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The 'NCAA Men's Tournament Most Outstanding Player' quiz
Can you name every NCAA Men's Tournament Most Outstanding Player since 1979? Quiz clue: Year / School. Good luck!
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TODAY'S BEST
Upcoming Syracuse basketball schedule presents unique opportunity
I spent a chunk of the less exciting portions of Syracuse-Monmouth writing this. The last minute almost caused me to light my computer on fire and start over. But here goes nothing. Come with me in the way back machine. I swear this happened just yesterday, but it turns out 16 years have passed in a blink. March 2009 an Orange squad led by Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris accomplished a few things. They won in 6 overtimes. They wiped out James Harden in the tournament and made the Sweet 16. But when the team reconvened that fall, all three of its stars were gone. The Orange were unranked. And after a shocking exhibition loss to Le Moyne, no one knew what to expect of the 2009-10 Syracuse Basketball squad. Cue the Big Stage Two weeks after the Dolphin debacle in the Dome, the Orange visited the big city and took to the big stage of Madison Square Garden. Then some guy named Wes Johnson dropped 25 in a 17 point win over North Freakin Carolina. The rest as they say is history. The Orange raced to number 1 in the country and I will take it to my grave that Syracuse would have won the national title if not for Arinze Onuaku’s horrid injury in the Big East Tournament. Fabulous Las Vegas So why bring up the past? It’s been eight long…long years since the Orange last started 4-0. And Tuesday night’s hair pulling, free throw missing, way harder than it should have been win over Monmouth delivered just that. If the last minute had further careened off track some very different words would be appearing here today. Syracuse isn’t strapped to a rocket pointed to #1 in the country like 2010. But next week under the neon lights of Las Vegas, the Orange suddenly have a legit chance to insert themselves back into the national college basketball scene. When this year’s schedule came out, I had this conversation time and time again. If Syracuse could simply survive this upcoming four game gauntlet of #2 Houston, #24 Kansas, possibly another ranked team in Vegas, and #20 Tennessee in the Dome, then maybe they’d have a chance to scrape together a decent season. High Hopes Funny what a 4-0 start will do. Now I have Orange fans calling my postgame show guaranteeing a win over the big bad Houston Cougars (important note…that was after beating Drexel by 30, not after failing to completely collapse against Monmouth). Now the hope isn’t to escape Vegas, but the expectation is to thrive. Donnie Freeman is fulfilling his potential. J.J. Starling is back from injury. William Kyle just grabbed something off the top of the backboard. And Kiyan Anthony has begun the process of becoming a full fledged star. What will actually happen when the Orange and Cougars collide Monday night? I haven’t the foggiest. Houston under Kelvin Sampson annually has become the roughest toughest outfit in the country. Last Spring they came within a bucket of the National Championship. They will batter and bloody you off the court if given the opportunity. But at least for a few days, unless the final minute Tuesday derailed this, Orange fans can dare to dream of a return to the national stage. By the time the turkey is carved next Thursday we’ll know if there’s a plate once again set for Syracuse Basketball at the big boy table or not.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian gives bold claim on job rumors
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has been a popular name in both the NFL and college football coaching cycles. It makes sense, too. He's brought Texas back to being competitive and in the championship hunt, but he also has a wealth of great experience as an assistant in both college and the NFL. He's about as well-rounded a candidate as you'll find, so of course, programs like the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers or even the New York Giants may be interested to see if he's interested. The thing is, though, he's not. Or, at the very least, that's what he's telling the media. He's all-in with the Longhorns, according to comments he made on a recent SEC teleconference call. “I’d like to comment something before I get into our team that has been bothering me now over the past few weeks. That is people reporting that are insinuating that there’s a possibility I could leave the University of Texas, and that is absolutely false and untrue," Sarkisian said (h/t On3). "I’m not going anywhere. Never do I do this because I never want to be a distraction, so I never address these things. At this point, I feel like this is important that I do this because it’s important for our team. It’s important for our university." Steve Sarkisian has deep roots in Austin and is all-in with Texas As if that weren't clear enough, Sarkisian said that he has not had any discussions with anybody about coaching elsewhere. He even went as far as to say that even his agent hasn't spoken to anyone. Sometimes coaches can say publicly that they aren't talking about any opportunities while, in the meantime, their agents are working backchannels and putting something together. He could be lying, of course, because college football history is full of head coaches saying one thing and doing another. A full-throated statement like this seems to be a pretty clear indication that Sarkisian is serious about what he's saying, though. Heck, he went as far as calling Austin home, which is a pretty big deal for a coach to say. Those guys aren't used to staying in one place for too long. With that said, Sarkisian does have two kids actually enrolled at Texas, one on the football team. He has a third kid he wants to go to Texas in the near future. He also just had a baby. Sarkisian has roots in Austin. He also has high aspirations for the Longhorns. “We came here to win championships," he said. "We’ve built a damn good football program over the five years that we’ve been here. We’ve been to two College Football Playoffs. We won a Big 12 Championship. We went to the SEC Championship game in Year 1. We’ve had 23 players drafted the last two years, which is more than any other school in the country and our team GPA is at an all-time high. “Can we please stop putting things out there that you have absolutely zero evidence on? Can we please stop retweeting and putting it back out there as if it’s true? As if it’s the gospel? It is not true."
