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4 NFL Draft bold predictions for 2026 class on QBs, sleepers, and more The 2026 NFL Draft is just over one week away.Let’s start getting spicy.Mark Schofield and James Dator sat down to make their bold predictions for the 2026 NFL Draft, and as you will see, they are not exactly on the same page when it comes to one position in particular.And where they land might surprise you.KC Concepcion is the second WR off the board – JamesThis flies in the face of every draft projection, but the more tape I watch the more I’m convinced that Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion is going to be an absolute stud in the NFL – and I think teams will come to the same conclusion.Carnell Tate will be the No. 1 receiver off the board without question, but when you hit that second bracket of Jordyn Tyson and Makai Lemon neither of them are locks to be great pros. Neither has the ideal route fluidity you really want from a future X receiver, nor do they have size that mitigates those shortcomings.It’s here where Concepcion enters the picture. He doesn’t have X receiver size either, but he is DRIPPING with everything you want from a Y/Z hybrid player. Concepcion has quick feet, amazing ability to shake press defenders, and a knack for finding open space on the field. A team who takes him in the draft will need to understand he slots in best as a secondary option – but that is fine if it means you’re getting an elite second receiver talent, which I think Concepcion can be.This slots nicely into the draft. The Saints at No. 8 are a team who need a complimentary piece to Chris Olave, Kansas City at No. 9 is a place where he could land too, taking pressure off Rashee Rice – while the Rams at No. 13 could be looking for someone to add to their room (potentially even replace Puka Nacua down the road).Three offensive-minded coaches run these teams, all need receiving help to varying degrees, and with Tate off the board I think there’s a lot more upside with someone like Concepcion to come in and help immediately, rather than hoping Tyson or Lemon could become primary threats.Three quarterbacks will be drafted in the first round – JamesThere’s a pattern that keeps emerging in the NFL Draft: Take the number of QBs you expect to go in the first round, then add one.In 2025 Jaxson Dart snuck into the first round. In 2024 it was Bo Nix. This year we know Fernando Mendoza is going to go No. 1 overall, and that Ty Simpson could likely be drafted in the 20s – but I think one more guy is going to sneak into the round, and I think it’s going to be Arkansas’ Taylen Green. Hear me out.Green is undoubtedly a project, but one that isn’t dissimilar in size and athleticism to Anthony Richardson who went No. 5 overall in 2023. That might not be a glowing endorsement, but someone is going to fall in love with the dual-threat upside he brings to the table. If you’re looking at a QB who needs some seasoning before being ready to play then it’s absolutely imperative you get the guy in the first round to secure the 5th year option.This is why I think either the Jets or Cardinals could get froggy and move up from the top of the 2nd round to the end of the 1st and take someone like Green. There’s also a possibility they like someone like Carson Beck for the same reasons the Saints like Tyler Shough a year ago, in that they think he can help them win immediately. At this point though I see the upside of Green as as 6’6 QB with a 4.36 in the forty.Want a wild card? Todd Monken is the new coach of the Browns and his entire offense in Baltimore was predicated around a dual threat QB. I don’t care that they took Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders a year ago, they can’t do what Green does.There’s just this nagging feeling in the back of my head that the athleticism is going to make someone fall in love.Jacob Rodriguez goes in the first round – MarkBefore diving into my two bold predictions, I want to start with this little tidbit:Food for thought, indeed.I think there are three factors at play here. First, the lack of elite talent in this quarterback class. James is right in that we might still see some quarterbacks move up boards, but I’m still not sure that we see that many come off the board in the first round. We might see players slide up to Day 2 from Day 3, or to Day 3 from being priority UDFA-type players, but I’m not sure we see a ton of movement into the first round. Maybe I’m wronte.Second, the expectations around the 2027 QB class are starting to take hold. Albert Breer wrote this earlier this week:The 2027 class affects that, too. The list is long: Oregon’s Dante Moore, Texas’s Arch Manning, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, USC’s Jayden Maiava, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, LSU’s Sam Leavitt, Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby, Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, Miami’s Darian Mensah and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava.You get the picture. Throw in dark-horse transfers such as DJ Lagway at Baylor and Drew Mestemaker at Oklahoma State, and you have 14 quarterbacks who at least have a chance of being taken high in 2027.I really think teams are going to kick the QB decision to next spring.The final factor? The strength in this class comes from positions like safety, offensive and defensive lines and yes, linebacker.That leads me to Jacob Rodriguez.The NFL does seem to be coming back around to the running game. Maybe not to a massive extent, but look at the Seattle Seahawks last season, and look at this from Yahoo analyst Nate Tice:Defending the run might matter again.That leads us to Rodriguez, who parlayed a stunning season into Heisman Trophy buzz a year ago, where he ultimately finished fifth in voting, one of the highest finishes from a pure defensive player in history.His draft stock has slowly increased even since the end of the season, thanks to a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. If positional value is truly out the window this year, his production at the college level will push him into the first round.More safeties than quarterback go in the first — MarkAs a card-carrying member of the quarterback union, I might get kicked out after this one.While my dear friend James thinks three quarterbacks go into the first round, I remain unconvinced. I think at most we see Fernando Mendoza at 1, and Ty Simpson at some point late on Thursday night, perhapse to the Arizona Cardinals via a trade back into the first round.Assuming two quarterbacks go in the first round, I think we see three safeties come off the board.First is Caleb Downs, who was one of my favorite players to study this entire cycle. His profile fits as more of a box safety in the NFL — which is the only reason stopping me from having him at the top of our soon-to-be-released big board — but I think he comes off the board inside the top five.I think Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman comes off the board next, either to Minnesota at 18 or Carolina at 19.Then there are the New England Patriots, who could be a landing spot for Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, as could be the Chicago Bears.In all, I think we see two quarterbacks in the first, and three safeties. #NFL #Draft #bold #predictions #class #QBs #sleepers

4 NFL Draft bold predictions for 2026 class on QBs, sleepers, and more

The 2026 NFL Draft is just over one week away.

Let’s start getting spicy.

Mark Schofield and James Dator sat down to make their bold predictions for the 2026 NFL Draft, and as you will see, they are not exactly on the same page when it comes to one position in particular.

And where they land might surprise you.

KC Concepcion is the second WR off the board – James

This flies in the face of every draft projection, but the more tape I watch the more I’m convinced that Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion is going to be an absolute stud in the NFL – and I think teams will come to the same conclusion.

Carnell Tate will be the No. 1 receiver off the board without question, but when you hit that second bracket of Jordyn Tyson and Makai Lemon neither of them are locks to be great pros. Neither has the ideal route fluidity you really want from a future X receiver, nor do they have size that mitigates those shortcomings.

It’s here where Concepcion enters the picture. He doesn’t have X receiver size either, but he is DRIPPING with everything you want from a Y/Z hybrid player. Concepcion has quick feet, amazing ability to shake press defenders, and a knack for finding open space on the field. A team who takes him in the draft will need to understand he slots in best as a secondary option – but that is fine if it means you’re getting an elite second receiver talent, which I think Concepcion can be.

