As their latest free agency addition, the Houston Rockets announced the signing of 22-year-old forward Julian Phillips. At 6-foot-8 and 201 pounds, Phillips is well regarded for his elite athleticism and 7-foot-1 wing span.
Following one collegiate season at Tennessee, Phillips was the No. 35 overall pick by Boston in the 2023 NBA draft. From there, he spent his first two-and-a-half seasons with Chicago before being acquired by Minnesota via a February trade.
In 167 career games with seven starts, Phillips has averaged 11.4 points (43.5% FG, 32.0% on 3-pointers), 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 ****** ists, 1.3 steals, and 1.6 made 3-pointers per 36 minutes. He has also appeared in 12 G League games, averaging 19.0 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 41.4% from 3-point range.
At the 2023 NBA draft combine, Phillips recorded the highest standing vertical leap (36.0 inches) and the best max vertical leap (43.0 inches) of any participant. He was a McDonald's All-American in 2022.
Between Tuesday and Friday, the Rockets officially added Isaiah Crawford, Jae'Sean Tate, Oscar Tshiebwe, and now Phillips to their 2026-27 offseason roster. All will be evaluated during the team's upcoming training camp, which begins in late September.

#draft

Rutgers Athletics recently unveiled its annual awards to honor the athletes who have distinguished themselves in a variety of areas. The awards included the Big Ten Medal of Honor, Bauer Athlete of the Year, the Freshman of the Year Award, the Sophomore of the Year Award, the Junior of the Year Award, the Senior of the Year Award, the Coursen Award, the Headley-Singer Award, the Werblin Award, and the Athletic Director's Excellence Award. Most of the awards were given out to one male and one female athlete.
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each member institution who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field.
In his senior season, Kaliakmanis threw for 3,124 passing yards and 20 touchdowns while running for four more touchdowns. His passing yards total last year is the fourth most in a season in program history, and his 260.3 average passing yards per game last year was second in the Big Ten. He was selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Washington Commanders.
Crawford made breaking school records look normal during her time in Piscataway. She is now the school record holder in both the 400m indoor and outdoor. She also ran a leg on the school record sprint medley relay team, setting the top mark in 2024 at 3:47.28. Crawford recorded seven podium finishes over her career and was a two-time NCAA East First Round qualifier who earned a spot at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She was also an All-American honorable mention.
The Bauer athlete of the year award is given to the one male and one female student-athlete from any class who has consistently performed and excelled in athletic competition at a high level for the most recent academic year.

#female

Canelo Alvarez has opened up on his put-down of Max Kellerman, 10 months after the Mexican fighter fired up fans with his response to the commentator.
At the press conference for Canelo’s fight with Terence Crawford, Kellerman lauded Dana White – who was promoting a major boxing event for the first time – for allegedly building the UFC into something bigger than boxing.
At the time, Kellerman said: “Dana White is the greatest combat-sports promoter in my lifetime. He built an institution. You know why boxing is not as popular as it used to be anymore, right? UFC is really popular. That’s because of Dana White. He built something like the NBA.”
Fans in Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena booed Kellerman at this point, to which he said: “Stop now, because he’s about to do it again, for boxing now. You want an NBA or an NFL for boxing? Here it comes.”
Canelo, 36, took issue with this comment, telling Kellerman: “Hey Max, boxing is always [getting] bigger and bigger and bigger. Don’t say boxing is not big enough. Boxing is big, you know how big boxing is.”

#boxing #kellerman #canelo #fans

After a strong showing at the NBA’s 2026 summer league in Las Vegas, the Houston Rockets announced Wednesday that Isaiah Crawford was re-signed by the team.
A 6-foot-6 forward with shooting potential on offense and considerable versatility on defense, Crawford is now 24 years old.
From the team’s announcement:
Crawford appeared in 14 games as a two-way player for the Rockets in 2025-26, averaging 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 ******* ists and 1.2 blocks per 36 minutes played. He recorded career highs of 11 points and 6 rebounds in the season finale versus Memphis on April 12.
In 20 games while transferred to the Rockets’ G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley, Crawford averaged 19.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 ******* ists, and 2.1 steals while shooting 51.5% from the floor and 39.2% from 3-point range.

