Jul 16, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Florida State Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks answers questions from the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Nearly a month after my first Vikings mock draft of 2026, and with the curtain pulled on the 2025 season and the Seattle Seahawks reigning supreme. It’s time to look again with my 2026 Vikings mock draft 2.0.
Adam New’s Post-Super Bowl Blueprint for the Vikings’ 2026 Draft
In my first mock draft, I concentrated on the defensive side of the ball early, and that trend remains. I firmly believe that’s how the Vikings should attack this draft, while making room for an RB, TE, and C at some point, depending on how the board falls on draft day. I have gone for a different position in round one this team, looking to add beef up front first, rather than boosting the secondary — that comes on Day 2. Here is my Vikings mock draft 2.0.
Round 1: Pick 18 – Caleb Banks (DI), Florida
There are a few areas of the Vikings’ defense that need to be addressed in this draft, and I start by finding a long-term partner for Jalen Redmond in the center of the Vikings’ defensive line. At 6’6″, 325 pounds, with arms over 35″, Caleb Banks has overwhelming size, length, and forklift power, to pair with inhuman burst and quickness at that size.
The only concern is a longer-than-ideal injury history, but the raw talent is there, and Banks can be the final piece to a completely dominant Vikings defensive line.
Round 2: Pick 49 – Keionte Scott (CB), Miami (FL)
Keionte Scott is a nickel CB who can have a big impact on a game. During Miami’s run to the national championship game in 2025, he amassed 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two pick-sixes. An explosive long-striding closer, with springy coverage and an elite processor with a fast-flowing style and relentless physicality, Scott should be a great fit in the Brian Flores defense.
Round 3: Pick 82 – Genesis Smith (S), Arizona
The Vikings need to replace Harrison Smith and never really replaced Camryn Bynum last season. Genesis Smith would be the Bynum replacement with rare range and long-strider speed as a center-fielder and single-high safety, and his playmaking instincts are elite. Smith is one of the best coverage safeties in this draft class, which is just what the Vikings need in their secondary.
Jadarian Price has been living in the shadow of Jeremiyah Love in the Notre Dame backfield. While you might need to spend a top 10 pick to acquire Love’s services, Price may be the better value pick on Day 2. An exciting draft prospect in his own right,
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Price is an explosive vertical threat with a great blend of vision, spatial instincts, and foot speed. He has a smooth running style, and he goes 0-to-100 in the blink of an eye when he sees a gap to exploit.
Round 5: Pick 156 – Jake Slaughter (C), Florida
The first player to land on the Vikings with the same pick as in my first Vikings mock draft. With the future of Ryan Kelly uncertain after a series of concussions, and in the last year of his contract. The Vikings need to think about the future at center.
The free agency addition of Tyler Linderbaum would be the dream scenario, but Jake Slaughter would make a good plan B, especially if Kelly does try to play on. Minnesota will need some insurance at center.
Round 7: Pick 234 – Drew Allar (QB), Penn State
This isn’t the draft to try again for a top QB, but taking a punt on one in the later rounds is always worthwhile, even if it’s for a guy whose ceiling is career backup. Drew Allar has the tools to be that and more potentially.
A former five-star recruit, standing at 6’5 “, 235 pounds, he has a rocket arm, and he has the nimble mobility and arm elasticity to work off-platform — as well as goodpre-snap command and post-snap processing. So why might he be available this late? Accuracy issues and poor mechanics will need much work for Allar to have any success in the NFL. At this point in the draft, it’s worth a gamble.
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Round 7: Pick 235 – Jeff Caldwell (WR), Cincinnati
Jeff Caldwell transferred to Cincinnati for a step up in competition in the 2025 season and reeled in 32 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns.
Nov 29, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Jeff Caldwell (9) comes off the field after scoring against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
I seem to suggest every off-season that the Vikings need a big physical wide receiver, and Caldwell brings this (6’4, 208 lbs) while also having the speed to be a vertical threat. An explosive talent that comes in at No. 29 on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks list, Caldwell would be a great get on Day 3.
