Latest news with #RobertWright
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top transfers and star recruits fuel BYU Final Four hopes
If you blinked, you may have missed it—BYU has quietly built one of the most dangerous teams in college basketball. Since the final buzzer of their Sweet 16 run, the Cougars have gone full throttle in the transfer portal, pulling together a roster that blends proven experience with top-tier talent. Head coach Kevin Young isn't just trying to make the NCAA Tournament again—he's aiming for a Final Four. Advertisement Let's start with the headliners. Former Baylor guard Robert Wright, a top-10 transfer nationally, brings Big 12-tested toughness and playmaking. He'll slot in alongside returning contributors Richie Saunders. and Dawson Baker, who were instrumental in last year's 26-win campaign. But the real buzz surrounds AJ Dybantsa, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. At 6-foot-8, the five-star forward offers elite athleticism and pro-level scoring instincts. Add in center Keba Keita, who started all 35 games last season, and BYU's starting five becomes one of the most balanced in the nation. The depth? Equally impressive. BYU recently landed Nate Pickens, a sharpshooter from UC Riverside who knocked down 39.2% from three last season. Alongside Dominique Diomande (Washington), Kennard Davis (Southern Illinois), and. Tyler Mrus (Idaho), the Cougars suddenly have one of the Big 12's deepest rotations. Advertisement Related: BYU legend makes major announcement about future plans How good is this group? CBS Sports currently ranks BYU No. 3 in their preseason Top 25 And 1. This isn't just a strong offseason—it might be the best in the country. The message is clear: BYU isn't rebuilding. They're coming for it all. Related: CBS Sports analyst drops bold prediction for BYU Basketball next season Related: Getting to know Xavion Staton: BYU's 7-foot shot-blocking sensation
Fox Sports
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Baylor holds off Mississippi State in final seconds to win 75-72 in March Madness
Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Robert Wright scored 19 points, V.J. Edgecombe added 16 and No. 9 Baylor squeaked past No. 8 Mississippi State 75-72 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Langston Love added 15 points and Norchad Omier had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Bears (20-14), who led by 11 points in the second half but had to hold off the Bulldogs in the final seconds — and even tenths of seconds. Josh Hubbard had 26 points to lead the Bulldogs (21-13), who were seeking their first March Madness victory since 2008. Wright's driving, underhanded, left-handed layup gave Baylor a 37-32 lead at halftime, its biggest to that point. A free throw by Omier made it 60-49 with 8:10 remaining. But the Bulldogs stormed back and cut the lead to one with 29 seconds left when KeShawn Murphy scored in the lane on a baby hook. The Bulldogs fouled Edgecombe with 9.3 seconds left and the Big 12 freshman of the year made both. Claudell Harris Jr airballed a 3-pointer with a chance to tie the game with 1.1 seconds left. Omier was fouled on the inbounds play and the game was seemingly over. But more time was put on the clock and Omier missed the front end of a 1-and-1. The Bulldogs grabbed the rebound with 0.2 seconds left and called timeout. Hubbard's 3-pointer at the buzzer was no good, although it may not have counted. Takeaways Baylor: Coach Scott Drew's Bears entered the tournament having lost six of their last 10 games, but survived this time. It was Drew's 21st NCAA Tournament victory. Mississippi State: This is the third time in as many seasons that coach Chris Jans led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament. Before his arrival, the program had reached March Madness just once since 2010. Up next Baylor advanced to Sunday's second round to face the Mount St. Mary's-Duke winner. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. recommended
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Baylor holds off Mississippi State in final seconds to win 75-72 in March Madness
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Robert Wright scored 19 points, V.J. Edgecombe added 16 and No. 9 Baylor squeaked past No. 8 Mississippi State 75-72 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Langston Love added 15 points and Norchad Omier had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Bears (20-14), who led by 11 points in the second half but had to hold off the Bulldogs in the final seconds — and even tenths of seconds. Josh Hubbard had 26 points to lead the Bulldogs (21-13), who were seeking their first March Madness victory since 2008. Wright's driving, underhanded, left-handed layup gave Baylor a 37-32 lead at halftime, its biggest to that point. A free throw by Omier made it 60-49 with 8:10 remaining. But the Bulldogs stormed back and cut the lead to one with 29 seconds left when KeShawn Murphy scored in the lane on a baby hook. The Bulldogs fouled Edgecombe with 9.3 seconds left and the Big 12 freshman of the year made both. Claudell Harris Jr airballed a 3-pointer with a chance to tie the game with 1.1 seconds left. Omier was fouled on the inbounds play and the game was seemingly over. But more time was put on the clock and Omier missed the front end of a 1-and-1. The Bulldogs grabbed the rebound with 0.2 seconds left and called timeout. Hubbard's 3-pointer at the buzzer was no good, although it may not have counted. Takeaways Baylor: Coach Scott Drew's Bears entered the tournament having lost six of their last 10 games, but survived this time. It was Drew's 21st NCAA Tournament victory. Mississippi State: This is the third time in as many seasons that coach Chris Jans led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament. Before his arrival, the program had reached March Madness just once since 2010. Up next Baylor advanced to Sunday's second round to face the Mount St. Mary's-Duke winner. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
Associated Press
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Baylor holds off Mississippi State in final seconds to win 75-72 in March Madness
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Robert Wright scored 19 points, V.J. Edgecombe added 16 and No. 9 Baylor squeaked past No. 8 Mississippi State 75-72 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Langston Love added 15 points and Norchad Omier had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Bears (20-14), who led by 11 points in the second half but had to hold off the Bulldogs in the final seconds — and even tenths of seconds. Josh Hubbard had 26 points to lead the Bulldogs (21-13), who were seeking their first March Madness victory since 2008. Wright's driving, underhanded, left-handed layup gave Baylor a 37-32 lead at halftime, its biggest to that point. A free throw by Omier made it 60-49 with 8:10 remaining. But the Bulldogs stormed back and cut the lead to one with 29 seconds left when KeShawn Murphy scored in the lane on a baby hook. The Bulldogs fouled Edgecombe with 9.3 seconds left and the Big 12 freshman of the year made both. Claudell Harris Jr airballed a 3-pointer with a chance to tie the game with 1.1 seconds left. Omier was fouled on the inbounds play and the game was seemingly over. But more time was put on the clock and Omier missed the front end of a 1-and-1. The Bulldogs grabbed the rebound with 0.2 seconds left and called timeout. Hubbard's 3-pointer at the buzzer was no good, although it may not have counted. Takeaways Baylor: Coach Scott Drew's Bears entered the tournament having lost six of their last 10 games, but survived this time. It was Drew's 21st NCAA Tournament victory. Mississippi State: This is the third time in as many seasons that coach Chris Jans led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament. Before his arrival, the program had reached March Madness just once since 2010. Up next
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Potbelly Corp (PBPB) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Challenges with Strategic ...
System-wide Sales: $142.6 million for Q4 2024, a decrease of 3.3% year-over-year. Total Revenue: $116.6 million for Q4 2024, down 7.3% year-over-year. Company Operated Shop Revenue: $112.3 million for Q4 2024, an 8% decrease year-over-year. Franchise Revenue: $4.3 million for Q4 2024, up 24% year-over-year. Average Weekly Sales: Approximately $25,230. Same Store Sales Growth: 0.3% for Q4 2024. Adjusted EBITDA: $9.7 million for Q4 2024, representing 8.3% of total revenue. Net Income: $4.6 million for Q4 2024. Adjusted Net Income: $3.9 million for Q4 2024. Shop Level Margins: 16.0%, an increase of 30 basis points year-over-year. Food, Beverage, and Packaging Costs: 26.7% of shop sales, a 50 basis point improvement. Labor Expenses: 28.9% of sales, a 5 basis point increase. Occupancy Costs: 10.8% of sales, a 25 basis point increase. General and Administrative Expenses: 9.1% of system-wide sales, a decrease of 100 basis points. Unit Growth: 23 new shops opened in 2024, with 115 new shop commitments added. Guidance for 2025: Same store sales growth of 1.5% to 2.5%, unit growth of at least 38 openings, and adjusted EBITDA of $33 million to $34 million. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with PBPB. Release Date: March 06, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Potbelly Corp (NASDAQ:PBPB) achieved comp sales growth momentum exceeding initial expectations for 2024. The company opened 23 new shops in 2024 and added 115 units to its open and committed shop total. Adjusted EBITDA grew by 15% due to expanded shop margins and prudent corporate cost management. The relaunch of the perks loyalty program and significant menu innovation work were successful. Digital sales represented over 40% of total shop sales in Q4 2024, showing a 100 basis point increase from the previous year. System-wide sales for Q4 2024 decreased by 3.3% due to the impact of the 53rd operating week in 2023. Total revenue in Q4 2024 was 7.3% lower year over year, driven by the impact of the 53rd week and re-franchising. Company operated shop revenue decreased by 8% year over year in Q4 2024. Same store sales growth for Q1 2025 is expected to be impacted by approximately 150 basis points due to unusual weather conditions. Labor expenses increased slightly due to higher employee group insurance costs, offsetting some labor optimization efforts. Q: Can you elaborate on the 150 basis point weather impact on Q1 comp trends? A: Steven Cirulis, CFO: The January period was hit by severe weather in key areas like Chicago and Texas. Without the weather impact, our same store sales would have been positive. As we move past the weather disruptions, we're seeing strong business momentum. Q: How are the 2024 new units performing, and what is the expected cadence of openings for 2025? A: Robert Wright, CEO: The new units are performing in line with our average shops in terms of sales and profitability. We expect the opening pace to build through Q2 and Q3, with a similar curve to last year. We're pleased with the performance and continue to refine our real estate and operational strategies. Q: Are costs for the new prototype shops coming in as planned? A: Robert Wright, CEO: While some regions face higher contractor costs, overall, costs are behaving like the average portfolio. We continue to provide oversight and support to manage these costs effectively. Q: How is the digital sales and loyalty program impacting same store sales? A: Robert Wright, CEO: Digital sales represented over 40% of total shop sales, up 100 basis points from last year. Our Potbelly Perks program continues to drive customer engagement and frequency, contributing positively to our top line. Q: What is the expected impact of the franchisee incentive plan on development? A: Robert Wright, CEO: The incentive plan is designed to encourage timely openings and long-term planning for larger franchisees. While it may not significantly impact 2025 development, it sets the stage for future growth and franchisee engagement. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
