John Fanta

College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

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While the college basketball season is already a week old, the unofficial event serving as the tip-off of the new year in the sport, the Champions Classic, took place Tuesday night in Atlanta. With No. 1 Kansas and Michigan State in the opener, followed by No. 6 Duke and No. 19 Kentucky in the late game, there was no shortage of buzz or storylines surrounding the heavyweight clashes. 

The evening opened with the nation’s No. 1 team handling business in a rugged affair. Hunter Dickinson had 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks to a 77-69 win over the Spartans. But as good as Dickinson was, the headline of the night was his head coach, Bill Self, who made more history by earning his 591st victory, passing Phog Allen to become Kansas’ winningest head coach. 

Later on in the nightcap, the Kentucky Wildcats, with a new-look offense and a transfer-heavy roster, came back from 10 down to beat Duke, 77-72. 

The Blue Devils had the ball with 26 seconds remaining, and the game tied at 72-72. Cooper Flagg, the top-rated freshman in the nation and projected No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick, got the ball and was stripped before fouling Kentucky’s Otega Oweh. With his team down two and 10 seconds left, Flagg received the in-bounds pass and drove down the left side before losing his handle on the ball and his footing, causing a game-sealing turnover. Lamont Butler made his first free throw, and then an offensive rebound cemented the Wildcats’ victory. 

Here are three takeaways from each of Tuesday night’s Champions Classic games:

1. This was personal for Hunter Dickinson, who single-handedly willed Kansas in a game that was far from pretty. 

Tuesday night’s Champions Classic opener certainly won’t be hung for display in the Louvre, with the two teams opening the contest by shooting 6-for-31 from the floor. But the difference-maker was the national player of the year candidate and fifth-year Jayhawks senior, who dominated the game. Tom Izzo told the ESPN broadcast at halftime that he was willing to go single-man coverage on the All-American if it meant the other Jayhawks were quiet. That strategy certainly kept Michigan State in the game, but it provided little resistance to the 7-foot-2 Dickinson. He scored the game’s first eight points for Kansas. At one point in the second half, Michigan State tied the game at 41, 43 and 45 – with Dickinson supplying the game-tying buckets each trip down for the Jayhawks. 

When the Spartans put together one last effort to cut Kansas’ lead to 68-61 with 2:38 remaining, Zeke Mayo missed a layup and Dickinson saved the day, delivering the dagger putback that sealed the deal. 

This was personal for the former Michigan Wolverine, who was on the receiving end of boos from Spartan fans throughout the night. With less than two minutes on the clock, Dickinson made a motion to the Spartans and their fans, stomping his foot on the hardwood. 

“I was saying they’re too small,” Dickinson said in his postgame press conference. “They can’t guard me. This was a very big game for me.”

2. Michigan State lacks perimeter shooting.

You could really feel the departure of All-Big Ten selection Tyson Walker on Tuesday night. Tom Izzo was counting on Jaden Akins and Jeremy Fears to take the reins of the backcourt, but Akins shot 1-for-8 and was a nonfactor, while Fears was 3-for-8 from the floor. It’s amazing the Spartans came as close as they did and were in the game with five minutes remaining. Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler put together some good moments, posting 15 points and eight rebounds, while Jaxon Kohler had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Jase Richardson, the son of the Michigan State legend and two-time NBA Slam Dunk contest champion Jason Richardson, had some good moments with eight points. 

But the Spartans shot just 3-for-24 from 3-point range on the night. On the season, Michigan State is 12-for-60 from downtown. The law of averages says that won’t continue, but it’s clear that Izzo has a problem on the perimeter, and he has to find a solution. That was an issue at times last year after the graduation of Joey Hauser. 

3. Did Kansas look like the No. 1 team in the country? No, but Hunter Dickinson put it best. 

Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams and Mayo shot a combined 5-for-22 from the field, which was far from pretty. Kansas has a perimeter problem of its own, as the players the Jayhawks brought in need to put the ball on the floor to score and the catch-and-shoot threats, at least at this moment, aren’t consistent. AJ Storr, a Wisconsin transfer, and Mayo are ball handlers that can score off the bounce at a high level. But Self does not have that elite shooter in his arsenal, and it has shown in the last two games. Against the Spartans and North Carolina, Kansas has combined to shoot 11-for-38 from distance.

But Dickinson responded to a question from a reporter in the press conference regarding whether this was the type of performance from a No. 1-caliber team. 

“I mean, there’s no better record that we could have right now than 3-0,” he said. “We beat a top-10 team, North Carolina, and we just beat another team who will likely end up being in the top-25, Michigan State. Are there things we can get better at? Of course. But we’ll take this any day of the week.” 