Round 7: Pick 244 – Riley Mahlman (OT), Wisconsin
As the 2025 season proved, good depth on the OL is always valuable. Picking up a well-rounded if unspectacular OT prospect like Wisconsin’s Riley Mahlman, who is strongest in pass protection, would be an excellent use of a seventh-round pick — especially if the Vikings get back to the explosive passing offense that Kevin O’Connell wants.
Round 7: Pick 244- Jack Velling (TE), Michigan State
The second player to make it onto both of my Vikings mock drafts to date, though a few spots lower in the seventh round this time. The Vikings went TE-heavy towards the end of last season to help out their QB. If that trend continues, then a fresh face at the position makes sense.
Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
The title of this story says it all and I will raise my hand as someone who has done it wrong for YEARS.
Whenever I have had the opportunity to watch great wedge players in person, it was apparent to me that they had different wedges for different shots — unlike my way of making the 58 or 60 do literally everything from 80 yards and in.
This video with Vokey’s Aaron Dill is a masterclass (from him not me) in how to use your entire set around the greens. Keep in mind that it’s not even really to mitigate trouble (i.e. forgiveness), it’s to give yourself the opportunity to hit the best shot possible. There’s a difference.
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These are the my three biggest takeaways from my short game test with Mr. Dill.
More loft doesn’t mean more spin
This was the hardest one for me to wrap my head around. Although in theory more loft DOES equal more spin, it’s not that simple around greens. The amount of face (i.e. grooves/surface area) you can apply to the ball makes a huge impact on wedge spin. I recall hearing Tiger Woods speak on this over the years, he always felt using a 56 out of the bunker was a more efficient play because of the forgiveness factor AND the fact he could always get more face on the ball.
Think of it like this: To hit the ball lower, the ball needs to stay on the face longer, higher loft means more of an open face and less time on the face. More time on the face means more spin, which means more control. Thats where terms like “Spin Loft” come to bear. It’s easier to get a 56 in the spin loft happy zone (45-55 degrees) than it is a 60. A rabbit hole, I know, but I now understand why Rocco Mediate doesn’t carry a 60.
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Get the ball on the green rolling like a putt as often as you can
This is something I’ve heard Seve Ballesteros mention a bunch on YouTube. It’s much easier to roll it in than it is to fly it in AND it’s much easier to use the ground than rely on the perfect strike, carry number and spin to get it close. The less variables to manage, the better. Thats why Dill had me using 50 and 54 from just off the green, it’s not only more efficient and easier to play, the results were better. Who knew?!
Johnny Wunder and Aaron Dill talk through a simple chip at TPI in Oceanside, Calif.
Fully Equipped
Your lob wedge is a speciality club — not your ONLY option
Again something I’ve heard but never accepted for my own game. It’s so easy to just keep it simple and make your lob wedge do 20 different things. I can attest that I have done it at a high level for years … until kids, lack of practice and bills were introduced into my life.
That lobber-or-die mentality only works consistently if you have hours a week to practice. Creating a solid wedge floor for yourself is essential. What that means in practice is building a set and a strategy for your short game that has safety built into it for the days you just don’t have it. Dill does it on Tour so it would make sense for us all to adopt.
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Driving the ball in the fairway and a great short game will ALWAYS ensure lower scores. Videos like this are meant to spark a thought in all of us. We all want to play better, shoot lower scores, etc. What Aaron and I displayed here is the path to do that. Your wedge set-up should be something you not only take seriously but also something you should protect at all costs. I’m a huge advocate for finding something that works and doing the old rinse-and-repeat for years on end. Although wedge technology has progressed over the years, it’s meant to really work once the fundamentals are in place. One of those fundamentals is knowing what to use, when to use it and how.
The best players on the planet trust Aaron and his tools more than anyone else in the world, his messaging has been the same for years, and as years go on, the tools may get slightly better as we go but the messaging and strategy are the same.
SINGAPORE — Bryson DeChambeau hit his drive into the water and still won the playoff with a par Sunday at LIV Golf Singapore when Richard T. Lee of Canada missed a two-foot putt.
