Charles Bediako appears to have found his way back to Alabama.
The former Crimson Tide center filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Tuesday in an effort to gain immediate reinstatement to join the team for the rest of the 2025-26 season. The school had already filed an appeal for his eligibility, but it was denied.
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Bediako, 23, last played for Alabama during the 2022-23 season. The 7-footer entered the NBA Draft after that season, but was not selected. He’s since played in the G League, including 34 games for the Grand Rapids Gold last season and six for the Motor City Cruise this season. He averaged 10.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last year with the Gold.
Then on Wednesday, a judge granted a temporary restraining order to allow Bediako to return to Alabama and college basketball. Bediako is “immediately eligible,” judge James H. Roberts Jr. ruled, and the NCAA is “restrained from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any penalties or sanctions” against Bediako, Alabama, its coaches or players, according to ESPN.
The order is valid for 10 days. A full hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
“The University of Alabama supports Charles and his ongoing efforts to be reinstated for competition while he works to complete his degree,” Alabama said in a statement after the ruling.
In his initial lawsuit, Bediako cited multiple other G League players who have been granted eligibility by the NCAA. He also named Baylor center James Nnaji, who was granted eligibility to play for the Bears last month. Nnaji was the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he played professionally in Europe before returning to the United States.
“The NCAA’s recent reinstatement of James Nnaji, along with other European professional players, has shown that its current application of eligibility rules favor players who have competed internationally over athletes who have pursued domestic opportunities,” the complaint states, via ESPN. “Despite being selected 31st overall in the NBA Draft, Nnaji was recently reinstated and will have four seasons of NCAA eligibility. This, despite Nnaji playing professionally for at least three seasons in Europe, including two for powerhouse FC Barcelona. The NCAA’s rules also create an entirely arbitrary distinction between student athletes who go directly from high school to professional competition and those who initially enroll in college, later leave for the draft, and then seek to return.”
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Bediako averaged 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in his two seasons at Alabama. He helped the team reach the NCAA tournament in each of his two seasons, too. He is currently enrolled at Alabama, and would have the rest of this season left in eligibility had he not left for the NBA Draft when he did, as he started his college career in 2021. In his lawsuit, Bediako called the NCAA’s rules “draconian” and said that he wouldn’t have left college when he did had he known about current revenue sharing and NIL opportunities that are now available.
While Bediako wouldn’t be the first professional player to be allowed back into the college ranks, his case is unique and would mark a massive change for the NCAA. Bediako signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs in 2023 after he went undrafted, and no two-way player has ever been granted eligibility to play college basketball. Should Bediako take the court again, he would be the first.
“These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students,” the NCAA said. “A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules.”
No. 17 Alabama holds a 13-5 record this season. The Crimson Tide will host Tennessee next on Saturday, where Bediako will presumably make his return.
We have a fun episode of The Dunker Spot coming your way!
The New York Knicks have struggled since their NBA Cup win over the Spurs; Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones assess their concern level, talk through what’s wrong, and discuss potential fixes to turn things around.
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From there, the guys continue their mid-season award check-ins by talking through their Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team, and Coach of the Year selections. Finally, they close by previewing the upcoming slate of Unrivaled games.
If you ever have NBA or WNBA questions, email us at dunkerspot@yahoo.com.
1:37 — New York Knicks discussion 35:20 — Rookie awards 01:31:02— Coach of the Year 01:37:05 — Unrivaled weekend preview
Jan 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after geting called for an offensive foul in the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The first time the Dallas Mavericks played the Miami Heat this season, Cooper Flagg started out slowly: just six points through three quarters, making only three of the nine shots he took, with three turnovers in 24 minutes. And then, with the Mavs down by seven and about nine and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 overall pick checked back in … and, suddenly, he was damn near everywhere.
Dallas’ comeback effort came up short, but the then-18-year-old’s closing kick — six points, four boards, two assists, a steal and relentless activity in those final nine-and-a-half minutes — made an impression.
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“He’s not scared of the moment,” star Heat center Bam Adebayo told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “A lot of guys would move to the corner when there’s two minutes left in a close ball game … he was going to get the ball. He’s growing up faster than people think.”
Including, maybe, the Heat. When the two teams played again a week and a half later, Flagg scored a team-high 22 on 9-for-13 shooting in a 10-point Mavericks win.
Trading Luka for Anthony Davis removed the cornerstone on which the Mavericks franchise was built, precipitating Dallas’ downfall as a putative championship contender and beginning Nico Harrison’s slow march to the exit at the American Airlines Center. It also created a need for a new cornerstone — one better positioned for the task than Davis or Kyrie Irving, both on the wrong side of 30 and often (andcurrently) on the wrong side of the injury report.
