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  • Kentucky basketball escapes Oklahoma in SEC Tournament game, faces Alabama next

    Kentucky basketball escapes Oklahoma in SEC Tournament game, faces Alabama next

     

     

    Kentucky basketball is back in the win column at the SEC Tournament.

     

    After one-and-done results in the event the past two years, UK held off Oklahoma thanks to Otega Oweh, who made the game-winning basket in the closing seconds of an 85-84 victory in a second-round matchup Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.

     

    It marked Kentucky’s first triumph in the conference tourney since 2022, when it vanquished Vanderbilt, 77-71, in a quarterfinal matchup in Tampa, Florida.

     

    And the quarterfinals are where the Wildcats are now headed. Thanks to Thursday’s win, Kentucky (22-10), the 6-seed in this season’s tournament, set up a date with 3-seed Alabama; that game will tip off at approximately 9:30 p.m. Friday.

     

    Though UK led for more than 34 of the 40-minute game, Oklahoma rarely lost touch. The Wildcats’ largest lead was 12, which came with less than four minutes to play before the Sooners (20-13) once more trimmed the deficit and took the lead with less than a minute to play.

     

    Here are three takeaways from the Wildcats’ gritty win:

     

     

    Otega Oweh once again tortured his former team. Oweh had a game-high 28 points in the previous meeting between these two squads last month, when UK escaped with an 83-82 victory in Norman, Oklahoma. Included in that scoring outburst: the Wildcats’ final 18 points of the game, as well as the go-ahead basket in the waning moments.

     

    He wasn’t quite as dominant Thursday.

     

    But he didn’t have to be.

     

    Not when he had Koby Brea and Andrew Carr on his side.

     

    Brea, the sharpshooting New York native, had 22 points, knocking down 75% (8 for 12) of his field-goal attempts. He was accurate as ever beyond the 3-point arc, too, making four of the seven triples he hoisted.

     

    Carr finished with 11 points, but more importantly, also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

     

    Oh, and Oweh’s final line?

     

    The junior guard had 27 points (a team high, one point shy of Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears for top honor Thursday) to go along with four rebounds and five assists. Not only was the assist total a game high but it also was the most he’s had in 92 appearances as a collegian.

     

    Freshman Trent Noah finds way to contribute without scoring

    Trent Noah has been defined by his willingness to enter games and immediately take the first shot he’s presented, no matter how far away from the basket he might be or how much time remains on the shot clock.

     

    He didn’t have one of his better nights in the scoring department Thursday, though, as he had only four points. Where he buttered his bread on this night — and made the biggest difference in the outcome — was on the boards. A freshman forward from Harlan County, Noah grabbed six rebounds, the second-best tally for the Wildcats (following the aforementioned Carr) in Thursday’s win.

     

    The six rebounds matched Noah’s career high; he had that same number in UK’s road loss to Texas on Feb. 15.

     

    Cats overcome loss of leader Lamont Butler

    In the middle of the first half, Lamont Butler, UK’s starting point guard, walked to the locker room. He did not play another minute Thursday.

     

    The culprit: the bothersome left shoulder injury he’s battled for more than a month.

     

    Yet as the Wildcats have done so often this season, their resilience came to the fore, winning despite the absence of their best 1-on-1 defender and arguably the most valuable vocal leader on the team.

     

     

  • Vasseur has no doubt Hamilton will be able to “perform soon” at Ferrari

    Vasseur has no doubt Hamilton will be able to “perform soon” at Ferrari

    Hamilton had just one-and-a-half days of testing in the team’s new car before the first event of the season this weekend. He was unable to drive for them in the post-season test at Yas Marina last year, unlike several other drivers who changed teams.

    However Ferrari used the opportunity to run Hamilton in one of their older chassis, known as Testing of Previous Cars under F1’s regulations, at the beginning of the season. Vasseur said that gave him a useful chance to get used to the team’s internal processes.