DeChambeau birdied the par-5 18th for a 5-under 66. Lee birdied four of his last six holes for a 66. They finished on 14-under 274 at Sentosa Golf Club.
Lee Westwood closed with a 70 and finished third, his best finish in LIV.
Lee was trying to become the first wild card — players not affiliated with a team — to win in the LIV Golf League. It looked certain the playoff would go another hole when Lee had a two-footer for par. He jabbed at it with a quick stroke and it spun out hard off the left lip.
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“It was a short putt and I wanted to just hit it hard, and I hit it a little too hard,” Lee said. “I think the adrenaline was pumping a little bit.”
The 35-year-old Lee picked up $2,250,000 for his runner-up finish, the largest check of his career. He earned his spot in the Saudi-funded league by winning the LIV Promotions event.
DeChambeau put his hands over his head in disbelief when Lee missed the playoff putt. He said it reminded him of John Daly having a 15-foot birdie putt to beat Tiger Woods in a World Golf Championships playoff in 2005, only to three-putt by missing a three-foot par putt.
“To actually see that happen in front of you, for you to be the positive receiving side of it, it’s just a weird feeling,” DeChambeau said. “But it’s a win and something I’ll appreciate for the rest of my life. Even if I lost today, I was still looking pretty good at my game. I was excited the way I was striking it coming in the last couple days.”
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It was DeChambeau’s first victory over 72 holes since he won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2024, and it was his fourth title on LIV Golf.
Jon Rahm finished fifth, ending a stretch of five tournaments he won or was runner-up.
The 4 Aces captained by Dustin Johnson won the team competition for the second straight week.
Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles (2) starts a fast break against Florida during their semifinal game of the 2026 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 14, 2026.
NASHVILLE — No. 22 Vanderbilt will try to win its first Southeastern Conference tournament championship since 2012 when it meets 17th-ranked Arkansas on Sunday.
The Commodores (26-7), playing two miles from their campus, routed fourth-ranked Florida (the tournament’s top seed) by a 91-74 score on Saturday, snapping the Gators’ 12-game winning streak.
“Proud of the guys,” Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said afterward. “Not really much celebrating. It’s on to Sunday, and that’s what we started this tournament for, is to play for a trophy on Sunday, and that’s what we have a chance to do tomorrow.”
Vanderbilt enters on a four-game winning streak, none of those wins coming on its campus.
Arkansas (25-8) has also won four straight, surviving in a 93-90 overtime win over Ole Miss to get here.
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It’ll be the third game in three days for both teams, and Arkansas coach John Calipari was particularly perturbed about tournament scheduling on Friday evening.
After beating Oklahoma in a game that ended around 11:30 p.m. Central on Friday, Calipari lamented a Sunday tip-off that comes less than 19 hours after Arkansas finished off the Rebels.
Vanderbilt knows something about overcoming difficult circumstances lately.
The Commodores struggle against teams with size and rebounding, but in their last three games have knocked off the nation’s top offensive rebounding team in Tennessee (twice) and then clocked the Gators, who rank second.
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Vanderbilt was beaten on the glass by Tennessee by counts of 40-31 and 46-34, and then 38-23 by Florida.
But neither team could come close to matching Vanderbilt’s guard play of Tyler Tanner (19.2 ppg, 5.2 apg, 2.4 spg) and Duke Miles (16.5 ppg, 4.2 apg, 2.6 spg).
The two have been a wrecking crew most of the season through their quickness and play-making ability. Tanner was a first-team All-SEC pick and Miles scored 30 in the win Friday over Tennessee.
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Arkansas also has elite guards, led by SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. (22.7 ppg, 6.5 apg) and Meleek Thomas (15.6 ppg). Acuff scored 24 and dished out seven assists on Saturday and Thomas added 29 and five.
Thomas played all 45 minutes on Saturday, just as he did in an 88-84 win over Missouri when Acuff was out with injury.
