Vladislav Goldin’s mother and father could not believe what his life is like at Michigan.
Cooper Flagg has seized the spotlight all year. He’s the biggest star heading into March Madness
Cooper Flagg will have to thrive amid the biggest spotlight of the sport in the NCAA Tournament, where college stars can become even bigger names amid the upsets and buzzer-beaters that captivate the country every spring.
Outbreak of legal battle in tennis comes after years of increasing tension | Tumaini Carayol
The 163-page PTPA lawsuit contains some valid and not-so-valid criticism of the professional tours and major events
The Professional Tennis Players’ Association came into existence on the eve of the 2020 US Open and at the height of pandemic restrictions. After an inauspicious start, the association co-founded by Novak Djokovic has spent time building its professional structures, finances and player support while trying to gain influence in the sport. The PTPA ostensibly functions as a players’ union, but it is not legally recognised as such, since players are classed as independent contractors rather than employees.
As the PTPA’s numerous attempts to gain a seat at the sport’s decision making table have been rebuffed, often vigorously, by the leading governing bodies – the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the four grand slam tournaments – it became increasingly likely that their acrimonious relations would lead to litigation. The PTPA’s decision to initiate a lawsuit against the ATP, WTA and ITF on Tuesday, while naming the grand slams as co-conspirators, marks a dramatic intensification of its campaign for players’ rights. It also comes as no great surprise.
Continue reading...March Madness: Ranking every NCAA tournament team, from 1 to 68
Duke leads our annual ranking of title contenders — ordered from most to least likely to snip the nets in San Antonio.
Shohei Ohtani hits solo homer in return to Japan, leading Dodgers’ powerful offense to 6-3 win over the Cubs
TOKYO — Shohei Ohtani hit a solo homer in his return to the Tokyo Dome, Roki Sasaki threw three eventful innings in his big-league debut and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 to sweep the two-game series in Japan.
Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer and Tommy Edman added a solo shot. Ohtani’s homer in the fifth barely cleared the right-center fence and the call was reviewed by umpires before being confirmed, giving the Dodgers a 6-2 lead.
Sasaki gave up one run and one hit while striking out three, but also walked five batters, including a free pass that forced in a run. Landon Knack (1-0) got the win, pitching two scoreless innings of relief.
Alex Vesia handled the ninth to earn the save after working out of a two-out jam. Shortstop Miguel Rojas made a stellar defensive play for the final out, ranging far to his right to grab a grounder from Matt Shaw before making a strong throw to first.
Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (0-1) was tagged for five runs over four innings, giving up the homers to Hernández and Edman. Jon Berti had three of Chicago’s eight hits.
The Dodgers were without Freddie Freeman (ribs) and Mookie Betts (illness) for a second straight game. Dave Roberts is hopeful that Freeman and Betts will both be ready for the domestic season opener on March 27.
Key moment
Ohtani’s homer was the moment all of Japan was waiting to see. The 30-year-old once again delivered in a big spot and had three hits in the two games in Tokyo.
Key stat
The first six pitches of Sasaki’s MLB career registered 99.5, 99.5, 100, 100.5, 99.4 and 98.9 mph on the radar gun.
Up next
Both teams return home, though the Dodgers will go directly to Los Angeles while the Cubs return to their spring training home in Mesa, Arizona. The Dodgers open the domestic regular season schedule at home against the Detroit Tigers on March 27 while the Cubs are on the road at the Arizona Diamondbacks on the same day.
Blues Breakout Star Is Continuing To Thrive
During this past off-season, the St. Louis Blues successfully signed then-restricted free agent forward Dylan Holloway through an offer sheet. The Edmonton Oilers elected not to match the Blues' two-year, $4.58 million offer for Holloway, so St. Louis gave them a third-round pick for compensation.
The decision to pursue Holloway has undoubtedly been incredible for the Blues, as the young forward has broken out in a big way since. In 69 games, he has set new career-highs with 22 goals, 32 assists, 54 points, and 144 hits. He has taken advantage of having a more significant role with the Blues and has become one of their most important forwards because of it.
However, what's more encouraging about Holloway's play is that he is only getting better as the Blues are fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The 6-foot-1 forward is currently sporting a four-game point streak, where he has two goals and seven points over that span. This includes recording three assists in the Blues' last matchup against the Nashville Predators.
