“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE
TUESDAY’S SCORES
ANGOLA 74 WOODLAN 48
BOONVILLE 56 EVANSVILLE HARRISON 42
BREMEN 64 PLYMOUTH 43
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 56 CLARKSVILLE 48
CROSSPOINTE CHRISTIAN 81 GEO NEXT GENERATION 38
CROWN POINT 91 EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL 51
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN 72 HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH 29
DECATUR CENTRAL 71 GREENFIELD-CENTRAL 55
EASTBROOK 58 SOUTHERN WELLS 37
ELWOOD 60 UNION (MODOC) 56
EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 71 VINCENNES RIVET 65
FAIRFIELD 44 LAKELAND 41
FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY 63 EASTSIDE 50
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP 61 EAST NOBLE 48
FORT WAYNE SOUTH 64 LEO 37
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 39 TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN 26
FRANKTON 56 MONROE CENTRAL 35
GARRETT 76 FREMONT 39
GARY 21ST CENTURY 73 ANDREAN 64
GARY LIGHTHOUSE 64 BOWMAN ACADEMY 53
GOSHEN 53 ELKHART 51
HAGERSTOWN 71 COWAN 48
HANOVER CENTRAL 66 NORTH NEWTON 31
HEBRON 65 LOWELL 32
HERITAGE 61 LAKEWOOD PARK 43
HOBART 70 CALUMET 36
INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE 66 INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE 29
INDIANAPOLIS ROOTED 49 CENTRAL CHRISTIAN 45
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA 92 PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 38
LAPORTE LALUMIERE 93 MICHIGAN CITY 58
LAVILLE 56 ARGOS 18
LAKE CENTRAL 50 GARY WEST 34
LAWRENCEVILLE (ILL.) 57 SOUTH KNOX 37
MANCHESTER 62 TIPPECANOE VALLEY 57 OT
MEADE COUNTY (KY.) 74 LANESVILLE 44
MISHAWAKA MARIAN 72 MISHAWAKA 59
MOORESVILLE 81 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 74 2OT
MORGAN TWP. 58 HIGHLAND 56
MOUNT CARMEL (ILL.) 57 EVANSVILLE DAY 40
NOBLE-WHITLEY HOMESCHOOL 86 SMITH ACADEMY 45
NORWELL 56 FORT WAYNE DWENGER 40
PARK TUDOR 83 PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD 70
PENN 67 FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK 52
PERRY CENTRAL 71 CANNELTON 53
PORTAGE 62 HAMMOND NOLL 58
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS 51 ELKHART CHRISTIAN 35
PROVIDENCE 54 TRINITY LUTHERAN 39
RED HILL (ILL.) 76 DUGGER UNION 56
SHAWE MEMORIAL 69 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY MADISON 52
SHERIDAN 73 FAITH CHRISTIAN 67
SOUTH BEND ADAMS 78 BERRIEN SPRINGS (MICH.) 37
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 85 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 37
SOUTH NEWTON 60 CLINTON CENTRAL 51
SOUTH PUTNAM 61 SOUTH VERMILLION 32
ST. THOMAS MORE 84 CLINTON CHRISTIAN 30
SULLIVAN 67 EASTERN GREENE 53
TRI-COUNTY 66 CARROLL (FLORA) 53
TRI-TOWNSHIP 52 PORTAGE CHRISTIAN 33
TRITON 56 LAKELAND CHRISTIAN 33
UNIVERSITY 77 INDIANAPOLIS RITTER 62
WASHINGTON 63 TELL CITY 36
WEST CENTRAL 68 JOHN GLENN 29
WESTERN BOONE 79 COVINGTON 35
WINAMAC 61 KNOX 46
=========
WEDNESDAY’S BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE AT BLOOMFIELD 7:30 PM
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN AT ANDERSON PREP 7:30 PM
COLUMBIA CITY AT WAWASEE 7:30 PM
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL AT BOWMAN ACADEMY 7:00 PM
HAMMOND NOLL AT GRIFFITH 8:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD AT NEW PALESTINE 7:30 PM
LAWRENCE NORTH AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL 7:30 PM
LEBANON AT BROWNSBURG 7:30 PM
MILAN AT EAST CENTRAL 7:30 PM
MISSISSINEWA AT BLUFFTON 7:30 PM
NEW HAVEN AT FORT WAYNE WAYNE 7:30 PM
OREGON-DAVIS AT WHEELER 7:30 PM
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON AT BOWMAN ACADEMY 6:00 PM
WABASH AT NORTH MIAMI 7:45 PM
WARREN CENTRAL AT INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL 7:30 PM
WEST NOBLE AT CONCORD 7:45 PM
WHITKO AT ADAMS CENTRAL 7:30 PM
WINCHESTER AT SOUTH ADAMS 7:30 PM
=========
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE
TUESDAY’S SCORES
ADAMS CENTRAL 67 NEW HAVEN 37
ATTICA 40 WESTVILLE (ILL.) 35
AVON 70 RICHMOND 41
BARR-REEVE 50 WOOD MEMORIAL 45
BATESVILLE 48 LAWRENCEBURG 39
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 55 JEFFERSONVILLE 46
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 35 BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY 29
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 49 MARTINSVILLE 22
BLUFFTON 75 WABASH 22
BREMEN 53 CONCORD 32
BROWNSBURG 75 COLUMBUS NORTH 26
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 64 SALEM 36
CARROLL (FLORA) 51 TRI-COUNTY 44
CASCADE 59 GREENCASTLE 24
CASTLE 64 BOONVILLE 31
CENTER GROVE 52 PLAINFIELD 44
CENTRAL NOBLE 33 LAKEWOOD PARK 28
CHARLESTOWN 72 SCOTTSBURG 39
CHESTERTON 53 TRI-TOWNSHIP 34
CONNERSVILLE 52 NEW CASTLE 39
CULVER ACADEMY 61 MISHAWAKA MARIAN 18
CULVER 59 OREGON-DAVIS 37
DEKALB 53 FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA 50
DELTA 65 MUNCIE BURRIS 13
EAST NOBLE 49 FORT WAYNE NORTHROP 33
EASTERN (GREENTOWN) 40 NORTHWESTERN 36
EASTERN (PEKIN) 78 CROTHERSVILLE 14
EASTERN HANCOCK 63 NORTH DECATUR 38
ELKHART CHRISTIAN 52 JIMTOWN 23
EVANSVILLE NORTH 49 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 46
FAITH CHRISTIAN 58 FRANKFORT 19
FLOYD CENTRAL 66 COLUMBUS EAST 29
FOREST PARK 76 TECUMSEH 43
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK 61 SOUTHERN WELLS 55
FRANKLIN COUNTY 62 SWITZERLAND COUNTY 40
GARRETT 43 WESTVIEW 38 OT
GIBSON SOUTHERN 70 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 27
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 63 ANDERSON PREP 29
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 58 LOGANSPORT 11
HAMILTON 47 ST. THOMAS MORE 42
HENRYVILLE 43 WEST WASHINGTON 36
HOMESTEAD 86 COLUMBIA CITY 31
INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE 32 INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE 30
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS 71 INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY 52
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 76 INDIANAPOLIS HERRON 12
JASPER 62 NORTH HARRISON 54
JAY COUNTY 79 MUNCIE CENTRAL 45
JENNINGS COUNTY 59 SEYMOUR 32
KANKAKEE VALLEY 52 HANOVER CENTRAL 35
KNIGHTSTOWN 67 SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) 37
KOKOMO 60 WESTERN 52
LAFAYETTE JEFF 47 HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) 41
LAKE STATION 66 GARY WEST 41
LEWIS CASS 61 ROSSVILLE 45
LOOGOOTEE 48 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 40
MADISON 75 NEW WASHINGTON 17
MANCHESTER 49 HUNTINGTON NORTH 45
MARION 47 FORT WAYNE WAYNE 16
MCCUTCHEON 70 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 34
MERRILLVILLE 48 NEW PRAIRIE 35
MISHAWAKA 46 ARGOS 43
MONROE CENTRAL 43 SHENANDOAH 32
MONROVIA 65 INDIAN CREEK 59
MORGAN TWP. 33 SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) 27
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) 47 ANDERSON 39
MUNSTER 46 EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL 43
NORTH JUDSON 58 BOONE GROVE 39
NORTH MONTGOMERY 55 COVINGTON 29
NORTH PUTNAM 41 CLOVERDALE 26
NORTHFIELD 93 TAYLOR 4
NORTHRIDGE 64 WAWASEE 15
OAK HILL 50 MACONAQUAH 39
OLDENBURG ACADEMY 54 RISING SUN 26
ORLEANS 53 SPRINGS VALLEY 51
PARKE HERITAGE 57 NORTH VERMILLION 32
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 49 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 44
PORTAGE 62 HAMMOND MORTON 58
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS 66 FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY 27
PRINCETON 48 MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) 22
PROVIDENCE 57 NEW ALBANY 52
RENSSELAER CENTRAL 58 BENTON CENTRAL 52
RIVERTON PARKE 51 CRAWFORDSVILLE 32
SEEGER 33 FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 26
SEVEN OAKS 39 WASHINGTON CATHOLIC 24
SHAWE MEMORIAL 43 HAUSER 37
SHELBYVILLE 47 NEW PALESTINE 33
SOUTH ADAMS 56 FORT WAYNE SOUTH 55
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 44 NORTHWOOD 33
SOUTH PUTNAM 47 CLAY CITY 30
SOUTH SPENCER 56 PIKE CENTRAL 35
SOUTHMONT 56 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 47
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) 65 MILAN 18
TERRE HAUTE NORTH 45 WEST VIGO 30
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 46 DANVILLE 43
TIPTON 53 ELWOOD 33
TRI-CENTRAL 44 CLINTON PRAIRIE 36
TRI-WEST 68 TRITON CENTRAL 61
TRI 50 MORRISTOWN 34
WALDRON 51 JAC-CEN-DEL 41
WATSEKA (ILL.) 58 NORTH NEWTON 39
WES-DEL 35 CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 23
WEST CENTRAL 44 NORTH WHITE 26
WEST LAFAYETTE 39 TWIN LAKES 30
WEST NOBLE 47 GOSHEN 26
WESTFIELD 35 CARMEL 32
WESTVILLE 53 KOUTS 49
YORKTOWN 55 WAPAHANI 19
MARION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
PIKE 77 BEECH GROVE 27
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 68 SPEEDWAY 32
BEN DAVIS 67 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 11
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI 71 DECATUR CENTRAL 59
LAWRENCE NORTH 53 PERRY MERIDIAN 39
BREBEUF JESUIT 47 NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) 44
WARREN CENTRAL 49 PARK TUDOR 28
LAWRENCE CENTRAL 78 SOUTHPORT 20
=========
WEDNEDAY’S GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
BELLMONT AT FORT WAYNE LUERS 7:30 PM
CHURUBUSCO AT EASTSIDE 7:00 PM
CORYDON CENTRAL AT AUSTIN 7:30 PM
DALEVILLE AT FRANKTON 7:30 PM
EVANSVILLE HARRISON AT EVANSVILLE REITZ 8:00 PM
GARY LIGHTHOUSE VS. TBA TBA
GRIFFITH AT HEBRON 8:00 PM
HAGERSTOWN AT UNION COUNTY 7:30 PM
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN AT HOBART 8:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER 7:30 PM
IRVINGTON PREP AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON PPD.
KNOX AT ROCHESTER 8:00 PM
LAKE CENTRAL AT ANDREAN 8:00 PM
LEO AT ANGOLA 7:30 PM
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 7:30 PM
MISHAWAKA AT JOHN GLENN 7:30 PM
MISSISSINEWA AT SOUTHWOOD 7:30 PM
MITCHELL AT BROWN COUNTY 7:00 PM
NORTHVIEW AT EDGEWOOD 7:30 PM
RIVER FOREST AT WHITING 8:00 PM
RUSHVILLE AT WHITELAND 7:30 PM
SOUTH ADAMS AT EASTBROOK 7:30 PM
SOUTH BEND RILEY AT PLYMOUTH 7:30 PM
TRITON AT MANCHESTER 7:30 PM
UNION CITY AT CENTERVILLE 7:30 PM
WARSAW AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) 7:30 PM
=========
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS WRESTLING RESULTS:
=======
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING RESULTS:
=======
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE
#2 MICHIGAN 89 VILLANOVA 61
#10 BYU 67 CLEMSON 64
#24 VIRGINIA TECH 84 MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE 60
#13 ILLINOIS 88 OHIO STATE 80
#5 UCONN 77#18 FLORIDA 73
BUFFALO 83 MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY 79
WEST VIRGINIA 90 LITTLE ROCK 58
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 68 BALL STATE 64
KENTUCKY 103 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 67
DEPAUL 92 MORGAN STATE 49
INDIANA 113 PENN STATE 72
WYOMING 106 SOUTH DAKOTA 79
ARIZONA STATE 73 NORTHERN ARIZONA 48
USC 94 SAN DIEGO 81
COLORADO STATE 76 DARTMOUTH 55
CALIFORNIA 93 DOMINICAN 71
SAN JOSE STATE 89 LONG BEACH STATE 83 OT
=========
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
#13 BAYLOR 90 ALABAMA STATE 36
#24 NEBRASKA 87 OMAHA 35
STANFORD 87 UNC GREENSBORO 42
EASTERN MICHIGAN 74 DUQUESNE 72
COLUMBIA 54 SETON HALL 53
XAVIER 64 LIU SHARKS 57
ARIZONA STATE 74 PENN STATE 60
LOYOLA MARYLAND 60 MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY 57
=========
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/SCORES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
FIRST ROUND
DEC. 19, 8 P.M. ET
NO. 8 OKLAHOMA (10-2) VS. NO. 9 ALABAMA (10-3) AT NORMAN, OKLA.
DEC, 20, NOON ET
NO. 7 TEXAS A&M (11-1) VS. NO. 10 MIAMI (10-2) AT COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
DEC. 20, 3:30 P.M. ET
NO. 6 OLE MISS (11-1) VS. NO. 11 TULANE (11-2) AT OXFORD, MISS.
DEC. 20, 7:30 P.M. ET
NO. 5 OREGON (11-1) VS. NO. 12 JAMES MADISON (12-1) AT EUGENE, ORE.
==========
QUARTERFINALS
DEC. 31, 7:30 P.M. ET
COTTON BOWL, ARLINGTON, TEXAS
NO. 2 OHIO STATE VS. WINNER OF TEXAS A&M-MIAMI
==========
JAN. 1, NOON ET
ORANGE BOWL, MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
NO. 4 TEXAS TECH VS. WINNER OF OREGON-JAMES MADISON
==========
JAN. 1, 4 P.M. ET
ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIF.
NO. 1 INDIANA VS. WINNER OF OKLAHOMA-ALABAMA
==========
JAN. 1, 8 P.M. ET
SUGAR BOWL, NEW ORLEANS
NO. 3 GEORGIA VS. WINNER OF OLE MISS-TULANE
==========
SEMIFINALS
JAN. 8, 7:30 P.M. ET
FIESTA BOWL, GLENDALE, ARIZ.
WINNER OF COTTON BOWL VS. WINNER OF SUGAR BOWL
==========
JAN. 9, 7:30 P.M. ET
PEACH BOWL, ATLANTA
WINNER OF ORANGE BOWL VS. WINNER OF ROSE BOWL
==========
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
JAN. 19, 7:30 P.M. ET
MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
=======
NFL
WEEK 15
THURSDAY, DEC. 11
ATLANTA AT TAMPA BAY, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, DEC. 14
LA CHARGERS AT KANSAS CITY, 1 P.M. (CBS)
BUFFALO AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M. (CBS)
NY JETS AT JACKSONVILLE, 1 P.M. (CBS)
BALTIMORE AT CINCINNATI, 1 P.M. (CBS)
LAS VEGAS AT PHILADELPHIA, 1 P.M. (FOX)
ARIZONA AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M. (FOX)
WASHINGTON AT NY GIANTS, 1 P.M. (FOX)
CLEVELAND AT CHICAGO, 1 P.M. (FOX)
GREEN BAY AT DENVER, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS AT SEATTLE, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)
DETROIT AT LA RAMS, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
TENNESSEE AT SAN FRANCISCO, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
CAROLINA AT NEW ORLEANS, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
MINNESOTA AT DALLAS, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 15
MIAMI AT PITTSBURGH, 8:15 P.M. (ESPN)
=======
NBA SCORES
ORLANDO 117 MIAMI 108
NEW YORK 117 TORONTO 101
=======
NHL SCORES
PHILADELPHIA 4 SAN JOSE 1
TAMPA BAY 6 MONTRÉAL 1
ANAHEIM 4 PITTSBURGH 3
NY ISLANDERS 5 VEGAS 4
NEW JERSEY 4 OTTAWA 3
CAROLINA 4 COLUMBUS 1
BOSTON 5 ST. LOUIS 2
DALLAS 4 WINNIPEG 3
BUFFALO 4 EDMONTON 3 OT
NASHVILLE 4 COLORADO 3
=======
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
DEC. 13
CELEBRATION BOWL
ATLANTA
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE VS. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M, NOON (ABC)
LA BOWL
INGLEWOOD, CALIF.
BOISE STATE VS. WASHINGTON, 8 P.M. (ABC)
=========
DEC. 16
SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL
MONTGOMERY, ALA.
TROY VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE, 9 P.M. (ESPN)
=========
DEC. 17
CURE BOWL
ORLANDO, FLA.
OLD DOMINION VS. SOUTH FLORIDA, 5 P.M. (ESPN)
68 VENTURES BOWL
MOBILE, ALA.
LOUISIANA VS. DELAWARE, 8:30 P.M. (ESPN)
==========
DEC. 18
XBOX BOWL
FRISCO, TEXAS
ARKANSAS STATE VS. MISSOURI STATE, 9 P.M. (ESPN2)
==========
DEC. 19
MYRTLE BEACH BOWL
CONWAY, S.C.
KENNESAW STATE VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN, 11 A.M. (ESPN)
GASPARILLA BOWL
TAMPA, FLA.
MEMPHIS VS N.C. STATE, 2:30 P.M. (ESPN)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
FIRST ROUND
NO. 11 ALABAMA (10-3) AT NO. 8 OKLAHOMA (10-2), 8 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)
===========
DEC. 20
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
FIRST ROUND
NO. 10 MIAMI (FLA.) (10-2) AT NO. 7 TEXAS A&M (11-1), NOON (ESPN/ABC)
NO. 17 TULANE (11-2) AT NO. 6 MISSISSIPPI (11-1), 3:30 P.M. (TNT/HBO MAX)
NO. 19 JAMES MADISON (12-1) AT NO. 5 OREGON (11-1), 7:30 P.M. (TNT/HBO MAX)
===========
DEC. 22
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
BOISE, IDAHO
UTAH ST. VS. WASHINGTON ST., 2 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 23
BOCA RATON BOWL
BOCA RATON, FLA.
