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  • Breaking down the NBA play-in tournament, plus who won the WNBA Draft?

    Breaking down the NBA play-in tournament, plus who won the WNBA Draft?

    Good morning to everyone but especially to…

    THE NBA PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT TEAMS

    Two playoff bids will be clinched tonight — and two other teams will be pushed to the brink — as the NBA Play-In Tournament opens with a pair of games:

    The winner of each game will be the No. 7 seed in their respective conferences. The loser will play the winner of tomorrow’s contests on Friday, and the winner of that game will claim the No. 8 seed. You can see all the details here.

    Let’s start with Timberwolves-Lakers, specifically Minnesota, because the biggest storyline is who won’t be there: Rudy Gobert has been suspended one game after punching teammate Kyle Anderson in the regular-season finale.

    Gobert will be available for the Timberwolves’ next game, whether that’s in the playoffs or in the play-in elimination game.The Timberwolves will also be without Jaden McDaniels after he fractured his hand punching a wall in frustration earlier in the game.Of note, Minnesota has played better recently with Gobert off the court. Over the last 10 games, they have a +5.7 net rating when he’s not playing; only the Celtics had a better net rating than that this season.

    The Lakers, on the other hand, are finally fully healthy and rolling. They’ve won nine of their last 11 games and are a unanimous pick to win by our experts. You can see all of our play-in picks here.

    In the first game, the Hawks are looking for some revenge after the Heat beat them in five games in the first round last year. Miami absolutely hounded Trae Young in that series, so Dejounte Murray has to step up, and Atlanta has to play fast, writes our Brad Botkin.

    Meanwhile, a big trade rumor surrounding Young popped up Monday.

    Honorable mentions

    And not such a good morning for…

    PAUL GEORGE AND THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

    The Clippers‘ daunting first-round task — taking down the Suns — just got a lot tougher. Paul George (knee) will miss the…

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  • Jersey numbers revealed for newly signed Jaguars players

    Jersey numbers revealed for newly signed Jaguars players

    The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t make much of a splash in free agency, but the team did add a few players ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.

    Now the team has revealed what numbers those recently signed veterans will wear when they put on teal jerseys for the first time. Earlier in April, the Jaguars announced wide receiver Calvin Ridley — who was acquired during the 2022 season, but was ineligible to play due to a suspension — will wear the newly allowed No. 0 jersey.

    Nathan Rourke, a former Canadian Football League quarterback who signed with the Jaguars in January, will be the first quarterback in team history to wear the No. 18 jersey. Only wide receivers previously donned the number, including Matt Jones, Chris Conley, and Ace Sanders.

    Running back D’Ernest Johnson will inherit the No. 25 jersey that was left available after its previous owner, James Robinson, was traded to the New York Jets.

    Offensive tackle Josh Wells wore No. 72 during his first stint with the Jaguars, but that number now belongs to presumed starting right tackle Walker Little.

    More Jaguars news!

    Myles Jack inducted into Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame

    Former Jaguars DT Corey Peters announces retirement

    Jaguars clear $5.1 million in space with Rayshawn Jenkins restructure

    Story originally appeared on Jaguars Wire

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  • WATCH: Deion Sanders meets Colorado mascot Ralphie for the first time

    WATCH: Deion Sanders meets Colorado mascot Ralphie for the first time

    Getty Images

    Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was named Colorado football coach in December, and he finally got around meeting Ralphie the Buffalo this week. Let’s just say it was an experience that he’ll never forget.

    Sanders’ nickname, Prime Time, was earned because he knows how to put on a show under pressure. However, meeting Ralphie seemed to be a lot scarier than playing in front of a full football stadium. As soon as the coach got inside Ralphie’s trailer, he decided to ease back and carefully examine his team’s mascot while he learned about how she likes to eat her favorite food out of people’s hands. 

    Sanders asked for gloves and admitted that hearing the word “careful” didn’t help him feel comfortable. He gathered up the courage to feed Ralphie a snack. She happily ate it and the coach was able to make another observation.

    “Lord, the tongue is like a brick,” Coach Prime said.

