The Big West should receive just one NCAA Tournament bid, but three teams are currently within a game of each other atop the standings.

UC Irvine holds the top spot at 11-4 after defeating Long Beach State yesterday.

Hawaii and Cal State Northridge both have 10-5 conference records after losses on Thursday to Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, respectively.

The Anteaters and Rainbow Warriors have the better overall records with meaningful games still on their slates, so we take a look at those two teams here.

The players at both Hawai’i and UC Irvine have easy access to the beach, but they find themselves in different basketball situations.

Hawai’i’s big men play a drop action in the pick-and-roll. This means the big man doesn’t defend the guard, but provides just enough of a presence to be annoying.

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If the ball handler gets hot from 15 feet, a post player pops for some threes, or if there’s a vertical threat, it can be beaten.

Since the Big West lacks elite athleticism, this defense is effective.

The other guiding principle, and the main one, is no-help defense. This forces the opponent to win one-on-one matchups, which is difficult for most college players.

The justification for this defense is that it helps stymie ball movement.

The Bows rank first in the nation, only allowing 9.0 assists per game this year. UH also ranked in the Top 25 in this same category a season ago.

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Hawai’i is also sixth in the country in defensive rating and 35th in points allowed per game.

Offensively, the Rainbow Warriors are decent, ranking 104th in points scored per contest.

They have four different players who average 10 points or more per game, led by center Isaac Johnson, who averages 13.4.

Head Coach Eran Ganot is on pace to lead Hawaii to its third 20-win season in the last four years, and has recorded just one losing season in his 11-year tenure as the coach at UH.

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UC Irvine (11-4, 18-9)

UC Irvine is like that reliable worker who always gets overlooked. Last year, if not for a missed point-blank layup, they would have won the NIT.

Scarcely any mid-major program will make the Big Dance each season like Gonzaga, but the Anteaters are back at the top of the Big West standings again in 2026.

Offensively, the ‘Eaters are led by Jurian Dixon, who averages 15.5 points per game.

Dixon has proven a bit inconsistent at times, but can also take over a game, as was the case with his 26-point explosion against CSU Bakersfield.

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The Big West Freshman of the Year in 2024-25 decided to stay after a tough end to his freshman season, aided by a bunch of players transferring out, meaning he would get more shots.

Irvine has two other players who average more than 10 points per game, and Kyle Evans is one of those guys.

But Evans isn’t known for his offense; he’s a defensive menace, leading the NCAA in blocked shots, averaging 3.35 blocks per contest.

He has 87 total denials on the year, 15 more than the second-place shot-blocker.

Evans’ defensive presence helps anchor a team that ranks seventh in defensive rating and 43rd in points allowed per game. He also averages 8.5 rebounds per contest.

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The third player averaging more than ten points per game is Derin Saran, who also averages 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.

Russell Turner has done a marvelous job at UC Irvine. Most of his players impact the game in multiple facets, a staple of a winning program.

Not surprisingly, he is the winningest coach in ‘Eaters history.

Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.

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Following a light workout at Cranbourne and subsequent x-rays, the favoured Big Sky has been withdrawn from Victoria’s flagship two-year-old event.

The colt from the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable was primed as the choice for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on Saturday, though Price voiced concerns over the colt after his Friday morning canter at Cranbourne.

Thursday’s Racing Victoria vet barrier check had cleared Big Sky, as it did for all 20 declared runners.

Price’s optimism faded rapidly, however, within the next day as issues emerged with the colt’s stride.

“I had a little canter with him this morning and his action is not what it should be,” Price told SENTrack.

“We know by looking at the data, on Tuesday morning his stride was a little shorter than it should be, but I was looking more at knees this morning and we have had them x-rayed.

“There’s a little bit of immaturity near front, off-front, there’s enough there to say I need a second opinion of what’s going on with that knee.

“We think we can see a small little flake of bone in there.

“I’m not sure we need to do, but what I do know is that horse will not be running on Saturday and will be going to the paddock.”

Price noted that his approach remains consistent across the board, irrespective of whether it’s a premier Group 1 for juveniles or an ordinary mile maiden.

“I wouldn’t ask any horse to do anything I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with, especially a two-year-old baby,” Price said.