LOUISVILLE VS. TOLEDO, 2 P.M. (ESPN)
NEW ORLEANS BOWL
NEW ORLEANS
WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. SOUTHERN MISS, 5:30 P.M. (ESPN)
FRISCO BOWL
FRISCO, TEXAS
OHIO VS. UNLV, 9 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 24
HAWAI’I BOWL
HONOLULU
CAL VS. HAWAII, 8 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 26
GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL
DETROIT, MICH.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN VS. NORTHWESTERN, 1 P.M. (ESPN)
RATE BOWL
PHOENIX
NEW MEXICO VS. MINNESOTA, 4:30 P.M. (ESPN)
FIRST RESPONDER BOWL
DALLAS, TEXAS
FIU VS. UTSA, 8 P.M. (ESPN)
=============
DEC. 27
MILITARY BOWL
ANNAPOLIS, MD.
PITTSBURGH VS. EAST CAROLINA, 11 A.M. (ESPN)
PINSTRIPE BOWL
BRONX, N.Y.
CLEMSON VS. PENN ST., NOON (ABC)
FENWAY BOWL
BOSTON
UCONN VS. ARMY, 2:15 P.M. (ESPN)
POP-TARTS BOWL
ORLANDO, FLA.
NO. 12 BYU VS. NO. 24 GEORGIA TECH, 3:30 P.M. (ABC)
ARIZONA BOWL
TUCSON, ARIZ.
FRESNO ST. VS. MIAMI (OH), 4:30 P.M. (CW NETWORK)
NEW MEXICO BOWL
ALBUQUERQUE
NO. 23 NORTH TEXAS VS. SAN DIEGO ST., 5:45 P.M. (ESPN)
GATOR BOWL
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
NO. 25 MISSOURI VS. NO. 20 VIRGINIA, 7:30 P.M. (ABC)
TEXAS BOWL
HOUSTON
LSU VS. NO. 21 HOUSTON, 9:15 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 29
BIRMINGHAM BOWL
BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. APPALACHIAN STATE, 2 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 30
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
SHREVEPORT, LA.
COASTAL CAROLINA VS. LOUISIANA TECH, 2 P.M. (ESPN)
MUSIC CITY BOWL
NASHVILLE, TENN.
TENNESSEE VS. ILLINOIS, 5:30 P.M. (ESPN)
ALAMO BOWL
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
NO. 16 SOUTHERN CAL VS. TCU, 9 P.M. (ESPN)
============
DEC. 31
RELIAQUEST BOWL
TAMPA, FLA.
NO. 13 VANDERBILT VS. NO. 23 IOWA, NOON (ESPN)
SUN BOWL
EL PASO, TEXAS
ARIZONA ST. VS. DUKE, 2 P.M. (CBS)
CITRUS BOWL
ORLANDO, FLA.
NO. 14 TEXAS VS. NO. 18 MICHIGAN, 3 P.M. (ABC)
LAS VEGAS BOWL
LAS VEGAS
NO. 15 UTAH VS. NEBRASKA, 3:30 P.M. (ESPN)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
QUARTERFINALS
AT COTTON BOWL, ARLINGTON, TEXAS
MIAMI/TEXAS A&M WINNER AT NO. 3 OHIO ST., 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)
============
JAN. 1
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
QUARTERFINALS
AT ORANGE BOWL, MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
JAMES MADISON/OREGON WINNER AT NO. 4 TEXAS TECH, NOON (ESPN)
AT ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIF.
ALABAMA/OKLAHOMA WINNER AT NO. 1 INDIANA, 4 P.M. (ESPN)
AT SUGAR BOWL, NEW ORLEANS
TULANE/MISSISSIPPI WINNER AT NO. 2 GEORGIA, 8 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
JAN. 2
ARMED FORCES BOWL
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
TEXAS STATE VS. RICE, 1 P.M. (ESPN)
LIBERTY BOWL
MEMPHIS, TENN.
NO. 22 NAVY VS. CINCINNATI, 4:30 P.M. (ESPN)
DUKE’S MAYO BOWL
CHARLOTTE, N.C.
MISSISSIPPI ST. VS. WAKE FOREST, 8 P.M. (ESPN)
HOLIDAY BOWL
SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
NO. 21 ARIZONA VS. SMU, 8 P.M. (FOX)
===========
JAN. 8
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
SEMIFINALS
AT FIESTA BOWL, GLENDALE, ARIZ.
TBD, 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)
==========
JAN. 9
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
SEMIFINALS
AT PEACH BOWL, ATLANTA
TBD, 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
JAN. 19
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
AT MIAMI
SEMIFINAL WINNERS, 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)
=========
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT
DECEMBER 11
CREIGHTON VS. ARIZONA STATE
CAL POLY VS. KENTUCKY
MINNESOTA VS. PITTSBURGH
PURDUE VS. SMU
===
DECEMBER 12
INDIANA VS. TEXAS
WISCONSIN VS. STANFORD
TEXAS A&M VS. LOUISVILLE
KANSAS VS. NEBRASKA
===
SEMIFINALS: THURSDAY, DEC. 18
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: 3:30 P.M. ON SUNDAY, DEC. 21 | ABC
==========
MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER
NCAA TOURNAMENT
MEN’S COLLEGE CUP:
SEMIFINALS: FRIDAY, DEC. 12
NC STATE VS. ST. LOUIS
WASHINGTON VS. FURMAN
FINALS: MONDAY, DEC. 15
=========
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
WEEK 15 NFL PREVIEW
The 2025 season marks the third time since realignment in 2002, also 2014 and 2021, that no playoff berths have been clinched entering Week 15.
Seven of the eight divisions have a team in first place or tied for first that did not win its division last season: AFC East (New England), AFC North (Pittsburgh), AFC South (Jacksonville), AFC West (Denver), NFC North (Green Bay), NFC South (Carolina) and NFC West (Seattle).
Five teams – Chicago, Jacksonville, New England, San Francisco and Seattle – are in playoff position after missing the postseason last year. Since 1990 – a streak of 35 consecutive seasons (1990-2024) – at least four teams every season have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before.
Here’s a look at each division race entering Week 15:
AFC East: The New England Patriots (11-2) lead the AFC East after finishing last in their division in 2024. In 19 of the past 22 seasons (2003-24), at least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. The Patriots are set to host the Buffalo Bills (9-4) (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS) and with a win, can clinch their first division title since 2019.
New England has won 10 consecutive games since Week 4, including a 23-20 win at Buffalo in Week 5. Additionally with a win, the Patriots can record their third 11-game winning streak in a single season in franchise history, previously winning all 16 regular-season games in 2007 and recording a 12-game winning streak in 2003.
The Bills have won the AFC East in each of the past five seasons and can become the sixth team all-time with at least 10 wins in seven straight seasons, joining the 2003-19 New England Patriots (17 consecutive seasons), 1983-98 San Francisco 49ers (16), 2015-24 Kansas City Chiefs (10), 2002-10 Indianapolis Colts (nine) and 1975-81 Dallas Cowboys (seven).
AFC North: The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) lead the division after defeating the Baltimore Ravens (6-7), 27-22, in Week 14. Over the final four weeks of the season, the Steelers look to record their 22nd consecutive season with a .500-or-better record and surpass the Dallas Cowboys (21 consecutive seasons from 1965-85) for the longest such streak in NFL history.
The Steelers and Ravens will also meet in Week 18. Pittsburgh can secure its first AFC North division title since 2020 while Baltimore can win the division for the third-consecutive season.
AFC South: The Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) have won four consecutive games to take over first place in the AFC South, leading the Houston Texans (8-5) and Indianapolis Colts (8-5). The Jaguars, along with the Patriots, are in playoff position after selecting in the top-five in the 2025 NFL Draft. In six consecutive seasons (2019-24) and in 21 of the past 23 seasons (2002-24), a team that chose in the top five of the NFL Draft has qualified for the postseason.
Jacksonville, over the final four weeks, can secure their fifth division title in franchise history and first since 2022.
Houston, looking to become the fifth team since 1990 to begin 0-3 and qualify for the postseason, has won five consecutive games entering Week 15. The Texans have won the AFC South in each of the past two seasons.
Indianapolis, one of eight teams that has a .500-or-better record after missing the playoffs last season, searches for its first playoff berth since 2020 and is set to face Jacksonville in Week 17 and Houston in Week 18.
AFC West: The Denver Broncos (11-2) lead the AFC West and have won 10 consecutive games within a single season for the fourth time in franchise history (13 consecutive games in 1998, 11 in 2012 and 10 in 1984). With a win in Week 15, Denver can win 12 games in a season for the first time since 2015 and clinch a playoff berth for the second consecutive season.
The Los Angeles Chargers (9-4) look for consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time since 2006-07 and can qualify for the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since four straight playoff appearances from 2006-09.
NFC East: Since 2005, there has been a new NFC East division champion in 20 consecutive seasons (2005-24). The Philadelphia Eagles (8-5) currently lead the Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) for first place in the division and can become the first team to repeat as NFC East champions since they won four consecutive division titles from 2001-04.
NFC North: The Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) lead the Chicago Bears (9-4) and Detroit Lions (8-5) in the NFC North entering Week 15. The Packers defeated the Bears, 28-21, at home in Week 14 and are set to meet in Chicago in Week 16. Green Bay is 4-0 against the NFC North this season, one of three teams (the Los Angeles Chargers and New England) with a perfect record against its own division.
The Packers can secure their first division title since winning three consecutive NFC North titles from 2019-21.
The Bears can win the NFC North for the first time since 2018 and qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2020.
The Lions look to win the division and qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
NFC South: The Carolina Panthers (7-6) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) enter the final month of the season tied atop the NFC South. The Buccaneers have won four consecutive division titles since 2021 while the Panthers are seeking their first NFC South title since 2015 and first playoff berth since 2017.
Tampa Bay and Carolina are set to meet twice in the final three weeks of the season (Week 16 at Carolina, Week 18 at Tampa Bay).
NFC West: The Los Angeles Rams (10-3), Seattle Seahawks (10-3) and San Francisco 49ers (9-4) each enter Week 15 in a playoff spot. Two matchups between the three teams remain this season – the Rams visit the Seahawks in Week 16 and Seattle visits San Francisco in Week 18.
The Rams can win the NFC West for the second-straight season and qualify for the playoffs for the seventh time in nine seasons under head coach Sean McVay.
The Seahawks can win the division for the first time since 2020 and reach the postseason for the first time since 2022.
The 49ers can win the NFC West for the third time in the past four seasons and qualify for the postseason for the fourth time in the past five years.
REPORT: BENGALS’ TREY HENDRICKSON UNDERGOES CORE MUSCLE SURGERY
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson underwent core muscle surgery Tuesday morning and will miss the remainder of the regular season, NFL Network reported.
A traditional recovery time following this type of surgery is six weeks, per the report.
The Bengals (4-9) are three games behind the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) with four games left.
Hendrickson, who turned 31 on Friday, last played in a game on Oct. 26 against the New York Jets.
He recorded 16 tackles and four sacks in seven games this season.
Hendrickson spent the offseason in a standoff with the Bengals over the lack of a contract extension. He officially requested a trade, but the Bengals eventually coaxed him out of a holdout posture with a $14 million raise that pushed his 2025 salary to $30 million.
Hendrickson entered 2025 with an NFL-best 35 total sacks over the previous two seasons. The four-time Pro Bowler has 81 career sacks in 117 games with the New Orleans Saints (2017-20) and Bengals.
REPORT: CARDS LT PARIS JOHNSON JR. NURSING SPRAINED MCL
Arizona Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is considered week-to-week while dealing with a sprained MCL, NFL Network reported on Tuesday.
Johnson, who is leading his position in the voting for the Pro Bowl, sustained the injury during the third quarter of Arizona’s 45-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Undrafted rookie Josh Fryar replaced Johnson in that game and likely would do so again this Sunday when the Cardinals (3-10) visit the Houston Texans (8-5).
Johnson, 24, has started all 12 games in which he has played this season and all 43 in his career since being selected by Arizona with the sixth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
NFL WEEK 15 PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
AFC
CLINCHED:
None
Denver Broncos (11-2) vs. Green Bay Packers (9-3-1); Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Denver clinches a playoff berth with:
- DEN win OR
- DEN tie + LAC loss OR
- DEN tie + JAX loss OR
- DEN tie + HOU loss or tie OR
- DEN tie + IND loss or tie OR
- HOU loss or tie + IND loss or tie as long as both games don’t end in a tie
New England Patriots (11-2) vs. Buffalo Bills (9-4); Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
New England clinches AFC East division title with:
1. NE win
New England clinches a playoff berth with:
- NE win OR
- NE tie + LAC loss OR
- NE tie + HOU loss or tie OR
- NE tie + IND loss or tie OR
- NE tie + JAX loss OR
- HOU loss or tie + IND loss or tie as long as both games don’t end in a tie
NFC
CLINCHED:
None
Los Angeles Rams (10-3) vs. Detroit Lions (8-5); Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Los Angeles Rams clinch a playoff berth with:
- LAR win
NFL POWER RANKINGS
ERIC EDHOLM-https://x.com/eric_edholm
(NFL RELEASE)
- LA RAMS: A week after their first loss since early October, the Rams racked up season highs in points (45) and yards from scrimmage (530) in a road beatdown of the Cardinals. Arizona played tough early but collapsed under the onslaught of Los Angeles’ persistent and balanced attack. Right now, the Kyren Williams-Blake Corum backfield combo looks like a real winner. The Rams nearly ran for as many yards (249) as they threw for (281) on Sunday, and their only negative plays on offense came on a few annoying penalties. Other than that, they were dominant, rewarding my faith in them — keeping them in the No. 1 spot — after the Week 13 defeat at Carolina. Tough games lie ahead against the Lions and Seahawks, the latter of which likely will decide the NFC West and could seal the top seed for the Rams.
- SEATTLE: The Seahawks were surprisingly sluggish in the first half, but they cranked it up after the break, with Rashid Shaheed giving them a huge nudge via his 100-yard kickoff return. What makes these ‘Hawks dangerous is that they have firepower in all three phases of the game. The special teams feature big legs and TD potential in the return games. Sam Darnold and the offense certainly can turn up the heat, as they did in the second half at Atlanta. But the defense might be the most incendiary unit on the team, holding the Falcons to three field goals and forcing three turnovers. Granted, Seattle hasn’t faced the most fearsome group of quarterbacks (and will avoid Daniel Jones in this Sunday’s game against Indianapolis), but Mike Macdonald’s defense is close to full health and firing on all cylinders.
- DENVER: By sweeping the Raiders, the Broncos secured a key tiebreaker with the Patriots, earning a common-opponents edge between the two teams if they finish with the same record. That gives them pole position for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, even if this thing could — and probably will — go down to the wire. Bo Nix led a very efficient offensive attack, with Denver scoring its first opening-drive touchdown since Week 2 and not letting up. There wasn’t anything mind-blowing about Sunday’s performance, but it was what was expected from a strong Denver team against a weak Las Vegas club, with the Raiders’ late TD and field goal making this contest look a lot closer than it actually was. The Broncos’ final four games are a real test, and don’t expect any mercy when they visit Kansas City in a few weeks, even if the Chiefs are officially eliminated from postseason play by then.
- NEW ENGLAND: Ten straight wins, followed by a bye and a shot to end the Bills’ division run this Sunday in Foxborough. The Patriots are flying high in what could be a post-Chiefs playoff field, with a chance to earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Beating Buffalo won’t be easy, especially with Josh Allen heating up and undoubtedly champing at the bit for a second crack at that Patriots defense, which will be without Milton Williams. New England also will be shorthanded on the offensive line for a bit, and the run game has had its limitations. But Drake Maye and his receivers, with some brilliant guidance from Josh McDaniels, have made it work quite well to this point. The Pats aren’t a perfect team, but they’re pretty darned compelling, and they’ll give anyone they face from here on out a great battle. That’s guaranteed.
- GREEN BAY: Jordan Love has stepped up in a major way over the past couple games, with four touchdown passes against Detroit and three more vs. Chicago, rallying on Sunday after a bad early interception. The big-play threat is back in the Packers’ offense, even if it was surprising how much man coverage the Bears threw their way. Still, Christian Watson had two long touchdowns, Bo Melton added one of his own, and Jayden Reed reprised his old role (with three big first-down conversions) in his long-awaited return from injury. It also helps when Josh Jacobs is grinding out late yards, fueling the game-winning drive with some big plays. The defense looked gassed by game’s end, but a third-down stuff and fourth-down pick were just what Green Bay needed. This is a tough team with Super Bowl potential, even if the Pack nearly coughed up a double-digit lead to the Bears.
- BUFFALO: Down 10 points late, with the snow really piling up, Josh Allen and an opportunistic Bills defense dominated the final eight minutes with an incredible flourish against the scrappy Bengals, keeping Buffalo’s faint divisional hopes alive. The Bills will need to beat the well-rested Patriots on Sunday in Foxborough — and do more than that — to even harbor those thoughts, but it’s possible. Yet, I think this team remains dangerous as a wild card, if that’s the way it goes. With the Bengals, Ravens and Chiefs all falling off, and even the upstart Colts falling on hard times, you simply cannot count out an Allen-led group in the playoffs. I’m not ignoring Buffalo’s defensive limitations, nor am I looking away from James Cook’s rising fumble total. But with Allen, the Bills nearly always have a chance.
- CHICAGO: This was a humbling loss, not a demoralizing one, even if the Packers have seized temporary control of the division. The Lions aren’t going away, either, and to demonstrate just how tenuous everything is at this time of year, the Bears fell from the top seed in the NFC last week to the last team in the playoff field. All for a team that was a few plays away from potentially stealing the game up in Green Bay. The rematch in two weekends remains huge and could shift the division back in the Bears’ direction, but their hopes of a first-round bye might be gone now, and the wind’s at Green Bay’s back. Caleb Williams had his moments but couldn’t finish, and the defense just gave up too many big plays, with not enough pressure and crossed wires in the secondary.
- SAN FRANCISCO: The league’s most beat-up team rode into the Week 14 bye on a high, winning three straight, and you could make a strong case that having their week off earlier in the season might have helped more from a health standpoint. They’re not going to get back any significant players from injury, and Kyle Juszczyk’s status remains up in the air. That said, it’s probably a great thing that San Francisco’s stars — especially workhorse Christian McCaffrey — had a break. Winning out could actually give the Niners a shot at the No. 1 seed, and three of the final four are at home, with the lone road game (at Indianapolis) looking different following Daniel Jones’ injury. Don’t count San Francisco out, even with all the injuries.
- JACKSONVILLE: If you were to ask me to identify Jacksonville’s superpower, I’d probably stumble my way through an answer before mentioning the run defense. But once Daniel Jones was knocked out of Sunday’s game, the Jaguars flexed their muscles and put the Colts away to wrest temporary control of the division. The Texans are coming, but these Jaguars are making things work in Liam Coen’s first season. He might be running third in the Coach of the Year race behind Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson, but Coen’s offense looked nice early against Indy before slowing down after halftime. All in all, though, this team is playing good football at the right time. Jacksonville has allowed just 13 points per game over the past four, and it’s looking like the Jags could face undrafted rookie Brady Cook at QB when the Jets come to town this Sunday.
