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No. 11 Kansas ready to welcome Arizona State to Big 12

NCAA Basketball: West Virginia at KansasDec 31, 2024; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson (1) and West Virginia Mountaineers guard Joseph Yesufu (1) fight for a rebound during the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

No. 11 Kansas and Arizona State will meet on the hardwood for the first time as Big 12 foes on Wednesday night in Lawrence, Kan.

The Jayhawks (10-3, 1-1 Big 12) rebounded from last week’s 62-61 home loss against West Virginia with a resounding 51-point win at UCF on Sunday.

Hunter Dickinson led the way for the Jayhawks with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting in the 99-48 win, while Flory Bidunga added 12 points and six blocks. Bidunga and Dickinson were a force in their minutes together, which could lead to more playing time for Bidunga in his sixth-man role.

“We haven’t had rim protection like that all year long,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We made up for some bad defensive plays by guys contesting and blocking, so I’d say the biggest thing I like about them right now is that defensively they can play together. (Bidunga) is good enough and quick enough. He can play out on the perimeter some.

“But the biggest thing, even with (Dickinson), we had rim protection.”

The Jayhawks finished with 12 blocked shots and outrebounded the Knights by a whopping 63-32 margin. UCF shot just 20.6 percent from the field (14 of 68).

Dickinson leads Kansas in both scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 16.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

Kansas also receives significant contributions from guards Zeke Mayo and Dajuan Harris Jr. Mayo is averaging 14.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists and scored 25-plus points in three consecutive games to close out December before settling for six points in the win over UCF. Harris leads the Jayhawks with 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in addition to averaging 10.4 points.

Arizona State (10-3, 1-1) recovered from a 20-point loss at BYU in its inaugural Big 12 game last week with an 81-61 win over Colorado on Saturday, led by 19 points from BJ Freeman on 8-of-12 shooting. Basheer Jihad added 17 points in the win, making 4 of 6 attempts from long range and 6 of 9 overall.

Jihad and Joson Sanon each average 13.5 points per game to pace the Sun Devils. Jayden Quaintance leads Arizona State with 8.2 rebounds per game and is second in the nation with 3.15 blocks per game while also chipping in an average of 9.2 points. Freeman averages 11.8 points per game, while Alston Mason averages 11.0 points and a team-high 3.5 assists.

Heading to Lawrence for a date with the blueblood Jayhawks will be among the biggest tests on Arizona State’s schedule in its first go-around in the Big 12. The Sun Devils believe that they are ready to prove their mettle.

“We’re very confident,” Freeman said. “As long as we come in here and we play our basketball, I feel like we got a chance with anybody in the country. I feel like (with) how we play, how fast we play, and how physical we are on defense, we got a very great chance to win.”

–Field Level Media

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Padres' Walker Buehler looks for better results vs. Giants

MLB: Chicago Cubs at San Diego PadresApr 28, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Walker Buehler (10) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images

A pair of two-time All-Stars accustomed to big-time winning will look to wipe out losing records when Walker Buehler and the San Diego Padres continue a brief three-game road trip against Logan Webb and the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

The Giants snapped a six-game losing streak in Monday’s series opener, riding Trevor McDonald’s pitching to a 3-2 victory. It was San Francisco’s third win in four meetings with San Diego this season.

Buehler (1-2, 5.40 ERA) will take the mound in San Francisco for the 10th time in his career. The right-hander has gone 6-2 with a 3.65 ERA at Oracle Park and 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA overall in 15 appearances (13 starts) against the Giants in his career.

In his first season with the Padres, Buehler has struggled in his past two starts, lasting a total of 7 1/3 innings in a pair of 8-3 losses to the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs.

“Just not good enough,” Buehler told reporters after his most recent outing a week ago against the Cubs. “Got to get deeper and get more efficient. We’ve kind of established that the stuff has improved, and I’m in a lot better spot. But I haven’t quite had that one that it all kind of clicks together in terms of the execution.”

Buehler will be facing a Giants team that has totaled just 12 runs in its last seven games.

San Francisco went homerless while going winless on a six-game trip to Philadelphia and Tampa Bay last week, a drought Casey Schmitt ended in the first inning of Monday’s win.

The Giants have won their past three home games. The long flight home from Florida and a change of scenery was just what the doctor ordered, Schmitt said.