With numbers like these, Holloway is continuing to cement himself as a legitimate NHL top-six forward in St. Louis. It will be fascinating to see how he builds on his impressive hot streak and overall season from here.
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March Madness History: Best moments in NCAA Division I Men’s, Women’s Basketball Tournament
Upsets, buzzer beaters, and history-making dunks — relive some of the most exciting moments in March Madness history.
Draymond Green: 'One million percent I have a case' to win Defensive Player of the Year
The moment Victor Wembanyama went out for the season, the Defensive Player of the Year race was thrown wide open.
Draymond Green says he has a case — and he made it on the court Tuesday night. Green was the primary defender on Giannis Antetokounmpo for 7:04 of the Warriors' win over the Bucks and held the former MVP to 0-of-6 shooting (for the game, Antetokounmpo scored 20 points on 5-of-16 shooting). After the game, the never-shy Green said he had a case for Defensive Player of the Year, quotes via NBC Sports Bay Area.
"If we keep winning and close this year out strong, most definitely. I look around the league and don't see many players impacting the game on the defensive end the way I do. I don't see many players completely throwing off an entire team's offense the way I do. One thousand percent.
"Especially with Wemby going down, seemed like he had it won. And now it is right there. So, one million percent I have a case, and I will continue to build that case for these next 13 games. Tonight was a prime example of that."
Green has a strong case, but first, he needs to qualify. He has played in 55 games this season and needs to stay healthy and play in 10 of the Warriors' remaining 13 games to reach the 65-game threshold set by the league.
Evan Mobley, whose defensive versatility is at the heart of the Cavaliers' top-10 defense, is the current frontrunner (and betting favorite) for the award. Among bigs, the Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. has a strong case, and while he's returned and should easily reach the 65-game mark, his recent missed time and Memphis falling out of the top 10 in defense did not help his case. The Clippers Ivica Zubac has a strong case that seems to be slept on by watchers of the race. Voters tend to lean into big men for this award — as paint protectors they impact defense more than perimeter players — but Dyson Daniels in Atlanta and Lu Dort in Oklahoma deserve consideration.
We've reached the campaign part of the awards season, when players, teams, and some vocal fan bases will make their case for various players to win awards. Nobody is going to have as loud a campaign for an award as Green.
Green absolutely is deserving, and if nothing else is very likely to end up on First Team All-Defense. As for a second DPOY award for Green, a few more nights like Tuesday go a long way toward making his case.
NC State’s guard quartet gives the Wolfpack a strong edge heading into March Madness
Wes Moore has more than 650 Division I coaching wins and 850 overall, repeatedly reached the NCAA Tournament and even advanced to the Final Four last year. “There's been times this year that I had to just get out of the way, so to speak,” Moore said, “and let them go.” It's even more on the guards this time: the Rivers-James duo is back, but sophomore Zoe Brooks has taken a leap while veteran Madison Hayes has upped her numbers, too.
How Mikal Bridges has stepped up for Knicks in Jalen Brunson's absence
In the wake of New York’s captain and leading scorer Jalen Brunson injuring his ankle, many questions arose about how the Knicks would respond in his absence after playing 61 of their 62 games with him at the helm.
Some suggested his injury would force the Knicks to learn how to play and win without him, which would be a beneficial development as the playoffs near. One player in particular is proving this theory right -- Mikal Bridges.
The starting shooting guard acquired for a bundle of first-round picks has had an up-and-down season, but he has stepped up since Brunson went down.
In his last five games, Bridges is averaging 23.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists on 63.4/47.1/95.0 shooting splits, helping the Knicks go 3-2 without their best player.
It’s been a departure from Bridges’ season averages of 17.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 48.8/35.0/72.7, stemming from newfound aggressiveness and trust in his ability to create and score. He’s looked much more like the guy New York hoped they would get when emptying their asset chest this past offseason, and the hope is he’ll continue this approach once Brunson returns and the postseason begins.
Bridges is actively seeking out his own creation opportunities, calling for more pick-and-rolls with himself as the ball handler, and putting an emphasis on getting into the paint. This has not only opened up easier close-range scoring opportunities for Bridges but more playmaking chances -- an underrated part of his game.
Where Bridges used to be more connective in the offense, he’s now initiating, leveraging defenses with his scoring threat and finding open shooters and cutters. There’s an argument for him being the third-best passer on the team, and it seems he and the Knicks have realized this and taken advantage.