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That vacuum has been filled, thanks to a staggering amount of draft-lottery luck, by Flagg: one of the most highly touted prospects in a generation, one of the most productive teenagers the NBA has ever seen, and a preternatural talent that, as Adebayo put it, is growing up a hell of a lot faster than it would’ve seemed reasonable to expect.
Flagg’s arrival can only do so much to abate and ameliorate the pain and trauma of the Dončić deal for a number of reasons, not least of which is the basic point that it’s really hard to replace an All-Star starter without downgrading. But even as the Mavs scuffle below .500 and near the bottom of the NBA in offensive efficiency, the presence of Flagg — rising up to the top of the rookie class, jousting with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel and 76ers ace VJ Edgecombe in consideration for Rookie of the Year honors at the season’s midway point — gives Dallas fans something to grab hold of, a reason to believe that better days are ahead, sooner rather than later.
Flagg enters Saturday’s tilt against the Lakers averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, with a true shooting percentage (which factors in 2-point, 3-point and free-throw accuracy) of .554. Here is the list of rookies to average 18-6-4 on .550 TS% in NBA history:
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I am not saying that Flagg is guaranteed to be one of the 10 best players in NBA history. I am just saying that what he has done so far puts him on a pretty cool friggin’ list. (And, for whatever it’s worth: None of those guys was doing that as a teenager.)
The only rookies this century to score as much, as efficiently and with as high a usage rate as Flagg has this season were Karl-Anthony Towns a decade ago and Victor Wembanyama two years back. The last two to do it before them: Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal.
Landing among such all-time elite offensive company would be impressive enough. Reaching that level on a team nearly denuded of high-level complementary offensive talent capable of deflecting defensive attention away from you is downright exceptional. (Not you, Naji Marshall. I think you’re high-level complementary offensive talent, and I always have.)
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With Davis once again sidelined, still no timeline for Irving’s return, third-year center Dereck Lively II lost for the season and plenty of other contributors missing time, leaving the Mavericks as one of the most injury-ravaged teams in the NBA, Flagg — the youngest player in the NBA — has gotten a crash course in doing damn near everything there is to do on the basketball court. His introduction to the pro game saw him suddenly tasked with masquerading as a point guard; that, um, didn’t go so hot. Being thrown into the fire, though, gave the über-prospect an up-close-and-personal brush with failure the likes of which he never experienced — an encounter that Flagg says has paid dividends as he works his way through his maiden voyage through the senior circuit.
“I don’t know if I was ready for that or if I was ready to handle that right off the bat,” he told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I tried my best, and I mean, that’s not to say I can’t go back to it and can’t work on it and get better, but I think it’s just worked out where it’s been better to have somebody else helping out, relieving pressure. … It wasn’t perfect, but I think I learned a lot through that.”
Playing more frequently with fellow rookie Ryan Nembhard or reserve ball-handler Brandon Williams, Flagg has blossomed on the other side of the experiment, averaging more than 20 points and nearly 4.5 assists per game over the last 30 games while making 55% of his 2-point shots. The list of players doing that over the course of the full season looks like an All-NBA ballot.
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And while shifting from the point back to the wing reduces his responsibility for bringing the ball up the floor and initiating offensive sets, it hasn’t exactly meant the kid’s suddenly getting spoon-fed. Flagg’s still shouldering a massive burden when it comes to generating his own scoring chances; according to NBA Advanced Stats, 56% of his baskets this season have been unassisted. Only 30 players in the NBA (minimum 20 games played and 20 minutes per game) are creating for themselves that often — a list that, when you filter for high-minute players like Flagg, is almost exclusively populated by All-Star-level lead guards and No. 1 offensive options.
Flagg generates those looks for himself the hard way: by doing the engine-room work of lowering his head and his shoulder and bulldozing his way to the basket.
While Flagg’s ability to steamroll downhill to create for himself is impressive enough, one area of growth as he moves through the early stages of his career is getting more comfortable facilitating while handling the ball in the two-man game. Including possessions where he passes to a teammate who shoots, Flagg’s pick-and-rolls are producing 0.951 points per possession, according to Synergy. That’s not a particularly exceptional number in and of itself — about league average overall, and 68th out of 93 players finishing at least five plays per game out of the pick-and-roll.
On the other hand, though — and it’s really worth hammering this point home — “about league average at generating points out of the pick-and-roll” is pretty damn good for a just-turned-19-year-old stepping immediately into a primary shot creation role that he’d never played before. And it’s also worth noting that, as with so much else about his game, Flagg seems to be getting better at it as the season goes along.