#crawford #points #games #vegas

Canelo vs. “The Mexican Monster” is never happening.
Former WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO and The Ring Super Middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez returns to action later this year for the first time since losing all of his ***** les to Terence Crawford.
Alvarez will face Christian Mbilli for the WBC Super Middleweight ***** le on Oct. 31, 2026 — not Sept. 12 — in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
But while in New York doing press for his upcoming boxing match, Alvarez was once again asked about the one fight that just will not go away:
David Benavidez.

#middleweight #monster #former #terence

Theoretically, professional baseball players should be well versed in the rules of baseball. After all, they play it for a living. But even a 13-year MLB veteran can forget how to baseball, apparently.
With the Phillies suddenly in a battle with the Braves in the NL East race, Philadelphia was in prime position to force extra innings or win it in the ninth against the Dodgers on Tuesday. With Brandon Marsh at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies had two runners in scoring position and one out.
One of those runners was J.T. Realmuto, and you'd be hard pressed to handle that situation worse than he did on the base path.
When Marsh sharply hit a ground ball to third, Justin Crawford was caught leaning towards home. At that point, Crawford was going to be out in a rundown. All Realmuto had to do was advance to third and stay there.
That's not what he did.

#Phillies #realmuto #theoretically

For the players of Kentucky, summer practice took a new form this month as the group got a chance to visit Las Vegas and step out of Lexington for a different few days of training. And according to Mark Pope, the players took the time to see some other sights that the city had to offer.
Speaking to UK Sports Network, Pope said some players took the opportunity to go to 'The Sphere', while others went shopping on the Las Vegas Strip, and he focused on basketball.
"I was at basketball the whole time, the guys went to the sphere, they did some top golf, I think some guys did some shopping on the strip so I think they had a bunch of fun together but for me the best part was the practice, I love being on the practice floor," Pope told the UK Sports Network.
While summer sessions seem to be going well, Mark Pope will likely miss out on one of his key targets to aid his coaching staff, as Jamal Crawford confirmed he won't be going ahead with the Kentucky offer.
"If this were a different time, there's no doubt. There's zero doubt," he said to KSR.

#players #time #vegas #network

Isaiah Crawford, who played with last season’s Houston Rockets on a two-way contract, had his best game of the NBA’s 2026 summer league during Wednesday’s 87-62 victory (box score) over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Crawford, 24, is viewed as a candidate for either a two-way or standard contract with the 2026-27 Rockets. And on Wednesday, the versatile 6-foot-6 forward left an impression with strong play on both ends of the court.
In 27 minutes, Crawford finished with a game-high 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 ****** ists, and 2 blocks while making 6-of-12 shots (50.0%), including 2-of-5 from 3-point range (40.0%).
The Rockets were +34 in Crawford’s minutes, best of any player on the floor for either team.
Other standout players included:

Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUNR) is one of the Best **** e Technology Stocks to Buy Now. Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUNR) has fallen roughly 40% over the past month, mainly due to profit-taking after the stock reached an all-time high on May 29. Wall Street remains bullish on the stock, with **** ysts' 12-month price target reflecting more than 124% upside from the current level.
Recently, on July 1, Craig-Hallum maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $42. The firm highlighted NASA's press conference announcing lunar lander contract awards. During the press conference, Intuitive Machines was awarded $148 million, Firefly Aerospace was awarded $144 million, and Astrobotic got $298 million in contract awards. The firm calls Intuitive Machines and Firefly awards roughly in line with expectations, while Astrobotic's award came in higher than anticipated.
Craig-Hallum also praised new NASA administrator Isaacman's approach, citing a steady cadence of well-considered awards, more efficient use of resources, and a strategy focused on partnering with commercial **** e players.
Moreover, earlier on June 24, **** yst Mike Crawford from B. Riley maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $45. The **** yst noted the recent stock weakness as a buying opportunity and noted that the company is making progress building an end-to-end **** e and lunar infrastructure stack, backed by a $1.1 billion order backlog. The firm also noted multiple near-term catalysts that could meaningfully grow this backlog and argued the sell-off created an attractive entry point.
Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUNR) is a **** e exploration, infrastructure, and services company. It contributes to the establishment of cislunar infrastructure and helps develop cislunar and deep-space commerce.