“There is no one that would say to Meleek anything that would believe him to believe he’s not as good as good as any player in the country,” Calipari said after Saturday. “He has otherworldly — otherworldly, now — confidence. Like, he could run for president one day. … I’ve gotta let him do some crazy stuff. I get on him but he’ll look at me like, ‘You’re nuts. You don’t have any idea how good I am.’ And I love that.”
The Razorbacks handed Vanderbilt its most lopsided loss of the season with a 93-68 walloping in Fayetteville on Jan. 20.
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Arkansas is best in the country at avoiding turnovers (12.2%), per KenPom.
The 6-foot-3 Acuff and 6-5 Thomas also have the height advantage, respectively, on Tanner (6-0) and Miles (6-2), who had just 11 and five points, respectively, in the first game.
Serie A league leaders Inter felt undone in their 1-1 draw against Atalanta, as La Dea were handed a controversial goal and the Nerazzurri were also denied a clear penalty late in the tie.
The scenes were rather ugly towards the conclusion of the game, as Cristian Chivu was also sent off for dissent.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport – relayed by Calciomercato, report that Inter CEO Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio spoke to the refereeing team after the tie. The conversation has been described as rather polite.
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This is the second time Inter had complained to the refs, with the first instance coming in the loss to Napoli earlier in the campaign. Unlike that point, Inter went into a media blackout and no one from the club came forward to make statements.
After the Napoli controversy, Marotta had questioned the calls. This time, the league leaders remainded silent and let that do the talking.
On March 14, X account, TheePopCore reported that BTS’ Taehyung had crossed three million followers on TikTok. The milestone arrived in less than 48 hours after the account appeared online. What makes the moment unusual is the lack of activity on the page, which has the username @tete_kimv.
There are no uploads, no verification badge, and no official confirmation attached to the profile as of now. Even so, curiosity spread rapidly among admirers. As a result, the follower count continued rising at an impressive pace.
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“That’s BIG V impact,” an X user commented.
Fans are hailing Taehyung’s impact.
Sheer social media powerKim Taehyung is in his own league
TAEHYUNG POWER 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Others are hailing him as a “king.”
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We call him King of this nation🤴
This isn’t easy but he’s is Kim taehyung. King behaviour
More about BTS’ Taehyung’s alleged TikTok account
The TikTok profile, @tete_kimv, first surfaced on March 13. Soon after fans discovered the page, the numbers began climbing almost instantly. Within only a few hours, the account had already attracted more than 434,000 followers. Interest kept building throughout the evening. Soon, the total had already crossed one million followers. The sudden growth, therefore, turned the quiet launch into a widely discussed topic across fan communities.
Early interactions around the account also offered an important hint. j-hope and Jungkook appeared among the first followers. At that point, they remained the only BTS members actively present on TikTok. Their connection to the new page quickly caught attention. Fans noticed the unfamiliar username in their following list. Naturally, speculation began spreading online. Many observers soon concluded that the account likely belonged to Taehyung.
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The discovery itself unfolded through careful observation. On March 12, one day before the profile appeared, Jungkook had quietly adjusted his TikTok following list. After that change, only Hobi and the official BTS account remained visible. When fans checked the list again the following day, a new profile had suddenly appeared. That small update sparked immediate discussion. ARMY members compared details and timing. The connection became clear to many fans within minutes.
Meanwhile, the timing of the account has also sparked excitement about possible content. In a recent interview with GQ, V and Jungkook spoke about the idea of trying TikTok challenges together after a fan suggested it. For now, fans continue watching the page closely in anticipation of the first post.
In other news, Kim Tae-hyung remained a major talking point during Paris Fashion Week even without attending Celine’s Celine Hiver 2026 show on March 7. The brand’s official X account shared a photo taken by him with hashtags linked to the event, which quickly drew attention online.
On Sunday at the 2026 LIV Golf Singapore event, Bryson DeChambeau ended a winless drought with a comeback playoff victory. But not without a little help from his playoff competitor.
That player, LIV Golf wild card Richard T. Lee, shockingly missed a short putt that would have extended the playoff to another hole.