Dickinson caps his two-year run in the Champions Classic with a combined 55 points and 33 rebounds in wins over Kentucky and Michigan State. He lived for the bright lights again Tuesday, and his Hall of Fame coach got his much-deserved shine. 

1. Andrew Carr and Otega Oweh showed their experience down the stretch.

Carr, a Wake Forest transfer who is now in his fifth college season, hit a big and-1 with Kentucky down 67-64.  After a Wildcats stop, he was on the elbow with the ball when Oweh, an Oklahoma transfer, flashed to the bucket and received a pass for a go-ahead lay-in. The duo combined to score 12 of Kentucky’s final 13 points in the victory. 

Duke five-star freshman big man Khaman Maluach was dealing with cramping from the 9:20 mark to the 3:57 mark in the game. When he left, Duke was up 61-55. When he re-entered, it was 67 apiece. His absence certainly changed the game, but Kentucky still capitalized with Carr making a major difference with his presence. That’s a transfer portal win for Pope. 

 2. This is a learning moment for Cooper Flagg, and we should remember he’s 17 years old. 

Without Flagg, Duke would have been lost in its offensive execution beyond the final 90 seconds of the game. Some might be critical of the freshman, and everyone will have an opinion, but here’s mine: Flagg will learn from this and be better off for a game like this. The freshman finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds along with a +/- of +27. His impact on the game knows no limits. Yes, he unraveled in the game’s final two possessions, but we’re nine days into the season. You can’t overreact to this. 

One big-picture item for Duke: The lack of elite and consistent point guard play with Jeremy Roach gone to Baylor – yes, he was inconsistent too – could be felt late in the game. Flagg was the man Duke relied upon, but a situation where Tyrese Proctor has ups and downs in a game and Caleb Foster isn’t a crunch-time player yet, certainly was seen late in the game. Duke went 4-for-22 from 3-point land. Now, I think this was an outlier for Kon Knueppel, who went 5-for-20 and will certainly respond from this. But if he does not make 3s, the Blue Devils are in trouble in that department. Duke’s poor shooting from downtown made a big difference in this game. Kentucky started 5-for-5 from deep and finished with 10 treys, including a big one down the stretch from Kerr Kriisa. 

3. Everything about the Mark Pope Era is refreshing for the Kentucky faithful.

Walking around the concourse at State Farm Arena on Tuesday night, one Kentucky fan approached me: “At the end of the day, John Calipari’s time featured a ton of incredible moments. But it was time for the end. A breakup was the best thing for us.” 

You can’t argue with that fan’s views right now. For the first time in years, the Wildcats were running a wide variety of set plays. It was not an over-reliance on youth, but rather personnel rooted in college experience. Kentucky’s entire starting five are upperclassmen. And on a night where presumed star Jaxson Robinson had only one point and was a non-factor, where Amari Williams went 3-for-12 and Kriisa shot 2-for-9, the Wildcats didn’t let some cold spells define them. They showed their depth by going 10-deep, outscoring Duke’s bench, 25-6, and having six players score at least eight points. 

On this night, Kentucky fans have to feel the best they have in years. They have a leader who is one of their own, a member of the legendary 1996 Untouchables, who showed he can get it done with the spotlight on him and his first attempt at a big win. 

In Pope they trust. And Atlanta watering holes will make their month’s rent, if not more, from Big Blue Nation. 

As for Duke, the Blue Devils will be fine. If anyone has pressure on him, it’s Scheyer, who is in his third year with a really talented team that just crumbled in the late-goings. It’s a Final Four or bust year in Durham. Let’s see how the Blue Devils respond. 

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.

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Englishman Brown becomes the third player to leave St Mirren in a matter of weeks following a court appearance.

Kevin van Veen’s loan spell was ended last week after the Dutch striker appeared in court charged with domestic abuse.

Last month, defender Shaun Rooney left St Mirren by mutual consent after being charged with assault following an incident in a Glasgow takeaway.

St Mirren have moved quickly to replace Brown by handing 29-year-old John, who has been capped seven times by Wales, a contract until January.

John had a previous spell in the Scottish Premiership with Rangers, having originally arrived on loan from Cardiff City before signing permanently in 2018.

He made 30 appearances over the course of a year before moving on to Swansea City then Bolton Wanderers.

John was released in June following a loan spell with Salford City and told St Mirren’s website it had been “a crazy few days” after only training with the squad for the first time on Friday.

Manager Stephen Robinson said the Welshman’s deal could be extended “depending on how it goes”.

