Sports
UNC closes nonconference schedule vs. in-state foe Campbell
Dec 21, 2024; New York, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson (11) reacts during the late moments of the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images With something significant from which to build, North Carolina will see if it can sustain the momentum following a holiday break.
The Tar Heels are back in action for their final nonconference game Sunday night when in-state opponent Campbell visits Chapel Hill, N.C.
This will be the first meeting between the programs despite the campuses less than a one-hour drive apart.
North Carolina (7-5) rallied to defeat then-No. 18 UCLA on Dec. 21 in New York, its first win over a ranked foe this season.
It was a much-needed outcome after numerous late-game disappointments for the Tar Heels.
“It’s because we’ve been in those situations against really good competition that allowed us to have the confidence to come back, and then also the experiences of what we needed to do to finish it out and win,” coach Hubert Davis said.
North Carolina could turn to more four-guard lineups, Davis said. That’s a deviation from what has worked for the Tar Heels through the years when they’ve been stabilized by a strong post presence.
“We may not have tremendous size, but we do have athleticism,” Davis said.
The Tar Heels, who have won three of their past four games, insist they’re up to the challenges despite the rocky stretches. They resume Atlantic Coast Conference play next month with three road trips in four games, so working out any kinks in the Campbell game will likely be critical.
“We’ve been battle-tested all year,” senior guard RJ Davis said. “These first 12 games, it feels like we’ve been in March Madness games. But that’s what it’s going to be like at the end of the year, where we’re playing against tough teams all the way to the wire and being able to execute, being able to get an extra rebound, an extra stop.”
Freshman Ian Jackson has drained multiple 3-point shots in four games this season. He hit three 3s and scored a season-high 24 points vs. UCLA.
Campbell (5-7), riding a two-game skid with losses at Morgan State and at home to Longwood, has defeated only three Division I teams. Sunday night marks the Camels’ final outing before opening their Coastal Athletic Association schedule.
“We believe that will help strengthen us to compete at a high level in CAA play,” coach Kevin McGeehan of nonconference tests.
North Carolina will be Campbell’s third power-conference opponent (following Virginia and Ohio State).
Jasin Sinani (12.4 points per game) is the only Campbell player scoring in double figures. He joins Nolan Dorsey and Cam Gregory as the only team members with more than nine starts this season as McGeehan has juggled the lineup.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Inaugural Bill Walton Classic set for Nov. 7 with heavy San Diego flavor
Bill Walton with sons Luke (left) a player with Arizona and Chris, a player with San Diego State, before a game at Cox Arena on Dec. 7, 2002. The inaugural Bill Walton Classic will be played on Nov. 7 in San Diego, the Hall of Famer’s longstanding residence until his death due to cancer on May 27, 2024, at age 71.
San Diego State will play a to-be-determined opponent in the men’s half of a doubleheader. Walton was a fixture at games on the SDSU campus when his son, Chris, played for the Aztecs from 2000-05.
Walton was born in suburban La Mesa, minutes from the San Diego State campus. The doubleheader will be played at Pechanga Arena, which was known as the San Diego Sports Arena when Walton played games there as a member of the NBA’s San Diego Clippers in the early 1980s.
“This is long overdue,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said at a press conference at Helix High in La Mesa. “Bill Walton was a treasure and anything we can do to put his name out there, we’re all for it.”
Walton first came into national prominence when he starred at Helix High before attending UCLA under legendary coach John Wooden. Walton led the Bruins to two national titles, highlighted by his 21-of-22 shooting performance while scoring 44 points in an 87-66 rout of Memphis State in the 1973 title game.
The Portland Trail Blazers selected “the Big Red Head” with the No. 1 pick in the 1974 NBA draft. Three years later, Walton led the Blazers to their lone NBA title. After suffering through years of foot injuries, he earned another ring with the Boston Celtics in 1986 to cap his 468-game NBA career. He was league MVP in the 1977-78 season for Portland.
Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. He continued to be a popular figure in his post-basketball life as a television commentator who would say off-the-cuff things and talk about this favorite band, the Grateful Dead.
“I’d love to wear something tie-dyed for that game,” Dutcher told reporters, referencing Walton’s love for such clothing.