The brutal finish left DeChambeau with mix feelings when he hoisted his fourth LIV Golf individual trophy on Sunday at Sentosa Golf Club.
DeChambeau’s LIV Singapore win started with comeback charge
DeChambeau’s last LIV win came in May of last year, when he triumphed at LIV Golf Korea with a three-round score total of 19 under par. That ended an even longer LIV winless drought for the two-time U.S. Open champ, dating back to September 2023.
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This week’s event seemed like it was Bryson’s to lose from the get-go. He led after the first and second rounds. But four bogeys on Day 3 gave DeChambeau a 72. With that he’d lost his lead and headed into Sunday’s final round one shot behind Joaquin Niemann and Lee Westwood.
DeChambeau came out firing on Sunday, holing out for eagle on the 4th hole and adding two more birdies before play was suspended due to inclement weather. Despite his hot start, which moved him to 12 under, DeChambeau found himself further off the lead at the halfway point, two shots behind Niemann.
But Niemann made three bogeys coming home, while DeChambeau drained two additional birdies, including one on the 18th hole, to pass him and reach 14 under.
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One problem: Lee had birdied four of his last six holes, including the final two, to tie DeChambeau at 14 under. That forced a sudden death playoff.
And the playoff couldn’t have started worse for Bryson. He rinsed his tee shot at the par-5 18th, immediately putting his victory in doubt.
Lee, on the other hand, steadily set up a 10-foot birdie putt. Incredibly, DeChambeau was able to get up-and-down after losing his drive in the water, giving him a par despite the penalty.
If Lee holed his mid-range birdie, he’d win. A textbook two-putt would extend the playoff to another hole. Then disaster struck.
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Lee’s first attempt ran by the hole by 2-3 feet. His comebacker dived toward the hole then devastatingly lipped out.
The TV cameras shot to DeChambeau. He had just won his fourth LIV Golf title, but all he could do was put his hands behind his head and register a look of shock at what had just occurred.
Bryson’s ‘incredible relief’ after wild playoff ends in victory
After his round, DeChambeau revealed his mixed feelings over the win in light of the heartbreaking finish for his competitor Lee, who earned his spot on LIV through the LIV Promotions event, as did Anthony Kim.
“Absolutely hated it for Richard [T. Lee]. He’s been playing some unbelievable golf. He’s beat me in a few of the rounds I’ve played with him, and he’s a stellar player,” DeChambeau said Sunday afternoon. “I wanted to go another hole with him. As much as winning is great, I have a lot of respect for Richard and the way he golfs his ball out there.”
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LIV’s biggest star then shoveled more praise on Lee, admitting that coming down the stretch he thought his victory was already secure. Lee’s late charge changed that in a big way.
“It was quite impressive; I was coming down the last three holes, like all right, I think I’m one ahead of everybody, and seeing Richard go and play the way he did finishing out, he’s a real superstar, and the league should be really proud to have him on as a wild card,” DeChambeau said of Lee.
Bryson did allow himself to soak in the positives from his victorious moment a little bit.
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“It was huge for me, especially with it being wet conditions and thick blades and struggling with my wedges,” DeChambeau said. “But to get it done was quite memorable and — even hitting it in the water on the last hole for the playoff, G-Bo is like, ‘Bryson, just go make par, that’s all you can do.’ And we went and did that.”
When asked if he felt “relief” after securing the title, DeChambeau replied in the affirmative. He also acknowledged that his LIV Singapore victory represented his first win in a four-round tournament since his 2024 U.S. Open triumph at Pinehurst No. 2.
“Oh, incredible relief,” DeChambeau admitted. “I haven’t won in four rounds since the U.S. Open 2024. Being able to come through on a golf course like this that’s super brutal and demands precision on every single shot, especially with the conditions changing, I couldn’t be more happy for my team.”
The next stop for DeChambeau is LIV Golf South Africa, which begins next week. After that, the next tournament circled on Bryson’s schedule is the 2026 Masters at Augusta National.
