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Kansas State basketball’s new addition Marcus Johnson will be a Swiss army knife for the Wildcats next season.
The Bowling Green transfer is a 6-foot-7 and 265-pound wing who made headlines for doing most of his work outside the arc even with a big frame. Johnson averaged 16.2 points and five rebounds on 43 percent shooting from the field. He also shot 37 percent from three, hitting 70 of 198 shots and 90 percent on free throws.
Fans are comparing Johnson to former NC State forward DJ Burns, another notable player who had success in recent years with a large build. He has also been linked to 8-year NBA veteran Glen 'Big Baby' Davis.
Big Baby Davis archetype pic.twitter.com/fbzyVsmGCj
— Andrew Heng (@0Yqxing) May 22, 2025
Before his senior year at Bowling Green, Johnson played at Wheeling College in West Virginia. While at the Division II school, he scored more than 1,000 points, including averaging 21.6 points in the 2023-24.
This is crazy
— Significant Other (@LouieThinks) November 17, 2024
Johnson also led LeBron James former high school team St. Vincent-St. Mary to back-to-back state championships before making his mark on the college scene.
Kansas State Gets More Good News In Pursuit Of AAC Standout
After a brutal start to the offseason, Kansas S tate men's basketball is slowly building its roster back up.
Grabbing standouts like Marcus Johnson and Abdi Bashir Jr. is a good start. And it has the potential to get even better.
Multiple sources, including On3Sports and Hitmen Hoops, have linked the Wildcats to former Memphis guard PJ Haggerty.
"News surfaced this week that the Wildcats were in the game for Memphis transfer PJ Haggerty, though it had been widely speculated that NC State was the runaway favorite prior to that," On3Sports' Derek Young wrote.
SOURCE: Kansas State has emerged as a serious contender for Memphis transfer and All-American G PJ Haggerty, multiple sources tell me.
— Hitmen Hoops (@HitmenHoops) May 21, 2025
NC State had been the favorites for the top transfer, but sources add that Kansas State “has the momentum.”
Source adds that Kansas State’s… https://t.co/qvyTZP8XA3 pic.twitter.com/CCv1JMJIvJ
Haggerty was named the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year last season after averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He had an impressive display at the NBA Draft combine, but could still extend his collegiate career.
North Carolina State was the previous favorite to acquire Haggerty until it acquired forward Darrion Williams. With Haggerty demanding a large deal, the team is unlikely to be able to pay both him and Williams. This leaves Kansas State at the top of the targeting teams, and their history of large NIL deals illustrate Haggerty's negotiations won't be a problem.
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Browns HC, Shedeur Sanders clear air on controversial benching during two-minute drill
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders appeared to be frustrated with Kevin Stefanski when the head coach took him out for the final offensive drive of Saturday's preseason game. The Browns made a curious decision to put in Tyler Huntley to lead the offense in the final two minutes of their final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field. Huntley, who has almost no chance of making the 53-man roster, engineered a six-play, 46-yard drive that ended in a game-winning field goal to give the Browns a 19-17 win. Following the game, Stefanski was asked about why Sanders approached him before Huntley went in. Stefanski claimed the rookie quarterback was just being a competitor, and there was nothing more to it than that, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Sanders told reporters he didn't know the Browns were benching him for the two-minute drill. "I didn't know I was out, Sanders said via video from ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "I was on a bike that was powering up... I was powering up for that two-minute drive. Because that's just a situation every quarterback dreams for... I thought I was in. So then (Stefanski) told me I wasn't in. I was like, 'Ok.'" Sanders left the game after leading the offense to five straight punts. He struggled in his second preseason appearance, going 3-of-6 passing for 14 yards. The fifth-round pick took six sacks for -50 yards. Sanders didn't want to leave on that low note. The Browns shouldn't have let him. Stefanski should have given Sanders the chance to run the two-minute offense and gain valuable experience instead of giving reps to a player who won't be on the roster by Tuesday afternoon.
Two-time Stanley Cup champion leaves NHL for Switzerland
Last season was a tough one for veteran defenseman Jan Rutta. He dealt with some lower-body injuries, and when he was in the lineup for San Jose, he was often on the third pairing. That has certainly contributed to his going unsigned through the first seven weeks of free agency, but that is coming to an end. Earlier this week, Blick’s Gregory Beaud (h/t The Hockey News) reported that the blueliner is signing with Geneve-Servette in Switzerland. Rutta played in 54 games for the Sharks last season, picking up just three goals and six assists in a little over 17 minutes a night. However, he took a regular turn on their penalty kill and played some tough defensive minutes. Speculatively, NHL teams could be eyeing him as a PTO candidate to fill a sixth or seventh role if things went well in training camp but clearly, a full contract offer has yet to materialize and at some point, a guaranteed deal overseas could be viewed as a better option than trying to earn a contract off a tryout. Rutta debuted fairly late in the NHL with his first season coming at the age of 27 with Chicago. Since then, he has suited up in 417 regular-season games between four different clubs, putting up 23 goals and 75 assists along with 479 blocked shots. He also has a pair of Stanley Cup rings from his time with Tampa Bay. Rutta will be the third veteran NHL player to join that team this offseason. Previously, it signed wingers Jesse Puljujarvi and Jimmy Vesey and has one import slot remaining that it appears they want to use to bring in a veteran defender.