This slots nicely into the draft. The Saints at No. 8 are a team who need a complimentary piece to Chris Olave, Kansas City at No. 9 is a place where he could land too, taking pressure off Rashee Rice – while the Rams at No. 13 could be looking for someone to add to their room (potentially even replace Puka Nacua down the road).

Three offensive-minded coaches run these teams, all need receiving help to varying degrees, and with Tate off the board I think there’s a lot more upside with someone like Concepcion to come in and help immediately, rather than hoping Tyson or Lemon could become primary threats.

Three quarterbacks will be drafted in the first round – James

There’s a pattern that keeps emerging in the NFL Draft: Take the number of QBs you expect to go in the first round, then add one.

In 2025 Jaxson Dart snuck into the first round. In 2024 it was Bo Nix. This year we know Fernando Mendoza is going to go No. 1 overall, and that Ty Simpson could likely be drafted in the 20s – but I think one more guy is going to sneak into the round, and I think it’s going to be Arkansas’ Taylen Green. Hear me out.

Green is undoubtedly a project, but one that isn’t dissimilar in size and athleticism to Anthony Richardson who went No. 5 overall in 2023. That might not be a glowing endorsement, but someone is going to fall in love with the dual-threat upside he brings to the table. If you’re looking at a QB who needs some seasoning before being ready to play then it’s absolutely imperative you get the guy in the first round to secure the 5th year option.

This is why I think either the Jets or Cardinals could get froggy and move up from the top of the 2nd round to the end of the 1st and take someone like Green. There’s also a possibility they like someone like Carson Beck for the same reasons the Saints like Tyler Shough a year ago, in that they think he can help them win immediately. At this point though I see the upside of Green as as 6’6 QB with a 4.36 in the forty.

Want a wild card? Todd Monken is the new coach of the Browns and his entire offense in Baltimore was predicated around a dual threat QB. I don’t care that they took Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders a year ago, they can’t do what Green does.

There’s just this nagging feeling in the back of my head that the athleticism is going to make someone fall in love.

Jacob Rodriguez goes in the first round – Mark

Before diving into my two bold predictions, I want to start with this little tidbit:

Food for thought, indeed.

I think there are three factors at play here. First, the lack of elite talent in this quarterback class. James is right in that we might still see some quarterbacks move up boards, but I’m still not sure that we see that many come off the board in the first round. We might see players slide up to Day 2 from Day 3, or to Day 3 from being priority UDFA-type players, but I’m not sure we see a ton of movement into the first round. Maybe I’m wronte.

Second, the expectations around the 2027 QB class are starting to take hold. Albert Breer wrote this earlier this week:

The 2027 class affects that, too. The list is long: Oregon’s Dante Moore, Texas’s Arch Manning, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, USC’s Jayden Maiava, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, LSU’s Sam Leavitt, Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby, Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, Miami’s Darian Mensah and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava.

You get the picture. Throw in dark-horse transfers such as DJ Lagway at Baylor and Drew Mestemaker at Oklahoma State, and you have 14 quarterbacks who at least have a chance of being taken high in 2027.

I really think teams are going to kick the QB decision to next spring.

The final factor? The strength in this class comes from positions like safety, offensive and defensive lines and yes, linebacker.

That leads me to Jacob Rodriguez.

The NFL does seem to be coming back around to the running game. Maybe not to a massive extent, but look at the Seattle Seahawks last season, and look at this from Yahoo analyst Nate Tice:

Defending the run might matter again.

That leads us to Rodriguez, who parlayed a stunning season into Heisman Trophy buzz a year ago, where he ultimately finished fifth in voting, one of the highest finishes from a pure defensive player in history.

His draft stock has slowly increased even since the end of the season, thanks to a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. If positional value is truly out the window this year, his production at the college level will push him into the first round.

More safeties than quarterback go in the first — Mark

As a card-carrying member of the quarterback union, I might get kicked out after this one.

While my dear friend James thinks three quarterbacks go into the first round, I remain unconvinced. I think at most we see Fernando Mendoza at 1, and Ty Simpson at some point late on Thursday night, perhapse to the Arizona Cardinals via a trade back into the first round.

Assuming two quarterbacks go in the first round, I think we see three safeties come off the board.

First is Caleb Downs, who was one of my favorite players to study this entire cycle. His profile fits as more of a box safety in the NFL — which is the only reason stopping me from having him at the top of our soon-to-be-released big board — but I think he comes off the board inside the top five.

I think Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman comes off the board next, either to Minnesota at 18 or Carolina at 19.

Then there are the New England Patriots, who could be a landing spot for Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, as could be the Chicago Bears.

In all, I think we see two quarterbacks in the first, and three safeties.

#NFL #Draft #bold #predictions #class #QBs #sleepers

Sports news

The 2026 NFL Draft is just over one week away.

Let’s start getting spicy.

Mark Schofield and James Dator sat down to make their bold predictions for the 2026 NFL Draft, and as you will see, they are not exactly on the same page when it comes to one position in particular.

And where they land might surprise you.

KC Concepcion is the second WR off the board – James

This flies in the face of every draft projection, but the more tape I watch the more I’m convinced that Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion is going to be an absolute stud in the NFL – and I think teams will come to the same conclusion.

Carnell Tate will be the No. 1 receiver off the board without question, but when you hit that second bracket of Jordyn Tyson and Makai Lemon neither of them are locks to be great pros. Neither has the ideal route fluidity you really want from a future X receiver, nor do they have size that mitigates those shortcomings.

It’s here where Concepcion enters the picture. He doesn’t have X receiver size either, but he is DRIPPING with everything you want from a Y/Z hybrid player. Concepcion has quick feet, amazing ability to shake press defenders, and a knack for finding open space on the field. A team who takes him in the draft will need to understand he slots in best as a secondary option – but that is fine if it means you’re getting an elite second receiver talent, which I think Concepcion can be.

This slots nicely into the draft. The Saints at No. 8 are a team who need a complimentary piece to Chris Olave, Kansas City at No. 9 is a place where he could land too, taking pressure off Rashee Rice – while the Rams at No. 13 could be looking for someone to add to their room (potentially even replace Puka Nacua down the road).

Three offensive-minded coaches run these teams, all need receiving help to varying degrees, and with Tate off the board I think there’s a lot more upside with someone like Concepcion to come in and help immediately, rather than hoping Tyson or Lemon could become primary threats.

Three quarterbacks will be drafted in the first round – James

There’s a pattern that keeps emerging in the NFL Draft: Take the number of QBs you expect to go in the first round, then add one.

In 2025 Jaxson Dart snuck into the first round. In 2024 it was Bo Nix. This year we know Fernando Mendoza is going to go No. 1 overall, and that Ty Simpson could likely be drafted in the 20s – but I think one more guy is going to sneak into the round, and I think it’s going to be Arkansas’ Taylen Green. Hear me out.

Green is undoubtedly a project, but one that isn’t dissimilar in size and athleticism to Anthony Richardson who went No. 5 overall in 2023. That might not be a glowing endorsement, but someone is going to fall in love with the dual-threat upside he brings to the table. If you’re looking at a QB who needs some seasoning before being ready to play then it’s absolutely imperative you get the guy in the first round to secure the 5th year option.

This is why I think either the Jets or Cardinals could get froggy and move up from the top of the 2nd round to the end of the 1st and take someone like Green. There’s also a possibility they like someone like Carson Beck for the same reasons the Saints like Tyler Shough a year ago, in that they think he can help them win immediately. At this point though I see the upside of Green as as 6’6 QB with a 4.36 in the forty.

Want a wild card? Todd Monken is the new coach of the Browns and his entire offense in Baltimore was predicated around a dual threat QB. I don’t care that they took Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders a year ago, they can’t do what Green does.

There’s just this nagging feeling in the back of my head that the athleticism is going to make someone fall in love.

Jacob Rodriguez goes in the first round – Mark

Before diving into my two bold predictions, I want to start with this little tidbit:

Food for thought, indeed.

I think there are three factors at play here. First, the lack of elite talent in this quarterback class. James is right in that we might still see some quarterbacks move up boards, but I’m still not sure that we see that many come off the board in the first round. We might see players slide up to Day 2 from Day 3, or to Day 3 from being priority UDFA-type players, but I’m not sure we see a ton of movement into the first round. Maybe I’m wronte.

Second, the expectations around the 2027 QB class are starting to take hold. Albert Breer wrote this earlier this week:

The 2027 class affects that, too. The list is long: Oregon’s Dante Moore, Texas’s Arch Manning, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, USC’s Jayden Maiava, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, LSU’s Sam Leavitt, Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby, Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, Miami’s Darian Mensah and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava.

You get the picture. Throw in dark-horse transfers such as DJ Lagway at Baylor and Drew Mestemaker at Oklahoma State, and you have 14 quarterbacks who at least have a chance of being taken high in 2027.

I really think teams are going to kick the QB decision to next spring.

The final factor? The strength in this class comes from positions like safety, offensive and defensive lines and yes, linebacker.

That leads me to Jacob Rodriguez.

The NFL does seem to be coming back around to the running game. Maybe not to a massive extent, but look at the Seattle Seahawks last season, and look at this from Yahoo analyst Nate Tice:

Defending the run might matter again.

That leads us to Rodriguez, who parlayed a stunning season into Heisman Trophy buzz a year ago, where he ultimately finished fifth in voting, one of the highest finishes from a pure defensive player in history.

His draft stock has slowly increased even since the end of the season, thanks to a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. If positional value is truly out the window this year, his production at the college level will push him into the first round.

More safeties than quarterback go in the first — Mark

As a card-carrying member of the quarterback union, I might get kicked out after this one.

While my dear friend James thinks three quarterbacks go into the first round, I remain unconvinced. I think at most we see Fernando Mendoza at 1, and Ty Simpson at some point late on Thursday night, perhapse to the Arizona Cardinals via a trade back into the first round.

Assuming two quarterbacks go in the first round, I think we see three safeties come off the board.

First is Caleb Downs, who was one of my favorite players to study this entire cycle. His profile fits as more of a box safety in the NFL — which is the only reason stopping me from having him at the top of our soon-to-be-released big board — but I think he comes off the board inside the top five.

I think Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman comes off the board next, either to Minnesota at 18 or Carolina at 19.

Then there are the New England Patriots, who could be a landing spot for Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, as could be the Chicago Bears.

In all, I think we see two quarterbacks in the first, and three safeties.

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#NFL #Draft #bold #predictions #class #QBs #sleepers

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WADA admits to doping concerns in India, indicates close monitoring of process <div id="content-body-70869167" itemprop="articleBody"><p>The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) on Thursday declared that doping was a big problem in India and that it would be working closely and monitoring the country’s anti-doping process and systems in the coming months.</p><p>WADA president Witold Banka and director of intelligence and investigations Günter Younger, addressing select media in New Delhi, admitted as much after the final conference of the expansion phase of its Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations Network (GAIIN) in Asia and Oceania.</p><p>The one-day meeting brought together representatives of law enforcement agencies and National Anti-Doping Organisations from 23 countries in Europe and 45 countries across the Asia/Oceania region besides INTERPOL and EUROPOL.</p><p>“Operation Upstream is a global operation across continents but there is no doubt that the biggest producer of illegal and performance enhancing drugs, illegal steroids is in India. Of course, there’s no doubt that we have a problem with doping in India. This is an ongoing, confidential operation but there are no doubts that there is a big problem here,” Banka said.</p><p>While appreciating the support from various Indian agencies, Banka nevertheless made it clear that compliance with WADA rules and cleaning up the house was non-negotiable to India’s hopes of hosting major sporting events.</p><p>“There is understanding of the problem here, no one is blind on the problem. I was very honest and very clear that we, as WADA, expect stronger engagement and commitment. Our expectation is to see how NADA applies the rules, how strong is the system, how the investigation looks like, to assess the educational actions and programmes. India is very ambitious when it comes to organising sporting events, it will not be possible without strong anti-doping policy,” he added.</p><p>He also agreed that there was a need to revise the code to make coaches and doctors more accountable and punishable without putting the onus completely on the athlete, something sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya hinted at during his address in the morning.</p><p>“The government is working towards introducing criminal provisions against those involved in administering or trafficking prohibited substances. While earlier efforts were largely confined to laboratory testing protocols and athlete compliance, doping today is an organised multinational enterprise, underscoring the need for coordinated global response,” Mandaviya said.</p><p>Banka also revealed that he had visited the National Dope Testing laboratory – with NADA Director General Anant Kumar saying there were plans to set up more labs — and that there would be a virtual audit regarding the results and management of the decision results and management process in the coming weeks. “There’s room for improvement and we see the need to accelerate in many areas like testing, I&I and verification. We will monitor the efforts as well,” Banka said.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 16, 2026</p></div> #WADA #admits #doping #concerns #India #close #monitoring #process