    “It’s not [the goal] to be at the limit on one session, it’s not a matter of speed,” said Vasseur in the FIA press conference after the first practice session.

    “The target is for him to know everybody in the team, to discover the software, the process, the system. I’m convinced that we have something very similar to Mercedes, but at the end of the day, perhaps not with the same name, or the same way to use them.

    “It’s just a learning process. We did one or two test days with the TPC one or two months ago. It was a good way to approach it but nothing compares to the race weekend. We have to go through and we have to do it, but I’m not worried at all about this.”

    Hamilton placed 12th in the first practice session at Albert Park, six-tenths of a second slower than team mate Charles Leclerc, but Vasseur said this was no cause for concern.

    “He’s on this process, honestly, you can’t draw a conclusion after a first session,” he said. “I have absolutely no doubt that he will be able to perform and to perform soon. Last year I think that Carlos [Sainz Jnr] was P8 or P9 in free practice and he won the race.”

    Hamilton said yesterday he is still getting accustomed to the differences between Ferrari’s car and the Mercedes he drove last year.

    “Joining a new team, the sooner you can reach a high level and get results, the better. But inevitably, there’s a transition period, and there is a foundation that’s needed to be built, […] that’s what we have been doing over the past couple of months.

    “The first half of the season, it is about that foundation. Building those relationships, the trust, you’re building with absolutely every everyone in the team. Trust isn’t something you just walk in the door and have, it’s built over time.

    “For me, the goal is to win, of course, and to take the team forward. I’ve had some not-so-spectacular years and I’m trying to see if I can have a better year than I have the last three. There are a lot of factors that can add to that.”

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  • Wisconsin basketball cruises to Big Ten Tournament win over Northwestern

    Wisconsin basketball cruises to Big Ten Tournament win over Northwestern

     

    The Wisconsin Badgers rolled to a 70-63 triumph over the Northwestern Wildcats in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday afternoon.

    Fueled by strong offensive contributions from sophomore center Nolan Winter and First-Team All-Big Ten wing John Tonje, the Badgers controlled the offensive tempo throughout the second half of play. After shooting under 40% from the field and 25% from deep in the first half, UW improved to shoot 44% from the floor and 38.5% from outside in the closing frame.

    Greg Gard’s group also forced the Wildcats into tough offensive situations to close the contest. The Wildcats shot just 34.6% from the field and 25% from outside in the final 20 minutes to go along with seven turnovers.

    Northwestern did jump out to a quick 8-3 edge in the opening minutes, but the Badgers quickly retaliated with a 19-9 scoring spurt courtesy of baskets from five different playmakers. The Wildcats then cut the deficit to one, 31-30, before Wisconsin closed the half on a 6-0 run, fueled by both Winter and Tonje, to establish a 37-30 halftime advantage.

    The Badgers rode that late-half momentum into the second frame. They effectively spread the ball to all of their primary playmakers, balancing their scoring from all three levels. That and strong defense powered the team to a 15-point lead by the 8:00-minute mark.

    Wisconsin led by as many as 18 points later in the half before easing up its on-ball pressure on the defensive end. Northwestern closed in strong from, but it was too little, too late.

    Both Winter and Tonje led the Badgers with 18 points, plus collected 13 combined rebounds. In his first game back from injury, program veteran Max Klesmit notched nine points in 23 minutes of action, while Kamari McGee and John Blackwell accounted for eight points apiece.

    Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli poured in a game-best 22 points in what may be the final game of his college career. Wildcats guard K.J. Windham also added 14 off the bench.

    The Badgers will now advance to play the UCLA Bruins at 2:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday. The winner of that bout will advance to the semifinal round of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.

  • Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney set to raise eyebrows with their Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest prediction

    Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney set to raise eyebrows with their Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest prediction

    Nottingham Forest will return to the pitch this weekend when they travel to Ipswich Town for one final game before the international break.

    Many Forest players will head off on international duty after the Portman Road visit. Anthony Elanga has made up with Jon Dahl Tomasson and is back in the Sweden squad once again.