Over the past month, Dallas has scored 1.063 points per possession out of Flagg’s pick-and-rolls — a mark that would rank between what Mitchell and Jaylen Brown are generating out of the two-man game this season. The reads and passes are rarely breathtaking, but the court vision that he flashed in his fits-and-starts point guard days continues to produce good looks — either for himself after keeping a defender in jail and probing the paint, or for a teammate after the help leans too far in his direction — for an offense that desperately needs them:
Due in part to the relative lack of offensive threats around him, especially with Davis back on the shelf and Irving still in street clothes, teams have been sending more defensive attention at Flagg — loading the coverage toward him, trapping him as he comes off a ball screen, trying to heat him up and force the ball out of his hands. Learning how to patiently play through that kind of pressure takes time and repetition, with today’s pain bringing the promise of more efficient production tomorrow.
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“He’s going each and every night,” Davis said last month, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Each possession. They are trying to put their toughest defender on him every night. Try to take away his ability to put the ball on the floor and score. But he’s handling it very well. Making plays out of the double teams. It’s our job to capitalize when he makes the right play.”
The Mavs haven’t done that often enough this season, shooting just 39.7% off his passes, including a dismal 30.6% on 3-point looks, according to NBA Advanced Stats — in keeping with the sour overall flavor of an attack that ranks 25th or worse in 3-point attempts, makes and percentage, 28th in points per half-court possession, and 27th in overall offensive efficiency. It’s easy to imagine future Dallas rosters built around Flagg prioritizing perimeter shooting, looking to leverage the way that his size and skill enables him to penetrate into the teeth of the defense by flanking him with marksmen capable of cashing out after he drives, reads and kicks.
“The biggest thing that stands out to me is his athleticism,” a Western Conference scout recently told MacMahon of ESPN. “If I’m the GM here, I’m adding as much shooting as possible and building around him for a long time.”
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Flank Flagg with floor-spacers and give him the green light to get downhill, and it seems like you’ve got the recipe for a damn good offense. The only fly in the ointment is Flagg’s own jumper: just 33.5% outside the paint and 28.3% from 3-point land, including a surprising 24.2% on supposedly easier catch-and-shoot triple tries. If he can’t iron out the wrinkles in his J, defenses will be able to duck under ball screens, sag off him and crowd the paint, clogging up driving lanes and making it more difficult for him to create for himself and others.
For what it’s worth, though, at least one pretty reliable source when it comes to shooting the ball isn’t too worried about the kid’s overall outlook …
… which seems smart, considering Flagg’s up to 36% from deep on nearly four attempts per game over the past month — yet another area in which he just continues to improve, night after night, game after game.
Flagg pulled down a season-high 11 boards in Thursday’s win over the Warriors. You don’t need that much time when you’re growing up faster than people think.
Get ready for sponsors to have patches on college teams’ jerseys.
After months of discussion, the NCAA announced Friday that Division I schools are allowed to sell ad space on uniforms, equipment and apparel starting Aug. 1 after the idea was approved by the NCAA’s Division I cabinet.
“College sports are in an exciting new era of increased financial benefits for student-athletes, and the cabinet’s vote [Friday] reflects the ongoing commitment of Division I members to drive additional revenues and fully fund those benefits,” Illinois athletic director and DI cabinet chair Josh Whitman said in a statement. “This also continues the NCAA’s efforts to expand flexibility in areas of NCAA rules, thereby allowing schools and conferences to set standards that reflect their values and serve their unique needs. This important policy change is another step forward in advancing that philosophy and providing members with increased flexibility.”
Schools will not be able to have sponsored apparel or equipment in NCAA championships, such as the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments. The NCAA does not govern the College Football Playoff.
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Teams will be “permitted up to two additional commercial logos on their uniforms and apparel and one additional commercial logo on equipment during the preseason and regular season” and can have an additional logo for conference championships. All patches must be no larger than four square inches, and the placement of sponsor logos will be legislated by rules subcommittees for each sport.
The NCAA also left open the possibility that “NCAA corporate marketing” partners could obtain jersey space during NCAA championships.
The long-expected addition of jersey patches comes less than two years after the NCAA allowed sponsors to buy ad space on football fields. In July, NCAA schools began revenue sharing with athletes as part of the House settlement. Power four schools are distributing roughly $20 million to their athletes this school year.
This MLB offseason has given onlookers a little bit of everything. We’ve seen blockbuster trades, massive free-agent contracts and all sorts of transactions in between. And after a lull in December, there has been a late-January flurry of action.
Here are the winners and losers of the MLB offseason so far.
Winner: Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs
Since Jed Hoyer took over as the Cubs’ president of baseball operations in 2020, the sport has been waiting for the moment when Hoyer and the Cubs would put their foot down and use their resources to take hold of the division. They’d made some moves over the years, but a big offseason had eluded them, with Hoyer taking his lumps while following a strict budget set by team ownership.
