Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
On Saturday night, the Alabama Crimson Tide put on a show as they beat South Carolina in a big showdown in Tuscaloosa, 90-86.
On Saturday night, the Alabama Crimson Tide put on a show as they beat South Carolina in a big showdown in Tuscaloosa, 90-86.
Fought back and finished strong.
ALABAMA WINS! #RollTide #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/TlbNA24iLs
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) March 1, 2020
It was difficult, but Joseph Benavidez faced the music after dropping to 0-4 in his career in major title fights.
If you don’t feel at least a little bit for [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] after his loss to Deiveson Figueiredo on Saturday night, you might not have a soul.
For years, Benavidez has found great success at both bantamweight and flyweight, amassing 20 victories in his Zuffa career between the WEC and UFC.
But four of his six career losses have been title fights. And his loss at UFC on ESPN+ 27 just might have been his final opportunity to call himself a champion.
Which made Benavidez’s in-cage interview with Michael Bisping following his second-round TKO loss all the more tough to watch.
“I feel like this isn’t real right now, that I’m in some freakin’ nightmare,” a disconsolate Benavidez said.
He managed to gather his thoughts from there and put his best spin on things.
“Everyone is going through ups and downs everywhere, this is mine, it’s on display. Lucky to be alive I guess, but I worked my ass off for that and it didn’t go great.”
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You can watch Benavidez’s postfight interview in the video below:
"I feel like this isn't real right now, that I'm in some freakin' nightmare."@JoeJitsu gives his immediate reaction to @bisping after the #UFCNorfolk main event pic.twitter.com/xpOsTdGp2w
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 1, 2020
UFC on ESPN+ 27 took place Saturday at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. The card streamed on ESPN+.
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Rachel Nichols, Amin Elhassan, and Scottie Pippen debated whether or not this year’s Thunder team is better than the 2018-19 Thunder.
Oklahoma City’s surprising success has been talked about again and again this season.
And it’s easy to understand why. The Thunder are one of the feel-good stories in the league.
In their first year without Russell Westbrook, who essentially made the franchise over the last decade, Oklahoma City has exceeded all expectations. They have essentially guaranteed themselves a spot in the postseason after they were written off ahead of training camp, and their playing like the Thunder team that fans and opposing teams have been accustomed to seeing.
Throw in the combination of rejuvenated veteran Chris Paul, a rising star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the narrative of a team full of scrappy players who are sacrificing for the greater good … Hollywood doesn’t’ have many better storylines.
But is this season an unlikely one-off or are the Thunder actually better than they were a year ago with both Westbrook and Paul George on the roster?
ESPN’s The Jump debated the issue.
Royce Young, who covers the Thunder for ESPN, tweeted out ahead of OKC’s matchup against the Bucks that Milwaukee and Oklahoma City had the two best records in the league since Thanksgiving.
Records since Thanksgiving:
1. Bucks 35-5
2. Thunder 31-11
3. Lakers 29-10
4. Raptors 29-12
5. Celtics 28-13— Royce Young (@royceyoung) February 28, 2020
The Jump broke it down even further, noting that “even if you break it out by winning percentage, still only the Bucks and Lakers have been better than the Thunder”.
Rachel Nichols posed the question to Amin Elhassan and Scottie Pippen.
Elhassan pointed out that at this point in the season last year, Oklahoma City had a record of 38-23. Currently, the Thunder are 37-23 (adding a game to the loss column due to the historically lopsided loss to the Bucks on Friday night). Elhassan said that while Oklahoma City isn’t better on paper, the offense is better than it was last year.
“You look at the offense, it’s way better than it was last year. Last year’s offense was 16th in the league, this year’s offense is 10th. When you look at the way that they use everyone on the roster, that it’s not very star-centric, when you look at the development of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the year that Chris Paul has had, I’m willing to say that if last year’s Thunder played this year’s Thunder, this year’s Thunder would win in a seven-game series”.
Scottie Pippen agreed and added that he believes that this year’s OKC team is better both on paper and on the court.
“They have players that are playing their role, and I think they’ve got better leadership. Chris Paul gets his guys to play the way he wants them to play. And they follow the way that he plays. And that’s why they’re being successful on the basketball court.”
Elhassan also noted that Paul’s influence was visible in the way Oklahoma City executes, especially during close games, something that shouldn’t be surprising to Thunder fans considering Paul has been the most clutch player in the league this season.
The conversation about the Thunder starts at the 2:37 mark.
Felicia Spencer talks to media after her UFC on ESPN+ 27 victory.
Felicia Spencer talks to media after her UFC on ESPN+ 27 victory.
The 49ers have big question marks looming all over their group of wide receivers in 2020.