    The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elliot Anderson will hope to have received calls from Thomas Tuchel ahead of his first England squad too.

    It’s club football as normal for last weekend, however, and Forest will be aiming to avoid a severe case of After the Lord Mayor’s Show following a 1-0 win over Manchester City.

    Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney predict Nottingham Forest score vs Ipswich

    It won’t come as a surprise that Gary Neville has gone true to form and been negative on Forest – with former Derby boss Wayne Rooney following suit.

    Both are good mates with Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna and heaven forbid they think with their head rather than their heart.

    Although the Tractor Boys played well in the FA Cup at Forest, this weekend will be completely different, with the Reds likely to play a very different team altogether.

    When predicting Ipswich at home to Forest, they’ve gone with a home win.

    MORE FOREST STORIES

    Rooney said in agreement with Neville on The Overlap: “1-0 Ipswich. They’ve got to win this game, it’s their last chance.”

    Forest won the reverse game 1-0 at the City Ground and going into the international break it’s vitally important that the Reds can leave with a positive result on Saturday.

    Forest will need to match Ipswich for work rate

    One thing that Forest have to do at the weekend is remain compact and match the Tractor Boys when it comes to work rate.

    Ultimately, Forest have lots of reasons to be cheerful right now and face an Ipswich team who realise they’re now running out of time to save themselves.

    Forest have largely done okay against newly promoted sides since returning to the Premier League and Espirito Santo will hope to keep that up this weekend.

    It’s not completely out of the ordinary for Neville to say something negative about Forest and hopefully this prediction that he’s made can be proved extremely wrong.

  • Hamilton claims Leclerc is ‘Mr Ferrari’ as Sainz says former team mate is in ‘sweetest spot’ of his career

    Hamilton claims Leclerc is ‘Mr Ferrari’ as Sainz says former team mate is in ‘sweetest spot’ of his career

     

     

    Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc attend the street parade during the Scuderia Ferrari HP Drivers’

    Charles Leclerc has had praise heaped upon him by both his current and former Ferrari team mates, as Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz respectively paid tribute to the Monegasque.

     

    Eight-time Grand Prix winner Leclerc enjoyed a strong 2024 alongside Sainz, before the Spaniard made way for seven-time champion Hamilton at the Scuderia.

     

    And asked in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Grand Prix what he’d made of his new team mate Leclerc thus far, Hamilton joked: “Beside his great hair, his eyes… he’s a good looking lad, you know [laughs]… No, I would say his work ethic – it’s been really good.

     

    “I didn’t know naturally [about his way of working] – you don’t know what happens behind closed doors. Naturally I think every driver works really hard, but every driver has a different method in how they achieve their ultimate performance, and it’s been really interesting to see that his is not too dissimilar to mine, and you just see a hardworking kid just getting on with it.”

     

    Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc attend the street parade during the Scuderia Ferrari HP Drivers’

    Hamilton and Leclerc attend the street parade during the Scuderia Ferrari HP Drivers’ Presentation by UniCredit event in Milan

    Hamilton went on to herald Leclerc as ‘Mr Ferrari’, the Monegasque having joined the Scuderia in 2019 after a sole rookie year at Sauber.

     

    “He’s obviously been in the team a long time, it’s his second team and obviously the team he was with before was obviously relatively short there,” said Hamilton, “and then he’s had this amazing time at Ferrari. So he is very much ‘Mr Ferrari’ and it’s been really cool to work alongside him, and I’m really looking forward to working alongside him for the year.”

     

    Newly-minted Williams driver Sainz, meanwhile, called Leclerc a “great ambassador” for Ferrari, while also praising his growth as a driver and “human being”.

     

    “I think Charles has been doing a great job in representing the Ferrari colours, the Ferrari brand, this last… six, seven years of his career,” said Sainz.

