down years at the plate, and could use a little boost at the plate? Smells like DH material to me.
We don’t even need to look too far from home for a somewhat plausible comparison.
sits down in backwards-facing chair, youth pastorily You know who else was a terrible defensive player for the Mariners in a contract year?
Jorge Polanco was a stalwart for the Twins since his full-time debut in 2016, making his money as a reliable hitter (and certainly not as the pretty terrible infielder he has been since the start). His production at the plate, though, had been on a slow decline for years before cratering in his first season with Seattle in 2024, when he played through the knee injury for more or less the entire year. His wRC+ had declined year-over-year from 2021 at 124 to 118, 116, 92.
After being re-signed by Seattle before 2025 to play third base, Polanco ended up spending most of his time at DH last season (89 appearances at DH vs 43 defensive appearances). This was likely a decision made to protect his off-season patellar tendon repair after some early season soreness lingered in his knee. And boy, oh boy, did it work some wonders for him, both on the field and in the pocketbook – he hit for a 132 wRC+ last year and signed a $40mm/2 years contract with the Mets to DH and play some first base this offseason.
It’s a common thread for injury to spark the move to DH. Keyser’s article includes interviews with a few former star outfielders who recently have made the transition from playing the field regularly to full-time DHing: Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Giancarlo Stanton, to name a few. All three had serious injuries that precipitated the move.
This wouldn’t be the case for Randy, who is presumably healthy enough to keep playing in the outfield, quality of that play aside. But for a player who is now on the wrong side of 30 (typically the beginning of the decline on the aging curve) and more likely to suffer injuries, a proactive move to a position with less wear and tear on his body could help to keep him as available as he was last year, when he appeared in 160 games. If it allows him to focus his energy on the aspects of the game where he does and can bring value, even better.
While players don’t often become better hitters when they transition to DH, part of that is selection bias – most players are already on the wrong side of their aging curve when they make that transition. The better question is whether the move lessens the drop-off in their offensive production.
This is, unfortunately, an area where the research falls thin. If I didn’t have a full-time job? You can safely bet I’d spend several days drowning in data and trying to see whether a move to DH flattens aging curves re: offensive production. I am sad to say that I do not live this ideal life.
All this to say: Randy is looking more and more like a DH-type of fella. It would be worth seriously considering replacing him in the field if you had someone (or someones) who could provide league-average defense, and maybe even league-average offense. Ideally, this would help Randy to return to being the great hitter he was before, but even if it helps him to maintain his level of production from last year, that would be a win.
This, though, is where my original plan for this article fell apart at the seams and where I stayed up hours later than I ought to have – it’s the Raley and Refsnyder of it all.
I tried so hard to make Randy Arozarena, Designated Hitter work. I really did. I tried Harrison Bader, Mariners Starting Left Fielder, but it turns out that 2025 Bader was a fraudulent BABIP merchant. I tried Jarren Duran for Ryan Sloan + Michael Arroyo + Lottery Tickets. This was too complicated and I got too sleepy to explore it fully, plus I’m not great at trade proposals. I tried Stanton Spends $180mm Over Six Years on Cody Bellinger. This only works in an imagination that ignores the evidence that Seattle’s ownership and, to some lesser degree, management, is much more preoccupied with maximizing $/wins, as opposed to, well, wins. This far exceeded even my own typically-unbound silliness.
“Let’s make this work.” This sentence tormented my poor Google Doc. I couldn’t even sort of make it work in any meaningful way. Because, as it turns out, for all of the reasons why Randy Arozarena, Designated Hitter might not work (including that, in a contract year, there’s almost no way that he would willingly depress his own value and earning power), the main reason that it can’t work is that the organization has not built enough depth and production in the outfield to sustain it, nor are they likely pursue it.
Maybe it’s best to say that, in a healthier organization, with the appetite to spend more money in order to win more games than other teams, Randy could safely make this move to designated hitter. A franchise dissatisfied with giving regular at-bats to, for instance, Mitch Garver, Dominic Canzone and Donovan Solano could make it work. They could pursue the options necessary to let Arozarena play this position where he might provide the most production to the team without it also meaning that replacement-level players are patrolling the outfield grass.
This is all without mentioning how rocky the major league depth chart is in the other corner, or how thin and distant the farm is. With this year being Randy’s last year of his rookie deal and Seattle unlikely to re-sign him, the outfield in 2027 and onward is looking grim.
If you read this and feel that this all seems outside the scope of a 40-in-40, you’re probably right. But as I read and thought more about Randy Arozarena, the more I feel that DH Randy could be the best version of him in 2026, and maybe onward. A version of him that I am compelled by, drawn to, yet one I’ll never see. A version of him that is less about the literal position he plays, and more about what he represents. DH Randy is a lovely, haunting specter from another timeline, singing promises, floating just out of reach.