The season gets closer and closer every day, and for Notre Dame, the biggest question is how far of a run can it make in the College Football Playoff.
Most believe that the Irish will make the 12-team field, but not everyone is the bullish on them. 247Sports Brad Crawford does, as he has ranked teams in tiers: clear frontrunners, program leadership should prevail, rosters worth a second look, schedule ******* istance looms large and dark horses with Notre Dame being in the first tier.
Along with Ohio State, Oregon, Miami and Georgia, the Irish are one of five teams that Crawford believes have a great chance to win the CFP. The teams in tier two, Indiana and Texas, should be viewed as contenders as well, so in reality, he’s got seven teams that could hoist up the CFP trophy at the end of the season.
The good news is that there aren’t many major questions surrounding the Irish, as they’ll return quarterback CJ Carr along with an elite defense headlined by safety Tae Johnson and linebacker Drayk Bowen. The biggest unknown is which offensive skill position players will step up, but there is no doubting the talent at wide receiver or running back. Notre Dame has recruited and worked the portal very well over the last few years, with this potentially being the most talented team in many years.
It’s been almost 40-years since the Irish have won a ******* le, as it’s long overdue for Notre Dame to sit atop of the college football world.

Auburn freshman Jaquez Wilkes was known as a star on the offensive side of the football during his high school days. Now on the Plains, he will take on a new identity as a pass rusher on defense.
Will his transition from brusing runner to quarterback bully be an easy one? One ******* yst believes so, and Auburn fans could see his progress very quickly.
CBS Sports college football writer Brad Crawford believes Wilkes will be a household name by the end of the season, which is why he included Wilkes in his "SEC freshmen to watch in 2026" list.
Crawford believes that not only Auburn fans will know Wilkes' name by season's end, but so will the rest of the country.
Coaches have been impressed with (Wilkes') maturity and ability to process the game, traits that often determine whether young pass rush-linebacker hybrids see the field early. Wilkes also has the versatility to help on special teams while earning defensive snaps. By the second half of the season, he could be one of Auburn's most dependable young defenders.

Here is the week-by-week 2026 schedule for central Ohio high school football. Schedules were obtained from area schools and are subject to change.
Fairbanks at North Robinson Colonel Crawford; Harvest Prep at Versailles
Africentric at Groveport; Amanda-Clearcreek at West Jefferson; Bellville Clear Fork at Granville; Berlin Center Western Reserve at Whetstone; Berne Union at Bidwell River Valley; Bloom-Carroll at Caledonia River Valley; Bucyrus Wynford at Cardington; Canal Winchester at Grove City; Centennial at Grandview Heights; Centerburg at Utica; Chillicothe Southeastern at Fairfield Christian; Circleville at Chillicothe; Dalton at Danville; Dayton Dunbar at Briggs; Delaware at Buckeye Valley; Dublin Coffman at Hartley; Dublin Scioto at Thomas Worthington; East Knox at Northridge; Eastmoor Academy vs. Ready at Fortress Obetz; Fisher Catholic at Belpre; Franklin Heights at West; Fredericktown at Highland; Hamilton Township at Whitehall; Heath at Duncan Falls Philo; Hilliard Bradley at Big Walnut; Hilliard Darby at Lancaster; Huntington at Newark Catholic; KIPP Columbus at Beechcroft; Liberty Union at Woodsfield Monroe Central; Licking Heights at Newark; Linden-McKinley at Bexley; Logan Elm at Chillicothe Zane Trace; Madison-Plains at Westfall; Mansfield Senior at Hilliard Davidson; Marion Pleasant at North Union; Martins Ferry at Mount Gilead; Marysville at Westerville North; Millersport at Portsmouth Sciotoville East; Mount Vernon at Marion Harding; New Albany at London; New Lexington at Fairfield Union; Northland at Columbus Academy; Olentangy Liberty vs. Lakewood St. Edward at Lakewood; Olentangy Orange at Olentangy Berlin; Pickerington Central at Gahanna; Pickerington North at Troy; Reynoldsburg at Toledo Whitmer; St. Charles at Central Crossing; South at Mifflin; Thornville Sheridan at Licking Valley; Upper Arlington at Olentangy; Vermilion at Johnstown; Walnut Ridge at East; Watkins Memorial at Worthington Kilbourne; Watterson at Whitehouse Anthony Wayne; West Liberty-Salem at Jonathan Alder; Westerville Central at Marion-Franklin; Westerville South at Dublin Jerome; Westland at Teays Valley; Worthington Christian at Grove City Christian; Youngstown Ursuline at DeSales; Zanesville West Muskingum at Lakewood
Independence vs. Dayton Meadowdale at Welcome Stadium; Columbus Crusaders at Byron Center (Michigan) Grand Valley Christian
Beechcroft at Independence; Berne Union at Chillicothe Huntington; Bexley at Worthington Christian; Big Walnut at Dublin Coffman; Briggs at Dublin Scioto; Buckeye Valley at Africentric; Bucyrus Wynford at East Knox; Canal Winchester at New Albany; Cardington at Sycamore Mohawk; Centerburg at Johnstown; Cincinnati Aiken at Northland; Circleville at Washington Court House; Cleveland Glenville at Olentangy Liberty; Cleveland St. Ignatius at Pickerington North; Danville at Utica; DeSales at Walnut Ridge; East at Whitehall; Eastmoor Academy at Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy; Franklin Heights at Linden-McKi

