Tag: timely

Oklahoma among teams that improved their CFP chances in recruiting per ESPN

Sooners among teams that improved their CFP chances after the 2021 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners are still seeking their first college football playoff win after four chances. The last attempt came in 2019 when the Sooners ran into a buzzsaw with the Louisiana State Tigers. Prior to that game, they played against Alabama, which resulted in an 11-point loss. The double-overtime game against Georgia in 2017-18 was their closest effort to the elusive win.

Recently ESPN (subscription required) listed their teams who improved their chances to get into the playoffs most following the 2021 recruiting class. For Oklahoma, they added three former Tennessee Volunteers to help fill needs on both sides of the ball.

Lincoln Riley and his staff turned Norman into Knoxville West, as former Vols Wanya Morris, Eric Gray and Key Lawrence transferred to the Sooners. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Morris is expected to lock down a starting offensive tackle spot and play for a season before heading off to the NFL, while Gray brings more than 1,300 yards rushing over two seasons to a talented backfield.

Standout wide receiver Marvin Mims became the top target for Spencer Rattler a year ago, leading the team in yards and touchdown receptions. For the team to continue their upward trajectory, some more freshmen will need to become impact players along with the three incoming transfers. The Sooners added plenty of candidates in the 2021 recruiting class that finished just outside the top 10 according to 247Sports composite team rankings.

Last season, Marvin Mims excelled as a freshman receiver. In 2021, it may well be Mario Williams, who is already on campus for the spring. Cody Jackson is another talented receiver already on campus. EDGE prospect Clayton Smith is also on campus, and could help fill a need as a pass-rusher. Defensive end Kelvin Gilliam won’t arrive until the summer, but he has a bright future and could be called up early.

While junior college defensive tackle Isaiah Coe isn’t expected to have the same impact Perrion Winfrey did a season ago, being on campus does provide for depth right away.

It will be the rise of the defense that will tell the world if the Oklahoma Sooners are ready to conquer those demons of the postseason. A group that has been trending in a positive direction under Alex Grinch since he arrived on campus.

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Oklahoma among teams that improved their CFP chances in recruiting per ESPN

Sooners among teams that improved their CFP chances after the 2021 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners are still seeking their first college football playoff win after four chances. The last attempt came in 2019 when the Sooners ran into a buzzsaw with the Louisiana State Tigers. Prior to that game, they played against Alabama, which resulted in an 11-point loss. The double-overtime game against Georgia in 2017-18 was their closest effort to the elusive win.

Recently ESPN (subscription required) listed their teams who improved their chances to get into the playoffs most following the 2021 recruiting class. For Oklahoma, they added three former Tennessee Volunteers to help fill needs on both sides of the ball.

Lincoln Riley and his staff turned Norman into Knoxville West, as former Vols Wanya Morris, Eric Gray and Key Lawrence transferred to the Sooners. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Morris is expected to lock down a starting offensive tackle spot and play for a season before heading off to the NFL, while Gray brings more than 1,300 yards rushing over two seasons to a talented backfield.

Standout wide receiver Marvin Mims became the top target for Spencer Rattler a year ago, leading the team in yards and touchdown receptions. For the team to continue their upward trajectory, some more freshmen will need to become impact players along with the three incoming transfers. The Sooners added plenty of candidates in the 2021 recruiting class that finished just outside the top 10 according to 247Sports composite team rankings.

Last season, Marvin Mims excelled as a freshman receiver. In 2021, it may well be Mario Williams, who is already on campus for the spring. Cody Jackson is another talented receiver already on campus. EDGE prospect Clayton Smith is also on campus, and could help fill a need as a pass-rusher. Defensive end Kelvin Gilliam won’t arrive until the summer, but he has a bright future and could be called up early.

While junior college defensive tackle Isaiah Coe isn’t expected to have the same impact Perrion Winfrey did a season ago, being on campus does provide for depth right away.

It will be the rise of the defense that will tell the world if the Oklahoma Sooners are ready to conquer those demons of the postseason. A group that has been trending in a positive direction under Alex Grinch since he arrived on campus.

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Ben Simmons has response to Wizards broadcaster’s overrated claim

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons has a perfect response to the Washington Wizards broadcaster’s claim.

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to knock off the Wahington Wizards on Friday as they were able to end the hex that the Wizards had cast upon them. They had not won in D.C. since November of 2013 and they were able to end that losing streak.

However, there were some more interesting storylines that came out of the game. There was obviously the Joel Embiid injury and the news that he will miss 2-to-3 weeks with a bone bruise in his knee and then there was the Ben Simmons overrated take from Wizards broadcaster Justin Kutcher.

Simmons had the perfect response to Kutcher as he found a picture of him in a robe and he posted it to his Instagram story with the caption “another casual”.

