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Eric Dixon looks to lead Villanova to the finals of the College Basketball Crown when they face Darius Johnson and UCF on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Dixon became the Wildcats' all-time career scoring leader Thursday by recording 24 of his 28 points in the second half of a 60-59 victory over Southern California.
"Eric is trying to get people involved and to make the right play," said Villanova interim coach Mike Nardi. "That's just who he is. Once he gets it going, you try to move him around, put him in different spots. His teammates know where he likes the ball. Then, you let him go to work."
Dixon leads the nation with 23.1 points per game for the Wildcats (21-14).
Johnson, meanwhile, scored 31 points in UCF's 88-80 win over Big 12 counterpart Cincinnati on Thursday.
The Knights (18-16) opened the tournament on Tuesday with a 76-75 win over Oregon State, sealed in part thanks to Moustapha Thiam's blocked shot in the closing seconds.
The 7-foot-2 freshman center led the Big 12 with 2.6 blocks per game. He also is one of four Knights who averages double figures in points.
The leader of that quartet -- Keyshawn Hall at 18.8 points per game -- left the team entered the transfer portal before the College Basketball Crown. Hall committed earlier this week to another team playing on Saturday, Final Four participant Auburn.
In his absence, Johnson has picked up the slack. He matched Tyler Hendricks and Nils Machowski with 15 points against Oregon State.
"One of our biggest things this year has been maintaining and building leads," Johnson said Thursday. "Even when it got close, we got stops when we needed to and we executed offensively."
Sustained offensive execution will be key for a UCF team facing a Villanova defense holding opponents to 67.1 points per game this season.
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New Third Base Trade Options For Yankees Emerge
The Rolling Stones knew what they were talking about while belting out "You Can't Always Get What You Want." It's very possible New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will find himself humming that tune ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. The Yankees, like several contenders, are shopping for a power-hitting third baseman. Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star slugger Eugenio Suarez sits atop everyone's list. Running a distant second and third are Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and Pittsburgh Pirates Gold Glover Ke'Bryan Hayes. After that, it could be slim pickings. Should Cashman find himself scrambling to make a deal, here are a couple of new names entering the conversation. "Amed Rosario would be a good fit for Yankees," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Monday. "Played a lot of 3B this year. .802 lifetime OPS vs. lefties (.845 this year). Suarez is top target but many would qualify as upgrades." Rosario is hitting .271 with five home runs and 18 RBIs this season for the Washington Nationals. But the nine-year veteran has big-market experience, making his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 2017. The 29-year-old is making $2 million this season and will be a free agent after the World Series, according to Spotrac. But wait, there's more. "Other possible third-base trade targets include Royals All-Star Maikel Garcia — in theory, Kansas City would have interest in one of the Yankees’ outfielders to play left field for them," The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported Monday. Garcia, who made the American League roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, is hitting .291 this season with eight home runs and 41 RBIs. The 25-year-old is in his fourth big-league season and is making almost $775,000 this season, according to Spotrac. Garcia still has four years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so he won't come cheap. 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 Could Land Infielder With World Series MVP Comparison Will Yankees Use Red-Hot Prospect As Trade Bait? Yankees One-Stop Shopping Pirates?
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MLB's midseason break was kind to Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani. On Wednesday, the three-time MVP tied a Dodgers franchise record with a home run in his fifth consecutive game, taking Minnesota Twins right-handed starting pitcher Chris Paddack 441 feet to centerfield on an 0-2 79 mph curveball in the bottom of the first inning. Ohtani entered the All-Star break with 32 home runs but had just two in his 12 previous games before beginning his current streak. He's appeared in 101 of L.A.'s 103 games, putting him on pace for 159 games this season. If Ohtani continues at his home run trajectory, he'll set a personal record for single-season home runs, breaking the record he established last season, his first with the Dodgers. Per ESPN Bet, Ohtani (-1800) is an overwhelming favorite to be named NL MVP for the second consecutive season. With every home run hit, his odds of receiving a fourth overall MVP award likely increase. Also helping Ohtani's case is his return to the mound after not pitching a season ago while rehabbing from 2023 surgery. The Dodgers have slowly eased him back, with Ohtani throwing 12 innings in six starts, allowing nine hits and two earned runs with 13 strikeouts. Per Baseball Savant, he ranks in the top six percent in average fastball velocity (97.8 mph), a promising sign as he continues his progression. While the Dodgers keep him on a pitch count, Ohtani didn't need much warming up at the plate following the in-season break to find his swing. Some might argue he's already in postseason form.
Jeff Passan Makes Firm Dodgers Trade Deadline Prediction
At the MLB trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers could look to add to a few different areas of the roster. While a Michael Conforto replacement and a bench bat would be nice, the primary need is in the bullpen. In a recent article from Jeff Passan of ESPN, the MLB insider made a firm prediction for what the Dodgers will do at the trade deadline. "But these are the Dodgers." Passan writes. "If any team can afford to part with high-end prospects in search of excellence, it's them. And whether it's Smith or Jax or Clase or Duran or Bautista or Ryan Helsley or someone else, the Dodgers will go into August with a better bullpen than they had in July." Passan's prediction is clear: The Dodgers will add a reliever at the trade deadline. The only question is who the Dodgers' front office will target and land. The Cleveland Guardians have Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith as potential options, with Smith listed by Passan as the Dodgers' best fit. Minnesota Twins relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax are other potential options. Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles, Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals, and David Bendar of the Pittsburgh Pirates are the other three relievers Passan names as trade deadline options. While the Dodgers aren't guaranteed to land one of these relievers, Passan predicts that come August, the Dodgers will have made at least some changes to the bullpen. Each of those relievers wouldn't be cheap, as, other than Helsley, they all have more than just one year of control remaining on their deals. The reason why the Dodgers need bullpen so badly is clear. Tanner Scott is on the injured list, and even before then, he was struggling. Kirby Yates hasn't been the best, while the majority of the arms haven't been great. But the main issue has been with injuries. Other than Scott, Michael Kopech, Ben Casparius, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips, and others are all injured. The Dodgers don't need bullpen help just because they're ranked as the seventh-worst bullpen with a 4.41 ERA, but due to their injuries this season. This situation has led Passan to predict that the Dodgers, no matter who it ends up being, will add a reliever by the MLB trade deadline this season.
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