“The circumstances we find ourselves in means we’re very short of defence cover,” he admitted. “Declan comes in with a vast amount of experience.

“He’s played at some very high levels and obviously been up in Scotland before as well, so we’re very lucky that we’ve been able to get him in.”

RJ Young

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

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The Oregon Ducks remained No. 1 in the second set of College Football Playoff rankings, which were released on Tuesday night.

The Ducks, who currently sit at 10-0 overall and 7-0 in Big Ten play, were followed by Ohio State at No. 2 and Texas at No. 3. Penn State and Indiana round out the top five teams.

Oregon (Big Ten), Texas (SEC), BYU (Big 12) and Miami (ACC) would receive first-round byes in the 12-team playoff, while Ohio State (Big Ten), Penn State (Big Ten), Indiana (Big Ten) and Tennessee (SEC) would host games in the opening round.

With that, here is a look at my top takeaways from the second set of CFP rankings:

[College Football Playoff rankings: Oregon, Ohio State on top; Alabama enters top 10]

1. No. 17-ranked Colorado has a path to the CFP … and the national title.

The road for the Buffs to the national championship game is clean, and that’s saying quite a bit in a landscape shrouded in uncertainty for other teams who could cap their season with “just” 10 wins. But the format and criteria are clear: The four highest-ranked conference champions will not only earn selection to the playoff, but will be granted a first-round bye, and the Big 12 is one of those four Power 4 leagues the 12-team CFP was designed to accommodate.

For Deion Sanders’ Colorado team, the math is simple: Win against Utah on Saturday, and every game you play afterward, and it will culminate in a magical year for the Buffaloes. And all this is thanks to athletic director Rick George hiring Coach Prime and then following that bit of business with a shrewd move to join the Big 12 as the Pac-12 dissolved in front of him.

With Prime already mentioned as a favorite for a job that isn’t even open yet — the Dallas Cowboys — nothing should shock you about what might happen at Colorado over the next two months and change — including winning the national title.

Michael Irvin asked Deion Sanders about coaching the Cowboys

2. The “strength of schedule” argument can’t be used against Indiana much longer.

The Hoosiers have proven themselves to be unprecedented. Not only has Indiana become the first program to notch 10 wins this season, but it has begun the season 10-0 for the first time in school history after winning a total of nine games over the previous three years combined (9-27). While the knock on this program is its strength of schedule – Indiana hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent yet this season – the Hoosiers have beaten nine out of 10 opponents by 14 points or more.

While the Buckeyes needed to come back to defeat Nebraska in Columbus, Ohio, 21-17, the Hoosiers beat Nebraska 56-7 in Bloomington, Indiana. While the Buckeyes beat Michigan State 38-7 in East Lansing, the Hoosiers beat the Spartans 47-10 in East Lansing. The Oregon Ducks managed a 31-10 defeat of the Spartans in Eugene, Oregon. And while the Ducks beat Maryland 39-18 in Eugene, the Hoosiers beat the Terps 42-28.

The results might lead you to believe Indiana is not just one of the best teams in the Big Ten, but one of the best teams in the sport — given Ohio State and Oregon are ranked ahead of them.

So why is Penn State, who lost to Ohio State, ranked ahead of Indiana? Perhaps it’s because Indiana hasn’t played anybody, but that changes on Nov. 23. The Hoosiers get their chance to shut that discussion down against Ohio State at the Shoe.

3. A one-loss Washington State team deserves just as much consideration as a two-loss Georgia team.

Sure, Georgia can finish 10-2. But are the Bulldogs one of the 12 best teams in the sport? It already looks as if one 10-win Power 4 team is going to get left out of the CFP with five spots spoken for by conference champions and one that doesn’t play a P4 schedule, but should one of the at-large bids go to a team that has struggled mightily offensively for most of the season and has only demonstrated itself to be elite defensively against Texas?

Georgia was ranked No. 12 in the second set of CFP rankings, while Ole Miss, fresh off an upset win over the Bulldogs, came in at No. 11. That means Georgia would be the first team left out of the 12-team CFP field and the Rebels would receive the No. 11 seed.

Why shouldn’t that spot go to Washington State, a team that could finish 11-1 with its lone loss coming against a Boise State team that is projected to be in the 12-team CFP as the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion? Or, what about an Army program that is ranked No. 24, and could finish the season undefeated?

It’s the kind of conversation that should include Notre Dame, who, like Washington State, won’t play nine games against P4 opponents but is on a path toward 11-1.