“The big thing was to flush that road trip. Obviously it didn’t go any way we wanted it to go,” Schmitt said. “It’s a new series, a new day.”

No doubt, Webb (2-3, 4.30) also would be perfectly happy to turn the page after having nothing to show for a pair of hard-luck efforts in his past two outings. The right-hander allowed just four runs over 14 innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Phillies in those starts, games the Giants lost 3-0 and 3-2.

Webb would like nothing better than to get the level of support he received when he pitched in a 9-3 win at San Diego in the first week of the season. It improved his career record against the Padres to 5-5 with a 3.23 ERA in 18 games, including 17 starts.

Schmitt got the loudest of San Francisco’s six hits in the series opener on Monday and Luis Arraez chipped in with a pair of doubles and scored twice. The biggest news of the night offensively, however, was the two-RBI performance of Rafael Devers, who hadn’t had a multiple-RBI game since April 8.

Playing first base, Devers responded on a day when the Giants promoted one of their top prospects, Bryce Eldridge, who is seen as the future of the first base position in San Francisco.

Eldridge was used as the DH in his big-league season debut Monday, going 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.

The 21-year-old, who got 37 plate appearances last season, has never faced Buehler.

–Field Level Media

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Former WNBA MVP Tina Charles retires after 14 seasons

WNBA: Washington Mystics at Connecticut SunAug 21, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles (31) reacts after his basket against the Washington Mystics in the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Eight-time All-Star and former WNBA Most Valuable Player Tina Charles announced her retirement Tuesday after 14 seasons with six teams.

Charles, 37, is the league’s all-time leader in made field goals (3,364) and rebounds (4,262) and ranks second with 8,396 points behind only Diana Taurasi (10,646).

The 6-foot-4 center posted Tuesday on X that she had “experienced the highest highs and lowest lows, and I’m thankful for all of it.”

“At some point, you have to edit your life,” Charles wrote. “Not everything and not everyone is meant for the whole journey. Growth requires honesty, and for me, that meant recognizing when my impact was being called in a new direction.”

Charles never won a WNBA championship but won two national championships at UConn and three Olympic gold medals with Team USA.

The No. 1 pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun, Charles won 2010 Rookie of the Year and 2012 Most Valuable Player honors. She led the league in scoring twice and rebounding four times while making nine All-WNBA teams and four All-Defensive teams. She twice won the Dawn Staley Award for community leadership.

Charles averaged 17.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in 473 games (464 starts) with the Sun (2010-13, 2025), New York Liberty (2014-19), Washington Mystics (2021), Phoenix Mercury (2022), Seattle Storm (2022) and Atlanta Dream (2024).

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday.

“Tina Charles has defined excellence and consistency throughout one of the most remarkable careers in WNBA history. From earning unanimous Rookie of the Year honors to being named league MVP, to becoming the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder and second all-time leading scorer, Tina’s impact on the game will be felt for generations to come.

“Beyond her extraordinary accomplishments, Tina has represented the very best of the WNBA throughout her career. Through her leadership and dedication to giving back — including her work with her Hopey’s Heart Foundation — she has made a meaningful impact far beyond the game, earning the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award twice. On behalf of the WNBA, I want to thank Tina for her lasting contributions to the league and the sport of basketball. Her legacy will be defined not only by her excellence on the court, but by the standard she set as a leader, a teammate, and a champion for the communities she touched.”

–Field Level Media

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Report: Seahawks land Dante Fowler on 1-year deal

Syndication: The RecordNew York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) was able to throw the ball before Dallas Cowboys defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. (13) was able to get to him, Sunday, October 5, 2025.

Veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. is signing a one-year deal worth up to $5 million with the Seattle Seahawks, NFL Network reported on Tuesday.

Fowler serves as the Seahawks’ answer to losing Boye Mafe to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. Seattle did not select an edge rusher during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Fowler, who turns 32 in August, visited the Seahawks prior to the draft. He’ll see a familiar face in Seattle defensive coordinator Aden Durde, who was an assistant in Atlanta and Dallas.

Fowler recorded 15 tackles and three sacks in 17 games (11 starts) with the Cowboys in 2025.

He has 294 tackles, 58.5 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, an interception and five fumble recoveries in 159 career games (58 starts) with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2016-18), Los Angeles Rams (2018-19), Falcons (2020-21), Washington Commanders (2024) and Cowboys (2022-23, 2025). He was selected by the Jaguars with the third overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

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