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As the NBA Draft rapidly approaches, the Philadelphia 76ers will soon be on the clock with the third overall pick. In the final days leading up to the event, one insider didn't hold back with his thoughts on one of their potential targets.
Since the draft lottery, one of the key names that has been linked to the Sixers at No. 3 is Rutgers forward Ace Bailey. Though he's been a polarizing prospect, he is still widely regarded as having one of the highest ceilings of any player in the 2025 class.
While appearing on "NBA Today" earlier this week, Brian Windhorst weighed in with his thoughts on the touted forward. He dubbed him a "dangerous" prospect and expects him to be taken by a team with a GM that has a lot of job security.
"Every year there's a dangerous prospect in the draft, at least one. He's a dangerous prospect," Windhorst said of Bailey. "I think the team that gets him will be a team with a general manager who is very safe in his job who says trust me, I believe in this player."
"Every year there is a dangerous prospect in the draft, at least one. He's a dangerous prospect."@WindhorstESPN on teams considering drafting Rutgers' Ace Bailey pic.twitter.com/HmXrj31Vq3
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 20, 2025
Last week, the Sixers made arrangements for Bailey to travel to Philly to have meals with various members of the organization and have a private workout for the team. However, just days before his arrival, he and his camp opted to cancel the visit. Bailey stunned many with his actions in the pre-draft process, opting not to work out for any team.
Following his latest antics, only time will tell if the Sixers will roll the dice on Bailey or opt to go in a different direction to infuse the roster with promising young talent.
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Ohio State football sets all-time record with latest AP Poll drop, leaving Michigan in the dust for second-place
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When the preseason Associated Press Top-25 poll dropped Monday, it confirmed that Indiana football is nearing one of its most promising seasons in program history. The Hoosiers will enter the 2025 campaign ranked No. 20, marking just the fourth time they've been ranked in the preseason and first since 2021, when they started the year at No. 17. Before 2021, Indiana hadn't been part of the preseason rankings since 1969. Indiana's ranking aside, the AP poll also offered insight about the predicted strength of the Hoosiers' conference opponents. Oft maligned for its nonconference schedule, Indiana will play three teams ranked inside the top 12 once it starts Big Ten play. The Hoosiers are also slated to play at Iowa, which received the 44th-most votes. Here's Indiana's full schedule. The Hoosiers' ranked matchups are bolded. Aug. 30 — vs. Old Dominion Sept. 6 — vs. Kennesaw State Sept. 12 — vs. Indiana State Sept. 20 — vs. No. 12 Illinois Sept. 27 — at Iowa Oct. 4 — BYE Oct. 11 — at No. 7 Oregon Oct. 18 — vs. Michigan State Oct. 25 — vs. UCLA Nov. 1 — at Maryland Nov. 8 — at No. 2 Penn State Nov. 15 — vs. Wisconsin Nov. 22 — BYE Nov. 28 — at Purdue 2025 AP Preseason Top 25 1. Texas Longhorns 2. Penn State Nittany Lions 3. Ohio State Buckeyes 4. Clemson Tigers 5. Georgia Bulldogs 6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7. Oregon Ducks 8. Alabama Crimson Tide 9. LSU Tigers 10. Miami Hurricanes 11. Arizona State Sun Devils 12. Illinois Fighting Illini 13. South Carolina Gamecocks 14. Michigan Wolverines 15. Florida Gators 16. SMU Mustangs 17. Kansas State Wildcats 18. Oklahoma Sooners 19. Texas A M Aggies 20. Indiana Hoosiers 21. Ole Miss Rebels 22. Iowa State Cyclones 23. Texas Tech Red Raiders 24. Tennessee Volunteers 25. Boise State Broncos Others receiving votes: BYU, Utah, Baylor, Louisville, USC, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Tulane, Nebraska, UNLV, Toledo, Auburn, James Madison, Memphis, Florida State, Duke, Liberty, Navy, Iowa, TCU, Pitt, Army, Colorado, Louisiana-Lafayette.
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Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields found out he has a long way to go following his performance at Tuesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. Per Connor Hughes of SNY TV, Fields started hot at the practice before struggling during the move-the-ball period. "Very interesting practice for #Jets QB Justin Fields," Hughes posted on X. "He finished 7 of 12 with a TD. 5 of 5 to start practice. Then 0 for 4. Finished 2 of 3 with the really impressive TD to Jeremy Ruckert in red zone (starter 18 yard line). "The offensive performance was a bit alarming in move-the-ball period of practice. Fields Co. had three attempts to get down field. They didn’t gain a first down. Only gained yards twice (two short Breece Hall runs). Three sacks. That needs to be fixed. #Giants defense toyed with NYJ during that period." Some Jets fans online thought Hughes was using hyperbole to characterize the practice, but he doubled down on his judgment of the offense. Fields looked strong on his first and only drive in the Jets' 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. He went 3-of-4 passing for 42 yards and rushed two times for 14 yards and a touchdown. However, the Giants defense at the joint practice is a much better unit than the short-handed one the Packers trotted out for the first preseason game. Fields' issues seen with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, with holding the ball too long and not being able to pass consistently downfield, were a factor against the Giants. Following Saturday's game, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields was getting better but had a lot to improve on. Tuesday's practice was a humbling reminder that Fields needs to become a consistent passer if the Jets are going to move the ball on good defenses in the regular season.
Oklahoma QB denies sports gambling allegations after suspicious screenshots emerge
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has faced questions about some alleged screenshots from his Venmo account, and the school is reportedly investigating the situation. Screenshots and videos that were widely circulated on social media Monday claimed to show multiple Venmo transactions linked to Mateer that contained the phrase “sports gambling.” The two main transactions in question were on Nov. 20, 2022, which was when Mateer was a freshman at Washington State. The alleged transactions that referenced “sports gambling” were between Mateer and a Venmo account for Richard Roaten, who is believed to be one of Mateer’s former Washington State teammates. While some have questioned whether the screenshots could have been altered, there were also videos that appeared to show people actively scrolling through the account that is believed to belong to Mateer. According to a Tuesday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Mateer has denied to Oklahoma officials that he has ever been involved with gambling. The school is still planning to investigate further, however. Mateer issued a statement on his X account denying being involved in sports gambling, explaining that the descriptions seen on his Venmo account are "inside jokes" with his friends. "The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false," Mateer wrote. "My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. "I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling." Oklahoma also issued a statement saying it has “no reason to believe” there is going to be an NCAA investigation. Rules prohibit student athletes or team staff from betting on any sports that have NCAA championships. One of the alleged screenshots connected to Mateer had a reference to “UCLA vs. USC” in addition to “sports gambling.” Penalties for an athlete who has been found to have gambled on prohibited sports can include a loss of eligibility. Mateer had his first full season as a starter last year at Washington State. He completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also rushed for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mateer entered the transfer portal after last season as one of the top players available, and he had a disrespectful gesture when announcing his commitment to the Sooners.
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