Sports
Indiana leaning on Oumar Ballo with USC set to visit
Jan 2, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Emmanuel Ogbole (21) and Indiana Hoosiers center Oumar Ballo (11) fight for a rebound in the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images With Malik Reneau on the shelf due to a right knee injury, Indiana needs Oumar Ballo to play like the dominant big man he’s proven to be at times this year and during his previous two years at Arizona.
Coming off a 25-point, 13-rebound performance in a win over Penn State, Ballo has a chance to rack up more big numbers Wednesday night when the Hoosiers host new Big Ten Conference rival Southern California in Bloomington, Ind.
Reneau was injured early during Indiana’s 84-74 win over Rutgers Jan. 2. His absence leaves 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game out of the lineup. That means Ballo gets more touches and, in theory, should have more chances to shine like he did for Indiana (12-3, 3-1) on Sunday.
“We’re featuring him now,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. “He’s always been a double-double guy in his career. We’re featuring him more now with Malik being out.”
Ballo, who’s averaging 13.6 ppg and a team-high 9.6 rebounds, won’t be a one-man show, even with Reneau sidelined. Mackenzie Mgbako scored 20, hitting four 3-pointers, against Penn State and adds 14.1 ppg. Myles Rice hits for 12 ppg and dishes out 3.2 assists.
But Ballo figures to be the No. 1 option Wednesday night against the Trojans (9-5, 1-2), who don’t have anyone to physically match up with the 7-foot-0, 265-pound pivot. They had difficulties stopping Michigan’s two 7-footers Saturday night in an 85-74 home loss, giving up 21 points and 13 rebounds to Danny Wolf.
The bigger concern to first-year coach Eric Musselman is the upcoming schedule. This game starts a stretch of three road games in the next five. That includes trips to surging Illinois, which jumped from No. 22 to No. 13 in this week’s AP Top 25, and Nebraska, which stopped then-No. 15 UCLA Saturday night.
“This is a league that dominates at home,” Musselman said. “You look at the record for our next three road games and there’s like two losses (between them). We’ve got an uphill battle in this league, just based on home-court advantage.”
Xavier transfer Desmond Claude paces USC at 14.9 ppg, sinking 51.5 percent from the field.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels reinstate RHP Alek Manoah from injured list
Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Alek Manoah against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Angels reinstated right-hander Alek Manoah from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday.
The former All-Star has not pitched in the major leagues since the 2024 season with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Angels signed Manoah to a one-year, $1.95 million deal in December. He began the season on the IL with a finger contusion.
Manoah, 28, was 29-20 with a 3.34 ERA in 75 starts with the Blue Jays from 2021-24. He was an All-Star and a 16-game winner in 2022 before having Tommy John surgery in June 2024.
The Angels optioned left-hander Sam Aldegheri (1-0, 4.76 ERA) to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding transaction.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lexi Thompson's U.S. Women's Open streak in jeopardy
Jun 21, 2025; Frisco, Texas, USA; Lexi Thompson plays her shot from the sixth tee during the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Lexi Thompson’s streak of 19 consecutive U.S. Women’s Open appearances is in jeopardy after she withdrew from a qualifier on Wednesday in Florida.
The streak started in 2007 when a 12-year-old Thompson set a then-record as the tournament’s youngest qualifier.
Thompson, 31, stepped away from full-time golf after the 2024 LPGA Tour season.
The 11-time LPGA Tour winner has missed the cut at the past three U.S. Women’s Opens, where her best finish was a tie for second in 2019 at the Country Club of Charleston (S.C.). Her only major win came at the 2014 Chevron Championship.
Thompson had been scheduled to play a 36-hole qualifier at the Wilderness Country Club in Naples, Fla.
She can still play her way into the field for the June 4-7 tournament at Riviera by winning an LPGA Tour event or climbing into the Rolex Rankings’ Top 75 by May 25. Thompson currently ranks 94th.
Her streak of U.S. Women’s appearances is tied for the longest among active players with South Korea’s Amy Yang.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mexico threatens Liga MX players' World Cup spots over camp dispute
Nov 17, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Mexico Coach Javier Aguirre Onaindia speaks to the media ahead of his Mexican National Team match against Paraguay at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Jefferson-Imagn Images Liga MX players were given an ultimatum by the Mexico Football Federation (FMF): Report to a pre-planned World Cup camp on Wednesday and miss their league playoffs and CONCACAF Champions Cup matches or lose their spots on Mexico’s World Cup roster.
The FMF stated in a Wednesday morning press release that “any player who does not turn up at the (national team’s) training center will miss the World Cup.”
On April 28, FMF announced that 20 players from Liga MX would participate in a pre-World Cup minicamp in Mexico City beginning Wednesday, with 12 of those players guaranteed a spot on the World Cup roster.
As a result, players from Toluca and Chivas de Guadalajara called in by Mexico manager Javier Aguirre would not be able to participate in the Liga MX quarterfinals and any subsequent matches, along with the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal second leg and final.
Toluca requested on Tuesday that FMF release players Jesus Gallardo and Alexis Vega for the club’s Champions Cup semifinal decider Wednesday against LAFC. Toluca trails 2-1 on aggregate after losing the first leg. FMF had an agreement with Liga MX clubs, and Toluca’s request was seen as a breach of that agreement.
As for Chivas, it will play Tigres in the Liga MX playoffs on Saturday, and trails 3-1 on aggregate ahead of the second leg of a quarterfinal.
Chivas club president Amaury Vergara wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday, “The agreement is valid only when all parties respect it. I have instructed the club’s sporting leadership that our players are to report to the club’s facilities tomorrow.”
Five Chivas players — former U.S. international midfielder Brian Gutierrez, veteran Luis Romo, winger Roberto Alvarado, forward Armando Gonzalez and Raul Rangel, who is expected to be the starting World Cup goalkeeper — are affected by this conflict.
Mexico’s World Cup roster announcement is expected to come June 1, following friendlies against Ghana and Australia. Mexico faces Serbia on June 4 in a final World Cup tune-up.
Co-hosting the World Cup along with the United States and Canada, Mexico opens the tournament June 11 against South Africa in Mexico City. The tournament runs through July 19.
–Field Level Media
Angels reinstate RHP Alek Manoah from injured list
Lexi Thompson's U.S. Women's Open streak in jeopardy