While the 49ers pieced together a good enough group of wide receivers to reach the Super Bowl a season ago, the position’s stability is still in question heading in to 2020.
With Emmanuel Sanders set for unrestricted free agency and a slew of unproven playmakers across the depth chart, San Francisco has some work to do to restore their receiving corps to a championship level.
With free agency and the draft still ahead in the offseason, let’s look at what the 49ers are dealing with at receiver:
Samuel became a go-to weapon for the 49ers’ offense late in the season. He was very good as a receiver, and churned out historic numbers on the ground. The big question with Samuel is whether there’s another level for him in Year 2. If he takes a step up – he can be the team’s No. 1 receiver. If he moves laterally or takes a step backward – they’ll need a significant upgrade at the other starting receiver spot.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that Manny Pacquiao and Kell Brook are possible opponents for Terence Crawford.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said on a Talkbox podcast that Manny Pacquiao and Kell Brook are the possibilities.
“We’re working on Terence’s fight in June or at the beginning of July,’’ Arum said. “There are a couple of options for Terence.
“We’re exploring a Pacquiao fight, and if that can’t happen, we’re exploring a fight against Kell Brook.”
Crawford trainer Brian McIntyre told ESPN in Frisco, Texas, that he has been told Crawford’s likely return date is June 13. He also mentioned Pacquiao and Brook.
“They say that they’re working on Pacquiao,” said McIntyre, who was at the news conference announcing the Regis Prograis-Maurice Hooker junior welterweight fight on April 17. “Fox and ESPN said they were going to try to work together to make something. They were going to look at the guy overseas, Kell Brook.”
Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs), a welterweight champion and No. 2 in Boxing Junkie’s latest pound-for-pound poll, had been rumored to be in line for two bouts – boxing and mixed martial arts — against UFC star McGregor. But cooperation between promotional entities and networks for Tyson Fury’s stoppage of Deontay Wilder in a heavyweight rematch appears to have created more boxing options.
Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions were promotional partners for Fury-Wilder. Top Rank promotes Crawford and used to promote Pacquiao, who is now tied to PBC.
Pacquiao, also rumored to be a McGregor possibility, is expected to fight again this summer during a break from his duties as a Filipino Senator. Saudi Arabia, the host country for Anthony Joshua’s decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. on Dec. 7, reportedly wants to stage another major bout this summer.
“All that money, who wouldn’t want to go over there?” McIntyre said.
The 41-year-old Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs), a welterweight champion, is coming off a split decision over Keith Thurman on July 20.
Brook (39-2, 27 KOs) is a former welterweight champion who fought at 154 pounds in his last bout. He scored a seventh-round stoppage of American Mark DeLuca Feb. 2 in Sheffield England. After the impressive victory, he mentioned Crawford and said he’d be willing to go back down to 147 pounds.
Meanwhile, it’s still not clear when Errol Spence, Jr. will fight again. Spence (26-0, 21 KOs), who holds two of the belts, has been back in the gym, working his way back from a scary car crash Oct. 10 in Dallas.
“He’s got to get a fight underneath his belt to see how he feels, see if it’s still there,’’ McIntyre said of a possible Crawford-Spence fight.
Tom Crean’s Georgia Bulldogs came out on top over Arkansas in a contest filled with one-sided scoring streaks.
Needing a win to stay in contention for a first-round bye in the SEC tournament, Tom Crean’s Georgia Bulldogs came out on top over Arkansas in a contest filled with one-sided scoring streaks.
Amidst a season plagued with blown leads and resultant losses, Georgia faithful could never feel comfortable with the Bulldogs’ 18-point lead.
The visiting Hogs twice cut the lead to a single point before the home Dawgs sealed the game.
Projected top NBA Draft pick Anthony Edwards took over the final 1:07 of the game, scoring nine of his 26 points in crunch time. Edwards punctuated the game with a ferocious two-handed dunk that sunk Arkansas.
ANTHONY EDWARDS TOOK FLIGHT ✈️ pic.twitter.com/FT9LOWh09r
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 1, 2020
Fellow NBA prospect Rayshaun Hammonds posted 22 points and nine boards.
Despite a lackluster season for Georgia basketball, the NBA’s projected top pick Anthony Edwards has thrown together a rather modest highlight film in what will almost certainly be his only season in Athens.
Megan Anderson talks to media after her UFC on ESPN+ 27 victory.
Megan Anderson talks to media after her UFC on ESPN+ 27 victory.
Hawaii football schedule 2020 prediction, breakdown, analysis, ranking every game.
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Hawaii football schedule 2020 prediction, breakdown, analysis, ranking every game.
