LJ Go has a virtual lock on the title. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

BAGUIO—It’s going to be one tight battle in the final round. For second place, that is.

LJ Go cracked par for the third straight day, shooting a two-under-par 70 to open up a 12-shot lead for the ICTSI Pinewoods Challenge title that plays its final 18 on Friday where eight players are within six shots of each other now reduced to looking for the top consolation prize.

“I will play it the way I played the first three rounds,” Gol told the Inquirer as he takes a 195 aggregate into the final round, with Jeff Lumbo, who submitted a 73, trailing by a dozen shots and the fast-charging Clyde Mondilla lurking four shots back after a 69.

Go’s lead is the largest anyone will be taking into a final round in the long history of the Philippine Golf Tour, and the 31-year-old is in great position towards erasing the nine-shot win of Reymon Jaraula over Rupert Zaragosa at Del Monte last October for the most lopsided victory.

“I’ve never had a lead as big as this,” Go went on after dropping three shots in his front nine before shooting all six of his birdies coming home. “I will just try to do what I have been doing right so far.”

After opening with a 67 to trail by just three after the first round, Lumbo again had an up-and-down 37-36 effort and gave out a smile when asked if the 12-shot deficit is still manageable.

“It might not be anymore,” Lumbo told the Inquirer in Filipino. “But I will still come out (for the final round) giving it all that I have. Fight until the final putt is holed.”

Mondilla had seven birdies that went with a double bogey and two bogeys, a marked improvement from the second round 79 that effectively took him out of the title fight on Wednesday.

He is just four shots behind Lumbo, with the pint-sized Rupert Zaragosa another stroke back after shooting a 72 like Fidel Concepcion, who is giving chase another shot behind together with four others counting Antonio Lascuña.

Lascuña finally broke par, shooting a 70 as the 6,000-yard layout continued to bedevil the talented field.

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke knew exactly what to expect from Ismael Saibari.

“He’s fast, he’s powerful and he showed against Brazil that he knows how to take chances,” Clarke told reporters ahead of the World Cup Group C meeting between Scotland and Morocco in Boston last week.

A week earlier, Saibari had put Morocco, the Atlas Lions, ahead against Brazil with a brilliant chip over goalkeeper, Alisson Becker. Scotland were warned but it didn’t make any difference as, less than two minutes into the game, Saibari again raced clear of the defense and fired an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.

A few days later, Saibari was on the score sheet again when he stroked Achraf Hakimi’scutback into the net against Haiti. It was his 12th goal for Morocco in his 33nd international appearance, and it made him the first African player to score in all three group stage games at a World Cup.

Ismael Saibari: From Eindhoven to Munich

In the round of 32 on Monday night, Saibari scored the winning penalty in a shootout against the Netherlands, a country with which he has an intimate relationship, having scored 42 goals in 142 appearances for PSV Eindhoven since 2020.

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Last season, he was voted player of the season in the Dutch top-flight, the Eredivisie, after scoring 15 league goals as PSV won a 27th league title.

He also scored three goals in last season’s Champions League, including a long-range strike against Bayern Munich in January. PSV would go on to lose 1-2, but Saibari had caught the attention of Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany who, according to German newspaper SportBild, immediately made contact with the player.

Sports Life – Football Powerhouse Morrocco

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A few months later and the German champions have reportedly already agreed to pay PSV up to €55 million ($62.85 million) for the 25-year-old, beating off interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.

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Saibari is set to undergo a medical while still at the World Cup, where is he demonstrating his abilities to a global audience — but who is Saibari the person?

Saibari: Three nationalities, five languages

Born in Terrassa, near Barcelona, Spain, to Moroccan parents, the young Ismael moved to Belgium aged 6 as his mum and dad looked to start anew following the 2007 financial crash.

It was in Willebroek, in between Brussels and Antwerp, that the young footballer learned Flemish, French and English in addition to Arabic and Spanish, and obtained Belgian citizenship in addition to that of Morocco and Spain.

The regular changes of scenery have made Saibari an important cultural and linguistic conduit in the dressing rooms of the various clubs he has played for.