- DETROIT: With their backs against the wall, the Lions willed their way to victory over the Cowboys and kept alive their streak of 15 straight wins following a loss. That’s the kind of mental toughness Dan Campbell has instilled in his team, but that resilience is going to be put to the test with Brian Branch suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. The star safety is as much the heartbeat of Detroit’s defense as Aidan Hutchinson is — losing Branch at an already-thin position could be a massive blow to Kelvin Sheppard’s unit. Adding to the degree of difficulty: three road games in the final four, with zero gimmes remaining. The Lions’ only contest against a team that’s not currently in the playoff field comes in a short week at Minnesota on Christmas Day. With Jahmyr Gibbs on their side, anything is possible. But no doubt, the Lions still have a ton of work to do and several obstacles in their way.
- HOUSTON: C.J. Stroud completed three passes in the second half — three! — but the Texans produced just enough offense to finish what the defense started. DeMeco Ryans’ elite D has thrown some beauties this season, but Sunday night’s effort was probably its most important performance of the season, with Houston intercepting Patrick Mahomes three times (even if the last one was a gift off the hands of Travis Kelce). Andy Reid rolled the dice twice on fourth downs, and in some ways, that was a nod to just how good the Texans are defensively. Reid felt he had to play that riskily in order to get any spark offensively. Houston also managed an injury to Nick Chubb, with Dare Ogunbowale spelling Woody Marks to score his first rushing TD since 2022 (on only his fourth carry of the season). The Texans keep finding ways to win games, and they could run their streak to seven straight, with the Cardinals and Raiders on tap in Houston.
- LA CHARGERS: Justin Herbert was sacked seven times and hit a whole lot more, struggling to find open receivers and protect the broken left hand he had surgery on a week before Monday’s game. But it was Herbert’s running that gave the offense the tiny boost it needed, and though the Chargers failed to score a touchdown after their opening drive, they held on for dear life for a dramatic overtime win. The defense rose up time and time again, picking off Jalen Hurts four times, including the game-sealer just outside the end zone in overtime. Cameron Dicker remains the league’s most underrated kicker, making five field goals, with three coming in the final eight minutes of regulation and overtime. Just a gutsy, ugly, chaotic victory for Jim Harbaugh’s team, with style points absolutely unnecessary. The Bolts keep scraping by.
- PHILADELPHIA: Jalen Hurts overcame a nightmarish first half to rally the Eagles and put them in position to beat the Chargers in overtime … but then threw his fourth interception of the game on a pass forced into coverage. Hurts’ third INT clanged off A.J. Brown’s hands, but the other three — plus his fumble after his own pick — were on the quarterback. In the first half, the Eagles had a touchdown erased by a holding penalty, missed a field goal and generally looked listless offensively outside of Saquon Barkley. It was Barkley’s terrific, fourth-quarter TD run that put Philadelphia ahead for the first time, but the Eagles couldn’t contain Justin Herbert as a runner. Still, it’s hard to blame a defense that held the Chargers to 3.9 yards per play and didn’t allow a touchdown after Los Angeles’ opening drive. The Eagles consistently got good starting field position from the return teams but had eight empty drives and went 0-for-2 in the red zone. After a third straight loss, this will be another long week in Philly. If the Eagles can’t get right in Sunday’s home game against the lowly Raiders, the reigning champs are in serious trouble.
- PITTSBURGH: What a difference a week made. Mike Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh was in question, it felt like it could be it for Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers were cooked … until they went out and beat the Ravens in Baltimore. Rodgers came out like a man on a mission. He didn’t complete a pass of 20-plus air yards in the entire month of November, but he hit on three of them against the Ravens. Granted, the offense ran out of steam in the fourth quarter, and the defense started cracking, allowing Baltimore to score on four straight drives. But the Steelers were terrific in the red zone, holding the Ravens to two field goals and turning them over on downs in that area of the field, with Alex Highsmith’s sack deep in Pittsburgh territory ending it. The Steelers now have stolen the momentum back in the AFC North. Can they hang on to give Tomlin an eighth division title (and first since 2020)?
- INDIANAPOLIS: No way to sugarcoat it: Sunday went about as poorly as the Colts possibly could have imagined. Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, Indianapolis lost in Jacksonville (again), and now the Colts are a game back in the division race. We’ve elevated the concern level to DEFCON 1, with Indy falling to a 32 percent chance to make the playoffs. Even if the Colts can get back DeForest Buckner and Sauce Gardner on defense, the offense is adrift without Jones, and now backup QB Riley Leonard is dealing with a leg injury of his own. Jones’ Achilles tear could significantly impact the team’s future plans for him, with the quarterback now set to hit free agency while rehabbing a major health setback. Just an awful turn of events that has thrown the franchise into a state of desperation. At the beginning of November, Indianapolis owned the best record in the NFL at 7-1. On Tuesday, the Colts signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who hasn’t taken an NFL snap since January of 2021.
- BALTIMORE: The Ravens’ playoff chances aren’t dead, but they absolutely coughed up a great chance by losing two straight at home to division rivals. After Baltimore was blown out by Cincinnati, it felt that the Ravens understood the assignment against a battered Steelers team, yet they fell behind by two touchdowns early and ultimately couldn’t make up enough ground. John Harbaugh’s team probably needs to win out (vs. the Bengals, Patriots, Packers and Steelers) in order to get in, and that just doesn’t look likely after another disjointed, uneven performance. Watching Jaylen Warren go untouched for a long catch-and-run TD was a painful sight after all the progress the Ravens had made defensively, and Lamar Jackson — as it’s been much of the season — just couldn’t find a consistent rhythm.
- TAMPA BAY: Less than three minutes into Sunday’s game in Tampa, the Buccaneers found themselves in a hole they’d spend much of the game trying to dig themselves out of. They turned the ball over on downs a whopping five times, with Tampa Bay scoring only three points after the Saints gave the ball up in three possessions via a missed kick, an interception and their own fourth-down failure. Twice, the Bucs took the lead, only to see the Saints take it back both times. There would be no third-time charm. The Bucs remain the statistical favorites to win the NFC South, but they’ve made it harder on themselves and given the dangerous Panthers even more hope and opportunity to steal the division. Tampa Bay just hasn’t looked right for a month or more.
- CAROLINA: The league’s most curiously competitive team (along with the Jaguars), the Panthers floated into their Week 14 bye following the dramatic home victory over the Rams that gave them a real path to the postseason. Tampa Bay’s crushing loss to New Orleans just made it a little smoother, too. Of course, the way this Carolina season has gone — ping-ponging between wins and losses since Week 7, and having some interesting results along the way — we’re not taking anything for granted. The Saints are no gimme this Sunday; they beat the Panthers, 17-7, a month ago. But the division should be decided in Carolina’s showdowns with Tampa Bay in Weeks 16 and 18. Can Bryce Young deliver? He, like the team, has been alternately hot and cold, but Young has a chance to fully secure his future in Carolina with a big finish.
- DALLAS: The Cowboys’ playoff chances are on life support after the loss at Detroit, a game in which the defense reverted to old form and the offensive line couldn’t protect Dak Prescott consistently enough. CeeDee Lamb also was knocked out with a concussion, and George Pickens couldn’t pick up the slack — even if Ryan Flournoy did, in an eye-opening performance for the second-year pro. It will be interesting to see how much Flournoy is featured down the stretch and whether Pickens plays well enough to convince the Cowboys to make him a strong contract offer in the offseason. The ‘Boys will still have plenty to play for down the stretch, even with the postseason dreams essentially cooked.
- KANSAS CITY: Kansas City isn’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs — yet — but Sunday felt like a funeral at Arrowhead, with the 20-10 loss to Houston officially ending the Chiefs’ streak of division titles at nine. Patrick Mahomes didn’t have anything close to a vintage game against a terrific Texans defense, but he also didn’t drop two catchable passes with a chance to tie or win the game in the fourth quarter. First came Rashee Rice’s brutal flub on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Texans. Then, after a great defensive stand, Travis Kelce’s bobble ended up as a game-killing Texans interception. There couldn’t have been a more cruel, painful knife twist than that ending — a surefire sign that this offense is broken, even if we’ve known it for a while. We’ve done various pre-eulogies, maybe even retracting a few along the way, but this feels like it. A shocking end to an incredible run.
- MIAMI: The Dolphins have won four straight games, and they’ve all come with Tua Tagovailoa failing to reach the 200-yard passing mark. They’ve undergone an identity shift in those four games, holding all four opponents to 17 points or fewer and leaning heavily on the run game. We’ll see if that can continue after De’Von Achane left the game with a rib injury (apparently, it’s not too severe), although Jaylen Wright had a career game and Ollie Gordon II also chipped in with his own score. With its own playoff hopes dwindling, Miami continues its quest to play the role of spoiler down the stretch (three of its four remaining opponents harbor playoff hopes). But Mike McDaniel deserves credit for getting these Fins back on track. The fourth-year head coach appears to have cooled his seat considerably, even as the postseason remains the longest of long shots.
- MINNESOTA: Granted, it happened against a Washington defense that has made all kinds of opposing quarterbacks sparkle this season, but while many weren’t looking, J.J. McCarthy had his most efficient and encouraging performance of the season on Sunday. Derailed by injuries and ineffectiveness to this point in his career, McCarthy put together a good showing on which to build. He moved around efficiently, didn’t throw the ball into harm’s way and generally made quicker, smarter decisions. And though Justin Jefferson was quiet again, McCarthy leaned heavily on his tight ends. That and a lights-out game defensively appeared to stun the home crowd after four straight losses. Other than the dip in draft position that resulted from this win, McCarthy playing a good game can only be viewed as a positive development.
- CINCINNATI: We had fully bought into the Bengals’ absurd and improbable playoff dream, but it almost certainly required holding on for victory Sunday against the Bills. Up 10 with eight minutes left, Joe Burrow was picked twice (on two of the shorter, stranger INTs you’ll see on back-to-back passes), and Cincinnati allowed two quick TD drives to completely flip the game. The Bengals made their own bed with a disastrous string of games while Burrow was hurt, so blaming him after Sunday’s two rather unlucky plays feels like a giant stretch. For most of the game, he matched Josh Allen blow for blow. Eventually, the Bengals must figure out how to avoid an early-season meltdown, lest they might perpetually find themselves in “There’s always next year” mode.
- ATLANTA: Sunday’s depressing defeat guaranteed that the Falcons will finish with a losing record, but honestly, that has felt clinched for a few weeks now. They’re also 2-4 in Atlanta, with a home date left against the Rams. There just aren’t many things to get excited about now, especially with DROY candidate Jalon Walker leaving the game with a quad injury. Bijan Robinson lost a fumble in the red zone, Kirk Cousins was picked twice and the special teams melted down for a second straight game, with a blocked field goal and a 100-yard TD allowed on a kickoff return, giving Seattle the momentum it needed to get going. Rookie James Pearce Jr. stepped up and played well, which is great, but then you remember where Atlanta’s traded first-rounder is likely to land — in the top 10 — and it’s depressing all over again.
- NEW ORLEANS: Tyler Shough hasn’t been amazing, but he’s played well enough for the Saints to consider him as the possible starter in 2026. Even with an interception and limited passing success in Sunday’s win over Tampa, Shough dealt well with heavy pressure and made big plays with his legs on his first two career rushing TDs. The rookie has looked pretty composed in leading two Saints victories in his five starts, and the Saints might have a chance to finish with five or six total Ws. It might be foolish at this moment to simply hand Shough the starting job next year. But this feels a little different than, say, when Desmond Ridder — another former Day 2 pick — finished his rookie season with a solid four-game opportunity for the 2022 Falcons, winning a few games down the stretch and needing only to beat out Taylor Heinicke for the starting job in Atlanta the next season.
- WASHINGTON: That’s now three contests, each roughly a month apart, where Jayden Daniels has left a game he started with injury. It’s fair to wonder if we’ll see him again in 2025, because why would we? Entering the season, he was viewed as the crown jewel of an ascending franchise that went 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game, and now the Commanders are suddenly in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick. Eight straight losses will have that kind of effect on a team. Throw in Zach Ertz’s torn ACL, and the suffering only has gotten worse. Dan Quinn was a Coach of the Year candidate last season, but he has had no solutions for the Commanders’ issues, which suddenly run deep and wide. This is going to be a fascinating offseason for this wayward team.
- ARIZONA: With Arizona’s fifth straight loss (and 10th in 11 games) and the news that Kyler Murray won’t return this season, it feels like we could be headed for another organizational shift of some note in the offseason. It’s not clear who will survive and who’ll be deemed expendable, but changes figure to come after a lost season. For the glass-half-full folks, yes, there have been more close losses than embarrassments this season, but we half-empty people also can’t help but notice how three of the past five defeats have come via blowout, with 41 or more points allowed in each. This after the defense was provided a lot of resources last offseason. In a stacked NFC West, the Cardinals just can’t compete as they’re currently constructed.
- NY JETS: Brady Cook was thrown into a tough spot in his NFL debut after Tyrod Taylor left with a groin injury, asked to pull the Jets out of a 21-0 hole without many weapons or good protection. The Jets’ special teams did their part, but the other two units came up way short in the loss to Miami. Cook certainly missed a few throws against the Dolphins, including a pair of red-zone picks, but his receivers didn’t do him many favors, either. Taylor isn’t the Jets’ future. Justin Fields probably isn’t, either. And Cook has a long way to go just to prove he deserves a roster spot next summer. So, the Jets almost certainly will focus their energies on solving the long-running QB concern this team has been dealing with for, well, decades. The Jets are currently slotted to pick fifth in the 2026 NFL Draft, and there’s no guarantee they can get the right one there, although it helps that a few teams above them might already have their quarterbacks rostered. Not to mention, New York has a second first-rounder to play with, thanks to the Sauce Gardner trade.
- CLEVELAND: Shedeur Sanders is still only completing 52.4 percent of his passes, and his stressed-out prayer throw into traffic — which was predictably intercepted — is the kind of play he’ll need to work out of his system as he grows into NFL quarterbacking. But Sanders has provided more high notes than lows to this point, adding a clever rushing touchdown, with two of his three TD passes being absolute beauties. He hasn’t done enough to be anointed anything after this season, but it’s very tough to say he hasn’t earned this shot to start for the rest of the year — and Sanders had nothing to do with the second disastrous two-point try that prevented the Browns from tying the game late. The defense’s failure to hem in the Titans’ run game was one of the stranger developments of the season. Then again, losing in disappointing fashion is old hat for these Browns.
- NY GIANTS: Coming off a pretty humbling loss, even by 2-11 team standards, the Giants had an interesting bye week. GM Joe Schoen took some bullets during a pretty stressful press conference — hat tip to him for taking it like a man and accepting blame. It seems for now that Schoen will return in 2026, although no final decisions have been made. On Sunday, two of the Giants’ QBs did the pre-game circuit, hamming for the cameras — and no, Jaxson Dart was not one of them. He’s had a really promising rookie season and is probably the biggest feather Schoen has in his cap, even with other high-end talents on injured reserve. How the Giants play out the string against, presumably, four non-playoff teams will tell us a lot about how the subsequent offseason could look.
- TENNESSEE: Someone will have to explain to me how a Titans rushing offense that ranked 32nd entering Week 14 racked up 184 yards — tied for the most the Browns have allowed in a game this season — against a unit that is barely allowing 100 yards on the ground per game even after Sunday. Whatever the case, the Titans put forth their best all-around effort of the season, functionally good in all three phases. Yes, Cam Ward had a pick and averaged only 4.2 yards per pass attempt; he also threw two impressive TD passes and avoided the huge mistakes. Cleveland gifted the Titans two short-field touchdowns, but Tennessee’s defense showed up when it needed to most, and it was a gutsy outing for a team that has been through the ringer. Mike McCoy certainly had to enjoy that one after losing his first six games as interim coach by a combined 80 points.
- LAS VEGAS: I preemptively moved Las Vegas into the cellar a couple weeks ago, even though Tennessee had a worse record, and it was one of my smarter calls of the season. Not to dance on the Raiders’ grave or anything, but even after a moderately respectable showing against Denver, they still looked eons away from truly competing on Sunday. Hey, at least Vegas didn’t turn the ball over once for the first time since Week 3. But the run game remains anemic, putting a lot of pressure on the Raiders to figure out how to unlock Ashton Jeanty going forward. The Raiders somehow ran for 240 yards against the Bears in Week 4 but have just 232 rush yards combined in the past five games. That’s … something.
2025 NFL MVP RACE: CASE FOR AND AGAINST TOP 8 CANDIDATES ENTERING WEEK 15
JEFFRI CHADIHA-NFL.COM/https://x.com/jeffrichadiha
This is the time of year when the MVP race becomes real. The first three months of the season generally include a lot of hype and hoopla about whomever is the flavor of the week. December is something totally different. The sample sizes are large, and the pretenders don’t stand much chance of sticking around long.
This is why now is a perfect opportunity for The First Read to delve deeper into the MVP race. We know it’s turned into a two-man race lately — with the Patriots’ Drake Maye and the Rams’ Matthew Stafford as the favorites — but that doesn’t mean others can’t join the conversation as the season wind downs. This already has been a crazy year. It wouldn’t be shocking to see a little more chaos ensue as we determine who’ll win the most cherished individual award in the league.
So, here’s who should be in the discussion for MVP, along with predictions on how they’ll ultimately fare.
MATT STAFFORD
Why he could win: The Rams quarterback is enjoying the best season of his 17-year career, and he’s been the front-runner for this award for most of the past few weeks. Stafford rebounded from a three-turnover performance in a Week 13 loss to Carolina by throwing three touchdown passes in a 45-17 win over Arizona. Stafford now leads the league with 35 touchdown passes and he’s tossed just four interceptions. He also has led his team to victories over two of the league’s best defenses — Houston and Seattle — and the Rams still have marquee matchups coming in the next two weeks (against the Lions and Seahawks). The sympathy vote is in play here, as well. At 37, the only thing Stafford hasn’t done in his Hall of Fame career is win the MVP award. This might very well be his last great shot.
Why he couldn’t: That loss to the Panthers was rough. It opened the door for Maye to surge into the lead in this race, and the New England quarterback has a strong candidacy. Those games against the Lions and the Seahawks also will be cage matches. Both teams rank in the top 10 in the league in sacks, and they’ll be eager to get after Stafford. Another game or two like he had in Carolina would hurt him immensely.
Final verdict: Stafford was running away with this award at one point, and for good reason. He was trending toward the type of season that makes it easy for voters to hand him the trophy. It feels like that won’t be forgotten if the Rams keep rolling. He has more weapons than Maye, and the old-guy narrative will matter in the end.
DRAKE MAYE
Why he could win: The Patriots have been one of the best stories in the NFL this season, largely because Maye has grown up in a hurry. The second-year quarterback entered his Week 14 bye as the league’s leader in passer rating (111.9), completion percentage (71.5) and passing yards (3,412). Maye also has thrown 23 touchdown passes against just six interceptions as New England has produced an 11-2 record. There are other reasons to explain the Patriots’ success — including the hiring of Mike Vrabel as head coach and a vastly improved defense — but Maye’s maturation as a true franchise quarterback is what makes this season feel like the start of another special era within that franchise.