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) celebrates a 3-pointer against Wisconsin with guard Nimari Burnett (4)during the second half of Big Ten Tournament semifinal at United Center in Chicago on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
With hopes for a shot at another Big Ten tournament title needing a final-minute game-winner, No. 3 Michigan turned to its top scorer to keep winning in the Windy City.
Yaxel Lendeborg and the top-seeded Wolverines will look to repeat as conference tournament champions and lock down a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament when they meet No. 18 Purdue in the championship game Sunday afternoon in Chicago.
On the road last month, Michigan (now 31-2) defeated the No. 7 seed Boilermakers 91-80 behind 17 points from Elliot Cadeau, but Sunday’s matchup came about largely by big shots from Lendeborg.
The 6-foot-9 senior produced two key moments in Saturday’s 68-65 semifinal win over No. 5 seed Wisconsin, the most obvious being a tiebreaking 3-pointer off a pass from Cadeau from the right corner. He buried a 24-footer with 0.4 seconds left in the rematch of last season’s tournament title game.
“(My teammates) strive for me to make plays like that, and I’ve always dreamed of hitting a shot like that,” said Lendeborg, the squad’s leading scorer who totaled 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. “Today was my moment to finally come through, and I did.”
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While Lendeborg was crucial at the end, he said his team’s composure was equally important, especially in a first half when the Wolverines made just eight of 30 shots, including his trey at the end of the half to knot it 28-all.
“It’s all about composure, and we talk about how unselfish this team is,” said Lendeborg, the Big Ten Player of the Year. “We all love each other and all play for each other. And Aday (Mara) really got it going, so we decided to play through him, and everybody fell in line.”
Mara produced 16 points, eight rebounds, five blocked shots and two assists as Michigan survived Wisconsin’s three-quarter-court heave to advance to Sunday’s game.
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A win Sunday over the Boilermakers (26-8) would allow the Wolverines to cut down the nets for a fifth time to end the Big Ten tournament, though the 1998 title was vacated due to NCAA sanctions.
Following a 73-66 win over banged up UCLA in the second semifinal, Purdue is a team brimming with confidence over the three tourney games, according to coach Matt Painter.
“(This run) is just building some confidence more than anything,” Painter said of his club, which went 2-4 to close out the regular season dating back to the Michigan setback. “Just trying to execute offensively and be efficient and be better on the basketball from a defensive standpoint.
“When we’re better on the basketball, it really helps us.”
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Big man Oscar Cluff has been on the basketball, being the first to come up with it most of the time after missed shots.
He produced his eighth double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday’s win, owning the paint against the Bruins with nine offensive boards.
The 6-foot-11 bearded Australian had eight points in the final 3:41 as Purdue pulled away for the win.
“He’s had some games like that,” Painter said. “He had 10 offensive rebounds against Nebraska in the regular season. He’s been a horse for us, just being physical down there posting up and getting every rebound.”
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A win over Michigan would give the Boilermakers their third conference tournament title and first since 2023.
Man Utd will look to put the defeat to Newcastle behind them today when they face Aston Villa in a crucial game in the battle for Champions League qualification.
Welsh rugby will allow itself to savour a long overdue win but in typical fashion that will not be for too long.
One Test win will not alleviate the chaos and turmoil in which Welsh rugby remains.
Tandy’s next assignment is an uncapped match against the Barbarians at the end of June in Twickenham before three games against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in the new Nations Championship in July.
In those three months the off-the-field disputes surrounding the future of the Welsh professional game will intensify.
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It started just 30 minutes after the final whistle when Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) director of rugby Dave Reddin appeared on television to do a live interview, which had been pre-planned regardless of the result.
Such is the current unpopularity of the WRU, Reddin was castigated on social media for speaking at this particular time and not directly responding to a question from former Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones, which Reddin said he could not hear.
Reddin was also criticised for what he said, as he doubled down on the governing body’s plans to cut a professional men’s side, reducing the number to three.
There will now be a tumultuous period with the WRU trying to push through their controversial policies which they say need to happen to improve Welsh rugby.
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Opponents, including fans and politicians, insist four professional teams must remain.
