Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is seen during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
The quarterback room under Kevin O’Connell has quietly become something else, too: a coaching incubator.
Two former Minnesota Vikings passers — Sean Mannion and David Blough — just earned notable promotions this offseason. Both are now on track to be play-callers in 2026.
The jump from fringe roster player to trusted offensive voice usually takes years of grinding through quality-control roles. For two former backups to skip steps and land meaningful responsibilities this quickly says something about how they were viewed inside buildings.
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Sean Mannion’s Rapid Rise
Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
During his time in Minnesota, he built a reputation as the classic “extra set of eyes” quarterback — part backup, part sounding board, part coaching assistant. Coaches trusted him. Teammates leaned on him. That kind of reputation tends to matter when playing days wind down. It didn’t take long for him to land on a staff.
After breaking into coaching as an offensive assistant and quickly moving up the ladder, working with quarterbacks in Green Bay. Now, he’s taken another sizable step forward with a full-fledged offensive leadership role.
For a former career backup, it’s a steep trajectory. But if you watched how he operated in Minnesota, it’s not surprising at all.
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Ask anyone who followed those Vikings teams closely and they’ll tell you the same thing: Mannion basically functioned like an extra assistant coach on game days. He was constantly talking through looks with Kirk Cousins, helping organize the sideline, and breaking down tablets. Some backups just hold a clipboard. Mannion was always working.
Last year, Cousins said about his former colleague, “I really can’t speak highly enough of Sean to you. It would be difficult for me to fully articulate how much I believe in him, how much he helped me as a player when he was in the quarterback room with me, how much I leaned on him to just be another voice, another set of eyes, another person to go to for input. And I think I played my best football around him largely because of his involvement there. So, when it was time for his playing career to wind down, it seemed like a natural fit for him to go into coaching.”
David Blough Following a Similar Path
Sep 30, 2022; Thundridge, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks David Blough (2), Kirk Cousins (8) and Nick Mullens. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
Like Mannion, he carved out an NFL career as a smart, reliable reserve — the type of quarterback coaches love having in meetings even if he’s not taking many snaps on Sundays.
After joining the Washington Commanders staff in a supporting role, Blough impressed enough behind the scenes to earn a major bump. Now he’s stepping into a much bigger offensive role, which is a significant leap for someone only a couple of years removed from playing. Just like Mannion, he earned a promotion and will serve as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator.
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It’s the kind of fast-track promotion you usually only see when an organization really believes in someone’s football IQ and leadership. Clearly, Washington does.
And like Mannion, Blough never survived in the league because of arm talent. It was preparation. Coaches trust the guys who know the answers before the question is even finished. That’s the type that ends up calling plays five years later, not the guy with the biggest highlight reel.
Not a Coincidence
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) slaps hands with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell after a made field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images.
At some point, this stops being random.
O’Connell’s background as a former quarterback has always shaped how he builds that room. Communication. Film work. Teaching. Collaboration. It’s less “backup stands quietly with a clipboard” and more “everyone coaches.”
So when guys leave Minnesota and immediately start climbing coaching staffs, it tracks. They’ve basically been training for it already.
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Mannion and Blough may not have filled up stat sheets during their playing careers, but they’re proving something else matters just as much in today’s NFL: understanding the game well enough to teach it.
And lately, that Vikings quarterback room looks less like a depth chart and more like a coaching pipeline. One can only wonder whether Carson Wentz or Brett Rypien will be next.
Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt
Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Riley Nelson (4) drives against the Louisiana State Tigers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Ashlon Jackson’s rim-circling 3-pointer as time expired gave third-seeded Duke an 87-85 win over second-seeded LSU in a roller-coaster Sweet 16 matchup on Friday in the Sacramento Region 2 nightcap.
The win sends Duke to the regional final on Sunday, when the Blue Devils will face top-seeded UCLA. The Bruins cruised past fourth-seeded Minnesota in the first Sweet 16 contest on Friday, 80-56.
Duke (27-8) led most of the night and by as many as 11 points, including a 78-67 edge in the fourth quarter after an 11-0 run.