Another benefit of his attacking offense: he’s finally getting to the free-throw line. Bridges had previously shied away from contact, dropping his free throw attempts per game from 3.9 last year to 1.3 this season.
He’s attempted 20 free throws in the last five games; a total that he needed the previous 22 games to match. A willingness to take contact at the rim won’t just grant him free points at the stripe but will keep defenses honest and open up his mid-range game more.
Bridges’ offense was on full display against the Trail Blazers, when he scored 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting and buried the buzzer-beating three in overtime to give New York the win. What’s more, his offensive eruptions haven’t taken away from his stout defense.
New York has taken full advantage of Brunson being out to get back to its defensive roots, boasting a 104.9 defensive rating over the last five games, good for third in the league. Bridges has been a pivotal part of that despite the increase in minutes and offensive load.
The Knicks are hoping Bridges can keep up this level of play as Brunson rehabs and even once he’s back in the starting lineup. While Brunson can dominate the ball, Bridges has had many chances to take over like this in bench lineups or on nights when New York’s stars aren’t up to par, with mixed results.
This stretch could earn him some added comfort and trust to consistently bring his game to another level, which would pay dividends come the postseason. Bridges is built to be a key performer there, with defense taking precedent and offenses being pushed toward the inefficient mid-range where he thrives.
Now it’s time to show he can step up to that responsibility. So far, Bridges looks ready.
Hard-throwing Giants newcomer making strong spring training impression
Hard-throwing Giants newcomer making strong spring training impression originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Whether it’s in the bullpen or an exhibition game, there’s one question that comes to mind when watching Joel Peguero pitch.
Why is he in Giants camp as a non-roster invitee?
The 27-year-old stunned coaches by hitting 101 mph in his first bullpen session last month, which led to a few extra teammates filtering over for every subsequent session. In the Cactus League opener, Peguero started out in the 94-to-96-mph range, and for a moment it seemed like those bullpen sessions were outliers. And then Peguero settled in, reaching 101.7 mph by the end of his outing. He hasn’t slowed down at all over the past month; on Monday, he hit triple-digits five times.
The velocity is not the only reason Peguero is so intriguing, though. The Giants post a strike-throwing leaderboard on clubhouse TVs and Peguero was the leader through the weekend. Through eight appearances, he has yet to allow a run and has eight strikeouts to one walk.
All of that leads to that question again. In every way, Peguero has looked like someone who should have been locked into a big-league bullpen by now, but he’s in Giants camp hoping to win a job, and pushing for what would be his MLB debut. The Giants aren’t quite sure why that’s the case, but they sure are thrilled that Peguero is wearing their colors.
“I think he has made as much of an impression as anybody in camp,” manager Bob Melvin said. “At first you’re watching bullpens and he’s throwing 101 in the bullpen, and then he comes out and he’s doing the same thing in games. You wonder why this guy hasn’t been in the big leagues at some point in time.”
The fascinating thing about Peguero is that he’s not even coming off a season in which he was on the verge of a debut. He first reached Triple-A in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Rays and pitched at the highest minor-league level with the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals the next two seasons, but all of 2024 was spent in Double-A with the Detroit Tigers.
Peguero had a 3.14 ERA last year, with 56 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings. He has at times run high walk rates in the minors, but it was just three walks per nine innings last season. He struck out more than a batter per inning, but in the minors, the strikeout rates have not matched the raw stuff the Giants have seen this spring.
The Giants brought Peguero in this spring as a minor-league free agent, which they had hoped to do years earlier. Latin American development coordinator Hector Borg has coached Peguero in the Dominican Winter League and first recommended him to superiors when Peguero was with the Rays. Current general manager Zack Minasian kept a close eye on him last season, noting that his velocity ticked up every month and he started throwing more strikes with a slider that has reached 93 mph this spring. The Giants made Peguero a priority as they put together their non-roster list, and that mattered to the hard-throwing right-hander, who had several opportunities to be in a big league camp.
“Their interest was different,” Peguero said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “There was something about that interest that I just decided that the Giants are the best fit. It was a little bit more secure and there was more opportunity here.”
When asked about finally taking the big step to the big leagues, Peguero said the key will be consistency. That has been missing at times as a professional, but this spring he has focused on pounding the strike zone. When you’re doing that and sitting in triple digits, you’re going to draw a lot of eyeballs, and Peguero said there might be more in the tank. He’s been up to 103 mph in the minors.
