Richardson is a 4-star prospect who hails from Friendswood, Texas, which is located about 75 miles southeast of College Station between Houston and Galveston. The 6-foot-1 point guard recently took an official visit to College Station on April 10. He later visited Nebraska (April 12) and Purdue (April 17).

McMillan and Texas A&M (like many other college programs) have yet to claim a commitment in the Class of 2027, but Richardson is definitely a top target for the Aggies. Richardson is considered to be the No. 72 overall prospect in the Class of 2027, as well as the No. 17 PG and No. 4 prospect out of the state of Texas.

Texas A&M basketball had a solid first season under McMillan, who will bring a new roster to the court in 2026. The Aggies have already added commitments from former Tennessee F Cade Phillips, former Radford guard Lukas Walls and former Kansas State guard PJ Haggerty.

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2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Texas A&M basketball lands in top 5 for in-state PG prospect appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Grimmer was especially great for the Volunteers on Sunday, driving in 6 total runs with 3 home runs. He’s the first Vol to hit 3 home runs in the same game since Christian Moore did it during the Vols’ 2024 national title season.

Clark wasn’t far behind, hitting 2 home runs of his own as well as a double for a total of 4 RBIs on the day. Ford, not to be outdone, recorded 4 hits with 1 home run and 3 RBIs. The 3 Vols mentioned above accounted for all 13 runs the Vols put on the board Sunday evening.

The Volunteers, as mentioned earlier, fell in Games 1 and 2 to a strong Ole Miss lineup. The Rebels took Game 1 by a score of 7-4 before blitzing the Vols in Game 2, 8-1. Tennessee’s Game 3 win ended the Rebels’ 8-game winning streak, which included a series-clinching win over Florida and a series sweep of LSU last week.

The Vols will face Lipscomb on Tuesday before their next weekend series against Alabama at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville.

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Kalshi

UCLA

14%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

3%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post Blake Grimmer’s 3 home runs power Tennessee baseball past No. 25 Ole Miss, 13-5 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Pick your favorite NFL mock draft — whether it be Todd McShay, Daniel Jeremiah… any of them, really — and you’ll probably find they have 8 or sometimes 9 SEC guys taken in the first round. There are no guaranteed top 10 picks among those 8 or 9 players, and the majority of them are projected to be selected in the 20s.

For reference, last year’s draft saw 15 SEC players taken in the first round, and the past 5 first rounds have averaged 12 SEC picks. (And if you’re wondering, LSU‘s Mansoor Delane has the best odds to be selected in the top 10, hovering around 58% on Kalshi.)

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Kalshi

Fernando Mendoza

99%

Arvell Reese

98%

David Bailey

97%

Jeremiyah Love

96%

Sonny Styles

92%

Carnell Tate

80%

Caleb Downs

80%

Rueben Bain Jr.

63%

Francis Mauigoa

62%

Mansoor Delane

53%

Predict

Even the SEC’s biggest draft storyline is a little tired at this point. Ty Simpson could go in the first round, sure, but it appears much more likely that he’ll be selected on Day 2 with Fernando Mendoza being the clear QB1 in this draft and a strong class coming up on the horizon in 2027.

But even with the first-round headcount down and only a few elite names being thrown around, there’s a ton of value coming out of the SEC this year — in the first round and beyond. Here are 5 SEC sleepers who aren’t getting enough love heading into draft week, in no particular order.

Brenen Thompson — WR, Mississippi State

• Best Fit: Kansas City Chiefs

This is an Andy Reid guy if I’ve ever seen one. Despite the fact that speedsters like Thompson don’t always work out in the NFL, I think this Mississippi State product will be different.

Thompson ran a combine-leading 4.26 in the 40, which should come as no surprise whatsoever if you’ve seen him play. Not only is he fast, he’s an excellent route runner (underrated, I may add) and proved he can match up with physicality at the line of scrimmage by putting up numbers against SEC secondaries. He had 6 receptions for 76 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Texas and fellow future 2026 draftee Malik Muhammed, and averaged 85 yards receiving against Georgia and Ole Miss.

The knock on Thompson is his size. He’s 170 pounds soaking wet and stands at 5-foot-9, which has him listed as a consensus Day 3 prospect. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kansas City targets him at No. 109; that is, assuming someone doesn’t like him enough to take him earlier.

KC Concepcion — WR, Texas A&M

Best fit: Carolina Panthers

Yes, I realize KC Concepcion is (correctly) considered a first-round prospect in many NFL mock drafts. I wouldn’t really call the Texas A&M standout a sleeper, admittedly, but I’ll stand by the notion that he’s getting nowhere near the love he should be.

There are so many teams that could use a player like Concepcion that I’d be shocked if he got to 24, where several (here’s an example) mock drafts have him going to Cleveland. The Panthers immediately come to mind, not only because Bryce Young could desperately use some help on offense, but because Carolina could use his talents as a returner. The Panthers managed the 2nd-fewest kick return yards and 6th-fewest punt return yards in 2025.

Some win-win potential there for whoever ends up drafting him.

R Mason Thomas — Edge, Oklahoma

Best fit: New England Patriots

R Mason Thomas’s draft stock is all over the place. I’ve seen him as high as the teens and as low as Round 3, but I’d be ecstatic if my my team drafted him with a late first-round pick.

On the surface, I understand the hesitation. The Sooners standout has very short arms and, as a result, there are worries about his abilities as a run defender against NFL athletes. What some haven’t considered, however, is that R Mason Thomas is a junkyard dog and a game-wrecker who will gladly pin his ears back and go to war every single snap. Don’t overthink this, NFL GMs.

The Patriots and Seahawks both need a violent rusher off the edge, and I could see either grabbing Thomas off the board at 31 or 32.

Oscar Delp — Tight End, Georgia

Best fit: Denver Broncos

Using college statistics as a gauge to assess NFL-readiness is ill-advised, but I wouldn’t blame you for taking pause with Oscar Delp’s underwhelming 20 receptions and 1 touchdown throughout all of 2025. It begs the question: Why did Delp not get the ball considerably more than he did his last year at Georgia?

A lot of folks are picking Eli Stowers as their TE2 in this draft, but I can’t help but think Delp will have a better NFL career. He’s further along as a blocker and has some impressive speed for a guy who stands at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. Delp is a sneaky gifted athlete. Better yet, the Broncos are in need of a strong TE to make Bo Nix’s life easier, and Delp fits Denver like a glove.

Jalon Kilgore — Safety, South Carolina

Best fit: Chicago Bears

It’s hard not to let out a hearty “football guy” when watching Jalon Kilgore light dudes up at South Carolina. He can guard tight ends and receivers and plays about as physical as any player in the 2026 class.

Kilgore is flying under the radar because of this year’s excellent safety class. Caleb Downs is considered the jewel of the cycle, but Dillon Thieneman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren are projected first-round guys as well. Kilgore is likely to fall to Day 2, and he fits perfect for a Bears team looking to replace Kevin Byard and JaQuan Brisker from a year ago. Philadelphia at No. 54 makes a ton of sense, too.

The post 5 SEC sleepers and their best (realistic) fits entering the 2026 NFL Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ellis joins John Groce’s first unit in Charleston after Cougars head coach Chris Mack accepted the South Florida job in March. It’s a solid grab for Groce and a good landing spot for Ellie, a former 4-star prospect in the Class of 2025.

