Sports
No. 1 Tennessee seeks program record in clash vs. No. 8 Florida
Jan 4, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes after the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images Top-ranked Tennessee has its sights set on securing the best start in program history when it visits No. 8 Florida on Tuesday night in Southeastern Conference play at Gainesville, Fla.
The Volunteers (14-0, 1-0) have matched the top start that was put together by the 1922-23 squad. It certainly will be a big accomplishment if they surpass the mark against the Gators.
Florida (13-1, 0-1) had been chasing its own best start mark but fell four games short of matching the 2005-06 Gators, who started 17-0 on the way to winning the national title. The season-opening run came crashing down Saturday when Florida lost 106-100 at Kentucky.
The Gators’ second-best start isn’t bad, of course, but allowing 106 points erased any chance of feeling good about the accomplishment.
“It’s tough when you put up a hundred and allow the other team to put up a hundred-and-whatever,” Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. said. “When you do that, you’re doing something wrong defensively. The coaches gave us a game plan, and we didn’t execute it as players.”
Clayton made six 3-pointers and matched his career best of 33 points against the Wildcats. He is averaging a team-best 18.3 points per game and also has a team-leading 43 3-pointers.
Tennessee had no issues in remaining unbeaten as it routed visiting Arkansas 76-52 on Saturday.
The Volunteers received a season-high 29 points from Chaz Lanier and a huge outing from Igor Milicic Jr., who had 13 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.
Both players are transfers. Lanier played four seasons at North Florida before transferring to Tennessee, and he leads the squad in scoring (20.3 points per game) and 3-pointers (56). Milicic, averaging 10.9 points and a team-leading 8.9 rebounds, played one season at Virginia and two seasons at Charlotte.
“We have such a high expectation for both of those guys because they’re older, they’ve been around, and they’re really, really, really terrific basketball players,” Volunteers coach Rick Barnes said. “But you’re always pushing to get more and more. And what I’m thankful for is they’re able to take that. They’re able to take it.”
Lanier has been electric with three straight 20-point outings, including seven for the season.
“Incredible human being that wants to be coached,” Barnes said. “And you guys are here, I’m on him and going to stay on him. But he shows nothing but great respect, great humility. And the fact that when you’re like that, I think your teammates, they want to see you do well, and there’s not one selfish thing about him.
“And matter of fact, they would tell you if you’re not getting by people it’s because you’re turning down shots. They want him to shoot it. And he’s got a quick trigger.”
The victory over Arkansas was Tennessee’s eighth of the season by more than 20 points.
The Gators have won seven games by more than 20 but were exposed on the defensive end by Kentucky.
“Just let them get whatever they wanted. We didn’t take anything away from them,” Florida guard Alijah Martin said. “We let them be comfortable. We let them do what they do. We let their shooters shoot. I think we beat ourselves. We’re a much better defensive team, and we didn’t display it.”
Martin scored 26 points and made five 3-pointers and is playing well in his first season with the Gators after playing four at Florida Atlantic. He is second on the squad in scoring (15.9 ppg) and treys (33).
Tennessee won last season’s lone meeting 85-66 in Knoxville behind 39 points from now-departed Dalton Knecht. The Volunteers have won eight of the past 10 meetings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cherie DeVaux Makes History with Kentucky Derby Win at Churchill Downs
Cherie DeVaux made history on Saturday by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. However, with a horde of media surrounding her at her backside stable Sunday morning, she was quick to give the credit to jockey Jose Ortiz.
“It’s almost as if he could script it,” she said.
With an entry that’s known for being a closer, DeVaux said she did not mind Golden Tempo drawing an outside post. He got the 19th gate in the draw, but after scratches, he moved into the 16th. While a ways away from the rail, it helped the colt avoid much of the bumping between horses at the start as they work to get inside position.
DeVaux said she’s not one to give her riders many instructions before a race. She kept it simple: “Don’t overthink it. If you can get out, just get a clear path and make a run.”
Mission accomplished, even if the horse doesn’t quite live up to his name.
“Golden Tempo doesn’t really give Jose any help by just falling back so far,” she added.
While the early front-runners posted blazing quarter times, Golden Tempo ran last in the field for the first three-quarters of a mile. However, as the speed faded, Ortiz had an easy route to the outside, and down the final stretch, he chased down Renegade, the bettors’ second choice, to win by a neck.
