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Five-star safety includes Georgia football in top three

The nation’s fifth-ranked prospect of the 2021 recruiting cycle has reduced his list of preferred college destination down to three.

James Williams, the nation’s fifth-ranked prospect of the 2021 recruiting cycle, has reduced his list of preferred college destination down to three.

Georgia, Alabama, and Clemson are Williams’ final three suitors.

The five-star junior out of Opa Locka, Florida is the state’s top prospect both at the safety position and overall as per 247.com, which currently projects him as a one hundred percent Bulldog lean according to three recruiting analysts.

At six-foot-five and nearly 220 pounds, Williams’ size (particularly his length) is rare for a defensive back. Head coach Kirby Smart, a former safety, and defensive backs coach Charlton Warren would have big plans for a player with the speed and vision necessary to play both strong and free safety combined with the size and physicality to play STAR.

That speed and vision give the out-of-state standout the ability to quickly diagnose plays and react accordingly. Whether he joins the Dawgs, Tide, or Tigers, three programs which have dominated the past three years’ recruiting cycles, he is capable of making an immediate impact on a playoff-caliber team as a true freshman.

I’m Just the Same Young King From The Sandbox 🔋 Top 3 🤤…..#Blessed pic.twitter.com/BFevhoWLT5

— James Williams (@Begreat_20) February 16, 2020

Williams had previously released a top five including Auburn and Miami, which now appear to be out of the running for his services.

Joel Embiid says he misses Dario Saric, was sad when he was traded

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid says he misses former teammate Dario Saric.

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently in a great spot. They just added reinforcements off their bench to prepare for what they hope will be a title run and they made a bold move to help the team on an overall scale.

While Joel Embiid is at All-Star weekend in Chicago to represent the Sixers on Team LeBron, he was asked about a former teammate of his: Dario Saric.

Saric was with the Sixers for a little over two seasons before being sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with Robert Covington, in the Jimmy Butler trade in November of 2018. Saric was known to have a funny personality and was one of the better team players for them in terms of chemistry.

“Dario is my guy,” said Embiid. “He’s probably one of the funniest guys I’ve ever been around. We miss him. I was kind of sad when we traded him, but it’s basketball. It’s business. He was a great teammate, just a hard worker, and a fun dude to be around.”

The NBA at the end of the day is a business. Moving Saric to Minnesota to bring Butler in was a move that helped the team right away. Obviously, Butler isn’t here any longer, but the move was a no-brainer at the time for general manager Elton Brand and company.

Saric is now with the Phoenix Suns where he is averaging 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. He is dealing with an ankle injury right now that has limited him a little bit. [lawrence-related id=25856,25888,25880]

UFC on ESPN+ 25 results: Scott Holtzman outpaces Jim Miller for decision win

Scott Holtman is coming into his own in the UFC lightweight division as the winner of five of his past six fights.

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] is one of the most durable competitors in the history of mixed martial arts. If you doubt that, consider that his fight with [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] on Saturday was his 33rd in the UFC and that he holds the company’s record for lightweight wins at 19.

Holtzman (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), however, is starting to demonstrate that he, too, has staying power – and that here in his fifth UFC year, he’s coming into his own.

The lightweight nicknamed “Hot Sauce” scored an impressive win at UFC on ESPN+ 25, figuring out the pace in the opening round and then turning things on over the final two to earn a unanimous decision. The judges’ scores were 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.

The opening round was primarily a boxing match, and while Holtzman was the one moving forward, Miller (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) landed more often, frequently finding a home with a crisp right hand.

Holtzman, however, seemed to find his range late in the round, and he turned up the pace in the second. Midway through, Miller scored a takedown, but coming out of the scramble after Holtzman got back to his feet, Holtzman really upped the volume and landed to the head and body. After a takedown, Holtzman finished the round with solid ground and pound.

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In the third, New Mexico’s high altitude began taking a toll on both competitors, but more noticeably Miller. Holtzman outstruck Miller over the final two rounds by a combined 55-29, which tells the story on how he managed to seal the deal.

With his seventh career decision victory, Holtzman now has won two straight and five of his past six. Miller, who went past the first round for the first time in his past five fights, had a two-fight winning streak snapped.

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Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 25 results include:

Scott Holtzman def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Devin Clark def. Dequan Townsend via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Merab Dvalishvili def. Casey Kenney via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 29-28)
Macy Chiasson def. Shanna Young via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Raulian Paiva def. Mark De La Rosa via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 4:42

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