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
2026 NFL Draft: Round 4 and 5 recap
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (DB20) speaks to media members during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images The third and final day of the 2026 NFL Draft began with a name many thought would go in the first round.
Instead, Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy went No. 101 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, as the opening pick of the fourth round on Saturday in Pittsburgh.
The Buffalo Bills owned the No. 101 selection entering the day, while the Raiders sat at No. 102. Las Vegas traded a 2027 seventh-rounder to Buffalo to move up one spot and secure McCoy.
Rated the 16th overall prospect in the draft class by Scouts Inc., McCoy’s fall was attributed to a health concern. McCoy tore his ACL and missed the 2025 college season, but while the ACL has healed, a degenerative cartilage issue was discovered in his right knee.
“All of my doctors that did my surgery told me (that) I’m good,” McCoy said, per ESPN. “But if there’s something that (the Raiders) want me to do for the longevity of my career, I’m willing to do that because I feel like they have my best interest.”
McCoy had four interceptions and nine pass breakups for Tennessee in 2024 after one year at Oregon State.
Two days after the Raiders selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, they continued to make waves Saturday by sending former top-10 pick Tyree Wilson to the New Orleans Saints in order to trade up from No. 219 overall to No. 150 in the fifth round.
Wilson, the seventh overall pick in 2023, amassed 12 sacks in three seasons as a Raiders defensive end. The Raiders attempted to trade star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens earlier this offseason, but Baltimore backed out due to a failed physical as Crosby recovers from knee surgery.
At No. 150, the Raiders drafted safety Dalton Johnson from Arizona.
The quarterback class continued to prove thin, as just one signal-caller was selected in the fourth round and one went in the fifth.
The New York Jets moved up in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals to select Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik at No. 110 overall. The Bengals received the 128th overall pick in the trade, while sending New York the 199th pick in exchange for No. 140.
Klubnik, once seen as a top college quarterback, never quite realized his potential in three-plus seasons as Clemson’s starter. The 6-foot-2 prospect threw for 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions for the Tigers in 2025.
The Jets have again revamped their quarterback room but waited till the fourth round to take a flier on an incoming rookie, having opted for pass rusher David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick. Klubnik joins a QB room featuring Geno Smith, Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe.
“I woke up this morning hoping the Jets were going to pick me,” Klubnik told reporters after the pick.
The Philadelphia Eagles used the 178th overall pick on North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton, a former FCS national champion who’ll slot in on the depth chart behind Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee and veteran Andy Dalton.
While just six quarterbacks were drafted through five rounds, a more popular position was tight end. Seventeen were taken in Rounds 1-5, more than the 16 total drafted in 2025.
Mississippi State tight end Seydou Traore, originally from London, went to the Miami Dolphins at No. 180, the penultimate pick of the fifth round. Though not announced as part of the prospect “green room” Traore appeared on stage in Pittsburgh and was celebrated by commissioner Roger Goodell, an unusual moment for Day 3 of the draft.
The Cleveland Browns kicked off the sixth round by selecting Arkansas quarterback Talen Green with the first pick. Green will join Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel on a crowded Cleveland depth chart.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Prince Owusu leads CF Montreal over NYCFC
Apr 18, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; CF Montreal forward Prince Owusu (9) celebrates with teammates including defenseman Dawid Bugaj (27) and midfielder Noah Streit (23) after scoring a goal against the Red Bull New York during the first half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Prince Owusu scored a first-half goal on Saturday afternoon to help lead CF Montreal to a 1-0 victory over New York City FC.
Thomas Gillier made a pair of saves for Montreal (3-6-0, nine points), who won their second straight game since firing head coach Marco Donadel and hiring interim Philippe Eullaffroy on April 12. Montreal posted five shots on target to New York City’s two.
NYC FC (3-4-3, 12 points) saw their winless streak extended to six straight in MLS competition. Goalkeeper Matt Freese made four saves for the visitors, who lost despite owning possession for 64 percent of the match.
