The UCLA Bruins men's basketball team squeaked out a comeback victory over Arizona State on Wednesday evening. It was the kind of win that a team can use to fuel them moving forward, and the hope is that they can learn from it.
UCLA stormed back from down 13 at halftime to outscore the Sun Devils by 15 in the second half. It was an impressive game all around and one that the team desperately needed.
They relied on the play of two-way player Adem Bona, who has taken more of a leadership role this season. With the inexperience of this UCLA squad, Bona has stepped up well for them.
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said after the fact that it was tough to get him the ball but that Bona did well all around.
"Yeah. Hard to get him the ball in a game like that. Hard to get him the ball in a game like that. I still got to improve his perimeter defense against smaller people for his career. Obviously, for us, but obviously, for his career.”
He scored only nine points against Arizona State, but his defensive effort helped get the win. Bona also added five assists and six rebounds to his total.
“Yeah, yeah. I try to be like a team player. Try to do everything I can to help my team win. I knew coming into the game today I was going to get trapped in the post because the game before this I had my way in the post. I knew it was coming, so I was ready to pass it out and find my open teammates. It was part of the gameplan coming into the game today.”
In 18 games this season, Bona is averaging 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The Bruins need a little more out of him going forward, but they are hoping this victory helps propel the entire team.
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The Wisconsin Badgers will get their opportunity to pitch the top high school basketball recruit in the state. According to 247Sports, forward Donovan Davis from Freedom High School in Kaukauna will take an unofficial visit to Madison on September 20. Davis is listed as the No. 1 recruit in Wisconsin by both 247Sports and On3. Both outlets have him as the eighth-ranked power forward in the country and a Top 45 player overall. He shot over 65 percent from the field last year, averaging nearly 23 points and 12 rebounds per game last season. Davis also has visits scheduled this fall with Iowa, Nebraska and Iowa State, and he has offers from Marquette, Syracuse and Cal. Earlier this summer, the rising junior participated in Wisconsin's Advanced Camp pas The Badgers have offered five recruits in the class of 2027, including the No. 2 player in the state Dooney Johnson. More Wisconsin Badgers News: Greg Gard pitting John Blackwell and Nick Boyd against each other to ramp up Badgers practice intensity Wisconsin Badgers losing ground in ESPN's way-too-early 2025-26 bracketology Hidden reason revealed for Wisconsin Badgers playing more neutral site basketball games in Milwaukee Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers announce Thanksgiving, Black Friday tournament matchups
The Milwaukee Brewers looked as though their hot stretch was going to end on Sunday, when the New York Mets jumped to a 5-0 lead. It was certainly not one of Quinn Priester’s best starts, as the right-handed hurler allowed six earned runs on 10 hits (including two home runs) while recording only two strikeouts and issuing a walk across 4 1/3 innings of work on the mound. It was an especially frustrating individual performance for Priester, considering how great he was in a previous start. Last Monday, Priester went seven innings long and gave up just an earned run on two hits in a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on the road. That was his 10th straight pitching win, and the streak appeared to be on the verge of getting broken in the Mets game. Fortunately for Priester, Milwaukee’s bats came alive just in time to secure another team victory — and keep Priester’s streak going. Priester speaks up on Brewers’ thrilling win against the Mets The Brewers managed to pull off a come-from-behind 7-6 victory, capped by a solo, walk-off home run by rookie sensation Isaac Collins. “It’s indescribable,” Priester said after giving up a season-high 11 hits (h/t Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “They definitely made up for a lot of my miscues today, but it’s a team game. I love being a part of this team, because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to smile right now.” On the season, Priester is 11-2 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through 22 appearances (17 starts). The Brewers have now won their last three series via sweeps, and they will look to keep it going with a three-game set coming up against the National League Central division cellar-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates at home.
We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is supposed to remain in charge of the team for years even after the sale. Given what just happened with the Boston Celtics, it might only be months. When the Grousbeck family sold the Celtics for $6.1B in March, ESPN reported that Wyc Grousbeck would stay on as the Celtics CEO and governor through the 2027-28 season. Now, new owner Bill Chisholm will take over once the sale is final. That should concern current Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, whose family sold a majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Mark Walter. Buss is supposed to stay on as team governor for "at least a number of years," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but new NBA owners haven't been keen on waiting to take control of teams recently. Mark Cuban thought he would continue running the Dallas Mavericks when he sold a controlling interest to the Adelson family in November 2023. Before the end of that season, when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals, new team governor Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, was firmly in charge. General manager Nico Harrison reported directly to Dumont, which is how Luka Doncic ended up traded to the Lakers despite Cuban's objections. It might be different with the Lakers. Walter has owned a minority share in the Lakers since 2021, so he's had a working relationship with Buss. Her role as team governor may be a condition of the sale itself. With the team preparing for a long-term future with Doncic, Walter and his fellow owners might opt for continuity in the team governor role. But in general, people do not spend billions of dollars on a professional sports team so that someone else can be in charge. Buss is in charge of the Lakers now. Recent history says she won't be for long.
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