LSU (29-6) rallied multiple times in the game. The teams exchanged the lead six times in the third quarter with their big spurt, punctuated with three consecutive converted and-one opportunities.
Facing another double-digit deficit in the final period, the Tigers chipped away again, however, holding Duke without a field goal for more than five minutes. LSU had an opportunity to take the lead with 37 seconds remaining after MiLaysia Fulwiley intercepted a pass near midcourt.
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However, with the Blue Devils’ Taina Mair bearing down on her on the fastbreak, Fulwiley attempted a reverse layup going left-to-right that rimmed off. Duke regained possession, and LSU sent Jackson to the foul line — where she missed both attempts with 19 seconds left.
After a disputed ball knocked out of bounds, LSU pulled ahead on a pair of Mikaylah Williams free throws with nine seconds to go.
Mair had an open look at a corner 3-pointer on the ensuing Duke possession and missed, but in the scrum for the loose ball, it went out off LSU to set up the game-winning inbounds play.
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Jackson sank a 3-pointer from the right wing to cap a 19-point night.
Fulwiley led all scorers, finishing with 28 points for LSU. She added four assists and four rebounds. Williams scored 22 points in the loss, and Flau’jae Johnson had 13.
Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Ashlon Jackson (3) celebrates with forward Delaney Thomas (12) and forward Toby Fournier (35) after making a game-winning shot against the Louisiana State Tigers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Ashlon Jackson’s rim-circling 3-pointer as time expired gave third-seeded Duke an 87-85 win over second-seeded LSU in a roller-coaster Sweet 16 matchup on Friday in the Sacramento Region 2 nightcap.
The win sends Duke to the regional final on Sunday, when the Blue Devils will face top-seeded UCLA on Sunday. The Bruins cruised past fourth-seeded Minnesota in the first Sweet 16 contest on Friday, 80-56.
Duke (27-8) led most of the night and by as many as 11, including a 78-67 edge in the fourth quarter after an 11-0 run. LSU (29-6) rallied multiple times in the game. The teams exchanged the lead six times in the third quarter with their big spurt, punctuated with three consecutive converted and-one opportunities.
Jackson sank a 3-pointer from the right wing to cap a 19-point night, while teammates Toby Fournier and Taina Mai each scored 22. MiLaysia Fulwiley led all scorers, finishing with 28 points for LSU. She added four assists and four rebounds. Mikaylah Williams scored 22 points in the loss, and Flau’jae Johnson had 13.
No. 1 UCLA 80, Minnesota 56
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Kiki Rice put up 21 points to lead four scorers in double figures for the Bruins, who overwhelmed their Big Ten Conference counterpart, the Golden Gophers, in the second half en route to a win in a Sweet 16 game.
UCLA (34-1) moved one victory away from repeat Final Four trips. The fourth-seeded Golden Gophers (24-9) trailed the Bruins by just three points late in the first half, but Gianna Kneepkens’ buzzer-beating layup marked the beginning of a 17-3 run that extended more than six minutes into the third quarter.
Through a combination of breakaway opportunities and pounding the ball to Lauren Betts (16 points) on the interior, UCLA attacked the lane to ignite the decisive push. The Bruins finished with 52 points in the paint while allowing only 22 to Minnesota, which was led by Grace Grocholski’s 12 points.
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No. 1 UConn 63, No. 4 North Carolina 42
Sarah Strong’s 21-point, 10-rebound effort propelled the Huskies to a victory over the Tar Heels in the Fort Worth Regional 1 semifinals.
Blanca Quinonez shot 7-for-11 for 16 points off the bench and Azzi Fudd had 10 points and five assists to boost the Huskies to their 53rd straight win, in their lowest-scoring game of the season. They scored at least 71 points in every other game. UConn, the defending national champion, will face Big East rival Notre Dame on Sunday.
Indya Nivar had team highs of 20 points, eight rebounds and four steals for North Carolina, which shot 28.3% from the field and committed 24 turnovers.
