Category: SPORTS

UConn gained the title, the teaching carousel stopped turning, and the switch portal got here and went. After a protracted and eventful offseason, the ladies’s faculty basketball season is almost right here and there are an limitless variety of inquiries to be answered.

Who’s going to stand up in a seemingly wide-open Massive 12? Now separated, will Olivia Miles or Hannah Hidalgo have the higher seasons? Who fills the stardom void left by Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins? After UConn, is the remainder of the Massive East any good? Which mid-major group goes to shock and shock? Can Mikayla Blakes observe up her stellar rookie marketing campaign by main the nation in scoring? How will transfers like MiLaysia Fulwiley and Ta’Niya Latson work out?

These questions and those under will form the upcoming season.

Is Sarah Robust able to be the bus driver for UConn?

Paige Bueckers is gone. And with all due respect to Azzi Fudd, a supremely gifted shooter and offensive playmaker, Sarah Robust is now the highest participant on this group. The query is: As a sophomore, is she prepared to steer? And can UConn be at its greatest when it runs its offense by means of her? And that doesn’t imply simply throwing the ball all the way down to her within the paint to make sure she’s getting publish touches; it means probably making Robust a point-forward.

There’s different gamers on this roster able to working an offense and creating pictures for others — from KK Arnold to Kayleigh Heckel — however none are as versatile, as gifted, or as sharp as Robust. A season in the past, she was second to solely Bueckers on this UConn group in assists per recreation. Robust was additionally simply one in all 4 gamers nationally final season to common at the least 16 factors, eight rebounds and three assists per recreation. She was the one freshman to take action, did it within the least quantity of minutes per recreation, and had the very best discipline objective proportion of all of them – 58 p.c.

Final yr, Robust had the posh of flying underneath Bueckers’ wing. This yr, the highlight and stress is on her.

What’s going to North Carolina do within the frontcourt?

One may make the argument that a very powerful participant to North Carolina’s resurgence underneath Courtney Banghart was Alyssa Ustby. Over the previous 5 seasons — because the Tar Heels went to 5 NCAA Tournaments, two Candy 16s, and hosted opening weekend video games final yr as a high 16 seed — Ustby was the chief in minutes performed and rebounding, and if there was a stat for hustle and toughness she would have led UNC in that too. Now, in Banghart’s seventh season on the helm, her defensive anchor and do-it-all chief is gone, and along with her is this system’s all-time file for rebounds. Additionally graduated from UNC was dependable publish scorer and rim protector Maria Gakdeng, all 6-foot-5 of her.

Merely put, the Tar Heels had holes to fill within the frontcourt. They grabbed 6-foot-2 ACC veteran Nyla Harris from Louisville through the switch portal, however nonetheless have one spot left unsolved. A number of choices exist:

What North Carolina decides to do with its rotation will probably be one thing to look at all season lengthy.

Which switch class works out one of the best within the ACC?

There was a variety of roster turnover within the ACC this yr, because the league returns simply eight of 25 all-conference alternatives.

A handful of groups that missed the NCAA Event final yr — SMU, Clemson, Miami and Virginia — introduced in massive switch portal lessons littered with some spectacular names. Lieberman Award contender Rachael Rose is at Clemson, FIBA standout Gal Raviv has the keys at Miami, former LSU starter Sa’Myah Smith is prepared for an enormous position at Virginia, and Tyi Skinner appears like one of the best participant on a very reloaded SMU roster.

Which of these massive portal lessons works out one of the best stays to be seen. Elsewhere within the league, some hopeful contenders are going to depend on essential transfers too. Louisville will lean on Laura Ziegler, N.C. State is anticipating massive issues from Khamil Pierre, and Syracuse wants Laila Phelia to be a frontrunner.

Will Gianna Kneepkens be a difference-maker for UCLA?

