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Deadspin | No. 8 Illinois stifles Indiana for easy win

Deadspin | No. 8 Illinois stifles Indiana for easy win

Feb 10, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

David Mirkovic poured in 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 8 Illinois to a 71-51 Big Ten victory over Indiana on Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.

Keaton Wagler contributed 18 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 14 as the Illini (21-5, 12-3) snapped a two-game losing streak by turning 15 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points and committing a season-low two turnovers.

Kylan Boswell added nine points and seven rebounds as he returned to the Illinois lineup after missing seven games with a fractured right hand. Andrej Stojakovic sat out his second straight game with a high ankle sprain.

Lamar Wilkerson paced Indiana (17-9, 8-7) with 21 points, while Tucker DeVries posted 13 points and Sam Alexis added 11. However, the Hoosiers scored their fewest points since Dec. 3, 2022, at Rutgers as they hit 6 of 24 from 3-point range and lost the rebound battle by a 38-25 count.

Both teams’ key players showed up immediately. While Wilkerson and DeVries canned their first 3-point attempts for Indiana, Wagler produced seven points in the first five minutes to forge an 11-11 tie.

Then, Mirkovic asserted himself. He cashed a 3-pointer on a pick-and-pop with Wagler at the 11:17 mark to highlight a 10-0 run that gave the Illini a 24-15 lead with 9:46 remaining. After Indiana’s Jasai Miles and Wilkerson answered with 3-pointers, Mirkovic hit back-to-back 3-pointers and fed Ivisic for a layup to restore a 32-23 lead with 5:28 to go.

Mirkovic posted 15 points in the first half, and Wagler added 11 to offset Wilkerson’s 14 and give Illinois a 38-31 halftime lead.

Ivisic scored the first five points of the second half to produce the game’s first double-digit lead, but Wilkerson responded with five of his own. Then Illinois reeled off 11 points in a row — highlighted by a Wagler 25-footer and a Mirkovic running bank — to claim a 54-36 lead with 12:33 to play.

Wilkerson was the only Hoosier to score in the first 10 minutes of the second half as the rest of the squad went 0-for-6 from the field with four turnovers. Though Alexis finally broke through with a dunk at the 9:31 mark, Indiana never got closer than 12 the rest of the way.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Illinois #stifles #Indiana #easy #win

Saudi Arabia officially appointed Georgios Donis as head coach on Thursday, firing Hervé Renard, with less than two months before the start of FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 56-year-old Donis, a former Greece international, joins from Al-Khaleej, one of several Saudi Pro League clubs he’s coached.

“He has extensive experience in the league, including his most recent post (which) enhances his ability to adapt quickly,” the Saudi soccer federation said in its announcement.

Saudi Arabia opens its Group H play at the World Cup against Uruguay on June 15. It also plays Spain and Cape Verde.

Donis was a longtime Panathinaikos midfielder who also played in England for Blackburn, Sheffield United and Huddersfield. He has also coached Panathinaikos and Maccabi Tel Aviv, among others.

The appointment brings Renard’s second spell to an end after he returned to Riyadh in October 2024 to replace Roberto Mancini.

The Frenchman, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner, came under pressure following a 0-4 friendly loss to Egypt and a 1-2 defeat to Serbia.

Renard’s first spell included Saudi Arabia’s famous 2-1 victory over eventual champion Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

Published on Apr 24, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #Georgios #Donis #replaces #Herve #Renard #coach #Saudi #Arabia">FIFA World Cup 2026 — Georgios Donis replaces Herve Renard as head coach of Saudi Arabia  Saudi Arabia officially appointed Georgios Donis as head coach on Thursday, firing Hervé Renard, with less than two months before the start of FIFA World Cup 2026.The 56-year-old Donis, a former Greece international, joins from Al-Khaleej, one of several Saudi Pro League clubs he’s coached.“He has extensive experience in the league, including his most recent post (which) enhances his ability to adapt quickly,” the Saudi soccer federation said in its announcement.Saudi Arabia opens its Group H play at the World Cup against Uruguay on June 15. It also plays Spain and Cape Verde.Donis was a longtime Panathinaikos midfielder who also played in England for Blackburn, Sheffield United and Huddersfield. He has also coached Panathinaikos and Maccabi Tel Aviv, among others.The appointment brings Renard’s second spell to an end after he returned to Riyadh in October 2024 to replace Roberto Mancini.The Frenchman, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner, came under pressure following a 0-4 friendly loss to Egypt and a 1-2 defeat to Serbia.Renard’s first spell included Saudi Arabia’s famous 2-1 victory over eventual champion Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.Published on Apr 24, 2026  #FIFA #World #Cup #Georgios #Donis #replaces #Herve #Renard #coach #Saudi #Arabia