     

    BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – FEBRUARY 28: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari talks with

    Sainz and Hamilton praised Leclerc

    “I think no one needs to talk about his talent and his speed, everyone knows that,” added Sainz. “But in terms of how he behaves, how he treats everyone in the team, how he takes the Ferrari brand all around the world, I think he’s doing an incredible job and he’s part of that team growth that Ferrari has seen recently, and I think in that, Ferrari has a great ambassador also.

     

    “Good on him, good job – I think he’s been doing that and progressing both as a driver and also as a human being all these years. He’s now probably in one of his sweetest spots of his career, he feels mature, comfortable and probably ready to win, so let’s see what they can do this year.”

     

    Attention now turns to the on-track action at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, as F1 fans prepare to see the first competitive volleys of 2025.

     

     

     

  • MN: Abraham, Walker, Felix, Sottil – Milan’s current plan for the four loanees

    MN: Abraham, Walker, Felix, Sottil – Milan’s current plan for the four loanees

     

     

    While Sottil might not have been used much so far, he is useful for Milan in various ways. Firstly on a technical-tactical level because he can play so many roles (even full-back in the Lecce win) while he is a homegrown player, making him useful for the UEFA and Serie A squad lists.

     

    Milan have an option to buy set at €10m, which can be transformed into an almost equal swap with Yacine Adli, on loan at Fiorentina with a €10.5m option, even if his situation needs to be monitored.

     

    Tammy Abraham

    There is no doubt about who has gained between Roma and Milan in the loan exchange with Alexis Saelemaekers. The Englishman is continuing his form from the last two seasons, which is inconsistency, and it is no coincidence that Milan rushed to sign Santiago Gimenez in January.

     

    Abraham has eight goals overall in all competitions, one very important in the final of the Supercoppa Italiana. But it will hardly be enough, unless the new coach is an admirer.

     

     

    Brought in thanks to Jorge Mendes on the last day of the winter mercato, he has convinced very little, quickly becoming one of the faces of Milan’s collapse in recent months. Even Sergio Conceiçao, undeniably his admirer, initially left him on the bench in the last two games.

     

    There is no fixed price with Chelsea for a loan with option or obligation, but the Blues would have to sell the Portuguese for €40m to avoid a capital loss in the summer. It is an amount that Milan will not spend, especially given his performance on the pitch and the probable farewell of Conceiçao.

  • Georgia Predicted to Make Big QB Splash by Landing Projected $2.7 Million Star

    Georgia Predicted to Make Big QB Splash by Landing Projected $2.7 Million Star

     

    The Georgia Bulldogs have a decision to make at quarterback this upcoming college football season. Yet, head coach Kirby Smart already has his eyes on the top quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class.

     

    For 2025, Gunner Stockton is the favorite to be the next Dawgs starting quarterback, but the signal-caller will face competition. Highly touted freshman Ryan Montgomery is expected to be in the mix as well as redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi.

     

    Stockton has the advantage of playing in the SEC championship as well as College Football Playoff, which could end up being the trump card in the competition.

     

    On the recruiting trail, Georgia is part of the biggest battle in the country for five-star quarterback Jared Curtis. The Nashville Christian (Tenn.) product has narrowed his choices down to Georgia and Oregon Ducks.

     

    Georgia Football

    Georgia Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart reacts at a Dawgs basketball game. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

    Curtis is coming off a visit to Eugene, Ore., and Georgia is fighting against Nike money in the NIL battle. The good news for the Bulldogs is that Curtis is now heading to Athens, Ga., for another visit with Smart and company.

     

    On3.com projects Curtis’ NIL value is $2.7 million, a number that has been as high as $3 million.

     

    “Exact numbers I don’t have, but I think this is one they [Oregon] won’t be outbid on,” On3’s ScoopDuck’s Justin Hopkins told Pete Nakos on Thursday. “If he goes to Georgia, it was the only thing they couldn’t overcome: Distance.”

     

    Curtis is a former Georgia commitment but reopened his recruitment last fall. On3.com’s latest projections now has the Bulldogs overtaking the Ducks as the favorite to land Curtis, despite the quarterback’s recent visit to Oregon.