Terence "Bud" Crawford has addressed ConorMcGregor's anticlimactic return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

McGregor's return to the Octagon ended in just 69 seconds atUFC 329. The former two-division champion seemingly injured hisright knee in the opening sequence of the fight, leading to astoppage from the referee as he was unable to continue.

UFC CEO DanaWhite subsequently speculated that it could be an ACL-relatedissue, an unfortunate occurrence considering McGregor's last boutbefore UFC 329 also ended in a leg injury.
Crawford, who has gone back and forth with McGregor previously,believes the Irishman got what was coming his way. The unbeatenboxer and the MMA superstar were once rumored to be squaring off ina two-fight crossover series across both combat sports, andMcGregor claimed Crawford turned down a $200 million deal, whichthe latter has since dismissed.

"It's crazy when they talk sh*t to me God punish them," Crawfordwrote on X.

This isn't the first time Crawford has addressed an MMA result.After IliaTopuria suffered the first defeat of his professional career atUFC Freedom 250 to JustinGaethje, "Bud" questioned the hype behind "El Matador" goinginto the historic White House event. Notably, Topuria hadpreviously claimed he could beat Crawford in boxing.

"This the guy that said he would knock me out and whoop me andShakur at the same time?" Crawford posted after UFC Freedom250.

The Monon Bell Classic, one of the oldest rivalries in college football played between Wabash and DePauw since 1890, will be take place at a neutral site for the first time since 1922 — at Ball State's Scheumann Stadium in Muncie.
The move comes as the football stadium at DePauw, where the 2026 Monon Bell was set to be played, is being demolished to make way for a new, ritzy, state-of-the-art athletic facility.
Historically, the game has alternated each year between Greencastle and Crawfordsville, but the location isn't what makes the Monon Bell special, says Stevie Baker-Watson, ******* ociate vice president for student wellness and Theodore Katula athletic director at DePauw.
"The Monon Bell Classic has always been about more than a football game," Baker-Watson said in a statement. "It is a celebration of one of the greatest rivalries in college athletics and a tradition that brings together generations of DePauw and Wabash alumni, students, families and fans."
Scheumann Stadium seats about 22,500 people, while Wabash's Little Giant Stadium has a 3,600 capacity and DePauw's former stadium seats about 3,000, opening up spots for people who have not been able to get tickets before.

