Southport team reinstated for boys basketball tournament; coach suspended

Call it a compromise. After recruiting accusations led to a tournament suspension, Southport was allowed back in but head coach Eric Brand was suspended.

The Southport boys’ basketball team has been reinstated to compete in the 2020 tournament.

Coach Eric Brand has been suspended from Jan.1, 2020, through the end of the season, including the tournament.

Call it a compromise.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association was scheduled to meet with administrators from Southport on Wednesday as the school was set to appeal its tournament ban that was handed down by the IHSAA in November.

The ban stemmed from Brand’s violation of undue influence for making a $5,548 payment on behalf of a student referred to as N.P.L., a transfer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Perry Township accepted the payment on behalf of the student in order to remain compliant with U.S. immigration law and meet the requirements of an F-1 student visa.

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Southport originally planned to suspend Brand for two games. IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox called that punishment “woefully short” of expectations and banned Southport from the tournament, in addition to probation for the school and Brand’s two-game suspension.

The Perry Township school system filed an appeal, calling the IHSAA’s decision to ban Southport from the tournament a “draconian punishment” that is “arbitrary, unfair and illogical.” Southport said the IHSAA either overlooked or misrepresented the circumstances around Brand’s involvement. Brand said he had known that writing the check would make N.P.L. ineligible to play on the varsity team.

“Simply put, this is not a story of basketball recruiting,” Southport said in its appeal statement. “It is the story of a caring community banding together to support a person in crisis. The decision of the commissioner to banish Southport High School from the tournament – when Southport obtained absolutely no competitive advantage from the mistakes made – is arbitrary, unfair, illogical, and this aspect of punishment should be reversed.”

But on Tuesday, the evening before the appeal, Cox said he received an email from Southport’s legal counsel with a plea to mediate the situation before starting the appeals process.

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“When there is a hearing for both parties, whether it is an eligibility hearing for a student or a grievance of a school, both parties submit the evidence,” Cox said. “The IHSAA submits their case to the affected party and those submissions are distributed to both sides. Both sides can look at what has been submitted. I can’t speak for Perry Township, but they were able to look at the case and felt it would be in their best interest to mediate rather than go through a hearing process.”

The compromise was to reinstate Southport for the tournament and suspend Brand, the second-year coach, from the start of January through the end of the season. Brand has served his original two-game suspension with assistant Jordan Dever filling in as interim coach for victories over Perry Meridian and Seymour.

Southport has six games in December that Brand can coach, starting with Ben Davis on Saturday, before he starts his suspension in January.

“We felt like there could be a compromise, but there had to be a suspension of the coach,” Cox said.

Read the rest of the story at the IndyStar.

How Eli Manning starting at QB for the Giants impacts the Eagles

Eli Manning to start at QB vs. Eagles in place of Daniel Jones

The Philadelphia Eagles start a four-game stretch of consecutive NFC East games that will determine their postseason fate. For the Birds it’s simple, win four in a row, and you’re in.

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The Eagles received some good news on Monday when Giants head coach Pat Shurmur revealed that Eli Manning will start at quarterback for an injured Daniel Jones.

Manning was his usual low-key self when discussing the promotion.

“Obviously we’ll see what happens Monday,” Manning said via ESPN.com, after taking the first-team snaps at practice. “But business as usual in a sense get the game plan, start prepping for Philly. Going against a good defense, but also a defense we faced a number of years. Know ’em well. Just get back into the mix with the offensive line and receivers. Make sure the timing is where it needs to be.”

Jones 18 touchdown passes with 11 interceptions and would have faced an embattled secondary with all his weapons available. Jones’s mobility would have likely presented an interesting scenario, as his ability to get outside the pocket could have proven valuable with skill players such as tight end Evan Engram, Golden Tate, and Sterling Shephard all available to play.

With Jones now likely to miss the huge matchup, here are 3 takeaways and observations on how Manning’s return will impact the Eagles on Monday night.