If the Mariners continue to get reliable availability, above-average production at the plate, and not any worse defense than we’ve seen in years past from Arozarena…well, that would obviously be no great disaster. It’s a lot better than we’ve seen in left field for most of the last twenty years! But it’s hard not to want more, and to feel that a truly championship-caliber team would see a lot less of Left Field Randy and a lot more of DH Randy.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are staying busy, as they have made another trade.
The Penguins have announced that they have acquired defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
Solovyov has played in 16 games this season, where he has recorded one goal, three points, 19 blocks, and 19 hits. Now, the 6-foot-3 blueliner will be looking to make an impact with the Penguins after being acquired by the Metropolitan Division club.
With the Penguins dealing with injury trouble, it is understandable that they have decided to bring in a young blueliner like Solovyov. He will now provide the Penguins with more depth on defense, which is never a bad thing.
Solovyov has appeared in 31 career NHL games over three seasons split between the Calgary Flames and Avalanche, where he has posted one goal, six assists, seven points, 44 blocks, and 45 hits.
The Penguins have acquired defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick.
Puustinen, on the other hand, will now get a fresh start after spending several years with the Penguins organization. The Penguins' 2019 seventh-round pick played in 66 games over three seasons with Pittsburgh, where he recorded seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points. This included the 26-year-old winger posting career highs with five goals, 15 assists, and 20 points in 52 games during the 2023-24 season with the Penguins.
Nolan Arenado fields a ground ball with his bare hand. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Inspiration.
The Diamondbacks acquired Nolan Arenado. He has won 5 Silver Slugger awards, 10 Gold Glove awards, and 6 Platinum Glove awards. And yet his batting declined to near average in the last couple seasons. What happened? Will he impact the Diamondbacks?
Batting.
The context of his batting decline was that even in decline his batting has some awesome characteristics. Three characteristics follow:
11.2 K% was at the 96th percentile.
17.9 whiff % was at the 85th percentile.
28.8 squared up % was at the 76th percentile.
His batting decline can be understood in at least three ways. Let’s look at each explanation.
Injury. In June he injured his finger. He played through the injury by adjusting his swing. On 11 July, he aggravated the injury. Later in July, his adjusted swing was likely responsible for his shoulder injury. He was on the injured list until September.
Nolan Arenado regrets that he played through the injury instead of immediately addressing it.
“If I could do it all over again, I probably would have just taken time [on the injured list] when I hurt my finger — that was probably the biggest mistake I made.”— Nolan Arenado
Less Pulled Baseballs. Looking at his balls in play, the percentage that were pulled fell from 46.9% in 2023, to 44.2% in 2024, to 42.1% in 2025. That is significant because in 2025 his monthly (ignoring July because it was the injury month) OBP/SLG/wOBA stats shown in Baseball Savant were consistently awesome for pulled balls in play, but below average for straightaway and opposite field balls in play. In September, he showed potential for average results to the opposite field.
For an obvious reason, it is easier to pull the ball when contact is made farther in front of the plate. Perhaps he pulled a lower percentage of balls because he hit the ball closer to the plate. His average contact point changed from 4.8”/4.9” in 2023/2024 to 3.0” in 2025 when league average was 2.9” per Baseball Savant.
“I think some of the adjustments I’m trying to make, and the adjustments that I’ve talked with the hitting coaches already about are going to pay dividends down the line….quiet my head, see the ball better, and hopefully create space for me to work out front again. That’s when I’m at my best is when I’m pulling the ball out front.” — Nolan Arenado
Busch Field was unlucky. To some extent, in 2025 Nolan Arenado was unlucky with Runners in Scoring Position (RISP). While 30.5% of his PAs were with RISP, only 26.5% of his hits were with RISP, and only 8.3% of his homers were with RISP per Baseball Savant. If his batting had been consistent, even with RISP, his SLG and Runs Batted In (RBIs) would have been higher.
Moving from Busch Field to Chase Field will be a positive change. Park factors show he will hit more doubles (park factor increases from 105 to 115) and triples (park factor increases from 81 to 204). More doubles and triples will improve his SLG and RBIs.
Defense.
In the context that the last time he won a Gold Glove award and a Platinum Glove Award was 2022 (when he won both), and that as he ages his defense will decline, I am confident that he is an outstanding defender at third base.
In 2025, his 2.4% errors per attempt was a career best. His 98.2 fielding percentage and his 2.84 Range Factor per 9 innings are above league averages.
His strength will be fielding ground balls hit to third base. In 2025, his 85.3% positive results with ground balls compared favorably to the Diamondbacks’ 77.7%. (Also, his positive defensive results increased slightly with RISP.)
My view is that his strength will most improve the results of Diamondbacks pitchers who had the highest percent of ground balls towards third base. The following table shows the pitchers who will benefit the most. 2025 Data from Baseball Savant.
Impact on Diamondbacks Wins.
Batting. My subjective estimate is that his impact will add 10 runs scored. That is roughly equivalent to one additional win. That is based on the following assumptions:
No re-injuries to his finger or shoulder.