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No. 6 Notre Dame 67, No. 2 Vanderbilt 64
Hannah Hidalgo poured in 31 points with 11 rebounds and 10 steals as the Fighting Irish held off the Commodores.
Hidalgo was 14 of 25 from the floor and added seven assists, while her 10 steals set a record for an NCAA regional. She broke the single-season steals record along the way, upping her total to 199. Cassandre Prosper, who scored the game’s final three points, finished with 15.
Mikayla Blakes scored 26 points and Aubrey Galvan had 24 for Vanderbilt (29-5), which tied the game at 64 in the final minute of a tight fourth quarter but could not answer Prosper’s go-ahead bucket with 22 seconds remaining.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – MARCH 25: Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates after defeating Hailey Baptiste of the United States in their quarter final match on Day 9 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 25, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Aryna Sabalenka is getting support from outside tennis ahead of the Miami Open 2026 final.
After her semifinal win over Elena Rybakina, Kai Trump granddaughter of Donald Trump shared a message backing the world No. 1.
Posting on Instagram after watching the match, she wrote:
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“Had so much fun watching Aryna Sabalenka.”
“Let’s get it Saturday.”
Sabalenka now faces Coco Gauff in the final after Gauff’s dominant win over Karolina Muchova.They’ve faced each other 12 times and it’s 6–6.
Yoenis Tellez vs. Brian Mendoza, a super welterweight clash, will serve as the co-main event for Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman later tonight (March 28) at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
Tellez (11-1) is 4-1 in his last five, with his sole professional loss coming to Abass Baraou in September. Tellez sports a fan-friendly style and has eight knockouts to his name.
‘El Bandolero’ was most recently seen scoring a fifth-round TKO (via retirement) against Kendo Castaneda in December.
Mendoza (23-4) possesses a heavy hand and holds a 62% knockout rate. However, he has produced mixed results in recent years. He is 3-2 in his last five, and was most recently seen scoring a fourth-round TKO win over Jesus Antonio Rojas in July.
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Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
According to BetMGM, Tellez is a -286 favorite for the bout, with Mendoza listed as a +275 underdog.
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The main card of the event will commence at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT. Stick with Sportskeeda for live coverage and play-by-play updates from the event.
Check out the full fight card below:
Yoenis Tellez vs. Brian Mendoza
Round 1
This section will be updated once the bout is underway.
After a run of three straight victories, Derek Chisora is ranked as the number two heavyweight contender with the IBF. Now, ‘Del Boy’ has named whom he believes to be the top five active fighters in his division.
Chisora was encouraged to retire by the masses when he failed in a second world title challenge of his career against Tyson Fury back in 2022.
However, the heavyweight veteran has since proved his doubters wrong, overcoming each of Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin to fight his way back into title contention.
Still, for Wilder, the clash represents a monumental opportunity for him to re-emerge as a threat to the heavyweight ranking and take Chisora’s place in the world ratings, with victory likely to tee up a world title shot, despite losing four of his last six contests.
Irrespective of the ill-form of ‘The Bronze Bomber’, Chisora told DAZN Boxing that the American is still amongst the top five active heavyweights in the sport, when listing the division’s best operators.
“My top five heavyweights in the world right now are Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and myself.”
Unified champion Usyk remains the king of the division, and the despite Fury and Joshua having mixed form in recent years, they still find a place in Chisora’s list, with the likes of Fabio Wardley, Agit Kabayel and Moses Itauma all omitted – the veteran Brit appears to favour longevity over current form.
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Chisora’s clash against Wilder takes place at the O2 Arena on Saturday, April 4, topping a bill that also features an intriguing scrap between Viddal Riley and Mateusz Masternak.
Dec 29, 2019; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans cheer during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports. View.
Getting compared to a mythological figure is a nice compliment. So is being labeled a freak, at least in the context of football evaluations.
Cincinnati linebacker Jack Dingle isn’t expected to get drafted. The Vikings are still putting in some work. Indeed, he may find a way over to Minnesota, journeying down a well-worn path of Bearcat ‘backers who become Vikings from within undrafted free agency. In 2017, Eric Wilson did so and then 2023 featured Ivan Pace. Is Dingle the next example?
