Sports
J’Wan Roberts, LJ Cryer, No. 4 Houston face Jackson State
Mar 29, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars forward J’Wan Roberts (13) rebounds against Duke Blue Devils guard Jared McCain (0) during the second half in the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images There will be unfinished business to address for No. 4 Houston as it begins its march toward another NCAA Tournament when the Cougars open their season at home Monday night against Jackson State.
It is Houston’s third top-10 preseason ranking during head coach Kelvin Sampson’s 10 seasons with the program, with the Cougars advancing to the Sweet 16 in the last five NCAA Tournaments. But they have advanced only as far as the national semifinals in 2021 and have been eliminated in the regional semifinals in the past two seasons.
It appears that anything short of another Final Four appearance would be a disappointment from a program that will be led by a pair of players on the Naismith Trophy player-of-the-year watch list in graduate forward J’Wan Roberts and graduate guard LJ Cryer.
Roberts averaged 9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 36 games last season. Cryer scored a team-leading 15.5 points and made 112 baskets from 3-point range, tied for ninth most in Division I last season. He shot 38.8 percent from distance.
The Cougars finished 32-5 overall and in first place at 15-3 in their Big 12 debut. They fell in the Big 12 Conference championship game 69-41 to Iowa State.
Also back is junior guard Emanuel Sharp, who averaged 12.6 points and 3.5 rebounds last season when Houston was eliminated by Duke 54-51 in the South Region semifinals. The Cougars played the second half of that game without All-America guard Jamal Shead after an ankle injury. Shead now is a member of the Toronto Raptors.
“We’ve made it to the tournament every year, and we’ve made it to the Final Four, Sweet 16, Elite Eight,” Roberts said, addressing the team’s title hopes. “We feel like it’s one more banner that we need. To know that we have one more year coming back, why not use it to do something special?”
Houston earned a 79-64 exhibition victory at home over Texas A&M on Sunday when Cryer scored 18 points while going 6-of-12 from 3-point range, and Roberts had 10 points with eight rebounds.
Jackson State will be led by 6-foot-11 center Shannon Grant, a graduate transfer from Florida A&M. Grant averaged 10.4 points with 4.4 rebounds last season, including a 12-point game against Jackson State.
The Tigers’ top six scorers from last season all have departed, including Ken Evans Jr. (18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds), now at Florida Atlantic, and the now-graduated Jordan O’Neal (12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds).
“We have logged a lot of hours together, and it has built our chemistry,” said Mo Williams, a veteran of 13 NBA seasons, who is heading into his third season as Jackson State’s head coach. “It has built who we want to be as a team and who our guys are.”
After finishing 15-17 overall last season and 11-7 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the Tigers were picked to finish fourth in the conference this season, behind Grambling State, Texas Southern and Southern.
Jackson State had an exhibition victory at home over Belhaven 93-52 on Oct. 24 and fell 92-85 in an exhibition game Monday at Southern Miss.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Padres bolster rotation, sign RHP Lucas Giolito to 1-year deal
Sep 23, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Right-hander Lucas Giolito signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.
Financial terms were not disclosed by the Padres, however there is a mutual option for the 2027 season. He’ll begin his major league buildup at Single-A Lake Elsinore, per MLB.com.
The addition of Giolito comes with San Diego nursing injuries to its starting rotation, namely right-hander Nick Pivetta (right flexor strain). Joe Musgrove (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Griffin Canning (Achilles) have yet to make their respective season debuts, and fellow right-hander Yu Darvish is on the Padres’ restricted list while he recovers from elbow surgery.
Giolito, 31, posted a 10-4 record with a 3.41 ERA in 26 appearances (all starts) last season with the Boston Red Sox.
He is 71-66 with a 4.30 ERA over 206 appearances (204 starts) with the Washington Nationals (2016), Chicago White Sox (2017-23), Los Angeles Angels (2023), Cleveland Guardians (2023) and Red Sox (2025). He was selected by the Nationals with the 16th overall pick in 2012.
San Diego transferred right-hander Bryan Hoeing (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday to make room for Giolito on the 40-man roster.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Germany F Serge Gnabry (thigh) to miss World Cup
Jul 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; FC Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry (7) warms up before a quarterfinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Germany forward Serge Gnabry confirmed on Wednesday that he will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to injury.
His pro club Bayern Munich announced on Saturday that Gnabry, 30, had torn the adductor muscle in his right thigh.
“The last few days have been tough to process,” he posted on Instagram. “A Bayern season which still holds much to play for after securing another Bundesliga title on the weekend.
“As for the World Cup dream with Germany … That’s sadly over for me. Like the rest of the country, I’ll be supporting the boys from home. Now it’s time to focus on recovery and getting back for pre-season.”
Gnabry recorded eight goals and six assists this season for the Bundesliga champions in 2025-26, his eighth season with Bayern Munich.
Internationally, Gnabry has scored 26 goals in 59 caps since making his debut for Germany in 2016. He started every World Cup qualifier and two friendlies in March leading up to this summer’s tournament in North America.
Germany is No. 10 in the latest FIFA world rankings. The four-time World Cup champions are in Group E along with Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador. Their opening match is against Curacao on June 14 in Houston.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Phillies C J.T. Realmuto heading to injured list
Mar 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) at bat against the Texas Rangers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images The slumping Philadelphia Phillies are placing catcher J.T. Realmuto on the 10-day injured list with a lower-back injury, The Athletic reported Wednesday.
Realmuto, 35, sat out two games before returning Tuesday and going 0-for-4 in a 7-4 road loss to the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia’s seventh straight defeat.
The three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove backstop is batting .259 with one home run and four RBIs through 17 games this season.
The Phillies are expected to call up catcher Garrett Stubbs from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to split time behind the plate with Rafael Marchan, per the report.
Realmuto is a lifetime .270 hitter with 181 homers and 681 RBIs in 1,390 career games with the Miami Marlins (2014-18) and Phillies (2019-26).
–Field Level Media
Padres bolster rotation, sign RHP Lucas Giolito to 1-year deal
Germany F Serge Gnabry (thigh) to miss World Cup