He pulls more balls by contacting the ball farther in front of the plate.
He hits at least as well with RISP as without RISP.
He hits more doubles and triples at Chase Field than Busch Field due to different park factors.
Defense. My subjective estimate is that the impacted pitchers will allow 10 less runs due to Nolan Arenado’s strong defense. That is roughly equivalent to one additional win.
Summary.
Nolan Arenado will add two wins to the Diamondbacks.
We began with the same ballot as the Hall of Fame in 2015, and have proceeded from there on. The same 75% super-majority is required for election, and players are removed from the future ballot on election here, regardless of whether or not they made it into the “real” Hall of Fame. So far, the SnakePit electorate has been in reasonably close agreement with the BBWAA – timing has been the main variation, but we have generally been a greater proponent of “small Hall”. The differences are as follows
In Cooperstown, but not yet here: Mike Mussina, Scott Rolen, Todd Helton, C.C. Sabathia, Billy Wagner
In here, but not in Cooperstown: Curt Schilling
Wagner and Sheffield are now dropped from the SnakePit ballot, so have to wait for the Veterans’ Committee. Which would mean having to establish one, so they probably shouldn’t hold their breath. Failing to get over 5% last time, and so also removed are (deep breath) Cliff Lee, Mark Buehrle, Matt Holliday, David Wright, Brian McCann, Dan Haren, Adrián González, Ian Kinsler, Troy Tulowitzki, Ben Zobrist, Curtis Granderson, Hanley Ramírez. Russell Martin, Adam Jones and Carlos González. This year’s list has been adjusted for the non-electees mentioned above, along with adding the following new arrivals.
Cole Hamels
Ryan Braun
Alex Gordon
Shin-Soo Choo
Edwin Encarnación
Howie Kendrick
Nick Markakis
Hunter Pence
Gio Gonzalez
Matt Kemp
Daniel Murphy
Rick Porcello
Andruw Jones (9th season, 70%), Helton (8th, 70%), Rolen (9th, 50%) and Sabathia (1st, 55%) are the returning names mentioned on half or more of the ballots in 2025. We’ll see if any of these end up getting closer to induction into SnakePit Towers! Manny Ramirez (40%) will be drinking at the last chance saloon on the 2026 ballot. I’m not seeing any slam-dunk candidates this year, like Ichiro was, so it is possible I might not have to spend any money on PBR and sausage rolls for an induction ceremony. But we will see
To prevent potential ballot-box stuffing, voting is open only to registered AZ SnakePit users – forms without a valid username filled in will be rejected [however, since you can join by clicking on a link and filling in a form, it’s not exactly an onerous requirement!]. I reserve the right to publish your ballot, with or without your name attached, depending on how amusing it is. However, feel free to announce your ballot and explain it in the comments. You can select as many candidates as you want: there’s no “10 maximum” as on the real thing. Voting is open through Jan 19: the BBWAA will announce their results the following day, and we’ll follow suit shortly thereafter. I will filter out multiple votes too, so you know!
The form is below, and the eligible names are randomized for each submission: here’s a link if you’re on mobile or are otherwise finding the form griefsome. Please feel free to explain your selection in the comments!
Late in the evening of October 22, 2003, Carl Pavano toed the rubber at Miami’s then-Pro Player Stadium. He faced Derek Jeter, who had been named Yankees captain just months prior. Pavano had already retired Jeter three times that day, including inducing two back-breaking double plays. If he could put him away once more, the pitcher who’d flamed out in Montreal and struggled to find consistency throughout his brief career would have a signature moment, an eight-inning, one-run show of dominance against the mighty Bronx Bombers in the Fall Classic. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, he caught Jeter looking with a pitch on the outside corner. Somewhere, Brian Cashman and George Steinbrenner were watching.
Carl Pavano Signing Date: December 20, 2004 Contract: Four years, $39.95 million
Pavano was born in New Britain, Connecticut, where he pitched well enough at Southington High School to garner the attention of the Red Sox, who took him in the 13th round of the 1994 MLB Draft. He quickly rose through the ranks, dominating both Double-A and Triple-A and ending up as Baseball America’s ninth-ranked prospect in all of baseball before the 1998 season. That’s when Boston flipped him to the Expos as the prospect headliner of the deal that brought back Pedro Martínez.
The 22-year-old made his debut for Montreal that year, posting an encouraging 4.21 ERA and league-average 100 ERA+ in 134.2 innings. But, in what would become a trend for Pavano, the following years were marred by inconsistency and injury. The Expos threw in the towel on him midway through the 2002 season, trading the starter — who was 3-8 with a 6.30 ERA at the time — to the Marlins as part of a package that netted them Cliff Floyd and Wilton Guerrero.
The 2003 season was the first time Pavano truly got the chance to pitch a full, healthy season. He performed around league average but passed the 200-inning threshold, demonstrating that he could shoulder his share of the load in a competitive rotation.