Final yr, one may make the case that the Bruins had been a very good, however not nice, 3-point capturing group. They made about 33 p.c of their makes an attempt from behind the arc, ok for eightieth nationally. Because the offense ran largely by means of 6-foot-7 middle Lauren Betts, simply two UCLA gamers — Londynn Jones and Timea Gardiner — made a couple of 3-pointer per recreation. Jones is gone, now at USC, however the Bruins landed maybe one of the best shooter out there in the portal in Gianna Kneepkens.

At Utah final season, she ranked ninth nationally in 3-pointers made per recreation (3.0) and was twenty eighth in capturing proportion from deep with a 44.8 p.c mark. That clip was additionally sixth greatest nationally amongst gamers who tried at the least 6.5 3-pointers per recreation final season. Kneepkens is an skilled, dependable and constant 3-point shooter who ought to give UCLA’s offense a reputable risk on the perimeter.

The Bruins are additionally getting Charlisse Leger-Walker wholesome. Within the 2022-23 season at Washington State, she made 2.3 3-pointers per recreation. The mixture of Kneepkens and Leger-Walker ought to give UCLA a brand new wrinkle on offense and forestall defenses from packing the paint on Betts.

How good will USC be with out JuJu Watkins?

The Trojans went to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season again within the spring. Now, they’re about to embark on a season with out the reigning Nationwide Participant of the 12 months, who continues to be recovering from an ACL tear.

Nonetheless, there’s sufficient expertise on this roster that Lindsay Gottlieb’s group shouldn’t have to fret about lacking the NCAA Event. Kara Dunn arrives through the switch portal from Georgia Tech after a career-best and All-ACC season, Londynn Jones joined USC from rival UCLA, and high 2025 recruit Jazzy Davidson ought to type a formidable tandem with sophomore Kennedy Smith.

Measurement is a little bit of a priority following the commencement of Rayah Marshall, however the Trojans introduced in two 6-foot-3 forwards in Dayana Mendes and Gerda Raulušaityte. The previous was an All-WCC choice final season at Washington State, whereas the latter was the MVP of the Lithuanian Ladies’s Basketball League. One other publish, 6-foot-5 Yakiya Milton, joins from Auburn.

USC ought to discover itself within the high 4 of the Massive Ten desk this season with a group able to making the second weekend of the NCAA Event.

What does a Kenny Brooks’ group with out Liz Kitley or Georgia Amoore appear like?

The final time that Brooks coached a group with out a Kitley or Amoore on it was the 2018-19 season at Virginia Tech. That group went 22-12 and 6-10 in ACC play, lacking the NCAA Event for the ultimate time in Brooks’ tenure in Blacksburg. A season akin to that one this yr at Kentucky would certainly be a disappointment, however there’s no want to fret Massive Blue Nation — this roster is just too gifted to not go dancing in March.

Three starters from final season’s group that hosted opening weekend NCAA Event video games return in 6-foot-4 Amelia Hassett, 6-foot-5 Teonni Key and 6-foot-6 Clara Strack. The latter was the SEC Defensive Participant of the 12 months and may be the following Liz Kitley, Key retains getting higher each season and shot north of fifty p.c from the ground final season, and Hassett is bonus publish depth as a participant who can seize robust rebounds and knock down 3-pointers.

Filling Amoore’s sneakers to run the offense this season will probably be Tonie Morgan, who has starred at Georgia Tech for the previous three seasons underneath Nell Fortner. A two-time All-ACC choice, Morgan is coming off a season the place she averaged a career-best 5.6 assists per recreation and shot a career-high 48.9 p.c from the ground.

Kenny’s Kentucky will probably be simply high-quality.

Will another SEC group critically problem South Carolina for SEC supremacy?

A yr in the past, as soon as the calendar became March, the Gamecocks turned a conflict machine and bulldozed their manner by means of the SEC Event and March Insanity. Vic Schaeffer continued his behavior of dropping to Daybreak Staley within the postseason as South Carolina topped his Texas group within the SEC title recreation and on the Remaining 4.

