Sports
No. 10 Michigan State eager to halt slide vs. ascending UCLA
Feb 7, 2026; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo reacts with Michigan State Spartans forward Cameron Ward (3) and Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper (15) after a foul call late in the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images No. 10 Michigan State is sliding down the standings and now attempts to escape from a mini-funk when it meets UCLA on Tuesday night in Big Ten play at East Lansing, Mich.
The Spartans have lost three of their past four games, including two road setbacks against unranked teams while falling into a tie for fifth in the conference race.
Michigan State (20-5, 10-4) was hammered 92-71 by host Wisconsin on Friday. The contest represented the club’s biggest margin of defeat this season.
“That was a good, old-fashioned ass-kicking, to be honest with you,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said.
Michigan State has struggled over its past five games, including an escape to force overtime before winning at Rutgers on Jan. 27. and a dreadful showing in a loss at Minnesota on Feb. 4. The Spartans recovered with an impressive 85-82 home overtime win against then-No. 5 Illinois before the wire-to-wire loss against the Badgers.
“We’ll get better,” Izzo said. “It’s one game. Yeah, there’s some things you can look at for why you didn’t do this and why you didn’t do that. I also know how we played in most of the games this year.
“The one thing I will say about us: our margin for error is not high.”
The Spartans shot just 29.6% (8 of 27) from 3-point range while the Badgers connected on 42.9% (15 of 35) from long range. The Wisconsin backcourt of Nick Boyd (29) and John Blackwell (24) combined for 53 points.
Coen Carr scored 19 points to pace Michigan State. Jeremy Fears had 14 points and 12 assists for his eighth double-double of the season but made just 3 of 12 shots. Jaxon Kohler had just five points on 2-of-6 shooting.
Fears leads the Spartans with averages of 15.1 points and 9.2 assists. Kohler puts up 12.5 points and a team-best 9.3 rebounds and Carr averages 11.7 points.
UCLA (17-8, 9-5) resides in seventh in the Big Ten and has won seven of its past 10 games.
However, the Bruins were drubbed by Michigan 86-56 on Saturday in the first leg of the two-game trip. UCLA was outscored 46-18 in the second half when its defense evaporated.
“We were awful in the second half — we were God-awful,” Bruins coach Mick Cronin said. “We missed eight unguarded threes. If you are going to come in here, you’ve got to score. We have some guys who won’t pass the ball and that is frustrating.
“That’s the worst second-half defensive field goal percentage of my career, in 23 years. They were 18 for 23, shot (78.3) percent, the worst of my career, and I don’t have to look it up — I can promise you that. It’s not like I forgot how to coach defense.”
Trent Perry scored 14 points to pace the Bruins, while Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent each added 10 points.
Skyy Clark returned from a 10-game absence due to a hamstring injury and scored eight points in 16 minutes. Clark’s average is 13.1 points in 15 games.
Tyler Bilodeau (17.9) leads UCLA in scoring and is tied with Eric Dailey Jr. (5.6) for the rebounding lead. Donovan Dent averages 13.5 points and a team-leading 7.0 assists.
The eventual increase of minutes for Clark will cause reduced action for some players but Perry (12.7 ppg) isn’t concerned.
“I just want to be a part of winning,” Perry said. “I just want to do whatever it takes to win. Like, I can’t have us being 30-pieced in an away game, you know?”
The Bruins recorded a 63-61 home win over Michigan State last season when Dailey drove for the game-winning basket with 7.5 seconds left. UCLA is 8-4 all-time against the Spartans.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yale head coach Tony Reno steps down, cites health concerns
Oct 16, 2021; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Yale Bulldogs head coach Tony Reno yells to an official during the first half against the Connecticut Huskies at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Tony Reno stepped down as head coach at Yale on Tuesday, citing health reasons for the end of his 14-year run with the Bulldogs.
