Mike Woodson's lone high school signee of the 2025 class, Trent Sisley, made waves in a couple of nationally televised games last month with Montverde Academy.
Sisley led Montverde with 15 points and eight rebounds in a 74-60 win against Utah Prep, earning a shoutout from SportsCenter NEXT in the process. Sisley is a consensus four-star, top-100 recruit in his class.
The 6-foot-7 power forward is originally from Santa Claus, Indiana, but transferred to the Florida prep school to play with and against elite competition on a regular basis.
Though his scoring has dipped since he joined such a talented roster, the move appears to have benefitted his development overall. He's hitting his 3-pointers at a higher rate with a lower volume of attempts, showing improved shot selection and game awareness.
While Sisley is currently the only high school signee for Woodson in the class of 2025, the Hoosiers recently received a commitment from international prospect Harun Zrno, who has been playing professionally in Bosnia for the last three seasons.
Zrno and Sisley both project as power forwards in college, but each possesses versatile skillsets that would allow them to play together.
Sisley is more of a traditional four and will probably spend more time on the interior with his rebounding and finishing ability, though he is willing and able to stretch the floor with his shooting. Zrno, on the other hand, projects as a wing who will play mostly on the perimeter in college.
The pair will also be better prepared for college competition than most recruits, with Sisley competing against other high-major prospects on a regular basis and Zrno being a 21-year-old freshman with professional experience.
Sisley is Woodson's third commitment from Montverde Academy in four seasons as head coach. Both Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau committed to Indiana from Montverde in 2022 after winning a pair of national titles together in high school.
Hood-Schifino was a four-star prospect who spent one season in Bloomington before being drafted 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was recently sent to the Utah Jazz as part of the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade.
Reneau primarily came off the bench as a freshman, playing behind Trayce Jackson-Davis, another NBA Draft pick, and Race Thompson. He earned a starting role as a sophomore and instantly became one of Indiana's most important players. He was named an Honorable Mention to the All-Big Ten Team by coaches and media in 2023.
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The Cincinnati Bengals defense has stepped up its game in training camp this summer, and it's giving the coaching staff some pause about Joe Burrow's protection. The Bengals were tied with the New York Giants giving up the 11th most sacks in the league last year (48). Given Burrow's importance to the team and long injury history dating back to his time at LSU, Cincinnati needs to see improvement from the offensive line. Per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the Bengals' depth on the offensive line is a concern at training camp. During one practice, backups Cody Ford and Devin Cochran were seen getting first-team reps while starting right tackle Amarius Mims was sidelined dealing with a hand injury. But it's not just the backups that are a worry. Cincinnati is expected to give third-round rookie Dylan Fairchild the starting job at left guard. "On top of concern regarding rookie third-round pick Dylan Fairchild, currently the leader in the clubhouse to start at left guard, the cast of question marks lacking experience, floating behind the starting tackles, is startling," Dehner wrote. "If the Bengals had to play Cleveland this Sunday without Mims, they couldn’t tell you who would hold down the starting spot. "Meanwhile, the Bengals’ defensive line consistently produced disruptive reps, and they are a group lacking historically potent pass rushers in their own right...The Bengals just feel notably weak and inexperienced. When the rest of the offense is so stacked with talent, and the history of the performance in front of Burrow being what it is, that’s hard to look past right now." The Bengals decided to spend their money on pass catchers for Burrow. Given the results of the offense last season, it's easy to understand why Cincinnati wants Burrow to deliver the ball to exceptional athletes. The risk is that Burrow won't hold up behind an offensive line that is lacking investment. If injuries pile up during the regular season, it's a concern that will only increase.