    Then came the real test. One of the program’s football traditions is Ralphie running onto the field before every game. Sanders hasn’t coached a game yet, so this was the perfect opportunity for him to see the live mascot in person. 

    Buffaloes fans are hopeful the two of them get more used to each other by the fall season. Colorado finished the 2022 season with a 1-11 overall record. Sanders, who coached at Jackson State for the past three seasons , is looking to turn the program around. He was the SWAC Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Long before that, the eight-time Pro Bowler played 14 seasons in the NFL and earned two…

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  • Cowboys legend Daryl Johnston tabbed as new USFL president, excited as league enters Year 2 of rebrand

    Cowboys legend Daryl Johnston tabbed as new USFL president, excited as league enters Year 2 of rebrand

    The USFL will have a new president as it enters Year 2 of its rebrand. Daryl Johnston, a three-time Super Bowl champion during his playing days with the Dallas Cowboys, has been promoted from vice president to president. 

    Johnston, also a longtime analyst for the Fox NFL broadcast booth, takes over for Brian Woods, who stepped down as USFL president in order to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. As vice president, Johnston played an integral role in the USFL becoming the first spring league in nearly 40 years to complete its season in 2022. 

    “I think that Year 1 was very successful,” Johnston recently said in an interview with CBS Sports. “I think more of what you’re trying to do is establish a stand-alone league that provides a non-traditional route back to the NFL. … We’re about football, we’re about the why, what motivates the guys, what you are trying to accomplish here and trying to do everything we can from a coaching and from an exposure standpoint to give them an opportunity to continue to chase that dream.”

    The league certainly achieved its goal last year of providing its players with NFL opportunities. Over 180 USFL players worked out for NFL teams last season, with over 50 players taking part in training camps. A number of them ended up on NFL rosters, with KaVontae Turpin, the USFL MVP last year, earning All-Pro honors with the Cowboys last season. 

    “The success of your model causes you to reload your workforce 25, 30, 35% every year,” Johnston said. 

    Fortunately for the USFL, both quarterbacks who played in last year’s league championship game — J’Mar Smith of the Birmingham Stallions and Case Cookus of the Philadelphia Stars — will be back for their respective teams. Mike Abernathy, a veteran safety who spent time last fall with the Packers and Falcons, is back patrolling the secondary for the Houston Gamblers. 

    After playing each of their regular-season games in…

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  • Sooners miss out on four-star DB Aaron Flowers; chooses Oregon over OU, USC

    Sooners miss out on four-star DB Aaron Flowers; chooses Oregon over OU, USC

    There was a time when it looked like the Oklahoma Sooners were the frontrunners for four-star defensive back Aaron Flowers. A crystal ball from back in December indicated the Sooners were trending in a positive direction.

    Flowers announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks on Friday afternoon. The commitment comes as a bit of a surprise. In the last month, USC began to make strides in securing Flowers in the 2024 cycle. But it’s Dan Lanning and the Ducks that pick up the blue chip defensive back prospect.

    There’s a bit of irony to the story. The Sooners picked up the surprise commitment of Peyton Bowen, pulling him from the Ducks at the buzzer of the early signing period in December. Now, it’s the Ducks returning the favor and picking up Flowers’ commitment.

    Flowers is a versatile defensive back capable of playing corner or safety and was being recruited by both secondary coaches at Oklahoma.

    USC received several projections late in the recruitment, but it was their Pac-12 rivals to the north that earned the commitment.

    In March, Oklahoma turned the heat up in their recruitment of four-star safety Jaydan Hardy. Out of Lewisville, Texas, Hardy is an athletic player, capable of providing some playmaking to the backend of the defense.

    With Flowers’ commitment done, the Sooners turn their attention to Michael Hawkins, who is set to commit on Saturday, April 8. The Sooners are battling it out with TCU for the four-star quarterback’s pledge.

    More Recruiting!

