Latest news with #BigDance
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mizzou Men's Basketball Makes Historic Announcement
Mizzou Men's Basketball Makes Historic Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Missouri Men's Basketball made a landmark announcement Monday morning, naming Tim Fuller as the first general manager in program history. Fuller brings over 25 years of experience to the role, having made previous coaching stops at programs including North Carolina A&T, Wake Forest, Elon, Fairfield and Louisville. Advertisement He also spent three seasons as an assistant at Providence under former Tiger, Kim English, where he played a key role in the development of 2024 Big East Player of the Year, Devin Carter. Familiar to Tiger fans, Fuller previously served as Mizzou's associate head coach from 2011-2015 under Frank Haith and Kim Anderson. In 2012, he was named as one of ESPN's Top 10 College Basketball Coaches Under 40. Missouri Tigers assistant head coach Tim Fuller coaches from the Medley-Imagn Images "This role is a full-circle moment for me," Fuller said. "College basketball is evolving and I'm excited to help Missouri stay at the forefront as the program's first general manager." In addition to his coaching resume, Fuller also brings executive experience from his time at Nike and Overtime Elite. Advertisement At Nike, he worked under current Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, helping athletes with endorsement deals. He later served as Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel at Overtime Elite, where he led efforts to recruit elite talent to the emerging league. According to Mizzou's job listing, the new GM role includes handling recruiting, roster management, talent acquisition, and NIL opportunities. It also involves managing the team's budget, travel, scheduling, and tracking performance through internal metrics. Head coach Dennis Gates had high praise for Fuller stating, "Tim is a perfect fit for Mizzou and the newly-created general manager position. His elite combination of skills and experience in the sport and his innovative mindset is exactly what this job requires. I have known Tim for several years and he continues to hold Mizzou in great regard. I'm excited to get to work with him as we continue to build a successful and modern basketball program." Fuller joins a Mizzou program that has earned NCAA Tournament bids in two of the last three seasons under Gates. The Tigers most recently finished sixth in an SEC that sent a record 14 teams to the Big Dance. Advertisement With the hire, Mizzou's staff is now complete for the 2025-26 season, allowing Gates and his team to fully shift their focus to preparing for the year ahead. Related: Mizzou Hoops Reportedly Adds Opponent to 2025-'26 Nonconference Schedule Related: Former Mizzou Guard Jumps Up NBA Draft Big Board This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Mercury
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Mercury
Gunnedah preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, May 25, 2025
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer Scott Singleton's 400th winner, Fiorsum Fred, could go from Highway winner to Gunnedah Cup to potential Big Dance participant should he be successful in the town feature. The son of Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente was the first leg of a Highway/Dark Jewel Classic double for Singleton at the annual Scone stand-alone. The emphatic Highway win of Fiorsum Fred propelled his trainer to a milestone, both welcomed but not entirely unexpected. 'It didn't surprise me that he won,' Singleton said. 'It might have surprised me a little bit that it was easy work for him. 'He had his ears pricked the last furlong.' There are 163 days until the first Tuesday in November and even further from a current Highway winner to Big Dance winner but Singleton is looking no further away than the Gunnedah Cup. 'Even with the Big Dance eligibility it is just a suitable race for him,' Singleton said. 'I think he'd be in that sort of race right up to his eyeballs if he gets the run right.' Jenny Duggan will steer Fiorsum Fred in his Cup quest, she'll also have the reins of stablemate Insightful Award who tackles the Pursehouse Rural Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Showcase Handicap (1250m). A daughter of Cox Plate winner Shamus Award, Insightful Award was a six lengths winner at home at Scone on March 4. She clocked in midfield at Quirindi at her most recent appearance but lost few admirers despite her somewhat costly defeat. 'She just got a bit too far back there last start and had to scout wide,' said Singleton. 'It was actually not a bad run, a better run that it will look on paper. 'I had a quick look at it and I didn't think it looked an overly deep race. 'I think she would be well in a race like that, particularly from a good gate.' Singleton's remaining runner of the Gunnedah Cup undercard is the speedy Outishka whose sole visit to the venue prior to this weekend saw her run her rivals off their legs to win a 900m Class 1 by five lengths. The daughter of Canonbury Stakes runner-up Outreach will no doubt find this assignment considerably easier than her May 7 mission at the midweeks where she beat one home but with excuses. 'I thought it was a pass mark,' Singleton said. 'She got taken on from the get-go and they were already going too quick so she was entitled to stop I thought. 'She had to go down there, and even though we claimed, she had topweight so she will carry less weight at Gunnedah. 'Back to country grade and those tracks like Moree and Gunnedah, places that she has run well at in the past, are her go.' Outishka wears a familiar set of colours; those of her breeder Dr Max Kowalczuk, and her two most famous equine relatives. One of those was Singleton and Kowalczuk's Hawkesbury Guineas winner, Shazee Lee. The other was Melody Again, now also known as the reigning Group 3 Dark Jewel winner. SHAYNE O'CASS' TOP SELECTIONS BEST BET Race 4 No.14: TROUNCE Million dollar yearling who should be able to play a prominent part in the outcome. NEXT BEST Race 1 No.1: GEMOLOGIST Comfortable winner of the Star Kingdom debut. Drawn 1 and Aaron Bullock again. VALUE BET Race 5 No. 14: FULL COMMITMENT Reliable type who sent out all the right signals first-up that a win was close by. QUADDIE Race 5: 5, 6, 14 Race 6: 1, 6, 9 Race 7: 4, 8 Race 8: 1, 10 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Aaron Bullock will be short odds to win another TAB Jockeys Challenge. Aaron Bullock looks set for a good day at Gunnedah. Picture: Getty Images INSIDE MAIL - GUNNEDAH RACE 1: ULTRA LUBRICANTS 2YO SHOWCASE HANDICAP 1000m GEMOLOGIST (1) knocked off a $1 million yearling, namely Jet, when winning the coveted Star Kingdom at Muswellbrook on debut. Happily for trainer Mark Minervini, the son of Graff drew barrier 1 that day and has gate 1 of (max) 11 here with Aaron Bullock again. The Kris Lees pairing, CORNERBACK (2) and FORGING AHEAD (3), are both well-bred two-year-olds whose trials indicate that they won't be maidens for long. Bet: Cosmologist to win, box trifecta 1, 2, 3, 8 RACE 2: COURTHOUSE HOTEL COUNTRY BOOSTED SHOWCASE MAIDEN HANDICAP 1250m INJAIR (14) started out in Victoria where he did some good things without winning. He is in fact still a maiden after 16 starts but he hasn't run a bad race in his seven runs for Gunnedah trainer Gavin Groth. Resumes off a trial win here 11 days ago. CURRUMBIN ALLEY (1) is a Vancouver gelding out of a Savabeel mare so there's a bit to look forward to. Kicks off in a winnable race from a good draw and Bullock riding. Bet: Injair each-way, quinella 1, 14 RACE 3: H&M REFRIGERATION BENCHMARK 58 SHOWCASE HANDICAP 2150m HIDEYO (11) gave a very good account of herself at her first run past the mile when she closed off rapidly to be beaten a neck in a 2000m Benchmark 58 at Mudgee on May 11. This is 2150m so in some ways is even more suitable. Same jockey, same (great) barrier too. NATURE BOY (1) has won his 119th and 120th starts - wow. How can you knock a horse on a hat-trick and with Gunnedah form. DESCENDING MIST (2) has finished runner-up in all visits to this venue. Bet: Hideyo each-way RACE 4: DONOGHUE VALUATIONS SHOWCASE SUPER MAIDEN PLATE 1400m TROUNCE (14) has the honour and distinction of being a million dollar baby. He was knocked down for seven figures at Easter, mostly because she is an I Am Invincible half-sister to Oakleigh Plate winner Booker. This is her first run for Kris Lees. Her debut run for Ciaron Maher was passable. Won a trial on May 7. IT'S A WRITTEN (8) is quite a reliable mare; seems like 1400m is suitable to her strengths. Neville Begg-bred RESUME (12) has looked the part in her trials. Bet: Trounce to win, box First 4 Nos. 5, 8, 12, 13, 14 RACE 5: COOL BLUE ICE CLASS 1 SHOWCASE HANDICAP 1400m FULL COMMITMENT (14) has a win and five placings from 10 starts. Worth noting that she has a couple of fourths and a fifth there too, just to say that she almost never runs a bad race. Runner-up at her only Gunnedah start and hit the line hard, first-up over 1280m; 1400m today. WILLINGA KARISMA (6) has 'a winning draw' here if she is good enough to take advantage, which she certainly seems to be. OAKFIELD MERCURY (5) won in debut at this track and this trip on May 5. Bet: Full Commitment each-way, box trifecta 5, 6, 12, 14 RACE 6: HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUTOSMART DOM LIGHTNING SHOWCASE HANDICAP 1000m ZAKOR (9) has posted four wins and nine placings from 27 starts which is an admirable strike-rate but could have been even better with a bit of luck on his side. He finished off last campaign with a win at Muswellbrook and a second at Wyong. Clayton Gallagher a key and welcome booking. IRON HAT (6) is somewhat similar to Zakor in that luck hasn't always been on his side. He is quite a formidable sprinter when things do go his way. OAKFIELD DUKE (1) has a lot going for him. Bet: Zakor each-way, Daily Double 1st leg 9, 2nd Leg 10 RACE 7: ***BIG DANCE ELIGIBILITY*** ULTRAFLEET & MANNION DRILLING GUNNEDAH SHOWCASE CUP 1600m FIORSUM FRED (8) has finished on the podium at 10 of his 19 starts. An even more impressive example of his talent, versatility and placement is that the son of the Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente has won from 1000m to 1600m. Even so, when it is all said and done, he's a miler from nose to tail. These Oakfield horses have been absolutely on fire right across the board for a while now it seems. Enter OAKFIELD PRINCE (4) who won at Newcastle last start with 61.5kg and Aaron Bullock on his back. He doesn't look too badly treated here. Bet: Fiorsum Fred to win, quinella 4,8 RACE 8: PURSEHOUSE RURAL COUNTRY BOOSTED BENCHMARK 58 SHOWCASE HANDICAP 1250m ATENTA (10) is a blue blood of sizeable proportions being the sixth foal of the mighty Streama. This daughter of Lonhro had trialled rather well prior to her debut at Muswellbrook on May 2 which she won handily, beating Naftali. Such a hard thing to win next time out for most horses but may be up to the task aided by the favourable draw. The 'best' NYALI SANDS (1) would just about have all these others covered. Just on the ratings; she is 67 and the next best is 62. Bet: Atenta to win, Nyali Sands to place BEST BETS GUNNEDAH BEST BET Race 4 No.14: Trounce Million dollar yearling who should be able to play a prominent part in the outcome. NEXT BEST Race 1 No.1 : Gemologist Comfortable winner of the Star Kingdom debut. Drawn 1/Bullock again. BEST VALUE Race 5 No. 14: Full Commitment Reliable type who sent out all the right signals first-up that a win was close by. QUADDIE Race 5: 5,6,14 Race 6: 1,6,9 Race 7: 4,8 Race 8: 1,10 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Aaron Bullock will be short-odds to win another TAB Jockeys Challenge.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mark Pope announces 5 UK nonconference opponents next season
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Mark Pope announced five of Kentucky's nonconference games for the upcoming basketball season, featuring one of Kentucky's most bitter rivals returning to Rupp Arena. On Friday, Pope announced that the rivalry with the Indiana Hoosiers will reignite on Dec. 13. The Wildcats and Hoosiers haven't squared off since losing 73-67 in the second round of the 2016 NCAA tournament. Mark Pope announces 5 UK nonconference opponents next season Kentucky guard Jaland Lowe withdraws from NBA Draft 4-star forward Braydon Hawthorne commits to Kentucky The other four announced coming to battle the Wildcats in Rupp Arena are: Loyola University Maryland: Nov. 21 Tennessee Tech: Nov. 26 North Carolina Central: Dec. 9 Bellarmine University: Dec. 23 Kentucky leads the all-time series with Indiana, 32-25, including winning three of five under former head coach John Calipari. During Kentucky's national championship-winning 2012 campaign, the Cats trounced the Loyola University Maryland Ramblers, winning 87-63. They also boast a 5-0 all-time record against the Golden Eagles, now coached by UK Athletics Hall of Famer John Pelphrey. The 2026 season will mark the first time NC Central and Kentucky will meet on the hardwood, according to UK Athletics. Pope hopes to build on his promising first season with the Wildcats after bowing out to border rival Tennessee in the Sweet 16, their first appearance out of the second weekend since 2019. Read more of the latest UK sports news Last season, UK Athletics noted that the Cats clawed past an NCAA-tying eight teams ranked in the Associated Press' Top 15. With a returning core of key players from last season and an exciting new crop of recruits and transfers, the reloaded Cats are one of the more trendy picks to cut down the nets in the Big Dance next season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Dominion Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
No. 23 WVU looks to find new life as the top seed in Big 12 baseball tournament
MORGANTOWN — Steve Sabins' used the word 'purgatory' in a rather symbolic way. It was not meant to describe where his 23rd-ranked WVU baseball team currently resides, but rather where it was heading. Meaning the Big 12 tournament, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, which has been a house of horrors for the Mountaineers. WVU, the No. 1 seed in the Big 12, opens the tournament in the quarterfinals at 1:30 p.m. Thursday against Cincinnati (32-23). The Bearcats held off Texas Tech, 6-5, on Wednesday. WVU STATS The Mountaineers also enter the tournament on a four-game losing streak and having lost eight of their last 11 games. 'It's this weird purgatory between playing for a championship and getting to a NCAA regional and playing for a national title,' Sabins began. 'There's no direct impact (in a conference tournament) on winning a national title, so it's this weird purgatory week where you really have to balance winning a tournament title and setting your team up to be the most successful they can be in the big tournament.' Going off WVU's history in Arlington, it's not likely to be a long stay in purgatory. Since the tournament was moved to the home of the Texas Rangers in 2022, the Mountaineers are 0-6. They've been outscored 36-19 in those games. 'I don't think we can think about the past,' WVU catcher Logan Sauve said. 'That happened. We obviously haven't had great success there.' Or as Sabins put it, when asked if he had any good memories of Arlington, 'Approximately zero,' he replied. The 2025 version of the Big 12 tournament is different in that the Mountaineers (40-13) enter as the top seed for the first time in the program's history. It's also a single-elimination tournament for the first time, meaning no more 0-2s are possible. 'I think the single elimination couldn't be better for us,' Sabins said, 'You don't want to play five games, which is what you could play if you work your way out of a loser's bracket. The last thing this team needs is to play five games before it goes to play in a regional. 'You either get hot and play a three-game series and win a tournament and feel great or you lose a game and go get rested and get ready for the Big Dance.' Sabins was a WVU assistant for those previous Big 12 tourney nightmares. He's in his first season as the head coach now with the knowledge that just about everything has already been tried to fix WVU's mojo. 'I remember after the first year, it kind of hit us,' Sabins began. 'We felt like we had to do something different. So then we practiced somewhere different the day before. We took batting practice at a different location and we went 0-2. 'The next year, we need to travel a different day and get there early. We need to hit in the cages first. We had a whole new plan and we went 0-2.' The only adjustment this year was taking a later flight to Texas on Monday. The team worked out Tuesday and Wednesday and then watched some of the first-round action, including Cincinnati's victory over Texas Tech. 'I actually feel more comfortable now, because I feel like we've exhausted all of the coach things that you can do,' Sabins said. 'Eating, flying, meals; I think at this point we just have to be comfortable that we've been there a few times.' Yes, WVU has been here before and has usually left with a bitter taste in its mouth. Going 0-2 in Arlington in 2022 likely cost the Mountaineers a shot at playing in the NCAA tournament. WVU can't be denied that honor this season, but whether or not the Mountaineers will be selected as one of the 16 regional hosts is still very much in question. 'I think we're playing for a lot,' Sabins said. 'If we won a regular season title and a conference tournament title, we're hosting. You can't keep us out of that deal, so it is really important. Hosting gives you a better chance to win the whole thing and that's the objective at the end of the day.' WVU's other objective is to somehow shake itself out of the funk. It was shut out twice by Kansas in the final series of the regular season, and over the last 11 games, the Mountaineers have been walked-off in the ninth inning three times. WVU is averaging just 5.3 runs per game over those 11 games. 'We're in as good a situation that you could ever ask for, other than the momentum thing, which some people will tell you that's fickle,' Sabins said.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon baseball rises into the Top 5 in latest USA TODAY/Coaches poll
Oregon baseball rises into the Top 5 in latest USA TODAY/Coaches poll The final weekend of the regular season couldn't have been any better for the Oregon baseball team. The Ducks had to sweep the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City to have a chance to win the Big Ten regular-season title, and the polls are rewarding them for their success. In the latest USA TODAY/Coaches poll, Oregon moved up two spots to No. 5. The Ducks are ranked even higher in the poll, as they are No. 4 in the country. Oregon's RPI has dramatically improved over the course of its current 10-game winning streak as well. The Ducks were in the mid-40s before the streak, and now their RPI stands at No. 12. So what does this all mean? It means a few things. Oregon is the No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference tournament in Omaha this week. The Ducks open with Michigan State on May 23. It also means that with a decent showing in the conference tourney, Oregon is almost guaranteed to host a regional in the NCAA tournament. If the Ducks advance to the semifinals, there's a good chance Oregon will be one of the eight national seeds in the Big Dance and potentially host a Super Regional. In short, everything is going the Ducks' way at the moment, and they have their own destiny in their hands. They just have to keep winning.