Why he couldn’t: New England’s last-place schedule is a common place to start when it comes to knocking this team’s success. It hasn’t given Maye that many signature moments to sell voters on his dominance. That said, the ones he has created — like in the Patriots’ Week 5 win over Buffalo — certainly resonate. The first guy on this list also has some strong credentials when it comes to winning this award.
Final verdict: Maye’s chances of winning this award come down to the next two weeks. He’ll face the Bills this coming Sunday and the Ravens the following week. If he plays well and beats Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, the last two MVP winners, then he could win this award.
JOSH ALLEN
Why he could win: This is the time of year when Allen puts that familiar cape on and starts producing feats that drop jaws. He logged four touchdowns in Sunday’s 39-34 win over Cincinnati, including a 40-yard TD run in the fourth quarter when the Bengals had control of the game. Allen also produced six touchdowns three weeks earlier in a win over Tampa Bay. We realized a long time ago that Buffalo’s defense isn’t anything close to the reliable unit we’ve come to expect under head coach Sean McDermott. That means the Bills must win by relying more on shootouts, which is something Allen does as well as any quarterback in the league.
Why he couldn’t: The great thing about winning the MVP is that it marks your place in history. The bad thing is that previous winners generally must do a hell of a lot more to win it a second time. Allen is on pace to have a better statistical season than he did during his 2024 MVP campaign — he should finish with more passing yards, rushing yards and touchdowns — but man, he’s had some flops. He had two turnovers in an upset loss to Miami and two more (to go along with eight sacks) in a loss to Houston. Allen had six interceptions last year. He already has 10 this year.
Final verdict: Allen can make some noise if the Bills beat the Patriots and Eagles in the final four weeks of the season. Those are high-profile games against teams with strong defenses. If he can’t do that, then he’s going to have a hard time turning a two-man race into a three-man competition.
JORDAN LOVE
Why he could win: Love has gotten hot at the right time for the Packers. The same player who went three straight weeks without even surpassing 200 passing yards now has thrown seven touchdown passes and only one interception in his last two games. Those efforts also resulted in huge wins against Detroit and Chicago that moved Green Bay into first place in the NFC North. There’s been a lot of talk about what Love is and isn’t. What can’t be denied this season is that he’s played his best games on major platforms. He has dominated on Sunday Night Football (with six total touchdown passes and no interceptions in two games), and he threw four touchdown passes against the Lions on Thanksgiving. People remember those moments, especially when you have 22 touchdown passes and four interceptions on the year.
Why he couldn’t: It’s never felt like people are completely in love with Love. For every great night he has, there also are plenty of stretches when he’s not making great decisions and playing inconsistently. He was fairly pedestrian in the Packers’ three losses, including upsets defeats to Cleveland and Carolina.
Final verdict: Love has some high-profile opportunities coming up — against the Broncos, Bears and Ravens — but he’s a long shot at best.
DAK PRESCOTT
Why he could win: Prescott has been playing at an MVP level for this entire season. He’s been leading the league’s best offense, and the Cowboys fought their way back into playoff contention after they produced a 3-5-1 record through nine games. Prescott entered Week 14 ranked second in passing yards while tied for second in touchdown passes. As much as the Cowboys defense improved after owner Jerry Jones made a couple midseason trades for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson, it’s fair to wonder where this team would’ve been if Prescott hadn’t been playing out of his mind. All Dallas had going for itself through the first half of the season was that electric offense.
Why he couldn’t: The Cowboys’ Thursday night loss in Detroit ruined whatever hopes Prescott had of making a push for this award. The chances of Dallas making the playoffs are slim — at best — and winning MVP is highly unlikely if your team is watching the postseason from home.
Final verdict: Prescott could’ve built a case if the Cowboys went on a run to make the playoffs. It’s almost impossible to see that happening now.
JONATHAN TAYLOR
Why he could win: Taylor has been the best running back in football all year. He leads the league in rushing and touchdowns, and he’s a major reason why quarterback Daniel Jones was resurrecting his career with the upstart Colts. Now that Jones sustained a serious Achilles injury in Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville, all of the Colts’ playoff hopes hinge on Taylor going crazy.
Why he couldn’t: For all his greatness this year, Taylor has now gone three straight games without reaching 100 rushing yards. His candidacy sounded much better when he was trending toward a 2,000-yard season.
Final verdict: He’s done. So are the Colts.
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA
Why he could win: Smith-Njigba has a chance to break the league’s single-season record for receiving yards. He’s produced eight games with at least 100 yards, and his emergence has been crucial to the success quarterback Sam Darnold has enjoyed in his first season in Seattle. To put this into perspective, Smith-Njigba has 121 targets this year. Cooper Kupp is the next closest on the team with 53.
Why he couldn’t: It’s always an uphill battle for a wide receiver to push into this conversation. Smith-Njigba also has cooled off. He has 115 receiving yards in his last two games combined.
Final verdict: He would need 2,000 receiving yards to be a real contender. He needs to average 143 yards per game over the final four games. The idea was fun while it lasted.
MYLES GARRETT
Why he could win: Garrett could end up being the most dominant player in football by the end of this season. He already has 20 sacks and he’s well within reach of the NFL’s single-season record of 22.5. It’s a real possibility that he ends up with something like 25 sacks, which is crazy to think for a player who is always the No. 1 concern for opposing offenses.
Why he couldn’t: The Browns still sit at 3-10 despite all those sacks. That tells you everything you need to know.
Final verdict: Garrett is a no-brainer for Defensive Player of the Year. That’s where it ends.
=========
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
2025 COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS
These top four finalists were announced on Monday, December 8:
Jeremiyah Love, Junior RB, Notre Dame: Ranks 4th in rushing yards (1,372), 5th in yards per game (114.33) and 3rd in rushing touchdowns with 18. He added 27 catches for 280 yards and 3 TD’s to rank 4th in all-purpose yards (1,652) and 2nd with 21 total touchdowns. He scored at least one touchdown in each of his final 11 games. Broke Jerome Bettis’ school record for total TD’s (20) in a regular season (1991) with 21.
Fernando Mendoza, Redshirt Junior QB, Indiana: in his first season after transferring from Cal, Mendoza led Indiana to a 13-0 record, the B1G Championship and the College Football Playoff #1. Was 226-of-316 (71.5%) for 2,980 yards with a nation’s best 33 TD’s while tossing just 6 INT’s. For good measure, he added 240 rushing yards and 6 TD’s.
Diego Pavia, Grad Senior QB, Vanderbilt: The 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner led Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season in 2025 Was 242-of-340 (71.2%) for 3,192 yards and 27 TD’s. Ran for 826 yards and 9 TD’s. Tied for 4th nationally with 36 total scores.
Julian Sayin, Sophomore QB, Ohio State: The national leader in QB rating (182.05) was 280-of-357 (78.4%) 3,329 yards and 31 TD’s and just 6 INT’s. Had four games with 85% or better pass completions.
Love is Notre Dame’s sixth finalist and the first since Manti Te’o in 2012. Mendoza is Indiana’s second Heisman finalist and its first since Anthony Thompson in 1989. Pavia is Vanderbilt’s first finalist. Sayin is Ohio State’s 11th finalist and its seventh since 2018, including Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2023. The Buckeyes’ 11 finalists are tied for the most in the trophy’s history with Oklahoma and Alabama.
The 2025 Heisman Trophy ballots went out to 930 electors, which includes 870 members of the media, 59 living Heisman winners and one overall fan vote. All ballots were submitted electronically to the independent accountants at Deloitte.
Heisman Favorite: Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
==========
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 10 BYU ESCAPES 22-POINT HOLE, TOPS CLEMSON AT BUZZER
AJ Dybantsa tallied a career-high 28 points along with nine rebounds and six assists and Robert Wright III hit the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired to rally No. 10 BYU to a 67-64 victory over Clemson at the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday in New York.
Wright finished 17 points and redeemed himself from missing a free throw in the final seconds. Keba Keita chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocks to help the Cougars (8-1) earn their fifth straight victory, the last four coming away from Provo.
BYU’s rally from a 22-point deficit after halftime was the biggest second-half comeback in program history. Dybantsa scored 22 of his 28 points after the break.
Jestin Porter led Clemson with 17 points. RJ Godfrey added 13 points and Efrem Johnson chipped in 10 for the Tigers. Clemson (7-3) shot 25.9% from the field in the second half, opening the door for BYU to rally.
No. 2 Michigan 89, Villanova 61
Elliot Cadeau had 18 points and four assists as the Wolverines overwhelmed the Wildcats in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan (9-0) came up just two points shy of a fifth consecutive victory by a margin of 30 or more points. The Wolverines, who led by 30 at halftime, had eight players with seven or more points in their latest thrashing. Aday Mara supplied 11 points and eight rebounds and Trey McKenney contributed 10 points with six rebounds.
Devin Askew led the Wildcats (7-2), who had their seven-game winning streak snapped, with 18 points. Christian Jeffrey added 12 points.
No. 5 UConn 77, No. 18 Florida 73
Solo Ball scored 19 points to fuel the Huskies to a victory over the Gators in the Jimmy V Classic in New York.
Alex Karaban added 13 points and three 3-pointers for a UConn (9-1), which shot 50% from the field. Tarris Reed Jr. scored 12 after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury. The win represented a small measure of revenge for UConn, which fell to Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament earlier this year.
Xaivian Lee scored 13 of his 19 points in the first half for the Gators (5-4), who were whistled for a five-second violation when down by three with less than 15 seconds remaining. Thomas Haugh had 18 points, and Alex Condon recorded 14 to go along with nine rebounds.
No. 13 Illinois 88, Ohio State 80
Keaton Wagler led four Fighting Illini players in double figures, scoring 23 points as Illinois captured its Big Ten opener by downing the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio.
David Mirkovic scored 22 points while Andrej Stojakovic had 17 and Zvonimir Ivisic added 13 for Illinois (8-2, 1-0 Big Ten).
Bruce Thornton led Ohio State (7-2, 1-1) with 34 points. However, he scored only 10 in the second half. Devin Royal notched 15 points, Christoph Tilly scored 13 and John Mobley Jr. had 11, while Brandon Noel followed up a season-high 29 points Saturday with a five-point effort.
No. 24 Virginia 84, Maryland Eastern Shore 60
Sam Lewis scored 15 points and contributed to a long-distance barrage as the Cavaliers rolled to a victory over the Hawks in Charlottesville, Va.
Chance Mallory delivered 10 points, five assists and six steals as the Cavaliers (9-1) won a day after crashing the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since February 2024. Thijs De Ridder provided 13 points and six rebounds for Virginia, which has yet to trail at any point in six home games this season.
Jaden Cooper supplied nine points and eight rebounds and Joseph Locandro added nine points to pace the Hawks (4-9).
==========
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: TALIAH SCOTT, NO. 13 BAYLOR ROUT ALABAMA ST.
Taliah Scott scored 30 points and Jana Van Gytenbeek recorded a triple-double to power No. 13 Baylor to a 90-36 victory over Alabama State on Tuesday afternoon in Waco, Texas.
Scott sank 7 of 11 shots from the floor — including 5 of 7 from 3-point range — and made all 11 of her free-throw attempts to propel the Bears (10-1) to their sixth straight victory.
Van Gytenbeek collected 10 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for Baylor, which bolted to a 53-17 lead at halftime. Kiersten Johnson scored 13 points and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had 10 to go along with 10 rebounds for the Bears.
Kaitlyn Bryant had 11 points for the Lady Hornets (2-6), who shot 25.8% from the floor and 14.3% from 3-point range.
No. 24 Nebraska 87, Omaha 35
Senior guard Callin Hake matched her career high with 17 points as the Cornhuskers blitzed the Mavericks in Lincoln, Neb.
Hake also tied her career best by sinking five 3-pointers for Nebraska (10-0). Jessica Petrie added 14 points, and Amiah Hargrove contributed 11 points and nine rebounds.
Sarai Estupinan hit half of her 10 field-goal attempts and paced Omaha (1-9) with 10 points. The Mavericks shot just 33.3% from the floor and committed a whopping 31 turnovers that Nebraska turned into 36 points.
==========
NBA NEWS
JALEN BRUNSON (35), KNICKS BEAT RAPTORS IN NBA CUP QUARTERFINALS
Jalen Brunson scored 20 of his 35 points in the first quarter Tuesday night and the New York Knicks defeated the host Toronto Raptors 117-101 in their NBA Cup quarterfinal.
The Knicks will play the Orlando Magic in a semifinal game Saturday at Las Vegas.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks, who have won four straight and eight of nine. Josh Hart scored 21 points, Mikal Bridges had 15, OG Anunoby chipped in with 13 points, two blocks and two steals while Jordan Clarkson contributed 12 points.
The Knicks have won 10 consecutive meetings with the Raptors.
Brandon Ingram had 17 of his 31 points in the opening quarter for the Raptors, who have lost four in a row. Jamal Shead added 18 points, Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter each scored 13 and Jakob Poeltl had 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Knicks led by as many as 24 points before entering the fourth quarter with a 15-point advantage. The lead reached 20 when Bridges hit a 3-point shot with 10:14 to play. Toronto whittled it 15 on Ingram’s jumper with 6:27 left. Anunoby’s 3-point shot put New York up by 18 with 4:47 remaining.
The Raptors shook off a recent tendency for struggling starts to take a 39-35 lead after a loosely played first quarter that had nine lead changes. New York made seven turnovers and Toronto committed four.
New York stiffened defensively and opened the second quarter with a 12-2 burst. The lead grew to 11 with 5:13 to play in the second quarter when Brunson hit a floater.
The Knicks’ ability to gather offensive rebounds helped them stretch the margin to 18 with 1:19 to play when Bridges stuffed a reverse layup. New York led 69-52 at halftime.
Hart scored New York’s first nine points of the third quarter to bump the lead to 24. Toronto showed some spark and a steal by Barnes resulted in Walter’s layup that cut the lead to 14 with 4:11 to play. The Knicks led 94-79 after the third quarter.
Guard Immanuel Quickley (illness) did not play for Toronto, while guard Miles McBride (ankle) was out for New York.
DESMOND BANE, MAGIC UPEND HEAT, MAKE NBA CUP SEMIS
Desmond Bane made six 3-pointers and matched his season high with 37 points as the Orlando Magic beat the visiting Miami Heat 117-108 on Tuesday to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.
Jalen Suggs had 20 points and Paolo Banchero added 18 for No. 1 seed Orlando, which will face either the New York Knicks or the Toronto Raptors in an East semifinal matchup on Saturday.
Bane scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Magic, who recovered from a 16-point first-quarter deficit to improve to 11-3 all-time in NBA Cup games. Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Tristan da Silva scored 11 points and Anthony Black added 10.
Norman Powell had 21 points and Tyler Herro scored 20 in his return from a two-game absence for Miami, which has lost four straight and five of its last six. Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins added 19 points apiece, Davion Mitchell had 11 and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 10.
Orlando led by six at the start of the fourth quarter and extended its lead to 101-87 on da Silva’s 3-pointer with 8:55 to play. Miami pulled within 115-108 with 54 seconds left before Orlando held on for its third win over the Heat this season.
The Magic shot 50.6% percent from the field and 46.9% (15 of 32) from 3-point range. Orlando played without leading scorer Franz Wagner, who is expected to miss two to four weeks after suffering a left high ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the New York Knicks.
Miami scored the first 15 points of the game and moved ahead 20-4 before leading 30-17 at the end of the first quarter.
Orlando settled in and began the second quarter on a 20-9 run to pull within 39-37 with 7:03 left in the period.
The Magic took their first lead at 47-46 on Carter’s jumper with 3:55 remaining and outscored the Heat 39-27 in the second quarter.
Powell and Herro scored 12 points apiece in the first half for Miami, which held a 57-56 advantage at intermission.
Bane, who scored 12 points in the first half, scored 10 in the third quarter to help give the Magic an 89-83 lead at the end of the period.
=========
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: AFTER LAST-SECOND GOAL, DUCKS STUN PENGUINS IN SHOOTOUT
Beckett Sennecke scored with one-tenth of a second left in regulation to tie the game, Ville Husso stopped all three shootout attempts after making 44 saves, and the visiting Anaheim Ducks emerged with a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Anaheim was short-handed, and Husso had just reached the bench for an extra skater when Sennecke drove to the net. His shot deflected off Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson and crossed the goal line.
Jackson LaCombe and Troy Terry scored in regulation before Leo Carlsson tallied in the shootout for the Ducks, who have won three in a row.
Anthony Mantha, Noel Acciari and Tommy Novak scored, Karlsson had two assists and Arturs Silovs made 25 saves for the Penguins in the opener of a five-game homestand.
Bruins 5, Blues 2
Mark Kastelic and Fraser Minten scored two goals each as Boston rolled host St. Louis for its second victory over the Blues in less than a week.
Pavel Zacha also tallied for the Bruins, who won their third straight game. David Pastrnak earned two assists for Boston after missing the previous five games with an undisclosed injury. Jeremy Swayman recorded 24 saves.
Robert Thomas scored twice for the Blues, each time on an assist from Pavel Buchnevich. Joel Hofer made 26 saves as St. Louis’ two-game winning streak ended. St. Louis’ Nick Bjugstad exited with an upper-body injury early in the second period.
Flyers 4, Sharks 1
Dan Vladar made 17 saves and Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist to guide Philadelphia to a home victory over San Jose. Christian Dvorak, Carl Grundstrom and Noah Cates also scored for the Flyers, who have won five of seven.
Collin Graf scored in a third straight game for the Sharks, who were not able to carry any momentum from a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. Alex Nedeljkovic made 26 saves.
Philadelphia scored the first of four unanswered goals when Konecny’s high flip out of the defensive zone caromed off the shoulder of teammate Trevor Zegras and unleashed Dvorak on a first-period breakaway. Konecny’s assist on the play was his 500th career NHL point in his 10th season.
Devils 4, Senators 3
Cody Glass scored the go-ahead goal with 7:36 remaining in the third period to lift New Jersey over host Ottawa as the Devils ended a season-high five-game losing streak.
New Jersey’s Arseny Gritsyuk collected a goal and two assists, and Connor Brown notched three assists. Jacob Markstrom made 35 saves for the Devils, who overcame allowing three power-play goals.
Drake Batherson scored two power-play goals and Tim Stutzle also converted with the man advantage for the Senators. Linus Ullmark turned aside 28 shots.
Lightning 6, Canadiens 1
Darren Raddysh scored two goals and the Tampa Bay offense erupted in a win at Montreal, snapping the Lightning’s four-game losing streak.
Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who had been shut out in their previous two games.
Pontus Holmberg and Charle-Edouard D’Astous also scored, and Jonas Johansson made 26 saves. Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman left with an injury in the first period.
Oliver Kapanen scored for the Canadiens, who have lost two straight and four of six. Jakub Dobes was lifted after allowing three goals on 14 shots in the first period. Sam Montembeault yielded three goals on 13 shots in relief.
Hurricanes 4, Blue Jackets 1
Eric Robinson scored a tiebreaking goal in the third period and Carolina went on to defeat Columbus in Raleigh, N.C.
Seth Jarvis, Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook also scored for the Hurricanes, who went 4-3-0 on their seven-game homestand. Martinook’s goal came with 1:15 remaining into an empty net while Carolina was short-handed. Andrei Svechnikov had two assists. Brandon Bussi made 23 saves, improving his record to 9-1-0.