Jakub Lauko has flashed great potential as an NHLer, but now, the former third-round pick and current Boston Bruin is headed home after signing a new deal overseas. Back in 2018, the Boston Bruins used a third round pick on Czech forward Jakub Lauko, and after some promising seasons with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, it appeared as though they had a solid forward of the future on their hands. Since arriving in the NHL however, the 6-foot-1 centre has tallied just 11 goals and 28 points in 139 games played, and after putting up just 5 points in 18 games a season ago, many wondered if he indeed had a future in the National Hockey League. Now, that question has officially been answered, as the 25-year old has signed a deal overseas with HC Dynamite Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga, suggesting that he'll be heading home in 2025/26. While he was never a prolific scorer, Lauko was always seen as a very dynamic bottom-six player at the NHL level, but unfortunately he just hasn't been able to develop and consistently produce at the next level, and it's clear that he has disappointed in the league so far. At 25-years of age, there's plenty of time for Lauko to turn things around and find his way back to the NHL at some stage, but with the opportunity to play on the biggest stage back in his home country in a league that continues to grow in quality and popularity, he may want to spend the rest of his career there, but for now, he's got a great opportunity to do either one.
The Miami Marlins achieved a franchise first on Sunday. In doing so, they carved out an interesting place in MLB history. With a 7-3 victory over the Yankees, the Marlins swept New York for the first time in a series of three or more games. In doing so, the Marlins became the only team to have a winning record, including the postseason, against the Yankees. The Yankees now have a 22-21 record against the Marlins in the regular season. However, the Marlins won the 2003 World Series against the Yankees in six games, giving the Fish a 25-24 record all-time. The Marlins' victory on Sunday meant more than a unique place in baseball history. That victory evened the Marlins' record at 55-55, the first time they have been at .500 or better since April 15 (8-8). The Marlins are 30-14 in their last 44 games, tying the 2003 championship team for the best stretch (last done from June 18-Aug. 9) in franchise history. The Marlins defied expectations at the trade deadline, holding on to pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. Their only trade involved sending outfielder Jesus Sanchez to Houston, acquiring pitcher Ryan Gusto and a pair of prospects. Expectations were that the Marlins were simply waiting for the offseason to trade those pitchers, as there may be a larger market. Instead, the generally inexperienced Marlins roster is growing and improving by the day. They have clawed back from a 24-40 start to the season to pull themselves into the NL wild-card conversation. Although a lot would need to go right for the Marlins to reach the playoffs this season, they could be a dangerous team over the rest of the season and beyond. The Yankees found that out the hard way.
As the NHL salary cap begins to rise significantly, young restricted free agents are finding themselves at the heart of a shifting contract landscape. For the Montreal Canadiens and defenseman Lane Hutson, that means determining a new contract that reflects his actual value—without disrupting the team’s internal structure. While fans eagerly await an extension for the skilled blueliner, Elliotte Friedman noted on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast episode that the Canadiens initially hoped to keep Hutson’s number under Nick Suzuki’s $7.875 million cap hit. Suzuki, the team’s captain and centerpiece forward, has been the financial benchmark for Montreal’s core. However, the market has moved. A contract like Noah Dobson’s—eight years at $9.5 million per season signed this summer—is now seen as a more realistic comp, which creates potential issues for the Canadiens and their contract negotiations moving forward. As one insider put it, teams and players are “still figuring out” the new sweet spot for long-term RFA deals, especially as they try to project future jumps in the salary cap. The good news is that Hutson is one of the few big deals the Canadiens have to worry about. Most of their key players are locked into what will be viewed as team-friendly deals over the next few seasons. Still, the Canadiens may ultimately have to accept that Hutson’s extension will land well above Suzuki’s figure, especially as the 2025-26 offseason sees another leap in the salary cap. Comparable defensemen will ink richer deals, and Hutson may be the best among them. Should Canadiens Push for Hutson Contract Extension, Or Will Hutson Wait? As is the case with many teams that have big-name UFA and RFA players waiting for the market to sort itself out, this is a fluid situation in Montreal. Hutson’s extension may be about timing. But with each passing day, the pressure grows on the Canadiens to strike a balance between rewarding a future star and preserving the peace on what players are being paid already by the team. Lane Hutson’s next contract won’t just shape his future—it might quietly reshape Montreal’s.
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