March Madness wraps in Florida-Houston matchup pitting tourney's best defense vs best clutch player
Walter Clayton Jr., leads the Gators into Monday night's final against a long-armed Cougars defense that has snuffed out every team it has seen over this run to its first title game since 1984. That was the end of the 'Phi Slama Jama' era that featured Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Houston (35-4) has never won a title.
The Gators (35-4) are one win away from their third championship and first since they went back-to-back in 2006-07. Clayton, a high school football star who chose basketball in college, scored 34 points in Florida's semifinal win against Auburn.
He has averaged 24.6 points over five wins in the tournament. In two of those wins, he scored 13 points down the stretch in each to help Florida pull out close games against UConn and Texas Tech.
The Cougars, who lead the nation in points and field goal percentage allowed, held the nation's best player, Cooper Flagg, to 1 for 5 shooting over the final 10 1/2 minutes of their win over Duke on Saturday. Flagg's 3-pointer with 3:02 left in the game was the only basket Houston allowed over that stretch.
'We're going to need to have great mental and physical toughness if we want to give ourselves a chance,' said Gators coach Todd Golden, who at 39 would become the first coach younger than 40 to win a national title since Jim Valvano in 1983.
Sampson, 69, would surpass UConn's Jim Calhoun as the oldest coach to win a men's basketball Division I national title. He earned his 798th career victory against Duke but this is his first time coaching for the championship.
Among his strokes of brilliance at the end of the Duke game was a decision to let his defense do its thing instead of fouling with the Cougars down six and less than a minute to go. Houston's Jojo Tugler blocked Kon Knueppel's shot, then Houston made a 3-pointer on the next possession and went on to score six straight points to win.
'You've been in those situations so many times. It doesn't always work out,' Sampson said. 'If JoJo goes for the shot fake and draws a foul, we're down nine. All of a sudden I'm the dumbest guy ever.'
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26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fabian Edwards dismisses PFL finals foe Dalton Rosta: 'A nice kid' who's 'trying to act tough'
PFL middleweight Dalton Rosta looks like the bully in every American coming-of-age movie you've ever seen. You know, the dude who's the captain of the football team. He goes out with the most popular cheerleader in the school. You would eagerly bet all of your early possessions that he had frosted tips and has stuffed a nerd in a locker at one point in his life. 'A jock!' Fabian Edwards interrupts me, halting my labyrinthine quest to pigeonhole his upcoming PFL foe, who he meets Thursday in the main event of the Hollywood, Florida card, which doubles as the $500,000 finals of this year's PFL middleweight tournament. While my stereotype is built solely around Rosta's All-American appearance, Edwards believes his opponent has far more in common with Channing Tatum, who played a lovable former football player in "21 Jump Street," and Zac Efron, who portrayed a basketball star in "High School Musical." Edwards, the younger of the famed Birmingham brothers — older sibling Leon Edwards is a former UFC welterweight champion — has been baffled by his interactions with the American Top Team talent all week. Go and see for yourself — nearly every promotional video follows the same pattern. A glowing Rosta appears on the screen and immediately begins to insult Edwards, who in turn looks very confused by what's taking place. 'I'm just thinking that he's acting, he's always performing, you know?" Edwards tells Uncrowned, days out from the fight. "Every time he opens his mouth, I feel like he's acting. I can't take this guy seriously in those interactions. I really can't. 'He's acting tough, but really he's just a nice American college kid. This is what it looks like when a nice kid is trying to act tough. I know he's putting on a show. It's funny to me.' In a way, Edwards sees the insults and critiques of his abilities as a compliment. As far as he's concerned, Rosta is attempting to make up some ground on him before they meet on Thursday, when no remark or jibe will factor into whose arm is raised in victory for PFL's six-figure prize. 'He obviously thinks he needs to weaken me somewhere," Edwards says. "I don't have to tell you — I come from a very tough area, we grew up on the streets. Someone coming at me with little insults is not going to affect me. On Thursday I get to go in there and put my hands on him. It's all just talk and it will have no impact on the fight when we're locked in the cage.' As the old adage goes: Appearances can be deceiving. It's true in the case of Rosta, an NCAA Division II wrestler who boasts an undefeated amateur boxing pedigree and 11-1 pro MMA record. Like Edwards, his talent was identified by Bellator and he signed to the promotion in 2019. He contested every professional bout of his fledging career under the banner up until this tournament, where he offed Sadibou Sy and avenged his sole career loss to Aaron Jeffrey to book his place in the finals. While Edwards acknowledged Rosta's wrestling ability, he praised little else of his counterpart's skill set. 'He's just a wrestler," Edwards says. "He can box a little bit, but his main thing is to wrestle. He even said it in the face-to-face, he said, 'I'm going to wrestle you for five rounds', and that's it. That's probably his best path to victory, but it's not going to happen, I feel like I'm going to style on this guy. He's a blown-up wrestler. 