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Deadspin | NHL roundup: Knights rally past Kraken to clinch Pacific Division <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28739776.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28739776.jpg" alt="NHL: Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 15, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) celebrates with right wing Reilly Smith (19) and defenseman Shea Theodore (27) after the Golden Knights defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Reilly Smith scored twice during Vegas’ three-goal third period and also had an assist as the Golden Knights rallied for a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken to clinch the Pacific Division title on Wednesday in Las Vegas.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>It was the 31st multi-goal game of Smith’s career and his second of the season. Jack Eichel had two assists and Shea Theodore and Mitch Marner added goals for Vegas (39-26-17, 95 points), which will face the Utah Mammoth in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Carter Hart finished with 22 saves for the Golden Knights, who extended their point streak to a season-high 10 games (7-0-3). It is the third Pacific Division title in four years and sixth in nine seasons for Vegas, which improved to 7-0-1 since John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as head coach.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Shane Wright scored a goal for Seattle (34-36-11, 79 points), which is 2-7-1 over its past 10 games. Nikke Kokko made 22 saves for the Kraken, who play their final game of the season on Thursday at Colorado.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>Stars 4, Sabres 3 (SO)</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Wyatt Johnston scored the shootout winner for Dallas in a victory at Buffalo.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Esa Lindell and Justin Hryckowian finished with a goal and an assist each for the Stars, who ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak. Mavrik Bourque added his 20th goal of the season, and Jake Oettinger made 21 saves.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>Zach Benson had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, whose four-game winning streak ended. Buffalo also got regulation goals from Josh Norris and Alex Tuch. Owen Power logged two assists, and Colten Ellis stopped 25 shots.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>Senators 3, Maple Leafs 1</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Drake Batherson and Warren Foegele scored power-play goals and Ottawa defeated visiting Toronto in the regular-season finale for both teams.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>Dylan Cozens added an empty-net goal for the Senators, and Claude Giroux contributed two assists. Former Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer stopped 19 shots for the Senators, who won the season series with Toronto 3-1-0.</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>William Nylander scored for Toronto in a game that lacked much of the bite that usually is associated with a Battle of Ontario clash. Dennis Hildeby made 35 saves.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-13"> <p>Panthers 8, Red Wings 1</p> </section> <section id="section-14"> <p>Mike Benning scored his first two NHL goals, Wilmer Skoog tallied his first two assists in his third game and Mikulas Hovorka got his first point in his fourth contest as Florida dominated Detroit in Sunrise, Fla.</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>Luke Kunin had two goals and an assist, Cole Reinhardt added a goal and an assist, Matthew Tkachuk and Marek Alscher each had two assists and Daniil Tarasov made 24 saves for the Panthers.</p> </section><section id="section-16"> <p>Justin Faulk scored the lone goal for the Red Wings, who went 2-6-2 in their last 10 games of the season. Cam Talbot made eight saves in relief of John Gibson, who allowed four goals on 11 shots and exited in the second period after getting hit in the face with the puck.</p> </section><section id="section-17"> <p>Rangers 4, Lightning 2</p> </section><section id="section-18"> <p>Tye Kartye scored the game’s first two goals in a three-point showing and visiting New York ended its season on a high note with a win over playoff-bound Tampa Bay.</p> </section><section id="section-19"> <p>Mika Zibanejad notched a power-play goal and an assist, Gabe Perreault netted a goal and J.T. Miller dished out two assists. Goaltender Dylan Garand made 29 saves and moved to 2-0-1.</p> </section><section id="section-20"> <p>Oliver Bjorkstrand and Corey Perry scored goals for the Lightning. In his second appearance this season, Brandon Halverson stopped 17 shots.</p> </section><section id="section-21"> <p>Blackhawks 5, Sharks 2</p> </section><section id="section-22"> <p>Louis Crevier scored two third-period goals and Chicago scored five straight to rally for a season-ending win against visiting San Jose.</p> </section><section id="section-23"> <p>Sam Rinzel, Ryan Greene and Nick Lardis also scored, Connor Bedard had two assists and Spencer Knight made 15 saves for the Blackhawks, who had lost four in a row and nine of 10 (1-8-1).</p> </section><section id="section-24"> <p>Mario Ferraro and Michael Misa scored, Kiefer Sherwood had two assists and Yaroslav Askarov made 19 saves and turned away a penalty shot for the Sharks, who have lost four of five (1-3-1) entering their finale on Thursday at Winnipeg.</p> </section><section id="section-25"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #NHL #roundup #Knights #rally #Kraken #clinch #Pacific #Division

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Deadspin | Wild handle Avalanche first postseason loss in dominant fashion May 9, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) on a breakaway against Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) in the first period of game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber each finished with a goal and two assists as the Minnesota Wild pulled away for a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn. Quinn Hughes tallied a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy also scored for the Wild. Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal for Colorado, which lost for the first time in the postseason after entering with a 6-0 record. Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 34 of 35 shots to earn the victory. Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood allowed three goals on 12 shots before he was replaced in the second period. Mackenzie Blackwood saw his first action of the postseason and stopped 12 of 13 shots in backup duty. The teams will reconvene for Game 4 on Monday night in Minnesota. Minnesota grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period. Kaprizov opened the scoring with 4:49 remaining in the first period. He raced toward the net, took a pass from Faber and finished with a wrist shot from the left side of the crease. Hughes scored less than two minutes later to give the Wild a two-goal advantage. He handled the puck from the left circle to the top of the slot and fired a wrist shot through traffic for the power-play goal. Another power-play goal gave Minnesota a 3-0 lead with 15:37 left in the second period. Hartman parked in front of the crease and knocked in a shot from the point by Mats Zuccarello. The Avalanche got on the scoreboard with 6:49 remaining in the second period. Wallstedt stopped Colorado’s initial shot, but MacKinnon spotted the rebound and punched it in for the power-play goal. The Wild needed only 20 seconds to respond. Faber scored on a deflection to increase the Wild’s lead to 4-1 with 6:29 to go in the second period. Boldy capped the scoring with an empty-net goal with 3.3 seconds remaining. -Field Level Media #Deadspin #Wild #handle #Avalanche #postseason #loss #dominant #fashionMay 9, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) on a breakaway against Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) in the first period of game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber each finished with a goal and two assists as the Minnesota Wild pulled away for a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Quinn Hughes tallied a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy also scored for the Wild.

Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal for Colorado, which lost for the first time in the postseason after entering with a 6-0 record.

Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 34 of 35 shots to earn the victory.

Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood allowed three goals on 12 shots before he was replaced in the second period. Mackenzie Blackwood saw his first action of the postseason and stopped 12 of 13 shots in backup duty.

The teams will reconvene for Game 4 on Monday night in Minnesota.


Minnesota grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period. Kaprizov opened the scoring with 4:49 remaining in the first period. He raced toward the net, took a pass from Faber and finished with a wrist shot from the left side of the crease.

Hughes scored less than two minutes later to give the Wild a two-goal advantage. He handled the puck from the left circle to the top of the slot and fired a wrist shot through traffic for the power-play goal.

Another power-play goal gave Minnesota a 3-0 lead with 15:37 left in the second period. Hartman parked in front of the crease and knocked in a shot from the point by Mats Zuccarello.

The Avalanche got on the scoreboard with 6:49 remaining in the second period. Wallstedt stopped Colorado’s initial shot, but MacKinnon spotted the rebound and punched it in for the power-play goal.

The Wild needed only 20 seconds to respond. Faber scored on a deflection to increase the Wild’s lead to 4-1 with 6:29 to go in the second period.

Boldy capped the scoring with an empty-net goal with 3.3 seconds remaining.

-Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Wild #handle #Avalanche #postseason #loss #dominant #fashion">Deadspin | Wild handle Avalanche first postseason loss in dominant fashion May 9, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) on a breakaway against Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) in the first period of game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber each finished with a goal and two assists as the Minnesota Wild pulled away for a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn. Quinn Hughes tallied a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy also scored for the Wild. Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal for Colorado, which lost for the first time in the postseason after entering with a 6-0 record. Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 34 of 35 shots to earn the victory. Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood allowed three goals on 12 shots before he was replaced in the second period. Mackenzie Blackwood saw his first action of the postseason and stopped 12 of 13 shots in backup duty. The teams will reconvene for Game 4 on Monday night in Minnesota. Minnesota grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period. Kaprizov opened the scoring with 4:49 remaining in the first period. He raced toward the net, took a pass from Faber and finished with a wrist shot from the left side of the crease. Hughes scored less than two minutes later to give the Wild a two-goal advantage. He handled the puck from the left circle to the top of the slot and fired a wrist shot through traffic for the power-play goal. Another power-play goal gave Minnesota a 3-0 lead with 15:37 left in the second period. Hartman parked in front of the crease and knocked in a shot from the point by Mats Zuccarello. The Avalanche got on the scoreboard with 6:49 remaining in the second period. Wallstedt stopped Colorado’s initial shot, but MacKinnon spotted the rebound and punched it in for the power-play goal. The Wild needed only 20 seconds to respond. Faber scored on a deflection to increase the Wild’s lead to 4-1 with 6:29 to go in the second period. Boldy capped the scoring with an empty-net goal with 3.3 seconds remaining. -Field Level Media #Deadspin #Wild #handle #Avalanche #postseason #loss #dominant #fashion

Of the 10-15 programs that had the greatest impact on men’s college basketball over the past couple of decades, perhaps none entered the post-COVID world with a more uncertain long-term future than Florida.