But it was in the postseason when the right-hander truly broke out. In 19.1 innings — including that aforementioned World Series Game 4 start against the Yankees — Pavano allowed just three runs, serving as a catalyst for Florida’s unlikely title run.
Pavano continued that run of dominance into his walk year in 2004, delivering a career year at the perfect time. The 28-year-old earned the only All-Star berth of his career, winning 18 games for a middling Marlins team while finishing sixth in Cy Young voting. Crucially, he tossed 222.1 innings, ranking top-10 in baseball and signaling that his injury-prone days were behind him.
The 2004-2005 offseason was a transformative one for the Yankees’ rotation. After a backbreaking ALCS exit in ‘04, Jon Lieber and Esteban Loaiza exited in free agency. GM Brian Cashman worked feverishly to replenish his corps of starters, signing Pavano to a four-year, $39.95 million deal and Jaret Wright to a three-year, $21 million deal while swapping Javier Vázquez to the Diamondbacks in a trade that brought back five-time Cy Young Award-winner Randy Johnson.
Joe Torre, in a classic instance of putting the cart before the horse, exalted in his apparent embarrassment of riches. “We have a ton of pitchers on the staff,” the Yankees manager said after the acquisitions. “It’s a nice problem to have, trust me. Last year, my only concern was the lack of depth in the starting pitching. Now we have some youth, too.”
Torre played a major role in luring Pavano. While several teams aggressively courted the starter — including the Red Sox, who set up a lunch with ace Curt Schilling to lure him, and the Tigers, who enlisted Hall of Famer Al Kaline to show him around Detroit — the longtime skipper’s personal touch spoke to him. “His conversations with Joe Torre, who spoke with him again by phone in the last couple of days, really were impactful,” Pavano’s agent, Scott Shapiro, said. “Carl told me point-blank that he would go to war for the man. You can’t say anything bad about the decision of wanting to play for Joe Torre.“
Pavano’s outgoing manager lauded the Yankees for the move as well, citing what had become a well-established reputation for hard work and mental toughness. “Carl is a pretty level-headed kid,” Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. “He has a lot of pride and a tremendous desire to get better. He’s not satisfied with winning 18. He wants to get better. Nothing is going to bother him.”
This honeymoon continued into spring training where New York beat writers trumpeted his winning demeanor. Despite throwing two scoreless innings in his spring training debut, Pavano told the media that, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be happy, no matter how I throw out there. That’s how I keep my edge.” His hard-nosed, lunch-pail attitude were theorized to be a perfect fit for New York.
At the end of the day, though, what matters is performance. After a solid first month, Pavano began to unravel. By June, his ERA had ballooned above 4.50 and he was looking for answers. “I’m just trying to keep on level ground,” he told the press after a particularly difficult start. “Go out there and battle.”
Eventually, he could battle no longer, landing on the IL with an amorphous arm injury. After weeks of uncertainty, he was finally diagnosed with rotator cuff tendonitis, ending his season. “Mentally, it’s been tough on me,” Pavano said of his inability to stay on the field. “There’s a point when you feel like you’ve abandoned your team. Obviously, I’d like to be out there helping these guys win. But that’s not the case.”
It appeared to be all systems go for 2006. But injuries again derailed his season, punctuated by an unfortunate nondisclosure in August. As he worked back from injury, Pavano was in an automobile accident that resulted in broken ribs. He failed to inform the Yankees until they had planned to activate him off the IL, at which point he was forced to reveal his inability to pitch. The ailing hurler took “full responsibility for making the wrong decision,” explaining he had hoped to be healthy enough to pitch once activated regardless of the new injury. “At the time, I thought it was something I could get through,” he said at the time. “I figured I could pitch through it and it would get better. It didn’t get better.”
This time, Pavano had lost even his usual defenders. “Of course I’m angry,” said Cashman simply. Perhaps more importantly, the press corps which had hailed Pavano’s blue-collar work ethic a mere 18 months prior had completed a full reversal. As Tyler Kepner began his article in The New York Times announcing the surprise rib injury, “Carl Pavano continues to find new ways to let down the Yankees. The difference now is that the team is more than disappointed. It’s angry.”
The rib injury would keep the embattled Pavano from pitching in 2006 altogether. Despite his frustration with the circumstances of the injury, Cashman continued to give lip service to defending a free agent signing who had given little in return halfway through the deal. “I know there’s a lot of stuff flying around that he doesn’t want to pitch here, but he’s been held back by physical issues, and they’ve all been legitimate,” the GM said, adding, ”Players can’t play through marble-sized bone chips.“
Others in the organization were less sure. ”You have to walk into this clubhouse, dress next to these guys and carry your share of the load,“ Torre said of Pavano’s inability to contribute. “That’s what it amounts to. If that’s a little tough to do at first, so be it.” As Pavano prepared a comeback attempt in the spring of 2007, the club’s longest-tenured starter had some pointed words for his rotation-mate. “It didn’t look good from a player’s and teammate’s standpoint,” the usually reserved Mike Mussina said. “Was everything coincidence? Over and over again? I don’t know.”