***

1. Eagles constant success vs. Eli

For all of his obvious career accolades, Philadelphia has owned Eli Manning and the Giants. Manning is 10-20 all-time against the Eagles in the regular season and has lost five-straight in the matchup. Manning, 38, hasn’t played in 12 weeks and his lack of athleticism should play into the Eagles hands.

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Raiders vs Titans features rare battle of quarterbacks 3-0 against the opposing team

Raiders vs Titans features rare battle of quarterbacks 3-0 against the opposing team

I’m sure this has got to have happened at some point, but if so it’s got to be incredibly rare. Sunday the Titans come to Oakland with each quarterback having the same undefeated record against the opposing team.

Raiders QB Derek Carr is 3-0 against the Titans in his career. Titans QB Ryan Tannehill is 3-0 against the Raiders.

That’s kinda crazy.

How is this possible? Well, all of Tannehill’s wins over the Raiders came as the starting quarterback for the Dolphins. Carr has won each of his meetings with the Titans, but they all came with Marcus Mariota at quarterback. While all of Tannehill’s wins came against a Carr-led Raiders team.

Mariota started the season for the Titans but was benched week six in favor of Tannehill. The Titans were 2-4 at that point. They’ve gone 5-1 since Tannehill stepped in as the starter. And since these teams are facing off against players and not uniforms, it would seem Tannehill’s record vs the Raiders with Carr at QB and his record this season since taking over as the starter would probably be the ones that carry the most significance.

Regardless, something’s got to give. One of these QBs’ undefeated records will go down Sunday.

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Saints stand to benefit as loaded 2020 wide receiver draft class gets deeper

The 2020 NFL Draft class may feature the best group of wide receiver prospects ever assembled, which is big news for the New Orleans Saints.

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The New Orleans Saints are putting up points and winning games in spite of a very shallow depth chart at wide receiver, thanks to Herculean efforts from All-Pro Michael Thomas and creative play-calling from Saints coach Sean Payton. Thomas has proven he can put the world on his shoulders for New Orleans’ passing game.

However, the lack of production from the group as a whole can’t be ignored: in the four games since their bye week, all of the non-Thomas receivers have combined for 8 receptions and 90 receiving yards (with two touchdown catches) on 21 total targets. Those stats all came from Tre’Quan Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. Practice squad call-up Krishawn Hogan has logged 37 snaps in that time, but has yet to receive his first target with the Saints.

Fortunately, the situation shouldn’t remain this grim forever. The 2020 NFL Draft class is shaping up like one of the best groups in recent memory, rivaling the 2014 class that put Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, Brandin Cooks, John Brown, Sammy Watkins, and Allen Robinson into the pros.

While the top draft prospects in this year’s draft are underclassmen who or may not leave early for the NFL — names like Alabama stars Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs, Oklahoma big-play threat CeeDee Lamb, and Clemson’s clutch performer Tee Higgins — there are plenty of options generating excitement around the league. Four talented juniors have already declared, at least two of whom are popular picks in the conversation of who might be a first-round pick:

  • Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
  • Jalen Reagor, TCU
  • Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State
  • Gabriel Davis, UCF

Shenault has a reputation as one of the most versatile players in the draft class, having lined up everywhere from slot receiver to tight end and fullback, and still found ways to make plays. Think of him as a Swiss army knife in the mold of Taysom Hill, but with more aptitude as a receiver (which is saying something, given Hill’s four touchdown catches this season).

Reagor is another hot name in draft circles, given his game-breaking speed and ability to track the ball in flight deep downfield. He’s averaged over 15 yards per catch in his career despite the Horned Frogs’ instability at quarterback (half a dozen different passers have targeted Reagor over the last three years), drawing comparisons to Cooks, the Saints’ own former first-round pick.

Something has to be said for both of the two big men who have declared early, as Hodgins (6-foot-4) and Davis (6-foot-3) have each caught 70-plus receptions and scored double-digit touchdowns this season. There’s room in the NFL (and in New Orleans) for either of them to contribute.