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Coming into this offseason, after the team got back to the NLDS for the first time since 2017, there was a need to do something to carry the momentum into 2026. And this winter, Hoyer finally got to do things his way.
Some wondered if Hoyer deserved his extension after whiffing at last year’s trade deadline, but he has now put together Chicago’s best team in nearly a decade. With those two big moves plus several additions in the bullpen, the Cubs not only improved their roster significantly but also solidified themselves as serious contenders in the National League and the leaders of the pack in the NL Central.
Loser: Philadelphia Phillies
It’s not like the Phillies haven’t made moves this offseason. They kicked things off in a big way at the winter meetings, re-signing clubhouse leader Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million deal. They added Adolís Garcia to their outfield mix, signed Brad Keller for their bullpen and brought back catcher J.T. Realmutto. Yet their offseason feels like a bit of a disappointment.
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Philly has been involved with several free agents at the top of the market, the latest being Bo Bichette. The Phillies believed they were on the precipice of signing Bichette to a seven-year, $200 million deal. Instead, they were left standing at the altar, watching what would’ve been their biggest acquisition of the offseason land with the division-rival New York Mets. Plus, southpaw Ranger Suárez signed in Boston, leaving a hole in Philadelphia’s rotation.
Now, the Phillies still have a strong starting rotation, and with Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner anchoring their lineup, they’ll always have some thump and a chance to win. But their offseason is ending on a sour note, their outfield still has some major questions, and they’ve yet to resolve the Nick Castellanos situation.
But just adding to the rotation wasn’t going to be enough, so while they already had a lengthy lineup, the Jays also signed Japanese star third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. Adding the 29-year-old boosts Toronto’s ability to produce runs and support the newly renovated rotation.
Had the Blue Jays landed their biggest target, free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, they would be the unquestioned biggest winners of this offseason. But even coming in as the runners-up for Tucker, they’ve done more than enough to be proud of their winter and put themselves in position to be the American League’s best team in 2026.
Loser: Boston Red Sox
There was a path for the Red Sox to come out of this winter as big winners. But at this point, it doesn’t feel like that is going to happen. Sure, a starter such as Ranger Suárez is a strong addition to the rotation, which also added Sonny Gray early in the offseason. And after missing out on Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso, the Sox acquired first baseman Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals. But all together, Boston’s moves this offseason feel just “fine.”
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Worse, Boston hasn’t addressed its offense in a meaningful way or resolved the log jam in the outfield, with Jarren Duran, Ceddane Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida all still there.
But the biggest miss of this offseason for the Red Sox is undoubtedly letting Alex Bregman leave and sign with the Cubs. Bregman was Boston’s highest priority this winter, yet the team failed to do what was necessary to keep him around and now is left looking to replace him after just one season at Fenway. There’s still a little time left for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to make a move, but it’s getting a little late to salvage this winter.
Winner: New York Mets
“Slow and steady wins the race” is the mantra Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns must have been telling himself all offseason when it came to New York’s additions. There wasn’t a team under more pressure than the Mets this winter, after they missed the postseason following their $765 million investment in superstar Juan Soto.
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The Mets started the offseason by moving longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers and landing second baseman Marcus Semien in the deal. Then they signed infielder Jorge Polanco and relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. But those moves weren’t enough to move the needle, especially not with the free-agent departures of Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.
Still, the Mets’ biggest need this winter was starting pitching, and as names continued to come off the board, they were in danger of being left without a dance partner. But with just weeks left before the start of spring training, Stearns finally made his biggest move, acquiring ace Freddy Peralta in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Much like the Cubs, in just a matter of days, the Mets turned a relatively quiet offseason into a big one. Having accomplished many of their goals for this winter, they can now go into the spring feeling as good as anybody about their roster.
Winner: Scott Boras
Scott Boras is having himself a monster offseason, and as we reach the end of January, baseball’s most famous agent has a lot to smile about. Boras was tasked this winter with finding long-term homes for Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman after both essentially signed one-year deals ahead of the 2025 season. One year later, Boras got both what they were looking for, with Alonso signing a five-year, $155 million deal with the Orioles and Bregman landing a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs.
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As a collective, Boras’ clients, including Alonso, Bregman, Cody Bellinger, Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, Tatsuya Imai, Ranger Suárez and Ha-Seong Kim, have signed $966.5 million worth of contracts this offseason. With a few more Boras players still on the market, that number could reach a billion.
Boras certainly has his detractors around the game, but you can’t deny that the super-agent has delivered for his clients and accomplished what he set out to do this offseason.
Loser: Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are wasting a prime opportunity. In what is the worst division in baseball, Detroit has yet to make any significant additions to its roster, and with one year remaining before the best pitcher on the planet, Tarik Skubal, becomes a free agent, that’s a huge miss. The Tigers have made the postseason in back-to-back seasons, and going into this offseason, with the clock ticking on Skubal, it seemed like the perfect time to go for it.
