Sports
Kentucky to test new winning formula against No. 18 Vanderbilt
Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) makes a lay up during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Kentucky looks to extend a five-game league winning streak when it travels to No. 18 Vanderbilt on Tuesday night in Nashville.
The banged-up Wildcats (14-6, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) scored a 72-63 home win over Ole Miss on Saturday despite playing without key players in starting point guard Jaland Lowe and forwards Kam Williams and Jayden Quaintance. Otega Oweh, a senior guard who has averaged 19.7 points in league games and 16.1 for 20 games overall, scored 23 in the win.
Coach Mark Pope, who gave double-digit minutes to nine players, lauded his team for its toughness and unselfishness.
“What we have right now is we have guys making winning plays,” Pope said. “So, we have guys that are falling in love with making the dirty, non-scoring, massively important winning plays of the game. We have guys stepping up and doing that all over the place, and it’s why we’ve had so much success in all these close games, and it’s because guys are falling in love with it.”
Vanderbilt (17-3, 4-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with an 88-56 win at Mississippi State on Saturday. The Commodores played without one of their top three guards in Frankie Collins, but Tyler Tanner (24 points, five assists) and Duke Miles (17 points, seven steals) more than picked up the slack.
Vanderbilt had been awful defensively in that three-game skid, allowing 80 points to Texas, 98 to Florida and 93 to Arkansas in a 25-point loss. Coach Mark Byington, who called the Jan. 20 performance against Arkansas “embarrassing,” was thrilled with how the team held MSU’s Josh Hubbard — then the SEC’s leading scorer — to seven points on Saturday to drop his average to 21 per game.
“Our activity was great,” Byington said. “Our defense was really locked in today, and (Mississippi State has) some talented offensive players. The SEC’s leading scorer in the league, he’s tough to guard. Our guys’ approach to the game was really good.”
Kentucky’s Lowe (season-ending shoulder injury) and Williams (broken foot) are out, and Quaintance (knee) likely won’t be available for Wednesday’s game. But Vanderbilt’s Collins, who averaged 7.8 points, 20.9 minutes and 2.4 steals over nine games, might play after missing the last nine games with a meniscus injury.
Collins, Tanner (17.4 ppg, 2.4 spg) and Miles (16.6 ppg, 2.8 spg) are disruptive defenders who can get the Commodores easy buckets in transition off turnovers.
That presents a challenge for Kentucky and point guard Denzel Aberdeen, who’s turned it over just seven times compared to 16 assists over the five-game winning streak.
The Wildcats weren’t a good defensive team earlier in the year, but they have gotten there thanks to slowing tempo (18.4 seconds per defensive possession for the 341st slowest nationally, per KenPom) and a 16.6% defensive turnover rate in league games.
Vanderbilt is elite at protecting the ball (11.0% turnover rate in SEC games) but has struggled against bigger teams. That makes Kentucky’s 7-foot Malachi Moreno, 6-11 Andrija Jelavic and 6-10 Brandon Garrison, who combined to play more than 58 minutes vs. Ole Miss, players to watch.
Should Kentucky slow the pace to a half-court game, Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel (14.7 ppg, 46.3% on 3s) is a player to watch along with Tanner (40.2%).
The Wildcats aren’t a good outside-shooting team, but Oweh (33.3% on 3-pointers), Collin Chandler (40.4%) and Aberdeen (36.8%) have had some success from distance.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jannik Sinner wins Madrid, shatters record for consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles
Mar 29, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates his victory over Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic in the final of the men’s singles at the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Jannik Sinner became the first player to capture five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles when he breezed past Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 on Sunday in the Mutua Madrid Open final.
The 24-year-old Italian, who ranks No. 1 in the world, started his unprecedented streak in France by winning the Paris Masters on Nov. 2. He set the record there for losing the fewest number of games (29).
Sinner won the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in March, where he became the first player not to lose a set in two consecutive ATP Masters 1000 events. He followed that by claiming the Miami Open, the Monte-Carlo Masters and now the Mutua Madrid Open. The last four victories have come in a nine-week span.
In Sunday’s win over the second-seeded Zverev, Sinner never faced a break point while converting all four of his break points against Zverev. Of his 29 first serves that landed, he won the point on 27 (93.1%). He averaged 130 miles per hour on his first serves compared to Zverev’s 124 mph.
Sinner needed just 25 minutes to complete the first set and 31 minutes to take the second set and wrap up his ninth consecutive win over Zverev. The German sensed the match might go this way.
“He’s world No. 1 and hasn’t lost a match since the beginning of February,” Zverev told reporters after capturing his semifinal match on Friday. “Right now he’s definitely the best player in the world. I have to play very, very good tennis to have a chance.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Raptors' Brandon Ingram downgraded to doubtful for Game 7
Apr 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) shoots the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defends during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram was seen in a walking boot during the team’s shootaround on Sunday morning, several hours before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the host Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ingram initially was listed as questionable to play due to right heel inflammation. He was downgraded to doubtful when the NBA released its official injury report early in the afternoon.
An All-Star this season for the second time in his career, Ingram was limited to 11 minutes and scored one point in Toronto’s 125-120 setback to Cleveland in Game 5 on Wednesday. He did not play in Toronto’s 112-110 overtime victory in Game 6 on Friday.
During the regular season, the 28-year-old Ingram averaged a team-high 21.5 points over 77 games. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists and drilled 38.2% of his 3-point attempts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros' Christian Walker batting cleanup one day after HBP to head
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) is helped off the field after being hit by a pitch during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Less than 24 hours after taking a fastball to the helmet, Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker was penciled into the starting lineup for the Astros’ series finale on Sunday at Boston.
Facing an 0-2 pitch from Red Sox rookie left-hander Tyler Samaniego, Walker was drilled over his left eye by a 93.3 mph fastball on Saturday that broke his helmet and sent the biggest piece flying 10 feet toward the backstop.
With the Astros leading 6-3 in the ninth, they took precautionary measures and removed Walker in favor of pinch runner Brandon Shewmake.
“I feel OK,” Walker told reporters afterward. “I think the helmet took most of it. And turning away from it hopefully made it more of a glancing blow than straight impact.”
Clearly Walker felt good enough to fill the cleanup spot for Sunday’s game against the Red Sox. Walker has appeared in every game this year for the Astros — starting all but one — and the 35-year-old has been producing some career numbers.
His .309 batting average, .386 on-base percentage and .577 slugging percentage all represent career bests. He has delivered eight homers and 26 RBIs through 34 games, which put him on pace for a career-high 38 homers and 124 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Jannik Sinner wins Madrid, shatters record for consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles
Raptors' Brandon Ingram downgraded to doubtful for Game 7