Remarkably, given the apparent ambivalence about his return within the organization, Pavano was handed the ball on Opening Day after an injury to Chien-Ming Wang. Options were limited given the team’s injury woes at the time, but once again, he had a chance to let his play do the talking. And, once again, that opportunity was short-lived. After just two starts, Pavano went on the shelf with an elbow injury that ended up requiring Tommy John surgery.
By then, Mussina and some of his teammates even took to referring to the injured list as “the Pavano.” In an early 2007 interview from Tom Verducci’s The Yankee Years, the Moose made this biting comment:
“Our problem right now is we have too many pitchers on the 15-day Pavano … That’s what it’s officially called now. Did you know that? The Pavano. His body just shut down from actually pitching for six weeks. It’s like when you get an organ transplant and your body rejects it. His body rejected pitching. It’s not used to it.”
Pavano didn’t return until late August 2008, by which point the Yankees had fallen to the fringes of the playoff race and no one really cared about Pavano playing out the string. In all, Pavano would make just 26 starts for New York — less than a full season’s worth — over the course of his four years.
As he wound down his remarkably fruitless tenure in pinstripes, Pavano gave his side of the story in an interview with Kepner, airing grievances about the Yankees’ handling of his injuries. “A lot of times when I was in Tampa, I was really angry, because I’m away from my team, and I’m down there not getting the support that you feel you need to be successful,” Pavano said. “You know people are doubting you that should be helping you. You know people are kicking you when you’re down, and they should be picking you up. That’s the nature of this environment.”
In particular, Pavano placed blame on the team’s doctor, Stuart Hershon, who he felt had not appropriately diagnosed him at key junctures. “When they reported I had rotator cuff tendinitis, I actually had a stress fracture in my humerus bone,” he said of the pivotal 2005 injury that derailed his debut season and began his unraveling in New York. “It wasn’t rotator cuff tendinitis. It was just misdiagnosed.” He also took accountability for his role in pitching through injury. “I wish I had been smart enough to just get it right,” Pavano said. “Say something, make sure something was taken care of, instead of just keeping pitching and thinking it was going to get better.”
Cashman once again defended Pavano on the way out. “At the end of the day, he was hurt,” he said. “People always say, ‘Why do you stick up for him? Is it because you signed him?’ I’m just being objective. The guy, I know, can pitch when he’s healthy. He just hasn’t been healthy. It’s not because he mentally wanted it that way. It just happened.”
In a painful turn for Yankees fans, their GM would be proven right. After splitting 2009 between Cleveland and Minnesota, the veteran returned to the Twins in 2010 for his age-34 season. He proceeded to post one of the best seasons of his career, winning 17 games for a division-winning squad.
Perhaps the greatest twist of the knife, given Pavano’s inability to stay on the field in New York, is that he led the league that year with seven complete games while blowing past the 200-inning threshold — a feat he’d repeat the following year. The only solace the Yankees faithful could take in Pavano’s resurrection in Minnesota was that he lost both of his postseason starts against his former team, one each in ‘09 and ‘10.
Pavano retired after the 2012 season at the age of 36. His career was a mass of contradictions — the pitcher praised for his tenacity and ridiculed for his lack of commitment, the top prospect who found some of his greatest success after injuries had sapped his premier stuff, the playoff hero accused of folding under New York’s bright lights.
Was he was a great pitcher felled by unavoidable injury who unfairly had his reputation tarnished in the process? Was he a talented player whose motivation was not consistent enough to sustain a successful career? More than 20 years after he signed with the Yankees, it’s difficult to say. Without question, though, his contract will forever be remembered as one of the worst in team history.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.
Frank Schwindel replaced Anthony Rizzo at first base after the big selloff in 2021, and actually hit pretty well: .342/.389/.613 with 13 home runs in 56 games, enough to get him some downballot Rookie of the Year votes.
He didn’t hit as well in 2022 and the team, picked over by the selloff, didn’t play very well early on. Thus Schwindel was called on to pitch in three blowouts.
The Cubs were losing 12-5 to the Cardinals June 3 at Wrigley Field heading to the ninth inning, so Schwindel was summoned to replace Mark Leiter Jr. And Schwindel threw pretty well for a while, retiring the first two Cardinals he faced. Then Corey Dickerson and Lars Nootbaar homered off him, and Schwindel wound up popping up to end the game. The Cubs lost 14-5.
Nine days later the Cubs were visiting Yankee Stadium for the last of a three-game series. In the first of those games, the Cubs lost 2-1 in 13 innings, using nine pitchers. The second contest was an 8-0 blowout, with Matt Swarmer and Michael Rucker taking one for the team, Swarmer serving up a team record six home runs.
So when the Yankees started pounding Cubs pitching in that third game of the series, Schwindel warmed up his pitching arm again. The Cubs trailed 17-4 going into the ninth inning.