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Instead, president of baseball operations Scott Harris and the Tigers have appeared to be caught in between. Besides re-signing reliever Kyle Finnegan, adding veteran closer Kenley Jansen and keeping second baseman Gleyber Torres via the qualifying offer, they’re basically the same team they’ve been for the past two seasons. And now they’re going to arbitration with Skubal in what will be a monumental case after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement.
If all this leads to a Skubal trade at the deadline, this winter will go down as a huge whiff for Detroit. And even with the prospects they have on the horizon, if they don’t improve the big-league club while Skubal is still around, it’s going to be really difficult to convince a fan base that endured a tough rebuild that things are still getting better.
Kyle Tucker and the Dodgers are among this offseason’s biggest winners, thanks to his $240 million deal to join the back-to-back defending champs.
(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
It would be tough to argue the biggest winners this offseason aren’t the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, the rich do indeed get richer, and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman found a way to fill his 26-man roster with even more star power heading into the 2026 season.
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The Dodgers filled two needs they’d been trying to address for a few years now: closer and corner outfielder. And not only did they fill those needs, but in both cases they did it in grand fashion, signing All-Star closer Edwin Díaz and this winter’s No. 1 free agent, Kyle Tucker.
For a few years, there has been a sense around baseball that a lockout is coming after the current collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, 2026. Much of that feeling has to do with the growing financial disparity across the sport. While it’s easy for some to blame a high-spending team such as the Dodgers for “ruining baseball,” the situation is more complex than that, with the low-spending teams very much part of the problem. Still, it’s not unrealistic to say the Dodgers’ financial dominance over the rest of the sport is going to make what was already set to be a difficult fight an even uglier one.
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Major League Baseball has a lot of great things going on right now. Young stars continue to emerge each season, attendance and viewership numbers have been strong, and two of the greatest players to ever play, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, are in the middle of their primes at the same time with big-market teams.
There are plenty of reasons the game of baseball should continue to thrive moving forward. But with the chatter about baseball’s haves and have-nots only growing louder, there’s a dark cloud looming at the end of the 2026 season, with the industry and fans bracing for an unknown that could include lost games. Unfortunately, that dark cloud now feels unavoidable, and we have no idea how long the storm will last.
Fresh off a second stint in the NFL, Philip Rivers interviewed for the open Buffalo Bills head-coaching job, the team announced on Friday.
The Bills are casting a wide net in their search for Sean McDermott’s replacement. Also interviewing on Friday is former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who is expected to land with the Los Angeles Chargers as the team’s offensive coordinator if he doesn’t get another head-coaching job. Washington Commanders run game coordinator Anthony Lynn and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver are scheduled for Saturday, while Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski will get his chance on Sunday.
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All interviewees this weekend will meet with a group in Florida that will include owner Terry Pegula, president of football operations and general manager Brandon Beane and quarterback Josh Allen.
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo have already interviewed.
Rivers, who first retired following the 2020 season with the Colts, played his final playoff game that season during a 27-24 defeat to Allen and the Bills. He spent his first 16 NFL seasons with the Chargers.
Prior to returning to the NFL, Rivers was head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama.
The New York Knicks are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, which wouldn’t feel all that disappointing had we not just seen the Knicks winning the NBA Cup and knocking on the door of the Detroit Pistons a month ago. The question now: Which version of the Knicks is real?
Head coach Mike Brown was brought in to deliver a stronger process to a preexisting identity. A lot of the early talk surrounded the Knicks’ offense. More tempo, more pace, and more empowerment throughout the roster would elevate New York on an end of the floor that tended to get stagnant. That came with an understanding that the defense may not remain at the level it was under Tom Thibodeau, but there was enough of a base to sustain success on that end. A little slippage defensively with a competitive mindset mixed with better offensive flow would be the package to elevate the Knicks.
According to NBA.com, the Knicks are No. 3 in offensive rating (119.1) and No. 17 in defensive rating (115). But here’s the key: In November, the Knicks were No. 2 in offensive rating (122.8) and No. 10 in defensive rating (112.3); in December, the Knicks were No. 2 in offensive rating (123.2) and No. 21 in defensive rating (118); and during their recent 2-9 stretch, opponents averaged 117.4 points per game (25th in the league during that time).
Is this a team that can’t defend, or a team that can’t afford to not defend?
New York’s defensive state of mind
When the Knicks are humming on defense, it’s the effort that jumps off the screen. Is this a perfect defensive unit? Absolutely not. But when the Knicks have the mindset to work on that end of the floor, they can usually live with the results. Active ball pressure. Physicality off-ball. Scrambling and recovering. Switches anticipating the next step in the defensive process. A unit defending on a string, working to find a way to get a stop and get out in transition.