Is anybody else within the convention as much as the duty this season? Possibly.

On paper, LSU appears essentially the most gifted, however the Tigers have misplaced 17 straight to the Gamecocks. Will Flau’Jae Johnson and her teammates lastly break that streak in her senior season?

Kentucky has the dimensions to bang within the paint with a South Carolina group that doesn’t have the identical publish depth it usually has due to two key accidents to Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts. In a styles-make-fights form of matchup, Tennessee may attempt to make South Carolina run with them in an up-tempo fast-paced recreation. Might Aaliyah Chavez or Mikayla Blakes placed on a cape and superhero their method to a win over the Gamecocks? Might Coach Yo lead Ole Miss to a historic win over South Carolina?

Possibly. Possibly. Possibly. But it surely’s greatest to not wager in opposition to Daybreak Staley. If one in all these different SEC groups has a reputable shot on the king, they greatest not miss.

Now we have reached — roughly — the midway level of the 2025 NFL season.

We’ll be trustworthy, the 17-game schedule continues to be taking some getting used to.

In the present day, we’re wanting on the six groups which have shocked us (complimentary) and actually shocked us (derogatory) by way of eight weeks of the season.

When the 2025 NFL season started the Indianapolis Colts have been listed with an over/underneath of seven.5 wins.

With one victory the Colts will hit the over, and we’ve got not even reached Halloween.

It’s secure to say that the Colts is likely to be the most important shock of the 2025 season up to now, as Indianapolis enters Week 9 with a 7-1 document, tops within the NFL. Sure Daniel Jones is gathering the headlines, as he gained the coaching camp battle with Anthony Richardson and is among the many league’s greatest on the quarterback place by way of eight weeks. He ranks third in Adjusted Web Yards per Try (8.42), second in QBR (79.3) and leads the league with successful fee of 56.3%.

However the larger story is likely to be Jonathan Taylor. The operating again is placing up MVP-worthy numbers, as Taylor’s 850 dashing yards and 12 touchdowns each lead the league.

Trying forward, the Colts have video games with the Chiefs and Seahawks remaining, in addition to their season collection with the Texans. So issues may get sporty for Indianapolis down the stretch. However proper now? They’re the toast of the league.

Previous to the season the Patriots have been listed with an over/underneath of 8.5 wins, so New England sitting on six victories as October attracts to a detailed will not be a whole shock.

However it’s how they arrived at these six wins that is likely to be the most important shock.

A win over the Buffalo Payments — on the highway on Sunday Night time Soccer — confirmed the NFL world that the Patriots is likely to be for actual. Nevertheless, their win over the Cleveland Browns, and that staunch protection, final week may need been their greatest take a look at but. Drake Maye has put up MVP-level numbers, rating fourth within the NFL in ANY/A, third within the league in QBR, and main the best way in each Adjusted Yards per Try and NFL Passer Ranking.

And if you’d like extra shameless Maye propaganda, look the place he ranks in “Quarterback Effectivity” from RBSDM, which examines each Anticipated Factors Added and Completion Share Over Anticipated:

Count on this pattern to proceed, given New England’s schedule to shut out the 12 months. Their hardest video games remaining are a visit to Tampa Bay to tackle the Buccaneers, a house date with the Payments, and a visit to the Interior Harbor to tackle the Baltimore Ravens in mid-December.

The Bucs have been already an honest crew coming into this season, however in 2024 it felt extra like they made it to the playoffs by default with their 10-7 document, reasonably than actually dominating — as a result of the NFC South is horrible like that. Issues modified this 12 months, and now Tampa Bay is legitimately top-of-the-line groups within the NFC, probably the NFL.

Reaching 6-2 within the first half of the season is spectacular in its personal proper, however it’s much more outstanding when you think about the issue of the schedule Tampa Bay has confronted to open the 12 months. Of their eight video games they’ve confronted 5 respectable playoff groups in Houston, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, and Detroit — dropping their solely two video games to the Eagles and Lions. It’s nothing to sneeze at if you’re competing with groups of that caliber, and their recreation in opposition to the Tremendous Bowl champs got here right down to a single rating.