The pitch was — and I believe remains — the slowest pitch ever measured in the pitch tracking era (since 2008) that was hit for a home run.
Weird, but fun. The Cubs lost the game 18-4. It was the sixth loss in what would become a 10-game losing streak.
Three days later, the Cubs were being blown out again, this time at Wrigley Field against the Padres, in what would become the ninth loss in that streak.
They were losing 16-5 when Schwindel entered to throw the ninth. Schwindel surrendered another homer, this one to Luke Voit, and two more runs, making the final score Padres 19, Cubs 5.
That streak was one of the most dreadful in Cubs history. The Cubs lost the three games in which Schwindel pitched by a combined score of 51-14, and from the first of those three games through the end of that 10-game losing streak, the Cubs went 1-11 and were outscored 105-41.
That wasn’t a good Cubs season. But at least Schwindel entertained us, a bit, anyway.
Jimmy Butler has played for the Bulls, Timberwolves, 76ers, Heat and Warriors in his career [Reuters]
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Butler, 36, sustained the injury in the third quarter of the Warriors' 135-112 win over the Miami Heat on Monday.
His agent Bernie Lee confirmed the news in a statement to ESPN, calling it a "gut punch" to Butler and the Warriors team.
After a mixed start to the season, the Warriors have won 12 of their past 16 games and are eighth in the Western Conference, with a record of 25 win and 19 losses.
The top six teams in each conference qualify directly for the play-offs, with the teams ranked seventh to 10th competing in the play-in tournament.
Butler's injury leaves the Warriors facing a decision on how to approach the rest of their season and the market before the trade deadline on 5 February.
Under coach Steve Kerr and with star point guard Stephen Curry, the Warriors have won four NBA titles since 2015 but have been a fading force since their last championship win in 2022.
The Warriors acquired Butler from the Heat in February 2025 to give Curry, 37, a star team-mate to support another championship bid, but must now consider whether to seek further reinforcements or rebuild for the future.
However, Lee is confident six-time All-Star Butler, who is contracted with the Warriors to the end of the 2026-27 season, will bounce back from this injury blow to win his first NBA title.
"I've known for over 10 years now that Jimmy is going to win a championship before he is done," said Lee. "My belief in that is unwavering."
Nevertheless, Sundqvist is out on Tuesday, as is Dylan Holloway, who returned Sunday after missing 15 games with a high ankle sprain and will be monitored as he returns to full time play and not be pushed on Tuesday to give another three full days before the Blues' next game.
In their places, Robby Fabbri and Jonatan Berggren will be slotted into the lineup.
Joel Hofer, a Winnipeg native, who is tied for the NHL lead with four shutouts this season and is 9-4-0 in his past 13 starts, will get the start in goal; he sports a 1.69 goals-against average and .939 save percentage in six games against the Jets, who are playing the second of back to back games after losing 2-0 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
The lineup will be known in pregame, but with two changes among skaters, there will be some switches from Sunday in the Blues' first visit in this building since the fated 'Manitoba Miracle' from Game 7 of the Western Conference first round last spring.
- - -
Blues Projected Lineup:
Otto Stenberg-Brayden Schenn-Jimmy Snuggerud
Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jordan Kyrou
Pavel Buchnevich-Nick Bjugstad-Jonatan Berggren
Alexey Toropchenko-Robby Fabbri-Nathan Walker
Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko
Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk
Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux
Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
The healthy scratch includes Matthew Kessel. Dylan Holloway (lower body/load management), Pius Suter (high ankle sprain), Robert Thomas (lower body), Mathieu Joseph (elbow infection) and Oskar Sundqvist (skate cut) are out.
Eric Comrie is projected to start in goal; Connor Hellebuyck would be the backup.
Healthy scratches could include Gustav Nyquist and Danil Zhilkin. Haydn Fleury (back), Colin Miller (knee), Neal Pionk (undisclosed) and Elias Salomonsson (illness) could all be out.
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Like a lot of NBA players, Tyrese Maxey’s pregame routine includes a post-shootaround nap. That nap happens to occur during the 2 p.m. hour, the very time the league was set to announce its starters Monday for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
So, when the news broke, everyone was excited for him, including rookie teammate VJ Edgecombe, who was blowing up Maxey’s phone.
“I had my alarm set for 2 o’clock,” the rookie said. “I was going to protest if he didn’t make it as a starter. Would’ve been a problem.”
But Maxey didn’t answer.
He was asleep.
“I’m like, ‘why is he calling me?’ And I answered and he’s screaming and showing me the TV,” Maxey said pregame Monday. “Then my mom called me and then I said, ‘listen, I’m going back to sleep. I got work tonight.‘”
That’s a pretty good encapsulation of Maxey. He was grateful and humbled by the honor, but ultimately just wanted to hoop.
