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The Michigan State Spartans have had the Ole Miss Rebels circled on their calendar since they found out they'd be their Sweet 16 opponents. Bound to be a close contest, MSU will have to be prepared for any and everything that the Rebels throw its way.
One of the hardest things the Spartans will look to predict is what kind of game they are going to see from two Ole Miss players, senior guard Dre Davis and junior forward Malik Dia. While Sean Pedulla has been consistent for the Rebels through the two tournament games so far, both Davis and Dia could shake the landscape of the game.
Through the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, Davis and Dia have interchanged their playing styles, seeing success one night and hard times the other. In Game 1 against the North Carolina Tar Heels, Davis finished with 15 points in 28 minutes of action, whereas Dia collected 8 in 18 minutes.
In the regular season, Davis was averaging 10.3 points per game, with 4.8 rebounds and a 45.9 field-goal percentage in 26.1 minutes of playing time on average. Ending his regular season strong, Ole Miss was looking for Davis to continue that success over from Game 1 to Game 2, but that did not happen.
During the second-round game against the Iowa State Cyclones, Davis was only able to drop four points in 29 minutes of action. He also finished with five rebounds and five personal fouls. For Dia, however, he turned his round one success around in game two, dropping 18 points, 10 points more than Round 1.
The Spartans have to be ready for those two what-if candidates in the matchup while keeping all heads on a swivel looking to limit Pedulla. If MSU can figure out the type of game both Dia and Davis are averaging early, perhaps the goal of moving onto the Elite Eight portion of the tournament is more attainable.
Coach Tom Izzo knows what Ole Miss possesses as a program, but he also knows that his team wouldn't be in this position if they weren't prepared and ready for it. The defense will need to keep the game within arm's reach, especially with the amount of scoring the Rebels do.
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Who Purdue Basketball Has Offered in the 2026 Recruiting Class
There are going to be plenty of roster spots to fill for Purdue's basketball team following the 2025-26 season. Heading into the upcoming season, the Boilermakers have six seniors on the roster, headlined by the trio of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Additionally, forward Sam King is entering his senior season and transfer additions Oscar Cluff and Liam Murphy both only have one year of eligibilty remaining. The Boilermakers will have to add quite a bit to the roster next year, whether it comes via high school recruiting or the transfer portal. Right now, Purdue has just one player committed in the 2026 class, 6-foot-1 combo guard Luke Ertel. The Indiana native ranks as the No. 53 player in the cycle, per 247Sports. The Boilermakers still have plenty of offers on the table, too. Most of those prospects in the 2026 class remain with a Purdue offer uncommitted at this time, though four-star forward Sheek Peterson did verbally pledge to Marquette. So, who is still on the board for Purdue in the 2026 class? Here's a rundown of the offers, as well as highlights for each player. The list of offered prospects and rankings is aided by 247Sports. 2026 Purdue basketball offers Anthony Thompson Position: Small forward Height: 6-foot-7 247Sports ranking: No. 9 Star ranking: 5-star Cameron Williams Position: Power forward Height: 6-foot-11 247Sports ranking: No. 10 Star ranking: 5-star Taylen Kinney Position: Point guard Height: 6-foot-1 247Sports ranking: No. 11 Star ranking: 5-star Arafan Diane Position: Center Height: 7-foot-1 247Sports ranking: No. 15 Star ranking: 4-star Deron Rippey Jr. Position: Point guard Height: 6-foot-2 247Sports ranking: No. 17 Star ranking: 4-star Ethan Taylor Position: Center Height: 7-foot-0 247Sports ranking: No. 22 Star ranking: 4-star Junior County Position: Shooting guard Height: 6-foot-4 247Sports ranking: No. 27 Star ranking: 4-star Bo Ogden Position: Small forward Height: 6-foot-5 247Sports ranking: No. 49 Star ranking: 4-star Colben Landrew Position: Small forward Height: 6-foot-5 247Sports ranking: No. 63 Star ranking: 4-star Quinn Costello Position: Power forward Height: 6-foot-10 247Sports ranking: No. 72 Star ranking: 4-star Jermal Jones Position: Combo guard Height: 6-foot-3 247Sports ranking: No. 82 Star ranking: 4-star Felipe Quinones Position: Shooting guard Height: 6-foot-4 247Sports ranking: No. 89 Star ranking: 4-star Brandon Bass Jr. Position: Shooting guard Height: 6-foot-4 247Sports ranking: No. 96 Star ranking: 4-star Steven Reynolds Position: Shooting guard Height: 6-foot-5 247Sports ranking: No. 125 Star ranking: 4-star Jacob Webber Position: Small forward Height: 6-foot-6 247Sports ranking: No. 136 Star ranking: 4-star Gabriel Sularski Position: Shooting guard Height: 6-foot-5 247Sports ranking: No. 173 Star ranking: 3-star Javonte Floyd Position: Center Height: 6-foot-9 247Sports ranking: No. 193 Star ranking: 3-star Luigi Suigo Position: Center Height: 7-foot-3 247Sports ranking: Not available Star ranking: Not available
Maple Leafs continue to play moneyball: Three big names in play
With Mitch Marner’s move to the Vegas Golden Knights closing a major chapter in Toronto, GM Brad Treliving made a series of moves to replace his production. He might not be done. Three may be even bolder moves on the horizon. We’ve heard the names Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf before. However, the Maple Leafs are actively fielding and exploring trade scenarios as they look to reshape their roster — and according to Nick Kypreos, a handful of intriguing names are emerging in trade chatter: Morgan Rielly, Brandon Carlo, and former Leafs fan-favorite Nazem Kadri. The most surprising name still generating buzz is Rielly. Despite being a longtime cornerstone on Toronto’s blue line, his $7.5 million cap hit and no-move clause complicate matters. Yet with the team needing help up front, and possible interest in offensive defensemen like Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson, Rielly could become part of a larger plan if he’s open to waiving. Also surprising is the talk surrounding Carlo. A recent addition to the Leafs’ defense corps, he is already being talked about behind the scenes as a potential trade piece. If he were made available, there is interest around the league, as the 6-foot-6 shutdown defender has a team-friendly cap hit and strong penalty-killing ability. Trading Carlo could get the Leafs a top-six forward. Finally, reports on the availability of Kadri remain conflicting. Some say he’s not available, while others suggest that the Calgary Flames would consider the idea. The former Maple Leaf would be a welcome addition back to Toronto, but there isn’t much of a reason for the Flames to trade him unless the return is outstanding. Kadri reportedly would consider waiving his no-move clause for a reunion. That said, getting a deal done won’t be easy, especially with Montreal also rumored to be on his short list. Whether any of these deals come to pass or are just pure speculation, one thing’s sure: the Maple Leafs aren’t standing still. Treliving is trying to get his roster to score more goals. He seems willing to entertain any idea and play Moneyball with the roster if it will help.