'I'll be on this guy from the jump. I know I can keep my pace going deep into a fight and I know he can't. He mentioned to me that he's explosive — bro, Dalton is not faster or stronger than me. If he really believes that's true, he's going to be in for a shock. He fights in a way that relies on being explosive, whereas I rely on my skills.' Speaking of movies, the Edwards' brothers story has often been floated as perfect fodder for a Hollywood blockbuster. Even if you shrank it down to Fabian's tournament run, you could at least get a mini-series out of it. Initially told he wouldn't be able to secure a visa to fight in the opening round, he was then thrust into a short-notice fight against two-time light heavyweight tournament champion Impa Kasanganay. After his second-round knockout of Kasanganay, he went on to defeat Josh Silveira to book his ticket to the finals. Now, all that stands in the way of him and $500,000 is Rosta. 'I thought this dream was done, mate,' he says. 'I thought I was finished. When I got the call to say I was out, I went straight down to my mum's shop to cheer myself up with some jerk chicken, and then the day after I was back in. It's been a wild journey, but as soon as I got into this tournament I told everyone that I was going to win it — and now I'm about to do that.' As for what lies beyond the tournament, should he claim victory, Edwards believes it will be the perfect setup for a rematch with new PFL middleweight champion Costello Van Steenis, who edged him out via split decision back in September 2020. 'I don't want to hear this 'Tournament champion' stuff. Once I win this belt it's world champion versus world champion," Edwards says. "I'll have taken out three of the best guys in the division and then I'll be straight onto the Costello rematch. That will be an entertaining fight.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football: Let us present to you — the 2025 All-Sleeper Team
After putting together the All-Renaissance Team and the All-Breakout Team, it's time to dig deep and close out the series here in late August. They're a little harder to find, you may not even know their names, but sleepers are a cornerstone of fantasy football. There's nothing quite like your 12th-round pick suddenly becoming a top-12 player and carrying your stars to the playoffs. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] So who are these under-the-radar values for 2025? May I present the 2025 All-Sleeper Team. (Note: The definition of "sleeper" can change depending on the context, but for this column, I'm sticking with players in the double-digit rounds, according to Yahoo ADP.) Quarterback C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans : 11th Round (QB17) I considered recycling a player from the 2025 surprises piece (Trevor Lawrence), the All-Breakout Team (Bryce Young), or the All-Renaissance Team (Jordan Love), but you already know they're solid picks, so here's a new one: post-hype "sleeper" C.J. Stroud. After clocking in as the fantasy QB8 in points per game his rookie season, Stroud took a big step back last year, finishing as the QB28 with 5.4 fewer fantasy points per game. He saw a discouraging drop-off in touchdown rate and yards per attempt, threw more than twice as many interceptions and rushed for zero touchdowns (after scoring three as a rookie). So which version of the young QB should we expect in 2025: the "next great star" from Year 1 or the "What happened to him?" fantasy bust from Year 2? Let's consider the environment. In both seasons so far, Stroud lost his starting receivers for various stretches of time. But in 2024, that included five missed games from WR1 Nico Collins and nine missed games from WR2 Stefon Diggs. In the six games both receivers were active at the start of the season, Stroud averaged 54% more fantasy points per game than he did the rest of the year. While health remains fickle, Houston picked up the reliable Christian Kirk and two intriguing Iowa State rookies in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to bolster their depth. Meanwhile, Stroud was also sacked 52 times last year (second-most in the NFL) after taking just 38 sacks in 2023. His offensive line earned PFF's seventh-worst overall grade and was almost completely reworked for 2025 (of the starting five, only RT Tytus Howard remains). Ultimately, Stroud is one of the league's best young quarterbacks, and another year of development should help hone him further. He's being drafted around his floor, but if he finds that rookie form and takes another step forward, Stroud has the potential to join the tier with Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. Running Backs RB1 Cam Skattebo, New York Giants : 10th Round (RB37) As of this week, Cam Skattebo is back on my short list for rookie sleepers in 2025, as he returned to practice on Tuesday following an extended injury absence (hamstring) and was immediately involved. It's not impossible he plays in Thursday's preseason action against New England — if he does, my eyes will be taped open. Skattebo was one of the most fascinating and polarizing players in this draft class after breaking college football in 2024 — specifically, 1,711 rushing yards and 21 TDs on 293 carries, plus 45 receptions for 605 yards and three more scores. On tape, he's an untacklable wrecking ball with elite contact balance who Daniel Jeremiah comped to "a Plinko chip from 'The Price is Right' ... just bouncing off everything and everybody." He also has great vision, bell-cow toughness and major three-down, pass-catching upside. The range of outcomes on Skattebo is Grand Canyon-wide. On the one hand, he fell to the fourth round, went to a suspect Giants offense "behind" Tyrone Tracy Jr., lacks game-breaking speed and has hamstring concerns heading into the season. On the other hand, he was unstoppable at Arizona State just a few months ago, Tracy is a fifth-round pick himself (and has no vice grip on the starting job) and New York is going to be playing catch-up a lot in 2025, which might