The Vikings are Researching LB Jack Dingle
To begin, the update about Minnesota demonstrating some interest in the defender.
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Ryan Fowler sends along the update: “Name to know in the LB class — Cincy LB Jack Dingle (6041, 235 lbs). Has a 30 visit scheduled with the Raiders, private lunch with New Orleans, and had a private meeting with Minnesota, as well. Will attend Bengals local day.”
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
In 2024, the linebacker showed up on a (sort of) prestigious list.
Bruce Feldman leans into the alliteration by compiling a “Freaks List” on an annual basis. The idea is to shine a spotlight onto the insanely gifted players in college football. Being a freak is therefore a high honor, a compliment meant to magnify the gifts of young lads who are demonstrating collegiate promise.
Consider the assessment from Feldman for Dingle: “The son of former NFL player Nate Dingle, a Cincinnati team captain in the 1990s, Jack is 6-3 1/2, 240-pounds and built like an Adonis, coaches say. He benched 395 pounds this offseason and did 26 reps at 225. He clocked a 1.54-second 10-yard split, hit 21.99 mph on the GPS and had a 4.21 pro agility shuttle to go with a 33-inch vertical and a 9-11 broad jump. Last fall, he made 53 tackles and had five TFLs, one sack, one quarterback hurry and two fumble recoveries.”
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Translating those details would mean understanding that Jack Dingle stands at close to 6’4″ and weighs around 240 pounds. That’s a tremendous frame for modern football, a game that’s built around passing. Dingle’s length and speed should allow him to hang with tight ends, players who are commonly a matchup nightmare.
Furthermore, the explosiveness gives Dingle the potential to fly all over the field. Playing linebacker is about more than just being long and explosive, but those attributes are a nice place to start.
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the NFC wild card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The postseason appearance highlighted Flores’ aggressive defensive approach in a high-stakes environment as Minnesota faced playoff elimination on the road. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images..
At minimum, Jack Dingle appears to be someone who could be excellent on specials.
Maybe Tai Felton gets kicked out of his gunner job in favor of a more robust helping of snaps on offense as the WR3 (unless someone else gets added). If so, then a gunner is needed. Could Dingle be a frisky option? The job usually goes to receivers or defensive backs since coaches like to partner length with speed, but an unusually athletic linebacker could get the job done.
In 2025, Jack Dingle offered some pretty good numbers for Cincinnati. His 60 tackles stand alongside 3 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. PFF handed out a reasonably tepid grade coming in at 62.5, but the strongest portion of his game was his 69.9 coverage grade.
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The 2026 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 23rd until Saturday, April 25th. Keep Dingle’s name tucked away in the back of your mind as someone who could get added afterwards.
CHICAGO — Nate Ament scored 18 points, Ja’Kobi Gillespie finished with 16 and Tennessee beat Iowa State 76-62 on Friday night to advance to the Elite Eight for the third straight year.
Coach Rick Barnes’ team used a dominant effort on the glass and a strong second half to put away Iowa State (29-8) and move within one win of its first Final Four.
The sixth-seeded Volunteers (25-11) will meet top-seeded Michigan in the Midwest Region final on Sunday. The Wolverines beat Alabama 90-77 behind a dominant all-around performance by Yaxel Lendeborg.
Ament made three 3-pointers. Felix Okpara chipped in with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jaylen Carey added 11 points and 10 boards, and the Volunteers outrebounded the Cyclones 43-22.
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Nate Heise and Tamin Lipsey each scored 18 points for Iowa State, but the Cyclones clearly struggled without injured star Joshua Jefferson.
The All-America forward was hurt minutes into the Cyclones’ March Madness opener against Tennessee State and did not play in their lopsided win over Kentucky. He averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Tennessee led 34-33 at halftime after Okpara hit two free throws in the closing seconds and Lipsey missed a driving layup at the buzzer.