Ellis had an up and down first year in the SEC, averaging 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2 assists per game while riding the bench for a struggling Gamecocks squad. While he showed some flashes, it’s obvious that he wasn’t quite ready for the grind of an SEC schedule — that was shown especially by his shooting splits. Ellis was great at the free throw line but poor everywhere else, averaging 27% from 3 and 38,6% from the field overall. He entered the portal following South Carolina’s 13-19 season.

The Hickory, North Carolina native is the second South Carolina transfer to announce their commitment to another school. He joins fellow 2025 freshman Abu Yarmah, who recently committed to Longwood.

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2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Eli Ellis, former South Carolina guard, announced transfer destination appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This is an intriguing move for the SEC because the Giants have need for a cornerback this offseason, and the top 2 cornerbacks in the draft are both from the SEC — LSU‘s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee‘s Jermod McCoy. Like the Giants could be now, Cincinnati was also a popular pick for a first-round cornerback at No. 10.

As for Lawrence, this deal moves him to Cincinnati after 7 years with the Giants. Lawrence posted 9 sacks in 2024 despite playing in just 12 games, but he had a down year as a pass rusher in 2025, totaling just 0.5 sacks. The 3-time pro bowler requested to be traded and he got his wish.

Lawrence is a great veteran player, but this is still a bit of a puzzling move by the Bengals. There is a lot of defensive talent set to be available at No. 10, and Lawrence is nearing 30 years old with a notable asking price. Still, the Bengals needed a stud interior defensive lineman and that’s what they now have.

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Players Drafted Top 10 in 2026?

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Kalshi

Fernando Mendoza

99%

Arvell Reese

98%

David Bailey

97%

Jeremiyah Love

96%

Sonny Styles

92%

Carnell Tate

80%

Caleb Downs

80%

Rueben Bain Jr.

63%

Francis Mauigoa

62%

Mansoor Delane

53%

Predict

The post New York Giants trade Dexter Lawrence to Bengals, snag second top 10 pick appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Indeed, No. 5 Georgia was on one Saturday night — especially in the final innings. The Bulldogs scored an incredible 26 runs to down the Razorbacks 26-14, including 11 runs in the 9th inning alone.

Michael O’Shaughnessy had himself a truly special outing on Saturday, accounting for 8 RBIs by himself with a pair of home runs, including a Grand Slam in the 9th inning. Ryan Wynn also finished as a member of the two-shot club — blasting a 2-run shot in the 3rd with the cherry on top, the 26th run, added in the 9th. But as great as O’Shaughnessy and Wynn were, Dan Jackson was even better.

The Georgia star tied a Bulldogs record with 3 home runs on the day, accounting for 6 RBI with 4 total hits. Jackson’s bat directly contributed Georgia’s first 4 runs of the evening.

Georgia’s win on Saturday smashed an SEC record with 9 home runs across a single league contest. In doing so, the Bulldogs collected the series victory over the Razorbacks after losing Game 1 Thursday and evening the score in Game 2 on Friday.

If you’re wondering, the last time Georgia played Arkansas in football (2021) ended with a final score of 37-0, which is less than the combined score of this matchup.

The post Georgia baseball catches fire, scores 26 runs to down No. 16 Arkansas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Lamons is a good one, too. He hails from Brooks County high school in Quitman, Georgia, which is located just north of the Florida state line, and stands at 6-4, 215 pounds. Lamons ended up choosing the Tigers over the likes of Florida, Alabama and Florida State, to name a few.

Interestingly, Lamons was previously committed to Texas A&M before stepping away from the Aggies pledge in July of 2025.

Recruiting services are divided regarding Lamons, perhaps because they can’t quite decide what position he’ll play in college. Despite being rated as the No. 11 TE in the 2027 cycle by 247Sports’ composite rankings, Lamons was also heavily recruited as a wide receiver. 247Sports composite also ranks Lamons as the No. 244 overall prospect and the No. 27 prospect out of Georgia.

As mentioned earlier, Auburn now holds 2 commitments in its Class of 2027. Alongside Lamons, the Tigers have secured a pledge from 4-star defensive lineman Donivan Moore.

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post Auburn receives A-Day commitment from 4-star TE out of Georgia appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Thankfully, it appears the parachuter is okay after a rough collision with the video board, which was captured in the video below by a user at the spring game. According to a few reporters on-scene for the game, the parachuter was stuck dangling from the video board for well over 10 minutes.

It appears strong winds made landing more difficult than previously anticipated. Here’s a look at the scene and crash:

Further reports, such as the one below, indicate the individual was indeed rescued safely by the fire department.

Obviously, this is not a fantastic omen for the start of the James Franklin era at Virginia Tech. The Hokies, after years of mediocrity, hired the former Penn State head coach after he and the Nittany Lions parted ways following an anticlimactic 2025 season.

The Hokies have been reeling since Frank Beamer left following the 2015 season. Justin Fuente had a few good years at the start of his tenure, but Virginia Tech has failed to win 8 games in one season dating back to an 8-5 finish in 2019.

Here’s an update from Virginia Tech:

The post Virginia Tech delays spring game after pregame parachuter crashes into video board appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Wright is a shifty, score-first guard who shot 41% from 3 and dropped 30+ a few times last season while leading a dangerous BYU offense. Wright and BYU — headlined by future NBA lottery pick AJ Dybantsa — advanced to a 3rd straight tournament appearance but fell to Texas in the first round.

This is definitely a blow for Kentucky and head coach Mark Pope, who just recently hosted Wright on an official visit. Wright has the makings of a potential All-SEC player, which Kentucky needs after Otega Oweh’s departure this offseason. Pope has also lost several players to the portal, including Collin Chandler (BYU), Brandon Garrison (Alabama) and Denzel Aberdeen (Florida).

Pope definitely has a lot of work to do in building a viable roster for next season. Most of last season’s team is out the door, and the Wildcats are one of just 5 teams that has yet to land a transfer portal commitment this offseason.

As you can see in the post above, PG Zoom Diallo is likely to draw Kentucky’s focus next. Diallo is a true point guard and, like Wright, a capable scorer — plus, he’ll retain 2 seasons of eligibility wherever he lands.

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Rob Wright III opts to return to BYU following Kentucky visit appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Texas‘ Arch Manning leads the way among SEC quarterbacks, placed 3rd behind Oregon’s Dante Moore and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin. Ole Miss standout Trinidad Chambliss sits at No. 4 while Miami’s Darian Mensah comes in at No. 5. Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and LSU’s Sam Leavitt are also included among the top 10.

Here’s a look at where each projected SEC starter comes in on the list.

• No. 3 — Arch Manning, Texas
• No. 4 — Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
• No. 7 Gunner Stockton, Georgia
• No. 8 — Sam Leavitt, LSU
• No. 12 — Byrum Brown, Auburn
• No. 15 — LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
• No. 16 — Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
• No. 19 — John Mateer, Oklahoma
• No. 31 — Kenny Minchey, Kentucky
• No. 34 — Keelon Russell, Alabama
• No. 35 — Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
• No. 41 — Austin Simmons, Mizzou
• No. 46 — Aaron Philo, Florida
• No. 52 — George MacIntyre, Tennessee
• No. 57 — KJ Jackson, Arkansas
• No. 58 — Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt

Refer below for the full 1-68 rankings:

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Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post Four SEC quarterbacks crack top 10 of CBS Sports’ power conference QB rankings appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Head coach Pete Golding is a busy man. As he alluded to on Wednesday, he’s locked in on keeping Ole Miss football in the national discussion, which means he doesn’t have time for tweets and social media. The first-time head coach isn’t a veteran like LSU’s Lane Kiffin, who led the Rebels program from 2020-2025.

