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No. 18 Memphis fends off stubborn effort by Rice

NCAA Basketball: Rice at MemphisFeb 26, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers forward Dain Dainja (42) shoots against Rice Owls forward Jimmy Oladokun, Jr. (24) during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Dain Dainja had game highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds as No. 18 Memphis pulled away in the last two minutes for an 84-72 American Athletic Conference win over visiting Rice on Wednesday night.

PJ Haggerty added 21 points and five assists for the Tigers (23-5, 13-2 AAC), while Nicholas Jourdain contributed 19 points and nine rebounds. Memphis shot 49.2 percent from the field in securing a season sweep of the Owls.

Caden Powell scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures for Rice (13-16, 4-12). Denver Anglin added 14 points, Andrew Akuchie had 12 and Kellen Amos came off the bench for 11.

Despite making only 41.4 percent from the field, the Owls had a legitimate chance to pull the upset after Powell’s dunk tied the score at 70 with 3:51 left. They even got a stop and had possession with an opportunity to take the lead.

But a steal by Colby Rogers led to Tyrese Hunter’s short jumper at the 2:39 mark. The bucket ignited a game-ending 14-2 run.

One pregame storyline was whether Memphis could push its conference lead to 1 1/2 games over idle North Texas and UAB. Meanwhile, Rice was trying to build on a 71-50 win over Tulsa on Saturday that snapped a four-game losing streak.

It was all Tigers in the first five minutes as they established Dainja for seven quick points and a 13-3 lead. The margin was 12 when Rogers made two free throws at the 11:28 mark, and it appeared Memphis would have an easy game.

But the Owls hit them with a 12-2 run to pull within 23-21 on Powell’s layup with 8:04 remaining. Memphis restored a nine-point advantage on two occasions before settling for a 39-32 cushion at the break on a free throw by Haggerty with five seconds left.

–Field Level Media

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Point guard Caleb Foster returning to Duke for senior season

NCAA Basketball: Clemson at DukeFeb 14, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) controls the ball in front of Clemson Tigers forward RJ Godfrey (0) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke point guard Caleb Foster is returning for his senior season, the program announced on social media on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5 Foster averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 24.8 minutes in 33 games (30 starts) last season for the Blue Devils (35-3), who won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season (17-1) and tournament crowns. He also shot 39.8% (39 of 98) from 3-point range.

He fractured his right foot in the regular-season finale against North Carolina on March 7 and missed the ACC tournament. He sat out top-seeded Duke’s first two NCAA Tournament games in the East Region before playing in the Round of 16 win over St. John’s and the Elite Eight loss to UConn.

Over three seasons, Foster is averaging 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 20.8 minutes in 98 games (52 starts).

A native of Harrisburg, N.C., Foster is staying in Durham along with point guard Cayden Boozer, a rising sophomore. They will be joined by five-star recruit Deron Rippey Jr., and Duke also got a commitment on Tuesday from Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, who also is going through the NBA draft process.

–Field Level Media


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Phillies C J.T. Realmuto (back) placed on 10-day injured list

MLB: Texas Rangers at Philadelphia PhilliesMar 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) at bat against the Texas Rangers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The slumping Philadelphia Phillies placed catcher J.T. Realmuto on the 10-day injured list with back spasms on Wednesday.

Realmuto, 35, sat out two games before returning Tuesday and going 0-for-4 in a 7-4 road loss to the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia’s seventh straight defeat.

The three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove backstop is batting .259 with one home run and four RBIs through 17 games this season.

The Phillies are calling up catcher Garrett Stubbs from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Realmuto’s roster spot and split time behind the plate with Rafael Marchan. To make room for Stubbs on the 40-man roster, Philadelphia transferred right-hander Max Lazar (oblique strain) to the 60-day IL.

Realmuto is a lifetime .270 hitter with 181 homers and 681 RBIs in 1,390 career games with the Miami Marlins (2014-18) and Phillies (2019-26).

Stubbs, 32, is a career .215 hitter with seven home runs and 45 RBIs in 197 games across seven seasons with the Houston Astros (2019-21) and Phillies (2022-25). He’s hit .289 with three home runs and eight RBIs in 10 Triple-A games this season.

–Field Level Media

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Top draft needs for all 32 teams

NFL: CombineSeattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks to the press at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Wily general managers attempt to sell their plan to select the “best player available” prior to every draft. But front-office personnel of teams drafting at the top are not fortunate enough to ignore roster needs if they’d like to stick around for next year’s draft.

With free agency all but in the books and a few straggling items still up for bidding on the trade market, here’s how we view the primary roster needs for all 32 teams before the 2026 NFL Draft begins.

Arizona Cardinals

Farewell to No. 1 pick Kyler Murray, which means the Cardinals can start at QB1 and work their way down if they want to rebound in the NFC West.

Position needs: QB, OT, WR, LB, EDGE

Atlanta Falcons

Without knowing the ultimate direction of the offense, we can say Kevin Stefanski and his QB1 to be named later would benefit from a polished offensive line and skill-position help.

Position needs: WR, OT, CB, LB

Baltimore Ravens

Not securing three-time Pro Bowl C Tyler Linderbaum might haunt the Ravens if they can’t find suitable starters at center and guard in the draft. Signing Trey Hendrickson can beef up the pass rush, but more premium talent is coveted on the edge.

Position needs: IOL, OLB, DL, WR, CB

Buffalo Bills

Slings and arrows at Keon Coleman were not the ideal motivation for a draft-and-develop philosophy. Spending big at QB and RB tightens margin for error in Buffalo.

Position needs: WR, S, EDGE, LB, CB

Carolina Panthers

Restocking the secondary and maybe even a third wide receiver in three years selected in the top 32 would be wins for the Panthers.

Position needs: CB, S, TE, OT, WR

Chicago Bears

Division and playoff push aside, the Bears didn’t sport a shutdown defense most of the year and survived on scraps and takeaways.

Position needs: Edge, DL, C, CB

Cincinnati Bengals

Swapped the No. 10 pick for DT Dexter Lawrence. With a fortunate break they could still score a pass rusher in a draft with an abundance of options, even if no perfect fit for this defense.

Position needs: Edge, CB, OL, TE, LB

Cleveland Browns

Your vantage point on the latest reset in Cleveland might add or subtract a position on this list.

Position needs: OL, WR, QB, CB, LB, EDGE

Dallas Cowboys

If only the Cowboys could find a versatile pass rusher like Micah Parsons, right?

Position needs: Edge, DL, LB, S, CB

Denver Broncos

No first-round pick, no problem for the Broncos. They’ve unearthed mid-round gems each year under the current regime.

Position needs: TE, LB, EDGE, DL

Detroit Lions

Pairing a speed demon with Aidan Hutchinson is the next-level move for Detroit’s defense.

Position needs: Edge, OL, LB, CB

Green Bay Packers

Protect Jordan Love first, and that might require a premium pick. Then make sure he has ample receiving options at a position where injuries have been a hurdle. And fetch a pass rusher with Micah Parsons coming back from injury and Rashan Gary gone.

Position needs: OT, WR, Edge, DL, CB

Houston Texans

Another 12-win season and a pretty productive offseason to date funnels the Texans into a draft where the focus is on offensive line and defensive line reinforcements.

Position needs: OL, DL, LB, DB, Edge

Indianapolis Colts

One of the sharpest offenses in the NFL the first half of last season crumbled down the stretch. GM Chris Ballard argues Sauce Gardner, acquired for Indy’s first-round pick at the trade deadline, is the Colts’ 2026 first-rounder. His job might depend on mining more gems in the middle of the draft.