And this doesn’t even include the numerous talented seniors in this year’s draft class, ranging from Minnesota graduate Tyler Johnson to Arizona State product Brandon Aiyuk, as well as Texas Longhorns fixtures Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson. Keep an eye on Ohio State alum K.J. Hill and experienced South Carolina receiver Bryan Edwards.

Of that group, four have already accepted invitations to participate in the 2020 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., taking the opportunity to practice in front of NFL scouts ahead of the annual all-star game. Those participants include Aiyuk, Edwards, as well as Longhorns prospects Duvernay and Johnson. They’ll be joined by receivers not previously mentioned such as Kalija Lipscomb (Vanderbilt), Antonio Gandy-Golden (Liberty), Michael Pittman Jr. (USC), and Chase Claypool (Notre Dame), all of whom will have a good shot at improving their draft stock.

So all of this was said to say: the Saints do not lack for options at addressing the wide receiver position during the offseason. They’ve thrown resources at the problem before, it just hasn’t worked out — Smith hasn’t consistently helped the offense after being drafted in the third round last year, while the Saints lost their wager that Cameron Meredith would be a better free agent addition than what it would have cost to keep Willie Snead. Here’s hoping the players New Orleans already has to work with can continue doing enough to compete for Super Bowl LIV.

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Brett Brown, Tobias Harris discuss fourth quarter closer ‘mentality’

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown and Tobias Harris discuss the fourth quarter mentality.

One of the many questions surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers heading into the 2019-20 season was “who would be the team’s closer?” It was a debate that many people have discussed and many people have argued over and the majority of people look at a guy like Tobias Harris who was re-signed to a $180 million max contract over the summer.

Coach Brett Brown has stated in the past that he would like Harris to have a “scorer’s mentality” meaning he wants him to focus on his offensive game and putting the ball in the basket. After putting up bigger numbers in the second halves of games and specifically in the fourth quarter recently, Brown likes what he sees.

“It’s a mentality,” said Brown. “I want him to have a scorer’s mentality. I want him to find the rim. Then from that point on, he’ll figure it out, ‘I got a jump shot. I can drive it.’ I still think he passes up two threes a game. We’ve gone through him, put him in environments, and he’s such an unselfish player that sometimes he makes a pass that he might not need to.”

Harris is growing into that guy slowly. He is averaging 20.6 points while shooting 49.1% from the floor and 35.7% from deep over the last seven games.

“I’m always comfortable when I’m in rhythm,” said Harris. “I take my opportunities when they’re there and I pride myself on being a player that plays in the flow of a game and tries to get the offense created throughout other teammates and things that we’re doing. I’m definitely taking advantage of a lot of things and scenarios out there on the floor and I think it’s a good sign.”

Harris is taking 4.0 threes per game over that same span as mentioned above, but after looking at the film, Harris sees what his coach is talking about and it can help him move forward in that role.

“When I look at the film, I see a couple of them, but I like to evaluate my shots in rhythm,” Harris said. “I definitely understand where he wants me to let them fly, especially from three. I think I look for those shots more for sure.”

Brown has a lot of faith in Harris and wants to continue this recent upswing. He has all of the physical tools to get to grow into that type of player.

“I think he’s a talent and he’s so young and he’s gifted and that’s how I want to try and grow him,” Brown finished with.

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Devin White cracks the top 10 in NFL.com’s rookie rankings

See where Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White lands on NFL.com’s latest rookie rankings.

The good news just keeps on rolling in for Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White, who had his most dominant performance to date in Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

White, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, had an interception on Jacksonville’s opening drive and then scooped up a fumble and took it to the house on the next Jags possession, helping Tampa Bay take a commanding 15-0 lead, which they’d never surrender.

White was viewed by many as a favorite to take home the NFL’s Defensive Rookie Player of the Year Award before the season started, but a sprained knee suffered in Week 2’s win over the Carolina Panther sidelined him for several weeks and saw his odds of winning drop.

