Month: March 2026

For my final men’s Player of the Year Ladder of the season, I decided to take a step back and look at the full picture, ranking the top 10 players based strictly on their overall body of work. Injuries forced me to remove both Texas Tech’s JT Toppin and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson from recent lists, but their seasons were too strong to leave them off the final rankings. At the top, Duke freshman standout Cameron Boozer has separated himself from the pack and has run away with the Player of the Year award. The real intrigue, though, has been the battle behind him. The race for spots 2-10 has been competitive and fascinating all year. Basketball is a team game, and team success inevitably plays a role in evaluating players. Still, this list is about recognizing the individuals whose production and impact stood out above the rest. Honorable mention: Purdue guard Braden Smith, St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor, Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson, Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz. 10. Caleb Wilson, North Carolina freshman forward Despite playing in just 24 games, Wilson makes my list because of how special he was this season, averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds for the Tar Heels. He was the hardest-playing player in the country, too. 9. Kingston Flemings, Houston freshman guard Houston returned veteran backcourt pieces in Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan, but it was Flemings who became the go-to guy in close games. The freshman standout led the Cougars in points, assists, and steals while also shooting 48% from the field. Houston has another shot at a Final Four and national title. Outside of head coach Kelvin Sampson, Flemings is the biggest reason why. 8. Keaton Wagler, Illinois freshman guard One of the biggest breakout performers in the country, Wagler arrived as a three-star freshman and quickly became Illinois’ best player. He averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists for a roster loaded with talent, while also taking over primary ball-handling duties when Kylan Boswell was sidelined with injuries. 7. Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State senior forward Iowa State has quietly been one of the elite teams in the country this season, which suits senior forward Joshua Jefferson just fine. His averages of 16.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists are impressive, yet it still feels like most college basketball fans have no idea who he is. They will by late March. 6. Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State sophomore guard Fears led the nation in assists at 9.1 per game, but he also doubled his scoring average from a season ago to lead the Spartans in that department. There have been a few questionable moments in the second half of the season, but they don’t change how I view his overall body of work or the way he has carried Michigan State at times. 5. JT Toppin, Texas Tech junior forward Toppin had a spectacular season that was cut short by an ACL injury, but he earned a final spot on my list. His averages of 21.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in the top conference in the sport were impressive. Texas Tech was one of the only teams this year to beat Duke and could have won a title if he were healthy. 4. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan senior forward Michigan is my favorite team to watch and Lendeborg is the main reason why. The senior forward’s versatility on both ends of the floor is his superpower. He averages 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. 3. Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas freshman guard Is Acuff the best freshman point guard John Calipari has ever coached? I’d say yes, as his freshman season is more dominant than Derrick Rose or John Wall. It’s pretty impressive company, but his averages of 22.2 points (on 49% shooting), 3.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists speak for themselves. The Razorbacks have been inconsistent as a group, but think about what they would be without Acuff. 2. AJ Dybantsa, BYU freshman forward Dybantsa came into the season with massive hype, and the young star delivered. BYU might have nose-dived in the final third of the season, but it wasn’t because of Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring. With all due respect to Arizona’s Jaden Bradley, Dybantsa should have been named Big 12 Player of the Year after averaging 24.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. 1. Cameron Boozer, Duke freshman forward Boozer had massive shoes to fill after Cooper Flagg’s Player of the Year season last year, yet he somehow delivered an even better statistical campaign. Averaging 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, Boozer has been asked to carry more of the load than perhaps any star on a top-10 team. The question now: can he lead Duke all the way to a national title?​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

We know that Tom Brady, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels will serve as the quarterbacks for two of the teams in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Now, we know who they’ll be throwing to, and some of the defensive players they’ll go up against. Several NFL stars from the past and present have joined the pool of players who will play for either Founders FFC or Wildcats FFC in the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Ashton Jeanty (Raiders) and Alvin Kamara (Saints) have been added to the pool at running back. At wide receiver and tight end, Davante Adams (Rams), DeVonta Smith (Eagles), Deebo Samuel, Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins and Kyle Juszczyk (49ers) have joined the mix. Defensively, stars like Derwin James Jr. (Chargers), Tyrann Mathieu, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey have agreed to play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Luke Kuechly, who’ll be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame later in 2026, will also play in the event. A few entertainers will also play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. IShowSpeed was the latest entertainer to be added to the player pool for the event, it was announced on Tuesday. The newly announced players for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic join an already talented group that was previously announced. Rob Gronkowski, Saquon Barkley, Myles Garrett and Odell Beckham Jr. already agreed to participate in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Logan Paul and Terrence “Bud” Crawford were also