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“I’ve moved around a lot in my life, so I know how hard it is to adapt to new surroundings,” he told Dutch football magazine Voetbal International. “So, if I can help, I try to. I have the experience and I speak a lot of languages. I often function as an interpreter in meetings because I can speak to the younger players in their mother tongue.”

“He is very sociable – sometimes too sociable,” said PSV head coach Peter Bosz. “Even when he should be relaxing, he’s visiting friends. Because he’s just very friendly.”

Morocco: Saibari’s ‘choice from the heart’

Before joining PSV Eindhoven in 2020, he represented several Belgian clubs at youth level including Anderlecht and Genk. However, despite an approach from former Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez to play for the Red Devils in 2022, there was only ever one choice for Saibari internationally.

“When such a big name in football contacts you, it was incredible,” he told Dutch newspaper Eindhovens Dagsblad. “But I let him know that I was choosing Morocco. When it comes to the national team, I had to make a choice from the heart rather than a sporting decision.”

Saibari made his debut for the Atlas Lions in September 2023 in a friendly against Burkina Faso and scored his first goals a year later in Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Gabon and Lesotho.

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He started every game of Morocco’s AFCON campaign on home soil earlier this year and scored in the quarterfinal win over Cameroon (2-0), but he played a rather less laudable role in the controversy which engulfed the final against Senegal.

Disciplinary issues

Following a tempestuous evening in Rabat, Saibari was suspended for three games and fined $100,000 for unsporting conduct after trying to prevent a ballboy from giving Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy his towel in the pouring rain.

AFCON 2025 Final: Is the real winner Senegal or Morocco?

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“When I got home, I saw how bad it looked,” he admitted afterwards when asked by PSV Eindhoven’s club media about the incident. “I immediately sent someone from Senegal to apologize for me. And then when I saw Mendy at the airport, I just apologized to his face. There were a lot of emotions, I’d never experienced so many emotions, so it was just the heat of the moment.”

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It wasn’t the first faux pas in Saibari’s career. As a youth player with Belgian side Anderlecht, he was removed from the first-team squad one day before the start of the 2015-16 season due to being overweight. He called the club’s handling of the matter “disgusting” at the time but later admitted that he had been lazy in his preparations and called the incident one of the biggest disappointments of his career to date.

And last year, he was left out of the Eindhoven squad for a Champions League game away at Arsenal for disciplinary reasons after turning up late for a team meeting. “Everyone is allowed to come late once in a while,” said head coach Bosz. “But this wasn’t the first time. Or even the fifth. I’d had enough.”

Bayern Munich: How will Saibari fit in?

Saibari won’t be able to afford such complacency in Germany, but Bayern coach Kompany — a fellow Belgian polyglot — has proven himself adept at managing young players.

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In Munich, Saibari will be an immediate replacement for — and upgrade on — Senegalese backup striker Nicolas Jackson, who has returned to parent club Chelsea. But even if he won’t necessarily dislodge Harry Kane from the central striking role, Saibari’s flexibility means he will also provide competition for fellow forwards Jamal Musiala, Lennart Karl, Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise.

Until then, though, the focus remains on the Atlas Lions and Monday’s last-32 meeting with the Netherlands in Monterrey, Mexico.

“I think he understands that the priority is currently Morocco,” said national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi, another Belgian-Moroccan who was a youth coach at Anderlecht during Saibari’s time in Brussels, and who knows Kompany “very well.”

“But we’re going to be very proud [of Saibari’s move to Bayern]. We want the best Moroccan players to play for the best clubs.”

Saibari himself said after scoring the only goal of the game against Scotland that it was a “childhood dream to play at the World Cup” with his country, adding: “I think we can go quite far.”

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Morocco will face co-hosts Canada in the last-16 on Saturday and will be favorites to reach a likely quarterfinal with France. Bayern Munich will have to wait for now.

Edited by: Matt Pearson

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Stewart Cink got off to a great start in his bid for win his third straight senior major.