     

    Georgia has a 37% chance to land Curtis while Oregon has been given 31% odds in the recruiting standoff, per On3. Curtis would not help the Dawgs this season, but could be the program’s quarterback of the future beginning in 2026.

     

    Landing Curtis would also be a massive boost for Georgia in recruiting as the Bulldogs make a push to sign other top players in the 2026 class.

     

    Five-star quarterback recruit Jared Curtis

  • Time to focus on points rather than performances? Here’s what McKenna thinks

    Time to focus on points rather than performances? Here’s what McKenna thinks

     

     

    Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna (centre) says he will continue to trust the process.:

    Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna (centre) says he will continue to trust the process. (Image: PA)

    Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna insists he will continue to focus on developing the team for the long-term rather than searching for a quick fix solution going into the final stages of a relegation fight.

     

    Following back-to-back promotions, the Blues are staring down the barrel of relegation back to the Championship after winning just three of their 28 Premier League games so far this season.

     

    There’s no doubting that Town have been highly competitive in the majority of their matches in the top flight, but it’s been a sobering season of repeated fine margins defeats.

     

    With a six-point deficit to make up on Wolves (effectively seven due to goal difference), the Blues boss was asked if greater weight would now be put on finding ways to get points rather than performances.

     

    “We’ve always believed that good performances lead to points,” he replied.

     

    “Of course, when you get to the end stage of the season, you maybe think a little bit more short-term. If you’re at the start of the season and you’re picking up results from poor performances you’re glad to have the points, but you also know that in the longer-term it’s not going to lead you to where you want to get.

     

    “The feel does change a little bit the closer you get to the end of the season. With less games ahead, results feel more important. But the best way, we believe, is still to focus on the performances.”

     

    The Blues boss added: “Every experience for us this year has been a big challenge.

     

    “Some go your way and plenty don’t go your way, but I think if you keep approaching them in the right way, if you keep finding the right response in your daily work, if you stay consistent in your behaviours, stay consistent in our processes, stay consistent in trying to drive the culture here, I think that builds trust between a group that hasn’t been together that long in the pathway that we’re on.

     

    “We keep reviewing and renewing the things that we’re doing well and keep looking for ways to get better. I think that has been really consistent and common across the three years here, and we’re doing it in a different context this year.”

  • Justin Gatlin’s nephew calls out Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell’s kids in adorable challenge

    Justin Gatlin’s nephew calls out Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell’s kids in adorable challenge

     

     

    Justin Gatlin’s nephew posed an adorable challenge to Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt’s kids after training with his legendary uncle.

     

    Gatlin, who won 12 world and five Olympic medals during his career, went up against Powell and Bolt on many occasions but now it appears that the baton has been passed down.

     

     

    Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt were long time track rivals during their legendary track careers

    Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt were long time track rivals during their legendary track

    The trio are now enjoying retirement but that hasn’t stopped a new rivalry forming between their family members with Gatlin passing down his wealth of experience to his nephew.

     

    In an Instagram video, the youngster can be seen crossing obstacles and lifting weights in their garden.

     

    He is then heard saying: “Uncle Asafa and uncle Usain, I want to race your kids.”

     

     

    Gatlin reacted brilliantly to his nephew’s proposition by captioning: “Uncle .”

     

    It remains to be seen whether a race between the three kids is on the horizon but the idea of the three sprint kings in attendance would most certainly make it box office viewing.

     

     

    Gatlin’s encounters with Powell and Bolt were the headline races of a generation. The American achieved a career best time of 9.74sec in the 100m.

     

    He beat Powell in the 100m at both the 2012 Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix and 2015 Lausanne Diamond League.

     

    Gatlin also got the better of Bolt in the 100m at the 2017 World Championships in what proved to be the final race of the Jamaican’s legendary career.

     

    This, after Gatlin took advantage of an injury to Bolt to win gold at the 2004 Olympics.

