Category: News

Kansas All-American Hunter Dickinson to return for 5th college season

Dickinson was named a consensus second-team All-American, averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks.

Kansas senior Hunter Dickinson announced Friday on social media that he will return to school to play the 2024-25 season with the Jayhawks, his fifth season in college.

Dickinson was named a consensus second-team All-American this past season, averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks on 54.8% shooting from the field. He ranked eighth in the country in rebounding and 12th in double-doubles (17).

He was also named to the All-Big 12 first team.

The 7-footer joined the Jayhawks last year after spending his first three seasons in college at Michigan. He was one of four active players in Division I this season with at least 2,200 career points and 1,100 rebounds, joining Zach Edey, Armando Bacot and Baylor Schereman.

Dickinson will return to a team with the sixth-ranked incoming recruiting class, headlined by top-50 prospects Flory Bidunga (No. 11) and Rakease Passmore (No. 50). Jayhawks coach Bill Self is also adding Rylen Griffin (Alabama) and AJ Storr (Wisconsin) via the transfer portal.

Kansas will likely be the front-runner to be the preseason No. 1 team in the country next season, with Dickinson back in the fold. The team also returns starters Dajuan Harris Jr. and K.J. Adams, likely making it the favorite in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks (22-10) made their 51st appearance in the NCAA Tournament this past season as the fourth seed. They lost to No. 5 Gonzaga in the second round.

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Video: LFA’s Kendra McIntyre ragdoll KOs opponent with absolutely vicious head kick

Check out video of Kendra McIntyre’s insane head kick Knockout of the Year contender at LFA 182.

Max Holloway may have MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month, Knockout of the Year, and beyond locked up with his buzzer-beating finish of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, but that hasn’t stopped other fighters from submitting their entry into the conversation.

At LFA 182, [autotag]Kendra McIntyre[/autotag] did exactly that Friday night.

In Round 3 of a strawweight contest against Katarina Legorreta, McIntyre (3-1) created a knockout highlight that will be replayed for the rest of her career. Not to mention, it was the first of her career, too.

Legorreta (2-1) was clearly fatigued as she offered a labored left hand. McIntyre didn’t even bother to block it. Instead, she ate on the chin, fired off a right hand and ended the fight with a vicious left head kick that sent her opponent crashing to the canvas like a ragdoll.

Check out video of the devastating knockout in the video below (via X):

The moment for McIntyre, 28, was the first finish of her young career. Her first pro fight was last March, which she won by unanimous decision. She followed that up with another over Alandria Rosales before suffering the first loss of her career in January. Then, she bounced back into the win column on Friday with one of the most brutal knockouts ever witnessed.

Could you imagine if McIntyre manages to top her first-ever knockout?

2024 NFL draft: Compensation revealed for Chiefs’ trade with 49ers

Take a look at what the #Chiefs had to give the #49ers to trade up for BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs had to move up a spot in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft to select BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia on Friday night.

The Super Bowl LVIII participants combined to make the deal, with the San Francisco 49ers agreeing to swap picks with Kansas City.

In addition to the No. 64 pick in the draft, Kansas City also sent selection No. 173 to receive No. 211 and 63. As such, the Chiefs will still have five picks remaining.

ChiefsDigest.com’s Matt Derrick first reported the compensation details about the trade on Twitter:

Suamataia was expected to come off the board at No. 63 to fill a need on the 49ers’ offensive line, which has a clear need at the tackle positions.

However, the Chiefs did what was needed to ensure that Suamataia landed in Kansas City.

The last two matchups against the 49ers haven’t soured the business relationship between each team’s front offices.

2024 NFL draft: Chiefs select BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia with pick No. 63

With pick No. 63 in the 2024 NFL draft, the Kansas City #Chiefs selected BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia

Following a trade with the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs selected BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia with the 63rd pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

After deciding to move on from veteran Donovan Smith, the Chiefs have targeted a versatile offensive tackle. Wanya Morris is currently slotted at the starting left tackle position. Still, general manager Brett Veach made it known in a recent press conference that the starting position will be a competition in training camp.

Suamataia had 22 career starts at BYU, splitting his time between left and right tackle, showing plenty of versatility on the offensive line.

Suamataia was a two-year starter inside BYU’s run-pass-option-oriented offense. He has incredible size and arm length and displays solid movement in the trenches to pair with exceptional strength.