Kiffin is very online. He’s also a bit of a troll, as you can see in this post below, which features Golding taking a swing at The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

On Wednesday, Golding was asked after practice “do you pay attention to stuff that happens on X, where you get mentioned by certain people?” Later, the reporter mentioned the golf clip from above, but he never actually mentions Kiffin. Golding’s reaction (as you can see below) indicates that he had seen the post.

Golding had the following to say:

“I really don’t. Obviously, I’ve got kids, I’ve got people that work here and all that. Things get brought up, or someone’ll send me a text message, so you definitely see certain things. I’m not good enough at this job to be on that all damn day and do this job. I don’t know how they do it. More power to ’em. I’ll learn one day.”

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post Pete Golding comments on Lane Kiffin, other coaches’ social media habits: ‘I don’t know how they do it’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.

With that, Terry is back coaching in the SEC after taking a season off and serving as an analyst for SEC Network. Terry coached Texas from 2023-2025 after working as an assistant (his second stint as a Texas assistant) under Shaka Smart and Chris Beard, and he brings 30 years of college coaching experience to Nashville.

Terry coached at UTEP, Fresno State and Texas, amassing a career record of 225-193. He’s also made stops at Baylor, UNC Wilmington and Texas from 2002-2011 under Rick Barnes.

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Vanderbilt basketball has momentum for the first time in a long time. The Commodores recently advanced to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time since 2016-2017 and are now looking to advance to the second weekend for the first time since 2007.

But while the Commodores had a great season last year, there’s definitely some work to be done this offseason. Perhaps the most important measure for Byington and Co. is keeping Tyler Tanner, who has still yet to decide on his future with the NBA, transfer portal and a return to Nashville all in the cards.

The Commodores have not yet landed a transfer portal commitment, but have lost the likes of Frankie Collins, Mike James, Jaylon Dean-Vines and Tyler Harris to the portal so far.

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2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Former Texas basketball coach to join Vanderbilt staff, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Cardinals added a commitment from former Arkansas wing Karter Knox on Wednesday, their 3rd commitment of the offseason thus far. Knox, who played at Arkansas in 2025 and 2026 and will retain 2 seasons of eligibility, missed February and March of this past season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus and entered the transfer portal following the Razorbacks’ Sweet 16 run.

The Cardinals were the early winners of the transfer portal even without Knox’s commitment. Pat Kelsey had already secured commitments from former Kansas center Flory Bidunga and Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, looking to improve upon Louisville’s 24-11 record from last season.

Knox’s freaky athleticism and 6-6 frame will fit in perfectly with the additions Kelsey has already made, and it’ll allow Adrian Wooley to slide over to shooting guard assuming he returns to Louisville. After a run like this, it’s tough to imagine Louisville is done in the portal.

Knox added 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game before being sidelined with the aforementioned meniscus injury. He’s a good 3-pooint shooter, hovering around 36% for his career at an average of about 3 attempts per game.

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2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Karter Knox, former Arkansas wing, commits to ACC program appeared first on Saturday Down South.

NFL Draft expect Mel Kiper Jr. joined the fray on Wednesday, revealing his updated mock draft for Rounds 1 and 2. Several former SEC stars — 9, to be exact — landed in the first round of Kiper’s mock draft, with 16 more slated to be selected in Round 2.

To no major surprise, LSU’s Mansoor Delane is the first SEC player off the board, selected at No. 10 by the Cincinnati Bengals. He and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor are the only 2 SEC players projected to be selected in the top half of the first round.

Notably, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee all have 2 first round selections according to Kiper’s mock draft. Here’s a full look at Kiper’s first round SEC selections:

• No. 10 — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU — Cincinnati Bengals
• No. 12 — Kadyn Proctor, OL, Alabama — Cleveland Browns (trade via DAL)
• No. 17 — Monroe Freeling, OL, Georgia — Detroit Lions
• No. 24 — Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee — Cleveland Browns
• No. 25 — Zion Young, DL, Mizzou — Chicago Bears
• No. 26 — Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn — Buffalo Bills
• No. 28 — Christen Miller, DL, Georgia — Houston Texans
• No. 29 — Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee — Kansas City Chiefs (trade via LAR)
• No. 30 — Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama — Arizona Cardinals

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Players Drafted Top 10 in 2026?

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Kalshi

Fernando Mendoza

99%

Arvell Reese

98%

David Bailey

97%

Jeremiyah Love

96%

Sonny Styles

92%

Carnell Tate

80%

Caleb Downs

80%

Rueben Bain Jr.

63%

Francis Mauigoa

62%

Mansoor Delane

53%

Predict

The post Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest NFL Mock Draft includes 9 SEC stars selected in Round 1 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

While Carey is a good addition for his rebounding, Jones is a strong addition for his scoring ability and potential to get even better than he was his freshman season with the Friars. The 6-6 small forward averaged 12 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season while shooting an impressive 57% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range.

Jones is considered to be the No. 4 small forward in the transfer portal according to 247Sports.

On top of being an efficient scorer, Jones is great at drawing fouls and using his physicality to get to the free throw line. He’ll need to work on his hit rate from the charity stripe — Jones averaged 66% across 131 attempts last season — but it’s not much to expect that number to go up following his first year in college hoops.

Jones will have 3 seasons of eligibility remaining.

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2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Missouri adds transfer commitment from former Providence forward appeared first on Saturday Down South.

After posting an original top 25 following Indiana’s national championship victory over Miami, ESPN is now back with another Way-Too-Early rankings for next year. A total of 8 SEC teams cracked ESPN’s list — and 4 of those 8 are located in the top 10.

To nobody’s surprise, Georgia and Texas lead the way for the SEC, coming in at No. 3 and No. 5 on ESPN’s rankings. Ole Miss is next in line at No. 9, with Texas A&M rounding out the top 10 at No. 10.

Each of these rankings makes a lot of sense. Every SEC team listed above returns its starting quarterback from last season, including Texas’ Arch Manning who will likely be playing his final season of college football. Gunner Stockton and the Georgia offense will once again enjoy a top-tier defense to cover any mistakes, too.

LSU and Oklahoma are just outside the top 10, coming in at No. 11 and No. 13, respectively. Alabama and Tennessee are also considered top 25 teams, listed at No. 16 and No. 25.

Here’s a look at ESPN’s full top 25:

1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame
5. Texas
6. Indiana
7. Miami
8. Texas Tech
9. Ole Miss
10. Texas A&M
11. LSU
12. BYU
13. Oklahoma
14. Michigan
15. Penn State
16. Alabama
17. Washington
18. Utah
19. Iowa
20. USC
21. Louisville
22. SMU
23. TCU
24. Houston
25. Tennessee

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College Football Playoff Qualifiers 2026

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Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post Georgia, Texas lead SEC teams in ESPN’s latest Way-Too-Early Top 25 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The postseason playoff will have a new logo this season, which was announced and unveiled on Tuesday afternoon by the CFP’s official X account. The biggest difference is the chang from “College Football Playoff” to “CFP” in the logo, which also features a slightly different color and “rounded bracket corners” compared to the slightly thinner corners from the old logo.

At first glance, the change is negligible. The CFP definitely isn’t re-inventing the wheel here. Take a look at some of the closer details below:

The College Football Playoff format, as stated above, will remain with the 12-team structure that it has used the past 2 seasons through at least the 2026-27 season. The CFP Management Committee will reevaluate and further assess the best options for the format of the postseason event moving forward.