The Giants have seen enough to know they might have added a special arm to their bullpen mix, although Peguero might have to wait a bit longer for that debut. There’s a big crowd fighting for the final spots in the bullpen, and most involved have thrown well. Peguero does not have an opt-out in his minor-league deal, so he could begin the season in Triple-A.
“We’ll see where we go with that,” Melvin said. “But at some point in time, if he continues to pitch like this, he’s going to be in the big leagues with us.”
If he gets there this year with the Giants, it’ll make all the sense in the world to those who have watched him throw this spring, and those who have been eyeing him for years. Borg said Peguero’s arm is matched by his work ethic and makeup, and he’s hopeful that it’s finally his time.
“Sometimes some players are different and take different routes to make it to the big leagues,” Borg said. “Sometimes it takes a little longer to make it to The Show. I think he’s on the right track right now. He made an adjustment and is throwing strikes, and his arm is special.”
NBA mock draft: Who moved up before NCAA Tournament?
Jase Richardson has vaulted higher in NBA mock drafts, from a potential first-round pick to potential lottery pick if he leaves Michigan State.
Roki Sasaki's MLB debut is tantalizing, and shaky, as Dodgers complete Tokyo Series sweep
It lasted just three innings. It included a grand total of 56 pitches. And it was nowhere near a flawless introduction to Major League Baseball.
But was it ever one heck of a show.
Making his Major League Baseball debut Wednesday night, in front of his home nation at a sold-out Tokyo Dome and under immense pressure that had been building ever since his mid-January signing, Roki Sasaki’s first Dodgers start ran the full gamut of emotions, and included the kind of twists and turns that will likely define his rookie MLB season.
There was jaw-dropping stuff — including four consecutive 100 mph fastballs to start the night, a flurry of signature splitters that seemed to break in unpredictable directions every time they were unleashed from his right middle and index fingers, and even a few swing-and-miss sliders that effectively complemented his other two primary pitches.
Read more:Hernández: Shohei Ohtani's Tokyo Series home run is the culmination of the 'Week of Ohtani'
There was also wildly inconsistent command — leading him to walk five of the 14 batters he faced on the night, miss the strike zone on more than 55% of his total pitches, and spend much of his night working out of constant stress.
There were highlight reel moments — like when he blew Seiya Suzuki away for his first career strikeout, and stranded the bases loaded in the third on back-to-back punchouts of Michael Busch and Matt Shaw.
And then there were expected examples of growing pains — from Sasaki’s inability to slow the running game, to the bases-loaded free pass he issued to Kyle Tucker that resulted in his only run allowed.
Welcome to the Roki Sasaki experience, one that should make the 23-year-old right-hander one of the most interesting players to watch on this year’s Dodgers team, if not all of baseball.
On any given pitch, the Japanese phenom can dazzle with his talent, and dominate with his pure athletic ability. On any given night, he might make entire big-league lineups look foolish at the plate.
Yet, at any given moment, he can also lose his rhythm, pepper the ball anywhere but the strike zone, and create chaos for himself and his Dodgers team.
Buckle up. Because when Sasaki pitches, it will almost assuredly be must-see TV.
“When you get youth and talent, which is Roki, what that introduces is variance,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So there's going to be some really high highs, and then some things that you just don't know that are gonna happen, because of his inexperience.”
The good news for the Dodgers: Sasaki’s inexperience didn’t derail Wednesday’s debut, with the pitcher working out of just enough trouble to preserve a three-inning, one-run line in the Dodgers’ 6-3 Tokyo Series-sweeping win.
In the first inning, Sasaki was flawless. He lit up the radar gun with fastballs of 100, 100, 100 and then 101 mph to begin the night. He pumped 99-mph heat past Suzuki to record his first career K. He retired the side in order while a captivated Japanese crowd roared in applause.
From there, however, little came easy.
Sasaki lost fastball after fastball to his arm side in the second inning, issuing walks to Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson before getting a reprieve on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s line-out double play. He started spraying the ball again in the third, following Jon Berti’s one-out single — the only hit Sasaki allowed in his outing — with three straight walks to force in a run.
