Sports
Ohio State, USC battle for better spot on bubble
Feb 8, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) reacts after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images The Big Ten regular season runs through March 8, but it gets late early for bubble teams eyeing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Games between bubble teams are particularly crucial, so plenty will be on the line when Southern California (18-6, 7-6 Big Ten) plays Ohio State (15-8, 7-6) on Wednesday in Columbus.
For the Buckeyes, it’s an opportunity to bounce back from a humbling 82-61 loss to No. 2 Michigan on Sunday. It’s no disgrace to lose to the once-beaten Wolverines, who during an eight-game winning streak have seven double-digit wins, but the Buckeyes were outhustled and outmuscled in front of their largest home crowd of the season.
The Buckeyes, who have split their past 10 games, awoke Tuesday morning to being No. 39 in the NET rankings. Considering they were No. 41 on Selection Sunday last year and missed the NCAA Tournament for the third straight March, the pressure could be mounting on the Bucks and second-year coach Jake Diebler.
“This is a team that is resilient. This is a team that has responded all year long and so I have great confidence in what our response will be moving forward,” Diebler said. “(Michigan) was a first where we didn’t handle the in-game adversity as well as we’ve handled it most of the year. That’s on us. We’ll be better at that. We’ll be better next game for that.”
Ohio State veteran Bruce Thornton (team-high 19.2 points per game) led the Buckeyes’ effort against their rivals with 16 points and six rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Trojans (No. 48 in the NET on Tuesday) are on the upswing with three straight wins and have been bolstered by recent additions.
Freshman Alijah Arenas, who missed the first 18 games with a knee injury, scored a game-high 24 points and hit the winning basket with 0.7 seconds left in a 77-75 victory Sunday at Penn State.
The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas debuted on Jan. 21, one month after graduate transfer guard Kam Woods signed with the Trojans and made his first appearance for his sixth school (counting junior college) in six seasons.
Woods had 13 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals against Penn State.
“(He) leads our team in steals, and he joined us just a couple of weeks ago,” Trojans coach Eric Musselman said. “We were severely lacking in creating extra possessions through defensive creativity on steals, and Kam Woods has changed our entire season since he came.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angel Reese returning to Unrivaled's Rose BC for remainder of season
Jan 17, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Angel Reese (5) of the Rose takes a moment against the Vinyl during a timeout in the first half of the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league at Wayfair Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images WNBA star Angel Reese is returning to Unrivaled for the stretch run of the 3-on-3 league’s second season.
Reese again will play for Rose BC, which won Unrivaled’s championship title in the Miami-based league’s inaugural season. She will play the final three games of the regular season, starting with Rose’s matchup against Hive BC on Feb 20.
The 23-year-old, who plays for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA, was Unrivaled’s rebounding leader (12.2 rebounds per game) and was named the Defensive Player of the Year.
She joins a Rose team that still includes multiple players from last season’s championship team, including reigning finals MVP Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper and Lexie Hull. Reese did not play in the semifinals or finals due to a hand injury.
The spot for Reese became available when Rose traded Azura Stevens to Hive as part of a four-team trade resulting from a season-ending injury to Breeze BC’s Aari McDonald (right leg).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Martin Kaymer (elbow) WDs from LIV Adelaide
Jun 8, 2025; Gainesville, Virginia, USA; Martin Kaymer of team Cleeks Golf Club watches a putt on the fourth hole during the final round of the LIV Golf Virginia golf tournament at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Cleeks Golf Club captain and two-time major winner Martin Kaymer withdrew from LIV Golf Adelaide on Wednesday due to an elbow injury.
The 41-year-old German is the latest LIV Golf captain to bow out of the event, joining six-time major champion Phil Mickelson (family matter) and Englishman Lee Westwood (wrist).
“I won’t be playing in Adelaide this week due to a minor injury on my left elbow,” Kaymer said in a statement. “Sitting out is never an easy call, especially for an event as special as LIV Golf Adelaide.
“The positive is that recovery is going very well and I’m feeling strong. This is just a short pause with the focus firmly on the long season ahead, and I look forward to returning to competition in Hong Kong.”
LIV Golf reserve John Catlin will step in for Kaymer, who won the 2010 PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Open.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros closer Josh Hader (biceps) uncertain for Opening Day
Sep 3, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader looks on from the dugout before the game against the New York Yankees at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Houston Astros closer Josh Hader’s availability for Opening Day is in doubt because the left-hander is dealing with biceps soreness, manager Joe Espada told reporters Wednesday.
Hader, a six-time All-Star, resumed his throwing program at the team’s first workout with pitchers and catchers Wednesday. Espada revealed Hader had been shut down from throwing for more than a week earlier this winter after imaging on his left arm showed biceps inflammation.
Neither Espada nor Astros general manager Dana Brown could say if the injury would keep Hader off the Opening Day roster.
“I don’t know really the timeline on it,” Brown said Wednesday. “The good thing is he was ramping it up and was on his fourth (bullpen session). The first three were seamless. The good thing is he feels good right now, he’s been feeling good for a few days and he’s going to throw today.”
The injury is not believes to be related to the left shoulder capsule strain that caused Hader to miss Houston’s final 46 games last season, the first time he had been on the IL in nine seasons for anything but an illness. Hader told reporters at a charity event in December he felt “back to normal” from the shoulder capsule injury.
Hader was 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA over 48 appearances with the Astros last season and was 28-for-29 in save opportunities.
The 31-year-old has 227 saves over nine big-league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers (2017-22), San Diego Padres (2022-23) and Astros (2024-25). He is 34-31 with a 2.64 ERA in 468 career relief appearances.
–Field Level Media
Angel Reese returning to Unrivaled's Rose BC for remainder of season
Martin Kaymer (elbow) WDs from LIV Adelaide