From 2014 through 2o24, Florida participated in a total of just five NCAA Tournaments. It was never seeded better than fourth, and it made the tournament’s second weekend just one time.

There was a general belief that UF was a program that had experienced a few nice moments over the years, caught lightning in a bottle for a brief stretch in the mid-2000s, and now was poised to live out the remainder of its basketball existence as a notable also-ran.

Such an existence would not have been atypical for Florida.

On a football-crazy campus, Gator basketball was always fighting an uphill battle when it came to trying to capture the complete attention of its fan base before late December. Before Billy Donovan arrived in Gainesville in 1996, the sport wasn’t even a post-holiday hobby.

Despite playing in a power conference since the inception of the SEC in 1932, Florida had played in just five NCAA Tournaments in its history. It had advanced past the opening weekend just twice before Donovan was hired.

The hiring of Donovan, who was just 31-years-old and (despite his slicked back hair) looked like he could have passed for 21, didn’t make much of an impact in the college basketball world initially. Donovan was a name, sure, but that was more from his playing days at Providence and his tight-knit relationship with his college coach, Rick Pitino. After spending five seasons as an assistant at Kentucky under Pitino, Donovan was hired as the head coach at Marshall where he went 35-20 over two seasons and never flirted with an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Despite the lack of anything resembling an initial splash, the hiring of Donovan ushered in an era of success in Gainesville that no one saw coming.

Under the direction of “Billy the Kid,” Florida made 14 trips to the Big Dance, won six SEC championships, advanced to the Final Four four times, and until 12 months ago, was the most recent program to win back-to-back national championships (2006-07).

As it tends to do, all that success came hand-in-hand with rumors of bigger and better things for the man responsible. Openings at programs like Kentucky and UCLA and a brief commitment by Donovan to become the new head coach of the Orlando Magic forced Florida fans to come face-to-face with the question of what their national powerhouse of a basketball program would look like without the man receiving the lion’s share of the credit for its rapid ascension.

They got to face that world head on when Donovan was finally lured away by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015. The departure came after a woeful 16-17 campaign, Donovan’s first losing season as a head coach since his second year in Gainesville.

Florida handed the keys to its car to Mike White. Like Donovan before him, White had been a head coach at just one stop prior to UF (Louisiana Tech), and had never coached a game in the NCAA Tournament. That was just about where the similarities ended.

The program didn’t fall off a cliff in the years immediately following Donovan’s departure, but it didn’t soar either. White took Florida to the NCAA Tournament in four straight years from 2017-2021, winning at least one game in the Big Dance each time. But there was just one trip past the second round, the team was never a serious contender for an SEC championship, and the Gators were just 10-15 in the month of March between 2017 and 2022. That’s when White pulled a “you can’t fire me, I quit” and bolted for Georgia.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin quickly turned his attention to Todd Golden, a head coach with a familiar profile.

Golden was 36, looked significantly younger, and had a forward-thinking approach to the game at basketball. At San Francisco, Golden had preached “Nerd Ball,” a term coined by previous USF head coach Kyle Smith, whom Golden worked under for three seasons. Emphasizing analytics and internal “hustle stats” specific to the program, Golden won 57 games in three seasons with the Dons, leading them to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection in 2022.

Questions from Gator fans about whether or not the approach could work at the power conference level were not initially met with a comforting answer. Florida went 16-17 in year one, losing in the first round of the NIT. They made the NCAA Tournament as a 7-seed a year later, losing to Colorado in the first round.

The 2024-25 season was supposed to be another small step forward for Golden and company. The Gators were No. 21 in the preseason AP top 25 poll, and picked to finish sixth in the SEC.

In an era of unprecedented roster turnover, Golden banked on roster retention being the key to a season of overachievement. He had been able to convince the five-player nucleus of his 2023-24 team, including All-American Walter Clayton Jr., to return to Gainesville for at least one more season.

“For us going from years two to three, one of the advantages that we thought we had going into the off-season was that we had some good young guys in our program,” Golden said at SEC Media Day before the season. “But it all starts with the retention, and it all starts with that continuity, and any team that’s able to build continuity within their program I think is going to be a better chance of being successful.”

Golden added that if his team could advance in the NCAA Tournament and finish the season ranked higher than its preseason ranking of 21, it would be a nice way to show the fans that the program is back on the right track. They did far more than that, winning a school-record 36 games, rolling to the national championship, and making Golden the youngest head coach since the legendary Jim Valvano to cut down the nets.

With the historic win over Houston in the title game, “football school” Florida became one of just 10 men’s college basketball programs to win three or more national championships, and joined UConn as the only two programs in the sport to win more than two titles over the last 20 years.

But could the lightning be kept in the bottle a bit longer this time?

Golden lost the three leading scorers from his national title team to graduation, but was able to convince all three members of his stellar frontcourt to return to Gainesville for another year. The additions of transfer guards Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton) struggled to gel early in the season but found their stride during conference play. The Gators won 11 consecutive games to end the regular season and, ultimately, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. The dream of back-to-back titles for the second time in two decades came crashing to a halt with a stunning 1-point loss to Iowa in the second round.

Any concern that the window on Florida’s second run of elite success might be closing got shut down almost immediately after the team’s tournament exit.

Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu and Thomas Huagh — widely considered to be the best frontcourt trio in the country — all announced that they would be spurning the NBA and the transfer portal in favor of returning to Florida for one more shot at a second title. Fland, who was stellar for the Gators down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, also announced that he was returning, citing “unfinished business.” Golden is also bringing back top reserve guard Urban Klavzar, and though he needs a waiver to play, is also potentially getting back guard Denzel Aberdeen, a key reserve on the 2025 championship team who spent last season at Kentucky.

This unprecedented level of roster retention in the transfer portal/NIL era has made the Gators nearly everyone’s “way too early” No. 1 team for the 2026-27 season.

Golden isn’t the only head coach to talk about the importance of roster retention in this brave, new world of college hoops, but he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” better than anyone in the country has over the past three years. The result is Florida basketball potentially being positioned for its best run of sustained success ever, one that could push it even further up the all-time college basketball totem pole.