If the Knicks’ defense is able to give that type of effort, then what is the issue?
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Consistency and connection.
In the two clips below, a simple backscreen exposes what happens to the Knicks’ defense when they are not connected. Devin Booker sets a backscreen for Jordan Goodwin, which puts Jalen Brunson in action, but that’s not the only issue. While Mikal Bridges is working to get to Booker’s body, Mitchell Robinson is outside of the paint, no switch takes place and it’s an easy dunk. Against Brooklyn, the Knicks are able to navigate a dribble handoff, but a backscreen does them in again. Michael Porter Jr. screens, Josh Hart sees it and takes the cut. Unfortunately, OG Anunoby is working to fight over and that separation opens a look for MPJ for 3. The Knicks’ activity on defense requires connection or it can work against them.
When the Knicks’ defense is functioning well, you can see them working to get bodies on cutters and working to navigate screens.
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A key is the timing of their rotations; the earlier they show help, the better chance they have to recover and reset.
Notice in the first clip when Porter gets a handoff and Robinson engages, Anunoby is already in the paint to take away the roll. Deuce McBride and Anunoby both work to close out and the Knicks do well. Against Phoenix, when a pindown for Booker turns into pick-and-roll, you see no bodies in the paint from the Knicks. There’s a free lane to finish and a reminder of what happens when the Knicks are not tied together.
As important as it is for a defense to be early and show help, the rotations behind that are just as key. The idea is to help the helper, and work to ensure the defense can help and recover. There is a reason why the top defensive teams consistently give multiple efforts.
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Can the Knicks depend on Karl-Anthony Towns?
Part of the reason it’s so important for the Knicks to have a strong base defensively is because of the inevitable fact that teams are going to put Karl-Anthony Towns and Brunson in action.
I’m a believer in Towns on the defensive end from a coaching perspective because, at the end of the day, you just have to land in the “do your job” territory. With the right defensive personnel around him, if he executes his portion, the Knicks can likely survive. The question that has popped up this season is which scheme works for him that the Knicks can depend on?
In general, the Knicks have been able to live with Towns working toward the level of the screen, being active and trusting the rotations behind it. But his activity in this coverage has regressed this season, which puts even more pressure on the rotations behind the defense to cover things up. So if that scheme is no longer at the top of the playbook, where do you pivot?
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The optimal setting for Towns in New York has been for him to be in drop coverage in pick-and-roll.
As the season has progressed, the Knicks have worked to keep side pick-and-rolls on that same side (a little ironic considering Thibs was just there), but the challenge remains the same. In an ideal setting, defenders are able to navigate the screen and recover while Towns can remain in the paint and contain the roller. The issue becomes the positioning if they can’t get back in front and aren’t ready to protect the rim. What’s intriguing in the last clip is that even when the Knicks went double-big, Towns was still in a drop. There is an ability to give those multiple efforts, contain and recover, but it has to be a constant for the Knicks.
The other key is how many other schemes can be trusted?
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The Knicks have continued to mix in late switches with KAT when he is dropped back. If the primary defender gets hit with a screen, Towns will take the ball-handler and the Knicks’ defense resets. Containing those drives becomes key in those moments, but the more flexibility the Knicks have the better. Late switches are one thing, but how much do you want Towns to outright switch?
It’s not an automatic for the Knicks, but it’s something to keep an eye on as we get closer to the playoffs. It’s more likely to be seen when he is in a double-big lineup with Robinson. The key is for KAT to switch, contain the drive and then be ready to defend on the weakside. Show help, close out, recover back. When Towns gives multiple efforts, you can live with the results.
What about Jalen Brunson?
It’s important to have your base set and your Towns coverages set because you also have to be prepared for teams to attack Brunson.
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Teams are going to put Brunson in action by a) forcing him to navigate screens and b) using whoever he is defending as a screener to try to force a mismatch.
Against Phoenix in the clip below, he works to fight over a screen and is immediately put in action. He does a good job of showing early and recovering, McBride helps him on the roll, and he returns the favor by being in position to take a charge on a drive.
The problem comes when some of the Knicks’ defensive issues bleed into the things offenses want to attack.
In the clips below you can see how a small breakdown can create an issue for the Knicks. Against Phoenix, Brunson is calling for the switch against Booker. McBride fights over the top which opens a pop for a 3. Against Dallas, Brunson is going show-and-recover, only Hart goes with the roll, which opens a lane for Naji Marshall to drive.
Every defense has something an offense wants to attack; the thing is you have to be clean and consistent in how you handle it.
