Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Wil and Matt talk about the weekend that was for MSU sports
Fresh off a busy sports weekend Wil and Matt make a sad sandwich with happy, sad, and happy segments in that order.
You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
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Against the 76ers, Terrance Ferguson scored a season-high 19, the Thunder struggled in the third quarter and OKC hit their free throws.
Oklahoma City beat the 76ers 127-119 in overtime Friday night. It was the Thunder’s first overtime game of the season and a solid win before heading out to the West Coast for a two-game set in Los Angeles against the Clippers and the Lakers.
Here are three takeaways from OKC’s win over Philadelphia:
Terrance Ferguson showed out
After missing Tuesday’s loss at Indiana due to personal reasons, Ferguson returned to the starting lineup against Philadelphia.
🚨 Close game alert 🚨
T-Ferg still hot.
👀 on @FOXSportsOK pic.twitter.com/kPUTNqg7B7— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 16, 2019
He scored a season-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, including hitting on five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. Ferguson had only hit five three-pointers combined in the previous seven games.
After the game, he credited his daughter and Steven Adams for his success.
The Thunder’s third-quarter struggles continue
As noted by Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City’s “trend of falling behind” in the third quarter continued once again Friday night against the 76ers.
The Thunder took a 54-59 lead into the half, only to be outscored 34-26 in the third quarter.
Their struggles continued until the 7:20 mark of the 4th quarter when OKC trailed by nine points. From there, the Thunder closed the game on a 22-13 run to end regulation tied at 107.
Free throw shooting helped seal the victory
The Thunder aren’t known as automatic from the free-throw line. Far from it.
But when it mattered against Philadelphia, OKC knocked them down.
Oklahoma City was 8-for-8 in overtime from the line. Danilo Gallinari hit all four of his attempts, with both Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander making a pair each.
Both Gallinari (11-for-11) and Paul (12-for-12) were perfect on the night. Per the Thunder, it’s the first time in the organization’s history that two players were perfect from the free-throw line with more than ten attempts each.
Combined 23 for 23 from the free throw line. That's the first time in OKC history that 2 players were perfect from the FT line with 10+ attempts each. pic.twitter.com/DpKNWK3NDF
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 16, 2019
As a team, the Thunder shot 85.7% from the line, connecting on 35-of-41 free throws.
UT News: November 15, 2019
It is finally Friday, and a slow one at that, as the Tennessee Volunteers football team head into a bye weekend before embarking to Columbia, Mo. to face the Missouri Tigers. In the meantime, the Lady Vols basketball team trounced Tennessee State last night, while the men gear up to take on the No. 20-ranked Washington Huskies on Saturday. But Tennessee athletics is more than just the major sports, and the others are the focus of today’s UT News.
Tennessee men’s golf coach Brennan Webb announced the signing of two players to the team on Thursday.
Jackson Skeen, a Jonesboro, Tenn. native, is a top-150 ranked player in the 2020 class according to Junior Golf Scoreboard. He had a successful amateur career so far, including the 2018 TSSAA Class AAA Individual Championship as well as All-State honors in 2016 and 2018.
“Jackson (Skeen) has had a very successful career competing at the highest levels of junior golf and we are thrilled to add another Tennessee junior golfer to our roster,” Coach Webb said.
George Saunders comes from across the pond in Southampton, England, arriving in Knoxville after back-to-back top-20 finishes at the English Men’s Amateur. His addition to the program follows a long lineage of Vol golfers who hail from the UK.
“George will bring a wealth of experience to our roster, which will be important as we will lose eight upperclassmen in the next two years,” Coach Webb said. “He has had a tremendous amount of success in amateur golf around the world, as well as college golf the last two years at Midland.”
The two are promising additions to a storied program and will get their chance to contribute next season.
NEXT: Women’s golf also announces two signings
Could Sam Presti be a potential candidate for the Knicks if James Dolan decide to make changes in New York’s front office?
Rumors about trades and deals have been swirling around the Oklahoma City Thunder for months, ever since General Manager Sam Presti negotiated deals to send away OKC’s top two stars in Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
It seems no one has been immune to gossip. As it turns out, neither is Presti.
There’s a lot to unpack, but first, as difficult as a rebuild in Oklahoma City could be, at least the Thunder aren’t the New York Knicks.
The saga of James Dolan and David Fizdale continued this week, thanks in part to the Knicks’ 120-102 blowout loss to Chicago. Although they recovered nicely with a win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, Fizdale is still considered to be on the hot seat, especially following the team’s previous loss to the Bulls—one in which rookie Coby White outscored the entire Knicks team by himself in the fourth quarter of the contest.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News believes that if Dolan moves to fire Fizdale during the regular season, it could also jeopardize the status of those in the front office. Should a scenario unfold where team president Steve Mills or GM Scott Perry be out of a job, one of the names reportedly being tossed around is Presti.
“There is already speculation around the league about potential front office replacements, with two names surfacing most often: Toronto president Masai Ujiri and Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti. Presti (meanwhile) sprouted from the Spurs tree and has served as the Thunder’s GM since 2007. He drafted Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden but has been hamstrung by running a team in one the league’s smallest markets. After 12 years in OKC, it’s easy to envision him being tempted by New York.”
Right now, that’s certainly a lot of speculation. Fizdale, Mills, and Perry are all still employed and other names as potential candidates would likely come up should there be an opening in New York.
But it wouldn’t be completely unreasonable for the Knicks to make a run at Presti, should the opportunity present itself.
According to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, Diallo did not practice Thursday and will be a game-time decision Friday night.
Hamidou Diallo’s availability for Friday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers is in jeopardy.