Reno, 52, was hired as the coach of the Bulldogs in January 2012 and led the team to its first FCS playoff berth in 2025. He helped Yale overcome a 28-point deficit in the second half of a 43-42 victory over Youngstown State in the first round before the team fell to eventual national champion Montana State in the second.
“Given my current health situation, I have made the decision to step down as head coach of Yale Football,” Reno said in a statement. “When I arrived at Yale 14 years ago, I could never have imagined what this journey would become. The relationships formed, the moments shared, and the people I have been privileged to be surrounded by have changed my life and my family’s lives forever. I am deeply grateful to the players, the coaches, and the staff who gave everything they had to Yale Football.
“From the very beginning, I spoke about honoring the proud tradition of Yale Football and fully embracing the responsibility that comes with leading this program. Together, we pursued excellence and built something truly meaningful. I am incredibly proud of the foundation we laid and confident in the future of Yale Football. Serving as the head coach of this program has been the greatest honor of my life.”
Reno has guided Yale to five Ivy League titles and owns an 83-49 record during his time with the school. His win total trails only the legendary Carm Cozza in the history of the university.
“Coach Reno’s leadership has been truly transformational,” Bulldogs athletic director Vicky Chun said. “His impact on Yale Football, our department, and the university extends far beyond championships and wins — it lives in the countless people he has inspired. Coach Reno led with integrity, humility, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, giving his whole heart to this program every day. He cared deeply about his players as people, challenging them to excel on the field, in the classroom, and in life. Coach Reno’s devotion to Yale and to the young men he coached was total, and his legacy will endure for generations.”
Yale immediately will begin a national search for the program’s next head coach.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brooks Koepka adds Houston Open to return tour
Brooks Koepka looks over his putt on the 16th hole during Round 2 at the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 6, 2026, at TPC Scottsdale. As Brooks Koepka carefully plots his path back to relevance on the game’s biggest stages, his return to the PGA Tour continues to provide a boost for the tour’s second-tier events.
The Texas Children’s Houston Open announced that Koepka has committed to the March 26-29 event along with Rickie Fowler and defending champion Min Woo Lee. Other marquee names who have committed to the Houston Open field include two-time 2026 winner Chris Gotterup, No. 26-ranked Si Woo Kim, Gary Woodland, Sungjae Im and Will Zalatoris.
However, it’s Koepka who will have the most on the line at Memorial Park Golf Course, which he played a significant role in helping re-design along with architect Tom Doak.
Koepka made his return to the PGA Tour with a tie for 56th at the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. He followed that up with a missed cut at the WM Phoenix Open, as he has drifted back to 257th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Currently ineligible for the tour’s signature events as well as The Players Championship, Koepka is attempting to work his way back up the world and FedEx Cup rankings through the second-tier events. His next start will come at the Cognizant Classic (Feb. 26-March 1), which the West Palm Beach, Fla. native considers his hometown event.
The Houston Open will serve as a warm-up to The Masters, which takes place April 9-12, and Koepka is exempt into all four majors through at least 2028.
The nine-time tour winner will return to the Houston Open for the first time since 2021.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Dominic Smith signs minor league deal with Braves
Sep 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Dominic Smith (7) is congratulated in the dugout by teammates after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images Journeyman first baseman Dominic Smith has joined the Braves’ spring training camp as a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract, according to multiple media reports.
Smith, 30, is a former first-round pick by the New York Mets in the 2013 MLB Draft. He played his first six seasons with the Mets, but has bounced between teams since, playing for the Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants in the last three seasons.
In 2025, Smith played 63 games with the Giants, hitting .284 with five home runs, 12 doubles and 33 RBIs.
Smith hit a career-best .316 with 10 homers in 50 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season with New York. Over 756 games spanning nine seasons, Smith has a .250 career batting average with 69 homers, 292 RBIs, 543 strikeouts and 185 walks.
He’s played 473 of his games at first base but also played 182 games in left field, although he hasn’t played there since 2021.
–Field Level Media
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