The Big Ten has won both 12-team Playoff formats so far. Ohio State breezed through the first 12-team playoff in 2024, then Indiana surprised the country by running the table, beating Miami to culminate a perfect 16-0 season.

The CFP National Championship will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday, January 25, 2027. Here’s a look at the latest odds to win in 2027, per Kalshi.

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College Football Playoff champion?

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Kalshi

Texas

12%

Notre Dame

11%

Indiana

11%

Ohio St.

10%

Oregon

9%

Georgia

8%

LSU

7%

Miami (FL)

7%

Texas Tech

5%

Texas A&M

3%

Predict

The post College Football Playoff unveils updated logo appeared first on Saturday Down South.

There’s a very specific reason for both of these teams landing in Hudson’s top 2. The 6-6 tight end hails from Ruston, Louisiana, which gives the Tigers an advantage from the outside looking in. However, Nebraska currently holds a commitment from one of the top quarterbacks in the Class of 2027, Trae Taylor.

Hudson whittled his list down to just 2 after announcing a top 6 of LSU, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Miami, Mizzou and USC.

247Sports’ composite rankings consider Hudson to be the No. 11 overall prospect in the Class of 2027, as well as the Nio. 3 TE and No. 3 player out of Louisiana, behind only Texas commit Easton Royal and 5-star guard Albert Simien, who is also a major focus for the Tigers.

The addition of Hudson would be a massive win over Kiffin on the recruiting trail. LSU’s class is light for now, but the 2 commits are both 4-star prospects: South Carolina-based edge Jaiden Bryant and Shreveport QB Peyton Houston.

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College Football SEC Championship Winner (2026)

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post 5-star tight end cuts list to LSU and Nebraska, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

There’s a lot of reason for optimism here, too. Aiden Gibson, a 4-star running back who hails from Woodruff, South Carolina, announced on Tuesday that he will decide between South Carolina, Penn State, Rutgers, North Carolina and Louisville. He also holds offers from Florida, Tennessee, Florida State and Indiana, to name a few.

Gibson, who stands at 6-foot-2 and 205 lbs, will take an official visit to South Carolina on June 5. He’s also scheduled to visit Rutgers and Penn State, and he created his top 5 after taking an unofficial visit to Penn State on April 4.

According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Gibson is considered to be the No. 322 overall prospect in the Class of 2027, as well as the No. 23 RB and No. 7 prospect out of the state of South Carolina.

The Gamecocks could use some good news on the recruiting trail right now. South Carolina recently lost commitments from 2 of 4 commits in the Class of 2027, leaving only 3-star QB Jerry Meyer III and 3-star safety Jernard Albright in the 2027 class.

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post South Carolina lands in top 5 for in-state 4-star running back appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Making it even worse, Anding posted an incredibly impressive outing on Saturday. He tore his Achilles while coming down with his second interception of the day.

Expect an update from Lane Kiffin when practice ends on Tuesday:

Anding was set to play a bigger role after his freshman season in Baton Rouge. He appeared in 8 games for LSU last season, totaling 2 tackles while spending most of his time on special teams. With PJ Woodland and DJ Rickett likely to start for the Tigers this season, Anding was working his way into a backup role and looked to be off to a hot start with his efforts on Saturday.

Anding joins a worrying trend of promising SEC players suffering injuries during spring camp. Alabama’s Noah Rogers will miss the start of the 2026 season after suffering a lower-body injury during A-Day, and LSU defensive end Gabriel Reliford tore his ACL a few weeks ago during the first week of drills.

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post LSU cornerback suffered torn Achilles during spring scrimmage, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The former Alabama quarterback is likely to be selected in the first round of this year’s upcoming draft, with loose estimates placing him around the 10-30 mark. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is almost surely going to be selected No. 1 overall by the Raiders, and Simpson is assumed by many to be the next QB off the board. A few teams apart from Las Vegas need a QB, but has Simpson shown enough to earn a team’s commitment?

On Get Up Tuesday morning, Jason McCourty pitched Simpson to the Pittsburgh Steelers, pointing out that Simpson could learn under NFL veteran Aaron Rodgers should he decide to stay for another season. The Steelers still need a long-term answer at QB and fit right into the range that Simpson is projected, holding the 21st pick.

Several teams ahead of Pittsburgh are in need of a quarterback, too. The Jets are once again looking to find a long-term answer at QB, and the Cardinals recently saw Kyler Murray walk and land with the Vikings. The Jets and Cardinals hold picks 2 and 3, respectively, while the Jets also hold pick No. 16.

Here’s a look at the top odds to draft Ty Simpson, per Kalshi:

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Team to pick Ty Simpson in 2026 NFL Draft?

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Kalshi

Arizona

53%

New York J

15%

Los Angeles R

13%

Miami

12%

Pittsburgh

6%

Cleveland

5%

Philadelphia

3%

Minnesota

2%

Indianapolis

1%

Las Vegas

1%

Predict

The post Get Up pitches intriguing landing spot for Ty Simpson behind NFL veteran appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Bowser is a junior who will have 1 season of eligibility remaining with the Razorbacks, and he’s one of the most efficient big men in the portal. Bowser hit an incredible 76% of his shots from the floor last season and shot a lower-than-average — but not terrible — 65% from the free throw line on limited attempts. He did all this while appearing in 22 games, missing half of December and all of January with a toe injury.

As you can see below, Bowser averaged just under 14 points and 6 rebounds per game last season, earning a SoCon All-Tournament first-team nod for his play in leading the Paladins to the NCAA Tournament.

Bowser’s addition is key with the amount of turnover Arkansas has in the frontcourt this offseason. Nick Pringle and Trevon Brazile are out of eligibility, while Malique Ewin’s future is uncertain. The Florida State transfer could request a waiver for another season of eligibility after taking the junior college route.

The big question for Bowser will be acclimation. He weighs 215 pounds despite standing at 6-11, which is on the smaller side for the SEC.

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Arkansas basketball lands first transfer commitment of offseason, 6-11 center out of Furman appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The former LSU Tigers star will play for the Seattle Storm after being originally drafted by the Golden State Valkyries. In exchange, the Storm will send Matra Suarez and a 2nd round pick to Golden State — meaning Golden State traded the No. 8 pick for the No. 16 pick and a 2028 2nd round selection.

Golden State general manager Ohemaa Nyanin told ESPN that the trade was previously agreed upon, and that it had nothing to do with the LSU star. Apparently, Seattle had its eye on Johnson from the beginning.

“Seattle and I had an agreement to trade picks prior to any athlete selection,” Nyanin told ESPN after the draft. “I want to be super clear about the draft: This had nothing to do with Flau’jae or any specific athlete selection.”

It’s hard to blame Seattle, too. Johnson is an impressive talent who averaged 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game with the Tigers, and she was a key cog in LSU’s 2023 national title.

Johnson finished her LSU career tied for second in most career wins and 6th in total points.

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The post Flau’jae Johnson traded moments after being drafted by Golden State Valkyries appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Mount Pleasant, South Carolina native holds offers from 40 schools, including Virginia Tech — which is considered a frontrunner by 247Sports with a crystal ball projected to the Hokies. Kelly-Murray has an official visit to Virginia Tech planned for May 29.

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As you can see above, Murray-Kelly stands at 5-11 and 177 pounds. He attends Oceanside Collegiate Academy and is considered a 4-star prospect in the Class of 2027. According to 247Sports, Murray-Kelly is considered to be the No. 246 overall prospect in the Class of 2027, as well as the No. 35 WR and No. 6 player out of South Carolina.