Cink was the only player to make five birdies on the back nine at Scioto Country Club on Thursday, shooting a 3-under 67 for a share of the first-round lead in the U.S. Senior Open with Charlie Wi.

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Cink struggled on the front nine, shooting a 2-over 37, but found momentum once he made the turn.

“I’ve been off for a little while, and I started like I’ve been off for a little while. I had to prove it to myself again that I could play decent golf a certain way,” Cink said. “The back nine was really nice. I actually could have shot quite a bit lower on the back nine. I missed three very reasonably like inside — right around 10 feet or less birdie putts.”

The 53-year-old Cink has four wins in nine PGA Tour Champions starts this year, including the Senior PGA Championship and the Tradition. The last player to win the Senior PGA, Tradition and U.S. Senior Open in the same year was Jack Nicklaus in 1991. Scioto, the Donald Ross course hosting its third U.S. Senior Open, is where Nicklaus learned to play the game.

Simon Griffiths, Freddie Jacobson and George McNeill were tied for third at 68. Defending champion Padraig Harrington was among a group of 10 players at 69.

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“Of course it’s tough, we know that, so once you get through that, the golf course itself is playing nicely,” Harrington said.

Cink is also attempting to become the fifth player to win the event after being runner-up the previous year. Fred Funk was the last to do it in 2009.

Cink was part of the seventh afternoon group to tee off from the first hole and played in the toughest conditions of the day, when the temperature reached 95 degrees midway through his round and a heat index of 103 according to the National Weather Service.

“The heat is a factor for sure. It affects your focus and your energy level. Sometimes even the simplest shots just kind of — it’s easy to fall asleep at the wheel when the conditions are like that,” he said.

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Cink tied Wi with a birdie on the par-4 18th. Cink’s tee shot found one of the bunkers on the left hand side, but he got a great lie. His second shot landed within 2 feet near the front of the hole, and made for an easy putt.

Wi was at even par through his first 11 holes before his string of birdies on holes three through seven holes. Wi made a double bogey on the par-4 eighth before ending his round with a par.

Wi thought his best shot came on the par-3 fourth, when he hit his tee shot within a couple feet with a 5-iron on the 205-yard hole.

“I hit the ball pretty solid today, made a couple of putts. It was a hot day. I just made sure that I stayed in the ballgame, meaning like mentally, because you could easily lose it out there,” he said.

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Wi’s run of bridies ended on the eighth hole when his second shot went left and into the water near the green. He is the 14th player in the 46-year history of the Senior Open to have at least five straight birdies in a round. The last time it happened was in 2022 when Thongchai Jaidee birdied Nos. 5-9 at the Saucon Valley Country Club’s Old Course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, during the third round.

The 54-year old South Korean player has nine worldwide professional victories — including five on the Korean Tour — but none on the PGA Tour or Champions circuit.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Rolling back the ball, Butch Harmon says, isn’t the answer. 

And reeling in the driver might be too late. 

“Unfortunately, I think we passed the time for that to happen,” Harmon said. 

“The manufacturers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing these clubs.”

But there may be another thought to solve golf’s distance issue, the GOLF Top 100 Teacher hall of famer said. And it came from Jose Maria Olazabal, a two-time Masters winner. 

Appearing on the most recent episode of “The Smylie Show” podcast — which you can watch in full here — Harmon had been asked by host Smylie Kaufman where he stood on potential distance-curbing changes, a subject that saw some news two weeks ago at the U.S. Open. There, four of golf’s governing bodies — the USGA, the R&A, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour — said that instead of a ball rollback arriving in phases — 2028 for pros and 2030 for other golfers — a single-date implementation of January 2030 would be in place. The groups also said changes beyond the ball could be made. 

Then there’s what Harmon heard from Olazabal. 

He said you don’t have to adjust the ball. 

Or the driver. 

Or any of the clubs. 

Just cut the number of them in play — from 14 to nine. 

Then, Olazabal said, you would learn “who can play.” 

“You know, I’m thinking to myself, well, I don’t know how we ever got to 14 anyway,” Harmon said on the podcast. “I don’t know where that came from. Wouldn’t it be great to be a tournament where you could only use nine clubs? And if you got a putter and now you only got eight clubs. 