“He’s very talented, he might be a Group 1 horse as a three-year-old.

“Regardless of anything in the future, he will not run tomorrow, and the information is ‘black and white’.

“It is disappointing, but it would be disappointment times ten if I was to run him and get a poor result, number one, and to see him pull-up poorly number two.

“He’s a young horse and we need to look after him.”

Markets reacted swiftly, elevating stablemate Guest House to the fore at $4.60, in front of Unit Five ($5.50) and Closer To Free ($6.50).

After vet reviews, the filly Torture trained by Ben, Will and J D Hayes was barred from racing, but Tough Romance from Tony and Calvin McEvoy secured approval.

Phillip Stokes’ first emergency Stretan Ruler was stood down Thursday to contest the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Saturday.

Visit leading betting sites to check the updated betting markets for the race.

Caulfield-bound Closer To Free faces no penalty from trainer Danny O’Brien for his novice status ahead of Victoria’s elite two-year-old showdown.

His qualification for Saturday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield stemmed from a debut romp in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) held on February 7.

Prior to that, O’Brien snapped up the colt post a Caulfield Heath barrier trial conquest nine days earlier under Adrian Corboy’s watch.

Post-debut, Closer To Free has shown further maturation, leaving O’Brien relaxed about the colt’s sophomore appearance on Saturday.

Devil Night mirrored this path last year, capturing the Blue Diamond on his second start following a Prelude second two weeks prior.

“The narrative around his trial was that he was wound up, but Adrian told me he was three or four weeks behind with him because he got cast in his box over Christmas and he missed a couple of weeks work,” O’Brien said.

“When he came to the trials here, he said there was a lot of improvement in the horse and when I saw him in the yard before the Prelude I thought ‘he’s right, you might need another gallop’, but he came out of it really well and will be finding a couple of lengths on Saturday on top of what he’s already shown.”

Saturday’s race poses no issue for O’Brien due to Closer To Free’s light resume.

“The profile of these two-year-old races has changed over the last 15 or 20 years,” O’Brien said.

“The two-year-olds are not having as many starts as they used to before Christmas and ultimately, they get one or two post-Christmas before running in the Blue Diamond and even the Golden Slipper.

“I don’t think that is a disadvantage. I know when Star Witness won it, it was only his third race start, one start in December, one start in January, and then into to the Diamond.”

Discussing Australia’s breeding evolution, O’Brien notes a departure from rushing juveniles to the track.

“When I first started in racing, there probably wasn’t the number of shuttle stallions standing,” O’Brien said.

“It was more the colonials, they were a bit hardier, a bit more get up get going early, whereas nearly every stallion in Australia now has some form of shuttle blood.

“There has been a gradual shift, so I don’t think there is any disadvantage and he has been very well educated and we can thank Adrian for that.

“He’s got a very natural brain and there will be no horse that will handle the parade better than him.

“He’s so relaxed.”

Discover leading betting sites offering racing odds for the Blue Diamond Stakes.

The winner of May’s thriller between heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley and challenger Daniel Dubois could well be targeted by a returning Tyson Fury.

Wardley will mark the first defence of his WBO title at the Co-op Live Arena, having become champion in November when the belt was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk.

The Ipswich man, who stopped Justis Huni and Joseph Parker in 2025, has said he wants a proper first outing as champion to prove to fans he has earned the belt – he had wanted to fight Usyk for it, but the Ukrainian did not share that interest.

As for Dubois, he has managed to get the Ukrainian in the ring, twice, losing on both occasions. Most recently, he was stopped inside five rounds at Wembley Stadium, losing his own world title. This shot at Wardley’s belt in his first fight back represents both an excellent opportunity and a dangerous career move.

Watching on from ringside will be Fury, who ends a year-long retirement in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov. He has made it clear he will target the winner, however can’t split them when predicting who that will be.

Speaking on the FurociTV YouTube channel, ‘The Gypsy King’ praised the matchmaking, ultimately recognising the fight as a pick ’em with a high chance of ending early in either man’s favour, giving Dubois a 50% chance of becoming a two-time champ.

“I think Wardley’s a good fighter and I think the Daniel Dubois fight is a very good fight. Great fight for British boxing – two British heavyweights knocking lumps off each other. These are two big punchers. Whoever lands first with the big shot will win.”