Dmitri Voronkov scored the goal for Columbus, which has lost three straight — the last two in regulation. The Blue Jackets had gone more than a month without consecutive games without a point. Jet Greaves, playing in back-to-back games, stopped 27 shots.
Islanders 5, Golden Knights 4 (SO)
Bo Horvat scored two goals and Emil Heineman tallied the game-winner with a glove-side wrist shot in the fourth round of a shootout to lead New York to a victory over Vegas in Elmont, N.Y.
Marc Gatcomb and Simon Holmstrom tallied a goal each as the Islanders recorded their fourth victory in the past five games. Ilya Sorokin won his fourth straight start with 32 saves.
Pavel Dorofeyev sent the game into overtime after chipping in a rebound of a Mitch Marner point shot with 14 seconds left in regulation. Marner, Noah Hanifin and Ivan Barbashev also scored for the Golden Knights. Marner added an assist, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone each had two assists, and Carter Hart logged 23 saves.
Stars 4, Jets 3
Mikko Rantanen picked up three assists as Dallas won its fourth consecutive game, defeating host Winnipeg.
Esa Lindell, Roope Hintz, Alexander Petrovic and Jason Robertson each scored for the Stars. Wyatt Johnston pitched in with two helpers, while Casey DeSmith held his own with 30 saves.
The Jets battled back from deficits of 3-0 and 4-2, pulling within one with 14:06 left in regulation, but they were unable to get any closer. Mark Scheifele scored twice for Winnipeg, while Logan Stanley provided the other tally. Kyle Connor had two assists, and Eric Comrie made 15 stops.
==========
BASEBALL NEWS
SHOHEI OHTANI IS THE AP’S MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FOR RECORD-TYING 4TH TIME
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is catching up with more legends.
The baseball superstar ends 2025 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the fourth time, tying him with Lance Armstrong, LeBron James and Tiger Woods for most among male honorees.
“Receiving this award multiple times is something truly special,” Ohtani said in Japanese in an exclusive interview with the AP.
Ohtani received 29 of 47 votes in balloting among sports journalists from the AP and its members after his two-way dominance culminated in a repeat World Series title for his Los Angeles Dodgers – delivering perhaps the greatest single-game individual performance in sports history along the way. He previously won the award in 2024, his first season with the Dodgers, and in 2023 and 2021, when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.
The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Multisport standout Babe Didrikson Zaharias won six times over the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, the most by a man or woman.
The ultra-competitive Ohtani’s latest win broke a tie with Michael Jordan, who along with Woods, he followed while growing up in Japan.
“Last year, I said I wanted to win this award again, and I will work hard so that I can win it again next year as well,” he said.
Swedish-American pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, who won his third consecutive world title and has set the world record 14 times, including four times in 2025, was second with five votes in balloting announced Tuesday. Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s top-ranked tennis player who won titles at the French and U.S. Opens, was third with four.
The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Wednesday.
TIGERS ENLIVEN TARIK SKUBAL TRADE TALK WITH NO ‘UNTOUCHABLES’ APPROACH
Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Detroit has no “untouchables” on the roster, stoking a rumor mill overflowing with Tarik Skubal trade scenarios at the MLB Winter Meetings this week.
Skubal’s dominance the past two seasons — 31-10 record with a 2.30 ERA and 469 strikeouts in 62 games, resulting in consecutive Cy Young awards — and his contract status entering a walk year usher the Tigers to a crossroads with the left-handed ace. On one hand, Harris understands he’s coveted. On the other, keeping him in Detroit figures to be one rung above costly.
The Los Angeles Dodgers likely set the baseline for an agreement last offseason, outbidding the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a record-setting deal for a pitcher worth $325 million.
That type of deal, with an annual average value between $30 million and $40 million, would chew up more than one-fourth of the Tigers’ team payroll.
Skubal, 29, has denied he wants to play for the Yankees and speculation he’d like to be in California. But MLB superagent Scott Boras represents the ace, and he doesn’t do hometown discounts.
Meaning while Harris is trying to tune out national speculation about Skubal and the stay-or-go yo-yo, he believes it’s part of his job to listen when the phone rings.
“It’s just really hard to answer the question,” Harris said Monday in Orlando at the Winter Meetings about Skubal speculation.
“I’ll tell you why: One, we don’t speculate on any players on our roster in trade talks. It’s just not productive, and it’s unfair to players on other teams.
“Two, I’ve been pretty clear since I’ve been here: I don’t believe in untouchables at any level, anyone in our organization. It’s not a commentary on Tarik specifically — sort of a blanket team-building approach. I can’t do my job without listening. I can’t do my job without exploring anything that may or may not have legs. Some are going to be very likely moves and some are going to be extremely unlikely, but you can’t actually fully vet those opportunities unless you are willing to listen.”
Harris said he is working to improve the team for the 2026 season after consecutive playoff appearances, which might be the strongest indicator yet of where he stands on an offseason trade of Skubal.
“There’s a ton of uncertainty coming after the season, in a variety of ways, so we’re pretty focused on ‘26 right now. If there’s an opportunity for us to get better in ‘26, we’re going to take it,” Harris said. “If, in addition to the opportunity to get better in ‘26 we’re going to get better in ‘27, ‘28 and ‘29, obviously we’re going to look at that view. But we have a good team right now and we have a great opportunity to take another step forward as a young group, and we’re trying to find ways to add to that.”
DÍAZ AGREES TO $69M, 3-YEAR DEAL WITH WORLD SERIES CHAMPION DODGERS, AP SOURCE SAYS, LEAVES METS
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Closer Edwin Díaz has agreed to a $69 million, three-year contract with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical. Díaz’s agreement includes deferred payments by the Dodgers, who already owed $1.051 billion in deferred pay to eight players from 2028-46.
A three-time All-Star who turns 32 on March 22, Díaz joins a Dodgers bullpen that struggled last season, causing the team to shift rookie starter Roki Sasaki to closer in the postseason. Los Angeles relievers had a 4.27 ERA, 21st among the 30 teams,
Relying on a 97-98 mph fastball and slider, Díaz became a fan favorite at Citi Field, where horns blared and fans danced when he entered games to “Narco” by Blasterjaxx & Timmy Trumpet.
New York prepared for his possible departure by agreeing to a $51 million, three-year contract with Devin Williams, who left the crosstown Yankees after one season.
Díaz joins a Dodgers bullpen that includes left-hander Tanner Scott, who was bothered by elbow inflammation in his first season after signing a $72 million, four-year contract. Jack Dreyer, Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia also are in the bullpen.
Díaz had 28 saves in 31 chances last season with a 6-3 record and 1.63 ERA for a disappointing Mets team that failed to reach the playoffs despite spending the second-most behind the Dodgers. He struck out 98 in 66 1/3 innings.
He has 253 saves in 294 chances over nine seasons with the Seattle (2016-18) and the Mets, who acquired him along with second baseman Robinson Canó for five players that included Jarred Kelenic and Anthony Swarzak. Díaz missed the 2023 season after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee during a postgame celebration with Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic.
Díaz agreed to a $102 million, five-year contract with the Mets after the 2022 season, a deal that included deferred money payable through 2042. He had the right to opt out after three years and $64 million to become a free agent again. Of that $64 million, $15.5 million is deferred and payable through July 1, 2039.
SCHWARBER GOING BACK TO PHILADELPHIA ON A $150 MILLION, FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT, ACCORDING TO REPORTS
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Schwarber is going back to Philadelphia.
Multiple outlets reported on Tuesday that Schwarber had agreed to a $150 million, five-year contract with the Phillies. ESPN was the first to report on the deal, citing unidentified sources.
Schwarber had been one of the biggest names in free agency. His new contract with Philadelphia could lead to more activity at baseball’s winter meetings as his other suitors execute their alternative plans.
Schwarber is coming off a terrific season with the Phillies, setting career highs with an NL-best 56 homers and a major league-high 132 RBIs. He also scored a career-high 111 runs while leading the club to its second straight NL East title.
Schwarber’s 23 homers against left-handed pitching set a major league record for a lefty batter, passing Stan Musial (1949) and Matt Olson (2021) at 22.
He won this year’s All-Star Game for the NL by swatting three homers in a tiebreaking swing-off, and he finished second in the NL MVP race behind Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
“Good for him, man. He earned it,” said Boston manager Alex Cora, who had Schwarber on the Red Sox in 2021.
The 32-year-old Schwarber rejected a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from Philadelphia in November.
Schwarber grew up in southwest Ohio before playing his college ball at Indiana. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 4 pick in the 2014 amateur draft.
He was at the beginning of his second year with Chicago in 2016 when he tore two ligaments in his left knee in an outfield collision during an April game in Arizona. It was believed to be a season-ending injury, but he returned for Game 1 of the World Series and helped the Cubs to the franchise’s first championship since 1908.
Schwarber is a .234 hitter with 23 homers and 37 RBIs in 73 career playoff games. He went deep twice in the NL Division Series this year against the Dodgers.
Schwarber hit 38 homers for Chicago in 2019, but he was non-tendered by the team after he batted just .188 in 59 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
He signed a $10 million, one-year contract with Washington in January 2021. After clubbing 25 homers in 72 games for the Nationals, he was traded to Boston at the deadline. He helped the Red Sox reach the AL Championship Series before they were eliminated by Houston.
Following his rebound season, Schwarber signed a $79 million, four-year deal with Philadelphia in March 2022. He flourished with the Phillies, belting 187 homers and driving in 434 runs in 627 games.
He hit his 300th career homer on May 19 at Colorado. He recorded his 1,000th hit on his 319th homer on July 25 at the New York Yankees.
=========
TOP INDIANA NEWS RELEASES/HEADLINES
COLTS FOOTBALL NEWS
COLTS SIGN 44-YEAR-OLD PHILIP RIVERS TO PRACTICE SQUAD WITH 2 QUARTERBACKS INJURED, AP SOURCE SAYS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts bolstered their injury-depleted quarterback corps Tuesday by bringing 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement and signing him to the practice squad, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made an official announcement.
The move comes less than 24 hours after Colts coach Shane Steichen confirmed Indy’s starter, Daniel Jones, would miss the rest of this season after tearing his right Achilles tendon and backup Riley Leonard injured his right knee during Sunday’s loss at Jacksonville.
Rivers hasn’t taken a snap since finishing his career with a playoff loss following the Colts 2020 season. That was the last time Indy (8-5) made the postseason. The eight-time Pro Bowler announced his retirement in January 2021 and has been coaching St. Michael High School in Fairhope, Alabama, ever since.
But it’s not clear how long it will take Rivers to learn Indy’s playbook — or work his way into game shape — as the reeling Colts try to snap a three-game losing streak next weekend at Seattle (10-3).
“Things happen, wacky stuff has happened in this league, your depth gets tested, your resolve gets tested as you get thrown into some adversity as a unit, as a coaching staff, as a position group,” offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said, declining to take specific questions about Rivers. “We’ve been through some fire out there, but our coaching staff’s excited to draw a plan up and teach it.”
Neither Steichen nor players were made available because the Colts typically take Tuesday off.
Rivers rejoins a team desperately trying to rebound from its worst stretch of the season, four losses in five games. The result: Indy has fallen out of the race for the AFC’s top seed and is tied for second in the AFC South with Houston (8-5), one game behind division leader Jacksonville (9-4).
Rivers ranked among the NFL’s career leaders in yards passing with 63,440, 421 touchdown passes and 12 4,000-yard seasons when he retired and was a semifinalist in his first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame last month.
So the question is how much does Rivers have left in the tank?
In his first and only season with Indy, it appeared his arm strength already was diminished though he masterfully navigated the Colts through a season unlike any other — playing in front of empty or sparsely-populated stadiums because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also unclear is whether the Colts will need him this weekend.
Jones was having a career year and had entered the midseason MVP discussion but had struggled over the last five games. He also played through a lower left leg injury that impeded his mobility during each of Indy’s last three losses.
Then Sunday, he crumpled to the ground and grabbed toward his lower right leg on a play he did not take a hit. He slammed his helmet into the ground before limping off the field. Jones later returned to the rainy sideline in a protective walking boot.
“He’ll have surgery within the week,” Steichen said Monday. “Obviously, just really feel for him, just an unfortunate situation. The work he puts in, the grind, a team captain for us. One of the toughest guys I’ve ever been around. Just praying for a speedy recovery for him.”
Leonard did a solid job in relief of Jones, going 18 of 29 for 145 yards and one interception in his most extensive action since Notre Dame lost last year’s national championship game. When he reported to the team headquarters Monday, they found out Leonard also had been hurt during the game.
The orbital bone injury to Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 draft pick in 2023, only compounded the problem. He still has not been activated from injured reserve to practice and Steichen said Monday he did not expect Richardson’s status to change this week either.
That left the Colts with only one other option — veteran Brett Rypien, who has not been elevated from the practice squad to the active roster since he was signed in mid-October — if Leonard can’t play this weekend.
So they added Rivers, who was with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers when Steichen was serving as the team’s quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator. Oddly, Leonard played prep ball at a different high school in Fairhope.
And now all three will be working together to try and help Indy turn things around as they enter a brutal final four-game stretch to salvage their playoff hopes.
COLTS RELEASE UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART FOR WEEK 15 GAME VS. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
OFFENSE
- WR: Michael Pittman Jr.
- LT: Bernhard Raimann, Luke Tenuta
- LG: Quenton Nelson
- C: Tanor Bortolini, Danny Pinter
- RG: Matt Goncalves, Dalton Tucker
- RT: Braden Smith, Jalen Travis
- TE: Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory
- WR: Josh Downs, Anthony Gould
- WR: Alec Pierce, Laquon Treadwell
- QB: Riley Leonard
- RB: Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Goodson OR DJ Giddens, Ameer Abdullah
- The Colts placed Jones on injured reserve on Tuesday after the quarterback sustained a season-ending Achilles injury on Sunday.
- Leonard played for three quarters of the Colts’ game against the Jaguars after Jones left the game with the Achilles injury. Leonard completed 18-of-29 passes for 145 and had a six-yard rushing touchdown.
- Pierce had five receptions for 80 yards and Pittman had nine receptions for 79 yards on Sunday.
- Taylor had 21 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars.
DEFENSE
- DE: Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, JT Tuimoloau
- DT: Neville Gallimore, Adetomiwa Adebawore
- NT: Grover Stewart, Eric Johnson II
- DE: Laiatu Latu, Samson Ebukam
- WLB: Germaine Pratt, Segun Olubi, Buddy Johnson, Jaylon Carlies
- MLB: Zaire Franklin, Austin Ajiake
- CB: Charvarius Ward Sr., Jaylon Jones, Johnathan Edwards
- FS: Camryn Bynum, Rodney Thomas II
- SS: Nick Cross, Reuben Lowrey III, George Odum
- N: Kenny Moore II
- CB: Sauce Gardner, Mekhi Blackmon, Cameron Mitchell
- The Colts placed Ward in concussion protocol on Monday; it is the third time Ward has been placed in protocol this year. Ward led the team with three passes defensed on Sunday.
- Stewart had a forced fumble (recovered by Pratt) against the Jaguars.
SPECIALISTS
- P: Rigoberto Sanchez
- PK:
- H: Rigoberto Sanchez
- LS: Luke Rhodes
- KR: Anthony Gould, Ameer Abdullah
- PR: Anthony Gould, Josh Downs
- Blake Grupe, elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, connected on both field goal attempts.
==========
INDY FUEL HOCKEY
FUEL FACE BLOOMINGTON BISON ON FRIDAY NIGHT
FISHERS- The Fuel will kick off the weekend in Bloomington, taking on the Bison on Friday night before heading home to host the Cincinnati Cyclones on Saturday night in their annual Teddy Bear Toss game.
LAST TIME OUT
The last time these two teams met was on November 19, when the Fuel hosted the Bison for 317 Night and fell to Bloomington, 4-1. The lone goal scorer for the Fuel was Jordan Martin, who scored with under three minutes to go in the third period. Tyler Kobryn and Dustin Manz had the assists.
BLOOM TO WATCH
Kyle Jackson currently leads the Bison in scoring with 23 points in 19 games. Him and Bison captain Eddie Matsushima are tied for most goals with nine. All three goaltenders for the Bison have a save percentage above .900 heading into this game. Defenseman Nikita Sedov leads defensemen in points with twelve (2g,10a).
FRIDAY WINS
The Fuel have found a lot of success so far this year in games on Friday nights. Indy is 5-1-1-0 on Fridays and 1-0-0-0 on the road on Fridays. This is where most of their wins have come from so far this year, as they have struggled on Saturday nights. These teams have split the season series so far, going 2-2 each. The winner will have a temporary hold on the season series.
==========
NOBLESVILLE BOOM BASKETBALL NEWS
BOOM ACQUIRES FORWARD AU’DIESE TONEY
The Noblesville Boom, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, announced today that the team has acquired forward Au’Diese Toney.
Toney, who was originally acquired by the Boom in a trade with the Long Island Nets last season, returns after spending the 2024-25 campaign playing internationally with Kolossos Rodou BC and CSM Constanta.
The 6-5 forward has spent two seasons in the NBA G League, previously with the Osceola Magic and Grand Rapids Gold. During the 2023-24 season with the Gold, Toney appeared in 40 games, averaging 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field.
A season prior with the Magic, he appeared in 46 games, averaging 7.2 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 53.6 percent from the field.
In a corresponding roster move, the Boom has waived forward Omar El-Sheikh.
==========
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
LAMAR WILKERSON (44) HITS INDIANA-RECORD 10 3S IN ROUT OF PENN ST.
Lamar Wilkerson scored a career-high 44 points and set a school record with 10 3-pointers in Indiana’s resounding 113-72 win over Penn State on Tuesday in Bloomington, Ind.
Wilkerson, a transfer from Sam Houston State, finished 16-of-22 shooting from the field and 10-of-15 from 3-point range in an electric 24-minute performance. Reed Bailey added 18 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line, while Tayton Conerway chipped in 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
Indiana (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten) finished at 68.9% shooting from the floor and a blistering 54.8% (17-of-31) from 3-point range.
Kayden Mingo scored 19 points to pace Penn State (8-2, 0-1). Freddie Dilione V notched 14 points for the Nittany Lions, while Melih Tunca added 13 points.
Indiana led 12-9 after seven minutes before Conerway made a 3-pointer to begin the onslaught.
Wilkerson’s driving layup with 10 ½ minutes left in the half sent the lead into double digits for the first time. That bucket was part of a 20-3 run by the hosts and a personal 9-0 run by Wilkerson, who drained a 3-pointer shortly thereafter to make it 30-12.
After a basket by Mingo, the Hoosiers responded with a 7-0 burst to make it 37-14.
Things didn’t get any better for the Nittany Lions, who trailed 47-16 after Conerway’s layup with 3:54 left in the half.
Bailey’s three-point play in the final minute sent Indiana into the locker room with a 58-26 advantage.
Wilkerson led all scorers with 20 first-half points, fueling a 67.6% shooting effort by the hosts. Penn State, meanwhile, had more turnovers (11) than baskets (nine) in the first half.