“And like he says, “Oh, you have to hit golf shots. You can’t bomb the thing out there and wedge it out of the — you have to play golf.’ It would be interesting.”

Could it work? Maybe. Of course, club sales would decrease with lighter bags. Still, players would have to control trajectories better and shape the ball, said Kaufman, himself a PGA Tour winner. 

“Think about this, Smylie, and you know this,” Hamon said on the podcast. “You’ll have a guy who’ll go out and shoot 62 or [6]3. And they’ll say every yardage was perfect; I had stock yardages. And then the next day he shoots 73. ‘Oh, I was in between yardages.’ Well, imagine if you only got eight clubs to pick from. You’re always going to have an in-between yardage. 

“I would like to just see one tournament played like that just for the heck of it. Just to see what the scenario would be and what they would choose and how they would do it. It would be fun.”

Editor’s note: To watch the entire The Smylie Show podcast with Harmon, please click here. 

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Major League Baseball has suspended four players involved in a benches-clearing fracas between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox. On Thursday, the league announced that pitcher Cade Cavalli of the Nationals and first baseman Willson Contreras of the Red Sox have been suspended for seven games apiece. Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas has been suspended for five games, and Boston outfielder Nate Eaton received a three-game suspension. All four players have also been fined an undisclosed amount. The suspensions are pending appeal. 

Tempers flared and benches cleared in Boston on Tuesday evening during an 8-1 Nationals win over the Red Sox. It was the bottom of the fourth inning when Cavalli dropped in a nice breaking ball for a called strike three. Cavalli, who would later apologize for his words, could be heard yelling, “Sit down, boy!” The strikeout victim, Contreras, was none too pleased with it. He could be seen saying, “Are you talking to me?”

Contreras approached the mound, and then the benches cleared for a minor scuffle in which Contreras appeared to try to throw his helmet in Cavalli’s direction. 

Contreras was ejected for the second straight game. Eaton and Chad Tracy, Boston’s interim manager, were also given the heave-ho. On the Nationals’ end, Mikolas, a starting pitcher on an off day, was the only player ejected.

Contreras has publicly spoken about how much the devastating earthquakes in his home country of Venezuela have affected his psyche in recent days. He was involved in a benches-clearing incident last Friday and was tossed on consecutive nights. He also hit a home run and yelled “Venezuela!” and was seen crying in the dugout. 

In the other dugout on Tuesday, Cavalli ended up having quite a night. In seven innings, he gave up just one run on one hit with 13 strikeouts. 

On Wednesday, Cavalli met with Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni about the incident and also apologized for his choice of words. Via The Athletic, Cavalli said: 

“Extremely torn up about the way that things were perceived. Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that. My teammates know me, my family knows me, this organization knows me. I couldn’t sleep because of it. It hurt my heart, knowing that, if there’s a 13 year old black kid in DC that sees that, that looked up to me, thinks that he perceived it in a way that wasn’t intended in the way that it came out, that he’s not looking up to me anymore. That hurts my heart. It’s really tough. I’ve learned a lot. … The intention was perceived different than what my heart is and who I am as a person, my character.

“There’s a history behind that word, and that’s just something that, like, as a competitor, like in football or basketball, playing whiffle ball with my brother, like, just, you don’t understand it, and then it gets perceived in a way that was not my intention. You learn from that, and it’ll never happen again.”

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Toboni also spoke to reporters and said that Cavalli had something of a sleepless night after the game on account of “the feedback that he was receiving regarding his choice of words last night.”