MLB Insider Makes Brutal Yankees Prediction
New York Yankees fans know all too well how long it's been since the club last won a World Series title. If general manager Brian Cashman doesn't successfully wheel and deal ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline, it's entirely the title drought will continue in the Bronx. And that's not even the worst of it. "The Yankees, even without ace Gerrit Cole, were comfortably cruising along towards another AL East title when the wheels came off, and they have less than two weeks to see if they can find the right mechanic to get them rolling again," USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday. "This is a team that had a seven-game lead in late May, were 17 games over .500 in mid-June, but then were swept by the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, and still haven’t been the same, losing 19 times in the last 30 games," Nightengale continued. "They are desperate to find a third baseman and another starter in the next 12 days. If they come up empty, they may have trouble just slipping into the postseason," Nightendale concluded. "Sitting home in October would be nothing short of disastrous," Nightengale added for emphasis. The Yankees last missed the playoffs two years ago before returning to the World Series last fall. In seeking its first title since 2009, New York lost the 2024 Fall Classic to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. This year, the Yankees have a 42% chance of winning the American League East, according to FanGraphs. New York has a 49.4% chance of winning an AL wild card, giving them a 91.4% chance overall of reaching the playoffs. The Yankees have a 10% chance of winning the World Series, which is tied with the Detroit Tigers for the best odds in the American League. The Dodgers remain the overall World Series favorites with a 20.8% chance of winning another title. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Linked To Red-Hot Reliever Yankees Linked to Former Outfielder in Juicy Trade Rumor Yankees in Mix for Pirates All-Star Pitcher Yankees Trade Rumors: All-Star Closer On The Market? Yankees Have Competition for Diamondbacks Star
NY Giants Training Camp Report: Nabers, Thibodeaux Shine on Day 1
The New York Giants opened up their first training camp practice by doing red zone work. Here is what we saw. Throwing Darts Now that head coach Brian Daboll has, for the umpteenth time since the offseason, announced that Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback come Week 1, here is what Wilson and the other quarterbacks did on Day 1 (all unofficial). Malik Nabers: Lingering Toe Injury Being Managed But… Malik Nabers, who missed the spring with a toe issue, told reporters that surgery for his toe issue is still not completely ruled out down the line, but added that for now, the plan the medical staff has in place for him to help manage it seems to be working. “Everything’s been going pretty well with the rehab, so my toe’s feeling better,” Nabers said. “I’m just happy to be out there with my guys now.” Nabers also said he believes his practice reps will be managed this year. He added that he wasn’t sure if the injury would become a long-term issue. “Time will tell,” he said. An Overlooked Pass Rush Weapon? Micah McFadden did some blitzing in this practice, coming in hot from the offense’s right side and managing a pressure. This is an underrated skill of McFadden’s that the Giants haven’t utilized much, and one I hope they use more. Last season, he blitzed 29 times and managed eight pressures, including three sacks. The year prior, McFadden blitzed 53 times with eight pressures. McFadden could very well be an under-the-radar weapon in the pass rush that no one is paying attention to. Quick Hits Dexter Lawrence II saw limited snaps in team drills, but it’s nothing to worry about, as the Giants are simply easing him back into the mix after he was mostly limited in the spring.. Evan Neal received a significant amount of work at both guard positions, playing left guard with the ones and right guard with the twos. I didn't see anything stand out in terms of pressures allowed or anything similar, so that’s a positive. I still think when this is all said and done, the team wants Neal to be able to play left guard, which is where he lined up at Alabama for a season. That would then shift Jon Runyan Jr. to right guard, and Greg Van Roten would become the top backup interior option at guard and center. Kayvon Thibodeaux had a nice start to his summer. I had him with four pressures and a “sack” in this practice. Thibodeaux lined up on most of his snaps across from James Hudson III, who was working with the ones in place of Andrew Thomas (PUP). The Giants continued to rotate snaps between cornerbacks Cor’Dale Flott and Deonte Banks on the first-team defense. I still question if it's truly a competition or a way to light a fire underBanks’s backside, but I thought that today’s showing was a draw. Tight end Greg Dulcich, who has an uphill battle for a roster spot, came up with a one-handed grab for a touchdown in triple coverage that was highlight worthy. Winston threw the pass. What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channelfor the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? You can do so here.
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