They blame the WRU for the mess Welsh rugby is in and criticise the governing body‘s plan and methods used in trying to implement the proposals.
The WRU faces an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) next month, which includes a vote of no confidence in chair Richard Collier-Keywood, and have a legal battle with Swansea Council who fear for the professional future of the Ospreys.
Supporters and players are still concerned about the uncertainty, while Morgan and Lake moving to Gloucester next season means half of Wales’ starting forward pack will be playing for clubs in England.
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Those conflicts might be for another day, but those days will be very soon, probably starting this week.
So Welsh rugby fans should savour this overdue win against Italy for now because the feelings of joy might not last that long.
But let Welsh rugby have that moment at least.
Other things can wait. Even if it is just for today.
Thomas Ramos kicked a penalty after the final hooter to win the Six Nations for France with a mind-blowing 48-46 victory over a rejuvenated England on Saturday.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored four of the 13 tries in a barn-storming encounter in which the lead changed hands numerous times.
But Ramos’s kick ensured that France retained the title and denied Ireland, who had moved into pole position by beating Scotland earlier.
Bielle-Biarrey, 22, took his tally to 29 tries in just 27 Tests for France and finished this Six Nations campaign with nine, beating his own record of eight from last season.
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He also extended another record by scoring in a 10th consecutive Six Nations match.
A week on from succumbing to a chaotic 50-40 defeat by Scotland, France were back, but so too were England, playing their part in a stunningly entertaining encounter, just a week on from slumping to their first ever defeat to Italy.
England had started well with a couple of Elliot Daly grubbers pinning France down in their 22.
But, inevitably, Bielle-Biarrey struck.
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Ramos delayed just enough to suck in England’s defence and then chipped ahead for the flying winger to dash on to, beating Caden Murley to the ball before going over after seven minutes.
England hit back immediately, spinning the ball wide for Tom Roebuck to dive over in the corner.
But the visitors had not learned their lesson from the opening try and this time a Matthieu Jalibert grubber at an angle sent Bielle-Biarrey clear for his 27th try in as many Tests.
England were unbowed, though, and struck back soon afterwards, as Ben Spencer’s grubber was spilled by Theo Attisogbe and Murley pounced to score.
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Two tries each but France led by four points as Ramos proved more accurate than Fin Smith with the conversion attempts.
And a penalty from Ramos stretched France’s lead to seven, only for England to level up after Ollie Chessum barged over from close range and Smith landed the conversion.
England had not come to Paris to be spectators in France’s title party and were taking on their hosts up front – and dominating.
Chessum then turned provider, passing inside for Alex Coles to dot down for the bonus point score, with Smith converting again from out wide.
And after Smith kicked a penalty from in front of the posts, England led 27-17, and by four tries to two.
But there was still time before the break in this wonderfully entertaining ‘Crunch’ for France to hit back, earning a penalty try after Ellis Genge, who was yellow-carded, collapsed a maul a yard from the tryline.
Who else?
Within 90 seconds of the restart, the tryline had been breached again, as Bielle-Biarrey finished off a flowing move to land his hat-trick.
With England still down to 14 men, France scored again as captain Antoine Dupont took a quick penalty and fired out a pass to Attisogbe to add les Bleus’ fifth try of the game, and the ninth overall.
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France were in the mood, throwing the ball about and attacking with verve, but Chessum picked off Jalibert and ran more than half the length of the field for his second.
The festival of tries showed no sign of abating and Marcus Smith, with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, scored England’s sixth, converting to give them a one-point lead.
Once again the momentum shifted, as France turned over ball deep in their own half and Dupont hoofed it long.
Bielle-Biarrey – who else? – won the foot race for his fourth try – the first time since World War II that a French player had scored four tries in a match.
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But seven minutes from time, replacement prop Demba Bamba was yellow-carded and Tommy Freeman scythed over for England’s seventh try – the 13th of the match – with Smith converting from under the points for a one-point lead again.
But Ramos, and France, had the last laugh, condemning England to a fourth defeat in the tournament for the first time in the Six Nations era.
;)
;)
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