This is beginning to be a worrying trend for Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks, who have now lost 2 commitments in the Class of 2027 across the past 3 days. Four-star CB Aamaury Fountain announced on Saturday that he would flip his commitment from South Carolina to Florida.

As it currently stands, the Gamecocks have just 2 commitments remaining in the Class of 2027 — 3-star safety Jernard Albright and 3-star QB Jerry Meyer III.

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Kalshi

Notre Dame

88%

Ohio St.

79%

Oregon

76%

Georgia

70%

Texas Tech

70%

Texas

69%

Indiana

67%

Miami (FL)

65%

LSU

45%

Ole Miss

40%

Predict

The post South Carolina pledge, 4-star WR in Class of 2027, de-commits after 1 month appeared first on Saturday Down South.

There is some good news, however. Though he will miss time, DeBoer expects that Rogers will not miss the entirety of the season for the Crimson Tide.

“Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that’s gonna take a little while to recover, and it will bleed into the season here a little bit,” DeBoer told Alabama radio host Ryan Fowler. “I’m not gonna give a timeline exactly, but he won’t be ready to go right when the season starts. We do expect it to be a situation where he will get to be back during the season.”

Obviously, this is an unfortunate situation for Rogers being injured in a game that ultimately does not matter. The NC State transfer was expected to play a major role for the Crimson Tide this season, too.

Rogers totaled 68 receptions for 919 yards and 3 touchdowns across his 2 seasons at NC State, averaging around 3 receptions per game across 24 appearances for the Wolfpack, including an 8-reception, 96-yard outing in an upset win over No. 8 Georgia Tech.

Alabama’s season will kick off on September 5 as the Crimson Tide host East Carolina.

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post Kalen DeBoer provides injury timetable for Noah Rogers following A-Day exit appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Notably, Thomas has not entered his name into the transfer portal, which closes on April 21. The former McDonalds All-American is currently projected as a late first-round pick.

Thomas was slightly outshined by another star freshman on Arkansas’ roster, Darius Acuff. But don’t let that distract you from the fact that Thomas is a special talent about to test the waters in a very, very deep draft class.

Thomas averaged 15.6 points per game with 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, hitting 43.5% of his shots from the field and 41.6% of his shots from range (82-197). He’s also a strong defender, an impressive athlete and protects the basketball well while hitting 84% of his shots from the free throw line. He was the SEC’s top 3-point shooter, hitting 48.7% of his shots from range in conference play.

A deep draft class makes this an intriguing decision for Thomas. He could very well return to school and maintain a top 10 selection next season if he holds a candle to his freshman year, made especially more tempting by the current NIL landscape of college basketball. With another impressive freshman class incoming next year in Fayetteville, Thomas’s decision will definitely be one to watch.

The NBA Playoffs are set. Here’s a look at the latest odds to cut down the nets, per Kalshi:

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Kalshi

Oklahoma City

42%

San Antonio

18%

Boston

15%

Denver

9%

Detroit

5%

New York

5%

Cleveland

4%

Minnesota

3%

Houston

2%

Los Angeles L

2%

Predict

The post Meleek Thomas declares for NBA Draft, will maintain college eligibility appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Let’s start at the top with Arkansas‘ TJ Pompey, who won SEC Player of the Week after helping Arkansas sweep Alabama. Pompey, a former freshman All-American with Texas Tech, recorded a pair of multi-hit games and recorded at least one hit in all three games. On top of that, Pompey drove in 4 runs and a team-high 6 RBIs.

Auburn‘s Alex Petrovic and South Carolina‘s Amp Phillips were named the SEC Co-Pitchers of the Week. Petrovic turned Auburn’s first complete game of the season while tossing 8 strikeouts in an 11-0, 7-inning win over Kentucky. The Tigers won the series over the Wildcats with a 2-1 record. Phillips, on the other hand, helped South Carolina in the Gamecocks’ weekend sweep of Missouri, throwing a season-high 10 strikeouts in a 1-0 win over the Tigers.

Then there’s Tennessee freshman Cam Appenzeller, who won SEC Freshman of the Week for his relief work in Game 1 against Mississippi State, a series that Tennessee went on to Sweep in Starkville. Appenzeller totaled 8 strikeouts in 5 innings and retains a perfect 5-0 record on the season.

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Kalshi

UCLA

14%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

3%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post SEC Baseball Players of the Week revealed for April 9-12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Brown was arrested on Friday on charges of “hindering apprehension or prosecution,” after reportedly lying to police about an incident that took place in his home last month. According to a separate report by Andrew Hutchinson of Best of Arkansas Sports, two female individuals broke into Biddy’s home and assaulted another, who was dog sitting at the time. The female victim was later diagnosed with a concussion and taken to the emergency room.

Originally, Brown claimed that the victim was never allowed into his home, insinuating that the victim was trespassing at the time of the attack. This was disproved by screenshots shared to police by the victim, leading to Brown’s arrest.

Brown landed at Arkansas at the start of the 2025 season after 1 season with LSU (2023) and another with Florida State (2024). The former No. 68 overall prospect in the Class of 2023 saw some action on the gridiron with Arkansas, totaling 5 starts with 12 receptions, 167 yards and 2 touchdowns. He suffered an injury against Notre Dame that kept him out the remainder of the 2025 season and was slated for a bigger role in 2026.

This is not Jalen Brown’s first run-in with the law. Brown was originally dismissed from Florida State after facing charges of possession of a controlled substance.

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College Football SEC Championship Winner (2026)

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post Arkansas WR no longer with football program, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rooths spent his first 2 seasons in college basketball with the Cardinals after committing as a top 40 prospect out of high school, and he brings 66 games of experience to Norman. He played a reserve role for Louisville this past season, averaging 5.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, shooting 45% from the field in the process.

He’ll have 2 seasons of eligibility remaining.

Rooths is definitely a risky addition for Moser and Co, but the upside is absolutely there — and a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered for the former 4-star prospect.

Rooths is very athletic and a great rebounder, often grabbing 10 or more boards despite playing 20 or 25 minutes in any specific game this season. He flashed some of that promising ability in back-to-back games against SMU and Notre Dame, where he posted 12 points and 10+ rebounds in both contests.

Oklahoma needed some size from the portal, too. The Sooners will be without Kuol Atak, Mo Wague and Tae Davis next season, which means Rooths is unlikely to be the first big man added this offseason.

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Oklahoma basketball adds former Louisville forward, first transfer portal commitment this offseason appeared first on Saturday Down South.

English will head to North Carolina looking to help lift the Tar Heels back to national prominence following the firing of Hubert Davis. North Carolina has won just 2 postseason matchups across the past 4 seasons and turned to Malone — who led the Nuggets to an NBA title in 2023 — to be the man to right the ship.

As mentioned above, English has some big-time SEC ties. He starred as a forward for Missouri from 2009-2012, thriving on the defensive end while being as efficient as any scorer in the league. Following a brief NBA career with the Detroit Pistons, English turned to coaching, serving as an assistant with Tulsa and Colorado before landing at Tennessee under Rick Barnes.

English turned his 3 good years at Tennessee into a job pitch and became George Mason’s head coach starting in the 2021-22 season. After 2 good seasons with George Mason, English took the vacant Providence job, where he coached for 3 years before being fired last month.

While English struggled to win at Providence, he’s regarded as an excellent assistant coach who should fit in well with North Carolina as the Tar Heels try to fight their way back to the top.

