The Big 12 released the 2024-2025 conference basketball schedule last month. In the new Big 12 conference format, BYU is scheduled to host 10 conference peers in the Marriott Center. The Big 12 conference schedule will feature 20 total games instead of the 18 games the league has historically played. Every Big 12 team will play each other at least once. There will be five teams that BYU will only play at home, there will be five teams that BYU will only play on the road, and there will be five teams that BYU will play twice. The conference schedule will tipoff one week earlier than last year and there will be no bye weeks. On paper, it doesn't get much better than the BYU basketball home schedule in 2024-2025.
BYU will face Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech at home only. Then they will play two games (one home, one away) against Arizona, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Utah, and West Virginia.
Imagine telling a BYU fan in 2020 that BYU's conference basketball home schedule would include Kansas, Kansas State, Arizona, West Virginia, and Utah. It's hard to believe how much has changed due to conference realignment, but for basketball, BYU ended up in the best conference in America.
The only thing that is missing is a marquee non-conference game. As of this writing, BYU's non-conference home schedule includes the likes of Central Arkansas, Idaho, and FAMU. Even if the Cougars don't get a big name to come to the Marriott Center in November or December, there will be plenty of big names in January and February.
Combining BYU's home schedule with the hype around the program thanks to Kevin Young, this will probably be the most anticipated BYU basketball season since Jimmer Fredette was going into his senior season.
More must-reads:
Now in her second WNBA season, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is averaging a league‑leading 12.5 rebounds along with 13.8 points, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She recently returned from injury and immediately picked up where she left off, posting her 16th double‑double of the season (11 points, 11 rebounds) on Tuesday night even as her Chicago Sky fell, 91-68, to the Minnesota Lynx. Then, on Wednesday, Reese showcased her brand power on Instagram, posting a pregame photo dressed head‑to‑toe in Gucci with the caption, "Don’t worry about me… life is GUCCI @gucci #guccipartner." The image quickly lit up her feed and drew an immediate response from one of the game’s all‑time greats, WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, who commented, “Yessss it is❤️." Despite flashes of elite play, the Sky have struggled mightily, standing at just 7-17 and sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference. Their 76.7 points per game rank 12th in the WNBA, and opponents are torching them for 86.8 a night (12th in the league). With head coach Tyler Marsh searching for consistency, every bright spot has been a welcome reprieve for a franchise that won the title as recently as 2021. Front and center among Chicago’s bright spots is Reese. Off the court, Reese has quickly built a burgeoning portfolio of endorsement deals, including Reebok, Calvin Klein, Beats by Dre, Amazon and now Gucci, underscoring her status as one of the WNBA’s brightest personalities. On the other side, you have Leslie, whose voice carries more weight than arguably anybody in women’s basketball. A three‑time league MVP, two‑time WNBA champion and Finals MVP and eight‑time All‑Star, Leslie helped define the league’s early years with the Los Angeles Sparks, including driving home the first dunk in WNBA history in 2002. A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (class of 2015), she remains a global ambassador for the sport.
The Indiana Fever’s starters turned in a strong all-around effort in Thursday’s 80-70 win over the Las Vegas Aces. The starting unit scored at least 13 points each, save for Aari McDonald, who registered nine points in 22 minutes of action. Indiana’s starters combined for 76 out of the team’s 80 points on the evening, which only means that the four other players who came off the bench accounted for just four points in the game. All that came from Sydney Colson, who went 2-of-5 in 18 minutes of playing time. Lexie Hull, Makayla Timpson and Damiris Dantas all failed to score in the win. Stephanie White Calls Out Fever's Bench Be that as it may, offense wasn’t even the biggest concern for head coach Stephanie White. In her postgame press conference, the veteran shot-caller called out Indiana’s bench for their lack of intensity on the defensive end, particularly in the first half. “Our bench has to be ready,” she said. “I felt like our bench in the second half was really good defensively. In the first half, I didn't feel that way. You got to be ready to come in and you got to be ready to guard your matchup and execute the game plan. "We have depth for a reason. We've got quality depth and we've got to be able to use it. So if fatigue is a factor in execution, then they just need to ask for a sub and I'll get them out and get them back in." It has been a bit of a busy stretch for the Fever at the midway point of the season. Thursday’s matchup against the Aces was their second game in three nights, and they will be back in action again on Sunday in a rivalry showdown against the Chicago Sky. White, however, isn’t accepting fatigue as an excuse. This is regardless of the fact that Caitlin Clark remains out with a re-aggravated groin injury. White is adamant that this roster has been built for adversity, and she didn’t hesitate to put her bench on notice after Thursday’s showing.
Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall was recently asked to create an all-time starting five featuring Mavs players. In the process of listing the players to his team, Marshall excluded his former teammate, Luka Doncic. He responded to the question with: "JKidd, Kyrie, Michael Finley, Dirk, Tyson Chandler." The mention of players like Jason Kidd, Kyrie Irving, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tyson Chandler are justified. Given that Kidd, Nowitzki, and Chandler helped bring the team its first title, the three cemented their place as franchise legends. In this regard, Irving joins the list simply because of how great of a player he is. Although his time in Dallas has been brief, the nine-time All-Star has been spectacular. Selecting Michael Finley over Luka Doncic raises eyebrows, especially considering Doncic's impact on the franchise. When factoring in what Doncic meant to the organization before being traded to the Lakers, it was clear that he was expected to be one of their all-time greats. The Doncic-Davis trade was viewed as one of the most shocking deals in league history. Many viewed the deal unfavorably, especially since Doncic had no role in orchestrating it, making Marshall’s omission all the more puzzling. With Doncic expected to sign his contract extension with the Lakers, it is evident that his NBA journey will take him in a different direction. Meanwhile, Marshall remains with the Mavs, as they aim to be a more competitive team next season. Naji Marshall Opened Up On Missing Luka Doncic Marshall's latest display may hint at some amount of pettiness, but the forward has been quite expressive in detailing his friendship with Doncic. On an episode of "The Young Man And The Three" podcast, the forward opened up on missing his teammate and said: "I mean, I understood that, like, business is business as far as the NBA, but I was hurt, man. Luka’s my dawg, for real. And I love AD. That’s my guy right there. Like, he’s been great with us. You know, he welcomed us with open arms… But as far as just personally, like, I just was hurt to lose Luka, man.” “Luka is just the chillest guy ever, bro. You just feel like his best friend from day one,” he added. “He’s just a great dude. Never mad, just always happy. And just a Hall of Fame flamethrower when it comes to basketball.” Marshall, who spent the 2024-25 season with the New Orleans Pelicans before being traded, played just 17 games with the Mavericks before the Doncic-Davis deal occurred. In that short span of time, the forward seemingly became close friends with the superstar, even admitting that the consequences of the trade did hurt him. Regardless, the 27-year-old will look forward to the upcoming season with Dallas. The outlook for the Mavericks even after the trade hasn't been the worst. With a superstar pairing of Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, alongside a gifted rookie in Cooper Flagg, Dallas is poised to be intriguing. Although injuries could be a setback, players like Marshall will be crucial in keeping Dallas afloat as impactful two-way contributors.
Liverpool have been very active in this summer transfer window so far, already bringing in four key marquee signings. They aim to win back-to-back league titles since the mid-1980s, but it will be difficult with Manchester City attempting to bounce back after an off-season and Arsenal dying to win a trophy. However, with all this spending they will need to bring in some cash to balance the books. Liverpool are now set to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for a healthy fee to help this. Liverpool Maximise Selling Fee As They Attempt to Balance Books After Heavy Spending Full Agreement Agreed for Luis Diaz to Join Bayern Munich Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Bayern Munich have now reached a full agreement with Liverpool to sign Diaz. The Bavarians have been interested in the Colombian all summer, sending numerous proposals before this one. Diaz had always planned to leave, though Liverpool had insisted on keeping their man, with Barcelona also in the race. A ~£65 million deal has been agreed, with a four-year contract set to be signed. The Athletic revealed that The Reds were “only prepared to sell the forward for what they considered to be his full market value”. Liverpool will have done well to maximise the profit out of this sale, considering it was clear that the 28-year-old wanted a move. £65 Million Sale Important for Following Financial Regulations Liverpool have signed players for a combined £270 million this summer, bringing in Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremie Frimpong. This was much needed, despite their success in the league last season, as last summer, new manager Arne Slot was given just one signing: Federico Chiesa. However, following the financial regulations these days can be difficult. Whilst the Merseyside outfit won’t be nearing any rule-breaking at current, the £30 million profit may be useful in the future. Though, this may harm their squad depth: with Darwin Nunez and Chiesa likely to leave, Slot’s only forward options are Cody Gakpo, Ekitike, and Mohamed Salah. Alexander Isak may be joining, but this will require even more spending.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!