     

    Since retiring from athletics on his 40th birthday, Gatlin has regularly teamed up on podcasts with his former competitors to reminisce over their heydays.

     

     

    In a recent episode of ‘The Fix’ podcast, Bolt told listeners that he considers Gatlin his ‘greatest rival’ due to the pair having competed against each other in most of their career races.

     

    Bolt said: “For me, Justin, because I think we competed over a longer span, for a while. For a span, now, like five years. With everybody, it was like two years, one year. So, that was the thing.

     

    “He is a master, so I give that off to Justin, and Justin Gatlin is a true competitor. He’s somebody that you have to respect when it comes to competing and working. And the sport needs to evolve, it has to.”

     

    Meanwhile, on an episode of the ‘Ready Set Go’ podcast the pair categorically rebuffed the notion that the 2024 100m final in Paris was superior to the London 2012 final which saw Gatlin, Bolt and Powell go head-to-head.

     

     

    “Do you guys really think the last 100m was the best one?,” Bolt asked Gatlin and former Bahamian sprinter Rodney Green. “I’m curious, do you really think so after what we performed in 2012?”

     

    Green responded: “Asafa throws the average off because he’s injured. If he doesn’t finish he’s okay but because he finishes in such a slow time because of his injury, it throws the average of that race off.”

     

    The sprint star is priming his nephew for a future in athletics

    The sprint star is priming his nephew for a future in athleticsCredit: justin gatlin

    Gatlin has been putting the work in with his nephew

    Gatlin has been putting the work in with his nephewCredit: justin gatlin

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    “The line up in that race was unheard of,” Gatlin responded. “When you look at any other sport and the greatest of those sports NBA, NFL – they’re in generations. [Michael] Jordan didn’t play with LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] played some with LeBron.

     

    “But the fact of our line up is we were all in the same generation and we lined up at the same time. You won’t ever replicate that race ever again in life. The top five men in history were in that race.”

     

    Usain Bolt’s 100m world record inspired Justin Gatlin to end his NFL dream and return to athletics

     

  • Detroit Lions S Kerby Joseph gets big payday; record-setting contract could be next

    Detroit Lions S Kerby Joseph gets big payday; record-setting contract could be next

     

    Joseph is in line for an extension that could make him the highest-paid safety in the NFL, and the fourth-year Detroit Lions defensive back learned Wednesday he has another nearly seven-figure payout coming his way from the NFL’s Performance Based Pay system.

     

    Joseph earned the sixth-highest PBP distribution among all NFL players, a payout of $996,253 for his play last season when he led the NFL with nine interceptions.

     

    Under the NFL’s PBP guidelines, players who appear in at least one game receive a bonus distribution based on a formula that takes into account playing time and salary.

     

    A third-round pick out of Illinois in 2021, Joseph played 99% of the Lions’ defensive snaps last season and earned a base salary of $1.14 million. He finished with career-highs of nine interceptions and 83 tackles, was selected first-team All-Pro and is eligible for a contract extension for the first time this spring.

     

    Lions general manager Brad Holmes has said he’s in the early stages of planning for new deals with Joseph and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. The team was expected to meet with the agents for both players during the NFL combine last month.

     

    Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) takes the field during introduction before kickoff against Green Bay Packers during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.

    Joseph could surpass Antoine Winfield as the NFL’s highest-paid safety on his next contract, while Hutchinson could become the NFL’s highest-paid pass rusher. Winfield signed a four-year, $84.1 million extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last spring coming off his first All-Pro season. Myles Garrett, who got a new deal from the Cleveland Browns this week, is the league’s highest paid defensive end at $40 million per season.

     

    “He’s one that has proven that he’s a Detroit Lion, he fits our culture,” Holmes said of Joseph in January. “It’s hard to find ballhawk guys that will tackle like how he does, and I think that’s what makes him unique. So again, we haven’t had any intense dialogue about that yet, but obviously we want to keep the good players here.”

     

    New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood led all NFL players in PBP pay this year with a distribution of $1.09 million.