Read more:Hernández: Roki Sasaki's bond with Rikuzentakata endures, long after 2011 tsunami
At that point, the Dodgers still had a 3-1 cushion, thanks to a two-run rally in the second-inning rally and solo home run from Tommy Edman in the third. They’d add more insurance later in the game on a two-run home run from Kiké Hernández in the fourth and, to the raucous delight of the Tokyo Dome crowd, a Shohei Ohtani solo blast in the fifth.
But in this moment, with Sasaki seemingly on the ropes, Roberts got his bullpen active while staring toward the mound with a contemplative gaze.
It felt like, with Sasaki’s pitch count climbing quickly, he was likely down to his final couple batters.
Then, in the most telling sequence of the night, he struck out both to extinguish the danger — spotting three outer-edge fastballs to sit Busch down looking, before dialing up a pair of sliders to Shaw that he helplessly swung through — and end his debut with a deep sigh of relief.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Rangers tell fans behind ‘shameful’ banner to stay away after Uefa charge
- Banner appeared during victory over Fenerbahce
- Club expecting ‘significant sanctions’ from Uefa
Rangers have described the behaviour of a minority of their fans as “embarrassing” after being charged by Uefa over incidents during last week’s Europa League last-16 victory over Fenerbahce at Ibrox.
Rangers confirmed on Wednesday that they faced significant sanctions after what Uefa described as a “racist and/or discriminatory banner” was unveiled by a group of fans. The banner read: “Keep woke foreign ideologies out. Defend Europe.”
Continue reading...Scheierman has breakout performance in Celtics' win over Nets
Scheierman has breakout performance in Celtics' win over Nets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics are pretty much locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings and the Brooklyn Nets are destined to finish in the draft lottery, so there wasn’t a ton at stake in Tuesday night’s matchup at TD Garden.
But that didn’t stop fans from creating an amazing atmosphere, and the primary reason for the excitement was Baylor Scheierman.
The 2024 first-round draft pick scored a career-high 20 points on 6-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. His best moment came at the end of the third quarter. He banked in a long 3-pointer but it was waved off due to a whistle. The rookie forward got another chance with 1.7 seconds left and drilled a 3-pointer as time expired, sending the crowd into a frenzy and firing up his teammates.
“It’s pretty special. When I hit that buzzer beater and the crowd was going crazy, that was probably a top-three environment I’ve ever been a part of,” Scheierman told reporters postgame. “It’s just special, and that’s obviously what makes Boston so elite and the best sports city in the country.”
It can be tough for a rookie to find a rhythm on a team like the Celtics that wins a lot of games and has a bunch of veteran players, but Scheierman has done a nice job staying ready and taking advantage of opportunities whenever they come.
“I think I’ve just done a good job of just trying to be where my feet are, whether that’s Maine or here, and try to learn as much as possible and take bits and pieces from everybody and mold it into my routine and how I go about things,” Scheierman said.
“I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve seen over the course of the year is just the growth that I’ve learned and staying ready for whenever my number is called.”
Scheierman was labeled as a very good outside shooter when the Celtics drafted him out of Creighton, and his ability to knock down 3-point shots is obviously quite valuable. But he’s more than just a shooter. He crashes the boards, he plays with toughness, he gives great effort defensively, he dives on the floor for loose balls — a lot of the little things that add up to winning. In addition to his scoring, he tallied three rebounds, two steals and one assist in 16 minutes versus the Nets.
“The thing I really like about him is his toughness,” C’s head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters postgame. “He’s got a high level of toughness. He’s got a chip on his shoulder and kind of an F-U mentality to where he’s going to make it work. We saw that on some of his box-outs, some of his offensive rebounds. Again, the threes were great, but I like the mindset and the toughness that he brought on both ends of the floor.”
Scheierman agreed with his coach’s remarks.
“You kind of have to have that mentality to make it in this league with a lot of talented players,” he said. “Every time I step on that court I’m trying to go 110 percent and play as hard as I can regardless of the score or who we’re playing against. Just trying to put my best foot forward every single time.”
The Celtics have a pretty soft schedule the rest of the regular season. There are a lot of matchups against non-playoff teams coming up. If Mazzulla chooses to rest some of his veterans to keep them fresh for the playoffs, there could be lots more chances for Scheierman to develop his talent and prove he belongs at this level.
And if Scheierman continues to play well, maybe he could earn some minutes in the playoffs. Celtics history is full of unexpected playoff heros who played a key role in winning a single game or an entire series.