previously announced participants for the event. Those players will be drafted by either Brady’s and Hurts’ Founders FFC or Burrow and Daniels’ Wildcats FFC on Wednesday, March 18, which is three days before the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Those two teams, plus the United States’ men’s national flag football team, will compete in a round-robin tournament in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. “Having Team USA as the third team in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic elevates the already world-class talent participating in this tournament,” Brady said in a statement. “I’m fired up to see how these teams stack up, and the fact that we’ll be playing in the same stadium that will host flag football during the Olympics will show the world a preview of what’s to come in 2028. But I’m not coming back to the football field to lose. That’s for damn sure.” The addition of the United States men’s national flag football team, which is the reigning IFAF Flag Football World Champion, to the Fanatics Flag Football Classic was announced on Monday, when it was shared that the event would now take place at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Here’s the full roster for the United States’ men’s national flag football team that will compete in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Several other notable names will participate in some capacity in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Broncos head coach Sean Payton will coach Founders FFC. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will coach Wildcats FFC. New Titans head coach Robert Saleh will serve as a defensive specialist for both teams. Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald, who were both just voted for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will serve as commissioners for the event. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart will serve as the host of the event alongside actor and comedian Druski. As for the games themselves, the Fanatics Flag Football Classic will be played with the same rules as flag football will be played during the 2028 Summer Olympics. There’ll be two 15-minute halves with a running clock on a 50×25 yard field. Each team can only have five players on the field at a time. All three teams will participate in a round-robin tournament. After those three games are played, the top two teams will advance to the championship. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic will air live on FOX, FOX One and Tubi at 4 p.m. ET on March 21. The event will also be streamed internationally on the Fanatics YouTube channel.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Cal Raleigh insisted Tuesday he has no beef with Randy Arozarena even though his Seattle Mariners teammate lashed out with a vulgar rant after Raleigh left him hanging for a handshake at the World Baseball Classic. “I love Randy, I do,” Raleigh told reporters outside the USA’s dugout at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros. “I hate that this is a thing. There’s no beef. When we get back to Seattle, he’s my brother. We’re family. “I already reached out to him, so, you know, it’s just a competitive environment, and I know he would want the same for me when we’re on the team in playoff baseball.” The kerfuffle went viral when Arozarena, a two-time All-Star outfielder playing for Mexico, cursed out Raleigh to a reporter after the Team USA catcher did not accept a handshake before an at-bat in the United States’ 5-3 win. Speaking to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish, Arozarena said Raleigh “has to thank God that he has nice parents, well educated,” and said he recently hugged them during a friendly greeting at the team hotel. He then used profane Cuban and Mexican slang to insult Raleigh before pivoting to English and saying Raleigh could shove his “good to see you” in his rear. Arozarena was born in Cuba but defected to Mexico to pursue an MLB career. Arozarena had reached down to greet Raleigh in his catcher’s squat at home plate, and Raleigh declined to offer his hand back. Raleigh appeared to say something to Arozarena during the exchange at the plate that could have set off the Mexican star. Arozarena appeared to be visibly upset at Raleigh, though it wasn’t totally clear if he was just having fun at his teammates’ expense. The pair have been teammates since Arozarena was traded from Tampa Bay to Seattle during the 2024 season. Raleigh called Arozarena a baseball “brother” while explaining there was no tension between the teammates. “I just have a responsibility for my teammates here right now and my country, and emotions running high,” Raleigh added. “But like I said, I love Randy. He’s awesome. He’s been great for our team, and like I said, we talked, and this isn’t a big deal at all. “We’re good friends, and we’ll continue to be good friends, and I think we’re just enjoying competing against each other right now. That’s really all I have to say about it.” Mariners manager Dan Wilson told reporters he planned to speak to both of his players at Tuesday. “These guys are incredible athletes because of their competitiveness, and that’s where they’re at, and that’s why they’ve gotten to the level that they’ve gotten,” Wilson said. “But I also know that our team loves each other deeply. And that’s one of the key ingredients we have in that clubhouse, is how much they love each other, and so I don’t anticipate this being any bit of an issue.” Wilson doesn’t expect whatever happened between the two to linger into the regular season. The Mariners went 90-72 in 2025 and won the franchise’s first AL West title since 2001 in large part behind Raleigh, who became the seventh player in major league history to hit 60 homers in a season. “Competitiveness is competitiveness,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t matter. Sometimes, it’s a backyard game. Whatever. These guys are competitive. But like I said, I think the love that they have for each other will shine.” Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer and Roman Anthony added a three-run drive in a big third inning to lead the United States to the win. The U.S. improved to 3-0 and will meet Italy (2-0) on Tuesday night, seeking to secure a spot in the quarterfinals in Houston this weekend. Jarren Duran homered twice for Mexico (2-1), which will face Italy on Wednesday night in the last game of Group B play. “I hate that this is a thing. I really don’t think this is a big deal, a big story,” Raleigh said. “It shouldn’t be a thing. I love Randy. I have all the respect for him and Team Mexico.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports