Breaking: Marquette MBB To Hire Texas HS Shaka Smart

By Adam Roberts – 3/26/2021

The search to replace Steve Wojciechowski appears to be over at Marquette.

According to several sources including CBS Sports’s Jon Rothstein, the Golden Eagles men’s basketball program is close to hiring Texas head coach Shaka Smart. The Longhorns were dispatched in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Abilene Christian this year, but Smart has guided the program to three NCAA tournaments in six seasons and had coached Texas to a Big 12 Conference tournament title before their tourney upset.

Smart graduated from Oregon High School near Madison, Wisconsin in 1995, and is most remembered for leading the Rams of Virginia Commonwealth to the Final Four back in 2011. He has a career W-L record of 272-142 that includes eight 20-win seasons. This season was seen by many as a disappointment, however, with Texas ranked as high as fourth in the country at one point but finishing outside the Top 25.

Wojciechowski was fired by Marquette last week. One other bit to note about the hire: Smart would the first black head coach in program history if he does indeed join the Golden Eagles.

Brewers To Open With Peralta In Rotation

By Adam Roberts – 3/26/2021

More important decisions are being made as to who will make up the Brewers’ starting pitching rotation for 2021.

We already know that Brandon Woodruff will once again get the Opening Day start against the Twins next Thursday. And this season will also see the return of a familiar face who was not a primary starter last year. Freddy Peralta is going back into the Milwaukee rotation after being used mostly in relief last season. Brewers manager Craig Counsell says the 24-year-old righty earned a rotation slot with a strong spring. Josh Lindblom, who made 10 starts last year, will be used in relief.

Specifically this spring, Peralta has thrown in three games, starting one, and recorded 15 strikeouts out of 36 batters faces while surrendering just one earned run on a long ball. Comparatively, Lindblom has struggled slightly in his games with seven runs surrendered in 9.2 innings and a 1.345 WHIP.

The Peralta addition means the starting rotation will likely be Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, Adrian Houser, Brett Anderson, and finally Freddy.

Vikings Trading for C Mason Cole

By Adam Roberts – 3/25/2021

Today is the NBA trade deadline, and so Twitter is rife with deals happening all over the league. But don’t forget, deals are also still going down in NFL free agency.

The Vikings yesterday re-signed running back Ameer Abdullah to provide some depth behind star back Dalvin Cook, and today have inked a deal to add an offensive lineman. Mark Sanchez, yep the former Jets QB who now serves as an analyst for ESPN, ABC, and Showtime, has reported the Vikings have reached a deal for center Mason Cole from the Arizona Cardinals. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the team will send Arizona a sixth-round draft pick for Cole.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on Twitter the team may play Cole at guard, which would make sense. Ezra Cleveland is firmly in the right guard roster spot, but currently the team’s depth chart has Oli Udoh at left guard, a position he was converted to for part of the 2020 season. The left tackle position is also still undetermined, with some rumors indicating the team may either pursue Orlando Brown Jr or use its draft pick to find a suitable candidate.

Last season, Cole snapped on 81 percent of offensive plays.

Caledonia BBB Beats Stewartville; Coach King Gets Win #100

By Adam Roberts – 3/25/2021

It isn’t too often that a team advancing to state is the side story of a high school sporting event.

But that was the case with the Caldeonia boy’s basketball team yesterday evening, which recorded coach Brad King’s 100th victory in a 78-61 Section 1AA Championship win at Rochester Century. Statistically, the Warriors were paced by a 22 point night from junior guard Jackson Koepke (who also had five threes) while senior Austin Klug followed 19 and senior forward Casey Schultz had 12.

King made the evening as little about himself as anyone possibly could, instead praising his players for battling to this point through a highly trying season. Another gesture indicative of Coach King’s character: after the win, he could be seen embracing members of Stewartville, who were no slouches themselves this year. They finished the season 18-4 as Michigan-bound Will Tschetter scored 29.

The opponent Caledonia will face in the AA quarterfinal is still to be determined.

Packers Re-Sign TE Marcedes Lewis; Sign LS Fortunato

By Adam Roberts – 3/25/2021

Aaron Rodgers has made it clear that one of his favorite teammates over the last few years has been veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis. The two have formed a personal and professional connection since Lewis was brought in from Jacksonville, and it seems the team’s front office understands this as Lewis will be sticking around for at least another couple of years.

In an offseason loaded with “will they or won’t they” and tough budget decisions, Green Bay has decided to re-sign Lewis to a two-year, eight million dollar deal with around 2.1 million of that guaranteed money. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to break the news.

Lewis will almost always appear behind Robert Tonyan on the stat sheet, recording just 10 receptions in 2020 for three scores, but it’s what he brings to the blocking game that is most appreciated by Rodgers and Co. Not to mention, not many tight ends are still playing at Lewis’s quality in the year they’ll turn 37.

Green Bay also signed long snapper Joe Fortunato yesterday, indicating the team may be ready to explore options beyond Hunter Bradley. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, new special teams coordinator Maruice Drayton said yesterday that both Bradley and punter JK Scott are aware that they need to impress this year to keep their jobs. One area Bradley should have a leg up on Fortunato: the later has never snapped in a regular season game.

Caledonia BBB Faces Stewartville Tonight

By Adam Roberts – 3/24/2021

The Caledonia boy’s basketball team had to tough things out against PEM on Monday, but their 59-55 victory over the Bulldogs has the Warriors poised to claim a sectional championship this evening.

To do so, they’ll have to get past the two-seed in the sectional from Stewartville. The two met once earlier this year, with the Warriors coming out on top 72-60 on February 5th. At the time, it was Caledonia’s fourth win in a row since their loss to Onalaska on January 22nd, and since that loss to the Hilltoppers the Warriors have remained unbeaten.

Key to tonight’s game will be the Warriors’ plan to contain senior Will Tschetter. The Michigan-bound 6’8″ Tschetter has not been held to single digits all season, and the last time these two met he managed more than half of Stewartville’s scoring with 31 points. Notable outings this year for Will include a 48 point night against Kasson-Mantorville on February 9th, and 40 more in a 102-69 win over Dover-Eyota in the first round last week Tuesday.

This shapes up as a great litmus test for both teams, and either one will be a formidable foe for opponents the rest of the way. Keep an eye on Sam Privet; the Warrior senior is the same height as Tschetter and has averaged 13.6 per game since February 11th.

Giannis Questionable For Game Tonight Vs Boston

By Adam Roberts – 3/24/2021

As NBA stars left and right seem to be succumbing to the injury bug, the status of Milwaukee’s biggest name is uncertain.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer says Giannis Antetokounmpo is questionable for the game tonight against the Celtics in Milwaukee. The two-time NBA MVP did practice yesterday after sitting out the win Monday against the Pacers with a left knee sprain. Bud has said it’s possible this injury is linked to the Saturday win against San Antonio. Pat Connaughton started in Giannis’s place and had 20 points and nine boards in the victory over Indiana.

Also uncertain for tonight is new P.J. Tucker; the acquisition from Houston is dealing with an ankle sprain that took him out of the Pacers’ win.

The Bucks will try to extend their winning streak to eight tonight when they host the Celtics. They will also meet Boston on Friday and wrap up the homestand Saturday against the Knicks. Milwaukee leads the Central with a 28-and-14 record and trails Philly by two games for the East’s top seed.

Study: Concussions Can Be Diagnosed With Saliva Test

By Adam Roberts – 3/24/2021

In the last 15 years, the issue of concussions in sports, particularly in football among young athletes, has resulted in continuing advancements in studies on the injury. However, as someone who has been put through high school concussion protocol at least a couple times in 2009, I know that the system isn’t perfect.

A new study out of England may be the biggest advancement in the field to date.

In what could be a major game changer, scientists now say they can diagnose a concussion through a saliva test. A team of British researchers studied over 150 rugby players at England’s highest level, and compared saliva samples collected before the season with samples collected from players being checked for concussions and other injuries. They found the genetic markers in saliva determined with 94-percent accuracy which players had concussions.

A co-author of the study at the University of Birmingham said it’s now possible to accurately identify concussions in players simply by analyzing their saliva. This would help bypass uncertainties or athletes who might, for any given reason, try to mask the severity of a concussion to return to play.

Giannis Status for Tomorrow Uncertain

By Adam Roberts – 3/23/2021

Notably absent from Milwaukee’s 140-113 win over Indiana last night was Giannis, who was listed out of the game with a left knee sprain.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer traced the injury back to potentially the Bucks’ win over San Antonio on Saturday. Giannis is just the latest top-name superstar in the league to be sidelined, with names like Lebron James, Anthony Davis, and LaMelo Ball all out either indefinitely or for the foreseeable future.

Coach Bud has not ruled one way or another if Giannis will take the court tomorrow against the Celtics, who currently hold the eight seed in the East. Budenholzer also said new acquisition P.J. Tucker is being handled day-to-day after suffering an ankle sprain against the Pacers that limited him to just 12 minutes last night.

Packers Re-Sign CB Kevin King *Updated*

By Adam Roberts – 3/23/2021

Contract signings and restructurings continue this week, and a starting defensive back is signed on for another year in Green Bay despite a less-than-stellar performance in the NFC Championship Game this year.

Green Bay is re-signing cornerback Kevin King on a one-year, six-million dollar deal, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. His pass interference in the championship game notwithstanding, he had an average 2020 and was likely seen as the best option at the position for the team as opposed to finding another option on the open market.

As for a possible restructuring of quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ contract, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky the team DID pay Rodgers’ scheduled 6.8 million dollar roster bonus and did NOT alter his deal. The team has also this week restructured safety Adrian Amos and guard Billy Turner’s contracts.

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