Wilkerson caught fire from 3-point range early in the second half, burying five triples in the first six minutes. The final 3-pointer in that sequence made it 81-34 before Bailey’s dunk gave Indiana its largest lead at 49 points.
Wilkerson had one more hot stretch, during which he made a jumper, the record-breaking 3-pointer and two free throws to cap his special night.
==========
INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER NEWS
AULT IS SEMIFINALIST FOR SOCCER’S TOP INDIVIDUAL TROPHY
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Palmer Ault is a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, as the United Soccer Coaches announced their 15-player list Tuesday (Dec. 9).
The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation’s highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by voting of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches.
The MAC has honored the top player in collegiate soccer since 1986. Prior to 2002, the Missouri Athletic Club and Hermann Trophy were two separate awards. Two IU players earned the MAC Player of the Year trophy on three occasions with Ken Snow taking the honor in 1988 and 1990, and current IU head coach Todd Yeagley in 1994. Hoosiers collected five Hermann trophies with Angelo DiBernardo in 1978, Armando Betancourt in 1981, Ken Snow in 1988 and 1990, and Brian Maisonneuve in 1994.
United Soccer Coaches also named its All-Region teams Tuesday. Three Hoosiers featured in the All-North Region teams. Ault and junior forward Collins Oduro (four goals, six assists) both earned first-team selections, while sophomore Josh Maher (two goals, one assist, four clean sheets) landed in the third team.
During his senior season, Ault modeled volume, versatility and consistency while leading one of the nation’s top attacking units.
Volume
Ault recorded 26 goal contributions and 42 points, the most by any Hoosier since Pat Noonan in 2001.
Ault ranks tied-for-first nationally in points (42), tied-for-third in goals (16), tied-for-sixth in game-winning goals (5) and tied-for-seventh in assists (10). He leads the Big Ten in points, ranks tied-for-first in goals, tied-for-first in game-winning goals and tied-for-third in assists, while sitting second in shots (61) and shots on goal (31). His 42 points are the most by a Big Ten player since Penn State’s Corey Hertzog had 46 in 2010.
Ault recorded multiple goal contributions in eight matches and collected three-plus goal contributions in five of those matches, scoring two hat tricks.
Versatility
Ault is one of two players in the country to record both 15 goals and 10 assists this season, becoming the first NCAA Division I player to achieve that feat since 2017 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Jon Bakero (16 goals, 14 assists). He also joined Noonan as the only Big Ten players in the 21st century to record 15 goals and 10 assists in a single season.
Ault has scored with his right foot, left foot, inside of the foot, in the air and has assisted from open play as well as from three different kinds of set pieces: corner kick, free kick and throw-in.
Consistency
Over 19 matches, Ault did not play consecutive matches without producing a goal or assist. Indiana had a 10-1-1 record when Ault scored or assisted. He scored or assisted eight match-winners and four game-tying goals.
Ault scored six goals against ranked opponents and seven goals against teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament. In conference play alone, Ault led the Big Ten in points (22), finishing second in goals (7) while tying for first in assists (8).
Ault won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week three times, College Soccer News Team of the Week on Oct. 21 and featured in the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week twice. As well as his Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors, the conference coaches unanimously voted him for first-team All-Big Ten honors.
=========
INDIANA VOLLEYBALL NEWS
KRICKOVIC NAMED AVCA MIDWEST REGION FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It’s been the year of the freshman setter in college volleyball. Across the country, first-year players have been tasked with running high-powered offenses. Perhaps no player has adapted as quickly to the college game than Indiana freshman setter Teodora Krickovic. On Tuesday (Dec. 9) morning, she was named the AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year.
The young Serbian arrived in August and was asked to run one of the nation’s fastest offenses. Armed with three fantastic pin hitters around her, the Hoosiers have transitioned seamlessly in 2025 to a fast-tempo system. Krickovic is third among freshman setters in the NCAA in assists per set (10.67) and has set each of her primary attackers to career years in hitting efficiency.
Krickovic was named an AVCA Midwest All-Region selection alongside teammates Candela Alonso-Corcelles, Avry Tatum and Jaidyn Jager. The region’s seven-person committee further selected her as the Freshman of the Year in the region. Her and Jager were the only two freshmen to make the All-Region team. Both players will now be in consideration for the AVCA’s National Freshman of the Year award.
It’s been a record year in Bloomington as the Hoosiers prepare to embark on their first trip to the NCAA regional semifinals since 2010. IU’s seven-player freshman class has been instrumental in the historic success this season. Four different freshmen have played in every match this year. Jager, Krickovic and freshman libero Audrey Jackson have played in every set this year.
Krickovic has started all 32 matches this season after arriving a week into preseason camp. On top of her 10.67 assists per set, she’s offered up 1.76 digs per set, 0.45 blocks per set and a team-best 0.35 aces per set. Her 1,174 helpers are the most by an IU freshman since 2007. She’s had 10 different matches with at least 40 assists.
IU’s offense has been instrumental in the team’s success this year. It is on track to break a single-season program record for team hitting percentage. The Hoosiers are hitting .283 this season, top 20 in the NCAA, and are set to smash the program mark from 1989 (.246).
Krickovic and her three teammates will advance to the national ballot in hopes of earning AVCA All-American honors in 2025. In IU’s program history, only four players have ever been an AVCA All-American. Only one, Ashley Benson (2009, 2010), has ever made one of the First, Second or Third teams.
==========
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
#6 PURDUE LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK WEDNESDAY VS. MINNESOTA
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
[6 / 6] Purdue (8-1, 1-0) vs. Minnesota (5-4, 1-0)
Wednesday, December 10 | 7:00 PM ET
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TV: BTN (Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel, Andy Katz)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
THE SCENE SETTER
• Coming off its first loss of the season, the No. 6-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team looks to regroup in its Big Ten home opener by hosting Minnesota on Wednesday night in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers have won their Big Ten home opener in all eight seasons since the league went to December league games, last losing their Big Ten home opener in the 2015-16 season (Iowa; Jan. 2, 2016).
• Following the Minnesota tilt, Purdue ends non-conference play with three straight games, starting Saturday against Marquette in Mackey.
THE MATCHUP
• Meeting for the 196th time in a series that dates to the 1903-04 season, Purdue and Minnesota will face off for the only this season on Wednesday in Mackey Arena.
• The 196 meetings make this the 10th-most frequently-played rivalry in the Big Ten, and if you don’t include the West Coast members, the series moves up to eighth.
• Purdue has won five straight games in the series by a combined 84 points. Going back further, the Boilermakers have won seven of eight games (to 2019-20), and 16 of the last 22 with the Gophers (to Jan. 29, 2011).
• Purdue has been ranked in 13 of the last 15 games with Minnesota (9-4 record).
• However, the Boilermakers are 18-2 in Mackey Arena as a ranked team against Minnesota, including 7-0 as a Top-10 team.
• Purdue has been held under 80 points just once during the five-game winning streak and that came in a 61-39 decision in Minneapolis on Jan. 19, 2023. The Boilermakers have scored at least 80 points in six of the last eight contests.
• A win would be six in a row against the Gophers, the longest streak since 1993 to 96 (7 games).
NEWS AND NOTES
• Purdue is coming off a loss for the first time after falling to Iowa State on Saturday. Since the 2022-23 season, Purdue is 21-6 in games following a loss.
• Since the start of last season, Purdue owns a 14-1 (.933) record in the month of November, but is now just 3-4 (.429) in the month of December with losses to Penn State, No. 17 Texas A&M, No. 2 Auburn and No. 10 Iowa State.
• Purdue is ranked in the top 25 in the following NCAA statistical categories: Assist / Turnover Ratio (5th), Assists Per Game (8th), 3-Point Percentage (11th) and Rebound Margin (19th).
• Individually, these Boilermakers are in the top 50 in the following NCAA categories: Assists Per Game (Braden Smith, 2nd), Offensive Rebouds Per Game (Trey Kaufman-Renn, 5th; Oscar Cluff, 6th), Rebounds Per Game (Trey Kaufman-Renn, 10th), Free Throw Percentage (Fletcher Loyer, 22nd), Blocks Per Game (Daniel Jacobsen, 27th), 3-Point Percentage (Fletcher Loyer, 27th) and Assist / Turnover Ratio (Braden Smith, 45th).
• Purdue hasn’t lost two straight home games since Feb. 11 and Feb. 22, 2020.
• In his last three games against Minnesota, Braden Smith is averaging 18.3 points, 8.7 assists and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 10-of-18 (.556) from 3-point range. He has 26 assists against four turnovers in that span.
• Purdue has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 65 straight weeks — a new school record.
• Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Purdue has been ranked in the top 10 a nation’s-best 67 weeks out of 86 polls. Houston and Kansas are next at 65 weeks.
• Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Purdue is 91-14 (.867) in Mackey Arena against Big Ten opposition, the best record by 7.5 games (Michigan State, 84-22).
• Purdue is 127-49 in conference play since 2016-17, the second-best power-conference record in that span behind Duke (126-46).
• Braden Smith needs just seven points and 13 assists to become the second player in NCAA history with 1,500 points, 850 assists and 550 rebounds in his career (Ohio’s D.J. Cooper; 2013-16).
=========
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NEWS
FREEMAN NAMED FWAA EDDIE ROBINSON COACH OF THE YEAR FINALIST
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman has been named a finalist for the 2025 FWAA Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. He is one of 12 finalists for the honor.
2025 marks Freeman’s second-consecutive finalist honor for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. Four previous Notre Dame coaches have won the award: Ara Parseghian (1964), Lou Holtz (1988), Charlie Weis (2005) and Brian Kelly (2012).
The 10-2 Irish finished the regular season in dominant fashion, impressing in all three phases. In the 2025 regular season, Notre Dame led the nation in interceptions (tied – 21 total INTs), ranking fourth in turnover margin (1.08), fifth nationally in scoring offense (41.8), fifth in team passing efficiency (168.61), eighth in net punting (43.32), ninth in team sacks (2.92), 10th in passing yards per completion (14.11), 11th in rushing defense (99.3), 11th in kickoff returns (25.29), 13th in scoring defense (17.6), 13th in team passing efficiency defense (108.80), 17th in passes had intercepted (6), 18th in total offense (458.5), 18th in third down conversion percentage (0.481), 18th in rushing offense (203.4) and 20th in completion percentage (0.672).
Freeman, now 43-12 as a head coach, has led the Irish to 10-consecutive wins, averaging a nearly a 30-point margin of victory in the win streak, which ranks as one of the Top 10 most dominant streaks in college football over the last five years.
Several Notre Dame student-athletes have earned national honors for their performances so far this season, including junior running back Jeremiyah Love, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award; sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore, a midseason All-American by several outlets as well as a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy and the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award; junior offensive lineman Aamil Wagner, a member of the AFCA Allstate Good Works team and a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year; freshman quarterback CJ Carr, finalist for the Manning Award and the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year and the one of the nation’s top young quarterbacks; junior running back Jadarian Price, a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award. and several others.
=========
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO, IRISH VS. IDAHO
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Ten games into the season and the Irish sit at 7-3 and look to make it three wins in a row when they host Idaho on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on ACCNX. The Fighting Irish will play three consecutive games inside Purcell Pavilion before departing for the Christmas break and gearing up for ACC play.
The Vandals are 6-3 on the season and are coming off back-to-back wins over North Dakota and South Dakota State – games in which they scored at least 84 points in each. If Notre Dame wants to be successful, they have to shut down Idaho from beyond the arc. They rank 19th in the country in attempts at 30.7 per game and 15th in made threes at 11.3.
Notre Dame and Idaho have only met once on the hardwood floor and you have to go all the way back to Jan. 25, 1982. The Irish took that one 50-48 in South Bend.
WHAT A WEEK
A home win and SEC Challenge victory over Mizzou … then a Quad 1 win at TCU in a hostile environment, in overtime no less … with two stellar back-to-back wins, the Irish jumped from 86 in the NET to 69 and that’s not all.
They received votes in the A.P. poll for the first time in the Coach Shrews Era. They appeared at No. 25 in Andy Katz’s Power37 and No. 41 in Jon Rothstein’s 45.
In both games, they defied a stigma about finishing out close games. A Certa three from deep to come up clutch or a Haralson fadeaway to send it to OT. They stayed together and competed; they believed. As Coach Shrewsberry stated, it was a culmination of all their games played, specifically the three losses this year.
In fact, not only did they close, but they battled back. The Irish were down 12 to Missouri (7 at the half) and 11 to TCU (9 at the half). The last time Notre Dame came back to win after being down 9+ at halftime was a 13-point deficit to Virginia Tech in the ACC Tourney on March 7, 2018.
“Our guys have a lot of belief,” Coach Shrewsberry said. “In order to keep that belief, something good has to happen for them. They earned the right for something good to happen to them. Our guys earned it by doing things the right way. We needed to win a close game. We needed to go through these tough moments and come out on the right side.”
It was done by playing team basketball – making the extra pass and hitting clutch shots.
Notre Dame produced 16 assists on 25 made field goals against Mizzou. Then recorded 27 assists on 33 made field goals at TCU. The latter marked the most assists in a game since at Syracuse on Jan. 4, 2020.
That’s 43 assists on 58 made field goals over the two games. The Irish collectively shot 50.9 percent from the floor and converted 23 three-pointers.
NEXT MAN UP
The Fighting Irish will be without their floor general, Markus Burton, for the forseeable future. On Wednesday, Dec. 10, he will have surgery performed on his left ankle, an injury he incurred at TCU.
Burton was averaging a team best 18.5 points per game and was coming off one of his most complete games of his career after dropping his first career double-double with 18 points and 10 assists vs. Missouri. He had six points and five assists in 10 minutes at TCU.
Burton had a phenomenal start of the season, becoming just 1-of-3 Notre Dame plaeyrs over the past 30 years to total 180+ points, 30+ assists and 15+ steals over the first 10 games, joining Jerian Grant (2013-14, 2014-15) & Chris Thomas (2002-03).
HARALSON IN THE CLUTCH
Adding on to the Next Man Up mantra was guard Jalen Haralson at TCU. Down two with three seconds remaining, Haralson hit a step-back fadeaway jumper as the freshman tied it up 76-all to take it into overtime.
Haralson finished the night shooting 8-12 from the floor to record a career best 20 points, push a career high 9 assists.
Other ND greats over the last three decades to match Jalen’s stat line of 20 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists and 1 block: Jerian Grant in 2015 / Chris Thomas x3 (twice in 2002 and once in 2005).
“The thing that I told Jalen, right before we went out after halftime, I said, ‘You’ve got to be the best player on the floor with no doubt of who that is,’” Coach Shrewsberry said. “I thought he did that in the second half.”
CERTA-FIED
Speaking of great weeks, ladies and gentlemen, Cole Certa. The sophomore sharpshooter flashed it in the season opener when he dropped 22 points on a career best 6-9 night from three-point range. He flashed it last season in the win over Stanford when he drained a corner three with 18 seconds left for the 56-54 win.
Then the Illinois native delivered in a major way in the win over Missouri, recording the game-winning three with 17 seconds left. In fact, Certa converted three triples in the final 4:35 of the game, ultimately finishing with 14 points.
Next, Certa went NBA Jam fire mode in the second half at TCU, where he drained four triples in a row. He ultimately converted five in the half and six in the game to finish with 20 points.
It marked the second game this season in which Certa came off the bench and drained 5+ threes.
For Notre Dame – most games off the bench w/ 5+ three pointers made since 1996-97 (Single Seasons Only):
- 2025-26 Cole Certa 2
- 2016-17 Matt Ryan 2
- 2003-04 Chris Quinn 2
PROTECT PURCELL
The Fighting Irish have done just that and have protected Purcell with a 5-0 start. The Irish are averaging 10 more points per game at home, where they are shooting a hot 50.5 percent from the field. They are also averaging 11.0 made threes per game at home.
Individually speaking, four Irish are averaging double figures inside Purcell: Markus Burton (20.2), Jalen Haralson (12.5), Braeden Shrewsberry (11.4), Cole Certa (10.8).
The Irish are looking for a 6-0 start at home for the first time since the 2022-23 season. If they closed out the non-con perfect at home, that would mark the first time since 2021-22.
WHO’S HOT
Jalen Haralson, who gives this Notre Dame offense a new look and feel. He’s another ball handler who can attack the paint, or post up or get to the front of the rim. He also provides length on the defensive end.
He’s been Mr. Dependable – eight straight games in double figures (includes Kansas, Houston, Missouri, TCU) – averaging 15.1 points in that span on 55.6% shooting. More specifically, last week, Haralson averaged 16.5 points on 68.4% shooting, plus 4.5 rpg & 5.5 apg.
He’s getting to the rim at will, where he converts a whopping 76.2 percent – that’s 13.6 percent above the D1 average.
However, the hottest shooter from last week award goes to Cole Certa. The sophomore averaged a team best 17.0 points on a blazing 10-19 (.526) from three. He’s currently 40.4 percent from three on the season. His sweet spot has been the corner three, where he’s 10-21 (.476). In addition, he’s averaging 2.3 made threes per game.
Lastly, Carson Towt is coming off a big performance at TCU where the graduate poured in a season high 13 points on a perfect 6-6 from the floor. Towt also recorded nine boards & four assists.
NOTRE NOTABLES
- The Irish are 15 wins away from 2,000 all-time. They would become the eighth program to achieve this feat.
- Certa is a perfect 18-18 from the FT line. In terms of D1 players who remain perfect from the stripe, Certa has converted the fifth most.
- For the first time since the 2016-17 season, the Fighting Irish opened the season with three straight 20+ point victories.
- The Irish are ranked 23rd nationally in mid-range field goal percentage, making about 44.5% of their attempts from those locations vs. Average Oppnent.
- Notre Dame does a fantastic job to prevent opposing teams from capitalizing on chances from offensive rebounds. The squad allows the Average Opponent to convert only 3.6% of all second-chance opportunities (ranked tenth in the NCAA), and with a rating of 11.59, they’re 41st in potential points allowed off of the offensive glass as well.
- According to Haslam Metrics, Notre Dame’s defensive proximity allowed is 2.15 which ranks 9th nationally. Rating: 1.0=near proximity; 3.0=all threes.
- Kenpom Rating: Offense 114.5 (74th) & Defense 101.0 (62nd).
- Overall KenPom sits at 62.
- Current NET rating of 69.
==========
IU INDY VOLLEYBALL NEWS
PURICHIA NAMED AVCA ALL-REGION HONORABLE MENTION
LEXINGTON, Ky.– IU Indy’s Grace Purichia adds yet another award to her stellar junior season with the AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention. The junior was named Horizon League Setter of the Year as well as All-League First Team after leading the league and the nation in total assists.
Purichia, a junior from New Albany, Indiana, dominated the Horizon League and all of Division 1 volleyball when orchestrating the Jaguars’ offense this season. Before entering post season play, the setter led the Horizon League in assists per set with 11.02, ranking her in third in all of Division 1 volleyball behind Texas A&M’s Maddie Waak (11.48) and SMU’s Averi Carlson (11.12). Purichia led the nation in total assists with 1,256. As a junior, she currently sits at fifth all-time in program history with 3,320 assists.