Florida
This ranking is based on the Gators returning six of the top seven scorers — specifically Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Reuben Chinyelu, Urban Klavsar and Isaiah Brown — from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen and 7-foot center Jones Lay. — 27-8
2

Duke
This ranking is based on the Blue Devils returning four of the top six scorers — specifically Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr — from a team that finished 35-3 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski, Loyola Maryland transfer Jacob Theodosiou, five-star prospects Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., Bryson Howard and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. — 35-3
3

Illinois
This ranking is based on the Illini returning six of the top nine scorers — specifically Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovich, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jake Davis and Brandon Lee — from a team that finished 28-9 and advanced to the 2026 Final Four. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, four-star prospects Quintin Coleman and Lucas Morillo and three-star prospects Ethan Brown and Landon Davis. 1 28-9
4

UConn
This ranking is based on the Huskies returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary and Jayden Ross — from a team that finished 34-6 and advanced to the championship game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia, Seton Hall transfer Najai Hines, Stanford transfer Oskar Giltay, Wofford transfer Nils Machowski, Jacksonville State transfer Jaye Nash, Northern Arizona transfer Isaiah Shaw, Arkansas transfer Elmir Dzafic and four-star prospects Colben Landrew and Junior County. 1 34-6
5

Michigan St.
This ranking is based on the Spartans returning five of the top eight scorers — specifically Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Kur Teng, Jordan Scott and Cam Ward — from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke and four-star prospects Ethan Taylor, Carlos Medlock Jr., Julius Avent and Jasiah Jervis. 1 27-8
6

Texas
This ranking is based on the Longhorns returning one of the top two scorers — specifically Matas Vokietaitis — from a team that finished 21-15 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by TCU transfer David Punch, Colorado transfer Isaiah Johnson, Tennessee transfer Amari Evans, Auburn transfer Elyjah Freeman, Saint Mary’s transfer Mikey Lewis, international prospect Mantas Laurencikas and four-star prospects Austin Goosby, Bo Ogden and Joe Sterling. 1 21-15
7

Arizona
This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning two of the top five scorers — specifically Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov — from a team that finished 36-3 and advanced to the 2026 Final Four. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon, Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit, five-star prospect Caleb Holt and four-star prospect Cameron Holmes and international prospect Endurance Aiyamenkhue. 1 36-3
8

Michigan
This ranking is based on the Wolverines returning two of the top five scorers — specifically Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney — from a team that finished 37-3 and won the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella, Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam, LSU transfer Jalen Reed, five-star prospect Brandon McCoy Jr., and four-star prospects Lincoln Cosby, Quinn Costello and Joseph Hartman. 5 37-3
9

Gonzaga
This ranking is based on the Zags returning three of the top five scorers — specifically Braden Huff, Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supery — from a team that finished 31-4 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Houston transfer Isiah Harwell, Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop and four-star prospects Luca Foster, Sam Funches and Jack Kayil. — 31-4
10

Virginia
This ranking is based on the Cavaliers returning five of the top 10 scorers — specifically Thijs De Ridder, Sam Lewis, Chance Mallory, Johann Gunloh and Elijah Gertrude — from a team that finished 30-6 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by UC Irvine transfer Jurian Dixon, Saint Louis transfer Kalu Anya and four-star prospect Favour Ibe. — 30-6
11

Arkansas
This ranking is based on the Razorbacks returning one of the top four scorers — specifically Billy Richmond III — from a team that finished 28-9 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospects Jordan Smith Jr., JJ Andrews and Miikka Muurinen, Furman transfer Cooper Bowser, Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson, four-star prospect Abdou Toure and international prospect Illia Frolov. 1 28-9
12

Iowa St.
This ranking is based on the Cyclones returning three of the top six scorers — specifically Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan and Jamarion Bateman — from a team that finished 29-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Robert Morris transfer Ryan Prather Jr., Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton, Bradley transfer JaQuan Johnson, Kansas State transfer Taj Manning, Northern Iowa transfer Leon Bond III, four-star prospects Dorian Rinaldo-Komian, Jackson Kiss, Christian Wiggins and Donovan Davis, and three-star prospect Yusef Gray Jr. 1 29-8
13

Houston
This ranking is based on the Cougars returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Joseph Tugler, Mercy Miller and Chase McCarty — from a team that finished 30-7 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by LSU transfer Dedan Thomas Jr., Kent State transfer Delrecco Gillespie and four-star prospects Arafan Diane and Ikenna Alozie and 1 30-7
14

Louisville
This ranking is based on the Cardinals returning one of the top five scorers — specifically Adrian Wooley — from a team that finished 24-11 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, Oregon transfer Jackson Shelstad, Arkansas transfer Karter Knox, Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras, Dayton transfer De’Shayne Montgomery, USC transfer Gabe Dynes, former G League player London Johnson, five-star prospect Obinna Ekezie Jr., four-star prospect Boyuan Zhang and three-star prospect Isaac Ellis. 1 24-11
15

Tennessee
This ranking is based on the Vols returning two of the top 10 scorers — specifically Dewayne Brown II and Ethan Burg — from a team that finished 25-12 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris, Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson, Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames, Belmont transfer Tyler Lundblade, VCU transfers Terrence Hill Jr. and Christian Fermin, Loyola Chicago transfer Miles Rubin, Kennesaw State transfer Braedan Lue, four-star prospects Christopher Washington Jr., Ralph Scott and Manny Green, and three-star prospect Marquis Clark. 1 25-12
16

Kentucky
This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning one of the top six scorers — specifically Malachi Moreno — from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, Washington transfers Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, Washington State transfer Jerone Morton, James Madison transfer Justin McBride, Providence transfer Alex Wilkins, four-star prospect Mason Williams and international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye. 1 22-14
17

St. John’s
This ranking is based on the Red Storm returning two of the top eight scorers — specifically Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey — from a team that finished 30-7 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou, Columbia transfer Avery Brown, Mercer transfer Kyle Cuffe Jr., international prospects Quinn Ellis, Djordije Jovanovic and Lazar Stojkovic, and four-star prospect Theo Edema. 6 30-7
18

USC
This ranking is based on the Trojans returning three of the top five scorers — specifically Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas and Jacob Cofie — from a team that finished 18-14 and missed the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospect Christian Collins, four-star prospects Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff, Georgetown transfer KJ Lewis, UConn transfer Eric Reibe, Colgate transfer Jalen Cox, Lindenwood transfer Jadis Jones and South Dakota transfer Isaac Bruns. — 18-14
19

Alabama
This ranking is based on the Crimson Tide returning four of the top 10 scorers — specifically Aden Holloway, Amari Allen, London Jemison and Keitenn Bristow — from a team that finished 25-10 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Boise State transfer Drew Fielder, Kentucky transfer Brandon Garrison, NC State transfer Cole Cloer, Mississippi State transfer Jamarion Davis-Fleming and four-star prospects Qayden Samuels, Jaxon Richardson and Tarris Bouie. — 25-10
20

Purdue
This ranking is based on the Boilermakers returning five of the top nine scorers — specifically C.J. Cox, Daniel Jacobsen, Omer Mayer, Gicarri Harris and Jack Benter — from a team that finished 30-9 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year Caden Pierce, and four-star prospects Luke Ertel, Jacob Webber and Sinan Huan. — 30-9
21

Miami
This ranking is based on the Hurricanes returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Shelton Henderson, Dante Allen and Marcus Allen — from a team that finished 26-9 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis, Robert Morris transfer DeSean Goode, Georgia transfer Somto Cyril, Indiana transfer Nick Dorn, Saint Peter’s transfer Brent Bland and four-star prospect Caleb Gaskins. — 26-9
22

Indiana
This ranking is based on the Hoosiers returning one of the top eight scorers — specifically Trent Sisley — from a team that finished 18-14 and missed the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton, Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay, Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell, SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu, Duke transfer Darren Harris, Georgia Tech transfer Jaeden Mustaf, Maryland Eastern Shore transfer Justin Monden, and four-star prospects Vaugn Karvala, Prince-Alexander Moody and Trevor Manhertz. — 18-14
23

BYU
This ranking is based on the Cougars returning two of the top eight scorers — specifically Robert Wright III and Khadim Mboup — from a team that finished 23-12 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospect Bruce Branch III, four-star prospect Dean Rueckert, Kentucky transfer Collin Chandler, Clemson transfer Jake Wahlin, Syracuse transfer Tyler Betsey and UC Riverside transfer Nate Pickens, the last of whom committed to BYU last May but missed the season with an ankle injury. — 23-12
24