Simmons missed the game on Friday as he was still in the league’s health and safety protocols, but he is set to return on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs and with Embiid out, he will have to be aggressive and lead the offense.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Rams seem to strongly prefer continuity over change at center

Les Snead made it clear that center is a difficult position for the Rams to project in the draft and free agency.

Since Sean McVay took over as head coach in 2017, the Los Angeles Rams have had three different starters at center in four years. There’s been very little stability at the position, which is one of the most important spots on offense.

John Sullivan helped stabilize the line in 2017 but he struggled a bit the following year, causing the Rams to move on. Brian Allen then stepped in as the starter in 2019, but he started just nine games before suffering a significant knee injury.

That’s when Austin Blythe took over, and he’s held the starting role for the last season and a half. Blythe’s tenure in L.A. could come to an end soon, though, as he’s scheduled to be a free agent this week. McVay emphasized how valuable Blythe is to the Rams when he spoke to the media this offseason, and Les Snead similarly pointed to the importance of continuity at center.

Given the Rams’ system, Snead says it’s difficult to project how a rookie or free-agent signee will adapt in McVay’s offense.

Brian Allen could step in for Blythe if he leaves in free agency, but Snead didn’t make that point with much conviction.

“Yeah, I think that if we’re not able to re-sign Austin, he moves on, I do think that’s one position, where the good thing with Brian Allen – similar to Joe (Noteboom), he’s actually started for us and played. The key that we don’t necessarily know with Brian is, how will he play, how will he play post-injury?” Snead said last week. “That was pretty serious injury that has gone through, and he’s done a heck of a job rehabbing it. That’s always going to be something he’s got to do. But I do think in the center, because it’s such a nuanced position of almost being the second QB on the field, it’s hard just to project a rookie can do it. It’s even hard just to project a player that may be with another NFL team can do it just because they will still have to learn our system and still at that point have to quickly process football within our system. So, a little bit harder to project them than other positions.”

All indications point to the Rams attempting to re-sign Blythe. McVay values him, he knows the offense and he can play any spot on the interior of the line. And as Snead said, the Rams know what they have in Blythe because he’s been a starter for two-plus seasons. With another free agent, the Rams don’t necessarily know how he’ll do in McVay’s system.

Don’t be surprised if the Rams find a way to re-sign Blythe for the second straight offseason.

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Sixers vs. Spurs game preview: How to watch, TV channel, start time

Tobias Harris and the Philadelphia 76ers return home to host the San Antonio Spurs.

The Philadelphia 76ers get set to return home on Sunday as they host the San Antonio Spurs while welcoming roughly 3,100 fans back to the Wells Fargo Center, and if you’re wondering how you can watch all the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Both the Sixers and the Spurs will enter this contest short-handed. Philadelphia will miss star big man Joel Embiid, who is out due to a bone bruise in his knee. San Antonio will be without DeMar DeRozan because of the funeral for his father. The Spurs also will not have LaMarcus Aldridge; they have decided to have him away from the team as they look to trade him.

Here’s when and where you should tune in to see the matchup:

  • Date: Sunday, March 14
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
  • Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
  • Channel: NBATV, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Probable starting lineups

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Guard – Ben Simmons (probable)
  • Guard – Seth Curry
  • Forward – Danny Green
  • Forward – Tobias Harris
  • Center – Tony Bradley

San Antonio Spurs

  • Guard – Dejounte Murray
  • Guard – Derrick White
  • Forward – Keldon Johnson
  • Forward – Trey Lyles
  • Center – Jakob Poeltl

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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On this day: Celtics become first team to 61 wins; Scott dealt for Silas

On this day, the Celtics became the first team to a 61-win season, and Boston traded Charlie Scott to the Suns for Paul Silas.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the franchise became the first team in NBA history to win 61 games in a single season in 1965, besting their own record from the 1961-62 campaign.

The big win came in a 106 – 98 victory over the (then) San Francisco (now, Golden State) Warriors at the old Boston Garden that saw iconic Celtics center Bill Russell lead Boston with 20 points, 41 rebounds and 4 assists to secure the win. Veteran guard Sam Jones added 24 points and 5 boards, and forward chipped in John Havlicek 22 points and 6 rebounds.

The Celtics would close the season with one more win to push the record to 62 wins with a victory over the (then) Cincinnati Royals on March 21.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UShBN1POkwY

Sixers praise offensive bench duo of Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz

The Philadelphia 76ers are happy with their bench duo of Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz on offense.

To begin the month of March, the Philadelphia 76ers have gotten a lot of help from their bench. The unit received a lot of criticism in February after a tough stretch where the ball just was not moving and it led to a lot of stagnant offensive possessions.

However, to begin March, the bench unit has been terrific averaging 53.3 points per game. No other team is averaging 50 bench points and that is due to the return of Shake Milton who missed some time with an injury and Furkan Korkmaz who has broken out of his slump.