The Volunteers were up 44-39 when they went on a 13-4 run that Carey punctuated with a three-point play off a tip-in. The 6-foot-8, 267-pound forward turned toward the roaring Vols fans and flexed before hitting the free throw to make it 57-43 with 11:47 remaining.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Isaiah Evans gets it going, you hear it. His mouth starts running as his point total starts rising, and they can both get going in a hurry. So when Evans made a tough shot through contact and flashed the “too small” sign to his defender, Oziyah Sellers, and then followed it up shortly thereafter with a vicious dunk and some trash talk to the camera on the baseline, it was a good sign for Duke.
But it was the three points — and three words — that he unfurled late that proved his mettle, and that of his Duke teammates. Down 69-67 with under four minutes to go, Evans sidestepped to his left and nailed a fadeaway 3-pointer, an audacious shot — and an even more audacious make. On his way back down the floor, he turned to Grant Hill, the former Blue Devils star on the call for CBS — and let loose a shout:
“I’m so cold!”
Cold-blooded, that is, even when the heat of the game was at its peak. Or maybe, it wasn’t all that hot for Evans.
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“I mean, I seen the play before it happened,” Evans said postgame. “He was trying to cheat the screen, and I rejected it, and he tried to cut off. I stepped back, and everything was just in the flow.”
Duke would never trail again en route to a hard-fought — scratch that, ferociously fought — 80-75 win over St. John’s that sends the Blue Devils to the Elite 8. Evans finished with 25 points on an efficient 10 for 15 shooting, and he made four of Duke’s five 3-pointers. And while Evans played it cool postgame, his teammates had bigger reactions.
“That, to me, sounds like ‘Showtime,’ man,” said Cameron Boozer, the freshman National Player of the Year frontrunner. His brother wasn’t all that surprised either
“He said that?!” Cayden Boozer replied before collecting himself. “I mean, that doesn’t surprise me, but that’s ballsy.”
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The numbers do Evans all the justice. He’s the first Duke player to score 25 or more on 15 or fewer shots in the Sweet 16 or later since Kyrie Irving in 2011. But the box score doesn’t tell half the story of Duke’s triumph. This one required a ripped jersey, a miraculously healing foot and, for lack of a better word, ballsy-ness.
‘He had no business playing’
Caleb Foster
Imagn Images
The doctors said one thing. Caleb Foster heard another. His hearing, of course, is just fine. It’s his mind that told him otherwise.
The junior point guard fractured his foot March 7 against North Carolina, and three days later, Jon Scheyer told reporters Foster would be out for the foreseeable future after undergoing surgery.
“He said two weeks,” Foster started.
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“Nobody said ‘two weeks,’” Scheyer interjected with a chuckle. “You heard two weeks.”
Foster arrived at the arena and headed to the locker room on a scooter. He used the scooter to get to the post-game press conference. He kept up with his teammates, too. He’s gotten pretty good at whizzing around on the device, hoping to speed up his recovery.
“Still a little stunned with what happened, to be honest with you guys, because what this guy did, to be honest, he had no business playing tonight,” Scheyer said. “Ninety-nine percent of guys do not come back to play under the circumstances of what’s happened to him. It was incredible the way he willed us. There’s no analytics. There’s no stats that can measure how big this dude’s heart is for what he did.”
Foster received a standing ovation when he entered early in the first half and an even bigger one for a perfect alley-oop to Patrick Ngongba on his first possession. Still, he missed his only shot in the first half, and St. John’s outscored Duke by six in Foster’s seven first-half minutes.
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If that had been it, it still would have been a miraculous return and a valiant attempt to help his team. Scheyer envisioned eight to 10 minutes for Foster, who hadn’t even practiced 5-on-5 since the injury.
But then Duke went down 10 early in the second half, throwing the ball all over the place. Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor tossed down consecutive dunks off consecutive Duke turnovers. The Red Storm’s full-court press had finally become an all-enveloping storm, and the Blue Devils were desperate for an escape.
So, Foster returned. His first basket in nearly three weeks was an open layup off an offensvie rebound. He drove past Ruben Prey for another layup. Then he got into the paint again and made a short jumper over Dylan Darling. Foster said he didn’t feel a certain “I’m back” moment during the game, but his teammates could tell.