The difference for Notre Dame is who it has beaten — like the team tied at the top of the SEC standings, Texas A&M, as well as previously undefeated Navy. And the Irish have an opportunity to defeat an undefeated Army team on Nov. 23. The best win on Washington State’s résumé might be San Jose State, and their schedule is one they needed to make on the fly with a short-term arrangement with the Mountain West. And yet, because Washington State is a member of a conference without a championship game, the Cougars are likely to feel as if circumstance played a bigger role in them not qualifying for the CFP than their play — even in a tournament with 12 teams earning invitations.

We genuinely thought Florida State might be the last team to have done what it was asked to do to earn entry into the CFP and then get left out due to circumstance — like losing their starting QB to a season-ending injury — but we might be wrong again. But that won’t soothe the hurt that could be in store for an 11-win Washington State team.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.

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Lowland League leaders East Kilbride stunned second-tier Ayr United to reach the semi-finals of the SPFL Trust Trophy.

Championship sides Dunfermline Athletic and Livingston progressed to the last four, but league rivals Ayr lost 3-2 at K Park Stadium.

Striker John Robertson put fifth-tier East Kilbride ahead after only a minute and midfielder Joao Balde headed a second 11 minutes later.

Shots from midfielders Jay Henderson and Marco Rus drew Ayr level with two goals midway through the second half.

However, striker Cameron Elliott put the hosts back ahead within three minutes as East Kilbride moved into the Scottish Challenge Cup semi-finals for the first time.

Deion Sanders is known for many things. He’s a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a former MLB player and the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. But Coach Prime is a dad first, and helping his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, navigate the NFL Draft process is a big priority for him.

On Tuesday’s episode of FS1’s “Speak”, the Buffaloes coach was asked by co-host Keyshawn Johnson if he plans to get involved if the “wrong organization” tries to draft his son, who is expected to be a top pick in 2025.

“Yeah, but I’m not gonna do it publicly. I’ll do it privately,” Sanders responded. 

Although Prime has coached his son for all of his college career at both Jackson State and Colorado, he plans to be “Dad” in the lead up to the draft. 

“I’m going to be Dad until the cows come home,” he told co-host Michael Irvin during the interview.

Sanders also revealed what kind of team he wants Shedeur to end up with, saying, “Somebody that can handle the quarterback that he is. Somebody that can handle understanding what he’s capable of.

“Someone that has had success in the past handling quarterbacks or someone in an organization understands what they’re doing, not just throwing you out there amongst the world [and] you don’t have the support in the infrastructure of the team.”

The younger Sanders began his college career at Jackson State (2021-2022) before transferring to Colorado in 2023. In his first season, he led the Buffaloes to a 3-0 start, but they ended just 4-8. Sanders finished the season with a good stat line — 3,230 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and three interceptions — though he was sacked an FBS-high 52 times in 11 games.

Sanders has opened up as one of the favorites to be chosen first in next year’s draft, throwing for 2,882 yards and 24 touchdowns so far during the Buffaloes’ 7-2 start.

Asked about how his son has improved this year, Deion replied, “Well, he’s not running for his life, that’s number one.” Shedeur has been sacked at a lower clip (28 times) in 2024.

Deion Sanders talks Shedeur Sanders’ growth from last year to this season | Speak

As a high draft prospect, the 22-year-old could land with a team that is trying to rebuild. But Coach Prime is convinced his son can thrive in the right fit.

“Forget the [offensive] line. He’s played with lines that hadn’t been great, but he’s been able to do his thing,” Sanders said.

“This kid loves this game and he has an insatiable appetite to win, and I want somebody to be able to propel him to the next level as well,” Sanders concluded.

The Hall of Famer added that he plans to be in dad mode when it comes to his two-way star, WR/CB Travis Hunter, who is also expected to be a top pick.

Hunter, a Heisman hopeful, received high praise from his coach during the interview and the co-hosts dubbed him as Sanders’ “other son.”

“When it comes to the award of the Heisman, I think it’s supposed to go to the best player in college football,” Sanders said.

“Travis Hunter is not only the best offensive player in college football, he’s the best defensive player. He’s the best whole player. If I put him on special teams, he’d be the best returner. He’s never tired. Never gives up.”

Michael Irvin asked Deion Sanders about coaching the Cowboys | Speak

Both Shedeur Sanders and Hunter will be playing in the NFL next season, but Deion Sanders does not anticipate joining them. When Irvin asked his former Cowboys teammate if he had any interest in coaching Dallas next year, Sanders laughed and quickly shut down the conversation.

“I love it where I am,” Sanders said, as he showed the “Speak” hosts his view of Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

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