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No. 11 Michigan St. beats Illinois, gets coach Tom Izzo 354th Big Ten win

NCAA Basketball: Michigan State at IllinoisFeb 15, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) drives to the basket against Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) and Szymon Zapala (10) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Jaxon Kohler scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as No. 11 Michigan State gave coach Tom Izzo his record-setting 354th Big Ten win with a 79-65 victory over Illinois on Saturday night in Champaign, Ill.

The Spartans (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) trailed by 16 points in the first half but closed the game on a 15-0 run to enable Izzo, in his 30th season, to surpass Bob Knight as the league’s winningest coach.

Tre Holloman posted 14 points, Jase Richardson contributed 11 and Coen Carr added 10 as Michigan State limited Illinois to 38.1 percent shooting from the field and won the rebounding battle 41-36.

Kasparas Jakucionis and Morez Johnson Jr. led Illinois (17-9, 9-7) with 17 points apiece while Will Riley added 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists off the bench. The Fighting Illini missed their last 19 shots of the contest and didn’t score for the final 8:28.

Sparked by two thunderous dunks from Johnson in the first two minutes of the game, Illinois broke out to a 6-0 lead that had the sellout crowd up on its feet. When Jake Davis came off the bench and drilled back-to-back 3-pointers in a 21-second span, the Illini pushed their advantage to 17-6 and inspired Izzo to take a timeout at the 14:46 mark of the first half.

Illinois’ lead swelled to 31-15 on Riley’s jumper with 8:46 left in the first half, but Michigan State found its footing and unleashed a flurry to get back into the game. Kohler and Carr soon combined for 13 straight points — a run highlighted by a rim-rattling Carr dunk and a Kohler 3-pointer — to cut the hosts’ cushion to 35-34 with 2:10 to go.

Illinois carried a 41-37 lead into halftime. However, Michigan State maintained its momentum and needed less than two minutes of the second half to seize its first lead of the game. Jeremy Fears Jr. drove for a shot-clock-beating layup, Richardson threw down a breakaway jam and Kohler hit a 3-pointer from the corner as Michigan State went up 44-42 at the 18:28 mark.

From there, neither team led by more than four until the Spartans’ game-ending run, which erased a narrow 65-64 Illinois lead.

–Field Level Media

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Right-handers for Giants, Brewers out to cap successful July with win

Jul 22, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA;  San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp (65) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn ImagesJul 22, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp (65) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

A pair of young right-handers attempting to complete an unbeaten month of July will go head-to-head Tuesday night when Logan Henderson and the Milwaukee Brewers take on Landen Roupp and the host San Francisco Giants in the continuation of a three-game series.

The Giants opened the set with a 3-0 victory Monday, getting brilliant pitching from Tyler Mahle and a two-run homer from Grant McCray.

Roupp (7-8, 3.93 ERA) will attempt to successfully follow in Mahle’s footsteps as he looks to continue the form that led to a fast start this season before a two-month slump.

The 27-year-old began the season 5-1 through the end of April, but then started 11 consecutive losses, seven of which went on his record, in May and June.

The third-year major-leaguer has regained his winning form in July, however, going 2-0 with wins against the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. He took a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals in a 5-4 win last Wednesday. He has allowed just three runs and nine hits in 21 innings.

Roupp’s earlier skid reached its greatest depth when he suffered through his worst outing of the season in a 16-2 loss at Milwaukee on June 1, charged with eight runs in four innings. The loss ran his career record against the Brewers to 0-2 with a 7.16 ERA in five games, including three starts.

Jackson Chourio’s two-run double and Brice Turang’s two-RBI triple, hit consecutively, were the big blows against Roupp in the earlier head-to-head in Milwaukee.

Henderson (4-1, 3.05) has had a similar month. Like Roupp, he is 2-0 with a no-decision in July. The Brewers have won all three Henderson starts, games against the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins and New York Mets.

In just his second major-league season, the 24-year-old Henderson went winless in his first three starts in 2026 before going unbeaten in his past five. He has allowed just six runs and 11 hits in 15 1/3 innings in July.

His July starts followed almost a six-week layoff due to back soreness. But he watched closely, especially the games of hard-throwing staff ace Jacob Misiorowski, who clearly inspires him.

“It never gets old, and he’s taking it up a notch every start,” Henderson told reporters recently. “I feel privileged to have a front-row seat every game.”

Henderson never has faced the Giants.

One player Henderson definitely won’t see will be Giants slugger Casey Schmitt, who strained his right knee rounding first base after a hit in the second inning of the opener and had to be removed from the game.

The Giants announced after the game that Schmitt, whose hit raised his average to .271, would undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

San Francisco manager Tony Vitello said after the game that he feared Schmitt could miss “significant” time.

“He’s a little bummed out. He loves to play every day,” Vitello told reporters after the win. “Scary moment for him. He was really struggling just to move around. Heart’s got to go out to him and you hope for the best.”

– Field Level Media

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French legend Zinedine Zidane to coach national team

Jul 26, 2024; Paris, FRANCE;  Zinedine Zidane during the Opening Ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games along the Seine River. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-Imagn ImagesJul 26, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Zinedine Zidane during the Opening Ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games along the Seine River. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-Imagn Images

Zinedine Zidane, who led France to the 1998 World Cup championship, has been named the next coach of the French men’s national team.

He replaces Didier Deschamps, 57, who had been at the helm since 2012. Deschamps said in January 2025 that he intended to retire at the end of the 2026 World Cup, in which France lost 6-4 to England in the third-place match.

The deal with Zidane, announced Tuesday, is for four years, and he officially will begin his job on Aug. 1. His staff is expected to be revealed in September.

Zidane, 54, entered coaching after his playing days, and his Real Madrid teams won three consecutive Champions Leagues finals (2016-18) and two LaLiga titles.

He resigned from his job in Madrid five years ago and has not coached since, long projected as the successor to Deschamps.

“For me it’s a continuity, a dream,” Zidane said. “I had some offers during the five years I was away to take charge of a club but I turned them all down for the France team. It was the only thing I wanted to do.”

And Zidane said he is ready to get to work.

“I have so many emotions, I am ready for the challenge,” he said. “That’s what motivates me.

“Today I have the opportunity to be in charge of this team and I will give everything so that this team can win.”

Zidane will make his coaching debut with the national team on Sept. 25, when he leads France against Turkey in their first match of this UEFA Nations League schedule.

–Field Level Media

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Luca Van Assche beats Alexander Blockx in Portugal for first title

Jul 31, 2024; Washington, DC, USA; Luca Van Assche (FRA) hits a forehand against Andrey Rublev (not pictured) on day five of the Mubadala Citi DC Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesJul 31, 2024; Washington, DC, USA; Luca Van Assche (FRA) hits a forehand against Andrey Rublev (not pictured) on day five of the Mubadala Citi DC Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Luca Van Assche of France secured his first ATP title when he posted a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Belgium’s Alexander Blockx on Sunday in the Estoril Open final in Portugal.

Van Assche, 22, converted 8 of 13 break points and overcame eight double faults to win in two hours and 24 minutes on the clay surface. He is the ATP’s 10th first-time winner this year.

Blockx, 21, had seven aces and seven double faults while playing in his first title match. He rallied from a 3-0 hole in the third set to tie it 5-5 before Van Assche closed it out by winning two straight games.

The championship match was the first between players born in 2004 or later.

–Field Level Media

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