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Well, college basketball season hasn't arrived just yet, but Purdue basketball's social media team is providing fans with an appetizer. On Sunday, the Boilermakers released footage from a recent team scrimmage, providing a preseason glimpse of the 2024-25 squad.
After finishing 34-5 and reaching the National Championship Game in 2023-24, Purdue enters the 2024-25 season with high expectations. The Boilers are picked to win a third straight regular season Big Ten title and junior guard Braden Smith has been named the conference's Preseason Player of the Year.
Matt Painter enters his 20th season at the helm and the Boilers return a lot of talent from last year's team, including Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Cam Heide, Myles Colvin and Caleb Furst. Plus, Purdue brought in a highly-touted recruiting class, highlighted by guards Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox, as well as 7-foot-3 center Daniel Jacobsen.
On Oct. 26, Purdue will travel to Omaha for a charity exhibition against Creighton. The Boilermakers then have an exhibition game against Grand Valley State at Mackey Arena on Oct. 30 before opening the regular season in West Lafayette against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Below is the video of Purdue's scrimmage, which was shared on Sunday morning:
Babe, wake up…. @BoilerBall just dropped 6+ minutes of scrimmage highlights. pic.twitter.com/DK6vdoagXr
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) October 13, 2024
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Yankees' unlikely answer emerges from depth chart to save season — for now
One out, seventh inning, 2-2 tie in Arlington. Ben Rice watched from the dugout as manager Aaron Boone called Paul Goldschmidt to pinch-hit for Austin Wells. When Goldschmidt crushed a 0-2 fastball over the left-field wall for the go-ahead run, the New York Yankees had their first lead since the fifth inning. More importantly, they had it because Rice's catching ability made the crucial substitution possible. The 26-year-old's emergence as a multi-position weapon couldn't be more timely. The Yankees entered Wednesday's Texas series finale having blown a seven-game AL East lead since May 28, sitting 6.5 games behind Toronto and 3.5 behind Boston for the first wild card. They'd started August 0-5, desperate for any break before facing Houston at home. Rice represents the internal solution they've needed. His .779 OPS sits well above the .719 MLB average, powered by 16 home runs and elite contact metrics. Baseball Savant ranks him in the 95th percentile or higher in hard-hit percentage, average exit velocity, expected slugging and expected weighted on-base average. Those numbers seem impossible considering where Rice started. The 2021 12th-round Dartmouth pick hit .171 in 178 plate appearances last season. But knowing he'd catch in 2025, Rice added 10 pounds to his frame and worked relentlessly on his receiving skills. The defensive flexibility pays dividends beyond Wednesday's game. Rice has posted a +2 fielding run value across 84 innings caught and 180 innings at first base. Not spectacular, but competent enough to create the matchup advantages Boone exploited against the Rangers. Rice embodies exactly what championship teams find within their system. Aaron Judge remains the Yankees' best player, but Rice may be their most valuable in pure utility terms. His ability to produce above-average offense while handling two premium positions creates strategic options other teams lack. Wednesday's sequence proved the point. Without Rice's catching ability, Boone couldn't have pinch-hit Goldschmidt in that crucial spot. The move worked because Rice had spent months building trust through consistent performance at both positions. The Yankees still trail Toronto by 6.5 games with the Astros series looming next. Their playoff chances remain fragile yet likely, per FanGraphs, after months of disappointing baseball. But Rice's ascension from .171 hitter to essential depth piece shows what's possible when overlooked talent meets opportunity. If the Yankees accomplish anything meaningful this season, they'll trace it back to moments like Wednesday's seventh inning. Not because of Goldschmidt's clutch homer, but because Ben Rice made that moment possible.
Browns beat writers don't seem excited about Shedeur Sanders' first start
Cleveland Browns fans and other members of the football community were understandably excited to learn that rookie Shedeur Sanders will serve as the Browns' starting quarterback for their preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. During the latest edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Dan Labbe and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer sent somewhat of a warning to those who are hoping that Sanders could bolster his odds of emerging as the Browns' Week 1 starter with an impressive showing versus Carolina. "I’ve always believed with this (Browns) regime...what happens in preseason games kind of goes over here in this bucket. But what they really care about is joint practices, what happens in practices. All of that stuff," Labbe said. Cabot noted that Sanders "worked with the backups" during the Browns' joint practice with the Panthers on Wednesday. That indicates the 2025 fifth-round draft pick remains Cleveland's fourth-choice option at quarterback heading into the Carolina game. Sanders is starting against the Panthers only because 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and presumed backup Kenny Pickett are working to fully recover from hamstring injuries they picked up during training camp. Meanwhile, outlets such as FanDuel Sportsbook continued to list veteran Joe Flacco as the betting favorite (-220 odds) to start Cleveland's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals as of Thursday morning. To compare, Sanders was at +2500 odds to get the nod for the Bengals matchup. "Here’s why everyone needs to remember these are preseason games," Cabot continued. "You are not getting game-planned for. Nobody’s trying to find your weaknesses. Nobody’s trying to make you do something that you can’t do very well at all. That’s not what happens in these games. ...And that is why preseason, even the games, can be such a mirage. And you have to be so careful with what you think you’re seeing and what you think you know." A Thursday report shared that those running the Browns don't yet believe Sanders is "ready to lead a franchise" and instead view the former Colorado star as "a fifth-round rookie and the fourth quarterback on their depth chart." It sounds like that won't change regardless of how Sanders performs at Carolina's Bank of America Stadium.