“When he scored four times in a row, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. Yes, sir,’” Cameron Boozer said. “That was definitely the moment.”
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Foster even had an open 3 to tie the game moments later. He airballed it. This is not a movie.
Yet with the season on the brink, Foster rescued it. Duke had three turnovers in the first 3:03 of the second half. Foster checked in 15 seconds later, and the Blue Devils had just one turnover the rest of the way.
“He’s our most experienced guy in these moments,” Scheyer said of the junior. “So I thought his voice in the huddle, the look he had was completely determined to win, and I thought that really helped us, especially when we got down in the second half.”
‘The green light … to be him’
And veteran-laden St. John’s wouldn’t go away easily. Duke was down two with under nine minutes left when Evans hit a pull-up jumper and turned to hype up the Duke contingent. Scheyer had to remind him he had defense to play, too.
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But the offense just kept coming. Evans set a pick, popped out and nailed a 3. On the next possession, he ran the same action but instead pump-faked, drove and somehow got a layup to go while falling down. It’s a sequence that shows his oozing talent. It’s also a sequence he wasn’t previously capable of.
“He’s one of a kind, man,” Scheyer said. “I think one of the things he’s done is used the weapon of the shooting, and that’s opened up his ability to drive and ability to play-make at times.
“He’s got a weapon. For other guys, those may not be good shots. For him, he’s been doing it all year. You give him the green light to shoot those shots and to be him.”
Evans was Him, and Cameron Boozer was Cameron Boozer, bumping and bruising his way to 22 points and 10 rebounds, right in line with his season averages, despite facing a tremendous St. John’s frontcourt. He even turned into a key part of the press break at times and took advantage, getting to the rim time and time again.
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“Yessir, downhill on these boys,” Boozer said. “If they wanna press us full court, we gotta punish them every now and then. You gotta pick your moments, but you can’t let them pressure you the whole game. You gotta be aggressive, make them take the pressure off a little bit.”
There have been more exciting one-and-dones at Duke than Boozer, ones who flew higher, dunked harder or had better handles or shooting. Shoo-in No. 1 picks.
There hasn’t been a tougher one. And there hasn’t been a team as tough as this Duke team in a long time.
Cameron Boozer
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Boozer looks like he emerged from a fight. He still has two large scars on his right arm from when he got clawed against NC State this season. On the final inbounds play — with Foster finding Boozer to seal the win — a pair of Johnnies ripped his jersey.
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“When we first got here in the summer, we weren’t a physical team at all,” Boozer said. “But you learn to find that dog in you, that grit, body ups, chesting people, collisions on the glass. … We got some dogs out here that aren’t backing down from any fight.”
Nothing came easy for Duke. Prey hit four 3-pointers; he had hit three in his previous 21 games combined. Dillon Mitchell, who was 0-for-14 from deep on the season, made one as well. St. John’s made 13 3-pointers; they had been 13-0 this season when making at least eight.
But every time, there was an answer, whether reliable (Boozer), explosive (Evans) or heroic (Foster).
This wasn’t the first time Foster has saved Duke’s season, though. On Thursday, Scheyer revealed Foster came to him in mid-February and, even with a 22-2 record and coming off a 16-point win over Pitt, didn’t like the “mojo” of the group. So he called a team meeting. The Blue Devils haven’t lost since.
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“It didn’t feel right,” Cayden Boozer said. “We were sloppy. He was just telling us he’s been here for three years, he understands how delicate the season is. He was just telling us we only have two or three more months together, and if we don’t fix this right now, we’re gonna lose our season.”
It felt that way again Friday night. But then Boozer was there. Evans was there. Foster was there. They had 38 of Duke’s 41 points in the second half. When they could have easily crumbled — and some of Scheyer’s previous teams have crumbled — the Blue Devils surged. They’re now 6-0 in games they trail by 10 at any point.
That’s toughness built on trying times, physical, mental and emotional. They have the X-rays, scooters, ripped jerseys and scars to prove it. Soon enough, if they can keep it up, they might just have the trophies and net clippings to match.