The Utah Men’s State Amateur is usually dominated by collegiate golfers. After Thursday’s two rounds of matches, seven collegians have advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals.
It was almost an all-collegiate golfer quarterfinal until Cameron Crawford came from behind to defeat BYU golfer Angus Klintworth on the 19th hole of their match. Crawford played college golf 16 years ago for Dixie State College and is the “old man” of the bunch at age 38.
Leading the way Thursday was defending champion and Arizona State golfer Bowen Mauss, who swept past Brock Sivulich 6 and 5 in the morning round before defeating Aidan Thain 3 and 2 in the afternoon.
He’ll face Layton’s David Liechty, who is transferring from Utah Tech to BYU for the coming season.
Liechty burst onto the local scene three years ago when he made it to the State Am finals. He showed his match play skills again last year when he made it to the semifinals and also qualified for match play at the U.S. Amateur.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jesús Luzardo allowed two hits in seven innings and struck out 11, Justin Crawford's base hit in the eighth inning drove in the game's only run and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 in a pitcher's duel on Thursday night.
Luzardo (8-4) — named to his first All-Star Game as an injury replacement on Tuesday — continued his dominance on the road. The left-hander is 6-0 with a 1.38 ERA this season in 11 starts away from Philadelphia.
Luzardo struck out the side in the third and sixth innings as he had his fourth outing with double-digit strikeouts.
Jhoan Duran gave up a leadoff single to JJ Bleday and hit Spencer Steer with a splitter before striking out Eugenio Suárez and Tyler Stephenson and getting Noelvi Marte to hit into a game-ending grounder for his 23rd save in 24 opportunities.
Cincinnati's Brady Singer (3-9) was equally as effective the first seven innings, allowing only three hits and striking out five before the right-hander ran into trouble in the eighth. The Reds were held to three hits after hitting five home runs in Wednesday night's 11-5 victory.

BANGKOK (AP) — When China launched a ballistic missile into the South Pacific Ocean on Monday, it was a rare test of a nuclear-capable weapons system that drew international rebuke.
Arriving two years after a similar missile launch in international waters in the Pacific, the test by the People's Liberation Army caught the attention of small island nations whose leaders have increasingly urged bigger countries to stop using the vast oceanic region for power struggles. But Beijing's message was largely for just one country, experts say: the United States.
"The most important message is the PLA is becoming a powerful military with a very strong strategic nuclear capability," said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank.
The test, launched from a nuclear-powered submarine, was a demonstration of the sea-based leg of China's nuclear triad capability, which refers to the ability to have land, sea, and air-based nuclear systems.
Further, it showed that China's military has what is called a second-strike capability, said Dominic Meagher, a research fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy in Australia. That means even if China was attacked first, it still has the ability to strike back, because the ability to fire could be anywhere, in the ocean or on land.

Michigan State faces grim outlook in Pat Fitzgerald's first season in return to Big Ten originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Rebuilding a college football program in the transfer portal era is a daunting task. Attempting a massive culture reset in the middle of the deepest, most unforgiving conference in the sport is an entirely different nightmare.
For Michigan State fans hoping for a rapid resurgence in 2026, the latest national projections serve as a harsh, unyielding reality check. According to the 2026 game picks and win-loss predictions from CBS Sports ****** yst Brad Crawford, the Spartans are projected to suffer a dismal 3-9 overall record, managing a catastrophic 1-8 mark in Big Ten play.
The only silver lining for Michigan State in 2026 might be September in Pat Fitzgerald's first season in East Lansing. Crawford’s model projects the Spartans will secure non-conference victories against Toledo and Eastern Michigan, padding their early win total.
MORE: College football rankings post-spring Top 25

Much as been made by fans following popular baseball prospect site, baseballamerica.com, posting their organizational rankings among all MLB teams. The hometown Phillies ranked as the 29th worst farm system in the league based on prospect talent. This seems bad, huh? For a team with aging stars and up against the luxury tax threshold, an injection of young talent could be the only way to prolong this current run of regular seasons success for the Phillies. You are now thinking, how could they have fallen from 20th (in the preseason ranking) to near dead-last? What might have caused this? Well, two things. The graduation of prospects and the lack of development elsewhere. In regards to the former, it always seems to go over the casual fan’s head that could be a driving factor in these nonsensical rankings (nothing against rankings, I love them…but they are really arbitrary and objective). The Phillies graduated two Top100 MLB prospects in Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford. That is a legit major factor! This doesn’t even factor in struggles by Jean Cabrera, Aroon Escobar, Dante Nori, and Carson DeMartini. Not to mention their best prospect has yet to take the field (a consensus Top20 prospect in the game) in shortstop Aidan Miller.
I’m NOT saying this isn’t time to hit the panic **** on. Development has stagnated among prospects, especially on the hitting side. It feels any promising prospect hits that AA/AAA wall and nothing ever materializes. Its frustrating! The Phillies need to do a lot better in both drafting and international scouting. It is largely why the last few years the Phillies have needed to sign and trade for talent rather than find it within the organization. It isn’t a sustainable model if you aren’t blowing past the luxury tax.
You may ask, has it always been like this? Haven’t the Phillies had touted prospects and a system not that long ago? Lets look back at 2016, using a similar list from baseballamerica.com (its their preseason ranking, they didn’t do a full 30 for midseason). In 2016, the Phillies ranking 8th in the league. Led by promising names like JP Crawford, Nick Williams, Jake Thompson, and Jorge Alfaro.
Now these are some great names. The Phillies most impactful player wound up being 23rd ranked 1B-only prospect Rhys Hoskins. Who if memory serves me correctly, wasn’t nearly as fawned over as the monstrous OF Dylan Cozens. A lot of the names on here were also acquired via trade including: Nick Williams, Jake Thompson, Jorge Alfaro, Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta, Darnell Sweeney, Ben Lively, Jimmy Cordero, and Tom Windle. 10 years later, only Hoskins, Crawford, Eflin, and Nick Pivetta remain major leaguers or had significant impacts.
If you were to tell me that there will be less than four impactful players from this year’s midseason Top30 Phillies list, I wouldn’t argue with you. I’m not sure the same amount of pedigree is there as there was in 2016. However, there is still some optimism. Gage Wood looks at a MINIMUM a