New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, new Los Angeles Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez believes there is a big reason why he is ready to put his injury history behind him in Anaheim. Just three days after turning 26 years old, Rodriguez is now a member of the Angels after a one-for-one trade that sent outfielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore. He is also hoping that a new location means an end to injuries that have limited him to 43 starts over the past three seasons. That includes zero starts and innings in 2025 because of an elbow issue in spring training, followed by a right lateral strain in April. More elbow problems popped up for Rodriguez in July before he underwent debridement surgery on his elbow in August, officially ending his season. That surgery, however, is, Rodriguez believes, the key to his return to the mound in 2026 as well as his ability to stay on it. Angels' Grayson Rodriguez said bone spurs have been an issue for a long time In a Zoom meeting with Angels reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez said the bone spurs that were removed had been a problem for years. "That was something that's kind of lingered with me for about three or four years now," Rodriguez said. "I've had them for a while and kind of just got to the point where I couldn't really pitch through it. Pretty sure that's kind of what was causing some of the lat injuries." If that's the case, it could unlock a pitcher who has logged a 4.11 ERA in 238.2 innings over those 43 starts. He has also registered 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings while issuing just 2.9 walks. Getting those kinds of numbers would be a big boost for an Angels rotation that finished 28th out of MLB's 30 teams last season in ERA at 4.91. It would also represent a missed opportunity for an Orioles team that has stated it is looking for another front-line starter. Rodriguez said on Wednesday he would be ready for spring training, giving hope to the Angels that they have found a pitcher who can be a long-term answer for them on the mound. Rodriguez is not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2030 season. If Rodriguez can stay healthy and produce in Anaheim, it would be a gut punch for an Orioles team that is looking to get back into the postseason conversation in 2026. However, time will tell if those bone spurs are truly the answer to Rodriguez staying healthy and on the field.
There's 'already chatter' Vikings could make Mac Jones call amid J.J. McCarthy's struggles
The ongoing struggles of second-year pro J.J. McCarthy have already sparked conversations among the NFL community about how the Minnesota Vikings might manage their quarterback situation next year. On Wednesday, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk shared an interesting update regarding the Vikings' plans beyond January. Why Mac Jones could be an option for the Vikings According to Florio, "there’s already chatter in some circles that" the Vikings will explore trading for San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones during the offseason. Jones signed a two-year deal with the 49ers in March and, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, is under contract for $4.66M for the 2026 season. Breer also linked Jones with the Vikings. Jones went 5-3 across eight starts with the 49ers this season in place of QB1 Brock Purdy, who was dealing with a toe injury. Purdy inked a massive extension with the 49ers last offseason, and there's no indication he's in any danger of losing the starting job to Jones. Meanwhile, McCarthy has made just five career regular-season starts after he missed time this fall due to an ankle injury. The 2024 first-round draft pick spent his entire rookie campaign recovering from a full meniscus repair. According to Pro Football Reference, McCarthy heads into Week 12 ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 26.6 adjusted QBR, a 61.7 passer rating and a 52.9 percent completion percentage. He's 2-3 as a starter, while Minnesota is 4-6. Could history repeat itself for Vikings? Last year, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell repeatedly said that spending the 2023 season working with 49ers head coach and offensive guru Kyle Shanahan helped current Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Sam Darnold experience a necessary career reset. With Darnold in the lineup, the 2024 Vikings finished 14-3 before losing in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Breer mentioned that the Vikings trading for Jones would "be a way to bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy and provide a layer of insurance at an affordable rate for a loaded roster, should McCarthy not ascend through the rest of this season." In short, it sounds like McCarthy will be playing for more than just wins from Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) through Week 18. As of Wednesday afternoon, ESPN BET had the Vikings as six-point underdogs against the Packers.
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