Good morning to everyone but especially to...
THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS
It's nice to get a little bit of help from your friends. Two days after Jalen Wilson scored nearly half of his team's points in a blowout loss, No. 9 Kansas used a much more balanced effort to earn a huge, 88-80 win over No. 5 Texas.
- Gradey Dick (21 points), Dajuan Harris Jr. (17), Kevin McCullar Jr. (16), Joseph Yesufu (14) and K.J. Adams (10) all scored in double figures.
- Wilson, who was the only Jayhawk to score in double figures in Saturday's loss at then-No. 13 Iowa State, scored just two points. It was his first single-digit scoring game this season.
- Kansas is now an absurd 18-2 against Texas at Allen Fieldhouse.
For Kansas, this was a must-have against the conference leader. The Big 12's top six now looks like this:
- No. 5 Texas (8-3)
- No. 11 Iowa State (7-3, .5 GB)
- No. 9 Kansas (7-4, 1 GB)
- No. 17 TCU (6-4, 1.5 GB)
- No. 12 Kansas State (6-4, 1.5 GB)
- No. 14 Baylor (6-1, 1.5 GB)
Yes, it's ridiculously stacked. Yes, Kansas still has issues. But if the Jayhawks can get well-rounded offensive efforts like this, they can not only hang in the conference title race, but give themselves a better chance to defend their national championship, too.
Honorable mentions
- Klay Thompson hit 12 3-pointers in a Warriors win, two off his single-game NBA record of 14. He needed just 16 attempts
- The Vikings hired Brian Flores as defensive coordinator.
- The Saints hired Joe Woods as defensive coordinator.
- The Cardinals are down to two finalists for head coach.
- Congrats to A.J. Green for calling it a career.
- Purdue stayed atop the men's AP Top 25. Same for South Carolina on the women's side.
And not such a good morning for...
MANCHESTER CITY
In a stunning development, the Premier League has accused Manchester City of breaking financial rules. There are more than 100 charges over a nine-year span from 2009-2018 following a four-year investigation.
City is also accused of not cooperating with the investigation. Here are more details:
- The Premier League statement says City breached rules requiring them to provide "accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club's financial position," such as the club's revenue, sponsorship revenue and operating costs.
- City allegedly breached rules relating to UEFA regulations, including Financial Fair Play rules, and also did not properly disclose player and manager compensation.
- In a statement, City said the club is "surprised" by the allegations and "welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission."
Oh, and this isn't the first time City's under fire. In 2020, the club was banned from European competition due to FFP violations, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overruled that.
This is "very bad," to be frank, writes our Jonathan Johnson.
- Johnson: "The Premier League's allegations would not be subject to the same sort of time sensitivity [as the 2020 issues] which makes it harder for City to bat them away. Also, Premier League rules would reportedly not allow for appeal to CAS by City. ... Although City being kicked out of the Premier League is unlikely, a hefty points deduction should not be ruled out. ... Given how long it has taken to piece all of this together, do not expect it to be over within a few months -- this could really drag on for some time."
For those not familiar with the Premier League, Manchester City is regarded as the club of this era, having won the league each of the last two seasons and six times since 2011-12. What the future holds will be fascinating.
Not so honorable mentions
- If you looked forward to Tom Brady broadcasting in 2023... you'll have to wait.
- But Brady did get some nice words from Bill Belichick.
- The Chiefs put Mecole Hardman on IR.
- Here's the fallout from the Ja Morant incident.
- Jesse Marsch is out as Leeds United manager.
NBA trade deadline: 65 players that could be moved 🏀
The trade deadline is two days away, and while we've already seen one huge trade (involving Kyrie Irving), that could just be the tip of the iceberg. There are still plenty of buyers and sellers. Just how busy is the market? Consider this: Our James Herbert named 65 players who could be traded by Thursday.
Let's start with one of the biggest question marks. The Mavericks have already added Irving but may not be done. They may not even be close to done. They should be buyers, and James has two names they could unload.
- Herbert: "Christian Wood -- The 27-year-old big man has fit as well as expected with Luka Doncic on offense, but his presence is one of the many reasons that Dallas' defense has taken a step back this season. ... Tim Hardaway Jr. -- His scoring isn't as necessary with Irving around, and they're desperate for defense at every position."
As for the sellers, James has big-picture questions about the Jazz, Raptors and Bulls, all of whom have intriguing, movable pieces. Toronto has three coveted assets in Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and Fred VanVleet, though one might the most sense to move.
- VanVleet: "Like Siakam, VanVleet is one of the biggest success stories in franchise history and hasn't turned 29 yet. Unlike Siakam, he is all but certainly going to be a free agent in the offseason... If Toronto isn't prepared to pay market value to retain him, though, it has to consider its trade options."
So think up your favorite hypothetical trades, fellow NBA fans, and see how many of these names you can get in there.
Scott Boras: Super agent and... Hall of Famer? ⚾
When we think of Hall of Famers, we think of players, coaches, executives. People who helped grow the game. Agents? Not yet. At least not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. And that may never change.
... But if it does, Scott Boras has a compelling case, argues our Matt Snyder. Hear him out:
- Snyder: "No, you don't have to like him. You don't even have to respect his tactics, but you damn sure have to respect the job he's done over the years, collectively, for Major League Baseball players. ... You aren't supposed to like him. He does the dirty work and takes heat for his players. That's part of the job. It's a job no one has ever mastered quite like Scott Boras. It might not land him in the Baseball Hall of Fame someday, but it should."
I'm intrigued by this case, because it is hard to overstate Boras' impact. Matt notes that Boras was the first agent to get a player to $50 million, $100 million, $200 million, $250 million and $300 million in contracts. His clients have made roughly $1 billion this offseason alone.
But it's more than that. Because of how MLB structures contracts, even the best players usually only get one chance to cash in big-time. And Boras, time after time, has been that guy.
Justin Rose wins at Pebble Beach for first victory since 2019 🏌
Justin Rose had already waited four years to win again on the PGA Tour. He wasn't about to let one more day stop him.
Rose waited out the rain-delayed fourth-round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and then ran away from the competition Monday, finishing at 18 under, three strokes clear of the pack.
- It's Rose's first PGA Tour win since the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2019 and his 11th PGA Tour win overall.
- He's the first European to win the event.
- Rose went to bed with a two-stroke lead and had to complete nine holes Monday. He handled them with aplomb, posting three birdies and no bogeys to hold off a crowded field. Brandon Wu and Brendon Todd were co-runners-up at 15 under.
Our Patrick McDonald says this could be the start of a late-career renaissance for Rose.
- McDonald: "Reigning atop the world of golf the last time he won on the PGA Tour, Rose went looking for answers when no questions were being asked. Switching swing coaches and signing with new equipment manufacturers, that chapter of the major champion's career appears to be in the past. If so, the 42-year-old will now not only attempt to play himself into contention at future major championships, but... the 2023 Ryder Cup."
What we're watching Tuesday 📺
🏀 No. 10 Marquette at No. 21 UConn, 6:30 p.m. on FS1
🏀 No. 24 Rutgers at No. 18 Indiana, 6:30 p.m. on BTN
🏀 Suns at Nets, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 22 NC State at No. 8 Virginia, 9 p.m. on ACC Network
🏀 No. 17 TCU at No. 12 Kansas State, 9 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 Thunder at Lakers, 10 p.m. on TNT