Mets manager confirms veteran pitcher done for the season due to 'pretty significant' injury
The New York Mets announced that Frankie Montas has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 22) due to a UCL-related injury in his right elbow. Right-hander Huascar Brazoban has been called up from Triple-A to take Montas’ spot on the active roster. Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Montas’ UCL injury is “pretty significant,” via Mike Puma of the New York Post. Mendoza went on to confirm that Montas will not pitch again in 2025. It’s the latest setback in what was been a brutal inaugural season for Montas in Queens. The right-hander signed a $34M guarantee with the Mets during the winter but has produced just 38 2/3 innings of work for the team so far. A lat strain suffered at the outset of Spring Training left Montas to open the season on the injured list and he did not make his season debut until June 24. After throwing five scoreless innings in his first start of the year, Montas pitched to a ghastly 7.85 ERA over his next six starts with an 18.2% strikeout rate and a whopping seven home runs allowed. Those brutal results led the Mets to move Montas to the bullpen earlier this month, where he’s surrendered four runs (two earned) on four walks and six hits (including a home run) while striking out just three. Altogether, Montas has posted a 6.28 ERA and a 5.31 FIP during his time with the Mets with an 18.0% strikeout rate and a 7.9% walk rate. It’s a deeply disappointing outcome, and now it’s an open question when Montas will next be available to pitch. The Mets have made no announcements about the right-hander’s timeline for return, nor offered any indications about the severity of the injury. Of course, many fans will wonder about the possibility of Tommy John surgery, which is often required to repair a pitcher’s UCL once damaged. Such a procedure (or even a less invasive internal brace procedure) would likely cost Montas not only the remainder of this year but also the entire 2026 season. With that being said, some UCL injuries are possible to address via rehab. That’s a path that Braves hurler Grant Holmes opted to take earlier this month as he deals with a partial UCL tear, though even Holmes’s rehab process has brought his 2025 campaign to an abrupt end. While the details of Montas’ prognosis and timeline for return won’t be clear until the Mets make an announcement offering more information, the club will be without the right-hander for at least the immediate future. Given the fact that Montas’ performance was poor enough that he was bumped from the rotation earlier this month, perhaps that’s not too massive of a blow. Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Clay Holmes remain in the club’s rotation and have recently been joined by top prospect Nolan McLean. Brandon Waddell and Justin Hagenman remain in the minors already on the 40-man roster as potential depth options behind that group, and well-regarded prospect Brandon Sproat has a 4.24 ERA in 24 starts at Triple-A this year. Replacing Montas on the roster is Brazoban, who began his career in the majors with Miami back in 2022 but has served as an up-and-down relief arm for the Mets this year. It’s a role he’s performed quite well in, with a 3.83 ERA and 4.14 FIP across 51 2/3 innings of work spread between 3 starts and 41 relief outings. Brazoban figures to take up Montas' mantle as the club’s long reliever going forward.
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Brooks Koepka Calls Out Bryson DeChambeau at LIV Golf Semis
Brooks Koepka has called out Bryson DeChambeau for avoiding a direct matchup at the LIV Golf Semifinals and described him as a “strange cat.” The five-time major winner did not hold back after DeChambeau chose not to face him head-to-head in the Miami Team Championship on Saturday, reigniting one of golf’s most talked-about rivalries. Koepka Labels DeChambeau “Strange Cat” The Semifinals format allowed team captains to set up matchups, giving fans the chance to see blockbuster pairings. Many expected Koepka, captain of Smash GC, to face DeChambeau, captain of Crushers GC. Koepka even placed himself as his team’s top singles player, seemingly anticipating that showdown. Instead, DeChambeau put his teammate Anirban Lahiri against Koepka, while he took on Talor Gooch. The Semifinals represented a chance to reignite the rivalry on the course for many fans. A head-to-head match between Koepka and DeChambeau could have provided a dramatic highlight in a team event that thrives on drama. Instead, the matchup was avoided, leaving Koepka openly questioning DeChambeau’s mindset. That decision frustrated Koepka, who later questioned DeChambeau’s choice and argued that DeChambeau had robbed fans of the battle they wanted to see. “I don’t know what the thinking was behind that,” Koepka said. “I’d probably say the people would want to see that. I don’t know what he is afraid of. It’s just kind of… he beats his own drum, so he is a strange cat.” Koepka and DeChambeau Continue Rivalry The rivalry between Koepka and DeChambeau has been one of golf’s biggest storylines over the past five years. It began on the PGA Tour, when the two frequently clashed over comments, mannerisms, and competitive tensions. Their back-and-forths often spilled into press conferences and social media, making them headline figures even off the course. The move to LIV Golf has not cooled things down, and this latest incident shows the rivalry is still very much alive. When asked if he had any strategy he wanted to discuss regarding Bryson putting himself in the second singles slot, DeChambeau said: “I’ve got my reasons and it ain’t personal though. I can tell you that, it’s not personal.” DeChambeau decision to choose Gooch instead of Koepka may have been tactical. Gooch has been one of LIV’s most consistent performers, and Crushers GC were looking to secure a spot in the final. Still, the optics of skipping a direct face-off with Koepka gave plenty of fuel to critics and added another layer to their long-running feud. Whether the two will face each other in future events remains to be seen, but the demand from fans is clear. Their rivalry has often brought out some of the most memorable moments in modern golf, and many believe a head-to-head showdown is overdue.
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