Sports
Emanuel Sharp, No. 3 Houston take aim at lowly Kansas State
Feb 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) passes the ball against the Utah Utes during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Surging, third-ranked Houston will look to build on its 17-game home winning streak and continue its recent stretch of dominating play when it hosts reeling Kansas State on Saturday afternoon in a Big 12 Conference game.
The Cougars (22-2, 10-1 Big 12) moved up five spots in the most recent AP poll and justified that jump with a 66-52 win at Utah on Tuesday. Emanuel Sharp led the charge for Houston with 27 points and a career-high eight 3-pointers that gave him 277 and propelled him past Marcus Sasser (276) as the school’s career leader in made 3-point field goals.
“I was just shooting,” Sharp said. “It was really no complicated science behind it. I’ve been blessed with having two great point guards on this team with Kingston (Flemings) and Milos (Uzan). They are so unselfish. They always find me in great spots.”
No other Houston player scored in double figures on Tuesday, but that didn’t stop the Cougars from building a 22-point lead in the second half and waltzing to their fifth straight victory and their 16th in the past 17 outings. Houston’s defense held Utah to just 2-of-17 shooting (11.8%) from beyond the arc and its lowest point total of the season.
After the win, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson lauded Sharp and his continued contribution to the program’s success.
“Every team Emanuel has played on has won a conference championship, whether it’s the American or Big 12,” Sampson said. “He’s played in Final Fours, Elite Eights, Sweet 16s. All he’s done is win. He’s made this program better. Emanuel has been around. He’s seen a lot of winning. He’s been a huge part why this program has been successful.”
Sharp is averaging 16.3 points per game, second on the team to mercurial freshman Flemings (16.6 ppg).
It’s into this gauntlet that the struggling Wildcats step. Kansas State (10-14, 1-10) heads to the Bayou City carrying a five-game losing streak after a 91-62 defeat at home against Cincinnati on Wednesday. The Wildcats shot 40.3% from the floor and made only 6 of 25 shots (24%) from 3-point range vs. the Bearcats.
P.J. Haggerty, the nation’s second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, amassed 24 points for the Wildcats in the setback but got little help. Kansas State trailed by 22 points at halftime and by 32 in the second half.
Kansas State has dropped 10 of its past 11 games, and coach Jerome Tang took his team to task for a lack of effort and hustle on both ends of the floor in the latest loss.
“They got to have some pride,” Tang said. “It means something to wear a K-State uniform. It means something to put on this purple. These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section. It is just ridiculous.”
The 1-10 record through 11 conference games equals the Wildcats’ worst start in the Big 12 era, a mark also posted by 1999-2000 and 2020-21 teams.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Oklahoma State takes on TCU facing tough hill for tourney bid
Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz shouts at Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Anthony Roy (9) during a BIG 12 men’s college basketball game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the BYU Cougars at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz knows his Cowboys must make the most of all their remaining games to have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.
The hill they must climb starts Saturday when the Cowboys (16-8, 4-7 Big 12) face TCU (15-9, 5-6) in a Big 12 game in Stillwater, Okla.
Oklahoma State only has one road win in the Big 12 since Lutz took over last season. Three of the Cowboys’ last seven games are on the road and two of the remaining home games are against No. 9 Kansas and No. 3 Houston.
That makes the game with the Horned Frogs a must-win after being swept in Arizona, 84-47 against No. 1 Arizona Saturday and 85-76 against Arizona State Tuesday.
The Cowboys trimmed the deficit in the latter game to 69-68 late, but the Sun Devils scored nine straight to lead by 10 with 1:35 left.
“The game was lost way before then when we turned the ball over 17 times and gave them 26 points and gave up offensive rebounds for 24 points,” Lutz said. “In this league, you can’t give people 50 points. You can’t spot people 50 points and expect to win. So that’s on us.”
Arizona State shot just 40% from the floor and hit only 23.8% from behind the 3-point line (5 of 21) but made 28 of 35 free throws and outrebounded the Cowboys 45-34, including grabbing 19 offensive boards.
Lutz knows how steep a hill the Cowboys face the rest of the way.
“This is not a two-hand-touch league. This is a tackle football league,” Lutz said. “If you’re not going to fight and you’re not going to scrap and you’re not going to rebound, you got no shot.”
The Horned Frogs may have saved their season with a 62-55 upset of No. 5 Iowa State Tuesday.
Coach Jamie Dixon’s decision to start highly recruited sophomore forward Micah Robinson for just the second time this season paid off in a big way.
Robinson poured in 17 points, had five rebounds and two steals, and made two sensational dunks down the stretch to put the Cyclones away.
“It definitely means a lot,” Robinson said of the opportunity to start. “It shows the trust the coaching staff and my teammates have in me. It meant a lot to be able to come out there and compete.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Raptors waive veteran G Chris Paul
Jan 2, 2026; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chris Paul in attendance during the HoopHall West Tournament at Skyline High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Toronto Raptors waived 12-time All-Star guard Chris Paul on Friday.
The move was expected after Toronto acquired Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team deal with the Brooklyn Nets at last week’s trade deadline. The trade for Paul, in the eyes of the Raptors, was done for financial reasons.
Paul, 40, plans to retire at season’s end.
Signed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract last offseason, Paul rejoined a Clippers franchise with which he spent six seasons from 2011-17. This season, he averaged 2.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 16 games off the bench. He has not played in a game since Dec. 1.
Paul ranks second in NBA history in assists with 12,552 and second in steals with 2,728, trailing only Basketball Hall of Famer John Stockton in both categories.
Paul, then with New Orleans, was named Rookie of the Year in 2006. He is a four-time All-NBA first-team selection, five-time NBA assists champion and six-time steals champion. A member of seven first-team All-Defensive teams, he also was the MVP of the 2013 All-Star Game.
Paul won Olympic gold medals with the United States in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012 and was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team in 2021.
He played with New Orleans for six seasons, then was traded to the Clippers in 2011. He later played for the Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and San Antonio Spurs (2024-25).
Paul has career averages of 16.8 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 1,370 games (1,314 starts). He has not won an NBA title, getting to the Finals only once when his Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sahith Theegala gets Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption at The Genesis
Feb 8, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Sahith Theegala of the United States tees off on hole 3 during the final round of the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images Tournament host Tiger Woods announced Sahith Theegala as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the Genesis Invitational.
Theegala, 28, will compete in the tournament from Feb. 19-22 at The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
The Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption is awarded annually to “a deserving golfer from a minority background,” according to the Genesis Invitational.
“During Charlie’s playing days, all he wanted was an opportunity to compete with the best players in the world so he could showcase his game, and Sahith shares those same characteristics,” Woods said. “I am proud to welcome Sahith to the field for the Genesis Invitational, a tournament that shares a lot of meaning for us both.”
Born to parents who immigrated from India, Theegala was raised in Chino Hills, Calif. He became one of the sport’s top amateurs while attending Pepperdine, and he made his PGA Tour as a sophomore in college at The Riviera Country Club in 2017 via exemption by virtue of his Collegiate Showcase victory.
“Receiving this special invitation from Tiger is an honor,” Theegala said. “The Genesis Invitational has played an important role in my journey to the PGA Tour, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to compete in Charlie’s memory.”
Theegala won the 2023 Fortinet Championship for his lone victory on the PGA Tour. He is 92nd in the current Official World Golf Ranking.
–Field Level Media
Oklahoma State takes on TCU facing tough hill for tourney bid
Raptors waive veteran G Chris Paul