The young offensive tackle’s family is no stranger to the NFL, as his cousin is a Detroit Lions star lineman Penei Sewell.

Miami freshman Kyshawn George to forgo eligibility, declare for 2024 NBA draft

George was the only freshman in the ACC to average at least seven points and three rebounds in fewer than 25 minutes per game.

Miami freshman Kyshawn George told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he will forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2024 NBA draft.

George, born in Switzerland, averaged 7.6 points, three rebounds and 2.2 assists on 42.6% shooting from the field. He was the only freshman in the ACC to average at least seven points and three rebounds in fewer than 25 minutes per game (23.0).

The 20-year-old scored in double figures 12 times, including a season-high 20 points and eight rebounds on Jan. 6. He became the first Miami freshman to score at least 20 points in a game since Isaiah Wong produced 27 on Feb. 19, 2020.

George played four years with Élan Chalon in France before joining the Hurricanes. He was named to the All-U21 Espoir Pro B first team last season, averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.4 steals for the under-21 team.

The 6-foot-8 guard is considered a potential first-round pick. He has impressed in spurts as a perimeter defender and his ability to space the floor, converting 40.8% from 3-point range on 4.2 attempts per game. He also has a good feel for the game and is a good passer.

George also represented Switzerland in the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B, averaging 2.5 points and 1.3 assists in six appearances.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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2024 NFL draft: Chiefs trade up with San Francisco 49ers in Day 2

The Kansas City #Chiefs traded up with the San Francisco #49ers to pick BYU OL Kingsley Suamataia in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded up one spot in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft to select BYU offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia.

After making a trade on Day 1 with the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City turned to the San Francisco 49ers to take Suamataia in Round 2.

The teams haven’t yet announced details of Friday’s deal, but the return that the Chiefs got in Suamataia should prove to be worth their trouble to trade up one spot in the second round.

A gifted people-mover with a ton of raw ability, the BYU lineman was projected to be a first-round pick in some mock drafts and became a cult favorite among scouts after his rock-solid results at the 2024 NFL Combine.

Andy Reid, a former BYU lineman himself, is sure to be pleased with the pick and should have no problem getting Suamataia involved in his offense next season with Kansas City’s first-round selection Xavier Worthy.

Anthony Smith on Alex Pereira: ‘Given the opportunity, we both would jump on it’

Anthony Smith knows he’s not currently in the title picture, but hopes he gets an opportunity to face Alex Pereira some day.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] knows he’s not currently in the title picture, but hopes he gets an opportunity to face [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] some day.

The pair traded barbs in the past, but Smith insists it’s nothing personal. UFC light heavyweight champion Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) currently awaits his next challenger after knocking out Jamahal Hill in his first title defense at UFC 300.

Meanwhile, Smith (37-19 MMA, 12-9 UFC) meets rising contender Vitor Petrino (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at UFC 301 on May 4 in Rio. If Smith climbs his way back up into the upper echelon of the division, he thinks a matchup against Pereira would be intriguing for the both of them.

“Yeah, he’s fun, and him and I have had our words back-and-forth,” Smith told Submission Radio. “I don’t think that there’s any real beef there, but there’s definitely something there with him and I, where, given the opportunity, we both would jump on it.

“If I can put myself into a position where, holy sh*t, here, we’re on a little bit of a streak and things are going well, the timing works out, I think both of us would jump on that opportunity. And I don’t know why that is. … I don’t know – real recognizes real, a little bit.”

Smith also sees the stylistic matchup with Pereira delivering.

“I’m one of the few guys probably that would step in the fire with him, and he knows that,” Smith said. “Is (Magomed) Ankalaev going to stand in the pocket and trade with Alex Pereira and really play that game? Probably not. You know what I mean? Which is probably the worst matchup in the division for, not just him, and f*cking everybody else. That guy’s kind of the boogeyman just floating around out there.

“But yeah, I like it … I like having a little bit of stability in the division. I’m not going to lie: Jamahal is a friend of mine, so it would have been nice to see him get the title and get his title back if for no other reason other than just to legitimize himself and put himself in a good spot. But I like (a Pereira fight). I like it, and I like Pereira’s game. I like his game a lot. It’s fun.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

OKC Thunder: Mark Daigneault discusses time off between playoff games

Mark Daigneault discusses time off between playoff games.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had ample off-time recently. Since the end of the regular season, they’ve played two playoff games in nearly two weeks.