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2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Kim English, former Mizzou star, to fill assistant role with ACC program, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The standout Auburn guard will spend a 3rd year on The Plains, confirmed by Auburn basketball‘s social media account Saturday afternoon. Pettiford has spent 2 seasons with Auburn and opted to return and give it another run despite taking a bit of a step back in production from Year 1 to Year 2. He will have 2 seasons of eligibility remaining.

Pettiford’s talent is hard to ignore, even if it was a bit of down year for him in 2026. The 6-1 guard is a crafty scorer, a great facilitator and a strong defender despite his smaller size.

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Pearl’s team is shaping up heading into his second year leading the Tigers. Pettiford is staying alongside promising freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams, guard Kevin Overton and freshman Simon Walker. With Freeman, Keyshawn Hall and KeShawn Murphy heading out the door, the Tigers will need to add a dependable playmaker to star alongside Pettiford.

Pettiford originally declared for the NBA Draft after helping the Tigers to the Final Four in 2025, but decided to return for a second season. He was a considerably better shooter from range in 2025 under Bruce Pearl, finishing 36% from behind the arc in 2025 compared to 29% from range in 2026. Getting those shooting numbers back to 2025-form will go a long way in helping the Tigers return to the NCAA Tournament.

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2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Tahaad Pettiford makes decision on future with Auburn appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Vols already landed one transfer: Belmont sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade. But with Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Felix Okpara, Jaylen Carey, JP Estrella, Bishop Boswell and Amari Evans now heading out, they’ll need considerably more consistent scoring to break down the door of a Final Four.

Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson could help answer that call. According to Jon Rothstein and multiple other reporters, Haralson has cut his list to Tennessee, Ohio State and North Carolina.

This would be a simply massive addition for Tennessee basketball, but as you can see, there’s some pretty stiff competition for his services.

Haralson — who stands at 6-foot-7 — is a former McDonalds All-American and will have 3 seasons of eligibility remaining wherever he lands. The freshman averaged 16.2 points per game and showed up against top-level competition, dropping 14 points against Houston, 13 points against Kansas and 20 points against Virginia. By all accounts, he’s one of the 15 best players in the transfer portal right now.

Haralson hails from La Porte, Indiana and was heavily involved with Michigan State during his recruitment. But while the Big Ten and the chance to play at North Carolina are alluring, Tennessee has had fantastic success with portal players in recent years. Dalton Knecht, Chaz Lanier and Ja’Kobi Gillespie played at All-SEC levels when they donned the Orange & White, so Barnes’ recruiting pitch has to be pretty tempting for players who can score like Haralson.

Stay tuned.

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2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Tennessee basketball listed among favorites for standout Notre Dame transfer, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Volunteers took Game 1 in Starkville on Friday night, downing the No. 9 Mississippi State Bulldogs by a score of 6-5. Tennessee used a strong 8th inning to push its lead to 6-3, seeing Garrett Wright and Nate Eisfelder both drive in runs with a pair of singles. Levi Clark also drove in a run, beating an attempted double play that would have ended the inning.

Standout pitcher Cam Appenzeller posted another strong relief appearance to slam the door shut, improving his W/L record to 5-0 in the process. He gave up a solo shot in the 9th to keep things interesting, but was still able to put Mississippi State to bed with the final out, seen below:

Tennessee has not fared well in SEC play this season, especially in Game 1s. The Vols were 1-3 in Game 1s heading into Friday’s matchup and boast just one series win on the season. Tennessee previously fell to Georgia, LSU and Vanderbilt with their lone series victory coming against Missouri.

Of course, the Vols will look to claim another series win on Saturday against the Bulldogs. First pitch for Game 2 of the series is set for 7 p.m. ET Saturday night from Dudy Noble Field. The game will be available for streaming on SEC Network+.

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Kalshi

UCLA

14%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

3%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post Tennessee holds off Mississippi State to take Game 1 in Starkville, 6-5 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Bulldogs freshman was arrested at 2:58 p.m. and charged with speeding and driving without a valid license in Oconee Country, released on bonds totaling $1,245.

“We are aware of the charges and are actively gathering additional information,” Georgia athletics said in a statement, via the Athens-Banner Herald. “As this an ongoing legal matter, we will not be providing further comment at this time.”

The 6-8 freshman forward from Virginia had a limited, yet promising first season under Mike White, averaging 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while also averaging just under 15 minutes per game. Stagg started the final 8 matchups of the season for Georgia and had a few great games, including a 10-point outing in a win over Alabama to start March.

Notably, Stagg is one of a few Bulldogs to announce his return to Athens next season. He joins Smurf Millender and Kanon Catchings as notable returners for Mike White, who is looking to build off a second straight NCAA Tournament berth.

The post Georgia basketball player arrested for speeding, driving without a license appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Iceland and Argentina will square off on June 9, but this is more than just a date to circle for Auburn athletics. It’s also a revenue-sharing opportunity.

According to Auburn writer Justin Hokanson, the upside for Auburn athletics could reach as high as $2 million thanks to ticket sales and more. Tickets for the event could go for north of $300 for lower-level seats and $45 for end-zone sets.

Of course, Lionel Messi — one of the most recognized soccer players in the world — will suit up for Argentina against Iceland, which means Auburn fans could be able to grab a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see him in action at Jordan-Hare. Argentina won the World Cup in 2022 with a thrilling victory over Kylian Mbappe and France, and they’re among the top favorites to win it again in 2026.

As it currently stands, France, England, Spain and Argentina are considered frontrunners according to Kalshi. Here’s a look at the full odds as we near closer to June 2026:

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Kalshi

Spain

17%

France

17%

England

12%

Brazil

9%

Argentina

9%

Portugal

8%

Germany

6%

Netherlands

4%

Norway

2%

USA

2%

Predict

The post Jordan-Hare Stadium to host friendly between Argentina, Iceland before World Cup appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This line of thinking can be traced to his words on Tuesday, when he fired back at former Warriors forward Matt Barnes, who recently called Smith out for his coverage of LeBron James’ comments on the city of Memphis.

Barnes’ comments regarding Smith are not the important part of this story. What’s important is Smith’s reaction to Barnes, and to several others who have fired back at his comments across the past year or so. In a rant you can find in the YouTube video below, Smith insisted that several people have been coming at him in recent weeks because they want to see him fired and out of the way.

“I think that it’s important for my listeners and also the people here at SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio, for me to remind people of who the hell I am,” Smith said, via Awful Announcing. “Things have happened in my life over the last year or so that you have a right to know. There are many folks out there who want me done. They want me fired. They want me taken off the airwaves of SiriusXM. They want me taken off the airwaves of ESPN. Good luck with that…There’s nothing that gets me up more than adversaries that have the nerve to think they can go against me. I love it. It inspires me, it fuels me.”

Smith, who has floated the idea of running for President in the past, wasn’t done, either. He said that a move to get him fired wouldn’t silence him… it would simply “unleash” him even more.

“I want you to imagine for a second that I’m no longer working for the Mouse during my day job,” Smith said. “There’s no more ESPN, there’s no Walt Disney, and all there is SiriusXM and whatever else I want to do in the YouTube stratosphere. Do you understand there would be no barricades? There would be no barriers. Do you understand? That would unleash me even more…careful what you wish for.”

The post Stephen A. Smith insists ‘many folks’ have conspired to get him fired from SiriusXM, ESPN appeared first on Saturday Down South.

According to Mike Wilson of Volquest, Henderson, a member of Tennessee’s 2025 recruiting class, never actually entered his name into the transfer portal after announcing his plans to do so on Tuesday. While a developmental piece, Henderson’s return is good news for a Tennessee team that will be with a largely unfamiliar roster next season.