Purichia was also named #HLVB Player of the Week four times this season, the most of anyone in the league. Along with her Setter of the Year award, she was also named to the All-League First Team.
She finished the season with a total of 1,346 assists, 110 kills, 29 service aces and 336 digs in 32 matches. Purichia also helped lead her team to the program’s first Horizon League Tournament win.
==========
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SET TO PLAY ON ESPN WEDNESDAY AT NO. 22 LOUISVILLE
Last Game Notables:
– Bree Salenbien led Ball State against Davidson on Sunday with a 21-point performance. Salenbien has scored 20 or more points in five of the Cardinals’ 10 games so far this season. Currenty, Salenbien is averaging a double-double with 17.2 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per contest.
– The Cardinals won the paint battle against the Wildcats outpacing Davidson 38-26.
Ball State vs. Louisville:
Ball State faces Louisville for only the eighth time in program history. UofL owns a 6-1 all-time record when playing the BSU. The last time these two teams met was on Nov. 23, 2014 in the KFC YUM! Center resulting in a 69-56 victory for Louisville. Ball State has one win over Louisville and that was on March 13, 2002 in the postseason WNIT where BSU beat UofL in Worthen Arena by a 95-84 decision.
Leader of the MAC:
Currently, the Cardinals lead the Mid-American Conference in offense (78.3), scoring margin (19.3), opponent field goal percentage (0.326), combined team rebounding (50.1), team defensive rebounds (34.2) and assists (19.80).
Speaking of the MAC:
The Cardinals are set to open Mid-American Conference action at home on Dec. 20 against Eastern Michigan at 11 am ET. Its is part of a Holiday double-header with the Ball State men’s basketball team who will play conference rival Miami at 2 pm ET.
Not the First TIme We’ve Been on the Big Screen:
The Ball State Cardinals have been on display in front of a national audience four-straight years in regular season play with appearances on CBS Sports and ESPNU. The game at Louisville will be televised on ESPN/ACC Network on Wednesday at 9 pm ET.
International Success:
The Cardinals have had plenty of international success under 14th year head coach Brady Sallee. We all remember Nathalie Fontaine the 6-2 guard from Stockholm, Sweden became Ball State’s all-time leading scorer with 2,166 points. The 2016 MAC Player of the Year and AP honorable mention averaged 21.0 points per game and 10.2 rebounds while making over 50 percent of her shots. After Fontaine was Carmen Grande a native from Madrid, Spain who held onto the all-time assists record with 697 until Ally Becki surpassed her last season with 721 and we also cannot forget Thelma Dis Agustsdottir from Keflavik, Iceland who holds the all-time 3-point record with 325 treys. Agustsdottir also competed at the Celsius 3-point championship at the NCAA Tournament.
Scouting Louisville:
Head coach Jeff Walz currently has 494 career wins and is just 6 wins away from 500 overall. There are six active head coaches in all of women’s college basketball that have won 500 or more games at one school. Walz would be the second active head coach in the ACC to reach the 500 wins mark.
The Louisville Cardinals are led in scoring by Tajianna Roberts who is averaging 14.1 points per game behind Roberts is Laura Ziegler who scores 10.9 points per contest. Defensively, Louisville is led by Ziegler as she is pulling down 7.5 boards per game. Roberts and Ziegler were both named Preseason All-ACC team while the Cardinals were selected for finish fourth overall while receiving two first place votes.
The Louisville Cardinals currently are ranked #21/#22 in the nation. The only three loss Louisville has suffered are to #1 UConn (79-66), #20/#18 Kentucky (72-62) and #3 South Carolina (79-77).
Brady Sallee Top 50 in the Nation:
Brady Sallee is one of 50 active coaches in DI women’s basketball that has won 400 or more career victories. Among the Mid-American Conference currently, Sallee ranks first overall and while having the highest career winning percentage in the MAC.
==========
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
LATE RALLY FOR MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS SHORT IN 68-64 SETBACK TO SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s basketball team rallied late with an opportunity to tie or take the lead in the final minute but fell 68-64 to South Dakota State on Tuesday night at Worthen Arena.
Trailing 64-54 with 7:29 to play, the Cardinals went on a 10-2 run capped off by a 3-pointer from Joey Hart at the 3:26 mark of the second half to cut the Jackrabbits’ lead to 66-64. Neither team made a field goal the rest of the way, as Jaden Jackson’s pair of free throws in the closing seconds were the final points of the contest.
Ball State (3-7) led 40-39 going into halftime following free throws by Juwan Maxey. The hosts got out to a 13-6 edge with the help of five early points from Hart in his home debut this season. The junior posted a game-high 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting (2-for-3 on 3-pointers) while making all four free throw attempts.
Joining Hart in double figures for Ball State were Kayden Fish (12 points, nine rebounds) and Davion Hill (10 points). Mason Jones (five points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals) and Devon Barnes chipped in five each while Preston Copeland, Elmore James IV and Juwan Maxey posted four points each.
Guard Kalen Garry led the Jackrabbits (6-5) with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the initial meeting between the two programs.
The visitors collected more rebounds (38-35), but both teams finished with 32 points in the paint. South Dakota State committed four more giveaways (11-7) allowing the Cardinals to get more points off turnovers (13-10).
Ball State shot 36.1 percent (22-61) from the field, 22.2 percent (6-27) from distance and 70 percent (14-20) at the foul line. South Dakota State went 45.6 percent (26-57) on field goals including 42.1 percent (8-19) on 3-pointers and 72.7 percent (8-11) on free throws.
Next up for the Cardinals is a Sunday afternoon game at Campbell. Ball State’s next home contest will be the Mid-American Conference opener on Saturday, Dec. 20 against Miami (OH).
==========
INDIANA STATE SWIMMING
SYCAMORES SWEEP MVC SWIMMING AND DIVING WEEKLY HONORS
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State swimming & diving swept the Missouri Valley Conference weekly swimming and diving awards as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.
Haley Halsall (Swimmer), Jecza Lopez (Diver), and Grace Cummings (Freshman) claimed the conference’s weekly honors as Indiana State claimed all three MVC honors in the same week for the first time in the 2025-26 season.
Halsall claims her first MVC Swimmer of the Week recognition as the Woodstock, Ill. native capped her senior day in the pool by setting the Indiana State record in the 200-yard Fly, and in the process became the first swimmer in the Valley to break the 2:00 mark this season in recording a time of 1:59.73. Halsall topped the field by nearly five seconds in the win, highlighting a meet where Indiana State won 14 of 16 events against Toledo. Halsall followed up finishing third overall in the 500-yard Free in 4:59.72, while adding a sixth-place result in the 200-yard IM in 2:09.24.
Lopez claims Diver of the Week honors for the fifth time in the 2025-26 season after topping the field in both the 1M and 3M Springboard diving events over the weekend as she continued her dominant stretch this season. The junior posted a 280.28 to win the 1M event by nearly 50 points and then added a 288.60 to top the field by 51 points in the sweep.
Cummings claimed her second Freshman of the Week honors over the 2025-26 season as the Kent, England native swept the 500-yard and 1000-yard Freestyle events to highlight her weekend against Toledo. Cummings native posted the fastest time in the conference in the 1000-yard Freestyle this season going 9:49.88 to win the event on Sunday afternoon. She followed up going 4:52.67 to claim the 500-yard Free win and added a time of 2:13.17 in the 200-yard IM to close out the weekend.
Indiana State Swimming & Diving 2025-26 Valley Athletes of the Week
October 21 – Jecza Lopez (Diver)
October 28 – Jecza Lopez (Diver)
November 11 – Claire Parsons (Swimmer), Jecza Lopez (Diver)
November 25 – Jecza Lopez (Diver), Grace Cummings (Freshman)
December 9 – Haley Halsall (Swimmer), Jecza Lopez (Diver), Grace Cummings (Freshman)
Up Next
Indiana State swimming and diving returns to competition after the new year as the Sycamores travel to Carbondale, Ill. heading to Southern Illinois on Saturday, January 10. Competition is set to begin at 2 p.m.
=========
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S SOCCER NEWS
SHANE ANDERSON NAMED USC ALL-REGION SECOND TEAM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Purdue Fort Wayne graduate student Shane Anderson has been named to the 2025 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Men’s All-North Region Second Team, the organization announced on Tuesday (Dec. 9).
In 2025, Anderson (Frisco, Texas / Frisco HS / Oral Roberts) led the Horizon League with nine goals. He was named the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year. Anderson also picked up a spot on the all-tournament team after helping the Mastodons to a runner-up finish. He was picked to the 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team and Academic All-Horizon League Team for his work on the pitch and in the classroom.
Anderson is the first all-region second team pick for the Mastodons since Soshi Fujioka and Seth Mahlmeister made the squad in 2023.
Anderson helped the Mastodons to a Horizon League runner-up finish in 2025.
=========
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
MASTODON WBB LOOKS TO DEFEND THE FORT WITH DOUBLEHEADER
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne will play its annual Defend the Fort doubleheader on Wednesday (Dec. 10) at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The Mastodon women will tip at 5 p.m. against Milwaukee before the men host Eastern Michigan at 8 p.m.
Fans will receive a free Defend the Fort t-shirt presented by Visit Fort Wayne. Only one ticket is needed to watch both games. Also, the 2026 Mastodon Hall of Fame Class will be unveiled at halftime of the men’s game in venue, on ESPN+ and on social media.
Game Day Information
Who: Milwaukee Panthers
When: Wednesday, December 10 | 5 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Milwaukee | Horizon League
Know Your Foe
Milwaukee is 2-8 this season and 0-1 to start Horizon League play. The Panthers are looking to snap a five-game losing streak, coming to Fort Wayne after losing to Youngstown State 68-56. MKE has wins at Northern Illinois 76-65 and Valparaiso 72-67 in overtime. Jorey Buwalda leads the team with 12.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game this season.
Series History
Milwaukee leads the all-time series 10-7, but the Mastodons have won the last four and four of the last five. The Mastodons won last year’s home game 70-58. In the road game, the ‘Dons blew out the Panthers 82-46 and featured the second 3-pointer of Jordan Reid’s career.
Block Party
Purdue Fort Wayne had seven blocks against Wright State on December 7, which was the most against a Division I foe since they had eight against Saint Louis in the 2024 WNIT.
Neato Nelson
Alana Nelson scored 26 points against Wright State on December 7. That was the most she had scored at the Division I level. Her career-high of any level is 47 points against Lourdes in 2023 while at Spring Arbor.
A Week of Alana
Alana Nelson was selected as the Horizon League Player of the Week on December 8. After the first week of league play, Nelson averaged 24.5 points per game, which led the league by 7.0 points per game. She had 23 points at IU Indy, then followed it up with 26 against Wright State.
Lock In Lili
Lili Krasovec scored 15 points three times this season (Purdue, Eastern Michigan, Wright State), which is her career-high mark. In those games, she was a combined 15-for-24 (62.5 percent) from the floor and 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) from the free throw line.
Career Points Tracker
Let’s take a look at the career scoring numbers for the three former NAIA All-Americans on the roster regardless of level.
Alana Nelson – 2,433 (482 at Northwood, 1,787 at Spring Arbor, 164 at PFW)
Jordan Reid – 1,766 (1,395 at Indiana Wesleyan, 373 at PFW)
Lauren Lee – 1,655 (1,630 at Campbellsville, 25 at PFW)
All Signs Point to Nelson
Of all players currently at the Division I level, Alana Nelson has the most career points when counting all levels of play. She owns 2,433 points in her six years of college basketball at Northwood (2), Spring Arbor (3) and Purdue Fort Wayne (1).
3-Point Threat
Rylee Bess is off to the best start by a freshman in terms of 3-point shooting since Jordan Zuppe in 2007-08. Zuppe shot 43.3 percent on 74 makes in her freshman season. Bess is at 45.2 percent with 19 makes.
They’re Playing a Lot, Huh?
Alana Nelson (34.9) and Jordan Reid (33.2) lead the Horizon League in minutes played per game.
Look at Lee!
Through two Horizon League games, Lauren Lee leads the HL with 5.5 assists per game. She also has a 3.7 assist to turnover ratio, which is second-best.
In the HL
Alana Nelson’s 16.4 points per game leads the Horizon League and her 50.4 field goal percentage ranks second in the league. Her 38.5 3-point percentage is fourth. In a small sample size of league play, she leads the league with 24.5 points per game.
Reid About Jordan
Jordan Reid is the only player in the Horizon League in the top-five in both rebounding (6.4) and steals (2.7) per game.
I’ll Take That
Jordan Reid is averaging 2.7 steals per game, which ranks second in the Horizon League and top-40 nationally. If that average holds for a season-long mark, it would be second-best in the program’s Division I era and fourth-best overall.
Inside The Arc? Guaranteed Bucket
Lili Krasovec is shooting 66.7 percent from the floor this season (42-for-63). If she qualified for the leaderboard with enough attempts, she would lead the Horizon League in the field goal percentage category.
Home Sweet Gates
Purdue Fort Wayne is 46-21 (68.7 percent) at home under head coach Maria Marchesano and 31-6 (83.8 percent) over the last three seasons.
Magic Numbers 70 and 80
Under head coach Maria Marchesano, the Mastodons are 52-8 when they score 70 points or more and 24-2 when they hit 80.
Bench Mob
Purdue Fort Wayne’s bench is out-scoring its opponents’ benches 193-161 this season. The Mastodon bench has led in bench points in seven of its 10 games.
Last Time Out
Purdue Fort Wayne handled Wright State 68-52 behind 26 points from Alana Nelson. The Mastodons held all Raiders below double-digits in the scoring column.
Next Time Up
Another doubleheader at the Memorial Coliseum is on tap for the Mastodons, this time a 2 p.m. date on Sunday (Dec. 14) against Northern Illinois.
==========
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
DEFEND THE FORT DOUBLEHEADER SET FOR WEDNESDAY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Wednesday (Dec. 10) is the third annual Defend the Fort doubleheader with Eastern Michigan arriving in the Summit City for a non-league tilt. The Mastodon women will play Milwaukee at 5 p.m. Both games are at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Fans will receive a free Defend the Fort t-shirt presented by Visit Fort Wayne. Only one ticket is needed to watch both games.
Also, the 2026 Mastodon Hall of Fame Class will be unveiled at half time of the game in venue, on ESPN+ and on social media.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (5-6) vs. Eastern Michigan (6-4)
When: Wednesday, December 10 | 8 PM ET
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Memorial Coliseum
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: 1380 AM
Tickets: Link
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Eastern Michigan
Know Your Foe
Eastern Michigan owns wins over Horizon League Detroit Mercy and Oakland, and lost to IU Indy. Carlos Hart is averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds. He is shooting 41.4 percent from three. The Eagles own a +2.6 scoring margin.
Series History
Eastern MIchigan leads the all-time series 3-2. The ‘Dons have won the last two meetings. They defeated EMU 99-76 on Dec. 15, 2024, making 20 3-pointers in the process. The ‘Dons won in Cancun, Mexico on Nov. 22, 2022 74-67.
‘Dons & Ends
// The top two scoring games in the league this season belong to Corey Hadnot II. He had 33 at Oakland (Dec. 3) and 32 at Western Michigan (Nov. 12). Mikale Stevenson’s 29 against Chicago State (Nov. 25) is the fourth best scoring performance in the league this season.
// The Mastodons have won 15 consecutive games at the Gates Sports Center dating back to the 2022-23 season. The last loss was a 71-64 setback to Robert Morris on Feb. 12, 2023. The streak started with a 77-75 win over Wright State on Feb. 19, 2023. That game is well remembered for Damian Chong Qui’s half court game-winning shot.
// Through two league games (at Oakland and vs. Northern Kentucky), Corey Hadnot II is averaging 29.0 points per game and shooting 60.6 percent from the floor.
// Jon Coffman picked up his 200th career victory on Nov. 15 against Boyce. He is the program’s leader in victories.
// DeAndre Craig Jr. has scored double-digits 10-of-11 games this season. He has four games of exactly 18 points this year. The only game under 10 points was a seven-point outing vs. Chicago State (Nov. 25). He tied a career high with 22 points vs. Oakland.
// Corey Hadnot II is 1st in the nation and first in the league with 84 field goals. He has 220 points this season, 5th in the nation. He is 1st in the league at 20.0 points per game. Hadnot is also 9th in the nation in steals with 28.
// At 20.0 points per game, Hadnot’s scoring is up this year as is his shooting percentage. He is shooting 57.1 percent from the floor. He shot 44.6 percent last year.
// Darius Duffy ranks 54th in the nation in blocks with 17.
// Darius Duffy has 58 rebounds on the season, 34 have been on the offensive glass.
// Redshirt freshman Ebrahim Kaba has shown early results from beyond the arc, hitting 15-of-36 (41.7 percent) from three.
// DeAndre Craig Jr. has demonstrated an ability to fill up the box score. Not only does he have 10+ points in all but one game this season, he has two games with six or more rebounds, two games with six or more assists and two games with three steals; all while turning the ball over only 12 times in 272 minutes.
// In the nation, the ‘Dons are:
– 10th in steals per game (11.1)
– 15th in turnover margin (5.3)
– 19th in fast break points per game (18.4)
– 19th in turnovers forced per game (16.55)
// 22 former Mastodons have played professionally in the last 14 years.
Weekly alumni spotlight:
Damian Chong Qui (2021-23) is playing for the Macau Black Bears in Macau, China. On Dec. 6 against Ilagan City, he had 25 points, nine assists and four rebounds in a victory.
// Highlights from the win over Northern Kentucky:
– It was the first time the Mastodons erased a 15-point deficit and won since falling behind Drexel 35-20 on Nov. 25, 2024 and winning 87-81.
– The ‘Dons went on a 20-0 run in the second half, going 6-of-7 from the floor and 4-of-4 from three.
=========
EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER NEWS
ESCUDERO, WURSCHMIDT EARN UNITED SOCCER COACHES ALL-REGION HONORS
KANSAS CITY – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team was well-represented on the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Team, with Martin Wurschmidt (Stavern, Norway/Thor Heyerdahl VGS) and Andres Escudero (San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain/IES Joan Miro) earning Second Team All-Region honors, the organization announced on Tuesday. Wurschmidt and Escudero were two of seven MVC players selected for All-West Region teams, while the Aces were the only Valley team with multiple All-Region selections.
Wurschmidt was named Evansville’s third-ever MVC Defensive Player of the Year this season and the first since Robby Lynch in 2010, in addition to earning First Team All-Conference honors. Wurschmidt was a mainstay on the Evansville back line this season as the only Purple Aces field player to play all 1,800 minutes. As a unit, the Evansville defense limited conference opponents to a league-low .71 goals per game during regular season play, including four shutouts. Wurschmidt was also a threat on the offensive end of the pitch, going a perfect three-for-three from the penalty spot while adding an assist for a total of seven points.
Escudero continued Evansville’s legacy of standout freshman this season, scoring a team-leading 11 goals. He became the fourth Purple Ace to be named MVC Freshman of the Year since 2020 and the fifth in the last eight seasons, in addition to receiving First Team All-MVC and All-Freshman Team accolades. His goal total was good for second among all freshmen in the country, while he was one of two freshmen in the country with four braces this season. Escudero also earned MVC All-Tournament Team laurels after notching a brace in a 4-1 semifinal win over UIC.