#Florida #figure #college #basketballs #secret #sauce #national #championship #favorites">Florida figure out college basketball’s ‘secret sauce,’ and it makes them national championship favorites Of the 10-15 programs that had the greatest impact on men’s college basketball over the past couple of decades, perhaps none entered the post-COVID world with a more uncertain long-term future than Florida.From 2014 through 2o24, Florida participated in a total of just five NCAA Tournaments. It was never seeded better than fourth, and it made the tournament’s second weekend just one time.There was a general belief that UF was a program that had experienced a few nice moments over the years, caught lightning in a bottle for a brief stretch in the mid-2000s, and now was poised to live out the remainder of its basketball existence as a notable also-ran.Such an existence would not have been atypical for Florida.On a football-crazy campus, Gator basketball was always fighting an uphill battle when it came to trying to capture the complete attention of its fan base before late December. Before Billy Donovan arrived in Gainesville in 1996, the sport wasn’t even a post-holiday hobby.Despite playing in a power conference since the inception of the SEC in 1932, Florida had played in just five NCAA Tournaments in its history. It had advanced past the opening weekend just twice before Donovan was hired.The hiring of Donovan, who was just 31-years-old and (despite his slicked back hair) looked like he could have passed for 21, didn’t make much of an impact in the college basketball world initially. Donovan was a name, sure, but that was more from his playing days at Providence and his tight-knit relationship with his college coach, Rick Pitino. After spending five seasons as an assistant at Kentucky under Pitino, Donovan was hired as the head coach at Marshall where he went 35-20 over two seasons and never flirted with an NCAA Tournament appearance.Despite the lack of anything resembling an initial splash, the hiring of Donovan ushered in an era of success in Gainesville that no one saw coming.Under the direction of “Billy the Kid,” Florida made 14 trips to the Big Dance, won six SEC championships, advanced to the Final Four four times, and until 12 months ago, was the most recent program to win back-to-back national championships (2006-07).As it tends to do, all that success came hand-in-hand with rumors of bigger and better things for the man responsible. Openings at programs like Kentucky and UCLA and a brief commitment by Donovan to become the new head coach of the Orlando Magic forced Florida fans to come face-to-face with the question of what their national powerhouse of a basketball program would look like without the man receiving the lion’s share of the credit for its rapid ascension.They got to face that world head on when Donovan was finally lured away by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015. The departure came after a woeful 16-17 campaign, Donovan’s first losing season as a head coach since his second year in Gainesville.Florida handed the keys to its car to Mike White. Like Donovan before him, White had been a head coach at just one stop prior to UF (Louisiana Tech), and had never coached a game in the NCAA Tournament. That was just about where the similarities ended.The program didn’t fall off a cliff in the years immediately following Donovan’s departure, but it didn’t soar either. White took Florida to the NCAA Tournament in four straight years from 2017-2021, winning at least one game in the Big Dance each time. But there was just one trip past the second round, the team was never a serious contender for an SEC championship, and the Gators were just 10-15 in the month of March between 2017 and 2022. That’s when White pulled a “you can’t fire me, I quit” and bolted for Georgia.Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin quickly turned his attention to Todd Golden, a head coach with a familiar profile.Golden was 36, looked significantly younger, and had a forward-thinking approach to the game at basketball. At San Francisco, Golden had preached “Nerd Ball,” a term coined by previous USF head coach Kyle Smith, whom Golden worked under for three seasons. Emphasizing analytics and internal “hustle stats” specific to the program, Golden won 57 games in three seasons with the Dons, leading them to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection in 2022.Questions from Gator fans about whether or not the approach could work at the power conference level were not initially met with a comforting answer. Florida went 16-17 in year one, losing in the first round of the NIT. They made the NCAA Tournament as a 7-seed a year later, losing to Colorado in the first round.The 2024-25 season was supposed to be another small step forward for Golden and company. The Gators were No. 21 in the preseason AP top 25 poll, and picked to finish sixth in the SEC.In an era of unprecedented roster turnover, Golden banked on roster retention being the key to a season of overachievement. He had been able to convince the five-player nucleus of his 2023-24 team, including All-American Walter Clayton Jr., to return to Gainesville for at least one more season.“For us going from years two to three, one of the advantages that we thought we had going into the off-season was that we had some good young guys in our program,” Golden said at SEC Media Day before the season. “But it all starts with the retention, and it all starts with that continuity, and any team that’s able to build continuity within their program I think is going to be a better chance of being successful.”Golden added that if his team could advance in the NCAA Tournament and finish the season ranked higher than its preseason ranking of 21, it would be a nice way to show the fans that the program is back on the right track. They did far more than that, winning a school-record 36 games, rolling to the national championship, and making Golden the youngest head coach since the legendary Jim Valvano to cut down the nets.With the historic win over Houston in the title game, “football school” Florida became one of just 10 men’s college basketball programs to win three or more national championships, and joined UConn as the only two programs in the sport to win more than two titles over the last 20 years.But could the lightning be kept in the bottle a bit longer this time?Golden lost the three leading scorers from his national title team to graduation, but was able to convince all three members of his stellar frontcourt to return to Gainesville for another year. The additions of transfer guards Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton) struggled to gel early in the season but found their stride during conference play. The Gators won 11 consecutive games to end the regular season and, ultimately, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. The dream of back-to-back titles for the second time in two decades came crashing to a halt with a stunning 1-point loss to Iowa in the second round.Any concern that the window on Florida’s second run of elite success might be closing got shut down almost immediately after the team’s tournament exit.Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu and Thomas Huagh — widely considered to be the best frontcourt trio in the country — all announced that they would be spurning the NBA and the transfer portal in favor of returning to Florida for one more shot at a second title. Fland, who was stellar for the Gators down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, also announced that he was returning, citing “unfinished business.” Golden is also bringing back top reserve guard Urban Klavzar, and though he needs a waiver to play, is also potentially getting back guard Denzel Aberdeen, a key reserve on the 2025 championship team who spent last season at Kentucky.This unprecedented level of roster retention in the transfer portal/NIL era has made the Gators nearly everyone’s “way too early” No. 1 team for the 2026-27 season.Golden isn’t the only head coach to talk about the importance of roster retention in this brave, new world of college hoops, but he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” better than anyone in the country has over the past three years. The result is Florida basketball potentially being positioned for its best run of sustained success ever, one that could push it even further up the all-time college basketball totem pole. #Florida #figure #college #basketballs #secret #sauce #national #championship #favorites

way too early” No. 1 team for the 2026-27 season.

Golden isn’t the only head coach to talk about the importance of roster retention in this brave, new world of college hoops, but he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” better than anyone in the country has over the past three years. The result is Florida basketball potentially being positioned for its best run of sustained success ever, one that could push it even further up the all-time college basketball totem pole.

#Florida #figure #college #basketballs #secret #sauce #national #championship #favorites">Florida figure out college basketball’s ‘secret sauce,’ and it makes them national championship favorites

Of the 10-15 programs that had the greatest impact on men’s college basketball over the past couple of decades, perhaps none entered the post-COVID world with a more uncertain long-term future than Florida.

From 2014 through 2o24, Florida participated in a total of just five NCAA Tournaments. It was never seeded better than fourth, and it made the tournament’s second weekend just one time.

There was a general belief that UF was a program that had experienced a few nice moments over the years, caught lightning in a bottle for a brief stretch in the mid-2000s, and now was poised to live out the remainder of its basketball existence as a notable also-ran.