Henderson joins DeWayne Brown as the only confirmed returners to Tennessee in 2026, alongside freshman signees Marquis Clark, Manny Green and Ralph Scott. There are only a few decisions still to be made, too. Vols guard Ethan Burg has still yet to publicly announce a decision, and Nate Ament still has to decide if he wants to stay another year or enter the NBA Draft (as is expected).

Henderson showed some promise for Tennessee, especially in non-conference play. He boasted a strong assist rate and was a capable 3-point shooter, though the Vols would love to see his efficiency increase heading into his sophomore year. The question will be whether Henderson can take a step to rival any incoming guards out of the transfer portal.

Speaking of, Tennessee has so far seen 6 players enter the transfer portal. This includes JP Estrella, Cade Phillips, Jaylen Carey, Amari Evans, Bishop Boswell and Clarence Massamba.

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Tennessee guard reverses course, will stay with Vols after announcing portal intentions appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Fine details will be released at a later date, but here’s a quick look at the appearance schedule for all 16 SEC teams at this year’s event:

• Monday, July 20: Kentucky, Mizzou, Oklahoma, Tennessee
• Tuesday, July 21: Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
• Wednesday, July 22: Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
• Thursday, July 23: Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, Texas

Again, this is not necessarily the order teams will take the podium — simply the days each team will be featured and in front of reporters to answer questions about the upcoming season, offseason preparations and anything else having to do with the SEC football program in question.

Like every season, a SEC media poll will be taken at the end of Media Days. Per usual, Georgia, Alabama, Texas and LSU are expected to be heavy hitters in the conference this season.

Here’s a look at the latest odds to win the SEC, per Kalshi:

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post Appearance schedule, dates revealed for 2026 SEC Media Days appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The incident happened with little warning during Tuesday night’s matchup. Former Braves standout Jorge Soler, now playing for LA, took exception to a pitch thrown by Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez. Soler, who had been hit by Lopez earlier in the night, charged the mound and threw a few punches at Lopez, most of which missed its target.

The brawl ended when Weiss himself decided it was over. As mentioned above, Weiss — looking like an SEC linebacker — executed a perfect tackle of Soler, which gave both parties enough time to cool tensions. Both Lopez and Soler were ejected for their roles in the fight.

The Atlanta Falcons decided to join in on the discussion Wednesday morning, asking Weiss to come put on the pads with a picture of his tackle. Check it out below:

The Braves went on to win this game, 7-2, scoring 3 straight runs following the brouhaha. The Braves sit at 7-5 on the season and will face off against LA once again on Wednesday night.

Here’s a look at the full fight:

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Kalshi

Los Angeles D

33%

New York Y

10%

Seattle

7%

Atlanta

6%

Philadelphia

4%

Detroit

3%

New York M

3%

Toronto

3%

Boston

3%

Chicago C

3%

Predict

The post Atlanta Falcons praise Braves manager’s perfect form tackle during Atlanta-LA brawl appeared first on Saturday Down South.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, an NCAA committee will discuss a potentially new standard that would grant athletes 5 years (not seasons) of eligibility from the time of their 19th birthday or high school graduation, whichever comes first.

This would streamline the redshirt process, too. Under the new standard, waiver requests, redshirts and exceptions will not be permitted, except for in very specific circumstances such as military service, maternity leave or religious missions.

There are going to be a few hurdles to jump with this one, but the idea seems like a good one on the surface. The current state of college athletics sees some teams stock up on older talent — some as old as 25 or 26 — who are entering their 6th or even 7th seasons of eligibility.

Perhaps the biggest change made by this proposal is the nullification of the redshirt. With 5 seasons of eligibility, every player would essentially get a free season of eligibility when compared to today’s model.

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post NCAA reportedly set to discuss age-based eligibility rule appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Tigers, immediately after posting a solid series victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, fell to Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday by a score of 10-7. LSU gave up 5 runs in the 7th inning and couldn’t punch back, giving Bethune-Cookman its best win of the season to date.

Here’s a look at the final out of Tuesday night’s stunner:

As alluded to above, LSU actually led for the majority of this game until things completely broke down in the 7th inning. The Wildcats drove in a single to score a run, then LSU walked 2 batters with bases loaded. A fielding error drove in 2 more runs immediately following for a grand total of 5 runs in a single inning.

With the win, Bethune-Cookman is now 23-10 on the season while LSU sits at 22-12. The Tigers will play a 3-game series against Ole Miss in Oxford starting Friday.

“It’s a tough loss tonight, there’s no getting around that,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said after the game. “Our players brought enthusiasm to the field tonight and competed hard. We had a really tough seventh inning; the difference in the game was our inability to control the strike zone on both sides of the ball in that seventh inning.”

The post No. 24 LSU falls to Bethune-Cookman in stunning midweek loss appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Auriemma, whose team had just lost 62-48, claims that the outburst stemmed from Staley not shaking hands with Auriemma during the pregame walkthrough, despite the fact that Auriemma and Staley are photographed shaking hands pregame. Auriemma also said this to Holly Rowe following the exchanging of words:

“There were 6 fouls called that quarter. All of ’em against us,” Auriemma said. “And they’ve been beating the sh*t out of our guys down there the entire game… This is ridiculous. Their coach rants and raves on the sideline, and calls the referees some names you don’t wanna hear.”

Here’s a look at the incident:

After a few days of reflection, Auriemma appears to have come to the conclusion that his actions were unacceptable. He released the following apology, insisting he called Staley to personally apologize for his outburst.

South Carolina fell to UCLA in the national championship game, unable to hang around with a Bruins squad that finished its title-winning season with just one loss.

The post Geno Auriemma releases statement apologizing to Dawn Staley, South Carolina appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The majority of the fight revolved around 2 players: Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and Angels OF Jorge Soler, who won a World Series with Atlanta in 2021. Soler appeared not too happy with the placement of a few pitches (nor was he happy with being hit by a pitch earlier in the game) and felt free to let Lopez know about it.

A tipping point was reached, and Soler charged the mound, where he and Lopez threw a few punches that didn’t land with any effectiveness. Notably, Lopez decided not to let go of the ball while throwing a few punches at Soler.

The fight was extinguished when members of the Braves dugout were able to tackle Soler to the ground. In fact, it looks like Braves manager Walt Weiss was the one to bring Soler down with a perfect form tackle. Both Soler and Lopez were promptly ejected.

Here’s a full unedited look at the brawl:

Soler actually had a pretty decent outing before being ejected from this one. The former Braves outfielder, who was instrumental in Atlanta winning the World Series in 2021, hit a 2-shot home run in his first at-bat of the evening.

If you’re wondering, Atlanta went on to win this game 7-2.

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Kalshi

Los Angeles D

33%

New York Y

10%

Seattle

7%

Atlanta

6%

Philadelphia

4%

Detroit

3%

New York M

3%

Toronto

3%

Boston

3%

Chicago C

3%

Predict

The post Massive brawl breaks out between Angels, Braves after Jorge Soler charges the mound appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Kiffin did, however, delve into his reasoning for originally being against the idea of a 9-game conference schedule before the SEC had made a decision. As he explained it, Kiffin is against the idea because the process for selecting College Football Playoff teams is still inconsistent. As Kiffin put it, 10-2 gets you into the College Football Playoff, but 9-3 doesn’t. Adding another conference game, as Kiffin says, would only make it tougher for SEC teams to compete and reach the postseason.