==========
VALPO VOLLEYBALL NEWS
HICKEY NAMED HONORABLE MENTION ALL-REGION
Valpo volleyball senior libero Emma Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) added another award to her personal trophy case on Tuesday, as she was honored as an AVCA Honorable Mention All-Midwest Region selection.
Hickey was named MVC Libero of the Year and a First Team All-MVC selection this season as she helped the Beacons finish in a tie for second place in the Valley. She ranked 11th nationally with 5.06 digs/set, reaching double figures in digs in 28 of 30 matches and hitting 20 digs on 14 occasions. A five-time MVC Defensive Player of the Week this season, Hickey committed a career-low 15 serve reception errors in 2025 and chipped in a career-best 1.24 assists/set.
The 2025 season capped a remarkable four-year career for Hickey. She closed her career with 2,665 digs, ranking 17th in NCAA history, fourth in MVC history and third in program history. The active career leader in digs across all divisions, Hickey ranked among the top-15 in the nation in digs/set in each of her four seasons. She earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week accolades nine times in her career, tied for third-most in Valley history.
Hickey was one of just two liberos among the 21 athletes recognized from the Midwest Region, joining Purdue’s Ryan McAleer. Hickey is the ninth different Valpo player to earn postseason recognition from the AVCA, combining for 14 All-Region or Honorable Mention All-Region selections, and is the first since Rylee Cookerly was an All-Region honoree in the spring of 2021.
=========
UINDY MEN’S SOCCER NEWS
LONGO, SANCHEZ GARNER USC ALL-MIDWEST REGION HONORS
KANSAS CITY, MO – The UIndy men’s soccer team placed two student athletes on the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region teams, released Tuesday. Both Joey Longo and Alvaro Sanchez garnered second-team accolades. UIndy’s two honorees are tied for second amongst GLVC teams, only trailing GLVC regular season champions, Rockhurst, who captured three spots on the first team.
Junior midfielder Joey Longo added to his collection of accolades for his 2025 campaign with his second team All-Midwest Region honors. Longo also took home first-team All-GLVC honors, the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award, and CSC Academic All-District honors. Longo combined for nine points this season, with three goals and three assists, including a three point performance against Rockhurst, a goal and an assist.
“Joey truly deserves this great honor,” head coach Gabe Hall said. “He was asked to play out of position all season and excelled in the new roll, and I am happy to see his hard work and selflessness was rewarded.”
UIndy’s second honoree on this year’s All-Midwest Region second-team was junior midfielder Alvaro Sanchez. Along with Longo, Sanchez also claimed All-GLVC honors this season, earning a second-team honor, while also finding himself on the CSC Academic All-District list. Sanchez began the season scoring or assisting in six of the team’s first nine games, and combining for 14 points on six goals and two dishes.
The Hounds this season had its most successful season under head coach Gabe Hall, who took the team to its second NCAA Tournament second round appearance under his tenure, after a thrilling two-goal comeback against GLVC foe McKendree in the first round this season.
=========
IU INDY SWIMMING NEWS
BUESSING, POCK REPRESENT UINDY AT EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
LUBLIN, Poland – A pair of Greyhounds competed at the European Aquatics Short Course Swimming Championships last week, held at Aqua Lublin arena in Lublin, Poland. Recent-UIndy-alum Cedric Buessing and current-Hound Jeremias Pock both found success competing for their native Germany, with both men qualifying for a final.
A 2025 UIndy graduate, Buessing took home the bronze medal in the 400 IM. One of only three German men to medal at the event, his time of 4:03.51 was just a quarter of a second back of second place. Pock, meanwhile, advanced through the prelims and semifinals in the 200 breaststroke before touching sixth in the finals with a time of 2:04.52.
Buessing graduated from UIndy last spring as one of the most-decorated student-athletes in school history. He ended his collegiate career with 19 All-America nods, 17 GLVC event titles, eight school records, four GLVC Swimmer of the Year awards, and two event national championships.
Pock, a UIndy junior this year, is in the midst of a stellar collegiate himself. He currently owns the fastest time in Division II this season in three events—both the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 IM. He is the current school record holder in the later two events and is the reigning national champ in the 400 IM.
=========
SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
=========
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Dec. 10
1939 — The Green Bay Packers register the first shutout in an NFL championship game by beating the New York Giants 27-0.
1961 — Billy Cannon of the Houston Oilers rushes for 216 yards, catches five passes for 114 yards and scores five touchdowns in a 48-21 victory over the New York Titans. Cannon finishes with 373 combined yards.
1971 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores a career-high 55 points in Milwaukee’s 120-104 victory over the Boston Celtics.
1982 — Michael Dokes knocks out Mike Weaver in the first round to capture the WBA heavyweight title in Las Vegas.
1985 — The Indiana Pacers hits only 19 field goals in an 82-64 loss to the New York Knicks, setting an NBA record for the fewest field goals made by one team since the inception of the shot clock.
1986 — Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins scores 57 points to lead the Hawks to a 123-95 rout of the Chicago Bulls.
1992 — The NHL awards expansion franchises to Anaheim and Miami. The newcomers, scheduled to begin play in the 1993-94 season, bring the NHL to 26 teams.
1994 — Art Monk sets an NFL record for consecutive games with a reception on New York’s first play in the Jets’ 18-7 loss to the Detroit Lions. Monk’s 5-yard catch gives him 178 consecutive games with a reception, breaking Steve Largent’s NFL mark.
1999 — Laffit Pincay Jr. guides Irish Nip to a two-length victory in the sixth race at Hollywood Park for his 8,834th victory, breaking Bill Shoemaker’s 29-year-old record and making him the world’s winningest jockey.
2006 — LaDainian Tomlinson breaks Shaun Alexander’s NFL single-season touchdown record of 28 when he scores three times in the San Diego Chargers’ 48-20 victory over the Denver Broncos. Tomlinson has 26 TDs rushing and three receiving.
2006 — Marvin Harrison of Indianapolis is the fourth player in NFL history with 1,000 receptions, joining Jerry Rice, Tim Brown and Cris Carter.
2008 — Carmelo Anthony matches George Gervin’s NBA record for points in a quarter with 33 in the third and finishes with a season-high 45 points in Denver’s 116-105 victory over Minnesota.
2010 — George Karl earns his 1,000th coaching victory, the seventh coach in NBA history, as Al Harrington scores a season-high 31 points and Nene adds 26 to help the Denver Nuggets hold off the Toronto Raptors 123-116.
2016 — Army ends a 14-year run of frustration against Navy, using an overpowering running game and opportunistic defense to carve out a long overdue 21-17 victory.
2016 — Roman Torres scores in the sixth round of penalty kicks to give the Seattle Sounders their first MLS Cup title, 5-4 over Toronto FC after 120 scoreless minutes. It’s the first MLS Cup final to fail to produce a goal in regulation, setting the stage for a dramatic tiebreaker.
2017 — Ben Roethlisberger completes 44 of a franchise-record 66 passes for 506 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to top 500 yards passing three times and leading Pittsburgh past Baltimore 39-38. Antonio Brown caught 11 passes for 213 yards for Pittsburgh.
___
Dec. 11
1938 — New York Giants beats the Green Bay Packers 23-17 to win the NFL championship.
1946 — The Chicago Stags and Cleveland Rebels play an experimental game featuring 15-minute quarters, instead of the usual 12-minute quarters. The Stags beat the Rebels 88-70.
1949 — Johnny Lujack of the Chicago Bears passes for 468 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-21 rout of the Chicago Cardinals.
1959 — Richie Guerin scores 57 points, at the time the most ever by a Knick, as New York defeats Syracuse 152-121. His team record was broken by Bernard King 25 years later.
1971 — The Los Angeles Lakers set an NBA record with 21 straight wins by beating the Atlanta Hawks 104-95, breaking the record of 20 set by the Milwaukee Bucks the previous year.
1972 — Joe Namath of the New York Jets passes for 403 yards and Don Maynard sets an NFL record for career receptions in a 24-16 loss to the Oakland Raiders. Maynard, with seven catches, breaks Raymond Berry’s record of 631 by one catch.
1977 — Philadelphia’s Tom Bladon scores four goals and collects four assists to set a record for defensemen with eight points in the Flyers’ 11-1 victory over the Cleveland Barons.
1982 — Dan Fouts the San Diego Chargers passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-37 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco’s Joe Montana passes for 356 yards to set an NFL record with five consecutive games of 300 yards or more passing.
1983 — John Henry becomes the first racehorse to surpass $4 million in career earnings when he wins the Hollywood Turf Cup with jockey Chris McCarron at Hollywood Park.
1985 — Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers registers seven assists in a 12-9 victory over the Chicago Black Hawks. The teams tie the NHL record for most total goals in a game.
1992 — Gary Bettman, the NBA’s senior vice president and general counsel, is named the NHL’s first commissioner.
1999 — Rowan ends Mount Union’s NCAA-record 54-game winning streak, beating the Purple Raiders 24-17 in overtime in a Division III semifinal game.
2002 — Danielle Dube becomes the third female goalie to start in a men’s professional hockey game, stopping 18 shots in the Long Beach Ice Dogs’ 4-1 loss to San Diego in the West Coast Hockey League.
2002 — Colorado’s Joe Sakic scores his 500th career goal in a 3-1 loss at Vancouver. Sakic is the 31st player in NHL history to reach the milestone.
2006 — Jerry Sloan becomes the fifth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games after Utah defeats Dallas 101-79.
2010 — Carl Hagelin scores two goals in the Michigan’s 5-0 victory over Michigan State at Michigan Stadium. The announced attendance of 113,411 crowd sets a world attendance record for a hockey game.
2015 — The Golden State Warriors need two overtimes to remain perfect on a very imperfect night and improved to 24-0 this season by outlasting the Boston Celtics 124-119.
2021 – 87th Heisman Trophy Award: Bryce Young, Alabama (QB)
——-
Dec. 12
1937 — Rookie Sammy Baugh throws second-half touchdown passes of 55, 78 and 33 yards to overcome a 14-7 Chicago lead and give the Washington Redskins a 28-21 victory over the Chicago Bears for the NFL championship.
1953 — Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with a goal and two assists in a 7-2 victory against the New York Rangers. Richard finishes the game with 611 points, one more than injured linemate Elmer Lach, who has held the record since February 1952.
1965 — Chicago’s Gale Sayers scores six touchdowns with 336 combined yards to lead the Bears to a 61-20 rout of the San Francisco 49ers. The six TDs give Sayers an NFL-record 21 for the season. Sayers’ first touchdown is a reception, the next four rushing and the final, an 85-yard punt return.
1971 — Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks scores his 1,000th point with an assist in the first period of a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars.
1977 — NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien fined Kermit Washington $10,000 and suspends the Los Angeles Lakers forward for at least 60 days (26 games) for punching Houston’s Rudy Tomjanovich during a game on Dec. 9. The suspension is the longest ever in NBA history and the fine is the maximum permissible under league rules.
1986 — James “Bonecrusher” Smith knocks out Tim Witherspoon in the first round to win the WBA heavyweight title in New York.
1987 — Guard Mookie Blaylock leads Oklahoma to an NCAA-record 33 steals with 13 in a 152-84 victory over Centenary.
1990 — Connecticut uses a stifling press and quickness to jump to a 32-0 lead en route to an 85-32 victory over New Hampshire. New Hampshire plays 11 minutes and 48 seconds before scoring its first point.
2015 — Keenan Reynolds ends his Navy career with a clean sweep against Army. Reynolds rushes for two touchdowns and throws for another score to lead the No. 21 Midshipmen to their 14th straight win over the Black Knights, 21-17. Reynolds is the first quarterback over the 116-game series to go 4-0.
2015 — The Golden State Warriors’ NBA-record start ends at 24 wins when the Milwaukee Bucks beat them 108-95.
2016 — Tom Brady connects with Chris Hogan for a 79-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to help the New England Patriots overcome a sloppy second half and claim a 30-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Brady throws for 406 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the fourth NFL quarterback with at least 450 career touchdown passes. He also throws just his second interception of the season.
2021 – Dutchman Max Verstappen wins Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship
===========
TV SPORTS TODAY
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Wednesday, Dec. 10
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
4:30 p.m.
ESPNU — Albany at Yale
7 p.m.
ACCN — Liberty at NC State
BTN — Minnesota at Purdue
ESPNU — UMass at Boston College
9 p.m.
BTN — Wisconsin at Nebraska
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
ESPN — Iowa at Iowa St.
SECN — Illinois at Missouri
9 p.m.
ACCN — Ball St. at Louisville
GOLF
5 a.m. (Thursday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, First Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
NBA BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Phoenix at Oklahoma City
10 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — San Antonio at L.A. Lakers
NHL HOCKEY
7:30 p.m.
TNT — N.Y. Rangers at Chicago
TRUTV — N.Y. Rangers at Chicago
10 p.m.
TNT — Los Angeles at Seattle
TRUTV — Los Angeles at Seattle
_____
Thursday, Dec. 1
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
ACCN — Saint Joseph’s at Syracuse
8 p.m.
FS1 — Iowa at Iowa St.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
3:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
GOLF
5 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, First Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
5 a.m. (Friday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Second Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (BOY’S)
8 p.m.
ESPNU — ESPN High School Basketball Showcase: TBD
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (GIRL’S)
6 p.m.
ESPNU — ESPN High School Basketball Showcase: TBD
NFL FOOTBALL
8:15 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Atlanta at Tampa Bay
NHL HOCKEY
7 p.m.
ESPN — Vegas at Philadelphia
9:30 p.m.
ESPN — Florida at Colorado
_____
Friday, Dec. 12
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
TRUTV — Missouri St. at Xavier
8 p.m.
FOX — Texas at UConn
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
9 p.m.
ESPN — FCS Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal
COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA College Cup: TBD, Semifinal, Cary, N.C.
8:30 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA College Cup: TBD, Semifinal, Cary, N.C.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
Noon
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
2:30 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
GOLF
5 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Second Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, First Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
4:30 a.m. (Saturday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Third Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
_____
Saturday, Dec. 13
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
Noon
ACCN — UMass at Florida St.
BTN — Michigan St. at Penn St.
ESPN2 — Arkansas vs. Texas Tech, Dallas
ESPNU — DePaul at Wichita St.
TNT — Iona at St. John’s
12:30 p.m.
USA — Old Dominion at George Mason
1 p.m.
FOX — Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma
2 p.m.
ACCN — Evansville at Notre Dame
BTN — Jackson St. at Northwestern
CW — SC-Upstate at North Carolina
ESPNU — Cincinnati at Georgia
PEACOCK — Marquette at Purdue
TNT — Providence at Butler
2:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — George Washington vs. Florida, Sunrise, Fla.
3 p.m.
FOX — Kansas St. at Creighton
3:30 p.m.
ESPN — Memphis at Louisville
4 p.m.
ACCN — Hofstra at Syracuse
BTN — UC Davis at Oregon
PEACOCK — Nebraska at Illinois
4:30 p.m.
TNT — Pittsburgh at Villanova
SECN — Chattanooga at Auburn
5:30 p.m.
ESPN — Kansas at NC State
6 p.m.
BTN — S. Utah at Washington
6:30 p.m.
SECN — Cent. Arkansas at Vanderbilt
7 p.m.
CBSSN — Stanford at San Jose St.
TNT — Arizona St. at Santa Clara
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — Indiana at Kentucky
8 p.m.
ESPNU — Ohio St. vs. West Virginia, Cleveland
FOX — Michigan at Maryland
FS1 — Rutgers at Seton Hall
8:30 p.m.
SECN — SMU at LSU
9:30 p.m.
ESPN — Arizona at Alabama
10 p.m.
ESPNU — Mississippi St. at Utah
11:30 p.m.
ESPN — UCLA vs. Gonzaga, Seattle
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
ESPNU — Oklahoma at Oklahoma St.
5:30 p.m.
FOX — UConn at Southern Cal
6 p.m.
ESPNU — Louisiana Tech at LSU
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon
ABC — Cricket Celebration Bowl: TBD, Atlanta
ESPN — FCS Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal
3 p.m.
CBS — Army vs. Navy, Baltimore
3:30 p.m.
ABC — FCS Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal
7 p.m.
ABC — Heisman Trophy Celebration: From New York
8 p.m.
ABC — Bucked up L.A. Bowl: TBD, Los Angeles
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
5 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Final
7:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Final
GOLF
4:30 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Third Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
2 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, Second Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
3 p.m.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, Second Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
4:30 a.m. (Sunday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Final Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — UFC Fight Night Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Las Vegas
10 p.m.
ESPN2 — UFC Fight Night Main Card: Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape (Flyweights), Las Vegas
NHL HOCKEY
12:30 p.m.
NHLN — Anaheim at New Jersey
SOCCER (MEN’S)
10 a.m.
USA — English Premier League: Everton at Chelsea
Noon
CBS — Serie A: Lazio at Parma
12:30 p.m.
USA — English Premier League: Fulham at Burnley
3 p.m.
USA — English Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers at Arsenal
_____
Sunday, Dec. 14
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
1 p.m.
BTN — Texas Southern at Minnesota
2 p.m.
SECN — Bethune-Cookman at Missouri
3 p.m.
BTN — W. Michigan at Iowa
ESPN2 — Troy at UAB
7 p.m.
SECN — Jacksonville St. at Texas A&M
7:30 p.m.
FS1 — Washington St. at Southern Cal
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
1 p.m.
ABC — Texas vs. Baylor, Fort Worth, Texas
3:30 p.m.
ESPN — Penn St. at South Carolina
FS1 — Kansas St. at Creighton
4 p.m.
ACCN — Louisville at North Carolina
SECN — Jackson St. at Alabama
5:30 p.m.
FS1 — Michigan St. at DePaul
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
ABC — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Final
5 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA Division II Tournament: TBD, Championship, Sioux Falls, S.D.
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Final
GOLF
4:30 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Final Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, Final Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
2 p.m.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, Final Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
5 p.m.
ESPN2 — NLL: Rochester at San Diego
NFL FOOTBALL
1 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at Cincinnati, L.A. Chargers at Kansas City, Buffalo at New England, N.Y. Jets at Jacksonville
FOX — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at Chicago, Washington at N.Y. Giants, Las Vegas at Philadelphia, Arizona at Houston
4:25 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: Green Bay at Denver OR Indianapolis at Seattle
FOX — Regional Coverage: Detroit at L.A. Rams, Carolina at New Orleans, Tennessee at San Francisco
8:20 p.m.
NBC — Minnesota at Dallas
PEACOCK — Minnesota at Dallas
NHL HOCKEY
12:30 p.m.
NHLN — Vancouver at New Jersey
7 p.m.
NHLN — Edmonton at Montreal
SNOWBOARDING
4 p.m.
NBC — FIS: World Cup, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
9 a.m.
USA — English Premier League: Newcastle United at Sunderland
11:30 a.m.USA — English Premier League: Leeds United at Brentford
About The Author
More Stories
NFL NEWS
2025 AP ALL-AMERICAN FOOTBALL TEAMS
AP WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLL