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The Houston Cougars men's basketball team lost the NCAA Tournament national title game in heartbreaking fashion to the Florida Gators.
Houston held a lead late in the game before a series of mistakes doomed them and kept them from cutting down the nets.
Still, the future is bright for Houston, especially with head coach Kelvin Sampson still roaming the sidelines and his son, Kellen, all set to take over the head coaching job whenever Kelvin Sampson decides to retire.
On Thursday, Sampson made a big hire for the program. He brought in Oklahoma State coach Mike Ekanem as an assistant, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
Ekanem is an experienced addition to the Houston coaching staff.
He spent last season at Oklahoma State as an assistant. Before that, he was with George Mason and Sam Houston, both of which came in an assistant coach role.
NEWS: Houston's Kelvin Sampson is hiring Oklahoma State's Mike Ekanem as an assistant coach, sources told ESPN. Longtime college assistant who also spent time on staffs at George Mason and Sam Houston in the last few years. Houston native.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 1, 2025
Prior to that, Ekanem has held jobs with a number of college teams and the San Antonio Spurs. Those college programs include Arkansas, Texas A&M, Nevada and Memphis
Ekanem joined Oklahoma State prior to the 2024-25 season, and Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz called him a "rising star."
“Mike is a rising star in the coaching world. He understands the hard work and daily habits that build successful people and programs because he’s been around them his entire career," Lutz said last year.
Now, the Houston native comes to the Cougars program fresh off a trip to the national title game in a big boost to the staff.
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Colts GM expresses regret on Anthony Richardson decision
The Indianapolis Colts wish they had made a different decision in 2023. The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft after the dual-threat quarterback had an incredible third season at Florida. He threw for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns and added 654 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in his first season as a full-time starter. Given the momentum Richardson had at Florida in 2022 and with Indianapolis during OTAs, then-first-year head coach Shane Steichen named the former Gators quarterback the Colts' starter in the middle of preseason. Per Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard has "regret" in not waiting to start Richardson until he was better adjusted to the league. "The regret is real, from both player and team," Keefer wrote. "Ballard wishes he’d resisted the urge to hand Richardson the job right away, a move late owner Jim Irsay pushed for at the time. What the young quarterback needed was the chance to acclimate to the NFL, to learn the job, to watch a veteran’s daily habits and build his own." “He just doesn’t know yet,” Ballard told The Athletic. “He didn’t have enough experience, both from a play standpoint but also a professional standpoint of how to get ready.” But, Ballard concedes, “when you take one high, there’s an expectation. The pressure to play the kid is real.” Richardson suffered a couple of injuries in his rookie season before his campaign ended in October when he had to have shoulder surgery. He also dealt with injuries and a brief benching in favor of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in 2024. In his 15 games played in two seasons, Richardson has thrown for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while adding 635 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Before training camp this summer, the team declared Richardson and former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones would compete for the starting job for 2025. Despite Richardson's status as a starter being unknown this year, Ballard isn't considering releasing or trading the 23-year-old quarterback. He thinks Richardson can be a starter by 2026. The tricky part now for the Colts is that they must unlock Richardson's talent while also encouraging the young quarterback. Frankly, it won't be good for his confidence if he gets beaten out by Jones in training camp. As the No. 4 pick in the draft, 2023 should have been the year for a real quarterback competition. Instead, a difficult situation has been created for the Colts and Richardson, and it serves as a lesson for overeager general managers and coaches.
Yankees' David Bednar Trade Details Emerge
The New York Yankees have pulled off a show-stopping trade deadline deal and acquired Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed closing pitcher David Bednar. Now, more details are being revealed about who exactly the Pinstripes are dealing away. According to USA Today insider Bob Nightengale, the Yankees are sending three prospects to Pittsburgh in exchange for Bednar, including catcher and first baseman Rafael Flores, the Yankees' eighth-ranked prospect. The full deal also includes another catcher/ first baseman, Edgleen Perez, the Pinstripes no. 14 prospect, as left fielder Brian Sanchez. Flores is currently with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and is predicted to make his MLB debut next season. Perez is not predicted to debut until 2028 and currently is in the Yankees farm system with the single-A Tampa Tarpons, where unranked prospect Sanchez also plays. Flores will likely now play for the Pirates' triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, while Perez and Sanchez will move to the single-A Bradenton Marauders. The Yankees have been in desperate need of a more solid closing pitcher all season, and were reportedly aggressive in their pursuit of Bednar. He joins a bullpen that primarily has relied on Luke Weaver, Devin Williams and Tim Hill pitching about an inning each to close out games. Bednar has been having an incredible season since returning from a conditioning stint in the minors. The 30-year-old has a 2.37 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 2025, down from 5.77 and 1.42 in 2024. His last 15 games, he's boasting an impressive 0.63 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, which lead him to be one of the most sought-after relievers this trade market. In addition to Bednar, the Yankees also acquired Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and Washington Nationals outfielder Amed Rosario in trades. They also sent right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations. The Yankees have until 6 p.m. tonight, July 31 to complete any other trades. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Yankees Trade Pirates for Star Closer Yankees Named Frontrunners for Pirates Closer Tigers Land Yankees Trade Target Yankees' Luis Gil Starting vs. Marlins Yankees Linked to Blockbuster Trade with Marlins
Where things stand with Mets and centerfielder Luis Robert Jr.