Trailing by a goal, New York City had second-half opportunities to even the score, as Maxi Moralez and Arnau Farnos’ shots missed in the 47th and 56th minutes, respectively.
NYC FC’s Tayvon Gray was sent off in the 78th minute after receiving his second yellow card.
Montreal had early chances, but Freese made three saves in the game’s first 10 minutes. Montreal broke through in the 18th minute, though, as Owusu scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
Matty Longstaff sent in an entry from the left of the box, before Owusu tapped in the game’s only goal past Freese.
NYC FC mustered just one shot on goal in the opening half, while Montreal tallied four before halftime.
The Eastern Conference foes will meet again on October 31 at New York.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Magic withstand Pistons’ rally to gain 2-1 series lead
Apr 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley looks on in the second half against the Detroit Pistons during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane scored 25 points apiece as the Orlando Magic withstood a fourth-quarter rally to beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 113-105 on Saturday in Game 3 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Detroit trailed 96-79 with 8:34 remaining before Cade Cunningham’s 3-pointer capped a 25-8 run and tied the game at 104 with 3:15 left.
Cunningham made one of two free throws to put top-seeded Detroit ahead by one with 2:52 left before Orlando closed on a 9-0 run to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Game 4 is set for Monday in Orlando.
Banchero had 12 rebounds and nine assists for the eighth-seeded Magic, who improved to 7-1 in their last eight home postseason games, including play-in tournament games. Bane was 7-for-9 from 3-point range.
“That’s just him being himself,” Banchero said of Bane, who was 9-of-31 shooting in the series prior to Saturday. “He started slow in the first two games. We knew that wasn’t going to continue. He’s a killer; that’s just what he does. Glad to have him on our team.”
Franz Wagner added 17 points for Orlando. Jalen Suggs scored 15, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 points and 17 rebounds.
“We have a lot of respect for those guys over there,” Banchero said of the Pistons. “But we know how we stack up and we know what we have in our locker room. So we don’t fear them. We have a lot of respect for them. and we know we have to bring it on Monday.”
Cunningham scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter for the Pistons. Tobias Harris scored 23 points, Ausar Thompson had 17 and Duncan Robinson added 10.
The Pistons are now in a hole after being the top team in the East in the regular season.
“It’s one game at a time, that’s what playoff series are,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We come down here, we win on Monday and we take homecourt advantage back. Today’s game, we’ll learn from it but it’s over with. Our guys have been consistent all year. We’ve been able to move onto the next. I trust our guys that we’ll focus on it, we’ll learn from it, we’ll study it, we’ll get better at it and then Monday we’ll be ready to go.”
The teams were tied at 26 after the first quarter. Suggs was held scoreless before hitting a 3-pointer to put the Magic ahead 42-36 with 6:50 left in the second quarter.
Suggs had 12 points in the second quarter to help Orlando take a 61-54 at the half.
Thompson tallied 15 points to lead all scorers in the first half. Bane’s 14 points paced the Magic.
Bane made his first six 3-point attempts, including one with 8:32 left in the third quarter to give Orlando a 74-62 lead.
The Magic led 87-79 at the end of the third quarter and opened the fourth on a 7-0 run to move ahead 94-79 with 10:05 remaining.
Cunningham committed nine turnovers and was 8-for-23 shooting from the field and 3 of 10 from 3-point range for Detroit, which shot 34.4% (11 of 32) from beyond the arc.
Pistons All-Star Jalen Duren had just eight points in 27 minutes before fouling out. He is avearging just 9.0 points in the series, down from 19.5 in the regualr season.
“Just be there for him, encourage him and feed him the ball,” Thompson said of Duren. “Give him some space to work. I just want him to keep being aggressive. We’re good, we’re not worried about him.”
–Field Level Media
2026 NFL Draft: Round 4 and 5 recap
Prince Owusu leads CF Montreal over NYCFC