synchronize well with Skattebo's skill set. Should the rookie flash in preseason or camp the next couple weeks, it could reverse his ADP slide and bounce him back above "legal" sleeper territory, but for now, he's slotting in as the RB1. RB2 Braelon Allen, New York Jets : 12th Round (RB45) The drumbeat for Braelon Allen in "deeper" fantasy circles is impossible to ignore, so it's always surprising to see his ADP still stuck down here in the double-digit rounds. He's gaining steam as a 1B to Breece Hall's 1A, in both training camp and preseason. The word among insiders is that he's beloved by the coaches, too talented to ignore and potentially in for a monster year. Oh, and he's 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, with a 96th percentile PlayerProfiler speed score. Allen is just about the only creature on the planet to draw frequent comparisons to Derrick Henry (maybe outside of a rhinoceros). The "worst case" for Allen, based on all the signs, is that he's one of fantasy's best handcuffs, with 20-touch-per-game upside if Hall were to suffer an injury. The middling case, and probably the most likely, is that Allen is sort of a David Montgomery Lite to Hall's Jahmyr Gibbs Lite in this Jets offense (which, admittedly, won't be as good as Detroit's). And the optimistically wishful case is that Allen plays so well that he prompts the Jets to slide him above Hall on the depth chart ... or potentially even trade Hall early in the season. Honestly, Allen is a value pick in the 12th round regardless, but his legitimate league-winning upside makes him arguably the best sleeper in this range of drafts. Wide Receivers: 11th Round (WR48) Earlier this week, Josh Downs (and all his fantasy managers) got the best news of the 2025 offseason: Daniel Jones has been named the Colts' starting quarterback. Last year, Downs averaged a 17% target share from Anthony Richardson (solid), but that translated to just 2.9 catches, 43.6 yards and 8.1 fantasy points per game (not solid) thanks to Richardson's historically poor volume and accuracy. However, with Joe Flacco at the helm in 2024, Downs saw an elite 27% target share and averaged 7.0 receptions, 64.9 yards and 11.7 fantasy points per game. Only five wide receivers saw more targets per game than Downs did with Flacco: Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Puka Nacua, Malik Nabers and Davante Adams with Aaron Rodgers. Downs saw eight or more targets in an absurd six of seven games with the aged QB. In the eight-game span quarterbacked primarily by Flacco from Weeks 4-11 (basically half the season), Downs was the WR17 in half-PPR points per game. On the season, regardless of QB, he saw a target on 27.9% of his routes, fourth-highest in the league behind Nacua, Nabers and Nico Collins. Getting the picture? Now, Jones isn't Flacco — and no one should project Downs for nine or more targets per game following this news — but he's a much better solution for every Indy pass-catcher than Richardson would have been. Nabers was just an 11-target-per-game sponge with Jones last year, and we've seen stretches of WR1 volume from guys like Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson with Jones at the wheel. All of this bodes well for Downs, who's gearing up for a career year in just about every relevant statistic. He's probably the "sleepiest" lock for triple-digit targets in all of fantasy, and has legitimate WR2 upside if he and Jones find productive chemistry early on. WR2 Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos : 13th Round (WR60) Marvin Mims Jr. has made a splash as a returner through two seasons (two Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro selection) and managed to score six receiving touchdowns last year, but he's totaled just 61 catches and 880 yards over that span and was the WR41 in 2024 (even with the touchdowns). So why the excitement? Because Mims could be primed for a classic Year 3 wide receiver breakout. Mims ran just 196 routes last season, but was targeted on 25.5% of those routes and averaged 2.57 yards per route run. Among the 130 wideouts to hit 150+ routes, those metrics ranked 13th ... and fourth, respectively. The only receivers to average more YPRR were Puka Nacua, A.J. Brown and Nico Collins. And it seemed head coach Sean Payton finally recognized it the last three weeks of the season, when Mims jumped from 10 to 18 routes per game, and proceeded to rack up 16 catches for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Bo Nix really turned it on towards the end of his rookie year and is a favorite to continue that progression into 2025. Mims' only real target competition in Denver — should he start seeing significant snaps — is Courtland Sutton (not a true target hog for most of his career) and tight end Evan Engram. All Mims needs is opportunity, and he could very quickly become what Brandin Cooks once was for Payton in New Orleans: a small-but-speedy deep threat with the ability to land between low-end WR2 and fringe WR1 in fantasy. Tight End TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts : 10th Round (TE14) After using Brenton Strange as my All-Breakout tight end, I'm pivoting to a less "sleepy," potentially league-winning tight end in Colts rookie Tyler Warren. Clearly, the decision to start Jones has made an impact, as Warren is the second Indy pass-catcher to make the All-Sleeper Team ... and for good reason. All of their ADPs have been depressed by the "threat" of Richardson, and all will likely rise over the next couple weeks before the season. Fortunately, Warren still squeaks past the threshold as I write this, making him an easy pick. A year ago, Brock Bowers was the TE11, in roughly the eighth or ninth round, by Yahoo ADP. Back in 2023, Sam LaPorta was the TE24 all the way down in the mid-teens. Both finished as the No. 1 tight end in fantasy as rookies. And while I'm not projecting that for Warren, it has set a new precedent for uber-talented, highly-drafted tight ends in Year 1. Warren was the 14th overall pick in April (one spot later than Bowers in 2024), is a 6-foot-5, 256-pound athletic specimen of near-Gronkian proportions and just posted one of the best tight end seasons in college football history. Specifically, 104 catches, 1,233 yards and eight receiving touchdowns on a 31.4% target share ... oh, and 218 yards and four touchdowns as a rusher, just for kicks. He's drawn comparisons to Jeremy Shockey — who was the fantasy TE4 as a rookie — and will very likely fit into the elite tight end tier for most of the next decade. It's just a question of whether he does it in Year 1. Warren will not remain a sleeper for long, but he makes the team without hesitation here in August. FLEX RBs Javonte Williams & Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys : Williams - 143 (RB42) / Blue - 166 (RB49) Some would say that having two guys in the All-Sleeper FLEX is cheating. I say it's intelligently hedging, and allowing you, the reader, to make the pick you prefer. Plus, it's a FLEX. As in flexible. Options. You get me. Right now, heading into Week 3 of the preseason, Javonte Williams figures to be the opening day starter for the Cowboys, while fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue profiles as the pass-catcher and change-of-pace back. However, the depth chart remains more or less wide open, which is why both backs are being drafted this late. If Williams does secure the starting job, he'll be the cheapest RB1 in all of fantasy, playing in a borderline elite offense. Considering he's been held out of preseason action alongside other key starters like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Jake Ferguson, his chances are looking better by the minute. Meanwhile, Blue is set to make his preseason debut against Atlanta on Friday, after working through a foot/ankle injury the past couple weeks. The injury deflated what was a growing sense of sleeper hype earlier in the offseason, but he's probably the most explosive back on the depth chart and has three-down upside if Williams flops. Unless Miles Sanders sees a Year 7 resurgence (doubtful), one or both of these running backs should have value in the Dallas offense. Feel free to pick your favorite, or honestly just scoop up both until we get clarity in Week 1. Odds are you'll get an unheralded RB2/RB3 out of it, as we did with Rico Dowdle last season (RB24).
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
2025 NASCAR Odds: Logano, Cindric Early Favorites For Coke Zero Sugar 400
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Daytona for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the last regular-season competition of the year. When it comes to the odds, bettors can dive into that action and place wagers on which driver they think has what it takes to win outright. Last weekend at Richmond, Austin Dillon got into victory lane one year after his controversial win at the track. This week, however, he's a long +4000 to win at Daytona. Joey Logano and Austin Cindric at +1000 are the early favorites for Saturday's race. So who will take the checkered flag at the Coke Zero Sugar 400? Let's dive into the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 20. Joey Logano: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Austin Cindric: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Chase Elliott: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Ryan Blaney: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)William Byron: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Brad Keselowski: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)Kyle Busch: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Christopher Bell: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)Kyle Larson: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)Denny Hamlin: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Chris Buescher: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Bubba Wallace: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Tyler Reddick: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Daniel Suarez: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Alex Bowman: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Ross Chastain: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Ryan Preece: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Chase Briscoe: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Josh Berry: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Carson Hocevar: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Austin Dillon: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Ty Gibbs: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Michael McDowell: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Erik Jones: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Todd Gilliland: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Noah Gragson: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)John Hunter Nemechek: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Cole Custer: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)AJ Allmendinger: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Zane Smith: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Ty Dillon: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Shane van Gisbergen: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Justin Haley: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Austin Hill: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)Riley Herbst: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Cody Ware: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)BJ McLeod: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)Joey Gase: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Casey Mears: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