The other Bill Walton Classic contest will be a women’s game between two local institutions: the University of San Diego and UC San Diego.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Who's No. 2? Books shifting from Arvell Reese to David Bailey for Jets
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Tech defensive lineman David Bailey (DL31) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The New York Jets continue to hold their cards close to the vest when it comes to the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
But the most popular online sportsbooks think they see a tell: Texas A&M pass rusher David Bailey has passed Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese as the favorite to be selected immediately after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza hears his name called first by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Twenty-four hours ago, BetMGM listed Reese at -400 as the favorite to go No. 2 while Bailey could be secured at +200. At that time, Bailey had been backed by the most total bets at 21.2% and Reese by the most money at 37.2%. But by Wednesday night, Bailey moved into the favorite’s role at -145 while Reese has plummeted to +110.
DraftKings, meanwhile, listed Bailey as -150 to go No. 2 with Reese at +115 and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love a distant third at +8000.
This seismic surge occurred despite Bailey having his “top 30” visit to Jets headquarters canceled by the team. Jets coach Aaron Glenn downplayed not bringing Bailey in for a pre-draft visit, then Bailey supported that view Wednesday by saying he has spent plenty of time with the team’s brass and recently caught up with them on FaceTime.
Yet another question: Will the Jets hold on to that second overall pick?
New York owns five of the top 103 selections in the draft and could opt to move down or stay put at No. 2 and/or No. 16 on Thursday night. The Jets also have a pair of second-round picks on Friday night.
If the team stays put at No. 2, the question between Bailey and Reese has been one of the more interesting pre-draft debates.
The 6-foot-4, 243-pound Reese ranks the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2026 draft by Field Level Media, followed immediately by the 6-3, 247-pound Bailey.
Bailey tied for the NCAA lead with 14.5 sacks last season and is a weight-room warrior who explodes off the ball. He has been compared to Denver Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto, who faced similar questions about his potential as a run defender coming out of Oklahoma prior to the 2022 draft.
Reese could be a reliable edge setter in a 3-4 or a thumping presence in the middle of a 4-3. He also can stick with tight ends in coverage, and provides a tantalizing combination of tools and versatility. A comp to retired pass rusher Barkevious Mingo, who by all accounts failed to live up to pre-draft expectations, might have many NFL personnel in the Jets’ shoes favoring Bailey.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red-hot Matt Fitzpatrick popular PGA Championship pick
Apr 18, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick eyes his line on two green during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Matt Fitzpatrick’s recent run up to a career-best No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking has drawn significant attention from the public ahead of next month’s PGA Championship.
Fitzpatrick outlasted World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to claim a signature event title at the RBC Heritage on Sunday. It was an exclamation point on a run that began with a runner-up at The Players Championship, a win at the Valspar Championship and a tie for 18th at the Masters.
After a bogey on the 72nd hole on Sunday that dropped him into a playoff with Scheffler, Fitzgerald rebounded to knock his approach with a 4-iron into a stiff wind to 13 feet and drained the birdie putt on the first playoff hole.
Following the effort Fitzgerald, 31, went from 35/1 to 20/1 to win the second major of the year at the PGA Championship by Oddschecker. The 2022 U.S. Open champion has also been the most-backed player this week with 23% of the total bets placed on the PGA Championship winner since his victory at Harbor Town.
The second-most bet player this week has been Cameron Young, who tracked down and beat Fitzpatrick at The Players. Young has been backed by 6% of the total bets this week along with Ludvig Aberg, Sam Burns and Justin Rose.
Scheffler is still the PGA Championship favorite at 7/2, giving him a 22% implied probability to win. He has been backed by 5% of the total bets this week along with LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm.
The second shortest pre-tournament odds belong to Masters champion Rory McIlroy at 7/1. Rahm is 12/1, followed by Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau at 16/1 and Fitzpatrick and Young at 20/1.
Fitzpatrick and his brother, Alex, are also the co-favorites ahead of this week’s Zurich Classic, the only team event on the PGA Tour. They are 11/1 along with the team of Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry.
–Field Level Media
Inaugural Bill Walton Classic set for Nov. 7 with heavy San Diego flavor
Who's No. 2? Books shifting from Arvell Reese to David Bailey for Jets