Baker Mayfield is enjoying MVP-caliber soccer for the Bucs this season, marrying his deep ball moxie with a definite lack of turnovers. Pair that with a bend-don’t-break protection and it’s guaranteeing that each recreation is shut for Tampa.

It’s actually honest to surprise if the Bucs can hold this up with out Mike Evans who went on IR, however this crew has proven depth and the flexibility to scheme round its deficiencies previously.

It’s laborious to imagine this labored out in addition to it did. The Hawks made a daring transfer within the offseason to jettison Geno Smith and signal Sam Darnold to an enormous contract, and it actually felt like this was going to explode of their faces. Chasing the identical sort of success Mayfield was having in Tampa Bay, Seattle went all-in on Darnold and it was actually unclear whether or not or not he may succeed with out receivers like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

Darnold isn’t simply succeeding, he’s thriving. A lot in order that he’s top-of-the-line quarterbacks within the NFL this season.

Sitting at 5-2, the Seahawks are the most effective crew within the NFC West by a big margin. They boast not only a Prime 5 scoring offense within the league this 12 months, however a very stingy Mike Macdonald protection which can also be Prime 10 in factors allowed. You’re going to win lots of video games at any time when you could have that sort of optimistic scoring disparity.

It’s actually honest to query the restricted competitors Seattle has confronted up to now, however merely thriving with Darnold underneath middle make the Seahawks one of many greatest surprises of the season.

Now it is a unhealthy sort of shock. Clearly any crew would battle with out its franchise quarterback, however you don’t count on a crew with the Ravens’ pedigree to utterly implode the second Lamar Jackson is out of the lineup.

Jackson went down harm and the Ravens utterly forgot their id. Derrick Henry hasn’t been operating the ball almost as successfully, Cooper Rush was a catastrophe at QB, and now they’ve pivoted to Tyler Huntley and gotten higher — however it is likely to be too little, too late. We’d count on a crew just like the Bengals and Zac Taylor to battle with out Joe Burrow, however John Harbaugh has the repute as top-of-the-line coaches within the NFL.

Defensively is likely to be the most important shock. Baltimore is thirtieth within the NFL in factors allowed, whereas additionally being twenty eighth in opposition to the move and twenty third in opposition to the run. The struggles on protection are wholly uncharacteristic from a Ravens crew, and for the primary time in a protracted, very long time, the Ravens don’t have that edge.

Even when Lamar comes again and turns across the offense, it’s unclear if the protection may be ok to make something occur this season.

Earlier than the season started, the Cardinals have been listed with an over/underneath of 8.5 wins.

That underneath may money earlier than Thanksgiving.

After profitable their first two video games, Arizona has fallen off a cliff. The Cardinals have misplaced 5 straight video games, and with their solely two victories coming in opposition to New Orleans and Carolina, this isn’t a strong resume for a crew. Making that resume worse is the actual fact Arizona misplaced to Tennessee in brutal, virtually hilarious, trend, to present the Titans their solely win of the season.

Kyler Murray has handled each damage struggles and a scarcity of manufacturing on the sector, as his ANY/A of 4.72 ranks him twenty ninth within the NFL, behind each Carson Wentz and Joe Flacco. Marvin Harrison Jr. has endured an up-and-down season, and with out James Conner, who suffered a season-ending foot damage in Week 3, the Cardinals’ dashing recreation has cratered. Arizona is averaging 110.4 yards per recreation on the bottom (twentieth within the NFL) and their EPA/Rush, the Cardinals are close to the underside of the league:

With some robust video games remaining (Arizona has to play the Rams twice in addition to the Seahawks, 49ers, and Buccaneers) it’s laborious to see the Cardinals making a second-half run.