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🏀 Good morning to all, however particularly to …

THE NO. 8 FLORIDA GATORS

There aren’t any extra undefeated groups in males’s school basketball. No. 8 Florida trounced No. 1 Tennessee, 73-43, the Gators’ first win over a No. 1 group because the 2007 nationwide championship over Ohio State and their first ever such win at dwelling.

This was, clearly, a stark juxtaposition from Florida’s 106-100 loss at No. 10 Kentucky over the weekend.

• The 30-point win is the third-largest by any group over a No. 1 group within the AP Ballot period (since 1939) and the most important since 1968.
• It took the Volunteers almost seven minutes to attain their first level of the sport, and so they shot a depressing 14% (4 for 29) within the first half, together with 0 for 14 from 3. They completed at 21% from the ground.
• Alijah Martin (18 factors), Denzel Aberdeen (16) and Alex Condon (12) led the best way offensively for Florida.

I used to be actually impressed by the Gators, who can rating with the most effective of them but additionally lock in on protection. Certain, Tennessee missed a ton of open pictures, however Florida made life tough all night time lengthy. The Gators have explosive guards, bodily and expert bigs and loads of depth, which could be very a lot a successful components — now and are available March Insanity.

Oh, by the best way, Kentucky, now No. 6 within the AP Ballot, fell, 82-69, at Georgia. Such is life within the SEC, which has established itself as the game’s finest convention far and away.

😃 Honorable mentions

🏈 And never such a great morning for …

ANTONIO PIERCE …

Add the Raiders to the record of groups searching for a brand new head coach. Las Vegas fired Antonio Pierce on Tuesday, two days after a 4-13 season got here to an in depth. Pierce, who took over as interim coach final season, finishes his tenure with a 9-17 file.

This season, the Raiders cycled by way of three quarterbacks and, unsurprisingly, had one of many league’s worst offenses. Quarterback is clearly the most important want, however there are holes throughout this roster. GM Tom Telesco was retained and might be answerable for filling these holes.

Las Vegas has had 4 coaches prior to now 4 years, a merry-go-round that began with Jon Gruden resigning in 2021 after emails that includes homophobic and misogynistic feedback leaked. Effectively-liked interim Wealthy Bisaccia righted the ship and acquired the group to the playoffs, however he was dumped for Josh McDaniels. McDaniels made it one and a half seasons — each of his head teaching stops have ended with him being fired in his second season — and that led to Pierce.

So, the place does Las Vegas go now? Cody Benjamin has 5 potential choices, however this is the factor: This is not a very enticing opening contemplating the opponents (the Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos all made the playoffs), the rotating door at coach and the dearth of a quarterback. Will Brinson ranked it fourth among the many six openings.

… AND ALSO RAN CARTHON AND THE TENNESSEE TITANS

The Titans did the inverse of what the Raiders did Tuesday, firing GM Ran Carthon and maintaining coach Brian Callahan.

You could assume, “No massive deal, the Titans stunk and Will Levis was Carthon’s selection at quarterback, not Callahan’s.”

However this is the factor …

• Three offseasons in the past, the Titans dealt A.J. Brown to the dismay of Mike Vrabel.
• GM Jon Robinson — who agreed to that deal after which drafted Treylon Burks as Brown’s “substitute” — was fired months later and was changed by Carthon in 2023.
• However Carthon’s first season — a 6-11 marketing campaign — ended up being Vrabel’s final in Nashville. Callahan changed Vrabel, and Carthon spent a ton in free company, solely to go 3-14.

Now we’re right here. Proprietor Amy Strunk Adams sided with coach over GM one 12 months after siding with GM over coach and two years after siding with coach over GM. I acquired dizzy simply typing that.

The Titans have the No. 1 choose within the NFL Draft, and we have seen how profitable rookie sign callers can change franchises. Sadly, Will writes, it appears to be like like Strunk has no semblance of a plan.

😬 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 Why Ohio State or Texas can win the Faculty Soccer Playoff

After reviewing (6) Penn State‘s (right here) and (7) Notre Dame‘s (right here) instances for why both might win the Faculty Soccer Playoff championship, we’re transferring on to the Cotton Bowl members: (8) Ohio State and (5) Texas.

Let’s begin with the Buckeyes, as a result of at this level, we’re working out of the reason why they will not win all of it. Chip Patterson has three causes the Buckeyes are certain for glory, together with …

• Patterson: “Will Howard has appeared comfy at quarterback. The final two video games — towards arguably two of the 5 finest defenses Ohio State confronted all season — have been two of his finest passing performances of the 12 months. Howard had the ball on a rope as he accomplished 82.8% of his passes for 311 yards towards Tennessee and racked up 319 yards and three touchdowns at 12.3 yards per try towards Oregon. When each move try averages a primary down, the offense goes to be near unstoppable.”

Texas simply may be the most effective candidate to drag an upset. The Longhorns have superstars and depth on protection, and whereas Quinn Ewers might be irritating, he may also be spectacular. Shehan Jeyarajah has three causes to consider in Texas.

• Ewers: “For a lot of the season, the main target has been on what Ewers cannot do in comparison with high-profile backup Arch Manning. However at this level within the Faculty Soccer Playoff, no quarterback remaining has extra expertise and expertise than Ewers. … Over the previous two seasons, Ewers is 21-4 as a beginning quarterback with the Longhorns’ first Massive 12 title since 2009. Within the greatest moments, Ewers deserves our belief above each different signal-caller within the area. And, by the best way, he nonetheless oozes expertise. Ewers was rated the No. 1 general recruit within the Class of 2021 for a motive.”

⚾ MLB offseason grades: Mets, Yankees earn stable marks

Pitchers and catchers could also be simply over a month from reporting for spring coaching, however there’s nonetheless so much left on this MLB offseason. Of R.J. Anderson’s high 50 free brokers, 23 are nonetheless obtainable, and that features seven of the highest 15.

Which means each group has the prospect to considerably change their mark in R.J.’s MLB offseason grades … to this point. The Massive Apple’s two groups have executed nicely.

• Anderson: “Mets — I’ve a easy rule of thumb: if you happen to signal a 26-year-old future Corridor of Famer, you get an A for the winter it doesn’t matter what else you do (or do not do). David Stearns has saved busy this offseason even after touchdown Juan Soto. He is assembled an attention-grabbing crop of rotation candidates: Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and Griffin Canning amongst them. He additionally introduced again lefty Sean Manaea and obtained outfielder Jose Siri … Grade: A“

The Mets have been considered one of simply three groups to earn the very best grade, and the Yankees, regardless of shedding Soto, weren’t far behind due to a number of stable strikes.

On the opposite finish, 5 groups acquired an “F.” Yikes!

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

🏀 No. 9 UConn at Villanova (M), 6 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Thunder at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Avalanche at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 4 USC at No. 8 Maryland (W), 8:30 p.m. on FS1
🏀 No. 10 Texas A&M at No. 17 Oklahoma (M), 9 p.m. on SEC Community
🏀 Spurs at Bucks, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Panthers at Utah Hockey Membership, 10 p.m. on truTV/TNT