Well, people might want to start thinking about White as a viable candidate again based on how he’s looked the past two weeks. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has certainly taken notice, and moved White to No. 8 on his list of rookie rankings.

Here’s what Jeremiah had to say about the former LSU star.

“White has really come alive the past few weeks. He collected 2 sacks against Atlanta in Week 12 and followed that up with an interception against the Jaguars in Week 13.”

White and the Buccaneers we look to make it three-straight wins on Sunday when they welcome the Indianapolis Colts to town. At 5-7, the Bucs have a shot at avoiding their third-straight 5-11 season with a win.

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Donovan expects physical game against Pacers Wednesday

OKC was blown out by the Pacers 111-85 on November 12, and with the return of Myles Turner, Donovan expects a physical contest on Wednesday.

Oklahoma City returns home Wednesday to kick off a two-game homestand with a game against the Indiana Pacers.

The Thunder were blown out by the Pacers in Indianapolis back on November 12.

Terrance Ferguson did not play in that game for OKC and Myles Turner was out for Indianapolis. Both will be in the lineup tonight and Billy Donovan told the media prior to tip-off that he expects a very physical game from the Pacers.

“They’re physical, they’ve got a lot of length, size, and athleticism,” said Donovan. “They can play Domas (Sabonis) and Turner together or kind of split those guys. So they’ve got a lot of flexibility in their frontcourt where maybe they didn’t have as much depth. Obviously, with Turner coming back, they’ve got a lot more depth.”

As noted by Thunder reporters Nick Gallo and Paris Lawson, where Oklahoma City has really excelled lately is forcing opposing players into mid-range shots. Unfortunately for OKC, that’s where “T.J. Warren and the Pacers thrive”.

“We’ve got to do our transition defense,” said Steven Adams. “Make sure we take care of their sets.”

Adams also added that one of the keys for the Thunder on Wednesday will be playing “with a lot of pace”.

Tip-off between the Pacers and OKC is at 7 p.m. CT on Fox Sports Oklahoma.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien says Broncos QB Drew Lock is ‘smart, has accurate arm’

The Houston Texans will face a rookie quarterback on Sunday, as Drew Lock and the 4-8 Denver Broncos come into town. Bill O’Brien shares his thoughts.

The Houston Texans defense will see a new face on Sunday, as they match up with Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock.

Lock, a second-round pick out of Missouri, earned fans coming into the 2019 NFL Draft for his arm strength and decision-making. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein saw him as comparable to Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Matthew Stafford. Texans coach Bill O’Brien saw a good prospect.

“I studied him coming out of college. I think he’s very smart. I think he’s got an accurate arm,” O’Brien said Tuesday in a conference call with the Denver media. “He’s got good arm strength, makes good decisions. I think he’s got athleticism. He’s able to escape. I think he makes good decisions. That’s what he does.”

Lock played his first NFL snaps last week in a Week 13 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 23-year-old went 18 for 28 passing for 134 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and an 84.5 passer rating.

Previously, Lock was on the injured reserve with a thumb injury suffered in the preseason. The Broncos activated him the Saturday before his regular season debut.

“I think that — you watch the game last week, I thought for the most part he really made good decisions and tried to do what the coaches were asking him to do and Denver won which is, for a quarterback, you’re judged on how much your team wins,” said O’Brien. “They won, so he’s doing a good job.”

While O’Brien is complimentary of the rookie quarterback, Lock may struggle against the Romeo Crennel defense. Under the 72-year-old defensive coordinator, the Texans are 11-1 against rookie quarterbacks, with their only loss coming to the then-Jacoby Brissett-led New England Patriots in 2016.

The Texans have not lost to a rookie quarterback in their last five bouts with them. On Sunday, they’ll look to keep that streak going against the 4-8 Broncos.

Matt Wiman on where he’s been, why he’s back and what’s at stake at UFC on ESPN 7

Matt Wiman reveals why he took nearly five years away from the UFC and where his goals stand going into UFC on ESPN 7.

[autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag] hopes the second chapter of his return to MMA competition is kinder to him than the first.

After being removed from the sport for nearly five years, Wiman (16-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) made his return in June. He suffered a bloody third-round TKO loss to Luis Pena, taking a lopsided beating in the process.

Despite the decisive nature of the contest, Wiman felt compelled to keep going. He got a matchup with Joseph Solecki (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 7, and he hopes for a different result.

“I don’t think you can claim a comeback until I win on Saturday; then you can claim a comeback,” Wiman told MMA Junkie. “I came back, I got beat up, and I’m actually grateful Pena reintroduced me to high-level fighting and challenged me to be resilient. I’m grateful to be here.

“It was painful. I was given a list of people coming off losses for this comeback. I said, ‘This is going to be challenging either way, I want someone with momentum.’ I took a big bite, and this is me still chewing.”

Wiman, 36, has remained relatively coy about why he took so much time away from the game. He fought 15 times in the UFC from 2006-2014, then he disappeared. With no social media presence and a shyness from the public, the reasons for Wiman stepping back from competition were largely unclear.

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He indicated injuries were the culprit. He couldn’t train and was ready to give up on the sport for good, but then he got the courage to get back in the gym. It was then that Wiman realized he would be healthy enough to step in the octagon.

“As time went by, each day was kind of the door shutting a little bit more,” Wiman said. “I didn’t want to shut the door completely. I wanted to leave the door open, cracked, but it seems more farfetched as time went on. I didn’t really need anymore surgeries, and it was ‘piss or get off the pot’ time. Instead of questioning it, I showed up to the gym and gave it a proper try. I found out I can compete on the highest level.

“I had the opportunity I hadn’t had before with surgeries and outside obligations. Each day was a challenge. I thought each day might be my last like, ‘I’m not coming back to the gym.’ I managed to put a camp together, and yeah, I got beat up (last time), but I put my neck out there and I did it.”

After going through a second consecutive fight camp, Wiman admits he feels “less rusty” going into his matchup with Solecki, which takes place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and airs on ESPN.

Wiman said he can’t guarantee a winning result this time around, but he said he’s done everything he can to be in the best mental and physical space possible going into UFC on ESPN 7.

“The win is nice because it leaves a good taste in your mouth and it’s what we respect,” Wiman said. “No one respects the mentality of not going for the win. To survive, to compete, just to get by? That’s not what I respect. To go out there and beat the other person. That’s what I think I’m going to do and try to do. If we’re talking about coming back, it’s not just to win. It’s just to do a job.

“(I’m going to fight) as long as I can. I’d like to not take it to an unhealthy place. If I can compete at the highest level, I’m going to. If I can’t, we can talk about a next chapter.”

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Redskins’ rookies continue to show improvement as the season goes on

Highlighted by Dwayne Haskins and Terry McLaurin, the Redskins have a nice crop of rookie talent poised for a bright future.

There’s one thing that is pretty hard to argue when you watch the Washington Redskins as of late; the rookie talent is definitely improving.

Over the past several weeks, rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins has take a couple of noticeable steps forwards, and he has back-to-back wins under his belt to show for it. At first, he looked unsure of himself in the pocket, and liable to make snap decisions based on instinct. However, as of late, his footwork looks sound, his accuracy has improved, and his seems to be more comfortable with rushers closing in around him.

Pro Football Focus has also noticed the improvement, and they have Haskins rising in their rookie rankings up to No. 15 among this years’ first-round picks — coincidentally where Haskins was drafted back in April.

Aside from the quarterback, Washington has a couple other dynamic rookies, namely WRs Terry McLaurin and Kelvin Harmon. McLaurin has been a joy to watch all season, and he continues his brilliant career-start with a 6th overall ranking among rookies in the NFL, according to ESPN.

Young talent is the name of the game, and Washington seems to have a bright future when it come to that aspect alone.

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