Such an existence would not have been atypical for Florida.

On a football-crazy campus, Gator basketball was always fighting an uphill battle when it came to trying to capture the complete attention of its fan base before late December. Before Billy Donovan arrived in Gainesville in 1996, the sport wasn’t even a post-holiday hobby.

Despite playing in a power conference since the inception of the SEC in 1932, Florida had played in just five NCAA Tournaments in its history. It had advanced past the opening weekend just twice before Donovan was hired.

The hiring of Donovan, who was just 31-years-old and (despite his slicked back hair) looked like he could have passed for 21, didn’t make much of an impact in the college basketball world initially. Donovan was a name, sure, but that was more from his playing days at Providence and his tight-knit relationship with his college coach, Rick Pitino. After spending five seasons as an assistant at Kentucky under Pitino, Donovan was hired as the head coach at Marshall where he went 35-20 over two seasons and never flirted with an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Despite the lack of anything resembling an initial splash, the hiring of Donovan ushered in an era of success in Gainesville that no one saw coming.

Under the direction of “Billy the Kid,” Florida made 14 trips to the Big Dance, won six SEC championships, advanced to the Final Four four times, and until 12 months ago, was the most recent program to win back-to-back national championships (2006-07).

As it tends to do, all that success came hand-in-hand with rumors of bigger and better things for the man responsible. Openings at programs like Kentucky and UCLA and a brief commitment by Donovan to become the new head coach of the Orlando Magic forced Florida fans to come face-to-face with the question of what their national powerhouse of a basketball program would look like without the man receiving the lion’s share of the credit for its rapid ascension.

They got to face that world head on when Donovan was finally lured away by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015. The departure came after a woeful 16-17 campaign, Donovan’s first losing season as a head coach since his second year in Gainesville.

Florida handed the keys to its car to Mike White. Like Donovan before him, White had been a head coach at just one stop prior to UF (Louisiana Tech), and had never coached a game in the NCAA Tournament. That was just about where the similarities ended.

The program didn’t fall off a cliff in the years immediately following Donovan’s departure, but it didn’t soar either. White took Florida to the NCAA Tournament in four straight years from 2017-2021, winning at least one game in the Big Dance each time. But there was just one trip past the second round, the team was never a serious contender for an SEC championship, and the Gators were just 10-15 in the month of March between 2017 and 2022. That’s when White pulled a “you can’t fire me, I quit” and bolted for Georgia.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin quickly turned his attention to Todd Golden, a head coach with a familiar profile.

Golden was 36, looked significantly younger, and had a forward-thinking approach to the game at basketball. At San Francisco, Golden had preached “Nerd Ball,” a term coined by previous USF head coach Kyle Smith, whom Golden worked under for three seasons. Emphasizing analytics and internal “hustle stats” specific to the program, Golden won 57 games in three seasons with the Dons, leading them to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection in 2022.

Questions from Gator fans about whether or not the approach could work at the power conference level were not initially met with a comforting answer. Florida went 16-17 in year one, losing in the first round of the NIT. They made the NCAA Tournament as a 7-seed a year later, losing to Colorado in the first round.

The 2024-25 season was supposed to be another small step forward for Golden and company. The Gators were No. 21 in the preseason AP top 25 poll, and picked to finish sixth in the SEC.

In an era of unprecedented roster turnover, Golden banked on roster retention being the key to a season of overachievement. He had been able to convince the five-player nucleus of his 2023-24 team, including All-American Walter Clayton Jr., to return to Gainesville for at least one more season.

“For us going from years two to three, one of the advantages that we thought we had going into the off-season was that we had some good young guys in our program,” Golden said at SEC Media Day before the season. “But it all starts with the retention, and it all starts with that continuity, and any team that’s able to build continuity within their program I think is going to be a better chance of being successful.”

Golden added that if his team could advance in the NCAA Tournament and finish the season ranked higher than its preseason ranking of 21, it would be a nice way to show the fans that the program is back on the right track. They did far more than that, winning a school-record 36 games, rolling to the national championship, and making Golden the youngest head coach since the legendary Jim Valvano to cut down the nets.

With the historic win over Houston in the title game, “football school” Florida became one of just 10 men’s college basketball programs to win three or more national championships, and joined UConn as the only two programs in the sport to win more than two titles over the last 20 years.

But could the lightning be kept in the bottle a bit longer this time?

Golden lost the three leading scorers from his national title team to graduation, but was able to convince all three members of his stellar frontcourt to return to Gainesville for another year. The additions of transfer guards Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton) struggled to gel early in the season but found their stride during conference play. The Gators won 11 consecutive games to end the regular season and, ultimately, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. The dream of back-to-back titles for the second time in two decades came crashing to a halt with a stunning 1-point loss to Iowa in the second round.

Any concern that the window on Florida’s second run of elite success might be closing got shut down almost immediately after the team’s tournament exit.

Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu and Thomas Huagh — widely considered to be the best frontcourt trio in the country — all announced that they would be spurning the NBA and the transfer portal in favor of returning to Florida for one more shot at a second title. Fland, who was stellar for the Gators down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, also announced that he was returning, citing “unfinished business.” Golden is also bringing back top reserve guard Urban Klavzar, and though he needs a waiver to play, is also potentially getting back guard Denzel Aberdeen, a key reserve on the 2025 championship team who spent last season at Kentucky.

This unprecedented level of roster retention in the transfer portal/NIL era has made the Gators nearly everyone’s “way too early” No. 1 team for the 2026-27 season.

Golden isn’t the only head coach to talk about the importance of roster retention in this brave, new world of college hoops, but he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” better than anyone in the country has over the past three years. The result is Florida basketball potentially being positioned for its best run of sustained success ever, one that could push it even further up the all-time college basketball totem pole.

#Florida #figure #college #basketballs #secret #sauce #national #championship #favorites

Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden credited his side’s consistency-driven approach and potent bowling attack after their comprehensive 77-run win over Rajasthan Royals, while Royals bowling coach Shane Bond admitted his side lacked sharpness in a crucial stage of the tournament.

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan returned to top form with a four-wicket haul after skipper Shubman Gill struck a sublime 84 to propel Gujarat Titans to 229 for four before bundling Rajasthan out for 152 in 16.3 overs here on Saturday.

The victory, Gujarat’s fourth on the trot, took it to 14 points alongside table-topper Sunrisers Hyderabad and strengthened its playoff chances.

Hayden said Gujarat’s success this season stemmed from clarity in roles rather than relying on flamboyance.

“We’ve constructed a line-up that revolves around consistency. It’s not exactly going to set the world on fire with star power. It’s more about staying in the game and being consistent in the game,” Hayden said at the post-match press conference.

ALSO READ | Chennai Super Kings’ Playoffs push faces Lucknow hurdle

Gill and Sai Sudharsan laid the platform with a commanding 118-run opening stand, while Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia provided the finishing touches in the death overs.

Hayden described Gujarat’s pace battery, spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, as the backbone of the side.

“Velocity matters. There’s no chance 150-plus bowling is easy to play. The best sides in this tournament are built around defensive bowling units and we’ve got that covered nicely,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals bowling coach Shane Bond admitted his side lacked sharpness after a long break between matches. “We just weren’t at our best tonight,” Bond said at the post-match press conference.