Position needs: OT, WR, EDGE, LB, S

Jacksonville Jaguars

There is always a chance the leadership of the Jaguars makes a dramatic play on draft night. If an elite defender is falling Thursday, don’t be surprised to see the Jacksonville draft room pop up on your screen.

Position needs: DT, S, Edge, LB, CB

Kansas City Chiefs

Good news: Two first-round picks (9, 29). Bad news: We count six positions where the starter is uncertain or replacement level and more with contextual question marks. The secondary makeover is incomplete with a legitimate No. 1 corner to replace Trent McDuffie.

Position needs: CB, Edge, OL, WR, DL

Los Angeles Chargers

For all the Chargers have invested in the offensive line — draft capital and real dollars — it’s not there yet.

Position needs: OL, WR, Edge, DL, DB

Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford is closer to AARP than his physical prime, which begs the question: How long can the Rams get away with not having a QB of the future?

Position needs: LB, QB, DL, S, Edge

Las Vegas Raiders

No team drafts first overall without countless roster concerns to help put them at the bottom of the NFL standings.

Position needs: QB, OT, DT, WR

Miami Dolphins

Can’t list everything on the shopping list in South Beach. Jeff Hafley and Jon Eric-Sullivan are in charge, have two first-round picks and more needs than Michael has Jordans.

Position needs: WR, CB, S, TE, Edge

Minnesota Vikings

The QB competition in the Twin Cities takes all the headlines, although attention and some assembly is going to be required for this defense to be up to snuff by September.

Position needs: LB, S, RB, DL, TE

New England Patriots

Watching the Super Bowl, there were a few takeaways postgame well before anyone thought, “the Patriots will be back.” Maybe Mike Vrabel can just add magic and Drake Maye will resume plowing the MVP track. Or maybe New England excelled at covering up fatal flaws which were exposed by the Seahawks.

Position needs: OT, LB, Edge, WR, DT

New Orleans Saints

Retooling on defense is a work in progress and if the Saints want Tyler Shough to take another step in his pro development, weapons are not in great supply at wide receiver or running back.

Position needs: Edge, CB, DL, WR, OL

New York Giants

John Harbaugh should see a lot to like with two top-10 picks. O-line and d-line are the likely highest priorities.

Position needs: DT, LB, IOL, WR, CB

New York Jets

How are we feeling about running it back with Geno Smith, Jets fans? That’s what we thought.

Position needs: QB, CB, Edge, WR

Philadelphia Eagles

Philly always invests in the line, and if there’s a playmaker at safety that makes sense, this could be the year to jump the queue to go get him.

Position needs: Edge, S, WR, OL, TE

Pittsburgh Steelers

Make it six consecutive years an NFL team waits as Aaron Rodgers contemplates whether to return. But he’s 42, so even if we get Vintage Aaron one more season, a Plan B is a must for the Steelers.

Position needs: QB, OL, WR, TE, LB

Seattle Seahawks

Zero doubt GM John Schneider has called every team in the league offering to drop out of the first round to add to the team’s current haul of four total picks.

Position needs: CB, EDGE, WR, OL

San Francisco 49ers

Left tackle Trent Williams maintains dog status when he’s healthy. The offense, not just the line, isn’t the same when he’s unavailable.

Position needs: OL, WR, TE, S

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Head coach Todd Bowles prefers a more dominant front seven to spearhead the defense.

Position needs: Edge, CB, WR, LB

Tennessee Titans

We aren’t going to list running back because Tony Pollard was better-than-average last season. We would understand the rationale of selecting Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love early, but if the Titans get a crack at a blue-chip pass rusher they can’t look away.

Position needs: Edge, WR, LB, OL, TE

Washington Commanders

Erasing last season is one thing, forgetting the why behind Washington’s decline would be another. Jayden Daniels rarely had enough playmakers on the field and even a spendy offseason on defense this spring hasn’t plugged all of the problematic leaks.

Position needs: WR, Edge, OL, DB, RB

–Field Level Media

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