It sounds like talks have cooled down on this front. The New York Mets and Chicago White Sox have been discussing a trade for centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. However, nothing appears to be close as the 6 pm EST MLB trade deadline inches closer. According to MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Mets are "not close on Luis Robert Jr. at the moment." As Heyman notes, the White Sox could hold onto Robert and pick up his $20 million club option in 2026. Per Heyman, centerfield is still a top priority for the Mets and one possibility is Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles. That being said, Roberts' right-handed bat and ability to hit lefties is a better fit for the Mets as opposed to the lefty swinger Mullins. SNY baseball insider Andy Martino reported that talks between the Mets and White Sox for Robert cooled down on Wednesday night and have yet to pick back up. Martino called Mullins to the Mets a "maybe" and highlighted that talks for Robert could "reignite." Lastly, MLB.com's insider Mark Feinsand appeared on MLB Network and said it's trending towards "unlikely" that the White Sox deal Robert ahead of the deadline. The White Sox have been unable to matchup with other teams on Robert as of this point. Like Heyman, Feinsand also reasoned that Chicago could pick up Robert's $20 million club option next season, which is why they'd choose to not trade him at the deadline. The Mets already lost a centerfield option in old friend Harrison Bader, who the Minnesota Twins traded to the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies earlier this afternoon. If the Mets cannot land Robert or Mullins, it's possible that they will be sticking with their centerfield platoon of Jeff McNeil and Tyrone Taylor.
Green Bay Packers Insider Reveals 1 Surprising Wide Receiver Turning Heads During Training Camp
One of the biggest questions in Green Bay Packers training camp is who will emerge to join the team’s top five wide receivers on the initial 53-man roster when the preseason comes to an end. With Christian Watson likely unavailable to start the season due to his recovery from a torn ACL, Green Bay’s top five wide receivers, in no particular order, are Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Gold, and Savion Williams. The first three listed, Doubs, Reed, and Wicks, are veterans (still on their rookie contracts) that led the Packers in passing targets last season. Regardless of whatever trade rumors may have circulated in the past, none of them are going anywhere. The last two, of course, were both selected by Green Bay in the 2025 NFL Draft. Golden was the first wide receiver the Packers took in the first round since 2002, and Williams was taken in the third round. Both should be considered locks for the 53-man roster. There Are Many Green Bay Packers Wide Receivers Vying for a Job So crowded is the Packers wide receiver room that Bo Melton, who played the position for the past two seasons in Green Bay, switched to cornerback in hopes to improve his chances of making the 53-man roster. But even with Melton switching positions, the Packers have a plethora of talented wide receivers competing for one (or two at the most) spots on the 53-man roster that are reserved for the position. Malik Heath, an undrafted free agent in 2023, made Green Bay’s 53-man roster in each of the past two seasons. Mecole Hardman, a three-time Super Bowl winner with the Kansas City Chiefs, was signed as a free agent earlier this year, though the only part of his contract that is guaranteed was his $150,000 signing bonus. In addition to these players, the Packers also have Julian Hicks, Cornelius Johnson, Will Sheppard, and Sam Brown Jr. competing. And one of them is starting make reporters raise an eyebrow. Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Sam Brown Jr. Is Turning Heads in Training Camp Brown Jr. was an undrafted free agent that the Packers signed earlier this year. His signing was notable because he and Golden were teammates at Houston. While his signing may have been an afterthought by many fans given the name recognition of the team’s top pass catchers, Packers insider Wes Hodkiewicz recently wrote that the young rookie is making his presence known in training camp: “Sam Brown Jr., Golden’s former Houston teammate, keeps finding ways to get noticed for the right reasons, too. It seems like every practice he’s making at least one catch that makes you go, ‘Oh.'” Last season, Brown played at Miami and had 36 receptions for 509 yards and two touchdowns. The year prior, 2023, when he and Golden were teammates, Brown led Houston with 62 receptions for 815 yards. He also scored three touchdowns. It is still a longshot for Brown to make the roster, but if he continues to wow coaches, he could end up on the Packers practice squad this season.
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