Diallo was listed as questionable with a left knee sprain on the NBA injury report released at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
According to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, Diallo did not practice Thursday and “Billy Donovan will update Diallo’s status Friday evening before Oklahoma City’s 7 p.m. tip-off against the 76ers”.
Hamidou Diallo (knee soreness) didn’t practice today.
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) November 14, 2019
No additional information about how or when Diallo suffered the knee sprain has been made available.
He made his first start of the season Tuesday at Indiana, in place of Terrance Ferguson, who did not make the trip due to a custody hearing.
In the Thunder’s 111-85 loss to Indiana, Diallo scored just two points and took only four shots in 22 minutes of game time.
For the season, Diallo is averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 22 minutes per game while shooting 50% from the field.
The start was the fourth of Diallo’s career.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, former Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony will sign a non-guaranteed deal with the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trailblazers have decided to roll the dice on former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony, according to ESPN senior writer Adrian Wojnarowski.
Anthony spent 2017-18 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder brought Anthony in from the Knicks, but the veteran, who has been accustomed to being the headliner throughout his NBA career, never fully meshed with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. During his stint in OKC, Anthony averaged a career-low 16.2 points.
He last played in the league in the 2018-19 NBA season for the Houston Rockets and has struggled to find a home for the final chapter of his now- 17-year career over the summer.
Carmelo Anthony agrees to deal with Blazers. Story on ESPN: https://t.co/7krZ9bgeyV
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 15, 2019
At the same time, cascading injuries and lofty postseason aspirations combined to push a struggling Portland Trail Blazers franchise to warm to the idea of bringing on Melo, who has been perceived in some circles as resistant to accepting a lesser role as he ages out of a starting one.
Now, standing at 4-8 midway through November, the team has decided that injuries to Jusuf Nurkic and particularly Zach Collins, have stretched the frontcourt rotation too thin, especially at the power forward position.
Anthony, per Wojnarowski, will be brought on to help out in that regard on a non-guaranteed deal and will join the team on their coming road trip. No word on other contract details, though presumably, it will be at the veteran’s minimum given the team’s cap situation.
Lady Vols throttle Tennessee State.
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KNOXVILLE — The Lady Vols basketball team remains perfect on the year after handily defeating the Tennessee State Tigers at home, 73-43.
The Volunteers never trailed in the game — the last time the match was tied came at the 3:36 mark of the first quarter, after which Tennessee steadily pulled away. UT’s largest lead of 32 points came at the 6:09 mark in the fourth quarter, and from there they drifted to a 30-point margin for the final score.
Sophomore swingwoman Rae Burrell led all scorers, notching 14 points off the bench while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. Junior swingwoman and SEC Player of the Week Rennia Davis added 12 points of her own along with 11 rebounds for her third double-double in four games to open the season. Junior center Kasiyahna Kushkituah was the only other Vol in double digits, scoring 11 points along with seven rebounds coming off the pine.
The Lady Vols shot 42 percent from the field, including a paltry 26 percent from behind the arc. Tennessee’s 19 turnovers were also a bit of a blemish, but they outrebounded State 60-38 — 18 of which were of the offensive variety. UT shot 62 percent from the charity stripe, showing some continued improvement in that department, but still with some room to grow.
The next game is on Tuesday, November 19, against the Stetson Hatters at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
4⃣ – 0⃣.#GoLadyVols | #TrustTheProcess pic.twitter.com/VuXwaAGcLT
— Lady Vol Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops) November 15, 2019
James Wiseman and his legal team withdrew their lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday.
Memphis basketball star James Wiseman and the NCAA seem to be one step closer to a resolution as the freshman fights for eligibility.
Wiseman and his legal team withdrew their lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday as, per a statement from his legal team, the lawsuit against the NCAA is impeding a resolution regarding his eligibility.
The NCAA declared him ineligible in early November due to an “extra benefit” from 2017. Wiseman and his mother, Donzaleigh Artis, accepted approximately $11,000 from Penny Hardaway, who was a high school basketball coach in Memphis at the time. Though Hardaway was not working for the University of Memphis at that point, he was considered a booster as he had made a $1 million donation to the university back in 2008.
Wiseman’s legal team filed the suit last week because he had already been declared eligible for this season back in May. The lawsuit deemed the NCAA’s actions “arbitrary and capricious.”
Memphis has declared Wiseman ineligible as the NCAA continues its work on the case. In a statement released Thursday, Memphis announced that it would immediately apply for Wiseman’s reinstatement. The team leader in points, rebounds and blocks will be able to practice with his team as the NCAA’s investigation continues.
James Wiseman and his legal team withdrew their lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday.
James Wiseman and his legal team withdrew their lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday.
UT News: November 14, 2019
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The start of college basketball’s fall signing period began yesterday with a big splash for both the Tennessee Volunteers’ men’s and women’s team. The men signed an elite trio while the the ladies picked up a dynamic duo. On top of that, the women’s volleyball team rallied to defeat the Razorbacks on the road to keep the winning week for Vols athletics going.
The big news on Wednesday was the signing of National Letters of Intent from a trio of promising prospects.
The ball got rolling when four-star recruit Corey Walker signed his letter, and he was followed up by five-star prospects Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer who also gave their official signatures. Head coach Rick Barnes had this to say about his newest crop of players.
“The combined talent and potential of Keon, Corey and Jaden is really exciting. All three of them fit the culture of this program and come from incredible families who have provided wonderful support and guidance to get them to this point. It’s our responsibility now to help each of them take the next steps in their individual development—not only athletically but also as men.”
The three freshly-anointed Volunteers are expected to enroll at the university in the summer of 2020. Next season promises to be an exciting one on Rocky Top.
NEXT: Lady Vols basketball sign two