EXETER — Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire and Vermont will host its 6th annual Pickleball Tournament on July 11–12 at the Exeter Town Recreation Park in Exeter.
With more than 150 players expected from across the state and beyond, this tournament has become one of New Hampshire's premier pickleball events. Proceeds will directly support the group's statewide one-to-one mentoring programs, which provide consistent guidance and positive adult role models to help local youth thrive.
“We’re excited to welcome players to our sixth annual Pickleball Tournament,” said Nicole McShane, chief philanthropy officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire and Vermont. “From seasoned players bringing their A-game to first timers jumping onto the court for the very first time, every serve, volley, and point played helps fuel our mission of empowering youth through mentorship. It’s an incredible reminder that having fun and making a difference can go hand in hand.”
The 6th annual Pickleball Tournament is proudly presented by Crawford Software.
"At Crawford Software, we are committed to investing in the communities where we live and work,” said Crawford Software founder Steven M. Carr. “Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire and Vermont provides life-changing mentorship and support that helps young people build confidence, achieve their goals, and realize their potential. We are proud to partner with an organization whose impact extends far beyond today and helps create stronger communities for the future."

Two of their four All-Star pitchers bookended a dominant night on the mound to pilot the Philadelphia Phillies (51-41) to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds (41-49) in the the opening game of the series.
The 18 strikeouts the Phillies’ staff collected were a season high, as they were for the Reds’ hitters who coughed them up.
Zack Wheeler matched his career high with 14 punch outs across his seven innings pitched, equaling the mark he set back in May of 2021 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Phillies got on the board first after a one-out double by Derek Hill and a single by Justin Crawford put runners on the corners for Trea Turner who grounded out to short to score Hill. Kyle Schwarber came up next and got the green light up 3-0 in the count to smash his majors-leading 31st home run to right center.
The Reds cut into the lead with a leadoff homer by Eugenio Suarez off of Wheeler in the seventh inning.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Zack Wheeler tied a career high with 14 strikeouts, Kyle Schwarber hit his major league-best 31st home run of the season, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Tuesday night.
The Phillies got on the board in the third inning when Trea Turner had an RBI groundout for a 1-0 lead and Schwarber hit a two-run shot over the right-center field wall to finish a three-run inning.
Derek Hill doubled and Justin Crawford singled to put runners at the corners to get things started.
Turner scored in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Edmundo Sosa.
Wheeler (9-1) threw 104 pitches over seven innings. He allowed four hits, an earned run, but no walks. Jhoan Duran earned his 22nd save of the year, striking out all three batters in the ninth.

Why Oregon's elite 2026 roster is predicted to win the Big Ten in latest projections originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Since arriving in Eugene, Dan Lanning has operated with a singular, terrifying focus: building an SEC-style juggernaut in the Pacific Northwest. Now safely entrenched in the 18-team Big Ten, the Ducks aren't just looking to win the league—they are built to completely take it over.
According to the latest 2026 game picks and win-loss predictions from CBS Sports ****** yst Brad Crawford, the Oregon Ducks enter the fall as the clear team to beat.
The model projects the Ducks to finish the regular season 11-1, ultimately securing the Big Ten Championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff.
Lanning’s elite recruiting and development have resulted in what Crawford describes as "one of the nation's deepest rosters on both sides of the football."