Another issue that may have been in Golden Tempo’s favor was not having to load into the gate a second time. That’s something several horses had to do after racing officials scratched Great White at the last minute for dumping jockey Alex Achard and falling over backward while being led to the gate.
“It was a rough trip, everybody was all over the place,” said Luis Saez, who rode seventh-place finisher Commandment. “He ran pretty well and made a nice move, but it was just a tough race.”
Commandment, one of two Derby horses trained by Brad Cox, was the co-second choice in the morning line. At post time, he ended up being the fourth choice at 6-1. Cox’s other horse, Further Ado, ended up the slight favorite over Renegade, with both breaking at 5-1.
Renegade was the morning-line favorite, despite drawing the inside post – a position that had not produced a winner in 40 years. However, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt and Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose’s brother, did everything they could to make some history of their own.
“He got a little roughed and got pushed out of his position,” Pletcher said. “But he kept on going and made his run. He just didn’t get there today.”
With the Kentucky Derby having the largest field of any U.S. thoroughbred race, longshots often find their way to the winner’s circle. Since 2019, the lowest payout for a $2 win ticket was Sovereignty last year, and his bettors still won $17.96.
One of the other big surprises Saturday was the bettors’ interest in So Happy. While he and jockey Mike Smith won the Santa Anita Derby, the colt was given morning line odds of 15-1. That was due primarily to his being sired by Runhappy, who was an excellent sprinter.
Bettors made him the third choice at 5-1.
So Happy stayed among the front pack for the first mile but faded down the stretch to finish ninth.
“He just did too much early on, and we went too fast,” Smith said.
Sports
Wild D Jonas Brodin out for Game 1, F Joel Eriksson Ek also ailing
Apr 7, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Tyler Johnson (90) moves the puck away from Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (25) and center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) during the second period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin didn’t travel with the team to Denver and will miss Sunday night’s playoff series opener against the Colorado Avalanche.
Forward Joel Eriksson Ek is listed as questionable to play in Game 1 of the Western Conference second-round series.
Brodin, 32, sustained a lower-body injury during Game 5 of Minnesota’s first-round series against the Dallas Stars. He was hurt while blocking a shot by Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen during the second period.
Brodin missed the clinching Game 6 victory on Thursday. He had one assist in the series.
In the regular season, Brodin had four goals and 18 points in 62 games.
Eriksson Ek was hurt in Game 6 when his right leg smacked into the wall. He didn’t practice on Saturday.
Minnesota coach John Hynes was debating what to do about Ek’s spot with his status unclear.
“I’m kind of going through that a little bit right now,” Hynes said. “So, now you kind of go down that decision-making process of what would we do if he’s not ready.”
Ek, 29, had three goals and five points in the Dallas series. In the regular season, he had 19 goals and 51 points in 70 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cameron Young holds six-shot lead after three rounds in Miami
May 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Cameron Young makes his par putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Romance-Imagn Images Cameron Young shot 2-under-par 70 on Saturday to remain in control through three rounds of Cadillac Championship at Miami.
Young is up six strokes on a group of three golfers, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, at windy Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster Course.
Young, who’s at 15-under 201, will be looking for his second victory of the season and the third of his career on the PGA Tour during Sunday’s final round.
Scheffler shot 69 to move to second place by the time he finished the round. He’s joined in that position by South Korea’s Si Woo Kim (69) and Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan (69).
Young began the round with a bogey on the par-5 first hole but played the next 11 in 3 under.
Scheffler’s round was defined by birdies on three of the four par-5 layouts.
Matt McCarty (69), Ben Griffin (68) and Canada’s Nick Taylor (72) are at 8 under and tied for fifth place. Taylor bogeyed the final hole.
Jordan Spieth took a significant dive, shooting 75 and falling to a tie for 12th at 5 under. He was hurt by two double-bogeys — first on the par-3 fourth hole when he didn’t get into putting position until his fourth stroke and then on the 18th when his approach shot went into the water and he was forced to take a penalty.
Australia’s Adam Scott had the day’s best score with a bogey-free 6-under 66, leaving him at 3 under.
–Field Level Media
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