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A good sign for the Knicks is they have been self-aware, understanding they have to have the right mindset on the defensive end if they want to hit their goals. Ultimately, if they want to contend, the defense is going to have to hit a certain level. There is a chance that having a playoff game plan and focusing on one team helps them, but they have to build their base and versatility on their way there.
No. 8 seed Ben Shelton defeated Australian Dane Sweeny in straight sets during the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday, and the American will now face Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot in the third round tonight. Vacherot, ranked No. 30, is the 2025 Shanghai Masters champion. Tonight’s men’s match will begin no earlier than 10:30 p.m. ET.
Tonight’s Australian Open tournament coverage will air on ESPN2, and the entire tournament is available to stream for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about tonight’s match at the 2026 Australian Open.
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How to watch Ben Shelton vs. Valentin Vacherot at the Australian Open:
When is the Ben Shelton vs. Valentin Vacherot match at the 2026 Australian Open?
The third round match between Ben Shelton and Valentin Vacherot at the Australian Open will be Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
Ben Shelton vs. Valentin Vacherot match start time:
The match between Ben Shelton and Valentin Vacherot will start at no earlier than 10:30 p.m. ET. The match will begin once the previous match between Peyton Stearns and Amanda Anisimova is over. The men’s match will be available on ESPN Unlimited and ESPN2.
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Australian Open channel:
In the U.S., the Australian Open will air on ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2, before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
Don’t live in the land down under? Don’t worry, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
9Now. Plus it’s Engadget’s pick for the best premium VPN. ExpressVPN offers three tiers of subscriptions: The Basic Plan (starting at $3.49/month), the Advanced Plan (starting at $4.49/month) and the Pro Plan (starting at $7.49/month).
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
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Saturday, January 17
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 18
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 19
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 20
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 21
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 22
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Friday, January 23
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 24
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 25
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 26
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 29
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8:00 p.m.
Friday, January 30
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, January 31
(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 1
(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.
Men’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Women’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Aryna Sabalenka
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2. Iga Swiatek
3. Amanda Anisimova
4. Coco Gauff
5. Elena Rybakina
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners of the Australian Open each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and Semi-finalists $1,250,000.
More ways to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel, and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary. No strings attached.
A Broncos team and defense that excelled in myriad areas was missing a key ingredient likely to secure victory. Payton wanted them to understand the importance.
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“Sean sat us down and in the team meeting, he made a point of emphasis about the turnover differential and being on the plus side of that,” Broncos safety P.J. Locke told reporters. “He gave us a history lesson on teams that won the turnover battle through the playoffs, and it was like plus-17 through all the teams that made the playoffs.
“So we had to be real big on that.”
What ensued was a three-point overtime win against the Bills that became a statistical outlier in each team’s season. While the Bills had inconsistent ball security through the season, they’d previously turned the ball over no more than three times a game.
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The Broncos’ defense, despite ranking second in yards per game allowed (278.2) and third in points per game allowed (18.3), had secured no more than two takeaways per game during a year in which just three teams had fewer takeaways on the season.
No matter: The Broncos intercepted Josh Allen twice and forced three fumbles between Allen and running back James Cook to collect a season-best five steals.
Drake Maye was victorious in his first two playoff games, but he lost half of his six fumbles to the opposition. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
“We didn’t do a real good job in the regular season, so [the takeaway battle] was kind of emphasized to us in practice,” cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian said after nabbing the game-winning interception.
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“These last couple weeks have been making such an emphasis on getting the ball,” added edge rusher Nik Bonitto, who forced two fumbles. “[Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph] kind of broke it down easily. He’s like, ‘You know if you get the ball, you can still get a sack?’
“There’s been more of an emphasis.”
The Patriots know they need to expect the Broncos to hunt the ball, especially after an uncharacteristic uptick in fumbles during the postseason.
The Patriots lost three of Maye’s eight fumbles in 17 regular-season games. They’ve since lost three more of the six attributed to Maye in two playoff games.
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Maye is not the reason for all of the turnovers, head coach Mike Vrabel said. But the Patriots may need him to be the solution.
“We have to be able to not get careless with the football,” Vrabel said this week. “We can’t be reckless. And a lot of it is operation. I mean, we had two turnovers where we all weren’t on the same page. … You could have a negative play if you don’t have everybody on the same page. But even worse, you lose the football.
“The operation is going to be critical.”
Patriots’ ‘ball-security violators’ look different than they did 2 weeks ago
The Denver altitude will be a first for Maye, who said this week he hasn’t played a game in high altitude before.
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The volume of Empower Field at Mile High Stadium may surprise him less.
Maye has already accustomed himself to silent counts each road game. So while precision will be key, the Patriots do not anticipate it hinging on the crowd impact.
“I think from last week, I can improve on my operation of getting out of the huddle, getting guys in the right spot, just moving with a sense of urgency,” Maye said. “One of the biggest things with the guys up front is it’s my job to have a timer in my head, and … be mindful back there.