And what better way to cap off the day than by helping snap his team’s two-game losing skid with a 113-104 win over the Indiana Pacers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
In his sixth NBA season, Maxey is an All-Star starter. This will also mark the second appearance in the game for the 25-year-old. He’s earned it on the floor, posting career highs across the board in points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks and made threes per game. He earned it from the fan voting, finishing with the fourth-most overall, the second-most in the conference, and the most for an American-born player.
It wasn’t Maxey’s finest game of the season Monday. The Pacers loaded up on him in a big way through the first three quarters, forcing him to turn defense into offense — and that he did. Maxey recorded 29 points, eight assists and a career-high eight steals.
He’s just the 10th Sixer to ever record at least eight steals in a game. The New Orleans Pelicans’ Herb Jones is the only other player in the NBA to have at least eight steals in a game this season. He also recorded a block and is averaging over a block a game this season. If he finishes the season averaging over a block game, he’d be the first player at 6-foot-2 or shorter to do so in league history (since blocks became an official stat), per Stathead.
It’s just another way Maxey can help his team win games.
“This is kind of how I played in high school,” he said. “I was able to get in the passing lanes, get steals, get some on-ball steals, little strip steals or blocks, whatever they call them. … I just want to make an impact on the defensive end. I feel like I’ve done that this year.”
The hope is no doubt for Edgecombe to be on the receiving end of one of those calls in the not-so-distant future. After a disagreement on the bench went viral last week, both guys sort of laughed the whole thing off. They’re competitive. They want to win. That’s why they’ve bonded so quickly on and off the court.
The rookie has savored the opportunity to play with a like-minded veteran in Maxey.
“His work ethic, his leadership, his character, and obviously his style of play,” Edgecombe said. “He’s an unbelievable player, really special talent, and I get to watch him every day, just go out there and work.”
It feels like just yesterday Maxey was a rookie heaping praise on Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons for making All-Star teams and getting accolades. It’s clear now the torch is being passed.
“That’s a great accomplishment, especially as a starter,” Embiid, the seven-time All-Star, said. “It’s only the beginning. It’s a testament to the work he’s put in, and him taking another step this year. That’s amazing.”
It’s hard to believe, but the 2025-26 regular season is more than halfway done, meaning the race is really heating up to secure a spot in the Big Dance that will begin in two months. It’s not a shock to see the usual suspects like Arizona, Duke, Connecticut and Michigan at the top of the sport.
However, there are some that have surprises — good and bad — that not many saw coming. In the preseason, some teams figured to be fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but have become bonafide contenders that realistically can make a run. On the other side, squads that had reasonable expectations have fallen flat, and are in jeopardy of missing out on March Madness.
Arguably the story of the season, it's been a dream ride for the Cornhuskers. They are 18-0, the best start in program history, with impressive wins against Michigan State and Illinois to fuel a 5-0 Quad 1 record and No. 6 NET ranking.
Nebraska wasn’t considered an NCAA tournament team before the season began, but are in position to be a top-four seed come March. That would position them well to get its first NCAA tournament win, the only Power conference team yet to achieve the feat.
Vanderbilt
Predicted to finish 11th in the SEC preseason poll, the Commodores have thrust themselves into the top of the league, far from the bubble spot they started the season in. Vanderbilt started the campaign 16-0, matching its best start ever.
It has lost two straight games, but that shouldn’t spoil what has been a remarkable second season for Mark Byington. Not only is Vanderbilt (16-2, 3-2) poised to get back-to-back tournament appearances for the first time since 2016-17, but could get its best seed ever (No. 3 in 1993).
Virginia
The ACC is vastly better this season, and helping that cause is Virginia. The Cavaliers are road warriors, with all their Quad 1 games so far away from home. It’s impressive since they are 4-1 in the category, including major wins at Texas, Louisville and SMU to boost their top 15 NET ranking.
Ryan Odom has brought some swagger back to Charlottesville in his first season with the Cavaliers, something it’s been lacking for several years. Virginia (16-2, 5-1) is on the path to getting back to March after missing it in 2025 for the second time in four seasons.
Clemson
Another ACC team, Brad Brownell has become an under-the-radar coach who is consistently putting together solid teams at Clemson. After starting the season 7-3, the Tigers have won nine straight, including wins against SMU and Miami to propel its perfect start (6-0) in conference play.
The Tigers (16-3) didn’t start the season in tournament conversation, but are capable of capturing its first ACC crown since 1990. Another March Madness bid would be three-straight, something Clemson hasn’t done since 2008-11.
Villanova
After Villanova struggled to find momentum under previous coach Kevin Neputne, Kevin Willard is bringing back optimism not seen since Jay Wright had the Wildcats as a national power. Villanova did have some tough results against BYU and Michigan, but have handled business everywhere else. Like Clemson, the Wildcats are good on the road.
The Big East feels open after Connecticut, and Villanova (14-4, 5-2) has the inside track to be in the top four of the league. After so many seasons being on the bubble and missing out on Selection Sunday, it feels more certain Villanova will hear its name called for the first time since 2022.
Saint Louis
Not many realize it, but the Atlantic 10 has a great team in Saint Louis. The Billikins are 17-1, the only blemish a one-point loss to Stanford. They have handled nearly every opponent they’ve faced, and made the most of the few opportunities so far with a 2-0 Quad 1 record.
It’s always tough for teams outside the Power conferences to get at-large spots, yet Saint Louis is building a case to be in regardless of what happens. The No. 22 NET ranking is extremely impressive, and could be why the A-10 could get multiple teams in depending on how things shake out.
Miami (Ohio)
The quiet undefeated team in the country, the RedHawks are off to their best start ever at 19-0. While Miami hasn’t played any Quad 1 games and is just 3-0 in Quad 2 games, it’s worth noting a team reaching the middle of January without a blemish.
Even though the RedHawks likely need the MAC title to get in, they are making quite the case to be in regardless. At this rate, Miami could be a single-digit seed.
NCAA basketball disappointments
UCLA
The arrival of transfer Donovan Dent figured to make the Bruins a contender in the Big Ten, but it hasn’t paid off and it’s been a mediocre campaign for UCLA. At 12-6, it doesn’t own any marquee victories and has put up some head-scratching performances in big games, owning a 1-5 record in Quad 1 games.
UCLA opened the season in the conversation for a top-four seed, but instead will be fighting for its tournament life the rest of the way. It makes sense to leave it out of the field now, and the Bruins need a complete turnaround to get out of the bubble.
“Highly disappointed, our inability to play defense. I offer no excuses. Blame me … we’re not going to win meaningful games if we can’t stop the other team.”
Mark Pope’s second season at his alma mater has been a rocky one, with inconsistently plaguing the season. Kentucky started the season with a rough 5-4 mark that really soured Big Blue Nation, but it has somewhat righted the ship with a 7-2 record since. Still, the Wildcats are 3-5 in Quad 1 games.
Not all hope is lost, but Kentucky (12-6, 3-2) has to find a rhythm to avoid tumbling down toward a potential double-digit seed, something that has happened only once, in 2008.
St. John’s
There was hope Rick Pitino would be able to replicate last season’s magical run, but some early season duds have ruined the vibes in Queens. The Red Storm (13-5, 6-1) set themselves up with a challenging nonconference schedule and couldn’t capitalize with a 7-4 start. There aren’t notable wins, and the Quad 3 loss to Providence doesn’t help.
The Big East isn’t daunting so there isn’t a real concern for St. John’s tournament stake, but not having a quality resume means there isn’t much wiggle room to move its way up the seed line.
Oregon
The Ducks brought talent back for another promising season, only for it to turn into a disaster. After starting 4-0, Oregon is 4-10, losing badly to high quality teams and falling to teams it was expected to beat. As a result, Oregon is 0-9 in Quad 1 and 2 games, and it doesn’t get much better after it with a 3-1 Quad 3 mark.
It’s one of the biggest disappointments, with Oregon starting the season as a No. 6 seed and now completely out of the tournament conversation. It will take a miracle for the Ducks to get back in. Jackson Shelstad's season-ending injury won't help.
Creighton
Despite losing key veterans, there was a sense Creighton could still be a contender. Instead it’s shown the Bluejays have plenty of work to do. It was a rough 5-5 start with plenty of blowout losses and it hasn’t really improved since; it’s standing at 11-8 with a tough 1-6 Quad 1 record and No. 55 NET ranking.
Like St. John’s, Creighton is still in the top half of the Big East but a loss to Providence showed how vulnerable it is. It will have to go on a solid winning streak or two to stay away from the bubble.
Missouri
An 8-0 start gave optimism for Missouri, but that quick beginning has been forgotten by going 5-5 since. The opponents got tougher and it hurt the Tigers, with a 2-4 record against Quad 1 opponents, including tough losses to Notre Dame and LSU. The NET rankings of 68 is dangerously low for an at-large candidate.
Missouri hasn’t given a solid case to be a tournament-worthy team, and it needs to stockpile wins so it can jump up the NET. Dennis Gates is in danger of missing the tournament again.
Marquette
Perhaps there is no team in a worse position than Marquette. There was a chance the newcomers could keep the Golden Eagles afloat, but the season appears to be washed. They have lost nine of their past 10 and at 6-13 with an 0-11 Quad 1 and 2 record, there’s a near-zero chance it gets in the field.
By the end of it, Shaka Smart may be on the hot seat, as this is set to be the first time he misses the tournament at Marquette.
Memphis
Penny Hardaway’s best season is on track to be followed up with one of his toughest, with the exodus of talent that left Memphis very evident. It started 4-7, with nearly every loss to tournament-caliber teams. The Tigers are 1-7 against Quad 1 and 2 teams, and the No. 108 NET ranking is a bad mark.
Memphis has started its American Conference play off well but that won’t get in the good graces of the selection committee, with not many quality opportunities left. It’ll be the automatic bid or bust for the Tigers.