Ohio State's loaded roster projected to suffer early stumble vs. Arch Manning, Texas originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In Columbus, the standard never changes: win the Big Ten, beat Michigan and compete for a national championship. Anything less is a failure.
Head coach Ryan Day enters the 2026 season with another phenomenally loaded roster, but navigating the 18-team conference requires absolute perfection—a standard that CBS Sports predicts the Buckeyes will fail to meet early on.
A closer look at the conference landscape reveals that a flawless run might be an unrealistic expectation, even for a roster this loaded. ******* yst Brad Crawford’s latest game-by-game picks slate Ohio State for a 10-2 finish, forcing the Buckeyes to bypass an automatic conference-champion bid and instead rely on an at-large invitation to navigate the postseason.
The defining narrative of Ohio State's season might be written before conference play even begins. Following tune-up wins against Ball State and Kent State, Crawford's model projects a massive early-season stumble, predicting the Buckeyes will travel to Austin in Week 2 and suffer a non-conference loss to the Texas Longhorns.

Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans need to finally display dominance in the Big Ten, the best conference in college football. The talent gap between USC and other top teams in the Big Ten is not great. USC has the No. 1 recruiting class and made a huge improvement on the defensive staff with the hiring of Gary Patterson. This is the season for USC to match the standard the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Indiana Hoosiers have set.
In a recent article, ******* yst Brad Crawford projects the national ******* le winner to be a Big Ten team for a fourth straight season. He also names three other Big Ten teams that should be in contention for a playoff berth this season:
"USC, Washington and Michigan shouldn't be ignored, either. It would not surprise me if at least two Big Ten teams reached the semifinals."
The Trojans have a younger team this season, but they brought in some of the best young freshmen in the country. Names like Mark Bowman and Luke Wafle can be key contributors early. Starting quarterback Jayden Maiava should take a step forward from a stellar season last year. The Trojans' run game will be elite with King Miller and Waymond Jordan, as will their passing game. Gary Patterson is leading a defense full of talent. The Trojans have all the resources necessary to make a College Football Berth.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Trojans predicted to contend for College Football Playoff spot in 2026

The Heisman Trophy is arguably the best individual award in American sports, professional included. There are weekly columns, year-round odds, and continual commentary on who will win the bronze statue, and once a player does, he is announced from that point forward as "Heisman Trophy winner ..."
Maybe the only other ***** le before a name that means more is "Sir," as those who are knighted by the Royal Family of the United Kingdom. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but still, becoming a Heisman winner is something that will follow a player all of his life, and in fact, changes his life.
So, it's no surprise then that many focus on the Heisman so much. To that end, Brad Crawford of 247Sports shared the six players that he would bet on to win the bronze statue. Not all the players who have the best odds by the sportsbooks out there, mind you, but which ones he believes actually have a legitimate shot at winning the award.
So, which two Buckeyes does Crawford like to be in the Heisman conversation? It's the same two that you would likely think of: quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The OSU quarterback has been among the top, and sometimes on top of some of the Heisman odds in the preseason, but he currently sits among the top four or five on most sportsbooks' odds. As far as Smith goes, he could very well be the best college football player, and in fact, probably will be, but it'll be hard to win the Heisman because he's not a quarterback, and there's the built-in bias.
In other words, there's a good chance that Ohio State will again have another representative in New York as a finalist for the storied award, but who else might be there, according to Crawford? The other four players he'd put a wager on are Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr, Texas gunslinger Arch Manning, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, and Miami (FL) signal-caller Darian Mensah.