    2024 5-Star Cornerback Kobe Black includes Oklahoma in top 11

    Sooners land in Top 4 for 2024 offensive tackle Garrett Sexton

    Sooners pick up another crystal ball for 2024 WR Isaiah McMorris

    2024 Prospect Profile: Oklahoma offers 4-star RB Nathaniel Frazier

    Oklahoma Sooners On3 recruiting winners for the month of March

    Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and…

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  • Auburn DE Colby Wooden reportedly visiting Jaguars

    Auburn DE Colby Wooden reportedly visiting Jaguars

    Auburn Tigers defensive end Colby Wooden is reportedly set to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, according to Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy.

    Each NFL team is allowed to bring in 30 players for a visit before the draft and the Jaguars have used several of those spots on defensive linemen and edge rushers. In addition to Wooden, prospects who have reportedly visited Jacksonville include pass rushers Nolan Smith, Byron Young, and YaYa Diaby of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisville, respectively.

    Wooden measures in at 6’4, 273 pounds after adding more than 40 pounds during his career at Auburn. While that’s a similar size as Travon Walker, Wooden likely projects as a defensive end in the Jaguars’ 3-4 and did most of his damage in college as an interior rusher.

    In his final season with the Tigers, Wooden had six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. In a recent seven-round mock draft, ESPN’s Jordan Reid had Wooden projected as a fifth-round pick.

    More 2023 NFL Draft!

    3 players who could entice Jaguars to trade up in 2023 NFL Draft

    Report: Louisville pass rusher YaYa Diaby to visit Jaguars

    Jaguars mock draft database: Brian Branch favored to be 24th pick

    Story originally appeared on Jaguars Wire

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  • College football recruiting expenses by conference: SEC stands out as Georgia spends big for success in 2022

    College football recruiting expenses by conference: SEC stands out as Georgia spends big for success in 2022

    How much does it cost to buy the resources necessary to win a national championship? If you ask the two-time reigning champion Georgia Bulldogs, the answer is $16,518,859. The Bulldogs spent that much between 2017-22 on recruiting expenses, which was more than $5 million more than any other program in the country over the same period, according to analysis of public records obtained by USA Today for Power Five schools. The gap between Georgia and No. 2 spender Alabama almost matches the difference between Alabama and Nebraska. 

    Recruiting budgets can cover a wide variety of expenses during the process, including vast recruiting departments, transportation, visits and much more. While spending does not guarantee success, seven of the last eight titles were won by schools in the top three in recruiting spending: Georgia, Alabama and Clemson. 

    It’s worth noting there was a downswing in spending in 2021 — for obvious reasons. The pandemic severely limited recruiting expenses, but it bounced back in a major way in 2022 with record spending across the board. Additionally, schools compile these numbers differently, which impacts comparison. Still, the bottom-line number gives us a baseline comparison. 

    Private schools were not included in USA Today’s analysis as they are not subject to records requests. Additionally, data could not be found for Pittsburgh, which is not subject to FOIA requests under Pennsylvania law. 

    ACC

    Clemson

    $3,158,941

    $1,661,691

    North Carolina

    $1,306,117

    $856,072

    Georgia Tech

    $1,240,706

    $763,426

    Louisville

    $1,019,027

    $659,819

    Virginia

    $994,851

    $641,396

    Florida State

    $899,308

    $1,257,758

    Virginia Tech

    $898,675

    $623,166

    NC State

    $632,696

    $538,879

    If you want to be the best, you have to spend like the best. Clemson more than doubles any other…

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  • Mac Jones trade rumors: 10 potential options to become Patriots starting QB in 2023 if Jones is moved

    Mac Jones trade rumors: 10 potential options to become Patriots starting QB in 2023 if Jones is moved

    Mac Jones, the New England Patriots’ 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, isn’t a lock to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2023, according to head coach Bill Belichick. 

    Not only could Jones lose his spot as New England’s starter, but he could be wearing a different jersey in 2023, entering his third NFL season. Even though there have been reports that the Patriots see Jones as their future at quarterback, Belichick is angry with Jones, specifically his use of coaching outside of the team amid a dysfunctional season in which longtime defensive coach Matt Patricia was the offensive play-caller in 2022, per NBC Sports. Belichick has reportedly even been the initiator of internal discussions to trade Jones during the offseason, according to ProFootballTalk.

    With that in mind, here are 10 potential successors to Jones in New England in the event the Patriots follow through and trade him:

    Free agency options

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