Sports
Ryan Odom strives for another shining moment as Virginia faces Tennessee
Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Jacari White (6) takes a jump shot during the second half against the Wright State Raiders during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Odom engineered a massive one-year turnaround at Virginia. Seven years removed from the program’s only national title, Odom has his players visualizing their own shining moment.
The third-seeded Cavaliers are on the verge of the Sweet 16 but first must handle Ja’Kobi Gillespie and sixth-seeded Tennessee in a Midwest Region second-round matchup on Sunday.
Virginia (30-5) officially doubled its win total from last season when it pulled out an 82-73 win over Wright State in Friday’s opener. The Cavaliers hadn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since the 2019 national final.
Odom — the same coach who pulled off UMBC’s historic 16-over-1 upset of Virginia once upon a time — said afterward that he’d shown his players a montage of their season set to “One Shining Moment,” the tournament’s unofficial theme song.
After being hired from VCU last March, Odom had to assemble a new team quickly and primarily through the transfer portal. He has gotten his players to buy into Virginia’s history and the part they can play in writing a new chapter.
“When he brought us here, he emphasized the importance of what it is we’re actually playing for and not just ourselves, and playing for the university and trying to continue the legacy that was left behind by the players before,” said Virginia senior guard Jacari White, who transferred in from North Dakota State. “And so we honor that and take pride in that, and I feel like that shows in our play.”
Virginia’s 3-point marksman off the bench, White scored a season-high 26 points to propel the Cavaliers past the upset-minded Raiders. The first five of his six 3-pointers either tied the game or put Virginia in front.
“He’s one of the best shooters in the country when he’s locked and loaded there and feeling it,” Odom said. “You have to see that first one go in on game day, and he did, and then he was kind of on from there.”
Tennessee (23-11) is familiar with countering 3-point specialists after it held Eian Elmer to 0-for-7 shooting and Brant Byers to 1-for-6 in Friday’s 78-56 win over Miami (Ohio). Elmer shot 42.9% from deep for the year and Byers was at 39.2%.
“It’s similar. They put up around 30 threes a game or something like that,” Tennessee guard Bishop Boswell said of Virginia. “They’re also doing a (good) job attacking it early if they have the open three, so I think kind of just the same thing as we kind of did last game, just being in gaps early and playing out, guarding the 3-point line as best we can, but they’re balanced so just trying to take away as much as we can.”
Gillespie racked up 29 points and nine assists to carry Tennessee on a day where star freshman Nate Ament went scoreless in 18 minutes. Ament has been battling a high ankle sprain, yet had a 27-point showing and a double-double in the final two games of the SEC tournament last week.
“Last night, we could tell he was struggling with it,” coach Rick Barnes said Saturday. “That’s why we didn’t put him back in the game. …
“We need Nate. He knows it, but he will give us everything that he can, and that’s really all I can say about it. If it’s up to him, he would play every minute if he could. We’ll see game time.”
Ament averages 17.0 points and 6.5 rebounds while Gillespie leads Tennessee with 18.3 points and 5.6 assists per game.
Belgian freshman Thijs De Ridder tops Virginia at 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest.
–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
Sports
French superstar Antoine Griezmann joins Orlando City
[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 15, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann (7) reacts during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Cole-Reuters via Imagn Images Orlando City SC completed the long-anticipated signing of Atletico Madrid superstar Antoine Griezmann on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old French attacker is signed from July 2026 through the 2027-28 season with an option for 2028-29. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“Bringing Antoine to Orlando is a landmark moment not only for our club, but for our city, our supporters and for Major League Soccer,” team owner and chairman Mark Wilf said. “He is one of the most gifted, accomplished and influential players of his generation, and his decision to choose Orlando City reflects the mission and culture of our club. Our focus is on consistently building a championship-caliber roster every year, and adding a world-class player like Antoine reinforces that commitment and our belief in what the Club can achieve.”
Griezmann will join the Lions as a designated player when the MLS secondary transfer window opens in July, pending medical clearance and receipt of his international paperwork.
“I am very excited to begin this next chapter of my career with Orlando City,” Griezmann said. “From my first conversations with the Club, I could feel a strong ambition and a clear vision for the future, and that really spoke to me. I look forward to making Orlando my new home, meeting the supporters, feeling the energy at Inter&Co Stadium, and giving everything I have to help the team achieve great things.”
Griezmann has recorded 13 goals and four assists across all competitions with the La Liga side this season.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner spent 10 seasons at Atletico Madrid, where he is the club’s all-time leader with 211 goals across all competitions from 2014-19 and 2021-26. He was the La Liga Player of the Year in 2015-16 and placed third in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2016 and 2018.
“Antoine is a complete footballer–creative, intelligent, clinical–and he is a proven winner on the biggest stages of the game,” Orlando City general manager Ricardo Moreira said. “Beyond his talent, he brings leadership, a relentless drive and a championship mentality that will elevate everyone around him. This is a statement signing for our club and ownership group, and we are thrilled to welcome Antoine and his family to Orlando.”
Griezmann has tallied 298 goals and 132 assists across 792 professional appearances in Spain. He had 44 goals in 137 caps for France before retiring from international competition in 2024.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kylian Mbappe: Knee is 100%, 'false things were said'
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid’s game against Sevilla in Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, on Dec. 20, 2025 .
French striker Kylian Mbappe disputed reports about the severity of the left knee sprain that has limited his availability of late for Real Madrid.
“My knee is fine. It’s getting better,” he said at a promotional event in France on Monday. “It’s going quite well, and I know there’s been a lot of speculation about it and some false things have been said.
“It’s the life of a top athlete, and we’re used to people saying things without verifying them or having any basis in fact.”
Mbappe, 27, came off the bench in Real Madrid’s two most recent matches: Sunday’s 3-2 La Liga defeat of Atletico Madrid and a 2-1 win at Manchester City on March 17 in the second leg of a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match.
His last appearance before that, and his most recent start, was on Feb. 21. In 24 La Liga matches this season, Mbappe has 23 goals and four assists.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is on the roster for France’s upcoming friendlies in the United States against Brazil (March 26) and Colombia (March 29).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Falcons add veteran Trevor Siemian to QB room
Jan 7, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian (14) throws the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images The Atlanta Falcons are signing veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian, his agent confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
Siemian, 34, adds depth behind newcomer Tua Tagovailoa and 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.
Terms weren’t disclosed for Siemian, who last appeared in an NFL regular-season game in 2023 with the New York Jets. He spent most of the 2024 and 2025 campaigns on the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad.
Siemian is 15-18 as a starter, completing 58.5% of his passes for 7,751 yards, 44 touchdowns and 32 interceptions in 40 games with the Denver Broncos (2015-17), Jets (2019, 2023), New Orleans Saints (2021) and Chicago Bears (2022). He has rushed for 251 yards and two scores.
The Broncos drafted Siemian in the seventh round in 2015.
–Field Level Media
French superstar Antoine Griezmann joins Orlando City
Kylian Mbappe: Knee is 100%, 'false things were said'