Sassuolo and Bologna are reportedly in talks with ******* as Verona about Kieron Bowie, while Celtic are linked with Norwegian striker Tobias Lauritsen and three clubs are said to be chasing former Rangers loanee Mikey Moore.
Sassuolo have joined Bologna in holding talks with relegated ******* as Verona about 23-year-old £10m-rated Scotland striker Kieron Bowie. (Daily Record)
Jack Hendry has become the highest-paid Scotland international after the 31-year-old centre-half signed a new two-year contract with Al Ettifaq. (Sky Sports)
Celtic are interested in striker Tobias Lauritsen, who has left Sparta Rotterdam, along with Leicester City, while Sampdoria are actively pursuing the 28-year-old, according to Il Secolo XIX. (Martin Crawford on X)
Celtic plan to open talks with Anthony Ralston over a new contract with the 27-year-old Scotland right-back entering the final year of his current deal. (Daily Record)

The Georgia Bulldogs are expected among the nation's top teams and are looking to win a third consecutive SEC championship in 2026. CBS Sports ***** yst Brad Crawford predicts that Georgia will go 11-1 and finish SEC play with a record of 8-1. The 2026 season marks the first time SEC teams will play nine conference games during the regular season.
Crawford has Georgia suffering a surprising loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks, who he describes as an unpredictable team. South Carolina has plenty of talent and Georgia has to face the Gamecocks on the road, but it would be a bit of a shocker to see South Carolina upset Georgia especially after the Gamecocks went 4-8 in 2025 with only two wins over Power Four opponents.
Georgia last lost to South Carolina in 2019. The Gamecocks have the pieces to make some noise in the SEC and Crawford thinks South Carolina will do just that. He predicts South Carolina will go 7-5 (4-5 in SEC) and earn a trip to the Texas Bowl. Crawford predicts South Carolina will pick up notable wins over Tennessee, Clemson and Georgia.
Losing to South Carolina would not be the end of the world for Georgia, but it would be shocking to see Georgia start the season 10-0 before falling to South Carolina. The Bulldogs still advance to play the Texas Longhorns in the SEC championship in Crawford's predictions.
Crawford has Georgia earning impressive wins over Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma, which would go a long way for Georgia's College Football Playoff and SEC championship positioning. Speaking of the conference ***** le game, Crawford has the Longhorns and quarterback Arch Manning finally beating Georgia in the SEC championship to secure a bye as the No. 2 seed in the playoff. Georgia is predicted to receive the No. 5 seed in the playoff, which would result in Georgia likely playing the top-ranked Group of Five conference champion.

Like many other programs across college football, Penn State will be looking at one of its first-year players to step up and elevate an unproven receiver room. With many incoming receiver transfers and a transfer at quarterback, Penn State will need to build continuity on the fly. Quarterback Rocco Becht could build a rapport with a freshman receiver to start this season.
In a recent article, Brad Crawford ranks the top freshmen who will be productive early this season, and Penn State receiver Amarion Jackson cracks his ranking. Here is what he had to say about Jackson:
"A spring riser for the Nittany Lions, Jackson's pushing to crack the rotation at wide receiver in Happy Valley ahead of Matt Campbell's first campaign. ******* uming Penn State's starters are Iowa State transfers Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen and sophomore Koby Howard, Jackson hopes to crack that next tier of potential targets for new quarterback Rocco Becht, who was the Cyclones' previous starter for multiple seasons. Jackson, a three-star signee out of Omaha, Nebraska, arrived as a defensive back before quickly converting to a wideout."
This season, vs a potentially improved Trojans defense under Gary Patterson, Rocco Becht's go-to guy could very well be a 1st-year receiver. Amarion Jackson is showing great potential early, prior to camp, and with a new man under center, it is fair game for all of the receivers. In Week 8, it will be up to the Trojans to give the Penn State receiver a game to remember and Rocco Becht a warm welcome to Big Ten football.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Rocco Becht's best Penn State receiver target can't sneak up on USC

The Tennessee Sports Writers ******* ociation boys and girls all-state teams have been released for the 2026 TSSAA track and field season.
Pole Vault: Tyler Bailey, Happy Valley, Sr.; Jullian Pate, Happy Valley, Sr.; Elijah Spence, Gatlinburg-Pittman, Sr.
Long Jump: Adrian Crawford, Union City, Sr.; Dayon Cooper, South Pittsburg, Jr.; Jackson Savarese, Gatlinburg-Pittman, Jr.
Triple Jump: Miles Helton, Memphis Middle College, Jr.; Kohl Ward, Tyner Academy, Jr.; Stephen Saulter, Pearl-Cohn, Jr.
High Jump: Adrian Crawford, Union City, Sr.; Miles Helton, Memphis Middle College, Jr.; Kamron Mitchell, Bluff City, Sr.