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Penn State basketball will be without Puff Johnson in the regular season finale Saturday against No. 12 Wisconsin (1 p.m. EST, Peacock).
Head coach Mike Rhoades unofficially ruled Johnson out for the rest of the season on Feb. 17. When asked if it was fair to assume the fifth-year senior would not play the rest of the year, Rhoades said, “Yes. Yeah, you are correct on that.”
Johnson was having a breakout season, averaging a career-high in points (10.2), rebounds (4.4), and field-goal percentage (54.3%) before being injured on Jan. 15.
On Wisconsin’s side, senior guard Max Klesmit will miss his third consecutive game with a lower body injury. He was averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds. While he has been ruled out of Saturday’s game, he is expected to be ready for the Big Ten Tournament which begins next week.
Wisconsin’s Max Klesmit (lower body) is OUT for today’s game against Penn State, but is expected to be available for the Big Ten Tournament next week, per a school spokesman.
DNP in last two games
Averages 9.7 PPG.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 8, 2025
This is the first and only matchup between Penn State basketball and Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions have lost eight of their last ten, while the Badgers have won seven of 10.
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An odd development is forming around the 2025-26 Cincinnati men's basketball squad. Star guard Jizzle James has been posting head-scratching things on Instagram all summer and it reached a weirder level on Monday when he attacked new guard Sencire Harris with multiple slurs. James was not with the team for different team-building activities at points this summer and had been posting odd messages on his Instagram. At one point recently, James posted a screenshot on his IG story that was a log of Harris sending him multiple messages that included "If you going to come at me n****, come correct, watch who you talking to." James then said as a comment on the screenshot: "Reason Ian come back to school honestly, these n***** so p****." The 2025 All-Big 12 honorable mention player was Cincinnati's scoring leader last season (12.7 ppg) and assist leader (3.5). He was one of just three Bearcats to start all 35 games, and he scored in double-figures 25 times. He's been a staple part of the program over the past two seasons, but the future is murkier than ever right now Cincinnati has a deep guard option list to potentially replace him in Kerr Kriisa, Day Day Thomas, and Keyshuan Tillery should James ultimately not return to school. Check out the post below: Also, don't miss the podcast, Bearcat Blitz, wherever you get your shows! Apple: http://apple.co/4fI26zj Spotify: http://bit.ly/3OqvD4l YouTube: http://bit.ly/414XiQ6 ----- Be sure to keep it locked in on Bearcats Talk all the time as we cover the trials and tribulations of the Big 12! Follow Bearcats Talk on Twitter: @BearcatsTalk Like Bearcats Talk on Facebook: Bearcats Talk
Texas' Arch Manning reacts to grandfather Archie's 2026 NFL Draft prediction
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning should keep his family group chat updated about his decision for the 2026 NFL Draft. He doesn't want it tipping his plans, especially when they're not confirmed. Manning's grandfather, former New Orleans Saints QB Archie, told Texas Monthly his grandson isn't going to declare for the 2026 draft in a story published at the beginning of August. The 21-year-old passer, however, clarified he's keeping his options open. "I don't know where he got that from," Manning said Tuesday, via CJ Vogel of OnTexasFootball. "He texted me and apologized about that, but I'm really just taking it day-by-day right now." Manning attempted just 95 passes in his first two seasons at Texas but is already viewed as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. In a story published Tuesday, The Athletic's Dane Brugler tabbed him as his top QB entering the season. Still, it would reportedly take a special circumstance for Manning to declare for the draft in 2026. He would want to play for a team that has a stable head-coaching situation and front office. Most franchises that are picking near the top of the draft don't have that. More importantly, Manning must prove he's worthy of the No. 1 pick. Despite his family name, he doesn't have a large enough sample size to show he's pro-ready. "If his last name were 'Smith' and he were a three-star recruit instead of a five-star blue-chipper, would he still appear this high early in draft rankings? Who knows," wrote Brugler. "However, what he has put on film so far has been very impressive. Now, scouts need to see it consistently each week, especially against the top opponents on Texas' schedule." Manning faces an elite opponent in Week 1. The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes host the No. 1 Longhorns on Aug. 30 at noon ET (Fox). The QB should probably tell his family to deflect questions about the draft until he's ready to make a decision. Speculation about his future could create even more pressure, which he doesn't need.
Aaron Judge seemed annoyed with Aaron Boone over troubling health update
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone offered a concerning update on Tuesday about Aaron Judge's recovery from an elbow injury, and the slugger did not seem thrilled about that. Judge returned to the Yankees' lineup on Aug. 5 following a 10-day stint on the injured list. The two-time American League MVP had a flexor strain in his throwing elbow, and he has been slotted in as New York's designated hitter since he returned. In an interview with WFAN on Tuesday morning, Boone said he does not believe that Judge will get back to "throwing like he normally does" at any point for the remainder of the season. Judge was caught off guard by his manager's remarks. Before Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Judge told reporters that he is unsure of why Boone provided the pessimistic update. "I don’t know why he said that. He hasn’t seen me throw the past two weeks," Judge said. "I’m pretty confident I’ll get back to that.” Boone later admitted that he may have misspoken during the WFAN interview. Many were surprised by the apparent disconnect between Judge and Boone. It is possible that what Boone said in the initial interview was accurate, and Judge did not want that information to be made public. The alternative is that Boone is not completely up to speed on his best player's recovery from an injury, which would be a bad look for the manager. Judge is batting .333 with 39 home runs and 91 RBI this season. His bat is far more important to the Yankees than his glove, but he has struggled at the plate a bit since returning. Judge is batting just .229 with a .429 slugging percentage in 11 games since he came off the injured list.
Russell Westbrook already made his biggest free-agency mistake
A first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he decides to hang it up, Russell Westbrook has long been revered as one of the NBA's premier point guards, both with his aggressive play and infectious energy. Despite the former MVP's impressive resume, though, he remains unsigned nearly two months after free agency opened on June 30. It's no secret that Westbrook is no longer an All-Star-caliber player, but it's certainly jarring to see his name alongside the summer's other leftovers. Over the last two seasons, Russ has willingly accepted a bench role and shown his ability to contribute even without being the offense's focal point. He finished top-10 in Sixth Man of the Year voting with both the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023-24 and the Denver Nuggets in 2024-25. The Nuggets may have been Westbrook's most seamless fit since the 36-year-old left the Oklahoma City Thunder, which brings us to the key mistake he made this offseason: He decided to bet on himself when his career was trending south. It's understandable why Westbrook decided to decline his player option with Denver. $3.5 million is pocket change relative to today's NBA salaries, so it's possible the nine-time All-Star expected to land a bigger payday on name brand alone. But that's no longer the case with Westbrook. The Nuggets, like several teams before them, took a chance on Westbrook, whose play has been nothing short of a wild card in recent years. Alongside Nikola Jokic, though, he found success operating off-ball by utilizing his natural explosiveness, a sensible calling card for one of basketball history's most athletic playmakers. It seemed like the perfect spot for Westbrook to finish out his career. Instead, he has continued to seek out a more lucrative deal with a team that is looking to give him more offensive freedom. While the Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks are both reportedly interested in adding his services, neither team can offer both a higher salary and an expanded role. It also seems unlikely that Westbrook will find a more seamless fit for himself than what he had in Denver. Whether it's due to his erratic offensive tendencies or his relentless determination to involve himself in every action, it's easy to see why teams have to talk themselves into Westbrook at this point in his career. It appears that Russ will finally be picked up soon, but the damage has already been done. The two-time scoring champion already gave up his best chance at winning a title once he departed from Denver.
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