Basketball

Sources: Pitino in serious discussions for SJU job

Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware. Iona coach Rick Pitino met with St. John’s officials on Sunday, and the sides remain in serious discussions about him becoming the school’s next coach, sources told ESPN. Some clarity from Pitino is expected early this week, as he’s been the school’s primary target since they fired Mike Anderson on March 10. Nothing has changed for St. John’s,

No. 15 Princeton keeps rolling in rout of Mizzou

Covers the Pac-12. Joined ESPN in 2014. Attended Washington State University. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — No. 15-seeded Princeton advanced to the Sweet 16 with 78-63 win against No. 7 Missouri on Saturday, becoming the second Ivy League team to do so since the men’s NCAA basketball tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. It is the third straight year a No. 15 has advanced from the tournament’s opening weekend and the

Down 29, Grizz pull off largest comeback of year

SAN ANTONIO — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points and the Memphis Grizzlies completed the largest comeback in the NBA this season after trailing by 29 in the third quarter, rallying to beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-120 in overtime Friday night. Desmond Bane added 21 points, including eight points in overtime, and Tyus Jones had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Memphis, which faced a nine-point deficit

Sources: Hawks extend Bogdanovic four years

Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has agreed to a four-year, $68 million contract extension, sources told ESPN on Thursday. Bogdanovic declined his $18 million player option for the 2023-24 season and replaces it with a new long-term deal, sources said. Bogdanovic’s representatives at Wasserman finalized the deal with Hawks general manager Landry Fields this week, sources said. At 30, Bogdanovic is

NBA draft stat-based projections, and why Scoot Henderson is nowhere near the top

Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system How do the top prospects in action during the NCAA tournament project statistically? As the college postseason begins in earnest, it’s time for the annual first look at my projections for players in the upcoming NBA draft. This year’s crop of college prospects has been overshadowed with four of the top five

MMA fighter 'choked to sleep' on sofa during wild pre-fight interview

An MMA pre-fight interview descended into chaos when a fighter randomly choked out an opponent who fell unconscious. The incident happened in Russian promotion Hardcore Fighting Championship last year and saw native Zalimkhan Yusupov, who represented his country at the London 2012 Olympic Games, sneak up on an unsuspecting rival. The pair were sat next to each other on a sofa during a chat between nine stars, but the victim

Rugby players stabbed, bottled and bricked in barbaric scenes as fans rush pitch

A rugby player had to undergo surgery on major injuries after being stabbed with a broken bottle neck after a match descended into barbaric violence in South Africa. Jeffreys Bay Rugby Club were the unfortunate losers when visitors Port Elizabeth Harlequins scored a last-minute penalty to claim a 22-24 victory and eliminate the hosts from the Eastern Cape Super 14 Rugby Competition and progress to the quarter-finals. Things quickly turned

Duke's final-month surge yields ACC tourney title

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Jeremy Roach scored 23 points and No. 21 Duke locked down defensively to beat No. 13 Virginia 59-49 in Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship, securing a title in Jon Scheyer’s debut season as the successor to Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. Freshman Kyle Filipowski added 20 points and 10 rebounds as the tournament’s most valuable player for the fourth-seeded Blue Devils (26-8), who completed

Russell keeps Lakers rolling, goes for 28 in return

Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09. LOS ANGELES — It wouldn’t be a stretch to describe D’Angelo Russell’s return to the lineup in the Lakers’ 122-112 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday as perfect. Russell, who missed L.A.’s previous six games with a sprained right ankle, scored

The Milwaukee Bucks are on a postseason mission

MILWAUKEE — DURING A TIMEOUT late in the fourth quarter of a Feb. 24 game against the Miami Heat, Jrue Holiday picked up an orange Gatorade bottle and channeled his inner Backstreet Boy. Holiday had gone to the bench for the final time with 4:30 remaining and his Milwaukee Bucks leading 124-89 on their way to their 13th consecutive win, so it was time for Holiday to enjoy the moment.