There’s an exciting centre-back who is ready to join Liverpool.
When Richard Hughes failed to secure Marc Guehi during the summer transfer window, there was an uneasy sense that the decision might come back to haunt the club.
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That concern has now become reality.
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The serious injury to Giovanni Leoni has left Liverpool’s defensive depth in a fragile state. Passing up another opportunity to sign Guehi in January – only to see him join Manchester City – has made the earlier failure feel even more costly.
There has been some forward planning, with the arrival of Jeremy Jacquet, but he and Leoni cannot be the only ‘new’ centre-bacjs at Anfield next season.
The truth is, relying on Jacquet and the injured Leoni is simply not enough. With Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate both struggling with fitness concerns and facing uncertain futures, reinforcements are essential.
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Liverpool also cannot afford to depend too heavily on inexperienced options like Mor Talla Ndiaye or Ifeanyi Ndukwe. If they are to restore stability at the back, further additions are not just necessary – they are urgent.
Let us introduce you to Liverpool’s perfect solution to this problem – Dylan Lawlor.
He’s kind of a cross over between Joel Matip and Adam Wharton but in centre-back form. Liverpool’s scouts have been credited with interest in the young Cardiff City centre-back, and he could be the perfect extra depth the Reds need – especially considering he likely won’t cost too much money.
Lawlor caught the eye for Cardiff against Doncaster last month with a brilliant solo-goal that made him look like he was prime Matip on turbo power.
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The 20-year-old Welsh centre-back started just outside his own penalty area when he received the ball and decided to go on a rampage.
Lawlor turned into prime Diego Maradona as he waltzed through the League One side’s defence and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
It was yet another sensational moment in Lawlor’s rapidly ascending career. He’s established himself as one of the best young centre-backs in the EFL and has also become a regular at international level for Wales.
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Now he confirmed he was ready to join a club like Liverpool in his most recent outing for Wales. In just his fourth international cap, Lawlor came into the Wales team against Bosnia in a crucial World Cup qualifier and he absolutely shone.
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Lawlor won six out of his nine duels, including three out of four ground duels and three out of five aerial duels. He also made four clearances and four recoveries and really stood up to the physical test that Bosnia’s strong and experienced forwards imposed on him.
That was a sign of Lawlor being ready to step into a more physical environment like the Premier League.
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On top of all of this, he also completed 96 passes and made 10 passes into the final third.
Lawlor’s ability on the ball is what makes him stand-out. He is a very technical and forward thinking player who loves to break lines and also carry the ball – similarly to Wharton.
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He is incredible comfortable under pressure and while he doesn’t have the long gait that Matip had, he has the same ability as the Cameroonian to waltz through opposition lines.
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Defenders often fall into one category. On the ball they are either carriers or passers. Matip was both and so is Lawlor.
That ability to break lines through carrying, rather than just passing alone, makes Lawlor’s style feel very reminiscent of Matip at his best.
Now he’s producing top defensive performances against strong and top class attackers like Edin Dzeko. With his performance on Thursday, Lawlor confirmed he is ready to join a club like Liverpool.
Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson says he has “big respect” for how veteran defender Seamus Coleman has “given everything” to his country’s cause.
While the Everton stalwart would not be drawn on his international future in the immediate aftermath, his career is almost certain to end without having represented the Republic of Ireland at a World Cup.
“I’m especially sad for him, but just for everyone because it was so close,” said Hallgrimsson.
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“To play in the World Cup and to have this game [play-off final] at the Aviva [Stadium] would have been special.
“Obviously he has given everything to this team in his life, so big respect to him like all the others.”
Hallgrimsson left Coleman out of his squad for the first two World Cup qualifiers, but last week admitted the defender “proved me wrong” after he defied a lack of club action to play a big part in the remaining four fixtures, including November’s wins over Portugal and Hungary.
When quizzed on his future, Coleman said: “I’ll be honest, it’s not something I’m thinking about, talking about myself after the nation, the supporters, the players went out in the manner that we went out.
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“It would be selfish and it’s not something that I’ve really dissected myself at the minute.”
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