“I think after seven or eight days off, you can come back a little off the pace and it certainly looked like that tonight. We just weren’t quite as sharp as what we needed to be.”

The defeat dented Rajasthan’s playoff hopes despite the side remaining in contention with three league matches left.

Bond said Rajasthan had been competitive through most of the season but admitted they had failed to capitalise on key moments.

“We were 6-4 coming into this game and with perhaps some better fielding we would have won a couple more. We’re good enough to win three games in a row and still make the playoffs, but we have to play better than we did tonight,” he said.

Published on May 10, 2026

#VIDEO #Hayden #lauds #GTs #consistency #Rashid #magic #sinks">VIDEO | Hayden lauds GT’s ‘consistency’ as Rashid magic sinks RR Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden credited his side’s consistency-driven approach and potent bowling attack after their comprehensive 77-run win over Rajasthan Royals, while Royals bowling coach Shane Bond admitted his side lacked sharpness in a crucial stage of the tournament.Leg-spinner Rashid Khan returned to top form with a four-wicket haul after skipper Shubman Gill struck a sublime 84 to propel Gujarat Titans to 229 for four before bundling Rajasthan out for 152 in 16.3 overs here on Saturday.The victory, Gujarat’s fourth on the trot, took it to 14 points alongside table-topper Sunrisers Hyderabad and strengthened its playoff chances.Hayden said Gujarat’s success this season stemmed from clarity in roles rather than relying on flamboyance.“We’ve constructed a line-up that revolves around consistency. It’s not exactly going to set the world on fire with star power. It’s more about staying in the game and being consistent in the game,” Hayden said at the post-match press conference.ALSO READ | Chennai Super Kings’ Playoffs push faces Lucknow hurdleGill and Sai Sudharsan laid the platform with a commanding 118-run opening stand, while Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia provided the finishing touches in the death overs.Hayden described Gujarat’s pace battery, spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, as the backbone of the side.“Velocity matters. There’s no chance 150-plus bowling is easy to play. The best sides in this tournament are built around defensive bowling units and we’ve got that covered nicely,” he said.Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals bowling coach Shane Bond admitted his side lacked sharpness after a long break between matches. “We just weren’t at our best tonight,” Bond said at the post-match press conference.“I think after seven or eight days off, you can come back a little off the pace and it certainly looked like that tonight. We just weren’t quite as sharp as what we needed to be.”The defeat dented Rajasthan’s playoff hopes despite the side remaining in contention with three league matches left.Bond said Rajasthan had been competitive through most of the season but admitted they had failed to capitalise on key moments.“We were 6-4 coming into this game and with perhaps some better fielding we would have won a couple more. We’re good enough to win three games in a row and still make the playoffs, but we have to play better than we did tonight,” he said.Published on May 10, 2026 #VIDEO #Hayden #lauds #GTs #consistency #Rashid #magic #sinks

comprehensive 77-run win over Rajasthan Royals, while Royals bowling coach Shane Bond admitted his side lacked sharpness in a crucial stage of the tournament.

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan returned to top form with a four-wicket haul after skipper Shubman Gill struck a sublime 84 to propel Gujarat Titans to 229 for four before bundling Rajasthan out for 152 in 16.3 overs here on Saturday.

The victory, Gujarat’s fourth on the trot, took it to 14 points alongside table-topper Sunrisers Hyderabad and strengthened its playoff chances.

Hayden said Gujarat’s success this season stemmed from clarity in roles rather than relying on flamboyance.

“We’ve constructed a line-up that revolves around consistency. It’s not exactly going to set the world on fire with star power. It’s more about staying in the game and being consistent in the game,” Hayden said at the post-match press conference.

ALSO READ | Chennai Super Kings’ Playoffs push faces Lucknow hurdle

Gill and Sai Sudharsan laid the platform with a commanding 118-run opening stand, while Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia provided the finishing touches in the death overs.

Hayden described Gujarat’s pace battery, spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, as the backbone of the side.

“Velocity matters. There’s no chance 150-plus bowling is easy to play. The best sides in this tournament are built around defensive bowling units and we’ve got that covered nicely,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals bowling coach Shane Bond admitted his side lacked sharpness after a long break between matches. “We just weren’t at our best tonight,” Bond said at the post-match press conference.

“I think after seven or eight days off, you can come back a little off the pace and it certainly looked like that tonight. We just weren’t quite as sharp as what we needed to be.”

The defeat dented Rajasthan’s playoff hopes despite the side remaining in contention with three league matches left.

Bond said Rajasthan had been competitive through most of the season but admitted they had failed to capitalise on key moments.

“We were 6-4 coming into this game and with perhaps some better fielding we would have won a couple more. We’re good enough to win three games in a row and still make the playoffs, but we have to play better than we did tonight,” he said.

Published on May 10, 2026

#VIDEO #Hayden #lauds #GTs #consistency #Rashid #magic #sinks">VIDEO | Hayden lauds GT’s ‘consistency’ as Rashid magic sinks RR

Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden credited his side’s consistency-driven approach and potent bowling attack after their comprehensive 77-run win over Rajasthan Royals, while Royals bowling coach Shane Bond admitted his side lacked sharpness in a crucial stage of the tournament.

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan returned to top form with a four-wicket haul after skipper Shubman Gill struck a sublime 84 to propel Gujarat Titans to 229 for four before bundling Rajasthan out for 152 in 16.3 overs here on Saturday.

The victory, Gujarat’s fourth on the trot, took it to 14 points alongside table-topper Sunrisers Hyderabad and strengthened its playoff chances.

Hayden said Gujarat’s success this season stemmed from clarity in roles rather than relying on flamboyance.

“We’ve constructed a line-up that revolves around consistency. It’s not exactly going to set the world on fire with star power. It’s more about staying in the game and being consistent in the game,” Hayden said at the post-match press conference.

ALSO READ | Chennai Super Kings’ Playoffs push faces Lucknow hurdle

Gill and Sai Sudharsan laid the platform with a commanding 118-run opening stand, while Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia provided the finishing touches in the death overs.

Hayden described Gujarat’s pace battery, spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, as the backbone of the side.

“Velocity matters. There’s no chance 150-plus bowling is easy to play. The best sides in this tournament are built around defensive bowling units and we’ve got that covered nicely,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals bowling coach Shane Bond admitted his side lacked sharpness after a long break between matches. “We just weren’t at our best tonight,” Bond said at the post-match press conference.

“I think after seven or eight days off, you can come back a little off the pace and it certainly looked like that tonight. We just weren’t quite as sharp as what we needed to be.”

The defeat dented Rajasthan’s playoff hopes despite the side remaining in contention with three league matches left.

Bond said Rajasthan had been competitive through most of the season but admitted they had failed to capitalise on key moments.

“We were 6-4 coming into this game and with perhaps some better fielding we would have won a couple more. We’re good enough to win three games in a row and still make the playoffs, but we have to play better than we did tonight,” he said.

Published on May 10, 2026

#VIDEO #Hayden #lauds #GTs #consistency #Rashid #magic #sinks

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