Being the first seed granted the Thunder additional rest and it has paid dividends in their two playoff wins over the New Orleans Pelicans. But as the series switches over to Louisana, the downtime between games is shortened.

From Game 3 until the end of the series, the Thunder and Pelicans will play on an every-other-day basis — very similar to the standard regular-season structure.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talked about the sudden switch in rest as OKC tries to win its first playoff series since 2016.

“We’re not used to playing this few games in this amount of time. The every other day gets us back to a regular season rhythm,” Daigneault said. “Any advantage or disadvantage exists for both teams.”

If the Thunder show out as the top seed and sweep the Pelicans, they’ll have an extra cushion of rest as the Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers battle it out to advance to the second round.

This could be advantageous for the Thunder as they’ll enter the start of that series with presumed fresher legs against whoever moves on. This should boost their odds in the series and hopes of a Western Conference Finals trip.

These are the benefits the Thunder earned during the grueling 82-game season as they landed the first seed on the last day of the campaign.

Deep playoff runs usually require a bit of luck and that’s been the case thus far for OKC with its schedule.

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Video: BKFC KnuckleMania 4 ceremonial weigh-ins live stream

Watch the ceremonial weigh-ins for BKFC KnuckleMania 4, which features Mike Perry vs. Thiago Alves in the main event.

The BKFC KnuckleMania 4 weigh-ins takes place Friday, and you can watch a live stream of the event right here on MMA Junkie beginning at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

The ceremonial weigh-ins take place at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the same venue that hosts the event Saturday night. BKFC KnuckleMania 4, one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the year, takes place Saturday at Peacock Theater. The main card airs on fuboTV and the BKFC App.

Headlining the event is a clash between UFC veterans [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]. The co-main is a title fight between BKFC heavyweight champ [autotag]Mick Terrill[/autotag] and former two-division BKFC champ [autotag]Lorenzo Hunt[/autotag]. In addition, another UFC veteran matchup is on the docket, a heavyweight matchup with No. 1 contender status on the line, [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag].

You can watch the weigh-ins in the video above.

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Vanessa Demopoulos prepared to get used to familiarity with UFC opponents like Emily Ducote

UFC women’s strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos has another big opportunity in front of her next month.

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] has another big opportunity in front of her next month, and from here on out when those happen, they might seem a little more personal.

Demopoulos (10-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) takes on Emily Ducote (13-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 11. For Demopoulos, a win would give her five in six fights – which would put her in great position in the women’s strawweight division.

But it will have to come against someone she’s got some familiarity with.

“Not only do I know a lot about her – Emily’s a sweetheart,” Demopoulos told MMA Junkie Radio. “She came here to Las Vegas. She trained over at Xtreme (Couture) and, in fact, me, her and Hannah Goldy all went hiking together over at Red Rock. So we’ve spent a little bit of time together. It was nice to kind of get to know her on a little bit of a personal level.”

Demopoulos has been training in Las Vegas, where she utilizes not only Xtreme Couture, but the UFC Performance Institute. She said that has been a game-changer for her, especially when it comes to nutrition.

Then there’s the consistency in her coaching, which she thinks was missing earlier in her career.

“I feel like everybody’s really on the same page,” she said. “Being a part of the PI and being able to have access to my food, have access to recovery, have access to the strength and conditioning, the PT, the facility – it just makes my life so much easier being in fight camp and being able to be here in Las Vegas.”

This fight camp, though, for Ducote was for someone she’s spent time with. And even looking down the road, her division’s champion, Zhang Weili, spends a lot of time at the PI, herself.

In a division that isn’t the biggest in the UFC, and given her training in Las Vegas where so many fighters come through at one point or another, Demopoulos is confident this situation will happen again.

“When we got the fight contract, it’s not like I (called) her out. She didn’t hit me up, either,” Demopoulos said. “We both knew that it might happen even while she was here. It’s OK. It’s going to happen. I feel like for being here in Las Vegas, we see so many people, it would be almost impossible for me not to fight somebody that I knew.”

Demopoulos got back in the win column this past October with a decision over Kanako Murata in a fight in which Murata was a decent favorite. Earlier in the year, she had a three-fight winning streak snapped by Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.