Deadspin | Red-hot Matt Fitzpatrick popular PGA Championship pick  Apr 18, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick eyes his line on two green during the final  round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images   Matt Fitzpatrick’s recent run up to a career-best No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking has drawn significant attention from the public ahead of next month’s PGA Championship.  Fitzpatrick outlasted World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to claim a signature event title at the RBC Heritage on Sunday. It was an exclamation point on a run that began with a runner-up at The Players Championship, a win at the Valspar Championship and a tie for 18th at the Masters.  After a bogey on the 72nd hole on Sunday that dropped him into a playoff with Scheffler, Fitzgerald rebounded to knock his approach with a 4-iron into a stiff wind to 13 feet and drained the birdie putt on the first playoff hole.  Following the effort Fitzgerald, 31, went from 35/1 to 20/1 to win the second major of the year at the PGA Championship by Oddschecker. The 2022 U.S. Open champion has also been the most-backed player this week with 23% of the total bets placed on the PGA Championship winner since his victory at Harbor Town.   The second-most bet player this week has been Cameron Young, who tracked down and beat Fitzpatrick at The Players. Young has been backed by 6% of the total bets this week along with Ludvig Aberg, Sam Burns and Justin Rose.   Scheffler is still the PGA Championship favorite at 7/2, giving him a 22% implied probability to win. He has been backed by 5% of the total bets this week along with LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm.  The second shortest pre-tournament odds belong to Masters champion Rory McIlroy at 7/1. Rahm is 12/1, followed by Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau at 16/1 and Fitzpatrick and Young at 20/1.  Fitzpatrick and his brother, Alex, are also the co-favorites ahead of this week’s Zurich Classic, the only team event on the PGA Tour. They are 11/1 along with the team of Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Redhot #Matt #Fitzpatrick #popular #PGA #Championship #pickApr 18, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick eyes his line on two green during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Matt Fitzpatrick’s recent run up to a career-best No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking has drawn significant attention from the public ahead of next month’s PGA Championship.

Fitzpatrick outlasted World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to claim a signature event title at the RBC Heritage on Sunday. It was an exclamation point on a run that began with a runner-up at The Players Championship, a win at the Valspar Championship and a tie for 18th at the Masters.

After a bogey on the 72nd hole on Sunday that dropped him into a playoff with Scheffler, Fitzgerald rebounded to knock his approach with a 4-iron into a stiff wind to 13 feet and drained the birdie putt on the first playoff hole.

Following the effort Fitzgerald, 31, went from 35/1 to 20/1 to win the second major of the year at the PGA Championship by Oddschecker. The 2022 U.S. Open champion has also been the most-backed player this week with 23% of the total bets placed on the PGA Championship winner since his victory at Harbor Town.


The second-most bet player this week has been Cameron Young, who tracked down and beat Fitzpatrick at The Players. Young has been backed by 6% of the total bets this week along with Ludvig Aberg, Sam Burns and Justin Rose.

Scheffler is still the PGA Championship favorite at 7/2, giving him a 22% implied probability to win. He has been backed by 5% of the total bets this week along with LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm.

The second shortest pre-tournament odds belong to Masters champion Rory McIlroy at 7/1. Rahm is 12/1, followed by Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau at 16/1 and Fitzpatrick and Young at 20/1.

Fitzpatrick and his brother, Alex, are also the co-favorites ahead of this week’s Zurich Classic, the only team event on the PGA Tour. They are 11/1 along with the team of Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Redhot #Matt #Fitzpatrick #popular #PGA #Championship #pick">Deadspin | Red-hot Matt Fitzpatrick popular PGA Championship pick  Apr 18, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick eyes his line on two green during the final  round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images   Matt Fitzpatrick’s recent run up to a career-best No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking has drawn significant attention from the public ahead of next month’s PGA Championship.  Fitzpatrick outlasted World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to claim a signature event title at the RBC Heritage on Sunday. It was an exclamation point on a run that began with a runner-up at The Players Championship, a win at the Valspar Championship and a tie for 18th at the Masters.  After a bogey on the 72nd hole on Sunday that dropped him into a playoff with Scheffler, Fitzgerald rebounded to knock his approach with a 4-iron into a stiff wind to 13 feet and drained the birdie putt on the first playoff hole.  Following the effort Fitzgerald, 31, went from 35/1 to 20/1 to win the second major of the year at the PGA Championship by Oddschecker. The 2022 U.S. Open champion has also been the most-backed player this week with 23% of the total bets placed on the PGA Championship winner since his victory at Harbor Town.   The second-most bet player this week has been Cameron Young, who tracked down and beat Fitzpatrick at The Players. Young has been backed by 6% of the total bets this week along with Ludvig Aberg, Sam Burns and Justin Rose.   Scheffler is still the PGA Championship favorite at 7/2, giving him a 22% implied probability to win. He has been backed by 5% of the total bets this week along with LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm.  The second shortest pre-tournament odds belong to Masters champion Rory McIlroy at 7/1. Rahm is 12/1, followed by Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau at 16/1 and Fitzpatrick and Young at 20/1.  Fitzpatrick and his brother, Alex, are also the co-favorites ahead of this week’s Zurich Classic, the only team event on the PGA Tour. They are 11/1 along with the team of Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Redhot #Matt #Fitzpatrick #popular #PGA #Championship #pick

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