Ohio St.
This ranking is based on the Buckeyes returning two of the top five scorers — specifically John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum — from a team that finished 21-13 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Duquesne transfer Jimmie Williams, Kentucky transfer Andrija Jelavic, Cal transfer Justin Pippen, Memphis transfer Curtis Givens III, five-star prospects Anthony Thompson and LJ Smith, four-star prospect Alex Smith and international prospect Vuk Lazarevic. — 21-13
25

N. Carolina
This ranking is based on the Tar Heels returning three of the top 11 scorers — specifically Jarin Stevenson, Isaiah Denis and Jaydon Young — from a team that finished 24-9 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas, Utah transfer Terrence Brown, NC State transfer Matt Able, international prospects Sayon Keita and Alexandros Samodurov, and four-star prospect Kevin Thomas. — 24-9
26

Vanderbilt
This ranking is based on the Commodores returning two of the top nine scorers — specifically Tyler Tanner and Chandler Bing — from a team that finished 27-9 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Nebraska transfer Berke Buyuktuncel, Washington State transfer Ace Glass, Auburn transfer Sebastian Williams-Adams, Colorado transfer Bangot Dak, Missouri transfer T.O. Barrett and four-star prospects Ethan Mgbako, Anthony Brown and Jackson Sheffield. — 27-9

MCG will play host to Saturday’s
Round 17 AFL game between Richmond Tigers and
Carlton Blues. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with Carlton Blues heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Richmond Tigers vs.
Carlton Blues
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday July 4, 2026 at 7:35 pm

Where: MCG

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Richmond Tigers vs Carlton Blues Odds

Richmond Tigers vs Carlton Blues Preview

Carlton will look to continue its remarkable resurgence when it meets Richmond at the MCG on Saturday night. The Blues have won all six matches since Michael Voss departed as coach and are rapidly climbing back into finals contention after another convincing victory over West Coast. Sam Walsh and George Hewett continue to drive Carlton’s midfield, while Harry McKay has provided a consistent target inside 50. Richmond remains anchored near the foot of the ladder despite another spirited display from Tim Taranto in last week’s loss to Collingwood. Their Round 1 meeting was decided by just four points, suggesting the Tigers are capable of making life difficult despite the contrasting trajectories.

Grigor Dimitrov has once again found himself at the center of controversy at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships during his second-round clash against Jakub Mensik. The debate began after officials decided to close the Centre Court roof mid-match, a decision that reminded Dimitrov and many fans of a similar incident from last year.

Dimitrov began his Wimbledon campaign with a 7-6(4), 6-3, 7-5 win over Dane Sweeny before taking on Mensik in the second round. The Bulgarian eventually came through 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, but not before play was halted after he had taken a two-sets-to-one lead, as officials closed the roof and delayed the match.

The interruption visibly frustrated Grigor Dimitrov, who was reminded of his fourth-round meeting with Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon last year. That match was also paused for the roof to be closed before ending in heartbreaking fashion, as Dimitrov was forced to retire while leading after suffering a serious right pectoral muscle injury.

“It’s like Deja vu,” an angry Dimitrov told the umpire. “From last year it was the same thing. When I was on Centre, we knew it was not gonna finish, and we kept on having the court open.”

Fans were quick to take to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration over the decision, with many fuming that Grigor Dimitrov had once again been affected by a mid-match roof closure. One user wrote:

“They scammed Dimitrov again wow.”

“And they close the f**king roof to f**k Dimitrov momentum seriously f**k the Wimbledon,” another wrote.

“Grigor Dimitrov just got absolutely hosed. They knew they were going to keep playing and didn’t start to creep the roof in. Instead he gets cold, they wait for 15 minutes and comes out in the fourth and gets broken immediately. Just a joke from Wimbledon officials there,” one account posted.

“Wimbledon s**ks,” another tweeted.

“Why can’t they play while they are closing the roof? Having a 15 to 20 min break just for closing the roof is ridiculous,” one fan commmented.