Jaydon Blue injury update: Major news emerges on Cowboys RB after Thursday practice exit
According to Nick Harris of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue suffered a bone bruise in his heel on Thursday. Blue was stepped on during practice, initially looking at an ankle sprain. Thankfully, the MRI came back with some positive news. “Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue’s MRI revealed a bone bruise in his heel after it was stepped on in today’s practice, according to a @startelegram source,” Harris said via X. “No ankle sprain. Good news for the young back who has emerged as an offensive playmaker in camp.” Blue previously told Harris that an ankle injury was what he suffered. Questions about the running back’s availability for Saturday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams are now present. Something to watch as kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT from SoFi Stadium. Dallas took Blue in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, hoping to address its running back situation. Blue played his college ball inside the Lone Star State, suiting up for the Texas Longhorns. Plenty of guys at the position have come out of Austin and found quick success. Blue is hoping to be the next one. For now, there is an injury for him to deal with. No exact timeline has been provided per a report or by a team official. Hopefully, Blue is able to get things cleared up quickly and get his first taste of the NFL before Sept. 4’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. More on Jaydon Blue, Cowboys running back situation Running back was a position the Cowboys needed to desperately figure out this offseason. Rico Dowdle, the team’s leading rusher, was no longer on the roster. Behind Dowdle, Dallas did not have much else. A nice mix of veteran presence and youngsters was needed. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders provide the former, while Blue was a part of the draft class alongside Phil Mafah. A combination of those four figures to be on the opening night roster. Exactly how head coach Brian Schottenheimer splits up the carries is not yet known. Blue’s injury certainly does not help the situation. Cowboys players, in general, have been going down throughout training camp thus far. Making sure everyone is healthy will be critical heading into the season. Especially an explosive back like Blue, someone who can change the outcome of any game in just the snap of your fingers.
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Raiders Open Preseason in Seattle With An Unlikely Ending
On Thursday night, the Pete Carroll era for the Las Vegas Raiders officially kicked off as Carroll's new team traveled to the place Carroll once had roaring in the 2010s, the Seattle Seahawks. Geno Smith took to the field with the starting offense as they attempted to put the learned concepts of Chip Kelly into practice. The results: not great. Smith and the offense were in the game for one series, and they looked sharp to start with Smith hitting Tre Tucker for a first down on the very first play from scrimmage. Then the Raiders went three and out, leading to the first two issues of the night. Preseason Flow The Raiders could not stop the run all night and struggled to deal with fullback Robbie Ouzts. Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was slicing and dicing the Raiders' defense all night with near uninterupted success on the ground paired with moderate success in the air. At least the Raiders were able to intercept Drew Lock on the Seahawks' first drive with Isaiah Pola-Mao hauling in the pick. Kyu Blu Kelly almost added a second pick but dropped the ball. Aiden O'Connell would come into the game and was under pressure all night. The backup tackles are not on the same page as the offense, with Charles Grant struggling to hold up against the Seattle attack. O'Connell went on to throw two inexcusable interceptions in the first half. Seattle's George Holani took over in the first half, running for 61 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Alex Bachman was O'Connell's most reliable target, making two catches for 36 yards on four total targets. Collin Johnson kept getting targeted but they could not link up with Johnson catching two passes for 17 yards off five targets. The Raiders trailed 16-3 at halftime. That's when we started to see the Pete Carroll effect. Coming out of halftime, O'Connell looked confident while fittingly, it was New Hampshire's Dylan Laube that opened up Kelly's offense. After forcing a Seattle punt, the Raiders scored a touchdown when O'Connell hit Laube for a six-yard touchdown. On the drive, O'Connell went 5/5 passing. The Raiders defense started to lock in, forcing a three-and-out, with the offense scoring a field goal off a 15-play drive. 16-13 Seahawks. However, the Raiders defense started to break, allowing the Seahawks to run the football seven times on a nine play, 65 yard drive for a touchdown. At this point, we were in the fourth quarter and rookie QB Cam Miller got his shot and he came out hot. Making it clear he can make platform throws, he hit Shedrick Jackson for a 41-yard score, placing the ball perfectly in between the corner and safety. 23-20 Seahawks. A heroic effort from a tired defense on 4th and one on the Seattle 45, with the defense staying disciplined against Jalen Milroe, forced a turnover on downs, resulting in Miller leading the Raiders to a game-tying field goal with 1:12 left in the game. Milroe had his shot to lead the Seahawks downfield, but after throwing for first down on the first play of the drive, Milroe threw two incompletions before being sacked by Treven Ma'ae. Cam Miller would get his shot to lead the Raiders downfield for the win. Ball at the Las Vegas' 32-yard line. 25 seconds left. The world was on his shoulders and yet, Miller was firing the Raiders towards victory. A 20-yard pass to Jackson put the Raiders into Seattle's territory. Miller would hit Jackson again for four more yards to set up a 55-yard field goal attempt for Daniel Carlson with five seconds left. This was the Raiders' moment. Despite all the mistakes, all the errors, all the issues, somehow the Raiders were in position to win. This was Carroll's moment. To once again snatch win from the jaws of defeat, this time against the team that thought they didn't need him anymore. This was the Raiders' moment, and then the kick was blocked. The game ends in a tie. 23-23. There were ups, there were downs. Now the Raiders fly home with a feeling of what just happened? If there's three lessons the Raiders need to learn, it's these. They need to stop the run. The Seahawks had 170 rushing yards on the night. We all need to see more of Cam Miller. The Raiders have no idea who should fill out their wide receiver room but Bachman and Jackson made strong cases. Such an odd evening. Welcome to the Pete Carroll era. Let's see how the Raiders respond. Join us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr so you never miss another story on the Raiders in 2025! We invite you to interact with us when you check out our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE right this second!
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