“I’ve always been a big fan of those two guys,” said veteran Danny Green. “When they’re playing well, it’s hard to beat us. I just want them to play their game, be aggressive, not think about it too much. I think there’s times where they’ve been thinking and not actually just playing basketball, and just letting themselves you know be free within the system.”

In four March games, Korkmaz is averaging 15.3 points and he is shooting 48% from deep compared to 7.3 points and 27.8% from deep in February.

As for Milton, he is averaging 16.5 points and 3.5 assists to begin March as the Sixers want him getting more aggressive going to the basket. He had 18 points in Friday’s win over the Washington Wizards mostly by getting to the basket and being aggressive.

“We’re trying to get him to go downhill,” said coach Doc Rivers. “Shake sometimes lives up to his name if you know what I mean. So what we’re trying to get them to do more is that straight line drive. I thought he did that tonight. It was very effective.”

At the end of the day, the Sixers are going to have to rely on Milton and Korkmaz in order to lead the second unit when it comes to offensive production. They are their two best options when it comes to bench scoring and they need the two of them to remain consistent.

“We’re gonna need that from them for the rest of the season and especially in the playoffs, because right now that’s where we’re kind of struggling,” Green added. “When the second group comes in, it’s not just offensively, but defensively, we can continue to get some stops defensively and then score like that offensively. It’ll make our total more dangerous team, and a much deeper team.”

The Sixers will host the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday as they continue to come together as a team.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Rockets vs. Celtics: Lineups, broadcast info, injury reports for March 14

Everything you need to know about Boston’s Sunday night tilt with Houston.

The Boston Celtics might not be too happy about snapping their four-game winning streak with a loss to the Brooklyn Nets, but compared to what the hapless Houston Rockets are dealing with, it’s a walk in the park.

Ever since they traded James Harden to the team that just beat Boston, things have been trending downward, and especially over the last few weeks with the Rockets having lost a league-worst 15 games in a row. And with nearly half the team listed as out or questionable to a cornucopia of maladies and malcontent, Houston’s fortunes may need a miracle to turn vs. Boston.

Though the Celtics have been known to gift such teams a win in some of their worst moments this season.

Wizards broadcaster doubles down on Ben Simmons overrated claim

Washington Wizards broadcaster Justin Kutcher doubles down on his overrated claim of Ben Simmons.

As the Philadelphia 76ers took on the Washington Wizards on Friday night at Capital One Arena, there were some other more important storylines that mattered a bit more than the game itself.

The Sixers had just welcomed Joel Embiid back to the floor after missing a game due to the league’s contact tracing protocols and they then lost him after a knee injury that will cost him at least two weeks. Philadelphia was also playing without Ben Simmons who is still in the protocols and he also drew the ire of NBC Sports Washington.

Wizards play-by-play man Justin Kutcher was discussing the All-Star snub of Tobias Harris and he decided to take it out on Simmons who was named an All-Star despite not having the most glamorous stat line:

I’ve said it before and I know I’ll take flack for it…I think Ben Simmons is one of, if not the most, overrated players in the NBA. He’s gotten so much love and attention that people are not paying attention to what Tobias Harris is actually doing on the floor.

Kutcher then took to Twitter to double down on that overrated claim.

While Harris probably should have been an All-Star, that does not mean that Simmons did not deserve his. Sure, Simmons’ numbers don’t really pop off the page, but he does so many things for Philadelphia to win games. He is a guy who will do all of the little things from taking on the opposition’s best scorer on defense while also making his teammates better. To say he’s overrated is a bit of a reach.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NCAA proposes a change to overtime rules

The NCAA is proposing a new rule that would change how overtime is played in college football. It would likely shorten the length of games.

One of the most common discussions in college football outside of college football playoff expansion is the overtime rules. Currently teams alternate possessions starting at the 25-yard line. Once it reaches the third overtime period teams must attempt a two-point conversion following touchdowns. A new rule proposal could shorten the overtime period, meaning a four-overtime game like the one in the Red River Rivalry is less likely to happen.

“Under the proposal, teams would be required to run a two-point conversion play after a touchdown when a game reaches a second overtime period,” the release said. “If a game reaches a third overtime, teams will run alternating two-point plays, instead of starting another drive at the opponent’s 25-yard line. This rules proposal is being made to limit the number of plays from scrimmage and bring the game to a conclusion.

“Teams can still choose whether to kick the point after touchdown or run a two-point conversion play in the first overtime. All rules changes must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to discuss football rules recommendations April 22. The rationale for making the recommendation is to lessen the number of plays it takes for a winning team to be determined.

Currently, the alternating two-point conversions begin in the fifth overtime period but the new rule proposal would begin two periods earlier. This would be a step in the right direction. Now if the NFL would adopt a similar rule set and get rid of the opportunities for tie games.

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