Mountain West Mountain Teams Missed: Colorado State, Utah State, Wyoming
9-4: Todd Graham’s Rainbow Warriors show up large at Arizona to start the season with a win for the second year in a row over the Pac-12er, and the fun continues with a home victory over UCLA. There’s a stop to the fun at Oregon, and there’s a loss or two along the way in Mountain West play, but the team keeps on owning the big-time home field advantage and pushes for the West title again.
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5-8: The team doesn’t own the Pac-12 this year. It goes 0-3 against the league, and if suffers a bad midseason run with losses to at Air Force, Boise State and at Fresno State. Road losses at San Jose State and San Diego State make it a rough year.
Get Hawaii Tickets for the 2020 season with TicketCity
2020 preseason ranking of the Hawaii football schedule from the hardest-looking games to the easiest.
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Michigan State Basketball blew out Maryland at the Xfinity Center, 78-66, in a critical Big Ten game. Here is a game recap.
Michigan State basketball handled Maryland at the Xfinity Center in a strong 78-66 victory. Malik Hall scored sixteen points, shooting 5/5 from the floor. Rocket Watts played excellent defense against Anthony Cowan Jr. and delivered clutch buckets. This was a quality road win for Michigan State.
Aaron Henry scored the first points of this game. Malik Hall followed up with a tightly contested layup. Xavier Tillman blocked a shot which led to a Cassius Winston dime to Hall. Another defensive stop leads to a Rocket Watts corner three. What do you know, the Spartans are off to a strong start on the road.
Malik Hall hit another jumper, putting up six points in less than three minutes. Then, Hall found a wide-open Aaron Henry for a three-point shot. Jalen Smith hit a three, injecting life into the Maryland crowd. Cassius Winston answered right back with a three-pointer of his own. The Spartans led the Terpins 17-5 in the first five minutes.
Maryland scored seven points in the next three minutes, cutting the deficit to five. Luckily, Cassius hit two free-throws to give MSU some space. Both teams exchanged buckets until Maryland tied the game with a three. Xavier Tillman grabbed a tough offensive rebound and scored down low, putting MSU back ahead 25-23 with nine minutes left in the first half.
Cassius Winston scored five points in three possessions, building the lead to seven points. Neither team scored for the next four minutes. Finally, Tillman converted on a low post opportunity. The Spartans scored on consecutive possessions, bringing the lead back out to eight points. Then, Winston hit a crazy, half-court shot to close the half.
The week of the buzzer-beaters continues.
Here, it's reigning B1G POY Cassius Winston giving No. 24 @MSU_Basketball the double-digit lead at the half. pic.twitter.com/trKucwMYqH
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 1, 2020
Michigan State closed the half ahead 40-29, holding Anthony Cowan Jr. to only six points.
Rocket Watts hit a mid-range jumper to start the half. Cassius Winston found Xavier Tillman for a bucket at the rim. Aaron Henry converted on an and-one opportunity. Then, Rocket Watts found Tillman for another easy layup. Michigan State now ahead by 16 points with 17 minutes remaining.
Winston found plenty of space and hit a three-pointer. Maryland answered right back with a bucket from deep. Winston then threw a successful alley-oop to Tillman. The Spartans went 7/7 to start the second half.
Maryland freshman Hakim Hart hit a corner three, cutting the lead to 13 points. Xavier Tillman grabbed an offensive board and found Hall for a three-pointer. Michigan State maintained its lead through exceptional defense.
Gabe Brown grabbed an offensive board and found Rocket Watts all alone beyond the arc. One play later, Tillman scored down in the paint. MSU ahead 66-49 with less than ten minutes left in the game.
Jalen Smith scored in the post on Thomas Kithier, drawing a foul in the process. Marcus Bingham Jr. made his way into the game and took it to Smith after a heated defensive play. This resulted in double technicals for both Bingham Jr. & Smith.
Rocket Watts ended an 8-0 Maryland run with a wide-open three-point shot. He then scored on mid-range pull-up, hushing all Terpins fans in the crowd. Maryland cut the Spartan lead down to 11 points with five minutes left in the game.
Cassius Winston hit a corner three and was fouled on the play. This extended MSU’s lead to thirteen. Hakim Hart scored on a transition layup, cutting the Spartan lead down to 10 yet again with less than three minutes remaining.
4️⃣-point play
Cassius Winston hits the 3, and adds the FT to extend No. 24 @MSU_Basketball's lead. pic.twitter.com/hUGWTUrVxO
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 1, 2020
Aaron Henry had a huge block down low. Unfortunately, Cassius Winston turned the ball over for the second consecutive possession. Henry then clamped up Anthony Cowan Jr. in a clutch moment.
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