Here’s Kiffin’s main quote on the topic:

“I’m not gonna complain about it, I was very outspoken in meeting with the commissioner, with presidents and athletic directors that was not my opinion, that was not a good idea until the system of how they selected teams was fixed,” Kiffin said. “Until it was fixed, until there were automatic bids, until it was truly fixed, when strength of schedule matters as it should — more like basketball does — it made zero sense to me to go add another hard game, put teams 5 times on the road in this conference, which top to bottom, is the hardest conference to play, in the hardest stadiums.”

“But we did.” Kiffin continued. “I understand there’s always things that go into decisions besides the way I think, I’m sure there were financial reasons for it, but I don’t think anybody now, now that they’ve kinda seen how selections have gone, thinks there’s value in that… 10-2’s in, 9-3’s out, you got some more losses in your conference and beat yourself up more.”

Find Kiffin’s full answer here:

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Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post Lane Kiffin explains why he disagreed with a 9-game SEC schedule appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The standout Texas forward is an absolute machine and a likely first-round pick, and he was instrumental in Texas’ surprise run to the Sweet 16 this past NCAA Tournament. As you can see below, Swain was the SEC’s Newcomer of the Year and listed as a member of the All-SEC 2nd Team.

Swain followed head coach Sean Miller from Xavier and picked up right where he left off. Instead of wilting against SEC player, Swain flourished, averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Swain is a very intriguing NBA prospect. He has high-level athleticism and is a strong scorer and defender. He’s just an average 3-point shooter and will be 21 for his first season in the NBA, which puts him likely out of the question for a top 10 pick, also thanks to very strong draft class. Still, Swain has the makings of a late first-round steal if he can up his volume from range.

Surprisingly, Texas has yet to lose a player to the transfer portal. We’ll see if that changes in the coming hours and days.

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Texas star Dailyn Swain officially declares for NBA Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The 6-9 sophomore originally landed at Georgia via the transfer portal. He originally started at BYU during Kevin Young’s first season in Provo (after being recruited by Mark Pope) but really shined in the SEC with Mike White. This past season Catchings averaged 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and just under 1 steal per game while hitting 37% of his shots from range.

His efficiency slightly improved from Year 1 to Year 2, and there’s plenty of reason to believe Catchings could take a leap in his second year with White — including a 32-point performance in a win over Alabama to end the regular season.

The Bulldogs have so far lost 7 players to the transfer portal, including Somto Cyril, Dylan James and Jeremiah Wilkinson. However, White has been able to retain a few key pieces alongside Catchings, including guard Smurf Millender and forward Kareem Stagg. Blue Cain is now the person of interest for Georgia basketball, retaining one season of eligibility with no announced plans as of April 7.

Prediction Markets

2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Kanon Catchings, Georgia forward, reveals plans for next season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Tuesday, the Associated Press revealed its Top 25 rankings for the final time this season. Six SEC teams were included among the final top 25: Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Texas.

Kentucky, Texas A&M and Auburn all received at least one top 25 vote, too.

Florida is the highest-ranked SEC team at the end of the season, finishing inside the top 10 at No. 9. Despite falling to Iowa early, the Gators’ regular season impressed the voters enough to outlast No. 12 Tennessee, which advanced further in the NCAA Tournament than any other conference team.

Here’s a look at the full top 25:

1. Michigan
2. UConn
3. Arizona
4. Duke
5. Illinois
6. Purdue
7. Houston
8. Iowa State
9. Florida
10. St. John’s
11. Michigan State
12. Tennessee
13. Arkansas
14. Nebraska
15. Iowa
16. Alabama
17. Virginia
18. Gonzaga
19. Vanderbilt
20. Kansas
21. Texas Tech
22. Texas
23. Louisville
24. Miami
25. Wisconsin

Others receiving votes:

UCLA 51, Saint Louis 51, Utah St. 45, High Point 37, VCU 29, Miami (Ohio) 26, BYU 15, North Carolina 14, Kentucky 14, TCU 9, Texas A&M 7, Saint Mary’s 7, Akron 3, Ohio St. 2, Auburn 1.

Prediction Markets

2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post College Basketball AP Top 25: Six SEC teams included in final poll of 2025-26 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This is massive news for Tennessee, especially while the Vols have already lost 6 players to the transfer portal including forwards Cade Phillips, Jaylen Carey and JP Estrella.

Brown showed a lot of potential during Year 1 in Knoxville. He’s a smart player with physicality that can stand up to SEC competition and an efficient scorer at the rim, with enough power to consistently get looks. On top of that, Brown was a solid rebounder for a freshman, collecting just under 4 boards per game across an average of 14.7 minutes per game. He’s a candidate to take a considerable jump in productivity next season, too.

Brown is the first Tennessee player to officially announce that he will be returning in 2026-27. Ethan Burg and Amari Evans have yet to make a decision, while star freshman Nate Ament still has to decide between entering the draft (as is expected) or staying in Knoxville for one more season.

Tennessee has advanced to 3 straight Elite 8s, and the Vols are expected to hit the portal hard in hopes of finally breaking through to a Final Four and beyond next season. The Vols already hold a commitment from Belmont sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade.

Prediction Markets

2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post DeWayne Brown II sends message to Tennessee fans, reveals plans for 2026-27 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Monday night’s national championship result had to have stung a little more for UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr., whose career was infected with 4 cases of right team, wrong time.

Michigan beat a UConn team that has done nothing but win in March in recent years. The Huskies won the national title in 2023 and 2024 while our guy Reed suited up for the Wolverines under Juwan Howard. Following Juwan Howard’s firing in 2024, Reed moved to enter the transfer portal after 2 years with Michigan. Seeing all the success Dan Hurley was having at UConn, Reed committed to play for the Huskies.

Despite a solid first year for Reed, Dan Hurley’s 2025 squad fizzled out before reaching the second weekend, with Florida eventually moving on to win the title.

Which brings us to this year. Despite not being considered one of the most dominant teams in college basketball, UConn (led in part by Reed) found its way back to the title game, facing off against Reed’s old team. The rest is history.

Despite Michigan and UConn combining to win 3 national titles across the past 4 seasons and Reed playing at one of UConn or Michigan across each of those past 4 seasons, Reed will end his college career with zero national titles under his belt.

Absolutely brutal.

The post Right team, wrong time: UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. narrowly missed another national title Monday night appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Jovic spent just 1 season on The Plains, coming to college basketball from KK Mega Basket in Serbia. While he is a talented offensive player, Jovic struggled to deal with the physicality of the SEC. For the season, Jovic averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The above post says that Jovic is 6-foot-9, but that doesn’t seem quite accurate. Jovic probably fits better as a 4, a spot that was filled largely by Sebastian Williams-Adams and Keyshawn Hall this season. Partially because of this, he played a good amount as Auburn‘s center.

Despite being undersized for this position, Jovic put up some really impressive offensive rebounding numbers, rated as one of the 100 best in the country inoffensive rebounding percentage (12.7%) per KenPom.

Jovic hit 65% of his shots within the 3-point arc, but really struggled at the free throw line, where he was a dismal 54% despite drawing a lot of fouls. But while he found himself at the line a lot, he also sent players to the free throw line at an alarming rate, averaging 5.3 fouls per 40 minutes.

Prediction Markets

2027 College Basketball Champion

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Kalshi

Michigan

15%

Duke

12%

Illinois

9%

UConn

8%

Florida

6%

Arizona

5%

St. John's

3%

Tennessee

2%

Alabama

2%

Saint Mary's

0%

Predict

The post Auburn center enters transfer portal after 1 season, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.