“These guys are 6 foot 4, 6 foot 5 wrecking machines. Look how they’re built – they’re built like Greek gods carved out of stone. They’re training, young, ambitious … They’re both in their prime, both fresh, both young – it’s a real fight, it’s not like one is past it and one isn’t. I think the fans are the real winners here. They get to see a 50/50 fight between two big heavyweights for the world title.”

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Fans, analysts and fighters are split on the contest. While Dubois may well be the hardest puncher Wardley has faced, he has also been stopped on three occasions himself – something the gritty and courageous champion is well known to take advantage of. All of the above makes it one of the best heavyweight fights of the year so far, and perhaps entire.

Hardik Pandya and partner Mahieka Sharma.

As Mahieka Sharma celebrated her 25th birthday, her boyfriend, cricketer Hardik Pandya, made the day extra special with a heartfelt post on Instagram. The all-rounder shared an unseen video of the couple, capturing candid moments of laughter, hugs, and hand-holding as they enjoyed an outdoor setting lit up with fireworks. The clip ended with the pair releasing a floating lantern. Hardik captioned the video, “Happy birthday, my princess .” He added a touching note: “Thank you for coming into this world 25 years ago. You are the most amazing person I know. I love you .” Mahieka responded sweetly, writing, “You’re my best gift this year .”The couple has been seen together on multiple occasions. Earlier this year, they attended the United in Triumph event in Mumbai, holding hands and smiling for the cameras while twinning in black outfits. Hardik had confirmed their relationship in October 2025, just weeks after dating rumours surfaced. They have also been spotted at Mumbai airport and shared vacations together.Hardik was previously married to actor Natasha Stankovic. The pair tied the knot in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and welcomed their son Agastya on July 30, 2020. Their separation was confirmed in July 2025 after months of speculation. In a joint statement, they said: “After four years together, Natasha and I have decided to mutually part ways. We tried our best and gave it our all, and we believe this is in the best interest of both of us. This was a tough decision to make, given the joy, mutual respect, and companionship we shared as we built a family together.”

Team USA women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight’s massive third-period goal that sent the gold medal game against Canada to overtime had historic implications Thursday night in Milan.

Knight became the greatest women’s hockey scorer in Olympic history when she tipped home Julia Edwards’ shot at the blue line with just 2:04 left on the clock while the U.S. had an empty net, to tie the gold medal game at one goal apiece. 

Finally, Team USA was able to erase the shutout against Canada, and it ultimately worked in their favor. 

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Hilary Knight (21) of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the third period during the women’s gold medal match against Canada at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 19, 2026, in Milan, Italy.  (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

In overtime, Megan Keller dangled around a Team Canada defender and tossed a backhand toward the net that got through Ann-Renée Desbiens’ right arm and trickled into the net for the gold medal victory. 

Knight’s goal broke the U.S. women’s record for career goals while representing the Stars and Stripes, which was previously held by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King. She now has 15 for her career.

USA WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM BRINGS OLYMPIC GOLD BACK HOME IN OT THRILLER OVER CANADA

Knight also broke the record for most career Olympic points in Team USA women’s hockey history with her 33rd point, breaking the record previously held by Jenny Potter, who had 11 goals and 21 assists in her career.

This only adds to the illustrious career Knight has had for Team USA. The victory in Milan marked her second Olympic gold medal and fifth overall. And, yes, that is yet another Olympic record. 

Hilary Knight of the United States celebrates her goal during the women’s gold medal match against Canada at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 19, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (RvS.Media/Monika Majer)

Knight, 36, also became the third Olympic hockey player, man or woman, to have five medals in a career.

There’s a reason why Knight wears the “C” on her chest, having tallied 12 gold medals over her career between the Olympics and world championships. She has registered 81 goals and 70 assists throughout her long career. 

Back home, Knight’s resume in the PWHL includes tying for the league lead in points during the 2024-25 campaign with 29 while playing for the Boston Fleet. 

Hilary Knight of the United States during the second period of a women’s playoffs semifinal match against Sweden at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 16, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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And in the Seattle Torrent’s first-ever season this year, she is tied for sixth in the league with seven assists. 

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