Sports
No. 22 Illinois comes west, wipes out No. 9 Oregon
Jan 2, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) dunks against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images Ben Humrichous scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half Thursday night and No. 22 Illinois opened its first West Coast swing in the Big Ten Conference with a 109-77 beatdown of ninth-ranked Oregon in Eugene.
Humrichous, an Evansville transfer, sank four of the Fighting Illini’s 16 3-pointers. Teammate Tre White stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals, while freshman Kasparas Jakucionis hit for 16 points and Arizona transfer Kylan Boswell added 15.
Illinois (10-3, 2-1 Big Ten) also got help in the first half from reserves Jake Davis (12 points) and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (11). In bagging their third straight impressive win since a two-point loss last month against No. 1 Tennessee, the Illini sank 57.5 percent of their field goals and earned a 43-31 advantage on the boards.
Four players scored in double figures for the Ducks (12-2, 1-2), led by 20 points off the bench from Supreme Cook. Nate Bittle added 13, while Kwame Evans scored 11 points in a reserve role and TJ Bamba hit for 10.
Oregon wasn’t bad offensively, committing just 10 turnovers, but simply couldn’t keep up with Illinois’ blistering shooting.
The Illini wasted no time expanding their seven-point halftime lead, converting 24 of 34 field goals in the second half and reaching the 100-point mark via two foul shots by Jakucionis with 3:37 remaining.
In the night’s only matchup of Top 25 teams, it took Illinois a few minutes to get going. It didn’t score until Humrichous hit a short jumper at the 16:45 mark and trailed 7-2 before hitting Oregon with a 12-0 run. Gibbs-Lawhorn capped that burst with a driving layup with 13:10 left.
Davis drained a 3-pointer with 7:17 left in the half to put the Illini up by 29-18, their first double-figure lead of the night. The margin reached 11 on two occasions later in the half before the Ducks cut the deficit to 45-38 at the break.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Point guard Caleb Foster returning to Duke for senior season
Feb 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.
LET’S MAKE IT LEGENDARY ?? @iamcalebfoster pic.twitter.com/eFKs8ILMeI
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 22, 2026
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
Sports
Phillies C J.T. Realmuto (back) placed on 10-day injured list
Mar 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
Sports
Top draft needs for all 32 teams
Seattle 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