“Just know that my job is to protect the football.”
Maye did that remarkably well through the season, completing a league-high 72% of his passes even as he led the league with 8.9 yards per attempt, 9.46 air yards per attempt and a 113.5 passer rating. That league-best efficiency mark factored in his 1.6% interception rate.
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The Patriots travel to face a Broncos defense that led the league this season with 68 sacks, more than the runner-up Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos registered the highest sack percentage, at 9.7%, per Next Gen Stats, and the fifth-highest blitz rate at 32.1%.
“Drake is a great quarterback,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “He’s got a lot of playmakers on the perimeter. They’ve got a great run game, so we’ve got to find a way to eliminate the explosives on their side and find a way to contain them.”
Nik Bonitto and the Broncos forced five turnovers against the Bills in their overtime victory against Buffalo in the divisional round. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
While Maye is coming off a career-high pressure-to-sack ratio (62.5%) last Sunday against the Texans, he has thrived against blitzes over the course of the season.
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Maye threw 15 touchdowns to zero interceptions when blitzed this season, per Next Gen Stats, and his 163 attempts without an interception against the blitz were the most in a single season since 2018.
Expect Maye to welcome extra defenders at the line of scrimmage and thus away from his downfield targets. But expect also the Broncos to see the Patriots’ fumble liability in recent weeks, and target it.
“I’m sure that they have highlighted all week the ball security violators, how they are careless with the ball [showing them all their turnovers], how to attack the ball and then drill it,” one assistant who played against the Patriots this season told Yahoo Sports. “Not only QB but [running back Rhamondre Stevenson was a] big time target as well. From HC on down it was a big emphasis [for us].”
An assistant coach from another team that faced the Patriots this season agreed. That coach’s advice to their players?
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“I would tell them to go straight for the ball over going for a sack,” the coach told Yahoo Sports. “I expect NE to lean on their run game to neutralize [the] Denver pass rush. Run the ball and high[-percentage] throws.”
For Patriots and Broncos, winning turnover battle could be ticket to Super Bowl
In the history of the conference championship game, winning teams have won the turnover margin 86 times, per Pro Football Reference data.
Teams that have tied the turnover margin have won 17 times.
Teams that have lost the turnover margin have won 15.
Winning despite losing the ball security battle is not impossible. But it is far less statistically likely.
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The Broncos needing to input backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who has attempted zero passes this season, could give the Patriots’ defense opportunities at takeaways.
That possibility motivates the Broncos’ defense even more to disrupt Maye and the Patriots.
“We always feel like every time we step out there on the field, we could change the game and always make game-changing plays,” Surtain said of the Broncos’ defense. “That’s what we put on our shoulders, you know what I mean?
“Each and every week the opponent gets tougher and the matchup gets tougher. That’s what playoff football is about. So each and every week, we feel like we’ve got to step up our game and level up our game as well.”
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Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will remind his unit that as much as it wants to thrive, mistakes and errors are likely to come. Turnovers often “have more of a team complexion to it than what you may understand with just the naked eye,” McDaniel said, even as the Patriots know they need to protect the ball better than the last two weeks because ball security will “be paramount this week in Denver.”
As important as the positive plays will be rebounding from negative ones.
Vrabel credited Maye’s ability to do that in recent games, while McDaniels said to buckle up for its need again.
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“You realize these games are not going to go just one direction,” McDaniels said. “It’s like a great boxing match. I don’t think either guy leaves the ring at the end of the fight if it’s a 12-round split decision where one of ’em thinks they really got the better of the other.
“When you’re playing in the playoffs against the best players, the best coaches, the best teams at this time of the year that are playing their best, which is really what this is all about, there’s going to be some plays in the game that you got to live through and survive, and you got to come back and play your best football as the game goes on.
“And make enough plays to win, which is all that matters.”
Former NFL defensive lineman Kevin Johnson died on Wednesday from blunt head trauma and stab wounds at a homeless encampment, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Johnson’s death was ruled a homicide, and police are investigating. Investigators believe Johnson was living at the encampment at the time of his death. He was also thought to have health issues. Johnson was 55.
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Johnson was a Los Angeles native and played for Westchester High School. He spent his college years at Texas Southern before being drafted in the fourth round in 1993 by the New England Patriots.
He played in 38 games for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders across three seasons. After his stint with the Raiders, Johnson played in the Arena Football League for the Orlando Predators and the Los Angeles Avengers. The Raiders released a statement mourning Johnson, who played in 15 games in Oakland in 1997.
He won an Arena Bowl Championship with the Predators. He finished his NFL career with 54 tackles, 7 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown. Johnson also had two playoff appearances in his career.
